Welcome back everyone to Season 8 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk!
We are back for a jam-packed Episode 2 show coming up tonight with Evan Renaerts with a lot to get through as the NHL season gets closer. With rosters taking shape and plenty of questions still to be answered around the league, there are several key narratives already emerging ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. From camp battles and player storylines to team expectations and league-wide developments, we’ve got a lot to break down. So let’s jump right into some of the biggest stories we’re tracking as we get set for the new NHL season:
- Cutter Gauthier Signs a Six-Year Extension With Anaheim – The Anaheim Ducks have taken care of one of their biggest offseason priorities, signing Cutter Gauthier to a six-year extension after his breakout 2025-26 season. Gauthier led Anaheim with 41 goals and 69 points in 76 games, becoming just the fourth player in Ducks history to reach the 40-goal mark. This is a major commitment from Anaheim to one of the key pieces of its young core, and now the expectation will be for Gauthier to continue building on that breakout season and establish himself as one of the team’s long-term offensive leaders and the team tries to move repeat their success from last year.
- Drake Batherson Cashes In with Ottawa – The Senators made a massive commitment to one of their homegrown stars, signing Drake Batherson to an eight-year, $86 million extension carrying a $10.75 million AAV. The deal will make him the highest-paid player in franchise history and keeps him under contract through the 2034-35 season. Batherson is coming off a career year with 33 goals and 71 points, and Ottawa clearly believes he’s a pillar of their core moving forward. One interesting angle is that the contract was completed just before the NHL’s new CBA rules eliminated eight-year extensions, making the timing nearly as significant as the deal itself. He has also been in the conversation for becoming the next captain of the team, after Tkachuk’s departure.
- Cale Makar Dealing With a Lower-Body Injury Heading Into Camp – The Colorado Avalanche are keeping a close eye on Cale Makar after the star defenseman developed a lower-body injury during his offseason training. The Avalanche have indicated that the injury is not related to the issue Makar dealt with during last season’s playoffs, and while he has been skating, he could miss the opening of training camp as the team takes a cautious approach. With Makar being such a massive part of Colorado’s defense, power play and transition game, this is certainly something to monitor as the Avalanche get ready for the 2026-27 season.
- Ryan Leonard Gets the Big Eight-Year Deal From Washington – The Washington Capitals have locked up one of their top young players, signing Ryan Leonard to an eight-year, $84 million extension worth $10.5 million annually. Leonard had a strong rookie season, recording 20 goals and 45 points in 75 games, and Washington is clearly betting on him becoming a much bigger offensive contributor as he continues to develop. The timing is also significant because this is one of the final opportunities for teams to give players eight-year extensions before the new CBA reduces the maximum extension length to seven years. Now the pressure shifts to Leonard to show that he can grow into the long-term role and expectations that come with this contract.
- Capitals Lock Up Justin Sourdif – The Washington Capitals have signed Justin Sourdif to an eight-year contract extension worth $50.8 million ($6.35 million AAV), keeping the 24-year-old forward in Washington through the 2034-35 season. Sourdif is coming off a breakout 2025-26 campaign in which he recorded 24 goals and 52 points in 80 games, establishing himself as an important part of the Capitals’ young core. With Washington already committing long-term to several emerging players, this deal signals the organization believes Sourdif’s best hockey is still ahead of him. For the Capitals, it’s another move aimed at building a sustainable contender as the franchise continues its transition into the post-Ovechkin era.
- Red Wings Have an Interim GM – The Detroit Red Wings have moved Shawn Horcoff into the interim general manager role following Steve Yzerman’s departure from the organization. Horcoff now takes over an important position with training camp right around the corner, but the bigger question is how long this interim arrangement will last and whether Detroit will eventually conduct a search for a permanent GM. With the season approaching quickly, it will be interesting to see how the front-office uncertainty impacts the team as the Red Wings look to take another step forward.
- Connor Bedard Is Officially Chicago’s Captain – The Chicago Blackhawks have officially named Connor Bedard their new captain, giving the 20-year-old star an even bigger role as the franchise continues its rebuild. Bedard becomes the second-youngest captain in Blackhawks history, and this marks another significant step in his development and his importance to the organization. Chicago is clearly looking to Bedard as a central figure in its future, and now we’ll get to see how he handles the added responsibility of wearing the captain’s C as the Blackhawks enter the 2026-27 season.
- Jordan Staal Staying in Carolina – The Carolina Hurricanes are keeping one of their most important leaders in the fold, as captain Jordan Staal has signed a one-year contract extension worth up to $10 million that will keep him with the organization through the 2027-28 season. Fresh off Carolina’s long-awaited Stanley Cup championship, Staal made it clear that he isn’t ready to step away from the game and still believes he has more to contribute. While his offensive numbers may not be what they were earlier in his career, Staal remains one of the NHL’s premier defensive forwards and a key part of the Hurricanes’ identity. His return provides valuable leadership, experience, and stability as Carolina begins its quest to defend the Stanley Cup.
- PWHL Set for a Landmark 2026-27 Season – The Professional Women’s Hockey League is preparing for what could be its most significant season yet. The league has officially announced that training camps will open on November 18, marking the beginning of another important year of growth for women’s professional hockey. The 2026-27 campaign will also usher in the PWHL’s new national U.S. broadcast partnership with Scripps Sports, a major step toward increasing the league’s visibility and expanding its audience. Meanwhile, expansion franchise San Jose continues building its foundation after signing fourth-overall draft pick Laila Edwards to a three-year contract.
- The KHL Season Is Already Underway – While NHL teams are still preparing for training camp, the KHL has already begun its regular season, and several clubs have made strong early impressions. One of today’s headline matchups features the first Green Derby of the season between Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars, one of the league’s most prominent rivalries. Elsewhere, Metallurg and Spartak enter their matchup with strong early records as both teams look to establish themselves among the league’s top contenders. On top of that Daniil Isayev has had a hot start, as the 26-year-old netminder opened the year with victories in each of his first four starts, earning the league’s first Goalie of the Week honors posting an impressive .954 save percentage and 1.24 goals-against average. If he can sustain that level of play, Isayev could emerge as a leading candidate for the KHL’s top goaltending honors and become one of the season’s most compelling storylines.
- Maple Leafs Dealing with Several Injury Concerns – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced a handful of notable injury updates ahead of training camp. The biggest news involves Max Domi, who failed his physical and will be out indefinitely after undergoing a procedure to address an injury that affected him throughout last season. The team has not disclosed the nature of the injury, while on the blue line, Morgan Rielly is dealing with a viral condition that will result in a slower start to camp, although the Leafs expect him to be ready for opening night. Meanwhile, veteran defender Chris Tanev has been cleared to participate when camp opens after missing much of last season following core muscle surgery.
- The New Jersey Devils Add Bryan McCabe and Jessica Campbell to Development Staff – It was announced today that former NHL defenceman Bryan McCabe and former Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell have joined the organization’s player development department with the New Jersey Devils. McCabe will serve as Vice President of Prospect Personnel and Assistant GM of the AHL’s Utica Comets, while Campbell takes over as Manager of Player Development. McCabe brings extensive front-office experience after spending the past 14 seasons with the Florida Panthers organization, where he helped build a team that reached three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals and won back-to-back championships while Campbell finds a new home to bring her own insight for the game, and being widely regarded as one of hockey’s rising development minds. We wish them all the best.
- Devils Lock Up Luke Evangelista – Speaking of the Devils, they also extended Luke Evangelista, signing the 24-year-old forward to a five-year, $36.25 million extension carrying a $7.25 million AAV. The deal comes just two weeks after New Jersey acquired him from the Nashville Predators and keeps him under contract through the 2031-32 season. Evangelista is coming off the best season of his career, posting 12 goals and 56 points in 81 games, including a career-high 44 assists. Since making his NHL debut in 2023, he has recorded 142 points in 253 NHL games and has developed into a reliable top-six forward.For the Devils, this move is a clear sign they view Evangelista as a key piece of their core alongside players like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier as they continue building toward Stanley Cup contention.
- Canadiens Take Care of Two Key Pieces – Finally, the Montreal Canadiens checked off two important offseason items by signing Alex Newhook to a four-year, $22.2 million extension ($5.55 million AAV) and Arber Xhekaj to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Newhook, 25, was limited to 42 games last season due to a fractured ankle but still produced 13 goals and 25 points. He elevated his game in the playoffs, recording 7 goals and 10 points in 19 games, including the game-winning goals in both of Montreal’s Game 7 victories. Meanwhile, Xhekaj returns after appearing in 65 games, posting 148 hits and 116 penalty minutes, both team highs among Canadiens skaters. The physical 25-year-old also contributed 2 points in 13 playoff games during Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Final. For the Canadiens, these deals continue the process of locking in key contributors as the club looks to build on last season’s breakthrough campaign and establish itself as a long-term contender.
Agree? Disagree? Let’s talk Hockey!
Tune in every Wednesday at 7 PM MST for Season 8 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk, where we break down the latest news and biggest stories in hockey, interview people from around the game, and bring you plenty of opinions, discussion and more.
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- Pawel ‘The Cat’
