There’s no denying the blockbuster that rocked the NHL on the eve of the season start has impacted both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets. On Tuesday, Kirill Marchenko seemed to be everywhere against the Montreal Canadiens, and he got an assist. On Thursday night, in his first game as a Blue Jacket, Matthew Knies scored two goals, added an assist, and was named the first star of the game. 

Unsurprisingly, the blockbuster was discussed at length on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast by Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas. The NHL insider confirmed that Habs GM Kent Hughes tried everything to land Marchenko:

I tried to figure out what Montreal did at the end; I heard that Montreal was trying to be really creative. I think they were trying to involve other teams. I’m not 100% sure whether they were trying to get other teams to get one of these extra Columbus guys, or whether they were trying to take a player from another team and put them in Columbus. Because I just always heard that Columbus wasn’t crazy about what Montreal offered. There were some good players in there, some futures; Columbus didn’t really want futures, and they just never had anything close to Knies. Like, I heard there was another player they were trying to get to Columbus from another team. I thought I knew who that guy was, but the other team has denied it, so I’m still working, Kyle, on who that guy was or who the guys were.

- Friedman on how hard Montreal tried

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At this stage, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Hughes said he was very active this summer but didn't manage to close the deal on his main target. Of course, the Canadiens’ GM didn’t confirm who his target was, but with multiple reports identifying Marchenko as the target, it makes sense.

As we mentioned in the hours following the trade, Hughes didn’t come away with the big prize despite trying; Friedman confirmed it came down to the Jackets not wanting what they had to offer. What’s new, however, is that they tried hard to involve other teams to get the Jackets what they wanted, even if it wasn’t from the Habs themselves, but it didn’t work. Still, the insider also confirms that Montreal was one of the most active teams this summer:

Montreal, no question, had been the most serious pursuer all summer. From the moment that Marchenko was potentially available. He’d let the Blue Jackets know he wasn’t going to re-sign there. They were the team that chased the hardest. And word behind the scenes was that he was more than happy to go there. I think that’s one of the most interesting storylines about this whole thing, Kyle: is that word early in July was that he was willing to go to Montreal, but he wasn’t so crazy about Toronto. Somewhere over the summer, that changed.

- Friedman on Marchenko wanting to come to Montreal

That might be a consolation for Habs fans; it's further proof, after Noah Dobson and Chris Kreider, that players want to come to Montreal now. If Marchenko had been free to choose his destination, the Canadiens would likely have been his choice. However, the Blue Jackets were in the driver’s seat, and they handled a difficult situation very well.

Hughes’s back to the drawing board if he wants an impact player, but that may have to wait until the offseason; who knows. With the salary cap rising, though, if a star player becomes an unrestricted free agent, it wouldn’t be a shock if they chose Montreal as a landing spot. The Canadiens have the money, the cap space, and a coach the players love. Until then, the players must do their part: keep winning, because at the end of the day, that’s what will make players chasing a Stanley Cup choose this team. Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars will be a UFA this summer, and the summer after that, it will be Connor McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers have allowed 13 goals through two games; their goaltending still isn’t sorted out, and neither is their defense. Whether they want it or not, they are slowly but surely pushing McDavid toward the exit.

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Just over 24 hours before the most eventful and surprising offseason in the history of the Anaheim Ducks/Mighty Ducks of Anaheim was, at long last, scheduled to conclude, general manager Pat Verbeek had one more trick up his sleeve as the team announced on Thursday, the day before the puck was set to drop on their 2026-27 campaign, that they’d signed young defenseman Tristan Luneau (22) to a six-year, $7.2 million AAV contract extension. The contract will go into effect at the start of the 2027-28 season.

Upon the news breaking, the majority of the hockey world understandably questioned Luneau’s merit to earn such a significant payday and Verbeek’s methodology in handing out a contract to someone with Luneau’s experience (or lack thereof). 

So, who is Tristan Luneau and why did the Ducks sign him to such a large contract?

Ducks Sign Tristan Luneau to Six-Year Contract Extension

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Who?

“It’s great. I get to play hockey for six more years,” Luneau stated moments after putting pen to paper. “It’s a great moment for me and my family. It’s a group I want to be a part of for a long time, and I believe in what we’re all working for.”

Luneau (53rd in 2022) is four years removed from his draft, when he was selected by the Ducks in the second round. He was a first overall pick in the QMJHL Draft in 2020, selected by Gatineau Olympiques, but a nagging knee injury, repaired following his 2020-21 season, hindered his production in his draft year, where he scored 43 points (12-31=43) in 63 games, causing the talented right-shot defenseman to fall to the second round of the NHL Draft. 

The season following his draft (2022-23), he bounced back significantly and scored 83 points (20-63=83) in 65 games and added 17 (2-15=17) in 13 playoff games, earning him QMJHL Defenseman of the Year honors. 

The Ducks’ plan for Luneau as it pertained to the next season, 2023-24, was to start him in the NHL and send him to the AHL on a conditioning loan before he was to represent Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championships. He sustained an infection in his leg en route to the tournament and was sidelined for the rest of the season while he recovered, and only ended up playing 13 games between the NHL and AHL. 

He mostly spent the next two seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26) developing and playing substantial minutes for the San Diego Gulls in the AHL with two brief stints in the NHL for the Ducks. 

Luneau finished his AHL career with 95 points (19-76=95) in 135 games, and prior to signing his contract, he had just four points (2-2=4) in 14 NHL games. So, given his resume, it’s justified for the hockey world to have their collective eyebrows raised when a former second-round pick with 14 games of NHL experience signs a deal like the one he did on Thursday. 

Luneau possesses an NHL frame (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) and every on-ice tool to become a No. 1 defenseman. With the puck, he’s strong, elusive, and dynamic. He fends off forecheckers, makes smart, decisive outlets, and can join or lead rushes up ice. In the offensive zone, he fiercely patrols the blueline, activates downhill at will, and smartly gets his heavy shot through traffic with consistency. 

On the defensive side of the puck, he’s just as aggressive, displaying tight gaps, knowledge of angles, and an influential, active stick. He’s difficult to gain ice against in the tight areas, and he’s tenacious in front of his net. 

Over the past four years, he’s developed and translated his offensive game to every level below the NHL and has put in the work to iron out his defensive game. He’s gained the necessary size, skill, and strength to succeed against the world’s top hockey players. He’s as NHL-ready as a defense prospect has ever been. 

Why?

"Signing Tristan to a long-term contract was a priority as we see him as a top-four defenseman for years to come,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated in the Ducks’ press release that followed the signing. “Getting the deal done before the season started was a key part of our planning for now and the future." 

The Ducks can easily be considered the main character of the 2026 NHL offseason. Following a year where they seemingly put their rebuild in the rearview mirror, an offer sheet to their franchise player, Leo Carlsson, sent shockwaves through the organization and the NHL as a whole. 

When all was said and done, the Ducks signed their three highest-profile RFAs coming off ELCs (Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov) to larger contracts than they were anticipating. As a result, they saw a mass exodus of roster players who found new homes over the summer, including Mason McTavish, Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, John Carlsson, Radko Gudas, and Olen Zellweger. 

Given the volume of defensive contributors who are now off the roster, only subsidized by the addition of Nick Jensen (36), Luneau, someone whom the front office greatly believes will step in and immediately flourish in a top-four role, now has a clear path toward a breakout season. He’s slated to start the year on the top pair alongside Jackson LaCombe, run the point on the Ducks’ second power play unit, and may even kill penalties. 

Since he accepted the job as the Ducks general manager in Feb. 2022, Verbeek has established a reputation as a shrewd negotiator with his team’s RFAs, especially those coming off their ELCs. Past talks with Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Mason McTavish, players once considered part of the Ducks’ future core, extended well into training camp, arguably leading to injuries and/or underwhelming following seasons. 

Verbeek seemed to be heading toward similar negotiation timelines with Carlsson, Gauthier, and Mintyukov in 2026, but Carlsson and his representation found a way to quickly end talks when the Philadelphia Flyers signed Carlsson to an earth-shattering five-year offer sheet that carried an AAV of $18 million. Days later, the Ducks signed Mintyukov to a five-year, $7.2 million AAV extension, presumably to avoid a second OS. They matched the offer sheet for Carlsson, but the landscape of their cap sheet and the NHL would continue to feel the ripple effects. One of those ripple effects was signing Gauthier to a six-year, $13.5 million AAV extension just before 2026 training camp. 

In his training camp-opening press conference, Verbeek pledged to be more aggressive in signing his RFAs to better avoid another scenario like the one he faced this summer. “I think that we're going to attack, you know, some of our players coming off of their ELCs, be more aggressive in that, start communicating and having more talks sooner,” he said. 

“I think when you look at things, just being a little more agile, getting more adaptive, and probably just react a little quicker to situations or just see them,” Verbeek continued. 

“There's going to be a lot of different scenarios to manage, and you're going to have to be proactive in all of this stuff. So certainly the variables have changed, and you're going to have to really start taking into account all the different variables that can happen and plan for it.”

Verbeek began to make good on his statement over the course of training camp/preseason when he signed depth center Tim Washe to a four-year, $2.25 million AAV contract extension that will begin at the start of the 2027-28 season. 

Luneau’s new contract is further proof of the implementation of Verbeek’s new approach, but to an even more extreme level. Verbeek and the Ducks clearly believe in Luneau’s talent and projection. If he were to head into the 2026-27 season without a contract extension and make the most of the opportunities he’s being given, he’d be due a significantly larger AAV than the $7.2 million per year that he’ll earn between 2027-28 and 2032-33.

It’s a gamble, like every NHL contract that’s signed, and it can be considered an “overcorrection” to a degree, but the price for Luneau was likely never decreasing, and he’s now signed until he’s 29 years old, the majority (or entirety) of his prime. This is the type of gamble on young talent that has traditionally aged well in the modern NHL.

Luneau is now on the radar of those unfamiliar with him and his game, and these are the kind of deals, especially given where the salary cap is projected to be heading, that fans and media crave from NHL front offices: betting on young talent. 

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DENVER — For T.J. Hughes, Wednesday night was about more than the Colorado Avalanche opening their season at Ball Arena.

It was the night he finally made his NHL debut.

The former University of Michigan standout showed flashes of why Colorado believes he belongs at hockey's highest level, while also looking like a player experiencing his first NHL game. Hughes was good at times and less so at others — an understandable combination for someone taking his first steps in the league.

Not every rookie walks into the NHL and immediately looks like Wayne Gretzky. Even Auston Matthews, now the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, set an almost impossible standard when he scored four goals in his NHL debut.

Hughes didn't find the back of the net Wednesday.

But he came close — several times.

The opportunities started early. In the opening period, Hughes nearly converted on a rebound that narrowly missed the net.

A short time later, he found himself with another chance at his first career NHL goal, jamming away at a loose puck in front of Los Angeles Kings goaltender and former Avalanche netminder Darcy Kuemper as he tried to poke it across the goal line.

Hughes kept battling for the puck before taking a hard cross-check from Kings captain Drew Doughty. The hit ultimately helped turn a 5-on-4 power play into a 5-on-3, and Nathan MacKinnon made Los Angeles pay, finding the back of the net for Colorado's second power-play goal of the night.

The Avalanche scored four times with the man advantage, but Hughes' first goal would have to wait.

MacKinnon wasn't concerned.

“He played well,” MacKinnon said. “He had a couple good looks. It’s really hard to play your first game, especially sometimes getting a hat trick early. There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of hype, so I think he’ll continue to settle in.”

MacKinnon also pointed to Hughes' maturity and commitment away from the ice.

“He’s a mature guy and a great guy, and such a committed player on and off the ice,” MacKinnon said. “So, you know, chemistry hopefully will develop here.”

That chemistry will come with time, as will Hughes' adjustment to the speed of the NHL.

You could see that adjustment taking place early Wednesday.

At times, Hughes looked just a fraction behind the play. In the first period, he found himself in position for a one-timer but was a step too slow getting his body fully into the shot, resulting in an awkward deflection.

At Michigan and later with the Colorado Eagles, Hughes routinely stood out as one of the more dynamic players on the ice. He produced 14 points in 17 games during the Eagles' Calder Cup playoff run last season.

The NHL, though, is another level. The time and space Hughes was accustomed to finding simply aren't there as often.

That's the biggest adjustment Bednar expects him to make.

“What he’s going to work on is getting used to the pace of play and the size and the strength of guys,” Bednar said. “That was a whole different level of intensity tonight.”

Bednar isn't asking Hughes to reinvent his game. Instead, he expects the young forward to learn how to make the same decisions he has always made, only faster.

“I like the habits he plays with,” Bednar said. “But just getting used to the pace, the intensity, the size and strength of the guys, how quickly time and space disappears. So the decision-making and thinking, yeah, it’s going to be that.”

Hughes also got an immediate lesson in what can happen when those decisions don't come quickly enough.

Colorado scored four power-play goals Wednesday, but the Avalanche also surrendered two shorthanded markers. One came after Hughes had his stick lifted by Joel Armia while trying to exit the defensive zone.

Armia turned the turnover into a break the other way and beat Mackenzie Blackwood, giving Los Angeles a free score and Hughes a costly lesson about the consequences of a mistake at this level. 

Still, Bednar saw plenty to like.

“He’s a really intelligent player,” Bednar said. “I have full confidence he can do that. I thought his game was good. It was good. You could tell he’s learning and thinking, and it’ll become more instinctual for him as it goes on.”

That was perhaps the best way to describe Hughes' debut.

There were mistakes, and there were moments when the game appeared to move a little faster than he wanted it to. But there were also plenty of flashes — the scoring chances around the net, the willingness to battle for loose pucks and the offensive instincts that repeatedly put him in position to make something happen.

“He makes a poor play tonight,” Bednar said, “and it’s just a matter of time before we get that out of his game.”

The first NHL goal will have to wait.

For Hughes, though, the more important milestone was already accomplished.

He made it to the NHL.

Now comes the process of figuring out how to stay there.

How Sharks beat Panthers in opener with recent two-time champion's own formula 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.

The Sharks played the way the Florida Panthers wanted to play; they played the way that they wanted to play, and then they beat the Stanley Cup contenders.

Thursday’s 4-3 overtime victory bodes well for the Sharks’ quest to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Physically, they stood up to the big, bad Panthers, be it Will Smith hanging tough with Eetu Luostarinen in the corners to help set up Mason Marchment’s goal, Darnell Nurse cross-checking Matthew Tkachuk, Jacob Trouba getting in a fight for Macklin Celebrini or Collin Graf getting in a fight for Ivar Stenberg.

Nurse got a penalty, but there were plenty of examples on Thursday of the ex-Edmonton Oilers defenseman imposing his will on the Panthers, reminiscent of their 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Final matchups.

Read the full article at San Jose Hockey Now

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks’ most recent 9–7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. 

Paul Cotter 

Paul Cotter has been the Canucks’ best forward, offensively speaking, since the start of the 2026–27 season. Following his two-goal performance on Tuesday, Cotter scored yet another goal in Thursday’s 9–7 loss to the Oilers and also added an assist on a goal by Brock Boeser in his effort. 

Cotter’s strong play earned him a promotion onto Vancouver’s second-line alongside Boeser and Liam Öhgren, with the trio playing a team-high 7:28 minutes together. Individually, Cotter also had five hits and recorded a faceoff win percentage of 64.3%. 

Elias Pettersson 

Is Elias Pettersson back? That’s the question everyone seems to be asking after the forward’s performance on Thursday night following his three-point, eight-hit night. The most notable part of Pettersson’s night was his slap shot on the power-play to give Vancouver their sixth goal of the game, with the play resembling a vintage shot by the forward. This was his 202nd-career goal, which gave him sole-possession of ninth all-time in Canucks history. 

After Vancouver blended their lines up to start the second period, Pettersson and his wingers — Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson — were given the difficult task of matching up against Connor McDavid’s line. Through a little over six minutes played together, the trio produced three scoring chances-for and surrendered one against. 

Arshdeep Bains 

Dating back to training camp, Arshdeep Bains has been praised for his no-quit hustle even when not in game situations. The forward brought that same performance to Thursday night’s game alongside new linemates Marco Rossi and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, spearheading what would ultimately become a shocking consecutive four-goal output for Vancouver in both the second and third periods. 

With less than a second left on the clock in the second period, Bains drove to the net to snap a rebound past Oilers goaltender Devon Levi, scoring Vancouver’s third of the game. He didn’t stop there, however, as it was his line that scored two goals for the Canucks five minutes into the third period to bring their total up to five goals on the night. An assist on the second goal made Thursday Bains’s first multi-point NHL game. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Happy Friday, TSFers! This extra-long international break won’t wind up until Tuesday, but it’s time to start re-focusing on Arsenal. Unfortunately, we’ve got an injury update coming later today for a couple guys who picked up issues on international duty. I don’t like international breaks. I really don’t like extended international breaks.

This morning, we’ll talk about something fun. The NHL season started this week — go Caps — and with the season just a few days old, we’ve got something that only happens every couple of seasons. A goalie goal!

There weren’t any goalie goals last season. Oddly enough, there were three the season before — Ilya Sorokin, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Filip Gustavsson. According to Wikipedia, that was the first time there had ever been more than one in an NHL season. To give a sense of how uncommon they are, there have only been 21 goalie goals in the history of the NHL. There have been multiple 5+ season stretches without one being scored. Martin Brodeur scored three in his career. Ron Hextall scored two.

With all that in mind, what other sporting feats are as rare and unlikely as the NHL goalie goal? The first thing that came to mind is a no-hitter in baseball. It’s not quite there in terms of rarity — there have been 327 recorded in MLB history — but the combination of difficulty and rarity feels about right. What say y’all?

Easton Cowan has been on fire to start the 2026-27 NHL season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In the first game of the season, the 21-year-old left winger recorded an assist on William Nylander's second goal of the game in Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

In the second outing against the New York Islanders, Cowan outdid himself with a pair of points. He got an assist on Colton Sisson's first goal as a Maple Leaf and scored the second on the power play, which turned out to be the game-winning goal.

To this point in the season, Cowan leads the team in scoring with three points, contributing on all of Toronto's goals but one.

Regarding Cowan's performance so far this season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has noted that his stock has been rising within the organization, and that might've nixed the franchise's desire to trade the youngster.

"I think there were a couple of things in the off-season that (the Leafs) were considering that could potentially have Cowan involved," Friedman reported on Thursday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. "And I did hear this week that even before the puck dropped, that Cowan's stock in the organization was way up. And that it was like Toronto's desire to move Cowan has really decreased."

A 'Sharp' Anthony Stolarz, Easton Cowan In The Spotlight, And More Takeaways From Maple Leafs' First Win Of 2026-27 Against IslandersHere are the main takeaways from the Toronto Maple Leafs' first victory of the 2026-27 NHL regular season and Jim Hiller's first win as the team's head coach.

It's early, but Cowan has truly morphed not only into a solid NHL player but also into a difference-maker on the Maple Leafs.

"They're like, ' this guy is a player,' and then in the first two games of the season, the loss to Montreal and the victory over the Islanders, he was one of their best players, I thought."

Toronto's head coach Jim Hiller was early to spot Cowan and his positive trajectory in development during training camp. It was after the first day of training camp that he singled out Cowan as the player who stood out to him the most at practice.

'He Was A Puck Hound': Maple Leafs' Jim Hiller With High Praise On Easton Cowan, Reveals Standouts For First Day Of CampToronto Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller was pleased with how his group performed on the first day of training camp. He revealed who his standouts were, including some high praise for Easton Cowan.

He called him a puck hound, and he's certainly brought that playing style to the regular season. Cowan is fast on the forecheck and eager to strip the opposition of the puck, and has been contributing to the team's penalty kill.

"There definitely is a feeling that Cowan's stock is up even before they started playing, and I think in the first two games we all saw why," Friedman said.

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After a day off on Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens returned to the ice Thursday afternoon, getting ready for their tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Habs flew right to Pittsburgh after their win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night and spent their day off doing team-building activities. Asked why it was important to do that, Martin St-Louis explained:

Because it’s an opportunity when there’s a break in a schedule like that, especially early on and when we didn’t have the opportunity to do it during training camp. It’s to…I know we have a very tight-knit group, but it’s to have opportunities to get even tighter. It doesn’t guarantee it, but if you don’t do it, you don’t even have the opportunity. So we’ve got some activities here where we can have some fun, and we’re working at the same time.

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As for practice itself, the coach explained that it wasn’t so much about teaching as it was about working, putting in effort, and raising the heart rate. After missing the first game of the season, centerman Oliver Kapanen was back on the ice, wearing a normal jersey and fully participating in the session. Will he be back in the lineup this weekend? That remains to be seen, as the coach said he didn’t know yet.

At practice, the lines and pairings were as follows:

Caufield - Suzuki - Kreider
Slafkovsky - Newhook - Demidov
Texier/Kapanen - Danault - Dach
Bolduc - Evans - Anderson/F. Xhekaj

Matheson-Dobson
Hutson-Carrier
Struble-A. Xhekaj

Guhle (no contact)-Engstrom

Alex Newhook played well in Kapanen's spot on Tuesday, but the line he formed with Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov failed to put points on the board. Still, the Newfoundlander spent over 16 minutes on the ice, including 2:31 on the penalty kill and 1:24 on the power play. He had three shot attempts, only one of which got to the net, and he landed three hits; more importantly, he won seven of his nine draws for a 77.8% success rate.

If the Finn does return to the lineup, one can wonder whether he will land back on the second line. That’s where he started training camp, but he didn’t have a very productive preseason; still, the coach seemed to want to give him another chance after he scored 22 goals in his rookie season. It would therefore be surprising if he wasn’t even given a look in a single regular-season game before being unseated.

As for who would come out of the lineup, it would likely be between Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier. While Dach had a good game on Tuesday, Texier does play on the power play, so that could be the deciding factor; time will tell.

The Canadiens will practice at 11:00 AM on Friday and face the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday at 7:00 PM. The Pens will hope to build on the momentum from their first game, when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on the road.

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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- After another underwhelming start to a season that had coach Jim Montgomery talking about being ready when the puck drops in October by having a very focused training camp, the time has arrived for the St. Louis Blues to see if they can put their money where their mouth is.

When the puck finally drops on the 2026-27 season starting with a three-game road trip beginning Friday against the Dallas Stars (8 p.m.; TNT, ESPN 101.1.FM), the Blues are putting an emphasis of getting off to a much better October than in recent years’ past.

Not since 2021 when they came out of the gate hot at 6-1-0 have the Blues had the kind of success needed to start a season that is essential to a good season. They finished that season 49-22-11 and reached the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs before falling to eventual Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the Jordan Binnington gets taken out by Nazem Kadri series.

In the ensuing month of October’s, the Blues have gone 3-5-0, 3-3-1, 5-6-0 and last season, 3-6-2. The only time they reached the playoffs was in 2025 when they were 5-6-0 by getting hot towards the end of the season and needing a win in the regular season finale against the Utah Mammoth to guarantee a spot.

Having to chase the standings just isn’t feasible in the well-balanced, plenty-of-parity NHL and the Blues, who face the Avalanche on Saturday before closing the trip Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, know it. That’s why the emphasis began the moment training camp, which was abbreviated with the 84-game regular-season schedule and fewer preseason games, started.

“Yeah we tried to establish competing first on pucks,” Montgomery said. “There’s been competition in every day of practice of some form to try and get our mindsets that we’re going to win. Every competition matters, so that we have natural, competitive spirit to try and start and be hard to play against. They go hand-in-hand. That’s been something that I haven’t instituted very much because I think if you’re a naturally competitive spirited person, I don’t care if you’re working on 2-on-1s or 5-on-0s, you want to put the puck through the back of the net. That just hasn’t transpired here. That’s what we’ve clearly tried to institute is that when we get on the ice, it’s an opportunity to compete and be grateful for it and go out and compete.”

Among the players, there has been some chatter on it, but not much. They understand after finishing last season strong but falling short going 37-33-11.

“I think it’s important,” Blues defenseman Philip Broberg said. “You don’t want to chase, you want to get off to a good start and everybody feeling good about their game and being confident. I think a good start is important and just keep building from that.

“I think every team talks about a good start. I think in the past we haven’t really had really good starts, so I think we want to put an emphasis on making sure we prepare for the first game.”

The players can talk about it all they want, but it’s the action that will speak louder than the words. That’s why players feel like the results will be the determining factors.

“I think it’ll take care of itself,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours said. “Obviously it’s a focus for us to get off to a good start. It’s the same with any team. We’ve been chasing the 8-Ball the last couple years and that’s something we don’t want to be in the position to be doing this year. I don’t think it needs to be said a ton by the leadership group or anyone else. It’s known. ‘Monty’ made an emphasis at the start of camp how important this camp is and how we don’t have much time and it’s going to be the regular season right away and now you’re feeling that. I like the way the group’s progressed in camp. It seems that guys are bringing the intensity and the habits that we’re going to need when the regular season starts.”

Blues defenseman Cam Fowler said, “I think there has to be (an emphasis). We saw last year what happens when you get off to a start that is not where you want to be and you just feel like you’re kind of chasing things right from the beginning. … Talking with the players and the coaches, there’s nobody that is very happy with the season that we had last year. By the looks of it, it seems like everyone had a great summer to refresh. The guys physically look really good out there.”

When the puck drops Friday, the Blues will have 11 new players on their opening night roster, the most they’ve had since 2023 (also 11). Mason McTavish, one of their top pickups on the season when they acquired the center at the 2026 NHL Draft for two 2026 first-round picks, feels the Blues can make some noise in the Western Conference.

“Oh for sure, just being on the ice with them, there's so much skill, so much speed,” McTavish said when asked if the Blues can be a playoff team. “I think guys are really hungry and we have a really competitive group, as far as I can tell. That's something that is never to be overlooked, how bad you want it and that compete level.”

'I think I’ve gained a step and speed and quickness this year, so I’m excited.' -- Blues' Jake Neighbours Took Matters Into Own Hands This Past SummerForward, first round pick in 2020 NHL Draft, hired chef, ate better, shed 10-12 pounds in hopes of being more effective on the iceTyler Tucker Undergoes Surgery On Right Knee, Will Be Re-Evaluated In Six WeeksDefenseman was injured in practice on Sept. 20'It was obviously a little bit of a shock. I was hoping I would get picked up. Luckily I ended up here and excited for this new opportunity.'New Blues defenseman Justin Barron, claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators, feels a fresh start with St. Louis Blues is what is needed for his careerDisappointment Of Being Sent Down Quickly Turned To Elation For St. Louis Blues 2024 First-Round Pick Adam JiricekDefenseman was quickly recalled from Springfield following injuries to Mailloux, Tucker; could make NHL debut in season=opener on FridayLogan Mailloux's Injury Comes At A Tough Time After Strong Training Camp For St. Louis BluesDefenseman had surgery on right hand Sunday, will be re-evaluated in eight weeks

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

A delightful start to the campaign! Jack Hughes finished off an overtime win as the Devils took Thursday’s season opener 3-2. [Devils NHL]

Here we go!

The #NJDevils with Luke Hughes on the ice tonight (5v5):

– 29-6 advantage in shot attempts
– 13-3 scoring chances
– 4-0 high-danger chances
– 81.68% of the expected goals
– Game-tying goal in the 3rd

What a way to start the season

— Alex Chauvancy (@AlexC_NJD) October 2, 2026

“This is a big season for the Devils. It’s more or less playoffs or bust. The talent is there for them to return to postseason play, especially with a murky Metropolitan Division, but they need to prove it. Can the Devils finally live up to expectations and deliver the goods?” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

Hockey Links

Goalie goal alert:

THE FIRST RANGERS GOALTENDER TO SCORE A GOAL:

IGOR SHESTERKIN pic.twitter.com/k7ITHnvtza

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 2, 2026

Not a great look:

Aleksander Barkov heads STRAIGHT off the ice after falling awkwardly on his leg 🤕

Barkov missed all of last season after receiving right knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL… pic.twitter.com/t4Vh9OGKTe

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 2, 2026

“NHL commissioner Gary Bettman believes that no-trade clauses are no longer being used as ‘originally intended,’ and instead, players are using them to force moves to specific teams after requesting a trade.” [ESPN]

On the Quinn Hughes question in Minnesota: “This year is really important,” Guerin said. “Every year is really important, but the steps we’ve taken over the last five or six years to get where we are now — it’s been a lot of work from everybody involved. Put it like this: We can’t waste years. You can’t waste years.” [The Athletic ($)]

We’re just throwing around money these days:

Anaheim is extending young D Tristan Luneau 6 x $7.2M AAV

Largest contract in NHL history for player with 14 games played.

Ducks believe in the player…kept him in AHL all last year after some previous injuries. Think he will be a top 4 D.

And, and they’ve learned, take care…

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 1, 2026

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The Florida Panthers will learn on Friday, Oct. 2 how long captain Aleksander Barkov will be out after he left the ice with an apparent injury to his left leg.

Barkov had missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering injuries to his ACL and MCL in his right knee during training camp.

"It's not related to his injury last year at all," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 1. "So we'll have a good idea by (Friday) afternoon."

Barkov went down awkwardly on his left leg during a board battle in the second period. He got up and immediately went to the dressing room, limping and throwing off his glove in anger. He didn't return to the game.

Aleksander Barkov heads STRAIGHT off the ice after falling awkwardly on his leg 🤕

Barkov missed all of last season after receiving right knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL... pic.twitter.com/t4Vh9OGKTe

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 2, 2026

Barkov's injury last season was one of many that derailed the Panthers as they missed the playoffs after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

Gustav Forsling, who scored in overtime in the Panthers' opening win, missed Thursday's game. Maurice said he's day-to-day and there's a good chance he could return for Florida's next game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aleksander Barkov injury update as Panthers star leaves with leg injury

Good morning and happy Friday, the New York Islanders are last in the Metro.

Islanders News

• Pierre LeBrun talks to Mathieu Darche on chasing Kirll Marchenko, the DeBoer hiring, and more. “It might look like we didn’t do much this summer, but it’s not because we didn’t try. And I don’t want to do anything reckless.“ [Athletic]
• How do the Isles use Mat Barzal whenever he returns? [Newsday]
• After one game, Anthony Duclair “appears to be capable,” to steal a Rasin’ Arizona line. [Post]

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores included the Jack Hughes getting the Devils the win in overtime after he objected to a mid-game question from AJ Mleczko about bubble wrap and plastic utensils (he was reportedly injured during a team dinner last season). [NHL]

• Igor Shesterkin has tied his buddy Ilya Sorokin in career goals, having shot into the empty net against the Lightning. Asked about Sorokin’s goal (which was a Nashville own goal), Shesterkin said, “this one counts!” [NHL]
• Returning from a seasonlong injury, Aleksander Barkov left the Panthers-Sharks game after an awkward fall along the boards. [Sportsnet]
• Gary Bettman is not a fan of the NTC-wielding trade-request trend. [Sportsnet]
• Matthew Knies scored three points in his Columbus debut. [NHL]
• The ugly Putin stain on “absolutely shallow and borderline dismissive” Ovechkin’s legacy. [Athletic]

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…

Penguins center Blake Lizotte missed practice Thursday while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, just one day after returning from injured reserve in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 season-opening win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Center Ben Kindel, meanwhile, returned to practice in a full-contact jersey and participated in line rushes, signaling he could be nearing a return from his lower-body injury. [PensBurgh]

The Penguins assigned forward Rutger McGroarty to their American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, on Thursday afternoon. [Trib Live]

The Penguins’ makeshift third line of Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre provided a major spark in Wednesday’s win, with each player scoring a goal. The trio was assembled because of injuries and absences, but their strong chemistry and offensive contributions could give Pittsburgh more options as the season begins. [Trib Live]

Penguins head coach Dan Muse and defenseman Erik Karlsson toured U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock as part of the team’s new partnership with the company, which became Pittsburgh’s official helmet partner for the 2026-27 season. [Penguins]

News and notes from around the NHL…

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the recent increase in players requesting trades despite having no-movement clauses is not good for players, teams or fans. [Sportsnet]

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension worth $43.2 million. [Associated Press via TSN]

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman returned to the lineup Thursday night for the first time since stepping away from the team in March to address his mental health. [Associated Press]

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says there remains no timeline for a Connor Hellebuyck trade. [TSN]

In their opening night game, the New Jersey Devils went 0-4 on the power play,

Including 0-3 in first period. At the end of their third opportunity, defenseman Dougie Hamilton lost the puck at the point, forcing the Devils to touch up to avoid offsides. 

The fumbled puck brought a round of boos from the crowded Prudential Center, more so than a typical error at the blue line from a defenseman. The fans weren’t just venting on the play; they were venting at the player, the contract, the tenure he’s put together with the Devils thus far. 

Hamilton responded with a goal in the second period, the Devils’ first in the game, that woke up the building. “He fires away, gets a second look, fires again. It's a great shot,” head coach Sheldon Keefe stated after the game, acknowledging the accuracy but, more importantly, the effort to keep firing away and giving the Devils a chance. His goal got the offense going and kickstarted the 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers. 

The 33-year-old defenseman has become a lightning rod for the Devils, certainly for the fans in recent years. Hamilton is a favorite when the team is playing well and a scapegoat when they struggle, whether he deserves the criticism or not. It’s the life of a defenseman, especially an offensive-minded defenseman, yet he’s taken a lot of heat over the years because of who he is and what he brings to the lineup. 

Hamilton Has Always Had The Hype (Or Overhype)

Hamilton’s lofty expectations go back to his early playing days, back when he was drafted with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Boston Bruins. He was a highly regarded prospect at the time and was a regular on the defense by the time the 2012-13 season rolled around. There are high expectations for a defenseman when they are on the team at 19 years old. 

Yet, the Bruins traded him three seasons later to the Calgary Flames, giving up on a young defenseman well before they knew how he’d pan out. The Flames are where he found his footing, but they traded him as well in the 2018 offseason. While the Flames moved him as part of a blockbuster trade that landed them Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, the move said a lot about Hamilton. He was traded twice before turning 25, a sign that teams are willing to give up and move on from him. 

That said, Hamilton still had the talent to be a great defenseman. All it took was for a team to believe in him. The Carolina Hurricanes saw the talent and were willing to take a chance on him. They not only acquired Hamilton in the blockbuster trade but made him a cornerstone of their rebuild. 

The Hurricanes Created A High Bar For Him

The Rod Brind’Amour system is kind to defensemen. It allows them to have great seasons as long as they buy in. The defensemen must be great skaters, specifically, to play man-to-man defense, plus, they must be patient with the puck, valuing possession and quality looks on the net. Hamilton was always a great skater, making him the first of many to benefit from Brind’Amour’s style. 

Hamilton looked great at a pivotal time for the Hurricanes. Brind’Amour came in, took a team that was going nowhere, and made them a perennial playoff team. Hamilton was a pivotal part of the resurgence as well, with 121 points and 13 defensive point shares on the other end in three seasons.

Devils Needed Their Defense To Give Them Life & Their Scoring Will All SeasonWith the offense struggling, the Devils got a spark from their blue line in a 3-2 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers. They’ll need that offense all season from them all season.

While Jaccob Slavin was the emerging shutdown defenseman, slowly becoming one of the best in the game at his craft, Hamilton was the scoring defenseman. Hamilton was the one adding another layer of offense and fueling the playoff runs, especially the 2019 run where the Hurricanes appeared in the Eastern Conference Final. 

It made Hamilton a top player when he went to free agency in the 2021 offseason. The Devils needed a two-way defenseman who they could lean on and thought he’d be the answer, the fix to their woes at the point. 

Hamilton Hasn’t Lived Up To That Contract

The Devils gave Hamilton a seven-year contract with a $9 million average annual value, expecting him to play like a number one defenseman. While they weren’t asking him to lead their rebuild, he was expected to become a big part of their success. After all, he was part of the successful rebuild with the Hurricanes. 

In his five seasons with the Devils, he hasn’t lived up to that contract. It’s the combination of injuries, bad luck, and being a good but not great defenseman that’s left the Devils searching for more. 

Which Devils Will Benefit The Most From A Rising Salary CapThe salary cap is only going up, and it’s changing the NHL landscape. The Devils are in a good spot cap-wise, yet have a few players who can cash in big because of the market.

It’s made Hamilton someone the Devils have wanted to trade but can’t. The previous front office wanted to send him to the San Jose Sharks and offload the contract, but his no-trade clause got in the way. It’s left the player and the team in a difficult spot where they must wait out the contract, or hope that he rediscovers his game to make that contract worthwhile in the end. 

The Frustration Is That The Devils Go As He Does, Certainly On The Blue Line

The one season with the Devils that Hamilton was healthy and played all 82 regular season games was 2022-23, the best one they’ve had in the past decade. Everything went right for the Devils that season, and it started with Hamilton.

Hamilton not only played every game, but he also scored 22 goals and added 52 assists to the offense, both of which were career highs. He gave the Devils the boost that they needed from the point, opening up the offense when Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier couldn’t. 

What Can An Unproven Devils Defense Look Like? Flyers Provide A GlimpseThe Devils hope their defense isn’t a mess because, with question marks, it can easily become one. Just ask the Flyers, who were trounced 7-0 in their opener.

For the Devils, they rely on Hamilton. He’s not their best player, but they go as he does, especially on defense. It’s what made his performance on opening night an optimistic sign, that’s he’s poised for a big season, a season where he proves he was worth the $9 million AAV contract. 

“He’s scored in every game I played with him,” rookie forward Amadeus Lombardi joked after his NHL debut, and the Devils are hopeful that he’s a constant threat for the offense. “They should be in the rush like that all year and giving us offense,” Jack Hughes stated, including his brother Luke, who also scored on opening night. With two defensemen making an impact offensively, the conversation around the Devils will change quickly, going from a murky middle team to a top-of-the-division one 

The Chicago Blackhawks wasted no time being shut out for the first time in 2026-27, as the Utah Mammoth defeated them on Thursday by a final score of 6-0. If you can believe it, the Blackhawks were significantly more outmatched in Utah than against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. 

Vegas defeated Utah in the first round last year en route to the Stanley Cup Final, but the Mammoth gave them a scare. This year, it appears that the latter can give anyone a run for their money as the season goes along. The Mammoth showed their dominance against the Blackhawks to kick off their own season on Thursday. 

Dylan Guenther scored the first goal of the game, and it was the first of two for him. Utah managed two goals in the first, three in the second, and one in the third. For the entirety of the game, Chicago had no answers for Utah in the defensive zone. 

Their top pair, consisting of Alex Vlasic and Bowen Byram, struggled in a big way, as their game scorecard showed them to be much worse than the rest of the defense corps. Sam Rinzel also had a tough night, which makes you wonder if Kevin Korchinski or Ethan Del Mastro will get a chance in Buffalo. 

NHL Game Score Impact Card for Chicago Blackhawks on 2026-10-01: pic.twitter.com/26EZ0OmorV

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) October 2, 2026

Patrick Kane scored a goal in the first game against Vegas, but he didn't produce much of anything in this one. He wasn't the only Blackhawks forward who had a rough go, however, as the entire group struggled to possess the puck, create any pressure, or look even a little bit connected as a group. 

Teuvo Teravainen had a chance to prove himself as he entered the lineup in place of the injured Andrew Mangiapane, but there wasn't much there for him either. At least he had a shot, which is something that six Blackhawks forwards can't say. 

One line can say that they weren't horrific, and that was once again the 4th line of Ryan Greene, centering Jordan Greenway and Cole. They were the best trio against Vegas, and they repeated their play in this match against Utah. Can their play be due to the fact that it's the only line that hasn't been put in the blender? Maybe, but the top three lines must start living up to their roles sooner rather than later. 

There was a moment in the game where MacKenzie Weegar hit Oliver Moore hard. In response, Ryan Donato dropped and fought Weegar. Both Donato and Moore hit the dressing room after the sequence, but they each eventually returned to the game. 

All in all, this defensive recipe is not it. Not only will they never get anything going offensively if they waste all of their energy skating around their own zone, but they will put their goaltenders in a bad spot. Soderblom was not incredible in this game, but it's hard to place the blame on him when the final shot count favored Utah 32-15. This wasn't a competitive game in any way, shape, or form. 

Whether it's making a change to the lineup on defense ahead of the next game, switching pairs, or adjusting their style in practice, something has to be done if they don't want another performance like the first two. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

The Chicago Blackhawks did not score a goal, so there is nothing to show in that regard. 

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks are now 0-2-0. They will wrap their season opening three game road trip with a game out east against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. After that, they will head to Chicago for their home opener, which will take place on Tuesday. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.