Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry has been given the No. 8 spot on Lyle Richardson's NHL Trade Targets Rankings for Bleacher Report. 

Jarry has been the subject of trade rumors before, and it has carried over to the season. Because of this, it makes sense that he is being considered among the top trade candidates in the NHL right now. This is especially so when noting that the Penguins are retooling and Jarry is in the middle of a bounce-back season. 

In 11 games so far this campaign, Jarry has recorded an 8-2-0 record, a .911 save percentage, and a 2.57 goals-against average. This is after he had a 16-12-6 record, a .892 save percentage, and a 3.12 goals-against average in 36 games last season for Pittsburgh.

With how well Jarry is playing this season, it would be understandable if he generated interest from clubs looking for goaltending help near the deadline. Yet, the Penguins could also very well decide to keep him around if he keeps playing well. This is because he is signed until the end of the 2027-28 season, carrying a $5.375 million cap hit. 

In 304 career games over 10 seasons with the Penguins, Jarry has recorded a 160-99-31 record, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.74 goals-against average. 

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The Detroit Red Wings managed to pick up a badly-needed victory on Tuesday evening, taking down the Boston Bruins by a 5-4 final score at Little Caesars Arena to halt what was a four-game winless skid. 

Their metal will now be put to the test once again as they've embarked on a six-game road trip that will begin on Thursday evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. 

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

For head coach Todd McLellan, he's looking forward to the challenge that this road trip represents for his club. 

"It's going to be a big challenge," McLellan said of the next six games. "The travel, the buildings that we go to, the teams that we're going to play, everyone's a little different, so we have to prepare each and every night. But I think the opportunity that lies ahead of us is two-fold."

"One, to have a successful trip and build, and then two, to find our game and continue to build on it. I'm looking forward to it, and it starts here tonight against a real good team." 

The Red Wings defeated the Blue Jackets on Nov. 22 by a 4-3 final score in overtime thanks to a two-goal third period comeback effort that was capped by Alex DeBrincat's winning tally in the extra session. 

However,  Detroit's next four games weren't as fruitful. They dropped contests to both the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning on home ice, which were highlighted by multiple defensive miscues that their opposition took advantage of. 

Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom, whom they'd like to contribute more offensively as he only has a single goal in the 14 games he's skated in, said Detroit isn't going to be taking Columbus lightly. 

"I'm Happy For Him": Todd McLellan Talks Up John Gibson After Win Vs. Bruins Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan was happy for goaltender John Gibson on Tuesday night after he picked up his first win since Nov. 13.

“They have some skilled players and some physicality,” Soderblom said of the impending matchup against Columbus. “Always good battles against this team. I think we always have tight games, so it’s going to be fun.”

Following Thursday's game, the Red Wings will travel to Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Chicago before returning home on Nov. 16 against the New York Islanders. 

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The Wraparound is here to discuss a new batch of NHL and hockey topics in bite-sized segments.

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Stephen Kerr discussed in this episode:

0:00: Which team in the Central Division is under the most pressure to translate their hot start into playoff success?

4:45: Can Steven Stamkos get his offense back on track in Nashville or elsewhere?

10:05: How concerning is the lack of depth scoring for the Detroit Red Wings?

13:28: How will Adam Fox's injury impact the Rangers' playoff chances?

17:41: Should the Montreal Canadiens look to make an upgrade in net?

22:40: Will Tyler Bertuzzi be a long-term fit for the Chicago Blackhawks?

25:39: Exploring potential trade partners for Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks

Should The Canadiens Find An Upgrade In Net? by The Wraparound

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

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Amazon

The crossroads of the Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 season was exactly one year to the day of the club beginning their six-game road swing, that may determine whether they remain competitive for an Eastern Conference playoff spot or not. On December 3, 2024, the Sabres led Colorado 4-0 after 20 minutes and 4-1 entering the third period before the Avalanche rallied with four third-period goals to win 5-4.  That loss failed to end a three-game losing skid and excelerated a 13-game crashdive that caused the club to miss the playoffs for a 14th straight season. 

The 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers was much less dramatic, but began the Sabres critical road swing on a discouraging note. Early momentum from a Jason Zucker power play goal was squandered by a Buffalo penalty killing unit that was second in  the NHL entering the game and by a questionable review request for goalie interference by head coach Lindy Ruff on Travis Konecny’s tying goal. 

 "We felt that (Owen Tippett's) stick got into our goalie's blocker, whether that was going to be enough or not, you couldn't really tell." Ruff said after the game. "It looked like his body was inside the paint, but skates weren't."

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

Guerin Gathering Info On Possible Olympic Options 

The failed review led to another Flyers power goal from Trevor Zegras and a reeling Sabres squad allowed a third Philadelphia goal by Bobby Brink within a span of 59 seconds. Buffalo had several opportunities in the contest to close the gap, but were unable to beat Samuel Ersson, who made 27 saves. According to Ruff, the club’s top players did not come through, including team captain Rasmus Dahlin, who was ejected for a major boarding penalty and game misconduct for a hit on Zegras in the second period.

"The top guys failed the test. (Tage Thompson) took a bad penalty. We had a bad clear (from Alex Tuch), we had plenty of opportunities to get back in the game,” Ruff said. “If you look at a couple of chances, even Tage had one on the goal line that Samuelsson set him up. We weren't sharp. We've talked about consistent play, we failed the test on consistent play."

The loss ended the Sabres two-game winning streak and has them just one point ahead of last-place Florida in the Eastern Conference. 

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On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Florida, as Pittsburgh looks to hold onto its playoff positioning and Tampa looks to extend its Atlantic Division lead. 

But there is another storyline as well.

For the fifth time, the Penguins will face their former teammate Jake Guentzel, who was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2024 trade deadline and was subsequently traded to then signed by the Lightning the following summer. In four games against Pittsburgh, Guentzel has notched no goals and three assists. 

At the time, the Guentzel trade definitely seemed to be one focused on quantity rather than quality, although the jury is still out on that with a few promising prospects dealt as part of that trade. 

---

In fact, let's revisit where the Guentzel trade tree has extended so far:

- Mar. 8, 2024: Penguins acquire forwards Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius, and conditional first-round and fifth-round draft picks from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Jake Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith

- Jun. 29, 2024: Penguins use conditional first-round pick acquired from Hurricanes (condition not met) to draft defenseman Harrison Brunicke 44th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. 

- Jun. 30, 2024: Hurricanes acquire 2025 third-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Guentzel

- Jul. 1, 2024: Guentzel signs seven-year, $63 million contract with Lightning

- Mar. 6, 2025: Penguins acquire forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick

- Mar. 7, 2025: Penguins acquire a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Schenn

- Jun. 28, 2025: Hurricanes use third-round pick acquired from Lightning to draft defenseman Roman Bausov 87th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft

Penguins' Prospect Earns Two Honors In Same WeekThere are a lot of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' prospects making noise in the pipeline this season, and the organization's prospect pool is looking deeper than it has in quite a long time.

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Winner: Tampa Bay Lightning

There's no doubt that Tampa Bay is the clear winner in this trade tree scenario, as they ended up acquiring a perennial 30-40 goal-scorer for only a third-round pick due to his unrestricted free agent status. No matter how you slice it, Tampa has - so far - come out on top of this trade tree

Biggest loser: Carolina Hurricanes

It's certainly not ideal to lose Guentzel to a trade for unrestricted free agency rights and net only a third-round pick in return. Carolina not only lost a perennial 30-40 goal-scorer, but they also lost a potential top-six winger in Koivunen and the second-round selection that led to the Penguins getting Brunicke, who has a ceiling as a top-pairing defenseman. Carolina lost this one, and they lost big.

New 'Kid Line' Might Be Just What Penguins NeedThe Pittsburgh Penguins debuted their new "kid line" of Rutger McGroarty, Ben Kindel, and Ville Koivunen against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday - and it paid off.

Jury's still out: Pittsburgh Penguins

It's very hard to replace a point-per-game, perennial 30-40 goal-scorer. Even with unrestricted free agency, trading a player of that caliber typically requires at least a first-round pick, which Penguins' GM/POHO Kyle Dubas failed to secure.

However, the Penguins probably got first-round value out of Brunicke, Koivunen's stock has risen since joining the organization, Lucius is playing well at the NCAA level, Novak has been a serviceable player for Pittsburgh, and they still have some picks at their disposal - which is good news, considering how Dubas and Wes Clark have fared in drafting up to this point.  

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how this trade tree continues to play out and if there are any more surprises in store with it. 

Pittsburgh Penguins At Tampa Bay Lightning Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To WatchThe Pittsburgh Penguins will face one of the toughest teams in the NHL on Thursday night.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have won three of their last four games since head coach Dan Muse called them out following a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Nov. 22.

They recently beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 in dominant fashion on Monday, thanks to another outstanding performance from captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby, who loves torturing the Flyers and their fans, notched two goals and was a menace in all three zones. 

Goaltender Tristan Jarry was also great, saving 28 of 29 shots. He's set to get the start against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday after he was the first goaltender off the ice at the morning skate.

Speaking of the Lightning, they are one of the best teams in the NHL right now. After losing six of their first seven games to open the season, they've won 15 of their last 19 games and have a 16-8-2 record, good for first place in the Atlantic Division. They had their seven-game winning streak snapped by the New York Islanders on Tuesday. 

The Penguins will avoid seeing Andrei Vasilevskiy on Thursday after Lightning head coach Jon Cooper confirmed that Jonas Johansson will start in goal. They'll still have to face the Lightning's vaunted top six, led by supertstar Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov is off to another fantastic start, compiling 11 goals and 32 points in 24 games. 

Brandon Hagel and old friend Jake Guentzel are also off to great starts, each compiling 27 points to start the year. 

The Penguins didn't do line rushes at the morning skate, so there's a good chance the lines will remain the same from Monday.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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The NHL's had an excellent Calder Trophy race to start the year.

The top rookies are incredibly effective for their teams, helping them to much-improved results. Even beyond the top rookies, some strong performers would usually be at the top of the rookie race in most other years. 

The favorites coming into the year – Ivan Demidov and Matthew Schaefer – are still right up there at the top of the race. Beckett Sennecke joined them, but some netminders also entered the conversation with outstanding performances.

Let's check in on the NHL's top rookies as we approach the holiday season, because we are starting to get a clearer picture of how effective each of them has been for their respective squads.

1. Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders

The Islanders' first overall pick has been nothing short of exceptional to start his NHL career. His eight goals are tied for the most among rookies, and combined with his 11 assists, he's one point behind Demidov and Sennecke for the rookie points lead.

The way that 18-year-old Schaefer dictates the play, pushes the pace and consistently brings life to the Islanders' attack is truly game-changing. 

Defensively, Schaefer has been better than just about any rookie D-man in recent memory.

His skating allows him to get into position defensively or recover when he decides to pinch and join the attack. His underlying numbers are stellar for any defender, let alone a first-year player.

There is legitimate conversation about him getting into the Norris Trophy conversation, so he's sure to stay atop the Calder race if he keeps this up.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 1.42/-238

2. Ivan Demidov, RW, Montreal Canadiens

It's quite impressive that Demidov isn't the top rookie at the moment. His season has been nothing short of outstanding.

He's tied for the rookie lead in points in one fewer game played, and he's doing so as the offensive catalyst on the second line for the Montreal Canadiens, primarily playing away from top players Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Demidov has been making magic with fellow rookie Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook throughout the season. 

Demidov might be the most purely skilled rookie in the class. His puckhandling and playmaking have come as advertised, and he shows a much more consistent effort in all three zones than most rookies.

The 19-year-old has been the kind of offensive catalyst Montreal has needed for years. His continued growth throughout the season will keep him right near the top of this list all year.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 4.60/+360

3. Beckett Sennecke, RW, Anaheim Ducks

The NHL's other rookie scoring leader, with 20 points, has been better than advertised for the Anaheim Ducks. He's a big reason they're not just in a playoff spot but leading the Pacific Division.

Sennecke has added additional offensive depth, with high-end skill and an excellent dual-threat offensive game.

The 19-year-old has been a breath of fresh air, bringing some high-end puckhandling and dangles to a team built on playing hard, heavy hockey. If he continues to lead all rookies in scoring, it's going to be hard not to have him near the top of the Calder list.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 17.00/+1600

4. Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild

With the opportunity to play in the NHL full-time this season, the 'Wall of St. Paul' has had some incredible performances as the Wild's backup to Filip Gustavsson.

In 10 games, he has eight wins and four shutouts. His two losses came in overtime.

Wallstedt, 23, has a .944 save percentage, which leads NHL goalies who played at least 10 games. If he gets a bit more of the start split with Gustavsson, he could find his way up the list because he's been unbeatable over the last month.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 8.00/+700

5. Alexander Nikishin, D, Carolina Hurricanes

The unfortunate thing about the Calder Trophy is that so much of the award is based on counting stats. Nikishin's impact goes far beyond that, with incredible defensive acumen and a physical edge that most rookies don't come close to bringing.

The 24-year-old Russian is one of the older rookies in the league, but he's shown exactly why he was one of the KHL's best blueliners before this season. Nikishin is undeniably one of the top rookies in the class thanks to his defensive impact, which should earn him some love in the Calder conversation, albeit likely not enough to get a finalist's nod.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 101.00/+10000

6. Yaroslav Askarov, G, San Jose Sharks

The Sharks traded for Askarov in hopes that he would become their goalie of the future. His performance this season proves just that.

Askarov plays with incredible athleticism. His ability to move around the net and read the play makes him not only effective but highly entertaining.

The 23-year-old is a bit of a throwback goalie. While his game has structure, his ability to play an unorthodox style when desperate means he is never out of the play. His .905 save percentage through 18 games is a great start to his rookie season.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 56.00/+5500

7. Ryan Leonard, RW, Washington Capitals

The drop off from the top six to the next group is steep, but Leonard's impact has been quite impressive. The 20-year-old still has his bull-in-a-china-shop style of play and a very good shot. His blend of a physical edge and nifty skill has been a welcome addition to the Capitals' forward core.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 101.00/+10000  

8. Oliver Kapanen, C, Montreal Canadiens

When Kapanen made the Canadiens' roster, he was expected to fill the role of fourth-line center. Because of injuries and strong play from Kapanen, he's played up and down the lineup.

Even before injuries hit the Habs' lineup, the Finnish center was playing as high as the second line alongside Demidov. Kapanen, 22, plays a smart, positional, two-way game, which has made it easy to trust him in just about any situation. His eight goals are tied with Schaefer for the most among rookies.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 126.00/+12500

 

9. Emmitt Finnie, LW, Detroit Red Wings

No one expected Finnie to make the Wings' roster, and now, he's been the team's most consistent linemate for Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the top line. His no-nonsense game, focused on going to the hard areas and making life easier for his teammates, has helped him succeed. He may not be putting up the kind of numbers the top rookies are, but he's finding a way to make an impact.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 151.00/+15000      

10. Matthew Wood, W/C, Nashville Predators

Wood's performances have been somewhat inconsistent, but he's been a bright spot on a dim Nashville Predators squad. His size and finishing ability are notable. His production has slowed down considerably since his hat trick in mid-November, but the flashes have been there. Wood is an excellent complementary secondary scorer, but he'll need some help from the veterans around him.

BetMGM Calder Trophy odds: 101.00/+10000        

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With a long seven-game road trip now behind them, the Ottawa Senators settle in for three games at home, starting Thursday night against the New York Rangers. The Sens posted a record of 4-3 on the trip, capping things off with a convincing 5-2 victory in Montreal on Tuesday night.

The Rangers also come in on a high from Tuesday night, defeating the Dallas Stars, one of the very best teams in the league, 3-2 in overtime at MSG. That's the same Stars team than thumped the Sens 6-1 on Sunday. 

Where Do They Stand?

Both teams enter the game tied with 30 points, but the Rangers (14-12-2) are a point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot. The Senators (13-9-4) are third in the Atlantic, one point behind the Montreal Canadiens (14-9-3), and four points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Rangers come into this one with what we'll call road-ice advantage. They lead the league in road wins (11) and rank second in road points (23).

What's New?

The Senators are set for some more Halliday time. Lars Eller missed practice on Thursday morning and will not play. He's listed as day-to-day, but when asked for details, Travis Green "didn't want to get into it." Centre Stephen Halliday has been recalled from Belleville and will play in his fifth career NHL game. He has 19 points in 17 AHL games this season.

The Senators were also missing defenseman Artem Zub, whose issues is described as a nagging lower-body injury. So, Jordan Spence moved up to play with Jake Sanderson, while Dennis Gilbert skated alongside Nick Jensen. After being part of the Josh Norris deal in March, Gilbert left the Senators in free agency, then was reacquired last month for Max Guenette. This will be the debut of Gilbert 2.0.

Halliday was here in time for practice, so here's how the chess pieces were aligned.

Tkachuk-Stützle-Zetterlund
Amadio-Pinto-Giroux
Perron-Cozens-Batherson
Greig-Halliday-Cousins/MacDermid

Sanderson-Spence
Kleven-Matinpalo
Gilbert-Jensen

— Graeme Nichols (@GraemeNichols) December 4, 2025

Green also announced after practice that Cousins would play while Sens backup Leevi Merilainen will get the start in goal.

New York State of Mind

Here's how the Rangers lined things up at their Wednesday practice. After taking down Dallas, they changed nothing, and they're not likely to do so in Ottawa on Thursday.

Panarin-Zibanejad-Lafrenière
Brodzinski-Trocheck-Miller
Cuylle-Laba-Berard
Sheary-Carrick-Raddysh

Gavrikov-Schneider
Soucy-Borgen
Robertson-Morrow

Igor Shesterkin is expected to start in goal with Spencer Martin backing him up. Shesterkin is 5-1-2 against the Sens with a goals against average of 1.86 and a save percentage of .939.

Former Senators first-rounder Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers in goals (9) and power play goals (6), and ranks third in points (20) behind Artem Panarin (28) and Adam Fox (26).

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

21 AHL Graduates made their NHL debuts in November 2025, brining the total to 39 for the 2024-25 season.

The 21 players are: 

• Taylor Makar (F) - Colorado Avalanche
• Tristen Nielsen (F) - Colorado Avalanche
• Jaroslav Chmelar (F) - New York Rangers
• Nate Danielson (F) - Detroit Red Wings
• Sergei Murashov (G) - Pittsburgh Penguins
• Braedon Bowman (F) - Vegas Golden Knights
• Hunter Skinner (D) - St. Louis Blues
• Shane Lachance (F) - New Jersey Devils
• Jared Davidson (F) - Montreal Canadiens
• Jack Devine (F) - Florida Panthers
• Oscar Fisker-Molgaard (F) - Seattle Kraken
• Stephen Halliday (F) - Ottawa Senators
• Connor Clattenburg (F) - Edmonton Oilers
• Florian Xhekaj (F) - Montreal Canadiens
• Luca Pinelli - Columbus Blue Jackets
• Tristan Broz (F) - Pittsburgh Penguins
• Elias Salomonsson (D) - Winnipeg Jets
• Adam Engstrom (D) - Montreal Canadiens
• Travis Mitchell (D) - New York Islanders
• Thomas Milic (G) - Winnipeg Jets
• Reid Schaefer (F) - Nashville Predators

Halliday, Clattenburg, Xhekaj, Fisker-Molgaard, Bowman, Danielson, and Nielsen all recorded their first career NHL points. 

Murashov made four appearances in net while Milic made his first career appearance. 

The St. Louis Blues are running through the gamut of injuries at the moment and will have at least one new face in the lineup when they begin a three-game road trip against the Boston Bruins on Thursday (6 p.m.; FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

But there will be some reinforcements also as Pius Suter, who has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury, will be back in the lineup and centering a line with Dylan Holloway and Jordan Kyrou, a line that got plenty of looks during training camp and preseason.

“Suter looks really good,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said after Wednesday’s practice. “He’ll be a player for us tomorrow.”

Also Robert Thomas, who did not skate during an optional practice or Wednesday’s full practice, will be in the lineup.

“Just maintenance,” Montgomery said after Wednesday’s practice. “He’ll be a player tomorrow.”

The Blues are down three forwards (Jimmy Snuggerud, left wrist; Alexey Toropchenko, leg burns; and Nathan Walker, upper-body injury), and they’ve had to recall Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who will make his NHL debut Thursday, and Matt Luff

- - -

Montgomery will be facing the Bruins for the first time since he was fired there on Nov. 19, 2024.

The Blues faced the Bruins twice last season but they both were among the final games Montgomery coached Boston, on Nov. 12 in St. Louis (a 3-2 Bruins win, Montgomery’s last win there) and Nov. 16 in Boston, a 3-2 Blues win in overtime.

Montgomery, who was coach of the Bruins for two-plus seasons, was part of the greatest regular-season team in NHL history when the Bruins were 65-12-5 in his first season of 2022-23 but bounced in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Florida Panthers in seven games. He was fired after going 8-9-3 to begin the 2024-25 season; the Blues hired him five days later on Nov. 24.

Montgomery was 130-41-23 in his time as Bruins coach.

“Personally and professionally, it was a great time for my family,” Montgomery said. “We really enjoyed Winchester (a suburb north of Boston) where we lived. Still have tremendous friends that live in the area. Professionally, it’s a bag of mixed emotions. Some great times and some very, very disappointing times.”

- - -

Per the team, Jordan Binnington will get the start in goal on Thursday, three days after being pulled from a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in which the goalie allowed two goals on five shots and had a verbal spat with Montgomery upon being pulled from the game.

Binnington addressed the situation on Tuesday and considers the situation done and will get a shot at redemption.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Brayden Schenn-Robert Thomas-Jake Neighbours

Dylan Holloway-Pius Suter-Jordan Kyrou

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich

Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Nick Bjugstad

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Matthew Kessel and Matt Luff. Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist), Alexey Toropchenko (leg burns) and Nathan Walker (upper body) are all out long-term.

- - -

Bruins Projected Lineup:

Alex Steeves-Elias Lindholm-Morgan Geekie

Casey Mittelstadt-Pavel Zacha-Viktor Arvidsson

Tanner Jeannot-Fraser Minten-Mark Kastelic

Marat Khusnutdinov-Sean Kuraly-Michael Eyssimont

Hampus Lindholm-Andrew Peeke

Nikita Zadorov-Jonathan Aspirot

Mason Lohrei-Victor Soderstrom

Joonas Korpisalo will start in goal; Jeremy Swayman will be the backup.

The healthy scratch includes Jeffrey Viel. David Pastrnak (undisclosed), Charlie McAvoy (upper body), Jordan Harris (ankle), Matej Blumel (lower body), Henri Jokiharju (undisclosed) and Michael Callahan (lower body) are all out.

Blues Recall Another Forward From SpringfieldMatt Luff called up for reinforcements amidst injuries to Snuggerud, Toropchenko, Walker up front

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.

Can the Nashville Predators rattle off back-to-back wins for just the third time this season? 

That is the task at hand as they travel to Sunrise to face the Florida Panthers on Thursday at 6 p.m. CST. 

The Predators have seemingly begun to turn things around, winning three of their last four, including a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames at home on Tuesday. However, Nashville has not defeated Florida since the 2023-24 season. 

Here is everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game. 

Game info

Who: Nashville Predators (9-13-4, 8th Central) at Florida Panthers (12-12-1, 8th Atlantic)

When: 6 p.m. CST 

Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida 

TV: FanDuel Sports Network South 

Radio: 102.5 The Game 

Line (via BetMGM): Predators (+1.5) Panthers (-1.5). Over/under 6 (-115/-105)

Future on display 

A pair of Predators rookies has milestone performances in the win over the Flames. In just his third NHL game, Reid Schaefer scored his first career goal and recorded his first career fight. 

Not long after that, after 23 games played, Ozzy Weisblatt scored his first career goal and recorded the second fight of his career. After scoring the goal, Weisblatt paid homage to his late brother, Orca, by pointing to the sky in his celebration. 

Weisblatt and Schaefer aren't the only rookies to have scored the first goals of their careers this season. Matthew Wood netted his first NHL goal against the Flyers on Oct. 30. He has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) on the season. 

Stammer beginning to heat up 

After a slow start to the season, Steven Stamkos is slowly beginning to find his mojo. 

He has five points in the last four games, which included multi-point performances in wins over the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Stamkos has not had back-to-back multi-point performances since March 8. 

Stamkos' goal against the Flames was also the 1200th point of his career, which averages out to about a point per game over the 1190 games he's played in his 18 seasons in the league. 

Seeing Stamkos beginning to find a rhythm is huge, as it could be the shove the Predators need to finally get their offense going. He had seven points through 13 games played in November, but four of those points have come in the last nine days. 

Cat scratched 

The Predators have not beaten the Panthers in 623 days, a 3-0 victory that extended Nashville's point streak to 16 games. It was a very different time. 

Their last meeting, an 8-3 loss on Nov. 24 in Nashville, was the Predators' worst loss of the season and the biggest blowout since losing to the New Jersey Devils, 5-0, on Feb. 23, 2025. 

It was a game with a lot of offense, seeing six combined goals in the first period, that the Predators lost control of. The Panthers took a 5-2 lead into the third period before Nick Blankenburg scored in the first two and a half minutes to make it a two-goal game.

The wheels fell off for Nashville as Florida scored three unanswered goals to push the game way out of reach. Six Panthers players had two goals or more. 

Things have not been ideal for the defending Stanley Cup champions either, as they have lost three straight and are in last place in the Atlantic Division. However, nine points separate first from last place in the Atlantic and Florida is only six points out of a Wild Card spot. 

Meanwhile, Nashville is 22 points behind Central Division leader, Colorado, and is seven points outside of a Wild Card spot. 

Inactive players 

Nashville: Cole Smith (upper body, injured reserve), Zach L'Heureux (lower body, injured reserve), Nick Perbix (upper body, day-to-day), Justin Barron (lower body, day-to-day), Michael McCarron (lower body, day-to-day) 

Florida: Matthew Tkachuk (groin, injured reserve), Aleksander Barkov (knee, injured reserve), Dmitry Kulikov (upper body, injured reserve), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body, injured reserve), Eetu Luostarinen (lower body, week to week), Tomas Nosek (knee, injured reserve), Cole Schwindt (arm, injured reserve) 

Philip Broberg is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season, and he's once again having a solid campaign. Despite that, the St. Louis Blues have not begun contract negotiations. 

Teammates and coaches rave about the play of their 24-year-old defenseman, but a recent report from The Athletic suggests that the Blues are willing to take their time in extension talks. 

Through 27 games this season, Broberg has notched two goals and 10 points, but the value he brings at both ends of the ice is where he shines. Despite standing 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Broberg is an excellent skater who utilizes his feet to help him defend and jump into the play. His foot speed allows him to start transition offense and make efficient first passes. He can then jump into the rush and create offense.

Defensively, his skating allows him to defend top-end players off the rush, and his size allows him to win puck battles and protect the front of his net. Broberg has developed into a workhorse, all-around defenseman and the Blues are taking notice. 

“He’s been incredible for us this year,” coach Jim Montgomery said. “If our record was better, I think people would be talking about him a lot more in the league. If we were playing really good hockey, he would be talked about in the league a lot more. He has been a tremendous hockey player from the start of the year.”

Broberg has been the Blues' best defenseman this season, both by the eye test and analytically. According to Natural Stat Trick, Broberg has been on the ice for 21 Blues goals at 5-on-5 and 19 goals by their opponents. He has the second-highest goals for percentage on the team, trailing just Robert Thomas. 

Montgomery is of the belief that those numbers could and should be higher for Broberg.

“But with a little more finishing touch, or a little bit better puck luck, he might have eight goals already,” Montgomery said. “Then you’re really talking about him as an offensive defenseman.”

With all that being said, GM Doug Armstrong has previously illustrated that there is no rush with his contract negotiations, and the team is still demonstrating patience in December. 

“There’s no rush with that,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in October, referring to contract talks with both Broberg and Holloway. “We’re going to try and get them signed as quick as we can. If not, they’re restricted free agents. We’ll make sure that we leave enough space available to get those guys signed. The cap’s going up. It’s nice to know, with (other) guys signed, what we can do moving forward. And we can always create space.”

Although patience can pay off, with a young, blossoming defenseman, patience may mean they have to pay him more. He's averaging nearly three minutes more of ice time this season and leads the Blues in average ice time with 23:15. 

Thomas Harley signed an eight-year, $10.587-million contract earlier this season with the Dallas Stars, and other defenseman Broberg has been compared with have all eclipsed $8 million. The Blues will likely have to hand out a hefty contract to Broberg, but so far, he's showing he's deserving of it. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks are taking on the Los Angeles Kings for the second time this season. The first was a 3-1 victory for LA at the United Center on October 26th. Both teams have come a long way since then. 

The Blackhawks dropped their most recent game in a shootout to the Vegas Golden Knights, but this game against the Kings is their chance to make it a three-game point streak. 

The Blackhawks are one point (28) below the playoff line with a record of 11-9-6. Los Angeles is in third place in the Pacific Division with a 12-7-7 record for 31 points. It is tight on the bubble in both Western Conference divisions. 

Scouting Los Angeles 

The Los Angeles Kings have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference over the last handful of years, but they haven’t won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014. Like the Blackhawks, they want to end this type of drought soon. 

LA has lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round in each of the last four seasons. This year is all about finding a way to get it done, no matter who is in their way. That includes the Blackhawks on Thursday night.  

Moore - Kopitar - Kempe

Fiala - Byfield - Armia

Kuzmenko - Danault - Laferriere

Malott - Turcotte - Perry

Anderson - Edmundson

Dumoulin - Clarke

Moverare - Ceci

Kuemper

Forsberg

Everything to do with the Los Angeles Kings is centered around their captain, Anze Kopitar. He has been their franchise player for his entire career, which is coming to an end with the conclusion of this season. 

Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, and Kevin Fiala all have the ceiling of stars in the NHL and can make a difference in any game. Their depth is great, led by former Blackhawks center Philipp Danault, who is one of the best checking centers you’ll find. 

Future Hall of Famer Drew Doughty is injured, which leaves a hole in Los Angeles’ defense, but this group has mostly gotten the job done this year. 

In goal, Darcy Kuemper is their main guy, and he’s been excellent during his entire tenure there. He has a Stanley Cup ring as a starter, so there is plenty of pedigree in his game. Former Hawk Anton Forsberg serves as a decent enough backup. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks have been running with an 11/7 lineup almost all season long. Their 11 forwards have undergone some changes in lines, with certain players coming in and out of the lineup, but their defense has remained mostly the same, consisting of the same 7. 

Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky 

Moore-Nazar-Bertuzzi

Teravainen-Dickinson-Mikheyev 

Dach-Donato

Vlasic-Crevier

Kaiser-Levshunov

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Rinzel

Knight

To say Connor Bedard has been elite this season would be an understatement. He is amongst the league’s leading scorers, and he makes an impact every single day. Having a superstar at the top of the lineup will keep any team in most games, and that has been the case for Chicago with Bedard. 

Multiple forwards will make up for the empty spot on the fourth line, including Bedard. This allows the defenders to be much fresher, as most of them are early in their careers. 

Expect Spencer Knight to be the starter in this one. With the Kings being a playoff-caliber team and no back-to-back situations, it makes more sense to go with the number one goalie.  

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be streamed on ESPN+ and Hulu. The puck will drop shortly after 9 PM. 

 Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Philadelphia Flyers redeemed themselves Wednesday, trouncing the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. 

They set the stage for a statement game Sunday against the Stanley Cup favorite Colorado Avalanche, a team that (gulp) has points in 25 of its 26 games.

In their previous game, the Flyers dropped a 5-1 decision to the arch-rival Pittsburgh Penguins, a defeat made worse because they lost right winger Tyson Foerster, their co-leading goal-scorer, for two to three months because of a suspected shoulder injury.

The Sabres, however, helped cure their frustrations.

The Flyers scored three times in a 59-second span in the first period, erasing a 1-0 deficit and coasting to a win at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Buffalo has been bad forever, so this wasn't a surprising victory.

That said, the Sabres have been playing better lately – six wins in their last nine games before Wednesday. 

But Philly (15-8-3), one of the NHL's most surprising teams, couldn't afford two straight losses heading into Sunday's game against the Avs. They couldn't afford to start a tailspin that could wipe out their impressive start.

And they couldn't get into a woe-is-me feeling because of Foerster's injury.

"He's a tough guy to replace, for sure," Trevor Zegras said, "so we all have to do a little more."

Flyers Officially Decide on Tyson Foerster Injury ReplacementsThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are set to be without top forward Tyson Foerster for at least two months, and with the injury confirmed, Foerster's two injury replacements have already been selected.

Here's the thing: even with Foerster and his 10 goals before Wednesday, the Flyers haven't been an offense juggernaut. Au contraire.

They entered the night 26th out of 32 teams, averaging just 2.76 goals-for per game.

And then five different players scored – Travis Konecny, Zegras, Bobby Brink, Noah Cates and Owen Tippett – five players contributed two points apiece, and the Flyers fired 35 shots in their league-leading 11th comeback win of the season. 

The Flyers moved up to third in the Metro, just three points behind division-leading Washington, which has played two more games.

Philadelphia scored four of its goals from the dirty areas near the net. Tim Kerr and Gary Dornhoefer would have been proud.

"It has to be habitual," said coach Rick Tocchet, who had no update on defenseman Cam York after he left the game with an unspecified injury. "You have to do it all the time."

It was good to see the offense erupt, the power play (2-for-5) click and the penalty kill go 1-for-6. 

Tocchet, who continues to push the right buttons, went back to most of the players on his original No. 1 power-play unit – Konecny, Tippett, Matvei Michkov, Zegras and Jamie Drysdale – and it paid dividends.

Now the real test comes Sunday afternoon, when the Flyers host a 19-1-6 Colorado team that is averaging 4.08 goals per game and allowing 2.04 goals. Both figures lead the league.

Some of the Flyers didn't yet want to talk about facing the Avs. Tippett wasn't one of them.

He said it was a good primer for Colorado.

"Obviously, we wanted to have a bounce back after last game, and it’s a good start," said Tippett. "Obviously, with a couple days we can fine-tune some stuff in practice, but that was a good start."

Against Colorado, the Flyers will need to be at their best just to be competitive. They can't let down for any stretch as they did for a 21-minute span Wednesday, when Buffalo outshot them 16-6 in parts of the first two periods, but goalie Sam Ersson stood tall.

It will take 60 minutes of excellence on Sunday if the Flyers want to stay in the game.

Wednesday, though not perfect, was a nice building block.

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