Around the Hockey World — Saturday, September 12

10 items · updated 12:25 AM

News

• Six Young NHL Stars Entering The Final Year Of Their Contracts Without An Extension — The Hockey News12:25 AM
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  While there are still several unsigned RFAs around the NHL who still don't have contracts for the season that starts in a few weeks, many more are on expiring deals that could cost their employers a lot of money.

• Canadiens make easy bet on Kreider’s experience, offensive upside — Sportsnet12:21 AM
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  MONTREAL — A $2.15-million, one-year contract for a six-foot-three, 232-pound, 35-year-old winger who has over 1000 games of NHL experience and is still producing at a reasonable rate is hardly a gamble. You could even say the Montreal Canadiens stole Chris Kreider after the remainder of the player’s six-year, $45.5-million contract with the Anaheim Ducks was ripped up on Thursday.

• Former Avalanche Defenseman Lands PTO With Toronto Maple Leafs — Colorado Hockey Now11:03 PM
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  The Toronto Maple Leafs are inviting Nick Blankenburg to training camp on a professional tryout. The former Colorado Avalanche defenseman …

• Report: Leafs sign Nick Blankenburg to PTO — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)11:03 PM
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  According to a report from the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont , the Leafs have signed defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a professional tryout contract. Blankenburg was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of his two-year contract with a $775,000 cap hit, one he signed with the Nashville Predators in free agency in 2024. While there was some expectation Blankenburg would secure a larger

• NHL Rumor Mill – September 12, 2026 — Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey1:17 PM
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  Check out the latest on Connor Hellebuyck , Chris Kreider , and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill. SPORTSNET: During Thursday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said he believes the Buffalo Sabres remain interested in Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck . He also felt the Utah Mammoth and Carolina Hurricanes were “still around it.”

• On Mike Babcock's Edmonton Oilers, you best man up — the Edmonton Journal1:17 PM
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  I’ve often heard that hockey is a man’s game. Well, on Mike Babcock’s Edmonton Oilers , that’s going to be a fact of life. And if a player wants to succeed under Babcock, he’d better man up.

• Golden Knights sign Mark Stone to two-year extension — Sportsnet1:17 PM
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  LAS VEGAS — Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone signed a two-year contract extension Saturday with a $9 million annual value that goes through the 2028-29 season. He will make $9.5 million this season in the final year of his current deal.

Columns

• 2026-27 Fantasy Hockey Rankings: Top 250 Consensus — Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli)4:04 PM
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  Our team of fantasy hockey analysts has each compiled their own rankings for the 2026-27 NHL season. You can find each individual list below, along with a consensus Top 250 built from all four. Each analyst’s rankings are based on similar scoring settings, primarily using G, A, PPP, SOG, HITS, and BLK for skaters, while …

• Grading The First NHL Off-Season For Each New GM — The Hockey News1:17 PM
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  Who did the most admirable job of all the new GMs in the NHL? Grading each of their first off-seasons with their teams is subjective, given that only Buffalo has played games under the new regime.

• NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 12, 2026 — Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey9:02 AM
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  Dylan Larkin will report to the Red Wings’ training camp, John Klingberg and Connor Ingram announce their retirements, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines. MLIVE.COM : Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings released statements that he would report to training camp but is no longer the team’s captain.