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Zachary L’Heureux Suspended Three Games

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1/2: The NHL has announced a three games suspension for L’Heureux. It’s the first suspension of his NHL career. L’Heureux built up a long rap sheet while playing junior hockey, ultimately sitting out of 36 games across four seasons in the QMJHL due to suspension. He will be eligible to return on January 11th, when the Predators host the Washington Capitals.

1/1: Predators winger Zachary L’Heureux injured Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon in the second period of Tuesday’s game on a slew-footing incident.  The play (Twitter link via 102.5 The Game’s Nick Kieser) saw the rookie receive a match penalty on the play, creating an automatic review.

Following that review, it was announced that L’Heureux will have a hearing on Thursday about the hit.  Michael Russo of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that it will be a phone hearing.  The maximum penalty for a phone hearing is five games.

L’Heureux was recalled to Nashville’s roster just two weeks into the season and he has been a regular in their bottom six since then, averaging 11:31 a night of playing time.  The 21-year-old has played in 33 games so far, picking up four goals and five assists along with 106 hits and 32 penalty minutes in those outings.

Assuming a suspension comes his way, it will be the first NHL ban of L’Heureux’s career.  However, it’s worth noting that he was suspended nine times in the QMJHL while also receiving a pair of suspensions last season in the minors.  None of those will be taken into consideration here, however, since they occurred at other levels.

With Cole Smith on injured reserve, the Predators are now down to just 12 healthy forwards on their active roster.  With a potential suspension looming for L’Heureux, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Nashville recall a forward or two from AHL Milwaukee before Friday’s game against Vancouver.

Minor Transactions: 1/1/25

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The calendar has flipped to a new year but don’t expect the day-to-day roster shuffling to change anytime soon.  Here’s a rundown of today’s minor and paper moves.

  • The Stars announced (Twitter link) that they’ve reassigned winger Justin Hryckowian to AHL Texas. The 23-year-old was shuffled back and forth several times last month in an effort to maximize how much cap space they’re banking.  Hryckowian played in Dallas’ last two games, picking up three hits in 13:20 of total playing time.  He has been quite productive with Texas in his first full professional season, however, collecting 12 goals and 14 assists in 27 games so far.
  • The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Nathan Clurman has been sent back to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He has been sent back and forth a few times lately but if Owen Pickering or Kris Letang are ready to return on Friday against Florida, then this assignment might be a longer-term one.  Clurman has played once for Pittsburgh this season but has spent most of the year in the minors, tallying a goal and four assists in 18 appearances.
  • The Hurricanes continue their frequent roster movement. With no game today, they’ve assigned goaltender Dustin Tokarski, defenseman Ty Smith, and winger Jackson Blake to AHL Chicago, per the AHL’s transactions log.  As is always the case with these moves, the paper assignments merely free up several thousand dollars in cap space.  Carolina is back in action on Thursday and all three are likely to be recalled at that time.
  • With Yaroslav Askarov up with the Sharks for the foreseeable future, their farm team has found a temporary replacement for him. Per a team release, the AHL’s Barracuda has signed goaltender Samuel St-Hilaire to an ATO agreement.  The 20-year-old had a 2.56 GAA and a .904 SV% over parts of three seasons with QMJHL Rimouski and was on Canada’s entry for the World Juniors last year.

Wild Recall Carson Lambos And Brendan Gaunce

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5:31 PM: The Wild officially announced both recalls.

4:56 PM: With veteran defenseman Jared Spurgeon expected to miss some time, the Wild are expected to bring up a blueliner from the minors.  However, it appears it won’t be David Jiricek as expected.  Instead, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Carson Lambos, one of their top prospects, will get the nod and be brought up from AHL Iowa.

The 21-year-old was a first-round pick of Minnesota back in 2021, going 26th overall.  Lambos was a productive defender at the junior level, putting up 95 points in 112 games with WHL Winnipeg after being drafted.  However, that production hasn’t carried over to the pros.  After putting up 14 points in 69 games last season, Lambos is on a similar pace this year with five points in his first 27 appearances.

Nonetheless, this should be a good chance for the Wild to evaluate Lambos and assess his NHL readiness.  With the trade deadline coming up in a couple of months and Minnesota among the stronger teams in the league, they’ll likely be wanting to shore up their back end at some point.  Having a better understanding on what Lambos can do at the top level will only help determine what they might want to do.

Meanwhile, Russo adds (Twitter link) that veteran forward Brendan Gaunce is also set to be recalled from Iowa, taking the place of Kirill Kaprizov who landed on IR today.  The 30-year-old has played in four games with Minnesota this season, logging just under ten minutes a night but has been held without a point.  Gaunce has been productive in the minors, however, tallying 11 goals and six assists in 22 games; three of those goals came just last night.

Hurricanes Recall Juha Jaaska

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The Hurricanes appear set to give a new forward his first taste of NHL action.  The team announced that they’ve recalled Juha Jaaska from AHL Chicago.  The move was made after 4 PM CT and thus will not officially hit Carolina’s books from a salary cap perspective until Thursday.

The 26-year-old is in his first season in North America after signing a one-year, entry-level deal with the Hurricanes back in April.  The contract carries an AAV of $850K.  Jaaska put up two straight seasons of at least 30 points with HIFK in Finland’s Liiga which helped earn him this contract while he also suited up for his country at the 2024 Worlds, albeit in a limited role.

So far, Jaaska has played exclusively with the Wolves, tallying seven goals and nine assists in 25 games, producing at a similar point-per-game level as he was back home.  His 16 points are good for a tie for third in team scoring.

Even though he’s on his entry-level deal, Jaaska will be eligible to test the open market again this summer as an unrestricted free agent so he’ll be looking to make a good impression in his first taste of action at the top level.

Pacific Notes: Emberson, Vlasic, Jugnauth

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With many players now extension-eligible as of today, it will be interesting to see if any come to terms on a new deal in the coming days.  In the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculates that the Oilers might want to take a run at starting talks with defenseman Ty Emberson in the near future.  Acquired in the Cody Ceci trade over the summer, the 24-year-old has settled into a steady third-pairing role, logging just under 15 minutes a night while recording 48 blocks, 53 hits, and five assists in 35 appearances so far.

Making $950K this season, Emberson’s qualifying offer would be just under $1MM if he qualifies for RFA status but he needs to play in 15 more games for that to happen.  Otherwise, he’d be a Group Six unrestricted free agent.  With the role he has, he should be able to add a bit to that qualifier but it shouldn’t be an exorbitant cost for the Oilers to absorb if they can get something done.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

  • Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic took to the ice today as he continues to try to work his way back from a back injury, relays Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). The 37-year-old has yet to play this season because of the injury, one that he was hoping he’d only miss a few weeks with originally.  Vlasic’s playing time has dropped to that of a third-pairing player in recent years after being an anchor of their defense corps for more than a decade.  He still has one year left on his contract after this one at a $7MM AAV.
  • Kraken prospect Tyson Jugnauth will soon get a second stint in the NCAA. The defenseman revealed on his Instagram page that he has committed to Michigan State University for next season.  Jugnauth, a fourth-round pick in 2022, spent a year and a half at the University of Wisconsin before moving to WHL Portland in December 2023.  The 20-year-old has been quite productive this season, tallying six goals and 40 assists in just 33 games for the Winterhawks but he has decided that it’s not time to turn pro just yet.  Seattle has until August 15, 2026 to sign Jugnauth as his transfer to the WHL didn’t change his original signing timeline.

Cayden Primeau Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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Dec. 29th: The Canadiens organization announced Primeau has successfully cleared waivers. As expected, Montreal has reassigned Primeau to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Dec. 27th: While the Canadiens are carrying three goalies following today’s recall of Jakub Dobes, that won’t be the case for long.  Following practice today, head coach Martin St. Louis told reporters including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels (Twitter link) that Montreal will place goaltender Cayden Primeau on waivers on Saturday.  The roster freeze doesn’t end until tomorrow which is why this move isn’t being made today.

Things were looking up for Primeau heading into the season.  After playing in a three-goalie rotation for most of last season, Primeau secured the full-time second spot after Jake Allen was moved to New Jersey at the trade deadline.  He finished up the season strong, putting up a .919 SV% in March and April, providing some optimism that he’d be ready for a full season of being a second-string option.

However, that hasn’t been the case as Primeau has struggled mightily thus far in 2024-25.  The 25-year-old has been limited to 11 appearances (four of which have come in relief) and he has posted a 4.70 GAA with a .836 SV%, ranking him last league-wide in both categories among netminders with more than one appearance this season.  That resulted in the team being hesitant to play him as his last start came back on December 1st.  With Samuel Montembeault only 13 games away from matching his career-high in appearances in a single season, carrying a backup they’re not comfortable using was unsustainable.

While Montreal was hesitant to waive him last season for fear he’d be claimed, it appears they’re more confident he’ll pass through now given his struggles so far.

The timing for those struggles is far from ideal for Primeau.  He’s in the final season of a three-year deal that carries a $890K cap charge while he’s also receiving a $1.1MM one-way salary.  As things stand, it’s hard to see the Canadiens (or another team if he’s claimed) offer him a seven-figure qualifying offer with arbitration rights this summer unless he is able to vastly turn things around in the second half of the season.

With Primeau not officially becoming available until Saturday, teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to submit a claim for his services.

Snapshots: Rangers, Forsberg, Vanecek, Eyssimont

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Despite what has been a rather tumultuous last few weeks, the Rangers would prefer not to make a coaching change, suggests Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription link).  New York entered tonight’s action having lost 13 of their last 17 games, sliding from being in a playoff spot to seventh in the Metropolitan Division heading into Saturday’s action (which didn’t go well for them either).  Even with the recent struggles, the Rangers have played to a .634 points percentage under Peter Laviolette who is approaching the midway point of his three-year contract.

More from around the NHL:

  • Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg could return to the lineup on Thursday in Dallas, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He has been out for the last two weeks with what was originally termed as a minor ailment sustained during a pregame warmup.  The 32-year-old has a 2.95 GAA with a .889 SV% in his first 11 starts of the season.  In the meantime, Ottawa is playing this weekend with their AHL tandem of Mads Sogaard and Leevi Merilainen with Linus Ullmark out for their road trip.
  • Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky provided an update on injured goaltender Vitek Vanecek. He told reporters including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link) that the upper-body injury the netminder is dealing with is a fractured cheek.  He’s now listed as out week-to-week.  Vanecek has a 3.84 GAA and a .885 SV% in 14 outings this season and could be a possible trade candidate for a team looking for extra goaltending depth when he’s cleared to return as he’s in the final year of his contract.
  • Lightning winger Michael Eyssimont is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays team reporter Gabby Shirley (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has played in 31 games so far this season, picking up three goals and two assists in just under 11 minutes a night of ice time.  Tampa Bay has two open roster spots at the moment so if they need to call up someone from AHL Syracuse, they won’t have to move Eyssimont to IR to do so.

Central Notes: Stars, Avalanche, Wild, Bortuzzo

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The Stars are being investigated by the league for a possible CBA violation over the holiday break, report Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription link).  Head coach Peter DeBoer indicated on Friday that there was an optional skate held on Thursday.  However, teams aren’t permitted to hold any sort of on-ice sessions with players between December 24th and 26th with this skate being held on the 26th.  The league sent a memo to all 32 teams on Monday reminding them of the rule prohibiting travel or ice time.  Back in 2022, Toronto was fined $100K for violating the travel portion of the rule so if the league levies a penalty to Dallas following their investigation, it’s likely to be at or above that amount.

More from the Central:

  • Avalanche defenseman Oliver Kylington had been listed as out week-to-week but that has been changed to month-to-month, reports NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Bluesky link). He has missed the last four weeks with an upper-body injury but hasn’t been progressing in his recovery.  However, there should be some good news coming on the injury front as Boulding adds that winger Jonathan Drouin could return on Tuesday.  He has missed the last month with an upper-body injury and has been limited to just five games so far this season due to injuries.
  • Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek skated today and the team is hopeful he can return to the lineup in one of Minnesota’s next two games, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link). He has missed a little more than three weeks with a lower-body injury and while he was off to a rough start offensively with 13 points in 22 games, he’d be a welcome addition to a Wild group that has struggled in recent weeks.
  • Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo skated with the team today and has been cleared for contact, relays Brogan Houston of the Deseret News (Twitter link). The veteran has missed a little over two weeks so far due to a lower-body injury.  Bortuzzo has played in 15 games this season but has been limited to just two assists in a little over 11 minutes a night of ice time.

Avalanche Make Four Roster Moves

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It was a busy day for the Avalanche on top of their trade with Nashville earlier today.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have loaned defenseman John Ludvig to AHL Colorado on a conditioning assignment while also assigning forward Givani Smith to the Eagles.  Meanwhile, the Avs also recalled defenseman Keaton Middleton and winger Jere Innala from the Eagles, per the AHL’s transactions log.

Ludvig was claimed on waivers back in October but playing time has been hard to come by as he has been limited to just eight games so far.  He has a pair of assists and 16 hits while averaging just under 13 minutes a night.  Ludvig has only played three times since November 10th and hasn’t suited up once since December 5th so he’ll be well-served getting some game action in with the Eagles.  The conditioning assignment can last up to two weeks.

As for Smith, he was acquired earlier this month from San Jose after he cleared waivers.  Since then, he has gotten into seven games, bringing his season total to 13.  For the season, the 26-year-old doesn’t have a point while adding 18 penalty minutes and 20 hits in a little over six minutes a night of playing time.  He can only play in three more NHL games before needing to pass through waivers again.

Middleton and Innala, meanwhile, were reassigned to the minors before the holiday break, allowing the Avs to save some money (though not bank cap space since they’re in LTIR).  Middleton has nine blocks and 13 hits in nine games so far while Innala has been held off the scoresheet in his first three NHL appearances.

Hurricanes Recall Ty Smith; Shayne Gostisbehere Out With Upper-Body Injury

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The Hurricanes had recalled defenseman Ty Smith on five separate occasions earlier in the season but he never got into a game.  It turns out the sixth time will be the charm.  Earlier today, the team announced that they once again promoted Smith from AHL Chicago.  However, they also revealed (Twitter link) that blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere was scratched for tonight’s game against New Jersey due to an upper-body injury.

Smith was acquired by Carolina last season at the trade deadline as part of the Jake Guentzel trade but hadn’t suited up for the Hurricanes before tonight.  The 24-year-old has played in 13 games with the Wolves so far this season, collecting three goals and seven assists.  Smith has 123 career NHL appearances under his belt between New Jersey and Pittsburgh but last saw action at the top level in January 2023.

As for Gostisbehere, he has been quite productive in his return to Carolina after signing a three-year, $9.6MM contract he signed back in July.  Through 35 games, he has six goals and 21 assists while logging 19 minutes a night.  He leads all Hurricanes blueliners in scoring while sitting third in points overall among all Carolina players so his absence will certainly be notable.  The team didn’t reveal any potential timeline for his absence.

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