A beer inspired by the Philadelphia Flyers' creepy new mascot, Gritty, will be available in Bristol, Pa. next month.

Broken Goblet Brewing announced that it will be releasing a cream ale called "Nightmare Fuel" in honor of Gritty, who was introduced to the hockey world Monday.

The Flyers' website describes Gritty as "loyal but mischievous; the ultimate Flyers fan who loves the orange and black, but is unwelcoming to anyone who opposes his team."

- With h/t to NBC Sports Philadelphia

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Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly has yet to suit up in the preseason, and the reasoning became more clear on Tuesday.

Smith-Pelly failed to meet certain conditioning standards at Caps training camp, a person with knowledge of the situation told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.

Capitals head coach Todd Reirden wouldn't confirm this, but hinted towards such last week.

"He’s still trying to get to the level where he was at last year, and until he does, it doesn’t do us any good as a team or for him to be playing in games," Reirden said.

When asked if Smith-Pelly would be ready for the season opener on Oct. 3, Reirden said it's "day to day in terms of how he's progressing."

This isn't the first time Smith-Pelly has dealt with conditioning issues. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said heading into last year's training camp that Smith-Pelly's conditioning level and work ethic was "a little inconsistent." Former Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien also publicly called him out for the same issues during his tenure in Montreal, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu.

Smith-Pelly doesn't seem to think his absence from preseason action will be an issue once the games count.

"It was a short summer," Smith-Pelly said last week, according to Khurshudyan. "I'm not going to make any excuse or anything, but a short summer, a little different. … I don't think it's really a story. I don’t think it's really a thing. I think Todd would probably tell you the same thing. It's not really a big deal. I'm doing what I have to do to be ready for when it really matters."

Smith-Pelly was sensational during Washington's run to the Stanley Cup last spring, potting seven goals in 24 postseason games, including a remarkable game-tying tally in the Game 5 clincher.

The 26-year-old signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Capitals this summer.

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Arizona Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk is week to week with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss the club's season opener, the team announced Tuesday.

Galchenyuk suffered the injury in the club's preseason tilt against the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 18. The 24-year-old is getting set for his first season with the Coyotes after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in June in exchange for Max Domi.

The Coyotes will open the 2018-19 season on Oct. 4 against the Dallas Stars.

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As a new season nears, a number of players prepare to chase history.

Here are five players who have the opportunity to reach career milestones, and in some cases, cement their place among the game's best.

Thornton on edge of 400

Arguably the best passer of this generation, Joe Thornton is about to eclipse a goal-scoring milestone. With just three more tallies, Thornton will reach the 400-goal mark, becoming the 96th player in NHL history to do so - if he gets there before another player on this list.

That's not the only record in reach for the big center. With 40 points, he can pass both Teemu Selanne and Stan Mikita for 14th on the all-time list, and if he manages to collect 34 assists, he'll move up four spots - passing Mario Lemieux, Marcel Dionne, Gordie Howe, and Steve Yzerman - for the eighth-most all time.

Malkin's pursuit of 1,000

Another strong campaign from Evgeni Malkin should see the Russian sniper eclipse the 1,000-point plateau.

The 32-year-old needs 70 points to hit the milestone. That would be a tall order for most players, but Malkin has failed to reach 70 points only three times in his career, and each of those seasons saw him limited due to injuries.

If Malkin can put up 30 goals, he will also reach the 400-goal mark.

Luongo climbing the all-time wins list

Florida Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo currently sits fourth on the all-time wins list, but he should leapfrog another legendary goaltender for the third spot.

With 14 wins, Luongo will move ahead of Ed Belfour.

While he was limited to just 35 games last season, Luongo put up strong numbers, rocking a .929 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average.

Luongo should have no trouble moving into third place, but it remains to be seen whether he has enough in the tank to one day challenge Patrick Roy and his 551 wins for second.

Staal joins Thornton at 400

The pressure will be on Thornton to be the first player this season to reach 400 career goals.

Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal is also in the hunt for 400 and needs just five goals to do so.

Staal has enjoyed a reawakening in his short time in Minnesota. Over the last two seasons, he's tallied 70 goals, including 42 last season, which were just three fewer than his career high he set back in 2006.

Lundqvist following in Luongo's footsteps

While Luongo will be focused on reaching third in goalie wins, Henrik Lundqvist will also be looking to make a jump up the all-time ranks.

The New York Rangers netminder currently sits eighth all time with 431 career wins, so with 24 victories, he would overtake Jacques Plante, Terry Sawchuk, and Curtis Joseph for fifth.

Last season, Lundqvist recorded 26 victories, which were the fewest he's managed in a full 82-game season in his career.

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The Ottawa Senators will need their work boots to find the win column this season.

That's the message from head coach Guy Boucher, who emphasized that a strong work ethic will be the Senators' biggest weapon.

"We don't have enough (skills)," Boucher told reporters, per Sportsnet. "We have to say it like it is. I think it's good that the players recognize that we have some skill, but we're not going to win because we're going to over-skill Toronto or Tampa or those teams.

"We're going to be a young team with a few guys that are vets, but we're going to have to outwork teams to win a game. Plain and simple."

Boucher's message follows a rocky offseason in Ottawa that saw the team part with a number of key players, including scoring winger Mike Hoffman and former captain Erik Karlsson.

There'll be some new faces in the Senators' lineup this season, counting Mikkel Boedker, Chris Tierney, and potentially 2018 first-round pick Brady Tkachuk. All will be counted upon to play a critical role in Boucher's system.

Boucher is entering his third season behind the Senators bench - with his first two campaigns producing wildly different results. In 2016-17, he led his squad to within one goal of the Stanley Cup Final. However, it was a different story last season, as the Senators crashed to second-last place in the Eastern Conference with a 67-point finish.

Across five seasons with Ottawa and Tampa Bay, Boucher owns a 169-150-41 coaching record.

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Below are the top 200 skaters and goalies ranked in descending order based on their value in banger leagues. A typical banger league consists of the following categories:

The key difference between a banger league and a standard league is the addition of hits and blocked shots. Though it may seem like a minor difference, the inclusion of those categories can greatly affect the value of players.

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Below are the top 200 skaters and goalies ranked in descending order based on their value in banger leagues. A typical banger league consists of the following categories:

The key difference between a banger league and a standard league is the addition of hits and blocked shots. Though it may seem like a minor difference, the inclusion of those categories can greatly affect the value of players.

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The Ottawa Senators cutting Zack Smith was tough for some of his teammates to swallow.

The veteran forward was placed on waivers by the Senators on Tuesday, and is free to be claimed by the NHL's other 30 clubs.

News of the suprising transaction shocked Smith's teammates in the Senators' locker room, particularly fellow veteran forward Matt Duchene.

"I'll be honest, it's a kick in the balls for us," Duchene told TSN's Brent Wallace.

"It's tough because we love Smitty. He is a great leader, he is a great player," Duchene added. "Unfortunately, I guess, sometimes in this business, things happen that are sometimes beyond hockey reasons and things like that. It's tough right now, we are hurting."

Whether Smith is claimed by another team could be determined by his contract, as the 30-year-old is signed for the next three seasons at a $3.25-million cap hit.

Smith was limited to five goals and 14 assists in 68 games with Ottawa last season. He notched a career-high 25 goals during the 2015-16 campaign.

Rival teams have until 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday to submit a claim for Smith. Waiver priority is based on last season's reversed final standings.

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The Ottawa Senators have placed veteran forward Zack Smith on waivers, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.

The 30-year-old signed a four-year contract with the club in January 2017 and has three seasons remaining on his current deal at $3.25 million per season. If he clears waivers, he'll report to the AHL's Belleville Senators, which would give Ottawa just over $1 million in salary cap relief, per Cap Friendly.

Smith registered five goals and 14 assists in 2017-18 while averaging over 16 minutes per night. With the recent Erik Karlsson trade, Smith stood as the longest-serving Senator, having played 542 games for the franchise since being drafted in the third round of the 2008 draft.

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