The Edmonton Oilers will be placing David Tomasek on waivers when the NHL roster freeze lifts at midnight on Saturday. He's already back in Sweden, getting ready to play games for his former team, while the Oilers will free up $1.2 million in cap space. 

On the surface, this money saved could be used to address some of the team's cap issues when the roster returns to full health. But could it also be used to sign a game-changing UFA?

Speculation around a potential Marc-André Fleury NHL comeback is gaining momentum as injuries and goaltending questions remain in Edmonton. The buzz intensified following Tristan Jarry’s injury, forcing the Oilers to lean on Connor Ingram and Calvin Pickard. So far, the returns on both netminders has been strong, but there's going to be a temptation to consider Fleury, if he wants to return to the NHL and the Oilers somehow wind up on his radar.

Oilers Officially Announce Plans to Terminate David Tomasek's ContractDavid Tomasek's NHL tenure ends as the Edmonton Oilers will terminate his contract, clearing cap space for his return to Europe.

Why The Oilers for Fleury?

Insiders like Pierre LeBrun and Frank Seravalli have talked a lot about Fleury in recent days, both suggesting the Oilers make a lot of sense.  LeBrun wrote, "Probably not surprising, but hearing that some teams have checked in on Marc-Andre Fleury to see if there’s any chance at all he would consider playing again. Again, not surprised teams with goalie needs would want to check on it."

Seravalli, specifically connected the Oilers, noting, “I think he’s got the itch to keep playing, and I think for a guy who really has made it home in Minnesota, there’s no room for him there with [Jesper] Wallstedt and [Filip] Gustavsson.” He added, Fleury is “going to be with a team that has an authentic chance to win, and that’s got the Oil written all over it."    

The organization might not feel the same sense of urgency as some analysts do, but if Fleury becomes an affordable option, would the Oilers not at least entertain a conversation? They probably should. 

Related: Retired Goaltender Coming to Oilers?: Maybe We Should Pump the Brakes a Little

Those same insiders speculate that Fleury would only want to join a legitimate contender, making Edmonton a logical match. No one has gone so far as to comment on the cost or the kind of salary Fleury is looking for, but one would imagine it's not outrageous, given that half the season is over and there are question marks about how effective the veteran would be. 

Coming off a solid 2023–24 season with the Wild, Fleury represents a low-risk, high-reward option, especially if he can be had for around the $1.2 million the Oilers no longer have to worry about with Tomasek off the roster. 

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The Christmas break is over for the Montreal Canadiens, who boarded a plane to Tampa Bay this morning at 9:30 AM. Even though they’ve yet to announce it, the Habs have also officially recalled Samuel Montembeault from his conditioning stint with the Laval Rocket. Not that the 14 days he could have spent there had passed, but he had agreed to play two games, and since that had been done, and the Sainte-Flanelle is going to practice today in Florida, there was no point in extending his stay any longer.

Even though they’ve yet to announce it, the Canadiens have recalled Montembeault from Laval #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/FQznri56BD

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) December 27, 2025

In two games in the AHL, Montembeault suffered as many defeats, allowing five goals for a 2.53 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. It’s worth noting that he was backstopping a weakened Rocket side that was without many of its regulars. Some of Pascal Vincent’s best players were in Montreal or in the stands, serving suspensions after the events that followed a Michael Pezzetta hit on Marc Del Gaizo in a game against the Toronto Marlies.

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The Canadiens didn’t recall Montembeault straight after the two games since they weren’t holding any practice with a packed schedule on the road. Instead, the goaltender remained in Montreal, where he practiced with Rocket goaltending coach Marco Marciano.

During Montembeault’s stay in the AHL, the Canadiens had a 3-1-1 record, playing Jacob Fowler for three games and Jakub Dobes for two. Over that stretch, the Habs outscored their opponents 18-11, and both goaltenders played well.

It will be interesting to see how the Tricolore moves forward with its goaltenders; neither of the youngsters deserves to be sent back down, and Montembeault has yet to prove his stint in the AHL and the extra work put in with Marciano helped. With four games on the schedule this week, it’s quite possible that each masked man gets a game before the Canadiens make a decision.

Fowler was in the net the last time the Canadiens played, backstopping them to a 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Martin St-Louis will speak to the media later this afternoon, and he may decide to show his hand, just to put an end to speculation. The Habs are set to practice at 2:30 PM.

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Game info 

Who: Nashville Predators (16-16-4, 5th Central) at St. Louis Blues (14-16-8, 6th Central) 

When: 7 p.m. CST 

Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo. 

TV: FanDuel Sports Network South 

Radio: 102.5 The Game 

Line (via BetMGM): Predators (+1.5) Blues (-1.5). Over/under 5.5 (-118/-102). 

Blues for the Blues 

The Nashville Predators dominated the St. Louis Blues in both meetings so far this season. 

In the Dec. 11 matchup, Steven Stamkos scored four goals en route to a 7-2 Predators win. Four days later in St. Louis, Filip Forsberg scored a hat trick in the Predators' 5-2 win over the Blues. 

It's a complete turnaround from last season, as the Predators did not win a game against the Blues, going 0-4-0 in their meetings. 

Nashville has battled back in the Central Division after starting the year 1-5-2 against Central Division opponents; they are now 5-6-2 against local opposition. 

Climb continues 

The Predators have seemingly dug themselves out of a hole created in the first month and a half of the season, and are beginning to move up in the standings.

Nashville has won 10 of its last 14 and three straight. It's the Predators' longest winning streak of the season and longest since they won four straight from March 4, 2025, to March 11. 

A win against the Blues would give Nashville its first winning record since Oct. 25, when it defeated the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 in a shootout to improve to 4-3-2 on the year. Defeating St. Louis would move Nashville to 17-16-4 on the season. 

In the standings, a win gains more separation between fifth and sixth and puts Nashville one point outside of the final Wild Card spot behind the Utah Mammoth (39 points). 

Forsberg, O'Reilly point streaks 

Two of the Predators' top forwards, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly, are looking to extend multi-game point streaks tonight. 

O'Reilly has a game point streak, scoring 11 points in that run and has four points in the last two games. Forsberg has a nine-game point streak, scoring 12 points in that time, which included the hat-trick game against the Blues on Dec. 15. 

Scouting St. Louis 

The Blues have been hovering around .500 over their last six games, posting a 3-2-1 record in that stretch. 

Prior to the break, they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1, on Dec. 22. 

Robert Thomas (27 points) and Justin Faulk (20 points) continue to power the Blues offense as they are looking to keep pace with the Predators and possibly jump ahead in the s

The Islanders will take the ice without their top goaltender for at least one more game, as Ilya Sorokin (lower-body injury) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, ahead of their home matchup against the rival Rangers.

In a corresponding move, the Islanders called up AHL Bridgeport goalie Marcus Hogberg as their emergency backup.

With the IR decision retroactive to Dec. 20, Sorokin will be eligible to return to action Sunday, when the Islanders visit the Blue Jackets. The NHL requires a seven-day IR stint, so the prodecural designation for Sorokin could simply be precautionary, rather than the sign of some setback.

But the status on Sorokin's injury is still unclear. The 30-year-old netminder last played on Dec. 19 against the Canucks, allowing three first-period goals in a 4-1 home loss. 

He stopped 27 of 30 shots then, and played until the Islanders pulled him in the closing minutes for an extra skater with the net empty.

In his absence, the Islanders have turned to David Rittich, who's allowed three goals and made 61 saves in their last two games. 

Sorokin, who became one of the NHL's highest-paid goalies by signing an eight-year, $66 million extension in 2023, is a star talent the Islanders sorely need to compete for a playoff spot.

In 24 games this season, he owns a 12-10-2 record (three shutouts) with a 2.55 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. He began December on a five-game winning streak, but over his last two starts, he's allowed six goals on 51 shots.

The Islanders (20-13-4) currently sit in third place in the competitive Metropolitan Division, with 44 points and a plus-3 goal differential.

After a five-game road trip and holiday break, the new-look Vancouver Canucks (15–18–3) are back in town to take on the San Jose Sharks (17–17–3). Prior to the break, Vancouver suffered a 5–2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in their first game against former Head Coach Rick Tocchet. San Jose entered the holiday break with a string of losses, with their most recent being against the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 7–2. 

This will be the first time that new players Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, and Liam Öhgren play in front of a home crowd as members of the Canucks. As well, this will be the first time Vancouver fans will watch their team without Quinn Hughes being a member of the organization since he made his debut back in 2019. Off the ice, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of reception the team ends up getting after making their biggest organizational move in a long time. 

Prior to their most recent loss to the Flyers, the Canucks were on an impressive run of four straight wins, a good chunk in part due to a slightly tidier system and great goaltending from both Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. For fans who want the team to bounce-back and make a push for the post-season, tonight’s game will mark the start of a potential comeback. For those who believe in committing to the rebuild (which feels like most fans), tonight will be about setting that precedent. 

Players To Watch: 

Zeev Buium 

Canucks fans have yet to see Buium play in person as a player on their team, as the defenceman was acquired on the day that Vancouver departed for their five-game road trip. Since making his Canucks debut, he has a goal and two assists in five games while playing on a pairing with Tyler Myers. Touted as the heir apparent of Hughes’ place on the team, Buium is a dynamic offensive-defenceman who can contribute greatly to his team’s production. Fans will want to keep an eye specifically on him as a peek at what the future holds for Vancouver’s blueline. 

Macklin Celebrini

Celebrini has been the biggest story in the Sharks’ season thus far, as he’s consistently remained near the top of the NHL in points since the beginning. He’s currently only trailing Connor McDavid (67) and Nathan MacKinnon (61), all while only being 19 years old. Many will already be paying attention to Celebrini solely due to the fact that he’s from North Vancouver and is noted to have been a Canucks fan before being drafted. Tonight will mark the third time he’ll play in Vancouver at the NHL level. 

Vancouver Canucks (15–18–3): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 8–14–22

Kiefer Sherwood: 16–4–20

Conor Garland: 7–13–20 

Filip Hronek: 2–18–20

Evander Kane: 6–12–18

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–6–0

Kevin Lankinen: 5–10–3

Nikita Tolopilo: 2–1–0

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

San Jose Sharks (17–17–3): 

Points: 

Macklin Celebrini: 19–36–55

Will Smith: 12–17–29

Tyler Toffoli: 10–15–25

Alexander Wennberg: 7–16–23

William Eklund: 8–14–22

Goaltenders: 

Yaroslav Askarov: 12–10–1

Alex Nedeljkovic: 5–7–2

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet Radio: Sportsnet 650 

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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This morning, at 9:30 AM, the Montreal Canadiens will board a charter flight to Florida to begin their traditional holiday trip in the sunbelt. Their first of five will be a tilt with the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 28. With 45 points, the Habs are second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference, behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who have just 47 points. In fact, only five points separate the Conference leaders and the last wild-card spot, held by the Florida Panthers. In other words, every point is crucial at this stage, and Martin St-Louis is aware of that fact.

While it’s a good position to be in, the Canadiens still have to decide on what they are going to do with their goaltenders. The plan may have been for the Habs to give Jacob Fowler a few games this season to see where he is, but because of the goaltending issues that have plagued the first half of the season, that plan came very early.

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Before the Christmas break, former number one goaltender Samuel Montembeault was sent down to the Laval Rocket in the AHL to work on his game and play a couple of games. He won neither of them, although he couldn’t be blamed for the losses, but he did spend a lot of time with Rocket goalie coach Marco Marciano, going back to the basics.

In fact, the Canadiens were meant to call him up on December 21, but since he had played the night before and the Habs weren’t set to hold any practice in Pittsburgh or in Boston, they elected not to do so. He stayed behind with Marciano and worked hard in Brossard.

Now, the Habs will have to call him up, since the rules for a conditioning stint in the AHL allow it to last up to 14 days and require the player's consent. It’s doubtful that Montembeault will want to extend his stay, which means that unless the Habs send down a goaltender, they’ll be travelling with a trio of masked men.

While both Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler are waiver-exempt and could conceivably be sent down, I don’t think it would be wise to send Dobes down. Still, Fowler has made it very hard for the Canadiens to demote him, even though he’s in the first year of his professional career.

So far in five games, he has a 3-1-1 record, with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Furthermore, as pointed out by TVA Sports’ Anthony Martineau, among all NHL goaltenders who have played at least five games this season, the youngster ranks first in expected goals saved per 60 minutes and second in save percentage on high-danger shots. In his last two games, he has shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins and backstopped the Canadiens to a big win against the Boston Bruins, on enemy territory. Even though the Bruins came out strong in the first frame, he weathered the storm as the hosts peppered his net with 17 shots in the first frame and allowed the Tricolore to come back in the game and get the two points.

How can the Canadiens justify sending him back down with the form he’s in? With the playoff race as tight as it is right now, Montreal cannot attempt to make a mistake. Sending the youngster down when he’s doing too well would send the wrong message. I can understand the organization wanting to give Montembeault a chance to bounce back, but it cannot afford to waste points. If the Becancour native falters, he needs to make way. Until he’s proven he’s got his game back, the Canadiens shouldn’t send down Fowler, even if his age, experience and contract situation make him the perfect candidate to go to Laval.

Professional sports is a results business; the Canadiens are no longer at the start of a rebuild. They need points, and they need them both now and, in the future, if they want to make the spring dance, and there is no doubt that they do. Whichever way you look at it, Fowler has made a fantastic case for himself to be kept around, and he has earned it, at least the way I see it. Despite money and contractual implications, it’s merit that should dictate the way forward; that’s how you build a winning team and culture.

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On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks had three prospects participate in the World Junior Championships, which kicked off on Friday in Minnesota. There were also a handful of prospects playing that the Chicago Blackhawks may have their eyes on at the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Let's start with the ones already drafted by Chicago:

Anton Frondell

Anton Frondell scored the first goal of the entire event to put Sweden up 1-0. He also set up the next goal, a power play goal scored by Victor Eklund. 

In addition to the two points, Frondell had some other incredible chances that were saved by either the goaltender or the post. His defensive game is also impactful, as it was difficult for Slovakia to do anything of note when he was on the ice. 

Blackhawks Prospect Anton Frondell Dominates In Sweden’s WJC Win Over SlovakiaThe Chicago Blackhawks have a high-end prospect in Anton Frondell. He showed the goods in the first game of the World Junior Championships.

Frondell is Sweden's key to winning their first Medal in 14 years and third ever. There is a lot of high-end prospect talent on this team, and Frondell is right there at the top.

AJ Spellacy

AJ Spellacy is never going to be the guy leading the highlights like Anton Frondell, James Hagens, or Michael Misa, amongst others, but he does make life easier on star players. 

In Team USA's 6-3 win over Team Germany, Spellacy was noticeable. His line was playing the right way for the majority of the game. Spellacy, in particular, had two assists.

He also created chaos in front of the net, laid some big hits, stood in front of the net, tipped pucks, and did a good job gaining the offensive zone whenever that was asked of him. 

WILL ZELLERS HAS HIS SECOND! #WorldJuniorspic.twitter.com/deOfUI2pQO

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2025

If Team USA is going to win its third Gold Medal in a row, Spellacy must continue playing his role at a high level. If he keeps bringing some offense in addition to the other things he does well, this team will be deeper than originally thought. 

Vaclav Nestrasil 

Team Czechia is looking to medal for the fourth year in a row. They have upset Canada a lot in recent years, but were unable to do so in the opener on Friday. The Canadians pulled out a 7-5 victory, but it was far from easy. 

One of Czechia's best and most productive players is Chicago Blackhawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil. As the other two players mentioned, he had two points as well. Nestrasil's two points came in the form of assists, proving that his playmaking abilities are off the charts. 

Now Nestrasil’s no look pass set up this Tomas Galvas.

This kid is gold. Very goodpic.twitter.com/z6FjF4zf18https://t.co/sZklS6CVv2

— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) December 27, 2025

When the Blackhawks drafted Nestrasil 25th overall in 2025, there was a lot of unknown. However, whether it's his production at UMass or here playing for Czechia, he has shown that to be a great decision by Kyle Davidson. 

2026 NHL Draft

The Chicago Blackhawks will come out of the holiday break with the worst record in the National Hockey League. With Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar out for a couple of weeks, it is hard to see the Hawks climbing out of their current slump any time soon. 

That could mean that another top-three pick is on the horizon. Right now, that means looking at Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ivar Stenberg. 

Canada made the curious decision to healthy scratch Verhoeff, but that won't impact his status as a top-three pick in the draft. The North Dakota defenseman has been having an incredible year playing defense, but he is one of the younger players on Team Canada, trying to find his way. 

Gavin McKenna, on the other hand, is Canada's go-to offensive player right now. He is projected to be the number one overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and has been for some time. The Penn State forward has taken some time to adjust to the NCAA game after dominating his whole major junior career, but you see his true abilities come out at a tournament like this. 

McKenna had two assists in the win. His playmaking has a certain level that other players his age can't reach. There is a lot more where that came from for McKenna, and the Blackhawks are going to be scouting him hard. A player like that joining Connor Bedard, his relative through marriage, would do wonders for the future of the franchise. 

Ivar Stenberg, who also has the pedigree to be the first overall pick, had a big day as well. The only goal that Sweden scored that wasn't scored or assisted by Anton Frondell was the game-winner put in by Stenberg.

His game-breaking talent will make an NHL team very happy as soon as next year. If the Blackhawks were able to add him and Frondell in the same year, it would be franchise-altering for them. 

NHL teams, especially ones like the Blackhawks who are going to be picking high, had to be happy with what they saw from McKenna and Stenberg on Friday. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin is playing some of the best hockey of his career, and it's paying off incredible dividends for his club, which is now first overall in the Atlantic Division and tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. 

Considering where the Red Wings were in the standings one calendar year ago, it's a monumental improvement in their fortunes. 

Their most recent victory took place on Tuesday evening over the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena, and it was Larkin who played a critical role in the outcome.

Larkin not only scored the game-tying goal late in the third period after a terrific pass from James van Riemsdyk, but he also scored the overtime game-winner for his 20th tally of Detroit's centennial campaign. 

THE CAPTAIN WINS IT 🫡

Dylan Larkin's second of the game is the @Energizer overtime winner! pic.twitter.com/pLKBuLyuy6

— NHL (@NHL) December 24, 2025

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

With the overtime goal, Larkin now has 11 in his career. He only needs one more to match the 12 scored by Sergei Fedorov for the most in franchise history. 

FYI: Dylan Larkin scored his 11th career overtime goal, trailing only Sergei Fedorov (12) for the most in franchise history. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/UfPPMGEO60

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 24, 2025

The Red Wings will be retiring the iconic No. 91 jersey number of Fedorov next month on Jan. 12. 

There is no player on the Red Wings roster who more badly wants to bring Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time in the venue's existence than Larkin.

Thanks to his contributions so far this season, they're that much closer to that goal, and would occupy the second overall seed in the Eastern Conference if the postseason were to begin today. 

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After a solid start to the season, the Chicago Blackhawks have been going through some big-time struggles as of late. The Blackhawks are currently on a six-game losing streak and have won only two out of their last 10 contests.

Due to the Blackhawks' current struggles, they now have a 13-17-6 record and are at the very bottom of the NHL standings. With this, they are starting to stand out as prime sellers, and one of their most notable trade candidates is pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) defenseman Connor Murphy. 

With the Blackhawks having so many promising young defensemen in their system, it would not be particularly surprising if they flipped Murphy by the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Due to this, Murphy was included in The Athletic's latest NHL trade matchmaker column. In it, Pierre LeBrun named the Florida Panthers as the team that could land Murphy, while Chris Johnston picked the Vegas Golden Knights. 

LeBrun going with the Panthers is understandable, as it is clear that they could use more depth on their blueline. If they added Murphy, he would provide them with another solid veteran blueliner as they look to win their third straight Stanley Cup. A right of side of Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Murphy would be a strong trio for Florida.

Yet, Johnston picking the Golden Knights is also easy to understand, as it is no secret that they need to upgrade the right side of the blueline. When looking at the Golden Knights' current roster, Murphy could fit nicely on their second pairing if acquired. However, even if he played bottom-pairing minutes for Vegas, he would still improve their group. 

Things have been going very well for the Buffalo Sabres as of late. The Sabres have won each of their last seven games and now have an 18-14-4 record. With this, they are now seventh in the Atlantic Division, but also only three points behind the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning. With this, the Sabres have created far more hope for their 2025-26 season. 

With the Sabres starting to improve and desperately looking to break their 14-year playoff drought, it would be understandable if new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen looked to add to the team's roster. With this, The Athletic's Chris Johnston recently named the Buffalo Sabres as a potential landing spot for Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov. 

"You won’t find anyone in the NHL more familiar with Chinakhov than Jarmo Kekäläinen, the man who drafted him in Columbus. With Kekäläinen now in charge of the Sabres front office, it’s not unreasonable to expect him to lean on some known quantities as he starts to put his own stamp on the Buffalo roster," Johnston wrote.

Chinakhov would certainly have the potential to be an interesting addition for the Sabres. The 2020 first-round pick has skill and at 24 years old, the possibility of him hitting a new level is still there. Furthermore, while Chinakhov is in the final year of his current deal, he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA). With this, he would have the potential to be more than a rental for the Sabres if they issue him a qualifying offer over the summer. 

In 29 games so far this season with the Blue Jackets, Chinakhov has posted three goals and six points. While these numbers do not necessarily stand out, he notably had 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games for the Blue Jackets just back in 2023-24. He also had seven goals and 15 points in just 30 games last season. 

While the NHL takes some time off over Christmas with no games on the schedule from December 24 to 26, a couple of Montreal Canadiens players couldn’t help but get on the ice over the short break. Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov didn’t just head to the CN Sports Complex in Brossard; they also visited local outdoor rinks.

On Christmas Eve, reigning Calder Trophy winner Hutson surprised fans in Notre-Dame-De-Grace by showing up to play shinny hockey with them. Needless to say, those who were in attendance were incredibly happy to skate alongside the young star.

Since arriving in Montreal, Hutson has demonstrated his love for the game with an incredible work ethic, hitting the ice so often on days off that the team has had to step in and tell him to stay off the ice. With that taken into account, it’s not surprising that he felt the need to skate on Christmas Eve, and showing up at a local rink and making everyone’s day shows how much he enjoys the city of Montreal and its fans. He has already demonstrated his commitment to the town and the team by signing an 8-year contract that will keep him with the team through the end of the 2033-34 season.

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Then, on Christmas Day, Hutson did it again, but this time he brought a friend: Russian rookie Demidov. According to a Canadiens fan who was there, they played 15 against two, and the fans still basically looked like pylons, but they didn’t care; the kids’ eyes were lit up with Christmas magic.

Ivan Demidov & Lane Hutson meeting Habs fans at the outdoor rink in Montreal today pic.twitter.com/LLzcU0osdH

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 26, 2025

The players also took pictures with fans and were happy to donate their time to make fans’ Christmas even better. For years, parents have been reading Roch Carrier’s The Sweater as a bedtime story to their kids, a book in which a young boy’s biggest Christmas wish is to get a Montreal Canadiens sweater for Christmas, but this would make for a great children’s book as well. Imagine the child receiving a Hutson jersey, going to the rink to wear it, and ultimately playing with the player.

Kudos to Hutson and Demidov for taking the time to make some kids’ dreams come true this year. It didn’t cost them anything, but for those who had the opportunity to skate alongside their idols over Christmas, it was a priceless experience.

A day after a dominant performance in a Habs win in Boston:

Lane Hutson was back in Montreal today playing shinny hockey in NDG. pic.twitter.com/njla6FglCU

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 25, 2025

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Friday the addition of Steve Sullivan to their coaching staff. The opening emerged earlier in the week after the club relieved Marc Savard of his duties as assistant coach. Savard had been responsible for the team’s power play, which ranked last in the NHL at the time of his departure.

We have added Steve Sullivan as an Assistant Coach.

Sullivan joins the Leafs from the Toronto Marlies. pic.twitter.com/Pn6K0RgNiA

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 26, 2025

While the Leafs did not have an immediate replacement behind the bench during their 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the coaching staff clarified they would evaluate long-term options for the power play moving forward. Ultimately, the team promoted Sullivan from their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, where his coaching focused on individual skills and offensive development. Interestingly, the Marlies’ power play currently ranks 22nd in the AHL with a 16 percent efficiency rate.

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, the power play responsibilities will be "shared" as Sullivan gets up to speed with the big club.

Sullivan’s promotion from the Marlies fills the Savard vacancy. He’s a powerplay guy but, the PP responsibilities will be shared while Sullivan gets up to speed on the Leafs bench.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 26, 2025

A Familiar Face in Toronto

Sullivan is a well-known figure in Toronto, having played 154 games over four seasons with the Maple Leafs. He arrived in 1997 as part of the high-profile trade that sent fan favorite Doug Gilmour to the New Jersey Devils. Sullivan eventually thrived as the NHL transitioned out of the "dead-puck" era, using his speed and skill to navigate a changing league.

Front Office Experience and Controversy

Following his retirement as a player, Sullivan joined the Arizona Coyotes' front office, eventually rising to Director of Player Development. After the abrupt resignation of GM John Chayka, Sullivan served as interim GM until Bill Armstrong was hired.

During his tenure as interim GM, Sullivan oversaw the 2020 NHL Draft, where the club selected Mitchell Miller with the 111th pick. The selection drew immediate and severe criticism after it was revealed Miller had admitted to the racial bullying of Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, a Black and developmentally disabled classmate, four years prior. Following the public outcry, the Coyotes renounced the selection. Sullivan bore the brunt of the fallout from the decision and parted ways with the organization in 2021.

Return to Coaching

Sullivan returned to the bench in 2024, joining John Gruden’s staff with the Marlies. He filled the vacancy left by Rich Clune, who departed for an assistant coaching role with the Anaheim Ducks. Now back in the NHL, Sullivan's primary challenge will be revitalizing a struggling Maple Leafs power play.

Untold riches awaited Adrian Kempe as one of the NHL’s top unrestricted free agents next summer.

Mitch Marner, among last summer’s top targets, got $12 million a season from Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal with Toronto hours before he would have hit the open market. With more goals than Marner over the last four full seasons, how much could Kempe — in his prime at 29 — have demanded?

We’ll never know. Because whatever amount it might have been, Kempe decided it wasn’t worth more than his happiness. So last month he signed an eight-year contract extension worth a reported $85 million with the Kings that figures to keep him with the only organization he’s ever known for the rest of his career.

“There’s probably some teams that would have given me offers. But I never really got to the part where that was something that I wanted,” he said. “I’m really happy here. Always have been. Family-wise, the same.

“So there was never anything else in my mind.”

Read more:Kings searching for answers after sixth loss in seven games: 'It’s a difficult time'

That’s a mind that is apparently at ease now that Kempe’s hockey future has been determined. With 13 goals and a team-high 17 assists, he leads the offensively challenged Kings with 30 points and seven of those goals have come in the 17 games since he signed his extension.

But that’s done little to lift the team, which has lost six of their last seven heading into Saturday’s game with the Ducks. The last time the Kings had a seven-game stretch this bad it cost coach Todd McLellan his job.

“I'm not happy, but I really believe in this group,” said winger Kevin Fiala, who shares the team goal-scoring lead with Kempe. “I really believe this is a great team, great players. We just have to kind of find the game. And not just for some minutes, not even for one game, 60 minutes.

“We have to go for a stretch here, get some wins in a row. Start feeling good, start playing good.”

That might be tough given how the Kings will finish 2025. After Saturday’s home game with the resurgent Ducks, the team travels to Colorado to face the Avalanche, who lead the NHL in points.

If the Kings are to turn things around, they will have to jump start an offense which is second-to-last in the NHL, averaging 2.52 goals a game, and a power play that has converted on less than 14% of its chances, also 31st in the 32-team league. And the responsibility for making that happen probably will fall to Kempe, who has scored as many goals over the past four full seasons as Sidney Crosby and has just six fewer assists than Alex Ovechkin, keeping the Swedish Olympian in heady company.

“Adrian is a bit of a streaky scorer,” coach Jim Hiller said. “A lot of his recent goals are goals that we’ve seen him score before, where he’s either beating someone with speed, a nice deke.

“So to me it’s the type of goals he’s scoring right now that’s got me encouraged.”

That’s not all that’s encouraging. Kempe, a quick and physical two-way forward, is averaging a career-high 19:18 of ice time per game and is on pace to score 30 goals and top 68 points for a second straight season.

With captain Anze Kopitar retiring at the end of the season and defenseman Drew Doughty in the penultimate year of his contract, re-signing Kempe, the team’s future leader on and off the ice, was at the top of Ken Holland’s to-do list when he took over as general manager last spring. And while the length of the contract he offered Kempe never wavered, the price did.

In the end, media reports said Kempe blinked first, telling agent J.P. Berry to lower his salary demands to get a deal done, eventually accepting an average annual value of $10.625 million beginning next season. That nearly doubles the $5.5 million he’ll earn this season and makes him the fifth-best-paid Swede in the NHL, according to the Sweden Herald. But it’s less than he would have gotten on the open market.

“I think it says two things,” Hiller said of the deal. “What it says about the franchise is that the player was known, was drafted here, was developed here.”

What it says about Kempe, he continued, is that he values that loyalty more than money.

“I think he probably appreciates the time and energy spent on his career, getting him to where he was,” Hiller said. “Now it’s his choice and he says, ‘You know what? I want to stay in place.'"

He’s not alone. A number of the Kings’ recent cornerstone players — among them Dustin Brown, Kopitar and Doughty — spent their entire NHL careers with the team. If he avoids serious injury and a major dropoff in play, Kempe will almost certainly rank among the top five in franchise history in games, goals and points when his contract runs out.

That’s the long-term return on investment Holland and the Kings are hoping for. For the time being, however, they’re counting on Kempe to save a season that seems in danger of spiraling.

Like Fiala, Kempe believes in the Kings.

“If I weren’t happy here, obviously I would consider not playing here,” Kempe said. “We have a good core. We have a good group of younger guys coming up. I think we’re in a good spot.

“Obviously you have to take that in consideration, too, when you sign a new deal. You want to play on a good team, you want to win cups.”

And it’s hard to put a price tag on that.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.