NHL On Tap: Brady Tkachuk has chance for hat trick history with Panthers

There are 14 games on the NHL schedule for Saturday, including two nationally televised in the United States and two in Canada. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.

Three-for-three 

Brady Tkachuk has a shot at making NHL history as the only player to score a hat trick in three consecutive games when the Florida Panthers (4-2-2) host the Seattle Kraken (5-2-1) at Amerant Bank Arena (6 p.m. ET; Prime Video, SCRIPPS, KONG). The Florida forward scored all three goals in a 3-2 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. It followed a three-goal, four-point performance in a 7-3 win at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Both were natural hat tricks; the only other players in NHL history to have such a hat trick in consecutive games are Petri Skriko (Nov. 18-21, 1986 with the Canucks) and Cy Denneny (Feb. 21-24, 1923 with the Ottawa Senators). Tkachuk also became the third player in Florida history with a hat trick in consecutive games, joining Noel Acciari (Dec. 16-20, 2019) and Pavel Bure (Feb. 10-14, 2001). The last player in the NHL to have consecutive hat tricks was Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who score three goals on Feb. 15, 2024, in a 4-3 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers and three more (with two assists) two days later in a 9-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks.

Top picks collide again

The past two No. 1 picks in the NHL Draft will meet for the second time when defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders (3-3-1) visit forward Gavin McKenna and the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-3-2) at Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET; SNO, SNW, SNP, MSGSN). Neither had a point in the Maple Leafs’ 2-1 win Sept. 30. Schaefer, who won the Calder Trophy as the League’s rookie of the year last season, has six assists in seven games this season and is averaging 26:01 of ice time per game. The 19-year-old had 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games last season. He was selected by the Islanders with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. New York lost 2-1 in a shootout at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. McKenna has five points (two goals, three assists) in eight games for Toronto this season. The 18-year-old was selected by the Maple Leafs with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Toronto lost 5-4 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

McDavid still streaking

Connor McDavid can extend his point streak from the beginning of the season to eight games when the Edmonton Oilers (5-1-1) visit the Utah Mammoth (6-2-0) at Delta Center (10 p.m. ET; Mammoth+, Utah16, SN) in the second game of a home-and-home. The Oilers forward had an assist in a 4-2 loss to the Mammoth on Thursday and leads the NHL with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists). Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard has had at least one point in six of his first seven games. He had an assist in the loss to Utah and leads NHL defensemen with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in seven games. The loss Thursday was the first in regulation for the Oilers. Clayton Keller scored two goals for the Mammoth, and the forward has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in eight games this season.

Coming to pass

Alex Ovechkin is not just a goal-scoring machine; the Washington Capitals forward can pass the puck as well. The 41-year-old is within two assists of tying Nicklas Backstrom (762) for the most in Washington history and has an opportunity get there when the Capitals (4-3-0) host the New Jersey Devils (4-3-0) at Capital One Arena (1 p.m. ET; MNMT, MSGSN, NHLN, SNP, SNO, SNE). Ovechkin got an assist in a 5-4 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday and has 760 assists to go with his NHL-record 930 goals and 1,690 points in 1,580 games. He has three points (one goal, two assists) in seven games in his 22nd and final season. Ovechkin announced Oct. 5 that he is retiring after the season.

Thompson tallies

Tage Thompson is on pace for a third straight 40-goal season and the fourth of his NHL career, and he can add to his total when his Sabres (4-3-1) face the host Canadiens (3-3-1) at Bell Centre (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNE, MSG-B, NHLN). The forward, who has four goals in eight games, finished with 40 goals in 81 games last season and 44 goals in 76 games in 2024-25, after totaling a career-high 47 in 78 games in 2022-23. If the 28-year-old can reach the mark again this season, he would tie Rick Martin for the most consecutive 40-goal seasons in Buffalo history. Martin scored 52 goals in both 1973-74 and 1974-75 before finishing with 49 in 1975-76. Thompson has the second-most goals among United States-born players since the start of the 2021-22 season with 202, behind Matthews (235).

The schedule

New Jersey Devils at Washington Capitals, 1 p.m. ET; MNMT, MSGSN, NHLN, SNP, SNO, SNE

Carolina Hurricanes at Winnipeg Jets, 3:30 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNW, CARNHL, HHN

Vancouver Canucks at Tampa Bay Lightning, 4 p.m. ET; The Spot, SNP

Seattle Kraken at Florida Panthers, 6 p.m. ET; Prime Video, SCRIPPS, KONG

New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET; SNO, SNW, SNP, MSGSN

Buffalo Sabres at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNE, MSG-B, NHLN

San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m. ET; DSN, NBCSCA

Ottawa Senators at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, TVAS-D, SN1

New York Rangers at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET; CBJHN, CBJNHL, MSG

Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks, 7 p.m. ET; Prime Video, CHSN

St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m. ET: BN+, STLNHL, SCRIPPS

Boston Bruins at Los Angeles Kings, 9 p.m. ET; ABTV, NESN

Edmonton Oilers at Utah Mammoth, 10 p.m. ET; Mammoth+, Utah16, SN

Pittsburgh Penguins at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, SCRIPPS