Kings To Healthy Scratch Andrei Kuzmenko
The Kings are making winger Andrei Kuzmenko a healthy scratch for their game against the Maple Leafs tonight, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The scoring winger has been benched for significant parts of Los Angeles’ last two games, logging less than eight minutes of ice time in each.
Kuzmenko, 29, caught lightning in a bottle with the Kings last year after they picked him up from the Flyers at the trade deadline for a third-round pick. He was a seamless fit from the start as the left winger on L.A.’s top line with Anže Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, rattling off five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 22 games down the stretch. He was lethal on the power play in their first-round loss to the Oilers, clicking at a point-per-game – including three power-play goals – while averaging north of 18 minutes per night.
The Russian winger has always been a streaky option since initially signing with the Canucks back in 2022, though. That prevented him from pursuing a longer-term deal on the free agent market last summer. While the Kings couldn’t retain their top UFA defender, Vladislav Gavrikov, they were able to reach at least a one-year agreement to retain Kuzmenko, paying him $4.3MM per season.
Kuzmenko has, by and large, retained his spot with Kopitar and Kempe this year, at least when Kopitar’s been in the lineup (he missed time in October with a foot injury), but hasn’t been nearly as productive. His ice time has been reduced back to under 15 minutes per game, and he’s only tallied three goals and seven points in 17 contests, a full-season pace of just 14 goals and 34 points. That would be the lowest offensive output of his four-year career.
Joel Armia has been bumped up to the top line with Kuzmenko’s benchings and role reduction and is expected to maintain that position tonight. In less ice time, Armia has produced more than Kuzmenko (a 3-5–8 scoring line in 17 games) with much better defensive impacts and a +4 rating. Jeff Malott will re-enter the lineup in Kuzmenko’s place, presumably in a fourth-line role, after serving as a healthy scratch in four of the Kings’ last nine games.
Auston Matthews Out Roughly One Week, Anthony Stolarz Day-To-Day
Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews avoided a serious lower-body injury when he left Tuesday’s loss to the Bruins following a heavy hit from Nikita Zadorov. He’s been given a day-to-day designation but has been ruled out for tonight’s contest against the Kings with another absence or two expected after that, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Starting goalie Anthony Stolarz also left that contest with an upper-body issue and has also landed a day-to-day designation and won’t play against the Kings, per TSN’s Mark Masters, but hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday against the Blackhawks. With backup Joseph Woll still working his way back to playing shape in the minors on a conditioning stint, Toronto announced they’ve recalled netminder Artur Akhtyamov from AHL Toronto to backup third-stringer Dennis Hildeby tonight. Center Scott Laughton was placed on injured reserve in the corresponding move.
The injury is another speed bump in what’s been another slow start from Matthews. The three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner has seen his chance generation numbers drop significantly since his generational 69-goal season in 2023-24. In 17 appearances this season, he’s managed nine goals and 14 points. That’s a better pace than last year’s extreme fall-off that only saw him tally 33 markers in 67 appearances, but it’s still well below his career-average pace of 0.63 goals per game.
Luckily for the Leafs, their other stars have more than picked up the slack and helped them stay somewhat afloat at .500 despite faltering defense and goaltending. Matthew Knies and John Tavares are both flirting with 100-point paces early on, while William Nylander sits sixth in league scoring with 24 points despite missing three games with a lower-body issue.
But while Matthews was still one of the league’s most dominant two-way centers during last year’s scoring slump, the same can’t be said in the early going in 2025-26. He’s winning a career-best 59% of his faceoffs, but his possession metrics have faltered. The Leafs are only controlling 47.5% of shot attempts and 48% of expected goals with Matthews on the ice at even strength, the first time in his 10-year career that either number has been below 50%.
Nonetheless, Tavares’ resurgence, Nylander’s dominance, and Knies’ continued breakout should help the Leafs weather the storm for a few days. They’re expected to load up the top line with those three, at least for tonight, per Masters.
As for Stolarz, a reset – injury-related or not – is needed. The career elite backup/tandem option has been overtaxed with Woll unavailable, and his numbers have plummeted as a result. Among goalies with at least 10 appearances this season, Stolarz’s .884 SV% ranks 22nd out of 25 names, and his -5.3 goals saved above expected rank 23rd, per MoneyPuck.
Tonight will thus mark Hildeby’s fourth appearance in the last six days. He entered in relief of Stolarz against Boston twice, first on Nov. 8 and then on Tuesday, while starting in a 5-4 loss to the Hurricanes on Nov. 9. Despite his 0-2-0 record, he’s been the best goalie Toronto’s had to offer this season in his limited sample. He’s logged a .909 SV% and 3.74 GAA on 88 shots faced, good for 2.1 goals saved above expected behind the Leafs’ porous defense. He’s leaps and bounds ahead of what he showed in last year’s limited NHL stint, when he had a .872 mark in six showings with a 3-3-0 record.
If Akhtyamov is forced into action, it would be his NHL debut. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Toronto back in 2020 and is now in his second season in North America. After a decent rookie showing for the Marlies last year, he’s taken a step back with a .894 SV% and 2.82 GAA in six games to start this year, but still has a 4-2-0 record.
Meanwhile, Laughton is on his second injury-related absence of the season. He missed the first 13 games of the year with a lower-body injury and sustained an upper-body issue in just his second game back against the Bruins. Since his IR placement is retroactive to Nov. 8, he’s been ruled out for tonight’s game plus Saturday’s game against Chicago, but will be eligible to come off IR next Tuesday against the Blues.
Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.
Flyers Activate Tyson Foerster From Injured Reserve
6:00 PM: The team announced that Foerster has officially been activated off IR. As expected, Grundström has been sent to AHL Lehigh Valley in the corresponding move.
11:46 AM: The Flyers have listed winger Tyson Foerster as a game-time decision for tonight’s matchup with the Oilers, head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters (including Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports). Tocchet said it’s likelier than not that he plays, which means he’ll need to come off injured reserve. Philadelphia does not have an open spot on the active roster but would likely reassign winger Carl Grundström, who was recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley last week and is projected to be a scratch tonight, back to the minors to make one.
Foerster has missed the Flyers’ last four contests with a lower-body injury. He landed on IR on Nov. 3 to make a place for defenseman Emil Andrae on the roster. Before the injury, the 23-year-old was off to a strong start. Through 11 appearances, he had four goals and three assists for seven points, along with a +5 rating. He was averaging a career-high 18:18 of ice time per game and was on pace for a career-high 52 points if he’d played a full 82 games.
The 6’2″ righty spent most of last season on the left side of Philly’s third line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink at even strength, and that didn’t change despite some new personnel in the top nine and a new coach this year. Through 117 minutes together at 5-on-5, that trio has outscored opponents 3-2 while controlling 54.7% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck. They’re just one defensive conscience of an overall responsible Flyers forward group that’s contributed to the club allowing just 2.19 expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, the second-best figure in the league behind the Rangers’ 2.12.
Foerster’s expanded ice time has come as a result of frequent special teams usage. He averages the second-most power play ice time on the team and is fourth among forwards in shorthanded usage. All told, he routinely plays around five-and-a-half minutes per game with either a man advantage or disadvantage.
That makes the 2020 first-rounder one of the Flyers’ most versatile forwards, and one they’d love to get back in the lineup against the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl-led Oilers. Philly went 2-1-1 without Foerster in the lineup, riding their overall strong defensive play to an 8-5-2 record and wild-card playoff positioning nearing the midway point of November.
PHR Live Chat Transcript
View the transcript from today’s live chat with Josh Erickson in the embedded window below or by clicking this link.
Capitals Name Patrick Wellar Assistant Coach
Nov. 12: Wellar has had his interim tag removed, per Johnson. He replaces Love, who was fired following a one-year suspension by the league in reference to allegations of domestic abuse.
Sep. 27: The Capitals have promoted Patrick Wellar to their NHL coaching staff on an interim basis, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports. It will be his first NHL role after spending the past several years working as an assistant for Washington’s AHL affiliate in Hershey.
Wellar will ensure the Capitals maintain a four-person bench staff to begin the campaign. Assistant Mitch Love, who primarily works with the team’s defensemen, was placed on leave two weeks ago pending the results of a league investigation into an off-ice incident involving his personal conduct that predated his time with the organization.
The 41-year-old Wellar will now do the same, Johnson said. While going out of one’s way to name an interim head coach during a short-term absence isn’t uncommon, uprooting an assistant from an AHL affiliate is an indication that the club doesn’t expect Love to return anytime soon.
Wellar is entering his eighth year in the organization, all of which have been spent in his everyday assistant role with Hershey. In doing so, he’s been a part of one of the best-run development ladders in the league regarding team success. The Bears won back-to-back Calder Cups in 2023 and 2024 and haven’t finished the regular season with a sub-.500 record during his tenure.
The Saskatchewan native also spent six years of his playing career in the Caps organization with AHL Hershey and ECHL South Carolina from 2008-14. He won a Calder Cup while on Hershey’s blue line in 2010, appearing in all 21 postseason games alongside future NHL fixtures John Carlson, Jay Beagle, Karl Alzner, and Mathieu Perreault.
According to Johnson, the Caps have also named a replacement for the replacement. Veteran coach Brent Thompson – the father of Sabres star Tage Thompson – will step in to cover Wellar’s responsibilities with Hershey. The 54-year-old is a former ECHL Coach of the Year and spent 10 years as the bench boss for AHL Bridgeport in the Islanders organization in two separate stints between 2011 and 2023. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant under Greg Cronin in Anaheim but was not retained by the Ducks for the 2025-26 season.
Avalanche Reassign Jack Ahcan
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
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
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
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
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.