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Canadiens: Dobes Shines In Big Win

After being humiliated 7-2 by the Colorado Avalanche at the end of November, Jakub Dobes and the Montreal Canadiens had a chance to make amends at the Bell Centre on Thursday night. With the NHL’s agreement, the visitors were wearing their alternate blue Quebec Nordiques jersey, which allowed the Habs to market the game as a new chapter of the Battle of Quebec. It might not have been the real deal, but the 21,000 fans that filled up the arena seemed to love it as they sang along to the Canadian anthem louder than ever.

After the November defeat, Martin St-Louis had taken the blame, saying his strategy wasn’t right on the night as he had instructed his men to let the Avs players come to them rather than being aggressive on the forecheck. Given how badly that strategy failed, it wasn’t surprising to see the Habs play a much more aggressive brand of hockey on Thursday.

Canadiens: Looking For Revenge Against the Nordiques
Canadiens’ Power Play Is Powerless Without Hutson
Canadiens: More On Eric Raymond’s Firing

Mission Accomplished

For a second game in a row, Dobes played a significant role in the Canadiens’ win. While he wasn’t tested much in the first frame when the Avalanche only took five shots on goal, thanks in part to seven blocked shots by the Habs, he took center stage in the middle frame.

As soon as the 2nd period started, Martin Necas got to the net from the wing, and the Habs goalie was ready, sticking the pad out. Seconds later, with Montreal on the penalty kill, Mike Matheson turned the puck over in front of the net to Nathan MacKinnon, and he was stoned cold by Dobes. Minutes later, it was Parker Kelly who was alone in front, and he was stopped as well. Samuel Girard suffered the same fate on a breakaway; Dobes was in the zone.

Yesterday, Martin St-Louis praised Dobes’ compete level, and that character trait was on full display again tonight. The netminder was aggressive, challenging the shooters, coming out of his net and making the big saves. On Colorado’s second goal, he sent a big rebound to the side, unaware that Joel Kiviranta was right there, but he still dove for the puck. He believes he can stop any shot, and it shows. He didn’t get it, but it doesn’t matter; he fought for it.

For a second game in a row, Dobes was named the second star of the night, and he can honestly say mission accomplished after his performance in this 7-3 win over the best team in the league.

On The Pairings

Instead of using his usual pairings, St-Louis used Mike Matheson with Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson with Noah Dobson. Asked what motivated the change, the coach explained that with Colorado’s top line, he wanted to have a real shut-down pairing:

When there’s a first time that’s so loaded, I think it helps to have skaters like Guhles and Matheson, who cover a lot of space. We did it last year as well; it’s not new. We knew we could do that. Sometimes, you get led in a direction. When you give Guhle that kind of challenge, his game rises. I liked what I saw.

Guhle played over 22 minutes tonight, by far his highest total since he came back from injury, and he had a great game. Of course, there was that scary moment when he collided with Josh Manson and left the ice, spiking his helmet on his way to the room while holding his other arm completely still, which made everyone fear the worst. When he got back on the ice, though, he completely obliterated Artturi Lehkonen with a bone-crushing hit. I believe that translates to “I’m fine” in Guhle talk.

It’s also worth mentioning that Arber Xhekaj had a good game as well tonight. He was on the ice for 13:38 and made several good, safe plays. At one stage, he was going to hit someone in the boards, but he had the discipline to stop himself when he saw how the player was positioned. Not so long ago, he would have finished the check and gotten himself a boarding call; his game has really matured.

On The Third Line

Things are starting to click between Zach Bolduc, Jake Evans, and Kirby Dach. The line produced two of the team’s seven goals and was often in complete control on the ice, not giving the Avalanche a chance to come up for air. In their own zone, they were also very efficient, accounting for five of the 21 shots the Canadiens blocked.

Dach and Bolduc already had some chemistry before the former’s injury, but they were playing with Brendan Gallagher then; it’s reassuring to see that adding Evans to the combination has only made it stronger.

Overall, the Canadiens played a really clean game tonight, and when they made mistakes, Dobes was there to bail them out. Granted, Colorado was playing a second game in as many nights, but that doesn’t diminish how good a performance the Canadiens had.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.  

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Three Takeaways: Panthers Giving Maximum Effort, Costly Errors Difficult To Overcome

A frustrating season for the Florida Panthers may have hit its peak on Thursday night.

Playing their tenth road game of the month, Florida rebounded from some rough moments in the first 20 minutes and appeared to give themselves a good chance at two points against the St. Louis Blues.

Alas, a questionable late penalty led to a last-second power play goal by the home team and sent the Panthers home to South Florida empty handed.

“That’s a tough one to swallow,” forward Sam Reinhart said afterwards.

Indeed, Sam.

Let’s get to the takeaways:

EXASPERATING WAY TO LOSE

It’s hard to put it better than Reinhart did.

Did Florida deserve to win? Eh, based off their first period (and we’ll get to that in a second), perhaps not.

But based off the effort they put forth in turning the game around, not getting down on themselves and playing the right way while clawing their way back, they absolutely deserved better than losing in the final seconds on a power play goal that came off a marginal call, though a tough one to make, to be fair.

“It’s heartbreaking because you fight back and get into it the way we did, and get so close to killing it off, with some great blocks and great battles,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “That's a tough one.”

UNCHARACTERISTIC ERRORS QUITE COSTLY

Despite taking an early lead in St. Louis, Florida quickly fell behind thanks to a couple of plays that had Maurice and his staff quite unhappy on the bench.

First it was Jake Neighbours getting behind Florida’s defense for a quick breakaway goal, and then a seemingly harmless zone entry by the Blues turned deadly when the Cats failed to pick up Jordan Kyrou in the middle of the ice.

Being the veteran, mature team that they are, Florida didn’t allow the game to spiral out of control, instead digging in and starting to put in the work on mounting a comeback.

But at the end of the day, the Panthers need to tighten the screws because these are mistake they generally do not make.

“We were a little simpler and we were a little more conscientious with what we did with the puck, and we didn’t get so far apart from each other,” Maurice said. “We had some egregious errors in the first (period) that ended up in our net.”

EVERYONE PULLING THE ROPE

There is a long list of valid reasons as to why the Panthers are where they are currently.

More than halfway through the season, Florida is fighting to maintain a spot in a crowded playoff race after an injury-plagued first half has cost them any kind of ability to manage players or playing time as the postseason nears.

It’s going to be balls to the walls from here on out, and there isn’t a person in that room who isn’t ready or up for the challenge.

“We may not have played the smartest first period we ever played, but nobody is not giving (it their all),” Maurice said. “We're paying the price for a tough schedule and a lot of guys out of lineup, and we've run some guys so hard that they’re doing it on will now.”

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Three takeaways: Panthers receive another injury scare, embellishment calls bury comeback attempt

Photo caption: Jan 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud (21) celebrates with right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) after scoring the game winning goal against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)

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Orioles news: The O’s farm system is on the upswing

Sep 12, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) hits a double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

This week has brought a renewed focus on the Orioles’ farm system — well, theirs and everyone else’s — as various publications have updated their prospect rankings for 2026, including The Athletic and ESPN. Several O’s prospects have gotten high marks, led by Samuel Basallo, who has been a consensus top-10 MLB prospect on every list so far.

Overall, the Orioles’ prospect depth seems stronger now than it was at this time last year, at least according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, who ranked the Birds as the #9 farm system in baseball. (A year ago, he had the Orioles ranked 20th.) The Birds’ improvement, Law writes, stems from a recent few months in which they have “had a banner draft, made several small trades for prospect depth, and seen several guys (Nate George, Dylan Beavers, Luis De León and Esteban Mejia) take big steps forward.”

“Depth” feels like the right word there. The Orioles’ farm isn’t quite at the level of 2021-23, when they regularly carried the most exciting prospects in baseball — Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, Jackson Holliday. This time, they don’t boast a slew of blue-chip, high-end prospects beyond Basallo. But they’ve got a whole bunch of guys with intriguing tools who are progressing nicely through the system and should contribute at the MLB level. Not every prospect is going to be a future superstar — and so far nobody of the Orioles’ previous batch has come close, beyond Henderson — but if you’ve got depth of talent all throughout your organization, you increase your odds of building a quality major league team.

I should begrudgingly mention, of course, that the reason the Orioles were able to add so much prospect depth in 2025 is because their team utterly stunk. That set off a trade-deadline selling spree in which nine O’s veterans were dealt for 15 prospects (16, if you count the draft pick the O’s acquired for Bryan Baker, which later became Slater de Brun, although he has since been traded anyway). Not all of those prospects are highly regarded, but collectively they’ve strengthened the farm system. That’s one good thing that came out of a lousy season.

The Orioles’ talent pipeline continues to churn. With any luck, it’ll lead to an O’s bounceback in 2026 and plenty more winning teams in the future.

Links

Still waiting on Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen – Steve Melewski

It’s weird that neither of these two prominent pitchers has signed yet with spring training just two weeks away. Ask Jordan Montgomery how getting a late start to the season worked out for him a couple of years ago.

Tyler Wells ready for any role Orioles have in mind – BaltimoreBaseball.com

You could do worse as a fifth starter than Tyler Wells. … I mean, a team could do worse. You would obviously do much worse than him.

Why O’s are excited about Basallo’s potential in ’26 – MLB.com

They signed him for eight years. They’d better be excited!

Because You Asked – Revenge of the Fallen – School of Roch

Roch Kubatko suggests that Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo could coexist on the O’s roster if they don’t have a utility infielder. I just don’t see how it’s possible, unless each of them is fine with getting, like, two starts per week.

With only the Orioles now, MASN remains ‘viable,’ team official says – The Baltimore Banner

The Orioles intend to live it up on MASN now that they no longer have to worry about Nationals coverage. But don’t worry, there will still be 21 hours per day of broadcasting World Chase Tag, Wingshooting USA, and random gambling shows.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles have birthdays today, including the late Davey Johnson (b. 1943, d. 2025), who was both an All-Star second baseman and one of the best managers in O’s history, though far too briefly. Also born on Jan. 30 were right-hander Joe Kerrigan (72) and the late first baseman Walt Dropo (b. 1923, d. 2010).

On this date in 1997, the Orioles signed utility infielder Jeff Reboulet as a free agent. Reboulet was a well below-average hitter, with just a 61 OPS+ in his three seasons with the Birds, but was legendary for his inexplicable success against Hall of Fame lefty Randy Johnson. Reboulet posted a .790 career OPS in 60 career PAs against the Big Unit, including a home run off of him in the Orioles’ 1997 Division Series win against the Mariners.

And on this day in 2003, the O’s elected Cal Ripken Jr. into the Orioles Hall of Fame. Phew! Thank goodness he got enough votes.

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Phillies News: Zack Wheeler, Otto Kemp, the Outfield

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 15: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s cold. Very cold. You know where it’s not cold? Clearwater.

Now is a pretty good time to plan a Spring Training trip.

Phillies news

Zack Wheeler was set to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic before his injury derailed the plans.

MLB.com takes a look at the Phillies’ outfield for the upcoming season.

Lochlahn March of the Inquirer looks at what Otto Kemp can contribute to the team. ($)

MLB news

Farm system rankings! Get your farm system rankings here!

One player in each division you can’t take your eyes off of. Will Phillies fans like the choice for the NL East? No, but it’s hard to argue against it.

The Yankees and Angels made a trade, with the Halos getting a pitcher and the Pinstripes getting cash considerations.

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Chicago Cubs history unpacked, January 30

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.

“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.

Happy birthday to Brailyn Marquez*, Grover Cleveland Alexander threatens to retire,and other stories.

Today in baseball history:

  • 1917 – Pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander announces he is ready to retire from professional baseball and join a semipro team if his salary demands are not met. Alexander wants a three-year contract at $15,000 per year. (2)
  • 1926 – The Major League Rules Committee agrees that pitchers may have access to a rosin bag. On February 8, the American League will refuse to permit its use, but on April 28th, the league will give in and allow a rosin bag on the field, but discourage its use by players. The Committee also discusses the possible elimination of the intentional walk, a topic that has come up before, by making the pitcher throw to the batter. Calling a balk on the catcher if he steps out of his box has not eliminated the intentional walk as intended. No action is taken, however. (2)
  • 1952 – Peter J. McGovern becomes the Little League‘s first full-time president and the league’s office is moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (2)
  • 1958 – Commissioner Ford Frick announces that players and coaches, rather than the fans, will vote on selections for the All-Star Game. The vote will not return to the fans until 1970, when Commissioner Bowie Kuhn reverses Frick’s action. The decision is a reaction to alleged ballot box stuffing by Cincinnati fans before last year’s All-Star Game. (2)
  • 1987 – The Oakland Athletics acquire veteran third baseman Ron Cey from the Chicago Cubs for infielder Luis Quiñones. Cey will hit .221 for Oakland this year – his final major league season. (2)
  • 2006 – The Cubs and Jerry Hairston Jr. (.261, 4, 30) avoid salary arbitration when the second baseman/outfielder agrees to a one-year, $2.3 million deal. The 29-year-old Illinois native was acquired from the Orioles last February for slugger Sammy Sosa. (2)
  • 2011 – The Cubs sign two Cuban defectors who once played for the junior national team, OF Rubi Silva and C Yaniel Cabeza, both 21 and already veterans of the Serie Nacional. (2)
  • 2017 – Commissioner Rob Manfred issues a ruling in the case of an employee of the St. Louis Cardinals caught for hacking into the scouting database of the Houston Astros. The Cards are fined $2 million, which they must pay to Houston, and also surrender two top picks in the upcoming amateur draft to the Astros. The guilty former employee, Chris Correa, incurs a lifetime ban. This is on the top of the 46-month prison sentence and $279,000 fine he received after pleading guilty to federal charges last July. (2)

Cubs Birthdays:Doc Watson, Vin Campbell, Davey Johnson, Matt Alexander, Brailyn Marquez*.

Today in History:

  • 1661 – Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England is ritually executed after having been dead for two years.
  • 1835 – Richard Lawrence misfires at President Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C. in first attempted assassination of a US President.

Common sources:

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.

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DitD & Open Post – 1/30/26: Lower-Body Edition

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 29: Roman Josi #59 of the Nashville Predators looks to play the puck while being defended by Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Prudential Center on January 29, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

A tying third-period goal from Jesper Bratt, and a Nico Hischier goal in overtime pushed the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Predators on Thursday. [Devils NHL]

Well!

“The Devils did well in the Palát half of this trade, but Tsyplakov is not a bum. He only has one goal and one assist in 27 games this season, but he was a legit middle-six winger as a rookie last season. Tsyplakov was one of the Islanders’ more efficient five-on-five scorers a season ago, averaging 1.84 points per 60 minutes. That ranked fifth among the team’s skaters.” [Devils on the Rush]

“Things have changed leading up to the Palat trade with some Devils trade chips. With the expectation that New Jersey isn’t done dealing, what tier do each of their assets live in?” [New Jersey Hockey Now]

On Luke Hughes: “As well as he anticipates offensively, it just hasn’t connected when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick. And those mistakes can spiral and directly contribute to the Devils falling behind in games. The circumstances around him have put even more attention on that. If Hughes can start processing defensive situations quicker and more efficiently, he should be able to problem solve back to offensive situations — and that’s the area of his game that really lacks. Fixing that will keep him on the path to becoming a true top-pair caliber defenseman.” [The Athletic ($)]

Hockey Links

It’s still hard to believe this is happening in Tampa, but it is: “The crew building the ice rink for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series feels it has hit the lottery despite it being one of the trickiest projects in the NHL’s 23-year history of outdoor games.” [NHL.com]

Stadium Series announcement:

Artemi Panarin:

A look at the trade and contract extension market for Artemi Panarin: “It most likely involves teams that aren’t scared of signing a 34-year-old player to a four-year extension with, perhaps, a double-digit average annual salary. That’s what we think the extension would be if this gets done.” [TSN]

A look at how seven early NHL trades have worked out so far: [Sportsnet]

Assessing 12 rebuilding franchises and where they stand on their journeys: [Daily Faceoff]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

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Rangers 'share anger' over Porto stadium issues

Rangers say they have received numerous reports from fans and staff regarding issues at Porto's stadium during the Europa League defeat and will be "pursuing them with the relevant parties".

Rangers will collect further information about the complaints, with reports suggesting visiting fans were held inside Estadio do Dragao for up to two hours on Thursday night after the 3-1 defeat.

Djeidi Gassama gave Danny Rohl's team the lead but the home side fought back to win and leave Rangers in 32nd place of the 36 teams in the Europa League phase.

A Rangers statement read: "Following the match in Porto, we've received multiple reports from supporters and staff about issues in and around the stadium.

"That's not what anyone who travelled to support Rangers should have had to deal with, and we share the concern, anger and frustration felt by those affected.

"We will be gathering complaints and feedback and will pursue this with the relevant parties."

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Marc-Andre Fleury appreciates interest, but he's staying retired

The goalie trade market is pretty scarce, so some NHL teams have reached into the recent past.

And while retired Marc-Andre Fleury is flattered by the attention, he says he plans to stay retired.

"I had some calls and I took the time to think about it," he recently told USA TODAY's Sports Seriously. "It's very nice of them to think of me in that way, very flattering, but then at the end of the day, I stopped playing for some reasons. I thought it was better to just stay on the sidelines."

Fleury hung up his skates after 21 seasons in 2025, finishing with three Stanley Cup titles, a Vezina Trophy and the second most regular-season wins in NHL history (575). Since the playoffs ended for the Minnesota Wild, he played for Canada in the world championships and for one period and a shootout of a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but now his focus is on a post-playing life.

He's enjoying the freedom of having more time but says there are other times when he misses playing.

"I miss the guys, I miss the competition, I miss battling as a team trying to win a game and the feeling that you get when you win a game," he said.

But he's finding plenty to do. He's coaching his 6-year-old, he's playing tennis, has driven a race car, tried some boxing and he went skiing, which he wouldn't be able to do under an NHL contract. He has a partnership with Kraft Hockeyville, which brings a preseason NHL game to a small community and helps refurbish rinks. He occasionally puts on the goalie pads, as his agent, Allan Walsh, posted on Thursday.

He'll be watching as NHL players return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. Being a Quebec province native, he's choosing Canada to win, though he also said the USA and Sweden have solid teams.

"I just think it will be great hockey," he said. "I think it will be fun to watch, so many good teams and players out there. You never know in a tournament. It's not a best of seven, it's one game, so crazy things can happen. It can go different ways."

Fleury was also paying attention when Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky and San Jose's Alex Nedeljkovic had the first goalie fight since 2020.

"I think it's awesome," he said. "Nobody got hurt and to see two goalies fight, it's always so awkward because we got all the equipment and we're not used to fighting. It's funny to watch."

Fleury nearly had his chance in 2023 but was kept away as he skated down the ice and challenged St. Louis' Jordan Binnington.

"I have nothing against Jordan, really," he said. "I always wanted one fight in the NHL since I came in. In 21 years, I wanted to score a goal and have a fight. I came close on both but couldn't get it done."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marc-Andre Fleury not interested in comeback despite interest

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NHL mock draft: Ivar Stenberg leads Gavin McKenna before the Olympics

As the scouting cycle for the upcoming NHL draft progresses, the gaps between the top talent in the 2026 class are closing at a rapid rate.

Headlined by Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff, this group features a ton of players making second-half surges, such as Chase Reid and Caleb Malhotra, proving the rankings of these prospects are far from decided.

The NHL standings are far from decided as well. The Vancouver Canucks are still in last place, but the St. Louis Blues slid, while the Winnipeg Jets climbed up three spots in the past two weeks.

Considering the standings and the needs of the teams positioned to select in the top 16 of the first round, let's take a crack at what those picks could look like in June.

(Draft order determined by standings, sorted by points percentage, before games on Jan. 29, 2026)

NHL mock draft: Top 16 picks

1. Vancouver Canucks: Frolunda (Sweden) left wing Ivar Stenberg

With 28 points in 29 games, Stenberg is scoring at a rate we rarely see among draft-eligible players in pro hockey, challenging Daniel Sedin's record for the most points by a Swedish League player in their draft year. Production is one thing, but his ability to create offense through contact, his vision, shooting, playmaking and two-way game have him projected as a top-end talent that will give opposing teams nightmares at both ends of the ice.

2. St. Louis Blues: Penn State (NCAA) left wing Gavin McKenna

McKenna has really found his confidence since returning to Penn State after the world juniors, putting together 11 points in his last five games, including a hat trick in a four-point effort against Wisconsin. If he continues to string together games where he shows how overwhelming and assertive he can be offensively, while also finding ways to impact the game away from the puck, he'll reclaim the top spot in this class.

3. Calgary Flames: Boston University (NCAA) center Tynan Lawrence

There are few players who can match Lawrence's pace of play in this class. His ability to transport the puck through the neutral zone remains elite, and there were times this season in the USHL when he looked two steps ahead of every other player, creating dangerous chances. There have been some growing pains since switching to the NCAA, but Lawrence still possesses high-end tools that make him worthy of being selected in this range.

4. New York Rangers: North Dakota (NCAA) defenseman Keaton Verhoeff

As a 6-foot-4, 208-pound right-shot defenseman, Verhoeff possesses one of the most sought-after physical profiles in today's NHL. On top of that, he handles a heavy workload at the NCAA level, often playing over 20 minutes a night while displaying a mature defensive foundation and consistently improving as an offensive threat with his shot and playmaking vision. There are others pushing Verhoeff as the top defender in this class, but he remains the top choice.

5. Winnipeg Jets: Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) defenseman Chase Reid

Chase Reid is truly the total package. His length, mobility, and hockey IQ makes it very difficult for opposing players to create advantages over him while defending. He’s also arguably the best player at creating transition offense next to Lawrence in this class with his feel for anticipating offense, developing into a breakout threat with his passing and skating. There’s not much separating him from Verhoeff, and he could easily be a top-3 pick this summer.

6. Chicago Blackhawks: Jukurit (Finland) defenseman Alberts Smits

Smits may have the highest compete level among all players in this class. His game oozes confidence in his willingness to engage in the rush, and he looks to be a difference-maker every time he steps on the ice despite playing against grown men in Finland. Smits is on Latvia's roster for the Winter Olympics in Milan, and it should be a treat to watch him play against the top competition in the world.

7. Nashville Predators: Vancouver (WHL) defenseman Ryan Lin

While concerns regarding Lin's size may have others leap him on draft day, he's easily the most detailed defender in this class. He's not overly physical, but he competes incredibly hard and wins puck battles at a high rate without compromising his positioning. His offensive production may be misleading, as he doesn't have any standout tools that would suggest he'll be a top point producer in the NHL, but he's a reliable top-four D-man nonetheless.

8. Washington Capitals: Djurgarden (Sweden) center Viggo Bjorck

Bjorck plays with a motor that has allowed a lot of scouts to overlook his size disadvantages and skating issues this season. He's constantly putting pressure on opponents while on the forecheck and wins a ton of battles that turn into dangerous scoring chances thanks to his crafty playmaking. It's unlikely he'll remain a center as he develops, but he'll undoubtedly be a great complementary winger with top-six potential at the NHL level someday.

9. New Jersey Devils: Windsor (OHL) left wing Ethan Belchetz

Things have trended downward a bit for Belchetz over the past few weeks. He's continued to show flashes of high-end playmaking, and his physical tools alone will still make him highly sought after on draft day. However, with his offensive production slowing down, he must find a way to impose his will as he did early in the season to overcome his skating issues and maintain his status as a top-10 prospect.

10. Ottawa Senators: Forfeited draft pick

The Ottawa Senators will forfeit this year's draft pick after failing to disclose Evgenii Dadonov's limited no-trade clause when they sent him to Vegas in 2021, leading to an invalidated trade between the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks the following year. The Senators drafted in the top 10 four times in the last six years, choosing Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Tyler Boucher and Carter Yakemchuk.

11. Boston Bruins (via Toronto): Prince George (WHL) defenseman Carson Carels

Carels has some of the best hockey sense in this class, and it's reflected in the trust he's gained in Prince George, playing on the power play and penalty kill. What makes Carels so special is that he projects as a top-pairing defender who could play in a shutdown role or use his playmaking instincts to affect the game offensively, depending on what the assignment is on any given night.

12. Seattle Kraken: Prince Albert (WHL) defenseman Daxon Rudolph

Rudolph is a smooth skater who uses his feet effectively to lead rushes and shut down plays in the defensive end. While he's not overly physical, he has great range at 6-foot-2 and is smart with his stick in breaking up plays in zone and off the rush. As Rudolph continues to stack dominant offensive performances with the Prince Albert Raiders, he's inching closer to being a top-10 player in this class.

13. Philadelphia Flyers: Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) defenseman Xavier Villeneuve

There is no defenseman in this class who's more gifted with the puck than Villeneuve. He uses his deception and skating ability to create separation at the blueline very similarly to Lane Hutson. Villeneuve's defensive game leaves a lot to be desired, and as an undersized defender, that could be a cause for concern. However, his compete level and foundation of skills are worth betting on as a potential top power-play quarterback in the NHL.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Brantford (OHL) center Caleb Malhotra

Malhotra's skill, decision-making and mature two-way habits undeniably make him worthy of being picked in this range. He's been a standout offensive producer in his first OHL season on a Brantford team filled with NHL-drafted talent, and in a class without many high-end options at the center position, don't be surprised if he's taken much higher on draft day. 

15. Anaheim Ducks: Peterborough (OHL) left wing Adam Novotny

Novotny has continued to be an offensive threat for Peterborough after a solid world juniors showing with Czechia, displaying his high-end skating and wicked shot that beats goaltenders regularly from just outside the dots. Novotny feels like a player coaches at the NHL level will gravitate toward, given his stick habits and polished defensive game. He projects as a middle-six winger with scoring upside who is capable of playing both special-teams roles.

16. San Jose Sharks: HV71 (Sweden) defensemen Malte Gustafsson

Gustafsson is a 6-foot-4 defenseman with good mobility. He's shown flashes of playmaking as of late, earning him some power play opportunities at the Swedish men's level while playing an overall bigger role on a weak HV71 team. He's hovered in this range for a while, but if he shows that he can truly add an offensive layer to his game, there's a good shot he'll end up as a lottery pick this year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL mock draft 2026: Ivar Stenberg leads pre-Olympics edition

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Today on Pinstripe Alley – 1/30/26

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 07: Ben Rice #22 and Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees look on from the dugout before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on October 7, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We’re nearly ready to close out January, which means we’ve almost run out the clock on the last month without any professional Major League baseball being played. By the end of February, spring training games will be in full swing, and not long after that, we’ll have genuine, high-stakes international baseball in the form of the WBC. It’s close enough to be mouth-watering, but for just a little while longer, we’ll have to wait out the cold. On the site today, Estevão analyzes the free-agent deal the Yankees once gave Mariano Rivera as part of our Free Agent series, while Sam celebrates an obscure player, Hipólito Peña, for our Yankees Birthday series. Also, with the Yankees’ starting pitching depth still in question to start the season, Andrés ponders whether they should consider someone like veteran José Quintana.

Questions/Prompts:

1. If you had to pick now, who would you choose to hit the second-most homers on the Yankees in 2026?

2. Now that most of the major free agents have signed, what would you say has been the most surprising signing of the offseason?

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Pens Points: Winning ways continue

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 29: Ryan Shea #5 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…

Forwards Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakhov scored in a 31-second span in what was a dominant second period, as the Pittsburgh Penguins breezed by the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory. [Recap]

As seen during the game, the Penguins officially recalled forward Rutger McGroarty from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday morning. [PensBurgh]

With Bryan Rust out for the next three games (including the game against the Blackhawks on Thursday), forward Justin Brazeau is expected to perform top-line duties in his absence. [Trib Live]

Updates from around the NHL…

The Colorado Avalanche donned Quebec Nordiques jerseys on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre, ceremoniously reigniting the Battle of Quebec that took place decades prior. [Sportsnet]

The Dallas Stars will host the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, in a Stadium Series game next season. The game will take place on Feb. 20, 2027. [Sportsnet]

New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin is not expected to play again before the Olympic break, according to NHL insiders, for what is being called “roster management purposes.” [TSN]

Kane owns the record: Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane became the highest-scoring United States-born player in NHL history in the Red Wings’ 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. [Associated Press]

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Panthers host the Jets after Tkachuk's 2-goal game

Winnipeg Jets (21-25-7, in the Central Division) vs. Florida Panthers (28-22-3, in the Atlantic Division)

Sunrise, Florida; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers host the Winnipeg Jets after Matthew Tkachuk's two-goal game against the St. Louis Blues in the Panthers' 5-4 loss.

Florida has gone 14-11-3 in home games and 28-22-3 overall. The Panthers have committed 252 total penalties (4.8 per game) to rank second in NHL play.

Winnipeg has gone 9-15-2 on the road and 21-25-7 overall. The Jets have a 6-11-5 record in one-goal games.

Saturday's game is the second time these teams square off this season. The Panthers won 2-1 in a shootout in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Sam Bennett has scored 19 goals with 23 assists for the Panthers. A.J. Greer has four goals and one assist over the past 10 games.

Mark Scheifele has 26 goals and 38 assists for the Jets. Gabriel Vilardi has scored three goals and added four assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 6-4-0, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.1 assists, 5.6 penalties and 13.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.

Jets: 5-3-2, averaging 2.8 goals, five assists, 2.4 penalties and five penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Panthers: None listed.

Jets: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Canadiens visit the Sabres following Suzuki's 2-goal game

Montreal Canadiens (30-17-7, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Buffalo Sabres (31-17-5, in the Atlantic Division)

Buffalo, New York; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres after Nicholas Suzuki's two-goal game against the Colorado Avalanche in the Canadiens' 7-3 win.

Buffalo is 31-17-5 overall with a 10-3-2 record against the Atlantic Division. The Sabres have a 4-2-5 record in games decided by a goal.

Montreal is 30-17-7 overall with a 9-8-1 record against the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens have a 13-5-3 record in one-goal games.

Saturday's game is the fourth time these teams meet this season. The Sabres won 4-2 in the last meeting.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tage Thompson has 28 goals and 27 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has eight goals and two assists over the last 10 games.

Lane Hutson has nine goals and 46 assists for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield has scored nine goals and added three assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 7-2-1, averaging 4.3 goals, 6.9 assists, four penalties and 10.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

Canadiens: 5-4-1, averaging 3.6 goals, 6.3 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sabres: None listed.

Canadiens: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Golden Knights bring 3-game losing streak into matchup with the Kraken

Seattle Kraken (25-19-9, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (25-14-14, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights take on the Seattle Kraken after losing three in a row.

Vegas is 7-2-4 against the Pacific Division and 25-14-14 overall. The Golden Knights are 5-4-4 when they commit more penalties than their opponent.

Seattle is 25-19-9 overall with a 10-5-1 record in Pacific Division play. The Kraken are 24-6-3 when scoring at least three goals.

The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. The Kraken won 2-1 in overtime in the last matchup.

TOP PERFORMERS: Pavel Dorofeyev has 24 goals and 16 assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has five goals and 10 assists over the past 10 games.

Vince Dunn has seven goals and 24 assists for the Kraken. Jared McCann has scored seven goals with six assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 5-3-2, averaging four goals, 6.6 assists, 2.5 penalties and 5.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

Kraken: 5-4-1, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.

Kraken: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Flames bring losing streak into game against the Sharks

San Jose Sharks (27-21-4, in the Pacific Division) vs. Calgary Flames (21-26-6, in the Pacific Division)

Calgary, Alberta; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Calgary Flames play the San Jose Sharks as losers of five straight games.

Calgary is 21-26-6 overall with a 7-6-1 record in Pacific Division play. The Flames serve 12.3 penalty minutes per game to rank third in NHL play.

San Jose has gone 27-21-4 overall with an 8-7-3 record in Pacific Division play. The Sharks have conceded 179 goals while scoring 162 for a -17 scoring differential.

The teams meet Saturday for the third time this season. The Sharks won 6-3 in the previous matchup. Macklin Celebrini led the Sharks with two goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Morgan Frost has scored 11 goals with 14 assists for the Flames. Matthew Coronato has three goals and one assist over the last 10 games.

Will Smith has 15 goals and 22 assists for the Sharks. Celebrini has four goals and 11 assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Flames: 3-5-2, averaging two goals, 3.3 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

Sharks: 6-3-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.2 penalties and seven penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Flames: None listed.

Sharks: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.