On Sunday night, Scott Morrow made his New York Rangers debut after being called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League earlier that day.
The Rangers acquired Morrow over the summer as part of the sign-and-trade deal with the Carolina Hurricanes centered around K’Andre Miller.
During training camp, Morrow was given an opportunity to make the opening-night roster, as he played in multiple preseason games while practicing on the second power-play unit.
He was one of the last players to be sent down to the AHL before the start of the 2025-26 season. In 11 games for the Wolf Pack, Morrow recorded one goal, one assist, and two points.
With Will Borgen out with an upper-body injury, the Rangers called up Morrow, and he was immediately slotted into the lineup in place of Urho Vaakanainen.
The 23-year-old defenseman played 9:56 minutes in his NHL season debut, the fewest amongst all Rangers blueliners.
However, Rangers assistant coach David Quinn praised Morrow for his performance.
“I liked his game. I thought Scotty did a good job,” Quinn said. “I thought he kept it simple. He moves the puck well, gets us out of our end when we needed to get out of our end when the chances presented themselves. I thought he defended well.”
Borgen’s injury status remains a mystery, so it’s possible Morrow could find himself back in the lineup on Tuesday night when the Rangers go up against the Vegas Golden Knights.
When Mason Appleton of the Detroit Red Wings shot the puck into the New York Rangers' empty net at the buzzer Sunday, Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick was having none of it.
He jumped onto the ice, along with his teammates, to spark a 'brawl' that resulted in a two-minute minor and a couple of misconducts.
Quick said the Red Wings shouldn't have been surprised. Well, they were, at his overreaction. There was considerable criticism for Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, who did nothing in response. Perhaps that's because nothing happened. They had lost the game and, well, maybe Zibanejad and Panarin are a little more mature at accepting that than Quick is.
For guys who always go on about how tough and resilient they are, NHL players are sure easily offended, eh? You can't hit our player. You can't show us up by shooting into an empty net after we just spent the past 60 minutes getting outplayed and losing on home ice again.
Watch the video column up above for more.
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Led by Tyrese Maxey’s 39 points, the Sixers battled back to snag a nervy win Monday night over the Clippers.
In Paul George’s season debut, the Sixers earned a 110-108 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
James Harden had two cracks at a go-ahead three-pointer on the game’s final possession, but he missed both.
George had nine points on 2-for-9 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists in his return from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Quentin Grimes scored 19 points. Andre Drummond posted 14 points and 18 rebounds.
Harden tallied 28 points. Ivica Zubac had a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double.
The Clippers were missing four players, including Kawhi Leonard (right ankle sprain) and Bradley Beal (left hip fracture).
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that Embiid remains day to day and he doesn’t think the star big man is far away from returning, although Embiid is “not quite pain-free,” According to Nurse, Oubre had a meeting with doctors set for Monday night.
The 8-5 Sixers will face the Raptors on Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Here are observations on their win over the Clippers:
George’s 1st action
George scored the first hoop of the game, sinking a catch-and-shoot three-pointer on the right wing off of a Maxey feed. He then drew a foul on a jumper beyond the arc and made 2 of 3 free throws to give the Sixers a 5-0 lead.
The Clippers followed with a 14-0 run. After George missed a jumper, Harden walked into a pull-up three and Nurse called timeout.
The Sixers’ offense was cold in the early going. Maxey started 0 for 3 from the floor and the Sixers began 2 for 11 as a team. George subbed out with 6:21 to go in the first quarter and the Sixers trailing by nine points.
Nurse had expressed the reasonable hope that George would improve the Sixers’ defense right away. He certainly did not make an immediate positive impact. The Sixers had a poor start in transition and Los Angeles scored the night’s first nine fast-break points.
George finished with 21 minutes and seemed to have no trouble with conditioning. His movement appeared fine and George looked to be unbothered by contact, although the 35-year-old forward didn’t have many forceful moments as a driver. He and the Sixers will expect better nights ahead in his 16th NBA season.
Harden starts hot, Sixers adjust
In addition to George, the Sixers started Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow and Drummond.
They used five men off the bench, including Jabari Walker in backup center minutes. Jared McCain checked in to open the second quarter alongside George.
Justin Edwards guarded Harden late in the first and had a tough time. Harden crossed over Edwards and waltzed in for an easy layup that extended the Clippers’ lead to 33-20. He racked up 17 points in the first quarter.
Edwards and the Sixers effectively contained Harden in the second quarter. They shaded help more strongly toward the 11-time All-Star when he surveyed the defense from the top of the floor. The Sixers also hedged pick-and-rolls and sent the occasional double team.
Still, with their offense light on any sustained success, the Sixers entered halftime down double digits. Brook Lopez’s long-range jumper with 2.3 seconds left in the second quarter put the Clippers up 56-46.
Sixers capitalize on Clippers’ fatigue
For the second straight game, Nurse tweaked his starting lineup to begin the third quarter. Grimes replaced Barlow. When Barlow subbed in, he took over as the Sixers’ backup center.
The team’s new lineup put together a promising stretch. George sealed a stop with a block on John Collins and the Sixers scored on their ensuing possession with a Grimes three. Maxey knocked down a mid-range jumper to cut the Clippers’ lead to 64-61.
The Sixers were unable to maintain momentum in the third quarter. Harden’s and-one layup with 1.1 seconds remaining in the third built L.A.’s advantage to 83-73.
Eventually, the Sixers made the Clippers look like a fatigued team playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road.
Harden’s jumpers kept coming up short and he couldn’t create much against Grimes, who defended him very well. Maxey spearheaded a Sixers run. He nailed a three off of beautiful ball movement, converted an and-one bucket and knifed through the defense for a layup that gave the Sixers a 95-94 edge.
Once the Sixers grabbed the lead, the Clippers’ chances seemed slim. Edgecombe, Maxey and Grimes all drained clutch threes.
The Sixers couldn’t cement a win in convincing fashion. With his team up four points, Edgecombe missed a pair of free throws. And with the Clippers down two and pressuring the Sixers in the backcourt, Maxey turned the ball over.
The initial call on the floor was a foul, but Los Angeles won its challenge and got the ball with 11.7 seconds left. Harden’s misses meant the Sixers avoided what would have been a stinging loss.
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday that All-Star point guard Ja Morant will be sidelined for the next two weeks with a Grade 1 calf strain.
Morant suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday night's road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had scored seven points in six minutes before being subbed out of the game at the 6:01 mark with Memphis up 18-14 and not re-entering. The team will re-evaluate him in two weeks to determine how quickly he can return to the court.
Grizzlies say star guard Ja Morant will be re-evaluated in two weeks due to a Grade 1 right calf strain.
The injury is another roadblock in what has been a tough start to the season for Morant and the Grizzlies.
Memphis is sitting at 4-10 on the season and has been without forward Brandon Clarke, guard Ty Jerome, guard Scotty Pippen Jr., and center Zach Edey for the entirety of the season up until this weekend. Edey returned for the first time this season in that same Cavaliers game in which Morant got hurt. Morant himself also missed one game with an ankle injury and was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the teamafter a loss to the Lakers on Halloween.
On one hand, this injury is another misstep in a season that is seeing the two-time All-Star post career lows in field goal percentage (35.9%), three-point shooting percentage (16.7%), effective field goal rate (38.5%), three-pointers made per game (0.8), and rebounds (3.0). He's also posting the lowest scoring mark since his rookie season at just 17.9 points per game.
However, on the other hand, this continues a concerning injury track record for the 26-year-old. He has never played 70 games or more in any of his six NBA seasons coming into this year. Last year, he was limited to 50 games, and the year before that, he played in just nine, in part due to a suspension for gun-related gestures and off-field behavior.
Despite Memphis insisting that they have no interest in trading Morant, the suspension and mounting injuries may force it to behave otherwise. Of course, a mounting injury toll for a player in the third year of a five-year, $197.2 million contract also could dampen any value on the trade market.
For now, the Grizzlies will move forward without Morant for the next two weeks. That should mean additional playing time for Vince Williams Jr., who started for Morant when he was forced to sit last week against the Celtics with an ankle injury. Williams had 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists in that game, and the 25-year-old is averaging 8.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 39.7% from the field in 19.3 minutes per game this season. We should also see a minutes increase for Cam Spencer off the bench and perhaps more of a scoring burden placed on starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and starting small forward Cedric Coward, who has been a lone bright spot for the Grizzlies in his rookie season.
We'll get out first look at how the Grizzlies approach these next two weeks without Morant when they face off against the Spurs on Tuesday at 8 pm ET on NBC and Peacock.
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.
Shohei Ohtani, left, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki have won a World Series together with the Dodgers. But will they attempt to win another World Baseball Classic next March while representing Japan, which won the 2023 tournament? (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Just weeks into the offseason, the Dodgers are already thinking 11 months ahead.
Having just finished yet another grueling October campaign, they are bracing for the long road required to get back.
The team’s central focus right now, of course, is on bolstering its roster and supplementing its star-studded core coming out of last week’s annual MLB general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas.
But as they go for a World Series three-peat in 2026, one of their primary challenges will be managing the returning talent — and ensuring the burdensome toll from their previous two title treks doesn’t become a roadblock in their pursuit of another ring.
That thinking was present last week, when general manager Brandon Gomes announced that utilityman Tommy Edman will undergo surgery to address an ankle injury that nagged him for the second half of this past season.
When asked about Edman’s recovery timeline, Gomes said the “goal” is to have him ready for spring training — but that the team was also “gonna be smart” about making sure he isn’t rushed back.
“Obviously, he hasn’t had [the surgery] yet. So we’ll look into that as we get into the rehab process,” Gomes said. “And like we do with everything, let’s keep the big picture in mind, with the goal of playing through October.”
Taking such a long view has become an annual practice for the Dodgers. Their collection of star talent and organizational depth means they are almost always in position to make the playoffs. It has afforded them leeway to manage players’ regular-season workloads and recovery from injuries with an eye toward having them at full strength come the fall.
It was a balance the team struck well this past season, navigating a wave of regular-season pitching injuries to have their rotation fully healthy to spearhead their postseason run.
Next season, however, the difficulty of that task could be significantly amplified.
Their already aging roster will be another year older. The after-effects of playing 33 extra games the past two Octobers will be acutely felt. And while it’s a price the Dodgers have been happy to pay, it will make next year an ultimate test of endurance that the club is already accounting for now.
“That's an extra month to a month and a half that you don't get to rest and recover, and that you're pushing beyond what you normally do,” third baseman Max Muncy said during this year’s playoffs about the challenges that come with deep October runs. “One postseason game is the equivalent of playing three extra-inning games, all at one time. The stress — both mental, physical, emotional — it's just on a whole ‘nother level.”
The big question in 2026 will be how the Dodgers’ pitching bounces back from this October’s heavy workload. All four of their top starters (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani) threw more than 20 postseason innings and worked either out of the bullpen and/or on short rest. Yamamoto logged a whopping 37 ⅓ innings between his two complete games and heroic back-to-back performances in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.
Typically, that kind of mileage can have adverse effects the following season.
The good news is that the Dodgers have depth. They could run a six-man rotation of Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, Ohtani, Roki Sasaki (who will return to starting pitching duties after his stint as a reliever at the end of last year) and Emmet Sheehan. They have other young arms capable of providing innings as well, from Ben Casparius and Justin Wrobleski to the return of Gavin Stone and River Ryan from injury.
“Playing this deep, guys did things that most people don’t do in the World Series, so it’s just making sure we’re being prudent on the front end and saying, ‘If we need extra rest here, we can do it,’” Gomes said. “We have ways to navigate it.”
Still, complications loom — starting with the triennial World Baseball Classic scheduled for next March.
Nine current Dodgers participated in the event’s 2023 edition, and several more could be candidates for next spring’s tournament. The most intriguing names on that list are the club’s Japanese trio of Yamamoto, Ohtani and Sasaki, who will be expected to star for their home country as it tries to defend its 2023 title in the international event.
Some pitchers in their situations might sit out the WBC, or pitch with strict workload limitations coming off the kind of strenuous stretch they experienced in the playoffs — not to mention the shoulder injury that sidelined Sasaki for much of the year. But the tournament’s significance in Japan (where it is held in even higher standing than the World Series) would make any sort of limitations on their availability a culturally controversial development — and leave the Dodgers in a potentially tricky position if they were to try to push for any of them to prioritize extra rest.
“We haven’t gotten into WBC stuff yet,” Gomes said. “I’m sure we’ll be getting those asks in soon.”
Ohtani himself presents another question for next regular season, as he embarks on what will be his first full-time season as a two-way player since 2023.
Though Gomes said Ohtani’s pitching plan will “probably look more like a normal schedule than last year” — when he slowly built up in his return from a second career Tommy John surgery, and didn’t make full-length starts until the end of the season — he also said Ohtani’s usage could be somewhat “fluid,” leaving the door open to some flexibility with his schedule as he also balances his designated hitting duties.
“Everything we’ll do is with a big-picture mindset,” Gomes reiterated. “So those are conversations we’ll have as we get closer [to next season].”
There could be similar conversations with some of the club’s older stars. By the end of next October, Freddie Freeman will be 37, Muncy will be 36, Teoscar Hernández and Mookie Betts both 34, Ohtani 32, and Will Smith and Edman 31. Most of them have nursed injuries over the past couple of seasons. Keeping them healthy and fresh for the long haul next year could require some more strategic load management — and insurance from a wide range of other options in the organization (plus whoever they add this offseason) to provide steady depth.
“I feel like our guys take really good care of themselves, so they might not be quite the same aging curve as everyone just with their level of hunger and their commitment in the offseason,” Gomes said. “But I think there's the give and take of … making sure we maintain a good group of young guys that are ready to come up and fill holes when necessary. [It’s] also balancing, as we get into the season, are we making sure we're having conversations with our guys of, ‘Maybe a day [off] here and there isn't the worst thing,’ and trying to work those in more.”
It all underscores the difficult road ahead for the Dodgers in their push for three straight titles: inevitable speed bumps that will only further complicate their quest.
“It's a balancing act,” Gomes said.
One that the team is already factoring in as the winter progresses.
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?
Why The Rangers Decided To Send Gabe Perreault Back Down To The AHLWhat did we learn about Gabe Perreault through his three-game stint with the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a>?
