48 hours after the Ottawa Senators' final preseason game, head coach Travis Green held court with the media on Monday, answering some of the key questions facing the team on the doorstep of the NHL regular season. The rehearsal is over, and Green sounded like a coach who's content with his troops on the other side of the always-too-long preseason.

"Yeah, I think I'm happy with camp in general," Green said. "Our guys have worked hard. We haven't had many days when I didn't think the effort was there. Attention to detail. I liked our last game. We looked better, dialled in. We still had a lot of guys who didn't play. But I think everyone's excited that we're through camp and we're getting ready to play for real."

The Sens won 3-1 in Montreal on Saturday in their final dress rehearsal, which was a nice bounce back after being outscored 12-1 in combined in their previous two games. But Green was quick to point out he wasn't that concerned about those performances.

"There are different games that have different elements to them in preseason," Green said. "In the St. Louis game, we were in tough. Obviously, we had played three games in five days and we didn't send our best lineup. But I thought our defensive game has slowly gotten to where we want it to be. There's been a lot of games in the preseason where we've had a lot more looks. We haven't put the puck in the net, but I think our game's trended in the right direction."

The health of Tyler Kleven and Drake Batherson may be as well. They've both been placed on IR, but they're not far off. And when they return, the Sens' 2025-26 lineup will be mostly what people expected it to be. The one surprise is the sudden addition of NHL heavyweight Kurtis MacDermid, acquired from the New Jersey Devils on Friday, three days after the Sens lost a rough, feisty game, 5-0 in Montreal. 

"He brings a lot of toughness to the game," Green said. "I mean, there's no doubt about it. He's one of the tougher customers in the league. He's a very smart player as well. He understands his positioning in the game. He'd be one of the smarter players on the team, knowing the details of where he needs to be to make sure that he's not out there hurting the team. And he's a tremendous teammate. Guys that stick up for their teammates are well respected within the league. And he's got that respect for sure."

With 0 points in 23 games last season, MacDermid isn't here to score, but the Sens need the rest of the lineup to step up in that area. That didn't happen in the preseason with just 12 goals on 189 shots over six games for a pop-gun shooting percentage of just over six percent.  But Green still feels like they're making progress in trying to fix their much-talked-about 5-on-5 scoring woes last season.

"I think we are. At the end of the day, the onus usually comes down to the guys who are supposed to score. But we've tried to structurally look at some different things that we can do to create offense. I've seen some improvements. I haven't seen the puck go in the net (enough). But I think we can score more 5-on-5."

They definitely improved after the trade deadline last season. If you just measure games after the acquisitions of Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund, the Sens' shooting percentage was 11th best in the league during that time. Now they have to do it consistently over a full 82 games.

Final roster decisions got a little easier on the blue line on Monday afternoon after Nick Jensen returned to the lineup Saturday following offseason hip surgery. That paved the way to send down Carter Yakemchuk, the club's 2024 seventh overall pick, for more seasoning in the AHL. Green admits that they've talked about possible load management for Jensen, but he remains thrilled with the veteran's preseason debut.

"I thought his game was excellent," Green said. "I was pleasantly surprised. I think you always wonder how a player's going to look coming off an injury. Also, being his first game, it's a testament to him as far as the work he's put in. And not just off the ice but on the ice. I thought he was good."

Again, preseason performances, good or bad, mean absolutely nothing. The real live fire begins on Thursday night in Tampa Bay. Once the puck drops there, people will forget that there even was a preseason.

"You go 6-0, 0-6, 3-3 in preseason, it doesn't matter. It's all about getting your game in order for game one. The good thing about this year is I think our guys have a strong understanding of our game and what it looks like when we're on top of it.

"And I think we're ready to start the season."

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The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly scouring the NHL trade market for much-needed defensive reinforcements, but which players are actually going to be worth their while?

After the Ryan Ellis trade, the Flyers have $6.64 million in cap space, which allows them the opportunity to target virtually any player they want as far as salary goes.

We know that Egor Zamula had a poor preseason, which resulted in Adam Ginning overtaking him in the Flyers' lineup. Next to Ginning could be Zamula, Noah Juulsen, or Dennis Gilbert--it's really anyone's guess this early into the season.

That said, it's been reported that the Flyers are going to exhaust their external options at the position.

"Not sure we’re going to see much trade action too early, but Philadelphia is definitely checking what’s out there on defence," NHL insider Elliotte Friedman briefly reported in his "32 Thoughts" column on Tuesday.

We can already comfortably say that the Flyers aren't going to be trading assets for an older player, nor will they add a smaller, offensive-minded defenseman to the fold.

It's not in their team-building philosophy, and that's why, evidently, Emil Andrae was left off the Flyers' roster in favor of inferior options like Zamula and Gilbert.

The problem for the Flyers is that good teams usually look for defensemen around the playoffs and NHL trade deadline, so they'll be reduced to striking a deal for a younger player, and likely one in need of opportunity and/or a change of scenery.

I could see some interest in a player like Emil Lilleberg in Tampa Bay, a 6-foot-2 bruiser who scored 19 points in 76 games last year while racking up 105 penalty minutes but has since fallen out of favor.

Would there be mutual interest in an Emil-for-Emil trade that swaps Andrae and Lilleberg? It could work for Tampa Bay if they want some extra offensive juice and puck-carrying from the blueline from players not named Victor Hedman and J.J. Moser.

Bowen Byram has been floated again, and the Flyers have been linked to him before, but he's no defensive stalwart. Byram could excel with first-unit power play time, but that would mean less opportunities for Cam York and Jamie Drysdale by default, and the Flyers are still invested in the success of those players.

Rising stars like Thomas Harley and Philip Broberg are in the last years of their respective contracts and are due for big raises, but it's unlikely that either player is dealt by teams aspiring for the postseason in St. Louis and Dallas.

Shai Buium, the older brother of Zeev, is playing in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins after playing his first pro season last year. There's also Jordan Harris, a formerly promising Montreal Canadiens prospect who made the Boston Bruins as the presumptive seventh defenseman.

NHL Waiver Wire: Flyers Should Take a Chance on Recently Cut 11th Overall PickWith perpetuated struggles on defense, the Philadelphia Flyers must keep an open mind towards their options, internally and externally, at the position.

Like Friedman noted, the Flyers aren't likely to find many willing dance partners before they even play Game 1, but they have plenty of options, especially when it comes to low-risk, high-reward choices.

Byram could be a big swing for the Flyers, but I'm not overly optimistic about the fit in Philadelphia given the way the team's roster is currently constructed. And, no, New Jersey is not trading Simon Nemec to a division rival.

The Flyers should be actively working the phones moving forward, but don't expect an immediate resolution to the issue that is the team's defense, which was only further exacerbated by York's new injury.

There was a lot going on around Florida Panthers before the puck ever dropped on Opening Night.

That’s life when you’re the Stanley Cup Champs.

A lavish championship ring ceremony and a Stanley Cup Champions banner raising were on the checklist of things to get done ahead of actual hockey being played.

Once the Cats got to the game, though, they picked up right where they left off last season, picking up a solid 3-2 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.

It was the Blackhawks who picked up the game’s opening goal, and it came right after the visitors killed off the night’s first power play.

Speedy sophomore Frank Nazar got behind Florida’s defense and beat Sergei Bobrovsky on his stick side to give Chicago a 1-0 lead just past the midway point of the opening period.

It was a lead that lasted all of 63 seconds.

With Florida’s fourth line putting on some post-goal pressure, a point shot from Gus Forsling was stopped by Knight through a screen, but A.J. Greer was waiting at the doorstep to bang home the rebound and quickly tie the game.

Just 3:01 later, Florida took their first lead of the game.

Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov was called for his second minor penalty of the period, and this time Florida cashed in when Carter Verhaeghe found himself with the puck on his stick and all kinds of time and space to the left of Spencer Knight.

Verhaeghe’s first of the season made it 2-1 Florida with 5:52 left in first period.

Florida held a 17-3 shot advantage after the opening period, but it took the Blackhawks all of 69 seconds to log two shots and a goal once the middle frame began.

Connor Bedard was stopped by Bobrovsky on a breakaway, but moments later Teuvo Taravainen finished off a great feed from Nazar on a 2-on-1 to knot the score at two.

Soon after, with the Blackhawks on the power play, Evan Rodrigues needed help getting off the ice after blocking a point shot with the inside of his right knee.

Fortunately for the Panthers, both Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart, who left the ice after taking a Seth Jones backhand clearing attempt off the face, were back on the ice later in the period.

The game remained deadlocked at two until the 9:40 mark of the third period.

Mackie Samoskevich chased down a puck dump in the corner to the left of Knight and sent a backhand feed to the front of the net.

Flying down the slot, Jesper Boqvist choked up on his stick and batted the puck out of midair and into the net to give the Cats a 3-2 lead.

Florida continued to put the pressure on, but couldn’t solve Knight, who came up with big save after big save.

It was all good for the Panthers, as they earned the big two points on Opening Night.

On to the Flyers.

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Photo caption: Oct 7, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) celebrates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Golden Knights are just favored to win the Stanley Cup at BetMGM, as a computer simulation of the NHL season run 100 times has Vegas as the overwhelming favorite to hoist its second Stanley Cup in four years.

The Knights, who opens its 2025-26 campaign Wednesday at home against the Los Angeles Kings, made the playoffs 89 times in the 100 simulations, and won the title 42 times - 16 more than the next team, the Dallas Stars.

The study, conducted by RotoWire.com, was run through ChatGPT to simulate the entire 2025-26 NHL season 100 times, to see how often each team would advance to the playoffs and predict who would win the most Stanley Cups.

Vegas is the co-favorite to win the Cup, along with Edmonton, both at 8-to-1 at BetMGM Sportsbook.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers made the playoffs a league second-highest 95 times, one less than the Tampa Bay Lightning, but were predicted to three-peat just two times.

Two-time Western Conference champion Edmonton made the playoffs 89 times during the simulation, but was predicted to win the title just three times.

Every team in the NHL was predicted to make the postseason at least twice, but only seven won the Stanley Cup a minimum of two times: Vegas (42), Dallas (26), Carolina (20), Tampa Bay (5), Edmonton (3), Florida (2) and Winnipeg (2).

Per the site: "Anyone trying the same experiment likely would get different results; your mileage may vary depending on the query that's fed into the system."

Also, according to the website, the Golden Knights "have been one of the best franchises in the league since the day they started in 2017-18. That season, the expansion Golden Knights stunned the hockey world by winning eight of their first nine games in their debut season and they kept steamrolling all the way to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Washington Capitals."

It wouldn't surprise many if Vegas advanced to the postseason, as it's made the playoffs in seven of the eight seasons it's been a part of the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup in 2022-23.

Vegas has added firepower to this year's team when it traded for 100-point forward Mitch Marner just before free agency, to join forces with top-tier center Jack Eichel.

Realistically, Connor McDavid could have asked for $17.5 million and gotten it without anyone blinking an eye. That number ($500K over Kirill Kaprizov) was a number many thought was realistic before the Edmonton Oilers' captain signed a two-year, $12.5 million extension on Monday. When asked why that number, McDavid responded, "Gives us a chance to extend our window here in Edmonton."

The urgency it creates in Edmonton to now use those savings wisely is a "good byproduct" of his deal, said McDavid. What he was really doing was giving the Oilers a chance to keep the core and add to it, using that $5 million elsewhere. 

Where will GM Stan Bowman use it and what will he spend it on?

Not Much Will Change This Season

Because McDavid's new deal doesn't kick in until next season, Bowman did admit, “Right now, we’re focused on the opening game, seeing how our team looks, and making adjustments. The number affects next summer more than this year.” The Oilers were already going to be aggressive this season. That went without saying. This summer and in seasons to come, expect the Oilers to be extremely aggressive. 

As for who and what players might be available with the savings McDavid offered the organization, there's a lot to consider. 

First, as the cap rises, finding players worth $5 million or less is becoming increasingly complex. Edmonton will likely be looking at players already under contract, unless the plan is to move on from some of the current roster pieces. McDavid made it clear on Tuesday-- without explicitly saying as much -- that there are some untouchables on this team. 

Young RFAs are commanding much higher salaries than $5 million per season. Pending UFAs might look at discounts in Edmonton, but $5 million might be asking a lot considering the changing NHL salary landscape. 

McDavid Welcomes Urgency That Comes With His Fresh ExtensionWhy did Connor McDavid sign the deal he did, when he did? There are many ways to answer that question. The Oilers' captain dug into it a bit on Tuesday.

3 Players The Oilers Might Want to Look At

Let's focus on teams that aren't likely playoff contenders. Let's also look at players who aren't rentals and are under contract on fairly reasonable deals. Let's exclude players who are older, since the Oilers are prioritizing getting younger. Finally, let's look at players who can actually help the Oilers. 

That limits the list. 

Teuvo Teravainen - Chicago Blackhawks

Teuvo Teravainen already has a goal in the 2025-26 NHL season and this is a player who might not stick with the Chicago Blackhawks if they don't start turning things around. Teravainen has two seasons remaining on his current deal at $5.4 million. Asking the Blackhawks to retain $400K-$1 million is not much of an issue. 

We're tied up at two thanks to Teuvo Teravainen! ✌️ #NHLFaceOff

📺: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/m0LyTCHYnHpic.twitter.com/c12RtEyg08

— NHL (@NHL) October 7, 2025

Teravainen has steadily produced points in the NHL. He's a top-six NHL winger who is teetering on the edge of being a bit too old (31), but is still productive. He scored 58 and 53 points in his previous two seasons and has scored 20-plus goals in four seasons. 

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - Buffalo Sabres

If the Oilers prioritize grabbing a new goaltender, there is one in Buffalo making just the right amount of money and locked into a deal at the right age that he can be a difference-maker for years to come. 

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is just 26 years old and signed to a contract with the Sabres that pays him $4.75 million until the 2028-29 season. There's no reason for the Sabres to move their starter, but the Sabres are a bit of anomaly. Despite their best efforts, that organization fails to make ground every season and they move on from players most teams wouldn't dare trade. 

The netminder has mixed results when it comes to his numbers, but some of his seasons have been solid, with some consideration being given to the fact he's playing in Buffalo. 

He's played 55 and 54 games in each of the previous two seasons.

Jared McCann - Seattle Kraken

If the Oilers want to add a top-six goal scorer, Jared McCann is an ideal option out of Seattle. He scored 22 goals last season and 29 the season before. However, in 2022-23, he scored 40. 

There's been unconfirmed speculation that the Kraken might be open to moving McCann. If they are -- and that would assume they aren't headed toward the playoffs -- the Oilers should take a look. 

Edmonton doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of a return, but the Oilers are all in, so moving future picks is not out of the question. That's the kind of return Seattle might be looking for if they move the 29-year-old who has two seasons (including this one) left on his contract. 

McCann has a limited no-trade list that allows him to exclude 10 teams. It seems unlikely that a contender like the Oilers would be on that list. McCann makes exactly $5 million per season. 

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ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild open the 2025-26 season on Thursday and have already made some roster moves. 

Hunter Haight was recently sent down because center Nico Sturm was healthy and practiced again after playing in the final preseason game.

But the Wild placed Sturm on the opening season injured reserve (IR) so Haight was recalled from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) to replace Sturm on the roster and lineup.

Haight, 21, was the Wild's 47th overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft. He recorded 20 goals, 14 assists and 34 points in 67 games with the Iowa Wild in his rookie season in the AHL.

The 5-foot-10 center joins fellow 2022 NHL Draft picks Liam Ohgren (19th overall) and Danila Yurov (24th overall) on the Wild's opening night roster.

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After a strong training camp and preseason with the New Jersey Devils, rookie defenseman Ethan Edwards was assigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) to begin the 2025-26 season with the Utica Comets. 

The 23-year-old made his AHL debut last season, playing in the Comets' final 10 games. Before his re-assignment to Utica on Oct. 5, Edwards left a positive impact in New Jersey after what Comets General Manager Dan MacKinnon called a tremendous training camp.

"I would describe him as an elite, powerful skater, even at the NHL level," MacKinnon said. "He is not necessarily an offensive defenseman as an NHL prospect; he is a highly competitive, mobile, two-way defenseman who can end plays, but also mobilize the puck." 

With his college degree in sports management from the University of Michigan in hand, Edwards will now focus on developing his game and transitioning into a full-time NHLer. 

"I want to be in the (NHL) and will do whatever it takes," he told The Hockey News during camp. "I feel like my game can adapt to any role, and they can put me in any situation. I am just trying to do my best to stick around." 

When the Comets open their regular season on Friday, against the Cleveland Monsters at Adirondack Bank Center, expect Edwards to take on an elevated role on the blue line. 

"What we want to see from him is going to Utica and giving us what we call monster minutes," MacKinnon said. "20-plus minutes a night at even strength, penalty kill, and defensive zone starts. He probably will get some power-play time, but not necessarily power-play one.

"It is more about the minutes he is going to play as a rookie in the American Hockey League," he continued. "It is going to be a tremendous opportunity to show and say, 'Hey, I can handle this load and excel in this role.'" 

During the preseason, fans saw glimpses of Edwards on the penalty kill. The 23-year-old was credited with more than 12 blocked shots and was not afraid to throw his body around with seven hits over his first two appearances. 

"It is something I have always taken pride in," he said of the penalty kill. "You know, it is adapting to a role here, and maybe it is not going to be running the first power play. It is taking control of what I can and doing my best in that role." 

Edwards will make up the Comets' blue line along with Calen Addison, Colton White, Austin Strand, Topias Vilen, and Dmitri Osipov. 

Throughout the season, all eyes will be on Edwards as he seeks to make his mark, despite not knowing, at this moment, what that may entail.

"I think my game can adapt to any role, so looking forward to seeing what that role is."

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

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LAS VEGAS -- On the eve of their season-opener against the Los Angeles Kings, the Golden Knights announced a contract signing

Not the one everyone has been anticipating - Jack Eichel's extension - however, as the team signed forward Alexander Holtz to a two-year contract through the 2026-27 season worth an average annual value of $837,500.

Holtz, 23, appeared in 53 games and registered 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) for Vegas last season.

Holtz also saw action in Henderson, playing 16 games with the organization's AHL squad in nearby Henderson, the Silver Knights.

The forward recorded 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) with the Silver Knights.

The Stockholm native has played in 163 NHL games during his career, posting 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) with both Vegas and New Jersey combined.

Holtz - who was acquired by Vegas in June of 2024 from New Jersey, along with goaltender Akira Schmid - had a career-high 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 82 NHL games with the Devils during the 2023-24 season.

The Florida Panthers honored a former goaltender and a longtime season ticket holder during Opening Night on Tuesday.

During the first TV timeout of the game, the Panthers honored current Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight with a video going through some of the great times had during his tenue with the Cats.

Florida drafted Knight in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

He played the first 80 games of his career with the Panthers before being a key piece in a Trade Deadline deal that brought Seth Jones to South Florida.

Now, Knight is the goaltending backbone of the Blackhawks’ rebuild.

Panthers honor former goaltender Spencer Knight during the season’s first TV timeout. pic.twitter.com/kSfaVIu1ZD

— David Dwork (@DavidDwork) October 7, 2025

Later in the period during another TV timeout, Florida played a touching tribute video to fan Steve Elario.

A well-known yacht broker, Elario was extremely popular with Panthers fans for years.

Elario, with long silver hair and a big smile, resembled wrestling legend Ric Flair and every time the Panthers would put Elario on the jumbotron, it would elicit loud ‘WOOOs!’ from fans.

Sadly, Elario passed away in early September.

It was a touching moment inside Amerant Bank Arena as fans reacted to the tribute video with a chorus of ‘WOOs’ and cheers.

The Panthers also asked fans to come together for a collective ‘WOO’ after the tribute, and you can check out video of it in the X post below:

A touching tribute from the Panthers and their fans to Steve Elario, a massive Cats fan who sadly passed away last month.

WOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/l7O4Xx7Y5R

— David Dwork (@DavidDwork) October 7, 2025

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