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During the off-season, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram was a very popular name in the rumor mill. However, he ended up staying put in Buffalo after signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension. 

Yet, with the Sabres struggling and Byram having the potential to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2027, questions about his long-term future in Buffalo are still there. Due to this, he could be a player to watch this season.

If the Sabres end up shopping Byram closer to the deadline, these three teams could be good fits for him. 

Philadelphia Flyers 

The Flyers have been a nice surprise this season and could look to add to their roster because of it. When looking at their group, it is clear that they could use another impactful left-shot defenseman. Because of this, they would make a lot of sense as a suitor for Byram. This is especially so when noting that Byram is still just 24 years old and would fit in nicely on a team on the rise like Philly. 

Pittsburgh Penguins 

The Penguins could be an intriguing landing spot for Byram. The Metropolitan Division club has had a strong start to the 2025-26 season, and bringing in a young defenseman like Byram could help them maintain this kind of momentum. The Penguins' left side could also use improvement, so Byram could be a great pickup for them.

St. Louis Blues 

It has been a nightmare season for the Blues, and it would not be surprising if they looked to switch up their roster because of it. They could use another left-shot defenseman, so it would make sense for them to try to bring in Byram. This is especially so when noting that they were heavily linked to him during the off-season as well. 

The Vancouver Canucks becoming sellers in the trade market has made them the dominant club in the rumor mill.

It's also made UFA-eligible left winger Kiefer Sherwood a popular target in an otherwise thin trade market thus far.

Quinn Hughes was not considered to be among the Canucks' trade candidates. However, the uncertainty over whether he'll sign a contract extension has raised questions about the 26-year-old superstar defenseman's future in Vancouver. That's generating conjecture about potential trade destinations for the 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner.

The Hockey News' Adam Kierszenblat doesn't think the Canucks should be in a win-now mode this season. That means he thinks the Canucks' brass should sit down with Hughes to discuss his future and whether he would want to play through a retool or rebuild.

If the Canucks peddle Hughes, Kierszenblat believes the Canucks should focus on acquiring prospects and picks over established NHL players.

Ben Kuzma of The Province, meanwhile, believes they'll seek a multi-player return that helps them get younger and eventually better.

Kuzma felt that interested clubs would want assurances that Hughes wouldn't be a one-year rental. He suggested ties to certain teams could determine where he lands, proposing the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers as destinations.

Hughes spent his formative hockey years in Michigan with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and the NCAA Wolverines. His brothers, Jack and Luke, play for the Devils. Meanwhile, former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet is now the Flyers' bench boss.

Kuzma speculated that the Canucks could seek a return of winger Lucas Raymond, rookies Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson, and a 2026 first-round pick from the Red Wings.

Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco thinks the Canucks would want winger Tyson Foerster and prospect Porter Martone as part of the return from the Flyers. However, they might prefer sending a package to Vancouver centered around a defenseman such as Jamie Drysdale or Cam York.

The asking price from the Devils could include promising defenseman Simon Nemec. Center Dawson Mercer or rookie winger Arseny Gritsyuk could also be part of the deal.

The Red Wings, Devils and Flyers could be reluctant to gut their rosters for Hughes, but interested clubs should be prepared to pay a high price for a superstar of his caliber.

‘I Just Think Losing Is Obviously The Hardest Part’: Quinn Hughes Speaks On The Canucks’ Recent StrugglesCanucks captain Quinn Hughes spoke on the team's recent struggles after dropping their past three games.

Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers' goaltending remains a topic of interest in the rumor mill. Some of the recent talk linked them to Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Earlier this week, NHL.com's Dan Rosen was asked what level of interest the Oilers had in Jarry. He pointed out that they know what they have with inconsistent starter Stuart Skinner, who has backstopped them to consecutive Stanley Cup finals.

Rosen didn't rule out the possibility of the Oilers seeking a replacement, but he noted that Jarry has his own inconsistency issues, plus an injury history. He felt that the only way they would make a move for Jarry is if they believe he can carry them to the Stanley Cup.

Given Jarry's career and his post-season record thus far, it's unlikely he'll replace Skinner in Edmonton.

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The Anaheim Ducks are at a surprisingly critical time in their season, a season in which they’re on track to end their seven-season playoff drought, as they sit atop the Pacific Division standings in early December and 27 games into the 2025-26 season.

However, their position remains a bit precarious, as they have just a one-point lead on the Vegas Golden Knights (32 points), who’ve played one less game than Anaheim (33 points). Also, just five points separate them from being on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in.

After jumping out to a hot start, under a new coaching staff and surprising opponents, teams seem to have adjusted and are better prepared to counter what the Ducks are trying to accomplish on a night-to-night, shift-by-shift basis. As the Ducks have undergone a systemic facelift and dealt with the pitfalls of that adjustment, the backbone of the team to this point in the season has been Lukas Dostal.

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-0 Loss to the Mammoth

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Win over the Blues

Dostal is one week into a 2-3 week timeframe to return from an upper-body injury and has been sidelined for the Ducks’ last five games, where the Ducks have gone 2-3-0. He carried an 11-5-1 record, a .904 SV%, and had saved 10.1 goals above expected (T-12th in the NHL). He, along with the Ducks' early-season ability to outscore their problems, had papered over much of the Ducks’ defensive deficiencies.

One of the areas that needed a tweak was the penalty kill, which currently sits 27th in the NHL, killing at a 75% rate. It’s not an area they can afford to be poor in, as through 27 games, they have taken 97 minor penalties (10th in the NHL) and average 10.2 PIM per game (eighth in the NHL).

The Ducks coaching staff, specifically head coach Joel Quenneville and assistant coach Ryan McGill, have begun to make said necessary tweaks. They began by overhauling their personnel deployment while down a man.

Heading into their game on Monday against the St. Louis Blues, three staples of the Ducks’ penalty kill had been Jackson LaCombe (averaging 3:04 shorthanded TOI), Leo Carlsson (1:52), and Troy Terry (1:48). All three star players were taken off the penalty kill entirely.

Pavel Mintyukov was placed on the top PK unit with Jacob Trouba. The second unit now consists of Drew Helleson and Radko Gudas. The first forwards over the boards on the kill are now Ryan Poehling and Alex Killorn, with a combination of Chris Kreider, Frank Vatrano, Jansen Harkens, and Cutter Gauthier behind them.

“Our penalty killing, I think, we had a great start to the season. I thought we did some good things,” Joel Quenneville said of his unit when asked about taking his trio of stars off the kill. “Then, I think we were getting probably too many penalties, which they’re (the opposing team) going to start to figure it out.

“So I think we can manage the amount of time we’re putting them on the (penalty kill), and at the same time, our group can be more effective by being together, knowing the pressure points, and taking away shooting lanes. It’s a combination of both. Leo and Terry, getting them resting for more of the 5v5 and the power play. It was a lot of ice time, something we looked at.“

The Ducks are now two games into this experiment, and the results have been there. The Ducks have killed seven of eight penalties over the last two games: a 4-1 win over the Blues and a 7-0 blowout loss against the Utah Mammoth.

Terry and Carlsson are both players who possess quality defensive tools. Terry is disruptive and influences attackers to low-danger areas from the wing, while Carlsson can diagnose breakouts and kill plays in the neutral zone or forecheck. However, when placed on the kill together, they were perhaps too aggressive, quick to jump for secondary pressure, and attempted to manufacture offense while down a player.

LaCombe, while an ace at defending the rush, has had his struggles this season boxing out and eliminating sticks at the net front. Too often was the opposing net front forward able to sustainably screen the Ducks’ netminder, get tips on perimeter shots, and put rebounds in the back of the net.

Though the sample is small, the Ducks have found a better balance of aggressiveness and passiveness while in zone on the kill. Carlsson, Terry, and LaCombe are now theoretically freer to focus on the offensive side of the puck, where they’re truly special, and can conserve needed energy for those 5v5 and power play minutes.

The Ducks will have a tall order on Friday, as they’ll host the white hot Washington Capitals, who have won their last six games and nine of their last ten. Despite now leading the Metropolitan Division, the Caps have only converted 17.3% of their power plays (T-22nd in the NHL) and have only generated 7.66 xGF/60 minutes (24th in the NHL) while on the man-advantage. They’ve gone 4-13 (30.8%) on the power play during their current six-game winning streak. Still, this will be a good chance to see how the PK unit is progressing on the Anaheim side.

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-3 Loss to the Blackhawks

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Lukas Dostal out 2-3 Weeks with Upper-Body Injury, Importance of Upcoming Ducks Schedule

The Florida Panthers are stuck in a rut.

Florida dropped their fourth straight game on Thursday night when they gave up a late 1-0 lead to the Nashville Predators before losing 2-1 in overtime.

The defeat was also the fifth in a row on home ice for the Panthers, which is a bit alarming on its own.

Now 26 games into the season, Florida is going to have a lot of work to do if they want to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement and back into playoff contention.

Let’s get to Thursday’s takeaways:

OVERALL TIGHT GAME

Credit to Nashville, who looked like a far better team than the one Florida dominated while skating to an 8-3 victory last Monday in their barn.

This game was far different as the Predators were much more disciplined in their systems and got much better goaltending from Juuse Saros.

That’s about where the discipline stopped for either team, though, as there were a total of 11 power plays on Thursday.

No power play goals, though.

“I think there was offense to have by both teams,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think both teams’ penalty kill was really good, and it was a 1-1 game at the end because the goalies were good.”

PENALTIES SHIFTED MOMENTUM

Florida was riding high through the game’s first 40 minutes.

While they held a slim 1-0 advantage, the Panthers were controlling puck possession and racking up the scoring chances.

That all changed thanks to a pair of penalties called on the Panthers, one in the final seconds of the second period and one almost immediately after the first one expired.

While Nashville didn’t score on either power play, starting the final frame up a man for nearly five minutes was enough to build their confidence and shift the tone of the game.

Florida had also enjoyed three straight power plays during the second period, and when many of your power play guys also go out on the penalty kill, that’s a lot of ice time for a select group of players.

“Well, we come out, we're in the box for four minutes in the first five minutes, and at that point in time, we’ve run that top-end of guys because we've had so many minutes on the power play, there's not much rest for them, so (Nashville) get a little quicker than we did,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Most of their action came in a barrage of shots. It wasn't sustained.”

BUILDING ON SMALL VICTORIES?

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Panthers.

Quite frankly, it can’t be.

There is plenty of hockey left to be played this season, and Florida is a team that still knows its ceiling is much higher than what they’ve shown to this point.

Eventually, things should turn back in a positive direction for the Panthers, but they need to start building toward that immediately.

“You're not going to be confident,” said Maurice. “It's an impossible thing to give. It's got to be earned. You just need to stack up smaller plays, break your game down to incremental things, moving the puck on the tape, finishing checks, just getting pucks on the net instead of picking corners. But, you know, we're cracking posts right now, and at least that part's there. The opportunities are there.”

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Photo caption: Dec 4, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save against Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)