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Senators Recall Hayden Hodgson

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Hayden Hodgson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators. This is Hodgson’s first call-up of the season. He is in his second year with the Ottawa organization, after signing a one-year, two-way contract on July 2nd.

Hodgson spent roughly a week on Ottawa’s roster last season. He made two appearances in that span, and recorded no scoring and one fight. The rest of his season was spent with Belleville, where he posted a team-leading 156 penalty minutes – and 11 points – in 43 games. Hodgson became known for his bruising, enforcer presence througout four years in the ECHL and five years in the AHL. That presence has earned Hodgson nine games in the NHL in total. He has recorded three points and 16 penalty minutes at the top flight.

Hodgson has returned to his usual role this season, again leading Belleville with 28 PIMs through their first 11 games of the season. Ottawa will now bring in that imposing presence ahead of a match against the Utah Mammoth, who have posted the fourth-fewest hits-per-game this season. This is the second game of a back-to-back for Ottawa, which could push Hodgson into the lineup in relief of Olle Lycksell. Ottawa also has gritty forward Kurtis MacDermid in the press box. MacDermid has posted no scoring and 11 penalty minutes in seven games this season.

NHL Seeking Agreement To Allow 19-Year-Olds Into AHL

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It appears a rumor from the preseason could soon come true. The NHL is seeking an agreement with the CHL that would allow teams to assign one 19-year-old to the AHL each season, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest Saturday Headlines. Friedman added that some general managers are seeking even more flexibility, and that negotiations will pull in voices from the NHLPA in addition to each league. A change to the format could be made as soon as next season.

This would represent yet another significant change in what Friedman dubbed “the Wild West of junior hockey in North America”. NHL draft picks make up the majority of top-end players throughout the CHL. They help drive attendance and sales, and losing even a few could be enough to bring noticeable change. At the same time, deciding where to assign CHL prospects who appear to have outgrown their junior league can often be an all-or-nothing choice.

The Calgary Flames are currently in a pickle with defense prospect Zayne Parekh, who sustained a week-to-week injury and could earn a brief AHL conditioning stint, but who could also benefit from prolonged AHL ice time after not yet finding his NHL footing. Parekh is currently ineligible for the AHL, facing the decision of whether to return to the OHL or continue fighting for NHL minutes, as the offensive defenseman recovers from injury.

The Nashville Predators faced a similar decision with reigning fifth-overall pick Brady Martin earlier in the year. Martin showed flashes of dominant play through the first three games of his NHL career. At his peak, he was playing alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg, but the Predators opted to return him early after he scored only one assist. Martin has torn up the OHL since returning, netting 11 points in seven games with the Soo Greyhounds. It’s still early in the season, but Martin is on pace to rival the 100-point mark this season, after posting 72 points in 57 games last year.

In the cases of both Parekh and Martin, as well as numerous other NHL prospects, such as Seattle’s Jake O’Brien and St. Louis’ Justin Carbonneau, the AHL would seem to offer a smooth ramp into the systems and physicality of professional hockey. Instead of pursuing AHL eligibility, many teams have turned their attention to developing their prospects for the NCAA, where they face a significant jump in competition and play against players up to the age of 26. That bridge has led to the unprecedented decision to allow CHL players into the NCAA, which has built up pressure that offering a path to the AHL could relieve.

Finding a balance between player value in the CHL, NCAA, and AHL is the task the NHL and its general managers face. They will drive decision-making throughout the process, while also ensuring that each party is satisfied with their share. On the other side of those decisions lies a junior hockey landscape that is likely completely different from what the hockey world has come to know. With more precise, more incremental steps to the top flight laid out, the NHL’s relationship with its partner leagues could even become reminiscent of the MLB.

More information about the topic of 19-year-olds in the AHL is expected to be announced in March, following the next major meeting between the NHL, NHLPA, and general managers.

Morning Notes: McKenna, Karlsson, Laughton

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17-year-old Gavin McKenna is one of the top prospects in hockey and the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. Currently playing NCAA hockey for the Penn State Nittany Lions, he’s gotten off to a productive start, scoring 14 points in 12 games. But even with that production, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has indicated that McKenna’s performances in college hockey thus far have some left NHL teams wanting more.

Wheeler reported yesterday that after McKenna’s Penn State dropped back-to-back games against Michigan State in East Lansing, “the gathering collection of scouts and hockey folks weren’t kind to” McKenna in their thoughts postgame. Wheeler reported that “multiple NHL scouts” commented to The Athletic on McKenna’s “work rate off the puck, a number of backchecks he appeared to give up on,” and perhaps most distressingly for McKenna’s draft stock, “an ongoing desire for more effort.” Wheeler stopped short of saying that McKenna’s status as 2026’s top prospect was truly under threat; he is still a point-per-game NCAA freshman, after all, and his incredible skill level is still evident. But Wheeler did note that “this college hockey season has revealed” that McKenna is right now “a flawed player” whose flaws were better masked when he was playing in, and dominating, the WHL.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Injury issues have once again surfaced for Vegas Golden Knights veteran William Karlsson, who left last night’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks with an injury. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger relayed word from Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy last night, who guessed that Karlsson would be out on a day-to-day basis, but did also note that they don’t know for sure the extent of his injury. Since Vegas is not on the ice today, the earliest an update on Karlsson’s status is likely to be released is Monday. Karlsson played in just 53 games last season due to injury and has seven points through 14 games in 2025-26.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs veteran forward Scott Laughton left last night’s loss against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury after finding himself on the wrong end of a Nikita Zadorov body check. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told the media after the game, including The Hockey News’ David Alter, that the severity of Laughton’s injury is currently still being evaluated, but he did note that the player will miss the Maple Leafs’ game Sunday. Per TSN’s Mark Masters, Berube expressed frustration regarding the hit that injured Laughton, saying postgame “I thought it was a head shot.” Injuries have limited Laughton to just two games played this season, his first coming on Nov. 5.

Sharks Activate Ryan Reaves, Place William Eklund On IR

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The San Jose Sharks have placed top winger William Eklund on injured reserve, retroactive to his last game on November 1st, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Eklund will be forced to miss Saturday’s matchup against the Florida Panthers, but he could be activated before the team’s next game on Tuesday.

This move opens the roster space needed to activate Ryan Reaves off of IR without having to reassign Zack Ostapchuk. Reaves has missed the last four games with a lower-body injury sustained on October 28th. He returned to the lineup on Saturday.

Reaves has continued his role of fourth-line enforcer through his 16th year in the NHL. He has two goals and two fights, while averaging fewer than seven minutes a night, through 11 games this season. He has been a welcome veteran presence to a young Sharks squad, but also stands as a barrier to the lineup for many top prospects.

Reaves is the fifth-oldest player in the NHL this season. His lack of career scoring glares around company like Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby at the top of the NHL’s age chart. Despite that, Reaves expressed interest in continuing his career through his age-40 season on the latest Spittin’ Chiclets episode. One more year would give Reaves a chance to reach 1,000 games – a mark that would be particularly impressive for the pure enforcer. He is currently 77 games away from the feat.

San Jose won’t let that pursuit interfere with Eklund’s return to the lineup once he’s back to full health. The 2021 seventh-overall pick has emerged as a fixture of the Sharks’ top line, and reached 41 assists and 58 points in his first season next to Macklin Celebrini last year. He scored 11 points in 12 games to start this season, before falling to injury. The Sharks offense has taken off while Eklund has been out, and could improve even further with his return. San Jose will have to decide who to scratch between Reaves and Ethan Cardwell when Eklund returns.

Former Flyers Center Mel Bridgman Passes Away At 70

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Former Philadelphia Flyers centerman and general manager of the 1992 Ottawa Senators, Mel Bridgman, has passed away at the age of 70. Bridgman was the first-overall selection in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft. He played through 14 seasons in the NHL, then returned to school to support a front office career with the Senators.

Philadelphia drafted Bridgman on the heels of the Broad Street Bullies era. Coming off of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, the Flyers managed to acquire the first-overall pick from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Bill Clement, Don McLean, and a later first round pick. Naturally, the Flyers took a player that fit right in with their gritty style. Bridgman was coming off a 157-point season in the WCHL, the predecessor to the modern WHL. He didn’t keep quite that spark in the NHL, but still put together a solid rookie year, with 50 points and 86 penalty minutes in 80 games. That presence helped Bridgman climb into a major role with the Flyers at only 20-years-old, and earned him a fifth-place finish in 1976 Calder Trophy voting.

Bridgman found his groove as a hard-nosed grinder over the next five seasons. He became the seventh Flyer to cross the mark of 200 penalty minutes when he reached 203 PIMs in the 1997-78 season. He continued to rival that mark through 1981, all while routinely rivaling 50-to-60 points. Bridgman reached his scoring peak in the 1981-82 season, though the bulk of his points would come with the Calgary Flames, after a contentious November trade swapped him for Brad Marsh. Bridgman put up 75 points and 94 penalty minutes in 63 games with Calgary, bringing him up to a year-long total of 87 points and 141 penalty minutes after nine games with Philadelphia to start the season.

His scoring fell back to normal in the following year, prompting a move to the New Jersey Devils in 1983. Bridgman, once Philadelphia’s captain for three years, took on the Devils’ captaincy and led the team in scoring (61 points) in the 1984-85 season. He continued to wear the ’C’ until being traded to the Detroit Red Wings at the 1987 Trade Deadline. Bridgman continued his career for two more years, and retired with the Vancouver Canucks in 1989.

Soon after ending his playing days, the well-known Bridgman was named GM of a 1992 expansion team, the revitalized Ottawa Senators. He brought in eight-year pro John Ferguson as his Director of Player Personnel, and built a Senators squad headlined by Peter Sidorkiewicz, Norm Maciver, and Brad Shaw. The team ranked dead-last in scoring in their inagural season, leading to an attempt to spur the offense with Alexei Yashin and Alexandre Daigle, the second-overall pick in 1992 and first-overall pick in 1993 respectively. The duo led the Senators in scoring as rookies, but failed to pull Ottawa from the league’s depths, prompting Bridgman to launch a flurry of roster transactions that would end with his firing at the end of the 1992-93 season.

Bridgman stepped away from the NHL following his ousting in Ottawa. To some, he’s remembered as a great Flyer who led the team through the first years after their dynasty era. To others, he’s among the most imposing players of the NHL’s most physical era, as described by Mike Bossy in his biography and NHL Player’s Tribune letter. Bridgman’s tenure in the NHL often sparked controversy, but was never short of action. He was tapped to lead clubs through dark times, as a player and manager, and did both with breakneck pace. Pro Hockey Rumors sends condolences to Bridgman’s family, friends, and fans.

Hurricanes Reassign Bradly Nadeau

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The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned top prospect Bradly Nadeau back to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Nadeau played six games and scored his first NHL goal on this recall. That was his only point, though, and he’ll now return to the minor-leagues after no scoring in his last three games.

Nadeau has carved out a reserved seat in Chicago’s top-six this season. He scored four points in three games before being recalled to Carolina. That mark ranked third on the team in scoring at the time, though he’s fallen to eighth in six games since his call-up. He’ll face the challenge of climbing back up Chicago’s scoreboard following this move, a task that should prove easy for the former first-round pick. Nadeau scored 58 points in 64 games of his rookie AHL season last year, the most of any Wolves rookie since 2007. He carved out a top-line spot next to Ryan Suzuki and Justin Robidas, one that stuck around through the first two weekends of this season. He’ll return to that spot when Chicago takes on rivalry matchups versus the Iowa Wild and Grand Rapids Griffins this weekend.

Nadeau was also a hot scorer in junior hockey. He scored 45 goals and 113 points with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees in the 2022-23 season, the most of any draft eligible prospect in the BCHL since Beau Bennett (120 points) in 2009-10 and Kyle Turris (121 points) in 2006-07. That scoring earned Nadeau the 30th-overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. He followed that up with 19 goals and 46 points in 37 games at the University of Maine, again a milestone mark – the most from a teenager in the Maine roster since Steve Kariya (50 points) in 1996-97 and Paul Kariya (100 points) in 1992-93. Nadeau has found impressive scoring at every step from juniors to the AHL, and while his impact away from the game will need to continue improving, his breakthrough in the NHL seems on its way.

Sharks’ Michael Misa Out Week-To-Week

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The San Jose Sharks will be without the ace up their sleeves for the next few games. Rookie winger Michael Misa is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury sustained during practice, head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (subscription required). Warsofsky emphasized that the medical staff was confident Misa’s recovery will only take a few weeks. He also said that the Sharks will continue to use video coaching and light skates to focus on Misa’s development.

Misa, the 2025 second-overall pick, has been rotated in-and-out of the lineup through the start of his NHL career. He has one goal and three points in seven games. More importantly, he’s posted five blocked shots and a 52.6 faceoff percentage. Those are positive signs of Misa’s adjustment to the NHL, especially on a Sharks team that’s allowed the sixth-most goals this season.

Misa is a true star prospect, coming off a near goal-per-game season in the OHL last year. He finished the season with 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games, the second-most from a draft-year OHL player since 2000, behind Patrick Kane’s 145 points in 2006-07. San Jose’s lineup won’t be much affected by Misa’s absence, given his rotating role and Ryan Reaves’ return from injury, but making sure their latest top-pick stays on the track will remain top priority.

Working through a frustrating injury and returning to a strong role in the lineup could be enough to earn Misa a crack at minutes in the top-six, or on the powerplay. He has been held out of both groups so far, but created a dynamic fourth-line alongside fellow rookie Collin Graf and veteran Adam Gaudette. The trio spent 20 minutes of even-strength ice-time together across three games in mid-October and outscored their opponents three-to-zero. Misa recorded a point on all three goals, stretched across a brief three-game point streak. It has become clear that the Sharks want to make Misa earn his path to top minutes, but his success in a depth role is an encouraging sign of things to come. He’ll jump right back into that climb up the lineup on the other side of the first injury of his career.

Flyers Recall Carl Grundstrom

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The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Carl Grundstrom from the AHL. This is Grundstrom’s first call-up in Philadelphia, after joining the organization via trade earlier this month. He was moved alongside defense prospect Artem Guryev in a deal that sent Ryan Ellis’ $6.25MM cap hit, and a 2026 sixth-round pick, to the San Jose Sharks.

The Flyers waived Grundstrom on the same day that they acquired him. That set the 27-year-old up for his first prolonged stint in the minor-leagues since 2020. He’s done well with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, recording three goals, six points, and a plus-four in 11 games.

Grundstrom previously won a Calder Cup Championship with the 2018 Toronto Marlies. He joined the ring-winning squad as only two games of the regular season, then torched the postseason for 14 points in 20 games. Grundstrom maintained the hot scoring through the next two AHL seasons, ultimately earning his NHL debut with the Los Angeles Kings in March of 2019. Since then, Grundstrom has totaled 43 goals and 76 points in 292 NHL games. His single-season best sits at 12 goals and 19 points, scored in 57 games of the Kings’ 2022-23 season.

Recalling Grundstrom will help the Flyers fill their extra-forward role after assigning Jacob Gaucher to the minors. Gaucher recently played in three games with Philadelphia, but managed no scoring and a minus-one in the efforts. Grundstrom’s recent AHL scoring streak – five points in his last three games – could bring a major spark over the minimal scoring offered by Gaucher and Rodrigo Abols, who has no scoring in nine games.

Penguins Announce Multiple Roster Moves

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted around their roster. Most notably, reigning AHL ’Goalie of the Month’ Sergei Murashov has been recalled to the NHL lineup. Pittsburgh has also recalled forward Danton Heinen and defenseman Ryan Graves. To make space for those moves, the Penguins have placed forwards Noel Acciari and Justin Brazeau, and goaltender Tristan Jarry, on injured reserve. They have also assigned defenseman Owen Pickering to the minor-leagues.

These moves will most notably provide updates on the injuries to Acciari and Brazeau. Acciari left Pittsburgh’s Monday loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period. It wasn’t exactly clear when he sustained his injury, though the team designated it as an upper-body injury. He only played in two shifts before the injury. Brazeau sustained his injury in last Thursday’s win over the Minnesota Wild. He was designated as out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but will now be forced to miss a third-straight game on Thursday.

Despite clarity around Acciari and Brazeau, there seems to be no indication of exactly what Jarry is facing. He heads to IR with an undisclosed injury and will be forced to sit out of at least the next three games. In the interim, Arturs Silovs will serve as Pittsburgh’s starting goaltender, while Murashov steps in as backup.

That’s incredibly exciting for the red-hot Murashov, who has posted an impressive 1.67 goals-against-average across his last three games. He sits with a .931 save percentage and 1.73 goals-against-average in seven games this season – both the highest in the league among goalies with more than five starts. Murashov has truly looked the part, taking full advantage of a clear starter’s role while Joel Blomqvist recovers from injury. That performance will now earn the 21-year-old Russian his first chance at an NHL role. Murashov posted a .913 Sv% and 2.64 GAA in 16 AHL games, and a .922 Sv% and 2.40 GAA in 26 ECHL games, last season. He’s a sharp bet who Pittsburgh could be eager to test out.

Backing this slew of moves is a shift at the bottom of Pittsburgh’s lineup. Pickering will head to the minor-leagues after posting no scoring and a minus-three in four games on his latest NHL recall. He’s been a stronger play in the minors, where he’s racked up four points and a plus-four in seven games. Replacing Pickering will be Graves, who racked up three points and 13 shots on goal in his last four AHL games. He now sits with seven points and a plus-nine in 10 games on the AHL season, and will be rwarded with a chance to fill bottom-pair minutes for Pittsburgh.

Heinen will fill an opening left by Brazeau. He leads the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in scoring with five goals and 14 points in 10 games. That includes a recent six-game scoring streak that saw him rack up 12 points. Heinen is a veteran of nine NHL seasons. He’s amassed 96 goals and 241 points in 566 career appearances, including a career-best of 16 goals and 47 points in 77 games with the 2017-18 Boston Bruins.

Five Key Stories: 10/27/25 – 11/2/25

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The turning of the calendar to November wasn’t a deadline of any sorts when it comes to contract extensions.  However, the end of October saw a flurry of notable extensions across the NHL which highlight our key stories.

Eight For Cooley: The big spending started in Utah as the Mammoth signed center Logan Cooley to an eight-year, $80MM extension, the richest post-entry-level deal in NHL history.  It wasn’t too long ago that he reportedly turned down a deal that was worth $77MM which suggested talks would be put on hold.  Instead, $3MM more pushed it across the finish line.  Cooley was the third overall pick in 2022 and showed plenty of promise in his first two NHL seasons to suggest he can live up to that draft billing.  He’s off to an even better start this season and now Utah has the player they feel is their top center of the future locked up through his prime years.

Eight For Harley: Next up on the long-term contract front was Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, who received an eight-year, $84.7MM extension.  The 24-year-old has blossomed into a true top-pairing defenseman over the past two seasons and finished seventh in Norris Trophy voting last season.  The deal will make him the fourth-highest-paid blueliner in the NHL in 2026-27 behind Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, and Rasmus Dahlin but keeps him signed through his age-32 season and in this rising cap environment, the deal should hold up pretty well in the end.  With Miro Heiskanen signed through 2028-29, the top of the back end for Dallas is now locked up for a while.

Eight For Necas: When Colorado moved Mikko Rantanen last season while receiving Martin Necas as the centerpiece of the return, they were kicking the contract talks down the road by one year.  Now, with Necas entering the final year of his deal, the pressure was on to work something out.  They were able to do just that, agreeing on an eight-year, $92MM contract that begins next season.  Unlike the other two deals above, this one only covers UFA-eligible seasons.  The 26-year-old had a career year in 2024-25 with 83 points in 79 games and he’s scoring at a higher point-per-game clip in the early going of this season alongside Nathan MacKinnon and now their top duo is locked up through 2031.  Another big contract looms large with defenseman Cale Makar as he becomes extension-eligible in July.

Two For Goalies: Some goaltenders got in on the signing fun, though for much shorter contracts.  The Devils signed Jacob Markstrom to a two-year, $6MM extension.  The 35-year-old is in his second season as New Jersey’s starter and helped to stabilize their play between the pipes last season.  The $6MM AAV matches his current contract and with Jake Allen signed at $1.8MM, the Devils have a veteran goalie tandem in place at a pretty affordable price tag for the next two years.  Meanwhile, another netminder received a two-year contract, just not from an NHL team.  Unrestricted free agent Ilya Samsonov wasn’t able to catch on with an NHL team so he has returned to the KHL, signing with HC Sochi.  The 28-year-old was once viewed as a starter of the future but a .890 SV% over the past two seasons certainly didn’t help his market.

Trade Interest In Schneider: It hasn’t been a great start to the season for Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider while the Rangers find themselves in a 10-team group separated by just one point in the standings.  With the youngster not quite living up to expectations so far, teams have reportedly started making inquiries about Schneider to see if he could be made available.  The 24-year-old is in the final season of his bridge deal with a $2.2MM AAV while his qualifying offer checks in at $2.64MM with arbitration rights.  At this point, it would be surprising to see the Rangers move Schneider but if they decide they need to further shake up their roster, he’s one player who should generate plenty of interest.

Photo courtesy of Winslow Townson-Imagn Images.

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