The St. Louis Blues have completed an AHL deal, sending forward Matt Luff to the New York Islanders in exchange for winger Julien Gauthier.
Luff is participating in his second season in the Blues organization, as he played 50 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds last year. In the off-season, he signed a two-way contract with the Blues and spent time in both the NHL and the AHL during the 2025-26 season.
In the NHL, he’s notched one goal in five games. In the AHL, he scored 14 goals and 39 points in 42 games. The 28-year-old has played for many teams in his NHL career, but this will be his first stint with the Islanders.
Coming over to St. Louis is a former first-round pick in the 2016 NHL draft. The Carolina Hurricanes had selected Gautier with the 21st overall pick in 2016, but he was dealt to the New York Rangers in the 2019-20 season.
Gauthier has played 181 NHL games in his career, scoring 19 goals and 41 points. The 28-year-old has also accumulated 86 goals and 130 points in 228 AHL games in his career, including five goals and seven points he’s scored in 14 AHL games this year.
Luff and Gauthier are built fairly similarly, with Luff standing 6-foot-3, 219 pounds and Gauthier standing 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. But their play styles differentiate. Gauthier attempts to be involved physically far more frequently than Luff does, and Gauthier is more of a sniper, looking to get into high-danger areas to shoot the puck.
According to the Blues, Gauthier will report to the Thunderbirds in the AHL.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have acquired defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for blueliner Brett Kulak.
Girard appeared in 40 games this season with the Avalanche, where he had three goals, nine assists, 12 points, and a plus-12 rating. This is after he had three goals and 24 points in 73 games this past season with Colorado.
Girard will be more than a rental for the Penguins, as the 27-year-old blueliner has a $5 million cap hit until the end of next season.
As for Kulak, his time with the Penguins organization has come to a quick end. The Penguins brought him in earlier this season in the deal that sent goalie Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers.
Kulak played in 25 games for the Penguins following being acquired from Edmonton, where he had one goal and seven points.
The Penguins have acquired defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Avalanche in exchange for Brett Kulak.
The Colorado Avalanche have acquired defenseman Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick.
We have acquired Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2nd round pick in 2028 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/tZrCRBm3LB
This is a shocking move for the Avalanche, not in what they acquire but in what they gave up, especially with how Samuel Girard has been in numerous insiders' trade lists and the Avalanche’s willingness to get bigger on the defensive end.
Initially, when Elliotte Friedman first announced the Avalanche were going to acquire Kulak, it was going to be for a middle-bottom pairing move, see how he fits with maybe Girard, Malinski or so forth but seeing Girard get moved, this is no longer a “depth” move, it highlights a pretty big change to this defense core the rest of the season.
Kulak is in the final year of his contract, which carries a $2.8 million cap hit. At 31 years of age, he skates pretty well for his age and will help play a role on the already impressive penalty kill unit. He was playing with Kris Letang and doing well despite a rough start to the season with the Edmonton Oilers. Offensively, he might not be hitting the ceiling of what Girard can bring, but when he is at his best, he doesn’t make many mistakes and makes smart plays when he's under pressure.
In 56 games played between the Oilers and the Penguins, Kulak has one goal and eight assists for nine points. He averaged just over 17 minutes of ice time with the Oilers but over 20 with the Penguins.
In a news update first broken by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins have traded defenseman Brett Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche. In return, Pittsburgh is getting Sam Girard and a second-round pick.
The Avs confirmed the deal minutes later on their own social media accounts and official website.
We have acquired Brett Kulak from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Samuel Girard and a 2nd round pick in 2028 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/tZrCRBm3LB
The pending unrestricted free agent, who carries a $2.75 million cap hit through 2025-26, was acquired earlier by Pittsburgh in the Tristan Jarry deal with Edmonton. As Oilers fans know well, Kulak, 32, brings playoff experience and steady depth, making him a strong fit for a Colorado team viewed as a Cup contender and active buyer ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Edmonton wasn't in love with the idea of moving Kulak in the Jarry trade, but to make the money work, GM Stan Bowman wasn't left with much choice. The Oilers have relied on Kulak as a depth guy who can step into a bigger role in meaningful games. He elevates his play during the postseason, which is something the Avs are likely counting on.
The move signals that the post-Olympic trade market is beginning to heat up.
The Philadelphia Flyers will be a team to keep an eye on leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. With the Flyers not holding a playoff spot, there is a chance that we will see them shake up their roster a bit.
One Flyers player who has created chatter as a trade candidate this campaign is Emil Andrae. If the Flyers end up shopping the 24-year-old defenseman, these two teams could make sense for him as landing spots.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have several defensemen who are pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), so it would not be surprising if they looked to add to their blueline ahead of the deadline. With Andrae being a young blueliner with decent upside, he could make a lot of sense as a trade target for a Sharks club that is on the rise.
Winnipeg Jets
It has been a hard year for the Winnipeg Jets. After winning the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team just last season, they are currently among the worst teams in the NHL this campaign. With this, they should be focused on getting younger, and a player like Andrae could grab their attention because of it. He could be a strong fit on their bottom pairing and power play if acquired.
The Buffalo Sabres are traveling to snowy Newark and will resume their pursuit of a playoff spot against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, but they may have to begin that pursuit without leading scorer Tage Thompson. Thompson and his gold medal-winning Team USA teammates were diverted from New York City to Miami because of the snowstorm that is hitting the East Coast on Monday, and celebrated their victory in Florida.
The Sabres forward is traveling with Team USA to Washington DC to attend tonight’s State of the Union address at the invitation of President Donald Trump, and will be attending a White House ceremony on Wednesday. The possibility of him making it to Newark in time and being inserted into the lineup without practicing is unlikely.
“We don't have anything mapped out right now. I think it just depends on how things go,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said on Monday. “(Tage has) had an unbelievable experience, and it's going to be a tough two or three days for all those guys. Really busy and to be expected."
It is likely that Thompson will travel to Florida to join the Sabres prior to their important back-to-back matches with the Panthers on Friday and Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. With the availability of Thompson in question, the Sabres have called up reinforcements in the form of forward Anton Wahlberg.
This is the 20-year-old's first NHL call-up after playing 119 games over three seasons with the AHL Rochester Americans. Wahlberg has 25 points (6 goals, 19 assists) in 47 games this season, but based on Ruff's usual modus operandi with call-ups, the big Swede will only be inserted as a last resort.
Ruff indicated on Monday that some players injured prior to the Olympic break will be available, including center Josh Norris and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Norris skated at practice between Noah Ostlund and Josh Doan, and has not played since January 14th against Philadelphia. Luukkonen was injured just before the break in Toronto on January 27, which prevented him for playing for Finland in Milano Cortina, but he has participated in three practices. The Sabres are still awaiting test results on winger Zach Benson’s upper-body injury. Ruff indicated that it was unlikely that the 20-year-old would play during their three-game road trip. Benson and forward Jiri Kulich were seen skating on another rink at Harborcenter before practice on Monday. Kulich has been out since early November with a blood clot issue, and last week, Ruff indicated that the youngster is still in protocol for the issue, but that there is still hope of getting him back before the end of the regular season.
Buffalo begins the final stretch in the top Eastern Conference wildcard spot, one point ahead of Boston, five points ahead of the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets, and seven points ahead of the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 29: Bobby McMann #74 of the Toronto Maple Leafs reacts after scoring a goal past Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 29, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Penguins find themselves in an interesting and surprising position coming out of the Olympic break. They’ve banked 70 points in the standings after 56 games and are firmly in the hunt for a playoff position, currently sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference in points percentage. Perhaps more importantly, the Pens are second in the Metropolitan Division. To the world, it looks like a four-team race between Pittsburgh, the Islanders, Columbus and Washington for the two guaranteed playoff spots in the Metropolitan, with perhaps a chance for the third team to earn a Wild Card playoff spot if the Atlantic Division teams in the mix like Buffalo or Boston slow down a bit.
As such, the Penguins are in a solid spot, yet not one where they’re likely to steer away from their overall plan to prioritize the future. The team has already made some moves to improve the team, bringing in Egor Chinakhov and Brett Kulak (plus Stuart Skinner) has worked out well. Amazingly, the overall net of those transactions amounts to one third round pick plus Tristan Jarry leaving the organization. That’s probably the type of moves that will be considered in the future, GM Kyle Dubas has a glut of future draft picks to work with but won’t be in a hurry to bring in older players on expiring deals that will only have a short-term impact on the team.
That desire has to also be weighed against the areas for opportunity to improve. Chinakhov’s addition has really solidified the depth and talent level of the forward group to the point where the cost of improvements might not be worth disrupting the chemistry or pushing out players who have put Pittsburgh in the current position in the first place. Same thought applies in net, where changes have been addressed by swapping Skinner for Jarry.
This leaves the blueline as a key area to monitor, where the Pens could dip their toes in the trade waters to seek an upgrade and add more quality depth to their group. The Athletic paired together some teams and likely tradeable players, while Pittsburgh wasn’t highlighted there was some utility in seeing what some proposed prices could be and where the Pens might try to insert themselves in negotiations.
NEW with @harmandayal2, we matched 5 NHL playoff hopefuls with their perfect fit this trade deadline, plus what it could take to land them:https://t.co/UeBlLUB8CM
The perfect fit: Justin Faulk, RHD, St. Louis Blues
The trade: Faulk for Detroit’s 2026 first-round pick, 2028 second-round pick, LHD prospect William Wallinder and G prospect Landon Miller
We start out with a doozy. Justin Faulk is an impending free agent and projects to have a huge price based on this. The Pittsburgh equivalent might mean including Owen Pickering and Joel Blomqvist as the prospects involved, to go along with a first and second round draft pick. If something like that ends up being the price, it’s extremely difficult to see the Pens as being terrible interested in shopping down this aisle. Faulk is a quality player, but he plays the right side and has played big minutes on the power play. That’s not a great fit for a team that already has Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang for that role.
Buffalo Sabres
The perfect fit: Connor Murphy, RHD, Chicago Blackhawks
The trade: Murphy for the Sabres’ 2027 second-round pick
A player like Murphy could be more in tune for Pittsburgh’s needs. The 32-year old has great size (6’4”, 212 pounds) and plays more of a stay-at-home defensive type of game from the right side, adding excellent defensive impacts, though it may be concerning his even strength ice time and role with Chicago has been limited this season.
The price is one where the Pens could get into as well. Pittsburgh owns two picks in the second rounds in all of the 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 drafts. They have two third round picks in 2026, 2027 and 2028, positioning them exceptionally strongly for a potential trade like this. Murphy is also an impending free agent, Pittsburgh would have to think about if burning some of their excess was worth it, or even if they wanted to keep Murphy in the fold for the future with a contract extension.
Murphy isn’t a complete necessity but adding him to the group would make a lot of sense if that was the direction they wanted to go to attempt to shore things up defensively and add a veteran to the penalty kill.
Dallas Stars
The perfect fit: Zach Whitecloud, RHD, Calgary Flames
The trade: Whitecloud for the Stars’ 2026 second-round pick and 2027 fourth-round pick
Whitecloud has been a popular name on the ol’ wishlist for potential adds for the Pens and for very good reason. There’s a lot to like, at 29-years old he’s younger than many of the names in the rumor mill. Whitecloud also carries a reasonable $2.75 million cap hit for two seasons after this year. He’s got 78 career games of playoff experience and had a role in Vegas’s 2023 Stanley Cup win. That fits nicely in the mold of what the Penguins would want to do about acquiring players who would be more than a short-term add.
And again, the draft pick excess portions from the Murphy paragraph all dovetail in nicely here as well. The Pens are in a position to easily afford dropping a couple of mid-round picks for an NHL caliber defenseman if they are so inclined to do it, and this proposed price looks very reasonable.
You never know what teams are thinking (including Calgary, who needs some NHL caliber players of their own and might not feel urgency to move Whitecloud at this juncture) but this fit, price and situation all sounds like a very good match. That doesn’t guarantee a transaction will get made, but you’d have to think a lot of the variables align in this case.
Edmonton Oilers
The perfect fit: Bobby McMann, LW/RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
The trade: McMann for the Oilers’ 2026 second-round pick and RW prospect Tommy Lafrenière
We’ve been focusing on defensemen, yet one thing to remember about Dubas is that he often tends to zig when you might expect a zag. He also has a penchant for bringing in players that he is familiar with, to which Bobby McMann certainly fits as a Dubas/Wes Clark project they took on with Toronto in 2020 and watched grow into a very nice player.
Perhaps the Pens like someone like Justin Brazeau too much to acquire another player for a similar mid-line role. Perhaps McMann (who has scored 15 and 20 goals in the last two seasons, plus 19 in 56 games this year so far) has too high of a profile to justify burning futures on for what could be a short-term reunion. It would be easier to hold tight and do nothing.
But doing nothing hasn’t been Dubas’s M.O. He’s swapped players (even ones he likes like Conor Timmins) in and out of the team with frequency. Would it be shocking to see the Pens go so far as to send out Brazeau in a deal and use that return to partially or completely offset what it would take to acquire McMann? Or just grab McMann and make an already stocked forward group that much more loaded? It couldn’t or perhaps shouldn’t be too surprising, those are the types of moves Dubas has been making non-stop in the past couple of years to shuffle pieces of the board around in rapid succession while looking for incremental improvements.
The best bet for a realistic scenario might be to hold on or spend the time looking in other areas, but the one thing that Dubas has shown so far is a willingness to make unexpected moves out of the blue. His approach to the 2026 deadline will be instrumental in positioning the team down the stretch as they look to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
The Montreal Canadiens are expected to be buyers leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Due to this, we here at The Hockey News Canadiens have been looking at a few players on selling clubs that could make sense for the Habs to target.
In this latest edition of the series, let's take a look at the Vancouver Canucks.
Conor Garland, RW
The Canadiens could use another skilled forward in their top nine, and Conor Garland would provide them with just that if acquired. The 29-year-old is also exactly the kind of heart-and-soul forward that a team on the rise like the Canadiens would benefit from having. He is also known for his two-way play, so he could work on Montreal's power play and penalty kill if acquired.
Garland would be more than a rental for the Canadiens if brought in. The Massachusetts native's six-year, $36 million contract extension kicks in next season, so he would be a long-term part of the Habs' plans if acquired.
Garland has appeared in 46 games this season with the Canucks, where he has recorded seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points. This is after he had 50 points in 81 games for Vancouver this past season.
David Kampf, C
David Kampf would not provide the Canadiens with another top-six center, but he would improve their depth. If the Canadiens brought him, he could work nicely on their fourth line and on their penalty kill because of his solid defensive play. Furthermore, he would give the Canadiens another center who thrives at the dot, as he has won 52.8% of his faceoffs this season. He has also only had one season where he was under 50% at the faceoff dot during his nine-year NHL career.
Kampf would also be an easily affordable target for the Canadiens, as he has a $1.1 million cap hit for the remainder of this season. With this, he could be a decent rental for the Habs to bring in for their bottom six.
The Athletic's Chris Johnston and Michael Russo also reported that the Canadiens had interest in Kampf when he was a free agent back in November. Perhaps they could kick tires on him again.
With the 27th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected forward Marek Vanacker. The Blackhawks are hoping that the 19-year-old forward will be a big part of their roster later down the road, and his play this season should create optimism about his future with the Original Six club.
Vanacker is currently having an excellent season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Brantford Bulldogs. In 50 games so far this campaign with the OHL club, the 6-foot-1 forward has recorded 40 goals, 28 assists, 68 points, and a plus-29 rating. With numbers like these, there is no question that he is showing off his offensive upside with the Bulldogs this season.
If Vanacker can continue to produce strong offense like this at the OHL level, it should only create more excitement about his future with the Blackhawks. The young forward has all the tools to become an impactful NHL forward in the future and is just one of several exciting prospects in the Blackhawks' system.
It will now be interesting to see how Vanacker finishes off the season with the Bulldogs from here. It is clear that he has been having a strong campaign, and this is especially so when it comes to the goal-scoring department.
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen is a young player who the Metropolitan Division club is hoping will become a key part of their roster in the future. The 22-year-old forward struggled a bit when given the chance to play on Pittsburgh's roster this season, as he has two goals and five points in 27 games this campaign at the NHL level.
While Koivunen has not broken out with Pittsburgh this season, his play at the American Hockey League (AHL) level is very encouraging. The young forward is continuing to shine with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and it could open the door for him to get another chance on Pittsburgh's roster soon if he keeps this up.
In 25 games this campaign with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has posted 10 goals, 21 assists, 31 points, and a plus-11 rating. He has also been staying hot as the season carries on, too.
In his last nine games with the AHL club, Koivunen has recorded five goals and 14 points. With numbers like these, there is no question that the Penguins prospect is thriving right now.
It will be interesting to see how Koivunen builds on his strong play with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from here.
With the Olympics completed and the NHL roster freeze lifted, the Islanders have swung a minor trade.
Isles general manager Mathieu Darche on Tuesday shipped veteran forward Julien Gauthier to the Blues for forward Matt Luff.
Matt Luff celebrates a goal during a December 2025 game. NHLI via Getty Images
The 28-year-old Luff has registered 14 goals and a team-leading 39 points in 42 games this season for Springfield of the AHL.
The 6-3 winger has netted 16 goals in 111 career games in the NHL with four teams, including one goal in five appearances this season for St. Louis.
The 28-year-old Gauthier, who played for the Rangers from 2020-23, only has appeared in one game for the Isles and 23 for AHL Bridgeport the past two seasons due to injuries.
The Isles are in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 69 points entering their first game after the Olympic break Thursday in Montreal.
The New York Islanders announced this morning that they've acquired forward Matt Luff from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier.
Luff, 28, played five NHL games this season scoring one goal. In 42 AHL games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Luff has 14 goals and 39 points in 42 games.
In his career, Luff has played 111 NHL games and 321 AHL games, a well-seasoned veteran.
While he will be reporting to the Bridgeport Islanders, Luff will immediately become a top recall candidate in the event of any injuries. Luff will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
Excluding his rookie season, Luff has an impressive 221 points in 252 AHL games, giving Bridgeport a great veteran to lean on as they continue to chase down a playoff spot.
It's the third straight season the Islanders and Blues connected on a trade. Last season, the Islanders acquired Scott Perunovich in exchange for a conditional draft pick (conditions not met).
In 2023-24, the Islanders acquired Robert Bortuzzo from the Blues in exchange for a seventh-round pick.
As for Gauthier, this is about giving the former first-round pick a new home and potential chance at the NHL.
#Isles announce that they have acquired F Matt Luff from the #stlblues in exchange for F Julien Gauthier.
Believe finding a home for Gauthier has been in the works for a bit.
Now that the Olympics are over, trade talk around the NHL should be picking up. The 2026 NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the San Jose Sharks will certainly be a team to keep an eye on.
With the Sharks currently in the playoff race, it would be understandable if they looked to add to their roster. However, some of their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have also come up as trade candidates. The most notable is defenseman Mario Ferraro.
Ferraro would have the potential to get the Sharks a nice return in a move. This is because he is a hard-nosed top-four defenseman who plays a steady game.
Now, Ferraro is continuing to be linked to one of the NHL's best teams.
In The Fourth Period's most recent trade board, Ferraro was linked to the Colorado Avalanche.
It would make a lot of sense for the Avalanche to make a major push for a defenseman like Ferraro. When looking at their current blueline, it is fair to argue that they could use another impactful left-shot defenseman. Acquiring Ferraro would provide them with just that.
If the Avalanche landed Ferraro, he could slot nicely on their second pairing with former Sharks blueliner Brent Burns. Yet, even if Ferraro played on the Avalanche's bottom pairing, there is no question that he would give their blueline a nice boost.
With the Olympic Tournament and the break in the books, the trade freeze on the NHL has been lifted, and there should be plenty of talk and speculation about trades in the run-up to the March 6th trade deadline. The Montreal Canadiens only have three games left until then, and given the team’s results this season, nobody expects the Habs to be sellers; their rebuild his over.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Kent Hugues will stay put, though. There has been a lot of chatter about forward Patrik Laine being on the market, and the Habs do have an interesting situation developing on the blueline. For the third season in a row, Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj have been fighting for the role of sixth defenseman, and neither of them has been able to hang on to the role. Furthermore, we’ve seen that Adam Engstrom is knocking on the NHL door (although he was injured this weekend in the Laval Rocket game), and David Reinbacher should be ready to move up soon as well.
When these kids are ready, someone will have to make way, and whichever way you look at it, Xhekaj and Struble, who have been on the bubble, are two candidates to go. The latter is in the first year of a two-year contract with a $1,412,500 cap hit, while the former is playing in the last year of a two-year pact with a $1,300,000 cap hit. Neither is near UFA status. Xhekaj will get there in 2028, while Struble will be free as a bird in 2029. Since both will remain under team control, there is no rush to move either.
Kent Hughes has always said that he’s not in the business of buying high and selling low, which leads me to believe that, at least for now, Xhekaj is not going anywhere. The 6-foot-4 and 240-pound defenseman has a special blend of skills and toughness that most teams would love to have. While it’s true that he makes some mistakes on the ice, be it in defensive coverage or by getting himself out of the play to make a big hit, the Canadiens will need to decide whether they are ready to live with those mistakes to benefit from what he brings on the physicality side.
Arber Xhekaj établit une nouvelle marque personnelle et remporte l’épreuve du tir le plus puissant pour une troisième année consécutive avec un boulet de 107,3 mi/h!
Arber Xhekaj sets a new personal best and wins the hardest shot event for a third year in a row with a 107.3… pic.twitter.com/ygPNlLQfEo
Martin St-Louis doesn’t seem particularly fond of the gritty style Xhekaj can bring, but there’s no denying that the Canadiens need to have some players who can play that kind of game. It was evident in the playoffs last season when the Washington Capitals roughed them up, and it likely won’t be different in the upcoming playoffs. Despite his occasional shortcomings, it would be a mistake for the Canadiens to move on from Xhekaj.
Asked about his future last Wednesday after practice, Xhekaj said that there had been no talk about a contract extension and that he’d see what happens in the future. Even though he’s only averaging 11:20 of ice time this season, he still leads the Canadiens in hits with 135, miles ahead of the next defenseman, Struble, who only has 73, followed by Noah Dobson, who has 39. Up front, Joe Veleno leads the pack with 119 hits, and Zachary Bolduc is next with 115. As things stand, Montreal cannot afford to trade Xhekaj, at least on paper.
The question is, though, will St-Louis ever be comfortable enough with his downsides to give him a regular shift? It appears that Hughes and St-Louis will need to discuss that topic to decide how to move forward. Could playing him up front in an energy role be an option? It sure seems like an idea worth exploring; the younger Xhekaj, Florian, is doing very well in that role with the Laval Rocket.
Whether or not they decide to move on from the hulking defenseman, it would make sense for the team to sign him to a new contract before trading him. That’s the only way to maximize his value. He’s got a special blend of attributes, but other teams are more likely to give better compensation if an asset is already signed to a cost-efficient contract.
Something will have to give soon on the blueline, but it doesn’t have to be before the end of the season. This seems to be a matter Hughes should take his time with; he could use another playoff experience to see how much of an impact these two blueliners can have when the stakes are as high as they can be.
great fight and respect here. arber wins but immediately calls for help for sabourin pic.twitter.com/UGIEJqh6Zp
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: Silver medalist Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada looks on during the medal ceremony for Men's Ice Hockey after the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s still not clear if Sidney Crosby will miss any time with the lower-body injury that sidelined him for the last two games of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
Penguins coach Dan Muse told reporters that Monday was a travel day for Crosby, who received his silver medal after Canada’s loss to Team USA on Sunday in Milan.
“There’s still more information that we need to get… there’s a couple more days here, before we play a game,” Muse said Monday.
The Penguins are seemingly preparing for the possibility of Crosby missing time. The team called up Avery Hayes on Monday as part of what Muse described as a “contingency plan.”
“It’s also just, see something different. See what the options might be. And I think that’s all we’re doing right now is just looking at, if we do get to the point where we need to explore different options coming off the break, then we’ve got the practice days to do it,” Muse said.
Hayes spent Monday skating on the Penguins’ top line, with Rickard Rakell sliding over to take Crosby’s usual spot at center.
Muse said he would be “very comfortable” with playing Rakell at center should Crosby miss time after seeing him in the position this preseason.
#LetsGoPens lines and D-pairs without Sidney Crosby, who has yet to rejoin the team.
A. Hayes-Rakell-Rust Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari (K. Hayes)
Hayes, who scored twice in his Penguins debut during the last game before the Olympic break, has since gone back to the AHL to record two hat tricks in a span of five games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Even if Crosby is able to play Thursday, the Penguins could potentially consider keeping him up for another shot at NHL play depending on how practice looks later this week.
The Penguins have a scheduled day off Tuesday, per Trib Live’s Seth Rorabaugh. That could mean Penguins fans won’t find out more about Crosby’s status until practice Wednesday.
The Penguins have a busy stretch coming up. After Thursday’s home game against Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils, the Pens are taking on a back-to-back set at Madison Square Garden on Saturday and against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
