Central Notes: Joseph, Kapanen, Marchment
St. Louis Blues forward Mathieu Joseph skated today as he tries to work his way back into the lineup from a lower-body injury (as per Lou Korac of NHL.com). Joseph hasn’t played since October 26th against the Montreal Canadiens after he was hurt in the third period of a 5-2 loss. To this point, Joseph has missed four games, and it seems likely that his number of missed games will increase.
Joseph is unlikely to play tomorrow night given that he didn’t take much contact today and focused more on flow drills. The 27-year-old has had a decent start to the season, posting two goals and two assists in nine games to go along with 13 hits and 14 shots on net.
In other Central Division notes:
- St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister believes that forward Kasperi Kapanen could be an option to return to the Blues lineup tomorrow night (as per Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Kapanen has missed the Blues’ past three games with an upper-body injury and will be looking to get his season on track as it has been a rough start for the former first-round pick. Kapanen has just a single goal in eight appearances this season and has struggled with possession, committing seven turnovers and seeing his team control just 46.5% of the play (at even strength).
- Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury according to head coach Pete DeBoer (as per Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas Morning News). Marchment has been dealing with an issue since he fought during the second Global Series game on Saturday night against the Florida Panthers. Marchment had a run-in with Panthers defender Nate Schmidt after he had boarded the defenseman from behind. Marchment took the worst of the exchange and eventually fell to the ice.
Dylan Holloway Not Expected To Miss Time After Neck Injury
Nov. 6: While Holloway didn’t skate today, he’s been discharged from the hospital and told reporters he intends to play against Utah tomorrow (via Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network Midwest). He relayed that doctors barred him from activity for 24 hours after the injury but made no determination on his status past that. Holloway added that the puck struck him in the Vagus nerve, a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which caused him to become lightheaded (per Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Nov. 5: St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway suffered a scary injury tonight in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and left on a stretcher (as per Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic). Holloway was hit in the neck area in the first period of the game when a Nick Paul shot appeared to be deflected directly up and into Holloway.
Initially, there was no cause for concern as Holloway joined teammate Jordan Kyrou on an offensive rush into the Lightning zone. The Blues didn’t score on the play but maintained possession for a moment before Holloway completed his shift and went back to the Blues bench. On his return to the bench, Holloway appeared to be uncomfortable as he moved his head from side to side and took a seat on the bench. A few minutes later, Blues personnel and players began to call over medics while the team’s athletic trainer propped up Holloway’s head. He was put on a stretcher and wheeled back into the Blues dressing room.
The first period was called with 1:11 remaining on the clock as both teams exited the bench area.
In the second period, St. Louis public address announcer Tom Calhoun told those in attendance at Enterprise Center that Holloway was alert and stable and was on his way to the hospital for further monitoring.
Evening Notes: Oilers, Clarke, Salary Deferrals
The Edmonton Oilers are currently sporting the worst penalty kill in the league and the 26th ranked powerplay (as per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic). These special teams’ issues have left the Oilers in an early season funk as the reigning Western Conference Champions have started the season 6-6-1.
Edmonton’s penalty kill has a success rate of 60%, while the powerplay has stumbled out of the gate, clicking at just 14.7%. This is a significant drop from last season when Edmonton’s cumulative total in the playoffs for the powerplay and penalty kill was 123.6. Some optimists may point to Connor McDavid’s absence as the cause of the powerplay falling off, but Edmonton had just a 13% success rate on the powerplay with him in the lineup.
In other evening notes:
- Eric Stephens of The Athletic writes that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke is living up to the billing that made him the eighth overall pick in 2021. Clarke is filling in for injured Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and has done an incredible job, despite having played just 38 NHL games to this point. The 21-year-old has a goal and 11 assists in 13 games thus far this season and has embraced the Kings’ philosophy of turning him into a complete defenseman.
- A small trend has started to emerge in the NHL which is seeing players defer some of their salary to reduce their current cap hits. Despite the tactic being used in new deals for Carolina Hurricanes Jaccob Slavin and Seth Jarvis, NHL general managers, agents and league executives aren’t expecting much of an uptick in the application of this maneuver (as per Chris Johnston of The Athletic). Jake McCabe had the same tactic used in the five-year deal he signed last week, and despite this happening more and more, it doesn’t appear as though it will be anything more than a niche thing. Player agent Scott Bartlett of Bartlett Hockey told The Athletic that he doesn’t believe it will happen very often because it is typically not in the interest of the player to defer money.
West Notes: Hellebuyck, Wild, Reichel
Murat Ates of The Athletic broke down the reason Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was so frustrated by the lack of a goaltender interference call in a recent game against the Lightning. Hellebuyck has been a vocal advocate for goaltender interference calls, going as far as presenting to the NHL’s competition committee, and was incensed after the game against Tampa Bay for giving up a goal with a player sitting in his lap.
Hellebuyck has been looking for the NHL to create a clear standard for goalie interference but has been unsuccessful thus far in his advocacy. Goaltender interference remains a hotly debated topic around NHL circles as more and more instances of differing opinions seem to be occurring around the league.
In other Western Conference notes:
- The Minnesota Wild have been a feel-good story this season, beginning the year with an 8-1-2 record which matches their best start in franchise history (as per John Buccigross). The Wild have scored a franchise record 41 goals in 11 games and have been bolstered by star Kirill Kaprizov who is currently tied for the NHL scoring lead with 21 points. On the backend, the Wild have also received elite goaltending from Filip Gustavsson who appears to have returned to the form he displayed two years ago and even has a goal of his own this season.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic writes that Chicago Blackhawks forward Lucas Reichel has worked to get his confidence back and the results are beginning to show. Last season the 22-year-old went from a second line center all the way back to the AHL and it appeared in training camp that his game was in the same place. However, since being paired with veterans Pat Maroon and Craig Smith, Reichel has turned a corner and has looked like the player that the Blackhawks were hoping he would be when they took him in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Reichel has a goal and five assists in nine games this season while averaging just over 12 minutes per game.
Philadelphia Flyers Acquire Ben Gleason From Oilers
The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defenseman Ben Gleason from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Ronnie Attard. The swap sees a pair of AHL defensemen on the move as neither player has been able to secure a full-time NHL role to this point in their respective careers. The move is necessary for the Oilers, as their affiliate, the Condors, are short on veterans as they embark on a four-game, seven-day marathon through Canada.
At the age of 26, Gleason has spent the entirety of this season with the Oilers AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. The native of Ortonville, Michigan, has a goal and three assists in those seven games and has registered 15 shots on goal. He originally signed with the Dallas Stars as a free agent back in 2018 and played four NHL games with the Stars that year, grabbing his first NHL point on November 10th, 2018. He went on to play five seasons with Dallas’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, and then eventually signed as a free agent with the Oilers in the summer of 2023.
Attard was drafted by Philadelphia back in 2019 (72nd overall) and went on to play 29 NHL games in the past three years, posting two goals and four assists. The 25-year-old has dressed in 123 career AHL games with Lehigh Valley between 2022-24 and has 22 goals and 37 assists during that time.
Metro Notes: Ersson, Johnson, York
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson is currently managing a minor groin injury (as per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic). Ersson’s condition isn’t expected to sideline him for long, though it’s not yet clear when he’ll return to full participation. The 25-year-old left his last start against the Boston Bruins with what was being called a lower-body injury, but now with that injury defined, it appears that the issue could cost the young netminder some time.
Ersson has shown a lot of promise this season and has arguably taken over the Flyers’ starting role. Given that, the Flyers are likely to take a cautious approach to ensure he avoids further issues. With the demands on goaltenders, groin-related injuries can be particularly limiting and difficult to predict. The Flyers will undoubtedly monitor Ersson’s progress as they continue building a solid roster of younger talent. So far this season, Ersson has dressed in nine games and is sporting a 4-2-1 record, with a .901 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against average.
In other Metropolitan Division notes:
- Kent Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets participated in a skate after practice today (as per Blue Jackets reporter Jeff Svoboda). Johnson’s return to the ice is a good sign of progress, even in a limited capacity. Johnson has been kept out of action with a shoulder injury since October 17th and isn’t expected to get back into the lineup until the end of November. He was fortunate to avoid surgery but will ultimately miss around six weeks of the regular season with the ailment.
- Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cameron York will be travelling with the team, hinting at his availability for upcoming games (as per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic). York’s presence on the road is promising for the Flyers but head coach John Tortorella wasn’t sure whether the 23-year-old would play. York has been dealing with an upper-body injury that has kept him out of action since October 23rd and was off to a decent start to the year with two goals and an assist in his first seven games.
Penguins Notes: Jarry, Rust, Nieto
Josh Yohe of The Athletic expects Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry to return to the NHL lineup sometime next week. Jarry has been with the Penguins American Hockey League affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and has posted stellar numbers with a 3-0 record and a .937 save percentage as well as a 1.95 goals-against average.
Yohe thinks Jarry may bump rookie Joel Blomqvist back to the AHL which makes sense, given the play of fellow netminder Alex Nedeljkovic. The Penguins need to see Jarry in NHL action again before they can decide what to do in the crease for the rest of the season, and they could certainly use some good news after a rough start to the season. The Penguins can keep Jarry in the AHL for two weeks during his conditioning stint, which makes November 11th the date he will likely return to the NHL.
In other Pittsburgh Penguins notes:
- Penguins forward Bryan Rust reportedly reaggravated a preseason injury when he exited a game against the Vancouver Canucks last week (as per Josh Yohe of The Athletic). Rust suffered a lower-body injury in the preseason, and when the injury resurfaced last week, there was fear that it could be serious, but that is not the case. The Penguins want to get Rust back to full health and plan to ease him back into things so he can function optimally when he is in the lineup.
- Penguins forward Matthew Nieto was reportedly a full participant in practice today (as per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The 31-year-old has been out of action since last season as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery. He remains on long-term injured reserve and will need to be activated once he is cleared for game action. It’s fair to wonder if Nieto will be a regular when he is ready to return, as the Penguins have a pile of depth options for their bottom six and may not have room for the 11-year NHL veteran.
Evening Notes: Senators, Rizzo, Musty
The Ottawa Senators announced that they loaned forwards Adam Gaudette and Zack Ostapchuk to their American Hockey League affiliate the Belleville Senators. The move comes on the heels of a two-goal game for Gaudette last night against the St. Louis Blues. Gaudette has had an excellent start to the season with Ottawa, posting four goals and an assist in eight games this season.
Ostapchuk on the other hand had an assist in last night’s 8-1 win, in what was his first NHL game of the season. It was a special moment for the 21-year-old as the assist represented his first NHL point. Ostapchuk dressed in seven games last season for Ottawa, going pointless.
The move is likely to be a paper transaction as the Senators don’t play again until Friday against the New York Rangers and could very well recall either player in the next few days.
In other evening notes:
- San Jose Sharks forward prospect Quentin Musty has returned to the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League and is expected to play this weekend (as per Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News). San Jose re-assigned Musty back to the OHL in late September, but a week later, it was reported that the 2023 first-round pick (26th overall) had requested a trade. That same day, Sudbury released a statement talking about Musty’s trade request, saying that they would field trade offers but would also welcome Musty back if he changed his mind. Musty’s return will be a big boost for the Wolves, who have started the OHL season with a 7-5 record.
- Philadelphia Flyers prospect Massimo Rizzo has reportedly suffered an appendicitis that required him to have surgery a few weeks ago to get his appendix removed (as per Flyers reporter Bill Meltzer). The early reports indicate that Rizzo will require a six to eight-week timeline to recover from the appendectomy. The 23-year-old is slated to play in the AHL for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but has yet to dress in a game this season. Rizzo was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes but was dealt to the Flyers in August 2023, along with a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for forward David Kase.
Evening Notes: Chychrun, Kapanen, Bastian
The Washington Capitals have announced that defenseman Jakob Chychrun won’t return to tonight’s game after suffering an upper-body injury. Chychrun suffered the injury in a game against the New York Rangers after he had played for just one minute and 50 seconds. Chychrun was +1 tonight in his limited appearance.
It’s a tough break for the 26-year-old, who is in his first season with Washington after a trade this past summer that saw Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick head back to Ottawa. Chychrun has been solid to start the year, posting two goals and two assists in seven games. Chychrun can ill afford to be out long term as his in the final year of his current contract with a cap hit of $4.6MM.
In other evening notes:
- The St. Louis Blues have announced that forward Kasperi Kapanen is dealing with an upper-body injury and will not return to tonight’s game. Kapanen took a high hit in a game against the Ottawa Senators and appeared to hit his face on the boards. Kapanen did get to the bench under his own power but did not return. The 28-year-old was dressing in his first game since playing just 8:57 on October 24th against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kapanen has struggled this season, with a single goal in seven games.
- Forward Nathan Bastian will return to the New Jersey Devils lineup tomorrow night when the team takes on the Vancouver Canucks (as per Devils reporter Amanda Stein). Bastian hasn’t played since October 24th, as he has been a healthy scratch for the last two games. New Jersey has opted to use Kurtis MacDermid in Bastian’s place the past few days, but now the 26-year-old will have an opportunity to draw back into the lineup and add to the two goals and two assists that he has posted so far this season in ten games.
West Notes: Jiricek, Kesselring, Hague
The St. Louis Blues have reassigned defenseman Adam Jiricek to the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs (news release). Jiricek was the 16th overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft and will bring a wealth of experience to the Bulldogs, having already accumulated 31 games of professional experience in his native Czechia.
The younger brother of Columbus defenseman David Jiricek has played quite a bit internationally in the last few seasons, including appearances in the U17 World Hockey Challenge, U18 World Hockey Championships, Hlinka-Gretzky Cup & World Junior Hockey Championships.
In other Western Conference notes:
- Utah Hockey Club defenseman Michael Kesselring is out with an illness and will be a game-time decision tomorrow night (as per Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune). Kesselring logged almost 23 minutes in ice time last night in a loss against the San Jose Sharks but woke up and was sick with a fever today. The 24-year-old has seen a huge increase in ice time this season, averaging over 20 minutes a night in the absence of top-four defensemen John Marino and Sean Durzi. Kesselring has filled in admirably, posting two goals and three assists in 10 games this season.
- Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague has been officially ruled out for tomorrow night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings (as per Sin Bin Vegas). The 25-year-old skated by himself as he ramped up his efforts to get back into the lineup. Hague last played on October 25th and will miss his third consecutive game with a lower-body injury. Kaedan Korczak will likely continue to fill in for Hague on the Golden Knights backend. Korczak has dressed in three games this season, posting a single assist while averaging over 16 minutes of ice time per game.