By Jared Clinton, Features writer 

There aren't many who will extol the virtues of the National Enquirer. That is, of course, because one would be hard pressed to associate the tabloid with virtuousness in the first place. But there is something to be said for the Enquirer’s cockroach-esque ability to maintain its place as a fixture of grocery-store checkouts. Trust, too, that its longevity has little to do with any reputation as a great bastion of journalistic integrity. Rather, it has survived by trading on one of humanity’s great truths: we all love a little bit of gossip.

Bristle at the suggestion if you wish. Deny it if you must. But the cold reality is no one is immune to a bit of idle talk, and most certainly not those within the hockeysphere. Rumors have become part of the daily news cycle. There are whole accounts all across social media dedicated to aggregating and disseminating the latest tidbits.

And our collective love of digging up the newest dirt even bleeds into television broadcasts, where entire intermission segments center around dissecting the latest chatter regarding this player’s trade availability or that player’s contract negotiations.

But much like understanding that the yarns spun in the Enquirer aren’t worth the paper on which they are printed, an essential part of living in the age of off-ice gossip is learning to distinguish fact from fiction. For John Q. Public, that’s not always an easy thing. Doing so requires a smidgen of media literacy and a working cow-excrement detector. For the media types, it’s about leaning on well-placed sources. When you’re an NHL GM, though? You set out to hear these things straight from the horse’s mouth. And that is what brings us to Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong.

Not unlike most rumor hounds, Armstrong couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when word trickled out that JJ Peterka was on the market. In three big-league seasons in Buffalo, Peterka had established himself as a legitimate top-six talent. He finished the 2024-25 campaign tied for second in scoring for the Sabres, and with Buffalo desperate to right the ship, Peterka seemed a no-brainer to remain a fixture of the team’s lineup for years to come.

One can understand, then, why Armstrong was skeptical of the trade talk.

“It’s one of those things you ask those GMs when you’re talking to them,” Armstrong told reporters. “ ‘Is this true? Is there any life to this story?’ Most times, there’s none. But this particular one had some legs.”

That’s not to say mapping out a swap for Peterka was as simple as a single phone call. As Armstrong put it, acquiring the 23-year-old right winger “took some time to mature and get across the finish line.” When all was said and done, the Mammoth sent 23-year-old right winger Josh Doan and 25-year-old defenseman Michael Kesselring the Sabres’ way in exchange for Peterka. The cherry on top? Peterka’s almost-immediate commitment to the project in Utah.

It just shows how committed I am to Utah, how excited I am and how much I believe in that group- JJ Peterka on signing a five-year deal.

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An RFA at the time he was traded, Peterka signed a five-year, $38.5-million contract in the aftermath of his move to Utah. His $7.7-million cap hit makes him the franchise’s highest-paid forward.

“Sometimes, you talk to guys when they’re traded to you and they’re in shock,” Armstrong said. “(JJ) was expecting it and excited about coming to Utah.”

For Peterka, putting pen to paper was an easy choice, and that wasn’t only because of the dollars-and-cents of it all. When the Mammoth (nee Hockey Club) touched down in Utah last summer, a move made on the back of the Arizona Coyotes’ protracted relocation saga, Peterka took note of the reception they received. He was also blown away by the atmosphere when he visited with Buffalo last season. And this is to say nothing of the talent in the lineup. That the mountains of Salt Lake City had a way of making the Munich native feel at home didn’t hurt either. Put it all together, and a long-term deal was a no-brainer.

“It just shows how committed I am to Utah, how excited I am and how much I believe in that group – what they’ve got going and what they’re building there,” Peterka said.

What the Mammoth are constructing – and have been dating back to their final days as the Coyotes – is a roster brimming with budding young stars. The squad appears poised to contend not just in the cutthroat Central Division but for a consistent spot in the Western Conference playoff picture.

But, as is evident by the fact Utah spent the 2024-25 season flitting in and out of wild-card contention before ultimately finishing on the outside looking in, the up-and-coming outfit is not without its flaws.

“You always have to be aware of where you are in the build and where you’re going,” Armstrong said. “Where we’re going is we needed somebody in the top two lines that could put the puck in the net and could have that ability to have impact.”

That need was painfully apparent at times last season. At all strengths, Utah’s ability to generate shots and scoring chances added up to the NHL’s 10th-most expected goals (258.2). Even with Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther in the lineup, though, Utah struggled to turn opportunities into actual offensive output. By season’s end, the club’s 240 goals tied for 20th in the NHL. And that’s where Peterka comes in.

Though he has flown somewhat under the radar, Peterka has proven to be one of the league’s most-lethal shooters over the past two seasons. Look no further than the rate at which he has outperformed his expected offensive numbers. Among the 500-plus skaters to play at least 1,500 minutes at all strengths since the start of 2023-24, Peterka ranks an impressive – though not necessarily awe-inspiring – 113th in the NHL, producing 41.5 expected goals. He’s exceeded expectations, however, by netting 55 goals over that span.

And it’s by that measure, the difference between expected and actual results, that Peterka has proven himself to be an exceptionally gifted finisher. Among that cohort of 500-plus skaters, only 27 have outstripped their expected total by as much or more than Peterka’s 13.5 goals above expected.

The same ability to deliver is apparent when measuring per hour of ice time, too.

Though he’s not in the same stratosphere as compatriot Leon Draisaitl or former Sabres teammate Tage Thompson – who rank first and second with .60-plus goals more than expected per 60 minutes over the past two campaigns – Peterka has exceeded his expected per-hour goal production by .29 at all strengths.

That tied him for 25th in the NHL over the past two campaigns. To put that into context, Peterka ranks ahead of Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel and Filip Forsberg. It also puts Peterka level with or clear of the top players available this summer, which included Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser.

That alone would make Peterka a fit on any team in the league, of course. But what gives the Mammoth even greater confidence that Peterka will be especially suited to the organization is that his style fits the way coach Andre Tourigny wants his team to play: north-south and up-tempo.

“The one thing I’ve learned about him from watching him over the years is he’s got a unique ability to create a ton of speed down the wings,” Armstrong said.

That’s an asset Peterka has honed over the years. In fact, it dates back to the days when playing in the NHL was nothing but a distant dream. Peterka grew up a multi-sport athlete, and he sounds like he’s rattling off a list of Olympic events when naming his hobbies. His interest in multiple sporting disciplines led him to spend his winters balancing hockey with short-track speed skating. And while he eventually ditched the spandex bodysuit, the technique he learned on the oval remains to this day.

“I was always one of the fastest guys, probably because of that,” Peterka said. “Translating that to hockey wasn’t too hard. Obviously, not as many turns, but for straight-line skating and that stuff, it really helps.”

It’s one of those things you ask those GMs about. ‘Is there any life to this story?’ This particular one had some legs- Utah GM Bill Armstrong on rumors of Peterka's availability.

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Despite Peterka’s skill set and promising on-ice results, no one is expecting him to arrive and act as an immediate panacea for Utah’s scoring woes, nor is he being heralded as the missing piece who will singlehandedly push the club into Stanley Cup contention. That’s not the kind of pressure Armstrong wants to put on the youngster, either. This is all new for Peterka, who said getting traded was a “weird feeling.” He’ll have to put down new roots in a new city and without the benefit of any familiar faces – his lone personal connections are to Utah prospects and fellow German national-team players Maksymilian Szuber and Julian Lutz.

Once that bedding-in period is complete, though, and Peterka has become familiar with his new Mammoth teammates, the hope is he will be one of the driving forces who help Utah turn promise and potential into post-season hockey and perhaps even a championship run.

That could happen in short order. It could be in due time. But Peterka is confident that, sooner or later, on-ice success is in the cards for the club.

“When you look at the roster and how many young players are there and already so good,” Peterka said, “I think just timeline-wise, for me, it’s going to be a perfect fit.”

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This article appeared in our 2025 Meet the New Guys issue. The cover story for this issue features the newest Vegas Golden Knight, Mitch Marner, as he looks to shine in the desert. We also include features on new Jets forward Jonathan Toews, Canadiens D-man Noah Dobson and more. In addition, we take a look at the top 'new guys' from each NHL division.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

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:
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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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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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