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Atlantic Injury Notes: Nylander, Lorentz, Kulich, Zucker, Cousins

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will get a major boost to their forward core tonight. Earlier today, TSN’s Mark Masters reported that William Nylander and Steven Lorentz were on the ice for Toronto’s practice. Further, multiple reports after practice indicated that Nylander would return to the lineup tonight.

Nylander has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the last little while. Since the Maple Leafs’ game against the Buffalo Sabres on October 24th, Nylander has only appeared in one game, missing three. Still, he’s been more than effective when in the lineup, scoring three goals and 15 points in nine games for Toronto this year.

Meanwhile, there’s no word on whether Lorentz will return to the lineup this evening. He missed a few games in mid-October due to a concussion, and missed Toronto’s recent game against the Philadelphia Flyers due to an upper-body injury. This year, he’s registered four assists in eight games, averaging 9:56 of ice time per game.

Other Atlantic Division injury notes:

Metro Injury Notes: Capitals, Rangers, Hurricanes

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The Washington Capitals took the ice for practice this morning, and there were a few takeaways on the injury front. A report from Sammi Silber of The Hockey News indicated that forward Ethen Frank had returned to skating in a non-contact jersey, while defenseman Rasmus Sandin has been fully cleared for contact.

Additionally, Silber shared that center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, did not join the team for practice. All around, it’s mostly positive news for the Capitals, given that Frank and Sandin are the only two currently on the team’s injured reserve.

Since he hasn’t played since October 21st, Sandin has missed the most time of the trio. He’s tallied two assists in seven games for Washington this year, averaging 19:24 of ice time per contest. Meanwhile, Frank hasn’t played since the Capitals’ game on October 28th against the Dallas Stars after being reverse-hit by Mikko Rantanen. Despite the play looking relatively scary, it appears that Frank is on track to return sooner rather than later.

Other injury notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Peter Baugh of The Athletic provided updates on a pair of injured New York Rangers. Baugh reported that defenseman Urho Vaakanainen is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and wasn’t on the ice for practice this morning. However, in a positive update, Baugh shared that Vincent Trocheck has returned wearing a non-contact jersey. Although Baugh didn’t comment on a potential return for Trocheck, it at least shows that a return is on the horizon. He’s currently on the team’s long-term injured reserve and hasn’t played since October 9th.
  • The injury news isn’t as positive for the Carolina Hurricanes. According to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, defensemen Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller have yet to return to practice for the Hurricanes. It’s another blow to a defensive core that’s been devastated by injuries to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Still, despite the unlikelihood of Miller playing in Carolina’s next game, he’s not expected to miss much more time.

Blues, Capitals Swap Corey Schueneman, Calle Rosen

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The St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals have each announced a minor league swap of defensemen. The Blues have acquired defenseman Calle Rosen from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Corey Schueneman.

It’s a coming home of sorts for Rosen. The Växjö, Sweden native, joined the Blues ahead of the 2021-22 campaign and enjoyed some of the best individual seasons of his career there. In his three years with St. Louis, he scored 10 goals and 26 points in 73 games while averaging 15:03 of ice time per game.

Additionally, Rosen was a solid defenseman for the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. From 2021 to 2024, Rosen played in 108 games for the Thunderbirds, scoring six goals and 51 points over that stretch. Since leaving St. Louis after the 2023-24 campaign, Rosen has spent the last two years with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles and Hershey Bears, respectively, scoring 11 goals and 41 points in 71 games.

In comparison, Schueneman has significantly less playing time in the NHL than Rosen. After starting his professional career with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the Western Michigan University alumnus made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021-22 season.

Despite a seven-game stint with the Blues last year, Schueneman’s NHL career has been limited to two goals and seven points in 31 games for the Canadiens, averaging 16:10 of ice time per game. He’s had a far better track record in the AHL, scoring 26 goals and 116 points in 316 games with a +28 rating.

KHL’s Avangard Omsk Signs Klim Kostin

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Klim Kostin is returning to a KHL organization where he has already had plenty of success. According to an announcement from the league, Kostin has signed a contract with Avangard Omsk for the remainder of the 2025-26 KHL season.

It’s been five years since Kostin played for Avangard. As part of the St. Louis Blues organization, Kostin spent the 2020-21 season on loan in the KHL, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 43 games. In the playoffs, he registered five goals and nine points in 24 games, helping Avangard win its first Gagarin Cup.

The former 31st overall pick returned to North America the next season, scoring four goals and nine points in 40 games for the Blues, and three goals and six points in 17 games for their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. That was the end of Kostin’s leash in St. Louis as the team traded him to the Edmonton Oilers before the start of the 2022-23 season.

Undeniably, the 2022-23 season with the Oilers was the best of Kostin’s professional career up to this point. He scored 11 goals and 21 points in 57 games, more than double what he had scored up to that point. There was some belief at the time that Edmonton had found itself a quality young power forward for a relatively cheap price.

Unfortunately, that was surprisingly the end of Kostin’s tenure with the Oilers. Due to the growing cap crunch in Edmonton, the team moved Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. Kostin is the only one who played for Detroit, as the team chose not to qualify Yamamoto, who eventually signed with the Seattle Kraken.

Kostin failed to improve upon his impressive year with Edmonton, scoring three goals and one assist in 33 games for the Red Wings, averaging 8:55 of ice time in a fourth-line role. Although there’s no evidence of a trade request, Kostin likely asked Detroit’s management for a change of scenery given his lack of ice time. The team eventually traded him to the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline.

He finished the year strong with San Jose, scoring five goals and 10 points in 19 games to finish the season. He re-signed with the Sharks for the 2024-25 campaign, but finished the year on a disappointing note. Looking for a new contract this past summer, it wasn’t surprising to learn that Kostin’s preference was to return to Edmonton.

Sharks Place Adam Gaudette On IR, Activate Shakir Mukhamadullin

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Earlier today, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reported that the San Jose Sharks have placed forward Adam Gaudette on the injured reserve. A few minutes later, Pashelka shared that defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin would be activated from the injured reserve and return to the lineup this evening.

It was a likely outcome for Gaudette considering his expected recovery timeline. After sustaining an upper-body injury against the Minnesota Wild, multiple reports indicated that although he is considered day-to-day, the Sharks expect him to miss at least a week. Assuming that the IR placement will be made retroactive to October 26th, it’s likely that Gaudette will return next Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken.

The 8-year veteran is in the first year of a two-year, $4MM contract signed with the Sharks last summer. He earned himself a notable payday after an impressive 2024-25 campaign, scoring 19 goals in 81 games for the Ottawa Senators. Gaudette quickly became a prime candidate for San Jose to scoop up on the free agent market to add quality goal-scoring potential in their middle-six.

Meanwhile, Mukhamadullin returns after missing the last three weeks with an upper-body injury, only participating in one contest this season. Still, he made a notable difference in that one appearance against the Vegas Golden Knights, tallying two assists while skating in 12:45 of action.

According to line rushes this morning, Mukhamadullin is expected to skate on a defensive pairing with fellow youngster Sam Dickinson. The two are both high-end defensive prospects in San Jose’s system and could offer a glimpse into the team’s future this evening.

Islanders Activate Alexander Romanov, May Recall Calum Ritchie

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6:00 p.m.: Ritchie’s debut with the Islanders will have to wait another day. According to ESPN’s John Buccigross, Ritchie’s flight from Bridgeport to Raleigh was cancelled due to inclement weather. Still, there’s a decent chance that Ritchie will be recalled by the Islanders tomorrow night against the Washington Capitals.

3:57 p.m.: The New York Islanders will have a few additions in their matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes this evening. The Islanders announced that they have activated defenseman Alexander Romanov from injured reserve. Additionally, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that forward prospect Calum Ritchie will be recalled and make his Islanders debut.

Assuming that Friedman’s report is accurate, New York will have to make another corresponding transaction to fit Ritchie into the active roster. Ritchie’s recall, along with Romanov’s activation, would put the Islanders at 22 skaters and two goaltenders, one over the 23-man roster limit.

In all likelihood, New York will likely reassign defenseman Marshall Warren, given that he’s one of only three waiver-exempt players on the team. He’s had a solid debut with the Islanders over the last two games, tallying two assists while averaging 12:08 of ice time.

Meanwhile, Romanov has missed the team’s last five games with an upper-body injury. He was eligible to return last Thursday, although recent reports indicated that Romanov would return to the lineup at some point during the team’s current road trip. In his four games before the injury, Romanov went scoreless while averaging 18:12 of ice time, collecting 12 blocked shots and 15 hits.

The most interesting portion of today’s roster moves is the reasoning behind Ritchie’s recall. According to Ethan Sears of the New York Post, the team is benching Mathew Barzal tonight due to his late arrival to the rink. It’ll be the first game that Barzal has missed this season, and he’s currently second on the team in scoring with two goals and eight points in nine games.

Still, the news is fairly bittersweet given that Ritchie is expected to debut. He’s been dealing with a mild lower-body injury recently, but has scored one goal and three points in three games for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. During preseason action, Ritchie tallied one goal and one assist in four games, averaging 15:24 of ice time. He was the main piece acquired last year in the trade that sent Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche, and New York is hopeful that he’ll become a high-scoring fixture in their top-six.

Hurricanes Recall Charles-Alexis Legault, Place William Carrier On IR

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The Carolina Hurricanes’ defensive core continues to suffer injuries. Needing yet another blueliner to sustain a roster, the team announced they’ve recalled Charles-Alexis Legault from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Carolina placed forward William Carrier on the injured reserve, and he isn’t expected back for some time.

Legault’s recall corresponds directly to the injury sustained by Shayne Gostisbehere yesterday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Gostisbehere returned after missing the previous 10 days on the injured reserve, but skated in 7:19 of last night’s loss before exiting the contest. Team reporter Walt Ruff shared earlier that Gostisbehere suffered a midsection injury, and the team is hopeful he won’t be out long-term.

Still, that leaves Carolina without their three top defensemen for the foreseeable future. Jaccob Slavin is already on the team’s injured reserve after participating in only two games to start the year, and K’Andre Miller has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury.

Now, without Gostisbehere again, that leaves the Hurricanes with rookie Alexander Nikishin and Sean Walker as their top available pair. Both players have performed well this year, but they are not the top options needed to stay competitive, as evidenced by their performance against the Golden Knights last night.

Today marks the second call-up of Legault’s young career. He’s skated in three games for the Hurricanes already this season, going scoreless while averaging 11:53 of ice time. The former fifth-round pick spent the entire 2024-25 campaign with AHL Chicago, scoring three goals and 14 points in 63 games.

Golden Knights Reassign Jaycob Megna

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According to a team announcement, the Vegas Golden Knights have reassigned defenseman Jaycob Megna to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. The move is likely for salary cap purposes since the Golden Knights don’t play again until Friday.

For the time being, that leaves Vegas with six defensemen on the active roster, with no indication that Noah Hanifin is expected to return soon. Since the Silver Knights play the Ontario Reign this evening, Megna will be able to fulfill the one-game requirement in the AHL to make him eligible to return as a depth piece for the Golden Knights on Halloween.

Despite being on the roster for the last week, Megna has yet to play for Vegas this year. Excluding preseason action, Megna’s last NHL contest came over half a year ago with the Florida Panthers.

Thus, most of his professional playing days have been spent in the AHL. He’s coming off one of the best seasons of his professional career, scoring two goals and 16 points in 64 games for the Charlotte Checkers with a +26 rating. He’s already appeared in four games with AHL Henderson this year, tallying one assist with a +2 rating.

Vegas may choose to provide Megna with more consistency and recall Dylan Coghlan in his stead later this week. Still, since he can spend another 23 days on the roster before needing waivers again, expect Megna to rejoin the Golden Knights against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

Stars Sign Thomas Harley To Eight-Year Extension

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Oct. 29: Harley’s extension has been finalized at a total value of $84.7MM with a cap hit of $10.587MM, PuckPedia reports. The contract includes a no-movement clause from the 2029-30 through 2033-34 seasons, the last five the deal covers. His year-by-year breakdown is as follows:

2026-27: $9MM base salary, $4MM signing bonus
2027-28: $9MM base salary, $2MM signing bonus
2028-29: ”
2029-30: $7,939,200 base salary, $2MM signing bonus
2030-31: ”
2031-32: ”
2032-33: $8,939,200 base salary, $1MM signing bonus
2033-34: ”

Oct. 28: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Dallas Stars have made significant progress on an extension for defenseman Thomas Harley. Friedman believes that the extension will likely be an eight-year, $84MM ($10.5MM AAV) agreement and is expected to occur relatively soon.

It’s a significant agreement for a negotiation that had plenty of question marks. Harley has been a high-scoring blueliner for the Stars over the past three years, but the team was reportedly hesitant to pay him more than Miro Heiskanen’s $8.45MM salary.

Considering how much the upper limit of the salary cap has grown since Heiskanen signed his extension in 2021, there was little chance the Stars would get him at or below $8.5MM. To add more context, Heiskanen’s deal in 2021-22 accounted for 10.37% of Dallas’ available salary cap space, and Harley’s reported $10.5MM salary beginning in 2026-27 would only account for 10.1%, technically making Harley more affordable.

There is little argument that Harley isn’t deserving of the price tag. Since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, when Harley became a full-time member of the Stars’ blueline, he has scored 32 goals and 105 points in 166 games for the Stars, with another four goals and 18 points in 37 postseason contests. That makes him the 15th-highest scoring defenseman in the NHL over the last three years, and he’s only 24 years old.

Additionally, he’s earned a +57 rating, 53.3% CorsiFor% at even strength, and 90.8% on-ice save percentage at even strength over that stretch. Not only can he significantly contribute offensively in the NHL, but he’s also an above-average player on the defensive side of the puck.

While there are few concerns about Harley’s projections for the contract’s duration, Dallas’ salary cap situation should raise some red flags. After factoring in the purported deal, the Stars would enter the summer with approximately $17MM in cap space. Although some players, such as Adam Erne and Nathan Bastian, are easily replaceable, the Stars will face challenges keeping Jason Robertson, Mavrik Bourque, and Nils Lundkvist around on long-term deals with that cap space.

Regardless, General Manager Jim Nill should be commended for locking in the team’s core for the foreseeable future. Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Esa Lindell, Jake Oettinger, Heiskanen, and now Harley all signed through the 2029-30 season at the very least, guaranteeing Dallas a competitive roster into the next decade.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images. 

Hurricanes Activate Shayne Gostisbehere, Place Eric Robinson On IR

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The Carolina Hurricanes are getting a major boost to their defensive core ahead of tonight’s marquee matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hurricanes announced that they’ve activated Shayne Gostisbehere from the injured reserve and have placed forward Eric Robinson on it in a corresponding roster move.

Despite missing the team’s last three games with a lower-body injury, Gostisbehere is still leading the team in scoring among defensemen. Before going down with the injury, the Pembroke Pines, FL native scored one goal and seven points in five games with a +9 rating, averaging 16:01 of ice time per game. Although his ATOI appears relatively low, it’s essential to note that Gostisbehere only skated for 4:06 in his most recent game on October 18th.

One of the most noticeable differences in Gostisbehere’s game has been on the defensive side of the puck. He’s had a pair of quality offensive campaigns between the Detroit Red Wings and Hurricanes since the 2023-24 season, but has hovered around an 88.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength (oiSV%).

This season, albeit in far fewer games, Gostisbehere got off to a great defensive start, averaging a 66.7% CorsiFor% (CF%) at even strength, and a 94.1% oiSV%. His CF% remains the highest on the team for players who have appeared in five or more contests, while his oiSV% is second on defense behind rookie Alexander Nikishin. In no uncertain terms, Gostisbehere was a primary reason the Hurricanes got off to an undefeated start through their first five games.

Meanwhile, Robinson heads to the IR after suffering an upper-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. According to an update from the team a few days later, Robinson isn’t expected back with the team anytime soon. He scored one goal and four points in seven games to start the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 9:57 of ice time per game.

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