It certainly hasn't taken long for Pittsburgh Penguins' top forward prospect Tanner Howe to adjust to professional hockey.
In fact, two games into his professional career, he doesn't look like he's missed a step.
After registering his first career AHL point in his professional debut on Sunday, Howe followed that up by scoring his first AHL goal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's (WBS) 4-1 win over the Hershey Bears on Wednesday. His first professional tally came late in the third period, when defenseman Chase Pietila fired a shot from the top of the left circle off a faceoff win, and Howe tipped it at the net front.
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 5, 2026
Howe, 20, tore his ACL near the end of his WHL regular season last year, which required reconstructive surgery. Sunday marked his first game action since his injury in late April, and he has two points in his first two AHL games. He also saw time on the penalty kill against Hershey.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound left wing is known for his chippiness, two-way prowess, and offensive instincts. He figures to spend the rest of the season in the AHL with WBS, barring performance.
WBS is currently second in the AHL's Atlantic Division with 64 points, and they have an 11-point lead on the third-place Charlotte Checkers. They trail the Providence Bruins by just three points for the division lead, but the Bruins have four games in hand.
Aaron Huglen, Avery Hayes, and Aidan McDonough also registered goals for the WBS Penguins on Wednesday, and goaltender Sergei Murashov improved to 17-5-0-2 in a 30-save effort. His season save percentage improved to .926 with the win.
In a Florida Panthers 5-4 shootout win over the Boston Bruins, rookie Sandis Vilmanis was forced to exit the game with an upper-body injury.
The 22-year-old recorded just 2:35 of ice time, exiting the game in the first period. The Panthers did not announce that Vilmanis wouldn’t return to the game until the start of the third period.
Vilmanis attempted to catch McAvoy with an open ice hit, but he connected with McAvoy’s head in the process. He was assessed a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head and did not play following the hit.
Following the game, coach Paul Maurice mentioned that Vilmanis should be “okay.” That’s good news for the Panthers and Latvia, who Vilmanis will be representing at the Olympics next week.
Maurice also provided an update on defenseman Tobias Bjornfot, who did not play in the third period. Maurice said Bjornfot is unlikely to play tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tobias Bjornfot has scored two goals and three points in 10 games this season. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Bjornfot recorded just 8:27 of ice time, throwing one hit. What injury Bjornfot has sustained hasn’t been revealed yet.
The final update Maurice provided was that there are probably three guys who played tonight who won’t play tomorrow against the Lightning, Jordan McPherson reported.
The Panthers will be in Tampa Bay on Thursday for their final game before the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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The Florida Panthers took the ice on Wednesday for their final home game before the NHL Olympic break.
Desperate for every point they can get, Florida welcomed the Boston Bruins to Sunrise for a matchup of Atlantic Division rivals.
The Bruins were fresh off Sunday’s deflating defeat at the 2026 Stadium Series in Tampa when Boston took a 5-1 lead only to lose 6-5 in a shootout.
This time, Boston was the team making the comeback and forcing the game to a shootout, but the Panthers persevered and picked up the 5-4 win.
Florida actually took a 1-0 lead on twice on Wednesday night.
First it was Sam Bennett lighting the lamp on a goal that was challenged and overturned due to the play being offside at the Boston blue line.
A couple minutes later, Eetu Luostarinen jumped on a turnover just inside that same blue line, skated the puck between the circles and wired a wrist shot over the glove of Joonas Korpisalo to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead at the 4:22 mark.
The lead would be short lived though, thanks to a pair of goals by Michael Eyssimont five minutes apart, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead after the first period.
The Panthers started the second period on the power play, and it didn’t take long for Florida to cash in.
Matthew Tkachuk found himself with some time and space in the corner next to Korpisalo, and after Sam Bennett moved toward the net and opened up some space behind him, Tkachuk made a perfect pass to Uvis Balinskis coming down from the point.
A quick wrist shot by Balinskis for his fifth goal of the season knotted the score at two just 30 seconds into the period.
Another Panthers power play a couple minutes later led to another Cats goal.
This time it was Tkachuk lighting the lamp, taking a pass from Anton Lundell at the side of the net and banking a shot from below the goal line off Korpisalo’s arm and into the net.
Despite being called for consecutive penalties late in the period, the Panthers were able to double their lead and keep momentum squarely on their side.
Directly off a faceoff win in their own end, some quick, pretty passing between Lundell and Sam Reinhart spring the pair on an odd-man rush. After moving into the Bruins zone, Reinhart laid a saucer pass across the zone that landed right at the blade of Lundell’s stick, and his quick one-timer easily beat a sprawling Korpisalo to send Florida into the intermission with a 4-2 lead.
A fluky deflection about eight minutes into the third period would bring the Bruins back within one. Charlie McAvoy’s long slapshot went off the stick of Aaron Ekblad and the arm of Mark Kastelic before fluttering past Bobrovsky.
Boston tied the game soon after on their fifth consecutive power play when Casey Mittelstadt jumped on a rebound and slammed it past Bobrovsky with 9:30 to go.
That’s how the score would remain through the end of the third period and a five-minute overtime session in which Florida actually outshot Boston 3-2.
Goals by Lundell and Brad Marchand in the shootout propelled the Panthers to a massive win that they can hopefully build on tomorrow night.
Feb 4, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) scores the winning goal against Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) during a shootout at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Josh Anderson and Lane Hutson scored just over a minute apart in the second period, helping the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-1 road win over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
The all-Canadian matchup was the final test for each club prior to the NHL's Olympic break, with Winnipeg not returning to Canada Life Centre until March.
Photo by Danny Truong
The Jets actually opened the scoring on Wednesday, with Kyle Connor blasting home a power play strike just 6:07 into the contest.
With Anderson in the box for high-sticking Nino Niederreiter, Gabe Vilardi found Connor across the ice, who one-timed the puck past Sam Montembault for the early 1-0 lead.
The goal cemented Connor's active streak of nine-straight seasons of 25 goals or more.
But Winnipeg's lead didn't last long.
Rookie Oliver Kapanen collected his 18th of the season with just over three-and-a-half minutes to go in the frame, bringing the Canadiens' majority crowd to its feet in celebration.
A span of just 76 seconds in the middle stanza sealed the Jets' fate, as Montreal pounced for two strikes to pull ahead 3-1 through 40 minutes of play.
First, it was Anderson, who redirected a Jayden Struble point shot perfectly past Hellebuyck 5:28 into the period. Then, it was Hutson's 10th of the season that gave Montreal its two goal lead.
The sophomore defender engaged in the rush up-ice and collected a poor Anderson pass. He had to turn around in order to corral the disc, but managed to get back on track towards the Jets' net and beat Hellebuyck high, short-side, making it 3-1, to which it would stand through the second period.
"It was those 1:30 where we gave up two goals there," head coach Scott Arniel reflected. "We talked about Montreal’s D being in the rush and gave up the one, there was a couple there where we got on the wrong side of people and they got in there with their speed game, which they do well. We did a good job of containing that but in the second period we allowed them to do that a few times. Like I said, in 1:30 it was a 3-1 hockey game."
Interestingly, it was Winnipeg that held a narrow 26-21 shot lead heading into the final frame.
“I do think it was one of our better games offensively, I would say," Niederreiter said. "I mean we definitely had a lot of good looks, just couldn't find a way to put them in.”
With Olympian Josh Morrissey in the box for slashing, the Canadiens found another goal - this one coming off an odd-man rush up-ice. Kirby Dach dished the puck cross-crease to Brenden Gallagher, whose sixth put the game out of reach for the home team.
Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck for the extra attacker for nearly six minutes, and despite a Montreal penalty it was the Canadiens who scored the lone goal. Phil Danault potted Montreal's fifth tally of the game with 13 seconds to play, finishing off the Jets 5-1.
Hellebuyck made 22 stops on 26 shots faced on Wednesday, while Montembault turned aside 36 of the 37 pucks fired his way by the Jets.
"It's been a rollercoaster year so far," Niederreiter said. " I mean there's times where we played good hockey and there's times where we didn't play as well as we wanted to. It's definitely a good break for everyone, mentally, and we know what's at stake coming back.”
The Jets will now take the next three weeks off before returning with a three-game road trip through Vancouver, Anaheim and San Jose beginning on February 25th.
The Chicago Blackhawks entered Wednesday with one more match before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan. With a chance to have another strong showing going into the break, they fell flat.
They had a handful of good chances, but Jet Greaves and the Blue Jackets shut out the Blackhawks 4-0. Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov, Danton Heinen, and Sean Monahan scored for Columbus.
Chicago’s power play broke through in Monday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, but they were unable to score on any of their three chances in Columbus. The positive, once again, was not allowing a power play goal against, although they only took one penalty.
Jet Greaves made 21 saves on 21 shots to keep Chicago off the board. The Hawks had an offensive outburst against the Sharks, but came crashing down against the Jackets on Wednesday.
The Blackhawks were defeated, but they lost more than just the game in this one. Wyatt Kaiser endured a gruesome-looking injury as Zach Werenski fell on his leg. Kaiser, of course, didn’t return to the game.
There is a lot of time during the break to recover, but this looked like an injury that could keep him out for much longer than that. After the game ended, Jeff Blashill said that he will miss some time, but his status after the break is to be determined.
Colton Dach, who was also injured during the game, is going to be good. Right now, he is day-to-day. The break should be more than enough time for him to recover.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
The Chicago Blackhawks scored 0 goals in the contest.
What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Blackhawks are going to have a few weeks off now. Teuvo Teravainen will represent Team Finland at the Olympics, but the rest of the group gets a reset. They will return to play on February 26th when they will pay a visit to the Nashville Predators.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins and the NHL have both confirmed that defenseman Caleb Jones will be suspended for 20 games after violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.
The former Edmonton Oilers' defenseman will be suspended without pay.
“At the time of the test, I was receiving an exosome therapy for a documented injury from an outside provider. I believe that my positive test was related to a contaminated substance associated with that treatment,” Jones said in a statement.
“While I did not use the prohibited substance intentionally or for performance enhancement, I understand that players are responsible for everything that enters their body and accept the discipline imposed by the program. I’m sorry to have let down my teammates, the Penguins organization, and our fans.”
Jones, 28, has played with several teams since leaving the Oilers. He's made stops with the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings of the NHL, as well as the Colorado Eagles, Ontario Reign, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. He has one assist in seven games this season for the Penguins.
He signed a two-year, $1.8-million contract prior to this season.
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement, “Throughout the process, Caleb has been forthcoming with the organization as to how he believes the positive test occurred." He added, “Caleb takes full responsibility for his actions, despite him being unaware that what he consumed was a prohibited substance at the time.”
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers skates before the game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on January 19, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Olympic break has begun, but one last big move took place in the NHL before the trade freeze for the games. On Wednesday the New York Rangers traded star forward Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in a move designed to solidify the Kings’ playoff push in the back end of the season. Panarin subsequently signed a two-year, $22M contract extension ($11M AAV), which will keep the wing until the end of the 2026-27 season.
In exchange the Rangers received forward prospect Liam Greentree, and a conditional third round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, which will become a second round pick if the Kings win a playoff round, as well as a conditional fourth round pick which hinges on the Kings winning two playoffs series this season.
Los Angeles Kings analysis and grade
There has been dire need for Los Angeles to find a legitimate, point-per-game superstar to try and put together a playoff run this season. Truth be told, it’s been a down year for the Kings who projected to be much better on paper than they’ve been on the ice.
Panarin is a legitimate star who can get 40-year-old Corey Perry off the top line. Perry has been good in short bursts, but injured far too much to be a consistent difference maker. Panarin will solidify that top line alongside Alex Laferriere and Adrian Kempe to form a unit capable of winning games for Los Angeles and getting them into the playoffs.
The biggest question mark about this deal is what the expectations are for the Kings. This team is still woefully lacking at center, have no great prospects at the position, and just gave away the No. 1 prospect in their system for a few years of Artemi Panarin — who will be 37-years-old at the end of this deal.
If your goal as an organization is being content with getting bounced early in the playoffs, then this is a great deal — it will achieve precisely that. I’m not buying for a second that Panarin is the missing piece to put together a Stanley Cup run, especially in the West up against the likes of the Avs, Wild, and Stars.
The saving grace is that the Kings managed to pull off this deal without including a 1st round pick, which was being rumored as part of the asking price for Panarin, along with a top prospect.
Grade: B
New York Rangers analysis and grade
For the life of me I can’t fathom why the Rangers felt the need to rush the deal and pull the trigger on a Panarin trade before the Olympics. With Panarin being a Russian national he won’t be in Milano Cortina for the games, eliminating any risk of injury — and after the games teams will be feeling froggy to make big trades, especially if a core player gets injured.
I really like Liam Greentree as a prospect. There’s potential for him to develop into a Top 6 forward on the Rangers, but he’s utterly untested. One would assume the Rangers would have at least asked for a NHL-tested player and a first round pick to get this done, making the deal reek of settling.
This is designed to turbo-charge the Rangers tank and rebuild, but this just wasn’t a smart deal. In the course of a week we’ve seen talks of a Panarin deal shrink from landing a highly-valued young player like Jackson Blake (CAR) and a first rounder, to now accepting much, much less.
Bad timing. Mediocre return. The Kings ongoing struggles will continue until there’s a shakeup in the front office — starting with Chris Drury.
While flirting with a spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings were soundly defeated in consecutive games by the Ottawa Senators in a 12-3 combined final score.
It was at that time that GM Steve Yzerman decided his team wasn't ready for playoff hockey and became a seller at the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline, trading Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins, Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks, and Oskar Sundqvist to the Minnesota Wild.
The following season, Detroit found itself in an advantageous position in the standings, holding a nine-point lead over the cutoff for the final wild-card playoff spot. However, what followed was a disastrous 3–9–2 stretch in March, culminating in the team losing any hope of the postseason on the final day of the regular season due to a tiebreaker.
Last season, the Red Wings were in one of the final Wild Card postseason spots near the end of February, but once again, struggled in March. They posted a 4-10 record that month and fell out of the postseason race.
Wednesday evening marks Detroit’s final game for several weeks, as the NHL schedule breaks for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
When play resumes in late February, the Red Wings, currently second overall in the Atlantic Division, will be determined to write a new script this time around.
Multiple rumors suggest the Red Wings could become buyers for the first time since 2015, when they acquired Erik Cole from the Dallas Stars and Marek Zidlicky from the New Jersey Devils.
That season also marked the year before their most recent appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If they were to begin today, the Red Wings would confirm their spot in the postseason for the first time since 2016.
To ensure Stanley Cup Playoff hockey comes to Little Caesars Arena for the first time, the Red Wings must avoid the March struggles that have plagued them in each of the past two seasons, a goal they'll have their sights trained on.
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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings acquired high-scoring left wing Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers on Wednesday for a conditional third-round draft pick and prospect Liam Greentree.
The Kings then signed Panarin to a two-year, $22 million contract that will keep the Russian forward in Los Angeles through the 2027-28 season.
The trade ends weeks of uncertainty around the future of the 34-year-old Panarin, who hadn’t played since Jan. 26 while the Rangers held him out in anticipation of trading their top scorer in each of the past seven consecutive seasons. He currently leads New York with 57 points in 52 games.
Panarin is a major acquisition for the Kings, who have stayed in contention for their fifth consecutive playoff appearance this season despite ranking 31st in the NHL with 139 goals and 29th in power-play success. Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala are the only Kings with more than 13 goals or 30 points this season.
Los Angeles has been committed to defense-first hockey for more than a decade, and coach Jim Hiller has kept the system alive despite four consecutive first-round playoff exits to the Edmonton Oilers. But new GM Ken Holland swung this move to inject some excitement and offense into a team that has appeared to be stuck between fringe Stanley Cup contention and full rebuilding.
Panarin is the NHL’s seventh-leading scorer over the past five seasons, putting up 156 goals and 298 assists for New York. He scored at least 25 goals in eight of his first 10 seasons, including a career-high 49 goals and 120 points two seasons ago.
Panarin’s departure is the biggest deal yet in what general manager Chris Drury called a retooling process rather than a rebuild for the last-place Rangers. In a letter to fans on Jan. 16, Drury said the focus would be on “obtaining young players, draft picks and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward.”
But because Panarin had a full no-movement clause, he was able to control his destination. With several contending teams making inquiries about his services, he elected to go to Los Angeles.
The Rangers retained half of his $11.6 million salary cap hit while acquiring Greentree, the 20-year-old Windsor Spitfires forward taken late in the first round of the 2024 draft.
If the Kings win a playoff round, the pick becomes a second-rounder. If they reach the Western Conference final, the Rangers also get a 2028 fourth-round pick.
The deal, which was finalized less than an hour before the NHL’s Olympic trade freeze, takes the best player available off the market more than a month before the March 6 trade deadline.
Panarin is the third pillar of the Rangers’ recent teams to move to Southern California since New York reached the Eastern Conference final in 2024.
Jacob Trouba, the defenseman who served as the Rangers’ captain for 2 1/2 seasons, was traded by Drury to the Anaheim Ducks in December 2024. Veteran forward Chris Kreider, the Rangers’ longest-tenured player, was also shipped to Anaheim by Drury last summer.
Both players have thrived in their new home with the Ducks, who are in contention for their first playoff appearance since 2018.
The Rangers already traded depth defenseman Carson Soucy to the crosstown rival New York Islanders for a third-round pick since Drury’s rebuilding letter went out.
Vincent Trocheck, who is 32 and signed for three more seasons after this one at a reasonable salary cap hit of $5.625 million, could fetch more than Panarin if he gets dealt.
Forward Artemi Panarin is off the trade market and the free agent market.
The New York Rangers traded Panarin on Wednesday. Feb. 4 to the Los Angeles Kings, who signed the high-scoring winger to a two-year contract extension averaging $11 million a year. The Rangers received prospect forward Liam Greentree and conditional third- (2026) and fourth-round (2028) picks.
Here are some of the top remaining pending unrestricted free agents:
Top remaining free agents
10. Anders Lee, New York Islanders
He has been the Islanders' captain since 2018 and is good for 20-plus goals. He had 29 last season. Current cap hit: $7 million.
9. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
The NHL's all-time leading goal scorer is 40. He'll either re-sign with Washington or retire. He hasn't indicated his plans. Current cap hit: $9 million.
He was the runaway leader in hits last season and is in second place this season. He also has 17 goals and was traded by the Canucks this season. Current cap hit: $1.5 million
7. John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Carlson is the Capitals' all-time leader in scoring among defensemen and is a key to their power play. He's the one who sets up Ovechkin's one-timers. Current cap hit: $8 million.
6. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
The goalie has won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles and two Vezina Trophies. He'll be 38 next season. Current cap hit: $10 million.
The 39-year-old has expressed an interest in playing more and he's making a case with 43 points in his first 40 games. He missed some time with an injury but has won three Stanley Cup titles in his storied career. Current cap hit: $6.1 million.
4. Darren Raddysh, Tampa Bay Lightning
The defenseman is having a breakout season with 17 goals and 51 points while filling in during Victor Hedman's two injuries. Current cap hit: $975,000.
3. Rasmus Andersson, Vegas Golden Knights
The defenseman was traded to the Golden Knights this season by the Flames. He can provide offense with a 50- and a 49-point season. Current cap hit: $4.55 million.
2. Nick Schmaltz, Utah Mammoth
The forward keeps improving every year. The winger usually gets 20-plus goals and 60-plus points, and he's already at 22 goals and 51 points this season. Current cap hit: $5.85 million.
1. Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres
The forward can score (two 36-goal seasons) and also kills penalties. He wants to stay in Buffalo and new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen wants to keep him. Current cap hit: $4.75 million.
The Buffalo Sabres have one game remaining before the nearly three-week Olympic break, and are well-positioned to end their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought. Even after a 4-3 overtime loss in Tampa on Tuesday, the Sabres hold a seven-point lead on three teams sitting outside of an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Tuesday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen is hesitant to mess with the club’s chemistry and weaken their roster going into the final third of the regular season, which would indicate that they may not move veteran winger Alex Tuch before the March 6th trade deadline.,
Tuch, who scored a hat trick in a victory over the LA Kings last week, is second on the club with 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists). The 29-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, and there has been no indication of any progress in negotiations on a contract extension in spite of the lines of communication between Kekalainen and agents Brian and Scott Bartlett being open.
Tuch has reportedly been looking for more than $10 million on an eight-year deal, similar to the contract signed by LA forward Adrian Kempe earlier this season, and reportedly, there still remains a significant gap in the price that Tuch’s representatives are looking for and what Buffalo is willing to pay him.
Friedman indicated that the possibility of keeping Tuch as an own rental past the deadline is increasing, but the odds of getting him signed before July 1 would seem remote based on players always wanting to see what options are out there on the open market. The trade of winger Artemi Panarin to the Kings on Wednesday and his subsequent signing a two-year, $22 million extension in Los Angeles may have decreased the odds of Tuch re-signing with Buffalo, since he could be the top free agent target this summer since the likes of Kempe, Kyle Connor, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel are re-signed and the salary cap increasing.
The Los Angeles Kings pulled off a huge trade ahead of the Olympic break, acquiring Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
It's got the hockey world, but most specifically Kings and Rangers fans, reacting all over social media, and for good reason.
Several fans couldn't believe the limited return New York received from Los Angeles. Although it's worth mentioning that Panarin had a full no-move clause on his contract, giving the player all the leverage in the deal.
"Artemi Panarin for a third-round pick and a prospect?" @Usmanrdabai posted on X. "Did the Rangers just get robbed in broad daylight, or are they desperate to shed that contract? Either way, L.A. wins."
"Are you kidding me that’s all we got for Panarin? Drury botched this one up, Panarin couldn’t even garner a first round pick? Kings won this trade," @z35_big wrote on X.
"Wow, a conditional third? The Rangers practically gave Panarin away for free!" @sarpnch1979 said.
"The Kings got PANARIN. For a conditional third and a prospect. That's it. No first-rounders. No top prospects. This is pure robbery. LA is ALL IN on a Cup run, and this move proves it. Rangers will regret this one," @L4vlcx posted.
"What a robbery, NY really out here handing stars away!" @Smoggy01 claimed on X.
"LA basically got Panarin for nothing," @BoltsPodcast wrote.
Many praised Kings GM Ken Holland, who was able to shed minimal assets, received Panarin with 50 percent of his contract retained, and signed the superstar to a two-year contract extension at $11 million per season.
Quinton Byfield and Artemi Panarin (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
"instant upgrade and serious playoff intent from LA," @uglyfreak077 wrote.
"I am on a Bread and Juice diet," @NicoleMae11 reacted on X.
However, some other fans are still skeptical about this Kings' team and if they have what it takes to go past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"Wow. The LA Kings just went from a first round exit to Edmonton to a first round exit to Edmonton," @Howard4Hart put up on X.
"With Panarin in the Kings lineup they have moved from “not winning the West in any circumstance this year” to “not winning the West in any circumstance this year," @travisyost posted.
"Kings still not gonna go anywhere," @therealahype1 protested.
"Hopefully this allows them to beat the Oilers in the first round...that would be most satisfying," @Relay36697862 said on X.
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The 2026 NHL trade deadline is set for March 6, which is still over a month away. But because of the Olympic break, the Ottawa Senators have just five games remaining before they have to show their hand. So it remains to be seen whether GM Steve Staios fancies himself as a buyer, a seller, or a team best served by standing pat.
As the deadline approaches, it’s a perfect time to look back at some of the most memorable Senators' deadline deals from the past ten years, trades that fueled playoff runs, accelerated or hindered rebuilds, and helped shape the current roster.
February 9, 2016
Feb 10, 2018; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf (2) during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Senators 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
On February 9, 2016, Ottawa acquired Dion Phaneuf, Matt Frattin, Casey Bailey, Ryan Rupert, and Cody Donaghey from the Toronto Maple Leafs. In return, the Senators sent Jared Cowen, Colin Greening, Milan Michalek, Tobias Lindberg, and a 2017 second-round pick to Toronto.
The trade was almost three weeks before the actual deadline, and it was notable not only for its size, but for the rarity of a big deal between provincial rivals. Phaneuf played 154 games with the Senators, and while he had lost a step, he was still a key part of the Sens' amazing run to the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.
February 27, 2017
Mar 2, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks left wing Alex Burrows (14) during the second period in the Heritage Classic hockey game against the Ottawa Senators at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images
On February 27, 2017, the Senators acquired Alex Burrows from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for prospect Jonathan Dahlen. GM Pierre Dorion said that one Senator player was so excited about the deal, he came up and hugged him. Burrows played 91 career games for the Sens, then retired.
A few days later, the Sens parted ways with Curtis Lazar, their former highly-touted first-round draft pick. He was sent to Calgary in a package deal that brought back a second-round pick that would become Alex Formenton.
February 13, 2018
Feb 15, 2018; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Marian Gaborik (12) skates during a break in the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Ottawa traded Phaneuf and Nate Thompson to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore. Both teams got a big-name, big-money player in the exchange, but both were at the end of their careers, especially Gaborik, who played all of 16 games for the Senators then retired because of injuries.
Closer to the deadline, Ottawa traded Derick Brassard to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-team trade involving Vegas. The Senators received a 2018 first-round pick, goaltender Filip Gustavsson, defenseman Ian Cole, and a 2019 third-round pick, while Pittsburgh received Brassard and a 2018 third-round pick. Vegas retained 40 percent of Brassard’s salary.
February 22, 2019
Jan 18, 2019; Raleigh, NC, USA; Ottawa Senators right wing Mark Stone (61) looks on against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Ottawa Senators defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Five months after trading Erik Karlsson, the 2019 trade deadline really began to reshape the franchise in dramatic fashion, which is a nice way of describing a fire sale.
On February 22, Ottawa traded Matt Duchene and Julius Bergman to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Vitaly Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, a 2019 first-round pick, and a 2020 conditional first-round pick. The Sens would only get that second first-rounder if Duchene re-signed with Columbus. He left and signed with Nashville.
One day later, on February 23, the Senators sent Ryan Dzingel to Columbus, receiving Anthony Duclair along with 2020 and 2021 second-round picks.
On February 25, Ottawa traded Mark Stone to the Vegas Golden Knights for Erik Brännström, Oscar Lindberg, and a 2020 second-round pick. Losing Stone was painful for the fan base, and any talk that this was all Stone’s idea was put to rest when Eugene Melnyk told a CBC reporter downtown that day that Stone’s trade was "part of our rebuild, we've been planning this for some time."
February 24, 2020
Jan 14, 2020; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (44) faces off against Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
On February 24, 2020, the Senators traded Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the New York Islanders. In return, Ottawa received a 2020 conditional first-round pick (Ridly Greig), a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2022 conditional third-round pick.
Pageau, a popular Ottawa native, was enjoying an excellent season at the time, but in the midst of their fire sale, the Senators did maximize his value at the deadline.
March 20, 2022
Apr 8, 2021; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Nick Paul (13) follows the puck following a faceoff with Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) during the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
On March 20, 2022, Ottawa traded Nick Paul to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Senators received Mathieu Joseph and a 2024 fourth-round pick in return.
Paul immediately helped the Lightning make the Cup final that year. Joseph played two and a half seasons in Ottawa’s bottom six before being dealt to St. Louis with the Blues receiving a third round pick as a sweetener.
March 1, 2023
Mar 27, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) waits for the face-off during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
In a rare deadline move aimed at improving the present rather than selling for future assets, Dorion acquired Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes on March 1, 2023. The Senators sent a 2023 conditional first-round pick, a 2024 conditional second-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick to Arizona.
The deal signaled that Ottawa believed it was ready to take a step forward. Even with Cychrun, the Sens missed the next two playoffs. After that, rather than extend a third highly-paid, puck-moving, left-shot defenseman, new GM Steve Staios shipped him out in July of 2024 for right-shot, stay-at-home defenseman Nick Jensen.
March 7, 2025
Dec 21, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris (9) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
In his second deadline as GM, on March 7, 2025, Staios completed two major trades.
Ottawa acquired Dylan Cozens and Dennis Gilbert, along with a 2026 second-round pick, from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Norris was probably the best player in the deal, but staying healthy has famously proven to be elusive.
Later that day, the Senators also acquired Fabian Zetterlund, Tristen Robins, and a 2025 fourth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks, sending Noah Gregor, Zack Ostapchuk, and a 2025 second-round pick the other way.
Staios has two deadlines under his belt now. The first one in 2024 was uneventful, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida for a mid-round pick. The second one last year was fireworks.
This one is tricky, because whether Staios buys, sells or stands pat, one can make a pretty solid argument for each of his possible decisions.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Caleb Jones has been suspended for 20 games for violating the NHL/NHLPA's performance-enhancing substance program rules.
Jones, who has missed most of the 2025-26 season with various injuries, won't be eligible to return until Apr. 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has played in seven games this season, compiling only one point.
#LetsGoPens defenseman Caleb Jones has been suspended 20 games without pay for violating #NHL/#NHLPA performance enhancing substance program rules.
According to Penguins general manager and president Kyle Dubas, Jones came to the organization this week, telling the team that he had tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
"Caleb Jones informed us this week that he tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance under the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substance program," Dubas said in a statement. "Throughout the process, Caleb has been forthcoming with the organization as to how he believes the positive test occurred. Caleb takes full responsibility for his actions, despite him being unaware that what he consumed was a prohibited substance at the time."
"The organization appreciates his transparency regarding this matter, and Caleb will follow all NHL and NHLPA protocols related to his suspension. Caleb has the full support of the Penguins organization, and we look forward to welcoming him back to the ice when he is cleared."
Jones was signed to a two-year contract by the Penguins during the 2025 offseason and will have one year left on that contract at a $900,000 cap hit for next season.
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