There’s no shortage of NHL chatter on Sept. 9, 2026, but the three teams drawing the most attention right now are Montreal, Edmonton and Ottawa. The Canadiens are being tied to Kirill Marchenko, the Oilers are hearing early praise for Mike Babcock, and the Senators may have a real opening to pounce on Chris Kreider after a sudden free-agent twist.
The Marchenko talk in Montreal sounds cleaner on the surface than it may actually be in practice. Pierre McGuire doesn’t believe the Canadiens are as well-positioned for that kind of move as many assume, largely because Columbus GM Don Waddell doesn’t sound interested in a package built around picks and prospects.
Waddell wants a player who can step right into the lineup and help replace Marchenko’s offense, and McGuire’s view is that Montreal may not have the kind of piece that would satisfy that ask. Kent Hughes wants to improve his team, not strip it down to make another deal work, and that creates a real obstacle.
Waddell has also made it clear he isn’t eager to move Marchenko just for the sake of it. He described him as a productive player on a strong cap hit and said Columbus can’t simply take him out of the lineup without replacing what he brings.
The Blue Jackets are taking calls, and the Islanders are reportedly in the mix too, but nothing appears close. Montreal may be in the conversation, but the path to an actual trade looks a lot trickier than the rumor mill suggests.
In Edmonton, the early feedback around Babcock is landing well. Draisaitl said the communication has been direct and easy to understand, which is exactly what the leadership group wanted when it pushed for a more straightforward coach. He went as far as calling Babcock a “real man” on the matter, saying the players in the room appreciate someone who tells them face to face what the team needs instead of beating around the bush.
That praise comes with the obvious caveat that it’s still very early. Babcock hasn’t even been on the ice with the group yet, and rookie camp starts without him as well.
Even so, the tone around the message has been positive so far. The real test, of course, comes once the season starts and the pressure ramps up.
Ottawa may have the most surprising opportunity of the bunch. Chris Kreider suddenly hit free agency after Anaheim placed him on unconditional waivers to clear cap room for a Cutter Gauthier extension.
That opens a door for the Senators, who actually have enough space to make a move. By sending a few depth players to the AHL, Ottawa could reach roughly $7.2 million in cap room, which would be more than enough for a winger who scored 22 goals and 50 points last season and is reportedly open to a discount in the $4-5 million range.
On the ice, the fit looks pretty natural. Kreider is a 6-foot-3 power forward, a big and physical presence that lines up with the kind of roster Travis Green wants to build.
He could slide onto a second line alongside Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux, while Ridly Greig would move into a more natural third-line role. The one lingering question is whether Kreider, who wanted to be closer to family in the East, would want to come to Canada.
If he’s open to it, Ottawa looks like one of the most logical landing spots available.
In Other News...
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Cover is only part of a broader stretch that has added a little extra buzz around the Senators prospect pipeline. Ottawa also signed forward Bakke Olsen to a one-year entry-level contract, and the club brought in Halttunen from the San Jose Sharks in a trade, leaving the next round of games with a bit more meaning than your usual early-season exhibition look. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes camp so interesting is that Ottawa still has not named a new captain, which turns an ordinary early-season formality into one of the teams biggest storylines. The Senators have several natural directions they could go as they sort through their leadership structure, and the choice will say a lot about how the organization wants to define itself in the post-Tkachuk era. For a team trying to move forward without losing its edge, that decision carries more weight than a title alone. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Top-Six Search Now Comes Down To One Veterans Decision
The Senators search for a top-six winger has been circling the veteran market for some time, and Chris Kreider has suddenly become a name worth watching. The winger was placed on unconditional waivers for contract termination after the Ducks moved on from him for salary-cap reasons, opening the door to a new chapter for a player who can still help a contender add some finishing touch in the top half of its forward group.
Ottawa has been linked to interest in Kreider as it tries to shore up its scoring depth, but the fit is not entirely in the clubs hands. Even with a clear opening on the Senators roster, the bigger question is whether Kreider would want to land there, which leaves this as one of those July storylines where the teams need is obvious and the answer may still be out of reach. [Read more 🡒]