Bruins Sign Jonathan Aspirot To Two-Year Extension
The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman Jonathan Aspirot to a two-year, $1.775MM contract extension. Aspirot made his NHL debut at the start of the season. He has since played in 25 games, locking in the 2025-26 season as his rookie year in the NHL. Aspirot has three points, a plus-15, and 17 penalty minutse through those contests.
Aspirot took the long route to the NHL. He went undrafed after three years in the QMJHL but showed off enough shutdown defense to earn an AHL contract with the Belleville Senators in 2019. Aspirot stuck with the AHL Senators for the next four seasons, routinely rivaling 15-to-20 points and a positive plus-minus while rotating through Belleville’s lineup. He seemed to have his pro legs under him after the 2022-23 season, when he recorded 16 points, a plus-four, and 65 penalty minutes in 43 games.
That performance prompted a move to bigger shoes for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Aspirot stepped up as a top-four option for the Wranglers and set career-highs in points (33) and penalty minutes (80) through his first 66 games with the club. He continued to make a mark through last season, when he racked up 29 points and 54 penalty minutes in 65 games in Calgary. Once again, his strong showing pushed Aspirot into a bigger role with a new team, this time on a deal with the Providence Bruins signed last summer. Hopes were high for the 6-foot, 212-pound defenseman and he answered the bell, netting three points and four penalty minutes in his first five games with Providence.
That was enough to earn a call-up to the Bruins – only the second NHL call-up of his career, after a call-up to the Flames in 2024 that resulted in no games played. This time, Aspirot made sure the move would stick. He has appeared in 25 of Boston’s 35 games since being recalled and even earned time on a pairing with star defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Aspirot’s career is taking off at the age of 26. Boston will keep that momentum rolling for the undrafted free agent, locking him into a cost-effective deal through the 2027-28 season.
Red Wings Sign Dominik Shine To Two-Year Extension
The Detroit Red Wings signed depth forward Dominik Shine to a two-year, two-way contract extension on Saturday. Shine is playing through his 10th season with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He ranks second on the club in scoring with 14 goals and 27 points in 26 games. This contract will carry Shine through his age-34 season in 2027-28.
Shine has settled in as a core piece of Grand Rapids’ lineup over his professional career. He was a grinder-style in his junior hockey days, marked by nearly 500 total penalty minutes across four years in the USHL. His bruising game carried over to four years at Northern Michigan University, where Shine was able to develop a more robust offensive game too. He scored 60 points in 67 games across his final two years at NMU, enough to earn an AHL contract with the Griffins in 2017.
Since then, Shine has stepped into any role the Griffins need. He ranks fifth in club history with 577 penalty minutes, and fourth with 89 goals and 211 points. Shine has reached those totals in 509 games with Grand Rapids, the third-longest tenure of any player with the club. The Griffins’ team record for games played belongs to Travis Richards, who appeared in 655 between 1996 and 2006. Shine could have a chance to rival that mark if he can earn one more season after playing through this new extension. Despite the years of impact in the AHL, Shine didn’t make his NHL debut until last season, when he racked up one assist and 15 penalty minutes in nine games with the Red Wings.
Grand Rapids rewarded Shine’s longtime reliability with the captaincy this summer. Now, in the midst of a career-year, the Red Wings will award him with a carved out role in the Griffins lineup. That could be the motivation he needs to break his career-high of 46 points set last season and push his way back into the NHL.
Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek Day-To-Day With Undisclosed Injury
The Minnesota Wild lost key centerman Joel Eriksson Ek to injury in Thursday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Eriksson Ek sustained the injury after getting tangled up with another player near his bench, but avoided the worst case scenario, head coach John Hynes told Sara McLellan of the Star Tribune. Eriksson Ek will be questionable for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.
Minnesota will be noticeably shorthanded without Eriksson Ek in the lineup. His veteran, two-way presence has served as a pillar of the Wild’s center depth, allowing more offensively-inclined centers like Danila Yurov and Ryan Hartman a bit more room to play downhill. Eriksson Ek has offered that support while putting up strong scoring of his own – 11 goals and 32 points in 45 games, good for fourth on the team in total scoring. He is one of six Wild players to appear in every game so far this season, a streak that could change on Saturday night.
The Wild will need to push extra forward Tyler Pitlick into action if Eriksson Ek has to sit. Pitlick is back in the NHL this season after spending the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. He has had a quiet showing in Minnesota, so far with only one goal and 24 penalty minutes in 23 games. Pitlick will fill a minimal, fourth-line role in the lineup while Marcus Foligno and Hartman earn a bump in minutes. Hartman has three points in his last five games and could bring a spark to the top-six in Eriksson Ek’s place. That is what the Wild will have to hope for as they look to snap a scoring funk. Three of Minnesota’s last five games have gone to overtime, with two ending in shootout losses.
Blackhawks Activate Connor Bedard, Recall Kevin Korchinski, Drew Commesso
1:43 p.m.: The Blackhawks announced they’ve activated Bedard from injured reserve. They also recalled defenseman Kevin Korchinski and goaltender Drew Commesso from AHL Rockford to account for their game-time decisions tonight. Korchinski, the seventh overall pick in 2022, would be making his season debut if he draws into the lineup. He hasn’t exactly been lighting up the AHL, but has 19 points and a -12 rating in 32 showings for Rockford. Commesso, on the other hand, has been a strong starter with a .909 SV% and 2.72 GAA in 19 games.
12:00 p.m.: The Chicago Blackhawks will have their lineup star back from injury when they host the Washington Capitals on Friday night. Connor Bedard confirmed that he will return to the lineup after missing the last 12 games due to a shoulder injury to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Bedard skated on the top power-play unit at Friday morning’s practice.
Bedard was injured in the final second of Chicago’s Dec. 12th loss to the St. Louis Blues. He was on a scoring tear before his injury, with five goals and 11 points in his last seven games. Those marks brought Bedard up to 19 goals and 44 points in 31 games on the season. That ranked the Blackhawks youngster third in points and fourth in goals in the NHL.
Naturally, Chicago hit a skid once Bedard fell out of the lineup. Their average goals per game fell from 2.9 to 2.1 over their remaining eight games in December, leading to a 1-6-1 record to end 2025. Surprisingly, the young roster snapped out of that struggle in the New Year. Chicago is currently riding a four-game win streak, capped off by a 7-3 win over the Blues on Wednesday. That win was spurred by young forwards Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, Landon Slaggert, and Ryan Greene.
With that quartet now clicking down the lineup, Chicago will be in a perfect position to add their top scorer back to the lineup. Bedard spent most of his time next to Greene and Andre Burakovsky prior to his injury. That line outscored opponents 13-to-6 at even-strength, the most of only four Blackhawks lines with a positive goal-differential. The chances that Bedard returns to that line on Friday could be slim, though, as Greene has taken on the second-line center role with Frank Nazar also injured.
Chicago will need to spread their depth after forwards Nick Foligno and Ilya Mikheyev, goaltender Arvid Soderblom, and head coach Jeff Blashill all missed Friday’s morning skate. The team isn’t yet sure which of those four will be available for Friday night’s game, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. The four seem to have fallen victim to a flu bug making its way through the Blackhawks locker room right now. The injury-ridden Blackhawks have two extra forwards – Sam Lafferty and Landon Slaggert – but had to call upon famous emergency backup goaltender Scott Foster to backup at practice. They would be eligible for an emergency recall should they need to fill an additional spot.
Should Blashill need to sit on the side, Chicago would likely ask Anders Sorensen to fill the head coach spot. Sorensen coached the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs from 2022 to 2025, then earned a promotion to an interim head coach role partway through last season. He remains with Chicago as an assistant coach this year.
Oilers’ Adam Henrique Out Long-Term, Placed On IR
Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique is set to miss nearly two months of action after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators. The Oilers placed Henrique on IR and announced that he is expected to return after the NHL’s break for the Winter Olympics, which ends on February 24th.
When Henrique sustained his injury isn’t entirely clear. Henrique did block a shot from Predators’ winger Filip Forsberg with his wrist in his final shift of the game but didn’t appear to be in pain for the rest of his time on the ice. Whether that caused his injury or not, the veteran forward will now be forced to miss the next 14 games, at least.
Henrique has had a quiet year on the scoresheet. He only has 10 points and 12 penalty minutes in 43 games this season – a career-low scoring pace. The 35 year old has made up for that lack of scoring away from the puck. He leads Edmonton’s forwards with 57 shot blocks, ranks second among the club’s usual centers with a 54.8 faceoff percentage, and ranks fifth on the offense with 24 hits. He’s continued to fill a core, bottom-six role in Edmonton that will be hard to fill.
The Oilers will bring Trent Frederic back into the lineup in Henrique’s spot. Frederic has had a year much quieter than his rich extension would suggest, with only three points and a minus-10 in 41 games. He has posted 103 hits, though, good for second on the team behind Vasily Podkolzin. Edmonton also has Andrew Mangiapane, who has 11 points in 40 games, in the press box. They oculd also recall Quinn Hutson, who leads the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 27 games.
Edmonton could be afforded a chance to figure out Henrique’s replacement by Kasperi Kapanen‘s return from a three-month long injury absence. Kapanen scored two points in Edmonton’s 6-2 win over the Predators on Tuesday. That win ended a three-game losing skid and brought Edmonton up to a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games. Comfortably in a playoff position, Kapanen’s return could help buoy the offense while they address a new hole on the fourth line.
Blackhawks Legend Glenn Hall Passes Away At Age 94
Tragic news has come through the hockey world. Legendary goaltender Glenn Hall has passed away at the age of 94, per an NHL press release. Hall played four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, four seasons with the St. Louis Blues, and 10 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He won two Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.
Few hockey careers were as prolific as Hall’s. He earned the monichre ‘Mr. Goalie’ by the end of his career, in part thanks to how consistent of a presence he was in net. Hall rarely missed a game, setting an NHL record for 502 consecutive starts (552 including playoffs) between the start of his career in 1955 and his eighth season in 1962. That stretch spanned a move from the Red Wings to the Black Hawks and saw Hall play more than 30,000 minutes of hockey.
Even more impressive, Hall acheived the record without wearing a mask, which wasn’t popularized until Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Jacques Plante took up the protective gear in 1959. Hall wouldn’t wear a mask until November 1968, at the age of 37. He allowed a goal on one of the first shifts of the game and earned an ejection on the very next shift. Ironically, Plante was the one to replace Hall. The duo of Hall-of-Fame goaltenders would go on to combine for 13 shutouts and collectively win the Vezina Trophy that year.
Hall earned attention for much more than his propensity for playing every game, and not wearing a mask. His career began with the Humboldt Indians and Windsor Spitfires of Ontario’s early junior leagues. He signed with the Red Wings in 1949, while in juniors, and spent his first pro year in 1951 assigned to the AHL’s Indianapolis Capitals. Hall played 68 games for the Capitals and earned a call-up to fill Detroit’s backup position behind Terry Sawchukin the 1952 playoffs. He didn’t appear in a single game but still had his name placed on the Cup by the Red Wings.
Hall, already decorated a champion, finally usurped Sawchuk in 1955, when the latter was traded to the Boston Bruins. His rookie season was when Hall’s run of consecutive games kicked off. He recorded 30 wins and a .925 save in 70 games that season – enough to take home the 1955 Calder Trophy. Those numbers grew to 38 wins and a .928 save percentage, both league-bests, in his second season. He was named a first-team all-star – then, a way of being named the top goalie.
Despite that status, the Red Wings aimed to find a way to bring back Sawchuk, prompting one of the NHL’s great blockbusters. Detroit sent Hall and forward Ted Lindsay – a veteran of 14 seasons in Detroit – to the Black Hawks in exchange for Bill Preston, Forbes Kennedy, Johnny Wilson, and Hank Bassen.
Hall’s status as one of the league’s best goaltenders continued through his days in Chicago, though his stat line took an initial hit on a club near the bottom of the standings. Hall recorded the most losses in the league in 1957-58, with 39, but still finished the season fifth in Hart Trophy voting. He reduced that to 29 losses in 1958-59, though did lead the league with 208 goals allowed that year. Despite a rocky first two seasons, Hall climbed back to a save percentage north of .915 in his third year, sparking a run of all-star bids that would stretch through the next 11 seasons, save for one year.
Hall became the core piece of a true turnover in Chicago. He began with the club as a proven 26-year-old playing next to a rookie Bobby Hull and bruisers like Eric Nesterenko. 10 seasons later, he was backing the likes of Stan Mikita, Phil Esposito, and Dennis Hull (and, still, Nesterenko). That run came to a close in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, when Chicago protected 28-year-old Denis DeJordy over Hall. The veteran would go to the St. Louis Blues with the third-overall pick, after Sawchuk and Bernie Parent were selected with the first two picks.
The Blues would go on to make the Stanley Cup Finals in their first three seasons, largely thanks to Hall’s continued dominance. That run ended in one of the most iconic moments in NHL history, when legendary defenseman Bobby Orr scored his famous “flying goal” on Hall to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup in overtime. Hall played one more season but called his career to a close in 1971. He ended with 906 games played, 407 wins, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals-against-average.
Like many goalies of his era, Hall’s career is remembered with deep admiration. The city of Humboldt, where he began his career, erected a monument to Hall in 2005. He was named a Top 100 hockey player of all-time by The Hockey News in 1998, a status that the league cemented in their inagural top-100 list in 2017. Hall is a true great of the sport who’s name, shutdown ability in an old era, and lack of mask will ring on for many years to come. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Hall’s family, friends, and many fans.
Matthew Tkachuk To Join Panthers On Road Trip, Return Uncertain
The Florida Panthers could receive a superstar addition during their upcoming six-game road-trip through Canada and the American East Coast. Winger Matthew Tkachuk has been practicing with the club for the last week and has a loose target for his return – but hasn’t yet stepped up to full-contact practice – per David Dwork of The Hockey News. Tkachuk added that he may have stretched the truth when he returned from his injury for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tkachuk played in all 23 games of Florida’s run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Tkachuk has taken a long road to recovery for a adductor injury sustained during the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off. He opted to undergo surgery early in September and had an estimated return of January, which he is on track to uphold with a return soon.
The Panthers have found their way to a successful record without Tkachuk and star two-way center Aleksander Barkov this season – but their absences have still been strongly felt. Florida ranks 15th in the NHL in goals scored after finishing first, sixth, and 11th in that mark over the last three seasons. Those finishes – and a dip outside of the top-10 last year – can be largely attributed to Tkachuk’s impact on the top line. The American star recorded 40 goals and 109 points in 79 games of the 2022-23 season, when Florida topped the league in goals. He followed that with 88 points in 2023-24, then 57 points in 52 games last year. All throughout, his mix of top-level skill and unrelenting grit have served to set the tempo of Florida’s forecheck.
Tkachuk didn’t seem to mind the injury in his brief return last season. He scored 23 points in the postseason, continuing a near-point-per-game streak that stretches back to the 2023 postseason. With three months of recovery under his belt, it seems the last step for Tkachuk will be to donn the full-contact jersey and boost his conditioning. The Panthers face tough competition throughout their upcoming road trip, including matchups against the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Washington Capitals. Adding Tkachuk to the lineup against that level of competition would be a quick way to boost Florida’s odds of snapping a recent 2-3-1 skid.
Adding Tkachuk back to the lineup will likely knock Jack Studnicka back to the extra forward role. Studnicka has no points in 14 games this season and has received as few as four minutes of ice time while playing games from his bottom-line role. He’ll be a certain choice to move into a depth position, while A.J. Greer and Eetu Luostarinen could see some knocked minutes in favor of the Panthers’ star.
Team Finland Announces 2026 Olympic Roster
Finland has become the second country to announce their Winter Olympic roster on Friday. The roster closely aligns with Finland’s lineup at the 2025 4 Nations tournament, with some notable additions from across the hockey world. The full roster is as follows:
Forwards
- C Sebastian Aho (Hurricanes)
- RW Joel Armia (Kings)
- C Mikael Granlund (Ducks)
- C Erik Haula (Predators)
- C Roope Hintz (Stars)
- RW Kaapo Kakko (Kraken)
- C Oliver Kapanen (Canadiens)
- LW Joel Kiviranta (Avalanche)
- LW Artturi Lehkonen (Avalanche)
- C Anton Lundell (Panthers)
- C Eetu Luostarinen (Panthers)
- RW Mikko Rantanen (Stars)
- LW Teuvo Teravainen (Blackhawks)
- RW Eeli Tolvanen (Kraken)
Defense
- LD Miro Heiskanen (Stars)
- RD Henri Jokiharju (Bruins)
- LD Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC Lions/NL)
- LD Esa Lindell (Stars)
- LD Olli Maatta (Mammoth)
- RD Nikolas Matinpalo (Senators)
- LD Niko Mikkola (Panthers)
- RD Rasmus Ristolainen (Flyers)
Goaltenders
- G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres)
- G Kevin Lankinen (Canucks)
- G Juuse Saros (Predators)
The biggest difference between Finland’s 4-Nations and Olympic rosters is the addition of star defenseman Heiskanen, who was unavailable for last year’s international tourney. He may be the country’s best representation on the NHL stage, offering top-level play on both sides of the puck. Heiskanen has 35 points in 41 NHL games this season and scored a career-high 73 points in 79 games in the 2022-23 campaign. He will be leaned on as a top player for the Finnish side, and could lead the team in average ice time.
Finland has also added Lehtonen and Canadiens rookie Kapanen – two interesting additions as the country looks to add a bit more bolt to their lineup. Lehtonen is a journeyman of international hockey. He has played in five top leagues and recently found a home with the Lions in Switzerland’s National League, where he won league championships in 2024 and 2025. He currently has 16 points in 32 games this season and offers downhill offense at the expense of robust defense. Centerman Kapanen has found a similar downhill drive in his first NHL season. He has 12 goals and 21 points in 40 games for Montreal, with no signs of slowing down. Kapanen was a revelation as a young player in Finland’s Liiga, where he totaled 65 points in 124 games and three seasons.
The Finns will return their 4 Nations roster otherwise, set to lean heavily on Aho, Rantanen, and Hintz as the explosive pieces of an otherwise fundamental offense. It was Granlund who led that team in scoring, though, with four points in three games – double the scoring of Finland’s top offensive pieces.
Second and third on the 4 Nations team in scoring were Patrik Laine (three points) and Aleksander Barkov (two points), who will both miss the Olympic Games due to injury. Barkov, one of the NHL’s premier two-way centers, had to undergo ACL and MCL surgery after a preseason injury. Laine is also on the mend after undergoing surgery in October.
With the slightly shorthanded roster and brave additions of an NHL rookie and Swiss-league defender, the Finns will step up as a team to watch this tournament. They don’t seem to offer the firepower of Sweden, the USA, or Canada, but could surprise with a significant defense addition supporting a goaltending room that struggled at the 4-Nations.
Team USA Announces 2026 Olympic Roster
USA Hockey has officially announced its 25-man roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The roster was contested until the final days and features a few players who didn’t appear with the U.S. at the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off. The full roster is as follows:
Forwards
- LW Matt Boldy (Wild)
- LW Kyle Connor (Jets)
- C Jack Eichel (Golden Knights)
- LW Jake Guentzel (Lightning)
- C Jack Hughes (Devils)
- LW Clayton Keller (Mammoth)
- C Dylan Larkin (Red Wings)
- C Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs)
- C J.T. Miller (Rangers)
- C Brock Nelson (Avalanche)
- RW Tage Thompson (Sabres)
- LW Brady Tkachuk (Senators)
- RW Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)
- C Vincent Trocheck (Rangers)
Defense
- D Brock Faber (Wild)
- D Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights)
- D Quinn Hughes (Wild)
- D Seth Jones (Panthers)
- D Charlie McAvoy (Bruins)
- D Jake Sanderson (Senators)
- D Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes)
- D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)
Goaltenders
- G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)
- G Jake Oettinger (Stars)
- G Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)
As expected, Team USA is bringing a star-studded front to what’s sure to be a closely contested Olympic Games. Their strongest pillar stands in the net, where reigning NHL MVP Hellebuyck will be making his Olympic debut. Helleybuyck has fallen to a .907 save percentage in 22 games this season – but his track record of dominant play stretches back years. He has recorded a save percentage north of .910 in each of the last eight seasons, including five years north of a .920. He’s held onto those routinely league-topping numbers while playing upwards of 60 games a season.
Helleybuyck could back a potentially explosive offense. The States tied for the most goals at the 4 Nations tournament while leaning on Guentzel, Eichel, and the Tkachuk brothers to strong-arm the offense, while smooth-moving Werenski led the tourney in scoring with six assists. Boldy and Matthews were also key pieces of the 4 Nations offense, each netting three points.
Notably, the United States did not have former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes at the 4 Nations tournament. Hughes missed the tournament due to injury and was replaced by Sanderson, who did enough to earn an Olympic berth. But Hughes’ impact could be a tourney-winning X-factor. The 26-year-old has 30 points in 27 games this season and is only two years removed from a 92-point campaign with the Vancouver Canucks. He is among the – or perhaps thee – best offensive defensemen in hockey and should gel well in his first return to international play since 2019.
Speaking of 2019 – USA Hockey will finally see the fruits of the historic 2019 USNTDP class with this tournament. Jack Hughes and Boldy were stars on that lineup and have only emerged further since breaking into the NHL. Both players offer unwavering offensive impact – but the question will be whether the States feel cheeky enough to play the two together. Their chemistry in junior hockey was unrivaled in the few games they played alongside each other, though Hughes would end up taking on Cole Caufield as his de facto linemate. Still, Hughes and Boldy were the keys to the NTDP offense that season, and have now earned the right to wear the crest at the top level.
The rest of the roster is, generally, rounded out by USA mainstays like the hard-nosed McAvoy, top-end goaltenders Oettinger and Swayman, and – surely to some fans’ dismay – the winning veteran presence of Nelson. All four players were a part of the USA’s 4 Nations squad and will return to their depth roles in this tournament.
There are some new faces in the mix, though. Rather than bring Chris Kreider, the USA has opted to bring high-scoring Sabres forward Tage Thompson and reliable front-man in Utah, Clayton Keller. The two undoubtedly earned their stay during the USA’s 2025 World Championship Gold Medal run that saw Keller score 10 points and Thompson score nine in 10 games. They were two heartbeats of the lineup and should continue to offer versatile impact without the need for top minutes.
With this lineup in place, Team USA will take its stand as a true medal favorite for the 2026 Olympic Games. Their toughest test will come at the hands of Canadian and Swedish offenses capable of pouring on the scoring. Team USA found as much out at the 4 Nations, where Canada emerged with the tourney win. But with a robust goaltending room and multiple additions to fortify their scoring, the American side should bring an explosive boost to the Winter Games.
Auston Matthews Expected To Return Thursday
Jan. 1: It looks like only a one-game absence for Matthews. He was a full participant at morning skate and is expected to center Matthew Knies and Max Domi tonight against the Jets, per Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
Dec. 30: The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that star forward Auston Matthews will miss Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils and will be out day-to-day due to a lower-body injury. Matthews sustained the injury on a blocked shot in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. He missed Tuesday morning’s practice and was designated as a game-time decision before being ruled out.
The Maple Leafs are already down forward Dakota Joshua and defenseman Chris Tanev due to injury. Defender Matt Benning and forward Jacob Quillan were recalled to fill in for those absences. Calle Jarnkrok will step back into the lineup for Matthews after four games on the shelf.
Even with the committee effort and a quiet year from their star, Toronto is still going to face a steep test trying to make up for Matthews’ absence. He snapped a four-game scoring drought on December 27th and has four points in two games since. That brings Matthews up to 27 points in 33 games this season, good for fourth on the team in scoring. He is riding a 11.7 shooting percentage this season – roughly four percent lower than his career average of 15.6 percent. Matthews’ shooting success has dwindled over the last two seasons after he managed a career-high 18.7 percent – and 69 goals – in the 2023-24 season.
Quillan and Jarnkrok will fill out the fourth line on Tuesday night, while Scott Laughton earns a bump up to the third line. Laughton has stepped up as a responsible veteran over the recent stretch, bringing some support to a Maple Leafs offense that has leaned more on their depth as of late. His defense-first approach has helped multiple depth players step up their scoring. Toronto has scored 16 goals over its last three games, with multiple points from Matias Maccelli, Bobby McMann, and Nicholas Robertson. Those players will need to continue stepping up to keep the offense firing without Matthews in the lineup.