The Ottawa Senators have released their 2025 preseason schedule, and as usual, there's a steady diet of games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. But this year, there’s a new wrinkle: the Sens will play a pair of games in Quebec City — first against the New Jersey Devils on September 28, and then against the Canadiens on September 30.

Those Quebec City games actually made waves when they were announced last season, and not in a good way. To drum up some buzz, the Senators tried a marketing stunt that didn’t quite land. They dressed Spartacat, their mascot, in a partial Quebec Nordiques jersey. Wearing the colours and logo of a former division rival didn’t go over particularly well, for reasons that probably should’ve been obvious.

The Sens will also make one American stop on October 2. That game will give Captain Brady Tkachuk a chance to enjoy some home cooking at his childhood home. He grew up in St. Louis, and the Blues will host Ottawa that night.

On September 21st at the CTC, the Sens will start their preseason the way they ended last season – with a game against the Maple Leafs. The two teams will square off again the very next night in Toronto.

Interestingly, there’s just one game at Canadian Tire Centre this preseason, although both Quebec City matchups are technically “home” games for the Sens.

2025-26 Ottawa Senators Preseason Schedule (All Times Eastern):

Sunday, Sept. 21: Toronto at Ottawa, 3 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 22: Ottawa at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 28: New Jersey at Ottawa (Videotron Centre, Quebec City), 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 30: Montreal at Ottawa (Videotron Centre, Quebec City), 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 2: Ottawa at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 4: Ottawa at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

More Sens Headlines at The Hockey News:

Bonus Round: Claude Giroux’s Contract Talks In Ottawa Coming Down To The Wire
Would Kings Defenceman Jordan Spence Be A Fit With The Senators?
Should The Senators Have Surrendered This Year's First-Round Draft Pick Instead?
Senators Bring Back First-Rounder For Second Tour Of Duty
Rewriting The Draft: A Decade Of First-Round 'What-Ifs' for the Senators
Potential First-Round Draft Targets For The Ottawa Senators: Defenceman Blake Fiddler

Evander Kane will be suiting up for his fifth NHL franchise next season. The talented 33-year-old former Buffalo Sabres winger was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to his hometown Vancouver Canucks for a 2025 fourth round pick on Wednesday.  

Part of the motivation for the deal was cap-related, as the Oilers needed to clear his $5.125 million salary to accommodate the pay increase for forward Leon Draisaitl, the expected hefty salary of RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, and to re-sign pending unrestricted free agents like Trent Frederic, Corey Perry, and Connor Brown, but Kane has likely worn out his welcome with the Oilers after causing some difficulty during the regular season. 

Kane was injured in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and underwent hip and groin surgery last summer. The winger then had knee surgery in January, but close to the trade deadline made noises about wanting to play before the end of the regular season, that would have put a crimp in GM Stan Bowman’s plans of adding players with Kane’s salary on long-term injured reserve. 

Other Sabres Stories

Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday?

Sabres Summer Dilemmas - Bowen Byram

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change

The winger replaced former Sabre Jeff Skinner in the Oilers lineup early in the first round series against Los Angeles and helped turn the series around with his rambunctious physical play, but Kane’s lack of self-control revealed itself in the Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, when he took six minor penalties and two misconducts in six games. 

After six seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets, the 2009 fourth overall pick was traded to the Sabres in February 2015 along with Zach Bogosian, for Tyler Myers, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and a first-round pick. Kane played 196 games over three seasons with Buffalo before being traded at the 2018 trade deadline to San Jose.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Vegas Golden Knights have signed forward Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2-million contract extension containing a no-trade clause. 

The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old ahead of the trade deadline this year, sending Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick to the New York Rangers. Smith had spent six years with the Golden Knights before he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason following their Stanley Cup win.

In his return to Vegas, Smith recorded three goals and 11 points in 21 games, rekindling his chemistry on a shutdown line with William Karlsson. 

In the organization's exit interviews, Smith mentioned how much he adored the city and that he'd love to re-sign with the team. 

"If there's an opportunity to stay here, that would be great," said Smith. "I think the best hockey I've played in my career has been wearing this jersey."

Smith also mentioned how grateful he would be to reach the 1000-game plateau in a Golden Knights jersey. The Mimico, ON native, has played 919 games in his career, and if he dresses in 81 games this season, he'd reach the milestone. 

"I would like to play 1000 games in my career, and to do it in this jersey would mean a lot."

Golden Knights' Pending Free Agent Hoping To Stay In VegasReilly Smith is coming to the end of a three-year, $5M contract he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, but maintains he wants to remain a Golden Knight. 

Smith is a valued player in both the locker room and on the ice. He was a leader before he left the organization and has returned to be a trusted voice. On the ice, he plays with urgency, and his experience in the NHL has transformed him into a strong defensive winger, both on the penalty kill and at 5-on-5.

The Golden Knights now approach the draft and the beginning of free agency with just Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, and Brandon Saad as their unrestricted free agents without a contract. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Trevor Zegras trade brought the 2019 NHL draft class back into the spotlight earlier this week.

After the Philadelphia Flyers acquired center Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, only three of the top 10 players from the 2019 NHL draft remain on the team that picked them.

Jack Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils, while the Los Angeles Kings selected Alex Turcotte with the fifth pick. Following him was Detroit Red Wings selection Moritz Seider.

Aside from those three players, the next player in the draft who is still on their drafted team is left winger Matt Boldy, who was selected 12th by the Minnesota Wild.

From 2024 through 2017, the 2019 draft had the most players from the top 10 change teams, either from trades or offer sheets. Before the Zegras trade, center Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, seventh overall in 2019) was traded to the Ottawa Senators at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

Right winger Kappo Kakko (NY Rangers, second overall in 2019) went to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18 in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, as well as third- and sixth-round picks in the upcoming 2025 draft.

A couple of other players were dealt during the off-season. Vasily Podkolzin was traded on Aug. 18, 2024, to the Edmonton Oilers from the Vancouver Canucks, which selected him 10th overall.

The Oilers also lost D-man Philip Broberg to an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues. The Swedish blueliner was selected eighth overall. 

Kirby Dach, selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, was part of a trade during the 2022 off-season. He was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th overall pick, which became Frank Nazar. Chicago also received a 2022 third-rounder, which they used to select left winger Gavin Hayes.

Even the Colorado Avalanche traded Stanley Cup champion Bowen Byram (fourth overall in 2019). The Buffalo Sabres acquired him in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt.

It doesn’t seem like Hughes or Seider will be moving from their respective teams anytime soon, as they are among the leaders in their draft class in games played and points.

Hughes leads the draft class with 351 points, 107 points more than runner-up Boldy. Despite being a defenseman, Seider is sixth in the class for points, just six shy of equalling Zegras’ total of 186.

Turcotte has spent most of his young career with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. However, he spent all of last season with the Kings for the first time, recording 25 points in 68 regular-season games and three playoff games.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

LOS ANGELES -- The New York Islanders find themselves in a really lucky situation as we approach the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Unlike the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023 or the San Jose Sharks in 2024, Mathieu Darche's squad didn't have to be one of the worst teams in the NHL to come away with the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

In a challenging season, plagued by injuries and inconsistencies that hindered their progress, the Islanders finished nine points out of the second wild-card spot and 23rd out of 32 in the league standings.

Luck was on their side when they watched their 3.5% odds at the first overall pick turn into the winning lottery balls, and now Darche will be adding a tremendous talent to a team that already has a defined core. 

The question is, how does this first overall pick impact the Islanders' timeline?

The Islanders have forwards Mathew Barzal, 28, and Bo Horvat, 30, locked up for five more seasons, along with 29-year-old star goaltender Ilya Sorokin. 

Those five years should be the window to win, right?

But what about Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, a pair of 25-year-old pending restricted free agents?

A pair of 30-year-old defensemen, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, have four and five years left on their deals, respectively. Scott Mayfield, 32, has five years left on his deal.

Does Darche have the pressure to win a Stanley Cup over the next five years?

What about 23-year-old forward and pending RFA Simon Holmstrom? How does he impact the timeline? 

There's other veteran players under contract like forwards Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas, who have two years left on thier respective deals. Are they, at this point, pieces that will play a part in a Stanley Cup roster?

What about Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee, who each have one year left on their deals?

Of the handful of players just mentioned, how many of them are just holding spots until the club's prospects are ready? And is the prospects' collective timeline the real timeline Darche is focusing on when it comes to building his roster into a hopeful Stanley Cup contender?

It wouldn't be fair to use the term stop-gap, so we won't be doing that.

But it is impossible to look at the proveribal writing on the wall and not put a few things together. 

Ritchie is a prime candidate to take over Brock Nelson's role as the club's No. 2 center at some point, but it's more likely that he takes Pageau's role first, possibly as soon as this year. 

Pageau is someone who may be on the move at the draft, but could also be a strong asset for the Islanders to hold onto and move at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. 

Danny Nelson, who projects to be a really strong, defensively-minded bottom-six center, could be primed to take Cizikas' spot as the club's fourth-line center iceman. 

Scoring winger Cole Eiserman should be able to slide into Palmieri's spot. 

If it's 17-year-old Matthew Schaefer who is donning the Blue & Orange on Friday night, is he ready to step into an NHL role immediately?

Is he going to go back to juniors for a year or go play collegiately? 

Is he the player the Islanders build their franchise around, taking the pressure away from "having to win" over the next five seasons?

"If I were Mathieu Darche, I would look at moving [Casey Cizikas] right away, because of the value of this type of player in the marketplace right now," Jeff Marek, the host of 'The Sheet' said in a conversation for The Elmonters.  "We talked about timelines, and whose timeline are you doing it on? I don't think anyone watching or listening to this for any amount of time will say that Casey Cizikas is going to be part of that timeline. What is everybody looking for out there? Centers."

Had the privilege of chatting with @JeffMarek last night about #Isles ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Key takeaways from the chat @TheElmontershttps://t.co/vQi2cWkeLB

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 25, 2025

Marek mentioned Mayfield as well, as someone who the Islanders should have a real conversation with about opportunity, as he's a player that would need to waive his full no-trade clause to go anywhere. 

Now, trading all these veteran players to make room for the young players makes sense on paper, but money is a thing. Being competitive is a thing. 

There's a reason why former general manager Lou Lamoriello didn't sell off more than Nelson at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

With no prospects ready to take the veterans' places in the lineup, the roster they would have fielded for the final month and a half of the season wouldn't have generated ticket sales, that's for sure. 

Darche made it clear at his introductory press conference that he thinks his roster is good enough to compete. While that may be true — the roster is good enough to compete for a playoff spot — the gut feeling is that he will evaluate his roster and figure out exactly what he's working with and where the incoming players fit. 

By the end of the 2025-26 seaosn, Darche has to be honest with himself on the realistic timeline for the Islanders to win a Stanley Cup. 

If he truly thinks that he can win one of the next five years with Barzal, Horvat, and Sorokin being the three cogs, he will need to be proactive on the trade market and clear the necessary cap space to add in free agency. 

Prospects are called prospects for a reason, and while the outlook on the team's prospect pool has never been brighter, relying on each one to live up to their potential isn't a realistic approach to building a winning operation. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

PHOTO:  Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

With the 2025 NHL Draft coming on Friday, the Blue Jackets have announced the 2025 Development Camp schedule. It will again be held at the OhioHealth Ice Haus. 

Per a Blue Jackets press release:

2025 CBJ Development Camp On-Ice Schedule (Times subject to change)

Wednesday, July 2         

11:10 a.m.-12 p.m. – Group 1 On-Ice… 12:50-1:40 p.m. – Group 2 On-Ice

Media Availability: 12 p.m.

Thursday, July 3              

9:40-10:30 a.m. – Group 2 On-Ice… 11:20 a.m.-12:10 p.m. – Group 1 On-Ice

Media Availability: 11:30 a.m.

Friday, July 4     

9:40-10:30 a.m. – Group 1 On-Ice… 11:20 a.m.-12:10 p.m. – Group 2 On-Ice

Media Availability: 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, July 5

9 a.m. – Team Warmups… 9:30 a.m. – Prospects Game

Media Availability: 11 a.m.

Per the Blue Jackets Press Release

The players participating in this year’s camp will feature team prospects and players selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, which will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 27-28, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. Leading the group of prospects in camp are all six of the club’s selections from the 2024 NHL Draft, including first-round pick, fourth overall, forward Cayden Lindstrom. A complete development camp roster will be available prior to the start of camp.  

-

On-Ice sessions will be conducted by Development Coaches Tommy Cross and Brad Thiessen, Goaltending Coach Niklas Backstrom, and Cleveland Monsters Strength and Conditioning Coach Ben Eaves. Anthony and Matt Donskov from Donskov Hockey Development, based in New Albany, Ohio, will serve as guest coaches for a second consecutive development camp. In addition, University of Delaware Assistant Coach Melissa Samoskevich, who won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championships and played professional hockey with Brynas IF (2019-20) and the Connecticut Whale (2021-23), will serve as a guest coach.

-

All on-ice practice sessions are free and open to the public.

Let us know what you think below.

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

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 

Blue Jackets Rumors: K'Andre Miller To Columbus?With the NHL Draft just a few days away and the start of free agency a week away, the NHL's silly season is in full swing, and the Blue Jackets look to be involved at some point.  Columbus Blue Jackets 2025 Draft Target: Lynden LakovicAs we inch closer to the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday, we continue to look at potential draft day targets for the Columbus Blue Jackets. As I mentioned in a previous article, with the Blue Jackets owning two draft picks within the same 10 picks with number 14 and 20, they will be looking at the same tier of players. Former Columbus Blue Jackets Forward Manny Malhotra Wins Calder CupFormer Columbus Blue Jackets forward Manny Malhotra, head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL, won the Calder Cup last night by defeating the Charlotte Checkers in six games.

On Tuesday, the New York Rangers announced that they would give the Pittsburgh Penguins their 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft instead of sending them their 2026 pick.

The decision officially completed the last leg of the trade that brought J.T. Miller to the Big Apple back in January, as that conditional first-rounder was sent to the Vancouver Canucks for Miller, and the Canucks sent it to the Penguins in a trade for defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O'Connor.

There was no telling what the Rangers were going to decide to do with the pick. Because the team is likely trying to win next season - the decision to hire former Penguins' bench boss Mike Sullivan amplifies that - many thought that New York would keep the first-rounder for this season and defer the Penguins' pick to 2026.

But, taking a deeper dive into this, it's a decision that actually makes sense for both sides.

Penguins Receive Rangers' 2025 First-Round PickThe Pittsburgh Penguins will now officially have two first-round picks for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. 

---

Why it makes sense for the Rangers

It's no secret that team morale is questionable in New York, as a tumultuous, disappointing season full of ups, downs, controversy, and coaching/managerial blunders buried the team.

To many, the decision to keep the 2026 pick as opposed to the 2025 pick may appear to be a sign that the team does not have much confidence it can compete in 2025-26. After all, the 2026 draft - by all accounts - is deeper than the 2025 draft, and if the Rangers fall into lottery range next season, they should be able to draft a game-changer.

But that's likely not the thought process behind this move.

The biggest reason keeping the 2026 pick makes sense for the Rangers is because it gives them flexibility. That pick would be a very valuable piece at the 2026 trade deadline as much as it would be a valuable draft slot. 

The Rangers' Thought Process Behind Keeping Their 2026 First-Round PickThere’s one major reason the New York Rangers decided to send their 2025 12th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins and keep their 2026 first-round pick. 

Depending on how the season goes and where the Rangers find themselves in the standings pre-deadline, having next year's pick provides options. If they are contending, they can package the 2026 first-rounder for immediate help in a good player. And - if they are biting the dust - they could have a lottery pick. 

Sure, there's a decent chance - if they hit the right buttons this summer - that the Rangers' pick next season will not be as high as 12, which risks diminishing the value of the pick rankings-wise. However, it's a risk worth taking, especially since the talent in the 16-20 range of the 2026 draft will likely compare to the 10-14 range in this season's.

All in all, this was probably the right decision for the Rangers to make.

---

Why it makes sense for the Penguins

Would it have been nice for the Penguins to, potentially, have an extra lottery ticket in the 2026 Gavin McKenna draft? Absolutely.

But, realistically, that was unlikely to happen, anyway. The Rangers will, more than likely, be trying to make the playoffs next season - perhaps even more so than other teams sitting in the mid-range of the East - and the pick probably would not have been top-five.

And having the chance to draft twice in the top-12 this year is no small thing for the Penguins.

It has been widely discussed how the Penguins are one of the few - and, possibly, the only - team in full-out selling mode right now. There is a pretty good possiblity that the team will be close to McKenna range next season, anyway, even without the Rangers' pick.

Report: Penguins Only 'True Sellers' On NHL MarketWith the NHL Draft and free agency approaching fast, the NHL trade market is beginning to come into focus. 

But, despite all of the narratives around the Penguins being sellers, that doesn't mean they intend on being sellers for the foreseeable future. Much of the discourse in Pittsburgh is about the team being in the lottery discussion for the next several years.

In reality, that won't necessarily be the case. Penguins' POHO and GM Kyle Dubas - as well as new head coach Dan Muse - have reiterated that the goal is to get Pittsburgh back to contention as urgently as possible. The pattern they've been following for the past year-plus is to acquire near-NHL ready prospect talent like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen - and they are now interested in acquiring young NHL talent - and those moves are not indicative of an organization that doesn't plan to be competitive for at least another five years.

'I Couldn't Be More Excited To Get Started Here': 3 Takeaways From Dan Muse's Introductory Press Conference As Penguins' Head CoachOn Wednesday, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas formally introduced Dan Muse as the 23rd head coach in franchise history at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Pittsburgh should be able to draft two high-end talents this year, which means that they'll be getting their hands on talent that will be able to help them sooner timeline-wise. Having the extra pick also gives them the flexibility and option to move up in the draft order if they want to, which would give them a chance to select a player who could see NHL ice more immediately.

There is talent in the top-15 of this draft, and the Penguins will select two of them, whether that's at 11th and 12th overall or somewhere else, should something change on draft day. They'll take that and run with it, as Dubas's hockey operations department has done a fine job drafting up to this point. 

Either outcome would have been a winning scenario for the Penguins, but it's obviously welcome sooner rather than later.

Can The Penguins Trade Up For Blackhawks' Third Overall Pick?It has been rumored that the Pittsburgh Penguins would like to trade up in the 2025 NHL Draft.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

Feature image credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images