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The Pittsburgh Penguins currently have a 14-10-9 record this season and are seventh in the Metropolitan Division. However, they are also only four points behind the third-place New York Islanders in the Metro, so they are still certainly in the playoff race.

The Penguins have been going through a very rough patch as of late, though, as they have lost seven straight games. Yet, even with this being the case, all hope is not lost for their season. 

Due to this, in a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson argued that the Penguins should look to add an inexpensive two-way forward to their roster by the 2026 NHL trade deadline. 

"Despite the club's improved performance and the goalie swap, GM Kyle Dubas is sticking with his roster retooling timeline. If the Penguins remain a playoff contender by the deadline, he could seek an affordable defensive forward to help his club in the faceoff circle," Richardson wrote.

With the Penguins still focused on the future, it would make sense for them to be a bit more conservative at the deadline rather than making a big splash for a rental player. When looking at their group, it is fair to argue that they could use another solid bottom-six center, so that could be an avenue worth exploring. This is especially so if they can find a player who is under contract beyond this season and is on the right side of 30. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what kind of moves the Penguins make this season.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula has cleared waivers. 

Zamula was placed on waivers by the Flyers on Dec. 18. With Zamula being 25 years old and 6-foot-3, it certainly seemed possible that an NHL club out there could have claimed him to add to their defensive depth. Yet, he has instead passed through waivers unclaimed and will remain a part of the Flyers organization because of it. 

With Zamula clearing waivers, the Flyers have assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

Zamula has appeared in 13 games so far this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded one assist, 15 blocks, and a plus-4 rating. This is after he had three goals, 12 assists, and 15 points in 63 games with the Flyers during the 2024-25 season. 

In 168 games over six seasons with the Flyers, Zamula has posted eight goals, 33 assists, 41 points, and 218 blocks. 

Back in November, the Montreal Canadiens signed forward Alexandre Texier to a one-year, $1 million contract. This was after Texier mutually terminated his contract with the St. Louis Blues.

Following the Canadiens signing Texier, the hope was that he would bounce back from a much-needed change of scenery. So far, it is fair to say that he is doing just that, as he is proving to be a very good addition to the Canadiens' roster.

Texier has been off to a nice start with the Canadiens. In 12 games so far with the Original Six club, the 26-year-old forward has recorded three goals, three assists, and six points. He has also been improving as he continues to get used to the Canadiens' system, as he has posted three goals and four points over his last five games alone.

With the way Texier is playing, there is no question that he is giving the Canadiens some solid secondary offensive production right now. With the Canadiens needing more offense, Texier has certainly been a pleasant surprise for them early on.

It will now be very interesting to see how Texier builds on his nice start with the Canadiens. If he keeps this kind of play up, it would be great news for the Habs. 

By Evan Berofsky,
Special to Yahoo Sports

Fantasy impostor syndrome is real. After 10 weeks in the 14-team RotoWire Staff Hockey League, I'm in first at 9-1. I've also accumulated the most fantasy points from the head-to-head matchups. At the same time, my opponents have scored the second-fewest points. And while I've got a couple stars at forward and defense, none of my four goalies (Karel Vejmelka, Juuse Saros and the Detroit tandem) would be called elite.

Regression is coming. I can feel it. Some players are performing well above expectations. And Connor Bedard just went down, though he should be back sometime next month. I've been pretty fortunate with injuries overall, so I'm just waiting for a flood that may never end up happening. The key is to stay active and (relatively) positive to ensure fantasy decisions aren't made too quickly and/or without proper consideration.

So be sure to take your time and check out the latest suggestions.

(Rostered rates as of Dec. 19)

Forwards

Ryan O'Reilly, NSH (Yahoo: 32%): O'Reilly has been a fairly reliable scorer throughout his career with only a handful of injuries over 17 seasons. Even on a subpar Nashville offense, he's recorded 27 points — with 14 coming in the last 11 games. O'Reilly also centers the top line during all attacking situations, having recently rejoined the lead power play while reuniting with Filip Forsberg. Throw in a handful of shots and his continued mastery on faceoffs (averaging almost 10 wins on a 57.7% success rate) to further enhance his fantasy appeal.

Vasily Podkolzin, EDM (Yahoo: 30%): It's taken a while for Podkolzin to get settled in the NHL since he was drafted 10th overall by Vancouver in 2019. He showed some flashes of brilliance last year and even racked up 10 points during the playoffs. Podkolzin has potted five goals over eight outings to go with an assist, 13 shots and 26 hits. And while there's no man-advantage minutes, the even-strength spot next to Leon Draisaitl will do just fine.

Mikael Granlund, ANA (Yahoo: 24%): A lower-body injury kept Granlund out for more than a month, and then he returned to post six straight scoreless efforts before a goal and assist on Tuesday. He may have been shut out on the scoresheet during that stretch, but he managed to contribute 11 shots, seven blocks and six hits on 18:27 of ice time per game — 3:46 of that on Anaheim's lead PP. As long as Granlund stays healthy and is surrounded by skilled teammates, he needs to be on more lineups.

Boone Jenner, CBJ (Yahoo: 22%): On the topic of multi-category veterans missing significant action, Jenner recently came back and has delivered two goals, two assists, 11 shots, 14 hits and six blocks from four matchups. It's been a while since he's been able to go even close to a full campaign without getting hurt, though he's a fantasy player's dream when available. Jenner should also get more clicks holding down a top-six slot and skating on the Blue Jackets' second power play.

Anders Lee, NYI (Yahoo: 20%): Lee can claim three performances of at least three points this season while being blanked 21 times. That kind of inconsistency and a middle-six role will put a dent in your coverage, but maybe not for a forward with a somewhat successful pedigree who continues to direct plenty of pucks on net. Lee's latest mini-run has him tallying three goals, five assists and 16 shots from seven games with three of those eight points of the PP variety. Expect him to keep producing, as three of the Isles' next five opponents are bottom-10 defenses (Canucks, Sabres, Blue Jackets).

Vladimir Tarasenko, MIN (Yahoo: 13%): Quinn Hughes' arrival in Minnesota should benefit some of his new teammates, especially those who regularly share the ice with him. Tarasenko lines up with the blueline star on the first PP, a group that also boasts Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. That's a pretty big opportunity, provided he can stay there for more than a couple of outings. Mats Zuccarello could eventually replace Tarasenko within that elite unit after he comes back, though the latter is there right now and grabbed three points on Tuesday with a goal and three shots Thursday.

Chandler Stephenson, SEA (Yahoo: 12%): Stephenson set a career high last year with 18 PPPs and is already at eight, with four during his current seven-game scoring streak that also covers 20 shots and 68 faceoff wins. And he's been doing all that on a 19:57 average ice time. It's hard to rely on any Kraken forward for offense, as the club ranks 31st in average goals, yet Stephenson seems too hard to pass up based on recent form and ice time.

Jackson Blake, CAR (Yahoo: 12%): After a successful second half last season and a hot start to this campaign, Blake registered a string of zeroes surrounding a night where he delivered two goals, an assist and five shots. He's gotten back on track, picking up points in each of his last two contests — two of the three on Carolina's top power play — while joining forces with Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers at five-on-five. Blake is talented and part of a top-10 offense, so he deserves more fantasy attention. Give him a chance.

Defensemen

Zeev Buium, VAN (Yahoo: 58%): To no one's surprise, Buium immediately operated as Vancouver's top power-play quarterback and posted two PPPs during his debut on Sunday. He doesn't do much in other areas but still offers offensive upside outside of that prime man-advantage placement. Even with the Canucks rebuilding, Buium represents their future centerpiece who's also going to log decent ice time right now. Get him while he's still available.

Josh Manson, COL (Yahoo: 25%): December has so far been productive for Manson, as he's notched six assists, 13 shots, a plus-8 and 26 hits. The 17-minute average may be a bit low and his points probably can't be sustained based on previous output, though he'll keep getting chances being paired at even-strength with Brent Burns. And even if the scoring dries up, Manson's secondary stats should keep him on enough fantasy lineups.

Sean Durzi, UTA (Yahoo: 9%): Durzi has been impacted by injuries the last couple of seasons, with the latest setback sidelining him for six weeks. While his stats weren't great right after he returned, he's found the scoresheet from five of the last six games in which he's totaled six points, 13 shots, 16 PIM and 10 blocks. Durzi is also on Utah's backup man-advantage, where he registered a PPA on Tuesday. And if you're concerned about him maintaining this type of offense, don't forget he recently established back-to-back campaigns with at least 38 points.

Tony DeAngelo, NYI (Yahoo: 4%): A significant share of DeAngelo's scoring used to be dependent on the power play, yet that's changed the last couple years. In fact, his first 10 points this season came at five-on-five, as the Isles had been horrendous while up a man. And DeAngelo's last three have all been PPPs as part of a solid second unit. He's not going to supply much else besides offense, though that should be enough to warrant additional coverage.

Goaltenders

Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR (Yahoo: 57%): Brandon Bussi was featured last week and is now up to nine straight wins. Kochetkov returned two weeks ago and is essentially splitting the starts, as Frederik Andersen hasn't played since Dec. 4. Kochetkov has performed well in his last two outings, only allowing a combined four goals while coming out on top in both. Bussi may be the one grabbing the headlines, though Kochetkov is Carolina's long-term No. 1 and will be given enough opportunities to prove that. Playing behind a strong attack and league-leading defense for shots allowed also won't hurt his fantasy production.

Joel Hofer, STL (Yahoo: 11%): We're not sayingJordan Binnington is in danger of losing his starting role in St. Louis, but he's been pulled twice this month with a 3.89 GAA and .870 save percentage from his last 11 appearances going into Thursday. Over that same stretch, Hofer has posted a 2.22/.920 line alongside three shutouts, including one on Wednesday against the Jets. If Binnington continues to struggle, Hofer should keep getting enough work.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Rangers At St.Louis.

THE GOOD: 

1. J.T. IN OVERTIME: Commodore Miller delivers again in the extra session and that's good for two points. His shot was a laser, proving there's something left in his arsenal.

2. LUCKY GABE: Because the rookie Perreault went to the net, he was lucky to have a Will Cuylle billiard shot bound off his skate and in for the Blueshirts only regulation goal.

3. OUT OF THE FOXHOLE: Key injured veteran defenseman Adam The Fox skated in a non-contact sweater which indicates that he could be ready for action in time for the December 27th tilt with the Islanders.

4. SHESTY IN TIME: After misplaying the lone St.Louis goal, Iggy got his act together and saved the two-pointer with a solid third period.

THE BAD: 

1. DOPEY ROPE: For two periods, St.Louis played rope-a-dope – whatever that is – which displeased some critics who wanted firewagon hockey.

THE UGLY:

1. STICK BLUNDERING IGOR: Shesty's pass to Comrade Vlad Gavrikov was right out of a four-year-old's game. Gavvy got handcuffed and the Blues scored on an angle shot that a five-year-old would have stopped with a yawn.

Who's Singing The Blues In St.Louis? Not The BlueshirtsQuick Quiz: What happens when the team picked fourth in the Metro (<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a>) meets the team picked sixth in the Central Division, alias the St.Louis Blues?

2. RIDDLED IN THE THIRD: The Rangers escaped the third period tied 1-1 despite being outshot 11-4.

CONCLUSION: Weakly and meekly, the Blueshirts escaped St. Louis in almost-orderly retreat and very content with the two points. Hey, they all count!

Flyers call up exciting prospect who ‘plays like he's 6-4' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Denver Barkey took another step in proving the skeptics wrong.

The 5-foot-9 winger, often doubted for being undersized, was called up Friday by the Flyers.

With 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 26 games for AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, Barkey has used his relentless forecheck and advanced smarts to impress the Flyers. We’ll see if the 20-year-old will make his NHL debut Saturday when the Flyers face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden (12:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

“The biggest thing about him is that he’s just so competitive,” Phantoms head coach John Snowden said in September. “He’s a smaller guy, but he plays like he’s 6-4.”

Not many had Barkey jumping to the Flyers this early into his first season of pro hockey. But he was coming off an excellent junior career. Last season, he captained London to a Memorial Cup title. In four seasons with the Knights, he made the OHL championship series three times and won the last two.

“He’s a guy that the players seem to gravitate to in the locker room,” Patrick Sharp, a special advisor to the Flyers’ hockey operations department, said in July. “Has a lot of tools to his game. Obviously people talk about his size, but his hockey IQ is exceptional, he has got great skating ability, he’s ultra competitive and he has won a lot already.”

Sharp and Barkey have something pretty cool in common. They both were selected by the Flyers in the third round at 95th overall. Identical pick, just different years.

“We’ve kind of had a tighter bond ever since,” Barkey said in September 2023 after being drafted that summer. “He’s obviously a knowledgeable guy and someone that I listen to.

“He’s got a really cool story. Leaning on him when it comes to advice, and I know he had his struggles in his early years, so leaning on him for advice and things like that has been huge.”

Barkey, who weighs around 170 to 175 pounds, was cut by Team Canada twice for world juniors. He has used that as fuel. The Flyers like his motor so much that he has drawn some comparisons to Travis Konecny.

“I call him, like, a little, mini T.K. — he’s all over the puck, he’s grinding,” Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong said in September. “When he doesn’t have the puck, he’s always working to get the puck back.”

In his first game back with the New York Rangers, Gabe Perreault made a noticeable impact. 

The Rangers called up Perreault with the hopes of turning around their offensive woes, and it seems as if the team made the right decision.

In the second period of the Rangers’ 2-1 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues, Will Cuylle’s shot deflected off of Perreault’s skate, marking his first career NHL goal. 

It may have been an unorthodox kind of goal, but it was still a moment that Perreault will never forget. 

“I kind of blacked out,” Perreault said about his goal. “Pretty lucky one, but feels good to get the first one.”

The 20-year-old forward played on a line alongside Noah Laba and Taylor Raddysh. He was also slotted into a power-play role on the team’s second unit. 

Throughout the night, Perreault flashed off some impressive passes, as he’s always been highly touted for his high hockey IQ and strong facilitating abilities. 

Rangers Call Up Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault From AHL The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> have recalled Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League while sending Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelar back down.&nbsp;

He also didn’t appear to be overwhelmed by the pace of play. In fact, his poise with the puck on his stick and the ability to play off of the puck were impressive for a rookie. 

Perreault logged in a total of 13:09 minutes. 

To kick off the season in the AHL, Perreault has recorded 10 goals, seven assists, and 17 points in 20 games. 

“We just want to see where his game is at, and we're trying to put him in a position to succeed,” Mike Sullivan said of Perreault. We're excited about Gabe's game and where it can go… I think he's had a pretty good stretch of games in Hartford, and we like potentially what he could bring to our lineup.”

When the puck is dropped tonight, it'll mark Eetu Luostarinen's 400th career NHL game, 392 of which came with the Florida Panthers.

The Carolina Hurricanes, the Panthers' opponent tonight, selected Luostarinen in the second round (42nd overall) in the 2017 NHL draft, but he would go on to play just eight games with the Hurricanes. On Feb. 24, 2020, the Hurricanes sent  Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark, Chase Priskie, and Luostarinen to the Panthers in exchange for Vincent Trocheck. Luostarinen is the only player to still play for the team that acquired him in the deal. 

Being traded to the Panthers was the best possible scenario for Luostarinen. He's developed into one of the better third-line wingers, and now that the Panthers are dealing with injuries to key players, they feel comfortable moving him up in the lineup.

In 25 games this season, he's notched three goals and 13 points, but the Panthers are defensively sharp with him on the ice. 

"He's in the Barkov category of prototypical in the way that we want to play the game," said coach Paul Maurice. "Now, we kind of honor the guys that put up a lot of points. We understand that. But in quality of role, he's as good a player as we have."

Now 400 games into his career, Luostarinen is respected among his peers and one of the league's best penalty killers. He embodies the mentality and play style of the Panthers to a tee, and it's why he's earned two contract extensions during his Panthers tenure, and will likely earn another one when his contract expires in 2027. Luostarinen is also expected to be a key figure for Finland at the 2026 Olympics in February.

"Time flies when you're having fun," said the 6-foot-3, 191-pound. 

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 a five-game road trip, the Anaheim Ducks will return home to Orange County to host the Dallas Stars on Friday evening. The Ducks went 2-2-1 on the trip and did not play their best hockey; lucky to come away from some of their games with points in the standings. However, as the trip wore on and in their last two games, they were able to tighten up their end, protect the high-danger areas of the ice, and keep opposing chances to a minimum.

To date, and though they’ve shown great improvement over previous seasons (especially from an offensive perspective), the Ducks remain one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. They are surrendering 3.29 goals against per game (24th in the NHL), 29.2 shots against per game (25th in the NHL), and at 5v5, they’re allowing 2.95 expected goals against per 60 minutes (31st in the NHL).

Somewhat similar to the early stages of 2024-25, a young defenseman has unexpectedly impressed spectators along with the Ducks' coaching staff, playing his way into more consistent ice time. A year ago, it was Jackson LaCombe, who is now the team’s top blueliner and one of the NHL’s top minute-eaters on the backend (25:15 TOI/G).

Quack of Dawn: Ducks Morning Report (12/18/25)

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Win over the Rangers, 4-3 OT Loss to the Blue Jackets

This season, after starting the year with the San Diego Gulls and being inserted in the lineup when captain Radko Gudas sustained a lower-body injury that caused him to miss 11 games, rookie Ian Moore has played 20 games for the Ducks, averaging 14:00 TOI/G, scoring five points (2-3=5), and playing a dynamic yet fundamentally sound brand of defense for Anaheim in his career’s infancy.

Moore’s emergence, along with the Ducks' questionable defensive efforts night-to-night, has caused a bit of a logjam on the team’s blueline for the second straight season. Of late, Pavel Mintyukov served as a healthy scratch, followed by Moore, followed most recently by Drew Helleson.

“Everybody wants to play in the worst way, and everybody expects to play. At the same time, we’re in a fortunate situation where we have to make hard decisions, and we let them know that this is part of the position we’re in right now," Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after morning skate on Friday. "And hey, you’re not out for a long time, just be ready when you’re not playing. Keep yourself prepared for when you come back in, and play like it’s not going to happen again. We’re in a fortunate position to be able to do that, but nobody wants to be that guy. Right now, there are four of them that are in that position, so it’s not punishment either.”

The next talented young Ducks blueliner seemingly in line for a healthy scratch in tonight’s game against the Stars is Olen Zellweger, who will be in the press box for the first time this season.

Quenneville didn't fully commit to the decision when talking to media, but strongly hinted that was where this situation was likely trending.

“He could be, yeah. We’ve been moving around with our defense," Quenneville said. "Part of the decision is performance, but at the same time, we want to make sure that everybody gets a turn.”

This comes as a surprise, as Zellweger has arguably been the Ducks' best defenseman in 2025-26. He’s tallied 14 points (5-9=14) in 34 games, averaged 18:11 TOI/G, and when he’s on the ice at 5v5, the Ducks hold 53.53% of the shot attempt share (leads Ducks defensemen), 50.19% of the shots on goal share, and 50.48% of the expected goals share.

His modest point total is disappointing, and Zellweger was recently taken off the Ducks’ second power play unit, replaced by Jacob Trouba. He has a game-breaking offensive skillset, with unmatched puck skills and flawless skating technique, which he’s flashed on occasion in his young NHL career, but has been unable to consistently translate it to the NHL level and become a true threat that opponents have to gameplan for.

The Ducks have struggled mightily to defend the net front this season, and judging by his (listed) 5-foot-10 and 193-pound frame, one would guess Zellweger had been a significant culprit of poor defense in that area of the ice. One would have guessed wrong, however.

Zellweger has worked tirelessly to improve the defensive habits in his game, maximizing his frame, and simply doesn’t get beat often on the defensive side of the puck. His size does limit him to a degree, and he’s been walked on rare occasions this year, but when it comes to engagement, he’s been one of the Ducks' most diligent net-front defenders.

Unless an injury to a roster player is sustained, Quenneville doesn’t elect to alter a winning lineup for the following game. It will be curious to monitor this logjam situation on the Ducks' blueline and compare it to a year ago, where it seemed detrimental to the development of Zellweger and Mintyukov.

When Mintyukov served three consecutive healthy scratches earlier this season, reports were leaked suggesting that if his ice time didn’t increase, he’d prefer a trade. Though he’s been a healthy scratch on one other occasion, his on-ice response and play has been spectacular. Moore didn’t miss a beat either when he returned to the lineup most recently. Helleson will return to the lineup against the Stars, so his response will be scrutinized and evaluated as well.

“I think at that moment, they probably all have the same bitterness or whatever you want to call it," Quenneville said when asked about how the conversations go with players and their responses to scratches. "But at the same time, I think as a team, we look at that as part of what it’s all about. Make sure you contribute in a meaningful way when you get back in and have a positive outlook on what the process is all about.”

Though not entirely ideal, on the surface, having too many quality, young, NHL-caliber defenseman on the Ducks blueline is a good problem to have. The key will be messaging and communication so as not to limit their potential impact down the road for the organization.

Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba On Returning To New York City

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Loss to the Devils

Report: Ducks Ryan Strome 'Could be Out There' for Teams Looking for a Center