Devils Honor Gold Medal Hero Hughes Before Loss to Sabres

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Derek

In their first game back from the Olympic break, the Devils honored USA gold medal hero Jack Hughes prior to losing to the Sabres 2-1 on Wednesday night in Newark.

They recognized all seven players who represented their countries in Milano Cortina. It was the right way to welcome them back from a long two weeks spent at the Winter Games. That included Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Jonas Siegenthaler, Jesper Bratt, Jacob Markstrom, and Simon Nemec.

In a special moment, Devils public address announcer Adam Hamway introduced Hughes to the capacity crowd, who chanted “USA, USA, USA!”, as he made his way to center ice. In a cool moment, Hughes included USA teammate Tage Thompson with him. Something the Sabres star appreciated afterward.

After Thompson went back to the bench, Hughes spoke to the fans about how much their support meant.

“I’m so proud that the men’s & women’s USA hockey teams brought gold medals back to the United States of America.”

“From the bottom of my heart, all my teammates, USA teammates. We just want to thank you guys for all the love and the support.”

There were plenty of cheers from an appreciative crowd who understood what Hughes had accomplished in scoring the golden goal in a thrilling 2-1 overtime win to deliver Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s ice hockey since 1980. He shined the brightest on the big stage with his four goals leading the team.

Already a great player who’s averaged over a point-per-game since 2021-22, the 24-year-old American’s legacy is set. He’ll go down in history forever like Mike Eruzione 46 years ago.

However, Hughes is far from done. A superb skater who can score and set up teammates, he hasn’t even reached his prime. Having had setbacks that limited his availability, he has put up 135 goals and  201 assists for a total of 336 points in his last 288 games, which dates back to his third season.

When fully healthy, Hughes has proven that he’s an explosive scorer. At just 21, he put up a career-high 43 goals with 56 assists for 99 points to break the single season Devils’ franchise record held by Patrik Elias (40-56-96) in 2000-01.

The 2019 first overall pick has handled himself extremely well in the face of unwarranted criticism for Team USA laughing at a joke President Trump made that referenced inviting the women’s hockey team to the White House. Unfortunately, there are many who don’t understand how close the teams are. Everything that’s been said by the players since has been complementary and respectful.

The class and maturity Hughes has shown is in stark contrast to what exists in Washington, DC. It’s a friendly reminder that we can be good to each other. Regardless of having different views, there should be more common sense and respect shown.

A lot can be learned from how the players speak. It’s unfortunate that there aren’t more civil conversations between both sides, which influence negative behavior in the press and online.

At the end of the day, Hughes is a winner. Even on a night that he couldn’t make up for a turnover that led to the winner scored by Peyton Krebs, the Devils forward will continue to learn from his experiences. How he performed won’t soon be forgotten.

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USA Honored Gaudreau Family In Great Tribute

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Derek

Throughout their two week stay in Milano Cortina for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Team USA made sure to hang the jersey of Johnny Gaudreau in their locker room during the tournament. A great player who probably would’ve made the Olympic roster, Gaudreau and younger brother Matthew tragically died in an accident on Aug. 29, 2024.

The tragedy came a day before their sister Katie’s planned wedding that weekend. Instead, they lost their lives while cycling due to a drunk driver who tried to pass them. Johnny left behind wife Meredith, daughter Noa, and son Johnny, Jr. Meredith gave birth to son Carter Michael Gaudreau on Apr. 1, 2025. Matthew left behind wife Madeline, who gave birth to son Tripp Matthew Gaudreau in late December 2024. Parents Guy and Jane had to say goodbye to their sons.

Both the Blue Jackets and Flames held candlelight vigils in their arenas on Sept. 4 in memory of both Johnny and Matthew. On Sept. 9, a funeral service was held for the Gaudreau brothers at Saint Magdalen Parish in Media, Pennsylvania. Former Calgary teammates Sean Monahan, and Andrew Mangiapane, and former Boston College teammate Kevin Hayes were the pallbearers.

Thompson Makes History at 2025 IIHF World Championship for USA

During the 4-Nations Face-Off and 2025 IIHF World Championship, Gaudreau was remembered by Team USA, who designated his own locker stall, with his jersey hanging. It was a reminder of who they were playing for.

After losing the 4-Nations championship to Canada 3-2 on a Connor McDavid goal in overtime, USA won their first gold medal at the World Championship since 1933. Tage Thompson scored the overtime winner to defeat Switzerland 1-0 on May 25, 2025.

The Buffalo Sabres star wasn’t on the USA roster at 4-Nations. However, he was selected to represent the United States at the Olympics. Thompson finished the tournament with three goals and an assist for four points. He played mostly with Dylan Larkin and eventually golden goal hero Jack Hughes, who was moved up by USA head coach Mike Sullivan.

Victorious Americans Pay Tribute to Gaudreau Brothers

Following Hughes getting the winning goal early in sudden death to defeat Canada 2-1 to capture Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal in 46 years, the victorious Americans paid tribute to the Gaudreau brothers.

While the celebration was happening on the ice, players made sure to include two of Gaudreau’s kids while carrying around his USA jersey in a fitting tribute that moved Meredith and the family that attended the gold medal game.

“”It meant the world to me,” she told Fox & Friends in an appearance earlier today. “I really am so thankful to these guys for being really great friends, really great teammates. Just to include our kids and honor John the way they do, it’s all I can ask for right now. I think John would be very flattered, very humbled. It’s just really, really heartwarming that they show him that much respect and continue to do these things. It’s very touching.”

“I think he’s very proud of them,” she said. “Bringing his jersey every step of the way, making him a part of this. He really, really wanted to be a part of this. I think he would be very, very thankful and very proud of these guys.”

Both Noa and Johnny, Jr were included in the team photo at center ice. Matthew Tkachuk held Noa and Larkin held Johnny, Jr as they posed for the memorable picture. It was also Johnny, Jr.’s second birthday. Maybe they were meant to win the gold medal that day.

“They would be very proud. They like a nail-biter, so they probably would’ve been chirping everyone. But they would’ve been proud,” Katie Gaudreau said. “I think there were a couple goals that … they might have had a little help in saving. They didn’t go in. There was a couple times I was watching, ‘How did that not go in?’ I think they might have had some help behind the net. They were never quite defensive so I don’t know if they woulda made their way back in the defensive zone to stop that puck.”

“And then I remember watching the jersey when they were giving out the gold medals and thinking, ‘Wow, it’s still there,’ and as the celebration went on, when they went to do the picture, they stopped for a little bit. We were like, ‘What are they doing? What are they doing?’ And I thought I heard them say earlier, ‘There’s Meredith in the crowd,’ and when they went and got Johnny (Junior) on his second birthday and Noa, it truly meant the world to us because, honestly, this is what John wanted for his children. He wanted them to experience these experiences, these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that he worked so hard for.”

If ever there was such as a thing as destiny, this was it. Team USA’s gold medal win will be fondly remembered by over 20 million viewers who tuned into NBC. The number peaked at 26 million for Hughes’ golden goal.

Jack Hughes Responds to Criticism for Accepting Trump’s Invitation

Since winning Olympic gold, they’ve partied in Miami, toured the White House, and were introduced by President Trump at Tuesday night’s State of The Union address. When he brought them out, chants of “USA, USA, USA!” went up from members of both parties. It was a special moment that brought unity to an otherwise contentious room due to how much they’re at each other’s throats. If only there were more times like the one that prompted Trump to announce that winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Honor for his heroic performance.

Sometimes, sports can bring people closer together. On Sunday in Milan, that was the case. There’s been a lot said since Team USA accepted Trump’s invitation. Too much has been made of the players laughing at the president’s joke about ‘we’re going to have to invite the women or I think I’d probably be impeached’ during a phone call in the locker room. They were enjoying celebrating a historic victory.

Listening to Jack Hughes speak yesterday, he said it best about how much they supported the women’s team that won gold by edging Canada 2-1 in sudden death. A very humble and respectful player, Hughes spoke about how close they were during the two weeks in the Olympic Village. They even sometimes train together during the off-season.

In that moment, a 24-year-old superstar showed more common sense and decency than much older grown-ups who act like they’re still in grade school. The world needs more people like Jack and Quinn Hughes.

In the end, they’re champions. The way they honored Gaudreau made it so special. That should be the biggest takeaway from Team USA making history. He’s definitely smiling down and proud of them.

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A Golden Moment: Hughes’ Goal In Overtime Sends USA To Olympic Gold

Posted on February 22, 2026 by Derek

On the 46th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 on Jack Hughes’ goal in overtime to capture Olympic gold for the first time since 1980.

The magic moment came at 1:41 of sudden death to send excited American players off the bench for a memorable celebration at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. After Hughes was able to force Connor McDavid outside on a dangerous chance during three-on-three, he hustled to a loose puck and pushed it ahead to trap Cale Makar. That led to Zach Werenski making a perfect pass across for Hughes to snap the golden goal past Jordan Binnington, sending the packed house into a frenzy.

It was an epic conclusion to a memorable tournament at the Winter Games in Milano Cortina. By winning the gold medal for the third time in their Olympic history, Team USA joined an exclusive company by duplicating what they did in 1960 and 1980. In an irony of sorts, they won by an identical score, like the USA women’s hockey team did in besting Canada on Megan Keller’s goal, which also came in overtime.

Hughes’ heroic tally capped off a great two weeks for Team USA, which won a record 12 gold medals in the Winter Games. That included Alysa Liu winning the women’s figure skating, leading up to the marquee event on Sunday afternoon in Italy.

Due to it being the final day of the Olympics, the game started after 2 PM in Milan followed by the closing ceremonies. That meant an early wakeup call for folks in North America. For people on the East Coast, it was 8:10 AM when they dropped the puck. However, it was after 7 in the Midwest and a very early 5 on the West Coast. In both New York City and Ontario, beer was served at 6 AM at bars who hosted viewing parties. Wherever you were, you woke up and were locked in on the finals rematch of the 4-Nations between close rivals.

It was well worth it. Both sides had to work extra hard to reach the gold medal game. Canada snuck past Czechia on a goal from Mitch Marner in overtime in the quarterfinals. USA needed a Quinn Hughes overtime winner in the same round to advance to the medal round. While Canada rallied from 2-0 down to defeat Finland on a Nathan MacKinnon power-play goal with 35 seconds left in the semifinals, USA cruised past Slovakia 6-2 to set up the final NBC and CBC wanted. Had the puck bounced the other way, it could’ve been an all-European gold medal match.

Boldy Gives USA The Lead

Early on, USA started well by pinning in Canada with a strong forecheck thanks to the diligent work of Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk, and Matthew Tkachuk. They put the big unit of Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, and MacKinnon the defensive, which was exactly how USA head coach Mike Sullivan drew it up.

Once they settled in, Canada began to use their speed and skill to spend more time in the USA zone. They tested Connor Hellebuyck early. Something that would become a theme throughout the game.

With the game still scoreless, some good defensive work from American captain Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes allowed Matt Boldy to give USA the lead. He made a smart play by pushing the puck ahead to get past Devon Toews and split Cale Makar to come in on Jordan Binnington and score on a nifty backhand at exactly six minutes in. It was a brilliant goal from Boldy, who’s been one of the most overlooked stars. He plays in the shadow of Kirill Kaprizov and now Hughes, who’s been brilliant since being traded to Minnesota. Boldy’s goal highlighted what makes him a great player.

In what was a fairly even period, with both teams getting eight shots, Tom Wilson had the hit of the game when he caught Dylan Larkin with a huge check behind the Team USA net. He hits hard and clean while providing skill and grit, which make him the best power forward in hockey. In Canada’s 3-2 comeback win over Finland, it was the strong play of Wilson, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand that was instrumental. They remained together for the final under Canadian head coach Jon Cooper.

USA Kills Off Canadian Five on Three

In the second period, Canada began to tilt the ice. Taking advantage of the long change, they buzzed in the USA zone while piling up 19 shots in dominant fashion. Cooper even mixed and matched while double shifting MacKinnon to gain an advantage.

As they turned up the heat, Hellebuyck continued to stifle them. That included denying McDavid on a clean breakaway. After getting behind the USA defense, he moved in on Hellebuyck, who stayed right with him to make the big save against the game’s best player. Outside of that glorious scoring chance, McDavid was held in check by a stingy American defense. Both Jaccob Slavin and Charlie McAvoy were key factors in holding McDavid without a point. The leading scorer of the Olympics finished the tournament with 13 points.

A big moment came when McAvoy took a hooking penalty to put his team down two men for 1:32. With Jake Guentzel already in the box serving a holding minor, now it was up to the USA penalty killers and Hellebuyck to deliver against the best power play.

They entered that point perfect without giving up a power-play goal. To their credit, they limited Canada to three shots on the 5-on-3. Both J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck played a key role in helping USA go a perfect 18-for-18 in the tournament. Both Larkin and Brock Nelson were a big part of their success. Most notably, Hellebuyck made the clutch stops, including one on Makar.

Makar Draws Canada Even

As the Canadian pressure mounted in a lopsided second period, it was only a matter of time before they finally tied it. USA kept icing the puck. Eventually, they got burned when Makar got free on a faceoff win to draw Canada even with 1:44 left.

After Brandon Hagel set a pick, that allowed Toews to move the puck across the blue line for an open Makar. He made no mistake by firing home the tying goal past Hellebuyck to send the Canadian contigent into a frenzy. It was his second goal of the tournament.

Despite getting outplayed by a significant margin and outshot 19-8, USA was still tied with Canada entering the second intermission. They relied a lot on Hellebuyck, who was locked in from the beginning.

The Save of A Lifetime

With the game still tied at one, Hellebuyck made the save of a lifetime to keep his team’s Olympic dreams alive. On a Marner shot pass for an open Toews in front, it looked like he had an open net. However, Hellebuyck somehow got the puck with the paddle of his stick to keep it out.

Instead of Canada taking a one-goal lead in the third period, the game remained deadlocked. On a night that saw him make 41 saves on 42 shots, that was the defining moment. His goaltending was sensational. Ultimately, it proved to be the difference in a hard fought game between two great teams representing their countries.

Hellebuyck also stopped Celebrini on a breakaway to keep it tied. Celebrini was Canada’s most dangerous player, coming close on numerous occasions. He finished with six shots, tying MacKinnon for the most in the game. MacKinnon nearly had the winner, but missed with an open net staring at him.

At real speed, it looked like he rushed it. Ultimately, it proved costly for Canada, who were looking to win their first Olympic gold medal since 2014.They were going for a record 10th gold in hockey.

With less than seven minutes left, Jack Hughes took a high stick from Bennett that took out some teeth, bloodying him. That put USA on a four-minute power play. However, Hughes would later negate it by taking a high-sticking minor with just 3:23 left in regulation. As crazy as it sounds, he could’ve been the goat instead of a hero.

Following some four-on-four, Canada had an abbreviated power play. But the USA penalty killing unit got it done. Fittingly, the game went to overtime. Something that NBC analyst Eddie Olczyk referenced late in the third period, which he felt was USA’s best chance. He turned out to be prophetic.

Hughes Becomes An Olympic Hero

After intermission concluded, the teams returned to the ice for a 20-minute sudden death with 3-on-3 until a winner was decided. While it’s not the best way to decide the gold medal, it sure beats taking your chances in a shootout.

With lots of open ice to work with, it didn’t take long to determine the winner. Canada had both their three best players out to start overtime. After winning the initial faceoff, Makar passed the puck back for McDavid, who then came in with a lot of speed. But he was unable to get off a shot due to the strong defensive work of Quinn Hughes.

Following a turnover, it looked like the elder Hughes had the winner on his stick. After taking a pass across, his one-timer was gloved Binnington who got across to make the great save. McDavid then came out again with MacKinnon and Makar on a line change.

This time, he gained the USA zone with even more speed. Looking to skate around Jack Hughes and get in on Hellebuyck, McDavid ran out of room. Fortunately, Hughes wisely decided to stay back rather than take the gap away. That forced McDavid wide without even getting a shot.

A Werenski pass ahead came to Hughes, who beat a pinching Makar to the puck to move it ahead for an odd man rush. Werenski caught up to it and then bodied MacKinnon off before finding the trailing Hughes for a wide open shot.

It felt like the moment was frozen in time due to Kenny Albert’s call. There was a slight pause before he excitedly said,”Jack Hughes wins it. The golden goal for the United States. For the first time since the 1980 miracle, the United States takes the gold!”

By scoring the golden goal, Hughes became the answer to a trivia question – joining 1980 Olympic hero Mike Eruzione into USA history. Appropriately, a proud Eruzione was there to witness it. He was a guest analyst for NBC during the game. Fourty-six years later, he got to watch Hughes win an instant classic with Hellebuyck channeling his best Jim Craig in the net.

It wasn’t quite a bunch of amateurs pulling off the greatest upset by shocking the Soviet Union in the semifinals before going on to win Olympic gold over Finland. This was the best going up against the best to do something that hadn’t been done in over four decades. USA came close in 2002 losing to Canada 5-2 at Salt Lake City. They had their hearts broken in a 2010 rematch in Vancouver with Sidney Crosby beating Ryan Miller for the golden goal in overtime.

This time, they won the biggest game of their lives. Something they’ll one day tell their kids and grandchildren about. No matter what, their legacy will live on forever.

Hughes Praises Hellebuyck

Following a wild celebration, Hughes spoke to Kathryn Tappen about being an Olympic hero. The most notable thing he said was how well Hellebuyck played.

“Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck. He was our best player tonight by a mile. Unbelievable game. An unreal game by our team. That’s just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there.”

Hughes’ interview was great. It was raw and summed up perfectly how much it meant to the country to win Olympic gold. Admittedly, I never thought I’d see it happen in my lifetime. I’m thankful that it did.

Matthews Gets Some Love

When they joined Sullivan at the podium following the victory, both Hughes’ brothers were quick to point out what they thought about Matthews. A tough question was asked by a reporter about what he’d take from the experience. He wisely responded by saying, “I’m just trying to live in the moment, man. Come on.”

Afterward, both Jack and Quinn had Matthews’ back.

“I think it doesn’t matter what anyone says now. Auston Matthews is a winner,” Jack Hughes pointedly remarked. “Auston Matthews is an Olympic gold medalist. He’s a winner.”

“Yeah, that’s what the media in Toronto should be talking about,” Quinn Hughes added. “Auston Matthews led us to a championship.”

While smirking, Matthews stated, “I got nothing else to say.”

It was well said by both on what Matthews meant to them. Although he didn’t have a goal in the big game, he finished with a secondary assist while continuing to play strong defensively going up against the best players in the world. He was a horse down the middle who drew the tough assignments and still wound up with seven points with a plus-3 rating in the tournament.

Quinn Hughes led the United States in scoring with eight points, including his clutch overtime winner that beat Sweden. Jack Hughes paced them with four goals and also had three assists for seven points. He got better as the games went on. Both Eichel and Werenski each had six points.

Guerin’s Team Concept Paid Off

If there’s one takeaway from Team USA finally climbing the mountain to win the gold medal in men’s ice hockey, it was the gamble general manager Bill Guerin took in constructing the roster. He took a lot of criticism from observers who couldn’t understand why certain star players were left off the roster.

As it turned out, Guerin’s emphasis on the team concept paid off. Rather than selecting more scorers such as Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield, he opted to bring back most of last year’s 4-Nations roster that was edged in overtime by Canada on McDavid’s winner in the same format.

Both Miller and Trocheck were considered controversial picks due to the perception that they wouldn’t help USA be successful. However, they certainly played their checking role well, with some superb work on the best penalty killing unit in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. So too did Nelson, whose chemistry early on with Hughes helped unlock him in the preliminary round. Unlike last year when Hughes was ineffective, he grew in stature thanks to the early success he had with Nelson and Trocheck.

There was also the question about leaving off Adam Fox after he didn’t have a good showing last year. As good as he is, Fox doesn’t have the footspeed of Jake Sanderson or Noah Hanifin. He would’ve been a good complement to Quinn Hughes on the power play. However, they had both Hughes and Werenski, who’s right in the conversation for the Norris Trophy. He had an outstanding tournament.

When assessing how they played, each player fit into the system Sullivan wanted to play. It was a rousing success, resulting in the United States bringing back the gold.

Final Thoughts

Here are some final thoughts on the two weeks. While group play wasn’t overly competitive with the exception of Slovakia topping Sweden and Finland to finish first and earn a bye, the knockout stage was very competitive.

There were many hard fought games that went down to the wire. Nobody thought Czechia could push Canada in the quarterfinals. Yet they nearly pulled it off. Even though they benefited from a missed bench minor on Ondrej Palat’s go-ahead tally. Fortunately, Shea Theodore forced overtime with over three minutes left, with Marner winning it early on a great individual effort.

You had Sweden coming back late to tie USA on a Mika Zibanejad goal with Jacob Markstrom off for a six-on-five to force sudden death. Quinn Hughes won it with a beautiful shot. Both he and younger brother Jack scored the prettiest goals. They really shined throughout the elimination round.

Other key players boosted their stock, including Juraj Slafkovsky, Lucas Raymond, Martin Necas, Tim Stutzle, Leon Draisaitl, Timo Meier, Dalibor Dvorsky, Mikko Rantanen, and Joel Armia. Samuel Hlavaj had himself a good showing as the starting goalie for Slovakia.

Overall, it was a very successful tournament. Combined with the women delivering a memorable gold medal game won by Team USA over Canada in overtime, hockey won.

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Canada and USA Headline Quarterfinals at Olympics

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Derek

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned from the preliminary group stage of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, it’s that North America appears to have the two best teams. As usual, that also rings true for women’s hockey with Canada and USA set to face off in the gold medal game on Thursday.

In the round robin tournament, Canada dominated their group to easily advance to the men’s quarterfinals. After they shut out Czechia 5-0, they overpowered Switzerland and France to earn a bye. Led by Connor McDavid, whose nine points lead all skaters, the Olympic favorites are clicking on all cylinders. Macklin Celebrini has scored a goal in every game – leading Canada with four entering the knockout stage.

A top-heavy roster that includes Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, Mitch Marner, and Tom Wilson, has looked unbeatable. With Jordan Binnington continuing to play well in net, they remain poised to win Olympic gold. With Czechia holding on to defeat Denmark, the Canadians will again face the Czechs in the elimination stage. Can Czechia put up more of a fight? We’ll find out on Wednesday.

Unlike Canada, who boasts the game’s two best players, USA reached the quarterfinals by running the table in wins over Latvia, Denmark, and Germany. While they weren’t overly impressive in the first two games, the Americans played much better against a quality opponent by defeating Germany 5-1 to earn the bye into the final eight.

Auston Matthews has been their best forward, scoring three goals with two assists for five points. Matthew Tkachuk has five assists with some key primary helpers for younger brother Brady in group play. Jack Eichel and Brock Nelson have had good tournaments, along with Jack Hughes. Both Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski have played well on the back end. Connor Hellebuyck has been sharp in his two starts so far. He’ll face more of a challenge against formidable Sweden, who took care of Latvia 5-1 to set up a quarterfinal showdown tomorrow night.

The Swedes are led by top scorer Lucas Raymond, Mika Zibanejad, Rasmus Dahlin, Victor Hedman, Gabe Landeskog, Adrian Kempe, and William Nylander. The only question is whether they’ll stick with Jacob Markstrom with a chance to play in the final four. He got the nod over Filip Gustavsson in their win on Tuesday. After sitting out, will Jesper Bratt get back in the lineup? We’ll find out in less than 16 hours.

The best group saw Slovakia edge out both Finland and Sweden to earn a bye into the quarterfinals. Although they lost to Sweden, a late goal gave them the goal differential to avoid the first round.

Juraj Slafkovsky has been superb with three goals and three assists for six points to pace Slovakia. Although they lack a true star, the Slovaks have gotten good contributions from Dalibor Dvorsky, Simon Nemec, Adam Ruzicka, Peter Ceresnak, and Adam Liska.

Samuel Hlavaj has done a good job in net for Slovakia. A former goalie who represented Slovakia three times in the World Juniors, he was signed by the Wild as a free agent on Apr. 5, 2004. He entered the tournament with a 3.33 goals-against-average and .884 save percentage with the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League. The 24-year-old goalie will face a talented German squad led by Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle, J.J. Peterka, and Mo Seider in tomorrow’s quarterfinal. That game should be a toss up.

The other team to get a bye into the next round is Finland, who finished with an identical 2-0-1 record to rival Sweden. Due to beating them in the preliminary stage, they got the nod as the only second place team to have Tuesday off. The Finns are led by Mikko Rantanen, whose goal and three helpers have him tied with Artturi Lehkonen in points with four.

Even without star Aleksander Barkov, Finland remains pesky enough to make a run. They have gotten contributions from Kaapo Kakko, Sebastian Aho, Erik Haula, Mikael Granlund, Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola, and Miro Heiskanen. Kakko also has four points for Suomi. He’s historically been a good performer in international competition. If only the former Rangers 2019 second pick could translate that success to the NHL. Juuse Saros is the starting goalie for the Finns.

Finland will draw Switzerland in the knockout stage tomorrow. The Swiss shouldn’t be underestimated due to stars Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Roman Josi, and J.J. Moser. For the Swiss to pull off the upset, they’ll need to play a patient checking game to try to frustrate the more talented Finns. Akira Schmid will probably have to steal it.

With the quarterfinals all set, the two games to watch are Germany versus Slovakia and Sweden versus USA. Obviously, Sweden isn’t who the second seeded Americans wanted to draw. But that’s the breaks. They’ll have to use their big bodies and strong forecheck to wear down a strong Sweden defense. Maybe having the game-breaking Hughes’ brothers and Werenski can come in handy. They’re very quick in transition at creating offense.

It’s worth noting that USA had a pretty easy group. They took care of business to run the table. Sweden is battle tested due to who they battled it out with. That is something to keep a close eye on. If there was a third strong candidate to compete for gold before the tournament started, it would’ve been Sweden. They’re a very dangerous squad.

Unless Czechia can find a way to break through early on heavy favorite Canada, expect the Canadians to cruise. The Czechs will need big games from David Pastrnak, Martin Necas, and veteran Roman Cervenka. Lukas Dostal is capable of making the clutch saves. Similar to the first game, he’ll be under siege by the much more skilled Canadians.

We’ll see if there are any surprises.

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Rangers enter Olympic Break by dropping fourth in a row, Franchise great goalies honored

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Derek

On Thursday, the NHL had its final slate of games before they sent players to Milan for the Winter Olympics. The Rangers were one of 14 teams in action last night. It was a predictable 2-0 shutout loss to the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes at MSG to send them to a fourth straight defeat.

With the Artemi Panarin saga finally behind them with him introduced by the Kings on a Zoom conference call, the Rangers continued to resemble a lottery team that could have a top three pick this June. They were severely outplayed by the Hurricanes who outshot them 43-16 and out-attempted them 85-37.

Jonathan Quick held them in as long as possible by stopping 41 of 42 shots before Jordan Staal sealed it with an empty netter. Carolina only needed a first period tally from Andrei Svechnikov (21st) to get the victory, which allowed them to take the season series by winning three out of four, and outscoring the Rangers 10-6. Since Chris Kreider’s natural hat trick back on May 16, 2024, the Hurricanes have won seven of the last eight meetings, highlighted by a sweep last season in which they outscored the Rangers 18-7.

Rangers Honor Goalies

Even on a special occasion in which legendary TV voice Sam Rosen introduced franchise great goalies Eddie Giacomin, whose family was recognized during a stoppage by former partner Gilles Villemure, John Davidson, John Vanbiesbrouck, Mike Richter, and Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers were unable to muster much against a very tough opponent who controlled the tempo and took their usual high volume of shots in what amounted to an exhibition.

It would’ve been nice to see some pushback from the current roster. Most notably, J.T. Miller, who again couldn’t find any words when asked about the latest setback. He’s uttered the same empty quote of “I don’t know” several times following losses. How in the world did they decide that he’d be a good choice for captain? He was brought in by Chris Drury to change the culture, which has only gotten worse during a disgraceful centennial anniversary season.

Here’s a suggestion. Maybe he should skip representing Team USA and do some soul searching. It worked for Rick Vaughn in Major League 2 after manager Jake Taylor called him out before Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

Miller needs a serious attitude adjustment. Just because the season hasn’t gone according to plan doesn’t mean he should look like a deer in headlights after games. At this point, he deserves to have the ‘C’ ripped from his jersey. It always felt like the organization rushed to make him the captain after he only played in 32 games after returning for his second stint as a Blueshirt. Does anything they do make sense? Don’t answer it.

At least it was nice to see Lundqvist taking a great photo with Richter, Vanbiesbrouck, Davidson and Villemure as they paid tribute to Giacomin’s family, who were all wearing his number 1 jersey at the game. It was the only thing worth anything to the fans that attended.

Those guys all played with tremendous heart and pride when wearing the Rangers sweater. There aren’t too many current players who bring that to the table.

Could Trocheck Be Next?

Unfortunately, one of those guys could be headed elsewhere when the season resumes. If he does trade Vincent Trocheck, he better not screw it up like he did with Panarin who admitted that the contract offer he received made him feel like they weren’t sure if they wanted him.

“I don’t know if I should say [this], but I feel like [the Rangers] contract offer say like, ‘We’re not sure if we want you or not,” Artemi Panarin said. “So that’s why I’m not signed. Yeah, we talked not much in the beginning before the season starts and then after, obviously, my start of the season was not great. And then probably we talked in the middle of year, but not much.” Mollie Walker, NY Post Sports.

It’s pretty obvious that Panarin’s first choice was to stay in New York City with his wife, two kids, and their dog. Whatever Drury has planned for the trade deadline in exactly one month, he has to do a much better job communicating with players who could be on the block. Things should’ve been handled internally with Panarin which could’ve maximized his value closer to March 6 instead of moving the deadline up to the Olympic freeze on Wednesday.

Trocheck has an affordable $5.625 million cap hit that doesn’t expire until 2029. That makes the versatile center a hot commodity for teams who can use a hardnosed player that can provide scoring help along with grit and a strong faceoff guy. Unlike Panarin, he doesn’t have full trade protection. It’s a 12-team no-trade list. Both the Stars and Wild could be interested in adding him. Listening to Trocheck speak following games has been tough to see because he looks very disappointed. He probably knows that his time could be up soon.

Sullivan Puts His Foot in His Mouth

By deciding to healthy scratch Brennan Othmann, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan was asked if it had anything to do with CBA rules regarding keeping him eligible to go down to Hartford and play some games. Instead of indicating that was indeed the case, Sullivan put his foot in his mouth with a very bland response.

“I think there are elements of his game that have to continue to improve in order for him to establish himself as an NHL player.”

It was a nothing burger from the exasperated coach who seems to be running out of patience in his first year behind the Rangers bench.

“I’m trying to be understanding of that as their coach, and do our best as a coaching staff to support those guys and push them through the process. I thought tonight we lacked a certain competitive spirit. That just is simply unacceptable on our part, and that was my discussion.”

The more we hear from Sullivan, the less it sounds like he was the right choice by Drury, who got his guy when the Penguins decided to move on after a decade. When you see the job former Rangers assistant Dan Muse has done in Pittsburgh, who entered the break second in the division, it makes the organization look worse. Under Muse, the Pens are getting contributions from everyone, including 2025 first round pick Ben Kindel, whose 14 goals are a good example of a coach showing faith in a young player by letting them grow.

With the exception of Noah Laba, who’s been a good fit on the third line and penalty killing unit, Sullivan has been very hesitant to play some of the prospects. It took a while before he trusted 2024 first round pick Gabe Perreault enough to play a top six role with Miller and Mika Zibanejad. So far, it’s been mixed results with Perreault having three goals and five assists for eight points.

Sullivan still hasn’t given Scott Morrow enough time on the number one power play unit, preferring to use Vladislav Gavrikov as the quarterback instead. Gavrikov wasn’t signed to run the man-advantage, but the circumstances have led to him playing there due to Adam Fox remaining on long-term injured reserve.

It would be refreshing if the coach realized that playing journeyman Anton Blidh on the fourth line over Othmann isn’t doing him any favors. Even if he’s not happy with Othmann’s game, there’s no reason to sit him. He’s proven himself with the Wolf Pack. If he can’t change Sullivan’s mind, the 2021 first round pick won’t be qualified this summer, and wind up an unrestricted free agent, which is exactly what happened to Zac Jones. It would be another glaring example of poor asset management. That seems to be a tradition under Drury.

No Olympic Sendoff For Players

Unlike most NHL teams who proudly introduced their players that were representing their countries at the Olympics, the Rangers decided not to. Why would they? They’re the laughingstock of the league. Even though he came off bitter in a recent win for Anaheim on the NHL on TNT, Jacob Trouba’s been proven right. The Rangers are a circus.

Both Miller and Trocheck will play for Team USA. Zibanejad will deservedly represent Sweden. Drury and failed assistant David Quinn will undeservedly work for Team USA. It’s perplexing how both Drury and Tom Fitzgerald could serve as assistant GMs. They’ve done the worst jobs with their teams.

Somehow, Team USA architect Bill Guerin allowed these two buffoons to be part of the selection process. Most American fans know that neither Miller nor Trocheck should be on the roster over Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson. It’s astounding that they were selected when Brock Nelson was brought back from last year’s 4-Nations tournament. While it’s true that Trocheck can provide checking and play in a matchup role, not taking two of the best players doesn’t make sense.

Some of us will find it difficult to support USA, which has more to do with Guerin than anything. It isn’t meant as disrespect to either Miller or Trocheck, but neither is having a good year. Even Jack Hughes feels forced due to him sitting out the last two games for the Devils due to a lower-body injury. He’s not exactly been accountable since he returned from surgery for the team’s play. Hughes hates talking to the media, but it’s part of his job. He’s lost some credibility due to how things have been handled in Newark.

If they’re to be successful in their quest for Olympic gold for the first time in 46 years, the Americans defininitely need all three players to contribute when round robin play begins next week. Preliminary play starts on Wednesday, Feb. 11. USA faces Latvia on Feb. 12 while gold medal favorite Canada gets an early test against Czechia next Thursday.

Depending on how much I can watch, I’ll try to put something up. Hopefully, the time off will do our fans some good.

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How Panarin Became An LA King, Drury Takes Responsibility For Rangers

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Derek

A day later, there was some more breakdown on how Artemi Panarin became an LA King in a trade that netted top prospect Liam Greentree along with a conditional third pick in 2026 and a conditional fourth pick in 2028.

Sportsnet’s own Elliotte Friedman explained in detail what transpired over the past 48 hours. Despite Panarin having a desire for Florida and Tampa Bay to get involved, it never materialized. The Panthers never seriously considered it while the Lightning backed out due to Panarin being a potential rental due to the extension part of the negotiations.

Related: Rangers Trade Panarin To Kings: Signs Extension As Fans Stew

That left California as a preferred choice. Having played before for head coach Joel Quenneville with the Blackhawks, he liked the idea of a potential reunion in Anaheim. However, the Ducks weren’t crazy about extending the 34-year-old star. If the reports are true that Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury asked for Will Smith back, there was no way the Sharks were doing that. There was also a rumor that he wanted Ryan Leonard from the Caps.

Eventually, the Kings became the team. Friedman had some interesting insight into how talks nearly broke off due to Panarin’s contract demands. It sounds like his agent overplayed things.

When it first got out that the Rangers weren’t going to re-sign Panarin, there were rumours of the Kings trading for Evander Kane. They were treading water at that point, and openly wondered if giving up assets made any sense at all. Then, the Panarin possibility dropped on their laps, and they had to consider it. 

They felt their greatest need was a centre. But when a talented offensive player indicates he’d like to come your way, you can’t ignore it. I called the possibility of him going there “a fresh coat of paint,” and honestly, they needed it. 

Here’s where it gets goofy. According to multiple sources, the Kings’ Panarin pursuit almost fell apart over the last couple of days. From the beginning, they were nervous about term on an extension for the 34-year-old winger. But the two sides were discussing something in the $45 million range. (My guess is five years at a $9 million AAV, but don’t know that for sure.)

On Tuesday, that fell apart. Los Angeles wasn’t willing to go there. Panarin’s agent, Paul Theofanous (who could not be reached for comment) contacted several teams to juice the bidding. Only he knows what he really told people, but word spread like wildfire that he’d indicated Panarin was going to Carolina and someone else was willing to pay $60 million (a four-year contract with a $15 million AAV).

All of this was denied by anyone we asked (for good reason, as it turned out) but it certainly created a couple hours of craziness. Everyone heard the same rumours, and no one could figure out what was happening.

Apparently, the Kraken had serious interest in Panarin and even were offering over $14 million AAV over four years. However, once he told Drury that he wanted to go to the Kings early Wednesday morning, he had no choice but to get back on the phone and work it out.

Carolina lurked. So did Washington, and, I suspect, Utah. But Panarin, as evidenced Wednesday when he told the Rangers he would only go to LA, wanted the Kings. So they re-engaged and got to the two-year, $22-million zone they were comfortable with. 

Panarin wanted LA so badly he may have left $30 million behind. 

That explains why he only signed a two-year extension worth $11 million AAV through 2027-28. Panarin will join the Kings, who are locked in a battle with both the Kraken and Ducks for third in the Northwest Division. They trail each by three points a day before the Olympic break.

The Kings are in action later tonight when they visit the Golden Knights in a key divisional matchup at 10 EST. A win would pull them within one point of third place and the final wild card that the Ducks occupy. Six points separate first place Vegas from Los Angeles. The Kings have the fewest regulation wins (14) of the teams in the hunt. In fact, only the 32nd overall Canucks have less regulation wins with 12. Ironically enough, the 30th overall Rangers also have 14 regulation wins, speaking to how far they’ve fallen over the past two months.

Panarin hasn’t played since Jan. 26 when he picked up an assist in the Rangers’ last win. If he suits up and makes his Kings’ debut, the Bread Man could wear number 72 due to Corey Perry, who wears number 10. Both are listed with number 10 on the official team site.

In an acknowledgment, the Rangers said goodbye to Panarin with a video montage. It would’ve been nice if they’d shown his overtime winner in Game 7 of the first round in 2022. I guess even that’s too much to expect from a very strange organization that hardly has a social media presence. I liked what the Kings did with their post welcoming the Bread Man.

Now, Panarin will try to help the Kings make the playoffs for a fifth straight season. They’ve had some good teams, but have run into the Oilers the past four postseasons in the first round. If they make it again, the chances of a fifth consecutive meeting with Connor McDavid is very likely.

Drury Takes Questions

Instead of ducking the media like he usually does, Drury fielded questions last night in a rare conference call at 7:30 PM. Taking full responsibility for an underachieving roster, he discussed both trading a very popular player in Panarin and what he wants to do to fix the Rangers.

“Artemi’s an incredible player, arguably the best free agent signing in the 100-year history of the franchise. He deserves a chance to win and we wanted to give him that chance as we retool the team. It’s never easy to move a player of Artemi’s caliber, but it’s provided us an opportunity to accumulate valuable assets for the future.

As I stated in the letter to our fans, no one is happy with the way we have performed this year. As the president and GM, this is ultimately my responsibility. Coming into this year, we were viewed collectively, internally and externally, as a playoff-caliber team, and we have underachieved. I have great faith in Sully, he is one of the premiere coaches in this league, also a very accomplished group of assistants. It’s my job to work with them to fully understand why we have underachieved and how we all improve moving forward.

Our fans deserve a Stanley Cup, not a team just hoping to get in as the last wild card. So we felt it was best to start this organizational shift sooner than later. That will be the guiding principle of every decision we make as an organization. How does this help us return to a Stanley Cup contender? We are going to work tirelessly at this every day to continue to improve and push towards that goal.”

It’s a lot to unpack. His admission about the roster is an indictment on what did last summer. When I had my preview, I tentatively picked the Rangers to squeak in as the second wild card where I had them getting dumped out rather quickly by the Devils, who have their own issues with another clueless GM. I knew that the roster Drury constructed was very top heavy. They were overly reliant on veterans with Panarin headlining a list that included Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, J.T. Miller, Igor Shesterkin, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad. Once injuries to Fox and Miller occured, it severely limited them.

The final blow was when both Fox and Shesterkin went down against the Mammoth on Jan. 5. Since then, the Rangers have won only twice. After defeating the Panthers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2, they’ve gone 2-10-1 over the last 13 games to sink like the Titanic. Once the losses piled up, it was a matter of time before the organization decided to move on from Panarin and other vets, with Soucy switching allegiances to the Islanders a week ago. A move Drury made to keep Soucy’s family close to home.

As we know, more changes are coming following the roster freeze in late February until the March 6 trade deadline. Players who could be impacted include Braden Schneider, Trocheck, and maybe Sam Carrick, whose tenacity could help a contender.

Drury really likes Greentree, who he thinks very highly of due to his skill and hockey IQ. The part about valuing him over a 2026 or 2027 first round pick sounds absurd. I understood what he was trying to say, but come on. You’re telling me he couldn’t have waited it out longer. Perhaps they could’ve gotten more for Panarin if the trade was closer to the deadline. A point Jonny Lazarus made in a very poignant post last night.

K’Andre Miller Excited For MSG Return

Looking ahead, tonight marks the MSG return for K’Andre Miller. A key top four defenseman who was part of some good teams, Miller was traded to the Hurricanes last July 1 for Scott Morrow, a 2026 first round pick and second round pick. He immediately signed for seven years at $7.5 million AAV with Carolina.

A good player who was best known for partnering with Jacob Trouba as part of a matchup tandem, the 26-year-old Miller never fulfilled his potential after the Rangers selected him number 22 in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He had some good moments, scoring on a few breakaways while contributing two goals and five assists for seven points during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. His best season came in 2022-23 under former coach Gerard Gallant when he set career highs in goals (9), assists (34), and points (43).

However, he never found that extra gear. Under Peter Laviolette, Miller’s game stagnated due to a man-to-man system that wasn’t a good fit. He struggled with inconsistencies and even took a short break due to mental health issues in late December 2024.

In 2025-26 as a Hurricane, he enters tonight’s match with four goals and 19 assists for 23 points in 48 games. He missed the earlier matchup at MSG due to an injury in November. The Hurricanes still won 3-0 on Nov. 4. After defeating the Rangers 4-2 on Nov. 26, they came back to win 3-2 at home on Dec. 29. Miller picked up a secondary assist on the tying goal for his first point versus his former team. He’s looking forward to tonight’s game as a visitor.

“Obviously, I’m super excited. One more big game before break. Hopefully, we close out this first half the right way.”

“I’m very motivated [to get 2 points tonight]. Had this game obviously circled on the calendar for a little bit. Bummed out I couldn’t play in that first game and help the guys get a win, but I’m excited to get back in the lineup tonight.”

Miller seems pretty happy being where he’s at, which is away from the circus. The Hurricanes sit in first place with 76 points, tying them with the Lightning for the most in the East. They’re again on their way to another postseason, with the goal to finally exorcise the demons and play for the Stanley Cup.

On the flip side, the Rangers have 50 points to rank 30th in the league. That means they’re comfortably in the lottery, which could put them in position to land either Ivar Stenberg or Gavin McKenna, who was involved in an incident at a Pennsylvania bar in which he slugged a disrespectful man who harassed his Mom following a game on Saturday, Jan. 31 at State College. The news certainly made the rounds due to McKenna facing a felony aggravated assault charge from the state due to what happened. From the stories available, it sounds like he was justified. Hopefully, the charges are dropped.

If there’s one life lesson here, it’s to be extremely careful if you’re a star athlete in public. McKenna is expected to go either first or second in the 2026 NHL Draft. Hopefully, he’s learned something from a very uncomfortable experience in which he was provoked by a nobody.

The 18-year-old Canadian top prospect has 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points with 34 penalty minutes in his freshman year for Penn State. He’s tied for the team lead in scoring on the Nittany Lions. At the 2026 World Junior Championships, McKenna finished with four goals and 10 helpers for 14 points to help Canada to a bronze medal.

Morrow A Healthy Scratch

When the Rangers host the Hurricanes, Morrow will be a healthy scratch. Instead, recent waiver pickup Vincent Iorio will make his Broadway debut. What’s baffling is that it counters what Drury emphasized about wanting to see what the youngers on the roster can bring.

Morrow hasn’t been good lately with his defensive game slipping. However, what’s the point of sitting him? The team is completely out of it before Valentine’s Day. He should keep playing so he can learn from his mistakes. This falls on head coach Mike Sullivan, who always makes examples out of young players, but never holds veterans accountable.

Of course, Brennan Othmann will also sit out for Anton Blidh. A 30-year-old journeyman who will play on the fourth line. Othmann remains Drury’s first pick from the 2021 Draft. Sullivan clearly doesn’t like him. Explain to me how having either Blidh or an ineffective Matt Rempe in the lineup over Othmann makes any sense. Jonny Brodzinski was moved up to the third line as well. For what purpose?

Honestly, there’s no reason for fans to watch this dog and pony show. The centennial anniversary will go down as the most embarrassing season in franchise history.

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Rangers Trade Panarin to Kings: Signs Extension As Fans Stew

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Derek

For most of Wednesday, it was crickets until 3 PM. When it looked like there wouldn’t be any big move, the Kings and Rangers completed a trade for Artemi Panarin at the buzzer.

In an underwhelming return that set off fireworks on X, the Rangers traded Panarin to the Kings for 20-year-old prospect Liam Greentree, a 2026 conditional third and 2028 conditional fourth round pick.

Following Panarin signing off on his preferred choice of Los Angeles, he agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $22 million.

After spending nearly seven years playing for the Rangers in the Big Apple, the 34-year-old Russian star will go star for the Kings in Hollywood at Crypto.com Arena. In a post yesterday, I referenced why playing in LA would be attractive. As it turned out, that’s where Panarin wanted to go.

Related: The Latest On Panarin: Five Potential Landing Spots

The most disappointing aspect of the trade is that even with the Rangers agreeing to pick up half of Panarin’s remaining salary, that’s all they could get back for a star player who performed up to expectations. Unfortunately, the no-movement clause hindered Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury’s leverage. It didn’t help that Drury went public by making it clear to Panarin that he wasn’t part of their plans. That had to sting Panarin, whose reaction to the news wasn’t positive.

Despite all the rumors from most NHL insiders who were close to the situation, they all were wrong on Panarin. In fact, it was ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter who helped break the news via Emily Kaplan that the Kings had acquired Panarin.

When it was revealed what the Rangers were receiving for Panarin, the reaction was very predictable. Greentree is a player we mentioned previously. The 20-year-old forward has 45 points (23-22-45) this season for Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League.

For more on Greentree, please refer to this scouting report. Here’s an except from yesterday’s post on the former 2024 Kings’ first round pick.

2024 first round pick Liam Greentree would be a player the Rangers should have interest in. In 2024-25, he put up 49 goals and 70 assists for 119 points with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. That included a team best 14 goals and 10 helpers for 24 points in the OHL playoffs. In 34 games this season, Greentree has 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points. In an irony of sorts, his teammate is Jack Nesbitt, who the Flyers took with the first round pick the Rangers parted with to re-acquire Miller on Jan. 31, 2024.

From a Rangers viewpoint, all fans can hope is for Greentree to become a good player who can play in the top six. He has some size due to his six-foot three, 216-pound frame. The Oshawa, Ontario native sounds like he still has to work on his skating. However, at 20, he will turn pro after the season concludes. Hopefully, he can make a smooth transition at the next level.

In regards to the terms on the picks, the 2026 third round pick can become a second round pick if the Kings win one playoff round. They’d receive the 2028 fourth round pick if the Kings win two round.

Adding a little more detail on Greentree, he’s considered the Kings’ best prospect. The Rangers thought highly of him, which helped complete the Panarin move to LA.

If there’s a disappointing part, it’s that they weren’t able to get more back. Unfortunately, the market wasn’t what it seemed for an older star who wanted an extension attached to any deal. Ultimately, Panarin chose the Kings due to what I mentioned on Tuesday. He got his wish.

A final thought on what transpired. This is the third time Drury screwed up with the handling of a player. Unlike Jacob Trouba, who he ran through the mud, Drury made a big mistake by making it known to the public that Panarin was going to be traded. It didn’t help the situation at all, with even veteran leaders having tough reactions to the news that Panarin had played his final game as a Ranger.

It was like another dark cloud hanging over the locker room. Now, Panarin’s finally gone. The losing will probably continue on Thursday when they face the Hurricanes.

Panarin will return to MSG on Mar. 16 with the Kings for the first time. That should be a wild environment for a player who gave everything he had while earning the $11.64 million in each season. One thing that’ll continue is the call from disgruntled fans to fire Drury. Unfortunately, he’s not going anywhere. That doesn’t inspire much confidence moving forward.

Who’s next? If I had to guess, Vincent Trocheck or Braden Schneider. The hope is that they can bring back more due to not having full no-trade protection. At this point, don’t expect much.

Posted in Battle News, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Latest On Panarin: Five Potential Landing Spots

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Derek

When the Rangers decided to have Artemi Panarin sit out for “roster management reasons” last week, it likely meant that he played his final game on Jan. 26. At least he helped lead them to a win before a forgettable January concluded with the Rangers finishing a woeful 3-10-1.

That included losing twice to the Islanders, who completed a sweep of the season series in a home-and-home series on Jan. 28-29. Without Panarin, the Rangers have lost three in a row, including a 6-5 defeat at the Penguins that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. They were uncompetitive for over two periods by falling behind 5-1 at one point in the third. Late goals from Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle came after Ben Kindel’s empty netter sealed it.

They haven’t played since Jan. 31 in Pittburgh. With a break in the schedule that probably feels like a relief for fans who have had to endure a team that lacks passion, talks have heated up about where Panarin could wind up. With less than 24 hours until Wednesday’s 3 PM Olympic roster freeze, several teams are interested in acquiring Panarin. With the 34-year-old determined to sign an extension, it’s minimized potential destinations. Here’s a look at some possible landing spots for the Bread Man.

A Florida Reunion?

The sense is that Panarin would prefer to go to Florida where he could be reunited with former Blue Jacket teammate Sergei Bobrovsky. The question is whether or not they can make it work. Unlike other teams, the Panthers don’t have a first round pick in 2026 or 2027. They would have to clear room by moving off another player for it to happen. That could likely mean the Rangers taking back Evan Rodriguez or Eetu Luostarinen, who both are signed for the same $3 million cap hit through 2027. They’d have to retain about half of Panarin’s salary in such a deal.

Florida doesn’t boast many prospects in their system. Perhaps the Rangers could ask for Mackie Samoskevich, who remains an intriguing player. The 2021 first round pick hasn’t been as good in his second season, with five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 53 games. In his rookie year, Samoskevich had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points.

If they want a prospect, Jack Devine is probably someone to key in on. He was selected in the seventh round by the Panthers in 2022. That didn’t stop him from putting together an impressive collegiate career with Denver that included 56 points and 57 in his final two seasons for the Pioneers. In his first pro season, the 22-year-old forward has 29 points for the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League. He appeared in six games for the Panthers without recording a point.

With the Panthers now nine points out of the final wild card, it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do. After losing at home to the Sabres in regulation, they have 27 games left to try to figure things out.

Will Lightning Strike Twice

.In February 2018, following the original Letter from former Rangers architect Jeff Gorton, the Rangers traded captain Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to the Lightning for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, a 2018 first round pick, and a 2019 second round pick. Unfortunately, they selected Nils Lundkvist with the first round pick. He never fulfilled the ridiculous hype after putting up impressive numbers in Sweden. Eventually, he was traded to the Stars who he still plays for sporadically. Karl Henriksson became the second round pick in what became one of the worst trades in franchise history.

Ironically, Howden became a key piece for the Golden Knights, helping them win the Stanley Cup. Hajek was a complete bust who now plays back home in Czechia. Namestnikov has played for six teams since the Rangers moved him to Ottawa in another mind-numbing deal. They actually threw away a solid top nine forward who benefited from playing with Nikita Kucherov in 2017-18.

With Panarin preferring the sunshine state, would Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury consider a redux with the Lightning? The appeal is obvious for Panarin, who could form a dynamic duo on the Bolts’ top line playing with Kucherov, who’s been on fire, putting up 31 points in January. Even without Brayden Point, the Lightning are first in the East with 74 points. Captain Victor Hedman was just activated off injured reserve.

The Lightning made some headlines by completing a four-goal comeback to stun the Bruins in the Stadium Series on Sunday by winning it in a shootout. They don’t lack offense due to Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Brandon Hagel leading the way, along with revelation Darren Raddysh, who once was in the Rangers organization. It’s yet another example of a player getting away. Raddysh could’ve easily filled the top power play quarterback opening for oft-injured defenseman Adam Fox. Instead, his accurate shot is lighting it up for Tampa.

To be blunt, Panarin to the Lightning doesn’t seem likely due to the lack of cap space they currently have, which is over $26,000 according to Puck Pedia. In such a deal, Oliver Bjorkstrand ($5.4 million AAV) would have to come back on an expiring contract. If they actually made it work, they’d have to accept a 2028 first round pick, along with a second round pick in either 2026 or 2027. The young player could be either Dominic James, Conor Geekie, or Sam O’Reilly, who the Lightning got back for Isaac Howard.

I’d sign up for Geekie, who’s further along than O’Reilly. He scored eight times for the Bolts last season. If he’s anything like older brother Morgan, that’s exactly what the Rangers need. Currently playing for the Syracuse Crunch, the 21-year-old Geekie has 37 points to rank second in team scoring. Listed at six-foot four, 212 pounds, he’s an intriguing prospect that the Lightning acquired as part of the Mikhail Sergachev deal with Utah.

If it actually happens, the Lightning would become a must watch with Panarin trying to help them win a third Stanley Cup.

A Hollywood Story

Perhaps there’s no team that could use a player of Panarin’s talent than the offensively starved Kings who entered Tuesday night ranked 29th in goals-per-game (2.57). Despite being one of the league’s worst offenses, Los Angeles sits only a point behind the Ducks for the last wild card. Combined with the Blackhawks’ win over the Sharks, they’re in a tight race for the playoffs. They can still jump over the Kraken in the Northwest Division for third place. Even first place is attainable with neither the Golden Knights or Oilers pulling away.

Unlike the Panthers or Lightning, the Kings have plenty of room to fit in Panarin, whose remaining salary for the season wouldn’t be an issue. They have over $14 million in cap space, which makes them a logical candidate. However, it all depends on what Panarin wants. He holds all the cards. So, if he wants to force a trade to play with his buddy in Florida, that could leave the Rangers with not as much leverage.

However, let’s say he’s open to moving out to Hollywood where he’d be featured on the billboard at Crypto.com Arena. That would be enticing for a star of his caliber to spend the remainder of his career in LA where Shohei Ohtani is printing money for the Dodgers. If Panarin decided to go and help the Kings win another Cup, it would have a similar script to Marian Gaborik, who burned his former teammates in 2014. Unlike back then, I could think of worse scenarios with the Rangers a long way off from contending.

In the final year of Anze Kopitar’s brilliant career with the Kings, they probably want to make a big splash. If they were able to add Panarin, who could play with Adrian Kempe and Kopitar, it would be worth watching.

If such a trade comes to fruition, the Kings have their first round pick and two seconds in 2026. 2024 first round pick Liam Greentree would be a player the Rangers should have interest in. In 2024-25, he put up 49 goals and 70 assists for 119 points with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. That included a team best 14 goals and 10 helpers for 24 points in the OHL playoffs. In 34 games this season, Greentree has 23 goals and 22 assists for 45 points. In an irony of sorts, his teammate is Jack Nesbitt, who the Flyers took with the first round pick the Rangers parted with to re-acquire Miller on Jan. 31, 2024. After the Canucks traded it for Marcus Pettersson in a five-player deal, the Penguins traded down with the Flyers last Jun. 27.

Aside from Greentee, who just turned 20 on New Year’s Day, the Kings also have recent World Junior Championships Most Valuable Player Vojtech Cihar, who led Czechia with a dozen points to help them finish runner-up to Sweden. A 2025 second round pick who already signed an entry level contract, Cihar has a goal and eight assists for nine points in 11 games for the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League. Originally, he played back home in Czechia before deciding to come over to North America to develop further.

If the Rangers took Cihar, they’d probably want former Team USA standout Alex Turcotte, who’s only in his second full season. Now 24, Turcotte has totaled 41 points in 149 career games. The former 2019 fifth overall pick has never earned a top six role. Perhaps he needs a change of scenery to prove himself.

A Sharks’ Dream

Recently, the Rangers claimed Vincent Iorio from the Sharks, who are said to be in the mix for Panarin. Having lost their last three to fall three points behind the rival Ducks, they’re right there in the playoff race.

Boasting Hart candidate Macklin Celebrini, who ranks fourth in scoring with a remarkable 81 points as a 19-year-old, the Sharks can really use another star to play with their franchise player. Problematic is that the next highest scorer is sidekick Will Smith, who has 39 points in 41 games. If they were to add Panarin, that could become a dominant scoring line with the elder star able to bring them back to the postseason for the first time this decade. A place they haven’t been since 2018-19 when Hall of Famer Joe Thornton headlined a strong team that reached the Western Conference Finals.

Due to the greatness of Celebrini, the Sharks are already a fun watch. He’s been mentioned in the same breath as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon. Current Rangers coach Mike Sullivam heaped praise on Celebrini by making the comparison to Crosby, who led the Pens to back-to-back Cups under Sullivan, who was recently honored along with that championship team a decade later this past Saturday.

How much does Sharks GM Mike Grier value winning? The Sharks are ahead of schedule due to Celebrini, who has put the team on his back in one of the best second seasons a player has ever had. While he won’t reach the status of Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, he’s going to hit the 100-point mark as a teenager. It’s all the more impressive due to a supporting cast that’s sprinkled with veterans and young players, like Smith, William Eklund, and 2025 first round pick Michael Misa.

In adding former Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood, who’s expected back soon, San Jose doesn’t have much projected cap space ($721,562). However, their deadline space ($9.82 million) would be more than enough to make it work. If they really wanted to bring in Panarin for not just this season, but for the next four years, it would make the Sharks a hot destination. They’ll have to sign Celebrini to a big extension this summer, with the new deal not kicking in until 2027-28.

With Smith also turning restricted the following year, along with the promising Collin Graf due a raise this off-season, perhaps it makes more sense to not acquire Panarin. They’re still in a rebuild. If the parameters of a deal were presented, it would include either prospect Filip Bystedt or Quentin Musty with a top five protected first round pick and conditional second. The Sharks have two firsts in this year’s draft. Both Bystedt and Musty are considered good prospects who were taken in the first round. The 21-year-old Bystedt represented Sweden twice at the WJC, and is in his second pro season with the San Jose Barracuda, leading them in scoring with 36 points. Musty has 20 points in his first year.

What About Ovechkin?

If there’s a team that’s much closer to where Panarin is, it’s the Capitals. He wouldn’t have to head too far to team with Alex Ovechkin in Washington, DC. In what could be his countryman’s final swan song, the idea of pairing up two of the most exciting Russian stars would be something. Imagine opponents having to stop both Ovechkin and Panarin on the power play in a series. Considering who else the Caps still have to run it, that could be lethal if they were to make the playoffs.

A recent win over the Islanders has pulled the Caps within two points of third in the Metropolitan Division. They trail the Bruins by five for the final wild card. Unlike last season, when a determined Ovechkin was on a mission to pass Gretzky for the all-time record in goals, Washington isn’t a high scoring team. They’re led by Tom Wilson, whose tied with Ovechkin for the team lead in goals (22) despite missing nine games. The next closest is Jakob Chychrun, who could lead all defensemen in goals.

They certainly could use more offense, which Panarin can create. His skating and playmaking would make him a good fit for the Caps, who are led in assists by John Carlson with 35. Dylan Strome hasn’t been able to match his career season, which included 53 assists. If you took his current total of 38 helpers, the Bread Man would rank first on the Caps in apples. He also would lead them in points with his 57 a credit to the high caliber player he is. Especially on a lackluster team that hasn’t had many consistent performers.

If they decided to go all in, the Caps could offer either their 2026 first round pick or 2027 along with a conditional second, and a good prospect. The Rangers would probably want Ilya Protas, who’s the younger brother of Aliaksei. A 2024 third round pick, the 19-year-old Protas teamed up with Greentree last season by putting up 50 goals with 74 assists for 124 points with the Spitfires. In the OHL playoffs, he had 25 points, including 20 helpers. So far, he’s done well for the Hershey Bears by leading them with 17 goals, 18 assists, and 35 points.

Andrew Cristall is right behind with 33 points. The 20-year-old forward was a second round pick in 2023. Cristall put up a combined 132 points (48-84-132) between the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs in the WHL in 2024-25. His 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points were right behind Kraken rookie Berkly Catton, who paced them with 42 during the WHL playoffs. The Chiefs lost to the Medicine Hat Tigers for the WHL Championship. Either Cristall or Protas would be the kind of young prospect the Rangers should be looking for in return if Panarin is willing to sign an extension with the Caps.

Whether or not they decide to swing such a deal depends on their injuries. Both goalies are on the injured reserve, along with Pierre-Luc Dubois (LTIR), Connor McMichael, and Matt Roy. The condensed schedule has had a negative impact on this season, which could spell the end of NHL participation in the Olympics. The Caps currently have over $5.78 million in cap space, with the deadline space over $10 million.Much depends on what happens with their injured players.

I highly doubt that the Caps will take the risk due to all of the issues their current roster has.

Final Thoughts

I could easily include a sixth team, with the Red Wings reportedly having interest in Panarin. However, I feel like it’s going to come down to either Florida or Los Angeles for Panarin. While I’m against any trade with the Panthers due to future assets, it’s really up to the player, who has full control. If he really wants to go play with Bobrovsky and try to chase down the wild card, that’s his prerogative. He earned the full no-movement clause, and lived up to the contract.

The Kings feel like a great fit for Bread Man. The whole idea of going to LA and playing under the spotlight seems ideal. I’d love to see him choose the Sharks. That would be the ultimate move for the league. Panarin and Celebrini together helping San Jose back to the playoffs, where they’d be dangerous.

We’ll see what Panarin decides. I hope I won’t be disappointed in the return. Watch nothing happen until after the Olympics. That would be a nightmare. Most observers want this to be over. Hopefully, it will be by tomorrow afternoon.

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Rangers Claim Iorio

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Derek

On Saturday before they took on the Penguins, the Rangers claimed Vincent Iorio off waivers from the Sharks.

Iorio is a right-handed defenseman with 30 games of NHL experience. Originally a 2021 second round pick of the Capitals, taken 55th, Iorio spent part of two seasons in Washington. He helped the Hershey Bears win back-to-back Calder Cups in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

After getting into only nine games for the Caps, he was picked up on waivers by the Sharks last Oct. 17. Iorio skated in 21 games for San Jose, finishing with three assists, 12 penalty minutes, and a minus-4 rating. Iorio also had 32 blocks and 11 hits while averaging 16:30 of ice time per game. His last appearance came on Jan. 15.

Listed at six-foot four, 220 pounds, the 23-year-old hasn’t established himself yet in the NHL. Now, he should get more of a chance to prove himself.

The Rangers could be getting ready to move Braden Schneider, who’ll become a restricted free agent in the off-season. With several teams interested in acquiring Schneider, he could bring back a good return that could include a first or second round pick along with a young player. In their 6-5 loss to the Pens, Schneider set up a Vladislav Gavrikov goal and finished plus-2 in 20:24.

With Adam Fox beginning to skate, he won’t return until after the Olympics. There’s no reason to rush him back due to where the Rangers are in the standings. They currently rank last in the East with 50 points in 56 games.

On a blue line that needs to be overhauled, Iorio deserves a look to find out what he can be. At the moment, the Rangers have Schneider, Will Borgen, and Scott Morrow as their three right defensemen. With Morrow having a bad game by finishing a minus-2 in less than 15 minutes, he’s a candidate to come out of the lineup.

The Rangers don’t play again until Thursday, Feb. 5 against the Hurricanes. That’ll be the final game before the NHL pauses the season. When play resumes, they’ll have four games left before the March 6 trade deadline. By then, the roster could look very different.

Hopefully, Iorio can prove he was worth the pickup. It was in 2011 that the Rangers signed Anton Stralman, who became a steady top four defenseman that helped the team reach the Conference Finals twice and play in the Stanley Cup Finals. While no one can expect that kind of return from Iorio, the hope is that he can become a regular that’s dependable on the back end.

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Schaefer Adds Juice for Islanders in Dead Rivalry Against Rangers

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Derek

Following the Islanders’ sweep of the Rangers n a home-and-home series that concluded on Thursday night, Matthew Schaefer added some juice with what he said in the aftermath for the Long Island side of what’s been a dead rivalry.

The 2025 number one overall pick scored the game-winner late in the second period of a Rangers’ 2-1 loss at MSG two days ago.

Early in the third period, Mika Zibanejad scored his 23rd with the Rangers on the power play to erase Ilya Sorokin’s bid for a shutout. He settled for winning his 18th game by finishing the game with 20 saves, including a couple of key ones on Gabe Perreault with the Rangers pressing for the equalizer.

When it was over, the 18-year-old Schaefer was front and center discussing the Islanders winning all four meetings by outscoring the Rangers 14-3 to sweep the season series.

“Getting drafted to this team, coming to play for the Islanders I know there’s that big rivalry. Like I said before, we want to beat them every time. We want to keep on doing that because I know it makes us happy, I know it makes our fans happy.”

Most eye-opening was Schaefer’s observation on the unique atmosphere in both arenas. Not shy with a camera in front of him, the Islanders defenseman said, “The building is full of both fans. It’s loud. Our fans are way louder than theirs. It’s pretty fun when we go on the board and our fans are cheering.”

Considering where the Islanders and Rangers are in the standings, it isn’t surprising that Schaefer noticed a difference in the fans. While his team is fighting hard to make the playoffs, the Rangers are now without their best three players, headed to a second consecutive year without the postseason. There’s been a lot more negative energy at MSG, where they don’t win as much. The Rangers have heard it from the crowd, with many being vocal about how they feel towards team president and general manager Chris Drury, who’s responsible for this mess.

The thing is that there hasn’t been a lot of juice to Rangers/Islanders in a while. Last season, it was all Blueshirts as they swept the Islanders by outscoring them by an even wider margin 23-5. That included a 9-2 laugher last Apr. 10 in the final meeting, which ultimately resulted in the Islanders winning the NHL lottery that led to them selecting Schaefer with the top pick.

Nobody could’ve predicted that he would come in and be able to take control of games at such a young age. The Hamilton, Ontario native scored his 14th goal in the Islanders’ recent win over the Rangers to move them into a tie in points (65) with the Penguins, who entered Saturday second in the division due to two less games played and two more regulation wins. Schaefer passed Bobby Orr for the most goals scored by an 18-year-old defenseman. He’s five shy of NHL record holder Phil Housley, who had 19 goals at the age of 19 as a Sabre in 1982-83.

NHL legend Denis Potvin still holds the franchise record for most goals scored by an Islanders rookie defenseman with 17 in 1973-74. Potvin was 20 years old when accomplished the feat to win the Calder Trophy. To this day, “Potvin Sucks!!!” is still chanted at MSG for his hit that broke Ulf Nilsson’s ankle in a game on Feb. 25, 1979. Potvin led the Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups as their captain.

When you see how Schaefer responds to questions after games, he has the colorful personality to become the next Islanders captain. Anders Lee has been their captain for quite some time. A proud veteran forward who’s in the final year of his contract, this could be it for the 35-year-old Lee, who recently hit the 300-goal mark in his career on Jan. 17. A former 40-goal scorer who’s had 20 goals or more in nine seasons, he’s been a good leader for the Islanders. After scoring 29 last year, he has 11 this season.

If they move on from Lee, the Islanders would have a decision to make moving forward. Schaefer won’t turn 19 until next September. It might be a bit premature to put a ‘C’ on his jersey due to increased pressure and expectations.

Look no further than what it’s done to J.T. Miller on the Manhattan side of the rivalry. He’s struggled to perform consistently, battling a recurring upper-body injury that limited his effectiveness during the first half.

On the one-year anniversary of the trade that brought him back to New York City for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first round pick, he’s had an uneven season with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 46 games. There have been instances when he didn’t hustle back defensively, which drew the ire of fans. A player who shoulders the load, he’s still at his locker afterward, with most of the questions focused on the Rangers’ lack of offense in losses that have piled up since both Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin went down.

Now, they continue to play without Artemi Panarin, who’s being held out of the lineup due to roster management reasons. If or when Drury can reach an agreement on a deal for Panarin, he still must sign an extension with the team he agrees to waive his no-movement clause for. Panarin isn’t the only player being shopped, with several teams reportedly interested in Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider.

With all of this happening before the Olympic break comes on Feb. 6, more changes could be in store for the Blueshirts, who are seriously lacking in identity. They were a flip of the coin away from landing a franchise altering player in Schaefer, who’s taken on a lot of responsibility for the Islanders.

With more losses likely over the final 36 games, they could find themselves picking in the top five of a deep draft class that features Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, Tynon Lawrence, and Chase Reid. Hopefully, they can hit on the right player and change their luck.

The next time they see Schaefer and the Islanders will be when the weather is a lot nicer than the icy chill that feels somewhat appropriate for this abject failure of a centennial anniversary. They desperately need their own version of Schaefer to bring something to these games. Otherwise, the transients who now attend home games will be even fewer in the future.

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