ST. PAUL, Minn - After a tough homestand that included no wins in three games, the Wild are set to begin a roadtrip against the red-hot Buffalo Sabres, who is 15-2-0 in its last 17 games.

Then a back-to-back against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, before returning home.

A bunch of moves were made by the Wild on Friday.

Matt Boldy will miss the next four games at least, after he was put on the Injured Reserve (IR) list. 

He will join Jonas Brodin, Joel Eriksson Ek and Zach Bogosian on the IR. Neither of the four players will travel with the Wild for this trip.

After making his NHL Debut on Thursday, David Spacek will stay with the team. Carson Lambos was recalled before the game but did not play. He has now been sent down.

David Jiricek has been recalled by the Wild.

Jiricek, 22, has played in 18 NHL games this season and has zero points, 11 shots and five hits.

Lambos, 23, has played in one NHL game this season, which was his NHL debut. He has one shot on goal, one blocked shot and is a plus-one in 10 minutes and 16 seconds of ice time.

He will go back down to the American Hockey League (AHL).

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Goals, saves, and wins have not altered Justus Annunen's focus this season. 

Through the first two months of the season, Annunen had a .859 save percentage, a 3.43 goals against average and a 1-5-1 record, a stat line that was one of the worst in the NHL. 

In a similar sense, the Predators weren't playing well, sitting as the worst team in the NHL with a 6-12-4 record in mid-November. Head coach Andrew Brunette has said before that Annunen hadn't been put in "fair" situations earlier in the season. 

"We have to be really fair when we evaluate him (Annunen). We put him in some hard places, and we put him when he's a little bit rusty," Brunette said following a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Dec. 21. 

Annunen's role in the early season was to relieve Juuse Saros, whether that meant giving the starting goalie a break or coming in after Saros was yanked.

In the early season, the Predators went as far as Saros went. At one point, the Finn was in the top two in the league in shots faced and saves made, not getting much support from the defense in front of him. 

In a time where things seemed grim, Annunen didn't change anything. He muted all the noise around him and did the only thing that he could do: work hard. 

"You have to focus on what you can do," Annunen said. "There's gonna be goals. That's hockey. Sometimes you've got to look beyond the results. You can't just look at the numbers and be like 'oh I had a bad game' or 'I had a good game.' You have to look at the whole picture."

The confidence in his own game has led to results: Annunen has won his last three starts and posted a .900 save percentage in his previous four. 

His latest victories have been against the Vegas Golden Knights (4-2), the Washington Capitals (3-2), and the New York Rangers (2-1). Despite losing to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-2, Annunen made an impressive 37 saves on 40 shots.

"I feel like my game is being the same whole year and that it's hockey sometimes," Annunen said.
"I've been putting in the work all summer, all last year and all my life, but sometimes the puck just goes in. Winning games, of course, helps." 

Saros's efforts came in clutch in the victory over the Capitals, as he prevented Alexander Ovechkin and company from forcing overtime. He was perfect in 5-on-5 play and made 30 saves on 32 shots, which was his second 30+ save performance of the season. 

"You got a little bit of grace for him (Annunen) in the first couple starts, and now he's gotten a little bit better rhythm," Brunette said following the win over the Capitals.
"You could tell he's feeling a lot better, especially in his last five starts. He's been exceptional." 

The confidence and belief in Annunen's game and that it'd eventually come around were shared by Predators management, as he signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract beginning in the 2026-27 season.

"I like it here a lot. They (management) want me to stay here, and I want to stay here, so that's pretty easy," Annuen said. "It's pretty good for the next couple of years to be able to work with Juice (Saros), Benny (Ben Vanderklok), Mitch (Korn) and just try to improve every day and try to get to the next level." 

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury shared a letter with fans saying the franchise feels their disappointment.

Drury wrote on Friday that he plans to “retool” by possibly trading established players.

Coming off an underachieving this season and missing the playoffs last year, the Rangers are the only team with a losing record in the Eastern Conference past the midway mark of the NHL season.

New York has lost a season-high five games, entering its next game Saturday at Philadelphia.

The Rangers were booed off the ice at the first intermission of their latest loss, an 8-4 loss to Ottawa that was the team's 17th setback in 22 games at Madison Square Garden.

Winger Artemi Panarin, New York’s leading scorer every season since signing as a free agent in 2019, does not have a contract beyond June 30, turns 35 on Oct. 31 and could be dealt before the March 6 trade deadline.

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

The Montreal Canadiens forwards Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, and Patrik Laine all participated in regular jerseys during the club's Jan. 16 practice.

Dach, Evans, and Laine have all been sidelined for the Canadiens due to injury. However, with all three of them returning to practice in regular jerseys, it appears that they are each getting closer to returning to game action. 

The Canadiens are set to face off against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 17. At this time, it has not been announced that any of these three players will play. Even if they end up each being ruled out, it is still very encouraging that they were all present at the Canadiens' latest practice in regular jerseys. 

Dach has not played for the Canadiens since their Nov. 15 matchup against the Boston Bruins. In 15 games this season with Montreal, the 6-foot-4 forward has recorded five goals and seven points. 

Evans' most recent appearance was on Dec. 20 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 34 games this season with the Original Six club, he has posted five goals, five assists, and 10 points. 

As for Laine, he has not been in the Canadiens' lineup since their Oct. 16 game against the Nashville Predators. He has played in just five games this season for Montreal because of it, where he has one assist. 

The first of two consecutive games against the Los Angeles Kings will be played on Friday, following the Ducks' sharp performance against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. The Kings are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

Both Friday's (in Los Angeles) and Saturday's (in Anaheim) games could have major implications for the playoff picture, with the Kings and Ducks separated by just two points. Both teams are currently just outside of the second Wild Card spot, with the Kings' 49 points being two behind the fellow Pacific Division San Jose Sharks at 51.

"(These games against the Kings are) very tight checking, very detailed," Ducks winger Chris Kreider said after Thursday’s practice. "It's a divisional matchup. You can tell that it means more. It's a fun rivalry, looking forward to getting down to LA and playing."

For Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, the kind of game that his team played on Tuesday against Dallas is what the Kings do consistently. In a matchup like this, it will come down to which team can execute that kind of game better.

“It’s kind of what we're talking about going into the game,” Quenneville said. “We want to have the same mindset, like we're playing Dallas. 
It's simple, and it's going to be straight ahead and check and check. This team probably is the stingiest at playing a patient team game and trying to create, gonna get you in trouble. We’ve seen last time in here, we got a little bit of an education. “Let’s be ready to go, playing the same way as we played the last game, and know that's something to build off of.”

"Offense isn't going to be a problem with this team, you've got to play good defense," Kreider said. "We've learned that we can generate offense off of playing good defense. Ultimately, winning hockey games is fun. That's how you win hockey games."

“They’re a good team,” Gauthier said of the Kings. “We've played them a couple times now and they play a really tight checking, solid defensive game. They don't give you a lot of opportunities, so got to bear down when you get the chances tonight.”

Gauthier and Troy Terry will both return to the lineup after missing Tuesday's game with an illness and upper-body injury, respectively. Terry has missed three consecutive games due to his injury and was expected to be a game-time decision on Tuesday, but did not participate in warmups. Gauthier was a full participant at Tuesday's morning skate but was ruled out with an illness prior to puck drop. He also did not participate in warmups.

UPDATE: Troy Terry has been placed on injured reserve. Sam Colangelo has been recalled from AHL San Diego.

“Feeling good, ready to go,” Gauthier said. “We have to play a solid defensive game and play super physical. In the Dallas game, watching the game, guys just played a really physical role and allowed everyone to know who their checks were and clarified up things in the D-zone, especially in the O-zone. Moving forward, I think that's the standard, just got to build off of it.”

Anaheim will be without forward Leo Carlsson for the second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. Carlsson missed Tuesday's game with the injury after being a full participant at morning skate. Carlsson missed one game in late December due to a lower-body injury. Whether these two injuries are the same injury or two separate injuries is unknown.

Nikita Nesterenko was assigned to AHL San Diego on Thursday, which leaves the Ducks with zero extra forwards due to Carlsson's injury. Kreider did not participate in Friday’s morning skate and will be a game-time decision, according to Quenneville. The Ducks acquired forward Jeffrey Viel from the Boston Bruins on Friday morning, but he will not be available to play as he travels across the coast from Boston.

Long-time King and team captain Anže Kopitar will not play in either game this weekend after being placed on injured reserve on Jan. 10 with a lower-body injury. This means that Kopitar likely already played the final game of his career against the Ducks on Dec. 27, 2025.

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Ducks Projected Lines

Cutter Gauthier - Mason McTavish - Ryan Strome
Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke
Jansen Harkins - Ryan Poehling - Sam Colangelo
Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Ian Moore

Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba
Olen Zellweger - Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Kings Projected Lines

Jeff Malott - Alex Laferriere - Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele - Quinton Byfield - Joel Armia
Kevin Fiala - Alex Turcotte - Andrei Kuzmenko
Andre Lee - Samuel Helenius - Taylor Ward

Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper (confirmed)

As the trade deadline approaches, trade rumours will continue to follow the Vancouver Canucks. The latest involves the L.A. Kings, who are rumoured to be interested in Evander Kane. This report came from MayorsManor.com and was released on Thursday. 

As per the report, "While it’s still a rumor — something we don’t normally spend too much time on, but this was just too intriguing to not stop and give it pause for a few minutes — two separate sources over the past week have said they believe Holland is kicking the tires on a potential Kane trade."

Kane does have some connections to the Kings organization. Most notable is L.A.'s GM Ken Holland, who signed the now 34-year-old back in 2022 while with the Edmonton Oilers. Kane also played with Corey Perry and Warren Foegele during his time with the Oilers. 

Kane was initially acquired by Vancouver during the off-season for a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. In 46 games this season, he has scored seven goals while recording 21 points. Kane leads the Canucks in penalty minutes with 55, while his 76 hits rank third on the team. 

The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is scheduled for March 6 at noon PT. Vancouver is expected to be busy leading up to the deadline as they enter into rebuild mode. Based on Jim Rutherford's recent comments, it appears that the Canucks are open for business, which means plenty of rumours will circulate over the next few weeks. 

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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Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane has already taken care of a historic matter of business, having become just the 50th player in NHL history to reach 500 goals scored. 

Now, he's got his sights trained on a new historic milestone that he's on the precipice of.

With 1,371 career points, Kane is only three points away from tying Mike Modano for most by a U.S.-born player in NHL history, and four away from taking sole ownership of the mark.  

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.  

Kane, who grew up watching Modano's career and even played against him several times while a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, would welcome his presence in the venue whenever it is that he's on the verge of surpassing his points total.

"I haven't talked to him recently, maybe as it gets closer, we'll see what happens as we get closer to the number," Kane said. "But I read that he'd like to be in attendance for it, which would be pretty cool." 

Modano, a one-time former Red Wings forward who won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Dallas Stars with future Red Wings players like Brett Hull and Derian Hatcher, said in late November that he'd love to witness Kane break his record in person.

"I knew years ago that he might be one that if he stayed healthy, that he would be the guy that kind of goes after it," Modano said. "I'd love to be there and definitely would make the effort to be there for that one."

Like Kane in 2007, Modano was a former first-overall draft pick whose NHL career began with the Minnesota North Stars before the franchise relocated to Texas in 1993.

For Kane, having Modano on hand for such a historic milestone would make the moment even more special.

"It would be special, he was a player I really enjoyed watching when I was younger, the face of USA hockey for a long time," Kane said of Modano. "A lot of flair to his game with skill, speed, explosiveness, a fun player to watch, and one of the best American players of all time."

"Obviously, his numbers speak for themselves, but it would be a cool number to get to, and to have him here to be part of it would be pretty special."

That sentiment isn't lost on Kane's longtime teammate Alex DeBrincat, who, like Kane, grew up watching Modano. 

"It would be really cool," DeBrincat said. "It would be a passing of the torch moment and definitely cool for all parties involved for him to be in the building. I'm sure Kaner looks up to him, 

Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan, who coached against Modano both as an assistant with the Red Wings and early in his tenure as head coach of the San Jose Sharks, said it would be an honor to have Modano in Detroit to witness Kane breaking his points record.

"I think it would be great," McLellan said. "Hockey has a way of bringing legends out to big moments. Mike is recognized as one of the best American players of all time, and a former Red Wing, so to have him around if he's able, I'm sure he has a busy schedule, but if he's able and willing, it would certainly be an honor to host him." 

"Hopefully Kaner can get the job done on those nights." 

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Before tonight's game against the Nashville Predators, both Ross Colton and Mackenzie Blackwood are going to be returning.

BACK IN THE NET‼️

Mackenzie Blackwood returns to the crease tonight for the first time since December 31st! pic.twitter.com/ffMHnalHVD

— NHL (@NHL) January 16, 2026

Colton, who was listed as day-to-day yesterday (Jan 15) with an upper-body injury, was a game-time decision per head coach Jared Bednar during their morning skate, as he was the only player absent.

Ross Colton Injury Forces Avalanche to Consider Eagles Call-UpsInjuries continue to test the Colorado Avalanche.

Though his availability was put into question, no one from the Colorado Eagles was initially called up, suggesting his status for tonight's game was super serious or that they really wanted to see if Colton could play and make a last-minute decision to call someone up.

The Avalanche had already had to call up a number of players from the Eagles, with numerous forwards currently injured. Ivan Ivan and Zahkar Bardakov, in place of Joel Kiviranta and Gabriel Landeskog, who are presently out week-to-week.

Most importantly, Blackwood is being activated from Injury Reserve and starting tonight, marking his first game since New Year's Eve against the St. Louis Blues, when he stopped 12 of 13 shots faced, helping them to a 6-1 victory. This is another boost for the Avalanche as they will now have their full goaltending tandem available, also known as the "Lumberyard."

Avalanche Activate Blackwood From Injured Reserve, Restore Goaltending DepthMackenzie Blackwood has been activated from injured reserve for the second time this season.

Though Trent Miner, who was called up to help relieve Scott Wedgewood during his absence, showed an outstanding performance that should not only show confidence in the organziation but with the fans that if there would happen to be another injury to one of the goalies, Miner showed that despite the level of this team playing infront of him, he made some big plays either keeping the Avalanche in the lead to helping them stay within distance to tie the game and earn a point.

In the two games he played, he helped earn his first career win and shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets (Jan 10) and helped earn a point against the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime (Jan 12). The Avalanche play 10 more games before the Olympic break, six at home and four on the road.

Checking Up On Colorado Avalanche's 2025 Draft Class MidseasonLet's take a look at how the three selections the Colorado Avalanche made at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft are doing so far, halfway through the season.

The New York Rangers, less than two years removed from being the league's best regular-season team, are calling for a "retool."

General manager Chris Drury sent out a message to fans on Jan. 16 with the struggling Rangers sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference.

"With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation," he wrote. "We are not going to stand pat - a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team. This will not be a rebuild. This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects.

"We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed and a winning pedigree with a focus on obtaining young players, draft picks and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward. That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years. These players represented the Rangers with pride and class and will always be a part of our family."

The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2023-24. They missed the playoffs last season, leading to a coaching change to Mike Sullivan.

But fortunes haven't changed. They have lost five in a row, starting in a game in which star goaltender Igor Shesterkin was hurt. In the four games since, they have given up 27 goals. Defenseman Adam Fox is also out with an injury.

A Message from Chris Drury to Our Fans pic.twitter.com/JVimBJ59B7

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 16, 2026

Rangers' salary cap situation

According to puckpedia.com, the Rangers have a little more than $3,000 in cap space available.

Artemi Panarin is in the final year of his contract and would fetch prospects and picks if dealt. He has an $11.6 million cap hit and a full no-movement clause that the Rangers would need to get him to waive. The Athletic reported that Panarin was told his contract wouldn't be extended.

Many of their other veterans are locked in long-term, including Fox and Vincent Trocheck (2029), J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad (2030) and Shesterkin (2033).

"You will begin to see some of our plans come to light in the coming weeks and months," Drury wrote.

The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on March 6.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rangers GM Chris Drury promises retool of struggling team

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes acquired minor league defenseman Kyle Masters and a fourth-round pick this year from the San Jose Sharks for a fifth-round selection in 2027.

The teams made the move on Friday.

San Jose dealt Masters to clear a contract, allowing rookie Michael Misa to continue playing for the Sharks. Misa needed to be added to the roster to play in a 10th game and the Sharks had been at the limit of 50 contracts before the trade.

The 22-year-old Masters, who has not played in the NHL, was drafted in the fourth round by the Minnesota Wild in 2021. He has 35 career points in 69 games in the East Coast Hockey League and six points in 35 American Hockey League Games.

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

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have acquired forward Jeffrey Viel from the Boston Bruins in a trade for a fourth-round draft pick.

The Bruins will get either Detroit's pick or Philadelphia's pick — whichever is better — in the fourth round of the upcoming draft in the deal announced Friday.

Viel is scoreless with 30 penalty minutes in 10 games this season for Boston, and he hasn't scored an NHL point since the 2021-22 season with San Jose.

The physical forward has spent most of his professional career in the AHL, but has five points and 183 penalty minutes in 64 career NHL games with the Bruins and Sharks. He scored 40 points for the Winnipeg Jets' AHL affiliate in the 2023-24 season.

The Ducks already have physical forward Ross Johnson on their roster. The veteran leads Anaheim with 83 penalty minutes while also scoring a career-high 12 points in 44 games.

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

The Buffalo Sabres are continuing to impress as the season rolls on and are setting themselves up to be buyers in the process. 

With the Sabres looking to break their 14-year post-season drought, they should not be afraid to make some additions near the deadline if they remain in the playoff race. One specific need they should address is the right side of their defense.

When looking at potential trade candidates around the NHL, one player who could be a nice addition to a Sabres club on the rise is Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas.

After starting the season on fire, the Anaheim Ducks have fallen back down to Earth. The Ducks have won only one out of their last 10 games and are now sixth in the Pacific Division standings. If they continue to struggle as the season rolls on and are out of a playoff spot closer to the deadline, Gudas could be a trade candidate to watch.

Gudas is currently in the final year of his contract and is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA). Thus, if the Ducks find themselves out of the playoff race near the deadline, Gudas would be a prime rental candidate. With the Sabres needing another right-shot defenseman and veteran, he could be a great fit on Buffalo's roster. 

If the Sabres brought in Gudas, he would give them a hard-nosed defenseman who is known for his leadership and has a good amount of playoff experience. With this, he could be a nice depth pickup for a Sabres club looking to take that next step. 

In 33 games this season with the Ducks, Gudas has recorded one goal, nine points, 22 penalty minutes, 58 blocks, and 116 hits. 

Florida Panthers center Cole Schwindt will return to the lineup tonight after missing 26 games with a broken arm.

Prior to sustaining the injury, Schwindt had played 10 games in a Panthers uniform, scoring twice. The Panthers claimed Schwindt off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights, about a year after the Golden Knights claimed Schwindt from the Calgary Flames.

The Panthers had initially drafted the 6-foot-3 right-handed center, but traded him to the Flames as part of the package that landed Matthew Tkachuk. The 24-year-old Schwindt has played 59 games in his NHL career, scoring three goals and 10 points. 

Schwindt was seen skating on the fourth line, centering Jesper Boqvist on his left and Luke Kunin on his right. Exiting the lineup is Jack Studnicka, as Sandis Vilmanis will once again skate as the third line left winger next to Evan Rodrigues and Mackie Samoskevich. 

As the Panthers welcome back Schwindt, they’ll remain without Tkachuk and Brad Marchand. Tkachuk did skate today but did not partake in line rushes. His return seems imminent, but the Panthers have preached patience, and they won’t dress Tkachuk until he is 100 percent healthy.

Marchand, whose injury is considered day-to-day, remains out of the lineup and did not skate today at practice. He wore a non-contact jersey the last time the Panthers skated, but he was absent this time. His injury seems to be trending in the wrong direction at the moment. 

The Panthers take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in Raleigh, NC, at 7:00 p.m. EST at the Lenovo Center.

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Following the announcement that Adam Wilsby is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, the Nashville Predators have recalled Andreas Englund from the Milwaukee Admirals.

Englund played 24 games up in Nashville last season, recording two points (two assists) and logging 36 penalty minutes. This season in Milwaukee, he has 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 30 games and 44 penalty minutes. 

The 6-feet-3-inch, 201-pound defenseman was drafted by the Ottawa Senators 40th overall in the 2014 draft.

He was placed on waivers by the Los Angeles Kings after playing just 11 games during the 2024-25 season, producing just one goal. On Feb. 10, 2025, Englund was claimed by the Predators. 

Englund will either take Wilsby's spot on the second pairing with Brady Skjei or move down to the third pairing with Justin Barron and Nick Blankenburg would move up. 

The Predators kick off a quick two-game road trip on Friday, facing the Colorado Avalanche at 8 p.m. CST before traveling to Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights on Saturday at 9 p.m. CST. 

The Ducks made a trade on Friday morning, acquiring forward Jeffrey Viel from the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick. The Bruins will receive the better pick between the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers.

Viel, 28, has appeared in 10 NHL games this season for the Bruins. He spent most of last season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins.

Undrafted out of the QMJHL, Viel signed a two-year entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks in 2019. Playing the role of an agitating grinder, Viel spent two seasons in the AHL before getting NHL experience during the shortened 2020-21 season. He continued to split time between the NHL and AHL before spending the entire 2023-24 season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, the Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate.

Viel’s sandpaper play style matches what head coach Joel Quenneville is looking for from his bottom-6 and also mirrors the style of play that general manager Pat Verbeek displayed during his playing days. A fourth line consisting of Viel, Ross Johnston and Ryan Poehling could prove to be an irritating combination for opponents.

With Nikita Nesterenko being assigned to AHL San Diego on Thursday, the Ducks had an open roster spot to accommodate Viel. Because the Bruins are at home on the East Coast, Viel is unlikely to play in either Friday or Saturday’s games against the Los Angeles Kings.

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