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Cam Atkinson To Retire
After a 13-season NHL career, veteran winger Cam Atkinson is hanging up his skates. The Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that they’ll be signing him to a one-day contract and will officially honor his retirement on Oct. 16 against the Avalanche. He’s expected to join Columbus in a front-office capacity at some point down the road, but that announcement won’t be coming now, he told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
Atkinson is one of the better draft steals in Blue Jackets franchise history, coming to them in the sixth round in 2008. He signed with Columbus three years later after a great run at Boston College and made his NHL debut in 2011-12, although it took him another two years to fully establish himself on the active roster. After going up and down between Columbus and AHL Springfield, Atkinson broke out into a top-six role for the 2013-14 season. He finished third on the team with 21 goals and fourth with 40 points in 79 appearances, helping fuel the Jackets to a then-franchise record 43-win season that resulted in their second-ever playoff appearance.
The undersized but skilled Atkinson remained a fixture in Columbus’ top six for the balance of the decade. He was a two-time All-Star, including his career-best 41-goal, 69-point effort in 2018-19 – leading the team in goals in the year they orchestrated one of the most drastic upsets in league history by sweeping the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Lightning in the first round for their first series win in franchise history. After the COVID-shortened 2021 season, Atkinson had totaled a 213-189–402 scoring line in 627 games for Columbus, still holding up as the second-leading goalscorer and point-getter in the Jackets’ record books behind Rick Nash.
After Atkinson’s points per game production peaked at 0.86 in that career year, he only managed to produce at about a 0.60 pace over the next two years. That soft decline led Columbus to ship Atkinson to the Flyers in the 2021 offseason in a one-for-one swap for Jakub Voráček. In hindsight, it ended up being a bit of a lose-lose endeavor. Atkinson seemed to pop back into form with a 23-27–50 effort in 73 games in 2021-22, but a neck injury sustained in the following training camp ended up costing him the entire 2022-23 season and accelerating his decline. He had just 28 points in 70 games for Philly upon returning to play in 2023-24, leading the club to buy out the final year of the seven-year, $41.13MM extension he signed with Columbus back in 2017.
Atkinson became an unrestricted free agent a year ahead of schedule and signed on with the Lightning on a one-year deal worth $900K. The bounceback he was looking for never came, though. He struggled to stick in the lineup and played sparingly when he did dress, averaging just nine minutes per game across 39 contests. After finishing the year with a 4-5–9 scoring line, the Lightning were quick to say Atkinson wouldn’t be brought back.
Atkinson told Portzline that he received professional tryout offers this summer but declined them, saying he essentially made up his mind when he made his final regular-season appearance for Tampa. He ends his career with a 253-236–489 scoring line in 809 appearances, including a -11 rating while averaging north of 17 minutes per game. We at Pro Hockey Rumors congratulate Atkinson on a lengthy and successful pro career and wish him the best in whatever comes next.
Image courtesy of Kim Klement-Imagn Images.
Avalanche Reassign Jack Ahcan
The Avalanche assigned defenseman Jack Ahcan outright to AHL Colorado, according to a team announcement. Ahcan had cleared waivers on Monday but was not immediately reassigned, remaining with the club as a healthy scratch for their opening night win over the Kings on Tuesday. His demotion indicates that defenseman Ilya Solovyov, whom Colorado plucked off the wire from the Flames last week, has resolved his work visa issues and is ready to come off the non-roster list.
Ahcan, 28, is entering his third season in the Colorado organization. He was very briefly an unrestricted free agent on July 1 before opting to return to Colorado on a one-year, two-way deal that guarantees him at least $450K. He initially joined the Avs on a two-year, two-way deal as a Group VI UFA back in 2023.
Before that, Ahcan was in the Bruins’ pipeline. They signed him as an undrafted free agent out of St. Cloud State in 2020. He saw brief NHL looks with Boston in his first two professional seasons, making nine appearances for the club from 2020-22. He was given a somewhat long leash, averaging 17:34 per game, but only scored one goal with a -6 rating with middling possession numbers. After that, Ahcan didn’t appear in an NHL game again until last season, skating in a pair of late-season games as Colorado rested its NHL regulars. He averaged 15:48 over that pair of games while recording a shot, block, and three hits.
The 5’9″ lefty has created enough offense at the minor-league level to stay afloat. He’s coming off a career-best effort with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Eagles, posting a 5-36–41 line in 69 appearances. In 272 career AHL appearances, he has 23 goals and 125 assists for 148 points with a +22 rating.
Colorado will keep Ahcan in the organization for the balance of the season as one of their primary recall options should they need a fill-in on the NHL roster, particularly if there’s a need for a puck-mover.
2026-27 Salary Cap Will Likely Increase Past $104MM
Last season, the NHL made an unprecedented decision to release an official salary cap figure well in advance of the upcoming campaign. Not only did they lock in this year’s $95.5MM upper limit number well in advance of when they normally do, but they also informed teams that the league and NHLPA had agreed upon a $104MM cap for 2026-27 and a $113.5MM cap for 2027-28.
Those figures were subject to “potential minor adjustments,” however, and it appears those may already be coming into play. Next season’s figure may rise by as much as $3MM to an upper limit of $107MM, sources tell Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
That would be a 12% increase from this season’s number, almost as large a jump as the change from last year to this one that kicked off the post-pandemic era of rapid salary cap growth. Last year’s salary cap was set at $88MM before jumping to $95.5MM for 2025-26, a 13.1% increase.
An upper limit of $107MM for 2026-27 would thus mean a salary cap increase of $19MM in just two years. For context, a player who signed a contract carrying a $5MM cap hit in 2024-25 would be making $6.1MM per season if he signed for the same percentage of the cap in 2026-27 as he did two years prior. For the league’s new highest-paid player, Kirill Kaprizov, his $17MM AAV extension that takes effect next season would be equivalent to $14MM if signed for the same percentage of the cap in 2024-25.
While not a sure thing, it’s a fair assumption that a slight increase in next year’s cap would mean further upscaling of 2027-28’s $113.5MM number as well. The percentage increase between the initial two figures for 2026-27 and 2027-28 was 9.1%. If that’s now based on an $107MM upper limit for 2026-27, the upper limit for 2027-28 could theoretically be near the $117MM range.
It’s great news for the 2026 free agent class, particularly since a good portion of its high-profile names have come off the market in the weeks leading up to this season. Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Kyle Connor have taken themselves off the market, leaving remaining headliners like Jack Eichel, Adrian Kempe, Martin Nečas, and Artemi Panarin even more room to cash in, whether that’s as a UFA or on an extension.
Devils Recall Zack MacEwen
The Devils announced today that they have recalled forward Zack MacEwen from AHL Utica. He was acquired from the Senators in exchange for fellow enforcer Kurtis MacDermid last week, but was placed on waivers the following day and subsequently cleared. No corresponding transaction is required; the team opened up two spots by reassigning Lenni Hämeenaho and Shane Lachance to Utica last night, and only filled one of them by signing veteran camp invite Luke Glendening.
MacEwen, 29, is now on his fourth team in the last four years. The undrafted 6’4″ forward can play all forward positions and, while he’s enjoyed some offensive success at the AHL level, has been a fourth-line tough guy type through the entirety of his seven-year NHL career to date. He has a 17-17–34 career scoring line in 237 appearances, including 323 PIMs and 523 hits for averages of 112 and 181 per 82 games, respectively.
While Hämeenaho and Lachance are a pair of intriguing youngsters in New Jersey’s pipeline, it’s clear now they were only included on the opening night roster for salary cap purposes as they aimed to maximize the initial relief from placing defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic on long-term injured reserve. Glendening should be in the opening-night lineup – he spent most of camp centering the fourth line between Paul Cotter and rookie Arseny Gritsyuk – while MacEwen should be ticketed for a press-box role to start.
He could end up back on waivers once winger Stefan Noesen is ready to come off injured reserve, which isn’t expected to be anytime soon. If it’s before Nov. 4, though, MacEwen could head straight back to Utica without clearing waivers since he’s already done so in the last 30 days.
Kevin Labanc Signs With KHL’s Shanghai Dragons
Winger Kevin Labanc has signed with the Shanghai Dragons of the Kontinental Hockey League, the team announced. He had attended the Hurricanes’ training camp on a PTO but was released several days ago.
Labanc, 30 in December, was once one of the league’s more intriguing young players, but his peak was early and short-lived. He fell to the Sharks in the sixth round of the 2014 draft but immediately exploded for a pair of 100-point seasons with the OHL’s Barrie Colts before turning pro with San Jose in 2016.
He stuck immediately, barely seeing any minor-league action in his first pro season and quickly emerging as a top-nine threat on a loaded Sharks group that still included all of Logan Couture, Tomáš Hertl, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, and Joe Thornton. By his second year, he was averaging over 14 minutes per game and by Year 3, he played in all 82 games while recording a 17-39–56 scoring line to rank sixth on the team in scoring.
That would be the end of Labanc’s forward progress. He was a restricted free agent after his breakout year and, in hindsight, the Sharks were blessed to be cap-strapped and only sign him to a one-year, $1MM bridge. As the Sharks crumbled the following season, so did Labanc, whose production dropped to 33 points in 70 games along with a team-worst -33 rating. They still chose to reward that with a four-year, $18.9MM contract, betting on his upside. He still averaged 32 points per 82 games over that deal, but availability was an issue – dragged down by the pandemic and a dislocated shoulder that cost him most of the 2021-22 campaign, Labanc only averaged 49 appearances per season. By the end of the contract, he was no longer a regular in San Jose’s lineup and sat as a healthy scratch 32 times in the 2023-24 season.
Unsurprisingly, the Sharks moved on. Labanc even failed to land a guaranteed offer in free agency and settled for a camp tryout with the Devils, who ultimately decided not to sign him. He still ended up landing a one-year, league-minimum contract with the Blue Jackets, though. He was a serviceable bottom-six depth scorer for Columbus, notching a 2-10–12 scoring line in 34 games in just 10:30 per night until another shoulder surgery ended his season in February.
Like the summer before, Labanc didn’t have any offers on July 1. He was receiving KHL interest from CSKA Moscow relatively early in free agency, but declined it in hopes of still landing an NHL deal. After not converting on his PTO with Carolina, though, he’ll head to the KHL’s lone China-based club (although they currently play in St. Petersburg) to play under longtime NHL head coach Gerard Gallant.
Oilers Extend Mattias Ekholm
The Oilers announced that they have agreed to a three-year contract extension with defenseman Mattias Ekholm. It runs from 2026-27 through 2028-29 with a cap hit of $4MM and a total value of $12MM. According to Ryan Rishaug of TSN, he’ll have a $2MM signing bonus with a $2MM salary in 2026-27, followed by a flat $4MM salary in the final two years. He will have a no-movement clause for the life of the contract. Ekholm was previously slated for unrestricted free agency after this season.
Ekholm, 35, has long been a quality top-four piece and one of the league’s better two-way defenders. The 6’5″ lefty was drafted in the fourth round in 2009 by the Predators, with whom he’s spent the vast majority of his career. He first cracked the NHL lineup two years later and was a full-timer by 2013, one of many high-end young defenders Nashville was churning out in that era alongside Ryan Ellis, Seth Jones, and Roman Josi. He was a top-four staple by the time Nashville’s championship contention window opened, culminating in a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017, and peaked with a 10th-place finish in Norris Trophy voting in the 2018-19 season.
While Ekholm signed a four-year, $25MM extension with Nashville in 2021, he wouldn’t play very much for the Preds under that deal. With the club falling out of the playoff race in 2022-23 and the Oilers in desperate need of a needle-mover on defense, Edmonton surrendered a haul that included Tyson Barrie, recent first-round pick Reid Schaefer, plus their 2023 first-round pick to acquire Ekholm with three full seasons still left on his deal at a $6.25MM cap hit, which Nashville brought down to $6MM for the Oilers with a small amount of retention.
Since the deal, Ekholm has more than held up his end of the bargain. He’s been a staple on Edmonton’s top pair alongside offensive dynamo Evan Bouchard, highlighted by a dominant 2023-24 campaign that saw him record a career-high 11-34–45 scoring line in 79 games along with a dominant +44 rating. He finished 12th in Norris voting that year, controlling a remarkable 62.8% of expected goals on his pairing with Bouchard, according to MoneyPuck.
Last year was more of the same. He had 33 points in 65 games with a +11 rating, averaging north of 22 minutes per game, until a torn adductor effectively ended his regular season in March. He missed the vast majority of Edmonton’s second straight run to the Cup Final as a result, although he did return for the clinching Game 5 of the Western Conference Final and played through the entirety of the Cup Final. He wasn’t fully healthy and had his minutes capped at a slightly more conservative 21:35 per game as a result, but he still managed an even rating and remained involved offensively with a goal and five assists.
He remained stapled to Bouchard, and while they weren’t quite as dominant at controlling play as they were in 2023-24, they still controlled a sparkling 59.5% of expected goals together, finishing second in the league among pairings who logged at least 500 minutes. With his point production yet to see a sharp decline and his under-the-hood numbers remaining some of the best in the league in a system that serves him well, it’s easy to see why the Oilers don’t have a ton of concern about signing him through his age-38 season – particularly at a price as attractive as $4MM per season for a top-pair blue liner, far below his present market value.
Last week, it looked like Edmonton would enter the season with four big-name pending UFAs: Ekholm, Stuart Skinner, Jake Walman, and, in a category of his own, Connor McDavid. Three of those names have signed in the last three days. Walman’s seven-year, $49MM extension means Edmonton’s top four blue-liners, Bouchard and Darnell Nurse included, are now all signed through 2029, when Bouchard and Ekholm will be UFAs. There’s McDavid’s “win-now-or-lose-me” two-year, $25MM extension as well that keeps all of Edmonton’s true core in place through at least 2028, giving them three more legitimate chances at a championship before their window might begin to close.
With Ekholm and McDavid taking significant discounts, things are looking quite comfortable for Edmonton next summer. The club projects to have at least $18.71MM in cap space to fill eight roster spots, a number that could rise by a few million if the cap increases past its projected $104MM limit. While the big names are taken care of, there’s still serviceable depth like Adam Henrique, Kasperi Kapanen, and Brett Kulak on expiring deals, plus their top two goalies in Skinner and Calvin Pickard.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Maple Leafs Recall Top Prospect Easton Cowan
The Maple Leafs announced that No. 1 prospect Easton Cowan has been recalled from AHL Toronto. He was expected to be included on the club’s opening night roster but was assigned to the minors on Monday as the team claimed Sammy Blais and Cayden Primeau off waivers and set their LTIR capture with defenseman Marshall Rifai. Forward Jacob Quillan has been assigned to the AHL in a corresponding move.
Whether Cowan makes his NHL debut tonight when the Leafs open their season against the Canadiens remains to be seen. The 20-year-old was a late riser in the 2023 draft, fueled by a strong combine performance, and went 28th overall to Toronto. He’s slotted in as the organization’s top-ranked prospect ever since and still holds the title over 2024 first-rounder Ben Danford, according to NHL.com. The 6’0″ center has enjoyed an offensive surge in juniors in the two years following his selection but also plays an intriguing physical brand.
While Cowan wasn’t technically on Toronto’s initial roster submission, he would have broken camp with the team if not for roster constraints. He was a late cut in each of the last two seasons after signing his entry-level contract back in August 2023 and had a good preseason showing for the Leafs, managing two assists in five games while generating seven individual scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick. He looked like a sure bet to open the season as Toronto’s fourth-line right wing alongside Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton, a spot where he spent virtually all of training camp, until Laughton was sidelined late in preseason with a lower-body injury and landed on IR to start the year.
Two years on from draft day, Cowan is still considered a top-100 prospect in the NHL – checking in as high as No. 48 league-wide in preseason rankings by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. He’s been the offensive centerpiece of a dominant London Knights team in the OHL over the past two seasons, winning a pair of league championships. He’s led the OHL postseason in scoring in back-to-back years – same with the Memorial Cup – and has won MVP honors once in each tournament. Since draft day, Cowan has amassed 92 goals, 161 assists, 253 points, and a +105 rating in 144 regular-season, playoff, and Memorial Cup games – a rate of 1.76 points per game.
That resume, plus Cowan’s strong camp performance, was enough for the Leafs to risk exposing serviceable depth forwards David Kämpf and Michael Pezzetta to waivers in order to keep maneuverability open to get him a spot. After “making” the team, Cowan’s attention now turns toward staying in the lineup and putting himself ahead of names like Blais, Calle Järnkrok, and Nicholas Robertson on the depth chart.
His $873,500 cap hit is ever so slightly less than Quillan’s $875,000 cap hit, explaining why the latter was included to help them get as close as possible to unlocking the max $775,000 worth of initial relief that placing Rifai on LTIR provides (he had wrist surgery last month). While Quillan’s initial inclusion may have only been for cap purposes, it likely won’t be the last of him on Toronto’s roster this season. An undrafted free agent signed out of Quinnipiac in 2024, Quillan had 37 points in 67 AHL games last season and earned his first NHL call-up, although he was injured early and skated just 5:21 in a January game against the Senators.
Quillan is a pending restricted free agent and has two waiver-exempt seasons remaining, unless he hits 70 career NHL games before the end of the 2026-27 campaign. The 23-year-old will look toward next training camp as a chance to stick around as a depth checking forward.
2025-26 NHL Active Roster Tracker
PHR’s Active Roster Tracker is back for the 2025-26 season! Each team’s current list of game-available players, plus injured reserve, non-roster, and suspended players, will be updated here daily throughout the campaign.
You can find this article at any time by using the Flame menu on our mobile website or under Pro Hockey Rumors Features on the right sidebar of our desktop page.
Anaheim Ducks
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Feb. 1, 7:00 p.m.
Forwards (14): Sam Colangelo, Cutter Gauthier, Mikael Granlund, Jansen Harkins, Ross Johnston, Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider, Mason McTavish, Ryan Poehling, Beckett Sennecke, Ryan Strome, Troy Terry, Jeffrey Viel, Tim Washe
Defenseman (7): Radko Gudas, Drew Helleson, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, Ian Moore, Jacob Trouba, Olen Zellweger
Goaltenders (2): Lukáš Dostál, Ville Husso
IR: F Leo Carlsson (thigh, week-to-week), G Petr Mrázek (undisclosed, indefinite), F Frank Vatrano (shoulder, mid-February)
Boston Bruins
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Feb. 11, 12:47 p.m.
Forwards (13): Viktor Arvidsson, Michael Eyssimont, Morgan Geekie, Tanner Jeannot, Mark Kastelic, Marat Khusnutdinov, Sean Kuraly, Elias Lindholm, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, David Pastrňák, Alex Steeves, Pavel Zacha
Defensemen (8): Jonathan Aspirot, Jordan Harris, Henri Jokiharju, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, Andrew Peeke, Nikita Zadorov
Goaltenders (2): Joonas Korpisalo, Jeremy Swayman
Buffalo Sabres
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Feb. 3, 9:39 a.m.
Forwards (14): Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Jordan Greenway, Konsta Helenius, Tyson Kozak, Peyton Krebs, Beck Malenstyn, Ryan McLeod, Noah Ostlund, Jack Quinn, Isak Rosen, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker
Defensemen (7): Jacob Bryson, Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Michael Kesselring, Zach Metsa, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson
Goaltenders (2): Colten Ellis, Alex Lyon
IR: F Justin Danforth (lower body, month-to-month), F Joshua Dunne (mid body, proj. return Feb. 25), F Jiri Kulich (blood clot, indefinite), G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body, week-to-week), F Joshua Norris (upper body, week-to-week), D Conor Timmins (leg, proj. return Feb. 5)
Calgary Flames
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 2, 6:16 p.m.
Forwards (12): Mikael Backlund, Matthew Coronato, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Matvei Gridin, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, Adam Klapka, Ryan Lomberg, Martin Pospisil, Yegor Sharangovich, Connor Zary
Defensemen (8): Kevin Bahl, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joel Hanley, Yan Kuznetsov, Brayden Pachal, Zayne Parekh, MacKenzie Weegar, Zach Whitecloud
Goaltenders (2): Devin Cooley, Dustin Wolf
IR: D Jake Bean (undisclosed, indefinite), F John Beecher (upper body, week-to-week), F Blake Coleman (upper body, day-to-day), F Samuel Honzek (upper body, out for season)
Carolina Hurricanes
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 2, 5:41 p.m.
Forwards (13): Sebastian Aho, Jackson Blake, William Carrier, Nikolaj Ehlers, Taylor Hall, Mark Jankowski, Seth Jarvis, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jordan Martinook, Eric Robinson, Jordan Staal, Logan Stankoven, Andrei Svechnikov
Defensemen (7): Jalen Chatfield, Shayne Gostisbehere, K’Andre Miller, Alexander Nikishin, Mike Reilly, Jaccob Slavin, Sean Walker
Goaltenders (2): Frederik Andersen, Brandon Bussi
IR: G Pyotr Kochetkov (undisclosed, indefinite)
Chicago Blackhawks
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Jan. 31, 9:00 a.m.
Forwards (14): Connor Bedard, Tyler Bertuzzi, André Burakovsky, Colton Dach, Jason Dickinson, Ryan Donato, Nick Foligno, Ryan Greene, Sam Lafferty, Ilya Mikheyev, Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert, Teuvo Teräväinen
Defensemen (7): Louis Crevier, Matt Grzelcyk, Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, Connor Murphy, Sam Rinzel, Alex Vlasic
Goaltenders (2): Spencer Knight, Arvid Söderblom
IR: D Ryan Ellis (pelvic tear, retired), D Shea Weber (ankle, retired)
Colorado Avalanche
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Jan. 31, 4:30 p.m.
Forwards (14): Zakhar Bardakov, Gavin Brindley, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Parker Kelly, Joel Kiviranta, Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon, Taylor Makar, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Valeri Nichushkin, Victor Olofsson
Defensemen (6): Brent Burns, Samuel Girard, Cale Makar, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson, Devon Toews
Goaltenders (2): Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood
LTIR: F Logan O’Connor (hip, proj. return Nov. 6 – Dec. 6)
SOIR: D Jacob MacDonald (hip, proj. return Feb. 4 – March 4)
Columbus Blue Jackets
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Jan. 28, 1:15 p.m.
Forwards (13): Charlie Coyle, Adam Fantilli, Danton Heinen, Boone Jenner, Kent Johnson, Isac Lundeström, Kirill Marchenko, Mason Marchment, Sean Monahan, Mathieu Olivier, Cole Sillinger, Dmitri Voronkov, Miles Wood
Defensemen (8): Jake Christiansen, Dante Fabbro, Erik Gudbranson, Denton Mateychuk, Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson, Zach Werenski, Egor Zamula
Goaltenders (2): Jet Greaves, Elvis Merzļikins
IR: D Brendan Smith (lower leg, week-to-week)
Dallas Stars
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Jan. 21, 1:45 p.m.
Forwards (14): Oskar Bäck, Nathan Bastian, Jamie Benn, Colin Blackwell, Mavrik Bourque, Matt Duchene, Adam Erne, Radek Faksa, Roope Hintz, Justin Hryckowian, Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Sam Steel
Defensemen (7): Kyle Capobianco, Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Nils Lundkvist, Ilya Lyubushkin, Alexander Petrovic
Goaltenders (2): Casey DeSmith, Jake Oettinger
LTIR: D Lian Bichsel (lower body, mid-January), F Tyler Seguin (ACL, indefinite)
Detroit Red Wings
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 3, 9:48 a.m.
Forwards (12): Mason Appleton, J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp, Alex DeBrincat, Emmitt Finnie, Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, Dylan Larkin, Michael Rasmussen, Lucas Raymond, Elmer Söderblom, James van Riemsdyk
Defensemen (7): Jacob Bernard-Docker, Ben Chiarot, Erik Gustafsson, Travis Hamonic, Albert Johansson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Moritz Seider
Goaltenders (2): John Gibson, Cam Talbot
IR: D Simon Edvinsson (lower-body, proj. return Feb. 26)
Edmonton Oilers
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Jan. 29, 10:30 a.m.
Forwards (13): Leon Draisaitl, Trent Frederic, Zach Hyman, Mattias Janmark, Kasperi Kapanen, Curtis Lazar, Andrew Mangiapane, Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Vasily Podkolzin, Jack Roslovic, Josh Samanski, Matthew Savoie
Defensemen (7): Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, Ty Emberson, Darnell Nurse, Alec Regula, Spencer Stastney, Jake Walman
Goaltenders (3): Connor Ingram, Tristan Jarry, Calvin Pickard
LTIR: F Adam Henrique (undisclosed, proj. return Feb. 25)
Florida Panthers
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 7, 1:30 p.m.
Forwards (14): Sam Bennett, Jesper Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Luke Kunin, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues, Mackie Samoskevich, Cole Schwindt, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, Sandis Vilmanis
Defensemen (6): Uvis Balinskis, Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Jeff Petry, Donovan Sebrango
Goaltenders (2): Sergei Bobrovsky, Daniil Tarasov
LTIR: F Aleksander Barkov (right ACL/MCL, proj. return April 26 – June 26), D Tobias Bjornfot (undisclosed), F Jonah Gadjovich (upper body, proj. return Feb. 8), D Seth Jones (upper body, week-to-week), D Dmitry Kulikov (torn labrum, proj. return March 15), F Tomas Nosek (knee, month-to-month)
Los Angeles Kings
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 7, 1:30 p.m.
Forwards (14): Joel Armia, Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala, Warren Foegele, Samuel Helenius, Adrian Kempe, Anže Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko, Alex Laferriere, Jeff Malott, Trevor Moore, Artemi Panarin, Corey Perry, Taylor Ward
Defensemen (6): Cody Ceci, Brandt Clarke, Drew Doughty, Brian Dumoulin, Joel Edmundson, Jacob Moverare
Goaltenders (2): Anton Forsberg, Darcy Kuemper
IR: Mikey Anderson (upper body, indefinite), F Alex Turcotte (upper body, indefinite)
Minnesota Wild
Roster size: 20/23
Last updated Feb. 5, 12:44 p.m.
Forwards (12): Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Vinnie Hinostroza, Marcus Johansson, Kirill Kaprizov, Nico Sturm, Vladimir Tarasenko, Yakov Trenin, Danila Yurov, Mats Zuccarello
Defensemen (6): Zach Bogosian, Brock Faber, Quinn Hughes, Daemon Hunt, Jacob Middleton, Jared Spurgeon
Goaltenders (2): Filip Gustavsson, Jesper Wallstedt
IR: D Jonas Brodin (lower body, week-to-week)
Montreal Canadiens
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Jan. 20, 11:00 a.m.
Forwards (14): Josh Anderson, Sammy Blais, Zachary Bolduc, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Phillip Danault, Ivan Demidov, Jake Evans, Brendan Gallagher, Oliver Kapanen, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, Alexandre Texier, Joe Veleno
Defensemen (7): Alexandre Carrier, Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj
Goaltenders (2): Jakub Dobes, Sam Montembeault
IR: F Patrik Laine (abdomen, indefinite), F Alex Newhook (ankle, proj. return March 17)
Nashville Predators
Roster size: 21/23
Last updated Feb. 5, 7:45 p.m.
Forwards (12): Michael Bunting, Luke Evangelista, Filip Forsberg, Erik Haula, Tyson Jost, Jonathan Marchessault, Michael McCarron, Ryan O’Reilly, Reid Schaefer, Cole Smith, Steven Stamkos, Ozzy Wiesblatt
Defensemen (7): Justin Barron, Nick Blankenburg, Nicolas Hague, Roman Josi, Nick Perbix, Brady Skjei, Adam Wilsby
Goaltenders (2): Justus Annunen, Juuse Saros
New Jersey Devils
Roster size: 21/23
Last updated Feb. 5, 9:16 p.m.
Forwards (13): Nick Bjugstad, Jesper Bratt, Connor Brown, Paul Cotter, Evgenii Dadonov, Cody Glass, Luke Glendening, Arseny Gritsyuk, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer, Maxim Tsyplakov
Defensemen (6): Brenden Dillon, Dougie Hamilton, Johnathan Kovacevic, Simon Nemec, Brett Pesce, Jonas Siegenthaler
Goaltenders (2): Jake Allen, Jacob Markstrom
LTIR: D Luke Hughes (separated shoulder, indefinite), F Zack MacEwen (lower body, season), F Stefan Noesen (knee, indefinite)
SOIR: F Marc McLaughlin (undisclosed, indefinite)
New York Islanders
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Jan. 27, 11:15 a.m.
Forwards (14): Mathew Barzal, Casey Cizikas, Jonathan Drouin, Anthony Duclair, Marc Gatcomb, Emil Heineman, Simon Holmström, Bo Horvat, Anders Lee, Kyle MacLean, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ondřej Palát, Calum Ritchie, Maxim Shabanov
Defensemen (7): Adam Boqvist, Tony DeAngelo, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Matthew Schaefer, Carson Soucy
Goaltenders (2): David Rittich, Ilya Sorokin
LTIR: F Pierre Engvall (ankle, out for season), F Kyle Palmieri (ACL, out for season), D Alexander Romanov (upper body, indefinite), G Semyon Varlamov (knee, indefinite)
New York Rangers
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 4, 3:16 p.m.
Forwards (12): Jonny Brodzinski, Sam Carrick, William Cuylle, Noah Laba, Alexis Lafrenière, J.T. Miller, Brennan Othmann, Gabriel Perreault, Taylor Raddysh, Matt Rempe, Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad
Defensemen (8): William Borgen, Vladislav Gavrikov, Vincent Iorio, Connor Mackey, Scott Morrow, Matthew Robertson, Braden Schneider, Urho Vaakanainen
Goaltenders (2): Spencer Martin, Jonathan Quick
IR: G Igor Shesterkin (lower body, day-to-day)
LTIR: F Adam Edstrom (lower body, week-to-week), D Adam Fox (lower body, week-to-week), F Conor Sheary (lower body, indefinite)
Ottawa Senators
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Jan. 31, 10:20 a.m.
Forwards (13): Michael Amadio, Drake Batherson, Nick Cousins, Dylan Cozens, Lars Eller, Claude Giroux, Ridly Greig, Stephen Halliday, Kurtis MacDermid, Shane Pinto, Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk, Fabian Zetterlund
Defensemen (7): Thomas Chabot, Nick Jensen, Tyler Kleven, Nikolas Matinpalo, Jake Sanderson, Jordan Spence, Artem Zub
Goaltenders (2): James Reimer, Linus Ullmark
IR: F David Perron (sports hernia, proj. return March 14)
Philadelphia Flyers
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Feb. 2, 10:30 a.m.
Forwards (13): Denver Barkey, Bobby Brink, Noah Cates, Sean Couturier, Nicolas Deslauriers, Christian Dvorak, Nikita Grebenkin, Carl Grundström, Garnet Hathaway, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, Owen Tippett, Trevor Zegras
Defensemen (7): Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale, Noah Juulsen, Rasmus Ristolainen, Travis Sanheim, Nick Seeler, Cam York
Goaltenders (3): Samuel Ersson, Aleksei Kolosov, Daniel Vladař
IR: F Rodrigo Abols (upper body, indefinite), F Tyson Foerster (arm surgery, proj. return May 17)
Pittsburgh Penguins
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Feb. 5, 7:15 p.m.
Forwards (14): Noel Acciari, Justin Brazeau, Yegor Chinakhov, Sidney Crosby, Connor Dewar, Avery Hayes, Kevin Hayes, Benjamin Kindel, Evgeni Malkin, Anthony Mantha, Rutger McGroarty, Thomas Novak, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust
Defensemen (7): Connor Clifton, Ryan Graves, Erik Karlsson, Brett Kulak, Ryan Shea, Ilya Solovyov, Parker Wotherspoon
Goaltenders (2): Arturs Silovs, Stuart Skinner
IR: F Filip Hallander (blood clots, proj. return early-mid Feb.), D Caleb Jones (lower body, proj. return Jan. 17), D Kris Letang (foot, proj. return in early March), D Jack St. Ivany (hand surgery, eight weeks)
SOIR: F Tanner Howe (ACL, proj. return Jan. 24)
Non-Roster: F Blake Lizotte(personal)
San Jose Sharks
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated: Feb. 4, 4:24 p.m.
Forwards (14): Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, Adam Gaudette, Barclay Goodrow, Collin Graf, Philipp Kurashev, Michael Misa, Zack Ostapchuk, Pavol Regenda, Kiefer Sherwood, Jeff Skinner, Will Smith, Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg
Defensemen (7): Vincent Desharnais, Sam Dickinson, Mario Ferraro, John Klingberg, Timothy Liljegren, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Dmitry Orlov
Goaltenders (2): Yaroslav Askarov, Alex Nedeljkovic
IR: F Logan Couture (osteitis pubis, retired), F Ty Dellandrea (lower body, day-to-day), F Ryan Reaves (upper body, day-to-day)
Season-ending LTIR: G Carey Price (knee)
Seattle Kraken
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Jan. 29, 10:40 a.m.
Forwards (13): Matty Beniers, Berkly Catton, Jordan Eberle, Frédérick Gaudreau, Kaapo Kakko, Tye Kartye, Jared McCann, Jacob Melanson, Jaden Schwartz, Chandler Stephenson, Eeli Tolvanen, Ryan Winterton, Shane Wright
Defensemen (8): Vince Dunn, Ryker Evans, Cale Fleury, Adam Larsson, Ryan Lindgren, Josh Mahura, Brandon Montour, Jamie Oleksiak
Goaltenders (2): Joey Daccord, Philipp Grubauer
IR: F Ben Meyers (lower body, week-to-week), G Matt Murray (lower body, proj. return Dec. 30)
SOIR: F Max McCormick (hip, out for season)
St. Louis Blues
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 7, 1:30 p.m.
Forwards (14): Jonatan Berggren, Pavel Buchnevich, Dalibor Dvorsky, Robby Fabbri, Jack Finley, Mathieu Joseph, Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours, Brayden Schenn, Jimmy Snuggerud, Oskar Sundqvist, Pius Suter, Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker
Defensemen (7): Philip Broberg, Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler, Matthew Kessel, Logan Mailloux, Colton Parayko, Tyler Tucker
Goaltenders (2): Jordan Binnington, Joel Hofer
IR: F Dylan Holloway (lower-body, indefinite), F Robert Thomas (lower body, week-to-week)
Season-ending LTIR: D Torey Krug (ankle, out for season)
Tampa Bay Lightning
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Feb. 7, 1:30 p.m.
Forwards (14): Oliver Bjorkstrand, Anthony Cirelli, Curtis Douglas, Zemgus Girgensons, Gage Goncalves, Yanni Gourde, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, Pontus Holmberg, Dominic James, Nikita Kucherov, Nick Paul, Scott Sabourin
Defensemen (7): Declan Carlile, Erik Černák, Maxwell Crozier, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser, Darren Raddysh
Goaltenders (2): Jonas Johansson, Andrei Vasilevskiy
IR: D Charle-Édouard D’Astous (lower-body, day-to-day), F Brayden Point (lower body, week-to-week)
LTIR: D Emil Martinsen Lilleberg (undisclosed, week-to-week)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Feb. 7, 1:30 p.m.
Forwards (13): Easton Cowan, Max Domi, Calle Järnkrok, Matthew Knies, Scott Laughton, Steven Lorentz, Matias Maccelli, Auston Matthews, Bobby McMann, William Nylander, Nicholas Robertson, Nicolas Roy, John Tavares
Defensemen (7): Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jake McCabe, Philippe Myers, Morgan Rielly, Troy Stecher
Goaltenders (2): Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll
LTIR: F Dakota Joshua (kidney, indefinite), D Chris Tanev (groin, indefinite)
Utah Mammoth
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Jan. 31, 9:00 a.m.
Forwards (13): Danil But, Michael Carcone, Lawson Crouse, Dylan Guenther, Barrett Hayton, Clayton Keller, Jack McBain, Liam O’Brien, JJ Peterka, Nick Schmaltz, Kevin Stenlund, Brandon Tanev, Kailer Yamamoto
Defensemen (7): Ian Cole, Nick DeSimone, Sean Durzi, Olli Määttä, John Marino, Nate Schmidt, Mikhail Sergachev
Goaltenders (2): Vítek Vaněček, Karel Vejmelka
IR: F Logan Cooley (lower body, proj. return Feb. 4), F Alexander Kerfoot (upper body, indefinite)
SOIR: D Terrell Goldsmith (undisclosed, indefinite), G Anson Thornton (undisclosed, indefinite)
Vancouver Canucks
Roster size: 21/23
Last updated Feb. 5, 7:45 p.m.
Forwards (13): Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, Nils Höglander, David Kämpf, Evander Kane, Linus Karlsson, Drew O’Connor, Liam Ohgren, Elias Pettersson, Aatu Räty, Max Sasson
Defensemen (6): Filip Hronek, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Tyler Myers, Elias N. Pettersson, Marcus Pettersson, Tom Willander
Goaltenders (2): Kevin Lankinen, Jiri Patera
IR: F Brock Boeser (concussion, proj. return Feb. 4), D Zeev Buium (broken cheek, proj. return Feb. 24), G Thatcher Demko (lower body, indefinite), F Marco Rossi (lower body, proj. return Jan. 8)
LTIR: D Derek Forbort (undisclosed, indefinite)
SOIR: D Guillaume Brisebois (lower body, indefinite)
Vegas Golden Knights
Roster size: 21/23
Last updated Feb. 3, 6:44 p.m.
Forwards (13): Ivan Barbashev, Braeden Bowman, Pavel Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel, Tomáš Hertl, Alexander Holtz, Keegan Kolesar, Mitch Marner, Cole Reinhardt, Colton Sissons, Reilly Smith, Mark Stone, Kai Uchacz
Defensemen (6): Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin, Ben Hutton, Kaedan Korczak, Jeremy Lauzon, Shea Theodore
Goaltenders (2): Adin Hill, Akira Schmid
IR: G Carter Hart (lower body, proj. return Feb. 25), F Brett Howden (lower body, week-to-week), F Jonas Rondbjerg (undisclosed, proj. return Feb. 12), (F Brandon Saad (undisclosed, proj. return Feb. 25)
LTIR: F William Karlsson (lower body, indefinite), D Brayden McNabb (upper body, proj. return Feb. 25)
Season-ending LTIR: D Alex Pietrangelo (various)
Washington Capitals
Roster size: 23/23
Last updated Feb. 10, 1:15 p.m.
Forwards (13): Anthony Beauvillier, Nic Dowd, Brandon Duhaime, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Ethen Frank, Hendrix Lapierre, Ryan Leonard, Sonny Milano, Alex Ovechkin, Aliaksei Protas, Justin Sourdif, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson
Defensemen (8): John Carlson, Declan Chisholm, Jakob Chychrun, Martin Fehérváry, Dylan McIlrath, Matt Roy, Rasmus Sandin, Trevor van Riemsdyk
Goaltenders (2): Garin Bjorklund, Logan Thompson
IR: G Charlie Lindgren (undisclosed), F Connor McMichael (upper body, week-to-week)
Winnipeg Jets
Roster size: 22/23
Last updated Jan. 26, 11:48 a.m.
Forwards (13): Morgan Barron, Kyle Connor, Alex Iafallo, Cole Koepke, Adam Lowry, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nino Niederreiter, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, Cole Perfetti, Mark Scheifele, Jonathan Toews, Gabriel Vilardi
Defensemen (7): Dylan DeMelo, Josh Morrissey, Isaak Phillips, Elias Salomonsson, Dylan Samberg, Luke Schenn, Logan Stanley
Goaltenders (2): Eric Comrie, Connor Hellebuyck
IR: D Haydn Fleury (nose/back, week-to-week), D Colin Miller (lower-body, week-to-week), D Neal Pionk (lower body, week-to-week)
Canucks Recall Victor Mancini
12:01 p.m.: Joseph’s landing on IR is indeed the corresponding transaction, the Canucks announced. The placement is backdated to Sep. 30, so he’s eligible to return at any time.
9:48 a.m.: The Canucks are set to recall defenseman Victor Mancini from AHL Abbotsford, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports. The team has since confirmed the move. While he wasn’t on the opening night roster the Canucks submitted yesterday, he will be eligible to play in Vancouver’s home opener on Thursday against the Flames.
Vancouver’s initial roster submission was at the 23-player limit, however. They’ll need to free up a roster spot before officially recalling Mancini. In all likelihood, that will be moving defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to injured reserve. He missed the Canucks’ preseason finale while dealing with what head coach Adam Foote called a minor issue, Jeff Paterson of CanucksArmy relayed at the time. He hasn’t practiced since, though, leaving his status for Vancouver’s first regular-season game in doubt. The Canucks can backdate Joseph’s IR placement to when he first sustained the injury, meaning he’ll have already missed the required seven days and could return as soon as this weekend.
Mancini, 23, was one of Vancouver’s final cuts from training camp. His waiver-exempt status meant he faced an uphill battle for a depth job over non-exempt veterans like Joseph. A 2022 fifth-round pick by the Rangers, he’s coming off his first professional season – one that saw him unexpectedly break camp with the Rangers last fall. He ended up making 31 NHL appearances as he bounced between the majors and the minors throughout the year, splitting them nearly evenly across New York and Vancouver after he was included in January’s blockbuster J.T. Miller trade.
The 6’3″ righty showed definite room for improvement in his two-way game. His 2-6–8 scoring line worked out to 0.26 points per game, more than passable for a rookie rearguard whose primary upside is as a defensive specialist. He failed to succeed at his calling card, though, posting some rather troublesome possession numbers despite being given a relatively advantageous deployment. Despite starting 53.9% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone, Mancini only controlled 40.3% of shot attempts – a nearly 12% relative downgrade compared to his teammates in both New York and Vancouver.
In 30 AHL appearances last year, Mancini netted four goals and nine assists for 13 points and a -4 rating. He added a 3-5–8 scoring line with a -6 rating in 24 playoff games as he helped Abbotsford to a Calder Cup championship.
Mancini carries an $870K cap hit and is kicking off the final season of his entry-level contract, making him a restricted free agent without arbitration rights next summer. The Canucks opened the year with $1.34MM in cap space, according to PuckPedia, leaving them enough room to call him up with Joseph (and Nils Höglander) still counting against the cap on IR.