Category: Ice Hockey

Joel Armia, Drew Doughty, Adrian Kempe, and Darcy Kuemper have all returned to the Kings organization as they get set to host the Vegas Golden Knights. Joel Armia returned with a Bronze medal, and Drew Doughty and Darcy Kuemper returned with a Silver Medal. Before the Olympic break, the Kings traded for Artemi Panarin, but because of the timing of the trade, he did not play any games for the Kings before the break. For the first time, we will see him today. 

Kings Projected Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Kings tonight: 

Quinton Byfield - Anze Kopitar - Trevor Moore

Artemi Panarin - Alex Laferriere - Adrian Kempe

Warren Foegele - Alex Turcotte - Andrei Kuzmenko

Joel Armia - Samuel Helenius - Corey Perry

Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke

Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci

Anton Forsberg

Darcy Kuemper

Golden Knights projected Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Golden Knights tonight: 

Ivan Barbashev - Tomas Hertl - Keegan Kolesar

Reilly Smith - Tanner Laczynski - Pavel Dorofeyev

Brandon Saad - Colton Sissons - Alexander Holtz

Cole Reinhardt - Kai Uchacz - Braeden Bowman

Jeremy Lauzon - Rasmus Andersson

Brayden McNabb - Dylan Coghlan

Ben Hutton - Kaedan Korczak

Adin Hill

Akira Schmid

Injuries and Line Changes 

With the Kings having all their players who went to the Olympics return to the lineup, they have the advantage because Vegas is missing 5 of its best players. Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin, Shea Theodore, Mark Stone, and Mitch Marner are all scratched for tonight's game. The Kings have scratched Jeff Malott, Jacob Moverare, Taylor Ward and will be without Kevin Fiala after he was injured in the Olympics. 

Key Factors 

With the Golden Knights missing 5 of their top players, the Kings need to take advantage and get a game closer to a playoff spot. The Kings are currently 3 points back of the Anaheim Ducks for the final wildcard spot. With a win tonight, they would be within 1 point of a playoff spot. The Kings' second line will be the one to watch, as they could have a potential dynamic duo in Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin. 

Overall, this game is incredibly important for the Kings, as they can come out of the break strong with a massive win over a divisional opponent. Artemi Panarin makes his debut tonight as well, and Kings and Hockey fans are looking to see what impact he makes in his first game. 

It's never easy for an NHL team when one of its best players goes down. The Pittsburgh Penguins have dealt with this for much of the 2025-26 season, with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson all missing time.

Despite that adversity, they have continued to climb the standings and bank the points needed for a legitimate playoff push. 

However, it's an entirely different animal when your best player is set to miss some time. And that's exactly what the Penguins are facing.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that captain Sidney Crosby will miss the next four weeks with a lower-body injury that he sustained during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina. While the nature of Crosby's injury wasn't specified, the timeline was, putting the Penguins in a difficult spot.

Right now, they sit eight points back of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a game in hand and three games against them in March. They have a guantlet of a March schedule that includes 17 games in 31 days, and 14 of those games are against teams currently in playoff position. 

They have played teams above them in the standings pretty well this season, but it won't be quite as easy without Sid. The players know this, but they are ready for the challenges that come with it. 

"Anytime anybody goes out of the lineup, I think everybody's kind of got to ramp up their game a little bit," Bryan Rust said. "Guys are going to have opportunities to play in positions that, otherwise, they may not have been able to play in. Obviously, yeah, he might be a little bit harder to replace than others, but I think that just means the rest of us have to step up that much more."

Penguins Provide Bad Sidney Crosby Injury UpdateThe Penguins have provided the latest on Sidney Crosby.

He added: "Once you get the official word, I think it's kind of like a moment where we all have got to think about ourselves and be like, 'Okay, let's pick it up here, there's a lot of hockey over this next little while. We've got to win as many games and get as many points as possible."

As Rust said, there are several guys who will be playing different roles without Crosby in the fold, and that's especially true down the middle. The Penguins did recall winger Avery Hayes - who had six goals and seven points in his last five AHL games, including two hat tricks, since he made his NHL debut and scored two in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5 - to help offset some of the scoring lost from Crosby's exit.

But Rickard Rakell will begin as the team's first-line center, which is a role he hasn't played much in a long time at the NHL level until sporadic deployments there this season. Tommy Novak will continue to center Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin, and Ben Kindel will resume his third-line center duties for now. 

Penguins Recall Avery Hayes From AHLThe Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Avery Hayes from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

All that said, they are aware they will have to play a bigger role, and that includes the 18-year-old Kindel, who has six goals and seven points in his last six games and is already used to the prospect of being elevated to a bigger role within an NHL lineup.

"I think, just collectively as a group, everybody's going to have to step up a little bit and chip in just a little bit more," Kindel said. "But, I'm ready for any extra that I need to do to help the team win, and I'll always be ready for that no matter what the situation is.

"None of us are pleased to see our leader, our captain, and our best player go out like that. But, at the end of the day, there's nothing we can do about it now, and we're just going to have to step up, play as a team, and try and bank some points here down an important stretch."

Penguins' Notebook: Players Talk 'Next Man Up' Mentality, Return To PlayThe past few days at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. have been busy for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, even without four of their regular players.

Kindel believes this team is capable of carrying on and pushing for the playoffs without Crosby in the fold, especially since they have dealt with those other major injuries for sustained periods of time this season and still managed to keep winning hockey games. 

And that resilience, he said, speaks to culture in the locker room that begins with 87 but trickles down to the rest of the group as a collective.

"There has been major pieces of our group that have been out at different times during the year, and I think we've just stuck to it no matter what that situation was," Kindel said. "And I think that's just a testament to the culture of our team and just the group that we have in here.

"On any given night, anybody can step up, and it's been great for our team this year."

'I Think He Knows He's That Face': Crosby's Inspiration To Canadian Teammates No Surprise To Penguins' PlayersPittsburgh Penguins' injured captain Sidney Crosby delivered a powerful message to his Canadian teammates during Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup versus Czechia - which comes as no surprise to his teammates in Pittsburgh.

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It is no secret that the Detroit Red Wings have been searching for help on the back end. Detroit was reportedly in the mix for both Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Andersson, but neither pursuit resulted in a deal.

Now, new reports suggest the Red Wings have shifted their focus to another high-profile defenseman, this time targeting MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames.

Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman has made it clear he prefers players with term remaining on their contracts rather than short-term rentals. Weegar fits that mold. The 32-year-old Ottawa native has five years remaining on his deal after this season with a $6.25 million annual cap hit.

While that contract represents a significant commitment, Detroit appears better positioned than most to absorb it. The Red Wings have just under $13 million in cap space, and with the NHL salary cap projected to rise in coming seasons, the long-term financial outlook could make Weegar’s deal more manageable over time.

Speaking on the Barn Burner podcast, TSN insider Darren Dreger confirmed Detroit is one of the few teams capable of pulling off such a move.

Darren Dreger: Re Mackenzie Weegar: The other team...is the Red Wings; that's what it's gonna take, is a team like that, who isn't interested in the rental market...and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce...the Flames to make that trade - Barn Burner (2/20)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) February 24, 2026

“The other team is the Red Wings, that’s what it’s gonna take, is a team like that, who isn’t interested in the rental market and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce the Flames to make that trade,” Dreger said.

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Weegar over the last two seasons has emerged as a widely regarded top 25 defensemen in the league. During his peak seasons, he has produced between 35 and 50 points while posting elite defensive metrics, including a plus-40 rating that ranked ninth best in the NHL during the 2021-22 season.

This season has been more difficult as Calgary endures a challenging year, Weegar’s numbers have dipped. He is projected to fall just short of the 30-point mark and carries a minus-32 rating, one of the lowest in the league. A change of scenery could benefit both player and team.

Weegar primarily plays on the right side but has experience on the left, a versatility that would add valuable depth to Detroit’s blue line. For a Red Wings team looking to take the next step, adding a proven, minutes-eating defenseman with term could be the type of bold move that accelerates their rebuild and strengthens their playoff push.

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The Los Angeles Kings had played 56 games before the NHL entered its Olympic break, leaving them with 26 games left in the regular season. 15 of the 26 games will be played at home, where the Kings have a below-average record.500 record (8-11-7) and are giving up more goals (72) than they are scoring (63) against their opponents. Meanwhile, they are just .500 away from Crypto.com Arena with a 15-8-7 record and have scored more goals (79) than their own arena. 

Of course, fighting for a playoff spot with no spot guaranteed is a tough task, considering the hectic schedule, including a back-to-back tonight against the top two teams in their division, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers. 

13 of the 26 games will be against teams currently in playoff position or right in the mix to make the playoffs, and their first nine games back from the break will be against teams above .500 and in the mix to make the playoffs. 

Now, the other half of the 13 teams will be those currently out of the playoff hunt but still fighting to get back in the mix. That's not necessarily good news, because all those teams, like the Kings, will be fighting for urgency themselves, but at least Los Angeles can make up for any losses they suffer against teams below .500. 

What's at Stake

The Kings are currently in fifth place in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Oilers for the second seed, who are in a slump, having lost three straight and five of their last eight games. Seattle and Anaheim are both one point behind Edmonton for that second seed and can overtake the Oilers, especially with the Kraken and the Ducks playing solid before the break. 

2 Kings Who Must Show Up For LA's Final StretchThe Los Angeles Kings will look for these two players to finish the season strong as LA fights to stay in the playoff race after the Olympic break.

Now, the Kings have already defeated the Oilers this season, most recently on Dec. 10, when they won 4-3 in a shootout, and will play them two more times before the season ends, including tomorrow night after tonight's game against Vegas. 

Just like last season, Vegas is in pole position to lock up the one seed in the division, right now holding a four-point lead over the Oilers with 68 points, but did end the first half playing poorly, losing six of their last eight games, primarily due to Jack Eichel and Noah Hanific being out, who will also miss tonights game against the Kings, something Los Angeles needs to take advantage of and win this game against a banged up Vegas team. 

Now, they've already lost to the Golden Knights twice this season, but tonight will be the final game between the two. A win will split the season series 2-2 and could help Los Angeles in the tiebreaker if Vegas continues to slide. 

The only concern for Los Angeles right now is health and consistency as their schedule continues to heat up. Losing Kevin Fiala for most likely the entire season is certainly a blow, but the good news is that Los Angeles acquired Artemi Panarin, who will make his debut tonight for the Kings and will instantly become a game-changer for Los Angeles, looking to make noise down the stretch. 

The Kings have been a very mediocre team this season. On one hand, they look like a playoff team, and on other nights, they look like a team that doesn't belong in the playoffs. The home record is concerning, and the Kings will need to fix it starting tonight if they want a chance to play in April. 

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NHL insider Nick Kypreos released his latest trade board for Sportsnet with the 2026 NHL trade deadline rapidly approaching. A Philadelphia Flyers defenseman made the cut, as Rasmus Ristolainen was among the players discussed.

"A new addition to my trade board coming out of the break, momentum is certainly building around the possibility that the Flyers trade their big, right-shot blueliner. With teams so hungry for this type of player at this time of the year, the Flyers are considering trading him now when he has another season remaining on his contract and before he becomes a potential rental," Kypreos wrote about Ristolainen. 

Seeing Ristolainen be included on Kypreos' new trade board is not necessarily surprising. The right-shot defenseman is no stranger to the rumor mill, and he has been creating more chatter as a trade candidate as of late. 

Kypreos also mentioned the Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators as two potential landing spots for Ristolainen, as they are both in need of help on the right side of their blueline. Yet, with Ristolainen being a right-shot defenseman with size and who plays a heavy game, he should generate interest from multiple clubs leading up to the deadline. 

In 19 games this season with the Flyers, Ristolainen has recorded one goal, five assists, six points, and 20 hits. 

Recently, we here at The Hockey News Buffalo Sabres took a look at two trade targets who the Sabres should consider pursuing from the New York Rangers.

Now, in this latest edition of the series, let's discuss two Calgary Flames trade candidates who could be good fits for the Sabres. 

Zach Whitecloud, D

One of the Sabres' top goals ahead of the deadline should be to add a right-shot defenseman. Due to this, Flames blueliner Zach Whitecloud is one player that they should have on their radar.

Whitecloud is one of the top right-shot defenseman trade candidates leading up to the deadline and would certainly be a nice pickup for the Sabres. If they acquired him, he could fit nicely on their bottom pairing and penalty kill. In 55 games this season, he has two goals, 10 points, and 86 hits. 

Blake Coleman, LW/RW

Blake Coleman is another Flames trade candidate whom the Sabres should seriously consider pursuing. This is because he would not only give them more scoring in their top nine, but also a veteran forward who kills penalties, plays a heavy game, and is a good leader.

Coleman has appeared in 44 games this season with the Flames, where he has recorded 13 goals, eight assists, 21 points, and 110 hits. With numbers like these, he would be a strong pickup for a Sabres club looking to cement themselves a playoff spot. 

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas, who is second on the team with 33 points, will take a temporary leave of absence because of a personal matter.

Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced the leave of absence on Wednesday.

Thomas is expected to return to the team on Friday.

In 42 games, Thomas has 11 goals and 22 assists. He was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 16 with a lower body injury and has not returned. He made his last appearance in a game on Jan. 10 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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The NHL returns to action tonight, and we’ve got a marquee matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning to kick things off. 

Matthew Knies has been a thorn in the Lightning's side, which is why he's the subject of our Maple Leafs vs. Lightning predictions and NHL picks for Wednesday, February 25. 

Maple Leafs vs Lightning prediction

Maple Leafs vs Lightning best bet: Matthew Knies anytime goal (+300)

The rate at which Matthew Knies scores against the Tampa Bay Lightning in his career doesn’t match up with the +300 price.

Let’s take advantage of that inefficiency.

Knies has scored 10 goals in 10 career games against the Lightning, including at least one goal in six of his last nine, which includes a hat-trick performance on April 9 of last season.

He’s also scored four goals in the five meetings against Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has struggled against the Leafs recently. 

The perennial Vezina candidate has a 3.62 GAA and an .874 SV% over his last 10 meetings against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  

Maple Leafs vs Lightning same-game parlay

This matchup typically yields high-scoring games, which is why I’ll add Over 5.5 to my SGP. The total has gone Over the number in five of the last six meetings. Plus, with three weeks off, it could get sloppy, which often leads to higher-scoring games. 

Auston Matthews returns to the Leafs a winner. I believe he’ll parlay his Olympic success into a shooting bonanza tonight and go Over his 3.5 shot total. He averages 5.4 shots per game in his last 10 meetings against Tampa.  

Maple Leafs vs Lightning SGP

• Knies to score
• Matthews Over 3.5 shots
• Over 5.5 

Maple Leafs vs Lightning odds

• Moneyline: Maple Leafs +185 | Lightning -225
• Puck Line: Maple Leafs +1.5 (-135) | Lightning -1.5 (+115)
• Over/Under: Over 6 | Under 6

Maple Leafs vs Lightning trend

The Maple Leafs are 8-2 on the moneyline in the last ten meetings between these two clubs. Find more NHL betting trends for Maple Leafs vs. Lightning.

How to watch Maple Leafs vs Lightning

Maple Leafs vs Lightning latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It’s been a long road for Dmitry Kulikov and Tomas Nosek, but with their recent upgrade from non-contact jerseys to full participants, their return to game action is near.

While the NHL was on pause, Kulikov and Nosek had begun participating in Florida Panthers practices, skating without contact. Prior to the Olympic break, they had both been seen skating in private groups.

Kulikov had played just two games before suffering a torn labrum. The 35-year-old rejoined the Panthers in the 2023 off-season, following their loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup final.

He’s played a vital role for the Panthers in their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, and they’ve missed his defensive abilities and physical nature on the back end. 

On Dec. 30, coach Paul Maurice spoke to the media and said the Panthers anticipate Kulikov's return in mid-March. With the way he’s progressed in his return, he appears to be on track to do so. 

Panthers Coach Provides Injury Updates On Pair Of VeteransThe Florida Panthers are hoping to begin adding injured players back into their lineup, and coach Paul Maurice provided some encouraging updates on Dmitry Kulikov and Jonah Gadjovich.

As for Nosek, he hasn’t played a game this season after undergoing off-season surgery to repair a knee injury. Maurice and the Panthers’ staff haven’t been as open about when Nosek could return to the lineup. They’ve approached his injury situation with patience and have been taking it day by day.

While it’s unknown when Nosek could make his season debut, he’s cleared multiple steps in his recovery and is now ramping up to get into game shape. He could return to the Panthers’ lineup at some point in March. 

Video Shows Injured Panthers Sasha Barkov, Seth Jones Doing On-Ice Work At Team Practice Facility Sasha Barkov and Seth Jones hit the ice over the weekend, working thier way back from injuries as the Panthers gear up for a playoff push.

In addition to Kulikov and Nosek, Seth Jones was once again out with the Panthers in a non-contact jersey. Gustav Forlsing and Uvis Balinskis also returned to practice, joining Sandis Vilmanis as the first Panthers players to rejoin the group following the Olympics. 

The Panthers will host the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow in a critical playoff hopeful matchup. 

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The Montreal Canadiens should be looking to add another impactful center ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Due to this, one player who has naturally been viewed as a potential fit for the Canadiens is Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly.

There is no question that O'Reilly would be a strong addition to the Canadiens' top six if acquired. The 35-year-old forward is in the middle of a very good season with the Predators, as he has 20 goals, 36 assists, 56 points, and a plus-8 rating. He is also a well-known leader, so he would be a good mentor for the club's younger players as well.

However, based on a new report, the chances of the Canadiens landing O'Reilly might not be so great. 

In his latest trade board for Sportsnet, Nick Kypreos reported that O'Reilly's preference is to play for a "quieter" market and that it's likely the veteran forward would not want to be traded to Montreal because of it. 

"Montreal has also been connected to him, but he wants to go somewhere quieter, so it's unlikely he'd green-light a move there. And although O'Reilly doesn't have any trade protection, the Predators are still trying to work with him on a landing spot," Kypreos wrote. 

With O'Reilly not wanting to play in a big market, the Canadiens may not be the best fit for him personally. Furthermore, one of the main reasons why O'Reilly ended up not re-signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2023 NHL off-season was because of their media spotlight. Being traded to Montreal would put him in a similar situation. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what moves the Canadiens end up making ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, but O'Reilly might not be an option for them. 

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev was red-hot heading into the Olympic break, piling up six goals and 31 shots over his last 10 games.

With Jack Eichel sidelined, my Golden Knights vs. Kings predictions see Dorofeyev picking up where he left off while taking on more responsibility offensively.

Let’s dive deeper into my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 25.

Golden Knights vs Kings prediction

Golden Knights vs Kings best bet: Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 shots on goal (-115)

The Vegas Golden Knights will be without leading scorer Jack Eichel, which means others like Pavel Dorofeyev will have to drive the offense.

Dorofeyev has generated shots at a much higher rate in Eichel’s absence, averaging 3.4 shots on 7.0 attempts through seven games without the star center, well above his outputs (2.6 shots on 5.5 attempts) when he is in the lineup.

Dorofeyev’s shot is most prominent on the power play. He leads Vegas in power-play shots and will have plenty of chances to record them against a 27th-ranked Los Angeles Kings penalty kill.

Golden Knights vs Kings same-game parlay

Dorofeyev has scored six times over his last nine games. Given that he is a bigger focal point of the offense when Eichel isn’t around, he has a good chance of finding the net again.

Artemi Panarin has a great opportunity to start his Kings tenure on a high note. The Golden Knights have struggled to get saves, and they will be missing multiple key players (Eichel, Noah Hanifin).

Golden Knights vs Kings SGP

• Pavel Dorofeyev Over 2.5 shots on goal
• Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal
• Artemi Panarin Over 0.5 points

Golden Knights vs Kings odds

• Moneyline: Golden Knights -110 | Kings -110
• Puck Line: Golden Knights +1.5 (-275) | Kings -1.5 (+220)
• Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-120) | Under 5.5 (+100)

Golden Knights vs Kings trend

Pavel Dorofeyev has cleared 2.5 shots in 11 of his last 13 games without Jack Eichel in the lineup. Find more NHL betting trends for Golden Knights vs. Kings.

How to watch Golden Knights vs Kings

Golden Knights vs Kings latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- Nobody wants to see players get hurt but sadly it's a part of the game. Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who the New York Islanders trail by one point in the standings for second place in the Metropolitan Division, Sidney Crosby is going to miss some time. 

Forward Sidney Crosby (lower-body) has been placed on Injured Reserve.

Defenseman Kris Letang has been activated from Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/sHMiS02YHh

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 25, 2026

Crosby sustained a lower-body injury in the 2026 Winter Olympic Semi-finals and will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks. While Evgeni Malkin usually rises to the occasion when No. 87 is out, it's a major blow to a team that many didn't think would be where they are in the standings. 

Regardless of how well the Penguins play out of the break, the Islanders are in control of their own playoff destiny. They are four points up on the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets -- Columbus has two games in hand on the Islanders. 

The Islanders play Columbus in their second game back from break but first is a matchup with the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday at 7 PM ET. 

The Olympic break is finally over!

After a three week pause for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the Colorado Avalanche kick off the next phase of their historic 2025 – 2026 campaign for one last(?) visit to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Mammoth.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche won’t have the luxury of easing their way into the swing of things as the NHL schedule resumes. They play five games in seven days right out of the chute, with four of those games coming in two back-to-back contests. Tonight’s game against Utah marks the first in those pairs of back-to-back games; the Avs will face the Minnesota Wild for the first time on Ball Arena ice on Thursday evening.

The Avs were one of three teams that sent at least eight (8) players to Italy to participate in the Olympic games. Martin Nečas was selected to play for Czechia. Having previously played in the Olympics (Sochi, 2014), Gabe Landeskog made his return to the Olympic stage, now representing Sweden as its team captain. Joel Kiviranta and Artturi Lehkonen were selected to the Finland roster, capturing the bronze medal. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews played for Canada, earning the silver medal. Brock Nelson, a third-generation Olympian, captured gold for the United States, adding the fourth Olympic gold medal to his family mantle, joining his grandfather Bill Christian and great uncle Roger Christian (Squaw Valley, 1960) and his uncle Dave Christian (Lake Placid, 1980).

While it will be a welcome sight to see a (relatively) healthy Avalanche lineup for the first time in nearly two months, there will be one notable absence on the roster. On Tuesday morning, the Avalanche announced that they had traded defenseman Sam Girard, along with their second round pick in 2028, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Brett Kulak. Kulak, 32, was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in the deal that sent him and goaltender Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh. During his brief tenure with the Penguins, Kulak scored one goal and added six assists for a total of seven points in twenty-five games. He had two assists in thirty-one games played with Edmonton earlier this season. This is a considerable drop off from his previous season with Edmonton, where he set a career best in goals (7), assists (18), and points (25).

Coach Jared Bednar said this of Kulak: “You’re getting a big, solid D that can skate, and defend real well, and move the puck. He does a lot of good things, a guy that has been to back to back Stanley Cup Finals, and was an integral part of [Edmonton’s] blue line, and what they were trying to do as a team. We like the player a lot, and so, we’re excited.”

He added, “This is a big, strong guy that defends really well. He’s got a ton of experience as well. It’s just a different look for us, right? I think Kulak’s a guy, that depending on how you’re matching up in the playoffs, that he can go up and play with a guy like Cale if I want to move [Toews] against another team’s top line. […] Maybe Kulak can go up and Toews can go down and he can take care of that matchup with a guy like Manson. It gives us flexibility there that I don’t think we necessarily had with [Girard].”

Bednar noted that Kulak, along with most of the Avs roster, would arrive in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night, with some members of the team flying out this morning in order to get some extra rest.

With the NHL season paused through the Olympic break, MacKinnon will look to reclaim the NHL points lead; he trails Olympic teammate Connor McDavid (96) by three points. MacKinnon entered the Olympic break as the NHL’s goal scoring leader (40), the only player in the League to reach this milestone thus far. Nelson is one goal shy of reaching the thirty goal mark for the fourth time in his career. With Mackenzie Blackwood going 1-1 in both games before the break, expect Scott Wedgewood to start in goal this evening. Wedgewood last started on January 29, a 7-3 loss against the Montréal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

The Avs still remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. A win today would give them a seven point cushion over second place Minnesota, and although they still have two games in hand over their division rivals, every point will matter even more as teams jockey for position ahead of the postseason. The Dallas Stars, who have a game in hand on Minnesota and sit one point behind them in the division, host the Seattle Kraken tonight, so one can bet that Minnesota will be keeping a close eye on both games.

The Avs currently lead the season series against Utah, winning two of the three games played. They have yet to win at Delta Center to this point in the season, but won the most recent matchup on December 23, a 1-0 decision.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley

Defense:
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Wedgewood

Utah Mammoth

Utah started out 2026 with a bang, going 12-5 since the start of January. They sit in fourth place in the Central Division standings, edging out the Anaheim Ducks by one point for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. They won two of their previous three contests prior to the start of the Olympic break, a 6-2 defeat of the Vancouver Canucks, and a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Tonight’s game is the third of a five game home stand at Delta Center, where Utah has performed considerably well: they boast a 17-8-2 record on home ice.

Occupying a wild card spot may seem a bit surprising during this sophomore campaign for Utah, but those who followed the former Arizona Coyotes are familiar with this trend. While there have been some changes to the present-day roster, the current version’s performance has echoes of its previous incarnation, being competitive just enough to find themselves on the periphery of the postseason, only to fall short time and again. Utah GM Bill Armstrong, with the backing of his new ownership group in Ryan and Ashley Smith, has infused his team’s roster with some new life, acquiring defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to their inaugural season, and right wing J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. Sergachev set a personal best in goals (15) in his first season with Utah and currently leads all defensemen in points (38). Peterka, who signed a five year, $38.5 million dollar extension as part of the trade with Buffalo, is tied with Sergachev in points, and ranks third in goal scoring (20). Armstrong may have a few more moves up his sleeve as the trade deadline approaches, so this could be the year that his squad bucks the trends of the past, which would be an incredible testament to the club’s performance since taking the ice in downtown Salt Lake for the first time last October.

Like Colorado, Utah sent multiple players to Italy to participate in the Olympics. Peterka was selected to the German Olympic roster, defenseman Olli Määttä joined Kiviranta on Finland’s roster, goaltender Karel Vejmelka joined Nečas to represent Czechia’s goaltending contingent, and captain Clayton Keller won gold with the United States alongside Nelson.

Keller leads all skaters in assists (37) and points (54). Dylan Guenther leads all skaters in goals (25), just two shy of his personal best (27). Nick Schmaltz is second in goals (23), equaling his personal best he set during the 2021-2022 season with Arizona. Vejmelka is tied for first place with Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy in goaltender wins (27), a personal best since entering the League with Arizona during the 2021-2022 season.

Tonight’s game wraps up the four game series against Colorado. Utah’s previous victory came on October 21, with Guenther scoring the game winning goal for the 4-3 decision.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Lawson Crouse
J.J. Peterka – Barrett Hayton – Kailer Yamamoto
Michael Carcone – Jack McBain – Dylan Guenther
Brandon Tanev – Kevin Stenlund – Liam O’Brien

Defense:
Mikhail Sergachev – Sean Durzi
Nate Schmidt – John Marino
Ian Cole – Nick DeSimone

Between the Pipes:
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vaněček

With the Winter Olympics now behind us for another four years, it's intriguing to think about how different the Senators' roster could look by the time the 2030 Games in the French Alps roll around.

At the moment, barring a trade, only four players are locked into Ottawa contracts that take them beyond 2030. And of the four, three are definitely on their nation's radar, and two are shoo-ins.

Tim Stutzle 

Stutzle is in year three of an eight-year, $66.8 million deal that will take him to 2031. He is a lock for Team Germany in 2030 and probably two or three Olympic Games after that if the NHL continues to participate beyond France.

That's certainly not automatic.

As a sidebar, the league has to be concerned about the injuries in the tournament. Sidney Crosby heads back to Pittsburgh injured. LA Kings star Kevin Fiala suffered a gruesome season-ending leg injury, and Stutzle might not be 100 per cent either.

After Germany bowed out in the quarterfinal, TSN's Mark Masters alluded to Stutzle getting his shoulder checked out, which Stutzle didn't directly respond to, but he's clearly a man who left it all on the ice in Italy.

"Yeah, to be honest, I'm pretty exhausted," Stutzle said. "My body's hurting, but I'm excited to get back to playing (NHL) hockey again."

Stutzle would be a key player for any nation, but on Team Germany, he might be welcome to play for them into his 40s.

Jake Sanderson

No Senator is locked in longer than Jake Sanderson, whose eight-year $64.4 million contract expires in 2032. Sanderson played a bigger role for Team USA this year than he did last year at the 4 Nations Face-Off and continues to improve in the NHL. With 46 points, he's tied for eighth in NHL scoring among defensemen, and he's easily one of the fastest skaters in the league.

Travis Green said this week that Sanderson hasn't yet hit his ceiling as a player. That's bad news for the rest of the world. He'll be 27 in France, and should be right in his prime by then.

Shane Pinto

Pinto's four-year deal, worth $30 million with the Senators, kicks in this fall, and his progress with the Senators and Team USA will be interesting to monitor. Pinto went to the Team USA orientation camp last summer, so he's already on their radar. But to get to France, he'll need to elevate his point production (29 points in 47 games).

The Senators believe he can do that, or they wouldn't have just doubled his salary to $7.5 million. But right now, three of the four locked-in players on this list are centres, so Pinto may continue to be blocked through 2030, playing the role of reliable third-line two-way centre. 

But there's a chance that Brady Tkachuk (2028 UFA) and Drake Batherson (2027 UFA) may explore free agency, so it's easy to imagine a move to the wing to vault Pinto into a top-six role and power play time.

Dylan Cozens

In 2023, the Buffalo Sabres inked Cozens to a seven-year, $49.7 million extension, then traded him to Ottawa less than two years into the contract. The Workhorse from Whitehorse is a member in good standing with Hockey Canada, representing us twice at U18s, twice at the World Juniors, and twice at the men's World Hockey Championships.

With 43 points in 57 games, Cozens is on pace for 62 points, which would be the second-best season of his seven-year career. So while he's not on Canada's Olympic radar right now, he's a 25-year-old whose career appears to be heading in the right direction.

By the time the Olympic flame is lit in the French Alps in 2030, the Senators could look like an entirely different team. But if these four are still leading the way, Ottawa fans can feel pretty good about where the future is headed.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

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