Blue Jackets’ Comeback Falls Short in Preseason Loss to Capitals
The Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping to use Tuesday night to start ramping things up before their regular season opens nine days from today. It was a mixed bag against…
Monthly Archives: September 2025
McAllister, Entwistle score in Orlando, Panthers come up short against Lightning
The Florida Panthers played what could end up being one of their last neutral site preseason games on Tuesday night.
Florida faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Kia Center in Downtown Orlando, something that has become a regular occurrence of late, but a game that could be in jeopardy due to the NHL shrinking preseason schedules starting next season.
It was Tampa who got on the board first, with Oliver Bjorkstrand taking advantage of the extra space allowed during a 5-on-3 power play and beating Brandon Bussi to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead midway through the opening frame.
MacKenzie Entwistle tied the game for Florida less than five minutes later, centering a pass toward Wilmer Skoog in the slot that went off a Tampa defenseman and past goaltender Jonas Johansson.
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 30, 2025
Two quick goals by Tampa about midway through the game gave the hosts (it was a Lightning home game in Orlando) a two-goal lead heading into the third period.
Ryan McAllister, one of Florida’s top young AHL prospects, scored his first goal of the preseason just 2:30 into the final frame to bring the Cats within one.
It was what you might call a goal scorers’ goal as McAllister was quick to one-time a nifty pass by Skoog through Johansson from a sharp angle inside the right faceoff circle.
McAllister puts us within 1 👀 pic.twitter.com/5cSgHuAQUn
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) October 1, 2025
That would be as close as the Cats would get, unfortunately.
Johansson stopped five of Florida’s six third period shots on goal, securing the narrow victory for the Bolts.
Neither team dressed any of their ‘big guns’ but that is expected to change in the coming days.
Florida and Tampa will battle two more times, Thursday in Tampa and Saturday in Sunrise, to wrap up their respective preseason schedules.
Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice has said previously that he plans to play many of his NHL regulars in the two tune-up games.
Florida will host the Chicago Blackhawks for Opening Night in exactly one week, on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
Florida Panthers debut massive new scoreboard inside Amerant Bank Arena
Panthers 2025 Stanley Cup Triumph To Premiere Exclusively On ESPN
Panthers to dress some veterans, but rest most, in first home preseason game
Florida Panthers remove 2 defensemen, 2 goaltenders from training camp roster
Photo caption: Sep 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers right wing MacKenzie Entwistle (44) gets ready for the face off against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
History Of Expansion Draft Losses: The Sens That Got Away
Things are going pretty well these days for former Ottawa Senators goalie Joey Daccord. For one, he's starting his new set-for-life contract, a five-year deal worth $25 million to tend goal for the Seattle Kraken.
Secondly, his old school announced this week it plans to honour Daccord by retiring his number 35 jersey. Daccord's number will rise to the rafters at Arizona State University in the Sun Devils' season opener when they face Gavin McKenna and Penn State on October 3rd.
Daccord will become the first ASU player to ever have his number retired, and he's also the first to be drafted, sign, and play with an NHL team. The Sens selected him in the seventh round back in 2015.
But he's long gone from the Sens organization because they left him unprotected in the 2021 Seattle Expansion Draft. Teams could only protect one goalie, and the Sens went with Filip Gustavsson, while leaving Daccord, Anton Forsberg, Marcus Hogberg, and Matt Murray unprotected.
It got me thinking about players the Senators have historically lost in the expansion drafts of the past.
Here's the full list:
2021: G Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken)
2017: D Marc Methot (Vegas Golden Knights)
2000: F Kevin Dineen (Columbus Blue Jackets)
2000: F Joe Juneau (Minnesota Wild)
1999: F Phil Crowe (Atlanta Thrashers)
1998: F Denny Lambert (Nashville Predators)
1993: D Mark Ferner (Anaheim Ducks)
1993: F Marc LaBelle (Florida Panthers)
Because the pre-Vegas expansion draft rules allowed existing teams to protect many more talented players on their rosters than we saw in the past, there's a huge drop-off in calibre before 2017. So any discussion about the greatest player Ottawa ever lost in an expansion draft is a two-horse race between Methot and Daccord.
We'll give the edge to Methot right now, because his loss was the biggest to the team, simply because the Sens spent a lot of years trying to find another right-shot defenseman like him. But Meth is now long retired, and Daccord has a lot of race track still ahead, so we may have to revisit this in a few years.
In the meantime, we'll always have a soft spot for Daccord, especially after his emotional interview following his first NHL win, a few months before he headed for Seattle.
More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Broadcast Frustrations Resurface For Senators Fans
Ullmark Sharp In Senators Victory, Embraces The Struggle
Stephen Halliday's NHL Stock Continues to Rise
Former Senator Josh Norris Embraces New Opportunity To Prove Himself
Will This Be Shane Pinto's Breakout Year With The Senators?
Batherson Joins Ottawa Senators List Of Preseason Injury Concerns
Newly Retired NHLer Max Pacioretty Is A First-Class, Dedicated Human Being
When you become an NHL player, you’re fortunate to join a highly elite club.
Now try to picture how elite and fortunate you have to be to play meaningful, memorable hockey in two Original Six markets. You’re the cream of the crop of the cream of the crop.
That’s what you have to know about longtime NHL left winger Max Pacioretty, who retired Tuesday after 17 seasons, including playing the most of his career with the Montreal Canadiens and finishing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Despite his lofty stature, Pacioretty didn’t make some grand pronouncement he was done playing. Instead, news came that Pacioretty would be joining the University of Michigan – his NCAA team, in his adopted home state – as a special assistant to Michigan coach Brandon Naurato. And in revealing his next chapter, Pacioretty was, as he was his entire life as an NHL player, a class act through and through.
"I'm so thankful for the teammates, coaches and fans who have been a part of my journey,” Pacioretty said in the announcement. “Hockey has given me so much, and now I have the opportunity to help develop the next generation of players. Michigan has a tradition of producing elite talent, and I can't wait to share what I've learned to help these guys grow on and off the ice. Just as important, this next step allows me to be closer to my family and spend more time with my kids. I'm going to be coaching my four boys in youth hockey, and that's something I'll really cherish as a dad.”
We’ve said often that, in the pro hockey world, you wind up cheering not for any one team but for players as human beings. And the 36-year-old Pacioretty was very easy to root for.
When Pacioretty made his NHL debut in 2009, he still had some serious adversity to deal with right away. In 2010-11, an injury at the hands of Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara caused Pacioretty to miss the rest of the season.
When he returned to action in the fall of 2011, Pacioretty thrived, recording 33 goals and 32 assists while being named winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy, given to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication” to the sport.
Even then, he was only really getting started.
From 2013-14 onward, Pacioretty reeled off four straight seasons with at least 30 goals and 60 points. And in 2015, he was rewarded for his diligence, skill and professionalism by being named the 29th captain in the history of the Canadiens.
Pacioretty became such a star in Montreal, Quebec-based McDonald’s restaurants named a burger in Pacioretty’s honor.
But all good things have their end, and Pacioretty eventually struggled, not only in terms of point production but in terms of his health. So when Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018, Habs fans were happy to get back an up-and-coming star and future Montreal captain in center Nick Suzuki.
Thus began a turbulent time for Pacioretty.
Despite netting 32 goals and 66 points in his second season with Vegas, Pacioretty’s injury issues came back. He missed 33 games in 2021-22 with a broken foot and wrist, and after the Golden Knights traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022, he suffered a devastating torn Achilles tendon and played only five games with the Hurricanes. One year later, he was playing with the Washington Capitals, but another Achilles injury limited him to only 47 regular-season games. The end seemed near for him.
But something unpredictable and inspiring happened for Pacioretty last season. Following his modest playing contract with the Maple Leafs, Pacioretty emerged as an effective power forward for Toronto.
Injuries, healthy scratches and salary cap limitations kept Pacioretty to only 37 regular-season games with the Blue and White. But in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Pacioretty had the final renaissance of his NHL days, posting the Leafs’ series-clinching goal against the Ottawa Senators in the first round. Pacioretty wound up with three goals and eight points in 13 playoff games with the Buds last spring, earning a notable place in Leafs history.
In the end, Pacioretty didn’t win a Cup. But his performance last year was a good one to go out on. He’ll always be loved in Montreal, and Leafs Nation will remember him fondly. There are very few players who can make that specific claim.
Not every NHLer's exit ends with a championship, but Pacioretty became an icon (small letter 'i' in Toronto) in two Canadian markets. That's no small feat. And now, he goes home to Michigan and gets to give back while playing for his collegiate team. Despite all the unfortunate parts of his on-ice days, Pacioretty has still been quite fortunate.
Pacioretty almost assuredly won’t be a Hockey Hall of Famer. But he has always been a first-class human being, a terrific ambassador for the game and a credit to the sport. He’ll be missed in NHL circles, but he’ll undoubtedly keep on giving back.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-10-01 14:24:52
Sabres' Defense Corps Could Be The Difference Between Buffalo Making And Missing Out On Playoffs
Yesterday, we put forth our opinion that the Buffalo Sabres need a big year out of star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin if they were going to contend for a Stanley Cup playoff berth (and end their 14-season playoff drought. And 24 hours later, we're sticking with that notion. But this column is an addendum to yesterday's column. Because while the Sabres need Dahlin to spearhead a defensive renaissance for this franchise, Buffalo isn't going to be a playoff team unless something else happens in addition to Dahlin being very difficult to play against particularly in their own zone.
And that "something else" is this: the Sabres need their entire defense corps to make a major step forward this year and cut down Buffalo's porous D-zone play. The Sabres were tied for third-from-last place in goals-against average last season at 3.50 goals-against per-game. Only one team -- the Montreal Canadiens -- finished outside of the playoffs last year despite posting a G.A.A. that was outside the top-16 in that department.
That tells you all you need to know about the importance of defense. When you have it, the way the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights had it last season, you know you've got it. And when you don't have it, the way the Sabres didn't have it last year, or the year before that, or the year prior to that, you know what you're missing.
So while the majority of the pressure defensively will be on Dahlin (and of course, Buffalo's goaltenders) to lead the way this season, the reality is that his fellow Sabres blueliners also have to come through with big step-up years.
To be sure, Buffalo needs bigger and better years from defenseman Owen Power. The 22-year-old posted career highs in goals (7), assists (33), and points (40) last season, but there's a troubling aspect or two about Power's improvement that will get plenty of attention this season. For one thing, Power's ice-time average was nearly three full minutes less than Dahlin's.
Sabres Need This Key Player To Have Big Season If Buffalo Is To Be Playoff TeamThe Buffalo Sabres need solid years from everybody to even come close to being in the mix for a Stanley Cup playoff appearance for the first time in a decade. But (and at the risk of just pointing out one of those players when it will take big efforts from most Sabres players to make Buffalo a playoff team) we're going to focus on a player this writer believes has to have a big year to get the Sabres back in the post-season.
We get it -- Power is on Buffalo's second defense pairing, so it's understandable why he'd have fewer minutes than Dahlin. But when you're paying a player $8.35-million for the next six seasons, you probably want the defender to be playing more time than 21 minutes a night.
But it isn't just Power and Dahlin that have to be good for Buffalo to be a playoff team. Freshly re-signed D-man Bowen Byram also needs a big year -- to prove the Sabres were right to re-sign him at a $6.25-million salary, and to set himself up for another big payday when he becomes a UFA in the summer of 2027. And if he's on the top pairing with Dahlin, Byram's individual numbers should spike in a positive direction. Byram did have career-best numbers in assists (31) and points (38) last season, but with his new salary, more will be expected of him.
Value In Former Sabres Shows Buffalo Has Talent -- But So Far, The Mix Has Always Been WrongBelieve it or not, the Buffalo Sabres and their players are not inherently terrible. Sure, there are Buffalo players you may believe to be flawed, and sure, the Sabres have been consistently sub-par for the past 14 seasons -- none of which have ended with Stanley Cup playoff games being played in Western New York. But if you look at some of Buffalo's former players, you see that they have some value across the league, even though they have a stint with the Sabres on their resume.
Finally, the rest of Buffalo's D-men also have to come through with some type of solid contribution this season. Matias Samuelsson will need to be a stable stay-at-home defender, while new acquisitions Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins will need to make better-than-average first impressions in their own way.
There's no area in which the Sabres are too good in order to make up for bad Sabres areas. They need everything working in their favor if they're to be a playoff team in 2026.
And if they don't get that -- if they don't improve significantly on defense this year -- the defense corps in Western New York at this time next September will look drastically different.
Devils Star Makes New Best NHL Players List
New Jersey Devils star Jesper Bratt had an excellent 2024-25 season for the Metropolitan Division club. In 81 games on the year, the 27-year-old winger scored 21 goals and set career bests with 67 assists and 88 points. This was also the third year in a row that he set a new career high in points, so he just keeps better.
Now, Bratt has been rewarded for his big season, as he has made another top NHL players list.
Sportsnet ranked Bratt as the No. 47 spot in their top 50 NHL players list heading into the 2025-26 season. With this, Bratt ranked ahead of other notable stars like Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens), Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars).
Given the year that Bratt just had for the Devils, it is entirely understandable that he has been ranked among the NHL's best 50 players by Sportsnet. It is well deserved, as Bratt was one of the top wingers in the league this past season and is expected to be the same in 2025-26 for New Jersey. This is especially so when noting that he has been over a point per game player in each of his last two seasons with the Devils.
NHL Insider Suggests That Blackhawks May Trade Lukas Reichel Before 2025-26 Begins
The Chicago Blackhawks have a few forwards fighting for that final spot on the opening night roster when they team plays the Florida Panthers in Sunrise.
One of those forwards for all of camp has appeared to be Lukas Reichel. However, a new report suggests that he may not even make it to next week in the organization.
CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) on XFull response today from @frank_seravalli on a question about Lukas Reichel’s future in Chicago
(🎥 @BR_OpenIce)NHL insider Frank Seravalli said on his Bleacher Report Open Ice show that the Blackhawks have been trying to shop Reichel actively.
He made sure to mention that the Blackhawks would like to have this deal done before the season begins. They aren't likely to get a big return for the former first-round pick, but they are looking to move him nonetheless.
Reichel is a supremely talented forward who can create offense because of his natural tools, but he hasn't been able to put it together in the NHL on a consistent basis. While he still has value, the Blackhawks want to move him before he has none.
With the talent that Reichel has, a different situation could work out well for him. If he went to a team with playoff aspirations, you might see him take a step in his development. A change of scenery has worked for players in the past.
What will the Blackhawks do if he is moved out in terms of replacing the void? Well, guys like Landon Slaggert, Colton Dach, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Greene are all competing for long-term positions on the team as well. There is no shortage of players looking for an opportunity at this time.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Record-Setting Number Of Lions To Attend Laval Rocket Training Camp
The Laval Rocket, American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, has unveiled the list of players invited to its training camp.
Among them is a record-setting group of seven players under contract with the Kelly Cup Champion Trois-Rivières Lions: Cedric Desruisseaux, Logan Nijhoff, Jacob Paquette, Wyatt McLeod, Emmett Serensits, Jacob Dion, and Vincent Duplessis.
Back in North America, Desruisseaux will be attending his third American Hockey League camp. He previously participated in the Rocket’s camp in 2021, in addition to receiving an invitation to the Montreal Canadiens’ camp that same year. The following season, he joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ camp.
The forward from Warwick also suited up for the Lions in 39 games during the 2021-22 season.
Nijhoff will be taking part in his second camp with the Rocket. This will mark his fifth consecutive AHL camp, after previous stops with San Diego in 2021 and 2022, Rockford in 2023, and Laval in 2024.
Nijhoff signed a new contract with the Lions at the end of the summer. He finished last season tied for first in team goals with 25, alongside Jakov Novak and Anthony Beauregard.
This will also be Paquette’s second camp with Laval. Over the course of his career, the defenseman from Ottawa has also attended Nashville Predators’ camps in 2017 and 2018, as well as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ rookie camp in 2019.
Paquette is set to begin his second full season with the Lions after finishing sixth in the ECHL last year in plus/minus with an impressive +32 rating.
For McLeod, this marks his second AHL camp. In 2024, he was invited by the Chicago Wolves, affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, before joining the Lions at the start of their training camp.
The 6-foot-3 blueliner signed a new deal with Trois-Rivières at the beginning of September.
Serensits, Dion and Duplessis will all be attending their first AHL camps. Emmett signed with the Lions at the end of last season and suited up for 10 regular-season games under head coach Ron Choules, while Dion is preparing to make his professional debut with the Lions.
Duplessis, meanwhile, spent last season with the Utah Grizzlies, affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.
The Trois-Rivières training camp will follow the Rocket’s and will get underway next Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Colisée Vidéotron.
Game Preview: Senators and Canadiens Meet In Quebec City Tuesday Night
The Ottawa Senators wrap up their back-to-back neutral-site preseason games in Quebec City on Tuesday night, taking on the Montreal Canadiens. The Sens are coming off a 2-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday and will hit the ice again at 7 p.m., with English TV coverage available (hopefully) on TSN2, RDS, and TSN5.
The Sens line combinations won't be quite like they were at the game day skate this morning. As mentioned earlier in this space, game-day skates in the preseason aren't always a predictor of how things will align for the game. According to Coming in Hot's Brent Wallace, who's in Quebec City, we'll see this instead:
Perron - Cozens - Zetterlund
Cousins - Pinto - Amadio
Lycksell - Halliday - Kaliyev
MacEwen - Jenik - Hodgson
Sanderson - Zub
Chabot - Yakemchuk
Sebrango - Spence
Merilainen
Sogaard
In one way, you could look at this as a battle for the backup goalie job. In another way – a much more accurate way – Merilainen will be Linus Ullmark's understudy this season.
The Sens' bottom six forwards are all duking it out for one or two forward jobs – always a weird vibe to be competing both with and against your linemates. Carter Yakemchuk and Donovan Sebrango are also hoping to land a spot on the NHL roster and will both be paired with experienced players.
The Sens are 2-1 in the preseason so far and still have 31 players in camp. They dressed a lot of their opening night regulars in their game on Sunday afternoon against the Devils, and in their exhibition opener versus Toronto the Sunday before.
The Habs are 3-1 with 29 guys still in camp. They held a morning skate at the CN Sports Complex before leaving for Quebec City on Tuesday. The Sens will get their first main camp look at 19-year-old Ivan Demidov, who will likely give them trouble in the Atlantic for the foreseeable future. They also get a double dip of Xhekajs, who don't mind causing trouble of a different kind.
Here’s the Canadiens projected lineup for tonight’s matchup:
Bolduc-Dach-Gallagher
Newhook-Kapanen-Demidov
Veleno-Beck-Laine
F. Xhekaj-Evans-Anderson
Matheson-Engstrom
A. Xhekaj-Hutson
Struble-Carrier
Dobes
Kahkonen
With the infusion of travelling Montreal fans, we're likely to see a bigger crowd for this one, and as Travis Green says he expects, a game that feels more like the regular season.
More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Broadcast Frustrations Resurface For Senators Fans
Ullmark Sharp In Senators Victory, Embraces The Struggle
Stephen Halliday's NHL Stock Continues to Rise
Former Senator Josh Norris Embraces New Opportunity To Prove Himself
Will This Be Shane Pinto's Breakout Year With The Senators?
Batherson Joins Ottawa Senators List Of Preseason Injury Concerns