Five Key Stories: 2/10/25 – 2/16/25
The 4 Nations Face-Off has hit the halfway mark and with there being no NHL games on the slate, it was a relatively quiet week around the hockey world aside from the four tournament games. Nonetheless, there was still some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.
More International Hockey: We saw the return of best-on-best hockey (at least for four countries) with the 4 Nations tournament and there will be another event next year with the Olympics. Another tournament has been added to the calendar as the World Cup of Hockey will make its return in 2028. The last time this was played was back in 2016 with Canada taking the best-of-three series over Team Europe to win the title. As is the case with the 4 Nations Face-Off, this event will not fall under the IIHF’s umbrella while it remains to be seen if Russia, who has been excluded from international events in recent years, will be allowed to participate in this one.
Extension For Steel: While transaction activity has been extremely limited over the past week, the Stars took care of one of their pending unrestricted free agents, signing center Sam Steel to a two-year, $4.2MM extension. The 27-year-old is in his second season in Dallas, returning despite being non-tendered last summer. Steel hasn’t been able to come close to replicating the type of offensive success that he had at the junior level but he has turned into a reliable checker; he leads all Stars forwards in ATOI shorthanded. The deal represents a nice raise for the 27-year-old as he will go from making $1.2MM this season to an AAV of $2.1MM for next year.
Theodore Exits 4 Nations: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore was pegged to play a significant role for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, his tournament lasted only a handful of shifts as he suffered an upper-body injury in the opener and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the event. Subsequently, Vegas announced that the blueliner is expected to be out on a week-to-week basis. The 29-year-old sits fourth among all NHL rearguards in scoring with 48 points in 55 games while averaging over 22 minutes. His exit comes on the heels of Vegas teammate Alex Pietrangelo withdrawing from the tournament to nurse a nagging injury as the Golden Knights will be dealing with a banged-up back end when the season resumes this coming weekend. Theodore’s absence resulted in Dallas defender Thomas Harley being put on standby to join the team, something that has since happened with Cale Makar battling an illness.
Calling It A Career: Long-time NHL winger Loui Eriksson has called it a career, announcing his retirement at the age of 39. Eriksson played in 16 seasons at the top level with four different organizations, spanning 1,050 games altogether. He picked up 253 goals and 360 assists over that time with his best years coming between 2009-10 and 2011-12 with Dallas where he notched at least 71 points in each of those three seasons. Eriksson also finished in the top five in Lady Byng Trophy voting three times. After his final NHL campaign in 2021-22, he wrapped up his playing career with Frolunda in the SHL, returning to the program he came up with in his junior days.
Dobson Changes Agents: Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson has been talked about a lot lately. There was recent trade speculation which was quickly refuted but not long after that, he changed agencies, moving to Wasserman. Speculatively, the change likely doesn’t relate to the trade speculation but rather to the fact he has a contract negotiation on the horizon. The 25-year-old had a breakout year last season, tallying 70 points in 79 games while logging 24:31 per night. He hasn’t been producing at quite the same pace this year though but either way, he’s in for a substantial raise from the $4MM he’s receiving this season. With arbitration rights, Dobson is in line to more than double that on his next deal, one that will have a new agent working on it.
Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.
East Notes: Byram, Grzelcyk, Lafreniere
Between the pending jump in the salary cap over the next few seasons and the fact the Sabres are paying Owen Power $8.35MM, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News believes that blueliner Bowen Byram’s next contract could run past the $9MM range. The 23-year-old has already matched his career high in points, notching 29 through Buffalo’s first 54 games. He’s also averaging more than 23 minutes a night of playing time, a number that would also be a career-best if that holds up down the stretch. Giving Byram that much would have the Sabres spending close to $30MM on their top three defenders but it would also give them plenty of upside at that position for a while. Byram is a pending restricted free agent with salary arbitration eligibility this summer and will be owed a $4.62MM qualifying offer in late June.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Earlier this month, the Penguins moved one of their pending unrestricted free agents on the back end when Marcus Pettersson was dealt to Vancouver. They still have another pending UFA blueliner in Matt Grzelcyk. However, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if the fact that Pettersson is gone and that Grzelcyk has had a bounce-back year could mean that Pittsburgh could consider keeping him around beyond this season if they don’t get a compelling offer for him by the trade deadline. The 31-year-old has 28 points in 57 games and is averaging over 20 minutes a night for the first time which is pretty good value on a one-year, $2.75MM contract signed last summer.
- Larry Brooks of the New York Post suggests (subscription link) that the Rangers might want to consider trading winger Alexis Lafreniere, suggesting Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras as a possible target in a swap that wouldn’t be just one-for-one. Lafreniere got off to a solid start this season, earning himself a seven-year, $52.15MM extension in late October. However, since the contract, he has just 25 points in 48 games, numbers that are decent while he’s still on his entry-level deal but expectations will be higher moving forward. Brooks questions if the 23-year-old will be able to play to his full potential in New York, wondering if a swap of highly touted but underachieving young forwards might be the better way to go.
Trade Deadline Primer: New York Rangers
With the 4 Nations Face-Off break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New York Rangers.
This Trade Deadline may not mean more for one team than for the New York Rangers. They’ve been among the most active teams this season, dealing away Jacob Trouba, Filip Chytil, and Victor Mancini in deals that landed them J.T. Miller and Urho Vaakanainen. Their early returns have proven more promising than many expected, but it hasn’t been enough to pull the Rangers up from their slide down the standings. They enter mid-February in firm competition for the Eastern Conference wild cards with four other teams. The Rangers have scored the second-most and allowed the 10th-most goals in the league since the start of January and could be poised to lean into their inconsistent year with an overhaul at the deadline.
Record
27-24-4, 5th in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$16.48MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 47/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: SEA 3rd, ANA 4th, MIN 5th, SEA 6th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th
2026: NYR 1st, NYR 3rd, NYR 5th, NYR 6th, VAN 7th
Trade Chips
A deadline with such high stakes will inevitably force the Rangers to make some more tough decisions. Many of their core veterans have looked out of touch with their prime or out of sync with each other for nearly the entire season. That precedent is head-manned by former 50-goal scorer Chris Kreider, who entered the year on the heels of three dazzling seasons. Kreider scored 52 goals and 77 points in 81 games of the 2021-22 season and succeeded with 36 and 39 goals in the following two years. After nine years of finding his footing at the top flight, Kreider seemed to finally be blossoming into the routinely great goal-scorer he showed the potential to be. But that flame has fizzled out, and Kreider stands with just 16 goals and four assists through 47 games this season – an 82-game pace of 28 goals and 35 points. That monotonous scoring will put him at the top of the list as New York looks like a place where they may be able to bolster their lineup.
Close behind Kreider will be longtime linemate Mika Zibanejad, who’s also struggled to find ground all season. Zibanejad has a commendable 11 goals and
37 points in 55 games on the year, but his stat line is marred by a -24 – and his ice time has fluctuated between as little as 13 minutes and as much as 24 minutes through points this season. He’s been hard to trust and endured an eight-game scoring drought through December. Zibanejad likely holds the upper hand over Kreider when it comes to New York’s chopping block, given his boost in scoring and 53.1 faceoff percentage. However, questions emerging on year three of his eight-year, $68MM contract could be enough to send Zibanejad – and his $8.5MM annual cap hit – packing for the right return. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta has reported multiple times that Zibanejad is willing to waive his no-move clause for the “right situation.”
New York faces a similar competition on their blue line as well, where both Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller have failed to inspire much of anything. The duo has 15 points in 50 games and 13 points in 49 games, respectively, and each boasts negative plus-minuses. Lindgren has served as the handcuff to Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox through parts of the last three seasons, while Miller has gained a boost in minutes in the wake of Trouba’s departure. Both players fill a strong role, but neither has found the offense needed to support one of the NHL’s lowest-scoring blue lines. Rangers defenders have combined for just 18 points on the year. That’s fewer goals than Cale Makar (22), and one higher than Zach Werenski (17), have managed on their own this season.
The Rangers still stand in an advantageous position with any looming moves. While Kreider has had a down year, his scoring precedent and 862 career games will still command a high price. The cost will be even more to afford one of Zibanejad, Miller, or Lindgren – who each fill roles that will need to be immediately replaced should the Rangers want to stay competitive. That sets New York up for a potentially lucrative swap of roster players that are bolstered by their lack of any retained contracts.
Team Needs
1) Offensive Defensemen: Acquiring another scoring defenseman will be about more than improving their blue line’s collective goals. New York superstar
Fox scored a career-high 17 goals last season, bolstered by each of Erik Gustafsson, Miller, and Braden Schneider contributing their own handful (eight, six, and five respectively). But with no downhill jump behind him this year, Fox has fallen to just four goals in 40 games. He’s maintained the year with a dazzling 40 assists – fifth-most among NHL defenders – but Fox is still set to snap his three-year streak of 70-point seasons when this year ends.
He needs another creator to help lift the defense-first Rangers, which could point the team toward Chicago Blackhawks defender Seth Jones. Jones and his lofty contract have been on and off the trade block over the last few seasons – but his lack of belonging in Chicago has become glaring this year. He leads the Blackhawks blue-line with 26 points in 38 games and leads the lineup with an average of 24:38 in ice time. Those marks will leave a humongous hole in Chicago’s lineup should Jones get moved, but the right price could land the all-offense, no-defense defender on a playoff contender.
Should New York prefer a hardier future bet, with a cheaper price tag than Jones’ $9.5MM cap hit, they could also turn towards recent Buffalo Sabres acquisition Bowen Byram. It’s hard to think Buffalo moves Byram without a substantial return, rooted in plenty of future capital. That could be a tough price for New York’s desolate prospect pool, but the return would be an all-out scorer capable of playing top-pair minutes. Byram has 29 points in 54 games this season and averages 23 minutes of ice time each game. He’s already been moved once and would become the second-youngest defenseman on New York’s blue line with a move. That could be the exact kind of lucrative bet the Rangers need to pull back into serious playoff contention.
2) Wing Depth: If not a defender, the Rangers need to use this Deadline to figure out their flanks. Their wingers have been incredibly inconsistent this year. Aside from Artemi Panarin – who leads the team with 57 points in 53 games – the Rangers’ most reliable winger has arguably been William Cuylle, who’s scored a career-high 29 points in 55 games from the team’s third line. Cuylle sits just three points behind former first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere in scoring, and ahead of both Kreider and summer addition Reilly Smith. With the latter three all losing ground this season, the Rangers desperately need someone to right the ship in their top six.
That could make them a golden landing spot for red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell, who’s managed 25 goals and 45 points in just 56 games this year. That’s already 11 more points than Rakell managed last season, but still 21 shy of his 69-point career-high from 2017-18. He’s been a routine goal threat, capable of maintaining his scoring through changing lineup roles and mid-season trades. Rakell’s hot year will likely demand a package beginning with a first-round pick. That’ll be a tough pill to swallow for the Rangers, but they’re falling in the playoff race to the Columbus Blue Jackets – and a lofty trade could be exactly what’s needed to spark a slouching lineup.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Sasha Pastujov Emerging As Top Prospect For Ducks
Ducks 2021 third-rounder Sasha Pastujov is among the hottest prospects in hockey this month. The 21-year-old winger sits atop all of the AHL’s active U22 players in per-game scoring, with 14 goals and 33 points through 32 games this season, giving him 1.03 points per game.
Pastujov has reached those heights on the back of a dazzling 12 points in his last 10 games, pushing him into exciting conversation. Only four other young minor-leaguers have topped a point-per-game average this season – Zachary L’Heureux, Frank Nazar, Luca Del Bel Belluz, and Marco Kasper. All four have since made their NHL debuts, while Pastujov continues to wait for the first call-up of his career. But in the depths of an Anaheim Ducks team that’s scored the fewest goals in the NHL this season, Pastujov’s breakout scoring could quickly demand recognition.
The title of overlooked top-scorer is far from a new one for Pastujov. He’s carried that burden since his youth hockey days in 2018-19 when he rivaled Dylan Duke and Red Savage for the scoring title on Compuware’s U16 team. The trio joined the NTDP for the following two years, where Pastujov again carved out a quick niche as a top-end scorer. He scored 50 points in his U17 NTDP season, tying Chaz Lucius for the team’s scoring title. Lucius faced substantial injuries in the following year, giving Pastujov a clear runway to the role of top scorer. He took that on in stride, netting a daunting 65 points in 41 games – 12 more than Duke, who played in nine more games, in second place. Even Duke, Pastujov’s longtime battery mate, recently made his NHL debut and scored his first career goal.
Pastujov followed his two years at the NTDP with two seasons in the OHL. He led the Guelph Storm in scoring with 76 points in 65 games of the 2021-22 season but lost his title streak when he joined the Sarnia Sting via a mid-season trade in 2022-23 – netting 98 points in 60 games, good for fourth in the league but second on the Sting.
That was Pastujov’s final year of junior hockey before joining the AHL last year – and he’s stayed red-hot as a pro. He scored a commendable 23 points in 46 games as an undersized AHL rookie. Perhaps looking to inspire those numbers a bit more, Anaheim opted to start Pastujov in the ECHL this season – but he quickly broke out of the league after netting 16 points in the first 12 games of the year.
He’s since been a force in the AHL and seems to be gaining steam with every point he adds. Pastujov is a slick, aggressive forward with a nifty shot and strong downhill drive. Those aspects of energy and determination are central to the Ducks’ identity, even if Pastujov’s lack of physicality is notably off-brand.
Still, he’s shown the ability to score at every single level and responded well to a challenging start to the year. The wind is behind Pastujov’s sails, and if Anaheim can’t find their scoring when they return from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, turning towards their perennial top-scoring prospect could be a golden chance to mend their offense while still looking towards the future.
List Of NHL-Affiliated Prospects In The Ontario Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League trade deadlines are in the rearview mirror. That makes it a good time to take stock of where NHL teams have their prospect pool skating ahead of the big league deadline. We’re taking a look at how many prospects each team has in the world’s top junior association, starting with the Ontario Hockey League:
Anaheim Ducks
F Ethan Procyszyn (North Bay Battalion)
F Beckett Sennecke (Oshawa Generals)
D Konnor Smith (Brampton Steelheads)
F Carey Terrance (Erie Otters)
Buffalo Sabres
G Ryerson Leenders (Brantford Bulldogs)
F Ethan Miedema (Kingston Frontenacs)
Calgary Flames
F Jacob Battaglia (Kingston Frontenacs)
D Henry Mews (Sudbury Wolves)
F Luke Misa (Brampton Steelheads)
D Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit)
Chicago Blackhawks
D Ty Henry (Erie Otters)
F Nick Lardis (Brantford Bulldogs)
F Martin Misiak (Erie Otters)
F Alex Pharand (Sudbury Wolves)
F Jack Pridham (Kitchener Rangers)
F A.J. Spellacy (Windsor Spitfires)
F Marek Vanacker (Brantford Bulldogs)
Colorado Avalanche
F Christian Humphreys (Kitchener Rangers)
F Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Columbus Blue Jackets
G Nolan Lalonde (Soo Greyhounds)
D Luca Marelli (Oshawa Generals)
F Luca Pinelli (Ottawa 67’s)
Dallas Stars
D Tristan Bertucci (Barrie Colts)
F Brad Gardiner (Barrie Colts)
F Emil Hemming (Barrie Colts)
F Angus MacDonell (Brampton Steelheads)
Detroit Red Wings
G Landon Miller (Soo Greyhounds)
Edmonton Oilers
D Beau Akey (Barrie Colts)
F Connor Clattenburg (Flint Firebirds)
G Nathaniel Day (Flint Firebirds)
F William Nicholl (London Knights)
F Sam O’Reilly (London Knights)
F Brady Stonehouse (Peterborough Petes)
F Dalyn Wakely (Barrie Colts)
Los Angeles Kings
G Carter George (Owen Sound Attack)
F Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires)
D Matthew Mania (Flint Firebirds)
D Jared Woolley (London Knights)
Minnesota Wild
D Stevie Leskovar (Brampton Steelheads)
Montreal Canadiens
D Owen Protz (Brantford Bulldogs)
Nashville Predators
D Andrew Gibson (Oshawa Generals)
F Joey Willis (Kingston Frontenacs)
New Jersey Devils
F Cole Brown (Brantford Bulldogs)
New York Islanders
F Jesse Nurmi (London Knights)
New York Rangers
F Nathan Aspinall (Flint Firebirds)
Ottawa Senators
D Matthew Andonovski (Kitchener Rangers)
D Gabriel Eliasson (Barrie Colts)
F Lucas Ellinas (Kitchener Rangers)
D Tomas Hamara (Brantford Bulldogs)
F Blake Montgomery (London Knights)
Philadelphia Flyers
F Denver Barkey (London Knights)
D Oliver Bonk (London Knights)
F Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm)
F Noah Powell (Oshawa Generals)
Pittsburgh Penguins
F Cooper Foster (Ottawa 67’s)
D Finn Harding (Brampton Steelheads)
D Emil Pieniniemi (Kingston Frontenacs)
San Jose Sharks
F Igor Chernyshov (Saginaw Spirit)
D Sam Dickinson (London Knights)
F Kasper Halttunen (London Knights)
F Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves)
Seattle Kraken
D Jakub Fibigr (Brampton Steelheads)
F Andrei Loshko (Niagara IceDogs)
F Carson Rehkopf (Brampton Steelheads)
F Nathan Villeneuve (Sudbury Wolves)
St. Louis Blues
D Quinton Burns (Kingston Frontenacs)
D Lukas Fischer (Sarnia Sting)
D Adam Jiříček (Brantford Bulldogs)
D Matthew Mayich (Ottawa 67’s)
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Ethan Hay (Kingston Frontenacs)
F Kaden Pitre (Flint Firebirds)
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Easton Cowan (London Knights)
D Ben Danford (Oshawa Generals)
F Sam McCue (Flint Firebirds)
Utah Hockey Club
F Owen Allard (Soo Greyhounds)
F Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts)
F Noel Nordh (Soo Greyhounds)
Vancouver Canucks
F Vilmer Alriksson (Brampton Steelheads)
F Riley Patterson (Barrie Colts)
F Anthony Romani (Barrie Colts)
Vegas Golden Knights
F Trent Swick (Kitchener Rangers)
F Tuomas Uronen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Washington Capitals
D Cam Allen (London Knights)
F Ilya Protas (Windsor Spitfires)
F Patrick Thomas (Brantford Bulldogs)
Winnipeg Jets
F Colby Barlow (Oshawa Generals)
F Kevin He (Niagara IceDogs)
F Jacob Julien (London Knights)
F Kieron Walton (Sudbury Wolves)
Trade Deadline Primer: New York Islanders
With the 4 Nations Face-Off break here, the trade deadline looms large and is less than three weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New York Islanders.
Against all odds, the Islanders have a fighting chance at a sixth postseason berth in the last seven years. Despite organizational pillars Mathew Barzal, Noah Dobson, and Ryan Pulock all missing significant time due to injuries – and they all remain out as of the break – they’ve put together an 8-3-0 run and sit four points back of the Red Wings for the final playoff spot in the East. That will likely motivate general manager Lou Lamoriello to focus on extending his veteran pending UFAs, but will he be willing to lose them for nothing if talks aren’t productive?
Record
25-23-7, 6th in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Retooler
Deadline Cap Space
$1.95MM on deadline day + $7.775MM LTIR pool, 0/3 retention slots used, 49/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
2026: NYI 1st, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
Trade Chips
Despite ongoing preliminary extension discussions, veteran center Brock Nelson remains the best New York has to offer as arguably the most valuable rental asset still available on the market. He’s currently championship-bound with the United States at the 4 Nations, but in league play, the steady 33-year-old has contributed 17-18–35 in 55 games with a plus-one rating. While he’s on pace to fall short of the 30-goal mark for the first time since the shortened 2020-21 campaign, he’s still a veritable top-six talent.
He’s bounced between wing and center over the course of his career but has settled in down the middle. Faceoffs have routinely been a struggle for Nelson, but not this season. He’s winning draws at a career-best 53.2% clip, is averaging a career-high 19:10 per game, and should expect more goal-scoring down the stretch after finishing at 11.6%, nearly three points south of his career average, so far.
Nelson’s longtime linemate, winger Kyle Palmieri, is a pending UFA in the same boat. There’s been less said about extension negotiations there, but if Nelson isn’t sticking around for a playoff rate, there’s little use in not getting value out of Palmieri as well. The 34-year-old is still a bonafide top-six talent, tying Bo Horvat for the team lead in assists with 21 while tallying 37 points in 18:15 of ATOI. He’s one year removed from the second 30-goal campaign of his 15-year career, and while his $5MM cap hit may require a small bit of salary retention to get a deal across the finish line, he’ll net a significant return.
Outside of those two, there won’t be many Islanders drawing trade interest if they do decide to sell off assets and commit to a roster retool. All of their top talents (including Nelson and Palmieri) have some form of trade protection, and they’ve already tried and failed to move on from deals with term left like Jean-Gabriel Pageau‘s $5MM AAV through 2025-26. They’ve also gotten their blue line work out the way early, acquiring veteran Tony DeAngelo and pending RFAs Adam Boqvist and Scott Perunovich to weather the storm in the absence of Dobson and Pulock.
It’s worth noting Dobson is a pending RFA who’s recently changed his representation, but rumors of him being on the trade market were again squashed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Friday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.
Team Needs
1) Offensive Needle-Mover: The Islanders’ offensive struggles aren’t a new or unforeseeable phenomenon. They rank 26th in goals per game with 2.73, the seventh year in a row they’ve been decidedly in the bottom half of the league. They’ll need to offload significant assets to make it happen – potentially even Dobson, whose name was reportedly discussed in a lone scenario for a first-line forward – but a bonafide 90-point player would give New York the offensive centerpiece they haven’t had on the Island since John Tavares‘ departure.
2) Backup Goaltender: Ilya Sorokin has had to handle the lion’s share of starts since veteran backup Semyon Varlamov exited the lineup with a lower-body injury in early December. He was initially ruled as day-to-day but is now on LTIR and remains out indefinitely. No. 3 option Marcus Högberg did well in limited usage after being called up from AHL Bridgeport, notching a .947 SV% in seven appearances, but he’s now on IR and leaves the organization without a reliable option to relieve Sorokin as they look to stay in the race.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Team USA finally broke their losing streak against Team Canada on Saturday, emerging from the sides’ first meeting in over nine years with a closely-fought 3-1 victory. But the win has come at a cost, as top-line winger Matthew Tkachuk has been announced as out with a lower-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Sullivan made no indication of if Tkachuk would be available for USA’s Monday matchup against Team Sweden. The game will be relatively low-stakes given USA has already clinched a championship spot, which could offer Tkachuk a timely break.
It wasn’t clear when Tkachuk suffered his injury. He played his final shift with 12 minutes remaining in the third period and stayed on the bench for the rest of the game. Tkachuk appeared to be nursing his right leg as he skated to the bench – and skated around during the final TV timeouts – though it’s not clear if that’s the site of his new injury. A few minutes after his last shift, Tkachuk appeared to tell Sullivan and assistant coach John Tortorella that he wouldn’t be able to play.
Tkachuk has been the energizer for Team USA through their first two games. He scored two goals and added an assist in the country’s 6-1 routing of Team Finland, and kicked off the matchup against Canada with a fight off the opening draw. He’s added four hits – and also leads the tournament in high-danger shots on goal per NHL Edge. Tkachuk has spent the first two games glued to America’s top line, rotating between pairings with Jake Guentzel and Auston Matthews; and Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel. His fluid role of high-scoring bruiser will be a tough one to fill knowing that USA’s extra forward is New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider – who has just six hits in 47 NHL games this season.
Tkachuk’s absence could kneecap Team USA headed into the 4-Nations championship, but his long-term health must be top priority. He ranks second on the Florida Panthers in scoring this year, with 22 goals and 57 points in 52 games placing him just five points behind Sam Reinhart. Tkachuk also ranks third on the team in penalty minutes, likely part of why he’s averaged just 18 minutes of ice time all year. Tkachuk scored 22 points in 24 games of Florida’s Stanley Cup run last season. His presence will be pivotal to the team’s chances at a repeat.
Pacific Notes: Kraken, Bordeleau, Terrance
Due to a disappointing 24-29-4 record this season, the Seattle Kraken have been an oft-mentioned potential seller leading up to the trade deadline. With this in mind, Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times analyzed some potential trade candidates for the Kraken.
There weren’t many surprises in her article as Shefte noted Brandon Tanev, Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jaden Schwartz, and Andre Burakovsky as trade pieces for Seattle. All five players have been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the season largely due to the Kraken’s disappointing record.
Shefte did note forward Eeli Tolvanen and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who hadn’t previously been mentioned in trade rumors before. In all fairness, it doesn’t seem likely that Seattle will move either player, given Tolvanen quickly re-upped on a two-year contract with the team last offseason and Oleksiak has a 16-team no-trade clause built into his contract.
Other Pacific notes:
- Semi-regular San Jose Sharks’ forward Thomas Bordeleau is facing supplemental discipline at the AHL level. The AHL’s Player Safety Committee announced that Bordeleau is suspended for one game for cross-checking Colorado Eagles’ forward Chris Wagner on Wednesday. Due to the suspension, he’ll miss the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda game tonight.
- In a scary incident in last night’s game between the OHL’s Erie Otters and Owen Sound Attack, Otters captain and Anaheim Ducks’ prospect Carey Terrance was taken to the hospital due to an injury. Approximately 12 hours later, the Otters announced that Terrance had been discharged from the hospital and would continue with the team on their current road trip.
Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils
With the 4 Nations Face-Off break here, the trade deadline looms large and is less than three weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New Jersey Devils.
A fully healthy Devils lineup is showing us exactly what they can do. New Jersey is safely positioned in a playoff spot entering the trade deadline after finishing bottom-five in the Eastern Conference last season. Still, the team is firmly set at the top for their forward core and defense, giving them little to add at the deadline. They have room to add in some areas but they won’t need too much heavy lifting to become a bona fide contender.
Record
31-20-6, 3rd in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$5.558MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: NJ 2nd, EDM 2nd, WPG 2nd, VGK 3rd, NJ 4th, SJ 6th, NJ 6th
2026: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 3rd, DAL 4th, WPG 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th
Trade Chips
Although they don’t have their first-round pick for the 2025 NHL Draft thanks to the trade that landed netminder Jacob Markström, the Devils have a trio of second-round picks they easily part with at the deadline. The Oilers’ second-round pick was acquired in the trade sending John Marino to the Utah Hockey Club this past offseason, and they landed the Jets’ second-round pick after trading Tyler Toffoli during last year’s deadline.
It’s inarguable where the Devils will trade from if they look to move prospects. New Jersey already carries one of the deepest blue lines in the league and has plenty of youngsters waiting in the wings. 
Scoring three goals and 15 points in 20 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets, defenseman Seamus Casey likely has similar value to a first-round pick. A prospect of his caliber would normally be a lock for NHL minutes relatively soon but Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Simon Nemec are blocking most if not all of his minutes.
Beyond Casey, a recent first-round pick of the Devils, Anton Silayev, could also garner interest. He’s got a higher ceiling than Casey given his size and skating ability, but he’s still a few years away from being an NHL regular. Given the Devils’ immediate needs, neither defenseman strikes as a popular trade candidate for the deadline but New Jersey could make both available in the offseason for a high-impact move.
Team Needs
1) Third-Line Center: If the Devils need anything to supplement their roster, it’s a third-line center. Erik Haula has performed admirably, securing a 54.4% faceoff rate with over 500 attempts. Still, Haula is better served in a fourth-line role at this point of his career giving New Jersey a hole on their third line. Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens, who the Devils have already been linked to, would be the obvious choice as a rental candidate. Outside of Evans, New Jersey could look into the market for San Jose Sharks’ Luke Kunin, Utah’s Nick Bjugstad, and Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins for a similar addition.
2) Additional Bottom-Six Depth: Despite specifically needing a third-line center, the Devils could generally use more depth in the bottom-six of their forward core. Paul Cotter and Stefan Noesen have been two of their better additions from the offseason but the Devils could stand to make the likes of Tomas Tatar a rotational piece. It wouldn’t be a game-changing add, but a winger such as Brandon Tanev, Michael Carcone, or Alexandre Texier could slightly move the needle when it comes to New Jersey’s playoff chances.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cale Makar Out With Illness, Thomas Harley Added To Roster
Feb. 15th: According to Friedman, Makar has officially been ruled out of tonight’s contest due to an illness. Team Canada has been allowed to add Harley to the roster, who will draw in for Makar this evening.
Feb. 14th: Team Canada could be without its best defenseman, Cale Makar when it takes on Team USA, also without its best defenseman, Quinn Hughes. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported this morning that Makar had missed today’s practice due to illness and that Philadelphia Flyers’ defenseman Travis Sanheim was skating in his spot in the lineup.
It would ultimately be a massive blow to a Canadian team that has already lost defenseman Shea Theodore for the remainder of the tournament. Chris Johnston of The Athletic confirmed yesterday that Dallas Stars’ defenseman Thomas Harley was brought in on a stand-by role should Team Canada lose another defenseman.
Given the tournament’s rules, there was speculation that Harley wouldn’t be allowed to join the team. However, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the NHL and NHLPA concluded that Harley could travel to join the team in Montreal but would only be allowed to practice and/or play if Makar is officially ruled out.
That doesn’t appear to be a likely outcome. LeBrun later shared that Team Canada’s head coach, Jon Cooper, felt confident that Makar would be in tomorrow’s lineup.
Cooper’s confidence should assuage most doubts about Makar’s availability tomorrow night. The former Calder, James Norris, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner went scoreless over 28:06 in Team Canada’s opening night win over Team Sweden adding three blocked shots.