Late Thursday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a deal with the four-time MLB All-Star and 2022 World Series Champion, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract that includes an opt-out after the second season. The pact carries one of the highest average annual values in baseball history and once again underscores the Dodgers’ willingness to operate at the very top of the sport’s financial ecosystem.
For months, Tucker’s free agency felt like a slow-burning standoff. Executives around the league believed his market would soar past $400 million on a long-term deal, especially given his age, durability, elite defense, and left-handed power bat. Tucker, coming off a season with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from the Houston Astros last offseason, was widely viewed as the rare free agent who checks every box: postseason pedigree, consistent production, and star presence without volatility.
But the market never quite erupted.
Instead, it pivoted.
As winter dragged on, the industry began buzzing about a different approach—shorter deals, massive annual value, and the chance for Tucker to re-enter free agency while still firmly in his prime. That’s where the Dodgers and New York Mets entered the picture in earnest. The Mets reportedly offered four years and $200 million, a strong bid that reflected their continued pursuit of top-tier talent. The Toronto Blue Jays, fresh off a 2025 World Series runner-up finish, went longest with their offer, hoping stability and years would sway the slugger north of the border.
In the end, Los Angeles wouldn’t be outdone.
The Dodgers pushed their offer to a level no one else could touch, combining financial dominance with flexibility.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal is fully guaranteed. Includes opt-outs after years two and three. Comes with a $64 million dollar signing bonus, includes $30 million in deferred money, and is a record by AAV by over $6 million (previous record, Juan Soto by the New York Mets last season).
Tucker batted .266 with 22 home runs, 73 RBI, and 25 stolen bases in 136 games with the Cubs last season. He was voted to his fourth All-Star Game in July.
Tucker is expected to start in right field for the Dodgers, moving Teoscar Hernandez to left field, where he played predominantly during the 2024 World Series season. The Dodgers needed another outfielder after left fielder Michael Conforto didn’t quite pan out as the team had thought in 2025.
Tucker slides into an already formidable Dodgers lineup as a middle-of-the-order force, capable of changing games with one swing while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense in the outfield. His postseason résumé only strengthens a team that measures success in October, not summer standings.
For the Dodgers, this signing isn’t just about winning the offseason. It’s about control—of the market, of the narrative, and of the championship window. While other teams blinked or hedged, Los Angeles leaned in.
Kyle Tucker bet on himself.
The Dodgers bet on now.
And once again, the rest of baseball is left reacting to a move that reshapes the balance of power—one expensive, deliberate swing at a time.
Late Thursday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a deal with the four-time MLB All-Star and 2022 World Series Champion, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract that includes an opt-out after the second season. The pact carries one of the highest average annual values in baseball history and once again underscores the Dodgers’ willingness to operate at the very top of the sport’s financial ecosystem.
For months, Tucker’s free agency felt like a slow-burning standoff. Executives around the league believed his market would soar past $400 million on a long-term deal, especially given his age, durability, elite defense, and left-handed power bat. Tucker, coming off a season with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from the Houston Astros last offseason, was widely viewed as the rare free agent who checks every box: postseason pedigree, consistent production, and star presence without volatility.
But the market never quite erupted.
Instead, it pivoted.
As winter dragged on, the industry began buzzing about a different approach—shorter deals, massive annual value, and the chance for Tucker to re-enter free agency while still firmly in his prime. That’s where the Dodgers and New York Mets entered the picture in earnest. The Mets reportedly offered four years and $200 million, a strong bid that reflected their continued pursuit of top-tier talent. The Toronto Blue Jays, fresh off a 2025 World Series runner-up finish, went longest with their offer, hoping stability and years would sway the slugger north of the border.
In the end, Los Angeles wouldn’t be outdone.
The Dodgers pushed their offer to a level no one else could touch, combining financial dominance with flexibility.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal is fully guaranteed. Includes opt-outs after years two and three. Comes with a $64 million dollar signing bonus, includes $30 million in deferred money, and is a record by AAV by over $6 million (previous record, Juan Soto by the New York Mets last season).
Tucker batted .266 with 22 home runs, 73 RBI, and 25 stolen bases in 136 games with the Cubs last season. He was voted to his fourth All-Star Game in July.
Tucker is expected to start in right field for the Dodgers, moving Teoscar Hernandez to left field, where he played predominantly during the 2024 World Series season. The Dodgers needed another outfielder after left fielder Michael Conforto didn’t quite pan out as the team had thought in 2025.
Tucker slides into an already formidable Dodgers lineup as a middle-of-the-order force, capable of changing games with one swing while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense in the outfield. His postseason résumé only strengthens a team that measures success in October, not summer standings.
For the Dodgers, this signing isn’t just about winning the offseason. It’s about control—of the market, of the narrative, and of the championship window. While other teams blinked or hedged, Los Angeles leaned in.
Kyle Tucker bet on himself.
The Dodgers bet on now.
And once again, the rest of baseball is left reacting to a move that reshapes the balance of power—one expensive, deliberate swing at a time.
The Flyers’ most troubling stretch of the season worsened Thursday night.
Rick Tocchet’s club lost convincingly to the Penguins, 6-3, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. It trailed 4-1 at second intermission for a third straight game and was down 6-1 in the final stanza.
Samuel Ersson was pulled in the middle frame.
Rodrigo Abols, Nick Seeler and Matvei Michkov provided the team’s goals.
The Flyers (22-16-8) have dropped five straight (0-4-1). They’ve been outscored 25-9 over this season-long skid.
Tocchet’s club is 1-2-0 in its four-game regular-season series against the Penguins (22-14-10). The clubs wrap things up March 7 back at PPG Paints Arena.
• Ersson denied 11 of 14 shots in a period and change of work.
The 26-year-old has surrendered 15 goals over his last three starts. He entered the game with the worst save percentage of his career at .855.
For a second straight game, Cam York committed a first-period penalty and the opponent struck first on the ensuing power play. It marked the Flyers’ 32nd 1-0 deficit in 46 games.
A little over 10 minutes later, Pittsburgh made it 2-0 with another power play goal after Garnet Hathaway was whistled for tripping. The Flyers gave up two or more power play goals for a third consecutive game.
Kolosov ended up taking over 2:17 minutes into the second period after Abols drew the Flyers to within 3-1. About a minute before then, Ersson gave up a transition goal to the Penguins.
The 24-year-old Kolosov made 13 saves on 16 shots.
There has been no official word on Vladar, but the fact that he hasn’t been placed on injured reserve is a good sign for his status.
Pittsburgh netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 30 of the Flyers’ 33 shots.
• This felt like a critical game for the Flyers.
They really needed to stop the bleeding, but couldn’t. The Flyers have been mostly uncompetitive on this losing streak, their special teams have been costly and they’ve battled injuries.
You can’t blame fans if they’re thinking this is the inevitable slide that will ultimately sink the Flyers’ playoff push. It’s only mid-January and Tocchet’s club is still right there in a busy mix. But the Flyers had a collapse in 2023-24 that spoiled a surprise playoff push.
They’ve missed the playoffs in five straight seasons, matching the franchise’s longest drought.
• One positive for the Flyers was Michkov dropping the gloves in the third period to defend Denver Barkey, who took a big hit from Blake Lizotte.
Later in the period, Barkey recorded his second assist of the night on Michkov’s goal.
Brink missed a fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. But whenever the 24-year-old winger is cleared to return, he can come off IR immediately.
Rasmus Ristolainen missed a second straight game with an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old defenseman has been considered day to day.
• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they host the Rangers (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
BOSTON – Zdeno Chara had his No. 33 raised to the TD Garden rafters Thursday night in a special pregame ceremony before the Bruins hosted the Seattle Kraken.
It was a well-deserved honor for the man who played the leading role in restoring the Original Six franchise back to greatness.
But this night would not have been possible without a key decision in July of 2006, one that Chara described Thursday night as the “best” he’s ever made.
NHL free agency typically is not where you find franchise cornerstones. That type of player is usually acquired through the draft or via the trade market.
Chara is one of the rare exceptions.
The Ottawa Senators had a couple key players with expiring contracts after the 2005-06 season, including defensemen Wade Redden and Chara.
The Senators re-signed Redden and Chara went to free agency. The Bruins were interested, and despite being known at that time for not splashing the cash for top free agents in their prime, they ultimately signed the imposing 6-foot-9 defenseman to a five-year contract worth $37.5 million.
Chara and the Bruins were the perfect match. And in many ways, they needed each other.
The Bruins were coming off an awful 2005-06 season in which they traded captain Joe Thornton and finished with the league’s fifth-worst record. The once proud franchise was at a low. Competing for the Stanley Cup seemed like pure fantasy.
They were desperate for a foundational player to bring back the Big Bad Bruins era of hockey – one built on hard work, effort, commitment and determination.
Chara was seeking that kind of opportunity, so he chose to take his world-class talent to Boston and challenged himself to lift the Bruins to a championship level again.
“I knew that’s where I wanted to go because there were these opportunities of possibly leading the team, there was desperation to get better, the history, and the living,” Chara said at a press conference following his ceremony. “I saw that it would be a good fit, and it ended up being the best decision I ever made.”
Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images
Zdeno Chara waves to the crowd during his speech before raising his No. 33 to the rafters.
It didn’t take long for Chara to help the Bruins rediscover their identity, and in his second season as captain they were back in the playoffs. They would advance to the postseason 11 times in his 14 years wearing the spoked-B, including three trips to the Stanley Cup Final and one championship in 2011, which ended the franchise’s 39-year title drought.
“Things really changed when Z came here as a free agent,” Bruins legend Ray Bourque said Thursday night, a few hours before the ceremony. “From that point, the culture and everything that comes with that, and the success and the run that they had, he was such a big part of that.
“I remember him as a fresh, young player coming up with the Islanders and what he became. It’s a credit to him and how hard he worked and how dedicated to the game he was. It was so much fun to watch him develop into the player and person that he is. He’s a legend. He deserves to be up there (in the rafters) and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
During those 14 seasons with Chara wearing the “C”, the Bruins won the fourth-most games of any team, scored the fifth-most goals, allowed the fewest goals, had the fourth-best power play and the fifth-best penalty kill. They also won the second-most playoff games. Just like the great Bruins teams of the 1970s and 1980s, they were a nightmare for opponents to play against.
It was one of the franchise’s most successful and exciting eras.
“They became the Bruins again,” Bourque said. “We could be proud of that group and how they played. They played hard and they were hard to play against.”
He added: “They were so much fun to watch and the fans could really appreciate that team and be proud of that team.”
SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors knew what they were getting Thursday night when the New York Knicks came into Chase Center without their best player and following a loss to the lowly Kings in Sacramento 21 hours earlier.
The Knicks would be angry and surely knew they had to compensate for Jalen Brunson’s absence.
The Warriors shook off a slow start and a pesky outing by the Knicks by riding a superb game from Jimmy Butler III to come away with a 126-113 victory that put Golden State (23-19) four games over .500 for the first time this season.
Butler poured in a game-high 32 points, with Stephen Curry scoring 27, Moses Moody finishing with 21 and Brandin Podziemski adding 19. This was the eighth time this season that at least three Warriors scored at least 20 points.
Here are three observations from a win over the skidding Knicks:
The Jimmy-Steph tag team
When the Warriors endured another slow start, falling behind 33-19 with 3:33 left in the first quarter, Curry went to the bench a few seconds later, putting the non-Steph minutes under the microscope.
When Curry exits, that means Butler enters. With his scoring and orchestration, the Warriors closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to pull within five.
That shifted the momentum ever so slightly, as Golden State won the second quarter by eight, taking a 62-59 lead into halftime. Butler scored 15 points in 15 first-half minutes.
When the Knicks opened the third quarter with a surge, it was Curry who lit a fire under the Warriors. After missing all five of his 3-point attempts in the first half, he drained back-to-back triples, pushing the lead to eight, and then snagged a steal that led to a Moody triple that pushed it to 11.
Curry scored 10 points in nine third-quarter minutes, shooting 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from distance.
The Knicks spent the fourth quarter chasing the Warriors in vain.
Batman and Robin, folks, combining for 59 points.
Mo Buckets 2.0 drills Knicks
When Moody shot 30.1 percent from deep over a 15-game span from Dec. 12 to Jan. 11, it was fair to wonder if his wayward stroke would cost him his place in the starting lineup.
Coach Steve Kerr stayed with him, and his patience appears to be paying off.
Moody scored 12 first-half points, all on triples, without a miss. His game total of 21 points came on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 7-of-9 from deep.
With this game following an encouraging performance Tuesday night against Portland, when Moody scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from distance, it seems he has at least temporarily fixed his shot.
The Warriors will take it. Moody’s role is to provide point-of-attack defense on one end and be the designated catch-and-shoot wing on the other. His defense has been mostly satisfactory, but the offense gains another dimension when his deep shot is falling.
Podz comes through
After his slow start to this season, Podziemski became a lightning rod for criticism from Dub Nation. Some of it was warranted, some of it was subjective.
But the third-year pro put together a strong December, averaging 12.7 points per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field, including 44.4 percent from deep.
Though Podziemski’s overall play has leveled off this month, he’s still productive and came off the bench to submit an excellent performance against the Knicks.
Podziemski’s 19 points came on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds, two assists and two steals, playing 26 minutes and finishing a team-best plus-22.
Jalen Brunson is listed as out on Thursday night when the Knicks travel to the Bay Area for their one game at the Chase Center this season against the Warriors.
That comes one day after Brunson tweaked his ankle five minutes into the game against the Kings. He went back to the locker room, not to return the rest of the night.
The good news is the Knicks have listed Brunson as day-to-day with a sprained ankle. He was not expected to miss extended time, as Brunson was seen by reporters after the game in Sacramento walking without a boot on his ankle and no limp.
Brunson is averaging 28.2 points and 6.1 assists a game, shooting 38.8% from 3-point range this season. He is the heart of the Knicks' top-five offense and will almost certainly be named an All-Star Game starter when those are announced next week.
Mitchell Robinson also will be out against the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back.
We are entering a pivotal stretch for the Ottawa Senators and general manager Steve Staios.
Back-to-back games against the divisional rival Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings this weekend highlight the remaining eight games left in January, but time is quickly running out for the Senators to close the distance on the Eastern Conference’s wild card seeds.
Thanks to the ever-increasing presence of three-point games around the league, it will not be easy to gain traction in a tightly contested Eastern Conference. Three points separate the Senators from the lowly 15th-place Columbus Blue Jackets, while five points are the difference between them and the second wild card.
Senators new goalie James Reimer addressed the Ottawa media for the first time earlier this week.
In order for the Senators (22-19-5, .533) to get in the vicinity or surpass Boston’s points percentage (26-19-2, .574), it would necessitate winning five more consecutive games.
Putting together a seven-game winning streak certainly feels unlikely given the Senators’ struggles in goal this season, and that is what has to be frustrating for Staios.
If this team could generate a higher save rate, they would comfortably be in a playoff position.
Instead, the Senators’ five-on-five save percentage of 88.64 is the lowest in the league per Evolving-Hockey. Their 79.81 shorthanded save percentage is also the lowest in the NHL, but worse than that, it ranks as the lowest since modern public analytics websites began scraping and capturing data at the start of the 2007-08 season.
Similarly, if their 86.87 percent all-situations save percentage holds up for the remainder of the year, it will become the worst save percentage ever recorded in the modern stats era.
On an individual basis, only the St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington has a lower goals saved above expected (GSAx) metric than Leevi Merilainen (-11.09 GSAx) and Linus Ullmark (-9.14 GSAx).
Although a young goaltender experiencing troubles in his first professional season as an NHL backup is hardly unique, the goaltending position has been further complicated by Ullmark's unanticipated leave of absence. Prior to his absence, Ullmark was projected to play in more than 50 regular season games for the first time in his NHL career. That was noteworthy given the condensed schedule in this Olympic year, but it likely spoke volumes about the organization's confidence in the struggling Merilainen.
Whether the increased volume of starts contributed to Ullmark’s struggles is up for debate, but considering his body of work and career save percentage of .914, it was reasonable to believe that his statistics would improve and begin to reflect his career norms in time. Now, everyone is wondering when Ullmark will rejoin the Senators and return to the net.
In the interim, Merilainen’s ineffectiveness and the lack of quality options at the AHL level necessitated the signing of unrestricted free agent goaltender James Reimer. The 37-year-old has not played in an NHL game since April 17, 2025, when he beat the Philadelphia Flyers. His only action this season has been the two games that he represented Canada at the Spengler Cup and the lone appearance in Belleville, where he was shellacked for six goals.
The struggles of the position have not only shone a light on the organization’s lack of quality depth, but have also drawn attention to general manager Staios’ offseason decisions.
It is clear the organization obviously felt obligated to reward Leevi Merilainen for his strong 2024-25 campaign that he split between Belleville and Ottawa. His nine-game stretch in January was principally responsible for keeping the Senators afloat and in contention for a playoff spot that they would eventually secure.
Despite that loyalty and being compelled to provide an opportunity for the young goaltender, the organization elected not to bring in a veteran goaltender with NHL experience as a contingency plan to guard against the possibility of Ullmark missing games or Merilainen’s ineffectiveness.
Now, the Senators are experiencing both.
Given how poorly Ullmark and Merilainen have played, the hope is that they will bounce back and that their numbers will regress toward their career norms over time. It is worth noting that Merilainen has looked capable in his last two starts, but there is a specific timetable for Ullmark's return.
It puts Staios in a difficult position because their goaltending is unreliable. They cannot bank on it getting markedly better, and because of that, it should, in theory, impact what the Senators’ general manager can or is willing to do.
The organization’s pipeline of prospects is widely panned for lacking quality prospects.
Poor amateur scouting and the trading of valued draft picks in shortsighted deals that never required revisionism by Staios’ predecessor simultaneously emptied the system while shortchanging the Senators’ rebuild. It has created a situation in which, as good and impressive as the Senators’ young core is, there should be more young talent in Ottawa’s system that they could either graduate to the parent roster to insulate their core or use as capital to acquire the players they need to push this roster forward.
Without it, the Senators are closer to resembling a middle-of-the-pack team than a true Cup contender.
The dreaded murky middle can be a difficult place to navigate for a general manager. Often, your team is too good to be bad or at least bad enough to have lost seasons be rewarded with high draft picks. They are also not good enough to sustainably compete with the league's elite.
There is also the added pressure of trying to maximize this group’s prime.
Modern NHL research has proven that a player’s offensive prime years often occur between 22 and 27 years of age, which happens to coincide with where Ottawa’s core is right now. With Drake Batherson representing the first of Ottawa’s core to potentially reach unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2026-27 season, with Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot to follow the year after that, the reality is that the Senators’ window of contention is already upon us.
The uncertainty around the Senators’ goaltenders' effectiveness is compounded by the fact that there simply aren't a ton of desirable trade chips within their system. Perhaps things would be different if the Senators had not lost their 2026 first-round pick for their gross incompetence (or willful ignorance) in the Evgenii Dadonov trade scandal, but without any guarantees that they will eventually be able to recoup that pick, they do not have a ton of assets to move without touching the parent roster.
The situation essentially limits what Staios can do.
This group needs an infusion of higher-end talent to help take this core to the next level, but it lacks the high draft picks or trade chips the organization needs to easily acquire it.
Without it, it's likely Staios will continue to make the moves that have characterized his stewardship of this franchise - modest moves that improve the margins in hopes that these small gains will be enough to progressively move this team forward.
Graeme Nichols The Hockey News Ottawa
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On Thursday, the American Hockey League and Rockford IceHogs announced that Nick Lardis and Kevin Korchinski have been named to the AHL All-Star Game.
Korchinski, who was the All-Star MVP of the AHL last season, is currently playing with Rockford. Lardis, who is in his first year of pro hockey, earned his way up to the NHL club due to his success in the minor leagues.
Reppin’ the hometown team ⭐️
Nick Lardis and reigning All-Star MVP Kevin Korchinski have been selected for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO U.S.
Korchinski has played in 33 AHL games this season. In those games, he has 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points. In two NHL games this season, both of which took place last week, he has one assist.
As for Lardis, the goal-scoring prowess that allowed him to score 71 in his final year of major junior continued when he reached the pros. In 24 games with the IceHogs, he has 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. In 15 games with Chicago, Lardis has four goals and one assist for five points.
Being a point-per-game forward is difficult in the AHL, and it's even harder when you're a rookie. Lardis has the tools to be a high-end offensive producer. He is showing why at every level, and that earned him an All-Star nod.
The two-day event will take place at the BMO Center on February 10-11 and will feature the Skills Competition, AHL All-Star Challenge, AHL Hall of Fame Induction, and more.
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Defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and winger Jack Devine have been selected to represent the Charlotte Checkers at the 2026 AHL All-Star Game.
Bjornfot is participating in his second full season with the Florida Panthers. He has yet to play an NHL game this year, but skated in 14 games last season. In the AHL, the 24-year-old has scored one goal and six assists for seven points in 22 games.
His offensive game since coming over to North America has been muted, but at the AHL level, he’s a trusted defensive defenseman with a strong skating stride and the ability to move the puck. He is currently on the NHL roster as an extra defenseman due to the injuries of Dmitry Kulikov and Seth Jones.
Devine is enjoying a stellar AHL rookie campaign with the Checkers. His 11 goals rank third on the team, and his 24 points are tied for the team lead despite playing 29 games, six fewer than most of his teammates.
He’s played six fewer NHL games due to his first call-up to the NHL. Devine played six games in the NHL in late November/ early December. The 22-year-old was unable to record his first career NHL goal or point, but proved that he will one day have what it takes to secure an NHL role.
Jack Devine (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
He averaged just 8:26 of ice time, but threw six shots on goal and did little things that impressed coach Paul Maurice and his coaching staff. It’s an impressive and deserving feat that Devine was selected to the AHL All-Star Game.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Bjornfot and Devine on the Atlantic Division roster are Denver Barkey, Patrick Brown, Tristan Broz, Frederic Brunet, Michael DiPietro, Matt Luff, Cole McWard, Sergei Murashov, Gabe Perreault, and Ilya Protas.
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McGough, 27, has a 3.21 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across six minor league seasons.
He has spent time in the Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox organizations.
McGough worked as primarily a starter in college at Mount St. Mary's and during his first few minor league seasons, but was used mainly in relief in 2024 and 2025.
Along with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, the Mets' bullpen in 2026 is expected to include left-handers A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley -- though the start of Minter's season could be a bit delayed following lat surgery this past May.
Huascar Brazoban also figures to be in the bullpen mix, as do hard-throwing prospects Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert.
Other relievers who could compete for roles include Jonathan Pintaro (who made his big league debut last season), Adbert Alzolay (who is on a two-year minor league deal and missed the 2025 season), Richard Lovelady, Alex Carrillo, and Joey Gerber.
The AHL revealed its All-Star Game rosters today, with St. Louis Blues and Springfield Thunderbirds forward Matt Luff selected as the organization’s representative.
The 28-year-old Luff has played in both the NHL and the AHL this season. Following training camp and pre-season, he was sent to the AHL, where he’s notched a team-high 12 goals and 30 points in 29 games. The next closest Thunderbirds player is Matthew Peca, who’s recorded 24 points in 32 games.
When injuries in December ravaged the Blues, Luff was recalled to the NHL roster, where he skated in five games in a fourth-line winger role. While averaging 9:08 of ice time, he scored one goal.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill. 12 players will represent each of the AHL’s four divisions. Committees of AHL coaches determined rosters, and at least one All-Star is selected from each of the 32 AHL teams.
Joining Luff on the Atlantic Division roster are Denver Barkey, Tobias Bjornfot, Patrick Brown, Tristan Broz, Frederic Brunet, Jack Devine, Michael DiPietro, Cole McWard, Sergei Murashov, Gabe Perreault, and Ilya Protas.
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 Buffalo Sabres continue their five-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Thursday in a rare home back-to-back after posting a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The Sabres got a pair of goals from Rasmus Dahlin, and singles from Mattias Samuelsson, Jack Quinn, and Ryan McLeod, but only managed 14 shots on goal on Flyers goalies Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson.
After the game, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that center Josh Norris was injured in the second period. The 26-year-old played only 8:55 in the game and was hurt after Dahlin’s second goal.
"(It was a) cross-check that took him out of the game. He'll be evaluated. I really don't know where we're at with that right now," Ruff said. "We're hoping it's nothing too serious, but I think that's always what you hope."
The 2026 NHL Draft is coming to Buffalo this June.
Norris’s return in early December coincided with the Sabres winning streak that has brought the club back into playoff competition. If it is anything of a serious nature, it could hurt Buffalo’s chances of maintaining this pace and staying in the playoff race.
Ruff also indicated that defenseman Michael Kesselring, who had participated in practice this week, was ruled out of the game against Philadelphia, but was possibly available against the Habs.
"The plan was not to use him in back-to-back. He's available (Thursday). We'll make a decision whether we put him in," Ruff said. "I look at the two guys that played, I thought (Jacob) Bryson has played well, and (Zach) Metsa really played well for us. I've got some pretty good continuity going, so we'll look at whether a couple more days wouldn't hurt. (Kesselring has) really come along these last few days. So we'll bring him in the morning, evaluate him, and make a decision."
Colten Ellis is expected to get the start for Buffalo, while rookie Jacob Fowler will be between the pipes for Montreal.
Defenseman Cole McWard has been selected to the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division All-Star team.
#Isles Cole McWard will represent Bridgeport at next month's AHL All-Star Classic.
Defending Calder Cup champ went 5-11-16, +5 in 29 games this season to earn his first Isles call-up. @TheAHL always does an incredible job with this event. https://t.co/93yqIeBU6d
McWard, 24, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the New York Islanders organization this past offseason. He has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 29 games with the Bridgeport Islanders this season, leading the team's defensemen in goals and points.
He has also gone pointless across three games in the NHL with New York, serving the last three games as a healthy scratch.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic is set to take place on February 10-11.
LAS VEGAS — Matthew Knies is set to dress for the Toronto Maple Leafs when the club visits the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.
The forward was not on the ice for the club's full skate, prompting some concern that the Phoenix, Arizona native might not dress. However, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed that the player would be in the lineup that evening.
"Maintenance," is what Berube said as to why Knies was kept off the ice.
Knies logged 14:45 of ice time in Toronto's 6-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday. There wasn't anything apparent that suggested Knies was injured out of the game.
Although Knies did not participate, Nick Robertson did skate despite missing Tuesday's game after blocking a shot in Toronto's 4-3 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday and is set to return to the lineup on the third line alongside Easton Cowan and Nick Roy.
Craig Berube says Matthew Knies was off the ice for maintenance but will play tonight. @BodogCA
"It felt like it broke my leg, but iI didn't, thankfully," Robertson said of the injury. It was pretty painful, but I mean, it's part of the game. I'm happy, nothing serious."
Robertson explained that the puck caught him in an area around the knee that isn't protected. Despite walking around fine after the game, it was difficult for him to skate on it, which is why he didn't play on Tuesday.
"It feels a lot better today," Robertson said.
It's important to note that no extra forward stayed on the ice to do some additional work, which is customary when they know for certain that a player is out of the lineup. That likely means Knies may be moved to the fourth line for the first time this season.
Knies previously played on the fourth line during the 2023-24 season when he played his first full season in the NHL.
With Bobby McMann fitting in well on the first line alongside Auston Matthews and Max Domi, the Leafs also like their mix on the second and third lines, meaning Knies could play with Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton. Given the maintenance designation, it may also help Knies in limiting his minutes as he deals with whatever caused him to miss the skate due to "maintenance".
Knies missed three games earlier this season in November with a lower-body injury, mentioning that nagging him for a month before deciding to rest it.
Calle Jarkrok is likely the odd man out as a result.
Brazilian teenage tennis sensation says he cannot control expectations but is looking forward to challenging the best again in 2026, starting at the Australian Open
‘My dream is to become world No 1, win grand slam titles and make history for Brazil,” João Fonseca says with simple purity as we reach the crux of his huge ambition. Fonseca is 19 and he makes that succinct list of his goals sound almost as casual as a few fun things a more ordinary teenager might aim to do this weekend. But Fonseca is different.
He is a generational talent who, in recent years, has been spoken of as a future superstar amid predictions that he might have the best chance of denting the dominant hold that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner exert over men’s tennis. But, as time in Fonseca’s company proves, he is remarkably grounded and mature for his age. Those attributes underline his credentials far more effectively than the hype that has trailed him.
Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images
