Category: Ice Hockey

As the Toronto Maple Leafs began practice one day before their home opener against the Montreal Canadiens, Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan were on a separate rink working with the team's development staff.

It's been a fascinating week of following what could happen with Cowan. Early on and even towards the end of training camp, it appeared as if he had made the Maple Leafs. However, everything changed when Scott Laughton suffered a lower-body injury.

At first glance, it seemed like David Kampf would take Laughton's spot and center the fourth line with Cowan and Steven Lorentz. Kampf was then placed on waivers after that practice.

A day later, the lineup was mashed up with Max Domi as the third line center with Dakota Joshua and Nick Robertson on his wing, and Nicolas Roy in the middle of Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok on the fourth line.

Cowan was then on the outside looking in.

Toronto then claimed Cayden Primeau and Sammy Blais off waivers on Monday afternoon. And a few hours later, when the Maple Leafs' opening day roster was submitted, Cowan was nowhere to be found.

Explained: Why Easton Cowan Was Temporarily Left Off Maple Leafs Season-Opening RosterThere was some chaos around 5 p.m. ET when the Toronto Maple Leafs announced their opening night roster. Jacob Quillan was on it rather than Easton Cowan, who many expected to be.

Quillan was there, though, after taking in a few days of Toronto Marlies camp after moving away from the NHL camp. The moves were so that Toronto could get as close to the cap ceiling as possible.

"The plan is right now, today (Cowan is) not on the roster, and then we'll see what happens tomorrow, right?" Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said on Tuesday.

"Easton has had a really good camp. I think he's right there ready to play for us. We want to manage it appropriately. If he's going to be playing with us here, great. But if he's not, I want him playing, right? So we'll manage it here the next little bit. We'll get through today and see what tomorrow brings."

Cowan believed he did everything he could to earn a spot on the Maple Leafs. And again, for the majority of camp, it appeared he was going to be in their opening night lineup. He played in five of Toronto's six preseason games and rarely looked out of place.

'I Played Some Of My Best Hockey': Has Easton Cowan Done Enough To Make The Maple Leafs Out Of Training Camp?If this was the final game of Easton Cowan's training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he should be proud of himself.

"He's made such big strides in a couple years here. I thought he looked really great in camp, all camp. He played in most of the preseason games. I thought he put on a really good show," Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said.

"He looks physically strong. I think he's matured a lot as a guy, and as a player as well, and I think it showed throughout the whole camp. I know there's tough decisions to be made, but I think he should definitely be proud of what he accomplished during camp and the way he handled everything."

Both Treliving and Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube stated they had a plan for the forward, but they didn't reveal the inner workings of said plan. "That's about all I'm going to say about that right now," added Berube after Tuesday's practice.

If anything is for certain, it's that the Maple Leafs want Cowan to play. Whether that's in the NHL or AHL remains to be seen.

"Well, yeah, [an opportunity to play Cowan] can present itself for sure. And I said, he had a good camp," said Berube. "I liked him in camp. We all liked him in camp. He's a player that can help the Toronto Maple Leafs."

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Sportsnet insiders hold a unique team-based draft that surprisingly saw the Detroit Red Wings picked last, reflecting doubts about young defense.

The NHL season is nearly here as experts and insiders are starting to make their season long predictions with guesses ranging from some teams winning the Stanley Cup to missing the playoffs entirely. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas added to the conversation when drafting their new fantasy hockey league. 

🎊A New year of hockey is upon us!🎊

Welcome to Season 5 of the In-Season Cup! 🏆@sportsnetkyle@emilyagard@RandipJanda@FriedgeHNICpic.twitter.com/4t3lMwG6VQ

— The In-Season Cup (@InSeasonCup) October 7, 2025

Instead of drafting individual players, Friedman, Bukauskas, along with Sportsnet’s Randip Janda and Emily Agard each selected teams of eight as part of their league and how it works is quite interesting. This league is based on a traveling “In Season Cup” that moves from team to team throughout the NHL season. 

It starts with the defending champion Florida Panthers and is passed on whenever the current cup holder loses a game. The team that beats them takes the cup and begins accumulating days with it, starting on the day of their win and continuing until their next game. Every time the cup changes hands, the new holder starts a new count of days. This draft showcased what each Sportsnet personality thought of teams around the league with a surprising assessment for the Detroit Red Wings. 

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

Good News, Bad News For Several Former Red Wings Players The 2025-26 NHL Season is officially just hours away now, as the campaign begins for a handful of teams on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings remain on the presipace of their centennial season, which begins on Oct. 9 against the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena. 

Friedman is known as an hockey insider around the league while Bukauskas and Janda are known as broadcasters for hockey and Agard is more primarily known for her work with the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite the hockey knowledge within the league, the Red Wings were picked much later than expected, going as the last team off the board after teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres had all been selected. It's one of the few mediums that have seen the Red Wings listed as one of the worst teams in the league. 

There is a level of strategy to it as Detroit plays in a difficult Atlantic division where they will have a tougher schedule than most but still going behind teams like the Sabres and Bruins is surprising. Friedman did recently express his concern behind the Red Wings young defense in a '32 Thoughts' podcast episode.

"They put Holl and Gustafsson on waivers, which is totally fine, but that says to me, they're thinking about doing a really young defense to start the year, like a really young D, we talked about this at the year end last year how Yzerman didn't give out term to veterans because he's like, the young guys need to play and I will bet on these young players, I wonder if that bet really starts right now, I just I don't think that they're ready," Friedman said. 

As the NHL season approaches, the unique fantasy draft by Sportsnet’s insiders offers an intriguing glimpse into how experts view the league's landscape and the Red Wings have clearly raised some eyebrows. While Friedman’s concerns highlight the risks of betting on a youthful defense, Detroit now find themselves in a position with little outside expectation and a setup that could either validate these doubts or fuel a surprising breakout.

Red Wings Face Pressure to Extend Simon Edvinsson After Ducks’ LaCombe DealThe Ducks’ big contract for Jackson LaCombe sets a market benchmark that could push the Red Wings to prioritize an early, high-value extension for young defenseman Simon Edvinsson. 

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The Florida Panthers released their Opening Night roster on Tuesday.

Considering the team’s current injury issues had been known well ahead of Monday’s roster deadline, it was more a matter of learning which players had been designated where and how it all shook out.

First, we’ll get to the 23-man roster.

Forwards: Sam Benentt, A.J. Greer, Mackie Samoskevich, Jonah Gadjovich, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Evan Rodrigues, Noah Gregor, Carger Verhaeghe, Eetu Luostarinen, Brad Marchand, Jesper Boqvist, Luke Kunin, Cole Schwindt

Defensemen: Jeff Petry, Seth Jones, Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, Uvis Balinskis, Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola

Goaltenders: Daniil Tarasov, Sergei Bobrovsky

Both Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek remain on LTIR, as both had respective offseason surgeries and aren’t expected back until around December or January.

Florida Captain Sasha Barkov was also placed on LTIR after having surgery late last month to repair his ACL and MCL, which were torn during a training camp practice in Fort Lauderdale.

The team initially gave him a 7-to-9-month recovery timeline, and there is hope that if all goes well, he could be back should Florida get back to the playoffs.

As for the salary cap, after placing the aforementioned forwards on LTIR, the Panthers come in $2.267 under the ceiling, according to PuckPedia.

Of course, if and when they bring anyone off LTIR and onto the active roster, room will need to be made in order for the team to be cap compliant. 

That's a bridge Florida's front office will cross when they arrive at it, but you can bet they already have examined multiple hypothetical situations, even while knowing that any amount of variables could come into play between now and then. 

For now, with all their paperwork now properly filed, the Panthers can get back to the business of winning hockey games, something they’ve done quite a bit of over the past several seasons.

The Cats will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday afternoon to open the NHL season.

Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m., but not until Florida raises their second Stanley Cup banner to the rafters at Amerant Bank Arena.

For a game preview with forward line and defensive pairing projections, click here.

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Photo caption: Oct 2, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) reacts after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first period at Benchmark International Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Although the formal decision on where Carter Yakemchuk would begin his 2025-26 season would not be announced until Monday afternoon, anyone paying attention to the last few days could have inferred the obvious.

Yakemchuk participated in the team's limited skate on Saturday while the rest of the team was preparing to head to Montreal to take on the Canadiens in the Senators' last preseason tilt.

Compounding that wrinkle were the line rushes from Monday morning's practice. The left-shooting Donovan Sebrango took reps alongside Nik Matinpalo, leaving the 20-year-old Yakemchuk to share the ice with Jordan Spence, another right-shot defenceman who was intriguingly taking reps on his off-side.

Considering Tyler Kleven's lower-body injury and the possibility that he could return in time for the Senators' season opener on Thursday in Tampa, it would make sense to believe that Sebrango may be serving in a placeholder role. However, having two natural right-shot defencemen partner together in rushes, with the more experienced partner, Spence, playing his off-side, helped foreshadow Yakemchuk's demotion.

Approximately two hours before the league's mandated 5:00 pm ET deadline to submit their final 23-man roster, the Senators officially revealed that Yakemchuk had been loaned to Belleville. The organization also announced that Jan Jenik, Hayden Hodgson, Arthur Kaliyev, Lassi Thomson, and Mads Sogaard were sent to Belleville after clearing waivers.

The seventh overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft will now begin his professional career in the American Hockey League, where he will be expected to play big minutes across all situations.

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to speak with Yakemchuk ahead of Monday's news.

"I feel pretty good," Yakemchuk affirmed while referring to his training camp and preseason. "I'm trying to get better every single day I'm here, and it's been a lot of fun so far."

As one of the few blue-chip prospects within an organization whose pipeline of prospects isn't as well regarded as others within the NHL, Yakemchuk is not burdened by that reality.

"It's cool when you get attention for doing what you love," he admitted. "It's fun just trying to embrace it.

"I try to focus on what I can control and what I can do on a daily basis. I'm just trying to get better and not worry about any outside noise."

Under normal circumstances, the pressures of being a high pick and walking into a dressing room where last season's team had their most successful season in eight years could be intimidating for any young player to try to integrate into that mix.

For Yakemchuk, the experience of last year's successful preseason in which he led the Senators in scoring with two goals and 5 points, including a beautiful overtime winner in Toronto, in three games, certainly helped.

The young defenceman also credited his veteran teammates with helping make him feel more comfortable.

"It being my second year camp, I'm trying to take a lot from the guys who have been here for a while and see what they do on a day-to-day basis," Yakemchuk stated. "I've been trying to learn from all the older guys.

"The guys here have been great and been good to me, so it's been pretty easy for me."

If not travelling to Montreal for the final preseason game bothered Yakemchuk, he was not letting it show. He indicated that he was planning on watching it, but if his absence was a precursor to a demotion to Belleville, he would seize the opportunity.

"I just have to embrace it, go down there and grind to try and get better every single day," Yakemchuk said. "There are a lot of great guys down there. It's a great team, so no matter where I wind up, I'll be excited and embrace it.

"(If it happens), my goal is to be the next up if I don't make it. That is my mindset."

Yakemchuk had an interesting preseason. Although he did not replicate last preseason's offence, the defenceman looked like he gained a step with his skating, while looking more comfortable with his defensive play.

"Throughout the summer, (skating) was one big thing for me," Yakemchuk explained. "I tried to improve my skating forwards and backwards. So, I had a good summer coming into the camp, and I feel good about it.

"(Defence) is an area of my game I'm really trying to improve on and am trying to get better at. It's coming along and obviously, I've got a long way to go. I want to improve all aspects of my game, but I want to obviously get better defensively. That's the biggest area, no matter what level I'm playing (at). I want to really focus on the defensive side of the game."

Thanks to the depth that general manager Steve Staios acquired in the offseason, the organization can afford to be patient with their highest-rated prospect. The addition of the aforementioned Spence to a right side that already includes Artem Zub, Nick Jensen and Nik Matinpalo means that Yakemchuk can adjust to the professional game in the AHL.

Under Staios, the organization has exhibited patience with defensive prospects before. During the 2023-24 season, the Senators left Kleven in Belleville for the bulk of the campaign, even though he warranted a promotion ahead of some of the alternatives that season.

There is certainly something to be said about the preseasons Matinpalo and Spence had and whether Yakemchuk outplayed his competition, but there is no question that the gap between the young prospect and his peers is not that large.

Perhaps Yakemchuk could have survived at the game's highest level, but without that strong farm system, the organization needs a player like Yakemchuk, who has that high pedigree, not just to survive but to thrive. No prospect's development has ever been irreparably harmed because they spent too much time in the AHL, so affording Yakemchuk time won't hurt him.

He will be up eventually, and when that first recall occurs, the organization will be banking on it being the best version that Yakemchuk can offer. 

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 6 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #6. There haven't been too many players donning the 6 in Union Blue.

Let's take a look at who wore 6, and where they are now. 

Jamie Heward - 2001-2002 - Drafted by Pittsburgh in 1989. 

Heward played 97 games with Columbus and had 30 points. 69 of his games came during the inaugural season for Columbus.  

After several years in Europe, he returned to the NHL and retired with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009. Heward has been an Asst. Coach for the Henderson Silver Knights since 2020. Former Monsters captain Ryan Craig is the head coach for Henderson. 

Jamie Pushor - 2004 - Drafted by Detroit in 1991. 

Pushor played 147 games with the Jackets and had 22 points. After three different stints with the CBJ, he retired in 2007 while playing for the Syracuse Crunch. 

He is now the Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel for the Tampa Bay Lightning with former CBJ Mathieu Darche. 

Ron Hainsey - 2006-2008 - Drafted by the Montréal Canadiens in 2000.

Hainsey played 213 games with the Jackets and totaled 83 points.

After retiring in 2021 and playing 1,132 games, he now works for the NHLPA where he is the Assistant Executive Director. 

Hainsey is Actor Michael Madsen's doppelgänger. 

Anton Strålman - 2010-2011 - Drafted by Toronto in 2005. 

He played 124 games with Columbus and totaled 52 points over two seasons. He left Columbus for the New York Rangers in 2011.

After 16 seasons and 938 NHL games, he retired in 2024 and became a coach for Skultorps IF, a professional women's soccer team in Sweden. In January of 2025, he came out of retirement to play for Tibro IK, a Division Three team in his hometown in Sweden. 

Nikita Nikitin - 2012-2014 - Drafted by St. Louis in 2004. 

Nikitin played in 158 games for the Jackets and had 56 points. He only played 101 more NHL games after his time with Columbus. 

He left for the KHL in 2016 and retired in 2019. He's currently an assistant coach for Omskie Krylia of the VHL in Russia. 

Elite prospects said of Nikitin, "Nikitin has a terrific combination of size and mobility. He handles the puck nicely and can rush it up the ice. Can unleash a hard point shot, too. Could stand to play a more physical game, given his frame."

Adam Clendening - 2019 - Drafted by Chicago in 2011. 

Clendening played four games for the Jackets in 18-19. He has never played another NHL game and left for Europe in 2023. He also spent a couple years playing for the Cleveland Monsters. 

He currently plays for the Shanghai Dragons of the KHL and was just named an assistant Captain. His head coach is former CBJ bench boss Gerard Gallant. 

Elite prospects said this about the former second-round pick, "A smooth skating two-way defenseman that can read the game like a forward. Possesses slick hands, a good stick, and a sharp shot that jumps off his stick. All-in-all, a productive two-way defenseman that has a high offensive ceiling and is responsible defensively."

Billy Sweezey - 2023 - Undrafted out of Hanson, Massachusetts.

Sweezey played 9 games with Columbus and had a single point. He spent most of his time with Cleveland of the AHL, playing three seasons and totaling 26 points.

He signed with his hometown Boston Bruins in 2024 and is signed to play for the Boston Organization for this season as well. 

There are six days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Who was your favorite #6?

The start of the 2025-26 season starts this Thursday, as the CBJ travel to Nashville to play the Predators at Bridgestone Arena. 

The season kicks off this Thursday in Nashville against the Predators at Bridgestone Arena. This is going to be an interesting season, and if the Jackets can stay healthy, they should have a decent year. 

There are so many questions that need to be answered. 

1. How will the goalies perform?
2. Can they keep up the scoring?
3. Will the defense step up and play better than they have for the last few years?

With the loss of Daemon Hunt and Christián Jaroš, the Monsters are very young on the blueline. After Dysin Mayo, who is 29, the oldest defenseman on the team is 22. Four defensemen are 22, and then Luca Marrelli, who is 20. 

It's going to be an interesting season in Cleveland. 

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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The Columbus Blue Jackets Opening Night Roster Is SetSay hello to the 2025-26 edition of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Columbus Loans Ivan Fedotov To ClevelandThe Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they loaned goalie Ivan Fedotov to the Cleveland Monsters. He is with the Monsters and practicing today. 7 Days Left Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #7The Columbus Blue Jackets have 7 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #7. 

Jets’ league-best defense highlights how the team as a whole continues to be discounted, despite back-to-back seasons of elite defensive dominance.  

Anchored by the league’s top defense, the Winnipeg Jets’ recent success has been no fluke. Yet, despite this, many media outlets continue to overlook their strongest asset in an elite defensive core that deserves far more recognition. 

On Tuesday, The Athletic's Harman Dayal and James Mirtle released their rankings of the NHL’s top defensive units and the Jets were notably absent from the top tier. Instead, they were grouped with middle-of-the-pack defenses like the Canucks and Oilers, a surprising placement for a team widely regarded for its defensive prowess. 

Injuries Present Career Opportunity for Jets' Nikita ChibrikovWith injuries to key forwards, Winnipeg Jets prospect Nikita Chibrikov lands the best opportunity of his career with a top-six role to start the season. 

In the top tier, the Colorado Avalanche led the pack, followed by the Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, and Carolina Hurricanes. Notably, the Jets outperformed all of these teams last season, finishing with a league-best average of just 2.32 goals against per game. Among this group, only the Avalanche had more goals scored by defensemen thanks largely to Cale Makar. 

In the second tier, the Vancouver Canucks led the way, followed by the Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers, and then Winnipeg. But when it comes to defensive performance, the Jets were clearly a cut above everyone again. They allowed the fewest goals in the league (190), 13 fewer goals ahead of the next closest team, the LA Kings. Winnipeg also gave up the fewest even-strength goals and were tied for the fifth-fewest power-play goals against (41), alongside the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.

While rankings and perceptions continue to try and switch the narrative, the numbers tell a completely different story, one that paints the Jets’ blue line as not just good, but the very best in the league for two straight seasons now. Whether it’s limiting goals, shutting down power plays, or simply keeping the puck out of their net better than anyone else, the team's that play the Jets know how difficult it is to go against their defense. 

Including the injured Dylan Samberg, who’s expected to miss one to two months in the evaluation overlooks the fact that Winnipeg’s defense has consistently performed at a high level for years. Once again, it feels like bulletin board material for a team that still has Stanley Cup aspirations and is looking to build on last season’s second-round playoff run.

Jets Keep Getting Snubbed: Sportsbooks the Latest to Disrespect Kyle ConnorThe Winnipeg Jets and star winger Kyle Connor continue to be overlooked and underappreciated, as sportsbooks once again fail to do their homework, offering a prime opportunity for payback.  

The Detroit Red Wings are scheduled to begin the 2025-26 NHL campaign against the Montreal Canadiens the evening of Oct. 9, which is now just over 48 hours away. 

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

Prior to the game at Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings will once again be hosting the red carpet walk outside of the venue, which is a prime chance for fans to get photos and autographs from some of their favorite players. 

As one of the great traditions in hockey, are you going to be taking part and try and snag an autograph or selfie with your favorite player? 

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The 2025-26 NHL Season is officially just hours away now, as the campaign begins for a handful of teams on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings remain on the presipace of their centennial season, which begins on Oct. 9 against the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena. 

There will be a massive youth injection into the roster in Detroit, as notable Steve Yzerman draft selections like Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Emmitt Finnie, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård all made the cut. 

While these players are starting their careers in Detroit, a handful of notable former Red Wings players have learned their fate for the upcoming season. 

To begin with, former Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman, who was traded last offseason to the San Jose Sharks and was later flipped again to the Edmonton Oilers, cashed in big time. He inked a seven-year contract worth $7 million per season, a total of $49 million. 

Walman was acquired by the Oilers at last season's NHL Trade Deadline, and helped Edmonton to a second straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, a series they ultimately lost yet again to the Florida Panthers; Walman contributed two goals with eight assists in 22 postseason games. 

ALL IN WALMAN 🔒

The #Oilers have signed defenceman Jake Walman to a seven-year contract extension with an AAV of $7 million! pic.twitter.com/ruRAYXGqcn

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 6, 2025

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

However, the news received by former Red Wings Robby Fabbri and James Reimer wasn't as positive.

Both players were released from their respective Professional Tryout Agreements. Fabbri had been attempting to earn a contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Reimer was trying to do the same with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he spent the first several seasons of his career with, including an appearance in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Fabbri played twice during the recently-completed pre-season against the Red Wings, scoring a goal. He was acquired by the Red Wings in November 2019 from the St. Louis Blues for Jacob de la Rose, and would go on to play the next five seasons in Detroit. 

Thriller: Red Wings Beat Maple Leafs In Final Pre-Season Tune-UpThere aren't many regular season games that offer as much excitement as what was provided on Saturday night in Detroit, but the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs made the most of things. 

Meanwhile, Reimer played the second half for Toronto of the thrilling 6-5 overtime victory by the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday. He played a lone campaign with Detroit in 2023-24, winning 11 games and posting a .904 save percentage. 

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Sending Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg and Justin Carbonneau down to the minors or juniors is what's best for them, even if the prospect of them playing in the NHL is exciting.

The St. Louis Blues will have three UFA forwards next off-season, those being Oskar Sundqvist, Alexei Toropchenko and Mathieu Joseph. Alexandre Texier is also an RFA who could walk away from the team.

None of the above players are guaranteed to be re-signed, which opens up possible roster spots for Dvorsky, Stenberg and Carbonneau, who all showed flashes of what they could bring to the table at the NHL level. Their 'demotions' weren't because they aren't good enough; it's because Jim Montgomery wants them to round out their game and enter the NHL as NHL-ready as possible. 

"I want him to gain that next-play speed," said Montgomery of Carbonneau. "When the puck transitions from offense to defense that he gets above it. Anyone that's been a scorer, they hang and hope for a turnover, so they're in a better offensive position. That's kind of what we talked to him about. Watch McDavid, watch MacKinnon, watch Crosby, Aho... when he was on the ice with our players, he naturally was the last guy coming back into our end every time. That's just next-play speed: 'I've got to do this.'"

Expectations are greater now for the 18-year-old, who has a real shot at earning a spot on Team Canada's world junior roster. Since returning to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Carbonneau has notched two goals in his first two games.

Dvorsky and Stenberg are heading back to the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL for their sophomore seasons, prepared to take on larger roles and dominate.

Dvorsky recorded 21 goals and 45 points in 61 games last season, while Stenberg added five goals and 17 points in 38 games. Dvorsky and Stenberg may have been the most impressive prospects in pre-season. Dvorsky potted a goal and an assist in four games, showing poise on both sides of the puck, while Stenberg also finished with a goal and an assist in three games, showing an intent to win the puck back, using his speed and fierce forechecking nature.

It wouldn't be shocking to see the 20-year-olds receive call-ups to the NHL at some point during the regular season.

Although the opening could be there for the three youngsters to make next year's roster, they'll still have several players to compete with. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki was stellar in his pre-season action and impressed Montgomery, who said the 21-year-old was one of the hardest players to cut alongside Stenberg. 

Other prospects like Juraj Pekarcik, Zach Dean, Nikita Alexandrov, Simon Robertsson and Jakub Stancl could be competitors if they take the next step in their development this season. 

The Blues have approached their prospects with patience, and that patience could pay off next season.

The Ducks’ big contract for Jackson LaCombe sets a market benchmark that could push the Red Wings to prioritize an early, high-value extension for young defenseman Simon Edvinsson. 

The Anaheim Ducks have been aggressive when it comes to putting together a team that can contend for the playoffs this upcoming season. They made trades to add guys like Chris Kreider, signed Mikael Granlund and will be starting with the 2024 third overall pick on the main roster in Beckett Sennecke. They also retained some of their elite talent with extensions to Mason McTavish, Lukas Dostal and most notably 24-year-old defenseman Jackson LaCombe. 

The young blueliner has been steadily improving with 43 points in 75 games last season. LaCombe's eight-year, $72 million contract with a cap hit at $9 million has reset the market in terms of what others defenders are asking for as Montreal is currently in a dispute with 2024-25 breakout Lane Hutson. This could also have an effect on the Detroit Red Wings as they too have a young defenseman that finished with 12 points less than LaCombe last season and is due for a new deal in Simon Edvinsson. 

The 22-year-old pending restricted free agent is younger than LaCombe but has shown to be a solid top four defenseman at the NHL level for at least one season and the longer that the Red Wings management staff waits to extend him, it could mean the dollar amount climbs. 

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If Edvinsson shows once again that he can handle a big role in the Detroit defense plus lead in areas like penalty kill this season, he could see his next contract land in the range of LaCombe at roughly $8-9 million per season. Starting next offseason, the new CBA will change contract limits: new deals will have a maximum length of six seasons, while contract extensions will be limited to seven seasons. 

An extra year of holding Edvinsson till he turns 30 would be valuable plus getting a deal in early before the salary cap increases can give Detroit a better chance at getting a bargain contract. Recent insider reports suggest the salary cap could increase by nearly $12 million next season. Additionally, the Red Wings could free up to $13.25 million more in cap space if they decide not to re-sign veterans like Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk, Ben Chiarot, Travis Hamonic, and Cam Talbot, on top of their current $13.2 million in available cap space. 

It'll be hard for Detroit GM Steve Yzerman to make the point to Edvinsson and his representatives that he doesn't deserve a massive deal if he is coming off another productive season, the market indicates he should be getting a big deal of that nature and the team has the ability to give him what he wants with so much cap space. It might be worth while for an Edvinsson extension to be near the top of the Yzerplan going forward.

Final Form? Red Wings Hint At Opening Night Lines During PracticeThe Detroit Red Wings were back at practice this morning at Little Caesars Arena, and the lines they skated with could give a good indication as to what things could look like on Opening Night this coming Thursday.

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The Florida Panthers have signed Noah Gregor to a one-year, two-way deal after he attended their training camp on a professional tryout. 

The 27-year-old will start the season on the NHL roster but did skate as an extra during Monday's practice, indicating he'll likely be a healthy scratch against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Gregor skated in four pre-season games, scoring one goal and two points. He recorded at least one shot in every game and finished with 10 total. Gregor's best asset is his speed, and he was able to effectively display it during the pre-season.

He uses his speed to hound down pucks, whether it's on the backcheck or when the puck is dumped in on the forecheck. He can also use his speed to initiate transition offence. Gregor has notched 34 goals and 70 points in 293 games. 

The Panthers' electing to sign Gregor means that Tyler Motte, who was also attending training camp on a PTO, has been released from his agreement and will remain a free agent. The 30-year-old has more NHL experience, having skated in 455 games throughout his career, but after three pre-season appearances, the Panthers liked what they saw from Gregor more than they did from Motte. 

Expected to join Gregor in the press box tonight are waiver claim Cole Schwindt and defenseman Uvis Balinskis.

After several weeks of speculation, it was reported last week that the Chicago Blackhawks had informed teams that Lukas Reichel was available.

The 23-year-old left winger struggled to establish himself as a top-six forward in Chicago, and the two sides appeared willing to move on.

Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journalreported last Wednesday that Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman was “kicking tires” on Reichel. Bowman was the Blackhawks' GM when they selected him 17th overall in the 2020 NHL draft.

Matheson praised Bowman's recent reclamation projects, such as Ty Emberson and Vasily Podkolzin. He also cited his acquisitions of defensemen Jake Walman and goaltender Connor Ingram in this calendar year.

However, Matheson felt that the Oilers would find it challenging to fit Reichel's $1.2-million cap hit within their limited cap space and to find a suitable role for the young winger.

So far, there's no indication that the Blackhawks are any closer to trading Reichel. He is listed as part of their lineup for their season opener on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.

Speaking of the Oilers, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported they made a contract offer to Jack Roslovic when the free-agent market opened on July 1. However, the 28-year-old right winger spurned their proposal.

Roslovic, 28, is the most notable player remaining in this year's depleted UFA market. LeBrun noted he has since changed agents, expressing surprise that the former Carolina Hurricanes winger will reject an opportunity to play alongside superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Earlier this summer, Roslovic was linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, but both clubs have moved on. Meanwhile, the Oilers now lack the cap space to sign him if they still want to.

It's unknown what the Oilers offered Roslovic or what type of deal he's seeking. His efforts to land a lucrative contract have backfired, leaving him facing the start of the season without a team to play for.

Turning to the Columbus Blue Jackets, The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported Yegor Chinakhov has changed agents. He's now represented by Rick Komarow, whose clients include Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov.

Chinakhov requested a trade in July, citing differences with coach Dean Evason. That request has been on hold after he reported to training camp and met with Evason. It remains unclear how his situation will unfold.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have arrived. They are ready to play in their centennial season, the 2025-26 campaign. Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sami Rinzel, and the Blackhawks are down in Sunrise to take on Gustav Forsling, Sergei Bobrovsky, and the Florida Panthers. 

Before the game, the Panthers are going to have a ceremony that will see them raise a Stanley Cup championship banner for the second year in a row. 

After that, the Panthers will take the ice without their two best forwards. Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov are going to be out for a long time. Although nobody wants to see anyone hurt at any time, this is a break for the Blackhawks. 

The Blackhawks are not without injuries themselves; the players just aren't as consequential. Alex Vlasic, though, is a strong defenseman who the Blackhawks will miss in this game. 

Landon Slaggert will also be out, as the team was forced to put him on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. 

The Blackhawks are expected by many to be one of the worst teams in the NHL when it comes to the standings. With that said, the development of young players in the lineup is what the team sees as most important.

They'd also love to take down the champs on the road to open the season, as it could set the tone for an improved year. 

Projected Lines

Donato-Bedard-Burakovsky

Teravainen-Nazar-Bertuzzi

Dach-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Foligno-Greene-Lafferty

Grzelcyk-Rinzel

Kaiser-Levshunov

Del Mastro-Murphy

Knight

Söderblom

With Slaggert hitting IR, Colton Dach moved into his spot on the third line left wing. They called up Ryan Greene to play fourth-line center and moved Sam Lafferty to his right wing. 

Alex Vlasic is ruled out for the first game, so Ethan Del Mastro will draw into the lineup. Grzelcyk will move up to the top pair with Sam Rinzel, while Del Mastro will play with Murphy on the third pair. 

Spencer Knight will make his first start of the season, and it will come against the team that traded him away. Arvid Söderblom will be the backup. 

Of the non-injured players, Lukas Reichel will be the non-dressed forward, and Louis Crevier will be the healthy scratch defenseman. 

The most notable part of this lineup is the 1-2 punch down the middle in the top six. Jeff Blashill has a lot of faith in Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, who should carry the load for this team offensively all year long. This game against Florida will be an early test for them, going up against an elite team. 

How To Watch

Those looking for the game in Chicago and nationally can find it on ESPN and ESPN+. The event will start at Amerant Bank Arena at 4:00 PM CT. As mentioned before, the game will take place following the championship ceremony that Florida holds for itself. 

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With the 24-25 season starting today, The Hockey News Columbus is going to take a shot at some predictions. Spencer Lazary and I are going to do our best.  

For this one, we're talking about the NHL as a whole instead of the normal CBJ conversation. There may be some Jackets nuggets in here, so be sure to take a look.

Who will win the Hart Trophy?

• Jason - Auston Matthews has a comeback year and scores 70 goals. 
• Spencer - Connor McDavid wins it.

Who will win the Art Ross?

• Jason - Connor McDavid will take his top spot back as the league's top point getter.
• Spencer - Connor McDavid, it’s hard to bet against him.

Who will win the Rocket Richard? 

• Jason - Auston Matthews breaks the 70-goal mark. 
• Spencer - Auston Matthews will return to form and prove he doesn’t need Mitch Marner on his wing.

Who will win the Norris Trophy?

• Jason - Zach Werenski has another Norris-caliber season, this time beating Cale Makar. 
• Spencer - Cale Makar will win again. It’s going to be a tight race between him, Werenski, and Quinn Hughes, but I think Makar takes it.

Who will win the Vezina Trophy?

• Jason - Jake Oettinger is finally going to get himself the Vezina. 
• Spencer - Connor Hellebuyck will win it again, but can he show up in the playoffs?

Who will win the Calder Trophy? 

• Jason - It’s going to be close between Ivan Demidov and Yaroslav Askarov, but in the end, Demidov will win the award and score 35 goals to do it. 
• Spencer - As my colleague mentioned, it will be close. My picks are between Ivan Demidov and Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders. I do think Schaefer will beat out Demidov.

Who will win the Selke Trophy?

• Jason - With Aleksander Barkov out of the mix, Mitch Marner is going to win the Selke going away. 
• Spencer - Anthony Cirelli will win it with Aleksander Barkov out for the year.

Who will win the Jack Adams Award?

• Jason - Joel Quenneville is going to guide the Anaheim Ducks to a Western Conference Playoff spot, thus winning the Jack Adams. 
• Spencer - Craig Berube, it’s about time a Maple Leafs coach gets some love from the voters.

Who will challenge Connor McDavid for the Art Ross Trophy?

• Jason - Nathan MacKinnon will push McDavid hard this season.
• Spencer - Leon Draisaitl, how cool would that be? Two teammates and best friends battling it out for the Art Ross Trophy?

Who will be the first coach fired? 

• Jason - Andrew Brunette and his Predators get off to another slow start and will be let go fairly early in the season. 
• Spencer - For me, it’s a toss-up between Andrew Brunette and Lindy Ruff. I would say that it will be Ruff, especially if they go on a long losing streak like years past.

Which GM is feeling the most heat?

• Jason - The answer is always Steve Yzerman until the Red Wings decide to come out of their rebuild. 
• Spencer - Kevyn Adams in Buffalo. The Buffalo Sabres have been a dumpster fire for the last 10 years. It may be time to start fresh and bring a whole new front office.

Which player is due for a breakout?

• Jason - Leo Carlsson is going into his third year and put together a good season in 24-25 with 45 points. With a new coach and a good mix of vets new to the team this year, look for Leo to crack 65+ points 
• Spencer - For me, it’s a toss-up between Connor Bedard and Shane Wright. Both players have so much pressure on them. I will ultimately say Bedard. I’d love to see him dominate this season.

Which team is due for a breakout? 

• Jason - The Utah Mammoth should’ve been named the Yeti, but sadly wasn’t. Utah is going to have a good year and push for the playoffs.

• Spencer - Detroit Red Wings, they have been rebuilding for a while, but the NHL is better with them in the playoffs. Hopefully, this is the year they can figure it out and get into the playoffs. 

Which player will suffer a setback? 

• Jason - Matt Duchene had 82 points last season for a very good Dallas team, and I just don’t think he’ll be able to replicate that, even with Mikko Rantanen on the team. 
• Spencer - Alex Ovechkin, after breaking the record, it feels like he has done everything he wanted to do in the NHL. In what could be his last NHL year, it seems like he could struggle a bit this season.

Which team will suffer a setback? 

• Jason - For all the reasons Spencer said below, the Washington Capitals will fall a couple of pegs. 
• Spencer - Washington Capitals, last season, it was all about Ovechkin. Now that the chase is over, I feel like they will come back down to earth.

Who will win the Presidents’ Trophy as the best regular-season team? 

• Jason - The Dallas Stars run away with the Western Conference and narrowly beat Carolina for the Presidents' Trophy. 
• Spencer - Toronto Maple Leafs, this team has something to prove after losing Marner. They will want to show everyone they are just as good, and the best way to do that is by winning the Presidents' Trophy. 

Who will win the Stanley Cup? 

• Jason - The Florida Panthers make it three straight. Are they even stoppable?
• Spencer - Dallas Stars, they’ve been a powerhouse in the West for years. This is the year they do it.

Who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP? 

• Jason - Sergei Bobrovsky carries the team this time and wins the playoff MVP. 
• Spencer - Mikko Rantanen will have a full year under his belt in Dallas, and he will carry the club to the promised land and win playoff MVP.

What Canadian team will go the furthest? 

• Jason - The Edmonton Oilers, until further notice. 
• Spencer - Toronto Maple Leafs - it’s just their time.

Who will have the best odds of winning the Draft Lottery? 

• Jason - This one shouldn't even be a question. The answer is the Pittsburgh Penguins, and has been since Gavin McKenna was determined to be the consensus #1 overall pick.
• Spencer - Pittsburgh Penguins, Lemieux had Crosby, Crosby will have McKenna.

What player will benefit the most from a change in scenery? 

• Jason - There weren’t many, but I’ll go with Vladislav Gavrikov. Being with Panarin again could be beneficial. 
• Spencer - Most will say Marner, but we all know he will be a no-show in the playoffs. So, I’m going to say Nikolaj Ehlers with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Which team will suffer the most from buyer’s remorse?

• Jason - The Carolina Hurricanes went out and pulled a Nashville Predators by signing Ehlers and trading for K’Andre Miller, in hopes that they can break through to the Cup Final. Sadly for Canes fans, they will win the Metro, but won’t make it past the second round. 
• Spencer - It has to be the Nashville Predators still, no? They spent millions last off-season and had a terrible year. The same could happen again this season.

Which star player will be traded (and to where)? 

• Jason - It’s time!! Sidney Crosby to the Colorado Avalanche seems like it’s been in the works for years. This year, it finally happens. 
• Spencer - Evgeni Malkin to the Florida Panthers while Barkov is out injured.

Which rookie are you the most excited to see? 

• Jason - Ryan Leonard from the Washington Capitals is going to be a force in the league at some point. He came in late last season and played some games, and looked the part. Being that he’s in the Metro with the CBJ, we’ll see a lot of him this year. 
• Spencer - Michael Misa, the Sharks remind me of the Maple Leafs. They have a ton of young stars. I’m excited to see what Misa can do. 

What off-season move will be the most impactful? 

• Jason - Mitch Marner should have a very good year with Vegas. He could be the uber-dynamic winger that puts the VGK back into the Cup final. 
• Spencer - Noah Dobson of the Montreal Canadiens. He got traded, got the big extension, and he has a huge opportunity to help that franchise.

Who is the NHL’s most overpaid player?

• Jason - The answer will always be Darnell Nurse. That contract is holding Edmonton back from making bigger moves so that they can win a Stanley Cup. 
• Spencer -  I have to agree with Jason, Darnell Nurse’s contract is atrocious. 

Who is the NHL’s most underpaid player?

• Jason - Sam Bennett, and only because of what he brings to the Panthers during the playoffs. He should be making $10 million just for his performance in last season’s playoffs. 
• Spencer - It has to be Sidney Crosby. For almost his entire career, he has earned $8.7 million to give his team a chance to win.

Whose bad season was an indicator of reality?

• Jason - The Boston Bruins finished below the Sabres and were tied for dead last in the Eastern Conference. It’s time to break it down and start over. Or do they hold on, much like the Penguins, for one last hurrah?
• Spencer - The Penguins, last season, were proof that they need to rebuild and fast.

Whose good season was an aberration?

• Jason - The Washington Capitals rode the wave of Alex Ovechkin last year, but this year will be different. We will get a glimpse of life after Ovi this season, when they take a big step backwards. 
• Spencer -  I’d have to agree with Jason, it has to be the Capitals.

What older player will show signs of aging?

• Jason - Brad Marchand was a good story last year. He left Boston for Florida and won a cup and had a very good playoff season. But, after signing a 6-year extension at $5.25 million per season, his production is going to fall off a cliff. The Panthers are all-in for as long as they can be all-in, so I don’t blame them for locking him up, but this one will come back to haunt them. 
• Spencer - Steven Stamkos, after leaving Tampa Bay, it felt like only a matter of time until he fell off completely. 

What backup goalie could end up as a No. 1?

• Jason - Logan Thompson had an outstanding year last year, but if he’s not careful, Charlie Lindgren could steal his job. Many expect the Caps to take a step back, and if he’s not careful, Thompson could find himself watching more games than playing. 
• Spencer - Jet Greaves may be the only viable answer. He will likely start as the backup, but will become the starter by season’s end.

Which city will get the next NHL team?

• Jason - Bring back the Houston Aeros! 
• Spencer - I want to say Quebec, but I think it’ll be Houston.

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