The Buffalo Sabres need solid years from everybody to even come close to being in the mix for a Stanley Cup playoff appearance for the first time in a decade. But (and at the risk of just pointing out one of those players when it will take big efforts from most Sabres players to make Buffalo a playoff team) we're going to focus on a player this writer believes has to have a big year to get the Sabres back in the post-season.

And that player is a key player for Buffalo: team captain and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

First of all, let's be clear: we all need some empathy for Dahlin. His fiancee had a major health scare, and Dahlin and his fiancee need our understanding as they walk the road of recovery. Nothing that happens on the ice is more important than that. 

But there's also no denying Dahlin needs a high-impact season to improve Buffalo's play in its own zone and getting into a playoff spot. The Sabres were tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins as the third-worst defensive team last season, giving up an average of 3.50 goals-against per game. Only Chicago (3.56) and San Jose (3.78) were worse -- and both of those teams, as well as the Sabres and Penguins, all were well out of a playoff position in 2024-25.

Thus, while the Sabres definitely needs a banner year on offense from Dahlin, it's the team's play in the defensive end that has to show the most growth. And as he enters his prime at 25 years old, Dahlin has to lead the charge and be better all-around this season. 

Dahlin had a rebound season on offense last season; although his goal total fell from 20 in 2023-24 to 17 in 2024-25, Dahlin's assist total went from 39 in '23-24 to 51 in '24-25. Dahlin had nine more points last season than he did the year prior, so imagining he's going to surge by 20 points is unfair to him. If he can get back to his career highs of goals (20) assists (58) and points (73), the Sabres will be elated.

Value In Former Sabres Shows Buffalo Has Talent -- But So Far, The Mix Has Always Been WrongBelieve it or not, the Buffalo Sabres and their players are not inherently terrible. Sure, there are Buffalo players you may believe to be flawed, and sure, the Sabres have been consistently sub-par for the past 14 seasons -- none of which have ended with Stanley Cup playoff games being played in Western New York.  But if you look at some of Buffalo's former players, you see that they have some value across the league, even though they have a stint with the Sabres on their resume.

But though Dahlin is a savvy defender who is Buffalo's primary saving grace on 'D', he needs to create a defense-minded tide that raises all Sabres boats -- by which, we mean Dahlin has to find ways to make his teammates better. Dahlin can't work miracles if the talent Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has assembled around him aren't true difference-makers. But when you wear the 'C', you're primarily responsible for ensuring the mentality you expect in a playoff team to have taken root in your dressing room. You have to be what you're being asked to be -- a leader.

Absent an all-around improvement in their own end, the Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 15th-straight season. That's inevitable unless Dahlin and his teammates change the narrative in Buffalo. 

This Season Could Be Final Kick At Can For Sabres Coach Ruff, GM AdamsThe Buffalo Sabres' 2025-26 season is about as high-stakes as it gets. The Sabres will be aiming to end the organization's 14-year drought on the Stanley Cup playoff front. And while certain players will not be long for Buffalo if the Sabres fail to make it into the post-season this year, the reality is the Sabres' most prominent coaching and management members -- coach Lindy Ruff and GM Kevyn Adams -- could be getting their final kick at the can in their jobs -- at least, at the NHL level.

The Sabres are going to need contributions from each of their players this season in order to get back into the post-season. But if Dahlin can't coax better play out of the rest of the Sabres, Buffalo will indeed be in trouble once again.

The defense is the thing in Sabres Land, and that's what Buffalo has to address. What their captain has to address. Nobody's asking Dahlin to coach the team, but when you're the leader, you're responsbile. And the defense is going to hang on Dahlin's shoulders this year. When you're making $11-million every year until 2032, it's ultimately on you. And that's where Dahlin is in NHL Season No. 8. 

Abols at it again, Foerster makes preseason debut and Flyers notch shootout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the second time in preseason action, the Flyers went to a shootout.

And for the second time, they won it.

The Flyers picked up a 3-2 victory Monday night over the Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.

Bobby Brink was the lone scorer in the skills competition. Dan Vladar denied all three of the Bruins’ attempts.

The shootout wasn’t nearly as long as the Flyers’ first one, which was eight days ago and went 11 rounds against the Islanders. Rick Tocchet’s club finished with a 3-2 victory in that one, as well.

On Monday night, Noah Cates broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the second period. After Boston responded a little over three minutes later, Rodrigo Abols struck with 24 seconds left in the middle stanza.

The Bruins tied things up again with 8:39 minutes left in the third period to force overtime.

The Flyers didn’t dress four of their top five scorers from last season and four of their top defensemen.

Tocchet’s club improved to 2-3-0 in the preseason with two games to go.

• Not sure how you can keep Abols off the Flyers’ season-opening roster.

He’s the team’s only skater to have played in all five preseason games so far. And he has more than answered the challenge.

His goal was his second of the preseason and third point. It came on a beautiful shot.

Tocchet and the Flyers have liked Abols’ positional versatility. The 29-year-old can play center or winger and he moves very well for a 6-foot-4 guy.

If merit matters in camp, Abols has earned a spot. He can help the Flyers in their bottom six right now.

• Tyson Foerster made his preseason debut after recovering from offseason surgery to address an infection in the area of his elbow.

“I think he worked extremely hard on his rehab, give him a lot of credit,” Tocchet said Monday morning. “Doesn’t surprise me, he’s a character kid.”

The 23-year-old winger picked up an assist on Cates’ goal and played just under 21 minutes. It would be surprising if the line of Foerster, Cates and Brink isn’t together on opening night.

• Vladar has been a real positive through his four periods of preseason action.

The free-agent addition played the full game Monday night and converted 13 saves on 15 shots. He has stopped 21 of 24 shots in exhibition play.

The 6-foot-5 netminder has the ability to make an athletic save and has done a nice job tracking pucks through traffic.

So far, so good from Vladar.

• The Flyers’ entire defensive group Monday night featured players on the bubble.

Adam Ginning didn’t hurt his push for a job by recording four blocked shots and a plus-1 mark in 22:58 minutes. His size and defensive-minded game could be welcomed by the Flyers with Rasmus Ristolainen out to start the season.

It’s possible Egor Zamula didn’t help himself. On Boston’s game-tying 1-1 goal, it looked like Zamula was unable to pick up the stick of Sean Kuraly, who tipped one home in front.

During another part of the second period, Zamula was a bit too methodical in the slot of the Flyers’ defensive zone. As he tried to clear the puck, he was stripped and it led to a scoring chance.

• Helge Grans was placed on waivers Monday, according to PuckPedia.com. If the 23-year-old defenseman clears, he’s expected to report to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

• The Flyers have a couple of days before they’re back into preseason action Thursday when they host the Islanders (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The St. Louis Blues have assigned winger Matt Luff and defenseman Corey Schueneman to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, after they cleared waivers.

Luff, 28, is entering his second season with the Thunderbirds after pouring in 18 goals and 45 points in 50 games last year. 

The 6-foot-3, right-handed shooter started his professional career with the Los Angeles Kings franchise, before playing with the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings and the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate.

Luff has played 276 games in the AHL, scoring 87 goals and 212 points. In the NHL, Luff has scored 15 goals and 27 points in 106 games. Luff hasn't played any games in the NHL with the Blues.

Schueneman, 30, is a left-handed defenseman also playing in his second season with the Thunderbirds. In 63 games, Schueneman scored four goals and 20 points. In his AHL career, Schueneman has recorded 25 goals and 110 points in 307 games.

Schueneman skated in four games with the Blues last year, but did not record any points. In his career, Schueneman has played in 35 games, scoring two goals and seven points. 

News And Notes From Day 12 Of St. Louis Blues Training Camp MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Milan Lucic was back on the ice for the St. Louis Blues on Monday, nearly a week after leaving practice early with a groin strain.

The Detroit Red Wings are understandably hoping for big things in the career of goaltender Sebastian Cossa, whom they selected in 2021 (15th overall). 

As is the case with many goaltenders, Cossa's development has included both ups and downs so far in his tenures with the Toledo Walleye and the Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Cossa faltered down the stretch last season for the Griffins, and didn't perform much better in the Calder Cup Playoffs when he was pulled during what was a three-game series loss. 

He's already made two starts in pre-season play, making 15 saves on 17 shots in a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 23, but his start against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday wasn't as successful. 

Cossa surrendered four goals on the 16 shots he faced as part of a 5-2 loss, which included a tally from Tage Thompson in the final frame in which he was scrambling to get back into position, albeit too late. 

Tommer strikes again on the power play! 🎯#LetsGoBuffalopic.twitter.com/zD4L0IarpF

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 27, 2025

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As far as what head coach Todd McLellan believes about Cossa's performance against the Sabres, there were both positives and negatives, but his overall outlook of eventual starting goaltender material remains unchanged. 

"I think that Sebastian has an opportunity to blossom into an outstanding goaltender, and he'll keep working towards that," McLellan said following Monday's practice. "Some of the goals that went in on him were - I don't know if a lot of guys would stop them."

"So Iconic": Cam Talbot Touts Red Wings History In New Mask Design For Centennial Season A steady, veteran leader is what the Detroit Red Wings gained when GM Steve Yzerman inked goaltender Cam Talbot to a two-year contract during the 2024 offseason. 

"But that's okay - it's some of the other clean up stuff around the crease," he continued. "Being alert, he took a penalty when he went out and misplayed the puck below the goal line, those are are need to get cleaned up. And that's just being really sharp and alert all game. Even when the puck is away from you, you got to be thinking about what could happen." 

Cossa spoke plainly during Training Camp about the necessity of having a strong season in 2025-26, which also happens to be a contract year for him. He's eligible for restricted free agency next offseason. 

In the meantime, McLellan believes that if Cossa makes adjustments to certain aspects of his game, he could eventually be Detroit's go-to man in the crease. 

"I think those are areas that he can clean up, but no doubt about it, I think he can be a really good goaltender," McLellan said.

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ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced on Monday some cuts to its training camp roster. The roster is now down to 31 players.

The Wild sent forwards Caedan Bankier and Rasmus Kumpulainen, defensemen Carson Lambos and David Spacek and goaltenders Samuel Hlavaj and Riley Mercer to the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Iowa's training camp has begun.

Minnesota also placed forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Ben Jones and defensemen Ben Gleason and Matt Kiersted on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Iowa.

The Wild also released defenseman Wyatt Newpower from his professional tryout. He will report to Iowa training camp.

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Every NHL team needs a goaltender to come through and help propel them into the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, some teams are more needy than others.

No goalie and team need it more than the Detroit Red Wings and starter John Gibson.

Without a doubt, the Wings need a big year out of Gibson. They acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Detroit’s 2027 second-round pick, 2028 fourth-rounder, and goalie Petr Mrazek.

The Red Wings are now committed to Gibson for this coming season and 2026-27 at an annual salary of $6.4 million. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has firmly tied his playoff hopes to Gibson, and if it doesn’t work out for the netminder, things could get ugly in Motown.

At 32, Gibson has put up fairly decent individual numbers in his 12 years in the NHL, appearing in 506 regular-season games and posting a .910 save percentage. Last season, Gibson appeared in only 29 games for Anaheim, putting up a .912 SP and 2.77 goals-against average. He had some health concerns to deal with, but it’s presumed Gibson is fully ready to go. Regardless, it’s safe to say the Red Wings will be looking to Gibson to play many more games than he played last year.

Gibson has 26 games of playoff experience, but he hasn’t made it that far since 2018, when he lost four straight and posted a 3.60 GAA and .889 SP against the San Jose Sharks. So while he’s going to have a better-than average backup in Cam Talbot – who posted a .901 SP and 2.93 GAA in 42 appearances last season – Gibson is still going to be relied on the most in Detroit. 

The Ducks allowed the most shots against and the second-most expected goals against last season, according to naturalstattrick.com. That made Gibson's play even more impressive last season, logging 15.3 goals saved above expected, which were the 13th-most among NHL goalies, per moneypuck.com. Talbot, meanwhile, had 12.8 goals saved above expected on the Red Wings, while Mrazek was a minus-14 between Detroit and Chicago.

Having Gibson steal some likely goals will lead to more chances for Detroit to develop some consistency and get enough points here and there to make the playoffs. Keep in mind that Detroit finished just five points out of a playoff spot, and they were 16-8-8 in one-goal games. The Wings' goaltending wasn't necessarily among the worst last season, but they'll take any potential upgrade to turn some of those one-goal losses into more wins or even overtime losses.

Red Wings Need Flawless Season To Avoid Decade-Long Playoff DroughtAfter nine years without Stanley Cup playoff hockey, most fans of the Detroit Red Wings have become realists. That's because, heading into the 2025-26 regular season, it's apparent to many of them that the Red Wings have little chance of securing a playoff berth.

That said, the Red Wings’ defense corps might be as challenging as the one Gibson's leaving in Anaheim. While the Wings were 15th in the league in fewest shots against and 20th in expected goals against, their defense corps doesn't inspire confidence beyond Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson.

With the NHL’s goaltender carousel spinning, a starting job anywhere is the best opportunity you’re going to get when you’re looking for a change of scenery as a goalie nearing his mid-thirties. 

Gibson will be squarely in the spotlight, night in and night out, to demonstrate Yzerman was right to invest in him and bank on him being a difference-maker. You can’t say for sure how he will respond, but you can say Gibson will get every chance to re-establish himself as a top-tier netminder. The rest is up to him and the team around him.

Let’s not kid ourselves – the Red Wings and Yzerman could part ways if they don’t perform well this season, so the stakes couldn’t really be higher for the team and their new starting goalie.

The way Gibson responds will affect not only the Red Wings’ chances of ending their nine-year playoff drought but their path forward for the long term.

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The Vancouver Canucks have one of the best problems in the NHL — amass surplus in goaltending talent. It was ultimately for this reason that the team parted ways with Calder Cup MVP Artūrs Šilovs, who wouldn’t have been able to get the NHL playing minutes he wanted when lodged behind Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. The goaltending puzzle in Abbotsford appears to be set already as well, with Nikita Tolopilo and Ty Young taking up the roles as starter and backup or 1A and 1B. 

Vancouver’s stocked cabinets aren’t limited to just those players, however, as there’s another goaltender who was just put on waivers today. Jiří Patera, who looks to fit in somewhere between the Abbotsford Canucks and the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL, is in his second season with the Canucks. Unfortunately, this is also his second season ending up on the waiver wire for Vancouver before the start of the regular season. While no one knows how things could go from here, the hope is that Patera’s second pre-season waivers stint isn’t as tumultuous as his first. 

Last year, the Canucks sent Patera down to Abbotsford during the pre-season, needing to place him on waivers in order to do so. The Boston Bruins, who’d been having difficulties trying to navigate their goaltending situation as they were negotiating the terms of a new deal with starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman, claimed Patera from the Canucks to remedy any potential issues. 

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Only a couple of days later, Boston resolved their issues by signing Swayman to an eight-year, $8.25M AAV contract. This gave them the freedom to send Patera down to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. But doing so would require putting Patera on waivers. 

With Patera back on waivers, the Canucks made their claim, re-acquiring the goaltender they’d lost only a few days ago and retaining him as a part of their AHL core for that season. Now, Patera is back on waivers, and plenty of NHL teams are in a situation where they should search for more goaltending depth. Only time will tell where Patera ends up this year. 

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

The New Jersey Devils played their fourth preseason game yesterday in a split-squad matchup. Half the team faced the Ottawa Senators on the road, while the other half hosted the Washington Capitals in New Jersey.

The New Jersey group started slowly but battled back to force overtime, ultimately falling 3–2 in a shootout. Despite the loss, there were several key takeaways.

Devils Lineup (vs. Washington)

Gritsyuk – Hughes – Bratt

Palat – Hischier – Meier

Lachance – Melovsky – Hameenaho

MacDermid – Glendening – Halonen

Casey – Pesce

Dillon – Nemec

Vilen – Osipov

Markstrom, Daws

This lineup was the closest to a regular-season look so far this preseason, with Jacob Markstrom starting in goal. The Devils managed two goals in regulation.

The first came 15:10 into the second period, when captain Nico Hischier scored off a wrist shot assisted by Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, cutting the Capitals’ lead to 2–1.

Shane Lachance tied the game midway through the third, finishing a play set up by Hughes and Simon Nemec.

New Jersey was heavily outshot early, 10–2 in the first period, but narrowed the gap to 17–8 in the second and 19–18 in the third.

The game was decided in a shootout, which unfolded as follows:

• Jack Hughes scored
• Pierre-Luc Dubois scored
• Jesper Bratt missed
• Ryan Leonard scored
• Arseny Gritsyuk scored
• Jakob Chychrun missed
• Timo Meier missed
• Aliaksei Protas missed
• Nico Hischier missed
• Andrew Cristall scored, clinching the win for Washington

Meanwhile, the squad in Ottawa fared no better.

Devils Lineup (vs. Ottawa)

Dadonov – Mercer – Brown

Cotter – Glass – Legare

Bordeleau – Rooney – Squires

Crookshank – Lammikko – Parent

Cholowski – Addison

Edwards – Strand

White – Diotte

Romanov, Malek

The Devils were shut out 2–0 by the Senators, with Ottawa scoring twice in the third period. Stephen Halliday and Olle Lycksell provided the goals.

New Jersey took three penalties: Cholowski (holding, 1st period), and Strand and Brown (tripping, 3rd period). The standout for the Devils was goaltender Romanov, who stopped 61 shots for a .968 save percentage and 1.02 goals against average.

Both Devils squads came up short, and the organization has now begun roster cuts ahead of the 2025–26 regular season opener on October 9 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

New Jersey will close out the preseason with two more games: Thursday, October 2 against the New York Rangers, and Saturday, October 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The final full week of the NHL's pre-season is here, and it's time to discuss more rapid-fire topics on The Wraparound.

What Role Will Zayne Parekh Play On The Flames? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Adam Kierszenblat discussed in this episode:

0:00: Breaking down Mason McTavish’s extension with the Anaheim Ducks

4:05: Reflecting on the career of Marc-Andre Fleury

9:55: Can Cam Fowler be a strong contributor for the entirety of his new extension with the St. Louis Blues?

13:45: Could Zayne Parekh play a big role for the Calgary Flames this season?

18:20: Will Anthony Stolarz be one of the NHL’s most valuable goaltenders relative to cap hit?

22:20: How will the Toronto Maple Leafs sort out their bottom six forwards?

26:10: Could Braeden Cootes crack the Vancouver Canucks’ opening day lineup?

29:35: Who needs to step up for the Seattle Kraken in the absence of Kaapo Kakko?

31:30: Could Radim Mrtka make an early appearance for the Buffalo Sabres?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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According to The Leafs Nation's Nick Alberga, former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty is retiring and is now working for the University of Michigan, which is where he played his college hockey. 

Alberga also noted that Pacioretty received interest from multiple teams in free agency this off-season. 

Despite interest from multiple clubs over the summer, Max Pacioretty appears to be hanging up his skates.

He is now working with the University of Michigan.

— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) September 29, 2025

Pacioretty was one of the top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on the market, but based on this report from Alberga, the former Canadiens star is retiring instead of signing elsewhere. 

Pacioretty played in 37 games this past season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he had five goals, 13 points, and a minus-2 rating. Yet, he ended his career on a solid note during the playoffs this spring, as he posted three goals, five assists, eight points, and a plus-1 rating in 11 post-season games for the Maple Leafs. 

Pacioretty was selected by the Canadiens with the 22nd overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In 626 games over 10 seasons with the Habs, the 6-foot-2 forward recorded 226 goals, 222 assists, 448 points, 800 hits, and a plus-36 rating. He also served as the Canadiens' captain from 2015-16 to 2017-18 before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2018 NHL off-season in exchange for current Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, forward Tomas Tatar, and a 2019 second-round pick. 

NHL teams chip away at their camp rosters as they try to form the 23-man rosters they’ll ice on opening night next week.

While most of the cuts so far have been AHL and ECHL regulars or unpolished prospects who had little chance of making teams in the first place, there have been a few players with pedigree who have surprisingly been demoted this early. Here are four such examples.

Devon Levi, G, Buffalo Sabres

At just 23, Devon Levi has had a whirlwind career thus far.

Since his unlikely seventh-round pick by the Florida Panthers from the Jr. A CCHL, he’s gone on to backstop Team Canada to world junior silver, become a two-time NCAA goaltender of the year and one-time Hobey Baker finalist. He's even already been a member of Team Canada’s Olympic and World Championship teams.

However, he’s struggled to adapt to the NHL.

Across parts of three seasons, the Montreal native has picked up an .894 save percentage through 39 games, with performance declines in each NHL stint. 

After an .872 save percentage over nine games last season, the Buffalo Sabres brought in recent Detroit Red Wings tandem goaltender Alex Lyon and ex-Avalanche and Sharks starting netminder Alexandar Georgiev to battle for the backup job behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. As such, there wasn’t really an opportunity for the still revered prospect.

Should Lyon get the axe, too, he could very well get claimed, opening up an opportunity for Levi as the team’s injury relief call-up. But as of right now, Levi is on the outside looking in.

The real question now is whether the Sabres will explore the trade market on Levi and instead put their trust in goaltending prospects Topias Leinonen, Ryerson Leenders, Samuel Meloche and Scott Ratzlaff, or if they’ll continue to try and make something of Levi.

Ivan Fedotov, G, Columbus Blue Jackets

Once heralded as a high-end goalie prospect with the Philadelphia Flyers, Ivan Fedotov has seen a fall from grace since his delayed arrival to the NHL.

The towering 6-foot-7 netminder has only amassed an .874 career save percentage over parts of two NHL seasons.

It’s not hard to see why the Gagarin Cup champion has struggled in North America. He missed the 2022-23 season participating in mandatory military service in Russia and then delayed his NHL debut by playing another campaign in the KHL with CSKA Moscow despite being contracted to the Flyers.

A move to the Columbus Blue Jackets could have been the opportunity for the now 28-year-old goaltender to start anew. But it looks like the Finland-born Russian goaltender will begin his 2025-26 campaign with the team's AHL affiliate after clearing waivers.

The Jackets have instead opted for the younger and more red-hot Jet Greaves as the backup option to Elvis Merzlikins.

Fedotov is on the back-half of a two-year deal worth $3.275 million per season. 

Joshua Roy, C, Montreal Canadiens

There was a point in time where the consensus was that Joshua Roy would be the future No. 3 center for the new-era Montreal Canadiens. The two-time world junior gold medallist has done well when called up, notching 11 points in 35 games over the last two NHL seasons.

However, the 22-year-old isn’t going to start the season on the Habs' main roster, being among the recent wave of cuts. 

With the Habs roster being young and in flux, there’s no doubt that with injuries, Roy will get more opportunities at the NHL level. In the meantime, he’ll have to continue working on his craft in the minors, where he had 35 points in 47 games last season.

NHL Waivers: Canucks, Rangers, Wild Among Seven Teams To Make MovesSeven teams placed a combined 22 players on NHL waivers Monday.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW, Minnesota Wild

While Aube-Kubel has never been an elite player, his pedigree speaks for itself.

He is a seven-year veteran, icing in 304 NHL games and amassing 80 points in the process, not to mention a Stanley Cup ring with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

Despite this, he’s always seemed to struggle with maintaining a full-time roster spot in the NHL, oftentimes having AHL stints, even during the best of his seasons.

After a 16-point campaign with the Washington Capitals in 2024, the Slave Lake, Alta., native secured a one-year $1.5-million  deal with the Buffalo Sabres. Since then, things have somewhat derailed.

Aube-Kubel netted just two-points with the Sabres while flip-flopping between the AHL and NHL before landing on the New York Rangers. They buried him in the minors for all but a three-game stint in late March.

The 29-year-old grabbed a league-minimum deal this off-season with the Minnesota Wild, but he already has found his way on the chopping block. The Wild placed him on waivers for assignment to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

Aube-Kubel remains a physically engaged depth player who has shown decent offensive upside. However, when he’s not in form, he’s frankly struggled to remain in teams’ good graces.

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According to PuckPedia, former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jordan Oesterle has been placed on waivers by the Nashville Predators. 

Oesterle, 33, split the 2024-25 season between the Boston Bruins and Predators. In 37 NHL games on the year between the two clubs, the left-shot defenseman recorded four goals, six assists, 10 points, 27 hits, and 57 blocks.

If Oesterle ends up clearing waivers, the Predators will then be able to send him down to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. However, it is fair to wonder if a team looking for a veteran depth defenseman could consider claiming Oesterle. 

Oesterle spent the 2017-18 season as a member of the Blackhawks. In 55 games with the Central Division club that campaign, the Dearborn Heights, Michigan native recorded five goals, 10 assists, 15 points, 62 hits, and 97 blocks. 

Oesterle's time with the Blackhawks ended during the 2018 NHL off-season when he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes. Since then, he has had stops with the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Bruins, and Predators. 

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Milan Lucic was back on the ice for the St. Louis Blues on Monday, nearly a week after leaving practice early with a groin strain.

The 37-year-old veteran forward, in training camp on a professional tryout, was skating on a line with Dalibor Dvorsky and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki with no restrictions.

“He looked really good, looked really sharp,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “It was good to have him back out there, was making a lot of plays. Seems like his confidence has grown throughout camp, which is a good sign.”

Missing a week of camp did Lucic, who hasn’t played in the NHL since Oct. 21, 2023, has done no favors of Lucic, who is trying to earn an NHL contract, and there’s only a week remaining before NHL opening night rosters need to be set.

“Yes and no. He’s got to make an impression to make the team,” Montgomery said. “He understands that. Whether he plays the last three games or the last two, we want to put himself in the best advantage so we can evaluate him at his best.

“I don’t want to get into those specifics, but there’s ways to extend his time without having to sign a contract.”

Lucic has played in just one of the preseason games, Sept. 21 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“It looked like it had been a year and a half since he played a game,” Montgomery said. “But his third period was his best period, so he continued to get better throughout the game, which is good to see. The first period, it looked like he was struggling out there, but the third period, he looked like he was playing hockey.”

Also, defenseman Philip Broberg, who missed practice on Saturday, was on the ice in full on Monday.

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The Blues reduced their training camp roster by two more on Monday when forward Matt Luff and defenseman Corey Schueneman were assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League after each cleared waivers.

On Sunday, the Blues sent 18 to Springfield, which opened its camp on Monday, and sent 2025 first-round pick Justin Carbonneau and 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek to their respective junior squads.

“With Carbonneau, I want him to gain that next-play speed and what I mean by that is when the puck transitions from offense to defense that he gets above it,” Montgomery said. “Anyone that’s been a scorer all their life, they hang and hope for a turnover, so they’re in a better offensive position, but they’re also aren’t as good as a defensive position, and when you get above pucks, now you’re skating into the goalie instead of being at the same level of the goalie, especially in the offensive zone. So that’s kind of what we talked about. Watch McDavid, watch MacKinnon, watch Crosby, watch these guys … Aho, watch our players that just naturally, because when he was on the ice with our players, he naturally was the last guy coming back into our end every time, and that’s just next-play speed. It’s just getting used to playing at, ‘I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to do that,’ and it just happens.

“And then with Jiricek, both of them are elite players. Jiricek’s elite with the puck and he’s just got to learn how to move it so he doesn’t have to take as many hits as he does. And he’s got the mentality of, ‘I’m going to take a hit to make the play,’ but sometimes let the puck do the work and jump by the forechecker, and now to get the puck back, you have more time and space.

“Both of them are going to be elite, NHL power play players. We see all that, but to get into the NHL as soon as we would like them to be, they’ve got to improve in those areas.”

One of the most common frustrations for Ottawa Senators fans in recent seasons has been the inability to watch certain games on TV. You might settle in for a game, knowing you’re a TSN subscriber living in the Ottawa viewing region, only to see the dreaded message: The scheduled program is not available in your region. In other words, the Ottawa program you're paying for in Ottawa is not available to you in Ottawa.

The problem has already resurfaced this year, most recently during Tuesday night’s preseason game in Toronto. Ian Mendes, the Senators’ vice president of communications, addressed the issue in his website column on Monday.

The root of the problem, Mendes explained, comes from how internet providers register IP addresses. Some Ottawa residents are being mistakenly identified as living elsewhere in Ontario.

"Your internet cable provider thinks you’re trying to watch a TSN 5 game from out-of-market, even though you live within a stone’s throw of Canadian Tire Centre," Mendes wrote. "If you try and stream the game on your phone – using regular data – you’ll be fine because it will register that your device is in Ottawa. But try watching the game off Wi-Fi on that same phone and boom, you’re back to the same problem. It might think you’re in Kitchener."

Mendes said some fans have been able to work around the issue by contacting their internet service provider and asking them to ‘whitelist’ their IP address, or to watch the game using your cable provider’s app on your phone using data – and stream to your television."

That latter workaround, of course, only makes sense for fans with unlimited data plans.

No English Radio or TV in Quebec City on Sunday

Broadcast challenges also popped up during Sunday’s preseason Senators game in Quebec City, where fans had no access to English TV or radio coverage. With TSN’s Sunday lineup packed with big events — the Ryder Cup, NFL football, and baseball pennant races — the Senators’ preseason tilt against the New Jersey Devils’ split squad didn’t quite make the cut.

So that's what happened with the English TV coverage.

As for radio, because neither team had an English TV crew on site, TSN 1200’s radio broadcasters — who no longer travel for road games — had no easy access to a video feed to call the game back home in Ottawa.

Ottawa Senators Radio Play-By-Play Team Won't Travel To Road Games This SeasonThe sports broadcast industry has undergone significant changes over the past several years, and it now appears to have finally impacted the Ottawa Senators.

That left the Senators and the station trying to set up their own video feed, a plan that never came together.

"We faced a lot of glitches. Our on-site team and the technical team back at TSN 1200 probably spent the better part of six hours trying to figure out a solution on Sunday. Without getting into all the boring technical stuff, I will simply say we could not provide TSN 1200 with a feed they felt comfortable with having Dean and Gord call the game from back in Ottawa."

More potential trouble ahead Thursday in St. Louis

And the broadcast problems this week may not be over. On Thursday, the Senators play the Blues in St. Louis — and that game also isn’t being broadcast by TSN or any TV network. And in Ottawa, no video feed also means no English radio feed. But they're on it. So please do not adjust your set.

"We’ll try and find a solution that works, but please know we’re trying our best behind the scenes on this stuff," Mendes said.

With the Enterprise Center being a full NHL arena equipped with proven broadcast technology, maybe there’s hope that the hookup will be smoother than it was on Sunday. 

If they can set up a clean video feed, fans could get an English radio call on TSN 1200 and possibly simulcast with video on the Senators’ website, which would suit most fans just fine.

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The Florida Panthers' “2025 Stanley Cup Championship Film,” which celebrates their repeat win, will premiere exclusively on ESPN on Thursday, Oct. 2 and Friday, Oct. 3.

The one-hour film debuts Oct. 2 on ESPN+ and Oct. 3 on ESPN2, and additional airings will include Sportsnet and Prime Video in Canada. The NHL’s YouTube channel will display the film in the coming weeks.

The film will allow Panthers fans and NHL fans to relive the Panthers' glory as they went on to win their second Stanley Cup. 

Per the Panthers' press release:

Produced by NHL Productions, the film unveils the emotional roller coaster, major in-season acquisitions and thrilling on-ice competition on the Panthers’ journey to becoming the seventh team in NHL history to win consecutive titles. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice gets the star treatment as he leads his team through the drama and intensity of a second straight Stanley Cup Final series against the Edmonton Oilers. With exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage, mic’d up moments throughout the rivalry and sit-down interviews with powerhouse players Seth Jones, Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart and more, the show gives fans a firsthand look at the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions.

The Panthers embark on chasing the coveted third consecutive Stanley Cup this season, with their regular season set to begin on Oct. 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Panthers will start the season without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, their top two forwards, which makes the challenge of repeating much harder.