After a five-game road trip, the Anaheim Ducks will return home to Orange County to host the Dallas Stars on Friday evening. The Ducks went 2-2-1 on the trip and did not play their best hockey; lucky to come away from some of their games with points in the standings. However, as the trip wore on and in their last two games, they were able to tighten up their end, protect the high-danger areas of the ice, and keep opposing chances to a minimum.

To date, and though they’ve shown great improvement over previous seasons (especially from an offensive perspective), the Ducks remain one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL. They are surrendering 3.29 goals against per game (24th in the NHL), 29.2 shots against per game (25th in the NHL), and at 5v5, they’re allowing 2.95 expected goals against per 60 minutes (31st in the NHL).

Somewhat similar to the early stages of 2024-25, a young defenseman has unexpectedly impressed spectators along with the Ducks' coaching staff, playing his way into more consistent ice time. A year ago, it was Jackson LaCombe, who is now the team’s top blueliner and one of the NHL’s top minute-eaters on the backend (25:15 TOI/G).

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This season, after starting the year with the San Diego Gulls and being inserted in the lineup when captain Radko Gudas sustained a lower-body injury that caused him to miss 11 games, rookie Ian Moore has played 20 games for the Ducks, averaging 14:00 TOI/G, scoring five points (2-3=5), and playing a dynamic yet fundamentally sound brand of defense for Anaheim in his career’s infancy.

Moore’s emergence, along with the Ducks' questionable defensive efforts night-to-night, has caused a bit of a logjam on the team’s blueline for the second straight season. Of late, Pavel Mintyukov served as a healthy scratch, followed by Moore, followed most recently by Drew Helleson.

“Everybody wants to play in the worst way, and everybody expects to play. At the same time, we’re in a fortunate situation where we have to make hard decisions, and we let them know that this is part of the position we’re in right now," Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after morning skate on Friday. "And hey, you’re not out for a long time, just be ready when you’re not playing. Keep yourself prepared for when you come back in, and play like it’s not going to happen again. We’re in a fortunate position to be able to do that, but nobody wants to be that guy. Right now, there are four of them that are in that position, so it’s not punishment either.”

The next talented young Ducks blueliner seemingly in line for a healthy scratch in tonight’s game against the Stars is Olen Zellweger, who will be in the press box for the first time this season.

Quenneville didn't fully commit to the decision when talking to media, but strongly hinted that was where this situation was likely trending.

“He could be, yeah. We’ve been moving around with our defense," Quenneville said. "Part of the decision is performance, but at the same time, we want to make sure that everybody gets a turn.”

This comes as a surprise, as Zellweger has arguably been the Ducks' best defenseman in 2025-26. He’s tallied 14 points (5-9=14) in 34 games, averaged 18:11 TOI/G, and when he’s on the ice at 5v5, the Ducks hold 53.53% of the shot attempt share (leads Ducks defensemen), 50.19% of the shots on goal share, and 50.48% of the expected goals share.

His modest point total is disappointing, and Zellweger was recently taken off the Ducks’ second power play unit, replaced by Jacob Trouba. He has a game-breaking offensive skillset, with unmatched puck skills and flawless skating technique, which he’s flashed on occasion in his young NHL career, but has been unable to consistently translate it to the NHL level and become a true threat that opponents have to gameplan for.

The Ducks have struggled mightily to defend the net front this season, and judging by his (listed) 5-foot-10 and 193-pound frame, one would guess Zellweger had been a significant culprit of poor defense in that area of the ice. One would have guessed wrong, however.

Zellweger has worked tirelessly to improve the defensive habits in his game, maximizing his frame, and simply doesn’t get beat often on the defensive side of the puck. His size does limit him to a degree, and he’s been walked on rare occasions this year, but when it comes to engagement, he’s been one of the Ducks' most diligent net-front defenders.

Unless an injury to a roster player is sustained, Quenneville doesn’t elect to alter a winning lineup for the following game. It will be curious to monitor this logjam situation on the Ducks' blueline and compare it to a year ago, where it seemed detrimental to the development of Zellweger and Mintyukov.

When Mintyukov served three consecutive healthy scratches earlier this season, reports were leaked suggesting that if his ice time didn’t increase, he’d prefer a trade. Though he’s been a healthy scratch on one other occasion, his on-ice response and play has been spectacular. Moore didn’t miss a beat either when he returned to the lineup most recently. Helleson will return to the lineup against the Stars, so his response will be scrutinized and evaluated as well.

“I think at that moment, they probably all have the same bitterness or whatever you want to call it," Quenneville said when asked about how the conversations go with players and their responses to scratches. "But at the same time, I think as a team, we look at that as part of what it’s all about. Make sure you contribute in a meaningful way when you get back in and have a positive outlook on what the process is all about.”

Though not entirely ideal, on the surface, having too many quality, young, NHL-caliber defenseman on the Ducks blueline is a good problem to have. The key will be messaging and communication so as not to limit their potential impact down the road for the organization.

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The Philadelphia Flyers’ 5–3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres was frustrating less because of the final score and more because of how the game slipped away.

Philadelphia showed enough early to suggest control was within reach, but defensive breakdowns and a fading push in the second half of the game allowed Buffalo to seize momentum and keep it. The result evens the season series at one game apiece and serves as a reminder of how quickly structure can erode when execution dips.

1. A Strong Start Didn’t Translate Into Sustained Control.

Philadelphia fell behind 1–0 early but responded with stretches of play that suggested the game was tilting back in their favor. The Flyers were organized through the neutral zone, managed Buffalo’s speed reasonably well, and generated offense without needing extended zone time.

Goals from Noah Cates, Cam York, and Travis Konecny reflected their efforts, and, for a time, looked like it could be enough to give them the two points.

That balance, however, didn’t last. As the game progressed into the latter stages of the second period and into the third, Buffalo began to dictate tempo, outshooting the Flyers 24–15 across the final two periods.

2. Defensive Breakdowns Defined the Difference.

Buffalo capitalized on mistakes rather than overpowering the Flyers. Missed assignments in the defensive zone and slow rotations allowed the Sabres to generate high-quality looks, particularly as Philadelphia’s structure loosened. The Flyers were often caught between pressuring the puck and protecting the middle of the ice, creating seams Buffalo was quick to attack.

This wasn’t a case of being overwhelmed physically or outmatched in pace. Instead, it was a game where details slipped—poor reads on zone exits, delayed reactions to second chances, and breakdowns that turned manageable situations into goals against.

Cam York’s goal and Jamie Drysdale’s assist highlighted positive moments from the blue line offensively, but defensively the group couldn’t consistently close gaps once Buffalo found its rhythm.

3. Special Teams Failed to Provide a Counterpunch.

The Flyers’ power play finished 0-for-3, and none of those opportunities shifted momentum back in Philadelphia’s favor.

At a point in the game where Buffalo was starting to push, a power-play goal could have slowed things down or forced the Sabres to recalibrate. Instead, the Flyers struggled to establish clean entries and generate sustained pressure.

Buffalo was aggressive on the kill, and the Flyers didn’t adjust quickly enough. Pucks were forced into traffic rather than worked to open ice, leading to quick clears and shortened possessions. When five-on-five play started to tilt, special teams didn’t offer relief.

(Attempting To) Fix The Flyers’ Power Play: Who Should Be Trusted With The Man Advantage?In the NHL, power plays are make-or-break. They swing momentum, pad leads, and save games that might otherwise slip away. And if you watched the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> last season, you don’t need a stats sheet to know their man-advantage was broken.

4. Individual Production Remained Steady.

Despite the loss, several Flyers continued strong individual stretches.

Travis Konecny scored his 10th goal of the season and extended his point streak to four games. Trevor Zegras recorded his team-high 20th assist, extending his point streak to six games and becoming the fastest Flyer to reach 20 assists since Danny Briere (also a former Sabre) in 2007–08. Bobby Brink added two assists, while Emil Andrae and Jamie Drysdale both contributed from the back end.

The Bottom Line

Philadelphia has shown this season that it can control games early, but sustaining that control for a full 60 minutes can still be inconsistent. When pressure increases, the margin for error narrows, and against Buffalo, the Flyers didn’t manage that stretch well.

It was a gut-wrenching gradual unraveling—one that left little room to recover once Buffalo took the lead for good. For a team aiming to stabilize its play, the lesson from this game is less about effort and more about execution when momentum shifts.

The Flyers leave Buffalo knowing they had enough early to shape the outcome, but not enough late to preserve it.

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The Detroit Red Wings are set to embark on a trip to Washington D.C. for the first of what will be two straight tilts against the Washington Capitals, beginning on Saturday afternoon, with the second taking place at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon. 

Prior to departing town for the nation's capital city, the Red Wings gathered for practice at the BELFOR Training Center inside of Little Caesars Arena, where both Patrick Kane and Moritz Seider skated and shot a few pucks before the rest of their teammates took the ice. 

Kane did not play in either of Detroit's two most recent games against the New York Islanders and the Utah Mammoth. According to McLellan, he will not be available for Saturday's game but will accompany the club on the trip. 

However, McLellan's update on Seider was more encouraging. His ironman streak isn't expected to be in danger, as Detroit's coach indicated that their top defenseman will be able to suit up and that Friday was just a maintenance day. 

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In Kane's most recent game against his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, he scored the 498th goal of his NHL career. However, he was banged up when his skates accidentally collided with the post during the second period of play, resulting in him falling into the boards in the corner. 

He was able to remain in the game through the final horn, but didn't play in either of Detroit's subsequent two matchups and will miss at least his third straight. 

Kane had already missed multiple games this season thanks to an upper-body injury suffered in late October, and has scored six goals with 17 assists in the 24 games he's appeared in. 

The Red Wings are slated to drop the puck against the Capitals at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday from Capital One Arena, followed by another matinee affair on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. 

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The Philadelphia Flyers have had a good start to the 2025-26 season, as evidenced by their 17-10-6 record.

With the Flyers taking a nice step in the right direction so far this season, it appears that they are now looking to add to their roster. 

According to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch, the Flyers are among the teams interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood. Garrioch also shared that the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars are among the clubs with interest in Sherwood. 

If the Flyers brought in Sherwood, he would give them another solid option to work with in their top nine. This is especially so when noting that the hard-nosed forward can play both left wing and right wing. Due to this, he could fit in multiple spots for the Flyers if acquired. 

If the Flyers are still in the playoff race near the deadline, it could make a lot of sense for them to bring in a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) like Sherwood. He would have the potential to give their forward group a nice boost, as he can score and plays with plenty of toughness. 

Sherwood has recorded 13 goals, four assists, 17 points, and 146 hits in 33 games so far this season with the Canucks.