If someone would have said prior to the start of the 2025-26 season that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be playing a large chunk of their second half without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, many would have drawn the conclusion that the season was going even worse than expected for them. And outside expectations certainly weren't very high to begin with.

In fact, even with Crosby and Malkin, most didn't expect the Penguins to be talking about potential first-round playoff matchups in late-March, let alone without their star forwards. But, here they are at second in the Metropolitan Division, and they've almost managed to make it through the toughest month of their entire schedule - and the toughest strength of schedule in the NHL - largely without at least one of them in the lineup.

And there have been many players who have stepped up in the absence of 87 and 71. Rickard Rakell has taken on first-line center duties and has seven goals and 15 points in the 16 games since the Olympic break - including six goals and 14 points in his last 11. Bryan Rust has seven goals and 19 points in those 16 games. Anthony Mantha has six goals and 11 points. Egor Chinakhov has six goals and 14 points. 

Even goaltenders Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner - despite some inconsistencies from both since the break - have done enough in a general sense to help keep the Penguins afloat and have come up with some big saves in big moments. 

But there is one player who has carried this team on his back, and he's separated himself as this team's MVP in not only this stretch, but arguably, for the entire season.

And that would be Erik Karlsson.

Karlsson, 35, was acquired by the Penguins in the summer of 2023 - GM and POHO Kyle Dubas's first summer with the organization - and his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, even if they weren't bad ones, were a bit underwhelming. And this is, especially, considering the fact that he was coming off an historic 29-goal, 101-point Norris Trophy campaign with the San Jose Sharks, which was the third of his hall-of-fame career. 

Takeaways: Several Penguins Step Up, Seize Two Points Against Ottawa Senators Despite Crosby InjuryEven with captain Sidney Crosby exiting early in the second period, the Pittsburgh Penguins found a way to outlast the Ottawa Senators through a shootout, beating them 4-3 and securing a massive two points.

This season, however, the best version of Karlsson has re-emerged. And not only is he leading the charge to get this Penguins' team to the playoffs for the first time in four years - and the first time during his tenure in Pittsburgh - he's also, arguably, the best player in hockey during this playoff stretch run.

Karlsson is tied for second in the NHL in points (21) since Mar. 1, and he is tied for second in the NHL in goals since Mar. 16 (six). And the crazy thing is that the only NHL defensemen within spitting distance are Buffalo Sabres' blueliner Rasmus Dahlin and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers, who each have 15 points since Mar. 1 and are 27th and 28th in the league since then.

These are elite forward numbers that Karlsson - a defenseman - is putting up. For the past month, his name has been up there with the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Martin Necas, Jack Hughes, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid. And it's not as if he's sacrificing defense to create offense, either, as Karlsson is playing one of the very best defensive seasons of his NHL career.

We're seeing vintage Erik Karlsson, folks 👀

• Six goals over his last six games
• Three-straight three-point games on the road
• Seven multi-point games over his last 10 outings
• Ranks second in the NHL with 22 points since February 28 pic.twitter.com/XEBB9nYCla

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) March 27, 2026

There is little debate that Karlsson is the very best player in the league right now. He is not just putting up elite, forward-level production game-in and game-out, and he is not just a product of what's happening around him. He has been, far and away, the best Penguins' player in the last month, and even if the players mentioned above are contributing to the cause, guys like Kucherov and Necas - the only guys who have more points than he does in March - have the benefit of other players like Jake Guentzel and MacKinnon, respectively, helping them lead their teams to comfortable playoff berths.

Fought for it 🫡 pic.twitter.com/X3TGVfmwEN

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 27, 2026

The Penguins are anything but comfortable. Although they completely control their own destiny, two points separate them and the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They are fighting for their playoff lives and continuously fending off teams below them in the standings, and they are doing it without Crosby and Malkin.

And that push, that fight, has been led by Karlsson. He is the x-factor. He is the difference-maker. He is the best player on the ice in nearly every single game at this point, carrying his team on his back and leading by example and by proxy. 

Simply put, the Penguins would not be in a playoff spot right now if not for Karlsson. He is playing some of the best hockey of his entire 17-year NHL career, and his unparalleled contributions have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

Report: Penguins' GM Dubas Has No Plans To Trade Karlsson This OffseasonMuch of the conjecture around the <a href="http://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> has changed over the course of the 2025-26 season, as the team's playoff-hopeful performance has shifted them from sure sellers trying to collect every possible asset to a team that is, perhaps, beginning to come out of the lowest point of their rebuild.

“He’s doing so much for us," Rakell said. "And it’s not just scoring goals. It’s the way he breaks out pucks and keeping a close cap on their entries and just dictating the game. Then, obviously, everybody knows his game. When he’s confident, he’s one of the best defensemen in our league still. He shows that he can do it all.”

If the Penguins make the playoffs - and, especially, if they play a good chunk of these next 10 games without 87 and 71 and still manage to make it - Karlsson deserves an enormous amount of credit for that. He also deserves to talk a potential contract extension with Dubas and the gang this summer.

And when the calendar month of March concludes, Karlsson should certainly be recognized as the NHL's first star since there has been no one better in hockey on both an individual basis and in terms of dragging his hobbled team to the postseason. 

BREAKING: Sidney Crosby Exits Game Against Ottawa Senators With Lower-Body InjurySidney Crosby was injured and did not return in a standings-critical matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators on Thursday.

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Just under a year ago, Drew Fortescue was banging on the Madison Square Garden glass alongside his Boston College teammates as Gabe Perreault, a fellow Eagle, took his rookie lap ahead of his NHL debut. 

While watching Perreault skate under the pinwheel ceiling, Fortescue allowed himself to think — just a little bit — about how it could be him soon. 

On Friday, it was Fortescue’s turn. And, of course, some of his BC teammates made the trip to see it. 

“That’s what you dream about,” he said while recalling those few days last April, before the 20-year-old defenseman recorded his first NHL assist in the Rangers’ 6-1 win over the Blackhawks Friday night. “It was awesome [watching Perreault debut last year]. I mean, Gabe is one of our best buddies, so we were all in a hurry to get down there and support him. Ryan Leonard played the night before up in Boston, so we got to go to his first game [with the Capitals]. Then we made the drive down the next day, and it was just a memory. 

“Being able to be there and support one of your buddies for his first game is pretty special. And I know some of them are coming down for [the game], so I’m excited to see all of them, and it’ll be pretty cool.” 

Fortescue skated in his first professional game in front of what he described as “a lot” of friends and family. You could hear them all when he first took the ice for his rookie lap, and again when his name was announced for his secondary assist on Jonny Brodzinski’s second of his two goals. 

Since he signed his entry-level contract last weekend, the Pearl River native has expressed how fortunate he feels to start his career so close to home. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND RANGERS STATS

“Once I got to the bench after and I took a stop and kind of looked around and saw everyone,” he said after the game. “I was able to see some of my cousins and family members and my parents in the crowd, definitely was an unbelievable feeling, and a feeling that I’ll never forget.”

Asked why he felt now was the time to put Fortescue in the lineup, head coach Mike Sullivan said he wanted the Rangers rookie to get on the ice a bit with the team’s limited practice time, have some one-on-one time with defense coach David Quinn and watch some film first. 

Fortescue, who was the sixth rookie to make his NHL debut this season with the Rangers, ultimately skated on the left of Matthew Robertson on the third defensive pairing. 

“I thought he was solid,” Sullivan said of Fortescue. “For the most part, he played the game with composure. He didn’t just throw pucks away. He made some outlet passes. He had good poise. I thought he had a high-panic threshold. He didn’t throw pucks away when he was under pressure, he protected it. He defended well. I think he’s got a good stick, decent mobility. There’s a lot to like about Drew’s game. For such a young kid in his first NHL game, I thought he played really well.”

The Rangers have had six rookies make their NHL debuts this season, including three in the last week alone. 

Fortescue joins Adam Sykora, Dylan Garand, Jaroslav Chmelar, Brendan Brisson and Noah Laba. Robertson is also considered a rookie, but the 25-year-old made his debut in the second-to-last game of last season and has skated in 63 of 73 games thus far in 2025-26. 

“We’re going to do our best to set them up for success,” Sullivan said of all the youngsters in his lineup. “We’ve got them surrounded with veteran players that we think can help them when they’re on the ice, but these guys are all good players and they bring a lot of energy to the table. A lot of enthusiasm. The mistakes they make will be mistakes of enthusiasm, and we’ll work through those. We’ll work through those. 

“We’ll help them get better at it through the experience, and they’re going to make mistakes. That’s just the reality of it. I think it’s an opportunity here for us down the stretch to get these guys some real experience. We’re just trying to do it the right way.”

As the 2025–26 NHL regular season enters its final stretch, the Colorado Avalanche find themselves in a commanding position atop the league standings—and in firm control of the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.

Strong Position at the Top

Colorado improved to 48-13-10 (106 points) after a playoff-esque 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, extending their winning streak to four games. With 11 games remaining, they’ve created separation not only in the Central Division—holding a nine-point edge over the Dallas Stars—but also in the race for the league’s top overall seed.

A win in the rematch would only tighten their grip.

“We’re still fighting for first place, so every win’s important until they put the mark beside our standings,” head coach Jared Bednar told NHL.com. “So, we have something to play for down the stretch run here. And we’ve had a good year, but we’re not comfortable—we’re still just kind of fine-tuning our game for going into the playoffs.”

The Math

Despite their strong position, the math behind clinching the Presidents’ Trophy remains intriguing. The Avalanche’s primary challenger, the Carolina Hurricanes, also have 11 games remaining and currently sit at approximately 96 points. If Carolina were to win every game from here on out, they would earn 22 additional points, finishing with a maximum of 118 points.

That sets Colorado’s magic number at 119 points—meaning the Avalanche will likely secure the Presidents’ Trophy with roughly six to seven more wins down the stretch. In practical terms, an 8–3 finish would comfortably secure the award, while a 7–3–1 record could also be sufficient depending on Carolina’s results. However, given the parity of the modern NHL, it is unlikely the Hurricanes will win all of their remaining games, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Leading the Avalanche is Nathan MacKinnon, who scored twice on seven shots Thursday night as Colorado defeated Winnipeg 3-2 at Canada Life Centre. It marked the first time in 330 days that Colorado had beaten the Jets on the road in the regular season, and MacKinnon’s two-goal performance pushed him to 47 and 48 goals on the year, extending his lead atop the NHL goal-scoring race.

Jets forward Mark Scheifele, despite being on the opposing side, offered high praise for MacKinnon’s impact and consistency.

“He’s absolutely fantastic. He’s an absolute horse out there. He’s a guy that works on his game so tirelessly,” he stated. “On the other side, he’s a fun guy to watch. Makes a lot of plays, a lot of little plays, even that a lot of people don’t notice. So, he’s one of, if not the, one of the best, if not the best player in the league. And he shows it every single night. And it’s impressive to watch.”

Different Stakes, Same Intensity

While the Avalanche continue to surge, the Jets are fighting for their postseason lives. At 30-30-12 (72 points), Winnipeg sits five points back of a Western Conference wild card spot with 10 games remaining.

“Every game is huge for us, no matter the opponent,” Jets forward Cole Perfetti added. “At this stage of the year for us, we need two points every single night, so it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”

That urgency contrasts with Colorado’s position—but not their mindset. The Avalanche are not easing into the playoffs; they are sharpening their game while chasing hardware. Contributions like Logan O'Connor’s return from injury and continued offensive dominance from their top line only reinforce their depth and readiness.

The Avalanche don’t need perfection—they just need to keep winning enough games to stay in control. The Presidents’ Trophy may not be the ultimate prize, but it remains a significant milestone. And while the Stanley Cup is the true goal, capturing both is a rare accomplishment last achieved by the 2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks.

For Colorado, the opportunity to pursue both remains very much alive—and increasingly within reach.

Just call them the Baby Blueshirts. 

Drew Fortescue made his NHL debut in a youth-infused 6-1 win over the Blackhawks on Friday night, bringing the rookie count in the Rangers lineup to six amid the club’s youth movement as part of a larger evaluation period for the entire organization. 

There was a lot of young blood on the ice between the Rangers and Blackhawks, the second- and third-worst teams in the NHL that are only competing for better draft lottery odds at this point in the season. 

The Rangers’ youth undoubtedly shined the brightest. 

“I think we’re all hungry,” rookie goalie Dylan Garand said after capturing his first NHL win in his second career start. “This is, for some of us, our opportunity. Guys like me and [Adam Sýkora], we’ve been playing in Hartford for a long time and we finally get to play games. We’re hungry and we’re excited to try and help this team win in any way we can.” 

Fortescue notched his first point — a secondary assist — in his debut. 

Sykora scored his first NHL goal in his first game at Madison Square Garden. 

Garand has stopped 63 of the first 66 shots he’s faced through his first two NHL starts. 

Matthew Robertson notched the fifth goal of his career while skating in his 29th straight game. 

And Jaroslav Chmelar was relentless on his way to earning his first NHL assist on Jonny Brodzinski’s second-period score. 

The win snapped a season-high six-game losing streak for the Rangers, who are drinking in the youngsters’ energy to try to end this lost season on an encouraging note. 

“You can see the enthusiasm that the young kids bring to the lineup,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers’ largest win at home this season. “I think it’s infectious with our veteran guys. Obviously, excited for them. There were some milestones…It’s just fun. I’m happy for the players. To see the positive energy around the group was great to see.” 

After the game, Garand spoke like a player who knows he’s ready for the NHL. 

The 23-year-old netminder exuded palpable confidence after impressing in his first two NHL starts. 

Garand saved all three shots on goal from 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard in the first period Friday. While his first win came against an easier opponent, he looked composed even in the shootout loss to the Jets last weekend. 

“I thought he looked really solid in there, and that’s the second game in a row I felt that way so,” Sullivan said. “It’s two really good starts for him and I’m happy for him because I know how hard he’s worked to get to this point. It’s great for our team, it’s great for our organization… The feeling I’ve gotten behind the bench in the two starts that he’s had is that he’s completely in control and he has good composure in there.” 

The Rangers have been able to work Garand in amid Jonathan Quick’s upper-body injury, but the backup netminder is supposedly nearing a return. 

Asked if Garand had earned himself some more starts over the final nine games of the season, Sullivan said that would be “a fair statement just based on his performance to this point.” 

“As this moves forward, when eventually we get a healthy Quickie back, I think [Chris Drury] and I will sit and probably have a conversation around it,” he said. 

Of all the milestone moments that unfolded Friday night, the Rangers seemed especially overjoyed for Sykora. 

Sullivan noted that the reaction from the Rangers bench, when Sykora buried Will Cuylle’s feed past Chicago goalie Arvid Soderblom, was indicative of the way he’s viewed as a person in the locker room. 

Sykora’s energy is simply infectious, Sullivan said. 

“This is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Garand said. “So glad to do it with a guy like Syky. I know him really well and I can speak on behalf of the guys from Hartford, we’re all so proud of him and so happy for him. He deserves it. He’s such a great guy, like, we all love him. It’s awesome to share this moment with him.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex DeBrincat’s power-play goal scored 4:02 in sparked Detroit’s three-goal first period, and the Red Wings rolled to a 5-2 win over the Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Marco Kasper, Lucas Raymond, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Patrick Kane, with an empty-netter, also scored. Detroit, coming off a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Tuesday, snapped a two-game skid and moved into a tie in points with the Senators for ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings — and a point back of the New York Islanders.

John Gibson stopped 28 shots.

Tage Thompson — registering his 400th career point — and Rasmus Dahlin scored and Buffalo dropped to 0-1-2 -- its longest skid since losing three straight in regulation in early December. Alex Lyon made 15 saves and dropped to 6-1-1 since returning from the NHL’s Olympic break.

The Sabres came out flat and undisciplined and wound up trailing 3-0 with 3:54 left in the opening period when Marco Kasper converted his own rebound in front.

Detroit’s first two goals came on the power play.

DeBrincat opened the scoring by converting a rebound in front five seconds after Josh Norris was penalized for high sticking. Raymond scored with Logan Stanley in the box for interference, and was set up by Moritz Seider leaping at the blue line to bat down Ryan McLeod’s clearing attempt.

Detroit entered the day scoring an NHL-low 40 goals in the first period.

RANGERS 6, BLACKHAWKS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Jonny Brodzinski scored twice, Adam Sykora scored his first goal and Dylan Garand made 27 saves for his first NHL win as New York downed Chicago.

J.T. Miller, Matthew Robertson and Alexis Lafreniere also scored as the Rangers snapped a six-game losing streak.

The 23-year-old Garand, who made his debut Sunday at home against Winnipeg, a 3-2 shootout loss, allowed only a goal by Chicago’s Nick Lardis late in the first period.

Chicago has lost four of its last five.

Lardis finished off a passing play with Tyler Bertuzzi and Alex Vlasic late in the first. But Miller tied it less than a minute later with his 15th goal of the season.

Sykora, who debuted in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Toronto, beat Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom cleanly at 8:20 of the second. The 21-year-old Sykora was a second-round pick in 2022.

Brodzinski scored 16:07 into the second period, then added his second of the game with 4 minutes left.

The victory was just New York’s fifth home win in regulation. New York is 10-18-7 at the Garden.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jonny Brodzinski scored twice, Adam Sykora scored his first goal and Dylan Garand made 27 saves for his first NHL win as the New York Rangers downed the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1 on Friday night.

J.T. Miller, Matthew Robertson and Alexis Lafreniere also scored as the Rangers snapped a six-game losing streak.

The 23-year-old Garand, who made his debut Sunday at home against Winnipeg, a 3-2 shootout loss, allowed only a goal by Chicago’s Nick Lardis late in the first period.

Chicago has lost four of its last five.

Lardis finished off a passing play with Tyler Bertuzzi and Alex Vlasic late in the first. But Miller tied it less than a minute later with his 15th goal of the season.

Sykora, who debuted in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Toronto, beat Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom cleanly at 8:20 of the second. The 21-year-old Sykora was a second-round pick in 2022.

Brodzinski scored 16:07 into the second period, then added his second of the game with 4 minutes left.

The victory was just New York’s fifth home win in regulation. New York is 10-18-7 at the Garden.

Defenseman Drew Fortescue also made his Rangers debut. The 20-year-old defensemen — a third-round pick in 2023 —- assisted on Brodzinski’s second goal.

Soderblom made 33 saves.

Up next

Blackhawks: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.

Rangers: Host the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

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Following two consecutive losses against divisional opponents on home ice that dropped them below the playoff cut line, the Detroit Red Wings badly needed to rebound to keep their postseason hopes alive. 

On Friday night against yet another divisional opponent, they did just that. 

First period goals from Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and Marco Kasper paced the Red Wings en route to an eventual 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. 

THAT'S A #REDWINGS WIN! pic.twitter.com/XQ544RyLVS

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 28, 2026

While the Red Wings remain on the outside looking in at the playoffs, one point behind the New York Islanders, they are tied with the Ottawa Senators, who defeated them on Tuesday, in total points (86). 

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The Red Wings struck first at the 4:02 mark of the first period thanks to the 36th tally of the season from DeBrincat in the opening seconds of their first power-play chance of the evening. 

Detroit then doubled its lead thanks to a second power-play goal, this time from Lucas Raymond, who beat former Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon with a quick wrist shot for his 23rd goal. 

Marco Kasper then scored his eighth of the season, increasing the lead to 3-0. 

However, the Sabres began to press in the second period, limiting Detroit to just three shots on goal while getting a goal from Tage Thompson, who has historically performed well against the Red Wings.

Despite their multiple chances, Detroit's John Gibson kept the Sabres at bay with several key stops. 

Just one day after signing his two-year contract extension, former Sabres defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker scored his first goal of the season and first with the Red Wings at 15:46 of the third period. 

While the Sabres got one back less than a minute later after team captain Rasmus Dahlin found the back of the net, Detroit sealed the victory thanks to an empty-net goal from future Hall of Famer and Buffalo native Patrick Kane. 

Picking up the win was Gibson, who made 28 saves; Lyon countered with 15 saves. 

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The Hockey News' main site has revealed players 21 to 40 for their latest top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects rankings. A notable Philadelphia Flyers prospect made the cut this time around, as defenseman Oliver Bonk was given the No. 38 spot. 

Bonk is a prospect who the Flyers are hoping will be a major part of their blueline in the future. This is because the 2023 first-round pick has the tools to blossom into a high-impact defenseman at the NHL level. 

Bonk is currently in his first season at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 37 games this campaign with Lehigh Valley, he has recorded five goals, 11 assists, and 16 points. This is after he had 11 goals and 40 points in 52 games during the 2024-25 season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Bonk also had a big year for the Knights in 2023-24, as he posted 24 goals, 43 assists, and 67 points in 60 games. With numbers like these, there is no question that the right-shot defenseman has good upside. 

Bonk will certainly be a Flyers prospect to watch for the remainder of the season and onward. It will be interesting to see how he continues to grow his game from here. 

The 2025–26 season hasn’t been very kind to the Vancouver Canucks, but it has been to some of the organization’s former players. One such player is none-other than Bo Horvat, former Canucks captain and now 30-goal scorer for the fourth time in his NHL career. 

Horvat’s first career 30-goal season came as a member of the Canucks back in 2021–22, during which he scored 31 goals in 70 games. The season after that remains his career-high, as he scored 31 goals in 49 games with Vancouver before being traded to the New York Islanders and adding seven more to his overall total in 30 games. He has since scored 30+ goals in two of his three other seasons with New York, with his lone sub-30 goal season being the 2024–25 season. He scored 28 goals in this particular year.   

Horvat has enjoyed quite the season in his third full-year with the Islanders, having scored his 30th goal of the season in his team’s 2–1 win against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. This goal extended Horvat’s current point streak to five straight games, with this being the second time this season he’s had a point streak of that length. 

Throughout the month of March, 13 games so far, Horvat has scored six goals and five assists, going pointless in only three of his team’s games. This came only a few weeks after he suited up for his first Winter Olympic Games with Team Canada, during which he scored two goals in six games. 

Prior to sustaining a couple of injuries in December and January, Horvat had scored 19 goals in 31 games with the Islanders this season, putting him at a goals per game pace of .612. While his 30th goal of the season now ties him with Zach Hyman and Connor Bedard for 27th-most in the NHL, had he been healthy through the whole season, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if he ranked much higher. 

Horvat and the Islanders are currently deadlocked in a stiff battle for the Eastern Conference’s wildcard spots. While the Islanders currently occupy the final spot with 87 points in 73 games, the Ottawa Senators are only a point behind them with a game in hand. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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With the 20th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov. The Blue Jackets are hoping that the 19-year-old will be a big part of their roster later down the road, as he certainly has the potential to become a very good NHL goalie.

Because of his good upside, Andreyanov was given the No. 77 spot on The Hockey News' latest Top 100 NHL-affiliated prospect rankings.

When looking at how well Andreyanov has played in Russia, it is understandable that he is being viewed as one of the NHL's best prospects. The 6-foot goaltender had a 13-8-3 record, a .919 save percentage, and a 2.59 goals-against average in 26 games with CSKA Red Army Jr. of the MHL this season. He also had a .918 save percentage and a 2.13 goals-against average in the VHL with HC Zvezda this campaign. 

Andreyanov also had a 1.75 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage in 37 MHL games in 2024-25 with CSKA Red Army Jr.

With all of this, there is no question that Andreyanov has shown plenty of promise. It will be interesting to see how he continues to grow his game from here. 

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed defenseman Owen Protz to a three-year entry-level contract, which kicks in during the 2026-27 season. 

Protz was selected by the Canadiens with the 102nd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-2 defenseman appeared in 64 games during this regular season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, where he had five goals, 18 assists, 23 points, 84 penalty minutes, and a plus-45 rating. 

Protz is a defenseman with size who plays a very heavy game. With this, he is undoubtedly an intriguing prospect in the Canadiens' system, and they will be hoping that he can become a nice part of their blueline in the future. 

Protz has continued to show promise at the junior level, too. During the 2024-25 season with the Bulldogs, he had five goals, 27 assists, 32 points, and a plus-11 rating. He also had one goal and six points in 11 playoff games for Brantford last year. 

Overall, there is a lot to like about Protz's game, and it will be fascinating to see how he continues to develop his game from here. 

The Hockey News' main site revealed players 21 to 40 for their latest top 100 NHL-affiliated prospect rankings. A Pittsburgh Penguins prospect had made the cut this time around, as defenseman Harrison Brunicke was given the No. 26 spot.

Seeing Brunicke make THN's rankings is not difficult to understand, as he has plenty of upside. The 19-year-old defenseman had a strong 2025-26 regular season with the Kamloops Blazers, as he recorded two goals, 22 assists, and 24 points in 24 games. This was after he had five goals and 30 points in 41 games with Kamloops back in 2024-25. 

Brunicke also played in his first nine career NHL games this season with Pittsburgh, where he had one goal and six penalty minutes. He also had four assists in five games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. 

With all of this, there is no question that Brunicke has shown plenty of promise this season. The young defenseman has the tools to become a big part of the Penguins' roster in the near future. 

It will now be interesting to see how Brunicke continues to build on his game. The Penguins could have found something special in the 2024 second-round pick. 

This weekend, the NHL is hosting its fourth annual Hockey Day in Finland celebration.

It should come as no surprise that the Florida Panthers will be at the center of those celebrations.

Florida, when healthy, boasts one of the more Finnish-heavy rosters in the NHL. It’s why the Panthers were featured by the NHL in last season’s Global Series games against the Dallas Stars in Tampere.

The Hockey Day in Finland festival takes place on Friday and Saturday in Kuopio.

As part of the festival, there is an NHL alumni game featuring several Finnish legends, including a pair of 5-time Stanley Cup winners in Jari Kurri and one-time Panther Esa Tikkanen, as well as Jere Lehtinen, Valtteri Filppula, Kimmo Timonen and Ossi Vaananen. 

All the fun will culminate with a watch party of the primetime national broadcast of Saturday’s game between the Panthers and New York Islanders.

You can bet there will be a ton of Sasha Barkov jerseys at the festival, but it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola or even Tuomo Ruutu or Olli Jokinen represented by some of the hockey-crazed fans in Finland.

Fun fact: Only two NHL franchises have had more Finnish nationals play for them than the Panthers’ 24. They are Dallas/Minnesota (34) and Edmonton (29).

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Photo caption: Dec 21, 2022; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils with center Anton Lundell (15) during the second period at FLA Live Arena. (Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images)

A win like Thursday’s can be read two ways.

At the surface level, it was straightforward: the Flyers beat a weaker team, scored five goals, and handled their business after a disappointing loss earlier in the week. In a playoff race, the ability to bank those points without overcomplicating the night is part of the job.

But the more useful reading is less about the score and more about the way the Flyers produced it. On the surface, it's a comfortable win over a rebuilding opponent. But it  was also a game that showed how Philadelphia wants to attack, and which parts of its current success are real enough to trust.

1. The Flyers Are Scoring in a Way That Should Travel

The biggest tactical difference in this game was where the offense came from. Against Columbus, the Flyers spent too much time chasing cleaner looks than the game offered. Against Chicago, they stopped waiting.

They attacked the middle of the ice earlier and put pucks to the net without overhandling them. They created offense from inside the dots instead of trying to work everything into the perfect passing lane. 

A team that relies on perimeter possession can look productive without being dangerous. A team that gets to the interior creates rebounds, scrambles, and second chances. That was the Flyers’ better version here.

Rick Tocchet’s comment about “playing interior” was the key phrase. It's not just coach-speak. It describes a measurable shift in how the Flyers are trying to win games. They are getting pucks on net quicker, occupying the crease more consistently, and forcing defenses to collapse instead of getting to sit and shape the play.

That is a real adjustment, and it is more meaningful than a simple five-goal result against a team at a different stage of its cycle.

2. Alex Bump’s Night Says More About Depth Than Fireworks

Alex Bump’s first multi-point game was perhaps the most encouraging individual development of the night, but not because it means he is suddenly going to singlehandedly drive a playoff push. It matters because of what it says about the Flyers’ options.

Bump has six points in 10 NHL games, which is a solid start for a young winger adjusting to a very different level of pace and decision-making. More important is how he is producing. He's not floating through shifts waiting for play to find him. He's active on retrievals, quick through touches, and willing to make the next play without trying to force the ideal one.

That is relevant in a bigger roster sense. The Flyers have been trying to build enough forward depth that they can absorb lineup churn and still generate offense without leaning too heavily on one line. Bump’s emergence helps in that regard, but it also clarifies something: the organization is beginning to find real NHL contributors in roles that do not require huge minutes to matter.

That is not nothing. Teams with playoff ambitions rarely get far without at least a few young players who can enter the lineup and not look out of place.

Bump looked like that on Thursday.

3. The Flyers Are Getting More From Their Middle

Christian Dvorak’s goal and assist showed not only his continued individual contributions to the offense, but also how the Flyers are getting more consistent production from the second and third layers of the lineup.

When teams get to March, the first line can still drive play, but it can't realistically carry every game. Philadelphia’s recent stretch has shown more contributions from players like Noah Cates, Dvorak, Luke Glendening, and Garnet Hathaway than it did earlier in the year. That creates something the Flyers did not always have: the ability to keep pressure on when the top players are off the ice.

Cates has become a particularly important part of that profile. His 16th goal tied his career high, but the more meaningful number is his 14 points since the Olympic break. That is not a small stretch; that is a middle-six player actually influencing the shape of games.

4. A Useful Test in Net-Front Control

The Blackhawks may not be a league benchmark, but that does not make this result any less important. If anything, lower-end opponents are often more revealing in one specific area: whether a team can impose its preferred style without forcing it.

The Flyers did that here by controlling the net-front battle. Tocchet’s note that the team had “good presentations” and that players were “always around the net” is backed up by the structure of the scoring itself. The Flyers did not depend on point shots and hope. They got inside and stayed there. That's a mature approach, and it's also one the Flyers had not always consistently embraced.

Rick Tocchet didn’t discredit the Flyers’ win just because they did it against Chicago, who have been struggling this season. Said they have to stay even keel and not get caught up in the rollercoaster of games b/c every opponent is one they need to lock in against.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) March 27, 2026

5. What This Win Does and Does Not Mean

This is the part that matters most.

A 5–1 win over Chicago doesn't tell you the Flyers have solved the season. It doesn't prove they are a finished playoff team. It doesn't erase the structural questions that still exist around their offensive consistency, their home-ice struggles, or the degree to which their recent success depends on playing a cleaner brand of hockey than they were earlier in the year.

What it does tell you is that the message is getting through.

The Flyers are no longer relying on hope or a single line to produce all of their offense. They're getting better at playing to the game in front of them instead of the game they wish they had. They're using their depth more effectively, and they're generating offense from more areas. And when they face a team they are supposed to beat, they are not making the night harder than it needs to be.

That sounds simple. In practice, it's not.

Teams in the Flyers’ position often win and still leave the game feeling unresolved, because the process doesn't match the result. This was different. The process and the scoreline lined up.

That is the useful takeaway—not simply that the Flyers blew out the Blackhawks.

It is that they looked like a team that understands what it needs to do to keep winning games like this. And at this point in the season, that is the kind of lesson that actually matters.

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The New York Rangers look to snap a six-game losing streak when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden tonight.  

My top Blackhawks vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks call for Chicago rookie Anton Frondell to pick up a point for the third consecutive game. 

Find out more in my NHL picks for Friday, March 27.

Blackhawks vs Rangers prediction

Blackhawks vs Rangers best bet: Anton Frondell Over 0.5 points (-110)

The Chicago Blackhawks have forward Anton Frondell jumping onto the top line and No. 1 power-play unit alongside superstar Connor Bedard, and he hasn’t disappointed, recording a point in consecutive games.

With the New York Rangers losing six straight while allowing 4.0 goals per game, I’m expecting the Bedard and Frondell connection to have success again tonight. 

Frondell was the third overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, and he’s also the first 18-year-old to record 20 goals in the SHL since Daniel Sedin in 1998-99.

Blackhawks vs Rangers same-game parlay

Sticking with the Chicago duo, Bedard has found the scoresheet in seven of his past 10 games, tallying five goals and five assists. 

In addition to Frondell recording a pair of assists through two NHL games, he’s also racked up six shots on 11 attempts. Meanwhile, the Rangers have allowed a healthy 31.7 shots per game during their highlighted skid.

Blackhawks vs Rangers SGP

• Connor Bedard Over 0.5 points
• Anton Frondell Over 0.5 points
• Anton Frondell Over 2.5 shots

Blackhawks vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Blackhawks +150 | Rangers -180
• Puck Line: Blackhawks +1.5 (-170) | Rangers -1.5 (+140)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+110) | Under 6.5 (-130)

Blackhawks vs Rangers trend

Chicago has won eight of its last 20 road games (+4.75 Units / 24% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Blackhawks vs. Rangers.

How to watch Blackhawks vs Rangers

Blackhawks vs Rangers latest injuries

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