Ross Colton

The Oilers chase a playoff spot with Trent Frederic and Colton Dach inching toward returns that could bolster their forward lines just in time. Whispers swirl around deadline targets like Justin Faulk or Oliver Ekman-Larsson to shore up the right side of the blue line, while the front office stands pat in net with Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram.

The Edmonton Oilers stare down a nightmare scenario with Leon Draisaitl sidelined for the rest of the regular season after that brutal hit from Nashville's Ozzy Wiesblatt, leaving Connor McDavid to shoulder an impossible load. Trent Frederic, Colton Dach, Mattias Janmark, and Curtis Lazar pile on the pain from IR stints, exposing roster gaps that front-office brass ignored in past offseasons.

Connor McDavid signed that short-term extension with the Oilers last fall to chase a Cup in these next two seasons, but insiders whisper he could bolt as early as summer 2026 if things sour. GM Stan Bowman loaded up at the deadline with Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from Chicago, aiming to shield McDavid and Draisaitl from grind-it-out matchups while bolstering the blue line and penalty kill.

Logan Mailloux sits at his locker in Maryland Heights, sweat still dripping after a punishing practice, exuding the quiet confidence of a kid who's finally clicking in St. Louis. Traded from Montreal last summer for a promising forward, he endured a rocky start with a minus-12 rating and shelter minutes, but now he's devouring 22-plus minutes a night alongside Cam Fowler while Colton Parayko nurses back spasms.

Colton Sissons opens the scoring with a power-play tally that puts Vegas on notice early. Preds' special teams wizardry shines through, the sort that buries opponents in playoff previews. Nashville rides these edges to claw back into contention.

The Avalanche finally get Logan O’Connor on the ice for his long-awaited season debut tonight against the Penguins, and Ross Colton slides back into the lineup after his stint on the shelf. Colorado's depth takes a hit early this year, but these two grinders know how to tilt the ice in the playoffs - think bottom-six black magic that Bednar loves. With Pittsburgh limping in, this could be the spark that reminds everyone why the Avs stay Cup contenders no matter the injury bug.