Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Injury

Golden Knights Recall Dylan Coghlan, Place Shea Theodore On IR

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

A little over a week after reassigning him, the Vegas Golden Knights have brought one depth defender back to the active roster. According to Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Golden Knights have recalled Dylan Coghlan from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.

In a follow-up report, SinBin shared that the Golden Knights have placed defenseman Shea Theodore on the team’s injured reserve. He’s expected to miss the next few weeks with an upper-body injury.

Coghlan, 27, is in his second stint with the Golden Knights organization. Vegas signed Coghlan as an undrafted free agent from the WHL’s Tri-City Americans in their inaugural season. He spent two seasons exclusively with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, scoring 26 goals and 64 points in 126 contests.

The following two years were spent entirely with the Golden Knights, scoring six goals and 19 points in 88 games, averaging 13:58 of ice time. Coghlan was included as a sweetener in the salary dump trade that sent Max Pacioretty to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2022.

Despite the new opportunity in Raleigh, Coghlan was hardly utilized at the NHL level, amassing 18 games in two years. Still, he had his best AHL season to date whilst in the Hurricanes organization, registering 16 goals and 41 points in 61 games during the 2023-24 season.

After a one-year stint in the Winnipeg Jets organization, Coghlan made his way back to Vegas last offseason after signing a one-year league minimum deal. He’s only played for AHL Henderson up to this point, managing five goals and 11 points in 23 contests.

Hurricanes Recall Joel Nystrom From AHL, Place Slavin On IR

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

This afternoon the Carolina Hurricanes shared that Joel Nystrom has been called up from AHL Chicago, while Jaccob Slavin has been placed on injured reserve. 

Given that he was listed as week-to-week earlier today, with Nystrom the most likely candidate to get the call, the word is not a big surprise. Just over one week ago, the two were swapped for each other when Slavin was activated, only now to be injured again. 

The season so far has not been kind to Slavin, who has dealt with a lower-body injury for the past few months. After an activation eight days ago, he was eased back gradually, a jump in ice time in each of three games. However, the vital defenseman was absent last Saturday in Tampa Bay, and now appears set to miss even more time. As such is categorized as an upper-body injury, it does not appear both are linked, instead simply brutal luck for the defender, who has never been thought to be injury prone. Now 31, he has played in no fewer than 76 games in the past five seasons, however, with only five so far, that streak will end this season. 

Meanwhile, Nystrom finds himself back with the big club after a short stint with the Chicago Wolves. Besides being called up and down, December has been a busy month for the Swede, as he inked a four year extension just 10 days ago, avoiding restricted free agency status after the campaign. In limited North American experience so far, his stats haven’t jumped out, with two assists in nine games for Chicago, and five assists in 24 games for Carolina. However, the 23-year-old is just getting started on smaller ice, and clearly the organization is high on him. A right shot, Nystrom has shown no fear of carrying the puck, and transition is the name of his game. A major steal, chosen in the seventh round by Carolina in 2021, Nystrom figures to be an everyday player for the team into the future, and they’ve certainly already leaned on him to this point. 

Carolina offers a deep blueline, relieved of their offseason acquisition of K’Andre Miller in times like these. Miller is currently averaging over 22 minutes of ice time, more than he ever had as a Ranger, and looking the part. Even so often without Slavin, the Canes boast a 22-10-3 record this season, good for fourth in the league. 

While Slavin’s presence is undeniable, and another setback is especially frustrating, his Olympic status for the United States is not thought to be in jeopardy, meaning hopefully he will gear up for a return by mid-January. 

Sharks’ Will Smith Out Week-To-Week, Collin Graf Questionable

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Luck was not on the San Jose Sharks’ side during Monday’s practice. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky designated top young forward Will Smith as out week-to-week with an upper-body injury and won’t be re-evaluated until 2026, per Max Miller of Ssan Jose Hockey Digest. Smith has been out since sustaining an injury in San Jose’s December 13th matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On top of that injury, top-line winger Collin Graf had to get stitches during Monday’s practice, after an erant puck hit him in the face. The puck avoided Graf’s eye and seemed to injure his cheek, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks aren’t yet sure if Graf will be available for their three-game road trip that runs through a December 29th matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Sharks will continue to face an uphill battle without Smith in the lineup. He has driven the offense when he’s on the ice, netting 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games this season, good for second on the Sharks in scoring behind Macklin Celebrini. San Jose has lost two of their three games since Smith’s injury, painting his importance to the lineup even amid a scoring surge for the Sharks.

In Smith’s absence, Graf has emerged as a key factor and scoring compliment to Celebrini. He has four points in three games without Smith, and six points in his last five games. That hot streak has brought Graf up to 19 points in 35 games this season, eight more than he managed in 33 games of his rookie year last season. Graf has also contributed 29 shot blocks and 34 hits, ranked third and sixth among Sharks forwards respectively.

The 23-year-old Graf has carved out a nightly role in the top-six in December. His absence would force San Jose to push either William Eklund or Jeff Skinner – who has recently served as a healthy scratch – into a top-line role. The Sharks could also push Adam Gaudette or Tyler Toffoli into elevated minutes, if they’re willing to shake up their wingers.

One piece that will make the shakeup a bit easier is the emergence of rookie Igor Chernyshov, who has been playing on the top-line next to Graf and Celebrini and recorded three assists in his first three NHL games. Chernyshov was a breakout scorer in the OHL last season and leads the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda in scoring with 23 points in 25 games this year. He could quickly be leaned on as San Jose looks to mitigate injuries to a pair of high-impact forwards.

Ducks’ Leo Carlsson Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Anaheim Ducks will be without a top forward in Monday’s match against the Seattle Kraken. Star center Leo Carlsson has been announced as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, head coach Joel Quenneville told Derek Lee of The Hockey News. He is expected to return in Anaheim’s first game back from the NHL’s Christmas break – a December 27th matchup against the Los Angeles Kings.

It isn’t clear when or how Carlsson sustained his injury. He has been leaned on heavily over Anaheim’s recent stretch, appearing in at least 20 minutes of ice time in four of his 11 games this month, including three games north of 22 minutes. That’s a heavy load for a 20-year-old pro and it appears it’s beginning to get to Carlsson. He has gone without any scoring in his last three games, after starting the month with four goals and seven points in eight games. It’s tied for the longest scoring drought of Carlsson’s season alongside a dry spell in November.

The Ducks will use a soft matchup against the Kraken, and an upcoming four days off, as a chance to give Carlsson a bit of a break. His absence is expected to be precautionary, more than anything, per Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune. The Ducks will promote Mikael Granlund to the top-line in Carlsson’s absence. Granlund, who has five points in his last three games, is expected to assume top-center duties while Troy Terry moves to the top right-wing slot.

Carlsson leads the Ducks in scoring with a staggering 41 points in 36 games this season, third-most of any player under the age of 21 in the NHL, behind Macklin Celebrini (54) and Connor Bedard (44). Even without their emerging franchise focal piece, Anaheim should be in good shape for Monday night. They got back on the right side of the scoresheet on Saturday, toppling the Columbus Blue Jackets to bring their record to 6-4-1 in December. Anaheim has been slightly outscored in that span – by a combined score of 36-to-40 – but have averaged 3.5 goals-per-game over their last four games.

With an improved performance on defense, and continued hot play in more minutes from Granlund, Anaheim should be in for a strong game against a Seattle club that’s gone 1-4-0 in their last five games and ranks dead-last in goals scored this season.

Seattle’s Brandon Montour Out Week-To-Week

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken announced today that defenseman Brandon Montour will miss approximately four weeks after undergoing successful hand surgery. Montour left the Kraken’s game last Tuesday with what was at the time an undisclosed injury, and didn’t dress for either of the team’s next two games. He has been placed on injured reserve.

With today’s announcement, the reason for Montour’s unavailability has become clear. The 31-year-old defenseman has become a key part of the Kraken blueline since signing a $7.14MM AAV deal with Seattle in 2024. He currently ranks No. 2 on the Kraken in time on ice per game, averaging 21:55 per game with 2:02 per game on the power play, just behind No. 1 defenseman Vince Dunn in each category.

Montour scored 18 goals and 41 points in his first season in Seattle, and has managed six goals and 16 points in 27 games this season, a scoring rate that is a slight tick above where he landed in 2024-25. Montour paired with lefty Ryan Lindgren to form Seattle’s second defensive pairing on Dec. 16, the date Montour suffered his injury.

With Montour sidelined, head coach Lane Lambert elevated Jamie Oleksiak off of the team’s third pairing into Montour’s role, electing to play Oleksiak on his off hand next to Lindgren. The elevation of Oleksiak paved the way for Josh Mahura to re-enter the Kraken lineup on the third pairing next to young defenseman Ryker Evans. Mahura, who averages 15:15 time on ice per game this season, had been a healthy scratch the prior two games and sat out most of November.

This injury to Montour will challenge the Kraken’s ability to re-enter the Western Conference playoff race. They sit seven points behind the Utah Mammoth, who hold the conference’s second wild card spot, though they have only played in 33 games compared to Utah’s 38. Seattle has gone 2-8-0 in its last 10 games, and losing a key veteran defenseman for four weeks certainly won’t help them reverse that trend.

Islanders’ Isaiah George Out Week-To-Week

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

New York Islanders defenseman Isaiah George is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, according to The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner.

George, who is currently playing for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, needed to be helped off of the ice after he collided awkwardly with the boards while attempting a defensive zone puck retrieval. Per Isles in the Sound’s Kenny Kaminsky, George “did not leave the ice under his own power.” George had only recently returned from a separate injury, an upper-body ailment that had cost him the chance to play for most of November and early December.

While George’s injury won’t have an immediate or direct on the Islanders’ NHL defense, the news is still relevant for the Islanders’ NHL plans as George’s injury means that a top defensive call-up option will be unavailable on a week-to-week basis.

The Islanders selected George in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, and he quickly rose to become one of the team’s more pro-ready defensive prospects.

He entered last season ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Islanders’ system by the team at Elite Prospects, and ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Islanders’ pool by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in January.

Wheeler called George “one of the development stories of the year in hockey” and called his rapid development “a real surprise to those who followed him closely in the OHL.” Wheeler projected George to become a “useful depth defenseman” at the NHL level, and that appears to be what he has become, although he hasn’t played at the NHL level this season.

There are multiple factors influencing why George has not played at all in the NHL in 2025-26 after getting into 33 NHL games in 2024-25. First and foremost, the addition of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer to the Islanders’ depth chart has meant Islanders’ depth blueliners have had one less lineup spot to compete for.

When Alexander Romanov is healthy, that means the Islanders can run a trio of left-handed defensemen that would be the envy of many teams across the league: Schaefer, Romanov, and veteran Adam Pelech. With Romanov out due to injury, the Islanders’ depth defensemen have been left to compete for one lineup spot, a spot next to Scott Mayfield on the team’s third pairing.

So far this season, the Islanders have elected to give older depth blueliners Marshall Warren and Travis Mitchell a look in that spot, rather than George. Of course, George’s earlier injury didn’t help his odds of earning a recall. But there are also other factors to consider as well. Perhaps most significant is contract status. George has an additional season left on his entry-level deal beyond 2025-26, while Mitchell and Warren are both playing on expiring contracts.

The Islanders have a GM in Mathieu Darche that is in the midst of his first full campaign with the club. While there has been no firm reporting that this is the case, one could speculate that Darche has chosen to recall Mitchell and Warren over George in part because he’s looking to get as much information as possible about how each of those expiring defensemen fare in the NHL while he considers how to approach each player’s upcoming free agency.

If the club knows it has George under contract for another year, from a resource-management perspective, there’s an argument to be made that the Islanders are better served using those NHL games to see what they have in Mitchell and Warren before the summer.

Of course, if the Islanders believe George is a substantial upgrade in the NHL over those two players, and believe that playing George over Mitchell or Warren improves their chances of winning games, then that aforementioned perspective naturally takes a back seat. But seeing as Warren is currently in the NHL and Mitchell only recently concluded an NHL call-up, it appears unlikely that the Islanders view the situation that way.

While he was likely eyeing a chance to return to the NHL, due to today’s injury development, George will have to first recover from his injury before he can make another push to earn a spot in head coach Patrick Roy’s lineup.

Photos courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Flyers Reassign Aleksei Kolosov

at CDT | by 3 Comments

12/22/25: The Flyers announced Monday morning that they have reassigned Kolosov back to AHL Lehigh Valley. The announcement of Kolosov’s reassignment came with an announcement that Vladar has recovered from his injury and will be available tonight for the team’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

Kolosov didn’t hit the ice during his most recent emergency recall, instead serving as a backup to Sam Ersson. Ersson saved 23 of 27 shots in the team’s shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday.

12/20/25: Needing an extra goalie following the announcement that Daniel Vladar is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the Flyers have recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov from AHL Lehigh Valley.  Philadelphia had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made.

It’s the second recall of the season for the 23-year-old.  Kolosov got into two games during his first stint in early November, making one start while coming into the game in relief in the other.  He fared well in those outings, turning aside 26 of 28 shots.  That’s certainly a positive sign after he struggled mightily in his first taste of NHL action last season which saw him post a 3.59 GAA and a .867 SV% in 17 outings with the Flyers.

Those struggles played a big role in the team going out and signing Vladar in free agency over the summer to try to stabilize things between the pipes which he has certainly done.  That has resulted in Kolosov spending most of the year with the Phantoms where he has played in 15 games, compiling a 2.77 GAA along with a .900 SV%.

The team also announced that center Christian Dvorak is also out today with a lower-body injury; like Vladar, he’s listed as day-to-day.  His spot in the lineup today will be taken by Denver Barkey, who will make his NHL debut after being recalled on Friday.

Rangers’ J.T. Miller Out Week-To-Week

at CDT | by 5 Comments

12/22/25: The Rangers dropped their first game since Miller’s injury by a 2-1 score to the Nashville Predators yesterday, but after the game The Athletic’s Vince Z. Mercogliano provided some additional reporting on Miller’s status. He wrote that Miller is out “with a suspected right-shoulder injury” and cited a league source who “stressed [Miller would] be back before the Olympic break in February and available to play for Team USA if selected.”

That’s something that was indicated yesterday in the original coverage of Miller’s injury, but today it’s only been further underscored that Miller’s availability for the upcoming Olympic tournament does not appear to be in much doubt.

What appears to be in a little bit more doubt is Miller’s odds of selection for the tournament, rather than his chances of being healthy. The Athletic’s Peter Baugh covered the topic last week, listing Miller at the time as “likely” to be selected, adding that the fact that Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan is also the Rangers head coach “certainly doesn’t hurt his chances.”

12/21/25: The injuries continue to pile up for the New York Rangers. Captain J.T. Miller is expected to miss a few weeks with an upper-body injury sustained on Saturday, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. The injury occured on a reverse hit from Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler that seemed to catch Miller near his right shoulder. Despite the multi-week timeline, the Rangers aren’t concerned that this injury will effect Miller’s availability for the Winter Olympics. That’s great news, as he’s sure to be a prime option to assume a center role in Team USA’s bottom-six.

Miller has helped buoy the offense in the wake of injury to defenseman Adam Fox and illness to star winger Artemi Panarin. The captain has four points in his last five games and 22 points in 35 games this season. He ranks fourth on the Rangers in scoring behind Panarin, Fox, and Mika Zibanejad. Panarin returned to the lineup on Saturday, though Fox is still on the mend. That will continue the rotating door of star injuries in New York, who will have to now lean on Panarin and Zibanejad to boost a Rangers offense that has only scored two goals in their last three games.

Miller’s Olympic availability will be a central story as he recovers from this new injury. He played in all four games at the 2025 Four-Nations Face-Off but didn’t manage any scoring. That was just the first time that Miller has joined USA’s Men’s team for an international tournament – though he did play one game with Team North America at the 2017 World Cup, with no scoring. The 32-year-old center has been an electric scorer in the NHL, though, with 354 points in 314 games since 2022. That includes a 99-point season and a career-high 103-point season, both recorded during his six years with the Vancouver Canucks. He is now back where he started his career, and will look to rise back to that point-per-game scoring on the other side of an end-of-year injury.

Red Wings Activate Mason Appleton

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Detroit Red Wings have activated forward Mason Appleton off of injured reserve. Appleton hasn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury on November 29th. He has missed nine games since.

Appleton has filled a bottom-six role in his first year with the Detroit Red Wings. He has nine points, 22 penalty minutes, and 28 hits through 26 games. Only two Red Wings forwards – Marco Kasper and Dylan Larkin, who have each played nine more games than Appleton – have been penalized more. Appleton carved out that depth, grinder role across the last four seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. He typically held close to 20 points a season, but grew to 14 goals and 36 points in a career year during the 2023-24 season. Even with that rise, Appleton’s biggest impacts tend to come away from the puck and down the lineup.

Appleton returned to the lineup in Sunday’s overtime win over the Washington Capitals. He recorded one shot and two hits, while serving alongside Elmer Soderblom and Nate Danielson on the fourth-line. The Red Wings will continue to ease Appleton back into his hard-nosed role with four games left on the schedule in 2025. Based on how quick he returns to full health, Appleton could end up back outside of the lineup when winger Patrick Kane returns from a short-term injury.

Oilers Activate Jack Roslovic, Reassign Quinn Hutson

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers will have a bit more oomph in the lineup in Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Edmonton has activated winger Jack Roslovic off of long-term injured reserve after he missed just under a month of action due to an undisclosed injury. In corresponding moves, the Oilers have also moved Connor Clattenburg from injured reserve to LTIR, and reassigned rookie winger Quinn Hutson to the AHL.

Roslovic was a big piece of the Oilers’ lineup before going down with injury. He was filling a goal-scorer’s role next to Leon Draisaitl on Edmonton’s best line by goal-differential. Roslovic has three goals in his last five games and 10 goals and 18 points in 23 games on the full season. He has also recorded an 18.9 shooting percentage, far above his career average of 12.8. That likely spells some scoring struggles as he returns from injury – but the well-rounded Roslovic should still be able to provide a strong utility-knife role.

His return will bump the rookie Hutson out of the NHL for the time being. Hutson scored his first NHL goal in Friday’s win over the Boston Bruins. It is the only point he has managed in five career NHL games – but he’s proven to be a reliable source of offense in the minors. The first-year pro leads the Bakersfield Condors with 16 goals and 28 points in 24 games this season. He also has a plus-four, third-highest on the team behind Isaac Howard and James Hamblin. Hutson’s hot scoring and continued adjustments to pro hockey should make him a top call-up option for Edmonton through the rest of the season.

Roslovic’s addition to the lineup comes at a great time for the Oilers. They have posted a 4-1 record in their last five games and a 6-2-1 record through nine games in December. They’ve managede a 38-to-24 goal differential in that span, largely on the back of surging play from superstars Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Roslovic will help Edmonton elevate those stars even further as they head into important games against Western Conference opponents. Edmonton has six games remaining in December.

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