Welcome to the NHL On Tap. Three NHL.com writers will share what they are most looking forward to on the schedule each day. Today, their choices from the seven games Thursday.
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Red Wings, Devils open in front of national audience
For the first time in a long time, the New Jersey Devils are starting a season with outside expectations to match internal expectations. New Jersey is a top team in the NHL after setting team records for wins (52) and points (112) last season before reaching the Eastern Conference Second Round. Jack Hughes is a Hart Trophy candidate after the center had 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists). His brother, rookie defenseman Luke Hughes, is a Calder Trophy candidate, so it's not surprising that the national spotlight is finding the Devils early this season. Their opener against the Detroit Red Wings at Prudential Center (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, TVAS) is the national game of the night. The Red Wings also are entering this season with soaring expectations and hoping for a playoff push. They added veteran leaders to guide their young core that now features forward Alex DeBrincat, who has a shot to be Detroit's first 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa in 2008-09. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Golden Knights take championship show on the road against Sharks
The Vegas Golden Knights, fresh off an emotional 4-1 win against the Seattle Kraken in their season opener Tuesday, hit the road for the first time as Stanley Cup champions when they play the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in San Jose (10:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSCA, SN1, TVAS). The Golden Knights showed the depth that brought them their first championship on opening night, receiving goals from four forwards (Chandler Stephenson, Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, Jonathan Marchessault) and points from seven players (the goal scorers plus Mark Stone, Brett Howden and Brayden McNabb). Stone, the Vegas captain, has 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in his past 23 games, dating to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks will play their first game without defenseman Erik Karlsson, who was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in an offseason trade also involving the Montreal Canadiens. Mario Ferraro, 25, is expected to be the new No. 1 defenseman. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial
Expectations high for Sabres, Rangers
The Buffalo Sabres aspire to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and the New York Rangers have their sights set on winning the Stanley Cup for first time since 1994 heading into their season opener against each other at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, MSG, SN1). Buffalo's late surge to qualify for the playoffs fell short last season, when they were 42-33-7 and one point behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference. But their 91 points were 16 more than they had in 2021-22 and they appear poised to take the next step this season with rookie Devon Levi as their No. 1 goalie and forward Tage Thompson looking to build on NHL career-highs of 47 goals, 47 assists and 94 points. The Rangers' seven-game loss to the rival Devils in the first round was a step back after they reached the Eastern Conference Final the previous season. But with Peter Laviolette taking over as coach from Gerard Gallant, the addition of veteran forward Blake Wheeler and the maturation of young forwards Alexis Lafreniere, 22; Kaapo Kakko, 22; and Filip Chytil, 24, they are in a win-now mode. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer
Thursday games
New York Rangers at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, MSG, SN1)
The Rangers are the sixth NHL team Laviolette has coached and the team he played 12 NHL games with as a defenseman in 1988-89. He is eighth in NHL history with 752 wins, 30 behind Al Arbour for seventh. Levi was 5-2-0 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in seven games for Buffalo at the end of last season after completing his sophomore year at Northeastern University. He'll go head-to-head against Igor Shesterkin, whose .924 save percentage since he entered the NHL in 2019-20 is tied with Ilya Sorokin and Linus Ullmark for first among goalies to play at least 100 games.
Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, NBCSP)
Adam Fantilli celebrates his 19th birthday by making his NHL debut for the Blue Jackets. The forward, selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, had 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 36 games as a freshman at the University of Michigan last season. Pascal Vincent will debut as an NHL coach with Columbus. The Flyers welcome two players back into their lineup after long absences. Sean Couturier will play an NHL regular-season game for the first time in 22 months after two back surgeries and Cam Atkinson missed last season after having neck surgery. Philadelphia has an eight-game point streak (6-0-2) in season openers.
Detroit Red Wings at New Jersey Devils (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, TVAS)
Coach Lindy Ruff signed a multiyear contract with the Devils on Wednesday. Jack Hughes is looking to become the first Devils player with consecutive 40-goal seasons since John MacLean from 1988-91. DeBrincat, from Farmington Hills, Michigan, isn't the only home-state product expected to debut for the Red Wings. Defenseman Jeff Petry (Ann Arbor) was acquired in a trade with the Canadiens on Aug. 15. His father, Dan, played 11 of his 13 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers.
St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; BSMW, BSSW)
The Stars have legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations after making it to the Western Conference Final last season. They are led by forward Jason Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Robertson, 24, had 109 points (46 goals, 63 assists) in 82 games last season. Heiskanen, 24, had an NHL career-high 73 points (11 goals, 62 assists) in 79 games, tied for fifth at his position. Jordan Kyrou led the Blues with 73 points (37 goals, 36 assists) in 79 games. The 25-year-old forward is hoping for a third straight season of at least 70 points.
Florida Panthers at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; BSWI, BSN, BSFL)
The Panthers are coming off a magical postseason run, when they parlayed a No. 8 berth into the Stanley Cup Final, a five-game loss to the Golden Knights. They were led by Matthew Tkachuk's 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists) in 79 games. He is looking to become the first United States-born player since Jeremy Roenick to have three consecutive seasons of at least 100 points. Kirill Kaprizov, named alternate captain earlier this week, led the Wild in scoring with 75 points (40 goals, 35 assists) in 67 games.
Seattle Kraken at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSSO)
Each team is looking for its first win after losing season-opening games Tuesday. Nashville forward Filip Forsberg had two assists in a 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and has a Predators-record 13 points in season-opening games. Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane) is the first Washington-born player to skate for the Kraken. The forward played 14:32 in the loss to the Golden Knights.
Vegas Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSCA, SN1, TVAS)
Goalie Logan Thompson will start for the Golden Knights for the first time since March 23, when he left a 3-2 win against the Calgary Flames in the third period because of a lower-body injury, and the second time since Feb. 9. He was a Pacific Division all-star last season and his .915 save percentage tied for 11th among goalies who played at least 30 games. Kaapo Kahkonen starts for the Sharks after his 1.00 GAA was fourth among goalies in the preseason who played at least 100 minutes.
