NEW YORK — Islanders forward Kyle Palmeiri will be out six-to-eight months with a knee injury that will require surgery, the team said Sunday.
The 34-year-old forward tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee late in the second period of Friday’s 4-3 shootout loss to Philadelphia at UBS Arena when he was checked by Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale and fell awkwardly into the boards near the opposing net.
Palmeiri was still able to steal the puck from a Flyers defenseman and register the secondary assist on a goal by Emil Heineman.
Palmeiri had six goals and 12 assists in 25 games this season. The gritty forward joined the Islanders in a trade with New Jersey in April 2021. He had played 223 straight games for the Islanders before Friday’s injury.
Palmieri was a first-round pick by Anaheim in 2009. He has 276 goals and 269 assists in 925 regular-season games with the Ducks, Devils and Islanders.
The Islanders also lost defenseman Alexander Romanov to a serious shoulder injury earlier this month. Forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau is also out with an upper-body injury.
It was a special Saturday matinee at Ball Arena in Denver, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Quebec Nordiques’ move to the Rockies, the Colorado Avalanche was wearing its alternate jersey, which is pretty much the Quebec Nordiques’ uniform. For those who grew up watching the Battle of Quebec, it was special to see the Montreal Canadiens taking on their old rivals.
After three consecutive wins, the Habs turned up for the game oozing confidence. They started in promising fashion, taking control early on thanks to a high-sticking penalty to Brock Nelson less than four minutes in. Both of the Canadiens’ man-advantage units produced good looks, but Mackenzie Blackwood stopped every shot he faced during the penalty kill, and even though the Habs led 8-3 in shots, the score remained 0-0.
If Nelson didn’t look good when he took a penalty early on, he more than made up for it by scoring the first two goals of the game for the Avs. Until the second was given to Gabriel Landeskog in the end. The first came on an awkward play. The back of Arber Xhekaj’s blade collided with Alexandre Carrier’s skate, which made the former fall in front of Jakub Dobes, who barely moved as the shot came in in the commotion.
Colorado does deserve some praise, however, as all five players touched the puck before Nelson got it by Dobes—a fantastic buildup. Just under six minutes later, Nelson struck again, but this time he did it while Josh Anderson and Gabriel Landeskog crashed into the net. The goal was awarded, and the Canadiens decided to challenge the decision, to no avail.
After losing that challenge, the Habs looked shellshocked and couldn’t find their rhythm back before the end of the first frame, or before the end of the game, really.
A Well-Oiled Machine
If the Canadiens learned a lot from the Washington Capitals' rugged play in the playoffs last season, they were given a master class in offensive play on Saturday night. Jared Bednar’s men played with such poise and fluidity that at times it looked like they were alone on the ice.
They never had any trouble getting out of their zone; their passes were sharp and accurate, and there was so much chemistry on their play that it made you wonder if they all grew up together playing on the local ice rink.
Nelson might have been the catalyst, but nobody played a bad game for Colorado. The Canadiens’ man-on-man defensive system couldn’t keep up with all the permutations.
By the time the puck dropped on the third frame, the Canadiens were already out of the game and looked ready to head back home. So much so that on Devon Toews’ goal, the Habs were down to four men on the ice because someone forgot to come on as Josh Anderson got back on the bench.
Another Elite Duo?
The rare bright spot for the Canadiens during this game was seeing Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky start to connect on the ice. Not only did the pair produce the Canadiens’ first goal, but they also created other scoring chances, which is no small task against a defence as efficient as Colorado’s.
It looks like Slafkovsky feels more important on that line than he did riding shotgun with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. While he was the complement to the first-line duo with Demidov, he is now part of a duo; he’s a headliner, and he plays as such.
The sample is still too small to know for sure, but there are some sparks between the two, and one could think that the more they get to know each other on the ice, the better they’ll become.
The Habs’ power play produced another goal in a lost cause when Lane Hutson took a shot from up high, one that he wouldn’t have taken a year ago. I don’t know what was said or done to the sophomore blueliner to make him shoot more, but it’s great that he does it more. It makes the Canadiens’ power play much harder to defend, as he is a viable shooting option. It stops opponents from leaning towards other players who shoot more, like Caufield, for instance.
Speaking of the diminutive winger, he registered an assist on that power play goal, which allowed him to keep his point streak alive with a point in a seventh consecutive game.
While getting outperformed like this is never good for any team, the truth of the matter is that four out of six points on this tough road trip is a result anyone would have been happy with before taking off from Montreal. As weird as it may seem to say when the final score was 7-2, Dobes didn’t play a bad game. He finishes his night with an .805 save percentage, but he didn’t really give up bad goals.
The Canadiens will now have a day off on Sunday, and they’ll get back on the ice in Brossard on Monday morning to get ready to take on their divisional rival, the Ottawa Senators.
The Hockey News released the top 20 players for their Top 100 Players 21-And-Under list, and without much surprise, Chicago Blackhawks youngsters Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, and Artyom Levshunov all made the cut.
Bedard was given the No. 2 spot on this list, with San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini being the only player ranked ahead of him. Seeing Bedard make the top two is understandable, as the 20-year-old center is already a legitimate star in the NHL. He is also taking a massive step forward this season, as he has already recorded 14 goals and 33 points in 24 games.
Frondell was given the No. 13 spot on THN's list. The 2025 third-overall pick has all the tools to become an impactful NHL player, so it makes sense that he is being ranked as one of the best young players in hockey. The 6-foot-1 forward is having a solid start to the 2025-26 season with Djurgardens IF, recording nine goals and 14 points in 23 games thus far.
As for Levshunov, he has picked up the No. 15 spot on THN's rankings. The 20-year-old defenseman has been breaking out for the Blackhawks this season, as he has recorded one goal and 12 points in 23 games.
The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks faced off for the first time this season on Friday. They see each other for a total of four times in the regular season.
However, that may not be the last of the Freeway Face-Off as there is potential to see a first-round playoff matchup between the two Californian teams.
After Anaheim’s 5-4 overtime win against Los Angeles, the Ducks lead the Pacific Division, with the Kings right behind them with a two-point difference.
As of right now, the standings wouldn’t set up a first-round matchup, but with how close each team is to each other in the division, and the rest of the league for that matter, it wouldn’t take much to see teams get moved around after a few outings.
The circumstances that would allow the Ducks and Kings to face off in the first round of this year’s post-season aren’t all that complicated, nor far-fetched.
To match up in the playoffs’ preliminary stages, Anaheim and Los Angeles must control the second and third spots in their division, or one team finishes first in the division and the opposing team in either the first or second wild-card spot, depending on the makeup of the other division in the Western Conference, the Central Division.
As mentioned, it wouldn’t be surprising if the stars aligned for a Freeway Face-Off first-round series since the difference between the Pacific’s leaders and fifth place is just four points.
In terms of meeting in the first round, that has never happened in the history of these two franchises’ existence. Specifically for the Ducks, they haven't seen playoff hockey since 2018, when they were swept by the San Jose Sharks.
The Freeway Face-Off rivalry would reach heights never before seen.
Not to mention, there’s a great dynamic in terms of the contrast between the two organizations. While the Kings have some youngsters like Brandt Clarke and Quinton Byfield, the roster is filled with veterans, including captain Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty.
For the Ducks, they’re scattered with veterans like Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider, Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba. But the main driving factor with this Ducks team is their youth, including Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Beckett Sennecke, and more.
It would make for a great playoff series, and fans may not have to wait many more seasons to witness it.
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Matheson’s extension solidifies Montreal’s defense corps for the foreseeable future, as their top-four blueliners – Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle are all under contract at least through the 2030-31 season, at a total combined annual cost of $29.9 million. With the rising salary cap ceiling, this quartet could be one of the better-bargain groups of D-men in the league.
But what is equally compelling is the potential to add more pieces to the competitive puzzle for the Habs. As it stands, Montreal currently has $3.61 million in cap space – a number that rises to $11.97 million by this season’s March 6 trade deadline. As of next season, the Canadiens project to have $20.1 million in space. Some of that will have to go to RFAs Zack Bolduc, Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj, but that still leaves more than enough space to bring some veteran help aboard.
And with Matheson now locked up, there’s only one place Montreal needs help with: at forward. It’s unlikely the Canadiens re-sign often-injured winger Patrik Laine – at least, if he doesn’t take a major hometown discount to stay a Hab. So Montreal is going to need a bona fide point-producing forward – most likely, a second-line center to take some of the heat off of top-line center Nick Suzuki.
Those types of players don’t grow on trees, but the great thing about where the Canadiens are in their competitive cycle is that above-average free-agent centers will be encouraged by the team’s ascent in the Atlantic standings and happily sign up to play in Montreal. Or if they are already a part of another team, they could waive any no-trade or no-move clause to be a Canadien.
Who could that be? It’s difficult to pinpoint one single NHLer who would be ideal for the Habs, but a player similar to Nashville Predators pivot Ryan O’Reilly would be the kind of player Montreal GM Kent Hughes is looking for. Of course, O’Reilly probably wouldn’t want to play in the high-pressure environment of Montreal, as a short stretch as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs a couple of seasons ago didn’t end with O’Reilly choosing to stay in Toronto when he became a UFA.
That said, a player like O’Reilly – someone with Stanley Cup-winning experience, and someone who can play hard-nosed defense while chipping in with some secondary scoring, would fit the bill rather well in Habs Land. Montreal’s strong start to the current season gives Habs management the leverage to not overpay on the trade or free-agent front to acquire that kind of veteran.
Regardless of what the Canadiens do with their cap space, it’s clear with every passing game that Montreal is turning a corner in their development. Keeping Matheson is an endorsement of the Habs’ current core, and as the Canadiens grow as a group, it will become much easier to be a destination for veterans seeking a legitimate shot at winning a championship. So while things look great right now, even better days are ahead for this organization.
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Winnipeg Jets rookie goaltender Thomas Milic experienced a true mixed bag in his NHL debut on Saturday, turning aside 30 of 34 shots in a 4–1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 21-year-old delivered several impressive moments and helped stabilize the Jets during extended stretches of pressure, but also showed areas that will need sharpening at the NHL level.
Milic was tested immediately as Carolina controlled the early pace and outshot Winnipeg heavily in the opening minutes. The rookie responded with eight saves in the first 11 minutes, including key stops on two Hurricanes power plays that prevented the game from slipping away. Winnipeg briefly gained momentum, but Carolina struck first when defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere carried the puck deep before feeding Winnipeg-born forward Seth Jarvis in the high slot. Jarvis released a low wrist shot that slipped just past Milic for the opening goal.
Milic continued to impress in the second period with ten more saves while helping kill off three additional Hurricanes power plays. One of those penalties came from a rookie mistake when Milic played the puck outside the crease behind the net. After discussing the call with the officials, he returned to the crease and delivered several calm, composed stops to erase the mistake.
Despite Milic’s efforts, defensive breakdowns around the crease created ongoing challenges. Winnipeg struggled to clear traffic from the front of the net and Milic was often forced to make stops through heavy screens. Midway through the second, Carolina capitalized when Logan Stanley and William Carrier battled for position in front and Jordan Martinook snapped a shot through the crowd that beat Milic for the Hurricanes’ second goal.
The defensive issues resurfaced minutes later. Jarvis found space in the high slot and fired another quick shot over Milic’s glove for his second of the night against his hometown team. Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey drifted across Milic’s line of sight, making the save even more difficult. All three goals to that point beat Milic on the glove side, a weakness Carolina appeared to identify early as they repeatedly targeted that area.
Milic’s most concerning moment came in the final seconds of the game when Alexander Nikishin launched a point shot from the boards that beat him clean on the blocker side. It was a stoppable shot from distance and marked the lone goal of the night that did not involve traffic or a defensive lapse.
Milic’s debut showcased both promise and growing pains. He was composed, competitive and strong on the penalty kill, yet the Hurricanes exposed technical areas that will need refinement. With 30 saves behind a defense that struggled throughout the night, the young netminder showed he may have the tools to build on this first NHL appearance as he gains more experience.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored twice and Jonas Johansson made 11 saves as the Tampa Bay Lighting beat the New York Rangers 4-1 Saturday to extend their winning streak to seven games.
Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel also scored and Nikita Kucherov had three assists as the Lightning ended New York’s three-game winning streak. Tampa Bay is 7-0-0 since Nov. 18 and has outscored opponents 30-10 in that span.
The Rangers heard boos from the Madison Square Garden crowd as they fell to 2-8-1 at home where they have been shut out five times and scored once on three other occasions. New York is 11-4-1 on the road.
Hagel scored at 10:53 of the opening period as his shot deflected off Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy’s skate. He made it 2-0 with his team-best 15th goal at 8:57 of the second when he slid his own rebound past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
Defenseman Darren Raddysh and Kucherov assisted on both goals.
Kucherov has a nine-game points streak of four goals and 14 assists. He leads the Lightning with 32 points. Raddysh has 11 points in his last seven games.
J.T. Miller ruined Johansson’s shutout bid with his seventh goal at 17:31 of the second. Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad assisted.
Paul scored at 2:02 of the third to make it 3-1. Rookie defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous also assisted.
Guentzel added an empty-netter at 19:41.
Fox left the game at 7:03 of the third after he was checked hard into the boards by Hagel. Fox’s left arm appeared to absorb the brunt of the hit.
Shesterkin made 31 saves.
The Lightning outshot the Rangers 11-2 in the first. New York didn’t register its first shot on goal until the 9:29 mark.
The Lightning were missing injured defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak, as well as forward Brayden Point, out for a fourth-straight game.
NEWARK, N.J. — The Flyers played a commendable game on the second night of a back-to-back set to beat the Devils, 5-3, Saturday at the Prudential Center.
Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov had multi-goal games for the Flyers. Tippett was awarded his second because of a tripping call when the Devils’ net was emptied and finished with three points on the night.
Trevor Zegras also had a goal and an assist, while Travis Konecny had two helpers.
Dan Vladar made huge saves for the Flyers (14-7-3), who are 8-2-2 in their last 12 games and went 3-1-0 on their road trip, which spanned only six days. They’re now in third place of a crowded Metropolitan Division.
“I don’t want to say it’s a measuring stick for us because I think we deserve to be talked about with the teams that we’re playing right now,” Konecny said of the road trip. “I think it just shows that we have some depth, we’re all contributing in different ways. If it’s your turn to be on the score sheet, that’s what you do. If it’s your turn to have a big block or big save from the goalies, everyone’s just stepping up. We love this group.”
Rick Tocchet’s club was coming off a 4-3 shootout win Friday over the Islanders. Entering this one, the Flyers were just 1-12-2 in the second game of back-to-back sets since last season.
Make that 2-12-2 now.
“I’m really proud of the group, how they played the second night of the back-to-back,” Vladar said.
New Jersey also played Friday, rolling the Sabres on the road, 5-0.
“From my experience, on the back-to-backs, I call it a professional game — good angling, short shifts, don’t put yourself in bad positions, use the bench,” Tocchet said before the game. … “They’re playing a back-to-back, too, so there’s no advantage tonight, there’s no excuse for tired teams. They played in Buffalo last night, so it’s an even game when it comes to energy.”
The Flyers are 2-0-0 in their three-game regular-season series with the Devils (16-8-1). They beat New Jersey a week ago when they scored three goals in 26 seconds en route to a 6-3 decision at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Devils have been without star forward Jack Hughes, who’s recovering from finger surgery.
• Vladar was really good with 29 saves on 32 shots.
The 28-year-old had a brilliant stop with 16 seconds left in the first period to keep the game tied at 1-1. The Flyers were on the penalty kill and Vladar denied Nico Hischier’s backdoor tip-in attempt.
The Flyers rewarded Vladar with a fast start after intermission. Michkov popped out of the penalty box and scored off a 2-on-1 with Konecny just 53 seconds into the second period.
Michkov then cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 a little under two and a half minutes later. Cam York made a nifty move at the blue line to set up Konecny for a shot, which Michkov got a piece of in front.
Vladar also delivered a big-time save with 2:33 minutes left in the second period when the Flyers were up 4-1 and New Jersey had a 2-on-1 shorthanded chance.
“He’s ridiculous, he’s unbelievable,” Zegras said. “I feel like he’s unbelievable every single time he’s in there.”
The Devils trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 4-2 with a power play goal in the final minute of the middle stanza. Dawson Mercer then made it very interesting when he dangled around the Flyers’ defense in the third period to draw New Jersey within 4-3.
But Vladar and the Flyers held on.
“In times where maybe they came at us a little bit, Vladdy kind of kept us rolling,” Tippett said. “It’s easy for us to kind of get a jump and get playing in front of him when you see him on his head like that behind us.”
Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 of the Flyers’ 31 shots.
“That Tampa game was tough, we did not play great,” Zegras said. “We had a big meeting on things that we wanted to do to get better, to play tighter, to play more connected. And I think the last three, we did that.”
Tippett opened the scoring against New Jersey just 5:18 minutes into the action with his 100th career goal and 200th career point. He made a nice move at the doorstep off a feed from Christian Dvorak, who finished November with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 14 games.
Zegras also recorded an assist on the play and then added his goal in the second period to make it 4-1. After Jesper Bratt hit iron on a breakaway, the Flyers immediately countered with a 3-on-1 rush and Zegras capitalized.
• Tyson Foerster and Nick Seeler had tough blocked shots on the same shift in the second period as the Flyers were protecting a 3-1 lead.
The Flyers also had two key penalty kills in the third period as the Devils were pushing for the game-tying goal.
“The one thing I love about this group is they always want to learn,” Tocchet said. “Whether we win or lose or it’s a bad period or it’s a good period, they’re asking questions, they’re trying to learn. That’s what we’re doing every day and we’re trying to build some blocks here.”
• The Flyers return home for a matchup Monday against the Penguins (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The Vancouver Canucks are 20 games into the 2025–26 season. After their chaotic 3–2 loss to the San Jose Sharks last night, they currently sport a record of 10–13–2 throughout the season. Here’s how they’re performing compared to the rest of the NHL.
Team Stats
Vancouver’s team numbers don’t look fantastic at this particular moment. They’re within the bottom-five in the NHL in four categories: their overall record (10–13–2), points-percentage (0.44), goals-against (93), and penalty kill (70.5%). In three of these categories, they fall within the bottom-three in the league. With that being said, they currently rank 12th in goals-for with 76 and 14th in power play percentage with 21.6% — the only two stats in which they place within the top-15.
Individual Skaters
The Canucks’ numbers produced by individual skaters are kind of all-over the place. Vancouver’s TOI stats say a lot about how the team has deployed their players throughout the year, as they have placed within the top-10 in overall (Filip Hronek, 609:48), power play (Quinn Hughes, 102:24), and penalty killing (Marcus Pettersson, 89:22) TOI. As well, Kiefer Sherwood still remains within the top-three in the NHL in hits with 103, only 11 away from Yakov Trenin’s league-leading 114.
Goaltenders
Despite Kevin Lankinen taking the bulk of the games throughout the season, Thatcher Demko still ranks first on the team in the majority of categories such as SV% (.903), goals against average (2.80), wins (5), and high-danger SV% (.837). With that being said, the Canucks’ goaltending group does not crack the top-10 in the NHL in any of these stats. Their highest-ranked goaltending stat is the amount of high-danger shots-faced by Lankinen, who ranks 15th in the NHL in that category.
Vancouver’s next five games consist of a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings tonight and a game against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Then, the Canucks return home for a weekend back-to-back against the Utah Mammoth and Minnesota Wild, as well as a game against the Detroit Red Wings the week after.
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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De Haan has nine
points in 18 games so far for Rögle, who currently sit third in the
14-team SHL with 47 points in 24 games.
“I think Calvin’s
game speaks for itself and we obviously want to continue to see in
green and white in the future,” said
Rögle sports director Hampus Sjöström.
“He’s a stable defender and has leadership qualities that are of
great benefit to our group. It feels great that Calvin and his family
are enjoying themselves so well here in Rögle and Ängelholm and I
look forward to continuing our collaboration for another two
seasons.”
Born in Carp. Ont.,
de Haan played junior hockey for the OHL’s
Oshawa Generals and was chosen 12th overall by the New
York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
De Haan split last
season between the Avalanche and Rangers. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound
rearguard was traded to the Rangers along with Juuso Parssinen, a
second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick in 2025. In return, the
Avalanche received Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Hank Kempf.
Internationally, de
Haan represented Canada at one U-18 IIHF World Championship, two
World Juniors and at the 2017 World Championship.
Every week in the NHL delivers goals, chaos, and occasionally, absolute gems on the microphone. Our “Say What?” series features some of the strangest, funniest, and most telling quotes from players, coaches, and executives around the league.
This week, the quotes cover everything from a goaltender responding to being told the fans no longer want him to coaches disliking the use of analytics.
Here are the lines that made us stop scrolling and say… what?
"They're just looking at numbers from people that could be in Russia in a basement, having cigarettes and cashews, telling them their scoring chances. So we're going to depend on our guys, and really recognize what we believe has to be fixed and what doesn't." - Adam Foote
The Vancouver Canucks' coach doesn't plan to call out a player for having poor analytics, although they've allowed the most high-danger chances against in the NHL, according to naturalstattrick.com.
"We’re in the business of lifting each other up." - Stuart Skinner
After being told the fans want another goaltender and not him, Stuart Skinner had a classy response to Hall of Fame journalist Jim Matheson when he said he chose to be a goalie, and fan criticism comes with the gig. He knows he can be better, but his teammates don’t share the same opinion as some fans do.
“I guess it’s just part of the gig.” - Kiefer Sherwood
The forward is on the trade block after saying he wanted to sign an extension with the Vancouver Canucks. He knows that the team is looking to trade him as they’ve made several veterans and UFAs available.
“Since I was a kid, all I wanted was to wear a Habs jersey. Five more years in the best city in the world, a place I’m lucky to call home.” - Mike Matheson
The defenseman signed an extension with the Montreal Canadiens this week, a five-year deal worth $6 million per season. He knows he could have gotten more on the open market, but he’s comfortable where he is.
"The coach didn't take a stupid pill last week." - Brian Burke
Brian Burke commented on coach Kris Knoblauch being a good coach despite recent shortcomings and how he believes the Edmonton Oilers simply have to work their way out of their slump.
“There's always pivots and different times where you have to adjust and make changes,” - GM Craig Conroy
After Don Maloney came out and said the Flames had no desire to trade several assets and were going to try to compete, fans reacted negatively. Things got worse when Maloney wouldn’t comment on a Conroy extension. The deal got done this week, and Conroy set the record straight.
“No one's giving up. No one's getting negative. We're going to keep pushing and keep grinding.” - Morgan Rielly
Morgan Rielly tried to stay positive after a loss as the Maple Leafs get set to play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Things have not gone well for Toronto this season, and there's already talk about focusing on next year instead.
“I feel like I could take down an NFL running back.” - Brady Tkachuk
When asked by his brother on their podcast if he thought he could tackle Derrick Henry, Brady said he believed it was about mindset, and he thought he could. Matthew responded, “You’re a f*cking idiot.”
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
After notching another win, his sixth in seven career starts, Carolina Hurricanes netminder Brandon Bussi has been making a case for a larger workload.
The 27-year-old netminder waited quite a while for his shot in the NHL, but has certainly been making the most of his opportunity now that he's here.
In seven games, Bussi has a 6-1-0 record and a 0.899 save percentage. While that number doesn't seem as impressive at first glance, he has north of 0.890 in six of his starts and above 0.910 in four.
The American netminder also leads the Canes' three netminders with 2.7 goals saved above expected and he also is rocking a 0.900 high-danger save percentage, which is in the 99th percentile amongst all NHL netminders this season.
And with Pyotr Kochetkov once again dealing with injury and Frederik Andersen struggling a bit, it makes sense to give Bussi a little more of a runway with how well he's been playing.
"Yeah, for sure," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "We've kind of thrust him into some weird situations. He doesn't know when he's starting based on the health of the other guys, but I think he's done a good job. Last night, he came up with two really crucial saves at crucial times and helped us keep playing our game, and obviously win. He's earned every start he's had, and he's definitely earned the next one, whenever that is."
Brandon Bussi makes a massive breakaway save on Kyle Connor in the third period!
The "BUS-SI" chants from the Lenovo Center crowd that followed were incredible. 👏 pic.twitter.com/xWYPk4CUnO
Bussi has only started sporadically so far in the NHL, but he's used to a pretty steady workload, as across parts of four seasons in the AHL, the New York native appeared in 111 games (5, 32, 41, 33) and posted a 0.915 save percentage.
While he might not have been a known name when the Hurricanes first claimed him off of waivers, he's definitely been putting himself on the map.
"I think they know who he is now," said Seth Jarvis. "He's been electric. He's the best guy, so there's no one I'm happier for."
"I didn't know much about him, but I knew the name because we had talked about him a lot," Brind'Amour said. "I heard that name going around in the offseason, but I never even saw him play. But he's just a good dude. That's number one. Like, I love that part of it. You can just talk to him for a couple of minutes and know that this guy gets it. So that's a thing that stands out. And then can he stop pucks? Well, yeah. That's obviously something he's done for us really well."
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The second annual CHL USA Prospects Challenge has come and gone. USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) took care of business in game one, defeating Team CHL by a score of 4-2. The NTDP was outshot 44-26, but American goaltender Brady Knowling, who also has a Canadian citizenship, stood tall with a 42-save performance in front of all the scouts.
Game 2 was another back-and-forth, close contest between the two squads. The NTDP led for the majority of the game, but QMJHL’s Xavier Villeneuve scored on the power play to put Team CHL on top and win 4-3.
With both teams winning one game apiece, a “Super Overtime” was held after regulation on game two to decide bragging rights.
USA’s Victor Plante let off a lethal release that beat Guelph Storm netminder Zachary Jovanovski under the glove, and the Americans got their sweet, sweet revenge.
There was a mixed bag of reactions to Team CHL. Brantford Bulldogs forward Caleb Malhotra was outstanding and certainly raised his draft stock, but there were a lot of individualistic performances.
Perhaps the team could’ve used someone like Owen Sound Attack’s star forward Pierce Mbuyi?
Leads OHL Draft-Eligible Prospects In Points
Mbuyi was the most obvious, and questioning, omission from Team CHL’s roster. The former seventh-overall pick from the 2024 OHL Priority Selection has been nothing short of spectacular since coming into the league. His rookie campaign was memorable, and he’s carried over that momentum into his NHL draft season.
The most obvious reason why Mbuyi should’ve been on Team CHL is that he leads all 2008-born NHL draft-eligible players in scoring from the OHL. Only J.P. Hurlbert from the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL has more points than Mbuyi in the entire CHL (not including Jaxon Jacobson, who is draft-eligible in 2027).
DO NOT sleep on PIERCE MBUYI of the Owen Sound @AttackOHL who is 5th in scoring in the OHL!
He has 27 points in 19 games as a 2026 #NHLDraft eligible prospect! #Hockey
Mbuyi is tied for fifth in OHL scoring. He’s recorded 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points. Owen Sound’s top line of himself, Tristan Delisle, and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Harry Nansi has been a force this season, and Mbuyi has adopted a more advanced playmaking game, while also developing a pesty side to him.
Mbuyi was given a disrespectful “C” grade by NHL Central Scouting (NHLCS) in their preliminary rankings for the 2026 draft. Yes, he’s undersized for the NHL, and there’s still plenty of work to be done in his defensive play and puck management, but the CHL USA Prospects Challenge is meant to showcase the most talented players coming out of the CHL. Mbuyi deserved to be on that list of players.
Reigning OHL Rookie of the Year
As previously mentioned, Mbuyi had an incredible rookie season as a 16-year-old with the Attack. He set a franchise record for most points by a rookie with 52 points in 63 games, and was one goal shy of tying Colby Barlow’s record for most goals (finished with 29).
The “C” grade he was given by NHLCS indicates that they view him as a potential fourth-to-fifth-round candidate. However, TSN’s Director of Scouting, and former NHL GM, Craig Button, had him ranked 21st in his November rankings. For reference, Button had nine players from the CHL above Mbuyi, four from the OHL (Chase Reid, Ethan Belchetz, Caleb Malhotra, Nikita Klepov).
With the season Mbuyi is currently having and being the reigning OHL Rookie of the Year, well, that is just another clear reason why the Mississauga, Ontario, native should’ve been at the recent prospects showcase.
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No matter how high the Islanders climb in the competitive Metropolitan Division race, they'll have to play the remainder of this season without one of their trusted veterans.
The team announced on Saturday that center Kyle Palmieri suffered a torn ACL in Friday's shootout loss to the Flyers at UBS Arena, and he's slated to undergo surgery with a recovery timeline of six to eight months.
Palmieri hurt his left knee early in the second period, when he collided with Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale and fell awkwardly along the corner boards.
Impressively enough, the Islanders' alternate captain got up under his own power moments later and proceeded to steal the puck from Flyers blue-liner Emil Andrae in the offensive zone and deliver the assist on a goal for Emil Heineman.
Palmieri didn't participate in the goal celebration -- he immediately left the ice and walked gingerly down the tunnel with trainers.
The brutal injury snaps Palmieri's streak as one of hockey's most durable players, as he'd played 223 consecutive games across five-plus seasons with the Islanders.
In the middle of a two-year, $9.5 million extension signed this past spring, Palmieri logged 18 points (six goals and 12 assists) across 25 games this season.
The Islanders (13-9-5) are currently tied for fourth place in the Metro standings with 29 points. They'll continue a lengthy seven-game homestand on Sunday against the Capitals.
Kyle Palmieri gets the takeaway and Emil Heineman scores his 10th goal of the season 👏 pic.twitter.com/lBDanfeXM4
Nov 28, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks with his teammates during the third period at United Center. David Banks-Imagn Images
Luke Evangelista, Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly each had a goal and an assist, with O’Reilly lighting the lamp for what would eventually be the game-winner. He did the same in the Preds’ 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings Wednesday night.
Evangelista picked up his 100th career NHL point with a goal that put Nashville in front 3-2.
Matthew Wood also got in the scoring column, and goalie Juuse Saros made 24 saves to pick up the win.
Prior to Friday’s game, the Preds recalled forward Reid Schaefer from Milwaukee. He recorded three hits and two blocked shots in 10:22 of ice time in his NHL debut against the Blackhawks.
On Saturday, the Preds come back to Bridgestone Arena for a rematch against the Winnipeg Jets, who handed them a 4-1 defeat Oct. 19 in Winnipeg. Nashville gave up three goals in the first period and couldn’t recover.
Saturday’s game is the second of three meetings between the two teams. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the matchup.
Game Day
Who: Nashville Predators (8-12-4) vs. Winnipeg Jets (12-11-0)
Where: Bridgestone Arena
When: 6 Pm CST
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Radio: 102.5 The Game
Betting line (via BetMGM):
Jets
-1.5 (+185)
O 6 (-115)
-125
Predators
+1.5 (-225)
U 6 (-105)
+105
InjuryUpdate
Jonathan Marchessault did not play Friday against Chicago and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Cole Smith is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Defensemen Justin Barron and Adam Wilsby were healthy scratches against the Blackhawks.
Preds Leaders
Ryan O’Reilly (8g-10a) has taken over the team lead in scoring with 18 points, followed by Filip Forsberg (9g-8a) with 17 points. Evangelista (3g-12a) has 15 points, while Michael Bunting (5g-8a) and Erik Haula (4g-9a) each have 13 points. Wood is third on the team in goals with seven.
Following the win in Chicago on Friday, Saros is now 7-9-3 on the season with a 3.08 goals-against average and .889 save percentage. Justus Annunen collected his first win of the campaign on Wednesday in Detroit and is 1-3-1, 3.89, .850.
Nashville is 12-for-74 (16.2%), 23rd overall, on the man advantage. They rank 16th on the penalty kill at 80.3% (14-of-71).
Head To Head
Nashville is 4-5-1 in their last 10 outings against the Jets but have a 3-0-2 record in their last five contests against them at Bridgestone Arena.
Preds On A Roll
After getting an assist against the Blackhawks, Nick Blankenburg extended his point streak to three games (2g-2a) and reached the double digit point mark for the third time in his career.
Evangelista has scored five points over his last three contests.
With his multi-point night in Chicago, Ryan O’Reilly collected five points on the road trip (2g-3a) and leads all Nashville skaters in points.
In his last 12 games against the Jets, Steven Stamkos has nine points (4g-5a).
Scouting The Jets
Winnipeg is in a bit of a tailspin, having lost each of their last four outings. They’ve given up 16 combined goals over that span.
The Jets began their back-to-back set with a 5-1 loss in Carolina against the Hurricanes Friday night. After Winnipeg tied the score 1-1 when Mark Scheifele took advantage of a turnover, the Canes responded with four unanswered goals to put the game out of reach.
Scheifele leads the Jets with 13 goals and 30 points, followed by Kyle Connor with 11 goals and 28 points. Josh Morrissey has 18 assists and 23 points from the backend.
Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is out due to injury; netminder Thomas Milic made his NHL debut Friday night in Carolina and took the loss. Eric Comrie is 4-4-0 with a 3.02 GAA and .897 SP.
The Jets are 6-6-0 on the road this season. Scheifele leads the team with seven goals away from home ice, Kyle Connor leads with 10 assists, and Connor paces the club with 13 points in the opposing arena.
Winnipeg is 17-for-71 )23.9%) on the power play this season, ranking them sixth. Gabriel Vilardi leads with four power-play goals, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey are tied for the lead in power-play assists with six, and Connor, Vilardi, and Morrissey are each tied for the lead with six power-play points.
On the penalty kill, the Jets are 12-of-80 (85.0%), sixth overall in the NHL.
