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Knicks not surprised by Tyler Kolek's career game against Pacers: 'We knew this was what he was capable of'

The Knicks returned to regular season action after winning the NBA Cup when they traveled to Indiana to take on the rival Pacers on Thursday night.

Despite the Pacers' tough start to the season thanks to injuries to key players, it was not a cakewalk for New York, which was missing five rotation pieces, including two starters. The Knicks' bench needed to step up, and it did. Although Jalen Brunson's heroics are the headline for the team's 114-113 win, it was the play of young Tyler Kolek that the Knicks captain had to focus on.

"I was garbage," Brunson told the MSG broadcast on the court after the win. "To start the game, and then in the second half was garbage as well. I want to thank the lord for Tyler Kolek, for playing the way he's playing... and saving me. We found a way to win this one."

Brunson still scored 25 points -- on an inefficient 10 of 23 shooting -- and came up clutch when it mattered for his team. Kolek, however, was the lynchpin for the Knicks when they were down double-digits in the third quarter. In just three minutes, Kolek scored three points but dished four assists, for a team-high plus-eight on the court. That play carried over into the fourth quarter, where he scored four points and posted three rebounds and three assists.

In total, Kolek scored a career-high 16 points and had a career-high 11 assists for the first double-double of his NBA career.

"Our guys had plenty of opportunities to say, ‘Hey, we gave the good old College try, and we'll wrap it up...figure it out tomorrow, especially being in Vegas," head coach Mike Brown said of his team's resilience. "As long as we were and going through what we went through out there and then, having so many guys out…nobody would have been mad at them. On a couple of different occasions. If they just threw the towel in. It's not our group.

"We have a standard, and no matter who's on the floor, we expect everybody to hold each other accountable to what our standard is."

"They’re willing to give me the ball and I want to give them the ball, too," Kolek said of his play after the win. "Just having the trust of my guys and with my coaches."

"Tyler was fabulous," Brown said of Kolek. "He was fabulous on both ends of the floor, but you're talking about a guy that played 26 minutes and had 11 assists, so he impacted the game on both ends of the floor."

It's been a coming-out party for Kolek of late. The Marquette product gave the Knicks solid minutes in their semifinal game against the Magic, being a plus-18 in 16 minutes on the court. He then scored 14 points in 20 minutes in the NBA Cup Finals against the Spurs on Tuesday, closing out the game alongside Brunson. (Though that game technically doesn't count toward the team's record or the player's individual stats)

With Miles McBride and Landry Shamet still hurt, Brown will lean on Kolek more down this stretch of games. And if the guard continues to perform, he'll continue to see important minutes.

"He works as hard as anyone. This dude’s always in the gym…He works so hard," Brunson said of Kolek. "He has that ability to stay ready because of his work ethic. The world may be surprised to it, but we knew this was what he was capable of."

"Work always pays off," Kolek says of his preparation. "It's undefeated. What you put in, you're gonna get out. I firmly believe in that, and I put in a lot of time."

Kolek and the Knicks will now head home to host the 76ers on Friday night.

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J.T. Miller scores in OT to give Rangers 2-1 win over Blues

ST. LOUIS (AP) — J.T. Miller scored 2:21 into overtime and the New York Rangers beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Thursday night.

Rookie Gabe Perrault scored his first NHL goal for the Rangers, and Igor Shesterkin had 26 saves. New York had lost two straight and five of six (1-3-2).

Jonatan Berggren, claimed off waivers from Detroit earlier this week, scored for St. Louis, which has lost four of six. (2-3-1). Jordan Binnington finished with 28 saves.

Miller was open in the slot and delivered the decisive goal as New York snapped a five-game losing streak in St. Louis.

Shesterkin ended a 12-game stretch in which he had allowed multiple goals in each game. His last game allowing only one goal came Nov. 15 in a shootout victory against Columbus.

Berggren skated along the goal line and beat Shesterkin on a sharp angle over his left shoulder with 1:02 left in the first period. Rookie Dalibor Dvorsky got the assist after poking the puck away from Vladislav Gavrikov to set up the scoring chance.

The Rangers responded at 6:02 of the second, when Perrault deflected a Will Cuylle's wrist shot past Binnington on the power play. It was the first game for Perrault, a 2023 first-round pick and the son of former NHL All-Star Yanic Perrault, since being called up from the minors in a bid to spark a scuffling offense that had been shut out twice in its previous four games.

For the second straight game, New York was without one of its top scoring threats. Artemi Panarin, tied for the team lead with 11 goals, was scratched due to an illness.

Mika Zibanejad, who also has 11 goals, returned to the lineup after being scratched in the Rangers' 3-0 loss to Vancouver as discipline for missing a team meeting.

Up Next

Rangers: Host Philadelphia on Saturday.

Blues: Play at Florida on Saturday to start a two-game trip.

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Mets, Yankees target RHP Michael King signing with Padres

The Mets and Yankees were among the interested teams, but right-hander Michael King is re-signing with the San Diego Padres, according to multiple reports.

King will stay with the NL West club, despite the New York team's reported pursuit, on a three-year, $75 million deal that has opt-outs after the first and second season, as first reported by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

King, who turns 31 in March, elected free agency at the end of the 2025 season after an injury-riddled second year with the Padres, which was a shame considering how King pitched the season prior and the start he got off to this past year.

The righty, who began his career in The Bronx before the Yanks dealt him to San Diego in the Juan Soto deal, spent two stints on the injured list in 2025, the first due to right shoulder inflammation before knee inflammation sent him back to the training room. But when King was on the mound, he was decently effective, pitching to a 3.44 ERA and 1.200 WHIP across 73.1 innings and 15 starts. He struck out 76 batters to 26 walks, good for 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

But those numbers represent a drop off from his fine first season in Southern California, when he had a terrific year, his first as a full-time starter. That year, King posted a 2.95 ERA and 1.192 WHIP in 173.2 innings over 30 starts, with 201 strikeouts to 63 walks, a 10.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That saw him finish seventh in NL Cy Young voting.

As a starter, his sinker (29.5 percent), four-seamer (24.4 percent), changeup (21.4 percent, thrown mostly to lefties), and sweeper (18.9 percent) comprise the majority of his arsenal, with a slider that he throws to righties added in the past two seasons, rounding things out. San Diego will hope he returns to his 2024 form, when he was great at getting soft contact – 97th percentile in hard-hit percentage and 99th percentile in average exit velocity.

During his time with the Yanks, he made 115 appearances (19 starts) and posted a 3.38 ERA over 247.2 innings.

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Adrian Kempe's Two-Goal Night Lifts Kings Past Lightning

Tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-13-3), Los Angeles (15-10-9) leaned on its defense, physical play, strong goaltending from Anton Forsberg, and Adrian Kempe's pair of goals to snap the Kings' four-game losing streak. 

Tampa Bay struck first on their only power play on the night after a cross-checking penalty called on Kempe, giving Tampa the early 1-0 lead in the first period. But, Kempe made up for his early play by scoring two second-period goals, which proved to be the difference tonight in Tampa, shutting down the Lightning's top 10 offense, despite the Kings being outshot 32-20. 

Lightning Strike First 

The opening period was fast, physical, and chaotic, with both teams trading hits and giveaways, especially the Kings, who ended the night with 20 giveaways. Tampa Bay scored its only goal of the game midway through the first period after the Kings were called for a penalty. 

Oliver Bjorkstrand was able to convert for the Lightning in the power play, finding his own rebound in front and slipping the puck through the net. Despite the goal from Tampa Bay, Forsberg did a terrific job anchoring the defense, saving 31 shots and giving up just one goal. 

The Lightning also had a chance to extend their lead 2-0 to end the first period, but the goal was shut down by Forsberg after Dominic James came very close to expanding Tampa's lead. 

Kempe Takes Over In the Second

Los Angeles flipped the script to begin the second period with Kempe leading the charge. 

The Kings tied the game five minutes into the period with Kempe scoring on the rush, beating Andrei Vasilevskiy from the high slot through traffic with Tampa Bay unable to close the shooting lane. 

Off the goal from Kempe, Anze Kopitar assisted it, marking his 200th career point in the month of December, only the second skater to record 200 or more career points in multiple calendar months, joining Marcel Dionne. 

Over 10 minutes later, Kempe delivered the decisive moment. A turnover by Pontus Holmberg helped Kempe break through the ice on a clean breakaway. The Kings winger surged past Tampa Bay's defenders, stayed patient, and snapped the shot past Vasilevskiy to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. 

Kings Clamp Down Late

The third period belonged to Forsberg and the defense he played on the Lightning. Tampa Bay wasn't giving up at all, pushing hard and putting pressure on Forsberg, but he stood tall and stopped every shot that came at him. 

It was a crucial game for Los Angeles because of everything they've gone through during their four-game losing streak, including players getting frustrated, coaching problems, and ongoing discussions about roster changes. 

But the Kings can play like this on any given night, so it's not a surprise; it's just a question of whether Los Angeles can stay consistent, rather than be a roller coaster ride as they've been throughout this season. 

The Kings will head home for a three-game home stand, starting on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-6) at 10 p.m. EST. It'll be a good test for the Kings to see if they can start playing well at home, as they're 4-6-4 at the Crypto.com Arena this season. 

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Coming off historic win, Nets fall to Heat 106-95

NEW YORK (AP) — Norman Powell scored 24 points, Kel’el Ware had 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, and the Miami Heat snapped a five-game losing streak with a 106-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 19 points and Bam Adebayo had 17 rebounds despite battling foul trouble as the Heat won for just the second time in December. They came into the month with 13 wins, tied for their most ever before December, but had gone 1-5 since.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points for the Nets, who went cold after equaling the most lopsided victory in franchise history in their last game. Nic Claxton added 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

Brooklyn beat Milwaukee 127-82 on Sunday but shot under 39 percent from the field in this one and was just 11 for 49 (22 percent) from three-point range.

Still, Miami's lead was just 86-82 with under five minutes remaining. Ware made a three-pointer and Jaquez followed with consecutive baskets to extend the Heat lead to 93-82 with 4:01 left.

The Nets missed 10 of their 13 three-point attempts in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Heat: Visit Boston on Friday.

Nets: Host Toronto on Sunday.

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Frank Nazar Ends Goal Drought But Blackhawks Lose To Canadiens 3-1

The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Thursday night. They were not beaten by a slim margin, either. The final score was 4-1, but the game wasn't even that close based on how each team played. 

Chicago was outshot 35-15. One of Montreal's goals was an empty netter, so Spencer Knight made 31 saves on 34 shots. He was excellent, but even he couldn't overcome the lackluster performance that the team put forth in front of him. 

This game was tied 1-1 after two, despite how badly they were outperformed. The third period got away from them on the scoreboard, and that's now four straight regulation losses for Chicago. 

After the game, Jeff Blashill was not quick to torch his team. He said that they had a chance to win after two but blamed the bad third period for the loss. In a vacuum, he is correct because of the scoreboard, but the team had not played well and was bailed out by the goalie through the first 40 minutes. 

There were three goals waved off in this one, so the score could have been even worse for the Blackhawks if the video replay coaches had a bad night. One was a Chicago goal canceled for goalie interference, and two for Montreal due to off-sides. 

Despite the bad loss, Knight isn't the only Blackhawks player who is going to walk away with something positive about their game. Frank Nazar scored Chicago's only goal, and it was a big one for him personally. 

This was Nazar's first goal in 21 games. It was on October 28th when Nazar last scored for the Blackhawks. When he skated to the Blackhawks bench after claiming the goal, he made the gesture of getting the monkey off his back. 

Now that Nazar has this goal drought behind him, especially without Connor Bedard for a little while longer, he is going to be relied on to step up. The Blackhawks are sliding, and someone must take control offensively. Nazar is the most likely to do that due to his skill. 

When asked about Nazar after the game, Blashill said that he continued to discuss the process with his young forward. He said that playing the right way would eventually lead to his offense coming back. He was right. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

Next for Chicago is the final game of this eastern Canadian road trip. They will finish off on Saturday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators. This matinee matchup will be at 2 PM CT. 

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Jalen Brunson's late three gives shorthanded Knicks unlikely 114-113 win over Pacers

The Knicks overcame a pair of 16-point deficits before Jalen Brunson's three-pointer with 4.4 seconds remaining stole a 114-113 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Brunson, who was 2-for-8 from the floor in the second half, including missing two attempts with the score tied and under two minutes to play, hit the bucket when it counted. He finished with 25 points on 10-for-23 shooting (3-for-8 from deep) with seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals, but with three turnovers and was a minus-16 in 34 minutes.

Tyler Kolek, who has been seeing his workload and production increase of late, kept the Knicks in the game with 18 points off the bench and several crucial stretches of solid play deputizing Brunson.

"I was garbage to start the game. And then my stint in the second half was garbage, as well," Brunson said in a postgame interview. "I want to thank the lord for Tyler Kolek, for playing the way he's playing  and saving me."

With Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson (joining Landry Shamet and Miles McBride) out with injury, the Knicks were short-handed and had Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti in the starting lineup. And the mishmash lineups did not gel for much of the game. Fortunately, Indiana is equally banged up, missing several key contributors, and suffered through stretches of horrible shooting, including going 8-for-26 from the floor in the second quarter and 8-for-24 from the fourth.

Here are the takeaways...

- The first quarter was anything but well-executed basketball for the Knicks, and that set the tone for what would be a sloppy game at times by both sides. Through the game's first six and a half minutes, New York had committed more turnovers (five) than made field goals (three on 13 attempts) and trailed by 15. Mike Brown called a timeout with his team down 28-12 and Indiana shooting 71.4 percent (10-for-14 from the floor). And, somehow, those numbers beguile what was a dreadful watch as the Knicks trailed by 11 after one.

Naturally, the Pacers started the second as poorly (3-for-13 from the floor) as the Knicks did the first, and New York (6-for-12 from the floor with several second-chance opportunities) trimmed the lead to three midway through the period. The Knicks got as close as one, but entered the half down 62-59.

The Knicks opened the third 3-for-10 from the floor with four turnovers and allowed Indiana to make it a 13-point lead after six minutes of play. After falling behind by 16, matching the largest deficit to that point, the Knicks cut it to 10, forcing a Rick Carlisle timeout with two to play in the quarter as the Pacers’ bench unit struggled whenever called upon, and the Knicks made it just a six-point game entering the fourth.

Under four minutes into the fourth, the Knicks had their first lead since the game’s opening 100 seconds, with a 10-2 run, and Indiana called for time with New York up 97-94. 

But Pascal Siakam, who started poorly, scored seven straight to put the Pacers back up two and give him 22 for the game, forcing a Brown timeout with seven to play. All together, the Pacers used a 15-5 spurt, including Aaron Nembhard connecting on a three to give him 29, to make it a seven-point deficit. After levelling the score with under two to play (thanks to some more poor Indiana shooting), Siakam knocked down from the line with 16.9 to play. Brunson’s bucket sealed it as Siakam fell over on the final inbound play, meaning the Pacers never got a shot at the win.

- Brunson, who played 12 minutes of the first quarter, had 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting (1-for-4 from deep) with three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and yet was a minus-11. The lone superstar in the game added eight points in the second, and the diminutive guard looked to be head and shoulders better than any other player on the floor. He proved that when it mattered most, despite not having his best night

- Kolek knocked down his first three of the night to start the second and put together several nice passages of play to finish with nine points (4-for-6 shooting) with four assists, two rebounds in the first half, and was a plus-4 in 13 minutes. Kolek was at the heart of all the action to start the fourth four points, an assist, a block, and a charge drawn, giving him 16 for the game and nine assists.

- Mikal Bridges had a quiet start, but started getting more aggressive in the third, hitting three from behind the arc in the third to give him 18 to that point on 7-for-16 shooting. He finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and was a plus-9 in 37 minutes.

- OG Anunoby picked up two quick fouls and hit the bench under three minutes into the game. He struggled from the floor (1-for-5, 0-for-2 from deep) in the first half, with four points and three rebounds, but was a plus-6 in 14 minutes. Anunoby, who had a dreadful shooting night through three quarters, connected on a pair of threes when the Knicks needed it to tie the game with 1:51 to play. He finished with 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting with six rebounds, two steals, an assist, and was a plus-11 in 34 minutes.

- Jordan Clarkson picked up where he left off, knocking down his first three attempts to give him nine first-quarter points, with two threes. He poured in 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting (5-for-9 from deep) with three rebounds and was a plus-7 in 29 minutes.

- Diawara made a hustle play to open the scoring, corralling a steal and driving to the basket for a lay-up. But he looked less than convincing with the ball in his hands, committing two turnovers in the first. He finished with five points (2-for-5) with three rebounds and was a minus-6 in 19 minutes.

- Hukporti finished with four points (1-for-3) with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal in 27 minutes.

- Guerschon Yabusele and Trey Jemison were the first two off the bench for Brown in the first quarter’s early minutes. Both had two turnovers and just three points (from Yabusele) in the quarter.

Yabusele’s struggles continued as he went 1-for-5 from the floor (1-for-4 from deep) for three points, with three rebounds and was a minus-17 in 11 minutes. Jemison finished with five points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.

- As a team, the Knicks shot 46.7 percent (43-for-92) from the floor and 39.5 percent (17-for-43) from deep, and held the Pacers to 46.2 percent overall and a poor 32.4 percent (11-for-34) from deep.

Game MVP: Tyler Kolek

Yes, Brunson made the big shot, but the guard off the bench is the reason this game stayed within reach. He finished with 16 points and was a plus-13 in his 26 minutes.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks are back in action Friday night, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers for a 7 p.m. tip at Madison Square Garden.

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NHL Trade Rumors: Should Sabres Target Skilled Flyers Forward?

With the Buffalo Sabres struggling again this season, they should be open to the idea of shaking up their roster. When looking at their current group, it is fair to argue that they could use another skilled forward. 

Yet, with the Sabres being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings right now, they should not be looking to bring in rentals. Instead, their targets should be players who have multiple years left on their deals and can make a long-term impact for them. 

When looking at trade candidates with term, one player who stands out as a potential fit for the Sabres is Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett. 

Tippett would be far more than just a rental for the Sabres if acquires, as he has a $6.2 million cap hit until the end of the 2031-32. With this, he would have the potential to be a big part of the Sabres' roster for a long time if acquired.

If the Sabres landed Tippett from the Flyers, they would be getting a 26-year-old forward who would slot nicely in their top nine and on their power play. The 2017 first-round pick has appeared in 32 games so far this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded nine goals, 11 assists, and 20 points. He also scored at least 20 goals in each of his previous three seasons, including a career-high 28 goals in 2023-24. 

With all of this, Tippett could be a very interesting player for the Sabres to add if the Flyers make him available near the trade deadline. 

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Mets re-sign RHP Kevin Herget to minor league deal: report

The Mets are reuniting with a depth arm from last season.

According to The Athletic's Will Sammon, Herget and the Mets agreed on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Herget, 34, made six appearances for the Mets this season, allowing five runs (four earned) across 12 innings pitched. The New Jersey native started the 2025 season with the Braves, but Atlanta DFA'd him in July before the Mets picked him up.

In his four-year major league career, Herget has only appeared in 31 games, pitching to a 4.20 ERA (55.2 IP) and a 1.20 WHIP.

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Ex-Flyers Coach John Tortorella Shuts Down Talk of NHL Return… For Now

Former Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella isn't close to throwing in the towel on his coaching career, but the veteran bench boss was well prepared to say any talk of an NHL return right now is premature.

Tortorella, 67, is without a job at the start of a season for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when he was between jobs after spending six seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

With the Blue Jackets, of course, Tortorella worked closely with GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who just took over the Buffalo Sabres in the wake of Kevyn Adams's firing.

Longtime NHL head coach Lindy Ruff is back with the Sabres for his second stint, but there are no guarantees that arrangement remains in place with the Sabres sitting last in the Eastern Conference with a 14-14-2 record and just 32 points while playing the Flyers at the time of this writing.

As such, Tortorella, now an analyst with ESPN for the time being, was asked by reporter Emily Kaplan if he had gotten any calls from his old friend Kekalainen, which he vehemently denied in classic Tortorella fashion.

Ex-Flyers Coach John Tortorella Recounts Golden Matvei Michkov StoryEx-Flyers Coach John Tortorella Recounts Golden Matvei Michkov StoryTortorella dished on Michkov's surprising but enthusiastic penalty box strategy, which goes to show how well the two understood each other while they were together on the Flyers.

"No, I have not, Emily," Tortorella was quoted as saying to Kaplan by Mike Harrington of Buffalo News. "Don't even start."

Tortorella is live in-studio covering the Flyers-Sabres game on Thursday night and offered commentary, in his own way, on some things the Sabres players are doing, what they aren't doing, and how they can respond to their GM's dismissal.

One thing is for sure, though: the connection to Kekalainen and the success those two men had in Columbus with talents like Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Zach Werenski, and even Seth Jones, is an obvious link.

Plus, Tortorella kicked off his NHL coaching career with the Sabres, serving as an assistant coach for the franchise from 1989-90 to 1994-95 before taking over as the head coach of the AHL Rochester Americans for two seasons.

Matvei Michkov Says He Was 'Very Upset' When Flyers Fired John TortorellaMatvei Michkov Says He Was 'Very Upset' When Flyers Fired John TortorellaThe relationship between star <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> rookie Matvei Michkov and fired head coach John Tortorella was much better than many have made it out to be.

Tortorella, of course, has been out of work since being fired by the Flyers on March 27, though he is on the United States' staff for the 2026 Winter Olympics - a team that could feature Flyers star Trevor Zegras.

A return to an NHL bench doesn't appear to be imminent just yet, but don't be surprised to see Tortorella back coaching at some point this season.

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Flames Roster Update: Kirkland, Hunt, Bean

Calgary, AB — The Calgary Flames announced a series of roster moves on Thursday, including a reassignment, a recall, and a medical update.

Forward Dryden Hunt has been placed on waivers  and will be assigned to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, pending clearance. Hunt appeared in two games with the Flames this season. At the AHL level, he has been productive, recording five goals and 18 points in 16 games with the Wranglers.

© John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Flames have also recalled forward Justin Kirkland from the Wranglers. Kirkland has suited up for nine NHL games this season, registering one assist. With the Wranglers, he has tallied five goals and two assists in 14 contests.

Additionally, the club announced that defenceman Jake Bean will undergo surgery and will be out indefinitely. The 27-year-old has appeared in 16 games with the Flames this season, posting one goal and two points during the 2025–26 campaign.