Not many thought that the New York Islanders , the season after trading their number one defenseman, would be in a playoff spot at Christmas and six games above .500 almost halfway through the season. But here we are with a new young phenom in Matthew Schaefer, some skilled players stepping up, and a solid supporting cast. If the Islanders stay in this position in a tight Eastern Conference race, they will be looking for upgrades. The New York Post already connected four names to them, saying,...
about 1 month ago
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The Colorado Avalanche are a dominant force in the NHL this season with a record of 26-2-7. Regardless of how good they are, upgrades make sense as other teams in contention for the Stanley Cup are going to be bringing in players and getting better and this isn't a season that can go to waste. The Avalanche have the strongest top of the division in the NHL with the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild also clear Stanley Cup contenders this season. So the spot in their lineup that looks like the mos...
about 1 month ago
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The Los Angeles Kings were hoping to make a real 'hockey trade' for disgruntled veteran center Phillip Danault. They wanted, preferably, another center back in the deal. In the end, they sent Danault to the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round draft pick. But there was an offer on the table from another team of an established young center who's been a viable secondary scorer on multiple occasions. The Kings turned it down. David Pagnotta explained on Daily Faceoff's DFO Rund...
about 1 month ago
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The NHL's trade market is currently on a holiday roster freeze, but once the Christmas break is over, keep an eye on the Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers. The two teams have been linked multiple times to a trade together this season, and most recently from Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff . Di Marco sees the Wild having interest in Flyers injured forward Tyson Foerster, who is currently recovering from surgery and is expected to be out for the rest of the season. Foerster is young...
about 1 month ago
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The Nashville Predators are avoiding sell mode as long as possible this season. Don't expect to see general manager Barry Trotz pulling the trigger on any big trades. The Predators enter the Christmas week with a 15-16-4 record, and are five points out of a wild-card position. While there's been tons of talks around the futures of Steven Stamkos, Michael Bunting, and Jonathan Marchessault, Trotz spoke with The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun and put some water on the burning hot trade rumors. Ryan O'...
about 1 month ago
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been struggling, and general manager Brad Treliving decided to make a move. The team announced on Monday, they've relieved assistant coach Marc Savard of his duties. pic.twitter.com/RbLXOKhLw8 — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 22, 2025 Savard joined the team in June 2024, and had been responsible for running the Leafs power play. So far this season, it's ranked dead last in the league. There's been a ton of noise circulating around the team of late, and ...
about 1 month ago
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The Los Angeles Kings found Phillip Danault a new home, and word is, general manager Ken Holland is far from finished. Rumor has the Kings have been calling teams to see which of their top-six forwards are available, and at what price. The Kings want to add an impact forward, and with Anze Kopitar retiring, know they can handle a big contract with term longer than this season. Kopitar is owed $7 million AAV this season. The Kings received a second-round pick in 2026 for Danault, originally the...
about 1 month ago
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Many around the hockey world were stunned that the Los Angeles Kings would trade the veteran center Phillip Danault for a draft pick, without getting a roster player back in return. Especially considering centers are at a premium on the trade market these days. So why did the Kings rush into such a deal? According to insider Elliotte Friedman , the situation had become so untenable, something had to be done ASAP, and the Montreal Canadiens likely knew they had the Kings over a barrel. It...
about 1 month ago
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The Buffalo Sabres are on a roll. With a six-game winning streak, putting them back into the thick of a very tight Eastern Conference race, and a new general manager in place, perhaps it’s time to start thinking good things for the Sabres' future. Starting with an extension agreement to keep star forward and pending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch around for the long haul. New GM Jarmo Kekalainen says that’s one of his first priorities in his new gig. However, with Tuch looking for an...
about 1 month ago
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The St. Louis Blues are three points out of a playoff spot in the West and have a game in hand, but a team that is under .500 isn't going to make the playoffs when it's all said and done. There have been many discussions surrounding players to be traded from the Blues this season, and Jordan Kyrou is one of them. The difference with Kyrou and the majority of the players involved in trade rumors on the Blues is that he's relatively young and has term left on his contract. At this point with the...
about 1 month ago
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In a tight race in the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators are right in the mix and climbing back up the standings. They have won four games in a row and are five games above .500, sitting one point back of the final playoff spot with a game in hand. The team has over $3.75 million cap space to work with at this time. That isn't enough for a larger upgrade that they have reportedly been eyeing for a while though. According to Bruce Garrioch, "The Senators have shown interest in Ryan O'Reil...
about 1 month ago
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The Edmonton Oilers ' depth has really shined through this season. There have been a lot of injuries, but there continues to be players called up and injected into the lineup showing that they should stick around. While there hasn't been enough space for everyone this season, it is great showings and trial runs for next season and beyond. The Oilers could use a little more cap space in-season, and wouldn't be hurt by moving off of a bottom-6 veteran because of the talent that is ready to step ...
about 1 month ago
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The St. Louis Blues have a number of players whose names have been prominent on the first NHL trade boards that have emerged this season. 33-year-old defenseman Justin Faulk is one of the most likely to be moved. He has one year remaining after this one on his seven-year deal with a $6.5 million cap hit, so he isn't a pure rental, meaning the return for St. Louis will be solid. An elite shot-blocker who still averages close to 23 minutes of ice time per night, he is the second most...
about 1 month ago
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The Ottawa Senators are looking to upgrade in order to help them reach the postseason in back-to-back seasons after they finally made the leap to playoff contender. The team has been looking around, and while they don't have the cap space and need for an elite player or true top-6 talent, they could use some two-way and bottom-6 help. This is where the Calgary Flames come in. They are a bottom-feeder who have pieces to sell, even if they refuse to go into a rebuild. Bruce Garrioch said, "We do...
about 1 month ago
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The new Buffalo Sabres ' GM, Jarmo Kekalainen, is not playing around. He has already brought in new people around him, such as Mark Bergevin as the assistant GM. After these changes, the roster or even the head coach is going to see changes as well as he thinks the Sabres can make the playoffs. Buffalo has won five games in a row, are two games over .500, and sit five points back of a playoff spot with a game in hand. It is very possible and the team has been building towards a breakthrough fo...
about 1 month ago
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The St. Louis Blues are on the verge of making some trades to change things up and many valuable players and not-so-tradeable players have been brought up in rumors and reports. Players like Jordan Kyrou, Justin Faulk, Jordan Binnington, and Brayden Schenn are the names you've likely heard many times for many different teams, but this potential shakeup goes deeper than that. David Pagnotta said, "There are absolutely teams that are kicking tires on...pieces, whether it's a Jordan Binnington, O...
about 1 month ago
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It appears the Calgary Flames management team has made their decision on defenceman Rasmus Andersson, and it doesn't involve an upcoming contract extension. Andersson was a guest on After Hours with Scott Oake after the Flames game on Saturday night, and was asked about his future with the organization. It takes two to tango, that's all I'll say. Rasmus Andersson gives his thoughts on a potential trade and his next contract. "It takes two to tango. Let's leave it at that." 🎥: Sportsnet |...
about 1 month ago
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The Chicago Blackhawks can't catch a break at the moment as their roster is in shambles due to freak accidents. First Connor Bedard separated his shoulder on a faceoff with less than a second left in the game, and now Frank Nazar is going to be out a month after getting hit in the face with the puck. The play happened during Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Nazar was struck with a Jordan Spence shot barely five minutes into the game. He went immediately to the dressing room and did ...
about 1 month ago
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The V ancouver Canucks appear to be open for business after trading their franchise defenseman Quinn Hughes and getting four assets back. But they don't seem to be entirely packing it in and fully rebuilding. That being said, there are still some players that are available to other teams to trade for as the Canucks are lower in the standings and have to still make up some ground. Bruce Garrioch reported, "(Kiefer Sherwood) has attracted interest from the Bruins, Islanders, Lightning, Stars, an...
about 1 month ago
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The Pittsburgh Penguins might be in the race for a playoff spot and haven't given up yet, but the mentality since Kyle Dubas took over as general manager has been to get younger and build for the future. The core of veterans haven't been moved yet, even though it was looking like it would be the case with Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins did bring in Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak while moving out Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin, but those pieces can b...
about 1 month ago
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Conor Garland keeps getting mentioned in trade chatter, and it’s not because the Vancouver Canucks are shopping him. Teams are doing their homework because productive wingers who play hard every night are hard to find, and that's exactly what Garland brings.
Why Conor Garland keeps coming up in Canucks talks
The latest buzz comes from Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch reporting that coach Travis Green has always thought highly of Garland, and that if Vancouver ever did open the door, Ottaw...
about 1 month ago
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The Winnipeg Jets didn’t come into this season expecting to be having deadline conversations this early, but the reality is starting to settle in. A team that entered the year trying to extend a competitive window now looks stuck in neutral, and that’s turning a few veteran contracts into talking points around the league. Two names, in particular, are beginning to surface in quiet trade chatter: Gustav Nyquist and Jonathan Toews . Neither was signed with the intention of being moved, but...
about 1 month ago
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The Anaheim Ducks have taken another big stride this season and are real contenders in the Western Conference. They have been holding down or battling for the division lead in the Pacific and are good enough to finish in the top three at the end of the season. The Ducks are deep and have talent, but they have some veterans they can swap out for better and younger talent, pending UFAs, and a ton of money and assets to upgrade. That is likely what they intend to do this season to last them years...
about 1 month ago
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With plenty of talk about the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and others, there's really only one other team that seems to have come genuinely close in the Quinn Hughes Sweepstakes. According to insider Elliotte Friedman , that team is the Carolina Hurricanes . "I think Carolina. That’s the team," Friedman told the crew on NHL Network Radio this week. "I know there's a lot of talk about New Jersey and other things. But I really do think Carolina was in there pretty good. I h...
about 1 month ago
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He's a Western New York guy. He would love to stay home with the Buffalo Sabres . But Alex Tuch still, rightfully, feels he deserves his market value as he approaches unrestricted free agency. That's why there's still nothing resembling a new extension in Buffalo. The latest report from insider Elliotte Friedman is that the Sabres likely made an offer to Tuch that was nowhere close. I’ve heard two stories: that the Sabres offered him in the vicinity of Thompson’s number ($7.14M AAV) and...
about 1 month ago
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