The four-game winning streak for the Detroit Red Wings was halted on Tuesday evening against a longtime Original Six rival.
The Boston Bruins broke what was a scoreless tie midway through the second period, and added another pair of goals in the third period en route to a 3-0 win over the Red Wings at TD Garden, in which they had a decided 40-24 advantage in total shots.
It was the second game in 24 hours for the Red Wings, who defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a 4-3 final score in overtime on Monday evening, during which the iconic No. 91 jersey number of Sergei Fedorov was officially retired.
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman was sharp when he needed to be, stopping all 24 shots he faced from the Red Wings for his first shutout of the season. Meanwhile, Cam Talbot had a strong game of his own with 38 saves.
The Red Wings were a bit sluggish to start Tuesday's game, finding themselves outshot by a wide margin early on before eventually catching up by the end of the first period.
Midway through the second, Pavel Zacha broke the ice with his 14th goal of the season, giving Boston the 1-0 lead. They doubled the lead early in the third after Fraser Minten was left all alone at the side of the net and had an easy tap-in goal after taking a pass from Charlie McAvoy.
Just seconds after Dylan Larkin fired a shot off the post and with Talbot on the bench for an extra attacker late in regulation, the Bruins sealed the victory with an empty-net tally from Mark Kastelic.
With Detroit's regulation loss combined with the 11th straight victory by the Tampa Bay Lightning, it's the latter who now have a one-point lead for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Red Wings will return home for two straight games, starting on Friday evening against the San Jose Sharks followed by late Sunday afternoon against the Ottawa Senators.
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In a recent article for Daily Faceoff, Anthony Di Marco reported that the Philadelphia Flyers are considering potential replacement options for Sam Ersson. This comes with Ersson in the middle of a tough 2025-26 season with the Flyers, as he has recorded a 6-6-4 record, a 3.33 goals-against average, and a .858 save percentage in 16 games.
Di Marco then reported that he heard from a source that the Flyers would be open to the possibility of acquiring Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon, who has been the subject of trade speculation this season.
"The Sabres, who have been the league’s hottest team since their GM change, had been dealing with a three-goaltender rotation for the majority of the season. The source I spoke with did not seem to have too much interest in Ellis based on his lack of NHL experience but was open to the idea of Lyon – at the right price," Di Marco wrote.
Hearing that the Flyers would be open to bringing in Lyon is not necessarily surprising. It is no secret that the Flyers could use a boost between the pipes, and the 33-year-old would have the potential to provide them with just that if acquired.
Lyon is in the middle of a strong season with the Sabres, as he has recorded a 10-6-3 record, a .906 save percentage, and a 2.82 goals-against average in 21 games. With numbers like these, he would give the Flyers a bit of an upgrade over Ersson.
Yet, at the same time, the Sabres might be wise to hold onto Lyon rather than trading him. The Sabres are currently in the playoff race due to their excellent play as of late, and Lyon has proven to be a strong addition to their roster this campaign.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what the Sabres end up doing once we get to the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and Austin Rivers have picked up a side hustle, coaching during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The four NBC broadcasters — three of them Hall of Famers — will coach the Rising Stars Game on Feb. 13, the Friday night of All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. The game will start at 9 p.m. Eastern that night and be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Presenting the honorary head coaches for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars!
NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be drafted onto three teams on Tuesday (1/27) at 7:00pm/et on Peacock, with NBA G League players to comprise the fourth team.
This year's Rising Stars game will be must watch because it is overflowing with talent from an impressive and deep rookie class.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, Derik Queen and Tre Johnson are among the rookies expected to take part in the game at the Intuit Dome (the home of the LA Clippers). There are plenty of talented second-year players expected to participate as well, including Stephon Castle, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher.
All of those rookies and sophomores will be drafted onto three teams, with the draft taking place in two weeks (Jan. 27) at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock. NBA G League players will make up the fourth team. Those four teams will be put into a straight-up tournament, where in the initial round the first team to reach or surpass 40 points will win and advance to the championship game. In that title game, the first team to reach 25 points wins.
When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?
The NBA All-Star Game returns to the Los Angeles area this season, with the big game itself played on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. All events will be broadcast on NBC Sports and Peacock. The All-Star Friday Night Rising Stars game (featuring NBA rookies and second-year players) as well as the All-Star Saturday Night events, including the Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest, will also take place at the Intuit Dome. Fans will be able to watch all of it on NBC Sports and Peacock.
How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have signed former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux to a one-year, $850,000 contract extension.
Mailloux is currently in his first season with the Blues, as the Canadiens traded him to St. Louis this past off-season in exchange for forward Zack Bolduc. Now, with this new deal, Mailloux will be sticking with the Blues for at least another season.
While Mailloux has landed a contract extension with the Blues, it is fair to say that the start of his tenure in St. Louis has been rocky. In 31 games with the Blues so far this campaign, the former Canadiens prospect has recorded one goal, one assist, and a minus-21 rating.
Mailloux has also played in five games with the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, this season, where he has scored two goals.
The Blues are hoping that Mailloux will become a key part of their blueline in the future, as the 22-year-old defenseman has good to upside.
The Canadiens selected Mailloux with the 31st overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In eight games over two seasons with the Canadiens from 2023-24 to 2024-25, Mailloux posted two goals, three assists, and five points.
Mailloux also played in 135 games over two seasons with the Laval Rocket, where he had 26 goals and 80 points.
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Marlins.
As first reported by YES Network's Jack Curry, New York will send four minor leaguers to Miami for the southpaw in a move that will fortify the rotation in 2026 and beyond.
The minor leaguers the Yankees will send include outfielders Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones, and infielders Dillon Jasso and Juan Matheus, according to multiple reports.
Jones is the No. 15 Yankees prospect according to MLB Pipeline, while Lewis (16) and Jasso (23) round out the prospects in the organization's top 30 prospects.
Weathers, 26, is coming off an injury-laden season where he made just eight starts due to flexor and lat strains. In limited time on the field in 2025, Weathers pitched to a 3.99 ERA with a K9 of 8.7 and a WHIP of 1.27.
In two-plus seasons with the Marlins, Weathers was 7-10 in 27 appearances (26 starts) while pitching to a 4.57 ERA. He was traded to Miami from the Padres in a deal that was headlined by first baseman Garrett Cooper in 2023. Before landing in South Beach, Weathers made 43 appearances (29 starts) and pitched to a 5.73 ERA with San Diego from 2021-23.
Weathers will make $1.35 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more seasons, giving the Yankees control of the southpaw until 2029.
While not as splashy a move, the Yankees can use Weathers -- whose father David pitched for the Bombers in 1996 and 1997 -- to give the rotation some healthy bodies until Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt return from injury. Currently, the Yankees' rotation will include Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. Ryan Yarbrough is also slated to take a few starts as a swing man.
The Buffalo Sabres 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday was another in a recent string of third period letdowns, but unlike the previous three, the Sabres did not hold a sizable lead and could not erase a two-goal deficit in the waning moments of regulation.
The Sabres practiced at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, in advance of a rare back-to-back games at home against Philadelphia and Montreal. Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media after practice, in which he updated the injury status of a few players.
How did (injured blueliner) Michael Kesselring look?
He looked like he had a real good day. I haven't had any post practice (contact), but just evaluating his skating and some of that extra work we gave him, I thought this is the best he's looked and the hardest he's been able to go. We ran a couple competitive small ice drills, and it looked like he got through them ok. I don't know about (him playing) tomorrow, but I think he's real close.
Why did Josh Dunne not take part in practice?
(Dunne) is being evaluated by the doctors, so he there's a chance he could miss some time.....It's been something that has been bothering him a little bit. So he went to have it evaluated this morning, and the initial (report is) it looks like he might miss a little bit of time.
Are you closely monitoring the heavy minutes of the top-four defensemen with the compressed schedule??
I think that's part of the reason. You try to give those extra off days, but I can guarantee if you asked any of those four defensemen, they relish the opportunity to play those minutes. I think we do have to be mindful, when you play back to back and that next day, you got to make sure they get the rest, because of a lot of hockey coming up. I think the minutes may get dispersed a little better, if Kesselring's back in, (and if)you look at it, Bryson and Metsa have done a good job too.
The NHL and the Buffalo Sabres announced on Monday what was widely reported late last week, that Buffalo will serve as host for the 2026 NHL Draft. The annual event will be the fourth to be held in the Queen City, which NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman pointed out is second only to Montreal in the drafts 63-year history.
"This is a place where hockey really matters. Great fans, great history and tradition. Hockey at all levels in the game, grassroots on up, and people have always supported and been enthusiastic about hockey, particularly the team is as competitive as this one looks,” Bettman said in a press availability prior to the Sabres game against Florida. “It's an exciting opportunity to bring it back.”
The last draft was in 2016, when the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Auston Matthews with the first overall selection, but the upcoming draft will be decentralized as last year’s in Los Angeles was, with hopefully some improvements to make it less time consuming.
"Since it was the first time we were decentralizing, we wanted to try some things out and be new and different than you see perhaps in other drafts,” Bettman said. “I think the first round may have been a bit over produced, and so we learned some things work and some things didn't work. And so I think we're going to look to streamline it, but at the same time, we'll try some new things to be innovative and creative."
In Sabres news, the club announced the hiring of Stacy Roest as a pro scout. The 51-year-old served as an assistant to current Sabres associate GM Marc Bergevin as Team Canada’s GM at the Spengler Cup, and spent 11 seasons as Director of Player Development for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and in 2020 was promoted to an Asst. GM and handed GM duties for the Lightning’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
The Ottawa Senators are back in action on Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre, trying to snap a four-game losing slide and begin the long climb back to relevance in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
And if the Senators cannot pull points away from the visiting Vancouver Canucks, the last-place team in the entire NHL, losers of four straight games, recently trading away their captain, and in game two of a back-to-back situation, then we'll be getting awfully close to waving the white flag on this season.
Ottawa enters the night at 20-19-5, sitting seven points (and seven teams) out of a wild card spot, tied for last in the East with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who just fired their head coach this week.
Jack Richardson discusses goaltending in Ottawa, which has gotten even worse since Linus Ullmark stepped away over the holidays.
Vancouver is in even worse shape at 16-24-5, the very worst record in the league.
That makes this more than just another January game. For the Senators, it almost feels like a final chance to stop the slide before it turns into something much bigger.
Goaltending still the biggest question mark
The Senators’ biggest problem all season has been inconsistent goaltending, so management made a move Monday by officially signing 37-year-old free agent James Reimer. Reimer won’t dress tonight, but he is expected to be available at some point this week.
For now, the crease still belongs to Leevi Meriläinen, who will start against Vancouver, with Hunter Shepard backing him up. Ottawa is still waiting on Linus Ullmark, who remains on personal leave, but the team is hopeful he can return soon.
Sens-Canucks Trade talk?
This game also comes with a heavy layer of trade intrigue.
Senators general manager Steve Staios was in Montreal Monday night watching Vancouver’s 6–3 loss to the Canadiens, which raised more than a few eyebrows. With the Canucks sitting dead last in the NHL and already having moved star defenceman Quinn Hughes, they are clearly in sell mode.
Two Vancouver blue-liners stand out:
Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers.
With Hughes gone, Hronek now leads all Canucks skaters in ice time at over 24 minutes per night, while Myers plays more than 20 minutes a game. Hronek is signed for $7.25 million for the next four-and-a-half years. Myers has one-and-a-half years left at $3 million. Both have no-movement clauses, but when you’re on the worst team in the league, players tend to be more open to change.
On TSN 1200 on Tuesday, Darren Dreger also mentioned Kiefer Sherwood as a possible target. The 30-year-old forward has 17 goals this season and is on an expiring contract.
All of that makes Tuesday night feel like not just a must-win, but a bit like a scouting mission for the Sens.
Ottawa is usually competitive in its losses, including a 3–2 defeat to Florida on Saturday, but the silver linings playbook needs to close. Moral victories are worthless, especially at home against a tired, 32nd-ranked team that's in sell-off mode.
The Sens need wins, and they need them now.
Projected Lineups
Canucks (16-24-5)
Jake DeBrusk — Elias Pettersson — Linus Karlsson
Conor Garland — David Kampf — Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren — Max Sasson — Drew O’Connor
Evander Kane — Aatu Raty — Nils Hoglander
Tom Willander — Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium — Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson — Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: Arshdeep Bains, P.O. Joseph
Injured: Thatcher Demko, Kiefer Sherwood, Marco Rossi, Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger, Derek Forbort
Senators (20-19-5)
Fabian Zetterlund — Tim Stützle — Drake Batherson
Brady Tkachuk — Dylan Cozens — Claude Giroux Ridly Greig — Shane Pinto — Michael Amadio
Nick Cousins — Lars Eller — David Perron
Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot — Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven — Jordan Spence
Leevi Meriläinen
Hunter Shepard
Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo, James Reimer
Injured: None
Final word
There will be plenty of talk about trades and the future, but Tuesday night comes down to one simple thing: a victory. The Sens are facing the worst team in hockey, at home, against a tired opponent. If they can’t get it done here, the long climb back to the playoff race may never even begin.
Steve Warne The Hockey News - Ottawa
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SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors reached the halfway point of the season Tuesday night, and rarely have they looked better than they did in Game 41.
That their tip-to-buzzer 119-97 victory came over a skeletal version of the Portland Trail Blazers matters not because these Warriors (22-19) have not earned the right to overlook any version of any opponent on their schedule, particularly one they had lost to three times this season.
On a night when Stephen Curry, with his father, Dell, in attendance at Chase Center, did not find his shot – 2-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-8 from deep – his teammates provided more than enough cover.
This was one of those rare occasions when Curry and Green were spectators for the entire fourth quarter, and Butler played only 90 seconds in the fourth before joining them on the bench. The fourth “uncle,” Al Horford, played six minutes for the fourth for conditioning.
Here are three observations from Golden State’s second blowout win in its last three games:
Pride matters
Having lost to Portland in all three previous meetings this season, and realizing the Blazers were a mere 2.5 games back in the Western Conference standings, there surely was a measure of pride within the hearts of the Warriors.
Their commitment to avoiding a season sweep against a rebuilding team was prevalent early, as they took leads of 11-4 and 33-15 in a blistering opening quarter.
The Blazers were without leading scorer Deni Avdija (lower back soreness), who is having a terrific season. Also unavailable were No. 3 scorer Jeremi Grant, part-time starter Kris Murray and Matisse Thybulle.
The Warriors, healthy as they have been all season, led by as much as 29 in the first half. They spread joy across the roster, as 14 players took the floor – everyone by Jonathan Kuminga – with 12 getting into the scoring column.
Golden State has not given itself many cathartic victories this season, but this one can be defined as such.
Melton keeps coming
As Melton has found his rhythm after missing the better part of two seasons with injuries – including a torn ACL sustained in November 2024 – he continues to exhibit the full scope of his abilities.
After playing solid defense but struggling with his shot in the first few weeks upon his Dec. 4 season debut, his defense continues to be stellar, but his scoring has become the answer to Golden State’s dreams.
His 23 points came in only 18 minutes off the bench, as he shot 9-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. He scored 11 points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, crushing any notion of a late Portland comeback.
Melton, over the last eight games, is averaging 13.7 points on 52.5-percent shooting from the field, including 42.5 percent beyond the arc.
Coach Steve Kerr has been carefully increasing Melton’s workload. At this rate, he could enter the starting lineup in a matter of weeks.
Far from perfect
Coming off a light practice (mostly video study) on Monday after being demolished by the Atlanta Hawks a day earlier, this matchup presented the Warriors with a splendid opportunity to play a clean game.
They failed to meet that standard.
While it looks impressive enough to hold the Blazers to 24 first-quarter points on 39.1-percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent from distance, 10 of those points came off Golden State turnovers.
Green, who of late has been much more careful with the ball, was the primary culprit. He regressed to his worst tendency, committing six turnovers in 22 minutes.
There was just enough sloppiness by the Warriors to give the coaching staff enough ugly video to review, should they be inclined to show it.
It’s even less often that Golden State’s turnovers – 13, giving Portland 21 points — are irrelevant, but this was one of those nights.
Ja Morant remains the hottest name in trade speculation, but while there is a lot of smoke, how much fire there is remains in doubt.
The most interesting question may be: Do the Grizzlies already have an acceptable trade lined up and in their back pocket, and are they shopping Morant publicly, hoping another team steps up with a better deal? Or is this it? There's a lot to talk about, so let's break it down in bullet points.
Morant may want to go to Miami, but does Miami want Morant? While the Heat have been star-hunting for a couple of seasons, they might only have interest in Morant if the price was low enough (keep reading the next bullet point about what that might be). Nichols goes on to make an excellent point about the Heat taking a potential flier on Morant.
"Heat Culture is not boot camp for wayward souls. It is not, 'Oh gee, the Heat will clean him up.' Heat Culture is, 'We are tough and we are disciplined, and you either play by our rules or you leave and go home. We are not here to babysit you, hope you get up to our level.' And that's why the players who have worked there have really worked.
"Morant, and the way he approaches the game, seems to me to be the opposite of that. I used to live down in Miami, I used to cover that team, it just seems to be the opposite of what that team represents and stands for. And I know he wants to go down there, from what I've heard, I just can't imagine that would be a smart move."
"He's not attacking the rim nearly like he used to be. … He's a bad jump shooter who's shooting more jump shots than ever. And I'll just quote an East executive from then: 'The combination of pain in the a**, injury-prone, not that good anymore, and big contract is a bad one.'"
• Realistic fake trades. About all those fake trades floating around, the return Memphis will get for Morant will be similar to what Atlanta got for Trae Young, who was dealt for expiring contracts. Zach Lowe explained this well on his podcast:
"I saw some fake trade where it was like [Andrew] Wiggins plus [Jamie] Jaquez and two first-round picks, and I was like, 'What are you smoking?' The Miami trade is more like [Tyler] Herro plus dead money [Terry Rozier] and not much more than that.
"I think some team will trade something real for him eventually. It's the ultimate 'buy low' thing; He'll never be this unhealthy. The off-court stuff is hopefully in the rear view. He's totally unmotivated there, and will get the motivated chip on his shoulder [once traded]."
• Motivated Morant. The idea that there is a Ja Morant revenge tour is what gives him a little more value than Young (that and the fact that Morant has, in the past, shown he can be a decent team defender). That said, Morant has not looked like an All-Star for a few seasons, he's not been consistently healthy for a while (he has not played six consecutive games since 2023), and he's not developed a 3-point shot that teams fear (20.8% this season). More concerning, scouts have told NBC Sports that Morant is not driving as much as he used to, not blowing by players and finishing inside (or kicking out) like he once did.
That said, there are teams willing to find out whether that is still in him and if he is motivated. Draymond Green laid out the positive case for Morant on his podcast.
"Needless to say, if Ja Morant is traded, whatever team lands him instantly gets better. Make no mistake—when you have that level of talent, your team improves overnight.... And sometimes when you think about reviving a career, etc., sometimes guys just need a fresh start. And I don't know that Ja feels he need a fresh start. I don't know the sentiment around that. But maybe he do. But I think nonetheless, if he does get a fresh start, I think we'll see the Ja Morant that we've grown accustomed to seeing."
• What might Memphis get in return? Expect the return for Morant in a trade to be a young player with potential who has struggled in his current setting, and expect any picks dealt to be heavily protected, or more likely swaps and second-round picks. Certainly not unprotected firsts. Teams are willing to take a flyer on Morant, but they are not giving up much to do so.
• Long-term money. What makes this trade different from Young and Atlanta is that the Hawks did not want to take back long-term money in any trade, but that is not the case in Memphis. Just last summer, the Grizzlies got four first-round picks and a swap for Desmond Bane, except at least one of those firsts (and really, two) was for taking on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's contract (two years and $43 million). The same is true here, Memphis is letting teams know that if they get the right compensation, they will take on a longer contract as part of this trade, according to Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo and other reports.
• Is Toronto a destination? Along those lines, look north of the border. Toronto could be facing win-now pressure, which is why they would be open to a splashy trade, like one for Morant, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line.
The Raptors want to get off Immanuel Quickley's salary (he is owed $97.5 million over three guaranteed seasons after this one), and if the Raptors are willing to include the right draft compensation, the Grizzlies will be open to the idea. How well the ball-dominant Morant fits with Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram is up for debate (what the Raptors need more is a center) but it's worth watching, this could be more than just smoke.
• More fake trades.At The Athletic, Zach Harper came up with a couple of realistic Morant trades: One to Brooklyn (a team others have mentioned as a dark horse) and one to Chicago. Would the Bulls want to pair Josh Giddey and Morant, moving Giddey more off the ball? Not sure they do, but Chicago needs talent so if the price was right… maybe?
• Jaren Jackson Jr. In all the talk about a potential Morant trade, other front offices are wondering if the Grizzlies will blow the whole thing up, specifically trading former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. (a player a lot of front offices covet). Teams are being told the Grizzlies have no interest in trading him, league sources told NBC Sports. That is not going to stop teams from asking.
The Ottawa Senators finally made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after an 8-year drought, and coming into 2025-26, the expectations were reasonable: make it again, and maybe make some noise.
But just over halfway through the season, the Senators need to defy the odds to return to the playoffs, a position nobody in the organization could have possibly expected to be in.
And the team’s President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios has to wear it, marking the first time this front office has faced adversity from its own missteps.
The whole season hasn’t been a disaster. Around the quarter mark, the Senators were right in the mix, sitting top-3 in the Atlantic division, most of which was accomplished without star forward Brady Tkachuk while he recovered from a thumb injury.
THN Ottawa's Jack Richardson says GM Steve Staios bears responsibility for this season's goaltending issues.
However, a record of 8-12-1 since the captain’s return has the Senators tied for last place in the Eastern Conference and 7 points out of a wildcard spot, with six other teams ahead of them.
Typically, in such a disappointing season, the coach is the first one under the microscope. But Travis Green is in a unique position because the results under the hood are very impressive in his 2nd year with the Senators.
In other words, no team in the league makes life easier for their goaltenders than the Senators do, yet the club is dead last in the NHL in team save percentage at .868.
The issue for the Senators is goaltending, and it’s been so bad that trying to point blame at any other area of their game for this disappointing season is foolish.
That is why Staios is getting scrutinized.
Coming into the season, addressing the crease was not a priority for the Senators. They let Anton Forsberg go in free agency, putting faith in a tandem of Linus Ullmark and Leevi Meriläinen, which has proven to be a colossal mistake.
Forsberg has a respectable .901 save percentage for the Kings, right where he was last season, which was deemed expendable by the Senators’ front office.
It’s notable when a Senators goaltender provides a .900 save percentage or better this season. That’s not good.
Let’s start with Ullmark. He was acquired from the Boston Bruins for a package that included a 1st round pick, one of Staios’ biggest trades as GM. The 32-year-old is in the first season of a 4-year deal that pays him $8.25M per season, the biggest contract Staios has signed to date.
The Senators are all-in on Ullmark, so his results will reflect on this front office. To be blunt, he is having a bad second season in Ottawa through 28 starts.
Ullmark has a -18.3 Goals Saved Above Expected, ranked 2nd last in the NHL this season, according to Moneypuck.
He did seem to be turning his game around before taking a personal leave of absence on Dec. 28th. He had a .908 save percentage in 8 games from Dec. 1 - Dec. 24 with a record of 5-2-1.
Meriläinen has not been any better, especially in Ullmark’s absence, and that’s the biggest knock on Staios. The 23-year-old has a .866 save percentage in 17 games this season.
Meriläinen burst onto the scene a year ago, when Ullmark and Forsberg each went down with an injury. He had a record of 8-3-1 with a .925 and 3 shutouts. Meriläinen’s performance was remarkable, but he’s taken such a significant step back this season that it’s now hard to analyze what the Senators have on their hands.
The way they handled his development feels uncharacteristic for this front office.
23-year-old forward Stephen Halliday had a stint in Ottawa this season with extremely sheltered minutes, and barely got a look in any offensive situations before being returned to Belleville. Top prospect Carter Yakemchuk played well enough in each of his first two training camps to get a look in the NHL, but was sent to junior last year and Belleville this year to develop his defensive game.
Yet Meriläinen was handed a backup role because there was nobody else to push him in camp, which is where his troubled season started.
In what can only be categorized as a desperation move, Staios signed 37-year-old James Reimer last week to help stop the bleeding in Ottawa. When Ullmark returns, Reimer will likely back him up for the rest of the season, and Meriläinen will mercifully be sent to Belleville to find his game.
The Senators need to salvage the season, because they are in danger of missing the playoffs in a year they don’t own a 1st round pick in the draft.
To be fair, not having a pick this season isn't on Staios. Former GM Pierre Dorion is to blame, as the Senators were ruthlessly punished by the NHL for his blunder while trading away Evgeny Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Senators had to forfeit their pick in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 - and Staios chose to keep 2024’s at 7th overall, selecting Yakemchuk, and then keep 2025’s to trade back and select Logan Hensler at 23rd overall.
The choice to continue deferring was likely made on the assumption that the Senators would progress this season, but as it stands right now, they have regressed.
If the season ended today, the Senators would have the 9th-best odds to win the Draft Lottery and pick 1st overall based on points percentage.
Coupled with a tumultuous week off the ice where he released a strongly worded statement discrediting online rumours about his players, Staios has been busy trying to keep the Senators from tailspinning out of control.
With the season in the balance, the pressure has never been higher on the first-time GM in Ottawa.
Jack Richardson The Hockey News- Ottawa
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The Vancouver Canucks are 45 games into the 2025–26 NHL season. The Canucks have yet to win their first game of 2026, as they are currently riding a seven-game losing streak. Their last win came against the Seattle Kraken on December 29, with their first regulation win coming against the New York Islanders on December 19. Here’s how the Canucks stack up to the rest of the NHL 45 games into the season.
Team Stats
Vancouver Canucks team stats 45 games into 2025-26.
While they had previously registered a couple of stats within the top-half of the NHL, at the 45-game mark, Vancouver currently ranks within the bottom-half in all the listed categories. Their highest-placed listed team stat is their power play, which ranks 18th in the NHL with a success rate of 19.7%. Everything else places below the top-20, with their penalty kill (72.7%, t-30th), goals-against (163, 31st), points-percentage (0.411%, 32nd), and record (16–24–5, 32nd) all placing within the bottom-three in the league.
Individual Skaters
Vancouver Canucks individual skater stats 45 games into 2025-26.
Vancouver’s offensive woes this season are summed up pretty well in how their individual skater stats compare to the rest of the NHL. Their team points leaders, Elias Pettersson (12G, 15A) and Filip Hronek (3G, 24A), are tied for 135th in the league in total points scored this season. For reference, the current highest point total on the season belongs to Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche who has 36 goals and 45 assists. Maintaining their places at the top of the league are Hronek with overall TOI (1104:58, 11th) and Kiefer Sherwood with hits (210, 2nd).
Goaltenders
Vancouver Canucks goaltending stats 45 games into 2025-26.
Canucks goaltenders Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen have maintained their team-leading stats in goaltending for the third consecutive segment of this check-in article. Demko has once again held the team lead in SV% (0.895%, t-37), GAA (2.90, t-36), wins (8, t-41), and high-danger SV% (.803%, 37th). On the other hand, Lankinen holds the team records in overall minutes played (1272:15, 29th), shots faced (611, 19th), and high-danger shots faced (185, t-22). With Demko once again out for an undetermined period of time, Lankinen will have to continue carrying a fair chunk of the weight for his team.
The Canucks will return to Vancouver throughout the next five-game span, but not before taking on the Ottawa Senators in the second-half of their current back-to-back tonight. They’ll face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday for the final game of their road trip before heading back to Rogers Arena for a Saturday night matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. To round out this upcoming five-game stretch, the Canucks will face the New York Islanders on January 19 and the Washington Capitals on January 21.
Jan 12, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Vancouver Canucks center Max Sasson (63) celebrates with his teammates at the bench his goal against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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It’s been an offseason of seismic changes for the Mets, and while there are still plenty of moves to be made between now and the Opening Day, president of baseball operations David Stearns sat down with reporters on Tuesday to discuss where things currently stand with the club.
The Mets have already said goodbye to Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil this offseason, but Stearns believes the organization is in a very good spot, and with good reasoning.
"We’ve said goodbye to players who have performed really well here, people we care a lot about, players that out fans care a lot about who have meshed well with our community, who have done what we as organization have asked them to do for a long time, and that’s really tough and we all recognize that," Stearns said. "And we’re doing all of that because we are committed universally, from ownership down, to ensure that the next five years of the Mets are better, and that we win more games and meet the lofty expectations that we have for ourselves, than what we’ve done previously. What we’ve done previously has not been good enough. We all know that, I certainly know that, and we’ve got to do better. And we’re committed to doing that.
"We have tremendous ownership support to do that. We have elite talent at the top of our major league roster. We’ve got a very good farm system, and we’ve got a very good present-day major league team as we sit here today that’s going to get better before we get to Opening Day."
Stearns added that the Mets currently have a mix of “truly elite talent on our major league team, combined with some young players who have already established themselves at the major league level and are ready to take that next step."
"We have this pretty unique combination right now of MVP-caliber talent up top, players who have already established themselves at the major league level who are at that point of their career where there is the potential – not the certainty, but the potential – for a jump, and really exciting premium young prospects who are about to hit the major league level," Stearns said. "That is an enviable place for any organization to be."
Losing fan-favorite pieces like Diaz and Alonso hasn't been an easy pill to swallow, but potentially adding Tucker, the best position player available via free agency this year, would completely change the narrative for the Mets.
And Stearns is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve the ultimate goal.
“I certainly understand that there have been points this offseason that have been frustrating for our fan base. We’re not blind to that at all," Stearns said. "I’m certainly not blind to that. I hear it, I recognize it. I hear it from my friends and family at times. I’m also very convicted that what we are doing is the right thing for our franchise going forward to accomplish our goals of creating a consistent playoff team, a team that year after year is a true World Series contender, and ultimately a team that does what we are all here to do, which is to win a World Series. And that’s why we are doing all of this."
Former New York Islanders forward Matt Martin, who is currently the special assistant to general manager Mathieu Darche, will be inducted into the Sarnia Sting's team Hall of Fame on Feb. 27 ahead of their game against the Barrie Colts.
A Sting legend is heading to the Sarnia Sting Hall of Fame presented by All Seasons Trophies & Signs 🏒
We’re proud to announce Matt Martin as the newest member of the Sarnia Sting Hall of Fame.
Martin, who retired from the NHL after 987 games over 16 years following the 2024-25 season, was not selected in the CHL Draft. He walked on with Sarnia ahead of the 2006-07 season.
After just three goals and three assists through his first 39 OHL games, the Windsor, Ontario native scored 5 goals with 13 assists for 38 points in 66 games during the 2007-08 season. He was drafted 148th overall by the Islanders at the 2008 NHL Draft.
In his third and final campaign with Sarnia, Martin exploded, scoring 35 goals with 30 assists for 65 points in 61 games. He then joined the Islanders' organization.
Over 166 games with Sarnia, Martin totaled 60 goals with 43 assists for 103 points, with 349 penalty minutes.
Sarnai made the playoffs in each season Martin was on the roster. In 18 career OHL playoff games, Martin recorded six goals and three assists for nine points.
What will be cool about the induction ceremony is that Sarnia will be playing an Islanders' prospect, 19-year-old defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, who was selected 17th overall at the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Calgary Flames have placed forward Martin Pospisil on the long-term injury list and assigned him to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers on a conditioning loan, marking a significant step in his return-to-play process.
Pospisil has yet to appear in a game for the Flames this season, and until recently, it remained uncertain whether he would return at all. Given his history with concussions, the organization has continued to take a cautious, measured approach with the 26-year-old forward, as timelines surrounding similar injuries can often be unpredictable.
The conditioning stint suggests Pospisil is progressing toward game readiness, allowing him to ease back into competition in a controlled environment. While the Flames have not indicated when — or if — he could rejoin the NHL roster, the move itself is a positive signal after an extended absence.
There may also be international implications. Team Slovakia general manager Miroslav Šatan recently hinted at the possibility of Pospisil being part of Slovakia’s roster for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. The timing of this assignment could indicate that both the player and the Flames are preparing him for potential Olympic participation later this season.
Selected by Calgary in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. Over 144 NHL games across two seasons, he has recorded 12 goals and 49 points while playing an energetic, physical style that has resulted in 193 penalty minutes. He also finished last season with a plus-14 rating, highlighting his effectiveness at five-on-five.
For now, the focus remains on health and gradual reintegration. How Pospisil responds during his time with the Wranglers will go a long way in determining his NHL future — and potentially his availability on the international stage later this winter.
