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While it was a slower start to his first season with the Detroit Red Wings than he would have liked, veteran forward James van Riemsdyk is more than making up for lost time thanks to his recent hot streak.

Entering Monday evening's game against the Vancouver Canucks, van Riemsdyk had goals in three straight games, and had tallied in five of his last six games.

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Now, the second overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft (one pick behind his now-current Red Wings teammate Patrick Kane) has officially set a new career mark. With his first period goal against the Canucks, he now has goals in four straight games, the longest of his career. 

SCORING MACHINE JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK pic.twitter.com/REjiGjz97U

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 9, 2025

van Riemsdyk, who went a span of 16 games without finding the back of the net after he scored in his Red Wings debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been a scoring machine of late. 

He now has goals in six of his last seven outings, and a total of 334 for his NHL career. 

'No Panic In His Game': Red Hot James van Riemsdyk Paying Off For Red Wings Detroit Red Wings veteran James van Riemsdyk has now scored in three straight games, matching the longest streak of his NHL career.

He was signed by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman not only for his veteran leadership and savvy play around the net, but to provide secondary scoring. Right now, he's the hottest scorer on the team. 

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Mackenzie Blackwood has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the NHL. 

The 28-year-old earned that respect from NHL insider and former goaltender Kevin Weekes, who praised him Monday on NHL Tonight. 

Blackwood was selected 42nd overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils, where he spent four seasons. His standout campaign came during the shortened 2019–20 season, posting a 22-14-8 record with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. On the show, Weekes elaborated on why he has long admired Blackwood’s game. 

“I think Mackenzie Blackwood going back to his time in (Juniors) always had the goods,” he stated. “He has the size; he has the skillset. I liked him a lot when he was with the Devils (Weekes’ former team), but he was a young goalie...but he’s really found his footing since going out West.” 

On June 27, 2023, as a pending restricted free agent, Blackwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick. He promptly signed a two-year contract with San Jose. Blackwood made his Sharks debut early in the 2023–24 season on October 14, recording 51 saves in a 2–1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche—ironically, the team that would acquire him the following season. 

That move, however, is what Weekes said allowed Blackwood to truly hone his skills and demonstrate that he has what it takes to perform under pressure. 

“And first going to San Jose and proving he can play under duress and then coming to Colorado, he’s been fantastic,” Weekes continued.  

“But (against the Philadelphia Flyers) specifically and (the New York Rangers), he was absolutely outstanding. But again, keep in mind, the fact that just up the street from here, he played in New Jersey. He’s familiar with these buildings, so maybe that had something to do with it.” 

Blackwood Started Season Nursing Injury 

The start of the season did not unfold as Blackwood had hoped. He underwent offseason surgery to address a persistent lower-body injury, and his recovery progressed more slowly than anticipated. Having missed both training camp and the preseason, he only began taking reps once the regular season commenced, leaving it evident that he still had significant ground to make up. 

After a somewhat shaky start, Blackwood has not only regained his footing but appears to be performing at the peak of his career. He currently holds an 8-1-1 record, boasting a career-low 2.21 goals-against average and a career-high .920 save percentage. While some might attribute his success to playing on a strong team, that perspective overlooks his individual contributions—most notably on Sunday, when the Avalanche defeated the Flyers 3-2 and Blackwood made several critical saves to preserve the one-goal margin. He deserves all of the credit. 

Blackwood Is Elite

“I think he’s become a really complete goalie,” Weekes said. “I’m a big fan of his. What I would also say about Mackenzie Blackwood is like a lot of young people and young goalie players, he’s matured a lot, too. 

“He knows Colorado is an elite team, but to me, the way he played...he played back-to-back. And I love that he played back-to-back because it’s kind of a rare thing nowadays, but I love seeing it, so good on him for the back-to-back performances.” 

Blackwood recorded 25 saves against the Rangers on Saturday, helping secure a 3-2 overtime victory capped by Nathan MacKinnon’s deft backhand that eluded Igor Shesterkin. The following day, he added 23 more saves—including several highlight-reel stops—to propel the Avalanche to a second 3-2 triumph, this time in regulation. 

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The Philadelphia Flyers have made another minor trade.

The Flyers have announced that they have acquired defenseman Roman Schmidt from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for blueliner Ethan Samson. 

With this move, the Flyers have added a new defenseman with size to their system in Schmidt. The 6-foot-5, right-shot defenseman was selected by the Lightning with the 96th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has spent his entire professional career so far at the AHL level. 

In 13 games this season with the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, he recorded one assist and 38 penalty minutes. This was after he had three goals, five points, 79 penalty minutes, and a plus-7 rating in 49 games last season for the Crunch. 

As for Samson, the Flyers selected the right-shot defenseman with the 174th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In 10 games this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms before this trade, he posted four assists and a plus-4 rating. This was after he had 12 goals and 24 points in 69 games for the Phantoms this past season. 

The Buffalo Sabres may be having a tough 2025-26 season, but former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker has been impactful for them. In 20 games so far this season with the Sabres, Zucker has recorded nine goals, seven assists, and 16 points. This is after he had 21 goals, 32 assists, and 53 points in 73 games during his first season with the Sabres in 2024-25. 

Zucker is also continuing to perform well for the Sabres as the season carries on, as he is playing some strong hockey right now for the Atlantic Division club. The truth can be seen with his recent stats. 

Zucker has scored a goal in each of the Sabres' last three games, so there is no question that he is heating up big time for Buffalo. With the Sabres looking to climb up the standings, it is certainly good for them that Zucker is producing offensively right now. The former Penguin will now be looking to build on his hot streak for the Sabres from here. 

In four seasons with the Penguins from 2019-20 to 2022-23, Zucker recorded 50 goals, 45 assists, 95 points, and 457 hits. 

Center Michael Misa and goaltender Josh Ravensbergen were among the 27 players named Monday to Canada’s National Junior Team training camp roster—giving the San Jose Sharks two more prospects with a strong chance to represent their country at next month’s IIHF World Junior Championship. 

Misa, 18, the second overall pick in June’s NHL Draft, is one of 15 forwards invited to the camp, set for Dec. 12–22 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Ravensbergen, selected 30th overall and who turned 19 in November, is one of three goaltenders vying for a roster spot. 

Assuming no injuries or last-minute changes, both players are projected to be on Canada’s roster when the tournament opens Dec. 26 in Minnesota. Each nation may carry 22 skaters—typically 14 forwards and eight defensemen—along with three goalies. 

MICHAEL MISA HAS HIS FIRST NHL GOAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Wi869Trf46

— NHL (@NHL) October 26, 2025

Misa scored his first career NHL goal on October 26 en route to a 6-5 win over Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild. 

The Future Is Here

Misa, a native of Oakville, Ontario, recorded three points in seven games with the Sharks before suffering a right ankle sprain during a Nov. 5 morning skate in Seattle. After steady progress in his recovery, he was placed on long-term injured reserve last week and assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda for conditioning. 

He notched an assist in the Barracuda’s 4–3 overtime win over Tucson on Friday and was held off the scoresheet in Saturday’s 6–2 loss in the rematch. 

Ravensbergen, a North Vancouver, B.C. native, was named the WHL Goalie of the Month for November after an outstanding stretch in which he won eight of 10 starts and posted a .940 save percentage with the Prince George Cougars. He currently leads the league with 16 wins and ranks fourth overall with a .921 save percentage. 

Although Ravensbergen didn’t appear in any preseason games for the Sharks, he made a strong impression at the organization’s development camp in July and again during rookie camp in September, reinforcing his status as one of San Jose’s most promising young goaltenders. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Former San Jose Sharks star Tomas Hertl has had a solid start to the 2025-26 season with the Vegas Golden Knights. In 28 games so far this campaign, the 32-year-old forward has recorded 13 goals, nine assists, and 22 points. With this, he has certainly been one of the Golden Knights' top offensive contributors early on this season.

Hertl is only continuing to make a big impact for the Golden Knights as the season carries on, too. The former Sharks forward is red-hot right now for Vegas, as he has scored four goals in his last four games. This, of course, included him scoring two goals against the Sharks on Nov. 29. 

Seeing Hertl putting up good numbers for the Golden Knights is not surprising in the slightest, as he certainly did just that during his days with the Sharks. He also had a strong season for the Golden Knights this past campaign, as he recorded 32 goals, 29 assists, and 61 points in 73 games with the Pacific Division club. 

It will now be interesting to see how Hertl builds on his hot streak with the Golden Knights. Clearly, the former Shark is feeling it right now. 

It appears that at least two prospects from the Pittsburgh Penguins could be headed to the World Junior Championship (WJC). 

Last week, forward Will Horcoff was named to Team USA's prelimary roster for the WJC, and Monday, it was defenseman Harrison Brunicke's turn. Brunicke, 19, was officially named to the WJC training camp roster for Team Canada along with 26 other players, and - assuming he is a lock for the roster - it will be his second time representing his country, as he won gold with the U18 team for the WJC back in 2024.

However, this will likely be his first time representing at the highest level of junior hockey, as he broke his hand last season prior to the tournament and was unable to participate despite getting the invite to camp.

The 6-foot-3, 201-pound blueliner - selected 44th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft with the second-round pick acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Jake Guentzel trade - made the Penguins' NHL roster out of training camp. Despite registering a goal in his second NHL game and starting off the season well, his play declined in the latter part of his nine-game trial run, and he found himself a frequent healthy scratch.

As such, he was loaned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins on conditioning for the team's last five games, and he put up three points in five games and was a plus-2 with 13 shots on goal. Brunicke has yet to play in his 10th NHL game this season to activate his entry-level contract, and the Penguins will have until Jan. 3 - their 40th game of the season - to determine whether or not he will stick around, as that is the day they lose a year of restricted free agency at the end of his current deal.

Harrison Brunicke has been named to Canada's #WorldJuniors camp roster 🇨🇦 https://t.co/RPTpLyR7K3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 8, 2025

Therefore, a loan to Team Canada for the WJC - which is expected to be made official at some point this week by the Penguins - could be good for the young, talented blueliner. He figures to log significant minutes, should his roster spot be finalized, on the right side in a top-four role, and he may be in the mix for the country's leadership group, too. 

Brunicke would join fellow NHLers in San Jose Sharks forward Michael Misa and Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh on the squad as well as forwards Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone. Those five figure to fill some of the biggest roles on the team, assuming they are all on the final roster. 

Reacting To Hockey Canada's 2026 World Juniors Camp RosterHockey Canada named 27 players to its world juniors camp roster on Monday, with Sharks, Flames and Penguins players getting loaned to the national squad.

Here is final training camp roster for Team Canada:

Forwards

Carter Bear, Everett (WHL)

Cole Beaudoin, Barrie (OHL)

Braeden Cootes, Seattle (WHL)

Caleb Desnoyers, Moncton (QMJHL)

Liam Greentree, Windsor (OHL)

Michael Hage, Michigan (NCAA)

Tij Iginla, Kelowna (WHL)

Jett Luchanko, Brantford (OHL)

Brady Martin, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Porter Martone, Michigan State (NCAA)

Gavin McKenna, Penn State (NCAA)

Michael Misa, San Jose (NHL)

Jake O'Brien, Brantford (OHL)

Sam O'Reilly, London (OHL)

Cole Reschny, North Dakota (NCAA)

Penguins' Center Evgeni Malkin Out Day-To-DayEven though the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> got a few players back in their lineup for Sunday's game against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/">Dallas Stars</a>, they lost a pretty prominent one.

Defensemen

Kashawn Aitcheson, Barrie (OHL)

Harrison Brunicke, Pittsburgh (NHL)

Carson Carels, Prince George (WHL)

Ben Danford, Brantford (OHL)

Ethan Mackenzie, Edmonton (WHL)

Zayne Parekh, Calgary (NHL)

Cameron Reid, Kitchener (OHL)

Jackson Smith, Penn State (NCAA)

Keaton Verhoeff, North Dakota (NCAA)

Goaltenders

Carter George, Owen Sound (OHL)

Jack Ivankovic, Michigan (NCAA)

Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George (WHL)

Revisiting The Jake Guentzel Trade TreeOn Thursday, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will take on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> in Florida, as Pittsburgh looks to hold onto its playoff positioning and Tampa looks to extend its Atlantic Division lead.&nbsp;

The WJC will take place in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. on Dec. 26, 2025 - Jan. 5, 2026.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

It appears that at least two prospects from the Pittsburgh Penguins could be headed to the World Junior Championship (WJC). 

Last week, forward Will Horcoff was named to Team USA's prelimary roster for the WJC, and Monday, it was defenseman Harrison Brunicke's turn. Brunicke, 19, was officially named to the WJC training camp roster for Team Canada along with 26 other players, and - assuming he is a lock for the roster - it will be his second time representing his country, as he won gold with the U18 team for the WJC back in 2024.

However, this will likely be his first time representing at the highest level of junior hockey, as he broke his hand last season prior to the tournament and was unable to participate despite getting the invite to camp.

The 6-foot-3, 201-pound blueliner - selected 44th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft with the second-round pick acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Jake Guentzel trade - made the Penguins' NHL roster out of training camp. Despite registering a goal in his second NHL game and starting off the season well, his play declined in the latter part of his nine-game trial run, and he found himself a frequent healthy scratch.

As such, he was loaned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins on conditioning for the team's last five games, and he put up three points in five games and was a plus-2 with 13 shots on goal. Brunicke has yet to play in his 10th NHL game this season to activate his entry-level contract, and the Penguins will have until Jan. 3 - their 40th game of the season - to determine whether or not he will stick around, as that is the day they lose a year of restricted free agency at the end of his current deal.

Harrison Brunicke has been named to Canada's #WorldJuniors camp roster 🇨🇦 https://t.co/RPTpLyR7K3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 8, 2025

Therefore, a loan to Team Canada for the WJC - which is expected to be made official at some point this week by the Penguins - could be good for the young, talented blueliner. He figures to log significant minutes, should his roster spot be finalized, on the right side in a top-four role, and he may be in the mix for the country's leadership group, too. 

Brunicke would join fellow NHLers in San Jose Sharks forward Michael Misa and Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh on the squad as well as forwards Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone. Those five figure to fill some of the biggest roles on the team, assuming they are all on the final roster. 

Reacting To Hockey Canada's 2026 World Juniors Camp RosterHockey Canada named 27 players to its world juniors camp roster on Monday, with Sharks, Flames and Penguins players getting loaned to the national squad.

Here is final training camp roster for Team Canada:

Forwards

Carter Bear, Everett (WHL)

Cole Beaudoin, Barrie (OHL)

Braeden Cootes, Seattle (WHL)

Caleb Desnoyers, Moncton (QMJHL)

Liam Greentree, Windsor (OHL)

Michael Hage, Michigan (NCAA)

Tij Iginla, Kelowna (WHL)

Jett Luchanko, Brantford (OHL)

Brady Martin, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Porter Martone, Michigan State (NCAA)

Gavin McKenna, Penn State (NCAA)

Michael Misa, San Jose (NHL)

Jake O'Brien, Brantford (OHL)

Sam O'Reilly, London (OHL)

Cole Reschny, North Dakota (NCAA)

Penguins' Center Evgeni Malkin Out Day-To-DayEven though the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> got a few players back in their lineup for Sunday's game against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/">Dallas Stars</a>, they lost a pretty prominent one.

Defensemen

Kashawn Aitcheson, Barrie (OHL)

Harrison Brunicke, Pittsburgh (NHL)

Carson Carels, Prince George (WHL)

Ben Danford, Brantford (OHL)

Ethan Mackenzie, Edmonton (WHL)

Zayne Parekh, Calgary (NHL)

Cameron Reid, Kitchener (OHL)

Jackson Smith, Penn State (NCAA)

Keaton Verhoeff, North Dakota (NCAA)

Goaltenders

Carter George, Owen Sound (OHL)

Jack Ivankovic, Michigan (NCAA)

Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George (WHL)

Revisiting The Jake Guentzel Trade TreeOn Thursday, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will take on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> in Florida, as Pittsburgh looks to hold onto its playoff positioning and Tampa looks to extend its Atlantic Division lead.&nbsp;

The WJC will take place in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. on Dec. 26, 2025 - Jan. 5, 2026.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!