A major storyline to follow this upcoming summer will be Cale Makar’s availability for a contract extension. Currently in the second-to-last year of his six-year, $54 million contract, which carries a cap hit of $9 million per season, his upcoming extension could break records based on his performance during his current contract.

Sportsnet Insider and Co-Host of the “32 Thoughts The Podcast” Elliotte Friedman discussed on “FAN Hockey Show” about how the Avalanche are preparing for this upcoming extension and how it could play out.

“Elliotte Friedman: Re Cale Makar extension: Colorado's been preparing for this, that's one of the reasons the Rantanen situation unfolded the way it did, is because they were looking into the future at Makar's money"- FAN Hockey Show (9/30/25)

Most notable of this topic is the recent issues the Avalanche had with trying to extend Mikko Rantanen. With a plethora of news and rumors surrounding his camp, the Avalanche’s management and more discussed the “internal cap”, how much the Avalanche was willing to sign him, and how much Rantanen and his camp were asking. This ultimately led to him being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a package centered around Martin Necas. Rantanen was moved once again from the Hurricanes to the Dallas Stars for a package centered around Logan Stankoven.

Ideally extending Rantanen would have been great for the organization but recently this team has struggled getting their depth lines to contribute offensively, feeling like if the top-line doesn’t contribute night in and night out, they struggle to get anything else going, thats why it was essential to use the pieces and the cap space from the Rantanen trade to flush out a deep roster.

Have the Colorado Avalanche Improved Their Bottom-Six Lineup Enough?With Brock Nelson signing his extension this summer, the top six is basically set to start the season and, on paper, has looked its best since the 2021-22 championship season. However, is the bottom six deep enough? There haven't been any signings in free agency; instead, there have been re-signings. With Logan O’Connor out to start the season, does the bottom-six need more work to be done before the season begins?

An issue that needs to be addressed before Makar is available for an extension is Martin Necas, whom they acquired from the Hurricanes in the Rantanen deal. In his final season with a $6 million cap hit, what is his asking price? With the cap continuing to rise significantly over the coming seasons, there will be more room for Makar's new contract. However, going from a $6 million cap hit to a $9-$10+ cap hit will have a greater impact on the team, considering how much Makar will be eligible for.

The biggest question is what Makar is going to ask for and how high the Avalanche are willing to go. In his four years under his current contract, he has scored 96 goals and recorded 238 assists for 334 points, finishing as a finalist in Norris Trophy voting all four years and winning it twice, making four all-star appearances, and earning two All-NHL First-Team selections.

Top Colorado Avalanche Prospects to Watch in 2025–26With the 2025-26 NHL season shortly underway, some minor leagues have already started for some Colorado Avalanche prospects. Their prospect pool might not be as "promising" with the recent regular season success of the Avalanche and drafting at the end of rounds, and them trading away their remaining prospects and draft picks to try and win another Stanley Cup, they still have some key names you should keep an eye on this season. Colorado Avalanche Stalwart Erik Johnson Announces RetirementAnnounced on Wednesday, October 1, long time tenured defenseman Erik Johnson has announced his retirement from the NHL

A handful of NHL veterans found themselves on the other side of the waiver wire in the past week.

As NHL teams trimmed their rosters ahead of opening night on Tuesday, players who haven’t appeared in the AHL in more than five years could end up back there for games.

Here are five of those veterans who cleared NHL waivers during the pre-season.

Ryan Graves, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL career stats: 433 GP, 32 G, 86 A, 118 PTS
2025-26 pre-season stats: 4 GP, 0 PTS, 8 PIM, 9 S

In 2022-23, Graves recorded more than 25 points for the third time in four seasons and at least 150 blocked shots for the second time.

At his best, Graves plays an effective defensively focused game at even strength against top competition and on the penalty kill.

On July 1, 2023, in one of his first moves as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas signed Graves to a six-year contract worth $4.5 million per season.

In the third year of that contract, with a 12-team no-trade list, the 30-year-old Graves cleared waivers.

Last season, he had four points in 61 games, with 73 blocked shots and an average ice time of 14:48. He did have a 50.77 expected goals percentage at 5-on-5 while starting just 36.14 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, according to naturalstattrick.com. That suggests he still has value on defense, but Pittsburgh seems set to start the season with Parker Wotherspoon, Ryan Shea and Caleb Jones on the left side.

Graves last played in the AHL in 2018-19.

Erik Gustafsson, D, Detroit Red Wings

NHL career stats: 515 GP, 47 G, 193 A, 240 PTS
2025-26 pre-season stats: 3 GP, 0 PTS, 5 S

Gustafsson is an offensive-minded defenseman who drew attention in 2018-19 when he posted a whopping 60 points in 79 games with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 33-year-old has featured on the power play in each of his nine NHL seasons, recording 73 points on the man advantage.

Last season, Gustafsson recorded nine power-play points in 60 games. His 18 points overall were a 13-point drop from his 31 with the New York Rangers in 2023-24 and a 24-point decrease from his 42 in 2022-23 between the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs.

In the second season of a two-year contract worth $2 million annually, Gustafsson could end up playing AHL games for the first time since 2017-18. But he did make the Detroit Red Wings’ opening-night roster on Monday.

Wherever Gustafsson ends up, he will look to prove he can still be an effective depth producer on defense in the NHL.

Justin Holl, D, Detroit Red Wings

NHL career stats: 396 GP, 13 G, 82 A, 95 PTS
2025-26 pre-season stats: 3 GP, 0 PTS, plus-1, 2 S

On July 1, 2023, Holl signed a three-year contract with the Red Wings that carries a $3.4-million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade list. Before that time, Holl once averaged at least 20 minutes of ice time with the Maple Leafs while getting around 20 points and handling difficult assignments.

In the last two seasons, Holl’s had 13 points in 111 games, including eight points in 73 outings last year. He averaged 14:48 of ice time and blocked 78 shots.

Holl actually led Detroit’s defensemen in expected goals percentage at 5-on-5 last season at 51.65 percent, meaning the Wings produced higher-quality chances than their opponents when he was on the ice, according to naturalstattrick.com. That said, he started nearly 59 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, compared to 36.88 percent with Toronto in 2022-23.

With Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman adding Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker in free agency, the team assigned the 33-year-old Holl to AHL Grand Rapids on Monday. The last time he played AHL games was in 2017-18.

NHL Waivers: Leafs Claim Former Habs As Sabres And Lightning Add PlayersThree teams claimed players off NHL waivers on roster cutdown day.

David Kampf, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Career stats: 536 GP, 48 G, 95 A, 143 PTS
2025-26 pre-season stats: 2 GP, 1 A, plus-2, 2 S

Kampf, 30, is a penalty-kill specialist, logging at least two minutes of PK time per game in six of his eight career seasons.

In his first two seasons with Toronto, Kampf put up a then-career-high 26 points in 2021-22 and then got 27 points in 2022-23.

Last year, Kampf had 13 points while averaging a career-low 12:24 of ice time, and he only played in one playoff game.

Toronto has other options for their fourth line and penalty kill, even with Scott Laughton injured, including Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz. If they want someone to produce offense in a depth role, Nick Robertson averaged more points per game than Kampf last season at 0.32 to 0.22. The Leafs even claimed winger Sammy Blais off waivers on Monday.

Kampf is in the third season of a four-year contract with a $2.4-million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause. He last played in the AHL in 2017-18.

Danton Heinen, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins

Career stats: 566 GP, 96 G, 145 A, 241 PTS
2025-26 pre-season stats: 4 GP, 0 PTS, minus-2, 3 S

Heinen, has been on three NHL teams in the last two seasons: the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and Penguins.

The 30-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Canucks on July 1, 2024, with a $2.25-million cap hit and 12-team no-trade clause. He was coming off a 36-point season in his second stint with the Bruins. During his first stint with Boston, which drafted him 116th overall in 2014, he put up a career-high 47 points in his rookie campaign in 2017-18.

In 51 games with Vancouver, the British Columbian put up six goals and 18 points. Vancouver included him in a trade package to the Penguins in exchange for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor on Feb. 1. He finished the season with 11 points in 28 games for Pittsburgh.

With 29 points in 79 games last season, Heinen can still be a depth scorer if any team wants to absorb that cap hit this season. But the Penguins are focused on shifting toward a youth movement, which didn’t leave room for Heinen. That means he could play an AHL game for the first time since 2017-18.

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

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially submitted their 23-player regular season roster.

NHL clubs had until 5 p.m. ET to comply under the $95.5 million salary cap. The Leafs made a couple of moves, including claiming goaltender Cayden Primeau and forward Sammy Blais off waivers on Monday. The Leafs also released goaltender James Reimer from his professional tryout.

In adding Primeau, the Leafs get some insurance behind goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby, with Joseph Woll absent from the team for personal reasons with no timeline for a return.

But Primeau had to be on the roster, while Hildeby could be sent to the Marlies, freeing up the cap space to get Toronto to the NHL-maximum of 23 active roster players.

Toronto opens up its regular season on Wednesday, October 8, against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena.

FORWARDS (14)

Blais, Sammy – POS: F, HT: 6-2, WT: 206, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Montmagny, QC, DATE: 06/17/1996, 2024-25 CLUB(S), Montreal Canadiens, ACQUIRED: 2025 Waivers

Quillan, Jacob #26 - POS: F, HT: 6-1, WT: 204, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Dartmouth, NS, DATE: 02/02/2002, 2024-25 CLUB(S), Toronto (AHL)

Domi, Max - #11, POS: F, HT: 5-10, WT: 208, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Winnipeg, MB, DATE: 03/02/95, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2023, Free Agent Signing

Järnkrok, Calle - #19, POS: F, HT: 6-0, WT: 193, S: R, BIRTHPLACE: Gävle, Sweden, DATE: 09/25/91, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2022, Free Agent Signing

Joshua, Dakota - #81, POS: F, HT: 6-3, WT: 218, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Dearborn, MI, DATE: 05/15/96, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Vancouver (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2025, Trade with VAN

Knies, Matthew - #23, POS: F, HT: 6-3, WT: 232, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Phoenix, AZ, DATE: 10/17/02, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2021 NHL Draft, Round 2 (57th)

Lorentz, Steven - #18, POS: F, HT: 6-4, WT: 219, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Kitchener, ON, DATE: 04/13/96, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2024, Free Agent Signing

Maccelli, Matias - #63, POS: F, HT: 5-11, WT: 187, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Turku, FIN, DATE: 10/14/00, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Utah (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2025, Trade with UTA

Matthews, Auston - #34, POS: F, HT: 6-3, WT: 215, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: San Ramon, CA, DATE: 09/17/97, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2016 NHL Draft, Round 1 (1st)

McMann, Bobby - #74, POS: F, HT: 6-2, WT: 217, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Wainwright, AB, DATE: 06/15/96, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2022, Free Agent Signing

Nylander, William - #88, POS: F, HT: 6-0, WT: 200, S: R, BIRTHPLACE: Calgary, AB, DATE: 05/01/96, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2014 NHL Draft, Round 1 (8th)

Robertson, Nicholas - #89, POS: F, HT: 5-9, WT: 180, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Pasadena, CA, DATE: 09/11/01, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2019 NHL Draft, Round 2 (53rd)

Roy, Nicolas - #55, POS: F, HT: 6-4, WT: 200, S: R, BIRTHPLACE: Amos, QC, DATE: 02/05/97, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Vegas (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2025, Trade with Vegas

Tavares, John - #91, POS: F, HT: 6-1, WT: 217, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Oakville, ON, DATE: 09/20/90, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2018, Free Agent Signing

DEFENCEMEN (7)

Benoit, Simon - #2, POS: D, HT: 6-4, WT: 210, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Laval, QC, DATE: 09/19/98, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2023, Free Agent Signing

Carlo, Brandon - #25, POS: D, HT: 6-5, WT: 227, S: R, BIRTHPLACE: Colorado Springs, CO, DATE: 11/26/96, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Boston (NHL)/Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2025, Trade with BOS

Ekman-Larsson, Oliver - #95, POS: D, HT: 6-2, WT: 190, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Karlskrona, Sweden, DATE: 07/17/91, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2024, Free Agent Signing

McCabe, Jake - #22, POS: D, HT: 6-1, WT: 210, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Eau Claire, WI, DATE: 10/12/93, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2023, Trade with CHI

Myers, Philippe - #51, POS: D, HT: 6-5, WT: 221, S: R, BIRTHPLACE: Moncton, NB, DATE: 01/25/97, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL)/Toronto (AHL), ACQUIRED: 2024, Free Agent Signing

Rielly, Morgan - #44, POS: D, HT: 6-1, WT: 219, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Vancouver, BC, DATE: 03/09/94, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2012 NHL Draft, Round 1 (5th)

Tanev, Chris - #8, POS: D, HT: 6-2.5, WT: 200, S: R, BIRTHPLACE: Toronto, ON, DATE: 12/20/89, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2024, Trade with DAL

GOALTENDERS (2)

Primeau, Cayden- POS: G, HT: 6-3, WT: 205, S: L, BIRTHPLACE, Farmington Hills, Michigan, DATE: 08/11/199, 2024-24 CLUB(S): Montreal (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2025, Waivers

Stolarz, Anthony - #41, POS: G, HT: 6-6, WT: 248, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Edison, NJ, DATE: 01/20/94, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2024, Free Agent Signing

IR (3)

Laughton, Scott - #24, POS: F, HT: 6-1, WT: 190, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Oakville, ON, DATE: 05/30/94, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Philadelphia (NHL)/Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2025, Trade with PHI

Rifai, Marshall - #83, POS: D, HT: 6-2, WT: 211, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Beaconsfield, QC, DATE: 03/16/98, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (AHL), ACQUIRED: 2023, Free Agent Signing

Woll, Joseph - #60, POS: G, HT: 6-3, WT: 212, S: L, BIRTHPLACE: Dardenne Prairie, MO, DATE: 07/12/98, 2024-25 CLUB(S): Toronto (NHL), ACQUIRED: 2016 NHL Draft, Round 3 (62nd)

Latest stories:

'No Decisions Have Been Made': Why It Looks Like Easton Cowan Is On The Outside Looking In For Maple Leafs’ Opening Night Lineup

Why The Maple Leafs Claimed Cayden Primeau And Sammy Blais Off Waivers

'That's Still Up In The Air': Maple Leafs Weigh Options With James Reimer as Dennis Hildeby Shines at Training Camp

After a long summer of patiently waiting, a new hockey season is finally upon us!

On Tuesday, the NHL will lift the curtain on its 2025-26 campaign, with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers getting things started.

Florida will raise their second straight Stanley Cup banner to the rafters at Amerant Bank Arena ahead of a 5 p.m. puck drop against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Then, after the sun goes down, two more marquee matchups will take place on Tuesday, followed by another four on Wednesday.

Opening Night’s primetime matchup will feature two longtime divisional rivals who are both looking to bounce back after failing to make the playoffs last season as the New York Rangers will host the Pittsburgh Penguins, then the nightcap will feature a pair of Western Conference playoff teams from a season ago looking for better postseason results when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Los Angeles Kings.

Wednesday will bring another four fun matchups, as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins to our nation’s capital, then we’ll get the battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames before the Vegas Golden Knights start their season by hosting the Kings, who get a fun back-to-back set to start their season.

With the pre-Opening Night excitement hitting its peak, The Hockey Show co-hosts, Roy Bellamy and David Dwork from THN Florida, have put out some fun predictions for the first games of the season.

You can check out their picks in the video below. Let us know in the comments which you agree and disagree with!

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So Connor McDavid, the best hockey player on the planet, willingly chose to give himself a zero percent raise and give himself the third-highest cap hit in the NHL when he could have blown everybody out of the water.

Think about that for a minute. And if you're a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, thank your lucky stars that this McDavid drama didn't go into the season and that you'll have him in your lineup for at least the next three seasons.

NHL superstars looking to cash in won't like the looks of this deal, but McDavid said from the start of all this that winning a Stanley Cup was his No. 1 priority, and he backed up his words. Big time.

But he also put the Oilers on the clock here.

He's given them everything in his power to build a Cup-winning team – not a Cup-contending team – around him. And if they fail to do that, he'll go to try to win a Stanley Cup somewhere else.

Watch today's video column for the full reaction to McDavid's two-year, $25-million contract extension, and share your thoughts.

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

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have set their opening night roster, and the big question heading into it was whether they'd sign veteran Milan Lucic to a contract and have him on the opening night roster.

The answer, initially at least, is no.

The 37-year-old has been in training camp on a professional tryout and was not initially on the opening night roster, which had to be submitted by 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday.

That doesn't mean he can't at some point sign a contract, but at least for the time being, Lucic remains in St. Louis, either signing a contract or the Blues releasing him from his PTO, something as of 3:30 p.m. (CT) did not happen.

It does mean that Alexandre Texier and Mathieu Joseph have made the roster cut and will begin the season in St. Louis. Joseph played his way into the mix and all indications pointed to him being safe with his omission from the final preseason game this past Saturday, a 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, but Texier on the other hand seemed to be in limbo. That is not the case now.

The opening night roster for the #stlbluespic.twitter.com/FOKjHaPwMK

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 6, 2025

There will also be the question of Oskar Sundqvist, who sustained an undisclosed -- appeared to be a lower-body -- injury to the right leg at practice on Sunday. The Blues did not practice on Monday and coach Jim Montgomery didn't have any updates post-practice on Sunday.

The Blues were able to get down to the 23-man opening night roster by assigning defenseman Hunter Skinner to Springfield of the American Hockey League, and they also lost goalie Colten Ellis, who was claimed off waivers Monday by the Buffalo Sabres.

Skinner was in a battle for the seventh defenseman with Matthew Kessel.

The Blues open the regular season at home on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.

Sabres Claim Blues Goalie Colten Ellis Off Waivers; Skinner ClearsST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues lost goalie Colten Ellis, who was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

 The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed goaltender Cayden Primeau and forward Sammy Blais off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens respectively, the team announced Monday. 

Primeau was dominant in the AHL last season but had difficulty at the NHL level. He had a 21-2-3 record with a .927 SP and 1.96 GAA with the Laval Rocket and a 2-3-1 record with a .836 SP and 4.70 GAA with the Canadiens.

His performance in the AHL earned the Rocket and Syracuse Crunch the Harry "Hap" Holmes Award as Best Goaltending Duo. 

The 26-year-old has 55 games of NHL experience with a 13-23-7 record and 149 AHL appearances with an 84-4-14 record.

The Farmington Hills, Mich., native was placed on waivers after Carolina claimed goaltender Brandon Bussi yesterday. This move will likely allow Dennis Hildeby to play for the Toronto Marlies while Joseph Woll is away from the team.  

Blais recorded 40 points in 51 regular season games and finished third in Calder Cup Playoff scoring with 19 points in 23 games, helping the Abbotsford Canucks win the championship last season. He also led the playoffs with 77 penalty minutes. 

The 29-year-old has 27 goals and 71 points in 257 career NHL games. He was a member of the 2019 Stanley Cup winning St. Louis Blues team coached by Craig Berube. 

The Maple Leafs have claimed F Sammy Blais off waivers from Montreal and G Cayden Primeau off waivers from Carolina.

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) October 6, 2025

A sixth round selection of the Blues in 2014, Blais has 145 points in 199 career AHL games and won the gold medal with Team Canada at the 2023 World Championship.

The Montmagny, Q.C., native could be in line for fourth line minutes with Scott Laughton out week-to-week. 

Blais would count as a veteran against AHL rules if he makes it through waivers again and is sent to the Marlies. 

The Hockey News' Toronto Maple Leafs team site covered how this move impacts Easton Cowan and the rest of the NHL lineup here. 

Check out our AHL to KHL signing tracker and AHL Free Agency signing tracker.      

For the second straight season, Ottawa Senators 2024 first-rounder Carter Yakemchuk has been caught up in the final wave of roster cuts. The Senators announced this afternoon that Yakemchuk has been loaned to the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League to begin his professional hockey career. He’ll be joined there by Arthur Kaliyev, Jan Jenik, Hayden Hodgson, Mads Søgaard, and Lassi Thomson, who all cleared waivers on Monday for the purpose of being loaned to Belleville.

Senators head coach Travis Green said after practice on Monday, a few hours before the final cuts, that the club was being very careful to do what’s best for both Yakemchuk and the team.

"It's never an easy decision when you're talking about a young guy that we feel has a bright future in the NHL, and making sure that we can put him in the best place to succeed," Green said. "It's a delicate question and answer. So we've got to make sure that we put him in the right spot.

"At the end of the day, it's about what's going to help our team and what's going to help him. And combining both into the right answer."

The Senators had until 5:00 p.m. to submit a maximum roster of 23 players. But they slapped it down to 22, as the club also placed both Tyler Kleven and Drake Batherson on injured reserve on Monday. Both were injured in training camp, but neither injury is terribly serious, and both are said to be close to returning.

So Donovan Sebrango will remain in Ottawa for now as the 7th defenseman, and Olle Lycksell will stick around as the 13th forward while Kleven and Batherson continue to heal up.

Lycksell cleared waivers on Monday, so he's waivers-exempt for the next 30 days or 10 NHL games. It's possible he may see some action in a game where they feel like Kurtis MacDermid's services aren't required. On the blue line, the Sens might opt to go with Sebrango as Kleven's natural left-side replacement, or have one of their excess righties move over and play on their wrong side.

Here’s the Senators’ 2025–26 roster as of now:

Forwards (13): Amadio, Cousins, Cozens, Eller, Giroux, Greig, Lycksell, MacDermid, Perron, Pinto, Stützle, Tkachuk, Zetterlund IR: Batherson

Defensemen (7): Chabot, Jensen, Matinpalo, Sanderson, Sebrango, Spence, Zub IR: Kleven

Goalies (2): Meriläinen, Ullmark

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Senators Land A True NHL Heavyweight In A Deal With The Devils
More Senators Broadcast Changes: Marc Methot Out At TSN
Reviewing Four Of The Nastiest Moments From Senators–Canadiens Game On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk On Starring In Prime Video Show: 'I'm An Open Book To Begin With'
Broadcast Frustrations Resurface For Senators FansSens Goalie
Linus Ullmark Says He Enjoys The Struggle

The New York Rangers have signed Conor Sheary to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal is worth the league minimum.

During the offseason, the Rangers signed Sheary to a Professional Tryout Agreement as he looked to compete at training camp for an opening-night roster spot. 

Sheary spent multiple seasons playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he was coached by Mike Sullivan and won two Stanley Cups. 

Sullivan’s past relationship with Sheary led to the Rangers giving the veteran forward a chance to compete for a roster spot at training camp.

Throughout training camp and the preseason, Sheary has played a third-line and power-play role, indicating Sullivan always had a plan for Sheary.  

Conor Sheary Inching Toward Earning Roster Spot With RangersAll signs are pointing toward Conor Sheary earning a contract and roster spot with the New York Rangers. 

The 33-year-old forward has played in 10 NHL seasons for the Penguins, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Hockey News Big Show is here with former longtime NHL goalie Devan Dubnyk to preview the 2025-26 NHL season for each team in the Pacific Division. But first, they have big news to discuss on the contract front.

Breaking Down McDavid’s Extension And Previewing The Pacific by The Big Showundefined

Here’s what Michael Traikos, Ryan Kennedy and Devan Dubnyk discussed in this episode:

0:59: Connor McDavid signed a two-year contract extension with the Oilers worth $12.5 million annually. Thoughts?

5:19: What must happen in Edmonton for McDavid to sign a long-term contract after that?

7:30: The Oilers also re-signed Jake Walman for seven years at $7 million annually. Do we like this deal?

8:56: What are some other expectations for the Oilers?

11:40: Where do you slot the Vegas Golden Knights into the Pacific Division?

14:43: With an aging roster, what do we make of the Los Angeles Kings? Is this their last hurrah? 

19:20: Was last year an anomaly for the Vancouver Canucks? Can they make a real push for a wild-card spot? 

22:15: What will Dustin Wolf's season look like with the Calgary Flames? Will it become harder for him this year?

24:48: Is there any reason to believe the Flames wouldn’t be in a race for a playoff spot? 

27:15: In Anaheim, will we see Ducks forwards Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish reach the next stage of their evolution?

30:00: The San Jose Sharks finished last in the last two years, but they had some positive vibes last year with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and other youngsters in the lineup. Should the outlook be as positive if they finish last again? 

35:00: Ryan went to Mullett Arena for Gavin McKenna’s Penn State debut, and he shares what he saw.

38:11: Should the Seattle Kraken blow it up and go for Gavin McKenna, or is a shot at a playoff berth more important for the market?

41:17: Which rookies will stay for just nine games, and who will be there all year in the Pacific Division? 

45:00: Which team and player are under the most pressure this season?

46:30: Name one player who is pretty significant to his team who could be traded before 

Thanksgiving.

48:16: John Tortorella returns to ESPN as an analyst: favorite ‘Torts’ moment?

Watch the full episode here 

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Even though rosters were trimmed to 23 on Saturday, there was no guarantee that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to carry those exact 23 players into their season opener against former head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

But that does appear to be the case - which is good news for two top Penguins' prospects.

On Monday, Penguins' head coach Dan Muse confirmed that defenseman Harrison Brunicke and center Ben Kindel will both be making their NHL debuts when the Penguins take on the Rangers to kick off the 2025-26 season. 

Top Prospects Brunicke, Kindel Confirmed To Make NHL Debuts In Penguins' Season OpenerEven though rosters were trimmed to 23 on Saturday, there was no guarantee that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to carry those exact 23 players into their season opener against former head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

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As Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smashed a grand slam into the seats at Rogers Centre on Sunday afternoon, Easton Cowan and his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates rose to their feet.

Despite being a fan of Toronto's sports teams growing up, the 20-year-old got yet another glimpse of how the city rallies around its teams during the postseason. And in seven months, Cowan could be in a position like the Toronto Blue Jays are right now, trying to bring a championship back to this city.

"It just shows how passionate Toronto fans are in any sport," Cowan said on Monday.

But before anything, Cowan needs to make the Maple Leafs. He's beaten out David Kampf and Michael Pezzetta for a spot on the roster (Kampf cleared waivers on Friday, Pezzetta was placed on waivers on Sunday).

Overall, he's had a really impressive training camp. However, on Monday at practice, the young forward was on the outside looking in, playing as the 13th forward.

In front of him were Nick Robertson (on the third line with Dakota Joshua and Max Domi) and Calle Jarnkrok (on the fourth line alongside Nicolas Roy and Steven Lorentz), who, combined, have 874 NHL games between them.

Leafs lines in practice:

Knies - Matthews - Maccelli
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Joshua - Domi - Robertson
Lorentz - Roy - Jarnkrok
Cowan

Rielly - Carlo
McCabe - Tanev
Ekman-Larsson - Benoit
Thrun - Myers

Stolarz
Hildeby pic.twitter.com/fKIdO5dypd

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) October 6, 2025

"No decisions have been made," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube after Monday's practice.

(Two hours after practice concluded, Toronto claimed Sammy Blais off waivers, which could push Cowan even further down the depth chart, depending on how things shake out.)

At some point, though, Toronto will need to decide whether Cowan makes the opening night lineup or not. And if he's not on the team for the home opener on Oct. 8, does it make sense to keep him with the Maple Leafs, or send him to the AHL's Toronto Marlies?

"I think that you've got to look at where your team's at. You've got to look at, does he help us right now? What's best for him?" Berube said. "You know, young kid, but we liked him. We liked him at camp, so he's here right now."

Cowan, on the message he's received from the Maple Leafs since more roster cuts have come down: "I’m just going to keep taking it day by day. I mean, just keep attacking it. Keep working hard. Have a good mindset, be positive, and hopefully play (in the home opener)."

'That's Still Up In The Air': Maple Leafs Weigh Options With James Reimer as Dennis Hildeby Shines at Training CampBased on how the Toronto Maple Leafs practiced on Monday, it appears Dennis Hildeby will be the club’s backup goaltender behind Anthony Stolarz when the regular season opens on Oct. 8 against the Montreal Canadiens. This means the situation with James Reimer, who is on a professional tryout, remains unclear.

You have to wonder if things would've been different had Scott Laughton not suffered a lower-body injury last week. Cowan developed strong chemistry early on with Lorentz and Laughton, and it appeared like he could start the regular season on that line.

"Yeah, well, it did (affect the lines) because we lost the center," Berube said. "And so I decided to move Max (Domi) back to the middle because I'm comfortable with it, he's comfortable with it, and he's been there a lot for us."

That then shifted Robertson into the third-line spot, with Jarnkrok skating alongside Lorentz and Roy. Either way, there are positives as Cowan remains with the Maple Leafs, especially if the forward begins his NHL career in Toronto's bottom six.

"Whether you’re in the top six or bottom six in the NHL, you’re always getting better. So for me, if I’m in the bottom six, I feel like that’s good for my development," Cowan said. "So it’s just good to really learn how to play a bottom-six role at a young age, and then you’re able to play wherever in the lineup."

Maple Leafs Projected Roster Takes Shape Following Waiver Move Of Four PlayersWith the NHL’s regular season salary cap compliance deadline set for 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 6, teams—including the Maple Leafs—are actively placing players who require waivers on the waiver wire. Players who require waivers are typically placed on the wire a day before so they can be moved to the minors before the deadline if they go unclaimed.

Cowan has admitted that playing on opening night is on the back of his mind — and why wouldn't it be? Any player in his position would want to reach for that goal. It means even more for Cowan because he grew up a Maple Leafs fan.

"I mean, you dream of it ever since you’re a kid. To still be here, I’m very grateful for that, and not going to take any day for granted," Cowan said.

What's different about Cowan's game this year versus last year's training camp is his all-around game. Berube often mentioned last fall that Cowan needed to eliminate the junior habits from his game if he wanted to make the jump to the NHL.

Nick Robertson Faces ‘Groundhog Day’ Feeling Ahead of Maple Leafs’ Final Preseason GameNick Robertson heads into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ final pre-season game in an uncertain, but familiar spot. The forward joins a mostly AHL lineup that will head southwest to take on the Detroit Red Wings in the final pre-season game of 2025.

The young forward believes his 200-foot game has grown exponentially.

"I’ve never felt that good as an all-around player, so it definitely feels good that way," he said. "But just going to keep attacking each and every day, and keep getting better at little parts of the game."

And when it comes to skating out onto the ice at Scotiabank Arena during player introductions, being in the opening night lineup?

"I’m just going to keep the pedal down," Cowan said. "But you just got to stay at it each and every day. I felt like I had another good practice today, so just keep stacking good days on good days like I’ve been saying, and good things will work out."

Latest stories:

Why The Maple Leafs Claimed Cayden Primeau And Sammy Blais Off Waivers

'That's Still Up In The Air': Maple Leafs Weigh Options With James Reimer as Dennis Hildeby Shines at Training Camp

Maple Leafs Projected Roster Takes Shape Following Waiver Move Of Four Players

With the 2025-26 NHL Season set to begin on Tuesday, October 7th, I thought it would be a fun idea to use EA Sports NHL 26 to predict how the Los Angeles Kings season will go. To pull this off, I used franchise mode and simply skipped to the end of the year.

It's no secret that the expectation for Los Angeles is nothing short of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. Although, this time they must get over the hump and make an appearance in the second round, whether they play the Edmonton Oilers for the fifth straight time or not. 

Let's see how EA Sports expects the Kings upcoming season to play out.

October Record: 5-6-1

Overall: 5-6-1 (20th in the NHL)

The Kings got off to an incredibly slow start, going 1-6-1 in their first eight games before winning four in a row to close out the month strong. Adrian Kempe was L.A.'s leading scorer after 12 games. He scored nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in October. Despite a rough start for the team, Kempe started off a contract year on the right foot. 

November Record: 6-5-2

Overall: 11-11-3 (21st in the NHL)

November was somewhat the same result as the month previous despite an incredibly hot start. To start the second month of the season, the Kings won five of their first eight games before losing their final five games. Once again, Kempe lead the team in scoring, ending November with 15 goals, 12 assists, and 27 points the first 25 games of the season. A great start for a player who's looking for a massive pay-raise next summer.

December Record: 6-7-0

Overall: 17-18-3 (25th in the NHL)

Not a great way to end 2025. The Kings continued their inconsistent play in December as they kept winning one game, then losing two. This pattern would repeat until the month finally came to an end. In his final year, Kings captain Anze Kopitar overtook Kempe for the team lead in scoring as he ended December with 10 goals and 27 assists for 37 points in 38 total games.

January Record: 9-6-1

Overall: 26-24-4 (21st in the NHL)

January was the first time that the Kings ended a month with an overall winning record. This was thanks to an extremely strong end to the month in which they won their last four heading into February, where the winning didn't stop. Kopitar remained as the Kings leading scorer with 14 goals and 33 assists for 47 points in 54 games.

February Record: 4-2-0

Overall: 30-26-4 (20th in the NHL)

The Kings their strong finish to January into February where they would win their first three games of the month, resulting in a season high, seven game win streak. However, their streak would have to come to pause due to the break for the Winter Olympics. This break proved to hurt L.A. more than anything as they finished the month losing two of three. Once again, Kopitar finished the month leading the team with 15 goals, 38 assists and 53 points in 60 games. With just over 20 games to go, the Kings must start winning games if they want to have a chance at making the postseason.

March Record: 10-3-0

Overall: 40-29-4 (12th in the NHL)

And start winning games they did. Los Angeles ended March as the hottest team in the National Hockey League, winning 10 of their 13 games throughout the month. This included a five game win streak to end the month as well. After this stretch, the Kings found themselves in third place in the Pacific Division. Barring an April collapse, L.A. was in the drivers seat to make a fifth straight postseason appearance. 'Kopi' continued his remarkable final season with a 14 point month giving him 21 goals and 46 assists for 67 points in 73 games.

April Record: 3-6-0

Overall: 43-35-4 (6th in Pacific, 17th in NHL) Missed Playoffs

Oh boy. They did the one thing that they couldn't do. After only picking up three wins in the final nine games of the season, the Los Angeles Kings missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020-21. To make it worse, they missed by just one point, getting beat out by the Vancouver Canucks for the final wild card spot. Vancouver beat Los Angeles twice in the last five games as well. A brutal collapse to say the least. Lets hope something like this does not translate to the real world this season.

Statistic Leaders

Points: A. Kopitar (72) K. Fiala (64) Q. Byfield (61) T. Moore (61) A. Kuzmenko (58)

Goals: A. Kuzmenko (27) K. Fiala (26) A. Kopitar (25) P. Danault (24) A. Kempe (23)

Assists: A. Kopitar (47) T. Moore (47) D. Doughty (40) Q. Byfield (39) K. Fiala (38)

Plus/Minus: J. Edmundson (+12) T. Moore (+6) A. Kuzmenko (+5) D. Doughty (+3) Q. Byfield (+2)

Defense Points: D. Doughty (45) B. Clarke (31) B. Dumoulin (30)

Goaltending Stats:

Darcy Kuemper: 65 GP, 35-26-3, 8 SO, .914 SV%, 2.96 GAA

Anton Forsberg: 23 GP, 8-10-1, 1 SO, .897 SV%, 3.31 GAA

Successes and Disappointments

Success: Brian Dumoulin

In his first season with the Kings, NHL26 had blue liner Brian Dumoulin scoring a whopping 14 goals. This total would crush his previous career high of six that he set with the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24. His 14 goals were good for the 10th most among defensemen in the simulation.

Disappointment: Adrian Kempe

For whatever reason, forward Adrian Kempe did not do well in the simulation. Kempe took an unexpected step back from his two previous 70+ point campaigns. In 82 games, the 29-year-old scored just 23 goals and 33 assists for 56 points. This would be great season for the average player, not someone who is expected to make upwards of $10 million per year. If Kempe produced more in the simulation, L.A. likely makes the postseason. Hopefully the Kings sniper fares better than his video game counterpart.

Success: Andrei Kuzmenko

If Kings F Andrei Kuzmenko can produce like he did in this simulation, I imagine Kings fans and management will be very satisfied. Kuzmenko posted 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 82 games. By far the best season of his career since his rookie season with Vancouver in 2022-23. 

Disappointment: Brandt Clarke

Blueliner Brandt Clarke is expected to a leap in the 2025-25 season. However, in this simulation not only did he not improve, he actually regressed. Clarke scored five goals along with 26 assists for 31 points in 82 games. The 22-year-old should perform better than EA thinks he will.

Awards Around the League

Although nobody on the Kings earned any hardware in the simulation I figured I should share how NHL 26 thinks the awards will be handed out at the end of the season.

Stanley Cup: Tampa Bay Lightning over Vegas Golden Knights in seven games

Conn Smythe: Nikita Kucherov (TBL)

Presidents Trophy: New York Rangers

Art Ross: Auston Matthews (TOR)

Rocket Richard: Auston Matthews (TOR)

Ted Lindsay: Auston Matthews (TOR)

Hart:  Auston Matthews (TOR)

Norris: Cale Makar (COL)

Calder: Ivan Demidov (MTL)

Vezina: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)

Jennings: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)

Selke: Sidney Crosby (PIT)

Lady Byng: Auston Matthews (TOR)

Jack Adams: Travis Green (OTT)

Stay tuned in with your Los Angeles Kings here at The Hockey News, as the 2025-26 season inches closer.

Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have already encountered a couple of obstacles, and the regular season is yet to begin.

Earlier in the off-season, news surfaced that left winger Matthew Tkachuk would be out until December-ish with a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia.

That wasn’t the last of bad news that the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions would receive before opening night.

Over the weekend, the Panthers announced captain Aleksander Barkov suffered MCL and ACL injuries during practice and is expected to be out for seven to nine months.

With Barkov likely being sidelined for the regular season, there is a grand opportunity for Anton Lundell in Florida’s top six. The Finnish center has been a solid two-way pivot on the Panthers’ third line ever since he entered the NHL in 2021-22.

He’s been a consistent player who can score between 40 and 50 points next season, or even more in an elevated role. He put up a career-high 45 points in 79 games last season while averaging 16:43 in ice time.

Three NHL Players Who Could Be More Important Than Expected This YearEvery season, NHL teams go through some adversity, whether that’s a loss of personnel from injury or a trade that sends a key roster player from a falling team to a contender.