Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Horvat, Vladar, Wilson
Today’s letter from the Rangers and subsequent reporting indicated that some veterans will be on the move, winger Artemi Panarin among them. But at first glance, it doesn’t appear as if some of their other notable veterans could be in play on the trade front. Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that five members of their veteran core – goalie Igor Shesterkin, defensemen Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, and centers J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad – all spoke with management today and indicated a desire to remain with the team. All five players are signed through at least the 2028-29 and have no-move clauses in their respective contracts so it’s unlikely that New York will be making multiple moves of significance before the March 6th trade deadline.
More from the Metropolitan:
- It’s now unlikely that Islanders center Bo Horvat will join the team on the back half of their road trip, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter links). The veteran has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the last couple of weeks but since it was doubtful that he’d be cleared to play on the trip, they’ve opted to keep him home. It should be noted that he has not suffered a setback in his recovery. Now, the soft target for a return, if all goes well, will be next Saturday against Buffalo. Despite missing 11 games so far, Horvat still leads the team in goals with 21 and sits second in points with 33.
- Flyers goaltender Daniel Vladar won’t be available on Saturday but isn’t expected to be out much longer, according to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. He suffered an undisclosed injury on Wednesday and the team believes he’s only out day-to-day. Vladar has done rather well in his first season in Philadelphia, posting a 2.46 GAA and a .908 SV% in 28 games while already setting a new career-high in wins with 16.
- Capitals winger Tom Wilson (lower body) was a full participant in practice today. However, head coach Spencer Carbery indicated to reporters (video link) that he couldn’t confirm if the veteran would be back in the lineup on Saturday. Sidelined for the last five games, Wilson remains Washington’s scoring leader with 22 goals and 20 assists in 41 contests.
Ducks Recall Sam Colangelo, Place Troy Terry On Injured Reserve
Earlier today, the hope was that the Ducks would welcome back winger Troy Terry from the upper-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the last three games. However, that won’t be the case as the team announced that Terry has been placed on injured reserve. Taking his place on the roster is winger Sam Colangelo, who has been recalled from AHL San Diego.
After seeing his point total dip to the mid-50s over the last couple of seasons, Terry has bounced back quite nicely this season, flirting with the point-per-game mark for most of the year. He currently sits second on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 29 assists in 43 games. Terry was originally viewed as a game-time decision back on Tuesday so the fact he’s now set to be out a little longer could be a sign for concern or merely the team exercising a bit more caution with one of their top players. His placement is retroactive to January 6th, meaning he has already served the required week and thus can be activated at any time.
As for Colangelo, this is his first recall back to Anaheim since being sent down in mid-November. At the time, he had only played sporadically, getting into just seven games where he had one goal while averaging just over 10 minutes per night. The 24-year-old has fared better in the minors, however, picking up seven goals and nine assists with the Gulls in 23 games but that’s still below the point-per-game showing he had in 40 outings last season.
With Leo Carlsson (lower body) out once again and Jeffrey Viel still on his way to join the team after being acquired earlier today, Anaheim wouldn’t have had enough forwards for tonight’s game without Colangelo. But with Terry ideally back soon and Viel likely to report to the team on Saturday, it could be a short-term stint for Colangelo on Anaheim’s roster.
Hurricanes Recall Joel Nystrom, Place Noah Philp On Injured Reserve
With blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere out for tonight’s game against Florida, the Hurricanes have brought up some extra defensive depth. The team announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Joel Nystrom from AHL Chicago. To make room on the roster, center Noah Philp has been placed on injured reserve.
Nystrom is familiar with going back and forth between the NHL and the minors as this is now his third recall of the season. The 23-year-old has received his first taste of action at the top level this season, getting into 33 games with Carolina. He’s still looking for his first goal but he has eight assists while averaging 15:37 of ice time per game.
That showing was good enough to earn Nystrom a four-year, $4.9MM one-way extension last month, a sign that the Hurricanes feel that he is part of their longer-term plans. Despite a pair of demotions with the team taking advantage of his waiver exemption, Nystrom has only played in six times with the Wolves, collecting one assist.
As for Philp, he was claimed off waivers from Edmonton in late December but hasn’t had much of a chance to make an impression on his new team. The 27-year-old suffered a concussion in his second game with the team and has been out of the lineup for the last week and a half. Adding in his time with the Oilers, Philp has two goals and an assist in 17 games so far this season. Carolina has back-dated Philp’s placement back to January 6th, meaning that he is eligible to be activated at any time.
Five Key Stories: 1/5/26 – 1/11/26
The first full week of 2026 is in the books and it was a busy one across the hockey world with several extensions completed. Unfortunately, it also saw the passing of a pair of Hall of Famers. Here’s a rundown of the key stories of the week.
Blues Sign Two: Early in the week, St. Louis inked winger Alexey Toropchenko to a two-year, $5MM extension. The 26-year-old has been a valuable energy player over his five-year career and the move ensures the two sides won’t go to arbitration this summer. Then, on the weekend, GM Doug Armstrong took care of another pending RFA, reaching a six-year, $48MM extension with defenseman Philip Broberg. Acquired via offer sheet in 2024 from Edmonton, the 24-year-old has blossomed into an impactful defender and is averaging nearly 23 minutes per game this season. The deal buys out two RFA years plus an additional four years of team control while making him their highest-paid defender moving forward. Unfortunately for the Blues, Broberg suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday just hours after the deal was announced and didn’t make it through the game.
Sharks Swap: With the Sharks now squarely in the playoff battle (they sit third in the Pacific Division heading into today’s action), they’ve made a move to add some goaltending depth and a young defender. They acquired goalie Laurent Brossoit, defenseman Nolan Allan, and a 2028 seventh-round pick from Chicago for blueliner Jake Furlong, Ryan Ellis’ LTIR contract, and a 2028 fourth rounder. Brossoit, now healthy, gives San Jose another experienced option in the system while getting a look at Allan, a 2021 first-round pick who had been passed over on Chicago’s depth chart. They also free up more than $2.5MM in cap space by removing Ellis off their books to get them closer to exiting LTIR. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, upgrade a future draft pick and save considerable cash with the bulk of Ellis’ deal being covered by insurance.
Five For Dvorak: When Christian Dvorak signed a one-year, $5.4MM contract with the Flyers in the summer, it raised some eyebrows with Philadelphia seemingly overpaying to get a short-term agreement. But it has worked out rather well with the 29-year-old well on his way to a career year offensively. As a result, the team has rewarded him for his efforts, signing him to a five-year, $25.65MM extension, a small dip in the AAV ($5.15MM) in exchange for a long-term agreement. After being more of a middle-six player in Montreal (and Arizona before that), Dvorak has taken over the top center spot with the Flyers and is now set to be part of their long-term core group.
Hamilton Scratched: With the Devils getting defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic back from his season-long knee injury, someone had to sit. That player was veteran Dougie Hamilton. Soon after reports emerged that he’d be sitting, his agent J.P. Barry released a statement critical of the team, suggesting that his benching was business-related instead of performance-related amid reports that the team would like to move him. However, Hamilton has been quiet offensively this season with five goals and five assists in 40 games, not a great return on a $9MM price tag. Barry stated that Hamilton is willing to consider moving to teams that are on his no-trade list so we’ll see if this ultimately expedites the trade process.
More Issues For The Rangers: It was a rough first half of the season for the Rangers who have underachieved. Now, their push for the playoffs just got a lot more difficult with two of their top players being injured as goaltender Igor Shesterkin went on injured reserve with a non-contact lower-body injury while defenseman Adam Fox landed on LTIR with a lower-body issue of his own. Despite the team’s struggles, Shesterkin remains in the top ten in the league in save percentage and now veteran Jonathan Quick is tasked with keeping them afloat. Meanwhile, it’s Fox’s second stint on LTIR, taking their top offensive weapon from the back end out of the lineup for at least 10 games and 24 days, hardly ideal for one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Lassi Thomson Linked To Swiss League
After spending last season in Sweden, the Senators elected to bring back defenseman Lassi Thomson for this season. The hope was that he might be able to play his way higher on Ottawa’s depth chart and perhaps see some NHL action.
However, that hasn’t been the case. Aside from a brief recall to the big club that didn’t result in NHL action, the 25-year-old has played exclusively with AHL Belleville in 2025-26. Through 33 games, Thomson has been reasonably productive with seven goals and six assists.
However, with his fate now seemingly solidified as a minor leaguer, Thomson appears to be pondering his next change of scenery. Expressen’s Johan Svensson reports that the blueliner is looking to play with HC Lugano in Switzerland next season, suggesting that a contract might already be in place.
Thomson’s team from last season, Malmö of the SHL, has also shown interest in bringing him back into the fold. While that doesn’t appear to be happening for next season, it could still happen for the stretch run. Svensson notes that Thomson is technically under contract there for this year (he exercised an NHL out clause to rejoin the Senators) and that the defenseman is amenable to return to Sweden this season. Speculatively, that would come in the form of a contract termination in order to clear his minor league salary off Ottawa’s books.
If such a move doesn’t materialize, Thomson will be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency next summer so Ottawa will be losing his rights anyway. A first-round pick (19th overall) in 2019, Thomson has just 18 NHL games under his belt, a number that doesn’t appear likely to increase for the foreseeable future with him having an eye on overseas opportunities once again.
Snapshots: Hamilton, Smith, Chychrun, Miller
With the Devils believed to be searching for a new team for veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton after scratching him today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that the blueliner turned down a trade over the summer. Friedman stated that the Sharks attempted to acquire the 32-year-old over the offseason but Hamilton used his trade protection to scuttle that. San Jose has since added Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg, and Nick Leddy to their back end and given that they’ve been using LTIR all season, it stands to reason that they may not be interested in rekindling those discussions to see if Hamilton’s stance has changed. He has two years left on his contract after this one with a $9MM AAV, a price tag that will be difficult to move for value.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Sharks forward Will Smith will accompany the team on their upcoming four-game road trip, relays Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The sophomore has missed the last four weeks due to an upper-body injury and recently returned to practice, albeit in a non-contact jersey. The fact he’s set to travel with the team suggests that Smith should be able to return at some point on the trip. Through 33 games so far, Smith has been quite productive, collecting 12 goals and 17 assists while averaging just under 18 minutes per game of playing time.
- The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Jakob Chychrun was scratched from tonight’s game against Nashville due to illness. The 27-year-old is in the middle of a breakout season, collecting 15 goals and 17 assists in 45 games. That puts him on pace to surpass his previous personal best in points (47) set last season. Washington has been carrying eight defensemen on their roster for most of the year so Chychrun’s absence didn’t necessitate a recall from the minors to fill his spot.
- Jets defenseman Colin Miller left today’s game against New Jersey due to a lower-body injury, notes Gordon Anderson of The Winnipeg Sun. The injury occurred in the first period, limiting him to just 4:14 of playing time. It has been a tough year for the 33-year-old who has been a frequent healthy scratch and has played in just 14 games so far, notching just one assist. That’s not a great showing in the final year of his contract, one that carries a $1.5MM cap charge.
Michael Misa To Remain With Sharks For The Remainder Of The Season
Over the first month or so of the season, there is often talk about which junior-eligible rookies will go past the 10-game mark, officially burning the first year of their entry-level contract. Sometimes, teams will scratch a player from time to time to push back the decision but within a couple of months, the call has been made.
It was a different situation this season for Sharks forward Michael Misa. The number two pick in June broke camp with San Jose but had his playing time managed early on. However, after seven games, he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for around a month. From there, he was eligible for an AHL conditioning stint and then he was off to the World Juniors.
As a result, Misa still hasn’t officially started his entry-level contract and is eligible to be assigned back to junior. However, that won’t be the case as the youngster told reporters including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that GM Mike Grier informed him that he’d remain with the Sharks for the rest of the season.
Despite that, it wouldn’t be too surprising if his ice time continues to be managed; he was a healthy scratch yesterday against Dallas but is in the lineup tonight. For starters, having been away from the team for so long, there is some value in getting him a bit of extra practice time first. Second, San Jose has quietly played its way into a playoff spot so the focus won’t entirely be on player development the longer that they stay in the race. That could result in the odd night off for Misa as well.
Once Misa eventually gets into his tenth NHL game, he’ll officially activate the first season of his contract. Considering that the Sharks are at the maximum of 50, his getting there would put them over the limit. Accordingly, the longer they wait to get Misa to that point, the more time Grier has to make a move.
From there, the next threshold to watch for is 40 games on the active roster which is when he’d accrue a season of service time toward UFA eligibility. For now, he’s a long way away from getting to that point so if management decides that they want to keep Misa below that threshold, there could be some finessing of his playing time as well. But while his minutes could still be limited, Misa at least has the peace of mind that he’ll be up in the NHL for the rest of the season.
Avalanche Reassign T.J. Tynan
7:30 p.m.: Tynan’s recall didn’t last long. Shortly after today’s win over the Blue Jackets, the Avalanche reassigned Tynan to AHL Colorado.
12:24 p.m.: The Avalanche have added some depth up front for this afternoon’s game against Columbus. The team announced (Twitter link) that forward T.J. Tynan has been recalled from AHL Colorado.
It’s the first recall of the season for the 33-year-old. Tynan has spent the full 2025-26 campaign with the Eagles and his output can be viewed a couple of ways. Through 30 games, Tynan has scored just once which is hardly ideal for one of a team’s top veterans. On the other hand, he sits third in the AHL in assists with 25, keeping him within striking distance of the point-per-game mark. He has just missed that threshold the last two years but reached or surpassed it in the previous five.
Despite the consistent production in the minors, it hasn’t yielded too many NHL opportunities for Tynan. He has played in just 30 NHL games over his career, nine of which came last season when the Avs churned through the majority of their farm team in an effort to find some pieces to stick on the fourth line. Although he has been a point producer in the AHL, that hasn’t been the case at the top level as he has been limited to just two assists in those 30 outings while averaging 8:21 per game of ice time.
With Tynan’s recall, Colorado’s roster is now at the maximum of 23 players.
Penguins Recall Rafael Harvey-Pinard
The Penguins brought up some extra forward depth for their afternoon game against Calgary today. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He’s serving as injury insurance for winger Bryan Rust, who the team relayed (Twitter link) is dealing with a lower-body injury.
The 27-year-old is in his first season with Pittsburgh after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them in free agency following a non-tender from Montreal. While Harvey-Pinard has 84 games of NHL experience (where he has a respectable 17 goals and 14 assists), he wasn’t able to secure a roster spot with Pittsburgh in training camp and passed through waivers unclaimed back in October.
Since then, Harvey-Pinard has played exclusively in the minors with relatively middling numbers offensively. Through 32 games in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has seven goals and six assists, along with 27 penalty minutes. While those numbers don’t scream promotion-worthy, he can play on both wings, giving the team a bit of versatility should they need to call upon him to play.
Pittsburgh had one open roster spot, so they didn’t need to make a demotion or IR placement to make room for Harvey-Pinard on the roster. However, their group is now full at 23 players.
Senators Recall Hunter Shepard, Assign Two To AHL
The Senators have made a trio of roster moves heading into tonight’s game against Florida. The team announced that goaltender Hunter Shepard has been recalled from AHL Belleville while netminder Mads Sogaard and center Stephen Halliday have been sent down.
Shepard was up for a week recently, serving as Leevi Merilainen’s backup before being sent down on Tuesday to get some game action in Belleville. He has played in one game in relief with the big club, stopping 10 of 12 shots on Monday against Detroit. The 30-year-old has also suited up in a dozen games in the minors, posting a 3.41 GAA and a .897 SV%.
Sogaard was recalled on Tuesday to take Shepard’s place on the roster. He played in relief of Merilainen on Thursday in Colorado and struggled, allowing five goals on 16 shots in just 17:25 in action, resulting in Merilainen coming back into the game. The 25-year-old has played in 15 games with Belleville with numbers a little worse than Shepard’s, checking in with a 3.49 GAA and a .887 SV%.
As for Halliday, he received his first NHL recall earlier this season and has held his own so far. The 23-year-old has played in 18 games with Ottawa, picking up six assists despite averaging just 8:12 per game of playing time. He had been a strong playmaker with Belleville before the promotion, picking up a goal and 18 helpers in 17 contests in the minors. He’ll get a chance to go back and play a more prominent role for the time being but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get recalled at some point in the second half of the season.
As a result of these moves, Ottawa now has one open slot on its 23-man roster while opening up some extra salary cap space.