Brock Nelson wasted little time reminding the league why Colorado invested in him, torching the Maple Leafs with a hat trick as the Avalanche opened a three-game road trip with a convincing 4–1 win over Toronto on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Arena. 

Nelson scored his 26th and 27th goals of the season as part of the three-goal performance, while Jack Drury also found the back of the net for Colorado. Mackenzie Blackwood rebounded from two subpar outings with a stellar showing, stopping 32 shots to anchor the victory. 

Mackenzie Blackwood looks a lot better today.#avs@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) January 25, 2026

The 34-year-old Nelson, who was recently named to Team USA to represent his country at the Olympic Games in Italy, surpassed his goal total from last season with 30 games still remaining, further validating the Avalanche’s decision to sign him to a three-year, $22.5 million extension in the offseason. 

BROCK NELSON X2!!! 😱😱 pic.twitter.com/X1TfeRFM2s

— NHL (@NHL) January 25, 2026

Max Domi scored Toronto’s lone goal, and although Joseph Woll delivered several strong sequences, he was tagged with the loss after making 33 saves. 

First Period 

Gavin Brindley sprinted down the ice early and tried to set up Taylor Makar for a tap-in at the crease in hopes of securing his teammate’s first NHL goal, but Makar just missed the puck. 

At the other end, Martin Nečas broke up a prime scoring chance when Auston Matthews attempted a pass from behind the goal line into the slot for Matthew Knies Nečas tied him up effectively, causing Knies to fan on the shot. 

Necas tied up Knies in front of the net and forced him to fan on that puck.

Blackwood coughed up a rebound, which created a dangerous chance, but we got away with it.#avs

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) January 25, 2026

Nelson opened the scoring 6:18 into the game by intercepting a Toronto pass in the neutral zone, bursting into the offensive end, and snapping a wrist shot past Woll to give Colorado a 1–0 lead. The blast was so forceful it damaged the net camera. 

Just 1:12 later, Nelson struck again. Artturi Lehkonen worked the puck from behind the net and fed Nelson in the slot, where his shot banked off Woll’s numbers and in to make it 2–0. 

BROCK NELSON X2!!! 😱😱 pic.twitter.com/X1TfeRFM2s

— NHL (@NHL) January 25, 2026

Lehkonen was later sent off for slashing John Tavares on the hands, giving the Avalanche their first penalty kill of the afternoon. The unit responded with a clean kill. Colorado then earned a power play after Simon Benoit was called for tripping, but failed to capitalize. 

Since the team meeting Jared Bednar held prior to the January 9 game against Ottawa in an effort to jump-start the power play, the Avalanche have converted just four of their last 26 opportunities. 

Second Period

With 4:55 remaining, Nathan MacKinnon and Nečas broke into the zone on a 2-on-1 rush. Rather than pass, MacKinnon fired on goal and took a swipe at the rebound, but Woll was able to smother the puck. 

Moments later, Cale Makar nearly extended the lead before Toronto defenseman Brandon Carlo chased him down, grabbed his right arm, and prevented the chance—earning a holding penalty with just over four minutes left in the period. 

Colorado finally broke through again with 1:07 remaining. Parker Kelly stickhandled through center ice, elected not to dump the puck, and instead fed Drury, who snapped a shot from the left circle past Woll to make it a 3–0 game. 

Third Period 

The third period opened with a strong defensive play by Makar to deny a potential scoring chance. The Avalanche quickly transitioned the other way, where Nečas rang a shot off the iron. 

At the 8:03 mark, Josh Manson was called for high-sticking Matthew Knies behind his own net, giving Toronto its second power play. Colorado’s penalty kill stood tall again, completing its second kill on as many chances. 

After failing to convert on the man advantage, Toronto generated its best look in some time, but Carlo clanged a shot off the post. With 8:30 remaining in regulation, Colorado held a 34–24 edge in shots. 

Matias Maccelli later pounced on a loose puck with a wide-open net, but Blackwood reacted instantly, dropping into the splits to make a spectacular save and preserve the shutout bid. 

Toronto pulled Woll for the extra attacker with just under six minutes remaining. The Avalanche lived dangerously in their own zone, and Matthews narrowly missed wide as Blackwood went down into the butterfly. 

Despite leaving the net empty for more than two-and-a-half minutes, Toronto couldn’t cash in, while Nelson narrowly missed completing the hat trick on multiple empty-net chances. 

Finally, with 3:46 left, Nelson buried the insurance marker to complete the hat trick with the empty netter and silence the crowd. 

BROCK NELSON HAT TRICK!!! 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/vCcZw6NKiE

— NHL (@NHL) January 25, 2026

Zakhar Bardakov was later penalized for batting the puck with his glove off a faceoff, drawing a delay-of-game penalty. On the ensuing power play, Domi scored his seventh goal of the season to spoil the shutout. 

Max Domi scores on the power play.

Avs win 4-1#avs@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) January 25, 2026

Next Game

After going 4-4-2 over their last 10 games, it was certainly nice to see the Avalanche (35-6-9) get on the right track. And with a win or an overtime/shootout loss in their next game, Colorado will become the first NHL team to reach or eclipse 80 points this season. Their next matchup will take place Wednesday against Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. local time. 

The Abbotsford Canucks’ Calder Cup rings may have gotten to the players a little later than expected, but in some ways, it was perfect timing; the rings came just in time for playoff MVP Artūrs Šilovs and the Pittsburgh Penguins to roll into town. 

Šilovs, who was traded to the Penguins on July 13, 2025, has played in 23 games for Pittsburgh this season. His ascent to the NHL was preceded by a stellar Calder Cup run that saw him start in all 24 games and register a .931 SV%. With Abbotsford receiving their Calder Cup championship rings on Thursday, Šilovs’ return to BC this weekend aligned with the date perfectly.    

“It was great. Met with RJ, had a little chat. Really nice to have it, and great experience with the team back then, just remembering all the way how we battled every single game to get there. That’s for sure a memory for life,” Šilovs told the media after practice on Saturday. 

Throughout his career, Šilovs has been one of those goaltenders who seems to show up best when there’s more pressure on his shoulders. From backstopping Latvia to their first medal at the IIHF World Championship in 2023, to that fateful Calder Cup run in the summer of 2025, there’s been no shortage of spectacular Šilovs saves throughout his time as a Canuck. The goaltender detailed what it was about this particular playoff run that he’s learned and built off heading into his first season with the Penguins. 

“Confidence. It's, I think, just the consistency of how many games you play in a row too. I think you're just getting in the flow of it. Playoff hockey is the most difficult one to play, emotionally and body-wise. So I mean, just battling it through, I think, just gaining experience, I think, and that helps in the future.” 

Of course, 2025 wasn’t Šilovs’ only time competing in the post-season for the Canucks organization. Who could forget when both Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith were ruled out for Game 4 of Vancouver’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators in 2024? 

“Getting in the net in the playoffs, that was [an] incredible feeling, and managing to win the round, the series; it was a really great memory to have,” the goaltender recalled, the memory only a few months short from two years prior. 

Šilovs was 23 when that playoff run occurred. Over the span of the 10 playoff games he started in, he’d faced 283 shots and put up a 2.91 GAA. He registered his first playoff shutout in a series-clinching 1–0 win against the Predators. 

With the Penguins currently sitting at second in the Metropolitan Division, it looks as though Šilovs could be heading back to the post-season yet again. High-stakes games have yielded some of his best performances; as he prepares to head to the 2026 Winter Olympics for Latvia, Šilovs reflected on what he’s taken away from his time in the NHL as a member of the Penguins. 

“Getting experience, playing games, adjusting to the speed of the NHL, learning more about the shooters, learning the teams, how they play, and just gradually improving and adjusting my game,” he explained.  

With Šilovs returning to Rogers Arena for the Penguins’ 3:00 pm PT matinee-matchup with the Canucks today, the goaltender shared his thoughts on returning to the building that had once screamed his name as he went toe-to-toe with the likes of Stuart Skinner, who he now shares a crease with in Pittsburgh. Armed with more NHL experience, and now a brand-new Calder Cup championship ring, Šilovs is excited to face his former team and return to play in front of the fans that had welcomed him with open arms. 

“There’s going to be a lot of energy there. It’s a great building, and fans are really passionate about hockey. It’s gonna be a fun game.”

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

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have won three in a row heading into Sunday's game against the Vancouver Canucks.

They'll be going for a sweep of their four-game road trip against a Canucks team that is the worst team in the league. They've lost 12 of their last 13 games and enter Sunday's game with a 17-29-5 record.

The Canucks are in full sell mode and have already traded star defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Kiefer Sherwood. There will likely be other players on the move before the trade deadline.

Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks with 13 goals and 30 points in 43 games. Filip Hronek is right behind him with four goals and 29 points in 51 games. 

Brock Boeser is also a threat to score from anywhere on the ice and has 12 goals this season. Jake DeBrusk and former Penguins forward Drew O'Connor also have 12 goals each this season. 

A win would give the Penguins a four-point cushion over the New York Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division. 

The Penguins are expected to run the same forward combinations from Thursday's game in Edmonton and will get Kris Letang back from injury after head coach Dan Muse confirmed to the media that he's available. 

Here are the expected lines:

Forwards

Rakell-Crosby-Rust

Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin

Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau

Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Kulak-Letang

Shea-St. Ivany

---

Stuart Skinner will start in goal after having Thursday off. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

The Chicago Blackhawks will celebrate their annual “Hockey Fights Cancer” night at the United Center on Sunday. This game will take place against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. 

Florida, coming off an emotional overtime win over the Minnesota Wild one night prior (courtesy of Brad Marchand), comes into Sunday 27-20-3. The Blackhawks are 21-22-8. Both teams are alive in very different Wild Card races, but each needs all the points it can get. 

Scouting Florida

The Florida Panthers enter Sunday five points out of the playoffs. The Atlantic Division is loaded, and a couple of very good teams will miss out as a result. Being the defending champs doesn’t get you any grace in the standings. 

Florida is without its best player, Sasha Barkov. He was injured during training camp and is likely to miss the entire season. Matthew Tkachuk, who is also a game-breaking forward, just returned for the first time last week. 

Verhaeghe - Rodrigues - Reinhart

Greer - Bennett - Tkachuk

Luostarinen - Lundell - Marchand

Vilmanis - Kunin - Samoskevich

Forsling - Ekblad

Mikkola - Balinskis

Bjornfot - Petry

Tarasov

Future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky started in their win over the Wild, so Daniil Tarasov is projected to be the starter. With the way Florida defends and plays when they do have the puck, they have full confidence in both guys.

Brad Marchand, who scored in overtime on Saturday, is still a game breaker at his age. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell, and Carter Verhaeghe are also players you game-plan for. With that many impactful forwards, it is no wonder that they've been in the final for three straight years. 

On defense, they are missing Seth Jones, who is going to be missing from the Olympics as well. Even without him, Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling play a key role in their championship-caliber defending.  

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off a 2-0-1 stretch. They didn't play perfect hockey against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and Friday's back-to-back games, but they still found a way to earn three of four points. 

Moore-Bedard-Burakovsky

Greene-Nazar-Lardis

Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Donato-Foligno-Slaggert

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Levshunov

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Knight

During the morning skate, Jeff Blashill had Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis seperated, but both are in the top six. This is an opportunity for Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar to skate with talented and speedy wingers around their age. Moore has played better as a center, and with Bedard, he will take faceoffs and be involved in all three zones. 

Spencer Knight will get the start for Chicago against his old team. After a great goaltending performance all around last week, Knight is looking to keep it going. 

Colton Dach and Sam Lafferty are the healthy scratches here. As of now, there are no illnesses to report; only Teuvo Teravainen is still out with an injury. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it is available on CHSN locally and on NHL Network nationally. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date 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.

With the Feb. 4 roster freeze and March 6. NHL Trade Deadline approaching, trade rumors revolving around Artemi Panarin have begun to pick up steam.

Quickly after New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury issued a letter outlining the team’s plan to retool the roster, it was reported that Drury held an individual meeting with Panarin and informed him that the Rangers do not plan to re-sign him past this season and will look to trade him to anywhere he wishes to go. 

Panarin’s seven-year, $81.5 million contract is set to expire this upcoming summer, as he will become an unrestricted free agent if a contract extension is not signed before July 1. 

In a potential deal for Panarin, the Rangers are reportedly seeking a similar return to the one the New York Islanders received for Brock Nelson from the Colorado Avalanche.

"He's the name that everyone's focused on right now and if you'll remember last year Brock Nelson was traded from the Islanders to Colorado and the trade was for Cal Ritchie, a first rounder, and a conditional third, there were other players involved, but those were the key pieces, and it sounds like that's where the Rangers starting point is with Panarin right now,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. 

Which teams may be in the mix for Panarin’s services?

Friedman links a few specific teams to Panarin, including the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and Washington Capitals.

It’s unclear if he would be willing to waive his no-move clause for any of these three teams or if he has a preference on exactly where he would like to end up. 

Why The Rangers Should Look To Target Shane Wright In Potential Trade A player who fits the exact criteria the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> are looking for has found himself in the thick of trade discussions.&nbsp;

“I think some of the teams are looking around, Anaheim,” Friedman said. “Panarin has a history with Joel Quenneville, I think LA has some decisions to make about their overall situation where they are right now and where they truly are as a franchise and what an extension would look like, I think Washington with an extension, and I think there's a bunch of other teams, I'm always conceding that I'm missing teams in on this, but I think that's kinda where the market starts, the trade talks start and some of the teams are trying to figure out what Panarin is willing to do.”

In 51 games this season, the 34-year-old forward has recorded 19 goals, 37 assists, and 56 points, while averaging 20:51 minutes.

The Buffalo Sabres have successfully bounced back from a pair of losses against Minnesota and in Carolina with three straight wins over Nashville, Montreal, and a 5-0 shutout against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on Saturday afternoon. Jason Zucker scored twice, Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch scored for Buffalo, who moved past Montreal into third place in the Atlantic Division. 

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media after the game:

It seemed like your penalty kill got you the momentum back, like it did for the Islanders:

It looked like when we were on the power play, and we were on the penalty kill. I thought our penalty kill was fantastic too. Didn't give up q chance. Did a real good job, Lyon stalled them out. I thought when we had chances to pressure, we did. Maybe a couple clears, we didn't get down the ice. But other than that, these last two games, the times we have killed them have been very good.

You talked about this before. In the third period,  you changed your lines, and had a defensive guy on each line. Was that your thought, since you don't have the last change?

I changed them in the second, to be honest with you. I just didn't like the way it was going. We just needed a little spark. Not really more about defensive guys, just more about seeing if we could get a little bit of life in the lines that generate a little bit more. And I thought, the McLeod line came out at the start of two periods and got us a goal. Benson and Thompson have played a lot together, and Ostlund has played such good hockey, that line looked pretty good too. I think sometimes inside of a game, you just have to mix things up. We're not getting the matchups. They were trying to match up their heavy guys against us. So I thought, try to get away from it.

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

How big of a spark has Jason Zucker provided in recent games?

Jason Zucker has kind of sparked you guys the last couple of years. We need that. We need that out of our veteran guys. He not only scores two goals, but he lays himself out on a big blocked shot too. I look at that sometimes as being bigger than scoring. He's putting himself first and forefront to help win a hockey game.

Mattias Samuelsson has always been a defensive contributor, but how big has his offense this season?

I think we've all seen the creating offense and making good plays. He's really been a rock back there on both sides of the puck when it comes to killing plays, and it comes to joining even. The shot to Tuch on the fifth goal. I mean, perfect shot. Tuch got his blade underneath it, but his outlet passes first and foremost, I thought were excellent.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Buffalo Sabres just keep winning. With their 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday, they now have a 29-17-5 record and have jumped up to third place in the Atlantic Division standings. 

With the Sabres continuing to impress, they are putting themselves in a position to be buyers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. One of their top goals ahead of the deadline should be to bring in another top-six forward. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck stands out in a major way. 

With Rangers GM Chris Drury confirming that the team is retooling and open to making moves, Trocheck has been creating a ton of buzz as a trade candidate. When noting that he is a proven top-six center with an affordable $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, several teams should be targeting him. The Sabres would be wise to be among them. 

If the Sabres brought in Trocheck, he would give them another star forward to work with in their top six and on both their power play and penalty kill. This would be great for a Sabres team that is looking to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2011. 

In 38 games so far this season with the Rangers, Trocheck has recorded 11 goals, 21 assists, and 32 points. This is after he had 59 points in 82 games during the 2024-25 season and a career-high 77 points in 82 games back in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he would be a major pickup for the Sabres, and it will be intriguing to see if they pursue him because of it. 

The Buffalo Sabres turnaround in mid-December may have had more to do with two factors; the return of center Josh Norris from nearly two months on the injured list, and the going with Alex Lyon between the pipes. The Sabres went 14-3-1 with Norris in the lineup before he suffered a rib injury against Philadelphia on January 14th, and Lyon won seven straight before suffering a lower-body injury in St. Louis on December 29.

The Sabres pace slowed down slightly with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis between the pipes, but Lyon has continued where he left off, winning two games this week against Nashville and pitching a 26-save shutout against the NY Islanders on Saturday afternoon for his club-record tying ninth consecutive victory. 

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

The win is Lyon’s 12th of the season (12-6-3, 2.70 GAA, .911sv %) and moves the 33-year-old into the club lead in victories over Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The veteran netminder had matched five other Sabres goalies (Ryan Miller, Bob Sauve, Don Edwards, Carter Hutton, and Gerry Desjardins) with eight consecutive victories, and is now tied with Desjardins for the club-record, set in 1976-77.

"He's just given us a lot of real good hockey battle-hardened games. Tonight was fabulous. You look at the power play that we got a whole all out of sorts. The four saves he made on the power play, that could have turned the game for sure," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game.  "(Alex has) been able to step in, coming off injury, and play well, battle through games. He's given us some great hockey."

The win moved the Sabres into third spot in the Atlantic Division, tied with Montreal and one point ahead of Boston, who hold the two Eastern Conference wildcard spots. Lyon could set the record when Buffalo finishes off their road trip in Toronto on Tuesday.  

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The NHL will freeze rosters on Feb. 4, ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, and they’ll unfreeze on Feb. 22, meaning teams will be unable to execute trades or other transactions during that two-and-a-half-week stretch.

Many close to team operations suggest the Feb. 4 date could be used as a “mini trade deadline,” ahead of the real NHL trade deadline on Friday, March 6. The landscape in the NHL this season is vastly different from most due to almost all 32 teams remaining in a playoff race to varying degrees.

The only two teams to have, in any shape or form, declared themselves “sellers” this season are the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. The Rangers sent out a statement to fans and followers that they’re to enter a “retool” period with their franchise and make significant changes to their current roster.

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-2 Win over the Kraken

Olen Zellweger's Response to New Role with the Ducks

Rangers star winger Artemi Panarin (34) has been told that the organization has no intention of offering him a contract extension, and they’d be willing to work with him to find him a new team via in-season trade.

Premier NHL insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned the Anaheim Ducks as a team that’s “looking around” at Panarin on his “Saturday Headlines” TV hit and that the current asking price is what the New York Islanders received when they sent center Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2025 trade deadline.

Brock Neslson was traded along with William Dufour to Colorado in exchange for Calum Ritchie, Oliver Kylington, a 2026 first-round pick, and a conditional 2028 third. The conditions were not met, so the Islanders will keep that third-round pick.

“(Panarin) is the name everyone is kind of focused on right now,” Friedman said. “It sounds like (the Nelson trade) is where the Rangers’ starting point is with Panarin right now. Part of this is also, will he be willing to sign an extension?

He has a no-move clause, so he controls where he goes. Some of the teams that are looking around: Anaheim. Panarin has a history with Joel Quenneville.”

Friedman also mentioned the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals as potentially interested teams.

Panarin is in the final year of a seven-year contract that carries an AAV of $11.6 million. His deal also includes a full no-move clause, which essentially allows him to handpick his destination and could drive his acquisition cost down.

If the Anaheim Ducks are involved, they’d likely want some sort of guarantee that he’d sign an extension, as their season could very much end with them not qualifying for the playoffs, and if they do, it’s unlikely they’d be serious Stanley Cup contenders.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli appeared on Sportsnet’s “Real Kyper & Bourne” show and revealed Panarin’s desired term for said extension.

“I think there’s a number of teams that are looking at this situation, going, ‘Hmm, I don’t know if we’re in it for the long haul with Panarin,’ and by long haul, I mean legitimately that,” Seravalli said. “The belief is around the league that Panarin is looking for a longer-term deal, potentially even one that takes him to 40.”

The Ducks have nearly $26 million in current cap space and a projected $39 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season. Ryan Poehling, Jacob Trouba, and Radko Gudas will be unrestricted free agents come July 1, while Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Ian Moore, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger will become restricted free agents.

That projected cap space could disappear quickly, but the Ducks could still likely fit Panarin’s potential extension under the 2026-27 ceiling. The question then becomes one of cost and fit.

As mentioned, the acquisition cost may be depressed due to limited options, and even if Panarin gets his desired six-year term, he’ll likely require north of $10 million in AAV. If the Ducks were to match the Rangers’ ask for him, Anaheim would send a first-round pick to New York along with a player or prospect of similar value to Ritchie (Tristan Luneau, Stian Solberg, or Olen Zellweger).

On paper, a 35 to 40-year-old Artemi Panarin doesn’t quite align with the Ducks’ perceived “contending window,” as his best years are likely behind him. However, he’s produced 926 points (321-605=926) in 803 career NHL games and has scored over a point-per-game every season since his first two in the NHL (2015-16 and 2016-17), where he scored 77 and 74 points, respectively. On the last-place team in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26, he’s again tallied 56 points (19-37=56) in 51 games. Though he eventually will, it doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down just yet.

Though the ideal scenario would be for the Ducks to acquire a “prime-aged” star player (roughly 24-27) who does fit their window, Panarin would, in theory, stabilize a clearly volatile young core, aid in rehabilitating their struggling power play, as well as buoy, nurture, and enhance the potential of the team’s youngest and most talented players.

Most insiders and speculators are theorizing that Ducks' general manager, Pat Verbeek, is looking to take a “big swing” to improve his roster this season or over the summer. We’ll soon discover if Panarin will represent that swing and if he’ll rejoin former teammates Trouba, Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, Chris Kreider, and his first NHL coach, Joel Quenneville, in Anaheim.

Takeaways from the Ducks 2-1 Shootout Win over the Avalanche

Jackson LaCombe Named to 2026 U.S. Olympic Roster

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-3 Win over the Rangers

The Chicago Blackhawks host the Florida Panthers in the evening portion of Sunday’s NHL slate.

Chicago has started to play better hockey as the team gets healthier, and my Panthers vs. Blackhawks predictions expect this trend to continue.

Read on for my NHL picks for Sunday, January 25.

Panthers vs Blackhawks prediction

Panthers vs Blackhawks best bet: Blackhawks moneyline (+110)

The Chicago Blackhawks are finally starting to get healthy with the returns of Frank Nazar, Jason Dickinson, and Andre Burakovsky. This more rounded lineup is beginning to make some noise, especially after a difficult two-game stretch against the Hurricanes and Lightning.

Chicago picked up three points in those two games against two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, a trend that should continue against a struggling Florida Panthers team.

One of the Blackhawks’ greatest strengths during this stretch has been the play of goaltender Spencer Knight, who is slated to start against his former team. Knight enters this matchup in excellent form, allowing three or fewer goals in each of his past seven starts.

He is 5-2 during that span with a .924 SV% and a 2.25 GAA.

Meanwhile, Florida enters this contest on the second half of a back-to-back that included travel, which does not bode well for a team expected to start its backup goaltender. This season, Daniil Tarasov trails Knight in wins, SV%, and GAA.

Panthers vs Blackhawks same-game parlay

Now is the time to buy low on Chicago’s Connor Bedard, who has struggled to finish over the past few weeks. However, he continues to generate high-danger scoring chances, and the goals should begin to follow.

That also increases the correlation of Andre Burakovsky recording an assist, considering he skates alongside Bedard on the top line and possesses excellent passing ability.

Panthers vs Blackhawks SGP

• Blackhawks moneyline
• Connor Bedard anytime goal
• Andre Burakovsky 1+ assists

Panthers vs Blackhawks odds

• Moneyline: Florida -169 | Chicago +116
• Puck line: Florida -1.5 (+159) | Chicago +1.5 (-238)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)

Panthers vs Blackhawks trend

Chicago has won two of its past three games. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Blackhawks.

How to watch Panthers vs Blackhawks

Panthers vs Blackhawks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane is on the verge of making history once again.

While many fans have been waiting to witness Kane score his 500th career goal, another milestone may arrive even sooner. Kane is just one point away from tying former Red Wings great Mike Modano for the most points by an American-born player in NHL history.

Kane currently has 1,373 career points and recently met with Modano following Detroit’s overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild last Thursday. If Kane records a point when the Red Wings return home Tuesday to face the Los Angeles Kings, he would break the record in significantly fewer games. Modano reached the mark in 1,499 games, while Kane has played just 1,340 games so far in his career, a difference of 158 games.

🇺🇸👀 pic.twitter.com/CbCb3MxHz7

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 25, 2026

The veteran winger started the season in strong form, averaging a point per game, but his production has slowed at times. Kane has eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points in 38 games this season. Even with the dip in pace, few doubt the ability of the player known as “Showtime” to rise to the moment once again.

Modano, a Livonia, Michigan native, is expected to be in attendance Tuesday. However, Kane may have to be patient, as the Kings boast one of the NHL’s strongest defensive units and rank fourth in goals allowed per game this season.

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If Kane does not break the record right away, there will be more opportunities. Tuesday’s game marks the start of a three-game homestand, followed by matchups against the Washington Capitals on Thursday and a marquee primetime game against the Colorado Avalanche next Saturday.

Whenever the milestone is reached, the hope is that Detroit fans will be there to witness another historic moment in franchise history.

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After three days of rest, playing against the ST. Louis Blues, who were playing a back-to-back tonight, the Los Angeles Kings refused to let this game slip away. 

Across the first period and early second, the Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead; they looked dominant, fast, and on point defensively against the ST. Louis Blues. 

But the struggle started quickly, as it has happened time and time again, especially when the Kings have gotten off to fast starts. Los Angeles gave up three goals alone in the second period, finishing the first 40 minutes of regulation tied 3-3.

LA was outplayed in the second, losing the period 3-1, and we're not entirely sure how they still ended up winning tonight, given the Kings are one of the worst clutch teams in the league. 

So, let's dive into how the Kings won. We will grade the top players' performances on the Kings tonight, helping them escape the St. Louis Blues. 

Kings Pick Up Two Massive Points In Barnburner With BluesThe Los Angeles Kings begin a six-game road trip with a resilient 5-4 shootout victory over the St. Louis Blues. Trevor Moore comes up clutch in his return while Alex Laferriere ends his pointless drought with a goal and an assist.

Darcy Kuemper

After leaving Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers in the first period due to a lower-body injury, Darcy Kuemper returned tonight and did what he always does. Finishing with 25 saves on 29 shots and made multiple clutch stops late in regulation and Overtime.

This game doesn't go the Kings' way without Kuemper; he bailed the Kings out multiple times in OT and slammed the door when it mattered most.

Grade: A 

Trevor Moore

19:43 TOI, 1 goal, 5 shots, +1, and shootout winner. 

Trevor Moore, who hadn't played since Dec. 29, looked like he hadn't missed a step tonight. Moore scored the go-ahead goal in the third to give the Kings a 4-3 lead after it looked like the momentum had shifted to the Blues, and then finished the game in the shootout. 

Moore was aggressive all night and clutch when the Kings needed him most, and also notched his 100th career NHL goal. 

Since the NHL introduced the shootout back in the 2005-06 season, 301 players have at least 20 attempts.

Only 11 of those players have converted at least 50 percent of their attempts. Trevor Moore is one of those players. Consistently money in the shootout.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) January 25, 2026

Grade: A +

Alex Laferriere

20:11 TOI, 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots, + 1.

Alex Laferriere was one of the Kings' dangerous forwards tonight, along with Moore. Scoring the game-tying goal in the second after the Kings gave up three goals, Laferriere kept the game in reach. 

Laffy ties it! pic.twitter.com/RvvUgSe3Fu

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 25, 2026

Grade: A +

Brian Dumoulin

18:23 TOI, 1 goal, 1 shot, 1 block. 

DUMO! pic.twitter.com/3yBDPpAP69

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 25, 2026

Brian Dumoulin was one of the key contributors to help the Kings get off to a fast start in the first period, giving Los Angeles a 2-0 lead and scoring his first goal of the season. 

Grade: B

Taylor Ward

9:48 TOI, 1 goal, 1 shot, +1

Once again in his limited minutes, Taylor Ward contributed for the Kings, starting them off to a fast start in regulation. It's now the second consecutive game that Ward has scored a goal, and the Kings have picked up wins in both matches. Again, playing limited minutes, but all the Kings ask of him right now is high energy and consistent play. 

WARD-O 1-0 pic.twitter.com/TKHzKV2X8h

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 25, 2026

Grade: B +

Jim Hiller

Jim Hiller almost blew another game where his team had an early lead. But the Kings were able to squeak out a win on the road, especially with Hiller using his depth again, with Ward and Samuel Helennius giving them solid minutes, so credit to Hiller for believing in his guys. 

But it wasn't a pretty second period for him, and the game could've gotten out of reach if not for his players stepping up in the clutch. 

Grade: C

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The Anaheim Ducks will head north of the 49th parallel to take on the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday, January 25. This marks the first meeting between these two Pacific Division teams this season.

My Ducks vs. Flames predictions and NHL picks suggest that while Calgary may continue its offensive struggles, some key players may be primed to rise to the occasion in this exciting divisional bout.

Ducks vs Flames prediction

Ducks vs Flames best bet: Yegor Sharangovich Over 2.5 shots on goal (+136)

On a team that has scored the second-fewest goals in the league, Calgary Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich has been somewhat of a bright spot.

The one-time 30-goal scorer is mired in a subpar offensive season (as is most of his team), but has been firing on all cylinders recently.

He has 14 shots in his last four games, hitting the Over in each. For good measure, he has the same number of shots as Nathan MacKinnon and David Pastrnak during that span.

He faces an Anaheim Ducks team that ranks 21st in shots allowed. Look for the Belarusian to fire a few pucks towards Lukas Dostal tonight.

Ducks vs Flames same-game parlay

Recent trade acquisition Zach Whitecloud has stepped right in to fill the void left by Rasmus Andersson. The former Vegas Golden Knight has seen a significant uptick in ice time in his three games as a Flame thus far, culminating in 25:16 of ice time on Friday night.

He's blocked six shots in three games since being traded to Calgary and just shattered his season-high ice time mark a game ago — a fantastic scenario to block a few shots from a confident Ducks team on a six-game winning streak.

Despite Anaheim's recent hot stretch, I like the Under here, as Calgary has scored just five goals in its last four games while being held to just one in three straight. 

Ducks vs Flames SGP

• Yegor Sharangovich Over 2.5 shots on goal
• Zach Whitecloud Over 1.5 blocked shots
• Under 6.5

Ducks vs Flames odds

• Moneyline: Ducks -105 | Flames -115
• Puck Line: Ducks +1.5 (-250) | Flames -1.5 (+205)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+100) | Under 6.5 (-120)

Ducks vs Flames trend

Calgary has won four of the last five meetings and seven of the last 10. The Under has hit in three of the last four Find more NHL betting trends for Ducks vs. Flames.

How to watch Ducks vs Flames

Ducks vs Flames latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The New York Rangers are using the New York Islanders' & Colorado Avalanche's Brock Nelson deal at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline during ongoing trade negotiations for Artemi Panarin, according to Elliotte Friedman:

Saturday Headlines: https://t.co/HHf5OgHNNi

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 25, 2026

At the 2025 deadline, the Islanders sent Nelson to the Avalanche in a deal involving top prospect Calum Ritchie, a 2027 first-round pick, and a conditional 2027 third-round pick, along with defenseman Oliver Kylington, who was quickly flipped to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations. 

BREAKING: Islanders Trade Brock Nelson To Avalanche In Blockbuster MoveAfter trying to retain the aging goal scorer, the&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders">New York Islanders</a> have traded Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche:

Panarin, 34, is a pending free agent and has been told by Rangers management that he will not be brought back this pending offseason as the two sides work towards a trade.

Potential trade suitors include the Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, and Florida Panthers.

Panarin, a winger, sits at 19 goals and 37 assists for 56 points in 51 games this season for the Rangers.

He is in the final season of a seven-year, $81,499,999 contract ($11,642,857 AAV) with the Rangers.

In Saturday night’s defeat against the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens gave up three power-play goals, which ultimately led to their demise. Of course, that could have been avoided had the Habs played a more disciplined game. Still, hockey being a physical sport, it’s almost impossible to avoid penalties altogether, which is why it’s crucial to have a reasonable penalty kill.

Last season, the Canadiens ranked ninth in the league with an 80.9% penalty kill success rate, but this year they are 26th with a 76.5% efficiency rate. In 52 games, they’ve already given up 40 power-play goals and are on pace to surrender 63 man-advantage lamplighters. Last season, they had only given up 49 in 82 games.

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What has changed? Well, the Habs lost three of the eight players who were mainstays on their penalty kill. David Savard retired, Joel Armia walked as a free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Kings, while Christian Dvorak did the same with the Philadelphia Flyers. Armia currently plays on the Kings’ first penalty kill, but they are 25th overall in the league in that department, just ahead of the Canadiens at 77.3%. As for Dvorak, he’s not used on the penalty kill by the Flyers.

You don’t become a penalty killing specialist overnight. This season, the Canadiens have been relying on rookies Oliver Kapanen and Joe Veleno to play significant roles when down a man. Kapanen has done it overseas, but he understandably needs some time to adapt to the NHL's power play. As for Veleno, he’s spending 27.4% of his time on ice on the penalty kill, which is almost double the amount of shorthanded time he had on the ice last season with the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks.

At the start of the season, Martin St-Louis also made it clear that he wanted Alex Newhook to become a PK specialist. In his 17 games this season, Newhook spent 33.4% of his time on ice down a man. His injury has no doubt been a big blow to the penalty killing unit.

With Alexandre Texier coming back in the lineup for the game against the Bruins, the coach decided to scratch Veleno, who has not only been a regular on his penalty kill but also one of the centermen who can take the shorthanded draws. This season, he has won 51.2% of his draws, which is more than Nick Suzuki and Kapanen.

As things stand, Stephane Robidas is the assistant coach who’s responsible for the penalty kill. Is it time to perhaps explore another avenue? Earlier this week, the Ottawa Senators, who are currently 31st in the league when down a man, gave Mike Yeo the helm of the penalty kill unit instead of Nolan Baumgartner; the latter wasn’t fired, but the team felt the PK needed a new voice.

Perhaps it would also help to let Nick Suzuki back on the PK. Of course, you don’t want to overuse the captain, but with the second line making more of an offensive impact and having more ice time, it could be an idea.

Better goaltending would also help. While you generally won’t blame the goaltender for power-play goals, the best player on a successful penalty-killing unit is often the masked man. This season, that’s not happening for the Canadiens. Whichever way you look at it, good goaltending is a must in all aspects of the game.

There’s no magical solution, but clearly something has to be done if the Canadiens don't want to be fighting for a playoff spot until the very end, as last season. Special teams are a must for a successful team, and in an ideal world, nobody wants to wait for the last game of the season to know if they’ll be part of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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