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Injury Notes: Gaudette, Greenway, Garland

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San Jose Sharks winger Adam Gaudette suffered an upper-body injury in Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, and today Sharks Hockey Digest’s Max Miller reported that Gaudette is likely to miss at least a week of action.  Since he was unable to play in the Sharks’ loss yesterday against the Los Angeles Kings, the timeline reported by Miller puts Gaudette in place to miss three or four games.

Gaudette, 29, is in his first season as a Shark after signing a two-year, $2MM AAV contract with the club this past summer. The 2017-18 Hobey Baker Award winner cashed in after a career year in 2024-25, one in which he scored 19 goals playing a full season of NHL action with the Ottawa Senators. Gaudette was a full-time AHLer for 2022-23 and 2023-24, but earned his way back to full-time NHL duty and appears to have a lineup spot solidly locked down in San Jose. Gaudette played third-line right wing on a line with rookie Michael Misa and 23-year-old Collin Graf on Sunday, and in Gaudette’s absence yesterday the Sharks put veteran Jeff Skinner in that role, one he’s likely to occupy for a handful more games at least.

Other injury notes from around the NHL:

  • Buffalo Sabres forward Jordan Greenway is expected to return from injury and make his season debut tomorrow in Boston, and today Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that his return from injury might come alongside a significant change in deployment. As relayed by The Buffalo News’ Rachel Lenzi, Ruff indicated that Greenway may get a look at the center position. Greenway has recently practiced in the team’s third-line center spot, one previously occupied by Noah Ostlund. While Greenway has largely played the wing throughout his NHL career, it appears the Sabres will try to see if he can build some momentum and hit the ground running as a pivot playing between Jack Quinn and Jason Zucker.
  • The Vancouver Canucks appear to have avoided the worst with an injury to winger Conor Garland, as CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported today that Garland’s injury is “not serious.” He did add that Garland “is not going” on the team’s upcoming three-game Central Division road trip. A loss of Garland for any timeframe is a major blow to the Canucks’ game-to-game competitive hopes: the 29-year-old leads the team with 11 points in 11 games this season and has been a reliable middle-six scorer throughout his time in Vancouver.

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.

Hurricanes’ Shayne Gostisbehere, Joel Nystrom Leave With Injury

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere exited Tuesday’s loss to Vegas at the end of the first period due to a lower-body injury. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour revealed post-game that the injury was separate from the lower-body injury that held Gostisbehere out of the last three games, and forced a brief stint on injured reserve. Brind’Amour described the new injury as to Gostisbehere’s midsection per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff.

Shortly after Gostisbehere exited the game, fellow Hurricanes defender Joel Nystrom was forced to leave after blocking a slapshot from Golden Knights defender Brayden McNabb with his face. Nystrom was not on the bench to start the third period, forcing Carolina to play the final frame with just four defenders. Their last-four-standing included Domenick Fensore, who was making his season debut and playing in just the third game of his NHL career. He posted a minus-two.

Both Nystrom and Fesnore were recently called up to help Carolina address injuries to K’Andre Miller and Jaccob Slavin. Miller’s injury is luckily considered short-term, though Slavin was placed on injured reserve and could miss “a while”. That will make any further blows to Carolina’s blue-line hard to bear. Extra defenseman Mike Reilly will step back into the lineup in Gostisbehere’s spot, giving him a chance to build on three assists in six game so far.

Carolina could also recall prospects Dominik Badinka, Aleksi Heimosalmi, or Gavin Bayreuther from the AHL. Heimosalmi and Bayreuther have three points in four and five AHL games respectively, while Badinka has one point in five games.

But no mix of prospects will make up for Gostisbehere’s absence. Even after missing three games, he continues to lead Carolina’s battered blue-line in scoring with seven points in six games. He also led the defense in scoring last season, with 45 points in 70 games. Gostisbehere has proven a capable, and reliable, offensive threat in Carolina’s system. In his absence, much of that responsibility will fall on rookie Alexander Nikishin, at least until Miller is back to full health.

Rangers’ Matt Rempe Out Long-Term, Vincent Trocheck Nearing Return

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New York Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe is going to be out “longer-term” after sustaining an upper-body injury in a fight with San Jose Sharks’ winger Ryan Reaves, head coach Mike Sullivan told Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic. Mercogliano later specified that Rempe’s injury isn’t expected to be season-ending, but could span multiple weeks, if not a few months.

Rempe was filling slightly larger shoes than last season through New York’s first nine games. He notched one goal and seven penalty minutes, while averaging a career-high 9:48 in ice time each game. He also recorded 30 hits – putting him on pace to register over 220 hits across a full 82 games.

New York awarded top prospect Brennan Othmann with his season debut in Rempe’s absence. He recorded no points and a minus-one in the outing, and now could be headed for a healthy scratch in favor of Jonny Brodzinski, per Mercogliano. Brodzinski has already played in two games this season, with no scoring and one shot on net.

The Rangers shouldn’t have to spar between depth wingers for too much longer. Top-six centerman Vincent Trocheck returned to skating on Monday, marking a big step in his return from an upper-body injury sustained on October 9th. Trocheck was placed on long-term injured reserve on October 11th, and won’t be eligible to be activated until November 1st. The injury ended an ironman streak that spanned the last three seasons (and all but one game of 2021-22). Trocheck spent all three years of that streak with New York, racking up 200 points in 246 games over the stretch. That’s the fourth-most of any Ranger since 2022. He even managed a career-year in that mix, posting a career-best 77 points in the 2023-24 season.

Trocheck should return to his second-line center role as soon as he’s back from injury. He began the year between wingers Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière, though New York has since broken up that duo in favor of icing Panarin with captain J.T. Miller. No matter who he’s centering, Trocheck should find a quick path back to high-impact minutes within the coming weeks.

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.

Devils Place Cody Glass On IR, Activate Juho Lammikko

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The New Jersey Devils will have some notable center depth missing for the next little while. The Devils announced that they’ve placed center Cody Glass on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and have activated Juho Lammikko in a corresponding roster move.

Although they didn’t mention it in the announcement, Glass’s placement on the IR is likely retroactive to October 21st, the last time he played, making him eligible for activation tomorrow. Before succumbing to the lower-body ailment, he scored two goals in six games and averaged a 40.3% success rate in the faceoff dot on the team’s third line.

Despite the low faceoff success, Glass has been relatively solid for New Jersey’s possession play and on the defensive side of the puck. Regardless, the team is off to an excellent start, winning with and without Glass.

Replacing Glass in the lineup will be Lammikko, who was placed on the IR last week to create space for Stefan Noesen’s activation. Tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche will be Lammikko’s first NHL appearance since the 2021-22 campaign, when he scored seven goals and 15 points in 75 games for the Vancouver Canucks. He’s spent the last few years overseas with the NL’s ZSC Lions.

Although it’s well known that the Devils have an excellent team when healthy, the third-line center position could be an area for an upgrade around the trade deadline. New Jersey already has one of the best combinations in their top six with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, and a prominent third-line center could put them over the top.

Devils’ Brett Pesce Out At Least One Month

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Oct. 28: Pesce’s upper-body injury will keep him out of the lineup for at least a month, according to the team’s Amanda Stein.

Oct. 26: The New Jersey Devils will head on their upcoming four-game road trip without defenseman Brett Pesce, head coach Sheldon Keefe told team reporter Amanda Stein after Sunday’s win over the Colorado Avalanche. Pesce left that game in the first period after blocking a shot. Keefe told the media that Pesce’s injury was “not great”.

This is yet another blow to the Devils’ blue line. They are already missing reliable depth defender Johnathan Kovacevic, who is still recovering from a knee injury sustained during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. New Jersey has avoided major lineup changes in light of Kovacevic’s injury, largely thanks to young pro Simon Nemec, who has seven assists in nine games this season. But Pesce’s absence will force the Devils to reach into their depth chart. Dennis Cholowski is currently on the NHL roster as an extra defenseman and should receive the first chance to step into a nightly role. New Jersey could also lean on AHL prospects, and collegiate teammates, Ethan Edwards and Seamus Casey.

Even with the promising upside of their young prospects, New Jersey will struggle to fill Pesce’s role entirely. The 11-year pro has recorded three points and a plus-two in eight games this season, while averaging the second-highest ice time on the team (21:21) behind Dougie Hamilton (21:53). Pesce has spent almost all of his even-strength minutes next to top youngster Luke Hughes. Now in their second year playing together, the two have managed to outscore their opponents four-to-one at even-strength. They lead the team’s blue line in Goals-For percentage (80 percent) and Expected-Goals-For percentage (63.1 percent) per MoneyPuck.

Pesce and Hughes were plenty effective together last year as well. They were outscored 31-to-38 at even-strength, but generated a lofty 953 shots across the full season – over 100 more than any other Devils pairing. New Jersey averaged over one shot on net for every minute Hughes and Pesce were on the ice. They won their Expected-Goals battle as a result of the volume shooting, posting a 53.1 xGF% across 70 games together.

Pesce’s absence could push Nemec into an important, top-pair role next to Hughes, which would preserve the high-firing pairing of Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler. Nemec received the third-most ice time on New Jersey’s defense (23:35) in Sunday’s overtime matchup. It’s the fourth-most he’s ever played in a regular-season game, and he vindicated it with three assists, two shots, and five blocked shots. That kind of performance will be exactly what New Jersey needs as they face the absence of a 700-game pro.

Blues’ Jake Neighbours Out Five Weeks With Right Leg Injury

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The Blues announced Tuesday that they’ve placed winger Jake Neighbours on injured reserve with a right leg injury. He’ll be re-evaluated in five weeks, putting him out of the lineup through at least Dec. 2. They did not immediately announce a recall to fill his roster spot.

Neighbours was absent for Monday’s loss to the Penguins with what the team previously labeled a lower-body issue, and he carried only a day-to-day designation. It’s clear now that was a bit of smoke and mirrors as he underwent further evaluation. The team said he suffered the injury in Saturday’s loss to the Red Wings. He didn’t leave the contest, in which he had two of St. Louis’ four goals, but did appear to favor his right leg after losing an edge and sliding awkwardly into the boards later in the game.

Very little has gone right for the Blues this season. Losing Neighbours, who has a team-leading six goals and was finishing at a red-hot 50% clip, won’t change that slide of bad luck. The 23-year-old is beginning his fifth NHL season since being drafted in the first round in 2020 and has been stapled to the Blues’ top line with Robert Thomas to start the year. When deployed with Pavel Buchnevich on their right flank, they’ve controlled play well with a 51.9 xGF% and 50.6 CF%, per MoneyPuck. Poor goaltending has still led them to be outscored 5-4 and for Neighbours to post a minus-four rating despite his individual success, accounting for 22.2% of the goals the Blues have scored this season.

While that one-in-two finishing rate is unsustainable, the writing was on the wall for a breakout campaign from Neighbours in 2025-26. He’s put together back-to-back 20-goal campaigns and hit a career-best 46 points while playing all 82 games last season. Getting more pucks on net, once he returns in December, will be key to getting him back on that path. Neighbours’ 19.7 shooting percentage since the beginning of 2023-24 is ninth in the league among skaters with at least 100 shots on goal during that time, but he’s only averaged 1.55 shots on goal per game for his career.

The Blues were also without Thomas in last night’s loss due to an upper-body injury. He’s still only listed as day-to-day, but for the time being, the Blues are without the two most consistent members of their top line to open the campaign. Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter were elevated from third-line duties to skate with Buchnevich last night. It’s unclear if that will continue into tonight’s rematch against Detroit or if head coach Jim Montgomery will shuffle his lines further in the wake of three straight regulation losses.

Sabres Activate Michael Kesselring From Injured Reserve

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Oct. 28: Kesselring will make his Sabres debut tonight and come off injured reserve, Ruff confirmed to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.

Oct. 27: The Buffalo Sabres have assigned defenseman Zach Metsa to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The move will open the roster space to activate defenseman Michael Kesselring off of injured reserve. Head coach Lindy Ruff said he expects the team to make that roster move before Tuesday’s game against Columbus, as long as all goes well in the morning.

Kesselring has missed the first nine games of the season with a lower-body injury sustained in an October 1st preseason game. The injury delayed his debut with the Buffalo Sabres after joining the team alongside Josh Doan in the June trade that sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth.

That trade will be top of mind as Kesselring prepares for his first regular-season game in the blue and gold. Doan has already wowed fans with his early-year performance, netting six points and already rivaling a top-line role. But at the time of the move, many expected Kesselring to have a bigger impact in Buffalo after he proved to be a capable top-four defender in Utah.

Kesselring played in all 82 games of Utah’s inaugural season. He received the lowest average ice time (17:41) among a heavily-rotated Hockey Club defense, but routinely faced challenging roles alongside top defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and against top competition. He was strong on both sides of the puck, showing off a strong stick, lightning-quick speed, and heads-up passing. Those talents led Kesselring to 29 points on the year, the second-most on Utah’s blue line behind Sergachev (53).

Kesselring looked similarly capable in his rookie season of 2023-24. He finished that year with 21 points in 65 games, while operating from a third-pair role with the Arizona Coyotes. With two years of improvement to start his career, he now seems well-poised to bear some more responsibility with the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo has relied on Conor Timmins and Metsa to fill the right side behind captain Rasmus Dahlin. Timmins has faired pretty well in the second-pair role, recording three assists and 24 blocked shots in nine games. Metsa has been less productive, with no scoring and just two blocks in four games. Kesselring should step ahead of Timmins on the depth chart, placing him next to former first-overall pick Owen Power. Power’s sturdy defense could be a great match for the typically aggressive Kesselring.

Meanwhile, Metsa’s brief appearance in the NHL will come to an end. He played the first NHL games of his career this season, after starting the year with two pointless games with the Americans. Metsa led Rochester’s blue line with 46 points in 69 games last season. It was his second pro season. He posted 24 points in 54 games as an AHL rookie. The 27-year-old will look to return to his top role on the Rochester blue line, and could remain a call-up option should Buffalo face any more injuries.

Injury Notes: Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, Sharks

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Carolina Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News that K’Andre Miller could be back shortly, however, Jaccob Slavin could be absent for “a while”. Miller has not played since October 20th, but has been off to a great start in his Carolina tenure with four points in six games. Meanwhile, Slavin was placed on IR last week with a lower-body injury, appearing in the Canes’ first two games before going back down. The ailment has bothered the star defenseman throughout October, and the team has been vague on further details. 

Carolina has been great so far despite missing both defensemen, with a 6-2-0 record. Based on Brind’Amour’s comments, it seems a real possibility Miller could be all set when his Hurricanes go to Madison Square Garden to take on the Rangers next week, after an offseason blockbuster sent the talented 25-year-old to Carolina. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Nick Barden of The Hockey News Toronto updated earlier today that William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok could play versus Calgary tomorrow, as both are dealing with lower-body injuries. Additionally, veterans Scott Laughton and Chris Tanev could rejoin the team later in the week ahead of Saturday’s tilt in Philadelphia. Nylander, who missed just his second regular season game since 2020-21, has dazzled with 14 points in 8 games so far. Laughton was injured in the preseason and has yet to debut in 2025-26, as he looks to get more comfortable as a Leaf, having put up just 4 points in 20 regular season games after being traded to Toronto. 
  • Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times shared this morning that two Blackhawks veterans, Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi, did not appear at practice. Mikheyev left Sunday’s game versus Los Angeles after crashing hard into the boards. Thankfully, he is considered day-to-day as it appears a more serious issue was avoided. Meanwhile, Bertuzzi missed yesterday’s game altogether, and is also thought to be day-to-day. Chicago hosts Ottawa tomorrow, and they will hope to have their wingers back before long, as they try to stay above the .500 mark. 
  • Sunday’s big shootout win for the Sharks at Minnesota came at a cost, as Adam Gaudette left due to an upper body injury and did not return, as per the team. His status is unknown as San Jose hosts their in-state rival the Kings tomorrow night. The 29-year-old center has 3 goals in 9 games. 

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