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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's your recap of the three games:

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

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

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

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

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

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

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

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

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

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

GAME RECAP | BOX SCORE

Recent Transactions

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

Click here for a full list of Belleville Sens transactions.

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

Statistical Leaders

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

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

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

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

Goals Against Average: Jackson Parsons - 2.26

Save Percentage: Jackson Parsons - 9.30

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

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

More Sens Headlines at The Hockey News Ottawa:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

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

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

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

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

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

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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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.

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game Day

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

Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

When: 7 Pm CST

TV: FanDuel Sports Network South

Radio: 102.5 The Game

Betting line (via BetMGM):

Panthers

-1.5 (+155)

O 6 (+100)

-150

Predators

+1.5 (-190)

U 6 (-120)

+125

Injury Report

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

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

Power Play Struggles Continue

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

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

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

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

Preds Leaders

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

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

Scouting The Panthers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NHL Insider Weighs In On Jets' Brad Lambert Situation, Potential Trade ReturnNHL insider reveals the Jets' strategy for trading prized prospect Brad Lambert, drawing parallels to a past high-profile deal.

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

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

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

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.

There won't be any drum rolls at Madison Square Garden today, nor banner-hanging tonight  buy maybe there should be.

Am I the only one between here and the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel who realizes this is a major date in Rangers history.

Granted, I'm getting personal about this because 71 years ago today, I was working in the Rangers publicity department – we didn't know from "public relations" in those days – and a big, BIG story broke.

I knew how big it was by the speed with which my boss, press agent Herb Goren, rushed over to my desk and snapped, "Getcha coat on, kid, you got some runnin' ta do."

Then, Herbie explained that the Rangers had swung a deal with the Chicago Black Hawks. Heading to the Windy City was our noble defenseman Allan Stanley along with forward Nick Mickoski. Coming our way was defenseman Bill Gadsby and forward Pete Connacher. 

My boss then handed me seven press releases, the addresses of the seven New York Dailies, carfare and a final word. "Make sure you give the releases to the sports editor. This is big stuff!."

It was in a lot of ways. Allan Stanley was a solid defenseman but Ranger fans hated him because he never threw his weight around. They wanted a tough guy and they got a stylist instead.

By contrast, Mickoski was loveable – besides being a personal friend of mine – had come through the farm system but never quite clicked. I was sad about us losing both them.

But Bill Gadsby had been Chicago's best defenseman and Peter Conacher was the son of Hall of Famer Charlie Conacher, one of the NHL's all-time scorers as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

Beyond excited, I hit the Times. Herald-Tribune, Journal-American, Post, World-Telegram, Daily News and Daily Mirror; not once missing a sports editor. When I returned to the Garden that afternoon, our hockey department was overflowing with newsmen interviewing our general manager Frank Boucher.

"We hated to lose Big Al and Nick," Boucher explained, "But I felt we needed a shakeup. The new guys will give us a boost in the back and up front."

It's Getting Late Early For The Beloved BlueshirtsFor a team with a 10-11-2 record, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> should be miles and miles and miles from Panics-ville-On-The-Hudson.

He was right. Gadsby was outstanding the next night when we beat the hated Bruins, Unfortunately, with about a minute left and a win in the bag, Gads went down to block a shot and took the puck in the jaw. We lost him for a month. 

Conacher tried hard but the only resemblance to his father was the name Conacher. 

No problem, neither Stanley nor Big Nick did much for Chicago. Mickoski eventually found a niche in the minors while Stanley was dealt to Boston and finally to Toronto

After recovering from his broken jaw, Gadsby became the Rangers best defenseman. He helped the Rangers make the playoffs in 1956, 1957, and 1958. Eventually he was traded to Detroit where he played the best hockey of his life.

The irony of this story belongs to Allan Stanley who was getting old when Toronto GM Punch Imlach picked him up in the Used Defenseman's Lot. Under Imlach, Stanley was pivotal in guiding the Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups in seven years.

Over two fruitful NHL decades Gadsby remained a star but never played for a Cup-winner –  once even beaten by Al Stanley's Leafs.

But on that Thanksgiving Eve day in the hockey department at the Old Garden 71 years ago, The Maven got a firsthand baptism of trading fire.

One little postscript: Well after the big trade, Stanley played a fine game against the Rangers and exited the Old Garden via the West 49th Street players' door. He then turned left and walked east toward Eighth Avenue. 

Recognized on the sidewalk by a Rangers fan, Big Al stopped as the teenager went up to him and very plaintively asked: "Allan; why didn't you play that way for us?'

Stanley digested the question and softly replied: "But, I did. But I did!"

And that's the reason Allan Stanley is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. For other reasons, Bill Gadsby is a Hall of Famer as well!

The Minnesota Wild (12-7-4) has won five straight games and is 9-1-1 in its last 11 games. The Wild have scored the first goal in 12 consecutive games as well. But nothing during this stretch has been better than the goaltending believe it or not.

Since Nov. 1, Jesper Wallstedt is 5-0-0 with a .970 save percentage, an 0.99 goals-against average and has three shutouts. Filip Gustavsson is 4-1-1 in that stretch with a .921 save percentage, a 1.95 goals-against average and has one shutout.

The Wild have now posted shutouts in two consecutive games and have three in their last five games and four in their last seven. 

 Wallstedt and Gustavsson have kept the Wild from trailing in regulation for 480 straight minutes since Nov. 7. The goaltending tandem has now became the first team with a run of that length since the Vancouver Canucks from Jan. 8-24, 2024 (488:43).

Wallstedt, 23, has played in eight games this year. He has yet to lose in regulation and has given the Wild a point in all eight games with a 6-0-2 record. He is first in the NHL in save percentage (.935), goals-against average (1.94) and shutouts (3).

"He is playing like a wall right now,” Wild defenseman Brock Faber said after the game on Sunday. “It’s fun to watch and it gives us all confidence. You can tell that he’s just gaining confidence as every day goes by, it’s so great to see. It took time for him to get here. He worked and battled and went through adversity and ups and downs, and to see him playing the way he can play, it’s incredible and we just need to keep it rolling, him and [Gustavsson].”

Over his eight-game point streak, Wallstedt has earned shutouts against the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners (Jets), current Pacific Division leader (Ducks) and a team that fell outside the playoff line due to a tiebreaker in 2024-25 (Flames).

Four of Wallstedt’s six wins this season have also come against teams currently in a playoff position, with the Minnesota goaltender having only allowed a combined eight goals through those contests.

Per NHL Stats, Wallstedt is the only goaltender to play at least eight games this season and have no regulation losses. He set the franchise benchmark for longest season-opening point streak, besting Niklas Backstrom (6-0-1 in 2008-09) and became the third rookie netminder League-wide with a run of that length in the past 30 years, following Mike Condon (8 GP in 2015-16) and Martin Jones (8 GP in 2013-14).

He also became the second rookie goaltender in the NHL's Expansion Era, since 1967-68, to post three shutouts through his first eight games of a season, joining Jones (3 in 6 GP in 2013-14).

“I have a great team in front of me,” Wallstedt said postgame. “The way our team has sacrificed themselves, I feel like we’re one of the teams that blocks the most shots. We try to get in front of every puck. They take away sticks and everything and boxing out, so I can focus on my job. I feel like pucks have been getting stuck in me. Hopefully I show some calmness back there, that I can show that they can trust me.”

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The St. Louis Blues (7-9-6) will look to make it points in four straight games of this season-long five-game road trip when they take on the banged up New York Rangers (10-11-2) on Monday (6 p.m.; FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

The Blues are 1-0-2 on the trip and have bagged four of six points on this trip but picked up their first win on Saturday, 2-1 against the New York Islanders on Saturday.

“It's three games in a row in this trip where we could be undefeated but we haven't been,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said Saturday, referring to overtime losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers. “We've been resilient, we keep believing, we keep playing the right way, we got rewarded for it.”

The Blues will implement a few changes in the lineup with Oskar Sundqvist, who was scratched on Saturday, going back in for Nick Bjugstad; Logan Mailloux, who was recalled from Springfield after scoring twice in five games with the Thunderbirds, coming back into the lineup for Matthew Kessel and Joel Hofer will get the nod in goal after Jordan Binnington was outstanding, especially in the third period, on Saturday stopping 30 shots.

"I think it's just kind of bring some consistency to my game, move pucks, defend well, play hard and be tough to play against," Maillioux said. "Nobody wants to get sent down, but, no, I think it was good for me to play some minutes and play in all situations, just kind of get my feel back and my touch back. I'm happy to get back and get going."  

One line the Blues hope continues to progress since being assembled the past couple games is that of Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich flanked around Dalibor Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

That trip combined for the opening goal on Saturday scored by Schenn, his first goal in 12 games. Now if they can just get Buchnevich going, who hasn’t scored the past 14 games, in the goal-scoring department, it would be greatly beneficial.

“We've had many line combinations throughout,” Schenn said after Saturday’s win. “Hopefully this gives us a little bit of stability. I've always enjoyed playing with ‘Buchy’ and ‘Dvo,’ he's smart. Trying to help him any way I can. He's going to be a good player in this league for a long time. Try and help him with any questions that he has. Hopefully this gets us kick-started. We actually feel like we've been playing a lot better hockey 1) defensively, and 2) harder. We slowly feel like we're building something here.”

“Yeah, it's great to see the chemistry,” Montgomery said of the line. “It's two games in a row where they've played really well, connected together. They're reading off each other making plays and supporting plays in all three zones.”

The Rangers have just one win on home ice (1-7-1) and have scored just 13 goals in nine games, shut out five times.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud

Brayden Schenn-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich

Dylan Holloway-Pius Suter-Jordan Kyrou

Alexey Toropchenko-Oskar Sundqvist-Nathan Walker

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

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

Healthy scratches include Mathieu Joseph, Nick Bjugstad and Matthew Kessel. The Blues have no injuries.

- - -

Rangers Projected Lineup:

Will Cuylle-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafreniere

Artemi Panarin-Jusso Parssinen-Johnny Brodzinski

Connor Sheary-Noah Laba-Brett Berard

Adam Edstrom-Sam Carrick-Taylor Raddysh

Vladislav Gavrikov-Adam Fox

Carson Soucy-Braden Schneider

Urho Vaakanainen-Matthew Robertson

Igor Shesterkin will start in goal; Dylan Garand will be the backup.

The Rangers have no healthy scratches. J.T. Miller (upper body), Jonathan Quick (lower body), Will Borgen (upper body) and Matt Rempe (upper body) are out. Vincent Trocheck (undisclosed) is questionable.

Jesper Wallstedt is making the Edmonton Oilers' decision to pass on him during the NHL Entry Draft appear worse with each passing day. The former first-round draft pick that Edmonton overlooked in 2021 is currently dominating the NHL, all while the Oilers have unanswered questions remaining in goal. 

Wallstedt is on a blazing five-game winning streak with Minnesota achieving a 5-0-0 record while blocking 163 out of 168 shots. That translates to a 0.99 goals-against average and a.970 save percentage. In his last four games: three shutouts, a.978 save percentage, and a 0.75 GAA. He just set the record as the youngest goalie in franchise history to secure a five-game winning streak.

Trending Stories:

Safe To Say, Oilers Are Turning Things Around

Oilers Outlast Panthers In Fiery Rematch To Close Road Trip Strong

As Wallstedt becomes a star in Minnesota, the Oilers’ goaltending problems continue.

Stuart Skinner has had both solid and difficult games. Calvin Pickard has had one good game in his last several. Fans are calling for action, most wanting the team to find an upgrade and take a swing at someone like Juuse Saros. Once Wallstedt’s stats circulated on social media, the Oilers’ supporters reacted.

Why Are Fans So Upset At the Oilers?

In 2021, the Oilers held the 20th overall selection while Wallstedt remained on the board. Rather than choosing the leading goalie prospect, they traded the pick to Minnesota, who promptly picked Wallstedt.

Edmonton slid down, picked Xavier Bourgault at No. 22. Bourgault is no longer part of the team and has since been putting up points for the Belleville Senators of the AHL. 

Currently, Wallstedt, who holds a .935 save percentage, appears to be precisely the franchise goaltender Edmonton might spend years seeking.

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