Penguins, Evgeni Malkin Expected To Discuss Extension
The Penguins are presumed to sit down with icon Evgeni Malkin and discuss an extension before the NHL season starts again next Wednesday, as outlined by David Pagnotta in an article published by The Fourth Period.
According to Pagnotta, prior to the Olympic break, it had been planned that GM Kyle Dubas and Malkin’s agent J.P. Barry would work through their options. It has yet to happen, but there’s still a plan to do so, at least laying the groundwork for a new contract which could be finalized down the road. Naturally, Malkin’s status has been a major story in Pittsburgh this season, and after this week, both sides should have a stronger indication of what’s next.
As difficult as it is to imagine the 39-year-old wearing anything else other than the black and yellow, 20 years into his Penguins tenure, the club has missed the playoffs in each of their last three seasons. Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff round since 2018, when Phil Kessel was still dishing it around on Malkin’s wing at an elite level.
Former GM Ron Hextall’s efforts to keep the window open proved futile, leaving Dubas with the difficult situation of simultaneously building toward the future, while doing the team’s beloved stars right and not letting them go out quietly.
All of that to say, there was enough reason to speculate if the core had one more run left in them, or if Malkin and Sidney Crosby could split before it is all said and done. Instead, to the credit of Dubas, the Pens are well on their way back to the postseason. Not all of the former Toronto executive’s moves have panned out perfectly, but if anything, the team’s revival is a testament to the legend of Malkin and Crosby. Just last month, it was starting to become apparent that the predicament was fading away, and an extension should materialize.
A -24 last season with 50 points in 68 games, Geno has turned the page in 2025-26, currently at over a point-per-game production in 41 contests. His metrics at even strength have dipped, just below the 50% mark in corsi for in all situations, but Malkin remains elite on the power play and still a vital top six contributor.
Outlined in the article, Malkin is likely willing to take a pay cut from his current $6.1MM value on a one-year extension, taking him through 2026-27, which is also Crosby’s final year signed. Such will have to be worked out in the coming weeks, but in all likelihood, Penguins fans can look ahead to a proper final chapter for their franchise giants of the 21st century.
Image Credit: Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Flyers Reassign Oliver Bonk, Hunter McDonald, Carson Bjarnason
Feb. 19: The Flyers announced they’ve returned Bonk, McDonald, and goaltender Carson Bjarnason to Lehigh Valley today. They’ll get into AHL game action over the weekend after getting a day’s worth of NHL practice time.
Feb. 18: The Flyers have recalled defensemen Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald from AHL Lehigh Valley as expected, per a team announcement. They’ll get some practice reps in while Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen are still representing their countries at the Olympics.
While Bonk likely won’t be sticking around past the next week, it’s still a nice reward for Philly’s top-ranked defense prospect. Viewed as the only future top-four piece in their pipeline, the 21-year-old has had a trying first professional season. An upper-body injury sustained during rookie camp kept him out of the lineup until December. Since returning, he’s had two goals and six points with a -5 rating in 22 games for Lehigh Valley.
Bonk was the 22nd overall selection in 2023. He’s a two-time OHL champion with the London Knights and recorded 150 points in 189 career junior games with a +88 rating across four seasons. The early lack of offensive production in the AHL likely isn’t too concerning for the Flyers, who drafted the right-shot Bonk as more of a defensive-oriented two-way piece, but they’ll look to continue to grow his defensive game in the minors until likely giving him a more extended look on the roster in either 2026-27 or 2027-28.
McDonald, also a shutdown-type piece, got a brief recall in January while Rasmus Ristolainen was sidelined, but was scratched in three games before being returned to Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old 6’4″ lefty has five assists and a +9 rating in 40 games for the Phantoms this year.
Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators
With the Olympic break upon us, the trade deadline is under a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? After looking at teams at the ends of the standings, we shift our focus to teams fighting for a playoff spot. Next up are the Senators.
The Senators are in a very tough spot as we approach the trade deadline. The team was built to compete this season, but it has failed to build on last season’s playoff appearance and risks regressing. Ottawa has a small competitive window left to win something of substance and isn’t likely to punt on this season, especially given that they don’t currently have a first-round pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch has hinted that Ottawa would rather add than subtract from its roster, which makes sense given that Ottawa was heating up in the weeks leading up to the Olympics. If the Senators can get some goaltending down the stretch, they will be in the hunt for a wild-card spot. That being said, should they add to their lineup, stand pat, or sell off their pending UFAs?
Record
28-22-7, 6th in the Atlantic (42.2% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Conservative Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$13.95MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: BUF 2nd, OTT 3rd, FLA 3rd, WSH 3rd, OTT 5th, OTT 6th,
2027: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th,
Trade Chips
If the Senators opted to sell off this season, they would have no shortage of pieces to move, including forwards David Perron, Lars Eller, Nick Cousins, and Claude Giroux, as well as defenseman Nick Jensen. PHR covered that angle a month ago, when it looked as though the Senators were headed for a sell-off, but now they may have positioned themselves to be buyers if they can keep rolling. But do they have any assets that could be moved to acquire talent that can help this season?
Ottawa doesn’t have much, but they have a few pieces that could be moved to acquire more talent. The first name that comes to mind for anyone familiar with Ottawa’s prospect system is Carter Yakemchuk. The 20-year-old defenseman is the Senators’ top prospect and currently plays for their AHL affiliate in Belleville, where he is having a solid first professional season. To put it bluntly, Ottawa isn’t moving Yakemchuk for any short-term gains and may not be inclined to move him at all. If they had a move available to address both their short- and long-term futures, they might be open to it, but for now, he is likely staying put.
Outside of Yakemchuk, the Senators have a few other prospects they might be more willing to move, including another defenseman, Logan Hensler. The Senators’ 2025 first-round pick (23rd overall) is currently in his second season in the NCAA with the University of Wisconsin. He has already matched his point total from all of last season (12) in just 23 games. Hensler’s game is quite different from that of Yakemchuk in that he plays a safe, steady game focused on gap control, an active stick, and using his explosiveness to make defensive recoveries. Hensler is well-suited to play alongside a defenseman like Yakemchuk, who is more offensively minded and gifted. Should Ottawa make Hensler available in a trade, he is the kind of player who could be the big piece in a package that includes draft picks and other players.
In the crease, the Senators have run the course with goaltender Mads Sogaard, and it certainly feels like his time with Ottawa needs to end soon. The former second-round pick has not shown much in his last two professional seasons, after a stellar start to his AHL career from 2020 to 2023. Sogaard is now 25, and although the Senators don’t exactly have a deep prospect pool in the crease, it seems likely they will non-tender him this summer. Given that trajectory, it makes sense for Ottawa to move him before the deadline (hopefully) for a late-round pick or let him walk in the summer for nothing. Sogaard isn’t going to fetch much of a return, but Ottawa could pair the pick with other assets to facilitate a bigger move elsewhere.
Shifting up front to the forwards, Stephen Halliday has been a nice story this season for the Senators. The 2022 fourth-round pick (104th overall) was an overage draft pick when Ottawa selected him, and he has had a terrific start to his professional career. The Senators have rewarded his progression by giving him 25 NHL games this year, and Halliday, in turn, has rewarded the Senators’ trust in him by tallying four goals and seven assists while averaging just over eight minutes per game. Halliday’s skating isn’t great, but his size and offensive skill set would be desirable to a team looking to add good young talent to its prospect pool.
Team Needs
A Top Six Center: Ottawa had hoped that last year’s trade-deadline acquisition, Fabian Zetterlund, could slide into a role in the Senators’ top six. However, that hasn’t been the case, as Zetterlund has struggled this season and has been relegated to fourth-line duties alongside Eller. The 26-year-old isn’t much of a play driver, but he has fared better in this department this season despite his demotion. Zetterlund can skate well and could likely play in Ottawa’s top six if needed, but at the moment, he’s been a disappointment this year. With his play moving him down the lineup, it’s become clear that Ottawa could use a top-six forward to bump some of their other players back to a more suitable role. Some fans might point to a veteran like Perron as a potential candidate for the top two lines, but given his age and recent injury history, that is not a safe bet. Ottawa doesn’t need to sell the farm to make an addition, and it probably wouldn’t be in on any of the trio of St. Louis Blues who are available (Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, or Brayden Schenn). However, Ottawa could afford to target a player like Michael Bunting of the Nashville Predators or Andrew Mangiapane of the Edmonton Oilers. Both of those players are having down years, but perhaps an opportunity in Ottawa’s top six might reignite their play this year.
A 1B Goaltender: Linus Ullmark is a terrific NHL goaltender who has had a great career. He’s dealt with a lot this season, and unfortunately, it has affected his play on the ice. Had Ottawa received league-average goaltending this season, it would be comfortably in a playoff position at the moment, instead of sixth in its division. The Senators don’t have the assets to acquire another starting goaltender. Still, they could find a more consistent backup, or ideally, a 1B goaltender who can take more starts and allow Ullmark to work through his game without the pressure of shouldering the bulk of the goaltending load. The name Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild has been thrown around quite often in online forums. Still, the Senators probably don’t have the trade capital to make that move, particularly given that the Wild are looking for center help and Ottawa likely doesn’t want to part with any of their young, cost-controlled centers (nor should they).
Photo by Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Red Wings Reassign Dominik Shine, Sheldon Dries
Feb. 19, 1:49 p.m.: Both Shine and Dries are headed back to Grand Rapids after today’s practice, the team announced.
Feb. 19, 8:56 a.m.: While Detroit quietly returned Watson and Dries to Grand Rapids after Tuesday’s practice, they’ve brought Dries back up today, along with Dominik Shine, per a team announcement. Shine, 32, has been in Detroit’s system since signing with Grand Rapids as a free agent out of Northern Michigan University in 2027 and finally made his NHL debut last season. In 2025-26, he’s assumed the captaincy for Grand Rapids and is having a career year, scoring 21 goals in only 35 games.
Feb. 17: The Red Wings announced they’ve recalled forwards Austin Watson and Sheldon Dries from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. They’ll help the team fill out its practices this week until their contingent of Olympians returns to the squad.
Watson is a veteran of 528 NHL games, although none of them have come this season. The 34-year-old joined Detroit on a two-way deal in 2024 after a lengthy run with the Predators, Senators, and Lightning as a fourth-line/press box option, but he’s spent most of his time in the organization in the minors. After playing just 13 NHL games last year, he re-upped on a two-way extension and has suited up exclusively for Grand Rapids this year since clearing waivers during training camp.
While the Michigan native wasn’t more than a standard 10-to-20-point enforcer at the NHL level, he does have a tangible offensive impact in the minors. He racked up 42 points and 112 penalty minutes in 60 contests for the Griffins last year and has clicked at a similar but reduced pace in 2025-26. Through 39 games, he’s 10th on the team in scoring with 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) with a team-high 123 PIMs.
Dries, also a hometown signing, recently inked a two-year, two-way extension that will keep him in the Motor City through 2027-28. He was recalled twice last month under emergency conditions but has still yet to suit up for an NHL team since 2022-23 with the Canucks. Now in his ninth professional season, he has 277 points in 378 career AHL games – including a 17-16–33 scoring line in 39 games with Grand Rapids this year as an alternate captain.
Kings Recall Kirill Kirsanov, Erik Portillo
The Kings announced they’ve recalled defenseman Kirill Kirsanov and goaltender Erik Portillo from AHL Ontario. Netminder Pheonix Copley was returned to Ontario after being recalled yesterday in the corresponding move.
Kirsanov gets a look in an NHL practice today while Drew Doughty is still in Italy representing Team Canada at the Olympics. The 23-year-old is in the first season of his entry-level contract, waiting four years after L.A. drafted him in the third round in 2021 to come over from his native Russia. While the 6’2″ lefty struggled to hold down a regular role in the KHL, he’s looked the part so far in Ontario. A stable two-way presence, he’s put up four goals and 11 points with a +8 rating in 47 games.
Portillo, who’s essentially usurped Copley as the No. 3 goalie on the Kings’ depth chart, will get his turn in practice today with Darcy Kuemper absent. After a tough showing last year, the 25-year-old has squarely outperformed Copley in the minors this season and has a .905 SV% and 2.45 GAA in 19 games. That’s been good for a 13-3-1 record and one shutout behind one of the AHL’s best offensive clubs.
Bruins Willing To Listen On Andrew Peeke
The Bruins won’t embark on the near full-scale teardown they did at last year’s deadline when they shipped out Brandon Carlo and Brad Marchand for futures. They’re in the thick of the playoff race this time around and come out of the break with a 61% chance of clinching a berth, per MoneyPuck.
That won’t completely preclude the B’s from listening to offers on roster players if it helps them replenish their long-uninspiring prospect pool, though. They’re willing to part ways with pending unrestricted free agent Andrew Peeke to help them add to their prospect and pick arsenal, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic wrote this week.
The other notable pending UFA in Boston’s ranks is winger Viktor Arvidsson. He’s played a key role on their second line this season, though, and his 14 goals and 28 points in 45 games are valuable for a team light on scoring depth. They “would not be as quick to break up their second line if the return is for a mid- to late-round selection,” Shinzawa writes on Arvidsson.
Boston gave up a third-round pick, plus depth piece Jakub Zboril, to acquire Peeke from the Blue Jackets at the 2023 deadline. He wasn’t a rental at the time, having inked a three-year, $8.25MM extension with Columbus in the prior training camp. Since he doesn’t have any term left, Boston likely won’t be able to recoup as much value as they paid for him unless the trade market takes a big swing toward sellers.
That said, Peeke is having his best season as a Bruin. After slotting as their third-pairing right D behind Charlie McAvoy and Carlo last year, he’s assumed second-pairing shutdown duties with Hampus Lindholm with Carlo out of the picture. That pairing has been woeful offensively but has done its job in preventing chances against, allowing only 2.43 expected goals against per 60 minutes. That’s fourth out of Boston’s 13 pairings with at least 60 minutes of ice time together.
The bump in role has led to increased ice time, with Peeke averaging over 19 minutes per game for the first time since the 2022-23 season. He’s recorded a 4-8–12 scoring line in 56 games with a -7 rating. Peeke, who turns 28 next month, also leads the Bruins with 101 blocks and ranks seventh with 67 hits.
Capitals To Activate Connor McMichael From Injured Reserve
Capitals forward Connor McMichael told reporters today, including Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network, that he’ll come off injured reserve and return to Washington’s lineup when their schedule resumes next Wednesday against the Flyers. The Caps still have nearly a week to make the formal roster move, which will require a corresponding transaction.
McMichael has been out of commission since sustaining an undisclosed injury against the Red Wings three weeks ago. Thanks to the timing of the injury, he only missed the final four games before the Olympic break.
The 25-year-old has bounced around Washington’s top nine quite a bit this season, and he’ll face some increased competition for ice time coming out of the break after Pierre-Luc Dubois returned from abdominal surgery in the Caps’ last appearance. McMichael spent most of last season on the left wing on a line with Dubois and Tom Wilson. Aliaksei Protas has been in that slot when Dubois has been healthy this year, so it stands to reason McMichael could re-enter the picture on the right side of Washington’s top line with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Those two have seen a rotating cast of wingers, including Anthony Beauvillier and Ethen Frank, while Dubois was out.
While McMichael’s ice time has increased to a career-high 17:03 per game this season, his production has cooled off after a breakout 2024-25 campaign. A lot of that has to do with his shooting percentage nearly halving, dropping from 14.7% last year to 7.6%. He’s only lit the lamp eight times through 55 games as a result, but has added 23 assists for 31 points, ranking seventh on the team in scoring.
After a wild 111-point regular season, the Capitals have received inverse puck luck in 2025-26. They’re shooting just around league average and, despite having above-average offense and defense with a +12 goal differential, entered the break with the 12th-best record in the Eastern Conference based on points percentage. They have a four-point gap to make up with negative games in hand to get back into the playoff picture, something MoneyPuck only gives them a 34.6% chance of being able to pull off.
Predators Recall Matt Murray
The Predators announced they’ve recalled goaltender Matt Murray from AHL Milwaukee. He’ll supplement Justus Annunen as a practice goaltender while Juuse Saros continues representing Finland at the Olympics as they advance to the semifinals.
Murray, 28, is in his second season serving as Nashville’s third-stringer and AHL starter. The 2021 NCAA national championship winner with UMass joined the Preds on a two-way deal in 2024 after being non-tendered by the Stars. After being named an AHL Second-Team All-Star last season while leading the league with a .932 SV% in 43 games, he re-upped with Nashville on a two-year, two-way deal that more than doubled his minors salary.
The Alberta native’s numbers have regressed significantly this season. He’s still a serviceable starting option for Milwaukee, but with a .904 SV% and 2.86 GAA in 29 showings with a 12-14-2 record, he doesn’t jump off the page. He still carries value as a veteran call-up option with at least a handful of NHL experience, making four starts for Dallas in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns. He owns a 2-2-0 record, one shutout, and a .885 SV% across his career at the top level.
Murray remains under contract through next season, presumably still as the top call-up option if Saros or Annunen become unavailable. He’s in his fifth professional season after debuting with AHL Texas down the stretch in 2021-22.
Maple Leafs Recall Bo Groulx
The Maple Leafs announced they’ve recalled center Benoit-Olivier Groulx from AHL Toronto. He’ll join the team for today’s practice with forward Max Domi absent due to personal reasons, in addition to Auston Matthews remaining unavailable as he looks to captain Team USA to a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
Groulx, 26, was a second-round pick by the Ducks in 2018. He has 65 NHL games to his name, all coming with Anaheim from 2021-24. After making a career-high 45 appearances in the 2023-24 campaign, the Ducks non-tendered him. He’s spent the last two seasons exclusively in the AHL on NHL. deals, first on a two-way pact with the Rangers in 2024-25 before signing a two-year, one-way, league-minimum deal with Toronto last summer.
The 6’2″, 205-lb pivot has only demonstrated limited offensive upside in the NHL but has been one of the best two-way forwards in the minors over the last two seasons. Once named the QMJHL’s best defensive forward during his junior days, he’s racked up 22 goals and 42 points in 47 games to lead the Marlies in scoring, along with a +9 rating.
He’ll now look to make a strong impression in whatever practice deployment he gets to boost his chances of a call-up heading into next season. Since he signed a two-year deal, his $812,500 cap hit next season will actually be less than the new league minimum of $850,000.
Oilers Assign Alec Regula On Conditioning Loan
The Edmonton Oilers announced that defenseman Alec Regula has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, on a conditioning loan.
The move will allow Regula to get into some games over a maximum of a two-week period. The 25-year-old defenseman has been a frequent healthy scratch, and has not played since Jan. 20. Both Regula and the Oilers are likely hoping to get him into some games as he hasn’t played very much stretching back to last season.
Regula arrived in Edmonton off of waivers from the Boston Bruins in Dec. 2024, but missed all of the 2024-25 campaign with a knee injury.
This season, Regula has gotten into 29 games for the Oilers. He’s scored three points and is averaging 14:28 time on ice per game, including 0:49 per game on the penalty kill. He’s under contract for another season at a two-way rate with a $450K AHL salary, so the Oilers will hope he can build some confidence at the AHL level and translate that to his time on the NHL roster once he’s recalled from his conditioning stint.