NHL Tonight: Previewing the Battle of the Hudson -- and Thursday's 10 other games

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  ESPN staffOct 15, 2026, 07:00 AM ET

After the overwhelming cornucopia of NHL action on Frozen Frenzy night this week, there was a brief respite with just two games on the schedule on Wednesday.

It's another loaded evening on Thursday with 22 teams in action, including some vitriolic local rivalries.

Atop that list is the first regular-season meeting of 2026-27 between the Devils and Rangers, a.k.a. the Battle of the Hudson.

Here's a look at the key stats and storylines in that game and every other contest, along with betting info and broadcast details:

Odds are provided by DraftKings and subject to change.

Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | TOR -118, O/U: 6.5

There is a bit more distance between Buffalo and Toronto than Manhattan and Newark (around 100 miles or 160 kilometers), but these two Atlantic Division rivals have staged some epic clashes. As the Sabres look to extend a new postseason streak to two seasons, the Leafs are one of the teams challenging them for a spot. Expect some messages to be sent in this one.

New York Islanders at Ottawa Senators

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | OTT -166, O/U: 5.5

These two teams made one of the most (eventually) infamous trades of the early aughts, as Alexei Yashin was shipped to the Island on June 23, 2001 in exchange for Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt and the Isles' first-round pick in 2001 (No. 2 overall, used to select Jason Spezza).

As for current events, this game could feature two of the NHL's most impressive goaltenders in between the pipes at either end: Ottawa's Linus Ullmark enters the game 5-0-0, with a 1.27 goals-against average and .948 save percentage while New York's Ilya Sorokin is 3-2-0 with a 1.81 and .934, respectively.

Seattle Kraken at Tampa Bay Lightning

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | TB -230, O/U: 6.5

The Lightning enter this contest on pace for 112 points this season, and are currently third in their division. No major surprise there for the perennial contenders. On the other hand, the Kraken's point pace (120) and spot in the standings (third in the Pacific) has certainly raised some eyebrows. Are they for real? This is another litmus test.

Vancouver Canucks at Florida Panthers

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | FLA -298, O/U: 6.5

During the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, much was made about the distance that the Panthers and Oilers had to travel between cities. If these two teams both made the Cup Final, it would be about 200 miles further in the air. Given the current state of the Canucks that seems pretty unlikely. Nevertheless, this matchup should be a fun watch, given how much both teams enjoy scoring -- and how much the Canucks seem to enjoy letting their opponents score too.

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils

7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | NJ -148, O/U: 6.5

Which team will get to set the tone first in the season series? The Devils won two of three over the Rangers in 2025-26, and due to an odd scheduling quirk all four games between the clubs will take place by the end of December (Dec. 7, Dec. 15 and Dec. 22 are the others).

Both teams are led in scoring by a No. 1 draft pick -- Alexis Lafreniere (2020) has 10 points, while Jack Hughes (2019) has eight -- and both are coming off of Ws on Frozen Frenzy night.

Read more about Devils GM Sunny Mehta from Greg Wyshynski here.

Philadelphia Flyers at Detroit Red Wings

7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+/Disney+/Hulu) | DET -135, O/U: 5.5

Neither of these teams has gotten off the blocks in a particularly strong fashion -- the Flyers are still seeking victory No. 1, while the Red Wings have just one -- but perhaps the victor here will gain some momentum. Both clubs could use some goal-suppression improvement, sitting in the bottom third of teams in goals against per game.

Kristen Shilton explores how the Red Wings are traversing through this season amid all the off-ice chaos.

Winnipeg Jets at Chicago Blackhawks

8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | WPG -135, O/U: 6.5

The Blackhawks got Connor Bedard back on the ice on Tuesday -- a Frozen Frenzy miracle! -- but the Jets are still waiting for some finality in their standoff with Connor Hellebuyck. The Hellebuyck-less Jets thus head to the Windy City looking to extend their win streak, while the Blackhawks are hoping that Bedard's return sparks them to get back among the playoff contenders by season's end.

San Jose Sharks at Nashville Predators

8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | NSH -142, O/U: 6.5

Speaking of getting back among the playoff contenders, that sounds good to both of these teams as well -- particularly since both finished just four points back of the second wild-card spot last season. The Sharks are coming off two straight losses at home, so perhaps the slump buster comes on the road. Steven Stamkos leads the way thus far for Nashville with seven points (three goals, four assists) through six games.

St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild

8 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | MIN -155, O/U: 6.5

Much has changed since these two clubs were the Western wild cards in 2024-25 (and finished separated by just a point in the standings). Minnesota has leveled up to the top echelon of Western powers, while St. Louis is looking for the kind of consistency that'll get it back in the perennial postseason mix. The Blues took two of three games against the Wild last season despite the standings disparity; who will earn the first W of the four-game series this time around?

Utah Mammoth at Edmonton Oilers

9 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | EDM -142, O/U: 6.5

It's no surprise that the Oilers are among the leading teams in the Western standings this season; no team that includes two perennial Hart Trophy candidates in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should drift far from contention. What is at least a little surprising outside the 801 area code is that the Mammoth are your current Central Division leaders after two weeks and change.

This will be an excellent early test for Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz & Co. to show that they belong in the contention conversation for the long haul.

Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights

10 p.m. ET (ESPN+) | VGK -290, O/U: 6.5

The rebuilding Flames have thus far performed about on par with expectations: through six games, they're 31st in the NHL in scoring (only the Flyers have scored fewer than their 2.00 goals per game), and 32nd in goals against per game, at 4.83. They'll pay a visit to the Pacific-leading Golden Knights -- and the sportsbooks don't give them much of a chance. But maybe they'll pull out another shocking W, as they did as underdogs against the Ducks on Tuesday.

Reminder: Fans can catch all the action in the NHL streaming hub and on the ESPN App.

Jump ahead:
Top NHL stories
Last night's scores
NHL stats leaders
Today in hockey history

Top stories around the NHL

Here's what you need to know:

• Greg Wyshynski identifies the top reason to watch all 32 teams this season.

• The latest updated NHL Power Rankings.

• Who are this season's top breakout candidates?

• Carolina lost Taylor Hall to an upper-body injury in win over the Capitals.

• The Tkachuk Bros. combined for nine points in win over Blue Jackets during Frozen Frenzy.

• The Red Wings and Alex DeBrincat have agreed to a seven-year, $91 million contract extension.

• Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal will be out one to two months with a torn calf muscle.

Wednesday's scoreboard

Washington Capitals 5, Montreal Canadiens 4
Dallas Stars 3, Colorado Avalanche 2 (SO)

play

Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche: Game Highlights

NHL scoring leaders

Click here for full list of stats leaders.

NHL goaltending leaders

Click here for the full list of goaltender stats.

Today in hockey history

There aren't many days on the calendar when Wayne Gretzky didn't accomplish something remarkable, and October 15 is no exception to that trend.

On today's date back in 1989, Gretzky was in Edmonton as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, and entered the contest against the Oilers one point shy of Gordie Howe for the NHL's all-time points record.

He assisted on a Bernie Nicholls goal in the first period to tie Howe, then earned his spot atop the list with a goal in the third. The goal gave him NHL point No. 1,851, and he would finish his career with 2,857. Second on the list is Jaromir Jagr's 1,921, and the current active leader is Sidney Crosby, with 1,765.