New York Islanders goaltending prospect Dmitry Gamzin has signed an extension with CSKA Moscow, Hockey News Hub reported on Monday.

#Isles prospect goaltender Dmitri Gamzin has signed a two-year extension with CSKA.

Contract to May 31 2028. #KHLpic.twitter.com/aOgiRKU3Cj

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) January 12, 2026

Listed as a two-year extension, Gamzin's current deal runs through 2027.

The 22-year-old fourth-round pick by the Islanders in the 2024 NHL Draft has been phenomenal this season. In 26 appearances this season, he owns a 14-6-4 record, leads the KHL with a 1.71 GAA as well as a .933 SV%, and has three shutouts. 

Could we see Gamzin come over following the 2028-29 season?

Two of the NHL’s most exciting rookies will face off when the Vancouver Canucks take on the Montréal Canadiens later today. The Canucks and up-and-comer Zeev Buium are coming off an uninspired 5–0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, with this being their sixth-straight defeat. Montréal and the NHL’s rookie points leader, Ivan Demidov, were also shut out in their last game, facing a 4–0 defeat to the Detroit Red Wings. 

When it comes to points leaders on the season, Montréal and Vancouver both rely on a couple of defencemen to collect points for the team. Lane Hutson ranks second on the Canadiens in points with eight goals and 36 assists, while Noah Dobson ranks sixth with eight goals and 20 assists. For Vancouver, Filip Hronek is tied with Elias Pettersson for first on the team with 26 points. Their next highest-scoring defenceman is Buium, who ranks eighth on the Canucks with four goals and 14 assists.  

Tonight will be an interesting matchup between two teams that were shut out in their last game. Montréal has been shut out twice within the past five games, as they also lost 2–0 to the St. Louis Blues on January 3. Between these two shutouts, however, Montréal had no issues finding the back of the net, as they scored 14 goals over the span of their three previous games. Somehow, despite being tied with the New York Rangers in shots per game with 25.9 (26th in the NHL), the Canadiens still rank within the NHL’s top-10 in overall goals-for with 149 in 45 games. 

While Montréal’s lack of shots is an issue the Canucks can try to combat, it will be hard considering that Vancouver hasn’t quite been able to generate the type of quality shots that would get them more goals. Vancouver’s goal-scoring stats have slowly started to depreciate, going from three goals scored against the Buffalo Sabres, to one against the Detroit Red Wings, to none against Toronto. In all three of these games, the Canucks surrendered five goals against. To bump their current six-game slump, Vancouver will want to take advantage of Montréal’s low-shot hockey and generate good chances of their own. 

Players To Watch: 

Zeev Buium 

Buium made his Canucks debut in electric fashion, scoring the eventual game-winner and adding an assist against the New Jersey Devils on December 14. The defenceman’s offence has cooled, as he has only registered two points since then. As a rookie, it’s not a surprise that Buium is still figuring out the NHL, especially as a defender on a team that’s been at the bottom of the standings. Regardless of whether Vancouver has been winning or not, these games will provide good experience for Buium as his NHL career progresses. With that being said, Buium’s last point came against the Boston Bruins on January 3. Tonight’s game would be a good occasion for him to provide a little more offence, especially against one of his fellow NHL rookies. 

Ivan Demidov

The NHL’s rookie scoring race has been a close battle between players like Matthew Schaefer, Beckett Sennecke, and Demidov. However, Demidov managed to pull away from the group after putting together a five-game point streak that saw him put up two points in four of these five matches. Interestingly enough, since then, he has only recorded one assist in his past five games. Like with Buium, tonight feels like the night that two of the NHL’s most prolific rookies could find the scoresheet after minor dry spells.

Vancouver Canucks (16–23–5): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 11–15–26

Filip Hronek: 3–23–26

Kiefer Sherwood: 17–6–23

Jake DeBrusk: 12–10–22

Conor Garland: 7–15–22

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1

Kevin Lankinen: 6–11–4

Nikita Tolopilo: 2–1–0

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

Montréal Canadiens (25–14–6): 

Points: 

Nick Suzuki: 14–34–48

Lane Hutson: 8–36–44

Cole Caufield: 21–21–42

Ivan Demidov: 10–26–36

Juraj Slafkovský: 16–19–35

Goaltenders: 

Jakub Dobeš: 13–5–3

Samuel Montembault: 8–6–1

Jacob Fowler: 4–3–2 

Game Information: 

Start time: 4:30 pm PT 

Venue: Centre Bell 

Television: Amazon Prime

Radio: Sportsnet 650

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

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After a disappointing outing against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens will attempt to get back to their winning ways when they take on the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre on Monday night. It’s been a tough season for tonight’s visitors, who are currently dead last in the standings with just 37 points. In its previous 10 games, the British Columbia outfit has a 2-6-2 record and has lost its previous three.

The Canucks have struggled all season, as evidenced by their abysmal goal differential of minus-37, second-to-last to the St. Louis Blues’ minus-47. They have often been without starting netminder Thatcher Demko, who landed back on injured reserve on Sunday because of a lower-body injury. Since trading away captain Quinn Hughes on December 13, Vancouver has a 5-6-2 record despite going on a four-game winning streak right after the deal.

Canadiens Surrender The Divisional Lead To the Red Wings
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Canadiens: Worrying Trend Must Be Addressed

Monday night’s tilt will be the last duel between the two sides this season, Montreal having won the first in Vancouver by a score of 4-3 with Jakub Dobes in net for the Habs and Kevin Lankinen handling the Canucks’ net. The two teams have split their last 10 meetings, but the Canadiens have won the previous three.

Neither coach has confirmed their starting netminder yet, and all three of the Canadiens' netminders were on the ice with goalie coach Eric Raymond on Sunday, even though the practice was optional. Samuel Montembeault and Jacob Fowler have split the last five starts, with the former playing two games while the latter got three. As for Dobes, he hasn’t played since January 1.

Montembeault has a 3-3-1 record against the Canucks with a 4.13 GAA and a .862 save percentage, while Dobes has won his only start against them and has a 3.00 GAA and a .903. As for Fowler, he has never taken them on.

At the other end of the ice, Lankinen has a 0-2-1 record against Montreal with a 4.08 GAA and a .838 SV. As for Nikita Tolopilo, who was recalled on an emergency basis, he has never faced Montreal and has only played six games in the NHL. He’s 3-2-0 with a 2.57 GAA and a .906 SV.

Up front, captain Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against Vancouver with 19 points in 20 games, followed by Phillip Danault with 15 points in 32 meetings and Brendan Gallagher with 14 points in 31 duels. As for sniper Cole Caufield, he has just eight points, but he got them in just nine games, while Lane Hutson has four points in just three games.

Meanwhile, Evander Kane, who has just 20 points in 43 games since the start of the season, leads the Canucks in points against the Habs with 23 points in 36 games. Tyler Myers comes in second place with 20 points in 56 games, and Jake DeBrusk wraps up the top three with 18 points in 24 games.

The game is set for 7:30 PM, and you can catch it on Amazon Prime and on RDS. Dan O’Rourke and Pierre Lambert are set to officiate, with Steve Barton and Dan Kelly acting as linesmen. Tonight’s tilt will be the first of a back-to-back for the Canadiens, who’ll be travelling to Washington after the game as they take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.

---

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Things are going incredibly well for the Buffalo Sabres right now. At the time of this writing, they have a 24-15-4 record and are fourth in the Atlantic Division standings. They have also won 13 out of their last 14 games. 

With the Sabres' excellent play getting them right back into the playoff race, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they looked to add to their roster by the 2026 NHL trade deadline. This is especially so when noting that they are looking to snap their 14-year playoff drought. 

One area that the Sabres could look to improve by the deadline is their defensive depth. Adding another right-shot defenseman, in particular, is a need for Buffalo. Because of this, they should consider targeting Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn. 

With the Jets struggling in a big way this season, Schenn's name has emerged in the rumor mill. The right-shot defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and would be a nice addition for a Sabres club that needs more depth and experience on their blueline. 

If the Sabres acquired Schenn from the Jets, he could slot nicely on their bottom pairing. He would also give them another option for their penalty kill if brought in.

In 30 games so far this season with the Jets, Schenn has posted one goal, five points, 35 blocks, and 88 hits. While he does not produce the most offense, he certainly would make the Sabres a tougher team to face up against due to his extremely physical style of play. 

The Florida Panthers will look to build off a strong win on Saturday in Ottawa as their season-long road trip continues against one of the hottest teams in the league.

Florida is trying to make up ground in the playoff race, and one of the teams they are currently chasing are the surprising Buffalo Sabres.

After losing three straight games in early December, Buffalo has been on a tear.

They won 10 straight games through the end of the calendar year and are still riding an impressing 13-1-0 stretch.

On Dec. 8, Buffalo was last in the conference and four points south of the next-worst team (which at the time was a tie between Ottawa and Florida).

Since then, the Sabres have shot up the standings.

Entering play Monday, Buffalo holds the top Wild Card spot with 52 points through 43 games.

As for Florida, the Panthers are still anxiously waiting to bring a couple elite offensive players back into their lineup.

Injured forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand are both on the brink of returning. Marchand has missed two straight games with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day while Tkachuk has been working his way back from offseason adductor and sports hernia surgery.

The Panthers will be off for a few days after Monday’s game in Buffalo, so it might make sense to hold both out one more game and give them a nice long stretch to heal and prepare, but we’ll see how things shake out when the Cats hit the ice.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Monday’s matchup in Buffalo:

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer

Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis

Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Oct 18, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (11) looks to take a shot on goal as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) defends during the first period at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

DENVER — Trent Miner stopped all 29 shots he faced to earn his first NHL victory, becoming the 17th goaltender in league history to record a shutout in his inaugural win, as the Colorado Avalanche blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–0 at Ball Arena on Saturday.

The victory extended Colorado’s home point streak to 21 games. The outing marked Miner’s fifth NHL appearance and his third game of the season.

Under head coach Jared Bednar, Colorado has been nearly unbeatable at Ball Arena, improving to 19-0-2 on home ice this season while extending its home winning streak to 17 games — the second-longest in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise history and just one shy of matching the record set during the 2021–22 campaign.

What a journey it’s been for Trent Miner on the way to his first NHL win. pic.twitter.com/wwwQRtKfc4

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 11, 2026

"It's impressive what the guys have been doing, especially at home, no question," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "It's the same as what goes into winning on a nightly basis, but then it just becomes consistency in order to win that much in a row and not take nights off or have bad nights. Like some games are better than others, but I feel like our guys are always there to compete, and their heart and minds are in the right place."

Miner Earns His Stripes

Selected 202nd overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, Miner can feel like a long-tenured member of the Avalanche organization because, in many ways, he is. It wasn’t until last season — his fourth as a professional — that he was finally entrusted with an extended opportunity as the starting goaltender for the Colorado Eagles. Miner made the most of it, posting a 22-10-9 record with a .918 save percentage and firmly putting himself on the Avalanche’s radar.

While it may have appeared at times that Bednar was slow to lean on Miner due to his limited number of starts, that situation speaks more to the Avalanche’s depth in goal than a lack of confidence. With a strong, established goaltending group in place, opportunities can be difficult to come by for a lesser-known and less-experienced netminder trying to find his footing at the NHL level.

Miner made the most of his opportunity, but at the end of the night, the only thing that truly mattered for him is that they got the win.

“In all honesty, I’m just glad we were able to get the win,” he said. “For sure, it’s exciting to get my first win, but I think for us to get a win at home is just as exciting.”

Everyone appreciates a humble player, but this is likely a day Miner will never forget.

From the start, Pittsburgh's game against the Boston Bruins on Sunday felt like one of those games where the Penguins just weren't going to generate much of anything. 

And that's exactly how everything unfolded. 

The Penguins were shut out by Boston, 1-0, courtesy of a 27-save effort by Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Viktor Arvidsson scored the game's lone goal in the first period, and the Bs shut the door the rest of the way, putting on a defensive clinic to stymie every offensive opportunity - even if few and far between - that the Penguins generated. 

However, it was a tight-checking game all around, and the Penguins put forth quite the effort defensively, too. They blocked 17 shots in comparison to Boston's 18, goaltender Stuart Skinner turned in another strong effort with 17 saves on 18 Boston shots, and they killed all six power plays that the Bruins had throughout the game. 

Unfortunately, Pittsburgh just could not put the puck in the back of the net, and Korpisalo shut the door on every high-danger opportunity that the Bruins actually allowed.

---

Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this game:

- Quite honestly, the Penguins did not play a bad hockey game. Yes, they couldn't generate much offensively - and I'll get to that in a minute - but, for the most part, they did a fantastic job of limiting opportunites for the Bruins. 

They simply couldn't score, which hadn't been a problem for them during their six-game win streak. Bounces weren't going their way. Calls weren't going their way. And even if they did generate some good opportunities, there weren't really too many longer periods of sustained pressure because the Bruins didn't give them any space to work with. 

This is one of those games where you have to give credit to the opponent. They played about as well a defensive game as you could ask for, and they got the goaltending when they needed it.

- Speaking of not scoring, I'm not exactly sure what the idea behind the Penguins' lineup was Sunday. 

Yes, they suffered their first loss in seven games against the Calgary Flames on Saturday, but they could have won that game, too, had a few more bounces gone their way - even if they didn't particularly play very well. It was also their first game without Bryan Rust, who is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and his absence in the lineup is very, very noticeable. 

However, some things were still working for them. The second line of Ben Kindel, Evgeni Malkin, and Egor Chinakhov - with Kindel centering - seemed to develop a bit of chemistry and were definitely the best line in that game. The first line of Sidney Crosby, Tommy Novak, and Rickard Rakell had some chances, too, even if the third line was quiet and the fourth line had an off-night. 

'I'm Lucky To Be Able To Play With Him': Penguins' Rookie Relishes Opportunity To Center All-Time GreatPittsburgh Penguins' rookie Ben Kindel is experiencing a rare opportunity to center an all-time great NHL player in Evgeni Malkin - and he hopes to make the most of it.

I understand tinkering a little bit in order to maximize what players provide in certain roles, especially with a top-line forward missing. Heading into this one, I wouldn't have been opposed to bumping Anthony Mantha or Justin Brazeau up to the top line and putting Tommy Novak in the third-line center position, which would have bumped either Kevin Hayes or the newly recalled Rafael Harvey-Pinard to the wing. 

They did move Mantha to Crosby's line in place of Novak. What I did not understand was the decision to bump Kindel back down to the third line, have Novak play wing on that line, and place Hayes in the second-line center position instead of, simply, putting Malkin back in that spot. 

I didn't love the idea of bumping Kindel back down to begin with, as I thought he played a pretty strong game on Saturday. But, if that was going to happen, there's no reason not to have either Malkin or Novak center the second line - and, probably, Malkin.

This is not a knock on Hayes. He isn't the reason the Penguins have lost the last two hockey games. But he's not a viable substitute as a top-six center given the other options the Penguins have at their disposal, and - at the end of the day - swapping in Hayes for Rust is obviously not going to produce similar results, given the fact that Rust is second on the team in scoring. 

Even without Rust in the top-six picture, that second line seemed to be building toward something with Kindel on it. And Novak has performed as a center this season. I think Dan Muse has largely done an excellent job this season, but I believe he may have overthought this one. I don't think he put out a lineup Sunday that was maximized to give the Penguins the highest shot at success, especially in generating offense. 

Hayes is fine in a bottom-six role. But, even if he was going to bump up to the second line, Malkin was probably better off centering it. 

Takeaways: Penguins Snap Six-Game Win Streak With 2-1 Loss To FlamesThe Pittsburgh Penguins were handed their first loss of 2026 by the Calgary Flames Saturday and hope to bounce back against the Boston Bruins on Sunday

- After a rocky start to his Penguins' tenure, Skinner has really settled in during his last four appearances. 

The 27-year-old netminder has had consecutive save percentages of .964, .917, .966, and .944 in those last four games. He has made big saves when the Penguins have needed him to, and he looks very comfortable in net right now. 

Arturs Silovs has been better of late as well, but I do think Skinner has separated himself, even if just a tiny little bit. The biggest knock on him throughout the years has been his consistency, and he is known for going through hot and cold stretches. He has an .899 save percentage in seven appearances with the Penguins, and the first few starts were pretty rough. 

I'd continue the rotation for now. Skinner tends to perform a bit better with a lighter workload. And, honestly, this could be a perfect situation for both Skinner and Silovs. We'll see how it continues to play out.

- Parker Wotherspoon blocked a shot with his knee near the end of the second period, and he collapsed to the ice in a ton of pain. He did come back out for the third period, but it initially looked very concerning. 

Quite frankly, the Penguins cannot afford to lose Wotherspoon, who has been their best defensive defenseman this season and a revelation beside Erik Karlsson. Hopefully, he's good to go. If there is a short list of players whose injuries would be detrimental to this team, he's on it.

Parker Wotherspoon blocked a shot and was down for a short while talking to head athletic trainer Kevin Elliott. He appears to be staying on the bench for now.

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) January 11, 2026

- The power play has looked very uninspiring for several games now, and it went 0-for-2 on Sunday. In fact, it is just three for its last 16 and zero for its last six. 

Even when the Penguins have been converting on it, it's usually later on in the man advantage after a few clears. I haven't liked the lack of player movement and puck movement as well as the general tendency to defer shots, which are all typical signs of the Penguins' power play going through a cold spell. 

They're still third in the league at 28.6 percent. And, when they have hit small dry pockets, they've found ways to rebound this season. I expect the same in this case, but they need to be quicker with their decision-making and create more chaos to get opposing penalty kills out of structure. 

Oh, and the shot-pass? It works to perfection sometimes. But that doesn't mean they should be trying it almost every time they throw a puck in the vicinity of the net. They need to just shoot more. 

- Next up for the Penguins will be a tough matchup on Tuesday against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning, who have won nine straight games. 

The Penguins won by the skin of their teeth when they played Tampa on Dec. 4 - all because of a goal that was called back on what was ruled a hand pass - which immediately preceded their eight-game losing streak. They did not play particularly well in that game, and they have had a bit of trouble with the Bolts recently, as they are 2-3-1 in their last five games against them. 

Starting Tuesday, the Penguins play six games in 10 days. Things tend to pile on one way or another when a schedule is that condensed. 

They haven't played poorly in the last two losses, even if they came away with no points and didn't have their A-game. That needs to change on Tuesday, as they are now a point out of a wild card spot. 

Kucherov’s hot streak pushes Lightning to road win against FlyersOn Saturday, the Lightning picked up their ninth straight win with a 7–2 victory over the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Flyers,</a> marking their longest win streak, since winning 11 in a row during the 2019–20 season. The run comes after a difficult stretch in which the Bolts went 2–6–1.

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The Buffalo Sabres continued their red-hot pace in a 5-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, but are beginning to show signs late in games that could lead to defeat. For the third game in a row, the Sabres have entered the third period with a considerable lead, but have allowed the opposition to climb back to within one goal. 

Against Vancouver on Tuesday, the Sabres led 4-0 midway through the third period, but the Canucks scored three goals in the waning minutes of regulation and clawed back to within a goal before losing 4-3. In New York on Thursday, Buffalo led 3-1 entering the third, but Vincent Trocheck narrowed the lead to 3-2 and the Rangers had a four-minute power play with a chance to tie, but Mattias Samuelsson’s short-handed goal ended New York’s momentum. 

On Saturday, the Sabres once again led 4-0 and once again sat back and allowed Anaheim to narrow the gap to 4-3 before Josh Norris scored into an empty net. 

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 "That's on us. That wasn't good enough. We let our goalie down. That is not up to par for our club. Our club can't accept that," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said  "We're a better club than that. We played well to that point, and what we did in that last five minutes isn't isn't good enough.....I think it's just a little bit of a mental let down, but not near good enough."

The Sabres face a critical point in their bid to stay in a playoff position before the Olympic break, as their opposition in the next three home games are direct competitors for an Eastern Conference spot. Buffalo plays three games in four nights starting with a matchup against the reigning two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday, followed by Philadelphia and Montreal back-to-back nights Wednesday and Thursday, before finishing the homestand against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that Kevin Korchinski, Drew Commesso, and Stansilav Berezhnoy have all been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.

Korchinski, Commesso, and Berezhnoy were all called up to the Blackhawks' roster earlier this week due to multiple players being sidelined with illness. Now, with this latest roster move, they each will be heading back to the IceHogs' roster. 

Korchinski played in two games for the Blackhawks during his call-up, where he recorded one assist, two shots, and a minus-2 rating. This was his first NHL action of the 2025-26 season after starting the year with the IceHogs. 

Commesso also played in his first two games of the season with the Blackhawks during his call-up. During them, he posted a 1-1-0 record, a .917 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals-against average. This included him recording a 36-save shutout against the Nashville Predators in his most recent start.

As for Berezhnoy, he did not get into game action for the Blackhawks during his brief call-up. He will now be looking to make an impact after being sent back down to the IceHogs' roster. 

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It will be a historic night at Little Caesars Arena on Monday, as the Detroit Red Wings will officially retire the iconic No. 91 jersey number of Sergei Fedorov, one of the greatest and most exciting players not only in the club's history but in NHL history. 

Fedorov, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, was informed of the honor by Red Wings owner and CEO Chris Ilitch during the offseason, which he admitted left him breathless. 

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“When we spoke, we first exchanged the usual questions about how things were going, how our families were doing, and then he shared the news with me," Fedorov said about his call with Ilitch. "Honestly, in the first three or four minutes of the conversation, I wasn’t 100 percent sure where it was headed." 

"But then he started listing all of our victories, our achievements, and how long it took to get there," he continued. "At that moment, it took my breath away. Memories rushed back—our struggles, our bumps along the road, and of course that unforgettable parade of emotions after winning our first Stanley Cup." 

On the eve of Fedorov's historic night in Detroit, he released a heartfelt love letter to the fans of Hockeytown. 

Hey Hockeytown:

A letter from Sergei Fedorov pic.twitter.com/l3qpBDwXmL

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 12, 2026

A Red Wing at heart. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/E6YCagNUK9

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 12, 2026

Fedorov will be appropriately honored by the Red Wings, for whom he was a key element in their historic Stanley Cup victories of 1997, 1998, and 2002. During his time in Detroit, he also won the 1994 Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player, the Lester B. Pearson Award, and the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward in both 1994 and 1996. 

He also earned six NHL All-Star Game appearances and was officially named as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. 

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The Buffalo Sabres have bounced back after having their major win streak snapped at 10 games in a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Jan. 3. The Sabres are now on a three-game win streak, with victories over the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks. And although it’s tempting for Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen to keep his team’s roster intact, it says here that Buffalo should still be adding talent by or before this season’s March 6 trade deadline. 

For one thing, while it’s nice that the Sabres are stringing together more wins, they haven’t exactly been tested by the NHL’s best teams. The Canucks have been a disaster, the Rangers haven’t been much better, and the Ducks have been in a serious slump after a strong start. So Kekalainen & Co. can’t be complacent when it comes to making additions to his team.

In addition, even if the Sabres remain strong in the win/loss columns, they almost certainly are going to need to improve their depth by the deadline. The injury bug doesn’t spare many, if any teams, and the last thing Buffalo fans will want to see is the Sabres’ season prematurely ended because Kekalainen chose not to make depth additions.

Thus, it’s on Kekalainen to be proactive on the trade front. And that means either acquiring talent before the NHL’s Feb. 4 Olympic roster freeze, or by the trade deadline. Kekalainen has to send a message to his players that he’s prepared to help them make a Stanley Cup playoff push, and that means not standing pat.

If Sabres Are Going To Trade Tuch, Rangers Star Forward Should Be Their TargetThe Buffalo Sabres may not want to give star winger Alex Tuch a lucrative contract extension, considering a Tuch trade instead. Could New York Rangers' forward Vincent Trocheck be the perfect acquisition for the Sabres?

The Sabres are going to face notable tests in their next five games, with tilts against the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes. And with the Toronto Maple Leafs now right behind the Sabres in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings, Buffalo is going to need to be just as productive in the standings points department if they’re to be in the conversation for a playoff spot.

The Sabres have given their long-suffering fan base legitimate hope they can be a playoff team this year. And Kekalainen has to improve his team’s potency by picking up one or two experienced hands who can contribute meaningful minutes.

Sabres' Win Streak Ends At 10, But Now It's On Buffalo To Shake Off Loss And Start A New Win StreakThe Buffalo Sabres' 10-game win streak is over after a defeat at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. But now, their true test begins: can they shake off the loss and forge a new winning path, or disappoint their fans yet again?

Sitting on his hands is not going to do Kekalainen much good. He needs to find a way to improve his group, and he’s only got a handful of weeks to do so. Time is of the essence with this Sabres team, and a lack of additions could be the difference between Buffalo missing or making the post-season.

The New York Rangers have recalled Brennan Othmann from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. 

In a corresponding move, the Rangers assigned Anton Blidh back to the Wolf Pack.

This call-up comes at the heels of the Rangers’ 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, which may have played a part in this move. 

While Othmann has been called up a couple of times since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, he has only played six games for the Rangers, failing to record a point. 

It’s been a difficult few months for Othmann, whose name has been the subject of trade rumors. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Oct. 16 that the Rangers are open to the idea of trading Othmann. 

“I can’t really focus on that stuff,” Othmann said about the trade rumors in October. “That stuff is really all online, and I don’t know what’s true. I don’t know what’s false. I’ve just been super focused with Hartford and trying to get back up here. 

Rangers Struggle To Find Words And Feel ‘Embarrassed’ After Blowout Loss To Bruins The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> allowed a season-high seven goals in their 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Satrday afternoon, marking the lowest point of the season.&nbsp;

“I mean, it’s no secret. A couple of the guys in Hartford were asking me and telling me about it, but I honestly was just playing hockey and taking each day, day-by-day. Keep moving forward and focusing on getting back here and playing at the NHL level at some point this year. I think I did a good job with it.”

In 23 AHL games this season, Othmann has posted six goals, eight assists, and 14 points.

It’s unclear if the 23-year-old forward will slot into the Rangers’ lineup for their Monday night matchup against the Seattle Kraken.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Tanner Pearson broke a tie at 6:17 of the third period and the Winnipeg Jets beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Sunday for their first back-to-back victories since mid-November.

Pearson took a pass from Josh Morrissey in front of the net and beat Jake Allen.

The Jets beat Los Angeles on Friday night to end an 11-game losing streak. They last won two straight Nov. 15-18. Winnipeg also won a one-goal game for the first time since Nov. 15, snapping an NHL record of 13 consecutive losses.

Alex Iafallo, Jonathan Toews and Gabriel Vilardi also scored, and Morrissey and Cole Perfetti each had two assists. Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves.

Winnipeg-born Cody Glass scored twice for New Jersey. Nico Hischier also had a goal, and Allen stopped 18 shots. The Devils have lost four consecutive games for the first time since early December.

Iafallo opened the scoring with 1:10 left in the first period on a shot that deflected in. Hischier tied it 37 seconds later off a rebound.

Glass gave the Devils the lead at 1:05 of the second when he redirected a pass from Luke Hughes. Toews tied it at 2:36.

New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler’s shot went in just under a minute later, but the Jets successfully challenged for goaltender interference because Paul Cotter had bumped into Hellebuyck.

Glass put New Jersey ahead at 8:08, and Vilardi countered with his 18th of the season when he batted the puck in with 2:03 left in the second.

Up next

Devils: At Minnesota on Monday night.

Jets: Host the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

The Detroit Red Wings continue to be one of the hottest teams in the NHL, posting a 13-4-1 record over their last 18 games and holding the top spot in the Atlantic Division. A key divisional win Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens helped Detroit extend its edge over Montreal in the standings, but despite the Red Wings strong run, the playoff race remains extremely tight.

That pressure comes from a surging Atlantic Division that has seen multiple teams catch fire at the same time. Five teams in the division are currently pushing for playoff spots, creating one of the most competitive races in the league.

Right behind Detroit are the Tampa Bay Lightning, who trail the Red Wings by just one point. Tampa Bay has been red hot, winning nine straight games while defeating some of the NHL’s top competition along the way. During their streak, the Lightning rolled past teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and Anaheim Ducks, establishing themselves as a matchup no team wants to see right now.

Close behind Tampa Bay are the Montreal Canadiens, who despite recent losses to both Detroit and Tampa, remain very much in the hunt. Montreal sits just one point behind the Lightning and two points back of the Red Wings. Over their last 24 games, the Canadiens have posted a 15-7-3 record, the fourth best mark in the NHL, and have won five of their last seven games.

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

While the top three teams appear to be positioning themselves well for the postseason, the teams chasing them cannot be overlooked. The Florida Panthers are climbing back into the race after a difficult start to the season. After opening with a 12-12-2 record, Florida has gone 11-6-1 despite missing key players including captain Aleksander Barkov and star winger Matthew Tkachuk.

Also gaining momentum are the Toronto Maple Leafs, longtime rivals of the Red Wings. Toronto struggled early and dealt with injuries, but the team has turned things around with a league best 7-0-2 record over its last nine games. With captain Auston Matthews finding his scoring touch again, the Maple Leafs look poised to remain a playoff contender.

With the Atlantic Division as deep and competitive as it has been in years, Detroit’s recent surge cannot be viewed as a short term success. It must become the standard if the Red Wings hope to end their nearly decade long playoff drought and reestablish themselves as a true Stanley Cup contender.

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