Bo Horvat Avoids Long-Term Injury, Out At Least One Week
One day after being included on Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Olympics, Islanders center Bo Horvat suddenly saw his participation fall into jeopardy after sustaining a lower-body injury in the third period of Thursday’s loss to the Mammoth. Today’s evaluation revealed he’s expected to be back in action before heading to Italy next month, although he will miss at least the next week, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Horvat, 30, had recently returned from a two-week absence due to another lower-body injury. Sources told Stefen Rosner of NHL.com that the injury he sustained yesterday is of a similar nature and should carry a similar return timeline.
While those injuries have provided the Ontario native with some bumps in the road, he’s persisted to churn out a career-best offensive performance to earn him a spot on the world’s biggest stage as NHLers return to the Olympics. He had two goals in four games in his return to the lineup to boost his season totals to 21 goals and 33 points in 36 appearances.
The Isles’ top scorer and second-most used forward behind Mathew Barzal, Horvat is also averaging a career-high 20:30 of ice time per game as a true all-situations center. His 57.6 faceoff percentage is the eighth-best clip among the 45 players with at least 500 total faceoffs this season.
While concern over Horvat’s Olympics availability no longer abounds, there’s still the question of how the Islanders will navigate another multi-game stretch without him. Barzal will center the top line between Anders Lee and Emil Heineman to start, per Denis Gorman of the Associated Press, while second-year winger Maxim Tsyplakov will get a look in a second-line role after serving as a healthy scratch in nine of New York’s last 11 games.
Instead of placing Horvat on injured reserve, the Islanders opened a roster spot this morning by reassigning defenseman Marshall Warren to AHL Bridgeport. Warren, 24, had appeared in six straight games and has three assists in eight games on the year, the first appearances of his NHL career. Ice time has been limited, though, with the Long Island native averaging only 11:29 per game.
With Warren down, the Islanders can recall a forward from AHL Bridgeport before Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs if they wish. However, with 13 healthy forwards still on the roster without Horvat and two games left on their homestand, there might not be a corresponding move.
Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.
Team Sweden Announces 2026 Olympic Roster
After the other medal frontrunners unveiled their Olympic rosters earlier today, Team Sweden has also formalized the 25 players it’s taking to Milan, Italy, in February. Their full roster can be found below.
Forwards
- RW Jesper Bratt (Devils)
- C Leo Carlsson (Ducks)
- C Joel Eriksson Ek (Wild)
- LW Filip Forsberg (Predators)
- RW Pontus Holmberg (Lightning)
- RW Adrian Kempe (Kings)
- LW Gabriel Landeskog (Avalanche)
- C Elias Lindholm (Bruins)
- RW William Nylander (Maple Leafs)
- C Elias Pettersson (Canucks)
- LW Rickard Rakell (Penguins)
- RW Lucas Raymond (Red Wings)
- C Alexander Wennberg (Sharks)
- C Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)
Defensemen
- D Rasmus Andersson (Flames)
- D Philip Broberg (Blues)
- D Jonas Brodin (Wild)
- D Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres)
- D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Maple Leafs)
- D Gustav Forsling (Panthers)
- D Victor Hedman (Lightning)
- D Erik Karlsson (Penguins)
Goaltenders
- G Filip Gustavsson (Wild)
- G Jacob Markström (Devils)
- G Jesper Wallstedt (Wild)
Like Canada and the United States, Sweden’s roster is made up entirely of NHLers as the players make their first Olympic appearance since 2014. Headed to do battle with Finland, Slovakia, and the host Italy in Group B, they’re well-positioned as the favorite with one of the tournament’s deeper blue lines and highest-ceiling creases.
In goal, Gustavsson was Sweden’s starter at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and is likely ticketed for the No. 1 role again. He’s joined by two new faces, Markström and his teammate Wallstedt, who replace the struggling Samuel Ersson and Linus Ullmark from one year ago. The veteran Markström’s porous .884 SV% in 20 appearances for New Jersey this year indicates the Minnesota tandem, each of whom has saved more than 10 goals above expected (per MoneyPuck), will be leading the way.
Dahlin and Hedman will be the left-side anchors of Sweden’s top four group on defense after being locked in as two of their initial six players over the summer. Every single name on the list is a bona fide top-four piece for their NHL club – something only them, Canada and the US can say – with an appropriate mix of younger talent like the up-and-coming Broberg, while boasting two of the NHL’s best shutdown defenders in Brodin and Forsling. The only player not returning from the 4 Nations group is the Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm. He’s been replaced by Ekman-Larsson and Broberg as the Swedes added an eighth defender as permitted under IIHF rules.
Up front, Nylander will be the centerpiece of Sweden’s offense. The Toronto star has missed some time recently with an injury, but with 41 points in 33 games this season, he leads Swedish NHLers in points per game.
Both their forward and defense groups boast arguably the tournament’s most cohesive two-way identity. They boast multiple veteran, well-regarded all-situations centered like Eriksson Ek and Wennberg – although the latter’s linemate in San Jose, William Eklund, is a glaring omission, while more bottom-six/penalty-kill oriented options like Holmberg find themselves included.
Rangers Recall Brett Berard, Anton Blidh, Justin Dowling
2:54 p.m.: Laba has been listed as week-to-week with his upper-body injury, per Colin Stephenson of Newsday. He will not be in the lineup for the Winter Classic.
10:21 a.m.: The Rangers have recalled forwards Brett Berard, Anton Blidh, and Justin Dowling from AHL Hartford, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports. In corresponding moves, the team placed left winger Conor Sheary on long-term injured reserve and returned winger Brennan Othmann to Hartford. The club had an open roster spot entering the day, hence why only two roster spots needed to be opened.
New York’s recalls come after losing Sheary and Noah Laba to injuries in Wednesday’s loss to the Capitals, leaving them shorthanded leading into Friday’s Winter Classic in Miami. Laba remains on the active roster but is unlikely to be available for the outdoor game, according to Baugh.
As such, two of Berard, Blidh, and Dowling are set to feature against the Panthers at LoanDepot Park, home of MLB’s Miami Marlins. Berard is the only one of the group to see NHL time this season, going pointless with a -1 rating through 11 appearances.
The 23-year-old has been knocking on the door of a full-time roster spot for some time, but his waiver-exempt status and lack of offensive success on this year’s call-ups have limited his playing time. He was recently rostered as a healthy scratch during the holiday roster freeze, but hasn’t played an NHL contest since Dec. 15.
Still, the 2020 fifth-round pick got some reps in top-nine minutes last year, notching a 6-4–10 scoring line in 35 games as a rookie. It stands to reason his familiarity with the job will lead him to step in for Sheary as the Blueshirts’ third line left wing.
Even in the minors, it’s been a forgettable season for the 5’9″ lefty. After scoring 25 goals for Hartford as a rookie in 2023-24 and then managing 23 points in just 30 games last year, he’s gone cold with two goals, nine points, and a -9 rating in 20 showings this year.
Blidh, also a winger, seems the likeliest to serve as an extra forward with Laba’s absence stressing the need for a center option in Dowling. The 30-year-old is in his fourth season with the Rangers organization but hasn’t made an NHL appearance since debuting for New York in January 2024.
The 6’1″, 196-lb lefty was a sixth-round pick by Boston in 2013 and appeared in eight consecutive NHL seasons for the Bruins, Avalanche, and Rangers from 2016-24, reaching a career-high nine points in 32 games with the B’s in 2021-22. He’s never served as much more than a bottom-six penalty killing piece, even in the AHL, but is coming off a career-best 19 goals and 36 points in 71 games with Hartford last year. Through 28 showings this season, the Swede has a 3-4–7 scoring line in 28 games.
Dowling would be making his Rangers debut if he plays after signing a two-year, $1.55MM deal as a free agent last summer before ending up on waivers. While he’s the newest to the organization, the 35-year-old has the most NHL experience of the group at 152 games and is used to stepping in as a short-term bottom-six option.
The Calgary native made a career-high 52 appearances with the Devils last season, scoring seven points with a -6 rating while going 48.3% on faceoffs. Whether he or Sam Carrick gets the bump into third-line minutes to replace Laba remains to be seen, although considering Dowling’s produced well with 16 points in 24 AHL games, it’ll likely be him.
As for Sheary, it’s still not clear what caused him to exit yesterday’s game. Nonetheless, he’ll now be out for the Rangers’ next 10 games and 24 days. He will be eligible to return on Jan. 26 against the Bruins.
Signed off a professional tryout in training camp, the two-time Stanley Cup champion hasn’t found much success in third-line duties despite reuniting with former Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan. Despite averaging 14:35 of ice time per game, he’s scored just once in 37 appearances with an abysmal 1.8% shooting clip.
Needing to add so many players left the Rangers within a few thousand dollars of the cap – even with Sheary and Adam Edstrom on LTIR. Blidh and Dowling likely got the call-ups primarily because of their league minimum salary, making Othmann and his slightly more expensive $863.3K cap hit unaffordable for the time being.
After being made available for trade at the beginning of the season, Othmann, the No. 16 overall pick in 2021, has spent most of the year in the minors and has no points and a -3 rating in six NHL appearances. With four goals and 10 points in 19 games for Hartford, he’s likely hurt his trade value more than he’s helped it.
Mammoth Activate Karel Vejmelka From Injured Reserve
The Mammoth announced that goaltender Karel Vejmelka has been activated off injured reserve. Per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, he’ll be starting this afternoon’s game against the Islanders. Utah assigned Matt Villalta to AHL Tucson in the corresponding move.
Vejmelka only missed the Mammoth’s last two games with an upper-body injury, but given Utah’s light schedule over the holidays, it’s been a week and a half since he’s played. His absence against the Avalanche on Dec. 23 was so last-minute that Utah couldn’t get a goalie call-up to Denver in time, forcing 21-year-old Tier II junior goalie Colten McIntyre onto the bench on an amateur tryout as Vítek Vaněček‘s backup. Vejmelka was retroactively moved to injured reserve prior to Utah’s last game against the Predators on Monday, allowing Villalta to back up Vaněček instead.
After playing well enough to keep Utah in the playoff race through much of last season, Vejmelka has continued to provide stable enough services as a No. 1 behind a stingy Mammoth defense that allows just 25.1 shots per game, second-best in the league. His .894 SV% and 2.70 GAA in 29 starts have been good for a 16-10-2 record and 6.2 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
The Mammoth had won four out of Vejmelka’s last five starts, so they’ll be anxious to get him back in between the pipes today after dropping their last two decisions with Vaněček in net. It’s been a struggle for the veteran backup since signing with Utah in free agency, logging a .870 SV%, 2.92 GAA and a 2-9-1 record in 11 starts and one relief appearance.
Villalta, 26, is in his third season as the third-string option for Utah/Arizona. The former OHL standout has made three appearances during that time, but none this year. In 15 games for Tucson, he’s got a 9-5-1 record with a .903 SV%, 2.94 GAA, and one shutout.
Oilers Reassign Max Jones
The Oilers announced Thursday they’ve loaned winger Max Jones to AHL Bakersfield. By opening a second roster spot, they’ve given themselves the ability to activate both winger Kasperi Kapanen and defenseman Jake Walman from long-term injured reserve before Saturday’s game against the Flyers if they’re cleared to play.
Jones, 27, spent most of December with the Oilers after clearing waivers and heading to Bakersfield to begin the season. He was recalled in response to injuries to Connor Clattenburg and Jack Roslovic, both of whom have since returned and, in Clattenburg’s case, sent back to Bakersfield.
A first-round pick by the Ducks in 2016, Jones was non-tendered in 2024 and signed a two-year, $2MM contract with the Bruins. Edmonton acquired him from Boston as part of last season’s Trent Frederic trade.
Jones had already lost his grip on a roster spot before the deal, only playing seven games with the B’s after signing the multi-million dollar agreement. He finished out last year on the Oilers’ NHL roster as they dealt with injuries, but only averaged 9:09 of ice time per game in 19 appearances, limited to a goal and an assist each.
The Michigan native’s fortunes haven’t changed this season, again notching two points on an eight-game recall while seeing his deployment come under 10 minutes per night. In Bakersfield, the 6’3″ checker has a 5-2–7 scoring line in 17 games.
At a $1MM cap hit, Jones is a pricey call-up option. With the cap-strapped Oilers nearing full health and no longer being able to use LTIR as a crutch, his opportunities for call-ups will be limited compared to those with six-figure salaries.
Blue Jackets Place Miles Wood On Injured Reserve
The Blue Jackets placed winger Miles Wood on injured reserve Thursday, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. He’s listed as week-to-week with the apparent left knee injury he sustained last night against the Devils, general manager Don Waddell said.
Wood fell awkwardly on his leg after attempting a check on New Jersey winger Ondřej Palát, struggling to put weight on it as he left the ice. Head coach Dean Evason wasn’t particularly optimistic about Wood’s status during his postgame media availability, but Waddell said Wood’s early evaluation today indicated the “absolute worst was avoided.”
Wood has been found money for the Blue Jackets this season. Included as a salary dump by the Avalanche in the deal that brought them Charlie Coyle last offseason, the 30-year-old has contributed eight goals and 12 points in 32 games for Columbus. At 0.38 points per game, he’s tracking for the third-most efficient offensive season of his 11-year career.
No one will expect the bang-and-crash winger to keep up his career-best 15.7% shooting rate when he returns, but he’d nonetheless been a valuable tertiary scoring piece for a Blue Jackets offense that ranks in the bottom half of the league at 2.92 goals per game. His speed also makes him an effective penalty killer, averaging more than a minute per game shorthanded, but his two-way play at even strength has left something to be desired at a -6 rating and 46.6 CF%.
With Wood out for the foreseeable future, Isac Lundeström on IR, and Sean Monahan dealing with an undisclosed injury, Columbus is without a quarter of its regular forward lineup. With no healthy extras available, they’ll be recalling a player under emergency conditions for Saturday’s game against the Sabres if Monahan can’t go.
The Blackhawks Already Have A Top Line Winger On The Way
Since the Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard first overall in 2023, the most glaring holes on their depth chart have been the two wing spots next to him.
Bedard’s most common linemates at 5-on-5 in year one were Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev. In year two, amid a never-ending rotation, Ryan Donato and Ilya Mikheyev eked out the honors.
This year, it’s André Burakovsky and rookie Ryan Greene. The 20-year-old’s continued emergence into a top-tier superstar and increased defensive commitment this season have helped fuel a resurgence for the former, with Burakovsky’s nine goals and 23 points in 34 games on pace for his highest totals in three years. Greene, only one year older than Bedard, is up to 14 points in 39 games after a recent hot streak.
Of course, Bedard’s 44 points on the year are still nearly twice what his best support man, Burakovsky, has posted, despite missing the last several games with a shoulder injury. While Chicago’s early hot start offered some promise, it’s clear now that was a Spencer Knight-fueled mirage as they’ve slipped back to being one point out of last place. As for Bedard and his support system, the talent gap has never been more apparent – even Kurashev and Donato finished within spitting distance for the team lead in points in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.
With a top-two pick spent on Artyom Levshunov and an elite young netminder acquired in Knight, Chicago has stars lined up at every position – except for Bedard’s linemates, if only looking at the NHL roster for the past few years is any indication.
In reality, the pieces to complete an era-defining forward line for the Hawks are already in place and won’t necessarily require the big free-agent splash that some were hoping for this year or last. One of them comes down to a math problem. In the early stages of their careers, Chicago has preferred to keep Frank Nazar separate from Bedard at 5-on-5 and have them each center their own lines. That’s largely worked out well with Nazar on a 52-point pace in his second NHL season.
Center Anton Frondell is on the way as well after being drafted third overall last year. With 10 goals and 15 points in 25 games for Djurgårdens IF in a challenging European pro environment in the SHL, he will almost certainly be a top-six option for the Blackhawks in 2026-27. Neither he, Bedard, nor Nazar is suited for third-line duties long-term. One of them will slot in on Bedard’s wing next season.
The premise of this article could all be for naught if the Hawks end up with another lottery pick in this year’s draft. Their selection would almost undoubtedly be either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, both wingers with the skill level to drop in as a Bedard running mate out of camp. But if the balls don’t bounce their way, there’s an in-house candidate who will likely get a shot with a mix of Bedard, Frondell, and Nazar next fall.
Roman Kantserov has long been overlooked as an impact piece. Perhaps that’s simply because Chicago’s wealth of draft picks over the past several years has created one of the deepest pools in recent memory.
The 2023 second-round pick wasn’t viewed as much of a draft steal at the time. He was the 16th-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting, and only one major public scouting service had him as a late first-rounder (some even had him in the third).
No longer can he be ignored. Fast forward three years, and the 21-year-old is already a champion and an All-Star in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, a top-three competition in the world. Even that doesn’t give proper credence to what the undersized but extremely high-motor winger has brought to the table this season. With a 26-19–45 scoring line in 38 games, he’s third in the KHL in scoring and is first in pure goal-scoring. If that holds, he will break Kirill Kaprizov‘s record as the youngest single-season goal-scoring leader, albeit only by a few months.
McKeen’s Hockey tabbed Kantserov as the No. 8 prospect in the Hawks’ pool entering the season and profiled him as a “high-energy, third-line grinder with the potential to contribute offensively.” He’s answered the bell on the last part of that sentence as best as he possibly can before making the jump from Russia. Pairing two sub-6’0″ players on a top line may be an area of concern, but his pace and physicality make him a near-perfect stylistic complement for Bedard, with his historic overseas production suggesting he boasts much more upward mobility in their lineup than some thought.
Kantserov is in the final season of his contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Technically, his contractual obligations won’t conclude until May 31, but KHL clubs have shown some degree of willingness to release players a few weeks early – assuming their season is over – to sign NHL entry-level contracts. Whether that’s something Chicago wants to pursue to get Kantserov in the lineup for the final few games of the regular season remains to be seen. It should be a foregone conclusion, though, that he will be given a lengthy runway to add his name to Chicago’s long list of young, NHL-ready stars come September.
Penguins, Flyers Swap Egor Zamula, Philip Tomasino
The Penguins announced they’ve acquired defenseman Egor Zamula from the Flyers in exchange for winger Philip Tomasino. Both players had previously cleared waivers and will report to their respective new AHL affiliates.
Zamula’s name first surfaced on the trade market at the beginning of the season, initially linked to the Flames. While that deal never came close to fruition, the 25-year-old became an increasingly frequent healthy scratch as the season progressed. After sitting for six straight games in December and being leapfrogged on the depth chart by AHL call-up Ty Murchison, the Flyers placed him on waivers.
Lehigh Valley hadn’t had a ton of action since Zamula’s demotion due to the holiday break, but the 6’3″ lefty did manage two assists and a -3 rating in three games. Last weekend, it was reported that Zamula had changed his representation and was considering terminating his contract to sign with another team at a lower cap hit to boost his chances of returning to the NHL.
Now, Zamula gets the change of scenery he wanted without having to walk away from the remainder of his $1.4MM base salary he’s owed this season. He’d spent his entire pro career in the Philly organization after signing with the Flyers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Over the past six seasons, he’s scored eight goals and 41 points with a -12 rating in 168 appearances, averaging 15:53 per game.
He’s always carried some intrigue with him because of his size and offensive ceiling – he had a career-high 22 points in 61 games two seasons ago – but doesn’t play a physical brand. Nonetheless, he’s had some above-average possession impacts during his time in Philadelphia and, although he’d fallen out of favor with new head coach Rick Tocchet, his statistical profile suggests there’s still an opportunity for him to stick around as a third-pairing option with power-play deployability.
While Zamula will start in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he’ll likely be the first name called up if the Pens need a lefty. He should also quickly find his way onto the roster if the Pens ship out Brett Kulak or Ryan Shea, their two pending unrestricted free agents on the left side of their blue line, before the trade deadline.
Pittsburgh has been active in picking up change-of-scenery candidates over the past couple of seasons, including nabbing Yegor Chinakhov from the Blue Jackets just two days ago. Tomasino was a similar acquisition from the Predators last season as well, although that one didn’t end up paying dividends.
The 24th overall pick in 2019, Tomasino arrived in Pittsburgh early last season in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The high-skill winger looked like a natural fit in Pittsburgh’s top nine early on, even getting some reps alongside Evgeni Malkin. After posting just one assist in 11 games with Nashville to begin the year, he logged 11 goals and 23 points in 50 contests to close out the season with the Pens.
However, Pittsburgh’s preference to integrate its own drafted-and-developed talent, plus UFA pickups Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha developing some high-end chemistry with Malkin, pushed Tomasino down the depth chart from the drop this season. The 24-year-old only averaged 12:10 per game through nine contests, scoring one assist with a -2 rating, before he ended up on waivers in November. He was eventually reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’s clicked at over a point per game pace with a 5-10–15 line and +12 rating in 14 games.
For a Flyers team in need of some wing depth in the wake of Tyson Foerster‘s season-ending arm injury, Tomasino is an intriguing pickup who could even slot into top-six minutes if they opt to return Denver Barkey to the minors after giving him his first taste of NHL hockey. If nothing else, he’s an immediate reinforcement to a Lehigh Valley offense that’s only producing 2.77 goals per game this season.
Both pending restricted free agents, Zamula carries a $1.7MM cap hit while Tomasino counts for $1.75MM. For now, Zamula will only cost $550K against the Pens’ books, and Tomasino will cost $600K for the Flyers while each remains in the minors.
Images courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images (Zamula) and Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images (Tomasino).
Chris Tanev, Dakota Joshua Out Indefinitely
Dec. 31: Head coach Craig Berube told reporters today, including Friedman, that Tanev will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a groin injury.
Dec. 30: After previously being ruled out for tonight’s game, it’s clear Maple Leafs skaters Chris Tanev and Dakota Joshua will miss more time than that. Tanev will be out for “some time” with a lower-body issue unrelated to the previous injury that sidelined him for nearly two months, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports, while Joshua sustained a kidney injury in Sunday’s game against the Red Wings that resulted in internal bleeding, remaining in Detroit for observation.
Both will likely end up on injured reserve today to create the roster space for Matt Benning and Jacob Quillan, who were recalled from AHL Toronto this morning. Tanev was only just activated from IR last week, missing 27 of Toronto’s previous 28 contests with an upper-body injury. The right-shot defenseman’s brief return to the Toronto roster consisted of three games of work, posting a +3 rating with seven blocks while averaging 20:40 of ice time.
Tanev, arguably the Leafs’ most stabilizing defensive presence, has played in only 11 games this year due to an upper-body injury he initially sustained on Oct. 21 against the Devils. Despite that, his +8 rating is still third-best on the team, and his duo with Jake McCabe has allowed just 0.84 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, sitting among the league’s most staunch defense pairs.
Another multi-game absence will force the Leafs to continue to lean on overmatched right-shot depth like Philippe Myers, although it will give the chance for waiver claim Troy Stecher (1-5–6, +9 in 19 GP) to continue his strong run of play alongside McCabe. The burden on Myers and Stecher should be eased soon with Brandon Carlo nearing a return from foot surgery, but it’s far from an ideal situation as Toronto tries to climb out of a tie for last place in the Eastern Conference.
Joshua had appeared in all but two games for the Leafs this season, his first in Toronto after being acquired from the Canucks last offseason in exchange for a fourth-round pick. He’s improved on his underwhelming showing for Vancouver last year, but not by much, putting up a 6-4–10 scoring line in 36 games. He’s excelled in providing the element of physicality that’s expected from him, though, leading the team in hits with 127 and ranking second among Leafs forwards with 26 blocks.
For a player starting nearly three-quarters of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone, though, Joshua’s -2 rating is a fine one. He’s consistently logged third-line minutes at even strength and is far from being an insignificant loss for what will likely be the next several weeks as a result. Expanded ice time should be in store for trade bait Matias Maccelli and rookie Easton Cowan, who’s posted four goals and 11 points through his first 27 games.
Sabres’ Alex Lyon Out Indefinitely
Dec. 31: Lyon has left the Sabres’ road trip to continue his evaluation and is out indefinitely, the team announced today. Ellis will be activated from injured reserve and will back up Luukkonen tonight against the Stars.
Dec. 30: Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon is undergoing evaluation for a lower-body injury he sustained late in last night’s win over the Blues, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters (including Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News). He didn’t leave the contest, and it’s unclear if he’s going to miss time, but if they don’t have an update by tomorrow morning, he won’t be going in the crease against the Stars on Wednesday.
If Lyon is to miss time, the Sabres won’t need to recall a body from AHL Rochester. Ruff said third-stringer Colten Ellis has cleared concussion protocol and will be available to come off injured reserve if needed in Dallas.
Lyon hasn’t been the sole architect of Buffalo’s nine-game win streak to get back into playoff contention, but he’s been in the crease for most of it. He’s started seven out of nine to boost his numbers on the year to a 10-6-3 record, .906 SV%, 2.82 GAA, and one shutout, recovering well after a strong start followed by a steep crash.
The 33-year-old was signed to be the backup to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over the offseason but has instead emerged as Buffalo’s leading option in a crowded crease, starting 19 of 38 games with the best numbers on the team. He’s stopped 6.5 goals above expected compared to 1.5 combined from Luukkonen and Ellis, per MoneyPuck.
It was clear after Jarmo Kekäläinen took over the GM’s chair several weeks ago that the Sabres would look to get down to two goalies once Ellis was cleared to return. With the Sabres signing Ellis’ praises after claiming him off waivers from the Blues and Luukkonen signed through the 2028-29 season, Lyon was the most logical trade candidate and has been a person of interest in the Oilers’ search for added depth.
However, his injury could allow Kekäläinen more time to determine Lyon’s future and reconsider his options. Trading away the team’s best overall netminder this season won’t go over well for a team that’s done some heavy lifting as of late to try to end their league-record playoff drought at 14 years. Flipping Ellis, who’s only churned out a .895 SV% through eight starts and has the worst advanced numbers of the three, would be the smarter win-now move, regardless of the 25-year-old’s ceiling.
Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.