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Islanders Notes: Shabanov, Drouin, Schaefer

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The New York Islanders will see the return of NHL rookie Max Shabanov in Sunday’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, per Ethan Sears of The New York Post. Shabanov has missed the last three weeks with an upper-body injury. Sears adds that the injury was sustained in New York’s October 18th matchup against the Ottawa Senators, and that he tried to tough it out for one game before stepping out of the lineup.

Shabanov managed three points in his first six NHL games prior to the injury. He added a minus-three, five hits, and eight shots on goal to that scoring. He’s been a productive addition, who could only heat up with a return to the lineup. Shabanov scored 33 goals and 87 points in 76 KHL games last season.

Compatriot Maxim Tsyplakov will step out of the lineup to make room for Shabanov. Tsyplakov has one goal and a minus-seven through 12 games this season. It’s a far fall from the 35-point season he posted as an NHL rookie last season. He’ll get a chance to recenter from the press box, while Shabanov looks to maintain his strong scoring.

Other notes out of the Islanders/Colorado matchup:

  • Winger Jonathan Drouin spoke with reporters about his move from the Avalanche to the Islanders ahead of Sunday’s matchup. He shared that he was disappointed with not having the chance to re-sign in Colorado, and that he would have been open to spending the rest of his career with the Avalanche, per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports. Drouin found a true resurgance with the Avalanche, potting 56 points in 79 games of the 2023-24 season after not scoring more than 30 through the prior four seasons. He followed that with 37 points in 43 games last season, though his year was derailed by injuries. Drouin has stayed incredibly productive in New York, netting 14 points in 17 games, good for fourth on the team in scoring. He’ll look to prove his scoring prowess against the Avalanche this afternoon.
  • Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was asked about the similarities between superstar Cale Makar and emerging rookie Matthew Schaefer by Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. He agreed the duo are worth comparing, and praised Schaefer’s ability to get involved with play, closing with “He’s gonna be a real good one”. Schaefer leads the Islanders’ defense, and all rookies, in scoring with 15 points in 17 games. It’s an incredible feat given Schaefer is the youngest player in the NHL by five months and missed almost all of the 2024-25 season with injury. He’s developing into a true superstar, and will get his first chance to face his model comparison in the bout against Colorado.

Flames’ Samuel Honzek Out Week-To-Week

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The Calgary Flames have announced that rookie winger Samuel Honzek (upper-body) is out week-to-week after colliding with captain Mikael Backlund in Saturday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Honzek was hit in open ice while trying to cross into the offensive zone. He exited the game in the second period.

Honzek has been a lineup fixture in a year where the Flames are focused first on developing their top prospects. He has four points, 22 shots on goal, and 35 hits through 18 games this season. He is playing through his rookie season in the NHL, after spending the majority of last year with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Honzek posted 21 points in 52 games with the Wranglers, enough to warrant the first five games of his NHL career at the end of the season. He managed no scoring in those appearances.

Honzek will join fellow rookie Zayne Parekh, and fellow forward Martin Pospisil, on the Flames’ sideline. Calgary is likely to turn towards Yegor Sharangovich to fill the hole in the bottom-six initially. Sharangovich has only four points through 16 games this seaosn, but could be spurred back to production after serving as a healthy scratch. He scored 31 goals and 59 points, both career-highs, in the 2023-24 season, his first year in Calgary.

If Sharangovich continues to underwhelm, the Flames could opt to recall rookie Matvei Gridin from the minor-leagues. Gridin began the year on the NHL roster, but earned an assignment to the minors after posting one goal and a minus-three in four games. The first-year pro has looked much more comfortable in the minors, netting 13 points in his first 13 AHL games, good for third on the Wranglers in scoring. He has also posted a plus-seven, second-highest on the team.

Sabres’ Michael Kesselring Sustains Lower-Body Injury

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The Buffalo Sabres could lose a recent acquisition to another injury. Defenseman Michael Kesselring was seen in a walking boot after Saturday night’s win over the Detroit Red Wings. He tweaked his ankle on a hit midway through the second period and had to hop to the bench. He returned for one shift in the third period, but head coach Lindy Ruff told media that the injury “doesn’t look good”following the game, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Kesselring began the season on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury that Ruff said plagued him through much of training camp. He didn’t make his Sabres debut until October 28th, and has only played in nine game since. He has managed no scoring, 10 shots on goal, and nine blocks in those appearances, while operating from a third-pair role.

Another injury will dampen the excitement around Kesselring in Buffalo. He moved to the city alongside forward Josh Doan as part of the deal that sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth. It seemed the Sabres were landing a true impact defender, after Kesselring posted the second-most points on Utah’s blue-line in their inaugural season. He scored 29 points to go with 89 penalty minutes, 150 shots on goal, and 87 hits in 82 games. It was a nice step up from Kesselring’s rookie year in Arizona, where he recorded 21 points, 66 penalty minutes, and 106 hits in 65 games.

The extent of Kesselring’s new injury isn’t yet clear. His return to the ice, even for one shift, could be a positive sign. Buffalo has three games ahead of them this week, and will lean on Jacob Bryson if Kesselring is forced to sit. Bryson has one point, four penalty minutes, and four blocks in eight games this season.

Kraken Activate Frédérick Gaudreau, Place Kaapo Kakko On IR, Assign Ben Meyers

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The Seattle Kraken activated center Frédérick Gaudreau off of injured reserve before Saturday’s win over the San Jose Sharks. He came one day short of missing a full month of action, after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Seattle’s October 16th loss to the Ottawa Senators. In a corresponding move, the Kraken have placed winger Kaapo Kakko on injured reserve. He was designated as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury by head coach Lane Lambert, per Kraken broadcaster Alison Lukan.

Gaudreau was immediately folded back into the lineup. He played nearly 17 minutes of ice time on Saturday and recorded two shots and one block. Gaudreau recorded one assist and five blocks in five games prior to his injury. He has stepped up as a core piece of the Kraken bottom-six in his first season with the club. Gaudreau spent the last four seasons with the Minnesota Wild, where he posted 134 points in 307 games. That includes career years in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He posted his highest scoring seasons in those years, netting 44 and 38 points respectively.

It isn’t entirely clear when Kakko sustained his injury. He hasn’t played since leaving Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets in the first period. He appeared to sustain a non-contact injury – headed down the tunnel after an awkward stumble on a faceoff. Kakko missed the entirety of October with a broken hand that also required an IR placement. He returned for seven games, and managed no scoring, before falling out of the lineup once again.

Rookie Berkly Catton stepped back into the lineup in Kakko’s absence. The 19-year-old was an electric scorer through four years in the WHL, including back-to-back 100-point seasons over the last two years. Despite that, he has only recorded three assists through 13 NHL games this season. Catton should stick in the lineup as Seattle looks to continue developing their young stars, though Lambert has shown a preference for limiting the youngster’s ice time. He will continue operating behind Ryan Winterton, Jani Nyman, and Tye Kartye.

With Catton’s standing seemingly ensured, Seattle has also assigned Ben Meyers back to the minor-leagues. Meyers hasn’t appeared in the lineup since Thursday. He has three points, eight shots on goal, and 14 hits through nine games this season. He’s also recorded two goals and a minus-four in three games with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Meyers scored 51 points in 57 AHL games last season, and will look to get back to that productivity with this transaction.

Canadiens’ Kirby Dach Out Four-To-Six Weeks With Fractured Foot

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Kirby Dach will miss the next four-to-six weeks after fracturing his right foot. In his place, Montreal has recalled winger Joshua Roy from the AHL. This marks the third-straight season that Dach has sustained a long-term injury, after facing season-ending knee injuries in each of the last two years.

This injury is luckily not related to any of Dach’s prior absences – but the hits keep on coming for the oft-injured 24-year-old. He was working his way back into a core role in Montreal’s offense this season, with five goals and seven points through 15 games so far. That scoring pace is well above last season, when Dach scored 20 points in 57 games. He is now seven years into his NHL career, but hasn’t yet appeared in more than 70 games in a single season. That healthiest year came in 2021-22, when he scored 26 points with the Chicago Blackhawks. Dach’s career year came in the following season, when he potted 38 points in 58 games in his first year with the Canadiens, before late-season injuries cut his year short.

Montreal was showing restraint with Dach’s minutes, even as his scoring grew. He has only averaged 14 minutes of ice time this season, despite routinely filling a second-line, usually rotating between center and left-wing. That’s proven especially conservative deployment, considering Dach has also appeared on the second power-play unit. But the added care will prove for naught, and Dach will land on the sideline once again.

This could prove a lucrative opportunity for Roy, who hasn’t yet received an extended chance at NHL minutes. The Quebec-native has scored seven points in 10 games for the AHL’s Laval Rockets, good for fifth on the team in scoring. Despite that, he’s only appeared in one NHL game this season, with no notable stat changes. Roy has also received NHL minutes in the last two seasons. He was productive in his first year, netting nine points in his first 23 NHL appearances, but followed it with only two points in 12 games last year. He’s been much more productive in the minors, where he’s totaled 74 points in 98 games across four seasons. If Roy doesn’t stick in the NHL, the Canadiens could turn towards prospect Sean Farrell as their next man up.

Rangers Recall Scott Morrow, Reassign Gabriel Perreault

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The New York Rangers have swapped prospects on the NHL roster. Defenseman Scott Morrow has been recalled once again, while winger Gabriel Perreault will return to the minors in his spot. Perreault played in his first NHL games of the season over New York’s last three games. He recorded one assist, a plus-two, and four blocked shots.

Despite the meager scoreline, Perreault’s return to the NHL was largely encouraging. He played top-line minutes next to captain J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad in his first game, then worked well off of fellow rookie Noah Laba from New York’s third line for his next two games. The outings proved Perreault’s ability to meet multiple needs in the lineup. Now, he’ll return to a starring role for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Perreault currently leads the AHL club in scoring with 10 points in nine games. He’s the only Wolf Pack scoring above a point-per-game through the early season.

While Perreault continues to grow in the minor-leagues, Morrow will return to the NHL hoping to finally debut with the Rangers. The 23-year-old has been back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL all season long, but has so far only taken the ice for Hartford. He has two points in 11 games with the AHL club, far below the scoring pace that led him to 13 goals and 39 points in 52 games with the Chicago Wolves last season. New York acquired Morrow as part of the deal that sent top-four defender K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes this summer. Prior to the trade, Morrow recorded six points in 16 games with Carolina.

This move could mark the best of both worlds for the Rangers. Hartford is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak that could be snapped with the return of their top scorer. Meanwhile, Morrow stands a reasonable chance to step into New York’s roster after William Borgen sat out of the team’s Saturday matchup with an upper-body injury. Borgen is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Maple Leafs Attempted To Acquire Rasmus Andersson, Brayden Schenn Last Season

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The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to already have a pulse on the asking price for two of the trade market’s top names. General manager Brad Treliving made a push to acquire Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, and St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn, through points of the 2024-25 season per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast.
Toronto couldn’t put together a deal that enticed Calgary enough to move Andersson, while the asking price for Schenn ended up richer than Toronto’s other moves. Friedman added that he didn’t believe Schenn, who has a modified-no-trade clause, would accept a trade to Toronto unless they also acquired brother Luke Schenn.
Instead of the top names, the Maple Leafs landed defender Brandon Carlo and center Scott Laughton at the Trade Deadline. The moves cost the Maple Leafs two first-round picks and two top prospects, with Fraser Minten headed to the Boston Bruins and Nikita Grebenkin headed to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The thought of paying even more for a pair of veterans was surely a reasonable deterrent, but it cost the Leafs a good bit of offensive oomph. Schenn finished last season with 50 points, marking the third season in the last four years that he’s crossed the half-century mark. He also led the Blues with a career-high 194 hits, and posted a stout 52.3 faceoff percentage. His scoring has taken a massive hit on a struggling Blues squad this season – but Schenn is still on pace for 25 points and 173 hits, serviceable numbers from a 34-year-old.
Instead, Toronto landed Laughton, who has four points, 56 hits, and a 55.4 faceoff percentage in 22 games with the Maple Leafs. Health has proved a limitation for the 31-year-old. He is currently on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and carries a day-to-day designation. He’ll bring responsible two-way play back to the team’s bottom-six when he returns – though lacks the offense to help turn the tides. Laughton’s career-high came in 2022-23, when he scored 43 points in 78 games with Philadelphia.
While Schenn and Laughton – former teammates – bring similar gritty styles, the difference between Andersson and Carlo is staggering. Andersson has been a linchpin in the Flames’ offense, routinely stepping up as the main driver of play from the blue-line. He scored 11 goals, tying a career-high, and 31 points in 81 games last season. Those marks were backed by a team-leading 196 blocked shots, and 36 hits. He continues to do much of the same this year, with seven points and 33 blocks in 20 games so far.
That’s far from the staunch, defensive style that Carlo brings to the table. The 29-year-old has five points, all assists, and 72 blocked shots across 38 games with Toronto. He’s been a welcome addition to head coach Craig Berube’s hard-nosed, old-school style – and even intermittent earned top-pair minutes. But in a struggling Leafs offense, Carlo’s setback style has failed to create any sparks from the blue-line.
Toronto appeared to find a balance between value and costs with their deadline acquisitions – but it’s not clear how that will affect their presence in this year’s trade market. Both Andersson and Schenn remain available, and Toronto remains in need. But they could struggle to offer much more than they did last year, especially without a first-round pick until 2028.
With that standing in mind, Friedman emphasized that Toronto should remain patient, and wait for a true difference-maker to hit the market. The Trade Deadline is a little under four months away and the list of high-profile names on the block should only grow as teams sense their fates.

Charlie McAvoy, Viktor Arvidsson Hurt In Bruins Win

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The Boston Bruins left Montreal with a win on Saturday night, but could pay the price with two veteran injuries. Star defenseman Charlie McAvoy sustained an upper-body injury after being struck in the jaw by a shot from the blue-line. He was helped off the ice by a trainer and did not return tot he contest. Meanwhile, winger Viktor Arvidsson sustained a lower-body injury later in the contest. Arvidsson is expected to miss “some time” while McAvoy will undergo further testing, per head coach Marco Sturm (via WEEI radio).

McAvoy’s importance to the Bruins can’t go understated. He had averaged more than 25 minutes of ice time across his last six games entering Saturday night, and rewarded the heavy usage with six assists. The Bruins set a 5-1-0 record in that span. McAvoy has worked his way up to 14 points, all assists, in 19 games on the year. That mark leads all Bruins defenders in scoring, with Mason Lohrei (10 points) the only other with double-digit scoring. McAvoy also leads the Bruins’ blue-line in shots on goal (25), average ice time (23:46), and ice time on both the power-play and penalty-kill. He would leave massive shoes to be filled. The Bruins would need to lean on a committee approach in his absence, likely looking to Lohrei stepping up as a vital piece of the offense and Nikita Zadorov growing into an even bigger defensive role.

Arvidsson may not carry the same lineup role, but his role will be just as tough to replace. The 33-year-old has scored three points across his last four games, including the game-winning goal on Saturday prior to his injury. He now has 10 points in 20 games this season. Arvidsson also ranks second on the Bruins in shots on goal (52) behind star scorer David Pastrňák. He has provided shrewd depth scoring to a Bruins team that sorely lacked that last season. With his help, the Bruins have leaped from the fifth-fewest goals-for last season, to the second-most so far this season.

Boston is already facing a littany of injuries. Elias Lindholm was placed on injured reserve in early November, and both Casey Mittelstadt and John Beecher are nursing injuries from the press box. That will force the team to call someone up form the AHL to fill Arvidsson’s bottom-six role. Former first-round pick, and 6-foot-6 winger, Riley Tufte co-leads the Providence Bruins in scoring with 16 points, split evenly, in 13 games. He’s tied with 10-year pro Patrick Brown, who has six goals and 10 assists. Both players would be strong options to bring up, though Boston may want to reward top prospect Fabian Lysell, who has 12 points in 12 games while working through a shifting lineup role.

Penguins’ Ville Koivunen Out Day-To-Day

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The Pittsburgh Penguins announced early on Sunday that rookie winger Ville Koivunen is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He will be out of the lineup when Pittsburgh takes on the Nashville Predators in the second game of the NHL Global Series in Stockholm. Koivunen left the Penguins’ Saturday practice early, with no indication as to why, until this injury announcement.

Koivunen has recorded one assist and six shots on net through his last four appearances. Those marks bring him up to  two assists and 14 shots on goal in 11 games this season. He has operated out of a fourth-line role, which will make his absence easier to address. Danton Heinen is expected to draw back into the lineup for the fourth time this season. He has no scoring, a minus-one, and one penalty in those appearances.

Pittsburghs hould turn quickly back to their first-year Finn when he’s back to full health. Koivunen may still be finding his stride in the NHL, but he remains the leader in points-per-game in the AHL, with 11 points in six games (1.83 per-game). He posted a similar season last year, netting 21 goals and 56 points in 63 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, to go along with seven points in eight NHL games. Koivunen was also a scoring star in Finland’s Liiga, where he posted 113 points in 164 games and three seasons. He’s a volume shooter who knows how to drive the puck down the ice. It seems a question of when, not if, he’ll finds a scoring breakout this season.

Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin Out Week-To-Week

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Nov. 13: It’s a week-to-week designation for Nichushkin, Bednar said (via Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports). It’s not as bad as the team initially feared, Bednar said, but it’s looking unlikely he’ll be back in the lineup much before Thanksgiving.

Nov. 12: An oft-injured Colorado Avalanche winger has once again landed on the sidelines. Head coach Jared Bednar shared that Valeri Nichushkin will need to miss “some time” after sustaining a lower-body injury in Tuesday night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, per DNVR Sports. Bednar added that the team is still evaluating the extent of Nichushkin’s injury and isn’t sure just how long he’ll be out, per the Denver Gazette’s Evan Rawal. The Avalanche expects to know more about Nichushkin’s absence on Thursday.

It wasn’t entirely clear when Nichushkin sustained his injury. He left the team’s bench in the third period, after appearing to be in pain earlier in the period. He managed a primary assist on Colorado’s second goal before exiting the game.

The Avalanche will miss Nichushkin’s presence in the top six. He’s scored five goals and 12 points through 17 games this season, while averaging 18 minutes of ice time. He has also recorded four blocked shots, 16 hits, and 41 shots on goal. Nichushkin has filled roles on the top power-play and penalty-killing unit – though the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog has cut his ice time just a bit. Fittingly, Landeskog scored his first goal of the season – and his first regular-season goal since March 2022 – for Nichushkin’s sole point on Tuesday.

A prolonged absence for Nichushkin would force Colorado to shake up a roster that’s been surprisingly consistent all year long. Landeskog would almost surely move up to Colorado’s top-six and top power-play unit, especially after finding the scoresheet for the first time in three games. Ross Colton, who has earned a third-line role with chippy hockey, could be in line for PK minutes in Nichushkin’s spot. Colton has seven blocked shots and an offense-leading 39 hits in 17 games. An open spot on the penalty-kill could also offer an opportunity for rookies Gavin Brindley or Zakhar Bardakov.

Nichushkin can be considered doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres and questionable for Sunday’s game against the New York Islanders, pending a more precise prognosis from the Avalanche.

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