OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Cole Hutson’s goal 74 seconds into overtime, set up by Alex Ovechkin, gave the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
The Capitals overcame a horrid second period in which they allowed two goals and trailed 2-1.
Matt Roy and Pierre-Luc Dubois also scored for the Capitals (10-6-0). Logan Thompson made 23 saves.
Ridly Greig and Hayden Hodgson scored for the Senators (11-6-2). Samuel Ersson stopped 14 shots.
Outshot 17-2 in the second period, Washington went more than 20 minutes before registering its next shot in the third period.
The Capitals showed life on the power play and maintained control after it expired and capitalized with Hutson finding Dubois at the side of the net for a wide-open shot to tie it at 2 at 12:31 of the third.
Ersson made a big save on Jack St. Ivany with four minutes remaining to keep the game tied.
With 2:57 remaining Jakob Chychrun leveled a huge hit on Nick Cousins, but no penalty was called. Cousins needed help getting off the ice.
Down 1-0 after the first, the Senators scored twice to lead 2-1 after 40 minutes.
Thomas Chabot set up both goals for the Senators.
On the first, Chabot kept the puck in at the blue line and fed Michael Amadio, who quickly passed it back. Chabot then found Greig in the slot, where he beat Thompson off his backhand.
Ottawa took the lead late in the period when Chabot took a pass from Stephen Halliday and put the puck through Chychrun’s legs to Hodgson for his first of the season.
The Capitals opened the scoring just 35 seconds into the game when Roy took a pass from Chychrun and fired a slap shot past Ersson for his first of the season.
Ryan Leonard played his 100th NHL game Tuesday. He has 26 goals and joins Alex Ovechkin (64), Alexander Semin (39), Dmitri Khristich (38) and Peter Bondra (29) as one of only five Capitals since 1990 to score 25 or more goals in their first 100 games.
Up next
Capitals: At the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
Senators: Host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
From the moment he stepped onto the ice for warm-ups to the drop of the puck in Winnipeg’s 4-2 win, the fans inside Canada Life Centre on Tuesday gave Hellebuyck a piece of their minds following the American goaltender’s trade request, which ended with his move to the Devils on Oct. 23.
Loud boos greeted Hellebuyck when he took the ice for warmups prior to the Devils’ loss. The derision included a number of colorful chants in his direction.
The jilted fans chanted “Helle sucks!” and “coward” at him while he went through his pregame routine on the ice.
New Jersey Devils goaltender Connor Hellebuyck warms up before an NHL game against the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP
While it wasn’t quite the vitriolic or comical reception that John Tavares received when he returned to Long Island for the first time after leaving the Islanders to sign with the Maple Leafs in 2018, Hellebuyck’s welcome was far from warm.
When the game started, Jets fans chanted, “Where is Connor?” 20 seconds into the opening period.
Dawson Mercer scored 7:54 into the first period against the Devils — Mercer was part of the trade that sent Hellebuyck to New Jersey — and later Jets fans chanted, “Pull your goalie.”
Social media posts also showed fans with signs directed toward Hellebuyck, with some of them reading, “Softer Than Charmin” and “Playoff Pylon.”
Ahead of the game, Hellebuyck spoke with reporters and indicated that it was alleged threats to his family that ultimately led to his desire to leave Winnipeg, which had selected him 130th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft and where he later made his NHL debut on Nov. 27, 2015.
Winnipeg Jets fans arrive for an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Winnipeg on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via APWinnipeg Jets fans watch warmups before an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP
“I’ve been very connected with this community, and I’ve loved my time here, but there are a few moments that I don’t want to see happen again,” Hellebuyck told reporters. “It is more than just online death threats, and I’m going to ask you to respect my privacy and my family’s privacy. I won’t go deeper than that.
“There was more that made me and my family uncomfortable on top of some uncertainty with my career. I felt that a change of scenery was what was best.”
The Jets, after their win, trolled the Devils a bit more in reference to New Jersey general manager Sunny Mehta’s statement earlier this week that said Hellebuyck wouldn’t be playing Tuesday because it gave the team a “reduction in our expected win probability.”
“Expected Win Probability 100%,” the Jets wrote on X.
TORONTO (AP) — Gabriel Landeskog scored his second goal of the game early in the third period to put the Colorado Avalanche ahead for good in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
Devon Toews, with a goal and an assist, Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas in an empty net also scored for Colorado. Cale Makar added two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves.
Darren Raddysh and Easton Cowan, with a goal and an assist each, and Jack Roslovic scored for Toronto, which has lost four games in a row and dropped six of its last seven.
Sergei Bobrovksy finished with 22 stops.
The 38-year-old goaltender — a two-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top netminder — has allowed three goals or more in 12 of his 13 starts since signing in free agency July 1.
Landeskog scored the go-ahead goal at 5:02 of the third, just 51 seconds after Roslovic tied the score 3-3.
Raddysh’s blast that gave Toronto a 1-0 lead was clocked at 92.89 miles per hour — the fourth fastest shot to result in a goal across the league this season, according to the NHL.
Roslovic (lower-body injury) and shutdown defenseman Chris Tanev (load management) returned to the Toronto lineup after sitting out Sunday’s 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Morgan Rielly (lower-body injury) joined a long list of players receiving treatment in the trainer’s room. The veteran blueliner is listed as day-to-day, while center Colton Sissons (lower-body injury) is week-to-week. Kirill Marchenko (lower body) along with Marshall Rifai (lower body) and Nick Blankenburg (upper body) also remain sidelined and week-to-week.
Makar left Sunday’s practice in Denver with an unspecified injury, but took part in Colorado’s morning skate and declared himself ready for Tuesday.
The Senators' two-game winning streak ended Tuesday night with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals at Canadian Tire Centre. Cole Hutson scored the winner in overtime and added an assist for the Capitals.
Ridly Greig and Hayden Hodgson replied for the Senators, who carried a 2-1 lead into the third period. The loss snapped Samuel Ersson's three-game winning streak, as the Sens outshot the Capitals 25-17.
It took the Capitals just 35 seconds to get on the board. Former Senator Jakob Chychrun sent a D-to-D pass to Matt Roy, who ripped home a long slap shot to give Washington a 1-0 lead.
That lead stood for more than 30 minutes until Greig evened the score at 11:05 of the second period. Greig finished off a beautiful passing play with Thomas Chabot and Michael Amadio, slipping a slick backhand into the net from the slot.
With under four minutes to play in the second, the go-ahead goal came from an unlikely source as Hayden Hodgson put the Sens ahead 2-1.
From behind the Senators' net, Jordan Spence launched a long pass to Stephen Halliday at the far blue line. Halliday left it for Chabot, and as Capitals defenceman Matt Roy lost his footing, Chabot slid the puck over to Hodgson, who ripped home a snap shot like a seasoned goal scorer.
But it was just the second goal of Hodgson's NHL career and his first since his rookie season in 2021-22.
The lead held until the 12:31 mark of the third period, when Pierre-Luc Dubois tied the game with a one-timer off a beautiful feed from Hutson.
The Senators caught a break a short time later when Washington's Jack St. Ivany appeared to have an open net to shoot at, but he was off balance and couldn't get a clean shot away.
With about three minutes remaining in regulation, Nick Cousins left the game following a devastating hit from Chychrun.
As Cousins gathered the puck in his own zone, it became tangled in his skates, and he didn't see Chychrun closing in. The former Senators defenceman delivered a crushing hit that sent Cousins flying. Cousins appeared to lose consciousness before landing face-first on the ice.
Chychrun was not penalized on the play.
With less than a minute remaining in regulation, Fabian Zetterlund was assessed a delay-of-game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass. The penalty carried into overtime, and shortly after it expired, Hutson moved in from the right point and ripped home the winner.
With Alex Tuch and Jake Sanderson completely screening him, Ersson leaned to his left to try and get eyes on the shooter, just in time for Hutson to beat Ersson to the right.
The Senators fall to 11-6-2 on the season and will host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.
There are a whole lot of Pittsburgh Penguins' faithful clamoring for the organization to begin selling off some of its longer-tenured veterans for assets given the team's 6-10-2 start to the 2026-27 season.
It appears that the Penguins may have tried to make a move. But, according to a former NHL player on one of the most prominent NHL podcasts, the player in question said 'no thanks.'
"I heard a rumor that Rakell turned down a trade to go to Chicago, and that's why they brought up - who is the kid they brought up? - [Rutger] McGroarty," Yandle said.
Keith Yandle - Spittin Chiclets - #Blackhawks & #LetsGoPens : Actually, I heard a rumor that Rakell turned down a trade to go to Chicago. And that's why they brought up, who is the kid they brought up, McGroarty. - 11/10 #NHLpic.twitter.com/M3FvcOX0RJ
Rakell, 33, has six goals and 10 points in 18 games this season. He has two seasons, counting this one, left on his six-year contract that pays him $5 million annually and that includes an eight-team no-trade list.
Of course, this rumor must be taken with a grain of salt. The McGroarty recall was in response to forward Ville Koivunen being day-to-day with a lower-body injury and the team needing another healthy forward on their road trip, so it's unlikely that a potential Rakell trade to Chicago would have been the reason McGroarty was brought aboard.
Also, Rakell's eight-team no-trade list was, presumably, already submitted, as his name has been in rumor circles dating back to the summer and beyond. If this was the case, GM and POHO Kyle Dubas probably would not have even entertained the Blackhawks as legitimate contenders to land him no matter what they were willing to give up.
If the Penguins are open for business, as reported by Elliotte Friedman Saturday, that would make some sense. But Dubas is still at the mercy of no-trade and no-movement clauses with pretty much all of his veteran players except for forward Bryan Rust, who is currently on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least four more weeks.
The rumor, up to this point, has not been substantiated or confirmed by other insiders or sources.
CALGARY, Alberta — Despite riding a three-game win streak into Edmonton on Monday, the Rangers still made a lineup change.
Replacing Matt Rempe with Luke Glendening and rearranging the bottom six was certainly not a major factor in the 3-1 loss to the Western Conference-leading Oilers, but it is a reflection of their current center depth and how Blueshirts head coach Mike Sullivan is trying to manage it.
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Without the advantage of the last line change while on the road, the Rangers presumably wanted the peace of mind that comes from having another true center in the lineup.
Including another penalty killer against the No. 3 power play in the NHL couldn’t hurt either.
After utilizing Will Cuylle as their third-line center the previous three games, however, the Rangers’ limited options and production down the middle are beginning to be felt.
Of course, the lower-body injury Joseph Veleno suffered four games into the season has exacerbated the situation. Tuesday marked exactly a month since the Rangers announced he would be sidelined for about 3 1/2 months.
The Rangers gave rookie Cole Beaudoin — acquired in the Vincent Trocheck trade — a look for four games before turning to veteran Justin Dowling for another four.
When it became clear neither option was a fit, the Rangers signed Glendening to a professional tryout before giving the 37-year-old a one-year, $850,000 contract. Glendening hasn’t been the most impactful, sitting with zero points through four games, but he has been serviceable.
Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers moves the puck as Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken defends. NHLI via Getty Images
Beaudoin has been hurt essentially since his last NHL chance. Neither Juuso Parssinen nor Carey Terrance, acquired in the Chris Kreider trade, inspire much confidence or are near ready.
And Tuesday afternoon, the Rangers recalled the 29-year-old Glenn Gawdin, who hasn’t played in the NHL since logging one game during the 2023-24 season with the Ducks.
Alberts Smits, who missed the past two games with an upper-body injury, was placed on injured reserve to make room for Gawdin.
When looking at the big picture, it’s understandable why Sullivan looked to move Cuylle to the middle.
Though it is likely not a long-term solution and Sullivan continues to tinker with the lineup, the Rangers have even bigger problems at center than just a shallow pool of players.
J.T. Miller of the New York Rangers skates with the puck against the Seattle Kraken in Seattle, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Top two centers Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller combined for just four — four! — 5-on-5 goals through the first 19 games of the season.
With only seven goals between the two, the Rangers have suffered tremendously without the offensive production they have needed from two of their marquee players.
In their nine losses, including Monday night in Edmonton, the Rangers have been limited to one or no goals six times.
“Hard on myself in that department,” said Miller, who has four goals. “I feel like I’m all over the net right now, and nothing seemed to find the net. We’re just missing that timely goal. That was a big game for us [Monday]. I thought if we could get one [Monday], it really had the ball rolling for us. It hurts a little right now, but we got a day off [Tuesday] to think about it and then we’ll move forward to Calgary.”
Miller has rather consistently generated scoring chances and made for an effective duo with Tye Kartye, but the finish has evaded him both 5-on-5 and on the power play. In addition to hitting three posts, Miller has just one power-play goal.
Sullivan and assistant coach David Quinn, who is in charge of the power play, opted to split up Zibanejad and Miller — as well as double-shift Adam Fox — in hopes of giving the two units a jolt.
The Rangers were able to score on the power play two games in a row against the Flyers and the Kraken recently, but the club’s overall body of work with the man advantage has been underwhelming at 18.9 percent.
Against the Oilers, Sullivan went with the second unit — Fox, Miller, Cuylle, Kartye and Oliver Bjorkstrand — at the start of power plays more than usual.
When Ryan Shea got called for tripping Alexis Lafrenière with 1:26 left in regulation, however, the Rangers put Fox, Miller, Zibanejad, Kartye, Lafrenière and Pavel Dorofeyev out there with an empty net.
The group represents the players Sullivan and his staff believe are the Rangers’ best right now.
“They’re, for the most part, getting fairly split even,” Sullivan said of the two power-play units. “Sometimes, if Mika’s line’s on the ice and they’re tired, we’ll go with the other unit. And then sometimes, if they’re both fresh, it’s a sense of, ‘OK, who do we think is going well?’ The other thing is I thought J.T. was pretty good in the faceoff circle, so he’s inclined to win the opening faceoff, which gives us zone time. When he’s dominant in the faceoff circle like that, that helps.
“So there are multiple reasons why we make the decisions, but it’s not a case of one’s getting favored over the other. For the most part, they’ve been pretty split 50-50 down the middle.”
On Monday, the NHL announced their Three Stars of the Week which included Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros.
Saros was named the league's Third Star of the Week, behind Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier and New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes.
Saros allowed just a single goal against both the Carolina Hurricanes and the St. Louis Blues, saving 53 of 55 shots against while also picking up a 2-0-0 record during that period.
To date, this season has been a major return to form for Saros. After spending the last two seasons with a save percentage below the .900 threshold, he's currently sitting at a .912 through his first 12 starts of the 2026-27 campaign. He currently sits seventh in save percentage in the NHL amongst goaltenders with 10 or more games played.
Saros is expected to be back in action tonight, as the Predators visit the Los Angeles Kings to kick off their west coast road trip.
Former Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane is heading to the KHL.
The veteran forward, who turned 35 at the beginning of August, has signed a (terms of contract and team), departing from his hometown team one year after being acquired via trade. Kane played for a total of six NHL teams throughout his career, as he also spent time with the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, and Edmonton Oilers.
Through 71 games played in the 2025–26 season, Kane scored 13 goals and 18 assists, good for seventh on the Canucks in points. He played in his 1000th NHL game on March 30 against the Vegas Golden Knights and celebrated the milestone on home-ice on April 4 against the Utah Mammoth — his final game as a member of the Canucks.
Vancouver’s decision to acquire Kane was polarizing to start. The Canucks traded for the forward in June of 2025, sending a fourth-round pick in last year’s draft to the Oilers in exchange. Edmonton used this pick to select forward David Lewandowski.
Since the start of his NHL career in the 2009–10 season, Kane has hit the 40-point mark a total of nine times, the most recent of which came in 2023–24 as a member of the Oilers. His current career-high in points recorded during a single season is 30 goals and 27 assists in 74 games with the Jets during the 2011–12 season.
Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) skates against the Florida Panthers in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Senators will get one injured player back on Tuesday night, but they'll have to wait a little longer for another as they prepare to host the Washington Capitals at Canadian Tire Centre.
Forward Ridly Greig is expected to return after missing time with an injury, giving head coach Travis Green another option up front.
However, despite Linus Ullmark's removal from injured reserve and his return to full practice, the Senators have opted to be extra cautious with their oft-injured goaler.
Embrun's Jackson Parsons discusses his mindset after his first NHL call up on Tuesday (Senators You Tube).
They've decided to give Samuel Ersson another start.
Ersson has won his last three games, allowing just four goals over that stretch. His resurgence has helped the Senators stay afloat without Ullmark, going 4-3-1 during his absence.
With Ullmark not suiting up, the Senators have recalled Jackson Parsons to be their backup on Tuesday.
21 year old rookie Carter Yakemchuk will be a healthy scratch for the fifth time in six games. The one game he did play in that stretch was because Tyler Kleven was under the weather.
The Senators enter Tuesday's game with an 11-6-1 record, good for fourth place in the Atlantic Division and ninth overall in the NHL. Washington is 9-6-0, sitting fourth in the Metro and 13th overall.
Tuesday's game also marks another return to Canadian Tire Centre for former Senators defenceman Jakob Chychrun.
The Senators traded Chychrun to Washington in the summer of 2024 in exchange for defenceman Nick Jensen and a third-round draft pick.
Two years later, the deal isn't looking great for the Senators.
Chychrun has become an important part of Washington's defence and has 11 points through his first 15 games this season. Jensen departed the Senators as a free agent this past summer and is now playing for Anaheim's AHL farm club. The third rounder was sent to LA in the Warren Foegele trade.
The Senators have since rebuilt much of their defence, but Chychrun's continued offensive production, combined with being only 28, certainly makes Sens fans wish they had more to show for his departure.
For all the attention surrounding what's expected to be Alex Ovechkin's final NHL season, the Capitals superstar hasn't exactly been lighting up the scoresheet.
Father Time comes for us all.
Now 41, one of the greatest goal scorers in hockey history has managed just one goal and four points through 15 games.
But other players have helped pick up the slack.
Dylan Strome leads the Capitals with 14 points in 15 games, followed by Alex Tuch with 13. Promising young forward Ryan Leonard has also made an impact early in his sophomore season, collecting 11 points.
Washington has also enjoyed a rhome-heavy schedule to begin the season. The Capitals have played 11 of their first 15 games at Capital One Arena, where they've compiled a 7-4-0 record. They're 2-2-0 on the road.
It's been home sweet home for the Sens at Canadian Tire Centre, posting a 6-2-0 home record.
They're coming off Saturday's 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth, a game in which Nick Cousins scored the winner with just 2:18 remaining.
Tim Stützle continues to lead the club offensively with 23 points, while he and Drake Batherson share the team lead with nine goals apiece.
Washington, meanwhile, is expected to use the following combinations:
Tuch – Strome – Kyrou A. Protas – Dubois – Wilson Ovechkin – Sourdif – Beauvillier Jenner – I. Protas – Leonard
Chychrun – Roy Fehervary – Liljegren Hutson – St. Ivany
Game time is 7 p.m. at Canadian Tire Centre. The game will be televised on TSN5.
Ilya Safonov is headed back to the KHL. According to a report from Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali, the Russian forward has left the Abbotsford Canucks and is headed back home. At the time of writing, it is unknown what KHL team Safonov will join, but he has spent his entire pro career in Russia with Ak Bars Kazan.
Safonov signed a one-year contract with the Canucks this past off-season. He started the year in the AHL with Abbotsford, where he posted four points in 12 games. Safonov is able to go back to the KHL, as he has a clause in his contract that allows the move.
Vancouver acquired the rights to Safonov back in 2025 from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations. The 25-year-old was drafted 172nd overall in 2021, but did not sign with Chicago. In 331 career KHL games, Safonov has scored 65 goals and recorded 128 points.
Ilya Safonov at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
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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San Jose Sharks forward Mason Marchment has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday morning.
At 8:52 in the third period of the Sharks’ game against the New York Islanders on Monday night, Marchment was awarded a double-minor penalty for roughing Islanders rookie Victor Eklund.
After Eklund threw a dangerous hit on Kiefer Sherwood, which was reviewed for a five-minute major but eventually it was ruled that was no penalty on the play, Marchment hit Eklund will multiple ungloved upper-cuts.
The money from Marchment’s fine goes toward the Players’ Emergency Relief Fund.
With the Department of Player Safety's ruling, Marchment is expected to be available for tomorrow night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins since he was able to avoid suspension.
The Buffalo Sabres goaltending situation has stabilized after the Connor Hellebuyck deal to New Jersey, as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have played well enough between the pipes, and veteran Alex Lyon is poised to return to active duty after missing the first quarter of the season with a shoulder injury.
After last season, the Sabres resolved their goaltending depth dilemma by dealing Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2028 third-round pick. The writing was on the wall for Levi’s tenure with Buffalo after the club claimed Ellis off of waivers from St. Louis just prior to the start of last season. Buffalo demoted the 24-year-old Rochester after training camp because he was waiver exempt, and did not get an NHL look for the first time since signing with the Sabres in 2023.
“I knew there was a good chance of getting traded. So on July 1, I had my phone in hand,” Levi said. “My agents had a few conversations with them (Buffalo). So we knew that one guy was moving. When I heard it was Edmonton, I was pumped. Like, I was so happy.”
Levi appeared to be a fallback option to veteran Tristan Jarry and Stanley Cup winning free agent Frederik Andersen, but Jarry struggled early on and Andersen started the season on injured reserve. The former Sabre has seized his opportunity with Edmonton, as he is 8-1-0, with a 2.75 GAA and .899 save % after a 3-1 win over the NY Rangers on Monday.
“That's why I'm here, right? The last line of defence,” Levi said. “I kind of embrace that. I love it. If we played a perfect game, we wouldn't need a goalie. And they’ve got my back when I need them to—which isn’t much. We usually play really good.”
It is unknown whether Levi has wrestled away the starter’s job in Edmonton permanently, as Andersen, who was excellent during the Carolina Hurricanes run to the Stanley Cup, has not played a game yet, but it will be difficult for Mike Babcock to not start him if he keeps winning games.
On the Sabres front, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated after practice on Tuesday that Lyon will accompany the club on their six-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Chicago.
SAN DIEGO, CA — The Los Angeles Kings are 15 games into the 2026–27 season at 5–8–2 with 12 points, a pace that projects to roughly 67 points over the newly expanded 84-game schedule. That follows a 90-point campaign that ended with Colorado sweeping them out of the first round, the fifth consecutive postseason without a series win.
67 points won't do, and in all reality, even with their roster flaws, the Kings should be well above that mark. Fifteen games don't lose a season, and a few of the Kings’ menacing wingers have kept this team out of a freefall. The warning signs, though, are years old, and every season makes them harder to reconcile with an organization that insists it remains in a competitive window.
The coaches have changed, the veterans have changed, and some of the contracts have changed, yet the trajectory still points toward the league's cellar despite an accumulation of assets from 2016 to 2022 that rivaled any franchise in hockey at the time. Management has spent so long preserving its current window that it has jeopardized the construction of the next one, and its lack of vision on that front is a red flag of its own.
That is where Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson comes in, as something increasingly rare in the Kings' organizational trajectory: an acquisition that improves the immediate roster while becoming part of the foundation that replaces it.
The Prospect Surplus
Go back to the summer of 2021. Over the previous five years, Los Angeles had drafted Gabe Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Alex Turcotte, Tobias Björnfot, Arthur Kaliyev, Akil Thomas, Samuel Fagemo, Quinton Byfield and Brock Faber, and outlet after outlet ranked that group as the finest prospect pool in hockey or close to it.
The right side of the defensive pipeline was an embarrassment of riches. Faber, Jordan Spence, Helge Grans, Sean Durzi and newly drafted Brandt Clarke formed an extraordinary backlog behind young NHL defensemen Matt Roy, a 2015 Kings pick, and Sean Walker, an undrafted free agent signing. Faber, Spence, Grans and Clarke were Kings picks, while Durzi arrived by shedding the past in the Jake Muzzin trade, and all of them meant depth and flexibility.
Five consecutive first-round exits later, chasing something that was always fleeting, most of that surplus is gone, and the group as a whole never became the foundation Los Angeles once envisioned. The Kings are left trialing scant internal options and searching outside the organization for answers at positions that once looked locked down—all while spent to the cap.
The erosion is visible in the ice time. Players selected by Los Angeles between 2016 and 2021 accounted for approximately 38.5 percent of the Kings' total skater minutes in 2024–25, Rob Blake's final season as general manager when the team produced their best season since 2016. That share dropped to 31.2 percent in 2025–26 and sits at roughly 31.5 percent through the first 15 games of 2026–27. The more recent draft classes have yet to replace that lost workload, with selections from 2022 onward accounting for just 1.3 percent of the team's skater minutes this season.
Those numbers expose a franchise whose original accumulation of draft capital is contributing a markedly smaller share of its NHL workload than it did two seasons ago, while the next generation remains largely unprepared to assume those responsibilities.
Kings' selections from the 2016–2021 drafts accounted for 38.5% of Los Angeles' total skater ice time in 2024–25, falling to 31.2% in 2025–26 and sitting at 31.5% through the first 15 games of 2026–27. The figures illustrate the diminishing NHL workload carried by the franchise's once-vaunted prospect pipeline.
The Archetype Los Angeles Keeps Missing
At 23, Edvinsson is the archetype Los Angeles has spent years trying to find. Detroit took the 6-foot-6 Swedish left shot sixth overall in 2021, and last season he averaged 22:21 a night, recorded 25 points in 72 games, and carried significant responsibility alongside Moritz Seider. At five-on-five, Detroit controlled about 51.7 percent of expected goals with Edvinsson on the ice, nearly seven percentage points better than without him.
Those numbers carry an asterisk, since much of that success came beside Seider, one of the league's premier young defensemen, and no one should assume Edvinsson reproduces it immediately with a new partner. The workload, age, mobility and defensive range still separate him from most speculative trade targets, and he is the big defenseman the Kings keep claiming they want, except this one actually has the feet to back up the frame.
Clarke went two picks after Edvinsson in that same 2021 draft. Five years later, bringing together two defensemen from the same class could give the Kings the foundation their once-vaunted prospect pipeline was supposed to deliver.
Edvinsson is not a prospect who might become a top-four defenseman; he already is one, with the tools to grow into significantly more. In Los Angeles, he would step straight into the top left-side slot alongside Clarke, establishing a defensive foundation while the franchise figures out the assortment of Angus Booth, Kirill Kirsanov, Jakub Dvorak, and Henry Brzustewicz as part of the longer-term succession plan for the defensive corps.
Edvinsson remains an unsigned restricted free agent with a December 1 deadline to sign and stay eligible this season, and Detroit interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, who previously insisted he had no interest in moving him, recently acknowledged that while signing Edvinsson remains his preference, he is willing to listen to offers.
No credible public reporting places the Kings in those talks, but the circumstances open a rare window to consider what a player of his age and caliber means for a franchise facing exactly this problem.
One Acquisition, Two Competitive Windows
An Edvinsson and Clarke pairing would unite two players entering their primes together and give Los Angeles the mobile, offensively capable top pairing it has lacked since its championship-era core declined. Edvinsson's skating, reach and gap control complement Clarke's offensive instincts and puck movement, and while the pair would need time in defensive-zone coverage and tough matchups, the long-term fit is evident.
It would also change Byfield's circumstances. The Kings' defense has struggled for years to generate consistent controlled exits and transition offense, and for a center whose game depends on pace, interior creation and attacking off movement, that deficiency directly limits what he can produce. A mobile defenseman capable of handling heavy minutes addresses an environmental weakness that has followed Byfield's development.
Then there is the succession question around Doughty. Holland said on November 7 that he expects Doughty back next season, though an extension has not been finalized, and Doughty has yet to cede much ice time even at this stage of his career. Adding Edvinsson reshapes the hierarchy of the entire defense corps and gives that succession a clear answer.
By 2028–29, Los Angeles could have Byfield at 26 and Clarke and Edvinsson at 25, three critical positions cemented by high-impact players and a foundation with a far different age profile than the one currently contending under a false narrative.
Funny, I wouldn't consider #GoKingsGo to be in any semblance of a 'window,' but given Panarin's age + Kempe and Fiala, the drop-off moving forward could be problematic.
The team has also locked in trade clauses on most of the D and has spent to the cap.
Detroit has invested years developing Edvinsson, and Horcoff has made clear the organization sees him as integral to its future, so prying him loose would take significant assets.
Alex Laferriere is the intriguing centerpiece, an established young NHL forward rather than a speculative prospect. Laferriere has been thriving after last season’s trial-by-fire move to center, accumulating points faster than Byfield this season, centering their two most imposing weapons on the flanks. With Dylan Larkin suspended and seeking a trade, Laferriere would offer Detroit an established young center capable of helping address the uncertainty surrounding its most important position. The Kings also hold recent premium draft investments that could interest a retooling organization.
Surrendering Laferriere, multiple top prospects and valuable picks, however, would recreate the very problem Los Angeles needs to solve, so a deal only works if the Kings keep enough young talent and draft capital to build around Edvinsson. Byfield and Clarke are untouchable in this conversation given a plausible push for the next competitive window, not this obscure one in the present season.
The money matters too, since a substantial new contract for Edvinsson has to fit alongside the Kings' existing veteran commitments, and Detroit may turn down a package if retention is involved.
Not to quote No Doubt, but underneath it all, the Kings have spent years trading future capital to prop up an existing window, and an Edvinsson deal would spend it to build the next one while improving the present roster along the way.
The Inflection Point
The organization has not entered a rebuild and is not considering one, since a franchise does not bring in Ken Holland, Peter Laviolette and Artemi Panarin to tear it down, yet it also has not shown that this roster can contend for a Stanley Cup. That leaves the Kings in the NHL's most uncomfortable territory, built to win now without the results to justify the cost, spent to the cap, and carrying an emerging generation that still lacks a supportive, fleshed-out schematic of young talent to bolster a claim to be a contender in its own right.
The Kings can keep their veterans and play out this season, as long as the next meaningful acquisition serves a different objective. Among young defensemen whose contract situations have created a plausible trade opening, few offer Edvinsson's combination of NHL readiness, positional need and prime-age alignment. Los Angeles cannot keep buying one more year for a window that has repeatedly failed to deliver, and if this franchise wants a move that is as valuable three seasons from now as it is today, Edvinsson is exactly the type of player Holland should be pursuing.
The Vancouver Canucks announced three roster moves on Tuesday. Vancouver added a defenceman via the waiver wire as they claimed Cameron Crotty from the Minnesota Wild. The Canucks also sent defenceman Victor Mancini down to the AHL and placed forward Akil Thomas on waivers.
Crotty is a 27-year-old right-shot defender who is listed at 6'3", 212 lbs. He was acquired by the Wild earlier this year from the Ottawa Senators via a waiver claim. Over his career, Crotty has played 11 NHL games along with 332 in the AHL.
As for Mancini, he has struggled to get consistent ice time in the NHL this season. The 24-year-old has played in eight games and is averaging 12:25 per night. Mancini's addition will be beneficial for the Abbotsford Canucks, as he has shown an ability to produce in the AHL.
Finally, Thomas was placed on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the AHL. The 26-year-old has yet to play this year, as he was recovering from an injury. Thomas has played in 196 career AHL games and recorded 115 points.
Apr 4, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Cameron Crotty (5) skates after shooting the puck in the third period against the Minnesota Wild at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
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Just over a week after the Minnesota Wild claimed defenseman Cameron Crotty off waivers from the Ottawa Senators, the Vancouver Canucks have returned the favor.
On Tuesday, the Canucks claimed Crotty off waivers from the Wild. Crotty did not play an NHL game for the Wild after being claimed, but served as the seventh defenseman while the Wild dealt with injuries.
Crotty is a 27-year-old, 6-foot-3, 212-pound right-handed defender. He was a third-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2017 and has played 11 NHL games in his career. Those games are broken down as follows: one with Arizona in 2023-24, one with the Wild in 2024-25, six with the Senators in 2025- 26, and three with the Senators in 2026-27.
Crotty now joins a Canucks team in the midst of a rebuild, currently sitting in 32nd place in the NHL with just seven points.
It appears Crotty will remain with the NHL club, as the Canucks have assigned Victor Mancini to the AHL and have placed Akil Thomas on waivers.
Tyler Pitlick, who was also placed on waivers yesterday, has cleared and will join the Iowa Wild in the AHL.
Jared Spurgeon is now expected to be taken off the injured reserve and could be an option tonight for the Wild against the Montreal Canadiens.
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