PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 26: Tommy Novak #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first period goal against the New Jersey Devils at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 26, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
Thursday night was the return to action for the Pittsburgh Penguins after the Olympic break, playing host to the New Jersey Devils. Playing against a team lower than them in the standings, Pittsburgh took care of its business and defeated the Devils by pulling away with multiple third-period goals to secure two points and a win. [Recap]
As Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is set to miss at least the next month on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, he still believes in his teammates to maintain course and fight for a playoff spot in his absence. [Trib Live]
Updates from around the NHL…
The Detroit Red Wings are reportedly keen on acquiring veteran defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks, according to NHL insider Darren Dreger. [TSN]
Joel Quenneville became only the second head coach in NHL history to reach 1,000 career wins when his Anaheim Ducks rallied for a 6-5 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. [ESPN]
With a silver medal finish in the rearview mirror, is it too early for Team Canada to examine a possible roster for the 2030 Olympic Games? Perhaps Canada aims to go with a younger, faster squad, anchored by Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, and Sidney Crosby?! [Sportsnet]
The Hockey Hall of Fame announced the death of former chairman Ian Morrison on Thursday. He was 95 years old. [TSN]
Montreal’s public transit agency, the Société de transport de Montréal, announced that it will once again display the English slogan “Go Habs Go!” on some city buses’ electronic signs to support the Canadiens after the provincial language watchdog reversed its earlier decision to ban the phrase following public criticism and government intervention. [Montreal Gazette]
The Boston Bruins, whether as buyers or sellers, are no strangers to trade deadline moves.
General manager Don Sweeney has made at least one move ahead of the NHL trade deadline every year since taking over his current role in 2015. In fact, the trade deadline is typically where Sweeney does some of his best work.
He has been a buyer in most of those years, but in 2025, the B’s took a sledgehammer to their roster and dealt veterans such as Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic and others. It was the right move because the B’s went on to finish with the fifth-worst record in the league and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
It’s still early, but with almost a year of results, those 2025 trade deadline deals have provided the Bruins with a lot of quality assets in the form of NHL players, prospects and draft picks.
Some of those assets could potentially be used over the next seven days as Sweeney decides how to approach the March 6 trade deadline.
The Bruins enter Friday in the Eastern Conference’s second wild card playoff spot. They have exceeded most expectations so far. But remaining in that spot, or moving up the standings, could prove difficult.
A huge factor in their better-than-expected record is overachieving offensively. The B’s have scored about 18 more goals (197) than expected (179.6) in all situations, per Natural Stat Trick. No other team has scored more than 12 goals above expected. Regression could be coming for a Bruins team that lacks high-end offensive talent. Therefore, adding a forward would be a meaningful upgrade ahead of the deadline.
The Bruins also have the second-toughest remaining schedule, per Tankathon, which includes 14 of their last 24 games on the road.
Improving the blue line, particularly the right side, would be a smart move. The B’s rank 30th in shots allowed, 26th in scoring chances allowed and 31st in high-danger chances allowed in all situations, per Natural Stat Trick. They have survived this lackluster defense because the goaltending has been strong. Jeremy Swayman ranks No. 4 in goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. He has bailed out the Bruins many times this season.
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jeremy Swayman has been one of the Bruins’ best players this season.
Boston reportedly had real interest in acquiring veteran defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames before he ended up getting dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights in January. Does the pursuit of Andersson tell us that the Bruins wouldn’t be opposed to buying at the trade deadline if the right deal presents itself?
The bottom line is they should be buyers. Investing huge assets for a rental makes no sense for this group, but minor tweaks to the roster absolutely should be explored. The Bruins aren’t one of the top Stanley Cup contenders, but could they win a round in the playoffs and maybe surprise some people? Sure. They have a very good goalie in Swayman. They have the league’s third-best power play. They rank No. 7 in faceoff win percentage. David Pastrnak is one of the most talented offensive players in the world.
And another thing to consider: There is no dominant, clear favorite in the East this season. The two-time defending champion Panthers have taken a step back and might even miss the playoffs. There are good teams in the East, like the Hurricanes and Lightning, among others, but none of them look unbeatable by any means.
If the Bruins decide to be buyers at the trade deadline, let’s look at some of the assets they could use to make roster upgrades.
2026 or 2027 first-round pick
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Bruins currently own a total of four first-round picks in the next two drafts.
The Bruins acquired an extra first-round pick in the 2026 and 2027 drafts as part of their trade deadline deals last season. They got the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2026 first-rounder (top-five protected) in the Brandon Carlo trade, and they got the Florida Panthers’ 2027 first-rounder in the Brad Marchand trade.
The Leafs have struggled more than anticipated this season and could miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016. That means the B’s could have a lottery pick even if they reach the postseason themselves. A top-15 pick has a lot of value, especially when you consider that the 2026 draft class is pretty strong.
There are a couple really impressive defenseman prospects who could go in the No. 6 to No. 15 pick range. The B’s would be wise to bolster their blue line depth in this draft.
The Bruins shouldn’t be trading any first-round picks for rentals. They are not a top-tier contender. It would be extremely reckless to make that kind of move. Sweeney should only trade a first-round pick if he’s getting an impact player in his prime who fits the age timeline of the Bruins’ other franchise pillars (David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, etc.).
The Bruins have made a first-round pick in back-to-back drafts, and those picks — Dean Letourneau at No. 25 in 2024 and James Hagens at No. 7 in 2025 — look quite promising. The previous time they picked in Round 1 in consecutive drafts was 2016 and 2017. Continuing to build the prospect pool should be a priority.
The only first-rounder that makes sense to dangle on the trade market is the Panthers’ 2027 pick, but only if used to acquire a player with term on his contract beyond this season.
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Day 2 draft picks
Over the next four drafts, the Bruins own all of their second-round picks, all but one of their third-round picks (no selection in 2027) and six fourth-round picks. The B’s have three fourth-round picks in 2026 — their own, the Flyers’ pick and the Lightning’s pick.
If Sweeney wants to add a depth forward or a third-pairing defenseman at this trade deadline, these 2026 fourth-round picks would be a good place to start.
With six first-round picks in the next four drafts, the Bruins can afford to let go of some mid-round selections for immediate help.
NHL players and prospects
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Andrew Peeke is in the final year of his contract and could become a UFA this summer.
It can be tough to trade young players who flash exciting potential from time to time. But to get good veteran players — especially if they’re not rentals — you have to give up actual assets.
Mason Lohrei still needs to improve defensively, but his skating and offensive skill set as a 25-year-old defenseman could intrigue other teams. Fabian Lysell has 37 points, including 15 goals, in 46 games for the AHL’s Providence Bruins. The B’s have not given Lysell much of a chance to prove himself at the NHL level. If the Bruins don’t think Lysell is part of the long-term future, then it would make sense to move the 2021 first-round pick.
Matthew Poitras has shown flashes of being a good playmaker at the NHL level. But can he withstand the physical toll of an 82-game NHL schedule? Poitras has value as a center with above-average offensive talent.
Andrew Peeke is 27 years old with an expiring contract. He was a healthy scratch in Thursday’s win over the Blue Jackets. The Bruins have seven — maybe eight — defensemen worthy of ice time right now, and Jonathan Aspirot’s emergence as a key part of the blue line has added even more depth to that group.
If the Bruins could move Peeke as part of a trade that brings in a bottom-six forward with a little offensive punch, that would be worth considering. Even if he could fetch a mid-round pick, that would be a trade worth doing if both sides don’t feel an extension is likely.
Now that you've settled down after all that Olympic hockey excitement, it's time to turn your focus back on the NHL. We're less than two months from the end of the regular season and roughly a month until fantasy hockey playoffs begin.
There may be an adjustment period for everyone who participated in Milan and/or those returning from injury, though most of the bigger names should be able to keep performing. The lengthy break could make things harder to assess for others, but we'll try our best to recommend 50(ish) percent-and-under players in immediately favorable positions.
(Rostered rates as of Feb. 27)
Forwards
Kiefer Sherwood, SJS (Yahoo: 52%): Reaching just across the halfway coverage threshold for Sherwood, who was previously discussed in late October as a member of the Canucks. He went to San Jose last month but didn't make his debut until Feb. 4 due to a lower-body injury. He immediately found himself on a line with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. That trio has continued, and Sherwood has moved to the top power play. That's a pretty cushy fantasy placement, especially for someone who can supply points, average more than two shots, and deliver a ton of hits. Get Sherwood before others figure it out.
Ivan Barbashev, VGK (Yahoo: 38%): Consistency has been Barbashev's calling card since he joined Vegas, as his scoring has ended up within the mid-40s/low-50s range. While that isn't spectacular, it'll work for him as a complementary player on a strong attacking side. Barbashev may only be on the second PP, but he regularly skates alongside Jack Eichel and is currently riding a six-game point streak in which he's registered five goals, two assists, 15 shots and nine hits. And even if this run stops soon, he's good for enough contributions.
Dylan Holloway, STL (Yahoo: 37%): Holloway has returned after being sidelined for 23 of the previous 24 contests with an ankle issue. Before being out, he notched 17 points, 67 shots and 77 hits over the first 30 outings. Holloway didn't waste any time on Thursday as he scored a hat trick with five shots and an assist. Despite a place on the Blues' third line and backup power play, he's a must-add in most fantasy formats.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, WAS (Yahoo: 33%): Dubois was out for three months after undergoing surgery for multiple ailments. He came back right before the Olympic break to record a PPG, assist, two shots, a hit, a block and nine faceoff wins. And even though Dubois didn't find the scoresheet on Wednesday, he logged just under 17 minutes participating on Washington's second line and man-advantage. It wouldn't be a bad idea to add Dubois now, as he should soon get back to full speed.
Marco Rossi, VAN (Yahoo: 9%): Let's continue the theme of long-lost absentees with Rossi, last year's breakout 60-point performer for Minnesota who came over in the Quinn Hughes deal and has recently endured two extended spells on the sidelines. He was doing well with the Wild until the first trip to injured reserve (13 points through 17 games) as their No. 1 center, but didn't get much time to settle in with his new teammates. Even with the Canucks ranked near the bottom for average goals, there's promise for Rossi within the top six and a first power play that's pretty much back to full strength.
Alex Killorn, ANH (Yahoo: 2%): Killorn is skating significant ice time while accumulating enough scoring and receiving advance standing to deserve more fantasy attention. Over the last six outings, the 36-year-old has tallied three goals — including a PPG on Wednesday — two assists, and 15 shots on 19:01 per game. Killorn has also teamed up with the newly returned Leo Carlsson at even-strength and PP. If that placement holds, he's at least worth a flyer.
Peyton Krebs, BUF (Yahoo: 2%): Any forward with a pedigree who can also hit can be valued a little higher, especially if he has his linemates upgraded. Krebs mainly has occupied the bottom half of the Buffalo depth chart since arriving in 2021, yet he was starting to score this season and is only one point away from a career-high. And on Wednesday, he just happened to post a goal and assist on Tage Thompson's wing. Keep an eye on Krebs the next few matchups before taking the plunge.
Mavrik Bourque, DAL (Yahoo: 1%): Mikko Rantanen is projected to be out for a couple weeks, which leaves a huge hole on Dallas's first trio that's currently being occupied by Bourque. As a reminder, the other members are Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. You know, two players who've so far combined for 127 points. Bourque was already enjoying a decent mini-stretch heading into the break via three goals on seven shots to go with an assist and 10 hits across four appearances. And he extended that upswing on Wednesday by registering a helper and five pucks on net over 18:13.
Defensemen
Devon Toews, COL (Yahoo: 43%): It's been an underwhelming scoring season for Toews as he's only posted 13 points in 44 games after four consecutive campaigns with at least 44. He still skates alongside Cale Makar at five-on-five with a secondary power-play role while averaging 22-plus minutes and coming off an Olympics where he notched a goal and two assists, so more NHL production should eventually come on a league-leading attack.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, TOR (Yahoo: 39%): Ekman-Larsson has already eclipsed his point haul from each of the previous six years, sitting at 35. He also bumped Morgan Rielly down to the No. 2 man-advantage and picked up a PPA on Thursday. OEL has registered a goal, nine assists, 24 shots, 13 hits and 18 blocks from his last 15 contests. He's also been mentioned in possible trade talks, so his fantasy value could decrease if he lands elsewhere. Grab Ekman-Larsson now and monitor his status leading up to the deadline.
Bowen Byram, BUF (Yahoo: 38%): Byram has managed to avoid any extended injuries since 2022-23, resulting in decent offensive gains and major minutes. While his output is mainly limited to points and blocked shots, the four assists across the last six appearances are noteworthy, and a partnership with Owen Power during even-strength and on Buffalo's backup PP can only help. Add Byram if you're looking to boost your blueline scoring stats.
Logan Stanley, WPG (Yahoo: 8%): Winnipeg is currently without its top-two power-play defenders, as Josh Morrissey got hurt in Milan and will be gone until at least Tuesday, while Neal Pionk is week-to-week with an undisclosed issue. Ville Heinola has since been inserted on the second unit and Logan Stanley — with zero career PPPs — got first crack at leading the top group. The 6'7" rearguard recently received PP2 action and already provides sufficient totals for shots, hits and blocks, so anything coming on that elite man-advantage would be a bonus.
Goaltenders
Dan Vladar, PHI (Yahoo: 41%): Vladar continues to impress during his first year with the Flyers as their clear No. 1 while in the top-10 for GAA and only allowing more than three goals six times through 34 appearances. The .905 save percentage may not look great, but it's still above average among netminders who've made at least 19 outings. Philly is set to face a few weaker defensive clubs where Vladar should start most — if not all — of those five matchups.
Casey DeSmith, DAL (Yahoo: 22%): For all Jake Oettinger does, he deserves a rest from time to time. And since joining Dallas, DeSmith has proven to be a solid fill-in, posting a 2.01/.914 line over seven 2026 outings — highlighted by wins at Washington and Utah. The Stars remain excellent on the defensive end, where DeSmith will work great as a streaming option — beginning with either Vancouver (Monday) or Calgary (Tuesday) — while picking up a few spot starts along the way.
The Kings' (23-21-14) worst fears against their divisional rival came back to haunt them in a brutal fashion Thursday night. After entering this matchup following last night's embarrassing loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles followed up with an absolute meltdown on defense, losing 8-1 to the Edmonton Oilers (29-23-8).
Edmonton scored twice in the first period and added three more in the second and third to further bury the Kings in the coffin in a very lopsided performance that exposed the Kings' defensive breakdowns, puck battles, face-offs, and lollygagging on offense.
First Period: Early Damage
The warning signs appeared immediately. Edmonton opened the scoring at 12:05 of the first when Ty Emberson finished the clean 3-on-2 rush, beating Darcy Kuemper high glove side to make it 1-0.
EDM Goal - Another one in transition. Emberson from the right-hand circle, scores high glove side. 1-0 Oilers.
Just over a minute later, the Oilers notched in another goal, banking the shot off Kuemper's arm and in for a 2-0 lead. The Kings were handed a power-play opportunity a few minutes later after Darnell Nurse was assessed the double minor for high-sticking Brian Dumoulin, drawing blood. It was a prime chance to build off that physical play.
Instead, LA failed to convert on the power-play, finishing the night 0/2, while the Oilers went 2/3. Los Angeles still managed to score in the period, despite several defensive lapses, when Joel Edmundson's shot from the left side was deflected by Warren Foegle, which found its way through the net, cutting the deficit to 1 and ending the first period with the score 2-1.
LAK Goal - Whoa!
Edmundson's shot from the left point looked like it was deflected by Foegele on the way through, finds a way past Ingram! 2-1.
If the first period showed any hints of where this game was going, the second and third periods were even worse. In a span of six minutes, Edmonton scored three goals, extending their lead to 5-1 just like that. By the time the horn sounded and the second intermission ended, the boos were raining down in Crypto.com Arena.
Fans rightfully boo the Kings off the ice as the second period comes to an end.
The Kings defesnive zone coverage was disorganized, and breakouts were sloppy. Edmonton was taking advantage of all the defensive breakdowns by the Kings, outshooting LA 37-22 and controlling 66.7% of the faceoffs.
Darcy Kuemper, who hasn't played since Feb. 4, was awful tonight, the rust clearly evident, giving up four goals before being benched for Anton Forsberg, who also gave up four goals, both goaltenders combining to give up eight goals.
Third Period: Avalanche Continues
Any hope of ending the game with pride evaporated quickly. Leon Draisaitl scored 31 seconds into the third period, pushing the lead to 6-1, ending the night with his 30th goal of the season.
Jake Walman got on the action a few minutes later, striking twice in a span of two minutes to extend the lead to 8-1, further embarrassing the Kings in front of their home crowd.
Overall, the Oilers stars were dominant, continuing to prove why they're always going to be a problem against the Kings. Connor McDavid also had a great night, finishing with one goal, one assist, and two points, recording 100 points in just 60 games.
The Kings, meanwhile, unraveled and were already defeated by the time the second period ended. Los Angeles lost two players tonight to injury, including Joel Armia and Dew Doughty, but it didn't matter because the scoreboard was already out of control.
The Kings are now trailing 8-1, and the Oilers have stopped really celebrating their goals because it's even embarrassing for them at this point.
This is like when a football up by 35 points is just running the ball up the middle every play and the defense still can't stop them.
Los Angeles clearly has a big issue with their defense; no matter how many forwards they acquire, it's not gonna change a thing until they can improve their defensive line.
A Concering Loss
This has arguably been the worst stretch the Kings have been on this season, and that's saying a lot, considering how bad they've been this season. Coming out of the Olympic break, when they needed to build momentum against their divisional rivals, the Golden Knights and Oilers, playing both games at home, the Kings have so far given up 14 goals and are off to a terrible start to reach the playoffs.
Kings in the Artemi Panarin era:
- 6-4 loss to the heavily depleted Knights - 8-1 loss to the Oilers
If the Kings don't regroup and focus defensively, their season can already be over in a week because of how much separation they're now putting themselves into with these losses. Los Angeles will next play on Saturday at 7:00 pm EST against the Calgary Flames at Crypto.com Arena.
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ST.
LOUIS – For
one night, the St. Louis Blues overlooked their record.
Losers
of three in a row and eight of nine (1-7-1), the Blues found a silver
lining in what has been a lost season when they came off the Olympic
break with a thorough win, 5-1 against the Seattle Kraken at
Enterprise Center on Thursday.
Dylan
Holloway scored his second NHL hat trick and had a career high four
points with an assist, and combined with Pius Suter (one goal, two
assists) and Jonatan Berggren (two assists), that line combined for
nine points in the game.
Jordan
Kyrou scored and Justin Faulk added two assists for the Blues, who
improved to 21-27-9 on the season. Joel Hofer made 23 saves.
Here
are Thursday’s observations:
*
Holloway looked refreshed – Forget the hat trick … well, wait,
let’s not, but aside from adding the offense in what was his most
productive NHL game, Holloway looked as refreshed and healthy as he
has since the end of last season, when the injury bug derailed what
was a banner year that carried over to the 2025-26 season.
He
was skating with fluidity, he was hounding pucks, laying hits and
ready to pounce when given the opportunity.
He
finished the game a plus-4 with five shots on goal in 16:04 of ice
time after
missing 23 of the past 24 games – including the last eight – with
a right high ankle sprain.
“It
was great just to be back,” Holloway
said.
“I just wanted to enjoy it. Honestly, if I didn’t have an impact
now, I’m just grateful to be able to play. But it’s obviously
nice to have an impact on the scoresheet.”
Holloway’s
goal at 7:58 of the first period got the ball rolling for the Blues
in a 1-0 lead, a play that started with a Tyler Tucker rim into the
O-zone, an overskated puck by Brandon Montour, the puck was put back
down low to Berggren, who quickly found Holloway in the left circle
for the quick shot past Philipp Grubauer:
“I
liked his game a lot,” Holloway
said of Berggren, who was his linemate for the first time.
“He’s a super-smart player, always trying to make plays. From
watching these past 20 games, I was kind of able to get a good grasp
on his game. I knew he would always be looking to make the right
play. He’s got a lot of patience out there too. I was trying to
find open spots.
“That
first pass he made to me in the first period was a great pass. It’s
a special play there.”
Holloway
made it 3-1, 23 seconds after Kyrou gave the Blues the lead, when he
first hunted down and forechecked a puck behind the net and got it to
the point for Logan Mailloux to get the shot to the goal. Suter
curled it back to the front in the crease where Berggren was, getting
a redirection that was stopped but Holloway was on the spot to pounce
on the rebound.
And
when he backhanded in the empty-netter to make it 5-1 at 16:59 of the
third period, it completed a terrific game:
“His
speed, his tenacity, his ability to add depth scoring and main
scoring,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “When he’s playing
like he did tonight and we saw it a lot right before he got injured
(on Dec. 14 in practice), he’s a difference maker.”
Berggren
added, “I’ve never played with [Holloway], but you can see in
practice how skillful he is and fast. Really fiun to play with him.”
*
The Holloway-Suter-Berggren line led the way – Holloway earned his
cookies, but Suter and Berggren were also on the prowl.
They
finished with four goals, five assists and a plus-10.
“Those
two are really skillful players,” Berggren said of his linemates.
“I think we think the game pretty similar.”
Montgomery
had the best description of the trio in this game
“I
thought they hounded pucks really well, I thought they used their
speed and
they created a lot of turnovers on the forecheck,” St.
Louis coach Jim Montgomery said of the Holloway-Suter-Berggren line,
“and
then in the offensive zone, they were connected in triangles and
they won races and
they had a great net front presence. You
look at the Suter goal was the best example of it.”
And
the Suter goal that made it 4-1 at 1:56 of the third was two guys
driving the net after Faulk’s initial shot, Holloway makes a hit,
gets up and get the rebound and finds Suter in the interior of the
slot and right circle:
“We
were moving our feet well and holding into pucks and kind of reset if
needed,” Suter said of the line. “And just kind of be around the
net. The bounces kind of worked out.”
*
Quick strike in the second period helps Blues gain control –
Seattle found its legs midway through the first period when the Blues
led 1-0 and had an 8-0 edge in shots. But when Jake Neighbours was
whistled for tripping at 9:59 of the period, the Kraken were able to
gain an edge that started with a power play that had territorial edge
for the entire two minutes and ultimately led to a goal.
The
Blues reset after the period and Kyrou’s goal was a thing of beauty
at 1:12 when he started the play breaking up things in the D-zone,
moving into transition and starting a tic-tac-toe play with first,
Colton Parayko, then Pavel Buchnevich:
*
Winning another challenge – Things could have gotten dicey when
Ryker Evans thought he had cut the Blues’ lead to 3-2 on a shot
from the point that had eyes and ricocheted off the ice and past
Hofer at 10:19 of the second, but the Blues immediately challenged
and won an offside challenge when Frederick Gaudreau failed to keep a
puck alive and in the zone prior to it.
“I
didn’t see it in real time, no,” Montgomery said. “(Video
coach) Elliott Mondou and (assistant video coach) Ryan Stacey … as
they scored, it was already radioed into us that this was offside.
Thank God they has the view. I was wondering what was taking so long.
(The referees) came over and I’m like, ‘You’ve got to have the
view from the other angle.’ I’m like, ‘It’s pretty
distinctive.’”
* Finley's debut – The numbers won't look gaudy, but for Jack Finley, who made his Blues debut after being claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 7, it was effective enough.
Like father, like son.
Jeff Finley wore No. 37 during his five-year stint with the St. Louis Blues.
The 6-foot-6, 227-pound center gained his first Blues point on Holloway's empty-netter, was a plus-1 and won five of 13 face-offs in 13:17 of ice time, but he was used in a penalty kill role, which was 3-for-3, playing on the fourth line with Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker.
Former Blue Jeff Finley is so proud to be in the building and see his son wear the 'Note for the first time 💙 #stlbluespic.twitter.com/8TnTd81Toq
"I thought his defensive stick was really good," Montgomery said. "He won two huge face-offs down the stretch. One on the PK and one on the pulled goalie situation. I thought he was in really good support position. That line created momentum for us, so overall, a really good start and I think it's only going to get better as he gets comfortable with the way we play and more importantly, comfortable being in the lineup."
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The Detroit Red Wings improved to 3-0 against the Ottawa Senators this season with a 2-1 overtime victory at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night. Dylan Larkin scored the winner on a breakaway at 1:50 of OT, his second goal of the night, sliding a gentle backhander through Linus Ullmark's pads.
Along with some controversy, gold medal karma also seems to have followed the American Olympians back to their respective NHL teams. They accounted for all the scoring in this one, their first game back since winning gold at the Winter Olympics.
Even Team USA's video coach got in on the act.
The Red Wings appeared to open the scoring at 8:11 of the first period when Michael Rasmussen sprinted up the ice on a 2-on-1 and fired a wrist shot past Ullmark. But Sens video coach Mike King, just back from Milan with a gold medal, called down to the bench to let the coaches know that an overanxious Elmer Söderblom had jumped over the blue line too soon. The Sens got the goal overturned on an offside challenge.
Brady Tkachuk got the Sens on the board at 18:44 of the first, firing home a wrist shot through traffic in front of John Gibson. That would be the only blemish of the night for Gibson, who made 26 saves and seems to have the Sens' number this year. In just his third start since Dec. 27, Ullmark countered with 18 saves on the night.
5:24 into the second period, with Ridly Greig off for hooking, Lucas Raymond gathered the puck in the corner, backhanded a pass into the slot, and Larkin one-timed a snapshot past Ullmark to tie the game at one.
That was it for the scoring on the night, at least in regulation.
One notable moment came at the 7:40 mark of the second period when Greig backhanded the puck out of the Ottawa zone, way over everyone's head. Simon Edvinsson stepped up and shouldered Tkachuk, who would have had no reason to expect contact there.
Tkachuk was left with a bloody nose from his own stick coming up on the collision. It looked like textbook interference, but Edvinsson seemed to contend that he was holding the blue line and Tkachuk, who wasn't looking where he was going, skated into him.
Dylan Cozens fought Edvinsson right after the collision, and that didn't go so well either, while Tkachuk was given a ten-minute misconduct for his protests.
With no scoring in the third, the two teams headed for overtime, where the Senators lost an offensive zone faceoff. After head-manning the puck to Raymond in the neutral zone, Larkin caught Shane Pinto flat-footed in the race up ice.
Not realizing Larkin was home free, Thomas Chabot veered out of position to challenge Raymond at the boards with a stick check. Raymond then easily tapped the puck past Chabot for a Larkin breakaway, and he made no mistake, winning it in overtime.
After Canada's gold medal loss on Sunday, Sens fans have probably had enough of 3-on-3 overtime for one week.
Ottawa still ends up with a point out of it, but with the Boston Bruins (WC2) pulling two points out of their game against Columbus on Thursday, the Senators now stand seven points out of a playoff spot in the East.
The Chicago Blackhawks have their first post-Olympic game in the books. A road game against the Nashville Predators is an entirely different viewing experience than Canada vs the United States in the Gold Medal Game, but the Blackhawks must remain focused on developing their roster.
It was a back-and-forth affair, as each team traded goals throughout the game. After two periods of play, they were tied up at one goal apiece.
After exchanging goals again in the early stages of the third period, a wild finish was in store. At 16:44 of the final frame, Ryan O'Reilly scored to give Nashville a 3-2 lead. Steven Stamkos eventually added an empty net goal, and the Predators sent the Blackhawks packing with a 4-2 loss.
Chicago's goals were scored by Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi. Each of these two players is working on scoring 30 goals with a long shot of reaching 40. Bertuzzi's was the 26th of his season while Bedard set a new career high with 24.
Speaking of Bedard, he was the best-looking Blackhawk in this game by a wide margin. He looked like a player who had to sit at home and watch Team Canada lose a heartbreaker in overtime to Team USA.
Bedard was one of their top snubs, and it didn't feel good to see them lose without him being there to help. You never know how things would have turned out for them had he made the team.
A motivated Bedard is a great thing for the Blackhawks. In a game that the team didn't play particularly well, on either side of the puck, he stood out.
If Bedard plays like that in most of their remaining 24 games, he will blow past 30 goals and set a career high in points, despite missing some time with his shoulder injury. He was a little bit lethargic coming back when he first returned to the lineup in January, but now he looks healthy and ready to make a difference.
The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday evening when they take on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. A matchup against the class of the league is a great test for this team, looking to bounce back from a tough loss in Nashville.
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If anyone was worried about the Pittsburgh Penguins coming out of the Olympic break without their best player and captain, this team sure had something to say about it when they faced the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
Despite coming out of the break without the services of Sidney Crosby, who sustained a lower-body injury during the Olympics that will keep him out around four weeks, the Penguins came to life in the third period of Thursday's game to beat the Devils, 4-1, in Pittsburgh.
Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs - who played for Team Latvia at the Olympic games in Milan - was outstanding, allowing just one goal on 29 shots and staving off some early pushes by New Jersey. Tommy Novak, Connor Clifton, and Egor Chinakhov got on the board for the Penguins before Blake Lizotte added a shorthanded empty-net goal at the end of the game to cap it off.
Pittsburgh was first to get on the board, as a late power play goal by Tommy Novak - a shot from the point by Kris Letang that was tipped on the way in by Novak - in the opening frame gave them the 1-0 lead. With a power play in the first part of the second period, though, the Devils started to gain a bit of momentum, and shortly after that man advantage, Paul Cotter tipped a Dougie Hamilton shot at the net-front to tie the game.
The Penguins and Dan Muse challenged the play for goaltender interference to no avail - making Muse 0-for-6 this season in coach's challenges for goaltender interference - putting the Penguins back on the PK. Avery Hayes - playing in just his second NHL game - took another penalty midway through the period, too, but the Penguins wouldn't surrender. In fact, they were getting ample chances on their penalty kill throughout the game, including a shorthanded breakaway by Connor Dewar and several other odd-man breaks.
And this seemed to help turn the momentum back in the way of the Penguins, who were clearly struggling to find rhythm with their four-line attack early on without their captain.
The Penguins were pressing heavily in the third, and six minutes in, the third line of Ben Kindel, Justin Brazeau, and Anthony Mantha was cycling in the offensive zone. The puck came to Ryan Shea at the left point, who pinged one off the crossbar on a heavy slapper. And, luckily, it trickled over and ricocheted off the right wall directly to Clifton, who one-timed it home to give the Penguins the 2-1 lead.
And, just as they have done many times this season, the Penguins quickly built their lead. Just 50 seconds later, Egor Chinakhov took a stretch pass from Evgeni Malkin, breaking into the offensive zone at full speed. He burst in deked backhand to forehand and laid one over the pad of Jacob Markstrom to put the Penguins up, 3-1.
New Jersey got a few opportunities later on, but nothing Silovs couldn't handle - even on the late penalty kill that Lizotte scored his shorthanded empty-netter on.
"It was huge," Clifton said. "I don't think we were very good in the first. We weren't very sharp. But we had a long [what felt like] training camp for the past couple weeks here. It felt like a long time. But I thought in the second and third, we were good, man. We didn't miss a beat.
"So, yeah, obviously we were playing really good before the break, and we got that long break, but we're right back in it. So, another big one on Saturday."
Here are a few thoughts and takeaways from this one:
- This was the best game that Clifton has played as a Penguin. And he earned that goal.
Not only did he finish the game with a team-high seven hits - as he often does - he scored the game-winning goal and made several big defensive plays throughout the evening, including a stick play in the blue paint at the end of the first period that prevented a New Jersey goal.
Clifton is well-liked in the locker room, and he has been playing much better hockey as the season has bore on. It was good to see him rewarded in this one.
- Aside from Clifton and Silovs, I thought the best players in this game were Ben Kindel and Erik Karlsson.
Karlsson was simply outstanding, and it was easy to tell there was carryover from the Olympics. He didn't end up on the scoresheet and was a plus-1, but his defense was what really stood out in this one, especially in the first period, when the Penguins and Silovs were under siege for a bit.
Then, there's Kindel. I'm running out of adjectives to describe this guy, and with Crosby out longer-term, I don't think it's going to be long before he sees an elevated role in the lineup. Everything comes so natural to him, and he's so good in all three zones. If I'm the Penguins, I'm also putting him in Crosby's spot on the first power play unit - because he is the one who directs the traffic on a second unit that was very effective Thursday.
There was a play in the first period where the Penguins were in the offensive zone, and Nico Hischier got the puck near the right point. Kindel just took Hischier out and won the physical battle and the puck battle, created a two-on-one opportunity, and put a perfect seam pass on the stick of Brazeau for a scoring opportunity. It was fun to witness.
- Another guy I'm running out of adjectives for? Chinakhov, who now has nine goals in 19 games with the Penguins, which is a 39-goal pace. In addition, Malkin has six assists on Chinakhov's goals, with five of them being primary assists.
That duo is just magical, and Chinakhov truly has a gift for finishing plays. If the Penguins make the playoffs mostly Crosbyless, they will be a huge reason why.
- I mentioned it in passing before, but this penalty kill is simply outstanding. Not only did it kill off all six New Jersey opportunities, it is now ranked second in the league at 84.5 percent behind only the Chicago Blackhawks, and it actually spends a fair amount of time in the offensive zone.
You have units that can kill penalties and stymie chances in-zone - which the Penguins certainly do - and then you have units that are a constant threat to take it the other way. The Penguins do both so well, and it makes them a legitimate threat shorthanded.
That's why it kind of makes me wonder if the unit is, at all, a factor in the decision-making for Muse when it comes to coach's challenges. Perhaps the Penguins aren't uncomfortable being shorthanded, so the stakes aren't as high as they would be otherwise if they challenge and lose (situation-dependent, obviously).
Just impressive stuff from them, all the way from Noel Acciari to Karlsson.
- This was a really, really big win for the Penguins. Not only did it put them seven points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, five points ahead of the Washington Capitals, and maintain their one-point lead on the New York Islanders, it was also a statement win without Crosby.
Everyone knows what lies ahead. This team has a packed schedule with a high degree of difficulty, and this team found their footing within this game and managed to take over the game completely once their legs were found. And they did it without 87.
That's a statement that they're not going anywhere, and it's a confidence-booster for a locker room that was already confident.
So, if you're one who doubts the Penguins' chances without Crosby, just stay tuned. They might surprise you.
There was a point, about midway through Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh, where it kind of, sort of felt as if the Devils might manage to salvage a point, maybe even steal two from the Penguins.
Paul Cotter had scored, an almost water-to-wine level miracle. Jacob Markstrom was playing as well as he has at any point this season. The Devils sure seemed to be spending a lot of time in the Penguins’ end.
But that was more a function of the Penguins playing much of the second period short-handed than anything the Devils did. And, the Devils failed to make Pittsburgh pay for any of the slew of second-period penalties that could have easily turned the game New Jersey’s way.
Instead, the Penguins killed all four Devils’ power plays before scoring three unanswered third period goals to send the Devils to their fifth straight loss.
The Devils have now dropped five in a row for the second time this season. Five-Game Losing Streak No. 1 was the Nov. 29 to Dec. 6 skid that began their free fall from atop the Eastern Conference standings. In the 91 days since, they’ve also managed a four-game winless streak (0-3-1, Dec. 21-Dec. 30) and a four-game losing streak (Jan. 4-Jan. 11).
The current five-game streak dates back to a 4-1 loss in Ottawa on Jan. 31. They’ve also lost seven of their last eight games. A somehow even way more damning stat – the Devils have not held a lead in regulation since Jan.25, when Dougie Hamilton opened the scoring in a loss to Seattle.
Thursday marked the seventh straight game the Devils fell behind 1-0. This time it was Pittsburgh’s previously sputtering power play – the Penguins were on an 0-for-10 drought coming in – that dumped the Devils in a 1-0 hole when Tommy Novak tipped a Kris Letang point shot past Markstrom with 1 minute 9 seconds to play in the first.
Cotter, who hadn’t had a point in 23 games dating back to Dec. 13, got the Devils even at 4:56 of the second.
For some reason, the Penguins decided to challenge the play for goalie interference. This gave the Devils their second power play of the period and a chance to take the lead, but the Devils couldn’t capitalize on the delay of game, or slashing and interference minors to Avery Hayes and Letang later in the period.
Pittsburgh would get goals from Jersey native Connor Clifton and Egor Chinakhov 50 seconds apart early in the third to put the game out of reach. Clifton roofed a slap shot from the right circle over Markstrom at 6:30 and Evgeni Malkin found Chinakhov snuck behind Brett Pesce and Jonathan Kovacevic at 7:20.
Blake Lizotte would pick off a Hamilton pass and score into the empty net at 18:01 to seal the win.
Up Next
The Devils will try to avoid a six-game losing streak when they travel to St. Louis and face the Blues at 5 p.m., Saturday. The Blues are somehow even worse than the Devils. St. Louis (21-28-9) is 30th out of 32 teams. The Blues are 2-7-1 in their last 10. They beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 Thursday night on a Dylan Holloway hat trick. Holloway had a four-point night.
Your Thoughts
They’re pretty much daring GM Tom Fitzgerald to fire head coach Sheldon Keefe at this point right? Or ownership to fire Fitzgerald and Keefe? Or something? Anything? This has to be close to the absolute nadir in team history. Not even being hyperbolic. There’s the 96 choke job and Tom Chorske’s giant middle finger to Lou and Lemaire, and then. …. That Game 7 collapse to Carolina is up there. This may not be that level of awful, but it’s still horrifying. These guys have completely up and quit, every last one of them. The core guys, who are supposed to be leaders, are just so checked out. I know that at this point they’re better off losing out, picking Gavin McKenna, and starting over next year, but how can this be allowed to continue? . … It’s not just me, is it?
NEW YORK (AP) — Matvei Michkov scored his second goal of the game 2:10 into overtime and Samuel Ersson made 23 saves as the Philadelphia Flyers rallied to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night.
Michkov beat Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin for his 15th goal of the season after the Rangers failed to score on a power play to start the extra period.
Trevor Zegras also scored for the Flyers, who trailed 2-0 early in the second period before rallying for their second win since Jan. 23.
Sam Carrick and Alexis Lafreniere scored for New York, which lost its fifth straight game. Shesterkin, who suffered a lower-body injury in a home loss to Utah on Jan. 5, made 21 saves in his return. The Rangers are 6-15-5 at home this season.
Carrick opened the scoring at 9:56 of the first, beating Ersson with a shot from long range for his fourth goal. Lafreniere’s 13th of the season made it 2-0 at 1:23 of the second.
Michkov scored on the power play at 10:25 of the second, cutting the Flyers’ deficit to 2-1. Zegras scored 39 seconds into the third to tie the game at 2.
Defenseman Adam Fox returned to the lineup for the Rangers.
New York traded top scorer Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4 and additional trades could come ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. The Rangers are 2-11-2 since winning the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 in Miami.
The Flyers, who lost 3-1 at Washington on Wednesday, have also tumbled in the standings. Philadelphia is 4-9-4 since Jan. 6.
Before the game, the Rangers honored Olympic gold medal-winning players J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, along with head coach Mike Sullivan, assistant coach David Quinn and general manager Chris Drury, the assistant GM of the U.S. Olympic team in Milan.
Drury was loudly booed by the Madison Square Garden crowd.
For 40 minutes, it looked like a reprieve for the Rangers, the rare night when they could temporarily escape their reality — the cellar of the Eastern Conference — of a lost season, encounter some glimmers of hope and snag a rare home win in regulation.
Even when they blew a two-goal lead, the Blueshirts still started overtime with nearly a full power play.
But with this edition of the Blueshirts, not even that can go right. They watched as Matvei Michkov scored the winner 2:10 into overtime with a gassed power-play unit stuck on the ice, falling 3-2 to the Flyers on Thursday to spoil the returns of defenseman Adam Fox and goaltender Igor Shesterkin from injuries and the returns of J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck from Team USA’s gold medal trip.
The resumption of their season following the Olympic break ended with the Blueshirts (22-29-7) opening a four-game homestand on a sour note.
Igor Shesterkin skates off after allowing a game-winning goal to Matvei Michkov (39) during overtime of the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Flyers on Feb. 26, 2026 at the Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“They just didn’t have any juice,” Sullivan said of Fox, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, who were all on the ice for the entire extra frame.
But until it all fell apart, just about everything went right for the Rangers. The night all started with the returns of Shesterkin and Fox, who both took their spots in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 5.
Trocheck and Miller were honored pregame for their gold medal, along with head coach Mike Sullivan (USA head coach), assistant coach David Quinn (USA assistant) and president and general manager Chris Drury (assistant GM) — who was greeted with nothing but boos given the current state of the Rangers team he’s directly responsible for.
Shesterkin, at times, looked like his vintage self. Fox manned his spot on the power play and with the top defensive pairing, though Sullivan said they’re still “capable of another level.”
For Fox, it marked just his fourth game since Nov. 29, as his brief return from a shoulder injury was followed almost immediately by a stint on long-term injured reserve for a lower-body injury. He felt “a little helpless” just watching as The Letter 2.0 — when Drury signaled a retool — dropped and he couldn’t do anything.
“[Fox has] missed a lot of hockey, so it’s gonna take him some time to get into the game speed, the game timing, things of that nature,” Sullivan said. “He’s missed so much time. I would anticipate Foxy getting better with each game that he plays.”
Igor Shesterkin makes a save during the Rangers’ 3-2 overtime loss at the Garden on Feb. 26, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Even with the Rangers’ stars acclimating, they still took a 2-0 lead behind unlikely contributors. Fourth-line center Sam Carrick flung a puck from the boards that somehow got past Samuel Ersson for the Blueshirts’ first goal — and his fourth of the season — midway through the third period.
Alexis Lafrenière, in the middle of another disappointing season with his name swirling in trade rumors, scored 1:23 into the second period too.
Shesterkin, until allowing the trio of goals across the final two-plus frames, turned aside shot after shot, including some tricky rebounds.
Three minutes into the second, Carl Grundstrom and Jamie Drysdale had chances that Shesterkin stopped, and another Flyers shot went wide. When Owen Tippett’s shot gave Noah Cates an open lane from the right side, Shesterkin managed to knock the puck away with his glove.
Sam Carrick, who scored a first period goal, gets into a fight with Garnet Hathaway during the first period of the Rangers’ overtime loss to the Flyers at the Garden. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Eventually, Michkov scored his first tally on the power play later in the frame, Trevor Zegras tied it just 39 seconds into the third and Michkov won it with his second after the Blueshirts failed to capitalize with the man-advantage for the third time Thursday.
The Rangers had a chance to push all of their pressing issues aside for another day.
They had a chance to make sure a celebratory night at the Garden ended that way when fans spilled out the exits and onto the streets.
They had a chance to forget that their roster might look entirely different a week from now when the March 6 trade deadline arrives, to still emerge with a win even as young players — such as Noah Laba and Brennan Othmann — received extra chances with the penalty kill because Sullivan wanted “to see what they’re capable of” while using Zibanejad, Miller and Trocheck less in those spots.
That, as much as the Artemi Panarin trade and The Letter 2.0, is a clear sign of a retool.
Instead, by the time overtime ended, their season-long problems had come right back into focus.
Ryan O'Reilly's 21st goal of the season in the final five minutes of the game elevated the Nashville Predators to a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
It was the Predators' first game since the pause for the Winter Olympics and their first since Feb. 5. The win also puts Nashville just two points outside the final Wild Card spot in the West.
With 3:15 left in the third period, O'Reilly got a feed from Roman Josi from behind the net and put a soft, quick wrist shot on net that beat goalie Spencer Knight five-hole.
Steven Stamkos added an empty net goal in the final minute to ice the game.
Filip Forsberg opened up the scoring, finding the back of the net off a steal along the boards and a wrist shot from the right face-off dot to make it 1-0 in the first period.
It was the first time the Predators had scored the first goal of a game since Jan. 24 against the Utah Mammoth.
Connor Bedard responded for Chicago early in the second to tie things up. In the early third, Adam Wilsby was called for a delay of the game, and Tyler Bertuzzi scored to give the Blackhawks their first lead of the night.
Later in the period, Nick Foligno was called for interference to put Nashville on the power play. Matthew Wood found the back of the net from the left side of the slot to tie the game up at two.
Justus Annunen picked up the win, making 21 saves on 23 shots for his fifth win of the season.
The Predators struggled to stay out of the box, logging 12 penalty minutes to the Blackhawks' four, but went 4-of-5 on the penalty kill.
Nashville heads on the road on Saturday to face the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. CST. The Stars defeated the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, 4-1, in their first game since the pause and have won seven straight.
The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is only a little more than a week away. Despite the NHL just returning to play on Wednesday, the Vancouver Canucks have made themselves a large presence in the trade market, namely due to rumours surrounding defenceman Tyler Myers’ future with the team.
Last night, during a 3–2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets, Myers was made a healthy-scratch due to roster management reasons. As today has progressed, more has come out about the situation with the veteran defenceman, with Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford speaking on it during an interview with the 100% Hockey podcast.
“We do have an offer for him. We’re working through that process now, and we’ll see where it goes. Nothing’s final at this point,” Rutherford told podcast hosts John Shannon and Daren Millard. “It was just being cautious last night. You don’t want a player to play in a game and get injured when potentially something might happen.”
The thing that has complicated a potential Myers trade is the fact that the defenceman’s contract currently has a no-movement clause, meaning he controls whether he’s traded or not and where-to if that’s the case. This clause shifts to a 12-team no-trade list next year, which would give Vancouver more control over where the defenceman goes if he remains with the team and if they still want to trade him.
“It’s a little bit of everything. It’s just the process. Patrik’s the one that’s doing this, and I got an update earlier this morning, and everybody’s trying to work together to see if something works.”
The course of the current season has been difficult for the Canucks and their fans, as Vancouver has sat comfortably at the bottom of the NHL’s standings for at least a couple of months now. They’ve already made two big moves throughout the season, trading captain Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood, and while many expect that they’ll be busy in the lead-up to the deadline, Rutherford warned that there’s a chance this may not be the case.
“We’ll be as active as possible if, in fact, something makes sense for our return. We’re not out looking to just give away players. I don’t know how many younger players, mid 20s to younger, that are going to be available that we could acquire, but we’re going to look at all possibilities, sticking to that plan of staying younger, getting a group together that can come together over the next couple of years as a team and start to get in a position that we should be in, but at this point in time, the market is very slow. Patrik does the deals, he talks to the GMs, but talking to a couple of other people that hold the same position as me, they are surprised too, how slow the market’s moving. So it may end up that it’s a slower deadline because of some of the rule changes and how teams have to approach things going forward for the playoffs, or maybe it’s just going to open up here next week, getting closer to the deadline.”
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) and forward Evander Kane (91) and defenseman Tyler Myers (57) during a stop in play against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Regardless of what happens in the next couple of weeks, the trade deadline will play a big role in how Vancouver approaches their future moving forward. This includes the 2026 NHL Draft, in which the Canucks are expected to make their first selection relatively high-up.
“I think it starts here with the next week, and I can give you that answer a lot better after we get past the trade deadline, but we’re going to acquire as many young assets as possible, and that’s probably more in line with being draft picks, position ourselves as strong as we can going into the draft and going into the off-season of free agency, and continue to let the young players play, live with them adjusting to a very tough league. I think that the young guys we have now are doing a really good job, especially young defencemen that are playing as much as they are and doing as well as they are, and they’ll just get better and better, and we’ll look forward to the draft and free agency to see the changes that need to be made so we can start to progress in the right direction next year and build this team up over the next couple of years.”
With the things that have occurred with the Canucks throughout the season, it’s likely felt as though every player’s name has been mentioned in some sort of trade rumour. While things have shifted throughout the season, Rutherford did clarify that there are some members of the team that they won’t field calls on regarding trade interest. However, he also added that “the list is relatively short” and would not give an inkling of which players could be on it.
Something that may make acquiring players hard, particularly in free agency, is the desire to play in Vancouver, according to Rutherford. The President of Hockey Operations spoke on what the demographic of players who have typically wanted to play in Vancouver look like, with the focus primarily being on those who are from western Canada in particular.
“I think you’re seeing a trend where the majority of players want to play in the US, but there are players who want to come to Vancouver, and they like the organization. We treat players extremely well here. They like the passion of the market, and they like the city. So we will have a chance to get free agents. It may not be the top guy that everybody will want us to get, that we would probably try to get, but what we need to do now is get as many young players in here and get established that this is a young group that’s going to grow together and want to be here for a long time — that’s our priority right now.
“We would love to have more Canadian players. So make that very clear. But if there’s a player from whatever country in the world [who] can come and contribute to the Vancouver Canucks, we’re going after that player. But at this point in time, when I look at our team, I’d like to see us have more Canadian players on it.”
The NHL Trade Deadline takes place on March 6 at 12:00 pm PT.
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While the Detroit Red Wings didn’t get off to the start that they wanted on Thursday evening against the Ottawa Senators, all’s well that ends well.
Fresh off a gold medal victory with Team USA, Dylan Larkin scored both goals for the Red Wings, including the overtime game-winner, in Detroit’s 2-1 victory at Canadian Tire Place.
In doing so, they vaulted past the idle Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens (who lost in OT to the New York Islanders) and into the second overall spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Red Wings thought they’d struck first in the opening 20 minutes of play, as Michael Rasmussen broke in on a two-on-one rush with Elmer Soderblom and beat Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark under the glove with a quick wrist shot.
However, the Senators successfully challenged for the play being offside, which video replay confirmed.
The Senators then took a 1-0 lead thanks to Larkin’s Team USA teammate Brady Tkachuk, who scored on the man-advantage.
Not to be outdone, Larkin notched a power-play goal of his own early in the second period, knotting the score at 1-1.
Neither team found the back of the net from that point on through the rest of regulation, setting up overtime.
After winning a face-off in the defensive zone, Larkin maneuvered his way down the ice and took a feed from Lucas Raymond, broke in alone and beat Ullmark with a backhand shot, securing the win for Detroit.
Red Wings goaltender John Gibson was impressive, stopping 26 shots. Ullmark countered with 18 saves.
The Red Wings’ three game road swing will continue on Saturday night in North Carolina against the Hurricanes.
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