NHL Must Watch, Oct. 19-25: Buckle up for Tkachuk and Hughes homecomings

Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin highlights key NHL storylines for the week of October 19-25, led by homecoming games for Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes. Tkachuk returns to Ottawa with the Florida Panthers on October 21 after previously forcing a trade from the Senators. On October 25, Hughes plays his first game back in Vancouver as a member of the Minnesota Wild following his trade last December.

The week also features a matchup between top 2026 draft picks McKenna and Stenberg when the San Jose Sharks visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 19. Additionally, defenseman Ian Cole is slated to reach 1,000 career games on October 23, the Montreal Canadiens face the Winnipeg Jets in the Heritage Classic on October 25, and Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn pursues his 1,000th career NHL point.