Very quietly, the fourth line of the Philadelphia Flyers has not been good for much of anything this season, but, fortunately for them, reinforcements are now expected to become available.

On Thursday afternoon, Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kampf, who was previously suspended without pay for not playing for the AHL Toronto Marlies, was placed on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract with the team.

The two sides ultimately reached an amicable agreement, and Kampf, 30, is expected to become a free agent after clearing waivers at 2 p.m. EST on Friday.

Kampf's $2.4 million cap hit for two more seasons, on top of not being on the Maple Leafs' NHL roster, likely put teams off from making a trade offer for his services, but, assuming he signs a minimum contract somewhere for one season, that issue is gone at the snap of a finger.

As for the Flyers, they have not gotten much from centers Jacob Gaucher and Rodrigo Abols this season, and Abols, in his most recent game for the team against the Edmonton Oilers, lost all five of his faceoffs and played just 6:21.

Flyers Player Development Taking Sour Turn, Sluggish Performances Piling UpThe Philadelphia Flyers must find more ways to put their core players in positions to succeed now and in the future.

It has become clear that Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has little faith in this particular unit, which makes it an equally unfit environment to throw a young player, like Nikita Grebenkin, into.

The good news is that, according to Daily Faceoff NHL insider Anthony Di Marco "it sounds like" the Flyers have interest in a terminated Kampf at a "low-dollar value."

"Wonder about PHI here. They could use an upgrade at 4C and it sounds like they have interest in Kampf at a low dollar value," Di Marco posted on his X account in response to Kampf's placement on waivers Thursday.

As for the kind of player the 6-foot-2 center is, he has historically been a reliable fourth-line pivot who has shown capable of scoring an appropriate amount of points relative to his role.

For instance, in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Kampf scored 11 and seven goals and 26 and 27 points, respectively.

In addition to just the raw stats, Kampf is, according to last season's NHL EDGE data, a slightly above-average skater, ranking in the 57th percentile for max skating speed, and that comes while spending 5% more time in the defensive zone than league average.

Oh, and the majority of Kampf's shots on goal came from the low slot. The dirty areas are key for Tocchet, and that will do it.

At his very best, in the aforementioned 2021-22 season, Kampf's defensive metrics ranked towards the top of the NHL at his position.

The Czech forward was, and still is, a stout penalty-killer, reliable at even strength in matchup situations, and even got some bounces offensively, scoring and generating more than what was expected.

While the last two seasons, of course, have not gone according to plan for Kampf and the Maple Leafs, the veteran center still represents an obvious and sizeable upgrade down the middle for the Flyers.

Free agent addition Christian Dvorak was widely expected to fill that role, but, to this point, is playing more positionally-versatile minutes in the top-nine forward group than just about anybody thought.

Of course, Jett Luchanko's objective regression from last season did not help matters, so the Flyers were left with Abols, Gaucher, and a seemingly never-ending puzzle.

Kampf is sure to have offers from plenty of Stanley Cup contenders, but the Flyers would be foolish not to at least buy a ticket to the raffle.

After a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens were hoping to bounce back with a win against the Dallas Stars, but Glenn Gulutzan’s men had other plans. The Habs played a good first frame and put plenty of shots on net in the first 20 minutes, but things unravelled afterwards.

More than the outcome, though, what this game is likely to be remembered for is the gruesome injury sustained by Alex Newhook and how it became a turning point in this tilt. Hopefully, for Martin St-Louis and his men, it doesn’t become a turning point for the season.

Canadiens: Kent Hughes Inquires About Big Forward
Canadiens: Dobes Speaks To The Media
Ex-Canadiens Goalie Having Good Start To Season

The Crash

It was 2-0 early in the second frame when Newhook fell feet-first into the board, making his knee bend in a way no knee should ever bend. This is a really tough break for the Newfoundlander, who was easily playing his best hockey since being acquired by the Canadiens. In 16 games, he had racked up six goals and six assists.

If the Canadiens haven’t suffered too much from injuries since the start of the season, this one is likely to hurt. Not just because of Newhook’s production, but also because he had become an essential member of the team’s penalty kill. Of course, sniper Patrik Laine was also injured just five games in, but he was only playing on the fourth line and the second power-play unit. Newhook had started to develop an excellent chemistry with linemates Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov.

If the start of the season had made it seem like Kent Hughes might not have needed to get a center as a matter of urgency, this injury is likely to change that state of affairs. Don’t expect the Canadiens’ GM to pull the trigger on a deal in a panic, though; that’s not his type.

#Habs Alex Newhook injury - Nov 13 - YouTube

Odd-Man Chances Galore

After 40 minutes, the Stars had a 5-0 lead after taking just 13 shots, but it should be noted that they were slicing the Canadiens’ defence left, right and center, creating many odd-man opportunities for themselves.

The most blatant example came on Dallas’ third goal, when Lane Hutson pinched to create some attack, and nobody covered for him. Juraj Slafkovsky skated to the bench for a change while Tyler Seguin was skating away to face Jakub Dobes on a breakaway, and a second later it was 3-0.

It’s also fair to say that Dobes wasn’t playing his best hockey either, and it wasn’t shocking to see Samuel Montembeault turn up to start the third frame. Nor was it that Dallas scored on its first shot against him; things weren’t going well for the Canadiens. Asked about why he replaced Dobes to start the third, St-Louis replied:

I mean, you always worry when you pull, but I felt it was the right thing to do at the time, you know, but I’m not worried about their confidence [the goalies], they’ll be fine.

-

Interestingly, St-Louis went from talking about Dobes to both of his goaltenders there, without anyone even mentioning Montembeault. As things stand, it looks like the Canadiens now have two goaltenders struggling to find their game, rather than just one. Putting Dobes on the shelf when he was playing lights-out might have been an error.

What’s Next?

It took some time for the bench boss to appear before the press tonight, but it wasn’t because he needed to calm down. St-Louis explained that, with Newhook still being evaluated, they needed to make some decisions. While nothing has been confirmed yet, it’s clear the Habs will be recalling someone from the Laval Rocket, and that Newhook will miss some time.

What’s worse, though, is the fact that it won’t just be a matter of recalling a player and having him take Newhook’s spot; the coaches will need to go back to the drawing board to find some new working combinations.

Watch this space later today to know who’s practicing with the team in Brossard and if we get some clues about some potential new lines.

The Habs will now need to swiftly move on and prepare to host the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at the Bell Centre before heading to Columbus for an away game on Monday. It would certainly help matters if the power play could start clicking again. The man-advantage has failed to score in its last 10 opportunities, and the Canadiens have now been scored on 12 times without being able to answer. There’s plenty of work ahead for St-Louis and co.

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It was a fun Thursday night at the local hockey barn in Sunrise.

Playing their first home game in several weeks, the Florida Panthers put up a six-spot on the Washington Capitals, skating to a resounding 6-3 win on a night full of milestones.

Usually, when a team returns from a long road trip, the first game on home ice can be a difficult one to win.

Despite Florida falling behind during the first period, they were quick to bounce back, and once they did, they never looked back.

It was a great way for the Cats to kick off their extended stretch in South Florida, where they will play 11 of 12 at Amerant Bank Arena over the next few weeks.

Let’s get to Thursday’s takeaways:

POWER PLAY HEATING UP

When the Panthers wrapped up their recent road trip with a big victory in Las Vegas, it was a power play goal by Sam Reinhart that served as the game-winner.

Afterwards, Maurice said that it was an important goal for the power play, as the unit could use some good fortune to hopefully get it going.

Well, for at least one more game, the Cats are in fact building on their success.

They scored twice more on the man advantage during Thursday’s win over the Capitals, logging eight shots while on the power play.

“The last couple of games look quite a bit different,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “It feels different. It's faster, and because it's faster, there's more options, so we're working off both sides. It's trending in the right way.”

FIRST WIN FOR TARASOV

It took a few starts, but Florida’s new goaltender Daniil Tarasov finally picked up his first victory in a Panthers sweater.

And boy, did he earn it.

Tarasov finished the game with 37 saves, including on 10 of the whopping 12 high danger shots sent his way by the Capitals.

It also helps that Florida scored as many goals for Tarasov on Thursday (6) that they had in his previous four starts combined.

“I think that could be a really good thing for him, right? The adversity that you face, having to grind, winning against a real good team on a big shot night, so he didn't luck into it. It’s the first night we scored some goals for him, so we think there's more wins in him.”

A NIGHT OF MILESTONES

Brad Marchand wasn’t Florida’s only player to reach a significant milestone on Thursday night.

In addition to Marchand logging his 1,000th NHL point and Tarasov picking up his first win, Seth Jones scored his 100th goal, Evan Rodrigues scored his 100th goal and Gus Forsling picked up his 200th NHL point.

To say there was a lot of noise coming from Florida’s locker room after the game ended would be a gross understatement.

“There's a bigger cheer (after the game), everybody gets to celebrate it together on a win,” Maurice said. “I guess if you have that many guys have milestones, you're probably going to win the game.”

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Photo caption: Nov 13, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers players celebrate in center ice the 1000th career point by Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Simon Nemec scored his first career hat trick on Wednesday night, setting both a personal and a franchise record. ​

The 21-year-old, drafted second overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2022, has 35 points—9 goals, 26 assists—in 104 games.

This season, he has stepped up amid injuries. ​Nemec’s three goals in one game included the overtime winner, marking his first career hat trick and multi-goal performance. ​With these three goals on Wednesday night and one against the New York Islanders on November 10th, Nemec has now scored four goals in his last two games. ​

His hat trick made him the third defenseman in Devils history to score a hat trick. ​

Nemec became the sixth player in Devils history to finish a hat trick with an overtime game-winner.

He is the youngest defenseman in the NHL to score a hat trick and an overtime winner in the same game. ​

Nemec's record-setting night didn't stop there. ​

He's the eighth NHL defenseman to record a hat trick with an overtime goal, and the sixth Devils defenseman with a multi-goal game at 21 or younger. ​

He’s the youngest Devil with a hat trick since Dawson Mercer (April 4, 2023), and the youngest Devils defenseman with a multi-goal game since Damon Severson (Oct. 16, 2014).

​After such a remarkable night, Nemec spoke with NHL.com. ​

“I was never like a shooter or a scoring guy,” Nemec said. “So, yeah, I’m glad for that. But obviously, a great team win. We were down like three times, and we won. That’s good.”

His impact did not go unnoticed by his teammates. ​

“He was waiting for it with his stick,” Goaltender Jacob Markstrom said to NHL.com. “He was wide open, so a little soft pass. He had to wait for it a little bit. It was his night tonight. Huge game for him, and (to) top it off with an OT hat trick is huge.”​

Across three NHL seasons, Nemec has improved each year, earning a career-high four goals already in the Devils' 17 games this season. ​

With injuries to veteran defensemen, younger players like Nemec have stepped up to fill the void.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe praised Nemec’s performance. ​

“He showed the forwards how to do it,” head coach Sheldon Keefe joked to NHL.com. “All three goals he’s in forward positioning and finishing. But good on him for finding those spots and finishing. We worked this morning about activating our D and getting our defense involved, and he certainly was paying attention.”​

The Devils beat the Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime, securing their seventh straight win over Chicago. ​

The Devils are 12-4-1, and Nemec is having his best season yet.

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Arseny Gritsyuk saw a career high of 20:39 of ice time on Wednesday in the New Jersey Devils' 4-3 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks.​

A hat trick from 21-year-old defenseman Simon Nemec, combined with shifts in the top two lines, propelled the Devils to their 12th win of the season. The team currently leads the Metropolitan Division with a record of 12-4-1. ​

Prior to the win, it was announced that head coach Sheldon Keefe would be shuffling the top two lines in search of a spark. ​

Devils Make Changes To Forward Lines Ahead of Game vs. Blackhawks - Community PostThe&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/players/devils-noesen-shares-insight-into-playing-with-hughes-bratt">New Jersey Devils</a>&nbsp;have made tweaks to their lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks">Chicago Blackhawks</a>, with head coach Sheldon Keefe using the <a href="https://x.com/amandacstein/status/1988671029175333221">following forward lines</a>.&nbsp;

As a result, Keefe went with the following lines: ​

Arseny Gritsyuk - Jack Hughes - Dawson Mercer

Timo Meier - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt

Ondrej Palat - Cody Glass - Stefan Noesen

Paul Cotter - Luke Glendening - Zack MacEwen

Keefe explained the change was necessary to improve offensive chemistry.
"It has been too long now. Both those lines haven't really connected offensively," Keefe told NJD.TV. "I think it is time. A little bit of a different look for us."​

Gristyuk, playing alongside Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer, recorded three shots on net during his 25 shifts and left Chicago with one assist, contributing to the team's overtime win. ​

After the game, Gristyuk reflected on his performance in a Telegram message.

“We beat Chicago on the road today in overtime.🔥 I played today in this line, I can say with the best players of their year: Hughes (America) Mercer (Canada). It seemed to work out well. It so happened that two players from our team got injured in the first period and we played two periods with three attacking lines. I haven't felt such pleasant fatigue in a long time. In short, I had a blast. Tomorrow I'm thinking of visiting a sauna in Chicago. I'll be in touch.👋Have a good start of the day everyone, I'm off to bed.🤙🤝” 

​In his career-high NHL minutes, Gritsyuk felt exhausted but productive, as all three linemates left the game with at least one point. ​

Jack Hughes finished with two assists, Dawson Mercer scored one goal, and Arseny Gritsyuk ended the night with one assist and three shots on goal. ​

The team now prepares for its matchup against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. 

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