The Wraparound is here once again with more NHL and hockey topics in bite-sized segments.Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Adam Kierszenblat discussed in this episode:

0:00: Could Jakob Chychrun be entering the conversation as one of the NHL’s top offensive defensemen?

4:01: What is the offensive ceiling for Morgan Geekie with the Boston Bruins?

8:05: Will Pete DeBoer end up in an NHL coaching role this season?12:11: Which teams could take a shot at signing Robby Fabbri?

15:49: Breaking down standout performers at the CHL USA Top Prospects Challenge

19:40: Is Scott Wedgewood one of Team Canada’s top options in net?

25:23: Has Cutter Gauthier earned himself a spot on Team USA?

31:00: Will the Buffalo Sabres or Toronto Maple Leafs work out their struggles on the road?

What Is Morgan Geekie's Offensive Ceiling With Bruins? by The Wraparound

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Aaron Ekblad blocked a shot late against the Philadelphia Flyers, but the news this morning is positive.

The Florida Panthers were defeated 4-2 by the Flyers despite once owning a two-goal lead. The Panthers came out firing, throwing 15 shots on goal in the first period and concluding the opening frame up 1-0. Carter Verhaeghe added the second, but four unanswered goals by the Flyers flipped the script.

Late in the third period, while trying to keep the Flyers' lead at a minimum, Ekblad blocked a shot that stung him. He finished the game with one shot on goal, two hits and three blocks in 21:43 of ice time.

There was some concern this morning, but coach Paul Maurice spoke to the media and provided a positive update, stating that he is fine and that he will play on Friday against the Calgary Flames. 

Ekblad has had a quiet season offensively, but he continues to be a vital part of their defensive system. With just one goal and seven points in 22 games, the 29-year-old is on pace for just four goals and 26 points.

Despite that, Ekblad averages the second-most ice time on the team and plays a critical role on the Panthers' shutdown unit with Gustav Forsling. 

The news is a sigh of relief for the Panthers.

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.

Buffalo Sabres players being on various NHL trade rumor boards has been an all-too-frequent sight and with it being American Thanksgiving and the Sabres at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the chatter will begin in earnest now that unofficial trade season has opened. A couple interesting nuggets from Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos in his first trade board that involved the Sabres. 

The first involved winger Alex Tuch. Kypreos echoed Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, who indicated on a recent 32 Thoughts podcast that the Sabres winger has to be looking for a deal in the same neighborhood as Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe, which would necessitate the Sabres coming off their negotiating stance prior to the season that they balked at a deal with an AAV of more than $10 million per season. Kypreos indicates there is still a large gap between the two sides, which could make the 29-year-old the most sought-after commodity before the March 6 trade deadline.

Other Sabres Stories

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 The other involved Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo. The Leafs acquired the big right-shot defenseman from Boston in March for the playoff stretch drive, but Kypreos reported that Toronto explored trading Carlo to Buffalo for restricted free agent winger JJ Peterka before he was dealt to Utah for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan, and then moved on to defenseman Bowen Byram, before he signed a two-year bridge deal.

While dealing for Carlo is consistent with the Sabres looking for players with term remaining, and the pursuit of a righty to play with Owen Power this season, either trade would have been quite a departure for Buffalo, who have not made a significant trade with their Atlantic Division rival for 32 years (Dave Andreychuk, Darren Puppa, and a first round pick for Grant Fuhr). 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

There will be no games in the NHL today, as the league is on the American Thanksgiving break. Most of the time, when a team is in a playoff position at this stage, they end up making the spring dance, but this year seems a bit different.

With 27 points, the Montreal Canadiens are currently just outside of the playoff picture, looking in as they are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. However, not only do they have games in hand on all the teams ahead of them, aside from the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they are also just four points behind the top spot in the east, held by the New Jersey Devils with 31 points, and three points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

Canadiens: For Better Or For Worse
NHL Rumors: Should Canadiens Bring Back Maple Leafs Forward?
Canadiens Scratching Arber Xhekaj & Prospect Debuting vs. Utah

Rarely have the standings been so tight in the Conference, and it’s much tighter than in the West, where the league-leading Colorado Avalanche have 39 points, followed by the Dallas Stars with 34 points and the Minnesota Wild with 30 points. The West houses the three teams with the lowest point totals: the St. Louis Blues (21 points), the Calgary Flames (19 points), and the Nashville Predators (18 points).

In other words, anything can still happen in the standings, and if the Canadiens can keep their current winning streak going (it will be a challenge with the Vegas Golden Knights and the Avalanche coming up on their schedule), they’ll be right back in the thick of it.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Canadiens haven’t been spared by injuries so far, with Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach all being sidelined for a significant time. GM Kent Hughes has already brought some help in by signing free agent Alexandre Tessier, but he’s still working the phones, according to the rumours swirling around the league. There’s no denying that if he were to be able to bring some much-needed help down the middle, the Canadiens would be in a much better spot.

Putting the goaltending woes in the rearview mirror would also go a long way towards helping Martin St-Louis’ side punch its ticket for the playoffs. Jakub Dobes has been solid in his last two starts, and Samuel Montembeault is bound to bounce back; otherwise, he may end up riding the pine for the foreseeable future since the coach now seems determined to ride the hot hand.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

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The Buffalo Sabres playoff fortunes may rest on the next two weeks and how they fare on the road, as the club began a stretch of eight of their next 10 on the road with a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. With the exception of a 31 -second stretch after Jason Zucker’s goal in the third period, the Penguins throughout, ending the Sabres two-game winning streak. 

"Our puck play cost us dearly, cost us on the first goal, our puck play right after we got back in the game and tied it up," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "We didn't handle the puck well, gave it away, didn't execute the breakout and then ended up in the back of their net."

Other Sabres Stories

Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere

Guerin Gathering Info On Possible Olympic Options 

The Sabres have only one victory (a 5-4 overtime win over Detroit on November 15 in which they trailed 4-1 in the third period) and two overtime losses to Toronto and Boston in nine road games this season. After their Black Friday afternoon home game against New Jersey, the Sabres play seven of their next eight games on the road against Minnesota, Philadelphia, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Seattle and 10 of their 14 December games away from KeyBank Center.  

One reason for optimism may be that Buffalo is getting most of their injured players back. Jason Zucker and Zach Benson returned in the last week, and center Josh Norris may return to action this weekend, lowering the number of players on IR to just three (Michael Kesselring, Jiri Kulich, and Justin Danforth).  Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed three goals on just 18 shots, so it is likely we will see either Alex Lyon or Colten Ellis get the start against the Devils.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

So far, the 2025-26 NHL season has been a tale of superstars getting their paychecks and young guns like Connor Bedard and veterans like John Tavares hitting their stride.

However, while some players have found their game or remain the stars we know, others have had less-than-ideal starts to their 2026 campaign.

Here is one NHL player at each position in need of a spark.

Center: J.T. Miller

Although J. T. Miller wasn't particularly remarkable during his first stint in New York or his short time in Tampa Bay, he cemented himself as a point-per-game player following his trade to Vancouver, including a 103-point effort in 2023-24.

Miller recorded 35 points in 32 games following his trade back to Broadway in 2024-25 and was even named captain in the off-season. But his scoring fell as the Rangers struggled to score overall, especially at home.

Miller has 13 points in his first 23 games this season. Despite this, Miller has not shied away from being blunt with the media about his struggles, telling them after their 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights that he expects a “hell of a lot more” production than what he has.

A three-game point streak, with two goals and two assists, is an encouraging sign that the center is already stepping up his game.

Left Wing: Dylan Holloway

After turning his back on Edmonton and signing an offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues, Dylan Holloway surprised everyone in the 2024-25 campaign with 63 points. He even received votes for the Lady Byng Trophy and Selke Trophy in the process, although he would miss their first-round series against Winnipeg with an injury.

Though Holloway has since returned, it seems as if he’s struggled to maintain that form early in 2025-26. So far, Holloway has 11 points and a minus-9 rating through his first 24 games on a struggling Blues squad. With that said, Holloway is only 24, so in comparison to some others on this list, there is not much reason to panic just yet.

Right Wing: Mitch Marner

Mitch Marner headlined the off-season leading up to and following his divorce from the Toronto Maple Leafs, getting a much-needed fresh start with the hotter Vegas Golden Knights.

Although Marner has had hot stretches earlier this season, he has three points in his last eight games. He hasn’t finished a season averaging fewer than a point per game since his sophomore year in 2018, but he currently only has 22 points in 23 contests.

Considering his infamous playoff underperformances in Toronto, Marner could be working with a shorter leash than expected if he can’t recapture that regular-season consistency that was his bread and butter in Toronto.

Defense: MacKenzie Weegar

Arguably Calgary’s top defenseman the past few seasons, MacKenzie Weegar has had perhaps a more drastic fall than anyone else on this list. The once-dependable two-way defenseman has a mere four points in 25 games, all assists, and a rating deep in the minuses at minus-20.

Weegar is on pace for the lowest production of his career since he was a rookie in Florida. Although the Flames’ issues run deeper than any one player, losing Weegar’s production has certainly hurt the team, which currently finds itself hanging around the bottom of the Western Conference.

With Jonathan Huberdeau’s struggles also continuing, the Matthew Tkachuk trade looks worse than ever before for the Flames.

Goalie: Dustin Wolf

Staying on the topic of underperforming Flames, Dustin Wolf is also on the list.

Last season, Wolf nearly willed the Flames into the playoffs on his own. But since signing his seven-year contract extension, Wolf's stats fell. His .890 save percentage and 3.17 goals-against average both mark significant regressions from that campaign, and it’s no surprise the Flames have struggled the way they have partly because of it.

The silver lining is Wolf is still young and locked up long-term, with plenty of runway to turn it around.

Benjamin Kirshenblatt is an intern at The Hockey News.

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.

Sammy Blais is headed back to the Montreal Canadiens after a brief stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The forward was placed on waivers by Toronto on Wednesday afternoon and, according to TSN's Chris Johnston, was claimed by the Canadiens 24 hours later.

Toronto initially picked up Blais off waivers on Oct. 6, via the Canadiens, who tried to get him through waivers to send him to the AHL. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has familiarity with the forward, going back to their days with the St. Louis Blues, when they won the Stanley Cup.

Former Maple Leafs Defender Tyson Barrie Reveals Mike Babcock Story Which Occurred After Joining TorontoBarrie's game with the Maple Leafs transformed after the club fired Babcock and promoted Sheldon Keefe in November 2019.

Blais played eight games with the Maple Leafs, scoring one goal and two assists. He played a bottom-six role for Toronto and Berube, averaging 8:17 of ice time through his entire tenure.

The Maple Leafs recouped a couple of their injured players on Wednesday, including Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and Nicolas Roy. They needed to make a few roster moves to activate all three players, and waiving Blais was one of them.

Toronto also sent Jacob Quillan back to the AHL's Toronto Marlies after he played two NHL games.

The Maple Leafs have activated F Auston Matthews and F Nicolas Roy from IR.

F Jacob Quillan has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

F Samuel Blais has been placed on waivers.

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) November 26, 2025

The Maple Leafs are also dealing with a couple of injuries to their defensemen and Anthony Stolarz. Chris Tanev remains out long-term with an upper-body injury after going off on a stretcher in their game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1.

Brandon Carlo (lower body) skated with teammates for the first time in practice on Thursday in Washington, one day ahead of Toronto's matchup against the Capitals. Carlo has been out since Nov. 13 versus the Los Angeles Kings.

Stolarz hasn't been seen since leaving after one period with an upper-body injury against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 11. The hope one week ago was that Stolarz would skate last Friday, however, that didn't happen.

It's unknown if he's been on the ice since Toronto left for a five-game road trip on Tuesday afternoon.

Craig Berube Encourages ‘Glass Half Full’ Mindset As Maple Leafs Prepare or Longest Road Trip Amid Struggling SeasonDespite sitting dead last in the East, head coach Craig Berube is urging the Maple Leafs to embrace a "glass half-full" mentality to spark a turnaround on their critical five-game road trip.

Blais being claimed by the Canadiens means Montreal can now send him straight to AHL Laval, since they were the ones who first placed the forward on waivers at the beginning of the season. However, the Canadiens do have a roster spot open for Blais if they choose to keep him in the NHL.

In 265 NHL games, with the Blues, Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers, Blais has scored 28 goals and 74 points.

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The Montreal Canadiens have added to their forward group. 

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Canadiens have claimed forward Sammy Blais back off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

When it was announced that Blais was placed on waivers, the Canadiens were certainly considered a team to watch. This is because the Canadiens lost Blais to the Maple Leafs through waivers right before the start of the 2025-26 season. Now, Blais will once again be a part of the Canadiens' roster after being claimed back by Montreal.

The Canadiens originally signed Blais to a one-year, $775,000 contract back in July through free agency. This was after he posted 14 goals, 26 assists, and 40 points in 51 AHL games with the Abbotsford Canucks during the 2024-25 season. 

Blais recorded one goal, three points, four penalty minutes, and a minus-2 rating in eight games with the Maple Leafs before being claimed back by the Canadiens. 

American Thanksgiving is upon us, and that means folks start talking benchmarks, playoffs, and trade deadline storylines around the NHL. 

And with some kind of playoff picture coming into focus, the Pittsburgh Penguins sure have a lot to be thankful for this season. 

After a scorching 8-2-2 start to the season in the month of October, the Penguins are still in the East's second wild card spot despite a tough 3-4-3 stretch in November. Regardless of where things go from here, the Penguins have exceeded many outside expectations, and there have been several contributing factors to their early-season success.

Here are five things the Penguins should be thankful for this season.

Their goalies

Goaltending has taken the Penguins places this season after being a glaring weakness in the last several seasons. 

This year, Tristan Jarry, Arturs Silovs, and Sergei Murashov have combined for a .911 team save percentage, which is good for fourth in the NHL. The league's average save percentage this season is .891.

Save percentage of @penguins goalies:
.914% - Tristan Jarry
.913% - Sergei Murashov
.907% - Arturs Silovs

.891% - NHL average save percentage

Pittsburgh's goaltenders have been difference makers a quarter of the way through the season 👏 pic.twitter.com/D3umloHGYn

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) November 27, 2025

And, let's not forget Joel Blomqvist, who is off to a torrid start in the AHL after missing the first six weeks of the regular season with a lower-body injury. In three games, he has an impressive 1.34 goals-against average and an unreal .952 save percentage.

The goaltending depth in this organization is very real, and the Penguins should certainly thank those guys for their early success.

Report: Penguins' Goaltender Drawing 'Significant Interest' From Western Conference TeamAn NHL insider has linked Pittsburgh Penguins' goaltender Tristan Jarry to the struggling Edmonton Oilers

The kids

Another two people the Penguins should be grateful for are GM and POHO Kyle Dubas and VP of Player Personnel Wes Clark, who have managed to completely overturn the Penguins' prospect pool and outlook on youth talent in a matter of two-plus years. 

But at the end of the day, the kids are the ones getting it done. 

Murashov is advanced for a goaltender of his age at 21. Rutger McGroarty - who missed all of training camp and the first month and a half of action due to an upper-body injury - has three goals and five points in three games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) and appears to have a long-term outlook in the organization. Teenagers Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke earned spots on the NHL roster out of training camp, and Kindel - drafted this year - has particularly impressed.

Penguins' Top Prospect Rutger McGroarty Extends AHL Goal-Scoring Streak<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' top prospect Rutger McGroarty can't stop scoring goals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins.

Overall, the Penguins have iced nine rookies this season, which is the top mark in the NHL. All of a sudden, this isn't really an old team anymore, even if their high-performing veterans skew the number otherwise.

And, hey, after 20 years of witnessing greatness in the Crosby era, the Penguins should be thankful that there is, potentially, some greatness on the horizon, too.

Pittsburgh's 2021 second-round pick (58th overall) Tristan Broz will make his NHL debut tomorrow against the Sabres.

Broz will be the ninth rookie to suit up for the @penguins this season, which is the most in the NHL. pic.twitter.com/HAyU2KOx8t

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) November 25, 2025

A new coaching staff

New head coach Dan Muse and his staff have gotten a lot out of a roster that a lot of folks doubted heading into the season. 

Todd Nelson has elevated a good Penguins' power play from last season to the best unit in the league, and his work with the forward unit has been spectacular. Mike Stothers has reformed the Penguins' penalty kill to be a top-five unit and has endeared himself to a better-than-anticipated defense corps. Nick Bonino and "eye in the sky" Rich Clune have done a fantastic job with the group as well, especially as coaches with less experience than the others. 

A fuming #LetsGoPens head coach Dan Muse:

"We have a weekend here where we get one of four points. That's not good enough."

— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) November 23, 2025

Then, there is Muse himself. The players love him and his energy. He knows how to develop players. He knows how to work with the vets. He knows when to give his team positive reinforcement and when to challenge them. He has taken a locker room with an air of staleness and helped revitalize it. 

The organization is surely grateful for this staff, and the team should be, too. 

Penguins' Special Teams Driving Bus For Hot StartNineteen games into the 2025-26 season, things are going pretty well for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>.&nbsp;

A middling Eastern Conference

Even if the Penguins have had a 3-4-3 skid in the month of November, they - thankfully - haven't lost much ground at all. They are still in a playoff position, and they partially have the rest of the East to thank for that. 

With no team truly pulling away, the Penguins are just four points out of both the divisional and the conference lead that's held by the New Jersey Devils at 31. They have been challenged, injury-depleted, and not playing their best hockey as of late, yet they are still in the thick of things.

That says a lot about both the Penguins as a team and about the rest of the East. It is worth noting that the Penguins are only five points out of the basement of the conference, too. But they're getting healthier, and they were the best team in the East at near-full-health. 

In a season seemingly of "meh" in the East, it's the perfect time for the Penguins to take advantage of that. And they should be thankful that they're getting back to full health so they have the opportunity to do just that. 

Penguins Have Passed The Thanksgiving BenchmarkThe Pittsburgh Penguins are in a playoff spot at Thanksgiving, which could be huge.

The naysayers

If there is one thing that tends to motivate anyone, it's others casting doubt. It makes a person or a team want to prove those others wrong.

And guess what? The naysayers spoke, and the Penguins have largely rejected narratives this season.

Three of their oldest players in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson are playing at a very high level to start the season, and they seem to have drowned out the noise. "Take a chance on me" players like Silovs, Justin Brazeau, Anthony Mantha, and Parker Wotherspoon have been three of the Penguins' better players this season, too, despite limited hype surrounding those acquisitions. 

New Penguins' Winger On Pace For Career-Highs This SeasonOne year ago, right wing Anthony Mantha tore his ACL on a freak kind of play as a member of the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/calgary-flames">Calgary Flames</a>.&nbsp;

Even the Penguins' own GM said at the conclusion of last season that the playoffs would be "an accomplishment" this season, and the team is defying those words so far. 

If naysayers didn't exist, the Penguins wouldn't be able to defy everything they've been saying. A lot of publications - not this one, for the record - had the Penguins finishing bottom-five at best, and in a lot of cases, bottom-three.

A lot can still happen. That much is for certain. But be thankful that you get to watch these Penguins on a nightly basis because they've - simply put - been a fun team to watch this season. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

It is not exactly a secret that the Chicago Blackhawks have a very strong prospect pool. It is why fans are certainly excited about the club's future as they continue to build their roster.

Now, two more of the Blackhawks' prospects have gained some praise, as defenseman Kevin Korchinski and forward Mason West have both made Ryan Kennedy's top 100 players 21 years old or under list for The Hockey News.

Korchinski was given the No. 57 spot on Kennedy's list. The 2022 seventh-overall pick is currently playing in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs, where he has recorded one goal and 14 points in 19 games this season. 

Korchinski is still looking to develop into a full-time NHL defenseman at this stage of his career, but there is no question that the young blueliner has good upside. In 92 career NHL games, the 21-year-old defenseman has recorded six goals and 17 points.

West, on the other hand, picked up the No. 51 spot on Kennedy's list. The 6-foot-6 forward appeared in 31 games this past season with Edina High School, where he posted 27 goals and 49 points. He also played in 10 games with the Fargo Force of the USHL last season, recording one goal and nine points.