Category: Ice Hockey

Connor Hellebuyck has finally said publicly what Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Winnipeg Jets have apparently known for months. He wants out.

The longtime Jets goaltender released a statement Thursday confirming that he privately requested a trade several months ago, ending any remaining uncertainty surrounding his future in Winnipeg.

“Several months ago, I privately requested a trade,” Hellebuyck shared in a statement through his agent Ray Petkau. “I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options.”

But perhaps the most important part of Hellebuyck's statement wasn't the confirmation of the trade request, but rather his explanation for why he chose to make it public now.

“With training camp approaching, I felt it was important to publicly confirm my request,” he said. “My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”

Connor Hellebuyck on Oct 9, 2023:

"I'm ready to be a Jet for life and bring a Cup to this city. I truly believe that we can get it done here."

Since:
Vezina ('24, '25)
Hart ('25)
Presidents' Trophy ('25)

Today: "I believe moving on is the best path forward for me & my family."

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) August 27, 2026

The timing is definitely very important. For months, the Jets and Hellebuyck had managed to keep the situation relatively private despite widespread speculation about the three-time Vezina Trophy winner's future.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff acknowledged in late June that Winnipeg was listening to offers for Hellebuyck but stopped short of confirming whether his franchise goaltender had actually requested a trade.

“Certainly, as an organization we're going to listen,” Cheveldayoff said at the time, adding that conversations held during exit meetings would remain private.

Now, Hellebuyck has removed any ambiguity. He wants to be traded, the Jets have apparently known that for several months and, with September approaching, no deal has materialized. And from what sources have gathered, that hasn't been for a lack of discussion.

The Buffalo Sabres emerged as a serious potential destination around the NHL Draft in June. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported at the time that the two clubs had discussed a Hellebuyck trade and that the goaltender would have been willing to waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a move to Buffalo.

Those discussions ultimately stalled and more than two months later, Hellebuyck remains a Jet.

That made comments from Jets captain Adam Lowry particularly interesting this week. “I expect him to come to camp,” Lowry told The Athletic. “I expect him to prove he’s the best goalie in the world.”

Lowry added that all indications were that Hellebuyck remained a Jet and that the team was approaching the situation accordingly. Three days later, Hellebuyck publicly confirmed he wants to leave.

His decision to go public doesn't necessarily mean a trade is imminent. Hellebuyck remains under contract for another five seasons at an $8.5-million cap hit and possesses a full no-movement clause, giving both the player and the Jets significant control over where this goes next.

But the public statement most definitely changes the dynamic. Until Thursday, Winnipeg could continue working quietly and, if the right offer didn't emerge, proceed toward training camp with Hellebuyck still atop its depth chart.

Hellebuyck has now made it clear that isn't his preferred outcome. The motivation behind the request shouldn't come as an enormous surprise, either.

Following Winnipeg's disappointing 2025-26 season, Hellebuyck was candid about his frustration with the direction of the club. After experiencing Olympic success with the United States earlier in the year, the Jets stumbled badly and missed the postseason one year after winning the Presidents' Trophy.

The 33-year-old is entering the latter stages of his prime and has accomplished virtually everything an NHL goaltender can individually. What remains missing is the Stanley Cup - something he has told reporters from Day 1 is his ultimate goal.

By initially keeping his request private, Hellebuyck gave Cheveldayoff months to explore the market without publicly diminishing Winnipeg's leverage. But now in announcing it, he has effectively put a clock on the situation. Training camp is approaching. His position hasn't changed. And after months of waiting quietly, Hellebuyck apparently decided it was time everyone knew exactly where he stood.

The projected second line for the Los Angeles Kings are Erik Haula, Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello. Here’s how each forward will rank based on expected production for next season.

3. Erik Haula

For now, Haula is projected to be in the second line, but that is not his official role. Haula is more of a middle six forward than a consistent second line center.

Haula primarily spent most of his time on the third line last season with the Nashville Predators. This season, the Kings are expected to bring up Haula to the second line to manage the defensive responsibilities.

Even if Haula secures the role as the second line center, he will take a back seat on offense. Fiala and Zuccarello have both recorded over 60 points per season four times in their careers. Haula has never scored 60 points in a season once.

Regardless of what line Haula spends most of his time on ice, he won’t have the statistics of Fiala and Zuccarello. Therefore, Haula will be the number three forward, if he actually gets the time with the second line unit.

2. Mats Zuccarello

Compared to the other two forwards in this projected unit, Zuccarello racked up the most points last season. Despite Zuccarello having the most points in 2026, that will likely change this upcoming season.

Zuccarello may not have the most points from this unit, he should still have the most assists. Zuccarello has five straight seasons with at least 35 points or more; neither Fiala nor Haula currently holds that streak.

Back in 2022, Zuccarello played for the Minnesota Wild with Fiala and Fiala had the better numbers. Despite Zuccarello playing first line and Fiala playing third line, Fiala had 85 points while Zuccarello only had 79 points.

From the following three seasons in 2023-2025, Fiala had more points in each of those seasons. Consistently, Fiala was shown to be the better goalscorer and racked up more total points. The odds are that will happen again, because Fiala is already implemented in the Los Angeles system.

1. Kevin Fiala

Fiala is projected to be the point leader on the second line due to his scoring ability. In Fiala’s career, he has recorded over 30 goals seven times, while Zuccarello has only done that three times.

During Fiala and Zuccarello’s tenure in Minnesota, Fiala was top three in most goals every season in 2020-2022. Zuccarello never made the top three once across this span. This resulted in Fiala having more total points than Zuccarello in each of those seasons.

In the four seasons after his time with the Wild, Fiala put up more goals in Los Angeles than Zuccarello did in Minnesota. Fiala was in the top four in goals and even in the top two twice for the Kings from 2023-2026.

On the other hand, Zuccarello only made the top four in goals twice. He also was never top three in goals for the Wild in the last four seasons.

Los Angeles has relied on Fiala to be the best scoring option on the second line ever since he’s been there. That will not change with Zuccarello coming to town since Fiala has shown to be a better goalscorer. Fiala is the number one option and the best player on the second line for the Kings. 

The Rams never found a way to consistently deploy speedy receiver Tutu Atwell. But they apparently can’t quit him.

On Thursday, the Rams traded second-year running back Jarquez Hunter to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Atwell, the team announced.

Hunter, 24, was a 2025 fourth-round draft pick from Auburn. He played in five games as a rookie, all on special teams. On a Super Bowl-favorite team that includes Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, who is also a special teams ace, Hunter was not going to play unless there were a series of injuries.

Atwell, who will turn 27 in October, was selected by the Rams in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Louisville. He was sidelined much of his rookie season because of a shoulder injury, and was subsequently used sparingly the next three seasons. In 2024, he caught a career-best 42 passes for 562 yards.

Before the 2025 season, the Rams signed Atwell to a one-year, $10-million contract. But with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams getting the majority of targets, Atwell caught only six passes for 192 yards, 88 coming on a winning touchdown pass play against the Indianapolis Colts.

In March, Atwell signed a one-year, $1.4-million contract with the Dolphins, according to Sportrac.com.

Atwell joins a receiver corps that includes Nacua, Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, rookie CJ Daniels and Xavier Smith, who was the punt returner last season.

Read more:Who will back up Matthew Stafford? Rams’ QB2 race comes down to preseason finale

Atwell knows all of the Rams’ receiver positions.

So the trade might also turn out to be a cautionary preemptive move if the NFL determines Nacua violated the league’s personal-conduct policy and suspends him. Nacua is the defendant in a civil lawsuit that stems from a New Year’s Eve incident during which he allegedly made an antisemitic statement at a dinner and bit a woman while riding in a vehicle.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Rams traded for receiver Tutu Atwell from the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, reuniting the team with a player who has spent his entire career playing for Sean McVay. In return, the Rams sent running back Jarquez Hunter to the Dolphins after it became apparent that the 2025 fourth-round pick had fallen out of favor with McVay, and was no better than fourth on the depth chart.

Atwell was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 2021 draft, but was allowed to leave in free agency after a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he was paid $10 million for six catches. He signed with Miami as a free agent, but apparently that did not go well enough for him to stick.

Before 2026 properly begins, Atwell is back with the Rams as Hunter heads towards his new home.

Trade: Dolphins traded WR Tutu Atwell back to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for RB Jarquez Hunter, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/S7jKSAlXCa

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 27, 2026

Atwell spent five years with the Rams — mostly up and down — before he headed to Miami.

It was the fifth season that really hurt the most, as Atwell was targeted 15 times despite the eight-figure salary that Les Snead paid him to stay in L.A. By trading for his return, the Rams seem to believe that he’ll be in a better personnel situation in 2026 than he was dealt in 2025.

For Hunter, he was taken by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but was never able to beat out Ronnie Rivers for the team’s depth role behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. McVay endorsed Rivers as a player he “trusts” and the coach clearly didn’t see any ways to use Hunter moving forward. Despite his strong performance in the preseason, Hunter has not cleared a role on a team with two starting quality backs.

With the Rams trading for Atwell, he seems like a sure thing to make the roster, so who will the Rams let go in his place? Because it did not seem like Hunter was going to make the 53-man roster at all. Could this be bad news for C.J. Daniels?

We’ll find out by Sunday’s final cuts.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck went public on Thursday in confirming he's asked the Winnipeg Jets to trade him.

In a statement released by his agent, Ray Petkau, Hellebuyck said he made the request several months ago and “tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options.”

Hellebuyck said he felt it was important to go public because training camp is fast approaching. Camps are set to open in roughly three weeks.

“My position has not changed, and I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family,” Hellebuyck said. “(I) hope a resolution can be reached soon.”

Hellebuyck, 33, has played his entire NHL career with the Jets and was voted MVP in the 2024-25 season. He backstopped the U.S. to the gold medal at the Olympics in February.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff acknowledged he's been working to trade the player, but otherwise had no update.

“Connor has been open with us about his desire for a change. He has been an important part of the Winnipeg Jets organization for many years, and we have tremendous respect for what he has accomplished here,” Cheveldayoff said in a statement released by the team. “While we continue to work through the situation in a thoughtful manner, there is no update at this time.”

Trade rumors swirled about Hellebuyck in late June around the draft, but nothing came to fruition. The Michigan native missed time because of injury and had a career-worst .895 save percentage last season as Winnipeg underachieved expectations and missed the playoffs.

But his track record and body of work are among the best at the position over the past decade. His 345 wins, 2.58 goals-against average and .916 save percentage since entering the league in 2015 are second only to Tampa Bay two-time Stanley Cup champion Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Hellebuyck has not enjoyed the same postseason success as Vasilevskiy and the Lightning. He's 24-34, with the Jets only making it past the second round and into the Western Conference final once, back in 2018.

He signed an eight-year, $59.5 million extension with Winnipeg in October 2023. He's under contract through 2031 at a salary cap hit of $8.5 million.

“Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career, and I will always be grateful for my time there,” Hellebuyck said. “I appreciate everything Winnipeg Jets fans have meant to me throughout my career.”

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues' system, with Swedish defenseman Theo Lindstein coming in at the sixth spot.

The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.

The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs. 

Although his offensive production in the AHL was low, when he was called up to the NHL late in the 2025-26 season, he fit like a glove.

Playing alongside veteran Colton Parayko, Lindstein looked very comfortable as a puck mover, defending the rush and in his own zone. In 17 games, Lindstein posted two goals and four points. According to naturalstattrick.com, the Blues outscored their opponents 11-6 with the 21-year-old on the ice at 5-on-5. In the same scenario, the Blues owned 57.24 percent of the expected goals and a Corsi For percentage of 52.54 percent. 

He then returned to the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he recorded three assists in nine playoff games.

Five Blues Prospects Who Will Be Competing For An NHL Roster Spot In Training CampWith the prospect pool depth the St. Louis Blues possess, they have five youngsters who can compete for an NHL roster spot during training camp and pre-season.

The 29th overall pick of the 2023 NHL draft doesn't have any singular traits that stand out, but he plays a solid all-around game. At six-foot, 197 pounds, Lindstein is about average size for a defenseman. He isn't overly physical, but he doesn't shy away from it either. He has the frame to defend the hard areas of the ice.

On the offensive side, Lindstein isn't an elite skater, but it's not a weak point either. He is confident enough in his speed to pick and choose when to step up into the rush and get back into position if need be. 

Lindstein likely won't ever become a top-pairing defenseman, but that is fine for St. Louis. With Philip Broberg locked in long-term as the team's No. 1 left-handed defenseman, Lindstein can serve on the second pairing, where he should thrive. 

At the time of the selection, Lindstein was deemed a safe, projectable NHLer, and now, three years later, he is still just that. 

St. Louis Blues Prospect Rankings:

7. Milton Gastrin

8. Dmitri Buchelnikov

9. Colin Ralph

10. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki

Honorable Mentions: Love Harenstam, Marcus Gidlof, Juraj Pekarcik, Zach Dean, and Lukas Fischer

---

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 35 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #35. 

Let's take a look.

Jean-François Labbé - 2003 - Labbé was undrafted out of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Jean-François Labbé played in 14 games with the Blue Jackets over the course of two seasons. He went 3-5 with an .890 SV%. He spent the bulk of his time playing in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch. 

He left North America in 2003 for Russia. He then played in Germany and Poland before returning to Canada in 2009. After playing a season for Sherbrooke Saint-François in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, he retired. 

Labbé was primarily an AHL goalie, playing 261 games. He had a record of 131-97-25 and had 13 shutouts. He has won numerous awards in the AHL, including Best Goaltender and Most Valuable Player. For his efforts, Labbé was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2016. 

After retiring, he moved into coaching, where he was either a head coach or a goaltending coach at different stops. 

Martin Prusek - 2006 - Prusek was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 6th round of the 1999 NHL Draft.

Prusek played in 9 games for Columbus during the 05-06 season and had a record of 3-3. He also played 23 games for the Syracuse Crunch that year.

He returned to Europe after his time with Columbus, where he would play in Russia and Czechia until he retired in 2011. He moved directly into coaching, where he has been a goaltending coach in Czechia with various age levels ever since. 

Brian Boucher - 2007 - Boucher was drafted in 1995 with the 22nd overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers

On February 27, 2007, he was acquired on waivers by the Blue Jackets from the Chicago Blackhawks. He played in three games for Columbus and went 1-1. That would be the only games he would play for Columbus, as he would sign elsewhere the following season.

He played in the NHL until 2013, and then left for Switzerland, where he played one season before retiring. 

Nowadays, you can find Boucher doing Flyers games on NBC Sports Philadelphia and doing between-the-bench work for TNT during National games. Boucher has turned into a very respected member of the hockey media. 

Ty Conklin - 2007 - Conklin was undrafted out of Phoenix, Arizona.

Conklin's time in Columbus was short but somewhat eventful. He was signed by Columbus on July 1, 2006. He was expected to be the starter for the Jackets, but head coach Gerard Gallant went with Frederik Norrena instead. So, Conklin was put on waivers and sent to the AHL. 

He was recalled by Columbus in December of that year when Pascal LeClaire went down with an injury. He played in 11 games and went 2-3-2 during his time with the CBJ. On February 27, 2007, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres and immediately had a 42-save win. His last season in the NHL would be the 2011-12 season. 

He moved into coaching, where he worked for the Blues and the University of New Hampshire for several years. 

Jan Hejda - 2011 - Hejda was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 4th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.

Hejda signed with Columbus in 2007 after playing one year with the Edmonton Oilers. In all, he played with Columbus for four seasons and totaled 302 games. He scored 11 goals and 67 points playing on the Columbus blue line. 

He left for the Colorado Avalanche in 2011 when free agency opened. He would play there until 2015. He signed a PTO with the Lake Erie Monsters in December of 2015, was released in January of 2016, and retired.

Veini Vehviläinen - 2021 - Vehviläinen was drafted by Columbus in the 6th round of the 2018 NHL Draft. 

Vehviläinen was supposed to be the goalie of the future in Columbus, or at least that's what many people thought. It turns out he was a forgotten goalie. 

Due to COVID and the Blue Jackets having Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, and Daniil Tarasov waiting in the wings, he never really had a chance. After appearing in just one relief appearance, he would never sniff the NHL again. 

In March of 2021, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He would play in a few games for the Marlies, picking up a single win, but that was it. 

He left to play in Sweden in 2021 and now plays in his home country of Finland. After spending a season in Finland's second tier league, he's back in LIIGA for 26-27, playing for Jokerit. 

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We’re getting close to the end of this year’s list of the top young players in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ organization. Today, at No. 2, we see the organization’s prized young defensemen who turns full time this season and looks ready to take the next step in his journey.

Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025
Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest
#25: Chase Pietila, D
#24: Ryan Miller, F
#23: Finn Harding, D
#22: Peyton Kettles, D
#21: Zam Plante, F
#21: Brady Peddle, D
#20: Melvin Fernstrom
#19: Tanner Howe
#18: Tomas Galvas
#17: Pierce Mbuyi
#16: Jake Livanavage
#15: Owen Pickering
#14: Tristan Broz
#13: Avery Hayes
#12: Ville Koivunen
#11: Hendrix Lapierre
#10: Markus Ruck
#9: Mikhail Ilyin
#8: Joel Blomqvist
#7: Liam Ruck
#6:Will Horcoff
#5: Bill Zonnon
#4: Rutger McGroarty
#3: Sergei Mursahov

#2: Harrison Brunicke, D

2024 Ranking: No. 3

Age: 20 (May 8, 2006)

Acquired Via: 2024 NHL Draft, 2nd Round, 44th Overall

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 201 pounds

Elite Prospects resume:

The 2025-26 season was a wild one for Harrison Brunicke. He forced his way onto the NHL roster out of training camp – a rare feat for a teenaged defenseman. After nine games in the Show, next was a period of being a healthy scratch long enough to qualify for a loophole of an “AHL conditioning stint” for a 19-year old that by rule wasn’t allowed to play full-time in the top professional minor league due to his age. Following that, the Penguins assigned Brunicke to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships.

Out of sync, it wasn’t a good event that saw his ice time and role slashed drastically. A disappointing personal performance matched by a disappointing third place finish for the Canadians.

After that, the junior route was the only option that made sense. Brunicke was sent back to the WHL for the remainder of the season and told to focus on the areas that Pittsburgh wanted to see him improve on.

“It was unique,” Brunicke told The Athletic in June. “It was different. I bounced around a little bit. But going back to juniors, I was given things to work on by Kyle and Spez. Defending the rush, closing quicker, better gaps, stuff like that. Playing more minutes in juniors really helped me with that stuff. I just kept working on what the Penguins told me they wanted me to work on. And the communication was good and consistent the whole time. Early on, there was a ton of communication. They gave me stuff to work on and, honestly, that’s all I really have been focusing on.”

That ended up really growing his game, when Kamloops’ season was over there was one more change of leagues back to the AHL for Wilkes-Barre for the balance of the season. Brunicke emerged over three rounds of their playoff run as a legit top defender in the AHL.

“He was great for us,” WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald told the Tribune-Review. “He defended really hard. His skating ability really stands out, but I think just how he competes. His puck decisions really improved since the previous year, and even when he was with us for a conditioning stint in November. He’s a horse for us. He was playing huge minutes in every situation. Top power-play unit. Killing penalties. Every situation late in games. It was just really cool to see the process. I’ve gotten to know him as a player, and what he brought to the table on a long playoff run was great to see.”

Count his teammates as true believers.

“No one in the league can skate the way he can,” Wilkes-Barre forward Avery Hayes said. “And no one in the league can do the things from the blue line that he can do. I’m just having fun watching this guy play right now. Unreal hockey player.”

Coaches being coaches, MacDonald cut through the hype with what impressed him the most.

“Everyone talks about his skating ability,” MacDonald said. “And how he can move pucks. But did you see how many shots he blocked (in Game 4)? That, to me, is what separates him. The way he competes in the D-zone. He makes great players offensively for us at this level. But he’s great on the penalty kill. He’s great down low. Great stuff.”

Developing a consistent stopping game and refining his decision making is the final piece to the puzzle for Brunicke. It’s one of those things that only time and experience can fully unlock, by year’s end he was showing real payoff in strengthening his weak areas.

The question now is what comes next. Brunicke could take heart in the career path of Kris Letang — a defenseman who also forced his way onto an NHL roster as a teenaged for a brief debut at 19. Letang was reassigned to the AHL at age-20 in his first pro year but only stayed for 10 AHL games before getting called up and never seeing that league again.

In Brunicke’s case, more patience could be in store. The Pens are deep enough on the right side to where they could allow Brunicke more development time to settle in and keep growing in the AHL. It’s been a while since Brunicke had a full season to stay on one team at one level, without bouncing around up and down and all over the place. A little stability could go a long way to helping Brunicke’s progression.

That said, Brunicke had a great September last year, playing so well the Pens had basically no choice but to keep him. He is better now than he was 12 months ago. Numbers and veterans be dammed, there’s a case that Brunicke could show he’s among the top seven defenseman and work his way right back into the NHL group once again.

Regardless of the short-term placement, the Pens have to be thrilled about Brunicke’s performance in the AHL playoffs – where he looked like he could be a future big deal in the NHL one day. Between his size, skating, game control and now burgeoning defensive work, Brunicke has every single tool needed to become a top-pair defenseman. Now he just needs a little more time to keep putting it together as he seemingly finally transfers full-time into his pro career.

Drafting has long been a point of contention for the Philadelphia Flyers and their fans, and another one of their recently selected prospects has already flamed out and signed overseas.

Several former Flyers players who recently played for the organization have signed with clubs in different countries to continue their playing careers.

Most notably, veteran forward Kevin Hayes, who emerged as a controversial figure at the end of his Flyers tenure and again during the Cutter Gauthier saga, signed with the KHL's Ak Bars Kazan.

Defenseman Egor Zamula bounced around this season before winding up back home in Russia with CSKA Moscow, and winger Anthony Richard signed in Switzerland with his NHL opportunities with the Flyers greatly decreased.

Now, a former Flyers second-round pick is joining that group of castaways, heading over to Sweden's SHL for at least two seasons.

Earlier this month, once-promising Flyers prospect Samu Tuomaala signed a two-year deal with Linkoping HC, flaming out of North American hockey just five years after being drafted.

Tuomaala never made NHL debut, must fight to save his career

Tuomaala, 23, is still fairly young, though injuries have stalled his development and decimated his chances of cracking an NHL roster in the past few seasons.

Drafted 46th overall by the Flyers in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Tuomaala was picked ahead of the likes of Logan Stankoven, Aatu Raty, Matthew Knies, J.J. Moser, Oliver Kapanen, and Jackson Blake, and only 10 players drafted ahead of him (excluding Chaz Lucius, who medically retired) have also yet to appear in an NHL game.

Winger Danila Klimovich is one of those 10, and the Flyers just picked up the Vancouver prospect in free agency.

At the end of the day, skating and shooting were the two hallmarks of Tuomaala's game, but the shooting never quite came as the Finn scored just 26 times in 118 games across three seasons with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Then, after a scoreless three games with the Phantoms this year, the Flyers traded Tuomaala to the Dallas organization for defenseman Christian Kyrou, who tore it up for the Phantoms but was subsequently let go as well.

Former Flyers Flop Resurfaces with Division RivalFormer Philadelphia Flyers goalie Cal Petersen, who failed to live up to his lucrative payday, has resurfaced with a division rival on a tryout basis.

Putting those two players in a Venn diagram, they play different positions, of course, but both Kyrou and Tuomaala played skilled games as undersized players. Their problem was that they did not project to fill those premier roles at the top level, and so there was no fit for them left in the Flyers organization.

"We are very pleased to welcome Samu to LHC on a two-year deal. With Samu, we get another right-handed forward with good speed and a really good shot. He gives us more options in the power play and fits well into the hockey we want to play. We believe his best years are ahead of him and look forward to seeing him continue to develop and become an important player for us over the next two seasons," Linkoping GM Broc Little said in a press release.

In Sweden, Tuomaala will reunite with former Phantoms teammate Cooper Marody, who also left the Flyers organization during the previous season.

It’s August and news may be slow, but that won’t stop us from fretting. We can always fret.

Islanders News

• The Islanders will have 10 games on U.S. “national” coverage (so: ESPN and TNT), whatever that means in today’s disconnected hybrid streaming world. [Isles]
• In a related note, a few of the previously announced start times have changed. [Isles]
• And here’s the schedule for promotional nights, including Schaefer and Sorokin bobblehead nights, and a night for the Salvadorans. [Isles | Newsday]
• Former Isles prospect will subject himself to the KHL. [THN]
• Dan and Mike check in with a mid-summer Islanders Anxiety to cover the third jersey contest(…???) and the Athletic’s front office fan confidence thing. [LHH]

Eslewhere

• Here’s the full U.S. national coverage schedule. [NHL]
• The 10 most impactful moves of the NHL summer. [Sportsnet]
• An interview with Bryan McCabe on his transition from can-opener player to front office executive. [Sportsnet]
• Here’s the Leafs getting the 32 in 32 treatment. [NHL]
• And here are some lingering questions for the Lightning. [NHL]
• One of them, Victor Hedman, says he’s fresh and ready to go though. [TSN]
• The Oilers addressed their goaltending woes by signing oft-injured Frederik Andersen…who will miss training camp while rehabbing an injury. #thatsSoOilers [TSN]

The NHL announced on Wednesday that four St. Louis Blues game times have been changed for the 2026-27 season.

The games include:

* Nov. 7 at Nashville, from 12:30 p.m. to noon

* March 7 at Philadelphia, from noon to 2:30 p.m.

* March 28 vs. Buffalo, from 8 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

* April 6 at Vegas, from 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Also, the Blues will have 11 games televised on national TV this season, including seven on the ESPN networks and an additional four more on TNT:

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A little over one month before the start of the NHL regular season, the league announced the games that’ll appear on their US TV partners during the 2026-27 campaign. With that, we know now the games that will be broadcast nationally in some form for the Hurricanes:

In addition to the contests below, the team's game on Nov. 22 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden will now face off at 12:30 p.m., instead of the previously announced 1 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/y8Z8yyX7AL

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) August 26, 2026

In case you are having trouble seeing the games, they are:

• Tuesday 9/29 vs. Florida, 5 PM, ESPN
• Tuesday 10/27 vs. Boston, 8 PM, ESPN
• Thursday 11/5, at NY Islanders, 7 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Wednesday 11/25 at Tampa Bay, 7 PM, TNT
• Thursday 1/28, vs NY Islanders, 6:30 PM, TNT
• Tuesday, 2/9 vs Colorado, 7:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Thursday, 2/11 vs Minnesota, 7:30 PM, TNT
• Sunday, 2/21 vs NY Rangers, 1 PM, TNT
• Tuesday, 2/23 at New Jersey, 7:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Tuesday, 3/9 at Minnesota, 8 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Tuesday, 3/16 at Anaheim, 10:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu
• Tuesday, 3/30 at NY Islanders, 7:30 PM, ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu

A few thoughts:

• While there is no ABC game for the Hurricanes this year, one could argue this is the biggest showcase of a schedule they’ve had—befitting an American team that won the Stanley Cup. They are on national televsion two more times this season than last, and last year they didn’t appear on the “proper” ESPN or ABC at all until the playoffs. A similar dynamic happened in previous seasons although they did get a Saturday game on ABC. This season, they not only will appear on Opening Night, they’ll fill a Tuesday Night slot against the Bruins before ESPN forgets the NHL exists again with the NBA and NCAA basketball seasons starting up.
• They also are scheduled to appear on TNT one more time this season versus last, three of those games being in Raleigh. Clearly the effect of the NHL on TNT crew spending time in Raleighwood during the Eastern Conference Finals and actually experiencing the atmosphere.
• They will go two months between national appearances as the Pre-Thanksgiving game against Tampa will be in until they are shown against the Islanders. That’s also their only January appearance, but February—despite being the month that starts with their mandated week off—will have the most games broadcast out with four.
• I truly can’t recall the last time their game against a west coast team was on the national broadcast. With the continued issues that the Anaheim Ducks have had with their contracts, that should be an interesting game by the time it comes around in the middle of March. The Pacific Division is probably going to be just as—we’ll say rough—as last season but that’s a “coming down the stretch” game for Carolina, so who knows what we’ll see
• Clearly the national broadcasters love Matthew Schaefer, but it’s odd that of the 12 nationally broadcast games, 25% of them are against the Islanders. In fact, remember that you play each in-division opponent a total of four times in a season—it’s back to that with the move to 84 games—and this means only one Islanders game will be on local broadcast. On the Isles’ side, a full 33% of their national games are against the Hurricanes.

In case you were wondering how the national broadcast choices look for the Hurricanes compared to the rest of the league:

US National TV Games for 2026/27 NHL season, by team:

🏒 72 exclusive games on TNT networks
🏒 100 exclusive games on ESPN networks
– 15 on ABC
– 38 on ESPN
– 47 on ESPN+ / Disney+ / Hulu

📺 TNT: https://t.co/WbyORfTbns
📺 ESPN: https://t.co/xvwpfGWEIjpic.twitter.com/eSkiH6bHJc

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) August 26, 2026

Twelve teams have more national appearances than the Canes, and they are tied with the Devils. The teams ahead of the Canes really aren’t surprising because of their history of drawing eyeballs and the storylines they bring into the season. That still doesn’t excuse the car wreck in Detroit and the, at this point, annual tire fire in Chicago getting that many national broadcasts—but at this point in the national TV contracts we basically know who the networks like showing.

If you’re looking at this and wondering, “Great, what about the other 72 games?” Well, we still don’t know. Logic would dictate that in this age of spacing news out, that very soon the Canes will make the big announcement about their local broadcast plans with the announced Canes Network. They still have over a month before the first local broadcast—remember preseason games are usually just broadcast on the website or using the feed of the home teams’ jumbotron—but with national schedule now set and the Hurricanes knowing exactly which games they are responsible for, we should expect that announcement soon.

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The Detroit Red Wings are less than a month away from opening Training Camp in preparation for the 2026-27 NHL season.

While they'll once again feature the top-ranked local broadcast duo of Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond, the Red Wings will also be showcased numerous times on national broadcasts.

The Red Wings will first be featured in their home opener on Oct. 2 against the visiting New York Rangers on TNT, followed by multiple games on the same network along with ESPN and ABC. 

Detroit's full national broadcast schedule is as follows: 

Oct. 2: vs. New York Rangers — 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Oct. 13: vs. New Jersey Devils — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

Oct. 15: vs. Philadelphia Flyers — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Oct. 29: vs. Chicago Blackhawks — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Nov. 10: at St. Louis Blues — 8 p.m. ET, TNT

Nov. 12: at Florida Panthers — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Nov. 18: vs. Boston Bruins — 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Dec. 9: at New Jersey Devils — 7 p.m. ET, TNT

Dec. 15: vs. Los Angeles Kings — 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Jan. 21: at Minnesota Wild — 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

Feb. 21: vs. Buffalo Sabres — 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Feb. 27: at Boston Bruins — 12:30 p.m. ET, ABC

March 4: vs. New Jersey Devils — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

March 14: at Pittsburgh Penguins — 2 p.m. ET, TNT

March 23: at Washington Capitals — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

March 24: vs. Washington Capitals — 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

March 28: at Montreal Canadiens — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Additionally, the Red Wings have announced that the start times for multiple games have been adjusted from their originally scheduled times.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman Drops Several Names In Red Wings' GM SearchTop NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has listed several names that are reportedly on the Detroit Red Wings' radar as they search for their next GM.

Thursday, Oct. 15 vs. Philadelphia will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 29 vs. Chicago will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 12 at Florida will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 9 at New Jersey will now start at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 15 vs. Los Angeles will now start at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 22 vs. Toronto will now start at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 2 vs. Edmonton will now start at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 23 vs Tampa Bay will now start at 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 4 vs. New Jersey will now start at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 20 vs. Montréal will now start at 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 28 at Montréal will now start at 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 4 at Ottawa will now start at 3:00 p.m.

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The NHL's national broadcasting schedule was released on Wednesday, and the San Jose Sharks were amongst the teams featured quite heavily. 

The Sharks will have a total of 11 nationally broadcasted games. Four will be exclusive to ESPN+, while they'll have three games on ESPN's flagship station and four games on TNT. Four of the games will be against Pacific Division rivals, namely the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks will also have a two games each against the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks available nationally as well. The remainder of the games will be against Eastern Conference opposition. 

ESPN+

October 8 @ St. Louis Blues

December 1 @ New Jersey Devils

March 9 @ Vegas Golden Knights

March 16 @ Chicago Blackhawks

ESPN

October 13 vs Boston Bruins

October 27 vs Buffalo Sabres

April 4 vs St. Louis Blues

TNT

November 4 @ Los Angeles Kings

December 9 @ Los Angeles Kings

December 16 @ Vegas Golden Knights

February 10 vs Chicago Blackhawks