Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie was happy to play in Toronto, but his start with the organization was rather fascinating.

The 34-year-old retired NHL defender appeared on the Empty Netters Podcast with Dan and Chris Powers this week. Among the topics discussed was his trade to the Maple Leafs from the Colorado Avalanche, where he had spent his entire NHL career beforehand.

Barrie, along with forward Alex Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick, was sent to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Nazem Kadri, defenseman Calle Rosen, and a 2020 third-round pick on July 1, 2019.

"It was my first time being traded, too, so that comes with kind of its own emotions and stuff," he said.

"I got traded for (Kadri), who was a big part of that team. I know he'd taken some belligerent suspensions in the playoffs, but like, he was pretty beloved by the city. So there was some pressure that came with that."

Barrie then revealed one of the first messages former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock had for him in Toronto.

"I won't speak too much on it, but I think one of the first things (Babcock) said to me, he says to me, 'You know, I wouldn't have made the trade, Naz is a big part of the team,'" Barrie laughed. "And I was like, 'Oh, okay, sick. This is going to go well.' It was an interesting start.

"And then, I've always thought, like, you look around the league and any time a team trades for a guy who kind of does the same role as another guy, a power play quarterback is one of those roles where you kind of only need one. So I got traded and Morgan Rielly was there and he was having great years, and he was running the power play, and I was kind of like, 'Okay, where am I going to fit in here?'"

Babcock's warm welcome pic.twitter.com/RYSY1lgiRA

— Empty Netters (@EmptyNettersPod) November 26, 2025

Barrie spent just one season with the Maple Leafs, scoring five goals and 39 points in 70 games. The defender got off to a slow start under Babcock, tallying only five assists in his first 22 games before the head coach was fired.

Once Sheldon Keefe came in, Barrie's game got back to where it was with the Avalanche many years prior. Barrie scored five goals and 32 points in the final 47 games of the season under Keefe, who had him averaging 22:02 of ice time per game.

Barrie left the Maple Leafs in the following offseason and joined the Edmonton Oilers on a one-year, $3.75 million contract. After re-signing and spending two seasons in Edmonton, Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a first and a fourth-round pick, was traded to the Nashville Predators for Mattias Ekholm.

Barrie played two seasons in Nashville (appearing in only 65 games) before signing a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Calgary Flames on Oct. 3, 2024. He split the season between the Flames and their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, before officially retiring this past August.

The Victoria, British Columbia native finished his NHL career with 508 points (110 goals, 398 assists) in 822 games.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to end their two-game skid on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres. 

This is the Penguins' annual Thanksgiving Eve game, which usually produces one of the best crowds of the season. 

The Sabres come into this game on a two-game winning streak and have won four of their last five games. They're still seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 9-9-4 record, but they are at least playing better as of late. 

Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson lead the Sabres in points with 21. Thompson leads the team in goals with 12 and is pushing for a spot on the Team USA Olympic roster. 

According to Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550, the Sabres will likely start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal. He has played in six games this season and has a 2.68 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. 

Meanwhile, Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry was the first goaltender off the ice during the morning skate and will start in this game. This will be his first game back from injury after getting banged up during the Nov. 3 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

As for the rest of the lineup, Bryan Rust will play after dealing with an illness for the last couple of days. He will return to the top line with Connor Dewar and Sidney Crosby.

First-round pick Benjamin Kindel will be a healthy scratch for this game for developmental purposes. He has played a lot of hockey this season, so this is likely about giving him a break ahead of the daunting December schedule.

Ville Koivunen will return to the lineup after a 12-day absence and Tristan Broz will make his NHL debut on the third line. 

Here is what the full lineup could look like, based on Tuesday's lines:

Forwards

Dewar-Crosby-Rust

Hayes-Malkin-Mantha

Koivunen-Broz-Novak

Koppanen-Lizotte-Heinen

Defense

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Shea-Letang

Graves-Dumba

Puck drop for this contest is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more! 

The latest episode of the Wingmen podcast brought some juicy information for fans of both the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators.

We’ll start with Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk, who has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final last June.

He’s been recovering from offseason surgery after suffering, and playing through, a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia during the 4 Nations tournament in February.

There had been hope that if his recovery went as planned, he could come back sometime in December, and it seems things are still trending in that direction.

Last week, it was reported by THN Florida that Tkachuk had resumed skating, and during this week’s episode of Wingmen, his podcast with his brother Brady Tkachuk, Matthew said he was indeed back on the ice and progressing toward a return.

Matthew also admitted that he felt better when he hit the ice this week than he did during the playoffs, so that sure sounds like a positive.

“I’m just excited for…being able to ramp it up, I’m just excited to get out with the boys, I don’t know when that’s going to be, but it’s kind of, obviously, getting over that hump sooner rather than later,” he said. “It’s starting to trend really, really well.”

As for Brady, he revealed that he would be shedding his non-contact jersey and was targeting Ottawa’s game in his hometown of St. Louis on Friday to return from a thumb injury.

He also said he plans to host all of his Ottawa teammates and trainers at his parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday in St. Louis.

“DADDY’S BACK” 🤣

Brady returns Friday in St. Louis while Matthew is trending closer to his season debut 🙌 pic.twitter.com/yHmFebnR5d

— Wingmen with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk (@Wingmenpod) November 26, 2025

Overall, it seems there is quite a bit for the Tkahcuk boys to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. 

You can check out the latest episode of Wingmen in the video below: 

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Photo caption: May 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) looks on against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Vancouver Canucks are sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. That has management poised to become sellers.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Tuesday the Canucks informed the rest of the league they're willing to entertain offers for their veteran players. Jim Rutherford, the president of hockey operations, subsequently confirmed that his club had to get younger.

Rutherford said they're not moving all their veterans. Friedman said the Canucks could entertain offers for players eligible to become UFAs next summer and those who have a year or two left on their contracts. However, that does not include superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The pending UFAs include forwards Evander Kane and Kiefer Sherwood. Those in the latter category include defenseman Tyler Myers and forwards Filip Chytil and Drew O'Connor.

The Hockey News' Adam Kierszenblat said the Canucks appear to be aiming for a retool, since Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin have made it clear a more aggressive rebuild isn't a route they want to take. He also noted that Kane has a 16-team approved trade list, and Myers has a no-move clause this year that changes to a 12-team no-trade clause next season.

TSN's Darren Dreger weighed in on what this decision would mean for Canucks captain Hughes. Dreger reminded everyone the 26-year-old defenseman is signed through next season, but his future in Vancouver remains uncertain if the club doesn't become more competitive.

Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre suggested the Canucks' slow start and the possibility of trades that might weaken the team in the short term raise the chances of Hughes requesting a trade by next summer, if not sooner.

Of the Canucks' pending UFAs, MacIntyre believes the feisty Sherwood is the most marketable. He has 12 goals in 23 games, but contract talks between the two sides remain stalled.

Speaking of teams that could become sellers, the Nashville Predators are making a difficult transition from aging veterans to younger talent. TSN's Pierre LeBrun believes that process will continue throughout this season.

LeBrun said forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault continue to surface in the rumor mill despite their no-movement clauses. He believes the Predators will be open to offers for those two.

However, it's Ryan O'Reilly that's drawing the most interest. He's signed through 2026-27 with an affordable $4.5 million average annual value. Unlike Stamkos and Marchessault, he lacks no-trade protection, though the Predators are treating him as though he has it.

LeBrun believes O'Reilly will attract teams that are looking for a center with Stanley Cup experience. He indicated the Montreal Canadiens were among the suitors. If the Predators peddle O'Reilly, LeBrun believes the asking price is a first-round pick and an “A-level prospect.”

The Canadiens can afford to part with that return, but they could be reluctant to do so for O'Reilly. GM Kent Hughes prefers adding younger players who can fit among their youthful roster core. Adding the 34-year-old O'Reilly would be a significant step away from that template.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

After ending their losing streak at five games against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens will be taking on the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The team arrived on Monday and had time to settle in before practising on Tuesday morning. Thankfully, no one was hit by a car this year, unlike former Hab Emil Heineman last season.

Martin St-Louis has already confirmed that Jakub Dobes, who had a .920 save percentage against the Leafs, will be in net for the game, despite Samuel Montembeault beating the Mammoth a little over two weeks ago at the Bell Centre. He has made 23 stops on 25 shots, but given how the goaltenders have performed so far this season, it makes sense to go with the netminder who made you win the last game. Dobes has never faced the hosts, while Montembeault has a 2-0-1 record against them with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.

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The identity of the Mammoth goaltender has yet to be announced, but Karel Vejmelka has seen most of the action for Andre Tourigny’s team this season. The netminder has a 3-2-1 record in six duels with the Habs, a 3.47 GAA and a .864 SV against Montreal. As for backup Vitek Vanecek, he’s got a 3-1-1 record, with a 2.80 GAA and a .888 SV.

Wednesday evening’s game will be the fourth meeting between the two sides, and the Canadiens have won the last two by scores of 6-2 and 5-3. Utah won the first game ever between the two sides 3-2 in overtime. The Canadiens will need to make the most of their power-play opportunities to get a win, but that will be a tall order. Utah has the sixth-best penalty kill in the league with an 84.1% success rate, but since the start of November, it has killed 96% of power plays.

Cole Caufield is the Canadiens’ top scorer against the Mammoth with five points in three games, and he was also doing pretty well against the Arizona Coyotes before the franchise was moved, with four points in six games. Four players have three points in as many games against Utah: Alexandre Carrier (one assist in seven games against Arizona), Noal Dobson (four assists against the Coyotes), Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson (one goal in 11 games against the Coyotes).

Meanwhile, Clayton Keller is the Mammoth’s most productive player against the Canadiens with 17 points in 14 games, Nick Schmaltz is second with 15 points in 14 games, and Olli Maatta wraps up the top three with 14 points in 28 games.

As is always the case when the two teams are playing, we’ll be keeping an eye on the first and third pick of the 2022 NHL draft: Juraj Slafkovsky and Logan Cooley. The power forward has a single point in three duels with Utah, while the center has three points in five games against Montreal. Both teams have had issues of late with 3-4-3 records in their last 10 games; the Canadiens have won their previous match, while the Mammoth are now on a modest two-game winning streak.

The game is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET, and you can catch it on UTAH 16, TSN 2 and RDS. The Canadiens will hold an optional skate at 11:00 MST and hold media availabilities then.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

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Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos released his first trade board for the 2025-26 season, and one of the Buffalo Sabres' best players was included on it: Alex Tuch.

This is not the first time that Tuch has been considered a trade candidate, and it probably will not be the last. The 29-year-old winger is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) on a Sabres team that has struggled with consistency this season, so questions about his future in Buffalo will only continue unless he signs a contract extension.

If the Sabres end up deciding that Tuch is not a player they plan to keep around, he would have the potential to get them a great return in a trade. The 6-foot-4 forward is once again having a strong season in 2025-26, as he has recorded eight goals, 13 assists, and 21 points in 22 games. This is after he had 36 goals and 67 points in 82 games this past season with the Sabres. 

With Tuch being an impactful top-six winger with size, there is no question that playoff clubs would love to acquire him. It will be interesting to see what the Sabres end up doing with him. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets are at home to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at Nationwide Arena. 

The Maple Leafs come into Columbus a battered and broken team - Literally. 

The Leafs come into Nationwide Arena 8th in the Atlantic and 16th in the East. That's right, you heard me. Dead last. They're 3-5-2 in their last 10 and lost their last game against Montreal back on November 22nd. 

To make things worse for Toronto, they're 1-6-0 on the road this season and have been outscored 9-5 by the CBJ this season. The Jackets have also beaten the Leafs three straight times inside NWA, and they're missing some of their big boys like Matthews, Knies, and Roy. 

With all that being said, the Maple Leafs can absolutely blow the doors off of Columbus if they're not careful. The Jackets are missing some of their big boys as well. Kirill Marchenko and Mathieu Olivier are out and being evaluated, while Zach Werenski, who left the game against Washington, is expected to play.  

The Eastern Conference is a jumbled mess, with 10 teams within two points of one another. Columbus needs points any way they can get them. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 17.0% - 23rd in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 73.7% - 28th in the NHL
• Goals For - 66 - 22nd in the NHL
• Goals Against - 75 - 26th in the NHL

Maple Leafs Stats

• Power Play - 15.1% - 26th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 80% - 19th in the NHL
• Goals For - 74 - 6th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 82 - 29th in the NHL

Series History vs. The Maple Leafs

• Columbus is 23-20-1 all-time, and 10-11-0 at home vs. Toronto.
• The Jackets are 6-2 in the last 8 against the Maple Leafs, and have scored 5-plus goals in every win.
• The Blue Jackets have won three straight against Toronto at NWA.
• The CBJ are 2-0 against the Leafs this season.

Who To Watch For The Maple Leafs

• John Tavares leads the Leafs with 12 goals.
• William Nylander leads the team with 19 assists and 29 points.
• Goalie Joseph Woll is 1-2-1 with a SV% of .905. He last played on November 22 and lost.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Maple Leafs

• Zach Werenski has 20 points in 19 career games against Toronto.
• Charlie Coyle has 25 points in 32 games.
• Adam Fantilli has 8 points in 8 career games, including 2 goals and an assist on November 20th.

Injuries 

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 15 games - IR
• Boone Jenner - Upper Body - Missed 7 Games - IR
• Kirill Marchenko - Lower Body - Missed 1 Game

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 35

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Let us know what you think below.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The New York Islanders are a good hockey team. They are a team that could certainly make the playoffs and do damage, even if they never get grouped into the "Stanley Cup contender" conversation.

However, one way to get into that conversation is by filling a significant hole on the backend: an elite right-handed defenseman who can be paired alongside No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer for the next five-plus seasons.

That player may be residing in Vancouver in the form of Filip Hronek. 

The 28-year-old defenseman, who has five seasons left on his deal at $7.25 million annually, has a full no-move clause, which means he has complete say on where he ends up.  Parlay that with Vancouver's struggles and reports that they are willing to trade their veterans outside of Quinn Hughes -- more likely unrestricted free agents -- there are reasons to think Hronek could be in play -- that is, if the right team comes calling.

Now, Hronek does have a connection to the Islanders. When the Canucks traded Bo Horvat to the Islanders on Jan. 30, 2023, they acquired the Islanders' 2023 first-round pick as part of the package. 

The Canucks then flipped that pick to the Detroit Red Wings for Hronek ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, pairing him with Hughes as the club's top pairing. 

Hronek now plays on the second pairing with Tyler Myers. 

Yes, it would be ironic if Hronek ended up in Blue & Orange. But he fits the need, and at 28, he does fit this core's timeline. 

His agent Allan Walsh also represents Jonathan Drouin, who signed a two-year deal worth $4 million annually with Long Island this summer. 

Many times it’s the little things that have the most impact. Jonathan Drouin discusses the NY Islanders. https://t.co/0Hrps2WhVO

— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) July 10, 2025

Now, the biggest question is cost. What would the Islanders have to send the Canucks' way to get this done?

Remember, Vancouver has zero leverage here if Hronek decides that he wants out because they gave him the full NMC. So, the Islanders, if they are a team Hronek is open to coming to, don't need to come up with the most competitive package, just a package. 

Hronek was acquired for the Islanders' 2023 first and Vancouver's 2023 second-round pick. 

The Islanders have Colorado's 2026 first-round pick from the Brock Nelson trade, but they also have their own first-round pick, which is likely to be more valuable. The Chicago Blackhawks own the Islanders' second-round pick, which they acquired in the Josh Bailey trade at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal. 

Could the Islanders' 2026 first, a 2026 conditional third, and a depth forward get the job done? 

In 23 games this season, Hronek has recorded 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) with just four total penalties, averaging 24:24 minutes per game.

Oct 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Brady Martin (44) skates with the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Until late October, Brady Martin was living his NHL dream. Then, just like that, it disappeared.

After the Nashville Predators selected the 18-year-old right-shot center fifth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, he had a busy summer. Martin participated in the World Junior Summer Showcase, the NHL Prospects Tournament and the Predators’ training camp before making the Opening Night roster.

Head coach Andrew Brunette placed the six-foot, 187-pound Martin at center on the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly during camp. He recorded two goals and an assist during the pre-season, making it nearly impossible for Brunette to leave him off the roster.

The elation of making his NHL debut quickly dissipated, however. After recording an assist in 23:24 of ice time in the Predators’ first two regular-season home games, Martin was a healthy scratch in all four games of a Canadian road swing.

Martin returned against the Anaheim Ducks Oct. 21, this time centering the third line with Fedor Svechkov and Tyson Jost. The next day, he was sent back to the Soo Greyhounds, his junior team in the OHL.

In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, Martin said it was during the Canadian road trip that he had an inkling his status was about to change.

“I kind of saw it coming, since they have a lot of other young guys they wanted to get in the lineup,” Martin said via phone after a Nov. 20 Greyhounds practice. “I came back (from the trip), played one game and figured after that would probably be my last game.”

Two games into the trip, Brunette addressed the reasoning behind Martin’s healthy scratches.

“We want to put him in positions to feel comfortable, to get better,” Brunette told reporters after a 7-4 loss in Toronto Oct. 14. “I think there’s no better opportunity right now to learn from our veteran guys, be in practice, be around them.”

You won’t find Martin moping about being sent back to juniors. He views his time in Nashville as a great learning experience, particularly playing between veterans Forsberg and O’Reilly.

Martin grew especially close to Forsberg, even staying with the 31-year-old Swedish forward and his family briefly during camp.

“Fil (Forsberg), he’s an idol for me, and he’s very well-known in Nashville,” Martin said. “Just getting to play alongside him and learn from him and stuff, it’s really cool. He helped me a lot and welcomed me to Nashville.”

What did Martin learn from O’Reilly?

“The way he shows up to the rink every day, every little detail he does, it all counts,” Martin explained. “You can see why he’s been in the League for a very long time and successful throughout his career.”

Martin is well aware of the success Matthew Schaefer, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard and other teenagers have had in their first NHL seasons. While he’d love to have experienced a similar outcome, he realizes everyone develops at their own pace.

“You always want to move to the next level and play in the NHL right away,” Martin said. “Not everyone has the same path. I’ll enjoy my time here (in Sault Ste. Marie) and when it’s time for me to play in the NHL, it’ll be time.”

Scouts have praised Martin’s stickhandling and playmaking abilities. Scoring hasn’t been an issue for him at the junior level, either. In three OHL seasons, he’s recorded 111 points (45-66-111) over 119 games.

Last season, he scored 72 points in 57 games for the Greyhounds and collected 11 points in seven contests to lead Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF U18 World Championship.

Martin currently has two goals and 11 points with the Greyhounds this season. He was held out of a Nov. 22 game against the London Knights for precautionary reasons due to a possible upper-body injury.

During his stint in Nashville, it became evident that Martin would need more muscle to be successful at the NHL level. He recalls the conversation with Preds general manager Barry Trotz and Brunette upon being assigned back to the Greyhounds.

“They said the NHL is the best league in the world and you gotta be ready to play,” Martin said. “I just need to get bigger and stronger. Sometimes, it’s better for you to go back to juniors, light it up for another year, get your confidence. Then, you can go play in the NHL.”

Growing up on a farm in Elmira, Ontario, Martin is no stranger to hard work. Besides learning to be quicker on stops and starts, he’s hitting the gym to get stronger and make it more difficult for players to knock him off the puck.

“Work ethic was a big part of my hockey journey,” he said. “You’ve got to always put the work in. Everyone’s so big and strong nowadays that you can’t take any days off or you’re gonna fall behind.”

Now that he’s had a taste of playing in the NHL, Martin is focused on getting back to stay.

“I enjoyed my time in Nashville, but I think it was time for me to come back (to the OHL),” he said. “The guys needed me here and I think it was better for my development to come back and get more minutes here.”

The motto that underscored the Colorado Avalanche’s magical run to the 2022 Stanley Cup championship was “Find a Way,” and Gabe Landeskog echoed a similar sentiment on Tuesday morning. 

The Avalanche enter Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks as the NHL’s top team, carrying a 16-1-5 record through 21 games. Having just one regulation loss at this stage of the season is almost unheard of—usually that’s a cliché, but in this case it’s fact. This level of dominance has been achieved only four times in the past 97 years. What we’re witnessing is historic.  

And yet, there’s still room for improvement. The power play remains the one area of this team that could use a reset. But it’s early in the season, and the Avalanche are dominant enough right now that it makes sense for them to experiment with a few ideas. 

Science Experiment: Power Play Edition 

Beginning with this past weekend’s road series against the Nashville Predators and the Chicago Blackhawks, the Avalanche began experimenting by moving Landeskog onto the first power play unit in place of Victor Olofsson. Landeskog told The Hockey News how he felt the group performed over those two games. 

“The power play is one of the things we continue to work on,” he stated. “We’re understanding where we’re at; we’re understand that if our power play can start chipping in goals on a nightly basis, obviously that makes a big difference.” 

But this Avalanche team has repeatedly demonstrated that even on nights when they lack their sharpest form, they still manage to manufacture wins. With that in mind, Landeskog remains confident that the group will eventually solve its power play issues. 

“It’s early on in the season; we’re working on a few things and trying a couple different looks. It’s one of the things when it’s not working, it’s easy to start overthinking it, start pointing fingers, try to re-invent the wheel, but at the end of the day, sometimes you just got to stick with it. 

“Sometimes there are tweaks to be made we make them no problem, but I think the power play is kind of the same as the rest of our game as we continue to work on it; we’re going to find ways (to succeed), and I’m not worried about it.”

Find a way, eh? What does remind of you of? We have an idea.

The Avalanche (16–1–5) have recorded 13 power-play goals this season, converting at a 15.7 percent clip—a rate that places them in a four-way tie for 15th in the NHL alongside the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and St. Louis Blues. 

Game Time 

Colorado dropped a 3–2 overtime decision to the San Jose Sharks in their previous meeting on October 1 at SAP Center. Tonight, the Avalanche have an opportunity to even the season series on home ice at Ball Arena. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Florida Panthers are back in Sunrise and will kick off their longest homestand of the season on Wednesday night.

Florida will welcome the Philadelphia Flyers to Amerant Bank Arena for the final time this year after defeating Philly 2-1 back in the second game of the season.

It’s also the last time these teams will meet, barring a playoff series, as the Flyers took down the Panthers 5-2 on Oct. 13, which was subsequently Philadelphia’s home opener and the first road game on Florida’s schedule.

Former Panthers first round pick Owen Tippett has been a consistent source of offense for the Flyers of late.

He’s logged seven points over his past five games, and he’s placed the team in scoring over the past couple weeks.

New Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar has enjoyed a strong start in Philly.

He’s played very well in both games against Florida this season, stopping 56 of 60 Panthers shots in the two outings.

League-wide, there are 27 goaltenders who have played in at least 13 games, and of those 27 tendies, Vladar is tied with Vegas’ Akira Schmid for the fewest goals allowed at 31.

Entering play Wednesday, Vladar ranks sixth in the NHL in both goals against average, which is at 2.42, and save percentage, currently at .912.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Wednesday’s battle with the Flyers:

Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

Jesper Boqvist – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer

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Last year, when the NHL paused to host a best-on-best tournament, two members of the Montreal Canadiens were asked to play for Team Finland: Patrik Laine and Joel Armia. The latter is no longer a member of the organization, having signed with the Los Angeles Kings over the offseason, while the former is still part of the team but, once again, sidelined by an injury.

According to the timeline provided by the Canadiens, when he underwent core muscle surgery, Laine could be back either in January or February. Even if he were back in January, would it be realistic to try to play in a best-on-best tournament? Probably not.

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There is, however, another member of the Habs who could have earned himself a spot with the Finnish national team thanks to his season debut: rookie center Oliver Kapanen. The 22-year-old is currently playing on a line with Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky, after skating alongside Alex Newhook for the 17 games he played before his injury.

In 21 games, the youngster has put up 11 points, but he’s also been an essential part of the Canadiens’ penalty kill. Armia and Christian Dvorak’s departure created a need for the Canadiens in that role, and Kapanen jumped on that opportunity.

The center is currently fourth in rookie points with 11 and in a three-way tie when it comes to goals with seven.

The Canadiens’ coach describes him as having an elite NHL-level computer, praising his ability to read the game and the plays, which make him a very responsible two-way forward, precisely the kind of forward you need if you want to stand a chance in a best-on-best competition. The Finns will already be without one of the best two-way forwards in the game because of Aleksander Barkov’s injury, not that Kapanen can replace the Florida Panthers’ captain, but no one can replace Barkov.

Finland took the gold medal at the last tournament, but that was without NHL players competing. The last time NHLers skated in the event, at Sochi in 2014, the Finns left Russia with the bronze medal, and they’ll no doubt be aiming for the podium again.

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