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Blue Jackets Activate, Assign Jordan Dumais

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated top prospect Jordan Dumais off of season-opening injured reserve and loaned him to the AHL. Dumais missed the majority of Columbus’ training and development camps this summer, and earned an IR placement on October 7th, due to a nagging lower-abdominal injury connected to a fractured hip suffered in January. He underwent surgery in late-January but couldn’t return to full health in time for the end of the 2023-24 season. The Cleveland Monsters have three games remaining in 2024, giving Dumais a slim window to play in any regular season games this year. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic adds that Dumais was headed for another surgery this summer, before hitting a positive swing in his training.

Dumais’ hip and abdominal injury put a sore end to a truly fantastic juniors career. He scored at unprecedented rates in four years with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, headlined by 109 points in his draft year and 140 points the year after. The latter season broke Halifax’s single-season scoring record, while the former ranks fifth. He was headed for more records at the start of last season, scoring 47 points in 21 games prior to injury –  a full-season pace of 143 points in 64 games. And while he wasn’t able to reach those heights, his 119 goals and 325 points in 193 career games with the Mooseheads still both rank as franchise-records.

Despite the incredible scoring, many aren’t convinced about how Dumais will translate to the pro flight. He’s earned his points through quick dekes and smooth skating, giving him a unique ability to sneak around opponents with the puck on his stick. But he only stands at five-foot-nine and 175-pounds – a frame that assuredly doesn’t lend itself to slick deking against NHL hitters. Fears over his size and projectability landed Dumais in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft, going 96th-overall to Columbus. He vindicated their faith quickly at the juniors level, but has been delayed in doing the same in the pros. This roster move should be the first step towards discovering where Dumais’ true upside lies, so long as he continues to trend towards full health.

Tim Stützle Emerging As Next Senators Superstar

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The 2020 NHL Draft checked off a lot of tropes – a clear No. 1, Alexis Lafrenière, a clear power-forward, Quinton Byfield, and a healthy battle for top defense between Jake Sanderson and Jamie Drysdale – but it lacked a clear top European. Swedish pro Lucas Raymond, OHL import Marco Rossi, and generational German Tim Stützle fought over the title, each with different things to love and hate.

For Stützle’s part, he had grown up a superstar of German youth hockey – challenging scoring records and captaining Team Germany at every level between U16 and U20. He spent the 2019-20 season playing out his rookie year in the DEL – Germany’s pro league – where he scored an admirable 34 points in 41 games. But his scoring wasn’t fantastic – it didn’t rival any DEL records or even rank in the top five of his team. Many agreed he was worth a top 10 pick, but whether it should be #2 or #8 was argued in depth, not helped along by his base in an uncommon hockey country.

The year ended with many considering Stützle’s dazzling puck skills and speed too much to argue, and he ended the year as Bob McKenzie’s second-overall prospect and the top European off the board headed to Ottawa at third-overall. It was a bold reach for upside from a usually meager Senators team, and Stützle would quickly vindicate it by making the NHL roster out of camp. He benefited from a late start to the 2020-21 season – with the January start giving him the chance to heal from an October arm surgery.

His rookie NHL season was as quiet as his rookie DEL year – marked by 29 points in 53 games. But he’s grown exponentially over the years. He improved to 58 points in his sophomore year, just enough to earn a routine top-line role – setting Stützle up for a true breakout. He took full advantage of the opportunity in the 2022-23 season, totaling 39 goals and 90 points at just 20 years old.

Looking at U21 seasons in the NHL, Stützle’s 2023 totals rank in the top 30 of all time and made him the third-highest-scoring European behind just Alex Ovechkin and Jaromír Jágr. It was incredible company, and while he returned to earth a bit last year – with just 18 goals and 70 points – he seems back on pace this year. Stützle currently leads the Senators with 39 points in 34 games. That’s an 82-game pace of 94 points, which would tie Alexei Yashin’s 1998-99 campaign for fourth-highest in Senators history. It’d also couple Stützle with Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Jason Spezza as the only player with multiple top-10 scoring seasons in Ottawa’s record books.

At just 22 years of age, the young German is finding himself among incredible company, which has some breaking out the word “superstar”. 13-year NHL veteran Jason York, who himself spent five years in Ottawa, joined Daily Faceoff’s All 32 segment to discuss its veracity. He said, “This is, to me, what I classify a superstar as: Can you bring fans out of their seats? Are you worth the price of admission? How many guys are really worth the price of admission like “wow”? … I’ll put Tim Stützle in that category.”

York went on to speak highly of Stützle’s hockey talent and his ability to get fans out of their seats. His comments ring loud for a Senators team that hasn’t had a clear superstar in nearly a decade. Brady Tkachuk will certainly go down as an all-time great – already captaining the team and posting 382 points in 474 games – but he’s more an era-defining piece than a generational talent. Ottawa hasn’t seen that kind of ability since Erik Karlsson broke records in the 2010s. Before him, it was Alfredsson, Heatley, and Spezza running court from 2005 to 2012.

Now, Stützle seems to be the one set to define Ottawa’s 2020s. As it stands, he’s scored 286 career points: the ninth-most points of any NHLer before turning 23 years old. He’s among the elite company in the top 10 – sandwiched between Mitch Marner (291 points) and Auston Matthews (285 points). Stützle’s current scoring pace has him adding 11 more points before his January 15th birthday, passing Marner and stepping just behind seventh-ranked Nathan MacKinnon (303 points).

The rest of Stützle’s company in that top 10 are also true superstars who each found ways to become leaders of incredible teams. With this degree of offensive performance, Stützle could soon be doing the same – and already seems well worthy of the label as a true, all-time superstar for the Senators.

Big Hype Prospects: Hagens, McKenna, Reber, Hynninen

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The top flight of the World Junior Championships kicks off on Thursday. This year brings a wealth of strong international teams to Ottawa, Canada to face off against a loaded Team Canada roster. The last two tournaments hosted in Canada have both ended in a Canadian gold medal. The red-and-white will look to repeat those results this year, adding to their record-setting 20 titles. Team USA will look to curb that by becoming the first country other than Canada to win back-to-back golds since Russia in 2002 and 2003. With so much on the line, we’ll borrow a page from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to bring you four must-watch players this tournament.

Four Big Hype Prospects

James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA Hockey East, 2025 NHL Draft)
16 GP – 5 G – 15 A – 20 P – 4 PIM – +15 +/-

This year’s World Juniors will be headlined by 2025 NHL Draft talent. Nearly every team has a top prospect to showcase. Canada seems set to award Matthew Schaefer and Porter Martone – strong candidates for first-overall – with strong lineup roles. Sweden is bringing electric scorer Victor Eklund, younger brother of 2021 seventh-overall pick William Eklund. Even Slovakia is joining in, bringing Tomas Pobezal after a dazzling start to his second pro season. But of the many draft prospects looking to stake their claim, it seems Team USA star James Hagens has the most to prove.

Hagens has been electric for the BC Eagles this season. He’s seamlessly filled the hole between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard that William Smith vacated in his move to the NHL. It took Hagens a small while to find his footing, but he’s fired on all cylinders as of late – with four goals and nine points in his last seven games. He’s been dynamic in all regards, but now faces the battle of proving his case for first-overall against a loaded Canadian offense. Hagens ended his last international stint – last season’s World U18 Championships – with a record-breaking 22 points in just seven games. But the wind seems against him, especially after the dazzling showing that Schaefer and Martone had at the CHL/NTDP matchup. Hagens may need to bring generational offense to this tournament as well if he wants to hang onto the top-of-the-draft hype he’s built over the last few seasons.

Gavin McKenna, F, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL, 2026 NHL Draft)
30 GP – 19 G – 41 A – 60 P – 8 PIM – +24 +/-

It’s not every year that looming draft talents make up so much of the World Juniors’ starring cast. This year, hockey fans get an even richer scene, with superstar 2026-prospect Gavin McKenna set to support the host city. Where Hagens set the U18-Championship scoring record last Spring, McKenna set the tournament record for players playing up a year – with 20 points in seven games. He’s another truly dynamic star, with an incredible ability to create space and beat goalies with speed and poise. McKenna, who turned 17 last week, has had to earn his way into Canada’s lineup during pre-tournament action. He started as the extra forward, then went without any scoring in back-to-back games when he received hardy minutes. But with a goal in Canada’s final pre-tourney matchup against Czechia, McKenna made it clear that he’s ready for a productive tournament. Canada features a lot of exciting offensive ability this year. Calum Ritchie brings near-pro-level playmaking, while Berkly Catton, Bradly Nadeau, and Easton Cowan have earned  plenty of NHL hype. But it will be McKenna that paves his road ahead with this tournament – as he looks to join the ranks of Canadian legends Connor Bedard, John Tavares, and Sidney Crosby with a dazzling World Junior showing in his age-17 season.

Jamiro Reber, C/LW, HV71 (SHL, 2025 NHL Draft Overager)
25 GP – 7 G – 7 A – 14 P – 2 PIM – -5 +/-

Representing central Europe in the upcoming NHL Draft will be a shared task, but 18-year-old Jamiro Reber should carry plenty of attention early on. He’s been a surprise showing in Sweden’s SHL, working his way into HV71’s middle-six after starting the year in the U20 league. He’s a stout, two-way forward who’s earned his keep with his ability to work with his linemates and finish plays in front. But now, he’ll join Team Switzerland in an uphill battle at this tournament. Reber has just one point in seven international friendlies with Switzerland’s U20 team this season – matching his scoring in five World Junior games last season. The pair of showings line up with Reber’s tendency to score less internationally – when he’s leaned on as a star play-driver. This tournament will be the chance to buck that trend on the heels of a red-hot start to his pro career – and how he takes to the role could be a big sway in Switzerland’s success.

Topian Hynninen, C/LW, Jukurit (Liiga, 2025 NHL Draft Overager)
32 GP – 7 G – 17 A – 24 P – 2 PIM – 0 +/-

While Reber represents central Europe, Topias Hynninen will look to bring the attention of NHL scouts back to Scandinavia. The flashy forward was also overlooked in last year’s draft after netting a measly nine points in 43 games as a Liiga rookie. That lack of scoring landed him off of the World Junior roster, despite three points in five World U-18 games in 2023. But Hynninen has taken to the year of learning well. He’s launched himself into Jukurit’s top-six and scored 24 points in 32 games along the way – tied for second-most on the team. He’s shown talent all over the ice, using fast and tireless skating, gritty hitting, and heads-up offense to gel with his linemates at even-strength and on the man-advantage. Hynninen has already scored six points in seven games with Team Finland this season, and could be set for a smash tournament after a year-long absence from any notable tournaments. He’s shown an ability to either drive play himself from the middle-lane, or support his linemates from the flanks – and could be called upon for both as Finland fights for their place in a crowded top-end. He’ll be heavy-utilized, and a strong tournament could land him a high selection at next year’s Draft.

Penguins Place Owen Pickering On IR, Reassign Nate Clurman

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12/25: Nate Clurman has been returned to the minor leagues, per the AHL transaction log. Clurman didn’t play in any games on this call-up, taking him through another brief call-up without playing his NHL debut. He’ll return to a middling role in the minor leagues.

12/23: The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed top prospect Owen Pickering on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Pickering left the team’s Saturday game against New Jersey at the end of the second period. He didn’t appear to suffer a noticeable injury but did take a hard hit against the boards from Devils forward Paul Cotter a few shifts before leaving. Regardless, Pickering will now miss at least one week, and three games, of action; though he’s helped along by the team’s brief holiday break. To fill his hole, Pittsburgh has awarded defenseman Nate Clurman with just the second call-up of his pro career. The first came last week and didn’t result in Clurman playing any games.

He has just two points in the first 14 NHL games of his career but has performed well enough defensively to work his way up to a top-pair role next to Penguins star Kris Letang. The rookie averaged 19:19 in ice time in five games prior to his injury, and even earned minutes on both special teams despite posting no scoring and a -5. He’s playing to his M.O., keeping opponents out of the low slot and letting his forwards do the heavy lifting – a role he honed with 12 games, one goal, and a +5 to start the AHL season. The performance may not be flashy, but it’s a strong start for the 20-year-old Pickering, who’s in just his first professional season after spending the last four years with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. Pickering was much more involved at Swift Current, serving as the club’s captain in his final two seasons and totaling 133 points in 205 career games.

Pickering will be quickly replaced by the mix of Ryan Shea and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, the latter rejoining the Penguins via trade last week. Neither player has proven very productive in their NHL minutes. Shea stands as Pittsburgh’s lowest scorer, still searching for his first point after 26 games this season. Joseph at least managed two assists in 23 games with the St. Louis Blues prior to his trade, though he complimented it with 23 penalty minutes and a -7. Clurman will move into the role of extra defender behind the duo. He has five points, 10 penalty minutes, and a +6 in 18 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, surprisingly enough to tie for fourth on the team’s blue-line in scoring. Clurman is a career minor-leaguer in his first year with the Penguins, after spending the last four seasons with the Colorado Avalanche organization, who drafted him in the 2016 sixth-round. He’s totaled 26 points in five seasons and 128 games in the AHL.

Trading Dylan Cozens Won’t Solve Sabres’ Issues

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The Sabres are finding ways to hit new lows. On the tail of a 14-year playoff drought, the team is in the middle of a 13-game losing streak. They’ve been outscored 54-to-28 and outshot 378-to-355 along the way – reigniting the all-too-common conversation of which Sabres forward may be to blame. It’s a familiar spot for clinging Sabres fans, who saw Ryan O’Reilly traded away after a 25-win season in 2017-18; Jack Eichel traded in 2021 after a 5-3-1 start, and Casey Mittelstadt traded at last year’s trade deadline after a 7-6-0 record where three wins required extra time. This time around, it’s Dylan Cozens being pulled into the spotlight, but moving him out won’t be the piece to solve Buffalo’s skid.

The reasons why a big move likely won’t be the fix are convoluted but not complicated. Buffalo has scored the fewest (2.15) and allowed the most (4.08) goals per game since the start of their losing streak on November 27th. That’s partly thanks to a forward group that’s largely unengaged. Only five Sabres forwards have recorded 20 or more hits since the start of their skid. Of them, only two have scored five or more points: Tage Thompson (seven points and 21 hits) and Cozens (seven points and 29 hits).

Coincidentally, Cozens has also been on the ice for the second-most even-strength goals (9) of any Sabres forward, behind only Jason Zucker (10). He’s proven able to step up and make an impact when the pieces around him are quiet, helping him maintain a proud role as Buffalo’s second-line center.

Cozens maintaining his top-six role should be enough incentive to hold onto him – after all, no other Sabres are earning the second-line role. But even if Buffalo thought now was the best time to sell their 23-year-old, top-six centerman capable of scoring 20 goals and playing 20 minutes – the trade market for young forwards has been brutally harsh this year. Not even prior draft precedent can generate significant returns, with the Rangers only receiving defender William Borgen and a handful of draft picks for 2019 second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko. Philip Tomasino, Lars Eller, and Vasily Podkolzin all returned even less, netting only mid-round draft picks.

You have to go back to last season’s deadline to find a notable forward-for-forward swap: when the Penguins sent star scorer Jake Guentzel to Carolina for Michael Bunting and a litany of top prospects. Since then, only Pierre-Luc Dubois’ move to Washington represents any notable return for middling forwards, sending goaltender Darcy Kuemper to Los Angeles. The likelihood of Cozens sparking a big-package deal or swaying a team to move on from their capable starter is slim-to-non mid-season.

That’s to say trading Cozens would do little more for Buffalo than punt away an already-down year with the hopes that they receive enough draft capital to make it worth it. The move could give rookie Jiri Kulich and hot acquisition Ryan McLeod a chance at more ice time. To his credit, McLeod is tied with Cozens in scoring – each with 15 points in 34 games – and has posted much better results defensively. But his mark on the top-six wouldn’t counteract the depleted depth behind him unless one of Kulich, Tyson Kozak, or Sam Lafferty suddenly found a new stride.

More importantly, moving on from Cozens would mean moving on from a former top-10 pick who, only two seasons ago, posted 31 goals and 68 points at the age of 21. That year stands as a flash in the pan now, but it’s also Cozens’ show of strength when he’s part of an offense that maintains their strength throughout the season. With O’Reilly winning a Conn Smythe and Selke Trophy after his move, Eichel now a superstar in Vegas, and Mittelstadt thriving in Colorado’s top-six, the Sabres seem cursed to continue moving on from impactful forwards before they find their groove. Shipping out Cozens on just the second year of an incredibly team-friendly seven-year, $47.7MM contract – with no remaining signing bonuses – risks setting the Sabres up to repeat their sins.

The Sabres need a change. They can’t win a hockey game and have too much talent in their prospect pool to continue as basement dwellers with Stanley Cup aspirations. But in the heat of a prolonged skid, their sights are again trained on the second-line center. With each trade of a top forward, Buffalo moves on from younger and younger players. Now is a chance for the team not to repeat the errors of their old ways and finally find a new way to shake up their floundering roster.

Predators Assign Kevin Gravel, Marc Del Gaizo To AHL

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The Nashville Predators have assigned defensemen Kevin Gravel and Marc Del Gaizo to the AHL. Del Gaizo passed through waivers on Thursday. The moves follow the arrival of new trade acquisition Justin Barron, who joined Nashville’s practice for the first time on Friday per NHL.com’s Brooks Bratten. Star defender Roman Josi also returned to team practice on Friday, one day after he was placed on injured reserve retroactive to December 10th.

Nashville will soon get to see what their blue-line looks like at full strength, after parting ways with Dante Fabbro and Alexandre Carrier, and sending Del Gaizo to the minors. Josi and Jeremy Lauzon will fill vacancies on the left-hand side, while Barron brings much-needed depth on the right.

The new look couldn’t come at a better time. Only two Predators defenders – Adam Wilsby (3) and Brady Skjei (2) – have recorded multiple points since the start of December. Josi will quickly address that lacking production, soon to return to his 23 points in 29 games this season. Nashville will hope that scoring can rub off on Barron and Lauzon, who each have just one point in 17 and 23 games respectively.

Meanwhile, Gravel will return to productive years in the minors. He serves as the Milwaukee Admirals’ captain, and has five points in 20 games this season, already halfway to his 10-point total from last year. Gravel will be joined by Del Gaizo, who played in just two AHL games before becoming an injury fill-in on the NHL roster. He hasn’t yet recorded any minor league scoring, but did post 34 points in 60 AHL games last year – a mark that led all Admirals defensemen.

Red Wings Recall William Lagesson, Simon Edvinsson Out

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The Detroit Red Wings have recalled defenseman William Lagesson from the AHL. Lagesson will serve as a fill-in for top defense prospect Simon Edvinsson, who is expected to be out this weekend with an upper-body injury, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Both players are inactive for Detroit’s Friday night game against Montreal.

This is already Lagesson’s third call up of the season. Despite that, he’s yet to actually step into the Red Wings lineup – with the entirety of his ice time instead coming in the minor leagues. Lagesson has recorded eight points in 20 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins – second-most among the team’s defenders. He spent nearly all of the 2023-24 season on NHL rosters, starting the year with the Toronto Maple Leafs and ending it with the Anaheim Ducks, courtesy of a March waiver claim. Lagesson played in 40 NHL games in the year – split 30 and 10 between Toronto and Anaheim, though four assists in Toronto would stand as his only scoring.

Lagesson played in 60 NHL games prior to last season, split between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens. He only added seven assists in those appearances, dragging the quest for his first NHL goal through parts of five seasons. He’s been much more reliable as a minor-leaguer, tallying 23 goals and 80 points across 193 games and six seasons in the AHL.

Lagesson will back up the injured Edvinsson, who’s been a top pair option for Detroit when healthy. Playing through his first full year in the NHL, Edvinsson has scored three goals and 13 points in 30 games. He led the Grand Rapids Griffins in scoring last season, with 30 points in 54 games. Edvinsson will look to slot back in on Monday. If he can’t, he’ll have to wait until after the holiday break – when Detroit takes on Toronto on December 27th.

Maple Leafs Notes: Matthews, Tavares, Shaw

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Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews is still feeling the effects of the upper-body injury that sidelined him for nine games earlier this season, head coach Craig Berube told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Berube shared that Matthews is fighting through the ailment and that the team is managing his load while he returns to full health. No injury specifics were provided, and Berube didn’t seem to suggest Matthews would need to miss any additional time.

Matthews may not look as fluid as normal, but he’s certainly appearing on the scoresheet all the same. He’s recorded points in all but two games since returning on November 30th – totaling five goals and 11 points, good for second on the team in both categories. The hot return slots Matthews in at fourth on the Leafs in scoring on the year, and third on the team in points-per-game, with 22 points in 23 games this season. Digging even deeper, Matthews’ goal in Toronto’s December 14th win over Detroit was his 50th of calendar year 2024. He’s now totaled at least 50 goals in each of the last four calendar years – making him the ninth player in league history to achieve such a feat. The record for that category is split between Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy, who each managed the feat in seven straight years, per Rotowire.

In additional Maple Leafs news, former captain John Tavares is hoping to sign an extension with the club, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman pointed out how Tavares’ has adjusted to new head coach Berube as a big contributor to the veteran wanting to stay. Tavares’ last contract negotiations with Toronto were legendarily contentious. He signed a seven-year, $77MM deal with the club on July 1st, 2018.

It was one of the league’s priciest contracts at the time, and more notably pulled Tavares away from the New York Islanders, where he spent the prior nine seasons. Tavares was a star with the Islanders, posting 621 points across 779 games with the club and even earning their captaincy. The Ontario native has since become vilified by Long Island hockey fans, though he’s continued to score at an incredible rate with the Leafs. Tavares has 448 points in 471 games in Toronto, including a career-high 88 points scored in 2018-19 – his first year with the club. A new deal will likely come with a significant decrease in pay – especially with Mitch Marner’s extension looming – but Tavares is still likely to be paid handsomely for his production out of a middle-six role. He ranks third on the 2024-25 Leafs in scoring, with 29 points in 31 games, despite averaging the least ice time of any of the top six scoring leaders.

Continuing updates for Toronto captains, the AHL’s Toronto Marlies have signed forward Logan Shaw to a two-year contract extension. Shaw has been the Marlies’ captain for the last three seasons, after serving two years as the Belleville Senators ’C’. He’s been fantastically productive with the Marlies, totaling 144 points in 160 games with the club. That includes Shaw’s 17 points in 23 games this season, which ranks third on the minor-Toronto in scoring. The new deal will take Shaw through his age-34 season, and his 14th professional season.

Capitals Place Lars Eller On IR

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Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller is expected to miss the team’s three remaining games before the holiday break with illness, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Gulitti adds that Eller saw a doctor for the illness on Thursday, and has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Washington’s last game on Tuesday.

Eller rejoined the Capitals via a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 12th. He’s since returned to the comfortable, middle-six role he previously filled for eight years in Washington. Eller scored 90 goals and 215 points in 512 games with the Capitals in his previous stint – from 2016 to 2023 – and served as a prominent depth figure in the team’s 2018 Stanley Cup win. Washington traded Eller to Colorado at the end of the 2022-23 season. He signed a two-year, $4.9MM deal in Pittsburgh after just 24 games, and seven points, with the Avalanche. The return to the Metropolitan Division helped out his scoring, with Eller posting 38 points in 99 games with the Penguins – but Washington’s lineup wasn’t the same without their core forward. Eller has scored six points in 16 games with the Capitals since returning this season, bringing him up to a total of 13 points in 33 games after starting this season in Pittsburgh. The 35-year-old is expected to hit free agency once again this summer, where he’ll face the choice of whether to try and extend his 1,000-game career into its 17th season.

Eller’s short-term absence could be mitigated by the return of Sonny Milano, who returned to the ice in a non-contact jersey before Washington’s Friday practice, shares Gulitti. Milano has been out of action with an upper-body injury since November 6th, after appearing in just three games and recording no scoring to start the year. He still faces a few steps before he can return to the lineup, though a quick ramp up could set him up for clear minutes in Eller’s vacancy. Milano scored 15 goals and 23 points in 49 games with Washington last season, 10 points fewer than he managed in 64 games of Washington’s 2022-23 campaign.

Predators Place Marc Del Gaizo On Waivers

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The Nashville Predators have placed defenseman Marc Del Gaizo on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Del Gaizo has cleared through waivers once already this year, joining the long list of players to be waived and assigned to the minors before the season started.

Del Gaizo was recalled a few times in October but received a call that’d stick on October 30th. He’s stepped into 20 of Nashville’s 23 games since then, recording three assists, a -1, 28 blocked shots, and 32 hits. The appearances officially cement this season as Del Gaizo’s rookie year, after he played in nine games last season. He recorded a surprisingly similar stat line in those appearances as well – ending the 2023-24 NHL season with three assists, a +2, and 20 hits. Del Gaizo’s impact has been much clearer in the minor leagues. He has been a proud member of the Milwaukee Admirals blue-line since the 2021-22 season, after starting his pro career with a brief, nine-game stint with the Chicago Wolves in 2020-21. In total, he has recorded 89 points, 114 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 209 games and five seasons in the minor leagues.

Del Gaizo’s waiving suggests that one of Nashville’s many injured defenders could return soon. The team is currently without superstar Roman Josi, lineup pillars Jeremy Lauzon and Alexandre Carrier, and depth defender Spencer Stastney. Lauzon and Josi are both listed as day-to-day and both participated in Nashville’s practice on Tuesday. Stastney and Carrier are on injured reserve and would need to be activated to rejoin the lineup.

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