For years, the Ottawa Senators have been the NHL’s cautionary tale about the difficulty of rebuilding. They tried to do it the usual way – they tore down, stockpiled picks and prospects, and hoped to limit their mistakes. Under the old ownership and management, there was good and bad, but it was a long process that felt endless to a banged-up fan base desperate for something, anything, good to happen.

But after breaking through last season and ending an eight-year playoff drought, the Senators finally appear to be standing on the edge of something special. And if you’re looking for validation of that idea, it came Saturday morning from one of the league’s most respected voices.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, whose club hosts the Senators tonight, spoke about how he sees parallels between the Senators and Panthers. When Maurice arrived in Florida three years ago, the Panthers were a coming-of-age team, and he guided them on a run of three Cup Final appearances and the past two Cup wins.

Asked what he notices about young teams like the Senators who make the playoffs and then come back the following year, Maurice didn’t hesitate.

“I think to get to the playoffs, you have to have a style of play," Maurice told the media. "Everybody says 'identity,' that everybody understands – we're going to play this way. So I don't think you luck into the playoffs. I think you have to have played a certain way for a certain number of games to give yourself a chance. It's very hard to get into the playoffs.

"So then (teams like the Sens) keep that identity. They get to keep that first bit of feel-good. I think Ottawa's done a great job with it.”

Maurice pointed to last season’s matchups between the two teams — the Sens won the season series 2-1. The games were competitive, physical, and fast-paced.

“We had great games with them," Maurice said. "We played game two last year. It was in Ottawa, we got beat 3-1, I think, maybe on an empty netter. It was a heck of a game. I mean, they had changed drastically in that kind of acceptance of this isn't just a skill show. They played hard and played well. And I felt all our games — I think we play very similar styles of hockey. And I think our games have been really good. They're hard. They're heavy. But they're fast. They're skilled."

Maurice went on to credit Ottawa’s head coach Travis Green, who enters his second season behind the Senators’ bench, for bringing structure and purpose to a group that once relied too heavily on raw talent.

“Travis, I think, is a fantastic coach. And I think he gets players to play with some passion and enjoy what they're doing. So this will be a good one tonight.”

The Senators finished just one point behind the Panthers in last season’s standings — a razor-thin margin Maurice was quick to put in perspective.

“Yeah, we beat them by a point. Is that accurate? OK, well, that's a point over 82 games. That's a rounding error. So we had the same regular season that they did last year. Theirs was legit.”

Coming from a coach that's three seasons away from passing Scotty Bowman for most career games coached in the NHL (he's number two right now), that kind of endorsement carries weight. Maurice knows how small the margin can be between “almost there” and “arrived.”

“You get into the playoffs, you can lose in the first round, you can win the Stanley Cup, and almost play the exact same hockey. When we look back, we attach this brilliance to the team that won. Well, they won, and they get to do that. But then those other teams are right there. They're just all right there.

"So there's no easy first round. You can lose in the first round and be a really, really good team.”

As an aside, not many NHL coaches run a more thoughtful, interesting, and often entertaining media availability than Paul Maurice.

The Senators may now be entering the phase the Panthers once did, but capitalizing on their potential in the dramatic way Florida has is, quite frankly, an almost impossible task. The league just has so many great teams, and so many things would need to go their way.

But Sens fans can dream, hope springs eternal, and stranger things have happened.

Meanwhile, as we look ahead to Saturday night's matchup, it will serve as a fantastic measuring stick for the Senators – a team on the rise, staring across at what it hopes to become.

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Pinto Scores Twice As Ottawa Senators Win Season Opener 5-4 in Tampa Bay
Jordan Spence: A Healthy Scratch For Ottawa Senators Season Opener
Travis Green Says Senators Are 'Headed In the Right Direction'
Senators Send Yakemchuk To The Minors, Place Batherson And Kleven On IR
Sens Land A True NHL Heavyweight In A Deal With The Devils
More Senators Broadcast Changes: Marc Methot Out At TSN

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery views the New York Islanders as a much different team than they have been in years past. 

“This is a much more dynamic team," Carbery said following Capitals morning skate. "Going way back when Barry [Trotz] was here and Matt Martin, those teams were just...they had a real identity. I think that identity’s shifting a little bit to where they’re much more dynamic offensively. Tons of plays from each line off entires, getting middle ice, finding slot-line passes. Like you watch some of the goals that they scored the other night. Those are some high-end plays, and so were some of the opportunities, scoring chances that they created against Pittsburgh.

"So that’s what we sort of look at, and then you start to sort of get a feel for what a team does well, and I think that’s what’s been sticking out lately about the Islanders.”

When it comes to No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, his wheels are what stands out.

"Elite, elite, elite skater is what jumps off the page," Carbery said. "And to start with that as a foundation as a defenseman...had a pretty good start. That was apparent in the Pittsburgh game. There were a couple of instances where he could really showcase his agility, quickness, lateral mobility, and strength, all of which will come with maturity and as he develops in the NHL. But you can see he's an elite, elite skater."

Puck drop between these two teams is coming your way at 7 PM ET. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to improve to 3-0-0 on the season when they host Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers on Saturday night. 

Sullivan will return to PPG Paints Arena for the first time since becoming the head coach of the Rangers during the offseason. He's arguably the best coach in Penguins' history and helped them win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

He was the perfect coach at the perfect time for the Penguins and will likely get a standing ovation from Penguins fans when he's honored during the game. 

Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins after shutting the Rangers out on Tuesday, 3-0. He made the saves he needed to make and was a calm presence in net throughout the game. This will be his second start of the season after Tristan Jarry started against the New York Islanders on Thursday. 

Justin Brazeau scored two goals in Tuesday's game, including the game-winner, before Blake Lizotte added one at the end of the third period. 

Saturday morning's skate was optional, so the lines were a little bit jumbled. There's also a chance that Bryan Rust makes his season debut after missing the first two games with a lower-body injury. He was on the ice for the skate and has been practicing with the team this week. 

Igor Shesterkin will start in goal for the Rangers, but they'll be without forward Vincent Trocheck, who suffered a lower-body injury against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. He's week-to-week with that injury. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET and fans can watch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

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One of the things that the Buffalo Sabres needed to make a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup Playoffs was a healthy Josh Norris playing on the top line as a #1 center, setting up sniper Tage Thompson.That hope lasted just one game, as Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff announced on Saturday that Norris will be out a “significant period of time” after being injured in the club’s  4-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday.    

Norris left the game late in the third period after taking a faceoff. He fell to the ice, struggled to get back to the bench and did not return to the game. After practice on Friday before the club departed for Boston, Ruff said that Norris was upset about the injury after putting in a lot of work during the summer to get ready for the first full season with Buffalo. After the club’s morning skate at TD Garden on Saturday, the Sabres head coach provided an update. 

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“(Norris is) going to miss a significant amount of time, I don’t know what that amount is for sure. He is still being evaluated,” Ruff said. “It’s an upper-body (injury), it’s not related to anything he has had in the past.”

 The 26-year-old center was acquired by the Sabres in a deal that sent Dylan Cozens last March. Injuries have been a constant presence for Norris in his six-year NHL career. The former San Jose first rounder played the full 56-game COVID-shortened season in 2020-21, but since has missed 148 games with an assortment of injuries, including a serious shoulder injury. After the trade, Norris played just three games for Buffalo and was out the rest of  the season.. 

Ruff indicated that Jiri Kulich will take Norris’s place on the top line with Tage Thompson. The Sabres have recalled center Josh Dunne from AHL Rochester to fill Norris’s roster spot. Jason Zucker will play alongside Kulich and Thompson, since Zach Benson is not making the trip to Boston after having to be admitted to hospital after a puck hit his left cheek in practice on Wednesday. 

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

The Minnesota Wild made a big mov eon trade deadline day last season. They traded Marat Khustnutdinov, Jakub Lauko and a 2026 sixth round pick to the Boston Bruins for Justin Brazeau who had ten goal sand ten assists in 57 games with the Bruins.

Brazeau, 27, played in 19 games for the Wild following the trade and had just one goal and one assist. He finished the season with just one goal in 36 games.

The 6-foot-5 forward was acquired to add some bottom-six scoring considering he had ten goals in 57 games at the time. He was also used on the second power play unit in Boston so that was a possibility.

But in 19 regular season games with the Wild and six in the playoffs, Brazeau scored one goal. He was left unsigned and went to free agency. He ended up signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins as former Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Kyle Dubas, now the Penguins General Manager, signed him.

He was playing in the preseason on the second line with Evgeni Malkin as the center. That line was very good in the preseason and on opening night Brazeau scored two goals. He followed that up with a goal in his second game. The Penguins are 2-0-0 and Brazeau is taking advantage of his top-six minutes.

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- Wild Claim Defenseman Daemon Hunt Off Waivers.

- Wild Sign Filip Gustavsson To A Five-Year Contract Extension.

- Wild's Mats Zuccarello Out For Two Months With Lower-Body Injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 2 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. 

Let's take a look at who wore 2, and where they are now

Anders Eriksson - 2004-2007 - Drafted by Detroit in 1993. 

Eriksson played 145 games for Columbus and had 50 points after signing with Columbus in 2006. 

He retired in 2011 after returning home to play in Sweden. 

Kris Russell - 2008 - Drafted by Columbus in 2005.

Russell played 288 games in Columbus and had 79 points. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues on November 11, 2011, in exchange for Nikita Nikitin. 

He went on to play 912 NHL games and total 254 points. After playing 6 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Russell retired in 2022. 

Nate Guenin - 2011 - Drafted by the New York Rangers in 2002. 

Guenin played 3 games for the Jackets and had zero points. After his time in Columbus, he went on to play for Anaheim and Colorado. 

The former Ohio State Captain returned to the school and was an asst. coach for a season. 

"Guenin is a defensive defenseman with a good reach. Enjoys playing a physical game and has the size to wreck opponents. Owns alright skating ability and a decent outlet pass." - Elite Prospects

Radek Martínek - 2012 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1999. 

Martínek played 7 games for Columbus and had one goal. Martínek suffered a season-ending concussion against the Detroit Red Wings on October 21, 2011, and also lost teeth and broke his leg. He returned to the NHL in 2013 and played 26 more games before retiring. 

"Martínek is a defenseman who plays a well-rounded game. Owns solid passing ability and a good slapper. However, he is very prone to injury." - Elite Prospects

Andrew Bodnarchuk - 2016 - Drafted by Boston in 2006. 

Bodnarchuk played 16 games as a Blue Jacket and totaled two points.

He left for Europe in 2018 and still plays there today. Bodnarchuk plays in Germany's second-tier league, DEL2, for EC Kassel Huskies.

"Bodnarchuk is known as a defenseman with a solid all-around game. Moves the puck well and has a hard shot. A hard worker and quality teammate, he plays bigger than his size would indicate. Also has fine skating ability and agility." - Elite Prospects

Andrew Peeke - 2020-2024 - Drafted by Columbus in 2016. 

Peeke played 218 games and totaled 42 points for Columbus before being traded to the Boston Bruins on March 8, 2024. Many CBJ fans were upset by this trade, seeing that former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen just signed him in September of 2022 to a three-year extension. He was traded during the first year of his new deal, and no one liked that. 

Peeke played 76 games for the Bruins last season and provided some stability to a team that was otherwise having a terrible season. 

Elite Prospects said of Peeke, "Big, mobile defenseman with great vision and hockey sense. Possesses a hard, accurate shot, but needs to use it more. Smooth skater but has room for improvement in his acceleration with the puck. Reads plays well in his own end and has a well-rounded understanding of the defensive game. Starting to play a gritty game, but that will take time to develop. Physical game is definitely ripening."

Jake Christiansen - 2025 - Undrafted out of West Vancouver, British Columbia.

Christiansen played in a career-high 68 games for Columbus last season and totaled 8 points. He has played 112 games over four years. Before last season, Christiansen spent most of his time playing for the Cleveland Monsters. He's currently the Monsters franchise leader for points by a defenseman.

Christiansen will most likely be the 6th/7th defenseman during the 25-26 season and is signed through 2027. So, he will be looking to have a couple of good years and earn a nice, big contract. 

Jake Christiansen is a left-handed defenseman known for his offensive capabilities, particularly his puck-moving skills and shot, but also for needing to improve his defensive play. He's earned a spot in the Columbus Blue Jackets' top six due to his hard work—Christiansen's journey to the NHL involved going undrafted and spending over 200 games in the AHL. Christiansen is the Cleveland Monsters' all-time leading points producer by a defenseman.

There are 2 days until the Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice against the New Jersey Devils in the home opener. Game one against Nashville went just about as every game does when playing at Bridgestone Arena - a loss. 

Now they take on the Minnesota Wild tonight at Grand Casino Arena, and will look to stop Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild, who shut out the Blues in their first game of the season. 

Let us know what you think below.

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More From THN Columbus

Cleveland Monsters Sign Defenseman Will Butcher The Cleveland Monsters have announced that they've signed defenseman Will Butcher to a one-year AHL contract. Butcher has played 275 career NHL games.  Former Blue Jacket Forward Jack Roslovic Signs With EdmontonLate last night, the Edmonton Oilers announced that they have signed former CBJ forward Jack Roslovic to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. The deal comes virtually at the last second before the season starts.  Cleveland Monster's 2025-26 Leadership Group NamedThe Cleveland Monster's have announced their leadership group for 2025-26 AHL season.

DETROIT — Easton Cowan’s NHL debut will have to wait a little bit longer.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will stick with the same lineup they used in their season opener as they visit the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesar's Arena. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed there would be no changes, explaining that the recent win was a factor in his decision.

“Yeah, I think the win, and I just didn't feel there was any need to make a change tonight in the lineup,” Berube said.

Easton Cowan and Sammy Blais are out skating late doing extra work along with Phil Myers. Those are your projected scratches tonight. @BodogCA

— David Alter (@dalter) October 11, 2025

Cowan, along with Sammy Blais and defenseman Philippe Myers, were on the ice late doing extra work.

Toronto’s first-round draft pick (28th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. Cowan has been part of the club’s 23-man roster since the second day of the NHL season, but there doesn't appear to be a set timeline for when the forward prospect will make his NHL debut.

'We'll See What Happens': Could Easton Cowan Make His NHL Debut Against Red Wings?Easton Cowan is staying patient for his NHL debut.

Cowan is eligible to be sent up and down at will to the Toronto Marlies, who played their season-opening game against the Rochester Americans on Friday. Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving indicated earlier in the week that he “wants him playing” if he's going to be with the team.

“He's close. He's got a great attitude, he works hard, he had a good practice today,” Berube said of Cowan before the team arrived in Detroit.

Why Easton Cowan Won't Be In The Maple Leafs' Home-Opening Lineup Vs. CanadiensDespite Easton Cowan being on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs' optional morning skate on Wednesday morning, he will not be in the lineup for the home opener against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Leafs will visit a Red Wings team that fell 5-1 to the Montreal Canadiens in their season opener. Detroit activated former Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk to their roster, but he will not be in the lineup. Cam Talbot will start in goal for the Red Wings after John Gibson opened the season in goal.

Leafs projected lineup

The Leafs will go with the same forward and defense group from the previous game

#Leafs lines during practice Oct. 10/25

Knies-Matthews-Maccelli
McMann-Tavares-Nylander
Joshua-Domi-Robertson⁰Lorentz-Roy-Jarnkrok⁰Extra: Cowan, Blais

Rielly-Carlo⁰McCabe-Tanev⁰Benoit-OEL⁰Extra: Myers

Stolarz⁰Primeau@BodogCApic.twitter.com/ajKZvlKtoa

— David Alter (@dalter) October 10, 2025

Red Wings projected lineup

In addition to Detroit changing up their goaltender, Jacob Bernard-Docker will replace Travis Hamonic and Jacob Ner

. @DetroitRedWings coach Todd McLellan confirms that Jacob Bernard-Docker replaces Travis Hamonic in the lineup, while Jonatan Berggren replaces Elmer Soderblom. James van Riemsdyk will make his debut soon. #LGRW

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) October 11, 2025

Lines and pairs the first time through today

Finnie Larkin Raymond
DeBrincat Kasper Kane
Copp Compher MBN
JVR Rasmussen Appleton
Berggren, Söderblom

Chiarot Seider
Edvinsson ASP
Johansson JBD
Gustafsson Hamonic

— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) October 10, 2025

Where To Watch 📺

• Canada: Viewers will be able to watch the game on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
• Detroit Area: Viewers can watch the game on the FanDuel Sports Network.
• Rest of the United States: The game will stream on ESPN+.
• Rest of the World: The game will stream on DAZN.

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As the Ottawa Senators finish the second part of their season-opening two-game visit to the Sunshine State, they'll need to show up on time. The Sens fell behind 2-0 and 3-1 in Tampa Bay on Thursday night, then battled back for a 5-4 victory. They won't get away with that very often, particularly against the NHL's top teams.

On Saturday night in Sunrise, Florida, they'll get the very best.

They'll face the Florida Panthers, who have their eye on a third straight NHL title this season and a sweep of their season-opening homestand. A pair of non-playoff teams from last year gave the Panthers all they could handle this week. Florida beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in their first game and then the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, 2-1.

Most of the early-season news and previews on the Panthers are quick to mention the injuries to superstar forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. After a collision in the Flyers' game, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was also placed on IR on Friday, which means Uvis Balinskis will likely see his first action of the season on Saturday. But he's no rookie. The guy played 76 games last season.

That kind of depth is part of the reason the Panthers have won two Cups. Their so-called lower-end players have already stepped up in their first two wins, with names like Greer, Samoskevich, and Rodrigues leading the team in scoring.

According to THN Florida's David Dwork, here are the Panthers' projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s showdown with the Sens. While the loss of some key players hurts the group, it's still pretty impressive, and loaded to thrive in any style of game you'd like to play. 

Forwards:
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer – Luke Kunin – Jonah Gadjovich

Defense:
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry

Sergei Bobrovsky has started the first two games for the Panthers, so they could have opted to give the net to his new backup, Daniil Tarasov, the former Columbus Blue Jacket. But head coach Paul Maurice announced this morning that Bobrovsky will start for the third straight game.

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Pinto Scores Twice As Ottawa Senators Win Season Opener 5-4 in Tampa Bay
Jordan Spence: A Healthy Scratch For Ottawa Senators Season Opener
Travis Green Says Senators Are 'Headed In the Right Direction'
Senators Send Yakemchuk To The Minors, Place Batherson And Kleven On IR
Sens Land A True NHL Heavyweight In A Deal With The Devils
More Senators Broadcast Changes: Marc Methot Out At TSN