Victor Eklund is getting a real look higher up the Islanders’ lineup.
According to Stefen Rosner, the 19-year-old forward has moved up the line charts and is now being slotted into New York’s top six. That’s a notable step for Eklund, who had already been told he could make the NHL roster this season and earned his place on the 23-man roster.
Eklund opened the Islanders’ 2026-27 season on the third line, skating 11:58 with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman, with a brief stretch alongside Simon Holmstrom as well, in a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The former 16th overall pick in 2025 posted 10 points in nine games with Bridgeport in the AHL last season after putting up 24 points in 43 SHL games for Djurgardens IF.
Andrei Kuzmenko is back with the Penguins after being away from the team on leave to deal with personal matters following the death of his father, Alexander, according to Pens Inside Scoop. The 30-year-old winger signed a one-year, $5MM deal when free agency opened on July 1st, and Pittsburgh is now the fifth team he has played for since 2023.
He previously suited up for the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings. Kuzmenko’s production has dipped sharply since his standout rookie season in Vancouver, when he scored 39 goals and finished with 74 points in 2022-23.
Last season, he managed 13 goals and 25 points on a one-year deal with the Kings.
In Buffalo, the Sabres have assigned defenseman Dennis Gilbert to Rochester. Gilbert was with the club for its game in Columbus but did not play, sitting as a healthy scratch. The Buffalo native joined the Sabres after a year hiatus in 2025-26 in Ottawa, where he appeared in three Stanley Cup playoff games for the Senators.
The Sabres are carrying six defensemen on the active roster while waiting on Olen Zellweger, who remains in concussion protocol after taking a hit from Carson Soucy in the Sept. 22 preseason game against the Blue Jackets. Zellweger was placed on injured reserve and missed the Oct. 1 opener, according to Sabres PR, but he has not been ruled out for the Oct. 3 home opener. If he’s available, it would be the first in-season look at Buffalo’s new $9.3MM blueliner.
In Other News...
Islanders Offense Already Feels The Wait For Mathew Barzal
The Islanders opened the season with a loss, and the early absence of Mathew Barzal is already hanging over the lineup. Barzal is dealing with knee inflammation, and while the team has been encouraged by his progress, the offense has not looked especially comfortable without one of its most dynamic playmakers in place.
Anthony Duclair gave the Islanders a brighter note in the opener with a promising showing, and that at least hints at another layer of scoring support once Barzal is back in the mix. For now, though, the bigger question is how long New York has to keep patching together its attack before its top creative engine can rejoin the group. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Face A Tough Darche Test Fans Can Already Feel
Mathieu Darche has made it clear he wants to chase meaningful upgrades for the Islanders, but he also has no interest in gutting the very system he is trying to build. That puts the general manager in a familiar spot for a team still trying to balance a push for help now with the need to protect its future, especially when the roster does not feature an excess of young, inexpensive NHL pieces that can headline trade talks.
So any move the Islanders make has to thread a narrow needle: aggressive enough to improve the team, but careful enough not to drain the prospect pool or future flexibility. Darches stance points to a patient approach, one that values organizational health as much as short-term impact, and it leaves the club facing a difficult market where the best targets usually come with the steepest prices. [Read more 🡒]
Casey Cizikas Suddenly Faces A Bigger Islanders Question
Casey Cizikas is headed into his 16th NHL season with the Islanders, and for a player who has spent so much of his career in one uniform, this feels like one of those years where every shift carries a little extra meaning. The veteran center still fits the identity the club has long valued, but the focus around him has shifted toward something larger than a familiar role. Coach Pete DeBoer has made it clear that the Islanders need scoring spread across all four lines, which puts added weight on the depth group Cizikas anchors.
Cizikas is skating with Ondrej Palat and Matias Maccelli right now, a combination meant to help keep the offense from leaning too heavily on the top of the lineup. Even so, his long-term status remains unsettled as he works through the final season of an expiring contract with no trade protection. For a player who has been such a steady part of the Islanders fabric, the bigger question is no longer just how he fits this season, but how much longer that fit lasts. [Read more 🡒]