Maple Leafs Fire Assistant Coach Marc Savard
The struggling Toronto Maple Leafs have finally made a move to shake things up, as Assistant Coach Marc Savard has been relieved of his duties, as per the team. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the team is expected to turn in-house for the time being, with no immediate replacement.
The longtime NHLer was in his second season behind the bench on Head Coach Craig Berube’s staff. The two were reunited from one year together in St. Louis during the 2019-20 season, although Savard went on to serve as Head Coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires for two seasons, as well as a stop in Calgary, before ending up in Toronto starting in 2024-25.
Savard oversaw the the team’s power play, which has been at an abysmal 13.3%, dead last in the league. Going 12-for-90 is simply unacceptable for a team with as much firepower as Toronto. It was a different story last season, as with Mitch Marner in the fold, and the Leafs still firmly a 50+ win team, they ranked ninth-best, at 24.8%. Injuries have been a major factor in the Leafs’ struggles so far, but the likes of Anthony Stolarz, Chris Tanev, and Brandon Carlo are obviously unrelated.
All-world sniper Auston Matthews should be feasting on the power play, but he has just three such tallies to date. In order to put things into perspective, he had 18 power play goals two seasons ago. The captain’s play has been scrutinized throughout, with many wondering if he is dealing with lingering injury issues, but things could not be much worse.
As tired as the Marner talking point is by now, without him, the Toronto power play unit just does not evoke as much fear. Savard had deployed players such as Nicholas Robertson, Matias Maccelli, and Nicholas Roy, none of whom have made much of an impact. Robertson and Maccelli have the skill, and certainly need to play in such a role to maximize their abilities, but that does not necessarily bring enough results. Suffice to say, there may be more going on than what meets the eye, but regardless, Savard has caught the blame. His system emphasized rapid puck movement and creativity, and it clearly such was not a fit.
Currently in a skid which has left them in last place in the Atlantic Division, with many more tough questions on their future, Savard is the first in what could be more moves in 2026 for the blue and white. Despite his inability to get the most out of Toronto’s stars, Savard had strong results as a head coach in the OHL, and the highly respected former player could catch on with another NHL club down the road. Yet for now, today’s news, so close to the holidays, is a tough blow for the 48-year-old.
Sharks’ Will Smith Out Week-To-Week, Collin Graf Questionable
Luck was not on the San Jose Sharks’ side during Monday’s practice. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky designated top young forward Will Smith as out week-to-week with an upper-body injury and won’t be re-evaluated until 2026, per Max Miller of Ssan Jose Hockey Digest. Smith has been out since sustaining an injury in San Jose’s December 13th matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On top of that injury, top-line winger Collin Graf had to get stitches during Monday’s practice, after an erant puck hit him in the face. The puck avoided Graf’s eye and seemed to injure his cheek, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks aren’t yet sure if Graf will be available for their three-game road trip that runs through a December 29th matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Sharks will continue to face an uphill battle without Smith in the lineup. He has driven the offense when he’s on the ice, netting 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games this season, good for second on the Sharks in scoring behind Macklin Celebrini. San Jose has lost two of their three games since Smith’s injury, painting his importance to the lineup even amid a scoring surge for the Sharks.
In Smith’s absence, Graf has emerged as a key factor and scoring compliment to Celebrini. He has four points in three games without Smith, and six points in his last five games. That hot streak has brought Graf up to 19 points in 35 games this season, eight more than he managed in 33 games of his rookie year last season. Graf has also contributed 29 shot blocks and 34 hits, ranked third and sixth among Sharks forwards respectively.
The 23-year-old Graf has carved out a nightly role in the top-six in December. His absence would force San Jose to push either William Eklund or Jeff Skinner – who has recently served as a healthy scratch – into a top-line role. The Sharks could also push Adam Gaudette or Tyler Toffoli into elevated minutes, if they’re willing to shake up their wingers.
One piece that will make the shakeup a bit easier is the emergence of rookie Igor Chernyshov, who has been playing on the top-line next to Graf and Celebrini and recorded three assists in his first three NHL games. Chernyshov was a breakout scorer in the OHL last season and leads the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda in scoring with 23 points in 25 games this year. He could quickly be leaned on as San Jose looks to mitigate injuries to a pair of high-impact forwards.
Rangers’ J.T. Miller Out Week-To-Week
12/22/25: The Rangers dropped their first game since Miller’s injury by a 2-1 score to the Nashville Predators yesterday, but after the game The Athletic’s Vince Z. Mercogliano provided some additional reporting on Miller’s status. He wrote that Miller is out “with a suspected right-shoulder injury” and cited a league source who “stressed [Miller would] be back before the Olympic break in February and available to play for Team USA if selected.”
That’s something that was indicated yesterday in the original coverage of Miller’s injury, but today it’s only been further underscored that Miller’s availability for the upcoming Olympic tournament does not appear to be in much doubt.
What appears to be in a little bit more doubt is Miller’s odds of selection for the tournament, rather than his chances of being healthy. The Athletic’s Peter Baugh covered the topic last week, listing Miller at the time as “likely” to be selected, adding that the fact that Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan is also the Rangers head coach “certainly doesn’t hurt his chances.”
12/21/25: The injuries continue to pile up for the New York Rangers. Captain J.T. Miller is expected to miss a few weeks with an upper-body injury sustained on Saturday, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. The injury occured on a reverse hit from Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler that seemed to catch Miller near his right shoulder. Despite the multi-week timeline, the Rangers aren’t concerned that this injury will effect Miller’s availability for the Winter Olympics. That’s great news, as he’s sure to be a prime option to assume a center role in Team USA’s bottom-six.
Miller has helped buoy the offense in the wake of injury to defenseman Adam Fox and illness to star winger Artemi Panarin. The captain has four points in his last five games and 22 points in 35 games this season. He ranks fourth on the Rangers in scoring behind Panarin, Fox, and Mika Zibanejad. Panarin returned to the lineup on Saturday, though Fox is still on the mend. That will continue the rotating door of star injuries in New York, who will have to now lean on Panarin and Zibanejad to boost a Rangers offense that has only scored two goals in their last three games.
Miller’s Olympic availability will be a central story as he recovers from this new injury. He played in all four games at the 2025 Four-Nations Face-Off but didn’t manage any scoring. That was just the first time that Miller has joined USA’s Men’s team for an international tournament – though he did play one game with Team North America at the 2017 World Cup, with no scoring. The 32-year-old center has been an electric scorer in the NHL, though, with 354 points in 314 games since 2022. That includes a 99-point season and a career-high 103-point season, both recorded during his six years with the Vancouver Canucks. He is now back where he started his career, and will look to rise back to that point-per-game scoring on the other side of an end-of-year injury.
Oilers’ Tristan Jarry Out Week-To-Week, Frederic Scratched
Ahead of tonight’s game, multiple key updates came on the Oilers; new goaltender Tristan Jarry will be out a “few weeks”, as shared by Ryan Rishaug of TSN. Additionally, forward Trent Frederic will be a healthy scratch, per Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, with Connor Ingram taking the net in his Oilers debut.
Just in his third game with the Oilers, Jarry left mid-contest against Boston on Thursday with an apparent lower-body injury. One day later, the team promptly placed Jarry on IR and recalled Ingram, so today’s news is not a total shock, however, the timeline is a tough blow as the team tries to climb up the standings and assert themselves into the playoff mix for good.
Jarry is off to a nice start with Edmonton, winning all three games (as he earned credit for the win in the Boston contest). Such wins have not necessarily come on the back of the new Oiler, as he has a .887 save percentage, however, the accomplished netminder just needs to be steady behind the high-octane team. Edmonton’s long awaited search for such stability between the net must go on for now, but once healthy, Jarry will help push the Oilers for another run and look to prove them right for bringing him aboard.
In the meantime, Ingram, set to start tonight, was an intriguing pickup by Edmonton from Utah in October, merely for future considerations. The 28-year-old has not met expectations so far in the AHL, with a 4.04 goals against average, and a losing record, but the Saskatoon native flashed legitimate potential during the Coyotes’ final season, appearing in 50 games in 2023-24.
Ingram, once a key prospect for the Lighting and Predators, has battled adversity throughout his career, entering the NHLPA Player Assistance Program at times. Although his AHL play has not inspired as much confidence, hopefully Ingram is reinvigorated by his new opportunity and can hold things down for the time being. Edmonton had been linked to Alex Lyon of late, but if Ingram can play up to his potential, it will prove to be a savvy move to acquire the insurance policy for no real assets.
On the other hand, Frederic’s healthy scratching is also a major event for the team. Despite Edmonton starting to string wins together and finding their groove, Head Coach Kris Kloblach has seen enough of Frederic for now. The 27-year-old has just three points in 36 games on the season, and is a -9. Signed to an eight year deal last summer worth $3.85MM per season, things could not be off to much worse of a start for the forward.
Although so many contracts are criticized with the benefit of hindsight, Frederic’s was always a bit of a head scratcher. A former first rounder who showed scoring touch as a high energy forward with Boston, eight years still felt like a big gamble for a player who had not yet shown much with the Oil. Any long term commitment to a trade deadline pickup is risky, with long term fit in mind, but especially so for a role player.
Frederic had just four points in 22 playoff games, which apparently was enough for GM Stan Bowman to count on him to be a vital piece for long term. Now, he has not brought much of anything offensively, and often plays fourth line minutes, just unable to find his fit with Knoblach’s system yet. Facing increased pressure and scrutiny, tonight’s scratch puts him into the spotlight even more. However, as he is set in Edmonton for better or worse, it may serve as a reset. Thankfully, Jack Roslovic is back tonight, after missing a month.
Whatever comes next, any player signed for eight years being healthy scratched for one such as Curtis Lazar, a journeyman fourth liner, is a one-of-a-kind scenario. The Oilers have had a turbulent season thus far from their goaltending and depth pieces, but few teams have the ability to simply outscore such problems and push on. Tonight’s game will be telling, to see how they respond to the latest developments.
Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar Expected To Miss Four Weeks With Injury
Injury news turned from bad to worse during the Chicago Blackhwaks’ Saturday loss to the Ottawa Senators. Already without star Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks also lost top forward Frank Nazar after he took a slapshot from Ottawa’s Claude Giroux hit him in the face. Nazar went straight to the locker room and was announced as out soon after. The puck appeared to hit him square in the cheek.
Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill said postgame that Nazar is expected to miss four weeks with his resulting injury per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This is another blow in a difficult season for the Blackhawks’ second-string star. Nazar missed two games earlier in the year with a separate injury. He has also been hit with a scoring drought – going six consecutive games without a point and 21 games without a goal. Both of those streaks snapped on Thursday night, when Nazar scored Chicago’s only goal in a 1-4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Despite the struggles, the 22 year old has still emerged as a key part of Chicago’s offense this season. He has 21 points in 32 games, good for fourth on the Blackhawks in scoring. That’s strong standing after the team made the shocking decision to sign Nazar to a seven-year, $46.2MM contract extension in August, with only 56 games of NHL experience under his belt. That new deal kicks into effect next summer, while Nazar looks to prove his worth on the last year of his entry-level contract this season.
Now without two of their top four scorers, the Blackhawks offense could be in some trouble. Veteran center Jason Dickinson should elevate to a top-line role in Nazar’s absence, while rookie Ryan Greene assumes a top-six role for one of the first times in his career. Neither player has lit the lamp all too often this season – with Dickinson boasting six points in 21 games and Greene holding 10 points in 34 games. Amid the shuffle, Chicago could also recall depth forward Landon Slaggert, who has served as a go-to fill-in for much of the year. Slaggert could assume the role of bottom-line center – or Chicago could move Oliver Moore, Ryan Donato, or Sam Lafferty off of the wing to fill their gap. Through the decisions, one thing is clear: Chicago is in for a tight squeeze with five games remaining in December. Nazar will miss the start of 2026, while Bedard injury won’t be re-evaluated until early-January.
Hurricanes Recall Bradly Nadeau, Place Seth Jarvis On IR
More bad news has come through for the Carolina Hurricanes. Top winger Seth Jarvis will be forced out for an extended period after crashing into the net post in overtime of Friday’s loss to the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes placed Jarvis on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and recalled winger Bradly Nadeau on Saturday.
The timing could work to Carolina’s benefit. This move will force Jarvis to miss at least two games but he could be activated before the Hurricanes’ match against the Detroit Red Wings next Saturday.
Carolina will hold their breath hoping that timeline works out. Jarvis has, again, been one of their best. He leads the team with 19 goals, and ranks second with 29 points, through 34 games so far. More than that, he was riding a streak of good health, not missing any games to start the year after he missed nine last season. Jarvis was still able to net 32 goals and 67 points last season, matching his point totals from – and one goal less than – he managed in 81 games of the 2023-24 season.
Filling Jarvis’ role has proven to be a difficult task for Carolina, marked by a 4-5-0 record without him last season. This time around, Jarvis’ absence should pave way for Jackson Blake to take on top-line minutes. Blake has 21 points in 34 games this season. He also ranks third on the offense in takeaways (14) behind Jarvis (19) and Sebastian Aho (17). Blake has proven his ability to fill any role throughout the last two seasons but this opening could be a chance to step up and cement his spot in the Hurricanes’ top-six long-term.
It will also offer a chance for Nadeau to finally find his stride at the NHL level. He is in the midst of a five-game scoring streak in the AHL and has 13 points in his last 10 games. That stretch has brought the 20 year old up to 20 points in 18 games this season, good for third on the Chicago Wolves in scoring. Nadeau finished second in scoring for Chicago last season, with 58 points in 64 games. Despite the streak of strong offense, he hasn’t yet found his production at the top level. Nadeau has just two points in nine career games with Carolina, including one goal in six games this season. He should slot into a bottom-six role as Blake, Taylor Hall, and Eric Robinson step up in Jarvis’ absence, but could offer much more upside if he finally finds his touch.
Blue Jackets Acquire Mason Marchment
The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired winger Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Columbus’s 2027 second-round pick and the New York Rangers’ 2026 fourth-round pick. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the move. There is no salary retention in the trade, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
It’s been exactly six months since Marchment originally joined the Kraken in an offseason trade. Seattle used a combination of a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick at the time. Despite Marchment’s play leaving much to be desired, they were able to improve their draft capital somewhat.
Outside of some mild injury concerns, Marchment never looked fully at home in the Pacific Northwest. Before the trade, the 30-year-old winger was tied for eighth on the team in scoring with four goals and 13 points in 29 games with a -4 rating. Seattle was likely looking for much more offense since Marchment was averaging nearly 17 minutes of ice time per night.
In fairness, Marchment had been averaging a 13.4% shooting percentage since the 2021-22 season, meaning his 8.7% mark this year was likely going to increase at some point. His possession metrics and on-ice save percentage at even strength have each stayed fairly consistent.
Still, there was no sticking around in Seattle for the long haul this year. The Kraken started relatively well this year, managing an 11-5-5 record through their first 21 contests. At the time, Seattle was second in the Pacific Division and only one point back of the division-leading Anaheim Ducks.
Unfortunately, it has been an unmitigated disaster since, winning only one of their previous 11 contests, falling to a tie of last place in the entire league. That made Marchment and the rest of the Kraken’s pending unrestricted free agents obvious trade candidates.
The trade is somewhat peculiar from the Blue Jackets’ perspective. While the Kraken are tied for last place in the Western Conference (and league), Columbus can say the same in the Eastern Conference. At the time of writing, the Blue Jackets are six points back of the final wild-card spot, and seven points back of a Metro Division playoff position.
Furthermore, they aren’t having many issues regarding offense. Columbus is currently 21st in the league, averaging 2.88 GF/G and an 18th-ranked power play (18.07%). It’ll help if Marchment can return to the 55-point average he enjoyed from 2021-22 to 2024-25, but the Blue Jackets needed much more help on defense.
The Blue Jackets are 32nd in the league in GF/G (3.50), 30th in penalty kill percentage (72.04%), 21st in SV% (.887), and 30th in shots against (1056). Marchment is a perfectly capable winger on the defensive side of the puck, but there’s no guarantee he’ll garner enough ice time in Columbus to make a real difference in that aspect. Assuming he’s placed in a familiar middle-six role while at even strength, the Blue Jackets may continue to struggle regardless of adding Marchment to the lineup.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Canadiens Acquire Phillip Danault
A familiar face has returned to Montreal, as the Canadiens have announced that they have acquired Kings forward Phillip Danault in exchange for the Blue Jackets’ 2026 second-round pick.
Los Angeles finds a new home for Danault, just an hour before the holiday roster freeze kicks in. The Kings had been examining trade options for the veteran middleman over the past few weeks amid one of the more difficult offensive stretches of his career. In 30 games this season, he’s yet to score a goal and has only mustered five assists.
Defensive acumen was always the highlight of the 32-year-old’s game, though. That hasn’t trailed off at all, with the 6’1″ pivot still managing a +3 rating in tough deployment despite the lack of offensive production going through him on the ice thus far. The paucity of goal-scoring also shouldn’t be conflated with a lack of trying. He’s averaging 2.93 shot attempts per game, slightly below his career average but far from a career-low.
The Kings were left with something of an excess of down-the-middle depth, too. Moving Quinton Byfield back to center had shifted Danault to a third-line role at even strength after shouldering duties as L.A.’s second-line center behind Anže Kopitar ever since his arrival in Hollywood in free agency in 2021. The Habs, who have long been looking to add an impact top-nine center as their rebuild draws to a close, were in even more dire need of help down the middle after losing center options Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook to injuries.
They won’t find the offensive needle-mover they were looking for in Danault, but he’s still a meaningful upgrade in the No. 2 slot behind captain Nick Suzuki over rookie Oliver Kapanen, at least in terms of two-way play. Assuming he is deployed there by head coach Martin St. Louis and gets extensive playing time with Calder Trophy candidate Ivan Demidov, Danault’s point production should come back alive.
Danault’s inclusion should also provide a meaningful boost to the Habs’ underlying numbers. Kapanen and Demidov have controlled 49.1% of expected goals with Newhook on their left flank and a horrid 38% with Juraj Slafkovsky in that slot at 5-on-5 this season. Danault hasn’t recorded a sub-50 xGF% since his rookie season, split between Chicago and Montreal back in 2015-16.
Aside from the obvious fit, as underscored by the Habs’ reported interest, it’s a feel-good story to reunite Montreal with its top center during their last deep playoff run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. That was the last of Danault’s six seasons in Montreal during his first run there, often used as their top-line anchor alongside Brendan Gallagher, including a career-high 41 assists in the 2018-19 season. He was top 10 in Selke Trophy voting in each of his final three seasons for the Habs and recorded 194 points in 360 games for them.
He’s now set to add to that total as the Habs only need to part ways with one of two second-rounders they were ticketed to hold in next year’s draft. They retain their own selection, parting ways with a pick they acquired from Columbus in the Patrik Laine deal.
The Kings won’t be enthused with the return. Danault is cost-controlled through next season at $5.5MM, and L.A. was hoping to make any trade a player-for-player swap rather than taking back futures. Nonetheless, it was becoming clear the Kings wanted a quick resolution, short of Danault outright asking for a trade, giving themselves time to flip the pick for a replacement on the other side of the roster freeze if they so choose.
PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this article.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis Injured, To Miss Time
A significant injury has occurred tonight as Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis left tonight’s game after taking a hard spill into the net, as seen in a clip shared by Sportsnet. The incident occurred early into the three-on-three overtime period, as Jarvis drove to the net with the puck, he was tripped by Florida’s Evan Rodrigues, slamming into the left post. No penalty was called, as the Panthers prevailed in the shootout.
After the game, Carolina Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour has told reporters, including Cory Lavalette of North State Journal, that Jarvis is “going to be out for a while”.
Due to a brutal impact in the vulnerable rib area, Jarvis was immediately in serious pain, holding his right side. He was able to skate off the ice, alongside a team trainer, but went down the tunnel immediately.
The 23-year-old has been on pace to shatter his career high of 33 goals, with 19 in 33 games, not yet missing a contest this season. Not only has he become an elite first line winger for Carolina, Jarvis has made a real case to make the Team Canada Olympic roster, which may now be in jeopardy. A sign of Canada’s absurd forward talent however, the young sniper, if healthy, is still a bubble player on the potential roster.
The Hurricanes, currently atop the Metropolitan Division with room to spare, boast a tremendously deep roster built to handle such adversity. However, Jarvis’ impact in the lineup cannot be overstated. Despite showing high output, ranking fifth in the league in goals scored, he is far and away the Canes’ go-to shooter. Combining the team’s second and third leading goal scorers, Sebastian Aho (11) and Jordan Staal/Jackson Blake (9) only ranks one tally above Jarvis.
Somewhat unexpectedly given their firepower, Carolina’s powerplay ranks seventh-worst at 15.5%, and just three of Jarvis’ 19 goals have come on the man-advantage. Thus illustrates his impact at five-on-five.
Exact details on the injury, and subsequent timeline for return, remain unknown but based on Brind’Amour’s comments, the Canes are likely looking to head into the New Year without a major piece. The highly skilled Blake, proving to be a major steal at 109th overall in 2021, figures to be a top-line option for the time being. Two notable newcomers, Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven, will also be leaned upon for more production.
With Team Canada’s roster set to be released on New Year’s Eve, a wrinkle might have been thrown into GM Doug Armstrong’s plans. However, Milan or not, Carolina will cross their fingers that Jarvis avoided major injury, and can return sometime in January.
Flyers Recall Denver Barkey For NHL Debut
The Flyers announced they’ve recalled center prospect Denver Barkey from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. To open a roster spot, the team sent down defenseman Egor Zamula to Lehigh Valley after he cleared waivers earlier Friday. Barkey is expected to make his NHL debut Saturday afternoon against the Rangers.
Barkey, 20, is in the early stages of his first professional season after being drafted in the third round (No. 95 overall) by Philadelphia in 2023. He slipped a few spots past where most expected him to go in the draft, but he wasn’t viewed as much more than a potential mid-second round pick at best.
His stock exploded during his post-draft season. In 64 games for the OHL’s London Knights, he rattled off 35 goals and 102 points to lead the team in scoring and be named to the league’s Second All-Star Team. Last season, he captained the Knights to the second of back-to-back titles, took home a Memorial Cup ring for good measure, and averaged two points per game in the OHL playoffs.
At 5’10” and 172 lbs, Barkey plays bigger than his size. He’s one of the more energetic skaters in the Flyers’ system with above-average playmaking. Still, prospect evaluators are split on his ceiling. In preseason rankings, Elite Prospects named him the 13th-ranked prospect in Philly’s pool, projecting him as a third-line checking center or left-winger at best. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman had Barkey outside his top 13 rankings altogether, while Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff put him at No. 6, labeling him as a versatile top-nine piece.
Evidently, the Flyers have liked what they’ve seen from Barkey through his first 26 games with the Phantoms. His seven goals are tied for second on the team, and he’s fourth in points with 16. He’ll now get his first chance to show what he can do in NHL minutes, even if it’s not expected to be a lengthy call-up with 13 healthy names ahead of him on the depth chart.