Mammoth Recall Maksymilian Szuber, Assign Scott Perunovich
The Utah Mammoth have joined many teams in rotating around their roster days before the NHL returns from the Olympic break. Defenseman Maksymilian Szuber has been recalled to the NHL club while Scott Perunovich has been assigned to the minor leagues, per a team announcement.
It is unclear if Szuber will stick with the NHL club through their return to game action but the young prospect has had a strong start to the year. Szuber has recorded 10 goals, 24 points, 38 penalty minutes, and a plus-five in 44 games with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He has been involved all over the ice, using his big frame to dominate play up-and-down the ice. That presence has established Szuber as Tucson’s second-best defenseman behind Utah top prospect Dmitry Simashev – though Szuber is the only blue-liner on the team with double-digit goals.
Narrowly above both Szuber and Simashev in scoring is the veteran Perunovich, who has three goals and 30 points in 43 AHL games this season. The 27 year old has landed in Utah’s AHL system after failing to stick in the NHL lineup for the St. Louis Blues or New York Islanders. He has racked up 32 points in 108 NHL games dating back to 2021 but hasn’t yet debuted with the Utah Mammoth.
With this move, Perunovich seems set to continue filling his top-four role with the Roadrunners, while Szuber could earn his second NHL game. The German defender will compete with Ian Cole, Olli Maatta, and Kevin Connauton for time in the lineup. He made his debut with the Mammoth last season and recorded one penalty and a minus-one.
Capitals’ John Carlson Day-To-Day With Injury
The Washington Capitals could be missing a major piece when they return to NHL action on Wednesday. Top defenseman John Carlson sat out of the team’s Sunday practice, instead doing individual drills in a no-contact jersey, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Head coach Spencer Carbery later designated Carlson as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, adds Silber.
Carlson sustained his injury in Washington’s February 5th win over the Nashville Predators. He left that match late in the first period, after getting tangled up with Predators’ forward Cole Smith. The Capitals had hoped that an extended break would help Carlson heal up from the injury, though it will now follow the club through their return to action.
Carlson has continue to serve as a key offensive-defenseman for the Capitals. He has scored 17 points in his last 17 games, dating back to Washington’s highest-scoring game of the season on January 5th. That streak includes the game that Carlson was injured in, thanks to a secondary assist he earned on Washington’s second goal of the game. It was Carlson’s ninth power-play assist of the season, the most of any Capitals defenseman.
In total, the 36-year-old Carlson has posted 10 goals and 36 points in 55 games this season. He is on pace for 69 points in 82 games, closer to his scoring heights from a few years back after he stuck closer to 50 points in the last two seasons. Part of that is thanks to fellow offensive-defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who has taken the weight of a number-one role off of Carlson’s shoulders. Chychrun will carry the brunt of the load in Carlson’s absence, while Declan Chisholm and Dylan McIlrath vye for the open spot at right-defense.
Jordan Weal Signs Two-Year Extension In KHL
Former Philadelphia Flyers center Jordan Weal won’t be leaving Russia any time soon. He has signed a two-year extension with the KHL’s Moscow Dynamo per a league announcement. Weal moved to the KHL for the 2021-22 season and joined Dynamo the year after.
Weal’s international move has proven fruitful. His tenure in Moscow started with 14 goals and 43 points scored in 62 games of the 2022-23 season. That performance was a strong step up from Weal’s 30 points in 36 games with Kazan Ak-Bars in his first season in Russia – but it was no match for what would come. Weal broke out with 30 goals and 77 points in 66 games of the 2023-24 season. He finished fourth in the KHL in scoring behind fellow former-NHL players Nikita Gusev, Reid Boucher, and Nikolay Goldobin.
Weal’s scoring has followed the flow of the KHL – dipping over the last few seasons after a year of explosive offense. He followed his breakout year with 51 points in 66 games last year. He is on pace to beat that mark so far this season, with 12 goals and a team-leading 46 points in 57 games so far. Those marks have kept Weal locked into a top-six role on a nightly basis, even as his scoring totals have fallen back to Earth.
Dynamo will now lock Weal into that spot through the next two seasons. The 33-year-old will serve as reliable, veteran depth as Moscow looks to promote rising prospects Mikhail Melikov, Artyom Bondar, and Maxim Ilyin to the pro flight. The club currently ranks sixth in the KHL’s Western Conference, four points ahead of playoff contention.
2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey Medal Matchups Set
The stage has been set for the medal games for the 2026 Winter Olympic’s Men’s Hockey tournament. Team Canada was the first to seal a path to the Gold medal game with their 3-2 win over Team Finland on Friday. Soon after, Team USA earned the spot of contender with a confident 6-2 win over Team Slovakia. While the hockey world’s top rivals face off for Gold, the Bronze medal game will host the losing-parties, Finland and Slovakia.
A Canada and USA matchup seemed like the inevitable outcome of the NHL’s return to the Winter Olympics. After three tournaments without the world’s top talent, this year’s tournament has shown the next-level speed, skill, and strength that the NHL’s stars bring. Canada has been led by a superstar top line – with proven-greats Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon joined by Macklin Celebrini, the youngest skater to suit up for Canada at an Olympic men’s hockey tournament. Celebrini has played well above his age, leading the entire tournament in goals with five through as many games. He ranks second in total scoring with 10 points, behind McDavid’s 13 points.
With a robust cast and a confident goalie backing their top line, Canada won’t be an easy out. Team USA will attempt the feat with a well-rounded lineup, backed by reigning NHL Hart Trophy-winner Connor Hellebuyck, the first goalie to win the award since 2015. The Americans have spread their offense out, with each of Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, and Jack Eichel stepping up to drive play at any given time. Those drivers are flanked by impact scorers like Auston Matthews, Matt Boldy, and Zach Werenski – giving the United States a roster that brings 60 minutes of dangerous offense.
The Team Canada versus Team USA matchup will carry a bit more oomph after the USA women’s team beat Canada by a score of 2-1 on Thursday. During the game, USA captain Hilary Knight recorded her 33rd career point at the Olympics, surpassing Jenny Potter for the country’s women’s record. Knight still ranks behind Canadian star Marie-Philip Poulin‘s 39 career points, though the former prevailed in the Gold matchup.
Meanwhile, Slovakia will stand up to a tough test for the Bronze medal. They brought the fourth-fewest NHL players of any team at this year’s tournament. Despite that, a cohesive and physical front has led the Slovaks above usual-contenders Team Sweden, who brought a full roster of NHL talent. The Finns have 24 NHL players, one shy of a full roster, and have leaned on their stars to push a downhill offense. Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho have set a top pace, while Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell hold a strong line behind them. When the stars are off the ice, Erik Haula, Joel Armia, and Artturi Lehkonen have kept the tempo going. They will have to beat the Slovaks with skill in what should be a closely-fought matchup.
Team Canada and Team USA will compete for Gold at 8 A.M. ET on Sunday morning. The Bronze medal game will take place at 2:40 P.M. ET on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.
Team USA’s Tage Thompson Leaves Game For Precautionary Reasons
Team USA winger Tage Thompson was held out of the third period against Team Slovakia for precautionary reasons. He was seen removing his skate and walking up-and-down the tunnel between the second and third periods, though the nature of his injury wasn’t specified. USA head coach Mike Sullivan shared postgame that he expects Thompson to suit up for Sunday’s Gold Medal matchup against Team Canada per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Thompson scored a powerplay goal in the second period. He has been a hot hand for the United States all tournament long, scoring three goals and four points in five games. Thompson’s big frame and sharpshooting have earned him a role on the top power-play unit – a bold statement after the 28 year old was left off of USA’s roster for the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off. Thompson has emerged as a core piece of the USA offense and should be slotted into another starring role should he indeed suit up for the Gold Medal game.
This level of scoring comes as no surprise to the Buffalo Sabres. Thompson leads the Sabres with 30 goals and 59 points in 57 games, putting him on pace to reach 43 goals and 85 points across 82 games. That mark would land above the 44 goals and 72 points that Thompson posted last season, though still sits under his career-high 47 goals and 94 points scored in 78 games of the 2022-23 season.
Rangers’ Matt Rempe Will Undergo Thumb Procedure, Placed On IR
New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan will have to make some lineup changes when he returns from Team USA’s run at the Winter Olympics. The Rangers announced that enforcer Matt Rempe will undergo another procedure to fix the thumb injury that held him out of 24 games earlier in the season, per the New York Post’s Mollie Walker. Rempe has been placed on injured reserve while he recovers from the procedure. He will be eligible to return on February 27th, the day after New York’s first game back from the Olympic break.
Rempe sustained his injury in a fight with San Jose Sharks winger Ryan Reaves in late October. He stayed out of the lineup until mid-December, then rotated into games through the start of the Olympic break. Rempe has totaled one goal, a minus-four, and 11 penalty minutes in 26 games this season. He has also thrown 86 hits, giving him the highest per-game average on the team.
The NHL’s tallest player has stuck to his fourth-line role in the Rangers lineup this season – though with a bit more poise than normal. Rempe went 12 games without a penalty after returning from his injury in December. He followed that with back-to-back games with a penalty but avoided the penalty box in his last three games. A part of that discipline is surely Rempe’s inability to fight while he nurses an injured thumb. He has only two fights this season, after recording six last season. His health will continue to be assessed as New York kicks back into gear for the season’s final sprint.
Canada’s Tom Wilson Will Not Face Suspension For Olympic Fight
There will be no supplemental discipline for the fight between Team Canada’s Tom Wilson and Team France’s Pierre Crinon at the end of Canada’s 10-2 win on Sunday per Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The Olympic rulebook has long been strict about fighting, even calling it out as “not part of international hockey’s DNA”. Fighting majors result in automatic match penalties and are reviewed for supplemental discipline after the game. In this case, neither player will face a suspension for their actions, keeping two of the top enforcers in the tournament on the ice.
Wilson has been strategically rotated onto Canada’s top line for much of the tournament. His intense physicality has filled a gap next to superstar Connor McDavid and Canada’s youngest player, Macklin Celebrini. Wilson has earned three points in three games in that role, though he’s averaged less than 12 minutes of ice time a game – partially thanks to an ejection in the third period on Sunday.
Crinon has long been known as a bruiser. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound defenseman currently has 66 penalty minutes in 29 games in France’s Ligue Magnus, the country’s top league. He served a seven-game suspension earlier in the league’s season for knocking out an opposing goalie with a punch during a scrum. Cronin racked up 95 penalty minutes in only 36 games of the 2023-24 Ligue Magnus season.
This decision will allow Wilson to stick with Canada as they head into the quarterfinals. At their current pace, Canada seems likely to face one of Germany, Latvia, or Czechia. Crinon will bring his enforcer presence to the qualifying rounds against Italy and Denmark.
Finland’s Anton Lundell, Oliver Kapanen Miss Game Due To Illness
Team Finland managed an 11-0 win over Team Italy early on Saturday morning without one of their top centers. Florida panthers center Anton Lundell missed the heyday matchup due to illness per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Lundell’s roomate in the Olympic villiage, center Oliver Kapanen, was also scratched. Kapanen was rostered but benched in Finland’s second game – a 4-1 win over rival Sweden. Lundell played nearly 19 minutes and scored one goal in that game, after going scoreless in the Olympic opener.
Finland kept Colorado Avalanche winger Joel Kiviranta and Ottawa Senators defender Nikolas Matinpalo in the lineup against Italy. Kiviranta scored on both shots he took in 11 minutes of ice time. Matinpalo recorded a plus-one and two shots in eight minutes, but didn’t make the scoresheet. He did score a goal in Finland’s win over Sweden – a surprise for a defender who only has one goal in 75 career NHL games.
Of note, Team Finland’s women’s team contracted noravrius – a common and contagious stomach virus – per ESPN. It was not made clear if this bug spread to Lundell. Finland will hope he can rebound quickly either way, as Lundell held down the team’s second-line center position before going down. He has scored 16 goals and 40 points in 54 games in the NHL. That is a 61-point scoring pace, which would shatter Lundell’s previous career-high of 45 points, set last season. His ramped up scoring has coinceded with a boost to Florida’s top-line where he is filling in for injured compatriot Aleksander Barkov.
Kapanen’s availability will be less certain. It was not clear if he was scratched as a precaution, or to continue his route out of the lineup after seeing no ice time in Finland’s last game. The NHL rookie has 18 goals and 31 points in 57 games with the Montreal Canadiens this season. He was a standout in both Finland’s Liiga and Sweden’s SHL before moving to North America. Kapanen scored 34 points in 51 games of the 2023-24 Liiga season and 35 points in 36 games of the 2024-25 SHL season. He will rotate onto the team’s fourth-line, and fill a shoot-first role, if he’s slotted back into the lineup.
Oilers Not Likely To Target Defense At Trade Deadline
The Edmonton Oilers are still sorting out their targets with the Trade Deadline rapidly approaching. As it nears, it’s becoming clear that defense won’t be high on the Oilers’ list, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli on The Kevin Karius Show. Instead, the Oilers will prefer to let their defense grow with the players already in their depth chart.
Edmonton brought in third-pair defender Spencer Stastney with a trade in December. He has one goal and a minus-seven in 27 games with the Oilers, after starting the year with nine points and a minus-one in 30 games with the Nashville Predators. Despite the lackluster stat line, Stastney has earned consistent ice time next to Ty Emberson. The Oilers also carry Alec Regula, who has three points and a minus-16 in 29 games, on the NHL roster.
The Oilers could also look towards Cam Dineen and Riley Stillman in the AHL if they needed to fill a roster spot. Their depth of fringe NHL-defensemen is rich while Edmonton’s lack of cap space – only a projected $2.89MM on deadline day per Puckpedia – likely prices them out of acquiring a top-four talent. That will steer Edmonton’s focus away from the blue-line as they look to add this Deadline season.
The decision to not add to the defense depth chart will keep a path clear for defense prospect Paul Fischer, who was nominated for the NCAA’s Hobey Baker Award for his performance at the University of Notre Dame this season. Fischer has 18 points in 25 games. He has been heavily used all season long and brings an overwhelming physicality and hard-worked defense to the lineup. The 21 year old could be a candidate to sign his entry-level contract when his junior year of college concludes this Spring.
The Oilers also have Asher Barnett performing well for the University of Michigan. The two-way, puck-moving defender has racked up 14 points in 29 games behind an electric Wolverines offense this season. Barnett was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs
With the Olympic break upon us, the trade deadline is under a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league at teams on the playoff bubble, next up: the Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs sit just six points out of a Wild Card spot with the Olympic break in full swing. Yet, the Maple Leafs season has felt far more disastrous, plagued by low-scoring stars and new faces unable to bring a spark. Toronto has tread water for much of the year and now face the difficult decision of whether to try and move up, or down, in the standings. Their stars are in their primes and playoffs are still in sight – but Toronto is also low on both assets and cap space. How they handle the 2026 Deadline could be the first push into new waters for the Maple Leafs organization.
Record
27-21-9 (6th in Atlantic Division)
Deadline Status
Sellers
Deadline Cap Space
$5.08MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts per Puckpedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: TOR 3rd, TOR 5th, SJS 6th
2027: TOR 2nd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, PHI 6th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th
Trade Chips
The Maple Leafs moved much of their remaining trade assets to bring in Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo at the 2025 Trade Deadline. One year later, Laughton could now sit at the top of Toronto’s market options – though certainly at a much cheaper price. He hasn’t found his footing in Toronto’s middle-six, with just 11 points in 39 games this season and 15 points in 59 games as a Maple Leaf. Laughton is also averaging just 13:43 in ice time on the year, his lowest mark since 2017-18. He still provides a veteran presence down the depth chart, and special-teams upside, that could be enough to sway a team looking to add to their bottom-six. After acquiring him for a prospect and a first-round pick, the Maple Leafs could hope to recoup a draft pick near the top of Day Two in another Laughton trade.
Toronto has two more options on the wings in Bobby McMann and Matias Maccelli. McMann has dug in a role in the Leafs’ middle-six with his breakaway speed and aggressive forechecking. He leads all Maple Leafs forwards in hits (126) and ranks sixth on the team in total scoring (32 points). It has, in some ways, been a career-year for the 29 year old, who seems to be finding his groove as the tenacious worker behind Toronto’s stars. That value and momentum could be both be shrewd adds on the open market, maybe even enough to swing Toronto back a roster player in the right package. Other teams will find a more skill-first – and surely, a cheaper – option in Maccelli. The speedster has been quiet in his first year with the Maple Leafs after a tremulous end to his time with the Utah Mammoth. He has 24 points and a minus-12 in 46 games this season. Maccelli projects as a bottom-six winger – even despite once reaching 40 assists in a single season. He is an upside buy who, like Laughton, could land enough of a return to help Toronto stock their cabinets.
Many of the remaining Maple Leafs veterans could find their way into trade discussions. Nicolas Roy has proven to be a standup, bottom-six center capable of playing both sides of the puck. He has 20 points and a plus-two in 54 games this season, making him one of only three Maple Leafs forwards with at least 20 points and a positive plus-minus. Roy has also won 53.6 percent of the 577 faceoffs he has taken this season. Toronto could also offer fourth-liners Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok to teams in need of more forwards.
Trade Needs
More Stake in the Future: With so little to offer, the primary focus of Toronto’s Deadline should be restocking their cabinets. The Leafs only have three picks in this year’s draft, which would tie their 2021 and 2023 classes for fewest in Maple Leafs history with no additions. Toronto made good work of those groups – landing Matthew Knies in the 2021 second-round and Easton Cowan in the 2023 first-round. But with so few prospects vying for NHL ice time, Toronto could benefit from giving their scouts a few more chances to find gems. The Maple Leafs could add two or three more picks before the fifth round by moving out some of their veterans on the fringe. Those deals would help Toronto hedge their bets for the rest of the 2020s, while also only expanding their space to land a big fish.
A Difference Maker: Even with Knies growing into the spot left by Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs still seem to be missing a true difference-maker in the lineup. Toronto’s focus should only shift to buying if they’re able to land a player who can step into the top-nine right away. Landing a big fish like Nazem Kadri or Robert Thomas would require capital that the Maple Leafs simply don’t have; while focusing on veteran leaders like Boone Jenner or Brayden Schenn would risk repeating the Laughton trade. Toronto will have to find a way to bridge the gap and land the needle-pushers in the market’s second-layer. Smart negotiating could be enough to pull former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault away from the struggling Nashville Predators for only a few picks. The same could be said about center Ryan O’Reilly who has no trade protection on his current deal – though chances of that are slim after his previous, and very brief, stint in Toronto. Instead, the Maple Leafs could look to pay a bit more for Vancouver Canucks wingers Conor Garland or Jake DeBrusk. Both bring strong impacts while Vancouver is certainly focused on the future after dealing away Quinn Hughes. Forwards Miroslav Holinka and Nicholas Moldenhauer could be interesting options to include in negotiations with some of the league’s rebuilders.