Good morning, folks. The Vegas Golden Knights won their penultimate preseason game on Wednesday, and they did so in the exact manner they wanted to. And just off the ice, three-time Stanley Cup Champion Alec Martinez made his broadcasting debut.
Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the holdout is over— the New Jersey Devils finally signed Luke Hughes. The youngest Hughes brother is now a wealthy man, and it’s hard not to think about what that contract means for Lane Hutson. The Edmonton Oilers traded for Connor Ingram, and the feisty Canadiens-Senators preseason game has consequences.
The Golden Knights hosted a blood drive yesterday outside of City National Arena. I’m O-negative, so I hopped into the Vitalant trailer after morning skate.
Man, I forgot how tired donating blood makes you. I didn’t have time to take a pregame nap because of the early puck drop, so by the third period, I was exhausted. I don’t know how long it took me to finish my postgame piece, but it probably wasn’t anything to write home about. Thankfully, I feel human again today.
Okay. In the immortalized words of Chance the Rapper, let’s do that hockey.
Golden Knights News
Welcome back, Marty! On Wednesday, the Golden Knights announced that three-time Stanley Cup Champion Alec Martinez would join the broadcast team for select games.
Martinez was gracious enough to meet with the media following yesterday’s morning skate. He provided some valuable insights into the difficulty of adjusting to life after professional hockey. He also detailed his journey to television, and chirped his old teammates for good measure.
Martinez wasted no time and teamed up with Daren Millard for last night’s preseason contest against the Colorado Avalanche. As it turns out, the Golden Knights and Avalanche treated him to a shockingly entertaining game. Really, I can’t remember the last time I watched a preseason game with this kind of intensity. The Golden Knights scored two third-period goals and won 2-1. My observations here:
NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic ($): “Knights get best player available, yawn.” Sean McIndoe categorizes every NHL team as a bottom-feeder, a mushy-middle dweller, a contender, or a true wildcard.
Sportsnet: Kelly McCrimmon’s job is safe, but the same can’t be said for a vast number of other general managers around the NHL. Here are the six GMs under the most pressure in 2025-26.
Sportsnet: The Edmonton Oilers are under massive amounts of pressure to win a Stanley Cup, and every move they make is to better their team. That’s what they did on Wednesday when they added a new goaltender. But acquiring Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth isn’t just good for their hockey team– it’s also in the best interest of the player.
TSN: Luke Hughes is now a very wealthy man. And that means that in one year’s time, superstar Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson will be an even wealthier one.
New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils finally signed the youngest Hughes brother to a new contract. However, the answer to that conundrum only raises more questions. Where are they getting the salary cap space? And what will become of Dougie Hamilton?
Montreal Hockey Now: Actions have consequences. On Wednesday, the Department of Player Safety handed out a few fines after the Habs-Senators line brawl.
