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Oilers Place Ryan Nugent-Hopkins On IR; Activate Mattias Janmark

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The Oilers announced Monday that they’ve placed forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve and activated Mattias Janmark in his place. The team also increased their LTIR pool by $1.3MM by shifting winger Kasperi Kapanen from standard to long-term injured reserve, putting them within reach of compliance when they activate Zach Hyman from LTIR as expected in the coming days.

Nugent-Hopkins’ injury, which head coach Kris Knoblauch said won’t keep him out longer than the week required for IR, comes as the Oilers are reeling from a 9-1 loss to the Avalanche on Saturday. The 32-year-old has been the least of Edmonton’s worries through their 6-6-4 start, though. His -11 rating and declining possession metrics through 16 games are something of a concern, but he’s third on the team in scoring with five goals and 11 assists for a point per game. He’s averaging 18:49 of ice time per game and picking up the slack left by depth names like Trent Frederic, Isaac Howard, Matthew Savoie, and David Tomasek, who have a combined nine points despite all being expected to see tryouts higher up in Edmonton’s lineup to help replace the names they lost to last offseason’s cap crunch.

It wasn’t clear when exactly Nugent-Hopkins got hurt, but it most definitely happened during that Colorado drubbing. He played a season-low 14:50 in that game, in which he was held off the scoresheet and posted a -4 rating.

Janmark, who turns 33 in December, is entering his fourth year in Edmonton after initially signing as a free agent in 2022. The 2013 third-rounder had just two goals in 80 games last year but has found a consistent home on the Oilers’ penalty kill. He and Nugent-Hopkins formed the nucleus of that group last year, at least in the forward department, on a unit that finished right around league average at 78.2%. The Oilers have gotten off to a fine start shorthanded without him, killing at an 81.8% rate for 12th in the league. With that in mind, it would be understandable if the Oilers were hesitant to give a regular role to someone with just six goals in the last two seasons, given their existing depth scoring issues.

Still, the Hyman, Kapanen, and Nugent-Hopkins injuries figure to give Janmark a chance at capturing consistent minutes again. Kapanen had two assists through his first six games before sustaining an undisclosed injury in mid-October that has him out week-to-week.

Mattias Janmark, Zach Hyman Nearing Injury Returns

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  • The Edmonton Oilers have a few injury updates of their own, courtesy of Oilers TV host Tony Brar. Mattias Janmark is reportedly “very close” to returning from his injury, one that has kept him from making his season debut in 2025-26. In addition, Zach Hyman is nearing a return to the ice, it’s likely to be within the next week and could come as early as Monday. Like Janmark, Hyman also has not yet played in the 2025-26 season. Both players play regular roles in Edmonton. Hyman is a key goal scorer and offensive contributor (he scored 54 goals in 2023-24 and had 27 last season) while Janmark is a steady, reliable bottom-six winger who plays a regular role on the team’s penalty kill. The Oilers’ penalty kill currently ranks No. 15 in the NHL, so the return of Janmark could help the unit achieve a notable boost in efficiency.

West Notes: Gaudette, Leskovar, Akey

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The Sharks have activated forward Adam Gaudette off injured reserve, relays Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News (Twitter link).  The 29-year-old has missed a little more than a week due to an upper-body injury.  Signed to a two-year, $4MM contract this past summer, Gaudette has been reasonably productive in limited playing time, picking up three goals and an assist in nine games despite playing less than 11 minutes a night.  That usage is similar to last season when he averaged just 10:25 per game but still managed to notch 19 goals in 81 games with Ottawa.  With Patrick Giles being sent back down on Monday, they had the open roster spot available to activate Gaudette so no further moves were needed.

Elsewhere out West:

  • The Wild announced (Twitter link) that they have activated defenseman Stevie Leskovar off season-opening injured reserve and assigned him to ECHL Iowa. The 21-year-old is in the first season of his entry-level contract but he was dealing with a wrist injury that had kept him out of the lineup.  Leskovar had six points in 35 games last season with OHL Brampton and also got into one professional game with AHL Iowa.  But for now, he’ll go to the Heartlanders and look to get some playing time in at that level with the hopes of an AHL promotion later on.
  • The Oilers have assigned defenseman Beau Akey to ECHL Fort Wayne, per an announcement from AHL Bakersfield (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a second-round pick back in 2023 and is in his first professional season but hasn’t been able to play yet due to injury.  Now cleared to return, he’ll get a chance to get in some game action with the Komets and will likely rejoin the Condors soon after with this assignment being more of a conditioning assignment than a long-term one.  Akey had 32 points in 52 games with OHL Barrie last season.

Oilers Looking To Move Troy Stecher

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In today’s episode of Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet referenced Troy Stecher, that a move could be happening soon. According to Friedman, Stecher and the Oilers could be working on a resolution, as he has not been in the lineup often, and looking for a new opportunity. 

With Alec Regula activated from IR earlier today, the news is not necessarily a surprise. Rumblings about the Oilers and their logjam between the likes of Regula, Stecher, and Ty Emberson have gone on since last month. Now, Friedman’s comments indicate Edmonton has youth in their best interest, as Stecher, 31, could be moving on, currently in his third season on the team. 

Originally undrafted out of North Dakota, the British Columbia native has carved out a very respectable 566 game career to this point, despite being on the smaller side at 5’10”. While many in that mold have a more offensive game full of polarizing play, Stecher has never posted more than 24 points in a season, a career high set back as a rookie in 2016-17. His steady, dependable two-way game has been enough of a commodity that he has not appeared in a single AHL game since that rookie season nine years ago. 

Acquired in 2024 by Edmonton from Arizona, in exchange for just a fourth-round pick, Stecher played in 66 games last season, but now the club has favored more size along with youth, in the form of Regula. A pending free agent with a cap hit of just $787k, the Stecher market could be interesting. It is hard to imagine that rebuilding teams, where he could be a viable top-six defender, would have much interest in the veteran. He is a more bona-fide seventh-defender at this point, a role similar blueliners north of 30 his mold could envy, being on a team such as the Oilers. Perhaps the Red Wings could be interested in a reunion, with their promising start despite a thin backend. An injury-ridden team such as the Devils or Canucks, who Stecher began his career with, could also have interest. His sub-$1MM cap hit is certainly an asset. 

Regardless, GM Stan Bowman has a decision to make, and hopefully the respected veteran finds a more preferable role soon, whether with Edmonton, or elsewhere. 

Oilers Activate Alec Regula From Injured Reserve

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The Oilers announced this morning that they’ve activated defenseman Alec Regula from injured reserve. They’ve had an open roster spot for quite some time, so no corresponding move is required.

Regula hasn’t played in over three weeks due to an undisclosed injury. He sustained it in just his second appearance of the season and initially avoided IR, but landed there on Oct. 19 when Edmonton needed the roster flexibility. There’s something of a logjam of depth defenders in Edmonton, and while Regula was out, his name began to pop up in trade speculation as the Oilers look to ditch some money. Now that he’s healthy, there’s a greater chance of a move occurring.

The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse for Regula, who had the chance to establish himself as an NHL regular for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old was a promising two-way prospect just a couple of years ago, but injuries have decimated his development. He missed all of 2024-25 due to a knee injury. He attempted a return midseason, during which he was claimed off waivers by the Oilers from the Bruins, but never got into a game. His showings in the Oilers’ first two games of this season were his first NHL games in nearly three years.

Edmonton is Regula’s fourth stop. He was initially drafted by the Red Wings in 2018 but was traded to the Blackhawks for Brendan Perlini a year later. He spent the majority of his development in the Chicago organization before being dealt to the Bruins in 2023 in the Nick Foligno/Taylor Hall deal. He suited up alongside Darnell Nurse on the Oilers’ second pairing in his Edmonton debut, a job he’s now lost to Jake Walman. The righty had a -1 rating while averaging 15:54 per game, but the duo did post promising under-the-hood numbers in a limited sample with a 57.1 CF% and 72.7 xGF%.

With Walman locking down that top-four job as expected, Regula might be sitting in the press box for a while now that he’s healthy. They’ve gotten solid play out of their third pairing of Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson, which has appeared in all 14 games so far this season. That makes it hard to envision the Oilers benching one of them just for the sake of getting Regula back in unless it’s to boost his value in anticipation of a trade.

Oilers Receiving Interest In Troy Stecher

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The Oilers should be getting some help on the injury front over the next couple of weeks with Zach Hyman, Mattias Janmark, and Alec Regula all potentially returning.  That means a roster crunch will soon be coming and when Hyman comes off LTIR, they’ll have to get back to a cap-compliant roster, meaning moves will have to be made as they’re nearly $2.8MM over the cap ceiling, per PuckPedia.

It appears that one of the possibilities to be dealt is defenseman Troy Stecher.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (video link) that there appears to be some interest in the veteran blueliner while Edmonton is open to finding him a soft landing where he’d have a chance to stay on an NHL roster.

The 31-year-old is in his third season with the Oilers and has been in and out of the lineup in the early going this season.  Stecher has made six appearances so far in 2025-26 and has been held off the scoresheet while picking up three blocked shots in a little under 14 minutes a night of playing time.

Over his career, Stecher has played in 566 games over parts of ten seasons, generally playing on the third pairing.  He has 22 goals and 95 assists in those appearances along with 629 blocks and 562 hits in 17:29 per game of ice time.  At this stage of his career, he might be better off in more of a sixth or seventh role where his minutes would be a bit more limited but after playing 66 games in 2024-25, he can still be a regular when called upon.

Stecher is in the final season of his contract, one that carries a $787.5K cap charge and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  Given their looming roster crunch, Edmonton likely won’t be able to command a significant return if they decide to move Stecher and not a different defender but even if it’s a late-round pick in return, it would be an asset for a player they’d otherwise be likely to lose on waivers when their injured players return.

Oilers Hire Andy Slaggert As Director Of North American Recruiting

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The Edmonton Oilers have brought a prolific college hockey coach into the fold. Longtime University of Notre Dame assistant coach Andy Slaggert has joined the Oilers as their Director Of North American Recruiting. He leaves behind over 30 years with the Fighting Irish. The University held a ceremony for Slaggert before Friday night’s loss to longtime the rival University of Michigan.

Slaggert will leave behind a true legacy with Notre Dame. The Saginaw, Michigan native joined the Fighting Irish as a player in 1985. He was part of the men’s hockey team through four years at the school, then returned as an assistant coach in 1992 – just three years after graduating. He’s served on the team’s bench in the 32 years since, filling 19 seasons as an assistant coach and 12 as an associate head coach.

Over that time, all three of Slaggert’s sons earned a chance to play for their dad. Graham Slaggert spent four years at the University before signing with the Toronto Marlies for two seasons. He’s spent the last three years in a nightly role with the Rochester Americans. Middle-son Landon Slaggert was a third-round draft pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in the year before he attended Notre Dame. He turned pro with Chicago after four years in South Bend, and has since appeared in 53 NHL games. Youngest son Carter Slaggert is currently in his junior year at Notre Dame, and plays with the grit and heads-up IQ that’s become trademark to Slaggert hockey.

Through his decades at Notre Dame, Slaggert was often front-and-center in the recruiting process. He was involved early and often in player development, and worked to ensure players were just as comfortable off-ice and around campus. Former Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said about Slaggert:

He is the best recruiter for Notre Dame… [He] is also extremely important to our players, from the time they are introduced to Notre Dame to long after they become alumni. He is more than a hockey coach to our young men, he’s a life coach to them. Andy has been immensely loyal to Notre Dame and the Irish hockey family

Through Slaggert’s time with the club, Notre Dame has seen 25 players suit up for Team USA a the World Junior Championships and 70 have been drafted into the NHL. That includes first-rounders Ian Cole, Kyle Palmieri, and Riley Sheahan. Nine of those draft picks, including Landon, are in the NHL this year. Cole (919), Palmieri (911), and Anders Lee (852) lead Slaggert’s former players in NHL games played, while Palmieri (535), Lee (515), and Bryan Rust (447) lead in NHL points.

While the details of Slaggert’s role with the Oilers weren’t fully revealed, he’ll bring uniquely deep insight into the college hockey landscape to the Canadian club. Reeling in one of the strongest, and most experienced, collegiate recruiters will give Edmonton a strong hand as the junior hockey world approaches a new landscape, where CHL players can play collegiate hockey. That advantage could be shrewd ahead of additional changes to the CHL and USHL, and incoming upgrades in the talent of collegiate free agents.

Hyman Out At Least One More Week

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When the Oilers placed winger Zach Hyman on LTIR to start the season as he continues to recover from wrist surgery, the hope was that he’d be able to return as soon as he was eligible, that being November 1st.  However, that won’t be the case.  Earlier this week, head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Gerry Moddejonge of the Edmonton Journal that the veteran’s return will be at least another week away.  Knoblauch was quick to note that this isn’t an indication of a setback but rather that they’re being cautious to try to avoid any setbacks down the road.  Whenever Hyman does return, his addition will be a welcome one as he has scored at least 27 goals in each of the last four seasons.

Oilers Place Kasperi Kapanen On Injured Reserve

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Oct. 23: The Oilers announced that Kapanen has been placed on injured reserve. They’re now operating with an open roster spot, which could be used to activate Mattias Janmark or Alec Regula from IR in the coming days.

Oct. 21: After leaving the team’s most recent loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Edmonton Oilers aren’t expecting Kasperi Kapanen back for several weeks. Head coach Kris Knoblauch (via Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic) confirmed the severity of Kapanen’s undisclosed injury earlier today.

Specifically, Knoblauch said this morning, “Right now, it’s looking (like) up to six (weeks). He’ll be unavailable for a while.” That means that Kapanen could be out until the last week of November, which would likely position him for the injured reserve.

However, the Oilers likely won’t be able to replace Kapanen in the active roster anyway, which would negate any reason to place him on the IR. As PHR’s Brian La Rose pointed out, “Notably, the team does not have enough accrued cap space to recall anyone from AHL Bakersfield (even with LTIR) as things stand which could be something to keep an eye on if he’s set to miss any more time.”

Still, it’ll be a missing bottom-six piece for the next month or more. After being claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Blues last season, Kapanen scored five goals and 13 points in 57 games, averaging 12:01 of ice time per game. He had improved play in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, registering three goals and six points in 12 games, averaging 13:28 of action per night.

Despite some poor defensive play, which isn’t typical of most bottom-six forwards, the Oilers clearly liked what they saw from Kapanen last season, signing him to a one-year, $1.3MM contract one day before the start of free agency this past summer.

Regardless, it’ll mean more ice time for at least one on Edmonton’s roster. Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar have been the most oft-scratched forwards for the Oilers through their first six contests, though the former played in Sunday’s loss to Detroit. Edmonton appears set to keep Philp in for tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators, while also reintroducing David Tomasek back into the lineup after missing Sunday’s contests.

Oilers Could Look To Trade Defenseman

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In today’s episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet raised an intriguing point: The Edmonton Oilers have a glut on the backend, and the team could look to move someone out. With Jake Walman returning from injured reserve, the Oilers have eight defensemen worthy of NHL minutes, and more in the AHL who are viable call up options.  

Although fans may speculate on a bigger move, having locked up the likes of Walman and Mattias Ekholm for the future, a fairly less ground-breaking deal could be in order. Ty Emberson, Alec Regula, and Troy Stecher stand as an abundance of depth right handed blueliners, and perhaps, one of them could be on the way out at some point. 

If the Oilers emphasize size and youth, Stecher, 31, could be worth monitoring as a possible trade candidate especially with an expiring contract. However, at a sub-$1MM cap hit, the veteran brings real value from the right side and can fill in anywhere in the lineup when needed. Meanwhile, Emberson, at just 25, comes in at $1.3MM through next season, still affordable, but a name which has floated around in the past. Acquired from San Jose in the Cody Ceci deal, Emberson has been a solid performer, bringing some needed youth to their defense corps. However, if the Oilers seek to bring in a contributing player rather than a more minute return, it may come at the cost of the Wisconsin native. 

Finally, Regula is currently on injured reserve, but pending return, could be a trade option simply as he has made the least impact with Edmonton of the bunch. The 25-year-old was claimed off waivers last season, and did not play due to injury, but has skated in two games so far. All things considered, Regula is likely a step behind Stecher and Emberson in the organization, unless the team values his size and sees the former standout Red Wings prospect as a developmental project. GM Stan Bowman seems to like the former Blackhawk, especially as he earned a two-year two-way deal last summer despite not playing at all in the organization. 

The Oilers have two veterans with ample NHL experience playing in AHL Bakersfield, Cam Dineen and Josh Brown, both capable players if called upon. Therefore, with all of this in mind, it will be interesting to see what Bowman does when Regula returns, and if the team could seek a forward in return for one of their extra defensemen. 

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