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Around the NHL: Blues open for business on trade market, Ullmark returns to Senators after leave of absence
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Photo credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Jeremy Tingly
Jan 26, 2026, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 26, 2026, 09:46 EST
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Welcome back to another edition of Around the NHL, as this week is full of advanced trade talks, some Olympic watch, and a couple of feel-good stories as well. There have been plenty of trade conversations throughout the league as general managers are trying to complete deals before the Olympic roster freeze.
Heading into the last week of January, there’s been plenty of surprises across the NHL, including the Detroit Red Wings carrying a 32-16-5 record, good for top spot in the Atlantic Division, and tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for top spot in the entire Eastern Conference. If we head west, the Colorado Avalanche continue to set the pace, however, the Anaheim Ducks have won seven games in a row, and look like a team to keep an eye on when it comes to significant moves ahead of the trade deadline.
Here’s the very latest from around the NHL.

Blues asking for significant trade packages for core players

St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is open for business, and there’s been plenty of chatter about his willingness to move off some of his veteran core players, including forwards Brayden Schenn and Robert Thomas, as well as defenceman Justin Faulk.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported recently the Blues are indeed talking, but Armstrong is sticking with his extremely high asking prices. With Faulk, seeing Rasmus Andersson get moved to the Vegas Golden Knights for potentially two first-round picks, and a young defenceman, that’s the type of package Armstrong is expecting for his right-handed two-way defenceman.
Schenn continues to be linked to the Golden Knights, as their management brass have a long history with him and his family. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens could have some level of interest as well, same can be said about the Minnesota Wild.
Thomas is a tricky one because he’s currently sidelined with injury, is under contract through the 2031 season at $8.1 million AAV, and has to approve any trade. At this point, it certainly feels like Schenn is the most likely to be moved, followed by Faulk, and then Thomas is a distant third.

Linus Ullmark returns from leave of absence to rejoin Senators

The NHL is a better place when Linus Ullmark is playing, and on Sunday, he rejoined his teammates in Ottawa as the backup goaltender in their matchup against the Golden Knights. It seemed to pump up the entire team, as the Sens won convincingly 7-1.
Ullmark hadn’t played since Dec.27 after taking a personal leave of absence from the team. The 32-year-old goaltender has been very open and vulnerable with his struggles with mental health and seeing him back with his teammates is a great sign:
Ullmark’s posted a 14-8-5 record this season, along with a 2.95 goals against average, but it’s his willingness to talk openly about his struggles that mean so much more for the game of hockey, and specifically across the NHL.

Quick hits from around the NHL

  • New York Rangers GM Chris Drury is asking for a first-round pick, top prospect, and another piece in trade talks involving Artemi Panarin. Keep an eye on the Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings, two teams with key figures in Panarin’s life, including Patrick Kane, and Joel Quenneville.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin is over a point-per-game pace this season and confirmed he’s coming back for another season.
  • New Jersey Devils are dealing with some injuries on their blueline, which means the Dougie Hamilton trade talks have slowed up.
  • While the Rangers are 100% Panarin, there’s been plenty of chatter about moving on from former number-one overall pick Alexis Lafreniere. With Shane Wright available in Seattle, makes you wonder if a swap of former number-one picks is coming between these two clubs.
  • The Vancouver Canucks continue to discuss big names on the trade market as it feels like there’s a real possibility Elias Pettersson gets moved this season, and the Hurricanes could be the team to pull it off.
  • A couple of mid-tier centre options on the trade market include Wild center Ryan Hartman, and Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner. Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos getting moved out of Nashville seems like a monumental long shot at this point.
  • The Winnipeg Jets are involved in negotiations with general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff fielding trade calls on prospect Brad Lambert, and defencemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. The Jets are looking to re-tool on the fly, while cashing in on some of their pending free agents. Wonder if someone convinces Jonathan Toews to join their Stanley Cup run? Perhaps, Kane and the Red Wings?
  • Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point continues to recover from injury, and if he’s unable to suit up for Team Canada at the Olympics, there’s some heated debates about who should replace Point. The list includes Sam Bennett, Mark Scheifele, Wyatt Johnston, or Connor Bedard.
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