On July 1st of this past summer, the Los Angeles Kings made a plethora of moves, one of which included signing 32-year-old forward Joel Arima. Armia and the Kings came to agreement on a two-year contract worth $2.5 million per year. 

Los Angeles will be Armia's fourth stop in his 12-year NHL career. In the 2011 NHL draft, the Finnish native was selected with the 16th overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres. Despite being drafted high by Buffalo, Armia only played one career game with the team in the 2014-15 season. He was later sent to Winnipeg as part of the package for Evander Kane. After three seasons in Winnipeg, the Jets traded Armia to the Canadiens in a minor deal. For seven years the winger was a staple in the Habs lineup until the end of last season. He now comes into the 2025-26 season looking to help LA get over the hump that is the first round.

2024-25 Season

In his final year in Montreal, Joel Armia was finally healthy through the whole season as he played a career high 81 games. His presence played a role in the Habs somewhat unexpected postseason birth. In those 81 games, the veteran scored 11 goals to go with 18 assists for 29 points, which is one shy of tying his career high of 30. Armia spent the season in the Canadiens bottom six, so the numbers were very respectable considering his role. 

Montreal's first playoff appearance since their miraculous run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 was short-lived but the newly-signed Kings winger did play well. Armia and the Habs fell to the Washington Capitals in the first round, losing in five games. In those five games, 'Army' registered two assists.

Let's not forget that earlier in the season, Armia's named was swirling in trade rumours as the NHL's deadline approached. Before Montreal decided to keep the big winger, the LA Kings were amongst the teams that kicked tires on him. Seems that Joel Armia was destined to be a Los Angeles King.

2025-26 Expectations and Stat Predictions

PuckPedia currently has Armia slotted on the fourth line, playing right-wing with Jeff Mallot as his counterpart on the left side and Alex Turcotte playing centre. The fourth line will likely be where he spends majority of his time, with chances on the third line due to injuries or lack of production. He will be heavily relied upon when it comes to killing penalties though as PuckPedia currently has him projected to play on LA's first penalty killing unit.

When it comes to his numbers, I expect the 12-year veteran to produce almost identical to what he has in the past. I have Armia scoring 12 goals to go with 14 assists for a total of 26 points. That is exactly the type of production the Kings should expect from a guy making $2.5 million while playing fourth line minutes.

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

The Pittsburgh Penguins enter Saturday on the back leg of a pre-season back-to-back, and everyone in North America is aware that a special someone is back in town for one last hurrah.

But Marc-Andre Fleury won't be the only source of entertainment when the Penguins take on the Columbus Blue Jackets for second and final time this pre-season. 

In their 3-2 comeback win against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, the Penguins featured mostly a prospect- and AHL-focused lineup. There were a few exceptions in guys like Danton Heinen, Blake Lizotte, Philip Tomasino, Connor Dewar, and Matt Dumba, but may others were players fighting for role positions on the NHL roster.

That's not the case for Saturday's game.

Not only are the big veteran players in Fleury, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell slated to start, they will also ice most of their top organizational prospects - offering fans a glimpse into what the future could look like for the Penguins. 

During the summer, we released our full Top-20 Penguins' Prospects list. As it turns out, many of them are going to be in the lineup Saturday for the Penguins. Top-five prospects Harrison Brunicke, Ville Koivunen, Ben Kindel, and Sergei Murashov are all listed on the roster, as are Owen Pickering, Tristan Broz, Filip Hallander, Finn Harding, and Avery Hayes. 

It should be a nice blend of past, present, and future, gift-wrapped within a game that may not have any meaning in terms of standings and points but hold significant emotional value.

"We felt like this was one... today's a little bit unique," head coach Dan Muse said. "You got the uniqueness there of Marc-Andre Fleury being here and the celebration of him going into the game, so I think this is just the way it lined up."

Blue Jackets At Penguins Preseason Preview: Marc-Andre Fleury Returns To Pittsburgh The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their first preseason win on Friday night against the Detroit Red Wings. 

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Here are the lines and pairings for Saturday's game:

Forwards
A. Hayes - Crosby - Rust
Anthony Mantha - Malkin - Justin Brazeau
Koivunen - Rakell - Kindel
Boko Imama - Broz - Rafael Harvey-Pinard
Hallander

Defensemen
Parker Wotherspoon - Karlsson
Caleb Jones - Letang
Pickering - Brunicke
Harding

Goaltenders
Murashov
Fleury

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It is already known that Fleury will suit up for the third period and Murashov will anchor the opening two. Murashov has emerged as a legitimate prospect candidate to take the reins as the Penguins' goaltender of the future, as his dominance at every level of professional hockey has been something to marvel at. 

In some ways, Murashov is remniscent of a young Fleury - quick, athletic, agile, cool, confident, and poised. So it's only fitting that - akin to the rest of the roster - past and future get to suit up in the same game. 

And Fleury's advice for Murashov and other young Penguins' goaltenders?

"You better try hard," Fleury said Friday. "I'm coming to take your spot."

And for one night, one period only, he will.

'I'm Happy It All Worked Out': Fleury, Teammates Relish Chance To Share Ice One Last TimeNormally, NHL training camp is an all-business kind of affair, and that's exactly how it's been at Pittsburgh Penguins' camp this year.

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Something about playing against the Detroit Red Wings seems to agree with Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson, be it during regular season play or in Saturday afternoon's instance, pre-season play. 

Thompson scored twice as part of Buffalo's 5-2 win over the Red Wings at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. With the setback, the Red Wings are now 2-2 through four pre-season games. 

Preseason continues Monday @ home

🚨 Kane, Kasper pic.twitter.com/8MWasP2MsS

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 27, 2025

Thompson has 23 points in the 19 regular season games that he's played against the Red Wings, including 12 goals, the highest number of tallies he has against any other team in his NHL career.

While his goals on Saturday won't officially be added to his total, it continued a trend of overall dominating play on Thompson's part against Detroit. 

His first goal came just 14 seconds into the second period, while his second tally was with the man-advantage in the third period. In both instances, it restored a two-goal cushion for Buffalo. 

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

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) September 27, 2025

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

The Sabres initially grabbed a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of play thanks to tallies from Rasmus Dahlin and Radim Mrtka. Buffalo native Patrick Kane halved the Sabres' lead with his first goal of the pre-season late in the frame. 

Also scoring for Detroit was Marco Kasper, who put home a rebound past former Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon a bit past the midway point of the second period to bring his club back to within a goal. 

Josh Norris added an empty net goal for Buffalo in the waning seconds of regulation. 

Sebastian Cossa played the entire game for the Red Wings and stopped 16 of the 20 shots that he faced. Lyon, who was not re-signed by the Red Wings and accepted a two-year contract with the Sabres, made 26 saves. 

The Red Wings will return to Little Caesars Arena for a Monday evening matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+). 

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As summer wound down, Kevin Rooney found himself sifting through PTO opportunities from a couple of teams around the NHL. 

When the 32-year-old saw the New Jersey Devils were one of those teams, he felt it was a "no-brainer" to sign a professional tryout with his former club. 

"I have already been here, and I am familiar with the organization," he told The Hockey News on Saturday. "With the uncertainty of not knowing where you stand, I wanted to go someplace where I would be comfortable because training camp is quick. It is two weeks where you have to show yourself. 

"I am really happy to be back," he continued. "It has been a great experience so far being back in New Jersey." 

Rooney began his NHL career with the Devils in March 2017. He appeared in 330 games with New Jersey before continuing his career with the New York Rangers, and eventually, the Calgary Flames. 

Now, he is competing for a bottom-six role on the Devils for the 2025-26 season. The Massachusetts native has plenty of competition for the fourth-line center position with veteran Luke Glendening on a PTO as well.

On Friday, The Hockey News asked Devils' head coach Sheldon Keefe for his thoughts on his players who are on professional tryouts at this juncture of his training camp. 

"I think they have shown well," Keefe shared. "They have both shown what we had expected in terms of what they can provide. We are going to continue to put them in different positions to show that and see how they fit in, and trying to use them in different situations with different types of lineups and different linemates and all these sorts of things.

"(We want) to see them in games when they don't have a lot of support from our top guys, so they got to take on a lot more in terms of heavy lifting and match-ups and all of these sorts of things," Keefe continued. "Then, a game like we played the other day, we have a lot of our top guys, so now it is a little bit more like their role would actually feel like in a regular game. That is what I am going to try to do the rest of the way here. The games are coming quick now, and we are going to try to keep putting them in different spots and seeing how the fit is." 

Off the ice, Rooney has spent time with Glendening as the two are staying at the same hotel during camp. 

"It has been awesome having a guy like that here," Rooney said. "He is a guy I have looked up to throughout my career. He is obviously a little older than me, but we have been going to dinners and stuff together. It has been awesome getting to know him." 

Throughout his career, Rooney has averaged 11:38 of ice time per game. As a depth player, he understands and enjoys his role, explaining what it takes to be effective in limited ice time. 

"I think just staying in the game, you know? I mean (it could) be communication on the bench," he said. "I am a guy who loves to talk to my linemates and talk throughout the game, letting people who are on the ice know if they have time with the puck and whatnot. It is just doing those little things that keep you involved in the game in a little bit different of a way. 

"Obviously, you feel your best when you are playing 12 to 15 minutes, but that is not realistic every night," he continued. "You have to find ways to contribute, whether you get eight minutes or 10 minutes. It is something that, over the years, I have just gotten better at." 

One thing that affects the ice time of players like Rooney is the TV timeouts during games. 

"I don't know if it is actually true, but it feels like the fourth line is always about to go, and then there is a TV timeout," he said with a chuckle. "Then it resets." 

It is a small facet of the game that can go unnoticed not only to fans but to other players in the NHL, who are accustomed to more ice time on a nightly basis. 

"I actually have a funny story. One of my really good friends is Adam Fox," Rooney shared. "He played in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and wasn't getting his normal 20 to 25 minutes (of ice time). When I was hanging out with him this summer, he said he had a better appreciation for guys like me who don't play as many minutes. You know, it is harder, and it is cool to see a guy like that appreciate it." 

The Devils have four preseason games remaining with a split squad on Sunday. Half of the team will be at Prudential Center hosting the Washington Capitals, while the other group travels to Quebec City to play the Ottawa Senators. 

There is still time for Rooney to make a positive impact on the Devils' front office before the regular season kicks off on Oct. 9 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the center knows what is at stake and that he, in essence, has to seize the moment. 

"When you get your opportunities, you really have to make the most of them, because it doesn't come around often, honestly."

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

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'

Several players were placed on waivers on Sep. 27 in the NHL. Among them was former Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Barre-Boulet, as he was placed on waivers by the Colorado Avalanche.

Barre-Boulet signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche this off-season. This was after the Canadiens did not re-sign him before July 1.

Today's waiver wire:https://t.co/so7qgeK2D3pic.twitter.com/WE1E8g1w7F

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) September 27, 2025

Barre-Boulet spent the majority of this past season with the Canadiens' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. He was certainly an impactful player for Laval, as he posted 22 goals, 41 assists, 63 points, and a plus-18 rating in 64 games. He also played in 13 playoff games for Laval this past spring, recording three goals, eight assists, and 11 points. 

Barre-Boulet also played in two games with the Canadiens during the 2024-25 season, where he posted zero points, two penalty minutes, and three hits. 

A team looking for more forward depth could consider taking a shot on Barre-Boulet with a waiver claim, given his impressive AHL resume. However, if he passes through waivers, he will be joining the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. 

In 70 career NHL games over five seasons split between the Tampa Bay Lightning, Seattle Kraken, and Canadiens, Barre-Boulet has posted 12 goals, 18 points, and 47 hits. 

The Anaheim Ducks locked up one of the NHL's remaining RFAs when they signed star center Mason McTavish to a six-year, $42-million contract that carries a peculiar average annual value of $7 million. The AAV on McTavish's extension sheds some light on the philosophy of Ducks GM Pat Verbeek.

Verbeek had about $20.5 million in cap space before inking McTavish, meaning there was no good reason for the Ducks to go to war with one of the organization’s best players.

The 22-year-old is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he set new career-highs in goals (22), assists (30), and points (52) in 76 games. Furthermore, he had the joint-most goals and power-play goals on the Ducks roster.

There is an intriguing element of McTavish’s deal that stays in line with Verbeek’s apparent belief that no Anaheim player should be earning more than $7 million per year. Both longtime Ducks right winger Troy Terry and newcomer center Mikael Granlund earn $7 million against the salary cap this season.

Verbeek indeed made an exception for defensemen Jacob Trouba and his $8-million cap hit. However, Trouba wasn't a free agent signing, but rather, a trade that saw the New York Rangers receive defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

Nonetheless, Verbeek didn’t break the $7-million limit for No. 1 goalie Lukas Dostal, who signed for $6.5 million per year across five years. Evidence would show that there’s a clear red line for Verbeek, and McTavish didn’t step past it with this new contract.

It'll be interesting to see how Verbeek handles the pending RFAs, which includes center Leo Carlsson, left winger Cutter Gauthier, defensemen Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov. All of which will require new contracts beyond the 2025-26 campaign.

For a guy many wondered whether he had a long future in Anaheim, McTavish put that notion to rest, as Verbeek gave McTavish more term than any other current member of the Ducks.

McTavish is under contract through the 2030-31 campaign, while no other Duck is under contract longer than 2029-30. That says something about McTavish’s place in the organization. That shows what’s going to be expected of him. McTavish is going to be Anaheim’s top center, and although younger star Carlsson might challenge him for that top spot, it’s McTavish’s job to lose right now.

Report: Teams Have Called the Ducks on McTavish, Verbeek said 'Get Lost'Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is no stranger to difficult contract negotiations when it comes to RFAs under team control, especially if those players don’t hold arbitration rights.

McTavish had returned to his Canadian home in Ottawa before Ducks training camp began, but he’s now back in the fold, and Anaheim are going to be better for it. It made no sense for either McTavish or the Ducks to lose any more time than he’s already lost.

With McTavish finally on board, Anaheim has a solid balance of veterans and youngsters this season. Plus, if Dostal can hold up his end of the deal and the Ducks generate more offense, they have a realistic shot at least challenging for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Ducks are a team on the rise, and you can say the same thing for McTavish. He got what would've been market value if he were a UFA, but Verbeek gave him reasonable money as they project McTavish to do big things for them.

The expectations on McTavish have now been raised considerably, and McTavish now has the pressure of being the highest-paid forward on the roster. We'll see if he clears the new competitive bar his salary has set for him.

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