Flames Place Anthony Mantha On Injured Reserve, Recall Dryden Hunt
Flames winger Anthony Mantha has landed on injured reserve, per Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia. Head coach Ryan Huska told reporters earlier in the day, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg, that Mantha was still undergoing evaluation for a lower-body injury and would miss tonight’s game against the Bruins. The open roster spot is going to forward Dryden Hunt, who the team announced has been recalled from AHL Calgary.
Given his IR placement is retroactive to his last game (Nov. 5), Mantha will miss Calgary’s next three games and can return as soon as next Tuesday against the Canucks. The organization has yet to give him an official injury designation, so it’s unclear how much time, if any, he’ll miss past the mandatory minimum.
Mantha suffered the injury on Tuesday versus Montreal after falling awkwardly on his right knee after a hit from Emil Heineman. He got up under his own power and skated off the ice, albeit slowly, without the assistance of a trainer. He didn’t return to the game.
It’s been an inconsistent start in Calgary for Mantha, who inked a one-year, $3.5MM contract in free agency. The 6’5″ winger had two goals and two assists in his first three games but has gone cold since then, limited to three points in his last 10 appearances.
He’s averaging only 1.15 shots on goal per game, something Huska recently said has to change. “You saw tonight, there were multiple times he was standing right in front of the net,” Huska told reporters (including Gilbertson) after Sunday’s loss to the Oilers. “That’s how he scored his goal. And for a guy that is his size and has his ability with the puck, that’s what we need out of him.”
Kevin Rooney will enter the lineup in Mantha’s place after sitting as a healthy scratch three times in the last seven games, per Derek Willis of Sportsnet 960. Hunt comes up to serve as an extra body in case the Flames sustain any more injuries up front and need a last-minute fill-in. The 28-year-old had eight points in 28 games for Calgary last year and has 10 points in 12 AHL games so far this season.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Senators Notes: Zub, Pinto, Perron
The Senators will indeed have Artem Zub back in the lineup to face the Islanders tonight, per TSN 1200 Ottawa. Zub had missed the last nine games with a concussion he sustained early in the team’s third game of the season against the Kings back on Oct. 14, but he’s been skating with the team for around a week, and it became clear yesterday that he was likely to return today at home.
It will be Jacob Bernard-Docker coming out of the lineup to make way for Zub’s return, a bit of a surprise given his exemplary possession play (55.3 CF%, fourth on the team). Travis Hamonic remains in the lineup despite going without a point and recording a -5 rating with a 46.7 CF% through 12 appearances. Zub will skate in his usual top-pairing role alongside Jake Sanderson.
Zub posted a +1 rating, one block and three hits in his three regular-season contests last month while averaging 13:58 per game, a number that was dragged down significantly given he sustained his concussion in the first period of his third game. He recorded a career-high 20 assists and 25 points with 122 blocks and 139 hits for the Sens last year in 69 games. Head injuries are becoming a bit of an unfortunate trend for Zub, who missed seven games early last season with a concussion as well and 12 games in 2022-23 with a fractured jaw.
There’s more on the Senators:
- Shane Pinto skated before today’s game, but he didn’t take line rushes and will remain out against the Isles, per TSN 1200. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported Wednesday that he might be an option to return, but instead, he’ll miss a seventh straight game with an undisclosed injury. He’s still listed as week-to-week but appears close to a return if his presence in tonight’s game was questionable 24 hours beforehand.
- The same goes for David Perron, who remains around the club for home games and practiced today but remains out of the lineup while on personal leave. The 36-year-old, who signed a two-year, $8MM contract in free agency over the summer, had no points and a -4 rating in five contests before departing the team midway through last month.
Bruins’ Andrew Peeke Out Week-To-Week
An upper-body injury is expected to keep Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke on the shelf for multiple weeks, head coach Jim Montgomery told Joe Haggerty of Boston Sports Journal.
Peeke sustained the injury on Tuesday night versus the Maple Leafs, leaving the game in the first period after being hit by Max Pacioretty (video link via Sportsnet). Pacioretty was not penalized on the play.
A second-round pick of the Blue Jackets back in 2016, Peeke has flashed upside as a physical stay-at-home defender but was overtaxed in a top-four role in Columbus during his first couple of years as a full-time NHLer. He’s received reduced minutes since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign and was acquired by the Bruins at the trade deadline for a 2027 third-round pick and Jakub Zbořil. He’s played a third-pairing role on a nightly basis for the Bruins through the first month of this season, however, only being healthy scratched once. The right-shot defenseman is averaging 16:12 per game and has logged two assists, ranking third on the team with 21 blocks.
The Bruins will look to Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon to factor in on a nightly basis with Peeke out after both were healthy scratches multiple times in the early going. Boston will likely make a recall from AHL Providence in the coming days to have an extra healthy defenseman on hand, and since they have an open roster spot, they can do so without placing Peeke on injured reserve. That could be veteran Jordan Oesterle, who’s appeared in parts of 10 straight NHL seasons with the Oilers, Blackhawks, Coyotes, Red Wings, and Flames and has six points in six games for the P-Bruins to start the season.
Canucks Notes: Demko, Forbort, Joshua
The Canucks have waited a long time to see Thatcher Demko return to practice since exiting their first-round series against the Predators last season with a mysterious knee injury, and it finally came to pass yesterday, the team relayed. Vancouver has received expert goaltending from late-summer pickup Kevin Lankinen in the meantime (.923 SV%, 2.09 GAA), but getting last year’s Vezina Trophy runner-up back in the fold is still top of mind.
It’s the most demonstrable step toward a return that Demko has taken in months, although his return to practice has been on the horizon for the past week. He began working off-ice with goalie coach Marko Torenius last Friday and had an appointment to earn his medical clearance to practice earlier this week.
Demko told reporters during training camp that the specific injury was to the popliteus muscle in one of his knees. This small muscle in the back of the leg plays a key role in stabilizing the knee and allowing it to flex. Instances of popliteal injury in professional sports are rare, even more so in hockey, leading to much uncertainty around his return timeline over the past few months.
Demko, who will be 29 next month, had a career-best 35 wins, .918 SV%, 2.45 GAA, five shutouts, and 21.2 GSAA last season. In addition to finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting, he was selected to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game and was a Second-Team All-Star.
There’s more on the Canucks:
- Injury news isn’t as positive regarding defenseman Derek Forbort, who could be sidelined for over a month with the knee injury he sustained in practice Monday, reports Irfaan Gaffar of Daily Faceoff. Forbort missed Tuesday’s win over the Ducks with the injury and missed most of October due to personal reasons, limiting him to just one appearance since Oct. 15. Since signing a one-year, $1.5MM contract in Vancouver in free agency, he has one assist and a -2 rating in four appearances while averaging 16:30 per game. The physical left-shot defender has registered just one hit and has controlled 51.8% of shot attempts and 33.3% of expected goals at even strength.
- Dakota Joshua is still close to returning after undergoing surgery to remove testicular cancer over the offseason but won’t do so today versus the Kings, head coach Rick Tocchet told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. Tocchet said his absence from yesterday’s practice and unavailability today isn’t indicative of a setback but instead of the team’s cautious approach to his recovery. Joshua has missed all 11 Canucks games this season after signing a four-year, $13MM extension to stay in Vancouver a few days before the start of free agency.
Flyers Place Ryan Poehling On IR, Recall Anthony Richard
The Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Ryan Poehling, retroactive to Saturday November 2nd. The details of Poehling’s injury weren’t revealed, though he didn’t join the Flyers on their three-game road trip that started on Tuesday due to personal reasons. Philadelphia hosts San Jose on Monday, November 11th – which will stand as Poehling’s next chance to return to the lineup.
Poehling appeared in all 12 of Philadelphia’s games before Tuesday, recording five assists, six penalty minutes, and 21 shot attempts while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. He’s searching for his footing this season after establishing a routine, middle-six role in his first season with the Flyers last year. Poehling earned 11 goals and 28 points in 77 games in that role. He also carried the heftiest faceoff responsibility of his career, winning 461 of 938 draws – good for a 49.1 faceoff-percentage, third-highest among Flyers centers. While his start to this season has been slow-coming, Poehling still leaves a noticeable hole in a struggling Flyers’ bottom-six.
In a corresponding move, the Flyers have also recalled centerman Anthony Richard from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Richard is in his first year with the Flyers organization, continuing his string of one-year tenures after spending the last three seasons in tenures with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, and Boston Bruins organizations. Lehigh Valley has proven Richard’s best sparring grounds so far though, where he currently sits with a team-leading nine points in seven games. He’s pulled the thread of top-end minor-league scoring through yet another season, after netting 55 points in 59 games last season and 67 points in 60 games in 2022-23.
Richard not only stands as one of Lehigh Valley’s hottest scorers, but also one of the longest-tenured veterans in the program. He boasts 309 points across 488 games and 10 seasons in the AHL, adding eight points – split evenly – in 24 career NHL games. This season is standing as a career-year for Richard, marking the highest production of his career – on pace for 92 points across a full AHL season. He could now get a chance to carry that momentum into the NHL, but he’ll need to earn a lineup spot first. Philadelphia is currently utilizing Noah Cates and Nicolas Deslauriers to fill Poehling’s vacancy at fourth-line center. Cates has posted an impressive 57.1 faceoff-percentage on 63 draws this season – which should be enough to hold down the role in the face of new pressure from Richard.
Central Notes: Predators, Drouin, Seguin, Martinez
The Nashville Predators were expecting better than a 4-7-1 record through the first month of the regular season, especially after spending $108.5MM to bring in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei in free agency. Still, despite the poor start, it doesn’t appear the team is ready to hit the panic button yet.
In an article from The Fourth Period, David Pagnotta said, “Barry Totz is certainly going to be doing his due diligence and looking around to see what may be available down the road. But right now, as you mentioned, four points out of a playoff spot, despite their rough start to the new season, I don’t really get the sense that they’re looking or itching to make an impact type of move or a panic type of move just now.”
The issues in Nashville fall on both sides of the ice. The offense hasn’t generated much enthusiasm with 2.42 GF/G and the defense hasn’t been able to hold down the fort with a 3.42 GA/G through 12 games. There are still some encouraging signs with the Predators sitting eighth in the league with a 52.8% CorsiFor% and the biggest disparity in actual goal differential minus expected goal differential according to Hockey Reference. Time will tell if Nashville has fundamental problems with their play or if they have to wait a bit longer for pucks to start bouncing their way.
Other Central notes:
- The Colorado Avalanche are already getting a major boost to their forward core with the return of Artturi Lehkonen. According to Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports, the team could get another reinforcement in the form of Jonathan Drouin. Angley shares that Drouin is close to returning from his upper-body injury which has kept him sidelined for much of the year aside from the opening contest. Lehkonen and the return of Drouin give Colorado two bonafide top-six wingers with Valeri Nichushkin expected to return in a few days.
- Thanks to a lower-body injury, Dallas Stars veteran forward Tyler Seguin has only participated in seven of the team’s 11 contests. Robert Tiffin of D Magazine shares that the lower-body injury shouldn’t keep Seguin out for an extended time but it will likely be something the team has to manage all year. Seguin may inevitably land around his 2023-24 totals of 68 games played but has gotten off to a strong start this year with five goals and nine points in his limited action.
- Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Blackhawks reports veteran defenseman Alec Martinez resumed skating this morning before the team’s practice. Martinez, who brings Stanley Cup pedigree to a relatively young Blackhawks roster, has been sidelined on October 15th due to a right groin injury. In his stead, Chicago has relied on a combination of young defensemen Nolan Allan, Wyatt Kaiser, and Alex Vlasic on the left side of the defense.
Pacific Notes: Walman, Bjorkstrand, Joshua, Samsonov
In an interesting decision for San Jose Sharks head coach, Ryan Warsofsky, defenseman Jake Walman will be a healthy scratch in the team’s game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets (X Link). Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now theorized that it could be linked to an apparent injury Walman suffered in the team’s most recent loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
It’s important to note that there hasn’t been any confirmation about an injury as Warsofsky was quoted as saying, “I’m sure he’s frustrated. I think everyone wants to play. That message is gonna be between him and I.” At any rate, it’s a peculiar move from a rookie head coach with arguably the team’s top defenseman.
Walman is leading all Sharks’ defensemen in scoring with one goal and nine points in 13 games including seven points in the last four games. However, he struggled in the team’s loss to Vancouver producing a -2 rating over 20:35 of ice time including being on the ice for the deciding goal. The Sharks have played better recently with three wins in their last five games but Warsofsky may just be sending a stark message to keep his team on the right track.
Other Pacific notes:
- Joining Walman as a healthy scratch tonight is Pacific Division counterpart Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Seattle Kraken according to Emerald City Hockey. This healthy scratch designation is more of a public message to the group with head coach Dan Bylsma saying, “The message is not just to Oliver. It’s to the whole group.” Bjorkstrand has struggled out of the gates with three goals and five points in 13 games while the team has dropped six of their last seven contests.
- The Canucks organization may be getting a major boost this week with Harman Dayal of The Athletic reporting forward Dakota Joshua is a legitimate possibility to suit up on Thursday. Joshua hasn’t played for Vancouver since May 20th earlier this year as he continues to recover from testicular cancer. Despite the delayed start to the year, Vancouver re-upped with Joshua this summer to a four-year, $13MM contract as he’s expected to be a big factor in the team’s success over the next half-decade.
- Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov is out until at least next Monday. Granger assured that it’s not a long-term injury but Samsonov hasn’t suited up for the Golden Knights in almost a week. He’s gotten off to a decent start with the third franchise of his career managing a 3-1-1 record through five starts with a .906 save percentage.
Lightning Recall Gage Goncalves, Brayden Point Out Day-To-Day
12:42 p.m.: Goncalves will make his season debut tonight while Point has been officially listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters, including Lou Korac of NHL.com.
10:24 a.m.: The Lightning are bringing up center Gage Goncalves from AHL Syracuse, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. No corresponding transaction is needed with ample cap space and a pair of open roster spots, but his addition to the roster could indicate that Tampa Bay will be without center Brayden Point tonight against the Blues. Point left Sunday’s loss to the Jets in the first period with a lower-body injury.
Goncalves, 23, was a second-round pick of the Lightning in 2020 out of the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips. The 6’0″, 181-lb pivot made his NHL debut last season, skating in a pair of wins for the Bolts against the Devils and Ducks in mid-January. He didn’t record a point but managed to log 6 PIMs and two hits while averaging just a shade under 10 minutes per game.
The Canadian-Portuguese national is now in his fourth season playing pro within the Lightning organization. He’s spent nearly all of that time with Syracuse, where he has 43 goals and 106 assists for 149 points in 216 career appearances. After an injury held him out for the first few games of Syracuse’s season, he’s recorded four assists through his first four games with the minor-league club to start 2024-25.
Last season was a banner one for the British Columbia native. He recorded career highs with 45 assists and 58 points in 69 games, earning himself a spot on the North Division’s roster for the AHL All-Star Game. Following the season, Goncalves signed a one-year, two-way extension ($775K/$100K) to keep him from reaching restricted free agency. He’ll have the opportunity to become an RFA next summer, this time with arbitration rights.
With no other extra forwards on hand, it’s highly likely that Goncalves would slide into the lineup and make his season debut against St. Louis if Point can’t play. Point would be a humongous loss for a Tampa team looking to reverse a two-game losing streak, currently tied for third on the team in scoring with 13 points (8 G, 5 A) in 12 games. His five power-play goals and 38.1% shooting percentage both lead the league.
Metropolitan Notes: Roy, Chychrun, Rakell, Poehling
The Capitals’ news cycle has been dominated by the health of a pair of top-four defensemen in recent days, and that hasn’t changed Tuesday. There’s good news to report regarding one of them – Matt Roy shed his no-contact designation in practice today as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. He’s been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Predators and could come off injured reserve before then, head coach Spencer Carbery added (via Silber).
Roy, 29, has suited up just once for the Caps since signing his six-year, $34.5MM contract with them over the summer. The longtime Kings defender sustained the injury in their season opener against the Devils and has missed the following 10 games. It was an inauspicious start for the usually trusty stay-at-home piece, who posted a -2 rating in less than 10 minutes of ice time against New Jersey.
Upon his return, he’ll look to improve a Washington defense that’s already fared pretty well without him. As a team, the Capitals are controlling 50.4% of shot attempts and 53.5% of scoring chances at even strength, led by some spectacular two-way play from John Carlson. Roy’s return will benefit Washington by pushing overtaxed veteran Dylan McIlrath down the depth chart – he’s been out-attempted 93-133 at even strength through 10 games and skated in second-pairing duties alongside Rasmus Sandin in the Caps’ last game, a role Roy will take over when he’s back in the lineup.
Unfortunately, there isn’t as much positive news regarding Jakob Chychrun‘s health. Carbery said he’s not yet returned to skating with the rest of the team but is at least continuing to take reps before practice with team staff. Chychrun landed on IR over the weekend and has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury he sustained on Oct. 29 against the Rangers. He’s now missed seven days and is eligible to come off IR at any time, although it doesn’t appear that will happen in the next few days. Chychrun had two goals and two assists in eight games before exiting the lineup, tying for the team lead with seven takeaways.
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division:
- After a tough 2023-24 campaign, Rickard Rakell is one of the few Penguins performing at or over expectations this season. The 31-year-old leads the team in goals with six through 13 games and is third on the team with nine points. Rakell spoke to Josh Yohe of The Athletic yesterday, detailing how he overcame a great deal of self-doubt about his age and potential permanent decline to rediscover his game.
- The Flyers will be without the services of center Ryan Poehling on their upcoming three-game road trip, head coach John Tortorella told Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. He’s remaining in Philadelphia to nurse a minor injury and attend to a “family situation.” The 25-year-old had five assists and a +2 rating through 12 appearances this season, averaging 13:31 per game. He’s also posted great possession metrics for his heavy defensive-zone usage and is winning 50% of his draws for the first time in his six-year career. Noah Cates, who’s played in seven straight after being scratched four times in five games to start the season, will center the fourth line in his place.
Auston Matthews Out Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is out with an upper-body injury and will miss tonight’s contest against the Bruins, the team announced. He’ll be evaluated daily and hasn’t been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Red Wings.
It’s unclear when Matthews sustained the injury. In all likelihood, it’s something he’s been playing through for at least a couple of games, or it was sustained off-ice. He logged over 22 minutes in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Wild and didn’t miss a shift.
If the injury is something he’s been playing through, it could be part of the explanation for why the 27-year-old is off to a sluggish start by his standards. With five goals in 13 games, he’s tied with John Tavares for third on the team and has been out-scored by Matthew Knies (six) and William Nylander (nine). In overall scoring, he’s tied with Tavares for third on the team with 11 points behind Nylander (13) and Mitch Marner (14). Those numbers put him on pace for just 32 goals and 69 points over a full season.
It’s not for a lack of trying, though. Matthews is shooting an unsustainably low 8.9% by his standards. His previous career-low was 12.2%, set in 2022-23 when he still managed 40 goals. He currently leads the league with 56 shots on goal, on pace to sit atop the NHL in that stat for the third time in his nine-year career.
Outside of the surprisingly low goal and point totals, it’s been business as usual for Matthews. The newly-minted captain of the Maple Leafs remains one of the best two-way centers in the league. He’s averaged nearly 21 minutes per game, won 55.6% of his draws, and is controlling a team-high 57.3% of shot attempts when on the ice at even strength. Among the 14 forward lines in the NHL to play at least 100 minutes together this season, Matthews’ unit with Knies and Marner ranks third with a 63.6% expected goals share, per MoneyPuck.
In Matthews’ absence, Max Domi will slide up from the third line to center the top line, per Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. Pontus Holmberg will return to the lineup and replace Domi as third-line center after serving as a healthy scratch in Minnesota, relays Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. Head coach Craig Berube hopes the temporary promotion can help jumpstart Domi, who’s yet to score a goal this season and only has 15 shots in 13 appearances, a rate that’s down sharply from his 137 SOG in 80 games last season.
The Leafs don’t have room to make a corresponding recall for Matthews without placing him on injured reserve. Doing so retroactive to Sunday would also rule him out of Friday and Saturday’s home back-to-back against the Red Wings and Canadiens, meaning he’d miss a minimum of three games with the injury.
Matthews is in the first season of the four-year, $53MM extension he inked in August 2023. He carries a cap hit of $13.25MM, currently the highest in the league.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.