Artemi Panarin is pictured during the Rangers' Jan. 26 game against the Bruins.
Artemi Panarin admits he had his sights set on Hollywood, insisting Thursday that he “didn’t want to go anywhere else” after it was clear he would not be re-signed by the Rangers.
Access the Rangers beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting withMollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
One day after agreeing to waive his no-movement clause with the Blueshirts to facilitate a trade to Los Angeles, Panarin said he “tried to find a team for myself that was where I wanted to be.”
That new team is the Kings, who signed the potential free agent to a two-year contract extension worth $22 million after sending forward prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional draft pick to the Rangers.
“Six-and-a-half seasons is a pretty long time [to be in New York]. … A lot of good memories, a couple [Eastern] Conference finals. It was a great group of guys,” Panarin told reporters Thursday on a Zoom call. “I was pretty proud to wear [the Rangers’] jersey. And thank you to the fans. I have to make a video, actually.”
Artemi Panarin is pictured during the Rangers’ Jan. 26 game against the Bruins. Charles Wenzelberg
The 34-year-old Panarin stressed that due to his wife and two children, he “didn’t want to be rented for a couple months, then go somewhere else” in free agency.
“I don’t know if I should say [this], but I feel like the [Rangers’] contract offer said, like, ‘We’re not sure if we want you or not,’ ” Panarin said.
Panarin, the Rangers’ leading scorer in each of his seven seasons with the team, said he sought and received an endorsement of the Kings from Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who played in Los Angeles for parts of the previous three seasons.
Jarvis had played for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off but wasn't part of the initial roster for the Olympic team.
Point, injured on Jan. 12, is the second Lightning player to be unable to go to Milan. Anthony Cirelli was hurt in the Stadium Series game and was replaced on Team Canada by Florida Panthers playoff MVP Sam Bennett, who also played in the 4 Nations.
The Lightning had a league-leading 10 Olympians but are now down to eight, falling behind the Panthers' nine. The Panthers got injured Brad Marchand (Canada) and Anton Lundell (Finland) back in their last game.
The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are tied with the Lightning with eight representatives.
Injury status on other NHL Olympians
Injured New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes isn't playing on Thursday, but The Athletic reported he's good to go for Team USA.
The Washington Capitals activated goalie Logan Thompson (Canada) from the injured list, and he started on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. Thompson stopped 27 of the 29 shots he faced as the Capitals won 4-2.
While the Detroit Red Wings were reportedly interested in acquiring skilled winger Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers, it was former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland who ultimately landed one of the biggest prizes on the open trade market.
Holland, who is in his first season as general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, acquired Panarin from the New York Rangers on Wednesday afternoon, and sent forward prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Rangers in return.
What's more, Panarin won't just be a rental for the Kings. Holland acted quickly, signing their new prize forward to a two-year, $22 million extension.
“Obviously, we made the deal today to make our team better," Holland said. "We signed him to a two-year extension. We weren’t going to do it as a rental. He didn’t want to go anywhere as a rental. He wanted to find a home, so we’re thrilled that he wanted to waive the no-trade (clause) to come to LA. We’re happy that we were able to get him to a two-year extension, and after two years, I’m hoping that we’re working on another extension, but (I’ll) worry about that down the road." Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Holland is no stranger to pulling off major blockbuster acquisitions via free agency or trade, dating back to his time with the Red Wings, when he brought in players such as Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Marian Hossa, and Brian Rafalski.
"I think it was just a matter of these types of players with this resume are very, very difficult to find, and we had an opportunity to add one today," Holland said of Panarin.
The Kings, who have not won a postseason series since their 2014 Stanley Cup win, just bolstered their lineup with one of the top forwards in the game without having to give up much to acquire him.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
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.
The NHL roster freeze is underway, meaning the St. Louis Blues won’t trade anyone until it ends on Feb. 22.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t any trade speculation, or that general managers aren’t discussing moves they could make before the March 6 trade deadline.
A new report from Ansar Khan of MLive suggests that Blues defenseman Justin Faulk could be the defenseman the Detroit Red Wings need to solidify their blueline.
The Red Wings have no shortage of stout right-handed defenders. Moritz Seider is enjoying a phenomenal season and is considered by many to be a Norris Trophy finalist when the season ends. The 24-year-old has scored seven goals and 38 points this season while averaging 25:40 of ice time. He’s a two-way defender who brings a physical element.
The other young right-handed defender on the Red Wings roster is Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The 20-year-old has notched six goals and 18 points, showing signs that he can be a good offensive defenseman in the NHL. But he has struggled defensively and requires more sheltered minutes, and that’s where Faulk comes into play.
Faulk would slide nicely on the Red Wings’ second pair alongside either Simon Edvinsson or Ben Chiarot. Faulk’s defensive capabilities, and his ability to add offense from the blueline are the exact skillset the Red Wings are looking for.
Faulk wouldn’t be required to play big minutes, as Seider and Edvinsson are their minute-munchers. But Faulk would allow Sandin-Pellikka to play sheltered minutes in more offensive situations, which would benefit his game.
Justin Faulk has scored 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games while averaging 22:29 of ice time. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
The Red Wings have a boatload of prospects and draft picks that they could use to acquire Faulk. They also have plenty of cap space to acquire Faulk’s full $6.5 million cap hit.
The Red Wings are in the midst of a spirited battle in the Atlantic Division, as they are just four points back of the division lead, but are also just three points ahead of the second wild card spot.
Detroit needs as many experienced players as they can get their hands on, and Faulk would provide them with a much-needed upgrade.
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.
The Flyers were quiet offensively Thursday night, giving Dan Vladar little support in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Senators.
Jamie Drysdale scored with just 1:14 minutes left in regulation to force OT.
Tim Stutzle scored the winner for Ottawa just 47 seconds into the bonus session. Eight seconds before that, Travis Konecny was denied on a 2-on-1 rush with Christian Dvorak.
The Flyers fell to 2-8 in overtime (they’re 5-3 in the shootout). They also dropped to 8-4-11 in games decided by one goal.
The Flyers (25-20-11) head into the Olympic break having lost 12 of their last 15 games (3-8-4). They’ve been outscored 62-38 in that stretch.
Rick Tocchet’s club failed to build off its 4-2 win Tuesday night over the Capitals. The Flyers haven’t won consecutive games in a month. The last time they did was Jan. 3-6.
“Earlier in the season, when we were fighting for one of the top positions in the division, we realized that was probably a little ahead of schedule, probably getting better results that were warranted at the time,” general manager Danny Briere said Tuesday night. “What has happened now, the way we’ve been playing lately and what’s happening, I also know that it’s not as bad as the way we’ve been playing. So we’re somewhere in between all of that.”
The Flyers went 0-1-2 against the Senators (28-22-7) in their regular-season series.
• Vladar once again performed like the Flyers’ best player.
The 28-year-old carried his team with 25 saves on 27 shots.
Ottawa cracked him midway through the game when Nick Cousins scored on a rebound.
Senators netminder James Reimer stopped 15 of the Flyers’ 16 shots.
“It was a tight match out there — both sides, I didn’t think there was much going on,” Sean Couturier said. “I think as the year goes on, these are the type of games that we’re going to have to get used to playing. I thought we did a good job just sticking in there, getting a big goal at the end.
“It’s obviously tough losing, not getting the extra point, but I think this could be a huge point here down the road.”
But the Flyers are now in sixth place. They’re eight points back of the third-place Islanders in a crowded Metropolitan Division. They’ve played two fewer games than New York.
“We’ll need to get red-hot,” Drysdale said. “I think we’re capable of it. Everyone take this break, reset. … We’ve got to come out swinging right away.”
• The Flyers had just eight shots at second intermission.
They had little going offensively. They finally started to generate some looks after Ottawa took its lead, but they couldn’t scratch one across.
Drysdale saved them late in the third period with a great shot to earn the Flyers a point.
• Couturier nearly snapped his goal-scoring drought with a drive to the net in the third period. But the Flyers’ captain was denied and his rebound attempt went wide. He has gone 29 straight games without a goal.
• The Flyers at least prevented Claude Giroux from hurting them.
The team’s former captain has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 12 career games against the Flyers after going scoreless Thursday night.
• Emil Andrae was a healthy scratch for a fifth straight game.
Tocchet and assistant coach Todd Reirden wanted to keep Noah Juulsen in the lineup because of the penalty kill’s recent run of success. But Juulsen ended up not playing at shorthanded (the Flyers committed just one penalty).
The Flyers need to find a way to get Andrae back in the lineup after the break.
• The Flyers now go 19 days without a game because of the NHL’s participation in the Olympics.
While the Olympics are in action, the Flyers are scheduled to resume practice Feb. 17. Their first game back from the break is Feb. 25 when they visit the Capitals (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Flyers recognize their Olympians Dan Vladar, Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen. pic.twitter.com/EdfUZtBeJo
The Flyers were quiet offensively Thursday night, giving Dan Vladar little support in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Senators.
Jamie Drysdale scored with just 1:14 minutes left in regulation to force OT.
Tim Stutzle scored the winner for Ottawa just 47 seconds into the bonus session.
The Flyers fell to 2-8 in overtime (they’re 5-3 in the shootout).
The Flyers (25-20-11) head into the Olympic break having lost 12 of their last 15 games (3-8-4). They’ve been outscored 62-38 in that stretch.
Rick Tocchet’s club failed to build off its 4-2 win Tuesday night over the Capitals. The Flyers haven’t won consecutive games in a month. The last time they did was Jan. 3-6.
“Earlier in the season, when we were fighting for one of the top positions in the division, we realized that was probably a little ahead of schedule, probably getting better results that were warranted at the time,” general manager Danny Briere said Tuesday night. “What has happened now, the way we’ve been playing lately and what’s happening, I also know that it’s not as bad as the way we’ve been playing. So we’re somewhere in between all of that.”
The Flyers went 0-1-2 against the Senators (28-22-7) in their regular-season series.
• Vladar once again performed like the Flyers’ best player.
The 28-year-old carried his team with 25 saves on 27 shots.
Ottawa cracked him midway through the game when Nick Cousins scored on a rebound.
Senators netminder James Reimer stopped 14 of the Flyers’ 15 shots.
But the Flyers are now in sixth place. They entered Tuesday seven points back of the third-place Islanders in a crowded Metropolitan Division.
• The Flyers had just eight shots at second intermission.
They had little going offensively. They finally started to generate some looks after Ottawa took its lead, but they couldn’t scratch one across.
Drysdale saved them late in the third period with a great shot to earn the Flyers a point.
• Sean Couturier nearly snapped his goal-scoring drought with a drive to the net in the third period. But the Flyers’ captain was denied and his rebound attempt went wide. He has gone 29 straight games without a goal.
• The Flyers at least prevented Claude Giroux from hurting them.
The team’s former captain has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 12 career games against the Flyers.
• Emil Andrae was a healthy scratch for a fifth straight game.
Tocchet and assistant coach Todd Reirden wanted to keep Noah Juulsen in the lineup because of the penalty kill’s recent run of success. But Juulsen ended up not playing at shorthanded (the Flyers committed just one penalty).
The Flyers need to find a way to get Andrae back in the lineup after the break.
• The Flyers now go 19 days without a game because of the NHL’s participation in the Olympics.
While the Olympics are in action, the Flyers are scheduled to resume practice Feb. 17. Their first game back from the break is Feb. 25 when they visit the Capitals (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Flyers recognize their Olympians Dan Vladar, Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen. pic.twitter.com/EdfUZtBeJo
When Samuel Montembeault took to the ice with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night, fans noticed something different about the Bécancour native: he was sporting a brand new mask. For once, the netminder went away from the classic look of a Canadiens’ bucket, which more often than not simply focuses on the logo.
His new mask was designed by Jordon Bourgeault, the artist behind Carey Price’s cyborg mask. On his Instagram page, Bourgeault explained that the concept was to make the entire mask a giant twisting knot of snakes. Even the Habs logo on the mask is made of snake scales. On the front of the mask, right above the cage, there are snake eyes, as if Montembeault himself were a snake.
The mask was made in partnership with Apple as part of the Made on iPad project and is available on the new EA Sports NHL game. That’s an interesting development, as fans of the gaming franchise had long wished the goaltenders in the game could wear their authentic masks, making the experience more realistic.
The design is an interesting change of pace for a Canadiens’ netminder, as more often than not, the Habs masked men err on the side of caution and stick to a more traditional concept. The backplate is painted to resemble bones, which complements the snake skeletons on the mask, and it features a large "M" for his family name and an image of his French Bulldog, Gucci. Overall, this really is a fantastic mask.
Given how the season started for the netminder, one might wonder whether he intended to shake off his old skin, much like a snake does multiple times a year. It worked well for him, though, as he had a fantastic game, only conceding one goal to the Jets on the power play and finishing the game with a .973 save percentage. A performance that will no doubt allow him to have a much better Olympic break and that will have reassured the Habs’ brass, especially if he can build on it after the break. Chances are, he’ll still be wearing this mask when he returns from the break; you don’t change a winning formula.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals activated forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and goalie Logan Thompson from the injured list prior to Thursday night's matchup with Nashville, their final game before the Olympic break.
Dubois hasn't played since Oct. 31 because of surgery for injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. Thompson, who is part of Canada's roster for the Olympics, hasn't played since Jan. 27.
The Capitals are four points behind the New York Islanders for the last playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
The 27-year-old Dubois went without a point in the six games he's played this season. He had 20 goals and 46 assists last season, his first with Washington.
Thompson is 18-16-4 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a save percentage of .912 in 2025-26.
Ahead of the 2025-26 training camp, the Chicago Blackhawks signed veteran defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a PTO. He took that opportunity and ran with it.
Grzelcyk earned a spot on the roster and has played in every Blackhawks game so far. Through 57 games with Chicago, Grzelcyk has 12 assists. Whether it's playing a depth defensive role or quarterbacking one of the power play units, he gives great effort in whatever role Jeff Blashill asks of him.
Before coming to Chicago, Grzelcyk had a nice career playing on some great teams. The truth is, though, that he needed a PTO to stay in the league this year. To say he's grateful for his current organization would be an understatement.
"I'm lucky to still be in the league and lucky that Chicago gave me a chance. I love it here so far," Matt Grzelcyk said of playing for the Blackhawks. It isn't likely that they are going to be a postseason team, but Grzelcyk confirmed that it is still his mindset to make it with Chicago and hasn't considered being traded to a contender.
"I honestly haven't really thought about [being moved] at all," Grzelcyk said when asked about welcoming an opportunity to move on and try to compete for the Stanley Cup.
When Grzelcyk arrived at camp on a PTO, nobody had any idea what the year could turn into for him. He was desperate to stay in the league, and now he's an important piece on Chicago's blue line.
"I just wanted to come to camp and see what happens over two weeks," Grzelcyk said. "I chose [Chicago] because I wanted to be here, and I'm glad it's worked out. I've had a lot of fun this year getting to meet everyone on the team and in the organization. They treated me extremely well, so it's been a great experience so far."
From a Blackhawks standpoint, Grzelcyk brings a lot of wisdom to this young group. He has played with some of the game's all-time great leaders like Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Sidney Crosby. This history has allowed him to come in and bring some of that knowledge to players looking to learn.
"A lot of the young guys have questions about those guys. You learn through experience, getting to see them, how they operate, their day-to-day, how they approach every single day [trying] to get better at some aspect of their game, and the way they take care of their bodies. That was a very eye-opening experience, so I try to pay that forward. You want to lead by example as much as you can."
Matt Grzelcyk is very into Boston University as an alumnus. With Ryan Greene, a fellow alumnus, on the team and Sacha Boisvert on the way, this program means a lot to the modern-day Blackhawks.
"I train there in the summer, so I'm really tight with some of the coaches there," Grzelcyk said. "I had them all with the Bruins. Their trainer was my assistant with the Bruins, as well. He trains me in the summer, and before I went on PTO here, I skated with them for two weeks, so I got to know some of the guys on the team. It's been fun to keep up with them and just wish them luck."
There is a squat rack in BU's gym named after Matt Grzelcyk. Alongside some of his fellow alumni, they had equipment named after them as a thank you for donating money to help make upgrades to the gym.
"It was mostly guys who train there in the summer. We get to use the equipment in the summer. They didn't really ask us; it was something we wanted to do. You see the benefits of it, so it's been great."
Grzelcyk confirmed that he keeps in touch with a lot of his old teammates from BU, the Bruins, and the Penguins, which shows how liked he was as a teammate everywhere he goes. There is value to having a guy of his charachter around.
There are a lot of ways that the rest of the season can go for Grzelcyk, but his impact on the young players in Chicago's locker room will be felt for a long time. He is one of the good guys in the NHL, and the Blackhawks are better for having him around.
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.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to be pretty shorthanded on the forward front for their final regular season game before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina begin.
But they will be getting some reinforcements - including one forward getting his first recall to the NHL level.
In a correpsonding move, the Penguins recalled forward prospect Avery Hayes from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), their AHL affiliate. Hayes, 23, has 13 goals and 23 points in 31 AHL games on the season, including four goals and six points in his last six games.
Undrafted, Hayes signed a two-year entry level contract with the Penguins last spring, which kicked in for the 2025-26 season. As one of the final NHL roster cuts during Penguins' training camp, Hayes is a feisty, versatile forward that can be plugged anywhere in a lineup and play on both special teams units.
Should Hayes make his NHL debut against the Sabres, he will be the 11th rookie to appear in a game for the Penguins this season, which is the top mark in the NHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made a roster move, as they have assigned defenseman Sam Rinzel to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.
With the Blackhawks now on their Olympic break, it makes sense that Rinzel is heading back to the IceHogs' roster. With this, the young blueliner will get to continue to get into game action while the Blackhawks are not playing.
Rinzel has appeared in 31 games this season with the Blackhawks, where he has recorded two goals, seven assists, nine points, 30 penalty minutes, and an even plus/minus rating. This is after he recorded five assists in his first nine NHL games with the Blackhawks this past season.
Down in the AHL with the IceHogs this campaign, Rinzel has recorded two goals, eight assists, and 10 points in 19 games.
Rinzel is considered to be one of the Blackhawks' top prospects, as the 2022 first-round pick has plenty of upside. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact he can make with Rockford after being sent back down from here.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 29: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles against Connor Murphy #5 of the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins only have one game left before their Olympic break but are experiencing a bumpy road to get to that finish line. It was already announced that Blake Lizotte will be out for tonight’s game against Buffalo due to the birth of his child and that Noel Acciari is a game-time decision while dealing with an illness that kept his off the ice for the morning skate.
To make matters worse, Rickard Rakell was unable to get through the skate and won’t be able to play tonight either.
Updates from Dan Muse: ▪️Arturs Silovs starts in goal ▪️Rickard Rakell left morning skate early – he has a lower-body injury and will not play tonight ▪️Noel Acciari (illness) is a game-time decision ▪️As @PenguinsPR posted, Blake Lizotte is not available for personal reasons
Hayes would surely be in the lineup tonight should Acciari not be able to play now that Rakell is unable to play. If Acciari can go, the team would have an extra forward available.
The bigger question for Rakell as a member of Team Sweden is how big of an injury that he has and what that could mean for his participation in the upcoming Olympic games. The tournament begins on February 11th.
For the Pens, the Rakell injury will mean a new forward playing with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust tonight, and possibly the NHL debut of another player in Avery Hayes depending on how the health status of Acciari looks by game time.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 31: Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) battles with New York Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (18) in front of New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) during the third period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers on January 31, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins fourth line has become a major driving force behind their success this season, and rapidly become not only one of the most effective fourth-lines in the NHL, but also one of their most effective lines as a team.
When the Penguins visit the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, in their final game before the Olympic break, it is going to have a different look.
Perhaps even a significantly different look.
The Penguins announced on Thursday that Blake Lizotte will be away from the team for personal reasons as his wife is expecting the birth of their first child.
The good news is it is not an injury situation and just a temporary absence for some good news for the Lizotte family.
Forward Blake Lizotte (personal) will not be available for tonight’s game against Buffalo.
The bigger potential concern beyond Thursday is the fact forward Noel Acciari was also not present at the morning skate, putting his availability into doubt with what Dan Muse called an illness.
Pens HCDM: – Silovs starts vs Buffalo – Acciari is dealing with illness; hasn’t been ruled out yet tonight “game time decision” pic.twitter.com/qx4hfPiN9h
The fourth consisted of Connor Dewar, Kevin Hayes and Rutger McGroarty.
That could obviously be a problem on a lot of different levels.
For one, Lizotte and Acciari are both significant parts of the Penguins penalty kill. Taking them out of the lineup would really love that unit scrambling for some options.
It would also negate the 5-on-5 play that group has been demonstrating all season.
The Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari trio has played 282 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey this season and outscored teams by a 14-7 margin with a 54.7 percent expected goals share. They are doing that despite getting the heaviest defensive zone starts on the roster.
It is also not playing like a traditional fourth line in the sense they are just looking to chip the puck and play to a 0-0 tie. They are looking for offense, creating offense and converting offense.
If McGroarty draws back into the lineup that would not be the worst thing given how well he has played in his most recent call-up. It might not be ideal to have him on the fourth line, but his presence in the lineup would be a positive.
Hayes would be the concern given how much he has struggled this season when he has played.
This was already going to be a difficult game given that the Sabres have been one of the best teams in the league for two months now, and it could get significantly tougher if two-thirds of their fourth line can not play. Even Lizotte’s absence along would be significant. Given that the Penguins have recorded just one out of a possible four points this week these would be two important points to get going into the Olympic break. They are going to have their work cut out for them.
Sometime after making this trade with the New York Rangers and before the Kings' outing against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night, Holland made himself available at a scheduled press conference.
During his media availability, he was asked about head coach Jim Hiller and his confidence in the coaching staff for the final stretch of the season.
Holland said that he has full confidence in his team's coaching staff for the remainder of this season and expects the Kings to make the playoffs.
At this point in the season, with just 27 games left in the regular-season schedule, it wouldn't make much sense to make a coaching change.
Not only is the 2025-26 campaign in the back half, but the Kings are as close as a team can get to a playoff spot, and in a weak Pacific Division.
In 55 games, Los Angeles has 60 points from a 23-18-14 record, including its 4-2 loss to Seattle on Wednesday. With that, they are three points off the Anaheim Ducks, who hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, playing one more game than the Kings have to this point.
Furthermore, the Kings are just one hot streak away from sitting atop the Pacific. The Vegas Golden Knights, who will be Los Angeles' next opponent on Thursday, have 66 points in 56 contests.
Therefore, not only is there a minimal buffer period for a new coach to come in and instill their new system on the Kings, but the team's not in the worst position in the standings either.
This is Hiller's third year as the Kings' coach, and his second full season as the bench boss. Last year, he led the Kings to a second-place finish in their division with a .640 win percentage and 105 points in the regular season.
For this season, the Kings are on pace to register 90 points in the standings under Hiller's guidance. That wouldn't be enough to make the playoffs last season in the Western Conference, with the final team to get in accumulating 96 points.
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.
