NEW YORK — The NHL has decided not to make the Ottawa Senators forfeit a first-round draft pick for their role in a 2021 trade that was later nullified.
The Senators instead will get the 32nd and final pick in the first round after the league decided their change of ownership affected what the appropriate punishment should be. The team will also pay a fine of 1 million Canadian dollars, roughly $735,000, to NHL Foundation Canada.
If Ottawa misses the playoffs and happens to win the draft lottery for one of the first two picks, it will result in a re-draw. After announcing the alteration Thursday, the NHL said it will have no further comment on the matter.
The decision was initially levied on Nov. 1, 2023, that the Senators would forfeit a first-rounder in 2024, ‘25 or ’26. New owner Michael Andlauer fired then-general manager Pierre Dorion that day and named Steve Staois as the replacement for that role.
The Senators traded forward Evgenii Dadonov to Vegas in July 2021 and failed to supply the Golden Knights with the player’s 10-team no-trade list. Vegas attempted to send Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks in March 2022 before the move was nixed by NHL Central Registry because he had not waived his no-trade clause.
There is precedent to the NHL reducing punishment after the fact. The New Jersey Devils in 2010 were docked a first- and a third-round pick and fined $3 million for a contract with Ilya Kovalchuk that was rejected. They instead were, like Ottawa, forced to the end of the first round in 2014.
If NHL 26 has any say in the matter — and Avalanche fans should hope it doesn’t — the Colorado Avalanche are in for a frustrating night in Seattle. A simulation of Thursday’s matchup projects a 4–2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, a result Avalanche supporters will be perfectly happy to see proven wrong once the real puck drops.
Goals from Nazem Kadri and Gavin Brindley accounted for Colorado’s offense, while Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 17 saves.
Seattle received goals from Frederick Gaudreau, Kaapo Kakko, Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann. Adam Larsson, Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers each recorded two points, while Philipp Grubauer turned aside 29 shots.
First Period
Seattle wasted no time setting the tone.
Just 27 seconds into the opening frame, McCann deflected a Larsson point shot past Blackwood to give the Kraken an immediate 1–0 lead.
The early pressure continued. A little more than four minutes later, Kakko doubled the advantage when a relatively harmless shot from the slot slipped past Blackwood, who appeared to misplay the puck as it slid over the goal line to make it 2–0.
Colorado responded midway through the period. After Nicolas Roy poked the puck free from Jacob Melanson behind the net, he quickly fed Brindley in the slot. The rookie made no mistake, snapping a shot past Grubauer to cut the deficit to one.
After 20 minutes, Seattle held a 2–1 lead, though Colorado carried a slight 9–8 edge in shots.
Second Period
Trouble began early in the middle frame.
Less than two minutes in, Nathan MacKinnon was sent off for holding Vince Dunn, forcing Colorado onto its first penalty kill of the night. The Avalanche successfully killed that penalty, but moments later Roy was called for interference after colliding with Dunn, giving Seattle another opportunity with the man advantage.
This time, the Kraken capitalized.
Eberle redirected a shot past Blackwood on the power play, pushing the lead to 3–1.
The Avalanche netminder’s difficult stretch continued shortly after. Gaudreau fired a shot that appeared to glance off Blackwood’s glove before trickling across the line, extending Seattle’s lead to 4–1.
Colorado was handed its first power play of the night when Stephenson was penalized for holding Brock Nelson. The opportunity, however, failed to generate much momentum. Sloppy puck management limited Colorado to just a single shot on goal.
By the end of the period, the Avalanche faced a three-goal deficit heading into the third.
Third Period
Colorado caught a fortunate break early in the final frame.
Kadri was credited with a goal after a bizarre sequence in front of the net. His wrist shot from the top of the right circle deflected off Grubauer’s glove, and when Beniers attempted to clear the loose puck, he inadvertently knocked it into his own net, trimming the deficit to 4–2.
The comeback hopes didn’t gain much traction afterward.
Later in the period, Martin Necas was penalized for holding, sending Seattle back to the power play and further eating into Colorado’s remaining time.
Then came perhaps the most “video game” moment of the night.
Just past the midway point of the period, MacKinnon delivered a cross-check to Ryan Lindgren. In a moment that perfectly summarized the quirks of the Frostbite engine, MacKinnon’s stick somehow appeared to pass directly through Lindgren’s chest.
Naturally, the officials assessed a penalty.
Two minutes for cross-checking… and possibly an additional game misconduct for manslaughter?
EA… come on, man.
Colorado pulled Blackwood for the extra attacker in the final minute, but despite a few late opportunities, the Avalanche couldn’t close the gap. The simulation ended with a 4–2 Seattle victory.
Thankfully for Colorado, this was only a video game.
When the St. Louis Blues traded Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings, they received a package that included a 2026 first-round pick.
While the first-round pick was the sought-after target, Dmitri Buchelnikov is quietly a potential great addition. The 22-year-old winger had an impressive 2024-25 season in the KHL, posting 15 goals and 54 points in 65 games.
This season hasn’t been as successful for Buchelnikov, scoring 13 goals and 23 points in 41 games, but the talent remains. He’ll have the opportunity to rebound, as he signed an extension to his contract in the KHL.
The former Red Wings second-round pick (52nd overall) in the 2022 NHL draft has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moskva, meaning he’ll remain in Russia until May 31, 2027.
Standing 5-foot-10, 163 pounds, Buchelnikov isn’t the biggest player you’ll find, but his speed and skill more than make up for his lack of size.
The Red Wings thought very highly of Buchelnikov, and it’s no wonder why the Blues wanted him involved in the deal. There are concerns that he may not be interested in coming to the NHL, but signing just a one-year extension should give the Blues confidence that he will come to North America.
Although it is unfortunate for the Blues, there could have been opportunities for him to earn an NHL roster spot out of training camp, or at the very least start the season with the Springfield Thunderbirds and earn a call-up.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tom Dundon has sold a portion of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes to three new minority owners.
The team announced Thursday that Brett Jefferson, Marc Grandisson and retired hockey player Bobby Farnham had joined the ownership group.
“Brett, Marc and Bobby are accomplished business executives whose experiences and knowledge will help us continue to grow our team’s success and impact,” Dundon said. “Brett lives in the (area) and Marc will soon relocate to Raleigh, so their influence will be locally-based. As a former NHL player, Bobby is uniquely positioned to help our ownership group as we move forward.”
The Hurricanes did not disclose financial terms. Sportico reported last week that Dundon had agreed to sell 12.5% at a valuation of $2.66 billion for approximately $332.5 million.
Jefferson founded an asset management firm. Grandisson, now retired, worked as an executive in the insurance industry. Farnham, who's just 37 years old, played 67 NHL games before going into the private investment business.
The Hurricanes said they would be introduced prior to their home game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
The Vancouver Canucks have made their fair share of interesting trades throughout the past few seasons. One could argue that the J.T. Miller trade flopped for both sides, while fans have soured on the trade that sent a 2025 first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
A trade that has stood out as of late is Vancouver’s decision to move on from former first-round pick Vasily Podkolzin, who they sent to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft — the very pick that was sent back to Edmonton in exchange for Evander Kane a little less than a year later.
Podkolzin was drafted 10th overall by Vancouver in 2019 but spent three seasons playing for the Canucks. During this span of time, he scored 18 goals and 17 assists in 137 games. With Vancouver, he never quite got back to his previous career-high of 14 goals and 12 assists in 79 games during his rookie NHL season.
Since joining the Oilers, Podkolzin has put up back-to-back 20-point seasons and has already surpassed his previous career-high this year. Through 65 games in 2025–26, he’s scored 15 goals and 14 assists. This ties him with Vancouver’s current goal-scoring leader, Drew O’Connor. Were he still on the Canucks now, he’d be tied for the fourth-most points on the team. Podkolzin has also scored the Oilers’ lead in game-winning goals with five.
Looking past his offensive capabilities this season, the forward has developed into a more well-rounded player for Edmonton, as he’s been killing penalties for the Oilers while also skating on lines with high-end players like Leon Draisaitl. As it stands, he currently has a +/- rating of +14 (third-highest on the Oilers) and has averaged 15:09 minutes played per game.
Mar 6, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal scored by forward Vasily Podkolzin (92) during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
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SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Adam Gaudette #81 of the San Jose Sharks and Andrew Peeke #26 of the Boston Bruins watch the puck during a NHL game on November 23, 2025 at SAP Center at San Jose in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to another night of Bruins hockey, folks!
We have a California crew in town once again tonight, as the Los Angeles Kings headed out and the San Jose Sharks moved in.
Every game is a big game if you believe in yourself, but for the Sharks, points are at a premium as they cling to playoff hopes.
While the Bruins aren’t exactly super secure in a playoff spot at the moment, San Jose is outside of the picture for now and has lost three games in a row — though two of those losses have come beyond regulation.
These young Sharks are an entertaining team to watch, so we probably shouldn’t expect another round of three-shot periods like we saw on Tuesday night.
This will be the second of two meetings against the Golden Knights this season after the Penguins won 5-0 back on Mar. 1. It's one of their most complete performances of the season.
They'll take on a Golden Knights squad that continues to struggle. They have lost three in a row and four of their last five games since the Mar. 1 game. They're still in a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but are really going through it.
Despite that, they still have some great high-end talent led by Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Eichel is a force in all three zones, compiling 23 goals and 72 points in 57 games. Marner has been a great fit in his first season with the team, racking up 18 goals and 65 points in 64 games.
Mark Stone has also been one of their best players, but hasn't played since that first game against the Penguins. He did participate in Thursday's morning skate and hasn't been ruled out for the game.
Don't forget about Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev, either. Hertl and Dorofeyev have combined for 54 goals this season and can strike at any time.
Adin Hill will start in goal for the Golden Knights. He's having a really tough season, winning only six games with an .859 save percentage. He gave up five goals in the first matchup.
The Penguins are set to run with the same lineup from Tuesday's game in Raleigh, except for in net. Arturs Silovs will be the starting goaltender for Thursday's game.
Here's a look at the projected lineup:
Forwards
Chinakhov-Rakell-Rust
Mantha-Novak-Koivunen
Soderblom-Kindel-A. Hayes
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Shea-Letang
Solovyov-Clifton
Puck drop is set for 10 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
The NHL has told Nathan MacKinnon that they have rescinded his major penalty, the goalie interference against the Edmonton Oilers Connor Ingram. It’s a notable action, as if you get two major penalties in a certain number of games, it will be an automatic suspension along with a hefty fine.
#Avs Nathan MacKinnon said the NHL rescinded his major penalty.
If you get two in a certain amount of games, it’s an automatic suspension. So he’s back to zero for those purposes.
Why? Well, because a familiar situation happened to former Avalanche Mikko Rantanen, where in one week he was called for two major penalties, both being boarding, and since they were so close to each other, the NHL automatically suspended him for one game under Rule 23.6, which is;
“Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconduct penalties in the “Physical Infractions Category”, before playing in 41 consecutive regular season League games without such penalty, shall be suspended automatically for the next League game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.”
Nathan MacKinnon has received a five-minute major following a scary collision with Connor Ingram.
This raises the issue that the internet has been all over it, which was, was MacKinnon's action warranted a five-minute major or a simple two-minute one, and it's clear, even the NHL agrees it should have been two minutes.
The initial review was justified. I like it when referees call a five-minute penalty so they can take a closer look at the play to determine whether it warrants a 5-minute penalty and automatic ejection, or a simple 2-minute penalty, with the help of the NHL’s Centralised Situation Room.
The problem with this is that major penalties are called and reviewed by the on-ice officials, referees Kelly Sutherland and Brandon Schrader, who officiated that game.
From the TNT panel to the Sportsnet panel, a lot of analysts agreed that MacKinnon was simply making a scoring play. Slow-motion shots showed his skates were pointed outward to try to dodge around Ingram after his play, and, at most, if he did come into contact, it wouldn't be as gruesome as it originally was.
This brings in Darnell Nurse, trying to make a play for the puck, who plowed headfirst into MacKinnon's hips and smashed MacKinnon into his own goalie. A lot of discussion came up about why, after review, it should have been at least a two-minute penalty, because there was contact, but his own defensemen was a major part of why the contact was that bad.
Often, after a game in which such a call is made and spirals out of control on social media, there are no “take-backs”; the game is over, and the winning and losing teams have to get ready for their next game.
This now raises the rare moment, to say the least, that the NHL offices didn’t agree with the original on-ice call or the one made after video review.
With yet another notch in the injury department for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team is taking more measures to offset some of their losses and keep legs fresh.
And they made another move to address that on Thursday.
With recently acquired blueliner Sam Girard out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the Penguins shuffled a few things around with their defensive corps ahead of their matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday evening. They recalled 6-foot-4, 230-pound left defenseman Alexander Alexeyev from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - and sent Ryan Graves to the AHL on a conditioning loan.
Alexeyev, 26, has yet to appear for the Penguins in an NHL game this season, and he has three goals and seven points to go along with a plus-4 and 15 penalty minutes at the AHL level this season. The former first-round pick (31st overall in 2018) was signed to a one-year deal this offseason by the Penguins after spending parts of four NHL seasons with the Washington Capitals.
In 80 career regular season games, he has one goal and eight points, and he also appeared in 10 playoff games for the Capitals last season, registering no points and coming in at a minus-2.
Graves, 30, is in the third season of a six-year contract that pays him $4.5 million annually. He has appeared in only 19 games at the NHL level this season for Pittsburgh after getting waived following training camp, and he has not played since Jan. 21 against the Calgary Flames.
According to The Athletic, the Edmonton Oilers' goaltending situation is beyond not pretty. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise, but to see them ranked 31st out of 32 teams might be a bit of a shocker.
A recent article that ranked all NHL goalie tandems examined several factors while also weighing changes over time. For example, because the NHL is tracking shots differently -- and NHL shooters are just more skilled -- the leaguewide average save percentage this season is down to .896, the lowest it has been in 33 years.
One would think that an overall lowering of save percentages, even among the NHL's elite backstops might help the average goalie. That didn't help the Oilers, however.
The New York Islanders ranked at the top of the list with the best goaltending tandem. Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich were seen as the cream of the crop. At the bottom were the Ottawa Senators. Jesse Granger, the author of the article, wrote: "Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark and Leevi Meriläinen have combined for -36.3 GSAx. Not only is that the worst in the NHL, but it’s also more than twice as bad as the next closest tandem."
"The Oilers have started four different goalies this season, and none have a save percentage north of .900 or positive goals saved above expected. Edmonton’s defending certainly plays its part in that, but the goalies haven’t played well enough themselves either."
The goaltenders Granger speaks of are Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, Tristan Jarry, and Connor Ingram.
Skinner was traded because the Oilers felt he couldn't be relied upon to get them through a grueling playoff run. Pickard's numbers were so poor at the start of the season, he was eventually placed on waivers and went unclaimed. Jarry came in as part of the Skinner trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ingram was traded for when the Utah Mammoth decided to move on because personal off-ice health issues led to the need for a fresh start.
Granger adds, "Since he was traded to Edmonton, Tristan Jarry has posted a .900 save percentage or better in only four of his 14 starts. For comparison, he did it eight times in 14 starts with the Penguins prior to the trade."
This isn't all on the goalies. The Oilers' defense has been hideous for much of the season. It's been an issue the team has tried to address with the additions of Connor Murphy and a strong defensive forward in Jason Dickinson. Edmonton even brought former assistant coach Paul Coffey back to help right the ship on the blue line.
Unfortunately, until all that is sorted out, the Skinner-for-Jarry swap hasn't looked like a win for the Oilers. Skinner has played well in Pittsburgh: interestingly, they ranked 18th on this list.
Does this 31st-place ranking feel fair? Or is the goaltending better than that in cities like Vancouver, where Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen have struggled? What about in St. Louis, where Joel Hofer has played OK, but Jordan Binnington has been the subject of trade rumors most of the season?
It certainly has to be better than the mess in Toronto, where Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll, and Dennis Hildeby have contributed to a disaster of a season for the Maple Leafs.
One thing is clear: if the Oilers don't get better goaltending and Jarry and Ingram don't find another gear, seeing the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final for a third-straight season is likely a pipe dream.
The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Calle Rosen to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
The deal will see Rosen paid $850,000 at the NHL level and $500,000 at the AHL level in 206-27, and then $900,000 in the NHL and $500,000 in the AHL during the 2027-28 season.
The 32-year-old had spent three seasons with the Blue organization, then played the 2024-25 season with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL, and began the 2025-26 season with the Hershey Bears. The Blues acquired Rosen in a trade with the Washington Capitals on Nov. 3, 2025.
Since returning, Rosen has scored seven goals and 26 points in 47 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Swedish defender has become a trusted leader for the Thunderbirds, bringing NHL and SHL experience, as well as Calder Cup-winning experience, having taken home the coveted AHL championship in the 2017-18 season with the Toronto Marlies.
Rosen has accumulated 93 games of NHL experience, scoring 11 goals and 31 points. 73 of those 93 games came with the Blues.
Rosen was set to become a UFA at the end of the season, but his contract extension will keep him with the club through 2028, when he will be 34.
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The Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Mammoth are going to play each other for the second time in under a week. This is also the third matchup since the Olympics ended. Both games ended in victory for Chicago, including a 3-2 overtime win on Monday night.
For the Blackhawks, it is two straight games against the Mammoth, who played against the Minnesota Wild in between on Tuesday night. The Mammoth suffered a 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Wild, so they will return home with extra hunger to get back on track.
Scouting Utah
The Utah Mammoth is going to play its first game since the announcement of a new contract extension for former Blackhawks first-round pick Nick Schmaltz. He has become quite a good NHL forward, and he plays with a ton of great talent around him.
The lines look a bit different for Utah as they are switching some things up after losing a couple in a row.
Keller - Schmaltz - Crouse
Peterka - Cooley - Guenther
McBain - Hayton - Carcone
Kerfoot - Stenlund - Yamamoto
Sergachev - Weegar
Schmidt - Marino
Cole - Durzi
Vejmelka
Instead of having Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Dylan Guenther on a super top line, Guenther and Lawson Crouse have switched spots. With Logan Cooley and JJ Peterka on the second line with Guenther, there is some nice depth in their top-six with these combinations.
Karel Vejmelka was the first goalie off the ice for Utah at their morning skate, so he will start in goal for them as the league's leader in goalie wins. It was Vitek Vanecek in goal on Monday at the United Center. He played very well, despite the loss, but they will be going back to their number one in this game.
Unlike their first matchup and the last handful of games for Utah, they will have Mikael Sergachev back in the lineup. Paired with the newly acquired Mackenzie Weeger on the top pair, there are defensemen on this team who can make an impact.
Don't expect to see the same performance out of the Utah Mammoth in Thursday's game as they showed on Monday. With a playoff berth on the line for them, every point is crucial.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks had an optional morning skate on Thursday in Salt Lake City, but the lines aren't expected to change very much.
There is the possibility that they go 11/7 instead of the traditional lineup of 12/6, in which case Ethan Del Mastro will dress on defense instead of Sam Lafferty at forward, but that won't be known until warmups.
Arvid Soderblom is set to start for Chicago. He earned a shutout victory for the Blackhawks last time they were in Utah, and he is looking for a big performance again.
Drew Commesso started in goal for the Blackhawks on Monday, but he was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs in response to Spencer Knight's return. Knight will back up in this game and then likely face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Bertuzzi-Nazar-Teravainen
Mangiapane-Donato-Mikheyev
Lardis-Lafferty-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Rinzel
Grzelcyk-Levshunov
Soderblom
Vitek Vanecek robbed Connor Bedard at point-blank range a couple of times on Monday, but Bedard had one of his best games of the season. Despite that, he walked away with just one assist.
Learning to accept that this is the reality of the NHL sometimes is part of Bedard's development, and he handles it well. Look for him to get on the scoresheet in this one as a response.
Nick Lardis is likely with the team for good now, but he is still on the fourth line at the moment. Playing well and finding the back of the net when his name is called will be his path to more ice time.
On defense, Alex Vlasic, Artyom Levshunov, and Sam Rinzel are seeing a post-trade deadline increase in role, and they are mostly thriving. On the road against a good Mammoth team, they will be tested again.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on CHSN locally. Nationally, it is available to stream on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 8:00 PM CT.
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The Philadelphia Flyers moved on from a once-promising forward prospect at the NHL trade deadline, and less than a week later, his new team has done the same.
On Thursday, in a rare post-trade deadline deal, former Flyers prospect Massimo Rizzo, who was traded to Boston alongside Alexis Gendron for Brett Harrison and Jackson Edward, was dealt again.
Rizzo, alongside fellow former NCAA standout Dalton Bancroft, were sent to Nashville in exchange for Navrin Mutter.
The Flyers originally acquired Rizzo, 24, from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Tony DeAngelo trade, but his pro career never took off as his college stats would have suggested.
Rizzo made his pro debut for the Flyers organization last season, scoring six goals, 12 assists, and 18 points in 46 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
This year, though, the former seventh-round pick played exclusively in the ECHL with the Reading Royals, where he was nearly a point-per-game player with 22 points in 29 games.
After the trade deadline, Rizzo made a one-game cameo for the AHL Providence Bruins before getting sent on the move again.
Such is the life of an NHL prospect.
Part of the appeal of Rizzo's brief Flyers career was reuniting him with University of Denver teammate Bobby Brink, who started turning the corner on his own NHL career when Rizzo arrived.
That, obviously, never came to fruition, and Brink has since headed home to the Minnesota Wild in a trade that brought David Jiricek to Philadelphia.
ST.
LOUIS – It’s
no secret that the St. Louis Blues are looking hard and heavy at many
of their younger players, not just for the now but also for the
future.
With
their record (25-29-10) what it is, and being seven points out of a
Western Conference wild card spot and having to jump at least five
teams with 18 games remaining, the Blues would have to be near
spotless to be in the conversation of the playoffs moving forward.
So
looking at a number of their younger players is imperative, and none
could be more imperative than seeing how two of their young, budding
players can handle playing with their top-line center.
And
it’s been all systems go when it comes to the line of Dylan
Holloway, Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud.
Let’s
just say since the return of the Olympic break, the trio has been on
a tear. And it could be quite the appetizer for what’s to come if
the numbers and metrics continue.
In
the seven games played, Holloway leads the way with 10 points (five
goals, five assists) and a plus-11 rating, which is second only to
Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin (plus-15); Thomas has played in
just five games after returning from his right leg procedure but has
nine points (four goals, five assists) and a plus-10 rating, right
behind Holloway; and Snuggerud has eight points (three goals, five
assists) in seven games and a plus-5 rating.
Snuggerud
has three straight multi-point games heading into a quick road game
on Thursday against the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina
Hurricanes (41-17-6) at 6 p.m.
“It’s
been developing,” Snuggerud
said.
“(Thomas
is)
such a skilled player. ‘Holly’ works so hard to get the puck,
too. Two really skilled players. The chemistry’s really developing.
“‘Holly’s
got speed, he can rip the puck. Thomas is such a good playmaker and I
try to find areas for those guys, but those guys are so skilled, it
makes it easier to play with them. Not just skill alone, they work
hard in the corners to get the puck back and that’s an important
trait.”
There
are elements of everything when it comes to the line. Each provides
something that boosts the other two, and the chemistry, although just
getting started, continues to ascend.
“Playing
with ‘Tommer’ and ‘Snuggy’ has been a lot of fun honestly,”
Holloway
said.
“Both players are super special players. ‘Tommer’ just see’s
the ice so well, his vision’s incredible,
he’s always trying to find a good play. He always makes a good
play. ‘Snuggy’ the same, and ‘Snuggy’ can rip the puck too.
It’s been a lot of fun playing with those guys and just trying to
keep this momentum going.”
Thomas
seems to be the glue guy, obviously, the one who has the puck on his
stick more so and can find the other two in quiet areas. But don’t
underestimate the others, and their underrated playmaking skills and
ability to hunt pucks. But Thomas seems to make the line go.
“What
he does is he gets them more looks, he gets them more energy,”
Blues
coach Jim Montgomery said.
“All three of them are feeding off each other right now. It’s
quite obvious every time out there, they’re looking to create
something, and they are.”
The
goal Snuggerud scored in a 4-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks last
Sunday is a perfect example of a right-handed player finding a
right-handed player in a quiet area, someone who’s in the right
spot and looking for the puck, but someone who has the ability of a
Snuggerud to get a shot off quick. He scored on Sunday, and there was
a similar play in the third period of Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss
to the New York Islanders, but on that occasion, Snuggerud ripped his
shot off the post.
“Righty-righty
can find each other for some reason really well,” Montgomery
said.
“You would think a righty and a lefty would find each other a
lot more,
but
they kind of open up to one-timers to each other and you have a true
passer and a true shooter, one who really wants to shoot the puck and
one who really wants to pass it. It’s just good chemistry there.
They both have high level IQ’s, which allows them to find space.
Thomas knows where he wants to put the puck and Snuggerud knows where
he wants to go to get it.”
Snuggerud
said, “Practice
helps a lot, just kind of being in the same areas that have worked.
Just keep finding the spots where the puck’s going in the net. Just
keep that ball rolling as much as possible.”
With
Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk gone and off the roster now, the
younger generation is being thrust into roles as being those
next-step players. But Thomas, who is nursing an upper-body injury
stemming from the first period on Tuesday where it appeared he was
hit on the hand with the puck, looks so much more fluent now that his
lingering lower-body injury from last season appears to be behind
him.
“He’s
the guy here. He’s the heart of this franchise now, so obviously
you need to impact the game as much as you possibly can when you’re
playing with him and you know that he’s going to make the plays
that he is,” Snuggerud
said.
“I’d say just be ready any time your number’s called with him.
It’s been fun to learn to make plays with him.”
-
- -
The Blues will be making two lineup changes for Thursday's game, with Nathan Walker coming into the lineup on the fourth line and will replace Jonathan Drouin, who was allowed to go back to New York to grab some more of his belongings and will meet the team back in St. Louis for their game Friday when they host the Edmonton Oilers.
Also, Jordan Binnington gets the start in goal, and Joel Hofer is in line to start against the Oilers.
- - -
The
Blues had some business to take care of in Springfield of the
American Hockey League on Thursday when they announced the
signing
of
defenseman Calle
Rosen
to
a two-year, two-way contract extension starting
with the 2026-27
season($850,000
NHL/$500,000 AHL)
and for
2027-28 ($900,000
NHL/$500,000 AHL).
The
32-year-old is in
his second stint with the organization after he was acquired from the
Washington Capitals on Nov. 3, 2025.
This
season, Rosen has 26
points (seven goals, 19 assists) in 46 games with Springfield and
seven
points (one goal, six assists) in nine games with the AHL Hershey
prior
to joining the Blues’ organization.
-
- -
Dmitry
Buchelnikov, a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft acquired as
part of the package for Faulk from the Detroit Red Wings, has signed
a one-year extension to remain with CSKA Moskva of the KHL for the
2026-27 season:
The
22-year-old forward, who has 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 41
games this season.
-
- -
Blues
Projected Lineup:
Dylan
Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Otto
Stenberg-Pius Suter-Pavel Buchnevich
Jake
Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jordan Kyrou
Alexey
Toropchenko-Jack Finley-Nathan
Walker
Philip
Broberg-Logan Mailloux
Theo
Lindstein-Colton Parayko
Cam
Fowler-Tyler Tucker
Jordan
Binnington
will start in goal; Joel
Hofer
will be the backup.
Healthy
scratches include Jonatan Berggren, Jonathan
Drouin,
Oskar Sundqvist, Justin Holl and Matthew Kessel. The Blues report no
injuries.
-
- -
Hurricanes
Projected Lineup:
Andrei
Svechnikov-Sebastian
Aho-Seth
Jarvis
Taylor
Hall-Logan
Stankoven-Jackson
Blake
Nikolaj
Ehlers-Jordan
Staal-Jordan
Martinook
William
Carrier-Mark
Jankowski-Eric
Robinson
Jaccob
Slavin-Jalen
Chatfield
K’Andre
Miller-Sean
Walker
Mike
Reilly-Alexander
Nikishin
Brandon
Bussi
will
start in goal; Frederik Andersen
will
be the backup.
Healthy
scratches include Nicolas Deslauriers
and
Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Shayne
Gostisbehere (lower body) and Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body) are out.
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Michael Pezzetta grew up like many hockey kids in the Toronto Area: bleeding blue and white, wearing a No. 13 sweater in honor of Mats Sundin, and watching games from the 300-level of Scotiabank Arena.
On Wednesday night, he won’t be looking down at the ice from the rafters. He’ll be on it.
The 27-year-old will make his Maple Leafs debut after being called up from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. For Pezzetta, the realization that he is finally about to suit up for his hometown team is still sinking in.
"I’ve still got to pinch myself right now, just thinking about putting the jersey on," Pezzetta said. "I’m super excited. I could barely sleep last night. It’s crazy."
Pezzetta signed a two-year, $1.575 million contract with the Maple Leafs as a free agent on July 1, but he began the year in the minors as the team managed a logjam of depth at the forward position. Pezzetta knew his chances of making the Leafs were slim, but he focused on being a pro and waiting for the window to open.
"At the end of the day, it’s a business and it’s hockey," Pezzetta said of his time with the Marlies. "It’s part of the game going down and you just try to do your best and put yourself in a position to get called up. For me, it’s just going down with a good attitude, playing hard and doing what I can."
The window did eventually open, perhaps not in the way the Leafs had expected. A disappointing season saw Toronto become sellers at the trade deadline, shipping away forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton. Now mired in an eight-game losing streak, the call-up comes at a time when the Maple Leafs are searching for a spark.
“We're going to look at guys down there, and he's one of the guys that we wanted to see, I'd say, for a little while now,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said of Pezzetta. “He's a guy that's going to bring in lots of energy and good skater, strong skater. So we'll see how it goes.”
Pezzetta has four goals and six assists in 37 games with the Marlies this season. No stranger to adversity, the sixth-round pick of the 2016 NHL draft was a longshot to make it to the NHL, but ended up playing in 200 NHL games over four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens.
“I just want to prove to everybody and myself that I can still play here,” Pezzetta said.
The debut will be a family affair, though the notice was short. Pezzetta didn't find out he was officially in the lineup until Wednesday morning, leading to a frantic scramble in the family group chat.
"I sent a quick text to my group chat, my buddies, and my parents," he smiled. "Everyone’s super stoked and trying to track down some tickets now."
Pezzetta will have a familiar face nearby for the milestone. He spent much of his time this season with Bo Groulx, who made his Leafs debut in a 3-1 loss to the Canadiens on Tuesday. Groulx was even over at Pezzetta’s house for dinner the night before the call.
