NHL Notebook: Quinn Hughes added to Team USA’s 4 Nation Face-Off roster

Hughes is arguably the best defenceman in the league, scoring 14 goals and 59 points in 47 games this season. The left-shot defenceman is a front-runner for the James Norris Trophy which would be the second-consecutive season he’s won it.

However, unless there is another injury, Hughes won’t be eligible to play in the final game on Thursday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Minutes after it was reported that Hughes was joining Team USA, the Canucks announced that they’ve signed Drew O’Connor to a two-year extension worth $2.5 million a season, or $5 million in total.

O’Connor was acquired along with Marcus Pettersson from the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this month. Since joining the Canucks, O’Connor has two goals in four games, bringing his season total to eight goals and 18 points in 57 games this season. Like O’Connor, Pettersson signed an extension as well.

Lastly in Canucks news, it was reported by The Athletic’s Thomas Drance that netminder Thatcher Demko won’t be joining the Canucks on their upcoming five-game road trip. It’s not the same knee that kept him out towards the end of last season, the post-season, and the beginning of the 2024-25 season but he’s out week-to-week.

On a surface level, Demko’s numbers aren’t great as he has an .891 save percentage and a 2.87 goals against average in 17 games played with a 6-6-3 record. However, over his past five games, he had a .955 save percentage and a 3-1-0 record before being pulled from Feb. 8’s game.

Golden Knights traded Grigori Denisenko to the Predators

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – we’re approaching the 2025 trade deadline. On Tuesday afternoon, the Vegas Golden Knights traded Grigori Denisenko to the Nashville Predators for future considerations.

The Russian winger was selected 15th overall in the 2018 draft by the Florida Panthers, making his National Hockey League debut with them in 2020-21 when he had four assists in seven games. He played just one game with them in 2021-22, before an additional 18 games with the reigning Stanley Cup champions in 2022-23 where he picked up three assists in 18 games.

Denisenko’s 2022-23 season in the American Hockey League was his breakout year at that level, scoring 12 goals and 36 points in 56 games, up from the nine goals and 18 points in 30 games the season before. In 2023-24, he played just six games for the Golden Knights, but scored 20 goals and 56 points with their AHL team.

So far in 2024-25, Denisenko has played just one game in the NHL but has 10 goals and 24 points in 42 games with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL.

Jérémy Lauzon out four-to-six months for the Predators

Sticking with the Nashville Predators, they’ll be without defenceman Jérémy Lauzon for four-to-six months due to a lower-body injury.

The Val-d’Or, Québec native was selected in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Boston Bruins, making his debut with the team in 2018-19. In 16 games, he scored a goal and was a -1. Lauzon only played 19 games with them in 2019-20, followed by 41 games in 2020-21 with the Bruins. Lauzon was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 expansion draft.

After scoring one goal and six points in 53 games, Lauzon was traded before the 2022 trade deadline to the Predators, where he finished the season with a goal in 13 games. The 2022-23 season was a career-best for the left-shot defenceman, scoring three goals and 12 points in 67 games. He improved the following season, scoring six goals and 14 points in 79 games while leading the league in hits.

Unfortunately for the Predators, Lauzon was seen as someone they could’ve potentially traded before the Mar. 7 trade deadline. He’s still under contract until the end of the 2025-26 season with a cap hit of $2 million.