The rumor mill keeps on churning for the Calgary Flames.
The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning are among teams showing interest in pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Noah Hanifin, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Hanifin is currently No. 1 on theScore's list of players who could be shipped out by the March 8 deadline.
The puck-moving rearguard has racked up 34 points and a career-high 11 goals in 59 games this season while averaging almost 24 minutes of ice time per contest. He carries a cap hit of $4.95 million and has some control over his situation thanks to his eight-team no-trade list.
A left-handed shot, Hanifin would address an area of need for both the Bruins and Lightning. Boston is currently without Hampus Lindholm, who's week-to-week with an undisclosed issue, while Mikhail Sergachev is out indefinitely for Tampa Bay with a leg injury.
However, the two Atlantic Division squads are each missing their first-round pick in this summer's draft. The Lightning, in particular, don't own a first-rounder until 2026.
The Flames have been the league's busiest team leading up to the deadline. They shipped out Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in separate trades earlier this season, and they just sentChris Tanev to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.
Hanifin has been traded once before in his career. The Carolina Hurricanes packaged him and Elias Lindholm to the Flames in June 2018 in exchange for Dougie Hamilton, Adam Fox, and Micheal Ferland.
The 27-year-old has totaled 60 goals and 273 points in 657 career NHL games.
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with an upper-body injury and is questionable to return for the playoffs, sources told TSN's Darren Dreger.
Stone suffered the ailment during the Knights' 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Feb. 20. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported that the veteran forward is dealing with a lacerated spleen.
The 31-year-old missed the last half of the 2022-23 campaign with a back injury, but he was ready for Game 1 of the postseason. He recorded 11 goals and 24 points in 22 games to help the Golden Knights lift the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.
With Stone and his $9.5-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve, Vegas was able to add forwards Ivan Barbashev and Teddy Blueger, as well as goaltender Jonathan Quick, at last year's trade deadline. Barbashev proved to be the most impactful acquisition of the three, slotting right into the Knights' top line. He tallied 18 points and 64 hits in the playoffs.
The Golden Knights are now in a similar situation this season and are reportedly targeting a top-six forward like the New Jersey Devils' Tyler Toffoli, the St. Louis Blues' Pavel Buchnevich, and potentially Jordan Eberle of the Seattle Kraken if he's made available, per Dreger.
Stone racked up 16 goals and 53 points in 56 games before suffering the injury. Vegas entered Thursday's action in second place in the Pacific Division with a 33-19-7 record.
The Knights went 23-9-7 without Stone in the lineup last season.
The Calgary Flames traded defenseman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick, a 2026 conditional third-round pick, and defense prospect Artem Grushnikov, the teams announced Wednesday.
The Flames are retaining 50% of Tanev's $4.5-million cap hit. The New Jersey Devils are also involved in the deal and are retaining a further 25% of Tanev's salary. The Devils were given the Stars' 2026 fourth-rounder in exchange, while Dallas received the rights to goaltender Cole Brady.
As a result of the retention, Tanev only carries a cap hit of $1.125 million for the Stars this season.
If the Stars advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, the Flames will receive Dallas' third-rounder in 2026. If Dallas doesn't win three rounds this spring, then no additional pick will be sent to Calgary.
Tanev can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. A coveted right-handed shot, the veteran has chipped in with one goal and 14 points in 56 games this season while averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time per contest.
The 34-year-old also ranks second in the league with 171 blocks.
"We are fortunate to have the opportunity to add a player of Chris' caliber to our team," Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. "He is a proven defenseman with postseason experience that is comfortable in all situations on the ice. Chris is one of the best penalty killers in the NHL and will be a tremendous asset to our special teams play."
Tanev led Calgary in shorthanded ice time per game (2:36) this campaign.
The Devils selected Brady in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old has spent the last two seasons at the University of Massachusetts. Brady owns an .886 save percentage in nine appearances this campaign.
Grushnikov, meanwhile, was drafted by the Stars in the second round in 2021. The 20-year-old blue-liner has one goal and five points in 44 AHL games this season.
The Flames have been busy on the trade market this season. General manager Craig Conroy shipped out Nikita Zadorov to the Canucks in November, and Elias Lindholm joined his teammate in Vancouver a little over two months later.
The Stars have once again been one of the Central's top squads this season. They currently sit in second place in the division with a 35-17-9 record.
There may be more decisions to come for the Flames, who own other hot deadline targets like goaltender Jacob Markstrom and pending unrestricted free-agent rearguard Noah Hanifin. Calgary currently sits five points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman doesn't sound worried about the Winnipeg Jets' decline in attendance.
"I believe that this is a strong NHL market," he told reporters before the Jets' clash against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night. "I believe that ownership has made extraordinary commitments to the Jets ... involving hundreds of millions of dollars. I'm not sure why people are now speculating that somehow they're not going to be here. At the end of the day, we can go through a litany of reasons ... as to how the attendance situation got to where it is.
"It kind of doesn't really matter because teams go through different ups and downs. I believe that the season ticket base and the attendance will evolve back to where it was."
The club confirmed to The Athletic on Friday that its season ticket base had dwindled from approximately 13,000 to around 9,500 over the last three years. Jets chairman Mark Chipman expressed concern over the future of the franchise in Winnipeg, saying those numbers wouldn't "work over the long haul."
Bettman offered his interpretation of Chipman's comments on Tuesday.
"What I believe Mark means by that ... (is) he didn't want to just be a member of the NHL; he wants a team that has the foundation for success," he said. "He wants to be competitive every year. He'd like to bring the Stanley Cup to Winnipeg.
"If the team is going to have the resources and the ability to compete at the highest level and spend to the cap as they have, it'd be important for the building to be full."
The Jets entered Tuesday's action in second place in the Central Division. They've performed excellently following a turbulent offseason in which former captain Blake Wheeler and Pierre-Luc Dubois left the team. Winnipeg was also at risk of losing franchise cornerstones Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, but both players signed matching seven-year, $59.5-million extensions in October.
"I'm mystified at the tension that seems to have developed here," Bettman said. "And by the way, this is a team, if they make the playoffs this year ... it'll be six of the last seven years. They're a cap team. The star players who had an opportunity to go elsewhere decided to stay here. Those are the substantive things that deliver the message that everybody seems to be focused on."
Bettman himself appears to be confident in the Jets' future in Winnipeg, and he had a simple message for fans who might be feeling apprehensive.
"Get over your anxiety and come to games," he said. "No better way to deal with anxiety than rooting for your hometown team."
The trade deadline is almost upon us, meaning it's time we take stock of this year's Stanley Cup hopefuls.
All these squads are fearsome as is, but there's always room for improvement. In this exercise, we took a dive into the needs of each contender and identified one dream player who would boost their chances of winning it all - within reason.
First, a caveat. We left off the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets, who are Cup contenders, but they've already made major moves by acquiring Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan, respectively. Of course, that doesn't mean that either squad is done adding, but we've opted to focus on the teams that have been quiet so far.
Too quiet.
Boston Bruins 🤝 Noah Hanifin
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GP
G
P
ATOI
58
11
33
23:45
Projected deadline cap space: $57.5K
You might be looking at the Bruins' limited cap space, relatively bare prospect cupboard, and lack of draft picks (they don't pick until the fourth round of this summer's draft) and assume this is a pipe dream. Bear with us.
First, the fit. A pending UFA, Hanifin is a Boston native who grew up a Bruins fan. If GM Don Sweeney acquires him now, the Bruins will have a better chance of inking him to an extension than if they wait for the summer. Hanifin is also a left-handed shot, which Boston needs; both Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort can become free agents in a few months. Also, an injury to Hampus Lindholm has made a blue-line upgrade a more pressing need.
The problem here is cost. Hanifin carries a $4.95-million cap hit, which is too rich for Boston's blood as it currently stands. It doesn't sound like Lindholm's ailment will require a shift to long-term injured reserve, meaning the Bruins don't suddenly have an extra $6.5 million to work with. Boston has its first-round selection in the next three drafts after this one, but the Bruins haven't picked in the opening round since 2021. With limited resources at their disposal, the Bruins would have to move on from a roster player to get this done. Would Jake Debrusk - a streaky top-six winger who's struggled at times - move the needle? Trading DeBrusk would also clear $4 million off the books, but Boston is already thin on the wings as is.
Acquiring Hanifin would handcuff the Bruins' ability to improve in other areas, but the idea of him enhancing a corps that already includes Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and a hopefully healthy Lindholm may be too good to pass up. If it doesn't work out, depth options like Ilya Lyubushkin or Nick Seeler could serve Boston just fine.
Carolina Hurricanes 🤝 Pavel Buchnevich
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GP
G
P
ATOI
55
22
46
19:50
Projected deadline cap space: $6.679M
OK, the Hurricanes' situation in net is a bit of a mess, but listen: Four different goalies have made at least one start for them this season. Would trading for another guy with a middling save percentage provide any relief? Based on the realistic options available, probably not. So, what else could Carolina use?
Well, the Hurricanes have scored around 15 fewer goals than expected at five-on-five this season, a trend that would be aided by someone like Buchnevich. In addition, every game of last spring's Eastern Conference Final was decided by just one goal, and Carolina was on the losing side of all four of them. That still has to sting.
This one's a pretty big swing, but there's still some wiggle room in the Eastern Conference. Carolina may go all-in, given the number of pending UFAs on its books, four of which are forwards, with Teuvo Teravainen headlining that group. The good news for the Canes is that Buchnevich has one more year remaining on his contract after this one, which would lessen the blow if they can't keep Teravainen.
Unlike most other contending teams in need of an impact forward, Carolina currently has the cap space to accommodate Buchnevich's $5.8-million price tag. There are two issues here, though. Firstly, the St. Louis Blues are in the playoff race and may be hard-pressed to part with Buchnevich, and secondly, it'd take a lotto get him, which isn't typically GM Don Waddell's midseason style. Carolina hasn't parted ways with a first-rounder at the deadline since 2020 when it scooped up Brady Skjei, who had four years remaining on his deal at the time. In the likely scenario this doesn't pan out, the Hurricanes could turn their attention to some less flashy options like Anthony Duclair, a center like Alex Wennberg, or a depth defenseman.
Colorado Avalanche 🤝 Marc-Andre Fleury
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GP
SV%
GAA
SO
28 (12-10-3)
.899
2.92
1
Projected deadline cap space: $1.242M
The Avalanche are overreliant on Alexandar Georgiev, and GM Chris MacFarland knows it. He leads the league in games played (48) while rankingsecond in shots faced (1,342). What's more, Georgiev has started 11 of the Avs' last 14 games since MacFarland said he wanted his No. 1 to play less. Whoops.
Colorado clearly doesn't trust youngsters Ivan Prosvetov or Justus Annunen enough to give them any significant amount of playing time, so MacFarland's only way to improve the situation is to explore the trade market for a capable netminder. Luckily for him, the perfect match might just be out there.
Enter Fleury. Wild GM Bill Guerin previously made it clear that he wasn't eager to gauge the trade market for the beloved goalie, and to Fleury's credit, he said he doesn't want to abandon Minnesota in the throes of a playoff race. However, we're a little over a week out from the trade deadline, and the Wild are looking at a 24.6% chanceto make the postseason, meaning Fleury's 17-year playoff streak is in jeopardy.
Fleury has control over the situation thanks to his no-move clause, and he said in May that he has no interest in moving again, but this might be his last NHL season, so why not go Cup-chasing one more time? Georgiev would still be the Avalanche's starter, but there'd be a decent role for Fleury in Colorado. If the affable veteran is fully dedicated to staying in the fight with the Wild, there are other options available for the Avalanche, like Jake Allen (although salary retention would likely be required), James Reimer, or Kaapo Kahkonen.
Dallas Stars 🤝 Sean Walker
Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
P
ATOI
59
5
21
19:29
Projected deadline cap space: $1.52M
Only three of the nine defensemen to play a game for the Stars this campaign are right-handed shots: Jani Hakanpaa, Nils Lundkvist, and Alexander Petrovic. Two of those options (Hakanpaa and Lundkvist) are currently injured, while the other (Petrovic) made his season debut in mid-February. Dallas' best option on the right is Miro Heiskanen, and it isn't even his strong side. When Peter DeBoer puts his best two rearguards together in Thomas Harley and Heiskanen, the blue line thins out even more.
It's not ideal, especially for a team that has stiff competition to be the last squad standing in the Western Conference. Acquiring Walker - a right-handed shot - would provide immediate aid.
Firstly, his presence in the top four would cut into the 31-year-old Hakanpaa's average ice time (18:59). Hakanpaa has spent the bulk of the season with Esa Lindell on his left, but the Stars fail to convincingly dictate play with the duo on the ice. Despite Hakanpaa and Lindell's struggles together, they comprise Dallas' most-utilized pair this season. In addition, even when Lundkvist was healthy, the Stars occasionally scratched him.
Walker would also come cheaper than someone like Chris Tanev, thanks to his $2.65-million cap hit. However, the Flyers are still very much in the playoff picture and may not want to part ways with the pending UFA, who's been a difference-maker in Philadelphia. Another option could be Lyubushkin of the Anaheim Ducks, whose cap hit is a teensy bit higher than Walker's, but it wouldn't cost as much to acquire him.
Edmonton Oilers 🤝 Chris Tanev
Terence Leung / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
P
ATOI
55
1
12
19:49
Projected deadline cap space: $2.373M
What is it people say, defense wins championships?
Virtually every contender (and inexplicably the Ottawa Senators?) is interested in acquiring Tanev, and for good reason. The veteran is a capable shutdown blue-liner who has a near-sadistic love for blocking shots. He's also responsible with the puck and has a knack for making breakout passes.
The Oilers sure could use someone like that to fortify their second pair behind Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard. A right-handed shot, Tanev would be a slam-dunk upgrade over Cody Ceci next to Darnell Nurse. If we were Ken Holland, we'd pull the trigger, but it's never that easy.
Firstly, the Calgary Flames may not want to send Tanev to their provincial rivals (he also has a 10-team no-trade list), but GM Craig Conroy has already made two trades with the Vancouver Canucks this season, so maybe he isn't picky about his dance partner as long as he gets the best deal. Next, Conroy is reportedly seeking a second-rounder and a prospect for the pending UFA, which Edmonton could swing, but the Oilers are going to have to ship out money to accommodate Tanev's $4.5-million cap hit. If Edmonton wants to dump Ceci's contract ($3.25 million for one more season) in the process or get the Flames to retain salary, then Holland would have to sweeten the deal.
The market for Tanev is going to be competitive, so Holland could pivot to Walker or Alexandre Carrier. Their smaller price tags could give the Oilers more room to set their sights on a middle-six forward (Jordan Eberle, anyone?) or a backup goalie.
Florida Panthers 🤝 Anthony Duclair
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GP
G
P
ATOI
51
11
19
15:55
Projected deadline cap space: $5.72M
The Panthers could really use a winger to add some scoring touch to their third line, so why not stage a reunion?
Yes, this one may be a bit far-fetched, seeing as GM Bill Zito is a mere eight months removed from trading Duclair to the San Jose Sharks to clear up cap space, but he's the exact type of player the Panthers are missing. Florida could use an upgrade on the trio of Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, and Nick Cousins, who've combined for 21 goals and 47 points. Now, to be fair, Duclair hasn't been tearing up the scoresheet, either, but he's only had the abysmal Sharks to work with.
Duclair enjoyed his best offensive season in 2021-22 with the Panthers, putting up 31 goals and 58 points. He was mostly out of action last campaign thanks to an Achilles injury, but he chipped in with 11 points in 20 games during Florida's surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final. His $3-million cap hit is manageable under the Panthers' current projections, and his acquisition cost will be modest, but there may be an even cheaper option out there.
Meet Arthur Kaliyev, a 22-year-old pending RFA with a cap hit of just under $900,000. He's sat as a fairly regular healthy scratch with the Los Angeles Kings this season, but there's potential there. The 2019 second-round pick scored 14 goals in 2021-22 and 13 last season. With his value tanking while he observes games from the press box, Kaliyev could be a low-risk, high-reward acquisition for the Panthers.
New York Rangers 🤝 Adam Henrique
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GP
G
P
ATOI
57
16
38
17:35
Projected deadline cap space: $4.383M
Those lucky Ducks. With Lindholm and Monahan off the board, Henrique has suddenly become the best center available at the deadline.
The Rangers could also use a top-six right winger to replace Blake Wheeler (and they needed an upgrade even before he got hurt), but a center is arguably a more pressing need because of the loss of Filip Chytil. Henrique checks a lot of boxes. A solid two-way player, he's on pace for a career year offensively while winning 53.1% of his faceoffs, which is what New York would want in its third-line center behind Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad.
Henrique is already 34 years old and wouldn't add much in the way of speed, but he might be the best option out there for the Rangers. He'd provide more pop than, say, Tyler Johnson, Nic Dowd, or Scott Laughton, and New York could get a deal done without having to sacrifice top prospects like Brennan Othmann and Gabriel Perreault or current lineup regular Will Cuylle. Lindholm and Monahan each fetched a first-round pick in their respective deals, and Henrique likely would as well, especially since the Rangers would need the Ducks to retain some of his $5.825-million salary. A first-rounder might be a bit steep for a pending UFA on the wrong side of 30, but it's an avenue GM Chris Drury should be serious about. Henrique does have some control over the situation thanks to his 10-team no-trade list.
If the Rangers are fine with riding the recently extended Jonny Brodzinski as their third-line center, they could always go the right-winger route. Maybe they reunite with an old friend, like Frank Vatrano or Vladimir Tarasenko.
Vegas Golden Knights 🤝 Jason Zucker or...
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GP
G
P
ATOI
47
8
23
14:06
Projected deadline cap space: $6.864M
What the Golden Knights need most of all is to get healthy and stay that way: Jack Eichel and Mark Stone are both out, Shea Theodore is finally back after missing 35 games, and Adin Hill was on and off the shelf earlier this season. Despite that, they're still one of the top squads in the Pacific. If we were to nitpick (assuming they'll be at 100% come playoff time, as no one has been ruled out for the spring), the reigning Stanley Cup champions could really use a middle-six winger. How about one that grew up in Las Vegas?
Zucker proved he's still got plenty of good hockey left in the tank last season when he put up 27 goals - all but two of which came at even strength - and 48 points in 78 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was rewarded with a one-year, $5.3-million deal with the Arizona Coyotes in the summer. With the Coyotes falling out of the playoff race, GM Bill Armstrong could flip Zucker at the deadline for a decent return. Arizona would absolutely have to retain some of his cap hit, which was an overpay when Zucker originally signed it, but even then, the Golden Knights wouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg to acquire him. The 32-year-old can play both wings, to boot.
One thing to keep an eye on is if Stone and his $9.5-million cap hit get moved to LTIR, which would give GM Kelly McCrimmon more wiggle room to do something dramatic. In that case, a splashier name like Jake Guentzel could be a realistic option. Eichel is already on LTIR, but McCrimmon recently said he's "not far off" from returning, and the Knights would undoubtedly want him back in their ranks as they push for home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
A pending UFA with a $6-million cap hit, Guentzel has hit the 20-goal mark in each of the last seven seasons and is primed to be a point-per-game player for the fourth time in the last five campaigns. Sounds like someone Vegas could use.
This might be Marc-Andre Fleury's last season in the NHL, and he wants to ride it out with the Minnesota Wild as they battle for a playoff spot.
"I don't want to just quit, right?" he said, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith. "I like this. I like the guys. It's a great bunch of guys. When you're so close, you want to do it all for each other. It's been fun lately winning a bit more, too."
Minnesota has been one of the league's best teams coming out of the All-Star break, owning a 7-1-1 record and the second-best points percentage (.833). The Wild are now just two points behind the Nashville Predators for the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference as a result of the red-hot run.
"If we were last in the conference, maybe it'd be a little bit different," Fleury said. "But this is my team. We've been battling together, right? I take pride in winning with this team. I want us to make the playoffs. That's my first priority.
"I think being in the hunt, it's fun, it's challenging. And I want to be here and see this team make the playoffs."
It's been a roller-coaster campaign for the Wild, who were in 30th place when they fired head coach Dean Evason in late November. Minnesota has since gone an admirable 23-14-2 under John Hynes, but even that stretch has been marred by some major dips: The Wild dropped eight out of nine contests earlier this winter.
Fleury has been key to Minnesota's recent turnaround, boasting a .908 save percentage and a 4-1-0 record since Feb. 7.
With many contenders in need of a serviceable backup goaltender, Fleury could be a valuable asset at the deadline. However, the affable veteran's future is entirely up to him, thanks to his full no-move clause. The Wild have five games remaining before March 8.
Fleury has three Stanley Cup championships to his name, and he's made the playoffs in each of the last 17 seasons. Despite the Wild's improvement, his streak is still in danger, as Minnesota only has a 27.7% chance of making the postseason, per MoneyPuck.
The 39-year-old took sole possession of second place on the NHL's all-time wins list earlier this season with his 552nd victory. Fleury owns a 12-10-3 record and an .899 save percentage on the campaign.
Dallas Stars prospect Logan Stankoven will play his first NHL game Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Dallas forward Tyler Seguin will sit out the tilt due to injury.
Stankoven, who'll turn 21 on Monday, is thriving in his first season with the AHL's Texas Stars. Stankoven entered Saturday leading the league with 57 points while sitting in a tie for second with 24 goals in 47 outings.
Stankoven similarly dominated the WHL last season, amassing a whopping 97 points (34 goals and 63 assists) in 48 outings as a member of the Kamloops Blazers. That was the fourth-highest total in the league even though Stankoven missed 20 games.
Dallas selected Stankoven in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
The Stars have been relatively thin up front as of late. Evgenii Dadonov has missed the last four games because of a lower-body fracture and the team shifted him to long-term injured reserve Sunday. Meanwhile, Matt Duchene was a late scratch during Monday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins. Dallas had to play a man short as a result.
Dallas (34-16-8) came into Saturday sitting second to the Winnipeg Jets (35-15-5) in the Central Division by points percentage. The Stars led the Jets by a single point with Winnipeg having played three fewer games.
The Vancouver Canucks have lost four games in a row for the first time this campaign, but goaltender Thatcher Demko said his team is well-equipped to handle this bump in the road.
"We're going to go through this. It's not going to be a perfect season," he said after Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. "This is the first bit of adversity that we've faced, so I'm sure it's fun to write that we're struggling or whatever, but it's part of the game, it's part of the sport. We're learning from it.
"Maybe the one good thing about the seasons that we've had in the past is that we've been through stretches like this. I like to think that we've learned a lot from those seasons."
Vancouver has only made the playoffs once in the last eight seasons, with its most recent appearance coming in 2020. The Canucks are going to return to springtime relevancy this year thanks to an electric campaign that has them sitting atop the Pacific Division with a 10-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Canucks still lead the league in regulation victories (33) while ranking second in wins (37) and fourth in points percentage (.678). Though coach Rick Tocchet said he doesn't "want to go crazy" over Thursday's defeat, he acknowledged that his team has to "pick it up."
"I mean, this is not even close to playoff hockey," he said. "(The Kraken) were desperate, but if these guys think playoff hockey is that, we're in trouble. There's been a couple of games here where we need some guys to get going. I don't care what our record is; it's been a little bit disturbing, some of the efforts from some of the guys right now."
The Canucks have been outscored 22-12 over their current slump, with all four losses coming in regulation. Star defenseman Quinn Hughes said he's focused on not changing his mindset in the face of his squad's mini-skid.
"I've told (the media) the whole year that I was gonna try to be not too high, not too low," he said. I think I've done a really good job of that so far, and I think the guys in this room have done a really good job. … There's obviously a level where we know to be better, but also no one's panicking."
Vancouver's next chance to get back in the win column will come Saturday against Boston. The Bruins won their first meeting of the season 4-0.
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones is doing his best to protect his team against complacency during another losing season.
"(My) motivation is always there to try to lead the team from the back end and be that guy on the ice that is just solid every game, even when things aren't going well," he told the Chicago Sun-Times' Ben Pope. "Everyone in here needs motivation to be better. Everyone is in here trying to prove something - from top to bottom, old to young. No one should be comfortable with the way they're playing."
Jones added: "As soon as you get comfortable losing, you're effed."
The 29-year-old signed an eight-year, $76-million extension after the Columbus Blue Jackets traded him to the Blackhawks during the 2021 offseason. Chicago owns a league-worst 69-130-22 record since Jones joined the team.
Jones acknowledged that the constant losing is "not fun for anybody in here." The Blackhawks have dropped 21 consecutive road games, with all but one of those losses coming in regulation.
"That's terrible; that's embarrassing," he said. "But you have to go into the next game expecting to win, or else it's going to be 10-0 ... you'll have no chance from the drop of the puck. We do not want to get comfortable losing in here. That's the worst thing that could happen."
In late October, head coach Luke Richardson said he was "tired" of moral victories and that he wanted to see more of his club during his second season behind the bench. Even with Connor Bedard making constant headlines, Chicago is on track to finish last in the league.
"Hopefully, we can continue to build and grow this thing to where it needs to be," Jones said. "But at the moment, it sucks. ... As an athlete, it just weighs on you, right? You play this game to win."
Jones has chipped in with one goal and 16 points in 42 games this campaign while averaging almost 26 minutes per contest. He has six years remaining on his deal after this season, and his pact includes a full no-move clause.
The Blackhawks will host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
Kyle Dubas acknowledged that he's kept the Penguins on a long leash this season, but the general manager hinted that his tolerance is wearing thin as Pittsburgh drops further out of the playoff picture.
"I feel like out of respect to the group here and what they've accomplished, I'm trying to be as patient as possible and give the group the time, and I've outlined that to them, to show that we can really make a push and make a run at it," he said. "As we've continued to stay level or drop, we look up today at the standings, it's a daunting task.
"Is the group capable of it? Yes, I think we've shown this year that we are, but we're running out of time to show that we can do it consistently."
The Penguins are in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division. They're eight points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand, but they'll need a swift turnaround to avoid missing the playoffs again. Pittsburgh currently has a 33.5% chance of making the postseason, according to MoneyPuck.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday that the Penguins were willing to listen to offers on all non-core players. Dubas addressed that report on Wednesday.
"I had another GM mention it to me today or ask me about it," he said. "I think we've received a lot of calls on a lot of our players, especially as our team has been in the spot that it's at."
The Penguin generating the most headlines is Jake Guentzel, who can become a free agent this summer. Dubas didn't commit to keeping or moving the star player.
"I understand how valuable (Guentzel) has been as a teammate. ... But at the same time, we have to take stock of where we're at and be realistic about the fact that one of the issues we have is we need to get younger," he said. "We have a lot of guys in their 30s signed - some of them are some of the best players in the history of the franchise. It's tough with Jake - as I've said to him - because he's an excellent player and playing at an elite level."
The executive said he hasn't asked anyone to waive any no-trade or no-movement clauses (Guentzel has a 12-team no-trade list). He has been looking to make a "hockey trade," but nothing has materialized.
Though there's a lot of uncertainty in Pittsburgh, Dubas doesn't expect to become a serious buyer around the trade deadline.
"I can't see us moving future draft capital at this point to try to bolster the team," he said. "At the same time, are there moves that will allow us to add good younger players to the organization that can help to expedite things here and support the group that's already here?"
Next up for the Penguins is a clash against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
