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What Brett Kulak Brings To The Penguins After Trade From Edmonton

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a big trade on Friday morning, sending goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick.

The Oilers had been a rumored destination for Jarry for the last few weeks since their goaltending was really struggling to start the season. They had a combined .879 save percentage between Skinner and fellow goaltender Cal Pickard through the first two months of the season, and are hoping that Jarry can help stabilize things in the crease. 

Skinner had been with the Oilers organization since they selected him in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He's been inconsistent throughout his career, but will now have a chance for a fresh start in a new organization. He'll be paired with Arturs Silovs for the foreseeable future while Sergei Murashov continues to get the starters' reps in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. 

As for Kulak, he becomes an immediate upgrade to the third pairing on the left side of the blue line and can even play on the second pair with Kris Letang. He's having a rough go of things this year and has seen his minutes decrease, but it doesn't help that the Oilers' goalies (Skinner and Pickard) had an .861 save percentage with him on the ice. 

Kulak had a great season last year, compiling seven goals and 25 points in 82 games. He also averaged over 20 minutes per game during the regular season and over 23 minutes per game in the playoffs. He brought the offense and was also stingy in his own end at 5v5 and on the penalty kill. 

Kulak played 1475:31 at 5v5 last year and was on the ice for 53.4% of the shot attempts, 54.2% of the scoring chances, 54.4% of the high-danger chances, and 54.3% of the expected goals. Kulak spent 576 5v5 minutes with Ty Emberson last year and also has experience playing with Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard. He spent 425 5v5 minutes with Nurse and 208 5v5 minutes with Bouchard last year. 

Emberson was in his first full NHL season last year after playing in 30 games with the San Jose Sharks during the 2023-24 season. Kulak got to mentor him a bit, and I bring that up because there's a chance (even if it's small) that Harrison Brunicke plays for the team again this season after he gets back from the World Juniors. Kulak could have the opportunity to play with him if the Penguins feel like they're ready to start Brunicke's ELC.

BREAKING: Penguins Trade Tristan Jarry To Edmonton OilersBREAKING: Penguins Trade Tristan Jarry To Edmonton OilersThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have made a blockbuster move.

If not, Kulak's experience in a top-four spot could go a long way since Letang is really struggling right now. Letang had another rotten game against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, and it might be in Dan Muse's best interest to give him a new partner, at least to test it out. 

Outside of his 5v5 impacts, Kulak can also kill penalties, which is a significant strength of the Penguins. Going into Saturday's game against the Sharks, the Penguins rank fourth in the league with a 84.7% penalty kill. Kulak played 141:58 on the PK last year, which is the second-most minutes he's ever had on that unit. He's already up to 44:54 in 30 games this year and should see plenty of time on the Penguins' unit due to his defensive capabilities. 

If he can get back to his level from last year while keeping up his strong work on the PK, there's a chance the Penguins could flip him around the trade deadline since he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.

Of course, that depends on how much Dubas wants to sell because the team is in the playoff race right now. Despite three losses in a row, the Penguins are still in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 14-8-7 record. They have games in hand on the top three teams in the Metropolitan Division, but they only matter if you win them. 

Either way, Kulak has what it takes to help the Penguins' backend.

(Data via Natural Stat Trick and Dobber's Frozen Tools).

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Michael Porter Jr.'s fourth straight 30-point game not enough in Nets' 119-111 loss to Mavericks

DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half to go with 14 rebounds and three blocks, and Cooper Flagg had 22 points and eight assists as the Dallas Mavericks rallied to beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-111 on Friday night.

The Mavericks (10-16) have won five of their last six games and two straight at home for the first time this season. Naji Marshall scored 17 points.

Michael Porter Jr. had 34 to lead the Nets (6-18), who had won three of four following a 3-16 start. Porter has scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games for the first time in his seven-year NBA career.

Brooklyn rookie Danny Wolf added 17 points, 12 in the second half. Nic Claxton had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks outscored the Nets 66-44 in the paint despite Davis playing center instead of power forward with Dallas missing pivotmen Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford because of injuries.

The Nets shot a season-best 43.6% from behind the arc, hitting 17 of 39. Porter was 6 of 10 on 3-pointers.

The Mavericks outscored the Nets 29-19 in the fourth quarter, with Brooklyn shooting 28.6% in the period — including 2 of 9 from 3-point distance. With the score tied at 110 with three minutes left, Dallas’ Brandon Williams hit a second-chance 3 following Flagg’s rebound, and Davis followed with a floater following a turnover by Porter.

It was the Mavericks’ first game since Wednesday’s announcement that the oft-injured Lively will miss the remainder of the season following foot surgery. Gafford missed his third consecutive game because of a right ankle injury.

Up next

Nets: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Mavericks: At the Utah Jazz on Monday.

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Watch Stephen Curry celebrate return with ridiculous length-of-court tunnel shot

We're running out of adjectives to describe Stephen Curry's shots.

Case in point: Check out Curry's from the tunnel, length-of-the-court pregame heave Friday night.

From another angle.

Curry had a famous from-the-tunnel pregame tradition at Oracle Arena — which was essentially a very long baseline extended shot — but with the move to the Chase Center, Curry had to adapt the shot, which is now longer than the length of the court. Which is not out of his range, apparently.

Curry returned to the court Friday night against Minnesota after missing five games with a quad contusion. He is averaging 27.9 points and shooting 39.1% from 3-point range this season, and the 13-12 Warriors will need more of that in the coming weeks as the team tries to find a groove and climb up from eighth in the West.

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Jeff Blashill Provides Tough Update On Connor Bedard's Injury Status

On Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks paid their second and final visit of the season to the St. Louis Blues. After an 8-3 victory on October 15th, the Blues responded with a 3-2 victory this time around. 

On the final play of the game, while the Blackhawks were desperately trying to tie the game and force overtime, Bedard was injured. He left the ice quickly and appeared to be in some serious pain. 

Connor Bedard Injures Himself On Final Play Of Blackhawks' 3-2 Loss To BluesConnor Bedard Injures Himself On Final Play Of Blackhawks' 3-2 Loss To BluesThe Chicago Blackhawks were unable to start a winning streak again. This time, they lost to the St. Louis Blues.

After the game, head coach Jeff Blashill provided a quick update on Bedard. According to Blashill, Bedard will not suit up on Saturday night against the Detroit Red Wings. 

He also added that another update will be provided on Monday. Blashill gave his opinion that the play that injured Bedard was a "freak accident". 

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Connor Bedard Injures Himself On Final Play Of Blackhawks' 3-2 Loss To Blues

The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated on the road by the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. The Blues, who were embarrassed by the Nashville Predators one night prior, came out ready to play. 

St. Louis was also embarrassed by Chicago when the teams last met, a 8-3 Chicago win in St. Louis on October 15th. The Blues got their revenge in this one with a victory. 

The Blackhawks went down 2-0 quickly. Logan Mailloux and Matt Luff each scored their first goals as members of the St. Louis Blues to give them a multi-goal lead. 

After that, Wyatt Kaiser got the Blackhawks on the board with his second of the season. On the play, Connor Bedard made a great zone entry for Andre Burakovsky to make a brilliant pass to set up the Kaiser snipe. 

Before the Blackhawks could get it tied, Justin Faulk scored to re-give the Blues a two-goal advantage. That 3-1 score held through the second intermission. 

In the third, Connor Bedard made a big-time play that shows his growth as a player. After losing a face-off, he went right back to work to create a turnover, which ended up in the back of St. Louis' net thanks to Andre Burakovsky being in the right spot to take advantage of Bedard's play. 

The Blackhawks had some life after that, but were unable to get pressure with the goalie pulled, and the 3-2 held as the final. 

On the final play of the game, the Blackhawks tried to get a last-chance shot on net off a face-off. On the play, as the clock struck 0, Connor Bedard hurt what appeared to be his arm/shoulder. He couldn't get off the ice fast enough and was in intense pain. 

When the Blackhawks reveal an update on the status of Bedard, we will have it passed along to you on The Hockey News.

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will return home for the second half of a back-to-back set on Saturday night. The Detroit Red Wings will be at the United Center for an Original Six matchup. 

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 Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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After Wild's Stunning Blockbuster Trade For Superstar D-man Hughes, Is Sabres Star Blueliner Next To Be Dealt?

Rasmus Dahlin (Sergei Beski, USA TODAY Images)

Certainly, the Canucks got a king’s ransom for Hughes. To get not one, but two high-end youngsters, an NHL-caliber player in center Marco Rossi, *and* a first-round pick is a solid haul for Vancouver executives Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford. But when it comes to Dahlin, we believe he’s sick to death of continuing to lose in Buffalo. And the Sabres haven’t done much of anything positive this year, so you have to believe he’s disgruntled the way Hughes was in Vancouver.

But there’s little question Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has to work with Dahlin on finding a new team to play for. And even then, with Dahlin holding all the cards with a no-move clause in his contract, you could find a taker team for Dahlin that still gives up draft picks and prospects.

And that’s the way the Sabres are headed – yes, once again, to the outside of the Stanley Cup playoffs looking in – so you can’t fault Dahlin for possibly wanting out. Other star players could’ve asked out of Buffalo far sooner , but like Hughes, Dahlin is trying his best, but just like Hughes, Dahlin isn't getting the results he wants. Hughes tried to mae it work in Vancouver, but he couldn’t do all the work himself. The same goes for Dahlin.

Sabres Freefalling Through Standings, But Have Your Say – Is It Time To Blow Things Up In Buffalo?Sabres Freefalling Through Standings, But Have Your Say – Is It Time To Blow Things Up In Buffalo?The Buffalo Sabres are losing once again. With another blowout loss, it's time to consider a drastic overhaul. What's your take?

And now, when NHL GMs go big-game hunting for a top-defenseman, the Sabres should be seeing what they can get for Dahlin. Adams may also explore a trade for youngster Owen Power, but he’s having a tough year and wouldn’t get Buffalo nearly as much as they would if they chose to deal Dahlin.

We’re not saying a Dahlin trade is imminent. He may want to stay in Buffalo and get this team on the right track. However, the Sabres are losing all these games with Dahlin, so why shouldn’t they explore the market for a Dahlin trade? If Buffalo is going to miss the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season, all bets are off when it comes to untouchable players.

The deal for Hughes shows you what you can acquire if you’re determined enough and clever enough to make it work. Wild GM Bill Guerin deserves credit for going all-in with Hughes, and a Minnesota defense corps that includes Hughes and Brock Faber is almost too good to be true.

Slumping Sabres Should Be Trading This Goaltender As Soon As PossibleSlumping Sabres Should Be Trading This Goaltender As Soon As PossibleThe Buffalo Sabres are at the bottom of the standings yet again, and they need to start making trades. And there's one goalie in particular who they need to deal -- and they need to deal them now.

But the Hughes deal proves that any team can choose to trade a top player – and that means the Sabres should be preparing for life after Dahlin. He’s put in his time, and it still hasn’t worked. Thus, it's time to move on, for the betterment of Dahlin and the Sabres as well.

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Flyers Miss Out on Egregious Quinn Hughes Trade

It's official: the Philadelphia Flyers pulling off a Quinn Hughes trade is not going to happen, and they should be thankful it won't.

On Friday night, Hughes, 26, was traded by the Vancouver Canucks for forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, top defense prospect Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick.

The Flyers were never going to be able to match that, especially given that Rossi and Buium are the two clear centerpieces of the deal.

Of course, the Flyers passed on Buium for Jett Luchanko in the 2024 NHL Draft and were rumored to be interested in Rossi, only to bypass that endeavor with rumors suggesting the club would be concerned with adding a player with his 5-foot-9 size.

For the Flyers to have matched the Wild's trade offer for Hughes, they likely would have needed to part ways with Porter Martone, Cam York, Luchanko or Alex Bump, and their 2026 first-round pick, if we're aiming for 1:1 comparisons.

Missed Opportunity? Ex-Flyers Prospect Reaching Heights of NHL Superstars After Controversial TradeMissed Opportunity? Ex-Flyers Prospect Reaching Heights of NHL Superstars After Controversial TradeThe Flyers and Flyers fans have to be feeling pretty bad about how good Cutter Gauthier has been playing for the Ducks this season.

The fruit of the disappointment for fans is obviously going to be missing out on a superstar player had the Flyers acquired assets commonly linked to them throughout the summer and in previous years.

At the same time, though, the Flyers are nowhere near a win-now position like the Wild are in, because they don't have Kirill Kaprizov, high-level veterans, and two of the hottest goalies in the NHL.

Putting together this kind of trade package, considering the lack of leverage the Canucks had from the start of this whole saga, would have been egregious from Philadelphia's perspective.

That said, though, it doesn't excuse the Flyers from needing to make another big trade in the future, because they'll need to in order to find their No. 1 center of the future somehow.

Trevor Zegras's arrival has worked wonders for Danny Briere and Co., but Matvei Michkov's descent under new head coach Rick Tocchet has effectively counteracted that acquisition.

Flyers' Quinn Hughes Trade Hopes Take a Major HitFlyers' Quinn Hughes Trade Hopes Take a Major HitIf the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> were hoping to execute a blockbuster Quinn Hughes trade, their competition for such an ambitious endeavor just got that much stronger.

Now, the onus is on the Flyers, who need a top center and a true No. 1 defenseman, to go out and make things happen, but the Hughes trade is really an example of what not to do.

But, if the market is always going to carry prices like Friday night's, well, they may not have much of a choice going forward but to make a tough choice.

It goes almost without saying that Tocchet, Briere, and the Flyers will be disappointed to have not gotten Hughes if they were ever truly in it, but their focus needs to be on the players they have in-house first until that day finally comes for them.

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Wild acquire Quinn Hughes from the Canucks in a blockbuster NHL trade

The Minnesota Wild have acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in the biggest blockbuster trade of the NHL season.

The teams announced the seismic move Friday night, after the 2024 Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman had been the most talked-about trade candidate over the past couple of weeks.

Minnesota sent center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, winger Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick in the 2026 draft to suddenly rebounding Vancouver to complete the deal. Rossi at 24, Ohgren at 21 and Buium at 20 fit the young players the Canucks were speculated to be targeting if they were to trade Hughes.

“Quinn played hard, led by example and did a lot of very good things for the Canucks,” Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin said. “Trading away a player of this caliber is never an easy decision to make, but it was one we had to do to make our team better. We are so excited to add a solid centre in Marco, a good young blueliner in Zeev and a versatile forward in Liam. This year’s draft is a strong one, so acquiring a first-round pick was also a big part of this deal.”

Hughes, only 26 and considered the best at player at the position behind Colorado’s Cale Makar, has one season left on his contract after this one before he can become an unrestricted free agent. There has been plenty of buzz around Quinn wanting to play with brothers Jack and Luke on the New Jersey Devils.

They could potentially be teammates on the U.S. Olympic team, either in February in Milan or in 2030. Wild GM Bill Guerin runs USA Hockey’s management team.

Hughes has two goals and 21 assists for 23 points in 23 games this season with the last-in-the-NHL Canucks. He has been their captain since 2023, and his abrupt exit paves the way for more change in Vancouver 11 months since the trade of J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers and in the aftermath of coach Rick Tocchet’s departure.

“With the circumstances surrounding JT and now Quinn, we are fortunate to acquire these very good young players from Minnesota,” Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said. “They will be a key part of the rebuild that we are currently in, giving us a bright future moving forward. The hockey club will continue to build with talented young players using that as a blueprint to become a contender sooner rather than later.”

Minnesota cannot extend Hughes until July 1, and it’s unclear if he would entertain signing another contract. He had nothing in the way of trade protection on his current deal, paying him an average of $7.85 million annually, that would have allowed him to block a trade anywhere.

The Wild are taking a shot at challenging the two top teams in the NHL, Colorado and Dallas, in the Central Division, which also includes reigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg. Hughes vastly upgrades their blue line, which already included captain Jared Spurgeon and smooth-skating Swede Jonas Brodin. Winger Kirill Kaprizov only this past fall signed the richest deal in hockey history to stay in the “State of Hockey” for eight more years.

It was the second major trade of the day after two-time Stanley Cup Final runner-up Edmonton finally made a move for a goaltender, acquiring Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh.

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Hurricanes Sign Seventh-Round Rookie Blueliner Joel Nystrom To Four-Year Extension

They always say that the NHL is all about opportunity.

Well, for 23-year-old defenseman Joel Nystrom, his opportunity has led to not only an NHL debut and stint, but now a multimillion dollar contract. 

The Carolina Hurricanes have inked Nystrom to a four-year, $4.9 million contract that will run through the 2029-30 season.

“Joel stepped into our lineup early in the season and has proven that he belongs in the NHL,” said Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky in a press release. “He fits our style of play well and we are excited to watch his continued development in Carolina.”

The Swedish rookie, who was a seventh-round pick in 2021, made his NHL debut on Oct. 23 and has since appeared in 23 games this season with all the injuries to Carolina's blueline.

Nystrom has picked up four assists on the year while averaging 16:02 per night. He's been a stable force on the blueline and even though he's a rookie, the moment has never seemed too big for him.

"We saw somebody that had really high-end hockey sense and that was something that we wanted to bet on," Hurricanes associate GM Darren Yorke told The Hockey News back in November. "Fast forward almost four years now and we’re seeing that hockey sense shine in the NHL and he’s been a big part of the team’s success lately when other guys have been hurt. He’s been able to step up.”

A Perfect Storm: Hurricanes Rookie Defenseman Joel Nystrom Making Most Of OpportunityA 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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Wild Acquire Quinn Hughes From Vancouver, Sending Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Plus More

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild made a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The cost was steep for Minnesota but it has to be when acquiring a player of that magnitude.

Vancouver will be getting Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.

Rossi, 24, was the Wild's 9th overall pick from the 2020 NHL draft and is coming off 24 goals and 60 points last season. A future top center in the NHL.

Buium, 20, has been compared to Hughes and was the Wild's 12th overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft. He has played in 31 games this year and has three goals and 14 points. 

Ohgren, 21, was the WIld's 19th overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft and has struggled this year in limited ice time. He has zero points in 18 games.

Hughes, 26, is under contract for one more season after this one. Despite all the rumors of him joining his two brothers in New Jersey, Hughes has been traded to the Wild.

The 5-foot-10 defenseman has two goals and 23 points in 26 games this year for the Canucks and is their captain.

He won the 2024 Norris Trophy which is given to the top defenseman in the NHL. He led the league with an NHL career-high 92 points (17 goals, 75 assists) in 82 games, and had the most even-strength points (54), second-most power-play points (38) and was fourth in plus/minus (plus-38) among defensemen.

In his career, Hughes has recorded 61 goals, 371 assists, 432 points, 16 power-play goals and 190 power play points in 459 games.

The Wild don't make this move thinking there isn't a chance he signs with them. The Wild are going to have to sell it to him to stay though. His brothers Luke and Jack play for the Devils and the rumor for the longest time was that Quinn is going to sign there.

According to Michael Russo, there has been no assurance given to the Wild that Hughes will extend next summer. But, Wild general manager Bill Guerin does know him well. The U.S. born defender will be on Team USA at the Olympics.

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