The Ottawa Senators moved quickly to address their growing injury concerns at forward.
Sens head coach Travis Green announced on Friday that Lars Eller will "be out for a little while" with a lower-body injury. So on Saturday morning, the club bolstered their roster for games in Minnesota (Saturday) and Winnipeg (Monday) by calling up winger Olle Lycksell from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
Eller was apparently hurt while blocking a shot in Columbus on Thursday night during a 6–3 victory over the Blue Jackets.
“Yeah, Lars is going to unfortunately be out for a little while,” Green told Senators host Jackson Starr. “Blocked a shot. Not sure quite exactly how long, but we won’t see him the rest of this road trip for sure.”
The 26-year-old Lycksell has been a man in motion this season. This is his third call-up to Ottawa from the B-Sens. As a point-per-game player with Lehigh Valley last season, the guy is a proven AHL scorer, but he has yet to find traction at the NHL level.
With Drake Batherson injured in the preseason, Lycksell won a spot in Ottawa's opening night lineup. In all, he's played in six games and scored his first goal with the club on October 23rd, a game-winner against his old team, the Philadelphia Flyers.
In Belleville, Lycksell has four points in four games in December and six points in nine games overall. He's spent a good chunk of his season as a reserve player
Eller's spot as a fourth-line centre is likely to be taken by Stephen Halliday for now, but they could also use Nick Cousins in that spot as well. So that leaves either Lycksell or Kurtis MacDermid as the 12th forward option for the next couple of games.
As Ottawa continues its three-game road trip with a stop in Minnesota on Saturday, Belleville remains home this weekend to face the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday night and the Bridgeport Islanders on Sunday afternoon.
Steve Warne The Hockey News - Ottawa
This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:
The NHL had a wild Friday night with three significant trades that reshaped multiple franchises. One involved a Norris Trophy winner who Vancouver couldn't keep. Another saw two goalies swap teams in a change-of-scenery deal. The third was a depth move to patch a hole. All three tell different stories about where teams see themselves right now.
Vancouver Trades Quinn Hughes to Minnesota
The biggest move was Vancouver sending captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick.
This wasn't Vancouver giving up and rebuilding. This was Vancouver accepting reality. Hughes becomes a UFA after the 2026-27 season. The writing was on the wall—he wasn't staying. So instead of watching him walk for nothing in two years, they moved him now for a package of assets while they could still get something significant back.
Hughes is one of the NHL's best defensemen. He's 26 years old, a Norris Trophy winner who had 23 points in 26 games this season before the trade. He's been Vancouver's offensive engine from the blue line for years.
The Wild, in essence, gave up three first-round picks to get him. Buium was a 2024 first-rounder who has 14 points in 31 NHL games this season. Ohgren was a 2022 first-rounder who has zero points in 18 games this season after spending time in the AHL. Rossi was a 2020 first-rounder with 13 points in 17 games this season, having just signed a new deal after being a trade target all offseason.
Here's the risk: Minnesota has received no assurances that Hughes will re-sign. They could be getting a two-year rental of an elite defenseman, which explains why Vancouver's return wasn't even more substantial. If Hughes had eight years of term, this package would look light. For a player who might walk in 2027 and has expressed interest in playing with his brothers Jack and Luke on the New Jersey Devils? It's probably fair value.
Minnesota built one of the NHL's best farm systems in recent years. Now they've cashed in those assets for a proven star who can quarterback their power play and log major minutes. Hughes led the NHL in average ice time this season at 27:26 per game. Whether he stays past 2027 is a problem for later. Right now, they're all-in on their current window.
For Vancouver, this is damage control. President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford admitted the franchise couldn't afford to lose Hughes, but ultimately it would be his decision. They read the room, understood Hughes wasn't committing long-term, and got out before the situation deteriorated further. Trading your captain mid-season stings, but it's better than losing him for nothing in two years.
The Oilers sent Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin.
"I think it's not so much a comment on Stuart Skinner, it's just really maybe time for something different here," Oilers GM Stan Bowman said.
Skinner is 11-8-4 with a 2.83 GAA, .891 save percentage and two shutouts in 23 games this season. He helped Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Final the past two years, but they lost to Florida both times. He's a pending unrestricted free agent, and Bowman confirmed they hadn't held extension talks. The relationship had run its course.
Jarry is 9-3-1 with a .909 save percentage in 14 games this season. The 30-year-old cleared waivers last January after struggling, then spent time in the AHL before rebounding this year. He's been a big part of Pittsburgh's surprising start, but the Penguins are selling high on a goalie who was in the minors nine months ago.
The cost of doing business? Brett Kulak, a reliable defenseman whom Edmonton didn't want to move but had to include to make the cap math work. That's the price of swapping goaltenders mid-season when both carry significant cap hits.
"We certainly weren't trying to trade Brett Kulak," Bowman said. "He's a great person and a great player on our team. We're going to miss him. But in order to make the transaction work and the money going back and forth, that had to be part of it."
In a separate move, Edmonton also acquired defenseman Spencer Stastney from Nashville for a 2027 third-round pick. Stastney has nine points in 30 games this season and helps replace Kulak's departure on the blue line.
This is a straightforward depth move. Kulak left a hole, Stastney fills it. He's not flashy, he's not even as good as Kulak, but he keeps the defence corps functional while Edmonton figures out if Jarry is the answer in net. The 25-year-old has been a steady presence for Nashville over four seasons, and the Oilers needed a body to slot in after losing Kulak in the goalie swap.
Back during the 2024 NHL off-season, the San Jose Sharks acquired goaltender Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators in a big deal. With the young netminder having a high amount of potential, there was naturally plenty of excitement about his arrival in San Jose.
Askarov played in 13 games this past season for the Sharks, where he posted a 4-6-2 record, a .896 save percentage, and a 3.10 goals-against average. Overall, he experienced some growing pains in his first season with the Sharks but also showed promise.
Down in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda in 2024-25, Askarov thrived, posting an 11-9-1 record, a 2.45 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage.
Now, Askarov has earned a full-time spot on the Sharks' roster this season, and there is no question that the young netminder is showing signs of improvement. In 19 games so far this season with the Pacific Division club, he has posted a 10-8-1 record and a .903 save percentage.
Askarov also recently put together a strong performance against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 28, as he stopped 34 out of 36 shots. With this, he had a .941 save percentage on the night.
Overall, while Askarov has had some tough games this season, it is clear that the 23-year-old is getting better as he continues to gain more NHL experience. He is a big part of the Sharks' future, and it will be fascinating to see how he builds on his 2025-26 season from here.
On Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings close out their lengthy road trip by traveling to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Blackhawks without breakout star Connor Bedard, who was sidelined after suffering a shoulder injury in Friday's contest versus the St. Louis Blues. This original six clash will be one to remember as the Red Wings have played the Blackhawks more than any other team in the league with Saturday being their 757th all-time meeting.
The 2023 first overall pick has lived up to expectations, recording a stunning 44 points in 31 games this season and ranking third in the NHL in scoring, tied with San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini. Bedard is one of two Blackhawks near or over a point-per-game over their recent 12-game dry spill and will really miss him versus a surging Detroit team.
The Red Wings seem to be rounding back into form, even after Thursday’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers ended a six-game point streak. That result sets the stage for an intriguing matchup, particularly after the Blackhawks handed Detroit a lopsided 5–1 loss in their last meeting at Little Caesars Arena, with the Red Wings now aiming for payback in Chicago.
Lineup Storylines
The Red Wings have faced a two-headed monster all season within their lineup with depth scoring issues, clashing with problems on the backend all season long. One issue has appeared to resolve itself as of late while the backend issues continue to persist as the Red Wings have gotten timely scoring from throughout their lineup.
Veterans Andrew Copp and James van Riemsdyk have both found their games as of late with Copp recording two goals and four assists for six points over his last five games since joining the second line with red hot forwards in Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, who Copp has picked up some momentum off.
The Michigan native has made some great plays in the last few games like making great passes for primary assists as well as working as a solid netfront presence for the two lethal shooters in DeBrincat and Kane. The former Blue Jackets winger in van Riemsdyk has also been sensational as of late with six goals over his last eight games.
At the same time, Detroit has still averaged three goals against per game since the start of their recent surge with 21 goals allowed over their last seven games. The hope is that they can continue to ride the hot hand of starting goaltender John Gibson, who has picked up his play as of late with four straight wins and back-to-back stellar starts entering Saturday with a 39-save shutout over the Vancouver Canucks this past Monday, followed by a 34-save effort on the road versus the Calgary Flames. If he can keep his current pace and finally tap into that level of play that the Red Wings traded for this past off-season, they may finally have the answer to their debate between who the routine starter should be.
The Blackhawks, on the other hand, are starting to see their early-season momentum, fueled by Bedard’s efforts, slow down, as they have managed just three wins over their last 12 games. Their offense has quietly averaged 2.25 goals per game during that span, while the defense has also struggled, allowing 3.67 goals against per game, which ranks fifth worst in the NHL.
Without Bedard, the focus will shift to veteran winger Tyler Bertuzzi, who is in the midst of a recent surge with 19 points over his last 16 games. The rest of the lineup, however, has struggled to produce, with only three players besides Bedard and Bertuzzi recording multiple goals during the 12-game dry spell. The Red Wings’ surging backend will look to further slow a sputtering Blackhawks offense and secure a much-needed bounce-back win in this matchup.
Earlier this season, the Blackhawks ended Detroit’s five-game winning streak in this matchup with a decisive victory. Despite that, the Red Wings will enter this contest having won four of their last six road trips to the Windy City, with most of these games being high-scoring affairs. In fact, seven of the last nine meetings between these two clubs have seen six or more total goals, though that streak could be challenged in this matchup.
Both goaltenders could play pivotal roles. John Gibson will be looking to recapture his recent All-Star form, while Chicago’s Arvid Soderblom has previously faced Detroit just once, delivering a standout performance with 45 saves and only one goal allowed.
Offensively, the spotlight will likely fall on former Blackhawks second-round pick Alex DeBrincat. Reuniting with Chicago legend Patrick Kane in Detroit, the pair has quickly become one of the NHL’s most dangerous duos. DeBrincat has been red-hot lately, recording four goals and four assists for eight points over his last six games. He has also thrived against his former team, tallying three goals and five assists in seven career games versus Chicago, including three multi-point games in his last four meetings with the Blackhawks.
Chicago has a similar storyline with former Red Wings second-round pick Tyler Bertuzzi. Alongside Bedard, Bertuzzi has been a key contributor for the Blackhawks and has also excelled against his former team, recording two goals and four assists for six points in his last six games versus Detroit.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 8-7-1 record, 3.32 GAA, .884 | VS CHI: 6-10-1 record, 3.48 GAA, .891 SV% in 18 games)
Chicago: Arvid Soderblom (Season: 3-5-1 record, 3.92 GAA, .876 SV% | VS DET: Win, 45 Saves on 46 Shots in only game)
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On July 13, 2022 (the first day of free agency that summer), the Anaheim Ducks signed center Ryan Strome to a five-year contract that carries an AAV of $5 million. Strome was the second unrestricted free agent signed by then-new Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, with the first being Frank Vatrano a few hours earlier.
Since that date, and in the three seasons that followed, Strome (32) has been an automatic 41-point center for the organization, reaching that exact total in each of his three seasons in a Ducks sweater. Only Troy Terry, who scored 61 points (23-38=61) in 2022-23, 54 points (20-34=54) in 2023-24, and 55 points (21-34=55) in 2024-25, could challenge Strome and make an argument as the team’s most-consistent player.
Until this preseason, Strome had been among the healthiest Ducks, playing in 243 regular season games of a possible 246.
Strome missed the Ducks' first 16 games of the 2025-26 season due to an upper-body injury sustained in a preseason practice, which was later revealed to be an oblique injury. Without him in the lineup to start the season, the Ducks got off to their best start to a season in over a decade, with an 11-4-1 record.
“I think it was good for me to challenge myself and try to be a good teammate to support the boys,” Strome said after his return from injury. “I try to act the same every day, no matter how it’s going. It’s a little harder when you’re hurt, but I was really proud of how the guys played. It’s been a great start to the season, just excited to contribute in any role I’m given and try to help the team here.”
Since he’s been a member of the Ducks’ organization, Strome has been a stabilizing veteran presence in the locker room and a vocal leader to a young, talented group.
With those combined factors in mind, it was strange and eyebrow-raising to see Strome’s name pop up in a column from premier NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on Thursday evening.
Friedman wrote, “Those looking for a middleman are keeping a closer watch on Anaheim’s Ryan Strome. Delayed start to the season, in-and-out of the lineup. Ducks surging, is there a spot for him? If not, there will be interest.”
Strome managed three points (1-2=3) in his first nine games upon his return to the lineup and to start his 2025-26 season, playing relatively well despite the lack of production in a third-line center role.
To kick off December, Strome served as a surprise healthy scratch for the Ducks’ 4-1 road win over the St. Louis Blues and 7-0 home loss to the Utah Mammoth on Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, respectively.
Strome returned to the lineup when the Ducks hosted the Washington Capitals on Dec. 5, a 4-3 shootout win. He met the adversity with a positive, team-first attitude when discussing his situation with the media after morning skate on the day of their game against Washington.
“Anyone that’s competitive wants to play. I think you’ll never find a guy that gets a healthy scratch that’s happy about it,” Strome said. “So, you know, luckily, I have a wealth of experience to draw on, some highs and lows in my career. So, you know, you just roll with the punches and work hard (over) the last couple days and get back at it.
“At the end of the day, it’s a team game, and our team’s had a really good year, and I think the attention should be on that, not any individual. I also think the opportunity for myself to, you know, lead by example in the situation, because obviously it sucks, but I can’t bring the team down, right? It’s all about the team. I think we’ve had a really good mindset with that this year. Unfortunately, I was kind of the example of that.”
In the modern NHL, strong center depth is needed to win Stanley Cups. Strome can play both center and wing, but the trade market indicates several teams are in need of a reliable middle-six center. On Friday, Friedman reiterated his written note on Strome when he took to his “32 Thoughts” podcast to expand.
“Strome, I think that one’s obvious. He was hurt, he was late to play. Anaheim got off to a really good start. Players took roles,” Friedman said. “I don’t think this is so much an indictment of Strome as it is that the team got hot when he was still hurt and everybody kind of lined up their spot, right? So when he came back, it was harder to find his way back into it. So I don’t think anybody would look at this, with the healthy scratches and things like that, and say they’d be hugely surprised.
Los Angeles Kings center Philip Danault’s name popped up earlier this month in potential trade reports, but Friedman relayed that a source of his somewhat dismissed that notion, highlighting the Kings’ potential lack of center depth without him.
The Ducks, however, are deep at the center position. On their current roster, they have Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Strome, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling, and Jansen Harkins, who can all play naturally down the middle, along with Tim Washe, who’s having an excellent rookie year for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, with 18 points (10-8=18) in 22 games.
“So I had someone who said to me, ‘Unless there's a team out there that makes it worth the Kings while, they're not going to do it because they've had trouble with their fourth line,” Friedman said of Danault’s situation. “But the same people said to me, ‘He’s not the same player as Danault, but if you’re looking for a center, (Ryan) Strome could be out there.’ We’ll see what happens. That’s a guy they’re watching.”
The Ducks overhauled their coaching staff in the 2025 offseason, adding Joel Quenneville as the team’s new head coach, Jay Woodcroft as the power play and forwards coach, and Ryan McGill as the penalty kill and defensive coach. By missing the first 16 games of the season and the team’s record being so impressive without him, Strome has struggled to carve out a role under the new staff and in their new system.
Interestingly and surprisingly, considering the NHL player contract landscape, Ryan Strome’s contract does not carry any trade protection, a rarity among eligible unrestricted free agency signings. In theory, the Ducks could move him to any team without requiring approval from Strome.
Since returning from his healthy scratches, Strome has played three of four games firmly in a fourth-line role, registering 8:00, 11:44, 8:31, and 8:06 TOI in those games. He’s tallied five points (1-4=5) through 13 games this season despite excellent underlying numbers. At 5v5, the Ducks hold 57.34 % of the shot attempts share, 58.78% of the shots on goal share, and 59.55% of the expected goals share when Strome is on the ice, but in those minutes, they’ve been outscored 7-4.
Strome’s production dipped when he signed in Anaheim, as he’s now on his third head coach in four years, and the roster has been in a significant period of transition for his entire tenure with the Ducks. However, in the four seasons leading up to his signing with Anaheim in 2022, Strome had his best statistical years of his career as a member of the New York Rangers, where he scored 195 points (71-124=195) in 263 games, averaging 0.74 points per game.
With less than a second remaining on the clock and the St. Louis Blues desperately attempting to hold onto a one-goal lead, Brayden Schenn and Chicago Blackhawks' Connor Bedard met at the faceoff dot.
Schenn was attempting to do whatever he could to prevent Bedard from getting the puck to his net. Bedard, on the other hand, was doing whatever he could to guide the puck to the net and generate a quick chance. When the puck was dropped, it played out as such. Bedard attempted to shoot the puck off the draw, and Schenn attempted to tie up his stick and prevent the puck from advancing.
Unfortunately, it appeared that the pair's sticks and arms were tangled, and Bedard injured what looks to be his shoulder. The 20-year-old superstar immediately skated off the ice in plenty of discomfort, grabbing at his shoulder the entire way off.
It's awful news for Bedard and the Blackhawks. The Hawks are a far more competitive team this season, largely due to Bedard's emergence as a true superstar. He finished the game with two assists, adding to his impressive tally this season. He ranks tied for fourth in goals with 19 and tied for third in points with 44.
Additionally, Bedard is feverishly battling for a spot on Team Canada's Olympic squad. A long-term injury could spoil his chances of making the team.
While Blashill described it as a freak accident, Blackhawk fans and NHL fans in general weren't as kind to Schenn.
On social media, fans are calling for the Blackhawks to call up enforcers to target Schenn in their next matchup, asking for the Blues captain to be arrested and referring to the hit as a "scumbag move."
Every person is entitled to their own opinion, and no one wants to see another player get hurt, which makes it hard to imagine that Schenn intended to injure Bedard, rather than protect their one-goal lead.
The Blues and Blackhawks will meet again on Jan. 7, and in all likelihood, the Blackhawks will want Schenn to respond for injuring their franchise player. Whether it was intentional or not, or if Bedard is out long-term or not, Schenn will be expected to answer the bell.
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ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild shocked the NHL when a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Quinn Hughes happened on Friday night.
The cost was steep for Minnesota but it had to be to acquire a player of that magnitude.
Minnesota gave up Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick for Hughes.
Hughes, 26, is widely known as the second best defenseman in the NHL behind Colorado Avalanche defender Cale Makar.
Since making his NHL debut on March 28, 2019 vs. Los Angeles, Hughes leads all NHL defensemen in assists and power-play points and ranks second among blueliners in points.
Since the start of the 2021 season, Hughes ranks first in assists (285), second in points (335) and power-play points (144). Makar ranks first in points (371). That is 335 points in 330 games for Hughes.
The craziest thing about this trade is some of the top defenders in the league are now all in the Central Division.
Hughes on the Wild, Makar on the Avalanche, Miro Heiskanen on the Dallas Stars and Josh Morrissey on the Winnipeg Jets. Morrissey ranks sixth in assists (213) and seventh in points (270) in 348 games.
Heiskanen ranks 11th in assists (180), 14th in points (217) and fifth in ice time (25:08). Morrissey is 13th (24:10), Makar is second (25:34) and Hughes is third (25:29). Brock Faber is actually seventh (25:02).
Not to mention Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators. He is fifth in assists (215) and fourth in points (290) since the 2021 season.
The Central Division is already the best Division in the NHL. The Avalanche are first in the NHL, the Stars are second and the Wild are fifth in terms of points. Minnesota has beaten both teams this season.
Hughes is one of the best defensemen in the NHL, there is no question about that. Players like Hughes almost never become available, and when they do, the cost reflects it. Minnesota paid that price because this version of the Wild believes its window is open right now.
The ripple effect stretches beyond St. Paul. The Central Division was already the NHL’s most demanding grind, and now it features four of the league’s elite defensemen logging massive minutes every night.
Minnesota has already proven it can go toe-to-toe with Colorado and Dallas this season. With Hughes in the fold, the Wild didn’t just keep up with the division’s arms race, they stepped directly into it, prepared for whatever comes next.
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VegasGolden Knights - 15-6-9 - 39 Points - 5-2-3 in the last 10 - 1st in the Pacific
Columbus Blue Jackets - 13-11-6 - 32 Points - 3-3-4 in the last 10 - 8th in the Metro
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 20.0% - 14th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 71.8% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 90 - 20th in the NHL
Goals Against - 108 - 30th in the NHL
Golden Knights Stats
Power Play - 24.5% - 7th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 81.6% - 13th in the NHL
Goals For - 92 - 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 85 - 12th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheGolden Knights
Columbus is 7-6-0-1 all-time, and 4-2-0-1 at home vs. Vegas.
The Jackets are 3-3-1 against Ottawa in the last 7 home games.
The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Knights last season.
Who To Watch For TheGolden Knights
Tomáš Hertl leads Vegas with 13 goals.
Jack Eichel leads the VGK with 28 assists and 40 points.
Akira Schmid is 11-2-4 with a SV% of .903. His last start was on December 11th.
Goalie Carter Hart is 2-0-1 with a SV% of .889. His last start was on December 9th.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Golden Knights
Zach Werenski has 8 points in 12 games against Vegas.
Kirill Marchenko has 4 points in 5 games.
Sean Monahan has 7 points in 16 games vs. the Golden Knights.
Injuries
Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 23 Games - IR - No timeline for a return
Mathieu Olivier - Upper Body - Missed 8 Games - IR- No timeline for a return
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 61
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. Bob Wischusen will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 THE FAN, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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If the San Jose Sharks end up being sellers, defenseman Timothy Liljegren will be a player to keep an eye on. This is because the 26-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and could generate interest from clubs looking for more defensive depth ahead of the playoffs.
Due to this, let's take a look at three teams that could consider targeting Liljegren if he is made available by the Sharks this season.
Detroit Red Wings
The right side of the Red Wings' bottom pairing could use a boost, so Liljegren would have the potential to be a nice fit if acquired. He would serve as an upgrade over veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic in the role.
New York Islanders
The Islanders are having a strong 2025-26 season, and it could very well lead to them being buyers at the deadline. When looking at their roster, they could use more depth on their right side, so they could make sense as a landing spot for Liljegren.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators are another club that could use more depth on their blueline, so they could be a good fit for Liljegren. He could work well on their bottom pairing and would also offer them another potential option to consider for their penalty kill.
The Chicago Blackhawks had a quiet 2025 NHL off-season, but they did make a few moves. Among them was acquiring forward Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Joe Veleno.
Yet, in the end, the Kraken's main purpose for this trade was to rid of Burakovsky's $5.5 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27 season. This is because the Kraken immediately bought out Veleno, and the former Blackhawk ended up signing with the Montreal Canadiens.
Now, as we are approaching holiday break, it is abundantly clear that the Blackhawks are benefiting very nicely from bringing in Burakovsky from the Kraken.
Burakovsky is having a strong season for the Blackhawks so far, as he has recorded eight goals, 13 assists, 21 points, and a plus-3 rating in 26 games. This is certainly solid offensive production from the veteran forward, but especially when noting that the Blackhawks did not need to give up much to land him in the first place.
Burakovsky is continuing to make an impact as the season rolls on for the Blackhaws, too. In his last two games, the 6-foot-3 forward has recorded three points. This included him posting a goal and an assist in the Blackhawks' most recent game against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 12.
To say that goaltender management has been a headache for the Montreal Canadiens this season would be an understatement. Samuel Montembeault has been shaky from the start, and instead of riding the hot hand, which was Jakub Dobes, Martin St-Louis tried to help his number one get back on track at the expense of the Czech masked man. The rookie goaltender couldn’t build on his momentum and ended up struggling himself, leaving the Canadiens with two struggling options.
After yet another defeat on Thursday night, the organization called up Jacob Fowler and insisted that the plan had always been to call him up sometime this season to “see where he was at, that it had nothing to do with Dobes and Montembeault’s play. Even going as far as saying that they weren’t sure if he would be playing on the road trip, while the rookie netminder told RDS that he knew he would get the start in Pittsburgh, and therefore asked his family to make the trip for his first start.
Now that the youngster has passed the first test with flying colours, St-Louis finds himself with a rare chance at a do-over. The Habs have a back-to-back coming up, facing the New York Rangers on Saturday night on the road and then taking on the Edmonton Oilers and newly acquired goaltender Tristan Jarry at the Bell Centre on Sunday night.
Given how well Fowler has done in his debut, posting a .947 save percentage, the coach has to ride the hot hand regardless of how his other two goalies are doing. This is a professional league, and there’s no need to hold Montembeault’s hand. Saturday’s match is against an Eastern Conference team involved in the playoff race, and you have to put the goaltender who gives you the better chance of winning in the net.
The Canadiens are currently out of a wildcard spot on a tiebreaker, and the Rangers are only trailing the Habs by one point. Montreal does have two games in hand, but Saturday’s game remains a must-win.
Sunday night’s game, being the tail-end of a back-to-back, will be the perfect opportunity to put another goalie in the net. It should be Montembeault, who has not started a game since December 2 against the Ottawa Senators. Dobes began the four games before Fowler came into the fold. While the Bell Centre crowd can at times be hostile when things reach boiling point, it hasn’t turned on the Quebecer, at least not yet, so a home game for him would make sense.
As for the rest of the week, the decision should be based on the weekend’s performance. Everyone should have a clean slate; there’s no number one, backup, or recent call-up; three goaltenders are vying for ice time. Internal competition is beneficial and can push goaltenders to outdo themselves.
The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated on Friday by the St. Louis Blues. It was a tough game on the road, but it's a quick turnaround for this young team.
Next up for the Blackhawks is a game against the Detroit Red Wings at home. That means another return to the United Center for Chicago sports legend Patrick Kane.
Kane and the Red Wings are 17-12-3, which is good enough to occupy a playoff spot for the time being. Finally breaking through and making it would end a long drought for Detroit, which was previously known for making it every single year, no matter what.
Patrick Kane has become an important piece to what they are doing in Detroit. He isn't a young buck that they are building around, but he is a legendary veteran who has plenty of hockey wisdom to pass down to young players. All of that experience came as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, where he became one of the greatest to ever live.
Before becoming a member of the Red Wings, the Blackhawks traded Kane to the New York Rangers. This was a three-team transaction on February 28th, 2023, that sent Kane to the Rangers ahead of their run to the playoffs. New York's efforts failed, as they were eliminated in the first round by the New Jersey Devils, and Kane left for the Red Wings in free agency that summer.
In the deal, the Blackhawks also sent Cooper Zech to the Rangers. The third team in the deal, the Arizona Coyotes, sent Vili Saarijarvi to the Blackhawks. Arizona got a 2025 3rd-round pick from New York for being the facilitator of the deal.
From the Rangers, the Blackhawks received a 2nd round pick in 2023, a 4th round pick in 2025, and Andy Welinski. It was an okay haul at the time for Kane, being a highly-paid unrestricted free agent on a losing team.
Kane didn't help the Rangers get over the hump. Zech never played for them and won't. The same goes for Welinski and Saarijarvi for the Blackhawks. So it comes down to the draft picks when evaluating the winner of the deal.
With the picks that New York gave Chicago, they drafted Martin Misiak and Parker Holmes. Those are good prospects, but they are likely not going to be guys that move the needle.
As for that third-round pick that went to the Coyotes, who later became the Utah Mammoth, it was traded to the Detroit Red Wings so that the Mammoth could land Olli Maatta.
You can argue that the Utah Mammoth were actually the winners of the Patrick Kane trade. Maatta always left more to be desired in his time as an NHL player, but he is a serviceable NHL defenseman when he's healthy.
At this point, that is more than the Blackhawks or Rangers received in this deal over the long term. If Kane had stuck around with New York, this conversation would be very different.
The Misiak and Holmes picks made by Chicago could change the narrative in the coming years, but for now, it's fair to say the Hawks didn't get what they were hoping for when they traded the greatest player who ever played for them.
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The Philadelphia Flyers were viewed as a potential fit for superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes, but that thought can now be forgotten.
The Minnesota Wild have won the Hughes sweepstakes, as they acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick.
With Hughes officially no longer a potential option for the Flyers, let's look at three defensemen Philadelphia should consider targeting to improve its blueline.
Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres
With the Sabres once again struggling this season, Byram's name has been floating around the rumor mill. At 24 years old, he would have the potential to be a nice fit on a Flyers club that is on the rise. In 31 games this season with Buffalo, he has recorded six goals and 13 points. With this, he would be a nice addition to the Flyers' top four if brought in.
Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim Ducks
Mintyukov is a very intriguing defenseman in the rumor mill right now. The 2022 tenth-overall pick has had trouble finding his fit with the Ducks and could benefit from a change of scenery. With the 22-year-old blueliner having good upside, he could be a nice player for the Flyers to take a chance on. In 28 games so far this season, he has recorded two goals and seven points.
Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks
If the Flyers remain in the playoff hunt near the deadline, Ferraro would be a solid pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) for them to bring in to strengthen their top four. The 27-year-old is more of a defensive defenseman, but he does his job well. In 32 games so far this season with the Sharks, he has recorded one goal, seven points, 60 hits, 70 blocks, and a plus-8 rating.
ST.
LOUIS – Jim Montgomery spoke before the St. Louis Blues took on the
Chicago Blackhawks on Friday that the players needed to play for each
other, after being embarrassed against the Nashville Predators on
Thursday.
Mission
accomplished as the Blues rebounded with a strong effort and held off
their divisional rivals, 3-2, at Enterprise Center, ending a two-game
losing streak.
Logan
Mailloux and Matt Luff each scored his first Blues goal, and Justin
Faulk also scored, while Robert Thomas extended his point streak to
four games (three goals, three assists) with a two-assist night. Joel
Hofer made 27 saves as the Blues improved to 12-14-7 on the season.
“Very
much so, right
from the drop of the puck, you could feel it, the crowd was into it
because our guys were there for each other, rallying for each other,”
Montgomery said. “We were connected. We still made mistakes, and
that’s going to happen in this game because there’s another team
playing, but the effort and the second- and third-effort, playing for
each other makes up for a lot."
Let’s
look at Friday’s game observations:
*
Mailloux sheds Monkey, Luff scores in place where he got first NHL
goal – Role players can make all the difference in winning and
losing, and although Mailloux isn’t a role player, Luff is.
But
for Mailloux, it had to be a ginormous monkey off his back after
going 19 games without scoring while seeing and obviously hearing
that Zack Bolduc is producing with the Montreal Canadiens.
But
Mailloux put the Blues ahead 1-0 at 3:41 on a beautiful shot from the
left
circle past Spencer Knight. It developed with Thomas gaining the
zone, and feathering a puck to the opposite side of the ice knowing
Mailloux is coming off the bench with open ice, and the defenseman
took advantage of shooting through defenseman Louis Crevier’s legs
and a Jake Neighbours screen on a delayed penalty, one that
Neighbours helped induce:
“It
felt good to get the monkey off the back,” Mailloux said. “It was
a heck of a play, kind of an area pass by ‘Tommer.’ They had a
delayed penalty there. I was coming off the bench and I saw it and
jumped up and it was a great screen by ‘Jakey’
in front too.”
Luff’s
first goal since April 4, 2023 with the Detroit Red Wings against the
Montreal Canadiens was a nice play from Colton Parayko’s outlet
pass to Robby Fabbri along the lefthand side, and Fabbri recognizes
Luff is coming down the slot, finds him, and Luff whips his wrister
by Knight to the glove side at 11:48 of the first for a 2-0 lead:
“It
was a good pass by ‘Fabs,’” Luff said. “Always nice to get it
done and nice to get a win too.
“Me,
‘Ginger’ and ‘Sunny’ just as a role line, I think were pretty
good today so it’s nice to obviously contribute, roll that into the
next game and see what happens.”
*
Being way better at both net fronts – It’s obvious that the net
fronts on Thursday were not nearly good enough.
The
Predators could
have pitched tents and camped out in front of the Blues’ goal, and
the Blues were virtually non-existent at the opposite end.
That
all changed on Friday, and it had to.
“Hundred
percent,” Mailloux said. “I think especially after yesterday, had
a few goals just kind of laying there in front and we got beat. That
was definitely a big part.”
It
included two fights (Mailloux vs. Colton Dach and Dylan Holloway vs.
Connor Murphy).
“We
had two fights tonight, but that’s not common anymore,”
Montgomery said. “But that’s part of it. You see guys driving
middle lane, stopping at the net. When defensemen were shooting, we
had bodies at the net. Defensemen were pinching pucks, forwards were
replacing them. In the D-zone, the box-outs were hard and heavy at
our own net, getting back winning goal line races so we can break
pucks out quickly. Those kind of things. It’s just effort-based and
it’s doing the job so someone else doesn’t have to do it.”
*
Needed a response after Thursday – Getting embarrassed is never
fun. And it certainly wasn’t for the Blues.
They
needed a response and got one.
“I
think we talked about it before the game we have a homestand here of
four games and we wanted to start off right, and I think we did,”
Luff said.
“Team
toughness makes us hard to play against,” Mailloux said. “That’s
what we want to be. We don’t want teams looking forward to coming
in here and playing us. It was fun.”
“It
was really important. It was great to see that our leaders led and
that our young players and players that have been on call-up,
everyone chipped in,” Montgomery said. “It’s nice to see
everybody again play hard and play for each other.”
*
Blues offset Hawks push with big goal – The Blackhawks pushed to
start the second coming in only down one (2-1) on Wyatt Kaiser’s
goal late in the first at 15:50.
The
Hawks quickly had the first five shots to even up with the Blues at
11-11, but the Blues pushed back, and had a gained edge for a number
of minutes there when Faulk made it 3-1 at 8:57 when he stuffed a
shot under Knight’s arm once he got a pass from Tyler Tucker from
the point:
It
was a critical goal because the Hawks would get one back on Andre
Burakovsky’s goal at 14:08 of the third period but the Blues
finished the win off.
*
Unfortunate Bedard injury – One always says to not take a second
for granted.
Well,
for the Blackhawks, the final 0.8 seconds could prove to to be costly
when star forward Connor Bedard was injured on what coach Jeff
Blashill said afterwards was a “freak accident.”
Bedard
and Blues captain Brayden Schenn lined up for the draw to the left of
Hofer in the right circle, and Chicago basically needed to get a
quick shot off to have any chance of tying it. Schenn went for a
stick lift and Bedard fell backwards awkwardly, got up immediately
clutching his right shoulder and down the tunnel.
Blashill
said Bedard will not play against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday,
but if the center misses any extended period of time, it will be
tough to see for Chicago and hockey fans in general.
* Fabbri continues to play well – It's only two games, but it's evident that Fabbri doesn't want this to be a short stint, his second with the Blues.
This is not points in back to back games (two assists); he had two shots on goal and three more hits, including this one on Teuvo Teravainen that put the Hawks forward into the Blues bench and nearly score on it:
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Even though there had been mounds of speculation surrounding Jarry and Edmonton for weeks, it was the timing that wasn't necessarily anticipated. The Penguins are in the midst of a very tight playoff race that Jarry had a huge role in, the rest of their goaltending depth is promising but young and unproven, and the team is about to play a back-to-back this weekend against the San Jose Sharks and the Utah Mammoth with the possiblity that Skinner won't even be available for either game.
In other words, much of the surprise was centered on the timing of the trade, which happened early Friday. But Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas made it clear that the timing of the deal felt exactly right.
"I just think where we're at and the opportunity to bring in a goalie that has deep experience in 'Stu' - plus what we feel is an opportunity to upgrade our defense, plus the draft pick - it just made sense for us to do it at this time," Dubas said. "I think Tristan is extremely talented, and it will be a great opportunity for him in Edmonton."
Of course, dealing Jarry while the Penguins are in the midst of a playoff race does come with a degree of risk. Even if he hasn't exactly been consistent throughout his NHL career, he is a veteran, and that experience is valuable. That's something that none of the other goaltenders in the Penguins' organization - aside from, now, Skinner - have very much of.
But, at the end of the day, the Penguins do feel they have enough goaltending depth to have made a move like this, and the fact that Jarry is having such a strong bounceback campaign after the season he had last year made a deal make sense.
Arturs Silovs has struggled as of late, but he had a great start to the season and will have a larger opportunity. Sergei Murashov is putting up video game numbers at the AHL level, and he showed well in a brief NHL stint earlier this season. Joel Blomqvist is also performing very well for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins since returning from a lower-body injury that kept him out since training camp. And that's not to discount Skinner, who has played much better as of late after a rough start.
The Penguins are comfortable with the guys they have, and Dubas expects them all to compete hard for the starting job at the NHL level.
“I think going forward, it opens the door wide open for competition between these goaltenders to earn NHL spots - and that would include the four guys we’ve talked about - so there’s a lot of incentive there in a number of regards," Dubas said. "So, we’ll see who can climb to the top and take it and run with it.”
The other part of the deal, too, was the acquisition of Kulak, a veteran blueliner who had a career year offensively last season with seven goals and 25 points and has always been known for his steadiness and stinginess in his own zone. He's having a bit of a down year, but it still presents an opportunity for the Penguins to improve their blue line.
“The number one thing with him is that he’s been incredibly steady, and he’s done it in the hardest environments in the playoffs and down the stretch," Dubas said. "I know when we were watching him last month, he’d obviously had his struggles - I think their whole team was in that sort of a funk - and then he’s been able to come through it. He’s been able to play both left and right, he’s played with all types of different partners there, he can kill penalties, he had a good year last year offensively - all at even strength.
"And I know those things can be fleeting for defensemen, especially when they’re not on the power play. But, we just expect him to be steady, use his experience, come back, move the puck, be a complement to any of the guys on the right side that he’s playing with, and then he can also move to the left side if needed as well."
At the end of the day, Dubas believes the trade helps the organization in both the short-term and long-term. That bit of goaltending assurance in the organization - as well as the pick and the improvement to the blue line - should still bode pretty well for the Penguins' hopes of a playoff run.
And, yes, that aspiration hasn't changed this season. Even if the intent heading into the season was for this to be another transitionary year, the team's performance has made a believer out of their GM, their fans, and their room.
Dubas wanted to make it clear that the message in the room is that they've made an attempt to mitigate the loss in net and simultaneously improve elsewhere.
“I think we’re capable of more than we’ve shown," Dubas said. "So, that’s my expectation every day. I think that everyone in the room here has seen it, when we’re at our best, that we can not only play, but carry play against the very best teams in the league. And I think we’ve left points on the table that I think everybody in the room regrets and laments.
"But the thing that I like about the group most is when we have those moments - [Thursday's loss against the Montreal Canadiens] would be the first night where I didn’t feel, coming out, we didn’t push back right away - every other time where we’ve had a tough night or a tough finish, we’ve pushed, the next game we’ve been back in the saddle and rolling. So, I think we’re capable of continuing to get better throughout the year."
