Thursday’s 10-game NHL slate has a little of everything: a possible injury-driven shuffle in San Jose, a top pick heading into his first road game with some confidence, and a pair of clubs in Tampa Bay that have made defending the early-season priority. The puck drops begin at 7 p.m. ET, with the late window carrying Toronto into Vegas and Colorado into Calgary.
The Sharks could again be without Macklin Celebrini when they visit the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. Celebrini is listed day to day with a lower-body injury and missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving him in danger of sitting out for a second consecutive game. Will Smith has been working at center in his place. Celebrini opened the season with five assists across overtime wins against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 1 and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, but San Jose was blanked 5-0 by Dallas on Monday and generated only 13 shots without him.
St. Louis, 1-2-0, finally gets its home opener after opening with three games away from Enterprise Center. The Blues have dropped two in a row, most recently a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Toronto’s visit to the Vegas Golden Knights gives Gavin McKenna his first NHL road assignment. The 18-year-old Maple Leafs rookie, selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, collected his first goal and first point in Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime comeback over the Nashville Predators. McKenna described getting that first point as getting “a big monkey off the back.” Toronto is 2-2-0, while Vegas brings in a 3-1-0 record and a familiar face for the Leafs in Mitch Marner.
Golden Knights center Jack Eichel arrives after a four-point night — one goal and three assists — in a 6-2 win at Seattle on Tuesday. His 10 points, made up of two goals and eight assists, lead the NHL, and he can extend his point streak to five games.
In Boston, Utah forward Nick Schmaltz has the chance to make it five straight games with a goal. He scored his fifth of the season during Tuesday’s 5-3 victory at New Jersey, a result that pushed the Mammoth to 3-1-0. Utah’s power play has been the early engine, clicking at a League-best 61.5 percent with eight goals on 13 chances. Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther have each supplied three power-play goals.
The Bruins, 2-2-0, have gone in the other direction offensively. They have scored twice over their past two games, both losses — 4-1 against Minnesota on Saturday and 4-1 against Ottawa on Monday — and remain without a power-play goal on 10 opportunities.
Minnesota and Tampa Bay meet after both clubs established a stingy identity through their first few games. The Lightning have surrendered only two goals since their 5-1 opening-night loss to the New York Rangers on Oct. 1, responding with a 3-1 home-opening win over Washington and a 4-1 decision against Philadelphia on Monday. Coach Jon Cooper has liked the way Tampa Bay recovered after the New York setback.
The Wild have allowed five goals in three games, only four of them during regulation time. Minnesota was unhappy with portions of its 3-2 overtime loss in Buffalo on Tuesday, but it followed wins over Nashville, 3-1, and Boston, 4-1. Matt Boldy, coming off a career-high 85-point season with 42 goals and 43 assists, is still waiting for his first point of the new campaign.
Buffalo’s meeting with Dallas puts Owen Power’s fast start under the lights at KeyBank Center. The Sabres defenseman has a goal and four assists in three games, including the overtime winner against Minnesota. Buffalo has rallied in the third period to win each of its past two games, and Power has logged more than 25 minutes in every outing, reaching 29:04 against the Wild.
Dallas earned its first win Monday by shutting out San Jose 5-0, with Jake Oettinger turning aside all 13 shots he faced. The Stars had managed just one goal in their first two games before breaking through offensively. Buffalo, meanwhile, has held opponents to 58 shots in three contests, an average of 19.3 per game.
Thursday’s NHL schedule
- Utah Mammoth at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. ET — Utah16, NESN
- Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET — Prime Video, MSG-B
- Nashville Predators at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET — RDS, TSN2, SCRIPPS
- Philadelphia Flyers at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. ET — RDSI, TSN5, NBCSP
- Minnesota Wild at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. ET — Wild+, MINNHL, The Spot
- Vancouver Canucks at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET — HHN, CARNHL, SNP
- Chicago Blackhawks at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET — CHSN, MSGSN
- San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. ET — Disney+, HULU, ESPN+, SN+
- Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m. ET — SNW, ALT, KTVD
- Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET — SCRIPPS, TSN4
