Mammoth Activate Karel Vejmelka From Injured Reserve
The Mammoth announced that goaltender Karel Vejmelka has been activated off injured reserve. Per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, he’ll be starting this afternoon’s game against the Islanders. Utah assigned Matt Villalta to AHL Tucson in the corresponding move.
Vejmelka only missed the Mammoth’s last two games with an upper-body injury, but given Utah’s light schedule over the holidays, it’s been a week and a half since he’s played. His absence against the Avalanche on Dec. 23 was so last-minute that Utah couldn’t get a goalie call-up to Denver in time, forcing 21-year-old Tier II junior goalie Colten McIntyre onto the bench on an amateur tryout as Vítek Vaněček‘s backup. Vejmelka was retroactively moved to injured reserve prior to Utah’s last game against the Predators on Monday, allowing Villalta to back up Vaněček instead.
After playing well enough to keep Utah in the playoff race through much of last season, Vejmelka has continued to provide stable enough services as a No. 1 behind a stingy Mammoth defense that allows just 25.1 shots per game, second-best in the league. His .894 SV% and 2.70 GAA in 29 starts have been good for a 16-10-2 record and 6.2 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
The Mammoth had won four out of Vejmelka’s last five starts, so they’ll be anxious to get him back in between the pipes today after dropping their last two decisions with Vaněček in net. It’s been a struggle for the veteran backup since signing with Utah in free agency, logging a .870 SV%, 2.92 GAA and a 2-9-1 record in 11 starts and one relief appearance.
Villalta, 26, is in his third season as the third-string option for Utah/Arizona. The former OHL standout has made three appearances during that time, but none this year. In 15 games for Tucson, he’s got a 9-5-1 record with a .903 SV%, 2.94 GAA, and one shutout.
Oilers Reassign Max Jones
The Oilers announced Thursday they’ve loaned winger Max Jones to AHL Bakersfield. By opening a second roster spot, they’ve given themselves the ability to activate both winger Kasperi Kapanen and defenseman Jake Walman from long-term injured reserve before Saturday’s game against the Flyers if they’re cleared to play.
Jones, 27, spent most of December with the Oilers after clearing waivers and heading to Bakersfield to begin the season. He was recalled in response to injuries to Connor Clattenburg and Jack Roslovic, both of whom have since returned and, in Clattenburg’s case, sent back to Bakersfield.
A first-round pick by the Ducks in 2016, Jones was non-tendered in 2024 and signed a two-year, $2MM contract with the Bruins. Edmonton acquired him from Boston as part of last season’s Trent Frederic trade.
Jones had already lost his grip on a roster spot before the deal, only playing seven games with the B’s after signing the multi-million dollar agreement. He finished out last year on the Oilers’ NHL roster as they dealt with injuries, but only averaged 9:09 of ice time per game in 19 appearances, limited to a goal and an assist each.
The Michigan native’s fortunes haven’t changed this season, again notching two points on an eight-game recall while seeing his deployment come under 10 minutes per night. In Bakersfield, the 6’3″ checker has a 5-2–7 scoring line in 17 games.
At a $1MM cap hit, Jones is a pricey call-up option. With the cap-strapped Oilers nearing full health and no longer being able to use LTIR as a crutch, his opportunities for call-ups will be limited compared to those with six-figure salaries.
Blue Jackets Place Miles Wood On Injured Reserve
The Blue Jackets placed winger Miles Wood on injured reserve Thursday, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. He’s listed as week-to-week with the apparent left knee injury he sustained last night against the Devils, general manager Don Waddell said.
Wood fell awkwardly on his leg after attempting a check on New Jersey winger Ondřej Palát, struggling to put weight on it as he left the ice. Head coach Dean Evason wasn’t particularly optimistic about Wood’s status during his postgame media availability, but Waddell said Wood’s early evaluation today indicated the “absolute worst was avoided.”
Wood has been found money for the Blue Jackets this season. Included as a salary dump by the Avalanche in the deal that brought them Charlie Coyle last offseason, the 30-year-old has contributed eight goals and 12 points in 32 games for Columbus. At 0.38 points per game, he’s tracking for the third-most efficient offensive season of his 11-year career.
No one will expect the bang-and-crash winger to keep up his career-best 15.7% shooting rate when he returns, but he’d nonetheless been a valuable tertiary scoring piece for a Blue Jackets offense that ranks in the bottom half of the league at 2.92 goals per game. His speed also makes him an effective penalty killer, averaging more than a minute per game shorthanded, but his two-way play at even strength has left something to be desired at a -6 rating and 46.6 CF%.
With Wood out for the foreseeable future, Isac Lundeström on IR, and Sean Monahan dealing with an undisclosed injury, Columbus is without a quarter of its regular forward lineup. With no healthy extras available, they’ll be recalling a player under emergency conditions for Saturday’s game against the Sabres if Monahan can’t go.
Auston Matthews Expected To Return Thursday
Jan. 1: It looks like only a one-game absence for Matthews. He was a full participant at morning skate and is expected to center Matthew Knies and Max Domi tonight against the Jets, per Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
Dec. 30: The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that star forward Auston Matthews will miss Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils and will be out day-to-day due to a lower-body injury. Matthews sustained the injury on a blocked shot in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. He missed Tuesday morning’s practice and was designated as a game-time decision before being ruled out.
The Maple Leafs are already down forward Dakota Joshua and defenseman Chris Tanev due to injury. Defender Matt Benning and forward Jacob Quillan were recalled to fill in for those absences. Calle Jarnkrok will step back into the lineup for Matthews after four games on the shelf.
Even with the committee effort and a quiet year from their star, Toronto is still going to face a steep test trying to make up for Matthews’ absence. He snapped a four-game scoring drought on December 27th and has four points in two games since. That brings Matthews up to 27 points in 33 games this season, good for fourth on the team in scoring. He is riding a 11.7 shooting percentage this season – roughly four percent lower than his career average of 15.6 percent. Matthews’ shooting success has dwindled over the last two seasons after he managed a career-high 18.7 percent – and 69 goals – in the 2023-24 season.
Quillan and Jarnkrok will fill out the fourth line on Tuesday night, while Scott Laughton earns a bump up to the third line. Laughton has stepped up as a responsible veteran over the recent stretch, bringing some support to a Maple Leafs offense that has leaned more on their depth as of late. His defense-first approach has helped multiple depth players step up their scoring. Toronto has scored 16 goals over its last three games, with multiple points from Matias Maccelli, Bobby McMann, and Nicholas Robertson. Those players will need to continue stepping up to keep the offense firing without Matthews in the lineup.
The Blackhawks Already Have A Top Line Winger On The Way
Since the Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard first overall in 2023, the most glaring holes on their depth chart have been the two wing spots next to him.
Bedard’s most common linemates at 5-on-5 in year one were Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev. In year two, amid a never-ending rotation, Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev eked out the honors.
This year, it’s André Burakovsky and rookie Ryan Greene. The 20-year-old’s continued emergence into a top-tier superstar and increased defensive commitment this season have helped fuel a resurgence for the former, with Burakovsky’s nine goals and 23 points in 34 games on pace for his highest totals in three years. Greene, only one year older than Bedard, is up to 14 points in 39 games after a recent hot streak.
Of course, Bedard’s 44 points on the year are still nearly twice what his best support man, Burakovsky, has posted, despite missing the last several games with a shoulder injury. While Chicago’s early hot start offered some promise, it’s clear now that was a Spencer Knight-fueled mirage as they’ve slipped back to being one point out of last place. As for Bedard and his support system, the talent gap has never been more apparent – even Kurashev and Donato finished within spitting distance for the team lead in points in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.
With a top-two pick spent on Artyom Levshunov and an elite young netminder acquired in Knight, Chicago has stars lined up at every position – except for Bedard’s linemates, if only looking at the NHL roster for the past few years is any indication.
In reality, the pieces to complete an era-defining forward line for the Hawks are already in place and won’t necessarily require the big free-agent splash that some were hoping for this year or last. One of them comes down to a math problem. In the early stages of their careers, Chicago has preferred to keep Frank Nazar separate from Bedard at 5-on-5 and have them each center their own lines. That’s largely worked out well with Nazar on a 52-point pace in his second NHL season.
Center Anton Frondell is on the way as well after being drafted third overall last year. With 10 goals and 15 points in 25 games for Djurgårdens IF in a challenging European pro environment in the SHL, he will almost certainly be a top-six option for the Blackhawks in 2026-27. Neither he, Bedard, nor Nazar is suited for third-line duties long-term. One of them will slot in on Bedard’s wing next season.
The premise of this article could all be for naught if the Hawks end up with another lottery pick in this year’s draft. Their selection would almost undoubtedly be either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, both wingers with the skill level to drop in as a Bedard running mate out of camp. But if the balls don’t bounce their way, there’s an in-house candidate who will likely get a shot with a mix of Bedard, Frondell, and Nazar next fall.
Roman Kantserov has long been overlooked as an impact piece. Perhaps that’s simply because Chicago’s wealth of draft picks over the past several years has created one of the deepest pools in recent memory.
The 2023 second-round pick wasn’t viewed as much of a draft steal at the time. He was the 16th-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting, and only one major public scouting service had him as a late first-rounder (some even had him in the third).
No longer can he be ignored. Fast forward three years, and the 21-year-old is already a champion and an All-Star in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, a top-three competition in the world. Even that doesn’t give proper credence to what the undersized but extremely high-motor winger has brought to the table this season. With a 26-19–45 scoring line in 38 games, he’s third in the KHL in scoring and is first in pure goal-scoring. If that holds, he will break Kirill Kaprizov‘s record as the youngest single-season goal-scoring leader, albeit only by a few months.
McKeen’s Hockey tabbed Kantserov as the No. 8 prospect in the Hawks’ pool entering the season and profiled him as a “high-energy, third-line grinder with the potential to contribute offensively.” He’s answered the bell on the last part of that sentence as best as he possibly can before making the jump from Russia. Pairing two sub-6’0″ players on a top line may be an area of concern, but his pace and physicality make him a near-perfect stylistic complement for Bedard, with his historic overseas production suggesting he boasts much more upward mobility in their lineup than some thought.
Kantserov is in the final season of his contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Technically, his contractual obligations won’t conclude until May 31, but KHL clubs have shown some degree of willingness to release players a few weeks early – assuming their season is over – to sign NHL entry-level contracts. Whether that’s something Chicago wants to pursue to get Kantserov in the lineup for the final few games of the regular season remains to be seen. It should be a foregone conclusion, though, that he will be given a lengthy runway to add his name to Chicago’s long list of young, NHL-ready stars come September.