Senators To Play Two Exhibition Games In Quebec City
Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch is reporting that the Ottawa Senators will play two exhibition games at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City as part of their training camp this upcoming fall. It is expected that one of those games will be against the Montreal Canadiens, while the other is unknown. Senators owner Michael Andlauer has talked about his interest in growing the Senators’ reach in Quebec City and surrounding areas and likely sees an opportunity to grow the team’s fan base outside of the Capital Region. Andlauer visited the Videotron Centre last fall and was impressed with the 18,259-seat arena.
Quebec City’s Videotron Centre has played host to the Quebec Ramparts of the QMJHL since its opening in 2015 and has yet to have an NHL tenant. The Los Angeles Kings did have part of their training camp there his past year, but the building remains an NHL-caliber arena without an NHL-calibre team. The Kings hosted two exhibition games there in the fall of 2024 against the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers
Ottawa will likely open its skates to the public to increase its reach in the area and will reportedly participate in several community events during the season.
Quebec City hasn’t had an NHL team since the Quebec Nordiques departed for Colorado back in 1995. They have taken all of the appropriate steps to land an NHL team but remain an underdog as the NHL has preferred to expand south of the border in recent years and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Andlauer also spoke about the possibility that the Senators are looking at Quebec City for a potential move if their negotiations for a new arena continue to drag out. The Senators owner was emphatic in denying that possibility, telling reporters that he loves the Ottawa-Gatineau area and the team’s supporters.
Latest On Pittsburgh Penguins
Jan. 23rd: Adding more weight and credibility to LeBrun’s reporting yesterday, Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas put even more cold water on the recent speculation. In an interview with team broadcaster Josh Getzoff and later expanded upon by Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dubas was quoted saying, “To say that it’s a fire sale and we’re willing to retain money on very long-term deals — you know, I understand how that stuff starts to get out and take on a life of its own, but it’s not accurate. We’ve had lots of conversations. But are we telling teams that everything must go? No, we’re not.”
Jan. 22nd: Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic provided some context to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ plans leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. Reports earlier in the week stated that the Penguins were headed for a fire sale before the deadline, but LeBrun writes that the Penguins intend to acquire young NHL players, prospects and draft picks but aren’t likely to orchestrate a massive fire sale. As LeBrun points out, Pittsburgh simply doesn’t have many pending unrestricted free agents, and trading players with term in season is quite difficult.
LeBrun notes that pending UFA Marcus Pettersson will be talked about and likely traded based on previous reports from Josh Yohe of The Athletic. But beyond that, most of the Penguins’ best trade chips have term remaining. These trades can prove difficult if you are looking to add futures because teams don’t typically have enough cap space to add the player, and as LeBrun points out in the article, it may force Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas to wait until the offseason when he will have more suitors and there will be more flexibility.
Chris Johnston of TSN clarified the Penguins’ situation further on Insider Trading, saying that they aren’t looking to retain salary on any long-term deals, which would further complicate trading a player with a term. However, he did add that there were very few untouchables in Pittsburgh outside of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, which certainly means that the Penguins are open for business and willing to move almost anyone on their active roster.
While LeBrun and Johnston poured cold water on the reports of a fire sale, LeBrun acknowledges that Dubas and Penguins management will be doing their best to get a lot done before the deadline, but reality might make those plans fall by the wayside.
Pittsburgh is certainly stuck in an unusual place as they continue to roster Crosby, who has not lost a step despite playing in his age-37 season. The Penguins likely can’t bottom out in the standings but do appear committed to re-tooling on the fly in an effort to be competitive once again before Crosby retires. While the plan makes sense, it has not been successful for many teams. Although, one could point to the Washington Capitals as an example of a team that re-tooled on the fly around a veteran core.
Dubas is certainly giving it his best shot, having taken the Penguins prospect pool from 27th in the NHL to 20th in just one year based on Scott Wheeler’s rankings in The Athletic.
Maple Leafs Recall Jacob Quillan, Max Pacioretty To IR
The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled forward Jacob Quillan from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and placed forward Max Pacioretty on injured reserve retroactive to January 18th.
Quillan has played most of this season as the Marlies’ third-line center and has provided light offensive contributions with six goals and nine assists in 35 games. The 22-year-old was originally signed last April out of the NCAA, inking a two-year entry-level deal. Quillan famously scored the overtime winner that clinched the NCAA national championship for Quinnipiac in 2023.
His recall comes in his first full professional season, and if he does play while with the Maple Leafs, it will mark his NHL debut. It might surprise some people to see the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native get a recall, given his offensive numbers. However, he has been heating up as of late, posting three goals and two assists in his past five games.
As for Pacioretty, the 36-year-old is out of action with an upper-body injury after he took a puck to the ear in Saturday’s win over the Montreal Canadiens. He’s been a regular for most of this season, dressing in 32 games and providing modest offensive contributions with five goals and seven assists. With Pacioretty officially on IR, he won’t be available tonight against Columbus or Saturday night against Ottawa. The earliest that Pacioretty is likely to return would be next Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild.
Oilers Could Still Add A Defenseman
The Edmonton Oilers could still be looking to add a defenseman despite signing John Klingberg just last week (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Klingberg signed on for the remainder of the season and could provide some offense from the backend depending on his health and how quickly he can get up to game speed.
With that need taken care of, Edmonton may be looking to fill out their defensive depth with a player who provides more of a shutdown skillset and comes with the ability to kill penalties. As LeBrun points out, Edmonton ‘s penalty kill is in the top five in the NHL since November, so the need isn’t an urgent one, however, given how many defenseman teams require in the playoffs, the Oilers feel it may be best to add to their depth.
Injuries in the playoffs can always change the dynamic of a series, and while Edmonton feels that have a solid seven skaters to fill out their defense core, one or two injuries could shake that belief. Teams that have won the Stanley Cup recently have had 8-10 NHL defensemen on their roster on average and have generally relied on all of them due to the unpredictability in the playoffs. Injuries piled up early in last year’s playoffs, and while Edmonton was fairly lucky in that regard on their way to winning the Western Conference, they can’t count on the same luck this season if they hope to get back to the Stanley Cups Finals.
Blackhawks Looking To Move On From Philipp Kurashev
The Chicago Blackhawks will likely be busy before the NHL Trade Deadline, and it appears that they may look to cut ties with forward Philipp Kurashev either at the deadline or by not qualifying him in June (as per Harman Dayal and Chris Johnston of The Athletic). The 25-year-old will be a restricted free agent on July 1st as he finishes a two-year $4.5MM deal and has disappointed this season after posting a career year last season.
Kurashev posted 18 goals and 36 assists last year in 75 games while playing predominantly with Connor Bedard but has struggled this season with just four goals and three assists in 32 games. He has been a healthy scratch in 12 of Chicago’s previous 16 games and his defensive warts have been magnified by his lack of offensive success.
The shortcomings in Kurashev’s defensive game were present last season, as evidenced by his -44 plus/minus. However, those shortcomings were often glossed over due to his offensive success. This year has been a very different story as his poor defensive play has been a glaring issue anytime he has been on the ice. Kurashev and his teammates have been dominated, particularly at even strength where he has posted a CF% of 41.8%.
If Chicago opts to move on from Kurashev, a team may take a flier on him for the rest of the season, given his numbers from a year ago. What the return would be remains to be seen, but if Chicago does plan to not qualify him, they likely won’t be seeking a big return.
Flyers Not Actively Shopping Rasmus Ristolainen, Still Receiving Calls
The Philadelphia Flyers are not actively shopping defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, however, that hasn’t stopped teams from calling Flyers general manager Daniel Briere (as per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia). Briere has praised the 30-year-old’s work saying that he’s been good for Philadelphia, and they are in no rush to move him.
Ristolainen has never been an analytics darling and has battled injuries in the past, however, his overall play has improved as of late leading to speculation that Philadelphia would try to cash out while his value is high. The 2013 eighth-overall pick has some term remaining on his contract (two years at $5.1MM) and would not be a rental for any team that acquires him.
Right-shot defensemen are always in demand, and Ristolainen has good size and decent skating ability, even if there are obvious shortcomings to his game. He’s certainly been guilty in the past of defensive lapses and overplaying the puck, but he has sacrificed his offensive numbers in favor of playing a more simplified game the past few seasons. Despite the change in Ristolainen’s numbers, his strengths and weaknesses haven’t changed over the years. He can hit, skate and shoot but is abysmal at retrieving the puck in the defensive zone and struggles when trying to move the puck out of his zone. Any change of environment likely won’t change what he is, meaning that any acquiring team will have to be conscious of Ristolainen’s limitations.
In 47 games this season, the Turku, Finland native has posted a single goal and 11 assists while averaging 20:35 of ice time per game. He has also registered 77 hits, 74 blocked shots and a 0 plus/minus.
Morning Notes: Klingberg, Tanev, Mittelstadt
Nick Barden of The Hockey News is reporting that free agent defenseman John Klingberg is close to deciding on which team he will sign with for the remainder of the season. Klingberg hasn’t played an NHL game since November 2023 and is attempting to come back after having hip resurfacing surgery. He is hoping to latch on with a contender for the rest of this season. His decision is expected in the next 2-3 days, and Klingberg’s former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, are reportedly still in the mix to sign the 32-year-old, as are a few other teams.
It was just a few years ago that Klingberg was considered a top-pairing offensive defenseman, however, those days are over, but if he is healthy Klingberg could certainly give a boost to a playoff team without costing an asset other than cap space. Through 633 NHL games, Klingberg has racked up 81 goals and 331 assists while playing with four different teams.
In other morning notes:
- The Seattle Kraken announced last night that forward Brandon Tanev would miss their game with an apparent illness. Tye Kartye took Tanev’s spot in the lineup Thursday against Winnipeg and played just 7:12. The 33-year-old Tanev last dressed on Tuesday against Pittsburgh and played 13:14 in that game. The Kraken are back in action tomorrow night against Los Angeles and it seems likely they will have an update on Tanev before the puck drop. The Toronto, Ontario native has eight goals and seven assists in 44 games this season.
- Colorado Avalanche forward Casey Mittelstadt has gone through a miserable slump this season and has now found himself demoted from the second-line center role and could find himself on the trade block soon (as per Avalanche reporter Adrian Deter). Mikko Rantanen took his spot in last night’s game against Edmonton, with Mittelstadt skating just 14:54 and playing on the third line. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has reportedly become unhappy with Mittelstadt’s play, after the 26-year-old looked like a true second-line center to start the season, posting 13 points in his first ten games. However, since that hot start, Mittelstadt has just 13 points in his last 36 games.
Devils’ Simon Nemec Frustrated To Be In The AHL
New Jersey Devils top prospect, Simon Nemec, made some comments earlier this week when discussing his future with the Devils and his current status in the AHL (as per Tomáš Prokop of Dennik Sports). The defenseman stated that he was not happy with his current position in the AHL and voiced his displeasure, saying that he feels he has proven that he belongs in the NHL. He also added that it is too early to request a trade but at some point, the situation would need to be addressed.
The 2022 second-overall pick is in his third professional season, most of which he has spent with the Utica Comets of the AHL. However, last season the 20-year-old did dress in 60 NHL games with New Jersey and was effective, tallying three goals and 16 assists and garnering some Calder Trophy consideration for top rookie.
James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reached out to the Devils organization to see if they were aware of any frustrations with Nemec and said they weren’t aware of that but knew that he was disappointed to be playing outside the NHL.
Nemec did mention in his interview that he felt he was moving on from one of the toughest times he’s had in hockey, as he dealt with an upper-body injury earlier this season that he suffered at the 2026 Olympic qualifiers. Nemec was able to make the team out of training camp but had a very slow start in the NHL, posting just a single assist in nine games before he was demoted to Utica.
He’s been good in the AHL, posting 16 points in 23 games. However, the tricky part for Nemec is that the Devils’ defense is deep, and they are playing some great hockey this season, which adds to the challenge of getting back to the NHL.
Devils Looking To Add A Center
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic sat down with New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald to discuss what the team is looking to do before the NHL Trade Deadline. Fitzgerald mentioned that he has an open mind at this point, but that the pro scouting department has identified the center position as an area of need. The news isn’t all that surprising, given that the Devils were linked to Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans just a week ago.
Fitzgerald has been looking at potential trade options and has reportedly already started calling teams to see who might be available. Centers are always in demand, and as Fitzgerald points out in the interview, you can never have enough of them. The Devils could certainly use some depth scoring in their forward group as it remains one of their few weaknesses, and if they can’t acquire a center, they may need to settle for a winger.
LeBrun points out that possible targets include Ryan O’Reilly, Yanni Gourde, and Scott Laughton. Gourde would be a rental as his contract expires at the end of the season, while O’Reilly has two years remaining on his deal at a cap hit of $4.5MM, and Laughton has one year left on his deal. Fitzgerald said he was open to acquiring either a rental or a player with term and would look at both options in his hunt for a center.
The Devils have made many changes over the last year, addressing their goaltending and defense last summer while tinkering with other parts of their roster. They are certainly one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference and could very well put themselves over the top in the next few weeks if they can address their depth scoring and add the center they desire.
Multiple Teams Calling The Blackhawks About Seth Jones
Teams are reportedly calling the Chicago Blackhawks to check on the availability of veteran defenseman Seth Jones (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). Dreger revealed the information on today’s segment of Insider Trading and noted that the Blackhawks aren’t proactively shopping the 30-year-old.
Facilitating a trade of that magnitude would not be easy given that Jones carries a $9.5MM cap hit for an additional four seasons after this one. Jones also carries a full no-movement clause as part of his contract, meaning that he would have full control of where he goes which would further complicate an already difficult move.
Chicago’s trade to acquire Jones was a bit of a headscratcher when it was made back in July 2021. The Blackhawks were mired in mediocrity at the time and gave up a package that included defenseman Adam Boqvist, the 12th and 44th overall picks in 2021, and a 2022 first-round pick that eventually turned into the sixth overall pick. Chicago then handed Jones an ill-advised eight-year, $76MM contract extension right before setting out on a full rebuild.
Jones’s offensive numbers have been okay since joining the Blackhawks, as he has posted 28 goals and 106 assists in 245 games. However, his defensive work has left a lot to be desired as he’s posted a -103 plus/minus rating in four seasons, which is among the worst in the NHL during that time. Jones’s net clearing ability and rush defense continue to be a major issue that hasn’t improved over time, with no better example than in a 5-2 loss to Calgary earlier this week.
Jones isn’t likely to be traded given all the hurdles that would need to be cleared to make a move, but right-handed defensemen are always at a premium and Jones eats up a ton of ice time, having averaged 25:19 per game since he joined the Blackhawks (third in NHL behind Drew Doughty and Cale Makar). At the end of the day, the decision will be up to Jones as he holds the no-movement clause and can decide his own destination should he want to leave Chicago.