The Philadelphia Flyers have taken a big step in the right direction this season. They currently have a 17-9-6 record and are third in the Metropolitan Division standings. When noting that the Flyers had a lot of doubters heading into the season, there is no question that they have been one of the NHL's biggest surprises so far. 

If the Flyers continue to play so well as the season rolls on, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they look to be buyers this season. In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson urged the Flyers to target younger players who have the potential to improve Philadelphia's offensive production rather than rentals. 

"The Flyers have plenty of trade deadline cap space and trade assets. If general manager Daniel Briere becomes a buyer, he won't get crazy and overspend for rental players. He'll want younger talent with scoring upside or cost-effective players with playoff experience," Richardson wrote.

With the Flyers still building for the future, it would make sense for them to add players who can help them both now and in the long term. This is especially so if the Flyers continue to keep winning as the season rolls on. 

A few intriguing young trade candidates in the NHL right now include Matias Maccelli (Toronto Maple Leafs), Nick Robertson (Maple Leafs), Yegor Chinakhov (Columbus Blue Jackets), Brad Lambert (Winnipeg Jets), and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers).

Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis Blues) and Conor Garland (Vancouver Canucks) are also two proven forwards who are under 30 who would have the potential to be impactful long-term additions for the Flyers if acquired. 

The Montreal Canadiens have had a solid start to the 2025-26 season. At the time of this writing, they sport a 17-12-4 record and are fifth in the Atlantic Division standings. However, they are also only three points behind the first-place Detroit Red Wings, so they certainly have the potential to move up the standings.

With the Canadiens being right in the playoff hunt, there is a real expectation that they will be buyers this season. Due to this, in a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson urged the Canadiens to bring in a legitimate second-line center this season. 

"The Canadiens' goaltending has been a recent concern, but their need for a reliable second-line center has been an ongoing issue. Since Kirby Dach was sidelined with a fractured foot, they employed rookie Oliver Kapanen in that role. However, they need someone with more experience in that position," Richardson wrote.

It is no secret that the Canadiens could use another top-six center, so it is hard to disagree with Richardson's argument. If the Canadiens brought in a proven 2C, it would be huge for a club that is looking to cement themselves as legitimate contenders. 

It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens add another center this season, but there is no question that they have the trading assets to swing a deal for one. 

The Philadelphia Flyers have finally made a move to clear the burgeoning logjam on defense, cutting Egor Zamula after a series of benchings and poor performances.

As officially announced by the Flyers, Zamula, 25, was placed on waivers Thursday afternoon, exposing him to the other 31 NHL teams if they wish to claim him.

Zamula has played in just 13 games for the Flyers this season, recording one point. The formerly undrafted Russian blueliner has played just two games for the Flyers since Nov. 29, having been usurped by teammate Emil Andrae and rising prospect Ty Murchison.

Now that Rasmus Ristolainen has returned from injury, the Flyers have, as evidenced by this decision, decided to keep journeyman Noah Juulsen as their No. 7 defenseman behind Andrae, Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, and Travis Sanheim.

If another NHL team opts to claim Zamula by 2 p.m. Friday, the Flyers will be rid of the 6-foot-3 defenseman's $1.7 million cap hit.

This Big Flyers Trade Just Keeps Getting BetterThe Flyers' decision to bring in this forward is continuing to pay off.

Should Zamula clear waivers and be assigned to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers will save a modest $550k against the cap, but still free up a roster spot for themselves.

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to take on the Montreal Canadiens in game number 34 of the season on Thursday night at Bell Centre. 

This is the second of two meetings between these two Original Six rivals. The first was Chicago's home opener back on October 11th. The Canadiens won that game 3-2. 

Scouting Montreal

The Montreal Canadiens are 17-12-4. Things have slipped a bit for them since their impressive start, but they are still in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, they would not make it. However, a win over Chicago could put them above the line for the time being. 

Jakub Dobes will start in goal for the Montreal Canadiens. In front of him, the team is expected to line up like this: 

Caufield - Suzuki - Bolduc

Slafkovsky - Kapanen - Demidov

Texier -Beck - Anderson

Veleno -Evans - Gallagher

Hutson - Carrier

Struble - Dobson

Xhekaj - Engstrom

Dobes

There are some great forwards on this team, even without former Blackhawk Kirby Dach available. Nick Suzuki is a top-20 NHL center, while Cole Caufield is one of the best pure goal scorers around. 

Ivan Demidov, who Blackhawks fans who followed the draft in 2024 know well, is also a difference maker and a threat to score on every shift he takes. This group up front has some depth to it. 

On defense, Lane Hutson is the guy that everything runs through offensively. Noah Dobson is also a difference-making, highly paid player who impacts games. All around, this is a team that could break out at any time because they have so much talent and a solid coach in Marty St. Louis. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are without Connor Bedard, who won't be back until after the first of the year. He is on the trip with the team, but it's strictly for the camaraderie with his younger teammates.

If it were up to Bedard, he'd already be back, but the Hawks are being cautious with their superstar. Without him, expect a lineup that looks something like this:

Bertuzzi - Nazar - Burakovsky

Moore - Greene - Lardis

Teravainen - Dickinson - Mikheyev

Dach - Toninato - Donato

Vlasic - Crevier

Grzelcyk - Levshunov

Kaiser - Murphy

Knight

This will be another start for Spencer Knight, who had a terrible fate in their last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Knight and the Hawks looked like they were going to pick up a huge win, but the Leafs scored three unanswered goals in the final ten minutes to pull out with a win. 

In Bedard's spot on the top line, Frank Nazar will play center. Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky are good wingers for Nazar, who is looking to break a long goal drought. He's playing the right way, but the bounces haven't gone his way in a while. If he sticks to his process, the offense will soon return. 

Dominic Toninato and Nick Lardis are expected to play again. Lardis has fit in well through his first two NHL games after a dominating start to the year with the Rockford IceHogs. Now that he's got the nerves of his first game in the NHL and first game in front of his hometown friends and family out of the way, he can just play hockey. It won't be long before his offense arrives. 

Levshunov will return to the NHL lineup after being scratched against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The 2024 second overall pick missed the game due to being late for practice. He has been one of the best skaters on this team for a while now, so getting him back is a nice boost. 

Original Six

When this game is over, the Blackhawks will have played against four of the five other Original Six teams in a span of 9 days. They are just 1-2 (win vs New York Rangers, losses to Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs) so far, so they'd prefer to even it up with a win here in Montreal.

After this, they won't see another Original Six rival until January 17th when the Boston Bruins visit the United Center. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found locally on CHSN. It can be streamed nationally on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. 

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

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.

ST. LOUIS – It’s been a week since Jordan Binnington has seen the net for the St. Louis Blues.

Binnington was last in action against the Nashville Predators and received the mercy pull in a 7-2 loss, in which he allowed six goals on 25 shots in a poor effort by those playing in front of him.

Joel Hofer has started the past three games, including a 1-0 shutout win of the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, but it will be Binnington back between the pipes when the Blues (13-15-7) host the New York Rangers (16-15-4) on Thursday in the second of back to back games at 7 p.m. (FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

“The team needed a reset, first of all,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “He’s been the negative benefit of our poor play. When we’ve really played poorly, it’s been in front of ‘Binner’ in these last two weeks. I think it’s given him the opportunity to work and to prepare and to get back the right mindset that makes him an elite goaltender in this league along with coach (David) Alexander.”

- - -

The Blues will make a couple skater changes for the game Thursday, including inserting Matt Luff in at forward for Robby Fabbri, and Tyler Tucker will go in for Matthew Kessel.

For Fabbri, he started off the season with an assist in each of his two games but on Wednesday, played in just two shifts in the third period with Alexey Toropchenko taking Fabbri’s spot on the top line and double-shifting protecting a one-goal lead.

“I think that he got here, his first two games were excellent,” Montgomery said of Fabbri. “I think his last two games, and I spoke to him about this, a little less juice in his legs, not being as impactful. And on a back to back, it’s a lot. He wasn’t in a training camp, he’s not in the same hockey shape as everybody else is. It’s just an opportunity, and Luff’s been really good for us. We’re playing a bigger, heavier team tonight on a back to back, a team that’s fresh, so we’ll just get a fresh body in. It really wasn’t a negative of anything of his play. He’ll be back in the lineup soon.”

Toropchenko will start on that top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. As for how the game progresses, it will be determined if he stays there.

“He’s smart enough to play with anyone,” Montgomery said of Toropchenko, normally a fourth-line winger. “It’s not ideal that he’s in that situation, but we’re playing with a lead (Wednesday). He brings north hockey to playing with 18 and 89, who like to play east-west because they have the creativity and the ability and skill level to do it, and he allows them to be a little bit simpler and the way he reloads and the way he back-checks, his habits, his sticks, creating turnovers in the offensive zone, we just thought it would allow us to close out that game a little bit better, and he’s going to start there tonight.”

Tucker, who sat out Wednesday not necessarily as a healthy scratch but he was banged up from Monday’s loss to the Predators, is an insertion into the lineup to provide beef against a bigger lineup.

“Tucker was a little sore yesterday from the slew-foot that he received at the end of the game in the third period (Monday),” Montgomery said. “It’s just with a back to back, we weren’t going to play Tucker with him being sore. It wasn’t so much of a matchup as it was we’re in a back to back, we’re in the middle of a three in four. Kessel’s been really good for us, his numbers suggest that, we have a lot of confidence in him, but now we’re on a back to back, so we’re going to go back to Tucker. It’s that simple.”

- - -

Montgomery was asked about Otto Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2023 NHL Draft, and his successful debut in the NHL on Wednesday, playing 13:38. Here is an interesting take on Stenberg’s awareness and ability to read a game by Montgomery.

“He’s a first-round pick not because of his stature, it’s because of his brain, his instincts and his ability to make plays at both ends of the ice,” Montgomery said. “As a coach, you see the things that make a guy very effective right away, stick positioning, angling, little things, always being on the right side of the puck.

“There was a play yesterday in the third period that a defenseman was in, taking a shot off the rush, I believe it was (Philip) Broberg, and he was the last forward back. And the puck went into the corner to where he could have dove at it. He didn’t go because he read numbers. Most young players would dive in and the other team would have a 2-on-1 off his back. As a coach, it’s a confidence-builder as a coach when you see a player read numbers that quickly because the game of hockey, especially when you come to play your first game in the NHL, things happen faster than you’ve ever seen before and he read that instantly. And they got nothing. We actually reloaded above, they turned it over by the red line.”

- - -

Injured players Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist) and Nathan Walker (upper body) were on the ice Thursday morning working prior to an optional morning skate.

None will play Thursday, but that’s some encouraging signs that they are on the mend.

“It’s always good when you see guys getting closer,” Montgomery said. “What’s not good is when you win a game, the fist pump line of guys not dressed is about eight long, that’s when you’re like, ‘Holy Jesus, we do have a lot of injuries.’”

Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) were not skating.

- - -

The Blues, after wearing their old home uniforms that are now their third jerseys on Wednesday, will don the road whites at home for the first and only time on Thursday, so fans will get to see firsthand -- unless you've seen them on the road -- those sweaters.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Alexey Toropchenko-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich

Jake Neighbours-Brayden Schenn-Otto Stenberg

Pius Suter-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren

Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Matt Luff

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Robby Fabbri and Matthew Kessel. Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist), Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain), Nathan Walker (upper body) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) are out.

- - -

Rangers Projected Lineup:

Will Cuylle-Vincent Trocheck-J.T. Miller

Artemi Panarin-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafreniere

Conor Sheary-Noah Laba-Taylor Raddysh

Gabe Perreault-Sam Carrick-Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov-Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy-Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson-Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin will start in goal; Jonathan Quick will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Jonny Brodzinski and Scott Morrow. Adam Fox (upper body) and Adam Edstrom (lower body) are out.

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.

Exactly three decades after he coached his first game behind the Ottawa Senators' bench, Jacques Martin is set to be immortalized by the franchise. 

The Senators announced on Thursday that Martin will be added to the club’s Ring of Honour on Saturday, January 24, before the club's home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The date is a nice choice, falling exactly 30 years after Martin coached his first game with the Sens on January 24, 1996.

“I have been privileged to coach outstanding players and not only great players, but great people. And that was the reason I was able to get there,” Martin said in a club statement.

His addition to the Ring was one of the easiest decisions in franchise history.

The Sens' content team devised a clever plan to surprise Martin, asking him and Daniel Alfredsson to narrate a Great Moments in Sens History video. Alfredsson capped it off by revealing Martin's tribute night, a special moment that hasn’t happened yet.

Martin isn't an easy guy to make smile, but he looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

Kudos to the Sens content team for this one. It has nostalgia, emotion, and a well-executed surprise. Instantly one of my all-time favourites. https://t.co/cJljHkKhsq

— Steve Warne (@SteveWarneMedia) December 18, 2025

The Ottawa-born coach stands 16th in NHL history with 1350 games coached in the NHL and holds team records for games coached (748), wins (367) and playoff victories (31). 

He was named the NHL’s Coach of the Year in 1999, and guided Ottawa to its only President’s Trophy during the 2002–03 season. That was the season the Sens went to the Eastern Conference Final before bowing out at home in a Game 7 heartbreaker against the New Jersey Devils.

When it looked like Martin's coaching days were probably behind him, the Sens brought him back at age 71 in Dec. 2023 to be a consultant and resource to head coach D.J. Smith. 12 days later, he became Smith's replacement, guiding the Sens to the end of the 2023-24 season. Martin made way for Travis Green in May 2024 and continues to serve as an advisor to the club’s coaching staff.

Martin will be remembered for quickly righting a floundering ship in Ottawa's early years.

When he arrived in the 1995-96 NHL season, it was only January, and Martin was already their third head coach of that season. The team wasn't that much better than the historically bad expansion team (10-70-4) they had in the 1992-93 season. Rick Bowness had recently been fired after a 6-13 start in his fourth season. They were even worse, absurdly so, after promoting their AHL head coach, Dave Allison, who was fired after a 2-22-1 record.

Just over one calendar year later, Martin steered the Sens into the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Technically, Martin had three stints with the Senators. In his first run with the Senators, in a beautiful gesture, he temporarily gave up the head coaching reins to his friend and assistant coach, Roger Neilson. Neilson, who was battling cancer, officially took over the Sens' bench for the final two games of the 2001-02 season, allowing him to reach the 1000 game mark in his NHL coaching career.

Neilson died the following year at age 69.

With his induction, Martin becomes the fourth member of the Senators' Ring of Honour at Canadian Tire Centre, joining Bryan Murray, Wade Redden and Dr. Don Chow.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:

Top Prospect Carter Yakemchuk Injured In Collision During AHL Game
Senators' First Step Toward Stanley Cup Playoff Return Is Better Goaltending
30 Games Into The Season, What Is The Ottawa Senators' Identity?
Speculating On Yakemchuk's NHL Arrival Time
Popular Former Senator Forward Attempting Comeback At Age 38
Four Ottawa Senators Make Annual List Of Most Punchable NHL Players

It’s going to be a fun few weeks in and around Miami’s MLB ballpark.

That’s because the NHL has started moving into loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, and setting things up for the 2026 Winter Classic.

The game is set for Jan. 2 between the host Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers.

On Wednesday, the league began the process of building the ice rink inside the ballpark.

That processes included the NHL bringing down not one, but two mobile refrigeration units to help maintain the ice surface in warm South Florida.

“I think it’s pretty bold move by the League,” said NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Derek King. “I think for us, it’s ‘Why not Florida?’ It’s an amazing hockey market, so for us to bring the game here, I think it’s pretty exciting.”

The retractable roof at loanDepot park is expected to remain closed during construction of the rink and likely until the game arrives, as temperatures in South Florida are expected to remain in the 70s and 80s in the days leading up to the Winter Classic.

As King and NHL Senior Manager of Facilities Operations Andrew Higgins explained, the construction of the rink itself will likely run though next week. Around Dec. 23 or 24, the installation of the ice surface will begin, at which time the air conditioning inside loanDepot park will be cranked up extremely high.

“We’ll be able to close in the building, keep everything conditioned,” said King. “That’s going to allow us to build it like we would in any other venue.”

Both the Panthers and Rangers are scheduled to hold practices on the ice at loanDepot park the day before the Winer Classic.

Anything the players and coaches have to say about the ice quality will be taken into account by Higgins and his staff, and adjustments can and will be made as needed.

Additionally, the ice that is being built at the ballpark will be quite thicker than what is normally seen inside NHL rinks.

Usually, ice is about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick, but the ice for the Winer Classic will be around 2 to 2.5 inches thick. That way, if there are any issues, they can just shave the ice down instead of adding water to it.

“I think the quality (of the ice) is going to be great,” said King.

When the game arrives, the plan is for the stadium to open its roof panels and the massive glass windows past left field that provide a pristine view of the Downtown Miami skyline.

The 2026 Winter Classic is set for an 8 p.m. faceoff.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Three takeaways: Deeper, healthier Panthers building momentum, earn tough home win after long road trip

Panthers clamp down against Los Angeles to earn third straight victory

Gustav Forsling Avoids Injury; Will Suit Up When Panthers Host Kings

Panthers look to build off strong road trip, begin homestand against Los Angeles

Panthers to host Winter Classic Jersey Nights, will wear new threads during additional home games

The Florida Panthers are starting to make some headway in the Eastern Conference standings thanks to a very strong couple of weeks.

Wednesday night’s 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings was Florida’s sixth in their past seven games.

The victory improved the Cats’ record to 18-13-2, and their 38 points are one point back of both the second Wild Card spot and, perhaps more importantly, one point back of third place in the Atlantic Division.

Interestingly, the Atlantic is so tightly packed, the first-place Detroit Red Wings have 41 points, so only three more than the Panthers, and Florida has two games in hand.

It certainly looks like the Panthers are setting themselves up for a very happy holiday.

Let’s get to Wednesday’s takeaways:

A TOUGH HOME WIN

Ask any coach or any player…the first game back home after a long road trip is never an easy one to win.

Florida had just played four away games in six nights, all against playoff teams at the time (Utah has since fallen out of a playoff spot), and come away with six of a possible eight points.

Returning home to face a strong Kings squad who were quite hungry themselves after having a four-game point streak snapped Monday in Dallas, the Panthers certainly had their work cut out for them.

Florida survived a strong push by LA at the start before slowly but surely turning momentum in their favor, getting back to the basics that have driven their recent success away from home.

“This was a tough one tonight to come back off the road, and I think the other team, especially at the start, played exceptionally well,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think the road team has the advantage in this situation, and we found a way to win a game. We're in that mode. We're not looking for perfection right now.”

DEPTH AND HEALTH

The Panthers have spent much of this season trying to find ways to succeed in their systems despite having an extremely depleted lineup.

Between the injuries piling up and Carter Verhaeghe missing a game due to the birth of his child, things came to a head earlier this month as Florida dropped five of six, all on home ice.

Then Verhaeghe came back and Eetu Luostarinen returned, and suddenly the Cats’ depth received a nice boost.

They’ve now won six of seven and have points in seven of eight.

“At the start of the month, we got beat by Toronto,” Maurice said. “We get beat. But (Carter) Verhaeghe and (Eetu) Luostarinen were out, and that made our number (of healthy forwards) eight, and when you get to that number, you're going to have a hard time. And then Carter’s wife had the baby, and the next night he came in, and we got a point and we played a little bit better. And then Luostarinen came back into our lineup, so now you're back to a more manageable number of injuries.”

A LOSS TO BE LEARNED FROM

Florida’s only defeat over the past couple weeks came on the second night of a back-to-back against the NHL’s best team.

It was an incredibly difficult turnaround for Florida, who had to endure a two-hour time change in addition to steep elevation changes when traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Salt Lake City and then to Denver, and playing games on consecutive nights in those environments on top of it.

Panthers’ defenseman Aaron Ekblad said a couple days later that it was possibly the most challenging back-to-back set of his career.

It showed on the ice, as Florida followed up a victory in Utah with an embarrassing 6-2 drubbing at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.

Maurice and his Panthers didn’t let the defeat deter them off the path they had begun to walk and continued pushing toward better and more consistent play, instead using the loss as motivation and learning from what went wrong.

“I think we'd started to play better, and then we got pounded by Colorado, and there was just a lot of things that we don't do, but it almost was a blessing in disguise,” said Maurice. “(Playing on a) back-to-back, it exposed everything. From that point on, we've been better, much better. We gave up more than we wanted to give up tonight, for sure, but I think that's a function of context, because the Dallas game and the Tampa Bay game were played pretty darn well.”

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Panthers clamp down against Los Angeles to earn third straight victory

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Panthers look to build off strong road trip, begin homestand against Los Angeles

Panthers to host Winter Classic Jersey Nights, will wear new threads during additional home games

Florida Panthers announce pair of open practices in Fort Lauderdale during holiday season

Photo caption: Nov 13, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrates with teammates after reaching his 1000th career point on an assists to center Eetu Luostarinen (27) for a goal against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a big move last week, as they traded goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers. One of the pieces the Penguins got back from the Oilers in the trade was veteran defenseman Brett Kulak. 

Kulak has the potential to be a nice addition to the Penguins' roster. When playing at his best, the 31-year-old is a reliable defenseman who plays a smart game. He certainly showed this during this past season with the Oilers, as he recorded seven goals and 25 points in 82 games.

Yet, with Kulak being a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and the Penguins having a ton of defensemen, could he end up being a potential trade chip for Pittsburgh this season? It seems possible.

During a recent appearance on the NHL Network, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman brought up the possibility of the Penguins trading Kulak this campaign.

"I think Kulak is a better player than he's shown this season," Friedman said. "He's had a really rough year. I've always liked him. It will be interesting to see if they flip him for more."

With Kulak being a proven veteran defenseman with plenty of playoff experience, it is certainly possible that he could generate interest from contenders this season. He is a solid bottom-pairing defenseman who can kill penalties, so he would be a nice depth pickup for a playoff club to bring in if the Penguins decide to shop him. 

Milan Lucic has officially signed with EIHL club, Fife Flyers, following his professional tryout with the St. Louis Blues. 

Prior to pre-season, the Blues invited Lucic to their training camp, but the 37-year-old sustained an injury and missed most of the Blues' game action. When he recovered, he played with the Springfield Thunderbirds again on a PTO, but the Blues ultimately decided not to sign the 17-year NHL veteran. 

The 2006 second-round pick (50th overall) played 1177 games in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, notching 233 goals and 586 points. Lucic also won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in the 2010-11 season, scoring five goals and 12 points in 25 playoff games. 

Lucic's new team, the Fife Flyers, is a Scottish-based team that currently sits last in the 10-team British league with three wins in its first 20 games. The team’s roster includes ex-NHLers Simon Després and David Booth, as well as 38-year-old Canadian left winger Garet Hunt, who was Lucic’s teammate on the Memorial Cup and WHL Champion Vancouver Giants.

According to the Flyers' press release, Lucic's signing with the Flyers is pending paperwork completion, and he will wear No.8 this season in the Kingdom.

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.

With a healthy defense, Flyers place Zamula on waivers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers made what felt like an inevitable move now that their defense is fully healthy.

The club placed Egor Zamula on waivers Thursday. If he clears Friday, he can be loaned to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Zamula had become the team’s eighth defenseman with the return of Rasmus Ristolainen, who made his season debut Tuesday night in the Flyers’ 4-1 win over the Canadiens. Ristolainen had been out of game action for over nine months as he recovered from surgery in March on a second triceps tendon rupture.

The Flyers now have seven defensemen, with Noah Juulsen being a reliable extra when needed. The club plays its third game of a four-game road trip Thursday when it meets the Sabres (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN+, Hulu).

Zamula had played only 13 games for the Flyers this season. He had one assist and a plus-4 rating. The 25-year-old struggled at times in the defensive zone and moving the puck with pace.

He last played 11 days ago when the Flyers fell to the NHL-leading Avalanche, 3-2. Zamula and Juulsen were on the ice for two of Colorado’s goals.

“They’re scratching and clawing,” Rick Tocchet said after the loss. “That’s what you’ve got to get from them, they’re trying.”

The Flyers made the decision on Zamula before the Dec. 20-27 holiday roster freeze. We’ll see if they have any interest in calling up a forward from the Phantoms. With Tyson Foerster out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his arm, Alex Bump could get a look at some point.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders have recalled defenseman Marshall Warren from Bridgeport.

The Islanders are no longer accruing cap space with Warren's $825,000 on the books. 

#Isles have recalled D Marshall Warren from Bridgeport, per my eyes. pic.twitter.com/A1FZvJszZN

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) December 18, 2025

Both general manager Mathieu Darche and head coach Patrick Roy were in Bridgeport for their 5-0 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday. 

Warren, 24, played two games earlier this season for the Islanders, filling in for Alexander Romanov when he sustained an upper-body injury back in late October.

The Laurel Hollow, Long Island native recorded two assists in his first NHL game, playing 11:20 minutes in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Then, he played 12:56 in a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins before being returned to Bridgeport. 

Fellow rookie defenseman Travis Mitchell had been holding down the Romanov fort, with the veteran blue liner now out for likely the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Mitchell, who recorded one goal in nine games, averaged 11:32 per game and was loaned back to Bridgeport on Monday. Once Mitchell plays in his 10th career NHL game, he'll lose his waiver-exemption status, which is likely the reason he was returned to the AHL.

While the Islanders certainly liked Mitchell's stability, Roy is likely looking for someone who can play a bit more minutes and take some of the load off No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer and elite defenseman Adam Pelech.

Defenseman Isaiah George, who played 33 games with the Islanders last season, averaging 15:39 minutes per game, has been skipped twice now as a call-up option. 

We will not count the Mitchell recall as one because George was out injured at the time of the transaction. 

George has played only three games since missing a month of action with an upper-body injury, so he likely still needs more time before he's ready. 

Will see if Warren plays on Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks, who they host at 7 PM ET, before facing the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday at 5 PM ET.

Warren was recalled on Nov. 25 after Romanov's latest injury. However, seventh defenseman Adam Boqvist got a string of games with the Islanders, after which Warren was optioned back to Bridgeport. 

Warren has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 17 games with Bridgeport this season. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild (20-9-5) has been riddled by injuries recently and just made a move.

In the Wild's last game against the Washington Capitals, another defensemen got hurt. It was Daemon Hunt this time.

Because of that, the Wild have recalled defenseman Carson Lambos from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Lambos, 22, has recorded two goals and five points in 26 games this year for Iowa. He has played the last three seasons in the AHL with Iowa and has recorded 11 goals, 27 assists and 38 points in 163 games.

The 6-foot-1 defenseman was drafted with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. He has yet to appear in an NHL game but this is his second time being recalled from the AHL.

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One of the Toronto Maple Leafs' injured defensemen is returning to game action.

Marshall Rifai was sent to the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Thursday morning for a conditioning loan, the Maple Leafs announced. The 27-year-old is working his way back from wrist surgery, which he underwent during training camp after picking up an injury in a preseason game.

Rifai has been skating for quite some time, and, over the last few weeks, has been participating in practices with the Maple Leafs. He's mostly been skating with fellow defenseman Chris Tanev, who's also working his way back from an injury (upper body) that he picked up on Nov. 1.

The Beaconsfield, Quebec native has played two games in his NHL career (Feb. 19 and 21, 2024) under former Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe. In those two games, the defenseman averaged 11:40 of ice time and was a plus-one.

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During Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube's tenure, Rifai has been called up but has yet to appear in the lineup. He played 63 games with the Marlies last season, tallying three goals and 10 assists.

"He's always in the mix since I've been here. He's a guy that can give you games and be ready to play. A guy like him, he gets in there and plays some games and gains confidence," Berube said earlier this month.

"He's got a lot of ability. He can skate. He's a physical player. But, yeah, I mean, you look at all the injuries we've got on the back end right now. I mean, those guys are important, right? We all know that. We see that now, how important these guys are, because (injuries) happen. And, you know, he can be playing."

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Given Rifai is on the Maple Leafs' long-term injured reserve, his conditioning loan will last for six days and three games. The Maple Leafs are permitted to request a two-game extension for Rifai's loan to the AHL.

The Marlies play two games this weekend: a home-and-home against the Belleville Senators. They'll play at home on Saturday before heading to Belleville for an afternoon matchup on Sunday. Toronto will then host Belleville again next Friday.

Rifai was signed to an AHL deal by the Marlies as an undrafted defenseman in 2022, coming out of Harvard University. After a strong season with the Marlies, he earned a two-year, $1.55 million contract. He's since been re-signed to the same deal and is under contract until July 2027.

In 189 career AHL games, Rifai has nine goals and 48 points.