The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen off injured reserve. In addition, the Flyers shared that defenseman Hunter McDonald has been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Ristolainen has not played for the Flyers since their Jan. 13 contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to an upper-body injury. However, with the right-shot defenseman coming off injured reserve, he is now set to return to action for the Flyers.
Ristolainen has played in 13 games this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded zero goals, three assists, 16 hits, 24 blocks, and a minus-3 rating. This is after he had four goals, 19 points, 97 hits, and a plus-3 rating in 63 games last season for the Flyers.
McDonald was called up to the Flyers' roster on Jan. 17 but never made his NHL debut during his call-up. Now, he will be heading back to the Phantoms' roster, where he will be aiming to make an impact. In 33 games this season with Lehigh Valley, he has recorded five assists, 61 penalty minutes, and a plus-7 rating.
The St. Louis Blues’ season has seen almost nothing go right.
Aside from prospects like Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg, and Jimmy Snuggerud, who are fitting in at the NHL level, the team’s veterans have underperformed, and the team sits in 31st place in the NHL.
With their issues, changes will certainly be made, and it appears that the Blues are going to be moving on from several players before the trade deadline, at least that’s what’s been reported.
Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou, Pius Suter, Oscar Sundqvist, and Justin Faulk have all generated trade discussions. Schenn and Kyrou, if moved, could fetch strong returns, but the two biggest trade chips in St. Louis might be their No.1 center, Thomas, and their veteran defenseman Faulk.
A recent report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Thomas indicates that the Blues either have to be blown away by an offer to the point where they can’t say no, or they are offered another top-six forward who is younger than Thomas.
In terms of Faulk, Friedman reported that the Blues are looking for a Rasmus Andersson-type return. The Calgary Flames were able to fetch 29-year-old defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defenseman prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
The trade deadline is a little over a month away, and although no teams have really stood out as potential suitors for Thomas and Faulk, the coming weeks should clarify the market for those players.
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CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks assigned forward Nick Lardis to Rockford of the American Hockey League on Monday.
The 20-year-old Lardis, one of the team's top prospects, made his NHL debut on Dec. 13. He had five goals and two assists in 21 games with the Blackhawks.
“I think he's done a solid job,” coach Jeff Blashill said of Lardis before the move was announced. “He came in and early on probably was trying to find his way a little bit. I thought he got more confident. So I think he's done a good job of making a first impression to the coaching staff.”
Teuvo Teravainen is expected to return for Tuesday night's game at Minnesota. The veteran forward has been sidelined by an upper-body injury since Jan. 12.
Lardis was selected by Chicago in the third round of the 2023 draft. He had 71 goals and 46 assists in 65 games last season with Brantford in the Ontario Hockey League.
The Vancouver Canucks have 30 games remaining in the 2025-26 season. While the organization had hoped Vancouver could get back to the playoffs this year, the campaign has now turned into an opportunity to secure first overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. At this point, the focus needs to be on the development of young players as well as evaluating which experienced players should remain for the rebuild.
One younger player who the Canucks should give more of an opportunity to is goaltender Nikita Tolopilo. The 25-year-old has played in six games with Vancouver this season and looks ready to make the jump to the NHL as a backup. With very little travel over the final 30 games, after the Olympic break is the perfect opportunity to give Tolopilo the reins and show that he can handle a bigger workload in the NHL.
Before diving into what a plan could look like, it is important to note that Tolopilo getting more starts is only possible if Thatcher Demko is shut down for the season. According to GM Patrik Allvin, there is a chance Demko could be done for the year, but the organization is still exploring all options. For the sake of this article, it will be assumed that Demko is not returning for the rest of the season, leaving Vancouver with a tandem of Tolopilo and Kevin Lankinen.
While Lankinen should get the majority of starts leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics as he will be representing Finland at the event, the final 25 games are a different story. As mentioned, with playoffs no longer an option, the Canucks should be focused on developing Tolopilo, which could mean giving him more starts than Lankinen over the final few months of the season. The organization should still have Lankinen play games, but a close to 50% split, or 13 games for Tolopilo, would be best for his development moving forward.
As mentioned, Vancouver's schedule is very home-heavy after the Olympic break. In fact, the Canucks will only play four games not in the Pacific Time Zone. With virtually no travel and only three back-to-backs, splitting the net between Lankinen and Tolopilo should not be an issue as long as both stay healthy.
Jan 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) makes a save against the Edmonton Oilers in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Overall, how Vancouver manages players over the next few months will be interesting. Trades should open up roster spots, which could be filled with those currently playing for the Abbotsford Canucks. Ultimately, the organization will have the opportunity to see if younger players are ready for bigger roles, which will help with evaluating team needs for the 2026-27 season.
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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The Los Angeles Kings have officially signed forward Taylor Ward to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual salary of $875,000, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.
The @LAKings have signed forward Taylor Ward to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value (AAV) of $875,000 through the 2027-28 season.
The deal is believed to be due to Ward's strong stretch over his limited minutes and a vote of confidence in the organization to reward him for his recent play.
Ward was recalled from Ontario to play for the Kings in early January due to injuries within Los Angeles' forward group and took full advantage of the opportunity. In his two games, Ward has scored two goals and two points, all resulting in a Kings victory.
The statsheets may not show much, but the 27-year-old winger has consistently brought energy and earned the coaching staff's trust in his role for the Kings' forward unit.
During the 2025-26 season, Ward has played nine games, scoring two goals, recording two assists, totaling four points, and posting a plus-3 rating. The numbers might not pop for fans, but his value on the ice, being a reliable two-way force and bringing energy on the ice for the starting group, brings a different level of energy for the team.
Ward's recent production against the New York Rangers and the St. Louis Blues, scoring a goal and assisting on plays that have helped the Kings win both games, has reflected the organization's desire to sign him and the coaching staff's trust in his performance.
The King's decision to extend Ward highlights the hard work he's put in this season, starting off in Ontario and never looking fazed at all when he stepped on the ice playing his first NHL game.
With a cap hit of $875,000, Ward provides flexibility while remaining NHL-ready and will continue to grow under the Kings' system and leadership. It's a great contract that represents taking advantage of the moment you've been waiting for in your career.
After being called up out of necessity, the Kings could've easily sent Ward back once their group returned from injury, but chose to trust his production and realize he belongs at the NHL level.
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The Florida Panthers have been blessed with some excellent goaltenders in recent years.
While receiving Stanley Cup-caliber netminding from starter Sergei Bobrovsky, the Cats have also been backstopped to some huge wins by the consistent play of their backups.
From Alex Lyon to Anthony Stolarz to Vitek Vanecek, Florida’s Goaltending Excellence Department, headed by Roberto Luongo, has continuously targeted tendies who could step in and thrive for the Cats.
This is also the same group that saw Devon Levi as draftable before anyone else, and who brought in Brandon Bussi this offseason, only to see him get plucked away on the waiver wire by the Carolina Hurricanes. All Bussi has done with Carolina is have the best start to an NHL career by a goalie in league history.
The latest goaltender who Luongo and his guys set their sights on was Daniil Tarasov.
Early on, Florida didn’t make things easy on their newest goalie. The Panthers scored a combined six goals during Tarasov’s first four starts, which is why it’s not terribly surprising that he went 0-3-1 in those outings despite allowing only 10 goals against.
Between late-November and mid-December, Tarasov struggled through a stretch in which he allowed four or more goals in three of five starts, but he’s bounced back in a big way since the calendar flipped to 2026, with four straight victories under his belt.
“Every game I’m feeling more confident, especially when the guys are playing unbelievable in front of me,” Tarasov said after his most recent win on Sunday in Chicago. “They didn't give any chances like in the past two games I played, and it's really easy and you're just kind of like, waiting when the puck comes to you and just trying to make easy and more predictable saves.”
It’s probably not a coincidence that as the Panthers have gotten healthier and the play in front of him has improved, so has Tarasov’s record.
The 26-year-old started the month with an impressive 2-1 win over the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche, a game in which 10 of his 27 saves were on high-danger shots.
“So calm, so steady,” Panthers defenseman Gus Forsling said of Tarasov. “It makes it very easy for the D core; he gives us a lot of confidence.”
Each of Tarasov’s previous three wins, which have all come in the past 10 days, were all away from home.
He stood tall on the back end of a back-to-back when the Cats wrapped up a six-game roadie in Washington, stopping all six high-danger shots he faced.
It was an important win at the time, sending Florida home with an even 3-3 mark on an extremely tough trip and giving them some deservedly good vibes.
“Every time he’s stepped in, he’s given us a chance to win, and that’s all we can ask for,” said Panthers forward Sam Bennett.
The strong and consistent play from Tarasov was rewarded when he was given two of the three starts on last week’s trip.
Those games came in cities – Winnipeg and Chicago – where Florida had not won in several years.
All the Cats did was come through with two of their absolute best defensive efforts of the season, and Tarasov rewarded his teammates with a pair of victories in which he allowed a total of two goals.
“It was kind of a rough start this season, and now I’m getting more of an understanding of how we play and what I should do,” said Tarasov. “Don’t try to just make unbelievable saves, but just kind of like, stay in the crease, be calm and just wait for the puck to come to you.”
The combination of a composed and confident Tarasov between the pipes and a healthy, defensive-minded group of Panthers in front of him has led to an impressive month, statistically.
In addition to the 4-0-0 record, Tarasov has skated to a sparkling .944 save percentage and a tidy 1.22 goals against average, allowing just five goals against on 8.63 expected goals.
“He played really well for us at the start of this year, and we couldn’t score a goal for that poor fella, and his game was good,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice, adding, with a smile, “I think he’s rounded back, and he’s figured out he may have to keep it at one (goal against).”
Now well into the second half of their season, the Panthers have little margin for error.
Entering play Monday, Florida sits three points behind the Boston Bruins for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, holding one game in hand. The Cats are also four points back of the Buffalo Sabres for third place in the Atlantic Division (yes, you read that correctly), with each having played 51 games.
If Florida can avoid any additional major injuries, and it certainly seems as though they’ve cashed in enough of those chips this season, they should continue to gain momentum and show more overall consistency while continuing to welcome previously wounded players back into the lineup. That includes a pair of regular defenseman; Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov.
What that means for Tarasov and Bobrovsky is that they will be playing behind the kind of suffocating and physical defense that teams have struggled against in each of the past several postseasons.
It should be an interesting few months.
“We take care of each other in our locker room, and we're battling for each other on ice,” Tarasov said. “You kind of feel like a family in our style of game.”
Photo caption: Jan 22, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) warms up before the start of the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre. (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)
The Ottawa Senators may have found an excellent young player in their notoriously thin list of NHL prospects.
The recent sports hernia injury to veteran David Perron left the NHL door open again for Stephen Halliday, who was recalled from AHL Belleville four days ago. Halliday has been up and down this season, appearing in 18 NHL games and posting 6 points. Halliday's latest promotion last week was his third of the 2025-26 season.
But the Ajax, Ontario native didn't just get his foot in the door this time; he kicked it wide open.
In the last three games in Ottawa, Halliday has three goals and four points, and could have had a lot more. The 23-year-old has suddenly found another gear in the NHL, which makes what happened on Sunday night all the more disappointing.
As the Senators were beating up on the Vegas Golden Knights, Halliday was having the finest game of his young NHL career with two goals and an assist in an eventual 7-1 Senators win.
But he wasn't around for the final horn.
In the third period, Vegas forward Tomas Hertl hit Halliday into the angled plexiglass and stanchion at the Knights' bench. Halliday hit his head, fell hard to the ice, and had to be helped off the ice towards the Ottawa dressing room.
While head coach Travis Green didn't have an update after the game, Sens captain Brady Tkachuk provided one when asked about Halliday.
"I mean, he played amazing," Tkachuk said. "And I just talked to him. He feels good, feels okay. So hopefully it's nothing too severe."
Tkachuk, who helped set up three goals against Vegas, also took a moment to give the rookie a glowing review.
"And yeah, I mean, every single game he plays, he just keeps getting better and better, the confidence, the poise. And he's a player who's gonna really help us moving forward."
Halliday is a classic late bloomer.
He was passed over in two NHL Drafts before the Sens finally scooped him up as a 20-year-old in the fourth round of the 2022 Draft. His 95 points in 62 games at Dubuque in his fourth USHL season were too good to pass up, especially that late in the draft.
The Pierre Dorion-led Senators never minded going after the odd overager or a player who was passed over in a draft or two. They also picked Drake Batherson, Egor Sokolov, Cole Reinhardt, and Mark Kastelic, to name a few.
At 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, Halliday was a fine scorer at every level, including Ohio State and then Belleville, but NHL scouts were skeptical about his skating. It's something he's worked on, and in the mould of a Mark Stone, his stride isn't elite, but it's way better than it was on draft day.
It was good to hear from Tkachuk that the first-year Senator was feeling okay after the game. From what we've seen lately, Halliday is not just a temp or a fill-in anymore. Whether the Sens jump back into this playoff race or not, Halliday is tracking to be an important player for the foreseeable future.
Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa
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The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to get back to having steady line combinations. With every forward on the roster healthy for the first time in a long time, they might be able to do that for a while.
Teuvo Teravainen was waiting to be good enough to play, and he practiced with the group on Monday, wearing a regular contact sweater.
There was also a "fifth line" that included Colton Dach, Sam Lafferty, and Nick Lardis. With a road trip coming up, they need extra players, but not three forwards. It was clear that there would be an NHL transaction coming out of this.
On Monday afternoon, the Blackhawks announced that Nick Lardis would be the odd man out. This is not a totally performance-based decision.
Lardis had five goals and two assists for 7 points in 21 games played with Chicago. He was called up to provide an offensive boost to the lineup when Connor Bedard first went down. Frank Nazar's injury made him even more valuable.
Although he had plenty of good chances in addition to his points, there is room for more growth in the AHL. The top six is getting crowded again, with all of the injuries healing up. It is fair for Lardis to get more minutes in a much bigger role with Rockford.
In 24 games played for the IceHogs this season, Lardis has 26 points (13-13--26). This next stint should see him elevate his game even further now that he has some NHL experience under his belt.
While playing in the NHL, Lardis was named to be an AHL All-Star. Rockford happens to be hosting this event while the NHL is on its Olympic break, so this transaction is perfect for not only allowing Lardis to play bigger minutes in a larger role, but he will also be able to represent himself and the organization on one of the AHL's biggest stages.
Lardis has a great attitude about winning and doing what is needed to help his team win. Combine that with his skills, and you have a young player with a bright future. It won't be long, perhaps even before the end of the season, before Lardis is back up in the NHL.
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The Buffalo Sabres practiced at LECOM Harborcenter on Monday before traveling up to Toronto to take on the struggling Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The Sabres have rebounded from a pair of losses with three road victories, and the contest marks the end of their five-game road swing. Head coach Lindy Ruff provided an update on some of the Sabres injured players, with some troubling news regarding center Josh Norris and good news about defenseman Jacob Bryson.
Norris suffered a rib injury from a cross-check in the victory over Philadelphia on January 15 and previously has been listed as week-to-week. Ruff stated he is improving every day, but cast doubt whether the 26-year-old will play in the near future.
Sabres sign winger Josh Doan to a seven-year extension
"Josh is better, in the training room today and progressing,” Ruff said. "I doubt (that he's back by the end of the week), unless he gets on the ice here pretty quick, and then we're going to balance whether it's the right idea with all that time coming off. I think we'll make sure we do the right thing in his case."
The Sabres have six games remaining before the Olympic break, and it is possible that the club allows Norris to slowly ramp up and return late next month when the NHL schedule resumes. Ruff indicated that winger Justin Danforth, who has been out since mid-October, could return after the break, and had encouraging news about injured defenseman Jacob Bryson’s upper-body injury suffered in the win over Montreal last Thursday.
"Actually, we got good news on him. It'll just be sort of a pain management thing where he can get back on the ice." Ruff said. "Depends on how he feels. I would still put him in a category of getting back to practice like a day-to-day type of thing."
As the Vancouver Canucks continue to battle an ongoing illness going around the locker room, the team finds themselves down two more players after announcing that forward Brock Boeser and defenceman Zeev Buium have been placed on the injured reserve. In place of them, forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki and defenceman Victor Mancini have been recalled ahead of Vancouver's game against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Boeser and Buium both ended up on the receiving end of two head-shots against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, albeit from two different objects. Boeser received an elbow to the head from Penguins forward Bryan Rust, leaving him slow to get up after. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote did not have an update on Boeser's condition after the game.
On the other hand, Buium left the game midway through the first period after being nailed in the face by a shot taken from the Penguins. The defenceman later returned to the game wearing a full face shield and sporting a shiner on his eye.
Returning to the NHL in place of Boeser and Buium are Lekkerimäki and Mancini, both of whom have spent the past little bit in the AHL. Lekkerimäki has been on a tear with Abbotsford, averaging a point per game throughout 16 AHL games, and will likely be expected to produce in Vancouver's top-six.
The Canucks resume their current eight-game home stand with a match against the Sharks on Tuesday. This game could see the return of Kiefer Sherwood a little more than a week after he was traded by the Canucks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Oct 3, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) skates out as the game’s first star against the Edmonton Oilers 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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ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues, in what many on the surface would consider a surprising transaction, assigned top prospect Otto Stenberg to Springfield of the American Hockey League on Monday.
But it's not for the reasons everyone thinks.
Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2023 NHL Draft who has had a strong start to his NHL career playing in 18 games (one goal, seven assists, plus-4), was assigned for the purposes of allowing him to be able to play for the Thunderbirds while the NHL takes a three-week hiatus for the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
The Blues (19-24-9) have five more games left before the break, and if Stenberg were to have play in any of the remaining games leading into the break, he would be entitled to take the time off during the break, and the Blues want him to keep accumulating games and minutes.
If Stenberg were to play in any of the five remaining games prior to the Olympics, he would not have been eligible to go to the AHL during the time off, so he will not be playing in any of the five remaining games prior to Milano-Cortina.
"I thought he had a lot of jump, I thought he played well last game," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "As far as leveling off, I think we saw that with that West coast trip where we did three different time zones. It seemed like it didn't only affect him, but it affected by the end of the trip, it affected all of our younger players and that's getting used to the grind of the NHL, how you take care of your body, how you recover game to game.
"I don't think he got discouraged, but it's a learning process that we communicate to them too and really ask our veteran players to take one of the younger guys under their wing so they really learn how to recover quicker. But your body's got to go through it before you understand it."
Under no circumstances are the Blues displeased with Stenberg's game. In fact, far from it.
"Very happy. He definitely has an NHL brain," Montgomery said. "His game management is high end. His play without the puck is really good, really solid. Again, needs to continue to develop his offensive side of the game."
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The NHL announced on Monday that Anaheim Ducks starting goaltender Lukas Dostal had been named as the NHL’s third star of the week for the week of Jan 19 to Jan 25. Kirill Kaprizov, with nine points (3-6=9) in four games, and Nikita Kucherov, with eight points (2-6=8) in three games, were named first and second stars, respectively.
Dostal (25) finished the week with a 4-0-0, a .925 SV%, and saved 3.33 goals above expected. He stopped 111 of the total 120 shots he saw during the Ducks’ four-game stretch last week, as the Ducks are now riding a seven-game winning streak heading into Edmonton on Monday night.
Dostal was the backbone of the Ducks' roster as they got off to an 11-3-1 record to open the season. Game flow, eye test, and underlying metrics all suggested the Ducks’ record was kinder to them than their on-ice play dictated. They were able to outscore their problems, and Dostal was performing at a superhuman level in the crease.
His numbers dipped a bit, down to that of an average NHL starter, as November turned to December and eventually the new year, and the Ducks went on a month-long skid from Dec. 11 to Jan. 10, where they only registered two wins and six standings points in 15 games, highlighted (or low-lighted) by a nine-game winless streak.
The Ducks, despite key injuries, seem back on track and improved defensively. As of today, Dostal has a 19-12-2 record, a .895 SV% (.002 below league average), and has saved .7 goals above expected on the season. He’s started 34 and appeared in 35 of the Ducks’ 52 games this season, tying him for seventh-most-utilized goaltender in 2025-26, despite an upper-body injury causing him to miss nine games.
Dostal signed a five-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $6.5 million in mid-July, awarding full-time starter responsibility after the Ducks traded John Gibson, and placing him among the ten highest-paid goaltenders in the NHL.
His number’s been called frequently, and he’s risen to the level his status and salary would indicate. He’s blossomed as a game manager from the crease, freezing pucks when needed, deflecting perimeter shots to safety, getting pucks to stick to him that negate rebounds, and playing more pucks with his stick to catch opponents on changes or start breakouts from his end.
Dostal’s trademarks will always be his quiet athleticism, knowledge of angles, and puck tracking through and around traffic. However, his dedication to his craft suggests he’s just scratching the surface of his potential in this, his third full NHL season for the Ducks.
Dostal will head to Milano Cortino next month to represent Czechia as their starting goaltender at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. It will be his seventh time representing his home nation and his first time at the Olympics.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust will have a hearing after his hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser on Sunday. The hit came in the last few seconds of the third period, with Rust making clear contact with Boeser's head. While Boeser did make it back to the bench on his own, he was skating next to the trainer and needed help standing up after the hit.
The hit was dangerous as Rust clearly stuck his elbow out and made contact with Boeser's head. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote did not have an update and was not happy with the play. Here is what Foote said to the media on Sunday.
"I don't have an update yet, but I just looked at the hit. It wasn't pretty. It was a headshot [...] I'm sure the league will look at it, because it was. Even though he may have been desperate to get Boes down because it was a scrum at the net, I still think it was something that you had to be in control of your body. I thought it was a little bit of a vicious hit to the head."
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust will have a hearing for an illegal check to the head against Vancouver’s Brock Boeser. Date and time TBD.
Boeser's teammates were also not happy with the hit. Jake DeBrusk called it "a pretty dirty play," while Teddy Blueger said, "I don’t think Rusty is a dirty player, but I think it was pretty clear head contact." Rust was not penalized on the play.
Bryan Rust get the elbow up on Brock Boeser late in the third.
After falling to the Penguins on Sunday, the Canucks had a day off on Monday. More information on Boeser should be available on Tuesday after the morning skate. Boeser has played in 50 games this season, scoring 12 goals and recording 25 points.
Oct 26, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust (17) handles the puck during warm up prior to a game against the Vancouver Canucks 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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The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated on Sunday night by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. The Hawks allowed four unanswered goals in the third period and lost 5-1.
This loss snapped a three-game point streak for Chicago, keeping them at 50 standings points entering a new week of play.
In the loss, some line shake-ups happened throughout the game. That is not something that Jeff Blashill loves doing, but he was clearly experimenting against the Panthers. Recent Blackhawks coaches loved putting lines in the blender, but Blashill had stabilized that until Sunday.
After the game was over, Blashill admitted that he plans on getting back to steady lines by the time they play their next game.
"It’s something we’ll look at and decide: okay, what are we going with? And just stay with that."
During practice on Monday, all 15 forwards were healthy and accounted for. As a result, the lines and defense pairs looked like this:
Nazar-Bedard-Teravainen
Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Greene-Moore-Burakovsky
Donato-Foligno-Slaggert
Dach-Lafferty-Lardis
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Knight
Soderblom
That fifth line of Colton Dach, Sam Lafferty, and Nick Lardis appears to be the extras ahead of their next game. Will one or two of them be sent down ahead of their departure for Minnesota? We will find out soon.
With that said, you can expect some of these lines to stick once they figure out the right combos before their next game. Chicago is scheduled to have a morning skate in St. Paul on Tuesday. That may be even more revealing.
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Mercogliano adds that there’s no official announcement yet as they work out the particulars, but expect him to be held out of the lineup on Monday night against the Boston Bruins for roster management related reasons.
This mark the first trade between the Rangers and Islanders since 2010, when the Rangers acquired defenseman Jyri Niemi in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
The Rangers acquired Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks on March 6, 2025 in exchange for a third-round pick the team received in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights for Reilly Smith.
When talking about Soucy last year, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury emphasized that he envisions him being a part of the long-term plan for the Rangers.
“We think there's a lot of possibilities with Carson, whether it's (pairing) with Schneids or Foxy or Will (Borgen), or even having him on the right side at some point,” Drury said. “We'll see how it plays out. I'm glad we were able to get him. I was excited about the term, excited about the number.
“He's not a rental. He’s someone we could have in for the rest of the year and next year. I just like the overall game – the size, the skating, the sense, how he defends. We were able to do some homework on him the last couple weeks and we’re excited to get him with a piece we got in the Reilly Smith trade.”
Of course, Drury’s letter that was issued last week outlining the Rangers’ plan to retool the roster changes the direction of the franchise, hence Soucy’s standing with the team.
In 46 games this season, the 31-year-old defenseman has recorded three goals, five assists, and eight points, while averaging 17:13 minutes.
