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Avalanche Place Miles Wood On IR, Recall Chris Wagner

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The Colorado Avalanche won’t have forward Miles Wood for at least a week. The organization announced that Wood has been placed on IR and that they’ve recalled forward Chris Wagner from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, in his stead.

It’s the second time Wood has landed on the injured reserve this season. He missed seven games from late October to mid-November and was only on his sixth game back from his previous activation.

The injury to Wood may be a re-aggravation of the upper-body injury that kept him out of the lineup a few weeks ago. He tried to deliver a hit in last night’s contest against the Vegas Golden Knights and was visibly in pain after missing his mark. Wood had scored one goal and two points in his six games back from injury with another goal in 10 games prior.

Replacing Wood in the lineup will be a frequent recall of the Avalanche this season. Wagner has already played in 12 games for Colorado this season, one game shy of his total mark from a year ago. With the number of injuries Colorado has had in their forward group, Wagner should easily eclipse that total for the most games he’s played since the 2020-21 NHL season.

Wagner has spent most of his two-year stint with the Avalanche organization just north on I-25 with the Eagles. Since returning to the Avalanche last year, he’s scored nine goals and 15 points in 26 games for AHL Colorado.

New Jersey Devils Reassign Nolan Foote

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Nolan Foote is headed back to the American Hockey League after a short two-game stretch with the New Jersey Devils. The Devils organization announced they’ve reassigned Foote to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.

Foote could be recalled before New Jersey’s upcoming back-to-back games against the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals, respectively. He’s making slightly above the league minimum salary ($825K) giving the Devils a one-day window for salary cap capture.

He’s primarily played on the third line in two appearances for New Jersey this season. He’s failed to register any points while averaging 10:46 of ice time per game but has posted a solid 60.5% CorsiFor% in limited action.

Foote is in his fifth season at the professional level since being drafted with the 27th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. He’s been a fairly consistent scorer in the AHL with Utica (one season in Binghamton) but hasn’t proven enough to become a full-time NHLer.

Since moving to professional hockey in the 2020-21 season, Foote has scored 48 goals and 99 points in 150 AHL games with another one goal and three points in six postseason contests. Over his lean NHL experience, he’s scored six goals and eight points in 25 games.

Morning Notes: Buchnevich, McMann, Czarnik, De Leo

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Last night, one negative came out of the St. Louis Blues shutout victory against the New Jersey Devils. The Blues organization announced that forward Pavel Buchnevich wouldn’t return to yesterday’s contest due to a lower-body injury partway through the second period.

Buchnevich fell awkwardly when entering the offensive zone and limped off the ice in apparent discomfort. He finished the evening with one assist and a +1 rating after skating in 8:54 of ice time.

An extended absence from Buchnevich would put a glaring hole in St. Louis’ top six. He had been skating on the team’s first line alongside Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours but may be unavailable for the team’s next game on Saturday. Expect Jordan Kyrou to reclaim a role on the team’s first line on Saturday should Buchnevich exit the lineup.

Other notes from this morning:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs also had some injury news with the team announcing forward Bobby McMann left last night’s contest with a lower-body injury. McMann registered zero points while skating in 10:21 of yesterday’s game. It’s more insult to injury to a Maple Leafs’ lineup that may be without a seventh forward due to injury in their upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
  • A pair of former NHL talents are reportedly leaving their respective teams in Europe. According to the Elite Prospects transaction page, forward Austin Czarnik is ending his tenure with the NL’s SC Bern while Chase De Leo is leaving the NL’s ZSC Lions. Czarnik’s departure will create a sizeable void for SC Bern after the veteran forward scored nine goals and 27 points through his first 22 games.

Penguins Reassign Valtteri Puustinen, Activate Blake Lizotte

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11/27: According to a team announcement, the Penguins have successfully reassigned Puustinen to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and activated forward Blake Lizotte in advance of their matchup against the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

11/26: The Pittsburgh Penguins are creating additional room for their recent trade acquisition, Philip Tomasino. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Penguins have placed Valtteri Puustinen on waivers to eventually assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

It’ll be the first time Puustinen’s been on waivers after being a frequent call-up of the Penguins last season. He’s had an impressive pathway to the NHL after being the 203rd overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft.

After being drafted, Puustinen put together an exceptional two-year stretch with HPK of the Finnish Liiga. He scored 38 goals and 81 points in 105 games from 2019 to 2021 while also suiting up in two games for Finland’s 2021 IIHF World Championship team.

He made his NHL debut the following season despite playing mostly for the AHL Penguins. Puustinen scored 20 goals and 42 points in 73 games during his rookie campaign in the AHL while tallying another three assists in six postseason contests. He improved dramatically the next year scoring 24 goals and 59 points in 72 games and became a legitimate prospect within the Penguins organization.

Puustinen saw an increased opportunity in the NHL last season. He suited up in 52 games for Pittsburgh throughout the regular season and produced respectably with five goals and 20 points overall. He posted adequate possession numbers with a 56.9% CorsiFor% at even strength and wasn’t a concern on the defensive side of the puck.

He quickly became a popular candidate for a consistent middle-six role with the Penguins this season. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone to plan with Puustinen only mustering two points in 10 games for the Penguins to start this season.

His performance this season may disinterest clubs from giving him a roster spot during his time on the waiver wire. Still, teams that could use an offensive jolt like the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, and New York Islanders may claim Puustinen by tomorrow if they believe they can get his offensive production back on track.

Atlantic Notes: Lalonde, Matheson, Lundell, Chaffee, Gregor

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Analyst Darren Dreger shared worrying news for the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Derek Lalonde, in yesterday’s edition of TSN’s ’Insider Trading’. Dreger highlighted Detroit’s three-game homestand, which begins tonight, as the last chance for Lalonde to continue in his role behind the Red Wings bench.

Lalonde is in the final year of his contract originally signed before the 2022-23 NHL season. He’s compiled an 85-79-21 record as head coach of the Red Wings and has missed the playoffs in his two full seasons behind the bench. General manager Steve Yzerman has typically stayed patient with his head coaches since his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, it’s seemingly growing thin with Detroit’s lack of competitiveness.

The firing of Lalonde would mark a significant shift in how the Red Wings have approached coaching in the recent past. Detroit has not fired a coach in-season since the late Mike Illitch purchased the organization in 1982.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Mike Matheson will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury. It’s concerning that Matheson has missed two games in a row but the Canadiens won’t play again until Saturday which should give Matheson plenty of time to recover if it’s a minor injury. He’s been an effective puck mover again this season with 12 assists in 20 games.
  • Chances are Anton Lundell’s availability for tonight won’t be decided until warm-ups. According to Colby Guy of the Associated Press, Lundell’s status is still in the air depending on his ability to see through a bubble shield after suffering a facial injury in the Florida Panthers’ last game against the Washington Capitals. The Panthers are expected to change their lines should Lundell not feel ready to go.
  • According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, forward Mitchell Chaffee won’t be in tonight’s lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Chaffee only skated in 9:55 of Tampa Bay’s dominant win against the Colorado Avalanche Monday night after skating on the team’s second line next to Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. In his three recent games on the second line, Chaffee recorded one goal and three points.
  • Depth forward Noah Gregor will be a game-time decision for the Ottawa Senators tonight (X Link). Gregor has missed five straight games for the Senators after scoring two goals and three points in his first 16 contests.

Metro Notes: Chytil, Kreider, Lizotte, Glass, Romanov, Stillman

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According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the New York Rangers will operate without forwards Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider in the lineup tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. It’ll mark the second straight game without the pair of forwards.

Chytil has missed considerably more than Kreider having been out since New York’s November 14th matchup against the San Jose Sharks. He was reportedly close to a return on November 21st, but the upper-body injury is still afflicting him. He’s scored four goals and nine points in 15 games this season for the Rangers.

Kreider has only missed one game due to his upper-body injury. Through 19 games, he’s scored as many points as Chytil this year, though all in the form of goals. His offensive production has dipped so significantly that the Rangers are reportedly willing to engage interested teams in trade discussions for the veteran scorer.

Other Metro notes:

  • Josh Getzoff, play-by-play commentator of the Pittsburgh Penguins, gave a few injury updates for the team today. Getzoff shares that forward Blake Lizotte, who hasn’t played since November 13th, will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. There’s worse news regarding Cody Glass as Getzoff, unfortunately, shares he will miss his ninth straight game with a concussion.
  • Defenseman Alexander Romanov is expected back in the lineup for the New York Islanders this evening. According to line rushes provided by Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Romanov took part in line rushes at practice with Noah Dobson on the first defensive unit. He seemingly missed the team’s last game due to the same nagging injury that’s kept him out for much of the regular season.
  • It was a short stay in the NHL for defenseman Riley Stillman. The Carolina Hurricanes announced they’ve reassigned Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, after only one day on the active roster. Carolina may have just used Stillman for another option at practice given that he was quickly recalled and reassigned before the Hurricanes’ next game.

Pacific Notes: Boeser, Meyers, Hinds

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Vancouver Canucks’ winger Brock Boeser will return to the lineup tonight after missing the last seven games with a concussion (X Link). Boeser’s concussion stems from the illegal check received from Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot which warranted a three-game suspension.

The Canucks experienced a mild downturn in scoring since Boeser exited the lineup on November 7th. The team averaged 3.25 goals per game when Boeser was in the lineup but fell to 3.14 goals per game in the past seven games. Vancouver’s biggest downturn has been in the standings, posting a 3-4-0 record in Boeser’s absence after starting the year 7-2-3.

Boeser’s reintroduction into the lineup will surely help the Canucks build upon their 14th-ranked offense and will soften the blow of forward J.T. Miller landing on the injured non-roster list. He was off to a quick start before the concussion posting six goals and 11 points through his first 12 contests.

Other notes from the Pacific Division:

  • After debuting with the third team of his young career, forward Ben Meyers is headed back to the American Hockey League. The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve reassigned Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, a short while ago. In his first NHL action since last April Meyers picked up three games with the Kraken scoring zero points while averaging 7:56 of ice time.
  • According to the AHL transactions log, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled defenseman Tyson Hinds from their affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. It’ll mark the second call-up of the year for Hinds after failing to make his NHL debut on the previous one. He’s collected one goal and three points in 16 games for the AHL Gulls this season.

Sharks Recall Jack Thompson, Reassign Yaroslav Askarov

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Defenseman Jack Thompson is staying on the San Jose Sharks roster after all. After reassigning Thompson yesterday evening to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, the organization announced they’ve recalled Thompson while sending goaltender Yaroslav Askarov back down to the AHL.

Thompson has been an effective blue-liner for the Sharks in his second year with the organization. He’s scored two goals and five points in 13 contests while averaging 15:55 of ice time per game. He’s third behind Jake Walman and Timothy Liljegren amongst defensemen with a 46.6% CorsiFor% at even strength and leads Sharks’ defensemen with a 92.7% on-ice save percentage in all situations.

He won’t land on many lists of top prospects for San Jose but Thompson is already developing into a serviceable two-way defenseman. He may even see his ice time climb to around 18 minutes per night should the Sharks move on from pending unrestricted free agents, Cody Ceci and Jan Rutta, by the end of the season.

With all due respect to Thompson and his solid start to the year, the headline of this transaction is surely Askarov. He’s not only the top goaltending prospect in the Sharks pipeline but remains one of the best goaltending prospects in the league.

San Jose acquired Askarov this past offseason for a package including Vegas’ first-round pick in 2025 and former first-round pick of the 2023 NHL Draft David Edstrom. Askarov debuted with the Sharks on November 21st due to an injury to netminder Vitek Vanecek.

He played phenomenally in two starts, managing a 1-0-1 record while posting a .927 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average. San Jose wants more seasoning in the AHL for Askarov where he’s already collected a 6-3-0 record for the Barracuda this season with a .939 SV% and 1.92 GAA. The team will likely wait closer to the 2025 trade deadline before making Askarov a full-time NHL netminder after peddling pending UFA’s Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood on the trade market.

Rangers Recall Chad Ruhwedel, Reassign Matt Rempe

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It’ll be another short stay in the NHL for New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe. The organization announced they’ve reassigned Rempe to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, and recalled defenseman Chad Ruhwedel in a corresponding roster move.

The Rangers recalled Rempe only yesterday with veteran forward Chris Kreider out with a minor injury. He skated in 9:26 of New York’s loss at the hands of the St. Louis Blues last night and also narrowly avoided supplemental discipline. Four minutes into the third period, Rempe hit St. Louis forward Jake Neighbours with a late hit and was called for roughing on the play. The NHL Department of Player Safety gave the penalty a closer look due to the lateness but did not think it was forceful enough to warrant a suspension or fine.

He’ll now return to a Wolf Pack team where he’s spent much of the season. Rempe has scored two goals and three points in 10 games for AHL Hartford this season while posting a -7 rating.

Ruhwedel will return to the NHL after a seven-game stint with the Wolf Pack to reclaim his role as the Rangers’ seventh defenseman. After acquiring him from the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, the organization re-signed Ruhwedel to a one-year, $775K contract this past summer.

He recently tallied two assists in Hartford for his first AHL points since the 2018-19 season. He barely edged out his total number of games played with New York where he’s collected no points in six contests since joining the team on March 8th, 2024.

Senators Place Artem Zub On LTIR, Recall Donovan Sebrango

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The Ottawa Senators have placed defenseman Artem Zub on long-term injured reserve as expected. In a corresponding roster move, the organization announced the LTIR placement and the recall of defenseman Donovan Sebrango from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.

It’s an unfortunate but necessary transaction for the Senators after reports from this weekend indicated that Zub would be out ’for a while’ with a broken foot. Ottawa is likely still looking to add a defenseman via the trade market but will use Sebrango for now.

It’s becoming somewhat of a lost season for Zub. He’s already missed time in mid-to-late October with a concussion and could miss as many as two months due to the broken foot. As arguably the team’s best right-handed shooting defenseman, Sebrango will have big shoes to fill.

He’s in the second year of a four-year, $18.4MM extension originally signed in 2022. He’s tallied two assists over 11 games with the Senators this year and posted a respectable +0.5 E +/- according to Hockey Reference.

The only silver lining to the injury is that Sebrango has a clear path toward making his NHL debut. He was originally drafted with the 63rd overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, making his way to the Senators organization in the trade sending Alex DeBrincat to Detroit over a year ago.

Sebrango, 22, is in his fourth professional season collecting seven goals and 31 points in 184 games between the Grand Rapids Griffins and Belleville. There may be some initial discipline issues (149 PIMs in the AHL) but he allows Ottawa to win more puck battles in the defensive zone.

The Senators don’t play until tomorrow night against the San Jose Sharks which would be an ideal matchup for Sebrango’s first game. They’ll likely play him next to Thomas Chabot or Jake Sanderson to lessen his initial responsibility if he does make his debut tomorrow.

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