Any hope that former Maple Leafs star winger Mitch Marner would receive a warm welcome in his ret...

<p>Any hope that former Maple Leafs star winger Mitch Marner would receive a warm welcome in his return to Toronto was squashed last week.</p><p>Traveling Leaf fans booed Marner in his home rink during an eventual 6-5 Golden Knights overtime win in Las Vegas, and the <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3460391" href="https://thescore.com/news/3460391">boos will continue</a> - presumably in full-throated fashion - Friday night at Scotiabank Arena.</p><p><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3456379" href="https://thescore.com/news/3456379">As I wrote</a> over the weekend, the Leafs and Marner are better off without each other. Both parties needed the divorce. Heck, the fans needed relief, too.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>So, how's it going without Marner?</p><p>The Leafs own a 24-17-9 record and a .570 points percentage 50 games into Craig Berube's second year behind the bench. On pace for 93 points, Toronto currently holds down the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>The Leafs finished last season with a 52-26-4 record, a .659 points percentage, 108 points, and top seeding in the Atlantic Division before losing in Round 2 to the Panthers.</p><p>Let's try to make sense of the 2025-26 team and its arc.</p><h3>Welcome back, Peak Matthews</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818608/cropped_GettyImages-2256118178.jpg?ts=1769101990" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818608/w220xh124_GettyImages-2256118178.jpg?ts=1769101990 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818608/w320xh180_GettyImages-2256118178.jpg?ts=1769101990 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818608/w640xh360_GettyImages-2256118178.jpg?ts=1769101990 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818608/w768xh432_GettyImages-2256118178.jpg?ts=1769101990 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818608/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2256118178.jpg?ts=1769101990 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Martin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Nobody has scored more goals than Auston Matthews since the Leafs captain made his legendary debut in October 2016. Yet for the majority of 2024-25 and the first three months of this season, Matthews mostly blended in.</p><p>He looked sluggish and encumbered - likely stalled by injuries, both nagging and new. His output reflected it: 14 goals and nine assists in his first 31 games. Then the Leafs broke for the holidays. Upon their return, Matthews resumed beating goalies at a superstar rate and hasn't let up since.</p><p>Matthews has gone from producing 0.60 goals and 0.74 points per game before the break to 0.85 and 1.46 in 13 post-break games off 11 goals and eight assists.</p><p>The points are nice and necessary - Matthews' $13.25-million cap hit trails only Leon Draisaitl's $14 million. But it's the eye test that's the most encouraging. Matthews is back to dominating shifts in a way few NHLers can. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound center is galloping through the neutral zone with purpose, making precise reads and passes, driving to the net with authority, and shooting the puck with his trademark mix of power, grace, and deception.</p><p>Sportlogiq data supports the "he's so back" vibe. Here's where Matthews ranks among all NHL forwards in a number of salient per-game metrics:</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Metric</th>
<th>Before break (rank)</th>
<th>After break (rank)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Expected goals</td>
<td>0.46 (15th)</td>
<td>0.63 (4th)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Slot passes</td>
<td>2.00 (34th)</td>
<td>2.62 (11th)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Slot shots</td>
<td>2.00 (14th)</td>
<td>3.62 (1st)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rush chances</td>
<td>1.19 (8th)</td>
<td>1.77 (2nd)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cycle chances</td>
<td>1.23 (50th)</td>
<td> 1.69 (18th)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Forecheck chances</td>
<td>0.26 (95th)</td>
<td>0.54 (11th)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rebound chances</td>
<td>0.13 (228th)</td>
<td>0.46 (10th)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p>With Marner gone, everything in Leafs land flows downstream from Matthews in a more pronounced way. The performances of fellow core pieces, especially William Nylander, are critical, of course, but Toronto's ceiling is heavily determined by Matthews. The Leafs need him to be extraordinary, even though his linemates have switched from Marner and Matthew Knies to Max Domi and Bobby McMann.</p><p>Surely at least some of Matthews' slow start can be attributed to Marner's departure. They formed one of the NHL's top duos for years in part because Marner is an all-world playmaker. He consistently creates advantageous shooting opportunities for linemates while shouldering a heavy defensive load.</p><p>Marner starred on both special teams. The penalty kill's been fine in his absence, while the power play's slumped. Simply put, Marner - Toronto's primary puck transporter and in-zone distributor for years - hasn't been adequately replaced. It's led to the worst goals per 60 power-play minutes rating of the Matthews era (5.43) and the December firing of assistant coach Marc Savard.</p><h3>Questions on blue line, in net</h3><p>The Leafs have six double-digit goal-scorers and rank seventh in goals per game, despite playing a dump-and-chase style. Generating offense isn't a major problem for them. What is an issue: defense, specifically the suspect personnel.</p><p>Toronto's blue line lacks mobility and puck skills. Too often, there's a palpable disconnect between the two defensemen and the three forwards on the ice. The Leafs rank 32nd out of 32 clubs in shot attempts against, shots on goal against, and slot shots against. They also sit 25th in offensive-zone possession time against. Teams that can't defend a lick miss the playoffs.</p><p>Brandon Carlo, Simon Benoit, and Philippe Myers have seen more minutes than expected with veteran stud Chris Tanev limited to 11 games by a potential season-ending injury. Oliver Ekman-Larsson - who's enjoying a terrific, team MVP-level campaign - is also currently sidelined.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818627/cropped_GettyImages-2207620474.jpg?ts=1769111299" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818627/w220xh124_GettyImages-2207620474.jpg?ts=1769111299 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818627/w320xh180_GettyImages-2207620474.jpg?ts=1769111299 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818627/w640xh360_GettyImages-2207620474.jpg?ts=1769111299 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818627/w768xh432_GettyImages-2207620474.jpg?ts=1769111299 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818627/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2207620474.jpg?ts=1769111299 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Thomas Skrlj / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Goaltending, from a strictly puck-stopping perspective, has been quite good. The Leafs are tied for 10th in team save percentage (.897) during a season in which four goalies have started three or more games. The active goalies, Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby, are rocking matching .912 rates and similar goals saved above expected tallies (15.1 GSAx for Woll; 16.1 for Hildeby).</p><p>Strangely, Woll and Anthony Stolarz, the No. 1 guy on the preseason depth chart, have yet to be available at the same time this season. Woll was on personal leave in the fall, and before he could return, Stolarz went down with an injury.</p><p>Goaltending can help paper over a team's defensive shortcomings. The combination of Woll, Hildeby, and Stolarz has done just that, but not to the same degree as last year, when Toronto finished fourth in team save percentage (.905). The Leafs have been on the wrong end of too many comeback wins.</p><h3>Odds, needs, and the deadline</h3><p>Nylander, who leads the team with 48 points in 37 games, is out with a groin injury. Top-six winger Matthew Knies has said he's playing through an injury. It feels like the Leafs have run into some seriously poor luck on the health front.</p><p>In reality, Toronto is just one of many squads that's been without key pieces for big chunks of time in a weird year for injuries. (The condensed schedule doesn't help). The Leafs sit eighth in cumulative cap hit lost to injury, according to <a href="https://nhlinjuryviz.blogspot.com/2025/10/202526-team-injury-breakdowns.html">NHL Injury Viz</a>.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818634/cropped_GettyImages-2216981004.jpg?ts=1769115233" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818634/w220xh124_GettyImages-2216981004.jpg?ts=1769115233 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818634/w320xh180_GettyImages-2216981004.jpg?ts=1769115233 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818634/w640xh360_GettyImages-2216981004.jpg?ts=1769115233 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818634/w768xh432_GettyImages-2216981004.jpg?ts=1769115233 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/818634/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2216981004.jpg?ts=1769115233 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andrew Francis Wallace / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm">MoneyPuck</a> lists the Leafs' playoff odds at 19.9% ahead of a pre-Olympics stretch of seven games in 12 days. The trade deadline falls six games and 12 days after the conclusion of the men's tournament in Italy.</p><p>A right-handed defenseman with offensive juice is the Leafs' biggest present and future need - hence <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3456159" href="https://thescore.com/news/3456159">recent reports</a> of interest in the Devils' Dougie Hamilton.</p><p>If Toronto loses five of its next seven games, tumbling down the standings, does general manager Brad Treliving spend the Olympic break strategizing for a sell-off? Conversely, would five wins push the executive into buy mode? Then again, a lack of draft capital and prospects (no first-round pick until 2028, no particularly enticing teenagers) makes buying very difficult. Trading away a goalie is easier said than done and would be a big-picture risk.</p><p>Option 3: Don't buy or sell - in other words, do little, or "sit."</p><p>Based on 50 games, and the fact that the club's top three trade chips (McMann, Scott Laughton, Troy Stecher) are worth re-signing, sitting may be the shrewd move.</p><p>This could be a transitional year. No Marner. No playoffs? Reshape the roster in the offseason.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/34229884/related

What to make of the Maple Leafs 50 games into the post-Marner era

With the Feb. 4-22 Olympic roster freeze nearing and March 6 trade deadline roughly six weeks awa...

<p><em>With the Feb. 4-22 Olympic roster freeze nearing and March 6 trade deadline roughly six weeks away, here's a look at 25 of the most interesting names potentially available. Players are ranked based on odds of being traded and level of on-ice impact. All contract information courtesy of <a href="https://puckpedia.com/">PuckPedia</a>.</em></p><p><em>Tap on each player's name for analysis.</em></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Team</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td><a href="#Artemi%20Panarin">Artemi Panarin</a></td>
<td>Rangers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td><a href="#Dougie%20Hamilton">Dougie Hamilton</a></td>
<td>Devils</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td><a href="#Nazem%20Kadri">Nazem Kadri</a></td>
<td>Flames</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td><a href="#Vincent%20Trocheck">Vincent Trocheck</a></td>
<td>Rangers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td><a href="#Alex%20Tuch">Alex Tuch</a></td>
<td>Sabres</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td><a href="#Blake%20Coleman">Blake Coleman</a></td>
<td>Flames</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td><a href="#Boone%20Jenner">Boone Jenner</a></td>
<td>Blue Jackets</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td><a href="#Justin%20Faulk">Justin Faulk</a></td>
<td>Blues</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td><a href="#Steven%20Stamkos">Steven Stamkos</a></td>
<td>Predators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td><a href="#Brayden%20Schenn">Brayden Schenn</a></td>
<td>Blues</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td><a href="#Conor%20Garland">Conor Garland</a></td>
<td>Canucks</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td><a href="#Elias%20Pettersson">Elias Pettersson</a></td>
<td>Canucks</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td><a href="#Jordan%20Kyrou">Jordan Kyrou</a></td>
<td>Blues</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td><a href="#Jonathan%20Marchessault">Jonathan Marchessault</a></td>
<td>Predators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td><a href="#Jordan%20Binnington">Jordan Binnington</a></td>
<td>Blues</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td><a href="#Ryan%20O'Reilly">Ryan O'Reilly</a></td>
<td>Predators</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td>
<a href="#Carson%20Soucy">Carson Soucy</a>*</td>
<td>Rangers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td><a href="#Brett%20Kulak">Brett Kulak</a></td>
<td>Penguins</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td><a href="#Robert%20Thomas">Robert Thomas</a></td>
<td>Blues</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td><a href="#Connor%20Murphy">Connor Murphy</a></td>
<td>Blackhawks</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>21</td>
<td><a href="#Jamie%20Oleksiak">Jamie Oleksiak</a></td>
<td>Kraken</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>22</td>
<td><a href="#Andrew%20Mangiapane">Andrew Mangiapane</a></td>
<td>Oilers</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>23</td>
<td><a href="#Jesperi%20Kotkaniemi">Jesperi Kotkaniemi</a></td>
<td>Hurricanes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>24</td>
<td>
<a href="#Ondrej%20Palat">Ondrej Palat</a>*</td>
<td>Devils</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>25</td>
<td><a href="#Luke%20Schenn">Luke Schenn</a></td>
<td>Jets</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><h3><a id="Artemi Panarin" name="Artemi%20Panarin">1. Artemi Panarin, LW</a></h3><p><em>$11.64-million cap hit through 2025-26 (no-move clause)</em></p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Panarin ranks sixth in points per game over the past decade and remains one of the NHL's premier playmakers. If the Rangers are willing to retain half of the 34-year-old's salary, surely a handful of general managers will be presenting legitimate offers. That said, Panarin holds much of the power. He can pick his destination (no-move clause) and timeline (extension or test free agency).</p><h3><a id="Dougie Hamilton" name="Dougie%20Hamilton">2. Dougie Hamilton, D</a></h3><p><em>$9-million cap hit through 2027-28 (10-team "yes" trade list)</em></p><p>Hamilton was recently scratched, and his production is down. But the 32-year-old is still an effective right-handed offensive defenseman. The hard part for Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald will be finding a team that's on Hamilton's "yes" list and can stomach his deal. The term is fine, but $9 million is difficult to move midseason, which means New Jersey likely needs to retain salary here.</p><h3><a id="Nazem Kadri" name="Nazem%20Kadri">3. Nazem Kadri, C</a></h3><p><em>$7-million cap hit through 2028-29 (13-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Kadri, a key member of the 2022 Stanley Cup-winning Avalanche, is an ultracompetitive two-way center with three years left on his deal beyond this season. The 35-year-old's cap hit is palatable for most clubs in an era of cap growth. A half dozen playoff-bound teams could upgrade their second-line center, while a return to the Central Division (Avalanche, Wild, or Stars) is possible.</p><h3><a id="Vincent Trocheck" name="Vincent%20Trocheck">4. Vincent Trocheck, C</a></h3><p><em>$5.63-million cap hit through 2028-29 (12-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Trocheck is a faceoff-winning, all-situations forward who's on pace for 59 points in 68 games. He's also a leader on a completely reasonable contract. Put another way, GM Chris Drury will be fielding plenty of calls on Trocheck in the coming weeks. The Wild are an obvious fit. Cup-contending Minnesota needs a top-six center, and its GM, Bill Guerin, recently made Trocheck an Olympian.</p><h3><a id="Alex Tuch" name="Alex%20Tuch">5. Alex Tuch, RW</a></h3><p><em>$4.75-million cap hit through 2025-26 (5-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Tuch, a lifelong Sabres supporter who's blossomed into a fan favorite, may sign an extension. Yet, until a deal is finalized, the pending unrestricted free agent's future hangs in the balance. Tuch is a fast, 6-foot-4 winger with finishing chops. The combination of first-line talent, low cap hit, and limited trade protection makes him a hot commodity. Tuch likely doubles his yearly earnings moving forward.</p><h3><a id="Blake Coleman" name="Blake%20Coleman">6. Blake Coleman, LW</a></h3><p><em>$4.9-million cap hit through 2026-27 (10-team "yes" trade list)</em></p><p>Coleman checks off a lot of boxes: physical bottom-six winger. Culture-setter. Owner of two Cup rings. Contract includes a digestible cap hit and some term (but not too much term for a 34-year-old). Current team - the selling Flames - can talk trade with most clubs without having to check in with the player.</p><h3><a id="Boone Jenner" name="Boone%20Jenner">7. Boone Jenner, LW</a></h3><p><em>$3.75-million cap hit through 2025-26 (8-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Jenner, 32, has spent his entire 13-year career with the Blue Jackets and served as team captain for the past five. Despite a history of injuries, the hard-nosed winger pitches in offensively (25 points in 35 games) and holds his own defensively when healthy. He's one of the most appealing rental forwards.</p><h3><a id="Justin Faulk" name="Justin%20Faulk">8. Justin Faulk, D</a></h3><p><em>$6.5-million cap hit through 2026-27 (15-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Faulk jumps off the page as an appropriate Plan B for the various teams who lost the Rasmus Andersson sweepstakes. The minute-munching, shot-blocking right-handed blue-liner is quietly enjoying a highly productive age-33 season, bagging 11 goals in 50 games. He's on pace for a career-high 18.</p><h3><a id="Steven Stamkos" name="Steven%20Stamkos">9. Steven Stamkos, RW</a></h3><p><em>$8-million cap hit through 2027-28 (no-move clause)</em></p><p>Stamkos, who turns 36 in February, isn't the electric player he used to be, especially at even strength. Yet the dude remains lethal with the puck on his stick and sits tied for 31st in goals (21 in 49 games). Complicating factors include Nashville climbing back into the playoff hunt after a disastrous start; Stamkos' high cap hit; and the future Hall of Famer owning a no-move clause.</p><h3><a id="Brayden Schenn" name="Brayden%20Schenn">10. Brayden Schenn, C</a></h3><p><em>$6.5-million cap hit through 2027-28 (15-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Schenn's contract carries the same cap hit and trade protection as Faulk's but runs for one more year. The Blues captain has struggled to produce in his 17th season (19 points in 50 games), yet he's rocking a career-high faceoff win percentage. Schenn can be a solid third-line center for a playoff-bound club.</p><h3><a id="Conor Garland" name="Conor%20Garland">11. Conor Garland, RW</a></h3><p><em>$4.95-million cap hit through 2025-26 (zero trade protection)</em></p><p>Garland, 29, is this list's most unique case because any team that acquires him inherits the extension he signed with the Canucks last July. That deal - six years, $6 million cap hit, no-move clause - doesn't kick in until this coming offseason. Garland is speedy, possesses impressive playmaking skills, and wins a ton of puck battles for a guy listed at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds.</p><h3><a id="Elias Pettersson" name="Elias%20Pettersson">12. Elias Pettersson, C</a></h3><p><em>$11.6-million cap hit through 2031-32 (no-move clause)</em></p><p>Pettersson's had a minor resurgence in 2025-26. However, his on-ice value still doesn't align with such a mammoth contract. That said, rebuilding Vancouver is motivated to cut deep into its core, and there must be teams out there (Carolina? Los Angeles?) that believe they can bring out Pettersson's best.</p><h3><a id="Jordan Kyrou" name="Jordan%20Kyrou">13. Jordan Kyrou, RW</a></h3><p><em>$8.13-million cap hit through 2030-31 (no-trade clause)</em></p><p>Kyrou, 27 years old and in the third year of an eight-year deal, is part of St. Louis' long-term core. At the same time, he's for a while been a prime suspect for a change of scenery trade, and the Blues are seemingly at a crossroads with their underperforming roster. Kyrou is a quick and crafty playmaker with strong underlying numbers and three 70-point seasons on his resume.</p><h3><a id="Jonathan Marchessault" name="Jonathan%20Marchessault">14. Jonathan Marchessault, RW</a></h3><p><em>$5.5-million cap hit through 2028-29 (no-move clause)</em></p><p>Marchessault is in a similar situation to Stamkos - mid-30s, contract with term, riding the Predators' roller coaster - except his season has been filled with injuries and inconsistent play, not goals. Still, the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has a long history of rising to the occasion (36 goals in 102 playoff games).</p><h3><a id="Jordan Binnington" name="Jordan%20Binnington">15. Jordan Binnington, G</a></h3><p><em>$6-million cap hit through 2026-27 (14-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Binnington's been flat-out terrible this season (.869 save percentage and minus-16 goals saved above expected in 28 appearances). His trade value is almost entirely reliant upon a heroic showing at the Olympics. If he plays well for Canada and the Blues enter full sell mode, interested parties will emerge.</p><h3><a id="Ryan O'Reilly" name="Ryan%20O'Reilly">16. Ryan O'Reilly, C</a></h3><p><em>$4.5-million cap hit through 2026-27 (zero trade protection)</em></p><p>Nashville's MVP through 49 games, O'Reilly hasn't gotten his flowers league-wide for an exceptional season. He's the definition of a detailed two-way center who's a playoff warrior and, at that cap hit, would be a tremendous addition for any center-seeking contender. The question is, does O'Reilly want to leave Nashville? While his deal lacks trade protection, GM Barry Trotz won't be making an O'Reilly trade without significant input from the soon-to-be 35-year-old.</p><h3><a id="Carson Soucy" name="Carson%20Soucy">17. Carson Soucy, D*</a></h3><p><strong><em>*Jan. 26: Soucy traded to Islanders for 2026 third-round pick</em></strong></p><p><em>$3.25-million cap hit through 2025-26 (12-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Soucy fits the "rental" stereotype perfectly. A veteran shutdown defenseman playing on an expiring deal, he can slot in nicely on a contender's third pair. Bonus: The Viking, Alberta, native can slide over to the right side in a pinch.</p><h3><a id="Brett Kulak" name="Brett%20Kulak">18. Brett Kulak, D</a></h3><p><em>$2.75-million cap hit through 2025-26 (zero trade protection)</em></p><p>Kulak was acquired from the Oilers in December in the Stuart Skinner-Tristan Jarry trade. He's a dependable third-pair guy with penalty-killing utility. The Penguins can flip him or keep him for what could be a fun stretch drive.</p><h3><a id="Robert Thomas" name="Robert%20Thomas">19. Robert Thomas, C</a></h3><p><em>$8.13-million cap hit through 2030-31 (no-trade clause)</em></p><p>Thomas is the one player on this list who, if declared officially available, would wreak havoc on 31 front offices. He's that good of a player. Thomas, who's currently on injured reserve, is an above-average first-line center in the prime of his career. He's an elite passer, only 26 years old, and under contract for five seasons after this one. The trade package sent back to St. Louis would be massive.</p><h3><a id="Connor Murphy" name="Connor%20Murphy">20. Connor Murphy, D</a></h3><p><em>$4.4-million cap hit through 2025-26 (10-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Murphy is the longest-tenured Blackhawks player by six years. He's also a pending UFA who doesn't fit into Chicago's long-term plans. The well-respected, physical blue-liner is suited to fill a third-pair spot elsewhere.</p><h3><a id="Jamie Oleksiak" name="Jamie%20Oleksiak">21. Jamie Oleksiak, D</a></h3><p><em>$4.6-million cap hit through 2025-26 (16-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Oleksiak is a 6-foot-7, 252-pound pending UFA defenseman who plays a straightforward game. While his cap hit isn't ideal, he could help improve a playoff-bound team's depth. Of course, Seattle is also in the playoff hunt.</p><h3><a id="Andrew Mangiapane" name="Andrew%20Mangiapane">22. Andrew Mangiapane, LW</a></h3><p><em>$3.6-million cap hit through 2026-27 (no-trade clause)</em></p><p>The Mangiapane-Oilers experiment has been a complete failure. Despite prominent usage early on, the former 35 goal-scorer hasn't found his footing in Edmonton and is now a consistent scratch. On one hand, the market for his services won't be robust. On the other, the Oilers' asking price won't be high.</p><h3><a id="Jesperi Kotkaniemi" name="Jesperi%20Kotkaniemi">23. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C</a></h3><p><em>$4.82-million cap hit through 2029-30 (10-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Kotkaniemi, drafted third overall in 2018 by the Canadiens, is skating a career-low 11:13 a night for the Hurricanes. He was scratched earlier in the year, but perhaps he can fill a bottom-six center role elsewhere. The 25-year-old's cap hit is alright in an era of cap growth. The term, however, is rough.</p><h3><a id="Ondrej Palat" name="Ondrej%20Palat">24. Ondrej Palat, LW</a></h3><p><strong><em>*Jan. 27: Palat traded to Islanders with 2026 third-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick for forward Maxim Tsyplakov</em></strong></p><p><em>$6-million cap hit through 2026-27 (10-team "no" trade list)</em></p><p>Palat, once an effective top-six winger, is a shell of his former self and now a whipping boy within the Devils' fan base. With an underwhelming game and anchor of a contract, he's become a negative asset. Can New Jersey wiggle its way out of this commitment somewhat gracefully and turn the page?</p><h3><a id="Luke Schenn" name="Luke%20Schenn">25. Luke Schenn, D</a></h3><p><em>$2.75-million cap hit through 2025-26 (zero trade protection)</em></p><p>Schenn is a plodding, physical defenseman in search of a third Cup at age 36. It would be a hell of a story if a team acquired he and brother Brayden and the former Flyers teammates shared the ice once again.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/34205596/related

Big board: Top 25 players who could be dealt before NHL trade deadline

Combining his own perspective with what he's been hearing from those in and around the game, seni...

<p><em>Combining his own perspective with what he's been hearing from those in and around the game, senior NHL writer John Matisz breaks down the hot topics across the hockey landscape.</em></p><h3>Marner, Leafs should have no regrets</h3><p>Amid the endless chatter about Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs this week, one thought kept bouncing around my brain: Man, people sure seem to have short memories.</p><p>It's tempting to play the "Does the departed player miss his old team more than the team misses the player?" game. And, hey, I totally get why that kind of discourse flooded social media and why Thursday's TSN broadcast of the Leafs-Golden Knights game leaned into the juicy narrative. What-ifs are fun.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>But, in reality, neither Marner nor the Leafs should be regretting the divorce.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817835/cropped_GettyImages-2255694122.jpg?ts=1768596005" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817835/w220xh124_GettyImages-2255694122.jpg?ts=1768596005 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817835/w320xh180_GettyImages-2255694122.jpg?ts=1768596005 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817835/w640xh360_GettyImages-2255694122.jpg?ts=1768596005 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817835/w768xh432_GettyImages-2255694122.jpg?ts=1768596005 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817835/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2255694122.jpg?ts=1768596005 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ethan Miller / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The late June sign-and-trade that sent Marner to Vegas for the next eight years closed a chapter in Leafs history (and Marner's career) that was equal parts exhilarating, excruciating, and exhausting. His departure wasn't overly controversial in the moment because it was the logical next step.</p><p>Remember the playoff failures - two series victories in nine postseasons? The toxic relationship between homegrown star forward and Stanley Cup-starved fan base? How badly all three parties - team, player, fan base - needed to take a breather and redirect their energy elsewhere? Asking who's better off half a season later misses the entire point of opting to move on in the first place.</p><p>Everybody's better off, by default.</p><p>The 23-16-8 Leafs aren't a perfect team, but they're better off seeing what comes of spending Marner's salary on multiple pieces, even if it means one fewer 100-point two-way winger in the lineup. Marner's transition to Vegas hasn't been smooth on or off the ice, but he's better off establishing a new identity, even if it means fewer points, minutes, and reps at center to start.</p><p>It couldn't have been fun to be Marner on Thursday, <a href="https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/2012009885924540820">getting booed</a> by visiting fans on home ice. But that, and whatever vitriol next Friday's Leafs-Knights game in Toronto brings, is part of the transition and act of finally moving on.</p><h3>Doan and Sabres keep rolling</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817811/cropped_GettyImages-2252679344.jpg?ts=1768584139" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817811/w220xh124_GettyImages-2252679344.jpg?ts=1768584139 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817811/w320xh180_GettyImages-2252679344.jpg?ts=1768584139 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817811/w640xh360_GettyImages-2252679344.jpg?ts=1768584139 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817811/w768xh432_GettyImages-2252679344.jpg?ts=1768584139 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817811/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2252679344.jpg?ts=1768584139 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Since Dec. 9, the Sabres lead the NHL in standings points collected (30 in 17 games) and points percentage (.882) off an expected but thrilling 15-2-0 run. A team doesn't go on a monthlong tear, climbing from last in the Eastern Conference to the first wild card, without nearly everything going well.</p><p>Top players Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have been sensational. Multiple lines have been highly productive, team defense has been locked in, and the three rostered goalies have combined for a .918 save percentage.</p><p>"We're not taking anything for granted. Every game is like a playoff game for us," Dahlin told theScore on Monday from his stall at Buffalo's KeyBank Center.</p><p>"After the 10-game winning streak we had, we lost a game," the team captain added, referencing a 5-1 road loss to the Blue Jackets on Jan. 3. "Right then and there, we told each other that this is going to be the biggest test of this season. Are we going to bounce back? Or not? What do we have in us?"</p><p>Spoiler alert: A lot. Five wins in their next six games to be exact, boosting their playoff odds to 56.6%, according to <a href="https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm">MoneyPuck</a>. The Sabres have failed to make the postseason 14 straight years - an NHL record that's in danger of falling this spring.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817816/cropped_GettyImages-2240495433.jpg?ts=1768586638" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817816/w220xh124_GettyImages-2240495433.jpg?ts=1768586638 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817816/w320xh180_GettyImages-2240495433.jpg?ts=1768586638 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817816/w640xh360_GettyImages-2240495433.jpg?ts=1768586638 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817816/w768xh432_GettyImages-2240495433.jpg?ts=1768586638 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817816/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2240495433.jpg?ts=1768586638 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bill Wippert / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>First-year Sabre Josh Doan has been the biggest standout during the run. Part of an offseason trade that sent dynamic forward JJ Peterka to Utah, Doan has emerged as a detail-oriented first-line winger, allowing the rest of the forward group to click into place. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound son of ex-NHLer Shane Doan is tremendously effective along the walls, disruptive on the forecheck, and skilled enough to facilitate and finish around the net. He moves the needle.</p><p>"He's an infectious type of player," head coach Lindy Ruff said.</p><p>"He looks like he's been playing in the league for 500 games," Dahlin said.</p><p>Doan, a 2021 second-round pick who turns 24 in February, is the perfect complement to a game-breaker like Thompson, assuming the Zach Hyman role alongside Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews. "You want to have a skilled guy, a dog, and then the third guy depends on the line," Sabres winger Jason Zucker said. "You have to have versatility throughout the lineup."</p><p>Zucker, a 15-year veteran on his fifth team, sees some Zach Parise in Doan.</p><p>"Really good netfront guy. Was always hounding pucks. Had a really good stick and created a lot of turnovers," Zucker said of Parise, a former stud winger for the Devils and Wild. "I'm impressed with Doaner's ability to turn pucks over and get pucks back. He's really good at keeping plays alive."</p><h3>Picking Point's potential replacement</h3><p>Brayden Point, one of the first six players named to Canada's Olympic team, needed to be helped off the ice during Monday's Lightning-Flyers game.</p><p>The Lightning say Point is out "week-to-week." Olympic men's hockey starts Feb. 11, four-and-a-half weeks from the time of his apparent leg injury.</p><p>Point struggled to start the year but recently started to look his electric self, racking up eight goals and 11 assists in his last 15 games. Despite him being a natural center, many penciled in the Calgary native as McDavid's right-winger, thanks to his quick feet and hands and off-puck habits. Most crucially, McDavid and Point were linemates for a stretch at the 4 Nations Face-Off.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817731/cropped_GettyImages-2200228766.jpg?ts=1768518680" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817731/w220xh124_GettyImages-2200228766.jpg?ts=1768518680 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817731/w320xh180_GettyImages-2200228766.jpg?ts=1768518680 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817731/w640xh360_GettyImages-2200228766.jpg?ts=1768518680 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817731/w768xh432_GettyImages-2200228766.jpg?ts=1768518680 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817731/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2200228766.jpg?ts=1768518680 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Brian Babineau/4NFO / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Wyatt Johnston, Seth Jarvis, Connor Bedard, Mark Scheifele, Travis Konecny, and Sam Bennett will contend for a roster spot if Point's forced to bow out. General manager Doug Armstrong has said that Canada's injured Olympians will likely be replaced by players with similar skill sets and makeups.</p><p>Johnston, the unflappable 22-year-old Stars winger, is most comparable to Point. He marks off the handedness, speed, offensive versatility, and defense traits. Also, he leads the NHL in power-play goals while ranking top 10 in inner-slot shots, scoring chances generated off the cycle, and chances off rebounds. A couple of connections won't hurt his chances: Stars GM Jim Nill and ex-Stars coach Pete DeBoer are key members of Canada's brain trust.</p><p>Bedard and Bennett deserve serious consideration too. The other three, while stellar players in their own ways, seem to be a tier below.</p><h3>Maurice: NHL is harder, heavier, faster</h3><p>Paul Maurice sits second all time in NHL games coached, splitting 1,976 contests between Hartford/Carolina, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Florida. Three decades in, he remains one of the most insightful people in the entire sport.</p><p>On Monday, I asked Maurice about the uniqueness of 2025-26. With teams gritting through a condensed schedule caused by a three-week Olympic break, players have limited practice time, and a disproportionate number of them have been injured. How's the quality of hockey been at ice level?</p><p>"It's way harder, way heavier, and at times, faster," the 58-year-old reported.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817739/cropped_GettyImages-2255636193.jpg?ts=1768524987" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817739/w220xh124_GettyImages-2255636193.jpg?ts=1768524987 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817739/w320xh180_GettyImages-2255636193.jpg?ts=1768524987 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817739/w640xh360_GettyImages-2255636193.jpg?ts=1768524987 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817739/w768xh432_GettyImages-2255636193.jpg?ts=1768524987 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817739/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2255636193.jpg?ts=1768524987 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Maurice believes his back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning Panthers have influenced the increase in physicality across the league. He's also noticed "more and more teams run a wing lock" - a reference to Florida's smothering, aggressive forechecking tactic. "Teams have adopted the styles that we stole from somebody else. It's made the game quite a bit more physical," he said.</p><p>Most teams, Maurice added, have shifted from playing a protect-the-slot zone defense (Vegas' preferred style during its 2023 Cup run) to an aggressive man-to-man defense (Florida's style). The change has led to different types of hockey being played in each conference, he said.</p><p>"In the West, I think it's faster, and that's just a function of how teams defend," Maurice said. "They will give you (open) ice, like Vegas does. You can win (playing that brand of hockey). They're a hell of a team, and we couldn't get a puck near the net when we played Vegas (in the 2023 final)."</p><h3>Texier, the Habs' latest project</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817790/cropped_GettyImages-2255412341.jpg?ts=1768575817" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817790/w220xh124_GettyImages-2255412341.jpg?ts=1768575817 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817790/w320xh180_GettyImages-2255412341.jpg?ts=1768575817 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817790/w640xh360_GettyImages-2255412341.jpg?ts=1768575817 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817790/w768xh432_GettyImages-2255412341.jpg?ts=1768575817 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817790/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2255412341.jpg?ts=1768575817 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Vitor Munhoz / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Montreal signed Alexandre Texier to a two-year, $5-million contract extension Wednesday. The goal-scoring winger joined the club as a free-agent signee just two months ago, with his original deal having been terminated by the Blues.</p><p>Texier, 26, is another reclamation project for Canadiens president Jeff Gorton, GM Kent Hughes, and head coach Martin St. Louis. The franchise has gone out of its way to acquire 20-something forwards in need of a change of scenery, hoping St. Louis and his staff can wring out untapped potential. The full list follows.</p><ul>
<li>Kirby Dach, acquired in July 2022 trade</li>
<li>Sean Monahan, August 2022 trade</li>
<li>Alex Newhook, June 2023 trade</li>
<li>Patrik Laine, August 2024 trade</li>
<li>Joe Veleno, July 2025 signing after buyout</li>
<li>Texier, November 2025 signing after termination</li>
</ul><p>Monahan, who arrived in Montreal with a first-round pick then fetched the Habs another first on his way out of town, is the one home run. While the rest are a mixed bag of strikeouts and singles, attempting to resuscitate careers in such a manner is a worthwhile pursuit if done tastefully. I appreciate the hustle.</p><h3>No winner in year-old Miller trade</h3><p>Most high-profile trades end up in one of two buckets: win-win or win-lose. It's rare to revisit a trade almost a year later and declare it an L for both sides.</p><p>Yet, that's exactly what the Jan. 31, 2025, swap between the Rangers and Canucks is. A refresher: New York acquired J.T. Miller, Erik Brannstrom, and Jackson Dorrington in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a conditional draft pick that was flipped to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Marcus Pettersson trade.</p><p>The fiery Miller was named New York's captain in the fall, but he's one of many Rangers floundering amid a miserable season. Brannstrom, a 300-game NHLer, is currently playing in Switzerland. Dorrington looks like an AHL lifer.</p><p>The oft-injured Chytil was supposed to fix the Canucks' center depth, but he's appeared in just 21 total games due to ongoing concussion issues. Mancini's spent more time in the AHL than the NHL.</p><p>It's no coincidence that Vancouver is <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3455486" href="https://thescore.com/news/3455486">ostensibly</a> on the rebuilding path and New York is <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3457129" href="https://thescore.com/news/3457129">officially</a> undergoing a retool 12 months after the Miller trade.</p><h3>Is expansion on the horizon?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817826/cropped_GettyImages-2242544452.jpg?ts=1768589090" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817826/w220xh124_GettyImages-2242544452.jpg?ts=1768589090 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817826/w320xh180_GettyImages-2242544452.jpg?ts=1768589090 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817826/w640xh360_GettyImages-2242544452.jpg?ts=1768589090 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817826/w768xh432_GettyImages-2242544452.jpg?ts=1768589090 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817826/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2242544452.jpg?ts=1768589090 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Martin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Reader eraldeb recently asked about expanding beyond 32 teams.</p><blockquote><p>Expansion in the future? There are many cities that can bid, but who really has a chance at gaining an NHL club? Houston? Atlanta? Quebec City? Portland? Kansas City? There are tons of cities!</p></blockquote><p>It's a near guarantee the NHL will expand to 34 teams at some point, perhaps within the next decade. Expansion fees of $2 billion or more per club await.</p><p>"It could well happen, and there's a tremendous amount of interest out there," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/MANDP/peer-to-peer/true-hockey-talk-gary-bettman-with-w-graeme-roustan">The Hockey News</a> earlier in January.</p><p>"We're not pushing expansion," the 73-year-old added. "If it happens, it will be, for lack of a better word, organic. Somebody will come in and say, 'We can check the four primary boxes. Let's have a good look together.'"</p><p>Ownership, market, and arena are three of the boxes, Bettman said. The fourth is more ambiguous: Will expanding to City X with Ownership Group Y in Year Z "make the game stronger, make the league stronger?"</p><p>From reading between the lines of league comments and my own off-the-record conversations with people in the sport, here's my ranking of the top possible cities.</p><ol>
<li>Atlanta, Georgia</li>
<li>Houston, Texas</li>
<li>Austin, Texas</li>
<li>Phoenix, Arizona</li>
<li>New Orleans, Louisiana</li>
</ol><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><p>What do you want to know, hockey fans?</p><p>There are three ways to submit a question for future NHL Inbox editions.</p><ul>
<li>Comment on this article in theScore app</li>
<li>Email John at <a href="mailto:john.matisz@theScore.com">john.matisz@thescore.com</a>
</li>
<li>Send John a message on X (<a href="https://x.com/MatiszJohn">@matiszjohn</a>)</li>
</ul>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/34148934/related

Marner-Leafs drama, Point's potential replacement, more NHL hot topics

The upcoming Olympics are throwing a wrench into the usual flow of NHL player movement. There's a...

<p><em>The upcoming Olympics are throwing a wrench into the usual flow of NHL player movement. There's a league-wide roster freeze from Feb. 4-22, so we could see fireworks in February. Then the March 6 trade deadline. Let's run through eight teams - four buyers and four sellers - that look primed to shape the trade market. (Note: salary cap information courtesy <a data-in-app-uri="" href="https://puckpedia.com/teams">PuckPedia</a>.)</em></p><h3>Calgary Flames</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 19-23-4<br><strong>Role</strong><em>: </em>Seller</p><p>The Flames need an infusion of high-end talent, and upside is best found at the top of the draft. Calgary sits 30th in points percentage and would benefit from dropping further in the standings to secure premium lottery odds.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>General manager Craig Conroy has four desirable pieces at his disposal to accelerate the process: right-handed defenseman Rasmus Andersson (29 years old, $4.6-million cap hit, pending unrestricted free agent), plus forwards Nazem Kadri (35, $7 million, contract runs through 2028-29), Blake Coleman (34, $4.9 million, 2026-27), and Ryan Lomberg (31, $2 million, pending UFA).</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817548/cropped_GettyImages-1516675547.jpg?ts=1768397136" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817548/w220xh124_GettyImages-1516675547.jpg?ts=1768397136 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817548/w320xh180_GettyImages-1516675547.jpg?ts=1768397136 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817548/w640xh360_GettyImages-1516675547.jpg?ts=1768397136 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817548/w768xh432_GettyImages-1516675547.jpg?ts=1768397136 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817548/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1516675547.jpg?ts=1768397136 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Bruce Bennett / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Andersson's contract includes a six-team no-trade list, Coleman has a 10-team trade list, and Kadri has a 13-team no-trade list, which makes navigating the market somewhat tricky. Still, Conroy is taking on risk every passing day.</p><p>Coleman, a proven playoff performer enjoying a solid season, was injured last week amid trade rumors. Not ideal. Andersson, whose value might be at its peak thanks to a strong first half and recent Olympic selection, will be putting his body on the line every shift for Team Sweden. Meanwhile, a handful of playoff-bound teams should be in hot pursuit of Kadri to upgrade at center.</p><h3>Carolina Hurricanes</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 28-15-4<br><strong>Role</strong>: Buyer</p><p>Most years during Rod Brind'Amour's tenure in Carolina have followed a familiar script. Regular-season excellence. Success early in the playoffs. Disappointment once key saves and goals dry up in the second or third round.</p><p>The organization has attacked the firepower issue head-on, acquiring high-profile forwards Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen and promising blue-liner K'Andre Miller in three blockbusters since March 2024. (The Rantanen experiment, of course, was short-lived. He's now leading the Stars' attack.)</p><p>Carolina will be creative. They will be bold. Just how bold they'll be is the mystery.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817547/cropped_GettyImages-2197151263.jpg?ts=1768396845" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817547/w220xh124_GettyImages-2197151263.jpg?ts=1768396845 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817547/w320xh180_GettyImages-2197151263.jpg?ts=1768396845 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817547/w640xh360_GettyImages-2197151263.jpg?ts=1768396845 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817547/w768xh432_GettyImages-2197151263.jpg?ts=1768396845 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817547/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2197151263.jpg?ts=1768396845 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Does GM Eric Tulsky try to acquire a 2026 free-agency headliner in New York's Artemi Panarin or Buffalo's Alex Tuch? Does he opt for an immediate core piece in stud Blues center Robert Thomas? A reclamation project in Vancouver's Elias Pettersson? A unique winger in the Canucks' Kiefer Sherwood? A defenseman in New Jersey's Dougie Hamilton, St. Louis' Justin Faulk, or Anaheim's Pavel Mintyukov? Somebody nobody's thinking about?</p><p>Carolina's arguably better at asset management than any NHL team. Despite being in win-now mode, pulling the trigger on complicated deals, and locking up key youngsters, Tulsky has $16.9 million in cap space, five first-round picks from the next four drafts, and a solid prospect pool to work with.</p><p>Also, unlike most buyers, the Hurricanes have two well-established, 25-year-old forwards to dangle in trade talks. Andrei Svechnikov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, both in the rumor mill of late, are change-of-scenery candidates.</p><h3>Dallas Stars</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 27-11-9<br><strong>Role</strong>: Buyer</p><p>Dallas is on pace for 112 points - two shy of the franchise record set in its 1999 Stanley Cup season. Despite their dominant performance, the Stars have been overshadowed by Colorado, the team they're most likely to meet in Round 2 of the playoffs.</p><p>The Stars can't expect to beat the Avalanche without improving the blue line. Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen form a reliably impactful top pair, but 24-year-old Thomas Harley needs help on the second unit. Harley has struggled this year in part because he's spent nearly all of his five-on-five minutes alongside third-pair guys Ilya Lyubushkin, Nils Lundkvist, and Alex Petrovic.</p><p>Veteran right-handed defensemen Andersson (Calgary), Hamilton (New Jersey), and Connor Murphy (Chicago) are three logical trade targets.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817514/cropped_GettyImages-2252977498.jpg?ts=1768356512" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817514/w220xh124_GettyImages-2252977498.jpg?ts=1768356512 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817514/w320xh180_GettyImages-2252977498.jpg?ts=1768356512 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817514/w640xh360_GettyImages-2252977498.jpg?ts=1768356512 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817514/w768xh432_GettyImages-2252977498.jpg?ts=1768356512 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817514/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2252977498.jpg?ts=1768356512 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Glenn James / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>GM Jim Nill loves midseason splashes, bringing in superstar winger Rantanen last year and shutdown defenseman Chris Tanev in 2023-24.</p><p>There are a few complicating factors this time around.</p><p>The Stars' salary cap situation is fuzzy. The club, which entered 2025-26 with virtually no cap space, is up to $3.3 million thanks to multiple players spending time on long-term injured reserve. That amount will triple if winger Tyler Seguin (torn ACL) is ruled out through the playoffs and placed on season-ending LTIR. A timeline update is expected after the Olympic break.</p><p>Secondly, while Dallas isn't completely devoid of futures, its draft capital is limited (no first-round picks in 2026 or 2028) and its prospect pool is shallow. Lastly, leading goal-scorer Jason Robertson is a pending restricted free agent. If Robertson's returning, the Stars can't handcuff themselves by absorbing a hefty multi-year contract (like Hamilton's) without carefully plotting next steps.</p><p>Dallas will almost certainly be active on the trade front. The extent of their activity is TBD.</p><h3>St. Louis Blues</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 18-21-8<br><strong>Role</strong><em>: </em>Seller</p><p>The Blues, led by GM Doug Armstrong and head coach Jim Montgomery, are a down-bad team that can shake up the NHL landscape if it so chooses.</p><p>This season has been extremely disappointing, and it's blatantly obvious the roster requires major surgery. But turnover is easier said than done when the Blues' UFA list consists of only Oskar Sundqvist, Mathieu Joseph, and Robby Fabbri.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817549/cropped_GettyImages-1504331885.jpg?ts=1768398014" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817549/w220xh124_GettyImages-1504331885.jpg?ts=1768398014 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817549/w320xh180_GettyImages-1504331885.jpg?ts=1768398014 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817549/w640xh360_GettyImages-1504331885.jpg?ts=1768398014 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817549/w768xh432_GettyImages-1504331885.jpg?ts=1768398014 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817549/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1504331885.jpg?ts=1768398014 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The intrigue instead surrounds the futures of first-line forwards Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, captain Brayden Schenn, top four defensemen Faulk and Colton Parayko, and starting goalie Jordan Binnington. Kyrou, Schenn, and Faulk seem more likely to be traded than the other three, but who knows?</p><p>The front office is tasked with deciding which players should be part of the core moving forward, then navigating various no-move and no-trade clauses.</p><p>Yet, it's entirely possible Armstrong plays it conservative, moving the UFAs and just one or two others. After all, this is a franchise allergic to rebuilding.</p><h3>Detroit Red Wings</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 28-16-4<br><strong>Role</strong>: Buyer</p><p>GM Steve Yzerman made only minor moves ahead of last year's deadline, citing exorbitant prices relative to the caliber of players available. Captain Dylan Larkin later <a href="https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/3271971">expressed disappointment</a> with the lack of activity.</p><p>The sequence of events could be much different in 2026, with Detroit on a 103-point pace, slotted second in the Atlantic Division, and holding 72.7% <a href="https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm">playoff odds</a>. The Original Six franchise hasn't looked this promising since its last postseason appearance in 2015-16 and has heaps of cap space ($26.9 million).</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817546/cropped_GettyImages-2255089829.jpg?ts=1768392371" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817546/w220xh124_GettyImages-2255089829.jpg?ts=1768392371 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817546/w320xh180_GettyImages-2255089829.jpg?ts=1768392371 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817546/w640xh360_GettyImages-2255089829.jpg?ts=1768392371 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817546/w768xh432_GettyImages-2255089829.jpg?ts=1768392371 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817546/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2255089829.jpg?ts=1768392371 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Vitor Munhoz / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The top of the lineup - Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson - is humming, but Detroit's depth leaves something to be desired. The two biggest needs are a two-way defenseman to beef up the second pair and a middle-six offensive contributor, preferably on the wing.</p><p>St. Louis defenseman Faulk and Vancouver left winger Jake DeBrusk make sense as realistic but dreamy fits. "Dreamy" is an important word here, as both players have term left on their deals and some kind of trade protection.</p><p>The Red Wings, who were frequently mentioned as a landing spot for Quinn Hughes in the lead-up to the Wild-Canucks blockbuster, are primed to go big-game hunting. The Eastern Conference is wide open, and Yzerman possesses the money, prospects, and young NHLers to complete a needle-moving trade.</p><h3>Vancouver Canucks</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 16-25-5<br><strong>Role</strong><em>: </em>Seller</p><p>The Canucks' front office this week dropped the ridiculous hedging ("hybrid retool") and expressed a desire to rebuild in the wake of the Hughes trade.</p><p>What a breath of fresh air. </p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817550/cropped_GettyImages-2254996662.jpg?ts=1768398087" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817550/w220xh124_GettyImages-2254996662.jpg?ts=1768398087 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817550/w320xh180_GettyImages-2254996662.jpg?ts=1768398087 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817550/w640xh360_GettyImages-2254996662.jpg?ts=1768398087 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817550/w768xh432_GettyImages-2254996662.jpg?ts=1768398087 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817550/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2254996662.jpg?ts=1768398087 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>But, wait, Vancouver fans will be sold on this vision only when the club completes multiple transactions squarely aimed at the future. Remember, the Canucks are notorious for cutting corners and changing directions midstream.</p><p>Nevertheless, if GM Patrik Allvin is truly serious about rebuilding, things could get interesting beyond the obvious trade chips of pending free agents Sherwood, Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, David Kampf, and Lukas Reichel.</p><p>Although core forwards Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and DeBrusk aren't perfect players and carry onerous contracts, surely there are teams out there wondering if the right coach and linemates can spark a late-20s turnaround.</p><h3>Minnesota Wild</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 26-12-9<br><strong>Role</strong><em>: </em>Buyer</p><p>Wild GM Bill Guerin pulled off one of the biggest trades in NHL history in December. Yet he can't be satisfied. Minnesota is guaranteed only two seasons with 2027 UFA Hughes, and the Central will be a gauntlet come playoff time.</p><p>With goaltending and defense in excellent shape, forward is the top priority. It's suboptimal that Joel Eriksson Ek is the lone legitimate top-six center.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817551/cropped_GettyImages-2253692960.jpg?ts=1768398169" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817551/w220xh124_GettyImages-2253692960.jpg?ts=1768398169 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817551/w320xh180_GettyImages-2253692960.jpg?ts=1768398169 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817551/w640xh360_GettyImages-2253692960.jpg?ts=1768398169 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817551/w768xh432_GettyImages-2253692960.jpg?ts=1768398169 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817551/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2253692960.jpg?ts=1768398169 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Guerin can pursue another needle-mover - think Nashville's Ryan O'Reilly or St. Louis' Thomas - or bring in a hard-nosed veteran, like Calgary's Kadri or the Blues' Schenn. The latter option isn't the sizeable downgrade it might seem at first glance. Minnesota's forward group is unique. Wingers Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are two of the top play-driving wingers on the planet, meaning the Wild don't necessarily <em>need</em> O'Reilly or Thomas.</p><p>Minnesota has a fair amount of flexibility with $5.8 million in cap space and, if necessary, can try to carve out another $4 million or so by moving an underperforming pending UFA forward (Ryan Hartman or Vladimir Tarasenko).</p><p>The 2024 David Jiricek trade and Hughes blockbuster have significantly eaten the team's assets. The Wild don't have a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 second-rounder, or a 2027 second-rounder. But they do have a 2027 first and an above-average group of prospects.</p><h3>New Jersey Devils</h3><p><strong>Record</strong>: 23-21-2<br><strong>Role</strong><em>: </em>Seller</p><p>The Devils are last on this list for a reason. They're a complete wild card.</p><p>On one hand, GM Tom Fitzgerald remains hopeful the struggling squad can turn its season around and earn a playoff spot (the preseason expectation). In fact, he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/HpULFzGfuUw">told reporters</a> Wednesday that he'd like to add to the forward group.</p><p>On the other hand, New Jersey is right up against the cap and handcuffed by numerous no-move and no-trade clauses. As a result, the Devils can't buy until they sell. Essentially, Fitzgerald needs first to clean up the mess he's made.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817552/cropped_GettyImages-1201377208.jpg?ts=1768398289" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817552/w220xh124_GettyImages-1201377208.jpg?ts=1768398289 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817552/w320xh180_GettyImages-1201377208.jpg?ts=1768398289 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817552/w640xh360_GettyImages-1201377208.jpg?ts=1768398289 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817552/w768xh432_GettyImages-1201377208.jpg?ts=1768398289 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/817552/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1201377208.jpg?ts=1768398289 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andy Marlin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Dawson Mercer and Cody Glass check the boxes of being useful forwards with relatively low cap hits and zero trade protection. But trading Mercer, in particular, would solve one problem while creating another.</p><p>Hamilton, who was recently scratched, would be easy to move if he didn't make $9 million a year and own a 10-team trade list. What a win it would be if Fitzgerald moved off Ondrej Palat, the underperforming veteran winger attached to a horrendous contract. Oh, right, Palat also has trade protection. The same goes for goalie Jacob Markstrom. Untangling the knot won't be easy.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/34118210/related

8 teams primed to shape NHL trade market

The 2025-26 NHL season crossed the halfway mark last week, which means it's time to pause and tak...

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/34059315/related

1 burning question for all 32 NHL teams at halfway mark

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33963535/related

Avalanche's secret sauce, Robertson snub reaction, more NHL hot topics

Canada unveiled its 25-man roster for the 2026 Olympics on Wednesday - 14 forwards, eight defense...

<p><em>Canada <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3441400" href="https://thescore.com/news/3441400">unveiled</a> its 25-man roster for the 2026 Olympics on Wednesday - 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies. Let's discuss snubs, positional outlooks, and more ahead of the Feb. 11-22 men's hockey tournament in Milan, Italy. (Note: Players in bold were named to the roster back in June.)</em></p><h3>Forwards</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>LW</th>
<th>C</th>
<th>RW</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Brandon Hagel</td>
<td><strong>Connor McDavid</strong></td>
<td><strong>Brayden Point </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Sidney Crosby</strong></td>
<td><strong>Nathan MacKinnon</strong></td>
<td><strong>Sam Reinhart</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Macklin Celebrini</td>
<td>Nick Suzuki</td>
<td>Mitch Marner </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brad Marchand</td>
<td>Anthony Cirelli</td>
<td>Tom Wilson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>Bo Horvat</td>
<td>Mark Stone</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Notable snubs</strong>: <em>Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Morgan Geekie, Seth Jarvis, Wyatt Johnston, Mark Scheifele</em></p><p>Bedard, Scheifele, and Johnston all rank in the top 10 in NHL points per game among Canadian skaters. Geekie's 25 goals sit second in the country.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>There's no denying that general manager Doug Armstrong left a boatload of talent off the announced roster. Yet with a dose of context, none of the forward "snubs" listed above qualify as especially controversial.</p><p>Bedard and Jarvis are injured and don't have concrete return dates. Bennett is having a down year. Johnston, Geekie, and Scheifele are relatively easy to skip over as there are better options to fill their roles of two-way center (Johnston), sniper (Geekie), and offensive catalyst (Scheifele).</p><p>Bedard's exclusion will make headlines because the 2023 first overall pick is a household name in the middle of a fantastic season (44 points in 31 games). But the injury gave Armstrong an out. What if Bedard struggles upon his return?</p><p>Bennett is a proven playoff performer who thrived at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year. However, shutdown center Cirelli is one of coach Jon Cooper's guys - nine years and two Stanley Cups together in Tampa Bay - and the bench boss had a heavy influence on the bottom of the roster.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770600/cropped_GettyImages-2198981441.jpg?ts=1739553935" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770600/w220xh124_GettyImages-2198981441.jpg?ts=1739553935 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770600/w320xh180_GettyImages-2198981441.jpg?ts=1739553935 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770600/w640xh360_GettyImages-2198981441.jpg?ts=1739553935 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770600/w768xh432_GettyImages-2198981441.jpg?ts=1739553935 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/770600/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2198981441.jpg?ts=1739553935 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Vitor Munhoz/4NFO / World Cup of Hockey / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Speaking of injuries, NHL teams will play roughly 15 games each between now and the Olympics. There's a good chance that several forwards named to the team Wednesday will be on the shelf come February. Perhaps Bedard and Bennett make their Olympic debuts after all. We'll see.</p><p>Canada is returning most of its 4 Nations forwards. Celebrini, Suzuki, Horvat, and Wilson are additions to a group that's gaining an extra body due to the larger Olympic roster. The ascendant Celebrini and matured Suzuki were no-brainers, while Horvat and Wilson bring versatile skill sets and ample size.</p><p><strong>Positional outlook</strong>: Canada has the finest collection of forwards in the world.</p><p>For starters, McDavid and MacKinnon are the first- and second-best players on the planet. The scoring leaderboard currently reads McDavid (69 points), MacKinnon (66), and Celebrini (60). Celebrini may be 19, but he's arguably already a top-10 NHLer. Oh, and Canada has a fourth first overall pick up front in presumed captain, past golden goal-scorer, and all-timer, Sidney Crosby.</p><p>Mix McDavid, MacKinnon, and Crosby, with speed demon Point, cerebral sniper Reinhart, and worker bee Hagel, and Cooper's got himself a pair of certifiably lethal scoring lines. The coaching staff could assemble an interesting two-way third line of Suzuki between Celebrini and Marner, and a fun blue-collar fourth line of Cirelli between agitators Marchand and Wilson. (Horvat and Stone could crack the top 12, too. The possibilities are endless.)</p><p>I like how the management group didn't overemphasize high-end skill or focus too much on filling specific roles. In other words, the forward group is well-balanced, and I wouldn't label any of the picks a reach. I expect Cirelli and Hagel to lead the penalty kill and the first power-play unit (probably McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Reinhart, and Makar) to dominate.</p><h3>Defensemen</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>LD</th>
<th>RD</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Devon Toews</td>
<td><strong>Cale Makar</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Josh Morrissey</td>
<td>Colton Parayko</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Shea Theodore</td>
<td>Drew Doughty</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Travis Sanheim</td>
<td>Thomas Harley</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Notable snubs</strong>: <em>Evan Bouchard, Jakob Chychrun, Matthew Schaefer</em></p><p>Canada's brain trust decided to bring back the same eight defensemen who suited up at 4 Nations, despite Schaefer's sensational showing as a rookie.</p><p>If I were in charge, I would've seriously considered Schaefer, if not picked him. He's already established himself as one of the nation's top eight D-men. Plus, going to Milan would have been an invaluable experience for an 18-year-old who's set to star on the 2028 World Cup and 2030 Olympic teams. Then again, Schaefer isn't a massive snub since I wouldn't consider any of the left-handed defensemen selected Wednesday as unworthy.</p><p>The angle for Bouchard making the team was simple: Who's going to run the top power-play unit if Makar gets injured? The rebuttal: Morrissey and Marner are excellent choices.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771535/cropped_GettyImages-2199640301.jpg?ts=1740098143" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771535/w220xh124_GettyImages-2199640301.jpg?ts=1740098143 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771535/w320xh180_GettyImages-2199640301.jpg?ts=1740098143 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771535/w640xh360_GettyImages-2199640301.jpg?ts=1740098143 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771535/w768xh432_GettyImages-2199640301.jpg?ts=1740098143 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771535/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2199640301.jpg?ts=1740098143 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty</span></figcaption></figure><p>Chychrun feels like a victim of circumstance. If he were having the season he's having (first among defensemen in goals) and fresh off a 4 Nations run, then he's off to the Olympics. Instead, management saw no reason to remix the blue-line personnel.</p><p><strong>Positional outlook</strong>: The United States is in its own tier in terms of depth of talent on the back end. Sweden's arguably second in the global pecking order. Yet, Canada's no slouch. The third-ranked blue line is a major strength.</p><p>It all starts with the presumed first pair. Makar is the gold standard at the position, and Toews has long been one of the NHL's most underappreciated players. Expect the Avalanche duo to shoulder a significant workload in Italy.</p><p>The rest of the group is a nice blend of mobility, offensive creativity, play killing, and physicality. Morrissey, Theodore, and Harley are dynamic forces in all three zones. Doughty, who won Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014, brings veteran savvy and shift-to-shift reliability. Sanheim and Parayko offer strong defensive sticks, net-front strength, and special-teams utility.</p><p>"Parayko and Sanheim, we call it going through a car wash. They're all arms and legs. It's hard to get to the net," Armstrong said Wednesday.</p><h3>Goalies</h3><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Starter</th>
<th>Backup</th>
<th>No. 3</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Jordan Binnington</td>
<td>Logan Thompson</td>
<td>Darcy Kuemper</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><strong>Notable snubs</strong>: <em>Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood</em></p><p>Avalanche teammates Blackwood and Wedgewood have been phenomenal this season, ranking first and second in save percentage among Canadian netminders.</p><p>Selecting Blackwood would have been hooked around promise and upside. A large, athletic netminder with elite physical traits, Blackwood has recently proven that his A-game is as good as any other Canadian goalie's A-game.</p><p>A Wedgewood pick would have been tied to intangibles. The 33-year-old journeyman is known for checking his ego at the dressing room door. He could have fit in as an overqualified, no-frills, cheerleader-type No. 3 goalie.</p><p><strong>Positional outlook</strong>: Goaltending is Canada's clear weakness. Unlike in previous Olympic cycles, there isn't a single star-caliber goalie to latch onto.</p><p>Binnington is the lone netminder returning from 4 Nations, with Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault losing their spots due to injury and poor performance.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771058/cropped_GettyImages-2199640658.jpg?ts=1739888598" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771058/w220xh124_GettyImages-2199640658.jpg?ts=1739888598 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771058/w320xh180_GettyImages-2199640658.jpg?ts=1739888598 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771058/w640xh360_GettyImages-2199640658.jpg?ts=1739888598 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771058/w768xh432_GettyImages-2199640658.jpg?ts=1739888598 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/771058/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2199640658.jpg?ts=1739888598 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Binnington, in fact, has been one of the worst goalies in 2025-26. Despite his .870 SV% sitting 58th out of the 60 guys who've appeared in 12 or more games, Armstrong said there was little internal debate over his inclusion.</p><p>After all, Binnington showed well at the 4 Nations, especially in the final game, and is a Cup champion. "Jordan's resume speaks for itself," said Armstrong, who's also GM of the Blues and drafted Binnington in the third round in 2011.</p><p>My take: Don't discount Binnington's puck skills. Canadian players and coaches loved how helpful he was on breakouts during 4 Nations action.</p><p>Thompson is among the league leaders in SV% and goals saved above expected for the second straight season. With how consistent he's been in the Capitals' crease, Thompson deserves Canada's starter job.</p><p>Kuemper is a 35-year-old Cup winner enjoying a strong year with the Kings. He's the third-stringer unless something drastic changes over the next month.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33933885/related

Team Canada roster analysis: Olympic snubs, positional outlooks, more

The wait is almost over. Each of the 12 countries competing in the men's hockey tournament at the...

<p>The wait is almost over. Each of the 12 countries competing in the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy, must submit a 25-man roster by Wednesday - 14 forwards, eight defensemen, three goalies.</p><p>Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong and Team USA GM Bill Guerin both have extremely difficult decisions to make, and their roster-building skills will be heavily scrutinized if a gold medal isn't brought home.</p><p>Let's unpack some lingering questions relating to the two rosters, then take a stab at one final projection. (Note: the projected rosters are a prediction of which players each country will select, not my personal picks.)</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Team Canada</h3><p><strong>How do star youngsters fit into plans?</strong></p><p>Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, and Matthew Schaefer are the best 20-and-under players on the planet. All three hail from Canada.</p><p>Celebrini is an MVP-caliber player. His 57 points in 38 games for the Sharks rank third in the NHL, though his shift-to-shift impact extends <a href="https://thescore.com/news/3429613">far beyond the box score</a>. Frequently drawing comparisons to Sidney Crosby thanks to a similar skill set and playing style, Celebrini could man a wing on any Canada forward line. It would be shocking if the North Vancouver, B.C., kid didn't get selected for the Feb. 11-12 tournament.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815415/cropped_GettyImages-2251778948.jpg?ts=1766850830" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815415/w220xh124_GettyImages-2251778948.jpg?ts=1766850830 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815415/w320xh180_GettyImages-2251778948.jpg?ts=1766850830 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815415/w640xh360_GettyImages-2251778948.jpg?ts=1766850830 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815415/w768xh432_GettyImages-2251778948.jpg?ts=1766850830 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815415/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2251778948.jpg?ts=1766850830 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Bedard was enjoying a terrific third season (44 points in 31 games) when he suffered a shoulder injury on Dec. 12. While he's scheduled to return to action prior to the Olympics, the injury complicates an already shaky candidacy. As a sharpshooting winger rather than a two-way center like Celebrini, Bedard offers the coaching staff limited options regarding usage and deployment. His injury theoretically gives Armstrong a tiebreaker and an easy out. Leave Bedard off the roster, but keep a close eye on his return to the Blackhawks' lineup in case another forward gets hurt ahead of the Games.</p><p>Schaefer, the NHL's youngest player, is in contention for a blue-line spot. The minute-munching, smooth-skating 18-year-old deserves to make the team on merit. There's the long view to consider, too. If Schaefer's trending toward becoming the Cale Makar of his generation of Canadian D-men, wouldn't the Olympic experience be tremendously beneficial to both player and country?</p><p>Makar's already on the team. Devon Toews, Josh Morrissey, Shea Theodore, and Drew Doughty are virtual locks. That leaves three D-man spots to be filled by some combination of lefties Schaefer, Thomas Harley, Jakob Chychrun, and Travis Sanheim, and righties Colton Parayko and Evan Bouchard.</p><p><strong>How much snarl is too much snarl? </strong></p><p>Canada has no shortage of offensive geniuses, from Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Crosby to Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart. A few Swiss Army knives (think Brandon Hagel) will also play key roles up front.</p><p>Then there's the agitator types. Canada had two on its 4 Nations Face-Off roster in Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett, and a third, Tom Wilson, has emerged in 2025-26. Olympic hockey follows the International Ice Hockey Federation rulebook, which isn't particularly fond of outwardly aggressive behavior, so handing coach Jon Cooper three agitators might be overkill.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815424/cropped_GettyImages-2252274914.jpg?ts=1766856698" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815424/w220xh124_GettyImages-2252274914.jpg?ts=1766856698 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815424/w320xh180_GettyImages-2252274914.jpg?ts=1766856698 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815424/w640xh360_GettyImages-2252274914.jpg?ts=1766856698 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815424/w768xh432_GettyImages-2252274914.jpg?ts=1766856698 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815424/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2252274914.jpg?ts=1766856698 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Marchand deserves a spot based on his play for the Panthers. The 37-year-old winger would also add wisdom and levity to the dressing room and be first in line to take on team spokesperson duties during media availabilities.</p><p>Bennett, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner, is a tricky player to evaluate. On one hand, he's in the middle of an unremarkable regular season in Florida. On the other hand, he's historically saved his best hockey for the playoffs and scored a massive goal in the 4 Nations final back in February.</p><p>Wilson, the Capitals' leader in goals, points, and forward ice time, is versatile. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 225 pounds, he's renowned as an enforcer who can punish opponents but also as a formidable offensive threat. In addition to his physicality and scoring ability, Wilson excels in many nuanced areas (forechecking, blocking shots, wall play, penalty killing, etc.).</p><p>To summarize: Marchand is invaluable, and Wilson brings more overall value than Bennett to a stacked group that's better off with two, not three, agitators.</p><p><strong>Which goalies are worth betting on?</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815425/cropped_GettyImages-2252248836.jpg?ts=1766856816" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815425/w220xh124_GettyImages-2252248836.jpg?ts=1766856816 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815425/w320xh180_GettyImages-2252248836.jpg?ts=1766856816 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815425/w640xh360_GettyImages-2252248836.jpg?ts=1766856816 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815425/w768xh432_GettyImages-2252248836.jpg?ts=1766856816 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815425/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2252248836.jpg?ts=1766856816 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jamie Sabau / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Jordan Binnington, a Stanley Cup winner who showed well at 4 Nations, will be on the team despite posting horrible numbers this season (.870 save percentage and minus-9.4 goals saved above expected through 23 games).</p><p>Logan Thompson is a virtual lock as the second goalie. The Capitals starter's rocking a .917 save percentage and plus-24.7 goals saved above expected in 27 contests.</p><p>Darcy Kuemper of the Kings and Mackenzie Blackwood of the Avalanche are reportedly in the running for the final netminder spot. The decision might come down to this: Does Armstrong want someone consistently good (Kuemper, 35) or potentially great (Blackwood, 29) in Canada's No. 3 goalie spot?</p><p>There's no wrong answer. But logically, if there's a chance the third goalie will see the crease at the Olympics, Canada should pick the guy whose on-ice abilities give them the best opportunity to win. That's high-upside Blackwood.</p><p><strong>Roster projection</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>LW</th>
<th>C</th>
<th>RW</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Brandon Hagel</td>
<td>Connor McDavid</td>
<td> Brayden Point </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sidney Crosby</td>
<td>Nathan MacKinnon</td>
<td> Sam Reinhart</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Macklin Celebrini</td>
<td>Nick Suzuki</td>
<td>Mitch Marner </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brad Marchand</td>
<td>Anthony Cirelli</td>
<td>Mark Stone </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seth Jarvis</td>
<td></td>
<td>Tom Wilson</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>LD</th>
<th>RD</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Devon Toews</td>
<td>Cale Makar</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Josh Morrissey</td>
<td>Colton Parayko</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Shea Theodore</td>
<td>Drew Doughty</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Travis Sanheim</td>
<td>Matthew Schaefer</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Starter</th>
<th>Backup</th>
<th>No. 3</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Jordan Binnington</td>
<td>Logan Thompson</td>
<td>Mackenzie Blackwood</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><h3>Team USA</h3><p><strong>Do 'checkers' rule bottom of forward group?</strong></p><p>Most of the United States' forward group is non-controversial. Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Matt Boldy, Jake Guentzel, Dylan Larkin, and Kyle Connor will likely fill the top nine.</p><p>Tage Thompson, author of the golden goal at the 2025 worlds and NHL leader in five-on-five goals over the past two seasons, is a virtual lock. That's 10.</p><p>The debate starts on the fourth line. Every country's manager sets out to build a squad capable of winning gold, and sometimes that process leads to picking players who fit a specific archetype. "If you can't check, it's probably not the tournament for you," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6838128/2025/11/26/bill-guerin-united-states-olympic-roster-injuries/">Guerin told</a> The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun in November. Translation: It's great that Alex DeBrincat and Cole Caufield are both on pace for 40 goals, but by no means are either guaranteed a spot.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815506/cropped_GettyImages-2246429070.jpg?ts=1766931232" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815506/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246429070.jpg?ts=1766931232 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815506/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246429070.jpg?ts=1766931232 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815506/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246429070.jpg?ts=1766931232 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815506/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246429070.jpg?ts=1766931232 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815506/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246429070.jpg?ts=1766931232 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Derek Cain / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Michael Russo is the most plugged-in reporter covering Team USA. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6911951/2025/12/23/usa-mens-hockey-roster-olympics-final-decisions/">He wrote</a> last week that Brock Nelson, the do-everything center for the juggernaut Avalanche, is "likely" to make the cut. That brings the count to 11 forwards.</p><p>Vincent Trocheck is an ultracompetitive right-handed center who can take important draws and kill penalties. J.T. Miller, Trocheck's Rangers teammate, is having an awful season by his standards. However, he was a heart-and-soul member of the 4 Nations team and offers a mix of speed, intensity, puck skills, and positional versatility that Guerin surely feels is too valuable to pass on.</p><p>The 14th and final spot is where things get incredibly interesting. There are about 10 viable options - Caufield, Clayton Keller, Matthew Knies, and Alex Tuch among the healthy guys - but Jason Robertson has the most compelling case. The 6-foot-3 Stars winger is tied for most points among Americans.</p><p><strong>Who rounds out talent-rich blue line?</strong></p><p>The Americans are loaded on the back end. Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy, a potential first pairing, were named to the team in June. Jaccob Slavin, Brock Faber, Zach Werenski, and Jake Sanderson are virtual locks.</p><p>Slavin, arguably the top shutdown defender in the sport, has missed all but five games this season due to multiple injuries. He's currently out week-to-week with an upper-body issue. While Guerin could choose to leave Slavin off the roster, it would make more sense to select the Hurricanes star and then find a replacement later if he's ultimately ruled out through the Games.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815502/cropped_GettyImages-2248296087.jpg?ts=1766929344" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815502/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248296087.jpg?ts=1766929344 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815502/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248296087.jpg?ts=1766929344 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815502/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248296087.jpg?ts=1766929344 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815502/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248296087.jpg?ts=1766929344 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/815502/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248296087.jpg?ts=1766929344 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Christian Petersen / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>From there, two spots remain open for Seth Jones, Adam Fox, Jackson LaCombe, Noah Hanifin, and a handful of dark horses. Jones, who turned heads during the Panthers' Cup run, is a safe bet. He'd bring physicality and another right shot.</p><p>Rounding out the group is ... probably Fox, who's currently making his way back from injury. The cerebral two-way blue-liner has rebounded nicely after a down 2024-25, and USA coach Mike Sullivan is Fox's bench boss in New York.</p><p>LaCombe, whose stock has risen significantly over the past year, is undoubtedly Fox's biggest threat. The Ducks leader brings a bit of everything.</p><p><strong>Roster projection</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>LW</th>
<th>C</th>
<th>RW</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Brady Tkachuk</td>
<td>Jack Eichel</td>
<td>Matthew Tkachuk </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jack Hughes</td>
<td>Auston Matthews</td>
<td>Matt Boldy </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kyle Connor</td>
<td>Dylan Larkin</td>
<td>Jake Guentzel </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>J.T. Miller</td>
<td>Vincent Trocheck</td>
<td>Tage Thompson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jason Robertson</td>
<td>Brock Nelson</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>LD</th>
<th>RD</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Quinn Hughes</td>
<td>Charlie McAvoy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jaccob Slavin</td>
<td>Brock Faber</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Zach Werenski</td>
<td>Seth Jones</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jake Sanderson</td>
<td>Adam Fox</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Starter</th>
<th>Backup</th>
<th>No. 3</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Connor Hellebuyck</td>
<td>Jake Oettinger</td>
<td>Jeremy Swayman</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33902151/related

Olympic rosters: Lingering questions, final projections for Canada and USA

<p><em>Combining his own perspective with what he's been hearing from those in and around the game, senior NHL writer John Matisz breaks down the hot topics across the hockey landscape.</em></p><h3>Leafs spiraling toward big change</h3><p>The Maple Leafs are spiraling.</p><p>It's a familiar state for the Original Six franchise in the Auston Matthews era. However, the annual spiral tends to occur in April or May, not mid-December.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Toronto owns the NHL's longest active playoff streak, but the nine-year run is on life support thanks to a 15-13-5 record. There are few, if any, silver linings to this sideways season, as the Leafs sit 14th in the Eastern Conference through 33 games. They're bottom five in nearly every offensive and defensive category; passion and urgency levels have been laughable at times; the power play's a disaster; and, unlike in 2024-25, elite goaltending isn't saving the day.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814688/cropped_GettyImages-2251273001.jpg?ts=1766238395" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814688/w220xh124_GettyImages-2251273001.jpg?ts=1766238395 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814688/w320xh180_GettyImages-2251273001.jpg?ts=1766238395 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814688/w640xh360_GettyImages-2251273001.jpg?ts=1766238395 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814688/w768xh432_GettyImages-2251273001.jpg?ts=1766238395 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814688/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2251273001.jpg?ts=1766238395 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kevin Sousa / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>It's abundantly clear the Leafs are a poorly built team filled with players who aren't suited for Craig Berube's preferred style of play. Berube recently called out his best players (and the team at large), which hints he's either lost the dressing room or is losing his mind trying to fix the on-ice product. (Or both.)</p><p>The most troubling development from a long-term perspective: Matthews, the player the franchise revolves around, is on pace for 63 points in 77 games. The captain hasn't been a consistently dominant force since 2023-24.</p><p>The Leafs, losers of four of their past six games, are in Nashville on Saturday night, Dallas on Sunday, and then host the Penguins on Tuesday to wrap up the pre-holidays schedule. It's December and the Preds own the worst points percentage in the NHL, yet Saturday's result looms large. The stakes are high.</p><p>General manager Brad Treliving gave Berube a public vote of confidence in November. If the spiral continues, even just for another game or two, the GM may feel he has no choice but to fire the coach. Berube isn't the only one responsible for the Leafs' dreadful year. But he's the easiest to move on from.</p><h3>First impressions of Minny Hughes</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814648/cropped_GettyImages-2251780785.jpg?ts=1766190516" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814648/w220xh124_GettyImages-2251780785.jpg?ts=1766190516 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814648/w320xh180_GettyImages-2251780785.jpg?ts=1766190516 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814648/w640xh360_GettyImages-2251780785.jpg?ts=1766190516 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814648/w768xh432_GettyImages-2251780785.jpg?ts=1766190516 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814648/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2251780785.jpg?ts=1766190516 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Brad Rempel / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The stunning Wild-Canucks blockbuster is a week old.</p><p>Here are three notes following Quinn Hughes' first three Wild games:</p><p>1. Looking both weird and sharp in a green No. 43 jersey, Hughes has been up to his usual tricks, manipulating defenses and dictating the flow of play. He's recorded one goal, one assist, and six shots on goal. Minnesota's outscored the opposition 5-4 in his five-on-five minutes. Still, it's obvious the star player is adjusting to a new team and the team's adjusting to a new star.</p><p>2. Hughes' usage has been insane thus far: 26:55 in a 6-2 home win over Boston, 29:33 in a 5-0 home win over Washington, and 32:02 in a road win over Columbus. Keep in mind none of these totals include overtime action.</p><p>3. Hughes immediately assumed the power play quarterback role and has been paired almost exclusively with Brock Faber at even strength. (The American duo might share the ice at the Olympics.) Wild coach John Hynes will surely experiment with different pairs once Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton return from injuries. Toss in Jared Spurgeon and David Jiricek, and Minny has the most talented and deep one-to-six blue line in the entire NHL.</p><h3>Bruins' retool slowly taking shape</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814629/cropped_GettyImages-2250740530.jpg?ts=1766179034" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814629/w220xh124_GettyImages-2250740530.jpg?ts=1766179034 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814629/w320xh180_GettyImages-2250740530.jpg?ts=1766179034 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814629/w640xh360_GettyImages-2250740530.jpg?ts=1766179034 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814629/w768xh432_GettyImages-2250740530.jpg?ts=1766179034 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814629/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2250740530.jpg?ts=1766179034 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Bruins GM Don Sweeney wasn't the most popular man in Boston to start 2025, having shipped out a handful of fan favorites - most notably franchise icon Brad Marchand - to kickstart a retool ahead of March's trade deadline.</p><p>Sweeney's approval rating is in much better shape to close out 2025.</p><p>Former Bruins Brandon Carlo and Trent Frederic haven't performed well in Toronto and Edmonton, while Charlie Coyle and Justin Brazeau are no longer playing for the teams Sweeney traded them to. Marchand is the lone flipped player who's found success (a Stanley Cup and hefty extension in Florida).</p><p>From the various return packages, Boston appears to have unearthed three long-term pieces up front in centers Casey Mittelstadt and Fraser Minten and winger Marat Khusnutdinov. A few prospects and draft picks are still to come.</p><p>The hiring of Marco Sturm is another 2025 victory. I'm told the organization is super happy with the first-time head coach's fit as both an on-ice tactician and off-ice communicator. The players feed off Sturm's energy and intensity.</p><h3>Top of 2026 draft class 'messy'</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814628/cropped_GettyImages-2249394147.jpg?ts=1766178949" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814628/w220xh124_GettyImages-2249394147.jpg?ts=1766178949 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814628/w320xh180_GettyImages-2249394147.jpg?ts=1766178949 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814628/w640xh360_GettyImages-2249394147.jpg?ts=1766178949 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814628/w768xh432_GettyImages-2249394147.jpg?ts=1766178949 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814628/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2249394147.jpg?ts=1766178949 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Miller / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>NHL teams typically hold midseason amateur scouting meetings around this time, either shortly before or after the holidays and world juniors tournament.</p><p>One staffer for an Eastern Conference club used the word "messy" this week to describe the very top of the 2026 draft class. Presumptive No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna - a dazzling winger for Penn State who'll assume a prominent role on Team Canada starting next Friday - isn't tearing up the NCAA as expected. Meanwhile, North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, Frolunda winger Ivar Stenberg, and Muskegon center Tynan Lawrence have all improved their draft stock enough to warrant consideration for the first overall selection in June.</p><p>As of now, the staffer doesn't see a franchise-altering talent in the class - nobody quite at the level of Matthew Schaefer (2025), Macklin Celebrini (2024), or Connor Bedard (2023). However, the first round is "pretty deep" in the staffer's eyes. There are 15-20 players worth getting "damn excited" about.</p><h3>Flyers missing dynamite young center</h3><p>Reader Nathan M. recently sent over a big-picture question about the Flyers.</p><blockquote><p>As a Flyers fan, I'd love your take on the direction and current state of the team. Are they in the Montreal/Ottawa category?</p></blockquote><p>The Flyers own the seventh-best points percentage in the NHL. The Rick Tocchet-led coaching staff and key players, especially offseason acquisitions Trevor Zegras and Dan Vladar, deserve major props for a 17-10-6 record.</p><p>If we're talking long-term outlooks, though, I don't see Philadelphia as a direct peer to Montreal and Ottawa. Philly's in strange territory. Its NHL roster and prospect pipeline are filled with good players, yet arguably zero great ones.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814627/cropped_GettyImages-2206567446.jpg?ts=1766178780" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814627/w220xh124_GettyImages-2206567446.jpg?ts=1766178780 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814627/w320xh180_GettyImages-2206567446.jpg?ts=1766178780 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814627/w640xh360_GettyImages-2206567446.jpg?ts=1766178780 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814627/w768xh432_GettyImages-2206567446.jpg?ts=1766178780 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814627/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2206567446.jpg?ts=1766178780 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Len Redkoles / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The 25-and-over group, led by Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, Owen Tippett, and Travis Sanheim, is nothing special in the grand scheme of a 32-team league. The under-25 group - mainly Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and prospects Porter Martone and Jack Nesbitt - doesn't project to be the nucleus of a future Stanley Cup contender like the core in Montreal. In Ottawa, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson form a Big Three.</p><p>All of that said, GM Daniel Briere does have runway to eventually trade for a needle-moving skater. I'd feel better about the Flyers' direction if Michkov and Martone were accompanied by a current or future dynamite first-line center.</p><h3>Depth issues sinking Jets' season</h3><p>Winnipeg is a torturous team at the moment.</p><p>After a 9-3-0 start the season, the reigning Presidents' Trophy winner has sagged to a blah 15-17-2 record and is tied for sixth in a top-heavy Central Division. The middle of the slide coincided with Connor Hellebuyck suffering a knee injury. (The stud goalie missed 12 games from Nov. 15 to Dec. 13.)</p><p>Most disheartening to Jets fans is the absence of secondary scoring.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814607/cropped_GettyImages-2251580571.jpg?ts=1766167870" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814607/w220xh124_GettyImages-2251580571.jpg?ts=1766167870 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814607/w320xh180_GettyImages-2251580571.jpg?ts=1766167870 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814607/w640xh360_GettyImages-2251580571.jpg?ts=1766167870 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814607/w768xh432_GettyImages-2251580571.jpg?ts=1766167870 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814607/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2251580571.jpg?ts=1766167870 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, and Josh Morrissey - Winnipeg's three first-line forwards and No. 1 defenseman - have combined for 53 goals, or a whopping 53% of the club's total offensive output. The rest of the roster, from crafty playmaker Cole Perfetti to two-way captain Adam Lowry to offseason pickup Jonathan Toews to mobile defenseman Neal Pionk to lesser-known pieces, has pitched in just 47 goals through 40% of the season.</p><p>For context, Colorado's explosive four-pack of Nathan MacKinnon, Marty Necas, Artturi Lehkonen, and Cale Makar accounts for 49% of its total goals.</p><h3>How would 3-2-1-0 standings look?</h3><p>In response to an item in <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3411576" href="https://thescore.com/news/3411576">the last edition</a> of NHL Inbox, reader Trav S. is wondering how much the standings would change if the NHL adopted the 3-2-1-0 points system. (That's three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime/shootout win, one for an OT/SO loss, and zero for a regulation loss.)</p><p>Drum roll, please ... actually, never mind.</p><p>The playoff picture would be surprisingly similar.</p><p>Thirteen of 16 of the teams in a playoff spot as of Saturday morning would also make the postseason in the 3-2-1-0 system popularized by the PWHL.</p><p>The Western Conference divisional seeds would go completely unchanged, while the wild cards would switch from Los Angeles/San Jose to Utah/L.A.</p><p>In the East, the Metropolitan seeds would also go unchanged. But, in the Atlantic, Tampa Bay would replace Montreal, and Florida and Detroit would switch spots. The Islanders would drop from the first wild card position to second, and Boston would come in for Philadelphia to complete the bracket.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><p>What do you want to know, hockey fans?</p><p>There are three ways to submit a question for future NHL Inbox editions.</p><ul>
<li>Comment on this article in theScore app</li>
<li>Email John at <a href="mailto:john.matisz@theScore.com">john.matisz@thescore.com</a>
</li>
<li>Send John a message on X (<a href="https://x.com/MatiszJohn">@matiszjohn</a>)</li>
</ul>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33803156/related

Leafs spiraling, early Hughes impressions, more NHL hot topics

Veteran forward Tyler Toffoli took a seat in the visitor's dressing room at Toronto's Scotiabank ...

<p>Veteran forward Tyler Toffoli took a seat in the visitor's dressing room at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena last week and immediately began fielding post-practice questions about 19-year-old Sharks teammate Macklin Celebrini.</p><p>"He's playing really well. He's just a really shitty guy," Toffoli deadpanned.</p><p>Laughter ensued as Celebrini stared at Toffoli from a neighboring stall. With a hooded Sharks sweater covering his hair and ears but his smiling face exposed, Celebrini looked like a giddy child trying to annoy an older sibling.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>"He's hard to be around," Toffoli, 33, quipped, "so you hope he just keeps scoring."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814339/cropped_GettyImages-2251725642.jpg?ts=1766002476" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814339/w220xh124_GettyImages-2251725642.jpg?ts=1766002476 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814339/w320xh180_GettyImages-2251725642.jpg?ts=1766002476 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814339/w640xh360_GettyImages-2251725642.jpg?ts=1766002476 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814339/w768xh432_GettyImages-2251725642.jpg?ts=1766002476 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814339/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2251725642.jpg?ts=1766002476 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kavin Mistry / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The playful interaction serves as a reminder of the magic unfolding before our eyes this NHL season. Celebrini is a sophomore with 104 games of experience who's also the third-youngest everyday player in a 32-team league. He doesn't turn 20 until June, which means he legally can't drink alcohol in the United States until after his third regular season.</p><p>Yet Celebrini is bordering on unstoppable. His 51 total points and 40 primary points both rank third behind Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. He's recorded three or more points in a single game nine times in two-plus months. The Flames were his latest victims: He scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner, and added two primary assists in a 6-3 Sharks home win Tuesday night.</p><p>"Every time you think he's going to maybe slow down and maybe hit a speed bump, he doesn't. He just keeps going," head coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters afterward.</p><p>The buzz around Celebrini probably won't quiet down anytime soon either. His polished game is a sight to behold, he has a legitimate shot at representing Canada at the Olympics, and he's a Hart Trophy contender.</p><h3>Sidney Crosby 2.0</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814343/cropped_GettyImages-2250722931.jpg?ts=1766002979" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814343/w220xh124_GettyImages-2250722931.jpg?ts=1766002979 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814343/w320xh180_GettyImages-2250722931.jpg?ts=1766002979 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814343/w640xh360_GettyImages-2250722931.jpg?ts=1766002979 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814343/w768xh432_GettyImages-2250722931.jpg?ts=1766002979 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814343/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2250722931.jpg?ts=1766002979 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Richard Lautens / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Celebrini entered 2025-26 on the trajectory of a franchise cornerstone.</p><p>The 2024 No. 1 pick gained universal respect (and a Calder Trophy finalist nod) for combining a comprehensive two-way game with 63 rookie points. People whispered about his stylistic similarities to Sidney Crosby.</p><p>Celebrini is outgrowing the "franchise cornerstone" tag and rocketing into "megastar" territory just 34 games into Year 2. Put another way, he's gone from being described to theScore as "probably a top 10 NHL forward" by an opposing head coach in late October to a being called a "top 10 player regardless of position" by a rival front-office member in mid-December. And the Crosby comparison? Everybody is comfortable talking about it publicly.</p><p>"I see the Sid similarities, for sure," Sharks forward Adam Gaudette said. "As Mack gets bigger and stronger, he'll fit that description even more. He's still a kid. Once he matures, man, it's going to be scary."</p><p>"Mack," Gaudette added, "can be the best player in the world at some point."</p><p>Celebrini is the kind of made-in-a-lab center with no glaring weaknesses. He possesses elite hockey sense, he skates extremely well, and he's an equally gifted passer and shooter. He transports the puck effectively, takes pride in his defensive duties, and brings a mix of swagger and doggedness to every shift.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814365/cropped_GettyImages-2248324360.jpg?ts=1766018190" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814365/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248324360.jpg?ts=1766018190 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814365/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248324360.jpg?ts=1766018190 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814365/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248324360.jpg?ts=1766018190 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814365/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248324360.jpg?ts=1766018190 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814365/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248324360.jpg?ts=1766018190 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Most of those superstar-making traits were present last season. So, beyond learning from a season's worth of games and having a productive offseason, what has allowed Celebrini to level up so significantly? For starters, he's leveraging his world-class shot by being more direct and decisive.</p><p>"He's got such a good, heavy shot, whether it's his one-timer or his wrist shot. Everything has power," Sharks assistant coach Jeff Ulmer told theScore.</p><p>"He's learned this year to not be so fine with it. Last year, he was really trying to pick these little spots to shoot from, whereas this year, for the most part, he's been firing pucks towards and on the net, and you can see the (benefit to this approach) in his numbers. Some of his assists are from a hell of a shot, where the goalie is suddenly out of position. We make a play and score."</p><p>Celebrini, who's attempting a high number of mid-range shots as a sophomore, is on pace for 43 goals after scoring at a 21-goal pace last year.</p><p>It's no accident that his shot lands in the 93rd percentile in average speed, according to <a href="https://www.nhl.com/nhl-edge/skaters/macklin-celebrini-8484801">NHL Edge</a>. He's a compact and powerful 6-feet, 190 pounds.</p><p>"He's able to generate so much transfer speed on his shot that it goes right through goalies," Ulmer said. "And he works on it: To his credit, he's out there, the first one on the ice during practice days. We're feeding him pucks. He wants more and more and more. Sometimes you have to kick him off the ice."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814366/cropped_GettyImages-2251135499.jpg?ts=1766020566" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814366/w220xh124_GettyImages-2251135499.jpg?ts=1766020566 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814366/w320xh180_GettyImages-2251135499.jpg?ts=1766020566 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814366/w640xh360_GettyImages-2251135499.jpg?ts=1766020566 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814366/w768xh432_GettyImages-2251135499.jpg?ts=1766020566 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814366/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2251135499.jpg?ts=1766020566 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Joe Sargent / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Celebrini is super assertive - rarely out of position yet seemingly always near the puck thanks to a nonstop motor and quick reads. He chases down loose pucks without hesitation, supports teammates on defense, and often gains the inside track on opponents in physical battles.</p><p>"Mack competes. He's physical. He's not afraid to get into battles, get his nose dirty. His (defensive) tracking is really good," Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro said. "We want him to make plays. So, when the puck is turned over, which is going to happen sometimes, he's the first one back. That's a big quality to have in your game, especially if you're a high-end skilled guy."</p><p>Added Ulmer: "He knows how to use his body. He can go into a battle against a 30-year-old power forward and come out with the puck 75% of the time."</p><p>Another area of progress year over year, according to Ulmer: Celebrini's cut down on low-percentage plays in the neutral zone.</p><p>"He's a driven kid," the coach said of Celebrini's Crosby-like itch to improve at all times. "Anything he can do to be a little bit better the next day, he'll do it. People will say that about most superstars, but that is how Mack is wired."</p><h3>Team Canada and MVP</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814399/cropped_GettyImages-2215580770.jpg?ts=1766058325" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814399/w220xh124_GettyImages-2215580770.jpg?ts=1766058325 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814399/w320xh180_GettyImages-2215580770.jpg?ts=1766058325 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814399/w640xh360_GettyImages-2215580770.jpg?ts=1766058325 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814399/w768xh432_GettyImages-2215580770.jpg?ts=1766058325 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814399/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2215580770.jpg?ts=1766058325 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jonathan Nackstrand / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Born in 2006, Celebrini is still eligible to play for Canada at the upcoming world juniors. He's so young that he doesn't have core memories from the last two times NHLers went to the Olympics - when Canada won gold in 2010 and 2014.</p><p>Still, Celebrini, who put up six points in eight World Championship games in May, has said in interviews that making the 2026 Olympic team is a motivating goal and would be a "huge honor" for a kid from North Vancouver, British Columbia.</p><p>Forwards Crosby, MacKinnon, McDavid, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart and defenseman Cale Makar were named to Canada's 25-man roster in June. The final 19 selections, including nine forwards, will be announced Dec. 31.</p><p>Celebrini should be a lock. He's proven himself to be one of the top 14 forwards on the planet, never mind just from Canada. His polished, team-first game would allow the coaching staff to play him with anyone on any line (how about Nick Suzuki between Celebrini and Mitch Marner?). Canada's stacked at center, so the Sharks alternate captain is likely being considered for left wing.</p><p>Age and relative inexperience are the only knocks on Celebrini. He doesn't play like a typical sophomore, however, so those theoretical disadvantages don't hold weight. Canada's decision-makers should view Celebrini's meteoric rise as an excuse to inject youthful energy into a veteran-heavy dressing room.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814400/cropped_GettyImages-2249207246.jpg?ts=1766059110" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814400/w220xh124_GettyImages-2249207246.jpg?ts=1766059110 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814400/w320xh180_GettyImages-2249207246.jpg?ts=1766059110 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814400/w640xh360_GettyImages-2249207246.jpg?ts=1766059110 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814400/w768xh432_GettyImages-2249207246.jpg?ts=1766059110 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/814400/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2249207246.jpg?ts=1766059110 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Kavin Mistry / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>MacKinnon is the Hart Trophy favorite as 2025-26 nears its halfway point. But Celebrini, unquestionably the Sharks' MVP, is firmly in the conversation.</p><p>He leads San Jose with a plus-12 five-on-five goal differential, and he's recorded a point on 50% of the Sharks' 102 total goals (18 goals, 33 assists).<br>For context, MacKinnon and McDavid - another strong Hart contender - have earned a point on 42% and 48% of their teams' total goals, respectively.</p><p>On Tuesday, Celebrini became the fastest Shark and third-fastest teenager in league history to hit 50 points. The other teens: Wayne Gretzky and Crosby.</p><p>Team success matters to Hart voters, and the 17-14-3 Sharks currently occupy a playoff spot. If they can hold onto it, the end-of-season MacKinnon-Celebrini debate will be fierce. Remember, the Avalanche also employ Makar.</p><p>Celebrini will be one of the global faces of hockey in large part because he'll probably contend for the Art Ross Trophy every season for a decade. But it's his shift-to-shift impact, the three-zone brilliance, that makes him special. Check out the metrics in which Celebrini ranks top 20 among NHL forwards:</p><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Sportlogiq metric</th>
<th>'25-26 per-game rank</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stick checks</td>
<td>2nd</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Blocked passes</td>
<td>3rd (tied)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Zone exits</td>
<td>3rd </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>End-to-end rushes</td>
<td>3rd</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Slot-pass completions</td>
<td>4th</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Zone entries</td>
<td>6th</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Forecheck chances</td>
<td>8th</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>All scoring chances</td>
<td>15th</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>O-zone possession</td>
<td>19th</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33779320/related

Celebrini is taking over the NHL at 19. Are the Olympics next?

The winner of the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes is ... the Minnesota Wild?  Hughes' tenure with the Va...

<p>The winner of the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes is ... the Minnesota Wild?</p><p>Hughes' tenure with the Vancouver Canucks came to a stunning, unexpected end Friday night as Minnesota came out of left field to land the defenseman.</p><p>It took a hefty package to get the deal done. The Wild sent three young NHLers - forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, plus blue-liner Zeev Buium - to the Canucks, as well as a 2026 first-round selection.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Let's break it all down.</p><h3>Minnesota Wild</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813699/cropped_GettyImages-2246705940.jpg?ts=1765588187" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813699/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246705940.jpg?ts=1765588187 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813699/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246705940.jpg?ts=1765588187 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813699/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246705940.jpg?ts=1765588187 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813699/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246705940.jpg?ts=1765588187 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813699/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246705940.jpg?ts=1765588187 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Wild are one of a few NHL teams who most years are just kind of <em>there</em>. Good enough to sneak into the playoffs but without any real recent success. No series wins in a decade, no conference final appearances since 2003, and no Stanley Cup Final, period.</p><p>And, until recently, before the tantalizing Kirill Kaprizov burst onto the scene, the Wild were also the rare club to never have a top 10 player in the league.</p><p>Well, Minnesota now has arguably two top 10 players as part of its most talented roster in franchise history, with Hughes joining an enviable core of Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Jesper Wallstedt. Acquiring Hughes is a seismic transaction from a team not previously linked to the player that also currently holds the third seed in the Central Division with a 17-9-5 record.</p><p>The trade alters the power dynamics in the Central, Western Conference, and league at large. Minnesota's stock immediately jumps from dark horse Cup threat to inner-circle contender. Hughes, the 2024 Norris Trophy winner, controls the game in a way few can through elite hockey sense, skating, and playmaking. Players of his caliber - a legitimate superstar at a premium position - are almost never available, especially on the trade market.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813721/cropped_GettyImages-2159736604.jpg?ts=1765592115" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813721/w220xh124_GettyImages-2159736604.jpg?ts=1765592115 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813721/w320xh180_GettyImages-2159736604.jpg?ts=1765592115 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813721/w640xh360_GettyImages-2159736604.jpg?ts=1765592115 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813721/w768xh432_GettyImages-2159736604.jpg?ts=1765592115 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813721/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2159736604.jpg?ts=1765592115 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>General manager Bill Guerin was able to complete this trade because he and his staff have drafted and developed exceptionally well. Rossi was drafted ninth overall in 2020, Ohgren was selected 19th in 2022, Buium went 12th in 2024, and each has either lived up to or exceeded expectations. There aren't many GMs capable of offering a package with that much youth and name value - to say nothing of the 2026 first-round pick - and who knows if anybody but Guerin would pull the trigger. This is the epitome of a "win-now" trade.</p><p>Hughes' contract expires after the 2026-27 season, so it's possible the Wild have him for only two playoff runs. Then again, why count out an extension? There are worse places to play and Guerin and Hughes know each other through various USA Hockey events. With the new collective bargaining agreement fully kicking in next September, Minnesota can offer something no other club can: a front-loaded, bonus-heavy, eight-year monster contract. And this is a team that is unafraid to pay up to retain stars (see: Kaprizov).</p><p>Even if Hughes leaves in 2027, perhaps to compete alongside his brothers in New Jersey, this trade is worth making 10 times out of 10. The Wild's foundation is strong enough to get the most out of the Hughes experience, and while they'll miss Rossi, Ohgren, and Buium, you have to seize the moment at some point. You have to throw caution to the wind and acquire a special player who'll help you challenge for the Cup. You have to make the once-in-a-lifetime trade.</p><p><strong>Grade</strong>: A</p><h3>Vancouver Canucks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813700/cropped_GettyImages-2249855044.jpg?ts=1765588312" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813700/w220xh124_GettyImages-2249855044.jpg?ts=1765588312 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813700/w320xh180_GettyImages-2249855044.jpg?ts=1765588312 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813700/w640xh360_GettyImages-2249855044.jpg?ts=1765588312 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813700/w768xh432_GettyImages-2249855044.jpg?ts=1765588312 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813700/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2249855044.jpg?ts=1765588312 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Leila Devlin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>President Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin just traded the greatest defenseman - perhaps player - in Canucks history. Hughes is by far the best skater in this swap, and the team that moves the top player usually loses the trade down the road.</p><p>There's no way around the facts above, or the sinking feeling that the entire situation - of Hughes being on the block in the first place - could've been avoided if ownership and management stuck to one strategic long-term plan.</p><p>At any rate, it's the end of an era. Hughes' Canucks, featuring Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller, Bo Horvat, Thatcher Demko, and many others, won two playoff series between 2019-20 and 2024-25. That's it.</p><p>As for what's arriving from Minnesota: there's ample hope to latch onto if this trade is indeed step one of a multi-year rebuild.</p><p>Buium, who's in the second year of his entry-level contract, is the crown jewel. He might one day blossom into a first-pair defenseman capable of running a high-end power play - or, basically, a poor man's Hughes.</p><p>Rossi, currently in the middle of the first season of a three-year, $15-million deal, is a small-statured center. The Canucks are desperate for young centers and Rossi's a decent start as a 24-year-old with a 60-point season on his resume.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813734/cropped_GettyImages-1407563471.jpg?ts=1765597314" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813734/w220xh124_GettyImages-1407563471.jpg?ts=1765597314 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813734/w320xh180_GettyImages-1407563471.jpg?ts=1765597314 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813734/w640xh360_GettyImages-1407563471.jpg?ts=1765597314 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813734/w768xh432_GettyImages-1407563471.jpg?ts=1765597314 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813734/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1407563471.jpg?ts=1765597314 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Ohgren, also in the second year of his ELC, has failed to record a point in 18 games this season. He does have top-six upside as a high-motor, two-way winger with special teams utility, though. He certainly qualifies as the deal's sweetener.</p><p>Toss in the 2026 first-rounder, which will likely be in the 20-30 range, and the Canucks have added three long-term core pieces and will have a pretty good opportunity to find a fourth at the draft. In other words, quantity over quality.</p><p>It's impossible to know how outrageous the packages from rival teams would've gotten ahead of the trade deadline. What Vancouver reeled in from the Wild is in the ballpark of a best-case scenario given Hughes' uncertain future.</p><p><strong>Grade</strong>: B-</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><h3>Reaction from across the league</h3><p>theScore asked people around the league for their two cents. A few answers:</p><p><strong>NHL head coach</strong>: "Win-win. Vancouver gets a haul of young players. I am not stamping any of them (as impact players), but they have a chance. And (the Canucks) need players. Minny gets a Norris candidate, and those kind of players are scary to give up. Minny takes a little player depth hit, and Vancouver - who needs the depth - gains it. Verdict: good hockey trade."</p><p><strong>NHL assistant GM</strong>: "Very surprising since you were hearing all about New Jersey and Detroit and just felt he was going East. But Vancouver got a good return. I'm a big Buium fan and Rossi has already proven to be a 25-goal and 60-point guy.</p><p>"Trade will really be judged on who the first-round pick turns out to be and if Minny re-signs Hughes. If they just get him for a year and a half, that's a lot to give up. But if they re-sign him, they are getting arguably the second-best offensive defenseman in the NHL behind Makar."<br><br><strong>Longtime member of an NHL team's front office</strong>: "It's a really interesting trade. For Minnesota, they do a good job of taking a swing at another core piece. Kaprizov, Boldy, Hughes, Faber, and Wallstedt all in a (multi-year) window is pretty good. Will be interesting to see them trying to win without a (proven) center.</p><p>"Tough for Vancouver when you know you are going to be trading the best player in the deal. They certainly did a good job of grabbing some nice young pieces and adding to the depth of their organization. They arguably don't have any core players now, though Buium could become pretty good. They have been caught in between trying to compete (and trying to retool or rebuild) so where does this leave them now?"</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33711227/related

Trade grades: Wild instantly become Cup contenders, Canucks score quantity

Finally, after months of inactivity, the NHL has some trade movement.  The 14-11-6 Edmonton Oiler...

<p>Finally, after months of inactivity, the NHL has some trade movement.</p><p>The 14-11-6 Edmonton Oilers completed two deals Friday.</p><p>The first: goalie Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round draft pick moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for goalie Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The second: a 2027 third-round pick traded to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Spencer Stastney.</p><p>Let's break it all down.</p><h3>Edmonton Oilers</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813627/cropped_GettyImages-2250027530.jpg?ts=1765552924" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813627/w220xh124_GettyImages-2250027530.jpg?ts=1765552924 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813627/w320xh180_GettyImages-2250027530.jpg?ts=1765552924 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813627/w640xh360_GettyImages-2250027530.jpg?ts=1765552924 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813627/w768xh432_GettyImages-2250027530.jpg?ts=1765552924 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813627/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2250027530.jpg?ts=1765552924 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Len Redkoles / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Oilers general manager Stan Bowman had a pressing issue on his hands.</p><p>A goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard is flat-out unacceptable for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations and superstar Connor McDavid under contract for just three more playoff runs. There's a mountain of evidence - 247 regular-season and playoff games in Edmonton for Skinner, 82 for Pickard - to support this claim. Bowman needed to act, and the sooner the better.</p><p>Acquiring Jarry of all goalies is an imperfect solution. But one with potential.</p><p>On one hand, the 30-year-old is a comparable goalie to Skinner, 27. Both have been given plenty of runway in the NHL, earning reputations for being inconsistent and coughing up soft goals in key moments.</p><p>On the other hand, Jarry is quietly enjoying a strong season. His .909 save percentage is well above the .898 league average (and Skinner's .891), and he's recorded a "quality start" in 11 of 13 games, according to Sportlogiq.</p><p>More importantly for the leaky Oilers, Jarry's stopping quality scoring chances at a high rate. Edmonton ranks 24th in slot shots against per game; Jarry sits 11th in slot shot SV% among goalies with 10 or more games played. The Oilers are 19th in inner-slot shots against; Jarry's sixth in inner-slot SV%.</p><p>Put another way, although Oilers fans are disappointed Bowman didn't reel in a stud goalie, there's a decent chance Jarry's a good fit - if he can stay healthy.</p><p>As for the nuances of the two interconnected trades ... oh boy.</p><p>Jarry's signed through 2027-28 at a $5.375-million cap hit, while Skinner is a pending unrestricted free agent making $2.6 million. If this swap isn't a net positive, the Oilers are stuck with a Skinner-like goalie and a dicey contract.</p><p>The inclusion of Kulak in this trade is significant. Not the flashiest player, Kulak has been a fixer of sorts on Edmonton's blue line for years. Somebody's struggling? Pair him with Kulak, and he'll get back on track. The Oilers included the 31-year-old in the deal for cap reasons. Stastney, the defenseman arriving via Nashville, is not a direct replacement but has upside.</p><p>To recap: the Oilers likely upgraded slightly at goalie, probably downgraded a bit on defense, brought in an AHLer in Poulin, and are down two draft picks.</p><p>I understand why Bowman pulled the trigger. He was desperate, and we can safely assume Jarry was the lone viable option on the goalie market. Still, there's a vibe of "hold on a second, this is your big move to solve a yearslong goaltending problem?!" Also, I don't like the risk attached to Jarry's contract.</p><p><strong>Grade</strong>: C-</p><h3>Pittsburgh Penguins</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813628/cropped_GettyImages-2251228570.jpg?ts=1765553111" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813628/w220xh124_GettyImages-2251228570.jpg?ts=1765553111 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813628/w320xh180_GettyImages-2251228570.jpg?ts=1765553111 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813628/w640xh360_GettyImages-2251228570.jpg?ts=1765553111 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813628/w768xh432_GettyImages-2251228570.jpg?ts=1765553111 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813628/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2251228570.jpg?ts=1765553111 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Leila Devlin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Just about every fan- and media-created mock trade involving Jarry included the Penguins retaining part of his salary. For the club to rid itself of the veteran's entire contract is a major victory for GM Kyle Dubas.</p><p>To not retain <em>and</em> acquire a useful defenseman in Kulak, a comparable goalie with no strings attached beyond this year in Skinner, and a second-rounder?</p><p>That's some excellent asset management, especially considering Pittsburgh has three young goalies in Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov, and Joel Blomqvist.</p><p>If the Sidney Crosby-led Pens remain in the playoff hunt over the next couple of months, Dubas can take one of three routes with Kulak. He can: keep Kulak for a playoff push, then let the pending UFA walk in free agency; keep Kulak for the push and re-sign him; or flip Kulak before the trade deadline in March.</p><p>The flexibility baked into this swap makes it a home run for Pittsburgh. The Penguins now have $9.16 million in projected cap space, according to <a href="https://puckpedia.com/">PuckPedia</a>.</p><p><strong>Grade</strong>: A</p><h3>Nashville Predators</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813636/cropped_GettyImages-1333046818.jpg?ts=1765554062" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813636/w220xh124_GettyImages-1333046818.jpg?ts=1765554062 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813636/w320xh180_GettyImages-1333046818.jpg?ts=1765554062 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813636/w640xh360_GettyImages-1333046818.jpg?ts=1765554062 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813636/w768xh432_GettyImages-1333046818.jpg?ts=1765554062 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813636/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1333046818.jpg?ts=1765554062 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Prior to Friday's trade, Nashville had eight defensemen on its NHL roster, five of whom shoot left. Stastney, a lefty, might have been placed on waivers soon. So, instead of losing him for nothing, GM Barry Trotz grabs a pick.</p><p>You can quibble with how Nashville found itself in this spot with a 25-year-old third-pairing blue-liner. But I'm fine with the trade, given the Preds should be hoarding as many futures as possible for what should be a full-fledged rebuild.</p><p><strong>Grade</strong>: B-</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33706435/related

Trade grades: Oilers gamble on Jarry, Penguins make out like bandits

There's been just one NHL trade finalized since July (Lukas Reichel from Chicago to Vancouver), y...

<p><em>There's been just one NHL trade finalized since July (Lukas Reichel from Chicago to Vancouver), yet it feels like at least a few high-profile NHLers could be moved ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. Here's what five intriguing trade chips offer on the ice and the potential landing spots for each guy.</em></p><h3>Quinn Hughes, Canucks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813100/cropped_GettyImages-2245603412.jpg?ts=1765225887" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813100/w220xh124_GettyImages-2245603412.jpg?ts=1765225887 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813100/w320xh180_GettyImages-2245603412.jpg?ts=1765225887 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813100/w640xh360_GettyImages-2245603412.jpg?ts=1765225887 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813100/w768xh432_GettyImages-2245603412.jpg?ts=1765225887 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813100/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2245603412.jpg?ts=1765225887 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Derek Cain / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The player</strong>: Hughes is a bona fide superstar - inarguably the second-best defenseman on the planet and arguably a top-10 player regardless of position. He's a franchise cornerstone who's banked countless MVP-level performances for the Canucks since his dazzling rookie season in 2019-20.</p><p>Consider this: During Hughes' tenure, Vancouver has outscored the opposition 414-356 with him on the ice while getting outscored 616-546 with him off the ice. That's a swing from 54% of the goals (Hughes on) to 47% (off).</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Hughes is under contract this season and next at a completely reasonable cap hit of $7.9 million. Given where the Canucks are headed (see: nowhere promising) and the possibilities elsewhere, Hughes is likely to be flipped to another team this year, in the offseason, or during the 2026-27 campaign.</p><p><strong>Potential landing spots</strong>: Players of Hughes' caliber very rarely become available. The juiciest part of the equation: He has zero trade protection in his contract, so theoretically, 31 teams can approach the Canucks with an offer.</p><p>New Jersey, which employs Quinn's brothers, Jack and Luke, is the no-brainer landing spot and is surely high on Quinn's list of preferred destinations.</p><p>However, Vancouver is after the best possible return (ideally addressing its need for centers), and it's the Red Wings, not the Devils, who seem to be the early front-runners. Detroit is on the rise. General manager Steve Yzerman has a bounty of young NHLers and A-to-B prospects to include in what's expected to be a three-to-five-piece package. Quinn played at the University of Michigan and spends time in the state during the offseasons.</p><p>That said, don't sleep on the Capitals, Hurricanes, Rangers, or Flyers.</p><p>Sensing a theme? That's five Metropolitan Division teams and one from the Atlantic. The chances of the Canucks sending Quinn to a Western Conference rival are slim - unless, of course, a West team offers something truly special.</p><h3>Steven Stamkos, Predators</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813099/cropped_GettyImages-2188808110.jpg?ts=1765225652" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813099/w220xh124_GettyImages-2188808110.jpg?ts=1765225652 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813099/w320xh180_GettyImages-2188808110.jpg?ts=1765225652 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813099/w640xh360_GettyImages-2188808110.jpg?ts=1765225652 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813099/w768xh432_GettyImages-2188808110.jpg?ts=1765225652 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813099/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2188808110.jpg?ts=1765225652 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Troy Parla / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The player</strong>: The first thing to know about Stamkos is that he's well past his prime. His mobility has shifted from a plus trait to questionable late in his career. His shot attempt and shot on goal rates have dropped over his two seasons in Nashville, and he isn't beating goalies cleanly on a consistent basis anymore. He's recorded eight goals and three assists in 29 games.</p><p>Put another way, if you think Stamkos is going to single-handedly solve your favorite team's goal-scoring problems, think again. That said, under the right circumstances, the soon-to-be 36-year-old is a highly intriguing option.</p><p>If the Predators retain 50% of Stamkos' salary to bring his cap hit down to $4 million this year and next, he's suddenly attractive as the missing ingredient in a Stanley Cup-contending top nine. The future Hall of Famer's finishing chops haven't completely eroded, and his leadership abilities would help any dressing room.</p><p><strong>Potential landing spots</strong>: Stamkos can pick his spot. He's in control with a full no-move clause. It's safe to assume he's focused on winning a third Cup, and staying with the 11-14-4 Predators simply won't help him achieve that.</p><p>New Jersey has reportedly discussed a Stamkos trade internally. The interest adds up, considering the Devils should be bringing in multiple top-nine forwards.</p><p>Other playoff-quality teams that could use an injection of depth scoring include Winnipeg, Ottawa, Utah, Los Angeles, and Minnesota. Among those five, the Senators jump off the page. There's a spot waiting for Stamkos - left wing, behind Brady Tkachuk - if he waives and the stars align on a fair trade.</p><h3>Jordan Kyrou, Blues</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813094/cropped_GettyImages-2247409223.jpg?ts=1765225248" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813094/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247409223.jpg?ts=1765225248 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813094/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247409223.jpg?ts=1765225248 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813094/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247409223.jpg?ts=1765225248 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813094/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247409223.jpg?ts=1765225248 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813094/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247409223.jpg?ts=1765225248 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steven Ryan / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The player</strong>: Kyrou is in only Year 3 of an eight-year, $65-million contract that includes a full no-trade clause. But the crafty two-way winger could probably use a change of scenery, and the underperforming Blues could use a shake-up.</p><p>Kyrou, who's out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, has recorded eight goals and eight assists in 28 games, putting him on pace for 49 points in 82 games. The 27-year-old butted heads with his former coach Craig Berube in late 2023, and he was scratched by current coach Jim Montgomery in November. Unsurprisingly, Kyrou's ice time has dwindled over the past two seasons.</p><p>He's a three-time 30-goal scorer and three-time 70-point getter. Kyrou can indeed produce, especially off the rush, and he owns the best five-on-five expected goals rate of all Blues players this year. As for the cap hit, $8.1 million is digestible in the new economic reality ($95.5 million upper limit and rising).</p><p><strong>Potential landing spots</strong>: The Kraken and Canadiens are the teams most often linked to Kyrou, who's been rumored to be on the block since June. The Seattle fit is obvious: It desperately needs game-breaking forwards. The Montreal fit is less obvious following offseason trades for Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc; would they really want Kyrou's contract on the books at this point?</p><p>The Sharks and Blackhawks are fun landing spots. Both are on an upward trajectory, thanks to the emergence of superstars Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard. Yet both clubs could use an infusion of speed and skill in the top six and have enough cap space and desirable assets to entice St. Louis. It wouldn't be surprising if Kyrou waived his clause for a team on the rise.</p><h3>Alex Tuch, Sabres</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813096/cropped_GettyImages-2208651726.jpg?ts=1765225477" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813096/w220xh124_GettyImages-2208651726.jpg?ts=1765225477 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813096/w320xh180_GettyImages-2208651726.jpg?ts=1765225477 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813096/w640xh360_GettyImages-2208651726.jpg?ts=1765225477 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813096/w768xh432_GettyImages-2208651726.jpg?ts=1765225477 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813096/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2208651726.jpg?ts=1765225477 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Ben Ludeman / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The player</strong>: Tuch shouldn't be featured in any kind of "trade chips" story. He grew up a Sabres fan, arrived with a smile on his face following a 2021 trade, and has since put up 269 points in 311 games (trailing only Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin). The winger also said in September that he loves living in Buffalo, loves being a Sabre, and would love to sign a long-term extension.</p><p>Yet here we are in December, and Tuch, who's been eligible for an extension since July, remains unsigned past this season. The Sabres, sitting last in the Eastern Conference with a 12-14-4 record and minus-14 goal differential, seem destined to miss the playoffs for an NHL-record 15th straight season.</p><p>It's not hard to connect the dots: Either the Sabres haven't offered Tuch a reasonable contract, or the 29-year-old's had a change of heart and would prefer to test free agency. Can you blame him? Buffalo's spinning its wheels, and Tuch can basically call his shot as a top unrestricted free agent.</p><p><strong>Potential landing spots</strong>: Tuch's on track for a third 30-goal season. He can be used in all situations and is better at stripping pucks from opponents' sticks than about 99% of NHL forwards. His $4.8 million cap hit is a certified bargain, and the only trade protection in his deal is a five-team no-trade list.</p><p>Virtually every playoff team will make a pitch if Sabres GM Kevyn Adams declares Tuch officially on the market. Two clubs come to mind immediately.</p><p>The Oilers are desperate for a top-six winger - especially one who shoots right and can skate and create alongside Connor McDavid. Tuch showcased his utility Tuesday by scoring an overtime goal on the road against Edmonton.</p><p>He would also fit in nicely on the Hurricanes with that aggressive defensive stick and finishing ability. Carolina, a franchise unafraid of making a big splash, has the cap space and assets to make the trade work for both sides.</p><h3>Kiefer Sherwood, Canucks</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813092/cropped_GettyImages-2243440271.jpg?ts=1765224150" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813092/w220xh124_GettyImages-2243440271.jpg?ts=1765224150 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813092/w320xh180_GettyImages-2243440271.jpg?ts=1765224150 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813092/w640xh360_GettyImages-2243440271.jpg?ts=1765224150 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813092/w768xh432_GettyImages-2243440271.jpg?ts=1765224150 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/813092/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2243440271.jpg?ts=1765224150 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Icon Sportswire / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>The player</strong>: Sherwood, a late bloomer who didn't achieve full-time NHLer status until his late 20s, is the type of forward half the league would love to acquire.</p><p>With 12 goals in 30 games following a career-high 19 last year, Sherwood's proven himself to be a fairly reliable finisher. The quick and edgy right-winger is a threat off the rush and relentless on the forecheck. He's extremely physical and disciplined, taking only 23 minor penalties since the start of 2024-25 despite delivering a league-leading 596 hits. Sherwood's nightly usage has risen from 12:10 in 2023-24 to 14:53 last season to 17:32 in 2025-26, largely because he's shown coaches he can contribute in all situations.</p><p>Each of those data points screams "ultimate playoff warrior."</p><p>Sherwood, who turns 31 in March, is a pending unrestricted free agent. His current $1.5 million cap hit can be easily absorbed by most buying teams.</p><p><strong>Potential landing spots</strong>: Minnesota, Columbus, Dallas, and Montreal are all reportedly interested in him. Vancouver will almost certainly push for a package centered around a first-round pick and a promising young skater.</p><p>The Wild might be the best fit among the reported suitors. GM Bill Guerin loves big, physical forwards who can pitch in offensively, and his current right-wing options beyond Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello are <strong>lackluster</strong>. Minnesota is one of the NHL's top draft-and-develop teams, which means it can part ways with a solid prospect and not miss a beat.</p><p>Consider Colorado a dark horse. The 21-2-7 Avalanche may be the last team that needs to make a splash, and the front office should be turning over every stone to ensure the roster's as deep as possible. Sherwood, a former Av, would have no issue keeping up in coach Jared Bednar's high-paced system.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33690950/related

Big names in play? Analyzing 5 intriguing NHL trade chips

More from this series:   Canada 🇨🇦  United States 🇺🇸  European teams 🇪🇺   With Russia banned from...

<p><strong>More from this series:</strong></p><ul>
<li><em><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3408377" href="https://thescore.com/news/3408377">Canada</a> 🇨🇦</em></li>
<li><em><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3408396" href="https://thescore.com/news/3408396">United States</a> 🇺🇸</em></li>
<li><strong><em>European teams 🇪🇺</em></strong></li>
</ul><p>With Russia banned from international competition, Canada and the U.S. are the consensus favorites to claim gold at the 2026 Olympics. Which European countries can challenge them? Below we rank the participating nations from most to least likely to medal in the Feb. 11-22 tournament held in Milan, Italy.</p><p>(Note: The 12-team men's hockey field splits into three groups. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, and the remaining two spots are determined by a qualifying round. A knockout stage then ensues.)</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Sweden 🇸🇪</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-vGdHq" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vGdHq/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="207" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>If there's one country that can go toe to toe with Canada and the U.S., it's Sweden, which has the requisite depth and high-end talent (most notably on the wings, led by Nylander) to win gold if things break its way.</p><p>The biggest development for Sweden two months into the NHL season is the emergence of Carlsson as an elite top-line center. The third-year Ducks pivot knocks Pettersson, Eriksson Ek, and Zibanejad into more appropriate roles down the lineup and generally beefs up a somewhat weak area on the roster.</p><p>The backbone of Team Sweden, as always, will be its blue line. The super experienced group has a healthy variety of offensive game-breakers (Dahlin, Hedman, Karlsson) and stay-at-home defenders known for slowing down the most dangerous players on the planet (Forsling, Ekholm, Brodin).</p><p>Goaltending is a minor concern with Markstrom struggling in the early going. We penciled him in as the No. 1 guy for now. Wallstedt, who has a .944 save percentage through 10 games, could begin the tournament as the starter if he stays hot.</p><h3>Finland 🇫🇮</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="Finland 🇫🇮" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-emgHa" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/emgHa/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="391" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>The Finns' gold-medal chances were dealt a significant blow in September when the country's best player, center Aleksander Barkov, suffered a major knee injury. The Panthers captain is sidelined at least until late April.</p><p>Finland will still ice an intriguing forward group. The incredibly clutch Rantanen is its bona fide superstar, and each of the top three lines features multiple impactful two-way contributors. However, the fourth-liners and extras don't stack up well against depth pieces on Sweden, Canada, and the U.S.</p><p>As for the defense corps, well, it drops off a cliff after Heiskanen, who'll likely log 30 minutes a game in Italy. Finland may go only as far as its goaltending takes it. How does Saros fare after a disappointing two games at the 4 Nations Face-Off? Or is it Lankinen who'll be tasked with saving the day?</p><h3>Czechia 🇨🇿</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-nVRkR" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/nVRkR/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="352" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>The Czechs boast legitimate firepower up front with Pastrnak and Necas. Multiple goalies are capable of getting hot enough to steal games against the tournament's powerhouses. That's a recipe for a Cinderella run all right, but they'll have to overcome concerns on the blue line - specifically the left side.</p><p>Czechia won gold at the 2024 World Championship with several players from this projected roster, including the 40-year-old Cervenka - a Czech league legend who's shown great chemistry with Pastrnak on the international stage.</p><h3>Germany 🇩🇪</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-rsdF7" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/rsdF7/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="263" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>Germany is a rising power in men's hockey, having produced a few world-class players over the past decade and won a silver medal at the 2023 Worlds.</p><p>Coach Harold Kreis will lean heavily on his NHL contingent, which includes one megastar (Draisaitl), two young studs (Stutzle, Seider), one burgeoning talent (Peterka), and three less impactful pieces (Reichel, Sturm, Grubauer).</p><p>Germany's in Group C with the U.S., Denmark, and Latvia. It has enough juice to finish second behind the Americans and thus earn a quarterfinal berth.</p><h3>Switzerland 🇨🇭</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-RQuGy" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/RQuGy/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="381" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>With an NHL-caliber top six up front and top four on the back end, Switzerland is much deeper than Germany on paper. The list above doesn't even include ex-NHL forwards Denis Malgin and Sven Andrighetto or veteran goalie Leonardo Genoni, all three of whom are national team stalwarts.</p><p>However, Switzerland's path to medaling could be significantly more difficult than Germany's because Group A also features Canada, Czechia, and France. Its Feb. 15 matchup against Czechia will be particularly huge for both teams.</p><h3>Slovakia 🇸🇰</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-0LvXc" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/0LvXc/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="265" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>Slovakia fell off as a tertiary hockey power in the 2010s. But it's relevant again following a bronze medal at the 2022 Olympics (caveat: no NHL participation) and the selection of five players in the first rounds of the 2022 and 2023 drafts.</p><p>That core, led by Slafkovsky and Nemec, should blossom into a feisty squad by the 2030 Olympics. This time around, the Slovaks are the third-best team in Group B (Sweden, Finland, Italy) and thus fighting hard for a quarterfinal spot.</p><h3>Denmark 🇩🇰</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-iTtGQ" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/iTtGQ/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="207" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>It's safe to say Andersen will have to be at his very best between the pipes for the Danes to make any sort of noise. That hasn't been the case for the 36-year-old this season in the NHL, but his body of work over a 13-year career suggests that stealing a game or two isn't beyond the realm of possibility, especially in Group C, which includes fellow underdogs Germany and Latvia.</p><h3>Latvia 🇱🇻</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-fxP9E" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/fxP9E/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="236" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>Latvia doesn't have an NHL top-six forward, top-four defenseman, or reliable starting goalie. What it does have: a history of pulling off upsets at marquee tournaments. Canadians, in particular, can recall demoralizing losses to the plucky Latvians at the 2021 Worlds and 2025 world juniors.</p><h3>Italy 🇮🇹</h3><p>Italy will be the only nation in the tournament without a player who's suited up for an NHL game this season. The Italians project to be led by promising goalie Damian Clara, a 2023 second-round pick by the Ducks who's currently playing in Sweden. If the raw, 6-foot-6 20-year-old can put it all together for a brief stretch with the energy of the home crowd behind him, maybe Italy can eke out a win against Slovakia, its most gettable opponent in Group B.</p><h3>France 🇫🇷</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-iwJgt" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/iwJgt/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="90" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p>France is battling two extreme forces: its own dearth of talent and very tough competition in Group A. One standings point would be cause for celebration.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33603103/related

Who can challenge for Olympic gold? Ranking projected European rosters

More from this series:   Canada 🇨🇦  United States 🇺🇸  European teams 🇪🇺   Olympic hockey is on th...

<p><strong>More from this series:</strong></p><ul>
<li><em><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3408377" href="https://thescore.com/news/3408377">Canada</a> 🇨🇦</em></li>
<li><strong><em>United States 🇺🇸</em></strong></li>
<li><em><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3408398" href="https://thescore.com/news/3408398">European teams</a> 🇪🇺</em></li>
</ul><p>Olympic hockey is on the horizon. The men's tournament is set for Feb. 11-22 in Italy, and final rosters are due in roughly four weeks, on Dec. 31.</p><p>Below is a projection of Team USA's 25-man Olympic roster. We picked players who we believe the United States' brain trust - led by general manager Bill Guerin - will take, not who we would personally select.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Note: Bolded players were named to the team in June.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812297/USA_FORWARDS.jpg?ts=1764701553" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812297/USA_FORWARDS.jpg?ts=1764701553 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812297/USA_FORWARDS.jpg?ts=1764701553 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812297/USA_FORWARDS.jpg?ts=1764701553 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812297/USA_FORWARDS.jpg?ts=1764701553 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812297/USA_FORWARDS.jpg?ts=1764701553 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-1DUUu" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/1DUUu/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="207" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Cole Caufield, Logan Cooley, Cutter Gauthier, Clayton Keller, Shane Pinto<strong> </strong></p><p>Did you really think an overtime loss to Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final would completely change Guerin's team-building philosophy? Not a chance.</p><p>The lower half of the U.S.' forward group will be filled mostly with heavier players who can check, which is why we omitted smaller, high-skill players like Caufield, Cooley, and Keller. Robertson, who's 6-foot-3, 204 pounds but doesn't have great speed or tenacity, is one pick we don't feel super confident about. That said, we couldn't deny him a roster spot based on how well he's played for the Stars all year (36 points in 28 games) - and especially of late.</p><p>Thompson and Knies are the only other projected forwards who weren't on the 4 Nations squad. A tantalizing one-time option for the top power-play unit, the 6-foot-6 Thompson's tied for third in goals over the past two seasons.</p><p>It's easy to see why Guerin would be infatuated with Knies, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound Maple Leafs winger who's strong on the puck and crafty in tight quarters. His game should translate well to a depth role on a loaded team, though he could climb the lineup to play with longtime linemate Matthews. </p><p>The Trocheck and Miller picks may raise some eyebrows, but U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan will surely be pounding the table for a right-handed center whom he can count on to win key defensive-zone draws. Pinto received consideration, but we gave Trocheck the edge because of how dependable he's been for Sullivan and the Rangers this season, when healthy. Sullivan gave Miller the "C" in New York, and while it's been a tough year, Team USA's decision-makers value the 33-year-old's competitive fire, toughness, and versatility.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812296/USA_DEFENSEMEN.jpg?ts=1764701550" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812296/USA_DEFENSEMEN.jpg?ts=1764701550 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812296/USA_DEFENSEMEN.jpg?ts=1764701550 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812296/USA_DEFENSEMEN.jpg?ts=1764701550 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812296/USA_DEFENSEMEN.jpg?ts=1764701550 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812296/USA_DEFENSEMEN.jpg?ts=1764701550 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-DiDWf" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/DiDWf/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="178" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omission: </strong>Jackson LaCombe</p><p>Most spots on the American blue line are spoken for. Hughes and McAvoy are already on the team. Slavin, Faber, Werenski, and Sanderson are virtual locks.</p><p>Fox has bounced back nicely after a down 2024-25 campaign that included a concerning performance at 4 Nations. While the 2021 Norris Trophy winner is battling an injury, and the timeline for his return is a little foggy, we believe Fox's playmaking chops would be hugely beneficial to the U.S.' defense corps.</p><p>The last spot could be filled by several defensemen, including 4 Nations member Noah Hanifin, defensive stalwart Mikey Anderson, or wily vet John Carlson. (Sorry, Lane Hutson fans, you'll have to wait until next Olympics.)</p><p>Realistically, Jones and LaCombe probably have the inside track. LaCombe is undoubtedly one of the NHL's brightest young D-men, but Jones gets the nod because he has the size and championship pedigree Guerin seemingly covets. It doesn't hurt that Jones' right shot balances out the group.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812295/USA_GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701551" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812295/USA_GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701551 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812295/USA_GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701551 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812295/USA_GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701551 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812295/USA_GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701551 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812295/USA_GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701551 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-VvvG8" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/VvvG8/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="148" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omission: </strong>Spencer Knight</p><p>This trio remains unchanged from 4 Nations.</p><p>Hellebuyck is currently out with a knee injury, but he's projected to return before the Olympics. The reigning Hart Trophy winner will be Team USA's starting goalie - at least to begin the tournament. If he struggles yet again in a big-game setting, anything can happen. The Americans have enviable depth.</p><p>Knight has been lights out for the Blackhawks this season and warrants consideration. However, neither Oettinger nor Swayman have played their way off the roster. Key context: If Guerin was willing to pick Swayman for 4 Nations amid the worst season of his career, it's hard to imagine the GM would leave the Bruins netminder off the Olympic team during a resurgent campaign.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33591973/related

Projecting United States' 2026 Olympic men's hockey roster

<p><strong>More from this series:</strong></p><ul>
<li><em><strong>Canada 🇨🇦</strong></em></li>
<li><em><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3408396" href="https://thescore.com/news/3408396">United States</a> 🇺🇸</em></li>
<li><em><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3408398" href="https://thescore.com/news/3408398">European teams</a> 🇪🇺</em></li>
</ul><p>Olympic hockey is on the horizon. The men's tournament is set for Feb. 11-22 in Italy, and rosters are due four weeks from Wednesday, on Dec. 31.</p><p>Below is a projection of Team Canada's 25-man Olympic roster. We picked players who we believe Canada's brain trust - led by general manager Doug Armstrong - will take, not who we would personally select.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>Note: Bolded players were named to the team in June.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812299/Forwards.jpg?ts=1764701554" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812299/Forwards.jpg?ts=1764701554 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812299/Forwards.jpg?ts=1764701554 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812299/Forwards.jpg?ts=1764701554 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812299/Forwards.jpg?ts=1764701554 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812299/Forwards.jpg?ts=1764701554 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-YWUWs" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/YWUWs/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="257" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Mark Scheifele</p><p>Canada's 14-man forward group can be split into four subgroups. Two are non-controversial: McDavid, Point, Crosby, MacKinnon, and Reinhart are already on the team, while Marner, Hagel, and Marchand are virtual locks.</p><p>Cirelli, Stone, and Jarvis make up the third group. Each of them was on February's 4 Nations Face-Off squad, and each has the trust of head coach Jon Cooper - Cirelli for his shutdown abilities, Stone for his veteran savvy, Jarvis for his versatility. Remember: Armstrong and his staff are trying to build the very best <em>team </em>possible. Every player must fill a role, sometimes multiple.</p><p>That leaves three spots. Suzuki, who's racked up 67 points in 51 games since 4 Nations, is the perfect third-line center. Celebrini has quickly become one of the best two-way forwards in the entire NHL and slots nicely at third-line left wing. And right-winger Wilson brings a unicorn skill set: a mix of shooting, playmaking, big-man physicality, and lockdown defense.</p><p>We believe Canada's managers will think long and hard about Bedard (currently third in league scoring) but ultimately opt to fill the depth spots with more experienced, well-rounded players. Scheifele is a tough cut as another top-10 scorer. Bennett, a practical shoo-in coming into the season, is also on the outside looking in following a poor first 25 games for the Panthers.</p><p>Wyatt Johnston, John Tavares, Bo Horvat, Travis Konecny, and Morgan Geekie are five other players surely garnering serious consideration up front.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812298/DEFENSE.jpg?ts=1764701553" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812298/DEFENSE.jpg?ts=1764701553 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812298/DEFENSE.jpg?ts=1764701553 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812298/DEFENSE.jpg?ts=1764701553 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812298/DEFENSE.jpg?ts=1764701553 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812298/DEFENSE.jpg?ts=1764701553 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-S97JK" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/S97JK/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="218" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omission: </strong>Matthew Schaefer</p><p>We believe Canada will return the same defense corps that won the 4 Nations, even if it makes this exercise less exciting. (Seven defensemen were permitted at that event, but Harley was added mid-tournament after Theodore's injury.)</p><p>Toews is the closest thing to a lock outside of Makar. Morrissey, Harley, and Theodore all bring offense (and power-play quarterbacking capabilities, if Makar were to miss any time), but none of them have an outsized amount of risk in their game compared to someone like Evan Bouchard. Parayko and Sanheim present much-needed size and snarl and will likely be counted on to kill penalties.</p><p>Doughty was fresh off a significant ankle injury at 4 Nations yet showed he can handle the speed of best-on-best hockey. His experience as a two-time Olympian and two-time Stanley Cup champion make him an easy choice.</p><p>With due respect to players like Bouchard, Jakob Chychrun, Noah Dobson, and Brandon Montour, Schaefer was the only defenseman who really gave us pause. What the 18-year-old phenom is doing for the Islanders is nothing short of remarkable. However, it's worth noting that New York has sheltered him from opposing top lines all season. Against countries like the United States and Sweden, there's nowhere to hide, so we think Armstrong will err on the side of caution and keep intact the group that flourished at 4 Nations.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812294/GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701552" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812294/GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701552 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812294/GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701552 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812294/GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701552 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812294/GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701552 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/812294/GOALIES.jpg?ts=1764701552 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution"></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-RaOOJ" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/RaOOJ/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="148" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><strong>Toughest omissions: </strong>Mackenzie Blackwood, Darcy Kuemper</p><p>Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault were Canada's goalies at 4 Nations. All three have struggled mightily in 2025-26 (save percentages below .890), and Hill's appeared in just five games for Vegas due to injury.</p><p>In other words, Canada's goaltending room will look much different in Italy. </p><p>Binnington, a key member of the 2019 Stanley Cup-winning Blues, will be the one familiar face. He was between the pipes for every minute of the 4 Nations experience and stoned the Americans multiple times in a dramatic, tension-filled title game. Even in a down year, Binnington's big-game resume holds tremendous value for a nation without a legitimate star goalie to call upon.</p><p>Thompson, meanwhile, is rocking a .913 SV% and strong underlying numbers in 62 games over the past two seasons. Leaving the Capitals starter off the Olympic roster would be indefensible given the lackluster other options.</p><p>Wedgewood would fill the No. 3 role well. He's built a terrific reputation as a career backup and happens to be excelling in an expanded role this year (.920 SV% in 19 games). His stiffest competition has either been hurt for much of the season (Blackwood) or is fading into the background with good-but-not-great late-career numbers (Kuemper). Wedgewood sticks out.</p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33575907/related

Projecting Canada's 2026 Olympic men's hockey roster

<p><em>Combining his own perspective with what he's been hearing from those in and around the game, senior NHL writer John Matisz breaks down the hot topics across the hockey landscape.</em></p><h3>Hart Trophy is MacKinnon's - for now</h3><p>On the surface, the early Hart Trophy debate isn't much of a debate.</p><p>Nathan MacKinnon, the best player on the best team in the NHL, paces the league in goals (19) and points (41). The ultra assertive and skilled center drives the Avalanche's attack, consistently funneling pucks to the slot for his teammates or bullying his way to the net himself. No slouch defensively, he owns a plus-25 five-on-five goal differential in just 23 games.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>MacKinnon, the 2023-24 Hart winner, is the obvious choice for MVP - at least, for now.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811833/cropped_GettyImages-2248048596.jpg?ts=1764370345" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811833/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248048596.jpg?ts=1764370345 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811833/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248048596.jpg?ts=1764370345 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811833/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248048596.jpg?ts=1764370345 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811833/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248048596.jpg?ts=1764370345 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811833/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248048596.jpg?ts=1764370345 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Michael Martin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>There's no crystal ball for this kind of stuff, but MacKinnon's challengers may offer more compelling stories by season's end.</p><p>Teenager Macklin Celebrini is flat-out dominating. His 36 points in 25 games capture only a portion of his nightly impact. If the Sharks stay afloat in the Western Conference playoff race, Celebrini's overall value will be undeniable.</p><p>Connor Bedard, 20, is also on a team that shouldn't make the playoffs but might be dragged in. Amazingly, he trails only MacKinnon in primary points, having compiled 14 goals and 15 first assists for the Blackhawks.</p><p>Jack Eichel's case revolves around his five-on-five on/off splits. With Eichel on the ice, the Golden Knights have outscored the opposition 24-14. Without him: They're down 30-22.</p><p>Dylan Larkin's being leaned on for heavy defensive minutes, yet he leads the Red Wings in points and ranks first in the NHL in individual expected goals.</p><p>Connor McDavid recently entered the chat thanks to a 20-point November. He's collected just seven fewer points than MacKinnon while playing for the Oilers.</p><h3>Geekie is Kraken's loss, Bruins' gain</h3><p>Morgan Geekie leads all NHLers in 2025 goals: 43 snipes in 69 games.</p><p>That fun bit of trivia represents a gigantic success story for the Bruins, who signed Geekie in 2023 as a 24-year-old unrestricted free agent.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811829/cropped_GettyImages-2205217240.jpg?ts=1764366659" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811829/w220xh124_GettyImages-2205217240.jpg?ts=1764366659 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811829/w320xh180_GettyImages-2205217240.jpg?ts=1764366659 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811829/w640xh360_GettyImages-2205217240.jpg?ts=1764366659 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811829/w768xh432_GettyImages-2205217240.jpg?ts=1764366659 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811829/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2205217240.jpg?ts=1764366659 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Boston Globe / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Geekie had achieved UFA status at such a young age because his former team, the Kraken, didn't issue him a qualifying offer after extension talks cooled. Players who don't receive a QO tend to be disposable - which Geekie decidedly was not, even if he had yet to truly break out at the NHL level.</p><p>It was an odd decision by then-general manager Ron Francis, and it looks far worse in hindsight. Seattle, whose 2.57 goals per game rank 30th out of 32 teams, desperately needs a sharpshooter like Geekie. (Francis and Geekie have a long history. The executive acquired him in the 2017 entry draft as GM of the Hurricanes and again in the 2021 Kraken expansion draft.)</p><p>Geekie received interest from seven teams in 2023 free agency, ultimately picking the Bruins and a two-year, $4-million deal for the on-ice fit and Original Six environment. Boston's become home. The winger from tiny Strathclair, Manitoba inked a six-year, $33-million extension in June.</p><p>Geekie and superstar David Pastrnak (41 goals since Jan. 1) are a lethal one-two punch up front. "He has everything to score 50 (goals) in this league," Pastrnak <a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-bruins/2025/10/31/morgan-geekie-goals-bruins-david-pastrnak/">told reporters</a> in October. "I keep telling him, keep reminding him, he has a heck of a shot, and he has the goal-scorer instinct. So, he's gonna get it one day. The shot that he has, it's amazing. It's the best on our team."</p><p>Geekie recorded the hardest shot of the NHL season: 103.3 mph on Nov. 11.</p><p>The path from no QO to high-impact player is rarely traveled. Of late, Geekie, Dylan Strome (Chicago to Washington), and Carter Verhaeghe (Tampa Bay to Florida) have taken it.</p><h3>Can Islanders become Stars 2.0?</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811827/cropped_GettyImages-2247189672.jpg?ts=1764366399" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811827/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247189672.jpg?ts=1764366399 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811827/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247189672.jpg?ts=1764366399 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811827/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247189672.jpg?ts=1764366399 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811827/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247189672.jpg?ts=1764366399 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811827/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247189672.jpg?ts=1764366399 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Rich Graessle / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>In September, Mat Barzal was asked about the Islanders entering a new era with GM Mathieu Darche, hired in May, making three first-round picks.</p><p>"With the draft we just had and some of the other kids that we've got coming in over the next two, three years, I see us having a good team this year, and I see us having a blend of Dallas," Barzal said at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour.</p><p>My eyebrows rose. <em>The Stars? Barzal thinks the Islanders can emulate the Stars?! </em></p><p>"They have (Matt) Duchene, (Tyler) Seguin, and (Jamie) Benn, who are still very much the engine of that team," the playmaking center continued. "And then you have (Miro) Heiskanen, (Jason) Robertson, (Roope) Hintz, and (Wyatt) Johnston come in later. With myself, (Bo) Horvat, and some of the older guys, (we have that veteran core), and hopefully these young kids can come in and be like the young players in Dallas. That team could have easily won a Cup the last two years, right? So, that's the way I kind of see it."</p><p>Let's be clear: 13-9-3 New York is definitely not a Cup contender like Dallas.</p><p>Yet Barzal's comparison makes much more sense now that we've seen the incredible Matthew Schaefer in action. Maybe, if Darche plays his cards right over the next few years, the Isles can evolve into some version of the Stars.</p><h3>State of the 11-9-5 Blue Jackets</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811804/cropped_GettyImages-2241800349.jpg?ts=1764353231" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811804/w220xh124_GettyImages-2241800349.jpg?ts=1764353231 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811804/w320xh180_GettyImages-2241800349.jpg?ts=1764353231 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811804/w640xh360_GettyImages-2241800349.jpg?ts=1764353231 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811804/w768xh432_GettyImages-2241800349.jpg?ts=1764353231 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811804/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2241800349.jpg?ts=1764353231 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jason Mowry / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Blue Jackets fans have let me know that Columbus was the one relevant team I didn't write about in a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3342899" href="https://thescore.com/news/3342899">Thanksgiving check-in story</a> published Thursday.</p><p>Fair enough. Here are a few thoughts on the Dean Evason-coached squad.</p><p><strong>Kirill Marchenko rules</strong>: The Russian winger has this rock-star vibe - quick feet, silky hands, bullet of a shot, 6-foot-3, long hair, tucked jersey. Marchenko is second in the NHL in scoring chances generated off the rush per game because he transports the puck well and executes high-end plays. While he's currently day-to-day with an upper-body injury, Marchenko's trending toward a career high in points after putting up eight goals and 14 assists in 22 games.</p><p><strong>Yegor Chinakhov is stuck</strong>: It's well-documented that the forward and Evason don't get along. Chinakhov, who requested a trade in the offseason, has seen his nightly usage drop from 15:43 a game last season to 10:21. The impasse is hurting the player more than the team. Columbus is chugging along without a big contribution from Chinakhov, and rivals aren't willing to give up much for a 24-year-old who's failed to round out his shoot-first game.</p><p><strong>Jet Greaves may be the guy</strong>: Elvis Merzlikins has been too inconsistent over his career. Daniil Tarasov kept getting injured before leaving in free agency. Can Greaves solve the Blue Jackets' goaltending woes? He's rocking a .915 save percentage through 37 career games, which is well above league average. There are no major flaws in his game. Greaves, 24 and undrafted due to size concerns, is by all accounts a tireless worker and beloved teammate.</p><h3>Matheson deal guarantees strong top 4</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811814/cropped_GettyImages-2242573409.jpg?ts=1764359326" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811814/w220xh124_GettyImages-2242573409.jpg?ts=1764359326 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811814/w320xh180_GettyImages-2242573409.jpg?ts=1764359326 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811814/w640xh360_GettyImages-2242573409.jpg?ts=1764359326 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811814/w768xh432_GettyImages-2242573409.jpg?ts=1764359326 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811814/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2242573409.jpg?ts=1764359326 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Andy Devlin / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Canadiens <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3412115" href="https://thescore.com/news/3412115">signed</a> Mike Matheson to a five-year, $30-million contract extension Friday. He'll be 32 years old when the deal kicks in next season.</p><p>There's a small chance Montreal ends up not loving the $6-million cap hit in the final year or two. That said, it's a generally low-risk, high-upside deal. Matheson, a smooth-skating two-way defenseman, has aged gracefully so far.</p><p>Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson, and Kaiden Guhle will make a combined $29.85 million a year, or 29% of 2026-27's projected $104-million salary cap. Matheson and Guhle are signed through 2030-31, while Dobson and Hutson are up after 2032-33 and 2033-34, respectively.</p><p>That's money well spent considering the talent level and versatility.</p><h3>Second-line centers are all the rage</h3><p>For years, right-handed defensemen were the hot commodity everybody talked about in the lead-up to the trade deadline. There never seemed to be enough good ones to properly fill out the league's blue lines.</p><p>Second-line centers are the new RHD. A large chunk of teams have a steep drop-off after first-line center. Even the Hurricanes, Canadiens, Wild, and Flyers - all of whom currently sit in the top 10 in points percentage - would all benefit greatly from an upgrade at 2C.</p><p>It'll be fascinating to see what kind of packages veteran top-six centers (think Ryan O’Reilly and Nazem Kadri) command ahead of the March 6 deadline.</p><h3>Bigger, better November prospect event</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811790/cropped_GettyImages-2247925062.jpg?ts=1764344073" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811790/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247925062.jpg?ts=1764344073 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811790/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247925062.jpg?ts=1764344073 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811790/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247925062.jpg?ts=1764344073 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811790/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247925062.jpg?ts=1764344073 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811790/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247925062.jpg?ts=1764344073 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Leah Hennel / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The landscape for NHL prospects changed forever last fall when the NCAA lifted its ban on Canadian Hockey League players. Hundreds of players, including several premier prospects, have switched leagues over the past year, and the leagues have been forced to reposition themselves on the recruiting circuit.</p><p>The CHL USA Prospects Challenge ran this week in Alberta. The two-game scouting showcase pits draft-eligible prospects from the CHL's three leagues (OHL, QMJHL, WHL) against the U.S. National Team Development Program.</p><p>An NHLPA agent shared a better idea via text: Why not widen the scope of the event and throw a five-team prospect tournament every November? The OHL, QMJHL, and WHL could each put together a team, with the USNTDP as the fourth group, and the fifth could be a mix of players from the closely tied USHL and NCAA.</p><p>This supercharged version of the prospects challenge would accomplish three things: build legitimate early-season buzz for the draft, celebrate what each league has to offer, and give NHL scouts more valuable opportunities to watch players.</p><h3>Should NHL follow PWHL's lead?</h3><p>Reader BrokenEars recently asked about the NHL points system:</p><blockquote><p>Are there any plans for the NHL to adopt the highly successful 3-2-1-0 points system from the Professional Women's Hockey League, as it incentivizes teams to win in regulation?</p></blockquote><p>The league has no plans to award three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, and one point for an OT loss - like the PWHL does - even though it's probably the most sensible way to distribute standings points.</p><p>The NHL loves its current 2-0-1 system (two points for a win of any kind, zero for a regulation loss, one for an OT loss) because the loser point allows a bunch of teams to remain in the playoff hunt. This season has featured an abnormally high number of OT games, and the standings are a jumbled mess.</p><p>Parity, even if it's artificially created, provides hope. Hope sells tickets. The NHL's bottom line relies more heavily on gate revenue than is the case for other major pro leagues.</p><figure class="article-segment--embed"><center><u>                    </u></center></figure><p>What do you want to know, hockey fans?</p><p>There are three ways to submit a question for future NHL Inbox editions.</p><ul>
<li>Comment on this article in theScore app</li>
<li>Email John at <a href="mailto:john.matisz@theScore.com">john.matisz@thescore.com</a>
</li>
<li>Send John a message on X (<a href="https://x.com/MatiszJohn">@matiszjohn</a>)</li>
</ul>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33508917/related

Early Hart Trophy vibes, Kraken's Geekie fumble, more NHL hot topics

Turkey. Stuffing. Football. Awkward dinner table conversations.  All these things are closely ass...

<p>Turkey. Stuffing. Football. Awkward dinner table conversations.</p><p>All these things are closely associated with Thanksgiving in the United States.</p><p>But there's an important NHL tie-in, too. Roughly 50 days since opening night, the holiday serves as a natural inflection point for the season. History suggests that the majority of teams in a playoff spot at Thanksgiving will remain there come April.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><p>The salary cap era spans 17 full seasons. In three of those campaigns, 11 of the 16 teams holding a playoff spot at Thanksgiving went on to compete in the postseason. Seven times, 12 of 16 clubs stayed in the playoff picture. In six years, 13 of 16 teams held on, and in one season - 2008-09 - 14 of 16. The cap-era average: 12.3 of 16 teams, or 77% of the playoff field, are already decided by Thanksgiving.</p><p>With this trend in mind, let's assess each conference's current state.</p><h3>Eastern Conference</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-8KEcP" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8KEcP/4/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="306" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><em>Just below cutline: Montreal, Philadelphia, Detroit, Columbus, Rangers</em></p><p><strong>Who's for real?</strong></p><p>Forget the last few games, Carolina is the scariest team in a wide-open East. Rivals should be worried about the challenge the Hurricanes will present once stud defenseman Jaccob Slavin returns from injury, blazing winger Nikolaj Ehlers starts burying his scoring chances, and management pulls off its annual high-profile trade. The Canes have $11 million in salary cap space.</p><p>Tampa Bay deserves props for holding down the Atlantic Division's top seed while battling significant blue-line injuries. (How about a little Jack Adams Award love for Lightning coach Jon Cooper?) Washington's also a bona fide threat. The Capitals' place in the standings (third in the Metropolitan) hardly reflects their conference-high goal differential, strong underlying numbers, and deep lineup.</p><p>Although New Jersey is without superstar center Jack Hughes until mid-January, the Devils have already banked a ton of points and roster more than enough talent at each position to secure a Metro seed. Ottawa, meanwhile, has quietly become a high-floor team (wild card at worst) thanks to coach Travis Green's defensive system and player buy-in over the past two seasons.</p><p><strong>Who's overachieving? </strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811576/cropped_GettyImages-2247836421.jpg?ts=1764192497" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811576/w220xh124_GettyImages-2247836421.jpg?ts=1764192497 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811576/w320xh180_GettyImages-2247836421.jpg?ts=1764192497 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811576/w640xh360_GettyImages-2247836421.jpg?ts=1764192497 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811576/w768xh432_GettyImages-2247836421.jpg?ts=1764192497 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811576/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2247836421.jpg?ts=1764192497 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Jared Silber / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Islanders, Pittsburgh, and Boston are all due to regress in some way.</p><p>The Islanders are unquestionably fun. Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal look rejuvenated alongside rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer, and allowing just 2.79 goals per game is an impressive feat given how porous Patrick Roy's squad can be defensively. This feels a little too good to be true, though.</p><p>The Penguins are first in power play percentage, second in save percentage, fifth in penalty kill percentage, and ninth in shooting percentage. Some of the Penguins' success is well-earned and it'd be great to see Sidney Crosby back in the playoffs. But at some point the numbers are going to turn on a team that was supposed to be rebuilding.</p><p>The Bruins are a mix of New York and Pittsburgh. They're undoubtedly an early-season darling, yet the roster thins out quickly, and what they've put on tape so far doesn't exactly scream "sustainable." Can Boston keep this up for 82 games?</p><p><strong>Who might move up?</strong></p><p>Toronto and the Rangers, the biggest disappointments of the NHL's first quarter, have dug massive holes. A bounce back, while not impossible, is highly unlikely for the patently flawed Maple Leafs. Mismanaged New York is fighting against the current in an extremely competitive Metro.</p><p>Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Philadelphia are tied for fourth in the conference in points percentage. Led by Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and a host of other young difference-makers, the Canadiens are by far the best bet to jump into a playoff spot sooner than later and stay there. Montreal's biggest roadblock is its goaltending. The Flyers, still incomplete, aren't a serious playoff threat.</p><p>The Red Wings are a tough team to get a firm handle on. They rely on their top players way too much but look lethal when everything's clicking.</p><p>The Panthers, who are slowly getting healthy and fully settled into life without Aleksander Barkov, are another team to monitor. <a href="https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm">MoneyPuck.com</a> has the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions' playoff odds listed at 64.7% - the second-highest in the Atlantic and fifth-highest in the East.</p><h3>Western Conference</h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe title="" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-9sSRy" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9sSRy/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="306" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script></figure><p><em>Just below cutline: Chicago, San Jose, Edmonton, Winnipeg</em></p><p><strong>Who's for real?</strong></p><p>With one regulation loss and a plus-44 goal differential in 23 games, Colorado is nothing short of a juggernaut. Name a meaningful statistical category, and there's a good chance the Avalanche rank first. The pleasant surprise amid all the positivity: Scott Wedgewood (17 starts), Mackenzie Blackwood (five), and Trent Miner (one) have combined for a league-best .920 save percentage.</p><p>Dallas and Vegas are titans in their own right, even if there are questions about killing penalties (Stars) and making saves at a high rate (Golden Knights). Anaheim's breakout, from 80 points last season to a projected 103 points, seems to be mostly legitimate. The impact of Joel Quenneville's coaching is unmistakable. Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier are making real developmental strides, while Lukas Dostal's an elite goalie. And, according to <a href="https://www.tankathon.com/nhl/remaining_schedule_strength">Tankathon</a>, the Ducks own the second-weakest remaining schedule.</p><p>Utah and Minnesota comprise the West's third tier. Both boast playoff-worthy lineups and have enjoyed a lengthy, confidence-building winning streak. Both have also endured two humbling losing skids of three games or longer.</p><p><strong>Who's overachieving?</strong></p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811599/cropped_GettyImages-2248262027.jpg?ts=1764201672" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811599/w220xh124_GettyImages-2248262027.jpg?ts=1764201672 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811599/w320xh180_GettyImages-2248262027.jpg?ts=1764201672 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811599/w640xh360_GettyImages-2248262027.jpg?ts=1764201672 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811599/w768xh432_GettyImages-2248262027.jpg?ts=1764201672 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/811599/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2248262027.jpg?ts=1764201672 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Steven Ryan / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Seattle is primed to take a step back. No team's worse at generating quality scoring chances than the Kraken, who sit 29th in goals per game. This isn't a puck-luck issue that'll balance out over the course of a season. Instead, it's a personnel and tactics problem - not nearly enough firepower or creativity.</p><p>Los Angeles profiles similarly to Seattle, though its stout defense lowers its chances of turning into a pumpkin. That being said, the Kings fall more on the overachieving side of the real-to-overachieving spectrum, which means a fifth straight trip to the playoffs is far from guaranteed.</p><p>San Jose and Chicago have captured the hockey world's imagination. Watching the meteoric rises of Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard has been thrilling, while franchise goalies Yaroslav Askarov and Spencer Knight have authored very good first quarters. However, for all the progress, 2025-26 is merely a stepping stone - neither franchise is ready for prime time.</p><p><strong>Who might move up?</strong></p><p>The Sharks and Blackhawks are the future of the West. For this season, a pair of battle-tested Canadian teams could be the ones climbing the standings.</p><p>Edmonton may be a mess - most nights, it's the definition of a studs-and-duds team - but the Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl duo is a trump card. Nos. 97 and 29 have shown they can go on half-season heaters, so the Oilers shouldn't be counted out of the playoff hunt until mathematically eliminated. Especially since the third seed in the Pacific Division is up for grabs and the Oilers' front office is determined to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3410629" href="https://thescore.com/news/3410629">finally upgrade</a> at goalie.</p><p>It's been a strange season for NHL injuries, with so many impactful players sidelined for weeks at a time. Winnipeg is one of a handful of teams haunted by the trend. Cole Perfetti, Adam Lowry, and Dylan Samberg all missed the first month-plus of the season. Shortly after the last of those key cogs returned, Connor Hellebuyck and Neal Pionk landed on the shelf. Luckily for the Jets, none of those five injuries were season-ending. This is a well-balanced, hungry club that will rebound soon and grab a postseason spot.</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33482174/related

Who's for real? What to make of NHL standings at Thanksgiving mark

The Stanley Cup was awarded June 17. The regular season started October 7. Hundreds of players sw...

<p><em>The Stanley Cup was awarded June 17. The regular season started October 7. Hundreds of players switched teams through trades and free agency between those key dates. How are those newcomers doing? We've identified the best and worst acquisitions at the quarter mark of the 2025-26 campaign.</em></p><h3>Best offseason acquisitions</h3><p><strong>Noah Dobson, Canadiens</strong>:<strong> </strong>Montreal's blue line was incomplete last season. The addition of Dobson has allowed everybody else to click into place on a depth chart that includes the talented trio of Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson, and Kaiden Guhle (currently injured). Dobson, 25, is still a young NHLer. He's mobile and poised, wields a very good defensive stick, and has picked up 13 points in 20 games despite scoring on only 2.8% of his shots.</p><p>The Canadiens acquired Dobson in June for the present and future, signing him to an eight-year, $76-million extension upon arrival from the Islanders. New York's undoubtedly happy with the haul it received in return (top-six winger Emil Heineman and the picks used to select high-end prospects Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson), yet the Dobson-Habs fit is off the charts.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810789/cropped_GettyImages-2244804304.jpg?ts=1763666360" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810789/w220xh124_GettyImages-2244804304.jpg?ts=1763666360 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810789/w320xh180_GettyImages-2244804304.jpg?ts=1763666360 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810789/w640xh360_GettyImages-2244804304.jpg?ts=1763666360 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810789/w768xh432_GettyImages-2244804304.jpg?ts=1763666360 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810789/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2244804304.jpg?ts=1763666360 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Joe Hrycych / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Josh Doan, Sabres: </strong>The 23-year-old winger was part of the June trade that sent rising Sabres star JJ Peterka to the Mammoth. While Peterka's doing well in Utah, Doan's been a revelation in Buffalo - exactly what the Sabres needed.</p><p>The son of Coyotes franchise icon Shane Doan is a tone-setter: responsible in all three zones, relentless on the forecheck, and creative with the puck on his stick. Similar to Zach Benson, Doan injects connective tissue to a top six that, when healthy, features Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jiri Kulich, and Josh Norris. Doan, who's logging 15:39 a night, ranks fourth on the team in points, second in shots on goal, second in individual expected goals, second in penalty differential, first in five-on-five on-ice expected goals share, and first in takeaways.</p><p><strong>Trevor Zegras, Flyers</strong>: Philadelphia acquired Zegras in hopes that a change of scenery would jolt the 24-year-old's flatlined career, and the early returns are fantastic. Zegras, who's never come close to reaching point-per-game status, has posted six goals and 14 assists in 19 games. He drives play, consistently feeds linemates slot passes, and is a perfect 3-for-3 in the shootout.</p><p>Looking like a more well-rounded player, Zegras has been rewarded with the second-most minutes among Flyers forwards. He's transitioned seamlessly on and off the ice, jibing with fellow core pieces and the coaching staff. It's official, folks: General manager Daniel Briere hit a home run in June when he sent depth forward Ryan Poehling and two draft picks to Anaheim for Zegras.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810790/cropped_GettyImages-2242994715.jpg?ts=1763666610" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810790/w220xh124_GettyImages-2242994715.jpg?ts=1763666610 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810790/w320xh180_GettyImages-2242994715.jpg?ts=1763666610 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810790/w640xh360_GettyImages-2242994715.jpg?ts=1763666610 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810790/w768xh432_GettyImages-2242994715.jpg?ts=1763666610 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810790/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2242994715.jpg?ts=1763666610 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Joe Sargent / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Arturs Silovs, Penguins</strong>: Pittsburgh is first in the NHL in team save percentage in large part due to Silovs' excellence. Case in point: Sportlogiq awards a quality start every time a goalie posts a positive goals saved above expected value, and Silovs already has nine quality starts in 11 appearances.</p><p>Silovs, a 2019 sixth-round pick out of Latvia, was named AHL playoff MVP last season as a member of the Calder Cup-winning Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouver traded the 24-year-old to Pittsburgh in July for AHL winger Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick because it had two other NHL goalies. The Canucks' front office surely regrets the move. Silovs is not only six years younger than No. 2 guy Kevin Lankinen but also brimming with potential.</p><p><strong>Honorable mentions</strong>: <em>Andre Burakovsky (Blackhawks)</em>, <em>Vladislav Gavrikov (Rangers), Mitch Marner (Golden Knights), Victor Olofsson (Avalanche)</em></p><h3>Worst offseason acquisitions</h3><p><strong>Cody Ceci, Kings</strong>: Los Angeles has been outscored 15-7 during Ceci's 339 five-on-five minutes this season. That 31.8% goal share is tied for 423rd out of 451 players who've logged 200 minutes. It's not simply bad puck luck, either, as the Kings are getting dominated territorially with Ceci on the ice.</p><p>If used and deployed carefully, Ceci can be a decent third-pair defenseman. If he isn't, well, the opposition feasts. The worst part of the equation is his contract. On July 1, most pundits said the Kings were insane for giving the slow 31-year-old a four-year deal at $4.5 million per season, and here we are.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810791/cropped_GettyImages-2240667176.jpg?ts=1763666716" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810791/w220xh124_GettyImages-2240667176.jpg?ts=1763666716 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810791/w320xh180_GettyImages-2240667176.jpg?ts=1763666716 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810791/w640xh360_GettyImages-2240667176.jpg?ts=1763666716 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810791/w768xh432_GettyImages-2240667176.jpg?ts=1763666716 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810791/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2240667176.jpg?ts=1763666716 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Richard Lautens / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua, Maple Leafs</strong>: Roy, picked up in the Marner sign-and-trade deal with Vegas, looked like the answer to Toronto's third-line center problem. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder has instead blended into the action most nights. In 19 games, Roy's contributed one goal, three assists, and the rare staunch defensive play. He's currently on injured reserve.</p><p>Joshua, acquired in a July trade that saw a fourth-round pick head to Vancouver, is another newcomer who's not living up to his billing. He's provided little substance beyond five points in his first 21 games for the 9-9-3 Leafs. If Joshua was on an expiring, league-minimum contract, no biggie. But he's making $3.25 million annually through 2027-28 and thus expected to make an impact.</p><p><strong>Evander Kane, Canucks</strong>: Only two NHLers fit this description at the quarter mark of the season: plays forward, has logged at least 300 minutes at five-on-five, and hasn't scored a single goal in those minutes. Young Kraken playmaker Matty Beniers is one. Perennial 20-goal-scorer Kane is the other.</p><p>The Canucks acquired Kane from the Oilers for a fourth-rounder, so, like Joshua and the Leafs, the trade itself isn't the problem. The issue is the lack of value Kane is providing relative to his sizable cap hit and premium role. Kane, 34, is making $5.125 million in the final season of a four-year deal and logging 18:07 a night alongside some of Vancouver's top players. Yet he's pitched in an underwhelming three goals and eight assists in 22 games. Not good enough.</p><p><strong>Logan Mailloux, Blues</strong>:<strong> </strong>The 22-year-old was demoted to AHL Springfield in early November after nine miserable games in St. Louis. Mailloux's five-on-five goal differential rests at a cringe-worthy minus-12, yet he's just one of several players, including both goalies, with poor numbers on the 6-9-6 Blues.</p><p>Young defensemen struggle all the time. Mailloux makes this list primarily because his GM, Doug Armstrong, tried to fit a square peg into a round hole. In June, St. Louis traded promising winger Zack Bolduc (19 goals in 72 games as a rookie) to Montreal for Mailloux, one for one, under the assumption that Mailloux could immediately slide seamlessly into the Blues' top four. That obviously hasn't happened. While Bolduc's season hasn't been perfect, his shooting ability, speed, and motor provide versatility to the Canadiens' forward group. Bolduc has the higher floor and arguably the higher ceiling.</p><p><strong>Honorable mentions</strong>: <em>Nicolas Hague (Predators),</em> <em>John Klingberg (Sharks), Jeff Skinner (Sharks), Vladimir Tarasenko (Wild)</em></p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33397426/related

Best and worst offseason acquisitions at NHL quarter mark

Utah Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong is a large man. A pro defenseman in the 1990s, he's l...

<p>Utah Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong is a large man. A pro defenseman in the 1990s, he's listed at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds on <a href="https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=5903">HockeyDB</a>.</p><p>Still, it took until this spring for the 55-year-old to be called a mammoth man.</p><p>Armstrong was walking through a Moncton, New Brunswick, hotel in May, eager to drop off his luggage and head out to scout some players, when he drew the attention of other guests. His golf shirt, emblazoned with the brand-new, ice-age Mammoth logo, instantly became the focus of their fascination.</p><div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810155/cropped_GettyImages-2218445132.jpg?ts=1763320281" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810155/w220xh124_GettyImages-2218445132.jpg?ts=1763320281 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810155/w320xh180_GettyImages-2218445132.jpg?ts=1763320281 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810155/w640xh360_GettyImages-2218445132.jpg?ts=1763320281 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810155/w768xh432_GettyImages-2218445132.jpg?ts=1763320281 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810155/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2218445132.jpg?ts=1763320281 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Joe Hrycych / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>"I checked in, got my room key, and when I started to go upstairs, all of these kids in town for a youth hockey tournament followed me into the elevator and to my room," Armstrong recalled in a recent sit-down interview with theScore. </p><p>"They were chanting, 'We know you're on this floor, Mammoth Man! We know you're on this floor! We want the Mammoth! We want the Mammoth! We want the Mammoth!' It was great. It was unexpected. I was laughing my ass off."</p><p>The anecdote is both amusing and revealing. Unlike the <a href="https://www.thescore.com/news/2257928">dysfunctional</a>, cheap, and largely irrelevant Arizona Coyotes, the Mammoth franchise has charisma - this inherent likability - because it's in capable hands. The Smith Entertainment Group has created a palpable buzz locally and nationally through thoughtful reveals of the nickname, logo, jerseys, and mascot. Ownership has done exactly what various Coyotes owners didn't do by renovating the home arena, building what Armstrong calls a "state-of-the-art" practice and training facility, and allowing the GM to spend freely on players.</p><p>All of this in the 19 months since tech billionaire Ryan Smith bought the Coyotes' hockey assets and moved the club to Utah's capital in Salt Lake City.</p><p>"They've got high standards," Armstrong said of Smith and his wife, Ashley, who also own the NBA's Utah Jazz. "We're very grateful for how they conduct their business and, honestly, it really inspires us on the hockey side."</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810159/cropped_GettyImages-2246458628.jpg?ts=1763321720" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810159/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246458628.jpg?ts=1763321720 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810159/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246458628.jpg?ts=1763321720 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810159/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246458628.jpg?ts=1763321720 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810159/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246458628.jpg?ts=1763321720 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810159/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246458628.jpg?ts=1763321720 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Hunter Dyke / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Utah's 10-7-3 record puts them on pace for 94 points, right around the typical Western Conference cutline and a modest five-point improvement from the previous season. The Coyotes/Mammoth last made the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign, and <a href="https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm">MoneyPuck</a> lists their 2025-26 odds at 66.5%.</p><p>Armstrong, hired as Coyotes GM in September 2020, isn't the type to get caught up in the moment - whether his team is rolling (seven-game winning streak in October) or grasping for consistency (2-5-3 in its last 10 games).</p><p>The former scout and assistant GM for the Blues knows that some parts of the team-building process can't be forced if the ultimate goal is to develop a sustainable winner. To Armstrong, the evolution involves four distinct phases.</p><p>First comes the roster teardown and search for cornerstone players. Next, in Phase 2, the core pieces play competitive hockey alongside a solid supporting cast. Phase 3 calls for night-to-night consistency and a return to the postseason. In the fourth and final phase, the team is mature, deeper, and battle-tested, ready to win playoff series and challenge for the Stanley Cup.</p><p>"When you're 80% done the build, you can fill in the rest of the roster with guys from the minors, other small moves," Armstrong said. "But there are still pieces for us to add - elite pieces. I figure we're about 60% of the way there."</p><p>Utah's nucleus consists of 10 players: seven forwards, two defensemen, and a goalie, all under the age of 30. Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and JJ Peterka all have electric qualities - quick, intelligent, highly skilled, and a threat to break a game open at any moment. Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain are versatile centers. Mikhail Sergachev and Dmitri Simashev are big and dynamic blue-liners facing the other team's best players every night. Fan favorite Karel "Veggie" Vejmelka is the clear-cut No. 1 goalie.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810210/cropped_GettyImages-2245050521.jpg?ts=1763330720" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810210/w220xh124_GettyImages-2245050521.jpg?ts=1763330720 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810210/w320xh180_GettyImages-2245050521.jpg?ts=1763330720 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810210/w640xh360_GettyImages-2245050521.jpg?ts=1763330720 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810210/w768xh432_GettyImages-2245050521.jpg?ts=1763330720 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810210/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2245050521.jpg?ts=1763330720 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Hunter Dyke / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>Peterka, McBain, and Vejmelka are signed through the 2029-30 season, while Sergachev, Guenther, and Cooley run through 2030-31, 2032-33, and 2033-34, respectively. Those six players will account for just $42 million against the salary cap once Cooley's eight-year, $80-million extension kicks in next year.</p><p>Meanwhile, Keller's second contract and Simashev's entry-level deal expire after 2027-28. Hayton and leading scorer Schmaltz are the nucleus' two unknowns as pending free agents - the former restricted, the latter unrestricted.</p><p>"We had talks at the start of the year," Armstrong said of Schmaltz's representatives. "It's the same (vibe) as the free agents last year - the Brad Marchands, the Sam Bennetts of the world, all of those guys. It's, 'Play it out.' We know where you live. We've got your home address. Play it out."</p><p>Regardless of what happens with Schmaltz, the Mammoth boast an enviable top of the lineup and haven't broken the bank to retain several essential pieces. Utah's on a very short list of NHL teams that check off the following four boxes: good enough to make the 2026 playoffs, financially flexible now and for the foreseeable future, impressive prospect pool, loads of draft capital.</p><p>The Mammoth play an up-tempo brand of hockey under coach Andre Tourigny. They're a nightmare to defend off the rush, in general, and especially after the other team coughs up the puck. Utah sits second in the league in goals scored within 10 seconds of a five-on-five turnover, according to Sportlogiq, doing it 22 times in 20 games. If only the power play - ranked 29th - could be more effective.</p><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810267/cropped_GettyImages-2246054345.jpg?ts=1763344594" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810267/w220xh124_GettyImages-2246054345.jpg?ts=1763344594 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810267/w320xh180_GettyImages-2246054345.jpg?ts=1763344594 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810267/w640xh360_GettyImages-2246054345.jpg?ts=1763344594 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810267/w768xh432_GettyImages-2246054345.jpg?ts=1763344594 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/810267/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2246054345.jpg?ts=1763344594 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> <span class="article-segment--image-attribution">Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images</span></figcaption></figure><p>On defense, the Mammoth apply constant pressure on the puck carrier. Their aggressive approach has limited opponents to only 20.1 five-on-five shots on goal per game (tied with Florida for first in the league) and 39.3 five-on-five shot attempts per game (second behind Carolina). One hiccup: Vejmelka and backup Vitek Vanecek have five-on-five save percentages of .883 and .870.</p><p>"What is Mammoth hockey?" Armstrong asked rhetorically the morning after a 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs in early November. "It's fast hockey. Playing for 60 minutes. In your face the whole time. You don't take your foot off the gas. We haven't finished all of our games so far like that, but we're getting there."</p><p>Rough translation: Utah is currently stuck between Phases 2 and 3.</p><p>For one, the core is young and impressionable ("We can read our press clippings sometimes and get away from our game") and can be too cute with the puck on occasion. That said, Armstrong won't hesitate to add reinforcements if his team remains in the playoff hunt ahead of the trade deadline. He'd love for his players and the fans to taste postseason hockey.</p><p>The GM was asked to share the biggest takeaways from his 16-year run with the Blues, who won the Cup in 2018-19, his second-last season in St. Louis.</p><p>"Patience," Armstrong said without hesitation.</p><p>"Fan bases or ownership groups, they don't really want to hear that. We've made a lot of changes to our team, put our build on steroids a little bit, fast-forwarded it. But you can't fast-forward what the team has to go through to get there. I believe that you need adversity and scars to get to that next step."</p><p><em>John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatiszJohn">@MatiszJohn</a>) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).</em></p>

https://rich-content.thescore.com/content_cards/33359554/related

The Mammoth are coming (soon)

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/john-matisz/content_cards

John Matisz

Senior NHL Writer

https://rich-content.thescore.com/authors/josh-wegman/content_cards