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Maple Leafs’ Scott Laughton Out Week-To-Week

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Maple Leafs center Scott Laughton is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the club announced Friday. He was injured in last night’s exhibition loss to the Red Wings, Darren Dreger of TSN reports, although he didn’t appear to miss a shift. He’ll presumably start the season on standard or long-term injured reserve as a result.

Laughton, 31, is entering his first full season with the Maple Leafs, which acquired him from the Flyers at last season’s trade deadline. The pending unrestricted free agent had a spectacular preseason showing, notching a pair of goals and assists each for four points in three games. That’s a semi-promising sign after he didn’t factor in much offensively following his pickup last year. While Laughton has rattled off four straight 30-point seasons, he only had a 2-4–6 scoring line in 33 combined regular-season and playoff games for Toronto.

A decrease in production should have been expected with Laughton moving into a reduced role on a deeper Toronto offense, but that was a sharp dropoff from the 27 points he had in 60 games for the Flyers before the swap. Still, Laughton averaged around 13:30 per game to close out the year with Toronto, which would have been his lowest deployment in a full season since the 2017-18 campaign.

Laughton slotted in primarily as the Leafs’ fourth-line center after his acquisition and is widely projected to do so again this year, at least after he’s back in the lineup. He’s spent the vast majority of training camp between Steven Lorentz and 2023 first-round pick Easton Cowan, who looks primed to break camp for the first time and make his NHL debut on opening night. He’ll do so at a reasonable $1.5MM cap hit, reduced by Philly retaining the other half of his $3MM average annual value in last season’s trade.

While Laughton not taking up a roster spot on opening night makes life a little easier for the Maple Leafs as they look to clear their depth forward logjam, it doesn’t entirely remove the problem. David Kämpf, who routinely served as Toronto’s 4C before Laughton’s pickup, practiced in that spot today, per David Alter of The Hockey News, indicating his job is likely safe as long as Laughton’s out. They still have one forward cut to make to get down to 14, though, even with Laughton projected to land on IR. Not counting Kämpf, Calle Järnkrok, Michael Pezzetta, and Nicholas Robertson were the three forwards who didn’t play in the loss to Detroit that featured an opening-night preview. All are waiver-eligible, so barring a trade, one of them will land on the wire in the coming days.

Robertson, who’s on a one-year deal paying him $1.825MM and has averaged 19 goals and 32 points per 82 games over the last two seasons, carries the highest risk of a claim and will presumably remain with the club as a result. That leaves the veteran Järnkrok, who missed all but 19 games last year with multiple injuries and carries a cap hit of $2.1MM on an expiring deal, and the league-minimum enforcer Pezzetta. While the latter ultimately carries less utility, the former might have an easier time clearing thanks to his more consequential cap impact.

Lightning “Quietly Extended” Jon Cooper This Offseason

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Coaches on expiring contracts have been angling for new deals ahead of the regular season. Up in Alberta, the Flames’ Ryan Huska and the Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch have both signed multi-year extensions this week.

One name who won’t be the subject of an upcoming announcement is Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper. That’s because he put pen to paper on an extension with the Bolts over the offseason without a team announcement, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports. It’s unclear how many seasons his new deal covers, but the 2025-26 campaign won’t be his last with Tampa, barring a surprising collapse.

It’s the second extension Cooper has signed in as many years. His previous deal was set to expire following last season, but he inked a one-year extension in May 2024. This one is of more importance, quieting brief speculation from earlier in the summer that Cooper might have wanted an option for a quick out, explaining why he only signed a one-year deal last year. His relationship with Mammoth owner Ryan Smith led to rumors that Utah may be his next stop. That may still be the case a few years down the road, but for now, Tampa will remain the only NHL home Cooper’s ever known.

Cooper is a unicorn in today’s NHL. As the league-average coaching tenure dips below three seasons, Cooper enters his 14th season as the Lightning’s head coach, having taken over for Guy Boucher in the 2012-13 season. His resume speaks for itself – four conference champions, two Stanley Cup championships, and a 572-306-83 (.638) regular-season record. This year will mark his 1,000th NHL game as a head coach, and at the end of the year, he’ll sit fourth all-time on the list of most games coached with a single franchise. His number will be 1,043 in April 2026, trailing only Barry Trotz’s 1,196 games with the Predators, Lindy Ruff’s 1,247 games with the Sabres, and Al Arbour’s 1,500 games with the Islanders.

Yet after three consecutive first-round losses, there was a small fire burning under his seat. Today’s news should extinguish it. There’s a multitude of reasons for optimism in Florida’s more northerly NHL market this year, boasting a deeper forward group than they’ve been working with for the past couple of seasons.

That leaves Ruff in Buffalo as the only coach on an expiring contract entering the campaign, LeBrun reports.

Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

Oilers Sign Kris Knoblauch To Three-Year Extension

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The Oilers and head coach Kris Knoblauch have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, per a team announcement. Darren Dreger of TSN was the first to report it.

Dreger confirmed last month that Knoblauch was entering the final season of his current deal. There was no firm extension offer on the table at that time, but things evidently moved quickly and smoothly over the last two weeks. General manager Stan Bowman said Wednesday that talks were productive, with no speed bumps.

So continues a dominant run for Knoblauch, who was brought in early in the 2023-24 season to replace Jay Woodcroft after a slow start. Edmonton has a 94-47-10 record in the 151 games since Knoblauch took over, making his .656 points percentage the best in franchise history – including the club’s WHA days. He’s the first coach since Hall-of-Famer Scotty Bowman to reach the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first two seasons behind the bench, something Bowman achieved in the early days of the expansion era with the Blues in three straight years from 1968-70.

He, of course, benefits from the Western Conference’s most star-studded skater core led by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard. The group had extensive regular-season success under previous bench bosses Woodcroft and Dave Tippett, but they didn’t manage to win a game past the second round until Knoblauch took the helm. Edmonton’s only previous Conference Final appearance of the McDavid/Draisaitl era, 2022 under Woodcroft, resulted in a sweep at the hands of the Avalanche.

With playoff success and long-term organizational stability being key to an extension for McDavid, a pending UFA, it’s no surprise the Oilers are moving quickly to secure Knoblauch’s future beyond this season, in the hopes that McDavid will follow suit soon. It was widely believed that McDavid influenced Knoblauch’s hiring two years ago, having played for him in his junior days with the OHL’s Erie Otters.

While Knoblauch has yet to add any NHL honors to his trophy case aside from Edmonton’s two conference championships, he’s been recognized individually during his time at the minor-league and junior levels. He was named the OHL’s Coach of the Year with Erie in 2015-16, despite not having McDavid’s help, and he was also invited to coach at the AHL All-Star Game while with the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2019-20.

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.

Hurricanes No Longer Pursuing Michael McLeod, Carter Hart

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Oct. 3: While the two sides were close to a deal, talks between the Hurricanes and McLeod are no longer ongoing and won’t result in him joining Carolina. The breakdown wasn’t compensation-related, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. It’s worth noting the club faced significant pushback from season ticket holders following Pagnotta’s report. In kind, they’re no longer a potential landing spot for goaltender Carter Hart, who was charged in the same case and was previously linked to Carolina.

Sep. 18: The Hurricanes are expected to register a contract for center Michael McLeod after he becomes eligible to sign with an NHL club on Oct. 15, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports Thursday. Until then, McLeod remains suspended by the league in relation to allegations of sexual assault made against him and four other NHL players that resulted in not-guilty verdicts at a trial in London, Ontario, in July. While he is eligible to sign then, he cannot return to play until Dec. 1.

“The events that transpired after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala in London, Ontario, prior to these players’ arrival in the NHL, were deeply troubling and unacceptable,” the NHL said in its statement announcing the suspensions last week. “The League expects everyone connected with the game to conduct themselves with the highest level of moral integrity. And, in this case, while found not to have been criminal, the conduct of the players involved certainly did not meet that standard.”

McLeod, 27, was a first-round pick of the Devils and remained with the franchise up until he was formally charged with sexual assault in January 2024. He hasn’t played an NHL game since then and became an unrestricted free agent when New Jersey opted not to qualify him last year. He spent the 2024-25 season in the Kontinental Hockey League with Kazakhstan’s Barys Astana and Russia’s Avangard Omsk before returning to Canada this summer to stand trial.

He was a bottom-six faceoff specialist during his time with the Devils, going 58.3% on draws for his career to pair with 85 points in 287 appearances across six seasons. He managed a 6-13–19 scoring line in 35 games for Barys and Avangard last year.

The Hurricanes will now add him to a bottom-six mix that’s already filled out nicely. The path for McLeod to play an everyday center role will be muddy if the team rolls with Logan Stankoven as its second-line center – something head coach Rod Brind’Amour trialed in the first day of camp today after deploying him on the wing after acquiring the young forward from the Stars in last year’s Mikko Rantanen trade. That would leave Jordan Staal and Jesperi Kotkaniemi anchoring the third and fourth lines, meaning McLeod may have to shift to the wing to get back into an NHL lineup. He’ll be competing with names like William Carrier, Mark Jankowski, Tyson Jost, and Eric Robinson for minutes and a roster spot.

Summer Synopsis: Nashville Predators

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With training camps now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  Next up is a look at the Nashville Predators.

The Predators are a team that many felt would compete for a Stanley Cup last season after they made a massive splurge in free agency the previous summer, acquiring Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. However, the high-priced spending spree had the opposite effect on Nashville, as the team became slow and disjointed, and was never able to put together a solid stretch of play to gain any traction. This summer, general manager Barry Trotz was much more conservative, opting to tweak a few things and run it back next season in the hopes that last year was an anomaly.

Draft

1-5 – F Brady Martin, Sault-Ste Marie (OHL)
1-21 – D Cameron Reid, Kitchener (OHL)
1-26 – F Ryker Lee, Barrie (OHL)
2-35 – D Jacob Romback, Lincoln (USHL)
2-58 – G Jack Ivankovic, Brampton (OHL)
4-122- D Alex Huang, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
6-163 – D Daniel Nieminen, Lahti Pelicans (Liiga)

Nashville will be hoping that Martin develops into a top-line player sooner rather than later, especially given their lack of depth at center. Martin is offensively capable, but what is more valuable than his scoring ability is his overall game and his capacity to play in various roles and assignments. Some scouts consider him a Swiss-Army knife who can adapt to many different roles. He has a high compete level and isn’t afraid to get physical, which should help him if his offensive game doesn’t immediately translate to the NHL or develops more slowly as he turns pro. Martin isn’t a pure scorer, but his floor in the NHL is likely as a top-nine forward, either at center or on the wing. Some believe he might be better suited to the wing, but given Nashville’s needs, he will be given every opportunity to become their center of the future.

With their second of three first-round picks, the Predators moved up in the draft to select OHL defenseman Reid. The Kitchener Rangers defender isn’t the most consistent defensively and can feel pressure with the puck in the defensive zone. Still, his offensive instincts are strong, and he is seen as a potential power-play quarterback.

With their third and final pick of the first round, the Predators picked Lee, a scoring forward who may take some time adjusting to the NHL before he settles in. Lee can struggle with consistency, which could be problematic as he attempts to become a full-time NHL player. Lee isn’t projected to be a topline forward, but he should be an excellent NHLer who surpasses 50 points per season.

With their second-round pick, the Predators drafted a very large defenseman in Rombach. Standing 6’6”, Rombach will intimidate opponents with his size and his mean streak, while playing a reliable defensive game. His offensive skills are limited and may require improvement if he hopes to make it to the NHL, as well as adjusting to the league’s speed. He is a project in many ways, but the Predators have a knack for developing their defenseman, so he should be in a good position for his growth.

Trade Acquisitions

D Nicolas Hague (from Vegas)
F Erik Haula (from New Jersey)

The Predators acquired Hague and a conditional third-round pick in exchange for forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. The Predators were quick to then sign Hague to a four-year extension worth a total of $22MM. The deal, in theory, made sense for Nashville as they needed help on the backend; however, the execution left a lot to be desired as the trade and subsequent contract extension received heavy criticism.

Nashville needed help on the right side, and Hague effectively slides into Nashville’s third pairing, which is probably where he belongs, given his skill set. The problem is that Hague slides into the left side, and this makes the trade and the $5.5MM AAV more puzzling. The idea might be to flip Roman Josi to the right side, but then it pushes Hague into the top four, which isn’t ideal. The main issue with giving Hague that money is that he isn’t suited for that role and will likely be forced to play above his perfect slot.

Haula was acquired from the Devils on June 18th in exchange for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round pick. It’s reasonable to question why Nashville believed this move was necessary and to wonder what Nashville will gain from Haula at this stage of his career. Last year was a lacklustre season for the 34-year-old in nearly every statistical category, as his offense declined significantly along with his underlying numbers. At a $3.15MM cap hit, Haula isn’t a bargain, but he isn’t a drain on the salary cap either, or he’s signed for just this season. There’s a chance he bounces back into the 40-point range, and if he does, this trade is a win for Nashville. However, if he has a season similar to last year, it won’t be viewed positively in hindsight.

The trade was probably a result of Nashville desperately needing help in their bottom six, and although Haula isn’t exactly a game-changer, he provided a modest upgrade. The worst-case scenario for Nashville is that Haula and/or the team struggle, and he gets traded at the deadline for a package similar to what Nashville sent to the Devils.

UFA Signings

D Nicklaus Perbix (two years, $5.5MM)

GM Barry Trotz focused on strengthening his defensive core by signing Perbix to a two-year deal. The 27-year-old is a three-year NHL veteran who does a solid job of carrying and moving the puck and can add some offense. Despite his skills, he did turn the puck over quite a bit last year, which he will need to work on since he won’t be as protected in Nashville as he was in Tampa Bay.

Perbix has a good size at 6’4”, 209 lbs, but he doesn’t hit a lot, recording just 50 hits last season in 74 games. He had six goals and 13 assists last season, marking a decline from the previous year, when he scored two goals and had 22 assists in 77 games.

Nashville needed to strengthen the right side of its defensive core, and while there is nothing inherently wrong with Perbix, he isn’t likely to crack the top four, and if he does, it wouldn’t reflect well on the state of the Predators’ defensive core.

RFA Re-Signings

D Nicolas Hague (four years, $22MM) 

As mentioned earlier, the Hague extension presents issues because AFP Analytics projected him for a two-year deal at just over $2.6MM per season. That $5.2MM total package was exceeded by the $5.5MM AAV Hague actually received, which could be problematic if he performs as he has in the past. Hague’s contract aligns with extensions given to other defensemen, like Marcus Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks; however, Pettersson was a pending UFA and is a much better all-around defenseman and a proven top-four option.

Departures

F Kieffer Bellows (signed in Sweden)
D Marc Del Gaizo (signed with Montreal, one year, $775K)*
F Grigori Denisenko (signed in KHL)
D Mark Friedman (signed in Sweden)
D Jeremy Lauzon (traded to Vegas)
D Jake Livingstone (unsigned UFA)
F Ondřej Pavel (signed in Finland)
D Luke Prokop (signed with AHL Bakersfield)
F Colton Sissons (traded to Vegas)
F Jakub Vrana (signed in Sweden)
F Jesse Ylonen (signed in Sweden)

*-denotes two-way contract

The good news for Nashville is that not much talent left the organization this summer. However, there is an argument that as much or more talent departed as returned, at least at the NHL level. The Hague trade with Vegas effectively sent away Sissons, who is a defensive bottom-six forward that can contribute a bit offensively and handles tough minutes, as well as Lauzon, a very physical defenseman who doesn’t contribute offensively but isn’t much of a downgrade from Hague.

It’s fair to wonder if Hague and Haula are significant upgrades over Sissons and Lauzon, especially considering Hague and Haula make $9MM a season combined. At the same time, Lauzon and Sissons earn less than $3.5MM together. Adding the extra costs to acquire Hague and Haula results in a confusing set of transactions from Nashville’s point of view.

The remaining departures are mainly tweeners and AHL players who never really figured into Nashville’s future and won’t have much impact. Vrana was a good gamble at the end of last season when Nashville claimed him off waivers; however, he wasn’t a fit, recording two goals and an assist in 13 games. Vrana signed in Sweden this summer, and at 29, it’s unlikely he’ll return to the NHL. The same could probably be said for Friedman, who had a few stints in the NHL but couldn’t stick with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, or Nashville.

Aside from Sissons and Lauzon, none of the other players who left Nashville received one-way NHL money, which shows just how weak the group was.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Predators have plenty of cap space for the upcoming season, with just over $9.34MM available (according to PuckPedia), and they could add key players to their lineup midseason if they decide. Next summer, they will have around $40MM in cap space and need to address a few RFAs, but they might also make a splash in free agency if they choose to, although this may not be the best move considering general manager Barry Trotz’s recent free agent signings. The Predators aren’t in a bad spot with the cap, but if their pricey veterans perform the way they did this past season, Nashville could be in for a world of cap hurt, as their high-priced veterans have term remaining and would become very difficult to move.

Key Questions

What is Josi’s future?

Josi experienced headaches and fatigue last season and was eventually diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS. Josi is now back at full strength and participating in the Predators’ training camp, optimistic about his future. The 35-year-old is only a year away from being a Norris Trophy finalist and played well last season when healthy. If he can regain his form and stay healthy, it will significantly help the Predators in regaining relevance.

Who will be the top centers?

The Predators’ center depth currently leaves much to be desired, as they lack a true 1C, and will have to rely on Ryan O’Reilly in the top spot by default. Some might suggest Stamkos could fill that role as well, but at this stage of his career, he’s better suited to the wing. O’Reilly would be a better fit as the 2C, but the Predators aren’t in a position to deploy him in a role that matches his skillset. The second-line center spot is still open, but the most likely candidate is Fedor Svechkov, who had a mediocre rookie season last year and is aiming to improve.

Can the offense bounce back?

The Predators’ top offensive players underperformed last season, except for Filip Forsberg. It was a significant decline for Stamkos and Marchessault, and the Predators will count on both players to bounce back and regain some of the scoring they displayed during their free agent walk years two seasons ago. Stamkos, in particular, experienced a sharp drop, going from a point-per-game player with the Lightning to a modest 53 points in 82 games, which is below his usual level. Marchessault’s offensive stats weren’t far off his career averages, but his turnovers were terrible, and he’ll need to improve that if he hopes to re-establish himself.

Photo by Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

Poll: Which 2025 Draft Picks Will Make The NHL Out Of Camp?

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Over the course of NHL training camps, there are few more exciting things than watching which rookies break into the league out of camp. That’s especially true for players coming straight from the NHL Draft, who are often making the massive leap from junior leagues directly to competition on the world’s biggest stage at 18-years-old. As the end of this year’s camps approaches, it appears the 2025 class could offer up multiple stars capable of making that jump, and even sticking around for the full year.

The strongest bids for an NHL role sit, aptly, with the top two picks. Matthew Schaefer has seemed destined for an NHL role since he was drafted. He exudes confidence in both personality and performance, and has looked sharp from his first preseason game despite not playing a game since December 2024. Schaefer’s top-to-bottom playmaking and slick stickhandling has stayed effective against pro competition. Even with the growing pains of going from OHL injury to NHL minutes, it seems the Islanders would be foolish to not see what their star prospect can show when the season kicks off.

Michael Misa’s camp hasn’t burst in the same way as Schaefer’s – but his bright moments have surely looked as dominant. He has continued to show an impressive level of speed, deception, and highlight-reel goal-scoring. That could be enough to earn a spot on an already young and inexperienced Sharks roster – though Misa still looks a few steps back from NHL tempo and physicality. There could be merit to letting him work through those challenges next to other young, top-picks Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund. All three have found ways to make their offense work in the NHL, despite facing the same barrier that Misa is faced with now.

Fifth-overall pick Brady Martin could have the strongest chance for an NHL role behind the draft’s stars. He has fit right into an offense of heavy, smooth-moving forwards with the Nashville Predators – and even skated alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg late in camp. That’s a strong spot to be with final cuts approaching, helped along by Martin being one of only three 2025 draftees with multiple preseason points. He has two in three games.

The other multi-point scorers are former Seattle Thunderbirds teammates Radim Mrtka (1 G, 1 A, 4 GP) and Braeden Cootes (2 G, 3 GP). Mrtka has flashed as a versatile puck-mover for the Buffalo Sabres. He looks like he’ll fit right in with the Sabres’ downhill style, but has also looked a bit too shaky in his moments away from the puck. He seems headed for a return to Seattle – while Cootes is making the Vancouver Canucks’ decision tough. He’s proven capable of holding his own against pros, with the smarts and the strength to keep making plays in the dangerous areas of the ice. He could be the jolt of effective depth that Vancouver’s been searching for, though that could be a lot to ask the 18-year-old centerman.

Benjamin Kindel has also been a standout, showing he has the skill to play above his size with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s his ability to work around his experienced linemates that has helped Kindel shine. His snappy speed and smart paths around the offensive end have worked on a high-skilled Penguins offense, though Kindel has only one goal in five preseason appearances. Like many rookies, he faces an uphill battle in adjusting to NHL physicality, which could result in one more year in the WHL proving the best bet.

Each of the six draftees – all former CHL players – have done well to prove their case to stick in the NHL. At the least, it seems all five could be headed for a nine-game trial period before returning to their junior clubs. But with final cuts yet to come, it remains to be seen who will break camp with their new team.

Who do you think will make the NHL, and who needs another year of honing?

Mobile users click here to vote.

Jansen Harkins Placed On IR, Set To Miss Approximately Eight Weeks

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10/2: Anaheim has officially placed Harkins on injured reserve, following their last round of training camp cuts.

9/27: Having just locked up Mason McTavish earlier today, the Anaheim Ducks have more news affecting their forward core; Jansen Harkins is set to miss approximately eight weeks with an upper body injury, per the team’s announcement. 

Harkins was injured last Sunday against the Kings after a hit into the side boards, and was seen leaving the arena in a sling. 

The 28-year-old is entering the final year of his two-year, $1.575MM deal with Anaheim. Despite being waived out of camp last fall, Harkins ended up playing in 62 games for the Ducks, notching 6 points, and making most of his impact defensively. 

Originally drafted 47th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2015, having shown high playmaking ability in the WHL, the Cleveland native spent the next four seasons in the Jets’ system, before finally earning his role in the NHL and becoming a key depth forward. After eight total seasons contributing in the Jets’ organization, Harkins was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he spent 2023-24 between the big club, and the AHL, in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

With the veteran set to miss time, perhaps eyes now turn toward young centers Nikita Nesterenko and Tim Washe, who both have the right skillset for Anaheim’s bottom six. 

Nesterenko was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 draft by the Minnesota Wild. The 24-year-old became a key player for Boston College and legitimate NHL prospect, whose rights were acquired by the Ducks in the 2023 John Klingberg deal. Since then, Nesterenko has spent most time with the San Diego Gulls, showcasing a strong two-way game based around defensive responsibility. The Brooklyn, New York native has appeared in 32 games with the Ducks over the last two seasons, netting 6 goals. 

Washe, a 24-year-old with imposing size at 6’3”, is a more recent pickup for the Ducks, coming in last season as an undrafted free agent from Western Michigan University. Washe jumped out of college to the pros last season, skating in two games for the Ducks, having yet to play in the AHL. However, with five collegiate seasons under his belt, including winning the 2025 National Championship as captain of the Broncos, Washe could make a case to slot into the bottom six for Harkins.

With key roster cuts to be made across the league in the next week, eyes will be on the Ducks as they enter the Joel Quenneville era, with several young players vying for spots.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/25

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There are five days to go until opening night. Only a few teams have sweeping cuts left to make, with the majority of clubs within five or so cuts (or even at) their final rosters already. We’re keeping track of today’s cuts with this article, which will be updated throughout the day.

Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)

G Calle Clang (to AHL San Diego)
F Nathan Gaucher (to AHL San Diego)
D Tyson Hinds (to AHL San Diego)
D Tristan Luneau (to AHL San Diego)
F Yegor Sidorov (to AHL San Diego)
D Stian Solberg (to AHL San Diego)

Boston Bruins (per team announcement)

F Dalton Bancroft (to AHL Providence)
F John Farinacci (to AHL Providence)
F Dans Locmelis (to AHL Providence)
D Billy Sweezey (to AHL Providence, cleared waivers)

Calgary Flames (per team announcement)

F Rory Kerins (to AHL Calgary, pending waivers)
G Ivan Prosvetov (to AHL Calgary, pending waivers)
D Ilya Solovyov (to AHL Calgary, pending waivers)

Dallas Stars (per team announcement)

G Rémi Poirier (to AHL Texas)

Detroit Red Wings (per team announcement)

F Ondřej Becher (to AHL Grand Rapids)
G Sebastian Cossa (to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Sheldon Dries (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
D William Lagesson (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F John Leonard (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to AHL Grand Rapids)
D Ian Mitchell (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F Dominik Shine (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
D Antti Tuomisto (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)
F Austin Watson (to AHL Grand Rapids, cleared waivers)

Edmonton Oilers (per team announcement)

F Connor Clattenburg (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Cam Dineen (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)
F James Hamblin (to AHL Bakersfield, cleared waivers)
F Quinn Hutson (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Atro Leppanen (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Viljami Marjala (to AHL Bakersfield)
F Josh Samanski (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Riley Stillman (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)

Florida Panthers (per team announcement)

D Marek Alscher (to AHL Charlotte)
D Michael Benning (to AHL Charlotte)
G Cooper Black (to AHL Charlotte)
D Trevor Carrick (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Brett Chorske (released from ATO to AHL Charlotte)
F Josh Davies (to AHL Charlotte)
F Jack Devine (to AHL Charlotte)
D Ben Harpur (released from PTO)
D Mikulas Hovorka (to AHL Charlotte)
D Colton Huard (released from ATO to AHL Charlotte)
F Hunter Johannes (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Jake Livingstone (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Anton Lundmark (to AHL Charlotte)
F Ryan McAllister (to AHL Charlotte)
F Liam McLinskey (released from ATO to AHL Charlotte)
F Gracyn Sawchyn (to AHL Charlotte)
F Kai Schwindt (to AHL Charlotte)
F Hunter St. Martin (to AHL Charlotte)
F Ben Steeves (to AHL Charlotte)
F Sandis Vilmanis (to AHL Charlotte)

Nashville Predators (per team announcement)

D Andreas Englund (to AHL Milwaukee, cleared waivers)

New York Rangers (per team announcement)

D Casey Fitzgerald (to AHL Hartford, cleared waivers)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement)

F Karsen Dorwart (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Lane Pederson (to AHL Lehigh Valley, cleared waivers)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)

D Scooter Brickey (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Mathieu De St. Phalle (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
G Taylor Gauthier (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
F Aidan McDonough (released from PTO to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)
D Chase Pietila (to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)

San Jose Sharks (per team announcement)

F Patrick Giles (to AHL San Jose, cleared waivers)

Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)

F Ben Meyers (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
F Mitchell Stephens (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)

Utah Mammoth (per team announcement)

F Ben McCartney (to AHL Tucson, pending waivers)
D Scott Perunovich (to AHL Tucson, pending waivers)
G Jaxson Stauber (to AHL Tucson, cleared waivers)

Washington Capitals (per team announcement)

F Louis Belpedio (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)
F Graeme Clarke (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)
D David Gucciardi (to AHL Hershey)
F Henrik Rybinski (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)
F Bogdan Trineyev (to AHL Hershey, cleared waivers)

Snapshots: Luukkonen, Portillo, Paper Moves

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Buffalo Sabres are once again uncertain about the short-term health of their starting goaltender, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The team pulled Luukkonen after just one period of action in Wednesday night’s preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After the game, head coach Lindy Ruff said that Luukkonen was still feeling some discomfort with the lower-body injury he recently returned from, per Michael Aguello of The Hockey News.

Luukkonen returned to Buffalo’s practices last week, after missing the start of training camp due to a late-summer injury. He described his injury as a, “flare up” and told reporters that he had no concerns with being ready for opening night. One week later, it appears Luukkonen is still in need of a bit more conditioning. He’ll be headed for a major workload when he does reach full health. Luukkonen played at least 50 games in each of the last two seasons. He’s posted a cumulative .899 save percentage in 109 games since taking the reigns as Buffalo’s starter. The goal will be to push that average above .900 with a return to the starter’s crease this season. First, he’ll need to ease himself back into the role. Should Luukkonen be unavailable for opening night, the Sabres will turn towards Alexandar Georgiev, who posted a .875 Sv% in 49 games last season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled goaltender Erik Protillo from the AHL. He will get a chance to continue his preseason action, after being assigned to the minors on Wednesday. Los Angeles also placed goaltender Pheonix Copley on waivers for the purposes of an AHL move, but the Tampa Bay Lightning submitted a claim to prevent that from happening. With Copley now out of the organization, Portillo is one of only fourt Kings goaltenders with an NHL contract, alongside the team’s top tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg – and top goalie prospect Carter George, who is on his entry-level contract. That standing will earn Portillo a bit more attention as Los Angeles’ training camp comes to a close. He hasn’t yet made his prseason debut, but posted . 966 Sv% in his NHL debut last season, and a .889 Sv% through 24 AHL games. Expect Portillo to get a hardier look in the Kings’ final preseason matchups, before vying for the Ontario Reign’s starting role out of the gates.
  • The Kings would have been unable to make the swap with Portillo that they did had it happened after next weekend. The NHL has altered their use of “Paper Loans” for this season, and will now require that players assigned to the AHL play in at least one game before being called back up, per PuckPedia. However, the league clarified to teams that the new rule won’t take effect until October 10th, which could allow teams the opportunity for some cap gymnastics at the start of the regular season. PuckPedia points out that, under this rule, teams could assign waiver-exempt players to the minors and submit an eligible opening night roster, then place injured players on in-season, long-term injured reserve, and recall their waiver-exempt players. An example could be the Edmonton Oilers assigning winger Isaac Howard to the minors, placing Zach Hyman on LTIR, and then recalling Howard before their first game on October 8th.

Waivers: 10/2/25

at CDT | by 14 Comments

There are 22 new names on the waiver wire today, PuckPedia reports. Everyone on the wire yesterday passed through aside from goaltender Pheonix Copley, who’s heading to the Lightning from the Kings.

Calgary Flames

F Rory Kerins
G Ivan Prosvetov
D Ilya Solovyov

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Daemon Hunt

Edmonton Oilers

D Cam Dineen
D Riley Stillman

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Sebastian Aho
F Danton Heinen
D Philip Kemp
F Joona Koppanen
G Filip Larsson
F Valtteri Puustinen

Seattle Kraken

F Ben Meyers
F Mitchell Stephens

Utah Mammoth

F Ben McCartney
D Scott Perunovich

Vancouver Canucks

F Vitali Kravtsov

Vegas Golden Knights

D Dylan Coghlan
F Tanner Laczynski
F Raphael Lavoie
D Jaycob Megna
F Cole Schwindt

Heinen, Kerins, and Kravtsov jump out as the most notable skaters from the group. Heinen is one of the first veteran surprises to reach the wire this fall. The pending UFA costs $2.25MM against the cap and was a speculative trade candidate as the rebuilding Penguins look to shed their veterans on expiring deals. If he clears, he’ll still count for $1.1MM against Pittsburgh’s cap. It’s not as if he’s coming off a catastrophic 2024-25 season. He made 79 appearances split between the Canucks and Penguins, recording a 9-20–29 scoring line while averaging 13:27 per game. Those are all a few ticks below his career averages, but still serviceable bottom-six production for a reasonable price. He may not fit into the Penguins’ plans, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him claimed despite his cap impact.

Kerins has been a high-ceiling name in the Flames’ system for the past couple of years with quite strong AHL showings. He got his first taste of NHL action last year in a five-game call-up, looking like he belonged with four assists and a +3 rating while averaging 12:14 per game. The 5’10” pivot isn’t a natural fit in a fourth-line role, though, and Calgary doesn’t have an open spot for him in its top nine. He’s a pending RFA without arbitration rights on a two-way deal with a league minimum cap hit – prime conditions for a claim – and had 33 goals and 61 points in 63 AHL games last year.

Kravtsov not making it to the final couple of days of camp is a surprise. Selected No. 9 overall in 2018, he was on the Canucks’ reserve list after he departed the NHL to return to Russia in 2023. He had a great showing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League last year, leading the team with 27 goals in 66 games while adding 31 assists for 58 points. That was enough to generate mutual interest between the Canucks and Kravtsov to resume their relationship, and he signed a one-year, two-way deal in August. He’s due to be a Group VI unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t hit 16 NHL games this year.

As for goalie-needy teams, Prosvetov might warrant some consideration after being passed over for Calgary’s backup job in favor of Devin Cooley. The 26-year-old has 24 NHL starts under his belt and was excellent in the KHL last year, managing a .920 SV% and 2.32 GAA in 38 games for CSKA Moscow.

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