Nashville Predators forward Kieffer Bellows and defenseman Marc Del Gaizo have cleared waivers, as reported by 102.5 The Game's Nick Kieser. 

Bellows, 26, was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals by the Predators back on Feb. 21. In 13 games with the Predators this season, the 2016 first-round pick has two goals, one assist, 26 hits, and a minus-3 rating, Before his call-up, Bellows had not played at the NHL level since the 2022-23 season. During that campaign, he had three goals and a minus-8 rating in 28 games split between the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers. 

Down in the AHL this season with the Admirals, Bellows has 14 goals, 29 points, and 54 penalty minutes. 

Del Gaizo, on the other hand, has one goal, seven assists, eight points, and 58 hits in 35 games this season with the Predators. The left-shot defenseman has also played in 30 AHL games this campaign with Milwaukee, posting eight goals, 12 points, and a plus-10 rating. 

Del Gaizo was selected by the Predators with the 109th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. In 44 career NHL games, the Basking Ridge, New Jersey native has one goal, 11 points, and a plus-2 rating.

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John Tortorella has a lot of redeeming qualities, including the fact he develops a culture with his hard-driving, old-school style.

But he was the wrong fit for the Philadelphia Flyers, who dismissed the 66-year-old coach Thursday toward the end of another disappointing season.

The Flyers are still a bad team, but maybe the players will develop quicker without the fear of being benched if they make a mistake. That was a Tortorella trademark, and it didn’t seem to sit well with the players or management.

A young, rebuilding team like the Flyers needs someone who can nurture players, get the most out of their potential.

That wasn’t a strength – or the MO – of the no-nonsense Tortorella.

In three years under Tortorella, the Flyers went 97-107-33 and missed the playoffs each year. The team overachieved for most of last season, then collapsed near the end, losing eight straight and blowing a playoff spot.

Despite the addition of wunderkind Matvei Michkov, the team has regressed greatly this season. The Flyers are 28-36-9, have lost 11 of their last 12 and have the NHL’s fourth-worst winning percentage.

The Flyers will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season, matching the worst span in franchise history.

Biggest Issue

Worse, the younger players – other than Michkov and Noah Cates – didn’t develop.

Former first-round picks Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost were traded because of their struggles.

Promising defensemen Cam York, who made a gaffe in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss in Toronto and was subsequently benched the rest of the game, and Jamie Drysdale have been extremely inconsistent.

Right winger Owen Tippett, a team cornerstone at 26, has taken a step backward. The goalies and the defense have been abysmal. Ditto the overall offense.

Tortorella sounded like he had packed in the season after Tuesday’s shellacking in Toronto.

“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season,” he told reporters.

Maybe he meant he just hates coaching when there is nothing at stake, which is understandable. But it came across as a man who was fed up and had thrown in the towel on the season. Not a good look for the team’s leader.

Two days later, he was fired and replaced by interim coach Brad Shaw.

Yes, Tortorella won a Cup in Tampa Bay ages ago, but his teams have not been in the post-season in six of the last 10 years. Including time in Vancouver and Columbus, he has gotten past Round 1 once in the last 10 years. Those aren't great results.

Dismal Times

Flyers GM Danny Briere said all the obligatory things after Tortorella was dismissed. He called it a “very difficult decision,” saying Tortorella played a “vital role” in the rebuild and “set the standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer.”

From here, it means missing the playoffs, not having a true No. 1 or No. 2 center, watching too many young players regress and again searching for the dependable goalie.

Other than that, the Flyers resemble the franchise’s 1973-74 and 1974-75 Stanley Cup champs.

That’s not a slap at the current team. They try hard. They rarely get outworked. But they just don’t have the talent to compete.

Flyers Vs. Penguins: Who Will Be Cup Contenders Sooner?Remember when the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry was arguably the best in the NHL, matching hated cross-state rivals who were usually among the league’s elite?

Now the attention is focused on Briere, who needs to be active in the trade and free-agent markets, and do well in the draft. He has seven picks in the first two rounds in June. With the way some of those previous top choices have panned out (with other GMs in charge), maybe it’s time to deal some of those picks for established players?

Tortorella is gone, but the other problems – a lack of talent at key positions, failure to develop promising prospects – haven't gone away.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Even with a seven-game winning streak on the line when the St. Louis Blues (38-28-7) take on the Nashville Predators (27-36-8) for the third time in 10 days at Bridgestone Arena (7 p.m.; FDSNMW Extra, ESPN 101.1-FM), the Blues continue to battle to hold on to the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Despite going 14-2-2 their past 18 games, taking 30 of a possible 34 points, the good news is the Blues were able to make up the ground that they faced but in saying that, one slip up could be dangerous.

The Blues’ lead for the second wild card is three points over the Vancouver Canucks, four over the Calgary Flames and eight over the Utah Hockey Club.

But the added caveat to all this is now they’re just two points behind the Minnesota Wild for the first wild card.

But the Blues are not as focused on other teams as they’re focused on themselves, and that’s enabled them to be in the position they’re in.

“Yeah, 100 percent,” said Blues forward Dylan Holloway, who carries an eight-game point streak (four goals, nine assists) into tonight’s game. “We know it's a tight race. The biggest thing is we've just got to control what we can control. We can't control other teams and their outcomes, so the biggest thing for us is to just keep playing the way we are. We know what works, so just keep going.”

Coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Blues were solely focused on trying to gain ground on the second wild card. Now with Minnesota falling back to the pack, the first wild card is also in play.

“That's definitely the goal,” Holloway said. ‘We've got nine games left and we've just got to go a game at a time. We can't start thinking about other teams and the outcomes of their games. We've just got to focus one game at a time and try and get that two points every game. If we go in with that mindset, we should be good.”

The current winning streak has had a little bit of everything.

“I think it’s just selfless, committed hockey to process the way we believe we need to play in order to have success,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “Everyone’s playing well. Our top six are scoring, they’re playing defense; our bottom six are scoring and they’re hanging onto pucks and protecting pucks and our D-corps has been really solid. And we’re missing two of our top players (defenseman Colton Parayko and forward Pavel Buchnevich), and goaltending. I didn’t like the last nine minutes of the second (period on Tuesday). ‘Binner’ had to make four or five really big-time saves, and he made them look easy.”

The Blues have outscored their opposition 34-10 during their winning streak and have scored four or more goals in each contest.

- - -

It will be the third matchup in 10 days between the Blues and Predators, and the Blues have won matching 4-1 results, winning here in this building March 18 and again at Enterprise Center last Sunday.

Each game has had it’s share of nastiness to it, but each coach downplayed that factor as something to keep an eye on tonight.

“Not really because a lot of times when you expect it, nothing happens,” Montgomery said. “We’re just focused on ourselves. We’re not worried about stuff like that.

“We know they play really hard, they’re a physical team, you’re going to have to earn what you get. We haven’t had that many scoring chances against them. They really are defending hard. We’ve just got to stay with it, stay with our process, play to the goal line and make sure we’re forechecking, reloading and back checking.”

Predators coach Andrew Brunette added, “No, let’s just play hard, play in their face. I thought we did a real good job in their building and we didn’t get rewarded. Now we’re here back in here. When you play a team three times in a week, there’s going to be a bit of a rivalry going, a little intensity to the games. I expect that tonight.”

- - -

Parayko skated again on Thursday but will miss his 11th straight game after having his left knee scoped from an injury in a 3-2 shootout win against the Los Angeles Kings on March 5.

Parayko participated in the morning skate prior to a 6-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and again in Wednesday’s optional.

“There’s a program he’s under and it starts with (head athletic trainer) Ray Barile,” Montgomery said. “It started with him on the ice and now it’s progressing to doing morning skates and doing extra stuff with (assistant coach) Mike Weber.”

As for Buchnevich, who has missed three games due to illness, he did not accompany the team initially on its two-game trip that concludes Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, but Montgomery said he believes the forward was flying in on Thursday afternoon to meet the team for the remainder of the trip.

- - -

Dalibor Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, will be a healthy scratch again on Thursday after making his debut against the Predators last Sunday, playing 10:49 with no points.

The center has been gaining the necessary experience off the ice that the Blues hope will help for a better transition for when he becomes more of a regular on the ice.

“Every day he can grow, he’s so young and learning just how to travel on the road, what this building looks like, how do you get here,” Montgomery said. “All those little things and then the extra work he gets to do and the pace of our practices is really going to benefit him.

“Very inquisitive. He has a thirst for knowledge. It’s awesome.”

- - -

Thursday will be Radek Faksa’s 700th NHL game.

The center was the 13th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars and has carved out a niche of how to play in the league, and this is his first season with the Blues, qho acquired him from Dallas on July 2 for future considerations.

“It’s a big number, but compared to some guys in the dressing room, it’s still nothing,” Faksa joked. “It doesn’t feel that special. ‘Sutes’, ‘Cammy’, ‘Leds’, ‘Schenner’ … yeah.”

Faksa, who has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) and is a plus-1 in 61 games this season, follows Ryan Suter (1,500), Cam Fowler, Nick Leddy and Brayden Schenn, all who either hit 1,000 games played this season or last.

“When you compare 1,500 and 700, it’s like nothing,” Faksa said, whose first game was against Jaromir Jagr and the Florida Panthers.

“He was my idol,” Faksa said. “I got to play against him the first game. That’s why I remember the most. It’s a dream come true. First game you will never forget.”

Linemate Nathan Walker said, “Obviously on the ice, you see what he does. And then off the ice, he’s a good person, good family man. Him, Torpo and myself, we get along pretty well and in the locker room as well. He’s a great dude and it’s a great milestone. Obviously he can keep climbing and get more.”

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Zack Bolduc

Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou

Alexandre Texier-Oskar Sundqvist-Mathieu Joseph

Alexey Toropchenko-Radek Raksa-Nathan Walker

Cam Fowler-Nick Leddy

Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk

Ryan Suter-Tyler Tucker

Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Matthew Kessel and Dalibor Dvorsky. Colton Parayko (knee) and Pavel Buchnevich (illness) are out. Torey Krug (ankle) is out for the season.

- - -

Predators Projected Lineup:

Filip Forsberg-Ryan O'Reilly-Luke Evangelista

Michael Bunting-Steven Stamkos-Jonathan Marchessault

Cole Smith-Fedor Svechkov-Colton Sissons

Zachary L’Heureux-Michael McCarron-Kieffer Bellows

Brady Skjei-Nick Blankenburg

Marc Del Gaizo-Justin Barron

Andreas Englund-Spencer Stastney

Juuse Saros will start in goal; Justus Annunen will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Jordan Oesterle and Jakub Vrana. Jeremy Lauzon (lower body), Adam Wilsby (upper body) and Roman Josi (upper body) are out.

Last Sunday afternoon, the NCAA revealed the bracket of 16 teams that will play for the College Hockey National Championship.

Of the 16 teams that made it, 4 of them have prospects that belong to the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Seven total Chicago drafted players are on those four teams. 

Going into the tournament, which begins on Thursday, there is a lot to learn about the players who will represent the Hawks. Each of them has a diverse set of skills that could lead to them being in the NHL one day. 

Here are the seven Chicago Blackhawks in the tournament and a little bit about them: 

John Mustard - Providence

Providence forward John Mustard was a third-round pick (67th overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Draft out of the Waterloo Blackhawks organization. 

Mustard's freshman season saw him play a depth role in Providence. He was good at it and had a role on a team that made it this far. Mustard scored seven goals and had 13 assists for 20 points in 36 games played. 

His ceiling in the NHL is probably a middle-six forward who can provide what a team needs in terms of depth. There is a long way for him to go in his college career, however, before anyone can accurately assess what he may become. 

Connor Kelly - Providence 

Connor Kelly, a defenseman at Providence, was drafted in the seventh round (204th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. He is a steady defensive defenseman who has sacrificed offense in college to defend. 

In 2024-25, Kelly has one goal and three assists for four points in 36 games played. If Providence wants to win, they must get good play out of Kelly as he will matchup against some high-end offensive talent. 

Taige Harding - Providence

Taige Harding, like Connor Kelly, is more of a defensive defenseman on Providence. He was also drafted in the 2021 NHL Draft, but he went in the third round (91st overall). 

Harding has put up better numbers in 2024-25 as he has 2 goals and 12 assists for 14 points. If he can bring a little bit of offense and continue to defend well, Providence may have a chance with some of these elder skaters. 

Aidan Thompson - Denver

In Aidan Thompson's third season at Denver, he has taken some huge steps. He has had some big tournament moments in the past. That includes winning the National Championship in 2024. 

Now, wearing an "A", Thompson has shown leadership both on and off the ice for Denver. He put up a massive season in 2024-25. Thompson enters the tournament with 19 goals and 32 assists for 51 points. 

The 2022 third-round (90th overall) pick has developed into a really strong player. Will he be a center or wing in the NHL? That remains to be seen (assuming he makes it one day). Right now, his biggest task is leading Denver to a second straight title. 

Ryan Greene - Boston University

Ryan Greene has developed very nicely. He was a second-round pick (57th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. Since attending Boston University, his leadership skills have developed rather quickly as he is now the captain of that program. 

Greene is not an offensive star, but he plays the game the right way. That will go a long way for him as he attempts to become an NHL regular in the coming years. Green currently has 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points in 36 games played. 

When he gets to the pro game, his hard-working style should be perfect for the bottom-six. There will be some seasoning needed in the AHL, but the NHL is a real possibility for him. He's surrounded by talent at B.U., so we'll see if they're able to reach the Frozen Four. 

Oliver Moore - Minnesota

Oliver Moore is a former first-round pick (19th overall) from the 2023 NHL Draft. He hasn't put up the offensive numbers at Minnesota that anyone was hoping for, but he did score 12 goals and have 20 assists for 32 points in 37 games played. 

Moore's biggest asset is his speed. He is one of the fastest and best skaters in the organization. That will give him a shot to be a regular in the NHL on its own. If he can use his speed to create chances for himself and teammates, he'll be even more valuable. 

Winning seems to follow Moore around, too. Not only is Minnesota one of the best teams in this tournament, but Moore has won back-to-back Gold Medals at the World Junior Championships with Team USA. He has participated in some massive games.

The Blackhawks will enjoy his speed whenever he arrives, but gaining experience in these big games coming up will be great for his development.  

Sam Rinzel - Minnesota 

The most exciting prospect that the Blackhawks have in this tournament is Sam Rinzel of Minnesota. The young defenseman was a first-round pick (25th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft.

He was a great prospect coming out of the Waterloo Blackhawks organization, but nobody expected the hype around him to match that of some other top defensemen in the organization by now. Rinzel could step into the Blackhawks' lineup the game after Minnesota is done, whenever that may be. 

The young blue-liner defends well and he can make plays in the offensive zone. He had 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points in 39 games played so far this year. If Rinzel continues to play like this in the tournament, the Golden Gophers have a chance. 

The Blackhawks certainly have some outstanding prospects in the organization. The NCAA is about to showcase seven great ones. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

There are some exciting developments down on the farm for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With more talent in the system than they've had in recent memory, the Penguins have several prospects of interest to keep an eye on. We will take a look at how some of the organization's top defensive prospects are faring right now in our March prospects update.

---

Harrison Brunicke

Despite missing more than two months due to a wrist fracture sustained on Nov. 14, Brunicke hasn't missed a beat this season.

The 18-year-old blueliner registered five goals and 30 points in 41 games with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL this season, and this followed a marvelous training camp that saw him make it all the way to final cuts.

Unfortunately, his production wasn't enough to help elevate the Blazers to the postseason, but that may have been a bit of a blessing in disguise. Because the Blazers' season is over, the 2024 second-round pick (44th overall) is expected to be recalled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - to aid the team in its Calder Cup run, which was clinched yesterday in an 4-3 overtime win against the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Brunicke's skating, smarts, mobility, and ability to get inside opponents at both end of the rink are the tenets of his game, and if he bulks up a bit more and adds some size to his 6-foot-3 frame, he will be the complete package. Penguins' fans should be very excited about Brunicke, as he is - arguably - their best prospect, period.

And honestly? Yes, he's on track to get the call to WBS - but it wouldn't be all that shocking to see him get a few games in Pittsburgh by the end of the season instead.

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Owen Pickering

After a 25-game stint in Pittsburgh earlier this season, Pickering was re-assigned to WBS in January for development purposes. And although he saw a bit of an adjustment period back to the AHL, the first-round pick in 2022 (21st overall) certainly has been helping contribute to the cause in WBS.

Pickering may only have two goals and nine points in 39 AHL games this season, but his game is rounding out in other areas. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound left blueliner is developing more of a shutdown game, which is something that Pittsburgh fans saw glimpses of during his NHL stint.

It'd be nice to see more production come around for Pickering, which could happen eventually. Defensemen - big, lanky ones, in particular - tend to take a bit longer to develop than other players. Patience will be the key with Pickering, but he's already starting to round out a lot of the details that the organization wanted to see out of him.

It's fair to expect him to be on the NHL roster full-time in 2025-26.

---

Emil Pieniniemi

Pieniniemi, 20, continues to impress quite a bit this season in the OHL. In 60 games with the Kingston Frontenacs, the 2023 third-round pick (91st overall) registered 10 goals and 60 points, and he and his team will play the Sudbury Wolves in the first round of the 2025 OHL playoffs.

He finished sixth in OHL scoring among defenseman, and he helped lead Finland to silver at the World Junior Championship at the turn of the new year. After being drafted primarily for his defensive and play-killing instincts, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound defenseman has developed a potent offensive game as well, which has really helped his stock rise within the organization and within prospect rankings.

He will not be eligible for junior hockey next season, so Pieniniemi will likely play in the AHL. And - depending on how far the Frontenacs go in the postseason - it's not out-of-the-question that he joins Brunicke in playing for WBS by the end of this season.

---

Finn Harding

Two slots behind Pieniniemi in OHL scoring this season was defenseman Finn Harding (seven goals, 57 points in 67 games), who was a re-entry seventh-round draft selection (223rd overall) by the Penguins in 2024.

Like Pieniniemi and the Frontenacs, Harding's Brampton Steelheads will vye for the OHL championship this spring, and they will take on the Oshawa Generals in the first round. His offensive game has taken strides this season, and this adds to an already-steady presence on the blueline as a reliable defender on the rush and with his gap control.

Becoming a regular at the NHL level is more of a longshot for Harding than it is for the players mentioned above. But he continues to prove - at least, so far - that his value exceeds his re-draft positioning. If Harding can really hone his two-way game and improve his skating, he may very well be a reliable bottom-pairing NHL defenseman sometime in the future.

And, at the end of the day, having defensive depth certainly doesn't hurt the Penguins - especially on the right side, where they are thinner on organizational depth.

---

Chase Pietila

Pietila's impressive collegiate season with the Michigan Tech Huskies earned him an entry-level contract with the Penguins on Mar. 9. He registered seven goals and 22 points in 36 games - as well as 32 blocked shots - for the Huskies, and he was also named the Central States Collegiate Hockey Association's (CCHA) Defensive Defenseman of the Year.

The 6-foot-2, 186-pound blueliner was drafted in the fourth round (111th overall) by the Penguins in 2024. Across two seasons with the Huskies, Pietila has put up 10 goals and 44 points in 76 NCAA games. 

Although he doesn't have one particular toolset or skill that stands out, Pietila - like Harding - is a reliable defender. His most likely path to the NHL will be in a shutdown role, and this is something the Penguins could use on the right side of their blueline.

At 21 years old, Pietila will, presumably, play in WBS next season. He has already played in two games for the team this season and will be around for the playoff run.

---

Daniel Laatsch

Laatsch, 23, has spent the past three seasons playing for the University of Wisconsin. The left defenseman was a seventh-round selection (215th overall) by the Penguins in 2021, and over four seasons with the Badgers, he registered six goals and 26 points and just 18 total penalty minutes.

The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Laatsch certainly knows how to use his frame to his advantage, but a lot of the details in his game still need refinement. He could also develop a bit more of a physical element to his game. 

Nonetheless, he earned a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins on Mar. 10. Laatsch should be a solid organizational depth signing for the Penguins, but there is still room for growth.

---

Isaac Belliveau

It has been a season of ups and downs for Belliveau, who was a fifth-round pick (154th overall) in 2021 by the Penguins. He has spent time in both the AHL and the ECHL, registering three goals and 11 points in 16 games with the Wheeling Nailers and one goal and seven points in 22 games with WBS. 

Although Belliveau's main draw to his game is on the offensive side, he still needs to work on some of the defensive details. He has been in and out of the lineup while with the AHL squad, so he is currently stationed in the ECHL for development and for the opportunity to play every day.

Given the rich defensive prospect pool in the Penguins' system, Belliveau will have to take some major strides in 2025-26 to have a shot at cracking the NHL lineup with Pittsburgh.

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The Philadelphia Flyers fired former New York Rangers coach John Tortorella on Thursday after nearly completing three seasons with the team. 

This comes after The Flyers went 0-5-1 in their past six games and 1-10-1 in their past 12 games. 

“Today I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said. “John played a vital role in our rebuild. He set a standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer. John’s passion on the bench was only equaled by his charitable work in our community. As we move into the next chapter of this rebuild, I felt this was the best for our team to move forward. I’d like to thank John for his tireless work and commitment to the Flyers.”

Tortorella recorded a 97-107-33 with the Flyers while failing to make the playoffs through his tenure in Philadelphia. 

Brad Shaw will take over as the Flyers’ interim coach with nine games remaining of the 2023-24 campaign. 

His stint with the Rangers lasted from 2009-13. Tortorella’s fiery energy and blunt personality made him one of the most infamous Blueshirts coaches in recent memory.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in one of the tightest wild card races we’ve seen in years.

As of March 27, 2025, five teams are battling for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. To make things even more interesting, there’s still a mathematical chance that any of those teams could catch the Ottawa Senators for the first wild card position.

With teams having between nine and 11 games remaining in the 2024-25 NHL season, fans should buckle up—these next few weeks are going to be intense.

Scoreboard Watch For Thursday, March 27The Columbus Blue Jackets haven't had to scoreboard-watch in March and April in a few years, but here we are. 

For the Blue Jackets, 12 games remain, and they sit just two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for WC2 and six points back of the Senators for WC1. With the playoffs less than a month away, it’s the perfect time to break down their remaining schedule and the key matchups ahead.

Blue Jackets Schedule:

Friday March 28: vs. Vancouver Canucks 

Saturday March 29: @ Ottawa Senators 

Tuesday April 1: vs. Nashville Predators 

Thursday April 3: vs. Colorado Avalanche

Saturday April 5: @ Toronto Maple Leafs

Sunday April 6: @ Ottawa Senators 

Tuesday April 8: vs. Ottawa Senators

Thursday April 10: vs. Buffalo Sabres

Saturday April 12: vs. Washington Capitals 

Sunday April 13: @ Washington Capitals

Tuesday April 15: @ Philadelphia Flyers 

Thursday April 17: vs. New York Islanders

Of the 12 remaining games, four stand out as crucial to the Blue Jackets’ playoff hopes.

Their three matchups against the Senators could be the difference between making or missing the playoffs. If Columbus can win all three, it could push them into a wild card spot and significantly shake up the standings.

The other pivotal game is against the New York Islanders on Thursday, April 17. If the standings remain tight, there’s a real possibility that this game will determine the final playoff spot in the East. To add to the drama, it’s also Columbus’ last game of the season—making it potentially the biggest game of the year.

Buckle up, Blue Jackets fans—the next three weeks are going to be a wild ride.

Blue Jackets Sign Another Undrafted NCAA Defenseman It's that time of year when undrafted NCAA players start signing entry-level contracts with NHL teams, and the Columbus Blue Jackets have been particularly active in adding college talent. Blue Jackets Sign Defense Prospect Charlie Elick The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defense prospect Charlie Elick to a three-year entry-level contract. Yesterday, the Blue Jackets made another signing, when they agreed to a two-year deal with Jack Williams from Northeastern University.  Loading The Cannon: Jack WilliamsYesterday, the Blue Jackets announced the signing of forward Jack Williams of the Northeastern University Huskies. Blue Jackets Assign Prospect To AHL MonstersThe Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they have assigned OHL prospect Luca Pinelli to the AHL, where he will join the Cleveland Monsters.

DETROIT — The Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena.  Their playoff hopes are dimming, but until the bell of mathematical elimination tolls, the Red Wings have no option but to fight desperately to push themselves to the front of the wild card fray.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

In assessing Detroit's two-part, four-game road trip from Washington to Vegas, Utah, and Colorado, coach Todd McLellan spoke to the obvious and paramount importance of results by this time of year.  "Effort and drive and all those things are real important but wins have to come out of it, based on where we're at right now, and we didn't get enough of those on the road trip, so we're gonna rely on these two games here at home to try to fill the bank up for points that we didn't get [on the road]," he said.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of tonght's game:

Injury Updates

First, let's review the Red Wings' health situation heading into the evening.  Andrew Copp and Erik Gustafsson remain out (the former's season definitively done, the latter's likely the same).  Meanwhile, Elmer Soderblom (who suffered an injury in Detroit's loss to the Capitals to open the road trip, missed the Golden Knights game in Vegas, returned to play Utah but suffered a knock that kept him out against the Avalanche) remains unavailable, per McLellan.

Goaltender Cam Talbot—who was not healthy enough to play Tuesday night against Colorado—will be healthy enough to back-up Alex Lyon Thursday.  McLellan did not yet have an update on Petr Mrazek (injured in Utah) but said the netminder will be evaluated further Thursday afternoon.

Finally, per McLellan, Detroit is still waiting on official confirmation but Jeff Petry (who returned to the lineup for the firs time since Jan. 2 against Utah, then missed the following night's game against the Avs) should be available to return to the lineup Thursday night.

Top Line Tarasenko Looking to Spark Raymond, Larkin

As the Red Wings look to spark their sputtering offense from the top down, McLellan promoted Vladimir Tarasenko to the top left wing role, beside Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin.

"If they play well, they'll be the top line," McLellan said to explain the decision.  "He's gonna play with Razor and Larks, and we'll determine who that top line is at the end of the night, but he's gonna get his opportunity to go up there."

"We're trying it this way now, where Razor and Larks have not scored at the same pace that they've scored at in the past, and Vladdy's kind of been in that mix, so we're throwing all three together now," the coach continued.  "When you look at their résumés, you look at what they've done and the way they can play, they should be a real good line.  It'll be a real good challenge for the three of them to play together and find a way to be productive."

Raymond and Larkin were held scoreless in Utah and Colorado, and both players have struggled to sustain their best form since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off.  When asked Thursday morning about Raymond and Larkin's recent performances, McLellan spoke to the importance of that duo at least creating chances, even if they can't convert every night. 

"Everybody's games kind of ebb and flow, and they've had some nights where they have been productive," said McLellan.  "They've had nights where they've had great scoring opportunities and it hasn't gone in, and they've just had some dry nights.  If it's one of the first two [kinds of] nights, we have to live with that.  The dry nights where there's not much going on, we have to find ways to get them to be catalysts.  There's pressure on both of them of course.  They're looked at as our offensive leaders and leaders overall.  This time of year, that pressure can be immense, so they have to handle that as well.  Expectations are high for the pair and for them as individuals."

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The Red Wings last saw the Senators earlier this month in the Canadian capital.  Detroit fell 2–1 that night, despite putting 49 shots on goal, thanks to a standout performance in net from Linus Ullmark and another lackluster performance from the Red Wings penalty kill.

Thursday morning, McLellan pointed out that Detroit can and should take positives from its performance against the Senators in Ottawa but also that the clear imperative for his team is finding a way to beat Ullmark.

"We're gonna refer back to the game that we played in Ottawa, and we'll try to take the same approach," McLellan said.  "I'm sure they'll have a much better night.  They've played with some confidence since that day or prior to it.  Their goaltending has been really elite in the last few weeks, and Ullmark's given them a chance to play through some patches in games where they haven't played real well or it got ugly for a few shifts, and he's been able to bail them out.  To beat that team, I think you have to get rewarded during those minutes, and we didn't in Ottawa."

The Red Wings have only scored more than three goals once in the month of March.  Meanwhile, Ullmark has won seven of his last 10 games for the Sens.  It won't be an easy task for Detroit to break out of its offensive slump Thursday night, but it's what the Wings will have to do to keep their already dwindling playoff hopes alive.

Cossa Remains an Emergency Only Option in Net

One final topic of note to emerge from Thursday morning's skate was the status of Sebastian Cossa.

Detroit called up the 2021 first round draft pick under emergency conditions to back-up Tuesday night in Colorado, with Talbot and Mrazek both injured.  Cossa took part in Thursday morning's skate, but with Talbot back healthy, he will return to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

"The emergency conditions will see to exist once Cam [gets healthy], so the simple answer to that question is no, unless we get into an emergency situation again," said McLellan, when asked whether there was a chance to see Cossa start for Detroit down the stretch.  "That's just the way it goes now with roster moves."

The Red Wings could recall Cossa under non-emergency conditions to make that happen, but based on McLellan's answer, it doesn't sound as though that's happening.  Between acquiring Mrazek (to have a second NHL goaltender under contract for the '25-26 season along with Talbot) and this response from McLellan, there is some reason to believe some of the Red Wings' faith in Cossa has faded slightly over the course of the season.  That's speculative, and there's certainly time for Cossa to change their minds, as it would of course be foolhardy to write off the 22-year-old already.  However, we do have two data points that suggest a slightly bearish outlook on Cossa's future.

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Hours before the Philadelphia Flyers were set to take on the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, the organization announced that coach John Tortorella had been relieved of his duties.

The move shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. After the last Flyers’ game, he was quoted as saying:

I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season.

-

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If that’s not walking straight on the plank to be pushed at sea, I don’t know what is. His stay in Philadelphia lasted less than three complete seasons. In 237 games, he had a 97-107-33 record with the Flyers, his second-shortest stint in the NHL; he only stayed in Vancouver for a single season.

While Tortorella was a very effective coach in the past, his style doesn’t really fit in today’s NHL. The days of the tough coaches are long gone in the NHL. Martin St-Louis often tells the media that a significant part of his job is selling his teachings to the players.

Once upon a time, hockey players were like robots and would do as the coach ordered them. Athletes want to understand why they must do or act a certain way. Juraj Slafkovsky didn’t start playing a more physical game because he was told to do so. It was explained to him why the organization needed him to play that way to become the best player he could be.

Don’t get me wrong—the man once was a great coach. He’s ninth in all-time wins among NHL coaches with 770 wins (12 short of Al Arbour in eighth place). He won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and captured the Jack Adams Trophy in 2017 with the Columbus Blue Jackets and in 2004 with the Bolts. The Canadiens coach has repeatedly said he has learned a lot from his former coach, but it’s obvious to anyone watching him interact with his team that he didn’t take all the leaves out of Tortorella’s book

The game has evolved, and the coaching has as well. St. Louis is a perfect example of it, and Tortorella is part of a near-extinct species. It will be interesting to see if another team is willing to take a gamble on the 66-year-old bench-boss.

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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins punched their ticket to the Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Hartford Wolf Pack. 

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Pittsburgh Penguins, WBS will qualify for the postseason for the second straight season and the third time in the past four years, missing the playoffs in 2022-23. 

Last year, the baby Penguins were swept in two games by their cross-state rivals, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Before that series, they were swept by the Springfield Thunderbirds in three games in the first round of the 2021-22 Calder Cup playoffs.

WBS advanced to face the Thunderbirds thanks to a win in the qualifying round over the Hershey Bears in three games, earning a 4-3 overtime win in Game 3. That game occurred on May 9, 2022, which happened to be the same night when Pittsburgh defeated the New York Rangers 7-2 at PPG Paints Arena.

Interestingly, both teams would lose their next three playoff games that season and be eliminated on the same day, May 15, 2022, in one-goal games: Pittsburgh lost 4-3 in overtime, and WBS lost 7-6. 

As mentioned, Pittsburgh hasn't skated in a playoff game since May 15, 2022, and WBS hasn't won a game since May 9, 2022. Considering that the baby Penguins are one of the top teams in the AHL this season, there's an excellent chance they will snap the organization's playoff-winless streak next month.

The Chicago Blackhawks are at the bottom of the standings this season, and it isn't just one thing that has the team there, it's many. One part of that is how the lines have been assembled this season. One of the worst lines offensively was put together and it lasted far too long.

The line of Teuvo Teravainen, Jason Dickinson, and Ilya Mikheyev had the fourth fewest goals for per 60 minutes from lines that played at least 150 minutes together at 5-on-5 this season. In 189 minutes, the trio scored 1.27 goals per 60 minutes.

The only three worse lines in 2024-25 are Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, and Morgan Barron (205 minutes) with 0.88 goals for per 60 minutes, Andrew Mangiapane, Nic Dowd, and Brandon Duhaime (153 minutes) with 0.78, and Joel Kiviranta, Parker Kelly, and Logan O'Connor (308 minutes) with 0.19. What's very odd is the Blackhawks are second last in the NHL while the other three lines are from the two top teams in the league, the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals, and another strong team, the Colorado Avalanche.

Not to worry, this line won't be together for the remainder of the season as Dickinson has been shut down with an injury. Oddly enough, Teravainen has done well in his first season with the Blackhawks considering where they are and Mikheyev has exceeded expectations offensively and done a great job on the defensive side of the puck.

Blackhawks Have Confusing Response To Bad Penalty CallThe Chicago Blackhawks were beaten by the New Jersey Devils at United Center on Wednesday evening. It was a game that the Devils led from beginning to end, but the Blackhawks always stayed close. 

This is just a line that didn't work, and that happens. It's something the analytics department needs to take note of to help the coaches make informed decisions so that the Blackhawks can succeed moving forward.

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EDMONTON –  The trade deadline is a great time for hockey fans.

The rumors ahead of deals being made are one of the ways that many fans of the sport spend their time scrolling through the internet. And in the aftermath, failed deals come to light.

For the Edmonton Oilers, it looks like they came close to one deal.

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According to RG, the Oilers were interested in New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Ultimately, any potential deal fell through, and the Oilers pivoted to acquireTrent Frederic and Max Jones. A source also confirmed this with The Hockey News.

A report published by RG cites two primary reasons the Islanders didn't execute a Pageau deal with the Oilers at the trade deadline.

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Islanders Weren't Willing To Retain Salary

Pageau's $5 million contract is valid until the end of the 2025-26 NHL season. However, the Oilers' salary cap situation means they couldn't absorb the entire cap hit for the veteran center.

Unfortunately, the Islanders didn't want to retain salary in the deal. Instead, they made a deal to trade away center Brock Nelson, who has an expiring contract. So retaining salary on a Nelson deal made more sense because the retained salary would only be for the remainder of the current NHL season.

Islanders Didn't Want Just Draft Picks

Another reason the Islanders pivoted to a Nelson deal was the return. In addition to draft picks, they acquired prospect Cal Ritchie. They expect Ritchie to be ready to play NHL games at the beginning of next season.

Looking at the Oilers prospect chart, it's clear who the Islanders would have wanted in a Pageau trade. They would likely have been eyeing one of Matt Savoie or Sam O'Reilly. Considering that the quality of the team's prospects falls off after that would be enough reason to give the organization pause.

In the end, they gave up some draft picks and Shane LeChance, a prospect whose rights with the team were expiring at the end of the current season.

Failed Pageau Trade Is A Missed Opportunity

Acquiring Pageau would have been an incredible addition to the Oilers. He is a hard-working two-way player who can chip in a good amount of offense. Pageau is in his fourth full season with the Islanders, scoring at least 33 points each year.

He currently has 37 points in 68 games while averaging 17:02 per game. Pageau would have been an excellent middle-six center who would have given coach Kris Knoblauch a lot of roster flexibility. He is also a right-handed shooter.

While Frederic doesn't bring all of the same elements as Pageau, he is unique in his own way and will be a contributing member of the team once he is healthy again.

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The Chicago Blackhawks were beaten by the New Jersey Devils at United Center on Wednesday evening. It was a game that the Devils led from beginning to end, but the Blackhawks always stayed close. 

A very definitive point of the game came in the second period when the Devils were given a controversial power play. The play started with Devils defenseman Simon Nemec cross-checking Blackhawks Connor Bedard into the ice while on top of him. 

Landon Slaggert came to the defense of Bedard, which is what any good teammate would do for their star payer. Slaggert was the only player in the mix to get a penalty during this sequence. 

Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) on XHere's where Slaggert received a roughing penalty. Nemec's stick appeared to get caught under Bedard's arm. Refs probably didn't need to call anything and just moved everyone on.

We've seen NHL referees give the "third man in" a penalty before. The calls can go either way, but the Blackhawks didn't act even a little bit upset about it. The coaching staff and players on the bench acted like nothing happened. 

You'd like to see the head coach say something to the referees in response to a situation like that. Most coaches would be irate, but Sorensen just watched. 

After the game, Sorensen was asked about his mentality when it comes to issues like this with the officials. 

"I just don't know what to gain out of it," Sorensen said of barking at officials when questionable calls are made. "They've made their call. They're probably not going to change it. You can try to talk to them in TV timeouts to get an explanation that way instead. Coming across yelling is probably not going to help the situation, right? Try to build a relationship and talk to them. I think that will go a longer way down the road."

There is some truth to what Sorensen is saying but it's hard to watch the replay of the Blackhawks bench appearing to be fine with Slaggert going to the box for defending their star player in Bedard as he was getting shoved into the ice. 

On the TNT broadcast of the game, former Chicago Blackhawks full-time color commentator Ed Olczyk was on the call. He had some harsh opinions on this. 

"If I'm sitting on that Blackhawks bench, I'd be absolutely livid right now, considering how the Devils got a power play." 

Olczyk has been a coach in the NHL before. He's also had young superstars like Sidney Crosby on his bench. He's been around the game for a long time as a player, coach, and broadcaster. Hearing this from him speaks volumes. 

Is Sorensen and his staff wrong for the way that they handled this? Not necessarily, but it isn't a good look. The Blackhawks need a coaching staff that fires everyone up, no matter how they are performing in the standings. 

Connor Bedard is a budding superstar in the NHL, and Chicago must protect him at all costs. Slaggert did the right thing, then he was punished for it, the team allowed a power play goal, and no emotion came from it. That's not ideal. 

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The misery is over. At least it is for John Tortorella.

Two days after losing 7-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs — the second straight seven-goal loss during a losing streak that has stretched on for six games — the Philadelphia Flyers coach is done for the season. The Flyers have nine games remaining, but Tortorella won’t be coaching them.

Associate coach Brad Shaw takes over interim coaching duties. He coached 40 games for the New York Islanders in 2005-06, going 18-18-4, and he was an associate or assistant coach in St. Louis, Columbus and Vancouver before joining the Flyers in 2022-23.

“Today I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach,” said GM Daniel Briere. “John played a vital role in our rebuild. He set a standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer. John’s passion on the bench was only equaled by his charitable work in our community. As we move into the next chapter of this rebuild, I felt this was the best for our team to move forward. I’d like to thank John for his tireless wok and commitment to the Flyers.”

Is John Tortorella Still The Right Coach For Flyers’ Rebuild?When the Philadelphia Flyers resume their schedule Saturday afternoon against the powerful Edmonton Oilers, there are a couple of interesting things about their remaining 25 games.

Tortorella was hired in Philadelphia in 2022-23, taking over a rebuilding team that had already moved on from previous captain Claude Giroux. In his first season, the Flyers finished with the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. But last season, he exceeded expectations — and temporarily flirted with a playoff spot — as the team missed out on a wild card spot by just four points.

This year, however, he could not build on that success.

The Flyers, who have gone the past 14 games without a regulation win, have the worst winning percentage in the East. It doesn’t help that they were sellers at the trade deadline, having moved veterans Scott Laughton, Andrei Kuzmenko and Erik Johnson. But either way, it appears that even Tortorella was growing tired of all the losing.

John Tortorella: "This falls on me, I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season where we're at right now...but I have to do a better job."#Flyerspic.twitter.com/M3LJbWdadB

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) March 26, 2025

“It’s my job to prepare this team in this type of situation. I haven’t done a good enough job in the past couple of games,” Tortorella said following the blowout loss to the Leafs on Tuesday. “When you’re in this type of situation where you’re losing all the time and there’s nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there’s certainly going to be some frustration. But this falls on me.

“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season with where we’re at right now, but I have to do a better job. So this falls on me.”

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