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. 

Sometimes, NHL figures on the hot seat deserve a bit of credit.

Even if a team sits near the bottom of the standings, if it can string together some wins, it's showing some glimpse of hope that it can turn things around and climb back into the playoff race. 

On this week's edition of the NHL's Hot Seat Radar, the Buffalo Sabres' coach did earn that credit despite his team still being 4-6-0 in its last 10 games.

But a Calgary Flames executive did not get his flowers for his team winning three straight in the past week. In fact, he's featured on the Hot Seat Radar for the first time despite GM Craig Conroy and coach Ryan Huska being mentioned previously as having a lot of pressure to steer the team in the right direction.

As a reminder, being on TheHockeyNews.com's Hot Seat Radar doesn't automatically mean the person is about to get sent away from the team. But in every case, it means there's a lot of pressure to improve. And if you're looking for Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube, read last week's edition for more on him. Onward, ho:

Cooling Down: Lindy Ruff, Coach, Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres were on death’s door early in the season, as they sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

But you have to give credit to Ruff's Sabres, which won four of their past six games – including wins over the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings.

Wednesday's loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins means they're back in last place in the Eastern Conference, so it's baby steps for sure in Buffalo.

Ruff probably doesn’t have to worry about being replaced in the next few weeks at least, but he’s still under tremendous pressure to continue producing wins. 

There are no more moral victories in Sabres Land. If Ruff strings together a few losses instead of wins, he'll be back to having a red-hot seat on our radar.

Warming Up: Don Maloney, President Of Hockey Operations, Calgary Flames

The president of hockey operations of the team that's second-last in the NHL said "no one has an appetite to just burn it to the studs, take it all down," amid a three-year playoff drought.

That's what Don Maloney told Sportsnet's Eric Francis in a lengthy Q&A published last Friday.

He said there's examples of teams taking potentially decades to rebuild (hello, Buffalo), and the draft is an inexact thing where there's no guarantee they can get a superstar or franchise-level player.

"We prefer a Dallas model, where they got Miro Heiskanen at three, but also got good players in the 20s, in the 30s," Maloney told Francis. "We’ve got to be better in our drafting and developing, versus saying, 'let's just lose easy for everybody.' We don't want that culture as part of this organization."

When asked whether it's enticing to simply lean into this rough start when there's a top-heavy draft including Gavin McKenna, Maloney said this isn't fantasy hockey, and the Flames hope to get a top-level player no matter where they draft.

The Flames have made the playoffs five times in 16 seasons. Their top scorer is 35-year-old Nazem Kadri, with 18 points.

They have promising youngsters Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh as potential future leaders of the core, with Cullen Potter, Cole Reschny and Hunter Brzustewicz as blue-chip prospects. But they need a lot more than them to have an elite team in the long term.

So it's no surprise #FireDonMaloney was spammed on the Flames' Instagram page. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman even described the comments as pouring gasoline on the fire in the Canadian market. And it's no surprise Maloney lands in this week's Hot Seat Radar.  - Jonathan Tovell

The Nashville Predators' Future Depends On Their Response To A Nearly Lost SeasonThe Nashville Predators' season-long slump is signalling an impending roster shakeup. Should they trade Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault?

Warming Up: Andrew Brunette, Coach, Nashville Predators

It’s getting bowling-shoe ugly in Nashville, as the Predators lost eight of their last 10 games and have the fewest points in the NHL.

Preds GM Barry Trotz gave Brunette a vote of confidence in an interview with The Tennessean. Let's just say it's not a good situation if a GM has to give a coach a vote of confidence. Leafs fans will remember Brian Burke continuously defending coach Ron Wilson before it couldn't go on any longer.

“When (St. Louis Blues GM) Doug Armstrong hired (Jim) Montgomery, he said, ‘This is my coach for a while,” Trotz said. “When I hired (Brunette), I said, ‘This is my coach for the next while.’ ”

Trotz also questioned whether it's the right thing to get rid of a young coach for what he suggested is a sugar high of a coaching bump.

We’ll see how Trotz reacts when Nashville’s playoff hopes are a smoking pile of ash.

Brunette wouldn’t be the first coach to pay the price for prolonged stretches of terrible hockey, and he wouldn’t be the last. And while Trotz has to be held to account for giving Brunette this group of players, Trotz is going nowhere. Brunette, on the other hand, is another story entirely.

Edmonton Oilers' Inability To Sustain Momentum Is A Major ProblemThe Oilers have to correct what is holding them back from putting together more than two good games in a row as they continue to falter against the best of the NHL's Western Conference.

Warming Up: Kris Knoblauch, Coach, Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers got crushed Tuesday when the Dallas Stars showed them what a real Cup front-runner looks like, beating Edmonton 8-3. The loss dropped the Oilers’ record to 10-10-5. They currently sit 11th in the Western Conference and sixth in the Pacific Division. 

If you told people over the summer that the San Jose Sharks would be ahead of Edmonton in the Pacific standings by American Thanksgiving, you didn't deserve to be laughed out of the room.

Nobody’s laughing in Oilers World right now – least of all, Knoblauch, who can’t coax a solid defensive game out of his team. And once again, goaltending is proving to be an issue in Edmonton. The Oilers look lost on ‘D’, and they currently can’t protect Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

It’s all adding up to Knoblauch feeling tighter around the collar than he was prior to Game No. 1 this season. That first game came against the Calgary Flames, and the Oilers blew a 3-0 lead to lose 4-3 in a shootout. That has set the tone for a thoroughly disappointing year for this team.

Knoblauch is now tasked with righting Edmonton’s ship, but sooner than later, there could be dire straits ahead for the Oilers. He’s not going to be fired imminently, but he will feel more heat if he can’t end the misery around his team.

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It was a tale of two outcomes within the Winnipeg Jets organization on Wednesday night. While the NHL club suffered a narrow 4–3 loss to the Washington Capitals, their AHL affiliate had far better fortunes.

Jets Drop Third Straight in Road Loss To CapitalsThe Winnipeg Jets dropped their third straight game in a 4–3 loss to the Washington Capitals, despite two goals from Gabe Vilardi.

The Manitoba Moose roared back into the win column with a commanding 5–1 victory over the Belleville Senators, avenging Tuesday’s defeat that snapped their six game winning streak. The bounce back performance restored momentum for the Moose, who have now won seven of their last eight games and have come away with points in 11 of their last 14 games as they quickly climb the AHL standings.

Moose captain Mason Shaw continued his strong run of form, recording two points to extend his point streak to three games. Shaw now leads Manitoba with 12 points in 19 contests. Samuel Fagemo also made his mark, scoring twice to pull into a tie with Walker Duehr for the team lead in goals with six.

After a tightly matched first period ended with the teams deadlocked, Manitoba seized full control in a dominant second frame. The Moose outshot Belleville 21 to 4 and erupted for four unanswered goals, overwhelming the Senators in all three zones.

Captain doing Captain things🫡 pic.twitter.com/aQ2BpDJ9bO

— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) November 27, 2025

Just two minutes into the period, Shaw opened the scoring by burying a rebound for his fourth of the season. He nearly struck again moments later when a quirky play saw Shaw fire the puck off the post before perfectly kicking out to Jaret Anderson Dolan, who fires home the rebound to make it a 2–0 lead.

The sweet sweet sound of a bar down goal <3 pic.twitter.com/51zeaa3N1N

— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) November 27, 2025

With Belleville in penalty trouble, Manitoba went to work on a five on three. Brad Lambert, who recently requested a trade from the Jets organization, capitalized with his first AHL goal of the season. Only 19 seconds later, Fagemo added another power play marker, hammering home a one timer from the faceoff circle that squeezed past Senators goaltender Jackson Parsons.

Belleville showed life early in the third period, scoring less than a minute in with a sharp shot over Moose netminder Domenic DiVincentiis to cut the lead. But Manitoba extinguished any hopes of a comeback when Fagemo struck again, picking up a loose puck in the slot and ripping home his second of the night. DiVincentiis turned aside 22 shots to earn his fifth win of the year, while Parsons finished with 31 saves in a tough outing for Belleville.

The Moose will look to stay hot when hosting the 8-6-3-0 Chicago Wolves in a weekend back-to-back starting on Saturday afternoon at Canada Life Centre. Fans can catch the action live on AHL.TV via FloHockey.tv or listen on 680 CJOB. Tickets are also available at moosehockey.com/tickets/

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.

In a regular NHL season, there are both scheduled and unscheduled deadlines. One of these unscheduled deadlines is the U.S. Thanksgiving playoff bar deadline — a date often used as a measuring stick to determine which teams are most likely to make the post-season that year. 

This year, it appears that the Vancouver Canucks (10–12–2), like many years prior, will not be making the playoffs according to how they’re looking heading into U.S. Thanksgiving in 2025. However, there have been past years in which the Canucks were in a playoff spot by this deadline but ultimately didn’t qualify for the post-season — so maybe the opposite is true (though highly unlikely). 

2024–25 Season 

On November 28, 2024, the Canucks were in sole possession of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference — though not by much. Below them were the Edmonton Oilers, who ultimately returned to the Stanley Cup Final only to be bested by the Florida Panthers yet again, as well as the Seattle Kraken and St. Louis Blues. The point margin between these four teams was only two. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Kings held onto the third spot in the Pacific Division with only a two point lead, while the Calgary Flames, who ultimately didn’t make the post-season, held onto second with 28 points. 

By the end of the 2024–25 season, Vancouver had amassed a total of 90 points, placing them only six points out of a playoff spot. Only Calgary (eliminated) and St. Louis (qualified) were ahead of the Canucks in the race for the final Western Conference wild card spot at this point. 

2023–24 Season 

November 23, 2023, is a bit of an outlier for a Canucks team that held tightly onto first place in the entire NHL by Christmas Day. At the U.S. Thanksgiving deadline, the Canucks were second in the Pacific Division with 27 points in 20 games played — only three away from the first-in-the-division Vegas Golden Knights. Even more impressive is the fact that they were tied with the New York Rangers for third in the NHL in points. The point margin between themselves and the teams below them was much wider than 2024–25, as the Los Angeles Kings had the third spot in the division with 25 points (but three games in hand), while the Kraken came after that with 21. Seattle, who had the second wild card spot, failed to make the post-season that year, while the Oilers, who placed seventh in the division at that point, made the playoffs and ultimately defeated the Canucks in the Division Finals. 

At the end of the 2023–24 regular season, Vancouver had a steady hold on first in the Pacific Division with 109 points. In this case, they actually finished the year in a higher position than the one they were in at the U.S. Thanksgiving deadline, though they were still in a playoff position during both occasions. 

2022–23 Season 

By the time November 24, 2022 rolled around for the 2022–23 Canucks, Vancouver fit into the bottom-half of the division in points with 17 collected over 20 games. Even so, they were still on the outskirts of a battle for the wild card spots: the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, and Oilers, and St. Louis Blues all had 20 points, though it was the latter who snagged the final wild card spot with the highest points-percentage and regulation win count. Calgary held sole possession of the first wild card spot with 21 points. While the point margin between these teams was close, the Canucks were on the outside looking in. 

While Vancouver did only come for teams away from snagging the second wild card spot, points wise, they weren’t very close. They finished the 2022–23 regular season with 83 points, while the Winnipeg Jets, who grabbed the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, had 95. The Flames, who were the closest to overtaking the Jets for this position, had 93 points. 

2021–22 Season 

 Once again, by November 25, 2021, the Canucks were out of a playoff spot and did not end up making the post-season. The playoff picture was more interesting this time around, however, as the Anaheim Ducks held the first wild card spot in the Western Conference at this time with 23 points. From there on, it was a three-way tie for the second, with the Colorado Avalanche snagging it over the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators due to their advantage in points-percentage. Also in the playoff picture were the Golden Knights, who held onto the third spot in the division. Vancouver, on the other hand, was far away from this battle with only 14 points, tying them with the Dallas Stars. 

The standings at the end of the regular season were quite different from the U.S. Thanksgiving deadline. Anaheim and Vegas, who both held playoff spots on November 25, finished the year without qualifying for the post-season, though the latter came only three points away. On the other hand, Dallas and Nashville, who were out of the playoff picture in November, managed to snag the first and second wild card spots respectively. The Canucks were semi-embroiled in this playoff push as well, as six extra points added to their final total of 92 on the season would have put them within the playoff bar. 

After their 5–4 win against the Anaheim Ducks last night, the Canucks remain out of a playoff spot but are five points back of grabbing one. Ahead of them in the standings are the Kings (WC1, 28 points), Utah Mammoth (WC2, 27 points), Chicago Blackhawks (25 points), the Sharks (25 points), the Oilers (25 points), and the Jets (24 points). 

Other teams have proven that they can make the playoffs without being past the bar by the U.S. Thanksgiving deadline. While the Canucks’ season has looked bleak so far, in theory, they’re not out of it quite yet. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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One of the Montreal Canadiens' biggest objectives is to improve at the center position. It is clear that they need another top-six center, and they are now being linked to one of the NHL's top trade candidates because of it.

During a recent episode of TSN Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun reported that the Canadiens are interested in Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly. 

"The name that has the most interest is Ryan O'Reilly," LeBrun said. "Very appealing to teams looking for a center. Stanley Cup champion. The Montreal Canadiens are among the teams, I'm told, that have interest."

Hearing that the Canadiens have interest in O'Reilly is understandable, as he is a top-six two-way center with plenty of experience. The 34-year-old forward would also be a good player for the Canadiens to bring in to mentor their young players. He would also be more than a rental for the Canadiens, as he has a $4.5 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27 season.

In 22 games so far this season with the Predators, O'Reilly has recorded seven goals, nine assists, 16 points, and a 57.1 faceoff winning percentage. This is after he posted 21 goals, 32 assists, and 53 points in 79 games with the Predators during this past season. 

Yet, the Predators' asking price for O'Reilly is not low. According to LeBrun, the Predators are likely looking for a first-round pick and an A-level prospect in any potential O'Reilly trade. 

The New York Islanders are 13-9-2 through the first 24 games of the 2025-26 NHL season. That's good for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They are tied with the third-place Washington Capitals (13-9-2) in points (28), but Washington has three more regulation wins than they do. 

This season is fairly new, with 58 games left. But where a team is at Thanksgiving does matter, as 77% of teams in a playoff spot come the third Thursday in November make the playoffs. 

NHL Hockey Standings | NHL.comThe official standings for the National Hockey League.

Every season, it seems that the standings get tighter and tighter. The difference between being first in the Metro and last in the division is five points -- craziness.

But if you are the Islanders, you are thankful that you are on the right side of the ledger at Thanksgiving. 

In theory, the Islanders control their own destiny even if it's so early in the season. 

After starting their seven-game homestand 1-2-0, Patrick Roy's squad is looking to right the ship, especially offensively, as they have scored just two goals over those first three games. 

Up next for the Islanders is a 4 PM showdown with the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, followed by a Sunday matinee against the Washington Capitals. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

On Wednesday, we noted that TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the Montreal Canadiens were considered among the suitors for Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly.

They could also be monitoring the trade market for a possible upgrade between the pipes.

The Canadiens' goaltending woes throughout November had Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggesting they could be monitoring Buffalo Sabres' starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Appearing on The FAN Hockey Show last Friday, Friedman noted the 26-year-old Luukkonen had surfaced in the rumor mill following his slow start after recovering from an early-season injury. Meanwhile, they've been getting solid goaltending from backup Alex Lyon and call-up Colten Ellis.

The Sabres can't risk sending Ellis back to their AHL affiliate in Rochester because he's unlikely to clear waivers. Friedman isn't sure how this situation will be resolved, but he believes the Canadiens are among the teams “doing their research” on Luukkonen.

Luukkonen is signed through 2028-29 with an annual cap hit of $4.75 million. He also has a five-team no-trade list that kicks in next season.

It's doubtful that the Sabres will trade Luukkonen when they don't know yet whether Ellis is fully NHL-ready. For now, they're likely to continue carrying three goaltenders.

Earlier this week, we noted a report by Friedman claiming Andrei Svechnikov was unhappy with his limited playing time earlier this season, so much so that he was open to a trade if the Carolina Hurricanes were thinking of moving him.

Friedman indicated that the situation has since been sorted out, with Svechnikov returning to the Hurricanes' top line. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old right winger shrugged off any talk of him wanting out of Carolina.

Svechnikov told reporters there was no validity to the report. Meanwhile, coach Rod Brind'Amour said he was unaware of any unhappiness from Svechnikov earlier in the season, adding that his improved performance since October had resolved his ice-time situation.

Turning to a player who could be on his way out, it's been a week since Winnipeg Jets center Brad Lambert was reportedly permitted to speak with other clubs.

Murat Ates of The Athletic indicated that the Jets aren't in any hurry to acquiesce to Lambert's request. He pointed out that they hold all the leverage with the 21-year-old being waiver-exempt until next season.

Ates said GM Kevin Cheveldayoff won't trade Lambert unless it's for a return that benefits the club. He didn't rule out the youngster getting bundled with a draft pick at the March 6 trade deadline for an impact player. Otherwise, Cheveldayoff is content to hang onto Lambert until he's NHL-ready.

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