In the days leading up to the start of the 2025-26 regular season, various outlets will make predictions on who will win the Stanley Cup or come out of the Eastern Conference to play in the Cup Final. For the Buffalo Sabres, the goal is to make the postseason for the first time since 2011, but according to a pair of prgonosticators, they are a longshot to do so.
In BetMGM’s future odds prognosticating which teams would reach the 90-point plateau necessary to make the postseason, the Sabres ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference at +165. Florida (+5000), Carolina (-3000), Tampa Bay (-1100), New Jersey (-800), Toronto (-750), Washington (-500), Ottawa (-325), NY Rangers (-285), Montreal (-150), Columbus and Detroit (+160) were all ranked ahead of the Sabres, with the NY Islanders, Philadelphia (+210), Boston (+325), and Pittsburgh (+500) behind them.
Since resuming an 82-game schedule after COVID, the final Eastern Conference wild card spot has been 91 or 92 points. In another prediction of their chances, Moneypuck had the Sabres with a 38.3% chance of making the playoffs, 10th in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo’s chances would seemingly rely on a number of factors going right and avoiding injuries to key players, but the injury bug has already been prevelant in training camp.
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, defenseman Michael Kesselring, and forward Jordan Greenway may start the season on injured reserve, with Luukkonen’s injury being the most concerning. The 26-year-old goalie has played more than 50 games the last two seasons, but suffered a nagging lower-body injury prior to training camp and missed the first week of practices. The Sabres starter played one period against Pittsburgh last Wednesday before being pulled for precautionary reasons, due to a different lower body injury.
Luukkonen’s absence will have the Sabres starting the season with Alex Lyon as their defacto starter and Alexandar Georgiev as the backup.
German-born American forward Danny O’Regan, 31, has signed a
one-year contract with the Schwenninger Wild Wings, the DEL club
announced on Sunday.
A
one-time NHLer, O’Regan has spent the past two seasons in Europe
but this will be his first in the country of his birth.
“The
discussions were always very open and positive,” O’Regan is
quoted in the
club’s announcement. “With the perspectives (GM) Stefan
Wagner and (head coach) Steve Walker have shown me, I can hardly wait
to get started in Schwenningen.”
“Danny,
as a player, fits very well into our team and complements our squad
even after the return of our injured players, so the signing made
absolute sense for us at this point,” said Wagner. “Also because
we are convinced he can make us even better as the season
progresses.”
O’Regan
was born in Berlin while his father, Tom O’Regan, played pro
hockey in Germany. The family returned to the United States when
Danny was four – he grew up in Massachusetts, played in the U.S.
National Team Development Program and then spent four seasons with
the Boston University Terriers.
This
will be O’Regan’s third season in Europe, having played in
Sweden for MoDo and in the KHL for Kunlun Red Star.
O’Regan
joins a Wild Wings team that also includes ex-NHLer Jordan Szwarz.
The team currently sits fifth in the DEL with 14 points in its first
eight games of the season.
A new patch is set to go live in NHL 26 at 10am PT, 1pm EST.
The update will fix an error that has been causing room crashes in EASHL 6v6 matches.
Servers will go offline during this update and it is recommended all players complete any online games prior to 10am/1pm to avoid being kicked offline or losing progress.
This issue was a common complaint in the NHL 26 Forums over the weekend.
A new #NHL26 Patch goes live tomorrow at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. Servers will go offline during deployment as we address a EASHL 6v6 dressing room crash. Please complete all online games ahead of time to avoid being impacted.
ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced on Friday that defenseman Daemon Hunt has been claimed off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Hunt, 23, was drafted by the Wild with the 65th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He spent parts of five seasons in the Wild's organization before he was traded to the Blue Jackets.
The 6-foot-1 defenseman played 13 NHL games with the Wild the last two seasons. He was traded along with four draft picks to the Blue Jackets for David Jiricek in November of last year.
In 48 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Cleveland Monsters, Hunt recorded two goals and 14 points.
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NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reports the salary cap could rise more than expected in the coming seasons, potentially giving the Detroit Red Wings significantly more flexibility to make future roster moves.
The NHL is continually growing as each NHL franchise has seen their value grow exponentially over recent years (Detroit almost doubling in the last four seasons) and with that comes new changes. Insiders have given rough estimates for how much the salary cap is expected to grow over the next two seasons with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman bringing up a new, bigger number.
On his podcast '32 Thoughts' Friedman explained that he's heard from more than one source that the salary cap next season could potentially rise to $107 million. This would be a sizeable $11.5 million jump from this years cap at $95.5 million and could open open up several avenues for teams around the league like the Detroit Red Wings.
If GM Steve Yzerman opts to not re-signing aging veterans in Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk, Ben Chiarot, Travis Hamonic and Cam Talbot, they would free up $12.25 million in cap space plus another million with this season being the final year of Justin Abdelkader's buyout. This on top of Detroit's current $13.2 million in cap space as of today will give them a lot of flexibility heading into next July as they could make lengthy extensions to young talent like restricted free agents Simon Edvinsson and Jonatan Berggren or taking a run at a big ticket free agent like Winnipeg's Kyle Connor.
"I've had a couple people mentioned the number 107 to me, as you mentioned, supposed to be 104 next year, I'm hearing the number 107 come up," Friedman explained to co-host Kyle Bukauskas "I think there are some people who really think, even the year after, where it's temporarily at least it's in pencil for 113 that that could go even higher."
Based on Friedman's comments, it's safe to say that the hockey world as a whole will be anxiously awaiting for the answer to what the future cap will be and he alluded to when we can expect an answer. The NHL's Board of Governors will meet at some point next week and will again at the start of December with rises in the cap on the list of topics for the meeting, according to Friedman.
With the regular season fast approaching, it was time for the Montreal Canadiens to make the final cuts and set their roster for the upcoming season. There was no big shock in the decisions made by the organization; it had been clear for some time that Oliver Kapanen had edged the competition up front.
When he decided to scratch Kapanen along with his linemates Alex Newhook and Ivan Demidov, Martin St-Louis said he had shown enough. Unlike his competitors, Kapanen had spent the previous season playing at the highest level in Sweden with Timrå IK, where he was entrusted with various responsibilities. He scored 35 points in 36 games and received some special team time, which turned out to be key for him. With Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia’s departures, there were empty chairs on the Canadiens’ penalty kill, and the Finnish forward has the skills to fill one of those.
The other happy camper yesterday was Joe Veleno. His performance in the last game was key. Put on a line with Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher, he showed that his elite offensive skills could come in handy. He has never been able to dominate in the NHL, but he does have some flashes of skills that a depth forward like Samuel Blais doesn’t have, and he can be used higher in the lineup than his fellow Quebecer.
As for Blais, he was put on waivers, and the hope is that he will clear. He spent the entire last season in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks and was a key player in their Calder Cup championship. After Saturday’s game, Blais stated that we had seen what he could really bring after he had landed six hits against the Ottawa Senators. It felt like it was too little, too late for him, however, and it wasn’t shocking to see him land on waivers. If he clears, he will no doubt be a useful veteran and leader with the Laval Rocket.
The left wing wasn’t the only one to hit waivers; he was joined by backup goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, who lost his gamble. It’s not that he played poorly, but Jakub Dobes was literally flawless. Samuel Montembeault’s backup featured in two games, and he stopped the 25 shots he faced. There’s literally nothing more he could have done. Meanwhile, Kahkonen gave up four goals on 35 shots, posting a .886 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average.
The goaltender only played one game in the NHL last season with the Colorado Avalanche before bouncing around in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles, the Manitoba Moose, and the Charlotte Checkers. If everything goes according to plan and there are no injuries in Montreal this season, he won’t be seeing any NHL action either, unless of course he gets claimed on waivers, but that would be surprising. The most likely scenario is that he will form a duo with Jacob Fowler in Laval and serve as a good veteran to guide him through his first professional season.
Unlike Veleno, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj didn’t have to clear waivers to be assigned to the Rocket, and ultimately, that might have been a factor in the organization. However, even on merit, Veleno won the battle.
Xhekaj performed very well, but he’s still raw, and it shows in the little details. The gritty forward needs to improve his defensive reads, and he’ll get every opportunity to do that under Pascal Vincent in Laval. The AHL coach did say he was planning on giving him a bigger role, and it looks like the scouting staff was right when they said they had captured a unicorn when they drafted him in his second year of availability.
When current contracts to depth forwards like Josh Anderson or Brendan Gallagher run out at the end of the 2026-27 season, Xhekaj is likely to be waiting in the wings and be ready for a full-time role. In his first full season as a pro, he picked up 35 points, including 24 goals, while racking up 175 penalty minutes. He’s got skills and sandpaper, the kind of player you need in the playoffs. He won’t start the year with the Canadiens, but if there are injuries along the way this season, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him be called up sooner rather than later.
As for Beck, he had a good camp, but Kapanen had more experience and played a more mature game. While the centerman did put up 44 points in 64 games with the Rocket last season, it’s hard not to feel he’s been overtaken in the depth chart by Xhekaj. Even though Beck plays a complete game up and down the ice, he doesn’t have as much sandpaper as Xhekaj does, and, ultimately, that makes a difference, especially when the coach says he wants his team to be harder to play against not only strategically but also physically.
Finally, the sole defenseman cut yesterday was Adam Engstrom, and once again, the fact that he didn’t have to go through waivers to be sent to Laval might have been a factor in that decision. He might not have been a fifth-overall pick like David Reinbacher, but he’s further along the way in his development, and if the Habs’ blueline catches the injury bug, St-Louis won’t hesitate to call him up.
The Chicago Blackhawks are now through the preseason. There were some good moments for certain players, but the team also appeared young and inexperienced at times.
Ultimately, they came up with a roster that they were ready to present for opening night. For the Blackhawks, that is the first game in the NHL this season. They will visit the Florida Panthers, who will be raising their second banner in a row as defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Blackhawks made all of their final roster decisions official on Sunday. They are taking two goalies, eight defensemen, and 13 forwards with them for a full 23-man roster.
This is a projection of how the lines, defense pairs, goalies, and extras will look to begin the year:
Burakovsky - Bedard - Donato
Bertuzzi - Nazar - Teravainen
Slaggert - Dickinson - Mikheyev
Foligno - Lafferty - Dach
The first line has been mostly set for a little while now. The Blackhawks acquired Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken to give Bedard a winger with some winning NHL experience. He will get a crack at this job early. As for Donato, he played incredibly well with Bedard last year and will be afforded that opportunity again. Is it an ideal line for the young superstar? No. It will have to do for now, though.
Frank Nazar will get an opportunity to drive his own line down the middle. Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen, who play incredibly different kinds of games, should help complement the strengths that Nazar brings to the table.
The third line of Jason Dickinson, centering Landon Slaggert and Ilya Mikheyev, will be a speedy checking line. All of them have displayed some offense in their careers as well, so it should be one of Chicago’s strengths on the team in 2025-26 if they all play to their strengths.
Colton Dach earned his spot on the team with his play during training camp. Being an impact player on Chicago’s fourth line early can help him elevate his role on the team in the coming months. For now, Nick Foligno and Sam Lafferty are solid veterans for him to skate with.
Lukas Reichel is the 13th forward on the team. He stuck it out while Oliver Moore and Ryan Greene were sent to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs to play big minutes down there. As for Reichel, until he’s traded, expect him to get bottom-six center assignments when he does draw into the lineup.
Vlasic - Rinzel
Kaiser - Levshunov
Grzelcyk - Murphy
Assuming that Alex Vlasic can play despite his lower-body injury, he will be on the top pair with Sam Rinzel. The latter will have his share of rookie mistakes, but all signs point to him being a great top-pair defenseman right away. This duo will see some tough assignments, but they are both qualified to take on the work.
Wyatt Kaiser showed that he deserves to be on this team early and often. 2024 number two overall pick Artyom Levshunov, like Rinzel, will make some typical mistakes that young defenseman make, but his ceiling is a high-end defenseman who will make a difference.
Matt Grzelcyk and Connor Murphy will be the two veterans on the blue line, splitting the third pair. Grzelcyk made the team by signing a one-year deal for $1 million after being on a PTO during camp. Clearly, the powers that be didn’t see enough in the young players who came in battling Grzelcyk for that final spot.
Ethan Del Mastro and Louis Crevier made the team, but don’t expect them in the lineup as often to begin the year. Crevier is a solid defender, and he’s not waiver exempt, so he is the seventh defenseman on the team. Del Mastro not starting the year in Rockford is likely an insurance policy in case Vlasic isn’t ready to go for the first game. Kevin Kofchinski and Nolan Allan will certainly get NHL playing time at times in 2025-26 as well, but they were sent to Rockford on Sunday.
Knight
Soderblom
Spencer Knight is going to be the primary goaltender on the team. If he’s healthy, expect him to start 50-55 games. The rest of the workload will go to Arvid Soderblom, who is a high-end backup that can play any time with no worry. If there is an injury at any point, Drew Commesso is the first in line to get an opportunity.
The Blackhawks are not expecting to be a Stanley Cup contender with this group, but they are expecting to see certain players take strides in their development. Some of that will come in the AHL, and some will come in the NHL.
If they are a lottery team again, their only concern will be how the young players in the organization played, in addition to adding another elite prospect.
Chara, a Stanley Cup champion with Boston in 2011, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. In a career that spanned 24 years and 1,680 NHL games, Chara donned the Black & Gold for 14 seasons and 1,023 regular-season games. He was the captain of the team for 13 of those 14 seasons, representing the team and the city like no other.
Originally drafted by the New York Islanders in the third round (No. 56) in the 1996 NHL Draft, Chara signed as a free agent with Boston on July 1, 2006. After calling it a career following the 2021-22 season, his second stint with the Islanders, Big Z signed a one-day contract with Boston on Sept. 20, 2022.
On Sept. 25, the Bruins hired Chara as their new Hockey Operations Advisor and Mentor.
Chara's last moment as an Islander and an NHLer was a magical one. In the final game of the season, a season in which the Islanders were not going to make the playoffs, Chara scored his first goal of the year with 44 seconds left to go against the Tampa Bay Lightning:
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 7 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #7.
Let's take a look.
Deron Quint - 2001-2002 - Drafted by Winnipeg in 1994.
Quint played 132 games with Columbus in the early days. He scored 14 goals and had 48 points, and led the Jackets in minutes played per game.
He left for Europe in 2004 and played in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Russia. He retired in 2017.
Scott Lachance - 2003-2004 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1991.
He played 138 games in Columbus and had five total points. He never played another NHL game after leaving Columbus and retired in 2007 after playing a season in the AHL.
Nowadays, He's the Head of U.S. Scouting for the New Jersey Devils.
John Moore - 2011 - Drafted by Columbus in 2009.
Moore only played 86 games in Columbus and had 8 points. On April 3, 2013, Moore was included in the Derick Brassard deal with the New York Rangers that brought Marián Gáborík to Columbus.
He last played for the Anaheim Ducks.
On March 19, 2022, Moore was involved in a trade that sent him to the Anaheim Ducks along with Urho Vaakanainen in exchange for Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks then attempted to trade both Moore and the rest of Ryan Kesler's contract to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov and a conditional second-round pick at the NHL trade deadline on March 21, 2022. However, the deal was disputed due to a no-trade clause in Dadonov's contract. On March 23, the NHL officially cancelled the trade; therefore, Moore remained in the Ducks' organization.
Jeff Carter - 2012 - Drafted by Philadelphia in 2003.
Carter played less than one season in Columbus before forcing his way out via trade to the LA Kings.
On Feb. 23, 2012, the Blue Jackets traded the disgruntled forward to the LA Kings in exchange for Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Jeff Carter was booed by Columbus fans until the day he retired on April 17, 2024.
Jack Johnson - 2012-2018 - Drafted by Carolina in 2005.
Johnson played 486 games for Columbus after being traded from the LA Kings for Jeff Carter. He scored 36 goals and had 156 points in seven years.
He's bounced around since leaving Columbus, but finally won a Stanley Cup in 2022. He found his way back to Cannon City in the summer of 2024. Unfortunately for Johnson, he only played in 41 games for Columbus last year and had 6 points.
He and Head Coach Dean Evason didn't see eye to eye, leading to Johnson being scratched most of the season. Johnson's family even boycotted the family day held ahead of the 2025 Stadium Series Game at Ohio Stadium.
Gavin Bayreuther - 2021 - Undrafted out of
Canaan, New Hampshire.
Bayreuther played 103 games for Columbus and totaled 23 points over three seasons. He also played for the Dallas Stars.
He was made famous in 2021 when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft. One week later, he signed a two-year deal with Columbus, marking the end of his long tenure with Seattle.
After playing last season in Switzerland for
Lausanne HC, he has come back to North America and will play for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
Sean Kuraly - 2022-2025 - Drafted by San Jose in 2011.
The Columbus-area native has played 292 games for Columbus after coming home. He scored 40 goals and totaled 85 points in four seasons, beating his totals for Boston in 270 games.
After the 24-25 season, Kuraly signed back in Boston, where it all began for him. He played for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets 18U team and spent four years at Miami University in Oxford from 2012 to 2016.
There are seven days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Who was your favorite #7?
The start of the 2025-26 season starts this Thursday, as the CBJ travel to Nashville to play the Predators at Bridgestone Arena. The roster is essentially set with only one thing left to know - Will the Blue Jackets start the season with three goalies? Or will they send Ivan Fedotov to the Cleveland Monsters?
With the loss of Daemon Hunt and Christián Jaroš, the Monsters are very young on the blueline. After Dysin Mayo, who is 29, the oldest defenseman on the team is 22. Four defensemen are 22, and then Luca Marrelli, who is 20.
It's going to be an interesting season in Cleveland.
Let us know what you think below.
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CALVERTON, NY -- When the New York Islanders left for the Hamptons on Friday afternoon to begin their three-day team-bonding trip, Isaiah George and Calum Ritchie boarded the bus.
The two youngsters aren't likely to make the Islanders' roster, but the organization felt it was essential to have them on the trip.
"It's important to have them. I mean, are you kidding me?" Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said with a huge smile on his face. "To be around the guys who've been here for a long time, or even less, it's good bonding. It's good for them to be with the club and have a bit of a taste of what it is. I think that's great."
George had a great camp, but with No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer cracking the starting lineup and Adam Boqvist having the ability to quarterback a power play, there isn't yet room for him to get valuable minutes at the NHL level.
It makes more sense for his development to be playing big minutes for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
When it comes to Ritchie, the main return piece in the Brock Nelson trade, he proved that he's NHL-ready and did everything possible to make the Islanders' decision tough. However, a lower-body injury sustained in their final preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers last Thursday will keep him out 1-2 weeks, making that once-difficult decision an easy one.
Injured players cannot be sent to the AHL, so, in theory, he'll likely remain up with the club to rehab before he's optioned to Bridgeport.
Both will play big roles or this team sooner than later, so why not get them acclimated with their future teammates.
"It's great. When I was a young guy, coming on these things, it really feels like you're part of it," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "You're part of the organization, you're part of the team, and you get to start to know everybody, so when the time comes and they're here with us, they feel comfortable. It's like they're one of us. And I think that stuff's great. We get to know them, like I said, look out for them, take them around, show them the ropes, have some fun, and really begin that relationship."
While both George and Ritchie, playing 33 and seven NHL games, respectively, have some experience, feeling as comfortable as possible off the ice with this specific team will translate to on the ice.
"It's cool [to be a part of this]," George said. "I mean, obviously, to be with the guys, to be a part of the team like this is great, no matter what happens. "This helps build camaraderie amongst the group, and I think that helps us when we're out on the ice."
The Islanders' future is bright, and whether it's the team-bonding trip or participating in a training game with NHLers, having the organization's top prospects feel comfortable is a priority under general manager Mathieu Darche, and it makes all the difference.
Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
While the Montreal Canadiens lost their last preseason game on Saturday night, you would have been hard-pressed to get a negative comment from coach Martin St-Louis. The bench boss came to camp, acknowledging that his team wasn’t ready for the start of the season last year, but with a clear message for his team: there was no waiting for October 8 to turn up the intensity level, and he was heard loud and clear.
Speaking after the club’s last preseason game, the coach said:
I think that since we started together, this has been our best camp. I guess it comes with the evolution, where we are, the continuity, the players’ buy-in. I’m proud of the camp and how we handled ourselves, how we worked. I’m proud of the youngsters’ progression and the buy-in from the veterans. Honestly, I feel this is the most prepared we’ve been to take on the marathon that is the season since I’ve been here.
It's easy to understand what the coach means when he speaks about the youngsters’ progression. At last camp, Emil Heineman stood head and shoulders above everyone, but this time around, there was a good battle up front. Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, Joe Veleno, and Samuel Blais didn’t make things easier for the coach, and that’s a good problem to have.
On the blueline, Adam Engstrom showed just how much he progressed last season and what Pascal Vincent meant when he said during the rookie camp that he believed the blueliner was ready for the show. There may not be room for him in Montreal just yet, but never say never; he could force his way into the lineup or even be used in a trade to fetch more help up front.
Of course, it’s hard to know just how ready the young Canadiens are before the first game of the season, but that test is getting dangerously near now. The Habs will open their season on Wednesday, October 8, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While it seems clear that St-Louis has no intention of separating his first line, the rest of his lineup remains somewhat unclear. Ivan Demidov started shining at even strength when he was separated from Kirby Dach and Patrick Laine. The young Russian shone brightly in his one game alongside Kapanen and Alex Newhook, but that’s only one game. Can they keep it up?
As for Dach, he also looked better away from Laine and alongside Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno, but Jake Evans and Josh Anderson were less impactful as a line with Laine as their third piece. While the big Finn is a tremendous weapon to have on the power play, he remains hard to figure out at even strength. You can see that he’s making an effort out there, but it’s just not coming naturally to him. Trying to reprogram a player that has focused on offense solely for so long is no easy task, but the Canadiens do need Laine if only for how clutch he is on the power play. Given that he’s entering a contract year, this will be an essential campaign for Laine. If he genuinely loves Montreal and wants to stay, the two-way play will have to come naturally.
There will be quite a bit to keep track of in the world of the Florida Panthers on Monday.
Florida will set its Opening Night roster, and several questions will be answered in the process.
We’re still waiting to hear the status of Aaron Ekbald and Carter Verhaeghe, both of whom were on the receiving ends of illegal hits that garnered disciplinary action from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
It’s all stemming from Florida’s preseason finale against Tampa Bay on Saturday in which the intra-state rivals called for a combined 322 penalty minutes in a game Florida won 7-0.
The aftermath, which has yet to be completely determined, has seen four Lightning players either fined or facing hearing with the league.
Roman Schmidt and Gage Goncalves were each fined the maxim allowable under the CBA for cross-checking Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues, respectively.
The NHL is calling both Scott Sabourin and J.J. Moser in for hearings on Monday as both could face fines or suspensions.
Sabourin went after Ekblad and was tossed from the game, as was Moser after a boarding incident that Jesper Boqvist was on the receiving end of.
So yeah, lots to keep track of.
But wait, there’s more!
Getting back to Florida’s Opening Night roster, the final spots are still in limbo.
Florida has yet to announce whether they are offering a contract to either or both of the men who came to camp on PTOs (professional tryouts), Noah Gregor and Tyler Motte.
The Panthers can carry as many as 23 players on their active roster, which does not include players on IR.
It’s going to be a busy day for the Panthers, who will begin their second straight title defense the following afternoon.
Photo caption: Dec 2, 2021; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates his goal against the Buffalo Sabres with defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) and left wing Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the third period at FLA Live Arena. (Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images)
The Boston Bruins announced Monday that they will retire former captain and longtime defenseman Zdeno Chara’s No. 33 in a ceremony on Jan. 15, 2026, at the TD Garden.
The number retirement ceremony will be held prior to the team’s game against the Seattle Kraken, currently scheduled for 7 p.m. The team said additional details, including doors open time, fan activations, ceremony start time, and broadcast information, will be shared closer to the date.
“It is truly beyond words to see my jersey, number 33, raised to the rafters at TD Garden,” Chara said in a statement released by the team. “This honor is greater than anything I could have imagined when I first came to Boston. I am forever grateful to the Bruins organization for trusting me to lead, to all my teammates past and present, to the fans whose passion and energy made Boston feel like home, and to my family who made everything possible. This moment is not just mine – it belongs to all of us.”
Chara will address the media at TD Garden on Tuesday, at 10 a.m. ET.
“The Rafters are a fitting home for 33, because there will never be another Zdeno Chara,” said Jeremy M. Jacobs, Bruins owner and governor. “From his skill, size and physical dominance on the ice, to his leadership in the locker room and impact on the Boston community, Zee is a legend of the game and the ultimate Bruin.”
“There is no greater embodiment of what it means to be a Boston Bruin than Zdeno Chara,” Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs added. “Zdeno brought a special brand of leadership to the Boston Bruins by challenging and empowering his teammates every day. Over his 14 years as a captain, Zdeno helped define Boston Bruins hockey with his drive for on-ice excellence and sportsmanship, along with his off-ice commitment to serve the greater Boston community.”
“From the moment he arrived in Boston in 2006, Zdeno Chara brought with him an unmatched presence, combining size, strength, and skill with a leadership style that elevated everyone around him,” Bruins President Cam Neely said. “Zdeno set the standard with his professionalism, his legendary work ethic and his fierce competitiveness, and he did it all while representing our organization with the utmost class. As someone who has experienced what it means to have your number hanging in the rafters, I can say without a doubt that Zdeno’s No. 33 belongs there. It will serve as a permanent reminder of his place as one of the greatest Bruins of all time.”
Chara’s No. 33 will be the 13th number retired by the organization and the first to be raised to the rafters since Willie O’Ree’s No. 22 was retired in January 2022. He will be the first European player to have his number retired by the Bruins.
Chara retired from the NHL in September 2022, signing a one-day contract with the Bruins. The Slovakia native was originally selected by the New York Islanders in the third round of the 1996 draft. He signed with Boston in July 2006 and served as team captain for the entirety of his 14-year stint in Boston, making him the second-longest tenured captain in club history behind Ray Bourque.
The 6-foot-9 defenseman appeared in 1,023 career games with Boston, totaling 148 goals and 333 assists for 481 points. He ranks eighth in franchise history in games played and third in goals, assists, points, power play goals (69), shorthanded points (19) and average ice time per game (24:29) by a defenseman.
Chara won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, becoming the first captain to bring a Stanley Cup to Boston since 1972. He appeared in two additional Stanley Cup Final series with the Bruins (2013, 2019) and finished his career with 18 goals and 52 assists for 70 points in 200 playoff games.
In his 14 seasons with the Boston, Chara led the Bruins to the postseason 11 times. His 14 Game 7 appearances are tied with Patrice Bergeron for the most by an NHL player.
Chara was the recipient of several individual accolades in his playing career. He won the Norris Trophy in 2008-09, awarded annually to the league’s top defenseman. He was also the recipient of the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2010-11 for his exemplary leadership both on and off the ice. Chara was named to the NHL First-All Star Team three times (2014, 2009, 2004), the NHL Second All-Star Team four times (2012, 2011, 2008, 2006) and was a six-time participant in the NHL All-Star Game (2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2003).
Over the course of his 24-year NHL career, he played in 1,680 games with the New York Islanders, Washington, Boston and Ottawa, totaling 209 goals and 471 assists for 680 points with a plus-301 rating. He holds the NHL record for most games played by a defenseman and ranks seventh among all skaters in games played.
New Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Caleb Jones may have suited up for the Los Angeles Kings' organization last season prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent. But, oddly enough, he found himself training with some players from a different organization this summer.
Caleb, 28, is the younger brother of Seth Jones, 31, who was dealt from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Panthers prior to the 2025 trade deadline. It just so happens that Seth arrived at the perfect time, as he was an instrumental part of Florida's 2025 run and put up four goals, nine points, and a plus-11 rating in 23 playoff games for the Cats.
During that playoff run, Caleb was in town, too, to watch his brother play on the NHL's biggest stage - and to learn a few pointers from some of the very best the league has to offer.
"It was a great experience for me to see those guys," Caleb said. "They’re obviously the champs, and everyone’s trying to chase them right now and see their work ethic and their mindset every day.
"I think that’s why I’ve had a really good camp. I was able to be down there with those guys and learn a lot of good habits, and kind of just put them into myself and bring them here.”
Jones was drafted in the fourth round (117th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers - ironically, the team that Florida beat in the Final for the second consecutive season - and spent the first three seasons of his NHL career there. Sure enough, he spent the next two seasons with the Blackhawks, which happened to fall within the same timeline as Seth being with the organization.
Caleb has relished the opportunity to go through the experience of NHL hockey with his brother and best friend, and he especially enjoyed those two years.
“It’s been pretty cool," Caleb said. "We’ve trained together every summer since I turned about 20. And, obviously, getting the chance to play with him for a couple years in Chicago, that was really special. When you’re kinda in the moment, you don’t realize - you lose sight of, like, how actually cool that is... and then, once you’re done doing it, you’re like, ‘Wow, that was an awesome experience.’"
But now - after a stint with the Colorado Avalanche in 2023-24 and the one in L.A. last season - he's found a new home in Pittsburgh, and he's ready to bring some of those "good habits" to the black and gold. For much of training camp, he has been paired alongside Penguins' veteran defenseman Kris Letang, and it's a combination that has stuck, even as the rosters were trimmed down to 23 on Saturday.
Of course, Jones is aware of the strengths in his own game. But he's making sure to pick the brain of, arguably, the greatest Penguins' defenseman of all-time.
“It’s been awesome," Jones said. "I’ve been with him every day so far, and he’s obviously done a lot of great things in the league, knows a lot of tricks, and kinda has that veteran savvy to him. So, you kind of just try to take as much information from him as he gives you and, at the same time, just have confidence in yourself... trust yourself and your game and just try to play well with him. That’s all it is.”
And Jones is fairly confident in the defining qualities of his game. The 6-foot-1, 184-pound blueliner brings an element of speed to the Penguins' defensive corps, and he contributes a little bit of everything, bringing a defensive conscience while also aiding in the transition game and chipping in on offense occasionally.
“I’m playing with a lot of energy, playing with a strong gap, and kind of just using my skating to disrupt plays and move the puck and join the rush," Jones said. "Getting a chance on the PP, PK... I’ve been in those roles. So, you try to just be solid and try to have the coaches’ trust. I’ve gotten good feedback through [camp], so I'm just trying to stay energized and keep my confidence high, and do my thing.”
Of course, there will be a bit of a battle for playing time on a crowded Penguins' blue line. It appears the team is opting to carry eight defensemen - one of them being top prospect Harrison Brunicke, who figures to get some runway on the right side along with Erik Karlsson and Letang.
That means right-shot guys like Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba will, likely, be faced with some time on their off-side, potentially leaving little margin for error for the left-side blueliners in Jones, Parker Wotherspoon, and Ryan Shea.
Jones is aware of the competition within team walls, even as he's felt extremely welcomed by the organization and his teammates. But he is focused on his game, his strengths, and bringing some of those champion habits he pried from Florida - as well as from some of the longstanding veterans in his current locker room - to the rink on a daily basis.
"I'm just trying to keep going day by day," he said. "And I'll keep trying to do something a little better every day.”
All signs are pointing toward Conor Sheary earning a contract and roster spot with the New York Rangers.
During the offseason, the Rangers signed Sheary to a Professional Tryout Agreement as he looked to compete at training camp for an opening-night roster spot.
Mike Sullivan coached Sheary for multiple seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, as they won two Stanley Cups together.
Sheary’s past relationship and success with Sullivan led to him coming to New York on a PTO deal.
Throughout training camp, the 33-year-old forward stood out, proving his worth to Sullivan and the Rangers’ management.
Sullivan has consistently put Sheary in a power-play role, which proves that he does have a plan for his trusted winger.
The expectation is that Sheary will play a bottom-six role for the Rangers if he were to make the team.
With the regular season set to begin on Tuesday, Sheary is yet to be placed on waivers, a positive sign we’ll see him with the Blueshirts to kick off the 2025-26 season.
