Lenni Hameenaho was recalled to the New Jersey Devils from the American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets on Tuesday, February 17.
The forward was recalled by the Devils on February 17, just before the end of the Olympic break. Earlier this season, he made his NHL debut on January 19. The 2023 second-round selection for the Devils played in nine games with the team this season. Hameenaho earned four points in nine games, two goals and two assists.
At just 21 years old, Hameenaho has transitioned to the NHL well. Head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke about his adjustment to the big leagues on NJD.tv on Thursday.
"It's been obvious that he belongs here,” Keefe said. “He’s a young player who has the ability to go up and down without requiring waivers. You don’t really know what it’s going to be like day-to-day, but his play before the break showed that he can help our team and play in the NHL."
Despite his easy adaptation to the NHL, there is still just under half the season to play. Keefe acknowledged that it will be a long road for Hameenaho.
“We’ve got to keep working with him as a coaching staff to keep adapting to the league as the sort of honeymoon phase wears off, there’s a long list of guys that come up to the NHL for a short period of time and have success, but can’t really sustain it. It’s a reason why you want to keep guys in the American League longer, especially prospects, so that when they come up, they show that they’re ready and they don’t have to go back,” Keefe said. “That’s what we hope to be the case, and from what we saw before the break, there’s no reason to believe otherwise.”
Hammehao will re-join the Devils after logging one game with the Comets.
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The 2026 NHL trade deadline, which falls on March 6 this year, is officially less than two weeks away. In that short period of time, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to have to make some important decisions with long-term implications.
Sitting at a mediocre 25-20-11, the Flyers are eight points out of the second wildcard playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and eight points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.
MoneyPuck gives the Flyers a measly 10.7% chance of reaching the postseason, which are the ninth-worst odds in the NHL by their metrics.
So, with that all being said, all signs point to the Flyers being forced to sell at the trade deadline once again.
Having already re-signed Christian Dvorak to a five-year pact, the Flyers are down one less trade chip, but they do have a few pieces that could at least make the deadline interesting.
Rasmus Ristolainen, now an Olympic Bronze medalist, is the biggest fish in the Flyers' pond, and he's at a point in his contract that could be the sweet spot for contending teams.
The 31-year-old has two years left on his contract at a $5.1 million cap hit, and the Flyers, who will have the retention in the Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton trades come off their books this summer, should feel free to use their last remaining retention slot to maximize Ristolainen's value with minimal long-term consequences.
Of course, the Flyers really like the player, and Ristolainen has experienced a career resurgence over his last few seasons in Philadelphia. At the same time, does it really make sense for the Flyers to hold onto a veteran who's suffered a season-ending injury two years in a row?
Of note, in regards to pending RFA Christian Kyrou, Flyers GM Danny Briere told The Hockey News that the team will evaluate the prospect's future with the club "after the trade deadline."
Ristolainen, alongside Emil Andrae (RFA) and Noah Juulsen (UFA) are among the defensemen who could get moved to clear a roster spot for Kyrou so that the Flyers can get a better look at the surging prospect in an NHL environment.
Plus, the Flyers recently had prospects Hunter McDonald and Oliver Bonk up to practice with the NHL squad, filling in for Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim, who are, of course, at the Olympics.
If the Flyers fall any further out of playoff contention, it would behoove them to get extended looks at the young players they feel will have a future with the organization.
It's worth mentioning that McDonald himself is a pending RFA, and Adam Ginning and Maxence Guenette, who each have a handful of games of NHL experience, are on expiring deals, too.
In short, the Flyers have a lot of defensemen to evaluate and not a lot of time to do it.
It would come as a major surprise if the Flyers did not move on from at least one defender on the current NHL roster by the deadline on the 6th.
As for the forwards, veteran grinders Nick Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway will have close to no value. Carl Grundstrom, who's been something of a pleasant surprise for the Flyers, might have been a more attractive piece to contenders if not for his $1.8 million cap hit.
Bobby Brink, though, at age 24 and a slightly more modest $1.5 million cap hit, would be a smart buy for a playoff team that intends to keep him beyond this season.
The diminutive winger has a respectable 13 goals, 11 assists, and 24 points in 50 games for the Flyers in a checking role, but it's only a matter of time before the imminent arrival of Porter Martone forces Brink or another winger off the Flyers.
As for potential Flyers trade targets, star St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas should be at the very top of the list, though that deal might be one best saved for the offseason rather than an in-season deal.
As a writer, given the Flyers' lack of projectable centers, I'm always looking for ways the Flyers can find depth and quality down the middle.
Buy-low options like Marco Kasper, Cole Sillinger, Adam Fantilli, Shane Wright, and Hendrix Lapierre all make sense to varying degrees, though the Flyers may not be interested in some, and others (namely Fantilli) may not be available.
Centers are always more expensive on the trade market, though, and the Flyers may find it easier to capitalize on their glut of wingers by moving to address their weak defensive depth instead.
Assuming Andrae and Juulsen don't have futures with the team, the Flyers would ideally like to find a left-shot defender to take some responsibility off the aging Nick Seeler while contributing to the penalty kill.
Pavel Mintyukov from Anaheim would be a dream long-term contributor, but the Flyers are much more likely to target someone with the profile of a Mario Ferraro or Mattias Samuelsson. Middle-aged, inexpensive, defense-oriented players that might benefit from a change of scenery.
And, to that end, if the Flyers haven't decided to move on from backup goalie Sam Ersson by now, there won't be any changes until the offseason. Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov are each pending RFAs and should be pitted against each other to battle for a future with the club.
PRAGUE — The storied hockey career of Jaromir Jagr might be coming to an end.
Currently in his 38th professional season, with his hometown Kladno Knights in the Czech league, the former NHL great strongly suggested that fans might not get to see him on the ice any more.
“Probably not,” Jagr said in an interview published late Friday on his Instagram account. “It would have to be a miracle. God would have to come, enter me and make me 15 years younger.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if Jagr will play again this season. The winger, who turned 54 on Feb. 15, has played just six games in the league for Kladno this season. His last game so far was on Dec. 21.
Jagr, who represented his country at five Olympics and led the Czechs to gold in Nagano in 1998, said he spent the last 10 days watching the Milan Cortina Games on television.
“I do nothing else but eat and watch TV,” he said. This is the first Olympics with NHL players in a dozen years and Jagr appreciated that.
“It’s the best tournament in the last 10-15 years, certainly because of the presence of NHL players,” he said. “The games are great.”
But besides following hockey, short-track speed skating and figure skating, Jagr said he is trying to keep fit after recently gaining some 4-5 kilograms (9-11 pounds).
“It’s really about discipline,” Jagr said. “The worst thing is when you don’t have to. Sometimes, it’s better when you have to. When you don’t have to, forcing yourself is the hardest thing,” he said.
“I keep myself going. I try, I don’t train to be ready to play, but I try to go skating every day if I have time.”
Jagr made his debut for Kladno at age 16 and returned to the club in 2018 when the Calgary Flames released him. Jagr remains second on the NHL’s all-time points list behind Wayne Gretzky. Jagr won the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins in his first two NHL seasons.
Until early last year, Jagr served in dual roles as Kladno player and owner, splitting his time between chasing sponsors and dealing with administrative duties and ice time.
He sold a majority stake in Kladno last January in a season he had previously suggested would be his last but wasn’t.
This season, if still playing, he has a chance to make the playoffs with Kladno for the first time.
The Montreal Canadiens had played 57 games before the NHL entered its Olympic break, leaving them with 25 games left in the regular season. 13 of the remaining 25 games will be played at home, where the Habs have a 16-11-1 record, a plus-three goal differential, an 18.9 % success rate on the power play and an 81% success rate on the penalty kill. Meanwhile, they have a 16-6-7 record away from the Bell Centre with a plus-11 goal differential, and their power-play efficiency is 28.1%, while their penalty kill is only 73.5%.
Of course, with so little time left before the end of the season, it will be a hectic schedule, including three four-game weeks, with four back-to-backs. 11 of the 25 games will be against teams that are currently in playoff position, and 14 games will be against teams that are currently on the outside looking in. That’s not necessarily good news, as some of these teams will be fighting with desperation to get in, but on the flip side, there may be a few that have already given up.
The Canadiens are currently in second place in the Atlantic Division, six points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have been on fire of late, winning their last five games and posting an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. Jon Cooper’s men seem to be on their way to a Division Championship, and Martin St-Louis and co. will face them twice before the end of the season, that’s no easy task.
Montreal will also have to lock horns with the Carolina Hurricanes twice before the end of the season. Rod Brind’Amour’s team is currently first in the Metropolitan Division, has won its last three games, and has an 8-0-2 record in its last 10 games, and it hasn’t lost in regulation since January 13.
Just like last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets are fighting for their survival, and they were on a big roll before the break. They’ve won their last seven games and are 9-0-1 in their last 10. They sit four points out of the playoffs as we speak, but they do have a game in hand on the Boston Bruins. Will they remain hot long enough? In any case, that’s another team Montreal will have to face twice before the end of the regular season.
There’s one team that they’ll need to face three times, though: Patrick Roy’s New York Islanders. The Isles are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division and have won their last two games. They’ll visit the Canadiens on February 26th when Montreal returns to action, and it will be crucial for the Habs to pick up where they left off.
The Habs have done very well so far this season, but the road ahead is a challenging one, and they’ll need to be even better if they want to book their playoff spot well in advance of the end of the season.
In a surprising turn of events, the Vancouver Canucks have been faced with yet another case of bad injury news. As per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, Canucks prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki will reportedly undergo shoulder surgery that will keep him out for the remainder of the 2025–26 season.
Lekkerimäki had been off to a fantastic season in the AHL despite bouncing up and down from Vancouver to Abbotsford. The forward had 13 goals and seven assists in 21 games played with the Abbotsford Canucks while also tallying two goals and one assist in 13 games at the NHL level.
Injury-wise, the Canucks prospect’s season did not get off to the most ideal start, as the forward left Vancouver’s game on October 19 against the Washington Capitals due to injury and did not end up returning to play until around a month after. He missed some more time near the end of December leading into the start of January as well.
Vancouver returns to action on February 25 with a home-matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Jan 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) during a stop in play against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Former Edmonton Oilers goalie prospect Olivier Rodrigue has found a new home.
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they have signed Rodrigue for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
Rodrigue's time with the Oilers came to an end this past off-season after the Pacific Division club elected not to send him a qualifying offer. From there, he became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and ended up signing with Barys Astana of the KHL.
Yet, Rodrigue never made an appearance for Barys Astana, as he got injured and had his contract terminated. Now, after signing this deal with the Blackhawks, he should get into some game action with their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
The Oilers selected Rodrigue with the 62nd overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 25-year-old goaltender then went on to play 131 games over five seasons with the Oilers' AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, where he had a 61-52-15 record, a 2.92 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage, and two shutouts.
While Rodrigue spent plenty of time in the Oilers' system, he only played in his first two NHL regular-season games for Edmonton this past season. During them, the former Oilers prospect had a 0-1-0 record, a .862 save percentage, and a 3.10 goals-against average.
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they have signed goaltender Olivier Rodrigue to a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
The Blackhawks signing Rodrigue comes after Rockford IceHogs goalie Stanislav Berezhnoy was suspended for 20 games. Now, Rodrigue will provide the IceHogs with more goalie depth during this final stretch of the year.
Rodrigue started this season with Barys Astana but never appeared in a game for the KHL club due to injury before being released. Now, after landing this deal with the Blackhawks, the 25-year-old will be getting his campaign started. by the
Rodrigue was selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the 62nd overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In two games with the Oilers during this past season, he had a 0-1-0 record and a .862 save percentage.
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski is one of several promising youngsters in the Original Six club's system. The Blackhawks are hoping that the 2022 seventh-overall pick will become a big part of their blueline in the future, as he has good upside and skill.
With Wyatt Kaiser out due to injury, Korchinski was recently called up to the Blackhawks' roster with Sam Rinzel from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. With this, Korchinski now has a big opportunity to show the Blackhawks what he can do with the NHL club.
Korchinski has only played in two games this season with Chicago, where he has recorded one assist and a minus-2 rating. This was after he had one goal and one assist in just 16 games for Chicago in 2024-25. With this, he has not seen a ton of time on the Blackhawks' roster after playing in 76 games with Chicago during his rookie year in 2023-24.
If Korchinski stands out during this latest chance on the NHL roster, it undoubtedly should help his chances of sticking around on the Blackhawks' roster. As a result, there is no question that the left-shot defenseman has an exciting opportunity in front of him, and it will be fascinating to see what he can do with it from here.
In 45 games this season with the IceHogs, Korchinski has recorded two goals, 21 assists, and 23 points.
Once the NHL Olympic roster freeze lifts, the Philadelphia Flyers will be a team to keep an eye on. With the Flyers currently being eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, there is a chance that they will be sellers ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
If the Flyers decide to be sellers, they will have some trade candidates to keep an eye on. One of them would be defenseman Noah Juulsen.
Juulsen is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and could end up generating some interest leading up to the deadline. It is no secret that contenders are always looking for big right-shot defenseman, and the 6-foot-2 Juulsen fits that description.
Juulsen could be a solid addition for a playoff club looking to improve its defensive depth. The 2015 first-round pick also plays a physical game, so that also could make him an interesting target for contenders.
Juulsen's contract also adds to his appeal, as he has a cheap $900,000 cap hit. With this, several teams would be able to afford him with ease.
Ultimately, with playoff teams always looking for extra defensemen, it would not be particularly surprising if Juulsen generated some interest if the Flyers do not extend him by the deadline. It will be interesting to see what happens with the 28-year-old defenseman from here.
In 42 games this season with the Flyers, Juulsen has recorded one goal, nine points, 87 hits, and a plus-2 rating.
The Pittsburgh Penguins should be looking to improve their defensive depth ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. It is clear that they could use at least one more bottom-pairing defenseman, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have a potential option for them to consider in blueliner Simon Benoit.
With the Maple Leafs having a down year and several NHL-caliber defensemen, Benoit has been the subject of trade rumors this season. If the Maple Leafs officially listen to offers for him, the Penguins should consider making a push for him.
If the Penguins acquired Benoit, they would be bringing in a gritty stay-at-home defenseman who can play both sides. With this, the 27-year-old defenseman could be a nice fit on the Penguins' bottom pairing. However, even if he served as their seventh defenseman, his versatility would undoubtedly make him a useful player for Pittsburgh to have around. This is especially so for when injuries arise.
Benoit would also be more than a rental for the Penguins if acquired, as he has a $1.35 million cap hit until the end of next season. With the Penguins focused on both the present and the future, Benoit having term on his deal could add to his appeal.
Nevertheless, with the Penguins in need of another solid defensive defenseman, Benoit would make a lot of sense for them to target. It will be interesting to see if the Penguins pursue the 6-foot-4 defenseman from here.
The past few days at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. have been busy for the Pittsburgh Penguins, even without four of their regular players.
Starting Tuesday, the Penguins' roster - minus Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Arturs Silovs - returned to practice, and they've practiced for four consecutive days. In the last few, however, word spread quickly that Crosby was injured during Canada's quarterfinal matchup against Czechia on Wednesday, and that lower-body injury held him out of Canada's semifinal game against Finland on Friday.
The past few days at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. have been busy for the Pittsburgh Penguins, even without four of their regular players.
Starting Tuesday, the Penguins' roster - minus Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Arturs Silovs - returned to practice, and they've practiced for four consecutive days. In the last few, however, word spread quickly that Crosby was injured during Canada's quarterfinal matchup against Czechia on Wednesday, and that lower-body injury held him out of Canada's semifinal game against Finland on Friday.
Obviously, losing Crosby is just about the worst blow that could happen to the Penguins. The severity of Crosby's injury is not known, and it is unclear at this point if he figures to miss any sustantial amount of time.
But, should that be the case, the Penguins are confident enough that their "next man up" mentality will still be able to help them string together some wins - as has been the case all season long.
"We've kind of had it all year, in a sense, where we've had a lot of injuries," defenseman Ryan Graves said. "Geno missed a little bit of time, Tanger's missed time, Karl's missed time, Rusty’s missed a little bit of time. That’s, kind of, been our M.O. a little bit.
It happens to most teams. Injuries happen, so it is what it is. But, I mean, we always hope for the best. I hope he can play there, but obviously, hope for him to be healthy as well. But, it is what it is. We’ll make the most of it.”
Even if, in the grand scheme of things, players didn't get all that much actual time off, this consecutive string of practices - the Penguins practiced Feb. 17-20, will practice Feb. 22-23 and again on Feb. 25 ahead of return-to-play - is something they believe will benefit them.
After all, it's not often that they get a training camp-llike schedule of practice time to work on some of the details that they don't otherwise always have time for.
“Even before the break, we weren’t having a lot of practices. Our practices were morning skates,” Shea said. “And everyone knows those skates. They’re a quick 20 minutes, and then, you’re off. Having all these practices is nice and it’s gonna be much-needed because I think it’s, like, 17 games in March? I mean, with that type of schedule, and you’re not going to be able to practice much in March, and you’re not going to be able to work on whether it’s structure for a team or individual skills.
“So, you get seven or eight practices before we play our next game, and I think they’re huge.”
Head coach Dan Muse stressed that it's not exactly like a training camp, but it's an opportunity for them to work on details until their other four players are back from Milan.
"It is unique in that it’s almost like a tune-up in-season where you can take some different things that we want to focus in on,” Muse said. “Some of them are areas that we like about our game and that we just want to make sure we’re coming out of the break and we’re sharp, and other areas, too, between these last couple days and the four practices that will be coming up after the day off, some areas within the game that we want to just fine-tune a little bit.
“I don’t think this time of year that you want to make massive changes, but you can maybe make some little tweaks on some areas that you want to focus in on within our team game.”
Of course, Crosby's status is still unclear. But, if they do need to call on someone, forward Avery Hayes seems like the obvious choice right now, even if he's not a center.
In addition to scoring two goals in his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5, Hayes has 10 goals and 12 points in his last 10 AHL games. He is on an absolute heater, and that hasn't gone unnoticed by Muse and his staff.
And Muse will keep his options open.
"I think we're always having conversations. I'm having conversations with management, I'm having conversations with [WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald] in Wilkes and getting updates," Muse said. "I think he's done a very good job this year, too, of just... One, he positioned himself when that opportunity was there, or a potential opportunity in that Buffalo game, just based on the work that he has done this year - especially as of late - for him to kind of earn that opportunity.
"And then, he's another guy who took full advantage of it, and you saw the impact he made in that game. Then, there's obviously been follow-up there from him in terms of his play. So, that's great by him, and that stuff doesn't go unnoticed."
I spoke to Shea about Ben Kindel tagging along last-minute with he, Kevin Hayes, Connor Dewar, and a few other guys on their trip to Anguilla, and Shea was thrilled that the rookie was able to come along on the trip.
He mentioned that it was initially Hayes's idea, but that they were delighted to invite him to a place that he, likely, had never been before. And - evidently - Kindel was excited about the opportunity to hang out with his teammates and have some fun in the Caribbean over the break.
"It's actually hilarious because, when we asked him, he immediately said 'yes,'" Shea said.
With his 149th point as a member of the Abbotsford Canucks, Arshdeep Bains has set a new franchise record in all-time points. The forward’s 47 goals and 102 assists as a member of Abbotsford passes the record set by Linus Karlsson last year. Bains registered his 149th point with the AHL Canucks by scoring a short-handed goal against the Henderson Silver Knights tonight.
Bains first joined Abbotsford after signing an entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022. He made his AHL debut on October 14 against the Ontatio Reign, also scoring his first AHL goal during this game. In his first season with Abbotsford, Bains scored 13 goals and potted 25 assists in 66 games played.
The seasons after were when Bains began to showcase his offensive skills. In 2023–24, he put up 55 points in 59 games with Abbotsford and made his NHL debut with Vancouver on February 20 against the Colorado Avalanche. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Classic in that season and earned MVP honours. In 2024–25, he scored 43 points in 50 games and was an instrumental piece in Abbotsford’s Calder Cup win.
Bains began the 2025–26 season with Vancouver but rejoined Abbotsford for two separate stints. Throughout his time in the AHL this season, the forward has scored seven goals and sixassists in 17 games played. He is currently tied for eighth on his team in points.
With Bains now holding the franchise record in all-time points, Karlsson (148), Christian Wolanin (124), Sheldon Dries (118), and Tristen Nielsen (115) all trail him to make up the club’s top-five. Karlsson still holds sole possession of the franchise lead in goals (70), while Wolanin leads in overall assists (109).
Oct 13, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Arshdeep Bains (13) skates against the St. Louis Blues in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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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New York Rangers center Matt Rempe (73) and New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech (3) fight during the second period when the New York Islanders played the New York Rangers Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY.
Matt Rempe is probably giving this season a thumbs down.
The Rangers forward is set to undergo a second procedure on his left thumb and is heading to injured reserve, The Post’s Mollie Walker reported Friday.
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After missing 24 games — including the entirety of November — and finally returning in mid-December, Rempe revealed he had undergone surgery after breaking his thumb in “many places” during the heavyweight bout.
Rempe admitted adrenaline kept him from feeling the injury until well after the fight.
In January, despite practicing fully, Rempe was a healthy scratch for seven games with the lingering effects of the thumb issue not allowing the hulking forward to play at his best level.
New York Rangers center Matt Rempe (73) and New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech (3) fight during the second period when the New York Islanders played the New York Rangers Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
New York Rangers center Matt Rempe and San Jose Sharks right wing Ryan Reaves get into a scuffle in the first period at Madison Square Garden in New York, October 23, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
“Like, any time I don’t catch a puck perfectly, it felt like a hot potato on my stick. And like stick battles, I was dropping my stick multiple times a game, and any stick battles, if someone’s stick-lifting me, that puck’s gone.”
He did return to the Rangers lineup on Jan. 26 and played in the team’s final five games before the 2026 Winter Olympics break.
The 6-foot-9 winger has just one point in 26 games this season, a goal against the Penguins on Oct. 11.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a team to keep an eye on leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. With the Penguins in second place in the Metropolitan Division standings, they are setting themselves up to be buyers.
One area that the Penguins should look to address leading up to the trade deadline is the right side of their blueline. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke stands out as a very interesting option for the Penguins to consider.
While the Bruins currently hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference standings, Peeke's name has been floating around the rumor mill. If the Bruins make him available, the Penguins should consider kicking tires on the big right-shot defenseman.
If the Penguins brought in Peeke, he would provide them with a clear upgrade for their third pairing. Furthermore, his defense-first style of play would give the Penguins another clear option to work with on their penalty kill if acquired.
Peeke is also just 27 years old, so he could be the kind of pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) that the Penguins look to extend as a part of the deal. In that scenario, Peeke could be a strong trade fit for the Penguins.
In 56 games this season with the Bruins, Peeke has recorded four goals, eight assists, 12 points, 67 hits, and 101 blocks.
With some key members of the Ottawa Senators still away from the team for the Olympics, four top players from the Belleville Senators were recalled to help pick up the slack at Thursday’s practice.
Carter Yakemchuk, Tyler Boucher, Oskar Pettersson, and Arthur Kaliyev got the call, which made for better numbers and a smoother practice. But it also gave the organization a chance to check on their development as prospects.
For the players, it’s an encouraging sign to get a call like this because it means you’re a player of interest, which not every American Hockey League player can say.
But of the four players who filled in on Thursday, Yakemchuk is easily the best bet to play NHL games this season, though a lot will depend on what the Senators look like after the trade deadline.
The 20-year-old AHL rookie, generally a man of few words, described the practice as long and hard, but “super cool.”
“I think it's been a good year,” Yakemchuk told the media. “Obviously, the message is trying to keep getting better. You know you want to play here one day, so you just take it day-by-day and try to get better.”
Thomas Chabot might one day be Yakemchuk’s D partner and mentor and he likes what he sees.
“Seeing him up here is always fun, and you know it's only a matter of time before he’ll be up here,” Chabot said. “He’s so talented and the way he handles the puck and moves, he’s elite at it. So, it's fun. Obviously, it's more fun playing games, but still, practices are still fun to kind of come up and measure yourself up with the pace of practices.”
Yakemchuk is Belleville’s top point getter on the blue line with 25 points in 39 games. But it's hard to ignore a team-worst minus 28, 11 notches worse than any other player on the team.
Head coach Travis Green says the club remains high on Yakemchuk as a prospect, but the organization doesn’t want to rush him. They want him to have an impact when he arrives, not just trying to keep up.
“He's a young prospect that we obviously have a lot of hopes for,” Green told the media. “We want him to be the best that he can be and yet also want to make sure we do right by him to make sure that when he does get his opportunity that he's ready for it.”
Is he ready right now? That's up for debate. Sometimes players are better in the NHL than they are in the AHL. But the timing of Yakemchuk's NHL debut is also tied to what happens at the deadline, not to mention where the Senators are in the standings.
They certainly can’t afford many mistakes, and in the heat of a playoff chase, throwing a young player out there right now is like asking a first-time student driver to merge onto the Queensway.
