Browsing: impression

NXT tag team impresses everyone with their SmackDown outing.

Earlier tonight on the October 3rd episode of SmackDown, fans witnessed the surprising arrival of NXT stars, Sol Ruca and Zaria, on the blue brand. The pair, seeking an opportunity for the tag-team title, were seen this week in the locker room with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis regarding a tag-team championship opportunity.

However, they were interrupted by Alba Fyre and Chelsea Green, who had lost a title match to Bliss and Flair two weeks before. The former Women’s US Champion offered Ruca and Zaria a chance to be in her Secret Hervice owing to Piper Niven’s injury hiatus.

Rejecting the proposal, the duo set up a match against Green and Fyre tonight on SmackDown. They effectively won later in the night. While this marked Sol Ruca’s second SmackDown match, it was Zaria’s official debut on the blue brand.

The duo left behind a lasting impression with their win tonight, even impressing current women’s tag-team champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss.

Ruca has been receiving a tremendous push in the promotion. With her current status as a dual champion and a possible tag-title bout soon, she has impressed both the fans and the management in her short reign as a pro-wrestler.

NXT Vs TNA Showdown Matches And Team Captains Revealed

Next week, on 7th October, fans are set to witness NXT and TNA clash against each other in the Showdown-themed episode.

Two teams, led by Ricky Saints and Jacy Jayne of NXT, will clash against the TNA teams, led by Mike Santana and Kelani Jordan. The match card will also feature:

• The Hardys (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) (TNA) vs. DarkState (Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin) (NXT) – Winner takes all match
• Ethan Page (c) vs. Mustafa Ali – North American Championship

In other news: Top SmackDown star has shown up in a wheelchair.

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With a week to go before NHL teams have to submit their opening night rosters ahead of the 2025-26 season, several rookies around the league are having steady training camps and making their teams think about what to do with them from here.

Teams who find themselves tight against the salary cap might prioritize having a youngster on the roster to grow their game and financially fit the structure of the group. Other teams may have a veteran who is being marginally outplayed by a prospect, but choose to hang on to the older player because they’d otherwise have to expose them to waivers.

The final week of NHL training camps is going to lay bare team strategies and open opportunities for rookies and veterans alike.

Hereâ€s a look at some of the prospects Iâ€m tracking closely before next Mondayâ€s NHL roster announcements:

Parekh is a unicorn prospect for the Calgary Flames, a transitional defenceman who can almost be described as a rover. Heâ€s equal parts fourth forward as he is offensive defenceman. Parekh produced 97G-172A in 206 combined regular season and playoff games with the Saginaw Spirit (OHL) before making his Flames debut last spring. He was also an impressive plus-84 with the Spirit.

Iâ€ve liked a lot of Parekhâ€s game at Flames training camp. Heâ€s playing to his identity with his offensive approach, while learning what itâ€s going to take to defend at the NHL level. It will take some time, and there will be growing pains, but Calgary doesnâ€t have a defenceman like Parekh on their roster. He looks like he can quarterback one of their power play units and heâ€s been active off the puck joining the rush as an extra layer.

Here are some examples of what Iâ€ve noticed from Parekh in the pre-season.

The first clip demonstrates Parekhâ€s vision, agility, and quick release getting pucks to the net. His ability to find open space to create offence is elite. Heâ€s in motion looking for the best possible shooting or passing angle and covers a wide area of the offensive zone in the process, making him hard to front and defend.

Opposing teams will need to be aware of Parekhâ€s ability to join the rush as an extra attacker. When he identifies an opportunity to explode up ice off the puck, heâ€s aggressive trying to create odd-man rushes for his group.

Now on to the growing pains portion of Parekhâ€s game that will need to evolve as he gains more traction at the pro level.

In the following clip Parekh and his partner, Kevin Bahl, are in relatively good shape defending the neutral zone, but once the play enters Parekhâ€s side of the ice he gives up far too much gap. Parekh does well to block the initial shot but then breaks down in his recovery. He initially chases the play to the corner where Jonathan Huberdeau has engaged his check, then ends up late to the crease as Seattle capitalizes on the small area breakdown.

I see a path for Parekh to break camp with the Flames, but I also envision him skating in sheltered minutes at even strength in Calgaryâ€s bottom pairing. His element offensively should land him a role on one of Calgaryâ€s power play units.

Schaefer is one of my favourite prospects and the most endearing young person I have scouted in my career. Heâ€s going to have a long career in the NHL as a top pairing defenceman who is deployed in all situations.

Schaefer made headlines last week with his superior effort against the Philadelphia Flyers when he tracked down Matvei Michkov in overtime to kill a breakaway scoring opportunity and turned up ice to rip a puck from a high danger area. His 200-foot effort is infectious and speaks to his overall competitiveness.

The NHL is a hard league and the games get more difficult as training camp goes on. Schaefer continues to evolve. Heâ€s being deployed in all situations for the Islanders, but heâ€s learning some things along the way.

An example is the following clip of a goal against versus New Jersey. Schaefer doesnâ€t fully engage on the Islanders’ blue line. He will look back at this play and recognize he needed more urgency to kill it before it became a scoring chance, and ultimately a goal against:

I want to end Schaeferâ€s breakdown on a positive. Hereâ€s an example of what sets certain players apart early in their NHL development. In the following sequence Schaefer keeps the puck in on the offensive blue line and, with his head up, directs a “shot/pass†to Anthony Duclair. Duclair corrals the disc and deposits it in the Devils’ net.

Schaeferâ€s hockey sense and vision are elite. He will make difficult puck plays look more simple than they actually are.

Schaefer is going to be an NHL defenceman this season. He will break camp with the Islanders, but he might start the season skating in the bottom pairing at even strength alongside a veteran like Scott Mayfield. Mayfieldâ€s style is different than Schaeferâ€s and should allow the youngster to take some risks knowing Mayfield has his back in the defensive zone when things occasionally break down.

Ike Howard, W, Edmonton Oilers

I would describe Howardâ€s training camp as “mixed results†thus far in Edmonton. Heâ€s played with solid pace up ice, tracking opponents as F1 on the forecheck, and using his speed to disrupt puck plays and create some turnovers. Heâ€s also deposited the puck in the back of the net working the weak side flank on the power play. But there have been some instances where Howard has been caught puck watching or not moving his feet in the defensive zone that have led to scoring chances and goals against.

Here’s an example of what the Oilers can expect from Howard on the power play. In the sequence he actually breaks his stick on his first shot attempt, only to return to the scene with a new twig and different approach to directing the puck on goal. His quick release snap shot ends up in the back of the Winnipeg Jets net:

The puck moves quickly in the NHL and players have to be “on time†defensively so they can help keep plays out of high danger areas and the back of their net. In the following clip Howard gets caught anticipating the puck will be exiting his zone. When it doesnâ€t, he struggles to take the proper route and engage along the half-wall to win back the puck. Itâ€s a hectic sequence that exposes Howard chasing the play in his zone before the Jets end up scoring.

I appreciate the speed Howard provides tracking up and down the ice, especially off the rush offensively, and he has the kind of release that can beat NHL goalies clean from a variety of spots in the offensive zone. Ultimately his ‘B’ game will have to evolve in order for Howard to stick in the NHL this season, but I believe he has the hockey sense and competitiveness to adjust and pay close attention to his defensive responsibilities when heâ€s not scoring.

The Ducks are a team on the rise and Sennecke is a hulking (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) skill forward who will eventually play a big role for them as they trend towards being a playoff team and potential contender in the coming years. He produced 36G-50A in the regular season with the Oshawa Generals last year and followed it up with 14G-18A in 18 playoff games. His combination of length, power and puck touch make him very difficult to defend.

Sennecke has caught my eye at training camp with a couple of plays that speak exactly to his identity as a player.

In the first clip he regroups in the neutral zone before powering to the net for a tuck.

Not every play will result in a goal or an assist, but can still be classified as unique and perhaps elite. Hereâ€s an example of Sennecke creating a scoring chance following an inaccurate pass that was in his feet. He barely breaks stride corralling the puck and motioning it on to his stick off his back foot. It speaks to his coordination and sneaky ability to make something out of nothing.

The Ducks have a big decision to make with Sennecke. They might keep him around for a nine-game NHL audition this fall to see if he can earn a full year in the league. Otherwise, Anaheim will be forced to send Sennecke back to Oshawa for one more year since the new rule regarding clubs being allowed to place one 19-year-old prospect in the AHL instead of junior doesnâ€t kick in until next season.

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CALGARY — Saturdayâ€s game in Winnipeg was supposed to help crystallize which goalie had the edge in the battle for the Calgary Flames†vacant backup job.

The jury is out on whether it did.

Facing a beefed-up Jets squad, Devin Cooley made 25 saves in a 4-2 loss in Winnipeg. He couldnâ€t be faulted on any of the goals.

All told, Cooley has stopped 51 of 58 shots in a pair of losses.

Ivan Prosvetov has stopped 53 of 58 shots to go 1-1.

With Dustin Wolf slated to start two of the last three pre-season games, you can bet the Flames goalie gurus will be huddled up Monday, trying to figure out who gets the other start — a gig expected to symbolize who has won the job coming out of camp.

Given how close the battle has been, thereâ€s also a chance theyâ€ll instead split the lone game with both goalies†short-term futures on the line.

One goalie will be named to the opening night roster and the other will be put on waivers with an eye on sending them to the Wranglers for further seasoning.Â

Thereâ€s a chance neither would clear waivers, as several teams have expressed interest in Cooley, and a handful of teams were bidding to sign Prosvetov out of the KHL this summer. Â

Both are on one-way contracts, meaning the 28-year-old Cooley will get $775,000 regardless of where he plays, and Prosvetov will get $950,000.

Prosvetov, 26, has the edge in NHL experience (24 games to six), but neither has posted impressive numbers in the bigs.

The Flames have invested a year in building the structure of Cooleyâ€s game, leading him to an AHL all-star nod last season before concussion issues derailed his first campaign with the Wranglers. Prosvetovâ€s game requires similar adjustments, but they feel that with their help, the staff can help the six-foot-five Russian evolve like Cooley and Dan Vladar did. Â

Rory Kerins continues to impress, making the biggest push of any youngster to break through for an opening night roster spot.

“I thought their line was the best line tonight,†said Ryan Huska of Kerins†trio with Adam Klapla and Sam Honzek in Winnipeg.

“Every time they were on the ice, I thought they actually pushed back and controlled the majority of play when they were out there. Rory continues to do a good job, as do his linemates.â€

Kerins picked up an assist on a power-play goal, hit the crossbar in the third period and did a good job driving play on a night in which he faced off regularly against heavyweight middlemen Jonathan Toews and Mark Scheifele.Â

Going 6 for 13 in the faceoff circle isnâ€t bad against those veterans, giving the 23-year-old centre a good lesson in what it will take to eventually be an everyday NHLer.

Kerins†situation is one of the most interesting as the regular season nears, as the sixth-round pick would need to clear waivers before being sent to the minors, which is a risk the Flames may not want to take given how disappointed they were a year ago when another promising young centre, Cole Schwindt, was plucked off waivers by Vegas.

Zayne Parekh scored his first goal of the pre-season when his point shot found its way through traffic and bounced in with Klapka causing confusion in the crease.

“He played a lot of minutes (23:43) and I feel like every game heâ€s played, he continues to get better,†said Huska.

“He seems like heâ€s becoming more and more confident again, which is something we were hoping to see. He brings something to the table we donâ€t really have on the back end, the way he walks the blueline and the way he runs the power play. So, I thought he did a good job tonight.â€

Parekh will start the season with the big club, no question.

Matvei Gridin will be a productive NHLer at some point. And while that day is likely another year away, he impressed Saturday when he deftly banged in a rebound for his first goal of the pre-season.

“I thought he had another strong game as well,†said Huska of the first rounder, who was the QMJHLâ€s rookie of the year.

“Heâ€s a really interesting guy. Heâ€s going to learn the game as he grows older and matures a little bit in regards to the details and structure side of it, but heâ€s a really talented player and you can see that in some of the decisions and the reads he makes. The longer he plays, the better this guy is gonna get.â€

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St. Louis Blues prospect Aleksanteri Kaskimaki took part in the opening pre-season game last night, continuing to make an impression on the coaching staff.

The 21-year-old had a positive rookie season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, notching 11 goals and 34 points in 63 games, good enough for eighth in goals and sixth in points on the team.

Prior to the pre-season opening 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars, Kaskimaki was a force at the prospects tournament and continued to show off his high energy and skill in training camp. Against a Stars team which featured NHLers Mavrik Bourque, Alexander Petrovic, Nils Lundkvist, Sam Steel and Radek Faksa, Kaskimaki finished the game with a shot on goal and a hit in 16:55 of ice time.

The young centermen skated on a line with Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko, fitting in perfectly and helping the line win plenty of small ice puck battles. Kaskimaki’s lone hiccup was on an ill-advised play in overtime that was intercepted in the middle of the ice on an outlet that led to Carbonneau’s penalty.

Kaskimaki was involved in the Blues’ only goal, moving the puck to Dylan Holloway behind the goal and then quickly getting to the front of the net. After Holloway sent the puck to Logan Mailloux, he fed it to Justin Carbonneau, who used Kaskimaki as a pass option to sneakily beat the Stars’ goaltender.

There is plenty to like from Kaskimaki’s overall game. He plays with a high pace, always looking to carry the puck through the neutral zone and initiate rush offense. Offensively, the 5-foot-11, 181-pound center uses deception and his hands to create shooting chances. He likes to use the defender’s legs to his advantage, sliding the puck through their legs with different release points in an attempt to change the angle and confuse the goaltenders.

He found success with it in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, before the jump to North American hockey, recording 10 goals and 17 points in 48 games as a 19-year-old.

The 2022 third-round pick (73rd overall) possesses several NHL-translatable skills. His skill set screams successful bottom-six player, and with some more time to refine his game in the AHL, Kaskimaki could be one of the many players who earn a call-up to the NHL sometime this season or next.

“Kaskimaki is one of my … I saw him at the World Junior in Sweden. There’s something about that player that attracts me to him,” said GM Doug Armstrong in the exit interviews following the Blues’ elimination from the playoffs. “His detail. He reminds me a lot of, I hate putting comparisons out because I get held to it, but not the offense of Alex Steen; he doesn’t have that offense yet, might never have that offense, but he has that understanding of the game, understanding the important times of the game, where important ice is, how to get to it. I saw that when he represents his national team. He’s a guy if does what he’s supposed to do, I see him getting games next year. If he does what he’s supposed to do and has a great training camp, he could start with us.”

Making the team is certainly a long shot, but Kaskimaki is off to a flying start in showing that he is more NHL-ready than some may believe.

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EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — Matthew Schaefer is more than just a big part of the New York Islanders’ future after being taken with…

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