The Ottawa Senators currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 13-11-4 record, but they’re only three points behind the third-place Montreal Canadiens, and four points behind the second-place Boston Bruins.

In addition, Ottawa has two games in hand on Boston. So it’s rather remarkable the Senators remain a strong team in the playoff hunt while their goaltending is not getting the job done.

In their past four losses, Ottawa has given up 16 goals and been outscored 16-7. Their 3.29 goals-against average this season speaks to their struggles in their own zone as a team.

But if the Sens want to take a competitive step forward and contend for home-ice advantage, they’re going to have to tighten things up defensively, specifically in the crease.

For instance, starter Linus Ullmark has posted an .877 save percentage and 3.00 GAA in 21 starts this season. He’s been better of late, with an SP of .900 or higher in his last couple of games.

However, Ullmark’s career averages of a .915 SP and a 2.58 GAA suggest the 32-year-old is going to put it all together and atone for his subpar start to the season. But Ullmark can't do it all himself, and that’s where his understudy – backup Leevi Merilainen – comes in.

In seven appearances this year, Merilainen has an .876 SP and a 3.36 GAA. The 23-year-old still has only 21 games of NHL experience under his belt, but there’s no sense the Sens have given up on him.

Who Can Be The Senators' Trade Partner As They Look To Take A Big Swing?As the Ottawa Senators look to make a big swing in the trade market this season, what other team in the NHL can be a trade partner?

That said, Merilainen has to give Ottawa coach Travis Green a reason to challenge Ullmark for playing time. That means being more consistent, and given that he’s lost his past three games, Merilainen has to show he can work his way out of adversity. 

Aside from the goaltending, there’s plenty to like about the Sens as a team. Sure, the team has to be better in front of Ullmark and Merilainen, and the blame for Ottawa’s so-so start shouldn't fall on their netminders alone.

Prospect Check-In: A Glance At The Ottawa Senators Goaltending PipelineOttawa's future goalies are battling across various leagues. See how these five prospects are shaping up early this season.

But the truth is, if the Senators' tandem can find a bit more consistency and challenge each other, there's an opportunity for Ottawa to not only be a playoff team again, but possibly a club that can claim home-ice advantage for the post-season.

If the Sens are to get to the next level, they’re going to need their goalies to be better than they’ve been thus far this season. 

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The state of the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending is such that trade rumors connecting potential trade acquisitions should be believed.

Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire, and the smoking ruins of the Oilers’ many defeats this season give Edmonton GM Stan Bowman good reason to shake the trees in the trade market and see what goalies could be available to change things up between the pipes for his team.

On Sportsnet's 'Saturday Headlines,' Elliotte Friedman indicated there’s interest from Edmonton in Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. But what’s likely an obstacle to this trade being consummated is Pittsburgh’s unwillingness to retain salary on Jarry’s current contract.

The 30-year-old’s salary of $5.375 million runs for an additional two seasons after this one, and acquiring him would be a huge commitment given his roller-coaster performances in previous seasons. 

Jarry’s individual numbers this season, including a .913 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average in 12 appearances, are significantly better than current Oilers starter Stuart Skinner’s .889 SP and 2.86 GAA in 21 starts.

Based on goaltending statistics today, Jarry would be an upgrade on Skinner. But the real question is – are the Oilers really in a position to take on Jarry’s full contract, or is that a dealbreaker for Bowman?

To answer, Edmonton should not take on Jarry's full contract, and it should be a dealbreaker for Bowman and the Oilers that the Penguins don't want to retain his salary.

The Oilers presently have only $159,167 in salary cap space. That means they’re going to have to move out money to make space for Jarry’s salary.

If Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas was willing to retain some salary, it would be far easier for Bowman to clear out a retained amount of cap space to gamble on Jarry, rather than taking on his full cap hit.

Bowman would have to move out roster players and weaken their offensive or defensive depth, or both. All that for a goaltender who has been inconsistent in the past.

Edmonton’s recent history of making bad investments in net – Jack Campbell as one example – makes the Oilers gun-shy to risk Jarry falling flat and being stuck with him for another two seasons.

They’ve already brought in Connor Ingram, and he’s struggling at the AHL level. So the thought of trading for Jarry, then shortly thereafter regretting it and being stuck with another potential buyout situation for years to come, could haunt Edmonton's front office.   

Indeed, rather than pursuing Jarry and being responsible for his full contract, it’s probably better to stay with Skinner. He’s in the final season of his contract that pays him $2.6 million, which gives the Oilers some freedom in how they'd like to handle Skinner.

Not to mention, he has been between the pipes in both of Edmonton's runs to the Stanley Cup final in the last two years.

NHL Hot Seat Radar: Oilers' Stuart Skinner Steps UpThe NHL Hot Seat Radar series highlights which NHL figures are under serious pressure to improve. The Edmonton Oilers had much better goaltending this past week, while the Flames and Kings still have scoring issues.

Besides, even if Skinner continues to struggle this season, it’s not as if Jarry is going to be the only goalie available via trade. As the year unfolds and there’s some separation in the standings, there’s likely to be other options for the Oilers in net. 

Regardless of what other options are out there, it makes sense for Bowman to be more patient and see what trade opportunities bubble up between now and the March 6 trade deadline.

If the Penguins are dead-set against salary retention for Jarry, the Oilers should move on and take their chances either with Skinner or someone else who isn’t as big a risk of failing.

Edmonton is on the clock when it comes to superstar Connor McDavid, so there should be a sense of urgency when it comes to the Oilers’ goaltending. But Jarry’s rebound season is still in its infancy, and the last thing Edmonton should want is a reclamation project that’s still in its early stages.

Bowman has to balance the needs of the moment with Edmonton's long-term needs, and that means either finding a veteran goalie who isn’t as much of a long-term risk or sticking with Skinner and letting the chips fall where they may, then possibly moving on from Skinner when he becomes a UFA in the summer.

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Every week in the NHL delivers goals, chaos, and occasionally, absolute gems on the microphone. Our “Say What?” series features some of the strangest, funniest, and most telling quotes from players, coaches, and executives around the league. 

Here are the lines that made us stop scrolling and say… what?,

"I think he was disappointed with your guys' coverage on his offensive ability, or not shooting the puck. Maybe that stirred it up. I know if I've got a problem with any other players, I'll just address it with you guys." - Kris Knoblauch. 

The Edmonton Oilers head coach was responding to coverage by the media, many asking why Connor McDavid wasn’t shooting more. That was Knoblauch’s reply after McDavid scored a hat trick in the following game.

“How would they know that?” - Rasmus Andersson

The Calgary Flames defenseman talked about reports that said he’s already decided on his future and whether he’s staying or leaving the Flames as his trade value increases with strong production. 

“I saw some reports the other day (saying) ‘Oh, he doesn’t know what to do with his future,' and I’m like, ‘How would you know that?'” Andersson said.

“I talked to my agent before the season started, and then we haven’t talked. How could you possibly know if I’m undecided about my future or not? I’ve come to the point in my life where I just laugh at the things people say online, and honestly, it feels great to come to that point," he added.

“It sucks.” - Matthew Knies, “Beast came in and was unbelievable for us.” - Auston Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs captain and power forward talked about Dennis Hildeby taking over for Joseph Woll, who went down with an injury against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Leafs are now without Woll and Anthony Stolarz, making Hildeby the team's starting goaltender. 

It's a huge loss for the Maple Leafs as Woll has been putting up great numbers, but Hildeby has stepped up in relief and with the new role.

Hildeby Is The Leafs' Starter With Woll's Injury, Here's How We Got HereWith Joseph Woll on injured reserve, rookie netminder Dennis Hildeby is now the starting goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here is how we got here.

"There's zero truth'' - Ken Holland 

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said he reached out to the Los Angeles Kings’ GM Ken Holland regarding speculation of a potential coaching change. Peter DeBoer has been linked to the story, but Holland isn’t giving the rumor any more life than it's already taken on. 

The Kings will continue forward with Jim Hiller as the bench boss, with no plans to make changes in the near future.

"If there’s no rink completed, there’s no NHL players going to the Olympics." - Bill Daly

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly was asked what the percentage chance was that some NHL players might drop out of the Olympics because of the rink issues in Italy.

"Depends on % you want to place on the possibility the rink doesn’t get completed," Daly said. "If there’s no rink completed, there’s no NHL players going to the Olympics."

“It’ll change things, but who cares?” -Nathan MacKinnon

When asked about the smaller ice surface at the Olympics, Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon wasn’t overly concerned.  

Maple Leafs' Matthews also chimed in and said, “It can be a 100-by-100-foot sheet. You just want to go out there and play and have that opportunity.”

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Building up to the 2026 Olympics in Milan in February, there has been concern around the league regarding the arena that players will be playing in. There have been reports about the arena not being ready, as well as the surface being about three feet shorter than an NHL rink.

On Sportsnet’s ‘Saturday Headlines,’ insider Elliotte Friedman said he sees a good chance that all will be fine and NHL players will get to feature in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

However, Friedman spoke with the NHLPA’s assistant executive director, Ron Hainsey, regarding what the biggest issue will be with the Olympic arena.

While the shorter ice surface isn’t ideal, Hainsey and the NHLPA are more concerned about the safety and quality of the ice in Milan.

The league is supposed to hold a test event from Jan. 9 to 11, Friedman reported.

“I think that test event is going to be critical, very important in determining how good this ice is going to be,” the Sportsnet insider said.

Furthermore, Friedman pointed to the schedule of the opening two days of the men’s ice hockey event, explaining that there will be five games played in 30 hours. In addition, those games will be coming after some contests from the women’s event.

2026 Olympics: Projected Team USA Roster Before Dec. 31 DeadlineThe Americans' deep and talented men's hockey roster makes them a co-favorite to win gold at the Olympics. It also means there will be some surprising snubs.

With all that, the message that Hainsey portrayed was clear.

“The health and safety of our players while playing on any surface will not be compromised,” he said.

Earlier in this segment on the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Friedman explained why Hainsey and the NHLPA aren’t as worried about the size of the ice versus the quality.

Hainsey pointed out that NHL players have played on smaller surfaces before. Earlier in this regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators played two games in Sweden as part of the NHL’s Global Series.

Both games were held at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, and according to Friedman, the 197-foot surface was similar to what these players will have to deal with at the Olympics.

Does Size Really Matter? Why A Smaller Olympic Ice Rink Should Ring Alarm BellsMilan's Olympic ice could be slightly smaller than NHL standards, sparking fears of organizational blunders and a compromised hockey experience for players and fans who have waited 12 years for best-on-best hockey.

In this situation, the size of the neutral zone was slightly shorter, while the two remaining zones on opposite sides of the ice remained NHL size.

Hainsey shared that the NHLPA never received any complaints in relation to the ice size and believes it shouldn’t be a big issue come February for the Olympic Games.

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.

Back on Nov. 20, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that the Winnipeg Jets have given Brad Lambert permission to seek a trade. While the young forward has yet to be dealt, that certainly could change before the trade deadline. 

Lambert is a 21-year-old former first-round pick, so there are likely many clubs that would love to add him to their system.

The 6-foot-1 center has shown promise early on in his career, including when he posted 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games in his second season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose in 2023-24. 

Although Lambert is still looking to break out at the NHL level, he has the potential to grow as he continues to gain more experience.

With that, let's look at three teams that could be good fits for Lambert. 

Nashville Predators 

The Nashville Predators could make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Lambert. With the Predators once again being one of the NHL's worst teams this season, they should be looking to add young talent who have the potential to benefit them long-term. Lambert could do just that if he breaks out and hits his full potential. 

When looking at the Predators' roster, Lambert would have the potential to immediately fit in their top nine. This would be even more of the case if the Predators end up moving on from top trade candidates like Ryan O'Reilly and Steven Stamkos this season. 

Three Potential Trade Fits For Predators' Ryan O'ReillyNashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly has been creating a lot of chatter in the rumor mill. Which teams could make sense for the veteran center?

Pittsburgh Penguins 

While the Pittsburgh Penguins have had a strong start to the 2025-26 season, they are still in the middle of a retool. Because of this, it would be very understandable if they made a major push for a young forward with good upside like Lambert. 

If the Penguins acquired Lambert, he would give them another promising forward prospect to work with. This would certainly not be a bad thing for Pittsburgh, especially when veteran star centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are up there in age.

Boston Bruins 

The Boston Bruins also make sense as a potential landing spot for Lambert. The Bruins need more young and skilled forwards as they continue to build up their roster again. Thus, a player like Lambert could very well grab their attention. 

In the short term, Lambert could compete for a spot in the Bruins' bottom six. However, he also would have the potential to be a part of Boston's top six if he broke out for the Original Six club. 

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.

The Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets will take on each other at the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic, the league announced on Saturday.

This outdoor game will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, hosted in Winnipeg at Princess Auto Stadium, the home of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

This is the eighth NHL Heritage Classic and the first since 2023, when the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Calgary Flames at Commonwealth Stadium. Edmonton won that game 5-2.

Princess Auto Stadium is hosting the NHL Heritage Classic for the second time, following the previous occasion in 2016. The Jets took on the Oilers, seeing Edmonton take that contest 3-0 in front of a crowd of 33,240 people.

More recently, Winnipeg played its second outdoor game against Calgary in the 2019 Heritage Classic, defeating the Flames 2-1 in overtime at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

As for the Canadiens, this 2026 outdoor outing will be their first since 2017, and their fifth in total. Montreal is 2-2-0 in such occasions and lost to the Ottawa Senators 3-0 at Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park in its last affair.

Dallas Stars To Host NHL Stadium Series Game At The Home Of NFL's CowboysThe Dallas Stars could bring in one of the NHL's largest crowds ever for their outdoor game in 2027.

This outdoor tilt between the Habs and the Jets is the third event scheduled in 2026. Later this season, the New York Rangers visit Miami to play against the Florida Panthers at LoanDepot Park on Jan. 2.

NHL Unveils Rangers And Panthers' Winter Classic UniformsThe Panthers' first outdoor game uniform features the leaping panther, while the Rangers will wear a Centennial jersey-inspired look.

In addition, on Feb. 1, the Tampa Bay Lightning are hosting the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium for the second outdoor game in the state of Florida within a month of each other.

Furthermore, with the announcement of the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic, the league also announced that they have agreed on a multi-year extension with Tim Hortons - the title sponsor of the Heritage Classic - to lengthen an already longstanding partnership.

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.

By Jared Clinton, Features Writer

Usually, Anniversaries are met with a little flourish. Maybe a card. Maybe some cake. Flowers, at the very least. If nothing else, though, you expect a modicum of acknowledgement that you’ve reached a milestone, especially when it’s one of those big, round numbers.

But when it comes to the 20th anniversary of the shootout in the NHL, the whole thing came and went without much fuss. So, if not the NHL, let us be the ones to take a moment to recognize it has been two decades since the league adopted the shootout. In fact, when the puck dropped on the 2025-26 season, it had been almost 20 years to the day since the first time fans got to see a shootout in NHL action.

The very first NHL shootout came in the ‘Battle of Ontario’ Oct. 5, 2005, the opening night of 2005-06. The shooter-goalie matchup? It was one with Hall of Fame proportions: the Ottawa Senators’ Daniel Alfredsson had the puck on his stick, with Ed Belfour guarding the crease for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The result? A simple but effective attempt by Alfredsson. His tally, combined with the goaltending of Dominik Hasek, helped the Senators etch their name in the record book as winners of the NHL’s first official shootout.

Since then – and prior to the start of this season – an additional 2,485 games have been decided by way of shootout. That’s a hair more than 10 percent of all regular-season games the past 20 years. And those shootouts have taken on all shapes and sizes, from two-round sweeps and back-and-forth affairs to out-and-out marathons. The longest shootout, which took place Dec. 16, 2014, went 20 rounds, with Florida eventually defeating Washington when Nick Bjugstad netted the winner.

And though the central conceit of the shootout has always been to produce clear-cut winners and losers, it has also delivered iconic moments. Within months of the shootout’s introduction, in a Nov. 26, 2005 outing that saw the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers deadlocked after regulation and overtime, Blueshirts defenseman Marek Malik stepped up to take his turn in the then-record 15th round of the shootout. Staring down Washington’s Olie Kolzig, Malik wound down the ice, tucked the puck back between his own legs and found twine, sending the Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy.

While NHL Shootouts Remain Polarizing, Penalty Shots Are Still ExcitingAn NHL insider made an interesting point about encouraging the referees to call more penalty shots, and he's right. Even though the very similar shootout has lost its shine, the penalty shot remains thrilling.

Moments like those – or Pavel Datsyuk’s chip shot, Patrick Kane’s deft dekes or more obscure efforts such as Linus Omark’s spinning start – are seared into the minds of hockey fans. The shootout, in its own way, has shone a brighter spotlight on the dazzling displays of high-end skill that elite-level talents possess. “As a fan, I love the shootout,” said Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger. “Whenever I went to Wild games (as a kid) and it went to a shootout, it was like winning the lottery.”

Not everyone is as enamored by the shootout, however. Among those who make their living on big-league ice, the perception of the shootout is somewhat mixed.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle is one of the most frequent participants in the player-goalie tete-a-tete. He entered 2025-26 with 87 career shootout attempts, 18th-most in league history. Even before he arrived in the big leagues, Eberle had carved out a reputation as a smooth operator in the skills competition, notably for his heroics in the World Junior Championship. Most remember his game-tying goal against Russia in the 2009 WJC semifinal but forget he also scored the shootout-winner.

Much like one of his breakaway attempts, though, Eberle zigs where you expect him to zag. “I’m not a huge fan of the shootout,” he said.

In part, his dislike stems from changes made over the past two decades. Before the NHL removed the mandate ahead of the 2014-15 season, the ice would be dry-scraped before each shootout. The fresh surface, he said, provided for the slick puckhandling that once made the shootout a must-see event. But when that went away, so did much of Eberle’s enjoyment.

He also feels the conditions surrounding the shootout have changed. “When the shootout came, OT was 4-on-4, and I don’t know the percentage on those games ending, but it was a lot lower than it is now,” he said.

It’s true. There has been a marked change in the number of games ending in extra time since the shift to 3-on-3 overtime. In the first 10 seasons of the shootout’s NHL existence, during which overtime was four-a-side, nearly 57 percent of all contests that went past regulation needed a shootout to find a winner. But the move to 3-on-3 in 2015-16 resulted in an almost immediate uptick in sudden-death outcomes. Prior to this season, exactly two thirds of all games that have gone to overtime since 2015-16 have ended in the extra frame.

And in the eyes of some, the success of 3-on-3 is cause to embrace longer overtimes and even further reduce the likelihood that games are decided by shootout. “There should be a change,” said Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. “We’ve already changed the offensive game a lot in general, with 3-on-3 and overtime. My two cents, we should add five more minutes of overtime, like at the 4 Nations. Because it comes down more to play.”

4 Nations Face-Off: The NHL Finally Gave The Players What They Wanted, And The Players DeliveredAlmost 15 years to the day from when Sidney Crosby scored the Golden Goal for Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Connor McDavid grabbed the torch and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/game-day/oilers-connor-mcdavid-shines-in-the-spotlight">scored the decisive overtime goal</a> to win the 4 Nations Face-Off.

There’s another reason, though, why Eberle, Ullmark and several others throughout the league would like to see overtime extended: being on the wrong side of the result can be tough on the psyche. “It’s funny how you can play a really good game – and I’ve been in this spot – and you’re the last guy to shoot and you miss, how crappy you feel,” Eberle said.

That’s a sentiment that Ullmark echoes. “From the perspective of a goaltender, you can go out and play the best game of your life and have a shutout – and the other goalie can play phenomenal as well – then you go out there and let in three (shootout goals), and you feel like the worst goalie ever,” Ullmark said. “That’s just how it is, plain and simple. And I think a lot of other goalies feel the same way.”

A lot? Perhaps that’s the case – and you can be sure no netminder enjoys feeling like the goat in a losing effort – but the league’s masked men are not a monolith. Ask avowed shootout fan Oettinger, and he’ll tell you there’s a thrill to the all-or-nothing dynamic. “Some people think it’s stupid, but I think it’s fun,” he said. “As a goalie, you’re in the spotlight and get to decide the game.”

Cold Water Poured On Report Oilers Have Acquired Goalie From PenguinsWild goalie rumors swirled, but sources confirm no trade has been finalized between the Oilers and the Penguins.

And while the shootout has its detractors, step into any arena or tune into any game in which a shootout is taking place and you can feel the building living and dying with every attempt. In some respects, it is the game distilled down to its purest form: shooter versus goaltender, head-to-head, with victory or defeat hanging in the balance. “It’s why we play the game,” said Detroit Red Wings right winger Alex DeBrincat. “You get that pressure of the game on your stick, just you and the goalie. It’s a different experience than you get anywhere else.”

This is an excerpt of a feature that appeared in The Hockey News' Prospects Unlimited issue. We profile plenty of top prospects such as Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Zeev Buium and Marco Kasper. 

Elsewhere in the issue, we take a look at each NHL team's prospect pool, and we explore several PWHL teams, as well as features on the AHL, ECHL and the NCAA. 

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

Since Nov. 9, the Vancouver Canucks have won two out of 12 games (2-7-3), the least amount of wins in the NHL in that span. Now, they've hit rock bottom – literally, as they're the NHL's worst team with a 10-15-3 record.

Vancouver has indeed had some injuries to key players, including injuries to starting goalie Thatcher Demko and forwards Conor Garland and Filip Chytil. But all the losing is starting to wear on Canucks players – most notably, on star defenseman Quinn Hughes.

As one of the NHL’s premier blueliners, Hughes logs more ice time than any other skater in the league at an average of 27:30 per game. However, Hughes made it clear this week he can’t pull off his civilian clothes and turn into a superhero who can carry Vancouver to wins all by himself.

“I’m not perfect, not Superman,” Hughes told the media earlier in the week. “Yeah, I get tired, for sure…there’s definitely moments in games where, you know, I’m breaking out pucks, I’m transporting pucks to the neutral zone, I’m doing my thing in the O-zone…(and) trying to create scoring chances for our team. And that’s hard to do for half the game.”

Indeed, when you’re on the ice as much as Hughes is, you’re going to see the good and bad in your team, and fatigue is bound to play a factor.

But as the Canucks have slid down to the bottom of the standings, there is increasing speculation about trades that are likely to be made by Canucks GM Patrik Allvin and Vancouver president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford. 

Red Wings Should Pursue Sherwood To Solve Lack Of Depth ScoringThe Detroit Red Wings' top scorers are shining, but the dropoff in points-production is steep after that. Could a trade with the Vancouver Canucks give Detroit the offensive boost it needs before the trade deadline arrives?

As one of the longest-serving management figures in the game, Rutherford is famous for making moves well in advance of the season’s trade deadline.

That’s what we saw from him last season when the Canucks dealt center J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31 of this year, amid a rift with Vancouver center Elias Pettersson.

In any case, the Canucks have two wins in their past 10 games, and their upcoming schedule is a killer. They'll be facing teams such as the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks – all teams that are either in a playoff position right now, or that are close to a playoff spot.

By the time the calendar year ends, Vancouver’s playoff aspirations could be all but completely snuffed out. And at that point, there may not be any Canucks players who are untouchables when it comes to trades.

Aside from the Canucks stating they are willing to get younger in the trade market, only the team's front office knows who could potentially be out the door next.

The Canucks look like they’re in dire need of a major makeover, and while the moves Rutherford and Allvin make may be shocking, the truth is that hanging onto the status quo would be even more of a shock.

When you’re as much of a disappointment as Vancouver has been, there should be few, if any, sacred players on the roster. With a rebound that is less likely by the day, the only question now is who gets moved out of Vancouver, and how deep the cuts to the Canucks are going to be.

Vancouver has made its bed with this brutal start to the year. And the rest of the way this season, they’re going to have to lie in that bed and change the makeup of the roster for years to come.

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.

The Detroit Red Wings have been an above-average team thus far this season, posting a 14-11-3 record to keep them in the thick of the hunt for a Stanley Cup playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

One of the key reasons why is that their top-three forwards are doing much of the heavy lifting on offense.

For reference, Red Wings star center and captain Dylan Larkin has 15 goals and 31 points this year. Right winger Lucas Raymond has 21 assists and 31 points, and right winger Alex DeBrincat has 14 goals and 29 points.

All three forwards are putting together points at above a point-per-game pace, which has to make Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman happy. But after that, there are only three other Wings forwards with more than 10 points – right winger Patrick Kane (18 points), left winger Emmitt Finnie (13 points) and center Andrew Copp (11 points).

In the past, the Red Wings' biggest issues in recent years have been in net. But the dropoff after their top point-producers this season has to be concerning. 

That brings us to the $16.5-million in salary cap space that Wings GM has to play with right now – a total that would rise to a whopping $52.7-million by the NHL’s March 6 trade deadline.

If the Vancouver Canucks decide to trade veteran forward Kiefer Sherwood – who currently has 12 goals and 16 points in 28 games – you’d have to think Detroit could be a great landing spot for him.

NHL Rumor Roundup: Canucks' Kiefer Sherwood Draws Interest, Plus Islanders BuzzVancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood has become one of the most notable players in the trade market, plus the New York Islanders could be considering their options in this season's trade market.

Sherwood is slated to be a UFA at the end of this season, and the Red Wings have plenty of space to keep him in a Detroit uniform for the foreseeable future. Not to mention, the 30-year-old only costs $1.5 million against the salary cap.

That said, you have to feel for Wings fans who see their team on the precipice of ending their nine-year Stanley Cup playoff drought without seeing Yzerman making notable additions to the roster this season.

It would also help Detroit’s cause if Yzerman made an addition on the back end, but the priority at the moment has to be bringing in scoring help. 

The Red Wings have all three of their first-round draft picks for the next three seasons, as well as two second-rounders. So it would behoove Detroit to spend one of those draft assets to acquire a difference-maker. But Yzerman will have to move fast if he wants Sherwood, who has appeal to many teams.

Regardless, the Wings should not stand pat. The Atlantic has five teams within four points of each other at the top of the division, and that competitiveness could remain throughout the season.

But the parity around the league is such that there isn’t a slew of trade options available at this moment, and if Detroit fails to pick up someone like Sherwood, they may have an even tougher time lining up a trade as the season continues to unfold.

There’s no time like the present for the Red Wings to acquire a veteran contributor. The longer they wait, the harder it could be to pick up a needle-mover to help push them into the post-season.

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The NHL’s Central Division is proving to be the toughest in the league, with three teams at the top – the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild – that are the top four teams in the entire league.

The Avalanche have the NHL’s top record at 19-2-6, while the Stars are just behind them with the league’s second-best record at 19-5-5, and the Wild are fourth overall at 15-8-5. Those three teams are not separated by much, and the Avs, Stars and Wild are all well on their way to locking up a Stanley Cup playoff spot.

However, if the question is “which of these three teams is under the most pressure to translate their hot start into playoff success?” in this writer’s point of view, it's the Stars.

First, we have to acknowledge some other truths. For starters, it’s clear the Avalanche have absolutely gone all-in this season, and they couldn’t have asked for a better start – including their 8-1-1 record in their past 10 games. We did pick Colorado as our Stanley Cup pick, and we haven’t seen anything to change our minds.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has also gone 8-1-1 in its past 10 games, getting arguably the best goaltending from its tandem of rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson. And Minnesota’s mix of young and old talent has been effective in a way we have to give them credit for. 

Now that the Avalanche and Wild have gotten their flowers, we’re going to tell you why we believe the Stars are under the most pressure in this division.

That discussion starts with the terrible luck they’ve had this week with injuries – specifically, veteran center Tyler Seguin, who is projected to be out for the season after getting hurt Tuesday in a game against the New York Rangers. 

With Seguin now sidelined potentially until next season, there’s a major hole in Dallas’ lineup, and it can’t be easily filled, even if there were several above-average forwards on the trade block, which there isn't.

The Stars are built to win now, but in the Jamie Benn and Seguin Era that began in 2013-14, Dallas hasn’t been able to put it all together and win a Cup. 

Yes, the Stars advanced to the Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019-20, and made it to the Western Conference final for the past three seasons. But success in the third and fourth rounds has eluded the Stars.

Four Best Long Shots To Win The NHL's Eastern And Western ConferenceThe Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild among the NHL squads that are long shots to advance to the Stanley Cup final, but can they pull it off?

If Dallas does take a step backward and lose in the first or second round this season,  Stars GM Jim Nill might need to take a long, hard look at changing things up in the hope they’ll find the right championship mix. And that's if he signs another contract with the team, as he's in the final year of his deal.

Now, the beauty of where Dallas is at the moment is that, by-and-large, the Stars can be a playoff team and a legitimate Cup threat for many years to come.

With youngsters like center Wyatt Johnston, defenseman Thomas Harley and center Mavrik Bourque, you’ve got a foundation you can rely on for many seasons, including this one.

Even goaltender Jake Oettinger, defenseman Miro Heiskanen, and left winger Jason Robertson are just 26 years old, and Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz are 29 years old. So there’s no sense that this Stars team will crumble into dust anytime soon.

That said, there are also Stars that need success sometime soon. Dallas captain Benn is 36 years old, center Matt Duchene is 34, and center Seguin is 33, although, has won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011.

Nonetheless, time is of the essence right now. And that sense that Father Time is counting down on some key veterans is only increasing.

Don’t get it twisted – if the Avalanche get knocked out of the post-season in the first or second round, there could be significant changes for them next summer, same goes for the Wild.

But Nill has built his Stars team to win right away. So, in the coming weeks and months, the Stars must continue to deliver positive results, or Dallas may suffer consequences that Minnesota or Colorado may avoid.

Predicting The NHL's Central Division Rankings In 2025-26The NHL’s Central Division is super competitive. We’re predicting how it will end up by April.

The Stars’ lineup is the envy of many teams. But there’s an attendant pressure on Dallas that comes with having so many talented players. That’s why the Stars are under the most amount of pressure to stick the landing and win their first Cup since the 1998-99 campaign.

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.