New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin is set to start his 51st game of the 2024-25 season against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In doing so, Sorokin will be the first goalie to appear in at least 51 games four times in Islanders history.

This milestone will come two days after the netminder became the first goalie in team history to win at least 25 games in four straight seasons, per Eric Hornick’s The Skinny. 

Sorokin Sets Islanders Franchise Record After Win Against Florida

Sorokin's play this season has kept the Islanders in the playoff race, as the netminder holds a 25-20-5 record, a 2.73 GAA, a .907 SV%, and 14.7 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

In his career, Sorokin is 120-85-35 in 242 career games with a .917 SV%, 2.58 GAA, and 21 shutouts.

With over seven seasons remaining on his eight-year, $66 million contract, the 30-year-old can continue re-writing the record books.

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The Buffalo Sabres have re-assigned forward Isak Rosen to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

It has been a busy few days for Rosen, as the Sabres first re-assigned him to Rochester back on March 13 and then called him back up to the NHL roster on March 16. Now, he is again heading back to Rochester after not appearing in a game during his latest brief call-up with the Sabres. 

Rosen, 22, has appeared in three games this season with the Sabres, where he has zero points and a minus-2 rating. He is in the middle of an impressive season with Rochester, however, posting new AHL career-highs with 27 goals and 51 points in 52 games.

The Sabres selected Rosen with the 14th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In 10 career NHL games over two seasons, he has zero points, two hits, and 10 shots on goal. 

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All good things come to an end.

The Detroit Red Wings have had a lot of great players over the years. From Niklas Lidstrom to Henrik Zetterburg to Chris Osgood and Steve Yzerman.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Unfortunately, not every player who plays for the Red Wings can stay with the Red Wings.

This summer, the Red Wings have to decide on several players at multiple levels of competition within the organization. So, let’s look at every expiring contract in the Red Wings' books.

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The Restricted Free Agents

Elmer Soderblom

The towering Elmer Soderblom has risen through the ranks of the Red Wings depth chart since his recall. He started the year in the AHL and now finds himself deployed on the top line in Detroit. He has spent 39 minutes on a line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

His combination of skill and size makes him a player that the Red Wings will want to keep around for a very long time.

Jonatan Berggren

Jonatan Berggren has been up and down so far this year. Unfortunately, the young forward has been a healthy scratch for the past two games. He will need to turn things around if he wants to stick around long-term.

Albert Johansson

One of the bright spots of the season has been the emergence of two young defenders; Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson. This is the young Swede’s first taste of NHL hockey. After 44 games, the results have been incredibly positive.

The 24-year-old has been paired with Edvinsson for 63 percent of his total ice time this season. The duo have done great, having fewer goals scored on them than they score, even if they have allowed more chances and shots than they have taken.

The Red Wings’ Minor League RFA’s

Antti Tuomisto might not be on a lot of Red Wings’ fans radars, but the right-handed defender has had a solid year. He has been the most productive player on the backend of the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The 6-foot-5 and 210 lb Finnish defender has 24 points in 55 games, which is the seventh-most points on the Griffins.

Cross Hanas hasn’t been as productive, with only 17 points in 54 games this year. The winger has picked up his production of late, with four points in his last six games.

Eemil Viro is 2020 draft class defender playing for the Griffins. He will need a new AHL contract, as he is not ready to make the jump to the NHL. However, it’s possible that the Red Wings move on come July 1st.

Gage Alexander is a 6-foot-6 goaltender playing in the ECHL. He’s only played five games for the Reading Royals, but he has a 4-1 record, 2.81 goals against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%).

The Unrestricted Free Agents

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane appeared to be slumbering through the first portion of the season. But, since Christmas he’s been one of the top offensive contributors on the Red Wings.

Unless Kane feels like shifting his priorities, he will likely sign another one-year deal with the Red Wings once July 1st comes up on the calendar.

Craig Smith

The newest Red Wings forward Craig Smith does a lot of things that coaches like. He might not set the scoreboard ablaze, but a veteran coach in Todd McLellan might really like having a player like him around. There’s a good chance the Red Wings find a way to sneak him in on a two-to-three year deal in the summer.

Tyler Motte

Depth forwards come and go, and Tyler Motte is no exception. If the Red Wings really like him and his character, I could see him coming back on a one-year contract. Otherwise, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Jeff Petry

File Jeff Petry under the category of most likely to not be re-signed by the Red Wings. The combination of injury history and decline of play make it unlikely that Petry gets offered another contract by the Red Wings. Tuomisto or Anton Johansson could be two internal candidates to replace him in the NHL next season.

William Lagesson

William Lagesson is another depth player who could find themselves looking for work with another team come July 1st. He’s spent time both in the AHL and NHL this season. He’s a solid third pairing 29-year-old defender who doesn’t bring anything to the table that the Red Wings don’t already have with prospects who are ready to make the jump to the AHL.

Alex Lyon

The Red Wings goaltending situation will be a top storyline to follow during the summer. Cam Talbot, Petr Mrazek, and Alex Lyon are all tending twine for the Red Wings for the remainder of the year. However, the fascinating development of acquiring Mrazek could signal the end of Lyon’s tenure with the team. Talbot and Mrazek are signed until the end of the 2025-26 season.

The Minor League UFA’s

The Red Wings have a mixed bag of minor-league UFA’s to make decisions on in the summer: Timothy Gettinger, Joe Snively, Brogan Rafferty, and Jack Campbell.

Snively leads the Griffins with 39 points in 60 games. He spent six years with the Hershey Bears before joining the Griffins. As long as he is happy with his situation, playing another year in the AHL seems like a safe bet.

Gettinger and Rafferty are depth players for the Griffins. Depending on their plans, them returning to the team next season seems like a coin toss.

Campbell is an interesting case for the Red Wings. He has had his struggles, as his admittance to the NHLPA Players Assistance program earlier this season suggests, but when he plays well, he can be lights out.

It’s tough to pinpoint what kind of goaltender Campbell is at this stage of his career. If the Red Wings are willing to keep him on board, being the veteran presence in net for the Griffins might be his best chance at playing.

The Prospects

I’ve written about these prospects before and how the Red Wings will need to decide whether or not to offer them contracts. Kyle Aucoin was also in this category, but the Red Wings traded his rights before the deadline as part of the Yanni Gourde deal.

Red Savage brings intangibles in addition to skill, while Liam Dower Nilsson has a lot of skill. Those two could have a contract offered to them. I’m less sure about Sam Stange.

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After dominating the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, the Montreal Canadiens will press on with their quest for a playoff spot by taking on the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. Montreal’s nearest geographical rival has become its most significant rival full-stop over the years, according to Arber Xhekaj. The gritty defenseman made his name in the league in a pre-season fight against the young Sens, and the number of times both teams have met has fuelled the intense rivalry.

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On Tuesday night, with both teams trying to secure their ticket to the Spring dance, meaning we should be in for a real battle. Martin St-Louis has already confirmed Samuel Montembeault will be in net. The Canadiens’ starter has a 2-3-0 record against Ottawa, with a 3.06 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. As for backup Jakub Dobes, he’s never taken on the divisional rival.

As for the Sens, Linus Ullmark has had the lion’s share of the work so far this season, but he doesn’t have a great track record against the Habs, he’s 3-3-0 with a 3.44 GAA and a .869 SP. As for Anton Forsberg, he has an amazing 6-0-0 record when facing the Canadiens along with a 2.62 GAA and a .924 SP. Given the importance of the game, it will be interesting to see if Ottawa decides to go with the undefeated goaltender.

The Canadiens have won the first two meetings between the two teams this season, but Ottawa has won eight of the last 10 games. Still, this season, the Habs have a 9-3 edge in scoring over their rival.

Practice was intense at the Bell Centre on Monday morning, Xhekaj and Mike Pezzetta had an altercation, but gloves weren’t dropped. Asked about the incident, St-Louis agreed its better to see too much intensity than not enough. Still, they added it’s possible to have the right amount of intensity without that kind of incident.

Xhekaj and Pezzetta made up minutes later and went out to dinner last night as showed on the latter's Instagram account, proving they had buried the proverbial hatchet. 

Michael Pezzetta & Arber Xhekaj are BFFs ♥️ pic.twitter.com/STuyfBcp1Y

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) March 18, 2025

Brendan Gallagher has been the most productive Canadiens against the Sens for a few years; the alternate captain has 26 points in 46 games, including two points in the Habs’ 5-2 win over Ottawa last month. Captain Nick Suzuki has 18 points in 27 games, while Patrik Laine has 15 points in 14 games.

On the other side, Claude Giroux has got quite the history against the Habs with 38 points in 49 games, while captain Brady Tkachuk has 27 points in 29 games. Drake Batherson rounds up the top three with 24 points in 26 games.

This won’t be an easy duel for the Canadiens. The Senators have a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games and have won their last 6. They are getting close enough to smell the playoffs. They have a 5-point lead over the New York Rangers in the first wild card spot. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have a 7-1-2 record and are still outside of the playoff position looking in. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, and it promises to be the kind of game you shouldn’t miss.

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Draft pick watch: Why Bruins must prioritize first-round lottery odds originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The smartest path for the Boston Bruins to take for the remainder of the 2024-25 NHL regular season is prioritizing their first-round pick.

The Bruins entered Tuesday with the ninth-worst record in the league based on points percentage after losing 3-2 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night at TD Garden. The last time the Bruins’ own first-round pick was in the top 10 was 2007 when they selected center Zach Hamill at No. 8 overall.

But that’s where the Bruins find themselves with 14 games left in what has been a very disappointing season for the Original Six franchise.

The B’s are still mathematically alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but their chances of securing a postseason berth for the ninth straight year are incredibly small. Boston trails the Toronto Maple Leafs by 14 points for third place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins trail the Ottawa Senators by eight points for the first wild card spot and the New York Rangers by three points for the second wild card spot.

MoneyPuck’s analytics model gives the Bruins only a 0.7 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. Boston is 2-2-1 after dealing away several veteran players, including captain Brad Marchand, before the March 7 trade deadline.

It’s time for the Bruins to play for the future.

What would this look like? Well, calling up some of the organization’s top prospects from the AHL’s Providence Bruins would be a good start. Give these young players a chance to prove themselves at the NHL level. It’s important for prospects such as Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov and Matthew Poitras to get reps against the best competition. The B’s need to learn what they have in these players, regardless of whether they’re part of the long-term solution or potential trade chips.

After the Bruins’ final regular season game on April 15, the next date for fans to circle on their calendar is the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery. An official date for the lottery hasn’t yet been announced by the league, but it typically takes place in May.

If the season ended today, the Bruins would have the following odds to land one of these picks in the draft lottery (via Tankathon):

• No. 1 overall: 5.0 percent
• No. 2: 5.2 percent
• No. 3: 0.2 percent
• No. 9: 64.4 percent
• No. 10: 23.5 percent
• No. 11: 1.7 percent

The Bruins could jump as high as No. 1 overall, but they could also fall as far as No. 11. The most likely outcome is staying put at No. 9.

One draft lottery rule to remember is that teams can only jump 10 spots at most in the lottery. This means the top 11 teams in the lottery are able to get the No. 1 pick. Teams No. 12 through No. 16 cannot win the lottery. So it’s important for the Bruins, if they miss the playoffs, to be among the 11-worst teams and keep their chances — even if they are very small — of winning the lottery alive.

The 2025 draft class is loaded with good centers. In fact, six or seven of the top 15 prospects in the class are centers, which is good news for the Bruins because they really need an infusion of high-end talent at that position.

The Bruins could still hang around in the playoff race. They have the sixth-easiest remaining schedule. But this team isn’t a contender. The difference between the No. 8 or No. 9 pick and the No. 11 or No. 12 pick is significant. The time has come for the B’s to prioritize draft positioning over the final few weeks of the season.

The Chicago Blackhawks went 0-3-1 on their recent four-game road trip. They played well against the Colorado Avalanche in the first game despite the loss, but the good vibes pretty much ended there. 

Outside of the NHL debut (and first three games) for Artyom Levshunov going well, there wasn’t much to like about Chicago’s game on this trip. 

Before they left for that road trip, Chicago had played very well on home ice in the games leading up to their departure. Now that they are back, they want to continue where they left off. 

This is how Chicago projects to line up against the Seattle Kraken in their return to the United Center: 

Donato-Nazar-Bedard

Teravainen-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Slaggert-Foligno-Dach

Maroon-Reichel-Bertuzzi

Vlasic-Levshunov

Del Mastro-Murphy

Kaiser-Martinez

This will be the second game in a row where Connor Bedard will start on the wing with Frank Nazar at center. This time, Ryan Donato will get a chance to be the third guy playing with the Blackhawks' new dynamic duo. 

Bedard has less responsibility on the wing as he has to worry about a 180-foot game rather than a 200-foot game but it remains to be seen if he can be as dangerous offensively. 

In the last two games, Connor Bedard was handed a ten-minute misconduct. Each of them was a little bit different but there is no doubt that he's brought some feisteness to his game lately. With spark plugs like Ryan Donato and Frank Nazar on his line, they may be able to make some noise. 

On defense, in front of the home crowd for the first time in his NHL career, Artyom Levshunov will be on the first pair with Alex Vlasic to start the game. Vlasic, another outstanding young defenseman, might be the perfect partner for Levshunov right now. 

Arvid Soderblom was the starter for the Blackhawks in Saturday night's loss to the Vancouver Canucks so you can expect Spencer Knight to get the nod in this one. 

The Kraken are not as low in the standings as the Blackhawks but they still enter this game 10 points below the playoff line. After being sellers at the deadline, it's clear they are thinking about the future as well. 

The Blackhawks should expect a tough game but also one where they can generate chances with their speed and skill. With a goaltender like Knight behind them, they might find it easier to have the confidence needed to make big plays.

More than anything, these late-season games should be about working on good habits to go with their skill. The future of this team is bright but these moments of development could make all the difference. 

This game can be seen on CHSN and heard on WGN Radio 720. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The Los Angeles Kings (36-21-9) landed in Minnesota (38-25-5) yesterday to take on the Wild. The Kings have been excellent, securing back-to-back wins with shutouts. With the playoffs so close, securing every single two points is crucial. In tonight's goalie lineup, Darcy Kuemper led his team out while Filip Gustavsson stood in net. It's a series of questions surrounding tonight's game: Can Kuemper secure his third shutout, and can the Kings maintain their momentum? Is tonight the night Andrei Kuzmenko gets his first goal as a King? 

Kempe Scores to Make It 1-0

With puck drop underway, it was a clash between the Wild and the Kings as they fought for possession of the puck. After five minutes of play, Adrian Kempe had lit the lamp to open the scoring, giving the Kings a 1-0 advantage. Brendan Gaunce and Jon Merrill were denied by a series of incredible saves from Kuemper. Throughout the first period, the team's balance and harmony resulted in strategic plays. Los Angeles showcased their active strength and quick speed throughout this period, and we looked forward to the second. 

Little extra Juice on that one 🚀 pic.twitter.com/70iA7rAsNl

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 18, 2025

Wild Ties It Up

After twenty minutes of play, the Kings returned for the second frame and the Wild were quick to tie it up with a tip-in from Ryan Hartman. The Kings were determined to level the score and regain the lead. A too many men penalty was called on the Minnesota Wild at the 14:40 mark, giving LA a power play chance to score. Unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities, and marked by plenty of back-and-forth action, both the Kings and the Wild entered the second intermission tied at 1-1.

Minnesota Leads 2-1

The third period saw the Kings and Wild back on the ice, though the Kings displayed  less physicality and energy. At the 4:38 point, Mats Zuccarello scored with a wrist shot, putting the Wild ahead 2-1. In the final moments, the Kings pulled their goaltender, hoping for a chance to tie the game before the regulation buzzer. With just 56 seconds remaining in regulation, the Wild secured the victory as Marcus Johansson scored the game-winning goal, making the final tally, 3-1. While Los Angeles outshot Minnesota 29-22, the Kings' single goal highlights a need for improved consistent scoring. Changes are necessary. The Kings left the Wild's home ice without any points and headed to their next destination in Chicago.