Blues Place Robert Thomas On Injured Reserve
The St. Louis Blues are losing their highest-scoring player for the next few weeks. The Blues announced that they’ve placed forward Robert Thomas on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury and that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Despite again being the rumor of some trade speculation, Thomas has been his steady self for St. Louis this season. Although he’s tied for seventh in games played, Thomas leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 33 points across 42 games on the year.
Thomas, 26, has already missed one game for the Blues due to the lower-body ailment and will likely miss a minimum of eight, given the projected recovery timeline. Given that St. Louis is five points back of the final wild-card spot and seven points back of being in last place in the Western Conference, they will be without their top forward for a pivotal stretch of games.
There’s no telling how much more their offense will depreciate without Thomas in the lineup. The Blues are already last in the league with a 2.49 GF/G average, and 23rd with a man advantage, having a 17.07% success rate on the power play.
Thomas’ injury is expected to negatively impact St. Louis’ performance on the ice, and it could also affect other players on the team. If the Blues fall further out of playoff contention, the trade markets for Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou, and Justin Faulk could heat up more than they already are.
Wild Place Jonas Brodin On IR, Recall Carson Lambos
1:30 p.m.: As expected, the Wild announced that they’ve placed Brodin on injured reserve due to the lower-body ailment. Additionally, the team has recalled defenseman Carson Lambos from AHL Iowa in a corresponding roster move.
1:00 p.m.: The Minnesota Wild are again losing a top-four defenseman for the foreseeable future. According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, defenseman Jonas Brodin is set to miss the next few weeks with a lower-body injury.
Russo articulated that Brodin’s lower-body ailment didn’t come from a specific play. He asserted that this is related to the lower-body issue that caused Brodin to miss nine days in mid-December and has been nagging him since then. The 14-year veteran has already missed five games for the Wild this year.
Given that Minnesota has six games in the next week and a half, Brodin is in danger of failing to cross the 70-games played plateau for the fourth straight year. The oft-injured blue liner has only appeared in 73% of the Wild’s regular-season contests since the 2022-23 campaign. He is signed through the 2027-28 season at a $6MM cap hit.
Still, when healthy, he’s one of Minnesota’s best defenders. Throughout the last four injury-plagued campaigns, Brodin has scored 17 goals and 76 points in 214 games with a +58 rating. At even strength, he has averaged a 91.6% on-ice save percentage while beginning most of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Furthermore, Brodin’s current injury could have negative consequences for Team Sweden during the 2026 Olympic Games. He scored one goal in three games for the Swedes during last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, and seven points in 10 games during the IIHF World Championships.
Meanwhile, Brodin’s absence will allow one Wild defenseman to make his NHL debut this evening. Yesterday evening, Minnesota recalled prospect David Spacek from the AHL’s Iowa Wild, and he’s expected to be in the lineup this evening. The 22-year-old has scored three goals and 19 points in 35 games for AHL Iowa this year.
Blue Jackets Activate Erik Gudbranson
The Columbus Blue Jackets will return a veteran defenseman to the lineup tonight. According to team reporter Jeff Svoboda, the Blue Jackets will activate Erik Gudbranson for tonight’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks.
Gudbranson, 34, has not played in an NHL contest since shortly before Halloween. He’s been dealing with a hip injury that has cost him much of the 2025-26 campaign.
That has been the status quo for Gudbranson throughout the final two years of his four-year, $16MM contract with Columbus. The veteran defenseman also lost much of the 2024-25 season, finishing with four assists in 16 games, averaging 17:46 of ice time per game.
Given that he’s carried major injury concerns since the end of the 2023-24 season and hasn’t been particularly good when healthy, Gudbranson will likely serve in a depth role for the foreseeable future. Still, the Blue Jackets are dealing with other injuries and ailments on their blue line, which will allow Gudbranson to have consistent ice time in the near future.
Regardless, Columbus will have to make a corresponding roster move to make Gudbranson’s activation official. That will likely result in the demotion of defenseman Dysin Mayo, whom the team recalled yesterday on an emergency basis. Mayo played in the Blue Jackets’ win over the Calgary Flames a few days ago, earning a +1 rating while playing in 8:03 of the action.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Aleksei Kolosov
According to the AHL transactions log, the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled netminder Aleksei Kolosov from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The transaction is linked to the Flyers’ announcement from yesterday evening, sharing that Daniel Vladař had left their game with an injury.
Kolosov, 24, was drafted with the 78th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, being ranked as the second-best European netminder available. He spent several years with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk, averaging a .909 SV% and 2.56 GAA across 120 games.
Despite a two-game stint with AHL Lehigh Valley in 2023-24, Kolosov’s first full season in the North American circuit came last year. He appeared in 17 games for Philadelphia, managing a 5-9-1 record with a .867 SV% and 3.59 GAA. Given how poorly all three of the Flyers’ netminders played last season, Kolosov played his part in the team eventually signing Vladař last offseason.
Fortunately, for his development, Kolosov has spent more time in the AHL this season. He appears to be gaining some confidence, posting a 9-9-1 record in 19 games with a .908 SV% and 2.54 GAA.
Unfortunately, despite Kolosov’s improvements, the team will likely be without Vladař for their next contest at the very least. He’s played a huge role in Philadelphia stabilizing their goaltending situation this year, winning 16 of 28 starts with a .905 SV% and 2.46 GAA. According to MoneyPuck, Vladař is ranked ninth out of the 57 goaltenders who have played in 15 or more games with a 9.5 Goals Saved Above Expected.
Red Wings Recall Erik Gustafsson
The Detroit Red Wings are adding some defensive depth ahead of their next contest. According to a team announcement, the Red Wings have recalled defenseman Erik Gustafsson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Gustafsson, 33, is in the final year of a two-year, $4MM contract with Detroit. After scoring six goals and 31 points in 76 games with the New York Rangers during the 2023-24 campaign, the Nynashamn, Sweden, disappointed greatly in his first season in HockeyTown.
Originally signed to be an anchor for the team’s second power-play unit, Gustafsson finished the 2024-25 season with two goals and 18 points in 60 games, averaging 16:19 of ice time per game. Of his 18 points, half of those were scored on the powerplay.
He has fallen further down the team’s depth chart this season. Despite being on a one-way contract, he and fellow veteran blue liner, Justin Holl, failed to make the Red Wings’ opening night roster out of training camp and have spent most of the year with AHL Grand Rapids.
There’s little argument that Detroit didn’t make the right decision, either. Rookie defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka is one point away from matching Gustafsson’s point totals from last season, while free agent acquisition Jacob Bernard-Docker is providing excellent play on the defensive side of the puck.
Still, Gustafsson has been providing value to the organization in some capacity. He’s the Griffins top scorer among defensemen, scoring two goals and 20 points in 22 games, helping the team to a 29-2-2-1 record to begin the season. Due to the lack of NHL playing time, Gustafsson is exploring other options, with a report from Sweden last week suggesting he is likely headed to the SHL next year.
Detroit Red Wings Reassign Sheldon Dries
1/14/26: The Detroit Red Wings announced today that forward Dries has been reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He didn’t dress during this recall, serving as a healthy scratch for four contests.
Since Dries’ contract carries a two-way structure, even though this recall didn’t carry much of an on-ice benefit, he did receive a nice pay bump for the time spent on the NHL roster.
1/9/26: The Detroit Red Wings have addressed their need for a 13th forward after reassigning John Leonard earlier today. According to a team announcement, the Red Wings have recalled Sheldon Dries from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
If Detroit didn’t want to recall one of their prospects and weren’t willing to remove the Griffins’ captain, Dominik Shine, it was almost certainly going to be Dries. Dries, 31, is in his second year with the Red Wings organization after spending multiple years with the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks’ organizations.
It’ll be a coming home of sorts for the Macomb, MI native. Dries spent his youth days playing for the local travel hockey programs in Honeybaked and Belle Tire. He moved to the southwest part of the state for his collegiate hockey days, playing four years with the Western Michigan University Broncos, where he scored 44 goals and 84 points in 148 career games.
He’s always been a quality scorer in the AHL, highlighted by a 35-goal, 62-point performance in 54 games throughout the 2021-22 season for the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. In his last year with the AHL Canucks in the 2023-24 campaign, Dries registered 29 goals and 52 points in 55 games.
His first year with AHL Grand Rapids was similarly solid, finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 25 goals and 40 points in 65 games. Still, like many of his teammates this year, he’s been playing at a different level entirely. Dries currently sits third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 25 points in 26 games with a +16 rating, on pace for nearly 70 points before the recall.
If he draws into the lineup for the Red Wings, it’ll be his first NHL appearance since the 2022-23 season. That was his longest stretch in the top league by a significant margin, scoring 11 goals and 17 points in 63 games for the Canucks, averaging 11:32 of ice time per game.
Avalanche Activate Mackenzie Blackwood, Reassign Trent Miner
According to a team announcement, the Colorado Avalanche have activated netminder Mackenzie Blackwood from the injured reserve. In a corresponding roster move, the Avalanche have reassigned goaltender Trent Miner to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
Blackwood, 29, has been on Colorado’s injured reserve for the last little while. After suffering a lower-body injury during a team practice, Blackwood has missed the Avalanche’s last six contests.
Colorado brought Blackwood into the mix last year in a trade with the San Jose Sharks in an effort to alleviate the team’s goaltending woes. He provided exactly that, winning 22 of 36 starts with the Avalanche with a .913 SV% and 2.33 GAA.
Somehow, Blackwood has performed even better this year. Mostly sharing the net with fellow netminder Scott Wedgewood due to injuries, Blackwood has only started 14 of Colorado’s 45 games. During that time, he’s garnered a 13-1-1 record with a .924 SV%, 2.07 GAA, and 10.6 Goals Saved Above Average.
Despite having the league’s best offense by a significant margin, the Avalanche also tops the NHL in GA/G, largely due to their efficient goaltending. Colorado has produced a .919 SV% across the year — 10 points higher than the next closest.
Meanwhile, Miner heads back to Loveland, CO, after appearing in two games for the Avalanche. The 24-year-old won the first game of his career, a 29-save shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets. His next contest didn’t go well, resulting in an overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs a few days ago.
He’ll return to an Eagles club where he’s spent much of the 2025-26 campaign. In 10 games for the team this year, Miner owns a 7-2-0 record with a .907 SV% and 2.40 GAA.
Flyers Activate Jamie Drysdale
The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they’ve activated defenseman Jamie Drysdale from the injured reserve. The transaction was largely expected after the Flyers assigned fellow blue liner Adam Ginning to the AHL yesterday afternoon.
Drysdale, 23, has missed a little over a week with Philadelphia after suffering an undisclosed injury against his former team, the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers have not played well without him — losing all three games in his absence.
Fortunately, Drysdale will return tonight in what’s expected to be a competitive matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Drysdale is having a solid campaign so far, scoring three goals and 18 points in 41 games, averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game.
Although it’s not the offensive production that many expected of Drysdale after being selected with the sixth overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. He’s nearly reached his point totals from last season, when he scored seven goals and 20 points in 70 contests with a -32 rating.
Now, as Drysdale sits as the third-highest scoring defenseman on the roster, he’s on pace to reach a career-high in points, with his previous being set during his sophomore campaign in 2021-22. Additionally, he’s performing much better on the defensive side of the puck since Rick Tocchet took over behind the bench, averaging a 90.9% on-ice SV% at even strength after posting an 84.4% and 85.1% marks in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.
Canadiens Sign Alexandre Texier To Two-Year Extension
According to his agent, Dan Milstein, Alexandre Texier has signed a two-year, $5MM ($2.5MM AAV) extension with the Montreal Canadiens. Texier originally joined the Canadiens on a one-year, $1MM contract in November after his previous contract with the St. Louis Blues was terminated.
At the beginning of the year, it would have been fair to question whether Texier would even be playing in the NHL next season, let alone signing an extension. Being a frequent healthy scratch by the Blues, Texier had recorded only one assist in eight games, averaging 10:15 of ice time per game.
Considering he was largely used as a depth forward for St. Louis in the previous season, it wasn’t surprising to see that Texier wanted to explore other options. Texier was placed on unconditional waivers for contract termination by the Blues, and once he cleared, he was signed by the Canadiens.
He has looked like a completely different player. Moving into a middle-six role with the Canadiens, he’s already surpassed his point totals across two years in St. Louis. In 25 games after signing with Montreal, Texier has scored seven goals and 16 points with a +7 rating. He’s already become the seventh-highest scoring forward on the team.
His advanced metrics have never looked better, either. He’s managing the highest CorsiFor% at even strength of his career with a 53.3% mark, and has averaged a 91.3% on-ice SV% at even strength, showing off his value as a two-way force.
It’s unrealistic to think that Texier will sustain his current scoring pace, as he’s never scored more than 30 points in a regular season. Still, even if he gets to that point over the duration of the contract, it will prove to be a solid investment by Montreal. If the upper limit of the salary cap reaches its expected levels, Texier will only be earning approximately 2.2% of the Canadiens’ available cap dollars by the 2027-28 campaign.
It likely didn’t require much negotiation to finalize this deal. Texier bet on himself at a time of great strife for his on-ice play, and the Canadiens must feel emboldened by the quality of play he’s shown since joining the team.
Senators, Oilers Had Trade Talks Regarding Andrew Mangiapane
Speaking on last week’s episode of Hello Hockey, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers have had trade talks regarding forward Andrew Mangiapane. He did not disclose how in-depth these conversations were or whether there was any further progress toward a deal.
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Mangiapane will be traded this season. In late December, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that the Oilers were looking to move Mangiapane in an effort to thin out a relatively saturated forward group. A few days later, Friedman again shared that Mangiapane wants to move to a better situation for himself, and that the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets had been in touch with Edmonton to some degree or another.
It stands to reason that the Senators will want to climb back into contention before adding a depth piece similar to Mangiapane. Despite being six points back of a playoff spot, six teams are separating Ottawa from the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have a 3-6-1 record over their last 10 contests, the worst in the Atlantic Division over that stretch.
Furthermore, it’s not altogether clear how Mangiapane will benefit the Senators. He has been relatively disappointing over the past two years, scoring 19 goals and 39 points in his last 123 games between the Oilers and Washington Capitals. For context, in his final year with the Calgary Flames, Mangiapane scored 14 goals and 40 points in 75 games.
It really depends on what Ottawa would be looking for Mangiapane to contribute. The team is averaging 3.11 GF/G, good for 14th in the league. There’s always a place to add more goal-scoring, though the Senators have had much larger issues keeping the puck out of their net.
Mangiapane has shown flashes of being a defensively responsible forward, as evidenced by his 91.8% on-ice SV% with the Capitals last year. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played similarly this season, posting an 83.7% mark with the Oilers, the worst on the team for forwards who have played in 25 or more games.
If Ottawa is interested in Mangiapane for his defensive attributes, they will need to hope that their coaching staff can help revert him to how he played last year in Washington. However, if they’re looking to add more secondary or even tertiary scoring, there are likely better and more affordable options available than Mangiapane.