Pacific Notes: Kuzmenko, Kings Defensemen, Kadri
Los Angeles Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko left yesterday’s game with an upper-body injury, the team announced last night. Kuzmenko left the bench with an injury and attempted to return in the second period, but was unable to get back into the game. The Kings have not issued any further update on Kuzmenko’s status, but the fact that the Olympic break has now begun does give Kuzmenko some runway to recover before games start up again.
Kuzmenko, 30, has had an up-and-down tenure in Los Angeles. He was an instant success after he was traded there last season, scoring five goals and 17 points in 22 games. He added six points in the Kings’ first round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. He has just 23 points in 51 games this season, but he’s far from the only Kings forward who has seen his offensive production take a step back year-over-year. It will be interesting to see how Kuzmenko’s usage does or does not change after the addition of Artemi Panarin.
Other notes from the Pacific Division:
- After yesterday’s game, Kings head coach Jim Hiller told the media, including team reporter Zach Dooley, that the Kings’ defense is “pretty banged up” and that several blueliners are “quite a ways south of 100 percent.” Dooley noted that this is a new development, as previously only veteran Joel Edmundson had been understood to be dealing with an injury. With the Kings in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, it’s clear the Olympic break is coming at a useful time for the Kings.
- Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri figures to be one of the top players available at his position in the lead up to this season’s trade deadline, but recently, trade rumors surrounding his name have slowed. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote today that Kadri’s trade situation is moving more slowly than anticipated in part because teams are looking for clarity on Vincent Trocheck and Robert Thomas, two centers whose names are swirling in trade rumors. Friedman noted that the Flames are “flexible” in terms of what kind of return they’re seeking in exchange for Kadri, which could help the odds that a trade is completed before the deadline passes.
Latest On Bobby McMann
Despite a recent winning streak, the Toronto Maple Leafs remain on the outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. Were they in the West, their record would be good enough to be in a playoff spot at this moment, but the quality of the conference they find themselves in makes it difficult to imagine a clear path for them to return to the playoffs.
As a result of their current situation, Toronto is likely considering selling off some of its assets in order to best position itself to compete next season and beyond, and one of the key trade chips the club has to work with is winger Bobby McMann.
A pending UFA, McMann is on pace to set career highs in offensive production. He has 19 goals and 32 points in 56 games this season, which is a 28-goal, 47-point 82-game scoring pace.
McMann has attributes to his game beyond just his scoring ability that are likely to make him a player of interest to contending teams. He’s relatively big, standing 6’2″, 217 pounds, and offers the blend of size, pace, and aggression that teams typically covet.
As a result, Toronto is seeking a first-round pick from any team that trades for McMann, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Toronto can’t be blamed for aiming high in terms of the return it seeks for its top pending UFA, but it’s unclear at this time whether the team will ultimately be able to land a first-rounder in a deal.
On one hand, as mentioned, McMann possesses several qualities that are in demand among contending teams, and that could positively contribute to their chances of landing a first-rounder. On the other hand, McMann does not fully fit the mold of players in the past who have landed first-rounders as rentals at previous trade deadlines.
First and foremost, McMann is a winger, and typically teams have been more willing to surrender top draft choices for players at more “premium,” in-demand positions, such as centers and right-shot defensemen. The Maple Leafs themselves are likely aware of this, having surrendered first-rounders at deadlines past in exchange for centers such as Scott Laughton and Ryan O’Reilly, as well as right-shot blueliners such as Brandon Carlo.
With that said, there is still some precedent for a winger to land a first-round pick. Toronto dealt a first-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets to acquire veteran winger Nick Foligno in 2021, and other wingers have also returned first-rounders as rentals, such as Tyler Bertuzzi in 2023. There’s not nearly as extensive of a track record of rental wingers landing first-round picks as there is with centers, but there are examples the Maple Leafs can cite.
Ultimately, whether or not the Maple Leafs are successful in their pursuit of a first-round pick seems dependent entirely on how highly contending teams value McMann. If he’s one of the more coveted assets available on the market, it would be easy to imagine the price for his services rising high enough.
But on the other hand, numerous contending teams have already dealt away their first-round pick, as Friedman mentioned. That makes it more difficult for the right circumstances to emerge where such a pick would be dealt for McMann.
In any case, once NHL play resumes, McMann will be one of the key players to watch as Toronto looks to chart its path into an uncertain competitive future.
Photos courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Wild Notes: Wallstedt, Stramel, Coyle
The Minnesota Wild announced to the league that they are all-in on trying to win a Stanley Cup over the next two years when they acquired star blueliner Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. As they seek a player who can occupy a top-six center role, one of the key trade assets they have to leverage is breakout rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt. Last month, it was reported that the Wild would consider dealing Wallstedt, and yesterday, The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith took things a step further, writing that a Wallstedt trade “really does feel inevitable.”
Despite his stellar rookie year, one where he’s posted a .914 save percentage across 23 games, Wallstedt is somewhat expendable for the Wild because they have starter Filip Gustavsson locked into a contract extension that carries a $6.8MM AAV, runs through 2030-31, and has a full no-move clause through next year. According to Russo and Smith, Wallstedt will be a real asset in play in the team’s search for a high-end center. For rival teams that have a need in net and a center to trade, Wallstedt’s availability could be a real opportunity to add a goaltender that could potentially be a starter in net for the next decade or more.
Other notes from the Twin Cities:
- Answering a question as to whether top prospect Charlie Stramel might exercise his right to hit unrestricted free agency when the Wild’s exclusive rights to sign him expire this summer, Russo and Smith relayed word from Stramel, who said he “100 percent” plans on signing with the Wild in some form when his NCAA season ends. It’s still to be determined whether that will be with AHL Iowa or whether the Wild will sign him to his entry-level deal and “burn” a year in doing so. Stramel is one of Minnesota’s best prospects, and is leading the Michigan State Spartans with 35 points in 26 NCAA games.
- Russo and Smith also reported yesterday that the Wild “have checked in with” the Columbus Blue Jackets regarding trade possibilities, including possibilities specifically related to veteran center Charlie Coyle, whose game Wild GM Bill Guerin is reportedly a fan of. Coyle, 33, played for the Wild from 2012-13 through 2018-19, and has had a stellar 2025-26 season, scoring 42 points in 56 games. Seeing as the Blue Jackets have surged after their recent coaching change, they could be unwilling to deal Coyle, even though he is a pending UFA. But as the Wild seek to upgrade their standing at the center position, it appears Coyle is very much on the team’s radar.
Pittsburgh Penguins Reassign Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes
2/6/26: The Penguins announced today that McGroarty will be spending the Olympic break with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as he was reassigned to the team today.
McGroarty got into four NHL games since returning from injury, but he didn’t play much. He managed two assists in that span, but did not receive more than 11 minutes of ice time in any of the four contests. The Olympic break will serve as an opportunity for him to get some reps in at the AHL level, where he’s scored 12 points in nine games this season.
The Penguins also reassigned forward Avery Hayes, who they recalled yesterday. Hayes had a day to remember, making his NHL debut and scoring twice, helping the Penguins to a significant road win over a quality opponent. Hayes has 13 goals, 23 points in 31 AHL games this season.
1/29/26: The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Rutger McGroarty from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In a corresponding move, the club placed defenseman Jack St. Ivany on injured reserve.
This recall gives Pittsburgh head coach Dan Muse an additional forward at his disposal in the wake of Bryan Rust, who has to sit out the team’s next three games due to a suspension. The move also restores McGroarty’s place on the team’s NHL roster, something he lost after suffering a concussion in the first week of the month.
McGroarty, 21, will re-enter the Penguins’ NHL roster likely with a heightened level of confidence in his abilities as a scorer. The Penguins had McGroarty build his way back from his injury at the AHL level in part to help him regain some confidence as an offensive creator. McGroarty has been a top scorer at every level he’s played at outside of the NHL. While he has just three points in 16 NHL games so far this season, he managed four points in his final two AHL games.
Pittsburgh is likely hoping he’ll be able to hit the ground running and reach another level of production in the NHL after getting to contribute to some offense with the AHL Penguins.
For the duration of Rust’s absence, it’s possible McGroarty will get the chance to play in the veteran’s vacated role alongside Sidney Crosby on Pittsburgh’s top line. Such an opportunity would be a significant one for McGroarty, as playing with Crosby would likely put him in prime position to get the kind of scoring opportunities that are far more rare when playing in the bottom-six.
If he indeed ends up playing there, and can capitalize on the opportunities naturally provided in such a role, he could further bolster his confidence in a way that would pay dividends even after Rust returns from his suspension.
As for St. Ivany, who lands on IR as part of this recall, his removal from the active roster was widely expected after it was announced earlier this week that he’d undergone surgery on his left hand. He’s expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks as he recovers from the procedure.
Ottawa Senators Reassign Stephen Halliday, Hunter Shepard
The Ottawa Senators announced today that forward Stephen Halliday and goaltender Hunter Shepard have been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
Over the past two days, NHL clubs have been making various reassignments to get players rostered in the AHL for the Olympic break, since keeping some names on an NHL team set to go several weeks without a game would be less than ideal for some players. These two reassignments fit that mold.
Halliday, 23, has split time between Ottawa and Belleville this season, which is his rookie campaign in the NHL. The 6’4″ center was a 2022 fourth-round pick who was able to instantly translate his scoring success from the NCAA level with Ohio State to the pro level with Belleville. He scored 14 points in 17 combined AHL regular-season and playoff games after signing with the Senators in the spring of 2024, and scored 19 goals and 51 points in his first full year of pro hockey.
So far this season, Halliday has been able to enhance his production level at the AHL level, and has even begun to translate some of that scoring to the NHL. In 22 AHL games, Halliday has scored 26 points. In 25 NHL games, Halliday, who averages just 8:08 time on ice per game, has 11 points. The 1:56 per game he averages on the power play has helped, of course, but his results have been undoubtedly promising for the Senators.
Entering the season, Halliday was ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Senators’ system by Elite Prospects, who wrote that he “could top out as a top-nine playmaking power forward” if he made improvements to his skating and pace of play.
While it’s too early to tell if Halliday will be able to ultimately fulfill that projection, this year has been a step forward in his development, and he’ll be tasked with sustaining that step forward back at the AHL level over the Olympic break.
As for Shepard, his reassignment is more standard as he’s been mostly an AHL player this season. Shepard has six games of career NHL experience and has played in 36 minutes at the NHL level in 2025-26. Once a star AHL netminder who led the Hershey Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup titles, Shepard’s form in the league has declined over the last two years.
In 2024-25, he posted an .891 save percentage across 39 games in Hershey, and the Washington Capitals pivoted to other goalie options. He signed with the Senators this offseason, but has been unable to get his numbers trending in the right direction. He has an .888 save percentage in just 14 games played for Belleville, and is a pending UFA.
Buffalo Sabres Reassign Three Players
The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned three players to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans: forwards Konsta Helenius and Isak Rosen, as well as defenseman Zach Metsa. The moves are part of the Sabres’ preparations for the Olympic break now that their slate of NHL games before the Olympics has concluded.
It’s no major surprise that Buffalo would want to see this trio of players become available for the Americans over the break. Getting each one back onto the AHL roster will give Rochester a significant, immediate boost in its odds of winning games, starting tonight when they take on the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Helenius and Rosen are two of Rochester’s best forwards. Helenius, 19, was Buffalo’s 2024 first-round pick and the No. 14 overall pick of his draft class. Helenius was selected after a strong 36-point rookie campaign playing against men in Finland’s Liiga, meaning his quick transition to the AHL game isn’t hugely surprising.
He scored 14 goals and 36 points last season as an AHL rookie, and has nine goals and 30 points across 34 AHL games this season. Despite spending some time on the Sabres NHL roster, Helenius remains ranked No. 2 in scoring among forwards on the Americans roster in 2025-26.
The Americans’ leading forward scorer is Rosen, one of the club’s 2021 first-round picks. It’s a big year for the pending RFA, as he’s looking to finally seize a more permanent role on the Sabres’ NHL roster. That will have to wait until after the break, but during the break, he is expected to be one of Rochester’s key forwards. He scored 28 goals and 55 points in the AHL last season, and has 20 goals and 32 points in 30 games this year.
Unlike both forwards that were reassigned, Metsa is not a first-round pick and top prospect. Instead, the blueliner is a 27-year-old undrafted player who has carved out a real NHL role for himself after putting together a steep, positive development trajectory in Rochester. The right-shot blueliner scored 24 points in 54 games as an AHL rookie in 2023-24 before jumping up to 46 points in 69 games last season.
This year, Metsa has spent more time in the NHL than the AHL. He has 13 points in 14 AHL games, and has played in 26 NHL games, scoring two points. He’s largely been a sheltered third-pairing blueliner in the NHL, averaging just 9:42 time on ice per game.
While he’s yet to fully earn the trust of head coach Lindy Ruff, the fact that he’s been able to play in so many NHL games over other depth blueliners indicates just how much his standing has grown in the Sabres organization over the last year.
He’ll be one of the Americans’ top defensemen during the break and could very well land back with the team if the Sabres elect to add defensive reinforcements from outside the organization via a trade at some point after the roster freeze, but before the trade deadline.
Rangers Reassign Anton Blidh, Spencer Martin
The New York Rangers made a trio of transactions to prepare their roster for the Olympic break, reassigning forward Anton Blidh and netminder Spencer Martin to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
In a corresponding move, the club recalled netminder Hugo Ollas from their ECHL affiliate, the Bloomington Bison. Because CBA rules stipulate that a team must carry three healthy goalies at all times, the Rangers needed to recall a goalie from somewhere if they wanted to send Martin down.
Since recalling Hartford starter Dylan Garand would be relatively counter-productive to their goal of positioning Hartford to win as much as possible during the break, Ollas became the natural choice for the recall.
Blidh, 30, is one of Hartford’s key veterans and has been recalled a few times this season to play a fourth-line role in New York. He has one assist in four NHL games this season and eight points in 35 AHL games. Blidh scored 19 goals and 36 points with the Wolf Pack last season, and is under contract through next season with a two-way structure and a $385K annual guarantee.
Martin, 30, was a mid-season signing by the Rangers, one that helped them shore up their goaltending depth amidst an injury suffered by star Igor Shesterkin.
Martin had over 60 games of NHL experience when he left North America over the summer to sign with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow. Martin put up a .905 save percentage across 13 games before leaving the KHL to get an NHL opportunity with the Rangers organization. In six games with Hartford this year, Martin has a .906 save percentage. He also has six NHL games played this year, but only has an .864 save percentage in that limited sample.
As for Ollas, the 23-year-old is a massive goalie prospect in the middle of his second professional campaign in the organization. The 6’8″, 238-pound netminder has an .895 save percentage in 14 games for ECHL Bloomington this season.
Jets Reassign Elias Salomonsson, Isaak Phillips
The Winnipeg Jets announced two reassignments as the team prepares for the Olympic Break: defensemen Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips have been sent to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
Both Phillips and Salomonsson have been depth defensemen for the Jets this season, each splitting time between the NHL and AHL.
Salomonsson, 21, is a 2022 second-round pick and one of Winnipeg’s better defensive prospects. He’s played in 25 games at the AHL level this season, skating in a major role, and has gotten into 13 NHL games. In the NHL, Salomonsson is averaging 16:57 time on ice per game including sporadic usage on the penalty kill.
Phillips, 24, is in the middle of his first full season with Winnipeg after being acquired by the team in January of last year. He’s occupied a spot below Salomonsson on the depth chart, and has just two NHL games played this season. In the AHL, Phillips has scored 15 points across 35 games played in 2025-26, which ranks third on the Moose in terms of scoring by a defenseman.
With Manitoba sitting third place in the AHL’s Central Division, those reassignments will help reinforce their defense and give them greater odds of utilizing the Olympic break to make a push for the No. 2 spot in their division, which is currently being held by the Chicago Wolves.
Washington Capitals Activate Pierre-Luc Dubois
The Washington Capitals announced today that forward Pierre-Luc Dubois has been activated off injured reserve and will play tonight.
Dubois has not played since October and has been recovering from abdominal surgery that he underwent in early November. Dubois told The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber that he wasn’t able to skate at full speed earlier in the season and could feel the lingering effects of the injury before undergoing surgery in the aftermath of a collision with New York Islanders forward J.G. Pageau.
In hindsight, it’s not a huge surprise to hear from Dubois that he was not fully healthy to start the year. He missed some time before landing on IR, and failed to register a point in his six NHL games. After scoring 66 points in his debut season with the Capitals, it didn’t take much to observe that something was out of order for Dubois earlier in the season.
While Dubois’ return comes just before the Olympic break, meaning he’ll have to wait to get into the rhythm of playing regularly again, his activation comes at a crucial juncture of the season for the Capitals.
The team is currently on the outside of the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture, sitting six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Wild Card spot and four points behind the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Getting Dubois back should be a significant boost to the Capitals’ hopes of rallying and making a push for a playoff spot. Even if it takes him some time to get back up to speed, he should immediately upgrade the Capitals’ standing at the all-important center position.
While Justin Sourdif has been something of a revelation in his first full campaign in the NHL (he has 12 goals, 26 points in 54 games) he’s not at the point in his career where he’s a true top-six center. Dubois is, and his return to the Capitals lineup should create a ripple effect that allows a player like Sourdif to occupy a more appropriate spot in the lineup.
Dubois’ return to the lineup is no guarantee Washington will be able to return to the playoffs. But given how good he was for the team last season, it will certainly help.
Photos courtesy of Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks Reassign Three Players
The Vancouver Canucks announced a series of transactions to prepare their roster for the Olympic break: forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki, defenseman Victor Mancini, and netminder Nikita Tolopilo have all been reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. The team also announced that netminder Jiri Patera has been recalled from the AHL on an emergency basis.
The move allows this trio of players to play in games for Abbotsford while the NHL Canucks are on pause. Lekkerimäki, 21, is the club’s 2022 first-round pick and has split time this season between Vancouver and Abbotsford. He has scored 10 goals and 16 points in 16 AHL games this season, and has three points in 16 NHL games.
Mancini, 23, is in the middle of his first full season as part of the Canucks organization. A part of last season’s J.T. Miller trade, the blueliner has skated in 10 NHL games this season, averaging 13:38 time on ice per game. In 23 AHL games this year, he has eight points.
By sending Tolopilo down as well as the two skaters, the Canucks have returned a key tandem goalie to Abbotsford. The 26-year-old Belarus native played in 36 games last season, posting a .902 save percentage on a team that ended up winning the Calder Cup. So far this season, he has a .901 save percentage in 13 AHL games. Tolopilo has impressed at the NHL level so far this year, posting a .910 save percentage in nine games.
While Abbotsford loses their most frequent starting goalie by recalling Patera, today’s move gives Tolopilo the chance to sustain his positive momentum by getting in some starts at the AHL level during the break.