The NHL’s 2025-26 regular season continues to unfold, as does our weekly look at the Hot Seat Radar.

The radar focuses on NHL figures facing increased pressure, whether their jobs are at risk or not. For some, they may not be going anywhere, but they could still be feeling the heat to see improved results before a more significant problem arises.

When it comes to the hot seat, cooling down is a good thing. It means they're under less pressure to improve their situation. Of course, warming up means there's less time to turn things around.

We've talked about Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff in each of the last two weeks, so this time, we're revisiting Craig Berube's situation before looking at Alberta rivals.

Cooling Down: Craig Berube, Coach, Toronto Maple Leafs

With the Maple Leafs off to a 9-9-2 start, Leafs analysts and fans have begun to question Berube's methods.

GM Brad Treliving isn't thinking about a change.

"Yeah, I've got all the faith in our coach right now," Treliving told reporters on Monday, according to The Hockey News' David Alter. "Listen, when you go through things like this, understandably, everything gets talked about and looked about. My job right now is to support our coach, support his message and support our group, and push the group."

Berube is the same coach who steered the Leafs to the best record in the Atlantic Division last season. This is a very competent bench boss.

Unfortunately, the injury bug has taken a huge bite out of the Maple Leafs’ roster, as veterans Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, Nicolas Roy and Brando Carlo all are currently on the sidelines. But that can’t be an excuse – at least, when it comes to Toronto sitting in second-last place in the Atlantic and Eastern Conference. 

From this writer’s perspective, Berube’s job is still safe. Now, he can’t afford another five-game losing streak, but given that the Leafs’ next six games include two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and games against the disappointing Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Do The Maple Leafs Have 'Too Much Vanilla' Or Not Enough Marner?Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said the solution to dealing with the team's bad start is not to point fingers and dig in together. But they seriously need Marner's two-way play right now.

Cooling Down: Ryan Huska, Coach, Calgary Flames

Huska was firmly on the hot seat coming out of the gate, as the Flames quickly fell into the bottom of the Pacific Division and league with abysmal performances left, right and center that led to an eight-game losing streak.

However, with four wins in its past nine games, Calgary has made modest improvements and is on the precipice of climbing out of the Western Conference basement and past the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues.

Calgary’s latest win – a 6-2 romp over the lowly Buffalo Sabres – took some of the heat off of Huska. And some of that heat got transferred back to the Sabres' Adams and Ruff.

If the Flames aren't going to make the playoffs, they at least need their young players and their trade bait to put up some points. That wasn't really happening in October. But in the past week, Matt Coronato has five points in four games, and Frost has four points. Pending UFA defenseman Rasmus Andersson is showing how valuable he could be for another squad with two goals and six points in four games.

The management and coaching game is a zero-sum business, so while the Flames have to be feeling slightly more competitive with their performance in November, it will only take another three- or four-game losing skid to warm up Huska's seat yet again. Calgary isn’t likely to make a surge in the standings, so Huska could find himself in the pressure cooker in short order.

Warming Up: Kris Knoblauch, Coach, Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have been one of the bigger disappointments in the league this season with a 9-9-4 record. But it isn’t just that Edmonton is struggling that puts Knoblauch on the Hot Seat Radar for the first time this season. It’s how the Oilers are losing that increases the pressure on Knoblauch to turn things around before any questions about his job arise. 

Edmonton has lost six of its last nine games – including five in regulation – being outscored 40-26 in that span.

In this past week, the Oilers lost three of four games: 5-4 to Columbus, 5-1 to Buffalo and 7-4 to Washington.

We’re not telling you Knoblauch will be fired anytime soon, but if the Oilers want to try to get back to the Stanley Cup final, Knoblauch has to address the defense first and foremost.

Yes, the team's save percentage of .857 is quite poor. But the Oilers likely won't get an upgrade in net in the trade market. The solution has to come from within the dressing room.

The Oilers have the eighth-most expected goals against this season at 68.72, according to naturalstattrick.com, and the most actual goals against, with 80. So even though they're allowing the sixth-fewest shots against per game, they need to reduce the quality of chances against.

Edmonton is not where it was two years ago when the team fired coach Jay Woodcroft following a 3-9-1 start. The league's increased parity this season plays a part in the team sitting fifth in the Pacific Division.

But if the losing continues for the Oilers, Knoblauch’s job security will eventually come into question.

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After beating the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Wednesday, the Ducks are right back at it on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. A win against the Senators would give the Ducks a three-game win streak.

“Winning at home is important,” Ryan Strome said after their win against the Bruins. “We’ve got a great record here. Our fans have come out really strong this year and supported us. 
You could just tell by the enthusiasm. It’s so great to see, and they're so excited for us.

“Ottawa’s a hungry team right now and they're going to be well-rested, waiting for us, so we've got to be ready to go. 
It’s going to be another tough game, so try to get some rest here and get ready to go. crack some things. All in all, finding ways to win, especially on home ice, is so key. Trying to carry that (into) tomorrow is huge.”

Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-3 Win over the BruinsDucks defeat Bruins with clutch play and timely adjustments. Dostal's stellar goaltending paves the way for crucial offensive chances.

Petr Mrázek is expected to start for Anaheim after Lukáš Dostál started and made 36 saves against the Bruins. Any lineup changes for Anaheim won’t be known until warmups due to no morning skate, but defenseman Pavel Mintyukov will likely be a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game.

Late Wednesday night, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed that Mintyukov would prefer to be traded if he continues to be scratched.

The Senators will be without Thomas Chabot, Olle Lycksell, Ridly Greig and captain Brady Tkachuk. Chabot, Lycksell and Tkachuk are all on injured reserve while Greig is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Ducks forward Chris Kreider will play in his 900th game, his 17th with the Ducks after spending the previous 13 seasons with the New York Rangers. Kreider has added a much-needed netfront presence to the Ducks after coming over from the Rangers as an offseason acquisition this past June. He helped create the game-tying goal on Monday against the Utah Mammoth and the game-winning goal on Wednesday against the Bruins.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider- Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier - Mason McTavish - Beckett Sennecke
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston - Jansen Harkins - Nikita Nesterenko

Jackson LaCombe - Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Ian Moore - Radko Gudas

Petr Mrázek (projected)

Senators Projected Lines

David Perron - Tim Stützle - Drake Batherson
Lars Eller - Dylan Cozens - Fabian Zetterlund
Michael Amadio - Shane Pinto - Claude Giroux
Nick Cousins - Stephen Halliday - Hayden Hodgson

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven - Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo - Nick Jensen

Linus Ullmark (confirmed)

The Pittsburgh Penguins made multiple moves this off-season. Among the most notable was them acquiring goaltender Arturs Silovs from the Vancouver Canucks.

The decision to bring in Silovs is already looking like a very good one by the Penguins, as the young goaltender has played excellently for the Metropolitan Division club so far. In 10 games so far this season, he has posted a 4-2-4 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.44 goals-against average. He also recorded his first career NHL shutout in his Penguins debut on Oct. 7, stopping all 25 New York Rangers shots he faced. 

Now, Silovs' strong start to the season has gotten him some big-time praise.

Silovs was ranked as the sixth-best rookie in the NHL in The Athletic's latest Calder Trophy rankings. With this, he ranked ahead of other promising rookies like Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose Sharks), Zeev Buium (Minnesota Wild), and Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues).

Given how well Silovs has started the season, it is understandable that he is being viewed as one of the top rookies in the NHL right now. It will be interesting to see how he performs as this season rolls on from here. 

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Having just recorded a new career-high in points last season, Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond is beginning to heat up once again. 

Raymond is currently riding a five-game point streak coming into Thursday evening's tilt against the New York Islanders, having tallied twice while adding eight assists during that span. Among his points was scoring the game-winning goal against the New York Rangers on Nov. 16 late in the third period as part of Detroit's 2-1 win. 

Right now, he's on track to reach 90 points, which would be a new career-best. And he's doing it while having already missed two games because of an upper-body injury. 

The good news for the Red Wings is that Raymond is feeling good - and that's bad news for the rest of the NHL. 

"I feel good, physically just coming back from an injury, it's always a little slow in the beginning, but I feel good," Raymond said following practice on Thursday morning. "I think the team has been playing some really good hockey games as well lately, so that helps.

"I feel good, it's a long season and you're always going to be battling something. Very rarely do you feel a hundred percent, so I feel good. There's nothing that's bothering me."

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

It wasn't long ago that Raymond was a fresh-faced rookie himself during the 2021-22 NHL campaign, having to navigate through the rigors of not only playing in the top league in the world but also living on a new continent on the opposite side of the globe.

Playing in his fifth NHL season, Raymond is happy to see the progression of new rookies on the club like Nate Danielson, Emmitt Finnie, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. 

"First, it's a lot of fun, I think everything is new," Raymond said while looking back at his rookie season. "A lot of new impressions, every arena that's new and you play for the first time in against a bunch of players you watched growing up, there's a lot of excitement, and I think you want to enjoy as much as possible." 

Rising Rookies: Emmitt Finnie Snaps Drought Playing With Nate Danielson Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Emmitt Finnie was happy to end his scoring drought on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken, his first goal since Oct. 25 against the Blues.

Naturally, there's going to be a learning curve for even the most highly-touted young professionals.

"At the same time, it can be tough," Raymond said of the introduction to life in the NHL. "You want to play well and have a good impact. But a lot of fun and something I'll take with me." 

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One area that the Philadelphia Flyers would benefit upgrading is the left side of their defense. 

Due to this, let's take a look at two defensemen who are interesting targets for the Flyers to consider pursuing.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres 

The Sabres have had a shaky start to the 2025-26 season, and they very well could be sellers if they do not turn things around. If the Sabres do end up selling, blueliner Bowen Byram would be a clear player to watch.

Byram was the subject of trade rumors this off-season before signing his two-year, $12.5 million bridge deal with the Sabres. If the 24-year-old becomes available due to Buffalo's struggles, he would undoubtedly provide the Flyers' top four with a nice boost if acquired. In 20 games this season, he has recorded three goals and nine points.

Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim Ducks 

Pavel Mintyukov is a new name in the rumor mill who should grab the Flyers' attention. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the young defenseman "would like to be moved" if he continues to be scratched. 

With Mintyukov being a 21-year-old former first-round pick with good upside, he is somebody who would make a lot of sense for the Flyers to target. In 18 games so far this season, he has recorded three assists and a plus-1 rating. He also showed offensive potential during his rookie year in 2023-24, scoring four goals and setting career highs with 24 assists and 28 points in 63 games.

On Thursday, the Winnipeg Jets have granted 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert permission to seek a trade, Daily Faceoff has learned.

League sources say #GoJetsGo have given 2022 first round pick Brad Lambert's representation permission to find a trade partner.

Lambert, 21, has one goal in four games for #nhljets in limited minutes this season.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 20, 2025

Insider Frank Seravalli confirmed that Lambert’s camp recently received approval to explore potential landing spots as his path to full-time NHL duty has tightened in recent weeks.

The Jets have welcomed back a wave of injured regulars, which has created a crowded forward group and limited Lambert’s opportunities despite a promising start to the season.

Jets Ink Five-Year, $25 Million Extension With Captain Adam Lowry Captain Adam Lowry commits his future to the Jets, securing a $25 million, five-year extension.

The 21-year-old has appeared in four NHL games this season, scoring one goal while seeing very limited minutes. In total, he has dressed for ten career NHL games over three seasons with one goal and two assists.

Lambert scored his first career goal just two weeks ago in a game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, however this didn't last long as he was again sent back down to the AHL this past Tuesday.

Once regarded as a potential top-five pick in the draft, Lambert fell to the Jets due to his final junior season. He still has two years left on his entry-level deal. 

While the Jets remain high on his long-term potential, the organization also understands Lambert’s growing frustration with being stuck in the minors. Lambert's camp likely believes he will have a clearer route to NHL minutes with another club.

Lambert has been a consistent performer at the AHL level with the Manitoba Moose, recording 30 goals and 63 assists for 93 points in 141 games. 

The Finnish forward was an important contributor for his home country at the 2022 World Junior Championship, where he helped secure a silver medal. Before reaching the professional ranks, he excelled at the junior level with the Seattle Thunderbirds, producing 38 points in 26 games.

For Winnipeg, this decision does not necessarily indicate a desire to trade Lambert, but it does reflect the reality of his stalled development path. If another team can offer a clearer opportunity and the Jets receive an appropriate return, both sides may see a move as beneficial. 

As for what the return could be is hard to say as Lambert has shown some upside at the NHL level with his production so far but has been very limited. The last thing the Jets organization will want is to trade away a high-end prospect that can easily produce 25-30 points tomorrow with room to go even higher and get left with a lesser return.

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The Wraparound is back with more NHL and hockey topics in rapid-fire segments.

Who Are Buffalo And Calgary's Top Trade Candidates? by The Wraparound

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Stephen Kerr discussed in this episode:

0:00: Should the Vegas Golden Knights be concerned about their goaltending situation?

4:42: Could Macklin Celebrini receive significant Hart Trophy consideration this season?

8:10: Will Jesper Wallstedt’s rise cause a shake-up in net for the Minnesota Wild?

11:30: Breaking down Adam Lowry’s five-year extension with the Winnipeg Jets

15:10: Could Charlie McAvoy’s absence bring the Boston Bruins down to earth?

18:50: Should the Anaheim Ducks look to trade Pavel Mintyukov?

22:10: Could Alexandre Texier end up terminating his contract with the St. Louis Blues?

25:26: Looking at the top trade candidates for the Buffalo Sabres and the Calgary Flames

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

Thursday's slate of NHL action is chalk full of marquee matchups across the league with 12 games for fans to enjoy. One of the most intriguing games on the board features the surging Capitals that have won three of their last five games with close losses to the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils. 

After winning in decisive fashion on Wednesday versus the Edmonton Oilers, Washington will play their second leg of a back-to-back on the road versus the slumping Montreal Canadiens. The Habs started off the season in flying colors with a 9-3-0 record through their first 12 games but have since dropped six of their last seven games. 

A win on Thursday could a long way for both teams and should culminate in a hard fought game in one of the best arenas in all of hockey at the Bell Centre. 

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.

Maple Leafs Set For High-Scoring Clash Versus Marchenko, Blue JacketsThe Toronto Maple Leafs have won just three of their last nine matchups versus the Columbus Blue Jackets with winger Kirill Marchenko recording points in three of their last four meetings for a total of one goal and three assists.

Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals Best Bets

Over 6.0 Goals (-120)

Habs ML (-139)

Habs First Period Over 0.5 Goals (-189) Parlay Add

Tom Wilson Over 0.5 Points (-149)

Josh Anderson Anytime Goal (+475) Longshot Pick

Nick Suzuki Anytime Goal (+175)

The Habs are clear favorites in this matchup, and for good reason. They are long overdue for a win after their recent slump and have yet to secure a strong home record, splitting their ten home games this season with five victories. However, the Capitals usually perform well against Montreal, winning seven of their last nine games and taking three of the last four trips to Montreal.

Adding to the challenge, Washington will be traveling the day after a tough game against the Oilers, in which they scored seven goals in a 7-4 shootout. This fatigue is likely to be exposed early by a Habs team that is tied for 12th in first-period goals, alongside five other teams, with 18 goals and a +5 first-period goal differential.

Montreal will also benefit from facing the Capitals without their top goaltender, Logan Thompson. Thompson has been outstanding this season but started on Wednesday, leaving backup Charlie Lindgren in net. Lindgren, a former Montreal goaltender signed as an undrafted free agent by Washington, has a 2-3-1 record and a 3.17 goals-against average (GAA) this season.

Montreal’s starter, Sam Montembeault, has struggled this season, holding a 4-5-1 record and a 3.56 GAA. His career numbers against Washington are also underwhelming, with a 2-3-0 record, a 3.49 GAA, and a .893 save percentage over six appearances. Public opinion is fairly divided on this game, with 56 percent favoring a Habs win at home, while nearly 80 percent believe Montreal will not cover the spread.

This game is likely to turn into a high-scoring affair, but Montreal should find a way to win. They are overdue for a strong response and could do so by taking an early lead and maintaining momentum offensively. For Washington, leading scorer Tom Wilson will be key. He is averaging a point per game over 20 contests this season and has accumulated nine points over his last eight games against Montreal, including five goals and four assists.

Wilson will also be motivated after last season’s postseason brawl with Montreal’s Josh Anderson. Anderson is expected to respond offensively, having scored twice and assisted once for three points over his last four games entering Thursday.

Montreal captain Nick Suzuki is another key player to watch. In 20 career games versus Washington, he has tallied 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points. Suzuki is due for a big night, having earned just one point over his last four games.

Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesAn 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.

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With the recent signing of Shane Pinto, the Ottawa Senators have done a fine job of locking up the bulk of their core for the next few years, the ones they believe are part of their eventual Stanley Cup formula. Here's a list of some of their top players who are signed for the next three years, along with the year their contract expires.

Tim Stutzle: 2031
Brady Tkachuk: 2028
Jake Sanderson: 2032
Thamas Chabot: 2028
Dylan Cozens: 2030
Shane Pinto: 2030
Fabian Zetterlund: 2028
Ridly Greig: 2029
Linus Ullmark: 2029

So, it would seem like this group's window of opportunity is here, and according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, GM Steve Staios appears ready to do something big to crank it wide open.

While referring to the NHL trade market in his latest 32 Thoughts column, Friedman wrote, "The Senators are lurking, looking to hit a home run."

Given his druthers, Staios would probably prefer that his trade discussions weren't described as lurking, but it is interesting to hear that, according to Friedman, Staios is in the batter's box and looking to go yard.

If nothing else, it shouldn't be a surprise that Stais is out there laying the groundwork for a big swing between now and the deadline, as he's done in the past.

But identifying the proper time to push your chips all-in can be a risky business. For example, Pierre Dorion's timing was badly off with his go-for-broke deals, such as they were.

The season after the Sens' run to the Eastern Final in 2017, Dorion acquired Matt Duchene from Colorado in a costly blockbuster trade involving Nashville. The Senators completely fell apart after that, finishing second-last in the league, sparking a long rebuild. Meanwhile, the Avalanche went from last place the previous season to making the playoffs, sparking a run of excellence they're still on.

In that deal, the Sens had to surrender the 4th overall pick in 2019, which they could have used to take a player like Mo Seider, Matt Boldy, or Cole Caufield, who went 6, 12, and 15, respectively. Any one of whom could now be helping the Senators' cause mightily.

Dorion also went out and got players like Alex DeBrincat and Jakob Chychrun. Neither of them moved the needle, neither of them stayed long, and even after they were flipped, their acquisition damaged the overall quality of Ottawa's assets.

So is now the right time for Staios to make a home run trade? In general terms, the answer is yes, but it obviously needs to make sense.

Last spring, the Sens finally shook off a seven-year playoff drought, and with the group now a little older and wiser, with new lessons learned from their playoff christening, they do appear to be on the doorstep, where supporting the troops with another big-time player or two finally makes sense.

But if Staios chooses that path, whether it's the tough-as-nails defenseman or a proven NHL scorer, his trade partner will likely be a lower-end team that's out of the playoff mix. And at the quarter turn, which team is that, exactly? The season is starting to get away from Calgary, Nashville, and St. Louis, but after that, every other NHL team is within 4 points of a playoff spot. So there aren't many sellers or surrenders yet.

But that will change in the new year, as it always does, and like many people after Christmas, Staios doesn't have as much to spend as he'd like. But he can still do some things.

At first glance, pulling someone off the existing roster would seem counterproductive, but in the name of improving through rebalancing, Staios certainly hasn't been shy to do it. In the past year and a half, he's shipped out Josh Norris to get Dylan Cozens and Jakob Chychrun to get Nick Jensen. Is there another deal like those to be made? 

On the other hand, Staios could choose to deal away picks or prospects. But they don't have a first-round pick next summer. Would they deal their top pick in 2027 or 2028? Would they ship out former first-rounders like Carter Yakemchuk or Logan Hensler?

They certainly could, but that comes with its own long-term pitfalls, which is true of any team that gambles away some of its future to take a shot now. But the Sens have already parted with a lot of their future to make some of their ill-advised (and poorly communicated) trades of the past.

If they peddle away much more in the name of taking their shot, things could get ugly when this current Cup-or-bust window closes, and the Senators might find themselves in a rebuild that's even uglier than the one they just emerged from.

The good news for Sens fans is that, when it comes to trades, Staios' batting average has been pretty good so far. As he lurks near the plate, it will be fascinating to see if he gets another pitch he likes this season.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Read more Ottawa Senators articles at The Hockey News Ottawa:

Former Senators Defenseman Returns To Ottawa In Monday Trade With Philadelphia
Arthur Kaliyev Heating Up, Now Third In AHL Goal Scoring
Forsberg Returns To Ottawa As A King, Pitches A Shutout 
Senators Have Big UFA Contract Decisions In Next Few Years (Who Stays And Who Goes?)
Four More Years: Shane Pinto Signs Four-Year Extension
Creator Of 'New Heights' Gives Brady And Matthew Tkachuk Their Own Podcast

Will Borgen is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

This is the same injury that forced him to miss two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. 

Borgen returned to the lineup on Tuesday night during the Rangers’ game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but he did not practice on Thursday. 

Mike Sullivan said on Thursday that Borgen's injury status is a situation the team will have to manage accordingly going forward.

Wolf Pack Head Coach Speaks Highly About Gabe Perreault's GameGabe Perreault still has some aspects of his game he needs to refine before being fully ready to take on the trials and tribulations of the NHL. 

The 28-year-old defenseman did not practice on Thursday, an indication that he will miss tonight’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche. 

In his place, Scott Morrow is expected to slot into the lineup, as he practiced on the second power-play unit.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Buffalo Sabres have placed Mason Geertsen on waivers. 

Geertsen has appeared in five games this season with the Sabres, where he has recorded zero points, eight hits, 12 penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating. This is the first time that he has played at the NHL level since the 2021-22 season when he was a member of the New Jersey Devils. 

The Sabres signed Geertsen to a two-year contract this off-season. This was after he posted five assists, 77 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating in 31 games this past season with the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Teams looking for more toughness could consider claiming Geersten off waivers. However, if he passes through waivers unclaimed, the Sabres will then be able to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Artūrs Šilovs is enjoying quite a fast start to what is, technically, considered his rookie season in the NHL. 

The native of Riga, Latvia suited up for the Vancouver Canucks in 10 games during the 2024 playoffs, and he performed pretty well for a guy with only nine games of NHL experience spread across two seasons prior to that. Unfortunately - for the Canucks' sixth-round pick in 2019 - the emergence of Kevin Lankinen in Vancouver and the commitment to veteran Thatcher Demko didn't leave much room for Šilovs going forward with the Canucks, even though he led the Abbotsford Canucks to their first-ever AHL championship last season with a .931 save percentage and five shutouts through 24 games.

So, he was dealt to the Penguins this summer for a fourth-round pick and a lower-level prospect. And he's made a huge impact so far.

Heck, the 24-year-old's .917 save percentage this season has been enough to catch the attention of folks around the league, as he is involved in some early-season Calder Trophy talks. In fact, he has been one of the best goaltenders in the league up to this point, with the third-highest save percentage among NHL goaltenders with at least 10 appearances. 

There's no doubt that Šilovs came to Pittsburgh with a lot to prove and some pressure to perform, and he has risen to the occasion thus far. But what some may not know is that Šilovs has also already performed well at the highest levels of international hockey - and he will have another chance to do so for Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina. 

As one of the first six players named to Team Latvia's Olympic squad - Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender ⁠Elvis Merzļikins, Canucks forward Teddy Blueger, Tampa Bay Lightning center ⁠Zemgus Girgensons, Philadelphia Flyers center Rodrigo Abols, and Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis⁠ ⁠Balinskis are the others - Šilovs is getting an opportunity that he hasn't yet experienced, even if he has thrived on Latvian national teams. 

Good luck opening the door on these four... 🚪

The future is looking VERY bright for these young goalies! pic.twitter.com/05V4QxYeoA

— NHL (@NHL) November 20, 2025

“It’s always an honor to represent your country, especially [for the] Olympics," Šilovs said. "NHL players didn’t have a chance to play in the past, what, 10 years? I think it’s a great opportunity to see the best of the best, especially representing the national team... it’s a special team. Everyone is doing anything for the cause.”

And saying he's "thrived" on Latvia's national teams is a bit of an understatement. He turned heads at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, when he put up a .952 save percentage and 1.22 goals-against average in four appearances despite a 2-2 record - giving his team a chance in every game. For IIHF competition in general that year, Šilovs appeared in six games and posted a whopping .968 save percentage and 0.87 goals-against average against some high-level competition, including Sweden and Finland.

He followed that up in 2023 with a .921 save percentage in 10 appearances at the World Championship, which - once again - caught the attention of many, especially since Latvia was one of the biggest surprises of that tournament when they won the Bronze Medal game over Team USA, 4-3, and went 7-3 overall in the tournament.

Canucks Blueger & Šilovs Named To Latvia's 2026 Winter Olympic Games Preliminary RosterTeddy Blueger and&nbsp;Artūrs Šilovs are headed to the Olympics. The two Vancouver Canucks players were among the first six named to <a href="https://x.com/IIHFHockey/status/1934496913610486061/photo/1">Latvia's&nbsp;preliminary roster</a> for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. As for the other four named, they were Elvis Merzļikins,&nbsp;Uvis Balinskis,&nbsp;Zemgus Girgensons and former Canucks draft pick,&nbsp;Rodrigo Ābols.

Of course, Šilovs was a huge part of the team's success. But he gave a lot of credit to the fans and to the fact that high-level hockey is becoming more and more prevalent in his home country. 

“I think more guys are now playing outside of Latvia, and we can see a lot of junior guys are playing Canadian or American or or somewhere else and top in Europe," he said. "So I think it gives a lot of experience for the guys, and when they get together for, like, U20s, or their first international game, I think they have a confidence that they’ve already played against good players. There’s a lot of [draft picks] and guys who are probably going to play in the NHL like two, three years later.

"So, I think that gives confidence for a lot of guys. You’ve already seen the skill, what can happen and what can’t happen, and I think just getting experience. Because if you’ve never seen anything like that, it’s really hard to say, ‘Oh, we’re going to play good.’ I feel like, for smaller countries and for less developed countries which don’t have hockey that much, it’s really tough. You can’t compare the guys who play in their local tournament and then try to play against some of the best, right?”

BREAKING: Abbotsford Canucks Win 2025 Calder Cup After a magical <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/the-abbotsford-canucks-road-to-the-2025-calder-cup-final">playoff run</a> filled with standout performances, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/it-s-all-about-the-next-game-abbotsford-canucks-discuss-calder-cup-finals-game-5-mentality">Abbotsford Canucks</a> have officially won the 2025 Calder Cup. This is Abbotsford’s first Calder Cup win in franchise history and their first time making it out of the second round since their inaugural season in 2021. They clinched the Calder Cup after a 3–2 Game 6 win against the Charlotte Checkers in the Calder Cup Finals. The last time the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks">Vancouver Canucks</a>’ AHL affiliate made it to the Calder Cup Finals was when the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/looking-back-on-the-2015-utica-comets-run-to-the-calder-cup-finals">Utica Comets</a> did so in 2015.&nbsp;

And playing against some of the best internationally - in addition to his playoff experience in both the AHL and NHL - has given Šilovs that "ice-in-the-veins" mentality that is a requirement for the NHL's best goaltenders. Part of the reason so many folks are excited about what prospect Sergei Murashov could do at the highest level is because of that exact thing. 

Well, Šilovs has it, too. He plays at his best when the stakes are highest, and no stage is too big for him. And that hasn't gone unnoticed by his teammates and his coach.

"He's gained some really good experiences in his career so far, and he's obviously still a relatively young guy," Muse said. "I think those things, they seem to all kind of stack up. To have that run that he had last year, and then to have the playoffs before, and then you also look at some of the different experiences that he's had in international play... you look at it and see he's not that old. He's got all these things already, and you own those now. You own those experiences, and you carry them with you."

Like some of his teammates in Sidney Crosby (Canada), Erik Karlsson (Sweden), Rickard Rakell (Sweden), and Bryan Rust (USA), playing on, arguably, the biggest possible stage at the Olympics is a huge motivating factor for Šilovs this season, especially since - again - he has never had the chance to participate prior to 2026. 

And if his track record - and his play so far this season - is any indication, he should give Team Latvia a pretty good chance to remain competitive in every game during the tournament. And he is excited for the opportunity. 

“I’ve never been in an Olympics, so it’s just awesome to be a part of it," Šilovs said. "[It's my] first time for the Olympics to experience things, experience the way it is there, and see how the Olympics work. So, yeah, it's just very exciting.”

'It's Huge For Me': Olympics Big Motivating Factor For Penguins' Players This SeasonThe 2026 Olympic Games in Milano Cortina are a huge motivating factor for several Pittsburgh Penguins' players like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust - as well as for the entirety of the NHL.

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