Detroit ultimately capitalized on a late mistake when Morgan Rielly iced the puck with 45 seconds remaining. Off the ensuing faceoff, the Red Wings’ Mason Appleton scored the game-winner, sealing a 3–2 victory and spoiling Easton Cowan’s debut.

The recent signings of Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel and Kyle Connor thinned out the top talent in next summer's NHL free-agent market.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.

The NHL suspended a player for the first time this season on Friday, handing him a one-game ban for cross-checking an opponent.

Justin Brazeau scored the go-ahead goal with 5:39 remaining in the third period, helping the host Pittsburgh Penguins spoil the debut of top overall draft pick Matthew Schaefer with a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.

Marco Sturm’s start to life as an NHL coach may not have gotten off to the most ideal start, but the Boston Bruins still won 3-1 against the Washington Capitals in their season-opener. The Bruins were under stern pressure from the Capitals throughout as Jeremy Swayman produced 35 saves to hold down the win.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky has reached agreement on a multi-year contract extension to remain as an NHL analyst with Turner Sports.

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena on Monday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. ET. The matchup airs on ESPN+. Toronto fell in a 6-3 loss on the road its last time out on Oct. 11 against the Detroit Red Wings.

EA Sports has conducted a full season sim for the 2025-2026 NHL Season using NHL 26, and it seems the Vegas Golden Knights will be hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.