Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: McCabe, Pacioretty, Benson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Mitch Marner and John Tavares project as the two most high-profile players on the Maple Leafs roster eligible for an extension during the 2024-25 NHL season. The one seemingly closest to the finish line, however, is defenseman Jake McCabe with reports shortly before the season began indicating an extension was close between the two sides.

James Mirtle of The Athletic wrote in an article today (Subscription Required) that offered some comparables and context behind Toronto’s desire to keep McCabe around beyond this season. Mirtle highlighted Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Dylan DeMelo as the most reasonable comparable although it’s difficult to discern a perfect one for any player. DeMelo signed a four-year, $19.6MM extension with the Jets almost a week before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent this past offseason.

If McCabe’s camp seeks a salary similar to 5.6% of the salary cap like DeMelo that would put his AAV at around $5.15MM. Since McCabe shares a desire to stay with the Maple Leafs beyond this season Toronto could manage to lower his AAV if they add a fifth year to his contract. It’s still a negotiation requiring fine-tuning with the Maple Leafs having several pending unrestricted and restricted free agents on the roster. It’s likely a situation they’ll want to avoid slow-playing less losing their third-most valuable defenseman.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • Sticking in Toronto — veteran forward Max Pacioretty left the team’s game last night with a lower-body injury in the second period and never returned to action. There doesn’t appear to be any long-term concern for the injury nor any indication it’s connected to his past Achilles injuries shares Nick Alberga of TheLeafsNation. It should only keep him off the ice for the next few days likely making him an option for the team’s game tomorrow night against the St. Louis Blues.
  • The Buffalo Sabres returned to practice this morning after a big win against the Dallas Stars but were still absent Zach Benson who’s been dealing with a mysterious ailment (X Link). Reports indicate Benson is nursing a lower-body injury suffered during the organization’s trip to Prague to kick off the regular season but the Sabres have been vague about his status up to this point. The ailment appears to have affected his play on the ice with Benson going scoreless through his first six contests while averaging just over 14 minutes of ice time per game.

Justin Barron Out Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury, No Supplemental Discipline For Jacob Trouba

at CDT | by 10 Comments

After a blowout loss to the New York Rangers last night, the Montreal Canadiens are suffering an additional loss on their blue line. The team announced earlier that defenseman Justin Barron is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is likely to be re-evaluated before the team’s next game against the St. Louis Blues.

Barron’s injury stems from a massive body check delivered by Rangers’ captain Jacob Trouba in the third period of last night’s contest which consequently ended Barron’s evening. The hit (Video Link) came with approximately 13 minutes remaining in the game with New York already holding a three-goal lead. Barron attempted to carry the puck into the offensive zone until he was immediately stopped in his tracks by Trouba.

It’s made clear in the video that Trouba came into contact with Barron’s head as a result of the hit which had a few members of the Canadiens’ organization seeking supplemental discipline for Trouba. Longtime veteran of Montreal, Brendan Gallagher, was publicly discomposed with the lack of penalty called on the play saying, “They had a clean hit on the ice, we have a hit to the head from a player that’s had multiple, multiple warnings. So, whether the league decides to do the right thing, whether he gets another pass, that’s up to them“.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported earlier that the league’s department of player safety won’t be issuing any supplemental discipline for Trouba. The league interpreted Barron’s chest as the main point of contact with the blow to the head being excused by Rule 48.1 of the NHL’s Official Rules which states: “whether the player attempted to hit squarely through the opponent’s body and the head was not ’picked’ as a result of poor timing, poor angle of approach, or unnecessary extension of the body upward or outward“.

Central Notes: Hall, Lehkonen, Drouin, Perunovich

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s not common for a 10-plus-year NHL veteran to have a strong desire to play for a rebuilding club, especially without having played in a Stanley Cup Final. According to an interview with Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall has different ideas about his future.

If Hall has his way he would be with the Blackhawks’ organization through their rebuild and into their next competitive window. Seravalli quoted Hall as saying, “I’d love to stay and be part of this. I’ve moved around quite a bit, maybe more than I would’ve liked or planned at the start of my career. But it’s brought me and led me to some amazing people, and I’ve had a lot of great life experiences, and that’s made me grow up a lot. In saying that, I like it here, I like the organization. Most of all, I really like this team and the group of guys we have. I think I can be a good piece for us as we keep growing“.

It makes sense for Hall to finally settle down with an organization for the twilight years of his career. The former first-overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft has played for six organizations throughout his 15-year NHL career five of which coming in the past six seasons. He’s only in his age-33 season meaning he could theoretically be a part of Chicago’s reemergence into contention depending on the pace of their rebuild with phenom Connor Bedard.

Other Central notes:

  •  Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette shared a few injury updates regarding Colorado Avalanche forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin. Lehkonen, who has not played since Colorado’s series-clinching loss to the Dallas Stars in Round Two of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, is continuing to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. He is meeting with doctors once the team returns to Denver later this week and is hopeful he will be cleared. Drouin is working his way back from an upper-body injury and will be re-examined once the team returns from their three-game road trip.
  • According to Lou Korac of The Hockey News, St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich is expected to make his season debut tomorrow night. Perunovich is buried on the Blues’ depth chart to start the season thanks to offseason additions Ryan Suter and Pierre-Olivier Joseph. He managed 17 assists last year in St. Louis in 52 games played but there were considerable concerns with his play on the defensive side of the puck. Perunovich may find himself on the waiver wire in the coming days when Nick Leddy is activated so his inclusion in tomorrow’s lineup could be interpreted as an informal tryout.

Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Perron, Greenway

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have gotten off to a strong start this season to the tune of a 4-2-1 record which becomes more impressive when considering the team has been without forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk for five games. The latter has been out for more than a week with an illness but should return tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild according to David Dwork of The Hockey News.

Tkachuk managed two assists in two games for the Panthers to start the season before exiting the lineup on October 14th. He’s expected to slot in on the right wing next to familiar linemates Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe.

He should have been a popular candidate to replace Eetu Luostarinen on Florida’s first line but their production over the last few games leaves little room for upgrade. According to Hockey Reference, the combination of Luostarinen, Sam Reinhart, and Anton Lundell has produced 23 points through seven games with an even more impressive E +/- of 8.1.

Other Atlantic notes:

  •  The Ottawa Senators’ most notable unrestricted free agent signing from this past offseason, David Perron, will be away from the team for the foreseeable future due to personal reasons (X Link). Perron joined the Senators on a two-year, $8MM pact to take on a similar role to his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings. He’s gone scoreless through his initial five games with the organization and will look to rebound upon his return.
  • Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported earlier that forward Jordan Greenway has returned to practice for the Buffalo Sabres after suffering an upper-body injury and Mike Harrington of Buffalo News Sports later added he could feature in the lineup tomorrow. Greenway was a surprise scratch in the team’s most recent game against the Chicago Blackhawks a few days ago as it took until after the contest to learn about his upper-body injury. He currently sits tied for fourth on Buffalo in scoring with two goals and four points through the first six games. 

West Notes: Karlsson, Texier, Hartman

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights received positive news on the injury front as forward William Karlsson returned to the ice this morning in a non-contact jersey (X Link). He didn’t skate with any of the team’s forward lines suggesting he won’t suit up tomorrow night but a follow-up report indicated he could return to the lineup by Friday.

Karlsson hasn’t skated in a month after suffering an undisclosed injury during the preseason. Aside from vague updates every few weeks, the Golden Knights organization hasn’t offered any specifics about his injury. Since he didn’t factor into any preseason games this September, Karlsson’s last game with Vegas was Game Seven of the team’s Round One series loss against the Dallas Stars in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Karlsson’s imminent return couldn’t come at a better time for the Golden Knights with winger Victor Olofsson going down with a lower-body injury. Vegas may be light up front tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings but should have a formidable top-six against the Ottawa Senators on Friday of this week should Karlsson return.

Other West notes:

  • A formal roster move from the St. Louis Blues is expected tomorrow as Lou Korac of The Hockey News reports Alexandre Texier should be activated from injured reserve for the team’s contest tomorrow night. The Blues have a full 23-man roster at the moment meaning one player will have to be demoted to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, or placed on injured reserve in some capacity. Defenseman Nick Leddy should be a popular candidate for the latter option as the veteran defenseman hasn’t suited up since October 15th after sustaining a lower-body injury.
  • Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports reports Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He was originally designated as a game-time decision for the team’s most recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and it now appears the injury is mildly more severe than anticipated. The upper-body ailment shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup too much longer as Hartman looks to expand on his two goals in four games to start the season.

Metro Notes: Merzļikins, Greaves, Hughes, Pesce, Lafrenière

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets took the ice this morning for practice before their matchup tomorrow night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Columbus notably had three goaltenders on the ice, and team reporter Jeff Svoboda confirmed that Elvis Merzļikins has resumed skating after nursing an upper-body injury.

It looks like Merzlikins is healthy enough to participate in tomorrow night’s contest with the team announcing they have returned netminder Jet Greaves to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, after serving on an emergency recall. Greaves suited up in two games for the Blue Jackets on the recall but spent the entire time on the bench with fellow goaltender Daniil Tarasov taking both starts.

It’s anyone’s guess who the Blue Jackets will choose to start tomorrow night’s contest with Merzlikins and Tarasov producing similar numbers to start the 2024-25 regular season. According to Hockey Reference, the two have combined for a 2-3-0 record through five games with a .869 save percentage and a -4.0 goals save above average. The deciding factor may hinge on Merzlikins’ health summary tomorrow morning.

Other Metro notes:

  • The New Jersey Devils sent defenseman Seamus Casey to AHL Utica this morning in exchange for Daniil Misyul despite the former scoring three goals and four points in his first eight NHL contests. Team reporter Amanda Stein revealed additional content for the move mentioning that although defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce won’t suit up tomorrow night, their return “is imminent”. The two undoubtedly will improve New Jersey’s chances of returning to the NHL playoffs next spring as they currently sit ninth in the NHL in points percentage through eight games.
  • Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported mild injury news for the New York Rangers sharing forward Alexis Lafrenière is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Lafrenière has been one of the team’s best forwards out of the gate with three goals and six points in five games while averaging 17:45 of ice time per night. With it being the last game of the team’s current three-game road trip, he may be on the shelf tomorrow against the Montreal Canadiens depending on the injury’s severity.

Penguins Make Tristan Jarry A Healthy Scratch

at CDT | by 6 Comments

With the Pittsburgh Penguins recalling goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from his conditioning loan without a corresponding roster move it was inevitable that the Penguins would have to healthy scratch one of their three netminders for today’s game. Their highest-paid goalie, Tristan Jarry, found his name on the chopping block when the roster was announced with the team opting for Nedeljkovic and youngster Joel Blomqvist.

Nedeljkovic started today against the Winnipeg Jets allowing five goals on 36 shots for an .861 save percentage in the loss. It was his first game back since suffering a lower-body injury in a preseason matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on September 30th.

Aside from Nedeljkovic making his season debut, the move speaks more to Pittsburgh’s confidence in Blomqvist and the ongoing lack thereof with Jarry. The 23-year-old netminder has managed a .906 SV% through the first three starts of his NHL career while Jarry has only mustered an .836 SV% including three goals allowed on five shots in only 11 and a half minutes of the team’s game against the Buffalo Sabres on October 16th.

The Penguins are only seven games into the 2024-25 regular season so there is more than enough time for Jarry to turn it around and take back the starting job. The bad part is that this issue extends before this season with Jarry losing the starting role to Nedeljkovic in the back half of last year.

Despite Jarry having enough time to turn his season around, there is some recent precedence for a team making a bold decision on a high-priced goaltender. The Edmonton Oilers placed Jack Campbell and his $5MM salary on waivers last season after only five games to start the season before buying him out this past summer.

There’s no indication Pittsburgh will act similarly to the Oilers last year but the organization’s response to his recent stretch of play, coupled with the healthy scratch today, likely shows Jarry that his spot in the lineup isn’t as secure as he would like.

The Penguins are just below the league’s average in save percentage to start the regular season but are not a unique club having early issues in the crease. Should Jarry’s uninspiring play continue into the American Thanksgiving season — he could force Pittsburgh’s hand in making a very difficult decision.

Islanders Place Julien Gauthier On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Julien Gauthier’s short stint with the New York Islanders is now on hold. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the organization has chosen to place Gauthier on waivers for the next 24 hours, putting them at 12 healthy forwards without factoring in the late injury to Anthony Duclair last night.

To the surprise of some, Gauthier made the Islanders’ opening night roster out of camp instead of the relatively pricey Pierre Engvall. He hasn’t factored into much of the team’s success up to this point with his only game on the year coming last night against the Montreal Canadiens. He skated in 7:42 of yesterday’s game and managed two hits despite his name not finding the scoresheet.

Gauthier, who signed as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023, is in his second year with the organization. His lack of NHL play during his time with the Islanders should make for a pass through the waiver wire by tomorrow afternoon.

He’s managed quality production in the American Hockey League, when healthy, throughout his career so there is an argument that a team could claim him to stash in the minors if they’re certain they’ll make the only claim. Gauthier’s appeared in 205 AHL contests since making his professional debut in the 2017-18 season scoring 78 goals and 115 points overall.

Islanders’ Anthony Duclair Leaves Game With Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New York Islanders will be without their top free-agent acquisition for the rest of the game tonight and potentially for the foreseeable future. Forward Anthony Duclair left the game in the third period of New York’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens and appeared to have injured his left leg.

He took the puck into Montreal’s zone and drove toward the net when he twisted his left leg. There was some contact with Canadiens’ defenseman Jayden Struble, but the injury appears to be non-contact. This is a cause for concern, as non-contact injuries are often more serious.

There should be more information tomorrow about the extent of the injury or even later tonight. Duclair signed a four-year, $14MM contract with the Islanders this past offseason and has held a valuable spot on New York’s first line next to Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat.

He led the Islanders in scoring heading into tonight’s action with two goals and three points in four games but has now been surpassed by Barzal. New York has struggled on offense over the last few seasons and Duclair was brought in to elevate the organization’s top six.

Although an absence for any stretch would do nothing to help New York’s offensive difficulties, it could create an opportunity for one of the team’s newer players. Maxim Tsyplakov has gotten off to a strong start with one goal and two points in four games with another assist tonight and he could expand upon that with an opening on the top line.

East Notes: Penguins, Hughes, Pesce, Ullmark

at CDT | by 1 Comment

There were some expectations that Joel Blomqvist’s days with the Pittsburgh Penguins were numbered with the organization recalling Alex Nedeljkovic earlier today. We now know that isn’t the case as Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports the team will carry both along with Tristan Jarry through the team’s upcoming four-game road trip.

Blomqvist has played his way into an extended stay with the club after securing a 2-2-0 record through four games with a .908 save percentage compared to a 1-1-0 record and .836 SV% from Jarry. It’s already been suggested there’s an open competition between the pipes to increase their chances of winning each game. There appears to be a pathway for Blomqvist to become the everyday starter for the Penguins if he continues to play well despite only being 23 years old.

Rorabaugh also mentions that forwards Blake Lizotte, Matthew Nieto, and Vasily Ponomarev skated this morning but will not travel with the team for their road trip. Each of the trio has been nursing injuries to open the 2024-25 campaign with the latter likely headed to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton once he’s medically cleared to return.

Other East notes:

  • The New Jersey Devils are eagerly awaiting the return of defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce to their active roster. Team reporter Amanda Stein shared that both defensemen skated with the team this morning but aren’t expected back sooner than anticipated. It’s a positive step in the right direction for both players but don’t tell New Jersey they’re supposed to be missing them. The team currently leads the Eastern Conference in points with 10 after a 5-2-0 start through their first seven games.
  • The strain afflicting Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark has been more severe than expected. It’s supposed to last much longer as TSN’s Bruce Garrioch reports he is close to a return despite potent caution from the team. The likely scenario is that the organization was concerned Ullmark may reaggravate the strain or develop a worse injury altogether if he returned sooner, so the slow return may prove beneficial in the long run.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top