Wednesday features a small NHL slate with only four games, but it includes a standout matchup between two playoff-caliber teams that have stumbled out of the gate. The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the weakest defensive clubs in the league, allowing 73 goals through 21 games while still managing a 9-8-1 record. 

They meet a Washington Capitals team that appears to have spent much of its early-season energy pushing Alex Ovechkin toward the goal record. Washington sits at 9-8-2, kept afloat by strong play from goaltender Logan Thompson, who leads the league with a 1.85 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

For anyone following our Pad Stack challenge, the mission has not changed. We began with a ten dollar bankroll and continue to grow it through calculated, research-driven plays. Our previous run ended on Monday at a season-high total of $411.47 before a last-minute empty-netter from the Florida Panthers spoiled our Vancouver spread. We are now rebuilding after resetting to $31, boosted by Tuesday night’s winning play on the Maple Leafs. Our aim is to keep climbing with a confident selection from Wednesday’s Oilers versus Capitals matchup.

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.

Are The Detroit Red Wings For Real?Detroit's surprising start defies middling stats. Can a youth-fueled surge finally end the playoff drought?

Picks: Capitals Over 3.0 Goals (-133)

Yesterday, we avoided the trap set by the sportsbooks. We explained why the Leafs’ matchup with the Blues looked almost guaranteed to be a high-scoring shootout, yet the odds suggested the books knew something the public didn’t. All the signs pointed to a goal-heavy game, which is exactly what they wanted bettors to believe. Instead, we backed the Maple Leafs and the under, and it paid off as Toronto pulled out a 3–2 overtime win.

A similar situation appears to be unfolding on Wednesday when the Oilers face the Capitals. Many will expect an Oilers bounce back, especially since they have won only three of their last eight games and have allowed 33 goals during that stretch. The Capitals have been slightly better with three wins in their last seven games. Their challenge is not defense but offense. Before last season’s breakout, Washington struggled to generate scoring, and that issue has resurfaced. They rank ninth worst in goals per game at 2.79, though there has been modest improvement with 11 goals in their last four games.

I expect Edmonton’s defensive issues to continue. The public will assume the Oilers will push hard to respond, but the Capitals should be ready for a tough battle. Choosing a side is tricky because Washington is at home while Edmonton is 3–1 against the spread this season as an underdog. The Capitals have also won four of their last six meetings with the Oilers, scoring three or more goals in each of those wins, including a 7–3 blowout in February. Even in losses, Washington still finds ways to score on Edmonton with three or more goals in eight of their last ten matchups.

A $31 wager on the Capitals to score at least three goals would return a profit of $23.25, bringing the total to $54.25 plus if Washington finishes with exactly three goals, the bet results in a push.

Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesAn 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

By Gary Pearson, BetMGM

If you look up the definition of perennial, you might see these five teams as case studies.

Not only do they have the shortest Stanley Cup odds, but they’ve also either won the Cup or have been knocking on the door in recent seasons. 

And probabilities suggest one of them will be lifting the Holy Grail come season's end.  

Colorado Avalanche (+250)

The Colorado Avalanche are the best team in hockey, and it’s not particularly close at this early juncture. With just one regulation loss, Jared Bednar's squad is the class of the league.

Their plus-31 goals differential is 15 better than second-place Carolina. Nathan MacKinnon, the MVP front-runner, is accumulating points faster than a toddler collects toys, and Cale Makar is as dominant as ever. 

I don’t think either Central Division rival, the Winnipeg Jets or Dallas Stars, pose a disconcerting threat. 

The looming question is whether the tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood can hold up their end of the bargain when it counts.

Carolina Hurricanes (+360)

If at first you don’t succeed… well, you know the rest. No phrase better encapsulates the Carolina Hurricanes, which were tripped up at the Eastern Conference final in two of the previous three seasons. 

And we all know who did the tripping — those pesky Florida Panthers. As has become customary, the Hurricanes are among the NHL’s best at the quarter mark of the season. 

They arguably have the most well-rounded unit, and the callouses they’ve built from previous playoff heartbreak should help them secure the Prince of Wales Trophy for the first time since they won the Stanley Cup in 2006. 

Their path to the promised land, however, could come down to whether they can exorcize their Panthers’ demons.

Florida Panthers (+375)

Even without captain Aleksander Barkov, the defending back-to-back champions have the depth, experience and pedigree to return to the Stanley Cup final four a fourth successive season. 

The Panthers have repeatedly proven that they’re the class of the Eastern Conference, especially when it matters most. As long as they make the playoffs, I don’t think their seeding matters. 

Paul Maurice’s collective is built for the post-season, and there is no other team I trust more to do the business when the chips are down. Attrition and Barkov’s absence might be the only factors preventing them from capturing the elusive three-peat.

Which State Or Province Will Produce The NHL's 2026 Stanley Cup Champ?Will the state of Florida host a Stanley Cup champion yet again this season?

Vegas Golden Knights (+400)

Some immediate concerns have surfaced in Sin City. The good news is that time is on the side of Bruce Cassidy and the collective. Mark Stone needs to return to full health, and Vegas must find an answer between the pipes. 

We’ll see whether Carter Hart can stop the bleeding while they await Adin Hill’s return. But akin to the Panthers, these Golden Knights are built to succeed in the playoffs, with the addition of Mitch Marner reinforcing that notion. 

Edmonton Oilers (+450)

There are a few guarantees in life: the sun rises in the east, the Toronto Maple Leafs won’t make the Stanley Cup final, and the Edmonton Oilers will come good in the nick of time. 

As long as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are healthy, Edmonton will be among the front-runners to secure a third straight Stanley Cup final berth.

On a night that felt like a nostalgic echo of Ann Arbor, two former Michigan Wolverines reached significant NHL milestones on the same day as each other.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin recorded his 600th career NHL point on Tuesday, sealing a 4–2 victory over the Seattle Kraken with an empty-net goal. In Winnipeg, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski scored against the Jets to notch the 400th point of his NHL career, becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to reach that mark.

Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) on XFriends and former teammates, Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin hit major milestones on same night #ProBlue

The simultaneous milestones served as a fitting reminder of the immense talent that passed through the University of Michigan during the 2014–15 season, when Larkin and Werenski starred on a Wolverines roster loaded with future NHL regulars including current Red Wings Andrew Copp and J. T. Compher, along with Zach Hyman and Tyler Motte.

Detroit's AHL Griffins Bring Back Former In-State Standout On PTOMichigan native Nolan Moyle earns another AHL shot with the Griffins after dominating in the ECHL, aiming for Red Wings organization success.

Werenski’s goal on Tuesday not only secured his 400th point but further cemented his place as one of the most productive American-born defensemen of his era. With 119 goals and 281 assists in 587 games, he became the eighth-fastest American-born defenseman to reach 400 points. All 400 of his points have come with Columbus, where he has long served as the backbone of the Blue Jackets’ blue line. 

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

On the same day in Detroit, Larkin added another achievement to his growing resume. His empty-net tally secured both the win and his 600th career point, bringing him to 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points in 20 games to start the season.

Selected 15th overall in 2014, Larkin made his NHL debut in 2015–16 and has spent his entire career with the Red Wings. Now the team’s 37th captain, he has become a foundational piece of Detroit’s resurgence. In January 2025, he became the second-youngest player in franchise history, behind only Steve Yzerman, to reach 700 games played.

Red Wings' Sixth Round Pick Emerging as Surprise Gem in Prospect PipelineFrom a late-round gamble to a dominant QMJHL champion, Rudy Guimond is surprising everyone. The Red Wings' pipeline just got a whole lot more interesting.

With 254 goals and 346 assists in 754 games, the 29-year-old center now sits 11th on Detroit’s all-time points list, within striking distance of Brendan Shanahan, who has 633 points.

A decade after electrifying Yost Ice Arena together, Larkin and Werenski’s NHL careers have taken them down different paths, one captaining an Original Six franchise back toward contention and the other anchoring a younger team’s defensive core. But for one night in mid-November, the two Wolverines were in step once again in a special moment for Michigan fans. 

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We’re basically at the quarter-point of the NHL season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t going away, are they?

With points in seven of their last 10 games, a third-place position in the feisty Metropolitan Division and even balance between their home and road marks – it’s impressive in Pens Land right now.

Suddenly, at a time where we were expecting the Pens to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for a fourth straight season, they might be in the conversation for home-ice advantage in the first round of the post-season.

And while that is clearly one of the biggest surprise developments in the NHL this season, the surprises don’t end there.

The Penguins – which were 30th in the league in goals against per game last season, with 3.50 – are now third-best in the NHL with an average of 2.47. That’s more than a goal against better for Pittsburgh’s low-expectation defense corps.

At the other end of the rink, the Pens’ reversal of fortune is equally stark.

In 2024-25, the Penguins' offense averaged 2.95 goals-for, which had them 18th in the league. But this season, Pittsburgh is averaging 3.26 goals, the eighth-most. Those are huge swings in improvement, and it’s no wonder the Pens have surged into a top-three spot in the Metro and made first-year Penguins coach Dan Muse an early candidate for Jack Adams Award honors as the league’s coach of the year.

Penguins' Special Teams Driving Bus For Hot StartNineteen games into the 2025-26 season, things are going pretty well for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>.&nbsp;

Finally, Pittsburgh’s goaltenders also deserve their share of the credit for coming out of the gate with strong showings.

Veteran netminder Tristan Jarry – who cleared NHL waivers last year – has a 5-2-0 record, 2.60 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. Jarry's injured right now, but first-year Penguin Arturs Silovs has been even better, with a 2.44 GAA, .917 SP and 4-2-4 record. Even call-up Sergei Murashov has a .938 SP and 1.52 GAA in two starts. Last season, Pittsburgh would’ve killed to have just one goalie with those kinds of numbers. Now, they have two, maybe three.

In sum, it’s hard to think of how the Pens’ start to the season could’ve gone any better than the way it's gone. By basically every metric, Pittsburgh is an entirely different team than the feeble, weak team it was last season. And in doing so, Pittsburgh is putting the waves of trade rumors into airplane mode.

So long as the injury bug leaves them alone, the Penguins could be for real. And Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang might get one more playoff run together after all.

---

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Buffalo Sabres are riding the high of beating the Edmonton Oilers, giving Buffalo a two-game win streak. But those good feelings may not last.

The Sabres’ next game comes Wednesday against the sad-sack Calgary Flames. Two nights later, they square off against the Chicago Blackhawks. Sounds like winnable games, right? That’s because they are.

However, after that, Buffalo takes on the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils. Then, after a ‘gimme game’ against the Minnesota Wild, the Sabres will have tilts against the Winnipeg Jets twice, as well as games against Philadelphia Flyers, Flames and Oilers.

As you can see, the Sabres could get to the second week of December with a slew of losses. And although games against the Flames, Blackhawks and Wild are games that Buffalo should win, those teams also are desperate to string together a number of wins. So even the ‘gimme’ games aren’t guaranteed two standings points for them.

When you look at the standings, you can see why Sabres fans are pessimistic about this Buffalo team. If you’d told Sabres fans at the start of the season that Buffalo would be a last-place team in the third week of November, they would’ve been busting out pitchforks and torches. No matter what the excuse for that was going to be – injuries; slow starts from veterans; first-year Sabres players acclimating to a new organization – the reality is that there’s no excuse for how this team came out of the gate.

Sabres' Modest Win Streak Shouldn't Fool You – The Pressure Is Still On Buffalo To Be A Playoff TeamThe Buffalo Sabres' modest win streak has taken off some heat on them, but make no mistake -- there's going to be high-stakes pressure all season long.

Realistically, Buffalo has to start winning games at a .600-point pace if they’re going to overcome this brutal beginning to the year. And that feels like a task that is too big of an ask for a core of talent that’s never been able to win at that pace.

It’s all adding up to another bleak competitive situation for the Sabres. No opponent is going to be charitable to them. Buffalo has to immediately turn things around, and they have to sustain a winning pace week-in and week-out. 

There’s no sugar-coating it – the challenge in front of the Sabres is considerable, and the pressure on them to produce is immense. Buffalo has once again dug themselves a massive crater, and climbing out of it may take a minor miracle.

.

The 2025-26 NHL season is barely a month old, but two players are already emerging as near-locks for the league’s top individual honors. On the Calder Trophy front, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer has taken the hockey world by storm, while Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar looks poised to make a third run at the James Norris Trophy. 

Schaefer at just 18 years old has taken the league by storm. Through 20 games, he has recorded seven goals and eight assists for 15 points, leading all rookies in scoring ahead of Montreal’s Ivan Demidov. His breakout season has not only put him in the conversation for rookie of the year but also raised discussions about his potential inclusion on Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics. Schaefer has broken multiple records in his young career, including becoming the youngest player in league history to score an overtime goal at 18 years and 70 days, surpassing Sidney Crosby’s previous mark set in 2005.

Are The Detroit Red Wings For Real?Detroit's surprising start defies middling stats. Can a youth-fueled surge finally end the playoff drought?

The Islanders defenseman also made history with his strong start to the season. In the first nine games, he recorded seven points, including two goals and five assists, during a six-game point streak, becoming the youngest defenseman ever to accomplish such a feat. He ranks fifth on the Islanders in blocked shots, second in takeaways, and has logged the most ice time on the team, nearing 450 minutes, far ahead of the second-place total. 

Schaefer plays significant minutes on both the penalty kill and power play, and his 307 shot attempts lead all Islanders defensemen. If his current pace continues, he is on track for 20 goals this season, a milestone that has only been reached three times in NHL history by defensemen, and 60 points, which would make him just the 11th rookie defenseman ever to reach that total. 

Meanwhile, Cale Makar has continued his dominance from the back end. In 19 games this season, he has six goals and 19 assists for 25 points, leading all NHL defensemen in scoring by four points over Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey. Makar also leads all defensemen with a +17 rating and has exceeded 90 points in each of the past two seasons and is on pace for 108 points this season.

Over the last four seasons, he has recorded at least 86 points in three of them, and in the one season he fell short, he missed 20 games but was on pace to surpass 86 points. He leads Colorado in ice time, totaling 485 minutes, and also leads the team in blocked shots and takeaways. 

Both players have been instrumental to their teams’ early-season success and are being reflected as such in the betting markets. Schaefer is listed with -238 odds for the Calder Trophy while Makar sits at -233 odds for the Norris, signaling strong confidence that these young stars are on track to claim the NHL’s top individual honors this season.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Gabe Perreault's yo-yo cup of coffee routine with the Blueshirts has fans wondering when this gem of a prospect will stick with the big club.

Well, it's not really as bad for Gabe as it might seem and The Maven got this after talking to a friend who is an NHL amateur scout. Listen up for your sake and Gabe's as well.

This is what the bird dog, who has studied Perreault for years, reports:

"Gabe might be as smart as any player I've scouted or watched at the amateur level. The comment as 'being a first-round pick means that someone thinks at some point you can be a very special player.' 

"That being said, he very well might be, but it won't be tomorrow. Staying at BC and riding shotgun with James Hagens might have been a better idea than turning pro. He needs the schedule that allows him to work on his physical strength and how it applies to today's NHL game for a player like him.

"He'll be an NHL player and, despite being a winger, he can drive a line. He's that skilled. 

Was Jonathan Too Quick To Start An Unnecessary Post-Game Scrum?The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> certainly know how to make a mountain out of a molehill. (Make that one Ranger.)

The Rangers staff at the AHL level is excellent for player development but the NCAA 34-game schedule might have been better to build his body for pro hockey."

Excellent insights. Now we have to see how the Blueshirt brass handles the top prospect

for the rest of the season.

The Buffalo Sabres are currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 7-8-4 record and 18 points. This is certainly not the kind of start the Sabres wanted to have, especially when noting that they are aiming to snap their 14-year playoff drought.

Now, with the Sabres off to a shaky start to the season, one of their top players is continuing to create chatter in the rumor mill as a trade candidate: forward Alex Tuch.

Tuch, who is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), was given the No. 3 spot on Chris Johnston's latest NHL trade board for The Athletic.

"He’s the kind of player it makes sense to keep around long-term, but he’s also too valuable to potentially lose for nothing, especially if the Sabres aren’t firmly in the playoff race come the trade deadline," Johnston wrote about Tuch. 

This is not the first time that Tuch has been discussed as a trade candidate, and it likely won't be the last. With the star forward being a pending UFA, he should get a lot of interest around the NHL if he does not have a contract extension signed with the Sabres once we get closer to the deadline. 

Tuch is once again having a strong season with the Sabres, too, as he has posted seven goals, nine assists, 16 points, and a plus-2 rating in 19 games. This is after he had 36 goals, 31 assists, and 67 points in 82 games this past season with the Sabres. With numbers like these, he would be a big-time addition for a playoff team looking to improve their top six. 

For much of the past two seasons, Colorado Avalanche fans have been eagerly following 22-year-old goaltending prospect Ilya Nabokov. This year, the highly touted netminder has posted numbers that fall short of expectations, though the decline is not as severe as it might appear.

Before Colorado selected him in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, one of the main concerns about his game was his size. At 6-foot-1, he is considered relatively small for a modern NHL goaltender, and his unusually low stance only adds to that concern. In the KHL, that style has worked in his favor, as his athleticism allows him to move quickly across the crease and make difficult, highlight-worthy saves from sharp angles. Yet many within the hockey world remain fixated on numbers rather than acknowledging the fundamental differences between North American play and the KHL, or they may simply be unaware of those differences altogether.

KHL (@khl_eng) on XIlya Nabokov says NO

Styles Make Goalies

Nabokov currently has a record of 9-3 with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage. On paper, it appears he is having the worst season of his career, especially compared with his last two years with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he posted an average save percentage of .928 and a goals-against average of roughly 2.18. But people are missing the point.

At the KHL level, Nabokov’s low stance is generally not a liability, as the league does not feature the same concentration of elite snipers found in the NHL who would torch him like a volcano top shelf if he utilized that same style. He is not suddenly a fragile goaltender; rather, he is developing and adjusting to a more North American style of play. This transition has inevitably affected his KHL statistics, but it should not be a cause for widespread concern.

Avalanche Loaded With Goaltending Depth

The Avalanche are in a good position right now, with a strong group of goaltenders—a luxury they haven’t had much of since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. Scott Wedgewood is leading the way in this goaltending resurgence. Since joining Colorado, he’s played at the highest level of his career, a performance that earned him a well-deserved contract extension last week. The 33-year-old signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal, keeping him with the Avalanche through the 2026–27 season.

It’s clear the team still believes Nabokov is their goalie of the future. If that weren’t the case, Wedgewood likely would have received a longer deal. Based on that, it’s reasonable to expect Nabokov will spend next season with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL, while also getting a chance to start for the Avalanche. If Wedgewood continues to perform well and Nabokov struggles adapting to the North American game, the team could reconsider a bigger deal for Wedgewood. There’s also the Mackenzie Blackwood situation to factor in—he’s still working to get back into form. For now, Wedgewood seems to be the guy, Blackwood is still finding his rhythm, and Nabokov remains a developing talent in Russia, quietly sharpening his skills.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

We’re less than six weeks away from the 2026 Winter Classic.

This year’s edition takes place at loanDepot park in Miami, with the Florida Panthers hosting the New York Rangers on Jan. 2.

On Wednesday, the NHL revealed the uniforms for both the Panthers and Rangers.

Florida’s home jerseys are red and have a very throwback feel to the uniforms that the Panthers wore back when they called the 305 home.

Here are the details on the uniforms, according to the Panthers themselves:

“The Panthers NHL Winter Classic uniform pays homage to Florida’s hockey history and local military ties. The jersey features a vintage take on the original “leaping panther” crest, executed with felt and chain stitching that evoke hockey’s traditional craftsmanship. The same craftsmanship is apparent in the shoulder patch of the jersey. The jersey's design, which includes decorative stitching with chevrons, is inspired in part by South Florida's military heritage. Lastly, the jersey’s rear hem loop features the silhouette of the Panthers' rat, honoring the team’s beloved and long-standing tradition of throwing rats onto the ice after home victories.”

The jerseys will go on sale Thursday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. online at FLATeamShop.com

They will also be available to purchase in person at Pantherland, both at Amerant Bank Arena and the Baptist Health IcePlex.

Additional photos of the uniforms can be found below:

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Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Wild Wednesday Rewind flashes back to Nov. 19, 2016, when Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid stole the spotlight against the Dallas Stars.

McDavid, a sophomore at the time, entered his 19th game of the season with a 10-game goal drought. But not only did he stop the scoring rut there, but the budding superstar went a step further with his first career hat trick. Watch the full video for more.

"Three pretty lucky goals," McDavid told reporters at the time. "It's a funny league that that way. You get Grade-A chances, and they're not going in, then you start putting it there, and they are going in. It's weird that way. Definitely happy to get off that slump."

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.    

For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Detroit Red Wings have 12 wins through their first 20 games of the season. They currently sit atop the Atlantic Division roughly a quarter of the way through the season and it begs the question of if this team has what it takes to end Detroit's near decade long playoff drought?

They currently sit fifth in the NHL standings with 25 points, matching the Anaheim Ducks, despite posting only middling numbers across the board. Detroit ranks 18th in both goals for and goals against, averaging 3.00 and 3.10 respectively. Those marks still represent an improvement from last season, when the club finished 22nd in scoring at 2.87 goals per game and 21st defensively with a 3.16 goals-against average.

Rookie Defenseman Shocks NHL as Early Calder Trophy Front-RunnerAn 18-year-old defenseman is shattering expectations, logging elite minutes and dominating the early Calder Trophy race against a loaded rookie class.

Special teams have also taken a noticeable step forward with Detroit’s power play climbing to 13th and the penalty kill ranks 14th, a dramatic leap after finishing last in the league on the kill a year ago. While the Red Wings would like their power play to return to last season’s fourth-place form, maintaining a top-13 ranking marks positive progress.

Contributions have started to come from throughout the lineup like in Detroit’s most recent win, rookie center Nate Danielson delivered a sensational performance, scoring the team’s second goal, narrowly adding a highlight-reel second goal that was overturned for offside, and later setting up a crucial power-play goal with a stellar assist. Detroit's ninth overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft has been just one part of a growing youth movement on the team that includes early-season Calder Trophy contender Emmitt Finnie. 

Finnie opened his rookie campaign with eight points in his first nine NHL games while skating on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. A subsequent 10-game scoring drought bumped him to the second line, but he broke through again on Tuesday after being reunited with former AHL linemate Danielson. The pair clicked immediately on the second power-play unit, combining for Finnie’s fifth goal of the season.

Red Wings' stars continue to drive the offense with forwards in Larkin, Raymond and Alex DeBrincat all surpassing 22 points, placing Detroit among only three NHL teams to boast three players at that mark, alongside Colorado and Toronto. On the blue line, Moritz Seider has 12 points in 20 games and is tracking just shy of his career-high 50-point pace.

Depth scoring remains inconsistent as veterans in Mason Appleton and Andrew Copp are on pace for roughly 33 points, below Detroit’s expectations for Copp, who is typically a 40- to 50-point contributor. This also doesn't include J. T. Compher and James van Riemsdyk, who have also struggled with Compher on a 25-point pace and van Riemsdyk managing only two points through 15 games. Former first-round pick Marco Kasper has been quiet with three goals and no assists in 20 games after a promising finish last year. The Red Wings hope Danielson’s emergence may eventually fill its longstanding need for a reliable second-line center that was supposed to be Kasper's role before he lost the job with his poor performance lately. 

Detroit also faces uncertainty in net after trading for former All-Star John Gibson in the offseason, yet the veteran hasn't settled into form. Gibson holds a 3.31 goals-against average and an .875 save percentage in 11 starts this season. While he may still be adjusting to his new environment, patience is beginning to wear thin, especially with Cam Talbot outperforming him with an 8-2-0 record and a 2.64 goals-against average. Head coach Todd McLellan continues to give Gibson opportunities, publicly showing faith that the former Jennings Trophy winner can rebound.

Despite a difficult stretch of road games, the Red Wings have repeatedly found answers and if they can develop more consistent depth scoring, the team could start to resemble other contenders like Vegas or Carolina. But questions remain, and sportsbooks remain skeptical of Detroit’s staying power with the Red Wings currently listed at +135 to make the playoffs, reflecting the expectation that teams like Florida and Toronto will bounce back and rise in the standings as the season continues. Detroit also faces pressure from Boston, Montreal and a perennial challenger in Tampa Bay.

Are The Boston Bruins For Real?Boston's impressive win streak ignites debate. Can Pastrnak and Geekie lead this resurgent team past last year's playoff disappointment?

The schedule ahead will offer a clearer picture of whether Detroit’s strong start is sustainable. Upcoming matchups with the surging Islanders, Devils and a two-game set against the Bruins could prove pivotal in shaping the divisional race. As December approaches, fans in the Motor City may begin to feel the stirrings of a genuine playoff push. They can only hope the ending differs from the one experienced by the Detroit Tigers in their divisional race this past season. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

On Tuesday night, defenseman Alexander Romanov appeared to sustain an upper-body injury after Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen pushed him from behind into the endwall behind the New York Islanders' net. 

Romanov seemed to be in tremendous pain, eventually being helped off the ice by the team trainer, Damien Hess, and Kyle Palmieri. 

Here's what head caach Patrick Roy said postgame about the hit and a player he once coached: 

#Isles HC Patrick Roy on Rantanen hit, leading to Romanov injury (H/t @IslesMSGN): pic.twitter.com/xCV7ORlwuX

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) November 19, 2025

The Islanders, who improved to 5-1-0 on Tuesday night after holding on to beat the Stars 3-2, have one more game to go on this seven-game road trip. They battle the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at 7 PM ET. 

With Adam Boqvist rostered, the Islanders do not HAVE  to call anyone up from Bridgeport. 

However, whether it's for Detroit or when the Islanders return to Long Island, expect a defenseman to be recalled from Bridgeport, and expect it to be Long Island native Marshall Warren. 

Warren, who was the best defenseman in Bridgeport at the time of his first call-up to the big leagues, has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 10 AHL games this season, with four assists in six games since returning from his NHL stint. 

Rosner's Morning Minute after #Isles hold on to beat #TexasHockey 3-2: pic.twitter.com/4Sz2mWnE9n

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 19, 2025

Fellow defense prospect Isaiah George, who played 33 games for the Islanders last season, has also been playing exceptional hockey, more so defensively, with four points (one goal, three assists) in 14 games. 

Unfortunately for George, he sustained an upper-body injury this past Saturday and isn't expected to currently be available as an option. 

Hopefully, Romanov's injury isn't as bad as it looked, and the Islanders can get him back sooner rather than later. But, if he does have to miss time, expect a combination of Adam Boqvist and a call-up, likely Warren, to help fill the hole. 

While losing Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook, and Kirby Dach definitely hurt the Montreal Canadiens’ offence, it also gave Zachary Bolduc a big opportunity. When GM Kent Hughes decided to trade defenseman prospect Logan Mailloux to acquire the forward from the St-Louis Blues, he did so because he felt Bolduc could help improve the Canadiens’ anemic attack.

Since the start of the season, however, the 22-year-old has found himself playing alongside Dach, who was trying to get his game back after two serious knee injuries and Brendan Gallagher, who’s not producing the points he once did. He also spent some time on a line with Joe Veleno (who’s failed to register a single point in 14 games so far) and either Owen Beck or Joshua Roy. Whichever way you look at it, he wasn’t given an opportunity with offensively productive players.

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In 19 games, he has six points, which is a 26-point pace over an 82-game season, which would be a significant drop in production for the youngster who registered 36 points in 72 games with the Blues last season.

With the Canadiens’ attack severely depleted by injuries, Martin St-Louis has been forced to promote Bolduc, and he chose to go all in on the young forward, allowing him to play with the team’s most productive duo: captain Nick Suzuki and sniper Cole Caufield.

Even though Bolduc’s numbers have not been all that impressive, he still got a point in 33.3% of the even-strength goals that were scored while he was on the ice (in comparison, Juraj Slafkovsky’s percentage stands at 23.1%) and on 60% of the goals scored on the power play when he is on the ice, just like Slafkovsky.

Since the start of the year, Bolduc has scored 1.4 points per 60 minutes, which is slightly less than Slafkovsky (1.6), but he’s not had the same kind of offensive support on his line (Dach had seven points in 15 games, and Gallagher seven in 19 tilts). Meanwhile, Slafkovsky has played with the team’s two top scorers (Suzuki has 21 points in 19 matches while Caufield has 20 in the same number of games).

Last season with the Blues, Bolduc produced 2.3 points per 60 minutes, had a point on 61.5% of the goals scored at even strength when he was on the ice and on 70.6% of the goals scored on the power play when he was on the ice. Clearly, there’s untapped potential, and the organization needs to see what the youngster can bring to the table.

Bolduc is currently playing the last year of his entry-level contract, and assessing what he can do has to be on the agenda this season. As St-Louis often says, the league doesn’t care if the Canadiens have injuries; the show must go on, and that goes internally as well. When life gives you lemons, you’ve got to make lemonade.

If Bolduc can find his form from last season alongside Suzuki and Caufield, the Canadiens’ first line could become an even bigger threat. The question is, however, will they miss Slafkovsky’s physical presence? Bolduc does play with some grit as well. Even if he’s only 6-foot and 187 lbs, he had 7.0 hits per 60 minutes last season, while Slafkovsky had 8.4. So far this year, the Slovak has 6.4 per 60, while the Quebecer has 7.9 per 60. That’s the highest amongst the forwards who have played all 19 games.

On paper, Bolduc certainly has the skills necessary to be an impact player, and the Canadiens’ latest injury plague allows him to show if he can do it on the ice as well. It’s up to him to grab that opportunity with both hands and make the most of it, especially since he’s also back on the first power play unit. Three of his six points this year have come on the man-advantage, and playing alongside Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky and Hutson on the first unit can undoubtedly make a difference.

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