The Week Ahead: Fowler to St. Louis

The NHL season goes into a trade freeze from December 20-27 as the league gives the players some leave during the Christmas season. That doesn't mean that teams aren't talking, as Cam Fowler was dealt from Anaheim to St. Louis on Saturday. There could be more deals before the break as teams like the Rangers are in trouble and need to do something quick to shake up their team.

All statistics are through Saturday's games unless otherwise noted.  

WEEK OF DECEMBER 16-22

4 Games – Colorado, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Vancouver, Washington

3 Games – Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Utah, Winnipeg

2 Games – New York Islanders, Vegas

Los Angeles and Ottawa play all four games on the road.

Edmonton plays all four games at home.

Calgary, Dallas, Nashville, San Jose and Tampa Bay play three games at home.

Colorado, Florida and Seattle play three games on the road.

ANAHEIM

Games this week: vs. Winnipeg, vs. Colorado, @ Utah

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Winnipeg (Wednesday), vs. Colorado (Friday)

Notes: Trevor Zegras is out of action for the next six weeks after he underwent surgery on his right knee to repair a torn meniscus Thursday...Troy Terry has two goals and 10 points in his last nine games heading into action Saturday...Olen Zellweger was pointless in his last seven games before being a healthy scratch Thursday...Cam Fowler was dealt to St. Louis, so Zellweger will rejoin the lineup.

BOSTON

Games this week: @ Calgary, @ Edmonton, vs. Buffalo

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Buffalo (Saturday)

Notes: Brad Marchand is on a six-game point streak, with five goals and two assists...Charlie McAvoy has only five goals and 11 points in 31 games this season, including one assist in his last five contests...Elias Lindholm has only one goal in his last 28 games. It's not exactly what the Bruins had in mind when they signed him to a seven-year contract in the offseason.

BUFFALO

Games this week: @ Montreal, vs. Toronto, @ Boston

Tired: @ Boston (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Sabres are still without Rasmus Dahlin, who has missed the last five games with a back injury...John-Jason Peterka has only a goal and an assist in his last 11 games...Tage Thompson has five goals in his last five games...Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has struggled of late, allowing 19 goals on 149 shots (.872 save percentage) in his last five games...Jason Zucker's four-game point streak (two goals, four helpers) was halted Wednesday.

CALGARY

Games this week: vs. Boston, vs. Ottawa, vs. Chicago

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Flames started Dan Vladar five times in six games before he suffered a lower-body injury Thursday while giving up eight goals on 26 shots in a loss to Tampa Bay...Dustin Wolf could start all three games this week if Vladar is unable to return...Connor Zary has had one point in each of his last four games heading into action Saturday...MacKenzie Weegar is pointless in three games.

CAROLINA

Games this week: vs. New York Islanders, @ Washington, @ New York Rangers

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Hurricanes are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games...Pyotr Kochetkov is 2-3-0 in his last five starts, allowing 15 goals on 116 shots. Overall, the netminder is 12-5-0 with a 2.61 GAA and a pedestrian .895 save percentage...Sebastian Aho has a pair of goals and 13 points in his last 10 contests...Andrei Svechnikov remains on the top line. He has three goals and six points in his last seven games but has been held without a point in five of the seven contests. He has a four-point night against Colorado and a two-goal effort versus the Islanders to account for all his scoring.

CHICAGO  

Games this week: vs. Washington, vs. Seattle, @ Calgary

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Blackhawks recalled Frank Nazar from AHL Rockford, where he had 11 goals and 24 points in 21 games. He saw 14:01 of action Saturday, including 3:52 on the first power play, but was held off the scoresheet...Connor Bedard has three goals in his last nine games after going goalless in his previous 12 appearances...Petr Mrazek is on injured reserve with a groin injury and is questionable to play this week...The Blackhawks recalled Drew Commesso from the minors, who allowed four goals on 24 shots in a 4-1 loss to New Jersey on Saturday.

COLORADO

Games this week: @ Vancouver, @ San Jose, @ Anaheim, vs. Seattle

Tired: @ Anaheim (Thursday)

Rested: vs. Seattle (Sunday)

Notes: The Avalanche completed their second goaltending trade in less than two weeks as they picked up Mackenzie Blackwood from the Sharks...The Avs play four times this week, including three in four nights, so expect Blackwood to play at least twice and possibly three times with Scott Wedgewood playing the remainder of the games...Mikko Rantanen has three goals and five assists in his last four games, including a three-goal, five-point effort in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

COLUMBUS

Games this week: @ Tampa Bay, vs. New Jersey, @ Philadelphia  

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: James van Riemsdyk has only four goals and five assists in 23 games this season and yet remains on the top line, alongside Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson...Zach Werenski continues to have an outstanding season. The 27-year-old defenseman leads all blueliners with 10 goals, giving him double-digits in goals in seven of his nine NHL seasons. The only times he has missed the mark were in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, when he had seven goals in 35 games, and in 2022-23, when Werenski had three goals in 13 games before missing the remainder of the season after shoulder surgery.

DALLAS

Games this week: vs. Washington, vs. Toronto, vs. New York Rangers

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Jake Oettinger is 1-3-0 in his last four starts heading into action Saturday. He has given up 11 goals on 101 shots, giving the netminder a 14-7-0 mark with a 2.46 GAA and a .911 save percentage this season...Matt Duchene leads the Stars with 13 goals and 30 points in 29 games...Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley share the lead among defensemen with four goals and 14 points...Wyatt Johnston has four goals and 10 points in his last 11 games.

DETROIT

Games this week: vs. Philadelphia, vs. Montreal, @ Montreal   

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Red Wings play three games in four nights...Look for Cam Talbot (if healthy) and Ville Husso to share the net...The Red Wings play a home-and-home series versus Montreal this week, so look for Ben Chiarot to get involved if there are any fisticuffs...Joe Veleno was pointless in his last 13 games before picking up an assist Saturday...Lucas Raymond is off to a great start with 12 goals and 31 points in 31 games, including a goal and 12 assists on the power play.

EDMONTON

Games this week: vs. Florida, vs. Boston, vs. San Jose, vs. Ottawa

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Oilers play all four games at home this week, including three in four nights...Stuart Skinner should see three games between the pipes with Calvin Pickard playing once...Zach Hyman is heating up with five goals in his last six games since returning from an undisclosed injury that cost him five games...Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 6-3 win over Vegas, giving him six goals and 11 assists in 30 appearances.

FLORIDA

Games this week: @ Edmonton, @ Minnesota, vs. St. Louis @ Tampa Bay

Tired: None

Rested: vs. St. Louis (Friday)

Notes: The Panthers complete a five-game road trip in Minnesota...They play four games this week but they are spread out as they play every other day starting Monday...Look for Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight to share the crease...Aleksander Barkov saw his seven-game point streak end Thursday as the Panthers were shut out in Vancouver 4-0...Barkov had five goals and 10 points in the streak...Aaron Ekblad is without a point in his last four games.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week: @ Pittsburgh, @ Philadelphia, @ Nashville, @ Washington

Tired: @ Washington (Sunday)

Rested: @ Philadelphia (Thursday)

Notes: The Kings play all four games on the road, including three in four nights...Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich should share the net, but if there is a 3-1 split, it will be in favor of Kuemper...Warren Foegele has eight goals and 15 points in 30 games this season and is on pace to tie his career-high in points of 51, set last season...Anze Kopitar is on pace for his fourth-straight 40-plus assist season, as he has 26 helpers in just 30 contests.

MINNESOTA

Games this week: vs. Florida, vs. Utah, @ Winnipeg  

Tired: @ Winnipeg (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Wild play three games in four nights...Filip Gustavsson should get two starts with Marc-Andre Fleury making one appearance...Kirill Kaprizov continues to show why he should garner serious consideration when it comes time to vote for the Hart Trophy. The 27-year-old has 20 goals and 45 points in 29 games, after a two-goal performance Saturday...Mats Zuccarello had an assist in his return to action Saturday after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury.

MONTREAL

Games this week: vs. Buffalo, @ Detroit, vs. Detroit

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Canadiens play a home-and-home series against their Original Six rivals Detroit...If there is any rough stuff, look for Arber Xhekaj and Josh Anderson to add to their penalty-minute totals...Lane Hutson finally found the back of the net Saturday for his first career NHL goal. The rookie defenseman has 20 points in 30 games and will garner serious Calder Trophy consideration, along with Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov...Patrik Laine has three goals and four points in six games.

NASHVILLE

Games this week: vs. New York Rangers, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Los Angeles

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Predators return home to play all three games...Roman Josi, the Predators' leading scorer with 23 points in 29 appearances, has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury. He has been one of the few bright lights for Nashville this season...Filip Forsberg has been having a disappointing season with only 19 points through 30 games, ahead of Saturday's tilt in Colorado...Thomas Novak has a pair of goals this past week, giving him five on the season.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week: @ St. Louis, @ Columbus, vs. Pittsburgh

Tired: None

Rested: None       

Notes: Stefan Noesen has gone six games without a point...Luke Hughes had an assist Saturday, snapping a three-game pointless streak...He has 10 points in 24 games this season...Jacob Markstrom is 5-0-1 in his last six starts, allowing only 11 goals on 134 shots...The Devils have been outstanding in defending of late, as Markstrom has faced only 67 shots in his last four games.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week: @ Carolina, @ Toronto

Tired: None

Rested: @ Toronto (Saturday)

Notes: The Islanders only play twice this week...Anthony Duclair has missed the last 27 games with a lower-body injury, but he could return in time to play in Carolina this week...Bo Horvat has three goals and five points in his last five games, giving him eight goals and 22 points in 31 contests. He is day-to-day with a lower-body injury...Jean-Gabriel Pageau has six points in his last four games including a pair of three-point nights.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week: @ Nashville, @ Dallas, vs. Carolina

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Rangers are a broken team...They lost 5-2 to the Kings on Saturday to fall to 15-13-1...They started the season 9-3-1 but are a weak 6-10-0 in their last 16 games...Igor Shesterkin gave up five goals on 21 shots before he was pulled early in the second period. It was the fifth time that Shesterkin has given up at least five goals in one game this season...Adam Fox potted his first goal of the season Wednesday and has five points in his last four games.  

OTTAWA 

Games this week: @ Seattle, @ Calgary, @ Vancouver, @ Edmonton

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Senators play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...Linus Ullmark should get at least two starts, while Anton Forsberg will get the remainder of the action...Shane Pinto had a goal and two assists in 20 games entering Friday's game against Carolina. Pinto had a pair of goals to lead the Senators to a 3-0 win...Nick Jensen is a sneaky pickup, as the defenseman has a goal, four assists and a plus-five rating in his last six games, ahead of Saturday's tilt versus Pittsburgh.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week: @ Detroit, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Columbus

Tired: vs. Los Angeles (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Flyers play three games in four nights...Samuel Ersson missed 11 games with a lower-body injury but returned to action this past week and went 1-2-0, giving up 11 goals on 66 shots...Despite the poor showing, Ersson remains the top goaltender on the Flyers...Scott Laughton had a career game Thursday scoring all four goals in a win over Detroit...Jamie Drysdale has only one goal and three assists in 19 games as he has been hurt yet again this season. Drysdale is only 22, but has been in the NHL since he was 18. He has played in only 61 games over the last three-plus seasons, missing 216 games due to injury.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week: vs. Los Angeles, @ Nashville, @ New Jersey

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Bryan Rust was held off the scoresheet Saturday in a 3-2 overtime loss to Ottawa, but the 32-year-old had four goals and seven points in his three previous games...Rickard Rakell moved up to the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rust and has two goals and six points in his last four games...Crosby has four helpers in four games, giving him eight goals and 30 points in 32 contests.

SAN JOSE

Games this week: vs. Winnipeg, vs. Colorado, @ Edmonton

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Sharks dealt Mackenzie Blackwood and Givani Smith to Colorado for Alexandar Georgiev and Nikolai Kovalenko, paving the way for Yaroslav Askarov to eventually take over the No. 1 goaltending job in San Jose...It could happen as early as after the Christmas break...Will Smith, the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 Draft, returned to action Saturday after missing three games with an upper-body injury. Smith was getting hot before his injury with three goals and seven points in his previous six contests.

SEATTLE

Games this week: vs. Ottawa, @ Chicago, @ Vegas, @ Colorado

Tired: @ Colorado (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Kraken play four times, including three in four nights...Joey Daccord should get at least two starts, and possibly three, while Philipp Grubauer will get the remainder...Matty Beniers hasn't found the back of the net in the last 14 games, but does have seven helpers in his last seven...Brandon Tanev is on the top line with Beniers and Jaden Schwartz and has two goals and six points in his last nine games.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week: vs. New Jersey, @ Tampa Bay, @ Florida

Tired: @ Florida (Friday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Blues play three games in four nights...Look for Jordan Binnington to play twice while Joel Hofer will get one start...The Blues acquired Cam Fowler on Saturday as it appears that Nick Leddy will continue to miss action with a lower-body injury. Look for Fowler to see action alongside Colton Parayko...Robert Thomas is on a six-game point streak with three goals and eight assists.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week: vs. Columbus, vs. St. Louis, vs. Florida

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: The Lightning struck for eight goals Thursday, led by Jake Guentzel's hat trick and Nikita Kucherov's six-point night...Victor Hedman missed Thursday and Saturday's games with a lower-body injury...Conor Geekie was selected 11th overall in 2022 by the Coyotes, before he was dealt to the Lightning in the Mikhail Sergachev deal over the summer. He's picked up the pace and has three goals and six points in his last 11 games.

TORONTO

Games this week: @ Dallas, @ Buffalo, vs. New York Islanders

Tired: vs. New York Islanders (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Maple Leafs play three games in four nights...Look for Anthony Stolarz (if healthy) to play twice with Joseph Woll playing once...If Stolarz can't go, Woll will get two starts with Dennis Hildeby starting one game...The Maple Leafs activated Max Pacioretty off injured reserve on Dec. 7 and he had a big game Thursday with a pair of goals and an assist in a 3-2 win over Anaheim...Auston Matthews has five goals and nine points in eight games since returning from his upper-body injury. While that's good for most players, Matthews has struggled offensively (for him) this season with 10 goals and 20 points in 21 games.

UTAH

Games this week: vs. Vancouver, @ Minnesota, vs. Anaheim

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes: Barrett Hayton has never evolved into the No. 1 center the franchise hoped they would have when he was selected fifth overall in 2018...Hayton's best season offensively was in 2022-23, when he had 43 points, including four goals and 10 points on the power play. This season, the 24-year-old has only five goals and 12 points in 30 games...Karel Vejmelka is 5-7-2 this season, heading into action Saturday, but his peripherals are strong as he has a 2.36 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

VANCOUVER

Games this week: vs. Colorado, @ Utah, @ Vegas, vs. Ottawa

Tired: @ Vegas (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes: The Canucks play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week...Look for Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen to share the net...J.T. Miller returned to action Thursday after missing 10 games for personal reasons and picked up a pair of helpers in a 4-0 win over Florida...Nils Hoglander is seeing first-line action despite managing only two points (both assists) in his last 23 games.

VEGAS

Games this week: vs. Vancouver, vs. Seattle

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Vancouver (Thursday)

Notes: The Golden Knights only play twice this week...They signed Keegan Kolesar to a three-year extension Friday. Kolesar has seven goals, four assists and 90 hits in 29 games this season...Mark Stone returned to action from a lower-body injury that cost him 14 games and has an assist in each of his last two games, before going pointless Saturday, giving him six goals and 23 points in 16 contests...Victor Olofsson has two goals and two assists in his last four games.

WASHINGTON

Games this week: @ Dallas, @ Chicago, vs. Carolina, vs. Los Angeles

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Los Angeles (Sunday)

Notes: The Capitals have to be pleased that Alex Ovechkin (broken fibula) was at practice Saturday, albeit in a non-contact jersey. He had a league-leading 15 goals in 18 games before the injury and could possibly be back this week...Jakob Chychrun has been great this season with nine goals and 20 points in 24 games. His career highs were 18 goals, set in the 2020-21 season and 41 points, set in the same year and equaled last season with the Senators.

WINNIPEG

Games this week: @ San Jose, @ Anaheim, vs. Minnesota

Tired: @ Anaheim (Wednesday)

Rested: vs. Minnesota (Saturday)

Notes: Mark Scheifele saw his five-game point streak (four goals and four assists) end Thursday...Kyle Connor has 17 goals and 38 points in 32 appearances this season and could be on his way to a career-high in points as he had 93 during the 2021-22 campaign...Neal Pionk continues to have his best offensive season in his career, as he has four goals and 24 points in 32 games...He had 45 points in 71 games with the Jets during the 2019-20 campaign.