Injured Canucks Forward Evander Kane Not With Team On Current California Road Trip

The Vancouver Canucks will be missing Evander Kane when they begin their three-game California road trip on Thursday. After morning skate, Head Coach Adam Foote confirmed that Kane did not make the trip and said, "He's going through some stuff. He's been fighting through it. Along with that, and us wanting to go with some young guys."

While Foote has mentioned a few times that Kane has been dealing with an injury, no specifics have been released. This includes what the injury is and when exactly Kane suffered it. Kane has missed three of the last four games for Vancouver and has skated in 71 of the team's 77 games this year. 

With Kane out for the road trip, the question now is whether or not he will play again this season. The Canucks have only five games left, with the final regular-season game scheduled for April 16. Kane is an unrestricted free agent this season and ranks sixth on Vancouver's roster with 31 points. 

The Canucks kick off their California road trip on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. Thursday is a must-win game for the Kings, as they look to secure a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm PT. 

Mar 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) skates with the puck during the third period against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Mar 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) skates with the puck during the third period against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

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Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche vs. Calgary Flames (7:00 p.m.)

Mar 31, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view as members of the Calgary Flames against the Colorado Avalanche face off in the third period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Calgary Flames would more than likely prefer to forget what happened the last time they met the Colorado Avalanche.

The 9-2 final score painted the picture of a blowout loss, but a closer look reveals that the Avalanche scored five goals in the first five minutes of the game, so just calling it a blowout kind of comes up short.

Well, the theme of the regular season has been the revenge game, and Calgary has a chance to follow the rule and steal one from Colorado at Ball Arena.

Can they pull off the upset, or will the Avalanche once again be too much for the team from Cowtown?

Colorado Avalanche: 51-16-10

The Opponent: Calgary Flames (32-36-9)

Time: 7:00 p.m. MT

Watch: Altitude, Altitude+, ESPN+

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have won the West and Central Division while still seeking the Presidents’ Trophy, but will their home-ice struggles come back to bite them yet again?

Colorado is 3-1-6 at home since returning from the Olympic break, which is kind of ironic, considering the Avalanche’s reward for regular-season success is home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Avalanche will be without Nazem Kadri, who left during the second period of Colorado’s victory over St. Louis. Just when they finally got to ice their full arsenal of forward talent.

Projected Lineup:

Artturi LehkonenNathan MacKinnonMartin Necas
Gabriel LandeskogBrock NelsonValeri Nichushkin
Ross ColtonNicolas RoyJoel Kiviranta
Parker KellyJack DruryLogan O’Connor

Devon ToewsSam Malinski
Brett KulakJosh Manson
Nick BlankenburgBrent Burns

MacKenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Calgary Flames

The Flames still have problems scoring; in fact, Nazem Kadri’s 41 points (while in Calgary) would still be tied for the lead on the roster.

The Flames did test the Dallas Stars their last time out but fell 4-3 in OT. This does display a capability to steal one, and after what we saw from Colorado on home ice against Vancouver on April Fools Day, anything is possible.

Projected Lineup:

Yegor SharangovichMikael BacklundMatt Coronato
Joel FarabeeMorgan FrostMatvei Gridin
Connor ZaryRyan StromeAydar Suniev
Victor OlofssonJohn BeecherAdam Klapk

Yan KuznetsovZach Whitecloud
Olli MaattaHunter Brzustewicz
Brayden PachalZayne Parekh

Dustin Wolf
Devin Cooley

Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield sidelined by unspecified injury

CHICAGO (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield was scratched for Thursday night's game at Chicago because of an unspecified injury.

Chatfield took just two shifts in the third period of Tuesday night's 6-5 overtime victory over Boston. He has two goals and a career-high 15 assists in 71 games this season.

“You're always concerned when guys are missing,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I hope it's not anything that's going to drag on, but put it this way, he's not 100 percent so he's not playing.”

The Hurricanes clinched the Metropolitan Division title with their win against the Bruins. They were on top of the Eastern Conference going into Thursday's action, two points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres.

Defenseman Jaccob Slavin and forwards Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov also were scratched for the matchup with the Blackhawks. The reasons for their absences were undisclosed.

“We got a couple guys (that) got nicked up the other night," Brind’Amour said before the lineup was announced.

Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault and forwards Skyler Brind’Amour, Bradly Nadeau and Josiah Slavin were active one day after they were recalled from Carolina's American Hockey League affiliate.

Skyler Brind’Amour is the coach's son, and Slavin is the younger brother of Jaccob Slavin. Skyler Brind’Amour scored a goal in two games with the Hurricanes last April, and Josiah Slavin had an assist in 15 games with the Blackhawks during the 2021-22 season in his only previous NHL action.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Flyers have little go right in lopsided loss, but a key game goes their way

Flyers have little go right in lopsided loss, but a key game goes their way originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers had a messy Thursday night in Detroit, one they’ll hope is just a blip on the radar and not a concerning sign of things to come.

Rick Tocchet’s club fell to the Red Wings, 6-3, at Little Caesars Arena.

Dan Vladar was pulled in the second period after Detroit scored its fourth goal.

Christian Dvorak, Porter Martone and Luke Glendening provided the Flyers’ goals.

For a sixth time this season, the Flyers (40-27-12) failed to win four games in a row. They haven’t won more than three straight in over two years. The last time they did it was Feb. 6-12 of the 2023-24 season.

With some help, though, the Flyers stayed in playoff position Thursday night (more on that below).

The Flyers dropped two of three games to the Red Wings (41-29-9) this season. After winning the first matchup, 5-3, in Detroit, the Flyers were outscored 10-5 over the final two meetings.

• With three games to go, the Flyers still hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division.

The Blue Jackets were blanked Thursday night by the Sabres, 5-0, so the Flyers remained two points ahead of Columbus. However, the Islanders beat the Maple Leafs, 5-3, to climb within one point of the Flyers.

The Flyers are three points up on the Capitals, who were not in action.

Tocchet’s club entered Thursday with a 66.7 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to Hockey-Reference.com’s probabilities report. That will drop Friday morning, but the Flyers do still control their destiny.

• Vladar finally had a subpar effort.

He had been lights out in the Flyers’ three-game win streak, giving up just three goals and recording a .954 save percentage.

Against the Red Wings, he surrendered four goals on eight shots. The Flyers didn’t help him at all. Three of the goals came on Detroit’s power play and the other came when the Flyers were on their power play.

The shorthanded goal ended Vladar’s night. Dylan Larkin scored on a breakaway after Tyson Foerster had a pass get blocked. It was the second goal of a hat trick for the Red Wings’ captain.

Martone, Matvei Michkov, Rasmus Ristolainen and Owen Tippett had penalties that hurt the Flyers.

Martone and Ristolainen were hit with ones that could have been evened out by Detroit penalties. At the end of the first period, Martone and Lucas Raymond were tied up and penalized. Ristolainen swooped in to defend Martone, but then became entangled with Larkin. However, only the Flyers’ defenseman was handed a penalty.

In the opening 1:50 minutes of the second period, a 1-1 game turned into a 3-1 deficit for the Flyers.

Moritz Seider took advantage of a 5-on-3 situation after Tippett was whistled for crashing into Red Wings netminder John Gibson. Larkin struck on the power play 1:18 minutes later with his first of the night.

Samuel Ersson denied 12 of 14 shots in relief. Larkin and Patrick Kane put the game away in the third period.

Gibson stopped 13 of the Flyers’ 15 shots before exiting with an undisclosed issue. One has to wonder if he was shaken up from Tippett’s interference penalty.

Cam Talbot took over in the second period when Detroit was up 4-2. He finished with 11 saves on 12 shots.

• Martone had an assist to go along with his goal, giving him six points through his first six games.

Dvorak matched his career high of 18 goals; he’s up to 50 points on the season. Trevor Zegras set a new career high of 66 points with an assist on Martone’s power play goal.

• The Flyers play their final road game of the season Saturday when they visit the Jets (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

Gamethread: Penguins @ Devils

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 08: Brenden Dillon #5 of the New Jersey Devils and Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins fight during the first period of a NHL game at Prudential Center on November 8, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Mike Sullivan Likes What He's Seen From Drew Fortescue Through Short Sample Size

Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Drew Fortescue signing his three-year, entry-level contract in March has allowed the New York Rangers to see what they have in the young defenseman. 

After three seasons playing at Boston College, Fortescue decided to make the jump to professional hockey and immediately go from the NCAA to the NHL. 

Through seven games, Fortescue has seemed to adapt well to the NHL, impressing Mike Sullivan in the process. 

“I've been really impressed with his puck poise, his vision,” Sullivan said of Fortescue. “He keeps the play simple, but he's not just an off-the-glass-and-out guy. He's looking to go tape-to-tape. He has the composure and the confidence to find the middle play, say, on a breakout. He doesn't just play safe hockey. He plays smart hockey. He doesn't play reckless hockey. There's a difference between those three, and I like the fact that he's trying to play smart hockey.”

Through most of his time with the Rangers thus far, Fortescue has been paired alongside Braden Schneider. 

Sullivan believes that playing with a steady defenseman like Schneider benefits Fortescue, who is still finding his footing at the professional hockey level.

“Schneids is a bona fide, legit, solid NHL defenseman, who defends well,” Sullivan said. “He has good mobility. The lefty-righty combination is something that we liked. Schneids can help him as a stabilizing partner. Schneids is very predictable, you know where he is going to be, he’s in the right spots, those kinds of things, which I think is important for a young defenseman that is trying to find his way.” 

The 20-year-old defenseman has recorded two assists, while averaging 14:58 minutes per game.

Adam Fox’s red-hot play only brings about more Rangers questions

Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates his goal with his teammates as he comes along the bench in the second period of the Buffalo Sabres and Rangers game at MSG.
Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates his goal against the Sabres.

During the stretch after Adam Fox first returned from long-term injured reserve following the Olympic break, head coach Mike Sullivan was controlled when asked about the Rangers’ star defenseman.

His production, Sullivan said March 18, was getting better. Fox, he added, was building his game again. The ceiling for a point-per-game, Norris Trophy-winning member of the blue line had already been established, but Sullivan acknowledged it would take time for Fox to return to that point due to his extended absences this season.

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But Wednesday night, from the bowels of the Garden during his postgame press conference, Sullivan didn’t hesitate when asked about Fox, who’d just recorded a multipoint game for the third consecutive match. His goal and assist against the Sabres gave Fox 15 points in his past eight games, 24 in his past 22 and 52 in the 52 contests he has skated in this season.

“Well, I think he’s captured his game that he started the season with,” Sullivan said.

There’s no question the Rangers are a better team with Fox in the lineup, but with the offseason lingering after a three-game road trip to close the season, the future of the defenseman remains one of their most pressing questions. His cryptic comments from late February, when asked about whether he wants to remain with the Blueshirts through their retool, still loom. And that remains their dilemma: Fox, in the most injury-plagued season of his career, has once again shown his peak value, but what happens if he wants out?

“When you miss a stretch of time, it could take a little bit,” Fox said after Wednesday’s game when asked about his eight-game point streak, “but I think over the last month or so, I feel really good about my game.”

Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) skates with the puck in the third period of the Buffalo Sabres’ 5-3 win. Bill Kostroun

The uncertainty with Fox stemmed from an answer following the Rangers’ Feb. 26 game against the Flyers when, after another loss in his first game back from injury, Fox fielded a question about his thoughts on The Letter 2.0 — which president and general manager Chris Drury dropped during his time on long-term injured reserve.

Fox said he felt “a little helpless” after seeing the public commitment for a retool, but when asked if he wanted to remain with the Rangers through this next stage, Fox, in part, said, “I think that’s a conversation when we’re done playing games.”

In a normal Rangers season, there wouldn’t even be a doubt about Fox’s future with the team. He’s a Long Island native who never masked his desires — or dreams — to play on Broadway. He’s a defenseman regarded as one of the top power-play quarterbacks in the league. His contract lasts through the end of the 2028-29 season, and the Blueshirts’ top priority last offseason involved signing left-handed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to pair with Fox.

And the benefits of having Fox in the lineup have once again become apparent. The Rangers have collected the most power-play goals in the NHL since Feb. 28 (20) — a stretch beginning the game after Fox returned — and are tied for the league lead in power-play percentage (33.3) since that juncture, according to the team. They have the No. 3 power play this year after watching their constant strength crater to the No. 28-ranked unit in 2024-25.

“He obviously is an elite player offensively,” Sullivan said of Fox. “He sees it so well. The poise he has with the puck. He drives offense in so many ways.”

The Rangers didn’t have that luxury for a chunk of their season. Fox skated in just three games between Nov. 29 and Feb. 26, with a pair of stints on long-term injured reserve surrounding the midseason break — the Olympics that Fox wasn’t selected to participate in for Team USA — to create the prolonged absence. He’d never played in fewer than 70 games across a full 82-game campaign. This year, if he appears in all of the Rangers’ remaining games, he’ll log just 55.

Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates his goal against the Sabres. Bill Kostroun

But after recording just 61 points in 74 games last season, Fox has again matched the production level that made him an annual part of the Norris conversation. If there were concerns about injuries contributing to a production drop-off, he eliminated those worries. The Rangers, though, still need to figure out if they can depend on it for next season.

Even a vintage production tear from Fox isn’t enough to change that reality.

Panthers Grant Maple Leafs, Devils Permission To Talk To Assistant GM Sunny Mehta

The Florida Panthers could very easily lose a pair of their assistant GMs this off-season, and that process is already beginning.

On Thursday, the Panthers granted the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils permission to speak to assistant GM Sunny Mehta, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun

On Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Mehta would be a major factor in the Maple Leafs’ GM search, given his background and current involvement in the Panthers’ analytics department. 

MLSE CEO Keith Pelley felt the Maple Leafs were underutilizing their resources. With Mehta’s success with analytics, he could likely be considered a favorite to land the Maple Leafs job. 

But in came the Devils, who fired their GM, Tom Fitzgerald, on Monday. Mehta received his first NHL gig with the Devils, where he worked as an analyst for four years, from 2014-18. 

In addition to Mehta, Lebrun mentions Brett Peterson, who has been involved in interviews for the Nashville Predators vacancy. LeBrun wonders whether the Maple Leafs and Devils will approach Peterson as part of their process, but at the moment, they haven’t. 

Panthers Assistant GMs Reportedly Garnering Plenty Of Interest Around The NHLPanthers Assistant GMs Reportedly Garnering Plenty Of Interest Around The NHLThe Nashville Predators and the Toronto Maple Leafs have emerged as teams that could sweep away Florida Panthers assistant GMs Brett Peterson and Sunny Mehta.

With the Panthers’ recent success, it’s no surprise that teams around the NHL want to pry the Panthers’ management group away. 

If the Panthers lose both Mehta and Peterson, they’ll need to look for assistant GMs to join Bill Zito and Gregory Campbell’s staff. 


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Sabres goalie Alex Lyon could miss start of playoffs with strained lower body muscle

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon could miss the start of the playoffs due to a strained lower-body muscle.

Coach Lindy Ruff provided the update on Thursday, a day after Lyon was hurt during the team's pre-game skate ahead of Buffalo's 5-3 win at the New York Rangers. Ruff said the initial prognosis is the goalie missing a week, while adding there is a chance he won't be available for the start of the playoffs, which are scheduled to open April 18-19.

The Sabres, who host Columbus on Thursday night, are contending for the Atlantic Division title after clinching their first playoff berth in 15 seasons.

The 33-year-old Lyon has gone 20-10-4 in his first season in Buffalo while sharing the starting duties with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Buffalo is carrying a third goalie, Colten Ellis, who was scheduled to face Columbus in his first start since a 31-save outing in a 4-3 overtime loss at Tampa Bay on Feb. 3.

Ellis entered the day with a 7-4-1 record, and would serve as Luukkonen's backup while Lyon is sidelined.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Hurricanes With Multiple AHL Callups For Final Road Trip

The Carolina Hurricanes have just four games left to play on their 2025-26 regular season schedule and with their division and playoff spot already locked up, it seems like certain guys will start getting a bit of rest.

The Hurricanes made four AHL callups on Wednesday, recalling forwards Bradly Nadeau, Skyler Brind'Amour, Josiah Slavin and defenseman Charles Alexis Legault from the Chicago Wolves.

Every team is allowed to make just five non-emergency, AHL callups following the trade deadline and with one already burned a few weeks ago in Montreal, Carolina was only able to recall these four players.

Nadeau and Legault have already seen NHL action this season, with both playing in eight games, but neither Brind'Amour nor Slavin have been recalled this year.

Brind'Amour made his NHL debut last season, scoring his first NHL goal in Montreal. Slavin has played in the NHL before, but that was back in 2022, appearing in 15 games for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nadeau led the Wolves in goals again this season, scoring 26 goals along with 27 assists, in 51 games.

Brind'Amour was third on the team in goals (16 goals, 34 points in 66 games) and Slavin, who captained the Wolves this year, had six goals and 25 points in 66 games.

Legault had three goals and seven points in 22 games with the Wolves and saw limited action due to a hand injury he suffered while up with Carolina.

There's no confirmation yet on who will come out of the lineup, but the Hurricanes have plenty of bodies to throw in to give some of their top guys rest. 

We've already seen Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook get a game off earlier in the week, so look to them to perhaps draw out.

Jalen Chatfield was also injured on Tuesday so I wouldn't expect him to play and we may also see Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis sitting as well due to their importance to the team.

But again, we'll just have to wait and see.


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Avalanche coach Jared Bednar says forward Nazem Kadri will miss ‘some games’ with finger injury

Nazeem Kadri

Mar 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (91) warms up against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Charles LeClaire/Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

DENVER — Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri will miss “some games” because of a finger injury, Colorado coach Jared Bednar said.

Bednar added the Avalanche hope to work him back into the lineup before the playoffs. The Avalanche have five games remaining.

Colorado already has clinched the Central Division and the top seed in the Western Conference. A win over Calgary wraps up the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the squad with the best NHL record.

Kadri was hurt in a 3-1 win over the Blues in St. Louis. He has four goals and five assists in 16 games since being acquired by Colorado as part of a trade deadline deal with the Flames on March 6.

The 35-year-old Kadri helped Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022.

In addition to Kadri, the Avalanche are without defenseman Cale Makar because of an upper-body injury. Makar skated with the team in a red, non-contact sweater. Makar is set to miss his fifth straight game.

Lineup Notes: Tolopilo Starts In Third-Consecutive Game As Canucks Take On The Kings

The Vancouver Canucks will take on the Los Angeles Kings for the second-last time this season tonight. Vancouver last faced Los Angeles on March 26, during which the Canucks lost by a score of 4-0. The Canucks will play the Kings one more time this season after tonight on April 14 at home. Here are the lineup notes for April 9, 2026. 

Vancouver is not expected to change their lineups too much today, meaning that Ty Mueller will sit out of his second-straight game. The forward was called up last Wednesday and played in two games before being healthy-scratched on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Nikita Tolopilo will start in net for the Canucks tonight, with this being the goaltender's third consecutive start since Kevin Lankinen was held out of the lineup on a day-to-day basis. In his last start, Tolopilo stopped 27 of 29 shots faced for a .931 SV%. 

Projected Lineup: 

O’Connor-Pettersson-DeBrusk

Öhgren-Rossi-Boeser

Sasson-Blueger-Karlsson

Höglander-Räty-Douglas

Buium-Hronek

M. Pettersson-Willander

E. Pettersson-Mancini

Tolopilo

Patera 

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:30 pm PT 

Venue: Crypto.com Arena 

Television: Sportsnet 

Radio: Sportsnet 650 

Apr 7, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) in the net against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Apr 7, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) in the net against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

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Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

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The Saga Of Two Divergent Teams: Rangers Vs. Sabres

 Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
 Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

With only three more games on the Blueshirts slate – all away – it's time now to compare two of the NHL's most contrasting teams and understand which went up and which went down. 

And more importantly why the Blueshirts are a sorrowful mess while the Sabres could win The Stanley Cup.

RELATIVE VALUE: The Rangers are valued at $4.5 BILLION. Sabres at $1.5 Billion.  Blueshirts have a $3.0 Billion lead and look how it "helped" them. (DIDN'T!)

OCTOBER 2025: At the start of the season, The Hockey News Yearbook picked the Rangers to finish fourth in the Metropolitan Division. Buffalo was picked seventh in the  Atlantic. Blueshirts are in the non-playoff pits -- again. The Sabres are now among the NHL's elite.

STARS: The Rangers have one – Igor Shesterkin – who is supposed to "carry" the team. Here are just a few aces who've carried the Sabres to the top: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. 

GM: Chris Drury it is to laugh; Jarmo Kekalainen merely turned the Sabres into winners.

Coach: Mike Sullivan is hell bent to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year; Lindy Ruff is in the process of pulling off one of the miracle bench jobs in NHL history.

Anyone who doubts the above should merely check the standings.

Flyers Depth Chart: Jack Berglund Signing Provides Massive Boost… Literally

After signing top center prospect Jack Berglund, the Philadelphia Flyers received quite a big organizational boost at the forward position, aiding them both now and in the future.

Berglund, 19, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on Thursday morning, which will take effect starting with the 2026-27 season.

For now, the 6-foot-4 Swede will join the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms for their Calder Cup playoff push, and he should be able to immediately establish himself as a top-nine forward on the team in the absences of Denver Barkey and Alex Bump, who are now full-time NHL players.

The Flyers have brought aboard a number of forwards for the Phantoms in recent weeks, with players like Noah Powell, Cole Knuble, and Riley Thompson preceding Berglund's signing.

Berglund's place in the depth chart depends greatly on whether or not the Flyers see him as a center at the NHL level; his development plan will change accordingly.

Flyers Cruising Towards NHL Playoffs on Strength of Young TalentFlyers Cruising Towards NHL Playoffs on Strength of Young TalentNEWARK, N.J. -- Contrary to recent precedent, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are beginning to prove that teams can compete with a core of elite, talented young wingers. Look at the shell-shocked Prudential Center as proof.

In the future, and accounting only for players under contract or team control, Berglund should slide in comfortably as the sixth center behind draft classmate Jett Luchanko, Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates, and Sean Couturier.

Veterans like Rodrigo Abols, Jacob Gaucher, Lane Pederson, and Boris Katchouk are all on expiring deals, and RFA Karsen Dorwart has yet to meaningfully insert himself into the NHL conversation.

Berglund, who turns 20 on Friday, will be granted every opportunity to make the Flyers out of training camp in the fall.

If he doesn't, the expectation is that he'll be sent back to Farjestad BK of the SHL on loan, as he has one year remaining on his contract overseas. In that case, Berglund's debut in the Orange and Black will wait until this time next year.

The Flyers' winger logjam is well-documented at this point, Alex Bump, Barkey, and Porter Martone overtaking NHL roles combined with the team already having Matvei Michkov, Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, and the injured Nikita Grebenkin, who is due for a new contract this summer.

Flyers Linked to 6-foot-3 KHL StarFlyers Linked to 6-foot-3 KHL StarOne area the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> still need to address, regardless of a successful playoff push, is the center position. By the sounds of it, they'll be one of many teams queueing up to sign a burgeoning KHL star.

With that in mind, it is difficult right now to see Berglund with the Flyers as a left wing, unless he does so in a complementary fashion alongside someone like Zegras.

The Karlstad native has produced seven goals, five assists, and 12 points in 40 SHL with Farjestad as a teenager, which ranked fourth amongst all D+2 skaters in Sweden's top hockey league.

Only Lucas Pettersson (20, Anaheim), Valter Lindberg (17, undrafted), and Leo Sahlin Wallenius (13, San Jose) were more productive than Berglund in that aspect.

By next spring, should he not just make the Flyers outright, Berglund will be towards the top of Philadelphia's list of potential call-ups, given his size, skill, and pro experience.

He's well past many of his peers in the organization and will be in the NHL in no time at all.

Pittsburgh Penguins At New Jersey Devils Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins will play their first game since Sunday on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.

It's a big game for the Penguins, who have an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in four years. A win in any fashion gets them in, but they can also clinch with one point against the Devils and a Columbus Blue Jackets loss to the Buffalo Sabres in any fashion. 

Even if the Penguins lose in regulation, they'd still get in with a Toronto Maple Leafs win over the New York Islanders and a Blue Jackets regulation loss. 

The easiest way to clinch is to win, and they'll have a chance to do that against a team that is already eliminated from playoff contention. The Devils got eliminated on Tuesday following a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The loss came one day after general manager Tom Fitzgerald was dismissed. 

Even though it's been a miserable 2025-26 season for the Devils, they still have some players who can score at will. Jack Hughes, who scored the Golden Goal for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, has 25 goals and 72 points in 57 games this year. He's been on fire as of late, racking up nine points in his last four games.

Jesper Bratt has also been great this year with 20 goals and 68 points in 78 games. Nico Hischier is still a really strong two-way center with 26 goals and 62 points in 78 games. 

Don't forget about Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer, Cody Glass, and Connor Brown, too. They have 24, 18, 18, and 17 goals, respectively, this year.

Jake Allen will start in goal for the Devils. He has a .906 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average this year. 

The Penguins are expected to keep their lines the same for this game. Here's a look at the projected lineup:

Forwards

Chinakhov-Crosby-Rust

Novak-Rakell-Malkin

Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau

Soderblom-Dewar-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Clifton

Stuart Skinner will start in goal for the Penguins after missing Sunday's game with an eye injury. 

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'


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