If the San Jose Sharks elect to be buyers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline, one of their top goals should be to add to their blueline. Bringing in a steady right-shot defenseman should be one of their objectives, and the Chicago Blackhawks have an interesting option to consider in defenseman Connor Murphy.
If the Sharks landed Murphy, he could slot nicely in their top four. Furthermore, due to his solid defensive play, he would also be a clear fit for the Sharks' penalty kill.
Another appealing factor about Murphy is his experience. The veteran defenseman could be a very good mentor for the Sharks' young players to have around as they look to stay in the playoff race.
Murphy is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) on a Blackhawks team out of the playoff picture, so there is an expectation that he will be moved. With this and the Sharks needing help on defense, they should be afraid to kick tires on Murphy leading up to the deadline.
In 57 games this season with the Blackhawks, Murphy has recorded four goals, eight assists, and 12 points.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored to give him his ninth 30-goal season and added two assists for 701 in his career and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.
Brayden Point had two goals and an assist, Gage Goncalves had a goal and two assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves for the Lightning, who are 20-1-1 in their past 22 games. Vasilevskiy is 17-0-1 since Dec. 20.
Tampa Bay won in its first game back from the Olympic break without coach Jon Cooper on the bench. Cooper, who led Canada to the silver medal at the Milan Cortina Games, will miss two games after the death of his father, Robert.
Assistant Rob Zettler stepped in for Cooper and the Lightning ended the Maple Leafs' three-game winning streak.
The Russian-born Kucherov got his 700th assist in his 855th NHL game, becoming the second-fastest player born outside of North America to reach the mark and trailing only Peter Stastny (784 games). The milestone assist came on Goncalves' goal at 7:58 of the second period that gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead.
Kucherov's 30th goal came at 2:59 of the third and made it 3-0. His nine 30-goal seasons tie him with Steven Stamkos for the most in team history.
John Tavares and Matthew Knies scored and Anthony Stolarz made 32 saves for the Maple Leafs, whose five-game winning streak against the Lightning was stopped.
With Stolarz pulled to give Toronto an extra skater, Tavares scored with 3:41 remaining to end the shutout bid for Vasilevskiy. It came moments after Jake Guentzel missed an empty-net goal for the Lightning when his shot hit the post.
After Point made it 4-1, Knies capped the scoring with 2:47 left for Toronto. Auston Matthews had an assist on the goal, tying Tim Horton for 10th on the career franchise list with 349.
They practiced for less than an hour on Wednesday after multiple sessions that went over 80 minutes on Sunday and Monday. Wednesday's practice featured Samuel Girard on a pair with Kris Letang after the former was acquired by the Penguins from the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. The Penguins also got a 2028 second-round pick in that trade, while sending Brett Kulak the other way.
A Girard-Letang pairing was something I hinted at in my Tuesday column, and it has the potential to be a peak chaos pair. However, if it doesn't work out, they could look to move Girard down to the third pair with Connor Clifton or Ilya Solovyov. Ryan Shea would likely move up to the second pair with Letang in that instance.
Regardless, Girard is another puck-mover who the Penguins need on their backend. He's good in transition and exiting his own zone with control.
He's also super happy about landing in Pittsburgh.
"Very happy," Girard told SportsNet Pittsburgh's Hailey Hunter. "Like I said, it's a great organization, great players have been through here, and I'm very excited to be around those guys. Those guys have been together for a while, so very excited."
- Sidney Crosby missed practice and will be out for a minimum of four weeks with a lower-body injury. He suffered the injury during the quarterfinals of the Olympics against Czechia.
Rickard Rakell centered the top line during Wednesday's practice and is slated to stay in that spot when the Penguins play on Thursday. He had Avery Hayes and Bryan Rust as his wingers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate a goal scored by forward Rickard Rakell (67) during the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
- Speaking of Rust, he knows how important that "next man" mentality is for the team since Crosby is going to be out for a bit.
"It's super important," Rust said after practice. "Anytime anybody goes out of the lineup, I think everybody's kind of got to ramp up their game a little bit. Guys are going to have opportunities to play in positions that they otherwise may not have been able to play in."
- Ben Kindel is one of many players who will likely see an increased workload with Crosby out, and he's more than ready for it.
"Just collectively as a group, everybody's going to have to step up a little bit and chip in just a little bit more," Kindel said. "I'm ready for any extra that I need to do to help the team win, and I'll always be ready for that, no matter what the situation is."
Kindel has passed every test that the coaching staff and management staff have given him this year, so what's one more?
The Penguins have dealt with injuries throughout the season, but this might be their biggest challenge yet, since it's an injury to their best player and it comes during a time when the schedule is turning nasty. Once they get past the Devils and the New York Rangers games, they'll be facing playoff team after playoff team once March starts on Sunday.
Here's what the lines looked like on Wednesday:
Forwards
Avery Hayes-Rakell-Rust
Kevin Hayes-Novak-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
Kevin Hayes was in Egor Chinakhov's spot on the second line since Chinakhov and his wife welcomed the birth of their first child.
Chinakhov will likely play on Thursday, meaning Hayes will be the 13th forward. He's been the 13th forward throughout practice this week.
Puck drop for Thursday's game is set for 7 p.m. ET.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — U.S. Olympian Tage Thompson scored his 31st goal of the season and added an assist to help the Buffalo Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Wednesday night in the NHL’s return to action.
Thompson had three goals and an assist in six games in Milan for the champion United States.
Peyton Krebs also had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves. The Sabres have won seven of 10 to improve to 33-19-6.
Buffalo is looking to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons. The Sabres entered Wednesday night in the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Thompson scored in the second period, and Krebs made it 2-0 midway through the third. Timo Meier scored for New Jersey with 2:30 to play.
U.S. Olympic hero Jack Hughes was honored by the Devils before the game, and assisted on Meier’s goal. The Devils showed video of Hughes’ overtime goal in the United States’ 2-1 victory over Canada on Sunday in the gold-medal game.
Jake Allen had 28 saves for New Jersey. The Devils are 28-28-2.
DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 23: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche faces off against Barrett Hayton #27 of the Utah Mammoth at Ball Arena on December 23, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Olympic break is finally over!
After a three week pause for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the Colorado Avalanche kick off the next phase of their historic 2025 – 2026 campaign for one last(?) visit to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Mammoth.
Colorado Avalanche (37-9-9)
The Opponent: Utah Mammoth (30-23-4)
Time: 7:00 P.M. MST/9:00 P.M. EST
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Broadcast Area), KUPX-TV (Utah Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche won’t have the luxury of easing their way into the swing of things as the NHL schedule resumes. They play five games in seven days right out of the chute, with four of those games coming in two back-to-back contests. Tonight’s game against Utah marks the first in those pairs of back-to-back games; the Avs will face the Minnesota Wild for the first time on Ball Arena ice on Thursday evening.
The Avs were one of three teams that sent at least eight (8) players to Italy to participate in the Olympic games. Martin Nečas was selected to play for Czechia. Having previously played in the Olympics (Sochi, 2014), Gabe Landeskog made his return to the Olympic stage, now representing Sweden as its team captain. Joel Kiviranta and Artturi Lehkonen were selected to the Finland roster, capturing the bronze medal. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews played for Canada, earning the silver medal. Brock Nelson, a third-generation Olympian, captured gold for the United States, adding the fourth Olympic gold medal to his family mantle, joining his grandfather Bill Christian and great uncle Roger Christian (Squaw Valley, 1960) and his uncle Dave Christian (Lake Placid, 1980).
While it will be a welcome sight to see a (relatively) healthy Avalanche lineup for the first time in nearly two months, there will be one notable absence on the roster. On Tuesday morning, the Avalanche announced that they had traded defenseman Sam Girard, along with their second round pick in 2028, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Brett Kulak. Kulak, 32, was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in the deal that sent him and goaltender Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh. During his brief tenure with the Penguins, Kulak scored one goal and added six assists for a total of seven points in twenty-five games. He had two assists in thirty-one games played with Edmonton earlier this season. This is a considerable drop off from his previous season with Edmonton, where he set a career best in goals (7), assists (18), and points (25).
Coach Jared Bednar said this of Kulak: “You’re getting a big, solid D that can skate, and defend real well, and move the puck. He does a lot of good things, a guy that has been to back to back Stanley Cup Finals, and was an integral part of [Edmonton’s] blue line, and what they were trying to do as a team. We like the player a lot, and so, we’re excited.”
He added, “This is a big, strong guy that defends really well. He’s got a ton of experience as well. It’s just a different look for us, right? I think Kulak’s a guy, that depending on how you’re matching up in the playoffs, that he can go up and play with a guy like Cale if I want to move [Toews] against another team’s top line. […] Maybe Kulak can go up and Toews can go down and he can take care of that matchup with a guy like Manson. It gives us flexibility there that I don’t think we necessarily had with [Girard].”
Bednar noted that Kulak, along with most of the Avs roster, would arrive in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night, with some members of the team flying out this morning in order to get some extra rest.
With the NHL season paused through the Olympic break, MacKinnon will look to reclaim the NHL points lead; he trails Olympic teammate Connor McDavid (96) by three points. MacKinnon entered the Olympic break as the NHL’s goal scoring leader (40), the only player in the League to reach this milestone thus far. Nelson is one goal shy of reaching the thirty goal mark for the fourth time in his career. With Mackenzie Blackwood going 1-1 in both games before the break, expect Scott Wedgewood to start in goal this evening. Wedgewood last started on January 29, a 7-3 loss against the Montréal Canadiens at Bell Centre.
The Avs still remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. A win today would give them a seven point cushion over second place Minnesota, and although they still have two games in hand over their division rivals, every point will matter even more as teams jockey for position ahead of the postseason. The Dallas Stars, who have a game in hand on Minnesota and sit one point behind them in the division, host the Seattle Kraken tonight, so one can bet that Minnesota will be keeping a close eye on both games.
The Avs currently lead the season series against Utah, winning two of the three games played. They have yet to win at Delta Center to this point in the season, but won the most recent matchup on December 23, a 1-0 decision.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Josh Manson – Brent Burns Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Between the Pipes: Scott Wedgewood Mackenzie Wedgewood
Utah Mammoth
Utah started out 2026 with a bang, going 12-5 since the start of January. They sit in fourth place in the Central Division standings, edging out the Anaheim Ducks by one point for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. They won two of their previous three contests prior to the start of the Olympic break, a 6-2 defeat of the Vancouver Canucks, and a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Tonight’s game is the third of a five game home stand at Delta Center, where Utah has performed considerably well: they boast a 17-8-2 record on home ice.
Occupying a wild card spot may seem a bit surprising during this sophomore campaign for Utah, but those who followed the former Arizona Coyotes are familiar with this trend. While there have been some changes to the present-day roster, the current version’s performance has echoes of its previous incarnation, being competitive just enough to find themselves on the periphery of the postseason, only to fall short time and again. Utah GM Bill Armstrong, with the backing of his new ownership group in Ryan and Ashley Smith, has infused his team’s roster with some new life, acquiring defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to their inaugural season, and right wing J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. Sergachev set a personal best in goals (15) in his first season with Utah and currently leads all defensemen in points (38). Peterka, who signed a five year, $38.5 million dollar extension as part of the trade with Buffalo, is tied with Sergachev in points, and ranks third in goal scoring (20). Armstrong may have a few more moves up his sleeve as the trade deadline approaches, so this could be the year that his squad bucks the trends of the past, which would be an incredible testament to the club’s performance since taking the ice in downtown Salt Lake for the first time last October.
Like Colorado, Utah sent multiple players to Italy to participate in the Olympics. Peterka was selected to the German Olympic roster, defenseman Olli Määttä joined Kiviranta on Finland’s roster, goaltender Karel Vejmelka joined Nečas to represent Czechia’s goaltending contingent, and captain Clayton Keller won gold with the United States alongside Nelson.
Keller leads all skaters in assists (37) and points (54). Dylan Guenther leads all skaters in goals (25), just two shy of his personal best (27). Nick Schmaltz is second in goals (23), equaling his personal best he set during the 2021-2022 season with Arizona. Vejmelka is tied for first place with Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy in goaltender wins (27), a personal best since entering the League with Arizona during the 2021-2022 season.
Tonight’s game wraps up the four game series against Colorado. Utah’s previous victory came on October 21, with Guenther scoring the game winning goal for the 4-3 decision.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Lawson Crouse J.J. Peterka – Barrett Hayton – Kailer Yamamoto Michael Carcone – Jack McBain – Dylan Guenther Brandon Tanev – Kevin Stenlund – Liam O’Brien
Defense: Mikhail Sergachev – Sean Durzi Nate Schmidt – John Marino Ian Cole – Nick DeSimone
The Vancouver Canucks could be making a trade sooner rather than later. According to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, defenceman Tyler Myers will be held out of the lineup on Wednesday for "trade reasons". The Canucks take on the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Arena in what will be their first game back after the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Dhaliwal's report comes less than an hour after NHL Network's Kevin Weekes posted that Myers may be on the move. Weekes' post said, "I'm told Canucks are fielding plenty of calls on D Myers and he could be on the move shortly." Myers name had come up in trade rumours earlier this season but has not been mentioned recently as a player who would be moved.
Jan 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers (57) during a stop in play against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Myers has one more year left on his contract after this season and carries a cap hit of $3 million. The 36-year-old can choose his destination as he has a full no movement clause this year. In 57 games this season, Myers has eight points and is averaging 20:13 per game.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The future has been on the minds of Nashville Predators fans for two years.
After the flop that was the 2024-25 season, in which the Predators won just 30 games, the fansbase shifted toward what's next and how prospects can bring a Stanley Cup to Nashville.
General Manager Barry Trotz has built a rich prospect pool of college and junior stars, AHL standouts, and young guns already proving themselves in the NHL.
This year has been a massive example of what could be in store for the future, as seven prospects played in the IIHF World Junior Championship, another earned All-Star honors at the Spengler Cup and another is an AHL defenseman point leader.
In Nashville, a 24-year-old Luke Evangelista has a career-high 42 points (8G, 34A) in 56 games, and three players have scored their first career goals this season.
However, taking a closer look at how these prospects have been handled calls into question whether the Predators have been doing enough for their future.
Reassigning Fedor Svechkov too late
Milwaukee Admirals center Fedor Svechkov (40) waits for his turn in a drill during practice Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fedor Svechkov, a 22-year-old center who was drafted 19th overall in 2021, is a player the Predators mishandled this season.
After the blockbuster signing in the 2024 offseason, Stamkos generated just 53 points in 82 games, not bad at all, but well below what he as averaging.
Svechkov struggled centering Stamkos in the first month of the season, as he had a point in 15 games played. Meanwhile, Stamkos had two points in the first 12 contests of the year.
While a move back to the center on the first and second lines benefited Stamkos, Svechkov continued to struggle in various combinations.
The decision felt like it was a month too late, as Svechkov was scoreless throughout January and was essentially benched in his final game before being assigned to Milwaukee, recording 3:05 minutes of ice time in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 27.
Scratch, play or reassign?
Dec 29, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) warms up before a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The Predators haven't frayed away from scratching their young players, as Brady Martin, Matthew Wood and others have all had to sit at some point this season.
However, some of the scratches have been questionable. Martin, the Predators' 2025 fifth overall pick, played just three games before being sent to the Soo Greyhounds (OHL).
He was in Nashville for the season-opening game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9 and their road matchup against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 21.
That was a seven-game stretch, and Martin was scratched in five of those contests, including a "homecoming" game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
On Jan. 3 and 6, Wood was scratched in back-to-back contests before returning to the lineup. He'd return to the lineup, but struggle throughout the month before the Predators decided to reassign him to Milwaukee ahead of the Olympic break.
However, after three games with the Admirals during the pause, the Predators called Wood back up, casting doubt on the move and possibly being too early.
Joakim Kemell is another player who has sat more than he's played in Nashville. He's played in two games but has been scratched from six.
Making the right call-ups
Dec 29, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) warms up before a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Trotz has notably "stuck his neck out" for a handful of players, moving them onto the roster ahead of other stat leaders down in Milwaukee.
Reid Schaefer, who has logged just six points in 27 games, has made multiple stops in Nashville this season. He earned a call-up before seven other Admirals who are ahead of him in point totals.
Zach L'Heureux recently earned a call-up after averaging a point per game in 28 straight contests with the Admirals. He even said that he expected to be called up sooner.
Justin Barron, whom Trotz traded Alexandre Carrier for in 2024, has not moved from the Predators roster despite scoring 32 points and recording just five points.
Meanwhile, Ryan Ufko, who is second in AHL defenseman points with 42 in 47 games, has yet to be called up to Nashville this season.
Another piece was trading Spencer Stastney, a 26-year-old defenseman who had nine points in 30 games before he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2027 third-round pick.
The only defenseman the Predators have recalled for Milwaukee this year is Andreas Englund, a 30-year-old who was claimed off waivers by Nashville last season.
He's played in only three games and has been scratched in a handful of contests.
Too much or not enough?
Jun 28, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators incoming general manager Barry Trotz announces the twenty fourth pick in round one of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
While there is likely a reason behind the decisions to sit these younger players or have them wait a bit longer for their opportunity, the trends show that Nashville is struggling to put its younger players in the right situations.
Svechkov's elongated stay in Nashville may have hurt his game more than benefited it, as he could've spent a month or two down in Milwaukee instead of struggling with the Predators.
Down in Milwaukee, guys like Ufko and Jake Lucchini (38 PTS in 49 GMS) can only do so much to prove they deserve a shot with the Predators.
It's fair to say this could be part of "the process" of having younger players earn their time and place, but with the Predators being so gung-ho about their future, they're teetering on the line between development and wasting prospects' time.
With the Winter Olympics break now officially behind us, the Ottawa Senators return to action on Thursday night (7 pm TSN5) at Canadian Tire Centre, hosting the Detroit Red Wings.
After the game, there's yet another long break in the schedule, at least as far as Senators home games are concerned. This is how the schedule looks starting Saturday.
Feb. 28 at Toronto March 3 at Edmonton March 5 at Calgary March 7 at Seattle March 9 at Vancouver
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss which player is more inspired to be great down the NHL stretch, the gold medal winner, or the one that came up short?
Meanwhile, right in the middle of their Western road swing, the NHL trade deadline will come and go on March 6 at 3 pm Eastern.
So if the Senators decide to be active in the trade market, Thursday night's game against the Wings may be the last time some players ever put on a Sens jersey at home.
This will be Steve Staios' third trade deadline as an NHL GM and the first two couldn't have been more different. In 2024, Staios was handcuffed by Vladimir Tarasenko's no trade clause and shipped the pending free agent to the Florida Panthers for what turned out to be a third rounder.
That was pretty much it, although he made some huge moves in the summer, acquiring Linus Ullmark, Nick Jensen, David Perron, Michael Amadio, and Adam Gaudette.
2025 was just the opposite. Staios went hard at the deadline, getting Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund, then went slower in the summer, acquiring depth players Jordan Spence and Lars Eller.
The trade deadline is usually about two types of teams.
On the one hand, you have playoff-bound teams eyeballing their final chance to bulk up their roster with good established players to try and go deep. On the other hand, you have teams who are already out of contention, who are looking to do business with the great teams that can give them the picks, prospects or young players so they can retool.
But the Senators are caught in between, and in a parity-filled league where the standings are so tight, they're not alone in feeling stuck in the middle.
If the last four games before the deadline go well, maybe Staios fancies himself a buyer and strengthens the roster like he did last year. This year's Senators actually have a better record right now (.553) than they did at last year's deadline (.549) but their Eastern standing is way different.
The Sens held the second wild card last year at the deadline, but right now they're six points out.
Their needs would include a right shot D, but since almost everyone needs help in that area, they won't come cheap. It might cost them a first-rounder next year or one of their good forwards who are still young enough to help a team in rebuild.
If the last four games before the deadline don't go well, and the Sens slip further in the standings, maybe they shift to seller mode and unload some of their older UFAs rather than lose them and get nothing in return. When they dumped pending UFA Vladimir Tarasenko, in 2024 they were 19 points out of a playoff spot, but the strategy is still the same.
The Senators' list of older UFAs on expiring contracts right now includes Claude Giroux, David Perron, Nick Jensen, Lars Eller, Nick Cousins, and James Reimer.
As a dark horse move, Giroux might be a candidate to be one of those rare springtime rentals that ends up back with the team that traded him. He could go for that Cup that's eluded him, and re-sign back home in Ottawa this summer.
But even if someone gave the Sens back a 2026 first round pick (the NHL probably won't), moving Giroux would be highly discouraging to a fan base that's all in on at least the attempt at a making the playoffs.
Moving one or two of their other thirty-something UFAs may be an opportunity to shore up their draft capital without fully giving up on their playoff hopes.
The only thing we know for sure is that we won't see the Senators pulling off the firesale deals we saw from 2018-2020. Some of those deals completely blew up in their face, but others helped build a core that's now in its prime. And while it remains to be seen if they can still salvage this season, or ever emerge as a true contender, the window for this group is now wide open.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published by The Hockey News. More headlines here:
A long break didn’t help the Flyers a whole lot Wednesday night.
After a 19-day layoff because of the Olympics, the Flyers fell to the Capitals, 3-1, at Capital One Arena.
Noah Cates scored the team’s lone goal.
The Flyers (25-21-11) had a chance to tie the game with 48.4 seconds left when they emptied their net for a two-man advantage on a power play, but Washington converted at shorthanded.
Rick Tocchet’s club has dropped 13 of its last 16 games (3-9-4), a stretch in which it has scored just 2.44 goals per game.
The Flyers are 1-1-0 in their four-game regular-season series with the Capitals (30-23-7).
• Dan Vladar surrendered two or fewer goals for the 21st time in 33 starts this season.
He converted 26 saves on 28 shots, but the effort went wasted.
Rasmus Sandin opened the scoring with 6:08 minutes left in the second period, handing the Flyers their 38th 1-0 deficit.
Cates responded with a deflection just 29 seconds into the third period.
Washington, though, scored its game-winner with 5:52 minutes to go on a Trevor van Riemsdyk marker. The Flyers didn’t seem to have a good line change, leaving Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen to defend an odd-man rush.
Capitals netminder Logan Thompson stopped 23 of the Flyers’ 24 shots. He faced only six in the third period.
• The Flyers failed to take advantage of the third-place Islanders being idle.
They’re eight points back of New York in the Metropolitan Division race with 25 games to go. They entered Wednesday with a 12.4 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to Hockey-Reference.com’s probabilities report.
“It’s something that is obtainable and our guys believe in,” assistant coach Todd Reirden said a week ago. “If we can get back to playing the way we were playing in the beginning of the season, I think we give ourselves a really good chance.”
• Emil Andrae went into the break having sat out the Flyers’ last five games. The 24-year-old defenseman remained a healthy scratch Wednesday night.
Tocchet and Reirden have been rolling with Noah Juulsen for his righty shot and penalty kill responsibilities.
“Emil has had a really good year,” Reirden said last Thursday. “I mean, he has already passed his career numbers. In terms of where his path is for this year and in terms of how we’re using him game by game, sometimes it’s situational, sometimes it’s handedness.
“He’s doing everything he can to get himself in a situation where he’s fighting to be in that lineup every night. We’ll continue to go through that discussion. … This is a player that has definitely improved and continues to improve. Being able to just keep that level of consistency for us is important.”
• The Flyers are right back at it Thursday when they visit the Rangers (8 p.m. ET/ESPN).
Joel Armia, Drew Doughty, Adrian Kempe, and Darcy Kuemper have all returned to the Kings organization as they get set to host the Vegas Golden Knights. Joel Armia returned with a Bronze medal, and Drew Doughty and Darcy Kuemper returned with a Silver Medal. Before the Olympic break, the Kings traded for Artemi Panarin, but because of the timing of the trade, he did not play any games for the Kings before the break. For the first time, we will see him today.
Kings Projected Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Kings tonight:
Quinton Byfield - Anze Kopitar - Trevor Moore
Artemi Panarin - Alex Laferriere - Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele - Alex Turcotte - Andrei Kuzmenko
Joel Armia - Samuel Helenius - Corey Perry
Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci
Anton Forsberg
Darcy Kuemper
Golden Knights projected Lines
Here are the projected lines for the Golden Knights tonight:
Ivan Barbashev - Tomas Hertl - Keegan Kolesar
Reilly Smith - Tanner Laczynski - Pavel Dorofeyev
Brandon Saad - Colton Sissons - Alexander Holtz
Cole Reinhardt - Kai Uchacz - Braeden Bowman
Jeremy Lauzon - Rasmus Andersson
Brayden McNabb - Dylan Coghlan
Ben Hutton - Kaedan Korczak
Adin Hill
Akira Schmid
Injuries and Line Changes
With the Kings having all their players who went to the Olympics return to the lineup, they have the advantage because Vegas is missing 5 of its best players. Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin, Shea Theodore, Mark Stone, and Mitch Marner are all scratched for tonight's game. The Kings have scratched Jeff Malott, Jacob Moverare, Taylor Ward and will be without Kevin Fiala after he was injured in the Olympics.
Key Factors
With the Golden Knights missing 5 of their top players, the Kings need to take advantage and get a game closer to a playoff spot. The Kings are currently 3 points back of the Anaheim Ducks for the final wildcard spot. With a win tonight, they would be within 1 point of a playoff spot. The Kings' second line will be the one to watch, as they could have a potential dynamic duo in Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin.
Overall, this game is incredibly important for the Kings, as they can come out of the break strong with a massive win over a divisional opponent. Artemi Panarin makes his debut tonight as well, and Kings and Hockey fans are looking to see what impact he makes in his first game.
It's never easy for an NHL team when one of its best players goes down. The Pittsburgh Penguins have dealt with this for much of the 2025-26 season, with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson all missing time.
Despite that adversity, they have continued to climb the standings and bank the points needed for a legitimate playoff push.
However, it's an entirely different animal when your best player is set to miss some time. And that's exactly what the Penguins are facing.
Right now, they sit eight points back of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a game in hand and three games against them in March. They have a guantlet of a March schedule that includes 17 games in 31 days, and 14 of those games are against teams currently in playoff position.
They have played teams above them in the standings pretty well this season, but it won't be quite as easy without Sid. The players know this, but they are ready for the challenges that come with it.
"Anytime anybody goes out of the lineup, I think everybody's kind of got to ramp up their game a little bit," Bryan Rust said. "Guys are going to have opportunities to play in positions that, otherwise, they may not have been able to play in. Obviously, yeah, he might be a little bit harder to replace than others, but I think that just means the rest of us have to step up that much more."
He added: "Once you get the official word, I think it's kind of like a moment where we all have got to think about ourselves and be like, 'Okay, let's pick it up here, there's a lot of hockey over this next little while. We've got to win as many games and get as many points as possible."
But Rickard Rakell will begin as the team's first-line center, which is a role he hasn't played much in a long time at the NHL level until sporadic deployments there this season. Tommy Novak will continue to center Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin, and Ben Kindel will resume his third-line center duties for now.
All that said, they are aware they will have to play a bigger role, and that includes the 18-year-old Kindel, who has six goals and seven points in his last six games and is already used to the prospect of being elevated to a bigger role within an NHL lineup.
"I think, just collectively as a group, everybody's going to have to step up a little bit and chip in just a little bit more," Kindel said. "But, I'm ready for any extra that I need to do to help the team win, and I'll always be ready for that no matter what the situation is.
"None of us are pleased to see our leader, our captain, and our best player go out like that. But, at the end of the day, there's nothing we can do about it now, and we're just going to have to step up, play as a team, and try and bank some points here down an important stretch."
Kindel believes this team is capable of carrying on and pushing for the playoffs without Crosby in the fold, especially since they have dealt with those other major injuries for sustained periods of time this season and still managed to keep winning hockey games.
And that resilience, he said, speaks to culture in the locker room that begins with 87 but trickles down to the rest of the group as a collective.
"There has been major pieces of our group that have been out at different times during the year, and I think we've just stuck to it no matter what that situation was," Kindel said. "And I think that's just a testament to the culture of our team and just the group that we have in here.
"On any given night, anybody can step up, and it's been great for our team this year."
It is no secret that the Detroit Red Wings have been searching for help on the back end. Detroit was reportedly in the mix for both Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Andersson, but neither pursuit resulted in a deal.
Now, new reports suggest the Red Wings have shifted their focus to another high-profile defenseman, this time targeting MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames.
Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman has made it clear he prefers players with term remaining on their contracts rather than short-term rentals. Weegar fits that mold. The 32-year-old Ottawa native has five years remaining on his deal after this season with a $6.25 million annual cap hit.
While that contract represents a significant commitment, Detroit appears better positioned than most to absorb it. The Red Wings have just under $13 million in cap space, and with the NHL salary cap projected to rise in coming seasons, the long-term financial outlook could make Weegar’s deal more manageable over time.
Speaking on the Barn Burner podcast, TSN insider Darren Dreger confirmed Detroit is one of the few teams capable of pulling off such a move.
Darren Dreger: Re Mackenzie Weegar: The other team...is the Red Wings; that's what it's gonna take, is a team like that, who isn't interested in the rental market...and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce...the Flames to make that trade - Barn Burner (2/20)
“The other team is the Red Wings, that’s what it’s gonna take, is a team like that, who isn’t interested in the rental market and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce the Flames to make that trade,” Dreger said.
Weegar over the last two seasons has emerged as a widely regarded top 25 defensemen in the league. During his peak seasons, he has produced between 35 and 50 points while posting elite defensive metrics, including a plus-40 rating that ranked ninth best in the NHL during the 2021-22 season.
This season has been more difficult as Calgary endures a challenging year, Weegar’s numbers have dipped. He is projected to fall just short of the 30-point mark and carries a minus-32 rating, one of the lowest in the league. A change of scenery could benefit both player and team.
Weegar primarily plays on the right side but has experience on the left, a versatility that would add valuable depth to Detroit’s blue line. For a Red Wings team looking to take the next step, adding a proven, minutes-eating defenseman with term could be the type of bold move that accelerates their rebuild and strengthens their playoff push.
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The Los Angeles Kings had played 56 games before the NHL entered its Olympic break, leaving them with 26 games left in the regular season. 15 of the 26 games will be played at home, where the Kings have a below-average record.500 record (8-11-7) and are giving up more goals (72) than they are scoring (63) against their opponents. Meanwhile, they are just .500 away from Crypto.com Arena with a 15-8-7 record and have scored more goals (79) than their own arena.
Of course, fighting for a playoff spot with no spot guaranteed is a tough task, considering the hectic schedule, including a back-to-back tonight against the top two teams in their division, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers.
13 of the 26 games will be against teams currently in playoff position or right in the mix to make the playoffs, and their first nine games back from the break will be against teams above .500 and in the mix to make the playoffs.
Now, the other half of the 13 teams will be those currently out of the playoff hunt but still fighting to get back in the mix. That's not necessarily good news, because all those teams, like the Kings, will be fighting for urgency themselves, but at least Los Angeles can make up for any losses they suffer against teams below .500.
What's at Stake
The Kings are currently in fifth place in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Oilers for the second seed, who are in a slump, having lost three straight and five of their last eight games. Seattle and Anaheim are both one point behind Edmonton for that second seed and can overtake the Oilers, especially with the Kraken and the Ducks playing solid before the break.
Now, the Kings have already defeated the Oilers this season, most recently on Dec. 10, when they won 4-3 in a shootout, and will play them two more times before the season ends, including tomorrow night after tonight's game against Vegas.
Just like last season, Vegas is in pole position to lock up the one seed in the division, right now holding a four-point lead over the Oilers with 68 points, but did end the first half playing poorly, losing six of their last eight games, primarily due to Jack Eichel and Noah Hanific being out, who will also miss tonights game against the Kings, something Los Angeles needs to take advantage of and win this game against a banged up Vegas team.
Now, they've already lost to the Golden Knights twice this season, but tonight will be the final game between the two. A win will split the season series 2-2 and could help Los Angeles in the tiebreaker if Vegas continues to slide.
The only concern for Los Angeles right now is health and consistency as their schedule continues to heat up. Losing Kevin Fiala for most likely the entire season is certainly a blow, but the good news is that Los Angeles acquired Artemi Panarin, who will make his debut tonight for the Kings and will instantly become a game-changer for Los Angeles, looking to make noise down the stretch.
The Kings have been a very mediocre team this season. On one hand, they look like a playoff team, and on other nights, they look like a team that doesn't belong in the playoffs. The home record is concerning, and the Kings will need to fix it starting tonight if they want a chance to play in April.
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NHL insider Nick Kypreos released his latest trade board for Sportsnet with the 2026 NHL trade deadline rapidly approaching. A Philadelphia Flyers defenseman made the cut, as Rasmus Ristolainen was among the players discussed.
"A new addition to my trade board coming out of the break, momentum is certainly building around the possibility that the Flyers trade their big, right-shot blueliner. With teams so hungry for this type of player at this time of the year, the Flyers are considering trading him now when he has another season remaining on his contract and before he becomes a potential rental," Kypreos wrote about Ristolainen.
Seeing Ristolainen be included on Kypreos' new trade board is not necessarily surprising. The right-shot defenseman is no stranger to the rumor mill, and he has been creating more chatter as a trade candidate as of late.
Kypreos also mentioned the Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators as two potential landing spots for Ristolainen, as they are both in need of help on the right side of their blueline. Yet, with Ristolainen being a right-shot defenseman with size and who plays a heavy game, he should generate interest from multiple clubs leading up to the deadline.
In 19 games this season with the Flyers, Ristolainen has recorded one goal, five assists, six points, and 20 hits.
