Stamkos Fined For Unsportsmanlike Conduct
- The league announced that Predators forward Steven Stamkos has been fined $2.5K for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident with Vegas defenseman Jeremy Lauzon during Saturday’s game. The fine money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Predators Reassign Andreas Englund To AHL
Saturday: It was a one-and-done promotion for Englund as Nashville has assigned him back to the Admirals, per the AHL’s transactions log. As expected, he was the reserve defender for their game last night against Colorado.
Friday: The Nashville Predators announced they’ve recalled defenseman Andreas Englund from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. He’s expected to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman tonight as Adam Wilsby works his way back from a minor injury.
Englund, 29, joined the Predators last season after being claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings. He enjoyed a consistent role in Nashville for the remainder of the season, registering two assists in 24 games with the club, averaging 14:36 of ice time per night.
After two months with the team, the Predators signed Englund to a one-year, $775K extension for the 2025-26 campaign. Unfortunately, he wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the roster this year, and Nashville sent Englund through waivers shortly before the start of the regular season.
Being his first recall of the year, the 6’3″, 201lbs blue liner has spent the entire campaign with AHL Milwaukee up to this point. He has been relatively productive, scoring two goals and six points in 30 games with a +2 rating. He’s third on the team with 44 PIMs.
Regardless, Englund should expect his current recall to be short-lived. At the time of writing, Wilsby has a day-to-day recovery timeline, meaning he could return by the end of the weekend. Nashville now has 22 players on their active roster.
Injury Notes: Vladar, Wilsby, Colton
The Philadelphia Flyers could avoid the worst after taking a blow to their goalie room. Daniel Vladar is only expected to be out short-term after sustaining an injury in the first period of Wednesday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres, per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic and ESPN’s Emily Kaplan during Thursday’s broadcast. Vladar was replaced by Samuel Ersson while Alexei Kolosov was recalled on Thursday morning.
Vladar has led the charge for the Flyers goaltending room with 16 wins, a .905 save percentage, and a 2.46 goals-against-average in 28 games. He is the only Flyer with a save percentage north of .900 – with Ersson sporting a .853 in 18 games and Kolosov a .886 in three games. The two goalies split the next in Philadelphia’s 3-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They each allowed three goals, though Kolosov had 16 saves to Ersson’s 14. The two will continue an even battle for starting minutes, while Philadelphia hopes for more good news around Vladar’s timeline.
More injury updates from around the league:
- Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury per Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. It is unclear when Wilsby sustained the injury. He played more than 21 minutes of Nashville’s overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the fourth-most ice time of any Predators skater. Wilsby recorded one assist and a plus-one in the outing with no clear sign of wear. Either way, Wilsby will be expected to miss Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche and could be doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Sitting out the back-to-back road games will give Wilsby four days to rest up before Nashville returns home next Tuesday. The 25 year old has seven points and a minus-four in 36 games this season.
- The Colorado Avalanche also face a hole in the lineup. Forward Ross Colton is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury and questionable for Friday’s game against Nashville, head coach Jared Bednar told Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. Colton played through regulation, but sat out of the overtime period, in Monday’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He recorded five shots on goal that game. Colton has been a relentless piece of Colorado’s bottom-six this season. He has four points in his last three games, bringing his year-long totals up to 20 points in 45 games. That performance has made Colton a focal piece of Colorado’s gameplan. His absence would likely prompt the Avalanche to once again recal winger Ivan Ivan, who has one assist in five NHL games this season. Ivan has also scored eight points in 31 AHL games.
Nashville Predators Place Jonathan Marchessault On Injured Reserve
Ahead of their game against Edmonton tonight, the Nashville Predators shared that Jonathan Marchessault has been played on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury, and remains day-to-day. No corresponding transaction was made.
It has been a tough season for the 35-year-old both on and off the ice. As noted by Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Pucks, Marchessault’s absence tonight marks his 12th straight, along with 18 so far in the campaign.
Even when healthy in his 28 games so far, Marchessault has just 10 points and is a -18. Signed to a five-year deal worth $5.5MM per season after a career best 42-goal season with Vegas in 2023-24, Nashville were aware the veteran would slow down as he entered his mid-thirties, but such production so far this year indicates decline two years or so ahead of schedule. Whether the 2023 Conn Smythe winner’s output is more a result of age, or a poor fit as a Predator where he could offer more elsewhere, is not entirely clear.
After his 56-point output last year, the undrafted Stanley Cup Champion sought to turn the page in 2025-26, but it has not gone to plan yet. Seemingly dead in the water when he was healthy, the Predators have found their stride recently without Marchessault, leaving Head Coach Andrew Brunette with a difficult choice of how to slot back in the winger when he returns. Rookie Reid Schaefer has been a good fit on the fourth line, making a case to stay up for the rest of the season.
Still with three additional years on his contract, Marchessault will hopefully find his game again and help the Predators make a push this spring, as a possible change-of-scenery may be difficult for GM Barry Trotz to work out. The Predators take on Marchessault’s former team in Vegas on Saturday, and it is hard to imagine he will return before then.
Predators Sign Justus Annunen To Two-Year Extension
The Nashville Predators will be keeping their current goaltending tandem intact for a few more years. According to a team announcement, the Predators have signed Justus Annunen to a two-year, $2.5MM ($1.25MM AAV) extension.
Nashville acquired Annunen, along with a 2025 sixth-round pick, from the Colorado Avalanche last season for backup goalie Scott Wedgewood. Performance in the crease, as well as the injury bug, was one of the biggest plagues to the Avalanche last season, and Annunen was a part of the problem.
Still, Colorado wouldn’t have believed that just a year before. Although primarily rostered with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, Annunen participated in 14 games for the Avalanche during the 2023-24 campaign, managing an 8-4-1 record with a .928 SV% and 2.25 GAA.
Unfortunately, after being thrust into a backup role behind Alexandar Georgiev, Annunen didn’t continue that performance. Despite winning six of his nine starts, Annunen had disappointed with a .872 SV% and 3.23 GAA, leaving Colorado with little stability in the crease. Deciding to overhaul their entire goaltending room, the Predators swooped in to acquire Annunen and pair him with fellow countryman Juuse Saros.
He played far more with the Predators down the stretch, starting 20 games. He performed mildly better than what he was doing with the Avalanche, accruing a 9-11-1 record with a .888 SV% and 3.17 GAA.
Things haven’t gone much better this year, though they’ve been better lately. He was one of the worst backup options to begin the year, managing a 1-6-1 record in eight games with a .844 SV%. Still, his last four appearances have gone remarkably better, winning two out of four games with a .933 SV% across 90 shots.
Regardless, barring a significant injury to Saros, Annunen will only be counted upon to start 15 to 20 games a season. Given his last four outings, Nashville is likely hoping that Annunen has found another level to his game, leading them to ink today’s extension.
Nashville Predators Activate Justin Barron
The Nashville Predators are back to a fully healthy defensive core. The Predators announced that the team has activated defenseman Justin Barron from the injured reserve.
Barron, 24, has missed nearly half the season due to a lower-body injury. The ailment was suffered in Nashville’s Global Series matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 16th, and he hasn’t played since.
If Barron returns to the lineup tonight against the St. Louis Blues, his absence will end at 16 games. Before the injury, Barron was largely disappointing in his offensive output, registering four assists in 19 games while averaging 15:43 of ice time per game.
Still, he’s again averaging above a 50.0% CorsiFor% at even strength, and has managed an 89.8% on-ice save percentage at even strength, his best output with the Predators since being acquired around this time last year.
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that Barron will draw into the lineup, even after Nashville traded away Spencer Stastney a few weeks ago. Both defensemen who were expected to stay in depth roles this year, Nick Blankenburg and Adam Wilsby, have performed well this season, with the former scoring four goals and 15 points in 26 games.
Since Barron doesn’t offer an immediate improvement on either blue liner, Nashville may stay the course with its existing options. The Predators are 7-3-0 in their last 10 leading up to the Holiday break and have climbed back into the playoff conversation in the Western Conference.
Latest On Nashville Predators
St. Louis’ Jonatan Berggren has been off to a hot start after being claimed off waivers from Detroit, and Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic published an article looking into the surge, and how sustainable it can be. The new Blue jumped right up to the team’s first line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, posting four points in three games so far.
The Blues, with a forward core ravaged by injuries of late, would likely have been keen to add any NHL capable player from waivers. One such as Berggren was especially hard to pass up. After several years of lighting up the AHL but not quite putting it all together at the highest level, the 25-year-old became the latest former top prospect to hit the wire.
While many such players catch headlines, have some success early on, and eventually regress back to the mean, Berggren has caught high praise from Head Coach Jim Montgomery, and has a chance to have real success in a more low pressure environment for the time being. Interestingly in Rutherford’s article, an anonymous scout said his team also had interest in submitting a claim, as a player with valuable tools, who also had moments of being invisible.
Given the results so far, Berggren has likely found a home in St. Louis to finish the season at his $1.825MM cap hit. With pending restricted free agent status, he could become useful piece in their future as well if able to evolve his game a bit and strengthen ability in his own end.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Another figure could be joining the Sabres’ revamped front office, as Mike Harrington of Buffalo News Sports shared that Blue Jackets scouting director Ville Siren has generated a lot of “chatter” about rejoining new Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekäläinen. Siren was mentioned as a possible target of Kekäläinen just last week. The Finland native has been with Columbus since 2013, as well as nine seasons in St. Louis beforehand, where he played a large role in the team’s selection of longtime star Vladimir Tarasenko, among others. In Columbus, Siren has continuously stocked the small market team with young talent, most recently helping assemble a promising young core in the post-John Tortorella era. Nothing is set, as he remains firmly with Columbus, but Siren would be another notable addition to Kekäläinen’s brass as they look to turn things around in Buffalo.
- Pierre LeBrun published an article with The Athletic in which he discussed the Predators’ turnaround, staying calm despite rumors surrounding Head Coach Andrew Brunette as the season started to get off the rails. Winners of seven out of their last 10, Nashville is starting to find their game, and while fans may prefer the team go into a full rebuild route, veterans such as Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos are naturally intent on winning. As a former coach himself, Trotz has continuously stressed the importance of culture to develop young players. Even if veterans such as Stamkos or Jonathan Marchessault could still be shipped out in 2026, it is hard to imagine Trotz will want his group to totally bottom out, especially as long as Juuse Saros stands in net. Nashville will have a big opportunity tomorrow against Minnesota to prove they have turned the page and maybe push for a Wild Card berth.
Latest On Ryan O'Reilly
The Team Canada World Juniors roster appears set, with two final dominos falling: San Jose will not loan defenseman Sam Dickinson, per Frank Seravalli, and Seattle won’t loan forward Berkly Catton either, also noted by Seravalli.
Dickinson was a real candidate, as he would have brought key experience to Team Canada’s back end, as the only returning defenseman on the team. The 19-year-old has the distinction of being the only d-man under 20 to not be loaned out, other than Matthew Schaefer, which is to no surprise. Dickinson has not made quite the same impact as last summer’s first overall pick, as he has just three points in 27 games. Although helping lead Team Canada in a push for gold for a final time could have been a breath of fresh air for the exciting two-way defender, San Jose opts to hold onto Dickinson and not lose a true lineup contributor who continues to develop.
Similar to Dickinson, Catton has not exactly had a Schaefer-like impact yet either, with five points in 21 games, all assists. However, as emphasized by Seravalli, Catton is set to return from injury soon, and with Mason Marchment traded to Columbus, he will have a larger role on the Kraken once healthy, enough to keep the skilled forward from a Team Canada return.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Despite rumblings, Predators forward Ryan O’Reilly is not open to being moved at this time, as shared by Pierre LeBrun in an article for The Athletic. The respected veteran center is a pending free agent on an affordable ($4.5MM) contract, so naturally the appeal is there. However, although he has no such trade protection, O’Reilly and Nashville have a mutual agreement to treat it as if so, and for now, the 34-year-old will stay put. O’Reilly has 28 points in 34 games, continuing to play at a high level on both ends. However, GM Barry Trotz brought him in prior to 2023-24, when the Predators appeared firmly in a rebuild, before their attempted revival. Therefore, while on paper it would be wise to bring in a haul, O’Reilly’s impact in the locker room was always a major focus. Things could be revisited closer to the Trade Deadline, but O’Reilly simply playing out the deal is a real possibility, especially as the Ontario native has already won a Stanley Cup.
- Ahead of tonight’s game, Maple Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube told reporters, including David Alter of The Hockey News, that Easton Cowan and Calle Jarnkrok would be scratched, while Max Domi and Steven Lorentz entered the lineup in Dallas. Cowan’s designation comes as a bit of a surprise as he was in the starting lineup on the first line last night in Nashville, notching 16:17 of ice time, with an assist. The 20-year-old has 11 points in 26 games, but according to Berube, a reset is needed. Jarnkrok has been a solid third liner for years, but at 34, he has just four goals on the season and his scratching is less of a surprise. Meanwhile, Domi jumps right into Cowan’s slot on the first line, eager to find his game in a bid to extend his Leafs tenure. Finally, Lorentz returns to a fourth line deployment, a role familiar for the 29-year-old.
Predators Activate Cole Smith From Injured Reserve
The Predators have reinstated winger Cole Smith from injured reserve, Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Hockey reports. They’ve had a whopping three open roster spots since sending Zachary L’Heureux to the AHL last weekend, so no corresponding transaction is required.
Smith has been tracking toward a return for several days now. Head coach Andrew Brunette labeled him as day-to-day last week as he returned to practice. The 30-year-old has been out of commission since the beginning of November, missing the last 19 games with an upper-body injury. He was given a rather vague three-to-six-week recovery timeline, and although he missed the long end of that by a few days, he’ll be available for tonight’s game against the Hurricanes.
Before his injury, Smith was part of one of the most effective checking lines in the league. His offense wasn’t jumping off the page with three goals in 13 games – he’s only ever hit 20 points in a year once – but his line with Michael McCarron and Ozzy Wiesblatt was one of Nashville’s best at controlling play at 5-on-5. Not only do those three lead the Preds in hits per game, but they controlled 64.3% of expected goals at 5-on-5 to lead the team, per MoneyPuck. Among forward lines league-wide with at least 50 minutes together, only four trios have allowed fewer expected goals against per 60 than the Wiesblatt-McCarron-Smith line’s 1.58 mark.
Nashville won’t be able to reunite that line tonight, though. Wiesblatt is on IR with an upper-body issue and isn’t slated to return until after the Olympic break.
With Smith coming in, veteran Tyson Jost will likely be the one heading to the press box. Reid Schaefer, a first-round pick in 2022, seems to have grabbed hold of a regular spot with three goals in nine games since being summoned from AHL Milwaukee late last month.
Nashville Predators Reassign Zachary L’Heureux
The Nashville Predators announced yesterday that the club has reassigned forward Zachary L’Heureux to its AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
L’Heureux was originally recalled from Milwaukee in early November, but suffered a lower-body injury before he could see any game action. The club announced a four-to-six week recovery timeline for L’Heureux on Nov. 8, which was just about five weeks ago, meaning L’Heureux’s actual recovery timeline fell right within the Predators’ original projections.
A 2021 first-round pick, L’Heureux will now return to the AHL, the only level he’s actually played at so far in 2025-26. Despite skating in 62 NHL games last season, L’Heureux didn’t make the Predators’ NHL roster out of training camp in the fall. He’s been a strong top-six scorer since his rookie year in the AHL, and he kept up that pace in seven games to start 2025-26, scoring six points.
At this moment, it does not appear as though L’Heureux faces too steep a hill to climb in order to restore his status as a full-time NHL player. The Predators’ fourth line winger spots yesterday were filled by 2022 first-rounder Reid Schaefer and journeyman Tyson Jost. Schaefer has promise, but has just eight career NHL games to his name. Expecting him to hold an extremely firm grip on an NHL role at this stage would be premature simply given his limited experience in the world’s top league.
Jost is a waiver claim who has just five points in 22 games this season. He is the exact kind of player L’Heureux could force out of the lineup with some exceptional play at the AHL level, though the eventual returns of veteran Cole Smith and hard-working younger Ozzy Wiesblatt from injured reserve could complicate things further.
If L’Heureux can continue to produce at the AHL level and continue to mix his signature traits as an agitator and physical winger into his game, it stands to reason that he’ll line himself up to get back to the NHL roster at some point down the line this year.