The Buffalo Sabres continue their five-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Thursday in a rare home back-to-back after posting a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The Sabres got a pair of goals from Rasmus Dahlin, and singles from Mattias Samuelsson, Jack Quinn, and Ryan McLeod, but only managed 14 shots on goal on Flyers goalies Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson.
After the game, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that center Josh Norris was injured in the second period. The 26-year-old played only 8:55 in the game and was hurt after Dahlin’s second goal.
"(It was a) cross-check that took him out of the game. He'll be evaluated. I really don't know where we're at with that right now," Ruff said. "We're hoping it's nothing too serious, but I think that's always what you hope."
The 2026 NHL Draft is coming to Buffalo this June.
Norris’s return in early December coincided with the Sabres winning streak that has brought the club back into playoff competition. If it is anything of a serious nature, it could hurt Buffalo’s chances of maintaining this pace and staying in the playoff race.
Ruff also indicated that defenseman Michael Kesselring, who had participated in practice this week, was ruled out of the game against Philadelphia, but was possibly available against the Habs.
"The plan was not to use him in back-to-back. He's available (Thursday). We'll make a decision whether we put him in," Ruff said. "I look at the two guys that played, I thought (Jacob) Bryson has played well, and (Zach) Metsa really played well for us. I've got some pretty good continuity going, so we'll look at whether a couple more days wouldn't hurt. (Kesselring has) really come along these last few days. So we'll bring him in the morning, evaluate him, and make a decision."
Colten Ellis is expected to get the start for Buffalo, while rookie Jacob Fowler will be between the pipes for Montreal.
Defenseman Cole McWard has been selected to the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division All-Star team.
#Isles Cole McWard will represent Bridgeport at next month's AHL All-Star Classic.
Defending Calder Cup champ went 5-11-16, +5 in 29 games this season to earn his first Isles call-up. @TheAHL always does an incredible job with this event. https://t.co/93yqIeBU6d
McWard, 24, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the New York Islanders organization this past offseason. He has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 29 games with the Bridgeport Islanders this season, leading the team's defensemen in goals and points.
He has also gone pointless across three games in the NHL with New York, serving the last three games as a healthy scratch.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic is set to take place on February 10-11.
LAS VEGAS — Matthew Knies is set to dress for the Toronto Maple Leafs when the club visits the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.
The forward was not on the ice for the club's full skate, prompting some concern that the Phoenix, Arizona native might not dress. However, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed that the player would be in the lineup that evening.
"Maintenance," is what Berube said as to why Knies was kept off the ice.
Knies logged 14:45 of ice time in Toronto's 6-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday. There wasn't anything apparent that suggested Knies was injured out of the game.
Although Knies did not participate, Nick Robertson did skate despite missing Tuesday's game after blocking a shot in Toronto's 4-3 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday and is set to return to the lineup on the third line alongside Easton Cowan and Nick Roy.
Craig Berube says Matthew Knies was off the ice for maintenance but will play tonight. @BodogCA
"It felt like it broke my leg, but iI didn't, thankfully," Robertson said of the injury. It was pretty painful, but I mean, it's part of the game. I'm happy, nothing serious."
Robertson explained that the puck caught him in an area around the knee that isn't protected. Despite walking around fine after the game, it was difficult for him to skate on it, which is why he didn't play on Tuesday.
"It feels a lot better today," Robertson said.
It's important to note that no extra forward stayed on the ice to do some additional work, which is customary when they know for certain that a player is out of the lineup. That likely means Knies may be moved to the fourth line for the first time this season.
Knies previously played on the fourth line during the 2023-24 season when he played his first full season in the NHL.
With Bobby McMann fitting in well on the first line alongside Auston Matthews and Max Domi, the Leafs also like their mix on the second and third lines, meaning Knies could play with Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton. Given the maintenance designation, it may also help Knies in limiting his minutes as he deals with whatever caused him to miss the skate due to "maintenance".
Knies missed three games earlier this season in November with a lower-body injury, mentioning that nagging him for a month before deciding to rest it.
Calle Jarkrok is likely the odd man out as a result.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan will soon have his Memorial Cup ring.
The OHL's London Knights revealed the rings on Thursday morning, showcasing the one with Cowan's name on it. The 20-year-old was London's top player at the Memorial Cup in the spring, with three goals and four assists in five games.
Cowan was also the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Whenever Cowan and his former teammates acquire their rings, they could be getting two of them for being Memorial Cup Champions.
One of the rings contains the Knights' logo surrounded by what appears to be diamonds, with the player's name etched on the side. The other ring will have the player's number on it — also appearing to be surrounded by diamonds — along with 'London Knights' engraved on each side.
Cowan spent parts of four seasons with the Knights, from 2022 to 2025. The Mount Brydges, Ontario-born forward scored 84 goals and 220 points in 175 games with the OHL club.
He sits atop London's history books when it comes to playoff points. In 60 postseason games, Cowan scored 32 goals and 64 assists for 96 points. Not to mention, the forward also went on a historic (unofficial) point streak of 65 games. The OHL deemed it unofficial because the streak spanned over two seasons.
Cowan, now in his first NHL season, is an integral part of the Maple Leafs. His strong hockey IQ and competitiveness have allowed him to remain with the NHL club this year.
Friday night will be a critical game for one former Colorado Avalanche player.
Ryan O’Reilly has long been a focal point in trade rumors, including speculation about a potential reunion with the Colorado Avalanche, the team that drafted him. Set to turn 35 in February, O’Reilly spent the first six seasons of his NHL career in Colorado (2009–2014), appearing in 427 games and compiling 90 goals and 156 assists during his tenure with the franchise.
Can Ryan O’Reilly Prove His Worth?
Even with the league’s best record, the most explosive offense, and the stingiest defense, coach Jared Bednar sees room for improvement at one position: the Avalanche remain thin at third-line center.
Ryan O’Reilly flipping the no look puck up the ice. If Patrick Mahomes does this we don’t hear the end of it. pic.twitter.com/3CkdfwTPGp
On Friday, the Avalanche (33-4-8) will take on the Nashville Predators (22-20-4), and O’Reilly, who has spent the past three seasons with Nashville, will be facing his former team.
Despite turning 35 soon, O’Reilly is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career. He is currently tracking to finish the year with 23 goals and 46 assists for 69 points.
That projection isn’t far off from his career-best campaign during the 2018-19 season, when he recorded 28 goals and 49 assists for 77 points. That same year, he also won the Stanley Cup and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, posting 23 points in 26 games, including eight goals and 15 assists.
Credit: Winslow Townson. O'Reilly hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues.
Is Ross Colton at Odds with the Avalanche?
Over the past several seasons, the Avalanche have rotated Ross Colton between center and wing. On the wing, the former Stanley Cup champion has been highly productive, but his offensive output has generally dipped when deployed as the third-line center.
Recently, Colton has hinted at potential friction with the Avalanche. Last month, he managed just two points in 14 games, raising questions about his role and fit within the lineup.
The Robbinsville, New Jersey native found a spark when moved to the second line alongside Valeri Nichushkin and Brock Nelson against the Ottawa Senators, recording his first three-point game of the season.
Credit: Ron Chenoy. Ross Colton has not scored a goal since November 26 against the San Jose Sharks.
“Feel like I’m playing well. I feel like part of it’s how you’re deployed, the minutes you’re getting. Long stretch there, we weren’t playing a lot, so it’s hard to do stuff when you’re playing less than 10 minutes,” Colton said. “We were doing everything that we could, playing the right way, doing little things right.”
While Colton’s performance against the Senators was encouraging, he won’t remain a second-line winger once captain Gabriel Landeskog returns from injury. Any offensive surge he produces could be short-lived.
Meanwhile, Jack Drury has filled the third-line center role over the past eight games, but it’s clear Bednar isn’t fully committed to him in that position. If he were, there wouldn’t be as much experimentation with the lineup.
Taken together, there’s a lot at stake for both Colton and O’Reilly — though in O’Reilly’s case, only if he actually wants to leave Nashville. Predators general manager Barry Trotz has made it clear that any trade involving O’Reilly would only happen at the player’s request.
Why O’Reilly Could Be a Perfect Fit
After the Avalanche traded O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Nikita Zadorov, J.T. Compher, Mikhail Grigorenko, and a second-round pick, O’Reilly eventually landed in St. Louis, where his career truly took off. In his first season with the Blues, he won a Stanley Cup and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
O’Reilly spent parts of five seasons with St. Louis before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 17, 2023. He played 13 games with Toronto before signing with the Nashville Predators in the following offseason.'
Given his $4.5 million cap hit and consistent level of performance, O’Reilly would be a dream addition for an Avalanche team that is already one of the league’s most dangerous. In Nashville, he has been one of the few bright spots on a roster clearly in need of a new direction.
By comparison, Colton makes slightly less than O’Reilly at $4 million, but has only posted 20 points with five goals and 15 assists in 45 games. O’Reilly has nearly doubled that production despite being five years older and playing on a worse team.
The most significant obstacle could be a bidding war. Securing a player of O’Reilly’s caliber would likely demand a substantial return, yet the potential reward—a decisive edge in the pursuit of another Stanley Cup—could justify the cost. Should he deliver an eye-opening performance on Friday against the league’s top team, it would be difficult for Colorado to ignore the opportunity to at least place a formal offer.
After going 0-for-6 for the first three games of their seven-game road trip, power-play coach Ray Bennett has elected to play Simon Holmstrom on the top unit, moving the struggling Jonathan Drouin to the second unit.
This change did happen late in their 5-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, I believe.
Holmstrom has been playing at the top of his game as of late, with four goals and one assist over his last four games. Drouin, who signed a two-year deal this summer worth $4 million annually, has gone 23 games without a goal. He has six assists over that span.
The Islanders' power play sits last in the NHL at 15.2 percent. They've been, more or less, able to overcome the man-advantage issues this season thanks to strong defense and tremendous goaltending, both of which have played a part in their penalty-kill bounce-back.
We'll see if Holmstrom can take advantage of his elevated power-play role.
Puck drop between the Islanders and Oilers comes your way at 9 PM ET.
The Battle of Pennsylvania will shift to Pittsburgh on Thursday night, after the two previous meetings were held in Philadelphia.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers split those two games, with the Penguins winning the most recent one 5-1 on Dec. 1. It was one of the Penguins' most complete games of the season.
Philadelphia comes into this game on a four-game losing streak, having also just played in Buffalo on Wednesday. The Flyers lost 5-2 and also saw starting goaltender Dan Vladar leave early with an injury.
One of Samuel Ersson or Aleksei Kolosov will start in the net for the Flyers on Thursday.
Trevor Zegras continues to have a great first season with the Flyers, compiling 18 goals and 42 points in 45 games. He's also annoyed the Penguins in both of the teams' previous games this year, reigniting the rivalry a bit.
Travis Konecny has also been good, racking up 14 goals and 39 points in 44 games. Owen Tippett is second on the team in goals with 15 and has 28 points.
This is a massive game in the standings, as the two teams are tied with 52 points and just outside the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. A regulation win gets the winning team up to 54 points.
The Penguins are expected to roll with the same lines that they had during Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Forwards
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defense
Kulak-Letang
Wotherspoon-St. Ivany
Shea-Clifton
Stuart Skinner will start in goal for the Penguins after having the night off on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Managing the salary cap is one of the most difficult challenges in building a Stanley Cup contender. Championship teams often rely on a mix of stars who outperform their contracts, savvy long term extensions signed at the right time, or in rare cases, young difference makers producing well above the value of their entry level deals.
The Detroit Red Wings currently find themselves in that rare third category.
Detroit has benefited this season from two 20-year-old rookies who are not only regular contributors, but trusted players in key roles. Forward Emmitt Finnie and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka have provided meaningful production while costing the organization less than a combined $1.8 million through the 2027-28 season.
Finnie has spent much of the season on Detroit’s first line, an uncommon responsibility for a rookie. Through 48 games, he has nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points and remains on pace for more than 30 points in his first NHL season. Despite a recent scoring dry spell, projections suggest Finnie could finish in the 40 to 45 point range, which would be a strong total for a 20-year-old adjusting to the NHL.
On the blue line, Sandin Pellikka has been equally impressive. The rookie defenseman has shown poise beyond his years, making confident plays with the puck and contributing offensively at a steady rate. He has recorded five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 48 games, placing him on pace for roughly 30 points. That level of production is exceptional for a first year defenseman and adds another layer of depth scoring to the Red Wings defense.
Individually, neither stat line jumps off the page as a Stanley Cup defining performance. Collectively, however, the value of their contracts tells a different story.
Detroit’s ability to receive consistent, night to night contributions from two young players at such a low cap hit provides critical flexibility. If the Red Wings reach the playoffs this season but fall short of a deep run, that flexibility could become even more important moving forward.
Maintaining a competitive roster while holding significant cap space allows general manager Steve Yzerman to be aggressive, whether through free agency or at the trade deadline.
That financial freedom could position Detroit to pursue a high impact star such as Artemi Panarin or another marquee player should the opportunity arise. More importantly, it allows the organization to supplement its core without sacrificing long term stability.
As the Red Wings continue their progression toward becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, Finnie and Sandin Pellikka’s entry level contracts may be remembered as quiet but crucial advantages.
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The Chicago Blackhawks are set to take on the Calgary Flames at the United Center. Despite losing to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, the Blackhawks come in with some recent success. At 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, they have found a way to stay afloat in the Western Conference.
Chicago was forced to play without Connor Bedard again on Monday. He was out with the “stomach bug” that has terrorized the Blackhawks' dressing room. He should be good to go for this match, however, as he had a full participation in practice on Wednesday and morning skate on Thursday.
This will be the Blackhawks’ third and final meeting with the Flames this season. The first two, one in each city, were won by the Blackhawks by a combined score of 9-2.
Scouting Calgary
The Calgary Flames appeared to be pulling themselves out of the league’s cellar, but they are right back down after going 4-6-0 in their last 10. At 30th place in the league, the trade deadline and draft lottery are likely at the top of the organization’s mind.
Huberdeau-Kadri-Farabee
Sharangovich-Backlund-Coronato
Zary-Frost-Klapka
Lomberg-Kirkland-Stromgren
Bahl-Andersson
Kuznetsov-Weegar
Hanley-Pachal
Wolf
Cooley
There will be some changes coming to the Flames over the next month, but for now, the Blackhawks must check hard against guys like Nazem Kadri, Joel Farabee, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Mikael Backlund.
If it ends up being Dustin Wolf in net for Calgary, he's the type of goalie that can steal games, so the Blackhawks need net-front attacking, good shot selection, and awareness with the puck when in the offensive zone.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the other team from Alberta by a score of 4-1 on Monday. 2 goals in 12 seconds with under two minutes remaining (the first was an empty netter) made the score look worse than the game was for Chicago, but a bounce-back is on their radar in this one.
Getting Bedard back will obviously boost the lineup, but they will be without Teuvo Teravainen for at least one game. He is out with an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated after this match. Consider him day-to-day for now.
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Donato-Moore-Lardis
Dach-Foligno-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Knight
Spencer Knight was in the starter's crease for Chicago. He will play against the Flames after a strong showing against the Oilers earlier in the week.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found locally on CHSN. The puck will drop shortly after 7:30 PM CT.
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It’s been 14 years since the Buffalo Sabres made the playoffs in the spring of 2011, and it’s been even longer since they won a playoff series, all the way back in 2007. Since then, Buffalo has been the butt of all jokes and often used as a stopgap by good players before they went out to win championships elsewhere. Think about Ryan O’Reilly or Jack Eichel, for instance. However, this season could be different. Buffalo finished 2025 and started 2026 with a 10-game winning streak and has now won 14 of their last 16 games. With 54 points, Lindy Ruff’s men are in the first wildcard spot, just ahead of the Boston Bruins, on whom they have two games in hand.
The Montreal Canadiens have won their last five games against the Sabres and eight of the previous 10 duels between the two sides, but given Buffalo’s recent results, it feels like this is going to be a completely different game. The Sabres are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games, while the Canadiens are 6-2-2.
Neither side has confirmed its starter yet, and given Samuel Montembeault’s fantastic performance on Tuesday night in Washington in the 3-2 overtime loss, one can wonder if he might have earned the right to start two games in a row despite the loss. When Montreal won the first duel of the season in October, Jakub Dobes was in the net and posted a .938 save percentage, stopping 30 of the 32 shots he faced. The Czech netminder has a 2-0-0 record against Buffalo with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .930 SV. Meanwhile, Montembeault has a 5-5-0 record with a 3.04 GAA and a .905 SV. As for Jacob Fowler, he has never faced the hosts, but if Martin St-Louis chooses the alternate goalies, it would be the youngster’s turn. The Canadiens are set to practice at 11:30 AM, and we should know who will start shortly thereafter.
At the other end of the ice, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has a 1-2-0 record against Montreal with a 4.54 GAA and a .847 SV, but he was in the net on Wednesday night when the Sabres beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. With Alex Lyon on injured reserve, Colten Ellis is acting as backup. Ellis has never faced the Canadiens, but in 10 games this season, he has a 5-4-0 record with a 3.11 GAA and a .900 SV. Since this is such an essential divisional meeting, one can wonder if Buffalo may be tempted to use Luukkonen even though he played last night, as he only faced 22 shots. The Sabres have a hectic schedule ahead, though, with five games in just eight nights.
Up front, Rasmus Dahlin is the Sabres’ most productive player against the Canadiens with 19 points in 21 games, followed by Alex Tuch, who has 18 points in 19 games and Tage Thompson, with 16 points in 17 games. Clearly, Buffalo’s leaders enjoy taking on the Habs. Tuch and Thompson are both on a five-game point streak, and the Habs will have to keep a close eye on them. It will be interesting to see if Josh Norris will be in the lineup after leaving Wednesday night’s game with an upper-body injury.
Meanwhile, Brendan Gallagher has 24 points against Buffalo in his career, but he gathered them over 44 games. Captain Nick Suzuki is second with 20 points in just 18 meetings, while Philip Danault is third with 15 points in 25 games. Newly extended Alexandre Texier has four points in seven games, but he’s been red-hot of late, and with a new contract in his back pocket, he should be skating like the wind on Thursday night.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on MSG-B, TSN2, and RDS. Jon McIsaac and Alex Lepkowski will be officiating, while Matt MacPherson and Jesse Marquis will be acting as linemen. With the Detroit Red Wings not playing tonight, a win would allow the Canadiens to leapfrog them in the standings and take second place in the Atlantic Division; they would remain behind the Tampa Bay Lightning since Jon Cooper’s men have played fewer games.
Edit: Jacob Fowler will get the start for the Canadiens and Kaiden Guhle will replace Jayden Struble in the lineup
The Florida Panthers will head to our nation’s capital on Thursday for a quick stop at an extremely prestigious place.
Before concluding their road trip with a back-to-back set against the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals on Friday and Saturday, the Panthers are stopping in Washington D.C. to visit with the president.
Similarly to last year, the Panthers, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions for the second straight season, will visit President Donald Trump at the White House.
During their visit last year, the Panthers brought the Stanley Cup and presented Trump with a personalized jersey.
Following the visit, Florida will make the short trip to Raleigh ahead of Friday’s matchup with Carolina. Then they’ll head right back to D.C. to face the Capitals the following night.
The Panthers are hoping to get either one or both of injured forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand in the lineup over the weekend, so we’ll see how things play out on that front.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brett Kulak has created some chatter in the rumor mill as a potential trade candidate. With the Penguins retooling, it is certainly fair to wonder if they will flip the veteran pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) defenseman.
Due to this, let's look at three potential trade fits for Kulak if the Penguins decide to shop him.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs could use another experienced defenseman on their blueline, so a player like Kulak could grab their attention. He would be a nice addition to their bottom pairing and penalty kill if acquired.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings' defensive group could use a boost, and Kulak would provide them with just that if acquired. Due to his versatility, Kulak is capable of playing both sides, and that could benefit a team looking to break their playoff drought, like the Red Wings.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche have been excellent this season, as they have a 33-4-8 record. With this, they should be buyers at the deadline, and a veteran blueliner like Kulak could make sense for them. He would offer them another player with a ton of playoff experience and could slot nicely on their third pairing.
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled defenseman Erik Gustafsson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, a move that could signal a potential injury on the backend that we're waiting to hear about or a possible last-ditch effort to generate trade interest ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
With Detroit continuing to evaluate its options, the recall appears to be an opportunity to get Gustafsson into the lineup for a few games and showcase his value to potential buyers. The veteran defenseman has drawn increasing attention in recent months, with multiple reports linking him to the New York Rangers as they search for help on the blue line.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman has reported that the Rangers are in the market for a power play quarterback while Adam Fox remains out on long term injured reserve. Friedman included Gustafsson among the players New York has checked in on, noting that his familiarity with the Rangers’ system and his affordable contract make him a logical short-term option. If Gustafsson can perform well in Detroit, the Red Wings could benefit by boosting his trade stock in the remaining weeks before the deadline.
Gustafsson has been a productive and steady presence in Grand Rapids this season. In 22 games with the Griffins, he has recorded two goals and 18 assists for 20 points, establishing himself as one of the team’s most reliable veteran players and a key contributor on the power play.
He has already appeared in one NHL game for Detroit this season. In that outing, Gustafsson logged 17 and a half minutes of ice time, registered two shots on goal, and finished minus one in a loss to the Nashville Predators. While he did not record a point, he showed the puck-moving ability the Red Wings were expecting when they signed him.
Gustafsson played 76 games for the Rangers during the 2023-24 season, finishing with six goals and 25 assists for 31 points. Over the course of his ten NHL seasons, he has appeared in 516 games. His most productive year came with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018-19, when he posted 60 points and emerged as one of the league’s more dynamic offensive defensemen.
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The 18-year-old, who has since emerged as the club's No. 1 defenseman skating alongside Ryan Pulock while averaging 23:56 minutes per game, was still skating on the third pairing alongside Scott Mayfield when the Islanders won 4-2 against Edmonton at UBS Arena.
At 5-on-5, with head coach Patrick Roy able to control matchups, Schaefer only played 2:06 against McDavid -- Islanders were outshot 2-0 -- and 3:01 against Draisaitl -- Islanders were outshot 3-1. He played a total of 17:38 minutes, the third fewest minutes he's played this season.
Things will be much different when the puck drops at 9 PM ET on Thursday.
While Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch is going to try to have his stars not on the ice against Schaefer, the rookie phenom plays too many minutes to be able to avoid him -- as do the Oilers' stars.
Schaefer, who powered through a jab to the ribs and a puck off the outside of the right knee in a 5-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, recorded his 13th goal and 30th point on the season.
While Schaefer has passed every test he's had and doesn't need to prove anything anymore, a successful game against McDavid and Draisaitl will show exactly how much growth he's shown in his game from the start of the season to now.
