It’s finally September, and for many of us in this city, that means it’s a) time to make our kids someone else’s problem for the next 10 months and b) time to really start concentrating on the upcoming hockey season that we pretended not to think about this summer.

With training camp fast approaching, here are a few things that are rolling through my head when it comes to the Ottawa Senators:

What exactly is Claude Giroux’s role on this team?

Giroux is going to be a benefit to have on your hockey team until the day he decides to retire. He helps out in so many facets of the game, and there are a lot of late-career Alfie similarities you can point to. You want him to be a part of this group.

The question is, where does he fit at this point?

I don’t know if there is any correlation between Steve Staios making this one of the most hardline contract negotiations in his short history here and how the team feels about Giroux’s place in the pecking order. Either way, there does not appear to be a specific line spot he’s slotted into.

Giroux’s versatility serves him well and if I were a betting man, I’d say having him start as a LW on a second line with Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson (who are both many things, but defensive stalwarts not one of them) makes some sense. But I could also easily be convinced they go back to the safety blanket of him with Brady and Timmy, or even in a new third line checking role. Both those options seem equally as likely as him getting his car stolen again, so it’ll be a fun story to track during camp.

What about the organizational goaltending depth?

Some will focus on Leevi Meriläinen’s promotion to full-time backup, but I’m not overly concerned with how he’ll do. There’s a level somewhere between “Anton Forsberg” and “looking like the second incarnation of Dominik Hasek for a month last season” that I’m certain he’ll fall into and Sens fans will be pretty happy with.

But what if they have to dip into the minors during the season?

Coaches and GMs are very fond of saying that you need at least 10 NHL D-men to get you through the year, but no one talks about how often you have to play goalies past your two NHL options. We are not that far removed from the 2022–23 season where the Sens had to start seven different goalies. SEVEN! That’s a little ridiculous, but it makes sense to pay attention to what the Sens have below Ullmark and Meriläinen. And when your first option is Mads Søgaard—who, I am afraid, has not progressed very far past “he’s super tall” in his 6 years in the organization—then I’m going to be focused in on the newly signed Jackson Parsons and especially Hunter Shepard. Shepard has two Calder Cups on his résumé and looks like someone you could potentially count on to play some NHL games if needed.

As always, the statement “goalies are voodoo” remains evergreen, so who knows what to expect, and everyone (including teammates and coaches) just has to deal with the fact they are flaky when it comes to on-ice performance and personality. I mean, we have Linus Ullmark saying stuff like “Marshmallows are a lot like snow if you think about it and that’s why I love this city” (not a real quote), and everyone’s reaction is basically “Ah, goalies, am I right?” which would not be the same response if that quote came out of, say, Nick Jensen’s mouth.

Ottawa Senators Sign Lars Eller, Offseason NHL Additions Are Now 'Most Likely' CompleteSenators general manager Steve Staios didn't do a lot on day one of free agency, but there was something familiar about his performance. For the second year in a row, Staios went out and acquired a free agent veteran role player, who's won a Stanley Cup.

Will the Sens grant my wish and roll out an old-man 4th line?

I don’t know if a line of Nick Cousins, Lars Eller and David Perron would be the oldest line in the league, but it’s got to be up there. It would certainly be the oldest line in recent memory for the Sens. I don’t even think this is necessarily a bad thing because age is just a number, and out of the three, the only player I’d classify as having below-average NHL speed would be Perron. And as long as you aren’t “old and slow,” you can be classified as “experienced and crafty,” which is infinitely better. The Sens may choose to mix and match with different types for their 4th line, but honestly, if the forward group is entirely healthy, I like my chances of getting this trio to start the season.

How good is Jordan Spence, really?

I do not count myself as a regular viewer of LA Kings games, but in the handful that I did watch last season, I did notice Jordan Spence and he looked pretty great. If the Sens were to slot him into the role he played with the Kings (bottom-pairing D with sheltered minutes), especially with a partner like Tyler Kleven, I am fairly confident that pair would tilt the ice significantly while they were out there. Spence is a puck-retrieval machine and a great transitional player, which would complement Kleven’s best attributes (hitting guys really hard and wiring shots through the mesh in the back of the net) in a nice way.

The question many have is, can he be more than that? What’s he look like playing tougher minutes with more responsibility? I imagine we’re going to find out this season because neither Artem Zub nor Nick Jensen have shown they can play close to a full season at anything approaching good health. I really look forward to the day where we could see a Sanderson/Spence pairing because I’m not entirely sure they have developed on-ice analytic metrics that will be able to measure how high the possession numbers would be.

I’m sure as camp arrives and the ever-exciting preseason games start, we’ll have new storylines to discuss, but for now, these are the ones I’ll be following. See, Sens Nation, I made it through an entire Sens training camp piece without mentioning Carter Yakemchuk’s name once (except for this time just now), and the world continues to spin. It can be done!

By Tyler Ray
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa

More Sens Headlines at THN:
Senators Still Own Formenton's NHL Rights – What's Next?
Our One-On-One With Drake Batherson
Senators Confirm Extension For Pinto Won't Happen Until After Season Starts
Staios: 'We're Not Dismissing That Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp'
Could Arthur Kaliyev Be The Senators' Next Adam Gaudette Story?
Ottawa Senators: Ranking The Six Best At Each Position

With the new instalment of the EA Sports NHL game coming out shortly, rankings have been released and overalls have been getting posted to social media. 

Fans are already criticizing parts of the game that have been revealed over the last month, but for most, the excitement is ramping up as the season inches even closer. 

While fans pushed back on just about every single part of the overalls that were posted, the Los Angeles Kings may have something to celebrate. 

Connor Hellebuyck is rated the best goalie in #NHL26 🧱
Should Shesterkin, Vasilevskiy or someone else be on top instead?
See more Ratings: https://t.co/1ZOOUJeVAzpic.twitter.com/D4YE8nENnp

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 27, 2025

Kings’ goaltender Darcy Kuemper was given an 87 overall, which places him 10th overall, just behind Juuse Saros and Thatcher Demko, who were given an 88 overall rating. 

Kuemper wasn’t in the top 10 last season, so for him to get that recognition is awesome, after a solid year between the pipes for the Kings. 

Early access for NHL 26 begins on September 5th, while the full release for those who didn’t purchase the early access version is September 12th.

The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Lawson Crouse 

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

#12 - Adam Kleber - Defense (Minnesota-Duluth - NCAA)

Kleber was the Sabres second-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The Chaska, MN native played his amateur hockey in Minnesota and two years in the USHL with Lincoln before being selected 42nd overall with a pick obtained from the San Jose Sharks when Buffalo traded down from 11th to 14th overall.

The 19-year-old is big (6’6”, 214 lb.), right-handed, and defensive-minded, something that will be a good fit down the road with a Sabres blueline that is predominantly left-handed and offensive-minded. The young blueliner possesses above-average skating ability and good awareness and habits in his own zone, skills that project him to be an effective penalty killer down the line. In his freshman year at Minnesota-Duluth, Kleber had just five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in 33 games, but was part of Team USA’s gold medal-winning squad at the WJC in Ottawa. He was part of Team USA’s squad at the World Junior Summer Showcase last month and it is expected that he will be part of the club in Minneapolis, MN, this December.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Is it October yet? 

Unfortunately, no, but we're here to help pass the time. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 4, The Hockey News Nashville Predators will be counting down 24 players in 24 days, profiling every current or potentially rostered player. 

Today's player profile is forward Ryan O'Reilly. 

24 Nashville Predators in 24 days series 

Adam Wilsby

Jordan Oesterle

Andreas Engulund

Cole Smith

Michael McCarron

Justin Barron

Zachary L’Heureux

Matthew Wood

Nick Blankenburg

Brady Martin

Michael Bunting

Justus Annunen

Nick Perbix

Luke Evangelista

Nic Hague

Erik Haula

Fedor Svechkov

Brady Skjei

Jonathan Marchessault

Steven Stamkos

As an NHL prospect

O'Reilly spent his two seasons of junior hockey with the Erie Otters in the OHL. In his first season, he scored 52 points in 50 games and logged 42 penalty minutes.

During the 2008-09 season, his draft year, O'Reilly scored 66 points in 66 games and five points in five playoff games. That same season, he was selected to play in the CHL's Top Prospects Game. 

O'Reilly was selected 33rd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2009 NHL Draft. 

Professional career 

O'Reilly wasted no time making the jump to the NHL, playing 81 games with the Avalanche in his first season, scoring 26 points. O'Reilly matched that total during the 2010-11 season. 

He took a jump during his third NHL season, scoring 55 points in 81 games and logging just 12 penalty minutes. During the 2012-13 NHL lockout, O'Reilly played 12 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, scoring 10 points.

O'Reilly returned to the Avalanche when the lockout ended, scoring 20 points in 29 games, which was an abbreviated season. He'd spend two more seasons in Colorado, scoring 119 points in 163 games over that stretch.

During the 2013-14 season, O'Reilly had 64 points in 80 games and just two penalty minutes, winning the Lady Bing Memorial Trophy. 

In the 2015 offseason, O'Reilly was traded to the Buffalo Sabres and spent three seasons there. He played 224 games with the Sabres, scoring 176 points. He continued the trend of playing a clean game as well, logging no more than 10 penalty minutes in those three seasons. 

During the 2015-16 season, he scored 60 points in 71 games, earning an NHL All-Star Game bid. Ahead of the 2016-17 season, O'Reilly played for Canada in the World Cup of Hockey, playing in six games and winning a gold medal.

O'Reilly has won five gold medals with Canada, including two at the IIHF World Championship. 

In the 2018 offseason, O'Reilly was traded to the St. Louis Blues. During the regular season, O'Reilly had a career-high 77 points in 82 games, helping the Blues clinch the third seed in the Central Division. O'Reilly also played in his second career NHL All-Star Game. 

The Blues went on a run during the playoffs, eventually defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games to win the Stanley Cup. O'Reilly had 23 points in 26 games, winning the Conn Smyth Trophy. He also won the Selke Trophy that season. 

He added another All-Star Game bid in the 2019-20 season, scoring 61 points in 71 games. 

O'Reilly spent two and a half more seasons with the Blues, scoring 131 points in 174 games and logging 40 penalty minutes. 

At the 2023 trade deadline, O'Reilly was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He'd play 13 games with the Maple Leafs, scoring 11 points. In the playoffs, he helped the Maple Leafs to their first playoff series victory in 19 years, scoring nine points in 11 games. 

As a free agent in the 2023 offseason, O'Reilly signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Predators. That first season, O'Reilly scored 69 points in 82 games and logged 18 penalty minutes. 

This past season, O'Reilly had 53 points in 79 games and logged 24 penalty minutes, which was the highest PIM total in his professional career. 

He is currently entering the third year of his four-year contract. 

What role will he play this season? 

Last season, O'Reilly was one of the things that went right for the Predators. 

He brought up the second line and provided depth beyond the first line. Looking at how well he played last season, he could possibly move up to the first line in place of Steven Stamkos, who could make a move over to the wing. 

O'Reilly is the type of player the Predators need and should strive to emulate. He is a center that can score and isn't racking up the penalty minutes. He is big, productive and playing the game the right way.

He has developed chemistry with this team, which could be useful down the road if the Predators need to move him elsewhere in the lineup or want to mix up line combinations. 

O'Reilly is also a veteran who still has several good years left in him. His numbers declined slightly during the 2022-23 season, but he has remained consistent as a player who can produce at least 50 to 60 points per season.  

Needing depth down the middle, O'Reilly is going to lead that charge and is going to play a critical role in the offense this season. 

Back in 2012, the Montreal Canadiens had the third-overall pick at the draft. When the opportunity to draft center Alex Galchenyuk came around, the organization didn’t hesitate to pounce even though the 6-foot-1 American had missed a lot of games because of a knee injury. The Habs had big hopes for the centerman, and for a while, it seemed like the selection would pay off.

Over the course of his first four seasons, Galchenyuk steadily improved, putting up 56 points in 82 games in his fourth campaign. However, the following year, his production declined. In his last three seasons with the Canadiens, he never got more than 51 points.

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According to Pat Hickey, who covered the Canadiens for decades, Galchenyuk’s most significant problem in Montreal was his father, as he would discuss with his son after every game, analysing the stats and telling him that the coaching staff wasn’t using him enough.

Eventually, the Canadiens had enough and traded him to the Arizona Coyotes for Max Domi. He would only remain in Arizona for one season and then had stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Minnesota Wild, the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Coyotes (once more), and the Colorado Avalanche.

After he crashed his car into a sign in Scottsdale, Arizona, the forward threatened the police officers who arrived on the scene, and the incident led to the Coyotes terminating his contract. After that, he signed a league-minimum two-way deal with the Avalanche but spent most of his season in the AHL in 2022-23 before deciding to head to the KHL, where he has spent the last two seasons.

Last year, in his first campaign with Khabarovsk Amur, he put up 38 points in 59 games. The team struggled and even suffered five straight shutout losses, with a combined score of 0-21, which led to their coach, Andrei Martemyanov, being fired. However, his replacement, Viktor Kostyuchenok, couldn’t right the ship, and the organization appointed a new coach this summer: Alexander Galchenyuk Sr.

The new coach wasted no time in making his son the team’s captain. It will be interesting to see if the Galchenyuk pair can lead Amur to a better finish than last year, when they were second to last in the Eastern Conference.

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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Nov 29, 2019; Raleigh, NC, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) makes a glove save against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena.

The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: over 2,000 issues of history, stories, and features.

Subscribe now to view issue Archives here.

(Note: Due to the digital quality of some older issues, articles may contain errors).

Jan 7, 2019/vol. 72, issue 07

RAPID FIRE

WITH NASHVILLE PREDATORS GOALIE PEKKA RINNE

Who was your mentor growing up?

It was two guys. When I was really young, the reason I started being a goalie was my cousin Jari. He’s seven years older than me, and he was a goalie, and I always looked up to him. When I got a bit older, my goalie coach back home Ari (Hilli) was a big mentor for me.

What was the best advice you received as a young player?

Just have fun. Work hard, have fun and try to get better every day.

Who did you model your game after?

There were always Finnish goalies I looked up to, but you wouldn’t necessarily know them. Then when I got a little older and started following the NHL, obviously the best goalies. Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, Ed Belfour, all those guys. I had all the posters and stuff like that.

Favorite team growing up?

My local hometown team Oulu, they have a pro hockey team, so that was my favorite team.

Why do you wear No. 35?

Actually, prior to coming over, I wore No. 33, and then after I came over for the first training camp, (the Predators) just gave me No. 35, and I loved it right away. I was too shy to ask for anything else. To be honest with you, I love the number. After having it for so long, I couldn’t picture myself wearing anything else.

What was your ‘Welcome to the NHL’ moment?

I was fortunate to play my first NHL game in my first year in North America. I was in the AHL with Milwaukee and got called up in December 2005. I played against Chicago, and they scored on their first shot on a penalty kill. I remember that like it was yesterday. It was Mark Bell who scored. First shot of the game, and right away it was in, and I was really nervous. We ended up winning 5-3, and I ended up playing well. I was over the moon after the game. It was a pretty cool moment.

What was your first major purchase after signing your first NHL contract?

I think a car. Audi S5.

What was your most memorable save?

It was in the 2011 playoffs against Vancouver. At the time it felt big, because we had never really made it past the first round. It was OT, Kevin Bieksa had an empty net, and I was able to get it with my stick. I remember that. At the time it felt big because it helped us get to the next game. We ended up losing to Vancouver in six games, but I still remember that at the time it felt big.

Is there a part of your game you’d still like to improve?

Yeah, a lot. You can always improve how efficient you are in net. Being agile and athletic but still saving your energy and (making) it look like it’s easy.