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Ottawa Senators Reassign Dennis Gilbert

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The Ottawa Senators have made a roster move ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Ottawa shared that they’ve reassigned depth defenseman Dennis Gilbert to the AHL’s Belleville Senators.

Fortunately, the transaction is for a positive reason. Thomas Chabot, who returned to practice as a full participant on Wednesday, is expected to be activated from the injured reserve and be in the lineup tomorrow afternoon. Chabot has been nursing an upper-body injury for the last month.

Gilbert, 29, is in his second stint with the Senators organization. He was acquired by the team last offseason in the deadline deal that brought Dylan Cozens to Ottawa. He signed with the Philadelphia Flyers last summer as an unrestricted free agent and was later traded back to the Senators in November for Max Guenette.

Despite the pair of trades, Gilbert has only appeared in five games with Ottawa, registering one assist and a -1 rating. He earned far more time with the Buffalo Sabres last season, tallying five assists in 25 contests.

Still, that hasn’t meant more ice time in the AHL. Even though he only appeared in 29 games last season, Gilbert spent the entire year on an NHL roster. This year, he battled some injury concerns earlier on, so he’s only managed nine AHL contests between Belleville and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Assuming the Senators’ defensive core can remain healthy, Gilbert will have a consistent home for the next little while.

St. Louis Blues Reassign Matt Luff

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The St. Louis Blues announced that they’ve assigned depth forward Matt Luff to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. The Blues are down to 21 players on the active roster.

St. Louis likely felt comfortable reassigning Luff given yesterday’s injury updates. According to Lou Korac of The Hockey News, all three of Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Nathan Walker were skating yesterday morning. The expectation is that Kyrou will return to play against the Florida Panthers tomorrow.

Today’s reassignment concludes Luff’s first playing time in the NHL since the 2022-23 campaign. He skated in five games for the Blues, registering one goal with a -2 rating while averaging 9:08 of ice time in a fourth-line role.

He’ll return to a Thunderbirds where he’s joined the best stretch of his professional career, at least in the AHL. Throughout the past two years in Springfield, Luff has scored 25 goals and 59 points in 67 games with a -14 rating. Despite spending the last two weeks with the Blues, Luff remains third on the Thunderbirds in scoring this season.

It may not be his last pit stop in St. Louis this season. Given their current trajectory, the Blues are expected to sell off a few pieces leading up to the trade deadline, especially at the forward position. Should that come to fruition, Luff may find his way back to the NHL for the last stretch of the regular season.

Blue Jackets Recall Luca Del Bel Belluz On Emergency Basis

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According to a team announcement, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Luca Del Bel Belluz on an emergency basis. It’s the third time Del Bel Belluz has been recalled, and his second on an emergency basis.

Fortunately, Del Bel Belluz’s recall isn’t for any injury concerns. Reports indicate that depth forward Brendan Gaunce and his wife are expecting a child relatively soon. The Blue Jackets will use Del Bel Belluz as an extra forward for their upcoming two-game road trip.

Although he has yet to break out in any meaningful way at the NHL level, Del Bel Belluz’s play with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters has made him the next man up for the Blue Jackets. The 44th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has spent the last three years primarily playing for Cleveland, scoring 41 goals and 97 points in 133 games.

The 22-year-old debuted during the 2023-24 season, but had his longest look in the NHL last year. He performed relatively well in limited action, scoring two goals and eight points in 15 games, averaging 13:45 of ice time. There was certainly room to grow on the defensive side of the puck, though that’s to be expected of a younger forward.

Still, he hasn’t resumed that production this season. Nearly reaching last year’s games played totals, Luca Del Belluz has tallied only one assist in 11 games for the Blue Jackets this season. He’s averaged far less ice time (9:04) and has largely been relegated to a fourth-line role.

Trade Market Notes: Sherwood, Marchment, Danault

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The trade market for Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood is beginning to materialize and will likely continue growing leading up to the trade deadline. According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning have “kicked the tires” on Sherwood.

Given his perceived value, especially in the postseason, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Sherwood’s market grow to 15 to 20 teams. The middle-six winger has scored 32 goals and 57 points in 111 games with Vancouver, averaging 15:41 of ice time while totalling a whopping 608 hits.

He’s remarkably affordable for what he provides, too. Especially for teams like the Bruins, Lightning, Senators, and Stars, who are close to the upper limit of the salary cap, Sherwood’s $1.5MM salary is easily absorbable.

Other notes on the trade market:

  • Sherwood is far from the only middle-six winger that is receiving interest. Speaking on the NHL’s Coast to Coast, insider Frank Seravalli shared that Seattle Kraken forward Mason Marchment is generating traction on the market and may even move before the holiday roster freeze. Unlike Sherwood, Marchment isn’t as affordable ($4.5MM) and is having a disappointing year, scoring four goals and 13 points in 29 games. Still, he’s coming off a four-year run with the Florida Panthers and Stars, where he scored 74 goals and 178 points in 265 games.
  • Despite currently owning the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings have the fifth-worst offense in the league, averaging 2.55 GF/G. With a need for goal scoring, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggests that the team is attempting to use Phillip Danault to address that need. Still, at face value, the idea doesn’t make much sense. Few rebuilding clubs would require a 32-year-old center, and contending teams would be hard-pressed to part with their goal scorers, especially for a center that has registered only five assists through his first 30 games this season. The Kings would be better suited to use whatever assets they can get for Danault in a separate trade for a scoring forward.

Sabres’ Conor Timmins Out Multiple Weeks With Broken Leg

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After last night’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Buffalo Sabres announced that defenseman Conor Timmins would miss the next six to eight weeks with a broken leg.

Since Michael Kesselring returned to the lineup last night, the Sabres don’t necessarily need to place Timmins on the injured reserve since they have seven healthy defensemen on the roster. However, due to the severity of the injury and the length of the recovery timeline, they’ll likely place him on it to allow the recall of additional depth.

The injury happened fairly late in the game as Timmins exited the contest with 5:20 remaining in the final frame. Video replay suggests that Timmins’ skate caught a rough spot in the ice, causing his leg to bend awkwardly and fracture.

Timmins, 27, is in his first year with the Sabres after being traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins last offseason. He has skated in every game this season, leading up to the injury, tallying six assists with a -11 rating while averaging 19:14 of action. In fact, his 33 games played this year are the second-highest season total of his career.

Given that, he was well on his way to matching his career-high in points, though it’s unrealistic to think he wouldn’t have scored at least one goal over the course of the regular season. Unfortunately, since he won’t play again until late January or early February, Timmins may have to wait another season to set a new personal benchmark.

Regardless, Timmins’ injury will mean more ice time for at least one defenseman on Buffalo’s roster. The team will likely move Kesselring into a top-four role and rely on 27-year-old Zach Metsa or 28-year-old Jacob Bryson to fill in the void on the bottom pairing.

Hoffmann Group Nearing Deal To Purchase Pittsburgh Penguins

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According to insider Frank Seravalli, the Fenway Sports Group has agreed to sell the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins to the Chicago-based Hoffmann Group. The sale is reportedly pending approval from the NHL’s Board of Governors. Multiple other outlets have confirmed the sale.

The Hoffmann Group, led by David Hoffmann, has been interested in purchasing the Penguins for several months. In August, it was reported that Hoffmann had emerged as a contender for a minority stake in the Penguins, competing with franchise legend Mario Lemieux, who had expressed interest in reacquiring the team. Instead of a minority piece, Hoffmann will be acquiring the whole pie.

FSG originally purchased the team in 2021 for a reported value of $900MM, and is selling it only a few years later. According to Forbes, the Penguins are the 22nd most valuable franchise in the league with an estimated value of $1.75BB. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun believes that the final price will land between $1.7BB and $1.8BB.

As for the new owners, there is little known about the Hoffmann Group, primarily David. Forbes projected his net worth to be around $2BB, though there’s no confirmation of that. Additionally, the group’s only other venture into hockey has been their ownership of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades.

Regardless, they’re acquiring the team at an interesting time in their franchise history. Being one of the most successful teams since the turn of the century, the Penguins are nearing the end of the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era. Without another player on the roster or in the system even close to that level of superstardom, the Hoffmann Group will be tasked with guiding the franchise through a turbulent time.

The speed of the sale is fairly status quo for FSG. Despite owning the team for only five years, they will have doubled their original investment of $900MM. In 1999, FSG purchased the MLB’s Miami Marlins for $150MM, and sold the team in 2002 for $158.5MM.

New York Rangers Make Multiple Roster Moves

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In dire need of offense, the New York Rangers have recalled a pair of forward prospects to the NHL level. The Rangers announced they’ve recalled Gabriel Perreault and Brennan Othmann to the team, and have reassigned Brett Berard and Jaroslav Chmelar in a corresponding roster move.

Perreault, 20, was the 23rd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft from the United States National Team Development Program. He already has eight NHL appearances to his name, but only one assist to show for.

Still, Perreault has dominated at every level he’s played at. Spending his two post-draft seasons with the Boston College Eagles, Perreault scored 35 goals and 108 points in 73 games over his tenure. This season, with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, Perreault has scored 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games. Although the production is only good for 12th in the AHL among rookies, Perreault is currently leading the Wolf Pack.

Meanwhile, Othmann, 22, has remained with the organization after being the subject of trade speculation shortly after the 2025-26 season began. Despite being the 16th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, he’s only managed 26 games with the Rangers, tallying two assists. His frustration with the organization likely stemmed from his lack of opportunity in the NHL and his limited usage once he was there, averaging 9:58 of ice time in those 26 contests.

Regardless of the trade rumors, he’s remained relatively productive in the AHL. This season, he has scored four goals and 10 points in 19 games with a -7 rating. Before the current campaign, he had scored 33 goals and 69 points in 94 contests.

Bedard, 23, returns to the Wolf Pack after spending all of his time with the Rangers since American Thanksgiving. The Providence, RI native registered one assist in 11 games before his demotion, averaging 10:59 of ice time.

Lastly, Chmelar returns to Hartford, where he’s scored three goals and 11 points in 19 games this season. The 6’4″, 227 lbs winger is in his second professional season, and has skated in six games with New York this year.

There’s no guarantee that either Perreault or Othmann will provide the fix for New York’s stagnant offense. They have already broken a record this year, becoming the first team to be shut out six times through their first 17 home games.

Senators Injury Updates: Chabot, Eller, Pinto

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During today’s practice, the Ottawa Senators shared that defenseman Thomas Chabot had been a full participant. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean he’ll return tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Speaking with reporters after practice, head coach Travis Green shared that Chabot won’t be in the lineup for tomorrow night’s contest (via TSN’s Bruce Garrioch). Still, given that he took part in today’s practice in a regular jersey, Chabot may be back on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Upon his return, Chabot will likely slot in next to Jordan Spence on the Senators’ second defensive pairing. Ottawa hasn’t gotten much production from Chabot’s replacement, Tyler Kleven, who has registered two assists in the last 11 games with a -7 rating while averaging 18:20 of ice time.

Before Chabot suffered an upper-body injury in late November, he had again been enjoying a quality season with the Senators. Despite missing the last 11 games, Chabot remains third on the team in defensive scoring with two goals and 10 points in 18 games, averaging 21:55 of action per game.

The injury outlook isn’t as positive regarding Lars Eller. Missing Ottawa’s last two games with a lower-body injury, Garrioch confirmed that Eller broke his left foot and will miss the next three weeks. Given the longer-term recovery timeline, it would be unsurprising if Eller going on the injured reserve is the corresponding roster move for Chabot’s eventual activation.

Eller, 36, is in his first year with Ottawa after signing a one-year deal last summer. In 28 games this season, Eller has managed a 60.5% success rate in the faceoff dot while beginning 65.1% of his shifts in the offensive zone.

Meanwhile, Shane Pinto is the other player besides Chabot currently on the Senators’ injured reserve. The high-scoring forward has been nursing a lower-body injury and was originally projected to return tomorrow night against the Penguins.

Garrioch shared that although he won’t return tomorrow, Pinto has resumed skating, meaning he should return to the lineup relatively soon. The freshly-extended center has scored 12 goals and 18 points in 27 games for Ottawa this year.

New York Islanders Reassign Travis Mitchell

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According to a team announcement, the New York Islanders have assigned defenseman Travis Mitchell to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. No corresponding roster move was made, so the Islanders will move forward with 22 players on the active roster for the time being.

The transaction was expected for a few reasons. Having played nine games, Mitchell was one contest away from being waiver-eligible. Additionally, if the Islanders want to recall Mitchell despite the prospect of exposing him through waivers, he will be eligible tomorrow, assuming he plays in Bridgeport’s game tonight.

Additionally, there’s some belief that the Islanders could turn to Isaiah George instead. George recently returned to the AHL Islanders after missing a month in concussion protocol. He’s scored one goal and five points in 16 AHL games this season with a +4 rating. He’s relatively accustomed to life in the NHL, too, having suited up in 33 games with New York last season.

Meanwhile, Mitchell’s only NHL minutes came this season. Across his nine games, he’s registered one goal while averaging 11:32 of ice time. He performed well on the defensive side of the puck in his limited usage, managing a 93.6% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Regardless, the Islanders have some time before they need to make a decision. They don’t play again until Friday, and only have three games in the next 10 days. Even without Mitchell, they have six healthy defensemen on the active roster.

Wild Place Jonas Brodin On IR, Recall Carson Lambos

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The surging Minnesota Wild continue to be hit by the injury bug. The Wild announced that they’ve placed veteran defensemen Jonas Brodin on the injured reserve and have recalled defenseman Carson Lambos in a corresponding roster move.

Minnesota didn’t share the specific injury that Brodin is dealing with, though he’s already missed the Wild’s last three contests. Technically speaking, assuming that the IR placement is retroactive to Brodin’s most recent appearance on December 11th, he’ll be eligible to return on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. The belief is that he’s dealing with a lower-body issue, but he is only considered day-to-day.

Despite returning winger Marcus Foligno for last night’s win over the Washington Capitals, the Wild are dealing with multiple injuries across the active roster. Brodin joins Mats Zuccarello, Jacob Middleton, and Vinnie Hinostroza on Minnesota’s IR, while Marcus Johansson and Daemon Hunt are also on the shelf.

Regardless of the bruised and battered lineup, the Wild are enjoying one of their better stretches of the 2025-26 season. Winners of their last five in regulation, Minnesota is two wins away from matching its longest winning streak of the season. Dating back to November 1st, the Wild are 17-3-2 in their last 22 games.

Lambos, 22, will have the opportunity to make his NHL debut during his recall, though there’s no guarantee. Even without Brodin, Hunt, and Middleton, Minnesota has six other healthy defensemen on the roster. The former first-round pick is in his third professional campaign with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, scoring two goals and five points in 26 games to start the 2025-26 campaign.

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