The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a position to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. The Penguins are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division, so it would be understandable if they looked to boost their group.
One of the Penguins' top needs is a right-shot defenseman, and they are now being viewed as a potential fit for a solid one because of it.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Scott Powers, Mark Lazerus, and Chris Johnston listed the Penguins among the possible suitors for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy.
"Dallas is a natural fit, but the Stars are hardly the only team looking for a right-shot and/or depth defenseman. Buffalo, Ottawa, San Jose, Pittsburgh, Boston and Detroit all make sense, too," Powers, Lazerus, and Johnston wrote.
Seeing the Penguins being viewed as a potential fit for Murphy is not surprising. They need to improve their right side, and Murphy is one of the top right-shot defenseman trade candidates in the NHL right now. Thus, it would be understandable if the Penguins made a push for him once the NHL Olympic roster freeze ends.
If the Penguins landed Murphy, he could slot on either their second or third pairing. In addition, he would be an obvious choice for the Penguins' penalty kill due to his steady defensive play.
Yet, with Murphy being a big right-shot defenseman with plenty of experience, it is very likely that several teams will pursue him. As a result, the Penguins would have competition if they look to add him.
The Philadelphia Flyers, as an organization, appear to be finally getting healthy and kicking some injuries at the right time.
Forward Tyson Foerster appears to be on the mend, defense prospect Spencer Gill just played in his first games since October, and now another young stud is getting back on the ice, too.
On Saturday night, top forward prospect Alex Bump made his return from a lengthy injury absence that eliminated all but one game over the last two months.
Bump, 22, entered the Lehigh Valley Phantoms' lineup for the first time since Jan. 3 on Saturday night, and before that, the highly-skilled winger hadn't played since Dec. 19.
Bump, Gill, and defenseman Oliver Bonk have all missed several months due to their respective injuries this season, and all are now healthy at the same time for the first time this season.
In his return to the lineup, Bump recorded three shots on goal, took one penalty, and had a -2 rating.
Former Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov (33/35, .943) and the Cleveland Monsters took a 5-2 decision, knocking off Bump and the Phantoms and making them losers of four straight.
In each of their last four losses, the Phantoms have allowed no fewer than five goals while being out-scored 22-10.
The Phantoms now sit at a mediocre 21-21-4 in fifth place in the AHL's Atlantic Division, but now that Bump is back and healthy, maybe they have a chance to turn the tides a bit.
As for Bump's NHL prospects, his injury came at an unfortunate time, and it would take something unprecedented (or another injury at the NHL level at the winger position) for the 22-year-old to get ice time in the big leagues.
For now, teammate and fellow Flyers prospect Denver Barkey has leapfrogged him on the organizational depth chart, nailing down a middle-six role on the Flyers as currently constructed.
Once again this year, Quebec City will host its International Pee Wee Tournament from February 11 to 22, and as always, there will be a team representing the Montreal Canadiens. This time around, it’s the Lions du Lac St-Louis that have earned the privilege of wearing the Sainte-Flanelle for the tournament, and on Friday, they got a visitor at practice.
While plenty of NHL players have used the Olympic break as an opportunity to head to sunny destinations, Mike Matheson stayed around, spent some time in Brossard skating with his little boy, and on Friday, he surprised the Lions at practice.
Judging by the picture published by the Canadiens’ social media account, the kids were over the moon to see Matheson, who had his jersey retired by the Lions back in September, turn up. They hadn’t started their tournament yet, with their first game being scheduled on Valentine’s Day against the Long Island Stars.
Photo credit: Montreal Canadiens Instagram Account
Matheson, who will turn 32 toward the end of the month, signed a five-year extension with the Canadiens at the end of November and is not going anywhere anytime soon. The veteran defenseman managed to get a three-year full no-movement clause out of Kent Hughes, a rare feat. Then, in the last two years of his deal, he has a modified no-trade clause, which provides that he can submit a list of 14 teams he doesn’t want to be traded to in 2029-30 and a five-team list for the 2030-31 season.
Right now, there would be no reason for the Canadiens to want to trade the blueliner in any case; he’s an absolute workhorse on their defence corps, averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game. Despite not being on the power play anymore, he’s managed to rack up 28 points in 54 games, just three points below his total from last season, which he’ll no doubt surpass.
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The group stage of the Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament comes to a close today, but before the play-off and quarterfinal brackets can be set, there are still games to be played. Things got started early with Czech Republic vs. Switzerland, but now it’s time for Canada to take on France for the Group A finale.
Team Canada enters today’s matchup with a 2-0 record in round robin games and a guaranteed play-off round bye into the quarterfinals no matter the result of today’s game thanks to a goal differential of +9.
olympics 2026 men's hockey: what to know
What: Canada vs. France
When: Feb. 15, 10:40 a.m. ET
Where: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan, Italy)
Channel: CNBC
Streaming: DIRECTV
Connor McDavid had another three point game in Friday’s 5-1 victory over Switzerland, opening the scoring early before setting up two more goals for Nathan MacKinnon and Thomas Harley.
With an 0-2 record, France has already punched its ticket for the play-off qualification round on Feb. 17 no matter the outcome of today’s game.
Canada vs. France start time
Canada vs. France is scheduled to start at 10:40 a.m. ET today, Feb. 15.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching TV live for free — it has a five-day free trial and there are a ton of options for plans that include CNBC (and every other channel you’ll need for the Olympics), starting at $39.99/month.
TRY DIRECTV FOR FREE
You can also catch every minute of the Olympics with a subscription to Peacock, which starts at $10.99/month.
Canada and France team rosters
Below, check out the rosters for Team Canada and France, along with each player’s NHL team.
Canada
Travis Sanheim (D) – Flyers
Devon Toews (D) – Avalanche
Cale Makar (D) – Avalanche
Thomas Harley (D) – Stars
Shea Theodore (D) – Golden Knights
Josh Morrissey (D) – Jets
Colton Parayko (D) – Blues
Drew Doughty (D) – Kings
Sam Bennett (F) – Panthers
Nick Suzuki (F) – Canadiens
Sam Reinhart (F) – Panthers
Bo Horvat (F) – Islanders
Macklin Celebrini (F) – Sharks
Seth Jarvis (F) – Hurricanes
Nathan MacKinnon (F) – Avalanche
Brandon Hagel (F) – Lightning
Tom Wilson (F) – Capitals
Mark Stone (F) – Golden Knights
Brad Marchand (F) – Panthers
Sidney Crosby (F) – Penguins
Mitch Marner (F) – Golden Knights
Connor McDavid (F) – Oilers
Darcy Kuemper (G) – Kings
Logan Thompson (G) – Capitals
Jordan Binnington (G) – Blues
France
Enzo Gueby (D)
Pierre Crinon (D)
Hugo Gallet (D)
Yohann Auvitu (D)
Enzo Cantagallo (D)
Jules Boscq (D)
Florian Chakiachvili (D)
Thomas Thiry (D)
Charles Bertrand (F)
Stéphane Da Costa (F)
Justin Addamo (F)
Nicolas Ritz (F)
Louis Boudon (F)
Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (F)
Jordann Perret (F)
Sacha Treille (F)
Dylan Fabre (F)
Anthony Rech (F)
Alexandre Texier (F) – Canadiens
Aurélien Dair (F)
Floran Douay (F)
Kévin Bozon (F)
Antoine Keller (G)
Julian Junca (G)
Martin Neckar (G)
Canada Olympic hockey schedule
Feb. 15, 10:40 a.m. ET – vs. France
When do the Winter Olympics end?
The 2026 Winter Olympics end with the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
Team USA moved closer to clinching Group C in the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 with a 6–3 victory over Team Denmark on Saturday afternoon.
However, the win did not come without an uneasy opening 20 minutes.
Denmark carried a 2–1 lead into the dressing room after the first period, thanks to goals from Nick Olesen and Nicholas Jensen. Jensen’s goal—a wrist shot from just inside center ice—somehow slipped past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman.
Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy scored for Team USA, who soon seized control of the game with their offensive firepower.
Ottawa Senators team captain Brady Tkachuk knotted the score at 2-2 following an offensive zone face-off win by Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, who then scored the go-ahead goal soon afterward.
Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin increased the lead to 4-2 and, despite a Denmark tally from Phillip Bruggisser, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel restored Team USA's two-goal lead just before the midway point of the third period.
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes capped the scoring, beating backup goaltender Frederik Dichow, who had replaced the injured Mads Sogaard.
Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, playing in his second-career Olympic game, skated in 12:31 of ice time, and had four shots on goal.
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In the summer of 1948, Rangers manager Frank Boucher pulled off one of the "steal deals" of all-time. "Boosh" obtained center Buddy O'Connor from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a few minor leaguers who never amounted to much.
O'Connor went on to win the 1949 Hart Trophy as well as the Lady Byng award; quite a gem for practically nothing.
But there was more to the deal. In addition, the Blueshirts also obtained defenseman Frankie Eddolls who then was called the "best defenseman outside the NHL."
Eddolls would become a blue line star and was a key figure in the spring of 1950 when Frankie helped the Blueshirts to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final vs. Detroit.
Unfortunately, the Red Wings won the Cup in double overtime.
Ottawa Senators minor league goalie Mads Sogaard may be about to get the toughest assignment of his young goaltending career.
Team Denmark (0-1) has announced that starter Freddy Andersen, even though he's healthy and by far the Danes' best goalie, will not play against Team USA (1-0) on Saturday (3:10 p.m. TSN).
"We have a bad schedule," Denmark head coach Mikael Gath told NHL.com. "We're playing 9 o'clock against U.S., and then we play early against Latvia the day after, and we have three good goalies."
Steve Warne says unless you NHL teams really believe they can win a Cup, not just squeak into the playoffs, they shouldn't be big game hunting at the trade deadline.
So, faced with playing two games scheduled 22 hours apart, they're clearly giving Andersen the more winnable game, because no matter who starts, the Danes are not likely to beat the Americans.
While the Danes haven't officially announced their goalie yet, Sogaard seems to be the next man up for two reasons. He's the only other Danish goalie in history to ever play in the NHL, and he was the man on the bench as the backup for the team's 3-1 loss to Germany on Thursday.
Sogaard, 25, is 1-0 with a 4.65 GAA and .833 save percentage in two games for the Senators this season. In Belleville, he's 4-8-4 with a 3.30 GAA and .889 save percentage.
Certainly not elite numbers, but probably still the club's next-best option.
So the 6-foot-7 NHL prospect could be thrown into the fire against Sens' teammates Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson, and a high-powered American team that wants to clinch a bye to the quarterfinal and keep pace with Canada for the top seed in the tournament.
But at this point, catching Canada is as tall an order as Sogaard.
Canada is 2 and 0 with a 10:1 goal differential and should be able to improve on both counts against France (0-2) in their final preliminary game on Sunday. The Americans will get a tougher opponent in Germany on Sunday.
The Danes' third option on the roster is Frederik Dichow, Montreal's fifth-round pick from the 2019 NHL Draft. He's never played in North America, but don't sleep on him as a dark horse starting option for Saturday.
Last spring, Dichow made 39 saves in Denmark's historic elimination of Canada in the World Hockey Championship quarterfinals.
Given that Denmark needs another miracle on Saturday, maybe they'll decide to roll with a goalie who recently helped deliver one.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa. Read more Senators features and articles from THN Ottawa here:
While the Montreal Canadiens won’t have an official practice until Tuesday afternoon, Ivan Demidov has already been back on the ice in Brossard for a few days. Still, on Friday morning, he was joined by two other players, and a former player.
Kirby Dach and Jake Evans joined the Russian rookie as he skated at the CN Sports Complex. With Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes not being back yet, the three players took shots on a guest goalie: former blueliner David Savard.
It’s great to see Dach back to work early, especially since there have been questions raised about his work ethic when he showed up to camp in disappointing shape ahead of the 2024-25 season. The 25-year-old is in the last year of the “show me” deal he signed when the Canadiens acquired him during the 2022 draft, and he’s running out of time to convince the Habs’ brass of what he can do and that he can stay healthy.
The soon-to-be RFAs’ timing couldn’t be better; however, there’s currently a spot up for grabs alongside Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki since Juraj Slafkovsky has developed good chemistry with Oliver Kapanen and Demidov. If Dach can show he deserves to have an extended look there, he may be able to surprise and be more productive than he’s ever been with the Canadiens.
After all, he played his best hockey in Montreal when he played on the wing of the Canadiens’ fantastic duo. Both Caufield and Suzuki are on pace for career years. If Caufield keeps his current rhythm, he could put up 46 goals (37 is his highest total so far) and 82 points (he set his career high last season with 70 points). As for Suzuki, his production so far tells us that he could hit 25 goals and 67 assists for 92 points, three more than he got last season.
It’s now or never for Dach, and he needs to demonstrate why he should be part of the Canadiens’ core for a long time if he doesn’t want the organization to move on. It seems that they’ve already given up on the thought that he could be one of their centers, but he could still convince them that he can be a reliable top-six option if the stars align for him.
Ivan Demidov skating in Brossard again today, joined by Kirby Dach & Jake Evans.
According to The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner, former San Jose Sharks forward Scott Reedy has signed a professional tryout with the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Reedy has yet to play a game this season at any level, but that should change with the former Sharks forward landing this PTO with Bridgeport.
Reedy spent this past season with the Nashville Predators' AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, where he had four goals, five assists, nine points, and a plus-1 rating in 25 games. This is after he had five goals and seven points in 12 games during the 2023-24 season with the Texas Stars.
Reedy was selected by the Sharks with the 102nd overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The 26-year-old forward played in 35 games for the Sharks during the 2021-22 season, where he recorded seven goals, two assists, nine points, 14 hits, and 26 blocks. Reedy has not played at the NHL level since.
Reedy spent the majority of his time with the Sharks organization down in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda. In 93 games with the Barracuda over three seasons from 2020-21 to 2022-23, he recorded 28 goals, 20 assists, and 48 points. This included him setting AHL career highs with 18 goals, nine assists, and 27 points in 38 games for the Barracuda in 2021-22.
Team Canada took on Switzerland in the second game of the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament on Friday. While Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki started the game on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Brandon Hagel, that’s not where he finished it.
Canada took a 2-0 lead by the halfway point of the first period, with Connor McDavid finding the back of the net on the power play and defenseman Thomas Harley doubling the lead just over five minutes later. The Swiss were still putting on a fight, though, and when Bo Horvat was assessed a minor penalty for high-sticking, they pounced to cut the lead in half, though Pius Sutter. Interestingly, Suzuki was used on that penalty kill, which shows that he does have John Cooper’s confidence. Even though he was on the ice for the goal, after the game the coach called Suzuki a Swiss Army knife and even joked that he’d play goalie if the team needed him to. After 20 minutes, shots were 13-10 Canada, and Logan Thompson, who was in the net with Jordan Binnington having the night off, had to be solid.
With a tiny one-goal lead after the first frame, Cooper decided to mix things up a bit and put MacKinnon, McDavid, and Macklin Celebrini on the same line. As a result, Suzuki was moved back to the center, between Hagel and Tom Wilson. The newly formed top line wasted no time scoring when Celebrini converted on a MacKinnon feed. They were dominant in puck possession and looked like an unstoppable force. When they had the puck, the Swiss looked almost lost, and Canada ended the frame with 14 shots while their opponent only had six.
The Canadians scored another two goals in the final frame; the first one was a great deflection by Sidney Crosby off a Mitch Marner setup, and the second came from Cooper’s super line. This time, it was MacKinnon who scored with assists from McDavid and Celebrini. This line looked like a weapon of mass destruction that the coach was able to use again, and again, and again. It will be interesting to see if he sticks with it going forward, and if he does, how stronger teams will cope with them.
Overall, it was a good game for the Canadians, who pulled off a 5-1 win and are top of their group with 6 points and one game against France remaining in the preliminary round. Suzuki spent 13:35 on the ice, and while he didn’t have as good a game as he did against Czechia, he can still hold his head up high.
As for the Swiss, they lost more than the game since Kevin Fiala sustained a gruesome injury in a collision with Wilson and will be out for the remainder of the tournament. By the looks of the injury, it's quite possible that his NHL season with the Los Angeles Kings is in jeopardy. It's worth mentioning that it wasn't a dirty hit from Wilson; it was just an unfortunate freak play.
Canada will be back in action against France on Sunday morning at 10:40 AM, and it will be interesting to see how Cooper chooses to deploy his men and if Brad Marchand, who was a healthy scratch on Friday, will be back in the lineup.
The New York Islanders are not back in action until Feb. 26, when they head up to Montreal to battle the Canadiens. However, their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, play seven games over that span.
They return from their All-Star break with back-to-back meetings against the Providence Bruins, the Boston Bruins' AHL affiliate, on Saturday at 5 PM ET.
Bridgeport, who currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 20-20-2-3, trail the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by one point for the fifth and final playoff spot.
The last time Bridgeport qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs was back in 2021-22, which was Brent Thompson's last season behind the bench.
Following Kevin Fiala's scary injury that forced him to be stretchered off the ice against Team Canada on Friday, Switzerland announced that their left winger and alternate captain will not be returning for the rest of the 2026 men's Olympic hockey tournament.
"Kevin Fiala had to leave the ice due to injury three minutes before the end of the game. Medical examinations revealed a lower leg injury that rules him out of the 2026 Olympic Games," the Swiss national team revealed in a statement.
Fiala's injury is a massive blow to Switzerland and their hopes of medaling at this competition. In addition, this could play a factor with the Los Angeles Kings and their playoff hopes in the NHL.
The 29-year-old is a driver of the Los Angeles offense and is the third-highest scorer on the team in points and goals. He was second on the team in both categories before Artemi Panarin was acquired ahead of the Olympic break.
Fiala has played 56 games in the NHL this season and has recorded 18 goals and 40 points for the Kings. He's also averaging a career-high 19:09 of ice time per game, proving how crucial he is to Los Angeles' forward group.
That happened in Game 1 in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, and he was out for the rest of the post-season. Nashville advanced to the Cup final that year and lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
As for Fiala in this NHL regular season, his availability following the Olympics is unclear. The Kings' first game back is against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 25 at Crypto.com Arena.
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.
Alexandre Texier may be the only member of the French national team to play in the NHL, but he’s not the only one who’s ever played there or for the Montreal Canadiens, for that matter. In Milano-Cortina, Cristobal Huet is France’s goaltending coach, but not so long ago, he was manning the net for the Habs.
Huet spent seven years in the NHL and played 272 games, posting a 129-90-32 record. He finished his career with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. He spent three seasons in Montreal, playing 117 games and posting a 58-39-13 record with a 2.53 GAA and a .920 SV%. He was traded out of town towards the end of the 2007-08 season when the organization felt it was time to give the reins to a very young Carey Price.
I’ve watched the Canadiens’ games remotely and through Tex, I thought back to my great years in Montreal, but I’m mostly just so happy for him. I told him to come into his own with the Canadiens. I feel he’ll get the opportunity to show how talented he is in the NHL. We spoke about how much pleasure one gets from playing in Montreal. The fans are generous, and there is such a rich hockey culture. When things are going well, Montreal is an extraordinary hockey town. Tex has wide eyes when he describes the Bell Centre. I think that’s so nice for him.
- Huet on Texier
The Frenchman has had a great start to his career in Montreal. In 38 games so far, he has picked up 18 points and has even found himself playing on the first line with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. His timing to join the Habs was perfect. With so many injuries plaguing the team and Juraj Slafkovsky developing interesting chemistry with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, there was an opening on the first line, and he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.
Granted, had the team been healthy, he likely wouldn’t have had the opportunity to step into that role, but he showed what he can do and was able to earn a two-year contract extension from the Canadiens. Kent Hughes signed him to a deal that will give him $5 million over the next two seasons, on top of the million he got for this year in Montreal. Of course, that’s not first-line winger money because in an ideal world, Texier wouldn’t be so high in the lineup, and he’s aware of that.
Texier bet on himself when he agreed to a contract termination with the St. Louis Blues, and he’s now reaping the benefits. He put his career back on the rails, and he now has the honour of representing his country at the Olympics. The consensus is that not much is expected from France in Milano, but Texier has the right attitude, saying he’ll give his all for the jersey he wears and that you never know what can happen in a 60-minute hockey game.
The French lost their first game of the Olympic tournament 4-0 against Switzerland, but they still put up a good fight. Texier spent 23 minutes on the ice, more than any other forward and second only to one defenseman, who got 23:45 of ice time. He took three shots and finished the game with a minus-1 rating.
They gave Czechia a bit of a scare in their second game, but they also lost it, 6-3. Texier was held off the score sheet, but he did spend 20:45 on the ice, more than any of his teammates. The forward took one shot on net and finished the game with a minus-two rating.
Hello Devils friends and family, I hope you’re all enjoying your reprieve from *gestures at Newark*. It’s no secret that this current version of the Devils has flamed out spectacularly. If it is a secret… umm, surprise! They have 25 games left, and would need to go 20-4-1 to get to 99 points and be in a comfortable playoff spot. Your mileage may vary on what you see as the problem, and the blame game is in full force, from the owners to the 4th line to the medical team and most recently, Jack seems to be the target du jour. And quite frankly it’s all correct – there is blame to go around to everyone in that pile. Some pretty serious changes need to be made top to bottom.
The first step starts at the top. Tom Fitzgerald leads this organization, and leads my list of changes that need to be made and this seems to be a widely shared opinion. However, if Tom is replaced, it cannot be an interim GM from inside the organization. We need fresh eyes to dispassionately examine the roster, scouting, drafting, and operations. Jared wrote a longer blog about this and I agree: Our two AGMs are not people I would have faith in making the necessary changes for the Devils. Dan MacKinnon oversees a bad Utica team and ineffective player development, while Kate Madigan is behind the scenes and more of an operational role and has a large say in contracts. If Tom goes, both of them should as well so there is no connection between regimes. The third internal option scares me more than these two, advisor Chuck Fletcher. He is only an advisor because no one would touch him for a GM role – and guess what? He and Fitz are buddies and that’s why he is here and to advise on contracts, scouting, and operations.
This entire front office tenure can be summed up in the phrase “too little, too late.” Goalie changes, coaching changes, roster additions – all too little too late. The most recent acquisition, Nick Bjugstad, as Chris wrote was three months too late. The only big swing this group took was for Timo Meier, a deadline move that was about as obvious as can be, meanwhile we have gone 3 consecutive years with glaring season-long holes that went unaddressed. Colorado fixed their goalie issues a month into the 24-25 season, Carolina managed to swing a trade for Rantanen and later flip him when they realized he wasn’t going to sign long term. Don’t get me started on Quinn. Meanwhile Fitz builds his roster in the offseason and dabbles at the deadline, and even then he only comes in second, or “owes it to the team” to bring in Andrew Hammond.
One place I think we should probably retain is our amateur scouting mechanism. For as poor as the 1st round drafting has been, the team’s later rounds picking has been fine to good and the verdict is still out on some of the last two years. Daniil Orlov, Roszival, Moe, Cheslock, Yegorov, and Malek all show potential from our most recent crop and I encourage you to check in on James’ prospect updates.
We Know Tim, Get to the Point
Sorry, I get a little carried away talking about Fitz. Anyway, I wanted to look through a variety of GM/Front Office options, and truly hope the ownership group takes a broad sweeping look at different ways to approach the role(s). Whether that is finding a more “traditional” experienced Manager, whether they are going to split the President of Hockey Operations and GM roles, and whether they are going to look outside the box. So I decided to scour the marketplace for options that are very much traditional to options that are very much not – and people in between. We need to find the next Bill Zito, Breisbois, or Jim Nil – all three of which came from different worlds.
Luckily for me, I got some help from people that know more than me. As you probably are aware, Barry Trotz is stepping down as the Predators GM, and Elliott Friedman rattled off a variety of potential options on 32 Thoughts. Frank Seravelli mentioned on his show that there may be expectations that the Devils will be making a GM change this summer while also discussing the Preds job, implying the Devils job may be more desirable. So, let’s take a look at those options for the big chair.
Traditional “Hockey Guys” With GM Experience
Rob Blake: Blake is most notably known for stepping into he Kings GM where he pivoted the team into a significant roster rebuild and away form an aging core, bringing in Fiala, drafting Byfield and Clarke, and taking a swing on Dubois. I do like that he recognized that didn’t work and pivoted to a solution… how refreshing to have a GM realize his mistake and move off it getting value in return. His downfall was the Edmonton Oilers.
Brendan Shanahan: Hired to transform a struggling franchise, Shanahan initiated a comprehensive rebuild that resulted in drafting cornerstone players Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. He oversaw consistent regular-season success, including nine straight playoff appearances, however I think we are all aware of their failure to get past their playoff ghosts. He would probably be more of a POHO role, similar to what he held in Toronto, so if the Devils keep the role the same (POHO/GM) or split them into two separate roles – he could be a consideration.
Marc Bergevin: He is best known for his role as GM of the Montreal Canadiens (2012–2021), leading them to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final during the lockout year. Two of his key acquisitions were Nick Suzuki and Shea Weber (for PK). As GM of the Canadiens, he oversaw six playoff appearances and previously won a Stanley Cup as Director of Player Personnel with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.
Peter Chiarelli: No.
Traditional “Hockey Guys” That Are AGMs
Jamie Langenbrunner: You many not know that he is the AGM of the Bruins where he manages player personnel decisions, evaluates pro and amateur talent, and oversees prospect progression. He is well thought of for his work in scouting, identifying player improvements, and assisting with draft preparations and is on the “next” list according to people that know things. Worth an interview.
Jason Spezza: Currently serves as an AGM under Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh. Moved with Dubas from Toronto to continue his work in hockey operations, scouting, and player development, particularly in Wilkes Barre, where he took over the role to manage the organization’s top prospects and minor league operations. He also served under Dubas as a special assistant with the Leafs from 22-23, so since his entry into management he has had a pretty impressive apprenticeship with one of the league’s best young GMs. It’s no coincidence that Toronto is a on dumpster fire watch after both he and Dubas left. Dubas (and by extension Spezza) gets a lot of flak for no real reason, he was really hurt by the Covid-induced flat cap more than anything. Also worth an interview.
“Hockey Guys” you May Not Know (Mostly AGMs)
Ryan Bowness: Ryan Bowness is a prominent NHL executive currently serving as the AGM and Director of Player Personnel of the Islanders. He has moved up the ranks on the player personnel and pro scouting side of the house through Atlanta/Winnipeg, Ottawa and Pittsburgh. I have long felt our pro scouting is severely lacking, and instead of unearthing undervalued assets, we have given known commodities term on the back half of their deals in UFA.
Ryan Johnson: Ryan Johnson is currently the AGM of the Canucks and GM of Abbotsford. You may balk at the Vancouver part of that, but he has overseen a very successful Abbotsford team that won the Calder Cup in 2025. He also comes from the player development side of the house which also needs some work (see comment under Bowness). He is credited with the AHL -> NHL transition of guys like Silovs and Hoglander, while also working on the cap and pro scouting.
Brad Pascal: Brad Pascal is currently the Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Calgary Flames, a role he has held since 2014. He also serves as the General Manager of the Flames’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. He also serves as co-general manager for international events for Hockey Canada such as the Spengler Cup, working alongside Joe Thornton. One thing the Devils lack is any high end Candians which (in my opinion) may be a contributing factor to the currents Tate of the team and he has been very successful in his tenure with Hockey Canada: 3x Olympic Gold, 5 consecutive World Junior Golds, 2004 World Cup and IIHF gold in 03 and 04. My only issue with all of that? it’s been a while, but he would be worth a conversation.
“Non-Traditional” AGMs From Winning Cultures
Some would point to a roadmap for finding the next great GM: an impressive apprenticeship for well run, winning organizations. If you are of the mind that avoiding the old boys club of recycled options is the best path, the below group of guys is for you.
Sunny Mehta is one of the primary architects of the current Florida regime, comes from an analytics background and was a professional poker player. He is largely considered the godfather of hockey analytics, getting his original start int he Devils organization. I like his skill set and he was a major part in finding hidden gems in a variety of distressed assets in Reinhardt, Forsling, and Verhaege. He also had a front row seat for the cultural impact of the Tkachuk trade and recognized his skill set vs Huberdeau’s, and Zito has said multiple times Mehta was instrumental in that trade. Also, a Jersey boy.
Kevin McDonald is the AGM in Colorado, and would certainly deserve a look considering their current success. He also spent 20 years with Blues where he has a cup ring from 2019 and as an AGM with Colorado, he works closely with General Manager Chris MacFarland on hockey-related matters. His main focus remains overseeing the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate and comes from a pro scouting and professional development background.
Capitals AGM Ross Mahoney interviewed in 2020 when they picked Fitz. Washington found a way to go from being a capped out group of aging veterans with no future to finding several gems in the draft, bought low on Canada’s starting goalie Logan Thompson and managed to set the Caps on a path to a retooled transition. As assistant general manager, Mahoney is responsible for the NHL Entry Draft, the club’s developmental programs, evaluations of opposing teams’ prospects, and oversees the organization’s amateur scouting staff. In Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final, 12 players who were drafted during Mahoney’s tenure were in the lineup. (source)
Golden Knights AGM Andrew Lugerner is the guy who has managed their salary cap. Considering the magic tricks they have pulled off (see what I did there) with their cap and the downright ruthless nature of the Vegas front office, he would certainly be worth an interview.
Agents
One would only have to look at the success of Bill Zito in Florida and Kent Hughes in Montreal to consider agents as options and it’s not crazy to suggest that someone moving from one side of the negotiation table to the other would be in the consideration set. Agents have a unique perspective on the nuances behind player choices and motivations, particularly when it comes to contracts. They also scout and recruit players from a young age, and likely have very good eyes for the type of attitude that will translate to success in hockey. And maybe, just maybe, an agent can come in and understand NMC/NTC clauses a little better and how to leave yourself some outs if a contract doesn’t work out.
Agents are very difficult to find information on aside from client lists, and leaving and agency is complicated. However, Can one of them be lured to the other side of the table? Here are some of the biggest (and fun names) in that group with the amount of money they manage and some of their prominent clients (from puckpedia):
Pat Brisson (CAA) – $1.4BN in contracts. MacKinnon, Crosby, Larkin, Jack, Luke, Quinn, Mercer
Dan Millstein (Gold Star) – $643MM in contracts. THE Russian Agent basically:. Kucherov, Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Marchenko
Claude Lemieux (4Sports) – Yes, I snuck Pepe in here. $353MM in contracts. Timo, Seider, Eriksson Ek, Rasmus Anderson, Olofsson
Darren Ferris (Quartexx) – $333MM in contracts. Marner, Bennet, Kadri, Hall, Rodrigues, Byram
My Dream Team
So, after all that, My dream team for the top two chairs are…. Shanahan as POHO and Mehta as GM. I think bringing in someone like Shanny as a POHO to have a broader view of everything as well as a newly minted GM is the ideal scenario. One of the failures in the Fitz regime is having noone overseeing him as a new GM. This set-up allows Mehta to focus on building the team and overall structure, while Shanny can focus on the larger organizational issues. I know Sunny Mehta isn’t a unique thought, but there is a reason why several people think he should be next, his background and experience checks so many boxes for me.
But it doesn’t stop there. As I mentioned we need to clean house, so that would leave two AGM spots open and if we can’t lure someone from one of the above mentioned AGM chairs to make the lateral move, I think it would be wise to go try and lure the Tampa Bay Director of Player Development, JP Cole out of Tampa. The work he has done finding and developing players has been nothing short of astonishing, considering the injury woes Tampa has had the past few year, and the plug and play guys that have stepped into roles and thrived there.
As an AGM, I would also be interested in Judd Brackett, who is the head of Amateur Scouting for the Wild. Prior to the wild he spent 12 years in Vancouver, and his list of draftees is impressive: Rossi, Buium, Ohgren (basically the Quinn trade), and while in Vancouver he was front and center drafting Quinn, Boeser and Petterson. His main focus is prioritizing hockey IQ and skating, which have become two of the most valuable commodities in the current NHL.
Your Thoughts
Who do you like, anyone on this list strike you or anyone I didn’t mention that would be of interest? What’s your level of confidence a change at the top happens?
There is no right or wrong solution here, but this front office needs new eyes on it, and those eyes need to come from the outside since the organizational rot comes from the top.
Vezina Trophy odds for the 2025-26 season have a new leader, with Ilya Sorokin claiming the top spot. This award is still very much up for grabs, though, with Andrei Vasilevskiy still close behind.
Here are the latest NHL odds to win the top netminding honor.
Ilya Sorokin has seen his odds go from +160 to -125 over the past four weeks. Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy has also been on the upswing, going from +790 to +120 during the same span and leapfrogging Logan Thompson and Scott Wedgewood on the odds board in the process.
Vezina Trophy prediction
Ilya Sorokin is the rightful favorite at this point of the season, but Andrei Vasilevskiy is right on his heels. Sorokin has had to do his best Superman imitation up to this point, and I can see the walls cracking sooner than later.
The Lightning are the much better team, and they can provide Vasilevskiy with better defensive support to keep their netminder clean.
I don't know how much longer the Tampa netminder will be plus money, so I'm hopping on him now at a unit.
Pick: Andrei Vasilevskiy (+120)
Stake: 1 unit
Get a first bet encore up to $800 with BET99 bonus code COVERSNHL. (not available in Ontario)
Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When the regular season is nearly finished and a consensus has emerged, you might see a player with a minus sign (-) ahead of his odds, like this:
Connor Hellebuyck -400
The (-) means that Hellebuyck is the odds-on favorite, and a bettor would need to wager $400 to win $100. Other contenders in the Vezina race might have plus (+) odds to win.
Igor Shesterkin +650
Here, a bettor stood to profit $650 for every $100 wagered.
If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.
Ilya Sorokin
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Logan Thompson
John Gibson
Jesper Wallstedt
Brandon Bussi
Jeremy Swayman
Scott Wedgewood
Winnipeg Jets
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
Vegas Golden Knights
Tampa Bay Lightning 
Nashville Predators
Columbus Blue Jackets
Washington Capitals
Montreal Canadiens 
Buffalo Sabres
New Jersey Devils
Calgary Flames