Latest On Maple Leafs’ Defense
In last night’s loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered another serious blow on defense, losing Oliver Ekman-Larsson partway through the game to a lower-body injury. Earlier today, on TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun posited that Ekman-Larsson is expected to miss some time. Still, there’s no concern about his availability for Team Sweden at the Olympics.
As bad as it is to lose your highest-scoring defenseman, that’s not the only injury Toronto’s defensive core suffered last night. According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, there is concern from the Maple Leafs that Brandon Carlo is also suffering from an ailment. Carlo only recently returned from a foot injury that cost him two months of the 2025-26 campaign.
Factoring in the long-term groin injury to Chris Tanev, Toronto may be without 75% of the top-four of their defensive core for the foreseeable future. Few teams would be able to absorb that many losses, and it couldn’t come at a worse time for the Maple Leafs, who currently sit one point back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Still, although the team has yet to provide an update on the status of Ekman-Larsson or Carlo, LeBrun indicated on Insider Trading that the new injuries have motivated the Maple Leafs to increase their efforts to acquire a defenseman.
LeBrun specifically mentioned Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils and Luke Schenn of the Winnipeg Jets as likely options. Each defenseman has been linked to the Maple Leafs rather significantly over the last few weeks.
Still, there are a few reasons for pause. It’s not to suggest that Toronto couldn’t use an outside acquisition to bolster its defensive core, but desperation typically leads to overpayment. That’s not something the Maple Leafs can afford to do with so little prospect and draft capital.
Furthermore, the possibility of a Hamilton trade in the near future has taken a steep decline over the last few days. New Jersey recently lost defenseman Luke Hughes for the next month or more with a shoulder separation, opening a spot in the top four for Hamilton. As long as Hughes remains out, the Devils will be less inclined to move Hamilton despite the perceived benefits of doing so.
Meanwhile, it’s not obvious that Schenn would be a significant upgrade over Toronto’s other options. He’s had a disappointing year with the Jets, scoring one goal and six points in 35 games, averaging 13:51 of ice time per game. Furthermore, his defensive metrics have declined, showing a CorsiFor% of 45.2% and an on-ice SV% of 89.2% at even strength.
It’s clear that the Maple Leafs will need to bring in some help at any rate. Toronto has seven more games until the upcoming Olympic break, and their record over that stretch could have significant ramifications for the rest of the season.
Senators’ David Perron Out Five To Seven Weeks
The Ottawa Senators have lost one of their veteran forwards until the end of February at the very least. Relayed from TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, head coach Travis Green told reporters today that winger David Perron would miss the next five to seven weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia.
Perron’s recovery timeline indicates that he will return well after the upcoming Olympic break. On the earlier side, he could return as soon as Ottawa’s February 26th matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. If it takes closer to seven weeks for him to return, his absence could extend until the middle of March.
Regardless, it’s the second consecutive year that Perron has dealt with a significant injury. During his first season with the Senators, Perron missed two months due to a back injury shortly after he returned from a family medical emergency. He finished the campaign with nine goals and 16 points in 43 games.
Healthy to start the 2025-26 campaign, Perron has been a solid tertiary contributor to the Senators. Largely in a middle-six role, the 37-year-old winger has scored 10 goals and 25 points in 49 games, averaging 13:26 of ice time per game. Additionally, he’s been productive on the defensive side of the puck, managing a 53.5% CorsiFor% and 90.6% on-ice SV% at even strength.
Fortunately, because of the Winter Olympics, Perron doesn’t stand to lose as much time as he otherwise could have. Despite being out for over a month, the expected recovery timeline projects him to miss anywhere from eight to 15 games.
The injury will certainly have implications regarding Perron’s future in Ottawa or elsewhere. At his age, suffering major injuries in back-to-back years can invoke career-ending ramifications. Being a pending unrestricted free agent, Perron will have some work to do upon his return to ensure that there’s interest in him next summer.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The NHL has passed the halfway point of the season which means the trade deadline is less than two months away. In fact, with the Olympic break also carrying a trade freeze, we’re only a couple of weeks away from a soft deadline. With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again.
Our last call for questions yielded enough queries for three columns. Topics in the first included a possible sleeper candidate to move before the trade deadline, discussing when the right time for Chicago to move Connor Murphy, and some standings predictions. Included in the second were thoughts on the Atlantic Division and the potential for Nazem Kadri and Jordan Binnington to be moved. Lastly, the third looked at possible trade candidates if the Kraken sell at the deadline, player development, and the worst contracts in the league, among other topics.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Bruins Assign Jordan Harris To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Boston Bruins are nearing a fully healthy defensive core. Earlier today, the Bruins announced that they’ve assigned defenseman Jordan Harris to the AHL’s Providence Bruins on a conditioning loan.
Harris, 25, is in his first year with his hometown team. The Haverhill, MA native signed a one-year, $825K contract with Boston last summer after being non-tendered by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Before his one-year stint with Columbus, he had spent three years with the Montreal Canadiens before being traded in 2024 for Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round pick.
Unfortunately, his time with the Bruins hasn’t gone to plan. Due to suffering a fractured ankle in October, Harris has been limited to five appearances for Boston this season. In those five contests, Harris has registered one goal and one assist, averaging 15:38 of ice time per game.
Furthermore, unless there’s another injury, Harris may not have access to much ice time upon his return. Due to multiple injuries on the blue line, the Bruins have given Jonathan Aspirot a larger opportunity this season, and he’s run with it. He’s been a bright spot in Boston this year, achieving a +19 rating in 30 games with an exceptional 94.6% on-ice SV% at even strength. The Bruins rewarded him a little over a week ago, signing Aspirot to a two-year extension.
That may push Harris into a depth role for the rest of the campaign through no fault of his own. Assuming no additional injuries occur, Harris would become the fifth left-handed defenseman on the active roster. Still, given that the Bruins have struggled to remain healthy, primarily on defense, being limited to a depth role is far from guaranteed for Harris.
Blue Jackets Activate Mason Marchment, Place Denton Mateychuk On IR
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that forward Mason Marchment has been activated off injured reserve in advance of the team’s game tonight against the Dallas Stars. In a corresponding move, the team placed injured blueliner Denton Mateychuk on IR.
Marchment missed the last eight games due to an upper-body injury, an ailment that halted the momentum he appeared to be building in Columbus after his mid-season trade from the Seattle Kraken. Marchment made an instant impact with the Blue Jackets, scoring five goals and seven points in seven games since the trade.
As a pending UFA, Marchment’s performances down the stretch in 2025-26 were always set to carry an outsized level of importance, at least personally to the player’s future. Marchment’s trade to Columbus only further emphasized the importance of his play in the coming weeks, as he has a chance to secure a spot in the Blue Jackets’ future plans.
The 30-year-old forward only managed four goals and 13 points in 29 games with the Kraken before the trade, prompting some worry that Marchment’s days as a 20-goal, 45 or 50-point scorer could be in the rearview mirror. His performance through seven games as a Blue Jacket went a long way towards silencing those doubts, and he’ll now get the chance to strengthen his position entering negotiations on his next contract.
Replacing Marchment on IR is Mateychuk, who has been out since Jan. 11 with an upper-body injury. It was reported earlier this week that the hope for Mateychuk is that he’ll be able to return at some point in the latter portion of this week. The Blue Jackets made Mateychuk’s IR placement retroactive to Jan. 11, meaning he’s eligible to return to the team’s active roster whenever he’s healthy.
Columbus has a full 23-man roster at this moment, so a corresponding move is likely to be necessary whenever Mateychuk is able to return. Seeing as blueliner Dante Fabbro is set to miss at least a week with a lower-body injury, it’s likely that whenever Mateychuk is ready to return, Fabbro will replace him on IR to open up a roster spot.
Mateychuk, 21, is a key young defenseman for the Blue Jackets. He’s their No. 3 defenseman in terms of ice time this season, averaging 20:20 per game including 2:12 on the penalty kill. He’s also managed to score eight goals and 21 points in 44 games.
Ottawa Senators Recall Stephen Halliday
The Ottawa Senators announced today that forward Stephen Halliday has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators. Ottawa had an open spot on their 23-man active roster, meaning Halliday was able to be recalled without a corresponding move.
Today’s transaction returns Halliday to the Senators’ NHL roster under two weeks removed from his original reassignment. Halliday spent most of late November through early January skating in the Senators’ lineup. The 23-year-old scored six points in 18 games, averaging 8:12 time on ice per game, including 2:04 per game on the power play.
A 2022 second-round pick out of the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, Halliday had a strong NCAA career with Ohio State before turning pro in the spring of 2024. He has been thoroughly impressive in the pro ranks, scoring 51 points in 71 games as an AHL rookie last year, and 26 points in 22 AHL games this year.
The 6-foot-4 center entered the season seen as one of Ottawa’s more promising prospects. He was ranked the club’s No. 4 prospect by Daily Faceoff, and No. 7 in their system by Elite Prospects, with both outlets projecting middle-six potential for Halliday.
Now back in the NHL, the goal for Halliday will be to earn a more substantial role than the one he received during his last stint in Ottawa. While he got a solid amount of power play time, he barely played at even strength. Halliday has every physical tool necessary to be able to make a shift-by-shift impact on the ice, and this transaction today will give him the opportunity to prove that.
As a pending RFA whose entry-level contract is set to expire at the end of the year, Halliday has every incentive to string together quality NHL performances and secure his place in Ottawa’s future plans.
Morning Notes: Sherwood, McTavish, McMann
The San Jose Sharks surrendered a pair of second-round picks in order to acquire veteran forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks, and though he is a pending UFA, the club has made efforts to sign Sherwood to an extension that would keep him in San Jose beyond just this upcoming spring. According to Chris Johnston on TSN’s Insider Trading segment, initial talks between the Sharks and Sherwood’s camp, which is led by Judd Moldaver of Wasserman, have not borne fruit.
Johnston reported that “there is still a pretty big gap between where the Sharks see Sherwood’s next contract going, and what he and his agent think is fair,” and added that Sherwood’s camp believes they can push for as much as $30MM on a long-term deal for Sherwood. The 30-year-old winger has 17 goals this season and is one of the NHL’s most effective players in terms of racking up hits. Whether the Sharks will ultimately be able to reach an agreement with Sherwood is still unknown, but the key for Sherwood will be to return to full health and then hit the ground running in San Jose.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish was a late scratch by the team before last night’s contest against the Colorado Avalanche, with the team revealing he suffered an upper-body injury. Head coach Joel Quenneville addressed McTavish’s status with the media postgame, telling assembled reporters (including The Hockey News’ Derek Lee) that he doesn’t at this point know for exactly how long McTavish’s injury will sideline him, but believes the ailment is not too serious. Any extended absence for McTavish would deal a real blow to the Ducks, as the 22-year-old pivot has been a key contributor with 30 points in 49 games this season.
- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann has been a real developmental success story for the organization, rising from undrafted Colgate University product and ECHLer to NHL 20-goal scorer. The hard-working 29-year-old has 15 goals and 25 points this season, and is scoring at a 25-goal, 42-point 82-game scoring pace. He’s a pending UFA, and has lined himself up to receive a significant pay raise. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported yesterday that the Maple Leafs are exploring the possibility of signing McMann to an extension, and he speculated that the price tag on McMann could reach as high as $5MM per year.
Kraken Open To Trading Shane Wright
The Seattle Kraken are reportedly open to trading 2022 No. 4 overall pick Shane Wright as they pursue adding an impactful top-six scorer, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Pagnotta wrote yesterday that the Kraken have “been searching for a top-six forward,” and believe including Wright in a deal could be the key to landing a caliber of player that makes a real impact on their team.
That Seattle is even considering trading Wright would have been a stunning development before the start of the 2025-26 season.
Entering the season, Wright looked well on the way to becoming a long-term core piece in Seattle.
His development path in years prior endured a few stops and starts, but 2024-25 was Wright’s first campaign as a full-time NHLer, and he blossomed.
He scored 19 goals and 44 points, the second-most points by a Kraken center and production that was just seven points behind 2022 No. 1 pick Juraj Slafkovsky.
Wright’s encouraging NHL campaign ensured he was viewed as a key cog in the Kraken’s future plans. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked him as a top-25 U23 player in the entire NHL, writing that Wright “has no noticeable flaw in his toolkit” and “could be a second-line center on a top team or a fringe 1C on a lesser team.”
In a league where quality centers are always in high demand, he looked to be an asset for the Kraken that got as close to “untouchable” status as anyone on their roster. The belief was that Wright and 2023 Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers would form a formidable backbone of two-way centers through whom the Kraken could anchor their forward lineup.
Wright’s 2025-26 season has, unfortunately, appeared to change the team’s calculus looking into the future. While Wright saw real developmental gains under former head coach Dan Bylsma, that momentum appears to have largely stalled under new coach Lane Lambert, even as Lambert keeps the Kraken in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
The hope for Wright was that after finishing the year as one of Seattle’s top scorers despite earning just 14:04 time on ice per game, he might be able to earn a greater role in his sophomore campaign, and something that could consequently power an even greater developmental leap.
That has not happened so far. In fact, it’s been the opposite. Wright has struggled to gain a foothold in Lambert’s lineup, averaging just 13:43 time on ice per game, with a second-unit role on the power play and no role on the penalty kill.
For a variety of reasons, including his role, Wright’s production has declined steeply. He’s scored 17 points in 49 games, which is just a 28-point 82-game scoring pace. His shooting percentage appears to be a major culprit, as he converted shots into goals at a nearly 21% rate last season, but is hovering at 9.3% this year.
Wright’s shooting ability was generally assessed by scouts to be his most high-end offensive tool, so the fact that he is struggling to find the back of the net this season only compounds concerns about the current state of his development.
With Wright’s current situation in mind, it can’t be a huge surprise to see his name surfacing in trade rumors. It may have come as a great surprise entering the season, but Wright’s development appears to have stalled to the point where a trade is only a natural thing to consider.
Whether that would be the best idea for the Kraken is, of course, a matter of debate.
On one hand, Wright remains an undeniably talented center on a team still short of high-end pivots. While his struggles this season may have shifted his projection in the eyes of some evaluators, the reality is he is still just 22 years old. There’s still reason to believe he can end up becoming the high-end second-line center scouts have long believed he’d develop into.
Impactful two-way top-six centers don’t grow on trees, and any deal involving one, even a potential future player for that role, becomes a difficult deal to win.
Trading Wright this season would also be, undeniably, “selling low” on a player who was a premium draft pick and high-end prospect. This season has been the low point of Wright’s career since being drafted, so it would be an inopportune time for Seattle to trade him, from a pure value standpoint.
On the other hand, the Kraken could badly use a dynamic offensive creator, and even the high end of Wright’s projection doesn’t include a realistic possibility of him becoming one. Centers are in demand across the NHL to a severe degree, and even with his struggles in 2025-26, Wright still figures to command a significant amount of value if dealt. There’s no doubt that if he were dangled in a trade, the Kraken would have the buying power to be able to land the kind of winger that fits their clear need for a dynamic offensive creator.
When considering what kind of player the Kraken could target if they indeed shop Wright, they could either leverage his age, pedigree, and positional value to land a more established scorer than Wright is at this moment (perhaps even adding other assets to swing a deal for as high-end of a target as possible), or they could target a winger in a similar developmental situation to Wright who happens to better fit the kind of talent profile they’re targeting.
If they elect to pursue the latter tactic, a name such as Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson checks a lot of boxes. He was the No. 5 pick of the draft before Wright’s, and like Wright, appeared to be nearing “untouchable” status in his market after 2024-25.
He scored 57 points in 68 games, looking every bit like the hyper-skilled, dynamic offensive creator he was drafted to be. Also like Wright, Johnson’s 2025-26 season has been virtually unrecognizable compared to the year prior.
A player such as Johnson, even with his struggles this season, would require a significant trade asset in order to pry loose — which is where Wright could come into the picture. The idea of a Wright/Johnson deal is entirely speculative, of course, as there have been no firm reports of who Seattle might be targeting specifically.
But when examining the league-wide landscape for players who could be a fit in a Wright deal, his name emerges as an intriguing possibility, as both players look like they could benefit from a change-of-scenery transaction.
Regardless of what player Seattle might target — or if they end up even trading Wright at all — Pagnotta’s report underscores how important Wright is to the Kraken’s future.
He’s either going to get his development back on track and become a valuable two-way pivot in Seattle, or the team will leverage his trade value to acquire an impactful roster addition. Either way, his progress is one of the key storylines to watch in Seattle moving forward.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Injury Notes: Letang, Huberdeau, McTavish
Pittsburgh Penguins fixture Kris Letang is absent tonight in Calgary as reported by Josh Yohe, Penguins Beat Writer.
The 38-year-old was listed as questionable yesterday, due to an upper-body injury. It’s not immediately clear what caused the ailment, as Letang continues to play heavy minutes, his 22:01 average standing as second-most on the team, behind Erik Karlsson, who is also injured and out tonight. With 25 points in 48 games, it will be the first contest of 2025-26 the Pens will not have Letang in the lineup.
Winners of six out of their last 10, firmly in the playoff hunt, Pittsburgh must turn to Jack St. Ivany, who has served as a depth defenseman this year. Ryan Graves will also remain on the third pairing, the 30-year-old eager to get on track after his struggles resulted in demotion to the AHL. Still on the outside looking in with an unmovable contract, Graves has been called upon due to the numerous injuries on the back end.
Both Letang and Karlsson figure to be back by Sunday as the group travels to Vancouver.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Shortly before tonight’s game against the shorthanded Penguins, the Calgary Flames shared that Jonathan Huberdeau is day-to-day with a lower body injury, and will not play. Missing in warm-ups, it was briefly speculated that the $10.5MM man could have been scratched, not entirely out of the realm of possibility, but instead he will miss his sixth of the campaign due to an injury. After a step forward last season where he recorded 62 points, good for second best on the team, this year has not been kind to the 32-year-old. He has just 21 points in 44 games, but as the Flames rank second-to-last in offense, Huberdeau still ranks sixth on team scoring totals. Martin Pospisil, recalled yesterday, will make his season debut, coming back from an upper-body injury sustained in the preseason. Huberdeau will look to be healthy by Friday, as the Flames host the Capitals.
- Ahead of tonight’s game at Colorado, the Anaheim Ducks updated that Mason McTavish won’t play due to an upper-body injury, while Jansen Harkins enters the lineup. The news was unexpected, as McTavish has not yet missed a game all year, finding the back of the net in each of his last two games. The 22-year-old has 30 points in 49 games, somewhat surpassed in a group of dynamic young forwards, but still a key contributor. Having won four in a row, Anaheim’s center depth has taken a major hit as star Leo Carlsson is out three to five weeks. The group will hope to have McTavish back by Friday in Seattle, but tonight is a tough test against the top team in the league.
Evening Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Abols, Whitecloud
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced mid-game that Oliver Ekman-Larsson won’t return due to a lower-body injury.
Ekman-Larsson did not come out to start the second period against Detroit. He was seen battling with Lucas Raymond for a loose puck, where the defenseman seemed to catch an edge awkwardly.
Dealing with health issues over the last few years, the 34-year-old has been durable this year, not yet missing a game, a distinction shared only with teammate John Tavares. With 31 points in 50 games, Ekman-Larsson has had his best output since 2018-19, although seasons since then were shortened from injury. He has averaged 20:54 a night, leaned on in all situations, as a top pairing defender on both the power play and penalty kill.
He had another lower-body injury scare in December, but avoided missing any time.
The veteran of 1,108 games is expected to help lead Team Sweden in the upcoming Olympic Games, but such could be in jeopardy with tonight’s news. The Swedes are already dealing with a shake up, as just yesterday, it became apparent that Jonas Brodin, another left-handed defender, would likely miss the Olympics along with forward Leo Carlsson.
Options such as Mattias Ekholm, Hampus Lindholm, and Simon Edvisson are thought to be replacements for Brodin if needed, and possibly, another of the trio could come along to Milan if Ekman-Larsson will miss time. Both Sweden and the Maple Leafs will hope such is not the case. Toronto is back in action on Friday, hosting Vegas.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Kevin Kurz of The Athletic shared additional details on Philadelphia Flyers forward Rodrigo Abols’ injury. The 30-year-old suffered a fractured right ankle, and according to Kurz, there is a chance he could make a return by the “final month or so of the regular season”. Abols landed on injured reserve on Sunday, with what was considered a lower-body injury, but the incident against the Rangers last Saturday appeared to be a gruesome leg injury, immediately serious. With the Flyers still in the Wild Card hunt, losing their steady fourth line center was a tough blow. 28-year-old Lane Pederson was recalled in a corresponding transaction, and figures to fill in for now. Also with Olympics implications, Abols unfortunately will not get to appear for Team Latvia next month.
- New Calgary Flames blueliner Zach Whitecloud could have a short stay in Calgary, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period wrote that “several teams” reached out. Acquired from Vegas in Sunday’s Rasmus Andersson deal, Pagnotta emphasized Whitecloud’s very manageable $2.75MM cap hit, which runs through 2027-28. The longtime Golden Knight played 22:33 in his Calgary debut in a top pairing role, evident that he is valuable to the retooling club as a solid stop-gap capable of eating minutes. GM Craig Conroy has no reason to rush into such a move, but strong offers later in the spring may bring intrigue, especially with top prospect righty Zayne Parekh in waiting.