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.
Switzerland Hoping To Climb International Ladder At Olympics
Next week, NHL players will take the ice at the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014. As much has changed in the 12 years since, the medal odds have remained the same. This year’s tournament is expected to be – above all else – a showdown between Team Canada and Team USA rosters stocked to the brim with NHL stars of past and present. Sweden and Finland fall in naturally behind the North American countries, rounding out the usual four-headed fight to leave with a medal. But thanks to some injuries to the top dogs, one underdog seems to stand out from the rest of the pack.
No – it’s not Czechia, which won the 2024 World Championship on the backs of the same players who will anchor their Olympic roster. Lukas Dostal, David Pastrnak, Martin Necas, and Tomas Hertl will pose major threats on Olympic ice – but injuries to Pavel Zacha and Filip Chytil may have irreparably damaged their depth chart. Instead, this year’s underdogs could be the Swiss, who have honed a roster of veterans into the perfect mix of reliability and explosivity.
Switzerland is led by one-time Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi, who continues to bring a dominant impact to both ends of the ice, even after losing 29 games of last season to injury. Josi poise, control, and perspective needed to lead a surging lineup. In speaking about Switzerland’s approach with NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Josi said:
We know the teams that are coming here, the players that are here, but I think we can have a lot of confidence in our game. Obviously, this is a different beast than World Championships, but we’ve played some really good World Championship tournaments and got some momentum.
Josi added that this is the first time that Switzerland’s stars have had a chance to play at full strength. This is only the second time in the last five years that Switzerland has had each of Roman Josi, Nico Hischier, Kevin Fiala, and budding top-defender J.J. Moser on an international lineup. The other instance was at the 2024 World Championship, where the Swiss went on a mad dash to the Gold medal game, only to lose to the aforementioned Czechia. While Josi didn’t return for the 2025 tournament, Switzerland still managed to repeat as Silver medalists, this time losing to Team USA in their first World Championship win of the 2000s.
Back-to-back silver medal wins brought Switzerland up to four second-place finishes across the last 13 years. Before then, the Swiss hadn’t medaled in 14 years, not since their trifecta of medals won between 1994 and 1997.
Now, Switzerland faces the ultimate test. They have never medaled at an Olympic game with NHL talent – but this year offer an interesting mix of talent. Josi and Hischier offer stalwart reliability at both positions, capable as both playmakers and defenders. They’re complimented by Kevin Fiala, an electric scorer who seems to bring a bit extra to international competition. Fiala has led Switzerland’s last three World Championship rosters in points-per-game scoring and should continue to pop next to stars.
More than their top-end, Switzerland is bringing the fifth-most NHL talent in the tournament – the most outside the typical big-four. That standing has been propped up by injuries to other clubs but Switzerland’s flanks bring a lot of heft. Moser looks capable of standing up to the ever-important #2 role, while Jonas Siegenthaler‘s upside as a shutdown defender should hedge the team’s second pair. They’ll get similar support from Timo Meier and Nino Niederreiter on offense. Meier has 28 points in 52 NHL games and Niederreiter has 19 points in 55 games, down years for both players though they’ve also shown some extra spark in past international games.
The Nati will be rounded out with some shreds of upside. Philipp Kurashev was having a career-year before running into injury at the end of 2025. He has totaled 17 points and a plus-three in 34 games – notably his first NHL season with a positive plus-minus. Former Colorado Avalanche winger Sven Andrighetto has stepped up as a star scorer in Switzerland’s top pro league in his post-NHL days. He is one of five players scoring at a point-per-game pace in that league, with 35 points in as many games. Also on that list is former Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Denis Malgin, who has 41 points in 41 games. That duo will stand as potential X-factors who can score important goals ,even if their point totals don’t pop.
These strengths are built on what is, still, a lineup far away from the strength of the top-four. Switzerland is rolling out Akira Schmid as their starting goaltender. He has played a career-high 29 NHL games this season and has 16 wins and a .895 save percentage to show for it – stout marks behind a strong Vegas Golden Knights club. But goaltending will still be Switzerland’s biggest weaknesses, not supported by a similarly shaky defense behind their three NHL talents.
Sweden is missing Lucas Carlsson and Jonas Brodin, two hard-hitters who would have filled important roles this tournament. Finland is missing star center Aleksander Barkov. Could those absences leave enough room for Switzerland to push into medal contention? If they bring the might they’ve shown at the World Championships, it could be. Even if the Swiss don’t medal, a standout tournament could put them at the level of, or even above, fellow up-and-comers like Czechia and Slovakia.
Golden Knights’ Jonas Rondbjerg Ruled Out Of Olympics
2/8: Denmark has announced their replacement following Rondbjerg’s injury. They’ve added left-defenseman Malte Setkov, bringing the roster to a conventional 14 forwards and seven defenders after Denmark originally rostered 15 forwards. Setkov has spent the last four seasons in Denmark’s top league. He has 13 goals and 30 points in 39 games this season, a career-high scoring pace.
2/6: Team Denmark will enter the 2026 Winter Olympics without one of their five NHL forwards. Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonas Rondbjerg has been ruled out due to a lower-body injury sustained during Vegas’ Sunday loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Denmark general manager Morten Green told local news channel TV 2 Sport.
Rondbjerg was placed on Vegas’ injured reserve on Monday. He missed the Golden Knights’ last two games before the Winter Olympics break, replaced by rookie forward Kai Uchacz.
Now, Rondbjerg will lose his first chance to represent Denmark at the Olympic Games. He joined the country at the Olympic Game Qualifiers in 2025 and scored one goal in three games. That chip, and his physical presence, helped lift Denmark to the top of Group F.
Rondbjerg was one of only seven NHL players on Denmarks 2026 Olympics roster. His peers include the Hurricanes’ Nikolaj Ehlers, Lightning’s Oliver Bjorkstrand, Senators’ Lars Eller, and Kraken’s Oscar Fisker Molgaard on offense.
That bunch will make up the bulk of Denmark’s top lines, while Rondbjerg was set for a pillaring role in the team’s bottom-six. The 6-foot-2 forward has split the season between the NHL and AHL, netting one point in four games with Vegas and 23 points in 36 games with the Henderson Silver Knights. He offers a reserved, physical presence that could have boosted Denmark’s odds against physical teams like Finland and USA.
Who Denmark will choose to replace Rondbjerg will be an interesting question to answer. Winger Felix Maegaard Scheel, 33, joined Denmark’s national team for three games earlier this season. He has served an extra forward role at the last four World Championships and currently has 11 points in 29 games in Germany’s DEL. Denmark could also opt for Viktors Čubars, who leads the country’s top league in scoring with 57 points in 40 games. Other local options could include Patrick Bjorkstrand or Oliver True, Ehlers’ cousin.
Or, if Denmark wants to maintain their NHL connection, they could opt for former Chicago Blackhawks draft pick (2016 fifth-round) Mathias From, who has 53 points in 42 games in Austria’s IceHL.
Trade Deadline Primer: St. Louis Blues
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 Blues.
The Trade Deadline will mark a fork in the road for the St. Louis Blues. The 2025-26 season has not gone according to plan, with the Blues sat last in the NHL Central Division and battling for last in both goals scored and goals allowed. Even with the bright spots of a solid blue-line and well-performing youngsters, the Blues have struggled to manage anything inspiring, sticking the team with the question of whether to replace or rebuild. The question will carry more weight than usual, as the answer will not only define the next few seasons, but also the first years of Alexander Steen‘s reign as the Blues’ general manager set to begin next season. With that change in sights, St. Louis will begin to blaze their trail this March.
Record
20-28-9 (8th in NHL Central Division)
Deadline Status
Sellers
Deadline Cap Space
$20.52MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: STL 1st, STL 3rd, STL 4th, DAL 4th, STL 5th, PIT 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
2027: STL 1st, STL 3rd, STL 4th, ANA 4th, STL 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
Trade Chips
With a potential seller’s market ahead, many of the trade rumors swirling around the Blues have focused on their top-line veterans. Franchise center Robert Thomas has become a popular name, as teams wonder if the 26 year old’s prime will be wasted on a Blues team years away from Stanley Cup contention. Thomas is a top-end playmaker who posted 60 assists in each of the last two seasons. He continues to lead the Blues in points-per-game this season, with 33 points in 42 games.
But moving Thomas would represent a monumental shift for the Blues franchise – and leave them with a future search for a replacement first-line center. The team would be less scathed by moving scoring-winger Jordan Kyrou, who ranks second on the team in points-per-game with 32 points in 47 games. Kyrou offers an explosive bit of tempo and play-driving that could entice needs in need of a boost on offense, while not dragging down the Blues’ future structure. The same can be said for Pavel Buchnevich – third in points-per-game – who has been on-and-off the trade block through the last few seasons.
The Blues’ price on all three of their high-scorers is said to be sky-high – seen as the price to pay for breaking up the lineup, in addition to buying star talent. Costs might be a bit cheaper on the Blues’ veterans who have dwindled in impact. Defenseman Justin Faulk has continued to stand up to a nightly, number-one role with 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games. But at the age of 33, Faulk is a hard name to bet on through the next few seasons. The same goes for former Stanley Cup legend Jordan Binnington, who has posted a dismal .864 save percentage in 32 games this season. A change of scenery could bring the best out of either player, while only costing a few future assets.
Trade Needs
Young Potential: No matter if their goal is to compete in one year or five years, the Blues’ sights will be firmly on the future. Their new era is beginning to come into focus, built on the backs of budding potential like Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg, and Joel Hofer. But, even with a likely top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, St. Louis seems to lack a game-breaker to lead them into their new era. Finding that talent on the trade market could be enough to swing Thomas or Kyrou away from the only NHL club they’ve ever played for. For St. Louis, trade talks should begin with the other team’s top prospects and draft capital. Landing a hopeful star like centers Michael Hage and Shane Wright, or goalie Jesper Wallstedt, would give the Blues lineup pieces to build around over the next few seasons. It would also take the weight off of the shoulders of Dvorsky, or a future draft pick, to try and carry the team through quiet years ahead. It seems clear that, no matter how the chips fall at the Deadline, the Blues’ priority will be building up for what’s to come.
A Massive Return: St. Louis is approaching the Spring with more on the trade block than they’ve had in many years. Their focus will be on building up the first few years of Steen’s reign, though more than that, the team feels on the precipous of a blockbuster deal. How high will the bidding war ride for a player like Thomas or Kyrou, two stars in their prime who would undoubtedly bring tough-to-find value to any new destination. Could the Blues land multiple star prospects to join an already-loaded pool? Or could they stock their cupboard of draft picks full. More than that, how will the heat of trades impact a St. Louis club that also has Brayden Schenn, Cam Fowler, Colton Parayko, and Pius Suter eyeing the tail-end of their careers? Even with an existing foundation for the future, now could be the Blues best chance to go full scorched-earth and tear down their existing structure – in the name of giving Steen plenty of firepower to build the team he wants to see through the rest of the 2020s.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.
Kings’ Surplus At Forward Could Make Warren Foegele Expendable
The Los Angeles Kings could stick around the trade market when the NHL returns from their three-week break for the Winter Olympics. General manager Ken Holland joined TNT Sports’ NHL Game Break to breakdown the team’s acquisition of star winger Artemi Panarin, and referenced the team’s wealth of forwards with their latest addition. Specifically, Holland pointed out forward Warren Foegele as a player who they’ll “work the phones” around after a strong year last season turned into healthy scratches this season.
Foegele had a career-year in his first season with the Kings. He appeared in all 82 games and reached 24 goals, 46 points, and a plus-36 – all new career-highs for the 28-year-old winger. That performance came after Foegele reached 20 goals and 41 points in all 82 games of the dmonton Oilers’ 2023-24 season. He appeared to have reached another level, but his hot hand has gone cold to start the season. Foegele remains a utility, two-way winger when he’s in the lineup but has only posted eight points and a minus-five in 43 games this season.
With another forward in the depth chart, Foegele could become an interesting trade chip. He has proven an ability to provide an impact through a change of teams and could be enough to swing Los Angeles a mid-round draft pick that they can package in a bigger market buy.
Strain On Top-Four Could Push Sabres To Add Defense
A three-week break for the 2026 Winter Olympics will be exactly what the Buffalo Sabres need to try and spark a reset on the blue-line. The rest will be most helpful for defenseman Michael Kesselring, who has been playing through a high-ankle sprain for much of the year per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. That is the same injury that has already sidelined Kesselring for 21 games, across two stints, this season.
Kesselring isn’t the only Sabres defender on the shelf. Conor Timmins remains on crutches while recoverying from a broken leg, and is targeting a return to skating when the Sabres return, per Fairburn.
The pair of injuries have pushed Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa into competition for bottom-pair minutes, usually next to a hobbled Kesselring. But neither depth defender has stood up to big plays through their limited appearances. Bryson has scored only five points in 35 games this season – and has struggled with untimely turnovers as of late. Metsa only has two points in 26 appearances. Those quiet impacts have left the two grasping for 10 minutes of ice time a game, and put a heavy load on Buffalo’s top-four defenders.
That could make defense a priority add as the Sabres approach the Trade Deadline in an unfamiliar buyer’s position. Buffalo has pulled together a core-four on defense, led by superstar Rasmus Dahlin and hot-hand Mattias Samuelsson, and backed by Bowen Byram and Owen Power. The quartet has given the Sabres a long-awaited comfort on defense – and proved strong enough to stand up to heavy minutes. They respectively lead Sabres’ skaters in ice time per game, with Dahlin averaging 24:33 on top and Power averagng 21:40.
Adding a fifth defender to that mix would do more than give Buffalo three complete pairings. It would give them reliability on special teams. Adding another defensive stalwart could free Byram up to focus more on the power-play, taking some weight off of Dahlin who has played nearly 100 more power-play minutes than any other Sabres defender. Or, Buffalo could seek out a puck-mover, and free Power up from the role of third-string power-play defender.
Hard-hitting lefty Logan Stanley has been rumored to be a loose pick for the Winnipeg Jets. He could be a shrewd, and cost-effective, addition – capable of stepping up when the stars need a rest without getting in the way on the depth chart. A more reliable, two-way option could be San Jose Sharks defender Mario Ferraro, who has been on-and-off the trade block for many seasons. Both players would be strong partners for a fully-healthy Kesselring, offering a safety-net to prop up his play-driving.
Both Stanley and Ferraro – or, other market options like Pittsburgh’s Brett Kulak – would fit well into the Sabres’ salary books. Buffalo is expected to carry $21.24MM in cap space into the Trade Deadline. That flexibility, a fairly full cupboard of draft picks, and a strong prospect pool should be more than enough to land Buffalo an impactful bottom-pair defenseman on a seller’s market when the Deadline rolls around. A new face would slot Timmins nicely into the extra defender roll, when healthy, and bump Bryson and Metsa once rung down the depth chart.
Flyers’ Ty Murchison Expected To Be Out For Season With Injury
The Philadelphia Flyers will lose a strong call-up option for the rest of the year. Defenseman Ty Murchison, who made his NHL debut in December, has sustained an upper-body injury and isn’t expected to return this season per Lehigh Valley Phantoms broadcaster Bob Rotruck. Murchison sustained the injury during Lehigh Valley’s January 11th loss to the Providence Bruins. He has missed eight games since.
Murchison was having a succesful start to his pro career. The AHL rookie only had six points in 29 games – but his 46 penalty minutes ranked third on Lehigh Valley, and his staunch defense earned him a call-up to the NHL while Philadelphia adjusted to blue-line injuries. Murchison went on to play in three games with the Flyers, netting no scoring and a plus-one. He earned incremently more ice time over those three games, before being reassigned.
Murchison brings an physical, defense-first presence that proved quickly valuable in Lehigh Valley. That continues the pattern of hard-earned hockey that followed Murchison through four years at Arizona State University. He only scored 23 points in 145 games with the Sun Devils – but, again, his propensity for hard-hitting hockey proved intimidating at the college flight.
The 23-year-old Murchison seems well set to vie for a bottom-pair role in Philadelphia one day. He could have even earned that role at the tail-end of this season, after Philadelphia traded Egor Zamula following Murchison’s NHL debut. Now, it seems he’ll have to wait for a smooth recovery next season before he rejoins the fight for NHL minutes.