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Former Edmonton Oilers goalie Laurent Brossoit is on the move. 

The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they have traded Brossoit, Nolan Allan, and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Jake Furlong, a 2028 fourth-round pick, and Ryan Ellis' contract. 

Seeing Brossoit get traded is not surprising. With the Blackhawks having goaltenders Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom on their NHL roster, it was known that the Original Six club was looking to find Brossoit a new home. Now, he has gotten just that and will give the Sharks another veteran goalie. 

The Sharks currently have Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic as their two NHL goaltenders. While this is the case, having a goalie with good experience like Brossoit for insurance is certainly not a bad thing for a Sharks club that is right in the playoff race. 

Brossoit played in six games for the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, this season, where he had a 3-3-0 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 3.38 goals-against average. This was his first action since the 2023-24 season, as he missed all of this past season due to injury. 

Brossoit played his first four NHL seasons with the Oilers from 2014-15 to 2017-18. In 28 games with the Oilers over that span, he had a 7-13-2 record, a .897 save percentage, and a 2.98 goals-against average. 

PHILADELPHIA --- Morgan Rielly has learned over the years to keep things in perspective. Following a difficult 4-3 overtime loss against the New York Islanders on Saturday, in which the Toronto Maple Leafs' longest-tenured player was a minus-4, the magnifying glass intensified on the defenseman's individual performance.

But head coach Craig Berube defended the veteran defenseman, saying he's been satisfied with the player's game as of late.

"Tonight was a tough one. I know that, but he's played some really good hockey for us this year. I'm not worried about it," Berube said. "I think he'll get back to the level he was at. I do believe that. So, you know, that's kind of where I'm at with it".

The very next game, the Leafs were able to get veteran defenseman Brandon Carlo back into the lineup. As the Maple Leafs wrapped up their morning skate ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday, I had the chance to ask Rielly about where he feels his game is at.

"When I reflect on it, I feel good. I feel like there's been some instances where I could be better, but I think that there's been a lot of good things, and I feel like I try not to focus too much on any one game or one instance," Rielly told The Hockey News on Thursday. "But generally speaking, I feel like I'm in a good position with my game".

The Maple Leafs Are In A Difficult Spot When It Comes To Morgan Rielly’s Most Recent PerformanceAuston Matthews' historic milestone was overshadowed by Morgan Rielly's recent defensive struggles and a mounting injury crisis, leaving the Maple Leafs in a difficult spot.

What has allowed Rielly and the Maple Leafs to take a positive approach lately is the fact that they have picked up 12 out of a possible 14 points in their last seven games as they try to stay alive in the race for a playoff spot. Earlier in the season, when the Leafs weren't getting the results, Rielly was playing some of his best hockey. For example, Rielly's season-high six-game points streak, in which he accumulated eight points, came during a middling 3-3-0 stretch that saw the club suffer a pair of losses to the Boston Bruins.

Despite his personal struggles, the team's success has allowed the 31-year-old to focus on the big picture.

That's really all that matters," Rielly said. "I feel like earlier in the year I was playing really well and I felt really good about my game and we weren't getting results. Even when that's happening, all you care about is winning. You can't lose track of that when you're trying to get your game going and you're getting wins; you've got to take care of your own game and prepare. But ultimately, when the team turns the corner and starts playing well, that's all that matters".

'Just A Weird Situation': Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo Opens Up About Injury That Forced Him To Miss Nearly Two MonthsCarlo revealed that, after blocking a shot, he got an infection in his ankle, where he's had a plate for eight years, which led to surgery.

The Leafs also feel that Brandon Carlo's return from an ankle injury has provided a boost. Both players' ratings were a plus-two in their 4-1 victory against the two-time Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers earlier in the week.

"He's a stabilizer," Berube said of Carlo. "He does such a good job of breaking plays up and defending in his own zone, and you know he's going to be back there. And it gives Morgan a little bit more freedom to be able to do his thing up the ice".

The Leafs also feel as though Brandon Carlo's return from an ankle injury on Wednesday helps both players rating a plus-two in their 4-1 victory against the two-time Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

"He's a stabilizer," Berube said of Carlo. "He does such a good job of breaking plays up and defending in his own zone, and you know he's going to be back there. And it gives Morgan a little bit more freedom to be able to do his thing up the ice."

BREAKING NEWS: The Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks have made a trade. The Blackhawks have sent goaltender Laurent Brossoit, defenseman Nolan Allan, and a 2028 7th-round pick to the Sharks in exchange for Ryan Ellis, Jake Furlong, and a 2028 4th-round pick.

trade alert🔔

📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/1OUAm56khDpic.twitter.com/uFsoj6imUI

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 8, 2026

Like Brossoit with Chicago, Ryan Ellis hasn't played a game in the NHL with San Jose. His last appearance came in 2021-22, when he played four games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before that, he was a very productive defenseman with the Nashville Predators. 

At this point in time, Allan for Furlong is a swap of minor league defensemen. In the case of Furlong, he has yet to make his NHL debut, while Allan has 43 games under his belt. 

The 2028 picks being swapped give the Blackhawks a little bit of an upgrade. That is likely because Brossoit and Allan will play for the Sharks at some point or another, while Furlong and Ellis may never play in the NHL with Chicago. 

This trade is mostly Kyle Davidson giving Brossoit a chance to resume his NHL career following a hard injury. The original idea was for Brossoit to come in and stabilize the Blackhawks' goaltending alongside Petr Mrazek, but the injury and following moves turned the Blackhawks in a different direction. 

There are also the financial implications of the deal. Adding the heavy contract of Ellis, who is not likely to play in the NHL ever again, will help the Blackhawks reach the salary cap floor in the coming years. He also won't take ice away from any of the younger players. 

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NASHVILLE -- Before the New York Islanders hit the ice for morning skate in Nashville, we spoke with general manager Mathieu Darche. He provided the latest on the Islanders' injured players, outside of Kyle Palmieri, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. 

No panic. No rush.#Isles GM Mathieu Darche addresses Anders Lee & Jean-Gabriel Pageau's contract situations.

Spoke to both players as well + my thoughts on both players going forward @TheElmontershttps://t.co/sXsZqu7jOu

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) January 8, 2026

Bo Horvat, who had missed the previous two games with a lower-body injury, was expected to join the team on their seven-game road trip, but those plans have changed. 

"We didn’t bring him with us right away. Initially, we thought we would, but we decided to keep him home," Darche said. "He might join us on the trip just for some treatment. It was just easier for everyone to do that in New York. I definitely expect him back way before the Olympic break. Ideally, at the end of this trip — but if it’s not, it’s not the end of the world. We just want to make sure we do it right so he doesn’t take a step back.”

Was the injury he sustained against the Utah Mammoth the same as the one he sustained against the Anaheim Ducks a few weeks prior?

"It’s a similar thing, without necessarily being linked,' Darche said. "If you saw the two injuries, they were completely different movements, but they irritated the same area. Our doctors think there’s a strong chance it still would have happened. It’s not that he came back too early. Even in the last few days, he wasn’t getting treatment on the previous injury. It’s just bad luck that it happened in the same part of the body.”

Islanders' Bo Horvat Leaves Game vs. Utah With Apparent Lower-Body InjuryBo Horvat's return is cut short after a collision, raising immediate concerns about his health and Olympic prospects.

When it comes to defenseman Alexander Romanov, who had right shoulder surgery after sustaining an injury back on Nov. 18 against the Dallas Stars, how is he doing?

“He’s actually progressing really, really well. His shoulder is coming along," Darche said. "I challenged him to a YMCA last time to show me the moves, but the ‘Y’ wouldn’t go up yet.  No, he’s progressing really, really well.”

BREAKING: Islanders' Alexander Romanov To Have Shoulder Surgery, Out 5-6 Months Devastating blow for the Islanders: Romanov's season ends abruptly due to shoulder surgery after a controversial hit. Recovery targets next season.

The original timeline for Romanov was 5-6 months. Darche said that if Romanov was to return this season, it would be during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Now to goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who hasn't played since Nov. 29 of 2024. The grizzled veteran underwent lower-body surgery to repair the injury and had told us before summer break that he expected he would be ready to go for this season. 

“You see him when you come to Northwell — he’s on the ice, he does everything. He’s doing a bit more on the ice right now," Darche said. "You can see more movements. There are no setbacks by any means, but it’s one of those injuries where you can’t predict the progress. It’s not a three-to-four-week injury. It’s step by step.” 

Islanders Provide Update On Engvall & Varlamov<b>EAST MEADOW, NY -- </b>The <a href="http://thn.com/isles">New York Islanders</a> shared with us that forward <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/pierre-engvall-new-york-islanders-patrick-roy-flames-kraken-canucks-lou-lamoriello">Pierre Engvall </a>and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/update-on-islanders-semyon-varlamov-s-status">Semyon Varlamov</a> are not yet ready to participate in training activities.&nbsp;

Ultimately, that wasn't the case, which led to the Islanders going out and signing backup netmidner David Rittich to a one-year, $1 million deal. And Rittich has been fantastic, especially when starting netminder Ilya Sorokin had to miss time. 

“That’s the reason we signed David Rittich, because we didn’t know what to expect," Darche said. 
 His situation won’t affect what I do with David right now, because we don’t have an end game with Varly.” 

The only injured player not discussed was forward Pierre Engvall, who had ankle surgery after trying to work his way back from hip surgery. He is out for the season. 

The Islanders battle the Nashville Predators on Thursday night at 8 PM ET. This game is an ESPN+/Hulu exclusive. 

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The injury to Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane midway through last month necessitated the call-up of a player from the Grand Rapids Griffins, and they decided that it would be forward John Leonard.

Leonard, who signed a one-year contract with the organization during the offseason, had been leading all American Hockey League goal scorers with 19 tallies in 20 games at the time of his call-up to the Red Wings.

He performed well in Detroit, scoring twice while adding two assists in eight games before being sent back down. But now that rookie Nate Danielson has been sent to the Griffins, Leonard once again got the call.

Leonard, who was in Detroit's lineup for their 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday evening, said that he considers it an honor to be whom the Red Wings summoned once again. 

"It's an honor, I want to be a guy that they can go to for different situations and whatever the case may be," Leonard said. "Just trying to make a positive impact on the game in any way I can, whether it's a good defensive play or blocking a shot, or trying to chip in offensively where I can. Obviously, you're in different situations in each game, but I just try and come in with that mindset every day." 

Leonard, who was selected in the sixth round (182nd overall) by the San Jose Sharks in 2018, had 70 games of experience in the NHL with the Sharks, Nashville Predators, and Arizona Coyotes coming into this season. 

While the majority of his professional experience has been in the AHL, he said that with each passing NHL contest, he gets more comfortable.

"I think every game you play at this level, you'll naturally be a little more comfortable," he said. "I think they've done a great job in helping me settle in." 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.  

Head coach Todd McLellan believes Leonard’s latest call-up is a good indicator of not only his own growth, but of the confidence the organization has in its AHL pipeline, which has been built up into one of the most highly regarded in the NHL since the return of Steve Yzerman as the club's GM in 2019. 

"It's rewarding for the individual; he wants to be in the NHL, and it's rewarding for the team in Grand Rapids," McLellan said. "They're playing well enough that the players have confidence, and they're ready to go. The staff down there has done a tremendous job, and it's like leaving a classroom and moving down the hallway to a more difficult classroom.

"When he went (back to Grand Rapids), I said that we believe in him and think he's an NHL player, and it will be his job to do that night in and night out, over and over and over again," McLellan continued. "He's had opportunities with other teams, and it didn't quite work out, but we're giving him that chance now, and would love nothing more than to see him make good on it." 

Despite his recent absence from the AHL, Leonard is still in the top three of goal scoring with 20 tallies in 23 games. Quinn Hutson and Arthur Kaliyev have 22 and 21 goals, respectively, but have done so in 28 and 33 games played.

While there's no telling how long Leonard's most recent call-up to the Red Wings will last, he's grateful to be part of a welcoming group and intends to make the most of it. 

"Different guys are talking to me, and that goes a long way," Leonard said. "It's a fun group to be a part of, and I'm just taking it day by day." 

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What amounted to appear as just another goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in a rather forgetful 7-3 loss by the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night turned into actual theatre.

Some may or may have thought it was a hilarious moment, some may not. But when Louis Crevier scored with 7:04 remaining in the third period that made it a 7-2 game, that's when the shenanigans happened.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had seen enough, not by goalie Jordan Binnington, but by the mundane play of the players in front of his goalie again, Montgomery had summoned for goalie Joel Hofer to go and finish the rest of the game.

But here was the problem: Hofer was simply not ready to go in.

So I've been and have paid attention to enough of the road buildings to know that the backup goalie for a particular building does not have the luxury to sit on the visiting bench. United Center is one of those buildings.

Buildings (and I may not be naming them all) that come to mind are San Jose, Montreal, Winnipeg, Dallas, where the visiting goalie either sits in the corner entrance to the ice and/or on the opposite side of the benches due to the lack of space for the backup goalie.

In Chicago, there is no such spot for the backup goalie to sit, so in that building, they're in the back in the locker room watching with the trainers or whomever with the team staff.

All I can say in this instance is that at the time of game, Hofer had to feel like there was no reason to keep his gear on any longer, so he had probably taken it off, but when Montgomery made the call, he likely had no idea that to be the case, and when he was calling for Binnington to come out, he was not budging until he saw Hofer come over the boards or through the bench door, which is customary. Of course it made for all sorts of conspiracy theorists claiming Binnington refused to come out of the game, which is ridiculous, and those with their strong -- and as usual, wrong -- opinions, look foolish in the end.

Montgomery seemed confused at the time as to why no goalie was coming. Well, the Blues only get so much time to make the change or risk getting a delay of game minor. So once Hofer got word he was being called to come in, he is likely scurrying to get whatever gear he needed to get on and be ready to go.

The memes with this one are already going bonkers, with Hofer behind the bench area, peeking to his right and wondering if he's still needed (great job by Henrik Lundqvist making light of the situation and explaining it):

In light of the Binnington/Hofer situation, Hank told a story about his backup experiences 😂 pic.twitter.com/Pevpua6wDy

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) January 8, 2026

Binnington would finish out the game and it's a great reminder to find out what actually happened first and a great example to all goalies that no matter how much or how little time is left in a game, always be prepared:

After the Blackhawks scored their 7th of the game, Jim Montgomery tried to pull Jordan Binnington for Joel Hofer...

But Binnington appeared to refuse to come off the ice, and Hofer was hiding down the tunnel to the Blues' locker room? 😭😅 pic.twitter.com/j2V7q5bze4

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 8, 2026

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According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Montreal Canadiens have interest in Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman. 

"It is my understanding that Blake Coleman is high on their list," LeBrun said about the Canadiens. "Blake Coleman is a player of interest. He's a guy that brings some elements that the Habs are not as high on. His physicality, his versatility. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He is of interest of the Montreal Canadiens, but, of course, as I mentioned before, Gino, he is of interest to a lot of teams and is a player that Calgary gets the most calls on and have since the start of the season."

The Canadiens having interest in Coleman is not surprising in the slightest. With the Canadiens being a young team on the rise, it would be massive if they brought in a gritty veteran forward with playoff success like Coleman. It is exactly why we here at The Hockey News recently discussed him as a potential fit for the Canadiens. 

If the Canadiens landed Coleman, he could slot nicely on their third line, but also move up the lineup if needed. Furthermore, due to his strong two-way play, he would also give the Canadiens another option to work with for their penalty kill if acquired. 

Coleman would be more than a rental for the Canadiens if acquired, too. This is because he has a $4.9 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27 season. This undoubtedly adds to his appeal.

It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens' interest in Coleman can lead to them landing him from here. 

The Los Angeles Kings have made another roster move as they've placed left winger Trevor Moore on injured reserve.

With Moore being moved to IR, the Kings have called up center Cole Guttman on an emergency basis from the AHL's Ontario Reign.

Moore hasn't featured for Los Angeles since Dec. 29 against the Colorado Avalanche. He's been sidelined with an upper-body injury, which was originally considered "day-to-day," but seems to be a longer timeline than that.

The 30-year-old has scored five goals and 13 points in 37 contests for the Kings this season.

Add Moore to the list of Kings who aren't available. 

Right winger Corey Perry has been designated non-roster status as he steps away from the team to handle a personal family matter at home. 

In addition, Los Angeles has to continue without forwards Anze Kopitar and Joel Armia in the meantime. They both exited the Kings' battle against the Minnesota Wild on Monday and are both listed as day-to-day.

Kings Receive Great News With Kopitar And Armia Injury UpdatesThe Los Angeles Kings provided updates for the injuries to Anze Kopitar and Joel Armia following their exits in Monday's game against the Minnesota Wild.

Nonetheless, the Kings are certainly shorthanded in terms of forward depth. While the team has already called up forwards Andre Lee and Taylor Ward from the Reign, Guttman is the latest to get an opportunity in the NHL. 

Guttman has 41 career NHL games, all with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-23 and 2023-24. The Northridge, Calif., native hasn't made an NHL appearance since Jan. 19, 2024.

He signed as a free agent with the Kings this past off-season, inking a two-year deal and earning $775,00 per season.

This season with Ontario, he's made 31 appearances, scoring nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points. Furthermore, he faced a two-game suspension in late December for landing an illegal check to the head.

The 26-year-old center has played five games since the end of his suspension. In that span, Guttman has registered four goals and seven points.

In total, he's played 31 games in the American League and has recorded nine goals and 23 points for Ontario.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made a roster move before Thursday's game against the New Jersey Devils.

They sent forward Ville Koivunen back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton so that he can get some playing time. He was set to be a healthy scratch on Thursday due to Evgeni Malkin's impending return. 

Koivunen scored his second NHL goal of his career on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

The Penguins have re-assigned forward Ville Koivunen to the @WBSPenguins (AHL). pic.twitter.com/LvbtZoBZhs

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 8, 2026

Koivunen has played in 27 games this season, scoring two goals and recording five points. He scored his first NHL goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 4. 

His underlying numbers have been very strong this season, but he's been a bit too inconsistent. Hopefully, a stint in WBS will help that, because when he's on, he's a effective player. 

Koivunen has four goals and 11 points in six AHL games this season. 

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