Maple Leafs Notes: Matthews, Ekman-Larsson, Hakanpaa
Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews has not been ruled out of a return to the lineup this weekend (as per Dave McCarthy of NHL.com). Matthews practiced again today, the second time he has done so since he reaggravated an upper-body injury that kept him out of the lineup for nine games in November.
The 27-year-old has been dealing with the injury since training camp that flared up again in a game against Buffalo on December 20th and will miss a sixth straight game tomorrow night. The Maple Leafs would like Matthews to get one more practice in before he plays again, but Toronto will not practice on Friday. The Maple Leafs play this weekend against Boston on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday, so it does remain an outside possibility that Matthew rejoins the team for one of those games.
In other Toronto Maple Leafs notes:
- Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is expected to return to Toronto’s lineup tomorrow night (as per Joshua Kloke of The Athletic). Ekman-Larsson has been dealing with an illness but practiced today with the team, skating on the third pairing alongside Simon Benoit. He missed last night’s game against the Islanders but has dressed in 37 games this season, posting a goal and 12 assists. If the 33-year-old is good to go for tomorrow, it seems likely that Conor Timmins will come out of the lineup.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have moved defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to the LTIR which means the team will gain $1.47MM in cap space (as per PuckPedia). The 32-year-old has dressed in just two NHL games this season, registering a single hit along with four blocked shots. Hakanpaa has been skating, but last night’s game was the 19th game in a row that he missed. The move could be short-lived given that he did skate before practice today, however, the Maple Leafs are likely to be cautious before any potential return.
Late Night Notes: Doughty, Wilsby, Crosby
Top Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has taken one step closer to full health, returning to skating drills on Tuesday head coach Jim Hiller shared with NHL.com’s Zach Dooley. Doughty has missed the entire regular season after undergoing an ankle surgery in October. He was placed on long-term injured reserve on October 9th.
The Kings defense has been great in Doughty’s absence. Rookie Brandt Clarke leads the bunch in scoring with an impressive 21 points in 36 games – and is quickly followed by Vladislav Gavrikov, Jordan Spence, and Joel Edmundson in scoring double-digit points. The blue-line has been a major factor in the Kings’ 21-10-5 record, and getting back their franchise defender in Doughty could be the piece to really push them into company with the league’s top teams. The 35-year-old Doughty recorded 50 points in 82 games last season – his second consecutive year reaching the 50-point mark. His performance featured 15 goals, the most Doughty has scored since the 2009-10 season. While age has certainly slowed his game, he still seems poised to make a major impact in Los Angeles’ top-four once he’s back to full health.
Sticking to the Western Conference, Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby missed the team’s Tuesday game against Minnesota with an upper-body injury. He has been designated as day-to-day, per a team announcement. Wilsby has been a focal piece of Nashville’s blue-line, averaging nearly 19 minutes of ice time each game and recording three points across 15 games. He’s 10 games shy of making this year his official rookie season in the NHL. Wilsby earned the promotion after climbing the ranks of the Milwaukee Admirals, totaling 44 points in 126 games with the club over the last three seasons – including five points in 13 games this year. Recent trade acquisition Justin Barron is filled in for Wilsby. It’s his third game with the Predators. Barron is still searching for his first point with the team.
Jumping out East, Sidney Crosby is continuing to stamp himself as the pinnacle Pittsburgh Penguin. He recorded his 1,034th assist on Sunday night, passing Mario Lemieux for the franchise’s all-time record and pushing Crosby to 12th on the NHL’s all-time assist leaderboards. Crosby sits 16 assists back from surpassing Gordie Howe and entering the top-10 of that list. He’s still 88 points shy of breaking Lemieux’s franchise record for all-time points. Crosby has two years on his contract after this season, which should be plenty of runway to set more Penguins scoring records, and continue challenging the tops of NHL record books.
Snapshots: Guentzel, Holmstrom, Chernyshov, Bains
It’s one of the busiest nights of the hockey year. Unlike in years past, the Winter Classic is no longer a standalone event. The NHL has 12 other games on the docket, all backlit by Team Canada taking on Team USA in an exhilarating World Junior Championships tournament. The heap of action has pulled together sparked plenty of news from around the league.
Most notably, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel returned to the team’s practices in a no-contact jersey on Tuesday, per NHL.com’s Eduardo A Encina. It was his first time skating since suffering an upper-body injury in the team’s Saturday game. He was designated as day-to-day, and missed his first game of the season on Sunday. Tampa Bay have until Thursday to prepare for a three-game slate this weekend. Guentzel’s return to the ice could be an indication that the Bolts will be getting another star scorer to support the effort.
Guentzel has been fantastic in his first season in Tampa Bay. He’s recorded 20 goals and 37 points through 33 games this season. That equals out to a 1.12 points-per-game scoring pace, which stands as the highest of Guentzel’s nine-year career and puts him on pace for 50 goals and 91 points across 81 games. He’ll need to return soon to uphold those numbers, and continue contributing to a Lightning top-six with three players outscoring him.
Across the Eastern Division, the New York Islanders have lost forward Simon Holmström to an upper-body injury. He has been designated as day-to-day, per a team announcement, and missed his first game of the season on Tuesday. Holmstrom has been a rare bright spot in the Islanders lineup, posting nine goals and 22 points across 37 games so far. He’s nearly past his career-high of 25 points set in 75 games last season, and has slowly climbed the Islanders lineup as a result. The Islanders scored just one goal in his absence on Tuesday, pulling their record to 4-6-0 in their last 10 games. All four of those wins required four-or-more goals, meaning New York now faces the challenge of maintaining their offense without one of their top scorers.
Traveling to the other coast – San Jose Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov has shared that he hopes to return to game action in January, per Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News. Chernyshov – the fisrt pick of the second round in last year’s draft – has been skating with Sharks staff to support his recovery. He was a top prospect in last year’s class, with many even dubbing him a first-round talent. But a shoulder surgery in August has so far held him out of all 2024-25 action. He is expected to head to the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit when he returns to full health.
Finally, Vancouver Canucks winger Arshdeep Bains has changed agents, now represented by Wasserman’s Darren Hermiston per PuckPedia. Bains is in the final year of his entry-level contract. He began the year in the minor leagues, but was the clear top option on Vancouver’s call-up chart. He’s already been recalled seven times this season, resulting in Bains stepping into 11 NHL games. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much to make the call-ups stick – with just one assist and a -4. He’s been much more active in the minors, recording 11 points, 20 penalty minutes, and a -5 in 12 games. Bains ranked second on the Abbotsford Canucks in scoring last season with 55 points in 59 games. His change of representation months before a new deal could be a step towards fighting for a hardier chance at the top flight.
Penguins Activate Marcus Pettersson, Place Kris Letang On IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins have swapped defenders on injured reserve, activating Marcus Pettersson (lower-body) and shelving Kris Letang (lower-body). Pettersson suffered his injury from an awkward hit into the boards during Pittsburgh’s December 14th loss to the Ottawa Senators. He’s since missed the Penguins’ last six games. Where Letang was injured is less clear. He was a late scratch for Sunday’s game against the New York Islanders, and has been designated as day-to-day per Hailey Hunter of SportsNet Pittsburgh. The Penguins will have the ability to make Letang’s IR placement retroactive to December 29th, making him eligible to return as soon as January 5th against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Pittsburgh swaps two of their most utilized defenders with this move. Letang leads the team’s skaters in ice time, averaging 23:24 through 34 games this season. Despite that, he’s been unusually unproductive, with 16 points marking his lowest scoring pace since 2009-10. Pettersson is working to catch Letang in scoring, with 13 points in 32 games while averaging 21:47 in ice time. His scoring pace puts him on track just narrowly beat out his career-high of 30 points set last season. Pettersson also brings a healthy wave of defense back to the Penguins lineup, leading the Penguins defense in Corsi For (52.93 percent) and ranked second in plus-minus (-4). That’ll be a welcome addition to a Penguins roster that’s averaged both 3.29 goals-for and goals-against in seven games without Pettersson, including the game he was injured in.
Pettersson’s return will bump Nathan Clurman out of the lineup. Clurman made his NHL debut on Monday, recording one penalty and no scoring in 11 minutes of ice time. Letang’s move to IR allows Pittsburgh to keep Clurman as their seventh defenseman, while Pettersson lines up to Pierre-Olivier Joseph on the second pair.
Rangers To Place Igor Shesterkin On IR, Recall Louis Domingue
The New York Rangers will place franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. To fill his role, New York has also recalled goaltender Louis Domingue from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. No details of Shesterkin’s injury or timeline have been released. This IR placement will force him out of New York’s next three games, at least. Shesterkin played through the entirety of New York’s December 30th loss to the Florida Panthers, allowing four goals on 25 shots.
Losing Shesterkin for any duration is hard news to bear, especially for a Rangers club that’s gone 3-10-0 in the month of December. That’s in part thanks to Shesterkin slightly caving in – posting a .891 save percentage in 10 games this month, fourth-lowest among starting goaltenders. Backup Jonathan Quick didn’t perform much better, with a .847 Sv% through three appearances. The pair have totaled a more admirable .906 and .907 save percentage over the course of the season, though limiting opponent chances remains a major weakness for New York.
The Rangers will turn towards 12-year-pro Domingue to back up Quick in the short-term. Domingue has split AHL starts with top prospect Dylan Garand, recording a measly 4-9-1 record and .888 Sv% in 14 appearances. This is the first call-up of his season, and gives Domingue a chance to play in just his second game as a Ranger, after he recorded a 25-win for the team last season. He’s a veteran of eight NHL seasons, totaling a 60-60-10 record and .905 Sv% across 143 career games.
Utah Loans Connor Ingram To AHL, Places Robert Bortuzzo On IR
The Utah Hockey Club have assigned goaltender Connor Ingram to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on a conditioning loan. Ingram has missed Utah’s last 18 games with an upper-body injury. He was placed on injured reserve on November 20th and returned to skating on December 14th. He’ll now head to the AHL to take the next steps in his recovery.
In a corresponding move, Utah has also placed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The move is retroactive to the date of Bortuzzo’s last game on December 10th. He left that match halfway through the second period after being spilled into the boards by Minnesota Wild forward Devin Shore. Bortuzzo is out indefinitely, though his move to IR clears the roster space to activate Ingram after his conditioning stint.
Ingram served as Utah’s starter prior to his injury, but performed uncharacteristically poorly – recording a .871 save percentage and 3.61 goals-against-average in 13 games, both career-lows. He stood much taller in Utah’s starting net last season, recording a .907 Sv%, a 2.91 GAA, and six shutouts across 50 games in what was Ingram’s first season as a full-time NHL starter. He could now lose the job just one year later, with Utah’s backup Karel Vejmelka posting an impressive .917 Sv%, 2.33 GAA, and 7-6-2 record in 15 games since Ingram’s injury. Vejmelka should hang onto his starting role even as Ingram returns, though Utah could get the perk of riding the hot hand if Ingram is able to bounce back to form.
Golden Knights Recall Jonas Røndbjerg, Assign Tanner Laczynski
The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Jonas Røndbjerg from the Henderson Silver Knights. In a corresponding move, the Golden Knights have also assigned forward Tanner Laczynski to the minor leagues. This marks Røndbjerg’s third call-up of the year. He’s spent four days on the NHL roster this season, stepping into two games on Vegas’ fourth-line.
Røndbjerg has been a go-to call-up over the last four seasons. He was originally the sixth pick in Vegas’ franchise history, hearing his name called in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft after a strong season with the Vaxjo Lakers’ U20 squad. The Denmark-native spent the next two seasons working his way up to Vaxjo’s SHL lineup. He totaled 17 points in 80 games with the club before moving to the AHL full-time in the 2020-21 season. He scored 40 points through his first 78 games, and three seasons, in the AHL – just enough to earn a routine role in the mix of Vegas’ bottom-six. Since then, Røndbjerg has established a pattern of a role-based impact in the NHL coupled with high production in the minor leagues. The 30 NHL games he received as a rookie in 2021-22 stand as his single-season high, though he has totaled 65 NHL appearances and 10 points in the three seasons since. He’ll return to the top flight once again, on the back of 10 points through 25 AHL games this season.
Meanwhile, Laczynski will head back to the minors after just 11 days on the NHL roster. The 27-year-old center stepped into five games during his recall, recording six penalty minutes and a -1 but not managing any scoring. He’s been far more productive in the minor leagues, netting 19 points in 17 games – still a team-lead in scoring, despite the Henderson Silver Knights playing 10 games without Laczynski. His return will prove significant help for a young Henderson lineup.
Jonathan Toews Explains Absence, Doesn’t Rule Out NHL Return
Jonathan Toews‘ name has slowly begun slipping from hockey dialogue. He led a star-studded career with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2007 to 2023, serving as the team’s captain for 14 seasons and leading the team to three Stanley Cup wins. Toews remained a tremendous lineup piece long after Chicago started to lose their luster – but the 2020s brought a challenge with nagging injuries that the franchise centerman couldn’t overcome. He announced in December of 2020 that he’d miss the entirety of the upcoming, shortened 2020-21 season due to an undisclosed illness, later revealed to be Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
Toews rehabbed and returned from the illness in 2021-22, and while he returned to a productive top-line role – the illness still forced him out of 38 games between 2021-22 and 2022-23. Toews announced at the end of the 2023 summer that he would be stepping away from hockey to focus on healing. That journey took him through rounds of alternative medicine, natural healing, and even a five-week trip to India to practice Ayurveda – a traditional healing approach. Toews recently returned from the cross-world trip and opened up to GQ Magazine about what he learned, how he’s feeling, and what future may lie ahead.
Toews opened the interview by explaining that his battles with illness ran deeper than previously foretold. He shared that a lifelong battle with digestive and immune system issues hit a flare in his second season in the league – the 2008-09 season, when a 20-year-old Toews was named Chicago’s captain. He struggled to eat or sleep, and ended up working with a team of doctors to craft a diet tailored to his needs. That helped Toews get through the next 10 seasons – where he scored 624 points in 721 games, earned three All-Star bids, and won three Stanley Cups – but he says he never once felt like his illness was fully behind him.
Then, Toews caught COVID-19. He explains that the illness perpetuated all of his issues, worsening his energy sink and 
ability to recover game-to-game. The story of his struggles recovering from COVID have been well documented. Toews explains that he was too caught up in recovery to discuss a contract for the 2023-24 season, leading to him taking another season off. He heard about various approaches to healing over the year, including a recommendation to visit an Indian Sadhu to practice Ayurvedic medicine. One thing led to another, and Toews ultimately decided to take up the unique approach in September of 2023. He said all the while he was driven by a saying from his mother: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
Toews describes his day-to-day experience in India in-depth. Ultimately, the practices helped him regain control and confidence over his health – and Toews adds that he’s been able to continue to practice Ayurveda back in North America. That has him feeling better, and reconsidering the thought of playing in the NHL. Toews told GQ that his desire to play hasn’t left, and that there’s still a part of him that hasn’t come to terms with his career being over. He spoke optimistically, saying, “There’s never any guarantees in life, but I’m going to give it my best shot.”
Toews’ statement of hope is an encouraging sign, given his career
seemed to be at its end. He faces an uphill battle working back into the NHL as a 36-year-old who hasn’t had hockey at front-of-mind since early-2023. But Toews is proudly an all-time-great, posting a career that has already gone down in the history books of an Original Six franchise. He scored 372 goals and 883 points in 1,067 career games; and managed an 81-point season as recently as 2018-19. Toews was significantly less impactful in his most recent two seasons – with just 68 points in 124 games between 2021 and 2023 – but his value as a well-rounded, middle-six centerman could still stand tall.
If Toews does near a return, his decision on where to suit up will be hotly followed. He spent the entirety of his 15-year career with the Blackhawks, who drafted him third-overall in the 2006 NHL Draft. But Toews is a native of Winnipeg, and faced plenty of trade rumors throughout the later years of his career. The Blackhawks could certainly use his help, as they’re currently sat with the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL and a menial 14-18-4 record. Toews could also be a fantastic support to young superstar Connor Bedard, who’s looking to take over Toews’ and Patrick Kane‘s mantle as the team’s franchise leader. It’ll be that ability to lead teams and inspire young players that earns Toews a return, though it seems the answers to if and where he’ll return are yet to come – as the Chicago hockey legend works to reintroduce himself to the game.
Ducks Reassign Calle Clang
Dec. 30: Clang is headed back to San Diego today after backing up Dostál in yesterday’s 5-3 win over the Oilers, the team announced. Gibson should be ready to go from his illness tomorrow against the Devils.
Dec. 28: The Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Calle Clang from the minor leagues. He is expected to back up Ducks starter Lukáš Dostál, with veteran John Gibson still out day-to-day with illness. The move was first reported by Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune, and seconded by NHL.com’s Kevin Kurz. In a corresponding move, Anaheim has also promoted Vyacheslav Buteyets from the ECHL to the AHL to fill Clang’s vacancy.
Clang doesn’t seem likely to make his NHL debut on this recall, but he nonetheless makes the move with an impressive resume. He’s served as the San Diego Gulls’ starting goalie this year, posting a team-leading seven wins and .896 save percentage in 19 appearances. Clang won out the starting role as a rookie last season, playing just well enough to win out starts over Tomas Suchanek and Alex Stalock – despite Suchanek posting a .910 in 29 games to Clang’s .897 in 32 games.
It was nonetheless an exciting performance that showed Clang was able of translating his strong play over from Sweden. He stood tall for Rogle BK through parts of four seasons prior to moving to the AHL, ultimately totalling a 22-15-0 record and .906 in 43 games with the pro squad. Those numbers helped Clang earn a third-round draft selection from the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020. He stands Pittsburgh’s fourth-highest drafted goalie since 2000, though the club shipped him to Anaheim along with Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Simon, and a second-round pick used on Tristan Luneau in their 2022 acquisition of Rickard Rakell. Two years later, Clang now stands as the top goalie on Anaheim’s call-up chart – helped along by Suchanek suffering a long-term injury before the year started. Clang will try to prove his place on this call-up – if he’s able to step into any ice time.
Lightning’s Jake Guentzel Day-To-Day, Michael Eyssimont Returns
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be without star scorer Jake Guentzel for the short term, as he’s been listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The injury forced Guentzel out of Tampa Bay’s lineup in their Sunday matchup against Montreal.
This marks Guetnzel’s first absence of the season. He’s otherwise been a core pillar of Tampa Bay’s top line, racking up 20 goals and 37 points in 33 games. Those totals put Guentzel second on the team in goals, but fourth in total points – a serious testament to the strength of the Lightning offense. There were plenty of worries to be had after Tampa Bay let longtime captain Steven Stamkos walk this summer. But the addition of Guentzel has helped the Bolts net 132 goals on the season, second-most in the NHL, with 98 of those goals coming from the team’s top-six forwards. Upholding that standing will fall on Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, and Brayden Point while Guentzel works his way back to full health
Michael Eyssimont filled the lineup vacancy left by Guentzel on Sunday, making his return after missing Tampa’s last game with a lower-body injury. Eyssimont stepped into his usual role on the fourth-line, while Cam Atkinson received a promotion to the top line. Neither player recorded any scoring in the matchup. They’ve both scored three goals and five points this season – Atkinson in 20 games, and Eyssimont in 31.