Canucks, Devils Reportedly Spoke Regarding Quinn Hughes
During the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada yesterday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils have held talks related to the status of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. Friedman said that while he does “not believe there is anything imminent” regarding Hughes, “a conversation was had” between the two clubs “about where things stand and where they might be going.”
Per The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, Hughes commented on Friedman’s report last night, saying “It’s not like me, [Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford] and [Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald] hopped on a call, I wasn’t a part of that.” He added: “But obviously I’m aware that things like that could happen.”
As the Canucks have struggled to build a team capable of making a serious push towards Stanley Cup contention, the future of Hughes in Vancouver has come under increased scrutiny. The 26-year-old is under contract through 2026-27, and has shied away from verbally committing his future to the only NHL franchise he’s ever known to this point.
Two months ago, Hughes appeared on the 32 Thoughts podcast and appeared non-committal about his future in Vancouver. Jack Hughes expressed strong interest in playing with his older brother at some point in his career, and Quinn, when asked about Jack’s comments, said that he’d “of course” be interested in at some point playing with his two brothers in the NHL.
While that doesn’t mean Quinn is necessarily eyeing the upcoming expiration of his contract as his chance to play with Jack and Luke Hughes, the expiration of his contract does pose a potentially existential threat to the Canucks’ competitive hopes. For what it’s worth, it appears the Canucks have been planning for at least the possibility that Hughes will want to continue his NHL career elsewhere.
Drance reported on Nov. 25 that it’s “been evident for a while is that Vancouver has already undergone some level of contingency planning with regard to Hughes, dating back to this offseason.” He added that the team’s reported interest in Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram and Anaheim Ducks blueliner Pavel Mintyukov may have been part of the club’s long-term planning for the possibility of a Hughes departure, even if their first priority remains signing Hughes to an extension.
The Canucks’ diligence in planning for all potential outcomes related to Hughes may have influenced their decision to reportedly speak to the Devils more recently. 
Because of the fact that New Jersey currently has both of Hughes’ brothers under contract, and appear to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, they’ve been pointed to as the clear front-runner to secure Quinn’s services should he appear on the trade market or in unrestricted free agency.
If Hughes makes it clear he is unwilling to sign an extension in Vancouver, one would have to imagine that the club would aggressively pursue trading Hughes for the best possible return. Hughes is in the middle of his prime and is among the league’s top defensemen.
Even with an expiring contract next season, the Canucks would likely receive a massive return of assets in exchange for Hughes, assets that could jump-start the club’s push back towards real Stanley Cup contention.
Speaking to the Devils to at least touch base on things, as Friedman has reported the Canucks have done, then becomes a natural part of preparing for all potential outcomes. If the Canucks eventually do consider trading Hughes, the Devils would instantly become a key team in the race to acquire him, so to speak with the Devils now allows the Canucks to at least begin to lay the groundwork for any future trade talks that could be held.
While as Friedman appeared to note, it still appears to be too early for the Canucks to get into serious conversations about what a Hughes trade would look like, it’s not too early for them to feel out the landscape of what teams might be interested in Hughes, and how interested those teams might be.
Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
West Notes: Danault, Pettersson, Rossi
Yesterday evening, Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli reported that “trade chatter is picking up” around Los Angeles Kings pivot Phillip Danault. According to Seravalli, “multiple teams have inquired with LA on his availability,” and Danault could be one of the top centers available on the trade market, assuming the Kings have an appetite to deal him.
Danault, 32, has been one of the league’s more well-regarded defensive centers over the last half-decade or more. He finished seventh in Selke Trophy voting in 2018-19, beginning a streak of five consecutive years where he received votes as the league’s top defensive forward. While he has generally been a consistent offensive presence as a King, good for about 40 to 50 points of production, points have eluded him in 2025-26. Danault has just five points through 28 games this season, and has yet to register a goal.
At 32 years old, it’d be fair to be concerned that Danault’s offensive decline early in the season could be less a cold streak and more a signal of actual age-related decline. Complicating things further is the fact that Danault is under contract for another year at a $5.5MM cap hit, and owns a 10-team no-trade list per the terms of his contract. But if teams view Danault’s decline in production as more of a poor stretch than a sign of more permanent decline, then it’d be understandable that Danault would receive robust interest on the trade market.
Other notes from the Pacific Division:
- Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote told the media last night, including The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, that center Elias Pettersson is dealing with an injury and is still being evaluated. Foote added that Pettersson will undergo further testing on Sunday, including an MRI. If the Canucks lose Pettersson for any period of time, their chances of winning games would be dealt a significant blow. For as much criticism as Pettersson has received over the last year, he’s upped his production to start 2025-26. He’s scored 22 points in 28 games this season, and while that’s not at the standard he set when he was a 102-point player in 2022-23, it is an improvement in scoring pace over last season.
- On Thursday, we covered news coming out of Minnesota that Wild center Marco Rossi‘s injury recovery was progressing at a slower rate than was initially expected. Today, The Athletic’s Joe Smith relayed word from Wild head coach John Hynes, who said that he still considers Rossi at this point to be out on a week-to-week basis. Rossi has been out since Nov. 11 and has 13 points in 17 games played in 2025-26.
David Pastrnak Questionable For Bruins’ Three-Game Road Trip
The Boston Bruins could embark on a three-game road-trip through the Western Conference without their superstar goal-scorer. Winger David Pastrňák continued to skate on his own at Saturday’s practice and was designataed as questionable for the road-trip by head coach Marco Sturm, per Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy.
Pastrňák hasn’t played since November 26th due to an undisclosed injury. He has missed five games in that span, and could miss up to eight games if he isn’t able to travel with the Bruins. Boston lost two of their first three games without Pastrňák – but they rebounded with back-to-back wins in their last two games, where they outscored opponents 9-3.
Even though their luck has turned around, Boston still sorely misses Pastrňák in the lineup. He ranks second on the club in scoring with 11 goals and 29 points in 25 games. It’s yet another dominant season for the Czech star. He has stacked up 100-point seasons in each of the last three years – including a 61 goal, 113 point season in 2022-23. That was Boston’s highest scoring season since Adam Oates scored 142 points in 1992-93.
Pastrňák’s absence opened the door for Casey Mittelstadt to return to the lineup after more than 20 days out due to a lower-body injury. He has stepped up in the return with two points in his first two games back and another point in Saturday’s win over New Jersey. Mittelstadt is up to 11 points in 19 games this season. He has carved out an impactful role in Boston’s top-six, helping to sustain a Bruins offense that has the seventh-most goals in the NHL despite missing their 100-point scorer.
Jets To Host Canadiens In 2026 Heritage Classic
The NHL announced that the Winnipeg Jets will host the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Heritage Classic on October 25th. This will be the fifth time Montreal has played in an outdoor game. Their last was in 2017, when the Canadiens lost to the Ottawa Senators 3-0 in the NHL 100 Classic. Montreal has never hosted their own outdoor game.
The Heritage Classic has had an inconsistent schedule compared to the NHL’s other outdoor events. It has only been played seven times since its debut in 2003 – a debut that saw Montreal defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Montreal also appeared in the second Heritage Classic in 2011 – where they lost to Calgary 0-4. Winnipeg also faced Calgary and Edmonton in a pair of Heritage Classics. The Jets flipped Montreal’s results, beating Calgary (2-1) but getting shutout by Edmonton (0-3). The most recent Heritage Classic – in October 2023 – was, coincidentally, saw the Oilers beat the Flames 5-2.
The 2026 Heritage Classic will mark the first outdoor game for many future NHL stars. Montreal will bring Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov, and Cole Caufield to their first outdoor matchup, while Winnipeg class of youngsters is led by Cole Perfetti. This could also be Jonathan Toews‘ first outdoor game since 2019, if he re-signs with his hometown Jets next summer.
Princess Auto Stadium is home to the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who also a white-and-blue color scheme like the Jets. The Canadiens also share a red-and-blue color scheme with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, which could lead to an exciting jersey matchup, on top of what’s sure to be an impact matchup between two playoff hopefuls next season.
Flyers Recall Ty Murchison
The Philadelphia Flyers have rewarded a top prospect with the first call-up of his NHL career. Defenseman Ty Murchison has been recalled to the NHL roster in the wake of an injury to top defender Cameron York. Murchison could make his NHL debut on Sunday, if York isn’t able to play.
Murchison is in his first year of pro hockey, after spending the last four years at Arizona State University. He made his AHL debut at the end of last season, and posted two points and a plus-two in his first four games. He’s stayed positive through his first full season this year with four points and 30 penalty minutes in 21 games. He also leads the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with a plus-nine.
Murchison is a hard-nosed, gritty defender. He has posted lofty penalty totals dating back to his days in AAA. He recorded 96 penalty minutes in 92 games, and two seasons, with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2019 to 2021. That physical presence earned Murchison a fifth-round selection to Philadelphia in 2021. He’s only grown in the years since and now stands at 6-foot-2, 207-pounds. While he may not rack up the scoring, Murchison offers a responsible, two-way game that could gel well at the bottom of Philadelphia’s lineup. He will compete with Emil Andrae for a depth role if he sticks on the roster. Andrae has six points in 16 NHL games – and five points in seven AHL games – this season.
Hurricanes Activate Jesperi Kotkaniemi From Injured Reserve
The Carolina Hurricanes have activated forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi from injured reserve. He missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury sustained while blocking a shot from Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek on November 14th. He was placed on injured reserve on November 25th.
Kotkaniemi is expected to return to the lineup in Saturday night’s match against the Nashville Predators. He has two goals, five points, 11 blocked shots, and 26 hits through 15 games this season. He’s alternated between the center and left-wing roles on Carolina’s fourth-line for much of the year. That rotation has limited him to only 115 faceoffs so far this season – of which he has only won 47 percent. That’s a far fall from the 51 percent he posted through his first four seasons in Carolina.
Carolina made room for Kotkaniemi’s return when they reassigned Justin Robidas on November 29th. Robidas stepped into two games on his last recall and posted one assist, one shot block, and three hits. Jordan Martinook stepped into the lineup in Robidas’ spot while Carolina waited for Kotkaniemi to return to full health. Martinook will now step back out of the lineup, having posted nine ponits in 26 games this season.
Rangers Recall Jaroslav Chmelar, Reassign Brennan Othmann
The New York Rangers have rewarded a rookie for a recent hot-streak in the AHL. Winger Jaroslav Chmelar has been recalled to the NHL after posting five points in his last five games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. That scoring brings him up to 11 points in 19 games on the year – fourth-most on Hartford. New York has reassigned wigner Brennan Othmann to make room for Chmelar’s addition.
New York is riding high entering December, witha 5-1-0 recor dacross their last six games. Othmann has served as the team’s extra forward for their last two games, but hasn’t pushed his way into the lineup since making his season debut in New York’s October 26th loss to the Calgary Flames. He posted no scoring and a minus-one in that match. Othmann has also recorded seven points and 29 penalty minutes in 15 games in the AHL. A return to the minors will give him a chance to play in his first game since November 29th.
Meanwhile, Chmelar will return to the NHL to compete with Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski for a spot on the fourth-line. He played in the first two games of his NHL career earlier this season and posted no scoring and one fight. His lineup competition hasn’t been much more productive – with Carrick sat at six points, and Brodzinski at five points, on the year.
Chmelar is in his third pro season, after spending two years at Providence College. In that short span, he has posted 42 points and a minus-33 in 97 AHL games. He’s on the rise this year, and could cement his spot as New York’s go-to rookie, depth forward with a strong return to the lineup.
Stars Place Tyler Seguin And Lian Bichsel On LTIR
The Stars have been hit hard by the injury bug this season and recently lost two more players to longer-term injuries. Today, the team announced (Twitter link) that forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Lian Bichsel have been placed on LTIR.
Seguin’s placement, made retroactively to December 2nd, should come as no surprise as he was diagnosed with a long-term ACL injury. The exact nature of the injury is still being evaluated which will determine if there’s a small chance the 33-year-old could return at some point late in the playoffs or if his entire 2025-26 campaign has come to an early end.
That particular distinction, when made, will be notable. Dallas has placed Seguin on regular LTIR, meaning the potential cap flexibility of the placement is limited to last year’s average salary, or $3.82MM. However, if it’s determined that there is no chance that he can return in the playoffs, the Stars will be able to put him on season-ending LTIR. If they do that, they will be able to get potential cap flexibility of his full AAV of $9.85MM which could open up some opportunities for GM Jim Nill to add to his roster.
As for Bichsel, his placement is retroactive to November 30th. Earlier this week, it was revealed that he’ll miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a lower-body injury. The Stars had been easing him in during his first full NHL campaign, keeping his ice time around the 16-minute mark while he has enough of a lead in the hits department (85, 40 ahead of Nathan Bastian for second) that he will still likely be the team leader in that category when he returns to the lineup next month, assuming his recovery goes as planned.
With the moves, Dallas now has a pair of open roster spots. It seems likely that those could be filled by other players coming off LTIR. Defenseman Nils Lundkvist and center Matt Duchene are believed to be nearing returns and today’s LTIR placements give the Stars enough cap room to formally bring them back onto the active roster. Blueliner Thomas Harley also skated today, per D Magazine’s Robert Tiffin (Twitter link) but he was never moved off the active roster when he was injured.
Avalanche Reassign Tristen Nielsen
Saturday: It was a short-lived recall for Nielsen. Following their game this afternoon (in which he didn’t play), the Avs announced (Twitter link) that he has been sent back to the Eagles.
Friday: The Avalanche have added some extra depth up front in advance of their game against the Rangers on Saturday. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Tristen Nielsen from AHL Colorado.
The 25-year-old started the season on a minor league deal but a strong showing early on with the Eagles resulted in the Avs converting him to a two-year, two-way NHL pact that carries a $775K cap charge. This is now his third recall since signing that contract in late October.
Nielsen has played in four games with the Avalanche, picking up an assist, three shots on goal, and nine hits in 6:18 of playing time per night on their fourth line. He has been much more productive with the Eagles, tallying 10 goals and five assists in 18 outings in the minors.
Colorado already had a full 23-player roster following Wednesday’s recall of Trent Miner from the Eagles with Scott Wedgewood injured. Accordingly, another roster move needed to be made before officially adding Nielsen to the roster but that was not announced by the team. If Wedgewood is going to miss some time, he could land on injured reserve while Gavin Brindley – though returning soon – is eligible to retroactively be placed on IR.
PHR Mailbag: Standings, Hot Seat Coaches, Sleeper Trade Candidate, Blues, Murphy, Lightning, Siegenthaler
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include why we might have to wait a while for a coaching change, possible trade frameworks for a pair of Blues veterans, and much more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in one of our next two mailbag columns.
letsgonats: At the 1/4 point, which NHL playoff teams from last year will not make it? The East, in particular, is so pinched together that it looks like three or four teams will be fighting for a spot on the last game of the season.
Also, how likely are the Capitals to figure out their power play? They are dominating 5×5 but anemic on the power play?
For playoff teams from last season missing this year, I could see Montreal slipping out. Yes, their goaltending should turn around but they’re also scoring at an unsustainable rate. Between that and several key injuries, it wouldn’t shock me if they go from just make to just miss. I’m not ready to write off Toronto just yet but it’s heading in that direction, especially if they can’t get both goalies healthy at the same time which was a huge part of their success a year ago. Florida’s trending that way as well but they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt this early. And with the East being so close, all of this could change depending on what types of injuries we see over the next few months. That’s the biggest wild card of them all.
In the West, I have a hard time seeing St. Louis getting out of its tailspin. This feels like a year where they decide to move a couple of veterans and do a quick reset. Edmonton’s out right now but at some point, they’re going to get going. Winnipeg is out and could be in some trouble if they don’t start treading water soon until Connor Hellebuyck returns but it’s too early to predict they won’t bounce back; they’ve earned a longer leash.
As for Washington’s power play, it’s around 2% below the league average this season. That’s not great by any stretch but with how it was last season (23.5%) with largely the same personnel, I think there’s a good chance it rebounds to at least league-average level. That’s still going to come in a few percent below where they were a year ago but if they’re around the middle of the pack, that’s at least a step up from where they are now.
mister noons: Who do you have finishing bottom two in each conference?
As of this asking the bottom five in the West are WPG, STL, NAS, CGY, VAN. In the East, it is DET, OTT, TOR, FLA, BUF.
For the West, I think Calgary is going to be there. Without Dustin Wolf dragging them to competitiveness, we’re now seeing the roster we thought we’d see a year ago, one that has some pieces but isn’t good enough. And with Rasmus Andersson looking like a safe bet to move, it’s probably going to get weaker. Right now, Nashville would have to be my other pick. I thought they’d be at least a bit better this season but they’re still near the bottom. And if they move out some veterans, it could get a bit worse. If St. Louis winds up selling more than I think they might, they could get into the mix as well.
The East is much harder to predict considering the bottom seems to change every few days. I want the answer to not be Buffalo just because that team needs to get going at some point but they can’t win away from home and seem to be stuck in a perpetual rut. They’re at least a safe pick. As I just noted, I can’t rule out Toronto and Florida from being playoff teams and there aren’t any pushovers in the Metropolitan this season which is rather surprising. There are some red flags with Detroit that make me think they could slip in the second half and given how tight the standings are, that might be enough to drop them to the bottom two. But I’m not very confident in that answer.
Gbear: Which Head Coach gets fired first (my pick is well known)?
If Nashville was going to make a move to try to save the season, I suspect they’d have done it already. Things aren’t going well in Buffalo but at this point, they’ll just let the season run out and let Lindy Ruff’s coaching contract expire as originally planned (and then probably shuffle him into a new role). Vancouver and Seattle aren’t doing much but have new head coaches so they’re not making changes so quickly. It’s rough in Calgary but Ryan Huska was extended not that long ago which buys him more time.
Where am I going with this? I wouldn’t be shocked if the first coaching firing came from a team with playoff expectations that doesn’t want to fall too far out of the race. If Edmonton doesn’t get going soon, Kris Knoblauch could be unfairly let go to try to shake things up without shaking up the roster. It would take some time to get to that point though. The other one that comes to mind is Jim Hiller and I write that as they’re in a playoff spot and a recent denial that they’re considering a change. But it’s a soft grip at best on a postseason position and GM Ken Holland didn’t hire him for the role. If the Kings falter over the next little while, that’s one that wouldn’t surprise me even though he’s done a decent job.
I don’t expect to see a lot of in-season firings. So many teams have changed coaches in the last 24 months which isn’t much of a shelf life for a coach. Owners don’t want to be paying a bunch of coaches not to coach so I expect we’ll see more patience, especially with the standings being tighter than usual.
lgr34561: Are there any players you think will be traded before the deadline that people are sleeping on?
If I could simply say ‘I don’t know’ here, this would be a time for me to use it. There is part of me that expects the trade market to not materialize much as the playoff salary cap is probably going to cut down on in-season swaps. With teams not really getting time to plan their rosters accordingly, this could be a quiet year. On the other hand, the level of parity could increase the number of buyers or teams willing to make ‘hockey trades’ in which case things would open up considerably and we could have a few deals that come out of nowhere.
But that’s not a fun answer so I’ll take a stab at a sleeper trade candidate. Two years ago, Kent Johnson struggled, leading some to wonder about his future in Columbus. He signed a bridge deal and then had a breakout 57-point effort last season. However, he has really struggled out of the gate this year and some of those questions are back. But Johnson has shown enough to be appealing to some teams. The fact he has a center background (though he hasn’t played there lately) only helps his value. If there are ‘hockey trades’ coming where it’s an even swap of young core players, I could see Johnson being a viable candidate to be moved.
Gmm8811: If the Blues move on from Schenn or Faulk, what do you think a reasonable return for each would be? I’d prefer draft picks. Do they have to retain any money? Armstrong usually doesn’t like to do that.
Let’s answer these out of order. I don’t think St. Louis has to retain on either player in a trade. Brayden Schenn is a veteran center with enough of a track record to command a significant trade market and if the Blues are willing to take a player or two back to offset money short-term, that would work. Justin Faulk’s market probably won’t be as strong but with one less year left on his contract (he’s only signed through 2026-27), I think there are teams that would take on the full deal, as long as they could send a player or two back again.
However, while GM Doug Armstrong may not like to retain, the trade returns will undoubtedly be better if he did. That will have to be factored into the equation; is the extra value of the return worth the extra dead cap space? It wouldn’t shock me if it was.
As to what a return would look like, I know Schenn’s having a down year but I still think it starts with a first-round pick. The demand for centers is sky-high and that’s great news for the Blues. Last year, the believed ask was that plus two strong prospects including a high-end one. I don’t think that’s necessarily viable now but a first, a key prospect, and a young roster player (or one who is near-ready) could be doable. If St. Louis sells, I don’t see them embarking on a full-scale rebuild so the young roster player could very well be a crucial element of the return. If they have to take a more expensive player back to match money, that could ultimately expand the package a bit with the Blues adding a mid-round pick or equivalent asset.
With Faulk, a lot is dependent on if they retain or not. To stick with the premise of the question, I’ll take the no answer. In that case, the return St. Louis paid for Cam Fowler (a second and a prospect while also getting a fourth back) might be a reasonable equivalent while, again, possibly also taking someone back to balance the money. I’m not sure retaining would land them a first but it would probably give them a big boost in the caliber of the prospect coming back to them.