While most of you are enjoying your summer off, hopefully in the sand by the water, the NHL world continues to turn. Although it feels the news might be trickling in, it is news nonetheless. So let’s talk about it.

The NHL announced that the opening night of the 2025-2026 season will be on Tuesday, October 7.

After starting the 2024-2025 season with a two-game series between the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres in Prague, Czech Republic, the league will showcase a tripleheader on opening night.

Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks will travel to the down south to face off against the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, at 2 PM PST. Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins take on former-Canuck JT Miller and the New York Rangers at 5 PM PST. Then, to round out the night, Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche battle Drew Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings at 8 PM PST.

The full NHL schedule is set to release on Wednesday, July 16, where Canucks fans will find out when they’ll finally get to watch Vancouver again.

After back-to-back defeats in the Stanley Cup finals to the Panthers, the Edmonton Oilers have made some changes to Kris Knoblauch’s staff behind the bench.

Edmonton announced on Monday morning that they’ve hired Paul McFarland as their next assistant coach, Peter Aubry as the new goaltending coach, and Conor Allen as their new skills coach.

McFarland started his coaching career in 2012, serving as the assistant coach of the Oshawa Generals. He then earned his first shot as a bench boss with the Kitchener Rangers in 2014, serving there until he was recognized at the NHL level, joining the Florida Panthers as their assistant coach in 2017. McFarland had another stint as an assistant of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2019-2020 season, and then spent three years (2021-2024) coaching under Dave Hakstol with the Seattle Kraken.

Last season, McFarland coached Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio and the Calgary Hitmen. The Hitmen held a 45-17-6 record under McFarland, finishing just two points shy of the Medicine Hat Tigers for the Division title. However, the Hitmen would fall short in Game 7 of the second round against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Aubry spent nine seasons (2015-2024) with the Chicago Blackhawks organization as a developmental goaltending coach, as well as their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. He spent last season as the associate coach of Nebraska-Omaha of the NCAA.

Allen was in a developmental role with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL in previous years, and spent time with the USA Hockey’s national under-17 team this past season.

The Sharks signed Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3 million contract.

Skinner, 33, signed with the Oilers last season under the same contract, and it wasn’t the perfect match. The winger struggled to produce in a lower role, scoring 16 goals and 29 points in 72 regular season games. In the postseason, Skinner often found himself in the press box, suiting up for just five games during the Oilers’ 24-game playoff run.

San Jose stayed busy, acquiring enforcer Ryan Reaves from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenceman Henry Thrun.

Reaves, 38, got fazed out of Toronto. He played just 35 games in 2024-2025, tallying just two assists and 28 penalty minutes. At his $1.35 million cap hit, the Maple Leafs had been looking to part ways with his contract for some time.

Thrun, 24, is another player who found himself on the outside looking in with his former organization. After the Sharks added Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg and Nick Leddy, the 6’2″ left-shot defenceman lost his spot in the lineup. In 60 games last season, Thrun scored two goals and 12 points, but had a disappointing minus-23 rating.

The Avalanche extended defenceman Josh Manson to a two-year, $3.95 million contract.

Manson, 33, was acquired by the Avalanche at the NHL Trade Deadline in 2022 from the Anaheim Ducks. The defensive defenceman may have been the missing piece for Colorado, as they went on to win the Stanley Cup that same season. In 2024-2025, Manson struggled to stay healthy, appearing in just 48 games for the Avalanche, tallying one goal and 15 points with a minus-6 rating.