Kings Recall Pheonix Copley, Place Kevin Fiala On IR
Earlier today, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they’ve recalled netminder Pheonix Copley from the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Additionally, the Kings have placed forward Kevin Fiala on the injured reserve, as expected.
Copley has likely been brought on as a practice player before Los Angeles returns to action next week. Darcy Kuemper, the Kings’ typical starter, is rostered on Team Canada for the Olympics, and they’ve already clinched a spot in the Bronze Medal game at the very least.
Despite a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Copley has been with Los Angeles for the past four years. Still, he’s spent much of the past two years with AHL Ontario. In 24 games for the Reign this season, Copley has managed a 13-11-0 record with a .890 SV% and 2.95 GAA.
Meanwhile, Fiala’s placement on the injured reserve was a formality. Playing on Team Switzerland in the Olympics, Fiala infamously suffered multiple leg fractures in a game against Canada.
The fractures required nearly immediate surgery, which has prematurely ended Fiala’s 2025-26 campaign. Los Angeles could have placed Fiala on long-term injured reserve, but their sufficient cap space made that unnecessary.
Fiala’s absence from the Kings’ lineup the rest of the way should undoubtedly alter Los Angeles’ approach leading up to the trade deadline. Yes, the team already acquired high-scoring winger Artemi Panarin before the Olympics, though that was with Fiala healthy. Given the drastic need for goal-scoring help in Los Angeles, it’s likely they’ll seek to acquire some additional reinforcements.
Sharks Recall Filip Bystedt, Nick Leddy
The San Jose Sharks announced that they’ve recalled forward Filip Bystedt and defenseman Nick Leddy from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. Still, there’s no indication that either player will play for the Sharks next week.
Following the announcement, Sheng Peng from San Jose Hockey Now reported that Bystedt will not be playing for the Sharks next week; he has been recalled solely to serve as an additional participant in practice. Additionally, because Bystedt is nursing an upper-body injury, he wasn’t expected to play for the Barracuda either. There is no word on how long Leddy’s promotion will be.
Still, Bystedt likely isn’t far off from becoming a full-time player for the Sharks. He’s in his third season playing professionally in North America after being selected with the 27th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Sharks. He’s continued to get better every season.
He got off to a hot start, scoring four goals and seven points in eight games for the Barracuda in 2023-24, and followed that up with a 12-goal, 31-point performance in 50 games last season. This year, he’s leading the team in scoring, registering 13 goals and 36 points in 40 games.
Meanwhile, Leddy has yet to play for AHL San Jose after clearing waivers and being reassigned in mid-January. The 34-year-old veteran has struggled this season, registering four assists in 19 games, averaging 17:30 of ice time per game. In the last year of a four-year, $16MM contract with the St. Louis Blues, there’s a strong indication that this will be Leddy’s last season in the NHL.
Ducks Reassign Ian Moore
According to a team announcement, the Anaheim Ducks have reassigned defenseman Ian Moore to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. It’ll be Moore’s first stint in the AHL since the beginning of the season.
It’s not expected to be a long-term demotion for Moore. Simply put, the move to AHL San Diego will allow the 24-year-old defenseman to play in as many as three games before the Ducks return to action against the Edmonton Oilers next Wednesday.
Regardless, it won’t be an unfamiliar environment for Moore. The former captain of Harvard University played nine games for the Gulls last year to close out the regular season, scoring one goal and five points. He has only registered one AHL contest this season.
Although he didn’t crack Anaheim’s roster out of training camp, he’s been with the Ducks for much of the 2025-26 campaign. He’s scored two goals and nine points in 41 games, averaging 14:10 of ice time per night. He’s shown quality possession metrics for a rookie, managing a 53.5% CorsiFor% at even strength.
Moore’s rise as a capable NHL defenseman has sparked mixed feelings in Orange County. His play at the beginning of the year led to a loss of ice time for defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, who even considered requesting a trade in late November.
Hockey France Suspends Pierre Crinon
Although there are no games today, there is still news coming from the Olympics. After sharing yesterday that he would have an in-person hearing, the French Ice Hockey Federation announced that they’ve suspended defenseman Pierre Crinon for the remainder of the Olympics.
During yesterday’s game between Canada and France, Crinon got into a fight with Canadian forward Tom Wilson. The International Olympic Committee suspended neither player for the fight, which is typically barred in Olympic competition; the governing body of hockey in France had other ideas.
Interestingly enough, from their public announcement, the FFHG didn’t appear to take much exception to the fighting. All of their discontent stemmed from Crinon’s theatrics after the fight, being seen egging on fans of Team Canada (video link).
Time will tell how long Crinon’s suspension will last. France lines up against Germany in tomorrow’s playoff round, and they aren’t expected to play beyond that. Cronin, 30, will finish his first Olympic action with one assist in three games.
Regardless, he’ll return to the Ligue Magnus, France’s highest professional league, for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. He has played in the league for the last 13 years, scoring 14 goals and 94 points in 304 games with 541 PIMs, and a +142 rating.
Trade Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings
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? After looking at bubble teams in recent days, we now shift the focus to teams currently in a playoff spot. Next up are the Red Wings.
Although they’ve gotten frustratingly close the past two years, the Red Wings are wholly poised for postseason competition for the first time in a decade. Not only are they projecting toward making the playoffs, but there’s a decent chance they’ll have home-ice advantage in the first round. There are noticeable flaws in the roster, raising concerns that the team’s success relies heavily on John Gibson‘s remarkable performance since early December. Regardless, given the ridiculous amount of cap space available to him, general manager Steve Yzerman has the opportunity to turn this team into a formidable playoff opponent.
Record
33-19-6, 3rd in the Atlantic (78% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Conservative Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$59.38MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, CBJ 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, CGY 7th, DET 7th
2027: DET 1st, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
Trade Chips
The Red Wings have selected at least one player in the first round for 13 consecutive years. Not all of those have landed, though it has been enough for Detroit to restock its cupboards. Assuming an acquiring team wouldn’t expect the Red Wings to reach the Stanley Cup Final or even the Eastern Conference Final, their first-round selection this year could have significant value with the expectation that it falls around the 20 to 25 mark.
With their numerous first-round picks, Detroit can trade some prospects, depending on the magnitude of additions they want to make. The Red Wings’ biggest trade chips come from between the pipes. A few days ago, we peddled the idea of Detroit trading Cam Talbot to a desperate team around the deadline, with the idea they would call up prospect Sebastian Cossa in his stead. Cossa, being the heir-apparent, wouldn’t affect Talbot alone, however.
Detroit has one of the best goaltending prospects not currently in professional hockey. Trey Augustine, 20, is in his third year at Michigan State University, managing a 20-6-0 record with a .932 SV% and 1.96 GAA. Coupled with his pair of gold medals from the World Junior Championships, Augustine could fetch a massive return at the deadline. Famously, the Florida Panthers used Devon Levi and Spencer Knight to acquire Sam Reinhart and Seth Jones, respectively, each of whom had a hand in their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
While the Red Wings will likely want to retain prospects such as Carter Bear, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Nate Danielson, some lower-level prospects may be traded. While circumstances may change, Amadeus Lombardi, Carter Mazur, and Shai Buium don’t seem likely to have a long-term future in Detroit, making them potential candidates in trade packages for acquiring high-level talent.
Team Needs
Top-Four Defenseman: Of all the playoff-bound teams, Detroit has one of the most obvious flaws. After Simon Edvinsson suffered a lower-body injury on January 22, the Red Wings concluded play before the Olympics with a record of 2-3-1. Even before losing Edvinsson, the need was obvious. It’s clear that head coach Todd McLellan doesn’t trust rookie Axel Sandin Pellikka (yet) in high-leverage situations, and veteran Ben Chiarot is a better fit for strong bottom-pairing play. Throughout the season, Detroit has been loosely connected to top-four defenseman such as Dougie Hamilton and Justin Faulk, both of whom make sense to fill the need. Even if a player like Morgan Rielly becomes available, or another top-four blue liner with term, the Red Wings should be the first team calling.
Some Jam Up Front: This is one of the more obscure talking points of the Red Wings’ makeup. As of now, the leading forwards on the team in hits are Marco Kasper (131) and Emmitt Finnie (86). This is not an argument that Detroit needs to pursue a punch-heavy forward like Ryan Reaves or Matt Rempe, but they should aim to become nastier to play against, especially with an eye on playoff competition. Coupled with their need for an additional boost of offense, Kiefer Sherwood would have been the ideal fit had he not already been dealt to the San Jose Sharks. Still, would a player like Evander Kane make sense? He’s scored nine goals and 25 points in 56 games for the Vancouver Canucks this season, and has only failed to clear the 100-hit mark twice throughout his 16-year career. He would help provide the Red Wings with a mild boost of offense, playoff experience, and much-needed grit.
Image courtesy of Robert Killips of Lansing State Journal.
Kings’ Kevin Fiala Suffers Sustains Multiple Left Leg Fractures, Out For The Season
Sunday: The Los Angeles Kings updated today that Fiala underwent successful surgery due to fractures in his lower left leg. As expected, he will miss the remainder of the season, and will be reevaluated in the spring.
Saturday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Fiala is having surgery today. There still is no word on the precise nature of the injury but Friedman adds that it is indeed season-ending, a significant blow for both Switzerland and the Kings. Fiala will now be eligible to be placed on LTIR but with Los Angeles having ample cap space, it’s unlikely they’ll need to put him there.
Friday: One of the main reasons NHL teams opposed player participation in the Olympics was the concern over injuries that could be avoided. That fear has come to fruition for the Los Angeles Kings. Toward the end of today’s game between Canada and Switzerland, Kevin Fiala had to be stretchered off the ice due to an apparent leg or knee injury.
As mentioned, the injury happened with approximately three minutes left in the game. Fiala absorbed a hit from Tom Wilson and was in immediate pain on the ice. Although the hit was leveled, the incident causing the injury seemed accidental, and more like a freak play. According to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, after the game, Wilson said, “It’s the Olympic Games and I feel terrible that he may not be able to keep playing. Just sending his family and him my best. You never want to see a guy go down, in a tournament like this, especially.”
Still, accident or not, it doesn’t make the situation any easier for the Kings. Fiala is the team’s second-highest scorer with 18 goals and 40 points in 56 games while averaging over 19 minutes of ice time per game.
Considering how starved Los Angeles is for offense, it’s a worst-case scenario. The team recently acquired high-scoring Artemi Panarin before the Olympic break, but that didn’t relieve all of the team’s goal-scoring woes. No, the Kings haven’t yet played with Panarin on the ice, but losing a player with Fiala’s goal-scoring capabilities will objectively make it more difficult for them to put the puck in the net.
There haven’t been many updates regarding Fiala’s immediate status. Arpon Basu of The Athletic reported that Fiala has been taken to a local hospital, and there are concerns that the injury could be season-ending. If that’s the case, the Kings’ uphill climb toward playoff contention just became remarkably more difficult.
Trade Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers
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 Flyers.
For the second consecutive season, the Philadelphia Flyers are a team on the bubble with the odds not in their favor. Based on points percentage, the team has taken a step back from last year’s results before their infamous late-season collapse. Furthermore, second-year winger Matvei Michkov has taken a significant step back. This season, Philadelphia’s prize prospect has scored 13 goals and 29 points in 55 games, averaging 14:34 of ice time per game. Michkov had scored 16 goals and 36 points while managing a 16:01 ATOI at this point last season. If the Flyers have any chance of future success, they’ll want to prioritize getting Michkov back on track.
Record
25-20-11, 6th in the Metropolitan (10.7% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Short-term sellers/long-term buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$32.38MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, CBJ 6th, PHI 7th
2027: PHI 1st, TOR 1st, PHI 2nd, LA 3rd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 7th
Trade Chips
Given their spot in the standings, it’s assumed that the Flyers will sell off expiring assets such as Carl Grundstrom, Nicolas Deslauriers, Rodrigo Abols, and Noah Juulsen. Philadelphia shouldn’t expect to recoup major assets for the group, though they should have a market for playoff-bound teams looking for depth.
Still, although they are only a few years into their rebuild, the Flyers aren’t necessarily out of the fight in the Metropolitan Division. It would take a significant performance increase to reach the postseason this year, but given the team’s structure, competing next year shouldn’t be out of the question. If any younger players become available, especially those that are already at the NHL level, Philadelphia should be on the phone.
Depending on what they’re looking to add, Philadelphia has a couple of assets they could move. If rival General Managers believe that the post-Mitch Marner Toronto Maple Leafs will continue their downward trend, Toronto’s upcoming 2027 first-round selection could be very enticing to rebuilding teams. The Flyers likely aren’t in a position to move too much of their prospect capital, though they do have a glut of wingers.
Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey should all be considered untouchables at this point, but would the Flyers be interested in moving recent second-round pick, Jack Murtagh? He’s had a disappointing start to his collegiate career, scoring four goals and seven points in 28 games. Still, he has retained the intangibles that made him a top-64 selection in the first place, and he may be on the outside looking in for top-six Philadelphia wingers for the years to come.
Team Needs
Goaltending Depth: The Flyers have gotten great starts from newcomer Daniel Vladař, who owns a 17-8-6 record in 33 games with a .905 SV% and 2.47 GAA. Still, their options behind him have been nearly unplayable, with typical backup Samuel Ersson carrying an 8-10-5 record with a .856 SV% and 3.51. Philadelphia has Russian prospect Yegor Zavragin waiting in the wings, but at only 20-years-old, he’s likely a few years away.
Young Defenseman: This is where Philadelphia could really make some noise at the trade deadline, if they choose to. Outside of Cameron York and Jamie Drysdale, the Flyers don’t have much in the way of up-and-coming top-four defenseman. Yes, Travis Sanheim has proven capable of leading the blueline, but he’ll be in his 30s next season. Given that reality, if the Buffalo Sabres make Owen Power available, the Flyers could offer a package including Toronto’s first-round pick, a middle-six forward like Bobby Brink, and potentially one of their depth defensemen to start. Even though he isn’t a recent first overall pick like Power, younger defensemen such as Pavel Mintyukov have a lot of upside, but their value may be lower at the deadline.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Should The Red Wings Trade Cam Talbot?
The Detroit Red Wings are in an interesting position leading up to the trade deadline. They sit third in the Atlantic Division but are only seven points away from the postseason cutoff entirely. Given their position, it’s unlikely that they’ll remove any pieces from their active roster, but would it make sense in the long run?
There’s no question: it’s John Gibson‘s net in Detroit. After a shaky start with the second franchise of his career, he’s been nearly unstoppable since December, posting an 18-5-1 record in 24 games with a .923 SV%. The team in front of him has been performing well, but it is difficult to argue that the Red Wings’ recent success is not primarily due to Gibson’s excellent play in goal.
That leaves veteran Cam Talbot in an awkward spot. Splitting the net at the beginning of the year, Talbot is now cemented as the team’s backup, playing in nine games since December, with one of those coming in relief. It comes one year after he received the majority of starts in Detroit, earning a 21-19-5 record in 47 games with a .900 SV% during the 2024-25 season.
Given their competitive nature and firmly being in playoff contention for the first time in a decade, it usually wouldn’t make sense for Detroit to reduce its roster. However, Talbot is one of the easiest netminders to move, given his lack of trade protection and relatively low salary. Coupled with the fact that the trade market for netminders is relatively thin, General Manager Steve Yzerman could capitalize in a big way.
His hypothetical market would be limited, but there would be at least a few teams. The Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and Vegas Golden Knights are competitive teams in need of goaltending reinforcements. It’s hard to envision Talbot becoming the starter for any of those teams, but he would at least provide some much-needed breathing room if something went wrong with their regular starters.
Detroit wouldn’t need a goaltender in return, either. They would gain the flexibility to add almost anything; either deepen their resources in some way or acquire additional assets for future trades.
Knocking on the door last year, Sebastian Cossa has completely knocked it down this season. In 26 games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins this season, Cossa, 23, owns a 20-4-2 record with a .928 SV% and 1.99 GAA, including four shutouts. His performance this season, in a vacuum, isn’t the only argument for promotion. He has a .913 SV% across 110 games at the AHL level, showing that he’s ready to some capacity.
If the Red Wings continue to use Gibson as they have, Cossa would be burdened with only seven or eight starts throughout Detroit’s last 24 games to finish the season. If Cossa is going to back up Gibson next season anyway, what more valuable experience could you give a young netminder than see a seasoned veteran like Gibson prepare for the postseason?
To be clear, this isn’t an argument that this should be the Red Wings’ only move at the deadline, or even a priority. Still, if there is a market for him, they’re in a unique position to acquire assets for someone they know won’t be on the team next season and remain competitive.
Canadiens Likely To Trade Patrik Laine After Olympics
For the past few weeks, winger Patrik Laine has been a full participant at most Montreal Canadiens practices as he works his way back from core muscle surgery. However, assuming he’s medically cleared to play after the Olympics, there’s little expectation that it’ll be with the Canadiens.
In a recent article, Eric Engels of Sportsnet strongly implied Laine wouldn’t play for Montreal again this season, writing, “If the 27-year-old Finn sees any post-Olympics action, we expect it to be for someone other than the Canadiens.” That suggests that Montreal will quickly begin trade negotiations regarding Laine, if they haven’t already.
Unfortunately, the major hangup in any Laine trade is his bloated salary. Laine’s cap hit sits at $8.7MM through the end of the season, and he’s earning a $9.1MM salary. Although the cap hit has received much scrutiny, Laine was coming off a 26-goal, 56-point performance in 56 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets, was only 23 years old at the time, and had already scored 250 points in 306 games for the Winnipeg Jets.
Still, there’s no question he hasn’t lived up to that contract. He had a decent follow-up performance with the Blue Jackets, but injuries have derailed him since. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Laine has played in only 75 games, which is 33.9% of the total possible contests.
He was a quality secondary scorer for the Canadiens last season, registering 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games. 15 of his goals were scored on power plays, making him less effective at even-strength. This season, due to the core muscle surgery, Laine has tallied only one assist in five games.
As Engels points out, Montreal would undoubtedly have to eat some of Laine’s remaining salary, and may even need to attach an additional sweetener. According to Engels, that’s not something the Canadiens are keen to do.
Unfortunately, the Canadiens won’t have much wiggle room until Laine is entirely off the roster come July 1st. Given the organization’s need for cap space, it would make little sense to swap Laine for another bad contract, especially one signed beyond this season. Despite his lack of availability over the past few years and his subpar play at even strength, there are a few teams with ample cap space to take a flyer on Laine down the stretch.
As it stands, the Detroit Red Wings, Seattle Kraken, New York Islanders, and Los Angeles Kings are all teams battling for a playoff spot, averaging below three goals per game. The Red Wings and Kraken might be less interested in a player like Laine, given that their power plays are among the league’s best. Furthermore, the Kings are counting on Artemi Panarin to offset the offensive shortcomings, whom they acquired before the Olympic break.
That leaves the Islanders, who are currently third in the Metropolitan Division, 24th in GF/G, and 30th in power-play percentage. Would the Canadiens be interested in a different expiring asset, like Jean-Gabriel Pageau, to deepen their center depth? Acquiring a secondary scorer like Pageau may at least make it more palatable for Montreal to eat salary and attach a draft pick to Laine. New York has some flexibility with their salary cap, so the Canadiens may only need to eat a few million dollars, giving them most of what they are looking for.
Still, the immediate question that comes to mind is Laine’s perceived fit in Patrick Roy‘s scheme. Contextualized by his public battles with Anthony Duclair over the past few years, there is a zero-tolerance policy in New York for taking a shift off.
Poll: Which Team Will Win The Gold Medal At The Olympics?
The long wait is over. For the first time since 2014, NHL players will represent their respective countries at the Olympic Games.
In the last two meetings with NHL representatives, Team Canada has been dominant. They beat Team USA in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on the back of an overtime winner by Sidney Crosby. During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Canada shutout Team Sweden in the Gold Medal game. Team Finland won the Bronze Medal in both of those years.
There will be a group of 12 countries in this year’s tournament, represented by Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, and France in Group A, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, and Italy in Group B, and the United States, Germany, Latvia, and Denmark in Group C. The action formally kicks off on Wednesday, February 11th, and will conclude with the Gold Medal contest on Sunday, February 22nd.
Barring injuries, Canada understandably remains the favorite to win. Still, the United States is a much closer second thanin years past, followed by Sweden, Finland, and Czechia. The rosters for Canada, USA, Finland, and Sweden are similar to last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, whereas the other high-performing countries will have much different iterations.
Regardless of outcome in the Round Robin, every nation will earn a tournament bid, seeded one through 12. The top four teams will earn an automatic bye into the quarterfinals, and the remaining eight teams will battle in a ‘playoff round’.
Unfortunately, since they are in different groups, there are no guarantees of a border matchup between Canada and the United States. Nonetheless, there will still be notable matchups in the round between Finland and Sweden, Canada and Czechia, and the United States and Germany.
Now the crystal ball passes to you — in a few weeks, which team will be donning the gold medal around their necks?
Which Team Will Win The Gold Medal At The Olympics?
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