Category: Ice Hockey

On Thursday, at 10:27 a.m., Luke Hughes smoothly skated onto the ice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, marking his first day on the ice at New Jersey Devils training camp. 

Skating as an extra along with Kurtis MacDermid and Stefan Noesen (lower body), during the team's morning skate, Hughes worked through each drill, with a determined expression. 

He chose to particpate in both the club's 10:30 a.m. skate and 11:45 practice that ran for approximately 45 mintues. 

"It feels great (to be back)," Hughes shared. "Obviously, I was waiting a little bit, but really excited to be back and happy that I am in New Jersey for the next seven years."

Stick taps for #NJDevils Luke Hughes as he takes center circle. pic.twitter.com/uoubIPacD6

— Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) October 2, 2025

On Oct. 1, the 22-year-old restricted free agent signed a seven-year, $63 million extension to remain in New Jersey through 2032.

"There was never a doubt during the negotiations that Luke wanted to remain a Devil," his agent Pat Brisson told The Hockey News. "We looked at his comps and what he has accomplished thus far. Where the cap is going, we felt over seven years, it was a very fair deal for both sides." 

"I know he loves living here, loves playing here," Jack Hughes said on Thursday. "I think it was a mutual fit. He's really excited to be a part of this group for a long time. He is excited with the deal he got, and he is most excited about being a part of the group and getting ready for the season."

The younger Hughes brother said the past few days have been a whirlwind as he spent time in both New Jesey and at home in Michigan. 

"I got here yesterday," he expained. "I was in and out though. I had the NJ charity gala on Monday night. They do great work, and it is really easy to work with them. I was here for that, and then flew out and skated on Tuesday morning with my dad, and then got (the contract) done Tuesday late night. I skated again with my dad in the morning, and then flew out. Kind of whirlwind but really excited to be here, and fired up for the season."

'There Was Never A Doubt That Luke Wanted To Remain A Devil': Hughes Commits To New Jersey On Wednesday morning, the New Jersey Devils announced that restricted free agent Luke Hughes has signed a seven-year contract worth $63,000,000 ($9,000,000 AAV) to remain with the organization long-term. 

Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Hughes will not appear in Thursday night's preseason game against the New York Rangers. The Devils will practice Friday and play their final preseason game on Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

"It is a bit of a unique situation where not only has he missed camp, but he's also coming off of a major shoulder surgery since he played last," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We want to make sure we give him the appropriate time to be feeling good, but he looks good. He has been through all the medicals and testing, all the things that guys would normally go through at the beginning of camp, and he is cleared."

On May 5, the Devils announced the defenseman underwent successful shoulder surgery, which Dr. Peter Millett performed at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. He was expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of camp. 

When asked if the blueliner will be ready for the start of the regular season on Oct. 9, Keefe simply said, "I don't see a reason why he wouldn't." 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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The Anaheim Ducks signed Jackson LaCombe to an eight-year contract extension on Thursday.

While the Ducks didn't reveal the average annual salary, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported it's $9 million, which would make the total value a franchise-high $72 million.

LaCombe, a left-shot, two-way defenseman, will have a cap hit that's $2 million higher than center Mason McTavish, who ended a contract standoff last weekend by signing a six-year deal worth $7 million annually.

"We are excited to sign Jackson to a long-term contract and lock up a core player for our future," Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in a news release. "Getting this deal done early was a priority for us. Jackson has all of the tools to be an anchor on our back end for many years to come."

The 24-year-old LaCombe put up 14 goals and 29 assists for 43 points in 75 games last season, a 26-point increase from his rookie season. He also averaged 22:18 in ice time, the most on the Ducks in 2024-25 and even more than the 21:04 that Cam Fowler played in 17 games before being traded to the St. Louis Blues.

In fact, since the Ducks traded Fowler on Dec. 14, 2024, LaCombe played the fourth-most minutes in the NHL, trailing only the Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski, Montreal Canadiens' Mike Matheson and Detroit Red Wings' Moritz Seider.

"Today is an exciting day for my family, and I am grateful to the organization for their belief in me," LaCombe said. "It was an easy decision for me to commit my future to the Ducks and Orange County. We are building something special here, and I am excited to do everything I can to help this team win."

LaCombe ranked third on the Ducks in blocked shots, with 129. And on a team that finished sixth in the Pacific Division, he led regular Anaheim defenders at 5-on-5 in expected goals percentage (49.75 percent), scoring chances percentage (48.57 percent) and shot attempt percentage (49.29 percent), according to naturalstattrick.com. He was also the only Ducks defender to be on the ice for more shots-for than against at 5-on-5.

As Friedman noted, Ryan Getzlaf, Paul Kariya and Corey Perry had higher average annual values, but their contracts weren't as long, which means LaCombe set a franchise record for richest contract in terms of total value.

With LaCombe under contract for the long run, the Ducks have four pending RFAs left: Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.

Earlier on Thursday, the Florida Panthers signed defensive defenseman Niko Mikkola to an eight-year contract as well, with a $5-million cap hit.

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Sam Rinzel is going to be one of the defensemen who make the Chicago Blackhawks roster out of camp. He will make it alongside Alex Vlasic, Connor Murphy, Artyom Levshunov, and Wyatt Kaiser. The rest is still being sorted out.

With just nine games played so far in his NHL career, it’s impressive to have the status that he does at just 21 years old. Being a former first-round pick, he’s always had the pedigree, but now we’re seeing it show on NHL ice.

Those nine games came at the end of last season, following the end of his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota. He recorded five assists but has yet to score his first career NHL goal.

As a young defenseman, his main concern is learning to play the position well in the NHL. He skipped the AHL because of his abilities; now he’s looking to get to another level. 

Rinzel plays a two-way style that could allow him to be an impactful top-pair defenseman in the best league in the world. Still, at such a young age, there are going to be ups and downs. 

Even if Rinzel is a legitimate top-pair guy right away, it won’t be without rookie mistakes. We saw some of that in Tuesday night’s preseason game. Right after looking skilled, poised, and mature on the power play, he made a soft play that led to a Detroit Red Wings goal. 

When Jonatan Berggren came out of the box, he made a play to steal the puck from Rinzel, which set up a goal for Lucas Raymond. Rinzel would like to be more prepared for that as Berggren was coming out of the box. As he develops, he will be harder on the puck with more consistency. 

"I just think I've got to be better in that situation, just getting back to it, and I think knowing my outs, knowing what I've got to do."

Rinzel is well aware of the things that need to be better in his game. For being as young and inexperienced as he is, it seems like he's confident that his rookie mistakes won't linger. 

Part of being a young guy on a young team can be many other players on your pair throughout camp and preseason. Rinzel seems to think that he can help complement anyone's strengths as their partner, no matter who it is. 

"It doesn't matter who's your partner. Our whole [defense] core is tight-knit, so I don't think it matters who you're playing with. I just think everyone's game kind of has [its] own little niche, so I just think it's playing to your strengths, and it always complements each other well."

There is no denying the fact that Rinzel buys into whatever the Blackhawks ask of him in his game. Although he is clearly going to have those rookie lapses from time to time, and it won't end right when his first year is done, there are plenty of tools there for him to have a significant role right away. 

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In the NHL, winning games and having a successful line often comes down to finding the right chemistry among pairings. 

Typically, the word “pairings” is linked to defense, but there are duos at forward in the NHL who can be game-changers. Some of the NHL’s most dangerous duos are already generating buzz as training camps and pre-season action heat up. 

Each pairing below has an intriguing story as the 2025-26 NHL season begins. Not all are just about on-ice production. Which duos should we be watching?

Jack Eichel And Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights

In Vegas, Jack Eichel and newly acquired Mitch Marner hit the ice with Ivan Barbashev, instantly showing chemistry and even connecting for a highlight-reel goal in their first session. 

Eichel, fresh off a career year, is also in a contract season. The likelihood is he gets a deal done far before it becomes worrisome, but if negotiations drag into the season, or Kirill Kaprizov’s new whopper of a deal slows things down, how these two play together could have an impact on Eichel’s numbers and what the Golden Knights see their long-term future looking like. 

Each player said they are excited to play alongside the other, with Marner suggesting the focus will be on using each other’s skills to “open each other up” offensively.

As far as playoffs go, Eichel will need to help Marner achieve post-season success he wasn’t able to accomplish in Toronto alongside Auston Matthews.

Connor McDavid And Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Ideally, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are pushing their own respective lines in Edmonton, but who are we kidding? Every season, these two superstars wind up together, and they are arguably the most dynamic duo in the NHL. 

McDavid has three Hart Trophy wins, while Draisaitl has one. Either could win it again this season, with McDavid at 2.90 (+190) and Draisaitl at 11.00 (+1000), according to BetMGM.

They complement each other so well that it’s hard for the Oilers not to go back to the well and go to these two often. 

Another star player in a contract year, McDavid is trying to decide what to do about an extension. He wants to win the Stanley Cup, which has eluded him for the last two finals. How does playing with Draisaitl this season impact his decision about signing or moving on? Is he pushing for this combo? Or, does McDavid prefer to spread out the offense?

If McDavid is considering playing elsewhere next season, he’d have to be open to playing somewhere that doesn’t have the yin to his yang.

Oilers Double Down On McDavid-Draisaitl Duo Despite Depth ConcernsEDMONTON - The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to reunite Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the top line heading into the 2025-26 season is generating some discussion.

Auston Matthews And Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs

In Toronto, Auston Matthews looks to play his first season without Marner, and the narrative surrounding what that looks like could get interesting. 

With Matthew Knies, Matthews and Marner on a 5-on-5 line last season, the Leafs averaged 3.63 goals per 60 minutes. Without Knies and Matthews together without Marner, the Leafs averaged 2.87 goals per 60, according to naturalstattrick.com.

The hope is that Knies steps up, and these two go on a tear regardless of who plays right wing, making the loss of Marner less painful for Leafs Nation.

The Leafs signed Knies to a new long-term extension, and pairing these two as a successful duo would solve many potential problems for the team, which has tried to pick up several depth pieces and fill holes with quantity over quality. 

The Maple Leafs’ lack of playoff success has been their Achilles heel. It was finally time to change things up, move on from the “Core Four” and go with different pairings. Whether it works remains to be seen.

Sidney Crosby And Bryan Rust/Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins

The future of the Penguins’ top line will be a season-long storyline.

Sidney Crosby has made it clear time and again that Pittsburgh is where he wants to be, even after his agent said it’s always a possibility he could leave. But Crosby does want to win.

How the Penguins play this season may shape what happens to Crosby’s linemates, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. The wingers set career highs in points last year – 70 points for Rakell and 65 for Rust – and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has hung onto them despite making moves elsewhere to bring in the youngsters.

Rust and Rakell were the subject of trade speculation this summer. While the Penguins only have 7.00 (+600) odds of making the playoffs, according to BetMGM, Crosby’s line could help Pittsburgh pull off some kind of surprise and keep the team from selling the captain’s wingers soon.

Nathan MacKinnon And Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche

Colorado broke up its dynamic duo last season when it traded then-pending UFA Mikko Rantanen in January. The Avalanche then put Martin Necas on Nathan MacKinnon’s right wing, and they didn’t really miss a beat. 

The Avalanche scored 15 times in nearly 270 minutes with the Artturi Lehkonen-MacKinon-Rantanen line on the ice, according to naturalstattrick.com. With Necas replacing Rantanen, the Avs scored 13 times in 218 minutes, which is actually a higher rate.

Necas is expected to skate alongside MacKinnon again to start the season. But now, Necas is the pending UFA, and although negotiations are ongoing, there’s no certainty that he’ll re-sign.

Will things change as these two build chemistry together? Are they successful enough that Necas wants to stay where he is and sign a new deal? We’ll just have to watch.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without one of their best players to start the 2025-26 season.

Forward Bryan Rust will be out for a minimum of two weeks with a lower-body injury after he left Wednesday's practice early. 

Forward Bryan Rust will miss a minimum of two weeks with a lower-body injury. pic.twitter.com/74LoZGsodw

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) October 2, 2025

This means he will at least miss the first four games of the regular season against the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Rangers again, and Anaheim Ducks. He'd have an opportunity to return on October 16 against the Los Angeles Kings if he heals quickly. 

Rust had the best season of his career last year, finishing with 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. His 31 goals and 65 points are career-highs. 

His absence could open up a spot for top forward prospect Benjamin Kindel since he's been phenomenal during training camp and the preseason. There's a chance he could get the nine-game trial to open the year before the Penguins have to decide if he goes back to the WHL or sticks with the main club. 

The Penguins will play their final preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday before opening the regular season against the Rangers on Tuesday. 

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The Florida Panthers have announced that they have released former New York Rangers defenseman Ben Harpur from his professional tryout (PTO). 

Harpur signed a PTO with the Panthers back in September in hopes of landing a contract for the season. However, with this news, he remains an unrestricted free agent (UFA) with the regular season almost here. 

Before signing his PTO with the Panthers this off-season, Harpur spent each of the last three seasons with the Rangers organization. However, he only played at the NHL level during the 2022-23 season with the Rangers, where he posted one goal, five assists, six points, 57 blocks, 63 hits, and an even plus/minus rating. 

Following the 2022-23 season, Harpur spent each of the next two seasons exclusively with the Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wold Pack. In seven games with Hartford during the 2023-24, he posted one goal, three points, and a minus-1 rating. He then followed that up by recording one goal, five points, 48 penalty minutes, and a minus-4 rating in 29 games with Hartford this past season. 

It will now be interesting to see if Harpur can land an NHL contract from another team before the season starts from here. In 198 career NHL games over seven seasons split between the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, and Rangers, he has recorded two goals, 21 points, and 317 hits. 

As one of the more active teams in free agency during the offseason, the Detroit Red Wings signed multiple new players for the 2025-26 NHL campaign, one of them being veteran James van Riemsdyk. 

The second overall pick in 2007 by the Philadelphia Flyers (one spot behind now-teammate Patrick Kane, who went first overall to Chicago) already has 1,082 games of NHL experience, a factor that the Red Wings hope will pay dividends in their quest to end their postseason drought.

However, van Riemsdyk was unable to participate in Training Camp and the first several practices and games of the pre-season schedule, as he was dealing with a personal situation. 

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

That personal situation was revealed to be a blessing, as his wife gave birth to twin boys. One of his new sons required some extra time in the hospital, which understandably necessitated van Riemsdyk's absence. 

Following his first practice with the Red Wings this week, van Riemsdyk expressed thanks to the Red Wings organization and particularly to GM Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan for their understanding. 

“First and foremost, I just really wanted to express my appreciation and gratefulness to the Red Wing organization, particularly Steve (Yzerman) and Todd (McLellan),” van Riemsdyk said after his first practice. “You come to a new team and you don’t really know everyone that well, but just how supportive they were the last few weeks, last few months actually, of dealing with some stuff, with the birth of our twins and just some stuff related to that with the pregnancy for my wife, just how great they were with me.”

Red Wings Reveal Centennial Jersey Night ScheduleThe 2025-26 NHL season is set to be a historical one for the Detroit Red Wings, who are celebrating their centennial campaign. 

van Riemsdyk also lauded the strength of his wife in dealing with the situation, which thankfully appears to have resulted in everything being fine with his now-larger family. 

 “One of them had some little extra time in the hospital. It’s obviously emotional thing dealing with stuff with your family, with your newborns and it keeps things in perspective. Definitely lucky to have a wife that’s very strong and did such a great job through the whole thing and obviously just feeling the support of all my family and support system and the organization here.”

Depending on how the rest of the pre-season, which has only two games remaining, goes, van Riemsdyk could potentially see time on Detroit's top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. 

He'll also likely see time on Detroit's power-play as a net-front presence, much in the same style as four-time Stanley Cup winner Tomas Holmstrom, who made his living by making life a living nightmare for opposition goaltenders. 

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The Florida Panthers are entering the home stretch of the preseason.

With only two games and five days remaining before they can officially shift their focus to Opening Night, the Panthers have made some big cuts to their training camp roster.

On Thursday, Florida announced that the roster had been trimmed down to 29 players, a significant drop from the 52 players that made up the roster previously.

The moves break down like this:

MacKenzie Entwistle, Nolan Foote and Wilmer Skoog have been waived, and will head to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers if they clear.

Contracted players who have been assigned to Charlotte are forwards Jack Devine, Josh Davies, Gracyn Sawchyn, Kai Schwindt, Ryan McAllister, Ben Steeves, Hunter St. Martin, Anton Lundmark and Sandis Vilmanis, defensemen Marek Alscher, Michael Benning and Mikulas Hovorka and goaltender Cooper Black.

Also heading to Charlotte are Jake Livingstone, Trevor Carrick and Hunter Johannes, who were all released from their PTOs (professional tryouts), as well as Liam McLinskey, Brett Chorske and Colton Huard, who were released from their ATOs (amateur tryouts).

Additionally, defenseman Ben Harpur was released from his PTO.

Florida’s training camp roster now features 18 forwards, eight defenseman and three goalies. They must get the roster down to at least 23 players by Opening Night.

It will be an important few days for forwards Tyler Motte, Noah Gregor and Jack Studnicka, who are all vying for an NHL job. 

The Panthers will close out their preseason with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night in Tampa and Saturday night in Sunrise.

An updated training camp roster can be seen below: 

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The Minnesota Wild signing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136-million contract extension will make the 28-year-old left winger the NHL's highest-paid player starting next season.

It also raised questions among the punditry over how it will affect the 2026 UFA market.

Connor McDavid tops next summer's UFA class, but The Hockey News' Jim Parsons and TSN's Chris Johnston don't see Kaprizov's contract having any effect on McDavid's negotiations with the Edmonton Oilers.

Johnston believes McDavid prefers a short-term contract over a long-term deal, speculating he could get something between two and four years. As for salary, he pointed out that the Oilers need salary-cap flexibility to maintain a competitive roster around their captain.

Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Journalbelieves McDavid must choose between the security of a long-term contract at a guaranteed $144 million if he pursues the cap maximum annual salary, or a short-term one where his salary rises with the cap in a few years, despite the injury risk.

Tychkowski's colleague, Jim Matheson, doubts McDavid will accept a lower average annual value than Kaprizov's $17 million. He predicts the Oilers' superstar will give his club a discount of $18 million annually on a two or three-year contract.

Why Connor McDavid Shouldn't Consider An Oilers Discount After Kaprizov SigningNews that Minnesota Wild superstar left winger Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year contract extension Tuesday sent ripple effects throughout the NHL – most notably, in Edmonton, where Oilers dynamo Connor McDavid is in need of a contract extension.

Meanwhile, Pierre LeBrun agreed with Johnston that Kaprizov's contract will have little effect on McDavid's negotiations. He felt other notable UFAs would be affected, like Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights, Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings, Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres, and Martin Necas of the Colorado Avalanche.

Vegas Hockey Now's Hannah Kirkell cited several NHL insiders predicting that Eichel could get a new contract from the Golden Knights with an average annual value between $13 million and $14 million.

While that's a lot of money, Kirkell pointed out that it would only be between 12.5 and 13.46 percent of next season's $104 million salary cap.

Bleacher Report's Frank Seravalli believes Kaprizov's deal could push Necas' salary much higher than the Avalanche might prefer, especially if the 27-year-old right winger has another point-per-game season alongside Nathan MacKinnon. He didn't rule out a $10 million average annual value for Necas.

Kaprizov's deal also ensures Winnipeg Jets left winger Kyle Connor will get a significant raise. TSN's Darren Dreger reports the two sides continue to grind away in negotiations, seeking a deal that makes sense for both sides.

Connor's been a consistent scorer for the Jets, sitting eighth among the league leaders in total goals (282) since 2017-18. He also has two 90-plus point seasons on his resume, including a career-high 97 points in 2024-25. Connor is earning an AAV of $7.142 million, and another 90-point season could earn him a raise of around $12 million annually.

Kempe has led all Kings scorers with 139 total goals since his 2021-22 breakout season. Another solid performance this season could see his AAV rise from $5.5 million to $10 million.

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New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes once again had a strong season for the Metropolitan Division club in 2024-25. In 62 games, the 24-year-old forward recorded 27 goals, 43 assists, 70 points, and a plus-12 rating. With this, the 2019 first-round pick was over a point per game player for the fourth season in a row. 

Now, due to his latest big season, Hughes has been rewarded. This is because he has made Sportsnet's top 50 players list ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Hughes was given the No. 19 on Sportsnet's list. With this, he ranked ahead of other notable NHL stars like William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators). 

When looking at the year Hughes just had and his success over the years, it is not surprising in the slightest that he has been ranked as one of the top players in the NHL right now by Sportsnet. It will be interesting to see what kind of year he puts together for the Devils in 2025-26 from here. 

As the Ottawa Senators continue their pre-season auditions, Tuesday’s 5-0 loss illustrated something clearly. When the Montreal Canadiens play the Ottawa Senators this season, they intend to try to intimidate them physically.

Who could blame them? Aside from Brady Tkachuk, who else on the roster can fight and win? This is not to question anyone's heart.

Zack MacEwen was signed a couple of years ago as a response to the Toronto Maple Leafs signing Ryan Reaves. MacEwen is a good fighter and always willing to answer the bell. But he hasn't fared well against the league's heavyweights.

Everyone answered the bell in the Habs game. The Habs, led by the Brothers Xhekaj, initiated the majority and, aside from Kirby Dach turtling against Donovan Sebrango, there really wasn’t a chest puff moment for the Senators.

As far as nuclear deterrents go, the Senators don’t have anyone in the system who can play regularly AND keep the other team in line.

Tyler Kleven has the size to suggest he could handle himself. However, his inaugural bout was against Adam Lowry of the Jets, and it soon became clear that Kleven played University hockey where he did not learn how to become a great fighter. 

Carter Yakemchuk had 120 penalty minutes in his draft year and another 82 last year, but didn't have much interest in fighting on Tuesday night. Gabriel Eliasson, the Senators' 2nd pick in the 2024 priority selection, was regarded as the meanest player in the 2024 draft. This is a reputation he tried to uphold in rookie camp this year.

Perhaps they will be a pair one day. This doesn’t solve the current dilemma.

Ridly Greig will take all comers and that isn’t necessarily a good thing. He irritates. He doesn’t intimidate.

Other teams may take note of what happened on Tuesday and try to replicate it. The risk is not only having liberties taken with your star players, but also having your captain taken out of the game defending people when he should be wreaking havoc in front of the opposing goalie.

Looking within the division, the defending champion, Florida Panthers, are without a couple of key pieces in Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, who play the hard minutes, but the Panthers also have the likes of Sam Bennett, who can play it anyway you want or someone like AJ Greer, who can play hard minutes and fight.

The Leafs have said goodbye to Mitch Marner, and new faces like Nicolas Roy won’t replace his offence but will make them bigger and harder to play against. They also brought in Michael Pezzetta for nights when trouble is expected. Simon Benoit is a defenseman who brings both size and the ability to use it effectively to the table. Not the most intimidating roster in the division, but they are big enough not to get pushed around.

The Bruins have the likes of Nikita Zadorov who is as mean as they come, and they also doubled down on former Senator Mark Kastelic for another three years. Say what you will, but Kastelic can play a fourth-line role and can win a fight. He had 10 last year alone. The Bruins, as a team, had the second most fights in the NHL last season with 30.

The Bolts don’t have a lot of guys who fight but they have plenty of guys who can, and they are huge with the likes of former Senator Nick Paul, Victor Hedman, Erik Czernak, and the list goes on. Teams won’t intimidate them physically.

The Sabres don’t have a Matthew Barnaby type and haven’t in a long time. Adding Josh Norris didn’t make them tougher to play against. They also own the longest playoff drought in the league at 14 seasons. Coincidence? They had the eighth most fights in the league last year at 23. Fights at the end of games you are about to lose don’t add up to much in the standings.

The Detroit Red Wings don’t have anyone who would fit the description of an enforcer. They also have the second-longest playoff drought in the league at nine years. Coincidence? Mason Appleton is a gritty player, but as an off-season signing, he doesn’t really inspire fear, and nor do adding Jacob Bernard-Docker and Travis Hamonic. Hard to say where Stevie Y is taking this team.

Coming out of the last lockout, the competition committee sought to make the game faster and more entertaining with an emphasis on skill. This led to the near extinction of the dedicated enforcer. It also led to players who can both play harder minutes, be physical AND fight when needed, all the more valuable. Tkachuk is the Senators' only such player.

Teams don’t need a lot of pugilism to be effective, but they do need some, and aside from their captain, the Senators have a glaring gap in this department.

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EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders conclude their preseason slate on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers at  Xfinity Mobile Arena. We will be chatting with head coach Patrick Roy and select players at 4 PM ET. 

Puck drop is slated for 7 PM ET and can be watched, exclusively, on ESPN+.

Forward Jonathan Drouin, who missed Wednesday's skate due to illness, did rejoin the team on Thursday but did not take part in line rushes. Roy didn't think he'd play when we spoke to the bench boss following Wednesday's skate. 

Drouin went pointless in three preseason games, but was clearly getting more comfortable with his new team in each passing game. 

"It’s something you feel. You’re forechecking and you're in your head saying, ‘Am I in the right spot?’ or ‘Am I forechecking the right guy?’ That stuff kind of goes away. & you’re just playing. You’re skating, you’re freer."#Isles@TheElmontershttps://t.co/4cIaYpPSMH

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) October 2, 2025

Forwards Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri were on the ice but neither took part in line rushes. Both took part in penalty kill work. 

Goaltender Ilya Sorokin told us he wanted to play in two preseason games, and he'll get to do that as he'll start the finale. He stopped 23 of 26 in a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils last Friday \\. 

Here's the lines:

#Isles morning skate lines:

Duclair-Ritchie-Heineman
Lee-Barzal-Tsyplakov
Holmstrom-Pageau-Shabanov
Cizikas-MacLean-Gatcomb
E: Horvat, Drouin, Palmieri

Pelech-Pulock
Schaefer-Mayfield
Romanov-Boqvist
George-DeAngelo

Sorokin
Rittich

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) October 2, 2025

Forward Maxim Tsyplakov, who wasn't available for the first four preseason games, did skate on Monday, but did so on the fourth line. He's focused heavily on going North and not as much East-West-South play that got him in trouble at times during his rookie season. 

We'll see what he can show alongside Barzal.

Forward Calum Ritchie also played on the fourth line last game, but we know he is a top-six forward once he develops to the level the organization envisioned. 

While making the Islanders' roster out of training camp is going to be tough despite his strong performance, Thursday serves as his final chance to show his worth, and the Islanders seem to be giving him an opportunity to do that, playing alongside Anthony Duclair and Emil Heineman. 

Here's how the Islanders lineup on the power play:

#Isles PP: (QB-LW-RW-B-N)

PP1: Schaefer-Barzal-Duclair-Heineman-Lee
PP2: Boqvist-Shabanov-Holmstrom-Ritchie-Tsyplakov

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) October 2, 2025

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Former New York Rangers defenseman Niko Mikkola has landed a big payday, as he has signed an eight-year, $40 million contract extension with the Florida Panthers. His extension will kick in during the 2026-27 season. 

Mikkola first signed with the Panthers during the 2023 NHL off-season in free agency after finishing the 2022-23 season with the Rangers. Since then, he has become a key part of Florida's blueline and has won the Stanley Cup twice. Thus, it is understandable that the Panthers have locked him up to this long-term contract extension. 

More of Mikksy!

📝 » https://t.co/XJRqf2bYuspic.twitter.com/GvqZ84ahwd

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) October 2, 2025

Mikkola was acquired by the Rangers with forward Vladimir Tarasenko during the 2022-23 season from the St. Louis Blues. In 31 games with the Rangers that season following the trade, the 6-foot-6 defenseman recorded one goal, three points, 38 blocks, 55 hits, and a plus-4 rating. He also played in seven playoff games for the Blueshirts in 2023, where he recorded two assists, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-2 rating. 

There is a scene in the third episode of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL Season 2 that, depending on your view of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is either highly inspirational or the saddest thing ever.

In it, Sidney Crosby is sweating and grunting through a set of squats in a workout room that he has personally decorated with portraits of the past 16 Stanley Cup winners. He apparently started putting these pictures up in 2008, after the Penguins lost in the final to the Detroit Red Wings. That summer, Crosby hung a photo of Nicklas Lidstrom hoisting the Cup. He then hung up an empty frame next to it as motivation for the following season.

The Penguins went on to win the Cup in 2009. Since then, Crosby has continued the tradition.

“I always put the winning captain up,” Crosby said in the Prime Video docuseries. “When we lost in ’08, I just wanted as a reminder, so I started doing that. Kept putting them up and leave the empty one there.”

Here’s the thing: no one — and I mean absolutely no one — is picking the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup this season, let alone qualify for the playoffs. The Hockey News' Yearbook predicted that the Penguins, which finished last season in seventh place in the Metro, will end up dead last in the division. But even in what is being framed as a rebuilding year, he still believes that this could also be the year where he adds another one of his photos to the empty frame.

Call him an idealist, if you want. Or delusional. But you have to love the competitiveness fire that still burns brightly inside the veteran captain. You also have to wonder why Crosby is pushing towards a goal that seems so unrealistic and unachievable.

When asked by an off-camera producer what keeps him motivated at this stage of his career, the Penguins captain was succinct in his answer: “I think winning,” he said. “I don’t really know any different.”

Season 2 of Faceoff: Inside the NHL premieres October 3 on Prime Video! pic.twitter.com/g68r9M37xp

— NHL (@NHL) September 30, 2025

FACEOFF: Inside the NHL Season 2 premiers on Prime Video on Oct. 3, with the six-episode docuseries featuring Crosby, the Tkachuk brothers, William Nylander and more.

Episode 3, according to NHL.com, “raises eyebrows and questions as Crosby and his agent, Pat Brisson, talk about his future with the Pittsburgh Penguins.”

“Sid and Pat were just amazing to us on this project,” director Daniel Amigone told NHL.com. “It’s hard to get that kind of access. It was certainly not guaranteed throughout. Hopefully, we represented it accurately, and we stand behind what we have in the show.”

Indeed, Crosby only knows one way. But that way is at odds with the path that the Penguins are forging.

GM Kyle Dubas is not trying to win a championship this season. He’s not even trying to make the playoffs. No, with an over-the-hill roster and a cupboard that is bare of top-end prospects, he’s trying to win the No. 1 pick in the draft. In order to do that, the Penguins need to lose. And they need to lose big — and probably for more than just one season.

So what is Crosby doing staring at a wall of portraits and squatting? It’s like the life-imprisoned convict who keeps his sanity by digging a hole to freedom, only to realize that he’s been digging towards the cell next to him. The goal is not only unrealistic, it’s unreachable.

That is, as long as he remains in Pittsburgh.

Which raises the question: if the only thing motivating Crosby is winning, then why not accept a trade to Colorado or even Montreal, where the chances at winning are much greater than they are in Pittsburgh?

After all, at the age of 38, it’s not like he has many more years of this.

“I mean, I understand it," Crosby said of the speculation surrounding his future while at the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour in September. "It's not something that you want to discuss. You'd rather be talking about who are we getting at the deadline, or where we're at as far as are we one, two or three in the division?

"But, you know, it's one of those things that's the hard part about losing. I think everybody thinks that losing is, the buzzer goes, you lose the game, and that sucks. But there's so much more. It’s the turnover, it's the unknown, the uncertainty, the question marks. That’s the stuff that's tough, and it makes you appreciate all those years of we're competing and going after that big acquisition every single trade deadline. I don't think I took it for granted, but I definitely appreciate it that much more now."

Despite Turnover And Uncertainty, Sidney Crosby Remains Loyal To The Penguins For NowYou can say many things about NHL icon Sidney Crosby.

You could argue that Crosby has won enough and done enough where chasing another Cup isn't that important on his to-do list.

Sure, Crosby’s already a three-time Stanley Cup winner and a two-time Olympic gold medallist who probably deserves to be placed next to Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe on the Mount Rushmore of the greatest players to have laced up their skates.

But he’s also a player who finished in the top-10 in scoring last season with 91 points and who captained Canada to a championship at the 4 Nations Face-Off. In February, Crosby will participate in his third Olympics, where he’ll try to lead the country to its third gold medal.

In other words, he can still win. And he can still help a team, whether it’s a Colorado or Montreal, win. But what he can’t do is help the Penguins win, no matter the motivation and no matter how many squats he’s performing.

"It hasn't changed my approach," he said. "I mean, I still go out there trying to win every single game and try to be the best that I can be. I think that youth and having that energy around you isn't a bad thing, either. And we've got a lot of hungry guys, a lot of competition for spots. So, I think you just try to find different things that you can feed off of, and still continue to learn through it.”