The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have reassigned defenseman Joel Nystrom to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL Friday morning, meaning that Jaccob Slavin should be returning to the lineup very, very soon.

The 31-year-old defenseman has been recovering from an upper-body injury he suffered after getting boarded from behind by Florida Panthers forward A.J. Greer on Dec. 19.

It was a tough blow for Slavin, who was just three games into his return from a lower-body injury that had sidelined him for 28 games previously, but perhaps the new injury gave him even more time for that injury to heal as it was one that had pestered him from the preseason and the team had been extra cautious on.

Slavin, who has been practicing with the team for a little over a week now and recently also shed the non-contact jersey, has been a much missed piece on the Hurricanes' blueline.

The team has done an admirable job stepping up in his and the plethora of other absences they've had to deal with this year, but there's simply no replacing the best defensive defenseman in the game.

With the reassignment, Slavin will be able to be activated off of IR, as the Canes needed to free up a roster spot, and barring no immediate setbacks, he should play Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken as Carolina looks for a fourth straight win.

Nystrom, 23, has been a real gem of a find for Carolina this season.

The sheer amount of injuries the Canes dealt with to start the year meant he got the chance to showcase himself and what an impression he made.

The Swedish blueliner parlayed his opportunity into an extended stretch of games — he now has 33 under his belt, with eight points in that span — and he proved that he can be an everyday NHL defenseman.

That's why the team signed the 2021 seventh-round pick to a four-year extension earlier in the year and if it wasn't for the fact that he can be reassigned to the AHL without the need for waivers, he'd probably still be with the team as the seventh defenseman.

But it'll also be better for him in the long run to get regular playing time down with Chicago Wolves rather than sitting up in the press box with Carolina.

He's gonna be a good player for years to come and his development also gives the Canes a little more flexibility when it comes to potential trade packages as well.

A Perfect Storm: Hurricanes Rookie Defenseman Joel Nystrom Making Most Of OpportunityA rare seventh-round pick defies the odds, showcasing an already high-level hockey sense. Discover how Joel Nystrom's rapid development landed him a a spot in the Hurricanes lineup.

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The Winnipeg Jets are increasingly expected to be sellers at the upcoming NHL trade deadline, with several of their defensemen believed to be available to teams looking to bolster a thin backend. One name that continues to surface in league circles is veteran defenseman Luke Schenn, and a familiar suitor appears to be showing interest.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again being linked to Schenn, the former fifth overall pick they selected in the 2008 NHL Draft. Toronto’s interest comes at a critical time, as the club was dealt a devastating blow to its playoff hopes when key defenseman Chris Tanev suffered another injury. Multiple reports have suggested the injury could be season ending, forcing the Maple Leafs to reassess their blue line depth ahead of the postseason.

While Toronto has reportedly prioritized adding a puck moving defenseman, an alternative approach could involve bringing in a veteran presence for minimal cost. In that scenario, Schenn fits the profile as a low risk option who could serve as an emergency defender while also providing leadership in the locker room as the Leafs continue to explore other upgrades.

TSN insider Darren Dreger recently reignited the speculation, suggesting a reunion would not be difficult to complete from an asset standpoint. Dreger said he is “pretty sure if the Maple Leafs wanted to reunite Luke Schenn, they’d get him for a lower end draft pick.” However, Dreger also noted that Schenn has made it known that if he is moved, he would prefer a more consistent role rather than continuing as a depth defenseman, which has largely been his situation in Winnipeg this season.

The script writers cooked with this one 🧑‍🍳

Career game 1,100 ✅
First goal as a Jet ✅ pic.twitter.com/KJg4pIzMXe

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) January 7, 2026

That desire may be tied to a possible strained relationship between Schenn and the Jets in recent weeks. Former NHL player Ryan Whitney discussed the situation on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, pointing to Schenn being a healthy scratch while approaching his 1,100th career NHL game. Whitney referenced earlier criticism from former NHLer Mike Commodore, who publicly blasted the Jets’ decision to hire Scott Arniel as full time head coach and described him as difficult to work with when given more authority.

Whitney suggested there could be a divide, particularly stemming from Arniel’s decision to sit Schenn just before the milestone. Although Schenn was later dressed to officially reach the mark, Whitney said the initial healthy scratch likely sent a message throughout the locker room and may help explain why trade rumors surrounding the veteran defenseman have picked up once again.

Whether Schenn is ultimately moved remains to be seen, but even for a late round draft pick, the Jets could view it as a sensible move. Schenn is a 36-year-old veteran in the final year of his contract, and flipping him for an asset would align with a seller’s approach at the deadline. For Toronto, a trade would also carry some sentimental value, creating a full circle moment by bringing Schenn back to where his NHL career began.

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With Kaiden Guhle nearing a return, the Montreal Canadiens have reassigned Adam Engstrom to the Laval Rocket in the NHL, but that won’t be the only consequence of his return. For two of the Habs defensemen, it means that they’ll be back to fighting it out for their spot in the lineup. Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble played most of the team’s games since Guhle was injured; one of them made way for Engstrom for nine games (the youngster played 11 games, but in three of those, it was Mike Matheson who wasn’t in the lineup because of an injury).

With Guhle’s imminent return, the bottom-pairing blueliners are back in the hot seat, and Xhekaj clearly doesn’t intend to be the healthy scratch. At times this season, he has looked unsure of how he should play, worried about going over the line and taking costly penalties, but in the last few games, that hasn’t been the case.

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In each of the last two games, the rugged defenseman has landed six hits and has avoided taking bad penalties. He did get a misconduct with less than two minutes left in the duel with the Florida Panthers, but by that time, the win was in the bank, and Donovan Sebrango was looking for someone to pass his frustration on. On Wednesday, in the game against the Calgary Flames, he was assessed a two-minute minor for high-sticking, but it wasn’t a penalty that came from a bad decision; it was purely accidental.

He’s also looked very good in the last two fights he had, against Scott Sabourin, whom he knocked out with one well-placed punch and Nikita Zadorov, who’s a tough customer. In other words, he’s back to being the best at what the Canadiens need him to excel in. Not that he’s only there to fight, but when he’s on his game, his presence has a strong dissuasive element, and it helps keep the opposition in check. One well-placed bone-crushing hit can send a powerful message, and we’ve seen it time and time again.

Arber Xhekaj and Scott Sabourin exchange jabs 👊 pic.twitter.com/OWzvXRrFRp

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 28, 2025

When Guhle returns, and that could very well be on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, Xhekaj has earned the right to be there.

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Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward and current Montreal Canadien Alex Texier, had himself a night last night in a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers. 

Going up against another former Blue Jacket in Sergei Bobrovsky, Texier and his Canadiens beat the Panthers for their third straight win. A win that moved them into first place in the Atlantic Division.

Now for the cool part.

Texier was able to net his first career hat trick in his 262nd NHL game, scoring his third goal with just 50 seconds left in the game to power the Canadiens past the visiting Panthers. 

Not only was this Texier's first hat trick, but it was his second three-point NHL game is as many games. Just one night prior, he scored a goal and had two assists to record his first three-point game in the NHL. During his time with Columbus, he had a couple two-goal games, and two-point nights, but never got the elusive hattie. 

Texier, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, and Antoine Roussel are the only French nationals to reach 100 career NHL points in league history.  

Texier was traded to the St. Louis Blues from the CBJ on June 28, 2024. On November 23, 2025, he would sign with the Canadiens after the St. Louis blues terminated his contract a day earlier. He only played in 39 games for the Blues in two seasons. 

Through 22 games this season, he has 7 goals and 14 points, which puts him on pace to hit right around 38 points on the season, and that would beat his career high of 30, which was back in the 23-24 season while playing for Columbus.

Check out Texier's hat trick goal below. 

SORTEZ TUQUES, CASQUETTES, CHAPEAUX

ALEXANDRE TEXIER, HAT TRICK#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/JiPNnlWOQm

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 9, 2026

T3XI3R#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/rL4oA8qBAs

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 9, 2026

Montreal Head Coach Martin St. Louis had this to say about Alex Texier, "It's still a small sample, but we’re happy with that sample. A player that’s still young, he’s talented, he had to overcome his own obstacles, just like Montembeault. It doesn’t matter where you are and how you got there; what matters is how you keep moving forward. There’s mental strength that comes with that, but also intentions. Your actions have to match your thoughts. […] Confidence doesn’t start when the puck drops; it’s way before that. It’s reps in practices, how you prepare. When you do that, you give yourself a chance to be successful."

Congrats to former Blue Jacket Alex Texier.

Up Next: Columbus travels to Colorado to take on the league's best in the Avalanche. 

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On November 16, when the Montreal Canadiens announced that Kirby Dach had suffered a fractured foot, the timeline for his return was set at four to six weeks. It’s now been seven and a half weeks, and the forward still hasn’t returned. Even worse, on Wednesday night, he was spotted wearing a walking boot at the Bell Centre.

In his mid-year review, GM Kent Hughes said, “Wasn’t it six to eight weeks?” when he was asked about his 2022 draft day trade acquisition’s timetable to return to action. That was followed by an admission that the Canadiens intend to be very careful with the soon-to-be 25-year-old, not only because he’s often injured, but because the current injury is on the same leg on which he suffered a significant knee injury in the past.

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But then, on Thursday morning, when there was no practice or morning skate scheduled, Kirby Dach was on the ice like fellow injured players Kaiden Guhle, Jake Evans and Patrik Laine. The number 77 was only on the ice for 20 minutes, under the watchful eye of director of hockey development Adam Nicholas. The way he was skating doesn’t suggest an imminent return, and as sad as it is for the player, he may be running out of time with the Canadiens.

When Hughes traded for him, he signed a four-year bridge deal intended to give Dach time to show what he could do. It should have been more than enough, but nearly four years later, Dach has played only 132 of 289 possible games. That’s only 46% of the Habs’ games over that span.

Worst still, especially for a player who was meant to be a center, his winning percentage at the faceoff dot has stood at 38.3%, 37.5%, 40.3%, and 43% (but that was on just 15 games), for an average of 39.8%. In a league where puck possession is so important, it would be madness to press on with Dach pencilled in as the second line center. Oliver Kapanen, who has been centring the second line for most of the season, has a 46.4% success rate and has only 61 games of NHL experience.

Aside from the faceoff percentage, Dach also cannot manage to stay healthy. Building a Stanley Cup-contending team means finding the right pieces at the right price, and you need those pieces to be available. That was my primary concern when Hughes gave Kaiden Guhle a six-year deal, and since that deal was signed in July 2024, Guhle has played 55 games in the first season and only five this season.

That has meant the Canadiens have had to make do with two sixth defenseman in their lineup for most of the time, with Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble, no disrespect to either of them. Still, ideally, you only want one of the two in the lineup, and it’s putting the Canadiens in quite a pickle. They do not need the same kind of pressure to have a plan B ready at all times, especially not down the middle.

Hughes said at his latest press conference that he believes Kapanen can be a good second-line centre in the NHL. While his performance has been impressive so far, it might be a bit early to draw that conclusion, even though it made sense for Hughes to voice it. There’s also Michael Hage, who’s likely to make the jump to the pros at the end of this season, but he remains a project despite his fantastic form at the World Junior Championship.

Success at that level doesn’t necessarily mean excellence in the NHL. Just look at Ryan Poehling. He was the tournament’s MVP in 2019, and he’s now a depth forward for the Anaheim Ducks, mainly playing as their fourth center, sometimes third when they are dealing with injuries.

The truth is, nobody knows, maybe not even Kent Hughes himself, what he’ll do with Dach when he becomes an RFA this summer. He might give him a qualifying offer, but he can’t bet much on the Albertan becoming what the GM originally hoped he would be; the Habs need a better and safer option, as sad as it is for Dach.

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