Good morning, folks. For the first time in 147 days, the Vegas Golden Knights play meaningful hockey today. They took care of business on Tuesday, submitting their Opening Night roster and finally signing Alexander Holtz. And according to Emily Kaplan, there might be more to come before puck drop tonight.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the Winnipeg Jets are closing in on an extension with Kyle Connor. Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice churned out another great quote about his squad of villainous rascals. Nathan MacKinnon stands alone atop the Colorado Avalanche all-time points leaderboard, and the Philadelphia Flyers are monitoring the trade market.

Golden Knights News

Happy Opening Night, Golden Knights fans. On Tuesday, the Golden Knights submitted their official roster for the 2025-26 season. There are no real surprises, but there is an interesting contract move to maximize their LTIR capture.

A few hours after announcing their Opening Night roster, the Golden Knights finally signed the final Restricted Free Agent. Alexander Holtz worked his tail off in Training Camp and the preseason, and Kelly McCrimmon rewarded him with a contract.

One more thing: here’s some positive news about Jack Eichel’s contract negotiations. According to Emily Kaplan, there’s “urgency on both sides” to get Eichel signed to a long-term extension.

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

The Athletic ($): Sean McIndoe’s oddly specific predictions for each NHL team is one of my favorite annual articles. This year’s batch, headlined by a four-point postseason Golden Knights debut for Mitch Marner prediction, is no exception.

Sportsnet: Per Elliotte Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets are closing in on a long-term extension for Kyle Connor.

Florida Hockey Now: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, ever the quote machine, has done it again. He knows his Panthers are the new villains of the NHL. But he also knows he has more “firemen than arsonists.”

Colorado Hockey Now: Nathan MacKinnon stands alone at the top of the mountain. With a secondary assist on Martin Nečas’ first-period goal, MacKinnon moved past Joe Sakic for the most points in an Avalanche jersey. 

Philly Hockey Now: A trade this early in the season seems unlikely, but the Flyers are reportedly monitoring the market.