John Matisz

NHL general managers meet multiple times a year to discuss league matters and best practices. Coaches and equipment managers gather annually.Representativ…

The Buffalo Sabres' meteoric rise, from 30th in the NHL standings on Dec. 8 to tied for fifth on April 5, can be traced back to a snowy Tuesday night in Edmonton.The Lindy Ruff-coached squad was in the middle of a six-game road trip, having dropped three in a row to Philadelphia, Winnipeg, and Calgary. Next up: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Oilers in Game 30 of 82.Buffalo grabbed a 3-0 lead despite battling injuries and iffy officiating. Then McDavid scored 10 seconds into the third period, Draisaitl assisted on a second Oilers goal, and McDavid sniped again with two seconds left to force overtime.Undeterred, the Sabres attacked OT with pace and purpose. Winger Alex Tuch, who grew up on Sabres hockey as a native of nearby Syracuse, New York, fired the puck through the Oilers goalie's five-hole in the opening shift. Andy Devlin / Getty ImagesThe 4-3 victory Dec. 9 was fairly insignificant at the time, just the Sabres' 12th in 30 games. Now? It marks the beginning of the end for the longest postseason

Welcome to your one-stop shop for analysis and grades of every major NHL transaction ahead of Friday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.March 4Oilers acquire Dickinson Oilers receive Blackhawks receive F Jason Dickinson F Andrew Mangiapane F Colton Dach 2027 1st-round pick (top-12 protected) Note: Blackhawks retain 50% of Dickinson's $4.25-million cap hit.Edmonton deepened its blue line Monday by picking up Connor Murphy from Chicago. Two days later, general manager Stan Bowman has returned to the same rival team (and his former employer) to deepen his forward group.Dickinson, a 30-year-old pending unrestricted free agent, slides into the Oilers' third-line center slot behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. A defensive pivot who scored a career-high 22 goals in 2023-24, Dickinson is best known for his penalty killing. The Blackhawks sit first in penalty kill percentage through 61 games in large part due to Dickinson's diligence, and the Oilers will count on him to improve their 26th-ranked rate.Dach, a

NHL general managers tend to take care of some important business the weekend before the trade deadline. Not in 2026 - zero deals were completed.On Monday, the Blackhawks sent defenseman Connor Murphy to the Oilers for a second-round draft pick, giving fans something to talk about. Friday's 3 p.m. ET deadline is approaching quickly. Will this be a wild or mild deadline week?Here are the six teams poised to determine this deadline's heat level.St. Louis BluesSt. Louis lost in seven games to Winnipeg in the opening round of the 2025 postseason and hoped to challenge for a 2026 playoff spot. But the Blues sit 31st out of 32 teams in points and points percentage thanks to a 22-29-9 record.General manager Doug Armstrong can completely reshape the team this week, as virtually every veteran on the Blues' roster is reportedly available for the right price. Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesThe headliner is Robert Thomas, an above-average first-line NHL center who's in the prime of his career and attached to a completely rea

 

 

 

Doug Armstrong anticipated the question. His rationale was ready.It was Dec. 31, and the general manager of Canada's men's Olympic hockey team had just finished waxing poetic about 19-year-old superstar Macklin Celebrini - one of several flashy names on a stacked 25-man roster unveiled moments prior. Canada enters the Feb. 11-22 Olympic tournament in Italy as the front-runner to win gold."What gives you confidence that Jordan can still get it done?" a reporter asked Armstrong as part of a layered question about Canada's three goalies."When we select all players, we look at their recent play, and we look at their resumes. Jordan Binnington's resume speaks for itself," Armstrong said of the Stanley Cup-winning starter who starred at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off."His name never came up as a question mark," the GM added, despite Binnington's cringeworthy save percentage and goals saved above expected rate in 2025-26. "What everyone saw from him at the 4 Nations cemented his legacy for this (2026 Olympic) tournamen

Canada unveiled its 25-man roster for the 2026 Olympics on Wednesday - 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies. Let's discuss snubs, positional outlooks, and more ahead of the Feb. 11-22 men's hockey tournament in Milan, Italy. (Note: Players in bold were named to the roster back in June.)Forwards LW C RW Brandon Hagel Connor McDavid Brayden Point  Sidney Crosby Nathan MacKinnon Sam Reinhart Macklin Celebrini Nick Suzuki Mitch Marner  Brad Marchand Anthony Cirelli Tom Wilson Bo Horvat Mark Stone Notable snubs: Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Morgan Geekie, Seth Jarvis, Wyatt Johnston, Mark ScheifeleBedard, Scheifele, and Johnston all rank in the top 10 in NHL points per game among Canadian skaters. Geekie's 25 goals sit second in the country.There's no denying that general manager Doug Armstrong left a boatload of talent off the announced roster. Yet with a dose of context, none of the forward "snubs" listed above qualify as especially controversial.Bedard and Jarvis are injured and do