For the Vegas Golden Knights, Nicolas Hague is a player from the past.
For Nashville, however, he is still a significant part of the future.
The former Golden Knights defenseman is expected to be fully healthy when the Nashville Predators open training camp, giving Hague a clean slate heading into the second season of the four-year, $22 million contract he signed with Nashville after being traded by Vegas.
Predators general manager Chris MacFarland told reporters Tuesday that he expects the team to have everyone healthy when camp begins, which includes Hague.
That is notable after an injury-plagued first season in Nashville for the 27-year-old defenseman. Hague was limited to 15 points in 62 games during the 2025-26 campaign and missed time on three separate occasions, including the final six games of the season because of an upper-body injury.
Hague's departure from Vegas was one of the more significant salary-cap moves of the Golden Knights' 2025 offseason. Vegas traded the 2017 second-round pick to Nashville on June 30, 2025, receiving defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and center Colton Sissons in return. Hague subsequently signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Predators, carrying a $5.5 million annual cap hit.
Now, more than a year removed from his Vegas tenure, Hague is preparing for another season in Nashville — and one that could go a long way toward determining whether the Predators ultimately get the player they believed they were paying for.
Hague spent his first six NHL seasons with the Golden Knights, appearing in 364 regular-season games and becoming part of the team's Stanley Cup-winning defense in 2023.
But his first year after leaving Vegas did not go according to plan.
And with training camp approaching, Nashville will be hoping a healthy Hague can look much more like the defenseman Vegas believed in when it selected him 34th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.
With training camp just around the corner, the Ottawa Senators face an uncomfortable position.
In two weeks, the September 15th deadline arrives. After which organizations will no longer be able to offer players contracts with eight-year terms.
For the Senators, they are looking down the barrel of a season in which Drake Batherson and Artem Zub are slated to hit unrestricted free agency at its conclusion.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss whether the Sept. 15 deadline (final day to sign players to the max eight-year term) will really be that problematic for Drake Batherson's camp.
Considering how one of the central themes of the offseason was how the influx of cap space vaulted NHL player salaries into a stratosphere previously never seen, the sobering realization for many organizations was that the cost to sign a particular player has likely outgrown whatever salary projections were forecasted as little as three to six months ago.
What compounds the expense for the Senators is that the organization has no players on the parent roster or in its pipeline who can reasonably be expected to replace Batherson's or Zub's contributions anytime soon.
As much as the organization has rolled the dice on some higher-upside skilled talent at the draft, it will be years before players like Jonas Lagerberg-Hoen or Jaxon Cover arrive at the parent level. Let alone produce at a level that approaches what Batherson has consistently provided the Senators with.
The 28-year-old winger finished second on the team in goals (33) and points (71). Both numbers represented career highs for Batherson, with the 2025-26 campaign marking the eighth consecutive season in which he improved his points total. Natural Stat Trick’s production rate data showed that Batherson enjoyed career highs in all-strength goals (1.44) and points (3.11) per 60.
Coincidentally, the 2025-26 season represented the first time in Batherson’s career that his most common linemate was Tim Stützle.
The expectation is that Batherson will have the opportunity to play on Stützle’s line. If he does, he should have no problem approaching or potentially even surpassing last year’s totals. Understandably, there should be concern that Batherson’s shooting percentage (19.8) was markedly higher than his career norm (13.8), but like other offensive players experiencing similar spikes, they can overcome a dip in shooting percentage simply by shooting more often.
Assuming that the newly acquired William Eklund will get the first opportunity to be the left winger on the Senators’ top line, he and Stützle represent a puck-carrying and playmaking duo that should theoretically put a lot of pressure on the opposition’s blue liners. If they can draw coverage and force the opposition to collapse, Batherson can hopefully exploit soft coverage and finish more plays.
If he can, there is no reason to believe that Batherson will not be in line for a contract commensurate with recent deals signed by the likes of Adrian Kempe and Alex Tuch. Although both players have multiple 30-goal campaigns under their belts to Batherson’s one, the combination of a light free agent class,
Batherson’s age and similar production levels puts him in the driver’s seat.
The 29-year-old Kempe is entering the first year of an eight-year contract carrying a $10.625 million average annual value. Tuch inked an eight-year pact of his own as part of a sign-and-trade with Washington. The 30-year-old’s contract carries a $10.5 million cap hit.
Coming off one of the most team-friendly deals in this organization’s history, it is difficult to believe that Batherson could not get that market value now. Barring some devastating injury, the player has all the leverage. Even then, Batherson’s been the model of good health, having played in 82 games in three of the last four seasons. Last season he played in 79 games.
Defensively, Batherson has never been a particularly staunch performer, which raises concerns if the offence declines as part of an age-related decline.
Even then, do those concerns outweigh the fact that the organization knows the player? They know how Batherson fits on and off the ice and the dynamic he has with his teammates.
The only real leverage the Senators have is the ability to offer an eight-year term and Batherson's familiarity with the organization. He knows the players, the staff and the city, and if he’s comfortable, it works in their favour.
Artem Zub’s situation is slightly different.
Zub has established himself as one of the best defensive defencemen in the NHL over his six seasons in the NHL. The right-shot defender, who turns 31 in October, is not the prototypical defender who imposes himself on opponents.
The Russian relies on hockey IQ, excellent gap control and deft stickwork to disrupt passing lanes.
According to Evolving-Hockey’s ‘Total Defence’ metric, which combines a player’s defensive contributions at five-on-five and while shorthanded, only three defencemen have accumulated more defensive value than Zub since he entered the league: Chris Tanev, Esa Lindell, and Jonas Brodin.
Together with Jake Sanderson, their pairing has become one of the league's best top pairings. In 896 minutes together at five-on-five, the Senators generated 55.19 percent of the shots (CF%), 57.51 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 59.23 percent of the total goals (GF%), and 56.83 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per Evolving-Hockey.
Their chemistry and performance together helped lead Zub to his best offensive season. His 30 points represented a five-point improvement over his previous high, set during the 2023-24 season. It also helped that Zub played in more than 80 games for just the second time in his career.
With almost all of Zub’s value being tied to his defensive chops, it makes him a relatively unique defender. One of the best contractual comps may be the aforementioned Lindell. The Dallas defender signed a five-year contract in 2024 that carries an average annual value of $5.25 million.
Lindell still produces a ton of defensive value while providing a similar level of offence to Zub. Lindell signed this deal at the age Zub is now, but admittedly, it occurred before this recent market boom. Considering how highly sought-after right-shot defencemen are and the strength of Zub’s defensive metrics, there would be no shortage of suitors if he were available.
Having played more than 70 games only twice in his career, Zub has historically struggled to remain healthy throughout his career, so it’s possible the Senators could use that as leverage in negotiations. That said, like Batherson, there isn't another player on the parent roster or farm who can do what he does against tough competition.
As the lone proven veteran blue liner on the Senators’ right side, he is unique. Jordan Spence will play consistent top-four minutes for the first time in his career this season while Nikolas Matinpalo and Carter Yakemchuk have fewer than 100 combined games of NHL experience.
It remains to be seen whether the organization can get contracts done with these players. There is still time to do so, but it remains to be seen whether the organization would be comfortable carrying two impending UFAs without extensions in hand.
If rumours are true and Drake Batherson has recently bought a house in the rural west end, that would be encouraging. Especially since the Senators are not in a position to afford losing either player.
It puts a ton of pressure on general manager Steve Staios to get to work ahead of that September 15th deadline.
Las Vegas is already counting down to another season of Golden Knights hockey.
Single-game tickets for the 2026-27 regular season went on sale Tuesday, Sept. 1, giving fans their first opportunity to lock in individual games at T-Mobile Arena as the Golden Knights prepare to open Season X.
Vegas will begin its 10th season on Tuesday, Sept. 29, hosting the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. PT. The opening-night matchup will officially usher in a season that brings a significant change to the NHL schedule, with every club playing 84 regular-season games for the first time.
For the Golden Knights, that means 42 games at T-Mobile Arena.
And there will be plenty of notable dates for fans to circle.
Vegas will have two five-game homestands during the season, one in November and another in March. The most intriguing home date could come Dec. 21, when the Carolina Hurricanes return to Las Vegas for a rematch of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
Single-game tickets are available through the Golden Knights, while the organization is also introducing Flex Plans for Season X. Fans can select six or more home games that fit their schedules while paying less than they would through individual single-game purchases.
But tickets are not the only new wrinkle coming to T-Mobile Arena.
The Golden Knights also unveiled the first wave of giveaways for Season X, with a notable change to how fans will receive them. Beginning this season, each giveaway will be limited to the first 10,000 fans through the doors, making an early arrival increasingly important on giveaway nights.
The first giveaway will come Sept. 24 against the Utah Mammoth, when fans can receive a 2026-27 schedule magnet.
Opening Knight against Chicago will feature the Season X official patch, while the Oct. 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Kings will include a commemorative puck.
Other giveaways throughout the season include a Vegas Born hat, a Misfits to Champions key chain, a player bobblehead and a viewfinder on Fan Appreciation Knight.
Season X is coming up quick.
But with tickets now available, the countdown in Las Vegas has officially begun.
Guerin's update didn't provide anything new, but he confirmed that Gustavsson is undergoing physical therapy and remains on his initial timeline, with no setbacks at this point.
"He's still going through physical therapy," said Guerin. "He won't be ready for training camp, but we'll see how far into the season it is. I wouldn't expect him in the first couple weeks but we'll see how quickly he's progressing."
Guerin was then asked whether the hip injury could have hampered his play following his return from the Olympics, to which he replied that the injury had been affecting him for much longer than that.
"He played through a lot of discomfort with that, and I give him a lot of credit; he kind of bit his lip on it," Guerin continued. "Maybe he shouldn't have, but he was playing through quite a bit."
The 28-year-old finished the campaign with a .904 save percentage and a 2.69 goals-against average in 50 games last year, but he lost the crease down the stretch to Jesper Wallstedt, who also started all but one playoff game through the first two rounds.
Rumors surrounded both Gustavsson and Wallstedt through different parts of the 2025-26 season, but the Wild ultimately felt they were better off with both, or they didn't find a deal that made sense for them.
Gustavsson's injury likely hampered the Wild's ability to gauge the market for trades this off-season as they looked for center help. Nonetheless, Gustavsson now enters the first season of a five-year, $6.8 million AAV contract as he forms arguably the best goaltending duo in the NHL with Wallstedt.
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There is a funny thing about being right for the wrong reason.
Back in the spring, The Hockey News planted its flag on the Colorado Avalanche as its Stanley Cup favorite. The argument was simple: Colorado had finally built enough depth around Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to avoid relying so heavily on its two superstars.
Then the playoffs happened.
Makar got hurt. MacKinnon got banged up. The Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights, and suddenly the very depth that made Colorado such an appealing championship pick was being asked to compensate for the two players who make the Avalanche what they are.
Our Editor-in-Chief, Ryan Kennedy, isn't backing away from the prediction.
He recently doubled down on Colorado as The Hockey News' pick to win the 2027 Stanley Cup, and it's easy to understand why.
But there's one part of the postmortem I would push back on.
The Avalanche didn't lose to Vegas simply because Makar missed the first two games or MacKinnon wasn't quite himself.
That's playoff hockey.
By the time the conference finals arrive, nobody is healthy. Everyone is playing through something. Everyone is a lesser version of themselves.
Colorado wasn't uniquely unfortunate, either.
Vegas captain Mark Stone played through a torn adductor, the same injury Matthew Tkachuk battled through during the previous postseason. Noah Hanifin was dealing with an upper-body injury that could have kept him out for months during the regular season, while Brayden McNabb entered the playoffs dealing with two injuries before suffering the facial injury that became one of the lasting images of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Golden Knights were hurting, too.
And they still beat Colorado.
That's why the Avalanche's loss says less about bad injury luck and more about the matchup itself.
Vegas had the personnel, structure and discipline to attack the very things that made Colorado so dangerous. The Avalanche want to play fast, attack through the middle and turn broken plays into scoring chances before opponents can recover.
Vegas was built to make that miserable.
The Golden Knights could clog the middle, win battles along the walls and turn the series into the kind of physical, territorial fight that doesn't necessarily favor Colorado's speed game.
The injuries didn't help. Of course they didn't.
But the Avalanche didn't lose to an inferior team that simply caught them at the wrong time. They ran into a very good hockey team with a blueprint for beating them—and Vegas executed it.
That distinction matters when looking ahead.
Because Kennedy's larger argument remains difficult to dismiss.
Colorado has continued to build around its superstar core. Makar is locked in for eight years. MacKinnon remains the engine of the franchise. Martin Necas is coming off a 100-point season, while Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy give the Avalanche legitimate depth down the middle.
Brett Kulak is back on defense, and Jaden Schwartz gives Colorado another veteran forward who, if healthy, could become a valuable addition.
Then there's Zach L'Heureux.
If nothing else, L'Heureux gives the Avalanche something they have occasionally lacked: legitimate bite.
Colorado doesn't need to abandon its speed-and-skill identity. But there is a difference between playing fast and being easy to play against, and L'Heureux should make the Avalanche considerably more difficult to push around.
Fabian Lysell is another intriguing wild card.
If Colorado can turn Lysell into another reclamation success story, perhaps something resembling what it accomplished with Valeri Nichushkin, suddenly the forward group gets even deeper.
There are plenty of reasons to believe the Avalanche can win the Stanley Cup.
There are also plenty of reasons not to assume they will.
The Central Division remains loaded. Minnesota and Dallas aren't going anywhere, and the Western Conference is filled with teams capable of turning a playoff series into a war of attrition.
And if Colorado meets Vegas again, the Avalanche will have to prove last spring was an aberration rather than evidence of a genuine matchup problem.
So yes, Kennedy is sticking with Colorado.
And I understand why.
The Avalanche have the stars. They have the depth. They have the goaltending. And they’ve finally added some nastiness to a roster that has badly needed it for the better part of the last few years.
Now they have to prove all of it can hold up when the games become heavier, the space disappears and the margin for error gets razor thin.
Everything is there: the talent, the opportunity and, perhaps, the best roster Colorado has had around MacKinnon and Makar in years.
But after what happened last spring, certainty is a luxury this team hasn’t earned yet.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 21: Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins shoots against Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 21, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The latest official Team USA to trade request is goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Before anyone asks, there’s no reason to expect he would be in Pittsburgh’s interests- or more importantly nor would they be on his list. The Athletic recently listed eight possibilities of teams that might make sense, and the Penguins were nowhere to be found. That about sums it up. Here’s some of the most widely speculated destinations.
We pulled hundreds of Connor Hellebuyck mock trades at PuckGM to find the most popular destinations & packages. #LetsGoBuffalo is the favorite. But after that…?
Buffalo, Carolina and New Jersey are among the most common – and that wouldn’t be welcome for the Penguins if Hellebuyck ends up in the division like the Hurricanes or Devils. There are enough top goalies in the Metropolitan already, for cryin’ out loud!
Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin’s situations are interesting, how awkward it’ll be if they can’t be moved before the season starts. Everyone knows they want out, from the fans to their teammates and everyone around the organization. Their hearts aren’t in it anymore, yet they’ve signed to play for NHL clubs who haven’t felt like they’ve gotten a good trade offer yet. How those stalemate plays out will be fun to watch from afar. It could escalate even further, with some chatter picking up that Hellebuyck might not report to training camp at all and start one of the first hold outs the NHL has seen in a long, long time for a contracted player.
—
Sergei Murashov got a passing mention (at No. 12) for potential Calder Trophy contenders this season.
Overall, not to be a downer, but it’s probably even more unlikely than that. A goalie hasn’t won the rookie of the year award in the NHL since Steve Mason in 2009. The Penguins have a very casual relationship with all things defensively when it comes to limiting shots and chances of opponents. Nice to see Murashov on the radar and getting a smidge of national attention, if nothing else.
Elliotte Friedman: Re NHL expansion: This is just my theory…I think the NHL needs this expansion done for the next US TV deal, and if they can add Houston…and Atlanta…they think it's going to make them even more valuable as a TV property – 32 Thoughts (8/25) ____ NHLRR:…
The NHL has so many Canadian teams that they still have some really big areas in America to go after and try and raise their market share of fans. Adding teams in places like Houston, Atlanta and maybe even Phoenix would bring in huge, untapped markets. Being the first major North American pro league to go beyond 32 franchises is bold, but with the prices they are getting these days, it’s a no-brainer to keep growing.
What the means for the future will be interesting, most the headway seems to be pointing to going to 36 eventually, and the league reportedly doesn’t care about being unbalanced with 33 teams. Perhaps eventually they’ll split into six divisions of six teams and feature more geographic rivals.
—
Jaromir Jagr, who the Penguins traded 25 years ago this summer, looks like he is finally completed his circuit as a player. For real this time.
54-year-old Jaromir Jagr has yet to suit up for his club, Rytíři Kladno, in training camp or preseason.
After 38 professional seasons, Jagr says he's "still keeping myself in shape, but I’m not training as if I were going to play.”
Jagr left the NHL in the 2017-18 season – playing for his hometown Kladno Knights in Czechia ever sense. It’s been a long drawn-down with him playing sparingly recently (Jags only played 15 games in 2023-24, and just six last season in 2025-26), but I mean he’s been 50+ years old so what can you expect? Most of his recent playing has been to drive interest at the box office for the perpetually struggling team that he once partially owned to try and make ends meet financially, while also winning enough to avoid relegation out of the primary pro league- not terribly different from Jagr’s efforts in the late ‘90s with Pittsburgh.
Along the way, he enjoyed every minute of the struggle. Next stop could finally be Toronto for the Hockey Hall of Fame if he truly is done as an active player.
On Monday, Bleacher Report released its last summer NHL Power Rankings ahead of September, listing the Calgary Flames at No. 31 on its list. Because the organization has spent the past couple of seasons swapping out veterans for younger players and draft capital, the Flames are headed for some dark days before brighter ones emerge.
Although Lyle Fitzsimmons doesn't go into much detail about Calgary's recent decline, he was wise not to mention the team's inability to score. Last year, the club tied the New York Rangers for the third-worst point total in the NHL and scored just 208 goals, the lowest in the league. If fans were once concerned, the Flames scored 12 fewer goals last year than in 2024-25, when they finished with 220 (29th overall) and missed the playoffs by three regulation wins.
After earning 96 points, Calgary didn't even come close to matching that total in 2025-26, barely reaching 77 points and posting its third losing season this decade.
Flames Management Embrace Full Rebuild
The last time the Flames skated in the Stanley Cup playoffs was in 2022, when they lost in the second round to the Edmonton Oilers. The only player remaining from that season's team is captain Mikael Backlund, since stars like Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman have moved on to Stanley Cup contenders.
In their place are youngsters who can barely score 20 goals and players who are not top-line skaters on other teams, but now are considered the leaders of a Flames team looking to avoid bottoming out last season at the Saddledome. Although there is a silver lining to winning the top pick at the 2027 NHL Draft, next year's crop of prospects boosts some potential game-breaking forwards.
For the past few years, Craig Conroy has collected top-prospect defensemen to help Dustin Wolf keep the puck out of the net. Now, with many of the team's top prospects getting their shot with the Calgary Wranglers, or in the case of Zayne Parekh, with the Flames, Conroy can turn his attention to rebuilding the top lines.
As much as fans want Calgary to qualify for the playoffs and extend the life of the 43-year-old Saddledome, it's one of the more far-fetched dreams the C of Red could have.
Fitzsimmons didn't sugarcoat the Flames' current state or their position in the NHL hierarchy. Unless Jonathan Huberdeau can turn back time and collect another 115 points, it's going to be a long season for Calgary, just like their provincial neighbors, the Vancouver Canucks. Moreover, the organization would be better off embracing the NHL Draft Lottery race than sneaking into a Wildcard slot and ending up drafting 16th overall while getting swept in the first round.
Whether the Flames outperform their No. 31 ranking will depend on how quickly their young core develops. Until then, the media will likely continue to view Calgary as one of the NHL's weaker rebuilding clubs rather than a playoff contender.
Welcome to September, everyone, also known as the month when the New York Islanders and the NHL return. Not just the preseason, like in previous years, either.
The Islanders' season kicks off in 28 days, and with it, the Islanders will have some big decisions to make in the next four weeks.
The Islanders enter September with the biggest questions at training camp: the battle of the young, new crop of prospects led by Victor Eklund, looking to break through to the NHL, facing up against established veteran forwards.
Some, like Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall, are looking to reset their careers after the last two seasons were lost. For Duclair, that was injury-related in year one, then never received consistent opportunities under then-Head Coach Patrick Roy in year two.
Engvall failed to make the team out of training camp in 2024, but wound up having a decent depth season before suffering multiple injuries and then missing the entire 2025-26 season as a result.
The only addition to the Islanders' roster offensively between their last game of the season and the present date is Matias Macelli. The exits are headlined by Anders Lee, followed by Marc Gatcomb and Maxim Shabanov, all of whom played a lot of games throughout the season.
As a result, some fans have hoped for a potential PTO for some of the top remaining UFAs, including Eeli Tolvanen and Patrik Laine, to add even more competition up front.
However, the New York Rangers swooped in and landed Tolvanen Tuesday afternoon, signing the forward to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
Tolvanen, 27, posted 12 goals and 36 points last season with the Seattle Kraken. In 2024-25, Tolvanen wired home 23 goals, a career high.
Tolvanen boasts strong defensive analytics and could be a solid third-liner at a discount for the Rangers. His issues include poor puck control and a lack of overall offensive play driving compared to some peers.
Given where the Islanders are at this point in time, it just doesn't make sense to give out a guaranteed contract right now, not when they're trying to save spots for Eklund and the rest of the youth to push for roster spots.
The condition on the first rounder is solely what year the pick is in, not a matter of whether it remains a first.
Evangelista notched 12 goals and a career-high 56 points in 81 games with Nashville. He's got sparkling analytics, with people raving about his two-way ability.
The young forward can fit anywhere in New Jersey's top nine, and given their inconsistent wing play over the last 24 months, he can make a difference.
The cost of acquisition was beyond prohibitive for the Islanders, especially considering the style of play.
The Islanders are in no position to trade two premium draft picks for a player who would not be adding goals. The Islanders' version of this bet was Maccelli, who scored 14 goals and 39 points in 71 games, all while posting pretty strong analytics on a dismal Toronto squad.
For the Islanders, the only forward competition they may add ahead of training camp will likely come via PTOs, which allow the team to retain the flexibility they've built in for the youth to push hard this fall.
The Pittsburgh Penguins unveiled the seasonlong promotional lineup during home games this season, featuring 22 unique theme nights for fans of all ages and interests.
The promotional schedule also includes two events celebrating significant moments in franchise history.
The Penguins will hold their second annual Hall of Fame Game on Nov. 14 against the Ottawa Senators. The team will induct its 2026 class into the Penguins Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony.
On Jan. 31, the Penguins will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2017 Stanley Cup championship with another pregame ceremony. All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative championship ring.
Other theme nights throughout the season include:
80s Night: Nov. 3 vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Pittsburgh Night: Nov. 25 vs. Calgary Flames
“Star Wars” Night: Dec. 6 vs. San Jose Sharks
“Peanuts”Night: Dec. 17 vs. Los Angeles Kings
90s Night: Dec. 18 vs. Seattle Kraken
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Day: Jan. 3 vs. Edmonton Oilers
Casino Night: Jan. 21 vs. Anaheim Ducks
Y2K Night: March 9 vs. Ottawa Senators
Country Night: March 27 vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The Penguins will also celebrate the New Year on Jan. 1 when they host the Minnesota Wild. A Zambelli indoor fireworks show will follow the game.
The team will continue its “Drawn to the Game” series, with 11 games highlighting Pittsburgh’s heritage, culture and community, featuring artist-designed wearable items.
The Penguins will also bring back the popular Dollar Dog Games for all four regular-season home games on Monday.
Other ticket packages include an expanded college series featuring co-branded athletic rugby shirts and a bobblehead honoring longtime Penguins anthem singer Jeff Jimerson.
From October through December, fans can also purchase Item of the Month ticket packages for select games. Items will include an Oktoberfest stein, the popular Zamboni gravy boat and an Iceburgh nutcracker.
To view the full promotional schedule, click here.
The Penguins kick off their 2026-27 regular-season home schedule on Oct. 3 against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after winning in Game Six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was probably not a coincidence that at the exact four week mark when the puck drops on the new season, the Canes sent out a post with news on how fans will be able to watch the other 72 games that aren’t on national TV this year.
Introducing the Hurricanes Hockey Network 📺
The new broadcast home for #Canes hockey will feature Mike Maniscalco, Tripp Tracy, Hanna Yates, and Shane Willis for the 2026-27 season.
The local entity broadcasting the games will be called the Hurricanes Hockey Network. It was also announced everyone that Hurricanes fans had come to enjoy on screen will officially be back for the 2026-27 season. Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy had been announced prior, but the release made official that Shane Willis and Hanna Yates would also grace the screen during the broadcasts.
That Willis is back isn’t a surprise as he was a Hurricanes employee already. Yates, however, is the news as prior to this season she was actually an employee not of the Hurricanes but of the entity that broadcast the games—Main Street Sports, last known by FanDuel Sports Network. For her to continue to appear on the broadcasts, she would have had to become a Hurricanes employee—something that was up in the air as Tom Dundon is known for being, shall we say, thrifty when it comes to the number of people he’ll hire when he hast to.
That said it isn’t that much of a narrative changer for Dundon. The release mentions that VP of Communications Mike Sundheim will add managing “all aspects of production, distribution, sales and marketing for HHN, in coordination with the National Hockey League.” In short he’ll still do all the work he did before and add more to his plate. Yates also will be doing more than just appearing on the broadcast as she added digital host to her title, so it’s possible we’ll see her a lot more on the official team videos that are sent out across social media platforms.
Unfortunately in terms of news, that was it for the communication and that leaves unanswered a huge question: how to watch? The only acknowledgement of how fans would be able to watch this new Hurricanes Hockey Network came at the bottom of the release:
The Hurricanes Hockey Network (HHN) is the exclusive local television home of Carolina Hurricanes hockey. Owned and operated by Hurricanes Holdings, the organization oversees all aspects of production, distribution, sales and marketing for the network, in collaboration with the National Hockey League. The network provides fans with live coverage of games, as well as comprehensive pregame and postgame shows. HHN will be available throughout the Hurricanes’ regional broadcast territory via cable and satellite providers and as a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription to be announced at a later date.
The last part was emphasized by myself, as it doesn’t really let us know which cable and sattelite providers in the area had agreed to sign on to host HHN. That would usually lead one to believe that they don’t have agreements with any of these entities yet.
One of the holdups may have been signaled on Monday by a reporter from the DLLS site. While the main function of the report was stating that the Dallas Stars would be leaving their distributor Victory+ for Amazon Prime, the same reporter had posts indicating that the Stars were not the only team headed to Amazon Prime
Still awaiting full confirmation, but the leading teams to make the same move to Amazon Prime Video are the:
Columbus Blue Jackets Minnesota Wild Carolina Hurricanes Anaheim Ducks St. Louis Blues https://t.co/kITfHBl6Y8
Half of his report has become official as Victory+ announced on Tuesday they were dissolving. It’s worth noting that the other clubs mentioned in that post are either using the NHL Production services like the Hurricanes, or are now former Victory+ teams like Anaheim. There hasn’t been a comment from the Canes on this report—Joe Ovies reported reaching out to them on Monday to get the no comment—but the release on Tuesday again highlights the more traditional cable and satellite model that most fans have gotten used to.
Note at this point we reach the land of speculation and conjecture
It is worth mentioning again that the current NHL broadcast contract ends after the 2027-28 season, and they will be the first of the non-NFL leagues that will have the opportunity to directly negotiate the ability of centralizing local broadcast rights into one hub within the framework of a new deal. With the consistent collapse of the RSN structure, the central NHL production was seen as the first step to try and get as many local broadcast rights under the wing of the NHL that they can turn around and negotiate as part of the next broadcast deal. The theory is the NHL gets the money from a company like Amazon or Disney to be THE app fans go to when they want to watch their local team play. If those broadcasts end up on a cable, satellite, or streaming service like YouTubeTV, then it would basically be at the discretion of that service.
Thus it’s notable that Amazon is trying to already to be that hub. The report for the Stars is that Amazon Prime subscribers in the Dallas market would get Dallas Stars games as part of the service and not have to pay extra. It would be available to them just like the NFL, NASCAR, and the NBA is. However, if you are a Stars fan living in California, you’d still need the Center Ice or Power Play package from ESPN Ultimate in order to watch their broadcasts.
What that means for the Canes is anyone’s guess. As Ovies noted, just because Tuesday’s release mentioned cable and satellite doesn’t mean that’s set in stone. If Amazon insists on exclusivity except for the separate and offers the team a significantly good price to do so, would anyone be surprised if the Canes took it? It’s also possible that as advertisement revenue would go to the Canes, they would want the broadcasts to be seen by as many people as possible—thus they may take less from Amazon to allow them to get the games elsewhere.
The first broadcast on the HHN—presuming they don’t do some sort of pregame for Opening Night before ESPN takes over—is going to be October 2nd when the Washington Capitals come to town. So, the good—if frustrating—news for fans is we still have over four weeks to find out how games will be available to the masses and what the price of the stand alone streaming service will be. Hopefully the information will be out well before that.
Declan Carlile was one of three defensemen the Pittsburgh Penguins added to their roster this offseason, either via trade or free agency.
The Penguins signed Carlile to a two-year $3 million contract when free agency opened on July. 1. Carlile spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, compiling one goal and three points in 42 games. He also played in 16 games with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, racking up two goals and 11 points.
Carlile only has 46 NHL games to his name, but he's been solid in that sample. He's played 611:54 at 5v5 since making his NHL debut, and when he's been on the ice, the Lightning have controlled 52.7% of the scoring chances and 50.5% of the high-danger chances.
He's -4 in shot attempts, but there's plenty of time for that to get above water now that he's a Penguin. Carlile is a player the Penguins have been tracking for "a few years," and they're excited to bring him in.
"Declan Carlile is a guy that we've tracked for a few years now. He's a steady, stay-at-home defenseman, really good in his own end, really good on the penalty kill," Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza told the media on July. 1.
Like Kaedan Korczak and Trevor van Riemsdyk, Carlile isn't going to be flashy in the offensive zone, but he'll win his minutes in the defensive zone. I think he'd do best with a more offensive defenseman like Kris Letang, though there's a chance head coach Dan Muse starts him on the third pair (likely with Korczak).
Either way, Carlile will try to help the Penguins not give up as many chances as they did last year. He's also an option for the penalty kill after logging 47 minutes on the Lightning's PK last year.
Overall, there's a good chance Carlile plays more than 42 games this year, and if he continues to stay on this developmental track, the Penguins could have their next Parker Wotherspoon.
The New Jersey Devils acquired winger Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, Sept. 1 for a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
Evangelista, 24, is coming off a career-best season with 44 assists and 56 points as the 2020 second-round pick played a top-six role in Nashville. He ranked fourth on the Predators in points and was second in assists.
The traded first-round pick belongs to the Colorado Avalanche. It would become a 2009 first-round pick if either a) Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick is not transferred to Toronto; or b) Colorado’s 2028 first-round pick falls within the top 10.
Here are trade grades for the Luke Evangelista deal:
Luke Evangelista trade details
The Devils get winger Luke Evangelista and the Predators get a conditional first-round pick and a second rounder in the 2028 draft.
The Devils finished 27th in scoring last season and Evangelista's 56 points would have placed him fourth on the team. He had more points than any New Jersey right wing last season and he has a good upside. Coupled with the signing of free-agent 33-goal scorer Anthony Mantha, new general manager Sunny Mehta has added scoring from the wing in a bid to get back to the playoffs. Evangelista is in the second year of a two-year, $6 million contract and will be a restricted free agent after the season.
The move was surprising considering Evangelista is young and had a 24-point jump in points last season. But new Predators GM Chris MacFarland was busy adding forwards in the offseason, including Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton and Jack Drury. He said trading Evangelista wasn't an easy decision, but the Predators now have seven picks in the first two rounds over the next two drafts and the room to give one of the promising wingers in the organization a chance to compete for an NHL job.
With 31 days remaining until the Detroit Red Wings open the 2026-27 season, we take a look at the top player to have worn jersey No. 31.
The Top No. 31 In Red Wings History: Curtis Joseph
There are few better examples of time spent with the Detroit Red Wings that should have had a much happier ending than the tenure of goaltender Curtis Joseph from 2002 to 2004.
Joseph, already regarded as one of the NHL's best goalies by the summer of 2002, quickly signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Red Wings after the (first) retirement of Dominik Hasek just weeks after Detroit’s Stanley Cup victory.
Believing Detroit gave him a better chance to win another Stanley Cup than the Toronto Maple Leafs, whom he had just helped reach the Eastern Conference Final, Joseph arrived in Hockeytown with plenty of fanfare.
It took Detroit fans some time to warm up to him, however, as Joseph struggled with consistency during his first few weeks with the Red Wings. He eventually found his footing and helped Detroit secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference heading into the 2003 playoffs.
However, Joseph would be unfairly blamed for Detroit's shocking first round sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who were bolstered by Herculean performance by goaltender J.S. Giguere (who would eventually win the Conn Smythe Trophy).
In those four games, Joseph posted a 2.08 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. But his teammates simply couldn't solve Giguere, while Joseph took the heat.
Just weeks later, Joseph was blindsided when Hasek announced he planned to return to the Red Wings, leaving GM Ken Holland with an extremely difficult situation to sort out.
Even though the 2003-04 season was the last before the NHL introduced a salary cap, Detroit had no intention of carrying two goaltenders with a combined salary of nearly $20 million. Holland chose Hasek, perhaps out of worry that the rival Colorado Avalanche would target him in the wake of Patrick Roy's retirement.
After several failed attempts to trade Joseph, the veteran was sent to the minors. However, he continued to make occasional starts for Detroit as Hasek battled recurring groin problems.
By early 2004, Joseph was back atop the Red Wings’ depth chart after Hasek announced he would miss the rest of the season because of the injury. In a matter of months, Joseph had gone from an apparent cast-off back to Detroit’s starting goaltender.
He would suffer an injury of his own, leading to Manny Legace starting down the stretch for Detroit and earning the starting position for the first four games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before being pulled in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators.
Joseph reclaimed his spot in Detroit’s crease and surrendered just one goal over the next two games, helping the Red Wings advance to the second round. But once again, Detroit’s playoff run was cut short by the red-hot performance of the opposition goaltender - this time, Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames.
With the series tied 2-2, the Flames eliminated Detroit by winning Games 5 and 6, both by 1-0 scores, with the latter decided in overtime. Joseph was sensational in both games, giving the Red Wings every chance to stay alive. He finished the playoffs with a sparkling 1.39 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
The third year of Joseph's contract with Detroit was wiped out by the 2004-05 NHL lockout, and he eventually signed with the Arizona Coyotes. He'd play two seasons in Arizona before a brieft stint with the Flames in 2008, followed by one last season in Toronto in 2008-09 before calling it a career.
Despite being ranked eighth all time in NHL goalie victories with 454, Joseph has yet to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
During his time in Detroit, he went 50-29-9 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage with seven shutouts.
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The Devils traded a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft to the Nashville Predators to acquire forward Luke Evangelista on Tuesday night, the team announced.
Evangelista had a career-high 56 points (12 goals, 44 assists) in 81 games last season in his fourth year with the Predators who drafted him in the second-round (42nd overall) in 2020. In 253 career games, the 6-foot, 183-pounder has 142 points on 45 goals and 97 assists with a plus-6 rating.
The 24-year-old will be owed $3 million this season for the final year of his contract.
As for the details of what New Jersey is sending Nashville, the conditional draft pick belongs to the Colorado Avalanche. If the Avalanche do not transfer their 2027 pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs or the choice in 2028 is in the top 10, the Predators' pick will be in 2029.
Sunny Mehta is an analytical, forward-thinking, and young general manager. It’s what made him an attractive hire for the New Jersey Devils, who hope he can take a team that has the talent to contend yet has failed to do so in recent years.
But we’ve heard this about GM hires before. The hockey mind who uses analytics is nothing new and has become a trend. It’s what the New York Islanders wanted when they hired Mathieu Darche. It’s what the Carolina Hurricanes pursued when they promoted Eric Tulsky. Daniel Briere, Kyle Dubas, Julien BriseBois, and many others fit into this category. Analytics and data aren’t a plus in any front office hire; they are a must.
So, how will Mehta stand out? Obviously, he’s not a carbon copy of the other GMs hired recently, with a unique path that will make his tenure fascinating one way or another. But what does he bring to the table that will turn the Devils into a Cup contender? What will make Mehta a successful GM and keep him in the role for the long term? The future is unpredictable, yet his track record provides optimism.
Mehta’s Non-Hockey Background
Every GM has an outside-of-hockey background. No longer are the days when the question centered around whether they played and their on-ice career. Instead, it’s what other skills come with the hire, aside from playing or coaching the game.
For Briere and Darche, two former players, the business background helped. Tulsky was a blogger before entering front office roles. Kent Hughes was an agent before turning the Montreal Canadiens into a success.
Mehta was well-known for his card-playing days. If a casual fan is asked about him, cards are one of the first things that come to mind, specifically his professional poker playing background.
Poker made him a risk-taker. It’s a game where winners must take their chances, even if the odds aren’t in their favor. It’s a game where all the data and all the number-crunching can be put to use, and still someone with the right gut reaction might win the set with a lucky hand.
That’s not what made Mehta a successful poker player. Analytics did. He mentioned it during his introductory presser. “The reason that I ever even cared about analytics, statistics, probability is because it helped me win. It helped me win in poker. It helped me win on the trading floor. And it helped me in hockey.” The data allowed him to enter a hockey career prepared.
Mehta’s Interest In Development & The AHL Team
To build a long-term contender, a team that can win now and in the future, Mehta must build up the farm system, which was depleted under previous Devils GMs. The Devils need more prospects and a winning culture at the American Hockey League level, along with the NHL team.
The last time the Devils had elite teams at both levels, it led to the dynasty. In 1994-95, both the Devils and their AHL affiliate Albany River Rats pulled off the rare feat of winning the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup title in the same season (it’s only happened three times, and they were the most recent). The culture built in Albany helped fuel the Devils’ future Cup winners in 2000 and 2003. The irony, of course, is that Lou Lamoriello never had the same interest in the AHL team (or the league in general) since then.
Mehta is looking for those extra prospects. It’s those players who are developed in the AHL and become depth NHLers. It’s the players who can get called up when an injury happens, and the team doesn’t miss a beat. It’s when a young player needs a team to remain patient with them, hoping the prospect turns into a star.
This offseason, Mehta addressed all of those needs. Riley Tufte is a heavy top-line forward who can score, he can carry the Utica Comets and play on the fourth line for the Devils. Declan Chisholm is a 26-year-old defenseman who can fill in on the second or third pair. Amadeus Lombardi is 23 and starting to hit his stride as a forward who can develop into a key part of the offense. Mehta brought in all three players this summer with the intention of fixing both teams (the Comets, like the Devils, also missed the playoffs last season).
Mehta saw what happened with the Florida Panthers and their affiliation with the Charlotte Checkers. He saw a team build a winning culture at the NHL level while also instilling it in the AHL team. While the Panthers didn’t have a great farm system, they had the extra help needed to win the back-to-back Cup titles. Mehta wants that extra help in New Jersey, and it starts in Utica.
What Mehta Learned In Florida Will Translate In New Jersey
His latest and most successful stop was with the Panthers. Mehta was the assistant GM and data scientist on a team that relied heavily on its analytics. The time in Florida has a direct influence on how he’ll operate as a GM.
What stood out about Panthers GM Bill Zito, the architect behind it all, was his ability to take every resource and apply it to the team on the ice. The Panthers funneled information to the top, and then Zito was the one who had the final say and called the shots.
The Panthers had a great analytics department. They had more that separated them from the rest of the league. For example, the Panthers have one of the best scouting departments in the league, deploying extra scouts to games across leagues of all levels.
Expect the Devils to have more scouts at games, not just their games, but throughout North America. Likewise, they’ll have a bigger analytics department and multiple departments helping with the decision-making. At the same time, expect Mehta to make the final decision.
The Seattle Kraken are also a data-driven team, with many in their front office coming from that background. The problem is that they lack a definitive direction, and there isn’t one person calling the shots (Jason Botterill is their GM, but they also have Ron Francis as president and many people below him).
Another benefit of Mehta's experience, beyond just his Panthers tenure, is his time in multiple front offices and working under different ownership groups. His time with the Panthers allowed him to see what good ownership looks like. He knows what incompetent ownership is like, working for the Phoenix Coyotes. Plus, Mehta knows how the Devils operate, as he worked for the franchise for four seasons.
The Devils are looking for their next great GM, someone who can lead this team for years to come. At 48, Mehta already has built up a track record that gives them confidence that they have found the right GM.
