Chandler Stephenson didn't score against the Calgary Flames on Sunday, but he still had a hand in plenty of what went right for Seattle.
The former Vegas Golden Knight picked up two assists in the Kraken's 6-1 win, helping Seattle put six goals on the board for the second time in its first three games.
Stephenson now has a goal and three assists through Seattle's first two games of the season.
His first assist Sunday came on Bobby McMann's goal in the opening period. He added another late in the third when Jordan Eberle finished off Seattle's sixth goal of the night.
Not a bad way to start the season.
Stephenson has already been pretty productive against Calgary. He scored in Seattle's season opener against the Flames, then followed it up with two assists in Sunday's rematch.
That's worth noting from the Vegas side, considering how much time Stephenson spent with the Golden Knights.
He was with the organization for five seasons and played 327 regular-season games in a Vegas uniform. During that time, he scored 75 goals and added 162 assists for 237 points.
Then there were the playoffs.
Stephenson played 65 postseason games with the Golden Knights, including 22 during the 2022-23 run. He scored 10 goals and 10 assists that postseason as Vegas went all the way and won its first Stanley Cup.
That's probably the part Vegas fans will remember most.
Before all of that, Stephenson had spent the first five years of his NHL career with Washington. His time in Vegas changed the trajectory of his career, and he became one of the more productive forwards on a team that eventually won it all.
He's moved on now, but he's still producing.
Seattle brought Stephenson in hoping he could provide some offense, and the early returns have been pretty good. Two games into the new season, he's already been involved in four goals.
He didn't need to score Sunday to make an impact.
Two assists were enough.
And for a player who spent five years helping the Golden Knights build one of the most successful stretches in franchise history, seeing Stephenson continue to put up points elsewhere is probably going to feel a little familiar.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Fred Vanvleet #5 of the Houston Rockets speaks with the media during the Houston Rockets Media Day at Hilton Americas-Houston on September 22, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Houston Rockets headed into the 2025-2026 season, the biggest question is how Kevin Durant will fit with his new team. The Rockets made the biggest move of that offseason when they traded Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks for the future Hall of Famer.
With the move, the Rockets were expected to be a favorite in the 25-26 season, bringing back three of their five starters and coming off their first playoff appearance since 2020. Adding Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, and Fred VanVleet should have given the Rockets one of the NBA’s best starting lineups. But that’s not what happened for the Rockets last season.
As the Rockets prepared to start day one of their 2025 training camp, VanVleet suffered a major injury during an offseason workout. At the time, no one knew if it would be season-ending, but the Rockets realized VanVleet would be out for a long time, at the very least. The Rockets prepared as if VanVleet would not see the floor for at least the entire regular season.
As the season went on, two things became clear to everyone following the Rockets. First, the Rockets lacked a suitable replacement for their veteran point guard. The Rockets at times had Reed Sheppard take over as the starting point guard, but for the most part, Amen Thompson was the lead guard, a position he did play frequently before entering the NBA.
Despite both players’ progress throughout the season, it wasn’t always enough to help the Rockets win games. That led Ime Udoka and his staff to improvise by having Durant or Sengun initiate the offense at the top of the key, with mixed results. The Rockets struggled in close games and in the playoffs as teams increasingly blitzed their ball handlers throughout the season.
That’s exactly why the Rockets brought VanVleet in via free agency a few years ago: they needed someone who could orchestrate the offense and limit turnovers. VanVleet has done that since joining the team, especially in his first season, when the Rockets finished with one of their best seasons in years, and he took care of the ball.
The Rockets ranked 24th in turnovers last season, their worst ranking since VanVleet joined the team. The previous season, when VanVleet was in the lineup, the Rockets ranked 15th with over a full turnover less per game. Although VanVleet wasn’t seen as a typical point guard before coming to the Rockets, he proved he could be a pass-first guard, posting a career-high in assists in his first season with the team.
Another area that VanVleet will help the Rockets this upcoming season is from beyond the arc. Despite a down season from the 3-point range in 2024-25, VanVleet has a career average of 37.1% from downtown, and with the addition of Durant, he is expected to bounce back from that .345 average he shot that season.
SB Nation asked VanVleet about the benefits of being a veteran, and even though he hadn’t played with Durant before, they should hit the ground running because of their experience.
I asked Fred even though him and Kevin did not play together last season will both of them being vets will make it a lot easier to hit the ground running this season.
“Kevin is probably maybe the greatest plug and play guy y’all find He can play in any system any court any team… pic.twitter.com/5HXMXuAiup
Another positive of having VanVleet back on the court is that it puts everyone back in their normal position, specifically Thompson. Thompson has thrived in the NBA playing at the dunker spot from his forward position. Last season, as mentioned earlier, Thompson had to play a lot more lead guard, which at times slowed down his offensive output. Now he can play more off-ball, which should lead to a career year on offense.
Another plus is that the Rockets bench should be much better than its league-worst ranking last season. The additions of veterans like Marcus Smart and Bogdan Boganovich will defintely help, and having Sheppard and Tari Eason off the bench will help too, since they won’t have to start games with VanVleet back.
Of course, VanVleet’s return won’t solve all of the Rockets’ issues. They still have to shoot better overall as a team, communicate better on the defensive end, play at a faster pace, and have better team chemistry, but getting their on- and off-court leader back this season will make everyone’s life a alot easier than last season.
The Chicago White Sox take a 1-0 American League Division series lead into Game 2 on Monday, Oct. 5 against the Cleveland Guardians, being played at Progressive Field after an off day Sunday.
The White Sox won 3-0 in the first game of the best-of-five series in Cleveland with a dominant pitching performance and a huge home run from rookie Munetaka Murakami. The series shifts to Chicago for Game 3 on Wednesday and Game 4, if necessary, on Thursday.
"We still like where we're at," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Sunday. "We still have a great opportunity ahead of us to even the series tomorrow and go to Chicago with a chance to win it."
Left-hander Anthony Kay starts for the White Sox with Gavin Williams taking the mound for the Guardians in Game 2. Making its first postseason appearance since 2021, Chicago has won all three of its postseason games after sweeping the AL wild card series against the Houston Astros.
How to watch White Sox vs Guardians: TV channel, streaming
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NY Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees were off on Sunday, but those who wanted to stay sharp didn’t go to Tropicana Field. Instead, they went to their own spring training facility, George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Some pitchers reportedly threw there, and some position players also used the team’s facilities to work out ahead of Game 2.
“You’ve got a full facility, our training stuff, modalities, things like that, plenty of fields to get whatever space you need,” manager Aaron Boone said on a video call Sunday. “We’ve got Trajekt for guys who want to get on that. And staying in Tampa, it’s a quick, easier back and forth.”
NY Post | Mark Suleymanov: The Yankees dropped Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday. While they won’t take the field on Monday with the season on the line, it certainly feels like it – losing Game 2 would leave them in a 0-2 hole. “It’s a must-win [game],” former captain Derek Jeter asserted during Fox Sports’ postgame coverage. Tying the series behind Cam Schlittler would certainly give New York the kind of boost they need ahead of two (hopefully) key games in the Bronx.
SNY | Anthony McCarron: Yes, Saturday’s 1-0 loss hurt. However, according to McCarron, the quality pitching showing on the Yankees’ side in the series opener plus “the looming spectre of Cam Schlittler in Game 2 (and Game 5) are all evidence that this ALDS is far from over.” Drew Rasmussen being up one more time is certainly a problem, but the Yanks have the arms to match the Rays. They do need their hitters to, well, hit.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: Austin Wells committed what could be a ‘season-altering’ baserunning blunder in Game 1. He hit a double off Rasmussen, the Yankees’ first hit of the night, and thought he had a chance to go for the triple. Kirschner described the moment in the words of the catcher himself.
“I put my head down and went for it,” Wells said. Wells, for a moment, loved his chances. There was one point during his race, however, that he knew he would be tagged out. “This was the chance I was going to take with the game on the line,” he said. “I thought it kicked pretty favorably in my way.”
For the first time in Brooklyn Nets history, the franchise held ‘Nets Fest’ at the Major Owens Community Center in Brooklyn. In the past, fans celebrated the upcoming NBA season at ‘Practice In The Park’, but the Nets came up with a new idea for this year: a full on festival. The goal? Celebrate all things Brooklyn Nets and honor the history of the franchise, as well as get excited for the future. NetsDaily was on hand for the first event of its kind.
This festival saw everything from face painting to manicures, to a built-in barbershop, to an NBA 2K space, to main stage events where Kenyon Martin, Buck Williams, and current players like Julius Randle took part in a Q&A. There were also on-court activations like basketball clinics held by current Nets players, and the bustling ‘Streetball Showdown’, where teams of five would compete for prizes. There was truly something for everyone.
This was a way for the Nets to give back to the community, and that’s exactly what made it so special. While it may have taken ‘Practice In The Park’ away for this season, fans seemed to equally enjoy Nets Fest. For current players like Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin, and even legendary Nets like Albert King, community was a focal point.
“I think it’s huge,” Demin said. “Being able to connect — I think Brooklyn is all about the community, and for us, as a team, it’s very important to be able to connect with people, with our fans. For me personally, I think it’s very important to not be separate. I feel like a part of the city, and I want to embrace that.”
Mikel Brown Jr. was in agreement. “It’s very important. As I said before, influencing the youth, the youth that’s coming behind us, we kind of are like role models for them, in a sense. I’ve had plenty of kids come up to me and be like, ‘Yo, you’re my favorite player,’ and just to hear that, it makes me want to go harder, and it motivates me.”
Of course, the main goal was to get Brooklyn Nets fans hyped for the upcoming season, which begins with a preseason matchup on the road against Charlotte Hornets, Tuesday night. They then match up with the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, and Miami Heat before the regular season kicks off on Wednesday, October 21st.
With the season inching closer, Dëmin and Brown had a message for the fans, the same message we’ve been hearing all offseason: “Shock the World”
“I think we’re going to try to win every single day,” Demin told NetsDaily. “Whether it’s a game or a practice, or whatever it is, all we need from them is support and being there for us and not against us.”
“My message is just one: Show out,” Brown Jr. told ND. ”Show out. Come to the games. Pack it out. We need all the help we can get and all the love we can get. And two, I’m going to keep saying it. I feel like we’re going to shock the world. I really do feel like we’re going to shock the world with this team and this group of guys that we got. This coaching staff has been pushing us very hard the past couple of days in training camp, so we’re just going to continue to work.“
When asked about his goals entering his second season, Dëmin of course ND, “to win as many games as possible,” adding, “I think our process is oriented now on getting better each day. At least a little bit. But getting better. No matter what, even if it’s gameday, practice day, or an off-day.”
Brooklyn native and former Net Albert King also spoke with NetsDaily: “As I said, I’m from only one chapter of what has happened with Brooklyn basketball. I think that the fanbase has been very good to the team, and we’re all excited to just be a part of it. It’s going to take time for people to realize and see what this team can do, but I think they’re going to work hard, put in the time, and don’t be surprised, anything can happen in the future. So, 60 years. Celebrating 60 years, different chapters, different exciting players, different exciting fans, loyal fans who have been with the team for decades, it means a lot.”
King was also asked about his hopes for the future of this current generation of Nets players for the season: “I think one of the big things, as a former player and listening to the coach, is to go one game at a time. I think that it’s a long season, of course. But I think you have to take it one game at a time. They have to work hard. Anything is possible. You never know in this league what’s going to happen. You don’t always have that name recognition. It takes time.”
The Brooklyn Nets finished last season with a record of 20 wins and 62 losses. The last couple years have been lackluster to say the least. But the mindset entering a new year, holding a 0-0 record, is to shock the world. If nothing else, Brooklyn’s inaugural Nets Fest confirmed what fans have been feeling all summer: the next generation of the Brooklyn Nets are here, and the future is bright.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said this season will be his last in the NHL.
He announced the news in a locker room address and a Capitals social media post on Monday morning.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” he said on X.
“We have an unbelievable team this year,” Ovechkin told his teammates. “Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.”
“It seems like yesterday I was here my first year, and right now it’s my 22nd year. It just goes like this,” he said, snapping his fingers.
His teammates rose to their feet, hugged him and gave him a standing ovation.
Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL pic.twitter.com/wnnnkrIl5U
Ovechkin entered his 22nd season with 929 goals. He’s scored at least 24 goals in every season of his career, and more than 30 goals in 21 of 22 seasons.
Ovechkin has spent his entire career with Washington, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005-06, the Hart Trophy as MVP three times and leading the NHL in scoring nine times. He was playoff MVP in 2018 when he led the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said this season will be his last in the NHL.
He announced the news in a locker room address and a Capitals social media post on Monday morning.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” he said on X.
“We have an unbelievable team this year,” Ovechkin told his teammates. “Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.”
“It seems like yesterday I was here my first year, and right now it’s my 22nd year. It just goes like this,” he said, snapping his fingers.
His teammates rose to their feet, hugged him and gave him a standing ovation.
Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL pic.twitter.com/wnnnkrIl5U
Ovechkin entered his 22nd season with 929 goals. He’s scored at least 24 goals in every season of his career, and more than 30 goals in 21 of 22 seasons.
Ovechkin has spent his entire career with Washington, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005-06, the Hart Trophy as MVP three times and leading the NHL in scoring nine times. He was playoff MVP in 2018 when he led the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin said this season will be his last in the NHL.
He announced the news in a locker room address and a Capitals social media post on Monday morning.
“My family and I decided this summer that this will be my final year in the NHL. I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it’s the right decision,” he said on X.
“We have an unbelievable team this year,” Ovechkin told his teammates. “Let’s make the playoffs, let’s have fun and enjoy the moment because times fly.”
“It seems like yesterday I was here my first year, and right now it’s my 22nd year. It just goes like this,” he said, snapping his fingers.
His teammates rose to their feet, hugged him and gave him a standing ovation.
Alex Ovechkin announced to his teammates this morning that this season will be his final in the NHL pic.twitter.com/wnnnkrIl5U
Ovechkin entered his 22nd season with 929 goals. He’s scored at least 24 goals in every season of his career, and more than 30 goals in 21 of 22 seasons.
Ovechkin has spent his entire career with Washington, winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2005-06, the Hart Trophy as MVP three times and leading the NHL in scoring nine times. He was playoff MVP in 2018 when he led the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
St. Louis Blues (1-1, in the Central Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (0-3, in the Central Division)
Chicago; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Blues -115, Blackhawks -105; over/under is 5.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Blackhawks will try to stop a three-game skid when they take on the St. Louis Blues.
Chicago went 29-39-14 overall and 11-8-7 in division play last season. The Blackhawks averaged 2.9 power-play chances per game last season, and converted on 17.0% (40 total power-play goals).
St. Louis went 37-33-12 overall and 10-16-0 in division play a season ago. The Blues scored 38 power-play goals last season on 216 chances for a 17.6% success rate.
INJURIES: Blackhawks: Bowen Byram: day to day (personal), Andrew Mangiapane: out (lower-body), Connor Bedard: out (shoulder).
Blues: Alexey Toropchenko: out (upper-body), Tyler Tucker: out (knee), Logan Mailloux: out (hand).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Paul Cotter is off to the best start of his NHL career.
The former Vegas Golden Knights forward scored against his old team Sunday night, giving the Vancouver Canucks an early lead. It didn't last, though, as Vegas came back for a 3-2 win at Rogers Arena.
Cotter's goal came on the power play late in the first period. With Jake DeBrusk out with an illness, Cotter moved onto Vancouver's top power-play unit and tipped a Filip Hronek pass past Adin Hill.
It was Cotter's third goal of the season. He also has two assists, giving him five points through Vancouver's first three games.
That's new territory for him.
In six NHL seasons, Cotter has never had five points through his first three games of a season. He scored twice in Vancouver's opener against Edmonton, including the overtime winner, then added an assist in the Canucks' second game before finding the net against Vegas.
The 26-year-old has clearly found something early on.
Vegas, however, had the better answer Sunday.
Mitch Marner tied the game in the second period, and Victor Olofsson gave the Golden Knights their first lead of the night on the power play. Jonathan Lekkerimaki tied it again late in the period, but Marc Gatcomb put Vegas right back in front only 34 seconds later.
That goal stood up.
Hill stopped 18 shots in his first start of the season, and Vegas managed to keep Vancouver off the board in the third period. It was a nice bounce-back win for the Golden Knights after Friday's 4-3 loss to Anaheim.
Cotter's night was still a memorable one, especially considering his history with Vegas.
He spent three seasons with the Golden Knights, from 2021-22 through 2023-24, and played 138 games for the club. He had 22 goals and 23 assists during that stretch before Vegas traded him to the New Jersey Devils in June 2024 for Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid.
Cotter spent two seasons in New Jersey and had his most productive NHL season in 2024-25, scoring 16 goals in 79 games.
He signed a one-year, $2.15 million deal with Vancouver this summer.
So far, it's looking like a pretty good decision.
Cotter is producing at a level we've never seen from him before. He just couldn't quite finish off his old team when he had the chance.
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 26: Sean Keys #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a single against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning in their MLB game at Rogers Centre on September 26, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nine Jays prospects made the list (in addition to Arjun Nimmala, who’s an Angel now but probably owes his gains to work done while he was with the Jays organization). Only the Cardinals (11) and Dodgers (10) has more of their batters add major strength this year. The team has invested a lot in their strength and conditioning program as part of the redevelopment of the Florida complex, and that seems to be paying off. They’ve been singled out as a top organization in that area by multiple prospect experts, most recently Fangraphs’ Brendan Gawlowski. Below, I’ve briefly profiled each of the nine players who made a jump.
The AA Sluggers: Aaron Parker and Jace Bohrofen
Each added a bit more than 3.5mph, with Parker jumping from 106.7mph to 110.4 and Bohrofen from 105.4 to 109.3. Those are big numbers. BA’s Eli Ben-Porat looked into MLB players’ 90th percentile exit velocities in the 2023 seas on to develop rules of thumb for translating the numbers into power scouting grades. He found that most big leaguers cluster around 104mph, making that a 50 on the 20-10 scale. Each mile per hour is a half grade (5 points). 110mph is an 80, the top of the scale. It’s the land of Yordans Alvarez and Aarons Judge. Parker crushes the ball, and Bohrofen is just behind him in the realm of Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and, well, Vlad.
Neither player is a top prospect in spite of all that juice, however, because of issues with their approaches and contact ability. Parker got the bat on the ball just under 67% of the time this season, while Bohrofen managed an abysmal 62%. Both represent 20 grade contact, and would surely go down farther against MLB calibre pitching. They each take some walks, but that’s more a factor of wild AA pitching than particularly strong plate discipline.
Both players, then, have an exciting carrying tool but will need major strides in the other aspects of hitting to be able to use it at the top level.
Getting to Average: Dub Gleed, J.R. Freethy, Nick Goodwin, Alexis Hernandez and Jean Joseph
All of these players jumped from between 101 and 102mph to between 104 and 105, or 30-35 to 50 on the scouting scale. Gleed and Freethy were both later picks in the 2024 draft, with the former going to the Marlins in the 9th and the latter the Blue Jays in the 14th. Gleed was eventually the trade return for Leo Jimenez when he was squeezed off the 40 man roster this spring. Goodwin was drafted one year earlier. All three are infielders in the upper minors with above average contact skills, solid approaches, and no slam dunk position. With 35 level raw power that profile is just above an org player, the kind of guy who gets hidden on the back half of a AAA roster. With average power, they have a shot to fit as bat first bench infielders that can add a little actual value in MLB. It’s not a thrilling profile, but you need players of this type. 25 different players took a PA for the Jays this past season. When the time comes, it’s nice to have a player who can offer a little pop at the back of the lineup.
Hernandez is a deep, deep sleeper. He was acquired from the Red Sox in the AAA portion of the 2023 Rule 5 draft, which is typically mostly a way to fill out organizational role players. He’s spent the last three seasons slowly climbing the ladder, culminating in a month at AA this past year. He raised his 90th percentile EV from 102.5mph to 104.9 this season, to solid average. Combined with a swing that generates a lot of line drives up the middle, solid contact numbers and a semblance of an approach, that allowed him to put up a career best 132 wRC+. He’s not a major prospect by any stretch, and you have to take a 23 year old’s results against mostly 21 year olds in A+ with a grain of salt, but a guy who plays all three outfield positions and has some offensive tools is worth noting. This season moves him from firmly an org guy to someone who might see an outfield call up if he can consolidate his improvement with a full season in the upper minors in 2027.
Joseph is younger than the other three, at just 21. He jumped straight to A ball as a teenager in 2024 and has held his own at that level over the past three seasons. After losing some time to injury, he got his first taste of A+ late this year. A .153 BABIP masks a strong performance, as he struck out just 13.6% of the time and launched four home runs and seven total extra base hits in 81 PA. His contact rate took a step forward this season and is now plus. He’s always had a strong approach, and has been noted for some speed in the past (although he moved from centre to primarily right field this year). Pair all that with now average thump, and there are the ingredients for a real player. Keep an eye on him as a breakout candidate next year.
A Young Player Flexing his Potential: Aldo Gaxiola
Gaxiola is a 20 year old who signed as an international free agent out of Mexico without much fanfare in May of 2023. He spent two years in the Domincan Summer League and then last season at the American complex before debuting in real games with Dunedin this summer. It was technically his age 20 season, although with a mid-June birthday he was still among the younger players at the level. That didn’t stop him from posting a 106.9mph 90th percentile exit velocity, which would be comfortably plus at the MLB level. He looks solid and physically mature for his age, but given how young he is there’s potential for 70 or better raw power once he’s fully grown up. Right now, there’s a lot of work for Gaxiola to do if that thump is going to carry him to the major leagues. He chased too much and made too little contact this season, and he’ll need to learn to elevate the ball a bit more to turn his strength into production. As he’s already in the process of moving to first base the offensive bar he has to clear is going to be high. Near-elite raw power is a great cornerstone of a prospect profile, though, and he’ll bear close watching this coming season.
The Top Prospect: Sean Keys
I’ve been beating the drum on Keys all season. He was our #17 prospect entering the season after a decent year at A+, and got a pretty cautious write-up from Matt, noting some issues with swing and miss and defensive limitations that would require him to prove it at every level. Well, prove it he did, launching 14 home runs in just 49 games in a brief stop at AA before producing even better after a promotion to Buffalo. His 165 wRC+ was the best in the entire minor leagues among players who got at least 400 PA. His cameo in MLB went poorly, as he got over-aggressive and posted just a 57 wRC+ with too many strikeouts and few walks. The underlying proof of his talent was still there, though, with great bat speed numbers, a 54% hard hit rate and 10% barrel rate, and a contact rate that stood up surprisingly well to top level pitching. His 107.1mph 90th percentile EV is just confirmation of all that then: he upped his power from solid average to easy plus while retaining the ability to make enough good quality contact for it to play. He’ll need to continue to refine his approach, but I’m a true believer and think he’ll hit enough to be a solid regular even at first base or DH.
Victor Olofsson left Vegas looking for a fresh start.
A little more than a year later, he's back with the Golden Knights and off to a pretty good start.
Olofsson scored on the power play in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. That gave him two goals and an assist through three games, putting him at a point per game to open the season. He's also fired seven shots on net.
It's not a huge sample, but it's certainly an encouraging one for a player who has bounced around a bit since leaving Vegas after the 2024-25 season.
Olofsson spent most of last season with the Colorado Avalanche. He played 60 games, scored 11 goals and finished with 25 points. One of those goals was the first hat trick of his NHL career, which came against the Blackhawks on Oct. 28.
His time in Colorado ended when he was sent to Calgary as part of the trade that brought Nazem Kadri back to the Avalanche. Olofsson didn't spend long with the Flames, playing 18 games and picking up six points before free agency came around.
Vegas was interested again.
The Golden Knights signed Olofsson to a one-year deal on July 1, giving him another shot with the team he had left the previous summer.
There was some history there. Olofsson scored three goals in his first four games during his first stint with Vegas, only to suffer a lower-body injury that kept him out for nearly two months.
Now he's back, healthy and getting opportunities on the power play.
His third-line role at even strength isn't anything particularly notable, but that's not necessarily where Olofsson needs to make his living. He's always been more interesting as an offensive player, and Vegas has given him chances to use that skill with the man advantage.
So far, he's taken them.
For the Avalanche, Olofsson's start is worth keeping an eye on. He wasn't a major piece in Colorado, but he was productive enough to finish with 25 points in 60 games and gave the team some offense in a depth role.
Now he's three games into his return to Vegas and already has three points.
Maybe a fresh start was exactly what Olofsson needed.
Utah made Columbus pay every time they went to the penalty box.
The Mammoth scored three power-play goals Saturday night and beat the Blue Jackets 4-1, moving to 2-0 to start the season.
Nick Schmaltz scored twice for Utah, including the final goal that gave him 500 career NHL points. Mikhail Sergachev and Dylan Guenther also scored with the man advantage.
Sergachev got Utah on the board at 11:55 of the first period. He found some room near the blue line and fired a shot through traffic and past Jet Greaves.
Schmaltz made it 2-0 less than five minutes later.
Columbus finally answered early in the second period. Kent Johnson broke away and beat Sebastian Cossa just 90 seconds into the period, cutting Utah's lead to one.
That was all Columbus could get.
Cossa, making his Utah debut, settled down after the goal and stopped the rest of the shots he faced. He finished with 15 saves.
The Mammoth pulled away in the third.
Guenther scored on the power play at 5:59, giving him three power-play goals through Utah's first two games.
Schmaltz added another with the extra skater at 14:13. The goal put Utah up 4-1 and gave Schmaltz his 500th NHL point.
The Mammoth got contributions from several of their top players. Sergachev finished with a goal and an assist, while Guenther and Logan Cooley each had two assists.
Clayton Keller also picked up two assists, reaching 600 career NHL points in the process.
It was a strong opening night for Cossa as well. The goaltender stopped 15 of 16 shots in his first appearance for Utah.
The win opened a five-game road trip for the Mammoth and came in the first half of a back-to-back.
Utah heads into the next game with a perfect 2-0 record and a power play that has already scored five times through the first two games.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 10: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Is there really a game already? Oy vey. We are still getting used to how brief the summer break is when the basketball team you cover is actually successful in the postseason.
Indeed, the NBA champion New York Knicks open their preseason schedule tonight. They’ll travel to face a Philadelphia 76ers club that has bolstered its own championship aspirations this summer. What was a solid but flawed Eastern Conference contender now features LeBron James and Jaylen Brown alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and sophomore VJ Edgecombe, assembling one of the most star-studliest lineups in the league.
For the defending champions, this scrimmage will be the first peek at what Mike Brown hopes to tweak for the upcoming season. The second-year coach has already stressed that he intends to ease his core into the exhibition slate. They had a short summer recess, after all. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG (The Tippinator) Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns will not shoulder heavy workloads right away, which should open the door for extended looks at the players still fighting for roster security and rotation minutes. Additionally, sophomore Mohamed Diawara will be challenged to prove that he’s ready for a leap after a promising first season and fizzling out in summer league.
We’ll be focused on the center position where the coaching staff is still sorting out depth behind Towns and former Sixer Andre Drummond. Journeymen James Wiseman, Tony Bradley, and Drew Eubanks are all competing in camp for the third-string spot, and Monday’s game affords them a chance to show how they stack up against Embiid and ex-Knick Ariel Hukporti.
As for the health of New York’s starters, Hart continues to play with a damaged digit, and Brunson has reportedly looked sharp in camp after recovering from wrist surgery. Meanwhile, there’s an undercurrent of unresolved contracts, with Towns, Hart, and Miles McBride all eligible for veteran extensions. Because they are in (or effectively in) the final year of their deals—McBride on an expiring contract, Towns with a $61M player option for 2027-28, and Hart with a $22.4M team option for 2027-28—they can negotiate and sign extensions at any point until June 30, 2027. All three have expressed interest in buttoning up their paperwork sooner than that, but this seems like the storyline that will hang over the entire season.
For the Fightin’ Cheesesteaks, our curiosity centers around how coach Nick Nurse will get James, Brown, Embiid, and Maxey to share the ball and defend consistently. We expect their early games to have some of the confusion of an All-Star game, when the alphas try to figure out who will be less-alpha on any given play.
Prediction
Really, the primary goal of a preseason game is “Don’t break nothin.” You won’t see Captain Brunson take a charge tonight, or Hart do anything that could make his finger fall off. New York swept the Liberty Bells in the second round of the playoffs, as part of a 13-game win streak, and while tonight’s opponent has improved, neither club wants to reveal its tricks in a meaningless contest. They’ll save the good stuff for opening night, when they clash on banner night at Madison Square Garden. Still, it will be fun to see our champs take the floor again. And so soon. Prediction: Knicks by six.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (0-0) at Philadelphia 76ers (0-0) Date: Monday, October 5, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM ET Place: Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly Wells Fargo Center), Philadelphia, PA TV: MSG Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
