Patrik Laine is still out there, and that alone makes him one of the more interesting names left on the board. The 28-year-old winger remains unsigned, but the fit is easy to see: a one-year deal with incentives, a proven scorer with seven 20-goal seasons, and a player who could still help a power play even with questions about his five-on-five impact.
According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun in a recent TSN Insider Trading update, the Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings have both kicked Laine’s name around internally. His agent, Andy Scott, says Laine is healthy, skating every day in Florida, and ready to jump back into an NHL lineup.
Calgary could use the boost on its 31st-ranked power play, though the team also wants to take a look at its young players first. Detroit has spoken with Laine’s camp too, but things there are currently on hold.
David Perron is in a similar spot, still searching for the right NHL landing place. Now 38, Perron wants to play this season and his agent, Allan Walsh, says he’s trying to find a situation that works for both him and his family.
LeBrun reported that Perron is skating at home in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and staying in shape. He also noted that Perron had 13 goals in 65 games last season, split between the Ottawa Senators and the Red Wings, and didn’t rule out Detroit as a reunion possibility, though the Red Wings are dealing with their own moving parts right now.
“Perron, who is skating back home in Sherbrooke, Quebec, staying in shape, had 13 goals in 65 games split between the Ottawa Senators and the Red Wings last season. I wouldn’t rule out the Red Wings as a potential reunion fit, but again, Detroit has a few things going on right now.”
In Boston, Pavel Zacha’s situation is starting to feel like one worth watching closely. His name came up when the Bruins explored a possible trade involving Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko, but Columbus ended up going another way. Zacha, 29, remains a useful center, yet contract talks between his camp and Boston have reportedly not made much headway over the past few months.
The Bruins may have been taken aback by Zacha’s original asking price, although the rising market around the league could make that number look more reasonable now. The two sides are still talking, so an extension is not off the table.
Even so, a trade remains a real possibility. If Boston slips out of the playoff picture and Zacha is still unsigned near the March 1 trade deadline, he could be moved.
Florida had a brief reason to feel better after learning Aleksander Barkov’s injury is only expected to keep him out 6-8 weeks. Then Brad Marchand went down. The veteran winger suffered an apparent lower-body injury Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Marchand was driving toward the net when his left leg appeared to buckle awkwardly as he ran into the post. Teammates had to help him off the ice, and he could not put weight on the leg. The Panthers have not announced a diagnosis or timeline.
One doctor who has not examined Marchand suggested an MCL injury could be a concern, while also mentioning a possible high ankle sprain. For now, Florida is waiting on more testing and hoping the news doesn’t get worse.
In Other News...
Bruins Quietly Avoided A Costly Depth Loss With This Roster Move
The Bruins made a small roster move that carried some real meaning for their forward depth, placing Mikey Eyssimont on waivers and watching him clear without incident. Instead of losing him to another NHL club, Boston was able to send him to Providence and keep him in the organization, a quiet bit of business that helps preserve some flexibility as the season gets moving.
It also created the opening for Matthew Poitras, who got into the lineup for his season debut against the Senators and skated on the fourth line. Poitras finished the night with a plus-1 rating in Bostons loss, a reminder that even the most routine transaction can shape the look of the roster in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Trade Puts A Familiar Bruins Debate Back In Focus
A low-risk swap by Edmonton has brought a familiar Bruins conversation back into view, even if the transaction itself was made elsewhere. The Oilers added Filip Hallander, a 26-year-old center with limited NHL experience, banking on a player whose offense has translated more consistently in the Swedish Hockey League than it has at the games top level.
For Boston, the wider intrigue is less about the deal itself than what it says about the market for young, tweakable forwards and the sort of conversations that tend to follow them. The Bruins have been part of that discussion before, and whenever a move like this pops up, it tends to stir the same question again: which teams are willing to take a chance on upside, and which names keep surfacing when the talks start to heat up? [Read more 🡒]
Brad Marchand's Latest Injury Scare Looks Tough To Ignore
Brad Marchands latest injury scare is the kind of scene Bruins fans know all too well from years of watching him play through every kind of punishment. Now with the Panthers after Boston traded him before the 2025 deadline, Marchand had already helped Florida win its second straight Stanley Cup and later re-signed there to finish his career, so the veteran winger has become part of another contenders core.
His 2026-27 season took a worrying turn in a game against the Kings, where the left leg issue stood out as soon as he went down. Florida has not yet issued an official update on his condition, leaving a familiar Marchand storyline hanging in the air for now. [Read more 🡒]