The New York Islanders' seven-game road trip continues along into its second and final week, with just one game left on Wednesday night in Seattle.

The trip featured a good amount of shaky play, with some stretches showcasing the Islanders at their best and others revealing just where their flaws lie.

Islanders Treading Water Without Scoring PunchIt takes two to tango, but with the Islanders still sitting in second place, the sooner they can add some offensive support, the likelier they are to remain there.

Still, they've gone 3-2-1 and boast a pair of impressive wins over the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild. With just Wednesday night against Lane Lambert's Seattle Kraken remaining, a quick evaluation of the road trip would be a success, especially if they can head home with another two points. 

The Islanders have held onto second place in the Metropolitan Division for the duration of their time away. Heading into the trip, the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals were the closest divisional foes to catching them.

The Flyers have gone 1-5-1 since the trip began. The Capitals didn't fare any better, going 2-4-0. The Pittsburgh Penguins took advantage and have flown into second place with a 3-2-2 record during this time.

The Islanders find themselves five points ahead of the Flyers and Capitals, and two points ahead of the Penguins (who are in third). To call it a safe position would be slightly overstating it, but New York's in a great spot.

All of this preamble brings us to the meat and potatoes of the quandary Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche finds himself in.

During the trip, the Islanders also found themselves linked to both Rasmus Andersson and Kiefer Sherwood, with both ultimately getting dealt elsewhere. 

Both went for premium prices (Andersson a 1st, 2nd, and roster player, Sherwood two 2nds), showcasing just how expensive the trade market is for buyers right now.

While that could very well change as more teams tumble off the playoff radar, as of now, there are only a handful of clear sellers, and one of them will not make any trades with you (New York Rangers). 

All of this puts Darche in a bind. He knows the team needs a lift both defensively and offensively. The organizational hope defensively seems to be giving Isaiah George a look when the team returns home.

10 Islanders Defense Trade Targets: Short-Term & Long-Term SolutionsWhether it's a replacement for Alexander Romanov on the left side for the rest of the season or a long-term right-side defenseman, here's 10 options.

Offensively, any help would need to come from outside the organization. Some looked to Steven Stamkos as a clear target, but Nashville's been on fire and now seems unlikely to sell.

Using The Athletic's Trade Board, here's the top forwards available: Artemi Panarin, Nazem Kadri, Vincent Trocheck, Elias Pettersson, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Blake Coleman, Stamkos, and Andrew Mangiapane.

Of those top eight, three of them reside in the Metropolitan Division, making things a no-go. Nazem Kadri has nine goals in 49 games this season, but he's shooting a career-low 6.5% and is one year removed from a 35-goal season.

Kadri, 35, has three more years at $7 million, and if acquired, could become an in-house Jean-Gabriel Pageau replacement if the Islanders don't re-up with Pageau.

But it really doesn't make any sense to give the assets Calgary would want. At 35 years of age, he doesn't fit the opening window of contention. Ditto that for Stamkos, though the argument for Stamkos is his generational shot. 

Kotkaniemi and Mangiapane are both salary dumps and would not make the Islanders any better. The Rangers won't trade Panarin and Trocheck to the Islanders, with the Islanders forking over an enormous haul, killing any deal in its crib.

That leave two names. Elias Pettersson and Blake Coleman.

Pettersson would make a lot of sense, but comes with the recent baggage of a serious downturn in play and a giant contract. A deal in-season feels improbable. Coleman would be solely to improve the bottom six, and wouldn't cost all too much. 

Coleman, like Stamkos, won two Stanley Cups with Darche in Tampa Bay. It's worth keeping an eye on.

10 Forward Trade Targets For Islanders — How LTIR Opens The DoorThe Islanders’ offense remains an issue, but the cap isn’t. A breakdown of 10 potential trade targets and how LTIR changes the deadline picture.

With all that being said, is it the worst thing in the world if the Islanders have a quiet trade deadline?

The only type of deals that make any sense would be for cheap rentals (like Coleman) or a player like Pettersson or Jordan Kyrou, forwards who would make the Islanders better now and in the future.

The 2026 Draft is seen with immense value, and the Islanders hold two first-round picks. They don't have any second-round picks, thanks to the Josh Bailey salary dump three years ago.

The prospect pool continues to strengthen. Bridgeport's in a position to fight for a playoff spot. 

For Darche, it has to be about building things right. Dismantling the newly-built prospect pool and draft pick assets does not make sense.

Similarly, Darche is faced with decisions on Anders Lee and Pageau, both of whom will become free agents in July. 

There's no world where the Islanders trade their captain in-season, especially while in a playoff position. Pageau, however, would command a haul. The ability to acquire another first-round pick and potentially recoup a second-rounder in this draft would be immensely valuable.

Islanders’ Deadline Decisions: Darche, Lee, Pageau Address Contract UncertaintyMathieu Darche weighs in on Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau ahead of the NHL trade deadline, as both Islanders veterans speak on their futures.

But, again, Pageau's a massive part of this team. Does trading him make any sense when the team's cruising in a playoff spot? Likely not.

It's worth noting that Brock Nelson spent virtually the entire 2024-25 season stapled to the top of The Athletic's Trade Board, usually a darn good indicator of a player set to be dealt.

Pageau hasn't appeared on the list at all this season, while Lee only appeared at the very beginning of the season before getting removed.

All this begins to paint a picture of what could be a very quiet deadline.

Smaller moves, depth pieces, little swings. Those make sense. If Darche can pull off an in-season blockbuster that makes sense for this team's competitive window, he'll do it. Odds aren't in his favor, historically.

As the march toward the Olympic Roster Freeze continues, more trades will happen, and more players will become available. Perhaps more viable candidates appear, and the feeling of a relatively quiet deadline fades.

For now, the quiet path is the best one forward. There's no need to rush anything. 

The New York Rangers have come out empty-handed on their west coast road trip thus far, dropping a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night and a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. 

The Rangers’ matchup against the Kings marked the homecoming of both Jonathan Quick and Vladislav Gavrikov back to Los Angeles. 

For Quick, who played against his former team just one day before his 40th birthday, was not as sentimental about his return to Los Angeles, given that he had played against the Kings a couple of times since his departure during the 2022-23 season, while also playing for multiple teams since then.

“It was three teams ago, right? Special going back to Vegas, Columbus — the more recent teams,” Quick said. “Obviously appreciate the fan support here in LA, while I was here.”   

For Gavrikov, on the other hand, it was his first time returning to Crypto.com Arena to play the Kings since signing a seven-year $49 million contract with the Rangers. 

He received a tribute video in the first period and spoke fondly about his time in Los Angeles after the game. 

“It was great,” Gavrikov said of his emotions watching the tribute video. “I have a lot of friends here, a lot of good memories of all the positivity, lucky to play here, and grateful to have met those people and be part of the organization." 

While the Rangers found themselves in a 2-2 game heading into the second period, thanks to goals from Will Cuylle and J.T. Miller, it was defensive zone lapses and struggles to break the puck out of their own zone that ultimately put them in a hole. 

In the middle frame, the Kings were able to capitalize on the Rangers’ mistakes and jumped to a 4-2 lead, which the Rangers were unable to comeback from. 

Despite some of their defensive woes and high-danger chances that they allowed, the Blueshirts actually held a 36-27 advantage in shots on net by the night’s end. 

The Rangers had numerous chances to climb back into this game, including during a 5-on-3 power play in the second period, but the theme of the season continues to be the team’s lack of scoring no matter how many chances they may generate, which was once again the story of Tuesday night’s loss. 

“We pride ourselves on getting the looks at the end of the day,” Miller said. “We were a shot or two from winning the last two games, so they are important. Gotta bear down in those situations, but at the end of the day it’s bittersweet. We are doing a lot of good things to get the looks.”

Jonathan Quick Makes Return To Los Angeles As His 40th Birthday Approaches Jonathan Quick is set to start against his former team as the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> take on the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.&nbsp;

It’s now been three games since Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury submitted a letter to fans revealing the team’s plan to retool the roster. 

From Miller’s perspective, the Rangers have done a good job of blocking out the noise and feel they’ve actually elevated their game since the letter was issued. 

“There’s been a lot going on around us over the last week. Over the last few games, there’s a lot to like in our game,” Miller said. “It’s not going to be perfect, we are trying our a–s off. A lot of distractions, and I think we are just trying to learn and build and try to improve in some areas on a daily basis.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Friday night against the San Jose Sharks.

The Los Angeles Kings (20-16-13) ended their four-game losing streak with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers (21-24-6) on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. Despite being shorthanded tonight with no Anze Kopitar, Joel Armia, and losing Darcy Kuemper early in regulation, it was a strong team effort and a standout performance from Anton Forsberg. 

Kevin Fiala led the offensive charge with a goal and an assist, while Andrei Kuzmenko and Taylor Ward each found the back of the net as the Kings got back in the win column, preparing for their long road trip.

‼️ KINGS WIN! ‼️#GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/ViffEoLccn

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 21, 2026

 Fast Start Sets the Tone

Los Angeles wasted no time grabbing the lead 18 seconds into the match. Adrian Kempe scored the goal after a faceoff win to give the Kings early momentum. 

The Rangers answered midway through the first period, but Kevin Fiala restored the Kings' lead. 

However, the game would not stop there, as the Rangers tied the game 2-2 before the first intermission. 

Kuemper Injury Forces Goalie Change

Late in the first period, Kuemper left the game after a hard collision with Jonny Brodzinski in the crease while stopping a breakaway attempt from the Rangers. Althought the play didn't seem severe at first, Kuemper headed to the lockerroom with just 38 seconds remaining in the first period and was later ruled out with an upper-body injury.

Darcy Kuemper Exits Late In First Period After Crease CollisionSome drama early in the crease for the Los Angeles Kings against the New York Rangers after their star goaltender, Darcy Kuemper, left the game with 38 seconds remaining in the first period after some contact in the crease by the Rangers.

Anton Forsberg took over the net immediately and stabilized the Kings, making key saves to keep the game within reach. 

The Kings regained control in the second period thanks to contributions from their depth. Taylor Ward scored his first goal of the season early in the frame to make it 3-2. 

Later in the period, Kuzmenko extended the Kings' lead 4-2 by backhanding a rebound off a Fiala shot, marking Kuzmenko's 10th goal of the season and his first since Jan. 5. Los Angeles controlled the second period, forcing the Rangers to chase the game while Forsberg held firm on the crease. 

WARDOOOO pic.twitter.com/DSKcOgxsUy

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 21, 2026

Forsberg Stands Tall in Final Frame

New York pushed hard in the final period, cutting the deficit to one after J.T. Miller scored his second goal of the night. The game got tight in the final seconds of the frame, but Forsberg shut the door, finishing with 28 saves, earning his first star honors. 

The Kings' defensive structure tightened down the stretch, blocking shots and limiting shots to hold their one-goal lead. 

New York did have a chance to tie the game after winning the faceoff, but the long body of Forsberg disrupted the puck, and the game ended. 

What It Means for the Kings

The victory snaps a four-game losing streak after a tough stretch for Los Angeles, which recently lost six of its last seven games, but a win like this against a bad team is one they needed. 

It's a much-needed win that should prepare Los Angeles for a very tough six-game road trip starting Saturday against the St. Louis Blues. With Kuemper's status remaining uncertain, Los Angeles is in good hands with Forsberg's performance helping lead the Kings under the crease until word is given on Kuemper's return. 

The Kings’ next matchup will be against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday at 5:00 P.M. PT.

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By Michael Finewax, RotoWire.com

There were a couple of trades in the NHL this week. Rasmus Andersson is off to Vegas with the Golden Knights giving up Zach Whitecloud, minor-leaguer Abram Wiebe, a first-round pick in 2027 and a conditional second-round pick in 2028. The Flames agreed to absorb 50% of the remainder of Andersson's contract for the rest of the season.

The Canucks then dealt the injured Kiefer Sherwood (upper body) to San Jose for Cole Clayton, a second-round pick in 2026 and a second-round selection in 2027.

I hope your leagues have had as many deals as the NHL. Best of luck with your trades this week.

TRADE FOR

Anthony Stolarz, G, Maple Leafs (57% rostered)

Stolarz last played in the NHL on Nov. 11, leaving after the opening period in Boston, suffering from an upper-body injury. He has missed the last 32 games of the season. The good news is that he was sent to AHL Toronto on Tuesday for a conditioning stint. He could be back in action as early as this weekend. Don't forget that Stolarz led the NHL in save percentage last season at .926 and is more than capable of playing well the rest of the way, based on last season.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Stolarz and Elias Pettersson for J.T. Miller. (Miller is a nice player, but playing for the Rangers will not help his point total this season. Stolarz and Pettersson are better bets the rest of the way.)

Mason McTavish, C, Ducks (57% rostered)

McTavish has taken over from the injured Leo Carlsson, who underwent a thigh procedure last week and will miss 3-5 weeks. McTavish has two goals in his last two games with Carlsson sidelined, giving the 22-year-old 13 goals and 30 points in 49 games. McTavish is still highly regarded, as was evident last season when he had career highs in goals with 22 and assists with 30. 

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: McTavish and Andrei Kuzmenko for Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Mikhail Yegorov. (This is obviously a futures deal, as Yegorov is a goaltender playing in the NCAA after he was drafted in the second-round in 2024 by the Devils. Sandin-Pellikka is having a nice rookie season for Detroit, but McTavish is seeing first-line minutes at this time, while Kuzmenko has nine goals and 19 points in 43 games with the Kings.)

Charlie McAvoy, D, Bruins (91% rostered)

McAvoy was held off the scoresheet Tuesday, but had been hot until then, tallying twice and adding eight assists in his previous nine games. McAvoy has been injury prone since the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, suffering a right shoulder injury against Finland that cost him the remainder of the season. He also was injured this campaign, missing 11 games after getting struck in the face via a slapshot Nov. 15 versus Montreal. Overall, McAvoy has three goals and 26 assists in 38 games this season.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: McAvoy and Jake Sanderson for Mattias Samuelsson and Matthew Knies. (This is a tough one to understand, as McAvoy is a solid fantasy player while Sanderson is one of the top offensive defensemen. Samuelsson is okay at best, while Knies has slumped of late with only three assists in his last seven appearances.)

TRADE AWAY

Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Panthers (96% rostered)

Bobrovsky has really hit rock-bottom. He has allowed 12 goals on 63 shots in his last two games, both losses. He is 19-14-1 with a 3.09 GAA and an .875 save percentage across 34 games this season. It's the worst save percentage of his career and second-worst GAA in his 16-year career. At age 37 (and the veteran of back-to-back Stanley Cup victories over the last two seasons), Bobrovsky looks like a tired, old goaltender on his last legs.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Bobrovsky for Jake Oettinger. (This is a crazy deal, as Oettinger is having a much better season in all categories, save for wins.)

Mika Zibanejad, C, Rangers (90% rostered)

Zibanejad has been white-hot of late, a classic example of trading a player when his value is at its highest. Zibanejad has nine goals and 10 assists in a 10-game scoring streak for the lowly Rangers, but is a minus-7 over the nine contests. Overall, Zibanejad has 21 goals and 48 points in 50 games. He was cold to start the season, and if the Rangers go into a sell mode (which is likely), Zibanejad will have less talent to play with, unless he is also headed out of town.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Zibanejad for Matthew Tkachuk. (This is a pretty even trade, as Tkachuk could need some time to get back in playing shape after entering the lineup Monday for the first time since undergoing offseason groin surgery.)

John Tavares, C, Maple Leafs (91% rostered)

Tavares has been pretty hot of late, potting four goals and eight assists over the last 14 games. The 35-year-old veteran has 18 goals and 43 points in 49 games this season, pretty much what he has averaged in a Leafs uniform over his previous seven seasons. Tavares has only seven points on the power play, a marketed decrease in his production in the last four seasons.

Example of a completed deal from the Yahoo Trade Market: Tavares and Nikolaj Ehlers for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Trevor Zegras. (This also a pretty even trade, though if you are of the opinion that Zegras' value has surpassed his first two seasons in the NHL, then trading Tavares has been a bonus.)

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass each had a goal and an assist and the New Jersey Devils held on to beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Tuesday night.

The Devils, who improved to 17-0-0 when leading after two periods, have won four of their last five outings, including a 2-1 overtime victory on Monday against the host Calgary Flames.

Matthew Savoie scored for the Oilers, who had a two-game winning streak halted — the ninth time this season they have failed to extend a winning streak to three games.

Jake Allen survived a barrage in the third and recorded 21 saves to earn the win in net for New Jersey, while Tristan Jarry made 15 stops in his Oilers’ home debut.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who was a healthy scratch against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 10, picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games, during which he has collected seven points.

The Oilers’ Curtis Lazar skated in his 600th career NHL game against his former team, where he spent portions of three seasons from 2022-25. He has played for seven NHL squads and has 50 goals and 80 assists.

The Devils regained the lead a minute-and-a-half after Edmonton tied the game 1-1 as they caught the Oilers on a bad change and Glass beat Jarry cleanly to the stick side for his 11th goal of the season.

Connor McDavid came into the game with at least one point in all 17 of his career games against the Devils (7 goals, 24 assists), which stood as the second-longest active point streak by a player against a single opponent. However, he was held pointless on the night and the streak came to an end.

Up next

Devils: At Vancouver on Friday night.

Oilers: Host Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves after taking over for the injured Darcy Kuemper in the Los Angeles Kings’ 4-3 victory over the slumping New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Adrian Kempe, Taylor Ward and Andrei Kuzmenko also scored for the Kings, who snapped a four-game skid with only their second regulation victory in January.

Kuemper allowed two goals on eight shots before abruptly leaving with 38 seconds left in the first period following a collision in the crease with a charging Jonny Brodzinski.

Forsberg played superbly after taking over for Kuemper, a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Kuemper also missed 2 1/2 weeks last month after taking a hit to the head during a loss at Dallas.

J.T. Miller scored two goals for the Rangers, who are last in the Eastern Conference after losing seven of eight.

Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in his third start and fourth appearance against the Kings, who drafted him in 2005. Quick, who turns 40 years old on Wednesday, won 370 games — 199 more than any other Kings goalie — while backstopping the club to two Stanley Cup championships during his 16 seasons in LA.

Kempe scored 18 seconds after the opening faceoff.

Only 42 seconds after Will Cuylle’s goal for New York, Fiala scored his 18th goal by intercepting an unwise pass by former Kings teammate Vladislav Gavrikov.

Miller evened it again late in the first off Mika Zibanejad’s pass.

Ward put the Kings back ahead early in the second, banking in a skittering shot off Quick’s far post for his first goal of the season. After Los Angeles killed a five-on-three disadvantage for 96 seconds, Kuzmenko backhanded home a rebound of Fiala’s shot.

Miller scored his 13th goal in the final seconds with Quick pulled for an extra attacker.

Up next

Rangers: At San Jose on Friday.

Kings: At St. Louis on Saturday to open a six-game road trip.

LOS ANGELES — There has been nothing opportunistic about this Rangers team since the start of the season.

At times, it has been bad puck luck. A matter of effort in others. Execution hasn’t been nearly as consistent as they would like, either.

In a 4-3 loss to the Kings Tuesday night, however, the Blueshirts whiffed on several moments with game-changing potential to drop their 10th contest in their last 12.

They trailed just 18 seconds into the game.

While facing a one-goal deficit, a five-on-three power play for 1:36 was wasted.

A failed clearing attempt ended up in the back of their net shortly after.

And with momentum on their side early in the third period, the Rangers couldn’t translate it to the scoreboard until it was too late.

It resulted in the Blueshirts falling to 1-2 on the road trip so far with one more stop in San Jose to go.

“How many times have I talked to you guys about critical moments in games?” head coach Mike Sullivan asked reporters rhetorically Tuesday night. “The start of periods, start of games, last minute, after a goal scored, after a fight. Those are critical moments in games where teams have an opportunity to build momentum. I do think we responded. I thought we responded after it. It’s 2-2 after the first period. I felt like we did respond, but it’s an instance where there’s just not a lot of attention to detail there.”

The Rangers were caught flat-footed off the opening faceoff.

A one-and-done dump into the offensive zone — a specialty of this Rangers team — led to an odd-man rush the other way for the Kings.

Adrien Kempe buried one off a give-and-go with Brandt Clarke to open the scoring just 18 seconds into the game.

Poor puck management was at the crux of the Rangers’ loss in Anaheim, and it cost them again early Tuesday night.

After Scott Morrow’s shot from the top of the zone hit off Will Cuylle and in to tie it up, the Rangers gave it right back.

Shortly after LA welcomed him back to Crypto.com Arena with a jumbotron tribute, Vladislav Gavrikov turned the puck over right to the stick of Kevin Fiala for the 2-1 Kings lead.

Mika Zibanejad made up for it by continuing the absolute tear he’s currently on.

Feeding J.T. Miller crashing the net for the two-all score, Zibanejad extended his point streak to 10 games.

He has collected an eye-catching nine goals and 10 assists over that span.

Darcy Kuemper exited the game at the end of the first period, after the Kings’ goalie denied Jonny Brodzinski on a breakaway.

Unable to skate it off, Kuemper headed to the locker room, and Anton Forsberg manned the net in relief for the remainder of the game.

The Kings added two more in the second period, while the Rangers failed to take advantage of prime chances.

Braden Schneider had a particularly rough middle frame, in which he inadvertently set up the Kings’ 3-2 score before taking back-to-back penalties.

The puck bounced off Schneider’s stick and right to Taylor Ward for the go-ahead goal at the 4:23 mark.

After they failed to convert on a 5-on-3 power play, the visitors couldn’t clear the puck later in the period. Andrei Kuzmenko then knocked in a rebound to give his team a two-goal lead heading into the second intermission.

“That was a big moment in the game,” Miller said of the two-man advantage. “They scored right after that to go up two. The same as yesterday [against the Ducks], I don’t know how I didn’t score in the last five minutes of that game. It kind of felt the same today with some of the looks that [Vincent Trocheck] got. It’s not going in … I think we’re happy with the execution. At the end of the night, we can sleep well knowing that you’re doing the right things. You have to believe that if you keep doing the right things then the puck will go in the net.”

Up to this point in the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the most active teams in the league on the trade market.

On Tuesday, they made yet another move to help shore up some depth for a playoff run. And it's a move that has some upside potential.

The Penguins sent forward Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for left defenseman Ilya Solovyov. The 25-year-old blueliner was selected in the seventh round (201st overall) by the Calgary Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he was claimed off waivers by the Avs on Oct. 3.

In 16 games with the Avalanche this season, the 6-foot-3, 208-pound defenseman registerd a goal and three points to go along with a minus-1. In 31 career NHL games, he has a goal and seven points. 

On the surface, nothing jumps out about Solovyov, who didn't really have the chance to crack the lineup much on a dominant Colorado team. But, given the Penguins' lack of depth on the left side of their blue line - and their lack of NHL-ready organizational depth at defense in general - it made sense for GM/POHO Kyle Dubas to target depth defensemen, especially as the Penguins push for the playoffs. 

But there may be a bit of untapped potential in Solovyov. He has a booming shot, and he isn't afraid to use his size to his advantage. In 59 games with the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL last season, he had six goals and 28 points and was a plus-8. He also has the ability to box out players at the net-front with his frame, and he is pretty decent in transition. 

SOLOVYOV FIRST NHL GOAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/XQGgDNlB8h

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 10, 2026

Solovyov will join the NHL club on its Western road trip, and their next game is in his old stomping grounds in Calgary on Wednesday, when they take on the Flames. With Kris Letang day-to-day with an upper-body injury and Erik Karlsson stating he wouldn't be in the lineup Wednesday despite making the trip with the team, there's a chance Solovyov might be in the lineup as soon as then.

All in all, this was a low-risk move for the Penguins, and it never hurts to have more depth on the blue line - especially on a left side that has yet to have a bottom-pairing blueliner stick in the lineup on a permanent basis.

Penguins Acquire Big Defender From Avalanche The Penguins have made another trade.

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Ever since the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Stuart Skinner in the Tristan Jarry trade in December, head coach Dan Muse has opted to go with a goalie rotation between him and Arturs Silovs.

Muse was doing the same thing with Silovs and Jarry at the beginning of the season, until Jarry started stealing some starts due to his strong play.

Now that Skinner is playing really well over the last few weeks, I think it's time for Muse to start giving him two out of every three starts and move away from the rotation a bit. This isn't a knock on Silovs, who has been playing better as of late (outside of shootouts). It's way more about Skinner, who has really found his form. 

Skinner's hot stretch began on Dec. 30 against the Carolina Hurricanes, a game the Penguins won 5-1. Skinner finished that game with 27 saves on 28 shots and a .964 save percentage. It was one of the Penguins' best efforts of the season, but there were still instances when Skinner had to come up with some big saves. 

He only allowed two goals over his next two starts against the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils on Jan. 3 and Jan. 8. Every Penguin player owed him a gourmet steak dinner for the way he played in the first period against the Devils. The Penguins were lethargic in their own zone, but Skinner was there to save them, making some big saves to preserve a 1-0 lead going into the second period. The Penguins eventually found their footing in the final 40 minutes and won 4-1. 

Skinner has won five of his last starts and has a .923 save percentage for the month of January, which is good for his best month of the 2025-26 season to date.

Newly Acquired Defenseman Could Be Sneaky Good Pickup For PenguinsUp to this point in the season, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have been one of the most active teams in the league on the trade market.

In the Penguins' 6-3 win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday, he was especially sharp in the first period, making a big save on a breakaway from Eeli Tolvanen less than three minutes into the game. He finished the game with an .870 save percentage, but don't let that fool you. He was good when he needed to be. 

Even in the Penguins' 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Jan. 11, he gave his team every opportunity to tie the game. The only goal he gave up went off the post, his skate, and into the net. 

He has such a calming presence around him and continues to look really poised in the crease. His teammates are feeding off his confidence each time he plays. 

All of this can certainly change, since Skinner has been an inconsistent goaltender throughout his career, but right now, he's giving the Penguins the best chance to win and should see a slight increase in his workload. 

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals to reach 25 for the season and surpass Nikita Kucherov for the team lead as the Tampa Bay Lightning continued their surge with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

Anthony Cirelli and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist, and Kucherov had two assists to reach 48. Kucherov has 72 points, tied for third in the league with San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini, who was held scoreless.

Tampa Bay has a 14-game point streak and has won two straight since its one loss in that span, a 3-2 shootout defeat at St. Louis last Friday. The Lightning (31-13-4), who haven’t lost in regulation since Dec. 18, matched Carolina atop the Eastern Conference with 66 points.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for Tampa Bay.

Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks, who concluded their East Coast trip at 2-2. San Jose returns home for one game on Friday before a five-game trip with the first three in Western Canada.

Toffoli scored with 5:23 left in the first period, but Hagel tied it 37 seconds later with his 24th goal. He converted a precise feed from Cirelli to beat Yaroslav Askarov.

Cirelli scored early in the second period and Guentzel’s goal 1:28 later made it 3-1. After a long scoreless stretch, Hagel converted an empty-netter.

Askarov stopped 16 shots.

SENATORS 4, BLUE JACKETS 1

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Tyler Kleven and Tim Stutzle both scored in the first period, and Ottawa beat Columbus, snapping its four-game winning streak.

Ridly Greig had a goal and assist, Thomas Chabot added two assists, and Stutzle also had an assist. James Reimer made 21 saves in his first win for the Senators, who had lost two straight. He signed with the team as a free agent on Jan. 12.

Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets. Elvis Merzlikins stopped five shots for Columbus in 20 minutes before leaving the game with an illness. He was replaced in the second period by Jet Greaves, who stopped 12 shots.

Kleven put Ottawa ahead 1-0 at 3:34 of the first period, beating Merzlikins from the left circle on the Senators’ second shot of the game.

Monahan pulled Columbus even at 7:46 with his first goal in seven games, but Stutzle put Ottawa back in front 2:29 later.

After a scoreless second period, Greig gave Ottawa an insurance goal off the rush at 6:49 of the third. Brady Tkachuk added an empty-netter with 3:06 remaining.

CANADIENS 4, WILD 3

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored the winner with 15 seconds remaining to lift Montreal to a win over Minnesota.

Caufield took a pass from Nick Suzuki and fired a shot from the top of the right circle for his 25th of the season.

Phillip Danault — with his first of the season — Alexandre Carrier and Lane Hutson also scored for Montreal.

Rookie winger Ivan Demidov provided two assists and Jakub Dobes made 16 saves.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and Brock Faber also scored for Minnesota, which beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Monday. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 29 shots.

STARS 6, BRUINS 2

DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored two goals, Justin Hryckowian had a goal and two assists, and Dallas ended a three-game skid while snapping Boston's six-game winning streak.

Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars, who had just three goals in their previous three games. Miro Heiskanen had three assists and Jake Oettinger had 16 saves.

The Bruins trailed 6-0 when Morgan Geekie scored on the power play to end Oettinger’s shutout bid with 7:49 to play. Geekie ended a personal 12-game goal-scoring drought when he tipped in David Pastrnak’s shot.

Fraser Minten also scored for Boston while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves before he was lifted in favor of Joonas Korpisalo, who had three stops.

The Stars played without leading scorer Mikko Rantanen (19 goals, 44 assists), who was out with an illness.

Johnston’s goal with 3:52 left in the first was his NHL-leading 16th power-play goal this season. Bourque’s first-period goal also came on the power play.

Johnston has six goals and six assists over the past 12 games.

Robertson scored his 28th and 29th goals of the season early in the third period.

SABRES 5, PREDATORS 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Konsta Helenius scored his first NHL goal, assisted on two others, and Buffalo beat Nashville.

Noah Ostlund scored twice, Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs also scored and Alex Lyon made 32 saves for the Sabres, 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Ryan O’Reilly scored twice and added an assist, Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists, and Juuse Saros and Justus Annunen combined to make 27 saves for the Predators, losers of two straight. Nashville had not lost consecutive games since a three-game skid in late November.

Ostlund scored the first goal of the game at 8:11 of the opening period.

Saros stopped Helenius’ shot from the left side and Ostlund crept in from the right and poked in the rebound from just outside the crease.

Ostlund struck again at 11:45 of the first with Helenius assisting on that goal as well.

Helenius scored at 17:24 of the first, skating through the slot and snapping a wrist shot high to Saros’ glove side. The 19-year-old Finn made his NHL debut in Monday night’s loss at Carolina.

JETS 3, BLUES 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist to lead Winnipeg to a victory over St. Louis.

Josh Morrissey added a goal and two assists as Winnipeg scored three goals on 16 shots. Eric Comrie made 22 saves for Winnipeg (20-23-6), which won for the fifth time in seven games.

Jordan Kyrou scored for St. Louis. Joel Hofer stopped 13 of 15 shots for St. Louis (19-23-8), which lost its second straight and for the fifth time in seven games.

The Jets took advantage of a four-minute high-sticking penalty to the Blues’ Nathan Walker, who clipped Winnipeg defenseman Isaak Phillips, scoring twice in a 1:33 span midway through the first period.

First, Morrissey beat Hofer on a slap shot from the blue line with Scheifele and Kyle Connor assisting at 9:52. Then, Scheifele lifted the puck over Hofer from close range, with Morrissey getting the assist, at 11:25.

The Blues had pulled to within 2-1 late in the second. With Vladislav Namestnikov serving a four-minute minor for high-sticking Jonathan Berggren, Kyrou scored past Comrie.

Scheifele put the game away with an empty-net goal with 2:23 left.

KINGS 4, RANGERS 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves after taking over for the injured Darcy Kuemper in Los Angeles's victory over slumping New York.

Adrian Kempe, Taylor Ward and Andrei Kuzmenko also scored for the Kings, who snapped a four-game skid with only their second regulation victory in January.

Kuemper allowed two goals on eight shots before abruptly leaving with 38 seconds left in the first period following a collision in the crease with a charging Jonny Brodzinski.

Forsberg played superbly after taking over for Kuemper, a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Kuemper also missed 2 1/2 weeks last month after taking a hit to the head during a loss at Dallas.

J.T. Miller scored two goals for the Rangers, who are last in the Eastern Conference after losing seven of eight.

Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in his third start and fourth appearance against the Kings, who drafted him in 2005. Quick, who turns 40 years old on Wednesday, won 370 games — 199 more than any other Kings goalie — while backstopping the club to two Stanley Cup championships during his 16 seasons in LA.

Kempe scored 18 seconds after the opening faceoff.

DEVILS 2, OILERS 1

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass each had a goal and an assist and New Jersey held on to beat Edmonton.

The Devils, who improved to 17-0-0 when leading after two periods, have won four of their last five outings, including a 2-1 overtime victory on Monday against the host Calgary Flames.

Matthew Savoie scored for the Oilers, who had a two-game winning streak halted — the ninth time this season they have failed to extend a winning streak to three games.

Jake Allen survived a barrage in the third and recorded 21 saves to earn the win in net for New Jersey, while Tristan Jarry made 15 stops in his Oilers’ home debut.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who was a healthy scratch against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 10, picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games, during which he has collected seven points.

The Oilers’ Curtis Lazar skated in his 600th career NHL game against his former team, where he spent portions of three seasons from 2022-25. He has played for seven NHL squads and has 50 goals and 80 assists.

The Nashville Predators' comeback effort came a little too late in Tuesday's game, falling in a 4-0 hole early and unable to fully recover in their 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at home. 

It's the Predators' second straight loss, the first time they've lost back-to-back games since Nov. 24. 

The Sabres scored four unanswered goals, three of which came in the first 20 minutes of the game. Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and Filip Forsberg once to cut the Buffalo lead down to a goal. 

Peyton Krebs added an empty net goal in the third period to ice the game. 

Juuse Saros was pulled in the second period for Justus Annunen after allowing four goals on 18 shots. Annunen made 13 saves on 13 shots. 

Here are three takeaways from the Predators' loss to the Sabres. 

"We didn't want to work." 

In the previous three games, the Predators have been the first to strike. Even in the loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville had a 1-0 lead to open up the game. 

In Tuesday's matchup, the Sabres poured it on, seeing Noah Ostlund score twice and rookie Konsta Helenius score his first NHL goal and log two assists. By the end of 20 minutes, Buffalo had a 3-0 lead. 

"We just didn't want to work. It's pretty simple," Filip Forsberg said. "They're a skilled team, they're a fast team. 
We gave them exactly that, and they hurt us. Sometimes it's just as simple as that."

Predators head coach Andrew Brunette wasn't taking any moral victories, specifically in Nashville's comeback effort, saying the game was "lost in the first period." 

 "I thought they out-worked us and out-competed us," Brunette said. "They wanted it more than we did in the first period, and it was pretty evident for everybody who was watching the game. We were lucky it was only 3-0...

"At this time of year, when we know these points are so valuable, you can't take any solace in saying you played a good second half of the game. The game was lost in the first period." 

"It's not fair for Little Juice." 

Brunette said he wanted his team to get mad after Saros was pulled at the beginning of the second period after letting in the Sabres' fourth goal of the night.

Even if it "wasn't fair" for Saros to see his night end early, Brunette needed a response from his team. 

"I hope they get mad," Brunette said. "They should be upset that they let their goalies for two games in a row, kind of get barraged when they've (the goalies) kind of hung in there with us in a lot of these different games through this stretch. 

"It's over. 
You're disappointed, you're upset. Hopefully we learn a lesson."

Nashville did respond in the second period, seeing O'Reilly and Forsberg score to cut Buffalo's lead in half. After the game, Forsberg expressed that Saros should've been pulled "a little bit before" when he was originally called off. 

"It's certainly not Juice's (Saros') fault, but we've definitely got to be better," Forsberg said. 

Forcing a comeback 

The one positive to take away from the night was that the Predators gave themselves a chance late. 

O'Reilly's second goal of the night in the third period cut Buffalo's lead down to one and suddenly swung the momentum in favor of the Predators. He had three points on the night and now has nine points in five games.

It mirrored what the Predators had been doing from late November to early January: going down early and clawing their way back. 

"We had the momentum and control of the game, but just the whole we dug was too deep," O'Reilly said. "We're gonna have times where we lose momentum, and things don't go our way, but to do it for a full period that's not us. 
You can't be doing that. It's too tough." 

This is a different Predators team compared to the one a month ago, as they want to be in the driver's seat and not have to come back to win. Especially now when Nashville is battling for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

The loss puts Nashville three points outside the Wild Card spot in an extremely tight race. 

"You learn from it, move on," Brunette said. "Obviously, we're disappointed. There's no consolation, but you saw the team we can be when we get going."

Up next: Ottawa Senators (23-19-7, 8th Atlantic) at Nashville Predators (23-22-4, 5th Central) on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena. 

SEATTLE — Max Tsyplakov’s return to the lineup for the Islanders’ 4-3 win over the Canucks on Monday marked a nadir in what’s been a messy sophomore season in the NHL for the Russian winger.

After being on for two goals against in the first period, and plainly looking like he lacked confidence, Tsyplakov played just two shifts in the second and zero in the third.

“It’s on me,” coach Patrick Roy said afterward, falling on his sword to avoid criticizing the player. “He didn’t play a bad game. Just, he hasn’t played a lot and sometimes when that happens, you just want to go with the guys that you think you’ve got the best chance to win [with].

“He’s probably gonna be back in against Seattle. Hopefully I can use him more.”

Keeping Tsyplakov in the lineup against the Kraken on Wednesday, assuming that is the route Roy goes, would be a highly interesting move.

On one hand, it’s obvious that Tsyplakov needs a confidence boost, and that he’s not going to recover his game without some time to work through it.

On the other, it doesn’t help Tsyplakov — let alone the Islanders — if he’s nailed to the bench and the team is effectively down to 11 forwards.

Tsyplakov put together a strong first half last season, and finished the year with 35 points despite fading late.

The 27-year-old who scored 30 goals with Spartak Moscow in the KHL probably won’t ever do the same thing in the NHL, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t be an effective middle-six player.

Right now, though, his lack of confidence and Roy’s lack of trust in him appear to be working hand in hand to sabotage the situation.

Roy, when announcing that Tsyplakov would come back in the lineup against Vancouver after sitting three straight games, also took a hard left turn when he brought up Tsyplakov’s last KHL season, saying he wanted the winger to be a power forward and get pucks to the net.

That may not have directly contradicted his prior messaging to the player. But for most of the last calendar year, Roy has preached responsibility with the puck and playing north as keys for Tsyplakov to stay in the lineup.

For a player whose confidence was already low, the sudden change there may not have helped matters.

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Roy, who hasn’t hesitated to criticize his players in the past, steadfastly refused to do so postgame.

“I’m not saying he was struggling. Sometimes [it’s] just coaching,” he said. “You just go with your feeling and it’s nothing personal on this one.”

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The Islanders did not practice Tuesday in Seattle.

It was the kind of smothering road victory (and stable goaltending) that makes an NHL coach smile.

Tim Stutzle and Ridly Greig each had a goal and an assist as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–1 on Tuesday night.

James Reimer wasn’t overly busy, stopping 21 shots, but he came up with several huge saves in the win. None was bigger than his second-period stop on Cole Sillinger’s shorthanded breakaway, one of the few loose moments for Ottawa on the night.

The game featured two underachieving Eastern Conference teams trying to claw their way back into playoff relevance, and it showed. Checking was tight throughout, and scoring chances were at a premium. Despite recent off-ice drama, the Senators have quietly collected eight of a possible 10 points over their last five games.

The Senators opened the scoring just 3:30 into the first period. Tyler Kleven took a slick pass from Claude Giroux, dragged the puck into the slot, and ripped a shot over the glove of starting goaltender Elvis Merzļikins.

Former Ottawa 67 Sean Monahan responded just over four minutes later with a shot from a similar angle at Ottawa's end, marking Reimer’s lone blemish of the night. The goal stemmed from a less-than-robust rim attempt by the veteran netminder.

Two-and-a-half minutes later, Tim Stützle took over a shift, circling the entire offensive zone with the puck. He grabbed it behind the Columbus net, circled high in the zone, and then sprinted in to beat Merzļikins five-hole to restore Ottawa’s lead. Merzļikins left the game late in the first period due to illness and was replaced by backup Jet Greaves.

The low-scoring, low-shot affair carried into the third period, when Ridly Greig gave the Senators some breathing room with his seventh goal of the season. Zach Werenski attempted to hold the puck in at the Ottawa blue line, but it bounced past him, leading to a 3-on-2 rush. Greig carried the puck over the line, dropped it to Dylan Cozens, who fed it back Greig, and he beat Greaves with backhander between the legs.

Ottawa sealed the game with just over three minutes remaining. After Columbus pulled its goaltender, Greig made a diving play along the boards to chip the puck out, springing Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk on a 2-on-0. Stützle passed up the empty net, handing it off to Tkachuk to finish the play.

The win marked Reimer’s first NHL victory in 279 days. For the second straight game, he delivered the timely saves that the Senators and their fan base had been pining for, giving the club a chance to win.

As the horn went, the win temporarily moved Ottawa within four points of the Buffalo Sabres for the second wild-card spot, pending out-of-town results.

The Senators continue their road trip Thursday night in Nashville against the Predators.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals to reach 25 for the season and surpass Nikita Kucherov for the team lead as the Tampa Bay Lightning continued their surge with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.

Anthony Cirelli and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist, and Kucherov had two assists to reach 48. Kucherov has 72 points, tied for third in the league with San Jose's Macklin Celebrini, who was held scoreless.

Tampa Bay has a 14-game point streak and has won two straight since its one loss in that span, a 3-2 shootout defeat at St. Louis last Friday. The Lightning (31-13-4), who haven't lost in regulation since Dec. 18, matched Carolina atop the Eastern Conference with 66 points.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for Tampa Bay.

Tyler Toffoli scored for the Sharks, who concluded their East Coast trip at 2-2. San Jose returns home for one game on Friday before a five-game trip with the first three in Western Canada.

Toffoli scored with 5:23 left in the first period, but Hagel tied it 37 seconds later with his 24th goal. He converted a precise feed from Cirelli to beat Yaroslav Askarov.

Cirelli scored early in the second period and Guentzel's goal 1:28 later made it 3-1. After a long scoreless stretch, Hagel converted an empty-netter.

Askarov stopped 16 shots.

Up next

Sharks: Host the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Lightning: At Chicago on Friday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

SEATTLE — Since junior hockey, Anthony Duclair had never changed anything about his stick. That flex, that curvature — it worked for him, so why touch it?

Except, when the calendar turned to the new year, it was no longer working the same way. Duclair had scored only once in his past 26 games, just four times in the season’s first 39 games and was made a healthy scratch in the Islanders’ first two games of 2026.

This season wasn’t as overtly miserable as last year’s for Duclair — he was healthy, and his relationship with Patrick Roy appeared fine — but he was languishing in the bottom six, showing little sign of recovering his scoring touch.

“At some point, I was tired. I was like, ‘I need to change something,’ ” Duclair said after the Islanders beat the Canucks 4-3 on Monday night. “I just grabbed [Casey Cizikas’] stick after practice.”

And?

“My shot was just unbelievable.

“I was like, ‘Screw it. I’m gonna use it.”

The next game, Duclair scored on his first shot of the night. Then he scored two more times, and assisted two more goals for a five-point performance against the Devils. It was the first five-point hat trick for an Islander in five years, and the best scoring output in a game of Duclair’s career.

So, yeah. He told equipment manager Jason Berger to order him a shipment of sticks to Cizikas’ specifications.

“Totally different model, curve, everything,” Duclair said. “I put my stick in the garbage. I’m using Cizikas’ now.”

Call it a coincidence, call it a placebo, call it whatever you want. But it is working.

In seven games with the new twig, Duclair has seven goals, including two Monday night in Vancouver that served to wake up the Islanders amid a woeful start to the game.

“I feel like he’s shooting with a lot of confidence,” coach Patrick Roy said. “For some reason, he’s positioning [himself] well. He scored two on this trip in the power play in the pocket. I thought that was a really nice shot from the side. Great feed by our guys, he took advantage of it. He deserves credit for that.”

Seven goals, by the way, is as many as he had all of last season.

The Islanders have been challenged for scoring throughout this seven-game trip which ends Wednesday night against the Kraken.

They’re missing Bo Horvat, their leading scorer, and Kyle Palmieri, who potted 24 goals a year ago, and the cracks have started to show.

Even with Horvat set to return from a lower-body injury before the Olympic break (Palmieri is done for the season with an ACL tear), scoring is a need Mathieu Darche may need to address before the trade deadline.

If Duclair can keep up this output and be the top-line player the Islanders thought they were getting a year ago, though, it might change that equation, or at least lessen the urgency a smidge. 

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His chemistry with Mat Barzal, long dormant since the Islanders spent the 2024 preseason with the two of them together on the top line, has reignited. He’s clicked with Cal Ritchie too, with the pair combining for two power-play goals on this trip, both in similar fashion (and, yes, if Duclair can help spark the power play, that too would be a game-changer for the Islanders).

For now, it’s still too small a sample size to avoid some caution, though Duclair has certainly earned a lasting stay in the top six even when Horvat comes back and pushes someone out.

If it really was as easy as changing up his stick, though, then maybe the Islanders have just solved one of their problems.