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Avalanche Reassign Jack Ahcan

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The Avalanche announced overnight that they’ve reassigned defenseman Jack Ahcan to AHL Colorado. With Colorado back in action tomorrow against the Sabres and the Eagles not in action until Friday, the demotion is a sign that Samuel Girard could be ready to come off injured reserve to give Colorado seven healthy defensemen on the active roster.

Ahcan has been ferried between leagues a few times this year after clearing waivers at the end of the preseason. He was last recalled on Nov. 3 and has played in four straight games for the Avs since. His role has been limited to six total appearances this season, averaging 11:21 of ice time per game, but he has given them good results in sheltered deployment. The 28-year-old lefty has an assist, his first NHL point since March 2022, and has a +4 rating stemming from his performance in the Avs’ 9-1 drubbing of the Oilers last weekend.

In fact, Ahcan’s possession impacts in bottom-pairing duties with Sam Malinski have been pristine. The duo is crushing their minutes against easier competition, controlling 64.5% of shot attempts and 69.2% of expected goals at 5-on-5. That’s presumably why Ahcan has found his way into the lineup with increasing frequency as he jockeys for position on the depth chart with October waiver claim Ilya Solovyov, who’s now been scratched in four straight and will continue to find himself out of the lineup tomorrow if Girard is indeed cleared to play.

Solovyov would require waivers if the Avs were to send him down as the odd man out, though. Since Ahcan has played less than 10 games and has been rostered for fewer than 30 days, he doesn’t need them to return to the AHL today. The 5’8″ rearguard has also been a driving force in the minors, scoring a goal and six assists for a point per game through seven appearances with a +6 rating.

Girard hasn’t played since the second game of the season, so Ahcan and Solovyov have had extended opportunities to get a legitimate taste of NHL minutes. The upper-body injury he sustained that had him out week-to-week ended up costing him 15 games. Veteran Brent Burns has stepped into a top-four role alongside Josh Manson in Girard’s absence, holding the fort with eight points and a +3 rating while averaging north of 20 minutes per game for the 12th straight year.

Thatcher Demko Out Two To Three Weeks With Apparent Groin Issue

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Canucks starting netminder Thatcher Demko will miss two to three weeks with the apparent groin injury he sustained in last night’s loss to the Jets, Frank Seravalli of Victory Plus reports. It’s a new issue that’s entirely unrelated to the knee issues he’s had over the past couple of years and also irrelevant to why he didn’t dress for a pair of games earlier this month, Seravalli adds.

After his lingering knee issues and a few other ailments limited Demko to 23 appearances last season, he’s back to looking like a legitimate starting netminder in 2025-26. He started hot, compiling a .911 SV% and 5-4-0 record in his first nine games, until he allowed three goals on eight shots last night before leaving the game after the first period. That showing brought his year-to-date save percentage down to .903, along with a 2.80 GAA. Those numbers are still far superior to what No. 2 option Kevin Lankinen has put on offer (.885 SV%, 3.57 GAA, 3-5-1 record) and remain good for 6.3 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, 10th in the league.

Demko sustained what looks to be a relatively minor groin strain when he stretched across his crease to make a save on Jets forward Cole Perfetti (video via Canucks Army). He played out the first period and took a skate as players warmed up for the second, but ended up ceding the net to Lankinen, who saved 20 of 21 shots in relief but took the loss.

Demko has only played two of Vancouver’s last five games, including his abbreviated performance last night, thanks to his pair of missed games over the weekend due to maintenance/load management. That stretch has coincided with the Canucks now allowing at least three goals in six straight games. The Canucks have been porous defensively this season. Even with his .885 SV%, Lankinen is still credited with 1.4 goals saved above expected. Vancouver is allowing 30.2 shots against per game, which ranks 26th in the league. Their xGA/60 of 3.77 in all situations is the second-worst in the league, according to MoneyPuck.

Without Demko propping them up for the next few weeks, the Canucks could be in for a slide. They’re already behind the eight ball with an 8-9-1 record, undoubtedly influenced by an injured list that now contains eight players, including Demko. Their -10 goal differential is 29th in the league, and they face a pair of top-five offenses (the Ducks and Hurricanes) in their next six games.

The Canucks were already rostering Jiri Patera as a third goalie after recalling him to back up Lankinen over the weekend, so there won’t be a corresponding transaction, and an IR placement for Demko isn’t necessary at this time.

Lightning Recall Boris Katchouk, Scott Sabourin

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The Lightning announced they’ve recalled wingers Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin from AHL Syracuse. They’re the corresponding transactions for yesterday’s injured reserve placements of Dominic James and Ryan McDonagh, bringing their active roster count back to 23.

At least one of them will draw into the lineup tonight against the Rangers. Tampa Bay’s list of injuries entering the matchup is lengthy. Not only are they without James and McDonagh, but Victor Hedman and Pontus Holmberg both sustained undisclosed injuries against the Capitals on Saturday and remain day-to-day.

The recall marks Katchouk’s first stint on an NHL roster since the 2023-24 season. The 27-year-old was a second-round pick by the Lightning in 2017 and began his second stint with the organization by signing a two-way deal over the summer. He did not have an NHL contract last season. After being released from a professional tryout with the Ducks, Katchouk landed with the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a minor-league deal. The 6’2″ grinder racked up 21 goals and 49 points in 67 appearances in his first extended taste of AHL hockey since the 2020-21 season in his first go-around with Tampa. Katchouk is off to a good start this season in his familiar stomping grounds in Syracuse, rattling off four goals and five assists for nine points through 12 games.

Between his extended minor-league stints, Katchouk was a regular NHLer between 2021-22 and 2023-24. He broke into the league with Tampa but was traded to the Blackhawks during his rookie season in the Brandon Hagel deal. Katchouk remained in Chicago until being claimed off waivers by the Senators, who didn’t issue him a qualifying offer, late in 2023-24. In 176 appearances, Katchouk had a 15-21–36 scoring line with a -23 rating while averaging 11:09 per game, controlling 47.6% of shot attempts at even strength.

Sabourin’s recall is his fourth of the young season, although he hasn’t yet played for the Bolts. The club has brought him up when roster space allows so that he can serve a four-game suspension he was issued for roughing Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad in a preseason game. With that suspension now satisfied, he is eligible to play tonight. The 33-year-old enforcer has notched three goals and five points with 13 penalty minutes in 11 games for Syracuse thus far. It’s his first year in the Lightning organization after signing a two-way deal over the summer.

Katchouk can remain on the roster for up to 30 days or play 10 games until he needs waivers to return to Syracuse. Since Sabourin has already been on the active roster for four days, his waiver-exempt clock is down to 26.

Devils, Islanders Discussed Simon Nemec Trade

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The Devils and Islanders had preliminary discussions over the offseason regarding a trade that would have sent former No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec to Long Island, according to a report from The Athletic’s Arthur Staple on Daily Faceoff’s “Tri-State Hockey Podcast.” Staple clarified that those talks were initiated from the Isles’ side, not necessarily because New Jersey was expressly shopping the defender.

The fact that the Islanders would have interest in a right-shot defender with top-pairing potential in the early stages of their retool is unsurprising. The fact that a trade didn’t materialize between cross-state, divisional rivals is equally as unsurprising. Nemec, a 6’1″ 21-year-old, was drafted in 2022 ahead of Logan Cooley, Cutter Gauthier, and Shane Wright in the top five but hasn’t nearly clicked at the NHL level to the degree they have. He had a strong rookie showing in 2023-24, when an injury to Dougie Hamilton allowed Nemec to make 60 appearances while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. He recorded 19 points (three goals, 16 assists), posted a -7 rating, and led the team with 105 blocks.

That’s a fine stat line for a rearguard in his 19-year-old season who was always seen as a bit of a project in a weaker draft class. However, his development since then hasn’t been linear. Nemec lost ice time last season after the Devils added veterans Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Brett Pesce to insulate their blue line. He ended up playing more with AHL Utica than he did with the Devils, where his usage dipped to 14:59 per game across 27 appearances. When dressed, he was more of a liability than a non-factor. He had just four points with a -10 rating despite playing sheltered offensive minutes at 5-on-5. He started 64.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone but controlled just 44.3% of shot attempts.

Even with those struggles, the Devils made clear at last season’s trade deadline that he wasn’t someone they intended to move. It would have taken an above-market-value offer to move him, something the Islanders didn’t provide. Staple speculated that their offer started with the Avalanche’s 2026 first-round pick, which they had previously acquired for Brock Nelson at last season’s trade deadline. With that expected to fall in the 20-and-below range, that’s not a particularly compelling piece on its own and likely would have needed to be paired with an impact roster player, at least, to get a deal across the finish line. New Jersey’s cap crunch would have made that a non-starter.

It’s unclear when these talks occurred in relation to the draft, but it is of little consequence. The Islanders still have Scott Mayfield and Ryan Pulock signed long-term on the right side, but their organizational depth behind them is extremely light. Tony DeAngelo and Adam Boqvist are rostered on expiring deals as stopgap solutions, and their only right-shot options in the minors are veterans Ethan Bear and Cole McWard. Their two top defense prospects behind Matthew Schaefer, Kashawn Aitcheson and Isaiah George are both lefties. Changing that is likely one of general manager Mathieu Darche’s more pressing priorities next summer.

As for the Devils, they’re likely feeling justified in their decision to hold onto Nemec. An injury to Pesce has once again afforded Nemec expanded ice time to start the season. He’s appeared in all 16 games and leads their blue line in scoring with a goal and eight assists for nine points, adding a +1 rating and 26 blocks. His 17:47 average time on ice is still lacking compared to his rookie season, but that’s because he’s not factoring in on either special teams unit – making his point production all the more impressive.

Lightning Place Ryan McDonagh On Injured Reserve

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The Lightning have placed defenseman Ryan McDonagh on injured reserve, per the league’s media site. The lefty departed Saturday’s win over the Capitals with an undisclosed injury. Placing McDonagh on IR only rules him out for tomorrow’s game against the Rangers, but head coach Jon Cooper told reporters earlier today he expects McDonagh to miss a few contests (via the team’s Benjamin Pierce).

McDonagh joins center Dominic James as Bolts skaters who were banged up against Washington and are landing on IR today. The placements will give the Bolts roster space to make corresponding recalls from AHL Syracuse in advance of tomorrow’s contest, although they’ll likely wait until Wednesday morning to announce those. Not only are James and McDonagh out, but captain Victor Hedman and depth forward Pontus Holmberg also sustained undisclosed injuries against the Caps and are listed as day-to-day and doubtful for tomorrow, according to the team’s Gabby Shirley. That’s four players sustaining injuries in one game for those keeping score at home.

As things stand, the Bolts can ice 18 skaters tomorrow without Hedman and Holmberg but won’t have any extras. Still, that assumes Anthony Cirelli – who practiced today but missed the Washington game with an upper-body injury – and defenseman Maxwell Crozier, who’s missed two games with an undisclosed issue, will be cleared to play. With McDonagh on IR now, Tampa can make two recalls from Syracuse without more corresponding moves.

McDonagh is the Bolts’ No. 3 defender this season in terms of usage at 20:10 per game, but he’s still playing like a top-pairing threat in his age-36 season. The 16-year vet is fresh off receiving his first Norris votes in six years and has started this year strong with three goals, six points, and a +1 rating in 15 outings. He ranks third on the team with 26 blocks and leads Tampa defenders with six takeaways.

The increasing injury problems make the Bolts’ recent 7-1-0 surge to get back into a playoff position all the more important after starting the year 1-4-2. They’ll look to depth names like Crozier and Charle-Edouard D’Astous to step up and help mitigate the damage, which shouldn’t be too tall of a task against a Rangers offense that’s been limited to 2.41 goals per game this season.

Blues Open To Moving Justin Faulk

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Add Justin Faulk’s name to the list of players the Blues will be open to moving if their season-opening slide continues, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period writes.

It’s far from the first time Faulk’s name has been brought up in trade speculation. For years, each one of the Blues’ aging top-four group on defense was listed as a potential target. That talk has quieted down after St. Louis aggressively retooled their left side in the past couple of seasons, losing Torey Krug to a career-ending injury and waiving Nick Leddy while adding Philip Broberg via offer sheet and Cam Fowler via trade.

Today’s report on Faulk is more than just speculation, though. Moving him this season becomes much easier after his no-trade clause was downgraded to a 15-team no-trade list, much like how captain and fellow trade candidate Brayden Schenn’s contract is structured. With just one season left after this one on his deal, his $6.5MM cap hit becomes more appealing, too – especially since his actual salary owed is just $4.5MM per season.

Faulk and Colton Parayko have each seen relatively equal time with Broberg and Fowler as their partner this season. The two lefties have posted significantly worse possession numbers when paired with Faulk. Broberg has controlled 59.7% of expected goals at 5-on-5 with Parayko compared to 57.7% with Faulk, while Fowler has controlled 53.5% with Parayko and just 40.7% with Faulk.

That will undoubtedly be a concern for more analytically-focused clubs and could steer them away from their interest. However, his traditional stats paint a picture of him being worth the investment for a team in need of a puck-moving righty in their top four. The 33-year-old leads Blues defensemen with eight points in 16 games while averaging 23:32 of ice time per game, the most on the team.

Still, moving Faulk would leave a gaping hole on their right side if they’re anticipating a quick retool and a return to postseason contention in 2026-27. Top righty prospect Logan Mailloux, acquired from the Canadiens over the offseason, is still a long-term wild card thanks to his extreme defensive deficiencies. The 22-year-old has been offensively dominant in the minors and juniors, but has just five points and a -16 rating in 17 career NHL games thus far. He’s likely more than a year out from being ready for a top-four role as a result, and the Blues don’t have any other righties in the system with the two-way utility or upside to give them quality second-pairing minutes behind Parayko.

Sharks Activate William Eklund From IR, Reassign Ethan Cardwell

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3:04 p.m.: The Sharks have indeed reassigned Cardwell to AHL San Jose to make room for Eklund’s activation, according to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Cardwell scored once and averaged 12:21 per game during his four-game call-up.

12:28 p.m.: Sharks winger William Eklund will be in the lineup against the Wild tonight, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. He will need to come off injured reserve. They don’t have an open roster spot and will need to make a corresponding transaction. Since no injuries are lingering on their active roster, that will likely be an AHL demotion – presumably for the waiver-exempt Ethan Cardwell, who projects to exit the lineup with Eklund returning.

Eklund’s IR stint was brief. He only landed there on Saturday to create a roster spot for Ryan Reaves’ activation. He’s missed the last four games after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Avalanche on Nov. 1. During that stretch, the streaking Sharks went 3-0-1 without the services of their third-leading scorer.

One of the first high-end picks in San Jose’s rebuild, the 23-year-old Eklund is in the early stages of his third season as a full-time NHLer. He’s rattled off five goals and six assists for 11 points through 12 games, on pace to breach the 70-point plateau for the first time if he stays healthy the rest of the way. He’s done so without seeing much ice time next to Macklin Celebrini at even strength, instead serving as the top scoring piece on the Sharks’ second line with Philipp Kurashev and Alexander Wennberg.

Collin Graf got the bump in minutes alongside Wennberg while Eklund was sidelined, and the young adept penalty killer managed two assists in four games during the elevation. He should be ticketed for a return to third-line duties next to Ty Dellandrea as San Jose attempts to extend its win streak to four and its point streak to seven. The Sharks haven’t strung together four wins in over four years, last doing so in October 2021.

Lightning Place Dominic James On Injured Reserve

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The Lightning have placed forward Dominic James on injured reserve, per Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider. He sustained an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s game against the Capitals. Thanks to Tampa’s light schedule, he’s only been ruled out for tomorrow’s game against the Rangers as a result of the backdated placement.

James and the Bolts hope it’s only a light interruption as he works through his first taste of NHL action. The 23-year-old pivot was a sixth-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2022 and spent four seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, but he became a free agent this year on Aug. 15 after failing to come to terms on an entry-level deal with Chicago. He landed one from Tampa at the beginning of camp. He didn’t crack the opening night roster but got off to a hot start with AHL Syracuse, rattling off three goals and five points in his first four professional games. That earned him a recall to the Lightning’s roster in late October, and he’s stuck there for a few weeks now.

The injury is particularly tough timing as he was beginning to find his groove. After going without a point through his first seven games, James had a three-point effort, including his first NHL goal, in their 6-3 win over the Golden Knights on Nov. 6. He followed that up with an assist over the weekend before sustaining his injury. His last two showings leave him with a 1-3–4 scoring line through his first nine NHL games, averaging 12:46 of ice time per contest and going 46.4% on faceoffs.

James has gotten an extended look centering Tampa’s third line between Gage Goncalves and Oliver Bjorkstrand while Nick Paul remains on injured reserve following offseason surgery. The trio has been the Bolts’ best so far at controlling play at 5-on-5 with a 65.3% share of expected goals in 53 minutes together, according to MoneyPuck. With James out, veteran Yanni Gourde will get more consistent top-nine deployment.

Sabres Activate, Reassign Carson Meyer

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Nov. 11: Meyer has cleared waivers and has been reassigned to Rochester, the team announced.

Nov. 10: Sabres forward Carson Meyer has landed on waivers today, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. That’s an indication he’s been cleared to return after starting the year on the season-opening injured/non-roster list. Assuming he clears tomorrow, he’ll get his campaign started with AHL Rochester.

Meyer, 28, last appeared in the NHL with the Blue Jackets in April 2024. The 5’11” winger has 41 games of NHL experience, all with Columbus, which drafted him in the sixth round in 2017. He’s got two goals and four assists to his name with a -4 rating, averaging 9:03 of ice time per contest.

The Ohio State product and Ohio native spent last year in the Ducks organization. He’d signed a two-way deal with Anaheim for 2024-25 after reaching Group VI unrestricted free agency, playing outside of Ohio for the first time since spending the 2015-16 season with Nebraska’s Tri-City Storm in the USHL. Meyer cleared waivers and was productive for the Ducks’ AHL affiliate in San Diego, recording 21 points in 29 games, but had his season cut short by an ACL surgery.

His recovery from that surgery was why Meyer was a non-participant in Buffalo’s camp and why he was on SOIR. He inked a two-year, two-way deal with Buffalo this past offseason that pays him $350,000 for 2025-26 and $375,000 for 2026-27 if he’s in the minors the whole way through.

He’ll be relied upon to be a top producer for a Rochester side that’s been stretched thin offensively due to a rash of injuries in Buffalo. Three of its six top scorers, Zachary Jones, Noah Ostlund, and Isak Rosen, are currently up with the Sabres.

Avalanche Sign Gavin Brindley To Two-Year Extension

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The Avalanche announced they’ve signed winger Gavin Brindley to a two-year extension through the 2027-28 season. The cap hit of the deal is $875,000, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. He’ll earn an $850,000 NHL salary in a two-way structure in 2026-27 before it converts to a one-way deal worth $900,000 in 2028-29. He was set to become a restricted free agent next summer following the expiration of his entry-level contract.

It’s hard to imagine a better start to the season for Brindley. The 21-year-old winger was an early second-round pick by the Blue Jackets in 2023. He was one of the more offensively explosive prospects in their system with an extremely strong collegiate and international track record. While his 5’8″, 172-lb frame was always going to limit his stock, he had a spectacular post-draft season that saw him record 25 goals and 53 points in 40 games for the University of Michigan. He was the Big 10’s scoring leader in conference play in addition to racking up six goals and 10 points in seven games for the United States en route to a gold medal at the World Juniors.

That was enough for Columbus to offer Brindley his entry-level contract at the end of his sophomore season with the Wolverines. He accepted and turned pro, making his NHL debut in the Jackets’ final game of the 2023-24 season. That was the only game he’d play in a Blue Jackets sweater. Brindley didn’t crack the opening night roster the following season due to a finger fracture that delayed his season debut until November. When he got around to playing with AHL Cleveland, the adjustment to the pro game hit him like a truck. In 56 regular-season and playoff appearances for Cleveland, Brindley had just six goals and 11 assists for 17 points with a -10 rating.

With the Jackets already carrying one of the league’s brighter young forward groups, they were comfortable using Brindley as trade bait. So, after just one full pro season in the organization, they sent him to the Avs over the offseason in the deal that landed them veterans Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood.

Thus far, Colorado is happy with its return. Brindley snagged a roster spot out of camp and has quickly established himself as a regular on the Avs’ fourth line, offering a more offensively inclined counterpart to his rotation of linemates in Zakhar Bardakov, Parker Kelly, and Joel Kiviranta. He’s yet to be a healthy scratch and only missed a pair of games earlier this month due to a concussion. In 14 appearances, he’s rattled off his first five NHL points – three goals and two assists – despite not receiving any special teams deployment and averaging just 8:58 of ice time per game. His possession metrics aren’t spectacular, controlling 47.9% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, but Colorado is nonetheless outscoring opponents 7-5 with him on the ice.

There’s still plenty of room for growth in Brindley’s game, though. He’s less than three years out from his draft day and was ranked as Colorado’s top forward prospect and No. 4 overall by Elite Prospects over the offseason. With Colorado’s top nine gelling well offensively, there isn’t a ton of upward mobility for him this year. Victor Olofsson is a pending unrestricted free agent, though, and Brindley could conceivably push for a third-line job next season if he’s not brought back.

The Avs will still have four years of team control left when Brindley’s extension expires in 2028 – he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2031-32 season.

Image courtesy of Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images.

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