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The Philadelphia Flyers are about to get a huge boost at time when they may have needed it the absolute most.

Losers of three straight, all in overtime and the shootout, the Flyers announced Tuesday that veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, at long last, has been activated from injured reserve, ending a nine-month absence due to a ruptured triceps.

Ristolainen, 31, has not played an NHL game for the Flyers since a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators back on March 11, but his return against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night will put an end to his 280 days between games.

In a corresponding transaction to make the necessary roster spot, the Flyers assigned defenseman Ty Murchison, who played very well in a brief two-game cameo at the NHL level, to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Did Quinn Hughes Diss Flyers for Big Trade Dud?Quinn Hughes has been connected to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> ever since Rick Tocchet took over as head coach, and there's a chance the superstar defenseman is miffed a reunion didn't take place.

The burly 6-foot-4 Ristolainen was playing some of the best overall hockey of his career for the Flyers under John Tortorella last season, scoring four goals, 15 assists, and 19 points in 63 games to the tune of a +3 rating and an average ice time of 20:31 - his most under Tortorella in his three seasons as head coach.

How Ristolainen fares transitioning to his third full-time head coach in five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers remains to be seen, but if the Finn can return to the form Tortorella and Brad Shaw coached him to in the previous two seasons, the Flyers will be in for a real treat as they continue their playoff push into the winter.

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have assigned defenseman Ty Murchison to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

The Flyers sending Murchison back to Lehigh Valley comes with key blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen being ready to start his 2025-26 season. As a result of this, Murchison will now be looking to continue to grow his game with the Phantoms. 

Murchison was on his first career NHL call-up before being assigned back to the Phantoms. During it, he appeared in three games for the Flyers, where he recorded zero points, two blocks, five hits, and a plus-1 rating. Overall, the 6-foot-2 defenseman showed promise during his first chance on the Flyers' roster.

Now, Murchison will be aiming to make a big impact with the Phantoms after being sent back down to the AHL. In 21 games this season with Lehigh Valley, he has recorded one goal, three assists, four points, 30 penalty minutes, and a plus-9 rating. 

Murchison was selected by the Flyers with the 158th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In 25 career AHL games over two seasons with the Phantoms, he has posted two goals, four assists, six points, 36 penalty minutes, and a plus-11 rating. 

In the past five days, the NHL has seen not one, but two blockbuster trades – one that sent late sent superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild, and one that sent veteran goalie Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Edmonton Oilers. Thus, we don’t want to hear any talk that, in the salary cap era, it’s next to impossible to get deals done.

However, if you judge the work done by now-former Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams in his more than five-years running the team before he was fired Monday and replaced with former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, you might take that talk about impossible trades a little more seriously. But from this writer’s perspective, that had more to do with Adams’ paralysis about taking big swings than it does about other teams pulling off major deals. 

Now, are there trades that constitute significant gambles? Sure there are. But don’t you think the Wild just gambled that Hughes is going to be a long-term piece of the puzzle in Minnesota? And don’t you think the Oilers just gambled that Jarry is going to do what former Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner couldn’t do and carry the Oilers to a Stanley Cup championship? 

The answer to both those questions is a resounding ‘yes’. But the old saying about nothing ventured, nothing gained is accurate when it comes to trades. And that means Kekalainen has to take a chance if the Sabres are going to be a playoff team for the first time in a decade-and-a-half.

New Sabres GM Kekalainen Must Address These Three IssuesThe Buffalo Sabres fired GM Kevyn Adams Monday. And his replacement, former Columbus Blue Jackets architect Jarmo Kekalainen, needs to prioritize making some major changes to the Sabres. Here are the three key areas Kekalainen must address.

As we’ve argued recently, Buffalo needs to deal from positions of strength, and when it comes to the Sabres’ goaltending and defense corps, they have strength. So trading someone such as defenseman Owen Power is something the Sabres should be looking into. But that said, Kekalainen can’t play it safe and only make a minor deal or two in the immediate weeks and months ahead. Because they have to know sticking with the status quo is going to enrage Buffalo fans.

There’s another saying that applies to the Sabres, and that saying is ‘safe is death’. It will be easy for Kekalainen to keep his core together, but as we’ve seen this season, that core simply doesn’t have what it takes to be winners. That’s not up for debate. That’s a fact.

Here's Why Sabres Need To Connect With Retooling Canucks To Acquire Star Center PetterssonThe Vancouver Canucks pulled off a blockbuster trade this week. But the Buffalo Sabres need to connect with the Canucks to try and acquire star center Elias Pettersson. A bold trade package might just lure him from Vancouver's rebuild -- and generate a Sabres retool.

And if Buffalo is ever going to break this cycle of letdown season after letdown season, they’re going to need Sabres management to step to the plate and and acquire a different set of players. 

When Martin St-Louis was asked Tuesday morning after practice whether there was a chance Samuel Montembeault would play a game this week, he said he didn’t know and that they needed to figure it out. Well, they did that quickly as the Montreal Canadiens announced that Montembeault, who had started the season as their number one goaltender, was being sent down to the Laval Rocket on a conditioning stint.

According to CBA rules, this is something the netminder had to agree to, and it can last up to 14 days. While this is probably not where Montembeault thought he would be at this stage of the season, it was a good move on his part to agree to this.

Canadiens: Big Decision Ahead
Canadiens: Looking For A Winning Streak
Canadiens Important Defenseman Out vs. Flyers

His last appearance with the Habs was in relief to Jakub Dobes on December 9, when he gave up three goals on just 13 shots. As for his previous start, it dates back to December 2 when the Canadiens played an atrocious game against the Ottawa Senators and lost 5-2.

In 15 games this season, the Becancour native has a 5-6-1 record, a 3.65 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage. A lot can happen in a calendar year in the NHL. Last season, at this stage of the season, Montembeault was starting every single game and was being earmarked as one of Canada’s three netminders for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

For whatever reason, the 29-year-old netminder can’t seem to get it together this season. It’s not that he hasn’t been allowed to build his confidence back up, but he’s been unable to do it in the NHL with the Canadiens battling for a playoff spot this season. Perhaps in Laval, where the stakes will be lower and the scrutiny less intense, he’ll find a way to do it.

This option also makes sense for the Canadiens; it will allow both Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes to get some ice time. Both could have been sent to Laval without clearing waivers, but neither deserved to be based on their latest performance. When Dobes shone bright against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night, he told the Habs loud and clear that he shouldn’t be going anywhere.

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There has been a noticeable fashion movement in certain parts of South Florida over the past several weeks.

In popular areas across Miami-Dade and Broward County, people have been seen sporting their new Winter Classic gear in growing numbers.

The NHL officially revealed the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers uniforms for the 2026 Winter Classic last month.

Since then, Panthers fans both locally and on the road have been decking themselves out in the fresh new gear.

Considering the sudden and obvious popularity of the special edition threads, it’s not surprising that the Panthers are going to wear them more than once this season.

In addition to the Winter Classic itself, which takes place on Jan. 2, Florida will wear their new uniforms during two other home games at Amerant Bank Arena this season.

They will be on Sunday, Jan. 4, when the Panthers host the Colorado Avalanche, and on Wednesday, Feb. 4 against the Boston Bruins.

For more information on the Panthers’ Winter Classic uniforms, including a few photos, click here.

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New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov did not find himself in a top-six role alongside Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman on Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings, as Mathew Barzal was able to give it a go. 

Barzal did not partake in the morning skate due to something that occurred in their 3-2 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

For Tsyplakov, he's found himself on the outside looking in more often than not. While Tsyplakov has played better in his latest outings, the current 12 forwards are collectively playing too well to make a change.

The Islanders enter their game against Detroit on a three-game winning streak. 

"Absolutely not," was Roy's answer when asked if Tsyplakov's lack of game action as of late has been because of anything he's done wrong. 

"It's tough for him [to not play], and it's tough for us, as a coaching staff. I mean, that's the decisions you want to be making, to be forced to make. Sometimes, there are tough calls, and this one is a tough one because he's done what he's had to do. But right now, we have 12 guys who are playing really well. The line of Cizikas has an identity, and we love the way they're playing. We feel like Ritchie's playing really well with Shabby and Anthony Duclair. And the other lines are clicking. It's hard to make some changes sometimes."

“I’ve been focusing on my defensive game so I can earn my teammates’ and coaches’ trust and get out there more.”

Trust comes first for Anthony Duclair as he carves out his new role with the #Isles@TheElmontershttps://t.co/oZeHblpOo1

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) December 16, 2025

Roy added that Tsyplakov has come in with a great attitude and has worked hard so that when he does get his next chance, he'll be ready. 

Now, you have probably heard the trade rumors surrounding Tsyplakov, which is to be expected regarding a forward who shown that he can play in the NHL over his first season-and-a-half in the big leagues. He's also affordable, signing a two-year extension worth $2.25 million annually this past summer.

The Islanders should listen to calls they get on the player but that doesn't meant they are actively shopping the 27-year-old. 

With all the injuries to the forward group, Tsyplakov is a quality 13th forward for now, especially if he plays the responsible brand of hockey we've seen from him over his last handful of outings. 

Yes, he was supposed to be a goal scorer in this league, but he's doing a stronger job using his 6'3, 203-lb frame to win more puck battles and help the team go north, rather than south. 

Obviously, if Tsyplakov were playing very well, he'd be considered one of the Islanders' 12 best forwards and in the lineup every day. His lack of consistency has undoubtedly been a part of the problem, along with the play of everyone else.

Maybe there's a world where the Islanders flip him to a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs for Matias Maccelli, given his struggles to find consistency. 

But, as of right now, having an NHL-caliber player waiting in the wings as an option, even if he is better than a "13th forward' is a good problem for the Islanders. 

Tsyplakov, in his second NHL season, has recorded 1 goal and 0 assists in 20 games, averaging 9:20 minutes per game. He has 37 hits over that span.