Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff provided an update of some on the club’s lengthy list of injured players, a list which had a familiar name added to it. Defenseman Michael Kesselring, who returned to the lineup on October 28 after missing nearly a month with an unspecified injury, left the Sabres 5-4 overtime victory over Detroit early in the third period.
"He's gonna be further evaluated today, but obviously it's going to be a little bit of time for him. I don't have a time frame yet." Ruff said after the morning skate at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres recalled defenseman Zach Metsa from AHL Rochester on Monday, but based on the morning skate, Jacob Bryson will take Kesselring’s spot in the lineup against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night.
Ruff also provided some optimistic news on winger Jason Zucker and center Josh Norris. Zucker has been out with a viral illness since November 1 and according to the Sabres head coach the veteran winger had not had solid food for nine days, Norris was injured on a faceoff in the season opener on October 9. Both were on the ice before practice.
"I think the soonest we could see (Zucker) is by this coming weekend. It's the first time they've been on the ice, haven't practiced. This is just the early stages," Ruff said. “(Norris) has done better, which is encouraging for sure. I think we originally thought a little bit longer, but he's feeling real good."
In other Sabres related news, former blueliner Dennis Gilbert was traded from Philadelphia back to Ottawa for defenseman Max Guenette. The Buffalo native was traded by the Sabres to the Sens last March in Dylan Cozens / Josh Norris deal and signed with the Flyers as an unrestricted free agent in July. Gilbert will report to the Sens AHL affiliate in Belleville.
Nineteen games into the 2025-26 season, things are going pretty well for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They are tied for third in the league in regulation wins with 10 as well as goal differential at plus-12. They sit third in the Metropolitan Division at 10-5-4 with 24 points, which puts them in a playoff position. They are also third in team goaltending and save percentage at .917.
There are a lot of things going right for this team up to this point. But perhaps the biggest early factor in their success is their special teams units.
As of Monday, the Pittsburgh's power play sits atop the NHL at 34.1 percent, while their penalty kill is now top-four at 85.7 percent. The penalty kill has killed off eight consecutive penalties and 24 of its last 25, and the power play has converted on seven of its last 16 opportunities - including three times against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 6.
Overall, they are the best special teams unit in the NHL.
Both units seem to have found new life under the Penguins' new coaching staff, and - in addition to the work that power play coach Todd Nelson and penalty kill coach Mike Stothers have put in - there is simply a lot of buy-in from players this season.
"Those guys have done a great job just in terms of outlining the plan, communicating the plan, working with the players there on the special teams," head coach Dan Muse said. "I think the nice thing about both of them - and this is a credit to them and the work that they've put in is just the growth that you've been able to see since the beginning of the year. I think that's been pretty consistent, and that's what you want to have there with your special teams.
At the moment, Pens' PK now up to #5 in NHL at 85.7%. Pens are only team in NHL with both special teams ranked top-5 in the league (PP is #1).
"It's such a big part of the game. But both guys have done an amazing job there just in terms of that preparation that goes into it for our side, looking at the opponent - the game-to-game, it always changes a bit based on your opponent - and just making sure that the players are in a position to go out there and execute."
After a few abysmal seasons on the man advantage - which, arguably, cost them two consecutive playoff berths - the Penguins finally began to turn things around last season under former assistant coach David Quinn, now with ex-Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers. Last season, the power play operated at pretty high efficiency as well, clicking at a 25.8 percent rate and finishing sixth in league rankings.
"Todd's been awesome," Rust said. "He's given us a blueprint on what to do, and I think he's also given us the leeway to kind of play with a little bit of a creativity. Which, I think there's obviously a fine line of getting too out of control. But I think we're in a good spot right now, and we're trying to continue to keep getting better and keep on building."
Even if the power play trending in the right direction has been a continuation from last season, the same can not be said about the penalty kill. The unit started off well last season under longtime former assistant Mike Velucci, and it fell into the bottom half of the league during the latter part of the season. This year, it seems as though Stothers has the team playing a little more aggressively man-to-man, and he's been deploying some power play guys like Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, and Rickard Rakell due to their familiarity with power play reads.
Whatever the reasoning behind the success of both units this season, the early work is paying dividends for a team that not many expected would be anything more than a bottom-10 squad this season.
"I think it has changed a little bit just based on injuries, so I think it's about everybody being on the same page, being organized, and executing," Sidney Crosby said. "For the most part, you don't want to change your game plan night-to-night, so I think that we're pretty consistent in how we want to approach it. And there are always little tweaks depending on who you play, but I think it's been pretty clear as far as the mindset of the group.
"That has a lot to do with the way [Nelson and Stothers] are structuring it and organizing it, and it's up to the guys to go out there and execute."
Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat was nothing short of snakebitten for the first several games of the centennial campaign, as he wasn't able to find the back of the net despite multiple glorious opportunities that either rang the iron or were denied thanks to a miraculous save.
That's since changed, as DeBrincat is back to his usual scoring ways. As has been the case throughout his career, when the puck starts going in for him, it tends to in bunches.
DeBrincat has scored five goals in his last three games, including back-to-back contests in which he tallied twice.
He also scored Detroit's opening goal on Sunday evening against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in what would ultimately be a 2-1 Red Wings win.
DeBrincat's two goals against the Ducks on Nov. 13 were part of a scoring barrage for the Red Wings, who broke out of an offensive slump that saw them tally only twice in their previous three games combined.
“It’s huge," DeBrincat said afterward. "Past couple of games, we struggled to put it in the net. We’ve had our chances, but just wasn’t going in. It’s just nice to put a few in the net, hopefully keep that going and get that confidence that we know we can play with good teams.”
DeBrincat, who is playing in his third season with the Red Wings, is currently on pace to match his goal total of 39 from the 2024-25 campaign.
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The Chicago Blackhawks returned to practice on Monday morning. After a big win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the 9-5-4 Blackhawks are looking to keep the good vibes rolling. We all know the facts about being in a playoff position on American Thanksgiving, and the Blackhawks are so close to reaching that checkpoint.
Ahead of practice on Monday, there was a sight to behold. Laurent Brossoit was out there skating in full goalie gear. Since signing with the Blackhawks in the summer of 2024, Brossoit has not played a single game with the Blackhawks due to a knee injury.
The plan for Brossoit from here, according to head coach Jeff Blashill, is for him to keep slowly working his way back to a full practice. It is almost certain that his first game action, if he ever gets to that point, will come in the AHL first before giving it a go in the NHL.
Once practice started, Jason Dickinson was there, but Tyler Bertuzzi was not. Despite this, it is Bertuzzi who is a game-time decision, while Dickinson is not expected to play against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.
Although they declared Bertuzzi a game-time decision, it sounds like he will sit out for another game. That means it will be an 11/7 situation for the Blackhawks once again. Same Rinzel would draw back into the lineup in that case. With Dickinson participating, the lines looked as follows:
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Teravainen-Nazar-Moore
Dach-Donato-Mikheyev
Slaggert-Dickinson-Lafferty
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Rinzel
Knight
Söderblom
Although Dickinson is close, he doesn’t want to play in any games until he knows for a fact that he’s at 100 percent. He made it clear that he doesn’t want to keep coming in and out of the lineup by aggravating the same injury over and over.
Nick Foligno is also missing from the lineup. He blocked a shot in the Maple Leafs game on Saturday, and Jeff Blashill announced that the timeline looked like four weeks with a broken hand. Later in the day on Monday, the Blackhawks put him on Injured Reserve, retroactive to November 15th.
Chicago’s going to feel the effects of losing Foligno in the leadership category. With him and Jason Dickinson both out of the lineup, two of their players who wear letters on their sweaters will be out. That leadership will have to come from elsewhere for the time being. Lately, the young guys have been showing they can handle that role both on and off the ice.
Against the Flames on Tuesday, they may need some of that. When they met in Calgary earlier in the month, it was a physical game. Frank Nazar missed a few games because of a play that occurred during that contest, so there could be some fireworks in this meeting as well.
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Morton, 26, earns his first call-up of the season after posting 12 points (4g, 8a) in 16 games with the Wranglers. He is in his third season with the Wranglers, and made his NHL debut late last season, scoring in his first game against the Los Angeles Kings. He signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Calgary Flames on July 9, 2025. The deal carries an AAV of $775,000.
Before the New York Rangers’ Sunday night matchup against the Detroit Red Wings, it was announced that Mike Sullivan would not be behind the bench due to personal reasons.
In Sullivan’s place, David Quinn and Joe Sacco split the head coaching duties.
After the Rangers’ 2-1 loss, Quinn addressed the media and spoke briefly about Sullivan’s absence without providing many details.
“I don't have an update right now, obviously, from the coaches to the players of the organization, we certainly are thinking about Mike and his family, and never an easy situation,” Quinn said. “Attending family, that’s all I can give you right now.”
Even without Sullivan, the coaching strategy remained relatively the same, just with two head coaches instead of one.
“It’s I guess a little different,” Will Cuylle said of Sullivan’s absence. “At the end of the day, it’s the same game out on the ice. We hope Sully can get back with us soon here. We just got to focus up and try to make sure we are putting the same game that he wants out there on the ice.”
Throughout the season, Quinn has helped manage the defensemen, while Sacco has assisted Sullivan with the offensive lines.
On Sunday night, they both took those same roles, which helped make for an easy transition.
“It was very simple for Joe and I because I've been managing the D all year, and Joe has been helping Mike with the lines,” Quinn said about what went into the dual head-coaching strategy. “I managed the D and Joe called the line changes. There really wasn’t a lot of change to it. It was a pretty seamless situation for both of us and the players.”
The Rangers are set to embark on a three-game road trip where they'll face off against the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Utah Mammoth.
It’s unknown if Sullivan will be joining the team on this road trip.
The Nashville Predators have been one of the most talked-about teams in the league over the last month.
Sitting at 6-10-4 through a month and a half of play, and losing six of their last seven, some sort of change is due for the Predators. NHL insiders across the league have speculated whether that change will come through a trade or a firing.
@NHLRumorReport on X/Twitter has detailed every single comment from NHL insiders this season, and the Nashville Predators have been a hot topic on the account.
With so much noise around the team, we're breaking down every rumor that has been swirling about the Predators over the last month.
Re Steven Stamkos/Predators: If, if, if, it doesn't get better, could you not see a situation where it is beneficial to both team and player to explore [a trade]?
- Elliotte Friedman on DMase, Vingan & Daunic (Oct. 23)
There's going to be a lot about Steven Stamkos in this story. If anything, he has been the most gossiped about Nashville Predator in the league this season, and it makes sense as to why he would be.
He's 35 years old, a future Hall of Famer, and his production has massively declined since he signed with the Predators during the 2024 offseason. It hasn't gotten any better this season as he has five points in 20 games and a plus/minus of -8.
In the twilight of his career and with a struggling team, it would make sense that Stamkos would want to try and win one more cup before retiring. On the Predators' side of things, they could get some pieces from another team that could give them a bump.
Vancouver and Montreal have been thrown around as potential destinations for Stamkos.
It's not a massive contract that another team would have to take on if Stamkos was traded at three years of a 4-year, $32 million contract with a cap hit of $8 million per year, and the guess would be that the Predators would retain some of that.
However, another rumor suggests the Predators aren't open to offloading Stamkos... yet. A big part of that has also been the contract and Stamkos's lack of production.
There have not been any conversations between the Predators and any other team...regarding Steven Stamkos; if we get to the second half...and the Predators are out of a playoff spot...the Predators would be open to fielding calls. There's no team swooping in to take on the last few years of Steven Stamkos' deal with such limited production at $8m a year; no one's coming to save you...from the massive term remaining on Juuse Saros' deal.
- Top: Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading (Nov. 6). Bottom: Frank Seravalli on Frankly Hockey (Nov. 11)
Jan. 1 would be the halfway point of the regular season, specifically Nashville's game against the Seattle Kraken in Seattle that day. However, the Predators may need to make some sort of change before that.
Again, if it's a player being moved or a leadership change, this team needs a shift sooner rather than later. It faces a long month and a half stretch, which features games against Colorado and Florida (twice) and a seven-game road trip
I do think both Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault are willing, will be willing, to move to a top tier contender. Re Predators: We've wondered about Jonathan Marchessault, I've wondered about Juuse Saros with a team like the Oilers; I've wondered about a player like Filip Forsberg. Re Ryan O'Reilly: I do believe he's a prime candidate to move this season, I'm anticipating it.
- Top: David Pagnotta on The Sheet (Nov. 14). Middle: Jeff Marek on Sekeres & Price (Nov. 14). Bottom: David Pagnotta on The Sheet (Nov. 14).
Juuse Saros' name has been thrown around a little bit more. He has played a critical role for the Predators this season and is one of the league leaders in shots faced and saves made.
The big question is how good will Saros be if he had a better team in front of him? He's struggled in his last few starts, but he's kept the Predators in a lot of games where the Predators' offense has struggled to put the puck in the net.
The Predators likely want to keep Saros, and may not be entertaining the idea of trading him, but the Edmonton Oilers have emerged as a team that could be interested. Saros could be the missing piece to a Stanley Cup championship.
The daunting thing with bringing in Saros is the contract a team would have to take on. He's in the second year of a massive 8-year, $61.92 million contract.
A trade that would benefit Nashville is one in which the receiving team would have to deal with the Predators often. Edmonton currently has just $212,500 worth of cap space. It would need to offload a ton to bring in Saros.
Jonathan Marchessault is another player who's been tossed around here and there with a trade. He's on a longer contract as well in his second year of a 5-year, $27.5 million deal. However, he could be a good supplemental piece on the second or third line of a contender.
Marchessault is not having a great year in Nashville, scoring just six points in 17 games. He's also on the older side of the spectrum at 33. Trading Marchessault, the Predators could probably get some decent pieces, but it wouldn't be a massive trade.
Filip Forsberg is not leaving Nashville. Something would have to go very, very wrong in order for him to peace out. The Predators are going to do everything to keep him in Nashville, and if they considered trading him, it'd need to be a massive deal.
Ryan O'Reilly is interesting. Despite what he says about himself, he's having a decent year with 13 points in 20 games and is one of the players keeping the Predators' offense breathing.
He's been visibly frustrated multiple times this season, and if he were traded, he'd likely ask to leave. O'Reilly would be a big acquisition for any team on the market, but a lot of it depends if he wants out of Nashville or not.
Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, Michael McCarron, Tyson Jost and Cole Smith, and defenceman Nick Blankenburg, are all playing in the final year of their contracts; all six players are candidates to be traded at some point.
- The Fourth Period on Nov. 11
This past offseason was quieter for the Predators. Based on this comment, it could be very different come July 2025.
Michael Bunting has taken a decent jump for the Predators this season, scoring 10 points in 20 games and Nashville will likely try to resign him.
Erik Haula, on a one-year contract, has underperformed a bit with 10 points in 20 games and 18 penalty minutes. It wouldn't be surprising if the Predators had looked to get more out of him via a trade, as he is a solid bottom-six center.
Tyson Jost, who was brought on via a paid professional tryout, will likely be traded as he has a low five points in eight games. Cole Smith hasn't been great either with three points in 13 games, but has played an important role on the penalty kill.
Michael McCarron has four points in 20 games and 16 penalty minutes. The Predators have seemingly favored keeping McCarron, but it could be time for them to move on from him.
Jeff Marek: It's only a matter of time before Barry Trotz is coaching the Nashville Predators again, right?; What does that mean for his GM role? I don't know, Brian Poile has been there going back to 2018 - The Sheet (10/30) Jeff Marek: Re Predators: I've wondered about Barry Trotz going behind the bench himself, I don't think Trotz wants to do that; in the Preds organization's mind, the next man up behind the bench is Karl Taylor - Daily Faceoff Live (11/5)
- Top: Jeff Marek on The Sheet (Oct. 30). Bottom: Jeff Marek on Daily Faceoff Live (Nov. 5)
Barry Trotz seems very committed to the general manager. He did mention in an NHL social segment at the NHL Global Series, in a conversation with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas, that the transition from coach to GM has been challenging, and that he misses being in the locker room and being directly involved with the team.
However, Trotz has a lot to prove still as a GM and a switch to head coach could be reckless.
Jeff Marek: What I've always heard about the Predators with Barry Trotz is that he does not want to fire Andrew Brunette, this goes back to last season; you can fire a coach or you can make a massive trade; this team needs a shakeup - Morning Cuppa Hockey (11/11) Frank Seravalli: Re Predators: The vibes are not high; it seems to be a toxic energy that's there, and they need...to flush that; it's gonna difficult for Trotz to move some of those veteran contracts; I think they have to just make a [coaching] change - Bleacher Report (11/11)
- Top: Jeff Marek on Morning Cuppa Hockey (Nov. 11). Bottom: Frank Seravalli in Bleacher Report (Nov. 11)
Trotz has been pressed on head coach Andrew Brunette really just once over the last seven months. At the end of the season media availability, when asked about Brunette staying as head coach, he said that he and the organization are "standing behind" him.
The NHL Global Series seemed to be a checkpoint for the Predators and it would make sense as they don't play until Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.
As Jeff Marek said on Morning Cuppa Hock, this team needs a shakeup, whether that's a trade or a coach's firing.
During the off-season, the Montreal Canadiens dealt Emil Heineman to the New York Islanders as part of the trade package that landed star defenseman Noah Dobson.
So far, it is fair to say that Heineman is benefiting from the change of scenery big time with the Islanders.
Heineman has been having a strong start to the season offensively, as he has recorded nine goals, four assists, 13 points, and a plus-6 rating in 19 games with the Islanders. This is after he posted 10 goals, eight assists, and 18 points in 62 games this past season with the Canadiens.
Yet, Heineman is only continuing to shine with the Islanders as the season rolls on, too. The former Canadiens forward has scored a goal in each of his last three games for the Islanders and also has six points in his last seven contests. With this, there is no question that he is heating up right now.
With the way Heineman is playing this season, he is well on his way to having a breakout year with the Islanders. Sometimes a fresh start can help an NHL player, and that has certainly been the case for Heineman early on this season.
Here’s what Ryan Kennedy, former NHL goaltender Devan Dubnyk and Michael Traikos discussed:
0:36: The Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers had a bench-clearing scrum after the final buzzer when Mason Appleton shot the puck in the net. Was he out of line?
4:00: Jack Hughes will be out eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his finger for an injury he suffered at a team dinner on Thursday night. How does this affect his likelihood of making USA’s Olympic roster?
6:03: Should Hughes play center or on the wing on Team USA?
7:50: Jim Rutherford said if the Vancouver Canucks can stay the course and keep getting younger players, they can become a consistent playoff team, and Quinn Hughes’ future won’t affect that. Agree or disagree?
11:21: Would this be a good trade between the New Jersey Devils and Canucks: Dougie Hamilton and a couple of first-round draft picks for Quinn Hughes?
14:56: Will Troy Stecher at least move the needle for the Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive problems?
18:25: The Los Angeles Kings and Adrian Kempe agreed to an eight-year extension at $10.625 million annually. Thoughts on this deal for the Kings?
21:17: Devan Dubnyk shares his thoughts on Jesper Wallstedt and his development so far?
23:38: Can the Minnesota Wild be a threat in the playoffs or make the playoffs?
25:26: Stuart Skinner moved ahead of Cam Talbot for fifth on the Oilers' all-time wins list. Does this change how we think about Skinner?
28:48: What's a storyline in the CHL you think more people should know about right now?
31:05: What's an unusual off-ice injury you can think of?
33:16: Which NHL player had the best week on the ice?
34:41: Red Wings and Rangers both wore their Centennial uniforms, making it a red-versus-blue matchup. Do you like how the jersey matchup looked on the ice?
37:00: Charlie McAvoy took a slapshot to the mouth in a game against the Habs. Where’s the worst place a puck has hit you?
The Ottawa Senators have announced that they have acquired former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defender Maxence Guenette.
Gilbert never appeared in an NHL game during his short stint with the Flyers organization but instead played for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In six games with the Phantoms this season before this trade, the former Blackhawks blueliner posted one assist, six penalty minutes, and a plus-1 rating.
This will be Gilbert's second stint with the Senators, as the Sabres traded him to Ottawa this past season. In four games with the Senators during his first stint with the club, the former Blackhawks defenseman recorded one assist and an even plus/minus rating in four games.
Gilbert kicked off his career with the Blackhawks, as he was selected by the Original Six club with the 91st overall pick of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. In 22 games over two seasons with the Blackhawks from 2018-19 to 2019-20, he recorded one goal, two assists, three points, 34 blocks, 40 penalty minutes, and 80 hits. His time with the Blackhawks ended when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in October 2020.
Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Dennis Gilbert is on the move again after a brief stay with the Philadelphia Flyers organization.
Gilbert is now returning to one of the Sabres' biggest rivals, as the Ottawa Senators have announced that they have acquired the left-shot defenseman in exchange for blueliner Maxence Guenette.
Gilbert is a player the Senators already know well, as Ottawa acquired him from the Sabres at the 2025 NHL trade deadline as a part of the deal that sent Josh Norris to Buffalo. Now, with this move, Gilbert will once again be a veteran depth defenseman for the Senators to work with.
Gilbert appeared in 25 games this past season with the Sabres, where he recorded five assists, 29 blocks, 50 penalty minutes, and a minus-3 rating. He then followed that up by recording one assist in four games with the Senators after being traded by the Sabres this past season.
A familiar face coming back to town!
The #Sens have acquired defenceman Dennis Gilbert from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Maxence Guenette. pic.twitter.com/3kJWj9SLWm
In 111 games over six NHL seasons split between the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Sabres, and Senators, Gilbert has recorded three goals, 17 assists, 20 points, 138 penalty minutes, 146 blocks, and 259 hits. He has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, as he played for the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, before being traded back to the Senators.
In his cup of coffee with the Ottawa Senators last season, defenseman Dennis Gilbert must have made a good impression.
Gilbert came over to the Senators back in March, being traded by his hometown Buffalo Sabres as part of the blockbuster Dylan Cozens-Josh Norris deal. Gilbert only played four games with the Senators before signing in the offseason as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Now, with Donovan Sebrango being claimed on waivers by the Florida Panthers, and then Thomas Chabot being injured, Senators GM Steve Staios was in the market again for a left-shot defenseman. Staios obviously wasn't totally comfortable turning to his left-shot options in Belleville at the moment – Scott Harrington (AHL contract), Jorian Donovan, and Tomas Hamara.
Meanwhile, the Senators also had an apparent contract dispute with restricted free agent Max Guenette, an unsigned, right-shot defenseman, who's been in Ottawa's organization for five seasons.
So on Monday afternoon, Staios addressed both issues, dealing Guenette to Philadelphia straight up for Gilbert's return.
Gilbert fits nicely with the club's general desire for size on the blue line, checking in at 6 foot-3, 216 pounds. In parts of six NHL seasons, Gilbert has appeared in 111 games, scoring three goals and 20 points. He's been playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League this season.
Gilbert was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks, 90th overall, in the 2015 NHL entry draft, and has also played for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Buffalo Sabres.
He'll likely join the Senators as the seventh defenseman for their seven-game road trip, which begins with three games in California, starting Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have traded defenseman Dennis Gilbert to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Maxence Guenette.
The Flyers signed Gilbert this off-season to a one-year contract in free agency. Now, after spending a few months with the Flyers organization, he is heading back to the Senators.
Gilbert played in six games this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he posted one assist, six penalty minutes, and a plus-1 rating. This is after he recorded six assists and 50 penalty minutes in 29 games split between the Buffalo Sabres and Senators this past season.
With Guenette, the Flyers have added a younger right-shot defenseman. The 2019 seventh-round pick has yet to play this season, as he was still a restricted free agent. However, he has now signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flyers after being acquired.
TRADE ALERT: We’ve acquired defenseman Maxence Guenette from Ottawa in exchange for defenseman Dennis Gilbert.
We have also agreed to terms with Guenette on a one-year, two-way contract. https://t.co/T6i6n9iPhj
Guenette played in 58 games this past season with the Belleville Senators, where he recorded nine goals, 14 assists, and 23 points. He has eight games of NHL experience, with his most recent appearance being during the 2023-24 season with Ottawa.
Last season, when the Ottawa Senators needed goal-scoring help, there weren’t many high-end options down in the minors. Their top goal-scoring Belleville candidates were Wyatt Bongiovanni and Angus Crookshank, who each scored 22 goals. Neither finished last season among the AHL’s top 30 goal scorers.
For the record, Crookshank is now an AHL player for the Utica Comets, while Bongiovanni has six goals in 14 games, tying him with Xavier Bourgault for second on Belleville’s goal-scoring list.
But it’s newcomer Arthur Kaliyev, 24, who’s leading the way with eight goals in 13 games, tying him for sixth in AHL goal scoring, just two goals off the league lead.
Right now, Ottawa sits seventh in the NHL in team goal scoring with 64 goals in 19 games. But five players have combined for 38 of those goals: Tim Stützle (10), Shane Pinto (9), Dylan Cozens (7), Michael Amadio (6), and Drake Batherson (6).
Further down the lineup, several forwards are off to slow starts and at the quarter turn, aren’t even on pace for 10 goals this season: David Perron (2), Lars Eller (2), Ridly Greig (2), Fabian Zetterlund (1), and the 12/13 forward combination of Olle Lycksell and Kurtis MacDermid (1).
Kaliyev will never be mistaken for a Selke Trophy candidate, and he’s not going to take ice time from Greig or Zetterlund, two young players who just started new contracts. And what of the veterans, Perron and Eller? They remain strong NHL mentors, producing solid point totals despite their lack of goals.
But that final forward spot is where the discussion gets interesting. Wouldn’t Kaliyev be an upgrade in either 12th or 13th-forward role? He's been especially hot lately, with 6 goals in his past 5 games, seemingly unfazed by some of the off-ice chatter swirling around him.
It certainly doesn’t help Kaliyev’s case that he’s currently under NHL investigation following allegations from his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Mochen, who claims he scammed her out of money to fund a gambling habit. No charges have been laid, but after she gave a lengthy interview to the New York Post, the league is still looking into it. The Senators are probably just as happy to have him in Belleville while that plays out.
But once the situation is resolved, if injuries hit Ottawa’s forward group, Kaliyev would almost certainly be the next call-up. And if he keeps rolling, and some players don’t pick things up soon, that call might come even earlier.
Vancouver is 12th in the West with a 9-9-2 record and 20 points, and yet, the Canucks are only two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights, which are in the second wild-card spot. That said, five teams in the West have 22 points, so Vancouver still has catching up to do before it can try to jump ahead of the bunch.
The Rangers, meanwhile, have a 10-8-2 record and are tied in points with the Ottawa Senators, which are in the second wild-card spot in the East, with 22 each. The New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens also have 22 points.
A player on each squad had an incredible week on the stat sheet, and they're featured in this week's edition of who's hot and cold in the NHL since Nov. 10.
Stamkos’ decline in offensive production has been a significant area of concern for the subpar Predators.
While Stamkos did score an overtime-winner on Friday in Sweden – his fourth goal and fifth point of the season – that was his only point of the week. Stamkos managed only five shots on net in the three games he played.
The 36-year-old Stamkos was brought into Nashville to be a difference-maker, but this season, he’s been largely ineffective for the Preds. He's only averaging two shots per game this season, which is the lowest rate of his career. The previous low: last year, his first with the Predators.
Nashville’s playoff hopes are already nearly buried, and Stamkos’ inability to generate the type of offense that once was easy for him to produce is a key factor in the Predators’ woes.
The 26-year-old now has nine goals and 23 points in 19 games, a pace that would give Robertson 38 goals and 99 points.
Those would be his best totals since 2022-23, when he put up a career-high 46 goals and 109 points. And given that Robertson will be an RFA at the end of the season, he could easily be in line for a raise on his $7.75 million salary.
Cold: Lukas Dostal, G, Anaheim Ducks
Dostal earned the starter’s job in Anaheim with consistently strong play in recent years, and he's done pretty well this season.
But in two games last week, Dostal went 0-2 with a 4.06 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.
His outing against the Colorado Avalanche wasn't bad, allowing three goals on 35 shots and recording 1.16 goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com. But when Anaheim had a chance to end a two-game skid, Dostal conceded five goals on 32 shots against the Detroit Red Wings, and he had a minus-1.85 goals saved above expected.
The Ducks have lost three straight games, and Dostal now has a 2.86 GAA and .903 SP. He's posted a save percentage below .900 in three of his last five games dating back to Nov. 4.
Dostal hasn't forgotten how to be a good goalie, and the loss to Colorado was more of a team underperforming in front of him rather than him dropping the ball. But his wobbly performance between the pipes at times has had a direct impact on Anaheim’s effectiveness as a group.
Dostal is vital to the Ducks’ chances of making the playoffs, but every goalie goes through some sort of adversity, and it would not be surprising if he went on a hot streak this upcoming week.
Hot: Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks
Hughes and the Canucks haven’t had their best start this season. Hughes even missed Friday's game due to an injury.
But Hughes still left his mark on Vancouver’s opponents, posting seven assists in two games, including a four-assist performance in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With Sunday’s showing, Hughes has 16 assists and 17 points in 15 games. Those would be terrific numbers for most defensemen, but Hughes’ status as a perennial Norris Trophy front-runner sets the bar higher for the 26-year-old. If he produces anywhere close to the pace he’s been on this week, Hughes will once again be challenging Colorado’s Cale Makar for the title of the league’s top blueliner.
The Rangers were terrible out of the gate, but they’ve been markedly better last week, and star netminder Shesterkin led the way. He went 3-0-0 while generating a 2.28 GAA and .925 save percentage.
Shesterkin’s numbers this week were better than his season average of a .913 SP and a 2.39 GAA. He’s right up there with Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck as the top netminder on the planet, and if the Rangers are to claw their way back into the playoff picture and overcome their poor start to the year, they’ll need Shesterkin to continue thriving.
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