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Evening Notes: Neighbours, Kemell, O’Connor

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The St. Louis Blues will get leading goal-scorer Jake Neighbours back on their current five-game road trip, per head coach Jim Montgomery. Neighbours has been out with a right-leg injury since St. Louis’ October 25th win over the Detroit Red Wings. He scored two goals in that game, bringing his year-long totals up to six goals in eight games. That mark was double any other Blues’ goal total at the time, and is still tied for the team lead despite him missing the last 11 games. He has seven points in total.

The Blues will be anxiously anticipating the return of their hot hand. They have posted a 3-4-1 record since Neighbours’ exited the lineup – the fifth-lowest point-percentage in the NHL in that span. It’s been a brutal stretch, marked by St. Louis averaging over four goals against per game. Neighbours’ confident offense, and chemistry with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, should help spur the Blues’ offense; while his physicality supports the defense. The 23-year-old could return as soon as Thursday’s game versus the Philadelphia Flyers.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned winger Joakim Kemell to the minor-leagues. Kemell was recalled on November 10th, but didn’t appear in any NHL games over the last week. His only NHL action this year came in two games at the start of Nashville’s season. He managed no scoring, one shot on goal, and four hits in the pair of outings. Kemell has managed six points in six AHL games this season, making him one of three Milwaukee Admirals scoring at a point-per-game. He’ll now bring that productivity back to an Admirals team that’s 5-1-0 through November.
  • The Colorado Avalanche will have to wait a bit longer to get depth forward Logan O’Connor back into the lineup. He has sustained an soft-tissue issue that will delay his return from a hip surgery he underwent in March per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. This new injury is unrelated to the surgery, per Rawal, but has still pushed back O’Connor’s original return date of early November. The 29-year-old right-winger appeared in 80 games, and scored 21 points, with the Avalanche last season. He’s become a fixture of the team’s fourth-line, and has managed at least 20 points in each of the last four seasons.

Sharks’ Jeff Skinner Out Week-To-Week

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The San Jose Sharks will continue on without one of their veteran wingers. Jeff Skinner is set to miss about two weeks with aa lower-body injury, head coach Ryan Warsofsky told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Skinner was placed on injured reserve on November 15th, and won’t be eligible to return until November 22nd at the soonest.

Skinner sustained his injury in San Jose’s November 13th loss to the Calgary Flames, after getting tangled up with Flames winger Rory Kerins and tumbling into the boards. He appeared to be in immediate pain and needed help off the ice. Luckily, he avoided the worst of injury, with Warsofsky quiping that San Jose got lucky with Skinner’s timeline.

Skinner has had an up-and-down start to his tenure in San Jose. He started the season with a four-game scoring streak, but followed it with a four-game scoring drought that ended with a healthy scratch on October 26th. Skinner returned from the press box to three points in five games, but was riding a three-game scoring drought prior to his injury. On the year, he has recorded four points, a minus-four, and 29 shots on goal in 16 games.

That’s a far fall for a winger who is only four seasons removed from back-to-back 30-goal seasons, and a career-high 82 points in the Buffalo Sabres’ 2022-23 campaign. His scoring tumbled to 46 points in the following year, then to only 29 points with the Edmonton Oilers last season.

Skinner will need to find a way to spur that scoring when he returns in December. Meanwhile, Warsofsky also shared that 2025 second-overall pick Michael Misa – also week-to-week with a lower-body injury – will take a bit longer to recover per Max Miller of San Jose Hockey Digest. Misa sustained his injury during practice and hadn’t carved out a role in the Sharks’ lineup prior. He has three points through his first seven NHL games. A longer-than-two-weeks designation will put Misa on track to return just before the holiday season – or, just before the 2026 World Junior Championships, which the star prospect wasn’t selected for last season. He would be a true X-factor for Team Canada if San Jose used the tournament to spur Misa’s return from injury.

Blackhawks Place Nick Foligno On IR With Hand Injury

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10/17: The Blackhawks have placed Foligno on injured reserve after learning he’ll miss four weeks of action. Chicago has iced 11 forwards and seven defenseman – bringing Louis Crevier into the lineup – in Foligno’s absence. They’ll face one of three options now that their captain is on IR – stick with seven defenders every night; recall a forward like Toninato; or wait for Dickinson, who said he won’t return until he’s back to a full 100% per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

10/16: The Chicago Blackhawks will be without captain Nick Foligno for the next month, head coach Jeff Blashill told Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports. Foligno sustained a hand injury after blocking a shot in Saturday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He left the game with a few minutes left in the second period and did not return.

On top of the moral weight of losing their captain, Chicago will lose yet another forward in their middle-six with this news. The team is already without Jason Dickinson and Tyler Bertuzzi, who are both carrying day-to-day designations. Now, Foligno will fall out of the lineup as well, leaving a major hole on the wing. Foligno has filled any role Chicago has needed over the course of the season. He had two points, one fight, and a plus-three in his last five games entering Saturday’s matchup. Those marks brought him up to six points, all assists, in 15 games on the year – to go with 16 penalty minutes, 11 blocked shots, and 41 hits.

Chicago has rotated Foligno between the wing and center based on need. With no extra forwards on the roster, the Blackhawks will need to make a call-up to fill Foligno’s shoes. Unfortunately, the team is also without top call-up option Nick Lardis, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury per the Rockford IceHogs. Lardis leads all AHL rookies in scoring with 14 points in 15 games. He could quickly receive his first NHL call-up once he’s back to full health. Until then, Chicago will likely turn towards Dominic Toninato, who has nine points in 15 games for Rockford.

Drew Doughty Expected To Miss Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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10/17: The Kings have confirmed that Doughty is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury per the team’s Manager of Editorial Content Zach Dooley. No details were provided on the injury, though they did clarify that it is unrelated to the ankle injury he sustained last season. Hopefully that will help him recover quickly, with a winning Kings season and Winter Olympics both at stake.

10/16: The Los Angeles Kings could be in store for a major absence. Veteran defender and alternate captain Drew Doughty was seen in a walking boot after Saturday night’s match against the Ottawa Senators, after leaving the game in the second period following a blocked shot. He appeared in pain right away, and gingerly returned to the Kings’ bench without putting weight on his left foot. The team expects to know more about his injury alter today, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He is expected to be out week-to-week, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

Doughty only played through 11 minutes of ice time before exiting the game. He has been heavily leaned on over Los Angeles’ recent stretch, averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time over his last five games. He’s rewarded that usage with four points, eight blocked shots, and two hits. Those numbers brought Doughty up to eight points, 30 blocks, and 11 hits in 18 games entering Saturday night.

An extended absence would be dismal news for the 36-year-old Doughty. He fractured his left ankle in a preseason game in September 2024 on an awkward hit from Tanner Pearson. The injury required surgery, sticking Doughty with a month-to-month injury designation. He didn’t return until January, and only managed 17 points in 30 games before Los Angeles’ season ended. Doughty’s health has fluctuated wildly over the second-half of his career. He enjoyed an ironman streak from 2014 to 2019, but missed 15 games in 2019-20 and 43 games in 2021-22. He returned to good health, only missing one game between 2022 and 2024, until injury derailed him last season.

Doughty was named to Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in August. He was one of 42 skaters, and 13 defenders, named to the squad – putting him under a microscope for the rest of the year. This season will likely mark Doughty’s final chance to stand as an Olympian. He has already won two Olympic Gold medals, while posting eight points in 13 games. Doughty also represented Canada at the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off, where he scored one point in four games.

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.

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