On Thursday, two Pittsburgh Penguins' prospects were recognized for the strong seasons they are having.
Forward Tristan Broz and goaltender Sergei Murashov were named to the Atlantic Division's team for the AHL All-Star Classic, which will take place Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. The rosters were chosen by a committee of AHL coaches.
It will be the first AHL All-Star appearance for both players.
Broz, 23, has appeared in just one NHL game for the Penguins this season, but he has continued to build off a strong 2024-25 rookie campaign in the AHL for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins. He has recorded 13 goals and 26 points in 33 games this season to go along with a plus-8, and he leads all WBS skaters in points and goals.
Murashov, 21, saw a pair of brief stints at the NHL leve this season, posting a 1-1-2 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in five appearances. For most of the AHL season, Murashov led the league in both goals-against average and save percentage, but a recent two-game slide dropped him down to third.
He is 13-4-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 18 AHL appearances this season.
Seamus Casey, New Jersey Devils defenseman, was named to his second straight AHL All-Star Game.
This season, the former second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has suited up for the Utica Comets and the New Jersey Devils. He has tallied 17 points (one goal and 16 assists) for the Comets in 26 AHL games.
In addition to his AHL contributions, he has also appeared in two NHL games this season, earning zero points.
During the 2024-25 season, Casey made 14 appearances with the Devils and collected eight points.
Casey is among 30 AHL All-Stars who played in the NHL this season.
Set to represent the North Division in Illinois on February 10th and 11th, the 22-year-old defenseman will take the ice on behalf of the Comets.
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Seeing the Sabres place Dunne on injured reserve is entirely understandable. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff recently announced that the 27-year-old forward would be out for the next four to six weeks due to a mid-body injury. Because of this, it makes sense that Dunne has now been placed on injured reserve as he focuses on his recovery.
Dunne has played in 28 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded one goal, three assists, four points, 34 penalty minutes, 34 hits, and a minus-4 rating.
Dunne has gotten into the most NHL action of his career already this season, as he entered the campaign with just 16 NHL games played over three seasons. Yet, he will now be forced to miss a good amount of time due to his injury.
In 44 career NHL games over four seasons split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Sabres, Dunne has recorded one goal, four points, 49 penalty minutes, 70 hits, and a minus-14 rating.
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour is poised to return after missing 14 games with a hand injury, as he’s been activated from the injured reserve.
To free up a roster spot for Montour, winger Jacob Melanson was sent down to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The 22-year-old Melanson played 15 games in this NHL stint, scoring his first career NHL goal and adding three assists. Melanson routinely impressed the coaching staff with his physicality and aggressiveness on the forecheck.
Despite averaging just 9:25 of ice time, Melanson threw 65 hits, blocked six shots, and fired 12 shots on goal. Melanson turned a lot of heads in this call-up stint and could be a contender to make the NHL roster out of training camp and pre-season next year.
He’ll return to the Firebirds, where he’s notched seven goals and 14 points in 23 games.
At the moment, who Montour will enter the lineup for is undetermined. The three possible players to step out of the lineup are Cale Fleury, Jamie Oleksiak and Ryker Evans. Fleury has impressed his teammates and the coaching staff since he entered the lineup in place of Montour.
The answer will be revealed when the Kraken take the ice for warmup prior to their matchup against the Boston Bruins.
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Despite being one of the lowest-ranked teams in the Western Conference in recent years, the San Jose Sharks have given the Detroit Red Wings a tough time in their most recent visits to Little Caesars Arena.
The Sharks have beaten the Red Wings by a combined score of 12-8 in each of their two most recent matchups in Detroit, which included a wild 6-5 overtime setback in December 2023.
The last time the Red Wings defeated the Sharks on home ice was Jan. 24, 2023, a 3-2 overtime victory with Andrew Copp playing the role of hero.
This season, the Sharks are showing that they're no longer pushovers, thanks in large part to forward Macklin Celebrini, a 19-year-old phenom whom San Jose selected first overall in 2024.
With an astounding 24 goals and 46 assists for 70 points, Celebrini is proving that he's every bit worth the hype he came with coming into the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Red Wings, who host the Sharks on Friday evening, know that they must always be aware of when he's on the ice.
"He's obviously the main focus," Patrick Kane said of Celebrini following Thursday's practice. "He's the main guy offensively for that team; he's been carrying them all year."
Not yet of legal drinking age in the United States, Celebrini is not only ranked third overall in total NHL scoring, but also was announced as being included on Team Canada's Olympic roster.
Not bad for a 19-year-old.
"His points compared to the next guy on their team show how valuable he's been, and he's got them in a playoff spot now, too," Kane continued. "He'll definitely be the main focus of our attention defensively, and making sure whoever is on the ice is aware of him."
As Kane noted, Celebrini’s 70 points are 38 more than San Jose’s next-leading scorer, Tyler Toffoli, who has 13 goals and 32 total points.
As of Thursday afternoon, Celebrini and the Sharks occupy the second and final Wild Card playoff berth in the Western Conference.
The Red Wings, who defeated the Sharks by a 3-2 final score in a shootout in San Jose on Nov. 2, will be focusing their game plan on how best to neutralize the former first overall pick.
"It's not an easy task because the book on him isn't real big in the NHL; he's taken it by storm and is an incredible player," head coach Todd McLellan said of Celebrini. "But he is starting to show some tendencies that other teams are looking at."
"He's definitely driving that team and creating lots of confidence, and as he elevates his play, others around him elevate their play, and they're a tough team to play against," McLellan continued. "We'll obviously have to be aware of him when he's on the ice and help the players with any type of pre-scout analysis we can give them."
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The Flyers’ most troubling stretch of the season worsened Thursday night.
Rick Tocchet’s club lost convincingly to the Penguins, 6-3, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. It trailed 4-1 at second intermission for a third straight game and was down 6-1 in the final stanza.
Samuel Ersson was pulled in the middle frame.
Rodrigo Abols, Nick Seeler and Matvei Michkov provided the team’s goals.
The Flyers (22-16-8) have dropped five straight (0-4-1). They’ve been outscored 25-9 over this season-long skid.
Tocchet’s club is 1-2-0 in its four-game regular-season series against the Penguins (22-14-10). The clubs wrap things up March 7 back at PPG Paints Arena.
• Ersson denied 11 of 14 shots in a period and change of work.
The 26-year-old has surrendered 15 goals over his last three starts. He entered the game with the worst save percentage of his career at .855.
For a second straight game, Cam York committed a first-period penalty and the opponent struck first on the ensuing power play. It marked the Flyers’ 32nd 1-0 deficit in 46 games.
A little over 10 minutes later, Pittsburgh made it 2-0 with another power play goal after Garnet Hathaway was whistled for tripping. The Flyers gave up two or more power play goals for a third consecutive game.
Kolosov ended up taking over 2:17 minutes into the second period after Abols drew the Flyers to within 3-1. About a minute before then, Ersson gave up a transition goal to the Penguins.
The 24-year-old Kolosov made 13 saves on 16 shots.
There has been no official word on Vladar, but the fact that he hasn’t been placed on injured reserve is a good sign for his status.
Pittsburgh netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 30 of the Flyers’ 33 shots.
• This felt like a critical game for the Flyers.
They really needed to stop the bleeding, but couldn’t. The Flyers have been mostly uncompetitive on this losing streak, their special teams have been costly and they’ve battled injuries.
You can’t blame fans if they’re thinking this is the inevitable slide that will ultimately sink the Flyers’ playoff push. It’s only mid-January and Tocchet’s club is still right there in a busy mix. But the Flyers had a collapse in 2023-24 that spoiled a surprise playoff push.
They’ve missed the playoffs in five straight seasons, matching the franchise’s longest drought.
• One positive for the Flyers was Michkov dropping the gloves in the third period to defend Denver Barkey, who took a big hit from Blake Lizotte.
Later in the period, Barkey recorded his second assist of the night on Michkov’s goal.
Brink missed a fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. But whenever the 24-year-old winger is cleared to return, he can come off IR immediately.
Rasmus Ristolainen missed a second straight game with an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old defenseman has been considered day to day.
• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they host the Rangers (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
BOSTON – Zdeno Chara had his No. 33 raised to the TD Garden rafters Thursday night in a special pregame ceremony before the Bruins hosted the Seattle Kraken.
It was a well-deserved honor for the man who played the leading role in restoring the Original Six franchise back to greatness.
But this night would not have been possible without a key decision in July of 2006, one that Chara described Thursday night as the “best” he’s ever made.
NHL free agency typically is not where you find franchise cornerstones. That type of player is usually acquired through the draft or via the trade market.
Chara is one of the rare exceptions.
The Ottawa Senators had a couple key players with expiring contracts after the 2005-06 season, including defensemen Wade Redden and Chara.
The Senators re-signed Redden and Chara went to free agency. The Bruins were interested, and despite being known at that time for not splashing the cash for top free agents in their prime, they ultimately signed the imposing 6-foot-9 defenseman to a five-year contract worth $37.5 million.
Chara and the Bruins were the perfect match. And in many ways, they needed each other.
The Bruins were coming off an awful 2005-06 season in which they traded captain Joe Thornton and finished with the league’s fifth-worst record. The once proud franchise was at a low. Competing for the Stanley Cup seemed like pure fantasy.
They were desperate for a foundational player to bring back the Big Bad Bruins era of hockey – one built on hard work, effort, commitment and determination.
Chara was seeking that kind of opportunity, so he chose to take his world-class talent to Boston and challenged himself to lift the Bruins to a championship level again.
“I knew that’s where I wanted to go because there were these opportunities of possibly leading the team, there was desperation to get better, the history, and the living,” Chara said at a press conference following his ceremony. “I saw that it would be a good fit, and it ended up being the best decision I ever made.”
Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images
Zdeno Chara waves to the crowd during his speech before raising his No. 33 to the rafters.
It didn’t take long for Chara to help the Bruins rediscover their identity, and in his second season as captain they were back in the playoffs. They would advance to the postseason 11 times in his 14 years wearing the spoked-B, including three trips to the Stanley Cup Final and one championship in 2011, which ended the franchise’s 39-year title drought.
“Things really changed when Z came here as a free agent,” Bruins legend Ray Bourque said Thursday night, a few hours before the ceremony. “From that point, the culture and everything that comes with that, and the success and the run that they had, he was such a big part of that.
“I remember him as a fresh, young player coming up with the Islanders and what he became. It’s a credit to him and how hard he worked and how dedicated to the game he was. It was so much fun to watch him develop into the player and person that he is. He’s a legend. He deserves to be up there (in the rafters) and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
During those 14 seasons with Chara wearing the “C”, the Bruins won the fourth-most games of any team, scored the fifth-most goals, allowed the fewest goals, had the fourth-best power play and the fifth-best penalty kill. They also won the second-most playoff games. Just like the great Bruins teams of the 1970s and 1980s, they were a nightmare for opponents to play against.
It was one of the franchise’s most successful and exciting eras.
“They became the Bruins again,” Bourque said. “We could be proud of that group and how they played. They played hard and they were hard to play against.”
He added: “They were so much fun to watch and the fans could really appreciate that team and be proud of that team.”
We are entering a pivotal stretch for the Ottawa Senators and general manager Steve Staios.
Back-to-back games against the divisional rival Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings this weekend highlight the remaining eight games left in January, but time is quickly running out for the Senators to close the distance on the Eastern Conference’s wild card seeds.
Thanks to the ever-increasing presence of three-point games around the league, it will not be easy to gain traction in a tightly contested Eastern Conference. Three points separate the Senators from the lowly 15th-place Columbus Blue Jackets, while five points are the difference between them and the second wild card.
Senators new goalie James Reimer addressed the Ottawa media for the first time earlier this week.
In order for the Senators (22-19-5, .533) to get in the vicinity or surpass Boston’s points percentage (26-19-2, .574), it would necessitate winning five more consecutive games.
Putting together a seven-game winning streak certainly feels unlikely given the Senators’ struggles in goal this season, and that is what has to be frustrating for Staios.
If this team could generate a higher save rate, they would comfortably be in a playoff position.
Instead, the Senators’ five-on-five save percentage of 88.64 is the lowest in the league per Evolving-Hockey. Their 79.81 shorthanded save percentage is also the lowest in the NHL, but worse than that, it ranks as the lowest since modern public analytics websites began scraping and capturing data at the start of the 2007-08 season.
Similarly, if their 86.87 percent all-situations save percentage holds up for the remainder of the year, it will become the worst save percentage ever recorded in the modern stats era.
On an individual basis, only the St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington has a lower goals saved above expected (GSAx) metric than Leevi Merilainen (-11.09 GSAx) and Linus Ullmark (-9.14 GSAx).
Although a young goaltender experiencing troubles in his first professional season as an NHL backup is hardly unique, the goaltending position has been further complicated by Ullmark's unanticipated leave of absence. Prior to his absence, Ullmark was projected to play in more than 50 regular season games for the first time in his NHL career. That was noteworthy given the condensed schedule in this Olympic year, but it likely spoke volumes about the organization's confidence in the struggling Merilainen.
Whether the increased volume of starts contributed to Ullmark’s struggles is up for debate, but considering his body of work and career save percentage of .914, it was reasonable to believe that his statistics would improve and begin to reflect his career norms in time. Now, everyone is wondering when Ullmark will rejoin the Senators and return to the net.
In the interim, Merilainen’s ineffectiveness and the lack of quality options at the AHL level necessitated the signing of unrestricted free agent goaltender James Reimer. The 37-year-old has not played in an NHL game since April 17, 2025, when he beat the Philadelphia Flyers. His only action this season has been the two games that he represented Canada at the Spengler Cup and the lone appearance in Belleville, where he was shellacked for six goals.
The struggles of the position have not only shone a light on the organization’s lack of quality depth, but have also drawn attention to general manager Staios’ offseason decisions.
It is clear the organization obviously felt obligated to reward Leevi Merilainen for his strong 2024-25 campaign that he split between Belleville and Ottawa. His nine-game stretch in January was principally responsible for keeping the Senators afloat and in contention for a playoff spot that they would eventually secure.
Despite that loyalty and being compelled to provide an opportunity for the young goaltender, the organization elected not to bring in a veteran goaltender with NHL experience as a contingency plan to guard against the possibility of Ullmark missing games or Merilainen’s ineffectiveness.
Now, the Senators are experiencing both.
Given how poorly Ullmark and Merilainen have played, the hope is that they will bounce back and that their numbers will regress toward their career norms over time. It is worth noting that Merilainen has looked capable in his last two starts, but there is a specific timetable for Ullmark's return.
It puts Staios in a difficult position because their goaltending is unreliable. They cannot bank on it getting markedly better, and because of that, it should, in theory, impact what the Senators’ general manager can or is willing to do.
The organization’s pipeline of prospects is widely panned for lacking quality prospects.
Poor amateur scouting and the trading of valued draft picks in shortsighted deals that never required revisionism by Staios’ predecessor simultaneously emptied the system while shortchanging the Senators’ rebuild. It has created a situation in which, as good and impressive as the Senators’ young core is, there should be more young talent in Ottawa’s system that they could either graduate to the parent roster to insulate their core or use as capital to acquire the players they need to push this roster forward.
Without it, the Senators are closer to resembling a middle-of-the-pack team than a true Cup contender.
The dreaded murky middle can be a difficult place to navigate for a general manager. Often, your team is too good to be bad or at least bad enough to have lost seasons be rewarded with high draft picks. They are also not good enough to sustainably compete with the league's elite.
There is also the added pressure of trying to maximize this group’s prime.
Modern NHL research has proven that a player’s offensive prime years often occur between 22 and 27 years of age, which happens to coincide with where Ottawa’s core is right now. With Drake Batherson representing the first of Ottawa’s core to potentially reach unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2026-27 season, with Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot to follow the year after that, the reality is that the Senators’ window of contention is already upon us.
The uncertainty around the Senators’ goaltenders' effectiveness is compounded by the fact that there simply aren't a ton of desirable trade chips within their system. Perhaps things would be different if the Senators had not lost their 2026 first-round pick for their gross incompetence (or willful ignorance) in the Evgenii Dadonov trade scandal, but without any guarantees that they will eventually be able to recoup that pick, they do not have a ton of assets to move without touching the parent roster.
The situation essentially limits what Staios can do.
This group needs an infusion of higher-end talent to help take this core to the next level, but it lacks the high draft picks or trade chips the organization needs to easily acquire it.
Without it, it's likely Staios will continue to make the moves that have characterized his stewardship of this franchise - modest moves that improve the margins in hopes that these small gains will be enough to progressively move this team forward.
Graeme Nichols The Hockey News Ottawa
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On Thursday, the American Hockey League and Rockford IceHogs announced that Nick Lardis and Kevin Korchinski have been named to the AHL All-Star Game.
Korchinski, who was the All-Star MVP of the AHL last season, is currently playing with Rockford. Lardis, who is in his first year of pro hockey, earned his way up to the NHL club due to his success in the minor leagues.
Reppin’ the hometown team ⭐️
Nick Lardis and reigning All-Star MVP Kevin Korchinski have been selected for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO U.S.
Korchinski has played in 33 AHL games this season. In those games, he has 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points. In two NHL games this season, both of which took place last week, he has one assist.
As for Lardis, the goal-scoring prowess that allowed him to score 71 in his final year of major junior continued when he reached the pros. In 24 games with the IceHogs, he has 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. In 15 games with Chicago, Lardis has four goals and one assist for five points.
Being a point-per-game forward is difficult in the AHL, and it's even harder when you're a rookie. Lardis has the tools to be a high-end offensive producer. He is showing why at every level, and that earned him an All-Star nod.
The two-day event will take place at the BMO Center on February 10-11 and will feature the Skills Competition, AHL All-Star Challenge, AHL Hall of Fame Induction, and more.
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Defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and winger Jack Devine have been selected to represent the Charlotte Checkers at the 2026 AHL All-Star Game.
Bjornfot is participating in his second full season with the Florida Panthers. He has yet to play an NHL game this year, but skated in 14 games last season. In the AHL, the 24-year-old has scored one goal and six assists for seven points in 22 games.
His offensive game since coming over to North America has been muted, but at the AHL level, he’s a trusted defensive defenseman with a strong skating stride and the ability to move the puck. He is currently on the NHL roster as an extra defenseman due to the injuries of Dmitry Kulikov and Seth Jones.
Devine is enjoying a stellar AHL rookie campaign with the Checkers. His 11 goals rank third on the team, and his 24 points are tied for the team lead despite playing 29 games, six fewer than most of his teammates.
He’s played six fewer NHL games due to his first call-up to the NHL. Devine played six games in the NHL in late November/ early December. The 22-year-old was unable to record his first career NHL goal or point, but proved that he will one day have what it takes to secure an NHL role.
Jack Devine (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
He averaged just 8:26 of ice time, but threw six shots on goal and did little things that impressed coach Paul Maurice and his coaching staff. It’s an impressive and deserving feat that Devine was selected to the AHL All-Star Game.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Bjornfot and Devine on the Atlantic Division roster are Denver Barkey, Patrick Brown, Tristan Broz, Frederic Brunet, Michael DiPietro, Matt Luff, Cole McWard, Sergei Murashov, Gabe Perreault, and Ilya Protas.
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The AHL revealed its All-Star Game rosters today, with St. Louis Blues and Springfield Thunderbirds forward Matt Luff selected as the organization’s representative.
The 28-year-old Luff has played in both the NHL and the AHL this season. Following training camp and pre-season, he was sent to the AHL, where he’s notched a team-high 12 goals and 30 points in 29 games. The next closest Thunderbirds player is Matthew Peca, who’s recorded 24 points in 32 games.
When injuries in December ravaged the Blues, Luff was recalled to the NHL roster, where he skated in five games in a fourth-line winger role. While averaging 9:08 of ice time, he scored one goal.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Luff on the Atlantic Division roster are Denver Barkey, Tobias Bjornfot, Patrick Brown, Tristan Broz, Frederic Brunet, Jack Devine, Michael DiPietro, Cole McWard, Sergei Murashov, Gabe Perreault, and Ilya Protas.
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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.
A Sitdown With 'Stu': Skinner Talks Hockey, Transition To PittsburghNew Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner is adjusting to life in Pittsburgh after spending his first five-plus NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers
Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images
