Montreal Canadiens’ forward Ivan Demidov took a flight to Florida last week to join his better half at Magic Kingdom in Florida. Still, he didn’t stay for very long since he’ll be back in town this coming week to inaugurate the GoPlex e-karting center on February 11, 8505 Boulevard Taschereau, in Brossard.

The event is being promoted on Instagram and advertised as an opportunity to meet an NHL rookie-of-the-year contender. Still, it also states that fans will only be able to take photos with him, not get an autograph. The meet-and-greet is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 PM and is on a first-come, first-served basis, so not everyone will be able to meet him.

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Ever since he joined the Canadiens last April, he has become a fan favourite thanks to his spectacular play and charismatic personality. From his very first game in Montreal against the Chicago Blackhawks, numerous Demidov jerseys could be spotted all around the Bell Centre.

With the Canadiens only set to resume practice on February 17, it will be interesting to see if the youngster repeats his Christmas holiday experience when he went skating on a Bleu, Blanc, Bouge rink with Lane Hutson. If he does, there’s no doubt that he’ll be making the day of those in attendance.

With 25 games left in his rookie season, Demidov is leading the rookie scoring race with 46 points, a two-point lead over Anaheim Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke and a seven-point lead on New York Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer. While he’s definitely in the Calder Trophy conversation, Demidov is not the favourite right now; that title belongs to Schaefer, the 18-year-old who was picked first overall at the last draft. The two rookies will play one another for the first time on February 26, the Canadiens’ first post-Olympic break game.

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The Buffalo Sabres will be a team to watch very closely once the NHL roster freeze lifts later this month. With the Sabres holding a playoff spot right now, it would be understandable if they looked to add to their roster ahead of the deadline.

One area the Sabres should look to improve is their defensive depth. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently wrote that he could see the Sabres looking to add a "beefier blueliner," specifically.

When looking at the NHL's current trade candidates, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley certainly fits that description. 

The 6-foot-7, 231-pound Stanley would undoubtedly give the Sabres more size and toughness on their blueline if acquired. The 2016 first-round pick currently has 91 hits and 97 penalty minutes in 55 games this season, so there is no question that he would provide the Sabres with more of an edge if brought in.

Yet, Stanley has also been making an impact offensively this season with the Jets, which adds to his appeal. He has already set new career highs with nine goals, nine assists, and 18 points this season, so he would have the potential to provide the Sabres' blueline with a bit more offense if brought in.

The Sabres have plenty of left-shot defenseman and would likely like to add a right-shot blueliner at the deadline. However, if Stanley and his $1.25 million cap hit could be had, he may be worth taking a flier on. He would give the Sabres another solid option for their bottom pairing if brought in. 

The Chicago Blackhawks conversation took a spin on Friday, thanks to some new information revealed regarding the first-round pick they received from the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones trade.

It was initially believed that the pick was top-ten protected, but Friday’s news confirmed it to be a pick that would stick with Florida if they earned a selection in the top ten.

If Florida were to keep the pick, the 2026 first would then slide to 2027. The 2027 pick that Florida gave to the Boston Bruins in the Brad Marchand trade would also slide one year later in 2028. 

News Circles That Blackhawks' First Round Pick From Panthers Is Top-Ten ProtectedOn Friday, it came out that the Chicago Blackhawks' first-round pick that they received from the Florida Panthers is top-ten protected.

When the trade was first made, nobody actually thought the Panthers would be in the mix for a finish that low in the 2025-26 standings, but injuries have derailed their season. Entering the Olympic break, they are sitting with the 10th-worst record in the NHL. 

Can the Panthers get healthy during the time away and go on a run once club play resumes? Of course they can. In the last four seasons, they have gone President’s Trophy, been Stanley Cup runners-up, and won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. It’s a super-elite organization right now, dealing with the consequences of lots of deep runs. 

The news of the draft pick being top-ten protected does not diminish the trade that the Blackhawks made as a whole. For one, Seth Jones didn’t want to be there anymore. He very publicly asked to be moved out before the 2025 trade deadline. 

For a player who was checked out, the Blackhawks got a first-round pick and Spencer Knight. With Knight, the team landed a young goalie who can be a number one in the NHL for a decade. With his talent and being a former first-round pick himself, Knight’s prime may see him as a top-ten goalie in contention for the Vezina Trophy every year. 

With Spencer Knight alone for a player who wanted out, the Blackhawks won. A first-round pick, whether it’s in 2026 or 2027, is just a bonus. The pick in 2027 is unprotected, but Florida may be back to full strength by then. As far as that goes, rooting for them to finish 11th in a deep 2026 draft is likely the best-case scenario for Chicago. 

If the Blackhawks do eventually return to NHL prominence, turning a disgruntled player into the goalie of the future will always be remembered as a win. Now, it’s on Kyle Davidson and his scouting team to turn whatever the draft pick becomes into a contributor. 

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Fueled by a 14-3-3 run since Christmas break that ranked second in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves sitting pretty in the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture when the NHL took its pause for the Olympics.

Pittsburgh’s season so far can be neatly broken into three segments; there was the hot 8-2-2 start that got them off to a strong footing followed by a period from Halloween to Christmas where they struggled to a 7-10-7 record that put them around the bottom of the league in that stretch, followed by the return to the top up to the Olympics from the period of Christmas onward.

That does leave one to wonder what will come next in the upcoming unofficial fourth segment of the season when games resume. Unfortunately for the Pens, it’s going to be a tough path to travel. They have the NHL’s toughest remaining strength of schedule based on quality of opponent. From Tankathon:

The Pens still have a lot of obstacles in their path in what looks like a brutal slate in March. The Pens will play 17 games in the month, tough enough as that may be it’s even more daunting seeing 14 of those 17 opponents currently in a playoff position. Seven of those games come against teams that are currently first in their division. That will be highlighted with three March games against Carolina, the team the Penguins find themselves eight points behind for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Despite the upcoming brutal path, most models are bullish on the Pens’ chances to make the playoffs due to the strong work they’ve put together to this point. The Athletic is projecting a season finish of 95.8 points, Hockeystats.com is at 98. The Pens’ current statistical pace is 103 points based off how they’ve done so far. The team already has 70 points with 26 games to go, meaning both models are expecting close to a .500 finish in the games that remain. That could be something to keep in mind, if the Pens can over-perform that figure then their projections will shift up, and the opposite will hold true if the losses and regulation losses start stacking up again.

Even though it can be seen as a tough development to take a pause while the team has been among the NHL’s best in the last six weeks, the Olympic break likely still comes at a good time for the Pens overall. The break gives Kris Letang a chance to heal his broken foot without missing as many games. Evgeni Malkin was gutting through a shoulder problem that gets the benefit of added time off. Stuart Skinner was going into a slide and gets an opportunity for a reset. Pittsburgh will need all three veterans to play well down the stretch, the break provides them all a better chance compared to if the NHL season kept rolling on like it would in a non-Olympic year.

The NHL season is nearing 70% done, the Penguins have an impressive body of work through that time. It’s set them up for a very realistic chance at doing what many thought couldn’t be done to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2022. There’s still a way to go and a short time to get there, which their fate will ultimately be determined by playing a very tough schedule when the games pick back up. That’s what meaningful hockey this time of year is all about.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Avery Hayes has had quite the week.

He made his NHL debut for the Penguins on Thursday and notched two goals in the Penguins' 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. His first goal was his first shot on net in the first period after he beat two Sabres defenders to the puck and fired it past Alex Lyon. 

His second goal came later in the first period when he took a brilliant feed from Anthony Mantha and went top-shelf to make it a 2-1 game heading into the first intermission. Hayes was called up earlier that afternoon since Noel Acciari was battling an illness. 

Hayes is the 12th undrafted player to score multiple goals in his NHL debut in NHL history. He's also only the seventh player in NHL history to score multiple goals in the first period of his debut. 

He was re-assigned to WBS on Friday before returning to the lineup against the Hershey Bears on Saturday. He had another game to remember, scoring a hat trick in Wilkes-Barre's 4-3 overtime win over Hershey. 

Hayes opened the scoring on the power play after a really pretty feed from Rutger McGroarty. Hayes was at the side of the net and tucked the puck past Hershey goaltender Garin Bjorklund. He then made it 2-0 just a few minutes later, showcasing his wicked release while WBS was shorthanded.

Avery Hayes: Special teams king tonight pic.twitter.com/YgwTlPgp24

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 8, 2026

The game eventually went to overtime, and Hayes was the hero, scoring the game-winning goal on a one-timer on the power play. His stick broke as he fired the puck, but he scored anyway.

AVERY HAYES CALLS IT 🧢🧢🧢 pic.twitter.com/Xa6kgqHQTf

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 8, 2026

It won't be long until Hayes is a full-time NHL player. 

WBS is now 32-12-2-2 and has won five in a row heading into the AHL All-Star Break.

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Fans Want NHLers at the Olympics - March 19, 1999 - Volume 52, Issue 27 - Jason Kay

The ayes have it, even if the IOC doesn’t.

Despite the International Olympic Committee corruption scandal and the mixed reviews to which the hockey event at the 1998 Nagano Games played, readers of THN largely support NHL participation at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

THN asked readers whether the league should again interrupt a season and send players to the Olympics. The ’Yes’ vote (67.5 per cent) outpolled the ’No’ (32.5 per cent) vote by a 2-1 margin.

Many of those who favor an Olympic sequel say the event would lose luster if the game’s greatest stars don’t participate.

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

“The Olympics are supposed to showcase the best athletes,” writes Chris Schultz of Green Bay, Wise., “and I think the best talent in the world should be there, regardless of what happened in the 1998 Games.”

“Each sport brings the best,” writes Fernand Welschbillig of Mersch, Luxembourg. “Why should hockey be the exception?”

Among those who cast ’No’ ballots, some felt Nagano didn’t Eve up to its hype. Others were turned off by Team USA’s room trashing. Others are appalled by the IOC bribery scandal. And there are many who believe the Olympics should be for amateurs.

“I don’t support NHL participation,” writes Dan Black of Regina, Sask., “especially for an American team after the disgrace they brought upon the NHL and the USA in the last Olympics.”

“Keep the Olympics for amateurs,” writes Thomas V. Papaccio of Cherry Hill, N.J. “Remember 1980? That was exciting.”

“My reason (for voting ’no’) has been in the news for the past few months,” writes Bob McConnell of Kamloops, B.C., in reference to IOC problems. “That says it all.”

For the record, the NHL is expected to halt its season in 2002 and send players to Salt Lake, but no official announcement has been made.

PUCK POLL

In light of the NHL’s experience at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano and the recent corruption scandal involving members of the International Olympic Committee, do you support NHL participation, such as Czech Republic gold-medal goalie Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres, at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City?

Yes, I support participation 67.5%

No, I don’t support participation 32.5%

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The Philadelphia Flyers are slumping midway through the season yet again, and one of the 2026 NHL Draft's top prospects following a similar trajectory might fall right into their laps as a result.

Heading into the Olympic break, the 25-20-11 Flyers sit eight points out of a playoff spot, trailing both the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins for the second wildcard and Metropolitan Division 3 playoff spots.

As a result, they've got some of the worst odds to reach the postseason; Moneypuck currently gives the Flyers a 10.7% chance of making the playoffs, which is the ninth-worst in the NHL and fourth-worst in the Eastern Conference.

So, once again, the focus for the Flyers and Flyers fans may as well rest on the 2026 NHL Draft, which is shaping up to have an interesting draft class for a few reasons.

For starters, wingers Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg are the clear leaders of the pack at the forward position, and a deep defensive group is headlined by the likes of Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, and Carson Carels.

Of course, as is the Flyers' luck, the center position is a bit weaker and more volatile, though Canadian pivot Tynan Lawrence stands alone at the top... for now.

Way-Too-Early Flyers Mock Draft 2026: A True No. 1 Center or More of the Same?If the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> aspire to truly take the next step in their multi-year rebuild, they must find the No. 1 center of their future and nail their first selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Lawrence, 17, is currently ranked fourth overall by EliteProspects' consolidated rankings and 11th overall by EliteProspects themselves, but there is a pretty good chance he ends up closer to 11 than four, which bodes well for the Flyers.

The 6-foot center started the season as the captain of the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, with whom he scored 10 goals, seven assists, and 17 points in 13 games before making the jump to the NCAA with Boston University.

The grass hasn't been greener on that side, though, and the top 2026 draft prospect has just one goal and one point in 10 games at the collegiate level.

Lawrence's speed and puck skills still make him a top-tier offensive threat (and prospect), but the NCAA, at least so far, has been too great an adjustment too quick.

Fortunately for him and the Flyers, though, Philadelphia has had no issues with players coming in and out of college and taking time to adjust.

After all, defenseman Carter Amico, who was at Boston himself, just went the other way to Muskegon and took a step back.

Top Flyers Prospect Is A Master Of Getting Under Opponents' SkinStar <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> prospect Porter Martone has all-world skill, and that's why he was made a top draft pick, but there are other elements of his game that should be talked about more.

Porter Martone had a slower start to his career at Michigan State, and his teammate, Shane Vansaghi, hasn't produced as much as his skillset would typically allow for.

Other Flyers prospects currently playing in the NCAA include Cole Knuble, Owen McLaughlin, Heikki Ruohonen, Jack Murtagh, Ryan MacPherson, and Noah Powell.

It should also be noted that Ty Murchison, Alex Bump, and Karsen Dorwart all just turned pro from the college level, too.

This is all to say, though, that the Flyers have no problems being patient with college players and young players learning to be pros and adjusting to new environments.

No two journeys are the same, obviously, and Lawrence's case is not exempt.

The Flyers are finding out, perhaps the hard way, that rushing the rebuild along isn't going to work out well for them without acquiring the talent first.

That makes Tynan Lawrence the perfect project for them to take on at the 2026 NHL Draft.

In his latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks are "active" and looking to add to their roster. In addition, Friedman also noted that the Sharks will be looking to free up some contract space in the process.

"San Jose is active. Two signed defencemen after this year: Sam Dickinson and Dmitri Orlov. Eying more, while also trying to alleviate their contract logjam, at 49 out of a maximum 50," Friedman wrote.

Hearing that the Sharks are open to adding to their group is not surprising. They already made a notable move last month when they acquired Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. Furthermore, they are still in the playoff race, so it would make sense for them to upgrade their group. 

As Friedman noted, the Sharks have several pending free agent defensemen. With this, it would make sense if they tried to add another blueliner to their roster, but especially if they have term. However, adding another forward could also be worthwhile for the Sharks. 

Yet, if the Sharks hope to upgrade their roster, they will need to create more room when it comes to their contracts.

Nevertheless, the Sharks will be a team to watch once the NHL Olympic roster freeze ends on February 23 until the March 6 trade deadline. It will be interesting to see what kind of moves they make from here.

The Vancouver Canucks have officially reached the 2026 Winter Olympic break with 57 games of the 2025–26 season under their belt. Throughout that span of time, the Canucks have played themselves comfortably into 32nd in the NHL with a record of 18–33–6 and 42 points. Here’s how the Canucks stack up to the rest of the NHL at the 2026 Winter Olympic break. 

Team Stats 

Aside from in goals-for (145, 29th in the NHL), Vancouver ranks either 32nd or 23rd in their listed team stats. Along with their record and points-percentage (.368%), Vancouver also ranks 32nd in the NHL in goals-against (208) and penalty-killing (70.6%). When it comes to their shots per game (26.9), faceoff win rate (48.5%), and power play (18.2%), the Canucks actually rank 23rd in the NHL. 

Individual Skater Stats 

Vancouver’s three goal-scoring leaders — Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, and Drew O’Connor — are all tied with players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evgeni Malkin, and Matvei Michkov for 125th in the NHL when it comes to total goals scored throughout 2025–26. This is one of the four categories that DeBrusk leads the Canucks in at this point in the season, as he also leads Vancouver in shots (156, tied for 25th in NHL), power play points (14, tied for 70th in NHL), and power play minutes (192:07, 28th in NHL). Marcus Pettersson has also taken the lead in an extra category, now leading the Canucks in blocks (95, 37th in NHL) in addition to minutes played on the penalty kill (160:19, 23rd in NHL). 

Goaltending Stats

The Canucks’ goaltending department has not been what many expected of them this season. Vancouver’s highest-ranked goaltending stat compared to the rest of the NHL is Kevin Lankinen’s high-danger shots faced (261), in which Vancouver places 15th in the league. In comparison, however, Thatcher Demko holds the team’s lead in high-danger save-percentage with .803% (T-37th in NHL). Their lowest-ranked stat on this list is their win count (T-48 in NHL), which Demko has held since the 35-game mark with eight.  

Vancouver will resume the season on February 25 with a home game against the Winnipeg Jets at 7:00 pm PT. They’ll head to Washington for a quick match against the Seattle Kraken on the 28th, before taking part in two more home games against the Dallas Stars (March 2) and Carolina Hurricanes (March 4) ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. 

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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Follow Michael Whitaker On X

Since returning to the Detroit Red Wings as general manager in 2019, Steve Yzerman has assembled one of the top prospect pools in the National Hockey League.

His first-round selections in the 2019 (Moritz Seider) and 2020 (Lucas Raymond) NHL Drafts have emerged as two of the best players in their respective draft classes and have become foundational building blocks for the organization.

Selecting with the 13th overall pick in 2025, Yzerman selected forward Carter Bear of the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips. Bear, who led the Silvertips with 40 goals and 82 points last season, continues to display the scoring touch that fans in Hockeytown hope that he'll eventually have in the Winged Wheel.

Bear recorded a hat trick in Everett’s recent 6–3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers, boosting his season totals to 23 goals and 48 points in 35 games.

Carter Bear(1st round’25)
Hat Trick 🚨🚨🚨🎩🎩🎩#LGRWpic.twitter.com/MMUe1WErz3

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) February 7, 2026

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Naturally, he was named the first star of the game. 

Carter Bear. Taco Hat. MAGIC. #GreenMeansGOpic.twitter.com/V58v42D3Io

— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) February 7, 2026

Bear was signed by Yzerman to a three-year, entry-level contract shortly after being drafted, and he participated in Detroit's Development Camp in late June. 

"A very intelligent hockey player, extremely competitive," Yzerman said of Bear in June. "At the junior level, he really can score. We think all of his game translates to the NHL as well."

Yzerman also expressed optimism that it wouldn't take long for Bear to endear himself to Red Wings fans when his NHL career eventually begins. 

"I think our fan base will really take to him when the time comes that he is playing for the Red Wings, because he competes hard, and he’s a really good person. We are very excited about this pick. "

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In a lengthy interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, Montreal Canadiens’ president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton discussed a lot of topics. Still, one was particularly interesting: the organization’s approach to the trade deadline.

While on the ice, the team has shown plenty of signs of progress despite being the youngest outfit in the league and overcoming subpar goaltending and numerous injuries, the Habs’ brass remains realistic. As Engels writes, Gorton and his partner in crime, Kent Hughes, are not under the illusion that adding a player or two at the trade deadline would launch their window of opportunities; they are not there yet.

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This realistic, prudent approach is exactly why Geoff Molson made the right move by hiring the duo, and it stands in stark contrast to Marc Bergevin's past approach. Year after year, we heard the former GM say that once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen, and year after year, he went out to get some complementary pieces at the deadline.

It doesn’t mean they won’t be active at all. Gorton acknowledges that Hughes has his finger on the pulse and checks reported availabilities, adding that the duo spends a lot of time analyzing its next move. If they do make moves, they won’t be just for the now; the duo always has its objective of making the Canadiens a perennial contender at the forefront of their minds, as it should be.

Like the coach they’ve hired, Gorton and Hughes are very much of the “what’s next?” approach, and they’re not leaving anything to chance. Their recent moves have shown how they are thinking. They signed Alexandre Texier to a one-year contract initially, but extended his contract by two more years after he demonstrated his potential. They identified an issue with their penalty kill and a need for a left-shot center, so they went out and got Phillip Danault, without sacrificing too many assets, and it’s a good stop-gap option with another year on the contract of the soon-to-be 33-year-old.

The trade deadline may not be very exciting for Canadiens’ fans, but as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and Montreal is already seeing some of those good things, but the best is yet to come.

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In a season filled with disappointment, it’s the ideal set of players who have provided the most positivity for the Vancouver Canucks; their rookies. Given the fact that this franchise’s future will likely be driven by a big chunk of these players, this can mean nothing but good things. If positive things keep going the way they have been for these Vancouver rookies, then the Canucks will be in good hands throughout the long-term future. 

Linus Karlsson Has Been One Of The Biggest Surprises For The Canucks This Season 

No Canuck has more 5-on-5 points than Linus Karlsson, who has scored nine goals and 11 assists in those situations. Despite bouncing around throughout Vancouver’s lineup this season, the forward has been one of the Canucks’ most consistent point producers, tallying a total of 11 goals and 13 assists. Karlsson’s play this season earned him a two-year contract extension, which he signed in January, as well as some looks on Vancouver’s first-unit power play. The forward is one who works his hardest and does what he needs to in order to find success at the NHL level.  

Tom Willander Is Playing Himself Into A Future Top-4 Role 

When Tom Willander made his NHL debut on October 28, many believed it’d be a one-off, and that he’d be back with the Abbotsford Canucks soon after. This isn’t a slight to Willander, but rather in consideration to his young professional career that only started this season. However, Willander has impressed so much that he’s played himself into a solid spot in Vancouver’s D-core, even serving as the quarterback on their first-unit power play for an extended period of time. While it was never a question in the first place, if anything, Willander’s play this season has only solidified the fact that he needs to be part of Vancouver’s future moving forward.  

Liam Öhgren Sets The Canucks’ Pace 

The Canucks received a valuable package of prospects and future potential when they traded Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild back in December. While Marco Rossi and Zeev Buium may have initially been the most noted names returning in the deal, Liam Öhgren has since proven himself as a big piece in this blockbuster deal. The forward’s no-quit motor and high-energy style of play has made him a mainstay in the lineup. The fact he’s been solid defensively doesn’t hurt, either. With connections throughout the organization and a positive first-impression, Öhgren’s first 26 games as a Canuck have gone excellently. 

Zeev Buium Has Shown The Potential To Become Vancouver’s Next Star On The Blueline 

Buium’s time with the Canucks has been filled with promise. Offensively, the defenceman has shown great potential and has even been given a good chunk of power play minutes to try and elevate that. While the defensive side of his game could still use some work, this isn’t a bad thing. After all, Buium only just turned 20 at the start of December and is still in the midst of his first NHL season. If there’s any time for him to be making mistakes, it’s now. With more NHL playing time, Buium will be able to apply his experience towards fixing past mistakes — something that will ultimately impact his play for the better in the long run. 

Jonathan Lekkerimäki Is Flashing His Goal-Scoring Skill 

Jonathan Lekkerimäki got his first taste of NHL action last season, playing in 24 games and scoring three goals and three assists. Since then, it’s clear he took his experiences in the NHL and AHL and applied them to his game. A 10-goal run in 16 games with the Abbotsford Canucks brought Lekkerimäki back up to the NHL this season, where he’s played with the confidence and shot of a top-six sniper in the making. While it’s unclear how long he could be with the Canucks for this season, Lekkerimäki’s goal-scoring efforts have shown lots of promise for the future. 

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

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ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues claimed Jack Finley off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

The 23-year-old, son of former Blues defenseman Jeff Finley (1998-2004), played in 22 games for the Lightning this season with three points (two goals, one assist). Jack was born in St. Louis in 2002.

Finley, a 6-foot-6, 227-pound forward, also had three points (one goal, two assists) in three games with Syracuse of the American Hockey League this season and has 84 points (40 goals, 44 assists) in 164 career AHL regular-season games.

Finley was drafted by the Lightning in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft and is in the first year of a three-year, $2.33 million ($775,000 average annual value) contract with this season being a two-way contract and the final two years a one-way.

Finley does not have to report to the Blues until on-ice activities resume following the Olympic break on Feb. 17.

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