The Chicago Blackhawks had Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets in town on Tuesday night. This was Chicago's first game at home after a long four-game road trip.
This was also Anton Frondell's first game at the United Center as a member of the Blackhawks. On his second shift of the game, Frondell scored his first career NHL goal.
Frondell's goal came at the end of a shift in which he was all over the puck. There were a handful of other times that the puck could have ended up in the back of the cage, but he finally got it past Connor Hellebuyck for the first of his career.
On the goal, Louis Crevier got it towards the net, Ilya Mikheyev put it on the stick of Frondell, and he didn't miss this chance.
— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) April 1, 2026
Not only did he score his first career goal, but it came against a future Hall of Fame goalie in Hellebuyck. That is certainly a memorable way to score the first of many.
Frondell's first goal is the fifth point (the first four were all primary assists) of his NHL career in his fifth game. That's exactly the type of start that the Blackhawks were hoping for from the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
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The Chicago Blackhawks are in the final stretch of the season. Following their Tuesday night matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, the Blackhawks will have only eight regular-season games left.Â
With the 2025-26 campaign now nearing its conclusion, one Blackhawks prospect who fans should be paying extra attention to during these final games is defenseman Kevin Korchinski.
Korchinski was called up to the Blackhawks' NHL roster earlier this week and should get more opportunities to finish off the campaign. This is because Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed that defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Artyom Levshunov will be out for the remainder of the season.Â
With Korchinski getting called up, he will undoubtedly be looking to impress. It would be significant for him if he ends the year on a high note, as it would certainly help his chances of getting more opportunities on Chicago's roster next season.Â
Korchinski has played in five games this season with the Blackhawks, where he has recorded one assist. Down in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs this season, he has posted two goals and 26 points. Overall, the 2022 seventh-overall pick has shown promise in the AHL, and it will be interesting to see if he can shine during the final stretch of the season from here.Â
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Yegor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins carries the puck against Ben Chiarot #8 of the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 1, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Athletic is in the midst of releasing its prospect pool rankings, with the St. Louis Blues at 10th.
When The Athletic conducted these rankings a year ago, the Blues ranked 14th, moving up four spots in 2026.
The Blues received high grades overall, but the one criticism was that the prospect pool is missing a truly elite, franchise-altering prospect. It’s fair criticism, but that’s also indicative of where the Blues have been selecting in the first round. Their highest draft selection in the last five years was 10th overall, when they selected Dalibor Dvorsky.
While they may currently lack that top prospect, they could land that in this year’s draft. The Blues currently sit in fifth last place due to points percentage, and a top-five pick could be franchise-altering.
With that being said, the depth the Blues have is rivalled by few.
In the first tier, Scott Wheeler named three Blues players: Justin Carbonneau, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Adam Jiricek.
Carbonneau had a stellar goal-scoring season in the QMJHL, and his club, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, is a threat to win the QMJHL championship.
Dvorsky has graduated to the NHL, but because of these rankings’ rules, he was still eligible to be named a prospect. In his first full NHL season, Dvorsky has scored 11 goals and 18 points in 62 games. He’s shown he can be a threat as a shooter, but he can also play a reliable two-way game.
His performance at the Olympics showed he could be a strong 5-on-5 player, but he needs to add that element in the NHL.
Jiricek is healthy and is showing his talent. He was a dominant defensive force at the world juniors and added plenty of offense as well. In the OHL with the Brantford Bulldogs, Jiricek has led the way on the blueline, and they are the heavy favorites to win it all this year.
Logan Mailloux, Theo Lindstein, and Otto Stenberg highlighted tier 2. All three players have seemingly graduated to the NHL, but they did spend parts of the season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.
They’ve all shown they can play in the NHL, but finding ways to become even more impactful is the next step.
Tier 3 featured Marcus Gildof, a big Swedish netminder; Colin Ralph, a big left-handed defenseman in the NCAA; and Dmitry Buchelnikov, a recently acquired skillful Russian winger.
Tier 4 consisted of Lukas Fischer, another big left-handed defenseman in the OHL; Love Harenstam, a standout Swedish netminder; Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, a two-way Finnish center playing in the AHL; Juraj Pekarcik, a skilled winger in the AHL; Jakub Stancl, a versatile forward in the AHL; and Adam Jecho, a big center playing in the WHL.
Michael Buchinger was named as an honorable mention.
With another three first-round picks in this year’s upcoming draft, there could be plenty of new faces in these rankings, and the Blues’ position could be a lot higher next year.
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BUFFALO, NY —New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom will miss their Tuesday night game against the Buffalo Sabres after sustaining an upper-body injury in their 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.
Holmstrom went hard into the boards in the first period, but remained in the game.
With Holmstrom out, forward Anthony Duclair returns to the lineup for the first time since March 21, their 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, which came five games ago.Â
He'll skate alongside Brayden Schenn and Mathew Barzal, with Barzal going back to his usual spot on the top power-play unit.
Ilya Sorokin, who was pulled after he allowed a career-high seven goals on 29 shots in an 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, will start against Buffalo.Â
Sorokin had only been pulled once this season, in the finale of a three-game road trip, a 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, March 21.Â
He allowed six goals on 26 shots through 50:47 minutes.Â
That game was also the first of a back-to-back, with Roy citing that pulling Sorokin was to keep him fresh for a pivotal Sunday night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The move paid off as Sorokin stopped all 26 shots that came his way for a critical 1-0 shutout win.Â
"Last time," Roy pointed out as to why Sorokin gets the call less than 24 hours after the loss to Pittsburgh. "Last time we played against Montreal, and then we came back against Columbus, he played a strong game, so certainly wanted him to be in tonight, and I think we owe him this after the way we played in front of him. So I'm sure it's a great opportunity for everyone to play a good game."
The Islanders are 9-3-1 on the second legs of back-to-backs this season. Sorokin is 5-1-0 and has not faced the Sabres this season.Â
Not sure we’re gonna like this… | NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders are so, so, so badly in need of a bounce back from their horrific disassembly at home by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night. Unfortunately, they have to do it against the Buffalo Sabres, who are vying for first overall in the conference.
The Sabres are currently in a three-way tie with 98 points, though both Tampa Bay and Carolina have a game in hand — and history — on their side with less than 10 games to go.
The Islanders remain in a playoff spot before play begins, but their primary rivals are also in action and/or have games or games in hand. But the past few weeks have been all over the map, so they could just as easily, or at least believably, hurl a 3-0 shutout or a dramatic 4-3 comeback win as they could infuriate us on consecutive nights.
The AHL board has approved the Islanders’ moving their AHL affiliate from Bridgeport to Hamilton, Ontario. That’s a place in Canada that once had dreams of an NHL franchise. [Newsday]
Elsewhere
Other potentially important games tonight, as the Isles enter with 89 points and 75 games played:
The Bruins (92 pts, 74 GP) host the Stars
The Canadiens (94 pts, 73 GP) visit the Lightning
The Senators (86 pts, 73 GP) visit the Panthers
The Penguins (90 pts, 74 GP) host the Red Wings (86 pts, 73 GP)
The Blue Jackets (88 pts, 74 GP) host the Hurricanes
The Flyers (still alive! 86 pts, 73 GP) visit the Capitals (83 pts, 74 GP)
Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks have the opportunity to secure the best odds at picking first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft lottery. The Canucks, who have sat comfortably at 32nd in the NHL for the better-half of the season, currently hold a 21–44–8 record that has gotten them 50 points on the season.
The closest team to Vancouver in the NHL’s standings is the Chicago Blackhawks, who currently sit at 31st with 67 points and a record of 27–34–13. If Chicago wins their next game, which takes place tonight against the Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver will secure 32nd place and thus have the best odds of selecting first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Even if Chicago is unable to beat Winnipeg tonight, the Canucks will still be able to clinch 32nd place in the coming days. A loss in their matchup against the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow night will allow them to remain last in the league regardless of how they play in the games after that.
Vancouver has yet to draft first-overall through all 56 seasons since their inaugural year. They have picked second and third-overall four times each, with their most recent highest-selection being Daniel Sedin in 1999. Their highest active-selection is Elias Pettersson, who was picked fifth-overall in 2017.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly reveals the Vancouver Canucks card during the NHL Draft lottery. Credit: @Canucks - X (May 1, 2023).
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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DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 20: Matt Duchene #95 of the Dallas Stars competes for a loose puck against Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins during the first period at American Airlines Center on January 20, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to another night of Bruins hockey, folks!
After going two-for-two on the weekend, the Bruins host a very good Dallas Stars team that finds itself in a little bit of a funk at the moment.
However, they DID just get Mikko Rantanen back from injury, which always helps.
After tonight, the B’s will embark on a four-game road trip with stops in Florida (2X), Philadelphia, and Carolina.
Points are at a premium, etc.
If you’re interested in scoreboard watching tonight, keep an eye on:
John Tortorella (l.) and Mike Sullivan (second from l.) behind Team USA's bench during an Olympics game against Germany on Feb. 15, 2026.
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan and ex-Rangers head coach John Tortorella go way back.
Since 2007, Sullivan and Tortorella have served on the same coaching staff six times. Sullivan was an assistant to Tortorella in Tampa Bay, New York and Vancouver for a total of six seasons. He also was on Tortorella’s U.S. staff for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
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The two have since swapped roles, with Tortorella serving as an assistant to Sullivan for Team USA at 4 Nations and the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
When asked to weigh in on Tortorella’s stunning hiring in Vegas with single-digit games left in the 2025-26 season and a probable playoff run afoot, Sullivan offered high praise for the 67-year-old.
“I think he’s an excellent coach,” Sullivan said before the Rangers took on the Devils on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. “One of the things that he excels at is crisis management. He brings a ton of energy. I know he’ll bring a lot of energy to Vegas. I think, as I said, he’s an excellent coach. One of the things that has always impressed me with Torts, and obviously, I have a long-standing relationship with him. I worked with him for almost a decade. He was on our staff with the Olympic team, the 4 Nations team. In a lot of ways, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work with him because I learned so much from him. We’re very different in how we go about it, but I’ve learned a lot from him as far as what it takes to win and how to instill an environment that’s conducive to winning.
John Tortorella (l.) and Mike Sullivan (second from l.) behind Team USA’s bench during an Olympics game against Germany on Feb. 15, 2026. Getty Images
“He has had the ability to evolve with the game. The evolution of the game is fast. The way the game’s being played today is very different than the way it was being played, for example, when him and I were working together coaching the Rangers in 2010. The way the game’s being played is very different. And Torts, because he’s a student of the game, he’s evolved with the game. The modern strategies, the evolution of the game. What’s the modern NHL look like? What’s the modern game look like?We talk about that. We have that conversation all the time with our coaching staff because we’re trying to study evolution. And it’s copycat league. Everybody steals from one another because of technology, film, all of those things. So everybody’s paying attention to that stuff.
“If you’re in coaching and you love what you do, you immerse yourself in a learning experience. And Torts has done that his whole career. He puts a lot of work into that. He prides himself in it. That’s been the most impressive thing for me in watching him. I think he’ll do what he does. I think he’ll do a terrific job.””
Sullivan and Tortorella won gold together with USA Hockey last month in the NHL’s highly anticipated return to the Olympics. They also spent four seasons together in New York from 2009 to 2013.
Urho Vaakanainen participated in morning skate Tuesday in a red non-contact jersey before missing his seventh straight game with an upper-body injury.
The wins over Chicago and Florida this past weekend were the Rangers’ first back-to-back victories at home this season. Tuesday night’s matchup with New Jersey marked the third contest of a season-high seven-game homestand.
While speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill shared that former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will be out for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
Grzelcyk signed with the Blackhawks ahead of the 2025-26 season after a successful PTO. In 69 games with the Blackhawks during this campaign, the former Penguins defenseman recorded zero goals, 12 assists, 32 penalty minutes, and a minus-9 rating.Â
Grzelcyk spent last season with the Penguins and had the best season of his NHL career thus far. In 82 games with the Penguins during the 2024-25 season, the Charlestown, Massachusetts native scored one goal and set career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. This included him recording 15 power-play points.Â
With numbers like these, Grzelcyk proved to be a solid player for the Penguins during his time with the team. While this was the case, the Penguins decided to move on from him this past summer.Â
Grzelcyk is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and it will be interesting to see where the former Penguin ends up next.
Top Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone will make his NHL debut on Tuesday night against the division rival Washington Capitals, and with the excitement comes a few nuggets worth keeping track of.
For starters, it's already been established that head coach Rick Tocchet and the Flyers are looking to put Martone, 19, in a position for success and comfort in his first NHL game.
To kick things off, at least, the 2025 No. 6 pick will play right wing on a line with veterans Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak.
"I think him and TK, veteran guys. Those guys are good at staying close together. That's something we were talking about, I think it's a good fit for him. We'll see how it goes," Tocchet told traveling media of Martone's line.
Notably, fellow rookie Alex Bump had been playing on that line, but Bump is instead coming out of the lineup... for now.
"We have a lot of young guys, so maybe there's a rotation. I don't know," Tocchet said.
"I'm not going to get into why. I just think [Carl Grundstrom] had a really good game last game. He's played some playoff games, veteran guy. That doesn't mean Bumper's not going to play next game. It's just that we're going to have to do this rotation, maybe, or who's hot. We'll go from there. We'll talk about it... it's more game-to-game."
Grundstrom, 28, will reprise his role as the left wing on a line with Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov, though it's worth noting that the Swede has scored just one goal since Dec. 31--a cold streak that has spanned 31 games.
Overall, the 6-foot grinder has eight goals, four assists, and 12 points in 43 games this season, and Tocchet is clearly relying on him to be responsible now that more youth has been added to the lineup with Martone.
As for Martone's opportunities, Tocchet spoke mostly in generalities, but appears to clearly have a plan for the top prospect's usage.
"I think it's important I get him out there quickly. Guy makes a mistake early, he's not going to sit on the bench. He's gotta get out there," Tocchet assessed.
"It's like anything. As a coach, you try to see how the game's going. But, definitely trying to make him feel comfortable out there. That's something I gotta do for him."
For reference, Alex Bump played 16:07 in his Flyers debut and scored a goal against Pittsburgh back on March 7, and Denver Barkey played 15:18 and recorded two assists against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20.
Both debuted in divisional games, like Martone will against the Capitals on Tuesday night.
The 19-year-old enters his first NHL game having scored points in each of his last six games for Michigan State.
The team will play at the newly renovated TD Coliseum, which just underwent a $300 million renovation and seats 18,000 fans. The hope is to attract more talent to the Islanders organization, as the team will play in a more promising hockey environment, which Bridgeport could not compete with.
Hamilton offers a much better venue and a stronger hockey market.
Feb 4, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill is celebrate as the Stars honor their 2026 Winter Olympics hockey players before the game against the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Jerome Miron/Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Stars have extended the contract of general manager Jim Nill for two years, keeping in place the architect of the team headed to the playoffs again after advancing to the Western Conference final each of the past three seasons.
Nill has been the Stars GM since 2013, and his contract was only through this season until the announcement. His extension through the 2027-28 season was finalized less than 24 hours after a prominent job opened when the Toronto Maple Leafs fired GM Brad Treliving.
“Jim has established himself as one of the most respected general managers in the NHL,” Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said. “Through his roster management and talent evaluation, he has positioned our franchise to be amongst the best teams in our league in both the present and future. I’m thrilled that he will continue to guide the Stars.”
Going into a game Tuesday night at Boston, the Stars’ 100 points rank second in the NHL behind Central Division foe Colorado. Dallas already has qualified for its fifth consecutive playoff appearance.
The 67-year-old Nill was selected as the NHL’s top GM each of the past three seasons by a panel that includes all of the league’s general managers. The only current GMs that have been with their teams longer are Kevin Cheveldayoff in Winnipeg and Doug Armstrong in St. Louis.
Since Nill began with the Stars before the 2013-14 season, their 63 postseason wins are the second most in the NHL. They’ve qualified for the playoffs nine times in that span, and made the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. He previously was in the front office of the Detroit Red Wings.
“I’m fortunate to work with incredibly talented and passionate individuals that have helped our franchise become one of the best in the NHL,” Nill said. “I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to continue as general manager of the Stars.”
They were down 2-0 and 3-1 in the second period before rattling off seven unanswered goals to blitz the Islanders 8-3. The win catapulted the Penguins up to second place in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. They're one point up on the Islanders with a game in hand.Â
The Penguins will play another huge game on Tuesday when the desperate Detroit Red Wings come to town. The Red Wings are coming off a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday and have lost three of their last four. They're two points back of the final playoff spot, and per MoneyPuck, their playoff odds sit at 35.3%.
Alex DeBrincat has been awesome for the Red Wings this year and leads the team in goals (37) and points (78). He's on pace to notch his third 40-goal season.Â
Lucas Raymond is one of the most underrated players in the NHL and has been great for the Red Wings again this season, compiling 24 goals and 71 points in 71 games. He's a strong playmaker with some great vision.Â
Don't forget about Dylan Larkin or Moritz Seider, either. Larkin has 29 goals and 57 points in 66 games, while Seider is a strong Norris Trophy candidate with nine goals and 53 points in 73 games.Â
The offense starts to dry up a little bit when those four players aren't on the ice.Â
Goaltender John Gibson will make his 12th consecutive start for the Red Wings in this game. He's had a strong first season with them, compiling 27 wins with a .905 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. He has also saved 12.4 goals above expected, which ranks 13th among all goaltenders in the NHL.
Stuart Skinner will start in goal for the Penguins, and there's a chance that Evgeni Malkin returns to the lineup after missing Monday's game. If he does, he'll likely be back on the second line with Egor Chinakhov and Tommy Novak.Â
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
