In just a few more weeks, teams around the NHL will open for trade business as they find out who and what their rosters really are, and the Philadelphia Flyers, who will have to make an important decision in that regard themselves, have been busy scouting around the league.
Typically, around Thanksgiving, NHL teams tend to assess if they are playoff-caliber or not, and plan their future business accordingly.
The Flyers, who have won just four of their first 17 games this season, are obvious candidates to become sellers up to and through the NHL trade deadline in March. All signs indicate that general manager Danny Briere and Co. will remain patient with the current Flyers roster until the end of the month before making any big decisions.
In preparation of having to make a tough call on some players, the Flyers have been out and about around the NHL, taking in all kinds of different games.
Previously, we noted that Flyers president Keith Jones had traveled to watch recent games, including Devils-Senators, Rangers-Kings, and Blackhawks-Canadiens.
The latter is especially interesting, given that, on Tuesday night, the Flyers had a heavy contingent in attendance for another Montreal Canadiens game.
According to The Hockey News's own Karine Hains in Montreal, Flyers assistant general manager Alyn McCauley, as well as Lehigh Valley Phantoms coaches John Snowden, Nick Schultz, Terrence Wallin, and Patrick McDonough, were all on-site to watch the Canadiens take on the Winnipeg Jets.
Now, the Phantoms crew isn't terribly unusual, given that the Phantoms will be playing against the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on Wednesday night.
In McCauley's case, though, this is the second time in recent weeks the Flyers have had an executive - McCauley and Jones - at a Canadiens game.
Despite the Canadiens' epic choke in an eventual 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets, they're still sixth in the NHL with a 9-3-3 record, and second in the Atlantic Division behind the 11-4-1 Boston Bruins.
So, if anything, that loss to the Jets reinforces the fact that the Canadiens are in prime position to be buyers on the trade market throughout the year, something the Flyers could help them with.
Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has long been linked to the Flyers in trade rumors; that seems to be the most obvious connection between the two teams.
The Flyers, in need of centers themselves, aren't in a position to offer the Canadiens an important piece behind Nick Suzuki, though Montreal would surely appreciate Philadelphia's breadth of wingers for depth purposes.
Again, we're still at least 2-3 weeks away from trade season officially getting underway around the NHL, but it's notable that, as they continue to flounder, the Flyers are obviously taking notes around the NHL, doing their due dilligence.
And the longer these struggles continue, the more likely the Flyers are to aim for a big change somewhere along the food chain.
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 24: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates during the game against the Nashville Predators at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Another night, another winnable game flushed down the toilet for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They played a strong 5-on-5 game against one of the best teams in the league, but went 0-for-6 on the power play, failed to record a shot on goal on an extended 5-on-3 with three minutes to play in regulation, immediately took a penalty after, and then allowed Vegas to score its second power play goal of the game in the closing seconds to turn a 2-1 third period lead into a 3-2 regulation loss.
Honestly, a brutal night, and continues a start that has seen the Penguins win just two of their first 15 games in regulation (and only five games overall) and sit in 15th place (by points percentage) in the Eastern Conference and in 28th place across the NHL.
A few thoughts on all of that.
1. I said this a couple of weeks ago in a similar random thoughts post, but if you were on the train of the Penguins having a down year for draft pick positioning to get the potential future star they need, this might be your year.
We are more than a month into the season.
American Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away.
Teams that start off like the Penguins have do not typically make the playoffs. It is getting very late, very early in that regard.
When the season began there were a lot of variables that were going to make or break the Penguins outlook for the 2026-27 season. There was a reasonably high ceiling if a lot of things went right. There was a reasonably low floor if a lot of those things went in the opposite direction. Right now a lot of them are not going right.
2. High on that list is the play of defenseman Declan Carlile. It seems like every time something bad happens, he is at the center of it. That is especially true late in games, in high-leverage situations. The Penguins coaching staff seems to have complete trust in him, and there is not much at this point to validate that trust. I could see what the Penguins were doing with him when they signed him, and what the hope was. I had some hopes for it and thought he had a chance to be a good player. So far, it’s going poorly and I’m not sure how you keep running him out there.
3. Next on the list is Andrei Kuzmenko, and this one is becoming an especially big problem because you do have other people that can easily step in and replace him.
Look, I want the guy to do well. For a lot of reasons. But right now, no matter what spot they put him in, it’s an empty spot. They are not getting anything out of it. He has one assist and nine shots on goal in 11 games. Avery Hayes can bring some energy. Rutger McGroarty could use another look. Hell, even when Elmer Soderblom is healthy enough to play again he should be an option for something in the lineup.
4. If there is a positive development through all of this, and including Tuesday’s game, it is that the first line seems to have found some life. The past two games from them have been, by far, their two best games of the season, and Sidney Crosby has looked more like Sidney Crosby. And now that they seem to be back, everything else has fallen off. Not ideal.
5. Going back to the first point here, I have been workshopping a theory that the best path forward for a rebuild (and I will still argue with anyone in a steel cage match that this IS a rebuild, even if it is not what you thought it would look like in terms of gutting everything down to the ground) is having a random bad year with a roster that isn’t completely gutted. I still need to look into this more. I still need to research it more. But the theory is mostly based around the idea that a lot of this is just luck and good timing.
It’s not enough to just intentionally get really bad for a year or two and get a No. 1 overall pick and a few more high picks around that and wait for Stanley Cups to roll in.
You have to get the RIGHT No. 1 overall pick, and it has to be in the right situation.
This is especially true with the new lottery format and the new lottery rules where the worst record could result in you picking as low as third overall.
Or not being quite bad enough to finish with the worst record to even guarantee that. Maybe you’re only the second-or third-worst team in the league and end up picking fifth or sixth.
If you get your team down to the studs in the hopes landing that next franchise player, it has to be a true generational talent like a Crosby, an Ovechkin, or a McDavid.
Even a really good, or potentially “great” player (Connor Bedard? Rasmus Dahlin?) isn’t going to be enough to make up for how far your organization has to come back. I think that’s why you’re seeing so many of these teams that have gone into these full-scale tanking rebuilds over the past 10-15 years that have never been able to claim out of it. Or are still so far away from climbing out of it. Chicago. San Jose. Detroit. These teams still mostly stink. Look at how long it took Buffalo. It’s taken Ottawa eight years just to become a fringe wild-card team. Anaheim has great young forwards, but it’s not close to a contender.
The closest player any of those teams have to a Crosby/Ovechkin/McDavid level player is Macklin Celebrini, and while he is GREAT, he is still a tier below those guys.
The key, I think, is having one of those bad years that isn’t necessarily an “intentional” tank, getting yourself a top pick, and having that pick come into an environment where there are still NHL-caliber players around and there isn’t as much building to be done.
That’s kind of what happened with Colorado and when it landed Nathan MacKinnon.
That’s kind of what happened with Carolina when it ended up with Andrei Svechnikov.
That’s kind of what happened with Tampa Bay and Steven Stamkos.
Even though those teams ended up with really high picks and franchise players, they were not situations where it was a full-scale tear down. They were not coming into situations where it was going to take a decade to build it back up around them. Those teams still had really good NHL players on them, and were reasonably competitive teams within the previous two or three years.
That’s kind of why I am intrigued by the Islanders with Matthew Schaefer and Toronto with Gavin McKenna. They got their superstars, but they didn’t intentionally light their entire organization on fire to do it. It just kind of happened naturally, and there are still good players around them. They might not be contenders right now, but I want to see how the next few years go for them as opposed to, say, Chicago.
I know Penguins fans like to point to how the Penguins landed Mario Lemieux and Crosby, but those are NHL environments that no longer exist, and circumstances that can never be duplicated. The Crosby situation was an insane sequence of events that had a different lottery format than now, and required a completely lost season from the league to give them the lottery odds they needed … and it all happened around the best prospect since Lemieux entering the league. It was a perfect storm you will never, ever duplicate. You can not. You will not.
Lemieux happened before the draft lottery (and even then it took six years to pay off on a team level).
You are never repeating that again.
Teams that try to repeat aren’t succeeding.
Maybe this Penguins team is bad. Maybe it gets a lottery puck. If it does, they are still going to have competent NHL players on the roster around it and a nearly clean salary cap slate in the coming seasons.
Maybe this team being organically bad is the best thing that could possibly happen.
TAHOE, NV - FEBRUARY 20: Lawn chairs around a fire pit in the snow during the Bridgestone NHL Outdoor game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, February, 20, 2021 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe, Nev. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In what was the longest teaser campaign in NHL history including multiple leaks and even an unfortunate one suggesting the Altitude TV logo was getting repurposed, the official Hometown Remix sweater for the Colorado Avalanche is now revealed!
The “fully frosted” concept has been realized with icy blue hue throughout the sweater including a color gradient on the numbers. Aside from those details, this is pretty much the last reverse retro in a new color scheme or a remake of Colorado’s first stadium series look.
These jerseys are easy on the eyes, they won't be easy on the pocketbook.
Premium jerseys with a player name are $300.00, while blank jerseys are $260.00. The authentic version is a staggering $550.00. #GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/amAq21n1gx
After all this hype, the club is only scheduled to wear the threads on six occasions beginning with the upcoming game against Detroit on Saturday, November 7th. Perhaps the Red Wings will bring their Hometown Remix sweater with them on the road, too?
As we turn the calendar into November, here’s one last glimpse at the Halloween festivities including newcomers Fedor Svechkov and Zach L’Heureux enjoying a haunted house on Peak Access along with the usual highlights of games in October.
The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that they displayed resolve and resilience against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday evening.
The bad news is that their first half of the contest was extremely sluggish, which ultimately cost them a chance at points in the standings.
The Lightning badly outshot the Red Wings in the opening 20 minutes of play, getting a pair of goals from forward Brayden Point en route to what was a 4-2 win at Benchmark International Arena.
Making matters even more complicated for the Red Wings is that goaltender John Gibson departed after the first period with an injury and did not return; Daniil Tarasov took over.
Against a team like the Lightning, essentially taking an entire period off isn't going to cut it.
"Today, I think probably only about 30 minutes of hockey that was good enough to get points, and that’s too good of a team to spot them a first period like we did tonight," said forward J.T. Compher, who scored early in the third period. "We didn’t execute well enough. We weren’t quick enough. We weren’t battling hard enough. And you’re going to have stretches of that, but it can’t be periods - maybe a couple of shifts in a row and then snap back into it.
We spotted them a period, and we weren't able to battle all the way back."
The Red Wings began flipping the script at the midway point of the second period when Lucas Raymond tallied his sixth goal of the season. They had multiple chances in the third period to knot the score after Compher cut the lead to one goal at the 5:29 mark, but couldn't come up with the equalizer.
"I think early in the game, we weren't skating hard enough to draw penalties, and in the third, our details and work ethic were much better and gave us some chances," Compher said. "But we weren't able to capitalize."
“Obviously, we were the second-best team. We would’ve been the third-best team if there was three playing, but not a lot of jump or pop right off the bat, we took some penalties, so their best players began to feel really good about the game.
We defended with basically one player at a time, the other four were basically standing still, and they're (Lightning players) in constant motion," he said. "Real tough start for us, but on the bright side, it didn’t look good, but we found a way to claw back in there.”
The Red Wings return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday evening.
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As the Detroit Red Wings and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff continue to work through the Dylan Larkin trade situation, more reports have shown a lack of motivation among some teams on Larkin's ten-team trade list to go out and acquire the two-way center.
On Monday, TSN's Chris Johnston said on his podcast, The Chris Johnston Show, that some of the teams on the list are "not desperate to get something done." He singled out the Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils and Utah Mammoth as teams sharing that feeling, saying they are cautiously waiting to see what Larkin would cost.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said this past Saturday on Rogers Saturday Night Hockey, during his Saturday Headlines segment, that teams showing little interest may be removed from the list in favor of other interested parties.
According to Friedman and a collection of other reports, those teams include the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights. That could open the door for reportedly interested teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues to get their offers in front of Larkin.
As of Wednesday, however, reports haven't indicated that any change has been made to his list. Other reports from Friedman suggest the new price tag for Larkin is young centers, whether in the NHL or on the verge.
More reports have backed up the lack of action among the teams already on Larkin's list. Insider Pierre LeBrun, appearing on TSN's Insider Trading on Tuesday, said the Red Wings have "exhausted every option" with the teams on the list, and that a change to the list would be welcomed by Detroit, since it would let the team explore better options and better return packages.
Two offers are currently reported to be on the table. According to LeBrun, the Capitals have offered young winger Ilya Protas, a former 2024 third-round pick who is not a center.
The Minnesota Wild's offer has long been rumored to center on young forward and former first-round pick Danila Yurov, along with multiple first-round picks, according to Friedman.
With a change to Larkin's list potentially coming soon, those two clubs may be motivated to improve their offers before another team comes along and lands the 30-year-old Michigan native.
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Since Connor Hellebuyck joined the New Jersey Devils, he’s been rock solid and hasn’t missed a beat despite missing training camp. He’s 3-0 as a starter, allowing the Devils to move to 10-5 for the season.
An elite goaltender changes the dynamics of a team and raises the ceiling. It also changes how the opponent plays, knowing they won’t find many easy goals. “He’s a big, solid goaltender who reads the play well. He’s athletic, all the things a goalie needs to be; he has it,” Edmonton Oilers forward Jason Dickinson noted after the 4-3 Devils win in a shootout.
The Oilers were the first test for Hellebuyck. They entered the game with an offense that averaged 4.20 goals per game, and while they only generated 21 shots on net, they forced him to make plenty of difficult saves. The Oilers were also the first team this season to provide a blueprint for the rest of the league to beat Hellebuyck.
Oilers Provide A Blueprint To Score On Hellebuyck
Hellebuyck sees the initial shot and makes the easy saves. Moreover, he tracks the play and anticipates where the puck is going better than most goaltenders in the game. In short, he has the mind and the athletic ability to stop any offense.
Opponents know it. “When you’ve got a good goalie, you’ve got to make it hard on him. I thought our first goal was exactly that,” Oilers head coach Mike Babcock stated after the game. The first goal saw the Oilers move the puck around in the offensive zone, and a cross-ice pass to defenseman Evan Bouchard allowed him to fire it to the back of the net as Hellebuyck was skating laterally.
The Oilers tried to find open looks with Hellebuyck out of position, and similarly, they wanted to get into his sightlines and deflect pucks to the back of the net. “You gotta find ways to make him move a bit more than he wants to, get in his eyes to make him fight to see more pucks, and make his night harder for him,” Dickinson added.
Hellebuyck thrives on reading the play, and when he can’t see it, it’s harder for him to do so. Likewise, the quick passing that sets up open looks and shots in the slot results in goals. Those are easier to find on the power play, which the Oilers did in the recent game, scoring two of their three goals on the man advantage.
It’s Easier Said Than Done, Especially With The Way The Devils Defense Has Played
The Oilers have the second-best offense in the NHL and the talent to generate these open looks on the net. Not many teams do. Connor McDavid has 40 points in 16 games, and Evan Bouchard has nine goals as a defenseman. They not only open things up for the rest of the skaters on the ice, but they also find the back of the net themselves when needed.
Even in a league where offense is trending up, with 22 teams averaging over three goals per game, few have the high-end talent to create these open looks. Hellebuyck not only can stop these teams but can take over games against them, making the Devils one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and the NHL.
The Devils are also a different team since Hellebuyck’s arrival. They’ve played with more energy and, more importantly, with more confidence on the defensive end, knowing the goaltender behind them can make the big save.
“I think since Hellebuyck’s arrival, it's given the team an extra boost for sure, standing a little bit taller,” Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe stated after the win over the Oilers. The defense is playing Keefe’s system with more discipline and is working around Hellebuyck’s strengths, knowing he can make the easy saves. It allowed them to limit the Dallas Stars to one goal in a 5-1 win on Oct. 27 and halt the Vegas Golden Knights to two goals on Oct. 30, in Hellebuyck’s previous two starts.
It’s The Playoffs When The Devils Must Be Weary Of Hellebuyck
The Oilers played the type of game offensively that many teams in the playoffs do. They didn’t just pepper Hellebuyck with shots; they made the smart passes to generate scoring chances.
In the playoffs, teams know Hellebuyck is one of the elite goaltenders and plan their game accordingly. They not only move the puck effectively; they also pick their targets, specifically, with top-shelf shots while Hellebuyck is moving. Bouchard scored his goal with a high slapshot to the far-side post, while McDavid scored in the shootout by putting the puck past the glove.
Most teams in the playoffs have offenses that can generate these looks on the net. It’s why Hellebuyck, despite all of his regular-season success, has come up short in the playoffs, only reaching the conference final round once in his career.
For the Devils, the key is playing the same defensively in front of Hellebuyck and limiting those chances. It’s not something they can achieve overnight, but it’s something they can work towards. With a long season ahead, it’s a task they will look to accomplish, allowing them to enter the playoffs prepared and ready for a run.
There aren't many people who would have stuck around for all of it.
For a while, being an Edmonton Oiler meant spending April cleaning out your locker and watching the playoffs from home, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins lived through it all. And now, 15 years after arriving in Edmonton as an 18-year-old first-overall pick, he's played more games in an Oilers uniform than anyone else in franchise history.
Nugent-Hopkins passed Kevin Lowe's record of 1,037 games last night against the New Jersey Devils, adding another accomplishment to a career that began when Edmonton selected him in the 2011 NHL Draft.
And what a career it's been.
When Nugent-Hopkins arrived in Edmonton, the Oilers were coming off consecutive last-place finishes. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle were supposed to help lead the organization out of its rebuild, and the 18-year-old from Burnaby was another piece of that plan.
He scored in his NHL debut against Pittsburgh, finished his rookie season with 52 points in 62 games, and became one of Edmonton's most promising young players.
Nugent-Hopkins went his first five NHL seasons without a playoff appearance, played through the final years of the Decade of Darkness, including coaching changes, questionable roster decisions, and plenty of empty seats at Rexall Place.
The Oilers drafted Nail Yakupov first overall in 2012, then Hall got traded to New Jersey in 2016, Eberle left for the Islanders a year later, and Nugent-Hopkins eventually became one of the few remaining players from that original rebuild.
Of course, he was also there when Connor McDavid was drafted.
The Oilers returned to the playoffs in 2017, ending an 11-year drought, though another two seasons without postseason hockey followed. Through it all, Nugent-Hopkins continued to play whatever role Edmonton needed.
Originally drafted as a top-line centre, he eventually moved to the wing, became a regular on the penalty kill, and developed into an important piece of Edmonton's power play. He's played alongside McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, centred his own line, and done just about anything else asked of him
His willingness to adapt has probably cost him some individual recognition over the years.
There was, however, that 2022-23 season.
Nugent-Hopkins scored 37 goals and 104 points in 82 games, becoming the third member of Edmonton's offence to reach 100 points that year. It was his first 100-point season, coming more than a decade after he entered the league.
He now has 294 goals, 517 assists, and 811 points in an Oilers uniform. He ranks among the franchise's all-time leaders in each category, despite spending much of his career playing behind some of the greatest talents the organization has ever had.
Nugent-Hopkins played an important role in Edmonton's runs in 2024 and 2025, finally getting the opportunity to compete for a cup after spending his early twenties rarely making the playoffs.
He still hasn't won the Cup, something that would certainly complete a career that has already given him just about everything else.
Plenty of players have come through Edmonton over the past 16 seasons, some by choice and others through trades that were supposed to improve the team. Nugent-Hopkins has remained through all of it, signing an eight-year extension in 2021 that made his intentions to finish his career in Edmonton pretty clear.
"This was the dream when I got drafted, and I haven't wavered throughout my whole career that I want to be an Edmonton Oiler," Nugent-Hopkins said on Tuesday. "Start my career here, finish my career here. It means a ton to me."
McDavid, who has spent his entire NHL career alongside Nugent-Hopkins, also acknowledged what his teammate has meant to the organization.
"You think early in his career, they missed the playoffs for however many years, and not a lot of guys get to see a rebuild all the way through and see the other side of it," McDavid said. "He's done that, and it's a big credit to him for his commitment to the city, to the organization, and to the fanbase."
It's fitting that Nugent-Hopkins now holds a record previously belonging to Lowe, another player whose career was closely tied to the Oilers organization.
Lowe won five Stanley Cups in Edmonton and was part of the franchise's greatest era. Nugent-Hopkins has spent his career trying to help bring another cup back to this city.
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On Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks did not have practice ahead of leaving for their road trip. They will begin the trip with a match against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. Florida is still a very good team and already has a win over the Blackhawks this season.
For this trip, the Blackhawks will be without Patrick Kane, who was injured (upper body) in Monday's loss to the Colorado Avalanche at the United Center.
To make sure that they have enough forwards with them on the trip, the Blackhawks called up forward Dillon Boucher from the Rockford IceHogs. To make room on the roster, they placed Bowen Byram on Injured Reserve. The transaction is retroactive to 10/15, so Byram can return at any time.
Boucher is not someone who is going to come in and help the Blackhawks offensively. He has 0 points in 7 games played with Rockford and has been a healthy scratch over their last few games. He is an enforcer who is not afraid to drop the mitts, but it would be surprising if he dresses at all for the Blackhawks unless there is another injury on the trip.
When Kane went down, the initial plan was to call Nick Lardis back up. Lardis started the year in the NHL after a strong finish last year and a good camp/preseason, but was sent down after a slow start to the regular season. That was unable to be the move due to the fact that Lardis is now injured. Rockford announced on Tuesday that Lardis would miss 1-2 weeks with a lower-body injury.
Lardis would have been a good call-up, as he has started to get going with his point production in the AHL. He just needed to regain some confidence, and it appears to be back. In 7 games played, he has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points.
Boucher being the call-up is surprising, but the Blackhawks likely know that whoever they call up isn't going to play, and there are certain players that they would rather suit up for the IceHogs during that time.
For one, Dominic Toninato and Landon Slaggert, who are usually the top-two call-up candidates, but there might be something to them helping the IceHogs win instead of sitting in an NHL press box.
Three prospects, Sacha Boisvert, AJ Spellacy, and Marek Vanacker, entered camp hoping to eventually play in the NHL this season. Boisvert made his NHL debut last spring, while the other two are waiting for that day.
It hasn't been the start to their 2026-27 AHL season that they had hoped for. They went in trying to force their way up to the NHL, but that hasn't happened. All of them bring something a little bit different, but they are all players who are expected to contribute offensively. The reality is that all three players have a combined 0 points.
Points are not everything, but the Blackhawks would like their top three AHL prospects to get on the board and start to build a resume worthy of a look in the NHL. Of course, being a sound defensive player is first and foremost when trying to carve an NHL career, but you also have to contribute a little bit if you're going to stick around.
On Thursday, the IceHogs will visit the Iowa Wild. On Saturday, they will host the Grand Rapids Griffins in Rockford. During this stretch, these three prospects would love to score. That would also help the IceHogs improve on their lousy 4-6-0-0 start. Their 8 standing points already have them 10 behind the Griffins for first in their division. Without contributions from these young players, they will fall way out of it quickly.
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Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver's last game. This article will focus on the Canucks’ most recent 5–4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Jake DeBrusk
November has historically been a good month for Jake DeBrusk; his performance last night against Anaheim may indicate that he’s bound for a heater. The forward scored two goals in Vancouver’s Tuesday-night loss but was easily one of the team’s stronger offensive players in the effort.
Even before winding up on the scoresheet, DeBrusk made his presence known in the O-zone. He got to the net on many occasions and attempted to generate chances for his team. The winger’s effort resulted in him recording the second-most scoring chances-for on Vancouver with 15. DeBrusk also had three shots, one block, and one hit.
Liam Öhgren
Liam Öhgren got things going against the Ducks with his first-career power-play goal to open the scoring for Vancouver. This marked his third goal in the past four games, now tying him with Brock Boeser for the second-most goals on the Canucks with five. Tuesday marked the fourth game this season that he has played over 16 minutes in, as he skated in 16:05.
Öhgren nearly had a second goal on the night as well with an impressive effort to win control over a puck against Jackson LaCombe on a break, putting the puck into Anaheim’s net but ultimately not scoring due to a hooking penalty called on him.
Jacob Quillan
Jacob Quillan continues to surprise people after joining Vancouver as part of the Aatu Räty trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. While he put forth strong offensive efforts in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks (5G, 2A in 7GP), in his second game with Vancouver, it was his toughness that went on full-display.
Of the five fights the Canucks registered on Tuesday night, Quillan was part of two of them. He became the first Canuck to record two fighting majors in one game since Tom Sestito back in January of 2014. Offensively, however, Quillan’s line featuring himself, Drew O’Connor, and Linus Karlsson also found some offensive success — particularly during the second period.
Nov 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Jeff Malott (39) checks Vancouver Canucks forward Liam Ohgren (92) behind the net in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Montreal Canadiens hosted the poor Winnipeg Jets at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. The visitors came to town having lost their last nine games, making them, at least on paper, easy prey for the Sainte-Flanelle, but the match is played on the ice as Montreal found out. The game also gave us a chance to see the new Hometown Remix jerseys in action, as the hosts wore them for the first of 10 times this year.
As has been the case lately, a lot of scouting staff were in the press gallery. Most notably, the Anaheim Ducks sent director of pro scouting and former Quebec Nordiques player Tony Hrkac; the Calgary Flames sent head of pro scouting Steven Pleau; the Dallas Stars sent head pro scout Craig Bonner; and the Philadelphia Flyers sent assistant GM Alyn McCauley. Given how close to a crash landing the Jets were, though, it’s a real possibility that they were the team being scouted.
The Jets may have three netminders on their roster, but they keep going back to Stuart Skinner for reasons unknown. He has been in net for six of the Jets' last nine losses and surrendered five goals in each of his last two starts, being yanked out of the game both times.
In the first frame, the Habs tested him only seven times, but that was enough to score twice. Owen Beck beat him from the defensive-zone left faceoff circle, and Josh Anderson beat him on a backhand from the high slot. That made the Bell Centre crowd start chanting his name with the same energy as Superintendent Chalmers, A.K.A. Hank Azaria, whenever Seymour Skinner messed up on The Simpsons.
In the next two periods, the Habs had seven more shots, but they could add only one goal in each. That was a 4-0 lead that should have been enough for the Canadiens to skate away with the two points, but it wasn’t. Skinner had the last laugh and won a game for the first time since October 13.
A Proud Moment For the Xhekaj Family
By now, the Xhekajs are used to playing together, but on Tuesday night, for the first time, they both had a hand in the same goal. Each brother got an assist on Beck’s tally. They became the ninth set of brothers in Canadiens’ history to get a point on the same goal. The last pair to do it was the Kostistyn brothers in 2009, but Odie and Sprague Cleghorn first accomplished the feat more than 100 years ago, on March 5, 1925. Unfortunately for the Xhekajs, though, that won’t be what their night will be remembered for.
Fowler Power
While the Canadiens were heavily favoured to win, they led for 58 minutes, but as Martin St-Louis said, they were winning, but they weren’t beating the Jets. If the youngster looked human in his last start against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was in top form on Tuesday, multiplying the saves and throwing in some spectacular ones as well. After 40 minutes, he had already made 30 saves, and it looked like he was getting to the Jets, but they didn’t give up.
Although Fowler gave up five goals on the night, the loss wasn't on him at all. After the game, Jets coach Scott Arniel said:
“...that young Fowler kid? Wow... that’s twice now I’ve seen him, and I don’t want to see him again..."
- Arniel on Fowler
That illustrates how well Fowler played, and the Jets coach will be happy to know that was the last game between the two teams this season.
An Historical Collapse
With a 4-0 lead in the third frame, Arber Xhekaj dropped the gloves against Winnipeg’s tough guy Tyrel Bauer, a tilt most people had predicted before the puck dropped. Although he hadn’t fought in nearly 10 months, Xhekaj won his bout and received an ovation from the crowd on his way to the box. In the very next shift, the Canadiens dominated puck possession in the Jets’ zone, and it looked like the fight had given them momentum. However, a little over two minutes later, Florian joined him in the box for roughing while Neil Pionk suffered the same fate for the Jets.
As soon as their penalty ended, the younger Xhekaj jumped on Pionk and tried to get him to fight, but the defenseman had none of it. Captain Adam Lowry took over, threw his mitts against number 63, and made short work of the bout. With 4:58 left in the game, it was a big momentum swing.
With 2:40 left in the game, the Jets got on the board and added another 42 seconds later. A minute later, with six skaters on the ice, they scored a third and then, on a power play, a fourth at 19:27. They finished the job in overtime on a Lane Hutson turnover, point, set, and match Winnipeg. No matter how you look at it, the better team on the night won.
Speaking after the game, St-Louis refused to blame either Xhekaj for the loss:
We got what we deserved if you look at the whole game. Forget about the score or anything else; Winnipeg was the better team tonight. But it was 4-0, and they scored with 2:40 to go; it’s how you let that game slip away…it’s a shame, and it’s hard to explain how it happened. I’ve never been part of a game like that. […] The first fight was ok; in the second, we led 4-0 with five minutes left. I don’t think that, at that point, you think it will affect the game.
- St-Louis refused to throw Florian Xhekaj under the bus.
The Canadiens will need to bounce back from that tough loss, but as Kaiden Guhle said, it’s similar to the loss against the San Jose Sharks and, just like then, the sun will come up in the morning. Still, the NHL confirmed that this four-goal comeback was the latest in league history. No team had ever been down by four with 2:40 left and managed to win the game. That’s hardly a record the Canadiens wanted to be a part of.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 03: The New Jersey Devils celebrate a second period goal by Jack Hughes #86 against the Edmonton Oilers at Prudential Center on November 03, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Jack Hughes stayed hot with two goals, and Connor Hellebuyck sealed a 4-3 shootout win for the Devils over the Oilers on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
Seems good!
Keefe hard-matched Nico Hischier against McDavid. The results:
– 73.7 xG% vs. McDavid in nearly 10 minutes of ice time – 0 goals allowed – McDavid did not have a 5v5 point#NJDevils
“Welcome to the Arseny Gritsyuk breakout season. It’s early, but the New Jersey Devils seem to have found the top-six winger they’ve been needing since the 2023-24 season.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
Hockey Links
Not surprising, but there is interest in trading for Nikita Kucherov: “Nearly every team in the NHL this past weekend talked about it internally. Seriously. Like, at least 25 teams. ‘Some teams may lie to you, but 31 teams will want 86,’ one NHL GM said.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Nikita Kucherov explained Monday why he told the Tampa Bay Lightning he would not re-sign and asked them for a trade. ‘It was never about the money for me,’ he said. ‘It was more about poor communication and respect. Over the last four months, we only have had two conversations, and (general manager Julien BriseBois) in the end made it clear that I’m free to walk on July 1.’” [NHL.com]
“Kucherov, 33, has a 10-team list of teams to which he’d accept a trade. I’m hearing there’s no rush on his part to make a decision on where he’d like to play next, so we shouldn’t anticipate a trade particularly soon barring a drastic change in his desire to play for Tampa in the present. But if a trade does happen – keeping in mind we don’t know all 10 teams on Kucherov’s list – who would be the most intriguing and/or logical fits? Let’s spitball.” [Daily Faceoff]
“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Russia will not be allowed to play at the upcoming world junior hockey tournament, adding to a growing boycott led by European federations ahead of the men’s tournament next year in Germany.” [Associated Press]
The latest on the Dylan Larkin situation: “The Red Wings would have you believe that there is no offer that has been made from that group of 10 teams that they’re willing to work with because the offers haven’t been good enough.” [TSN]
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 03: Tomas Hertl #48 of the Vegas Golden Knights scores a power play goal during the first period of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 03, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night after special-teams struggles cost them another game, as they failed to capitalize on key power-play opportunities, including a lengthy two-man advantage in the third period. [Recap]
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he is satisfied with the Hoffmann family’s acquisition of the Penguins, citing the family’s business track record and passion for sports. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete at next month’s World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta as long as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. [Sportsnet]
Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla revealed he is battling neurological health issues that may be related to metal toxins from a reaction to his cobalt hip implant following hip replacement surgery. The 49-year-old said complications and medications have affected his energy, weight and speech. [Sportsnet]
The Winnipeg Jets placed forward Brad Lambert on waivers Tuesday after the 2022 first-round pick recorded just one assist in 11 games this season. Lambert can be sent to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose if he goes unclaimed. [TSN]
A strong market is reportedly developing for Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov despite his reported asking price of a six-year contract worth at least $20 million annually. [TSN]
One more day till the Islanders are back in action, hosting the Cup champ Carolina Hurricanes and debuting their fisherman hometown remix unis.
Meanwhile, we wait and they practice:
Gross on the Isles D: What it lacks in speed, it makes up for in Matthew Schaefer playing half the game. [Newsday]
Ben Hutton skates on a PTO with the hope of earning a deal. If it doesn’t happen, the end could come suddenly. [Post | Isles]
Other practice updates: Still no Ryan Pulock, Matias Maccelli or Cal Ritchie. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Russia was supposedly going to be allowed back into at least juniors IIHF play, but several countries said they won’t play them, and Canada says they can’t be in their WJC. [Sportsnet]
Teams are lining up for a crack at Nikita Kucherov. [Athletic]
Winnipeg broke an NHL record with a four-goal comeback in the final 2:39. That broke their nine-game winless streak. The host Habs and their Montreal fans were the stunned victims. [NHL]
The Blue Jackets, also wearing their “hometown remix” threads, blew out the Avalanche. [NHL]
Cutter Gauthier notched his second straight hat trick. [NHL]
Jarome Iginla is dealing with some health issues, suspects it could be related to his cobalt hip replacement. [Sportsnet]
The former Colorado Avalanche forward finished with a goal and an assist as the Nashville Predators picked up a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. Colton capped off his two-point performance with an empty-net goal in the final minute to put the game away.
Colton's departure came after a frustrating end to his time in Colorado. He was left out of the lineup for the first two games of the Avalanche's opening-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings before returning to action later in the series. Now with Nashville, he's looking to make the most of a fresh start.
Ross Colton's tenure in Colorado ended on a sour note.
Roman Josi also had a goal and an assist, while Filip Forsberg chipped in with two helpers. Nashville has now won two straight.
The Predators opened the scoring late in the first period when Nick Perbix found the back of the net for the first time this season. Forsberg created the opportunity by stealing the puck from Sean Walker and sending a cross-ice pass to Perbix, who beat Pyotr Kochetkov with a wrist shot at the 11:32 mark.
Forsberg and Josi connected again early in the second period. Josi came down the left side and finished off another cross-ice feed with a tap-in at 3:29, giving Nashville a 2-0 lead.
Carolina got one back at 10:28 when Jackson Blake scored on a rebound. Josi blocked his initial attempt, but Blake stayed with the play and beat Juuse Saros with a backhand. The goal extended Blake's career-best point streak to seven games, with three goals and six assists during that stretch.
Adam Edstrom restored Nashville's two-goal advantage at 5:40 of the third period, scoring his sixth goal of the season and setting a new career high.
Colton's empty-netter in the final minute sealed the 4-1 victory. It's always nice to see a former Av find success with a new team, and Tuesday was certainly a good night for the Nashville forward.
Saros finished with 29 saves for the Predators, while Kochetkov stopped 16 shots. The loss was Kochetkov's first of the season, ending a remarkable run of 10 consecutive wins to start the year. He became just the third goaltender in NHL history to win each of his first 10 decisions in a season.
The defeat also snapped Carolina's four-game winning streak, while Nashville heads into its next game having won back-to-back contests.
Boston Bruins (11-4-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-8-2, in the Metropolitan Division)
Pittsburgh; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Boston Bruins after the Bruins took down the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout.
Pittsburgh has a 4-1-1 record in home games and a 5-8-2 record overall. The Penguins have gone 2-3-1 in one-goal games.
Boston has a 4-3-1 record in road games and an 11-4-1 record overall. The Bruins have committed 75 total penalties (4.7 per game) to rank fifth in the league.
The teams meet Thursday for the first time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Evgeni Malkin has six goals and five assists for the Penguins. Rickard Rakell has five goals and two assists over the past 10 games.
David Pastrnak has eight goals and 12 assists for the Bruins. James Hagens has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 3-6-1, averaging 2.8 goals, five assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.
Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 5.9 assists, 4.8 penalties and 11.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Penguins: Bryan Rust: out (lower-body), Trevor van Riemsdyk: out (lower body), Ryan Graves: out (lower-body), Elmer Soderblom: out (upper-body), Evgeni Malkin: day to day (lower-body).
Bruins: Matthew Poitras: day to day (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Interested in Top Blackhawks ForwardAccording to a report, the Philadelphia Flyers are admiring Chicago Blackhawks center Frank Nazar from afar.
Flyers Strong Fit for Former 1st-Round Pick on NHL Waiver WireThe Philadelphia Flyers desperately need to take a chance on talented center Brad Lambert on the NHL waiver wire.
