Category: Ice Hockey

Two defensemen get the most love in the latest look at who was hot and cold in the NHL in the past week.

Their teams needed the help as well.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are tied in points with three other teams in the East, including the Philadelphia Flyers, which are currently in the second wild-card spot due to a tiebreaker. The Calgary Flames, meanwhile, are likely not going to climb out of the basement, but they at least showed more than a smidge of offense in their recent surge.

With that said, let’s get right down to business. Here are this week’s hot and cold NHL players:

Hot: Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary Flames 

Despite being in the trade rumor mill, Andersson had a stellar week for the Flames, posting seven assists and nine points while being a plus-5 in four games. Andersson also was a huge workhorse for Calgary, logging 25:02 of ice time, bumping up his season average time-on-ice average to 24:25. 

The 29-year-old Swedish blueliner is on a five-game points streak, and he had three-point nights against the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks, both wins that suggested Calgary is capable of scoring a lot more than its current average of 2.38 goals-for.

Andersson is almost certainly going to be traded by or before this year’s trade deadline if the Flames remain in the NHL's basement. The pending UFA's current strong play is going to drive up Calgary’s asking price for him.

Cold: Jonathan Toews, C, Winnipeg Jets 

The Jets made a big splash by signing Toews this summer, and his choice of Winnipeg to stage his NHL comeback was a feather in the organization’s cap. But one question that arose was how well he would play after missing two seasons.

Toews has had some up-and-down weeks. This past week, Toews recorded zero points and four shots in three games. He has now gone five points without a point, and he has one point in the last nine contests. This season, he has three goals and eight points in 21 games.

The Jets were blanked by the Minnesota Wild and lost by one goal to the Carolina Hurricanes Friday, so they could’ve used some offense from Toews. Winnipeg can afford to be patient with Toews, but sooner or later, the team will need him to produce some more points.

Hot: Zach Werenski, D, Columbus Blue Jackets 

Werenski had a phenomenal year for the Blue Jackets last season, and this year, the 28-year-old is off to another strong start. This week, Werenski posted five assists and eight points in only three games, giving him seven goals and 21 points in 22 games. 

Werenski averaged 27:41 of ice time this week, and that includes two straight games of more than 28 minutes per game. His current average of 26:50 would be a career high, but regardless, he’s underscoring his status as one of the best D-men on the planet.

Cold: Frank Vatrano, LW, Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks have been thriving this season, but one prominent Anaheim player who has been struggling is veteran Vatrano. The 31-year-old had zero points on seven shots in four games this week, and he’s averaged just 13:34 of ice time in that span. His average ice time of 12:18 this season is about five fewer minutes per game than he had last season.

Two seasons ago, Vatrano put up 60 points. And last season, he averaged 45 points. The Ducks could have traded him to get some more assets in the late stages of their rebuild, but instead, they signed him to a three-year contract extension worth about $4.5 million annually.

This year, he’s got only two goals and three points in 22 games. It doesn’t get much colder than that.

The Ducks lead the Pacific Division thanks in part to Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Troy Terry, who have 29, 26 and 25 points, respectively. Even rookie Beckett Sennecke has 16 points, and acquisition Chris Kreider has 15 points in 18 games.

Vatrano got pushed down Anaheim’s depth chart, and he isn't in a position to excel right now. At least the team is doing well.

Hot: Yaroslav Askarov, G, San Jose Sharks 

As San Jose’s goalie of the present and future, Askarov has to do much of the heavy lifting in net for this young Sharks team.

This week past, the 23-year-old was electric, compiling a 3-0-0 record, .937 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average. San Jose needed Askarov to be sharp, as the Sharks won one game in overtime, one in the shootout and the third game by two goals, although one of those goals was an empty-netter.

In 14 appearances this season, Askarov has an 8-5-1 record, .913 SP, and 2.83 GAA. If the Sharks are to be in playoff contention, Askarov will need to be at least that well. But he’s living up to lofty expectations, and San Jose has to be thrilled with what they’re getting out of him already.

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Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider has proven himself to be among the League's most durable players, and in doing so, he's already set a new Red Wings franchise record as part of their centennial campaign.

Last week, Seider skated in his 346th consecutive game to begin his NHL career, passing the previous mark of 345 by former Red Wings forward John Ogrodnick.

Seider also played a key role in Detroit's dramatic 4-3 overtime comeback victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday afternoon, as he knotted the score at 3-3 in the third period with a seeing-eye shot from the point that eluded goaltender Jet Greaves. 

🗣️ MORITZ SEIDER. pic.twitter.com/b7X7fpERAs

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 22, 2025

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For Seider, he understandably takes pride in not only being available for his team but is also grateful that he's been blessed with good health that enables his durability. 

"I just take a lot of pride in being available, other than that you work so hard in the summer to be in those moments to be in shape and stay healthy, and along the way you just try to maintain form," he said.

"Obviously, I've been blessed with being healthy and being able to get out there and fight every night," he continued. 

Moritz Seider Breaks 40 Year Red Wings Franchise Record Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider recently skated in his 346th consecutive game to begin his NHL career, passing the previous mark of 345 by former Red Wings forward John Ogrodnick

Like his teammate Lucas Raymond, it wasn't long ago that Seider was a rookie on the Red Wings and getting acclimated to life in the NHL.

This current Red Wings roster features several rookies, including forwards Emmitt Finnie and Nate Danielson as well as defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. 

Seider remembers his 2021–22 rookie campaign as both an exciting experience and, at times, a mental drain compared to the experiences of playing in both German and Swedish Leagues. 

"Just mentally, I think you can be overwhelmed in your first season and you just drive on adrenaline all the time," he said. 

"Every city is new, you kind of find your way around," he continued. "You go to restaurants you've never been to before, sleep in hotels you've never been in. It's all exciting, but once a certain mark hits, you kind of get mentally exhausted from playing so many games in a short amount of time. It's the biggest difference." 

Not only did Seider overcome the challenges of playing in the NHL, but he was soon awarded the Calder Trophy as the League's best rookie. He's become Detroit's top defenseman, and also signed an eight-year contract extension prior to the start of last season. 

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The Montreal Canadiens have made another roster move, as they have assigned forward Joshua Roy to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. 

Roy played in two games during his most recent call-up to the Canadiens' NHL roster, where he was held off the scoresheet. In three total games for the Habs this season, the 22-year-old forward has recorded zero points, two shots, two penalty minutes, and an even plus/minus rating. 

Down in the AHL with Laval this season, Roy has recorded four goals, three assists, seven points, and a plus-4 rating. Now, after being reassigned to Laval, he will be aiming to impress in hopes of landing another call-up to the Canadiens' roster soon.

Roy was selected by the Canadiens with the 150th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In 38 games over three seasons with the Canadiens so far, he has posted six goals, five assists, and 11 points. His best season with the Canadiens was back in 2023-24, however, as he recorded four goals, five assists, and nine points in 23 games. 

In the late 2000s to mid-2010s, California NHL fans were living their dream, regardless of which team they rooted for.

Between 2006-07 and 2016-17, the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup, and the San Jose Sharks came close, marking plenty of success on the West Coast.

In that span, the Kings won two Stanley Cups and bowed out in the Western Conference final once. The Sharks made the conference final three times, advancing to the Cup final in 2015-16. The Ducks won it all in 2006-07 and made the conference final twice afterward.

While all the California teams were contenders in the early to mid-2010s, the Kings clearly led the pack.

However, by 2018-19, all three teams were beginning to age out, and they started rebuilding. That was, until the Kings' surprisingly strong 2021-22 season.

While the 2020-21 season was shortened to 56 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kings continued their downward spiral, finishing 21-28-7 with 49 points. Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, and Jonathan Quick were entering the later stages of their career, and they didn’t have many promising assets aside from Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe. The team finished 27th overall in scoring, Quick had a down season in net, and there were holes throughout the roster, leading many to believe the Kings would be stuck at the bottom for years to come.

However, in 2021-22, the Kings had a surprising turnaround, amassing 99 points and securing their first playoff berth since 2017-18. They lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round after dropping Game 7, but their success didn’t stop there.

Led by a mix of veteran leadership and maximizing their young talent, they've made the playoffs the last three seasons as well. However, they’ve been a first-round exit every time.

On the other hand, the Ducks and Sharks haven’t had the same success. Anaheim hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017-18 and San Jose hasn’t made it since 2018-19. 

The Ducks have slowly been building their roster through productive draft picks, with the most notable being Leo Carlsson, their first-round pick in 2023, who has amassed 29 points in 22 games so far this season. They’ve also added key contributors, such as Mason McTavish, Beckett Sennecke, Troy Terry and Jackson LaCombe. In January 2024, they also acquired Cutter Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers.

As for the Sharks, they’ve struggled with inconsistent drafting and didn’t find a promising young player in the draft until 2023, when they selected Will Smith. The team was lucky enough to obtain the first overall pick in the 2024 draft and sceleelected Macklin Celebrini, who has formed a strong connection with Smith on the first line and has helped bolster the Sharks' offense. However, they’ve struggled with the goalie situation since the departures of Antti Niemi and Martin Jones, and the team also hasn’t been able to build up a stable defensive core. 

As a result of slow rebuilds, both teams have been stuck near the bottom of the Pacific Division for the last six seasons.

Don't Be Shocked If The Tables Turn Soon

After a long wait, it appears the rebuilds for the Ducks and Sharks are close to ending.

Through 22 games, the Ducks sit atop the Pacific Division with a 14-7-1 record and 29 points. They rank second in goals-for per game with 3.59. The team’s young talent has looked excellent so far, with Carlsson, Gauthier and Terry all averaging over a point per game, and Sennecke has also been a key top-six forward.

Their goalie, Lukas Dostal, also deserves some praise for his strong play. Through 17 starts, he holds an 11-5-1 record, .904 save percentage and 10.1 goals saved above expected, which ranks seventh among NHL goalies.

Within the last year, Anaheim has also added veterans Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, who have fit in well next to the Ducks' young talent. The team also has nearly $17 million in cap space, the third-most in the league.

After starting the season 0-4-2, the Sharks have had a complete turnaround, largely as a result of Celebrini’s play. Through 23 games, he’s notched 34 points, 12 on the power play, two game-winning goals and two hat-tricks. They’re heating up and are 9-4-1 in their last 14 games.

San Jose’s young talent may not be as fully developed as Anaheim’s with players like Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson still adapting to the NHL. But Celebrini has shown he’s capable of leading the team, and with him on the verge of becoming a superstar, the Sharks just need to continue to build around him. Their first line, consisting of Celebrini, Smith, and Tyler Toffoli, has the highest goals percentage in the league amongst lines with 120 minutes or more at 83.3 percent.

While their first line has looked like one of the best in the league, there are still holes in the team on offense and defense. They rank 22nd in goals-for per game and 21st in goals against per game. But with possibly two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two fourth-round picks this year, as well as nearly $6 million in cap space, the Sharks are in a good spot.

The Kings Are In A Much Tougher Position

Sure, the Kings still have talent and are playing at a high level, but they don’t have as much build around. They also have several players either nearing the end of their careers or contracts. 

Just five forwards – Byfield, Kevin Fiala, Kempe, Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere – are locked up beyond next season. It also doesn’t help that their longtime captain, Anze Kopitar, announced he’ll be retiring at the end of the season.

They also have defensemen Cody Ceci, Mikey Anderson, Joel Edmundson and Brian Dumoulin locked up beyond next season. All except Anderson are 30 years or older and likely don’t have much left in the tank. Their goalie, Darcy Kuemper, is also in his age-35 season and is only under contract for one more year.

According to PuckPedia, they’re only projected to have $2.3 million in cap space this offseason, although that number could jump up to around $20 million next year.

While the Kings might not have a complete fall from grace, their time as the leader of California hockey may be coming to an end. Unlike Anaheim and San Jose, they don’t have a super promising young core, and their prospect pool ranked 29th in Future Watch. The Sharks ranked first, and the Ducks ranked second. The Kings also have too many expiring contracts and not enough money to fill all the holes, which could force the team to enter some sort of rebuild in the near future. 

This may not be the year, but California hockey is on the verge of changing.

Michael Hapanovich is an intern with The Hockey News.

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The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy recently ranked the top 100 hockey players 21 years old and under. 

The Hockey News recently revealed the players ranked from 81 to 100, and a Chicago Blackhawks prospect made the cut: forward Oliver Moore. 

Moore was given the No. 91 spot on Kennedy's list for The Hockey News, and it is understandable when noting that the 20-year-old forward has good upside. 

Moore has shown promise this season with the Blackhawks, as he has recorded two goals and five points in 10 games. This is after he recorded four assists in his first nine NHL career games for the Blackhawks this past season.

Moore also put together strong numbers in the AHL this season with the Rockford IceHogs before being called up to Chicago's roster, as he recorded six goals and nine points in nine games. He also had a good 2024-25 season with the University of Minnesota, posting 12 goals and 33 points in 38 games.

With all of this, it is hard not to feel excited about Moore's future with the Blackhawks. The 2023 first-round pick as the potential to become a very impactful player, and it is why he has made The Hockey News' list. 

The Nashville Predators, now more than ever, are in need of a win as they are ranked 32nd in the NHL, dead last, with 16 points in 21 games. 

They had been ahead of the Calgary Flames for a bit, who the Predators defeated 4-2 on Nov. 1, but the Flames have won three straight games and now have a three-point cushion ahead of the Predators.

Calgary and Nashville are the only two teams in the NHL that have yet to eclipse 20 points this season. 

Nashville has lost 10 of its last 12, getting some support from two overtime losses in that stretch. The Predators have won a true road game just once this year, a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 13. 

When it comes to divisional play, the Predators are four points behind the St. Louis Blues. 

Looking at individual and team statistics, Nashville has the lowest goals-for in the league, scoring just 48 in 21 games, for an average of 2.29 goals per game. The Philadelphia Flyers are second-to-last with 56 goals scored this season.

That is shown in the Predators' individual offense: no player who has played more than 5 games this season has a positive plus/minus. There are only two players with over 10 points this season: Filip Forsberg (15 points) and Ryan O'Reilly (13 points).

Four players have 10 points: Matthew Wood, Erik Haula, Luke Evangelista and Michael Bunting. However, the Predators' top forwards' lack of production has been concerning. Steven Stamkos has just five points in 21 games, on pace for a career-worst 20 points in 82 games.

Jonathan Marchessault has six points in 18 games and has a plus/minus of -11. Fedor Svechkov's impact has been non-existent with a point in 19 games. 

Nashville's goals allowed per game this season is in the bottom six, as opponents are averaging 3.48 goals a game against the Predators. 

Its defense recently got a boost with the return of Roman Josi, who has five points in nine games. Brady Skjei has had a tremulous start to the season with a plus/minus of -14, which is the fourth-worst plus/minus in the league out of 776 active players this season. 

Nashville has received solid support from its younger players: Spencer Stastney (seven points in 21 games) and Nick Blankenburg (six points in 11 games). Its defense hasn't been great, but it is one of the better parts of its game. 

Their power play is surprisingly not the worst in the league, ranked 26th at 15.4%, scoring on 10 of 65 opportunities.

The Predators' penalty killing unit is hanging just outside of the top 10 at 82%, killing 50 of 61 penalties. They've also been surprisingly disciplined this season so far, logging 157 penalty minutes, which ranks 30th in the NHL.

Usually, the Predators are leading the league in penalty minutes, but this season, they are near the bottom. 

Juuse Saros still ranks in the top 10 in shots faced (460, 6th) and saves made (412, 6th) in the league, showing that he's put in a lot of the heavy work for the Predators. 

However, unlike Saros, Justus Annunen is ranked among the league's worst goalies right now. He is 0-3-1 with a goals against average of 3.98, which is the third lowest in the NHL. Annunen's save percentage of .849 is the fourth lowest in the league. 

Just over the quarter point of the season, the Predators have not made any changes nor have signaled any. General manager Barry Trotz has expressed disappointment in the team, but has not hinted at any coaching changes or potential trades.

Following the Predators 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, head coach Andrew Brunette remained positive that the team could turn things around if they kept working at it and had a hopeful mindset. 

The slate doesn't get better for the Predators this week. They host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday, travel to the Atlantic Division leader Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, face a Chicago Blackhawks team on the road that is defying expectations and host the Winnipeg Jets the next day on Saturday. 

There was a bit of everything mixed in for the Belleville Senators over the course of their three games last week.

After blanking the Toronto Marlies 4-0 in front of 4,000+ students during the club's first-ever School Day Game, the Senators suffered one tight loss in Laval and had one rough outing against the Rocket as well. The defeats in Laval halted Belleville's respective four-game win streak and five-game point streak, with the Senators still entering the week fourth in the North Division standings.

Here's your recap of the three games:

• Wednesday, November 19, 2025: Belleville Senators - 4 vs Toronto Marlies - 0

The Belleville Senators were back home for their first-ever school day game against the Toronto Marlies, securing a 4-0 win. Rookie goaltender Jackson Parsons, an Embrun native, stopped 25 of 25 shots to earn his third win of the season and first career American Hockey League shutout. Oskar Pettersson, Carter Yakemchuk, Arthur Kaliyev, and Jan Jenik all scored for the Senators.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

• Friday, November 21, 2025: Belleville Senators - 3 @ Laval Rocket - 4 (OT)

The Belleville Senators began a four-game road trip with a pair of games in Laval against the Rocket, and came out on the wrong end of a 4-3 overtime defeat in their first visit to Place Bell this season.

Arthur Kaliyev extended his goal-scoring streak to seven games by scoring his 10th goal of the campaign, while defender Scott Harrington tallied his first goal as a Senator, and Xavier Bourgault scored in the final minute to force overtime. Mads Sogaard stopped 33 of 37 shots he faced in his first start since being injured at Toronto in late October.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

• Saturday, November 22, 2025: Belleville Senators - 2 @ Laval Rocket - 7

The Belleville Senators couldn't stop a barrage of bears from Laval Rocket fans, or goals from the Rocket themselves last Saturday, losing 7-2 at Place Bell during the Laval Teddy Bear Toss.

Belleville was only down a goal heading into the third period, after Phil Daoust and Wyatt Bongiovanni had scored earlier in the game, but the Rocket would take off for four goals in the final frame and run away with things in a feisty and physical affair. Jackson Parsons suffered his first defeat of the season, stopping 30 of 37 shots against.

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Recent Transactions

• Nov. 18/25: #33 Lassi Thomson (D) - DELETE - Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Nov. 18/25: #12 Danny Katic (LW) - ADD - Recalled from loan to Allen (ECHL)
• Nov. 18/25: #34 Stephen Halliday (C) - DELETE - Recalled from loan by Ottawa (NHL)
• Nov. 22/25: #33 Lassi Thomson (D) - ADD - Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Nov. 22/25: #15 Olle Lycksell (RW) - ADD - Returned on loan from Ottawa (NHL)
• Nov. 22/25: #48 Dennis Gilbert (D) - ADD - Loaned from Ottawa (NHL)

Click here for a full list of Belleville Sens transactions.

Senators Prospect Watch: Seven Future Sens Who Are Getting NoticedSeveral promising young talents in the Sens system are making their mark at lower levels this season.

Statistical Leaders

Points: Philippe Daoust (C) - 18 (T-4th in AHL)

Goals: Arthur Kaliyev (F) - 10 (T-2nd in AHL)

Assists: Stephen Halliday (C) - 15 (T-3rd in AHL)

Power Play Goals: Arthur Kaliyev (F) - 5 (T-1st in AHL)

Goals Against Average: Jackson Parsons - 2.26

Save Percentage: Jackson Parsons - 9.30

The B-Sens continue their four-game road trip and run against Canadian opponents in Winnipeg this week against the Manitoba Moose (AHL Affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets). They'll take part in the Moose School Day Game on Tuesday morning (11:30 a.m. ET) and then go back to a normal evening puck drop at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday (8:00 p.m. ET). 

You can follow all the action by listening on the Belleville Sens Entertainment Network, or watching along on AHL TV on FloHockey. After returning from Manitoba on Thursday, the Senators will play 12 of their next 14 games on home ice, including Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30 against the Providence Bruins for Hockey Fights Cancer Weekend.

More Sens Headlines at The Hockey News Ottawa:

Former Senators Prospect Finally Finds NHL Home With Rival Boston Bruins
Without His Wingman, Sens Top Gun Stützle Continues Relentless Drive To Improve
Senators Place Swedish Winger On Waivers
NHL Insider Says Senators Are 'Looking To Hit A Home Run' On The Trade Market
Senators Have Big UFA Contract Decisions In Next Few Years (Who Stays And Who Goes?)

The Hockey News Big Show is here to discuss more big topics in the NHL and beyond.

Here’s what Ryan Kennedy, Michael Traikos and former NHL goaltender Devan Dubnyk discussed:

1:00: Connor Hellebuyck will be out for four to six weeks after having knee surgery on Saturday. How competitive can the Jets be without their No. 1 goaltender?

2:20: How does a goalie's mindset change going from being the backup to the starter? 

4:50: Will Hellebuyck’s injury affect his chances of playing for the United States in the Olympics?

7:30: Since Joseph Woll's return, he has a 1-2-1 record, .905 save percentage and 3.27 goals-against average. How would you evaluate Joseph Woll's play in net since his return?

12:32: The Montreal Canadiens signed Alexandre Texier to a one-year, $1 million contract.Thoughts on this signing? 

14:13: How are you feeling about Montreal’s depth right now? 

15:58: Mikko Rantanen has been in some trouble recently, being suspended for one game following his hit on Matt Caronato. What are your thoughts on his play as of late? 

17:50: How difficult is it to walk the line between clean and dirty play when you're a player of Rantanen’s size? 

20:22: The Colorado Avalanche have now won nine games in a row and sit at the top of the Central Division with a 16-1-5 record. Can anyone stop the Avs? 

24:40: The Seattle Kraken sit second in the Pacific Division and have the second-best defense in the NHL right now. Do we believe in the Kraken yet, or is it a mirage?

27:20: Jesper Wallstedt has won five straight, with three shutouts for Minnesota. He also leads the NHL in save percentage at .935 and is second for GAA at 1.94. Is it time to fear the Wild?

32:17: Movember is coming to an end. Who has the best mustache in the NHL, currently or all-time?

34:26: Another week, another chance to name a player who had a hot or cold week.

36:18: Artists Jordon Bourgeault, Travis Michael and Dave Fried have been using iPads to design goalie masks for Anthony Stolarz, Thatcher Demko, Dustin Wolf and more. What was Devan's process like when David Gunnarsson was designing his masks?

38:50: Fair or foul: Connor Bedard getting pressured by autograph hounds for his signature on copies of The Hockey News' magazine?

How Competitive Are The Jets Without Hellebuyck? by The Big Show

Watch the full episode on YouTube

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On Monday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added another team to the rumor mill in the Vancouver Canucks. The insider explained on the newest episode of his podcast 32 Thoughts that he believes once we get closer to the deadline, that rumors will start to swirl in Vancouver as they currently sit with a 9-12-2 record and are tied with the St. Louis Blues for third-worst in the Western Conference. 

The Canucks have been dealing with a slew of injuries including key players like Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger, Nils Hoglander and starting goaltender Thatcher Demko are all out. Their injuries have gotten to the point that they've added former Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kampf to fill in on their second line at center when for Toronto Kampf was a healthy scratch most nights. 

It's been a tough stretch since their near-loss to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games during the 2024 playoffs after being viewed as a team that nearly took down the eventual back-to-back conference champions to a potential lottery team. This may create some panic within the organization as many believe superstar Quinn Hughes would like to go to New Jersey and play with his two brothers, Jack and Luke. 

Red Wings Roll Into Jersey Riding Hot Stretch For Clash With DevilsRed Wings travel to Jersey hoping to build on hot streak when facing off against Devils without star forward Jack Hughes.

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This could create the urge within the Canucks organization to make some moves and Detroit could be a team to facilitate a deal. Defense has been a weak point for the Red Wings this season with Vancouver possessing two standout defenders besides Hughes in Marcus Pettersson and former second round pick by the Red Wings in 2016, Filip Hronek. 

Either of the players would add a much needed boost and give give Detroit GM Steve Yzerman the opportunity to award his players and team for their first-place start to the season. He could add a much needed improvement at left shot defense with Pettersson and help move Albert Johansson to the seventh defenseman spot. 

The Canucks traded a first-round pick to get Pettersson from the Pittsburgh Penguins this past February and signed him to a six-year contract extension with a $5.5M AAV. This deal is superb for a defenseman of Pettersson's quality as a shutdown defender which may lead Detroit to spending a bit more to acquire him but it could be worth it in the long run plus he could create a Swedish connection with fellow defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. 

The odds of the Canucks trading away a player they just signed on long-term is slim but to make a advantageous move like bringing in some of Detroit's young talent to try and entice Quinn Hughes to stay could be a motive that Steve Yzerman can look to exploit.

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The New York Islanders have announced that former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexander Romanov is set to have shoulder surgery and will be out for the next five to six months.

Romanov was injured during the Islanders' Nov. 18 matchup against the Dallas Stars after being hit from behind by Mikko Rantanen. Now, the Islanders have provided an update on Romanov, and it is certainly tough news for the former Canadiens blueliner. 

Romanov is a key part of the Islanders' blueline, so the Metropolitan Division club will now need to adjust to not having him in their lineup. In 15 games so far this season with the Islanders, Romanov has recorded one assist, 31 blocks, and 31 hits. This is after he had four goals, 20 points, 147 hits, and 165 blocks in 64 games this past season with the Islanders.

Based on the Islanders' update, the earliest Romanov is expected to return is in late April, which would be playoff time. However, if the former Canadiens defenseman ends up needing six months to fully recover, that would make him unavailable until late May. 

Romanov was selected by the Canadiens with the 38th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 133 games over two seasons with the Canadiens from 2020-21 to 2021-22, he recorded four goals, 15 assists, 19 points, 204 blocks, and 365 hits.

Brett Berard is back in the fold for the New York Rangers after getting called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack on Sunday. 

With the Rangers’ offense hindered by J.T. Miller’s injury and possibly now even Vincent Trocheck’s iffy status, Berard could play a pivotal role in the team’s Monday night game against the St. Louis Blues. 

It’s funny how things work sometimes, as it was just one week ago that Berard emphasized he’s not focused on getting called up to the NHL.

“Not focus on getting called up or not focused on what might happen,” Berard said last week in Hartford. “I'm here in Hartford, and I'm here to help the team win, and I love the guys in the room. I love the coaches, so it's been a blast coming to the rink every day.”

Now, Berard is back in the NHL with an opportunity to make an immediate impact for the Rangers. 

“I think being up here in the NHL is every kid's dream, and it feels like the first day I got called up last year too,” Berard said. “It's the same, same emotion, same excitement, happiness. Just going out there playing a free mind, playing my game. I think when I'm playing my game and fast is when I'm most free and not thinking. So just gonna try to do that, probably try to provide a spark for the guys and play physical. I'm super happy.”

Berard showed flashes of his potential during his 35 games spent in the NHL last year. However, the 23-year-old forward was sent down to the AHL toward the end of training camp, leading him down a downward spiral. 

He admitted that not making the Rangers’ opening-night roster hurt his confidence, and insinuated it impacted his level of play to open up the 2025-26 campaign with Wolf Pack where he went without a goal for the first 14 games of the season. 

“I kind of lost a little confidence there,” Berard confessed. “The first few games, it was hard to kind of get my game back. But I think it was also good and challenged my mental toughness, too, to kind of go through a little funk like that at the start of the year. So I think it was good, and especially the last two weeks, I've felt really confident in my game.”

The Rangers have lost four consecutive games, and Mike Sullivan has directed the blame at an overall lack of juice and energy. 

That’s exactly what Berard provides. The 5-foot-9 winger plays a fast, yet physical brand of hockey. 

Berard’s presence could be the exact sort of spark the Rangers need right now as they look to overcome this recent skid.

Rangers Recall Brett Berard And Dylan Garand Amid A Slew Of Injuries The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> have recalled Brett Berard and Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.

“The role that he'll play is an energy guy that can be disruptive, get in on the forecheck, help with our team speed,” Sullivan said of Berard. “But along with that, it becomes just the importance of playing a team game and attention to detail away from the puck, in particular. 

“Those types of guys, when you put them on the ice, you want to trust that they're reliable and dependable, and they know what their job is and they execute their job. A lot of that boils down to details. That's the message to those types of players. Berard is one of those guys. He can really skate. He brings a ton of energy. He brings a little physicality to our team, so I'm sure he'll give us a spark.”

Berard practiced on a line alongside Noah Laba and Conor Sheary during Monday’s practice. He’s expected to make his season debut on Monday night against the St. Louis Blues.

It’s not like NHL clubs can put players on Overstock.com, but if they could, the Buffalo Sabres would be probably be first to post. The club continues to carry three goalies on the NHL roster and all three have been given limited runs as the primary starter. At this point, the philosophy on the part of head coach Lindy Ruff seems to be if you win, you stay in. 

Rookie Colten Ellis started four of five games earlier this month, but after a 6-2 loss to Calgary, Ruff returned to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who posted consecutive wins over Chicago and Carolina. Up to that point,  Luukkonen appeared to be the highest-paid third goalie in the NHL, as Alex Lyon made the bulk of the starts in the opening month, and Ellis got the net even after Luukkonen was completely healthy after injuries before and during training camp. 

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This led to some speculation from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that Luukkonen may become disenchanted with the logjam if it costs him a spot on Team Finland for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Another could be the dearth of quality goaltending options at the trade deadline in March and in free agency next July. 

Teams with playoff aspirations like Edmonton in the West and Montreal in the East may be a goalie away from improving their playoff chances. The Sabres crowded crease was alleviated slightly by the contract termination of veteran Alexandar Georgiev (likely headed to Spartak of the KHL), who cleared waivers on Monday, but the Sabres seem to be stuck with a three-headed monster between the pipes for the entire season and with youngster Devon Levi in Rochester, on the outside looking in.

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

The Vancouver Canucks have swapped a couple of their goaltenders ahead of practice on Monday, calling up Nikita Tolopilo under emergency conditions and re-assigning Jiří Patera to the Abbotsford Canucks. This comes only a couple of days after Tolopilo made his return to Abbotsford's lineup after missing around a month due to injury. 

This move comes ahead of Vancouver's upcoming road trip to California, during which they will play the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings within the span of four days. After, they will make a trip to Colorado to play the Colorado Avalanche before returning to Rogers Arena. Seeing as their games against San Jose and Los Angeles will occur back-to-back, Vancouver would be wise not to force Kevin Lankinen into too many games. 

As mentioned, Tolopilo has missed a good chunk of the season due to injury after being removed from Abbotsford's home-opener on October 24. He made his first start in a little less than a month after on Friday night, stopping 28 of 32 shots faced in Abbotsford's 5-3 loss to the San Jose Barracuda. 

Patera recently made his Canucks debut last Monday, manning the net in his first NHL game since March 26, 2024. In this 8-5 loss to the Florida Panthers, he faced 40 shots and stopped 33 of them. Patera will now return to Abbotsford to play alongside Ty Young. 

The Canucks' next opponent is the Ducks, who they'll play on Wednesday night in Anaheim. The Ducks currently sit at the top of the Pacific Division and do not look to be slowing down. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

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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Feb 25, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight (30) celebrates the win with his team against the Nashville Predators during the third half at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Nashville Predators would love to have the first 15 seconds of Saturday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche back.

That’s when the Preds gave up the only 5v5 tally of the game and eventually fell 3-0 to the best team in the NHL on Hockey Fights Cancer Night at Bridgestone Arena. Colorado’s final two goals were empty-netters after the Preds pulled Juuse Saros in the third period.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier, as the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers pay a visit to Smashville Monday night. The Preds outshot the Avalanche, 35-26, but couldn't find the back of the net for the second consecutive game.

The only good news that came out of Saturday’s loss was the return of defenseman and team captain Roman Josi, who came off injured reserve after missing 12 games following an upper-body injury. Josi registered four shots and blocked a shot in 19:40 of ice time.

Nashville is 3-4-2 with Josi in the lineup this season; during his 12-game absence, the Predators went 3-7-2.

The Panthers are also coming into Monday’s game off a loss, so the Preds will once again have their hands full in trying to halt a two-game losing skid. Here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s matchup.

Game Day

Who: Florida Panthers (11-9-1) at Nashville Predators (6-11-4)

Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

When: 7 Pm CST

TV: FanDuel Sports Network South

Radio: 102.5 The Game

Betting line (via BetMGM):

Panthers

-1.5 (+155)

O 6 (+100)

-150

Predators

+1.5 (-190)

U 6 (-120)

+125

Injury Report

Preds: Cole Smith (upper body) is currently on injured reserve.

Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov remain out due to injury.

Power Play Struggles Continue

Nashville’s power play is currently 10-for-65 (15.4%), putting them 26th in the NHL.

Head coach Andrew Brunette practiced his true first and second unit during Monday’s morning skate. The first unit featured Josi, Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O’Reilly.

Skating on the second unit were Nick Blankenburg, Brady Skjei,Luke Evangelista, Matthew Wood and Michael Bunting.

As for the penalty kill, the Preds rank 13th at 82.0% (11-of-61).

Preds Leaders

Filip Forsberg paces the Preds with eight goals and 15 points, followed by Ryan O’Reilly with six goals and 13 points. Rookie Matthew Wood has six goals as well, and he, along with Michael Bunting (4g-6a), Erik Haula (3g-7a) and Luke Evangelista (2g-8a) all have 10 points apiece.

Juuse Saros, who took the hard-luck loss against Colorado on Saturday, is 6-8-3 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .896 save percentage. Justus Annunen is 0-4-1.

Scouting The Panthers

Florida fell to the Edmonton Oilers by a 6-3 score in a Stanley Cup Final rematch on Saturday night. The defending Stanley Cup champs have won four of their last six games, and are 5-5-0 against the Preds in their last 10 meetings.

Florida swept the two-game series with Nashville last season, outscoring the Preds 10-3 in the two meetings. They are 8-2-0 during their past 10 visits to Bridgestone Arena, and have outscored the Preds 40-28 during that span, averaging 4.5 goals per contest in those eight victories.

Brad Marchand leads the Panthers with 13 goals and 24 points, followed by Sam Reinhart with 12 goals and 18 points.

In net, Sergei Bobrovsky is 10-6-0 with a 2.80 GAA and .887 SP.

Daniil Tarasov, who will get the start against the Preds Monday night, is 1-3-1,2.34, .910. Tarasov relieved Bobrovsky in the loss to Edmonton, stopping all 12 of the shots he faced including five high-danger chances.

During Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets fans grew concerned only minutes into the game when Neal Pionk left the ice and did not return. After the game, the Jets announced that Pionk is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will undergo further evaluation on Monday. 

He exited just over two minutes into the first period after delivering a fairly routine check in the Jets’ zone on Minnesota’s Danila Yurov. Pionk skated away from the play with a pained expression while bent over and holding his right knee. The sequence was not particularly intense, which made the injury seem unusual.

Pionk was sidelined earlier this year in March with a separate undisclosed lower-body injury that kept him out for a month before he returned in mid-April. The hope is that he has not aggravated that issue, especially since he plays a key role on the Jets’ blue line in the second pairing with Dylan Samberg, who has only recently returned from injury himself.

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It is still unclear who would replace Pionk if he cannot travel with the Jets for their upcoming three-game road trip that begins Wednesday in Washington. If Pionk is cleared to play, the team likely will not make any roster adjustments. If there is any uncertainty regarding his availability, a call-up on Monday seems very likely. 

The most probable candidate for the call is Kale Clague, a former NHL defenseman with the Buffalo Sabres, although he would probably see limited ice time. In that scenario, Luke Schenn and Colin Miller would both enter the lineup rather than continuing to rotate into the third pairing with Logan Stanley.

Pionk has been steady this season, recording one goal and two assists over his past five games. Overall, the 33-year-old Omaha, Nebraska native has five points in 21 games and is on pace for a 20-point campaign. His track record of reaching at least 30 points in six straight seasons suggests he is likely to find his rhythm as the season progresses.

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