Snapshots: Zucker, Erne, Miromanov
What looked to be a short-term absence due to illness for Sabres winger Jason Zucker has now become a longer one. Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that the veteran hasn’t been able to eat solid food in nine days while battling the illness and has lost considerable weight as a result. Accordingly, he’s going to need a bit of a build-up from a conditioning standpoint once he’s able to eat again before he can be cleared to return. Zucker had been off to a solid start to his season before being sidelined, picking up four goals and three assists in a dozen games, providing the type of secondary scoring that Buffalo has been lacking for a while now.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Stars winger Adam Erne will miss at least a couple of weeks due to a lower-body injury, relays Robert Tiffin of D Magazine (Twitter link). He will leave the team’s road trip to return home for treatment. One of the few players to earn a full-season contract off a training camp PTO, the 30-year-old has largely been a regular for Dallas, playing in 14 of 17 games so far. In those outings, Erne has two goals and an assist along with 44 hits in 9:37 per night of playing time.
- Daniil Miromanov’s second NHL stint of the season was short-lived. After recalling him on Sunday, the Flames announced (Twitter link) that they have returned him to AHL Calgary. The 28-year-old didn’t see any action while on recall and has just one NHL appearance on the season. Miromanov cleared waivers last month and has spent most of the season in the minors with the Wranglers where he has four points in seven games. Calgary now has one open roster spot with a second coming tomorrow once Justin Kirkland’s waiver period expires.
Canucks Activate And Assign Jonathan Lekkerimaki To AHL
The Canucks have been injury-riddled this season, to put things lightly, as they’ve had at times more than six players on injured reserve. That number is coming down by one as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki has been activated. However, instead of returning to Vancouver’s roster right away, he has been sent down to AHL Abbotsford.
The 21-year-old has been limited to just four games due to an upper-body injury sustained more than three weeks ago. He was cleared to practice without contact last week and clearly, he has received the full green light with this assignment.
Lekkerimaki had just one point – a goal – over his first four outings to start the season after putting up three goals and three assists in 24 games with Vancouver in 2024-25 in his first taste of NHL action. He was quite productive in Abbotsford last season, however, notching 19 goals and nine assists in 36 games.
Considering the extent of Vancouver’s injuries up front (Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil, and Nils Hoglander), it seems unlikely that Lekkerimaki’s stint in the minors will be a long one but rather more of a short-term conditioning stint. He only needs to play once before being eligible to be recalled and with Abbotsford in action later tonight, it’s plausible that Lekkerimaki is brought back up in time for Vancouver’s next game on Friday against Carolina.
At the moment, the Canucks still have a full 23-player roster so whenever they do decide to bring Lekkerimaki up, they will need to make a corresponding roster move to open up a spot first. At first glance, moving goalie Thatcher Demko to injured reserve would be the easiest approach after it was revealed today that he’ll miss two to three weeks with a suspected groin injury.
Blackhawks Recall Landon Slaggert, Jason Dickinson Remains Out
The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled forward Landon Slaggert just over one week after his latest assignment. He will help the Blackhawks address injuries to centerman Jason Dickinson and winger Andre Burakovsky. Dickinson will miss Wednesday night’s game versus the New Jersey Devils, while Burakovsky is a gametime decision with an undisclosed injury, per NHL.com’s Tracey Myers.
The Blackhawks sent Dickinson home early from their recent six-game road-trip after placing him on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old has not played since leaving Chicago’s October 30th loss to the Winnipeg Jets after just eight minutes of ice time. He returned to Chicago’s practice donning a no-contact jersey on Wednesday morning.
Burakovsky played through Chicago’s road-trip, including scoring two points in Sunday’s win over the Detroit Red Wings. That scoring boosted Burakovsky up to seven points in five games through the month of November. He’s earned a fringe top-line role with that momentum, including playing over 21 minutes of ice time last Monday. He is averaging a career-high 17:28 in ice time, to go along with seven goals and 14 points, in 15 games this season.
The absence of Dickinson and Burakovsky would handicap Chicago on both sides of the puck. Slaggert would face an uphill battle in matching either of their impacts, after posting no scoring and a minus-two through five NHL games this season. He has also scored one point in three AHL games. The youngster showed a good amount of drive and physical play through 33 games last season. Even then, he sits with a mere 10 points through 54 career appearances in the NHL. He should step onto Chicago’s fourth-line, while rookie Ryan Greene earns a boost in place of Dickinson. Should Burakovsky also sit out, the Blackhawks would likely run 11 forwards and seven defensemen – bringing in defender Louis Crevier and tasking rookie winger Oliver Moore with a heftier role.
Golden Knights Recall Braeden Bowman
The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled right-winger Braeden Bowman from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. This is the first call-up of Bowman’s professional career. He earns it after a hot start to Henderson’s season. Bowman leads the club with seven goals, and is tied for the scoring lead with 12 points, through 12 games so far.
His first call-up to the NHL is a major milestone for the undrafted Bowman. He earned a minor-league contract with Henderson out of Vegas’ training camp in 2024, after four years with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. Bowman scored 14 goals and 36 points in 68 games of his rookie AHL season, enough to work his way onto the Silver Knights’ second-line. Vegas bumped Bowman’s minor-league deal up to a two-year, entry-level contract in March, making him eligible for an NHL call-up.
Bowman’s rookie-year growth gave him plenty of runway headed into this season’s training camp. He was a standout once again – flashing a sharp finishing ability, pro-level physicality, and quick hands. Those attributes continued to headline Bowman’s game through the first month of the season, and will now be recognized by Vegas with one more home game before a two-game road-trip.
Bowman could step into the lineup in place of center William Karlsson, who remained absent from practice on Wednesday, per Danny Webster of the Vegas Review Journal. Karlsson sustained a lower-body injury in Saturday’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks and has been designated as out day-to-day. Should that injury stick around, Bowman could earn his NHL debut in Thursday’s match versus the New York Islanders. He’d likely step onto the fourth-line, while Keegan Kolesar and Brandon Saad move up to fill Karlsson’s absence. Vegas could also deploy Alexander Holtz over Bowman. Holtz has no scoring through seven games this season.
Penguins Sign William Dufour To AHL PTO
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL affiliates of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced today that they have signed forward William Dufour to an AHL PTO.
With this PTO signing, Dufour returns to North American pro hockey after a short period away. The 23-year-old began this season playing for Lada Tolyatti in the KHL, but only lasted seven games before returning to his home province of Quebec to play in the LNAH. After a short stint in the LNAH, playing there presumably to stay fit while waiting for a new high-level pro opportunity, he’s now found a new place to play in the AHL.
A 2020 fifth-round pick of the New York Islanders, Dufour was once seen as one of the club’s more promising prospects. In 2022, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked Dufour as the No. 2 prospect in the Islanders’ system, stating at the time that Dufour “projects as a second-line winger with a chance to be a major value pick by the Islanders.” Dufour rocketed up prospect lists after a stellar final season in the QMJHL, one where he scored a whopping 56 goals and 116 points in just 66 games.
Dufour made his pro debut in the fall of 2022 with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, and his rookie campaign in the AHL was a success. He scored 21 goals and 48 points in 69 games, and after the season, was ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Islanders’ system by Elite Prospects.
Those high rankings from public-facing scouts did not translate to sustained pro success, though, as Dufour’s first AHL season has proven to be his best thus far. He managed only 25 points the following season, and scored 22 points in 2024-25. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in the middle of last season as part of the Brock Nelson deal, but was non-tendered by the Avalanche after putting up just four points in 12 games for their AHL affiliate.
Still just 23 years old, Dufour now has an opportunity in front of him to re-establish himself as a quality AHL player. The AHL Penguins currently rank second in the AHL in goals scored, so Dufour has the advantage of joining one of the league’s high-powered offenses.
Avalanche Reassign Daniil Gushchin
Nov. 10th: Gushchin’s first recall of the 2025-26 campaign will end without an NHL appearance. Earlier today, the Avalanche announced that they’ve reassigned Gushchin to AHL Colorado. Per the new rules regarding paper transactions, Gushchin will have to play in one game for the Eagles before he’s eligible to return to the NHL.
Nov. 8th: The Avalanche have brought up some extra forward depth heading into their game tonight in Edmonton. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Daniil Gushchin from AHL Colorado. They had two open roster spots prior to the move.
The 23-year-old was acquired from San Jose back in late July in exchange for winger Oskar Olausson in a change-of-scenery swap for a pair of players who had slid down their former employer’s depth chart. Gushchin then signed a one-year, two-way contract that same day that pays $775K in the NHL and $150K in the minors with a guaranteed payout of $200K.
It’s the second recall of the season for Gushchin although the first one only lasted two days and he didn’t see any NHL action during that time. He has been quite productive with the Eagles in the early going this season, notching nine goals (tied for the league lead) and two assists in a dozen games.
Gushchin has 18 career NHL appearances under his belt over parts of three seasons with the Sharks. In those outings, he has a respectable two goals and three assists while averaging 13:14 of playing time. We’ll see if he has a chance to add to those totals on this recall.
Sharks Assign Zack Ostapchuk To AHL, Send Down Vincent Iorio On Conditioning Loan
With the team off until Tuesday, the Sharks have made a pair of roster moves. The team announced this afternoon (Twitter link) that forward Zack Ostapchuk has been assigned to AHL San Jose. Meanwhile, blueliner Vincent Iorio has also been sent to the Barracuda on a conditioning stint.
Ostapchuk’s stint with the Sharks was short-lived as he had only been recalled on Thursday and didn’t see any action after his promotion. Acquired from Ottawa at last year’s trade deadline as part of the Fabian Zetterlund deal, the 22-year-old played somewhat regularly down the stretch, getting into 13 games. However, with the option of having limited playing time in the NHL or a bigger role in the minors, the Sharks have opted for the latter this season while he remains waiver-exempt. In nine games with the Barracuda this season, Ostapchuk has two goals and an assist.
As for Iorio, he was claimed off waivers from Washington midway through last month when the Sharks were dealing with some injuries on the back end. He played regularly for about a week and a half, getting into six games where he was held off the scoresheet while posting six blocks in 16:20 a night of playing time. However, he has been a healthy scratch in seven straight games as some of their injured rearguards have started to return. With this being a regular conditioning loan, it can last for up to two weeks.
While two players are coming off the roster, the Sharks are only gaining one roster spot with these moves. Iorio will remain on San Jose’s roster while on assignment, meaning that they still have 22 players on their active roster.
Rangers Recall Gabriel Perreault
The New York Rangers have announced that top prospect Gabriel Perreault has been called up from AHL Hartford, while Jaroslav Chmelar is headed back down in a corresponding transaction. The move will bring excitement to fans, especially given the team’s polarizing start to 2025-26. Perreault is back in the NHL after a scoreless five-game stint in 2024-25, fresh out of the NCAA.
Although the Rangers have not bottomed out by any means, finding consistency under new Head Coach Mike Sullivan remains a work in progress. Most fascinating is their immense struggles at home (0-6-1) versus their success on the road (7-1-1). While blame has been cast out from the top of the Rangers lineup to the bottom, offense across the board has been a major issue. New York has scored just 35 goals, ranking last in the league. They have been shut out in five of their seven home games thus far. 16 games into the season, the offensive production is simply unacceptable, given the roster at hand.
Now, New York has called upon their undisputed top prospect to help get things turned around. Perreault got some needed seasoning with AHL Hartford, where he leads the team with ten points in nine games so far. Drafted 23rd overall in 2023, Perreault, son of longtime NHLer Yanic Perreault, projects as a true top-six forward. With high-end playmaking ability, the Quebec-native could pan out as a legitimate first-line player, but first will need to become more responsible in other areas of the game. After jumping into the Rangers lineup right out of Boston College last season, where he was unable to find the scoresheet, fans will watch for such progress from the 5’11” left-handed shooter.
GM Chris Drury was likely not counting on making the call for the prospect after just nine games with Hartford, but patience is quickly wearing thin for New York, especially after another shutout at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, a convincing 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Islanders. Now the club hopes Perreault will provide a needed spark. On the flip side, headed back to the AHL, Chmelar appeared in his first two NHL games, but did not record a point. While the 22-year-old was a nice find for New York in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Chmelar offers more size and physicality (6’4”) than offensive flair.
With the Rangers looking to finally enter the win column at home tomorrow against Nashville, nothing has been confirmed yet, but eyes will be on Perreault to enter the lineup and potentially record his first NHL point.
Senators Recall Hayden Hodgson
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
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.