Category: Ice Hockey

During the off-season, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram was a very popular name in the rumor mill. However, he ended up staying put in Buffalo after signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension. 

Yet, with the Sabres struggling and Byram having the potential to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2027, questions about his long-term future in Buffalo are still there. Due to this, he could be a player to watch this season.

If the Sabres end up shopping Byram closer to the deadline, these three teams could be good fits for him. 

Philadelphia Flyers 

The Flyers have been a nice surprise this season and could look to add to their roster because of it. When looking at their group, it is clear that they could use another impactful left-shot defenseman. Because of this, they would make a lot of sense as a suitor for Byram. This is especially so when noting that Byram is still just 24 years old and would fit in nicely on a team on the rise like Philly. 

Pittsburgh Penguins 

The Penguins could be an intriguing landing spot for Byram. The Metropolitan Division club has had a strong start to the 2025-26 season, and bringing in a young defenseman like Byram could help them maintain this kind of momentum. The Penguins' left side could also use improvement, so Byram could be a great pickup for them.

St. Louis Blues 

It has been a nightmare season for the Blues, and it would not be surprising if they looked to switch up their roster because of it. They could use another left-shot defenseman, so it would make sense for them to try to bring in Byram. This is especially so when noting that they were heavily linked to him during the off-season as well. 

The Vancouver Canucks becoming sellers in the trade market has made them the dominant club in the rumor mill.

It's also made UFA-eligible left winger Kiefer Sherwood a popular target in an otherwise thin trade market thus far.

Quinn Hughes was not considered to be among the Canucks' trade candidates. However, the uncertainty over whether he'll sign a contract extension has raised questions about the 26-year-old superstar defenseman's future in Vancouver. That's generating conjecture about potential trade destinations for the 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner.

The Hockey News' Adam Kierszenblat doesn't think the Canucks should be in a win-now mode this season. That means he thinks the Canucks' brass should sit down with Hughes to discuss his future and whether he would want to play through a retool or rebuild.

If the Canucks peddle Hughes, Kierszenblat believes the Canucks should focus on acquiring prospects and picks over established NHL players.

Ben Kuzma of The Province, meanwhile, believes they'll seek a multi-player return that helps them get younger and eventually better.

Kuzma felt that interested clubs would want assurances that Hughes wouldn't be a one-year rental. He suggested ties to certain teams could determine where he lands, proposing the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers as destinations.

Hughes spent his formative hockey years in Michigan with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and the NCAA Wolverines. His brothers, Jack and Luke, play for the Devils. Meanwhile, former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet is now the Flyers' bench boss.

Kuzma speculated that the Canucks could seek a return of winger Lucas Raymond, rookies Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson, and a 2026 first-round pick from the Red Wings.

Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco thinks the Canucks would want winger Tyson Foerster and prospect Porter Martone as part of the return from the Flyers. However, they might prefer sending a package to Vancouver centered around a defenseman such as Jamie Drysdale or Cam York.

The asking price from the Devils could include promising defenseman Simon Nemec. Center Dawson Mercer or rookie winger Arseny Gritsyuk could also be part of the deal.

The Red Wings, Devils and Flyers could be reluctant to gut their rosters for Hughes, but interested clubs should be prepared to pay a high price for a superstar of his caliber.

‘I Just Think Losing Is Obviously The Hardest Part’: Quinn Hughes Speaks On The Canucks’ Recent StrugglesCanucks captain Quinn Hughes spoke on the team's recent struggles after dropping their past three games.

Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers' goaltending remains a topic of interest in the rumor mill. Some of the recent talk linked them to Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Earlier this week, NHL.com's Dan Rosen was asked what level of interest the Oilers had in Jarry. He pointed out that they know what they have with inconsistent starter Stuart Skinner, who has backstopped them to consecutive Stanley Cup finals.

Rosen didn't rule out the possibility of the Oilers seeking a replacement, but he noted that Jarry has his own inconsistency issues, plus an injury history. He felt that the only way they would make a move for Jarry is if they believe he can carry them to the Stanley Cup.

Given Jarry's career and his post-season record thus far, it's unlikely he'll replace Skinner in Edmonton.

---

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The Anaheim Ducks are at a surprisingly critical time in their season, a season in which they’re on track to end their seven-season playoff drought, as they sit atop the Pacific Division standings in early December and 27 games into the 2025-26 season.

However, their position remains a bit precarious, as they have just a one-point lead on the Vegas Golden Knights (32 points), who’ve played one less game than Anaheim (33 points). Also, just five points separate them from being on the outside of the playoff picture, looking in.

After jumping out to a hot start, under a new coaching staff and surprising opponents, teams seem to have adjusted and are better prepared to counter what the Ducks are trying to accomplish on a night-to-night, shift-by-shift basis. As the Ducks have undergone a systemic facelift and dealt with the pitfalls of that adjustment, the backbone of the team to this point in the season has been Lukas Dostal.

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-0 Loss to the Mammoth

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Win over the Blues

Dostal is one week into a 2-3 week timeframe to return from an upper-body injury and has been sidelined for the Ducks’ last five games, where the Ducks have gone 2-3-0. He carried an 11-5-1 record, a .904 SV%, and had saved 10.1 goals above expected (T-12th in the NHL). He, along with the Ducks' early-season ability to outscore their problems, had papered over much of the Ducks’ defensive deficiencies.

One of the areas that needed a tweak was the penalty kill, which currently sits 27th in the NHL, killing at a 75% rate. It’s not an area they can afford to be poor in, as through 27 games, they have taken 97 minor penalties (10th in the NHL) and average 10.2 PIM per game (eighth in the NHL).

The Ducks coaching staff, specifically head coach Joel Quenneville and assistant coach Ryan McGill, have begun to make said necessary tweaks. They began by overhauling their personnel deployment while down a man.

Heading into their game on Monday against the St. Louis Blues, three staples of the Ducks’ penalty kill had been Jackson LaCombe (averaging 3:04 shorthanded TOI), Leo Carlsson (1:52), and Troy Terry (1:48). All three star players were taken off the penalty kill entirely.

Pavel Mintyukov was placed on the top PK unit with Jacob Trouba. The second unit now consists of Drew Helleson and Radko Gudas. The first forwards over the boards on the kill are now Ryan Poehling and Alex Killorn, with a combination of Chris Kreider, Frank Vatrano, Jansen Harkens, and Cutter Gauthier behind them.

“Our penalty killing, I think, we had a great start to the season. I thought we did some good things,” Joel Quenneville said of his unit when asked about taking his trio of stars off the kill. “Then, I think we were getting probably too many penalties, which they’re (the opposing team) going to start to figure it out.

“So I think we can manage the amount of time we’re putting them on the (penalty kill), and at the same time, our group can be more effective by being together, knowing the pressure points, and taking away shooting lanes. It’s a combination of both. Leo and Terry, getting them resting for more of the 5v5 and the power play. It was a lot of ice time, something we looked at.“

The Ducks are now two games into this experiment, and the results have been there. The Ducks have killed seven of eight penalties over the last two games: a 4-1 win over the Blues and a 7-0 blowout loss against the Utah Mammoth.

Terry and Carlsson are both players who possess quality defensive tools. Terry is disruptive and influences attackers to low-danger areas from the wing, while Carlsson can diagnose breakouts and kill plays in the neutral zone or forecheck. However, when placed on the kill together, they were perhaps too aggressive, quick to jump for secondary pressure, and attempted to manufacture offense while down a player.

LaCombe, while an ace at defending the rush, has had his struggles this season boxing out and eliminating sticks at the net front. Too often was the opposing net front forward able to sustainably screen the Ducks’ netminder, get tips on perimeter shots, and put rebounds in the back of the net.

Though the sample is small, the Ducks have found a better balance of aggressiveness and passiveness while in zone on the kill. Carlsson, Terry, and LaCombe are now theoretically freer to focus on the offensive side of the puck, where they’re truly special, and can conserve needed energy for those 5v5 and power play minutes.

The Ducks will have a tall order on Friday, as they’ll host the white hot Washington Capitals, who have won their last six games and nine of their last ten. Despite now leading the Metropolitan Division, the Caps have only converted 17.3% of their power plays (T-22nd in the NHL) and have only generated 7.66 xGF/60 minutes (24th in the NHL) while on the man-advantage. They’ve gone 4-13 (30.8%) on the power play during their current six-game winning streak. Still, this will be a good chance to see how the PK unit is progressing on the Anaheim side.

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-3 Loss to the Blackhawks

Quack of Dawn: Ducks Morning Report - 11/29/25

Lukas Dostal out 2-3 Weeks with Upper-Body Injury, Importance of Upcoming Ducks Schedule

The Florida Panthers are stuck in a rut.

Florida dropped their fourth straight game on Thursday night when they gave up a late 1-0 lead to the Nashville Predators before losing 2-1 in overtime.

The defeat was also the fifth in a row on home ice for the Panthers, which is a bit alarming on its own.

Now 26 games into the season, Florida is going to have a lot of work to do if they want to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement and back into playoff contention.

Let’s get to Thursday’s takeaways:

OVERALL TIGHT GAME

Credit to Nashville, who looked like a far better team than the one Florida dominated while skating to an 8-3 victory last Monday in their barn.

This game was far different as the Predators were much more disciplined in their systems and got much better goaltending from Juuse Saros.

That’s about where the discipline stopped for either team, though, as there were a total of 11 power plays on Thursday.

No power play goals, though.

“I think there was offense to have by both teams,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think both teams’ penalty kill was really good, and it was a 1-1 game at the end because the goalies were good.”

PENALTIES SHIFTED MOMENTUM

Florida was riding high through the game’s first 40 minutes.

While they held a slim 1-0 advantage, the Panthers were controlling puck possession and racking up the scoring chances.

That all changed thanks to a pair of penalties called on the Panthers, one in the final seconds of the second period and one almost immediately after the first one expired.

While Nashville didn’t score on either power play, starting the final frame up a man for nearly five minutes was enough to build their confidence and shift the tone of the game.

Florida had also enjoyed three straight power plays during the second period, and when many of your power play guys also go out on the penalty kill, that’s a lot of ice time for a select group of players.

“Well, we come out, we're in the box for four minutes in the first five minutes, and at that point in time, we’ve run that top-end of guys because we've had so many minutes on the power play, there's not much rest for them, so (Nashville) get a little quicker than we did,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “Most of their action came in a barrage of shots. It wasn't sustained.”

BUILDING ON SMALL VICTORIES?

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Panthers.

Quite frankly, it can’t be.

There is plenty of hockey left to be played this season, and Florida is a team that still knows its ceiling is much higher than what they’ve shown to this point.

Eventually, things should turn back in a positive direction for the Panthers, but they need to start building toward that immediately.

“You're not going to be confident,” said Maurice. “It's an impossible thing to give. It's got to be earned. You just need to stack up smaller plays, break your game down to incremental things, moving the puck on the tape, finishing checks, just getting pucks on the net instead of picking corners. But, you know, we're cracking posts right now, and at least that part's there. The opportunities are there.”

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Photo caption: Dec 4, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save against Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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The Detroit Red Wings are only three points from the top spot in the Atlantic Division, but if they had tightened up defensively in recent games, they could have easily been sitting in the first overall position. 

For the sixth time in their last eight outings, the Red Wings allowed their opposition to find the back of the net at least four times in what was a 6-5 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday evening at Nationwide Arena. 

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

So far this season, the Red Wings have allowed 97 goals, just one fewer than the league-worst 98 surrendered by the St. Louis Blues. Their collective .46 goals-against average also ranks 27th in the NHL.

The Red Wings fought back from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits to grab a 5-4 lead midway through the third period, only to watch the Blue Jackets knot the score late in regulation with goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on the bench for an extra attacker and then later win in the shootout. 

Head coach Todd McLellan has repeatedly emphasized how critical it is to limit opposing scoring chances, but once again, the Red Wings are struggling to find that consistency.

"We've all been talking about this for a long time," McLellan said. "There are moments when we do a real good job of it and we look solid then we get away from it. Trying to find that consistency."

While the Red Wings delivered a strong showing on the power play, converting three of five chances, their penalty killing wasn't as effective, surrendering two goals on three man-advantage chances by the Blue Jackets. 

Patrick Kane, who scored the 496th goal of his NHL career in the third period, loved the power-play performance of his club, but knows the difference came down to not shutting down the opportunities by Columbus. 

Special Teams Help, Hurt Red Wings In Wild 6-5 Shootout Loss To Blue Jackets The Detroit Red Wings secured a point in the standings, but once again allowed their opponent to convert on too many chances and fell by a 6-5 final score in the shootout to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"We got our power-play opportunities and capitalized on the power play....that’s kind of what we expect from that group," Kane said. "We had a good night on the power-play but gave up a couple on the penalty kill and 6-on-5, so it’s kind of what the game comes down to sometimes." 

Kane and the Red Wings will continue their road swing by traveling to Seattle for a Saturday night tilt against the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET. 

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ELMONT, NY -- The New York Islanders are hitting the road for Dad's Weekend, as they head to the state of Florida for a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. 

Here's the latest on the injuy front:

After taking warmups, forward Jonathan Drouin was a late scratch on Thursday night. The 30-year-old woke up feeling something in his lower back and ultimately couldn't go. He's day-to-day, but the positive news is that he is coming on the trip, and the injury appears to be minor. With the way Maxim Tsyplakov filled in for him on the Mathew Barzal line, there's no reason to rush Drouin if he can't go on Saturday or even Sunday. 

Islanders & Best Buds Jonathan Drouin & Anthony Duclair Training Together <a href="http://thn.com/isles">New York Islanders</a>&nbsp;forwards <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/anthony-duclair-profile-projection">Anthony Duclair </a>and free agent signing <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/jonathan-drouin-on-why-he-signed-with-islanders">Jonathan Drouin</a> are best friends, so it's not a shock that the two are training together ahead of the 2025-26 season.&nbsp;

Drouin, who signed a two-year deal worth $4 million annually on July 1, has three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 26 games this season. 

Forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau will travel with the Islanders, but isn't likely to play. The 33-year-old sustained an upper-body injury in their 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 22. Initially ruled week-to-week, general manager Mathieu Darche shared that the expectation was to have Pageau back before Christmas. He started skating on his own late last week and rejoined team practice on Tuesday, Dec. 2, wearing a non-contact jersey. 

Jean-Gabriel Pageau Returns To Islanders Team Skate For First Time Since InjuryPageau skates again! The Islanders forward rejoins team practices, signaling a potential holiday return and boosting their lineup.

Pageau, who is a pending unrestricted free agent, has recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points in 22 games. 

One injury update from Bridgeport: defenseman Isaiah George (upper body) has returned to practice and is considered day-to-day. The 21-year-old, who played 33 games for the Islanders in 2024-25, has not played since Nov. 14 against Wilkes-Barre Scranton. Defenseman Travis Mitchell has played the last four games for the Islanders, trying to navigate the absence of Alexander Romanov. Romanov is out for the season with a right shoulder injury that requires surgery. 

George has one goal and three assists in 14 games with Bridgeport this season, owning a +3. 

The Islanders did not hold a practice on Friday. They will hold a morning skate in Tampa on Saturday ahead of their 7 PM puck drop against the Lightning. They will not skate on Sunday morning with puck drop against the Panthers at 5 PM. 

The Vancouver Canucks (10–14–3) will enter their match against the Utah Mammoth (13–12–3) in a unique position; on the hunt for their first win against the Mammoth. Vancouver lost all three games against Utah during the team’s inaugural NHL season and has yet to collect their first win against them. A win against the Mammoth tonight would snap Vancouver’s current three-game losing streak after the team lost 3–1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Utah is coming off a commanding 7–0 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.   

In their last game, Vancouver was sorely outmatched and outplayed by a Colorado team who has dominated the NHL this year. All things considered, they managed to hang in there pretty decently, though one thing that was sorely lacking was their ability to generate quality scoring chances. Utah has been one of the better teams in the NHL in limiting overall scoring chances against with 732 total chances allowed throughout 28 games played. They have also allowed 83 goals against average — a whole 15 lower than Vancouver’s 98. 

Surprisingly, the Mammoth are currently near the top of the NHL in goals-for with 87 scored in 28 games. They currently have four players who have scored 10 or more goals so far this season — Logan Cooley (14), JJ Peterka (12), Nick Schmaltz (10), and Dylan Guenther (10). They are one of a select group of teams that have four 10+ goal scorers at this point in the season, with the New Jersey Devils being the other. Adding to that, nine of their 87 goals have come from their blueline, with Mikhail Sergachev leading the way with three. 

Players To Watch: 

Linus Karlsson 

Karlsson is coming off a game that saw him score his fifth goal of the 2025–26 season, tying him with Evander Kane and Max Sasson for seventh on the team in goals scored. By the end of the game, Karlsson had ended up on the Canucks’ top line alongside Elias Pettersson and Evander Kane. Vancouver’s lines were mixed up during Thursday’s practice due to players battling the flu and the return of Nils Höglander and Conor Garland in regular practice sweaters, though Karlsson was still playing alongside Pettersson. Now with three goals in his past six games, Karlsson will be a player to keep an eye on tonight — especially if he keeps his new spot in the lineup. 

Daniil But

The 12th-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, But made his NHL debut in Utah’s last game after being called-up to the Mammoth. Despite not yet grabbing his first NHL point, But played well against the Ducks on Wednesday and was put on a line with Cooley and Guenther. With two talented young players skating alongside him, But will be a player to watch tonight. 

Vancouver Canucks (10–14–3): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 8–14-22

Quinn Hughes: 2–20–22

Kiefer Sherwood: 12–4–16

Brock Boeser: 9–7–16

Filip Hronek: 2–14–16

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 5–4–0

Kevin Lankinen: 4–8–3

Nikita Tolopilo: 1–1–0

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0 

Utah Mammoth (13–12–3): 

Points: 

Clayton Keller: 9–16–25

Nick Schmaltz: 10–14–24

Logan Cooley: 14–9–23

JJ Peterka: 12–9–21

Dylan Guenther: 10–11–21 

Goaltenders: 

Karel Vejmelka: 11–7–2

Vitek Vanecek: 2–5–1

Game Information: 

Start time: 6:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Ivan Provorov(4), Kirill Marchenko(9-PPG), Kent Johnson(3), and Adam Fantilli(10-PPG, 11) poured in the goals for Columbus, while Elvis Merzlikins was good at times in a 5-4 shootout win against the Detroit Red Wings. 

The Blue Jackets have been in some wild games of late. Not like the New Jersey game wild, but this one had its own wild identity. 

The two teams combined for six goals in the second period, five of which were power-play goals. Dmitri Voronkov took a double minor for high-sticking 7:52 into the second and then took a two-minute minor for high-sticking with 25 seconds left in the period. The Wings scored on all three penalties to put the score at 4-3 going into the third period. 

The Blue Jackets were up 3-1 in this game, and wouldn't you know it, they lost the lead. Adam Fantilli scored 13:50 in the period to give the Jackets another lead at the end of the second. 

When Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat scored two minutes apart with just over eight minutes left in the game, CBJ fans inside NWA could do nothing but sit back and watch them lose another game in which they had a two-goal lead. 

Adam Fantilli, however, was bound and determined not to let that happen, though. Fantilli scored his 11th goal of the season, and second of the night with 1:31 left to tie the game at 5. All the Jackets had to do was hold on for another 1:31 to send the game to overtime. 

With every point being important, even making it to overtime is a win. On Thursday night, the Rangers, Penguins, and Islanders all won, so getting two points was extremely important. 

The Blue Jackets would win in overtime with two stellar shots from Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko, who are basically automatic in the shootout nowadays. Elvis Merzlikins stopped both shootout tries to earn his 6th win of the season, and 100th of his career. 

Final Stats

Player Stats

• Ivan Provorov scored his 4th goal.
• Kirill Marchenko scored his 9th goal of the season.
• Kent Johnson scored his 3rd goal of the season.
• Adam Fantilli scored his 10th and 11th goals. He now has 100 career points.
• Zach Werenski had 3 assists and was a plus-2.
• Sean Monahan recorded 3 assists.
• Cole Sillinger had 1 assist.
• Denton Mateychuk tallied an assist.
• Brendan Gaunce had an assist.
• Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves on 33 Red Wings shots.

Team Stats

• The Jackets power play went2/3.
• The Columbus PK gave up three power play goals to Detroit.
• Columbus won 54.8% of the faceoffs - 34/62
• The Blue Jackets had 24 hits.

Up Next: The Jackets travel to Florida to take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Panthers. 

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Sweden has unveiled its roster for the 2026 World Juniors. Below is the star-studded lineup, filled with intriguing prospects and draft-eligible talent.

Sweden enters the tournament with a roster that includes 16 drafted players, three of whom were selected in the first round. The lineup is also interesting from a draft perspective, as it features four first-time draft-eligible players and five who went undrafted in previous years.

Swedish head coach Magnus Hävelid has high expectations heading into the tournament. A major focus this year has been scheduling two exhibition games against Canada to measure themselves against the favorites early on.

“We dream of winning gold and aim to challenge the United States and Canada, who have to be considered the favorites in the tournament. We need to grow together as a really strong team and group, and that’s the goal for this training camp. If we succeed with that, we know we have several game-breakers on this team, and that can take us a long way,” said Magnus Hävelid, head coach of the Junior Crowns.

“We were invited by Canada to hold our training camp there. We felt it was appealing because we have many players who weren’t at the World Juniors last year, so it will be a good experience for us to play on the smaller rink and get a sense of what’s required against the gold favorites. Switzerland will also be a good benchmark,” says Magnus Hävelid.

Sweden’s World Juniors roster and NHL rights

Goaltenders
Love Härenstam (2025 round 6 #179 overall by St. Louis Blues)
Herman Liv (Undrafted)
Måns Goos (2025 round 5 #158 overall by Dallas Stars)    

Defensemen
Felix Öhrqvist (Undrafted)
Leo Sahlin Wallenius (2024 round 2 #53 overall by San Jose Sharks)
Sascha Boumedienne (2025 round 1 #28 overall by Winnipeg Jets)
Viggo Gustafsson (2024 round 3 #77 overall by Nashville Predators)
Felix Carell (Undrafted)
Victor Johansson (2024 round 4 #120 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs)
William Håkansson (2026 NHL Draft)
Alfons Freij (2024 round 2 #37 overall by Winnipeg Jets)    

Forwards
Lucas Pettersson (2024 round 2 #35 overall by Anaheim Ducks)
Milton Gästrin (2025 round 2 #37 overall by Washington Capitals)
Linus Eriksson (2024 round 2 #58 overall by Florida Panthers)
Ivar Stenberg (2026 NHL Draft)
Anton Frondell (2025 round 1 #3 overall by Chicago Blackhawks)
Valter Lindberg (Undrafted)
Viggo Björck (2026 NHL Draft)
Loke Krantz (2025 round 7 #218 overall by Seattle Kraken)
Liam Danielsson (Undrafted)
Eddie Genborg (2025 round 2 #44 overall by Detroit Red Wings)
Jack Berglund (2024 round 2 #51 overall by Philadelphia Flyers)
Wilson Björck (2025 round 5 #143 overall by Vancouver Canucks)
Eric Nilson (2025 round 2 #45 overall by Anaheim Ducks)
Casper Juustovaara Karlsson (2026 NHL Draft)
Victor Eklund (2025 round 1 #16 overall by (New York Islanders)

Notable omissions:
D Malte Vass (2025 round 3 #76 overall by Columbus Blue Jackets)
D Gabriel Eliasson (2024 round 2 #39 overall by Ottawa Senators)
F Melvin Fernström (2024 round 3 #93 overall by Vancouver Canucks, rights belong to Pittsburgh Penguins)

It was the healthiest the Kings have been all season, getting Drew Doughty back from injury, but the team chemistry looked disconnected and flat through the first 40 minutes of regulation.

Despite Trevor Moore scoring the only goal of the night for the Kings in the third period, L.A. could never overcome the Blackhawks' defense, which silenced the Kings' offense and crowd, continuing the team's home struggles.

The Kings generated 27 shots and dominated the faceoff circle at 55.9 percent. However, it still wasn’t enough to solve Chicago’s goaltender Spencer Knight or erase the two goals they gave up in the second period. 

Final from Los Angeles. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/2MwHlMIUOi

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 5, 2025

Blackhawks Strike in the Second

Chicago broke open the scoreless match in the second period when Connor Bedard won the face-off against Quinton Byfield and ripped the power-play goal, capitalizing on the Kings' weak penalty kill. 

The Blackhawaks then added a late-period dagger with just six seconds remaining, as defenseman Wyatt Kaiser beat Darcy Kuemper in the shooting lane to make it 2-0. 

The Kings were competitive on the ice but not on the scoreboard for the first 40 minutes. After the game, Warren Foegele commented that the team wasn't in sync early on tonight.

“We weren't really connected in the first 40 minutes, and it bit us, “Warren Foegele.”

-

Kings Power-Play Struggles

The Kings had five power-play chances of their own and had a chance to tie it up on the final power-play, but came up empty. The scoreboard and stat sheet were close and even between the two teams, but on the ice, Chicago was clearly the better team tonight, with more focus and a stronger desire to play together. 

Los Angeles out-hit the Blackhawks 20-13, but that doesn’t mean anything if you lose the game when the buzzer sounds. Too many mistakes and sequences broke down before they became threats.

A Familiar Frutsration at Home

With another tough loss at home that could’ve gone either way, the offense is still searching for consistency. The Kings are winning face-offs, getting saves, and outshooting their opponents for the most part, but the goals simply aren't coming. 

Until that changes, these issues will continue in Los Angeles and may get worse as the season approaches April. 

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St. Louis Blues fans, we have a problem.

Actually, it’s been a problem for quite some time, but the culmination, or frustration, however one wants to call it, boiled over on Thursday night.

The Blues looked disinterested, disoriented and disorganized. It resulted in a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.

Pavel Buchnevich and Pius Suter scored for the Blues (9-12-7), who once again couldn’t crack more than two goals in a game for the ninth time in the past 10. Jordan Binnington, who was pulled in his last start when he allowed two goals on five shots in a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, made 22 saves.

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki made his NHL debut and was on the ice for the Buchnevich goal (more on him later).

Let’s go into the game observations:

* Where is the effort? – Rarely do I question effort. It’s usually execution that does in a game.

But on Thursday, effort comes into play.

The Blues are coming off having two days off between games, a rarity. And they won’t have that again until Christmas break. So Thursday started a stretch of 11 games in 19 days.

So being on front end of it, where was the urgency? Where was the energy? Where was … yes … the effort?

Boston (16-13-0) was playing without their best players in this game, including David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy due to injuries, and No. 1 goalie Jeremy Swayman was getting the night off for Joonas Korpisalo.

Yes, the Blues are playing a few players short themselves, but not nearly of that caliber, and coming out with a good start was imperative.

But just look at the first goal scored by Alex Steeves at 6:30 of the first period to make it 1-0.

First off, it was another bad line change by the Blues, but the urgency of two forwards in the neutral zone, and two defensemen on the ice never challenged the play into the zone, then things were allowed to play out on the lefthand side with nobody hustling back to pick up Steeves at the backdoor and he slams the shot past Binnington:

5️⃣ GOALS IN 5️⃣ GAMES 👏 pic.twitter.com/SHZsRMgZdK

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2025

It was a precursor of things to come.

And on Morgan Geekie’s goal at 11:25 that made it 2-0, there were two defensemen along the corner boards (Colton Parayko and Philip Broberg) trying to win a wall battle with one player (Steeves), whose effort and determination enabled him to pop the puck to Elias Lindholm, and he found Geekie open in the slot, a pass that Dalibor Dvorsky couldn’t get enough on. But once again, it was way too easy:

CALL 'EM UP 📞🤓 pic.twitter.com/MVXM0BjSDQ

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2025

The effort and determination of winning wall and/or board battles continues to be a sore spot, and in this point of the season, it shouldn’t be.

* So many defensive breakdowns; why is there so much disconnect at this juncture in the season – The Blues actually get the kind of start they needed early in the second when Buchnevich made it 2-1 at 1:59, after Parayko jumped a pass along the O-zone wall and curled around the net to find Buchnevich for a one-timer from the left circle:

Puck's stuck. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/6q5tGpboPH

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 5, 2025

You’re back in the game just like they were looking for.

But the next three goals scored by the Bruins, hoo boy.

Viktor Arvidsson cracked one off the right side wall at 6:04 made it 3-1, but it was the buildup that was more baffling than anything.

How does Mason Lohrei get all that free ice uncontested from his zone all the way into the Blues’ zone, gets a shot off from the top of the left circle that Binnington blockered to the right wall that Arvidsson corralled?:

A 7️⃣1️⃣ SNIPE 🎯 pic.twitter.com/qo8tVIG4pV

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2025

How does a guy get that much free ice?

That’s where the disconnect comes in. Guys backing into the zone, forwards playing too spread out allowing so much free ice, easy breakouts.

It’s still happening. This was the 28th game of the season.

And for Pavel Zacha, the first of his two goals, there’s a cross ice pass that is there because of a large gap for Zacha to move into the Blues’ zone, cut to the middle of the ice, three skaters around him with no resistance, and a fourth getting in there late, and I’m not putting that on Kaskimaki because this is his first game, and he has teammates on the ice that should be setting an example of hard work and being connected. But that goal scored from the high slot over Binnington’s glove hand made it 4-1 at 12:26, and this team’s penchant – or lack thereof – scoring goals, it was game over:

PAV POTS ONE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/nO4a947uqz

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2025

And the icing on the cake when Jake Neighbours was called for interference at 19:45, there’s 15 seconds to close a period out.

Even after losing a face-off, the puck was at the blue line with 5.5 seconds left. There's no way the Bruins could work it into the left face-off circle (they did), get an uncontested shot from there (they did), collect the rebound with only one player around the puck (they did) and get it to the low slot off the edge of the right circle (they did):

PAV BEATS THE BUZZER ⏳ pic.twitter.com/oXWvMQ5Lep

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2025

It boils down to defensive breakdowns, disconnect and lack of execution. It’s 5-1 at that point rubbing salt in the wound.

* This was supposed to be Kaskimaki’s night – The 2022 third-round pick made his rookie lap at one of the top venues around the league. It was supposed to be a special night for the forward.

But Blues teammates didn’t give Kaskimaki, who was a minus-1 and played 15:17 with a shot on goal and a blocked shot, much to be happy about.

Sure, he’s thankful to finally get to the NHL, and I didn’t think Kaskimaki, who played with Buchnevich and Dvorsky on a line, looked out of place, but he only has to go up from here.

Pius Suter, who missex the past two games, did get on the board with his seventh ay 9:07 of the third period but too little, too late:

If at first you don't succeed...

find Pius Suter pic.twitter.com/DmK8WOrFpw

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 5, 2025

* Needless to say, Blues coach Jim Montgomery was none too pleased from his comments to media after the game, along with Binnington and Parayko:

“Obviously anytime you lose it’s a tough result… but not the way we wanted it to go.”

Jordan Binnington, Colton Parayko and Jim Montgomery after Thursday’s game in Boston. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/XpqyHtioBk

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 5, 2025

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Well, that was one of the crazier National Hockey League games you might ever witness. 

And - despite getting outplayed for most of the game - the Pittsburgh Penguins somehow prevailed in the end.

The Penguins survived to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, amidst controversy to close out the game. While that will be discussed in a moment, Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry deserves a significant amount of credit for the win, as he stopped 37 of 40 Lightning shots he faced - many of which were point-blank chances surrendered by a leaky Penguins' defense. 

The scoring opened up on a first-period power play for the Penguins when 22-year-old rookie forward Ville Koivunen finally registered his first NHL goal after career games. He sniped a rocket high-glove side and into the corner of the net from the left circle to put the Penguins up, 1-0. 

Then, in the second period, Evgeni Malkin forced a turnover, pushed the puck out to himself, skated in for a breakaway, and went five-hole to make the score 2-0. Rookie Ben Kindel also added a power play goal midway through the second on a perfect tip-in off a beautiful shot-pass by Erik Karlsson to put the Penguins up, 3-0.

Then, Tampa took over. Nikita Kucherov was found on the doorstep for his 12th of the season with only a minute and change remaining in the middle frame to make it 3-1. Then - just a minunte and change into the third period and on the power play - Brandon Hagel scored to make it 3-2, and he scored again midway through the period by getting behind the Penguins' defense to tie the game. 

The Penguins had been here before. They blew a 3-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 3, and they didn't recover en route to the loss. This time, however, they did respond, as Malkin took a perfect feed from Tommy Novak to one-time it into the net from the right circle, putting the Penguins back up by one.

And this is where things got hairy. Late in regulation, the Lightning pulled their goaltender for a six-on-five, and Kucherov seemed to have his second goal of the evening. However, the officials convened after they heard from the situation room that there may have been a hand pass prior to the goal. 

As it turns out, there was. Hagel - accidenal or not - committed a hand pass to Jake Guentzel, which nullified the tally and gave Pittsburgh it's fourth win in the last five games. 

Safe to say, the guys did NOT agree with this call. 😳@spittinchicletspic.twitter.com/RMpkqYfrVp

— Sports on Prime Canada (@SportsOnPrimeCA) December 5, 2025

---

Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this crazy game:

- Let's make one thing clear: The Penguins were getting absolutely boatraced for 90 percent of this game.

Tampa Bay exposed every mistake the Penguins made - there were many - and turned seemingly every single one into a high-danger opportunity. This was especially true in the first period and in the back half of the third period, when the Bolts were just taking it to the Penguins.

The Penguins were opportunistic. It wasn't unlike watching the 2017 Penguins somehow squeak out a Cup run despite getting outplayed in the majority of games. 

Obviously, it's important to simply play like a good hockey team the majority of the time, especially when you're trying to make the playoffs. But, sometimes, it's okay to be lucky.

The Penguins were certainly lucky Thursday. 

- Now, onto their biggest stroke of luck. The no-goal.

All I'll say is that there are a whole lot of people misunderstanding the rule. Is the rule a good one? Like over-the-glass delay of game penalties, I think there is a conversation to be had there. 

But by rule, I think that's a handpass. It's not the best rule, but it is what it is.

Revisiting The Jake Guentzel Trade TreeOn Thursday, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will take on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> in Florida, as Pittsburgh looks to hold onto its playoff positioning and Tampa looks to extend its Atlantic Division lead.&nbsp;

- Erik Karlsson and Parker Wotherspoon have been tremendous for the Penguins this season. They were fine for the most part in this game. 

But the tying goal was defensive malpractice.

Both players somehow got caught too high in the defensive zone, and Brandon Hagel quite literally walked right behind both of them and straight to the net, where he beat Jarry with an impossible shot. 

I don't know what the goal was there, but the Penguins really need to play more responsibly when they're holding a lead against teams with supremely talented offensive players who can burn you on every mistake. That's what happened against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 3, and that's what happened again Thursday.

- Tristan Jarry was magnificent in this game. He quite literally was the sole reason the Penguins were in the game at all, as even their power play was bleeding chances against despite registering two goals on the night. 

I didn't love the second Kucherov tally, but it doesn't matter because it didn't count, anyway. Still, Jarry didn't seem as confident in the final period of that game despite looking like he could walk on water for the first 40 minutes. 

Is Tristan Jarry's Early Season Success Sustainable?Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry has been lights out to start the 2025-26 season. The only question is, can he sustain it for a whole year?

Either way, his teammates owe him a very fancy steak dinner. He was the primary reason the Penguins won that game. 

- It's pretty crazy what Malkin is doing this season. He has the same amount of points as Crosby in the same amount of games. Neither of his two goals in this one were flukey. 

Malkin tends to fall off a bit after hot starts, but that hasn't exactly happened yet this season. I don't think he's consistently playing at the level he was in the first month of the season - and since Justin Brazeau went down - but he's still producing, and he's still maintaining over a point-per-game pace.

What he's doing at 39 is special. He had a few blips on the radar in this game, but he more than made up for it with a two-goal, three-point effort.

- What a day it was for the kids.

As far as the third line of Kindel, Koivunen, and Rutger McGroarty, they were the Penguins' best line in this game. They were generating chances throughout the evening, and they seem to have some legitimate chemistry. That line could be a revelation for the Penguins if it continues to click. 

And then there's the two goal-scorers. 

Good for Koivunen. He deserved that one. He's been playing well for a stretch of games here, but he was so, so snakebitten. And, wow, was it a snipe.

Give it up for Ville Koivunen, @NHL goal scorer 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rhkt8xcuTF

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 5, 2025

I've been saying that Koivunen just needed to get that "first NHL goal" monkey off his back. I think the points will start to come in bunches now. 

Then there's Kindel. The tip-in goal was perfectly executed by both him and Karlsson, and he continues to look like a natural on the first power play unit. He played on the penalty kill yet again created a few shorthanded chances. There was a PK sequence where he blocked a shot then cleared the puck out of the zone. He was driving play five-on-five, too.

What impresses me most about Kindel - at only 18 - is that he can walk into any situation, have no adjustment period, and play like a 10-year NHL veteran in that role. He did it with the power play, and now, the penalty kill. He continues to play a calculated, smart, high-IQ brand of hockey, and his ability to distribute the puck is so advanced for his age. 

New 'Kid Line' Might Be Just What Penguins NeedThe Pittsburgh Penguins debuted their new "kid line" of Rutger McGroarty, Ben Kindel, and Ville Koivunen against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday - and it paid off.

I can't say the last time I watched an 18-year-old thrive in every situation they're thrown in immediately. He needs no adjustment and just introduces himself like he owns the place. 

The Penguins have a special young player on their hands. 

- Another player deserving of a shoutout is Imama. 

Imama is not a guy who needs to be in the lineup on an everyday basis. He's an enforcer. He goes about his business, and he's always looking to stir things up. 

But his impact extends into the locker room, too. Imama is well-liked, well-respected, and personable in the locker room, and that energy is contagious. His fight sparked some energy for the Penguins Thursday, even if they were pretty decidedly getting beat. 

I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see him stick around for a little bit. 

CURTIS DOUGLAS AND BOKO IMAMA RIGHT AT CENTER ICE 😳 pic.twitter.com/YXl2QReO1B

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 5, 2025

- The Penguins next play the Dallas Stars on Sunday. 

I expect a much better performance by the Penguins against yet another tough opponent. 

---

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It was all about the fundamentals in the New York Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

Going into this matchup, the Rangers were coming off of an emotional, come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Stars. 

The Rangers carried that momentum into Ottawa, as they came into the game with a fiery and intense energy. 

A clean breakout started by Artemi Panarin, followed up by nifty stick work from J.T. Miller, ended in a Mika Zibanejad goal to put the Rangers up 1-0, 3:19 into the first period. 

A few minutes later, it was Noah Laba’s physicality to steal the puck in the neutral zone and keep the puck in the offensive zone that led to Vladislav Gavrikov’s goal, giving the Blueshirts a quick 2-0 lead. 

"It was critical,” Mike Sullivan said of how impactful Laba’s physical play was to Gavrikov’s goal.  “I thought Labs was physical all night. He brings a speed element with his size and his strength. When he brings some physicality to his game I think he's a lot more effective...I thought this was one of his more physical games that he's had in a while."

Gavrikov now has three goals over his past five games, as he’s far exceeded his offensive expectations going into the season. His six goals has him tied for fifth among all NHL defensemen in goals this year.

“Obviously, his core competency is his ability to defend,” Sullivan said on Tuesday about Gavrikov. “He's hard to play against. He's one of the better defending defensemen, we think, in the league. Having said that, we believe has the ability to help our offense, whether it be with outlet passes or joining the rush or being active off the offensive blue line. I won't lie, I'm surprised with how effective he's been just with his instincts. In particular, the way he jumps off the offensive blue line.”

All night long, the Rangers’ relentless forecheck allowed them to sustain offensive pressure and put the Senators on their toes. 

Between the constant forecheck and net-front presence, the Rangers were able to make the Senators’ life a lot harder. 

That was especially evident on Will Borgen’s goal in the second period.

Sullivan has always preached for forwards to go after pucks hard and try to hold onto pucks when they can in order to sustain pressure, while strong net-front presence is an element of the game he’s tried to instill into the Rangers’ game. 

Vladislav Gavrikov Exceeding All Of Mike Sullivan's Expectations The signing of Vladislav Gavrikov is turning out to be extremely impactful for the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a>.&nbsp;

“I thought we competed hard all night long,” Sullivan said. “We just kept trying to play the game the right way. I think overall, I thought it was a pretty good effort…  “I thought we did a real good job, in particular tonight, getting inside a little bit more of the forwards we're getting to the net more there was intention there.”

Igor Shesterkin made some big stops when the Rangers did up some high-quality chances, and he made 25 saves on the night  

Panarin reached a milestone in this game, recording the 900th point of his career. 

“Happy to get that, but glad we win tonight,” Panarin said of recording 900 career points. “Especially in a winning game, I have that number. So nice.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.   

Revenge is sweet, when it's on your side.

The Nashville Predators avoided a sweep by the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers with a 2-1 come-from-behind thriller in overtime on a goal that was allowed after the net had come off its moorings.

Sound familiar?

The Preds lost a controversial game in overtime earlier this season to the Minnesota Wild after the goal was allowed when goalie Justus Annunen knocked the net loose.

Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, the Preds tasted the benefit of a loose net and sent Panthers fans home disappointed.

Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Cats' lone goal, while Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos got the Preds' two hard-fought goals.

The win avenges an 8-3 loss to the Cats in late November, and Florida has now dropped four straight, languishing in last place in the Eastern Conference.

After Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky robbed Matthew Wood on a breakout, Carter Verhaeghe faked out Juuse Saros on the other end after a nice setup by Sam Bennett for a 1-0 lead at 16:26 of the opening frame.

Both teams had numerous chances to change the scoreboard, but it wasn't until the third period that the Preds finally knotted the game.

Ryan O'Reilly put in a rebound off a Michael Bunting shot at the 13:41 mark to make it a 1-1 game, spoiling Bobrovsky's shutout bid and requiring overtime.

Then, Steven Stamkos fired in the golden goal at 4:01 of the extra frame from O'Reilly, and the Preds come away with an unbelievable win.

COMEBACK WIN COURTESY OF STAMMER ‼️ pic.twitter.com/MgVjC21p5n

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 5, 2025

The net came off its moorings, but upon further review, the goal was allowed.

Earlier in the game, the Preds thought they had a power-play goal, but the officials determined the puck never crossed the goal line. Stamkos' goal made certain the no-goal wouldn't come back to haunt them.

The Predators have won four of their last five games, their best stretch of the season thus far. The Panthers haven't won since beating Nashville at Bridgestone Arena Nov. 24.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Saros Outduels Bobrovsky.

After a rocky stretch, Preds goalie Juuse Saros appears to have found his form. He stopped 27 of 28 shots in the Preds' 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames Tuesday, and passed almost every test against Florida.

Saros and Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky put on quite a show, but Saros outdueled the Stanley Cup Champion, stopping 30 of the 31 shots fired his way.

His biggest test came in the second period, as the Panthers held a 16-5 shot advantage in the frame. The only blemish came on Verhaeghe's goal to put the Cats ahead 1-0.

Verhaeghe deked Saros out of position after being fed by Sam Bennett. This came just moments after Bobrovsky robbed Matthew Wood on a breakaway at the other end.

For the game, Florida outshot the Preds 31-29, but Saros earned his money on this night.

The Preds’ penalty kill was heavily tested.

As good as the Predators’ penalty kill has been most of the season, it had allowed a goal in three of its last four games coming into Thursday.

In all fairness, the unit was without Cole Smith and Michael McCarron, two of their best penalty killers, both fighting injuries. McCarron was back in the lineup against Florida, and the kill was back in form.

There were some close calls. Nick Blankenburg went to the sin bin for a high-sticking double minor, sending Anton Lundell to the locker room briefly. The Cats had several great chances, including one sequence when Saros lost his stick. Disaster was averted, and the Preds killed off the double minor.

Florida was 17-for-89 (19.8%) on the power play, 18th in the league heading into Thursday. The Preds shut down the Cats' power play, killing all six penalties. The Preds' own power play failed to score on all five of its chances.

Ozzy Wiesblatt exited early.

Wiesblatt has been a bright spot in Nashville’s lineup this season. He scored his first NHL goal Tuesday against Calgary, and celebrated by pointing to the sky in honor of his late brother, Orca.

Early in Thursday’s contest, Wiesblatt lost a glove and appeared to injure his hand. He left for the tunnel and didn’t return. He's currently listed as having an upper-body injury.