• What is Jarmo Kekalainen’s plan for the Sabres?
• How Quinn Hughes ended up in Minnesota
• Tom Wilson‘s evolution and fit on Team Canada
Quick note: while I’m getting into a better rhythm with the written 32 Thoughts, it’s going to take a Christmas holiday. Next will be week of Jan. 5.
I avoid overreacting to one game.
We all have bad days. You’re not at your best, maybe you’ve slept badly, maybe it’s the sniffles, maybe you’ve cut your face on your car door and everything’s just…off.
Happens to everyone.
Toronto lost 4-0 in Washington on Thursday night, but what struck us on the broadcast was how mildly, quietly and passionless it finished. One night later, down 8-2 to Dallas, Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano was hacking at Jason Robertson, causing a ruckus, blowing off steam in a game the Ducks would lose by five.
We knew this would be Toronto’s season of change, with Mitch Marner not a key piece of the core for the first time since 2016. But we’re beyond that. Something’s missing, and it’s not a player.
What’s missing? Let’s look:
• The connection between Craig Berube and his players. Berube is not hard to play for. If you compete, he gives you a long leash. But we’re seeing him angrier and angrier on the bench, more often than coaches show. There’s been several exchanges with William Nylander, and, on Tuesday, he lit into the team for having only one shot in the first 11:27 against Chicago.
What’s even more striking is his post-game commentary. For the most part, he goes out of his way to protect players publicly, even when it’s obvious in-game he’s not happy. Last week, Berube admitted he admonished his leadership for a tepid third-period performance and on Thursday, he told reporters to ask the players why the Washington game lacked urgency.
Coaches have to pick their spots with that stuff, and it’s rare you see them do it twice so close together. He’s not covering for them.
• Consistent passion and a conviction in what they are trying to do. I loved it when Auston Matthews held his hand to his ear after tying the Chicago game. At his best, Matthews has a swagger, an edge and a smirk to him. We haven’t seen enough of that this season.
There’s a lot of debate about the captain, both internally and externally. His speed — both his feet and his shot — are down, and there’s a lot of debate why. I thought maybe that goal would ignite him and his team. You’d think the Maple Leafs would go into Washington feeling good about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, but it didn’t translate. They had three power plays in the first period, but trailed 2-0, outshot 8-4.
Speaking of missing, the power play qualifies. They tried sending Max Domi and Matthews outside the offensive zone to come downhill with speed. It created some openings, but the Capitals adjusted. Berube started using the second unit more often. I thought they might give Matias Maccelli another shot on Saturday, but the practice lines indicate otherwise.
Reporters who covered Friday’s practice (the team stayed an extra day in Washington before going to Nashville) said it was quiet and somber.
• Success at either end of the ice. The Maple Leafs are 29th in offensive zone time, 27th in preventing opponent offensive-zone time. Last year, goaltending covered up a lot of blemishes. Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby aren’t the problem (without Hildeby it might have been 10-0 in Washington), but their even-strength save percentage is 23rd.
Last year, it was second overall. Maybe that’s everything. Last year’s saves are this year’s goals against.
In the East, no one is out, so this is not yet crippling. But, if things don’t straighten out, the organization will be forced into existential questions they didn’t think they’d have to consider — beyond the coach, beyond management, into the core of their lineup and about overall direction.
This was not the plan.
There’s a lot of heat on Berube. The more I’ve thought about this season, the more I go back to May, that seven-game Panthers showdown. Under his watch, they had a 2-0 series lead, and a 3-1 edge in Game 3. They had the Panthers on the ropes with this coach. Then came three straight losses, including a Game 5 home meltdown, followed by a gutsy Game 6 road victory, and the soul-crushing Game 7.
Berube is no different now than he was up 2-0 in that series, an overtime goal away from being ahead 3-0. Did it all end then? Did that loss smash the group’s belief in him and each other?
You can always re-write your story. The Maple Leafs have 49 games to go, beginning with the Predators and a brutal back-to-back in dangerous Dallas. But, it’s hard to watch now and not think about last season’s loss, wondering if the hangover is still there.
32 THOUGHTS
1. Two late-night pre-freeze deals. In the aftermath of the Phillip Danault deal, Kings GM Ken Holland was asked if he preferred to get a player, rather than a second-round draft pick. “Ideally, probably a roster player,” he said. “Centres are hard to find.” He added he was prepared to keep Danault through Christmas, but “ultimately felt this deal was our best.”
Danault’s rough start (no goals, five points) and contract ($5.5M AAV in 2026-27, although $4.25M cash) limited potential return. Holland expertly deflected queries about needing to do this now, but the relationship between Danault and the Kings was fractured beyond repair — evidenced by Quinton Byfield meeting the team on the road after recovering from illness while it was agreed Danault would stay in California.
It’s too bad, because this was a mutually beneficial partnership for years. The Kings gave him a contract Montreal wouldn’t in July 2021, and he was well worth it. Big opportunity in LA for Sami Helenius and Alex Turcotte, although the Kings will survey the landscape for a centre (along with almost everyone else).
There will be opportunity for Danault back in La Belle Province, where he blossomed after a 2016 trade from Chicago. Number to watch: his shooting percentage. First three years in Los Angeles: the best of his career, led by a 13.9 in 2021-22. Last year: the worst (6.5), with this year obviously tracking below. Offence is not Montreal’s problem, and maybe he rides the wave.
2. Mason Marchment went to Columbus for a second- and a fourth-round pick. The marriage between Marchment and Seattle didn’t work, unfortunately. Move on. They got back a little more than they paid, good business. Zach Werenski’s frustration with losing boiled over Wednesday night, so I’m not surprised Columbus would do this. This is the kind of trade you saw a lot of in pre-cap days, where teams did things to jolt their rooms. Ah, I miss those simpler times.
3. I heard it Friday from annoyed Sabres fans, aghast at the idea of trading red-hot Alex Lyon, even if Edmonton needs him. The Oilers looked into Lyon last summer and again earlier this season. Here’s why those fans might get their way: new GM Jarmo Kekalainen, while challenging Buffalo’s players to make the playoffs, recognized he took over during a three-game win streak (now four thanks to a Thursday win over Philadelphia). The Sabres haven’t always felt great about themselves over the last few years, but now is one of those times, and you can lose your room if the first thing you do is disrupt that. Don’t be an immediate buzzkill.
Both publicly and privately, in messages to fans and media, to players, coaches and staff, Kekalainen is making a pointed observation: this roster is waaaaaay too talented to be owner of the sport’s longest current playoff drought. The Sabres have a reputation: they aren’t grinders. They’re too loose, don’t make life hard enough on opponents. The most impressive thing I’ve heard so far about Kekalainen in Buffalo is a saying he’s repeated internally: “Don’t tell me what someone can’t do. Tell me what they can do.”
He’s throwing a challenge at his new team: do you have the fortitude to win games the nights skill isn’t enough? That’s what he’s asking those players to prove to him. If you focus on next year, you give everyone an out. Long as the odds may be, he wants them thinking about springtime in Western New York.
4. One source said Wednesday there were people last summer who warned Kevyn Adams bringing in Kekalainen could mean hiring his own replacement; he should consider someone who wouldn’t be a threat. Credit to Adams for ignoring that advice. If you’re scared of that, you shouldn’t be running a team.
When Kekalainen arrived, it wasn’t with a bang. He observed as much as he spoke, trying to get a feel for the organization. As time progressed, his presence grew, particularly asking players to honestly discuss their feelings. I’ve heard for years one of the biggest impediments in Buffalo is that there are too many cooks in the kitchen. You can have only one Gordon Ramsay calling people an idiot sandwich.
Owner Terry Pegula has confidants that pre-date his NHL ownership, and as the Sabres struggled, they leaned in harder with opinions. He has to shut that down. Kekalainen, who said he has full autonomy, is no shrinking violet. It has to be one voice, or the same problems will undermine new leadership.
5. Early word is Kekalainen likes more than he dislikes about the roster — especially down the middle. So much of this is dependent on Josh Norris’s health; he has nine points in six games since coming back. They love their centre depth: Norris, Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod. That’s pretty good. Mattias Samuelsson’s played some of his best hockey, and they are thrilled with Josh Doan. The Lyon speculation came from the new GM saying they have to end this three-goalie experiment. Kekalainen is said to like Colten Ellis, and I’m not sure what the market is for Ukko-Pekko Luukkonen. We’ll see how that plays out. As for Lindy Ruff, if he keeps winning, things take care of themselves.
6. Okay, Alex Tuch. As mentioned on Friday’s podcast, I’ve heard two stories: that the Sabres offered him in the vicinity of Thompson’s number ($7.14M AAV) and that they discussed concepts without making an official offer. Whatever the case, they were not anywhere near what Tuch considers his market value — around $10.5M.
What I do know for certain is that Adams felt if he went that far, it would prevent him from doing other things, especially with Jeff Skinner’s buyout figure jumping to $6.44M next season (although it significantly drops afterwards). I believe two of those items were extensions for Zach Benson and Josh Doan, who is arbitration eligible. The Sabres would have less flexibility. We’ll see how Kekalainen approaches it.
7. I heard that, on his final team flight from Seattle back home, Adams took a photo of the group. That’s when everyone knew the rumours were true. There’s something very poetic and meaningful about that.
8. The key Quinn Hughes quote from last weekend was this: “Obviously, I’ve got a lot of time for (Bill Guerin), ‘Sacking up’ and making the deal like he did. How he valued me. There are other teams that probably could have thrown in certain packages like that too, but at the end of the day they didn’t want to do that…I’ll remember that.” The more I’ve thought about this and looked into it, the less I think about it being a direct shot at Detroit or New Jersey as much as a window into Hughes’ thought process. How he ended up in RussoWorld.
9. Let’s look at the ingredients. First, Hughes decides right before Thanksgiving he’s not re-signing this summer in Vancouver. Second, the Canucks did not want a record-setting gong show. Third, even though their captain had no specific trade protection, Vancouver tried to make this extremely challenging process as easy as possible on everybody involved. (Notice how Hughes bent over backwards to thank them.) Fourth, he won’t commit long-term, at least not at this point.
According to several sources, Vancouver did everything possible to send the defenceman east — his preference, but every offer is flawed. Buffalo didn’t make a serious pitch. Philadelphia didn’t have the centre. The Rangers, legitimately interested and somewhere that would appeal to him, don’t have enough. Washington isn’t interested in parting with Ryan Leonard or one of the Protas Giants (not sure which was the preference). I’m now convinced Detroit played it conservatively, unwilling to dive in the deep end without some kind of long-term commitment. That, more than parting with Simon Edvinsson, is why their pursuit never really left the driveway.
Carolina, that one’s interesting. Jim Rutherford was in Raleigh two weekends ago as part of their Stanley Cup 20th anniversary celebrations, so face-to-face possibilities existed. There was something in that offer the Canucks liked (I assume 23-year-old defender Alexander Nikishin was involved), because a few sources indicated Vancouver looked hard at it. I don’t know if we’ll ever find out for sure, but a couple other teams thought the Hurricanes were the frontrunners until Minnesota showed up. Does it even matter? Who knows. Anyway, enter Guerin.
10. Understand where Hughes’ head is when the Wild arrive like Rodney Dangerfield at Bushwood. He wants to go east. There isn’t an offer screaming “you must do this” at Vancouver. Suddenly, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi and a first-rounder are on the table. Many times, when these trades happen, someone says privately, “We could have beaten that.” Not here. This is their best route.
The Canucks want to do it — and they could have said, “Too bad, Quinn” — but they want to do it with Hughes’ blessing. So, he has to wrap his head around: am I willing to go midwest, to a team I’d never considered? He badly wants to win. Can the Wild win? He starts to look at the roster. Their three best forwards are signed until 2029 (Joel Eriksson Ek), 2030 (Matt Boldy) and 2034 (Kirill Kaprizov). Jonas Brodin is signed until 2028, Brock Faber to 2033. Filip Gustavsson (2031) and rising Jesper Wallstedt have the ability to be a great goaltending tandem for years. Hughes, a hockey nerd (a compliment), starts to think, “This could work.”
11. One GM referred to the Central as “Death Valley Division.” Do not underestimate Hughes’ competitive juices. Some might shy away from this three-way bludgeonfest with Colorado and Dallas. He won’t. He’ll want to go head-to-head with Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar — just as they will want to go head-to-head with him. These guys are the best. They want that challenge.
And, the more Hughes thinks about it, the more he convinces himself: Okay, I’m good. This can work. He understands why the Canucks want this trade. So, when he’s glazing Guerin, he’s crediting him for making him believe in a situation he wouldn’t have given a second thought two weeks ago. And I do think he’s serious when he says he’ll remember Guerin’s big gamble. He understands what they gave up to get him. Boston, Washington and Columbus had less chance this week than me against my backyard raccoons. Let’s see when the Wild come back to earth.
12. It’s hard for Canucks fans. I get it. But it was necessary for Canucks players. “It sucked in the moment,” one said, “but Quinn wanted to go and needed to go. This gave us fresh air.” They are 3-0 since the trade, competing hard. The Canucks learned from last season, moving quickly to excise negativity.
Buium is like the Tasmanian Devil, a whirling dervish of positive energy. Rossi will get points, and we’ll see if there’s another level. Ohgren was a point-per-game player at 20 in the AHL, not a small thing. If he can score — and he got his first of the year in Manhattan on Tuesday — that will be massive for them. Kiefer Sherwood’s hat trick beat the Islanders on Friday. Three back of his career-high in goals (19), Sherwood stayed put as the Christmas freeze set in.
13. Sportlogiq’s Mike Kelly posted that Hughes leads the NHL with the puck on his stick: four minutes per night. Toronto’s Scott Laughton saw that and laughed. “It would take me 30 games to reach four minutes,” he said.
14. Okay, New Jersey, with massive wins this week in Vegas and Utah. (More importantly, arguably Jacob Markstrom‘s best performance of the season versus the Mammoth.) Vancouver made an honest attempt with the Devils, who I believe were the first team contacted. (Package led by Simon Nemec. There’s been dispute about Dawson Mercer, although he may have been in and out of different proposals.) They couldn’t outbid Minnesota.
Where I think things get complicated is I don’t believe the issue was clearing cap room. Once they realized they weren’t going to win the Hughes auction, they weren’t racing to shed salary with an injury-depleted roster. They need the bodies they have. Why make yourself even more shorthanded?
They’ve had at least one — and possibly two — vetoed trades. There are several players with protection. I have my suspicions, but no proof. I’ve never heard Ondrej Palat’s name, and I suspect that if they want to move Dougie Hamilton, it will have to be to one of the 10 teams on his list. If not, forget it. This chapter of the book is not over, however. At the very least, they continue to investigate options to move money when the time comes.
15. The Wild aren’t done. They need another centre, at least. What arrows remain in Guerin’s quiver?
16. Others looking around: Winnipeg. No specifics, but the Jets want to know their options. New Nashville owner Bill Haslam is meeting with the media on Monday (with minority partner Nick Saban). Predators fans are very interested to hear his vision. Haslam’s been asking a lot of questions privately, but wanted to wait before saying anything publicly.
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32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
17. I’m careful writing about Rasmus Andersson, because I don’t want him telling Eric Francis I have no idea what I’m talking about (and Eric gleefully writing it). The Flames were looking for a first-rounder and a good prospect for him last season. Back then, he wasn’t a rental, so we’ll see if the market’s changed.
18. One thing the Flames (and other teams) learned from the Noah Hanifin deal: don’t give permission for another team to talk to your player unless you have a trade you like. If you do it the other way around, you’re stuck talking to one team. This way, no one can officially talk until you have something you really like.
19. The Oilers went to Minnesota for a suddenly spicy Saturday matinee with the Wild, while Tristan Jarry flew back to Edmonton to determine the severity of his injury. There is concern, but it was too early to know for sure until deeper examination. One thing about Edmonton: they were not panicked by their bad start. They were confident they’d figure it out.
Something that might interest only me: I wondered what happens to Jarry’s Penguins hockey bag. (Any player who gets traded, really. Do they get to keep them?) The Oilers returned it to Pittsburgh when they played this week.
20. When Calvin Pickard beat Seattle 9-4 on Dec. 4, there were social media posts about his postgame hug with Stuart Skinner. It was their regular routine, but they milked it when Edmonton beat the Red Wings 4-1 a week later. They hugged for about 30 seconds, a fun inside joke. Incredibly, Skinner woke up the next morning to the phone call telling him he was being traded. Adam Henrique told a couple of great stories in Toronto, saying he would pick up coffee for Skinner and that Brett Kulak was responsible for restaurant reservations on the road. So he was thinking, “Do I still get coffee for Stu?” and, “Can we still ask Brett to set us up in Toronto?”
21. We’ll see what happens with Kulak. There were teams interested before he went to the Penguins, but didn’t have the cap room to add — and the Oilers couldn’t take money back. Remember, last season Pittsburgh flipped Luke Schenn to Winnipeg after acquiring him from Nashville.
22. Washington, as good a pick to win the East as anyone, made things very clear this week: they are going to grab the best offensive player they can. They feel every goal is work for them.
23. Does anyone else think Matthew Tkachuk makes his return at the Jan. 2 outdoor game? It’s the perfect stage.
24. You know who looks rejuvenated? Josh Manson. Every night I watch, he’s manhandling someone.
25. For all the debate about experience in the GM chair, the last six Stanley Cups were won by first-time managers: Bill Zito (2024-25), Kelly McCrimmon (2023), Joe Sakic/Chris MacFarland (2022), Julien BriseBois (2020-21). All were experienced in the sport some way or another. There are multi-job winners in recent history: Doug Armstrong (2019), Jim Rutherford (2016-17), Dean Lombardi (2012 and 2014). Best approach: find confident people with backbone and a plan.
26. Fenway Sports Group bought the Penguins in Nov. 2021 for approximately $900M (US). The sale price is $1.7B. That’s a nice return, for approximately 80 per cent of FSG’s majority share. The sale took longer than expected, a bit of a rough ride. One reason Fenway’s NHL existence didn’t last is it had trouble adjusting to Commissioner Gary Bettman’s iron grip. Fenway owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC (let’s see about NBA expansion into Las Vegas) — flexing considerable muscle without much opposition, as many owners do. The other North American commissioners don’t have Bettman’s power. It was a source of friction.
27. The International Ice Hockey Federation wanted Olympic team reveals after the upcoming World Juniors. But with the rosters due New Year’s Eve, Canada, in particular, knew there was zero chance they’d stay secret so long. So the Canadians go that day, with Finland, Sweden and the United States to follow on Jan. 2. I can’t argue with Jakob Chychrun — having an incredible season — or Matthew Schaefer, but after the way the 4 Nations blue line navigated Shea Theodore’s injury, Cale Makar’s brief absence and Josh Morrissey’s illness hours before puck drop of the final, I’m slightly surprised they’d make changes.
28. Tom Wilson, asked about Canadian fans’ fears that tighter international rules could make him a liability on the Olympic Team: “Yeah, I’d say it’s still hockey…I’ve been around long enough that I hope that I can adapt to whatever game is going on in the Olympics. You could be playing Sweden, Slovakia or whoever, you could be playing the Americans and it could be fast and heavy and physical. And I’ve always tried to be a well-rounded player. That’s something that I’ve focused on my whole life. So whatever’s happening in that game, I hope that I could help. And at the end of the day, I hope the team would want me going in to play USA or one of those big, heavy, fast teams. I hope my teammates and the other Canadian guys would want me there with them. And if I’m lucky enough to be there, they know I’ll have their back and do whatever I can.”
John Carlson had an interesting theory on Wilson’s evolution. “When he was younger he was playing less,” the veteran defender said. “He wanted to make a statement, he wanted to find ways to impact the game. Now he’s playing on the first power play for years and he’s on the first penalty kill. He plays 20 minutes a night and I think that he thinks rightfully his physicality will still shine through. He can go out one night, not hit one person and his presence and what he’s capable of has the same effect as if he is running around a little bit and trying to forecheck a little harder or trying to line someone up a little more.”
Carlson added that any fight Wilson gets into “is not really a good trade for the Washington Capitals and I think he knows that. That’s helped him refocus his game on what he does best.”
Wilson was asked about warning players he’s coming. He doesn’t do it all the time, but it does happen. “There was a play a couple of games ago where a young kid came down the left side, came right across the blue line into the middle of the ice,” he said. “I was backchecking and came the other way to meet him…And we’re both going full speed and it’s going to be a big hit but at some points it’s just, it is tough to execute the hit clean. And that would be a point where I would just say, ‘Hey, heads up and then maybe bump into him.’ Makes you look bad if they put it through your feet and go in and score, so you gotta be smart about it.”
What the power forward wouldn’t admit is that he backed off Connor McDavid on Nov. 17, a 7-4 Washington victory. Wilson eased up as McDavid came up the right-wing boards on a breakout. “I mean I like the guy, he is great for the game,” he said sheepishly, with a smile. “You know, sometimes you just don’t need to make the hit, but I won’t either deny nor confirm that.”
29. One coach’s replay suggestion: At the beginning of the season, each team is allotted three challenges. They may be used at any time for any call that can be challenged. Get it right you maintain your three. Get it wrong and you are down to two. He thinks it would cut down the number of frivolous challenges, and coaches may want to save them for later as playoff races go down to the wire. Personally, I’m not sure three would be enough (maybe five or 10), but I like the idea.
30. Two weeks ago, Troy Stecher joined the Hockey Night in Canada pre-game and was asked why his Toronto transition’s gone so smoothly. “At the end of the day,” he said, “I’ve never lost faith in my own game as an individual player. I feel like I have a good opportunity here to showcase that.” Critical quote. I always tell my son: If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else has reason to believe in you.
31. Went to this week’s Chicago/Toronto game in seats owned by our producer Brian Spear. It’s kind of funny how the entire crowd can spend almost three hours grumbling, then walk out saying “great game” when the home team scores twice in eight seconds to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.
A couple of shoutouts to people I met on the walk back to my car. First, Blackhawk father-and-son fans Danny and Kane Wray. I’ll give you one guess who Kane is named after; he was born in 2010 — and the first game he ever attended was the 2015 banner raising. (As I asked more questions, Kane wondered if I was trying to steal his identity.) Also: Andrew Robb. He’s a former high-school volleyball player who became a referee. He’s officiated some international competitions and said his goal is to do it at the summer Olympics. Good luck, Andrew, I hope you get there.
32. Terry Crisp once told a story that when he first won the Stanley Cup in 1974 as a Philadelphia Flyer, he looked up in the crowd to find his wife, Sheila, wanting to make sure she knew in that moment he was thinking of her amidst his greatest on-ice accomplishment. I thought of that this week when Sheila Crisp passed away at age 82.
That’s the same age as Michael Whalen. I didn’t know Michael very well, but enough to realize what everyone else did — he was a really kind and easygoing person.
And, there are times along the trail I run into friendly and energetic Blackhawks scout Rob Facca, whose father, Bob, died this week. It’s never easy, but it’s even harder around Christmas. This is supposed to be the best family time. Thought it would be right to finish this column by wishing the best to Sheila, Michael and Bob’s family and friends.
