Category: NHL

Back in August, we wrote about players who had the most on the line individually in the 2025-26 season by identifying some situations where there was a lot on the line. In the last days of the Olympics, let’s circle back and check out how some of the ups and downs have gone.

Anthony Mantha — Mantha is the literal and immediate player with the most on the line this season for the Penguins, because he has up to $2 million in performance bonuses that he could achieve and nearly double his take-home pay. In that sense, no one has more to potentially gain from a big year. Beyond that, Mantha is at a crossroads now. He just turned 30. Arguably, teams have always been looking for that little bit extra out of him, whether it’s been a spark of intensity or consistency of effort to match his obvious skills and absolute ideal size. There’s also been some major bumps in the road for him lately, Mantha was traded to Vegas for the 2024 playoff run and played so poorly that he was made a healthy scratch. He followed that up by suffering a major knee injury at the beginning of last season with Calgary and has been out since November. At some point players run out of second chances, especially when they reach the point of being older than most of their peers. This probably won’t be Mantha’s last opportunity, but it could well be his last good one.

Perhaps no better encapsulates the surprising season as a whole for the Penguins as Anthony Mantha. Pittsburgh only gave him a one-year contract worth $2.5 million (with another $2.0m in performance bonuses) and Mantha has made good on that signing by producing 20 goals and 42 points in the season’s first 56 games. Tremendous value on that to dig up a player trending towards career-highs in all the major categories from basically the NHL’s bargain bin of free agency.

Similar players signed last summer:

• Andrei Kuzmenko ($4.3m, one year, LA): 23 points in 51 games
• Gustav Nyquist ($3.25m, one year, WIN):0 goals, nine points in 39 games
• Patrick Kane ($3.0m, one year, $4m in potential bonuses DET): 32 points in 43 games
• Jeff Skinner ($3.0m, one year, SJ): 13 points in 32 games, contract terminated
• Brandon Saad ($2.0m, one year, VGK): 9 points in 39 games
• Reilly Smith ($2.0m, one year, VGK): 16 points in 53 games
• Corey Perry ($2.0m, one year, $2m in potential bonuses LA): 28 points in 45 games

Usually teams get what they pay for in terms of mid-level veteran forwards in that $2-4m range in free agency, which as you can see from above generally works out to be not that much to write home about. Mantha has well exceeded that level for the Pens this season. There were some bumps in the road — like the three points produced in 12 November games — but other than that Mantha has been an incredibly consistent performer and one of the team’s best players throughout the campaign. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the only players on the team with more points than Mantha at this time.

For the Pens, this is the equivalent of hitting a $100 win on a penny slot, regardless of how much longer Mantha’s stint with Pittsburgh ends up lasting. Simply making it this far has been a major achievement and credit to him and the Pens’ management for bringing him in. Mantha has exceeded the most realistic of best case scenarios, it’s benefited the team this season and in one form or another it will certainly benefit the individual to get a career back on track.

Danton Heinen — On reddit, a user semi-jokingly came up with the most average of all NHL players (last year it was Drew O’Connor!) Danton Heinen would probably fit that bill more often than not. Heinen isn’t bad, but he isn’t really good….Not terribly much is expected from Heinen, but he’s in a contract year and probably at risk at falling out of the picture now that the Pens have signed players like Mantha and Brazeau. That’s usually where, against all odds and perhaps logic, that Heinen has been at his best with surprisingly effective performances. Does he have one more up his sleeve for this season?

The new additions for the Pens did end up forcing Heinen all the way down to the minor leagues, having gone unclaimed on waivers. The writing was on the wall that his time was short with the organization and was included to even out contracts in the Egor Chinakhov trade. Heinen gets a chance to catch on with Columbus (where he has three points in 13 games so far) and this one falls into the “break” area of make or break. Can’t all be winners.

Philip Tomasino — Tomasino went from a promising player showing some upside and production last season to one that also frustrated and confounded coaches with his all-around play and occasionally attention to detail…Tomasino could legitimately score 15-20 goals this season if he stayed healthy and played his way into being a part of the team, or it could go sideways and have a lot less of an impact than that. It’ll be a fascinating part of the story to watch unfold for how it goes for him.

Well, this one went sideways in a hurry. Tomasino never found footing in Pittsburgh this season and also ended up in the minor leagues. A trade soon followed, where his new team has yet to call him up to the NHL. This isn’t a player without skill, yet he seems to lack that certain indescribable ‘something’ needed to settle into a groove.

In a lot of ways, Chinakhov could be seen as this year’s Tomasino for the Penguins: the former first round pick acquired at a discount to give a second chance to see if there was more growth. It looks like it worked out a lot better this year for results, though the underlying philosophy behind the moves make sense for a team like Pittsburgh that has more draft picks than anyone else in the NHL. Use some of those picks to see what can come from it. The Pens went down that road with Tomasino as far as they needed to go, then weren’t dissuaded by that end result to try it again with Chinakhov.

Matt Dumba — …Dumba hasn’t actually helped an NHL team in quite some time, and the Pens will be his fourth stop since just the start of the 2023-24 season. Still, at age-31, does Dumba have anything left in the tank that can help an NHL team? The answer has been trending to “no” for a while now, but as a right shot defender with the ability to shoot the puck and play with an edge, you might as well give the benefit of the doubt to see what kind of redemption arc may play out. It’s been several years and defensive staffs ago since Pittsburgh was known as a place to give a mid-career boost to struggling defenders, and maybe that magic is dried up…But it’s worth watching to see if Dumba can play his way into any value with the Pens this year.

The Pens saw enough of Dumba to reach the conclusion that other teams have – he’s not NHL quality any longer. The purpose of adding Dumba was truly always more about the second round draft pick attached to the trade more than a realistic hope of a reclamation. Pittsburgh gave it a shot, it didn’t quite work out and now Dumba is also off the NHL roster.

Arturs Silovs — Silovs is a goalie, so of course his level of play has been all over the place. He hasn’t been great in the NHL — except when he admirably performed well for the Canucks in the 2024 playoffs with a 5-5 record (which is more than Jarry’s two career NHL playoff wins). Silovs is coming off a fantastic performance in the AHL playoffs. Which, yeah, it’s the AHL and not NHL but can that be a launching point for an NHL career? There’s a lot for him to prove, but it’s at least a fresh gamble for the Pens to try and take, and they weren’t getting that good of performances out of the most recent backup goalie in the first place, so hey, why not? At this time in about ten months, Silovs might be free to the wind as a free agent that didn’t do much to establish himself, or he could be a semi-entrenched member of the Pens for 2026 if it goes well. The range of possibilities is very intriguing.

Silovs has worked out to be that fresh gamble. It must be remembered he is technically still an NHL rookie, yet he will likely lead the Penguins in appearances in net this season. His statistical profile (.895 save%, -1.6 GSAA, 2.89 GAA) is decent but far from impressive. At times he’s been strong, at other times he’s looked like a mid-level player. For someone who was unestablished in the NHL (26 of his 45 NHL appearances have come in these last four months), it’s been a slow process to get on the map, yet he’s starting to make a name for himself.

The future now in net remains just as alluring and seemingly as up in the air. Removing Tristan Jarry’s contract via a trade opens the situation up for the future. Silovs is a nice chip for the Pens to have on hand — other teams are always searching for an extra competent goalie. Silovs doesn’t appear to have an extremely high ceiling as an NHL starter but has shown he’s capable enough to belong, which will give him value in some respect, though it’s difficult now to see what the path ahead will be. The Pens have to decide what (if anything) they are going to do with impending free agent Stuart Skinner. Sergei Murashov continues to push his own development in a season where he made the AHL All-Star team as a 21-year old rookie. Joel Blomqvist is in a similar position as Silovs was a year ago in Vancouver buried on the organizational depth chart.

Silovs might be the case so far where the jury is out on ‘make or break’ at this point. He sure hasn’t been broken by jumping to the NHL level full-time for the first time, at the same time he hasn’t exactly become a shoo-in as a piece that is guaranteed to stick around for a while. That said, it’s not a stretch that Silovs could yet become the top choice for playoff goalie in two months time. The varying paths in front of him still look about as wide open as they did at the start of the season.

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…

Team Canada head coach Jon Cooper says captain Sidney Crosby has not been ruled out for the rest of the 2026 Winter Olympics due to his injury and will be evaluated daily with the hope he can play in the upcoming games. [PensBurgh]

With Crosby’s injury status still uncertain ahead of Canada’s Olympic semifinal, the team is prepared to step forward with others—likely Connor McDavid—to lead and wear the captain’s “C” if Crosby can’t play. [Sportsnet]

However, Crosby’s injury has reignited the long-standing debate over whether NHL players should participate in the Olympics, balancing the desire to represent one’s home country on the Olympic stage against the risk of key stars getting hurt and impacting their NHL teams. [PensBurgh]

Those Penguins players who didn’t go to the Olympics spent their break relaxing, often in warm, sunny locations with family and teammates to rest, recover, and recharge before the final stretch of the season. [Penguins]

News and updates from around the NHL…

Team USA rallied from a 1-0 deficit with a late regulation goal by Hilary Knight and a thrilling overtime winner by Megan Keller to beat Canada 2-1 and win the women’s hockey gold medal game on Thursday. [NBC News]

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev was back on the ice for a third consecutive day Thursday, though his availability to return to the lineup this season remains uncertain. [TSN]

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin says he’s rested from an Olympic break and focused on helping his team make a late-season playoff push, though he hasn’t decided on his future beyond this season. [NHL]

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Avery Hayes has been a man on a mission over the last couple of weeks.

Two weeks ago, on Feb. 5, Hayes made his NHL debut and scored two goals, helping the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. His first goal came on his first shot in the first period before scoring his second goal later in the period. 

He was then assigned back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after the NHL went on its Olympic break, and he got a hat trick in his first game back on Feb. 7. He scored the first two goals of the game against the Hershey Bears before winning the game in overtime. 

Hayes recently got in a big fight with former Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese last Sunday in a 4-3 loss against the Cleveland Monsters before registering another hat trick for WBS on Wednesday against the Springfield Thunderbirds. 

HAYESY KEEPS ROLLING 🧢🧢🧢🔥 pic.twitter.com/xFGIwqI1GM

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 19, 2026

He's making a very strong case to be called up again after the Winter Olympics. He's going to be a full-time NHL player really soon.

Wednesday's win improved Wilkes-Barre's overall record to 33-13-3-2, good for 71 points. 

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Jonathan Quick was dealt twice in as many days during the 2022-23 season, but the 19-year veteran goalie isn’t seeking another relocation amid the Rangers’ continued sell-off before the March 6 trade deadline.

The pending unrestricted free agent controls a 20-team no-trade clause in his contract, but what if a contender looking for an experienced backup for its playoff push could attempt to rent the two-time Stanley Cup winner?

“I’m happy here. I want to be here,” Quick said after practice Thursday in Tarrytown. “It means a lot to me to wear this jersey.”

A Connecticut native, the 40-year-old Quick signed a one-year deal with the Rangers in free agency in the summer of ’23 after the longtime Kings stalwart had been traded on consecutive days earlier that year from Los Angeles to Columbus and then to Vegas.

He then inked two more one-year deals — including a $1.55 million one for this season — to serve as Igor Shesterkin’s backup.

“When I signed the contract, I planned on honoring the contract,” Quick said earlier in the week. “The focus is always where you’re at and what you’re doing currently.

“That’s where the focus has been and will continue to be.”

Quick had been playing more regularly ahead of the Olympic break with Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox sidelined since they both suffered lower-body injuries in the same game against the Mammoth on Jan. 5.

Quick ranks fourth on the league’s all-time wins list with 408, but he’s just 4-14-1 this season with a 3.10 goals-against average in 20 appearances (19 starts) for the Blueshirts, who own the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 22-29-6 ahead of Thursday’s restart game against the Flyers at MSG.

That mark includes just three wins in the final 18 games (3-13-2) before the break, plus the trade of leading scorer Artemi Panarin to the Kings.

“It’s a result-based business, and you lose sight of it being in business at times, just because it turns into a family, right, with the guys you’re with every day,” Quick said. ‘You know their kids and wives and vice versa.

“It’s always difficult when, for any reason, that guys you’ve been with for a couple years move on. So it’s a reminder that it is a business, and I’m sure the guys will go to those new teams and make some great relationships and have some fun playing hockey. And our focus has to be fully on who’s here now, and what we could do as a group.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

One group that is enjoying success is Team USA — led by first-year Rangers coach Mike Sullivan and featuring captain J.T. Miller and forward Vincent Trocheck — at the Milan Cortina Games.

The Americans will face Slovakia on Friday in the semifinals, with a clash with rival Canada, who first must beat Finland, in the gold medal match potentially looming Sunday.

“I’d imagine both teams are very focused on their semifinal match,” said Quick, who represented the U.S. in Olympic play in 2010 (silver medal) and 2014 (no medal). “Both teams have a tough matchup … and their full focus is on respecting their opponents in the semifinal match, and I’m looking forward to watching. It’s been really good hockey for the past two weeks there. It’s been fun to watch, so I’m sure it will be a couple great games [Friday].

“Obviously, it’s always an honor to represent your country. And you’re very fortunate to be a part of that a few times. Obviously you want to see the group that’s over there do as well as they can.”

As the 2026 Winter Olympics come to a close, the Vancouver Canucks are starting to get ready for the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season. Vancouver has already held some practices, with the club returning to action on February 25, 2026, at Rogers Arena. There are also some important dates coming up that Canucks fans will want to keep an eye on. 

The first key date is February 22, 2026. As of 11:59 ET or 8:59 PT, the trade Olympic freeze will be lifted. With plenty of rumours surrounding Vancouver, fans may not need to wait long before Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin start to make some moves. 

Next up is March 6, 2026, which is the trade deadline. The Canucks are expected to be very busy heading into the 2026 trade deadline as they continue to rebuild the organization. The official deadline is at noon PT, which will be followed by media availability from members of the organization. 

Lastly, Vancouver plays their final game of the regular season on April 16, 2026, in Edmonton. Once again, the Canucks will not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will miss the post-season for the fifth time in the last six years. After April 16, all eyes will be on the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, which will take place during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Vancouver has 29 games left on the schedule, with 14 set to take place at Rogers Arena. Some playoff-bound teams that the Canucks will host down the stretch include the Dallas Stars, the Carolina Hurricanes,  the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vegas Golden Knights. Vancouver is projected to finish 32nd in the NHL this season and will have the best odds at first overall for the 2026 NHL Draft. 

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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Analyzing fit of six defensemen Sharks could target before NHL trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

How can the San Jose Sharks improve their defense ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline?

The Sharks, heading into the deadline, are trying to straddle two paths.

There’s the here and now: Five points out of the last wild-card spot in the West and Macklin Celebrini ascending to a superstar level. They’re trying to make the playoffs this season.

But there’s also the future: The Sharks are building to be a Stanley Cup contender, not right now, but in a couple of seasons. So it’s not necessarily time to sell the farm for a small improvement.

Based on The Athletic’s most recent Trade Board, here are a half-dozen possibly available defensemen who fit one of these two paths, or both.

Multiple league sources also shared their thoughts. Also, who would I target if I were the Sharks?

Dougie Hamilton

The offensively gifted Hamilton should be able to help the Sharks’ top power-play unit, but he’s more likely a bridge option.

The 2028 UFA is 32 and has a $9 million AAV. He also has a 10-team Trade List, which the Sharks reportedly aren’t part of.

All that said, the right-hander should come cheap via trade, as long as he agrees to come to San Jose. The New Jersey Devils badly need to clear salary cap space and Hamilton has had a down campaign.

Hamilton would be a solid target for the Sharks: They’ll have the cap space for the next couple of seasons, and someone will have to be their PP1 quarterback if they allow veteran John Klingberg, who’s had an up-and-down season, to walk.

San Jose doesn’t have a clear internal option for this role and based on their interest in Hamilton during the summer, probably before they signed Klingberg on July 1, they likely view Hamilton as a better placeholder than Klingberg.

Hamilton has also been very productive since a highly publicized healthy scratch on Jan. 10, with two goals and 11 points in his last 12 games.

“Not really a production question,” Scout No. 1 said. “Lots of holes in his game and his compete.”

Justin Faulk

Faulk, 33, is also a bridge PP1-worthy quarterback, and he’s considered to be a better pure defender than Hamilton.

However, unlike Hamilton, the 2027 UFA’s contract is seen as a relative bargain — he’s got a $6.5 million AAV and is enjoying his first double-digit goal campaign since 2022-23. He does have a 15-team No-Trade List.

Faulk might garner a first-round draft pick at the trade deadline and will certainly return a high pick or a top prospect.

The right-hander, as a player, might be a more suitable fit for the Sharks, but his likely expensive cost in trade makes Hamilton an arguably more appealing target.

Mason Lohrei

Lohrei, 25, is an offensive defenseman who might need a change of scenery.

Inked to a two-year, $3.2 million AAV contract last summer after a breakout 33-point season, Lohrei has seen his ice time cut and a few healthy scratches under new head coach Marco Sturm.

“Needs to mature a bit,” Scout No. 1 said. “Roll of the dice.”

Lohrei is the right age to grow with the Sharks and could provide an immediate puck-moving spark, but does he defend well enough to play in their top four?

If the Boston Bruins were certain of that, the left-hander probably wouldn’t be available in the first place.

Zach Whitecloud

Whitecloud, 29, hasn’t played a regular top-four shift for most of his career, but that appears to be more a consequence of playing most of his youth on a deep Vegas Golden Knights defense.

Since getting traded to the Calgary Flames in the Rasmus Andersson deal, the 6-foot-2 shutdown defender has averaged 23:09 a night, second only to Mackenzie Weegar, a huge uptick from the 17:44 that he averaged in Vegas.

A 2028 UFA, the right-hander is being paid bottom-pairing money at $2.75 million AAV. So he’s on a bargain of a contract, which will make him that much more costly to acquire.

Two NHL scouts told San Jose Hockey Now that they believe Whitecloud’s trade value is in the range of a second-round pick plus a prospect.

If the Sharks believe in Whitecloud, he’d be both an upgrade now and someone who should still be a key contributor in a couple of years.

Logan Stanley

It took the 2016 first-round draft pick nearly a decade, but Stanley appears to have arrived as an NHL player at exactly the right time, heading into unrestricted free agency this summer.

A 6-foot-7 defender with a mean streak, the 27-year-old left-hander also has a bomb of a shot, and has nine goals.

The question is, do you buy on Stanley as a late-blooming top-four defenseman? He still just plays 16:33 a night for the Winnipeg Jets, and before this season, had never netted more than one goal in a year.

Braden Schneider

Like Lohrei, it’s a little suspicious when a young defenseman, capable of munching minutes, is available like Schneider reportedly is.

Just 24, the pending RFA is more of a shutdown defenseman, and on the surface, big and mobile and can kill plays, sounds like a perfect Mike Grier trade target.

Can the right-hander grow into a true-blue top-four defenseman on a Cup contender?

“Top-four potential,” Scout No. 2 said. Another scout agreed with that assessment.

“He skates well, physical, great kid,” an NHL source said. “No idea what the ask would be, but it better be a lot.”

If the Sharks believe that, he would well be worth a first-round draft pick in a trade.

My Thoughts

There are a couple of other interesting trade targets out there in Brandon Carlo and Pavel Mintyukov.

Carlo, 29, is a big shutdown defenseman who has struggled in Toronto but could welcome a move to San Jose. Are the Maple Leafs, six points out of the playoffs, ready to sell? Carlo could be a smart buy-low opportunity.

Mintyukov is a 2022 first-round draft pick, a very gifted puck-mover who reportedly requested a trade from the Anaheim Ducks earlier this season. It’s hard to see the Ducks trading him in-division, and also, the 22-year-old doesn’t necessarily help the Sharks as much right now.

So who would I target if I were the Sharks?

I’d take a flyer on Hamilton at a bargain basement price.

I also think Whitecloud is worth the suggested cost.

Of all the aforementioned options for the Sharks?

“Whitecloud would be [the best] fit,” Scout No. 3 said.

Trading for one or both of these defensemen would require San Jose to jettison at least one of their handful of UFA blueliners, Klingberg, Mario Ferraro, Timothy Liljegren or Vincent Desharnais.

These acquisitions, however, would both improve the Sharks now and in the near future, without breaking the bank in terms of trade assets. This should keep San Jose in position to acquire elite talent to play with Celebrini, which should be the priority this offseason.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently second place in the Metropolitan Division standings. With this, there is a good chance that they will look to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. 

With the Penguins standing out as likely buyers this season, they are now being urged to address one of their notable trade needs.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz argued that the Penguins' top trade need ahead of the deadline is adding to their defensive depth. 

"They have plenty of forward depth at both the NHL and AHL levels, but could definitely use more defensive depth. The defense has overachieved this season and has improved rapidly as the season has progressed, but additional depth should be Kyle Dubas's focus over the next few weeks," Gretz wrote. 

It is certainly hard to disagree with Gretz's take here, as it is clear that the Penguins would benefit by adding to their blueline. This is especially so when noting that they have been dealing with the injury bug this season. 

Another right-shot defenseman, in particular, would be great for the Penguins to add to their roster. A few names who have been creating chatter in the rumor mill this season include Zach Whitecloud, Connor Murphy, and Timothy Liljegren. 

5 Defensemen Penguins Should Target At Trade DeadlineThe Pittsburgh Penguins are in solid playoff position during the Olympic break - and they could look to add a depth defenseman by the trade deadline

It will be very interesting to see what kind of moves the Penguins make ahead of the deadline from here. They have undoubtedly performed well enough for Penguins GM Kyle Dubas to add to their roster. 

As nations battle for the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the NHL get a break for a few weeks.

Many organizations saw this break as an opportunity for players with injuries to rest and heal. At the same time, it's a chance for teams to handle in-house business.

For the Kings, a piece of that business would include young defenseman Brandt Clarke. The 23-year-old is in the final season of his entry-level contract, earning $863,334 against the salary cap.

Though Clarke is a pending RFA on an expiring contract, there hasn't been much rumbling surrounding a potential contract extension for the D-man.

Clarke is projected to become a cornerstone of the Kings' defense in the coming years, if he isn't at that level already.

In 56 games this season, Clarke has six goals and 27 points. Not only does he lead all Kings defensemen in scoring, including veteran and Team Canada's Drew Doughty, but he's sixth on the team.

The blueliner is just one point behind right winger Corey Perry and three points behind center Quinton Byfield as the fifth and fourth-highest scorers on the Kings, respectively.

Usage, Support, and the Myth of RegressionHas Quinton Byfield regressed? The environment around him certainly did. What looks like a stalled breakout is really the cost of years of indecision down the middle, and now, with the insulation gone, the Kings finally have some clarity over their top center situation.

Furthermore, with a team that has been up and down all year long in terms of consistent results, Clarke is tied for second on Los Angeles in plus-minus with a plus-eight rating. That's tied with Adrian Kempe and behind Anze Kopitar's plus-12 rating.

Also, Clarke has the defensive metrics to back up his performances on both ends of the ice. He's first in the NHL among defensemen in expected goals against per 60 minutes when he is on the ice (2.23), according to moneypuck.com.

Additionally, Clarke is fifth among NHL blueliners in on-ice goals percentage, hovering with stars such as Cale Makar, Lane Hutson and Evan Bouchard in that category.

Kings Reveal Kevin Fiala Could Be Back For Playoffs, If They Get ThereLos Angeles Kings and Switzerland left winger Kevin Fiala went down with a serious leg injury against Canada on Friday and is out for the rest of the regular season. However, there is a chance he returns for the playoffs - if they can make it that far.

With all these impressive numbers and performances showing that the offense-minded defenseman can still be effective in a defensive system, what is the holdup on signing him to a contract extension?

Clarke has the tools to be a difference-making D-man for years to come, but the window to lock up the youngster is getting smaller as the days go on. And if he remains without a new deal when the regular season kicks up again, there may be a little more concern and panic than there should have been.

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The Buffalo Sabres are certainly a team to watch leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. At this point of the season, they are on the right side of the playoff line and should be looking to add to their roster because of it.

Due to this, the Sabres are being urged to address a specific trade need.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz argued that the Sabres' biggest need is to improve their defensive depth. 

"Their biggest need, however, might simply be some additional defensive depth for their bottom-pairing. Their top four is very solid, but if you want to win in the playoffs, you are going to need at least seven or eight capable NHL defensemen to account for injuries and just have enough quality players that can get you through 60 minutes without being a liability," Gretz wrote. 

When looking at the Sabres' current roster, it is certainly fair to argue that they could use at least one more depth defenseman. Adding another right-shot defenseman would be ideal, but even bringing in a left-shot upgrade for their third pairing would be beneficial for the Sabres. 

The trade market is expected to have several options leading up to the deadline. Gretz mentioned Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley and Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Connor Murphy as two potential options for Buffalo. However, there are several other names in the rumor mill right now that could also be fits for Buffalo, like Luke Schenn (Jets), Braden Schneider (New York Rangers), Zach Whitecloud (Calgary Flames), and Simon Benoit (Toronto Maple Leafs).

Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what moves the Sabres end up making ahead of the deadline from here. 

With all the excitement of the 2026 men's Olympic hockey tournament, it's easy to forget that the NHL trade deadline is quietly creeping up on us. And sometime between now and the March 6 deadline, the Ottawa Senators will have to make some difficult decisions.

If they decide to hit the trade market, upgrading the right side of their blue line is near the top of their wish list, but it has to be a deal that makes sense for a team that's six points (and three teams) out of a playoff spot with 25 games to play.

If the Senators fail to do something, or just choose not to, they do have an intriguing right shot option down in the minors; a former first-rounder, who's really good with the puck.

Actually, they have two of them.

2024 first-rounder Carter Yakemchuk would generally be the first name that springs to mind, but Lassi Thomson has suddenly become a name of interest again.

Thomson, drafted by Ottawa five years before Yakemchuk, has 11 points in his last 15 games in Belleville and leads all AHL defensemen in scoring with 12. And if skating mobility in one specific case is an issue the Sens are trying to fix (spoiler: it is), that's probably Thomson's biggest strength.

"Well, he's such a gifted skater, right?" Belleville interim head coach Andrew Campbell told TSN 1200 radio on Tuesday. "So the more we can get Lassi involved in the rush and involved in the offense, it not only benefits Lassi's style of play, but benefits us as a team."

Since taking over as head coach from David Bell in December, Campbell says he and his staff have made some adjustments to get the D more involved in different areas of the game. While Campbell didn't say as much, it wouldn't be a surprise if that's a directive from Ottawa to specifically assist in Yakemchuk's development.

But Thomson, who's a better skater, and much further along in his pro development, seems to have benefitted as well.

"It's really done wonders for Lassi because of his pace and skating," Campbell said. "Like I said, he's he's probably one of the better skaters in in the whole league, so, yeah, he's driven our offense from the back end and he does lead the league in goals for defensemen. So, some really good stuff from Lassi."

In 2024, about a month before Yakemchuk was drafted, Thomson left Ottawa to play in Sweden, where he led Malmo in points in 2024-25. Interestingly, while he was gone, the Sens ended up needed a right shot callup last season. With Travis Hamonic nearing the end, Belleville's Nikolas Matinpalo came up and played half the season and all of Ottawa's playoff games.

So, when Thomson opted to re-sign with the Sens last summer, he was probably thinking he had a real NHL opportunity. It was pretty clear Hamonic wasn't going to be extended, Nick Jensen was coming off major hip surgery, Yakemchuk is still a kid, and Thomson probably felt like he could compete with Matinpalo, his ex-Belleville teammate.

But a couple of weeks after Thomson signed, the Senators acquired defenseman Jordan Spence in a draft day deal with the LA Kings. Spence and Matinpalo both made the NHL roster, and the veteran Jensen was activated for opening night.

So the Sens placed Thomson on waivers again, which has meant another year in Belleville. But he seems to be in a great headspace, with more goals and points already this season than he did in his last full season in Belleville two years ago, and there's no question that his big role in Sweden last season helped him get to this point.

"Yeah, obviously, I would say I got a lot of confidence last year and I'm trying to build from that," Thomson told the BSens Entertainment Network last month. "So I think it was a big thing for me just to get that confidence back and (remind myself) why I got drafted here."

Thomson wasn't drafted on Steve Staios' watch, but Staios still thought enough of the player to bring him back. It was Pierre Dorion and his staff who chose the former Kelowna Rockets star 19th overall in 2019. Six months later, he captained Team Finland at the World Junior Hockey Championship. 

But Thomson opted that season to leave Kelowna and return to his hometown team in Tampere, Finland. It was either homesickness, or a desire to accelerate development by playing in a men's league - maybe a bit of both. While it's nothing more than speculation, playing against men as an 18-year-old may not have had the desired developmental effect.

When Thomson left the Sens organization as an RFA in 2024, five years after his draft day, he had appeared in just 18 career games for Ottawa. What's more, he had just come off a discouraging season where he was waived by the Senators, claimed by Anaheim, waived by the Ducks a few days later, then reclaimed by the Sens, who sent him to Belleville for the entire 2023-24 campaign without a single call up.

Max Guenette got a call up to Ottawa for 7 games that season.

None of this was great for Thomson's confidence, or his sense of worth to the organization. But now, at age 25, he finally seems to be coming into his own.

As a Group 6 UFA this summer, with all he's been through, Thomson may already by eyeballing a fresh start with another NHL organization. But before he does, if the circumstances are right, it might be worth taking one last NHL look, depending on what happens at the deadline and down the stretch.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa. Read more Senators features and articles from THN Ottawa here:

Tim Stutzle And Team Germany March On To Face Slovakia in Olympic Quarterfinals
20 Years Later: The Rise And Fall Of One Of The Greatest Teams In Senators History
Former Senator Mark Stone Still Has Plenty Left... Just Ask Canada
Senators Can Further Boost Playoff Hopes By Upgrading One Position At Deadline

The Edmonton Oilers will undoubtedly be a team to watch once the NHL Olympic roster freeze lifts. With the 2026 NHL trade deadline rapidly approaching, they are expected to be buyers. 

One clear area that the Oilers could look to improve is their defensive group. Their right side, in particular, could use more depth. Due to this, one player who the Oilers should consider making a push for is Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn. 

With Schenn being a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and the Jets currently not holding a playoff spot, the right-shot defenseman has been creating chatter in the rumor mill as a trade candidate. If the Oilers acquired him, he would give them another veteran blueliner to work with. It also doesn't hurt that he has won the Stanley Cup twice in his career as well. 

When looking at a potential fit in the Oilers' lineup for Schenn, he could work well on their bottom pairing. Furthermore, due to his shutdown ability, he would also give the Oilers another potential option for their penalty kill. 

Ultimately, with the Oilers needing more depth and bite on their blueline, bringing in a solid veteran defenseman like Schenn could make sense for them. It will be interesting to see if they make a push for him from here. 

As the NHL trade deadline approaches, one of the most talked-about names connected to potential movement is Logan Stanley of the Winnipeg Jets.

The 27-year-old pending unrestricted free agent is in the midst of a career season, recording 18 points in 55 games while taking on a steady role along Winnipeg’s blue line. Stanley’s combination of youth, experience, and imposing six-foot-seven frame has drawn interest from several teams seeking to bolster their defensive depth ahead of a playoff push. 

A former first-round selection, taken 18th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, Stanley represents the kind of asset contending teams covet at this time of year. He is affordable, experienced, and still has room to grow. However, what once appeared to be a straightforward trade chip may no longer be so clear-cut.

According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press, widely regarded as one of the most trusted voices covering the Jets, Stanley’s priority is to remain in Winnipeg. Wiebe reported Wednesday that he recently spoke with the defenseman, who indicated his desire to stay with the organization that drafted and developed him.

During a chat today, #NHLJets D Logan Stanley expressed his desire to stick around and is expecting some contract talks to take place during the coming days here with his agent Pat Morris and the organization that selected him 18th overall in 2016:https://t.co/2ENSm5ms1c

— Ken Wiebe (@WiebesWorld) February 19, 2026

Stanley added that discussions between his camp and the Jets are expected to take place in the coming days as both sides explore the possibility of a contract extension before he resumes game action.

That development introduces an intriguing wrinkle for Winnipeg’s front office. While moving Stanley could net future assets in a market hungry for size and defensive reliability, retaining him would secure a player who appears to be finding his stride. His physical presence, reach, and ability to use his size effectively have made him a steady contributor on the back end this season.

For a team that at times looked poised to shift toward selling and regrouping for next year, re-signing Stanley could signal a different approach. Keeping him in the fold would provide continuity on defense and allow management to address other areas of need, particularly among struggling forwards, without creating another hole on the blue line.

If the Jets can stabilize their defensive core and inject new energy into their forward group, they may yet position themselves for a stronger second half and build momentum heading into next season.

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You could almost feel the rush start building up as soon as Sidney Crosby limped off the ice yesterday. Other players like Kevin Fiala (out for the season with a broken leg), Josh Morrissey (currently injured to an unknown degree) and Brad Marchand (who missed two Olympic games but has since returned) have picked up injuries in these Olympics, but a player on the level of Crosby raises the discourse to new levels.

It harkens back to the 2014 Olympics, when then-New York Islander star John Tavares was lost for the season with a torn MCL suffered in Sochi.

First, the latest updates on Crosby have been inconclusive at best. Crosby has not been ruled out by Canadian coach Jon Cooper for Friday’s semifinal game yet, however he obviously has picked up some level of injury that has his immediate future in doubt. Even if Crosby can return for the games, his status for a stretch of 12 games in 21 days for the Penguins, which begins in just a week, has to be at least partially in doubt.

It probably won’t be as severe as “Mario Lemieux only playing one NHL game after the 2002 Olympics” but then again the situations were drastically different with Lemieux back then clearly trying to hold onto as much of his health as possible to participate in the Olympics and then be forced to address his health in the aftermath. (Lemieux would go onto play only 10 games the following season). That was less the fault of an Olympic injury and more a different priority in a different time with a much different health situation.

Going back to 2014 and the endless debate, former NYI general manager Garth Snow didn’t take the news well on losing his best player, as one would expect. Snow called NHL participation in the Olympics a “joke” and said:

“This is probably the biggest reason why NHL players shouldn’t be in the Olympics, it should just be amateurs,” Snow told Newsday. “And it could have happened to anyone; it just happened to be us that lost our best player.”

“A lot of people pay to see John play,” he said. “It wouldn’t matter if we were 10 points clear of a playoff spot or 10 points out. We lost our best player and he wasn’t even [injured while] playing for us.”

Snow asked rhetorically if the IIHF and IOC would reimburse the Islander season-ticket holders who were out a lot of money. Ticket prices have risen significantly in the last 12 years, the same thought holds water for those Penguin fans who have invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in the 10 home games Pittsburgh will play through the end of March. That total investment will reach eight-figures with no small amount of the decision linked to the opportunity to see Crosby play.

On the flip side, Penguin coaches and teammates surely understand and accept the risk involved.

“It’s the Olympics,” coach Dan Muse said after a Penguins practice yesterday. “Anytime these guys get an opportunity to represent their countries, I’m just happy for them. To play in a tournament like that, to be playing in that setting, that is something I think everybody dreams of. The only thing for me is that I’m excited for those guys getting that opportunity that they’ve earned.”

Crosby’s teammate Bryan Rust encapsulated the overwhelming majority of player opinions by responding to the early news that Crosby got hurt and whether the risk justified the desire to still compete.

“You can get injured in practice, look at (Aleksander) Barkov, he (is missing) the year because he got injured in practice. (Kevin Hayes) got injured in practice. Things can happen all sorts of places. With the way these practices are now, with how intense they are, guys across the league, somebody might get injured.

“I don’t think guys in this league are too worried about that. The opportunity to represent your country at the highest level, the world stage, I think guys are more than willing to accept that risk.”

That rings true in a lot of senses. We can’t speak for injured players like Crosby, Fiala and Morrisey but it stands to reason all would get right back on the plane to Italy to represent their countries again, even knowing firsthand the price that could be attached in terms of pain that might entail.

The question becomes weighing player interest against what is best for the NHL season. Ancillary debates spawn from there about the impact of taking a three week pause and condensing a season into a reduced calendar is another element that impacts the league and the players who don’t get Olympic participation, held up against a notion about growing the appeal of the game (of which, results can be spotty for tangible impact of best-on-best drawing into increased NHL audience).

The debate draws down to competing opinions and viewpoints that will never align. Those with an NHL bent, be it for professional or monetary reasons, as Snow illustrated will justifiably be angry when the inevitable happens for star players getting hurt at the Olympics. Others, like the players themselves as Rust spoke to, are more than willing to risk it for the glory involved and opportunity to represent their country. There are decent enough reasons to be on either side of the fence, depending on where a perspective falls.

It’s a debate that will rage on for as long as the NHL and the Olympics both exist, neither of which are going away anytime soon. NHL players have been confirmed to compete in the 2030 Olympics, and the league is increasing their own involvement in staging best-on-best action in 2028. The questions about whether the cost is worth the benefit won’t change for people who run NHL teams compared to those that want to represent their countries, which will only lead to more instances of the topic coming back for further discussion as time goes on.

It’s that time of year to fantasize about all the veteran depth players who might be wearing burgundy and blue within a month’s time. Once the Olympic roster freeze lifts after February 22nd there could be a sudden flurry of activity. The Colorado Avalanche like to do their NHL trade deadline shopping early and certainly have a wish list, are any of the following players on their radar?

Forwards

Jonathan Toews

After numerous reports that the Avalanche were finalists for his services over the summer, it’s curious why there hasn’t been much talk about acquiring veteran forward Jonathan Toews from the Winnipeg Jets, who are clearly in a selling position sitting at over ten point out of a playoff spot currently. He’s enjoyed a decent season with 19 points in 56 games in his comeback after sitting out two seasons.

The 37-year-old center has a very affordable contract of just $2 million for this season but he can earn up to $5 million more in performance bonuses. Most are for games played, which he’s already earned but there’s additional money for playoff performance including an extra $1 million for a Stanley Cup win. Colorado would have to sort out the financials and it’s unclear if Winnipeg would be on the hook for bonuses earned while he was a Jet if he gets traded. If not, at least any bonuses earned over the salary cap can be deferred until next year. But Toews is an intriguing option for veteran center depth which shouldn’t cost a lot to acquire with confirmed interest from the Avalanche in the past.

Boone Jenner

Word on the street is that Colorado has been keeping a close eye on the Columbus Blue Jackets lately. The Ohio team is still undecided about selling but currently sitting four points out of a playoff spot must mean they are considering it. No doubt GM Chris MacFarland would love to get his hands on Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner making an affordable $3.75M in the last year of his contract to fortify center depth. As a rental Jenner could even go back to Columbus in the offseason making a quick reunion with MacFarland even more appealing. Jenner has had a productive and healthy-ish season with 27 points in 42 games.

Bobby McMann

There probably is a long line of suitors for a hard-nosed player who is on pace for his second consecutive 20 goal season, who skates well with size at 6-foot-2 and has a very affordable $1.35M cap hit on an expiring contract. Therefore, it might cost a premium asset or two to nab the 29-year-old McMann, currently rumored to be two second round picks, but if the Avalanche expect to extend him it could be worth it. There’s also the fact of a big goal he scored in Toronto’s overtime win over Colorado just several weeks ago, which surely Chris MacFarland made a mental note of.

Defense

Luke Schenn

Another potential trade target from the Winnipeg Jets is defenseman Luke Schenn. He is on an expiring contract with a $2.75M cap hit. At 36-years-old he is just the veteran defensive depth a contender is looking for, though he is a right shot which Colorado already has a surplus of. There’s a rumor that Luke would ideally like to get moved to the same destination as his brother forward Brayden Schenn, who happens to be a good friend of Nathan MacKinnon. On a contract with more years of $6.50M, a move for Brayden from St. Louis Blues would need a lot more help to make this deal happen but Luke could be the much more affordable addition on his own.

Brett Kulak

The Pittsburgh to Colorado pipeline, and vice versa, has been strong over the past few years and the Ilya Solovyov move earlier in the year only greased the wheels on potential future deals. Defenseman Brett Kulak would give the Avalanche a depth left shot option on the back end at a reasonable $2.75M price tag for the rest of the season. His experience going to the Stanley Cup finals with the Edmonton Oilers multiple years only enhances his resume. The 32-year-old has already been moved once this year from the aforementioned Oilers, which could mean the Penguins wouldn’t mind flipping him despite currently still holding on to a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. Fun fact, Kulak also spent half a season with the ECHL Colorado Eagles in 2014-15 as a member of the Calgary Flames organization.

Old Friends

We can never discount familiar faces heading back to the Avalanche, especially those who would seamlessly fit back into the dressing room. There’s been continual speculation about a reunion with several former centers, who would all be a good fit and give the Avalanche needed depth down the middle. Former centers Nashville’s Ryan O’Reilly ($4.5M for one more year) and Calgary’s Nazem Kadri ($7M for two more years) have term on their deals and wouldn’t be easy to acquire or afford but if the Avalanche are truly looking to make a splash at the trade deadline they could be options. There’s also the irony that if Columbus’ Charlie Coyle hadn’t been last year’s Avalanche center trade deadline acquisition he’d be the perfect fit on an expiring $5.25M contract enjoying a very productive season of 42 points in 56 games thus far.

Who would you like to see Colorado acquire? Let us know in the comments!