How Sharks top pick Ivar Stenberg showed he's NHL-ready in impressive preseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

Ivar Stenberg was impressive, beyond the offense, in the Sharks’ 2026 NHL preseason.

And the offense has been impressive: Stenberg had five points in the preseason, tied for second in the NHL, highlighted by a hat trick on Sept. 24 against the Anaheim Ducks.

✅✅✅

Ivar Stenberg's got his third of the night! pic.twitter.com/IwFRyarecy

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) September 25, 2026

But, keeping in mind that Stenberg was playing against AHL-caliber competition in two of his three preseason appearances, his play away from the puck is what makes him look NHL-ready. Stenberg has a solid foundation of two-way habits.

So what’s stood out about Stenberg away from the puck? Macklin Celebrini, Collin Graf, Ryan Warsofsky, Stenberg, and ex-Toronto Marlies head coach Jack Han shared their thoughts.

Stenberg’s hockey IQ is what ties everything for him, on offense and defense.

“He thinks at an NHL level. He keeps up with the pace mentally,” training camp linemate Graf said.

He has done it physically so far, too, at least in the pre-season, picking off multiple opposition passes with ease. Here’s an example from Sept. 22 vs. the Vegas Golden Knights, at the 1-minute mark.

Stenberg (41) jumps a Joe Fleming (50) outlet pass at center ice, then quickly converts it to a Michael Misa (77) one-timer scoring chance.

“[His] route efficiency is very good,” Han added. “Skates the minimum distance to get to the spot where the puck might be next.”

That’s hockey IQ in action.

“Doesn’t need to lunge or guess, which are two things we often see with rookie forwards,” Han said. “Stenberg, specifically, is just very quick to recognize when he needs to slow down and/or turn.”

Stenberg’s brains also have made him an impactful forechecker.

The Stenberg goal is the sizzle, but he also provides the substance on this shift, preventing Nikolai Myatovic (48) and James Hamblin (38) from advancing the puck through the neutral zone. Then, Stenberg ambushes Hamblin behind the net. All this leads to extended Sharks possession and the 2026 No. 2 draft pick’s first preseason goal.

“He’s got a good stick,” Warsofsky said. “He gets his stick on a lot of pucks coming through the neutral zone.”

Stenberg was disruptive on the forecheck against NHL-caliber competition, too, no less than Mitch Marner (93) and Tomas Hertl (48) on Sept. 24.

Celebrini complimented Stenberg and his linemates Graf and center Alex Wennberg.

“Their whole line has done a really good job playing with their speed and getting on pucks,” Celebrini said. “They’re all fast and they’re all smart, so they know how to manipulate guys and turn pucks over.”

Stenberg just turned 19, so the body still can catch up to the mind. He still has a lot to learn about the best league in the world.

Case in point, this Alexander Holtz goal on Sept. 22, when Stenberg left the most dangerous area of the ice (the middle) to double up (with Jacob Trouba) on passer Tanner Laczynski.

#VegasBorn's Holtz ties it up at 1. #TurnItAllTealpic.twitter.com/lihyMJb7y6

— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) September 23, 2026

At times, too, on Sept. 26 against the mostly-NHL Vegas squad, Stenberg took too long to make offensive decisions with the puck and was swarmed by the Golden Knights.

“The game was quick,” Warsofsky noted.

But the mind is there, as are the two-way habits.

“Something in general that we see is that Swedish top prospects tend to be more polished two-way players than their North American equivalents,” Han said, “due to having to play in a way as to earn SHL minutes as teenagers.”

It seems clear, when Stenberg doesn’t have his A-game, which will be commonplace, especially as a rookie, he has a B-game to rely on. That should keep him in the Sharks’ lineup.

And if Stenberg improves rapidly, as he has during training camp, and as he’s expected to do throughout the regular season?

Stenberg has been pleased with his progress

“It’s maybe going to take some games, but yeah, I think I played good and learned new stuff everyday,” he said. “So I think it’s going in the right way.”

It takes one to know one: Celebrini has been impressed so far with how Stenberg, at his age, has handled the pace of the fastest league in the world.

“There’s not many guys that can do it,” the Sharks captain said. “He’s so patient with [the puck]. That’s something that I had a difficult time with when I came in, rushing plays. Feeling like stuff’s happening quick. He’s so good at just holding on to the puck and slowing things down.”

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The New Jersey Devils will open their 2026-27 season Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers, looking to rebound from a disappointing campaign.

For Detroit Red Wings fans, the matchup will also provide an opportunity to watch a former prospect begin a new chapter in his career.

Amadeus Lombardi, a fourth-round pick by the Red Wings in 2022, was traded to New Jersey during the offseason in exchange for a fourth-round selection, which Detroit later used to draft Canadian center Adam Levac.

The move came as a surprise to many Red Wings fans, particularly given Lombardi’s quiet emergence as one of the organization’s more intriguing prospects.

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The 23-year-old Newmarket native posted nearly a point per game across his sophomore and junior AHL seasons, putting himself in position to potentially make the jump to the NHL.

However, Detroit’s prospect pipeline had become increasingly crowded, with several young players competing for NHL opportunities. That logjam could have made it difficult for Lombardi to receive the opportunity he was looking for in Detroit.

Thursday’s season opener could mark the beginning of Lombardi's first significant opportunity at the NHL level, although it will come with the Devils rather than the Red Wings. Even more notably for Detroit fans, Lombardi will look to establish himself in the same Eastern Conference as his former organization.

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There were a whole lot of new faces on display for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens. Ten players made their Maple Leafs debut, including defenseman Darren Raddysh, who was paired alongside Morgan Rielly.

It wasn't the greatest outing by Raddysh in his first game for his hometown team, and he was the first to admit that post-game on Tuesday.

In preparation for the Leafs' next game against the New York Islanders on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back, Rielly talked about what it felt like in the pairing's first real test and how Raddysh is handling his new surroundings.

"It's been great," Rielly said of his partnership with Raddysh. "I mean, we spend lots of time together talking about, you know, how we want to play. And I think he's done a great job, you know, since he's gotten here, just trying to get comfortable.

"I think he looks great out there. So as we go along here, we're going to look to improve and get better. We have lots of conversations about that. So I think he's done a great job," he added.

Darren Raddysh’s Maple Leafs Debut: Shaky First Game Tests Toronto’s $68 Million BetFollowing a tough minus-2 debut on the top pairing, Darren Raddysh owned up to a shaky first night in blue and white.

Rielly missed some time in training camp and the first pre-season game due to a viral condition. When he returned to full action, he was paired with Raddysh almost immediately, and given the offensive tendencies of both blueliners, some eyebrows were raised at the decision.

Rielly is happy that the two of them are at least getting the opportunity to play alongside each other, he said back in training camp.

'I'm Giving Him A Clean Slate': Maple Leafs' Hiller On Why Rielly And Raddysh Are Paired TogetherMorgan Rielly and Darren Raddysh were paired together at Monday's practice for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Head coach Jim Hiller explains his reasoning behind that decision.

But with how Rielly and Raddysh operate, would there be a challenge in balancing the proneness to jump up in the play?

"It's not hard," Rielly said confidently. I think it's just based on opportunity, just based on where the puck is. I think we're both able to kind of recognize the right spots to go. I don't think we both want to go at the same time, but it's not hard. It's just based off game flow."

Raddysh was on the ice for all three goals from Montreal on Tuesday and had a game-high of five giveaways. But there is an opportunity for him and that pairing to brush off the opening-night jitters and rust with the Islanders in town.

Maple Leafs Lineup Changes: Bo Groulx Enters Lineup Against Islanders But Scratch Remains A MysteryToronto Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller revealed that there will be two lineup changes against the New York Islanders, following their 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Leafs head coach Jim Hiller is also not too worried about the first game from Raddysh and that pairing. After all, there's a lot that comes with being a hometown player, coming off a big contract in the off-season, and the whole excitement and anxiety of the first game of the season.

"We're all human, so you have a little extra pressure," Hiller said Wednesday morning. "No matter what, you can stay relaxed and go out there and play. But I think he'll have to work his way through that. I think getting the first one out of the way probably will help him."

Unfamiliar Teammates, Darren Raddysh Turnovers, And Other Takeaways From Maple Leafs' Season Opener Against CanadiensDropping the season opener to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, here are the biggest takeaways from the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-2 defeat to kick off 2026-27.

As for the chemistry with Rielly, that'll come along the longer they get the chance to play alongside one another.

"Well, it'll take time," Hiller admitted. "There's no question, and and we've talked about this. Lots of new guys. We're trying to get this thing together as quick as we can, but we all know it's going to take a little bit of time. We just want to shrink that time. So I just I just can't put a date on that. But everybody will get better together."

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We have officially made it! The Pittsburgh Penguins will open the 2026-27 season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. 

This matchup comes five months after the Flyers ended the Penguins' season in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Defenseman Cam York scored the series-winning goal in overtime. 

Since then, the Penguins have made several changes, including adding players like Declan Carlile, Kaedan Korczak, Nick Robertson, Hendrix Lapierre, and several others. They also lost some players, but that's what you'd expect from a team that lost in the first round. 

The Flyers are returning almost their entire team for the 2026-27 season and will look to take another step after advancing to the second round of the playoffs. They'll get a full season from forward Porter Martone after he played well down the stretch last season and into the playoffs. 

Goaltender Dan Vladar had a great year, which led him to sign a new five-year extension this summer. The Flyers hope he can replicate his 2025-26 season over the course of the contract. 

The Penguins enter this game banged up and will be without Ben Kindel, Justin Brazeau, and Bryan Rust. Andrei Kuzmenko is also out, but that's because he's still in Russia for his father's funeral. 

Blake Lizotte is listed on injured reserve, but will likely play tonight after Penguins head coach Dan Muse told reporters after the morning skate that Lizotte "looks good." Lizotte fully participated in practice on Monday and Tuesday.

Here are a look at the Penguins' expected lines and pairs:

Forwards

Robertson-Crosby-Rakell

Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin

Hallander-Lapierre-Koivunen

Dewar-Lizotte-Soderblom

Defensive pairs

Carlile-Karlsson

van Riemsdyk-Letang

Girard-Korczak

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Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins and Sergei Murashov will be the backup. 

Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT and truTV. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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It’s been 127 days since the Colorado Avalanche last played meaningful hockey, but their long-awaited return is finally here as they welcome the Los Angeles Kings to Ball Arena in Downtown Denver for regular-season game one, fresh off a Jared Bednar contract extension!

Colorado Avalanche

It’s an exciting time of year for every fanbase, and with another year of Stanley Cup aspirations, Colorado Avalanche fans enter the season with anticipation and expectation, hoping they can get closer to a fourth cup than they did last season.

The offseason? Over. pic.twitter.com/dFJIhaSmxP

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 30, 2026

With Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux listed on IR, we will see the Avalanche in their 11-7 form on opening night. Noah Juulsen will slot in as the 7th d-man.

Cale Makar will also be under a watchful eye this evening, as he spent part of the summer and training camp on rehab skates and played only one preseason game. Marc Moser of Altitude Sports endeeringly referred to Cale’s ailment as “a tweaky tweaky thing,” and didn’t sound worried about his status while talking with the Sirius XM NHL crew.

We will get a look at MacKenzie Blackwood as the opening-night starter this season after he missed a good portion of last year’s campaign while rehabbing from offseason surgery. All word points to Blackwood having a breakout season and solidifying himself as the bona fide starter over Scott Wedgewood, who carried the load last season.

Youngster T.J. Hughes has officially extended his excellent performance in Loveland into a great camp and NHL debut for the Avalanche. It’s rumored Hughes could get PP1 time early in the season after getting a look with the unit in practice.

Projected Lineup:

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz — Fedor Svechkov — T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly — Nicolas Roy

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Noah Juulsen

MacKenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Los Angeles Kings

It’s a bit ironic that the Avalanche and Kings meet to start the season, as the Avalanche dispatched the Kings in a four-game sweep during the first round of the 2025-26 playoffs. LA struggled to put the puck in the back of the net last year and hopes they addressed that in the offseason by adding forwards Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, and Scott Laughton.

It did feel like if LA had scoring touch last postseason, they could have put up a stronger fight against the Avalanche, as the “we’re right there” quotes came about after the sweep, so let’s see if their efforts to improve in that regard come to fruition.

Officially official… IT'S HOCKEY SEASON pic.twitter.com/ivfb8a9sPf

— LA Kings (@LAKings) September 29, 2026

Projected Lineup:

Artemi Panarin — Quinton Byfield — Adrian Kempe
Mats Zuccarello — Alex Turcotte — Alex Laferriere
Trevor Moore — Scott Laughton — Erik Haula
Andre Lee — Samuel Helenius — Joel Armia

Erik Gustafsson — Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin — Drew Doughty
Mikey Anderson — Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg

NOTE: Don’t forget to download the new SB Nation app for a more mobile-friendly way to follow tonight’s action!

After the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, they are back at it with the second half of a back-to-back against the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

Following an optional morning skate at Scotiabank Arena, head coach Jim Hiller revealed that Bo Groulx will be making his season debut for the Maple Leafs against the Islanders. However, he wouldn't reveal who would be coming in for the 26-year-old.

Groulx was one of the two Maple Leafs who skated in the morning, along with defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who will be an extra for the second straight game.

Last season, Groulx played 13 games for Toronto in the NHL. He scored three goals and five points in that span, making a name for himself on the main roster.

The majority of his time last season was spent in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. He had a great season in the American League, notching 28 goals and 52 points in 59 appearances. He added eight goals and 14 points in 23 Calder Cup playoff games, helping his team win the title.

Unfamiliar Teammates, Darren Raddysh Turnovers, And Other Takeaways From Maple Leafs' Season Opener Against CanadiensDropping the season opener to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, here are the biggest takeaways from the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-2 defeat to kick off 2026-27.

The other change for the Maple Leafs against the Islanders will be in the crease. On the second night of a back-to-back, Anthony Stolarz will be the starting goaltender, after Sergei Bobrovsky was between the pipes on Tuesday.

Bobrovsky ended the loss to Montreal, stopping 21 of 24 shots on goal, earning a .875 save percentage.

Stolarz registered an .893 SP and a 3.28 goals-against average in 26 games last season. The year before that, he recorded a .926 SP and a 2.14 GAA in 34 appearances for Toronto.

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One thing was made abundantly clear in the Montreal Canadiens’ first game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs: Josh Anderson plays an important role on the team. It wasn’t just that he scored the goal that let the Habs tie it up in the first frame; he was absolutely flying out there, determined to make an impact. If anyone doubted he deserved an alternate captaincy after Brendan Gallagher’s departure, those doubts should have been eased. On Monday night, he was a general leading his troops into battle.

What patience from Josh Anderson to not bat in a highstick 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/Sj3uKDx2ch

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) September 29, 2026

Granted, one good game doesn’t make a season, but Anderson picked up right where he left off in the playoffs with gritty, physical play. The winger landed four hits, more than anyone else on the team. Watching him play, Jeff Gorton’s words from the third episode of the rebuild came back to me: “This is why we’ll never trade Andy.” The executive said that in a game against the Boston Bruins, when the big winger set the tone by dropping the gloves early against Tanner Jeannot. The Habs eventually won that December 23 game 6-2.

Canadiens Rain On Leafs Parade
Game 1: Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs Pregame – Newhook’s Opportunity
Canadiens: The One That Got Away

As things stand, the power forward is in the final year of a 7-year deal with a $5.5 million cap hit. When Marc Bergevin signed him to that deal, he hoped Anderson would be a 30-goal-per-year scorer; that didn’t happen. Early in his contract, and during the rebuild, there were rumblings that he should be moved; his name was in a lot of rumors, and he absolutely hated being asked about the possibility. He was clear about his intentions back in 2022:

We’re in a tough situation right now, but I think that we have the right people to make this thing work. I love it here in Montreal; I signed a long-term deal for a reason: to stay in Montreal and to win here. So, I’m obviously very excited about that, and like I said, I think we have the right people to make that happen.

- Anderson back in 2022

Even though he never became the offensive producer the team hoped for, he became one of the few players on the roster to provide the all-important sandpaper. Who else would have dared to drop the gloves against Tom Wilson in the 2025 playoffs? It gave us one of the most memorable moments of that postseason, with the tussle ending up on the Washington Capitals' bench between two periods.

For all those reasons, Anderson needs to stay, but the Canadiens must find a way to fit him into his rightful place in the Habs’ salary structure. The salary cap may be going up, and the Canadiens are in an enviable position from that standpoint, but they have to stay there. Kent Hughes just signed Alex Newhook to a four-year contract extension with a $5.55 million cap hit. Last season, the Newfoundlander put up 25 points in 42 games, and if he stays healthy, he’ll be counted on for around 50 points.

As for Anderson, he put up 23 points in 72 games last year. The organization knows what he brings, and his ceiling is clear. He won’t be a massive offensive contributor, but he’ll contribute in other ways. At the end of June, the Anaheim Ducks gave tough guy AJ Greer, who put up 32 points and 113 penalty minutes, a four-year contract with a $4.25 cap hit; that’s a strong comparable for the rugged forward. Term-wise, four years may be a bit much for the 32-year-old; a two- or three-year contract would probably be the right fit. Given that every Hab has bought into the notion that they need to take less money for the good of the team, Anderson will likely do the same. A $4 million AAV would be ideal, given the salary cap is still rising, and it feels like that will soon be the average earned by bottom-six players.

Does he have to be signed right away? Probably not, but he’d likely want to put the uncertainty behind him and play hockey, though being made alternate captain permanently shows the organization is committed to him and values what he brings.

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DENVER — The wait is over.

The Avalanche are back at Ball Arena, the Stanley Cup is still the goal, and their first opponent of the new season just happens to be the team they swept out of the playoffs four months ago.

Colorado opens its 31st season in Denver on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, giving the Avalanche a chance to start a new season in a building that should be buzzing from the opening faceoff.

And there’s no shortage of familiar faces or interesting storylines.

Nathan MacKinnon is coming off a 53-goal, 127-point season and has continued to produce against Los Angeles. He has two goals and five assists in his last four regular-season games against the Kings, along with four points in Colorado’s four-game playoff sweep.

Cale Makar is fresh off signing an eight-year, $163.2 million extension to remain in Colorado. He has one goal and five assists in his last four regular-season games against Los Angeles and scored once in each of Games 3 and 4 of last season’s playoff series.

Then there’s Martin Necas.

Necas opened last season’s matchup against the Kings by firing a wicked wrist shot past Darcy Kuemper for the first goal of Colorado’s 4-1 win. He scored twice that night and finished with four goals and four assists in seven games against Los Angeles when combining the regular season and playoffs.

So, yes, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about seeing this group back on the ice.

But the Kings have some players Colorado will have to keep an eye on, too.

Adrian Kempe led Los Angeles in goals, assists and points last season, finishing with 36 goals and 73 points. He had three assists in the three regular-season meetings against Colorado before adding a goal and two assists in the playoff series.

Quinton Byfield finished second on the Kings with 24 goals and 49 points. He was held without a point in the regular-season meetings with Colorado but picked up two assists in the playoffs.

Alex Laferriere scored 21 goals and finished with 44 points last season. He also failed to register a point against Colorado during the regular season, but found another gear in the playoffs with four assists.

Colorado managed to keep Byfield and Laferriere quiet during the regular season. The Avalanche will get an early look Wednesday at whether that trend continues.

The goaltending matchup could be another interesting part of the night.

Mackenzie Blackwood, who is expected to start for Colorado, has a 5-3-2 career record against the Kings with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.

Scott Wedgewood has been even better statistically. He is 6-2-0 in eight career games against Los Angeles with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.

Wedgewood also played a big role the last time these teams met. He stopped 24 of 25 shots in Game 4 as Colorado completed the sweep, finishing the series with a .950 save percentage.

Los Angeles has a familiar option of its own.

Anton Forsberg appears likely to be part of the Kings' crease rotation after putting together a strong 2025-26 season. He started all four games of the playoff series against Colorado and was arguably Los Angeles' best player in the matchup.

Darcy Kuemper is also back, although the Kings' goaltending situation remained unsettled coming out of training camp. Kuemper struggled after returning from a midseason injury last year, while Forsberg emerged as the team's postseason starter.

There’s a pretty good Colorado connection as well. 

Forsberg won the Calder Cup with Jared Bednar and the Lake Erie Monsters in 2016. Kuemper, meanwhile, was part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

And Bednar signed a four-year contract extension Wednesday morning, keeping him behind the Colorado bench through the 2030-31 season.

Tonight will also mark the highly anticipated NHL debut of T.J. Hughes, the former University of Michigan standout who has been one of Colorado’s most impressive players throughout training camp. Hughes capped his preseason with a four-point performance in Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets at Ball Arena, scoring a hat trick in the process.

The Avalanche and Kings have plenty of history, but that doesn't matter now. The playoff series is over, the slate is clean, and the Avalanche are back.

The Kings get the first crack at them — again.

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The 2026-27 NHL season is two days away for the Detroit Red Wings, and it appears as though they won't have one of their most important pieces on the ice with them when it comes time to drop the puck on Friday evening.

Unsigned defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who remains a restricted free agent, has returned to his native Sweden and is training with Frolunda. 

Simon Edvinsson är tillbaka i Sverige.
Tränar med Frölunda under onsdagen. pic.twitter.com/8duvOn5iXU

— Andreas III Johnsson (@Johnssonen) September 30, 2026

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Despite not having an NHL contract, Edvinsson reported to Training Camp and was on the ice with the rest of his teamamtes for non-scrimmage drills. 

Shawn Horcoff: Red Wings To "Continue Conversations" With Unsigned Simon Edvinsson In a statement, Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff said that the club will continue conversations with unsigned D Simon Edvinsson, who remains a restricted free agent.

"I don't see the reason for me to sit at home, to be honest," Edvinsson said earlier this month. "I think I would be stressed if I were back in Sweden now and I saw everybody else practicing. We are going into a new season where it's important that everybody is linked together."

"I don't know the expression, but everybody needs to be on the same page, and that was my reasoning to come over here," he continued. 

Earlier this week, Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff released the following statement: 

“As of today, Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives.”

Edvinsson, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (sixth overall pick) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has emerged as Detroit's second-best defenseman behind Moritz Seider. 

According to various reports, the Red Wings are allegedly interested in a bridge-style contract for Edvinsson, while he and his camp would prefer a more long-term arranement. 

A difficult situation for the Red Wings just became more difficult with the start of the regular season now just over 48 hours away. 

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Fearless forecast for the Flyers' 2026-27 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

When it comes to the Flyers’ expectations, Rick Tocchet will talk about stacking good days.

Danny Briere will talk about the development of young players and being patient if bumps are hit.

But make no mistake, the Flyers’ goal in 2026-27 is to make the playoffs. Last season, the team took a significant step in its rebuild by snapping a five-year playoff drought and making a run to the second round.

Now, the Flyers have to build on it. The new 84-game regular season starts Wednesday when the Flyers welcome the Penguins for their anticipated opener (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT). Flyers Pregame Live starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Flyers Postgame Live will come after the final buzzer.

“We hope our young guys take another step,” Briere said a little over two weeks ago. “And if they do, I think we’ll be very competitive. I think last year, going into the season, we were just hoping to be competitive, we were hoping to be in the mix. In or out of the playoffs was going to be a good season.

“I see us as more competitive than we were last year and a better team than we were last year. Where it leaves us, time will tell. But certainly, I’m hoping that after the players tasted the playoffs last year, that they’re eager to get back there once again.”

Before the puck drops at Xfinity Mobile Arena, let’s get into our Flyers Fearless Forecast, featuring projections for how the team will finish and a random assortment of bold predictions from NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, Ashlyn Sullivan and Joe Fordyce.

Hall

Flyers prediction/Cup prediction

The Flyers’ run to the playoffs last season was particularly impressive when you consider they had lost 12 of 15 games prior to the Olympic break in February. There’s reason to believe they can avoid such a funk this season, which would put them in good position for consecutive postseason berths.

The club’s lineup didn’t change a whole lot this offseason, but the addition of Joseph Woll could be critical. Last season, the Flyers’ skid coincided with Dan Vladar getting hurt. The team struggled mightily to stop the bleeding.

Woll, the new backup goaltender, has starter’s experience and played in a pressure-packed market with the Maple Leafs. He’ll give the Flyers a quality safety valve at the most important position in the game.

While the league-worst power play remains a legitimate concern, the Flyers have optimism around full seasons for Tyson Foerster and Porter Martone. Those two goal-scoring wingers combined for only 38 games last regular season. Both are big pieces to the Flyers’ present and future.

With more answers than they had at this time last year, the Flyers will make it back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns. We’ll have them going 46-25-13 for 105 points.

The Flyers, though, will stomach a first-round exit because of a challenging Metropolitan Division matchup against a team like the Hurricanes or Capitals. But another trip to the playoffs should be considered a victory in the grand scheme.

As for the Stanley Cup, the Avalanche will be healthier this time when it matters most, beating the Capitals in six games.

Tippett’s time

A healthy Owen Tippett is poised to score 35 to 40 goals and put up 70 or more points. That would be a major step for the talented power forward who has battled streakiness in his career.

He hasn’t hit 30 goals yet and his career high in points is 53. But down the stretch last season, especially in March, the mild-mannered Tippett fueled the Flyers’ playoff push. The 27-year-old should ride that confidence this season.

“He has just got so much potential,” Travis Konecny said in March. “I love when you see him realize it during a game and he’s like, ‘This is my game and I’m taking over.’ It’s fun to watch.”

Power struggle

The fear for the Flyers would be the power play not improving. It was in the basement last season at 15.7 percent. Over the last five seasons combined, it has operated at 14.1 percent, easily the worst in the league.

Will the Flyers finally find some answers? It’s tough to say they will. They did homework in the summer and they’re harping on it every day, but the Flyers didn’t address it with an offseason move.

The power play could prove costly again, putting the pressure on offseason fixes next summer.

Sullivan

Flyers prediction/Cup prediction

I think the Flyers beat their point total from last season and finish with over 100 points. In January last season, the Flyers lost 11 of 15 games. A large part of that bad stretch was the wearing down of Vladar because the Flyers didn’t have a lot of trust in their backup goaltenders.

The addition of Woll to the goaltending room will hopefully stop those long losing streaks in their tracks. If Vladar can’t go, the Flyers should have a lot more confidence in Woll being able to steady the ship.

I think the Flyers’ season will end the same way it ended last season — with a loss in the second round of the playoffs. I also think with the expected competitiveness in the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers will make the playoffs with the last spot (third place) in the division.

My Stanley Cup prediction is the Dallas Stars vs. the Florida Panthers, with the Stars winning it all. The Stars have a proven core that is working to get over the hump of deep playoff contention.

Power surge

The Flyers’ power play might be fixed. I know … I can’t believe I am writing that either.

I am really encouraged from what we saw from the first power play unit throughout the preseason and training camp. Working to create plays with net-front presence speaks to the skill sets of Martone and Matvei Michkov.

Martone played only 19 games for the Flyers last season, including the playoff run. That was not long enough to make a lasting impact on the power play. A full season with Martone making plays could bring this power play to at least relevancy in the NHL.

Imagine how many more games the Flyers would have won in regulation last season if the power play could have done anything … anything at all.

Tyson’s turn

Foerster is going to lead the Flyers in goals. Tippett led the Flyers with 28 last season; Foerster will finish with more than that this season.

I was so impressed with how Foerster responded to the big injury last season and immediately impacted the lineup upon his return in April.

Foerster is taking on more responsibility this season and his connection with Konecny is noticeable daily on the ice.

Fordyce

Flyers prediction/Cup prediction

The arena is cold, the ice is painted and it’s time for the rubber to hit the ice.

The Flyers enter this season with expectations that most players on this team are not familiar with. The kind of expectations that come with a playoff run that included a first-round win over their opening night opponent, the bitter rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

The offseason was headlined by a big swing and perceived miss when the Flyers signed Ducks star Leo Carlsson to an unprecedented offer sheet, only to see Anaheim match the offer and retain the young phenom.

That does not, however, mean that this team did not get better, particularly in net. Not only is this Year 2 of Vladar, who was awarded a new contract during the offseason, but also a trade for Woll gives the Flyers what they hope to be a formidable 1-2 tandem.

For these reasons and more, I believe the Flyers will comfortably make the Stanley Cup Playoffs without needing a stretch of red-hot hockey down the stretch to solidify their place.

When it comes to the Stanley Cup Final, I’m going to be that guy, the one who picks the favorites. The Florida Panthers enter this season getting Aleksander Barkov back from injury. Oh, and they added Brady Tkachuk to a lineup that features his brother Matthew Tkachuk for a full season. Last year, Matthew Tkachuk missed a sizable portion of the season with an injury from the start. I think the Panthers will meet the Colorado Avalanche in a hard-fought series, with Florida eventually capturing its third Cup in four years.

Martone mania

When I look at how this season will play itself out, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Martone will be the Flyers’ leading goal scorer. Martone seems to be unfazed for a young player who burst onto the scene late last season, and I expect him to roll into the 2026-27 season and not miss a beat.

Woll’s resurgence

My second prediction: Woll will rediscover himself with the Flyers. This tends to happen to players when they leave Toronto. Phil Kessel, Mitch Marner and several others could attest to being unlocked upon leaving the Maple Leafs for in many cases greener pastures.

Not suggesting that Woll is on the level of talent as a Kessel or Marner, but I believe the 28-year-old goaltender will find a new level of success in Philadelphia.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 1 day until opening night at Nationwide Arena. 

Let's take a look at who wore 1 and where they are now.

Jean-François Labbé - 2002 - 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 would retire. 

Labbé was primarily an AHL goalie, playing in a total of 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. 

Tomáš Pöpperle - 2007 - Drafted by Columbus in 2005. 

Pöpperle played two games for Columbus in 06-07, which were the only two NHL games of his career, both of which were in relief. His SV% was .929% and he had a GAA of 1.35.

He played 66 AHL games for the Syracuse Crunch before returning to Europe. He last played in 23-24 in Germany's second tier. 

Steve Mason - 2009-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2006. 

Mason won 96 games for Columbus in his career. His win total is third behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Elvis Merzlikins. His 19 shutouts are also second, while he played 13,138:02 of TOI, which is fourth. His GAA is fourth in team history, while his save % is fifth. 

After he was traded to Philadelphia, he played four years for the Flyers before spending a season with the Winnipeg organization. After suffering two concussions and a serious knee injury, Mason wouldn't play again and would retire. 

Mason started his career with a bang, winning the 08-09 Calder Trophy and being named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team. He was also named an NHL All-Star during his rookie year, to go along with his NHL second-team honors. 

Mason was traded to the Flyers on April 3, 2013, in exchange for goaltender Michael Leighton and a 2015 third-round draft pick. In Philly, he would finish with a record of 104-78-36.

Mason, while playing for Canada at the U20 World Junior Championships, went 5-0 with a SV% of .951 and won tournament MVP, best goaltender, and was an all-star. 

Oh, what could have been. 

There is one day left until opening day at Nationwide Arena. 

Darren Raddysh’s first night as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs was certainly memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in the season opener at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday. William Nylander scored 48 seconds in and again late in the third. Josh Anderson, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Carrier answered for the Canadiens. Raddysh, who was paired with Morgan Rielly and logged 23:47, more ice than anyone in blue and white except Auston Matthews, finished minus-2 with three shots and two blocks. He was on the ice for all three Montreal goals. The first two, in particular, followed the kind of plays that get clipped and circulated before the third period even starts.

“Obviously, you know, not what we wanted. Obviously, I think personally myself, I can do a little bit better,” he said after the game. “But, yeah, you know, I’m really excited to be here and be a part of this and just be a part of the whole organization.”

The Leafs acquired Raddysh’s rights from Tampa Bay for a 2026 fifth-round pick and signed the Toronto-area product to an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) before he could test free agency. After a 22-goal, 70-point breakout with the Lightning, the bet was simple: a right-shot who can run a power play and move pucks would stabilize a blue line that needed more than veteran stopgaps. One night does not settle that bet, but it certainly asks for a marked improvement.

On Anderson’s tying goal at 10:53 of the first, Raddysh’s attempted breakout was intercepted and the puck stayed in Toronto’s end long enough for Kirby Dach and Carrier to set up a rebound that Anderson batted out of the air. On Bolduc’s 2-1 goal early in the second, Raddysh seemed caught puck-watching in front of Sergei Bobrovsky while Mike Matheson crashed the crease. 

Head coach Jim Hiller did not single him out. He framed the night as what a new group looks like when the first real game arrives before the reads do.

“I thought he was alright too, but I thought, like, we had a lot of new guys. And I thought we looked a little bit like a new team today,” Hiller said. “We just weren’t connecting with our passes. And, you know, I don’t know if that has anything to do with nerves or being in the building for the first time and the first time everybody together. So we just weren’t clean as a team.”

Raddysh heard the same thing from the other side of the stall. Training camp was short. The system is new. The names around him, Gavin McKenna, Kirill Marchenko, Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic and the rest of a remade roster, are still getting used to one another. He has seen this Montreal team plenty from his Tampa years. Nothing about their speed or their forecheck surprised him. 

NHL Game Score Impact Card for Toronto Maple Leafs on 2026-09-29: pic.twitter.com/GRAgRfEyiU

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) September 30, 2026

“Yeah, the training camp’s short. A lot of new guys and, you know, everyone’s trying to learn a new system with a new coach,” he said. “There’s a lot of new learning curves. But, you just got to be prepared for that.”

The pairing with Rielly was the other story that followed him out of the room. Camp had pointed that way for more than a week: two offensive defensemen, extra offensive-zone starts, a clean slate for Rielly under a new staff. Tuesday was the first real look. Chemistry is not built in 23 minutes against a team that plays fast and stays simple. Raddysh said as much.

“Yeah, it was good to finally play a real game with Morgan and try and build out the chemistry that we’ve had these few days of training camp. Yeah, I just got to get ready for it all.”

The schedule does not leave much room to sit with any of it. The New York Islanders are in town Wednesday. Raddysh called that an advantage.

“Yeah, it’s always good when, you know, you play right the next day, so you can kind of put this in the back and just get ready for tomorrow and be prepared for the Islanders.”

One game. A hometown contract that runs through 2034. A minus-2 that will follow him until the next one doesn’t. Raddysh already said the part that matters: he can be better. The Leafs paid for the version that usually is.

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Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (0-0-0) @ Philadelphia Flyers (0-0-0)

When: 7:30 p.m. eastern

How to Watch: Nationally televised game on TNT and TruTV, streaming on HBO Max

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have a few days off to prepare for their home opener on Saturday night against Montreal. Next week will be a busy one with games on Monday (10/5) at home against Winnipeg, followed by road games on Wednesday and Friday in Washington and Columbus before returning back home for another Saturday home game against Dallas.

Opponent Track: Tonight’s the Flyers’ first game, they have a quick turnaround to play in New Jersey tomorrow before going back home on Saturday against Carolina. Add in road games next week against Tampa, Ottawa and Boston (followed by another Carolina game after that) and it’s a challenging start of the year for Philadelphia based on opponent strength.

Season Series: The Pens and Flyers won’t see each other again after tonight until January 31st. The two rivals then play late-season games on March 30th and April 3rd to close out the four-game set. Last year the Penguins went 2-0-2 in the regular season against Philadelphia.

Hidden Stat: Philadelphia has finished 32nd on the power play in four of the last five seasons. They’ll certainly be looking for improvement in that department this season for what’s long been a dreadful man advantage.

Hidden Stat 2.0: Pittsburgh has points in 10 of its last 15 season-opening games (9-5-1), per Penguins PR.

Getting to know the Flyers

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Owen Tippett – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone

Alex Bump – Christian Dvoark – Travis Konecny

Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov

Carl Grundstrom – Sean Couturier- Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Travis Sanheim /Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York / Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler / Simon Benoit

Goalies: Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll

Potential scratches: Denver Barkey, David Jiricek, Garrett Wilson

Injured Reserve: None

• It stings to see Acciari cross the state after a few solid seasons in Pittsburgh. Tough to hate on the player for securing the bag (Philadelphia gave Acciari a $2.8 million AAV for two years, a bigger salary than both of his former linemates last year took to stay in Pittsburgh), even though it’s a bitter place to watch the good soldier depart for.
• The Flyers are largely unchanged from the end of last season, making ancillary additions of Acciari, a backup goalie in Woll and a couple of depth defensemen. They’ll benefit from a full season of Martone, who essentially is a new add, but otherwise had minimal roster movement over the summer.
• Vladar and Barkey picked up minor injuries during the preseason. Especially with the Flyers having another game on deck tomorrow, one would wonder if Vladar gets an extra day off since he’ll likely only play one of the two opening games anyways. Rick Tocchet was “hopeful” earlier in the week about Vladar in the season opener, which may suggest he will play if he’s able.

Season stats(from last year)
via hockeydb

• The stability from last year is apparent with 14 of the top-15 scorers from 2025-26 back again this year for the Flyers (only Bobby Brink, traded at the 2026 deadline, is gone). One piece of good news for them: they should expect more than 38 total games out of Foerster and Martone this time around and other young players like Bump, Barkey and David Jiricek figure to work their way into larger impacts.

Key to the Game: Flyers offense vs. Penguins defense

This is from last season but figures to dictate the game for which team’s perceived weaker areas will perform better than the other. Will the Flyers offense be better? Can the revamped new Pittsburgh defense with three new defensemen limit more chances? How will (presumably) Arturs Silovs do as a follow-up against the Flyers given his strong postseason play? If Philadelphia scores a power play goal and piles up shots, it will be an indicator that Pittsburgh’s weaker areas can’t hold up against what has been a very limited attack in the past, if they take care of business there then it’s obviously a great sign for a positive result could be coming at the end of the night.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Nick Robertson – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Filip Hallander – Hendrix Lapierre – Ville Koivunen

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte* – Elmer Soderblom

DEFENSEMEN

Declan Carlile / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kaeden Korczak

Trevor van Riemsdyk / Kris Letang

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov

Potential Scratches: Rutger McGroarty, David Gustafsson, Ilya Solovyov

IR: Ben Kindel, Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau, Bryan Rust

Non-roster: Andrei Kuzmenko

• The Penguins work in five new players to make their official team debuts tonight, highlighted by half of the blueline getting turned over from last year. That will be a huge element of change as the team looks to tighten up some messy defensive numbers from 2025-26 where they were in the bottom 10 of the league in 5v5 scoring chances allowed and ninth worst in overall goals allowed.
• Lizotte is on IR retroactive to his injury date of 9/24, he can come off at any time. He went through practice yesterday and could be in line to play tonight. The Penguins have 22 players on the active roster, so they don’t even need to send anyone down to make room (though they could still choose to send McGroarty back to the AHL today if they wanted).

Throw the popcorn

Per Pens PR: Evgeni Malkin (32G-67A) enters today’s game one point shy of becoming just the sixth player in NHL history to notch 100 or more points against the Flyers. Four of the five have Penguins ties: Sidney Crosby (139), Mario Lemieux (124), Jaromir Jagr (120), Bryan Trottier (117), along with Wayne Gretzky (100). Malkin likes when the Philly faithful throw popcorn at him.

Letang to set record

Other assorted milestones on the horizon:

• Sidney Crosby (654) is two goals away from tying Brendan Shanahan for 14th all-time in NHL goals.
• Crosby (1,107) is two assists away from tying Joe Thornton for seventh all-time in NHL assists.
• Evgeni Malkin (1,407) is two points away from tying Dale Hawerchuk for 22nd in all-time NHL points.
• Kris Letang (806) starts the year five points away from Sergei Gonchar and Victor Hedman for 18th place among NHL career defenseman points.

It was a full house in the press gallery at Scotiabank Arena to watch the Montreal Canadiens take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was not only the season opener for both teams, but also Kirill Marchenko’s debut in Leafs colors and the start of rookie sensation Gavin McKenna’s NHL career. Toronto also hoped to remain unbeaten in home openers with captain Auston Matthews in the lineup (they were 10-0 since drafting him in 2016), while the Habs just hoped to ruin everybody’s party. Interestingly enough, it looked like Sergei Bobrovsky wanted to be the first to ruin a party; the superstitious netminder insisted on going on the ice first, stealing McKenna’s thunder on his rookie lap. Funnily enough, he did that after taking McKenna’s number 72.

Sergei Bobrovsky has to be first on the ice, even if a rookie is taking their debut lap 😅 pic.twitter.com/ytIupTKdbx

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 29, 2026

Dobes Picked Up Where He Left Off

Granted, Jakub Dobes didn’t look great when he allowed a goal on the second shot he faced on the night, but he more than made up for it later. He made a couple of big saves on Matthews, and at the start of the second frame, with the score tied 1-1, it looked like Montreal was falling back into its bad habit of sitting back in the second. Not Dobes, though; he was locked in and started the frame with a great glove save on new Leaf Marchenko.

Game 1: Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs Pregame – Newhook’s Opportunity
The Canadiens’ Swiss Army Knife
Canadiens: The One That Got Away

That’s the kind of statement save that gives a team confidence, that says “fear not, I’ve got your back,” and five minutes later, Zach Bolduc was giving Montreal its first lead of the game. By the end of the second frame, Toronto only had six shots, five of which came in those first five minutes.

At the start of the third frame, the same pattern emerged, and Dobes flashed the leather at Nylander. The Leafs’ winger would score another goal later, but it was too little, too late.

New Look PK

Starting the season against the Leafs’ big guns while trying to implement a new penalty-killing system may sound daunting on paper, especially after the Habs struggled down a man in the preseason. Still, Montreal didn’t have its full lineup then. With a full NHL roster, the Habs rolled up their sleeves, put on their work boots, and got to work.

In the first two-minute penalty, six forwards saw some ice time: Phillip Danault, Josh Anderson, Jake Evans, Alex Newhook, Nick Suzuki and Chris Kreider. Arber Xhekaj also saw some ice time down a man, 1:29 of the 6:00 minutes the Habs were shorthanded, and he played well.

Full marks to Alexandre Carrier, however, who frustrated the Leafs on his knees, blocking the puck along the boards for precious seconds, before scoring the game-winning goal on his next shift.

More Of That Dach

On the Canadiens’ first goal, Kirby Dach made a great play. He dispossessed Darren Raddysh, held onto the puck, found Carrier in space, and that eventually allowed Josh Anderson to bat the puck out of the air and behind Bobrovsky. Great patience by the alternate captain to wait for that puck to drop low enough before hitting it, but without Dach’s play, that doesn’t happen.

That’s the kind of Dach the Canadiens need. A big player who can pressure the defence on the forecheck and hold the puck long enough to build an attack. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound winger showed urgency tonight, something we didn’t see in the preseason. If any scouts were in Toronto tonight to see Dach, they saw some good things.

Patience Needed

Some will be quick to criticize the first line's play, but Chris Kreider just arrived and has had little time to learn the Canadiens’ system. Unlike the rest of the Canadiens’ players, he’s not yet familiar with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield’s game, and that’s hardly surprising. Caufield didn’t find the back of the net, but he had three shots, and the line had six total on the night.

It wasn’t perfect, but the Canadiens do skate away with the two points, largely thanks to goaltending and their bottom-six, not unlike what we’ve seen in the playoffs, really. Winning games without your top-six finding the back of the net is something teams need to do if they want to be contenders. Of course, the big guns will have to step up eventually, but Montreal will be glad to have put an end to the Leafs’ opening-night streak and to have put that game away in regulation, something they struggled with last season.

NHL Game Score Impact Card for Montréal Canadiens on 2026-09-29: pic.twitter.com/XowaB6rX0Y

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) September 30, 2026

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