During this past off-season, former Montreal Canadiens forward Ryan Poehling was traded by the Philadelphia Flyers to the Anaheim Ducks in the deal that brought Trevor Zegras to Philly. While Poehling was not the big name in this trade, the 27-year-old forward has proven to be a solid addition to the Ducks' roster this season.
In 48 games this season with the Ducks, Poehling has recorded five goals, 16 assists, 21 points, 56 blocks, and a plus-7 rating. However, the former Canadiens forward has only been heating up as the season continues to roll on for the Pacific Division club.
In his last five games, Poehling has recorded two goals and five points. This included him recording a goal and an assist in the Ducks' most recent win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 1.
Poehling will now be looking to stay hot as the Ducks aim to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Poehling was selected by the Canadiens with the 25th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The former Canadiens first-round pick went on to play three seasons with the Habs, where he had 13 goals, nine assists, 22 points, and 79 hits. This included him scoring a hat trick and scoring the shootout winner in his NHL debut with the Canadiens during the 2018-19 season against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have activated defenseman Ryan Graves from injured reserve.
Graves has not played for the Penguins since their Jan. 21 contest against the Calgary Flames with an upper-body injury. However, now that he has been activated off injured reserve, he is officially an option for the Penguins again.
Graves has appeared in 19 games this season with Pittsburgh, where he has recorded one goal, 15 hits, 35 blocks, and a minus-2 rating. The 6-foot-5 defenseman also has two goals, seven assists, nine points, and a plus-6 rating in 13 games this season with the Penguins' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
In 150 games over three seasons with the Penguins, Graves has recorded five goals, 14 assists, 19 points, 162 hits, 250 blocks, and a minus-7 rating.
Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators incoming general manager Barry Trotz announces the twenty fourth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Barry Trotz is retiring as general manager of the Nashville Predators after just under three years on the job but will stay on through the March 6 NHL trade deadline and until a successor is found, playing a role in that process.
Trotz, 63, said Monday he informed majority owner Bill Haslam in December that he intended to step away when his contract expired at the end of the 2026-27 season. The decision is not health-related, and Trotz is expected to remain with the organization as an adviser through that time.
“After some discussion, we elected to begin a search for my replacement now, but I am happy to work in my current role until we make a new hire, however long that might be,” Trotz said.
Haslam aims to have a new GM in place by the draft in late June. He downplayed any disagreement between ownership and Trotz that led to this plan.
“This is about Barry making a life decision and then us together,” Haslam said at a news conference announcing the change. “This has nothing to do with any disagreement with Barry or a reflection of where we are or are not as a team.”
Coach Andrew Brunette told reporters he learned Monday morning that Trotz was stepping down.
“I guessed I was as surprised as everybody else,” Brunette said. “Wasn’t expecting that today.”
Trotz took over control of hockey operations from longtime GM David Poile in the summer of 2023. The Predators made the playoffs the following season after Trotz fired coach John Hynes and hired Brunette to replace him.
After spending $100 million in free agency to sign Stanley Cup champions Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei on July 1, 2024, set expectations high, they were one of the league’s biggest disappointments with 52 losses in 82 games and nowhere close to playoff contention.
“Our goal is to build an organization to win a Stanley Cup and not just make the playoffs,” Trotz said. “That’s been my goal since being here.”
Nashville is in the mix past the midway point of this season but appears to be an organization at a crossroads since Haslam became majority owner last summer. Stamkos still has two years left beyond this one on his contract at a salary cap hit of $8 million, Skjei four more at $7 million and Marchessault three more at $5.5 million.
They and center Ryan O’Reilly are all in their 30s and could be potential trade chips ahead of the deadline or in the offseason.
Whoever follows Trotz could have some big decisions to make on those players and others, pending how he approaches buying, selling or standing pat, along with Brunette and his staff. The core of franchise goaltender Juuse Saros, captain Roman Josi and top forward Filip Forsberg is signed for the foreseeable future, providing a foundation that could win again sooner than later with the right moves around them.
Trotz’s second act with the Predators was much shorter than his first, when he coached them from their inception in 1998 through 2014, bringing respectability and relevancy to an expansion team playing in a so-called nontraditional market. He moved on to Washington and was behind the bench when the Capitals won the Cup in 2018 and spent four seasons coaching the New York Islanders before returning to Nashville.
“At a time when many were questioning Sun Belt expansion, Barry, together with David Poile, established the Nashville Predators as a model NHL franchise,” Predators CEO Sean Henry said. “More recently, Barry has spent nearly three years working tirelessly as our general manager to position the Predators for several years of success, ensuring the organization has all the necessary tools in place to build a long-term winner in today’s NHL, placing an emphasis on the welfare of every player in our system.”
The Detroit Red Wings are navigating a mild slump after losing three straight games, and stretches like this often lead to deeper scrutiny of the roster. As the losses add up, certain concerns begin to surface, including the recent struggles of one of the team’s most encouraging young players.
Rookie forward Emmitt Finnie has hit a difficult patch after bursting onto the scene earlier this season. Finnie used his relentless work ethic to unexpectedly earn a spot on the opening-night roster and quickly became a fan favorite, drawing comparisons to a young Henrik Zetterberg, a seventh-round pick who worked his way into becoming an NHL mainstay.
While Finnie has maintained everyday status for much of the year, his recent lack of production has become harder to ignore. Finnie is currently mired in an 18-game goal drought and has recorded just two points during that stretch.
The skid contrasts sharply with his early-season performance, when he produced 19 points in his first 38 games, an impressive total for any rookie. What initially appeared to be a surprise breakout now looks more like the natural ups and downs of a first-year NHL player adjusting to the grind of a full season.
As a result, Finnie has seen his role reduced. His ice time has dipped, and he has been moved to the third line, where he can learn alongside veterans Mason Appleton and J.T. Compher. Even so, holding a third-line role on an NHL roster remains a significant achievement for a rookie, particularly one selected in the seventh round.
While struggles are expected at this stage of his development, Finnie will eventually need to rediscover the spark that fueled his early success. The last thing Red Wings fans hope to see is a promising young player viewed as a short-term success story or sent down to the AHL if the slump continues, a situation that recently affected his former linemate Nate Danielson.
For now, Finnie’s story is still being written. How he responds to this stretch of adversity may play a major role in shaping both his rookie season and his future with the Red Wings.
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The Vancouver Canucks will be without two of their wingers on this current road trip. According to Head Coach Adam Foote, both Brock Boeser and Nils Höglander will not play in either game this week. The Canucks have two remaining games before the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be played against the Utah Mammoth and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Boeser not playing on the trip was already expected as he deals with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old was hit in the head by Bryan Rust back on January 25, which resulted in the Pittsburgh Penguins forward receiving a three-game suspension. This season, Boeser has scored 12 goals while adding 25 points in 50 games.
As for Höglander, he is dealing with a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old last played on January 27 and has already missed significant time with injury this season. Höglander has only played 18 games this year, where he has collected two assists.
Dec 7, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander (21) discusses face off stratedgy with forward Brock Boeser (6) during a stop in play against the Minnesota Wild in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Vancouver's last game before the 2026 Winter Olympics is on February 4 versus the Golden Knights. Those not heading to Italy will get two weeks off, with practice scheduled to begin on February 18. As for when the Canucks return to action, that will be on February 25 when the Winnipeg Jets visit Rogers Arena.
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Florida Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich joined the team for practice today in a regular jersey, taking the next step in his recovery.
This was the first time we’ve seen Gadjovich practice in full contact, signifying that he is inching closer to a full recovery.
The 29-year-old suffered an upper-body injury that required surgery to repair. His original timeline was three months, announced on Nov. 8. Gadjovich sustained the injury late in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 25 and hasn’t played an NHL game since.
The next update the Panthers received about Gadjovich was on Dec. 30, when coach Paul Maurice said that they expect Gadjovich to return to the lineup following the Olympic break. Today, Maurice provided another update, stating he remains “on track” to be available near the end of February.
Prior to his injury, Gadjovich had played 10 games during the 2025-26 season, notching three assists. The Panthers have missed his physicality on the fourth line, and his addition should provide the team with the boost it desperately needs.
The Panthers are currently without Aleksander Barkov, Tomas Nosek, Dmitry Kulikov, Jonah Gadjovich, Seth Jones, Anton Lundell, and Brad Marchand due to injuries.
The Panthers take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight in the first of three Atlantic Division matchups before the Olympic break.
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The Winnipeg Jets are navigating a mixed bag of a season, but one clear positive within the organization has emerged in 2024 fourth round pick Kevin He.
The 19 year old winger has spent this season in the Ontario Hockey League, beginning the year with the Niagara IceDogs before being dealt to the Flint Firebirds. No matter the jersey, He has continued to elevate his game and establish himself as one of the top junior players in Canada.
This past week, He delivered a dominant two game stretch, recording three goals and three assists for six points. The performance served as another exclamation point on what has already been a stellar campaign.
Through 41 games this season, the Chinese Canadian forward has produced 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points. He is on pace to finish with roughly 74 points in 60 games, just one point shy of his career high of 75 points set last season.
He’s rise has been fueled by a relentless forechecking game, elite speed, and impressive stickwork that consistently separates him from defenders.
Those tools have made him an intriguing and potentially exciting gem within the Jets prospect pipeline. Winnipeg has shown strong belief in his development, signing He to an entry level contract, with the possibility that he could make the jump to professional hockey as early as next season.
Beyond the numbers, He continues to break barriers in the sport. Born in Beijing, China, he developed his love for hockey by skating and rollerblading with his father before making the move to North America. He played his minor hockey in North York, Ontario, where his talent steadily grew into that of a high level junior player.
What a game for Jets prospect Kevin He (2024 4th) who finished with a five point (2G 3A) night for Flint.
When the Jets selected him in the 2024 NHL Draft, He became just the second Chinese born player ever drafted into the NHL, following New York Islanders draft pick Andong Song.
He later made history again as the first Chinese born player to sign an NHL contract. The list has since grown, with Haoxi Wang becoming the third Chinese born player drafted when he was selected 33rd overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
As He continues to take impactful strides both on and off the ice, he stands as a powerful example of hockey’s global growth. For Jets fans, it is an encouraging sight to know that Winnipeg is home to a historic talent whose best hockey may still be ahead of him.
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It may have been a multi-year wait, but NHL fans have been treated to not one but two separate goalie fights in the last two weeks.
Former Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, now with the San Jose Sharks, squared off against Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers late last month, which was followed by the first outdoor goalie fight in NHL history on Sunday evening.
Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston's Jeremy Swayman both went at it at Raymond James Stadium during the NHL's Stadium Series matchup, marking the second goalie fight in exactly 13 days.
Before the aforementioned fight in Florida, it had been current Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot who'd taken part in the most recent goalie bout while a member of the Calgary Flames in early February 2020.
Talbot’s bout against Smith took place during the legendary Battle of Alberta between the Flames and Oilers, and on a Saturday night in front of a national audience on Hockey Night in Canada.
It was the kind of moment Talbot had dreamed of, though in hindsight he admitted he would have preferred to square off against a less physically imposing opponent than the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Smith.
"I wish I'd thought about it a little more, because seeing him standing at center ice is not the best guy you'd want to go up against; he's a big man, and it didn't go very well for me, but it was fun," Talbot said this week with a smile. "I'd always wanted to have a goalie fight, and there was nothing better than at center ice during Hockey Night in Canada."
“It’s fun to see that emotion, the spark that it gives the guys," Talbot continued. "Obviously, Bob (Bobrovsky) saw something that maybe he was frustrated with, or he just didn’t like the way that Ned came out of his net, but I love that out of them."
"I think goalies have tried since then, and the refs have gotten in the way and not let it happen, but it’s fun to let it see them let it go on.”
The Red Wings are no strangers to goaltending fights. Some of the most memorable moments from their 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup–winning seasons came from the bouts between Mike Vernon and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy, followed just over a year later by Chris Osgood squaring off against Roy.
Talbot, who grew up idolizing Roy, also made sure never to miss a tilt between the Red Wings and Avalanche during the heyday of their legendary on-ice rivalry.
“I’d hoped,” Talbot said of envisioning himself in a similar goalie fight. “Patrick was my favorite goalie growing up, so those series stick out in my mind. That was my childhood—to stay up late and watch those ones. I always thought those were the best series, the best fights, and obviously, the rivalry was second to none.
That was part of my childhood, and I loved it. That’s part of the reason why I always wanted to do one, just to say that I did it."
While Talbot isn't one to encourage goaltenders to challenge one another just for the sake of it, he loves to see it under the right conditions - and knows that both the players and the fans love seeing it as well.
"Under the right circumstances, I wouldn’t say to go do it for no reason, but if you have an opportunity, go for it," Talbot said. "I think the game is changing a little bit and getting away from that, but every time it happens, people seem to go nuts for it. It’s a good show for the fans, and I think the goalies enjoy it too.”
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The Buffalo Sabres take on the Florida Panthers in the first of three games in four nights, but based on the line combinations at the morning skate in Sunrise, FL on Monday morning, young forward Konsta Helenius will not be in the lineup. The 2024 first round pick made a strong impression after being recalled in mid-January, scoring his first NHL goal and adding a pair of assists in a win against Nashville and another assist in a victory in Montreal.
It appears that the 19-year-old Finn may have hit the proverbial wall, as he has gone scoreless in his last four games. Helenius played only 9:54 in the 4-2 loss to the Canadiens on Saturday, and was on the ice for Cole Caufield’s third-period game-winning goal.
"I think this is just part of a young hockey player's journey. I think you can start off well, your emotions are running high and then you get into the grind of the games," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "Sometimes you just see the peaks and valleys. It's all part of how a young guy gets to where he wants to gets to."
Helenius has made impressive progress in his second season in North America, nearly equaling his rookie point total in half the games with AHL Rochester. The youngster is likely to be sent back to the Amerks during the Olympic break to play regularly, and his return to the Sabres this season may be unlikely, as he has only two games left before burning the first year of his entry-level contract.
The Buffalo Sabres begin a stretch of three games in four nights to finish off the pre-Olympic schedule against the two-time Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The Panthers have not been the same club this season, based on the loss of team captain Aleksander Barkov and winger Matthew Tkachuk, but Tkachuk has returned in advance of the games in Milano Cortina.
The contest is critical for both clubs, but more so for the Panthers, who trail Buffalo by eight points for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot. Former Panther Alex Lyon will make his third straight start, and backup Colten Ellis with be in goal for the second of back-to-back games in Tampa on Tuesday.
The Sabres made a roster move on Sunday, demoting defenseman Zac Jones and recalling winger Isak Rosen. Blueliner Jacob Bryson skated over the weekend and has been activated from injured reserve. Rosen, who has an impressive 20 goals in 28 games with AHL Rochester, has contributed at the NHL level playing higher in the lineup, with seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 13 games.
Head coach Lindy Ruff provided updates on goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and center Josh Norris, and indicated both players are making progress. Luukkonen suffered a leg injury in Toronto last Tuesday and is slated to be the third goalie for Finland in Italy later this month, unless his injury prevents him. Norris suffered a rib injury against Philadelphia last month and indicated that he is close to being 100%, but with only three games this week, opting to be cautious may be the better course of action.
Saban, the former Alabama football coach and current analyst on ESPN's "College GameDay," is a longtime fan of the Predators.
CAA will coordinate the search, with Haslam as the leader of the committee. Trotz also will be assisting in the search.
" . . . Nick Saban, our newest owner, who has a little familiarity with helping winning organizations, has agreed to be on the search committee as well," Haslam said during the news conference at Bridgestone Arena.
Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault has been activated off of injured reserve and reassigned to the Chicago Wolves the Carolina Hurricanes announced on Monday.
After getting his hand sliced open from a skate blade on Nov. 9 following a fight in Toronto, Legault had surgery to repair the extensor tendons on his right hand and was given a three to four month recovery timeline.
However, it looks like he was a quick healer as he'll returning to the ice just a week before the three-month mark.
Legault, 22, played in eight games with the Hurricanes this season after a plethora of injuries depleted the team's blueline.
He made the most of his opportunity and even scored his first NHL goal as well.
Legault has played in 65 AHL games throughout his career, with three goals and 14 total points in that span, since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft.
The 6-foot-4 defender will be a big boost for the Chicago Wolves as they battle to secure a spot in the postseason.
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Goalie fights seem to be all the rage in the NHL these days. On January 19, Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Nedeljkovic dropped the gloves in a match between the Florida Panthers and the San Jose Sharks; on the following day, it was the talk of the virtual town that is the internet. Then, on Sunday, with his team down 5-2 against the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy decided to try to wake up his team by fighting Jeremy Swayman. The Bolts’ netminder had the upper hand, and the tide turned after the bout, with the Florida outfit completing the comeback for a 6-5 overtime win.
After seeing two goalie fights break out in the last two weeks and seeing the reaction to the event, it’s clear that fans and media alike enjoy seeing netminders drop the gloves. Still, it generally remains a rare feat in the Montreal Canadiens’ game. There was nearly one back in November 2023 when the Habs were taking on the Bruins at the Bell Centre, when Swayman, who had lost his mask following a scrum around his net, stared at Samuel Montembeault at the other end of the ice and extended a challenge, but the Becancour native declined the invite.
It wouldn’t have been the first time a goalie fight broke out in a Canadiens-Bruins match, though. In February 2011, a young Carey Price took on Tim Thomas after the Bruins goalie skated the length of the ice to stop Price from getting involved in the scrum around his net. It wasn’t much of a fight in the end, but the gloves and masks came off as the two goalies tried to exchange punches at center ice before falling to the ice. The Habs’ netminder said afterwards that they were play-fighting more than anything else.
Price could have been involved in another one when he lost his cool and punched Kyle Palmieri with his blocker in a game against the New Jersey Devils on December 9, 2016, but their respective teammates and the referees jumped in to stop him. Cory Schneider who had started skating towards the Canadiens’ net retreated to his own cage and Price picked up a four-minute penalty for roughing.
But there was one time when a Canadiens goaltender was involved in a real fight: during the Good Friday Massacre. On April 20, 1984, the Habs were taking on the Quebec Nordiques in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and there was no love lost between the provincial rivals. No less than 14 fights broke out in that game, one of which included each team’s backup netminder: Richard Sevigny for the Sainte-Flanelle, and Clint Malarchuk for the Nordiques.
Given Montembeault’s reaction to Swayman’s invite in 2023, it would be surprising to see the Quebec drop the gloves in the future, but given how Jakub Dobes plays the game, it wouldn’t be shocking if he did. The 24-year-old is quite aggressive in net and doesn’t shy away from discreetly hitting rivals with his stick at times, and he does get involved in trash-talking. In last year’s series against the Washington Capitals, it was his trash-talking that led to the Caps getting in his way as he tried to exit the ice at the end of the second period, which led to the famous Josh Anderson-Tom Wilson fight in the visitors’ bench.
While fights aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that goalie fights are generally very well-received by fans and that their teammates seem to enjoy them as well.
