The Montreal Canadiens should be looking to improve at the center position this season. 

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn stands out as an interesting potential option for the Canadiens. 

With the Blues struggling this season, Schenn has found himself right back into the rumor mill. It is understandable, as he would have the potential to be a very solid addition to a playoff team's roster. This is because he is a solid two-way center who chips in offensively when playing at his best, kills penalties, and is not afraid to throw the body. 

Schenn is also known for being a good leader, which is why he is currently the Blues' captain. With the Canadiens being a young team on the rise, adding a player like Schenn as a mentor would have the potential to benefit them. 

After a slow start to the season, Schenn is also starting to heat back up for the Blues. In 30 games so far this season with the Central Division club, he has recorded six goals, seven assists, 13 points, and 67 hits. He also recorded four points in his last three games alone, which included him scoring twice and recording an assist against the Canadiens on Dec. 7.

With all Schenn provides, he would have the potential to be a solid addition to the Canadiens' middle six and penalty kill if acquired.

However, there would also be some clear risk in a potential Schenn trade. For starters, he would not come cheap, as he has a $6.5 million cap hit. He would also be more than a rental for Montreal if acquired, as he is signed until the end of the 2027-28 season. The 34-year-old forward has also struggled at times this season. 

Ultimately, Schenn would have the potential to be a nice addition to the Canadiens' roster, but his contract is where things could get complicated. Yet, if the Blues were open to retaining some of Schenn's salary, that could make the veteran center a more realistic target for Montreal. 

The Nashville Predators will once again have the opportunity to showcase their players in front of a European audience this season. This time, they won’t have to leave home to do it.

The National Hockey League announced on Tuesday that the start time for the Predators’ home game against the Detroit Red Wings at Bridgestone Arena on Monday, March 2, presented by Regions Bank, has been changed to 1 Pm CT.

Originally scheduled as a 7 Pm CT start, the new start time will allow the NHL’s top stars to be showcased in primetime – 8 p.m. CET – to passionate hockey fans across Europe, continuing the excitement from the 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden and NHL player participation in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

“We are thrilled that our March 2 game against Detroit is shifting to this unique weekday matinee setting,” Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena CEO Sean Henry said in a statement. “The Preds will take this opportunity to celebrate hockey over multiple days, recognizing local hockey groups, rewarding students and thanking our military members for their service to our country, all while the NHL and its broadcast partners showcase our team and our city internationally. We are confident that the fans of SMASHVILLE will shine one more time on this international stage!”

As part of their commitment to the armed forces community, the Predators will donate 1,000 game tickets to military members and their families from the U.S. Army Fort Campbell base, located near Clarksville, Tenn.

This will also be the fourth Smashville Sports Series game of the season – themed games that blend Predators hockey with other sports – with March 2 centered on baseball. The originally announced giveaway of 5,000 Nashville Predators baseball jerseys presented by Regions has been increased; now, the first 10,000 fans in the building will receive a jersey.

In addition to 50 percent off Michelob ULTRA that fans get at every Smashville Sports Series game, attendees can also enjoy $1 hot dogs throughout the game.

The weekday afternoon game gives fans, corporations and downtown businesses a unique opportunity to bring their companies to Bridgestone Arena for a workplace outing, long lunch break and fun afternoon in Smashville.

The Predators competed in last month’s NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal, where they played in two regular-season games versus the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of sold-out crowds at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.

The Preds feature some of the game’s biggest international talents, including Swedish star and franchise goals leader Filip Forsberg and fellow countryman Adam Wilsby, as well as captain Roman Josi (Switzerland), Juuse Saros and Erik Haula (Finland) and Steven Stamkos (Canada).

In addition to last month’s NHL Global Series, the Predators have played abroad on two other occasions: the 2022 NHL Global Series Czechia and GAME ONe Japan 2000.

The Red Wings counter with a global roster of their own that includes defenseman Moritz Seider (Germany), captain Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane (United States), forward Marco Kasper (Austria), and six Swedish-born players: forwards Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren, and Elmer Soderblom, and defensemen Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

Detroit has played in regular-season games abroad two times, both in Stockholm: the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal and NHL Premiere 2009.

In their last meeting with the Red Wings the day before Thanksgiving in Detroit, the Preds exploded for five goals in the third period for a come-from-behind 6-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena. Nick Blankenburg, Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly, Erik Haula and Steven Stamkos tallied goals for Nashville in the final frame.

Sportsnet’s Eric Engels has reported that the Colorado Avalanche have requested they wear the Quebec Nordiques jersey against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan 29, and that request has been accepted. With the Nordiques jerseys on, the Canadiens will wear their red jerseys in the matchup.

Sounds like the NHL might permit the Avs to wear the blue Quebec Nordiques jersey Jan 29 vs. Canadiens red. Geoff Molson said he hasn’t been asked yet by the NHL, but that he’d happily approve if they asked.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) December 9, 2025

For the franchise's 30th anniversary, the Avalanche have returned to the organization's roots and are wearing the Quebec Nordiques jerseys in seven games this season. However, they can now include one more game this season against their “rival,” the Montreal Canadiens. They still face the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights in their retro jerseys.

Colorado Avalanche Officially Unveil 30th-Anniversary Quebec Nordiques JerseysThe Colorado Avalanche on X have officially announced/revealed that they will be honoring the Quebec Nordiques this season with a special third jersey for their 30th Anniversary.

So far this season, the Avalanche, or the Nordiques in this case, are 1-1 while wearing the jerseys. They lost their debut in the jerseys, 5-4 in a shootout against the Carolina Hurricanes, but bounced back with a 7-2 win against the Canadiens.

Engels also reported that the Canadiens' CEO, Geoff Molson, responded to the initial report that the Avalanche wanted to make this matchup happen, saying he would happily approve.

One of the biggest moments these two teams faced off was dubbed the “Good Friday Massacre,” in which, on Good Friday, April 20, in the second round of the 1984 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Quebec Nordiques lost game three to the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 and the series. Most notably, the game ended with an all-out brawl, one of, if not the biggest, fights in NHL/AHA history. 

There were multiple fights during the game, but the biggest moment took place at the end of the second period, including another one before the third period started. By the end of everything, there was a total of 11 ejections and 252 penalty minutes handed out.

While I doubt we'll see this happen again, it's encouraging to see the NHL approve the Avalanche’s request to wear the retro jerseys again, and I hope they continue to accommodate similar requests if other teams bring back their own retro jerseys.

Scott Wedgewood Could Start for Avalanche vs. Predators on TuesdayScott Wedgewood’s minor back injury appears to be just that—minor.

The Winnipeg Jets have announced that defenseman Elias Salomonsson has been loaned back to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The move comes as depth defenseman Haydn Fleury returned to practice Tuesday and has been skating with the team, signaling a return to the minors for one of the Jets’ top defensive prospects.

Salomonsson appeared in four games for the Jets this season, finishing without a point and registering a -4 plus-minus rating. His early struggles came against tough competition, including matchups against the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes, each of which scored five goals against him. He recovered over his final two games with a +1 rating, averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time per contest and recording three shots on goal.

SALO TIME ✈️

Elias Salomonsson will make his @NHL debut tonight in Washington!@Wawanesa | #GoJetsGopic.twitter.com/1KND89gfNh

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 26, 2025

The 21-year-old defenseman was called up following an injury to Neal Pionk, rotating in alongside Winnipeg’s other depth defenders. Drafted by the Jets in the second round, 55th overall, in 2022, Salomonsson has continued to impress in the AHL this season with six assists in 17 games for the Moose, though he has yet to record a goal. Across 70 career AHL games, the Skellefteå, Sweden native has totaled 33 points.

Salomonsson’s return comes at a key time for the Moose, who were red-hot with six consecutive wins but have stumbled recently with three losses in their last seven games. His offensive and defensive skills could help Manitoba regain momentum and get back on track.

His AHL resume includes representing the Moose at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic, becoming only the second rookie defenseman in franchise history to earn the honor. He was also named both Best Defenseman and Rookie of the Year for the 2024–25 season, highlighting his rapid development as one of Winnipeg’s top young blueliners.

With Fleury back in the lineup, Salomonsson will return to Manitoba to continue honing his game while providing a boost to a Moose team looking to rebound.

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

The Rangers lost a point they could have won and all The Maven has heard since is the lame line, "The Ref made a bad call."

Everybody makes mistakes, refs included, but for Mike Sullivan yapping about a double-minor late in the third period in the Vegas' game is an example of the coach auditioning for the lead role in "Alibi Ike."

So, Rangers defenseman Will Borgen and Vegas' left wing went off for roughing. So, what's the problem, it's even-Steven my fine, feathered Mr. Sullivan. 

Using the alleged "bad call" as an excuse to blow a late third period lead and then blow the game because you put the wrong players out there late in the overtime, is theater of the absurd.

For crying out loud the face-off was deep in the Vegas' zone, what more could the Rangers ask for with 14 seconds left in overtime?

No, Pal Mike, your guys blew it. Harvey (Hutch) Cohen, who has been a hockey coach for decades, fingered the Rangers' culprits.

"Any good coach and high school defenseman would have been prepared for the long pass that successfully went to Jack Eichel," Hutch explains. "The three Rangers on the ice were terribly ill-prepared. That was the only play that could beat the Rangers, and it did.

"All the Rangers defenseman had to do was stay behind the closest Vegas' player, Eichel. But the D-man got a late start because he wasn't watching Eichel, who was the biggest threat."

Listen up Sir Sullivan; one more point from Hutch: "I told my players there's an 'In' box and an 'Out' box when playing hockey. The 'In" box contains things you can control such as behavior, wrist shot, slap shot, plus. 

Blueshirts Forecast: The Team Appears On The Rise: But is it Really?After the Rangers had lost in overtime to Vegas, the MSG Networks post-game interlocutor Steve Valiquette suggested that the club's solid play against some of the NHL's elite teams is cause for optimism.

"The 'Out' box has those things you can not control -- and that includes officiating, bad bounces and broken sticks. I told my players, 'Don't worry about 'Out' box things."

As for the overtime blunder that cost the Rangers a vital point, Jess Rubenstein adds: "What about the other two Rangers who were on the ice with Matthew Robertson?"

Blaming the refs is for Beer League games – and Hutch Cohen's "Out" Box!

The Chicago Blackhawks are set to return their home ice on Wednesday night. They will take on the New York Rangers in their first matchup of the season with this Original Six rival. 

Chicago is back home following a four game road trip out west. They played the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings twice on the trip. 

The Blackhawks went 1-2-1 for three points out of eight during this stretch, so they are looking for a nice rebound once they return home. The last two games, Los Angeles and Anaheim, were blowout losses so a bounce-back performance is much needed. 

There is a lot we learned about the Hawks while they were on the road. These are the five biggest takeaways: 

Connor Bedard will show up and produce no matter what

Over the four game losing streak that mostly went bad for Chicago, Bedard had two goals and one assist. Despite a lousy effort from most of his teammates, Bedard brought his best at a high intensity level. 

Bedard is one of the best players in the NHL right now and he's only going to get better. There will be wins and there will be losses. There will be good road trips and bad homestands. Through it all, it is fair to expect the superstar on the team to always be producing offense, which will give them a chance to win on most nights. 

The Blackhawks have tremendous respect for Anze Kopitar

After Chicago's second game of the trip against the Los Angeles Kings, the entire team waited to shake hands with their captain Anze Kopitar. 

Although it didn't involve many active players on either team, Kopitar and the Kings had some intense battles with the Blackhawks over the years. The two teams won a combined five Stanley Cups in the 2010s. They also battled each other in a handful of Western Conference Finals through those runs. 

It is obvious that even the new players recognize that and made sure to honor one of Chicago's all time greatest playoff foes. 

The second half of back-to-backs are a problem

The Chicago Blackhawks have played in two sets of back-to-backs now. In each of them, they were blown out. They lost 9-3 to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the year and this trip's bad loss to the Anaheim Ducks to end it. 

The one against the Sabres felt like an anomaly at the time, but it can't be ignored that it happened again when they faced the same situation against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Back-to-backs are a part of the NHL and teams must perform well in those games. Jeff Blashill and his staff must work on a way to fix this issue.

Sam Rinzel has a long way to go before he’s an NHL star

On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent Sam Rinzel (and Landon Slaggert) to the AHL for some work. For Rinzel, this is a good opportunity for him to gain his confidence back, impact games in a bigger way, and get more ice time. 

During the road trip, Rinzel had a couple of tough plays that led to goals for the opposition. These games forced the team to do something they didn't want to do, which was part ways with him to the AHL for now. 

Rinzel showed signs of being an NHL star late last year and early this year, but has hit a bit of a rookie wall. He has a long way to go before becoming an elite player, but the tools are there for him to be successful. This stint in the AHL will be great for him in the long-term. 

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

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

The St. Louis Blues have reportedly signed Dillon Dube to an AHL contract, according to insider Frank Seravalli.

Dube was one of five Hockey Canada players acquitted of sexual assault charges in July from a 2018 incident in London, Ont. Dube joins Carter Hart and Cal Foote as players from this case to sign contracts back in North America. Michael McLeod remains in Russia, and Alex Formenton remains in Switzerland. 

Dube hasn't played any hockey this season, but did skate with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL last season, scoring four goals and 11 points in 42 games. 

Prior to departing for Russia, Dube was a figure in the Calgary Flames' bottom six. He played in 325 games, notching 57 goals and 127 points. Dube also has AHL experience, skating in 56 games and recording 19 goals and 56 points. 

The former 2016 second-round pick (56th overall) is a bit undersized at 5-foot-11, but plays a hard-nose game and isn't afraid to be a physical presence. 

Due to several injuries the Blues are facing, the Springfield Thunderbirds' roster is thinning out. The Blues have recalled Dalibor Dvorsky, Matt Luff, Hugh McGing and Matthew Kessel from the AHL. Dube will provide additional depth to the Thunderbirds' roster. 

Dube's reported agreement is an AHL deal, so if the Blues did want to call him up, they would need to sign him to an NHL contract. 

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

There were a few injury updates for the New York Rangers to come out of Tuesday’s practice. 

First off, Matt Rempe made an appearance for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Oct. 23 after a fight against Ryan Reaves. 

He was placed on long-term injured reserve and has been sidelined for the past 22 games. 

The 23-year-old forward practiced on Tuesday in a non-contact jersey, and Mike Sullivan confirmed he will travel with the team to Chicago, despite not being available for Wednesday’s game against the Blackhawks, indicating that he’s making significant progress. 

“He skated a fair amount on his own with our skills coaches,” Sullivan said of Rempe. “The next step is to get him around the group in a team setting in a non-contact jersey.”

Adam Fox has not practiced with the team, but he resumed on-ice activity according to Sullivan, skating twice on his own. 

He was placed on LTIR after suffering a shoulder injury on Nov. 29 in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Mike Sullivan Is ‘Disappointed For The Players’ After Rangers' Overtime Loss To Golden Knights It was another overtime heartbreaker for the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> on Sunday night in their 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.&nbsp;

According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, the Rangers are expecting him to miss multiple weeks due to a left-shoulder injury and he’ll be reevaluated around Christmas.

Meanwhile, Adam Edström has been notably absent since suffering a mysterious lower-body injury during practice last week. 

Edström hasn’t practiced or played in a game with his long-term status still unclear. 

Sullivan confirmed that Edström will not travel with the team to Chicago, but is still skating on his own.