The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly almost moved Easton Cowan and defensive prospect Ben Danford to the St. Louis Blues last March in a trade for Brayden Schenn.

According to Nick Kypreos, who wrote about this in columns for Sportsnet and the Toronto Star, the Maple Leafs had nearly traded the two prospects to the Blues before St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong decided against it.

"Last year, Easton Cowan was pushed as a trade chip in an effort to try and obtain Brayden Schenn, but Cowan’s going to be hard to put into play again this season. However, depending on what the return is, we can’t rule out the possibility," Kypreos wrote on Sportsnet.ca.

In his column with the Toronto Star, Kypreos added: "Cowan was close to being sent to the Blues last season in a package with defence prospect Ben Danford to bring back Brayden Schenn, who the Leafs desperately wanted to go head to head with Panthers bruiser Sam Bennett in the playoffs. But word is it was St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong who was reluctant to pull the trigger.

"Maybe Cowan could be used as trade bait this season. Danford, one of their goalies and spare scraps in the AHL could be, too. But even then, it’s hard to see the Leafs being able to add a scoring winger or puck-moving defenceman who can significantly help them."

Ahead of last year's trade deadline, Toronto was looking to bolster its center depth. They were looking for a bottom-six player who could play down the middle. Eventually, they acquired Scott Laughton (plus two later round picks) from the Philadelphia Flyers for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a conditional first-round pick.

In another move, the Maple Leafs moved then-prospect Fraser Minten and a first-round pick to the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Brandon Carlo.

Had Schenn joined Toronto, he would've been a Craig Berube favorite after the two won a Stanley Cup together with St. Louis in 2019. Schenn is in the sixth season of an eight-year, $52 million contract, which carries an annual average value of $6.5 million.

The 34-year-old has nine goals and 18 points in 44 games with the Blues this season.

'It Was Between Florida And Toronto': Panthers' Brad Marchand Reveals Signing With Maple Leafs Was Possibility If He Hit Free AgencyMarchand added on Tuesday that, despite Toronto's strong play as of late, it was unfortunate to see that the fans "ran" Mitch Marner out of town.

It would've been fascinating to see how the Maple Leafs would've looked had they made this trade.

Cowan is well-liked by Berube, who currently has him on a third line with Nicolas Roy and Nick Robertson. The trio has developed quite a chemistry since coming together, and have combined for nine points in their four games as a line.

The 20-year-old has five goals and 12 points in 31 games this season.

Danford, who was the other prospect reportedly thrown into the possible trade, just finished up the World Juniors with Team Canada, where he won a bronze medal and was primarily a third-pairing defenseman. He tallied one assist in seven games.

The 19-year-old impressed many Maple Leafs at the NHL camp last fall and is arguably Toronto's number-one prospect now that Cowan has moved on to the NHL. Danford is in his final year of the OHL, currently on a strong Brantford Bulldogs team with Memorial Cup hopes.

Maple Leafs reportedly want to add on defense

Speaking of trades, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is reportedly seeing what's out there when it comes to the defenseman market.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Toronto's "primary focus" at the moment is on its blue line.

Two games after Chris Tanev returned from an upper-body injury — which forced him to miss almost two months — he picked up a lower-body ailment that could require surgery.

Maple Leafs Lose Chris Tanev And Dakota Joshua For 'Significant Time', Other Injury UpdatesTanev picked up a groin injury, and Joshua suffered a kidney injury in Sunday's game against the Red Wings.

The Maple Leafs did get Brandon Carlo back on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, and that's a big boost given how much he can play. (He finished with a plus-two, playing 17:41 of ice time alongside Morgan Rielly on Toronto's top pair.)

"The problem Treliving has right now," Dreger reports, "is that the market is thin. We're talking about older defense, perhaps the end of their run, and third-pairing guys. So there hasn't been a fit that's surfaced just yet."

NHL insider Chris Johnston released his latest trade board for The Athletic, and two Pittsburgh Penguins made the cut: defenseman Brett Kulak and forward Bryan Rust. 

Kulak was given the No. 21 spot on Johnston's list. The 32-year-old defenseman certainly has the potential to generate interest from contenders, as he is a solid bottom-pairing defenseman with plenty of playoff experience. 

In 10 games with the Penguins since being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers earlier this season, Kulak has recorded two assists, 20 blocks, and an even plus/minus rating. This is after he had two assists and a minus-7 rating in 31 games for the Oilers before being acquired by Pittsburgh. 

Rust, on the other hand, landed the No. 32 spot on Johnston's new trade board. The star winger has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time, but the Penguins also do not need to rush a move centering around him. This is because he is signed until the end of the 2027-28 season. 

Any potential Rust trade would be a big deal, as he is an incredibly important part of the Penguins' roster. However, with the Penguins also focused on the future, he has the potential to be an excellent trade chip for them if they are open to moving him. 

Winnipeg Jets rookie forward Danny Zhilkin is expected to make his long-awaited NHL debut Thursday night against the Edmonton Oilers, marking a major milestone in his young professional career.

The Jets recalled the 22-year-old from the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose ahead of the matchup, finally giving Zhilkin his first opportunity at the NHL level after three seasons of development within the organization. To create roster space, Winnipeg placed defenseman Haydn Fleury on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 6.

Fleury was injured during Tuesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights after taking a hard fall into the boards following a hit. The defenseman was stretchered off the ice in a scary scene and has since been diagnosed with a broken nose and a bruised back.

Set for a memorable day ✈️

Danny Zhilkin will make his @NHL debut tonight!@Wawanesa | #GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/oB55RIGN3L

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 8, 2026

For Zhilkin, the recall is the result of patience and steady progress. Selected by the Jets in the third round, 102nd overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft, he entered the professional ranks with high expectations and has gradually rounded out his game with the Moose. Each season has shown measurable growth, both offensively and defensively.

This year, Zhilkin has recorded 14 points in 30 games, already nearing the combined 17 points he produced across his first two AHL seasons. His increased production has come alongside improved consistency away from the puck, an area the Jets have prioritized in his development. His responsible two-way play has helped him earn trust from coaches and management alike.

Zhilkin was on the cusp of making the Jets earlier this season, surviving until the final roster cuts of training camp after an impressive preseason. At the time, his performance left the impression that an NHL debut was inevitable and Wednesday’s recall confirms that belief.

In his 100th @TheAHL game, Danny Zhilkin finds the back of the net!#GoMooseGopic.twitter.com/dgv6q6hC17

— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) October 18, 2025

The timing of Zhilkin’s opportunity may also reflect a broader shift for Winnipeg. With losses piling up and postseason aspirations growing slimer, the Jets appear poised to take a longer look at their younger players to evaluate future roles. Zhilkin now gets the first chance to prove he belongs, with Thursday’s game against Edmonton serving as the opening chapter of his NHL journey.

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.

In the second game of a six-game road trip, the Vancouver Canucks (16–21–5) head to Detroit to take on the Detroit Red Wings in their second matchup of the season. Last time, Vancouver fell to Detroit by a score of 4–0 on home-ice. The Canucks haven’t fared much better since, as their last game featured a late comeback stymied by a confident Buffalo Sabres team that handed them a 5–3 loss. Detroit is coming off a 5–3 victory against the Ottawa Senators on Monday. Vancouver still has yet to register their first win of 2026. 

A common theme for the Canucks throughout the season has been the effort level, which, oftentimes, has seen this team look competitive in games they really had no business being competitive in. Still, somehow, Vancouver has ended up losing the majority of games in which they’ve outshot their opponents, the most recent being Tuesday’s loss to the Sabres during which shots were 37–20 for the Canucks. 

Vancouver’s power play has been a talking point as of late, as they’ve scored four goals since the start of 2026. While they did allow a shorthanded goal against on Tuesday, for the most part, the power play has been clicking for many of their opportunities. During each of their matches against the Boston Bruins on Saturday and the Sabres on Tuesday, Vancouver logged 12 shots on goal while on the man-advantage. Dating back to their December 30 game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the lowest number of scoring chances-for the team has logged while on the power play has been seven. With Detroit’s penalty kill clicking at a respectable rate of 80.7%, Vancouver will want to continue their power play streak heading into tonight’s game. 

As it stands, the Canucks’ lines could get pretty blended up tonight, as the team iced some interesting combinations during their practice on Wednesday. These included combinations like Jake DeBrusk with Aatu Räty and Drew O’Connor, Evander Kane with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, and Nils Höglander with David Kämpf and Kiefer Sherwood. With that being said, Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote noted not to look too deeply into these practice lines, so these may not be the combinations iced come puck drop.  

Players To Watch: 

Jake DeBrusk 

Throughout his NHL career, DeBrusk has averaged a point per game against the Red Wings, scoring six goals and four assists in 10 games. This includes his second-career hat trick, which he recorded on December 1 of 2024 against Detroit. The forward has been playing well since being healthy-scratched on December 28, having registered two goals and two assists in his past three games. He’ll look to increase this total tonight, whether that’s alongside the impressive trio of himself, Pettersson, and Linus Karlsson, or a new set of linemates. 

Lucas Raymond

Detroit’s leading points-getter, Raymond had one assist during the Canucks and Red Wings’ last matchup back on December 8. The skilled forward currently has a goal and three assists in his last five games and put up four multi-point games throughout December. Raymond swapped lines during his team’s last game, joining J.T. Compher and James Van Riemsdyk on the third line. While it’s unknown whether or not this line will stay together heading into tonight’s matchup, all three members of this trio ended up on the scoresheet in their last game.  

Vancouver Canucks (16–21–5): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 11–15–26

Filip Hronek: 3–23–26

Kiefer Sherwood: 17–5–22 

Conor Garland: 7–15–22

Jake DeBrusk: 11–10–21 

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–9–1

Kevin Lankinen: 6–10–4

Nikita Tolopilo: 2-1-0

Jiří Patera: 0-1-0

Detroit Red Wings (25–15–4): 

Points: 

Lucas Raymond: 12–33–45 

Alex DeBrincat: 22–21–43

Dylan Larkin: 22–17–39 

Moritz Seider: 7–24–31

Patrick Kane: 6–18–24 

Goaltenders: 

John Gibson: 14–9–1 

Cam Talbot: 11–6–3

Game Information: 

Start time: 4:00 pm PT

Venue: Little Caesars Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

13 Former Canucks Taking Part In 2026 Winter Olympics

Playoffs? Why The Post-Season Is Not A Reality For The 2025-26 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks’ Lukas Reichel To Represent Germany At 2026 Winter Olympics

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.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to take on the Vegas Golden Knights tonight at 10 PM. 

Vegas Golden Knights - 18-11-12 - 48 Points - 2-5-3 in the last 10 - 1st in the Pacific

Columbus Blue Jackets - 18-17-7 - 43 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro  

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 17.9% - 20th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 76.0% - 29th in the NHL
• Goals For - 125 - 21st in the NHL
• Goals Against - 141 - 25th in the NHL

Golden Knights Stats

• Power Play - 25.2% - 5th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 81.8% - 8th in the NHL
• Goals For - 127 - 19th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 124 - 11th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheGolden Knights

• Columbus is 7-7-1 all-time, and 3-4-0 on the road in Vegas.
• The home team is 5-2-2 in the last 9 games of the series.
• Columbus lost 3-2 at NWA back on December 13th.

Who To Watch For TheGolden Knights

• Tomáš Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev lead the team with 16 goals
• Mitch Marner leads the VGK with 33 assists.
• Akira Schmid is 11-4-5 with a SV% of .894.
• Carter Hart is 5-3-3 with a SV% of .874

CBJ Player Notes vs.Golden Knights

• Zach Werenski has 9 points in 13 career games against Vegas.
• Boone Jenner has 4 points in 13 games.
• Charlie Coyle has 12 points in 16 games against the Golden Knights.

Injuries 

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 34 Games - IR - No timeline for a return.
• Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 6 Games - IR
• Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 3 Games - IR - Week-to-week.
• Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 4 Game IR - Week to week.
• Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 1 Game - Week to week.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 100

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 93.3 The Bus, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

***Simulcasted on CW Columbus, WUAB in Cleveland, WXIX in Cincinnati, WZCD in Dayton, WQCW in Charleston/Huntington, WV, WKYT in Lexington, KY and WAVE in Louisville, KY

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 

Let us know what you think below.

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.

New York Islanders' No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer's meteoric rise in the National Hockey League media landscape took another step forward on Wednesday.

After being called out by National Football League icon Tom Brady to represent his NOBULL clothing brand, the defenseman appeared in a commercial featuring various NHL stars. 

Here is the 30-second @nobull ad featuring their newest signee, Matthew Schaefer #Islespic.twitter.com/eFfOTAEQTk

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) January 8, 2026

The seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback acquired No Bull in a merger with his nutrition and apparel brands in Jan. 2024. Today, the company sells apparel and footwear and has collaborated with various leagues and teams. The NHL announced a partnership with the company in October, making NOBULL the league's official footwear partner.  

As the brand looks to grow its image with NHL players and teams, Brady was asked on Sunday which NHL player he would sign if given the opportunity. 

His answer was the first-overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. He received high praise from Brady, drawing comparisons to his "eye of the tiger" mentality from his playing days. 

Schaefer was asked about it two days later, saying he had a FaceTime with Brady, resulting in him signing on with the brand. 

#Isles Matthew Schaefer said he is signed to @nobull, @TomBrady’s brand.

Said he face-timed with Brady.

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) January 6, 2026

Matthew Schaefer On Talking With Tom Brady, Playing Through Illness & His Hockey Night In Canada DebutMatthew Schaefer has signed with Tom Brady's brand, NOBULL.

"I’m super honored to be a part of what they’ve got going on, especially with Tom involved," Schaefer said Tuesday. "I didn’t grow up watching a ton of football, but of course, I knew who Tom Brady was. Everyone did. He was the GOAT. It was pretty special to talk to him and hear from someone I’ve looked up to.”

The partnership comes during Schaefer's historic start to his NHL career. The defenseman has 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points in 43 games, sitting right in the thick of Calder Trophy talks for the league's rookie of the year. 

Schaefer and the Islanders return to action on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, with puck drop scheduled for 8:00 p.m. 

The Florida Panthers will look to bounce back from a rough start to their season-long road trip when they suit up on Thursday night in Montreal.

Fresh off a frustrating 4-1 defeat in Toronto two nights ago, the Panthers will try to avoid losing more ground in the Atlantic Division when they face the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Center.

Entering play Thursday, Florida holds 47 points, which put them two points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Wild Card spot and seven points behind Montreal and Detroit, who sit in second and third in the division with 54 points apiece.

The Cats received a bit of a scare on Tuesday when star forward and leading scorer Brad Marchand did not finish the game against the Maple Leafs.

After playing the first two periods, Marchand did not come out for the third, leading to speculation and fear from fans that he would join Florida’s extended list of injured players.

Fortunately, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said after the game that the decision to hold Marchand out of the final frame was his, not medical staff, adding that Marchand had been battling an injury and he help him out to keep it from getting any worse.

Will that injury keep Marchand out on Thursday in Montreal? The hope is that it will not, but we won’t know for sure until after Florida’s morning skate.

It’s an optional skate, so judging by the attendance on the ice won’t be a solid metric. We’ll have to see what Maurice says when he addresses the media afterwards.

As for the Canadiens, they will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating Calgary 4-1 on Wednesday.

The win was Montreal’s fourth in five games. They’ve gone 9-2-3 since early December, taking them from two points out of a playoff spot to second place in the division and six points clear of Buffalo, the first team out of the playoffs.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s matchup with Montreal:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis

Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Panthers Linked To Blues' Right-Handed Veteran Defenseman

Paul Maurice indicates Brad Marchand is fine, says holding him from third period in Toronto was coach's decision

Panthers open road trip with 4-1 loss to Toronto

Panthers' Sam Bennett Reveals That He Is A Potential Injury Replacement For Canada's Olympic Roster

Matthew Tkachuk sheds non-contact jersey, joins Panthers for morning skate in Toronto

Photo caption: Dec 30, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) moves the puck against d71 during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Montreal Canadiens hadn’t played at the Bell Centre since December 20, when they blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0. On Wednesday night, they gave the fans exactly what they wanted to see: a convincing win against a struggling Calgary Flames side. In front of a packed arena, Martin St-Louis’ men gave a full 60-minute effort, and the outcome was never really in doubt.

Although it should have been Jakub Dobes’ turn to play if St-Louis stuck with the alternance system, it was Jacob Fowler who was manning the Canadiens’ net. The way he played won’t make it easy for the team to send him back to the Laval Rocket eventually. Calm, cool and collected, he looks like a veteran in net. He oozes confidence, and it’s evident that his teammates are just as confident when he’s between the posts.

NHL Rumors: Canadiens Goalie Makes New Trade Board
Canadiens’ Hutson Excels In Puck Possession
Canadiens: Taking On The Struggling Flames

Team USA’s Loss

Watching Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield play in this game, it was hard to fathom that Team USA had decided to leave them both at home for the upcoming Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. When the diminutive sniper was asked about missing the tournament on Wednesday morning, he simply replied, “It sucks.”

Caufield once again showcased how talented he was when he scored the fourth goal of the game. He caught the puck at waist level, slapped it down on the ice and beat Dustin Wolf with a perfect shot in the top corner, sending Habs fans to their feet.

Cole (missile) Caufield 🚀

Comin' in HOT#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/zmToaGfX13

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 8, 2026

As for Hutson, he scored for a second game in a row, and since his goal was the game-winning one, he tied P.K. Subban and Peter Svoboda for the second most game-winning goals in a season by a Canadiens’ defenseman aged 21 or under with three. That was his eighth goal of the season; he’s already eclipsed the goal total from his rookie season, which was six, and he still has half a season to go.

The defenseman also led the team in shots blocked tonight with five, and he even outmuscled Mackenzie Weegar in a one-on-one battle. The Flames blueliner has three inches and 44 pounds on him. The 21-year-old rearguard doesn’t get near enough credit for his defensive game.

No Place Like Home

Tonight marked Phillip Danault’s (second) first home game with the Canadiens, and he had an incredible game. No forward had more time on the ice for the Habs than he did, with 11 minutes and 22 seconds and at the faceoff dot, he pulled off a fantastic performance, winning 87% of his draws and collecting the primary assist on Hutson’s goal.

In seven games with the Habs, he has three points, while he had just five in 30 games with the Los Angeles Kings. The last time the centerman had played for the Sainte-Flanelle at the Bell Center, there were only 10,000 fans in the stands because of COVID-19 restrictions. Tonight, it was a packed house, and the Victoriaville native called the atmosphere electric. It’s hard not to agree, given the fact that in the final frame, there was a wave going around the building during a whole TV timeout, and the noise was deafening.

Speaking after the game, Danault said that the Bell Centre was on a whole other level compared to other buildings around the league, home sweet home, as they say.

A Flying Frenchman

Alexandre Texier probably didn’t think he would end up on a line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield when he signed with the Canadiens, and chances are, he wouldn’t have been if there weren’t as many injuries, but he’s making the most of the incredible opportunity he has.

Set to represent France at the upcoming Olympics, the Frenchman had the first three-point game of his career and became just the third French player to reach 100-career points in the NHL after Antoine Roussel and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

He showed some incredible hands in the second frame when he beat Dustin Wolf up high near post on the doorstep to get the Canadiens’ first goal of the game, and he added assists on both Hutson’s and Suzuki’s goals.

His three-point effort earned him the first star of the game, and he was literally beaming with pride when Marc Denis interviewed him at centre ice.

While everything went well on the ice for the Canadiens tonight, the same cannot be said off the ice. Before the game, Kirby Dach was seen wearing a walking boot on his injured foot, indicating he is behind schedule in his recovery. The situation must be unbearable for the forward who is currently playing the last year of the three-season bridge deal he signed when the Habs first acquired him. It feels like he hasn’t really had the time to show what he can do, and there’s no doubt that it must play on his mind. As for Josh Anderson, the team confirmed he has an upper-body injury but couldn’t provide a timetable for his return.

Montreal won’t have much time to celebrate this win, as it faces the Florida Panthers for the second time in as many weeks on Thursday night.

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

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. 

Bruins must rediscover defensive identity to make real playoff push originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

When the Boston Bruins made the Stanley Cup Playoffs 15 times in an 17-year span from 2007-08 through 2023-24, the foundation of their success was being a strong defensive team.

Sure, having elite goaltending during much of that span helped a lot. But the Bruins were really tough to play against, and opponents had to earn every Grade A scoring chance. The B’s allowed the fewest goals and ranked No. 1 in penalty kill percentage over that 17-year run.

That level of defensive dominance is no longer seen on Causeway Street.

The Bruins have been one of the NHL’s 10-worst defensive teams this season. Couple that with some lackluster goaltending of late and you have a recipe for disaster.

A little less than a month ago, the Bruins were tied for first place in the Atlantic Division. They are now in seventh place and three points out of a playoff spot after losing seven of their last nine games.

The most recent matchup was a 7-4 defeat to the Seattle Kraken on the road Tuesday night. It was the 16th time that Boston has allowed four or more goals in a game this season, and we’re barely past the halfway mark.

The Bruins rank 25th in the league in shot attempts allowed at even strength. They have given up the sixth-most high-danger scoring chances during even-strength action.

The B’s rank 31st in expected goals against but 16th in actual goals against at even strength, which is a testament to how well the goaltending has been at certain points in the season. For example, without Jeremy Swayman posting a .935 in 10 November appearances, the B’s would be in far worse shape.

The Bruins are not making life easy for Swayman. Only one goalie — Juuse Saros of the Predators — has faced more high-danger shots against than Swayman’s 251.

It is unrealistic to expect your goalies to bail out the team’s defensive miscues for a large chunk of the season. The defense in front of them has to improve.

This goal from Tuesday night cannot happen. Berkly Catton gains the blue line, passes to his right and then skates to the front of the net completely unopposed and scores. He skates past three B’s players and faces no resistance.

When the Bruins give up cheap goals and fall behind, they create a pretty difficult challenge for themselves. They are not built to play from a deficit, evidenced by their 0-16-0 record this season when trailing after two periods.

Another major issue for the Bruins is discipline.

This team spends way too much time in the penalty box. The B’s have taken 187 minor penalties, which is 11 more than any other team. They’ve been shorthanded a league-high 167 times, which is at least 22 more than any other team. Therefore, it’s not surprising that their 35 power-play goals against are tied for the league lead. In Tuesday’s loss, the Bruins gave the Kraken four power plays and Seattle scored on three of them.

Spending so much time on the penalty kill is a tough setback for a Bruins team whose roster is less talented than many of its opponents.

The Bruins have to defend better as a team and individually to give themselves a chance at making a real playoff push in what has been a very competitive Eastern Conference so far this season.

The good news for the Bruins is, because the standings in the East are so jam-packed, their lack of wins lately has not sunk them into an unrecoverable hole. There is still time to fix things and re-establish the defensive identity that made the Bruins so hard to play against for many years.