Victor Hedman To Undergo Elbow Surgery, Out Six Weeks
Lightning captain Victor Hedman will undergo elbow surgery next Monday, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters (including Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times). He’ll miss around six weeks and is expected to return in time to play for Sweden at the Olympics in February.
The procedure will ideally put an end to the lingering effects Hedman has been dealing with for the past month-plus. The 34-year-old initially sustained the previously undisclosed injury on Nov. 8 against the Capitals. He missed nearly a month while trying non-surgical remedies and returned to action on Dec. 6 against the Islanders. He played just three games, never topping the 18-minute mark in ice time, before landing back on injured reserve before yesterday’s 8-4 drubbing of the Devils.
The silver lining is that the Bolts have already gotten used to playing without their top defender, and the results have been awe-inspiring. They’ve gone 10-6-0 since Hedman first left the lineup, and they’ve also been without their second pairing of Erik Černák and Ryan McDonagh for most of that time. Their possession metrics back up their record, controlling 53.2% of shot attempts at 5-on-5.
Hedman, a seven-time All-Star and a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, has been increasingly sheltered at even strength in the past few seasons. That trend continued before his injury, starting a career-high 61.7% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone. Despite that, he produced his worst possession metrics in three years and didn’t score a goal on 25 shots through 18 appearances, although he does still rank second among Lightning defensemen with 12 assists, behind Darren Raddysh‘s 16.
Until the Olympic break, the Lightning will look to ride the wave their patchwork top-four has given them. Their temporary top pair of Raddysh and J.J. Moser has controlled a remarkable 62.8% of expected goals at 5-on-5, while 27-year-old rookie Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg have also gelled quite well in second-pairing duties.
Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.
Maple Leafs’ Brandon Carlo Out Another Month
Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo underwent foot surgery last week and will be out of the lineup for at least another month, head coach Craig Berube told reporters following last night’s loss to the Sharks (via Luke Fox of Sportsnet). He’s already been out nearly a month after sustaining the injury against the Kings on Nov. 13, so it’ll be around an eight-week absence for the righty when all is said and done.
Toronto’s defense will remain in structural disarray for a while yet. They’ve been without their top two right-shot options, Carlo and Chris Tanev, for the past month. Tanev saw a specialist earlier this week regarding his upper-body injury but is now seeking a second opinion after that meeting, per Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. He continues to skate with the team in a no-contact jersey, but it doesn’t appear his return is on the horizon, either.
Potentially adding to the pile of injuries is Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who left last night’s overtime defeat in the third period after falling awkwardly on his left leg (video via Sportsnet). It’s not as bad as it looked, though, and he’ll be back at practice tomorrow before making a determination on his availability for that night’s game against the Oilers, per Hornby.
Carlo, acquired from the Bruins at last year’s trade deadline to serve as a shutdown anchor for Morgan Rielly at even strength and play a penalty-killing role, had averaged 20:04 of ice time through the first 18 games of the season before exiting the lineup. He managed two assists with a +2 rating but didn’t have the two-way impact they hoped for, controlling just 42.8% of shot attempts and 45.5% of expected goals at 5-on-5.
The Leafs claimed veteran righty Troy Stecher off waivers from the Oilers last month after Carlo got hurt. With four points and a +8 rating in 11 appearances, the 31-year-old has been as good a stopgap option as they could’ve hoped for.
Wild Recall David Jiricek
The Wild announced they’ve recalled defenseman David Jiříček from AHL Iowa, putting him on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Senators. A corresponding move won’t be necessary as Minnesota has an open spot on its active roster.
Jiříček’s recall comes as extra insurance as the Wild believe they may be down a yet-to-be-named defender after he got banged up in yesterday’s win over the Stars, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. They already lost lefty Jacob Middleton to injured reserve after he sustained an upper-body injury in the previous outing against the Kraken, leaving them potentially without two regulars on the blue line against Ottawa – in addition to the four forwards they have stashed on IR.
The 22-year-old Jiříček was the sixth overall pick in 2022 by the Blue Jackets and arrived in the Wild organization by way of a trade early last season, stemming partially from his unhappiness with limited playing time in Columbus. The change of scenery didn’t alter his circumstances, though. He’s only made 18 appearances for Minnesota since his pickup over 12 months ago, spending most of his time in the organization with AHL Iowa. He made the team out of camp this year but has been reassigned to Iowa on two occasions. Today’s move ends his longest AHL stint of the season, last heading down to the minors on Nov. 21.
The 6’3″ righty’s development is in legitimate danger as a result. Iowa has long been one of the most hapless teams in the AHL, making the playoffs only twice since the Wild established the team in 2013. The team has a 33-54-9 record since the beginning of last season with a -83 goal differential. The lack of a legitimate supporting cast on Iowa’s blue line means Jiříček, once viewed as one of the brightest two-way talents in his draft class, has just one goal and nine assists with a -7 rating in 37 games since his arrival last year.
But when on the NHL roster, he hasn’t made a legitimate push for a regular role, either. In sheltered minutes (12:26 per game), he’s logged two assists and a -1 rating in 18 games across this year and last. The Wild have allowed 2.98 goals per 60 minutes with Jiříček on the ice at 5-on-5 this year, the highest figure among Minnesota defensemen.
For now, his status as a tweener will continue. Minnesota already recalled Matt Kiersted from Iowa in the wake of Middleton’s injury, and he sat as a scratch against Dallas. Whether he, a lefty, or Jiříček, a righty, enters the lineup tomorrow likely depends on the questionable defender’s handedness.
Flames Place Jake Bean On Injured Reserve
The Flames moved defenseman Jake Bean to injured reserve earlier today, per Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. He’s missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, his last outing being Dec. 6 against the Mammoth. He’s technically eligible to return for their next game against the Kings on Saturday, but will presumably miss more time than that.
This season has been a slog for the 27-year-old Bean. A first-round pick back in 2016, he’s been a frequent healthy scratch and has only played in 16 of Calgary’s 32 games. When dressed, he’s managed two points with a -7 rating while averaging 15:57 of ice time per game. He’s averaging a career-low 0.19 hits per game.
Despite the gaudy rating, the 6’1″ lefty has managed some good possession impacts. His 55.3% Corsi share ranks fourth on the team (min. 10 games), and his pairings with Brayden Pachal and MacKenzie Weegar have controlled 64.1% and 58.3% of expected goals at 5-on-5, respectively. He’s been the victim of abysmal shooting luck and goaltending, logging a PDO of 90.4 at even strength, which is second-worst on the team.
Calgary recalled Hunter Brzustewicz from the AHL earlier in the week in Bean’s absence. The 21-year-old was spectacular in his season debut last night against the Red Wings. He had a +1 rating and six shot attempts in 15:47 of ice time, and the Flames allowed just three shot attempts at 5-on-5 while he was on the ice. If that keeps up, Bean’s already diminished playing time may be gone entirely when he returns from injury.
The Calgary native is a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a two-year, $3.5MM deal as a free agent in 2024.
Logan Cooley Out Eight Weeks
The Mammoth have received clarity on star center Logan Cooley‘s recent lower-body injury, and it’s a mixed bag of news. He’ll be sidelined for at least eight weeks, the team announced.
Based on how it looked, Utah’s likely happy with the outcome, since it’s not a season-ending absence. In Cooley’s most recent appearance against the Canucks last Friday, he spun out while trying to deliver on a scoring chance and smacked his left knee into the right post of the Vancouver net, dislodging it. The bird’s-eye cam appeared to show significant stress on his knee during the collision, but a two-month timeline indicates there wasn’t significant structural damage.
It was the second time in a week that Cooley’s left knee took hard contact. He left a Nov. 29 game against the Blues after being involved in a knee-on-knee collision with Alexey Toropchenko. That also looked like a long-term absence, but he ended up with only an eyebrow-raising strain and was back in the lineup for their next game two days later.
What began as an auspicious season for Utah has turned into a rather anxiety-inducing one. Cooley, until now, hadn’t been a part of that. Still just 21 years old, he’s their leading goal-scorer with 14 in 29 appearances and has added nine assists for 23 points. He’s shooting at a team-high 23.7% clip and is averaging 17:49 of ice time per game, third among Mammoth forwards behind Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz.
Utah has already dropped three games in a row with Cooley out of the lineup. That’s brought them down to a 14-15-3 record, only scoring five goals in those three games. Their 8-2-0 tear through the beginning of October also props up that record. Since Oct. 28, the Mammoth are 6-13-3 (.341), the worst points percentage in the NHL during that span.
A team with an already below-average finishing rate losing its best shooter isn’t a good recipe to get them out of that hole. Their strong underlying numbers still give them a 35.1% chance of turning things around and making the playoffs, per MoneyPuck, but they’ll now have to string some wins together without the services of their top center. With other names down the middle like Barrett Hayton (five points in 27 games) and Jack McBain (nine points in 32 games) struggling to produce, it’s fair to wonder if general manager Bill Armstrong will begin to pursue stopgap options to give Utah a bigger offensive punch down the middle until Cooley can return.
Canucks Activate Thatcher Demko
Dec. 11: The Canucks formally announced Demko’s activation. Nikita Tolopilo was returned to AHL Abbotsford in the corresponding move. The 25-year-old Belarusian ends his recent string of call-ups with a 2-1-0 record in four appearances, posting a promising .911 SV% and 2.74 GAA.
Dec. 9: The Canucks are likely to have starting goaltender Thatcher Demko back in the crease when they host the Sabres on Thursday, head coach Adam Foote told reporters following last night’s game (including Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 950).
Demko’s return will come several days past his initial target date. The oft-injured starter sustained a lower-body injury against the Jets on Nov. 11, leaving the game after the first period. It’s believed to be a groin issue, unrelated to the knee issues that cost him a significant chunk of the 2024 calendar year. He was listed as week-to-week but was expected to be back in the lineup by the end of November.
While that didn’t happen, a late return is better than no return at all. Demko looked like his old self before landing on IR. His .903 SV% and 2.80 GAA in 10 starts don’t jump off the page, but they should when put in the context of Vancouver allowing a league-high 3.75 expected goals against per 60 minutes at all situations, per MoneyPuck. Demko has saved 6.3 goals above expected, and his save percentage is 25 points better than what high-workload backup option Kevin Lankinen has put on offer.
With an 11-16-3 record and seemingly unsolvable defensive warts, playoffs are all but out of the question in Vancouver this season. Getting Demko back should at least stop the bleeding, as the team now deals with offensive woes, scoring only 1.50 goals per game since Thanksgiving.
Demko’s early resurgence was significant in proving Vancouver didn’t significantly err by giving him a relatively rich three-year extension this summer. Kicking in next year, the deal carries a cap hit of $8.5MM and boasts a full no-movement clause. If Demko were to keep that level of play up and were open to a move if the Canucks engage in a complete teardown, that cap hit wouldn’t be prohibitive in trade talks.
Sabres Place Colten Ellis On Injured Reserve
The Sabres placed goaltender Colten Ellis on injured reserve today, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550. That opens the roster spot for forward Trevor Kuntar to join the team after signing a two-way deal yesterday.
Ellis, 25, was pulled from Tuesday’s overtime win over the Oilers by concussion spotters late in the first period. He took an inadvertent shoulder to the head from Edmonton right winger David Tomasek as he was cutting across the crease with the puck (video via Crossing Swords on X).
For at least the next two games, Buffalo’s three-goalie rotation is down to two. The Sabres nearly lost another netminder today when Alex Lyon briefly left practice in apparent pain, but he returned to the session and is expected to start tonight’s game against the Canucks as scheduled, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.
Ellis, a 2019 third-round pick by the Blues, didn’t have any NHL experience entering the season. He spent most of his pro career in the ECHL until last year, when he broke out as St. Louis’ third-stringer. He took over the starting role in AHL Springfield with a .922 SV% in 42 appearances.
The Blues were hoping to sneak him through waivers to start the season to keep him as insurance behind their tandem of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. However, the Sabres took their chance to claim him with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen facing injury concerns and the since-released Alexandar Georgiev coming off a disappointing preseason showing.
Instead of placing Ellis on waivers when Luukkonen returned and risk St. Louis reclaiming him, Buffalo has opted to carry three goaltenders for most of the season. With seven starts, Ellis has gotten the least playing time of the trio. He’s had a couple of standout appearances – a .935 SV% in his NHL debut against the Red Wings on Oct. 22 and a 32-save performance against the Oilers last month with just one goal allowed. On the whole, though, he’s been just as middling as what Luukkonen and Lyon have put on offer this season.
Ellis is the only Buffalo goalie with an above-average record, going 4-3-0, but his .895 SV% is second behind Lyon’s .899, and his 3.25 GAA is the worst. His -0.9 goals saved above expected put him in the middle between Lyon’s neutral mark and Luukkonen’s -2.4, per MoneyPuck.
It will be Luukkonen and Lyon’s crease for at least the next couple of games. Ellis will be eligible to come off IR on Dec. 18 against the Flyers.
They’ll use his spot to get the newly signed Kuntar into the mix. The Buffalo native is expected to sit in the press box tonight instead of making his NHL debut, though. The 2020 third-rounder by the Bruins began the season on a minor-league contract with AHL Rochester and had nine goals in 24 games, tied for the team lead, before landing an NHL deal.
Bruins Activate Charlie McAvoy
Charlie McAvoy is making a quicker return to action than anyone expected. The Bruins announced he’s been activated from injured reserve, putting him in the lineup tonight against the Jets, less than a month after major facial surgery as a result of taking a puck to the face. Boston has been operating with an open roster spot for several days, so no corresponding move is required.
The B’s have been without their top defensemen for the last 11 games. That coincided with a 6-5-0 record, boosted by an active three-game winning streak, showing up in a big way to keep themselves in the Atlantic Division playoff race while he was out. Regaining his two-way versatility is a major boon to a Boston team that’s been one of the worst 5-on-5 possession teams in the league.
McAvoy is without a goal this year but racked up 14 assists in 19 games before needing surgery, and he’s the only Boston defenseman with a positive shot differential (157-156) at 5-on-5. For a forward group that struggles to generate offense from its depth ranks, having his playmaking ability on the back end is crucial as well. Those 14 points still have him tops among Bruins rearguards and fifth on the team in scoring.
His pairing with Nikita Zadorov has been Boston’s best, both in controlling play and on the defensive end. They lead the team with a 56.7 xGF% and 1.78 xGA/60 at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck (min. 100 minutes). That xGA/60 figure is third in the league. Jonathan Aspirot, a 26-year-old rookie, has gotten most of the reps alongside Zadorov in McAvoy’s absence. The 6’0″ lefty has done a good job on his offside with a +8 rating in 18 appearances, although a 47.6% shot share and 43.8% expected goal share at 5-on-5 point toward that figure being inflated due to Jeremy Swayman‘s stellar goaltending.
With Henri Jokiharju and depth options Michael Callahan and Jordan Harris on injured reserve, McAvoy’s return is all the more important for Boston’s banged-up defense corps. Victor Söderström, who has one assist and a +3 rating in three games since being recalled from AHL Providence last week, is expected to be the odd man out while Aspirot stays in.
McAvoy’s conditioning will be something to keep an eye on. He still can’t eat solid food until the six-week mark after the surgery, and he told reporters late last week that he lost nearly 20 pounds in only a week and a half following surgery. They’ve found out a regimen to get some of that weight back, but expecting him to continue shouldering a near-24-minute workload may be a stretch. As a result, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising if the Bruins opted to dress seven defensemen at times in the coming days to limit his minutes.
Canucks Have A Clear Blueprint To Bring To Quinn Hughes Trade Discussions
The question of whether Quinn Hughes will sign an extension with the Canucks to keep him in Vancouver beyond the 2026-27 season remains an open book. However, the club having the worst record in the Western Conference, with a second straight playoff miss in sight, certainly doesn’t bode well for his future.
The recent uptick in reports of teams calling Vancouver about Hughes’ availability could be more rooted in conjecture than reality. With the Canucks’ lack of hesitance under the oversight of the Patrik Allvin/Jim Rutherford front office to move on from star players, though, a trade – whether this season, over the summer, or early next year – feels more probable than possible.
There will be rampant speculation about where he ends up and how it happens until a resolution, one way or another, comes to pass. He’s a bona fide top-three defenseman in the NHL and a top-15 player outright. At a $7.85MM cap hit (for now), he’s among the most affordable truly elite talents in the league. His lack of trade protection makes him a highly movable asset, too – especially if Vancouver pulls the trigger now, before he becomes a pending unrestricted free agent.
Even if they wait until the summer or next season to make a move, they’re still in for a gargantuan return. Those hoping for a discount because of his lack of team control past 2027 will be disappointed. No team is going to be willing to put forth a competitive-enough offer without a high degree of certainty – or at least optimism – that he will be willing to sign a long-term extension.
It feels like an exceedingly rare situation for a player of Hughes’ caliber to be legitimately available for trade with at least a full season left on his deal. There’s precedent for such a move, though.
The circumstances surrounding the first Erik Karlsson blockbuster, which sent him from the Senators to the Sharks in the 2018 offseason, are strikingly similar from both the player’s and the team’s perspective. Karlsson was a year older than Hughes at the time of the deal, but their value and reputation were extremely comparable. Both had recent Norris wins and multiple nominations. Both had top-10 MVP finishes (Karlsson had three at that point compared to Hughes’ one).
Organizationally, it’s fair to draw comparisons as well. The Senators’ record in 2017-18 had tanked to the second-worst point total in the East immediately after a resurgent 2016-17 campaign that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Final. The Canucks are trending toward a similar fate, albeit two years removed from their explosive 2023-24 regular season, when they captured the Pacific Division crown and came one game away from a WCF appearance. Both teams were center-needy. Ottawa had moved the preceding year to acquire Matt Duchene, but he didn’t last long with the Sens. Beyond Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who was also dealt within a couple of years, there wasn’t any long-term depth in the system.
Vancouver now has Braeden Cootes as a hopeful top-six option after selecting him No. 15 overall this year, but there are no other names in the system who project as everyday NHLers. Behind Elias Pettersson, there are no impact options on the NHL roster aside from a high-ceiling but independent Filip Chytil.
The Canucks, then, shouldn’t have too much trouble dictating their terms if trade negotiations do get serious. When Ottawa shipped out Karlsson (plus minor-league forward Francis Perron) with a year left on his deal, their return wasn’t entirely futures-focused.
Four players – plus three draft picks (a first and two seconds) – came back in the deal. The most high-profile skater at the time was the signing rights to center Joshua Norris, who was the Sharks’ clear-cut top prospect at the time and one year removed from being a top-20 pick. Winger Rudolfs Balcers was a fifth-rounder three years prior but was coming off a 48-point rookie season in the minors and was regarded as a top-five prospect in San Jose’s pool.
The two “help-now” names in the deal were still relatively young: Chris Tierney (24) and Dylan DeMelo (25). Tierney was coming off a 40-point breakout as San Jose’s third-line center, while DeMelo had seen his stock jump in a similar manner with 20 assists in 63 games as San Jose’s third right-shot option on the blue line.
As a result, Vancouver should be asking for – and getting – the same haul of draft picks, an under-20 center with first-round pedigree, a B-tier prospect, a young middle-six center, and a promising depth lefty on defense to help shoulder the loss of Hughes from a roster management perspective. Those hoping for a discount because he’s not team-controlled for more than two years will be disappointed. Canucks fans hoping for an immediately impactful top-six center will likely be as well.
The Devils have been the most frequently speculated destination for Hughes to unite him with his brothers, Jack and Luke. The notion of them being the favorite to acquire him – at least via trade and not free agency – falls apart when considering they don’t have a Norris-caliber center, or anything close to it, in their prospect pool. Their next wave of forwards is already relatively weak, and the top name – 2023 second-rounder Lenni Hameenäho – is a winger. Dawson Mercer would draw the comparison to Tierney, a considerably higher-value one, thanks to him tracking toward a second career 50-point season. Still, the Canucks will aim for a higher-ceiling and younger needle-mover as the centerpiece of the return down the middle to anchor the years-long retool that a Hughes trade will usher in.
With that in mind, from the Canucks’ perspective, that makes the Red Wings the most attractive suitor of the teams firmly linked to Hughes so far by a significant margin. Nate Danielson is a 2023 pick – further removed from the trade than Norris was – but was a higher selection at No. 9 overall and carries a bit more value, particularly as he’s solidifying a spot on Detroit’s roster already. They don’t have a similarly-aged comparable for Tierney, but could move veteran Andrew Copp, who’s scoring at a 40-point pace this season. That would rank eighth on the Canucks and second among centers behind Pettersson. Albert Johansson is perhaps a more well-regarded prospect than DeMelo was, but he is of similar age and role. That could help balance out the value gap between present-day Copp and 2018 Tierney. The Canucks could take their pick from Detroit’s bevy of B-level prospects.
Any team looking to match or exceed that package will need to meet the prerequisite of having a center – likely selected with a top 20 pick in the last two or three years – to start with. A name like Philadelphia’s Jett Luchanko would generate significant intrigue if paired with roster players like Noah Cates and Egor Zamula, for example.
The checklist is clear: a future high-end top-six center, a quality middle-six center, a young depth defender, a promising mid-to-late-round draft pick, plus the three picks. Let the mock trades fire away.
Image courtesy of Simon Fearn-Imagn Images.
Blue Jackets Activate Boone Jenner, Reassign Luca Del Bel Belluz
The Blue Jackets announced they’ve activated captain Boone Jenner from injured reserve, paving the way for him to return to the lineup tonight against the Senators as expected. Center Luca Del Bel Belluz was returned to AHL Cleveland in the corresponding move.
Jenner, 32, hasn’t played in exactly a month. He’s missed 14 games with an upper-body injury he sustained Nov. 11 against the Kraken. That news was initially of particular concern after Jenner missed the first several months of last season following shoulder surgery, but this injury ended up being unrelated.
Without their captain, the Jackets have treaded water with a 5-4-5 record. Even with collecting so many overtime/shootout losses, that hasn’t been enough to help them keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. With sluggish contenders like the Panthers and Maple Leafs turning around their poor starts, Columbus’ 13-11-6 record has them third-last in the conference – although still well within reach of a playoff spot. While they have several teams to leapfrog, they’re only three points back of the Flyers for a wild-card spot and still have a respectable 20.9% chance of returning to the dance for the first time since 2020, per MoneyPuck.
Jenner will need to be a big part of that the rest of the way. The lifelong Jacket has been in something of a shooting slump since returning from his shoulder injury last year, finishing at a 9.8% clip. With 29 points in 42 games since then, though, his overall point production has remained a good bit above his career average. He’s got a 3-7–10 scoring line in 16 games this season, placing him sixth on the team at 0.63 points per game.
A natural center, Columbus has shifted Jenner to the wing as multiple young pivots come down the pike. He’s spent most of his time in the lineup flanking Adam Fantilli, usually with Kent Johnson on the opposite flank. They didn’t have great chemistry. Their 42.1% share of expected goals and 2.58 xGF/60 are the lowest among the Jackets’ five forward lines with at least 50 minutes together. Nonetheless, that trio is staying together in his return to the lineup, per Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com.
Del Bel Belluz’s second recall of the season draws to an end after nine days. He was summoned from Cleveland on an emergency basis on Dec. 2 after Mathieu Olivier landed on IR. With his presence on the roster no longer required to give Columbus 12 healthy forwards, they either had to return him to the AHL or shift his recall into a standard one.
In the last four games, the 22-year-old was a virtual non-factor. He had no points and an even rating while averaging 8:10 of ice time per game, going 8-for-19 on draws (42.1%) with five blocks. Limited ice time isn’t the best use of the 2022 second-round pick’s development. He’s done well when placed higher up in Columbus’ lineup before, posting eight points in 15 games last season when elevated into top-nine duties, but with his all-around ceiling not yet realized, it’s best to keep him in the minors until he’s fully ready to step into major minutes for the Jackets.
He’s likely not too far off from doing so. He’s operating at a point-per-game pace through 11 AHL contests after leading Cleveland with 27 goals in 61 games last year. They’ll continue to give him periodic check-ins at the NHL level to evaluate his game before he seriously competes for an opening-night job next fall.