Snapshots – Pro Hockey Rumors

Snapshots: Brazeau, Horvat, Kleven

By Gabriel Foley | at March 8, 2026 6:42 pm

The Pittsburgh Penguins called on trade acquisition Elmer Soderblom to make his team debut on Sunday after Justin Brazeau was ruled out with an undisclosed injury, head coach Dan Muse told Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. The injury ended Brazeau’s streak of 37 consecutive games played, which was the seventh-longest streak on the team, as pointed out by Rorabaugh.

Brazeau’s absence will mark another blow to the Penguins offense after star Evgeni Malkin was handed a five-game suspension for slashing. Brazeau has three points in his last four games and 30 points in 48 games this season. He has accelerated a hot streak that began with the Boston Bruins last year, where he scored 20 points in 57 games. Pittsburgh brought rookie Avery Hayes back into the lineup in response ot Malkin’s absence. Now, they’ll turn towards the towering Soderblom to try and keep things going. He has only scored three points in 39 games this season.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

New York Islanders centerman Bo Horvat was fined $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct in the Islanders’ Saturday win over the San Jose Sharks per Frank Seravalli of Victory+. While delivering choice words to the Sharks’ bench, Horvat reached over and flicked the visor of winger William Eklund. He was not assessed a penalty on the play. Horvat has 27 goals and 44 points in 55 games this season, including one goal scored in Saturday’s 2-1 victory. He will stick in a premier lineup role and hope to make up his decreased funds with his on-ice performance.
Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven was also assessed a fine by the NHL Department of Player Safety. He was forced to hand over $4,166.67, max allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann in the face in Saturday’s match between Ottawa and Seattle. Kleven was assessed a two-minute slashing, five-minute cross-checking, and 10-minute game misconduct penalty on the play, which occurred with just under four minutes left in regulation. He scored his second goal of the season prior to his ejection. Kleven is now up to 12 points and a minus-two in 57 games this season. He will continue in his role offering the Senators defensive depth.

0 comments New York Islanders Ottawa Senators Pittsburgh Penguins Snapshots Bo Horvat Justin Brazeau Tyler Kleven

Snapshots: Eller, Kotkaniemi, Pesce

By Ethan Hetu | at March 4, 2026 9:50 pm

As the trade deadline nears, one Ottawa Senators veteran that could draw trade interest is 36-year-old Danish center Lars Eller. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Senators “have had calls on most of their pending UFAs,” and he “could see a scenario where Eller is moved.” Eller is Ottawa’s fourth-line center, his role entirely a result of his defensive capability rather than his offensive production. Over the last two seasons, Eller has managed just eight goals and 24 points in 109 games, but that doesn’t mean he’s not pulling his weight in other ways. He’s playing regularly on Ottawa’s penalty kill, and has been a key asset at the faceoff dot, winning nearly 58% of his draws. A team looking to add a veteran fourth-line center might have considerable interest in Eller, especially as he has something often highly coveted in veteran rental players: a Stanley Cup ring.

From Ottawa’s perspective, dealing Eller isn’t likely to return much other than a minor draft pick, but it would provide some other benefits to the club. The Senators sit a full six points behind the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, having played the same number of games. With the club looking less likely to return to the playoffs with each passing day, it might be more prudent for the club to hand the regular role Eller occupies to a younger player, such as the promising Stephen Halliday. Halliday, 23, has 11 points in 28 games this season despite averaging just 8:11 time on ice per game, the fewest among regular Senators forwards.

Other notes from around the NHL:

Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi was dressed tonight for the Hurricanes’ contest against the Vancouver Canucks, marking the Finnish pivot’s re-entry into the Hurricanes’ lineup after three consecutive games as a healthy scratch. With the deadline creeping closer, Kotkaniemi’s status is one to monitor as reports emerged in January that the Hurricanes were shopping the player. It’s unlikely the team’s interest in dealing Kotkaniemi has ceased, and so today’s decision to dress the center marks the final time he’ll be able to appear before NHL pro scouts before the trade deadline. Kotkaniemi has four years remaining on his contract at a $4.82MM cap hit, and has a 10-team no-trade list in his contract. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick scored 12 goals and 33 points last season but has just nine points in 36 games this year.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce did not play in tonight’s shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs due to an injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe announced pregame. The Devils replaced Pesce in their lineup with Johnathan Kovacevic, who did not play in the team’s prior two games. Pesce is New Jersey’s No. 3 defenseman by ice time, playing 20:18 per game, including a team-high 2:29 per game on the penalty kill. Kovacevic was a leading penalty killer for New Jersey last season, but has seen his ice time decline as he missed much of the first half of the year with an injury. Kovacevic is playing 16:43 per game this season, including just over a minute per game on the penalty kill.

0 comments Carolina Hurricanes New Jersey Devils Ottawa Senators Snapshots Brett Pesce Lars Eller

Snapshots: Schneider, Gibson, Lajoie

By Ethan Hetu | at February 28, 2026 10:03 am

New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider is one of the top trade assets the Rangers have at their disposal in advance of the deadline next week. According to The Athletic’s Vincent Z. Mercogliano, “Schneider being traded feels like a 50-50 proposition,” and Rangers GM Chris Drury is reportedly “content” to retain Schneider if no team is willing to meet the high asking price he has set.

According to Mercogliano, the Rangers’ preference in any Schneider deal is a “hockey trade,” meaning they’re looking for younger players who are NHL-ready or at least very close to being NHL-ready. That falls in line with how the Rangers have framed their current team direction, being that of a “re-tool” rather than a full-scale rebuild. Whether the Rangers will be able to receive the kind of offers for Schneider that they’re looking for is still unclear. It would not be a huge surprise to see New York receive considerable interest in Schneider, of course, given his age, positional value and what he has accomplished as an NHL player thus far.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

Former New York Islanders goalie Christopher Gibson has signed in the DEL, joining the Schwenninger Wild Wings of Germany’s top pro league. The former Islanders goalie has 16 NHL games on his resume and has played in 244 career AHL games. He was last in North America in 2022-23 when he got into 20 games for the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds, and has bounced between several European teams. So far in 2025-26, he has played in four games for Italian club HC Bolzano of the ICEHL, posting an .879 save percentage and 1-3 record.
Defenseman Maxime Lajoie, a former member of the Ottawa Senators, signed a one-year contract extension with KHL club Avangard Omsk. The team’s official statement called Lajoie an “indispensable part” of the team’s defense, something that is underscored by his 37 points in 60 games this season. Like Gibson, Lajoie also last played in North America as a member of the AHL Firebirds. In 2024-25, Lajoie scored 38 points in 70 games for Coachella. He has played in the NHL most recently in 2023-24, with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

0 comments DEL KHL New York Rangers Snapshots Braden Schneider Christopher Gibson Maxime Lajoie

Snapshots: Kadri, Wilson, MacKinnon, Blueger

By Brian La Rose | at February 25, 2026 10:00 pm

Nazem Kadri has been no stranger to the rumor mill over the last couple of years with the Flames in the middle of a rebuild of sorts. While his public comments have consistently indicated a desire to remain in Calgary, it’s possible that he’s having a change of heart. In a recent TSN Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the veteran now wants to be traded at this point while the team continues to test the market on him. The 35-year-old should have a decent market given the dearth of quality centers available but having three years left after this one on his contract with a $7MM price tag could give some suitors some pause. Despite Calgary’s struggles this season, Kadri leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 29 assists in 56 games.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that Tom Wilson’s absence from tonight’s game against Philadelphia was due to illness. Wilson had a fairly successful run at the Olympics for Canada with four points in six games while also finishing second in the event in penalty minutes with 29. The winger leads Washington in scoring this season with 23 goals and 26 assists in 50 games.
After a busy Olympic tournament with Canada, the Avalanche decided to give Nathan MacKinnon the night off tonight against Utah. Corey Masisak of The Denver Post relays (Twitter link) that MacKinnon’s absence was merely termed as maintenance and not injury-related. It was suggested that MacKinnon was playing through something at the Olympics although he still managed seven points in six games while playing heavy minutes. He leads the NHL in goals this season with 40 through 55 appearances.
Speaking with reporters including Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Canucks center Teddy Blueger noted that he’d love to remain with the team but as of yet, there haven’t been any discussions about a possible contract extension. The 31-year-old has been limited to just ten games this season heading into tonight’s action due to injury but has been surprisingly productive in those, notching five goals and three assists. Known as more of a checking center throughout his career, Blueger is likely to garner interest before next week’s trade deadline from teams looking to shore up their bottom six. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent with a $1.8MM cap charge.

12 comments Calgary Flames Colorado Avalanche Snapshots Vancouver Canucks Washington Capitals Nathan MacKinnon Nazem Kadri Teddy Blueger Tom Wilson

Snapshots: McMann, Chytil, Jets

By Brian La Rose | at February 19, 2026 9:00 pm

Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann is the middle of a career year and appears to be poised to cash in on his next contract. While Toronto would like to re-sign him, talks don’t appear to be going well as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on a Leafs Morning Take appearance (video link) that there has been no progression in those discussions. The 29-year-old is on a very affordable $1.35MM price tag which could fit in on most contender’s cap structures which is part of the reason Toronto is believed to be seeking a first-round pick for his services. If the two sides can’t work out an extension over the next couple of weeks, we’ll find out if his contract is valuable enough to net the Maple Leafs the return they seek.

Snapshots: Maurice, Morrissey, Davies

By Brian La Rose | at February 14, 2026 2:17 pm

Finland wound up in second place in its group at the Olympics and have a chance at a bye before the quarterfinals. However, at one point, it looked like the team could have been led by a different bench boss. Helsingen Sanomat’s Sami Hoffren and Teemu Suvinen report that following a tough showing at the 4 Nations Face-Off and World Championship, a group of NHL veterans made an effort to try to get Panthers head coach Paul Maurice appointed to Finland’s coaching staff for these Olympics. GM Jere Lehtinen acknowledged discussing the idea with the players who wanted the change but nothing further came of it with head coach Antti Pennanen remaining in charge, a role he will hold through the spring of 2027 at a minimum.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey missed Friday’s Olympic game against Switzerland and has already been ruled out for Sunday’s contest against France, relays Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). However, Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper indicated that “by no means is he out for the tournament.” That suggests that the undisclosed injury is at least relatively minor if he’s going to potentially be back within the next week. That would be a big boost for Canada’s back end as well as Winnipeg’s with a busy stretch of games coming up after the break.
After having his contract with Florida terminated a little more than a week ago, Josh Davies has found a new team. The AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals announced that they’ve signed the forward to a deal for the remainder of the season. Drafted in the sixth round in 2022, Davies has played primarily in the ECHL over his professional career and it appears he was willing to walk away from the rest of his NHL deal to get an opportunity to play at the AHL level for the first time this season.

5 comments AHL Florida Panthers Olympics Paul Maurice Snapshots Winnipeg Jets Josh Davies Josh Morrissey Paul Maurice

Snapshots: Clara, Reschny, Olsen

By Ethan Hetu | at February 11, 2026 8:21 pm

Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara had a performance for the ages today in Italy’s loss to Sweden in the group stage of the Winter Olympics. In front of a home crowd, Clara gave Italy a chance to upset the Swedes, making 46 saves. Per The Hockey News’ Derek Lee, Clara was forced out of Italy’s loss with what appeared to be a lower-body injury while making a save. There has not been any word on the extent of Clara’s injury, or if he will be fit to play in Italy’s next game, which is Friday against Slovakia.

If Clara is not fit to play, Italy will turn to Milan native Davide Fadani, who has a .922 save percentage in 22 games this season with Swiss National League side EHC Kloten. Clara, 21, was a 2023 second-round pick of the Ducks, and has spent this season playing in Sweden’s top pro league, the SHL. Through 30 games with Brynäs IF, Clara has an .888 save percentage.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

Calgary Flames 2025 first-round pick Cole Reschny is questionable for the University of North Dakota’s games this weekend against the University of Miami (Ohio), according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. Reschny left UND’s game last weekend with a lower-body injury. The former WHL Victoria Royals star has had a strong start to his NCAA career, scoring 25 points in 24 games. He could be a large part of the Flames’ future, as he was ranked as the league’s No. 76 skater prospect by the team at Elite Prospects.
Former Winnipeg Jets prospect Ryan Olsen was released by the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder today, ending his three-week stint in Kansas. The 2012 sixth-round pick helped the Colorado Eagles, now of the AHL, to a Kelly Cup championship in 2018, and has moved around since that point. He spent the following two seasons in the AHL, including a 17-goal, 34-point season with the San Antonio Rampage in 2018-19, before moving to Germany’s second division. Olsen spent the last two seasons in the DEL2 before beginning this season in Germany’s third division. His stint in Wichita, which ends with zero points in six games played, was Olsen’s first opportunity in North American pro hockey since October 2023.

3 comments Anaheim Ducks CHL Calgary Flames ECHL NCAA Snapshots Cole Reschny Damian Clara NCAA

Snapshots: Flyers, Curran, Rifai

By Brian La Rose | at February 7, 2026 6:01 pm

Flyers executives have said before that the team will ultimately decide whether they buy or sell heading into next month’s trade deadline. Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines their situation, suggesting that while they might not want to throw in the towel on the season just yet, selling is the logical route for them to take. Philadelphia sits eight points out of a playoff spot with a team in the bottom ten in offense so the odds of a successful playoff push are low. On the other hand, their list of pending unrestricted free agents isn’t exactly the most appealing, headlined by veteran wingers Carl Grundstrom and Nicolas Deslauriers. Accordingly, even if they do opt to sell, it could be a fairly quiet deadline unless they want to move players signed beyond the upcoming season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

Avalanche prospect Max Curran will make the move to the NCAA next season. The forward announced on his Instagram page earlier this week that he will play at UMass in 2026-27. Curran was a fifth-round pick by Colorado back in 2024, going 161st overall. This season, the 19-year-old has 14 goals and 27 assists in 31 games with WHL Edmonton. Had he not made the move, Colorado would have needed to have either signed him or dropped his rights by June 1st. Going to college will now push that timeline back, giving the Avs more time to decide his future.
The Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate announced on Friday (Twitter link) that defenseman Marshall Rifai was returned to the Marlies. The move comes as no surprise with the Olympic break in full effect. Rifai recently returned from a preseason injury and has four assists in a dozen games in the minors. Recalled late last month, Rifai got into one game with the Maple Leafs but saw just 9:40 of playing time. The demotion will allow him to keep playing and also land Toronto some extra cap flexibility heading into next month’s trade deadline.

1 comment AHL Colorado Avalanche NCAA Philadelphia Flyers Snapshots Toronto Maple Leafs Transactions Marshall Rifai Max Curran

Snapshots: Predators, Vilmanis, Schwartz

By Bradley Keith | at February 4, 2026 9:42 pm

As the Nashville Predators take first steps into their general manager search, following Barry Trotz’s sudden resignation announcement earlier this week, an interesting roadblock emerged. According to Insider Frank Seravalli, the NHL Players Association is reviewing Creative Artists Agency, who were hired by the franchise to conduct their search.

The agency also represents NHL players, and therefore may not be permitted for involvement in front office personnel processes, even if coming from a different arm of the agency. It is considered a potential conflict of interest. CAA’s website shows a long list of NHL players represented, headlined by Sidney Crosby, not to mention Predators cornerstone Filip Forsberg and numerous other stars of the game.

A somewhat similar situation occurred in 2023, also reported by Seravalli back then, when the NHLPA investigated former Maple Leafs and current Penguins GM Kyle Dubas’ relationship with an agency connected to Auston Matthews and other NHLers, which did not lead to violations. It’s unclear what will arise from the situation with CAA and the Predators, but worth monitoring nonetheless.

Until a candidate is selected, Trotz is set to maintain his role as long as needed, steering the franchise into the Trade Deadline season where Nashville must decide between selling or keeping the band together for a Wild Card push.

On today’s episode of the DFO Rundown podcast, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that Nashville had a few trades in the works this week that fell through, and may be revisited after the Olympic break. As Trotz works through his final chapter, he figures to be active with high trade demands to leave his franchise in a good place for the next regime.

Elsewhere across the league:

The Florida Panthers shared mid-game that Sandis Vilmanis wouldn’t return due to an upper-body injury. The forward delivered a controversial hit to Bruins star Charlie McAvoy, making the head a main point of contact, while McAvoy is wearing a full shield recovering from a broken jaw. Vilmanis was assessed only a minor penalty, not returning afterward, but the incident could receive further discipline. The 22-year-old with 12 NHL games under his belt is far from a household name, but Vilmanis was named to Latvia’s Olympic roster and his injury status could have implications for Milan. He is one of eight active NHL skaters on the nation’s squad.
Ahead of tonight’s game in Los Angeles, the Seattle Kraken revealed forward Jaden Schwartz wouldn’t play due to a lower-body injury. The veteran already missed a chunk of the campaign for such an injury, and while it’s not clear if they are related naturally there’s cause for concern. When healthy, the 33-year-old remains effective, notching 19 points in 36 games, par for the course in his Kraken tenure over the past several years. Seattle has been sniffing around in the trade market as they gear up for a run at the postseason, and hopefully Schwartz will take the Olympic break to get healthy in time to play his part this spring.

10 comments Florida Panthers Nashville Predators Seattle Kraken Snapshots Jaden Schwartz Sandis Vilmanis

Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Chytil, Benson

By Bradley Keith | at February 3, 2026 5:04 pm

The Columbus Blue Jackets shared today that Rick Nash has been promoted to Director of Player Personnel, and Chris Clark has been promoted to Assistant General Manager. The two former NHLers have spent several years with the franchise, dating back to the Jarmo Kekäläinen/John Tortorella era.

Upon the end of his 1,060 game, 805 point career, Nash returned to the Columbus organization in 2019, starting out as Special Assistant to the General Manager, before promotions to Director of Player Development and Director of Hockey Operations in the last few years.

With his #61 alone in the rafters of Nationwide Arena, the 41-year-old has made an immeasurable impact in Columbus, starting with his first overall selection back in 2002. Nash spent nine seasons carrying the Blue Jackets as they got off the ground as an expansion franchise, followed by making his mark as a Ranger, as well as a stint in Boston, officially retiring in six years ago.

Meanwhile, Clark has been with the organization since 2012, starting out as a development coach, before moving up in 2019 to Director of Player Personnel and General Manager of the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate. Under Clark, the Monsters have gradually improved year by year, making playoff runs in each of the last two seasons.

The 49-year-old Connecticut native was chosen by Calgary in the 1994 draft, going on to make 607 appearances in the NHL with the Flames, Capitals, and finally, the Blue Jackets, last skating at the highest level in 2010-11.

The franchise icon Nash, along with the highly respected Clark help round out General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Don Waddell’s top brass, the 67-year-old set to reach two years in the role this May. Currently below a Wild Card spot, the Blue Jackets have tremendously found their stride under new Head Coach Rick Bowness, winning eight of his first nine games. With a dynamic young core, the club figures to be on the cusp of another window in years to come, after reaching new heights as an organization in the late 2010s.