It's been a little over eight months since Pittsburgh Penguins general manager/president Kyle Dubas acquired forward Connor Dewar from the Toronto Maple Leafs just before last season's trade deadline.

Dewar came over with defenseman Conor Timmins for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Mar. 7. Dubas was familiar with both players and wanted to give them a shot to earn another contract once the 2024-25 season ended. 

At the time, Dewar had only compiled three points (all assists) in 31 games. He was a different player for the final 17 games of the year, totaling four goals and seven points. He was one of their best forecheckers below the goal line and was also feisty around the net and along the boards. 

Dewar was a great fit for the bottom six, leading Dubas to sign him to a one-year deal for the 2025-26 season. Timmins had the opportunity to earn himself a similar deal, but Dubas opted to trade him to the Buffalo Sabres during the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Fast forward to this season, and Dewar has been one of the best players in the bottom six. He has played in only 19 games but has already matched his total goal output from last year (four) and has six points. Outside of that, he has been doing a great job of being one of their best forecheckers and bringing some extra snarl on the fourth line. He's the straw that stirs the drink on that line and has helped give the Penguins momentum when they have needed it.

He's also a big part of the Penguins' penalty kill, which ranks fourth in the NHL. The PK has killed off 24 of the last 25 penalties, and Dewar is super impressed with the work assistant coach Mike Stothers has put into that unit. 

"He's a great communicator," Dewar said after Wednesday's practice. "He's very detailed. He gives us a lot of trust and belief in ourselves. He's been great."

This year's PK under Stothers is much more aggressive than it was in the last couple of seasons under former assistant coach Mike Vellucci. The penalty killers, especially Dewar, aren't giving up easy zone entries and are doing a great job taking away the high-danger areas. Great goaltending obviously helps matters, but the penalty killers are making life really easy for the goalies, especially over the last several games. 

For Pittsburgh Penguins' Olympic Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs, No Stage Is Too BigPittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs - acquired from the Vancouver Canucks over the summer - has proven he can perform when the stakes are highest and will get another chance with Team Latvia at the 2026 Olympic Games.

Due to injuries, Dewar has been forced to take on a top-line role next to Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust, and the early returns haven't been bad. Per Natural Stat Trick, Dewar and Crosby have played 21:13 at 5v5 this year and have been on the ice for 51.7% of the expected goals and 70% of the scoring chances. It's only temporary since the Penguins are down multiple top six forwards, but Dewar hasn't missed a beat since being elevated.

Once he likely goes back down to the fourth line, he will be reunited with Blake Lizotte, and the two of them have been quite the duo to start the season. They're both wrecking balls and feed off one another in each game, including when they're cycling in the offensive zone.

Dewar has been a great find by Dubas and there's a good chance he will earn himself a new deal with the Penguins if he continues to have a good season.

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In his most recent 32 Thoughts column, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman questioned if the Montreal Canadiens could make sense as a landing spot for St. Louis Blues forward Alexandre Texier. This was after he reported that rumors are out there that Texier is considering terminating his contract with the Blues.

Following Friedman's column, the Blues placed Texier on regular waivers on Nov. 20. However, Friedman also noted that the Blues and Texier could still mutually terminate his contract if he goes through regular waivers unclaimed. 

With Texier being available on regular waivers, should the Canadiens consider claiming him before his current contract potentially gets terminated? The 26-year-old center currently has a $2.1 million cap hit until the end of this season, which is not necessarily cheap for his role. He has also not played much this season, posting one assist in eight games so far. This is after he had six goals and 11 points in 31 games with St. Louis this past season. 

Texier has shown in the past that he can produce decent offense, as he posted career highs with 12 goals, 18 assists, and 30 points in 78 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023-24. This was after he had 11 goals and 20 points in just 36 games with Columbus during the 2021-22 season. 

Overall, while Texier could be a decent depth pickup for the Canadiens, his current $2.1 million cap hit could very well make the Canadiens stay away. However, if he clears regular waivers and then gets his current contract terminated by the Blues, he could be a low-risk target for the Canadiens to bring in at a lower price through free agency. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a nice start to the season, as they have a 10-5-4 record and are third in the Metropolitan Division. When noting that they had low expectations heading into the season, there is no question that fans should be happy with how they have played out of the gate. 

With the Penguins starting the year off so well, they should be open to the idea of adding to their roster. However, with Pittsburgh retooling, they should specifically pursue young players who would help them beyond this season.

Two interesting young players recently entered the rumor mill who would have the potential to be a strong addition to the Penguins' roster. Let's discuss both of them now. 

Brad Lambert, F, Winnipeg Jets 

NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that the Jets have granted Brad Lambert permission to seek a trade. When noting that Lambert is a former first-round pick and just 21 years old, he stands out as a potential fit for the Penguins. 

Lambert has had trouble cementing himself as a full-time NHL player with the Jets, but he certainly could change that on a team like the Penguins. The young forward has good potential and could become a nice part of Pittsburgh's roster if he takes that next step. 

Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim Ducks 

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently reported that Mintyukov would like a trade from the Ducks if he continues to be scratched. If Mintyukov does become available, the Penguins should make a major push for the young blueliner. 

The Penguins should be looking to improve the left side of their defense. A player like Mintyukov could very well grab their attention, as he is also a former first-round pick who is only 21 years old. He has also already shown promise at the NHL level, as he recorded four goals and 28 points in 63 games during his rookie year in 2023-24. 

The LA Kings are in San Jose to take on the Sharks in a key divisional matchup. 

The Kings are coming off a 2-1 loss against the Washington Capitals as they look to try to leap ahead of Vegas for second in the Pacific. The Sharks are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Utah Mammoth, which saw Macklin Celebrini score a hat-trick. 

Projected Kings Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Kings:

Andrei Kuzmenko - Anze Kopitar - Trevor Moore

Kevin Fiala - Quinton Byfield - Adrian Kempe

Warren Foegele - Phillip Danault - Alex Laferriere

Joel Armia - Alex Turcotte - Corey Perry

Mikey Anderson - Brian Dumoulin

Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke

Jacob Moverare - Cody Ceci

Anton Forsberg

Phoenix Copley

Projected Sharks Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Sharks: 

Philipp Kurashev - Macklin Celebrini - Will Smith

William Eklund - Alexander Wennberg - Tyler Toffoli

Adam Gaudette - Ty Dellandrea - Collin Graf

Barclay Goodrow - Zack Ostapchuk - Ryan Reaves

Dmitry Orlov - Timothy Liljegren

Mario Ferraro - John Klingberg

Sam Dickinson - Vincent Desharnais

Yaroslav Askarov

Alex Nedeljkovic

Lines and Injuries 

The Kings will be without Darcy Kuemper tonight as he is scratched, so Phoenix Copley will back up Anton Forsberg. Andrei Kuzmenko returns to the lineup after being scratched in the last couple of games, and he will be on the first line alongside Kopitar and Moore. The second line for the Kings has also been altered, with Fiala, Byfield, and Kempe now on it, which could prove deadly for the Kings. The Kings also placed Drew Doughty on injured reserve. The Sharks are missing both Michael Misa and Jeff Skinner due to lower-body injuries. 

Key Factors

The Kings have to be aware of the young guys on this Sharks team. Macklin Celebrini has been one of the best players in the NHL this season, and his connection with Will Smith is something the Kings will have to pay attention to. The Kings, on the other hand, have switched up their entire lineup, and their second line on paper is seemingly their best line heading into tonight's game, so that line will be relied upon. 

The Kings will have to attack the Sharks' defence, as per NHL Edge, which ranks last in the NHL in defensive zone play. If the Kings can be in the offensive zone and generate chances while building momentum, they will score goals and succeed. 

If the Kings can get going offensively tonight, they can push the Sharks and walk away with a win. My prediction for tonight's game is a 4-1 Kings win. 

The Providence Bruins announced they have signed Calder Cup champion defenseman Christian Wolanin and forward Shawn Element to Professional Tryouts (PTOs).

Wolanin had 40 points in 58 regular season games before adding 10 points in 17 playoff games with the Abbotsford Canucks last season, playing a major role in the team winning the Calder Cup. 

The 30-year-old was arguably the top available AHL free agent before signing the PTO.

A native of Quebec, Que., he won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's Best Defenseman, was named to the league's First All-Star Team and led the league in points by a defenseman in 2022-23. 

A fourth round selection of the Ottawa Senators in 2015, Wolanin is third on the Abbotsford Canucks all-time scoring list. He has 177 points in 238 career AHL games and 23 points in 86 career NHL games. 

Element has one goals, five points and 28 penalty minutes in six games with the ECHL's Maine Mariners this season.

📰 Providence Bruins Sign Christian Wolanin and Shawn Element to PTO, Recall Jacob Perreault from Marinershttps://t.co/nBTzWONixW

— Providence Bruins (@AHLBruins) November 20, 2025

The 25-year-old has 29 goals, 55 points and 263 penalty minutes in 208 career AHL games with the Ontario Reign and Syracuse Crunch.

The New York Rangers are set to play the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 9 PM EST at Ball Arena.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of this matchup: 

Projected Lineup:

Forwards:

Will Cuylle - Mika Zibanejad - Alexis Lafrenière

Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - J.T. Miller

Jonny Brodzinski - Noah Laba - Conor Sheary

Adam Edström - Sam Carrick - Taylor Raddysh

Defensemen:

Vladislav Gavrikov - Adam Fox

Carson Soucy - Braden Schneider

Scott Morrow - Matthew Robertson

Goaltenders: 

Igor Shesterkin 

Jonathan Quick 

Notable Storylines: 

• Igor Shesterkin is set to start for the Rangers. 
• The Rangers are coming off of a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
• Will Borgen is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. 
• The Rangers currently hold a 10-9-2 record. 
• The Avalanche are coming off of a 4-1 win over the Islanders.

Mike Sullivan made a significant shake-up to his top-six forward unit ahead of the New York Rangers’ Thursday night matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.

During Thursday’s practice, J.T. Miller was moved to a line with Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, while Alexis Lafrenière played on a line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle. 

Before the start of the season, Miller and Zibanejad specifically emphasized their desire to play together to Sullivan, who obliged to their request. 

However, the duo hasn’t had the same level of success compared to the second half of last season, and Sullivan felt it was time to split them up with the hopes of elevating his top-six unit.

“We're trying to find some combinations here that give us a more consistent threat offensively,” Sullivan said of his line changes. “Although I think Troch's line has drove a lot of offense, I feel like Mika and J.T., in the last handful of games, haven't been as effective offensively. So sometimes, to effect a little bit of change from a personnel standpoint, can help those guys capture their best games.”

These adjustments also come after Miller voiced his disappointment in himself regarding his offensive struggles to kick off the 2025-26 season. 

Miller has scored just one goal over the last nine games, and he knows that he’s capable of producing at a higher level. 

“At some point you look in the mirror,” Miller said. “Speaking on behalf of myself, I certainly expect a hell of a lot more production than what I have. I've never really gauged my game on points, and I said that a lot. Typically, when I bring my game, the points come. That being said, this year, it seems like nothing's really going in the net. We've got a big enough sample size that 25% of the season is gone, and we're in a lot of 1-goal games. 

Rangers' Penalty-Kill Struggles And J.T. Miller's Harsh Criticism Of Himself Headline Loss To Golden Knights The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> started their three-game road trip on a sour note, losing 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.&nbsp;

“If I can raise my personal standard and lead the team a little bit better production-wise, I think our outcome in these games are going to change. So it's making me frustrated. It's hard to control that…Trust me, it's on my mind, but same time, come a long way, in a sense, of not getting wrapped up in that s–t.”

In the middle of the Rangers’ game against the Golden Knights on Tuesday night, Sullivan elevated Jonny Brodzinski to the line with Miller and Zibanejad, moving Cuylle to the third line alongside Noah Laba and Conor Sheary. 

Sullivan admitted he made those changes because he wasn’t satisfied with what the Miller-Zibanejad-Cuylle line was giving him offensively.

“I made a switch to Mika's line just because I didn't think they were getting much, so I was trying to effect a little bit of change,” Sullivan said.

You should expect to see these newly established top-six line combinations tonight in Colorado.