Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos released his first trade board for the 2025-26 season, and one of the Buffalo Sabres' best players was included on it: Alex Tuch.
This is not the first time that Tuch has been considered a trade candidate, and it probably will not be the last. The 29-year-old winger is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) on a Sabres team that has struggled with consistency this season, so questions about his future in Buffalo will only continue unless he signs a contract extension.
If the Sabres end up deciding that Tuch is not a player they plan to keep around, he would have the potential to get them a great return in a trade. The 6-foot-4 forward is once again having a strong season in 2025-26, as he has recorded eight goals, 13 assists, and 21 points in 22 games. This is after he had 36 goals and 67 points in 82 games this past season with the Sabres.
With Tuch being an impactful top-six winger with size, there is no question that playoff clubs would love to acquire him. It will be interesting to see what the Sabres end up doing with him.
The Maple Leafs come into Columbus a battered and broken team - Literally.
The Leafs come into Nationwide Arena 8th in the Atlantic and 16th in the East. That's right, you heard me. Dead last. They're 3-5-2 in their last 10 and lost their last game against Montreal back on November 22nd.
To make things worse for Toronto, they're 1-6-0 on the road this season and have been outscored 9-5 by the CBJ this season. The Jackets have also beaten the Leafs three straight times inside NWA, and they're missing some of their big boys like Matthews, Knies, and Roy.
With all that being said, the Maple Leafs can absolutely blow the doors off of Columbus if they're not careful. The Jackets are missing some of their big boys as well. Kirill Marchenko and Mathieu Olivier are out and being evaluated, while Zach Werenski, who left the game against Washington, is expected to play.
The Eastern Conference is a jumbled mess, with 10 teams within two points of one another. Columbus needs points any way they can get them.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 17.0% - 23rd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 73.7% - 28th in the NHL
Goals For - 66 - 22nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 75 - 26th in the NHL
Maple Leafs Stats
Power Play - 15.1% - 26th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 80% - 19th in the NHL
Goals For - 74 - 6th in the NHL
Goals Against - 82 - 29th in the NHL
Series History vs. The Maple Leafs
Columbus is 23-20-1 all-time, and 10-11-0 at home vs. Toronto.
The Jackets are 6-2 in the last 8 against the Maple Leafs, and have scored 5-plus goals in every win.
The Blue Jackets have won three straight against Toronto at NWA.
The CBJ are 2-0 against the Leafs this season.
Who To Watch For TheMaple Leafs
John Tavares leads the Leafs with 12 goals.
William Nylander leads the team with 19 assists and 29 points.
Goalie Joseph Woll is 1-2-1 with a SV% of .905. He last played on November 22 and lost.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Maple Leafs
Zach Werenski has 20 points in 19 career games against Toronto.
Charlie Coyle has 25 points in 32 games.
Adam Fantilli has 8 points in 8 career games, including 2 goals and an assist on November 20th.
Injuries
Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 15 games - IR
Boone Jenner - Upper Body - Missed 7 Games - IR
Kirill Marchenko - Lower Body - Missed 1 Game
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 35
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
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 New York Islanders are a good hockey team. They are a team that could certainly make the playoffs and do damage, even if they never get grouped into the "Stanley Cup contender" conversation.
However, one way to get into that conversation is by filling a significant hole on the backend: an elite right-handed defenseman who can be paired alongside No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer for the next five-plus seasons.
That player may be residing in Vancouver in the form of Filip Hronek.
The 28-year-old defenseman, who has five seasons left on his deal at $7.25 million annually, has a full no-move clause, which means he has complete say on where he ends up. Parlay that with Vancouver's struggles and reports that they are willing to trade their veterans outside of Quinn Hughes -- more likely unrestricted free agents -- there are reasons to think Hronek could be in play -- that is, if the right team comes calling.
Now, Hronek does have a connection to the Islanders. When the Canucks traded Bo Horvat to the Islanders on Jan. 30, 2023, they acquired the Islanders' 2023 first-round pick as part of the package.
The Canucks then flipped that pick to the Detroit Red Wings for Hronek ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, pairing him with Hughes as the club's top pairing.
Hronek now plays on the second pairing with Tyler Myers.
Yes, it would be ironic if Hronek ended up in Blue & Orange. But he fits the need, and at 28, he does fit this core's timeline.
His agent Allan Walsh also represents Jonathan Drouin, who signed a two-year deal worth $4 million annually with Long Island this summer.
Many times it’s the little things that have the most impact. Jonathan Drouin discusses the NY Islanders. https://t.co/0Hrps2WhVO
Now, the biggest question is cost. What would the Islanders have to send the Canucks' way to get this done?
Remember, Vancouver has zero leverage here if Hronek decides that he wants out because they gave him the full NMC. So, the Islanders, if they are a team Hronek is open to coming to, don't need to come up with the most competitive package, just a package.
Hronek was acquired for the Islanders' 2023 first and Vancouver's 2023 second-round pick.
The Islanders have Colorado's 2026 first-round pick from the Brock Nelson trade, but they also have their own first-round pick, which is likely to be more valuable. The Chicago Blackhawks own the Islanders' second-round pick, which they acquired in the Josh Bailey trade at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal.
Could the Islanders' 2026 first, a 2026 conditional third, and a depth forward get the job done?
In 23 games this season, Hronek has recorded 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) with just four total penalties, averaging 24:24 minutes per game.
Oct 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Brady Martin (44) skates with the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Until late October, Brady Martin was living his NHL dream. Then, just like that, it disappeared.
After the Nashville Predators selected the 18-year-old right-shot center fifth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, he had a busy summer. Martin participated in the World Junior Summer Showcase, the NHL Prospects Tournament and the Predators’ training camp before making the Opening Night roster.
Head coach Andrew Brunette placed the six-foot, 187-pound Martin at center on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly during camp. He recorded two goals and an assist during the pre-season, making it nearly impossible for Brunette to leave him off the roster.
The elation of making his NHL debut quickly dissipated, however. After recording an assist in 23:24 of ice time in the Predators’ first two regular-season home games, Martin was a healthy scratch in all four games of a Canadian road swing.
Martin returned against the Anaheim Ducks Oct. 21, this time centering the third line with Fedor Svechkov and Tyson Jost. The next day, he was sent back to the Soo Greyhounds, his junior team in the OHL.
In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, Martin said it was during the Canadian road trip that he had an inkling his status was about to change.
“I kind of saw it coming, since they have a lot of other young guys they wanted to get in the lineup,” Martin said via phone after a Nov. 20 Greyhounds practice. “I came back (from the trip), played one game and figured after that would probably be my last game.”
Two games into the trip, Brunette addressed the reasoning behind Martin’s healthy scratches.
“We want to put him in positions to feel comfortable, to get better,” Brunette told reporters after a 7-4 loss in Toronto Oct. 14. “I think there’s no better opportunity right now to learn from our veteran guys, be in practice, be around them.”
You won’t find Martin moping about being sent back to juniors. He views his time in Nashville as a great learning experience, particularly playing between veterans Forsberg and O’Reilly.
Martin grew especially close to Forsberg, even staying with the 31-year-old Swedish forward and his family briefly during camp.
“Fil (Forsberg), he’s an idol for me, and he’s very well-known in Nashville,” Martin said. “Just getting to play alongside him and learn from him and stuff, it’s really cool. He helped me a lot and welcomed me to Nashville.”
What did Martin learn from O’Reilly?
“The way he shows up to the rink every day, every little detail he does, it all counts,” Martin explained. “You can see why he’s been in the League for a very long time and successful throughout his career.”
Martin is well aware of the success Matthew Schaefer, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard and other teenagers have had in their first NHL seasons. While he’d love to have experienced a similar outcome, he realizes everyone develops at their own pace.
“You always want to move to the next level and play in the NHL right away,” Martin said. “Not everyone has the same path. I’ll enjoy my time here (in Sault Ste. Marie) and when it’s time for me to play in the NHL, it’ll be time.”
Scouts have praised Martin’s stickhandling and playmaking abilities. Scoring hasn’t been an issue for him at the junior level, either. In three OHL seasons, he’s recorded 111 points (45-66-111) over 119 games.
Last season, he scored 72 points in 57 games for the Greyhounds and collected 11 points in seven contests to lead Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF U18 World Championship.
Martin currently has two goals and 11 points with the Greyhounds this season. He was held out of a Nov. 22 game against the London Knights for precautionary reasons due to a possible upper-body injury.
During his stint in Nashville, it became evident that Martin would need more muscle to be successful at the NHL level. He recalls the conversation with Preds general manager Barry Trotz and Brunette upon being assigned back to the Greyhounds.
“They said the NHL is the best league in the world and you gotta be ready to play,” Martin said. “I just need to get bigger and stronger. Sometimes, it’s better for you to go back to juniors, light it up for another year, get your confidence. Then, you can go play in the NHL.”
Growing up on a farm in Elmira, Ontario, Martin is no stranger to hard work. Besides learning to be quicker on stops and starts, he’s hitting the gym to get stronger and make it more difficult for players to knock him off the puck.
“Work ethic was a big part of my hockey journey,” he said. “You’ve got to always put the work in. Everyone’s so big and strong nowadays that you can’t take any days off or you’re gonna fall behind.”
Now that he’s had a taste of playing in the NHL, Martin is focused on getting back to stay.
“I enjoyed my time in Nashville, but I think it was time for me to come back (to the OHL),” he said. “The guys needed me here and I think it was better for my development to come back and get more minutes here.”
The motto that underscored the Colorado Avalanche’s magical run to the 2022 Stanley Cup championship was “Find a Way,” and Gabe Landeskog echoed a similar sentiment on Tuesday morning.
The Avalanche enter Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks as the NHL’s top team, carrying a 16-1-5 record through 21 games. Having just one regulation loss at this stage of the season is almost unheard of—usually that’s a cliché, but in this case it’s fact. This level of dominance has been achieved only four times in the past 97 years. What we’re witnessing is historic.
And yet, there’s still room for improvement. The power play remains the one area of this team that could use a reset. But it’s early in the season, and the Avalanche are dominant enough right now that it makes sense for them to experiment with a few ideas.
Science Experiment: Power Play Edition
Beginning with this past weekend’s road series against the Nashville Predators and the Chicago Blackhawks, the Avalanche began experimenting by moving Landeskog onto the first power play unit in place of Victor Olofsson. Landeskog told The Hockey News how he felt the group performed over those two games.
“The power play is one of the things we continue to work on,” he stated. “We’re understanding where we’re at; we’re understand that if our power play can start chipping in goals on a nightly basis, obviously that makes a big difference.”
But this Avalanche team has repeatedly demonstrated that even on nights when they lack their sharpest form, they still manage to manufacture wins. With that in mind, Landeskog remains confident that the group will eventually solve its power play issues.
“It’s early on in the season; we’re working on a few things and trying a couple different looks. It’s one of the things when it’s not working, it’s easy to start overthinking it, start pointing fingers, try to re-invent the wheel, but at the end of the day, sometimes you just got to stick with it.
“Sometimes there are tweaks to be made we make them no problem, but I think the power play is kind of the same as the rest of our game as we continue to work on it; we’re going to find ways (to succeed), and I’m not worried about it.”
Find a way, eh? What does remind of you of? We have an idea.
The Avalanche (16–1–5) have recorded 13 power-play goals this season, converting at a 15.7 percent clip—a rate that places them in a four-way tie for 15th in the NHL alongside the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and St. Louis Blues.
Game Time
Colorado dropped a 3–2 overtime decision to the San Jose Sharks in their previous meeting on October 1 at SAP Center. Tonight, the Avalanche have an opportunity to even the season series on home ice at Ball Arena. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.
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.
Last year, when the NHL paused to host a best-on-best tournament, two members of the Montreal Canadiens were asked to play for Team Finland: Patrik Laine and Joel Armia. The latter is no longer a member of the organization, having signed with the Los Angeles Kings over the offseason, while the former is still part of the team but, once again, sidelined by an injury.
According to the timeline provided by the Canadiens, when he underwent core muscle surgery, Laine could be back either in January or February. Even if he were back in January, would it be realistic to try to play in a best-on-best tournament? Probably not.
There is, however, another member of the Habs who could have earned himself a spot with the Finnish national team thanks to his season debut: rookie center Oliver Kapanen. The 22-year-old is currently playing on a line with Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky, after skating alongside Alex Newhook for the 17 games he played before his injury.
In 21 games, the youngster has put up 11 points, but he’s also been an essential part of the Canadiens’ penalty kill. Armia and Christian Dvorak’s departure created a need for the Canadiens in that role, and Kapanen jumped on that opportunity.
The center is currently fourth in rookie points with 11 and in a three-way tie when it comes to goals with seven.
The Canadiens’ coach describes him as having an elite NHL-level computer, praising his ability to read the game and the plays, which make him a very responsible two-way forward, precisely the kind of forward you need if you want to stand a chance in a best-on-best competition. The Finns will already be without one of the best two-way forwards in the game because of Aleksander Barkov’s injury, not that Kapanen can replace the Florida Panthers’ captain, but no one can replace Barkov.
Finland took the gold medal at the last tournament, but that was without NHL players competing. The last time NHLers skated in the event, at Sochi in 2014, the Finns left Russia with the bronze medal, and they’ll no doubt be aiming for the podium again.
The Florida Panthers are back in Sunrise and will kick off their longest homestand of the season on Wednesday night.
Florida will welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to Amerant Bank Arena for the final time this year after defeating Philly 2-1 back in the second game of the season.
It’s also the last time these teams will meet, barring a playoff series, as the Flyers took down the Panthers 5-2 on Oct. 13, which was subsequently Philadelphia’s home opener and the first road game on Florida’s schedule.
Former Panthers first round pick Owen Tippett has been a consistent source of offense for the Flyers of late.
He’s logged seven points over his past five games, and he’s placed the team in scoring over the past couple weeks.
New Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar has enjoyed a strong start in Philly.
He’s played very well in both games against Florida this season, stopping 56 of 60 Panthers shots in the two outings.
League-wide, there are 27 goaltenders who have played in at least 13 games, and of those 27 tendies, Vladar is tied with Vegas’ Akira Schmid for the fewest goals allowed at 31.
Entering play Wednesday, Vladar ranks sixth in the NHL in both goals against average, which is at 2.42, and save percentage, currently at .912.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Wednesday’s battle with the Flyers:
Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Photo caption: Oct 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) moves the puck against Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
It's been 11 days since Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ville Koivunen last played in a game.
He played in the first NHL Global Series game against the Nashville Predators in Sweden before getting banged up. He was eventually placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and designated as "week-to-week."
Koivunen is back at practice this week and was taking line rushes on the third line with Tristan Broz and Tommy Novak on Tuesday. Assuming Koivunen gets cleared to return on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres, he's excited to get the chance to play with Broz after the two were teammates in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year and a little bit this year.
"It's a lot of fun to play with him. Of course, we played a lot together last year, so he's a great player. He's great with the puck. He can win some battles, too," Koivunen said after Tuesday's practice.
Koivunen is still searching for his first NHL goal, but it's not for a lack of trying. He has hit multiple posts and has had some other glorious opportunities, but the puck hasn't found the back of the net.
His confidence had been growing since coming back from WBS before he got hurt. Now, he'll try and help the Penguins snap out of their rut since they have lost seven of their last nine games and aren't in a playoff spot going into Wednesday.
With the 18th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected forward Sacha Boisvert. Since then, the 19-year-old forward has been among the Blackhawks' most promising young players.
Now, Boisvert has gotten some big-time praise, as he has made Ryan Kennedy's top players 21 years old or younger list for The Hockey News. Boisvert picked up the No. 73 spot on Kennedy's list.
When looking at how Boisvert has played early on in his collegiate career, it is understandable that he has made this list. The young forward had a strong freshman year with the University of North Dakota in 2024-25, as he posted 18 goals and 32 points in 37 games. He is also now having a good start to the 2025-26 season with Boston University, as he has recorded one goal and nine points in nine games thus far.
With numbers like these, it is hard not to be impressed with Boisvert. The young forward has the tools to blossom into an impactful NHL player and could very well be a big part of the Blackhawks' future as they continue to trend in the right direction.
The St. Louis Blues and Springfield Thunderbirds announced they have released forward Milan Lucic from his AHL professional tryout (PTO).
Lucic signed a PTO with the Blues in training camp and recorded two points in four pre-season games before suffering an injury.
The 37-year-old joined the Thunderbirds on another PTO and recorded one assist in five AHL games before
Originally a second round selection of the Boston Bruins in 2006, Lucic has 233 goals and 586 points in 1177games. He won the 2011 Stanley Cup with the Bruins and the gold medal at the 2023 World Championship with Team Canada.
He last played in the NHL in Oct. 2023 before taking an indefinite leave to enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Lucic was arrested in Nov. 2023 and had a domestic violence charge dropped in Feb. 2024.
It appears as though the Vancouver Canucks are in the initial stages of preparing to sell off assets as they've slogged through yet another subpar start to their season, and the Detroit Red Wings could be in prime position to right a wrong from 2018.
As you may recall, the Red Wings selected forward Filip Zadina with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. The Canucks followed by selecting Hughes, who was bred in the nearby suburb of Ann Arbor by playing for the University of Michigan Wolverines.
As a freshman, he set a school record with 24 assists, the most ever by a first-year defenseman, and earned selections on both the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Hughes also played for the U.S. National Team Development Program, based in Plymouth.
While Detroit's selection of Zadina seemed like a steal at the time, both players could not have gone in more opposite directions during their respective NHL careers.
Zadina never panned out as expected and ultimately finished his time with the Red Wings having scored just 28 goals in 190 games. He played a lone season with the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24, scoring 13 goals in 72 games before returning overseas, where he now plays in Switzerland with Davos HC.
Meanwhile, Hughes has blossomed into not only the best defenseman in Canucks history, but also one of the most talented blue liners in recent NHL memory. He has already become the franchise’s all-time leader in both assists and total points by a defenseman, and set a new NHL record for a defenseman by reaching 300 career assists in just 376 games.
He also won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2024.
Hughes, who is under contract for one more season at a reasonable $7.85 million cap hit, was linked to the Red Wings amid the uncertainty facing the Canucks. The speculation came from Insider Tyler Yaremchuk during a Daily Faceoff Live segment with fellow Insider and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton.
Yaremchuk said the following:
"If you were to go get Quinn Hughes in the middle of this season, maybe a team like Detroit would be willing to pay a lot for him, going, 'You know what? We're going to be ablde to get him in our organization for a year and a half. Even if he walks at the end of it, we get two playoff runs out of him, or we have 18 months to convince this guy to stay and show we're serious about contending.'"
It’s open for business in Vancouver, as the Canucks have announced they’ll be listening to offers on several veterans.
While they aren’t looking to move Quinn Hughes at the moment, is it more a question of when than if they move on from their captain?
The Red Wings, who have not played beyond the 82nd game of the regular season since 2016, would benefit significantly from Hughes’ presence on their blue line. His ties to the metro-Detroit area could make a potential move appealing to him, and his addition could provide the substantial boost needed to push the club over the top in its pursuit of a playoff berth.
Detroit also has ample salary-cap space to facilitate not only a trade for Hughes, but also a contract extension for him ahead of the 2027-28 season. That, combined with the expected rise in the salary cap and several contracts set to come off Detroit’s books by then, makes the scenario all the more feasible.
However, it would be contingent on what kind of package the Canucks would request in return, which could potentially include rookie defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
While Sandin-Pellikka has the potential to become a top-pairing defenseman later in his career, Hughes has already established himself as one of the best players at the position in the NHL today.
The Red Wings are likely keeping close tabs on the situation in Vancouver, and acquiring Hughes would be the crown jewel of GM Steve Yzerman’s NHL player-acquisition repertoire.
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
DOVE VALLEY — As The Hockey News reported on Sunday, Joel Kiviranta appeared to be progressing well from his lower-body injury. Well, that’s because he has.
Coach Jared Bednar confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that Kiviranta is ready to go and will return to action Wednesday night when the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche take on the San Jose Sharks at Ball Arena.
One of the Avalanche’s three remaining injured forwards was on the ice at Tuesday’s practice. Valeri Nichushkin skated ahead of the group in a red non-contact sweater, working through skill drills before staying out for the start of the session. He looked sharper than he has in recent appearances, though there were still moments where he appeared hesitant to put full weight on his lower body. However, Bednar said he is progressing.
Gavin Brindley/Logan O’Connor
As The Hockey News noted on Sunday, Gavin Brindley joined the injured-skate session alongside Kiviranta but did not participate. Wearing tennis shoes, he stepped onto the ice briefly to work through light stickhandling and a few casual shots, offering encouragement to Kiviranta before heading back to the locker room. It was a welcome show of support from the rookie, but Brindley remains far from a return to game action.
“Still ways away. No update,” Bednar said when asked about Brindley.
The 21-year-old has recorded four goals and three assists in 18 games for the Avalanche this season. He suffered his lower-body injury in the first period of Colorado’s 6-3 win over the New York Rangers on November 20.
The 21-year-old has posted four goals and three assists through 18 games for the Avalanche this season. He sustained the lower-body injury in the first period of Colorado’s 6–3 win over the New York Rangers on November 20.
Logan O’Connor underwent a second hip surgery in the offseason and was on track for an early November return, but recently suffered a setback and has not been on the ice lately. Like Brindley, O’Connor won’t be back for some period of time.
Sharks vs. Avalanche
With Kiviranta returning, the Avalanche will require only one call-up for Wednesday’s game. Tristen Nielsen and Jason Polin both dressed over the weekend, so that could potentially mean another start for Taylor Makar, who has already made three NHL starts this season, but has played well.
Kiviranta is expected to slot into one of the wing positions on the fourth line alongside rookie center Zakhar Bardakov. Meanwhile, Parker Kelly has been elevated to the third line with center Jack Drury and winger Victor Olofsson. This move was made to fill Landeskog’s spot as he was forced to move to the second line to fill in for Brindley, who was initially elevated from the fourth line to the second to replace Nichushkin. With both men hurt, it’s been the hockey edition of musical chairs.
The Avalanche (16-1-5) take on the Sharks (11-9-3) Wednesday night at Ball Arena. Coverage kicks off at 7 p.m. local time.
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 Buffalo Sabres have won four of their past five games, and they’re finally out of the Atlantic Division basements. And by the sounds of it, the Sabres are going to get some more good news, as veteran center Josh Norris is nearing a return to action after missing every Sabres game since being injured in Buffalo’s first game of the season, missing the next 21 games.
But let’s be real here – given Norris’ unfortunate history of injuries, you can’t rely on Norris until such time as he proves he can stay healthy for long stretches of time. And even then, considering that Norris has only played as many as 66 games just one time in his NHL career, there are going to be skeptics he can do that. (And he won’t do that this season.)
“It’s never easy being out, and there’s only so much you can control,” Norris told media Tuesday. “You just come to the rink every day and do the things you can do, and stay on top of things that come up and just be a pro. Unfortunately, I’ve been on the wrong side of it for a little bit now, so that’s really frustrating personally.”
If it’s frustrating being Norris right now, imagine how tough it is for Sabres fans right now. They’ve been hopeful the moves Sabres GM Kevyn Adams were going to pan out, but the final judgement has yet to be made on the Norris trade that sent Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators. Cozens is thriving as a Senator, with eight goals and 16 points in 22 games.
Norris is always going to be measured against Cozens, and at the moment, and while things can change, as it stands right now, you’d have to say that Ottawa is the winner of that trade.
That said, if Buffalo does get Norris back this coming weekend, the Sabres are clearly going to be a better team. Buffalo’s strength down the middle wasn’t great even with Norris in the lineup, but without him, the Sabres’ lack of depth at center was exposed. And there was no way Adams was going to be able to acquire a proven pivot of a high-end caliber.
We should remember that Norris has played exactly four games with the Sabres. With expectations that are managed for him, he can be an effective player for Buffalo. But the durability question is always going to linger for Norris, and the Sabres desperately need him to be a difference-maker and needle-mover – and above all else, to stay in the lineup.
If he can do that, all this waiting around for Norris will be worth it.
As he sprints down the corridor of the American Airlines Center’s bowels, Beckett Sennecke’s ball cap flies off his head. The 19-year-old curses softly under his breath as he bends down to pick up his headwear. Upon resuming his course, he realizes that his guide to the team bus, teammate Nikita Nesterenko, has deserted him. Fortunately, the Ducks' broadcast crew is just around the corner to help lead young Sennecke to his destination.
It’s far from the first rookie moment that Sennecke has had this season as he continues to navigate the NHL, both on and off the ice. On the ice, he’s taken the league by storm, currently second in the NHL in rookie scoring and tied for first in rookie goalscoring.
Off the ice, he’s now living on his own in a house, which is habitually visited by housemate Sam Colangelo, who is currently in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls. Sennecke doesn’t have a car just yet (it’s on the way), so he has a rotation of teammates whom he plays passenger princess for when he needs a ride to practices or games.
Sennecke is the youngest player on the Ducks, but he’s accompanied by a cohort of teammates in the same age range as him. He began the season on a line with 21-year-old Cutter Gauthier and 22-year-old Mason McTavish, and has since been shifted to a line with Gauthier and 20-year-old Leo Carlsson. Sennecke is rooming with Carlsson on road trips.
“It’s been fun,” Carlsson said. “Great guy. Kind of similar, but (also) not really. It works out fine. He doesn’t disturb me at all, I don’t disturb him. But we talk a lot, too, so it’s been good.”
Carlsson said that the two of them don’t talk about hockey very much in their room and Sennecke couldn’t contain his laughter when asked about what they talk about instead.
“We’re young,” Sennecke said. “Typical kid stuff, I guess. Sports. Not too much about hockey, honestly.”
Though Sennecke isn’t yet old enough to legally drink in the country that he plays in, he’s been playing a grown man’s game. A somewhat unimpressive rookie faceoff showing, followed by a vanilla performance in preseason, posed the question of whether Sennecke was ready for full-time NHL duty. But he quickly silenced those doubts with a goal in his NHL debut and a multi-point outing in his second game.
“He did a lot of good things out there today,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said following Sennecke’s debut. “I think he had the puck a lot. Strong in the puck areas and sustained some possession. I still think there’s some good things that he’s going to bring to our team game. We can use him in a lot of different ways and different areas as the game progresses. It was a good start for him.”
There’s been growing pains, for sure. Every so often, Sennecke will try a move that works in juniors, but gets snuffed out in the NHL. Take his turnover against the Dallas Stars, which led to a goal against. At the end of a shift, Sennecke attempted to dangle his way past defenseman Miro Heiskanen instead of getting the puck deep. Heiskanen swatted the puck away with ease, with Tyler Seguin eventually receiving an outlet pass and scoring to give the Stars a 3-2 lead.
Sennecke missed a few shifts and was even demoted to the third line briefly, but he was returned to his usual line later in the game, helping set up two goals in a 7-5 win.
“Draws the power play, makes a huge play on that power play,” Chris Kreider said after that game. “Apologized to the group, and then went out and got one for us. Instrumental in getting one for us. That’s super mature of him. Kudos to him for doing that, that was awesome to see.”
“I know that that's kind of a tough play to make, especially in that time in the game,” Sennecke said. “(The coaching staff) basically told me that ‘We know that you know.’ Missed a couple of shifts there. I'm glad I had their trust to put me back out there in the third.”
The flip side of Sennecke attempting moves that may cause Quenneville to pull out his remaining hair is that when those moves do pop, they have helped set up optimal scoring chances. A neat series of dekes to avoid pressure from both Brett Howden and Shea Theodore during Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights almost led to the overtime winner.
Sennecke with an absolutely ridiculous move outnumbered at the blue line. Couldn’t finish the sequence, but what a play. #FlyTogetherpic.twitter.com/VqictCif04
Sennecke has also been a forechecking force and is improving his work around the boards. Areas where he was often dumped to the ice or shoved aside without much pushback are becoming spots where he is muscling off defenders and sticking with plays.
“I think that his overall game is getting more consistent as far as how we play in our own end,” Quenneville said. “Positionally aware, how you use your stick, how you get in shooting lanes. The offensive side of things, he’s got it, so get out of the way and let him go.”
The Ducks’ overtime win on Nov. 17 was capped off by Sennecke freezing all three Utah Mammoth skaters—and goaltender Karel Vejmelka—before sliding a pass to a wide-open Olen Zellweger for the game-winning tally.
“That was great patience on that play, great play recognition,” Quenneville said. “He had the goalie coming out, two guys coming at him down the barrel. He sees the play, you’re sitting there just looking at the goalie and you’re thinking, ‘I’ve got to shoot this thing.’ Then, he has the presence of mind of making a beautiful pass, and (it) ended in a nice play.”
“(He has) a ton of skill,” Kreider said. “Speed, confidence, desire to make plays. Desire to get better and have an impact. Off the ice, pretty goofy kid, fun to be around. Enjoys coming to the rink. He definitely brings a lot of energy.”
“I think he's just getting better and better,” Frank Vatrano said. “Playing in this league at 19 is no easy task, and I know he's got the swagger and the confidence to do it. For him, just keep growing and just keep taking it day by day. You can't look too far. There’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season, but now we’ve got a good group in here and we're here to help the young guys out in any possible way.”
While there were expectations that Sennecke could be on a load management plan this season, similar to what Carlsson went through during his rookie season, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek revealed on Ducks Stream that Sennecke’s testing was more advanced than expected and that his ‘modified’ load management plan setup does not force him to miss any games.
“He’ll tell us how that's all going to play out,” Quenneville said. He’s a big kid, he's a strong kid. We'll see how he handles it. I don't know how much ice time on a game-to-game basis, I'd say he's gonna be (at) the numbers he's playing at right now. I think we're probably playing our top guys offensively a little bit more in those games. Every game's different, but I don't expect him (to be) playing close to 19 minutes on a game-to-game basis. But, we'll see. He'll tell us.”
“You can kind of watch, especially what the older more experienced guys do out there,” Sennecke said regarding taking care of his body during a compact schedule with plenty of travel. “You can pick up little things by just watching.”
“The travel's long, being in a hotel so much. It's kind of something that you're not quite used to, because most times in the OHL, you bus back the day of. But, they’re nice hotels, it's not too tough.”
Several Ducks veterans were queried about which players they learned from when they were first coming into the league, like Sennecke now. Names like Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Sami Salo, Ryan McDonagh, Brad Richards, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chára were produced.
While perhaps there isn’t a veteran with that caliber of resumé on the team, there are still plenty of valuable resources that Sennecke can pull from on this Ducks team. There’s also a wealth of knowledge on the coaching staff, which contains three former head coaches behind Quenneville himself.
After every Ducks home goal, their goal song, ‘Coming For You’ by The Offspring, blares from the Honda Center speakers. It’s then followed by a goal song personally chosen by the player who scored. When Sennecke scored on Nov. 2 against the New Jersey Devils, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Manchild’ emitted. This wasn’t Sennecke’s doing. He hadn’t even chosen a goal song. But now it’s his, and it perfectly encapsulates the Gumby-esque teenager with the voice that sounds like it’s been modulated.
The Colorado Avalanche are making a statement early in the 2025-26 NHL season, emerging as clear frontrunners for the President’s Trophy. With a staggering 16-1-5 record through 22 games and -149 odds on BetMGM, the Avalanche are showing all the signs of a team built for regular-season dominance. Many are already drawing comparisons to the 2023 Boston Bruins squad that set a record with a 65-12-5 finish.
Led by superstar Nathan MacKinnon, who tops the NHL with 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists), Colorado’s offense is firing on all cylinders. Defenseman Cale Makar is contributing 29 points, leading all blueliners in scoring, while Martin Necas has stepped up as a replacement for Mikko Rantanen with 28 points. Artturi Lehkonen looks poised to return to form, tallying 19 points and reminding fans of his Stanley Cup-winning performance in 2021.
Depth has also played a key role in Colorado’s hot start. Victor Olafsson and Brock Nelson have provided timely contributions, and Valeri Nichushkin has picked up the pace with 12 points in 17 games. The Avalanche are averaging four goals per game while allowing just 2.18 goals against—the best defense in the NHL this season.
Goaltending has been equally impressive. Scott Wedgewood boasts a 13-1-2 record, a 2.09 goals-against average, and a .918 save percentage, while backup Mackenzie Blackwood is undefeated in four appearances with a 2.47 GAA and .911 save percentage.
Colorado’s remaining schedule also favors their run, featuring 11 games against lower-ranked teams including the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and Vancouver Canucks. With elite offense, lockdown defense, and a manageable schedule ahead, the Avalanche are positioning themselves as the team to beat. At -149 odds, bettors may want to act quickly if they want to ride what could be a historic regular-season campaign. Colorado may also be worth a look at +400 to win the Stanley Cup if they continue their rampant hot streak.
All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.
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.
