Certainly, I never thought I’d be writing about a wild bear charging at a player and a mascot while covering hockey in the NHL. Yet, here we are. This didn’t happen in New Jersey with the Devils, but it did happen to a Seattle Kraken player and their mascot. More on that in the links below.
Elsewhere, TSN ranked goaltenders. I think the Devils deserve more credit than they got, but it’s not bad, either. Plus, one Devils prospect makes a World Junior projection.
Plus, the NHL 26 cover revealed, an ex-first round pick returns to the NHL, and a look at a scout discovering a Hall-of-Famer.
Let’s do that hockey.
Devils Trade Rumors & News
The Athletic ($): Scott Wheeler projected the 2026 World Junior rosters for Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, & Czechia. Only one Devils prospect made one of the five roster projections, and it’s probably not one you would have guessed.
TSN: It seems as though most would tell you the Devils have one of, if not, the best goaltending tandems in the NHL. However, up north, Travis Yost explains why he placed them a notch below the top tier.
If you ask me, I think it’s a bit of a skewed assessment. Before Jacob Markstrom became injured, he was performing at a Vezina-like level. Had he been never injured, I think he would have been a top-3 finalist. And no one can overlook what Jake Allen did for the Devils in his absence. That’s probably why Allen received the five-year extension this summer. Perhaps, this was a bit of a snub.
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NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
Sportsnaut: Well, this is a real thing that happened. While filming content in the wild, Seattle Kraken forward, John Hayden, and mascot Buoy, narrowly escaped a charging grizzly bear. In fact, the team even got it on video.
Florida Hockey Now: Whether you like it or not–EA Sports put the heartbeat of the Florida Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk, on the cover of NHL 26. FYI, I like it.
Detroit Hockey Now: Ever wondered what it’s like to discover a future Hall of Famer? Detroit Hockey Now puts you in the shoes of a scout who has been there with the Detroit Red Wings, as he & Nicklas Lidstrom speaks.
Forever Blueshirts: Vitali Kravstov, a former first-round pick by the New York Rangers, is returning to the KHL. He was formerly traded from the Rangers, to the Vancouver Canucks, before leaving for the KHL. Now, he’s back in Vancouver after a breakout season in Russia.
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