Around the NHL: first goals, new records, and Carey Price’s future

Recent Signings

• Eric Staal has signed with the Florida Panthers for one year at $750,000. He attended training camp with the Panthers but did not sign a deal right out of training camp. Florida is heavily into LTIR now with Anthony Duclair and Aaron Ekblad out – signing Staal with the relief money seemed like a natural fit. He has reunited to play with brother Marc Staal for the second time in their careers after a brief stint together with the New York Rangers in 2016.

 NHL Firsts

• A new batch of NHL players is always some of the best part of early season hockey. Two weeks have gone by and 10 players – by my count – have entered into the official NHL records as NHL goal scorers. Highlighted by 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slavkovsky the group includes Dylan Guenther (ARI), Wyatt Johnston (DAL), Kent Johnson (CBJ), JJ Peterka (BUF), Elmer Soderblom (DET), Arber Xhekaj (MTL), Alexander Holtz (NJD), Nils Aman (VAN) and Andrei Kuzmenko (VAN).

Carey Price speaks to media

• Carey Price addressed the media in Montreal on Oct. 24. The long-time Habs goaltender was given a standing ovation by the Bell Centre crowd in the home opener and decided to answer some questions Monday. As he deals with an injured knee, he did specify he wasn’t contemplating retirement at this time and his goal is to just become pain free.

Phil Kessel takes the Iron Throne

• I will not apologize for Westeros-themed titles and Phil Kessel does not need to apologize to hockey fans because he’s given them a career full of great moments – and he’s done it all in a row. In his game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday Kessel tied Keith Yandle for the most consecutive games played in NHL history at 989. On Tuesday – Oct. 25 – Kessel will set the new record in San Jose and work to become the only man in NHL history to play 1,000 consecutive games.

Streaking Sabre

• Buffalo defenceman Rasmus Dahlin set the NHL record for most consecutive games with a goal for a defenceman to start a season. The record was 4 games but Dahlin set a new one with his fifth goal of the season (in as many games) against Vancouver. The 22-year-old defenceman went first overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. He’s amassed 168 points in 282 games so far in his career, scoring a career high 13 goals in 2021-22.