The Athletic recently published an article that discussed one player that each NHL team should target after the holiday freeze. 

When it came to the Montreal Canadiens, Arpon Basu urged the Canadiens to target Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman. 

"The Canadiens nabbed No. 9 on the list when they acquired center Phillip Danault from the Kings one hour before the holiday trade freeze, but they still have trade capital and Coleman plays a hard game, kills penalties, can pitch in on the power play and has Stanley Cup pedigree. But the real beauty is he has one year left on his contract after this one, same as Danault, Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson," Basu wrote. 

With the Canadiens being a team on the rise, it is easy to understand why Basu views Coleman as a potential fit for the Original Six club. When looking at the Canadiens' current roster, Coleman could be an excellent fit in their middle six. This is especially so when noting that he can play multiple forward positions, which adds to his appeal. 

Coleman would also serve as a nice mentor for the Canadiens' younger players if acquired due to his high amount of experience. 

In 38 games so far this season with the Flames, Coleman has recorded 11 goals, seven assists, 18 points, 94 hits, and a plus-11 rating With numbers like these, the 34-year-old forward provides a bit of everything and would have the potential to be a strong pickup for a Canadiens club looking to continue to head in the right direction. 

Yet, with Coleman being signed until the end of next season and being exactly the kind of play contenders love to have, the Canadiens would likely need to give up a good amount to land him. 

A positive story surrounding the Vancouver Canucks his season has been the play of Max Sasson. After helping the Abbotsford Canucks capture a Calder Cup Championship last year, the 25-year-old has become a key member of Vancouver's lineup. With eight goals and 10 points in 34 games, Sasson continues to deliver in a bottom-six role. 

While Sasson played 29 games in the NHL last season, his game has taken a step forward in 2025-26. He has already set new career highs in goals and points, while his 10:56 of average ice time is 36 seconds more than in 2024-25. Sasson's strong play has already earned him an extension, as he signed a two-year contract worth $2 million in mid-December. 

"It means a ton, said Sasson. "It's a big vote of confidence and belief in what the organization see in me. I feel really excited about it, and really happy to be in Vancouver. It means the world to me to get another contract."

As mentioned, Sasson is already up to eight goals on the year. As of writing, that is tied for fifth on the current roster. When asked if he had a goal total in his mind before the season started, Sasson mentioned that playing the game the right way was more of a focus in the off-season. 

"I try not to think about that stuff. I always hear Nick Saban talking about process, and you have no clue what the results gonna be, but I feel like if you stick to the process long enough, good things will happen, and you got to continue to stick to the process."

One of the players Sasson is tied with in goals is Linus Karlsson. The two were key parts of Abbotsford's run in the playoffs last year and have developed a strong friendship. Sasson was asked about what he has seen from Karlsson this year and the goal-scoring ability both have shown in the NHL. 

"Hopefully we both have a bunch, and we keep trying to help the team win, no, but obviously it's fun seeing Linus having success. You know, one of my best friends over the last couple of years in the organization. So it's really fun playing with him and excited to see his success."

When it comes to Sasson, one of the most noticeable parts of his game is speed. According to NHL EDGE, he has hit a maximum speed of 23.15 MPH, which is the second-highest recorded speed on the team. When asked about developing that part of his game, Sasson mentioned that it has been something he has focused on in past off-seasons. 

"Honestly, when I got to pro, I kind of thought of the things I'm good at and I want to be elite at them. I don't think you can ever be fast enough. So, the last couple of summers, I've been working on that part of my game. I want to continue to get faster. I want to really be great at my strengths and obviously continue to work on my weaknesses. I think if I can be elite at a few things, it'll really help me."

Recently, Sasson also crossed a significant milestone in his career as he is no longer waiver eligible. This means that he would need to pass through waivers if Vancouver wanted to send him to the AHL. While this milestone may not seem significant, it is a sign that the Canucks have been happy with his play and see him as a consistent part of their lineup for the rest of the season. 

"I still always even have the mindset of every day in the NHL is a blessing. I'm never gonna take it for granted. But no doubt, when I was well aware of when I hit 60 games, I'm not gonna lie. I'm happy about it, but at the end of the day, it's day by day still, and I'm looking forward to the next game."

Sasson is the perfect example of hard work paying off. He went from signing as an undrafted free agent to becoming a key part of Vancouver's lineup. If Sasson can keep developing his game, he could be in store for a bigger role later this season. 

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.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Canucks To Make Jake DeBrusk A Healthy Scratch Against The Seattle Kraken

Vancouver Canucks At The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship: December 27

Buium, Öhgren & Rossi Speak Ahead Of First Home Game With The Canucks

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.

The Chicago Blackhawks currently have a 14-17-6 record and are at the bottom of the Central Division. They have also been struggling big time as of late, losing eight out of their last 10 games. 

If the Blackhawks do not turn things around quickly and are out of the playoff race near the 2026 NHL trade deadline, they will likely be sellers again. If the Blackhawks do decide to sell, pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) defenseman Matt Grzelcyk could be a popular target. 

Due to this, let's look at two teams that could target Grzelcyk if the Blackhawks make him available. 

Colorado Avalanche 

The Avalanche are simply fantastic this season, as evidenced by their 28-2-7 record. With this, they should be buyers this season, and one area they could look to improve is their blueline depth. If they acquired Grzelcyk, he would give them another option to consider for their bottom pairing. Grzelcyk has also been connected to the Avalanche in the past. 

Detroit Red Wings 

The Red Wings could very well look to add another experienced left-shot defenseman to their roster by the deadline, and Grzelcyk could make sense for them because of it. Grzelcyk would have the potential to provide the Red Wings' defensive group with a nice boost and could be a nice mentor for their younger players.

Missed opportunities cost Flyers in loss to Kraken out of the holiday break originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers didn’t have a good return from the holiday break as they fell to the Kraken, 4-1, Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena.

They failed to take advantage of their chances and couldn’t capitalize on Seattle’s leaky penalty kill.

Carl Grundstrom scored the Flyers’ lone goal with 1:57 minutes left when the club was down 3-0 and had already given up one of two empty-netters.

The Flyers (19-11-7) lost in regulation for just the sixth time over their last 25 games (13-6-6).

Rick Tocchet’s club split its two-game regular-season series with the Kraken (16-14-6).

The Flyers haven’t won in Seattle since Dec. 29, 2021, when James van Riemsdyk had two goals, Ivan Provorov had one and Martin Jones was between the pipes. They’re 0-3-1 in their last four visits.

• Dan Vladar converted 16 saves on 18 shots.

The Kraken’s second goal came 5:49 minutes into the third period. Chandler Stephenson scored on the Flyers’ top line and defensive pair. Vladar initially had a chance to play the puck to a less dangerous area than behind the net, which is where Eeli Tolvanen won a battle with Travis Sanheim.

Just 3:48 minutes into the second period, the Flyers fell behind 1-0 for the 25th time this season. Jordan Eberle was left alone in the slot for the game-opening marker.

Seattle netminder Philipp Grubauer stopped 31 of the Flyers’ 32 shots.

The Flyers had some opportunities to strike early, but they went 0 for 2 on the power play in the first period. They finished 0 for 3 on the night against the Kraken’s league-worst penalty kill.

• A couple of health matters:

Sanheim played 19:25 minutes after missing the final 12 and a half minutes of the Flyers’ 3-1 win Tuesday night over the Blackhawks prior to the break.

Denver Barkey was also in the lineup after missing the third period of that victory. The 20-year-old rookie drew a penalty and was noticeable offensively.

• Trevor Zegras had his career-best point streak halted at nine games.

The 24-year-old trade acquisition was held scoreless for the first time since Dec. 7.

• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday when they visit the Canucks (10 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

It’ll be Tocchet’s return to Vancouver, where he spent parts of the previous three seasons as head coach.

The Los Angeles Kings have been linked to Calgary Flames defenseman and primary trade candidate Rasmus Andersson.

In an article by The Athletic, NHL insiders Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston played "NHL Trade Matchmaker" with multiple trade candidates. One of those was Andersson, and while LeBrun picked his destination to be Pacific Division opponents, the Vegas Golden Knights, Johnston's pick was the Kings.

Los Angeles explored the potential fit for Calgary's No. 1 D-man over the summer, according to Johnston. During that off-season, Andersson reportedly wasn't ready to sign an extension for the team looking to acquire him in a trade.

A large part of the happenings of this hypothetical trade is whether Andersson, who is a pending UFA, would sign an extension in a sign-and-trade. The Swede is in the final year of a six-year contract that sees him earn $4.55 million against the salary cap.

Nonetheless, with a reluctance over the off-season, Johnston believes that the "Kings remain a sensible destination with a blue line that could use a jolt."

This year, Andersson is on track to have one of the best seasons of his 10-year career. In 38 appearances, the 29-year-old has seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points. He's also averaging a career-high 24:10 of ice time per game, leading the team in that category.

With his production this season, he's on pace to beat his personal bests. In 2021-22, Andersson registered 46 assists and 50 points. In the following campaign, he put up 11 goals and matched that total last season.

The Flames blueliner is on track to finish the year with 15 goals and 54 points. That suggests he'll set new highs in goals and points, and will just be shy in the helpers department. However, all that can change as the midway point of the season approaches.

With Andersson having an exceptional season, it's not going to be a cheap cost for the Kings if they are interested in acquiring the Flames defenseman.

Report: Three Kings Scouts Take In Maple Leafs and Blackhawks, Looking For Scoring WingerThe Fourth Period has reported that the Los Angeles Kings had three scouts watching the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Who could the Kings be looking at in terms of a scoring winger?

Nonetheless, as Johnston wrote, Kings GM Ken Holland "has never shied away from taking a big swing during his Hall of Fame career."

Not long ago, he made a notable deal sending Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round pick. Maybe Holland has another move up his sleeve to help push Los Angeles to another level.

---

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.

DETROIT — William Nylander will miss his fifth game this season when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed that his star forward will not play, despite the player accompanying the club for the one-game trip to Detroit.

Nylander departed in the second period of the club’s 7-5 win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Although Berube didn’t specify the specifics of the lower-body injury, Nylander departed shortly after getting tangled with Senators defenseman Artem Zub.

Nylander scored the game-opening goal on the power play on Saturday. Easton Cowan, who has been a health scratch for the club’s last three games, will draw into his place.

The Leafs are 2-2-0 without Nylander in the lineup this season. He missed three games in late October due to a lower-body injury sustained at the hands of Buffalo Sabres forward Jason Zucker on Oct. 24.

Toronto Maple Leafs • News and CommunityToronto Maple Leafs news, video, analysis and community on The Hockey News Follow all Leafs news at https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/

Cowan has four goals and seven assists in 26 games this season. Berube insisted there was no message sending to the 20-year-old rookie.

“I've communicated with him very well,” Berube said. “A young guy like that you got to have real good communication and let him know what's going on and why and he's in a good spot."

Maple Leafs Await William Nylander's Status For Game Against Red Wings After Lower-Body InjuryWhile William Nylander’s inclusion on the trip to Detroit offers a glimmer of hope, his potential absence looms large for a Maple Leafs team facing the division-leading Red Wings without their star winger.

Cowan for Nylander will be the only change as far as skaters on the ice are considered. Dennis Hildeby is expected to get the start in goal after Joseph Woll started on Saturday. It’s typical for the team to split goaltending duties when playing games on consecutive nights.

The Leafs have won back-to-back games, but face quite a challenge against the Atlantic Division-leading Red Wings. Although satisfied with the club pulling out two points against Ottawa on Saturday, Berube wasn’t pleased with a mistake-filled third period that allowed Ottawa to pull within a goal after Toronto enjoyed a three-goal lead.

Waivers today:#LetsGoOilers Philp#LetsGoPens Heinen#LeafsForever Rifai#TusksUp Valimaki#Isles Bear

For purposes of termination:#LetsGoOilers Tomasekhttps://t.co/so7qgeK2D3

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) December 28, 2025

“I think you look at the mistakes we made in the third period,  they're correctable,” Berube said. “It's things we did well throughout the game that we didn't do well in the third period. But at the same time, we show a lot of going over the good stuff and the puck play and the offensive things that we did well in the game. But you always have to make corrections.”

Earlier in the day, the Leafs sent Henry Thrun to the Marlies. Toronto was allowed to temporarily exceed the 23-player roster limit when they activated Chris Tanev from long-term injured reserve on Dec. 23. Now that the holiday freeze has lifted, the club sent Thrun down to get back to 23 players. The Leafs also placed defenseman Marshall Rifai on waivers. The step was necessary because Rifai sustained a wrist injury in training camp. Although he played in one game with the Marlies on a conditioning stint, waivers were required for him to be sent back down, provided none of the other 31 NHL clubs put in a claim.

D Henry Thrun has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 28, 2025

Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Boris Katchouk is officially on the move.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they have traded Katchouk to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Michael Milne. 

Katchouk signed a two-way contract with the Lightning this off-season, officially beginning his second tenure with the club. However, his second stint as a Bolt has now come to an early end, as he is heading to Minnesota with this minor trade. 

Katchouk played in three games this season with the Lightning before this trade, where he recorded zero points, two blocks, and five hits. He also recorded four goals, six assists, and 10 points in 21 games with the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. 

The Blackhawks acquired Katchouk during the 2021-22 season as a part of the trade that sent forward Brandon Hagel to the Lightning. From there, Katchouk appeared in 117 games with the Blackhawks from 2021-22 to 2023-24, where he posted 11 goals, 15 assists, 26 points, and 176 hits. His time with the Blackhawks ended when he was claimed off waivers by the Ottawa Senators on March 7, 2024. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have placed forward Danton Heinen on waivers.

Heinen being placed on waivers comes with forward Blake Lizotte being activated off of injured reserve. 

This is the second time that Heinen has been placed on waivers this season, as he also hit the wire in early October. Now, the 30-year-old winger is back on waivers again, and the rest of the NHL has the opportunity to claim him if they wish to. 

Heinen has played in 13 games this season with Pittsburgh, where he has recorded one goal, one assist, and a plus-1 rating. This is after he had nine goals, 20 assists, and 29 points in 79 games split between the Vancouver Canucks and Penguins this past season.

If Heinen clears waivers, Pittsburgh will be able to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Heinen has had plenty of success with the AHL club earlier this season, as he has recorded six goals and 17 points in 12 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2025-26.

In 579 career NHL games over 10 seasons, Heinen has posted 97 goals, 146 assists, and 243 points. 

The Montreal Canadiens currently have a 20-12-5 record and are third place in the Atlantic Division standings. Due to this, there is an expectation that they will continue to try to improve their roster after acquiring Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings. 

One of the Canadiens' needs right now is another impactful and skilled winger. Due to this, they are now being viewed as a potential fit for one of the NHL's best trade candidates. 

In The Athletic's latest NHL trade matchmaker column, insider Chris Johnston named the Canadiens as a potential trade fit for Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault. 

"This is a move that would certainly sit well with Marchessault, which is important given the fact he’s got that NMC in his contract. The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner would bring some experience to the NHL’s youngest roster and should be able to add offensive pop to the Habs’ top-six forward group," Johnston wrote. 

Johnston also mentioned that the Canadiens could move Patrik Laine, who has an $8.7 million cap hit, to the Predators in a hypothetical Marchessault deal to make things work out financially. 

It is worth noting that Marchessault is having a down season by his standards with the Predators, as he has recorded seven goals and 10 points in 28 games. Yet, when looking at his resume, there is a clear reason to believe that he should bounce back. Just last season with Nashville, he posted 21 goals and 56 points in 78 games. This was after he had 42 goals and 69 points in 82 games with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24. 

Marchessault would be more than a rental for the Canadiens if acquired, too. This is because he has a $5.5 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season. Thus, he would have the potential to be a nice part of the Canadiens' forward group for multiple seasons if brought in. 

The Minnesota Wild made a trade early Sunday morning with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Minnesota sent forward prospect Michael Milne to the Lightning for a veteran power forward Boris Katchouk.

Milne, 23, was drafted by Minnesota in the third round, 89th overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft. He has been very injury prone in every season he has been in the Wild's organization.

The 5-foot-10 forward has appeared in 15 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild this season, recording two goals and five points. He has played 172 career AHL games, all with Iowa, and has recorded 32 goals and 65 points.

Katchouk, 27, was a second round pick by the Lightning in 2026. He has played in 261 career AHL games and has recorded 64 goals, 90 assists and 154 points. He has played in three NHL games this year and has zero points and five hits.

In 179 career NHL games, Katchouk has 15 goals, 21 assists, 36 points, 310 hits and is a minus-23. The 6-foot-3 forward has played four seasons in the NHL with three different teams and is expected to go to the Iowa Wild.

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.

Recent Wild Stories

Quinn Hughes Is Now Third All-Time In This Elite American Defenseman CategoryQuinn Hughes notched his 27th three-assist game, climbing past a legend and into elite company among American defensemen.

- Minnesota Wild Set Franchise Record Heading Into Holliday Break.

- 'You Want To Get Out Of Your Zone': Why Quinn Hughes Changes The Game For The Wild.

- 'We Want To Compete For The Stanley Cup': Why Bill Guerin Went All In.

- When The Ice Shrinks, The Wild's Game Is Built To Hold Up.

- 'Sometimes You Gotta Look Yourself In The Mirror': Matt Boldy's Message Has Now Become The Wild's Mantra.