TORONTO — Adam Sykora did not just make his NHL debut in the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, but the high-energy wing slotted right into the middle-six role he’ll have to seize if he hopes to have a future as a Ranger.
This marked the beginning of the 2022 second-round pick’s NHL audition.
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Considered a middle-of-the-pack prospect, Sykora hadn’t come close to a recall until the Blueshirts entered this organizational evaluation period amid president and general manager Chris Drury’s initiative to retool.
The 21-year-old is the sixth rookie to make his NHL debut in the Rangers lineup this season.
Of all the youngsters who competed in their first games this season, however, Sykora is one of the more unique cases. Whether his relentless game translates to the NHL level will determine the next step in his professional hockey career.
“I feel like I’m going to like realize it after, maybe, a couple hours,” Sykora said after logging three shots on goal in 13:33 of ice time in the loss. “As I slow my body down and get my nervous system back. I feel like I’m just still in the game, but after, maybe on the flight [back to New York], I will just enjoy the moment.”
Adam Sykora skates during the second period of the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on March 25, 2026. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
There’s a lot to like about Sykora.
His feet never stop moving. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a player on the ice who is outworking him.
Sykora is also much stronger than his generously listed 5-foot-11, 193-pound frame suggests. Pairing that with his insistence on giving 110 percent on every single shift, Sykora is a handful in puck battles.
Despite turning 21 in September, Sykora has already played more than 200 AHL games and made over 100 appearances in the Slovak Extraliga. He’s represented his country at World Championships and Olympic qualifiers.
When he was left off the Slovakian Olympic team that finished fourth in Milan last month, Sykora said he thought he handled it well.
“I was cheering for them a lot,” he said Wednesday morning. “I think they have a very pretty good tournament there, final four. It was pretty exciting for our country, too. And I use it as motivation to show that I can be better. And I use it as my everyday [motivation to] work harder with everything I can, just get there maybe in four years. So I use it [as] my motivation.”
The only person more excited about Sykora making his NHL debut than Sykora himself was his best friend and Wolf Pack roommate, Jaroslav Chmelar.
Chmelar and Sykora are essentially inseparable, as the former described. Not only do they live together just outside of Hartford, but they also room together during road trips. They cook together all the time, with Chmelar having to teach Sykora a thing or two since they moved in.
The 22-year-old Chmelar, who skated in his 12th straight NHL game Wednesday, said he called him as soon as he heard the news. Before they knew it, they were doing their AHL pregame chest-bump ritual on NHL ice.
Adam Sykora smiles during warmups before the Rangers’ loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“My happiness for him is through the roof,” Chmelar said. “I mean, he’s the best person I’ve met. He’s such a nice guy. … We were kind of dreaming about it at the beginning of the year that we would love to play together one time. So hopefully that comes through.”
For the Rangers, it would be ideal for Sykora to show off his upside in this opportunity.
The organization has an abundance of fourth-line players, so Sykora will likely need to fit in elsewhere.
A third-line role seems more realistic, but with Sykora’s work ethic, there’s no telling how high he can aim.
“I thought he was great,” Sullivan said. “I thought he played really well. His speed was evident. He made a couple of nice wall plays. Didn’t panic with the puck. He made good decisions at the lines. Didn’t force things that weren’t there. I thought he made an impact. I thought he had a really good game.”
The New York Rangers have officially been eliminated from playoff contention after their 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
The big storyline going into this matchup was the call-up of Adam Sýkora.
One day after being called up by the Rangers, Sýkora made his NHL debut in Toronto, and Mike Sullivan gave him a substantial role as he played on a line alongside Will Cuylle and Vincent Trocheck.
Sýkora recorded 13:33 minutes while taking three shots on net. His energy throughout the night was prevalent to the watchful eye, specifically when it came to his relentless puck-pursuit game and ability to create plays through his speed.
"I thought he was great,” Sullivan said of Sýkora. “I thought he played really well. His speed was evident. He made a couple of nice wall plays. Didn't panic with the puck. He made good decisions at the lines. Didn't force things that weren't there. I thought he made an impact. I thought he had a really good game."
This night was a long time coming for the 21-year-old forward, who was selected by the Rangers in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft and has spent the last three seasons playing in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
“I just enjoyed it in the moment,” Sýkora said, “It was like a pretty good feeling. I’m super grateful again for the opportunity… First couple of shifts I was kind of nervous, but then I just try to be in the moment, enjoy, play simple. I felt like I did a good job as the game went.”
From recording 10 shots in their 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night, the Rangers came out with a lot more fire in Toronto and actually posted a season-high 43 shots on net.
It was a game in which the Rangers felt they deserved better, but Igor Shesterkin had a rare lackluster performance, giving up four goals on just 18 shots.
“Definitely the opposite of last game,” J.T. Miller said. “We outplayed them for pretty much the entire game. We shot the puck a lot more, had a more direct mentality, skated more. We played a good game. One of those games where they were more opportunistic than we were, but yeah, (you) can sleep whenever you play like that.”
Ultimately, the Rangers’ effort in Toronto does not change the difficult reality they find themselves in.
Despite essentially being eliminated from the playoffs for weeks now, Wednesday night’s loss put a dagger in what has been a dreadful season for the Blueshirts.
The Rangers had hoped to flip the script from their failures of the 2024-25 campaign by hiring Mike Sullivan to be the team’s head coach and signing Vladislav Gavrikov.
Out of the gate to start the season, the Rangers’ inconsistencies were fully apparent, and the season went south in January when both Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin missed a significant chunk of time with injuries, resulting in the team plummeting down the Eastern Conference standings.
Chris Drury’s letter to fans issued on Jan. 16 outlining the Rangers’ plan to “retool” the roster put their underachievement into more perspective.
From the moment the letter was issued up until now, the Rangers have made a slew of trades and attempted to restore a sense of purpose, but there has been really very little to play for.
“I don’t think anybody would have thought we’d be where we are right now, eliminated with this many games left,” Miller said. “Obviously, we failed in reaching our goal this year.”
There are still 10 games to go before the Rangers can pack their bags for what will be a long summer, and all Sullivan can do is try to build some sort of positive momentum into next year and push his team to the finish line to close out this tumultuous season.
“Nobody is thrilled with where we are at,” Sullivan said. “We're doing everything we can to try to instill a certain standard here that we can build on moving forward.”
Even without a fully healthy lineup, the Colorado Avalanche demonstrated Tuesday night just how dangerous they can be. Fresh off the returns of captain Gabe Landeskog and penalty kill specialist Logan O'Connor, Colorado exacted revenge on the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 6–2 win at PPG Paints Arena.
Though sloppy at times, the Avalanche displayed the caliber and grit of a bona fide Stanley Cup contender. When 12 different players record at least a point, it speaks not only to the stars producing but to the depth that truly wins championships.
Kelly breaks down the goal with Altitude's Kyle Keefe.
Necas Leads the Charge
Nathan MacKinnon scored just 4:57 into the game, marking his league-leading 46th goal of the season. Sam Malinski scored for the first time in nearly three months, while Martin Necas—arguably the NHL’s best player coming out of the Olympic break—delivered another standout performance with two goals, including one on the power play, an area where Colorado had struggled most of the season until recently.
Prior to the Olympic break, the Avalanche ranked at or near the bottom of the NHL in power-play efficiency, converting just 15% of opportunities. Since February 25, however, Colorado has climbed nearly 20 spots in the standings, converting on 23% of their power plays. Necas has been the not-so-secret weapon, tallying 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points in his last 15 games.
Lines Clicking at the Right Time
The Avalanche may have the league’s most dangerous lineup. The return of O’Connor on the third line provided a massive boost and allowed Nazem Kadri, acquired at the trade deadline from the Calgary Flames, to slot in at center behind MacKinnon and Brock Nelson.
That line looked deadly all night, especially with Parker Kelly joining the mix. Colorado opened the game with four first-period goals, and with 2:41 left, Kelly scored the fourth. It began when Kadri beat former Avs defenseman Samuel Girard to the puck along the boards, quickly fed it behind the net to O’Connor, who found Kelly at the doorstep for a one-timer that found the net.
Beyond scoring, the line’s overall performance was encouraging, averaging about 15 minutes of ice time. O’Connor logging 15 minutes after 11 months away is remarkable—and it should only improve as he gains more games under his belt.
That said, this Penguins team had just handed the Avalanche a 7‑2 loss on home ice. While Evgeni Malkin was out, Colorado wasn’t at full strength either, making this win far from guaranteed.
Depth to Challenge Any Opponent
Nic Roy was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury and is expected to return by the end of the regular season. Meanwhile, Artturi Lehkonen, sidelined since March 3 with an upper-body injury against the Anaheim Ducks, is expected to rejoin the top six upon his return.
The expected return of Artturi Lehkonen could make this team unstoppable.
When that happens, Ross Colton—who scored in his first game back from injury—may slide from the second line to the fourth. Roy, a dual-threat who can play center or wing, would likely take the left side of the third line with Kadri remaining at 3C and O’Connor on the right. A potential fourth line could feature Colton, Jack Drury, and Joel Kiviranta.
Colorado’s depth has been a hallmark of the franchise. In 2022, injuries to stars like Darcy Kuemper and Kadri were absorbed seamlessly, with replacements like Pavel Francouz and Jack Johnson stepping up. Even with healthy scratches like Gavin Brindley, the team remains formidable, with prospects like Zakhar Bardakov adding depth and elite forechecking.
In short, this Avalanche team is a powerhouse. As they head into Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Colorado isn’t just a contender—they’re a benchmark of depth, skill, and resilience. Opponents will face a relentless, multi-layered lineup, and if the Avalanche can sustain their execution, they enter the postseason as the team to beat.
TORONTO (AP) — Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist, Joseph Woll made 40 saves and added an assist, and the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Rangers 4-3 on Wednesday night, eliminating New York from playoff contention.
Jake McCabe, Nick Robertson and John Tavares had the other goals for Toronto and Matias Maccelli added two assists. Woll picked up the second assist on Joshua’s goal for his first NHL point.
Mika Zibanejad scored two goals and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, while Igor Shesterkin stopped 14 shots. Adam Fox chipped in two assists.
New York, which will finish below the postseason cutline for a second straight season, sits second-to-last in the overall standings. Toronto ranks 21st and is on the way to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Tavares scored his 26th goal of the season at 11:57 of the third period to make it 4-2 when he ripped a shot past Shesterkin after Toronto had built a 3-0 lead in the second.
New York’s Adam Sykora made his NHL debut after being called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack. The 21-year-old winger, selected 63rd overall at the 2022 draft, had 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points across 62 games in the AHL this season.
Toronto’s William Nylander is one point away from passing his father, Michael, for family bragging rights. The winger has 679 points in 741 regular-season games. The elder Nylander registered 679 points in 920 contests.
New York, which tied a dubious franchise record with just 10 shots in Monday’s 2-1 home loss to the Ottawa Senators, directed 14 attempts on target in Wednesday’s opening period. The visitors had 17 more shots on Woll in the second.
Up next
Rangers: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Maple Leafs: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
TORONTO — The Rangers had given up on their playoff aspirations months ago, but this loss made it official.
A 4-3 defeat to the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena officially eliminated the Rangers from playoff contention with 10 games left in the 2025-26 campaign, putting a fork in an already dead season.
The Blueshirts are just the second club to be eliminated this early in the season, joining the last-place Canucks.
“I don’t think anybody thought we’d be where we are right now, eliminated with this many games left,” captain J.T. Miller said after the loss. “But that’s not where my mind is right now. It sucks. Obviously, that’s the worst. You don’t want that. Right now, we’re just worried about playing good hockey games to end the season and feeling good going into the summer, feeling good about our game at least. Try to move in the right direction.
“Obviously, we failed in reaching our goal this year. That being said, right now, we just worry about playing a good game against Toronto, and I thought we played a good game. Gave ourselves a chance to win.”
The Rangers were able to surpass their shot total from Monday’s loss (10) in the first period alone, but they still went into the first intermission trailing 2-0.
After Jake McCabe buried a long rebound to open the scoring, Max Domi attacked the reunited Will Borgen-Braden Schneider pairing later in the period. Closing in on the Rangers duo, Domi dished to Nicholas Robertson, who had a clear shooting lane to beat Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin and double Toronto’s lead.
John Tavares, who scored the game-winning goal in the third period, skates for the puck during the first period of the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on March 25, 2026 in Toronto. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
It was the eighth time Borgen and Schneider skated together this season. For the first five times, Schneider was on his off side on the left. On the past three occasions, however, Borgen was on the left. Coach Mike Sullivan had previously said a “big part” of what kept Vincent Iorio out of the lineup was the two right-handed defensemen’s lack of comfort with the switch. Out of “necessity,” with Urho Vaakanainen unavailable due to injury, Sullivan put the two together Wednesday.
The pairing was shaky through the first 20 minutes, so Sullivan put them both on their preferred side to start the second period. Iorio skated with Borgen, and Schneider lined up next to Matthew Robertson for the remainder of the game.
“We had a discussion in between periods as a coaching staff, and we thought it would be better if we split it up with Robbie and Vince,” Sullivan said. “We mixed it up there. There were times where Borgy and Schneids played together. There were times that they didn’t. And we have our reasons in why we did it.”
MIka Zibanejad scores in the second period for the first of his two goals in the Rangers’ loss to the Maple Leafs. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Ranked sixth in the NHL this month, the Rangers power play kept them competitive in this game with two goals on four attempts.
Alexis Lafrenière was at the heart of each play, scoring one and directly setting up the other, as his impressive stretch continued. With three points on the night, Lafrenière reached the 50-point plateau for just the second time in his six-year NHL career.
Mika Zibanejad scored twice, which pushed the Swedish center into fourth on the Rangers’ all-time goals list.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped 14 of the 18 shots he faced in his 16th loss of the season. Despite sitting out the past three games with an upper-body injury, Jonathan Quick continues to practice with the Rangers. Sullivan said Quick is “not there yet,” but the Rangers “think he’s getting closer.”
Noah Laba, who missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury, participated in morning skate in a red red noncontact jersey.
TORONTO (AP) — Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist, Joseph Woll made 40 saves and added an assist, and the Toronto Maple Leafs topped the Rangers 4-3 on Wednesday night, eliminating New York from playoff contention.
Jake McCabe, Nick Robertson and John Tavares had the other goals for Toronto and Matias Maccelli added two assists. Woll picked up the second assist on Joshua’s goal for his first NHL point.
Mika Zibanejad scored two goals and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, while Igor Shesterkin stopped 14 shots. Adam Fox chipped in two assists.
New York, which will finish below the postseason cutline for a second straight season, sits second-to-last in the overall standings. Toronto ranks 21st and is on the way to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Tavares scored his 26th goal of the season at 11:57 of the third period to make it 4-2 when he ripped a shot past Shesterkin after Toronto had built a 3-0 lead in the second.
New York's Adam Sykora made his NHL debut after being called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack. The 21-year-old winger, selected 63rd overall at the 2022 draft, had 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points across 62 games in the AHL this season.
Toronto's William Nylander is one point away from passing his father, Michael, for family bragging rights. The winger has 679 points in 741 regular-season games. The elder Nylander registered 679 points in 920 contests.
New York, which tied a dubious franchise record with just 10 shots in Monday’s 2-1 home loss to the Ottawa Senators, directed 14 attempts on target in Wednesday’s opening period. The visitors had 17 more shots on Woll in the second.
Up next
Rangers: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Maple Leafs: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
The Hockey News' main site revealed players 61-80 for their latest top NHL-affiliated prospect rankings on Wednesday. A notable Pittsburgh Penguins prospect made the cut, as forward Will Horcoff was given the No. 63 spot.
When looking at the season that Horcoff has had with the University of Michigan, it makes a lot of sense that he has been named among the NHL's top prospects. The Penguins' 2025 first-round pick has 24 goals, 13 assists, and 37 points in 37 games this season with the University of Michigan. With numbers like these, there is no question that the 6-foot-5 forward has a ton of potential.
Horcoff has the size and skill to become an impactful player at the NHL level for the Penguins later down the road. Because of this, he is undoubtedly a youngster who Penguins fans should be watching incredibly closely as he continues to develop his game.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see how good of a player Horcoff will become for the Penguins. It is clear that the skilled forward has a high ceiling.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancee, Carolina Matovac, is back in Buffalo and on Wednesday attended her first game since her heart failed while the couple vacationed in France last summer.
The Sabres welcomed Matovac by showing her in the stands during the first period of their game against Boston. Matovac waved to the cheering crowd while Sabres players slapped their sticks against the boards.
Matovac received a lifesaving heart transplant and had spent the past seven months recovering in the couple's native Sweden, with Dahlin taking a few brief trips to visit her during the season.
Upon reporting for training camp in September, Dahlin revealed his fiancee's ordeal in a message posted on the team's website. He said Matovac felt sick for several days before her heart failed, saying she required CPR on “multiple occasions and up to a couple of hours at a time.”
Matovac spent weeks on life support before receiving a new heart. In January, Matovac revealed that she was pregnant when her heart failed, adding that her unborn child played “a vital role” in the discovery of the problem. The fetus, however, did not survive.
The Montreal Canadiens are one of several teams in the tight Eastern Conference looking to punch their ticket to the playoffs. While they are third in the Atlantic Division, the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings are not far behind them. Thus, every game at this juncture of the season is important for Montreal.
Due to this, the Canadiens need their key players to be on their A-game right now, and goaltender Jakub Dobes certainly has been as of late.
Dobes has had a .923 save percentage or better in five out of his last six appearances. This included him stopping 41 out of 43 shots in his most recent start against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24. With this, the 24-year-old goaltender is playing some strong hockey right now at a critical juncture of the season for the Canadiens.
With his ongoing hot streak, Dobes has a 23-8-4 record, a 2.88 goals-against average, and a .896 save percentage in 35 games this season with the Canadiens. While he has had some growing pains at times this season, it is very encouraging to see him heating up down the stretch.
It will now be interesting to see how Dobes performs during this final part of the season from here.
DETROIT (AP) — The Red Wings on Wednesday signed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a two-year extension worth $3.2 million.
He will count $1.6 million against the salary cap through the 2027-28 NHL season.
Bernard-Docker, 25, has found a home on Detroit’s blue line by skating an average of 15 minutes over 55 games. The Red Wings are his third team in the league after playing his first 129 games with the Ottawa Senators and finishing last season with the Buffalo Sabres.
The Alberta native was a first-round pick in the 2018 draft.
Among the multiple moves by Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman during the offseason was signing defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a one-year contract.
Having been satisfied with his performance this season, Yzerman has seen fit to extend the relationship between the two sides.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Red Wings announced that Bernard-Docker had been given a two-year, $3.2 million contract extension.
This now leaves only pending restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson and pending unrestricted free agent Travis Hamonic as the Red Wings' defensemen who are not under contract for next season.
Bernard-Docker, who was originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the opening round (26th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, has skated in 55 games so far in his first season with the Red Wings.
He's registered four assists and has averaged 14:59 of ice time per game, which is seventh most among all Red Wings defenseman who have appeared in at least 50 games in 2025-26.
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The Hockey News' main site is currently releasing its latest top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects. To kick it off, THN revealed players 81-100, and a Montreal Canadiens prospect was among the players who made the cut: forward Owen Beck.
Beck just found his way onto the rankings, as he was given the No. 99 spot. When noting that he has the potential to become a solid two-way center at the NHL level, it makes sense that he has earned a spot on THN's rankings.
Beck has spent most of this season at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Laval Rocket. In 49 games with the AHL club on the year, the 2022 second-round pick has recorded 10 goals, 17 assists, 27 points, and a plus-8 rating. This is after he had 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games with Laval during this past season.
Beck has also played in 15 games this season with the Canadiens, where he has one goal, six penalty minutes, and a plus-4 rating. While he has yet to break out at the NHL level, he has the potential to change that later down the road for the Habs.
Beck will be a prospect to watch very closely during this final stretch of the season. It will be interesting to see how he finishes off the campaign from here.
BOSTON - APRIL 26: Miroslav Satan #81 of the Boston Bruins shoots the puck against Ryan Miller #30 of the Buffalo Sabres in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on April 26, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Welcome to another night of Bruins hockey, folks!
While you can console yourself with the fact that losing to the Leafs helped worsen the Leafs’ draft lottery odds, there’s no getting around the fact that Tuesday night’s game was an ugly one for the Bruins.
Things won’t get any easier tonight, with the B’s facing a Sabres team that should be juiced to return home after a West Coast road trip.
While they haven’t officially clinched yet, the Sabres are pretty much locked in to a playoff spot, and given the tussling that’s happening atop and abottom (no, that’s not a word) the Atlantic Division, there’s a chance that tonight’s game could be a first-round preview.
Still, the Bruins are a couple of losses away from crashing out entirely, so maybe we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves.
Los Angeles Kings left winger Andrei Kuzmenko has been out of the lineup for some time now. The last time he made an appearance for the Kings was on Feb. 25 against the Vegas Golden Knights in a 6-4 loss, recording two assists.
However, just a few days later, he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus and is out for the rest of the season. With that, the Russian is a pending UFA and requires a new contract for next season.
Barring an incredibly deep run in the post-season, is it possible that Kuzmenko has played his final game as a King?
His absence has been a huge loss offensively for the Kings. Kuzmenko had 13 goals and 25 points in 52 appearances, and is tied for the second-most power-play points on the team with 13.
The recovery timeline for repairing a torn meniscus is at least three months, and can be as long as six months, according to My Health Alberta. So even if the Kings made an unlikely run in the playoffs, stretching their season into late May, there's no guarantee that Kuzmenko could be back by then.
Andrei Kuzmenko (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
In fact, there's certainly no promise that Los Angeles can get into the post-season at all this year.
At any rate, it doesn't seem likely that the Kings will see Kuzmenko again this season. With that, the 30-year-old is unsigned for next year and needs a new contract if the team wants to see him next year.
Last year, Kuzmenko was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers at the trade deadline. It was the second time he was traded that season, and the third team he represented.
He went on to play 22 regular-season games for the Kings in 2024-25, scoring 17 points. He then made his first career Stanley Cup playoff appearance and recorded a point per game - six points in six games.
With no signs of discussion over a new deal, it's possible that Kuzmenko pulled a Kings jersey over his head for the last time of his NHL career.
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.
This
was in early March, when it was already kick-started by the Blues’
coaching staff that it appeared that the right-handed D-man was ready
to absorb more of a workload and more responsibilities.
On
Tuesday in a 3-0 win against the Washington Capitals, it marked 12
straight games in which Mailloux logged 20 or more minutes, picking
up 20:51 of ice time.
Remember
early in the season when the first-round pick (No. 31) in the 2021
NHL Draft was either a healthy scratch, averaging 12-13 minutes a
game, including three games in which he didn’t even play 10 minutes
or when he was assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League
to find his game and gain some confidence? Seems like ages ago when
Montreal Canadiens fans were throwing victory parades in anointing
Habs general manager Kent Hughes as GM of the year for fleecing
fellow Blues GM Doug Armstrong into giving away Zack Bolduc in the
July 1, 2025 trade between the two clubs.
It’s
no coincidence that Mailloux, after a goal and an assist in his first
44
games and a minus-22
has gone to two goals and five assists his past 11 games and a
plus-5. He’s playing alongside Philip Broberg in the top four and
thriving not only in 5-on-5, but he’s also gaining regular minutes
quarterbacking the power play along with being a regular on the
penalty kill, which has killed 33 of 38 since the Olympic break, good
for an 86.8 percent clip, which ranks third in the NHL.
The
Blues are first in goals allowed since Feb. 26 (21) and goals per
game (1.62), and yes, goaltending has been a huge strength, but
Mailloux is part of the young core that’s thriving with more
responsibility and the more he thrives, the more coach Jim Montgomery
gives.
“He
has shown no signs of tiredness, he has shown no signs of mental
fatigue, which has been really impressive with all that ice time and
how much we’ve been
traveling,” Montgomery said.
“This has been the hardest travel schedule we’ve had all year and
it’s the more consistent, competitive levels we’ve seen from our
group over a month long span.
“(The)
guy doesn’t think. It’s just
make
plays; he’s direct, he’s decisive and you see how fast he plays
now, and that’s because there’s no more thinking going on; he’s
just being a hockey player. And that’s why you’re seeing his true
talents come out.”
This
is what Blues and Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger said back in
October when Blues fans were up in arms as to why Mailloux didn’t
come into the Blues organization and start flying around as the
second coming of Bobby Orr. It takes patience, and truthfully, coming
together this quickly has some in the great north thinking maybe the
Canadiens should have been more patient themselves.
“He’s
slowly but surely earned it, but also with some of the moves at the
deadline has just propelled him into more ice time opportunities to
see what he has and he’s flourished,” Montgomery
said of Mailloux.
The
Belle River, Ontario native surely felt the weight of the world on
his shoulders having been traded for a popular first-round pick in
2021 in Bolduc, who Blues fans adored.
And
quite contrary to what some felt, the Blues didn’t trade Bolduc
because things didn’t work out in St. Louis, they traded him for a
necessity they felt they could mold into what he’s currently
becoming.
“I
feel like confidence has been a big thing for me lately,” Mailloux
said. “I feel like I’ve
definitely been given a good chance and a good opportunity around
here and I’ve been playing with some pretty good players. They
definitely help out.
“I’m
trying to do well. It’s a different league, but I’m used to ...
most of my career I’ve been playing these kinds of minutes.
Obviously it took an adjustment in this league, but I think I’m
getting a lot of help from D-partners, coaches, stuff like that. It’s
been alright.”
That
current D-partner is Philip Broberg, who has also been thrust into
the limelight by the Blues with top-pair minutes and an opportunity
to grow with another young guy that’s earning his stripes.
“He’s
been great,” Mailloux said.
“He’s a helluva player, helluva skater. He’s fun to play with.
He gets us out of trouble in our own end sometimes pretty often,
skated the puck out. He’s such a good defender as well. I feel like
we do a good job kind of reading off each other.”
Mailloux
has been so focused on being responsible defensively, that people
forget that his offensive skills is what made him the blue chip
prospect, but then he makes the zip pass to Jimmy Snuggerud for a
one-timer against the Capitals to remind everyone that his offense is
his bread-and-butter.
“Unbelievable,”
Snuggerud said.
“The position that he’s been put in and the opportunity he’s
been given, he’s striking to the top of it all he can do. He’s
playing high minutes, he’s
making plays, he’s doing the best he possibly can and it’s
showing. We’re winning games and I think that’s something you
have to learn as a young guy is what to do in those situations, and
I’m going through the same things and it’s been great to see that
for him.”
Mailloux,
whose season-high and career-high 26:56 came March 18 in a 2-1
shootout loss to the Calgary Flames, knows and understands he’s
barely scratching the surface, that there’s still so much more
untapped potential. But the ground roots have been firmly placed, and
he’s just taking things as they come.
“I’m
kind of trying to take it a day at a time still,” he said. “I
think just looking forward to improving and keep getting better and
moving in the right direction.
“Obviously
it’s my first full season in the NHL. There’s going to be some
growing pains and stuff, but I feel like I’m going to try and do my
best to keep trending in the right direction all year. Just come in
day by day and try to get a little better. The guys around here have
been great for that.”
For the umpteenth time: give it time in each scenario. Each player is developing in his own time, on his own merit. Mailloux struggled early and seems to have found his way to better ground. Bolduc started like a firecracker but has fizzled out as the season has gone along. The ups and downs of a young player are common. No telling what the Canadiens' patience will be with Bolduc. The Blues knew exactly what to do with Mailloux, and that was to be patient, and it seems to be paying off.
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