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Canadiens Recall Florian Xhekaj, Joshua Roy Remains With Team

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5:15 p.m.: In a somewhat confusing update, Montreal has amended their previous announcement by sharing that Roy remains with the team. That gives Montreal 14 forwards for tomorrow’s contest unless another move is made.

5:01 p.m.: The Montreal Canadiens have recalled one of the toughest-nosed players, having yet to play in the NHL. According to a team announcement, the Canadiens have recalled Florian Xhekaj and reassigned Joshua Roy in a corresponding roster move.

Montreal drafted Xhekaj with the 101st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. He plays an eerily similar game to his brother Arber Xhekaj, albeit on offense.

He was drafted relatively high, given his playstyle, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs during his draft season. However, Xhekaj exploded on offense the following campaign, registering 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games with a +17 rating.

Even through his transition to professional hockey, Xhekaj looked back. He was one of the most exciting prospects to watch for the Canadiens last season, scoring 24 goals and 35 points in 69 games for the AHL’s Laval Rocket with a whopping 175 PIMs. This season, he has managed two goals and four points in 16 games, with 44 PIMs.

Xhekaj butters his bread in the crease. Reminiscent of Detroit Red Wing Tomas Holmstrom in the early-to-mid 2000s, Xhekaj’s net front presence has become exceptional in the AHL, with most of his goals coming from high-skill deflections. It’ll play well in Montreal, since blue-liners Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson are no strangers to firing the puck on net.

Unfortunately, Xhekaj’s recall comes with some bad news for Roy. The 22-year-old forward has gone scoreless in three games for the Canadiens this season, averaging 9:47 of ice time per game. He’s fared much better with AHL Laval, scoring four goals and seven points in 10 contests.

Carolina Hurricanes Activate Jalen Chatfield

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The Carolina Hurricanes are inching closer to a healthy defensive core. According to a team announcement, the Hurricanes have activated defenseman Jalen Chatfield from their injured reserve.

It’s been a few weeks since Chatfield last played for Carolina. The six-year veteran has been nursing an upper-body injury after getting knocked out of the Hurricanes’ game against the Minnesota Wild on November 6th.

Chatfield has been his typical, consistent self when healthy. In his 13 games leading up to the injury against Minnesota, Chatfield had registered three helpers while averaging 19:50 of ice time. Despite not scoring a goal up to this point, Chatfield has gotten 20 shots on goal and managed a 53.1% CorsiFor% at even strength, a commonality for nearly every player in Carolina.

It’s an open question whether Chatfield will return to the lineup tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. The Hurricanes are 6-2-2 in their last 10, so Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour may not feel rushed to change anything. Still, Chatfield spent a decent amount of time next to Alexander Nikishin to start the year, so Carolina may plug Chatfield in for Mike Reilly on the team’s bottom pairing.

Regardless, it’s a positive step forward for a banged-up Hurricanes’ blue line. Although their record may not show it, Carolina has hardly had a complete defensive core at any point during the regular season. Nikishin and Sean Walker are the only blueliners who have played in all 20 Hurricane games up to this point of the regular season.

Ducks’ Pavel Mintyukov Potentially Seeking Trade

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In his recent 32 Thoughts blog, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov is upset with being scratched in back-to-back games. So much so, in fact, that Friedman indicated that Mintyukov would like to be moved if the Ducks aren’t going to play him.

Mintyukov, 21, isn’t helping his case too much. The former 10th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft got off to a decent start to his career during the 2023-24 season, scoring four goals and 28 points in 63 games while averaging 18:51 of ice time per game. He finished 13th in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Still, concerns remained about his defensive game, evidenced by his -20 rating and 88.9% on-ice save percentage at even strength. Over the next two years, including 18 games during the 2025-26 season, Mintyukov’s defensive play has improved while his offensive contributions have cratered.

Since the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, Mintyukov has scored five goals and 22 points in 86 contests, averaging 17:07 of ice time per game. Additionally, he’s blocked 109 shots and added 91 hits during that time frame. Further, outside of his boxcar stats, his on-ice save percentage at even strength has improved, averaging around 91.0%.

Struggling to break out in any meaningful fashion, it’s unsurprising that other prospects such as Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, and Ian Moore have passed Mintyukov on the organizational depth chart.

That adds to the difficulty of hypothesizing a reasonable return for Mintyukov if the Ducks even made him available. It’s relatively rare for a recent top-10 pick to request a trade in the last year of their entry-level contract. It’s much more common for top prospects to request trades before signing their entry-level contract, such as Isaac Howard, Rutger McGroarty, and Mintyukov’s teammate, Cutter Gauthier, as recent examples.

The closest example to Mintyukov’s situation would be netminder Yaroslav Askarov. Drafted with the 11th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, Askarov requested a trade from the Nashville Predators in the final year of his entry-level contract after the team brought in Scott Wedgewood as the backup netminder and signed Juuse Saros to a long-term extension.

Despite playing in far fewer games than Mintyukov at the time, the Predators were able to recoup Magnus Chrona, David Edstrom, and a conditional 2025 first-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for Askarov. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to argue at this point that Mintyukov is worth that price tag.

Furthermore, without arbitration rights, Mintyukov has little power in his situation. His General Manager, Pat Verbeek, is one of the most patient front office leaders in the league, and won’t feel pressure to make a move anytime soon. If Mintyukov is moved at any point during the current campaign, Verbeek will need to be blown away by the offer.

Winnipeg Jets Permit Brad Lambert To Seek Trade

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Despite typically being one of the first forwards recalled in case of injury, Winnipeg Jets forward prospect Brad Lambert is reportedly disgruntled about his position within the Jets organization. To that end, insider Frank Seravalli shared that Winnipeg has permitted Lambert and his representation to seek a trade partner.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Lambert was considered one of the best prospects available in the 2022 NHL Draft, with some scouts indicating he could be selected second overall behind then Kingston Frontenac, Shane Wright. Unfortunately, due to a horrific start to the 2021-22 season with the Liiga’s JYP, Lambert was cut from the team only to land with his hometown Pelicans. He finished the season with four goals and 10 points in 49 games with a -16 rating.

Still, Lambert’s previous projections cause him to stay in the first round despite the disappointing season. The Jets selected him with the 30th overall selection and loaned him to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds for the 2022-23 campaign. He played well in Seattle, scoring 17 goals and 38 points in 26 games with a +27 rating, and finished the year with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, scoring two goals and three points in 14 contests.

Lambert’s production in the 2023-24 campaign led some to believe that he may have turned a significant corner in his development. In his first full professional season, Lambert scored 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games with the Moose and even earned his NHL debut, where he registered an assist. Despite being one of the youngest players on the team at the time, Lambert led Manitoba in scoring.

He slipped last season. Although the team around him wasn’t altogether great, Lambert took a huge step back in his production, registering only seven goals and 35 points in 61 games with a -30 rating. The Moose themselves finished second-to-last in the entire AHL and had the lowest-producing offense of any team.

Lambert’s primary concern has become his NHL experience. In the last two years, including the first month and a half of the 2025-26 campaign, Lambert has scored one goal and two points in nine games for the Jets, averaging 10:28 of ice time typically in a fourth-line role.

Clearly, Lambert believes he has earned an extended look at the NHL level, and the Jets are seemingly willing to grant him that, albeit with a different team. Several contenders are seeking a second-line center, though there’s no argument that Lambert has worked himself up to that stature quite yet.

Whether through injury or another reason, the Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vancouver Canucks could all serve as a potential destination for Lambert. Assuming the Jets aren’t looking to receive anything close to a first-round pick, which they used to select Lambert three years ago, they should have no significant hurdles to clear in swinging a deal.

Seattle Kraken Recall Oscar Fisker Molgaard

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled an intriguing forward prospect one game into their four-game road trip. Seattle announced they’ve recalled Oscar Fisker Molgaard from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Before the recall, the Kraken had 23 players on their active roster, meaning they’d need to remove at least one body somehow. Seattle will likely place netminder Matt Murray on the injured reserve if they haven’t done so already. The Kraken announced that Murray would miss the next six weeks with a lower-body injury.

Although there’s no guarantee of it, it would be Fisker Molgaard’s NHL debut should he find his way into the Kraken’s lineup throughout the callup. Seattle selected the 20-year-old Dane with the 52nd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, and he’s currently enthralled in his first full season on North American soil.

Before joining AHL Coachella Valley, Fisker Molgaard had spent the last two years with the SHL’s HV71. He performed relatively well, given his age, scoring 14 goals and 40 points in 88 games. Internationally, he was one of the brighter spots on Team Denmark, scoring six goals and 23 points in 32 international contests, including seven points in the IIHF World Championships last summer.

Additionally, his transition to the Firebirds’ roster has gone smoothly. Despite being tied as the youngest player on the team, Fisker Molgaard is tied for third on the team in scoring to begin the 2025-26 campaign with three goals and 10 points in 14 games.

Fortunately, there may be some wiggle room for Fisker Molgaard to find his way into the lineup despite the Kraken having 13 healthy forwards. The trio of Jani Nyman, Berkly Catton, and Tye Kartye have all disappointed to varying degrees through the first month and a half of the 2025-26 season. This means that Fisker Molgaard could easily replace any of them in the lineup, especially if Seattle believes one could use a brief mental reset.

Islanders Place Alexander Romanov On IR, Recall Marshall Warren

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The New York Islanders announced that they’ve placed defenseman Alexander Romanov on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Additionally, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports that the Islanders have recalled Marshall Warren in a corresponding roster move.

Upper-body injuries are becoming a significant theme for Romanov. The 25-year-old blueliner missed 18 games due to upper-body ailments last season, and has already missed five this year for the same reason. It’s the second time that Romanov has been placed on the IR already in the current campaign.

It’s coming on the heels of a healthy long-term commitment made by the Islanders this past summer. In one of his first moves as New York’s General Manager, Mathieu Darche signed Romanov to an eight-year, $50MM contract, keeping him with the Islanders through the 2032-33 NHL season. If these upper-body injuries continue to plague Romanov, he won’t be available enough to warrant that contract.

Additionally, it’s led to some poor play on the ice when healthy. In the 15 games he’s appeared in this season, Romanov has tallied one assist while averaging 19:27 of ice time per night with a -7 rating. Furthermore, his 42.9% CorsiFor% at even strength and 89.2% on-ice save percentage at even strength are each the lowest marks of his career.

Regardless, Romanov’s injury designation affords another opportunity for Warren. The former sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild has already skated in two games for the Islanders this season, registering two assists.

It’ll be interesting to see if New York gives Warren a longer stay in the NHL should he continue his upward development. The main reason he’s earned the recall, as opposed to other options, is from his excellent play with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders this season. The 24-year-old defenseman has scored two goals and nine points in 10 AHL contests to start the 2025-26 season.

Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Undergoes Facial Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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As expected, the Boston Bruins will be without their top defenseman for some time. Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune passed along a note from Bruins head coach Marco Sturm, confirming that blue liner Charlie McAvoy underwent facial surgery.

Cavanagh directly quoted Sturm, saying, “Charlie had a facial surgery. Successfully. So he’s doing good. He’s recovering right now at home, and we still don’t know how long he’s gonna be out for.” There’s no point in speculating on how long McAvoy will be out, though broken jaw surgeries typically have a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks. There’s no confirmation that McAvoy broke his jaw.

McAvoy suffered the injury in Boston’s recent game against the Montreal Canadiens on November 15th. Partway through the second period, Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson accidentally struck McAvoy in the face with a puck off a slapshot. McAvoy has already missed one game for the Bruins, though the team hasn’t placed him on the injured reserve yet.

It’s a difficult pill to swallow for a Bruins team that had gotten off to an unexpectedly good start to the 2025-26 campaign. At the time of writing, Boston has a 12-9-0 record through their first 21 games, sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Much of that has to do with McAvoy’s strong play. The former 14th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft had skated in 19 games for the Bruins before the injury, registering 14 assists while averaging more than one blocked shot and hit per game. He was averaging the most ice time of any Bruin by a margin of nearly two and a half minutes.

Boston has moved rookie Jonathan Aspirot to McAvoy’s spot on the top defensive unit next to Nikita Zadorov for the time being. Depending on how quickly the Bruins learn of McAvoy’s recovery timeline, it’s unlikely they’ll stick with that defensive pairing if they hope to remain competitive.

Additionally, McAvoy’s recovery could have implications for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. An eight-week recovery would put McAvoy’s return around mid-January, a few weeks before the start of the tournament. Again, there’s been no confirmation of that timeline, though it could complicate his involvement. The Long Beach, NY native was one of the first six players named to Team USA’s roster already.

Flyers, Senators Swap Dennis Gilbert, Max Guenette

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11/18/25: The Flyers placed Guenette on waivers today, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Since the 24-year-old hasn’t played in the NHL since 2023-24 and has just eight games of NHL experience, that was always the likeliest outcome after yesterday’s trade. Now, all 31 other clubs will have the chance to claim Guenette, and if he goes unclaimed, the Flyers will be able to assign him to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, their AHL affiliate.

11/17/25: The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they’ve traded defenseman Dennis Gilbert to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Max Guenette. Philadelphia also announced that they’ve signed Guenette, who was an RFA, to a one-year, two-way deal.

It becomes the second trade in as many seasons to the Senators for Gilbert. The 29-year-old native of Buffalo, NY, was traded to Ottawa during the 2024-25 season as part of the Dylan Cozens and Joshua Norris swap with the Buffalo Sabres.

Still, Gilbert didn’t earn much runway with the Senators after the trade. Despite the trade taking place in early March, Gilbert only appeared in four games for Ottawa down the stretch, registering one assist while averaging 13:02 of ice time. In Buffalo, he tallied five assists in 25 games while averaging 10:04 of ice time.

Gilbert has spent the entire season up to this point with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He’s added one assist in six games with a +1 rating and is expected to join the AHL’s Belleville Senators.

Unlike Gilbert, Guenette will play for his first professional team outside the Senators organization. The former 187th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft has spent the last five years within the Senators organization, scoring 27 goals and 116 points in 236 AHL games, with zero points in eight NHL contests.

Despite the freshly signed two-way contract for Guenette, there’s no indication he’ll join the Flyers’ active roster immediately. Whenever he suits up, whether with the Flyers or the Phantoms, it’ll be his first appearance of the 2025-26 campaign.

Seattle Kraken Activate Joey Daccord From IR

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The Seattle Kraken announced that they’ve activated netminder Joey Daccord from their injured reserve. Additionally, the Kraken shared that goaltender Matt Murray would miss the next six weeks due to a lower-body injury, though they didn’t indicate if they had placed him on the IR.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Daccord last played for Seattle. He suffered an upper-body injury in a blowout loss to the San Jose Sharks on November 5th after playing in just over two periods.

Before exiting the lineup with the upper-body ailment, Daccord was again a quality netminder for the Kraken, though not as solid as in recent years. He’s managed a 6-2-3 record in 11 starts this season with a .900 SV% and 2.83 GAA. It’s slightly below the .910 SV% and 2.61 GAA he’s averaged over the last two years, though there’s plenty of time to rediscover those numbers.

Regardless, the team hasn’t suffered as much as expected without Daccord, winning three out of five contests. The common denominator in those three wins was Philipp Grubauer, who stopped 58 of 64 shots (.906 SV%) throughout his three appearances.

Consequently, the only Kraken netminder without a win will likely be out until the calendar turns over to 2026. Murray, the two-time Stanley Cup champion, had appeared in five games for Seattle this year, managing a 0-2-1 record with a .921 SV% and 2.21 GAA.

Interestingly, like Daccord, Murray was also injured in a game against the Sharks. Murray’s current injury appears to be non-contact in nature, as he left late in the first period after being scored on by Sharks’ forward Alexander Wennberg. Notably, Murray has experienced long-standing ankle and groin injuries throughout his career.

Penguins Place Ville Koivunen On IR, Recall Samuel Poulin

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According to a team announcement, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Samuel Poulin from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Additionally, Pittsburgh has placed forward Ville Koivunen on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

There’s no questioning that Poulin has earned another opportunity at the NHL level. The former 21st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft is currently the leading scorer on the AHL Penguins with seven goals and 15 points in 16 games with a +8 rating.

Factoring in last year’s performance, in which he scored 19 goals and 43 points in 57 games, Poulin could provide additional offense to Pittsburgh’s bottom-six. Unfortunately, he has yet to show any flashes of offense at the NHL level, registering two assists in 13 games since the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

Still, it’s an inspiring recovery from a prospect that nearly left the game entirely during the 2022-23 season. Poulin took a leave of absence from the AHL Penguins early into that campaign, citing mental health concerns after suffering from a panic attack during a game. Coming off the best AHL performance of his career and starting the 2025-26 campaign with nearly a point-per-game, Poulin may have finally turned a corner in his development.

Meanwhile, the Penguins noted in their announcement that Koivunen’s lower-body injury will likely keep him out of the lineup for the next few weeks. The former draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes had skated in 11 games for Pittsburgh this season, tallying two assists while averaging 12:34 of ice time per game.

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