Headlines

Newsstand News & Rumors

Hurricanes Activate Seth Jarvis

By | at January 6, 2026 2:05 pm

2:05 p.m. Jarvis’ activation is official, per the team.

9:36 a.m.: The Hurricanes are expected to activate right winger Seth Jarvis from injured reserve, per Walt Ruff of NHL.com. Carolina has had an open roster spot since sending Gavin Bayreuther to AHL Chicago last week, so no corresponding transaction is required.

Jarvis, 24 next month, is likely to draw back into the lineup tonight against the Stars after serving as a full participant in this morning’s practice in third-line duties with Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal. It’s a quicker return than expected for the budding star, who sustained what looked to be a serious rib injury on Dec. 19 against the Panthers. He was placed on IR the following day, listed as week-to-week, but returned to practice on New Year’s Day, less than two weeks later.

All things considered, Carolina will take an eight-game absence. Even with the missed time, he’s well on his way to a third straight 30-goal season. He’s tied for fourth on the Canes in scoring with a 19-10–29 line in 34 games, and while his 0.85 points per game are a small dropoff from last season, his underlying numbers are virtually identical across the board.

Carolina felt Jarvis’ absence acutely. They’re 3-5-0 in those eight without him, allowing five-plus goals in all of those losses. In addition to his goal-scoring impact, the Canes control over 60% of shot attempts when he’s on the ice at 5-on-5, so he’s a big element of getting their normally stout two-way game back under control.

Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

2 comments Carolina Hurricanes Newsstand

Blue Jackets Sign Egor Zamula

By | at January 6, 2026 1:30 pm

It didn’t take long for defenseman Egor Zamula to find a new home after having his contract terminated by the Penguins today. He’ll be sticking in the Metropolitan Division with the Blue Jackets, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Per PuckPedia, it’s a one-year deal worth a prorated $1MM salary. The team quickly made his deal official.

Zamula, 25, will step back into an NHL role with Columbus, ending a weeks-long saga about his future. After lengthy runs in the press box with the Flyers to begin the season, he landed on waivers in December and cleared. He initially reported to AHL Lehigh Valley, but the Flyers were working to either terminate his contract – something they could only do if he refused to report – or find a trade partner.

On New Year’s Eve, he was shipped to the Penguins for winger Philip Tomasino. With Pittsburgh then opting to keep him in the minors instead of recalling him, he immediately refused to report to their AHL affiliate and was suspended without pay. He became an unrestricted free agent today after clearing unconditional waivers, walking away from the rest of the two-year, $3.4MM deal he signed in 2024.

His agent, Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, said today that “all parties we spoke to were fully informed of the player’s position, including Pittsburgh.”

After recording one assist and a +4 rating in 13 games for Philadelphia earlier this season, the 6’3″ lefty will immediately get increased opportunity on a Columbus blue line that’s missing depth options Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith. Even when those names are back in the mix, with youngster Denton Mateychuk now shifting to his off-side full-time, Zamula is a natural candidate to supplant the struggling Jake Christiansen as the lefty option on the Jackets’ third pairing.

The Russian rearguard will have some support from countrymen Ivan Provorov, Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitri Voronkov in Columbus. He kicks off his Blue Jackets tenure with eight goals and 41 points in 168 career games.

0 comments Columbus Blue Jackets Newsstand Transactions

Czechia, France, Latvia Announce 2026 Olympic Rosters

By | at January 6, 2026 8:35 am

Today, the IIHF revealed three additional rosters for next month’s Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy. Czechia, France, and Latvia have now locked in their 25-man groups. We’re still waiting on five countries – Denmark, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, and Switzerland – to confirm their rosters.

Czechia

Forwards:

Defensemen:

Goaltenders:

Goaltending will be the Czech squad’s anchor as they look to medal for the third time since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992. While Vladař would likely have been the third-stringer had this roster been released a year ago, his emergence as a top-tier starter in Philadelphia this season may give him the inside track on the No. 1 job.

Hertl and Zacha will anchor Czechia’s top lines from the middle while Nečas and Pastrňák give them one of the tournament’s most formidable one-two punches on the right side. Even among their non-NHL talent, it’s a comparatively deep forward group that gives them a medal chance. Plenty of names playing overseas have NHL experience, and the only two who don’t (Flek and Stránský) are currently the top goal-scorers in their respective leagues.

Defense – particularly their left-shot rearguards – is where things stand to get hairy for the Czechs as they attempt to unseat the nucleus of Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the U.S. for a medal. They might do well to shift a righty to their off side to give them a more dynamic two-way element than what shutdown NHL veterans Kempný and Šimek have to offer. Ticháček, 22, may be the most talented offensive producer Czechia’s defense has to offer – even ahead of their clear No. 1 in Hronek – but at 5’9″ and 170 lbs, size is a concern as he goes up against the most difficult competition of his life.

France

Forwards:

Defensemen:

Goaltenders:

If not for the host country, Italy, fielding a club, France would be the favorite to finish with the worst record in the tournament – especially as they face arguably the toughest competition out of anyone with Canada, Czechia, and Switzerland in Group A. That’s not to say they’re devoid of NHL-caliber talent, though.

Texier and Bellemare, now 40 years old with 700 games of NHL experience, will anchor their forward group. Whether they share a line remains to be seen as France weighs whether having them each anchor their own unit may be more beneficial as they attempt their only realistic potential upset against the Swiss. Da Costa, still an All-Star caliber player in Russia at age 36, spent parts of four seasons with the Senators in the early 2010s.

Defense is their weakest position. Only Auvitu has any NHL experience, and three-eighths of the group are from France’s own Ligue Magnus, one of the lowest-caliber top divisions in Europe.

The crease will feature the 21-year-old Keller, a Capitals seventh-rounder in 2023 who’s yet to sign his entry-level deal. He played briefly for their ECHL affiliate this season before heading to Switzerland’s top league, where he has a .900 SV% in nine starts.

Latvia

Forwards:

Defensemen:

Goaltenders:

Perhaps no hockey country’s stock is rising quicker than Latvia’s, which upset their way to a bronze medal at the World Championship in 2023 and has had its fair share of memorable moments at the junior level in recent years as well. They only have three Olympic group stage wins in history – two in 2002 and one in Sochi in 2014 – but are a clear-cut favorite ahead of Denmark in Group C and should be on relatively equal footing with Germany to finish second behind the United States.

Easily the strongest roster they’ve ever sent, half their forward group are playing in the NHL or AHL while under contract with a parent club. Among the European league talent they’re drawing from, two of those names – Balcers and Daugaviņš – have NHL experience. With a pair of NHLers in net as well and a third-stringer in Gudlevskis with NHL experience, they’re well-positioned to make noise.

Like the other two rosters locked in today, defense is their weak spot, but they have two NHL veterans in Balinskis and Rubīns. The most intriguing talent to watch, perhaps on the entire team, will be Šmits. The 6’3″ lefty is fresh off his 18th birthday and is a slam-dunk top-20 pick in the 2026 draft. He’s coming off a stellar World Juniors showing that saw him record five points in five games.

7 comments Newsstand Olympics Team Czechia Team France Team Latvia

Flyers Sign Christian Dvorak To Five-Year Extension

By | at January 5, 2026 7:22 pm

Another pending free agent domino has fallen, as the Philadelphia Flyers announced that Christian Dvorak has been extended on a five-year deal worth $5.15MM per season. The news was first reported by Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, who shared that the two sides were closing in earlier this evening.

According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the agreement carries a no-trade clause for the first two years, a limited no-trade clause in years three and four, and finally, no trade protection in the fifth and final year.

The extension will keep the soon-to-be 30-year-old Dvorak in the orange and black for what could prove to be his longest stay anywhere, after five and four year stops in Arizona and Montreal, respectively.

Signed by the Flyers last summer on a one-year deal worth $5.4MM, Dvorak has been a strong fit, with 25 points in 39 games so far this season which is on pace to be a career best by a considerable margin. Somewhat surprisingly, the Illinois native has become a top center on a Flyers club right in the playoff mix, and rather than hit the market with his value as high as ever, Dvorak cashes in and now can settle in on his home for years to come.

AFP Analytics predicted that if he were to hit the open market, Dvorak could have been due for a four year contract worth $5.6MM per. Given the especially thin center market, the money is right on track, and the extra year may have been the cherry on top to get it done.

Chosen in the second round of the 2014 draft by Arizona, the Montreal Canadiens were impressed by Dvorak’s track record in five seasons as a ‘Yote. Just prior to the start of the 2021-22 campaign, they gave up first and second round picks, setting him up with an opportunity to blossom into a true top six center. Dvorak came to the Habs in a transitional phase, as former GM Marc Bergevin tried to create a new window. It didn’t materialize as envisioned, and shortly thereafter, Bergevin was let go. Even through a rebuild, Dvorak managed to stick around, but he never took another step as a Hab, dealing with injuries and never eclipsing the 33-point mark.

In need of a placeholder center, the Flyers were content to give Dvorak a “prove it” deal where the center bet on himself, aware he’d likely hold a larger role in Philadelphia. A possible spring trade-flip was likely in the back of the Flyers’ minds, but instead, to Dvorak’s credit, it has paid off. Such a contract may bring some sticker shock, but even as the Flyers’ youth takes form in coming years, Dvorak brings real intangibles. As shared by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, GM Daniel Briere spoke highly of Dvorak’s trustworthy two-way abilities, and his key role in the locker room.

What will be most fascinating, is where his game goes from here. On paper, Dvorak figures to age into a bottom six center capable of strong shutdown play, but his current metrics lean offensively, with a questionable defensive impact. Still just 39 games into his tenure, Philadelphia is banking on the center to continue such offensive output and not regress to his previous ~30 point level. Clearly they hold Dvorak in high regard, and with ample cap space and an extremely limited free agent market this summer, it may be a gamble worth taking. Dvorak figures to be a respectable bridge-gapper for center prospects Jett Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt, both quintessential Flyers following Briere’s vision.

With Dvorak out of the fold, along with Alexander Wennberg, who re-upped with San Jose yesterday at three years, $6MM per season, even more eyes turn to Utah’s Nick Schmaltz, in the midst of a great season. Based on recent developments, Utah may need to weigh their options with their top line center. The Mammoth still hold onto an outside shot at the postseason, where they’d love to make their first appearance in franchise history, but a top scorer may be preparing to hit the open market in July.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s core is now mostly locked up entering 2026-27, outside of Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, both pending restricted free agents. If they can maintain their performance of late and make a real playoff push, Briere still holds enough cap flexibility to supplement the group further. Dvorak will work to prove his value as a Flyer, scoring when needed and contributing in all situations, giving the team a big morale boost from today’s news.

Photo Courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

14 comments Newsstand Philadelphia Flyers Transactions

Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin Leaves Game Due To Injury

By | at January 5, 2026 7:19 pm

A potentially significant injury occured this evening, as New York Rangers star goaltender Igor Shesterkin left due to a lower body injury, and will not return, as announced by the team.

With around seven minutes remaining in the first of a scoreless game, Utah forward JJ Peterka lightly collided with Shesterkin in his crease in an innocuous play. The light impact sent the goaltender falling backward with his right pad planted, resulting in an awkward position and an apparent knee injury, which has many fearing the worst. 

The 30-year-old is in year one of his eight year extension worth $11.5MM per season, solidifying himself among the league’s very best. In a time where scoring rates have climbed, Shesterkin holds elite statistics, with a .912 save percentage this season and a 2.47 goals-against-average to boot. 

Thankfully, New York is tremendously deep in net, with ageless wonder Jonathan Quick as backup, who subsequently entered the game tonight along with his .924 save percentage. The Rangers also have Dylan Garand in the AHL, a well regarded prospect patiently awaiting his NHL debut, now in his fourth full season pro. However, Shesterkin is desperately needed if New York will be able to climb the ranks in the grueling Metropolitan Division and vie for a fourth straight playoff appearance.

After their exciting Winter Classic victory in Florida, the Rangers were hoping to turn the corner, but just five days into the New Year, they find themselves facing another massive challenge, if the superstar netminder will miss extended time.

3 comments New York Rangers Newsstand

Jack Johnson Retires, Joins Canucks Staff

By | at January 5, 2026 5:08 pm

According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have hired former defenseman Jack Johnson as a professional scout. The update indirectly confirms that Johnson’s 19-year career has come to an end.

Johnson’s professional career began in 2005 when he was selected with the third overall pick of the 2005 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, behind Sidney Crosby and Bobby Ryan. Just over a year after being drafted, the Hurricanes traded Johnson and Oleg Tverdovsky to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Tim Gleason and Éric Bélanger.

Before joining the Kings at the end of the 2006-07 season, Johnson played two years at the University of Michigan in the NCAA, where he scored 26 goals and amassed 71 points in 74 games.

Unlike fellow prospect Drew Doughty, Johnson took longer to adapt to the NHL’s pace. Throughout his first three years, despite playing in a top-four role, Johnson managed only nine goals and 22 points in 120 games with a -42 rating. Still, once he was moved to a top-pairing role for the 2009-10 season, Johnson’s offense took off, scoring 13 goals and 78 points in his next 162 contests. 

Los Angeles quickly rewarded Johnson for his breakout, signing the young blue liner to a seven-year, $30.5MM extension in early January of 2010. Unfortunately, his tenure with the Kings wouldn’t last much longer.

Looking to add a top-six center, the Kings traded Johnson, along with a 2013 first-round pick, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jeff Carter. Carter played a crucial role in the Kings’ first Stanley Cup championship later that year, while Johnson experienced the best years of his career with Columbus.

Playing out the rest of his extension with the Blue Jackets, Johnson finished his first stint with the Blue Jackets, scoring 36 goals and 154 points in 445 games. Additionally, he could always be counted upon on the defensive side of the puck, never falling below a 90.0% on-ice SV% at even strength throughout his tenure in Ohio.

Entering unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career, Johnson signed a five-year, $16.25MM contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2018-19 season. Despite averaging nearly three hits a game for Pittsburgh, his offense didn’t hold up to the contract value. Johnson finished his tenure with the Penguins with four goals and 24 points in 149 games, and had the final three years of his contract bought out after the 2019-20 campaign.

Again a free agent, Johnson signed with the New York Rangers on a one-year, $1.15MM contract. Unfortunately, he was limited to 13 games in the year due to a core muscle repair surgery.

Firmly in the twilight years of his career, Johnson was open to a lower salary and a lower role in an attempt to win the first Stanley Cup of his career. He found it immediately.

Signing a one-year, league-minimum contract with the Colorado Avalanche for the 2021-22 campaign, Johnson played in 13 games for the Avalanche during the 2022 postseason, helping the team win its first Stanley Cup championship in 21 years.

Salary cap limitations prevented the Avalanche from re-signing Johnson the following year, but they subsequently acquired him again at the trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks. He experienced a brief offensive resurgence with Colorado during the 2023-24 season, before ultimately finishing his career with Columbus last season. He briefly attempted to make the Minnesota Wild’s roster last September, though he didn’t make the roster.

Johnson finishes his career with 77 goals and 342 points in 1,228 games with a -127 rating across 19 seasons. The length of his career is remarkable, given his willingness to sacrifice his body, averaging 1.49 blocked shots and 1.57 hits per game.

We at PHR congratulate Johnson on an impressive career and wish him the best of luck in his new role with the Canucks.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images. 

10 comments Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Columbus Blue Jackets Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers Newsstand Pittsburgh Penguins Retirement Transactions Vancouver Canucks

Predators Sign Justus Annunen To Two-Year Extension

By | at January 5, 2026 3:06 pm

The Nashville Predators will be keeping their current goaltending tandem intact for a few more years. According to a team announcement, the Predators have signed Justus Annunen to a two-year, $2.5MM ($1.25MM AAV) extension.

Nashville acquired Annunen, along with a 2025 sixth-round pick, from the Colorado Avalanche last season for backup goalie Scott Wedgewood. Performance in the crease, as well as the injury bug, was one of the biggest plagues to the Avalanche last season, and Annunen was a part of the problem.

Still, Colorado wouldn’t have believed that just a year before. Although primarily rostered with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, Annunen participated in 14 games for the Avalanche during the 2023-24 campaign, managing an 8-4-1 record with a .928 SV% and 2.25 GAA.

Unfortunately, after being thrust into a backup role behind Alexandar Georgiev, Annunen didn’t continue that performance. Despite winning six of his nine starts, Annunen had disappointed with a .872 SV% and 3.23 GAA, leaving Colorado with little stability in the crease. Deciding to overhaul their entire goaltending room, the Predators swooped in to acquire Annunen and pair him with fellow countryman Juuse Saros.

He played far more with the Predators down the stretch, starting 20 games. He performed mildly better than what he was doing with the Avalanche, accruing a 9-11-1 record with a .888 SV% and 3.17 GAA.

Things haven’t gone much better this year, though they’ve been better lately. He was one of the worst backup options to begin the year, managing a 1-6-1 record in eight games with a .844 SV%. Still, his last four appearances have gone remarkably better, winning two out of four games with a .933 SV% across 90 shots.

Regardless, barring a significant injury to Saros, Annunen will only be counted upon to start 15 to 20 games a season. Given his last four outings, Nashville is likely hoping that Annunen has found another level to his game, leading them to ink today’s extension.

5 comments Nashville Predators Newsstand Transactions

Bob Pulford Passes Away

By | at January 5, 2026 2:16 pm

Hall-of-Fame player and executive Bob Pulford has passed away, the NHL Alumni Association said. He was 89 years old.

An Ontario native, Pulford is one of the most integral figures in franchise history for his hometown team. He spent his playing days as a center and left winger after breaking into the league with the Maple Leafs in 1956-57, eventually becoming a five-time All-Star and one of the top penalty-killing forwards of the late Original Six era.

More than 55 years after Pulford played his last game for the Leafs, he still ranks quite high on the franchise leaderboard. He’s seventh in games played (947), 11th in goals (251), and 11th in points (563). He led Toronto with 10 assists in 12 playoff games in the Leafs’ last Stanley Cup victory in 1967, the fourth and final title of his career after winning three straight with the Leafs from 1962-64.

Pulford was traded to the Kings in 1970 and spent the final two seasons of his career in Los Angeles. While his offensive production wasn’t at its peak, he captained the Kings in his final season as a player in 1971-72 before beginning his arguably more impactful off-ice career as their head coach the following season.

As the sixth head coach for the Kings in their first six seasons, Pulford oversaw the team’s first sustained period of relevance. He posted a 178-150-68 record (.535) over five regular seasons, winning Coach of the Year honors in 1975 and beginning a streak of nine consecutive playoff appearances that still stands as a franchise record.

In 1977, the Blackhawks tabbed Pulford to serve as both their head coach and GM. That hiring would kick off a 30-year run for Pulford in Chicago – during which time he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player as part of the class of 1991 – that saw the franchise make the playoffs 22 times.

His roles were varied. Pulford had four separate stints as the Hawks’ head coach (1977-79, 1981-82, 1984-87, 1999-00), often taking over as the interim boss midseason when someone was fired. Those often overlapped with four stints as GM (1977-90, 1992-97, 1999-00, 2003-05). When he wasn’t either of those things, he served as the club’s senior VP of hockey operations until he transitioned to working for the Hawks’ parent company in 2007, no longer directly affiliated with the team.

Pulford was also the first head of the NHLPA, elected to the role in 1967 and holding it until Ken Dryden took over presidential duties in 1972.

All of us at PHR send our condolences to the Pulford family and the many in the hockey community who worked with him.

4 comments Chicago Blackhawks Los Angeles Kings Newsstand RIP Toronto Maple Leafs

Seth Jones Out Week-To-Week

By | at January 5, 2026 11:04 am

Panthers defenseman Seth Jones is out week-to-week with the upper-body injury he sustained in last week’s Winter Classic, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters today (including George Richards of Florida Hockey Now).

The injury also puts his participation in the United States’ Olympic team in question, but he hasn’t been ruled out. Maurice said he’s targeting a return shortly before the Olympic break, which is now under one month away.

The lack of a longer return timeline indicates Jones didn’t sustain a complete collarbone fracture as initially feared. He left the outdoor game against the Rangers in the first period after a deflected shot from Alexis Lafrenière appeared to strike him in the left shoulder/clavicle area.

Now in his first full season with the Cats, Jones has leapfrogged Aaron Ekblad on the depth chart to serve as Florida’s top defenseman in terms of all-situations usage. Averaging 23:29 per game, he leads Panthers D-men across the board with six goals, 18 assists, and 24 points in 40 games. His -2 rating is middle-of-the-pack, but advanced numbers show he’s still been among Florida’s best two-way defenders at 5-on-5, tied with Gustav Forsling for the team lead in Corsi share at 52.8%.

For a team without much organizational defensive depth that’s already missing veteran Dmitry Kulikov, a long-term injury to their top minute-muncher could be catastrophic – especially as they await the returns of Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk to round out their forward group. Florida has only been treading water as of late, going 2-2-1 in their last five, and remains one point back of the Capitals for the playoff cutoff while trailing the Sabres in points percentage. The Cats’ strong underlying numbers still have their playoff odds at 57.1%, per MoneyPuck, but those could drop considerably if right-shot Jeff Petry is overtaxed in a top-four role in Jones’ absence.

Jones, 31, is no stranger to long-term injuries. He’s missed at least 10 games in three straight years with thumb, shoulder, and foot issues.

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.

6 comments Florida Panthers Newsstand

Blues Sign Alexey Toropchenko To Two-Year Extension

By | at January 5, 2026 10:48 am

The Blues announced they’ve signed winger Alexey Toropchenko to a two-year contract extension. The deal is worth $5MM for an average annual value and cap hit of $2.5MM.

Toropchenko, 26, has a late June birthday, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer. He’ll now wait until at least 2028 to test the open market while getting a nearly 50% pay bump from the $1.7MM cap hit afforded to him on his current one-year deal.

A fourth-round pick by St. Louis in 2017, Toropchenko is in his fifth NHL season. The 6’6″, 225-lb lefty has become a staple of the Blues’ bottom six since playing in all 82 games in the 2023-24 season, although a handful of injuries have kept him from achieving that mark since.

While he’s relied upon mostly for his physicality – he finished tied for 17th in the league with 223 hits last year – he’s not devoid of offensive upside. He’s hit double-digit goals twice, tallying 10 in 2022-23 and 14 in 2023-24, although his finishing ability has taken a nosedive over the last year and a half. In 107 appearances since the beginning of last season, he’s only lit the lamp six times while finishing at a 5.1% clip.

Still, the two-year pact is a nice reward for a player who’s taken on some increased responsibility as of late. He’s among the Blues’ top penalty-killing forwards and, with injuries to Nick Bjugstad, Dylan Holloway, and Nathan Walker, has seen a bump in even-strength ice time. While he’s missed double-digit games with various injuries this year, he’s posted five points and 27 shots in 27 games.

Toropchenko becomes the ninth Blues forward signed to a one-way contract for 2026-27. St. Louis still has a significant number of pending free agents to contend with, including RFAs Holloway, Philip Broberg, and Jonatan Berggren, as well as some UFAs like Mathieu Joseph and Oskar Sundqvist. They still have over $24MM in salary cap flexibility for next season, per PuckPedia.

Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.

2 comments Newsstand St. Louis Blues Transactions
Show all
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors