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.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
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.
There are two kinds of losses in the NHL: losses that feel like one-off nights and losses that start to resemble patterns. The Philadelphia Flyers’ 6–3 defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday leaned toward the latter.
Philadelphia showed stretches of the assertive, organized hockey that has carried it through much of the season, particularly in a dominant second period, but those moments were swallowed by recurring issues: slow starts, untimely penalties, and an inability to convert territorial control into scoreboard pressure.
The result was a fifth straight loss, and one that stings a little more coming against a bitter division rival that now leads the season series 2–1.
1. The Opening Act Sets the Tone—And the Tone Is Wrong.
Before most of the crowd had settled, the Flyers were already playing from behind. Pittsburgh scored twice in the first period with a directness that contrasted sharply with Philadelphia’s tentative puck play. The Penguins didn’t need elaborate sequences—just quick exits, clean entries, and a willingness to attack seams the Flyers left open through the middle.
This has, unfortunately, become a pattern in recent games. The Flyers' starts have grown cautious, almost procedural, as if the group is waiting for the game to reveal itself instead of seizing it. Defensemen retreated a half-beat too far, forwards arrived late on first touches, and breakouts lacked the crisp support options that contributed so crucially to the team's success earlier in the season. By the time the Flyers began to find their legs, they were already chasing a two-goal deficit against an opponent content to counterpunch.
The psychological tax of that dynamic is evident. Every shift becomes heavier when the margin for error has vanished before the game has truly begun.
2. Discipline as a Recurring Self-Inflicted Wound.
If the slow starts are the disease, penalties have been the accelerant. Philadelphia took a series of minors that felt avoidable and, worse, ill-timed. Each trip to the box functioned as a reset button for Pittsburgh, erasing the Flyers’ best sequences before they could mature into sustained pressure.
Against Tampa Bay earlier in the week, the Flyers were penalized 12 times. Thursday wasn’t quite that extreme, but the theme persisted: discipline eroding just as momentum appeared within reach.
It doesn't help that the Flyers' special teams are still leaving something to be desired. Their power play is currently sitting last in the NHL at just 15% effectiveness, and while their penalty kill is in a better position in 21st place at 77.8%, it hasn't shown the dominance it once did not all that long ago.
3. A Second Half That Promised Everything—and Delivered Too Little.
In the middle frame of this game, the Flyers started to look like themselves again.
Rodrigo Abols scored his third goal of the season—he’s now tied for second on the team with eight points since Dec. 20—and Matvei Michkov snapped his drought in the third period with his tenth, continuing his uncanny knack for producing against the Penguins (six points in seven career games).
Nick Seeler added his second of the year in the final frame, and Denver Barkey orchestrated sequences with the poise of a veteran, finishing with two assists.
But the Flyers kept conceding. One loose puck management decision became a rush against, one missed layer became a goal, and the air left the bench. It has happened too often in this skid: Philadelphia plays well enough to deserve a different scoreline, but not well enough to protect itself from a single lapse.
4. Goaltending Caught in the Crossfire.
Sam Ersson was pulled early in the second period, replaced by Aleksei Kolosov, who was called up in the absence of Dan Vladar, who left early in the game against Buffalo and is getting evaluated for an unspecified injury.
The move was not an indictment of Ersson alone; too many chances arrived uncontested, and too many cross-seam passes reached their target without resistance. Still, the change spoke to a growing unease.
Over the last five games, Flyers goaltenders have been asked to be crisis managers rather than backstops. Defensive layers that once arrived automatically are now inconsistent. When that happens repeatedly, even average chances begin to feel dangerous.
Kolosov provided some relief, but no matter who has been in net across these five games, Philadelphia has been leaking goals in bunches, and no goalie thrives in that climate.
Aleksei Kolosov (35). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
5. Barkey Shines, Which Is Both Hopeful and Telling.
Denver Barkey was the Flyers’ most compelling player, driving transition with speed and courage, picking up two assists and repeatedly arriving at the interior ahead of Pittsburgh defensemen.
It was also revealing. When a player fresh out of junior hockey is the engine in a rivalry game, it highlights how quiet some established voices have become. Michkov’s goal (assisted by Barkey), and his spirited response of dropping the gloves after Barkey absorbed a heavy hit, showed pride, but the broader attack remains disjointed—which is even more disappointing considering how much scoring they've enjoyed this season across all four lines.
Thursday night was not a blowout in spirit until the scoreboard made it one. Almost more frustratingly, it was a series of small failures stacked on top of one another.
Those habits have turned a manageable rough patch into a five-game slide in which opponents have piled on goals and forced Philadelphia into impossible scripts. The group that once prided itself on structure and steadiness now looks hurried and, at times, unsure of where the next answer will come from.
Losing to Pittsburgh always amplifies the sting, but the real concern is not the opponent—it is the repetition. Until the Flyers repair their starts, rediscover discipline, and convert their good minutes into safe leads, nights like this will continue to feel less like aberrations and more like warnings.
It's still January, so it would be unfair to say that the season is entirely lost, but what has been lost—at least for right now—is the advantageous position they held in the Metropolitan Division (they've slid from third to fifth), and what is in danger of slipping through their fingers is a comfortable shot at the postseason.
Catastrophizing and placing the brunt of the blame on any single player is unproductive in times like these. This is their first major losing streak, and their first significant test of self-evaluation and resiliency, under Rick Tocchet. Time will tell how they handle bouncing back from this rough patch because while the tide may be receding, the tsunami has not hit the Flyers' shores just yet.
For a while, no one was taking the opportunity and running with it as head coach Patrick Roy cycled his lines, hoping that someone would get in an offensive groove and take some pressure off Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat, the latter of whom has missed six straight games and 11 of the last 14.
As of late, two players have risen to the occasion.
Forward Simon Holmstrom is playing the most confident brand of hockey we've seen from him at the NHL level, even more so than what we saw in his breakout campaign last season, where he scored 20 goals with 25 assists for 45 points.
While his slow start to the season might disallow him from reaching last season's point totals, his confidence with the puck on his stick has been impressive and, more importantly, consistent. He's driving plays. He's using that long reach and his 6'1, 208-pound frame to protect pucks, win battles, and find teammates.
Although he's been held pointless in the last two games, with no shots in their 1-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, he had four goals and one assist in the three games prior.
He scored the overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night for the 4-3 dub:
The penalty kill, in which he plays a leading role, has killed off 8-of-10 on this road trip.
The other player who has really stepped up has been forward Anthony Duclair.
After what happened at the tail-end of last season and his struggles to start this season, you have to credit Duclair for buying in and doing the little things that help win hockey games. He found himself in a bottom-six role where he committed to the defensive side of the puck and even sat in the press box at times.
But a breakout game against the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 6, a 9-0 win which saw him score a hat-trick, adding two assists for a five-point night, has him humming along, and Roy rewarded him with an opportunity to play on the top line with Barzal.
After going pointless in their 2-1 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators and in their 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild, Duclair has found the back of the net in each of the last two games.
He scored the lone goal in the Islanders' 1-0 shutout win against Edmonton, a power-play goal playing in the Horvat bumper spot:
This summer, when you looked at this team on paper, you thought that this was going to be the deepest offensive team Long Island has seen in quite a while.
However, we were just not seeing the depth scoring come through consistently. With injuries to Horvat and Palmieri, the Islanders had to rely heavily on defense, goaltending, and the penalty kill.
While those things have remained tremendously strong, backstopping the team in every win, the Islanders are starting to get some scoring from "the other guys," and that's beyond critical, especially once Horvat returns.
The Detroit Red Wings are becoming a regular mainstay when it comes to the NHL rumor mill with the team being involved in several trade rumors as well as being regularly named as a likely fit for certain players due to how advantageous a spot like the Red Wings is these days.
A renewed winning culture, a strong young core blending seamlessly with a solid group of veterans, and a pipeline of blue chip prospects that can either accelerate the rebuild or be used as valuable trade assets have positioned the Red Wings as a major topic of conversation around the league.
They have surfaced in even more trade discussions toward the end of the week, centering on a player recently made available by the Vancouver Canucks. Around the league, teams are closely monitoring whether the Canucks will move star center Elias Pettersson, as the former 102-point scorer has experienced a significant drop-off since his career-best season.
Pettersson was reportedly involved in a rumored conflict with former teammate J.T. Miller during their time in Vancouver, with the two said to have clashed frequently. Many believe it was Miller's unsatisfaction with Pettersson's play and his work ethic following signing his current large contract with a heavy $11.6 million cap hit for six more seasons after this one.
The team tried to resolve the issue by dealing Miller to the New York Rangers but still no resolution has been found in Pettersson's game as he's sitting with 29 points in 39 games this season with the Canucks sitting in last place in the NHL.
TSN's Chris Johnston spoke to the rumors of the Canucks open to trading Pettersson saying that many teams believe he just needs a fresh start elsewhere to find that 100-point player once again.
Everything started up with Pettersson trade rumors once again when The Province's Patrick Johnston spoke with Vancouver GM Jim Rutherford, who told the reporter “It’s our duty to take calls on everyone,” in a statement that echoed throughout the entire hockey media landscape.
This quote also builds off a report made by TSN’s Darren Dreger who said that the Canucks management team has been starting to look more into the idea of a complete rebuild and that they are "open for just about anything, and that might include finally trading Elias Pettersson."
Johnston finished off his talk on Pettersson by naming some teams that could be a fit for the Swedish center with the final team mentioned being the Red Wings.
There is a potential spot for Pettersson in the Motor City considering they could immediately put him in a favorable spot on the team's second line and have him play with star talents like Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, who could hopefully get a quick turnaround out of Pettersson. His contract would be a heavy one but the Red Wings would be able to work around it quite well compared to other teams.
Detroit’s most significant upcoming contract decision involves Simon Edvinsson, who is expected to land a deal comparable to St. Louis defenseman Philip Broberg. Broberg recently signed a six-year extension carrying an $8 million annual cap hit. Given their similar playing styles, it is reasonable to project a comparable contract for Edvinsson, though he is two years younger and could potentially command a seven-year term.
The Red Wings currently have more than $27.4 million in available cap space and could see even more flexibility next season, with several contracts set to expire. Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk may come off the books if they choose not to re-sign, while defensemen Travis Hamonic, Ben Chiarot, and Erik Gustafsson, along with goaltender Cam Talbot, are also scheduled to become free agents.
With so much available space, adding a second center with a heavy cap hit like Pettersson isn't the worst idea plus as the cap continues to grow the $11.6 million will take up less of the overall cap and will start to look like a bargain if they can turn Pettersson's game around.
It's a gamble for the Red Wings as they will likely need to sacrifice some meaningful assets, most likely Nate Danielson among others but if they want to possibly acclurate their chances at contending for a Stanley Cup, getting a stable second line center could be a great move.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Winger Jagger Firkus and defenseman Tyson Jugnauth have been selected to represent the Coachella Valley Firebirds at the 2026 AHL All-Star Game.
Firkus is skating in his second AHL season, and he’s been the offensive force the Seattle Kraken predicted he would be when they selected him in the second round (35th overall) in the 2022 NHL draft. He had a strong rookie season, posting 15 goals and 36 points in 69 games, but the focus was on improving the other aspects of his game.
Now that he is honing in on those skills, his offensive game has been given the room to shine, and it’s doing so. In 35 games, Firkus has scored 14 goals and 35 points, one back of his rookie totals in nearly half of the games. He ranks sixth in the AHL in points while leading the Firebirds and ranking second on the team in goals. He’s been as impressive as any player on the Firebirds, and it won’t be long before we see the 21-year-old skate in the NHL.
Jugnauth is taking part in his rookie AHL campaign, and there hasn’t been much of an adjustment period needed for the left-handed defenseman. In 35 games, the 21-year-old has scored four goals and 26 points, ranking third on the team in points.
Selected in the fourth round (100th overall) by the Kraken in the 2022 NHL draft, Jugnauth’s development has skyrocketed, and he’s continuing to fly up the depth chart. He was impressive in pre-season this year, skating in two games while scoring a goal, but showing his two-way prowess. He’s not the biggest player on the ice, listed at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, but he skates well and uses his hockey IQ to position himself.
Tyson Jugnauth (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Firkus and Jugnauth on the Pacific Division roster are Filip Bystedt, Matvei Gridin, Quinn Hutson, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Andree Lee, Carl Lindbom, Jacob Megna, Isak Posch, Dmitri Simashev, and Tim Washe.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
It’s been a little over a month since the trade with Edmonton sent Tristan Jarry for Brett Kulak, Stuart Skinner and a second round pick. To add a little more commentary on what was touched on earlier on this website today, the trade has been aging better by the day for the Penguins. What started out as a nice escape to clear the troubling contract of Jarry (who went back to the IR soon after the trade) turned out to enhance the Pens quite nicely so far on the ice.
There’s the future second round pick, which has no short-term relevance besides beefing up the reserves. Kulak’s addition to Pittsburgh has finally provided them with a second top-four caliber left-side defenseman and served to make Kris Letang look the best he has looked in…quite a while. Much has been made of Letang’s decline — and to be fair, time waits for no one and the 38-year old has looked every bit of his age recently. Then again, last season Letang’s most common defense partner was Matt Grzelyck, this season it was Ryan Shea prior to Kulak joining the team. It’s about 14 months overdue, but finally Pittsburgh has a partner for Letang with an above-average defensive impact, so it’s probably no wonder that the results the Pens have seen on the ice out of Letang have drastically improved once the blueline was addressed.
That alone would probably make the Edmonton trade enough of a success, but the headline-grabbing focus is naturally going to be on the goalie-for-goalie swap. It’s not every day in the NHL these days that you see two teams exchange starting goalies for one another. Skinner can a polarizing figure, although so far the Pens have to be thrilled. Skinner has five quality starts out of eight per hockey-reference, so far easily out-pacing Jarry’s one quality start for Edmonton. Jarry does have that IR stint working against him there, but as Beau Bennett taught us the best ability is availability and that’s another point in favor of the deal working out favorably.
Skinner can tend to ride extreme highs and lows, right now he’s caught a groove with a 4-1-0 record since the Christmas break that features a .941 save% and only allowing seven goals in those five games. In that stretch, the Penguins have commanding wins over three division rivals (Philadelphia last night, New Jersey last week, Carolina back on 12/30). In all of those games Skinner was not only one of their best players on the ice, he was a driving factor in every victory.
Trades often live on in relitigation for months and years afterwards so it surely is early to plan a parade or anything, but what a short-term boost that deal has provided for the Penguins to this point. The Oilers, despite Jarry’s injury, are 9-5-2 since the deal in their own right, so they’re probably not too mad about how things have gone lately either — since in an indirect way the move served to open a path for Connor Ingram’s return to the NHL where he has looked fairly sharp.
—
Speaking of decisions paying instant dividends, Kyle Dubas has to feel assured about locking Blake Lizotte up for three more seasons earlier this week, not that he likely had many doubts about it in the first place. The length of the term isn’t back-breaking but it’s still a sizeable and notable one for a 28-year old with fourth line upside. It’s well-worth the commitment when a player is as capable as Lizotte to make an imprint on a game like he did last night against Philadelphia.
Lizotte scored a goal that ended up standing as the game winner and later threw a massive clean hit that triggered a response fight where he handled himself nicely (albeit, against a non-fighter in Matvei Michkov).
The supporting cast players for the Pens has been a massive issue dating back to the start of this decade. In 2021, perhaps Pittsburgh’s last best season where they won their division, Pittsburgh saw a +18 mark in goals for vs goals against at 5v5 when neither Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin were on the ice. By 2022-23, the first time they missed the playoffs, the Ron Hextall built team had slumped to -24 in that same category.
This season, the Pens are back strongly in the playoff hunt over halfway through the season and thanks to players like Lizotte and his frequent fourth linemates of Noel Acciari and Connor Dewar who have been on the ice for more goals for than against. When a team’s fourth line is not getting outscored despite the harsh defensive starts, that’s a good sign that they are going to be doing at least alright. Overall in the 5v5 category the Pens still have some work to do to with the performance of their mid-lines (players like Ben Kindel, Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes, Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen have all been out-scored at 5v5) but so far they’ve definitely found something to work with and some major improvements from their depth, to which Lizotte will continue to be a key piece for the foreseeable future.
In previous early years of Dubas’s stint with Pittsburgh, a veteran on an expiring contract like Lizotte would have been traded away by the deadline. Whether this re-signing indicates a significant step into a phase of retaining key contributors or is a one-off remains to be seen, though it certainly is a strong piece of evidence that the Penguins are looking to hold what they can instead of defaulting into strictly selling off all parts when the time comes.
—
Furthering the theme of improving the current roster, the acquisition of Egor Chinakhov has shown promise as an upgrade as well. Chinakhov’s stat-line with Pittsburgh isn’t overwhelming (three goals and an assist in eight games), his impact has been notable with his speed, shot and even a contribution of a shootout goal. Chinakhov is still something of a reclamation project coming off his stint in Columbus (he only manufactured three goals in 29 games at the start of the season with the Blue Jackets) yet there’s been encouraging early returns with the change of scenery.
In some ways, Dubas and the Pens have to hope this could be a case of “you get what you pay for” when comparing Chinakhov to a similar last year acquisition of Philip Tomasino. Chinakhov cost a fair bit more (a second+third round pick, compared to just a fourth rounder for Tomasino) and that is due to having a little bit more to work with. Last night’s short-side goal on the rush demonstrates an example – Chinakhov has the tools to generate game-breaking ability. Whether or not he has the consistency will be a lingering open question for a while. Finishing ability like this is worth the price, now it’s just about seeing how often he can deliver.
Fit in the frame of the big picture, it might also be pointed out that the move from adding second round picks — which Pittsburgh did under Dubas in every year in a stretch for the 2024-29 drafts (besides jockeying for draft positioning in 2025) — into now sending out a second round pick to bring in an NHL caliber player is some evidence of a sea change in the current organizational strategy. Whether it was trading away Jake Guentzel, Conor Timmins, Anthony Beauvillier, Luke Schenn, Tristan Jarry and Reilly Smith or taking on the bad contracts of Kevin Hayes and Matt Dumba, the Penguins operated for a couple years in a way of strictly accumulating second round picks. Now, in one instance at least, the worm turned the other way and Dubas acted on previously stated intentions to turn a pick into a current contributor.
The takeaway at this point shouldn’t be a drastic shift into an expectation of full-on spending, though it does seem notable that the tide could be starting to change in this regard depending on the inputs of the team. In the end, Dubas might get the best of both worlds where his ample cap space allows him to scour the league for future 22-25 year old players with potential while retaining more draft capital than just about everyone else in the league to use to select more than his fair share for the future too.
Because, ultimately, responding to the team’s inputs has been Dubas’s role in the past few years. He threw some caution to add/retain players like Erik Karlsson, Ryan Graves and Tristan Jarry in year one, when that didn’t work out in the standings, management shifted gears accordingly to pare down on players like Guentzel and Marcus Pettersson who needed new and expensive contracts, without dealing away quality performers like Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell who didn’t. The Pens got younger and suffered a bit to take lumps in losing key contributors without immediate replacement. Now that the team is in the hunt, it makes the situation appropriate for the manager to make moves that dovetail as good for the present while being good for the future, a fitting category for all three of the team’s transactions of the last month.
The Ottawa Senators have pivotal back-to-back games this weekend, with the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night and a quick turnaround to a road game against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.
With their backs against the wall in the Eastern Conference playoff race, two wins would do wonders to get back in the mix and push for a wildcard spot. But these matchups are about more than getting points to climb the standings.
The Senators need to prove that they have another gear.
THN Ottawa's Jack Richardson says the pressure is rising on Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios.
A somewhat nail-biting 2-1 victory over the reeling Vancouver Canucks at home on Tuesday snapped a 4-game losing streak, and the Senators followed it up a night later with a dominant 8-4 beatdown at Madison Square Garden over the lifeless New York Rangers.
They were expected to do exactly what they did and deserve credit for doing so, but most fans likely have a “wake me up when you beat a good team” mentality after a despondent stretch of games.
That is why these games against the Canadiens and Red Wings are on a platter for the Senators to make a statement.
Entering play Friday night, Detroit and Montreal are 2nd and 3rd in the Atlantic division, respectively. The Senators are dead last and 7 points out of the second wildcard spot.
Typically, a back-to-back scenario against top teams in the division would be daunting for a team fighting to get back into the playoff hunt. But given the Senators’ recent history with both teams, the expectation this weekend should be 4 points.
For the last five years, the Senators have built feisty rivalries with the Canadiens and Red Wings. It’s a result of the young cores the teams have been assembling during their respective rebuilds. Each franchise has been desperate to take the next steps to become Stanley Cup contenders, especially after watching an Atlantic division team win it all in four of the last six seasons.
Montreal and Detroit have each taken a significant step so far this season, pacing the East with consistent play and leaving Ottawa in the rearview mirror.
But head-to-head, the Senators have done well against the Habs and Wings.
Ottawa has made two visits to the Bell Centre this season, the first was an overtime loss on a brainfart turnover by Drake Batherson in November, and the second was a convincing win in December to wrap up a 7-game road trip, punctuated by a signature Brady Tkachuk goal on a feed from Tim Stützle.
Saturday will be the first matchup in Ottawa and gives the Senators a chance to take a stranglehold on the season series with the Canadiens.
Sunday will be the second of four games against the Red Wings this season. The first was just last week in Ottawa, in which the Senators dominated but could not buy a save.
Both the Canadiens and Red Wings play a fast and skilled game, but the Senators’ defensive identity should allow them to thrive in both games. All eyes will be on Tkachuk, Stützle and Jake Sanderson, who all seem to step up their games against Montreal and Detroit.
These are good matchups for the Senators on paper. But results trump the process at this point in the season. They desperately need points, and this weekend is a great opportunity to gain significant momentum in the standings while making a statement against two budding rivals.
Jack Richardson The Hockey News - Ottawa
This story is from The Hockey News Ottawa. You can visit the site here or click on one of their latest articles below:
The Florida Panthers have locked up one of their defenseman for a couple more years.
On Friday, the team announced they had come to terms with defenseman Uvis Balinskis on a two-year contract extension.
The deal comes with an average annual value (AAV) of $875,000, a slight raise on his previous contract.
The extension will keep Balinskis with the Panthers through the 2027-28 season.
“Uvis has proven his ability to be a dependable NHL blueliner on a consistent basis,” Panthers GM Bill Zito said in a statement released by the team. “He possesses a relentless work ethic and we are excited that he will continue his career with the Panthers.”
Florida initially signed Balinskis out of the Czech Extraliga in 2023.
He was re-signed to a two-year extension in January of the following year that carried an AAV of $850,000.
Balinskis has played 36 games with the Cats this season, accumulating a goal and eight points while racking up 24 penalty minutes and earning a plus-1 on-ice rating.
In his third NHL season, Balinskis has skated in 138 games with the Panthers, accumulating six goals, 29 points and 59 penalty minutes.
He was also named to Team Latvia's Olympic team and will represent his country next month in Milan.
Florida now has six defensemen signed at least through 2028: Balinskis, Seth Jones (signed through 2030), Aaron Ekblad (signed through 2033), Gus Forsling (signed through 2032), Niko Mikkola (signed through 2034) and Dmitry Kulikov (signed through 2028).
Photo caption: Dec 4, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) moves the puck against the Nashville Predators during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Tage Thompson (right) -- (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images)
The Buffalo Sabres are back on a win streak, as they beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 Thursday night to win their second straight game and solidify their hold on a Stanley Cup wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. And the Sabres got the best night of the season from star winger Tage Thompson.
Thompson scored a hat trick and added a pair of assists against the Habs, giving him 25 goals and 49 points in 46 games this year. And he’s now on pace for a 45-goal, 87-point season. That would put him close to his career-highs of 47 goals and 94 points, both of which were set in the 2022-23 campaign. And that would be an improvement on the 44 goals and 72 points he generated last year.
"The Big Show"
But nights like the night Thompson had Thursday are the type of clutch performances Buffalo needs if they’re going to earn a playoff berth this season. You always need your best players to lead the way, and Thompson definitely did that against Montreal. And Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is rewarding Thompson with more ice time, as Thompson has averaged between 20-and-22-minutes in each of his past three games.
Thus, while it’s also important Buffalo gets strong efforts from their supporting cast – and they got that against Montreal, as young winger Josh Doan had a goal and two points – it’s more important that core components like Thompson and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin lead the way.
Dahlin logged a game-high 27:39, while veteran blueliner Bowen Byram played 25:05. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is leaning on his top players to get his team in the win column, and those players are rewarding him for the trust he’s putting in them.
But Buffalo has to continue getting strong showings from Thompson in particular. He was picked to be on Team U.S.A. at the 2026 Olympics for good reason, and he’s moving into top gear at the right time of the season. And Thompson needs to ride the good vibes of being an Olympian toward peak play by the time the Olympics arrives a few weeks from now.
It wasn’t a coincidence that Thompson’s sub-par season last year was one reason why the Sabres weren’t a playoff team. They only have a limited number of genuine difference-makers, and Thompson is one of them. So as Buffalo continues its playoff push in the second half of the season, they’re going to need Thompson leading the way.
Because if they don’t get strong play from Thompson, the Sabres are likely to slide down the standings and miss the playoffs for a 15th consecutive season. Buffalo’s supporting cast can only do so much, and if Thompson doesn’t put them on his back and carry them into the post-season, there’s going to be bigger conversations about Thompson’s future in Western New York.
The pressure is on Thompson right now, and it will remain on him the rest of the season. But the good news is nights like Thompson had Thursday night show he’s capable of delivering the results Sabres fans have been desperate for.
The wait is over, and we finally have a resolution to the goaltending carousel. The Montreal Canadiens have just announced that Jacob Fowler and Owen Beck were being sent down to the Laval Rocket in the AHL.
There has been a lot of speculation over the last few weeks as to which goaltender would be sent back down to the Rocket, but in the end, the Habs’ brass went with the logical solution. Not that Fowler hasn’t been great in the 10 games he has backstopped the Canadiens in, he’s got a 4-4-2 record with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage, but he’s the least experienced goaltender.
Furthermore, the Canadiens have big plans for the youngster, and logic dictates that playing more games will benefit his development. That’s what he’ll get in Laval: a lot of action and not so much of riding the pine behind another goalie. The Florida native can be proud of what he has accomplished in his first stint in the NHL. He gave the electroshock the Canadiens’ goaltending duo needed. A bit of internal competition has never hurt anyone, and he was part of the reason why Samuel Montembeault finally found his form back.
As for Owen Beck, he’s been the 13th forward since Josh Anderson came back, and the writing was on the wall, especially with the acquisition of Phillip Danault, which really helped the Canadiens’ depth at center.
In 15 games, the 21-year-old center has scored the first goal of his career, and even though that was his only point, he has still done well in a fourth-line role and has a plus-four rating. There’s a limit to what a player can do when he’s only seeing an average of 9:11 of action every night.
The fact that Beck was sent down might indicate that Kirby Dach is finally ready to return. The Canadiens are set to practice at 1:00 PM. We’ll know then if he has joined the team in Ottawa ahead of its duel with the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night.
While there won’t be an All-Star Game in the NHL this season because of the Olympics break, and there wasn’t one last year because of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the traditional game still takes place in the AHL, and the Montreal Canadiens farm team, the Laval Rocket, will be well represented.
Laval will have three players on the ice and a coach behind the bench. Pascal Vincent will be one of the four bench bosses on duty, while Jacob Fowler, Adam Engstrom, and Laurent Dauphin will be playing.
The All-Star Classic will take place on February 10 and 11 in Rockford, Illinois, and if one could have wondered if Fowler would be making it since he’s currently in the NHL, there’s no doubt this year because the NHL will be put on hold from February 5th for the Olympics. Given how little action the 21-year-old has seen with the goalie carousel in Montreal, there is no doubt that he will be back in Laval for the break, which will allow him to see as much action as possible.
In 15 games with the Rocket this season, the netminder has a 10-5-0 record, three shutouts, with a 2.09 GAA and a .919 save percentage. The masked man’s performance was so good that when goaltending wasn’t up to par in the NHL, the Habs brass did not hesitate to call upon him even though the initial plan, as admitted by GM Kent Hughes, was to keep him in the AHL for the season.
As for defenseman Adam Engstrom, he has 20 points in 23 games with 10 penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating with the Rocket this season. Despite being called up by the Canadiens for 11 games, he’s the 10th-highest-scoring defenseman in the AHL, and he leads all Rocket blueliners. William Trudeau is second amongst the farm team’s blueliners with 13 points in 27 games, followed by Marc Del Gaizo with 12 points in 27 games and prospect David Reinbacher, who also has 12 points, but in 28 games.
As for Laurent Dauphin, he is second in scoring in the league with 40 points in 32 games, second only to the Belleville Senators’ Arthur Kaliyev, who has 42 points but in 37 games. Furthermore, Dauphin has a plus-22 rating, while Kaliyev’s is minus-7. At 30 years old, the centerman has accepted the fact that his NHL dream won’t come true when he came back to the Canadiens’ organization on an AHL contract, after trying his luck with the defunct Arizona Coyotes’ organization and in Switzerland.
Finally, Vincent has the Rocket atop the North Division with a 22-12-1-1 record, good for 46 points in 36 games, four points ahead of the Rochester Americans. This is quite a feat, given how many of his players have been called up by the Habs. He had to make do without Engstrom, Fowler, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, Jared Davidson, and Joshua Roy at times. The bench boss and his coaching staff have been praised by Martin St-Louis a few times for how ready the players he has called up are to perform in the NHL. Vincent has been an excellent hire for the organization. Last season, he got the Rocket to the Conference Final and will no doubt be aiming to top that this time around.
LAS VEGAS — William Nylander had a goal and an assist in the first 5:03 of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, but he departed the game two shifts after his last offensive contribution.
In 38 games this season, Nylander leads the Leafs with 48 points (17 goals and 31 assists). Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, perhaps frustrated by his team’s inability to hold a two-goal lead in the third period, admitted after the game that Nylander sustained an aggravation to a lower-body injury that previously kept the skilled winger out for six games.
Craig Berube confirms William Nylander had an aggravation of his previous lower-body injury. Doesn’t know how long he’ll be out. @BodogCA
“Willy's a very important player for us. So it's not ideal, but, you know, he leaves early and he still impacted the game pretty well,” John Tavares said of Nylander. “Obviously tough to see him leave. But injuries have been part of our group the whole year and the way we've had to kind of come around it and guys step up and the way the lineup unfolds”.
The good news for the Leafs is that they went 4-0-2 in that six-game stretch when Nylander first sustained the injury, so the club has shown an ability to push past injuries to key players this season.
After the game, Nylander was seen walking around, catching up with players on the opposing team and was all smiles. From that standpoint, it could be good news. However, because this could be something that lingers, the Leafs must be mindful since the first six games he missed clearly didn’t eradicate the ailment.
Even though they only had Nylander for 2:17 of ice time on Thursday, the inability to hold onto the third-period lead was the most visible annoyance for Berube.
“It's frustrating to lose this game tonight,” Berube said. “We got off to a great start. I thought we played really well tonight for the most part of the game. You know, we've just got to be smarter in certain situations. That's what it boils down to tonight. I think we played a pretty solid game tonight, but we made some mistakes that we don't need to make in the third period and probably win the game”.
Injuries can affect you in fantasy hockey at any time. Your roster may be completely healthy one week before immediately getting hit with a wave of casualties the next week. And then there are those constantly trying to fill multiple absences.
I've been fortunate in the RotoWire Staff Hockey League, having only lost Connor Bedard for a few weeks while recent acquisition Brayden Point is projected to not miss as much time as originally feared. Thanks to that, a couple overachievers, some excellent goaltending and way more luck than anyone should have, I sit in first by two games at 13-1 having won the last 13 matchups.
No matter whether you're a frontrunner or lagging behind the pack, there's plenty of ways to enhance your lineups. Here are a few widely available players who might help you do that.
(Rostered rates as of Jan. 16)
Forwards
Jordan Kyrou, STL (Yahoo: 44%): Kyrou has only produced 19 points through 37 games after four straight seasons with at least 67. Part of this dropoff can be attributed to him playing on a team ranked last in average goals at 2.49 or the 8.9 shooting percentage that's well below his usual double-digit mark. Kyrou returned from injury three weeks ago and has since posted three assists over nine outings — including two PPAs from each of his last two — with none of the 21 pucks directed on net going in. With that kind of volume while in the top-six and part of a talented top power play, he's bound to start scoring again.
Matty Beniers, SEA (Yahoo: 32%): It's often been a tough fantasy sell for Beniers, as his contributions have been fairly one-dimensional and not exceptional (unless you count faceoff wins). But when someone goes off for 11 points across 13 appearances — four of those while up a man — more people will notice. Beniers should be able to continue this run as Seattle's lead center in all attacking situations. And if the numbers dip again, you can always cut him.
Beckett Sennecke, ANA (Yahoo: 32%): Kudos to Sennecke for being this season's first repeat forward entry. Since first being featured on Nov. 28 when he already had notched seven goals and 10 assists in 23 contests, he's accumulated another eight and 10 alongside 52 shots on a 17:04 ice time average. Sennecke has worked well with any linemate and in various situations. The sky's the limit for the soon-to-be 20-year-old, so you should pick him up right away.
Connor McMichael, WSH (Yahoo: 23%): I don't know how I had thought I previously discussed McMichael during 2025-26. Anyways, now's a good time to talk about him. Like the nine points over the last nine matchups – highlighted by a four-assist performance versus Anaheim – to go with 22 shots, nine hits and eight blocks, while he's logged 19-plus minutes a night. And that's totally sustainable for McMichael, as he managed 26 goals, 31 assists and 177 shots last year.
Jack McBain, UTA (Yahoo: 12%): McBain is generally overlooked due to a large percentage of his stats coming in the physical department, but every once in a while he'll go on a short scoring streak. That's happened the last week or so, as he's tallied two goals and three assists over five games in addition to 14 shots, 11 PIM and 19 hits, including three points, seven shots, three hits and a plus-4 on Tuesday with Dylan Guenther on his wing. McBain is valuable enough for laying out opponents, so the offense is a nice bonus.
Charlie Coyle, CBJ (Yahoo: 8%): Betcha can't name any forward who's at least 33 with no fewer than 30 points and is available in more than 90% of Yahoo! leagues. I'm guessing by now you've figured out we're talking about Coyle. There's been a few gaps on his scoring log, yet he's still registered seven goals on 41 shots with eight assists and 163 faceoff wins since the start of December while being a regular on the Blue Jackets' lead man-advantage that boasts the likes of Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli. Do your part by adding Coyle.
Ridly Greig, OTT (Yahoo: 4%): Greig was on the right line at the right time Wednesday as he posted three assists while joining forces during five-on-five with Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Cozens. And even with other teammates, he's supplied 10 points from 14 outings while throwing in 29 shots, 26 PIM and 15 hits. Even if Greig slips back down the depth chart, he'll net you enough fantasy output.
James van Riemsdyk, DET (Yahoo: 4%): It's always nice when a low-risk, low-salary offseason move turns out much better than expected, especially when it's a veteran who came into the season with 327 career goals. The veteran forward initially struggled with Detroit before finding the back of the net in six of seven appearances – three of those PPGs. Despite not many minutes, he's recently benefited with an even-strength spot next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond in addition to their existing man-advantage arrangement. JVR may not be an MVP, yet can still provide you a decent ROI.
Defensemen
Brandt Clarke, LA (Yahoo: 50%): Clarke gets a second mention after originally appearing during the opening week. He's taken over for Drew Doughty as L.A.'s top power-play quarterback and has produced five PPAs since Dec. 17 to go with another three helpers, a goal, 32 shots and 36 blocks. This is the type of offense that's been expected of Clarke since he was drafted eighth overall in 2021. He's also on pace to significantly surpass a career-high in points (currently at 23, peaked last season at 33) as he should keep receiving advanced attacking placement.
K'Andre Miller, CAR (Yahoo: 24%): Miller makes it consecutive repeat defenders in this waiver wire piece as he's been on fire the last 10 games, recording eight points, 14 shots, 10 hits and six blocks on 22:28 of ice time per game. He may no longer hold a man-advantage role like earlier in the year, but is heavily involved while shorthanded while retaining a steady five-on-five partnership alongside Sean Walker. Miller's scoring may not be as plentiful the rest of the way, though he'll deliver consistent cross-category production.
J.J. Moser, TB (Yahoo: 13%): Long-term injuries to Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh have allowed others to take on more responsibility. Moser was already getting enough opportunities while Hedman was available, as the two sometimes skated together, yet his minutes have seen a major boost the last month at nearly a 23:00 average consisting of four goals, four assists, 27 shots, 16 hits and 20 blocks. As an added bonus for those in formats that count plus-minus, Moser ranks third in the NHL with a plus-37.
Uvis Balinskis, FLA (Yahoo: 0%): Seth Jones recently suffered an upper-body injury that's set to sideline him for a couple more weeks. Aaron Ekblad was first offered the chance to fill the vacancy on PP1 before Balinskis started appearing there Saturday. And while nothing came from that contest, he earned a PPA on Tuesday when his shot was tipped in by Sam Reinhart. A lot of poolies would be hesitant to add Balinskis due to his overall lack of output and ice time. There's definite value as long as he sticks on the lead man-advantage, so be sure to check the latest line alignments heading into Florida's next matchup Friday at Carolina.
Goaltenders
Sam Montembeault, MTL (Yahoo: 41%): The Habs continue to carry three netminders on their roster where Montembeault has made as many starts as Jacob Fowler since Dec. 30 with four compared to two for Jakub Dobes. He significantly struggled before being demoted by posting a 3.65 GAA and .857 save percentage in 15 outings. Fowler should be Montreal's lead as he's already done decently (2.62/.902 across 10 appearances) and needs the volume to prove he can be the No. 1, though Montembeault will earn enough work based on recent results (three wins from four) and to showcase him for a potential trade.
Leevi Merilainen, OTT (Yahoo: 8%): Since Linus Ullmark went on personal leave, Merilainen has started all nine games for the Sens that included two back-to-back sets. The numbers during this stretch haven't been the greatest (3.29 GAA/.859 SV%), but the experience will help and he fared well last season in an abbreviated run (8-3-1, 1.99, .925). James Reimer was signed and will eventually make his Ottawa debut, yet it's been nine months since his last NHL involvement. Even behind a weak defense, Merilainen deserves a chance on a club boasting a solid offense.
