Draft: A top-5 team wants to move down, while the Penguins (11th) want to move up

This time of year in the NHL is always one of my favorites.
The rumors, the upcoming draft, the opening of the free agent market…
It’s all very exciting for hockey fans.And what’s really exciting lately is the fact that we’re hearing so much about the upcoming draft.
For example?
According to Grant McCagg, there’s a team in the top-5 that would like to draft a particular player – and the team could back out of selecting the player in question because he might

Mike Matheson is injured.
He won’t be able to play in tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, and his absence is going to hurt. We know how important #8 is to the Canadiens, after all.
That said, there’s one guy in particular who will have to step up in Mike Matheson’s absence. And I’m talking about Noah Dobson.
Dobson isn’t having the best time of his season. He’s been blanked in nine of his last ten games, and what’s really bothering him

Today, a left-field team began circulating in the Alex Bregman file: the Arizona Diamondbacks.
According to several sources, including Bob Nightengale, the desert reps are interested in contracting the veteran, a player looking for long-term stability down the road.The Arizona Diamondbacks have become a surprise entrant in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes and are ‘kicking the tires’ on the possibility. The Dbacks would certainly have the financial flexibility if they move 2B Ketel Marte

Samuel Montembeault’s last departure was on December 2. That’s two weeks to the day.Since then, the goalkeeper has been ill. Monty had to deal with a virus in recent weeks, which meant he couldn’t play. The result? The Canadiens sent him to Laval for conditioning.
So when will he be back with the Canadiens?
We don’t yet have an official answer to that question, but according to Renaud Lavoie, we can expect Monty to join the Canadiens in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Reminder: the

Wow. Big news.
Samuel Montembeault is off to Laval. The Canadiens have sent him to the AHL for conditioning purposes because the goalie hasn’t gotten a start since December 2.
Monty could have said no. But he did. But he said yes, anyway.
The Canadiens have assigned goaltender Samuel Montembeault to the Laval Rocket for conditioning purposes.
The Canadiens have assigned goaltender Samuel Montembeault to the Laval Rocket on a conditioning assignment. pic.twitter.com/FnhMAAIOrm
– Montr

Braves offer five years to Edwin Diaz
Notable.UPDATE
Edwin Díaz received two contract offers; a three-year deal with the Dodgers and five years from the Braves, per @jorgecastilloDíaz still wanted to wait for an offer from his longtime team, but the Mets ultimately refused to meet his asking price. pic.twitter.com/BiKnNRFNEE
– SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) December 16, 2025Adrian Houser in San Francisco
He will earn $22M over two years.Right-hander Adrian Houser and the San Fran

Phillip Danault is a popular name at the moment.
According to Marco D’Amico, the Québécois has asked the Kings to trade him because he would like a new opportunity. There will be interest if the Kings say openly that Danault is available, because center players like him who could change addresses aren’t running around the NHL right now.
And according to Anthony Martineau(TVA Sports), the Habs would be in the top three of his favorite destinations for a trade. That doesn

After his victory over the Oilers on Sunday night, Jakub Dobes spoke to the media.
You could tell from his comments that he was really happy with his performance. He had a smile on his face and it showed in his face that he was proud of his game.
But…
But at one point, a reporter asked him if Jacob Fowler’s recall added pressure to his shoulders. And that’s when Dobes responded by saying that it’s the media that finds ways to put pressure on a player.
He spoke from the h

The Boston Red Sox currently have a surplus in the outfield. That’s why, for several weeks now, Jarren Duran’s name has been bandied around Major League Baseball, although a deal has not yet been finalized.
But now, WEEI’s Rob Bradford has added a bit more to the story this morning (Tuesday), saying that interest in the outfielder appears to be heating up.It looks like interest in Jarren Duran is intensifying in terms of interest from multiple teams, which is why the Red Sox ar

Things aren’t working out for Phillip Danault in Los Angeles.
The center, who has yet to score in 30 NHL games this season (he has five assists), seems to be in dire need of a fresh start. According to Marco D’Amico, Danault has asked the Kings to trade him.
The québécois would like to see this happen in the next few days, before the NHL freeze. Reminder: the freeze on trades begins the night of December 19-20… and runs for seven days, until December 27 at 11:59

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue to strengthen their defensive core with the announcement of a two-season contract extension for Redha Kramdi.
The decision, made official on Tuesday, confirms the growing importance of the Montreal-based defensive half within the Manitoba organization and ensures his presence with the club beyond the 2025 season.
Approaching his 29th birthday, Kramdi is coming off one of the most successful campaigns of his career. Used in a variety of situations, he stood out

The Canadiens are currently operating with three goalkeepers. This creates a strange situation in Montreal.
The example that speaks to me the most on this subject is Martin St-Louis’ press briefing this morning. He was very clear on many points (the line-up for the day, the fact that Mike Matheson is injured), but remained vague on the goalkeeping situation.
The club is taking a day-to-day approach to this issue (which makes sense), and Martin St-Louis didn’t want to get ahead of him

So far, the New York Yankees’ offseason is living up to its name, with the Bombers remaining very quiet on both the free agent and transaction markets.
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, several Major League Baseball teams have shown interest in the second baseman.Teams Have Shown Interest In Jazz Chisholm Jr. https://t.co/W2EZhPqyiZ pic.twitter.com/ciFy9iucoj
– MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) December 15, 2025The interest makes sense, not least because of Chisholm’s 2025 s

It’s December 16th. In exactly 10 days’ time, Canada will be playing its first World Junior Championship match (against the Czechs).
The Canadiens are slowly but surely beginning to prepare in earnest for this first game, which will be played in Minnesota.
This morning, Dale Hunter concocted some new trios and pairs. Here they are:New lines today for Team Canada at practice:
McKenna – Hage – Martin
Iginla – Beaudoin – Martone
Bear – Reschny – Coote

Bad news in Montreal.
Mike Matheson, a mainstay on the club’s blue line, won’t be able to play tonight. He has an upper-body injury and is being considered on a day-to-day basis by the club.
That’s what we learned this morning, a few hours before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers.Mike Matheson is day-to-day and will not play tonight.
Mike Matheson is day-to-day and will not play tonight.#GoHabsGo
– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) December 16, 2025
Note that this

Edwin Diaz is the latest big name to sign a three-year, $69 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But the star reliever won’t be receiving his full salary for the next three years. Diaz, who will receive a $9 million signing bonus on February 1, will earn a salary of $14 million next year and $23 million over the following two seasons.
The Dodgers will therefore defer $4.5 million per year, this amount being paid in ten equal installments every July 1. The 2026 money will be due from

This morning, we talked about the Canadiens’ schedule between now and Christmas. Five games remain.
Of necessity, we also asked about goaltending. It’s the issue of the moment in Montreal, and it’s only natural to wonder who will be playing the next few games.
Martin St-Louis clearly has a big challenge on his shoulders.
On this subject, Eric Engels appeared on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast last night. And the journalist talked about what he would do if he were in the shoe

The Montreal Canadiens have five games left before the holiday break. Are you buying presents for Christmas, by the way?
The Habs’ next three games are at home… and the next seven on the road. The Flyers, Blackhawks, and Penguins are at the Bell Centre this week, while the club travels to Pittsburgh and Boston before Christmas.
What’s next? The obligatory break and the usual trip to Florida.
(Credit: NHL.com)
The Martin St-Louis-led club will also travel to Carolina, St. Louis

Ha-Seong Kim, in 2025, played in Tampa Bay. But late in the season, when the Rays put him up for waivers, the Braves claimed him to give him a month to get used to Georgia.
The goal? Hope that he liked the organization and wanted to stay.
However, he said no to $16M guaranteed using his opt-out… but now he’s left multi-year offers on the table to take the $20M Alex Anthopoulos put on his table.
This means he’ll earn $4 million more than if he hadn’t used his exit option.

Last night in the NHL, 10 teams were in action.
Most of them were Western clubs.
Here are the results and highlights from the five games:
(Credit: NHL.com)
1. Igor Shesterkin smashes his stick after defeat
The Ducks were in New York last night.
Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba returned to the Big Apple. They received standing ovations, of course.Rangers fans gave Chris Kreider a long standing ovation in his first game back at MSGForever a fan favorite pic.twitter.com/7yOc7RfsD3
– Gino Hard (

The Canadiens’ search for a second center is a topic of concern in the club’s management offices. The club has a few options on hand (Michael Hage, Kirby Dach, and Oliver Kapanen), but none of these guys is a sure thing.
Far from it, in fact: there are quite a few questions surrounding each of the guys.
That’s why, for months now, we’ve been keeping an eye on a number of guys who are rumored to be on the market. And one of them is Tage Thompson, who is stuck in Buffalo on

Alexandre Texier has now played 10 games for the habs. The Frenchman, acquired after seeing his contract terminated by the Blues, came to town on the heels of the hecatomy of injuries to the forward line.
The club was looking for solutions, and that’s what brought Texier to town.
And so far, the forward is proving that he’s not just here to fill a jersey: he’s been playing some very, very big hockey since his arrival.
Texier has two goals and three assists in 10 games, with at

For some months now, the Padres have been in a delicate situation. The club, which has been above its weight class in terms of payroll for the past few years, seems to have an increasingly nebulous future.
The death of Peter Seidler, who owned the club, really changed everything: he was more willing to take risks than his successors.
All this means that, at the moment, it looks as if the club may have missed its chance. At least, the window seems to be closing.Are we nearing the final stages of

Last night, Jakub Dobes was really solid in front of the Canadiens net. Against the formidable Oilers, the young Czech was in complete control… and helped his club pick up two big points.
The Habs were generally very good yesterday. But its starting goalie, especially under the circumstances, deserves some love.
The interesting thing is that Dobes was good yesterday, even though he’d been on the bench for the previous two games. But that, in fact, isn’t a huge surprise: it&rsq

Over the past few days, the Los Angeles Kings have been in a state of flux. The club is getting a lot of attention for a possible deal, with Phillip Danault’s name at the heart of the rumors.
We don’t know if it was Danault who asked the Kings to leave, but teams are calling.
And last Thursday, Frank Seravalli put the kibosh on things by saying that we shouldn’t rule out a world in which Danault would be traded before the holiday freeze, something Renaud Lavoie also noted on Sa

The holiday season is upon us, and for most people, it’s synonymous with cheer, smiles, and festivities. However, one person who may not have peace of mind during this festive season is Québécois baseball player Édouard Julien. News broke earlier today that will have a direct impact on his work. The Minnesota Twins, for whom he has played since his MLB debut, have reached an agreement with free agent Josh Bell. The terms of the agreement are one year and seven million,

David Reinbacher is one of the most important prospects in the Montreal Canadiens organization.
He’s currently pursuing his development in Laval… and you know what? Things have been going well for him lately.
Especially since the Canadiens recalled Adam Engström last week.
In Engström’s absence, Reinbacher is averaging 25 minutes and 26 seconds per game. That’s a lot, and it’s perfect too: he needs ice time to keep improving and progressing.
He takes the

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the World Classic
He will represent the Dominican Republic.https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/2000600010485076101
Ketel Marte and his roster
The A’s, Yankees, Giants, Pirates, and Cardinals are on his no-trade list.https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/2000553284088762549
Kyle Tucker continues to meet with teams
When can we expect a decision?https://twitter.com/benturn22/status/2000586783755530405
Mark Vientos signs Scott Boras
Remember, he could be traded.http

The Wild acquired Quinn Hughes last Friday.
He didn’t waste any time: yesterday, he scored his first goal for his new club and helped Minnesota beat the Bruins 6-2.
A fine debut, then.With Hughes’ arrival, the Wild’s window of opportunity is now wide open. The team has a hole in the middle, but can still count on excellent players in other positions.
That said… should the Wild decide to go all-in and improve at center, Chris Johnston wonders if a guy like Sidney Crosby c

Since last year, the Kansas City Royals have been looking to improve their lineup on the offensive side of the ball. And even though they acquired Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins this weekend, their work isn’t done in this area.
In fact, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Royals have a specific trade target in mind – Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. The Missouri club has had this target as a priority since the start of the off-season, with the Boston outfit having a