Let’s see your Devils Christmas haul! Here are your links for today:

A bright spot in a disappointing season so far:

“It’s been nearly a full calendar year with middling to bad five-on-five offensive results for the Devils, and that should raise alarm bells about where this team is headed.” [Devils on the Rush]

“The needs of NHL teams will surely evolve in the lead-up to the March 6 trade deadline, and which teams are buyers and sellers probably will as well. However, with the league’s holiday roster freeze now in place, it’s a good time to try to find some early fits. With that in mind, and with an eye on our latest NHL trade big board, let’s play matchmaker.” [The Athletic ($)]

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year … the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship has arrived. The best players under 20, who are not in the NHL, will play in the annual holiday tournament beginning Friday through Jan. 5 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s a chance for draft-eligible players such as Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Juho Piiparinen to make an impression against their international peers, and for drafted prospects to show their development. The U.S. is looking to three-peat on home soil, Canada is looking to get back on track, Denmark wants to avoid relegation, and many other teams have medal hopes.” [ESPN]

A look at 10 of the top draft prospects at the World Juniors: [Daily Faceoff]

“The NHL resumes play following its holiday break with 13 games on Saturday. That begins a busy six-week stretch in the hockey world leading up to Feb. 6-24 break for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Here are 10 things to watch for between now and then.” [NHL.com]

“Members of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association are on the verge of staging a strike in the ECHL if the union and the league cannot come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The PHPA announced Monday that its ECHL membership has served a strike notice that would be effective Friday, when play is scheduled to resume following the holiday break. Players voted Friday to authorize their bargaining committee to call for a strike, executive director Brian Ramsay said Monday.” [Associated Press]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.