Easton Cowan is enjoying life up in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 20-year-old made his NHL debut on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings, playing alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on Toronto's top line. Cowan finished with one shot, three hits, and 14:05 of ice time.

With any young prospect, whether they begin in the AHL or come straight in from junior, there's always a couple of eye-opening experiences about NHL life, which make the veterans chuckle a little bit.

Brandon Carlo, who's been in the league for what's now 10 seasons, got a front row seat to Cowan's first few days of being up with the Maple Leafs.

"It's been great. It's fun for me being around young guys. I still feel like a young guy myself, but at times when you get to talk to younger guys, especially like him, he brings a lot of energy each and every day. He's got a smile on his face," Carlo said on Tuesday morning.

"We went to dinner the other night and he was just having a great time enjoying the meal. It was pretty funny because there was a lot of things where he was like, 'I've never had this before', 'I've never had this before', and I remember being in that same position.

"It's great to see the game through young guys again and something we can all feed off of that energy."

'If You Stick With It, Good Things Will Come': What Easton Cowan Will Remember About His NHL Debut With Maple LeafsAs Easton Cowan skated onto the ice ahead of his NHL debut, the crowd started cheering. Within all the noise, a song blared inside Scotiabank Arena: "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)".

What was on the menu that Cowan was saying he'd never had before?

"I think it was like the tuna tartar or something like that," Carlo smiled. "One of those meals that I didn't grow up having in Colorado by any means. I guess you can get used to it a little bit, but I think he liked it."

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube opted to stick with the same lineup ahead of Tuesday night's game against the Nashville Predators. Cowan will remain alongside Knies and Matthews after earning more trust from the head coach in the loss to Detroit the day prior.

"I thought he had a great game. He made a lot of good plays with the puck," Berube said on Monday. "I just thought five-foot plays all over the ice. He made a lot of them, too. He was very good on the forecheck. He's got a great hockey IQ, that's the bottom line."

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Despite a strong effort by the Los Angeles Kings to push for a point against the Minnesota Wild on Monday evening after facing a 3-0 deficit, they can only blame themselves. 

The Kings are holding themselves back as they continue to rack up the minor penalties in this young 2025-26 campaign.

In fact, after their 4-3 shootout loss to the Wild, the Kings are second in the league in penalty minutes (55 PIMS) and penalties taken (23). Only the Chicago Blackhawks are ahead of them in those two categories.

In the first period against Minnesota, Los Angeles took four minor penalties. Because of that, the Kings can’t play the game they planned. 

Wild Weather Kings’ Late Comeback, Edge Out Los Angeles 4–3 in ShootoutAnother game, another overtime game that ends in a shootout for the Los Angeles Kings. This time, the match doesn’t go in the King's favor; it ends in a shootout loss in Minnesota, 4-3. 

The line combinations get mixed up, skilled players such as Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko don’t see the ice as much because they aren’t penalty killers, and that hurts the flow.

“First off, we need to stay out of the box,” defenseman Drew Doughty told reporters after the game.

“One of our strengths is rolling four lines, three D-pairs, and once you get penalties, the momentum goes away.”

Not only will a parade to the penalty box ruin the team’s momentum, but it can also ruin the scoreboard. 

With about five minutes remaining in the first period, center Quinton Byfield took a delay-of-game penalty as he chucked the puck over the glass, trying to flip the puck up the ice.

“We’re taking too many penalties, and I might be the main guy, I’ve taken a ton,” Byfield told reporters. “So, that’s something that we’ve got to fix.”

It didn’t help that 18 seconds after Byfield’s penalty, right winger Adrian Kempe was called for hooking on Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov.

By that point, the score is already 1-0 for Minnesota, and now the Kings need to kill off a 5-on-3 penalty for almost a full two minutes.

Sure enough, the Wild score twice, 20 seconds apart, taking advantage of both power-play opportunities created by Byfield and Kempe.

With that, Los Angeles gave Minnesota a huge head start and a 3-0 lead going into the second period. From that point on, the Kings needed to chase the game. And to their credit, the team was great at 5-on-5.

“We’re taking too many penalties and we’re getting scored on,” Kings coach Jim Hiller admitted.

However, he shed some light on how the team played at even strength in the last couple of outings.

“Our 5-on-5 game is starting to feel a little bit more like how we play,” Hiller said. “We’re going to score goals, I’m not worried about that, but we just have to tighten it up. I think we’re getting there. We take some of the penalties away, we’ll be a good team.”

The Kings are now 1-2-1 with the Pittsburgh Penguins coming to town on Thursday.

The 2025 offseason was the busiest in Pat Verbeek’s tenure as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks. He overhauled the coaching staff, shipped out a pair of long-time roster pieces (Trevor Zegras and John Gibson), brought in a trio of forwards (Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling), ran his fourth NHL Draft process with the Ducks, got some important piece of business done early (Lukas Dostal extension), was part of another important piece of business lingering well into training camp (Mason McTavish extension), and just when it seemed like the table was set and pencils were down, he inked the Ducks’ number-one defenseman Jackson LaCombe to the largest contract in franchise history (eight years, $72 million) just a week before the puck was set to drop for the Ducks’ regular season.

After an up-and-down rookie campaign in 2023-24, LaCombe (24) burst on the scene in 2024-25, tallying 43 points (14-29=43) in 75 games and leading the Ducks in TOI (22:18/G), playing in all situations, taking advantage of the opportunities afforded, and becoming the Ducks' top defenseman of the present and future.

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When he was drafted six years ago (39th overall in 2019), LaCombe was always seen as a smart, smooth-skating project of a defenseman with what could one day become an NHL frame. He’s now a finished product, or close to one, and is hitting his prime right as the Ducks are hoping to turn the corner on their elongated rebuild.

Signing a contract like that has the potential to negatively affect a player in LaCombe’s situation, where he is still in the early stages of his career. It places a great deal of pressure on players, perhaps leading them to feel like they have to perform to a certain standard or impact games with every movement. That hasn’t been the case for LaCombe thus far.

LaCombe is now 150 games into his NHL career, the long extension is signed, and now that his role is clearly defined, there is an air of poise and assuredness surrounding his approach, both on and off the ice.

Through the Ducks' first two games of the season and though he’s yet to find the scoresheet, it should come as no surprise to see LaCombe’s name atop the team’s TOI chart, averaging 26:20 TOI per game. He also leads the team in power play TOI (6:34) and is second in penalty kill TOI (6:28), just three seconds less than leader Radko Gudas (6:31).

“It means a lot for sure,” LaCombe said ahead of the Ducks' home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. “For me, I’m trying to take full responsibility for that and just come to every game playing the best I can. We have so many good players that anyone can play anywhere, so I’m just trying to do the best I can.”

During those minutes, one would be forgiven for wondering if LaCombe was breaking a sweat. Visually, he seems to be teetering on the line between poised and casual during his shifts, seeming to barely take effortful strides when defending or on the attack. However, that statement isn’t meant to accuse him of playing lackadaisically whatsoever. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“I think that’s always kind of part of my game, growing up and stuff, but I think as you play more, you kind of learn the speed of the game and the pace, and you read plays differently,” LaCombe. “Having that calmness and poise is something I want to have in my game, and I wanted to work on it all summer.”

LaCombe has achieved a level of seemingly effortless yet effective skating, reminiscent of only the most elite to ever play the position. He’s using his ability to dissect plays, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the puck, to his advantage, blending it with his comfort and calmness to positively impact the game in every zone.

When defending, he is anticipating and sealing walls on the strong side, while never losing a race to a loose puck when retrieving. With just one or two strides, he can get to the front of the net and has become adept at boxing out opponents and taking sticks away.

On the attack, he’s as aggressive as ever when joining rushes off-puck to make himself an option and keep opponents on their heels. With the puck, he’s become proficient at shielding the on-puck defender with his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame while maintaining possession and advancing pucks North, consistently in search of the most optimal play.

While maintaining a sense of the competitiveness that had allowed him to seize control of the number-one defenseman spot in Anaheim, signing a massive, record-setting contract only seems to have enhanced LaCombe’s self-assurance and composure. If he continues to impact games while displaying this collected brand of hockey and can consistently produce on top of it, he will continue to invoke shades of elite defensemen of the past and present like Scott Niedermayer, Niklas Lidstrom, and Miro Heiskanen

Author Disclaimer: I’m not alluding to LaCombe one day becoming a hall-of-fame defenseman, but simply stating what his play style is becoming reminiscent of.

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If there's anyone on the Toronto Maple Leafs who can come out on the good side of adversity, it's William Nylander.

The 29-year-old has four points in his first three games, which, to some, is a good sign. However, his play hasn't been up to the standard it usually is. Despite clipping at over a point per game, Nylander's expected goals sit at 42.68 percent, the sixth-lowest among Maple Leafs, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

Aside from his empty-net goal in the club's season-opening win against the Montreal Canadiens, Nylander hasn't scored for Toronto yet. One of his three assists also came on an empty-netter in that game.

"We need him to obviously score goals, right? That's what he does, but more to his game than that. It's not just on all Willy. It's just, like I said, our guys got to put the puck in the net," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Tuesday morning, ahead of their game against the Nashville Predators.

"So that's the side of it that I'm looking at when I talked last night. But it's not all on Willy, it's on all our guys that we depend on the score goals."

Following Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, Berube admitted that he'd like more offense from his second line. Although he briefly mentioned John Tavares, the Maple Leafs' coach preached for Nylander to shoot the puck more.

‘We Need More From Him’: Maple Leafs’ Craig Berube Challenges William Nylander For Offense Following Defeat To Red WingsThe Toronto Maple Leafs fell 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena, earning no points in the standings. Despite clawing back from a 2-0 deficit, Detroit's Mason Appleton scored the game-winning goal with 45 seconds left in regulation time.

In three games, the forward has just three shots.

What has Tavares learned about Nylander when Berube pushes him?

"Well, I've always said, that's why I think Willy does tremendously well in this market. I think, (Nylander), more than anyone, will look himself in the mirror, knows maybe that he can do more, he can play better," Tavares said.

"He's one of the best in the league. We're very lucky to have him. We know what he's capable of and his ability to respond, not only when he's challenged from whether it's anyone within our locker room, coaching staff, but just himself and the expectations he has for him, and the standards he set and how great he wants to be night to night, so he responds really well."

What's good about Berube and Nylander's relationship is that the door's always open for discussion. When Berube wants Nylander to play better, he'll let him know. And vice versa when Nylander wants more playing time.

'If You Stick With It, Good Things Will Come': What Easton Cowan Will Remember About His NHL Debut With Maple LeafsAs Easton Cowan skated onto the ice ahead of his NHL debut, the crowd started cheering. Within all the noise, a song blared inside Scotiabank Arena: "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)".

There's always an open line of communication, which can be a positive thing between a coach and one of the NHL's most skilled players.

"I mean, he always has good feedback to be honest with you. He sees things that maybe I don't see that he talks about and where he's at mentally and puck touches and stuff like that," Berube added.

"These guys need to puck in their hands. They want to have the puck, and sometimes they're not getting in enough, so they're not feeling like they're into the game. So those are the types of conversations we have most of the time, just different things like that. They're good (conversations), though.

"I see his perspective where he's coming from that maybe I don't see. I'm not in his head, and what he's feeling and what I'm feeling and what I'm seeing. So I think they're good conversations. It's really good feedback for me, and I just want him to hear me and what I think."

With no lineup changes ahead of Tuesday night's game against the Predators, Nylander will line up again alongside John Tavares and new linemate Matias Maccelli. There's hope that, with a bit of rest following their Monday afternoon game, Toronto's top players can return to the scoresheet in a big way.

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New York's top duo of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad headline Best Bets options for Tuesday's marquee matchup between the Rangers and Oilers.  

Tuesday promises to provide a loaded slate of NHL action on Monday with several marquee matchups including two of the best teams from each of their respective conferences in the New York Rangers hosting the Edmonton Oilers. The Blueshirts have had a mixed start to the season with a 2-2-0 record as they still search for their first home win of the season while the Oilers will go on the road for the first time this season, looking to improve on a 1-0-1 record. 

It should set up to be a thrilling night of games with several chances to hit it big and win cash along the way. We're looking to build off a successful beginning to the season as well as some player props from last season in Mitch Marner, Mark Scheifele, Wyatt Johnston, Rasmus Dahlin, Teuvo Teravainen and Connor Hellebuyck. 

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM. 

Expect Tavares, Stamkos Scoring in High-Scoring Leafs-Predators ShowdownToronto's John Tavares and Nashville's Steven Stamkos headline Best Bets options for Tuesday's marquee matchup between the Leafs and Predators. 

New York Rangers vs Edmonton Oilers Best Bets:

Rangers ML (+115)

Artemi Panarin anytime goal (+190)

Mika Zibanejad Over 0.5 Points (-166)

Oilers Under 3.5 Goals (-153)

The Oilers have dominated this high-scoring matchup with a 9-2-1 record over their last 12 matchups against the Rangers. The majority of the games were high-scoring shootouts with six or more goals scored in six of the past nine clashes. However, two of their last four games in New York have stayed under that mark, making the total a tricky call this time around.

 It'll be a risky game when it comes to the total but one thing we know is that Rangers bench boss Mike Sullivan doesn't like to lose at home. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he guided the Penguins to two Stanley Cups and maintained a stellar 245-107-39 home record, second only to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who reached three Finals and captured two championships in that span. New York fans have experienced heartache in recent years with their sharp decline from winning the President's trophy down to out of the playoffs the following year. 

With Sullivan behind the bench, this team has a new feel to it with many pegging the Rangers as one of the best in the East once again. What’s missing so far is production from their stars as winger Artemi Panarin has yet to score, managing just two assists, while his center Mika Zibanejad has one goal and no helpers.

That could change against a shaky Oilers defense that surrendered four goals to a mediocre Calgary Flames offense in the season opener. Panarin has three goals and ten assists for 13 points over his last eight games against the Oilers while Zibanejad has also excelled in this matchup with seven goals and three assists for ten points over his last 13 games versus Edmonton. 

The Rangers should be able to jump out to an early lead and hold it, thanks in part to their upgraded blue line anchored by former Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Widely regarded as one of the league’s premier shutdown defenders, Gavrikov posted a +26 rating last season, among the top 12 in the NHL, while averaging over 23 minutes per game, second-most on Los Angeles. He also led the Kings with 140 blocked shots (36th overall in the league) and logged nearly 270 shorthanded minutes, the third-highest total in the NHL, underscoring his value as an elite penalty killer.

Since joining forces with Adam Fox, the pair has allowed just one goal, and with that level of defensive stability, New York should be equipped to contain Edmonton’s top threats, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and close out the game with a win.

Why New York's Shesterkin Presents Best Case for 2026 Vezina TrophyNew roster additions help Rangers' Igor Shesterkin appear to be the best bet early on in the 2025-6 Vezina trophy race.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could have Steven Lorentz back in the lineup as soon as Thursday when the club hosts the New York Rangers.

The forward took part in Toronto’s optional skate, which was limited to players not taking part in Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators (with the lone exception of goaltender Cayden Primeau). It was his second consecutive session since sustaining an upper-body injury when he was hit high by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot in Toronto’s 6-3 loss at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.

Lorentz looked fully healthy while on the ice, first helping to get Primeau ready for his debut. When he caught The Hockey News taking a video of him, Lorentz offered a quick wink, maintaining his ever-present smile.

😉 pic.twitter.com/L19qKA2YbC

— David Alter (@dalter) October 14, 2025

“He was a possibility tonight but I decided not to (play him),” Berube said of Lorentz, who picked up two assists in Toronto’s season-opening 5-2 victory against the Montreal Canadiens.

Could Steven Lorentz Return To Maple Leafs' Lineup Against Predators?<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/steven-lorentz-exits-maple-leafs-game-against-red-wings-with-apparent-injury">Steven Lorentz</a> could be back in the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup sooner rather than later.

The Kitchener, Ontario, native first joined the Leafs in 2024-25 on a professional tryout and then signing a one-year, league-minimum $775,000 deal, where he scored eight goals and added 11 assists in 80 games. Lorentz, who grew up cheering for the Leafs, signed a three-year, $4.05 million extension on June 30, 2025. He dressed in all 13 of Toronto’s 2025 playoff games, adding two assists.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will start their run through California on Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. 

This will be the first of two meetings against the Ducks this year before the Penguins play the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday and the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. The Penguins are 2-1-0 on the season and are coming off a loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Ducks are 1-1-0 after beating the Sharks on Saturday. 

The Penguins practiced in California on Monday, and based on some of the lines, head coach Dan Muse could be making some changes to his lineup. Harrison Brunicke was paired with Kris Letang on the second defensive pairing, though Muse confirmed that Letang being on the left side was just for practice. Still, there's a chance Muse could put Brunicke on the left side of the second pairing since Ryan Shea has really struggled in that spot. 

Matt Dumba took Caleb Jones's spot on the third pairing during practice with Shea, a sign that Jones could be a healthy scratch after playing the first three games. 

Philip Tomasino was back on the third line with Benjamin Kindel and Tommy Novak and may draw back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the past two games. 

Here were the full practice lines: 

Forwards

Rakell-Crosby-Rust

Mantha-Malkin-Brazeau

Novak-Kindel-Tomasino

Dewar-Lixotte-Hallander/Acciari

Defense

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Letang-Brunicke

Shea-Dumba 

The Penguins won't have a morning skate before Tuesday's game, so nobody will know who starts in goal until Muse meets with the media before the game starts.

Puck drop is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh.

---

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Seattle Kraken prospect Jake O'Brien is off and flying in the OHL, returning to the Brantford Bulldogs as the captain, and leading his team to a 6-0-2 record.

The Bulldogs sit atop the Eastern Conference in the OHL, posting a league-best 0.875 win percentage—one of the main reasons why is the play of O'Brien.

In six games, the 18-year-old has notched five goals and 13 points, two points back of the league leader despite playing five fewer games. The Bulldogs roster features several NHL-drafted prospects, and the top line of O'Brien, Minnesota Wild's Adam Benak and Chicago Blackhawks' Marek Vanacker is carrying plenty of the offensive load. 

The Bulldogs roster also features St. Louis Blues defenseman Adam Jiricek, Winnipeg Jets' Edison Engle, Toronto Maple Leafs' Sam McCue and top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Malhotra. 

Over the weekend, O'Brien posted a hat trick and five points in an 8-5 victory over the Ottawa 67's. 

Bulldogs Dynamic Duo👀@SeattleKraken prospect, Jake O'Brien and @NHLBlackhawks prospect, Marek Vanacker combined for 6 goals with a hat trick each!#Blackhawks | #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/Jl5dltPJFA

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 12, 2025

O'Brien picked up an assist on the first of Vanacker's three goals in the first period, before notching his first goal of the game early in the middle frame. With the game tied at 5-5, O'Brien scored his second goal of the game to break the deadlock before adding his hat trick goal into the empty net. 

The Kraken's eighth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft is off to an electric start, and it's exactly what was required of him. O'Brien is vying for a spot on Team Canada's World Junior Championship roster and is aiming to impress the Kraken organization, with the goal of placing himself in a position to compete for a roster spot next year. Each game is an audition for both, and so far, O'Brien has been impressing. 

While Detroit’s veterans have stolen the spotlight in back-to-back wins, rookies Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård are quietly proving they belong in the NHL with strong early performances. 

Despite a troubling start to the season, the Red Wings have since rebounded with two straight wins over the Maple Leafs and now find themselves in a wild card spot thanks to their 2-1-0 record. Their recent additions in veteran forwards James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton stole the headlines in their 3-2 win on Monday while their star players in Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat did the same during the Red Wings' 6-3 victory on Saturday.

All the headlines have quickly shifted while many may be wondering how the young crop of rookies have been doing? With three rookies making the team in Emmitt Finnie and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Axel Sandin-Pellikka, some hardships were expected but the trio have done well so far this season. 

Lucas Raymond Exits Game Against Leafs After Taking Heavy Hit, Won't ReturnThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a> can ill-afford to lose forward Lucas Raymond, who established a new career-high in points last season with 80.

Emmitt Finnie

The top-line winger has thrived in his role, recording two assists in three games and backing it up with several impressive underlying stats. The 20-year-old Lethbridge, Alberta native is averaging between 12 and 16 minutes of ice time per game, consistently generating takeaways with at least one in each game so far and tying defenseman Moritz Seider for the team lead with four.

They call him Finnie Forcheck. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/rAqHyia5Q7

— The Wings Wagon (@TheWingsWagon) October 13, 2025

Finnie added an extra layer of physicality to his aggressive forechecking game in Monday’s win, registering six hits to bring his season total to eight. He’s recorded at least one hit in every game so far and seems poised to maintain that pace given his energetic style of play. While he committed two giveaways on Monday, that’s often the tradeoff for a player who handles the puck frequently but he balanced out the losses with two takeaways of his own.

Great forecheck by Finnie #LGRWpic.twitter.com/Uk4Xjn0mfy

— The Wings Wagon (@TheWingsWagon) October 12, 2025

Finnie’s speed and work rate have stood out as well as he's averaging 10.36 miles skated per 60 minutes (92nd percentile league-wide), has reached a top speed of 21.76 mph (73rd percentile), and ranks in the 84th percentile for time spent in the neutral zone, according to NHL Edge. If he keeps playing at this pace, Finnie’s point totals should grow, and the Red Wings’ top-line experiment could prove to be a smart investment. 

Exclusive: Red Wings Prospect Emmitt Finnie Talks NHL Aspirations, Bond with Nate Danielson<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Red Wings</a> breakout prospect Emmitt Finnie breaks down off-season plans, future goals and growing up with fellow prospect <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/exclusive-red-wings-prospect-nate-danielson-focused-on-cracking-nhl-roster">Nate Danielson</a> in an exclusive interview with <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">The Hockey News</a>.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka

After being thrust into a top-four role, Axel Sandin-Pellikka has handled his first few NHL games respectably. The 20-year-old Swedish blueliner is averaging the third-most minutes on the team at 21:02 and has surpassed 22 minutes in all but one game so far this season.

Defensively, Sandin-Pellikka has been steady, tying Ben Chiarot for the second-most blocked shots on the team with five, trailing only Simon Edvinsson, who has six. According to MoneyPuck, Sandin-Pellikka and Edvinsson have logged the most time together of any Red Wings pairing at roughly 47 minutes, though the duo has yet to generate much offense. They’ve been on the ice for two goals against and have yet to record one themselves.

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

While Sandin-Pellikka remains without a point through three games, despite a prospect profile touting his offensive upside as a potential 40–50-point defenseman, he’s shown flashes of adjustment. Although he struggled with a few turnovers in Monday’s win, his ability to adapt suggests his confidence and offensive contributions will grow with experience. Sandin-Pellikka has covered 9.19 total miles this season (71st percentile) and ranks in the 78th percentile for offensive zone time, signaling mobility and active involvement in transition play, which is an area he has been strong in so far this season. We may not get the point totals we were hoping for out of Sandin-Pellikka to start the season but don't be surprised if it changes over time. 

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård 

After a strong preseason showing with four goals, expectations were high for the big Norwegian winger to emerge as the standout rookie of the group. However, through the early games, the third-line forward has yet to make a significant offensive impact. Standing at six-foot-one and 207 pounds, he’s instead used his size to his advantage, leading the team with nine hits and proving that when he’s not on the scoresheet, he’s still finding ways to influence the game physically.

Brandsegg-Nygård hit on Tanev #LGRWpic.twitter.com/eKpu7SNMtI

— The Wings Wagon (@TheWingsWagon) October 14, 2025

The 20-year-old has also showcased his strength in other areas, recording a maximum shot speed of 83.02 mph (81st percentile league-wide) and ranking in the 68th percentile for offensive zone time. His lone high-danger scoring chance came in the season opener from a slot opportunity, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that look since.

Playing alongside seasoned veterans Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher, Brandsegg-Nygård has averaged between 11 and 14 minutes of ice time per game, registering a pair of shots in two of his three outings. While his three giveaways haven’t helped his case, his physical presence and willingness to learn from his linemates suggest progress is only a matter of time. 

Red Wings' Talbot Steals the Early Season Spotlight After Stellar Wins Over Maple LeafsVeteran goaltender Cam Talbot has emerged as the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Red Wings</a>’ early-season surprise, outperforming presumed starter John Gibson and forcing coach Todd McLellan to decide whether to stick with the hot hand or rotate starts.&nbsp;

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ST. PAUL, Minn - It has been one heck of a journey for goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. It is just one game, but there is no doubt Wallstedt is riding high after the win on Monday.

“It would have been nice if we could have kept it away from shootouts and overtime," Wallstedt said after the game. "But two points on home ice against a (conference) team, we’ll take it.”

Wallstedt, 22, was drafted as a high pick, which is rare for a goalie. He was deemed the goalie of the future when the Wild took him 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.

The Wild liked him so much they made a trade with the Edmonton Oilers just to move up and take him.

But, his journey to professional hockey has not been the smoothest.

As a 19-year-old, Wallstedt had a great first season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Iowa Wild. He went 18-15-5 with a 2.68 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 38 games. He was even an all-star.

The next year Wallstedt went 22-19-4 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Things were looking up and Wallstedt even made his NHL debut at the age of 20 during the 2023-24 season.

He went 2-1-0 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. He even picked up his first career shutout in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks that year.

Jesper Wallstedt becomes youngest goalie in Wild history to record a shutoutIn the Wild's game last night, Jesper Wallstedt became the youngest goalie in Wild history to record a shutout.

The following season was a struggle for Wallstedt. He posted a 3.59 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage in 27 AHL games and went 9-14-5. He was given a mental reset during the season and was even called up to the Wild just to escape the season he was having in the minors.

Wild fans and people were writing the so called "goaltender of the future" off. The Wild continued to believe in him and signed him to a two-year contract extension worth $2.2 million for a goaltender who had only played in five NHL games.

In two NHL games, Wallstedt went 0-2-0 with a 4.09 goals-against average and a .843 save percentage.

Yet through it all, Wallstedt has had a positive attitude about it.

“I think all the experience from last year. I think that comes into play," Wallstedt said after the win on Monday. "I know what it’s like losing. I know what it’s been like to have bounces go against me. I know what it’s like to break down mentally. I’ve done it now. I know what that feeling is like. I know what mindset I should have to find success instead of failure. And I felt like no matter what faced me, no matter what happened, if goals were scored or not, I felt like I always had a clean mindset and focused on the job to win the game.”

Minnesota had a 3-0 lead after two periods of play but surrendered three third period goals to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday and Wallstedt had to be sharp. 

When Matt Boldy took a penalty in overtime I think everyone in the arena clenched their teeth. A 4-on-3 power play for the Kings with 1:25 left in overtime is never a good thing. And for a young rookie goaltender, that is not easy.

But, Wallstedt stopped three shots in that span on six attempts. It was desperation mode for the Wild and when Minnesota needed its' goalie of the future the most, he stepped up and delivered.

“I said it out on the ice, as well, I felt we played a really good game defensively. We kept them most of the time on the outside, let me make the first saves and help out on the rebounds," Wallstedt said. "We blocked a lot of shots. I think we did what we needed to do in our own zone in the defensive game to win and then obviously they get some bounces and score some goals, that’s hockey. That’s going to happen. But I really liked our effort and the way our team sacrificed itself.”

Not only did he save the game in overtime, but Wallstedt stopped all four shootout attempts from the Kings and stroked Andrei Kuzmenko to end the game on the last shooter in sudden death.

🗣️ WALLY WALLY WALLY pic.twitter.com/tl7Xk75PfY

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 14, 2025

“I had no idea. I like to keep it that way. A clean slate. Just go out, make the read, play off your feet and what you see," Wallstedt said on the shootout. "And then we scored I just thought to myself this is the moment you’ve been dreaming for. You have the chance to win it for your team. Just go out and make the save the same way I’ve been doing it three shots before. Obviously, that happened.”

After the win, Wallstedt let out a big celebration.

“I don’t know. I used to do it in Iowa last year the times we won in the shootout. Just ended up happening out of excitement.”

Jared Spurgeon added: “I actually didn’t see it. I’m pretty short, so I couldn’t see over the guys.”

Jokes aside, it was a huge win for Wallstedt.

“You can see by the way he plays the game, he has a lot of confidence and he made some huge saves," Spurgeon said. "For him to come up big in overtime and the shootout was great to see.”

Kirill Kaprizov added: "Yeah, he does great job, especially on the PK he had so many good saves from the seams. He played so good. We’re happy for him. He’s happy. And yeah, it’s nice."

This was more than a win for Wallstedt. It was a statement for the young goaltender. He feels it was  a chance to prove haters wrong. And after a night like that, I think he did.

“Obviously, I wanted to start the season with a win," Wallstedt said. "With everything that’s been talked about and all the people that have doubted me, this felt really good. Just proving that I can do it. I would have loved to have kept it a low-scoring game but it’s hockey. It happens. I felt like I played a well-structured game. I saw pucks. I kept them in front of me. Rebounds were good. And we won the game, which is all I care about.”

Nonetheless, it was a confidence booster for both Wallstedt but for the Wild in general. They now trust the young goaltender. Which is good. It is important to have two good goaltenders and the Wild believe they can have the best goalie tandem in the league.

“It certainly does," Hynes said on if this game gives him confidence and trust in Wallstedt. "He’s building trust and confidence in himself I think by the commitment that he made starting in the summer and coming into training camp and now I thought even his exhibition games I thought he played well and he had some different situations to handle then. No different tonight.”

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Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

- Wild Place Nico Sturm On Injured Reserve.

- Wild Sign Kirill Kaprizov To An Eight-Year Contract Extension.

- 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 Flames (1-2-0) will be hosting the defending Pacific Division champions Vegas Golden Knights (1-0-2) on Tuesday evening.

Despite a two-goal game by Matt Coronato, the Flames came up short 4-2 against the St. Louis Blues in their most recent tilt.

Their opponent on Tuesday evening, the Golden Knights, will be tough competition considering they are amongst the favorites for the Stanley Cup, as has been the case every year since the team's first season in 2017-18.

The team made headlines in the off-season by acquiring winger Mitch Marner on July 30 from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade for an eight-year $96 million deal.

However, the Knights were not done dishing out lucrative contracts, as just a week ago, they signed alternate captain and forward Jack Eichel to an eight-year $108 million extension, the fifth-richest deal in NHL history.

Both Eichel and Marner scored 100 points last season.

Their first line with Ivan Barbashev has produced the most goals (2) and given up the least (0) while playing the most minutes (28:39) so far this season, as per Natural Stat Trick. So, expect Vegas to run with this again.

Mark Stone is tied with a league-high five assists and certainly doesn't lack the ability in offensive production.

His second line partners include William Karlsson, who with the exception of last season, hasn't scored less than 35 points in his eight years in Sin City.

So far, Vegas has scored 10 goals in the season. Four of those have come off the power play, all by Pavel Dorofeyev.

Dorofeyev for his credit, is also leading the league with five goals.

So, Calgary's penalty-kill needs to watch out for the 24-year-old Russian.

On defence, the biggest name that comes to mind is Shea Theodore, who is one of the league's premier offensive-minded defenceman. He received a vote in last season's Norris Trophy selection, albeit it was for fifth place.

His pairing partner this season, Brayden McNabb, pulled in a rating pf +41 last season, the highest in the league.

So far this season, the pairing of Jeremy Lauzon and Kaeden Korczak has produced the third-lowest Expected Goals Against (xGA) for pairings that have played at least 30 minutes of ice time, as per Natural Stat Trick.  

Calgary can breathe a sigh of relief as Alex Pietrangelo, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and another two-way defenceman had pulled out of the season due to an injury that will require surgery.

It will be a added, but welcomed, pressure to another *yet again* offensive-minded defenceman in Noah Hanifin.

Bottom Line

I'm not going to sugar-coat this. This Vegas team is well-balanced offensively and defensively and will be a huge test for the Flames.

If Calgary is to win, it will be a VERY ugly win, but on the bright side, they will have proven their worth to themselves and the league.

The Montreal Canadiens announced five-year contract extensions for GM Kent Hughes and the newly promoted president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton.

Gorton and Hughes were in the final year of their contracts and made significant changes to the Canadiens' roster and hockey operations department.

"Their commitment to building a world class organization has been unrelenting and will only get better as we progress in the years to come,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a news release. "I would like to thank Jeff and Kent for taking this team and organization to where it is today, full of talent, size and speed with a support structure that is second to none, an objective from Day 1. I look forward to many more years working with them."

Since the end of last season, the Canadiens acquired 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson to anchor the right side of the blueline on an eight-year deal, traded for right winger Zack Bolduc and re-signed Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson to an eight-year contract extension.

Those moves followed the team making the playoffs for the first time since 2021, losing in the first round. It was the first time Hughes made the playoffs as Canadiens GM, having joined the team on Jan. 18, 2022. He quickly replaced coach Dominique Ducharme with current bench boss Martin St-Louis in 2021-22.

Gorton, who joined the team on Nov. 28, 2021, as executive VP of hockey operations, established the Canadiens' first analytics department and also hired Hughes, as well as co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov and special advisor to hockey operations, Vincent Lecavalier.

"We believe our team has made significant progress, and we look forward to building on the foundation in place and competing at a high level for years to come," Gorton said in the announcement. "I would also like to acknowledge that this announcement is a reflection on the tireless work and efforts our entire staff has put in."

Montreal has a core group signed through at least 2030, including captain Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Dobson, Kaiden Guhle and Hutson. Their young players include Ivan Demidov and prospects David Reinbacher, Michael Hage and Jacob Fowler.

As for this season, the Canadiens have about $5.7 million in cap space with one first-rounder and two second-rounders as part of their 2026 draft picks. Montreal is 2-1-0 to start the campaign.

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