Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Ottawa Senators may have found an excellent young player in their notoriously thin list of NHL prospects. 

The recent sports hernia injury to veteran David Perron left the NHL door open again for Stephen Halliday, who was recalled from AHL Belleville four days ago. Halliday has been up and down this season, appearing in 18 NHL games and posting 6 points. Halliday's latest promotion last week was his third of the 2025-26 season.

But the Ajax, Ontario native didn't just get his foot in the door this time; he kicked it wide open.

In the last three games in Ottawa, Halliday has three goals and four points, and could have had a lot more. The 23-year-old has suddenly found another gear in the NHL, which makes what happened on Sunday night all the more disappointing.

As the Senators were beating up on the Vegas Golden Knights, Halliday was having the finest game of his young NHL career with two goals and an assist in an eventual 7-1 Senators win.

But he wasn't around for the final horn.

In the third period, Vegas forward Tomas Hertl hit Halliday into the angled plexiglass and stanchion at the Knights' bench. Halliday hit his head, fell hard to the ice, and had to be helped off the ice towards the Ottawa dressing room.

While head coach Travis Green didn't have an update after the game, Sens captain Brady Tkachuk provided one when asked about Halliday.

"I mean, he played amazing," Tkachuk said. "And I just talked to him. He feels good, feels okay. So hopefully it's nothing too severe."

Tkachuk, who helped set up three goals against Vegas, also took a moment to give the rookie a glowing review. 

"And yeah, I mean, every single game he plays, he just keeps getting better and better, the confidence, the poise. And he's a player who's gonna really help us moving forward."

Halliday is a classic late bloomer.

He was passed over in two NHL Drafts before the Sens finally scooped him up as a 20-year-old in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft. His 95 points in 62 games at Dubuque in his fourth USHL season were too good to pass up, especially that late in the draft.

The Pierre Dorion-led Senators never minded going after the odd overager or a player who was passed over in a draft or two. They also picked Drake Batherson, Egor Sokolov, Cole Reinhardt, and Mark Kastelic, to name a few. 

At 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, Halliday was a fine scorer at every level, including Ohio State and then Belleville, but NHL scouts were skeptical about his skating. It's something he's worked on, and in the mould of a Mark Stone, his stride isn't elite, but it's way better than it was on draft day.

It was good to hear from Tkachuk that the first-year Senator was feeling okay after the game. From what we've seen lately, Halliday is not just a temp or a fill-in anymore. Whether the Sens jump back into this playoff race or not, Halliday is tracking to be an important player for the foreseeable future.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

This story is from The Hockey News Ottawa. You can visit the site here or click on one of their latest articles below:

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Flyers lay an egg in loss to Islanders and hear it from fans originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Rick Tocchet talked about this being a “maturity game” for the Flyers.

They didn’t handle it well, at all.

The Flyers showed little life Monday night and lost to the Islanders, 4-0, at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They gave up two even strength goals, a power play goal and a shorthanded goal.

They heard boos after the second-period horn and the final buzzer. It was a good crowd when you consider the game was not even 24 hours after a snowstorm.

“We just got our butts kicked on home ice in a game where it’s probably tough to get to, and a lot of fans in the building,” Jamie Drysdale said. “We have to be better and we will be better.”

The dud came after the Flyers had a commendable 2-0-1 road trip, which was capped off by a signature, 7-3 win over the NHL-best Avalanche.

“To be a good team, you have to handle prosperity,” Tocchet said. “You’ve got to let the game go, even though it’s a good game for you, let it go and get your business hat on for the next game. And obviously we didn’t.”

Tocchet’s club also had two days of rest with Sunday’s practice being canceled because of the snowstorm.

But the Flyers (24-18-9) failed to sustain any of the momentum and missed an opportunity to move into playoff position. They’re now four points back of the Islanders (28-19-6) for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

“We knew it was a big game, a four-point game in the division,” Trevor Zegras said. “We just kind of came out and thought it would be easy, I guess. They played a good game, they didn’t give us much. Just wasn’t our best tonight.”

The Flyers have won consecutive games only once since the calendar turned to 2026.

“That’s on me, I’ll wear it, I’ve got to get these guys ready to play after a win,” Tocchet said. “I don’t know what guys were doing for the last two days, but I don’t even know if anybody played well.”

The Flyers are 2-1-0 in their four-game regular-season series against New York. They recorded a pair of 4-3 shootout wins in the opening two months of the season.

The clubs wrap things up April 3 at UBS Arena.

• Making his fourth straight start and seventh straight appearance, Samuel Ersson denied 19 of 23 shots.

A bad tone was set for the Flyers when their power play gave up a first-period goal.

Ersson played a bouncing puck to the corner, where Casey Cizikas took it and found a wide-open Jean-Gabriel Pageau streaking to the net. Drysdale and Bobby Brink both went after Cizikas. There was no help behind them.

“There was no effort coming back,” Tocchet said. “We didn’t even have the puck and then we had two guys go to the same guy and then one guy doesn’t backcheck. … Who knows if we’re 0-0 after the first, but it seemed like when they scored, some guys accepted it.”

The Flyers’ 1-0 deficit grew to 3-0 in the middle stanza.

Mathew Barzal scored on a redirection 5:41 minutes into the period. Then, a little over seven minutes later, former Flyer Tony DeAngelo struck on the power play. Cam York was in the box and Emil Andrae couldn’t handle a pass at the offensive blue line, which put the Islanders on the rush.

Pageau added his second of the night in the third period.

“When we roll lines and stack shifts together, we’re a very dangerous team,” Noah Cates said. “But it just seems like maybe we get away from it after wins or something like that.”

Dan Vladar was out for a sixth straight game because of a lower-body injury, but he’s pretty close to a return.

New York netminder Ilya Sorokin continued to be a thorn in the Flyers’ side, stopping all 21 shots. It marked his 12th career win over the Flyers.

He entered with a 1.61 goals-against average and .944 save percentage lifetime against them.

The Flyers’ 27th-ranked power play went 0 for 3 and surrendered that game-opening shorthanded goal.

“We just need to focus on ourselves,” Sean Couturier said. “Playing the right way, showing up every night.”

• After missing six straight games with an upper-body injury, Rasmus Ristolainen was back in the lineup for Noah Juulsen.

To make room on the roster, the Flyers loaned Hunter McDonald back to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

• The Flyers are back in action Wednesday when they visit the Blue Jackets (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT).

The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to get back to having steady line combinations. With every forward on the roster healthy for the first time in a long time, they might be able to do that for a while. 

Teuvo Teravainen was waiting to be good enough to play, and he practiced with the group on Monday, wearing a regular contact sweater. 

There was also a "fifth line" that included Colton Dach, Sam Lafferty, and Nick Lardis. With a road trip coming up, they need extra players, but not three forwards. It was clear that there would be an NHL transaction coming out of this. 

On Monday afternoon, the Blackhawks announced that Nick Lardis would be the odd man out. This is not a totally performance-based decision. 

Lardis had five goals and two assists for 7 points in 21 games played with Chicago. He was called up to provide an offensive boost to the lineup when Connor Bedard first went down. Frank Nazar's injury made him even more valuable. 

Although he had plenty of good chances in addition to his points, there is room for more growth in the AHL. The top six is getting crowded again, with all of the injuries healing up. It is fair for Lardis to get more minutes in a much bigger role with Rockford. 

In 24 games played for the IceHogs this season, Lardis has 26 points (13-13--26). This next stint should see him elevate his game even further now that he has some NHL experience under his belt. 

While playing in the NHL, Lardis was named to be an AHL All-Star. Rockford happens to be hosting this event while the NHL is on its Olympic break, so this transaction is perfect for not only allowing Lardis to play bigger minutes in a larger role, but he will also be able to represent himself and the organization on one of the AHL's biggest stages.

Lardis has a great attitude about winning and doing what is needed to help his team win. Combine that with his skills, and you have a young player with a bright future. It won't be long, perhaps even before the end of the season, before Lardis is back up in the NHL. 

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

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The Buffalo Sabres practiced at LECOM Harborcenter on Monday before traveling up to Toronto to take on the struggling Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The Sabres have rebounded from a pair of losses with three road victories, and the contest marks the end of their five-game road swing. Head coach Lindy Ruff provided an update on some of the Sabres injured players, with some troubling news regarding center Josh Norris and good news about defenseman Jacob Bryson. 

Norris suffered a rib injury from a cross-check in the victory over Philadelphia on January 15 and previously has been listed as week-to-week. Ruff stated he is improving every day, but cast doubt whether the 26-year-old will play in the near future. 

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"Josh is better, in the training room today and progressing,” Ruff said. "I doubt (that he's back by the end of the week), unless he gets on the ice here pretty quick, and then we're going to balance whether it's the right idea with all that time coming off. I think we'll make sure we do the right thing in his case."

The Sabres have six games remaining before the Olympic break, and it is possible that the club allows Norris to slowly ramp up and return late next month when the NHL schedule resumes. Ruff indicated that winger Justin Danforth, who has been out since mid-October, could return after the break, and had encouraging news about injured defenseman Jacob Bryson’s upper-body injury suffered in the win over Montreal last Thursday.

"Actually, we got good news on him. It'll just be sort of a pain management thing where he can get back on the ice." Ruff said. "Depends on how he feels. I would still put him in a category of getting back to practice like a day-to-day type of thing."

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

As the Vancouver Canucks continue to battle an ongoing illness going around the locker room, the team finds themselves down two more players after announcing that forward Brock Boeser and defenceman Zeev Buium  have been placed on the injured reserve. In place of them, forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki and defenceman Victor Mancini have been recalled ahead of Vancouver's game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. 

Boeser and Buium both ended up on the receiving end of two head-shots against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, albeit from two different objects. Boeser received an elbow to the head from Penguins forward Bryan Rust, leaving him slow to get up after. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote did not have an update on Boeser's condition after the game. 

On the other hand, Buium left the game midway through the first period after being nailed in the face by a shot taken from the Penguins. The defenceman later returned to the game wearing a full face shield and sporting a shiner on his eye. 

Returning to the NHL in place of Boeser and Buium are Lekkerimäki and Mancini, both of whom have spent the past little bit in the AHL. Lekkerimäki has been on a tear with Abbotsford, averaging a point per game throughout 16 AHL games, and will likely be expected to produce in Vancouver's top-six. 

The Canucks resume their current eight-game home stand with a match against the Sharks on Tuesday. This game could see the return of Kiefer Sherwood a little more than a week after he was traded by the Canucks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

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.

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ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues, in what many on the surface would consider a surprising transaction, assigned top prospect Otto Stenberg to Springfield of the American Hockey League on Monday.

But it's not for the reasons everyone thinks.

Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2023 NHL Draft who has had a strong start to his NHL career playing in 18 games (one goal, seven assists, plus-4), was assigned for the purposes of allowing him to be able to play for the Thunderbirds while the NHL takes a three-week hiatus for the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

The Blues (19-24-9) have five more games left before the break, and if Stenberg were to have play in any of the remaining games leading into the break, he would be entitled to take the time off during the break, and the Blues want him to keep accumulating games and minutes.

If Stenberg were to play in any of the five remaining games prior to the Olympics, he would not have been eligible to go to the AHL during the time off, so he will not be playing in any of the five remaining games prior to Milano-Cortina.

"I thought he had a lot of jump, I thought he played well last game," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "As far as leveling off, I think we saw that with that West coast trip where we did three different time zones. It seemed like it didn't only affect him, but it affected by the end of the trip, it affected all of our younger players and that's getting used to the grind of the NHL, how you take care of your body, how you recover game to game.

"I don't think he got discouraged, but it's a learning process that we communicate to them too and really ask our veteran players to take one of the younger guys under their wing so they really learn how to recover quicker. But your body's got to go through it before you understand it."

Under no circumstances are the Blues displeased with Stenberg's game. In fact, far from it.

"Very happy. He definitely has an NHL brain," Montgomery said. "His game management is high end. His play without the puck is really good, really solid. Again, needs to continue to develop his offensive side of the game."

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The NHL announced on Monday that Anaheim Ducks starting goaltender Lukas Dostal had been named as the NHL’s third star of the week for the week of Jan 19 to Jan 25. Kirill Kaprizov, with nine points (3-6=9) in four games, and Nikita Kucherov, with eight points (2-6=8) in three games, were named first and second stars, respectively.

Dostal (25) finished the week with a 4-0-0, a .925 SV%, and saved 3.33 goals above expected. He stopped 111 of the total 120 shots he saw during the Ducks’ four-game stretch last week, as the Ducks are now riding a seven-game winning streak heading into Edmonton on Monday night.

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Dostal was the backbone of the Ducks' roster as they got off to an 11-3-1 record to open the season. Game flow, eye test, and underlying metrics all suggested the Ducks’ record was kinder to them than their on-ice play dictated. They were able to outscore their problems, and Dostal was performing at a superhuman level in the crease.

His numbers dipped a bit, down to that of an average NHL starter, as November turned to December and eventually the new year, and the Ducks went on a month-long skid from Dec. 11 to Jan. 10, where they only registered two wins and six standings points in 15 games, highlighted (or low-lighted) by a nine-game winless streak.

The Ducks, despite key injuries, seem back on track and improved defensively. As of today, Dostal has a 19-12-2 record, a .895 SV% (.002 below league average), and has saved .7 goals above expected on the season. He’s started 34 and appeared in 35 of the Ducks’ 52 games this season, tying him for seventh-most-utilized goaltender in 2025-26, despite an upper-body injury causing him to miss nine games.

Dostal signed a five-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $6.5 million in mid-July, awarding full-time starter responsibility after the Ducks traded John Gibson, and placing him among the ten highest-paid goaltenders in the NHL.

His number’s been called frequently, and he’s risen to the level his status and salary would indicate. He’s blossomed as a game manager from the crease, freezing pucks when needed, deflecting perimeter shots to safety, getting pucks to stick to him that negate rebounds, and playing more pucks with his stick to catch opponents on changes or start breakouts from his end.

Dostal’s trademarks will always be his quiet athleticism, knowledge of angles, and puck tracking through and around traffic. However, his dedication to his craft suggests he’s just scratching the surface of his potential in this, his third full NHL season for the Ducks.

Dostal will head to Milano Cortino next month to represent Czechia as their starting goaltender at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. It will be his seventh time representing his home nation and his first time at the Olympics.

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust will have a hearing after his hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser on Sunday. The hit came in the last few seconds of the third period, with Rust making clear contact with Boeser's head. While Boeser did make it back to the bench on his own, he was skating next to the trainer and needed help standing up after the hit. 

The hit was dangerous as Rust clearly stuck his elbow out and made contact with Boeser's head. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote did not have an update and was not happy with the play. Here is what Foote said to the media on Sunday.

"I don't have an update yet, but I just looked at the hit. It wasn't pretty. It was a headshot [...] I'm sure the league will look at it, because it was. Even though he may have been desperate to get Boes down because it was a scrum at the net, I still think it was something that you had to be in control of your body. I thought it was a little bit of a vicious hit to the head."

Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust will have a hearing for an illegal check to the head against Vancouver’s Brock Boeser. Date and time TBD.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 26, 2026

Boeser's teammates were also not happy with the hit. Jake DeBrusk called it "a pretty dirty play," while Teddy Blueger said, "I don’t think Rusty is a dirty player, but I think it was pretty clear head contact." Rust was not penalized on the play. 

Bryan Rust get the elbow up on Brock Boeser late in the third.

🎥: Sportsnet | #Canuckspic.twitter.com/ykovrXFuTp

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 26, 2026

After falling to the Penguins on Sunday, the Canucks had a day off on Monday. More information on Boeser should be available on Tuesday after the morning skate. Boeser has played in 50 games this season, scoring 12 goals and recording 25 points. 

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.

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The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated on Sunday night by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. The Hawks allowed four unanswered goals in the third period and lost 5-1.

This loss snapped a three-game point streak for Chicago, keeping them at 50 standings points entering a new week of play. 

Blackhawks Unravel In Third Period, Lose To Panthers 5-1The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated at the United Center on Sunday at the hands of the Florida Panthers.

In the loss, some line shake-ups happened throughout the game. That is not something that Jeff Blashill loves doing, but he was clearly experimenting against the Panthers. Recent Blackhawks coaches loved putting lines in the blender, but Blashill had stabilized that until Sunday. 

After the game was over, Blashill admitted that he plans on getting back to steady lines by the time they play their next game.

"It’s something we’ll look at and decide: okay, what are we going with? And just stay with that."

During practice on Monday, all 15 forwards were healthy and accounted for. As a result, the lines and defense pairs looked like this: 

Nazar-Bedard-Teravainen

Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Greene-Moore-Burakovsky

Donato-Foligno-Slaggert

Dach-Lafferty-Lardis

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Levshunov

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Knight

Soderblom

That fifth line of Colton Dach, Sam Lafferty, and Nick Lardis appears to be the extras ahead of their next game. Will one or two of them be sent down ahead of their departure for Minnesota? We will find out soon. 

With that said, you can expect some of these lines to stick once they figure out the right combos before their next game. Chicago is scheduled to have a morning skate in St. Paul on Tuesday. That may be even more revealing. 

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The New York Rangers are reportedly close to trading Carson Soucy.

According to Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, a trade that sends Soucy to the New York Islanders is brewing. 

Mercogliano adds that there’s no official announcement yet as they work out the particulars, but expect him to be held out of the lineup on Monday night against the Boston Bruins for roster management related reasons. 

This mark the first trade between the Rangers and Islanders since 2010, when the Rangers acquired defenseman Jyri Niemi in exchange for a sixth-round pick. 

The Rangers acquired Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks on March 6, 2025 in exchange for a third-round pick the team received in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights for Reilly Smith. 

When talking about Soucy last year, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury emphasized that he envisions him being a part of the long-term plan for the Rangers.

“We think there's a lot of possibilities with Carson, whether it's (pairing) with Schneids or Foxy or Will (Borgen), or even having him on the right side at some point,” Drury said. “We'll see how it plays out. I'm glad we were able to get him. I was excited about the term, excited about the number. 

Three Teams Linked To Artemi Panarin As Possible Trade Destination With the Feb. 4 roster freeze and March 6. NHL Trade Deadline approaching, trade rumors revolving around Artemi Panarin have begun to pick up steam.

“He's not a rental. He’s someone we could have in for the rest of the year and next year. I just like the overall game – the size, the skating, the sense, how he defends. We were able to do some homework on him the last couple weeks and we’re excited to get him with a piece we got in the Reilly Smith trade.” 

Of course, Drury’s letter that was issued last week outlining the Rangers’ plan to retool the roster changes the direction of the franchise, hence Soucy’s standing with the team.

In 46 games this season, the 31-year-old defenseman has recorded three goals, five assists, and eight points, while averaging 17:13 minutes.

The Islanders have gone to an unlikely source to fill the need on their blue line.

In what would be a rare trade between the Battle of New York rivals, the Blueshirts and Islanders are getting close on a deal that would send defenseman Carson Soucy to Long Island, The Post’s Mollie Walker confirmed, with Soucy sitting out the Rangers game Monday night against the Bruins for trade-related reasons.

Soucy, acquired from the Canucks last season in exchange for a third-round pick, has collected eight points in 46 games this season while averaging 17:13 of ice time. He is eligible for unrestricted free agency after the season.

The return is not yet known, but the Rangers spent a third-round pick to acquire Soucy from Vancouver 10 months ago. The Islanders have plenty of long-term injured reserve space with Kyle Palmieri, Pierre Engvall, Alexander Romanov and, likely, Semyon Varlamov out for the season, so Soucy’s $3.25 million cap hit is of little consequence.

With the Islanders carrying 23 men on their roster, they will need to move a player in order to fit Soucy. That could either mean including a player in the return to the Rangers, adding Ryan Pulock to injured reserve or sending someone to AHL Bridgeport.

For the Islanders, the main question is whether Soucy, a left-handed defenseman, is being seen solely as a replacement for Romanov — whose role the Isles have unsuccessfully tried to fill with a series of call-ups since the Russian got hurt in mid-November — or if Ryan Pulock’s recent upper-body injury increased the urgency to add to their blue line.

Pulock, who has been anchored to the top pair for most of the season, sustained the issue late in Wednesday’s loss to the Kraken before missing Saturday’s 5-0 defeat to the Sabres. He didn’t travel with the Islanders to Philadelphia for a crucial match Monday night against the Flyers, though the team has continued to call him day to day.

In his absence, Scott Mayfield has played on Matthew Schaefer’s right side, but it was hard to see how the Islanders could sustain being without one-third of their Opening Night blue line for long.

Soucy figures to slot into the spot currently occupied by Adam Boqvist, on the left side of the third pair opposite Isaiah George. Boqvist, who has just one point in 19 games this season, has struggled to make a consistent impact and has been benched in favor of call-ups for much of the year.

Taking George out of the lineup and shifting Boqvist to the right side is also an option, but given how Boqvist has struggled on his off side — and that George hasn’t yet gotten an extended look, with Saturday his first game with the Isles this season after being called up — that seems unlikely.

At a minimum, Soucy figures to add some defensive stability to the third pair, which has not had much of it since Romanov went down.

For the Rangers, this looks like the first move of many after general manager Chris Drury announced in a letter to fans that his team would retool. Drury, who has not taken questions from reporters since the announcement, has already told Artemi Panarin he won’t get a contract extension, and names like Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière have swirled in trade rumors.

Drury’s willingness to deal is highlighted by making a move with the Islanders, of all teams. If this trade is indeed completed, it would mark the first trade between the rivals since 2010, when the Blueshirts acquired 19-year-old defenseman Jyri Niemi from the Islanders in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The last one prior to that happened in 1972.

For now, though, everything has started with Soucy, as the Islanders, who enter play Monday in third place in the Metropolitan Division, tried to add depth ahead of a push to finish above the playoff cutline.

William Nylander took to his personal Instagram account and apologized for flashing the middle finger during the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.

One day later, he faced reporters, including TSN's Mark Masters, to express his regret.

"I just want to apologize for my actions yesterday," Nylander said. "I was out of frustration, so I'm sorry about that."

Nylander told reporters that after he made the gesture, he received a text saying 'not a good idea'. When asked what Toronto's leading point-getter was frustrated about, he brought it back to the groin injury that will keep him out of his sixth consecutive game when the club hosts the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

"Just not playing. I want to be out there with the guys," he said. "Yeah, just frustrated."

Craig Berube on William Nylander:

"Made a mistake. He owned up to it. You know, things happen. People make mistakes. Players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. It happens ... He knows it’s wrong & he owned up to it"@TSN_Sports

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 26, 2026

Nylander previously missed six games due to the same groin issue, so it's not a surprise to see him frustrated over his inability to play, especially while the team is going through another funk, having dropped their fourth consecutive games while sitting five points out of a playoff spot through games played on Jan. 25. 

But Nylander's gesture, regardless of how offended you may or may not be, certainly grabbed the attention of fans of the game and the team.

Maple Leafs' William Nylander Apologizes After Flashing Middle Finger During Broadcast Against AvalancheNylander has missed the last five games due to a re-aggravated groin injury.

"(He) made a mistake. He owned up to it. Things happen," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said. "Players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. It happened. He knows it's wrong and he owned up to it."

The Leafs have scored just eight goals in their last four games (0-3-1), and having a healthy Nylander back would certainly help the club improve in that area. With 17 goals and 31 assists in 37 games, his 48 points lead the club by four over the next player (John Tavares with 44 points in 52 games).

Maple Leafs Reveal Groin Injury For William Nylander, Could He Miss The Olympics?With Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube revealing that William Nylander is sidelined by a recurring groin injury, the focus now shifts to whether the superstar can recover in time for the upcoming Olympic Games.

The good news is Nylander is targeting a return for the Leafs' four-game road trip that begins Thursday and will go through Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton before the NHL pauses for an Olympic break.

"Hopefully, (I) will be back playing sometime on the road trip, so that's where I have my mind at."

Of course, returning on the trip would also be good for Nylander's aim to represent Sweden at the Olympics in Milan. No doubt the risk of missing that tournament, or not being 100 percent, could be playing into the star's frustration.

“Sitting there, I got a text message… I was like oh, not a good idea. Not a good thing to do”

William Nylander on the moment he flipped off the broadcast camera. pic.twitter.com/hPmj6LREQP

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 26, 2026

A scheduled game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 26 at Nationwide Arena has been postponed.

It will be made up March 9, and tickets purchased for the Jan. 26 game will remain valid. A large winter storm that covered Central Ohio and its roads with snow was cited for the decision. The Blue Jackets held a morning skate at Nationwide Arena, as usual, but the decision to postpone the game was made after it concluded.

The Kings' last game was a 5-4 shootout win Jan. 24 at the St. Louis Blues, but they made it to Columbus in plenty of time to face the Blue Jackets.

The NHL's Central Division has cooled off and now the Atlantic Division is heating up.

The Colorado Avalanche have four regulation losses in their 10 games after having only two through Dec. 4. They still have a big lead in the Presidents' Trophy race, but with 79 points in 50 games, they're on pace for 129 points, short of the record held by the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (135).

The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild also have slowed with just four wins each in their last 10 games, though the Utah Mammoth are charging.

In the Atlantic, the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and the Buffalo Sabres continue their turnaround with an 18-3-1 surge that puts them in better position to end a 14-season playoff drought. The Bruins are on a 8-2 run to move into a wild-card spot.

Here are the latest USA TODAY NHL power rankings:

Jonathan Lekkerimäki has been a force for the Abbotsford Canucks when returning to the AHL at various points this season. Despite only playing in 16 games for Abbotsford this season, the forward leads his team in goals (10) and sits at fifth in points (16). In terms of offensive output and the skills he’s shown so far this season, Lekkerimäki absolutely deserves a shot at some NHL playing time this season. Here’s why giving him that time right now isn’t the wisest decision. 

Lekkerimäki Is Finding Consisentcy At The AHL Level 

Lekkerimäki got his rookie season in the AHL off to a good start, as the forward scored 19 goals and nine assists in 36 games played. He did all this while bouncing from Vancouver to Abbotsford due to injuries within the organization, also while scoring three goals and three assists in 24 games at the NHL level. All things considered, Lekkerimäki’s efforts in a split season were impressive — but not necessarily something that’s good for his development. 

When he returned to the AHL for a more extended period of time this season, Lekkerimäki made an automatic impact. After returning from injury, the forward put up three goals and two assists in five games with Abbotsford, ultimately helping him receive a call-up at the end of November. Lekkerimäki played in four games with the Canucks before being sent back down to Abbotsford at the beginning of December. 

Since then, Lekkerimäki has remained in Abbotsford, though he has missed two different stints due to injury and illness. Even so, with his current four-game point streak, it appears that Lekkerimäki has found comfort in consistency playing with Abbotsford, which will be integral to his development moving forward. Calling him up when he’s playing with consistent linemates and getting proper minutes would only hamper his growth.

Vancouver Needs To Figure Out What Moves They’re Making 

With the 2026 Winter Olympics coming up in February, the Canucks have a lot of things to sort out before they can consider giving young players like Lekkerimäki NHL minutes. For starters, it would make no sense to bring him up now, as the league will be going on break in two weeks, resulting in the forward being sent down then to get some more playing time with Abbotsford. 

The fact that Vancouver is getting healthy bodies back, as well as the fact that the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline will occur at the start of March, means that Lekkerimäki probably won’t get the kind of minutes he should be getting. With Teddy Blueger and Filip Chytil back in the lineup, as well as Marco Rossi likely to return immediately after the Olympic break, there may not be enough room for Lekkerimäki with so many wingers — particularly veterans — stuffing Vancouver’s depth chart. 

Adding to Vancouver’s stockpile on the wings is the fact that the Canucks are expected to be a seller come the trade deadline. Vancouver already traded Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks last Monday, though it seems as though they’re not quite done yet. On one hand, as a rebuilding team, Vancouver will want to give the players they’re looking at moving on from a fair amount of minutes to showcase their skills. On the other hand, playing a young player like Lekkerimäki with a group that might not even be in-tact in a couple weeks’ time will mess with the forward’s consistency even more. It’s one thing to bring him from one team to another; swapping multiple pieces in a roster he’s playing on will make an even bigger difference. 

Why A Full AHL-Season Could Be Beneficial To Lekkerimäki 

Even after the trade deadline, the Canucks may be tempted to call Lekkerimäki up to give him proper NHL minutes. The argument could be made that giving him some NHL time will allow him to adjust to the league while getting used to playing with some of Vancouver’s younger players at the NHL level. As helpful as this might be, overall, letting him stay in the AHL is probably the better decision. 

If the Canucks truly are rebuilding, as they say they are, the two months after the trade deadline probably aren’t going to be very pretty for Vancouver. Players’ confidence may take a hit if the team ends up on yet another 11-game losing streak. While things aren’t going much better in Abbotsford, the team is starting to find some success while retaining that Calder Cup culture that helped propel them to a championship in 2025. A positive atmosphere like that will help a player like Lekkerimäki approach the game with a more positive mindset compared to what he may develop during an end-of-season skid at the NHL level. 

Mindset aside, another positive point of Lekkerimäki remaining in Abbotsford for the rest of the season is that it gives him a break from the back-and-forth. After jumping around in 2024–25, and then bouncing back and forth a little more this season, the forward will have played quite a bit by the end of this season. While the trip from Abbotsford to Vancouver is nowhere near as bad of a commute as it could be for some AHL players, the amount of playing time Lekkerimäki has taken part in is a good chunk more than what he’s been used to in the past when playing in the SHL. Keep in mind that this is a second-year player who played in a total of 76 games last year at both the NHL and AHL level as well as in the post-season. He’s also dealt with two different injuries this season and sustained another one during the Calder Cup playoffs last year. More back-and-forth and switching between different leagues’ styles of play may result in him re-aggravating something or even sustaining another injury. 

At the end of the day, Lekkerimäki will make his way back to the NHL. Despite how much he’s earned it with his recent stretches of play, now is not the time for that. It’s in the organization’s best interest to give a young player like Lekkerimäki the proper minutes to develop his game in a stable environment while the NHL-side figures out the direction they want to go in. 

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.

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