Lightning Recall Jakob Pelletier
One of the AHL’s top scorers is getting another NHL opportunity. The Lightning announced that they’ve recalled winger Jakob Pelletier from AHL Syracuse.
The 24-year-old signed a three-year contract with Tampa Bay last summer worth the league minimum in each season. The hope was that he could battle for a full-time spot at the bottom of their lineup after putting up 19 points in just 49 games last season between Calgary and Philadelphia. However, that didn’t happen and he instead cleared waivers and was sent to the Crunch.
Aside from a one-game stint back in mid-November where he played just over six minutes, Pelletier has played exclusively with Syracuse this season. Given a chance to play in a top-line role, he has certainly made the most of it, posting 19 goals and 22 assists in 35 games. His 41 points put him third in league scoring although he likely won’t have anywhere near the same role with the Lightning if he gets into the lineup.
Tampa Bay had one open roster spot following the recent return of goaltender Brandon Halverson to the minors so no corresponding move needed to be made to recall Pelletier to the active roster.
Islanders Notes: Bridgeport, Horvat, Pulock
Back in late June, insider Frank Seravalli reported that the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders were likely moving to Hamilton, Ontario, beginning in the 2026-27 campaign. In an update yesterday, Seravalli confirmed that the news is official.
Bridgeport, then the Sound Tigers, had their inaugural campaign back in the 2001-02 season. They made it to the Calder Cup Final that year and were purchased by the Islanders in 2004. Unfortunately, it’s been a mixed bag since then, winning one Northeast Division title in the 2011-12 season but having yet to return to the Calder Cup Final.
Meanwhile, Hamilton has been without a hockey team since 2023. The Hamilton Bulldogs, an OHL team, temporarily moved to Brantford until Edmonton Oilers’ forward Zach Hyman purchased the team in 2025, keeping the team in Brantford long-term. There is no information about whether the Bridgeport Islanders will adopt the Bulldog name.
Additional Islanders notes:
- All indications suggest that Bo Horvat will return to the Islanders’ lineup tomorrow. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Horvat skated in a regular jersey at New York’s practice this morning and feels “ready to go.” Horvat has missed the last three weeks with a lower-body injury. Still, the Islanders never placed him on the injured reserve, so they won’t need to make any transactions.
- Unfortunately, it’s not all positive news on the injury front. Rosner also reported that defenseman Ryan Pulock is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Pulock is meeting with the team doctors today, but considering that he wasn’t at practice, the chances of him playing tomorrow are slim. If he misses tomorrow’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres, it would be the first game Pulock has missed all season.
Kraken Recall Jacob Melanson, Place Ben Meyers On IR
The Seattle Kraken will be down a hot hand for the final two games of their current homestand. Depth forward Ben Meyers has been placed on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury that has him out week-to-week. Meyers scored three points in his last two games. The Kraken have responded to his injury by recalling forward Jacob Melanson in a corresponding move.
It isn’t entirely clear when Meyers sustained his injury. He played through the final minute of action in Wednesday night’s win over the New York Islanders and recorded one point and one shot in the contest. Meyers didn’t appear to be nursing an injury in his final shift but will now land on the shelf for a minimum of one week and three games. He will be eligible to return on January 29th, when the Krkaen host the Toronto Maple Leafs to close out a six-game homestand.
Meyers has chipped his way up to Seattle’s third-line with a strong, two-way effort as of late. He ranks third on the offense in hits (15) and second in penalty-kill ice time (20:41) since the start of 2026. On the year, Meyers has recorded 11 points, 36 hits, and 40 shots on goal in 31 games. He’s proven to be a responsible veteran near the bottom of Seattle’s lineup, a role that could be hard to replace with an AHL call-up.
Melanson has been a responsible piece of the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ lineup this year, with 16 points and 28 penalty minutes in 26 games. He has carved out a top-six role and ranks third among Firebirds forwards in plus-minus with a plus-seven. That diligence hasn’t quite translated to the top flight, with Melanson boasting only four points and a minus-two in 15 NHL games this season. They are the first NHL games of his career, except for his NHL debut, which he made at the end of last season.
That inexperience could be a motivator as Melanson looks to make himself comfortable in a bottom-six role in place of the toolsy Meyers. He will compete with Tye Kartye for a spot in the lineup. Kartye has recorded seven points and a minus-seven in 37 games this season.
Snapshots: Texier, Soucy, Dube
The Montreal Canadiens shared earlier today that Alexandre Texier is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. As expected, the forward was not in the lineup tonight against Minnesota, as Kirby Dach, activated earlier today from LTIR, is back in the fold.
It is not immediately clear where the injury came from, as Texier finished last Saturday’s win over Ottawa without apparent issue. Since coming over to Montreal in November, Texier has found new life, with 16 points in 27 games as he’s enjoying a top six role. Although still a small sample size, such production is the best in his career, as his best campaign to this point was a 30-point effort as a Blue Jacket in 2023-24. The 26-year-old could be back as soon as Thursday, as the Habs host Buffalo.
Elsewhere across the league:
- The New York Rangers will welcome back Carson Soucy tonight in Los Angeles, as Head Coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Soucy missed the team’s last two games, a win and loss split, due to personal reasons (maternity). The 31-year-old has skated in 44 games so far this season, averaging 17:18 per night in a second-pairing role. With the team on the brink of another shake-up, Soucy, a pending unrestricted free agent, has been speculated as a trade candidate at some point. In the meantime, Urho Vaakanainen is expected to drop out of the lineup for Soucy.
- Former Washington Capitals forward Pierrick Dube is headed back to North America, as first reported by Patrick Williams of TheAHL.com. Dube has signed with the Bridgeport Islanders to a standard player contract, as announced by the team. The 25-year-old left the AHL for the KHL this season, spending time with Chelyabinsk Traktor and St. Petersburg SKA, posting 16 points across 28 total games. While abroad on the two teams, Dube played alongside fellow former NHLers including Josh Leivo and Rocco Grimaldi. A Calder Cup Champion with three NHL games under his belt, Dube will join the 24th-ranked Islanders, in need of forward help. The France native is an accomplished AHL player, with a career-best 48 points in 66 games with the Hershey Bears in 2023-24.
Central Notes: Robertson, Wild, Ott
With a big contract negotiation on the horizon this summer, Stars winger Jason Robertson has switched agents. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Robertson (and his brother Nicholas Robertson) are now being represented by Octagon’s Andy Scott; they had both been previously repped by CAA’s Pat Brisson. The winger has 56 points in 49 games with Dallas this season, putting him on track to hit the 80-point mark for the fourth straight season. He’s owed a qualifying offer of $9.3MM with arbitration rights in late June but will likely make a few million more per season than that. Notably, Scott also represents Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, and Thomas Harley, all of whom have signed long-term deals with the Stars within the last year.
More from the Central Division:
- After moving out a young center as part of the return for Quinn Hughes, it appears the Wild are keeping tabs on another young middleman. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that Minnesota is a team that’s believed to have some interest in Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, though he’s not viewed as their top choice to add down the middle. Kotkaniemi is believed to be getting shopped by the team, recognizing that he needs a change of scenery after recording just seven points in 29 games so far this season. However, the 25-year-old still has four years left on his deal after this one with a $4.82MM cap charge, a price tag the Wild can’t afford at the moment.
- The Blues have made a coaching change with their AHL affiliate in Springfield. The team announced that Steve Ott will take over as head coach with the Thunderbirds, replacing Steve Konowalchuk, who has been let go. This will be Ott’s first time as head coach after serving as an assistant or associate coach in St. Louis since 2017. He has been a speculative head coaching target over the past couple of offseasons and some experience running a bench might help give him a boost for future vacancies. Konowalchuk, meanwhile, departs with a 47-50-12 record over parts of two seasons with the Thunderbirds.
Avalanche Reassign Alex Barre-Boulet To AHL
8:28 PM: Today’s recalls were short-lived as following the game, the Avs announced that both Barre-Boulet and Ivan were sent back to the Eagles.
3:07 PM: The Colorado Avalanche made one more recall before Monday’s home contest against the Washington Capitals. Depth forward Alex Barre-Boulet was called up to the NHL roster after it was announced that winger Valeri Nichushkin would miss Monday’s game with an upper-body injury. Fellow recall Ivan Ivan will also appear in the lineup.
This will be Barre-Boulet’s first NHL contest since playing in the first two games of the Montreal Canadiens’ 2024-25 season. He posted no scoring, one penalty, and a minus-two in those contests – prompting the Canadiens to send Barre-Boulet to the AHL’s Laval Rocket for the season. The veteran forward proved a tremendous boost to Laval’s roster. He led the team in scoring with 63 points in 64 regular season games and 11 points in 13 playoff games.
That strong year prompted another change of scenery this summer. Barre-Boulet moved from Laval to the Colorado Eagles, where he has held onto his touch. He leads the Eagles in points in 37 in 36 games this season. Now, the Avalanche will reward that scoring in a time of need, and bring Barre-Boulet back into the NHL fold. He played in 68 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning between 2020 and 2024, scoring 12 goals and 18 points. Much of Barre-Boulet’s time in the NHL has come on the fourth-line, a trend that should continue in Colorado.
The depth addition won’t quite help the Avalanche make up for Nichushkin’s absence. The toolsy, Russian winger has 11 goals and 27 points in 38 games this season. He snapped a six-game scoring drought with a point on Friday – but racked up a lofty 14 points in as many games during December. Even after a recent dry spell, Nichushkin remains cemented in Colorado’s top-nine, and leaves multiple holes in the lineup. The Avalanche will lean on Barre-Boulet, Ross Colton, and Gavin Brindley to collectively make up for Nichushkin’s absence.
Golden Knights Recall Jaycob Megna
The Golden Knights have added some extra defensive depth in advance of their game tonight against Philadelphia. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Jaycob Megna from AHL Henderson. To make room on the roster, newly acquired defenseman Rasmus Andersson has been moved to non-roster status.
It’s the fourth recall of the season for the 33-year-old but the first few stints with the big club haven’t yielded much in the way of playing time. Megna has played in just three games so far with Vegas, averaging 10:29 per game while posting a minus-five plus-minus rating. For his career, he has suited up in 196 contests over parts of eight seasons at the top level, notching four goals and 23 assists.
Megna has spent the bulk of the campaign with Henderson, playing in 27 games where he has three goals and seven assists. That production is at a similar rate to last season when he was with Charlotte and had 16 points in 64 appearances with the Checkers.
As for Andersson, the non-roster designation shouldn’t be any cause for concern. He’s still working through the process of getting a work visa and there’s no word yet on when he’ll be cleared to make his Golden Knights debut, though this process is usually finalized well within a week. Moving him to non-roster status allows them to get Megna up to fill a spot on the third pairing in the short term.
Afternoon Notes: Robinson, Gostisbehere, Rooney
A new injury hit the Carolina Hurricanes during Monday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. Forward Eric Robinson left the game with roughly eight minutes left in the first period after being awkwardly knocked down by former teammate and Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. Robinson appeared to be nursing his left shoulder as he left the ice and has been designated with an upper-body injury.
Robinson has continued to offer all-around utility in a bottom-six role this season. He has 10 goals, 15 points, and a plus-seven in 43 games this season. His performance has been a nice continuation on a strong debut with the Hurricanes last season. Robinson recorded 14 goals, 32 points, and a plus-14 while playing in all 82 games last season – all career-highs. He missed his first games as a Hurricane in late October, when an upper-body injury forced him out of six games.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Hurricanes were again without defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on Monday per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. It was Gostisbehere’s fourth straight absence due to a lower-body injury and illness. The 32-year-old defenseman has now missed 14 games on the season. Despite that, he still leads the Hurricanes blue-line in scoring with six goals and 32 points in 35 games. He has 10 more points than K’Andre Miller, who ranks second. Gostisbehere will have a clear path into an important role when he returns from another absence.
- The Utah Mammoth have assigned center Kevin Rooney to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. He has served as an extra forward all year long and played his only NHL game in late November. Rooney has built a more prominent role in Tucson, where he has seven goals and 10 points in 20 games. He will slot back into a familiar role with the Roadrunners and could be a top call-up option when Utah needs another hand.
Central Notes: Miller, Nazar, Heiskanen, Ivan
1/19: With another game looming, the Avalanche have once again recalled Ivan to the NHL roster. This is already Ivan’s fourth recall of 2026.
1/17: Jets defenseman Colin Miller recently underwent knee surgery, head coach Scott Arniel told reporters including Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). The bench boss noted that the procedure was similar to the one that goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had, one that kept him out four weeks earlier this season. Officially, Miller remains listed as out week-to-week. The 33-year-old has had a limited role in 2025-26, playing in just 13 games. He’d have had an opportunity to play more regularly with Neal Pionk and Haydn Fleury also out week-to-week but now after having surgery, that doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
More from the Central:
- Blackhawks center Frank Nazar took part in the morning skate today and is expected to be a full participant in practice tomorrow as he works his way back from an upper-body injury, notes WGN Radio’s Charlie Roumeliotis (Twitter link). The 22-year-old has impressed in his first full NHL season, picking up six goals and 15 assists in 33 games while seeing his playing time push past 18 minutes per night. Originally expected to miss four weeks due to the injury, Nazar appears to be pretty close to that recovery timeline although he’s still a few days away from returning.
- After missing Thursday’s game to tend to a personal matter, Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen was back with the team at practice today, relays Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports (Twitter link). The 26-year-old is back in top form this season after a quieter 2024-25 campaign by his standards. Through 46 games, Heiskanen has 36 points and 87 blocks while averaging a career-high 26:04 per game of ice time, third-most in the NHL.
- The Avalanche announced last night (Twitter link) that they have once again assigned forward Ivan Ivan back to AHL Colorado. It’s the third time in barely a week that he has been recalled and subsequently reassigned. The 23-year-old did suit up against Nashville on Friday, his sixth NHL contest of the season. In those outings, Ivan has one assist while in 31 games with the Eagles, he has two goals and six helpers.
Flyers Recall Lane Pederson, Rodrigo Abols Replaced On Olympic Roster
1/19: After being placed on IR by the Flyers on Sunday, centerman Abols has been replaced by Rihards Bukarts on Team Latvia’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics per a team announcement. Bukarts currently has eight points in nine games with Presov HC of Slovakia’s Tipsport Extraliga. This move suggests that Abols’ scary-looking injury will indeed knock him out of contention at another Olympic event.
1/18: The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that center Rodrigo Abols has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, the club recalled forward Lane Pederson from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Abols suffered a lower-body injury against the New York Rangers on Jan. 17, and will now miss at least a week as a result of his IR placement. He was centering the Flyers’ fourth line in between Garnet Hathaway and Carl Grundstrom, a role that will likely now go to Pederson, who can play center.
The Latvian international was signed out of the SHL by the Flyers in advance of the 2024-25 season, and he earned his way into the NHL with a solid campaign at the AHL level. In 47 games for the Phantoms, Abols scored 32 points, a performance that helped him get into a total of 22 NHL games that year.
So far this season, Abols has been able to carve out a steady role on the Flyers’ fourth line. Though he only has 10 points in 42 games, he’s been able to provide the kind of size and game-to-game reliability teams are looking for in the fourth-line center position. Abols has also seen sporadic deployment on the penalty kill, where he averages 0:39 time on ice per game overall, but has a single-game high of 2:13.
With this recall, it’s Pederson who will get the chance to replace Abols in head coach Rick Tocchet’s lineup. It’s highly unlikely Pederson alone will be able to reverse the Flyers’ recent struggles, but he does have nearly 80 games of NHL experience and a solid record of scoring at the AHL level.
From Pederson’s perspective, this recall is a significant opportunity for him as he’s a pending unrestricted free agent. Depth players in his position often have to squeeze everything they can out of the limited NHL exposure they receive, so he’ll be under some pressure to step up in advance of an important free agent summer for the future of his career.