Kings To Acquire, Extend Artemi Panarin
The Kings have acquired star winger Artemi Panarin from the Rangers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Emily Kaplan report. The Blueshirts are getting top prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick in return. Panarin, a pending free agent, has now agreed to a two-year, $22MM extension in L.A., per Kaplan. The Rangers are also retaining 50% of Panarin’s current $11.64MM cap hit to bring it down to $5.82MM for the Kings, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.
The conditions on that draft pick are complex, as Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reports. At the very least, the Rangers will receive the better of the two third-rounders the Kings own in 2026 (their own and the Stars’). If L.A. wins one playoff round this year, though, the selection upgrades to their 2026 second-rounder. If they win at least two rounds, their 2028 fourth-rounder also gets added in the deal.
L.A. was one of many teams that were still viewed as landing spots for Panarin – with an extension – as late as this morning. While they were never considered a true front-runner, they got the deal done. In the end, they ended up being the only destination for which Panarin would waive his no-movement clause, per Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Being one of the few teams that were willing to part ways with their No. 1 prospect was also surely an attractive option for Rangers general manager Chris Drury, making him feel comfortable pulling the trigger on an L.A.-or-nothing scenario well ahead of the deadline but before the Olympic roster freeze.
While the 34-year-old Panarin had a slow start to the year, he’s been his usual self from November onward, clicking well over a point per game. He got up to 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 52 games before the Rangers scratched him following their Jan. 26 win over the Bruins, holding him out of the lineup to prevent an injury from complicating any trade. That still has him tied for 24th in the league in scoring and makes him L.A.’s leading scorer by a significant margin over Adrian Kempe and his 45 points.
Trading Panarin, one of the most dynamic talents in franchise history and one of the most successful big-ticket free agent signings in recent memory, became a reality last month when the Rangers announced their intent to undergo another multi-year retool. Reports quickly indicated that they informed Panarin he wouldn’t be offered an extension as part of that plan. They started their sell-off by dealing Carson Soucy to the Islanders last week, but they get after it in a big way here.
The Kings have teetered on the edge of the Western Conference playoff picture for much of the season. They currently sit one point back of the Kraken for the final wild-card spot with a game in hand. That record has been boosted by a league-high 14 overtime/shootout losses, too. They’ve only won 14 games in regulation, ironically tied with the Rangers for the second-lowest in the league.
That sluggish record can be almost entirely attributed to an inept offense, as the Kings score 2.57 goals per game, fifth-worst in the NHL. That simply hasn’t been enough to earn consistent wins in front of one of the league’s better overall defensive systems and goaltending situations. By giving up their universally lauded No. 1 prospect in Greentree, they’re making a clear bet that Panarin – 20th in the league at 1.10 points per game – will be the needle-mover that gets their offense out of the basement and propels them to their fifth consecutive playoff berth.
In a season that marks the last gasp for franchise icon Anže Kopitar, still chugging along as the Kings’ first-line center, he could spend his final few months in the NHL with the most purely talented linemate of his career (save for a Marián Gáborík, depending on how you rate him). Their lack of depth scoring has forced head coach Jim Hiller to deploy his top weapons all on different units. Kempe has anchored the second line as of late with the ageless Corey Perry and newly-minted center Alex Laferriere, while the high-ceiling but inconsistent trio of Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Andrei Kuzmenko currently makes up their third line.
If the Kings waited until the deadline to make the move, they could’ve taken Panarin on at full price. But as of today, they’d only accumulated $8.4MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. That meant significant retention was necessary to get a deal done if L.A. wasn’t sending back a roster player. While Panarin, even at under $6MM against the cap, takes up a good chunk of that space, they still have a fair amount of flexibility to make another pickup on the other side of the Olympic break if they choose.
More to come…
Blues Trade Nick Bjugstad To Devils
The Devils acquired center Nick Bjugstad from the Blues in exchange for center Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick, the teams announced. St. Louis will receive the latest of the three fourth-rounders that the Devils own (their own, the Stars’ and the Jets’), Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reports. New Jersey assigned forward Juho Lammikko to AHL Utica in the corresponding move, per a team announcement.
The move comes with less than an hour remaining until a league-wide trade moratorium that will last through the Olympic break. With only 12 days on the other side of the freeze before the trade deadline, it was widely speculated that there would be increased action this week. That hasn’t really happened outside of the Islanders’ back-to-back moves early last week, but New Jersey and St. Louis appear to have at least gotten the ball rolling on moves today.
This season has been a trying one for the 33-year-old Bjugstad. Injuries have been a theme throughout his 14-year NHL career, and an upper-body issue ended up sidelining him for nearly a month in December and January. He was also a semi-frequent healthy scratch for the stretch preceding his injury, leaving him with only 35 appearances on the year so far. He’s scored six goals but added only one assist for a 0.20 points per game rate, the worst of his career (min. 25 games).
The defensive aspects of Bjugstad’s game have been up to par, though. St. Louis has put its line combinations in a blender all year long due to injuries, but Bjugstad found success when centering the fourth line with Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko. That trio controlled 54.2% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck, despite being given mostly defensive zone starts. He’s also had an uncharacteristically strong run in the faceoff dot, winning 51.1% of his draws. His career average is 49%.
With the Blues in the basement of the Western Conference, it’s no surprise that they’re willing to sell off tertiary pieces for futures – even if they’re not pending free agents. Bjugstad is still under contract through next season at a $1.75MM cap hit after signing a two-year, $3.5MM deal with St. Louis in free agency last summer.
The Devils aren’t in much better shape in the standings, though, making their willingness to add to their roster rather than subtract a tad perplexing at first glance. Their dwindling likelihood of a playoff berth this season is presumably why Bjugstad was attractive to them, though – he’ll be sticking around next season as a hopefully cost-effective fourth-line solution.
Center depth has been a problem in New Jersey this year, with Jack Hughes missing a significant chunk of games. That’s led them to be over-reliant on names like the injury-prone Cody Glass to succeed in top-nine roles, and they haven’t received much of any offense from their fourth line as a result. Their current group of Lammiko, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov has combined for just one goal all year long. Bjugstad won’t be a season-saver, but he’s a far more effective goal-scorer that low in the lineup than any of those names have proven to be this season.
Bordeleau, 24, was a second-round pick by the Sharks back in 2020 and was once viewed as a potential long-term piece. His development has stagnated over the past couple of seasons, though. After recording 38 points in 59 AHL games last season and not landing the NHL opportunities he’d hoped for in San Jose, he opted not to entertain offers from the Sharks as an RFA last summer and eventually had his signing rights traded to the Devils, inking a two-way deal a few weeks later.
Any trade value Bordeleau still had has been erased by a disastrous showing in Utica this season. In 35 minor-league appearances, he’s scored just two goals and eight points with a -13 rating. A pending restricted free agent, his inclusion is purely to leave the Devils with a bit of breathing room regarding the 50-contract limit – they’re currently at 49.
Lammikko doesn’t need waivers for today’s reassignment because he cleared them back on Jan. 17. While he wasn’t immediately reassigned to Utica then, the Devils had 30 days to do so before they would have needed to waive him a second time. Since he’s still in that window, they can make the demotion today without any obstacles. The 30-year-old has been limited to two assists and a -4 rating in 24 appearances for New Jersey, averaging 9:53 of ice time per game.
Podcaster and former NHLer Jordan Schmaltz was first to report the trade. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the return.
Sharks Place Ryan Reaves On IR, Activate Kiefer Sherwood
Feb. 4: Sherwood will indeed be activated from IR in the corresponding move and make his Sharks debut tonight, Pashelka reports. It will be the right-winger’s first appearance in nearly a month, last suiting up for Vancouver on Jan. 10 because of his upper-body injury.
Feb. 3: The San Jose Sharks have placed Ryan Reaves on injured reserve, according to Curtis Pashelka, San Jose Sharks beat writer.
The team has one more game before the Olympic Break, taking on Colorado tomorrow night. Reaves has been designated with an upper-body injury, despite playing as recently as last night. Although he will have to miss the next three games at a minimum, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious for the 39-year-old.
Today’s news suggests that Kiefer Sherwood, acquired from Vancouver on January 19, could be set to finally make his Sharks debut tomorrow, currently sidelined by an upper-body injury as well.
Unsurprisingly, Reaves has not made an impact on the score sheet this season, but he’s managed to appear in 46 of the team’s 54 games to this point, with 32 penalty minutes. The grinder has found the back of the net three times, averaging 7:58 of ice time per game. His 41.8% Corsi for all situations is among the lowest in the league, but the respected veteran is a beloved teammate in San Jose, currently playing out the final year of a three-year contract worth $1.35MM per season.
With Reaves’ leadership playing a key role, boosting the average of what is one of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Sharks are right in the playoff mix. They are vying to end their six-year drought impressively ahead of schedule. Reaves figures to return soon after the break, the 2005 fifth-round pick adding to his improbable 958-game journey as a lasting figure of a previous era.
Three Players Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Feb. 4: All three cleared and are now unrestricted free agents, per Friedman. Larsson has already found his new home in Sweden with Leksands IF, Expressen reports.
Feb. 3: Three players from around the league won’t be back with their current clubs after the Olympic break. The Panthers’ Ryan McAllister, the Penguins’ Filip Larsson, and the Blues’ Samuel Johannesson were placed on unconditional waivers today for the purposes of contract terminations, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
McAllister, 24, will become an unrestricted free agent midway through a trying season. The Ontario native took a rare development path, inking his entry-level contract with Florida as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after just one season in college at Western Michigan. He’d erupted for 49 points in 39 games as a freshman, so making the jump to the pros wasn’t completely out of the blue.
The 5’10” pivot has never landed an NHL recall, but he’d put together some promising seasons in Charlotte – when healthy. He had 19 points in 37 games as a first-year pro in 2023-24 and averaged nearly a point per game last year, although he was available for only 16 games.
It seems whatever ailed him last year has made him a more limited threat this year. He had two goals and seven points with a -5 rating in 15 games to begin the year with Charlotte before the Panthers bumped him down to ECHL Savannah for the first time last month. He’s suited up twice, recording one assist and a -1 rating.
McAllister’s 0.64 points per game average in the AHL indicates he should be able to catch on somewhere else quickly, whether that’s on an AHL deal elsewhere to finish out the season or to join a pro team in Europe for the stretch run.
Larsson, 27, seems a sure bet to head back home to Sweden. He was a sixth-round pick by the Red Wings back in 2016 and had a one-year run with them in the AHL after coming out of college before being loaned back to Europe in 2020. He remained there until Detroit non-tendered him following the expiry of his entry-level deal.
Larsson later broke out as a top-tier starter in the Swedish Hockey League in 2023-24, racking up a .920 SV% and 1.93 GAA with five shutouts in 28 games. That put him back on the NHL radar, and the Penguins inked him to a two-year, two-way deal.
The Stockholm native was a good minor-league backup last season, notching a .910 SV% and 12-9-3 record in 26 showings for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He’s barely gotten any playing time this season behind youngsters Joel Blomqvist and Sergey Murashov, though, appearing just nine times. He hasn’t been terribly effective when dressed, either, throwing up a .876 SV% and 3.51 GAA.
Johannesson could also be on his way back to Sweden alongside Larsson. St. Louis signed the 25-year-old righty in 2024 out of Örebro HK. He was a 2020 draft pick by the Blue Jackets, but his exclusive signing rights with Columbus had expired.
The offensive-minded righty has been a valuable puck-mover for their minor-league affiliate in Springfield, but hasn’t shown the defensive utility necessary to earn a look at the next level. After putting up 32 points in 66 games last season, his output has dropped to 11 points in 26 games in 2025-26. He hasn’t been in Springfield’s lineup since mid-January, either, mostly due to his -20 rating.
Canadiens To Reassign Sammy Blais
Feb. 4: Blais cleared waivers and can now be assigned to Laval, per Friedman.
Feb. 3: The Canadiens placed winger Sammy Blais on waivers Tuesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll presumably be on his way to AHL Laval tomorrow if he clears.
Blais has been an increasingly rare inclusion in Montreal’s lineup. He ended up appearing in 13 straight contests for the club after they recalled him from Laval in December, more than a month after being re-claimed off waivers from the Maple Leafs. He last played on Jan. 15 against the Sabres, though, and has now been in the press box for eight straight.
Even with the risk of losing the 278-game veteran again on waivers, he was the logical candidate to come off the roster as soon as the Habs needed a spot because of how little he’d played as of late. The Quebec native made his first attempt to return home last summer, signing a one-year deal with Montreal in free agency after winning a Calder Cup with AHL Abbotsford. He was one of the Habs’ last cuts from training camp, though, and ended up getting snagged on the wire by Toronto.
Blais only ended up making eight appearances for the Leafs under head coach Craig Berube, under whom he won a Stanley Cup in St. Louis, notching three points and a -2 rating in a fourth-line role. Montreal was the only team to submit a claim for him when he ended up back on waivers around Thanksgiving, so they were able to send him directly to Laval upon getting him back in the organization.
The 6’2″, 205-lb agitator has had plenty of offensive success in the minors and had nine points in nine games in Laval. He found himself back in the NHL a few weeks later when the Habs needed an extra body in the wake of an injury to Jake Evans. He’s hung around since, but with only one game left before the roster freeze, it’s clear they’re doing a bit of advanced planning to ensure they can remove Patrik Laine from IR on the other side of the Olympic break – he’s expected to be all healed from his abdominal surgery by then.
Capitals Reassign Bogdan Trineyev
The Capitals announced they’ve reassigned winger Bogdan Trineyev to AHL Hershey. Today is the last day for teams to send players down to the minors before amended eligibility rules kick in during the Olympic roster freeze, which begins at 2:00 pm Central. Those restrictions can be found over at PuckPedia.
The 23-year-old Trineyev has now been recalled three separate times by the Caps this season, playing the first two games of his NHL career in the process. He’s still looking for his first point, but managed three shot attempts and a hit while averaging 10:32 of ice time per game. While his 5-on-5 sample size may only include 21 minutes of ice time, he’s had a good impact in that time with a 62.2 CF% while splitting his offensive and defensive zone usage 50-50. He’s filled in as part of the rotating cast of fourth-line wingers with Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd, controlling 62.5% of expected goals together, per MoneyPuck.
Trineyev was a fourth-round pick back in 2020. He ended up inking his entry-level deal two years later and had played exclusively in Hershey from the tail end of the 2022-23 season until landing his first NHL recall earlier this year. He’s spending this season on a league-minimum two-way deal, but the Caps were pleased enough with his progression this season to ink him to a two-year, two-way extension worth up to $1.8MM last month.
It’s truly been a breakout campaign for the 6’3″, 200-lb Russian in the AHL. He has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 32 games, already just one point shy of the career-high he set last year in 62 appearances. If he can keep up that offensive development, there’s a decent chance he can end up being a valuable complementary bottom-six piece in the NHL.
Trade Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche
With the Olympic break approaching, the trade deadline is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with the Avalanche.
Colorado will come out of the Olympic break as the Presidents’ Trophy favorites and will likely remain so up until the trade deadline. There are a few teams that could conceivably catch them between now and then, but the Avalanche have put themselves in a spot where they won’t need to be too active at the deadline, barring injuries. Colorado ranks first in GF/G, first in GA/G, 31st in PP%, second in PK%, and first in SV%.
Record
36-9-9, 1st in the Central (~100% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$6.48MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: CAR 4th, COL 4th, PHI 5th, BOS 5th, COL 5th, NYR 7th, OTT 7th, PIT 7th, COL 7th
2027: COL 1st, MIN 2nd, COL 2nd, COL 4th, SJ 5th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
Trade Chips
Depending on how aggressive they want to be, the Avalanche could likely use their plethora of draft picks to acquire the depth they need. Obviously, it’s more quantity over quality, but as the league’s best team, they only need to add around the fringes.
Still, if they wanted to make a more notable addition, particularly to their defensive core, Colorado has a few prospects at their disposal. It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world for the Avalanche to push most of their chips in with only two more guaranteed years of consistent Norris threat, Cale Makar.
Two of Colorado’s better prospects are playing in the KHL, so they wouldn’t be negatively impacting the NHL squad or the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev, whom Colorado selected with the 31st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, is playing for the Avangard Omsk. Furthermore, Ilya Nabokov, selected with the 38th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, is having a solid year with the Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Considering how he’s played the last three years, Nabokov would have significant value if the Avalanche included him in trade conversations. Nabokov, 22, has managed a 67-34-9 record in 123 KHL games with a .920 SV% and 2.31 GAA. Although it’s not a direct comparison, the Florida Panthers were able to acquire Sam Reinhart with Devon Levi and Seth Jones with Spencer Knight in recent years. Both played integral roles in the Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
Outside of those two, Colorado could include defenseman Sean Behrens or forward Nikita Prishchepov, both of whom are playing with AHL Colorado, for less significant additions. Unfortunately, according to Daily Faceoff’s preseason rankings, the Avalanche have the 29th-ranked farm system, meaning their cupboards are lacking in prospect capital. Regardless, it’s unimaginable that Colorado would part with anyone on the active roster, considering how the team has played this year.
Team Needs
Defensive Depth: At the time of writing, the Avalanche has only six defensemen on the active roster, without much depth. Yes, the likes of Keaton Middleton, Jacob MacDonald, Ronald Attard, and Jack Ahcan can and have all served when needed, though they wouldn’t be the best options to have in case of injuries leading up to or in the postseason. In a perfect world, the Colorado would target a defenseman who can play on both sides of the blueline, though they’ll want to seek out a left-handed shot at the very least. Fortunately, there should be a few options available to them with varying degrees of talent. Logan Stanley of the Winnipeg Jets, Matt Grzelcyk of the Chicago Blackhawks, Mario Ferraro of the San Jose Sharks, and Brett Kulak of the Pittsburgh Penguins all make sense as potential additions.
Bottom-Six Center: Outside of most contending teams, the Avalanche don’t have much to be concerned about regarding their center core. Nathan MacKinnon (51.1%), Brock Nelson (49.4%), and Jack Drury (59.2%) are all having solid years in the faceoff dot, with the former two providing much of the team’s offense. However, there is a steep drop-off in faceoff talent on the team’s fourth line. The team has typically used Parker Kelly or Zakhar Bardakov in that role. However, they’ve only managed a 32.1% and 43.4% in the faceoff circle, respectively. If he’s willing to leave his native Winnipeg in pursuit of one last shot at the Stanley Cup, Jonathan Toews would be a perfect addition, as he has a 61.0% faceoff rate this season. However, if Toews is unwilling to leave Manitoba, lower-cost additions such as Jason Dickinson (49.7%) or Erik Haula (50.3%) would also help round out the bottom-six.
Image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.
Predators Recall Reid Schaefer
The Nashville Predators have added some forward depth to their lineup ahead of tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild. According to a team announcement, the Predators have recalled forward Reid Schaefer from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.
Schaefer, 22, is viewed as one of the better prospects in Nashville’s system. He was originally selected with the 32nd overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers moved off him relatively quickly, trading him to the Predators a year later in the deal that brought defenseman Mattias Ekholm to Alberta.
Since then, he’s been a relatively solid secondary contributor with AHL Milwaukee. Debuting in the 2023-24 season, Schaefer has registered 21 goals and 53 points in 103 games in the game’s second-highest league. That averages out to just over a point every two games.
Being nearly a point-per-game player with the Admirals this season, the Predators believed it was time to allow Schaefer the opportunity to contribute at the NHL level. The Edmonton, Alberta native was recalled for the first time in late November and remained with the team for nearly two months.
He didn’t make too much noise during his first stint in the NHL, though it wasn’t all bad. Schaefer scored four goals and six points across 25 games with a -9 rating, averaging 10:30 of ice time per contest. He showed flashes of decent physicality, averaging 2.5 hits per game, and was efficient on offense, shooting at a 17.4% clip.
Considering the recent news that Barry Trotz will be stepping down as the team’s General Manager, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Schaefer get another extended look at the NHL level. Depending on how the team approaches the upcoming trade deadline, the next leader of the front office will want a better understanding of what the team has in some of the younger players.
Penguins Reassign Melvin Fernstrom
The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing one of their forward prospects to North America. According to a team announcement, the Penguins have assigned forward Melvin Fernström to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Fernström, 19, is only a few years removed from being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver selected the Bålsta, Sweden native with the 93rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft. At the time, Fernström had been playing for the Örebro HK program, scoring 23 goals and 57 points in 48 games across three separate U20 divisions. The Canucks traded Fernström to the Penguins last season in the Marcus Pettersson trade.
He’s remained in the Örebro HK organization, making the jump to the SHL over the last few years. Fernström has been relatively successful after making the jump to professional hockey, particularly as a younger player, scoring 11 goals and 21 points in 84 games since the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
Making the jump to the North American professional circuit, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fernström struggle offensively for some time. Still, standing at 6’2″ and 190lbs, he won’t look out of place with the WBS Penguins.
Most of the public scouting information available on Fernström suggests he has a tremendous hockey IQ, which is fairly common for Swedish forwards. He is credited with efficiently assessing where the puck is going, which makes up for his subpar shooting ability. Regardless, he’ll immediately join a contending team in the AHL and will benefit from better players around him.
Morning Notes: Panarin, Liljegren, Ekman-Larsson
There’s no question that the New York Rangers are looking to move pending unrestricted free agent Artemi Panarin before today’s 3 p.m. CT Olympic roster freeze. A handful of teams have already been prominently linked to Panarin, and a recent update from David Pagnotta alerted that the situation remains incredibly fluid, lowering the chances of a trade coming together by this afternoon.
In his update, Pagnotta suggested that the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks remain interested in acquiring Panarin with an extension. In contrast, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Edmonton Oilers view him only as a rental. Additionally, Pagnotta mentioned that unless something changes relatively soon, the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, Utah Mammoth, and Washington Capitals are no longer in the running.
On yesterday’s edition of Insider Trading, TSN’s Chris Johnston reported that at least one team has put $40MM on the table for Panarin, which would presumably translate to a three-year deal with an AAV of $13.3MM or a four-year contract with an AAV of $10MM.
Other updates from this morning:
- In the same update from Pagnotta, he suggests that the Sharks are actively shopping Timothy Liljegren, as well as other pending-UFA defensemen, on the trade market. San Jose could ultimately sign a few of them to extensions over the next few weeks, though Pagnotta confirmed that Liljegren is not a part of the organization’s long-term plans. The former 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has 10 assists in 41 games this season, averaging 20:15 of ice time per contest.
- Lastly, Pagnotta reported that if the Toronto Maple Leafs pivot toward selling ahead of the March 6th trade deadline, plenty of teams will be interested in acquiring Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It won’t be without hurdles, as the 34-year-old defenseman is signed through the 2027-28 season at a $3.5MM salary with a 16-team no-trade clause. Still, he’s having an excellent offensive year with Toronto, scoring eight goals and 34 points in 56 games, with most of that production coming at even strength.