A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. Your favourite role player is already thinking about Cabo.
1. From the perspective of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the trade interest makes sense.
Chasing a middle-six centre like St. Louis’s Brayden Schenn ($6.5 million AAV through 2028) or Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens ($7.1 million through 2030) aligns with Toronto’s needs and means.
With no 2025 first-rounder to dangle in a deal, landing a high-end rental is next to impossible.
A second-round pick could fetch decent depth, but with a divisional title attainable and encouraging goaltending raising hopes, a bigger deal for a player with term should be in order.
To get, one must give.
That means offering a package revolving around 2026’s first-rounder and/or prospect Fraser Minten and/or Easton Cowan.
Treliving should only entertain trading a piece like that for a return with term.
-
-
The Fan Hockey Show
Sportsnet’s Matt Marchese and former Los Angeles Kings executive Mike Futa take you around the league on Sportsnet 590 The FAN’s national hockey show, airing live across the country daily from noon-2 p.m. ET.
As underwhelming as Cozens has been this season — 10 goals, 26 points in 53 games — it’s no wonder rivals are ringing Kevyn Adams, who’s on the hot seat and might be willing to gamble.
Six-foot-three, 207-pound, right-shot, 23-year-old, 30-goal centremen are next-to-impossible to find, unless you pick in the top 10.
Of course, Toronto is interested. Another 30 teams should be, too.
But even if Adams were to ignore history (Sam Reinhart, Ryan O’Reilly, etc.) and deal such an asset, why would he do so with a division and geographical rival? The Sabres don’t need more prospects and picks; they need players.
The Schenn smoke feels more likely to be traced to flame, what with Doug Armstrong’s willingness to get creative and the mutual adoration shared between Craig Berube and the current Blues captain.
The Blues want to get younger. The Leafs just need to get better.
Schenn brings experience, winning, edge, defensive responsibility, secondary scoring, and a lower cap hit.
If we want to get nuts, Brad Treliving could also swing for a package deal and grab a veteran defenceman from St. Louis, which is unlikely to make the dance.
Schenn holds a 15-team no-trade list but would be well-informed, having won his Cup under Berube and getting a thorough scouting report from brother Luke on the Leafs room.
2. We get it.
Plenty of executives and fans are concerned that their star player will be risking injury — and, thus, stretch run availability — by participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will be more violent than the usual all-star shinny.
Instead of doom watching, think of it another way.
A positive showing on the grand stage, against some of the best competition available, could boost confidence and propel some players to playoff greatness.
The Minnesota Wild are in the middle of a standings struggle, but coach John Hynes sees only positives for his room’s participants.
“A high-stakes environment. It’s going to be real high-quality hockey. I think for our guys to be able to play in that experience, that go through that, I’m thinking it helps them grow as players,” Hynes says.
“I obviously hope that everything goes well for everybody (healthwise), but I do think from a growth standpoint for the players, it’s a great experience. And I think it’s going to benefit us.”
The Leafs have superstars on three nations that have never enjoyed more than five wins in a single post-season. What could a mid-season championship do for one of them?
Or take a regular-season stud like the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, who has struggled come April.
Will Hellebuyck’s ability to take Winnipeg deep be viewed differently if he backstops Team USA to victory?
3. One week from today, Canada and the U.S. will square off at Bell Centre in the 4 Nations’ most anticipated round-robin match.
Just a thought: Considering this is a brand-new tournament with no history or traditions, does the NHL forgo pre-game anthems to avoid the potential that booing overshadows the hockey?
Would they reserve the anthem for the winner of the final, which will be played in Boston?
4. Quote of the Week.
“I guess dry January is a thing.” —L.A. Kings captain Anze Kopitar, on failing to score in any of his 13 games last month
5. Nazem Kadri argues that we should be “very serious” about goalie Dustin Wolf’s Calder candidacy.
“Just look at his numbers alone,” Kadri says. “He’s a big-time player. He wants the stage. He wants to be great, and he’s accountable, which is nice to see.”
Our ballot is only scribbled in pencil right now, but if Wolf (19-11-2, .913 save percentage) can backstop the Flames into a wild-card spot, we’re switching to ink.
6. The Columbus Blue Jackets can’t catch a break.
Your second-favourite team to root for in 2025 lost its top goal-scorer and most productive forward, Kirill Marchenko, indefinitely to a broken jaw — suffered when he was on the bench.
Surviving the East’s wild-card race got harder. The Jackets dropped three straight this week. Bummer considering Marchenko’s game is so well-suited to the playoffs.
“His compete is battle level, his one-on-one competitiveness is great,” says coach Dean Evason.
“Sure, did we see his ability to shoot the puck, his ability to open up and shoot a one-timer, and his wrister and blah, blah, blah? Yeah. But his competitiveness, his willingness to compete for loose pucks and his willingness to get to the inside to score those goals, is something that’s been exciting for us as a team.”
7. Quinn Hughes, the best American defenceman, is a hard maybe to participate in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Though the Canucks won’t say it explicitly, they don’t want their banged-up MVP playing for someone other than Vancouver next week, when he could be recovering for a difficult playoff push.
Team USA captain Auston Matthews hasn’t yet talked to Hughes, who needs to make his decision soon.
“I was really looking forward to the opportunity to play with him. I don’t know what the situation is, whether or not he’ll be ready to play,” Matthews says. “If he’s not, it’d be an unfortunate loss for us. I think it’s a good opportunity for other guys to step in. It’s a really stacked roster, a lot of really great players. But it’s always tough when you lose a guy of his calibre.
“I mean, he’s got the puck on his stick the whole game, it seems like. And he drives so much of their offence coming out of their zone as well. He makes so many plays and gets the puck in good spots for the forwards. And on the power play, he is extremely deceptive and dynamic. He’s able to shoot the puck. He’s very deceptive making plays and making passes that a lot of guys can’t do.”
8. Matthew Knies scored on a highly questionable high stick Thursday in Seattle. He then huddled the boys and convinced shooter Jake McCabe to go first through the celebratory bench parade in a hilarious attempt to fool the officials into thinking he didn’t deflect.
“Maybe he doesn’t realize there’s, like, a thousand cameras in the stands and in the stadium,” Matthews says, fighting a smirk. “No matter what happens, they’re gonna be looking at it. But I appreciate the effort on that, for sure.”
9. The Maple Leafs hardly brought their A game to the splendid Climate Pledge Arena Thursday and still cruised over the rudderless Seattle Kraken.
Where is this franchise going? How much of their feel-good sophomore season was a mirage?
Since finishing 12th overall in 2022-23 and ending Colorado’s repeat bid in a Round 1 stunner, the Kraken plummeted to 24th in 2023-24.
They fired the coach and threw gobs of tech money around in free agency — and only got worse.
Seattle planned to rise but is on pace for a 29th-place finish and has dropped below fellow Pacific squads that are supposed to be rebuilding (Anaheim, Calgary).
Yikes.
Beautiful rink in a smart location. Fantastic city. Top-notch game experience. The only thing Seattle needs to figure out is the hockey. Some legit star power would help.
10. Morgan Frost saw a familiar face and experienced a full-circle moment when he got traded to the Calgary Flames.
He’s working with Matt Stajan, a Flames skills consultant.
Stajan was one of the Leafs players Frost’s father — in-game announcer Andy Frost — introduced young Morgan to in the future NHLer’s formative years hanging around Dad’s office.
“I got to be around some of the guys and be around the locker room and the rink all the time, so I’m really grateful for those opportunities as a kid,” Frost says. “I think that helped me fall in love with the game even more. And I’m always grateful for that.”
Stajan wasn’t young Frost’s absolute favourite player as a kid, though.
He was a big Kyle Wellwood guy.
11. Bobby McMann grew up in Oil Country. The pride of Wainwright, Alta., scored in front of a slew of family and friends during last Saturday’s thriller in Edmonton.
He figured about six of his closest supporters would make the snowy trek south to Calgary three nights later to catch Leafs-Flames. Well, his guest list tripled, and his goal total on the annual Alberta tour doubled.
Of all his fans in attendance, one stood out most: Grandma Myrna, in the barn to see Bobby play in the NHL for the first time.
“Really nice to see my grandma. I think she’s watched every game since I’ve been in juniors. Hasn’t missed a single one. So, it’s pretty cool for her to see one live. See me score,” McMann says. “That was, I think, pretty special.”
McMann, now on a three-game goal streak, savours these rare mid-season trips home.
“It’s just trying to enjoy and have fun, not trying to put too much pressure on it. Just go play my game,” McMann says. “Try and play with speed. Usually, good things happen when I do. So, it’s been really fun, and it’s been nice to see a lot of family and friends.”
Despite dressing for 10 more games last season, McMann has already set career highs in goals (17) and points (25). Not bad for an opening-night scratch.
Brad Treliving, take a bow.
12. At age 31, Josh Leivo has turned himself into… Mike Bossy?
The former Maple Leaf, Flame, Canuck, Hurricane, and Blue has a commanding lead in both the KHL goals race (40) and points race (63).
You’d have to scroll all the way back to 2011-12 to find another 30-goal season on Leivo’s resume. That’s when he was a stud for the OHL Sudbury Wolves.
The veteran Leivo’s surge is wonderful for the player, and for Ufa Salavat Yulayev. It also suggests that the best untapped non-talent talent may no longer reside in the K.
