Isaac Howard is back with the Edmonton Oilers. Six weeks in Bakersfield, and now he's got another shot.

The 21-year-old won the Hobey Baker Award last season at Michigan State—26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games. Edmonton grabbed him from Tampa Bay in July, signed him to a three-year deal, and let him compete for a roster spot.

He got 17 NHL games to start the season. Two goals and an assist. Not bad for a rookie jumping from college hockey. But the Oilers needed more from their depth forwards, so down to Bakersfield he went in mid-November.

"I was just excited to get down there and start a different chapter in my pro career," Howard said. "And I think it was great. Everyone down in that locker room was awesome. The coaching staff made it pretty easy to mesh with that group quickly. And you know, it was awesome."

Nobody wants to get sent to the AHL. But Howard needed what Bakersfield could give him—ice time, power play minutes, and the space to figure out professional hockey without the pressure of Connor McDavid looking over his shoulder (if that was ever happening).

He put up 10 goals and 13 assists in 16 games. Two goals and four assists in his last four games alone. Those are the numbers that get you recalled.

Rookie Risk: Oilers May Be Testing Something On The Third LineThree rookies will play on the third line for the Oilers, a bold offensive gamble that could either spark the offense or expose their youth against the Flyers.

"It's a great development league," Howard said. "Obviously, I was getting a lot more ice time, a lot of looks on special teams, things like that which is what I wanted. And I think it's a great league. And spending like, five or six weeks there was a great experience."

More ice time meant actually playing instead of watching. More power play minutes meant working on his offensive instincts. Bakersfield gave him what he couldn't get in Edmonton—consistent minutes where he could make mistakes and learn from them.

"It feels like I'm more experienced now and maybe more calmness coming back up," Howard said.

More experienced. More calm. Six weeks will do that when you're dominating the AHL and figuring out what works.

Edmonton Oilers Year-In-ReviewIf you’re an <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> fan, 2025 was exhausting. It started with their captain suspended, ended with a loss to Boston, and somewhere in between, they managed to lose another Stanley Cup Final. The kind of year where you’re not sure whether to book playoff tickets early or start drinking in February.

"I think a big thing was just getting in the flow of pro hockey down there and playing games consistently," Howard said. "Learning to hold on to the puck more, find more of my game, and making little plays, passing, shooting, (being) more calm with the puck, and maybe even more confident."

That's what the AHL is supposed to do. Howard went down, figured out he needed to be more patient with the puck, worked on it, and came back better. Development working exactly how it should.

Quinn Hutson came up with him—19 goals and 13 assists in 26 AHL games this season. Both players earned their recalls by producing.

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Now comes the tricky part. Howard won't play 18-20 minutes a night like he did in Bakersfield. He'll be a bottom-six forward getting 8-12 minutes, trying to make things happen in shorter bursts. That's a different skill.

"It's different," Howard said about NHL ice time. "That's where you got to stay engaged, because you don't get the regular flow of the game, but I think I'll be better tested for that this time around. And however it shakes up, I'll be ready."

He knows what to expect this time. First go-around, everything was new. Now he's been through it. He spent six weeks in Bakersfield figuring things out. 

Oilers Send Gritty Forward Down To AHLThe Edmonton Oilers have loaned this forward to the Bakersfield Condors.

The Oilers don't need Howard to be a star. They need him to be a useful depth forward. Play his minutes. Don't hurt the team. Chip in offensively when the opportunity comes. If he learned how to be smarter with the puck and stay calm under pressure, he'll get his chance to stick.

His first stint showed he belongs at this level—two goals in 17 games from a young guy that isn't first overall proves that. His time in Bakersfield showed he can dominate when given the opportunity—23 points in 16 games proves that. Now his second stint will show whether he's figured out how to bridge the gap between those two things.

Howard got recalled Friday because he earned it. He went to Bakersfield, worked on his game, put up numbers, and came back ready. That's how it's supposed to work. Whether it translates to NHL success is the next question, but he's done everything right so far.

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It is fair to say that the Montreal Canadiens had a strong first half of the 2025-26 season. The Habs currently sport a 22-12-6 record and are third in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens are also just two points behind the first-place Detroit Red Wings in the Atlantic, so they are undoubtedly in a good place right now. 

With how well the Canadiens are playing this season, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they continue to look to add to their roster by the trade deadline. While adding another impactful center would be big for the Canadiens, they also should be open to acquiring a skilled winger. 

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Anthony Mantha stands out as an intriguing potential option for the Habs.

With the Penguins retooling and Mantha being a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), he has created chatter in the rumor mill. If the Penguins do officially make him available, the Canadiens should seriously consider making a push for the 6-foot-5 forward.

Mantha is currently in the middle of a strong season with the Penguins, as he has recorded 14 goals, 14 assists, 28 points, and a plus-8 rating. With numbers like these, Mantha would have the potential to be a very solid addition to the Canadiens' middle six and power play if acquired. 

Ultimately, if the Canadiens acquired Mantha, he would give them some solid secondary scoring and more size. Because of this, he would be a nice player for the Canadiens to add to their roster as they prepare for the post-season. 

ST. LOUIS – Early prognosticators didn’t even have Philip Broberg having a sniff of making the Sweden Men’s Winter Olympic hockey roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic games in Italy.

The St. Louis Blues defenseman, despite the odds against him, had other ideas.

On Friday, the 24-year-old did what many didn’t think he would do: be chosen to represent his country for the first time at the highest level when he was named to Sweden’s Olympic roster.

“Extremely honored,” Broberg said Friday after a 4-3 win against the Vegas Golden Knights. “It’s a dream-come-true. I’m very excited about it.

“Got a call from the coach (Sam Hallam) a few days ago. It’s a dream-come-true. I’m very excited.”

Broberg joined the likes of Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning), Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres), Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins), Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild), Rasmus Andersson (Calgary Flames), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Gustav Forsling (Florida Panthers).

Among those not on the initial list – of course there could be injuries that can change things – include Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton Oilers) and Hampus Lindholm (Boston Bruins) at the top of the list.

So for Broberg, who is having a fantastic season with the Blues, to get the consideration speaks volumes.

“It does because Sweden has developed great defensemen for decades now,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. ‘There’s a plethora in our league. It does speak volumes about what he was able to accomplish.”

Broberg is averaging 23:15 and has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 42 games this season for the Blues and was likely chosen for the leaps and bounds he’s taken as a defensive player.

“It’s a well-deserved and earned reward for how much he’s continued to progress in his career, not only in St. Louis but from when he did when he got drafted,” Montgomery said. ‘More so than anything, in the game you see his physical tools, his ability to create off-man rushes offensively, his ability kill plays, his willingness to take away time and space and win battles 1-on-1 offensively and defensively, but the thing that has really improved with him is his mindset. His mindset has gone from being a good player in this league, and I’m just talking since I’ve been working with him now to trying to become an elite player, and because that mindset has been every day in practice and every game, even when he doesn’t have legs – that’s a hockey player’s term – you don’t feel like you can get up and go, he pushes himself right through that. I’ve seen first periods when he hasn’t been on, the second and third period he’s our best player. And that’s the will machine and the kind of guy you want to build around to get the culture to where you want, the culture to be. And that’s kudos to him and his mindset that he’s developed as a young man early in his career.”

Broberg, acquired via offer sheet from the Oilers along with forward Dylan Holloway on Aug. 20, 2024, was on a mission to at least be under consideration.

“Before the season we set goals and I think this was one of the goals for sure,” Broberg said. ‘I’m very excited about the opportunity I’m going to get. It’s going to be fun.

“I think we have a very good roster with a lot of very good players. I’m excited to meet all the guys and get a chance to play with them as well.”

How much Broberg gets to play is anyone’s guess, but with Sweden, which opens on Feb. 11 at 2:10 p.m. (CT) against Italy, if they need a shutdown player to be in a plethora of situations, Broberg should be under heavy consideration. He has played 23-plus minutes 22 times this season.

“I think defensively, I think that’s been a big focus for myself,” Broberg said. “Grow defensively and be hard to play against, have good sticks, be physical. I think that’s a big, big thing. I still want to create offense as well, but that’s just a plus.”

Being a lifelong Swede from Orebro, the hometown of Stanley Cup champion Carl Gunnarsson, Broberg now gets to make his own memories.

“I think the best memory I have is (Niklas) Lidstrom scored that game-winner and they won the gold obviously (in 2006 over Finland),” Broberg said. “I have that memory a lot and I’m excited to be a part of the team there.”

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Injury issues have resurfaced for Mackenzie Blackwood.

Blackwood Injured Again

The Avalanche placed the goaltender on injured reserve Thursday with a lower-body injury, marking his second stint on IR this season after beginning the year sidelined. To fill the vacancy, Colorado recalled Trent Miner and Taylor Makar from the Colorado Eagles, the Avs’ AHL affiliate. The Avalanche already had an open roster spot, so no additional move was required. Blackwood will be reevaluated once the team returns from its three-game road trip.

The team did not provide additional details regarding the injury. Blackwood did not participate in practice ahead of the road trip, prompting the roster move.

Blackwood last appeared in Colorado’s 6–1 win over the Blues on New Year’s Eve, finishing the game in what was his second consecutive start. Despite the stop-and-start nature of his season and a resulting tandem split with Scott Wedgewood, the 29-year-old has been elite when available, posting a 13-1-1 record, .924 save percentage, and a league-leading 2.07 goals-against average in 16 appearances.

Blackwood missed training camp and the start of the regular season while rehabbing from offseason surgery on a lower-body injury. In his absence, Scott Wedgewood emerged as one of the NHL’s top goaltenders. With Blackwood sidelined again, Wedgewood is expected to shoulder the bulk of the workload once more.

Makar Called Up

Meanwhile, Makar has been called up to the NHL for the fourth time this season. 

The 24‑year‑old forward has appeared in 26 games this season with the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, recording six goals and four assists for 10 points in 26 games.

Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Makar signed a one-year entry-level contract that runs through the 2025–26 season.

Before turning pro, he played three seasons at UMass Amherst, totaling 15 goals and seven assists in 85 games from 2021 to 2023. He then transferred to the University of Maine for the 2024–25 season, where he enjoyed a breakout year with 18 goals and 12 assists for 30 points in 38 games.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s older brother Cale Makar remains the driving force on Colorado’s back end in 2025–26, posting 12 goals and 33 assists for 45 points through 39 games to lead the Avalanche defense.

Miner Recalled

Miner has appeared in two NHL games this season, posting an 0‑0‑2 record while allowing four goals on 44 shots. In the AHL with the Colorado Eagles, he has a 7‑2‑0 record, a 2.40 goals-against average, and a .907 save percentage across 10 contests. Miner is expected to serve in a backup role for the Avalanche, with Scott Wedgewood likely stepping in as the starter during Blackwood’s absence.

Avalanche On the Road

The Avalanche (30‑2‑7) face the Carolina Hurricanes (24‑13‑3) on Saturday at Lenovo Center with coverage starting at 5 p.m. local time. Colorado will then head on an all-Florida road trip, taking on the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on January 4 before meeting the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 6.

Detroit Red Wings top prospect Sebastian Cossa continues to dominate in the AHL, earning Goaltender of the Month honors for December, marking the second consecutive month he has received the award.

Cossa previously won the accolade for November, becoming the first netminder in Red Wings franchise history to win the award twice in a single season. He also becomes the first AHL goalie since Henderson’s Logan Thompson in 2021 to capture the honor in consecutive months.

Thompson, now with the Washington Capitals, has gone on to thrive at the NHL level. He was recently named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster and currently sits as a Vezina Trophy favorite, highlighting just how elite Cossa’s company is as he joins the list of goalies who have translated AHL dominance into NHL stardom.

The 23-year-old Hamilton, Ontario native was spectacular in December, posting a 7-0-1 record with two shutouts, a 1.76 goals-against average, and a .929 save percentage. This season, Cossa has been nearly untouchable, boasting a 15-1-1 record, a 1.65 GAA, and a .936 save percentage, leading all AHL goalies in every major statistical category.

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Cossa recently experienced a rare setback in an overtime loss to the Milwaukee Admirals, stopping 21 of 24 shots. Prior to that, he had allowed just four goals over his previous four starts, stopping 85 of 89 shots with two shutouts.

back 2 back 👊

Sebastian Cossa is the first goalie in franchise history to receive the award twice in the same season #GoGRG
DETAILS | 🔗 https://t.co/hbrxZsEIplpic.twitter.com/YvlWReH6u5

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) January 2, 2026

With aging NHL goaltenders Cam Talbot and John Gibson nearing the end of their tenures in Detroit, fans are eagerly anticipating Cossa’s NHL debut. The Red Wings, long plagued by goaltending instability since the days of Chris Osgood, appear to have found their next franchise netminder.

Selected 15th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Cossa has consistently shown why Detroit invested a top pick in him. His dominance in the AHL this season has many believing he is ready to kick down the door to the NHL and become the long-term solution between the pipes for the Red Wings, following in the footsteps of other elite goalies like Logan Thompson.

Non-NHL Red Wings Who Could Compete at the Winter OlympicsGrand Rapids Griffins forward Eduards Tralmaks is one of several players within the Red Wings organization who could see action at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

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