Nine games into the 2026-27 NHL regular season, there have been some teams that have been a surprise and some that have been a disappointment. Two teams in the Atlantic Division should be considered surprise teams: the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators.
Both teams were in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season in the Eastern Conference, and it might be a stretch for both to get in again this season. Ottawa traded their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to the Florida Panthers to have him play with his brother, Matthew.
The Bruins are sitting on top of the Atlantic Division early in the season at 7-2-0, and right behind them are the Senators at 6-3-0. On Monday, Ottawa rewarded coach Travis Green with a multi-year extension. Also getting extensions were Green's assistants. Ottawa has been a problem for the Black and Gold and has already beaten them once this season, 4-1, at the TD Garden earlier this month.
Maple Leafs call up former Bruins prospect from the AHL
One former Bruins prospect who has been around playing for different organizations is Vinni Lettieri. He signed with the Black and Gold as a free agent in July of 2022 and played just one year with Boston before signing a year later with the Minnesota Wild. In June if 2024, he was traded to the Bruins along with a fourth-round draft pick for forward Jakub Lauko.
In a dismal 2024-25 season that saw the Bruins finish in the basement of the Eastern Conference, tied with the Philadelphia Flyers, Lettieri played in 26 games with three goals and five points. After that season, he signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Monday, he finally got the call to the NHL with Toronto. He played just under 10 minutes with a shot and three hits in Toronto's 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.
Lettieri was recalled from the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL). Lettieri has played in 155 games with 15 goals and 17 assists with the Bruins, Wild, Anaheim Ducks, and New York Rangers. You can add the Maple Leafs to that list for the 31-year-old.
Rangers add depth to forward grouping by signing a veteran
One veteran player who was unsigned as the season began was forward Luke Glendening. The 37-year-old signed a PTO with the Tampa Bay Lightning for training camp, but he was released from that PTO as camp ended.
Monday, Glendening signed a PTO with the Rangers, but players are not permitted to play in the regular season on a PTO and must sign a contract to play in a game. This is an interesting move by New York, as Glendening has 934 career games under his belt, most recently with the Flyers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google