ECHL Players Go On Strike, New CBA Pending Approval
Dec. 27th: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the ECHL and PHPA have reached a tentative agreement to end the strike. Multiple outlets reported that players will return to their teams in the next few days in “good faith”, assuming that each side ratifies the new deal.
Dec. 26th: ECHL players officially commenced a strike effective today at noon Eastern. All games scheduled for tonight have been postponed. Multiple teams have announced plans to bring in new sets of players to avoid further postponements. Those players will presumably come from the SPHL and FPHL, the fourth and fifth tiers of pro and semi-pro hockey in North America.
Dec. 22, 7:15 PM: Sure enough, in an update shared by the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (Twitter Link), the ECHL players will go on strike effective December 26, after concerns on unfair labor practices have not been heard, and their new Collective Bargaining Agreement has not yet materialized.
In the announcement, PHPA Executive Director Brian Ramsay emphasized that members are simply seeking basic fair standards for working conditions and are eager for a resolution, remaining hopeful that the ECHL will negotiate, reach an agreement, and soon resume play. Teams are currently inactive until 12/26 due to the holidays, raising speculation of the strike today before it became official.
Later in the evening, the ECHL issued an official update regarding the strike. They outlined their goal of reaching an agreement that supports the players while maintaining a “sustainable business model” that remains accessible to fans. Although it touches on a potential 16.4% salary cap increase, travel restrictions, and holiday breaks, there is no discussion of the equipment issue raised by the players.
Dec. 22, 5:00 PM: Amidst ongoing negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the ECHL Players released a statement, shared through the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (Twitter Link). Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also shared that a possible five-year deal on a new CBA between the PHPA and the AHL is closing in, but there has been little progress on a deal for the ECHL, and a strike may result.
The message emphasized that, despite nearly a full calendar year of bargaining, a new collective agreement has not been secured. The players noted the ECHL’s “unlawful conduct”, in which they made changes related to mandatory subjects of bargaining, even engaging in regressive bargaining.
Ultimately, the players’ concerns about health and working conditions continue to be disregarded. The statement also mentioned that the league recently sent direct communications “in an attempt to bully and intimidate players with tactics that violate US labor law”. Therefore, it appears that the latest development has only further widened the gap between the league and its players in potential negotiations, and a strike could be on the horizon.
The statement ended with “The ECHL appears by their behavior to prefer bullying to bargaining and does not respect the process nor the players’ right to negotiate a fair settlement”.
One such concern, voiced by the players, is the need for properly fitting helmets. The ECHL has an equipment deal with Warrior, a major supplier of ice hockey equipment, which originated in 2019-20. Such deals in minor league hockey are not uncommon, as the AHL also has a deal with CCM. However, aside from not being able to select their preferred option, ECHL players say they have even been supplied with used equipment, which is simply unacceptable at this level of professional hockey.
Regarding player conditions, travel schedules are a major concern. According to the players, the ECHL considers bus trips home as days off, even though travel time can be nine hours or more. Thankfully, it appears the league is now willing to give players one day off each week; however, it has shown no interest in negotiating a proper holiday break.
Teams have not played since December 21, which especially puts them into the spotlight for a possible strike; however, they are scheduled to jump right back into action on December 26, an especially short turnaround considering the rigorous travel schedules, if players were to have any chance to spend time with family and friends for the holidays.
Overall, such developments are extremely unfortunate for the league. Over the past decade, the ECHL has expanded across the country, far beyond the East Coast, even north of the border into Quebec. New franchises in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and Augusta, Georgia, have been announced for 2026; however, given recent news, it may be a turbulent start.
Besides offering another level of professional hockey closer to home for those coming out of the NCAA, CHL, and USports, allowing lower-level players to follow their dreams and play for a living, the ECHL brings the sport to dozens of communities across North America. With most teams operating on razor-thin profit margins and heavily reliant on ticket sales, the league offers a tightly knit community-first culture. It offers market testing for cities to make their case. Although the league’s Utah Grizzlies are set to move to New Jersey, they played a vital role in setting the foundation for hockey in Utah, building up to the state taking in the Utah Mammoth.
Additionally, while any NHL-signed prospect who is assigned to the ECHL faces a serious uphill battle to reach the highest level, that does not mean it does not happen. To start the 2025-26 NHL season, 60 ECHL alums were on opening-night rosters. The number continues to grow. Today, many NHL organizations lean on the ECHL to send overlooked young AHL prospects down another level to get vital ice time in a bid to extend their careers.
Late bloomers such as Carter Verhaeghe, Yanni Gourde, and Jordan Binnington, all longtime NHLers who have won Stanley Cups, spent time in the ECHL on their path to the top. For any player in the ECHL, such hope persists that they could be next in line.
Now at a crossroads as they’ve grown into 32 teams, the hope is that the ECHL will hear the concerns of its players, who help drive so much of the game’s development in North America’s smaller communities, and work out their differences for a better tomorrow. For now, eyes will be on the ECHL for a possible strike, which could occur as soon as December 26.
Maple Leafs Promote Steve Sullivan To Assistant Coach
The Maple Leafs announced Friday they’ve added Steve Sullivan to the NHL bench as an assistant coach. He was already in the organization as an assistant for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Sullivan, 51, fills the vacancy that opened Monday when the Leafs fired Marc Savard. Savard’s role was to manage the team’s power play; Sullivan will likely assume the same duties.
It’s a quick promotion for Sullivan, who’s only in his second year in the organization. The veteran of over 1,000 NHL games as a player assumed his first-ever high-level bench role when he was added as a Marlies assistant before the 2024-25 campaign.
That doesn’t mean Sullivan’s sat on his laurels since retiring in 2013, though. He spent multiple years in the Coyotes’ front office as a development coach and assistant general manager. He oversaw their AHL affiliate’s operations from 2017-21 and served as the club’s interim GM during their COVID bubble playoff appearance in 2020, following John Chayka’s resignation and before Bill Armstrong’s hiring.
The 5’9″ Sullivan was one of the most consistent and unheralded two-way forwards of his era. 221 of his 747 career points (29.6%) came with the man advantage. He’s now entrusted with helping to jumpstart a Toronto power play that ranks dead last in the league at 13.0%.
Golden Knights’ Adin Hill Out Week-To-Week, William Karlsson Targeting Olympic Return
The Vegas Golden Knights received two important injury updates on Tuesday. Most pressing, goaltender Adin Hill was designated as week-to-week by head coach Bruce Cassidy, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Cassidy also said that forward William Karlsson is expected to be back in the lineup before the two-week break for the Winter Olympics in February.
Hill has been out of the lineup since sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period of Vegas’ October 20th win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He has carried a week-to-week designation for much of the time since then, though that’s turned into a two-month absence that appears set to drag on even further. Cassidy shared that Hill is “getting closer”. That confidence, pitted against a mention on the Olympics’ in Karlsson’s timeline, could be enough insinuation to hope that Vegas can get their starting goaltender back before January ends.
Karlsson has also missed a substantial amount of time already. He sustained a lower-body injury in Vegas’ November 8th loss to the Anaheim Ducks that earned a spot on long-term injured reserve. Karlsson has now missed 50 games since the start of the 2024-25 season – continuing a stretch of routine absences that extends back to the 2019-20 season.
Both Hill and Karlsson have strong Olympic hopes in mind. Hill was one of three goaltenders invited to Team Canada’s preliminary camp, suggesting that he’s a shoo-in to head to Milan. Hill joined Canada at the 2025 Four-Nations Face-Off but didn’t play in any of the four games. His only experience representing his country came in 2021, when he won one game and set a .909 save percentage in three games at the World Championships.
While Hill pushes for a backup role, Karlsson could carve out a solid role for Team Sweden. The 32-year-old center did not represent Sweden at the 2025 Four-Nations tournament, and has only played in four World Championship games dating back to 2018 – though that is often thanks to his NHL team sticking in the playoffs for too long. When he does adorn the tre kronor, Karlsson finds strong impact, with four points and one Gold Medal in 14 World Championship games across his career. He will be one of Sweden’s top center options as they assemble their Olympic roster.
More than their Olympic hopes, both players will hope they can quickly get back on ice with a Vegas team that ranks top in the Pacific Division. Karlsson maintained a key role in the lineup this season and scored seven points in his first 14 games of the season. Hill was an initial favorite for the starter’s crease, but began to share it with Akira Schmid and Carl Lindbom after posting one win and a .888 Sv% in five games. Since his injury, Vegas has also signed Carter Hart, bringing even more competition into the goalie room. It seems the Golden Knights will be set to sort out that goalie crowd early in the new year, with a similar logjam coming for their center depth soon after. The Golden Knights rank 16th in goals-for and eighth in goals-against in the NHL at Christmas break.
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.