The Los Angeles Kings have traded center Phillip Danault just before the NHL's roster freeze that kicks in at 12 a.m. ET for the Christmas break.

Los Angeles received a 2026 second-round pick from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Danault. The second-round pick is owned by the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are at the bottom of the standings in the Eastern Conference.

With this move, Kings' GM Ken Holland removes Danault's $5.5-million cap hit. The player has one more year left on his contract after this season, fulfilling his six-year ticket. Los Angeles now has $9.2 million in salary cap space in the aftermath of this deal.

Also, the Kings now own two draft picks in the second round of the 2026 draft.

This trade follows several reports, including from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, about Danault and the Kings being willing to part ways.

Danault is returning to his home province of Quebec in his reunion with the Habs. The 32-year-old played parts of six seasons with Montreal. 

Across those years, he played 360 games for the club, scoring 54 goals and 194 points. He was also a part of the Canadiens team that advanced to the Stanley Cup final in 2020-21.

With the Kings this season, Danault has had a very slow start. In 30 appearances, he's scored zero goals and put up five assists while averaging 16:19 of ice time per game, spending most of his time on the third line. Furthermore, he's missed the last four games due to illness.

Breaching the Surface: Alex Turcotte and the Phillip Danault DilemmaTAMPA BAY, FL – In a place that has been a house of horrors for the Los Angeles Kings, the team was able to squeeze out a 2-1 win in sixty minutes of play, no more, no less, at Amalie Arena. For anyone following closely, that was the 23rd game this season for the Kings in which the game was decided by just one goal. Scaling down, it was also the fourth consecutive game the Kings were without defensive linchpin Phillip Danault, who has been battling the flu. In those four games, the Kings have been outscored at even strength 8-4.

The shutdown, two-way center is signing off on his Kings tenure after five seasons and 349 games. In that span, Danault scored 70 goals and 200 points.

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The tenure of former Detroit Red Wings 2018 second round (33rd overall) pick Jonatan Berggren came to an official close this week, as he was placed on waivers and subsequently claimed by the St. Louis Blues. 

In his second game with the Blues on Thursday night against the New York Rangers at Enterprise Center, he demonstrated why the Red Wings once viewed him as a potential key contributor on offense by sniping a shot past goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

Yeah, you're going to want to see this shot by Jonatan Berggren. 🎯

Wow, wow, wow. pic.twitter.com/cKBBm03D5F

— NHL (@NHL) December 19, 2025

While the Rangers ultimately fell by a 2-1 score in overtime, Berggren said that he felt comfortable in his new surroundings.

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

“I just play my game,” Berggren said. “I haven't played a lot of hockey this season, so it's just fun to be out there and be with the boys and play good hockey. … It's easy for me to adapt, a really fun group and very skillful. So yeah, they make it easy for me.” 

While he began the game playing alongside another former Red Wings forward in Pius Suter, he would later be elevated to the top line alongside Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. 

“I just try to play my game and hopefully keep doing that and play good," Berggren continued. "It's super fun to play with those two guys. Really skillful players. So yeah, let's keep going.”

Berggren showed flashes of offensive upside during his rookie campaign with the Red Wings, scoring 15 goals in 67 games. However, he was unable to secure a roster spot with the club the following season, playing the majority of 2023-24 with the Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Jonatan Berggren Finds New NHL Home After Being Waived by Red Wings Former Detroit Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren officially has a new NHL home after being placed on waivers.

Last season, his last full campaign in the Red Wings' organization, he scored 12 goals while adding 12 assists in 75 games. 

The Red Wings chose to re-sign Berggren, who was a restricted free agent, over the summer to a one-year contract worth $1.825 million. 

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First Period

We are officially underway.

Avalanche score nearly 10 minutes into the game and it's Brent Burns. He snapped a shot from the point that deflected off the skate of a Jet defender and it's 1-0 Colorado.

Colorado would go on the penalty kill right after, though, as Gabe Landeskog was called for holding Josh Morrissey. The Avs would go on to kill the penalty and it was a complete team effort. Cale Makar forechecked like a beast and Brock Nelson made a key interception to disrupt the Jets' momentum. 

Martin Necas scored off a feed from Nathan MacKinnon on a 2-on-1 rush to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead with just under five minutes left in the first. 

Wedgewood made a highlight-reel save in the closing stages of the first. The puck got underneath of him in the crease and he kicked his left leg out and knocked the puck out of danger.

Second Period

Josh Manson laid out Cole Perfetti with a hard hit early in the frame, but Jets forward Tanner Pearson took exception and challenged Manson to a fight. And it went poorly for him, as Manson dropped him with a series of blows.

Mark Scheifele was subsequently penalized for holding MacKinnon and the Avalanche were awarded with a power play. 

We're halfway through the period. The score hasn't changed. Winnipeg's Logan Stanley one-timed a shot from the point, but Scott Wedgewood made the stick save.

The Jets were subsequently penalized for too many men on the ice and Colorado got another chance on the man advantage. Landeskog also checked Winnipeg defenseman Dylan Samberg into the boards after the whistle. 

Martin Necas took a hit along the boards and just went down the tunnel. You hate to see that. Hopefully it's nothing too serious. 

Jets score shorthanded late in the period and it's Morgan Barron. Winnipeg cleared the puck and Barron won the foot race and snuck the backhand by Wedgewood. Barron has scored in back-to-back games against the Avalanche and has registered points in three out of his last four against Colorado. 

Third Period

Parker Kelly scores 1:58 into the final period to give Colorado a 3-1 lead. Manson fired the initial shot, and Kelly, who was screening Hellebuyck, deflected it by the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner. 

Devon Toews gets penalized for hooking Gabriel Vilardi. The Jets respond with a goal off the next draw. Haydn Fleury fires a slap shot that Scheifele redirects from the backdoor past Wedgewood to make it a 3-2 game. 

Near the halfway point of the period, Kelly tipped a shot from Samuel Girard by Hellebuyck, but it was immediately ruled no goal by the officials because Kelly played it with a high-stick. 

Happy holidays from The Hockey Show.

This week was the last episode of the season, so co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork were extra motivated to squeeze as much hockey goodness as they could into this week’s show.

Joining Roy and Dave was THS’ official Anaheim Ducks correspondent, comedian Brad Williams.

In addition to gushing over the solid season his Ducks are having, Brad also chatted about the challenging Western Conference, chirping his fellow comedians while on the road and the importance that Waffle House plays on any road trip.

Wins and fails of the week included Leon Draisaitl scoring his 1,000th point on former Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, a pair of defensive fails by the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, an interesting jersey choice by Tate McRae in Calgary and a goaltending matchup in South Florida featuring the sons of Hall of Fame netminders Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo.

The full episode and interview can be seen in the videos below:

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The Philadelphia Flyers are giving one of their exciting prospects a chance on the NHL roster.

The Flyers have announced that they have recalled forward Denver Barkey from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

The Flyers also shared that defenseman Egor Zamula has been assigned to the Phantoms after clearing waivers.

With Barkey being one of the Flyers' most promising prospects, it is undoubtedly notable that he has been called up. The young forward will now be looking to make a big impact after getting his first NHL call-up from here. 

Barkey has appeared in 26 games so far this season with the Phantoms, where he has posted seven goals, nine assists, and 16 points. This is after he had 25 goals and 82 points in 50 games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season. He also recorded nine goals and 20 points in 10 playoff games for London this past spring. 

As for Zamula, he will now be getting into his first AHL action since the 2022-23 season. In 13 games this season with the Flyers, he has recorded one assist and a plus-4 rating. 

Buffalo Sabres star forward Alex Tuch is a player to keep a very close eye on this season. The star winger is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so questions have naturally come up about his future in Buffalo.

The Sabres' hope is to sign Tuch to a contract extension, and it is easy to understand why when noting that he is one of their most impactful players. It would not be easy for the Sabres to replace him if they lose him, as he is a top-six power forward who is a major scoring threat. 

Yet, if the Sabres do not have Tuch signed to a contract extension by the deadline and they are still out of a playoff spot then, they may end up having no choice but to shop Tuch.

According to The Fourth Period, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, and Los Angeles Kings are four teams that are expected to express interest in Tuch this season if the Sabres make him available. 

With all four of these teams having high expectations, it would make all the sense in the world for them to pursue a star like Tuch near the deadline. Any of them would be lucky to land Tuch, but the same could be said for every other playoff club in the NHL, as he is a proven top-six winger. 

In 32 games so far this season with the Sabres, Tuch has recorded 11 goals, 18 assists, 29 points, and a plus-3 rating. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins currently have a 14-10-9 record this season and are seventh in the Metropolitan Division. However, they are also only four points behind the third-place New York Islanders in the Metro, so they are still certainly in the playoff race.

The Penguins have been going through a very rough patch as of late, though, as they have lost seven straight games. Yet, even with this being the case, all hope is not lost for their season. 

Due to this, in a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson argued that the Penguins should look to add an inexpensive two-way forward to their roster by the 2026 NHL trade deadline. 

"Despite the club's improved performance and the goalie swap, GM Kyle Dubas is sticking with his roster retooling timeline. If the Penguins remain a playoff contender by the deadline, he could seek an affordable defensive forward to help his club in the faceoff circle," Richardson wrote.

With the Penguins still focused on the future, it would make sense for them to be a bit more conservative at the deadline rather than making a big splash for a rental player. When looking at their group, it is fair to argue that they could use another solid bottom-six center, so that could be an avenue worth exploring. This is especially so if they can find a player who is under contract beyond this season and is on the right side of 30. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what kind of moves the Penguins make this season.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula has cleared waivers. 

Zamula was placed on waivers by the Flyers on Dec. 18. With Zamula being 25 years old and 6-foot-3, it certainly seemed possible that an NHL club out there could have claimed him to add to their defensive depth. Yet, he has instead passed through waivers unclaimed and will remain a part of the Flyers organization because of it. 

With Zamula clearing waivers, the Flyers have assigned him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. 

Zamula has appeared in 13 games so far this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded one assist, 15 blocks, and a plus-4 rating. This is after he had three goals, 12 assists, and 15 points in 63 games with the Flyers during the 2024-25 season. 

In 168 games over six seasons with the Flyers, Zamula has posted eight goals, 33 assists, 41 points, and 218 blocks. 

Back in November, the Montreal Canadiens signed forward Alexandre Texier to a one-year, $1 million contract. This was after Texier mutually terminated his contract with the St. Louis Blues.

Following the Canadiens signing Texier, the hope was that he would bounce back from a much-needed change of scenery. So far, it is fair to say that he is doing just that, as he is proving to be a very good addition to the Canadiens' roster.

Texier has been off to a nice start with the Canadiens. In 12 games so far with the Original Six club, the 26-year-old forward has recorded three goals, three assists, and six points. He has also been improving as he continues to get used to the Canadiens' system, as he has posted three goals and four points over his last five games alone.

With the way Texier is playing, there is no question that he is giving the Canadiens some solid secondary offensive production right now. With the Canadiens needing more offense, Texier has certainly been a pleasant surprise for them early on.

It will now be very interesting to see how Texier builds on his nice start with the Canadiens. If he keeps this kind of play up, it would be great news for the Habs.