Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils
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? We continue our look around the league at teams on the playoff bubble, next up: the Devils.
This season hasn’t gone as anyone hoped in New Jersey. After rebounding from a disappointing 2023-24 campaign to make the postseason again last year for the second time in the Jack Hughes era, they looked to be well on their way to their first consecutive playoff appearances since 1997-2010 after starting the campaign 8-1-0. Since that torrid start, though, they’re 20-26-2 and entered the break on a three-game skid. Breaking through the crowded Eastern Conference field, even if they go on a tear, to make the playoffs at this point is unreasonable. That said, with a skilled base and multiple long-term commitments on the books, a full teardown won’t be in the cards.
Record
28-27-2, 7th in the Metropolitan (2.4% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Short-term sellers/long-term buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$7.66MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: NJD 1st, NJD 2nd, WPG 4th, NJD 5th, NJD 6th
2027: NJD 1st, NJD 2nd, NJD 4th, NJD 5th, NJD 7th
Trade Chips
The Devils already made a move this month, swinging a deal for veteran center Nick Bjugstad from the Blues on the last day before the Olympic roster freeze. Given Bjugstad’s under contract through next season, it was more of a cheap add to fill out their bottom-six forward depth for 2026-27, more than anything else.
General manager Tom Fitzgerald could make similar pickups before March 6. With the playoffs out of reach and New Jersey’s arsenal of mid-to-late-round draft picks over the next couple of years looking light, though, he’d be remiss not to examine the market for his few pending UFAs.
That list is short, at least among those in the NHL right now: forwards Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Zack MacEwen. New Jersey was hoping Dadonov could have been a shrewd veteran pickup on a one-year deal in free agency last summer, but hand and wrist issues have cost him most of the season. That’s interrupted his confidence, and he’s a -3 rating with no points in 17 games as a result. Contenders may nonetheless take note of his decent playoff showings for the Stars over the last few seasons, though, plus the fact that he put up 20 goals and 40 points in a third-line role just last year.
Glendening has already been largely rendered redundant by the Bjugstad pickup. The former has struggled as New Jersey’s fourth-line pivot after a successful professional tryout in training camp, limited to four assists in 52 games with a -11 rating. Even for a defense-first bottom-six piece like Glendening, that’s disappointing output on both ends. He’s not providing any penalty-killing value, averaging a career-low 9:54 of ice time per game, and has won 51.7% of his draws after hovering near 60% for much of the last few years. While Dadonov could have some intrigue, there likely won’t be any callers on Glendening.
MacEwen has only suited up in three NHL contests this year because of injuries, but he’s accumulated 240 games of NHL experience and could fill a token enforcer role for a contender looking to beef up their 13th forward spot.
Long-term cap space is something of a concern for the Devils. Arseny Gritsyuk needs a new deal this summer, and captain Nico Hischier‘s deal is up in 2027, along with Dawson Mercer‘s. It would make sense for New Jersey to consider moving a player with term at a position of excess if the deal lowered their cap spend while getting at least some NHL-ready talent in return. They already made a similar swap by sending Ondřej Palát to the Islanders for Maxim Tsyplakov, although they had to attach a mid-round pick to do so.
There are multiple candidates on defense who jump out. Dougie Hamilton has seen his name pop up in rumors for the Devils to clear cap space as far back as last offseason, but his no-movement clause – which runs until the deal expires in 2027-28 – has allowed him to block at least one deal. For his $9MM cap hit and limited defensive utility, teams would want to see more production than the seven goals and 21 points he has in 52 games this season, too.
Johnathan Kovacevic earned a five-year, $20MM extension off his breakout 2024-25 campaign, but knee surgery has limited him to two assists and a -6 rating in 11 games. Getting a team to take on a four-year risk without seeing more of a post-surgery sample size might be difficult, though.
Team Needs
Goaltending Help: Jacob Markström simply hasn’t been a passable starting option this season. With a two-year, $12MM extension set to kick in next year, that’s a problem. He’s posted a .882 SV% in 30 games while allowing -10.9 goals above expected. Veteran Jake Allen remains a high-end 1B option but can’t handle more than 30 or so appearances a year. Third-stringer Nico Daws has been excellent in call-up action but is having a very difficult year in AHL Utica, where he owns a .881 SV% and 6-13-10 record in 28 games. 2024 second-rounder Mikhail Yegorov once looked like he could compete for NHL time as soon as next season, but he has taken a considerable step back with Boston University this year. That’s left the Devils in a tough spot organizationally, top to bottom. Moving Markström would be difficult, but attempting to swap Daws for someone who could serve in a three-goalie rotation with him and Allen might be worth exploring.
Depth Scoring: Everybody’s had a tough time finishing in Jersey this season outside of Hughes, who’s held up his end of the bargain with another point-per-game season. Injuries have limited him to just 36 appearances, though, and the Devils’ offense is in the basement as a result. At 2.51 goals per game, only the Flames are scoring at a lower rate. Sure, Jesper Bratt and Hischier and Timo Meier have all had offensive step-backs, but they’ve gotten minimal support from bottom-sixers like Paul Cotter (5 G, 10 P in 54 GP) and Stefan Noesen (3 G, 7 P in 38 GP). Adding a more consistent middle-six scoring option, either at center or on the wing, should help the push for a playoff spot next season as Bratt’s, Meier’s, and Hischier’s numbers rebound.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Islanders Sign Scott Reedy To AHL Tryout
The AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders have signed center Scott Reedy to a professional tryout, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. He has yet to play this season.
Reedy’s return to hockey comes over 11 months after his last appearance of any kind and nearly four years after his last NHL game. A fourth-round pick by the Sharks in 2017, he developed nicely over four seasons at the University of Minnesota and capped off his collegiate career with an All-Star, point-per-game campaign in 2020-21.
He turned pro and split the following season evenly between San Jose’s NHL and AHL clubs. He did well enough in a bottom-six role, scoring seven goals and a pair of assists in 35 games while seeing 11:11 of ice time per night. The speedy 6’2″ pivot also recorded 18 goals and 27 points in just 38 AHL games, leading to optimism he could be a solid depth contributor at the NHL level.
Reedy never got another chance, though. He was limited to five goals and 15 points in 38 AHL games the following season before being traded to the Stars. He was highly productive when healthy over the next season and a half, but was decimated by injuries. From his acquisition in March 2023 to the end of his contract following 2023-24, he only managed 30 appearances for AHL Texas while recording 11 goals and 17 points.
The Minnesota native went unqualified by the Stars that summer and ended up going unsigned until December, when he landed an AHL tryout from the Predators’ minor-league affiliate in Milwaukee. He finished out the year with four goals and nine points in 25 games before becoming a free agent again.
He’ll take the same pathway to playing time this time around, albeit with only about two months left in the campaign. He joins a much-improved Bridgeport roster that’s hovering around .500 this season after finishing with a disastrous 15-50-7 record in 2024-25.
Poll: Which Team Should Make The Biggest Push For Shane Wright?
A weak Western Conference has the hot-and-cold Kraken still squarely in contention for a playoff spot. Seattle had won six of eight entering the break, moving them into third in the Pacific Division and tied with the Ducks for the second wild-card slot (although the Kraken have three more regulation wins).
Despite teetering on the edge of a berth all season, general manager Jason Botterill’s overall deadline strategy appears to be as aggressive as possible. 2022 fourth overall pick Shane Wright is one name that could very well be on the move after reports last month indicated they were open to dangling him as the big fish to land a major upgrade for their top-six forward group.
While it would normally be surprising to see a team so uncertain of its short-term outlook being willing to dangle such a high-value young asset, Seattle has assembled a deep prospect pool over the last few years that can easily handle the loss of Wright. Even just considering centers, they’ve supplemented him with two more top-10 picks in Berkly Catton in 2024 and Jake O’Brien last year.
The desire to give Wright a fresh start elsewhere appears to come from both player and team. That makes sense considering Wright has had his ice time reduced from last season under first-year head coach Lane Lambert, despite coming off a strong 19-goal, 44-point effort in 79 games in his first extended look in NHL minutes in 2024-25.
As a result, this year his production has dipped to 11 goals and 22 points in 56 games. That’s a points-per-game decrease from 0.56 to 0.39, accompanied by a 10-second drop in ice time per game.
The Ontario native has also struggled in the two most important secondary areas for a center – faceoffs and possession control. He’s winning just 37.9% of his draws this year after hitting 44.4% last season while controlling 46.3% of shot attempts at even strength. The latter number is particularly disappointing considering he’s been given sheltered usage, starting over two-thirds of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Nonetheless, there are a few teams looking to move out a top-six piece that wouldn’t benefit from a 22-year-old center with the pedigree of being a top-five pick. Which sellers should be the most aggressive in trying to ensure they strike a deal with Kraken and recoup Wright?
Calgary Flames
Even among sellers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team with two tangible top-six forwards – with term – to use as trade chips. If Seattle wants to make a push for either Blake Coleman or Nazem Kadri, the Flames are asking for Wright as the starting piece of the return, especially for the latter.
They’ve done well to build out their prospect pool on defense (particularly the right side) and on the wings, but they’re missing a clear-cut top-six piece down the middle long-term, especially with Samuel Honzek appearing to shift to the wing full-time and Cole Reschny‘s slighter frame likely making him a better fit at left wing than center at the NHL level. They’re not currently icing a center under the age of 25 in the NHL, either, at least not with John Beecher injured.
Adding Wright gives them more hope down the middle long-term with greater offensive upside than a name like Honzek has been able to show in the pros thus far.
New York Rangers
Seattle made a big contract offer to Artemi Panarin but struck out with the winger deciding it was L.A. or bust. With the two clubs already having engaged in trade talks on the star winger, the Kraken might opt to put themselves in the conversation for Rangers middleman Vincent Trocheck as well.
For a team still in the earlier stages of a retool like the Rangers, they wouldn’t be too concerned with position when getting as high-value an asset as Wright back in a deal. Nonetheless, recouping a young, higher-ceiling center by March 6 would be a dream scenario for Blueshirts GM Chris Drury.
The Rangers’ arsenal of U23 potential top-six contributors at forward – Gabriel Perreault, Liam Greentree, and Malcolm Spence – are all wingers. Their best center prospect, 22-year-old Noah Laba, has operated as their third-line center for most of the year and, while he’s clearly made the jump to full-time NHLer status, has never been touted as anything more than a long-term 3C option.
With such a pressing positional need down the middle, especially if they’re intent on flipping Trocheck with several years left on his deal, Wright is a perfect addition.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues aren’t actively shopping Robert Thomas, but they are listening to offers. It will still take a gargantuan price tag – reported to be four first-round picks or equivalent assets – to land a deal, but the Kraken are well-positioned to do so with Wright ready to fill one of those four slots and four first-round picks available in the next two drafts.
Unlike for Calgary and New York, though, adding Wright down the middle would more signal a completion of the long-term puzzle down the middle than a much-needed jumpstart. Dalibor Dvorsky, still just 20 years old, has arrived this season as he looks to be a high-end second-line piece for St. Louis throughout his prime. Another recent first-rounder, Otto Stenberg, hasn’t looked out of place in NHL action this year, either.
Wright’s sluggish development so far wouldn’t solve the need for finding a bona fide first-line piece to serve as a direct replacement for Thomas, but he would give the Blues ample top-nine depth for their next playoff contention window.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are headed straight toward the best odds at the first overall pick in this year’s draft, in large part due to a lack of production from the middle of the ice. Their middle-six pivots for much of the year, David Kämpf and Aatu Räty, have combined for all of five goals.
They already picked up Marco Rossi from the Wild in the Quinn Hughes deal, but he’s battled through a broken foot this season and only had a goal and an assist in eight appearances for Vancouver before the break. There’s also the matter of star first-liner Elias Pettersson, who’s still struggled to get anywhere close to the heights of his 102-point breakout three years ago. He’s scoring at a 57-point pace this season, the worst of his career.
If Seattle wants to buy low on the high-priced pivot, Wright won’t have more opportunity at premier minutes anywhere else than in Vancouver.
If the Kraken do leverage Wright into a top-six upgrade, which team would stand to reap the most rewards? Have your say in the poll below:
Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs
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? We continue our look around the league at teams on the playoff bubble, next up: the Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs sit just six points out of a Wild Card spot with the Olympic break in full swing. Yet, the Maple Leafs season has felt far more disastrous, plagued by low-scoring stars and new faces unable to bring a spark. Toronto has tread water for much of the year and now face the difficult decision of whether to try and move up, or down, in the standings. Their stars are in their primes and playoffs are still in sight – but Toronto is also low on both assets and cap space. How they handle the 2026 Deadline could be the first push into new waters for the Maple Leafs organization.
Record
27-21-9 (6th in Atlantic Division)
Deadline Status
Sellers
Deadline Cap Space
$5.08MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts per Puckpedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: TOR 3rd, TOR 5th, SJS 6th
2027: TOR 2nd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, PHI 6th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th
Trade Chips
The Maple Leafs moved much of their remaining trade assets to bring in Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo at the 2025 Trade Deadline. One year later, Laughton could now sit at the top of Toronto’s market options – though certainly at a much cheaper price. He hasn’t found his footing in Toronto’s middle-six, with just 11 points in 39 games this season and 15 points in 59 games as a Maple Leaf. Laughton is also averaging just 13:43 in ice time on the year, his lowest mark since 2017-18. He still provides a veteran presence down the depth chart, and special-teams upside, that could be enough to sway a team looking to add to their bottom-six. After acquiring him for a prospect and a first-round pick, the Maple Leafs could hope to recoup a draft pick near the top of Day Two in another Laughton trade.
Toronto has two more options on the wings in Bobby McMann and Matias Maccelli. McMann has dug in a role in the Leafs’ middle-six with his breakaway speed and aggressive forechecking. He leads all Maple Leafs forwards in hits (126) and ranks sixth on the team in total scoring (32 points). It has, in some ways, been a career-year for the 29 year old, who seems to be finding his groove as the tenacious worker behind Toronto’s stars. That value and momentum could be both be shrewd adds on the open market, maybe even enough to swing Toronto back a roster player in the right package. Other teams will find a more skill-first – and surely, a cheaper – option in Maccelli. The speedster has been quiet in his first year with the Maple Leafs after a tremulous end to his time with the Utah Mammoth. He has 24 points and a minus-12 in 46 games this season. Maccelli projects as a bottom-six winger – even despite once reaching 40 assists in a single season. He is an upside buy who, like Laughton, could land enough of a return to help Toronto stock their cabinets.
Many of the remaining Maple Leafs veterans could find their way into trade discussions. Nicolas Roy has proven to be a standup, bottom-six center capable of playing both sides of the puck. He has 20 points and a plus-two in 54 games this season, making him one of only three Maple Leafs forwards with at least 20 points and a positive plus-minus. Roy has also won 53.6 percent of the 577 faceoffs he has taken this season. Toronto could also offer fourth-liners Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok to teams in need of more forwards.
Trade Needs
More Stake in the Future: With so little to offer, the primary focus of Toronto’s Deadline should be restocking their cabinets. The Leafs only have three picks in this year’s draft, which would tie their 2021 and 2023 classes for fewest in Maple Leafs history with no additions. Toronto made good work of those groups – landing Matthew Knies in the 2021 second-round and Easton Cowan in the 2023 first-round. But with so few prospects vying for NHL ice time, Toronto could benefit from giving their scouts a few more chances to find gems. The Maple Leafs could add two or three more picks before the fifth round by moving out some of their veterans on the fringe. Those deals would help Toronto hedge their bets for the rest of the 2020s, while also only expanding their space to land a big fish.
A Difference Maker: Even with Knies growing into the spot left by Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs still seem to be missing a true difference-maker in the lineup. Toronto’s focus should only shift to buying if they’re able to land a player who can step into the top-nine right away. Landing a big fish like Nazem Kadri or Robert Thomas would require capital that the Maple Leafs simply don’t have; while focusing on veteran leaders like Boone Jenner or Brayden Schenn would risk repeating the Laughton trade. Toronto will have to find a way to bridge the gap and land the needle-pushers in the market’s second-layer. Smart negotiating could be enough to pull former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault away from the struggling Nashville Predators for only a few picks. The same could be said about center Ryan O’Reilly who has no trade protection on his current deal – though chances of that are slim after his previous, and very brief, stint in Toronto. Instead, the Maple Leafs could look to pay a bit more for Vancouver Canucks wingers Conor Garland or Jake DeBrusk. Both bring strong impacts while Vancouver is certainly focused on the future after dealing away Quinn Hughes. Forwards Miroslav Holinka and Nicholas Moldenhauer could be interesting options to include in negotiations with some of the league’s rebuilders.
Ducks Prospect Lasse Boelius Out For Season
Ducks defense prospect Lasse Boelius will not play again this season due to an undisclosed injury, his Finnish team, Ässät, announced.
Drafted in the second round just last year, the Ducks were hoping the left-shot puck-mover could have a breakout season in his post-draft year. To some extent, that’s been the case. His production in Finland’s top flight doesn’t jump off the page – just eight points and a +2 rating in 40 games – but the fact that the 18-year-old has been able to carve out a semi-regular role in a top pro league in Europe is nonetheless a good sign.
Boelius was selected 60th overall with the Jets’ pick – Winnipeg dealt it to the Devils in the Tyler Toffoli deal and then flipped it to Anaheim for Brian Dumoulin at last year’s trade deadline. That was near the high end of where the 6’1″, 190-lb lefty was expected to go, and he doesn’t crack Anaheim’s top 10 or 15 prospects in any major ranking. He was nonetheless quite impressive for the Finns at this year’s World Juniors, leading the team’s blue line in scoring with two goals and five assists in seven games. His -5 rating was a team-low, though.
Boelius remains under contract with Ässät through next season. The Ducks have until June 1, 2029, to sign him before losing his rights. Another step forward, though, and he’ll likely be signing his entry-level contract a little over a year from now and consider making the jump to the AHL.
Blue Jackets Looking To Extend Pending UFAs
On New Year’s Day, the Blue Jackets were in last place in the Eastern Conference and had a three-point cushion in the basement. They were all but set to punt on the season, and their high-value pending UFAs, namely Charlie Coyle and Boone Jenner, had found themselves high up on trade bait lists.
Fueled in part by a surprise coaching change, Columbus has now won 11 of its last 12 and is fully back in playoff contention. They’ve gone from 16th place to ninth in the past six weeks and are four points back of the Bruins for the final playoff spot with a game in hand.
If getting rental returns for Coyle and Jenner was general manager Don Waddell‘s deadline plan a month ago, that streak has changed his mind. The organization told RG.org’s James Murphy yesterday that they’ve stopped soliciting offers for Coyle, Jenner, and fellow pending UFA forward Mason Marchment and will instead start extension negotiations with all three players before the Olympic break ends.
All three have been legitimate impact players for the Jackets this season, particularly Coyle and Marchment. Acquired from the Avalanche last summer in something of a cap dump, the veteran Coyle has technically served as Columbus’ third-line center for virtually the entire campaign but is averaging north of 17 minutes of ice time per game thanks to extensive special-teams deployment. Coming off one of the more offensively underwhelming campaigns of his career for Boston and Colorado in 2024-25, he’s tossed up 15 goals and 42 points in 56 games to rank third on the Jackets in scoring.
There will be obvious trepidation over offering anything more than a one or two-year extension to Coyle, who turns 34 next month. He’s finishing at a 15.8% clip, and his possession numbers lag behind the average on a Columbus squad that’s greatly improved its play under Bowness. But for a Jackets squad teeming with cap space over the next couple of seasons, the risk of decline isn’t as pressing as it would be for a cap-strapped contender.
Marchment was a surprising in-season pickup from the Kraken in December, but he’s been the complete package in the nearly two months since his arrival. He’s clicked at nearly a point per game with nine goals and four assists in 14 games since the trade and leads Columbus forwards with a 53.1 CF% at even strength, although he’s helped out by playing a higher percentage of his games under Bowness. He’s still been a natural-looking fit on their top line alongside youngsters Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko.
Jenner may be the afterthought of the three in terms of on-ice performance this season, but he’s the captain and a career-long Blue Jacket. His production has taken something of a hit after missing most of last year with shoulder surgery, but he’s still produced eight goals and 27 points in 42 games, above his career-average pace. His 9.0% shooting rate is a bit below his career average and should come up down the stretch, too.
His 52.0 CF% signals his two-way game is still in a good spot, and he’s third on the team with 92 hits despite missing 14 games with an upper-body issue earlier in the year. Any concern about a long-term extension for the 32-year-old revolves around his extensive recent injury history. He’s missed double-digit games in every season since 2019-20 and has dealt with back problems for the vast majority of his career. The risk of aggressive age-related decline is palpable as a result.
Expecting Columbus to be able to swing extensions for all three is unrealistic – and considering all three are on the wrong side of 30, there’s a debate to be had over whether it’s a wise choice. Still, the question then shifts to whether the Jackets will still look to flip one of them and gain assets in return if it’s clear they’re too far off on an extension.
At least right now, the answer is no. “Regardless of whether they’re signed to extensions before the Olympic break ends, they’re off the trade market heading into the trade deadline,” a league source told Murphy.
“I’ve told everybody we will touch base over the break and see where they’re at and see where we’re at,” Waddell said. “And I said it last year, if players want to be here and we want ’em here, we’ll find a way to get it done. We did it last year, and we’ll do it again this year.”
Josh Morrissey Leaves Canada’s Group Stage Win Over Czechia
Team Canada has had a few years of crushing defeats to the Czechs at the junior level. The senior team responded today with a 5-0 drubbing in its Group A opener at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but lost star Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in the process.
Morrissey left at the first intermission with an undisclosed and unapparent issue. He tried to return later in the game but “couldn’t,” head coach Jon Cooper said, although it’s unclear whether that was Morrissey’s own decision or the medical staff’s (via Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman).
Olympic injuries are precarious for multiple reasons. With only a handful of games left until the trade deadline on the other end of the break and only a quarter and change of the schedule remaining for most teams, a multi-week absence for a key player – especially for a bubble team like the Jets – is incredibly difficult to work around. They’re also pressing for the national team if they pile up quickly early in the tournament. Unlike at the World Championships or other IIHF events, teams cannot name injury replacements to their roster after playing their first game. If Morrissey is out the rest of the way, Canada will only have seven defensemen available.
Morrissey, 30, has erupted into a bona fide top-10 defender in the league in his prime. He’s finished no worse than seventh in Norris Trophy voting in every year since 2023 and, at the time of the break, was amid another standout offensive campaign. His 10 goals and 42 points in 56 games have him 12th in league scoring among defenders and fourth overall on the Jets. He’s also tied with defensive partner Dylan DeMelo for a team-high +10 rating on a Jets team with a -15 goal differential this season.
Behind Morrissey, the Jets’ left-side defense is thin. They’ve enjoyed something of a breakout performance from third-pairing fixture Logan Stanley but trusting him enough to elevate into top-four minutes with any consistency is unwise given his spotty record of possession play. Shutdown dynamo Dylan Samberg remains a strong second-pairing option but, with only nine assists in 40 games on the year, can’t do much of anything to replace Morrissey’s lost point production if he misses time on the other side of the break.
NHL Not Expecting To Allow Russian Participation In 2028 World Cup
The NHL has not changed its tune on allowing a Russian team to participate in league-run international events, commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters this morning (including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic). As of now, that means there won’t be a Team Russia at the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, Bettman said.
Moving forward, the league will fall in line with the “international community” regarding working the country back into international events. Essentially, until the IIHF allows Russia to return to events like the World Championship and World Juniors, the league will continue to operate without a Russian team at the World Cup or any 4 Nations Face-Off-like tournaments.
Russia and Belarus not been allowed to participate in any major international competition since the former’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. With the war ongoing and many eastern areas of Ukraine still occupied by Russia, the IIHF continues to cite “security concerns” in keeping the country, which remains second in the IIHF world rankings behind Canada, out of competition.
Russia’s last World Championship appearance was in 2021, featuring Sergei Bobrovsky, Dmitry Orlov, and Vladimir Tarasenko, among others. Their athletes won gold at the 2018 Olympics and silver in 2022 without NHLers present.
The NHL confirmed the return of the World Cup event last year. Instead of its usual preseason timing, it’ll occur mid-season in 2027-28, similar to the timing of the Olympic break this year and the 4 Nations break last season. The tournament will be organized without involvement or input from the IIHF, reports indicated last August.
Canadiens Likely To Trade Patrik Laine After Olympics
For the past few weeks, winger Patrik Laine has been a full participant at most Montreal Canadiens practices as he works his way back from core muscle surgery. However, assuming he’s medically cleared to play after the Olympics, there’s little expectation that it’ll be with the Canadiens.
In a recent article, Eric Engels of Sportsnet strongly implied Laine wouldn’t play for Montreal again this season, writing, “If the 27-year-old Finn sees any post-Olympics action, we expect it to be for someone other than the Canadiens.” That suggests that Montreal will quickly begin trade negotiations regarding Laine, if they haven’t already.
Unfortunately, the major hangup in any Laine trade is his bloated salary. Laine’s cap hit sits at $8.7MM through the end of the season, and he’s earning a $9.1MM salary. Although the cap hit has received much scrutiny, Laine was coming off a 26-goal, 56-point performance in 56 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, was only 23 years old at the time, and had already scored 250 points in 306 games for the Winnipeg Jets.
Still, there’s no question he hasn’t lived up to that contract. He had a decent follow-up performance with the Blue Jackets, but injuries have derailed him since. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Laine has played in only 75 games, which is 33.9% of the total possible contests.
He was a quality secondary scorer for the Canadiens last season, registering 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games. 15 of his goals were scored on power plays, making him less effective at even-strength. This season, due to the core muscle surgery, Laine has tallied only one assist in five games.
As Engels points out, Montreal would undoubtedly have to eat some of Laine’s remaining salary, and may even need to attach an additional sweetener. According to Engels, that’s not something the Canadiens are keen to do.
Unfortunately, the Canadiens won’t have much wiggle room until Laine is entirely off the roster come July 1st. Given the organization’s need for cap space, it would make little sense to swap Laine for another bad contract, especially one signed beyond this season. Despite his lack of availability over the past few years and his subpar play at even strength, there are a few teams with ample cap space to take a flyer on Laine down the stretch.
As it stands, the Detroit Red Wings, Seattle Kraken, New York Islanders, and Los Angeles Kings are all teams battling for a playoff spot, averaging below three goals per game. The Red Wings and Kraken might be less interested in a player like Laine, given that their power plays are among the league’s best. Furthermore, the Kings are counting on Artemi Panarin to offset the offensive shortcomings, whom they acquired before the Olympic break.
That leaves the Islanders, who are currently third in the Metropolitan Division, 24th in GF/G, and 30th in power-play percentage. Would the Canadiens be interested in a different expiring asset, like Jean-Gabriel Pageau, to deepen their center depth? Acquiring a secondary scorer like Pageau may at least make it more palatable for Montreal to eat salary and attach a draft pick to Laine. New York has some flexibility with their salary cap, so the Canadiens may only need to eat a few million dollars, giving them most of what they are looking for.
Still, the immediate question that comes to mind is Laine’s perceived fit in Patrick Roy‘s scheme. Contextualized by his public battles with Anthony Duclair over the past few years, there is a zero-tolerance policy in New York for taking a shift off.
Snapshots: Clara, Reschny, Olsen
Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara had a performance for the ages today in Italy’s loss to Sweden in the group stage of the Winter Olympics. In front of a home crowd, Clara gave Italy a chance to upset the Swedes, making 46 saves. Per The Hockey News’ Derek Lee, Clara was forced out of Italy’s loss with what appeared to be a lower-body injury while making a save. There has not been any word on the extent of Clara’s injury, or if he will be fit to play in Italy’s next game, which is Friday against Slovakia.
If Clara is not fit to play, Italy will turn to Milan native Davide Fadani, who has a .922 save percentage in 22 games this season with Swiss National League side EHC Kloten. Clara, 21, was a 2023 second-round pick of the Ducks, and has spent this season playing in Sweden’s top pro league, the SHL. Through 30 games with Brynäs IF, Clara has an .888 save percentage.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Calgary Flames 2025 first-round pick Cole Reschny is questionable for the University of North Dakota’s games this weekend against the University of Miami (Ohio), according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. Reschny left UND’s game last weekend with a lower-body injury. The former WHL Victoria Royals star has had a strong start to his NCAA career, scoring 25 points in 24 games. He could be a large part of the Flames’ future, as he was ranked as the league’s No. 76 skater prospect by the team at Elite Prospects.
- Former Winnipeg Jets prospect Ryan Olsen was released by the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder today, ending his three-week stint in Kansas. The 2012 sixth-round pick helped the Colorado Eagles, now of the AHL, to a Kelly Cup championship in 2018, and has moved around since that point. He spent the following two seasons in the AHL, including a 17-goal, 34-point season with the San Antonio Rampage in 2018-19, before moving to Germany’s second division. Olsen spent the last two seasons in the DEL2 before beginning this season in Germany’s third division. His stint in Wichita, which ends with zero points in six games played, was Olsen’s first opportunity in North American pro hockey since October 2023.