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The Chicago Blackhawks have been going through some major struggles as the season rolls on. After winning just two out of their last 10 games, the Blackhawks now have a 14-18-7 record and are seventh in the Central Division. The Winnipeg Jets are also the only team in the NHL that has fewer points than the Blackhawks at the time of this writing, so things are not going well for Chicago right now. 

If the Blackhawks do not turn things around quickly and find themselves out of the playoff race near the deadline, they will likely be sellers. If this ends up coming to fruition, defenseman Connor Murphy should be a very popular trade target around the NHL. 

Murphy is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so he will certainly be a player to keep an eye on near the deadline. This is especially so when noting that the Blackhawks have multiple promising young defensemen in their system. With this, the Blackhawks certainly could end up shopping Murphy.

With Murphy being a big right-shot defenseman who can play plenty of minutes and has a ton of experience, there should be several playoff clubs in the mix for his services near the deadline. He is the kind of steady stay-at-home defenseman that contenders love to add for the post-season. 

In 39 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, Murphy has recorded five assists, 40 hits, and 55 blocks. 

The San Jose Sharks have been one of the NHL's top surprises this season. After finishing with just 20 wins this past season, the Sharks have a 20-17-3 record in just 40 games so far this campaign. With this, they are currently fourth in the Pacific Division and have the top wild card spot in the Western Conference.

With the Sharks being in a good position with the new year here, it is fair to wonder if they could look to add to their roster at the 2026 NHL trade. According to a new report, the Sharks have their eye on one of the NHL's top trade candidates. 

During a recent episode of The Fan Hockey Show for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks are interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood. 

"I've actually kind of wondered a little bit about San Jose in the Western Conference," Friedman said. "They've gone from being nowhere at the beginning of the year to being very much in the race. They got a lot of UFAs. I think they've had some interest in Sherwood from Vancouver."

The Sharks reportedly having interest in Sherwood is understandable, as they certainly could use another top-nine winger who not only can score but also plays a heavy game. Sherwood would give the Sharks a player who is built for intense playoff hockey, which would have the potential to benefit a young team on the rise like the Sharks tremendously. 

Sherwood has appeared in 39 games so far this season with the Canucks, where he has recorded 16 goals, four assists, 20 points, and 184 hits. With numbers like these, he undoubtedly would give the Sharks more scoring and bite if acquired. 

With Sherwood in the middle of a strong year and having a bargain $1.5 million cap hit, there is no question that the Canucks want a good return for him in any potential trade. The Sharks have trading assets to work with, so it will be interesting to see if they end up being the club that lands Sherwood from here. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Dylan Guenther had his first career hat trick and added an assist and the Utah Mammoth topped the New York Islanders 7-2 on Thursday.

Nick Schmaltz scored twice and added an assist, Clayton Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and two assists, while Lawson Crouse and Barrett Hayton each had two assists. Karel Vejmelka returned from a two-game absence and finished with 20 saves as the Mammoth snapped a two-game skid.

Cal Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York, and Max Shabanov had two assists. David Rittich made nine saves on 14 shots, but was replaced by Marcus Hogberg 5:41 into the third period.

Guenther scored his second goal of the game when he buried a backhand feed from Crouse to give Utah a 2-1 lead midway through the second period. He also opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the middle period.

The Islanders briefly tied it 1-1 early in the second period when Ritchie fired a wrist shot over the glove of Vejmelka.

Schmaltz beat Rittich with less than four minutes remaining in the second period to extend Utah’s lead to two goals.

Mammoth forward Alex Kerfoot took a four-minute high-sticking penalty late in the second, but the Islanders didn’t capitalize on the ensuing power play.

Sergachev and Keller scored in the first six minutes of the third period to stretch Utah’s lead to 5-1 and prompt the Islanders to change goaltenders.

Guenther completed the hat trick and scored his 20th goal of the season by sliding the puck between the legs of Hogberg with less than seven minutes remaining.

Schaefer scored a power-play goal midway through the third period for his 10th of the season.

Up next

Mammoth: visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Islanders: host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

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The Detroit Red Wings closed out the calendar year of 2025 on a winning note, defeating the Winnipeg Jets by a 2-1 final score at Little Caesars Arena in their annual New Year's Eve game in downtown Detroit. 

For the Red Wings, it was their sixth victory in their last seven outings on home ice, improving their overall record to 14-7-1 in front of the home fans. 

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Red Wings forward Mason Appleton, who collected his second goal in as many games in the victory over the Jets on Wednesday evening, explained that Detroit wants to be a club that their opposition fears when they arrive at Little Caesars Arena. 

"You want to be a team that's feared when someone comes into your building," he said. "To kind of establish something like that and build toward it, it goes a long way, because you want teams to fear you and have that doubt in their heads before you even drop the puck." 

Head coach Todd McLellan can feel the energy in the building from the routinely sold out crowds in the venue, noting that the team feeds off it. 

"I think maybe we don't talk about it enough, and maybe we should, but you can feel the energy (in the building) build with each game," McLellan said. "I feel like when we come now, it's there, and there's excitement. The games are tight, and we may not always win them, but they're competitive games."

One of the most passionate fan bases in the NHL, the fans have remained with the Red Wings through thick and thin and have brought the energy night in and night out at Little Caesars Arena, which has yet to host a Stanley Cup Playoff game since opening in 2017.

"It Feels Good" Former Jet Mason Appleton Relishes In Scoring For Red Wings Former Winnipeg Jets forward Mason Appleton scored what proved to be the game-winning goal against his former club as part of the Detroit Red Wings' 2-1 victory on Wednesday evening.

However, if the Red Wings continue on their current path, playoff hockey could very well be returning to the Motor City for what would be the first time since 2016. While the energy in the venue from the fans has been strong, the playoffs would bring an entirely new level of spirit and passion.

"When I can feel it, I'm sure the players can, too," McLellan said of the fans. "So, they're helping us along, they really are, and we appreciate it." 

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St. Louis Blues forward Zach Dean has been cleared by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and will return to the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL.

Prior to the start of the season, the 22-year-old was placed in the program and has yet to play any games. Dean played just 11 games with the Thunderbirds last year, scoring one goal and four points. 

The previous season was his first playing professionally. He skated in nine NHL games with the Blues but failed to record a point. In his rookie AHL season, he scored nine goals and 14 points. 

Dean was originally a first-round pick (30th overall) in 2021 by the Vegas Golden Knights, but was acquired by the Blues in a trade that sent Ivan Barbashev the other way. Standing 6-foot, 176 pounds, Dean plays at a high pace, blending slick puckhanding skills and playmaking vision. 

Dean is set to become an RFA at the end of the season and is due for a contract extension. It's been challenging to access Dean's play due to the missed time, but the Blues hope he can improve his play in the AHL and earn another call-up to the NHL. 

The Thunderbirds are currently in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with an 11-12-4-2 record. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.