Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Newsstand

Islanders Recall Pierre Engvall, Place Semyon Varlamov On IR

at CDT | by 12 Comments

Sunday: According to Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports, the Islanders have recalled Engvall back to the NHL, making the waiver process a bit of a formality. New York won’t have to place Engvall on waivers for another 30 days giving the organization some added flexibility. Gross also shares that the team has placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who’s missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury, on injured reserve retroactive to November 29th.

Saturday: Engvall cleared waivers, Friedman reports.  When he’s re-assigned to Bridgeport, they will free up a pro-rated $1.15MM in cap space.  As for Wahlstrom, he was claimed by Boston.

Friday: The Islanders have placed wingers Pierre Engvall and Oliver Wahlstrom on waivers for the purposes of assignment to AHL Bridgeport, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

After the Isles clear their roster spots tomorrow, they’ll have increased flexibility to activate their trio of injured skaters – Mathew Barzal, Anthony Duclair and Adam Pelech – from injured reserve. All three have practiced this week without a non-contact designation.

Engvall thus ends up on the wire for the second time this season. The 28-year-old tumbled down the Islanders’ depth chart during training camp and ended up on waivers before opening night rosters were due. After he managed 10 goals and 28 points in 74 games last season, it was no surprise to see him pass through unclaimed with a whopping six years and $18MM left on the seven-year deal he signed to remain on Long Island in 2023. As such, the likelihood of him being claimed this time remains slim.

In his 20-game call-up since being summoned in place of Duclair in October, Engvall has three goals and six points with a -3 rating. He’s been a healthy scratch three times in the last seven games, so it’s unsurprising to see him being one of the odd ones out to make way for their stars’ return. Waiving him also offers them the most significant possible financial benefit, which is an important consideration as they must navigate cap compliance while activating Barzal and Duclair from LTIR. They won’t be able to bury all of Engvall’s $3MM cap hit in the minors, but they will be able to shed a total of $2.15MM in cap hits combined between him and Wahlstrom.

In six games with Bridgeport in October, Engvall had just one goal. It was his first AHL action since the 2019-20 campaign as a member of the Maple Leafs organization.

Wahlstrom has been the less productive of the pair this season. While the Islanders avoided exposing the 2018 11th overall pick to waivers for as long as possible, there’s no better time than now. The 24-year-old Maine native has just two goals and four points in 27 games this season, averaging a career-low 10:04 per game.

A restricted free agent last summer, the Islanders came to terms on a one-year, $1MM deal for Wahlstrom before his scheduled arbitration hearing. Unfortunately, that choice precipitated Wahlstrom’s worst showing yet as an NHLer. While his offensive production never jumped off the page like they’d hoped, he was at least a semi-effective physical presence. He hasn’t been that at all this season, logging only seven hits in 27 games – his first time averaging under one per game. He also has an abysmal 38% shot attempt share at even strength and a 33.3% expected goals share, creating an argument for Wahlstrom as one of the least valuable skaters in the league.

Now in his sixth NHL season, Wahlstrom may be too far along in his development to be considered a legitimate bounce-back candidate with a change of scenery. Nonetheless, the former electric scoring threat in juniors may have at least one taker on the waiver wire as his $1MM cap hit is fully buriable in the minors if he doesn’t work out.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Bruins Claim Oliver Wahlstrom Off Waivers From Islanders

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Amidst some offensive struggles, the Bruins have added some depth up front.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Boston has claimed winger Oliver Wahlstrom off waivers from the Islanders.

It has been a bit of a tumultuous tenure for Wahlstrom and the Isles in recent years.  The 24-year-old was the 11th overall pick back in 2018 after showing plenty of offensive promise with the US National Team Development Program.  He opted to turn pro after just one year at Boston College and the hope was that he’d become a reliable offensive player for New York before too long.

However, that never really came to fruition.  Wahlstrom’s NHL career got off to a good start in 2020-21 when he picked up 12 goals and nine assists in 44 games in the shortened season.  He followed that up with 13 goals and 11 helpers in 73 games the following season, a small uptick in overall production but a notable drop in points per game.  He was somewhat productive in limited action in 2022-23 when he had 16 points in 35 games but things went off the rails last year when he was a frequent healthy scratch and collected just six points in 32 games.

That led to some speculation that the two sides could be parting ways, a belief that carried over to the summer.  Instead, the two sides worked out a one-year, $1MM contract in late July.  However, while Wahlstrom was largely able to secure a regular role in New York’s lineup this season, his playing time and production have both been limited.  His 10:04 ATOI is a career low while he has just two goals and two assists in 27 appearances, leading to his waiver placement on Friday.

It’s a low-risk pickup for the Bruins who have just enough cap space to absorb Wahlstrom’s contract without needing to make any other roster moves.  If things go well, they’ll be able to keep him under club control for two more years although he will be arbitration-eligible.  Boston is now at the maximum of 23 players on its active roster.

Blues Acquire Cam Fowler From Ducks

at CDT | by 17 Comments

Cam Fowler’s 15-year career with the Anaheim Ducks has come to an end. The St. Louis Blues organization announced they’ve acquired Fowler (38.5% retained) and a 2027 fourth-round pick for defensive prospect Jeremie Biakabutuka and a 2027 second-round pick.

Once the trade call is finalized, the Ducks organization will have parted with their longest-tenured player. Fowler was only nine games away from reaching the 1000th of his career with Anaheim but will now accomplish the career mark as a member of the Blues.

Consistency has been the name of the game for Fowler throughout his career. Anaheim selected Fowler with the 12th overall pick of the 2010 NHL Draft and debuted a year later during the 2010-11 season. He finished his rookie campaign with 10 goals and 40 points in 76 contests finishing eighth in Calder Trophy voting.

He’s averaged approximately 38 points a season for the next 14 years and impressively averaged 23 minutes of ice time per game across that timeline. His career CorsiFor% of 49.7% and career on-ice save percentage in all situations of 90.2% show that the Ducks have leaned on Fowler’s two-way play and used him in nearly all situations.

St. Louis is filling a clear need on the left side of their defense for less than expected. The Blues organization will owe Fowler just under $4MM a year for the remainder of this season and next and he has the experience to move up and down the lineup.

Key injuries to Torey Krug and Nick Leddy have left a sizeable hole in the lineup. Philip Broberg has been a bright spot in the top-four but the team can’t continue to utilize Ryan Suter or Pierre-Olivier Joseph as the other option.

The addition of Fowler isn’t expected to pull St. Louis up the standings but it shouldn’t hurt their chances either. The Blues are four points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with one game in hand on their division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche.

At any rate, the acquisition of Fowler gives them cost certainty on their blue line for next season. Fowler makes seven St. Louis defensemen signed beyond this season and they’ll likely reprise their roles next year. The team could move out of Leddy’s contract as he’s also being paid $4MM by the Blues but their top-four is likely set.

Biakabutuka, from Longueuil, Quebec, is in his second full year with the Blues organization. He’s primarily spent time in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears and Florida Everblades where he’s collected five goals and 22 points in 76 contests. It’s unlikely he’ll suit up for the Ducks in the AHL meaning he’ll suit up for their ECHL affiliate in Tulsa.

In the announcement from the Blues organization, the team also shared they’ve sent down defenseman Matthew Kessel to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. St. Louis didn’t require eight defensemen on the active roster and Kessel was the only waiver exempt among them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Anaheim and St. Louis were working on a Fowler trade. 

Friedman was the first to report the majority of the trade package. 

Friedman was the first to report Biakabutuka was included in the deal. 

Golden Knights Sign Keegan Kolesar To Three-Year Extension

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Golden Knights are keeping another veteran in the fold for a few more years.  The team announced that they’ve signed winger Keegan Kolesar to a three-year, $7.5MM extension that begins in the 2025-26 season.

The 27-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.  Instead, he’ll stay with Vegas through the 2028-29 campaign and will get a nice raise along the way.  Kolesar carries a $1.4MM salary and cap charge in the final year of his current deal, meaning he’ll get an increase of $1.1MM per season on this new agreement.

The Golden Knights acquired Kolesar back in 2017 from Columbus, flipping a mid-second-round pick to the Blue Jackets for his rights; Columbus wound up selecting Alexandre Texier with that selection.  He was initially drafted in the third round (69th overall) by Columbus.

Kolesar has been a full-time regular for the Golden Knights since the 2020-21 season.  Along the way, he has chipped in a bit offensively while becoming one of the more physical wingers in the league, notching at least 246 hits in each of the last three years.

This season, Kolesar has been more impactful in the offensive zone.  He has already notched seven goals on the season, good for sixth on the team and just one shy of his career-high that he has reached in each of the last two seasons.  He’s also still collecting more than three hits per game on average while his ATOI of 12:55 is also the highest of his career.

With that in mind, Kolesar was going to be heading for a fair-sized raise on the open market had this deal not been reached, especially since rugged wingers tend to generate a lot of interest in free agency.  Instead, he’ll be sticking around with the Golden Knights where he’ll remain one of their longest-tenured players.

Wild Claim Travis Dermott, Place Jacob Middleton On LTIR

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Wild have claimed defenseman Travis Dermott off waivers from the Oilers, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Defender Jacob Middleton, who sustained a hand injury in last night’s 7-1 loss to the Oilers, landed on long-term injured reserve minutes earlier in a corresponding move, per the team.

It’s no surprise to see Minnesota’s desire to add some defensive depth to the organization, particularly a lefty. They’re now without their top two left-shot options in Middleton and Jonas Brodin (upper body, week-to-week) for quite a bit, and Cameron Crotty, the current No. 7 on the roster, is a right-shot defender with just one NHL game under his belt.

In comes Dermott and his 339 NHL games of experience, although just 10 came in an Edmonton sweater. The soon-to-be 28-year-old didn’t generate much interest on the free-agent market last summer. Instead, he opted for a tryout with the Oilers, which he successfully converted into a one-year, two-way pact at the beginning of the regular season. After posting no points, a -3 rating and being out-attempted 132-111 in his even-strength minutes, he was scratched in nine straight games – including last night’s win over the Wild.

After suiting up for the Coyotes last season, Dermott shouldn’t have many work visa issues. General manager Bill Guerin told Russo he believes he’ll be available for tomorrow’s matinee against the Flyers. Unfortunately, he flew back to Edmonton with his former Oilers teammates last night and will need to make the trek back to Minnesota today.

Regarding Middleton, the veteran took an Evan Bouchard shot to the hand in the first period of last night’s loss and didn’t return. He’s labeled as week-to-week, but as his LTIR placement dictates, the earliest he’s eligible to return is Jan. 7 against the Blues. Whatever fracture he sustained will likely need surgery today, Russo reports.

It’s incredibly tough timing for Middleton, who turns 29 next month. He’s amid the best season of his career by far, leading the NHL with a +22 rating and averaging north of 20 minutes per game for the first time. He has five goals and 13 points in 29 games – assuming he’s available on Jan. 7, he’d still be on pace to record 31 points in about 70 games and break last year’s career-best 25.

Declan Chisholm now stands as the Wild’s top left-shot option until Brodin is ready to return (he’ll likely be the first one back). He’ll stand to see far more than his usual 16-17 minutes per game in the coming days – he’s already skated more than 20 minutes twice in Minnesota’s last five games.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers Place K’Andre Miller On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Add K’Andre Miller to the list of injured Rangers defensemen. He sustained an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s win over the Sabres and will be placed on injured reserve today, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports reports.

The left-shot defender was not on the bench for the third period of Wednesday’s game. Head coach Peter Laviolette declined to confirm when Miller sustained the injury, although, as Mollie Walker of the New York Post points out, he took a big hit from Buffalo winger Jordan Greenway midway through the second that could have caused the damage.

The IR placement rules him out through Dec. 18, so he’ll miss three games at the fewest. After tomorrow’s game against the Kings, the Rangers have a three-game Central Division road trip. Miller won’t travel with the team, Mercogliano reports, so he’ll likely miss a fourth as well. That positions his earliest possible return date as Dec. 22 against the Hurricanes.

As it has for many Rangers skaters, it’s been a tough year for Miller. He’s on pace for career lows offensively with just two goals and six points through 28 games, and he’s also on track to post a minus rating for the first time in his five-year run in the NHL. In his nearly 600 minutes on the ice at even strength this season, the Blueshirts have out-attempted opponents 537-517 but have been outscored 32-25.

The Rangers’ win over Buffalo was just their second this month. Since beating the Canucks on Nov. 19, the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy winners are 3-8-0 in their last 11 games with a -14 goal differential.

AHL mainstay Connor Mackey is replacing Miller’s top-four minutes alongside Braden Schneider to start, per Mercogliano. Urho Vaakanainen remains unavailable with an upper-body issue after being acquired from the Ducks for ex-captain Jacob Trouba last week.

Justin Schultz Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Right-shot defenseman Justin Schultz has terminated his contract with Switzerland’s HC Lugano and “ended his career with immediate effect for strictly personal reasons,” the club said in a statement Friday.

“Mine is a strictly personal choice,” Schultz said through the team. “I discussed it with my family, and I made the decision to end my career here and return to Canada. I thank Hockey Club Lugano for the professionalism shown and for respecting my choice, and I wish the club and the team to find the path to success again.”

Schultz, now 34, had signed with Lugano in late October after not landing any NHL offers as an unrestricted free agent over the summer. Before retiring, he made eight appearances for the National League club, posting six assists and a -3 rating.

The British Columbia native was selected by the Ducks in the second round of the 2008 draft out of the British Columbia Hockey League’s Westside Warriors. He played one more season of junior ’A’ before jumping to the University of Wisconsin, where he racked up 113 points in 121 games in three seasons, twice being named to the NCAA West First All-American Team. But coming out of school in the 2012 offseason, he didn’t come to an agreement with Anaheim on an entry-level contract and instead landed one with the Oilers after reaching free agency.

Schultz got some AHL action at the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign due to the lockout that cost the league nearly half the season. However, after posting 48 points in just 34 games, he was named to Edmonton’s opening night roster and never touched minor-league ice again. The offensively gifted yet defensively challenged Schultz spent parts of four seasons in Alberta, logging top-four minutes on a rebuilding Oilers defense. After posting 101 points in 248 games, logging a -78 rating and averaging north of 22 minutes per game, Edmonton shipped him east to the Penguins before the 2016 trade deadline.

Schultz flourished in Pittsburgh, winning two Stanley Cup rings in his first two seasons with the franchise. He was used sparingly in their 2016 run to the championship, averaging 14:14 per game down the stretch and even less than that in the playoffs. But in 2016-17, his first entire season in Pennsylvania, he erupted for a career-high 12 goals, 39 assists, 51 points, and a +27 rating in 78 regular-season appearances, gaining additional ice time with No. 1 option Kris Letang missing half the season with injuries. He finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting and kept the momentum rolling in the playoffs, quarterbacking the team’s top power-play unit and leading their blue line in scoring with 13 points in 21 contests as the Penguins became the first team since the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

The 6’2″ righty continued to be a serviceable top-four option with the Pens over the next few years, but his point pace and defensive play both began to falter as time passed. A lower left-leg fracture cost him most of the 2018-19 campaign, and after more lower-body injuries limited him to 12 points in 46 games the following year, Pittsburgh let him hit unrestricted free agency.

Schultz landed a two-year, $8MM pact with the rival Capitals. His tenure in D.C. was solid but unremarkable, totaling 50 points in 120 games with a -3 rating. By the end of his two-year deal, he’d firmly established himself as a power-play specialist, averaging a career-low 16:55 per game in his second season.

Once again a free agent, Schultz opted to join the second-year Kraken on a two-year, $6MM deal. In year one, he recorded 34 points in 73 games – his highest total since his career-best 2016-17 campaign – and helped Seattle to its first playoff appearance in franchise history. Once again, he carried his upward momentum into the postseason, tying for third on the Kraken with 10 points in 14 games as they advanced to Game 7 of the Second Round.

Schultz saw his ice time further reduced to a new career-low 16:28 in Seattle last season, posting 26 points in 70 games – 10 of which came on the power play. His -23 rating ranked last on the team, although the Kraken still largely controlled the quality of possession while he was on the ice at even strength. Nonetheless, no team viewed him as an everyday option anymore, and he ended up making a brief go of things in Switzerland after not landing an NHL contract or tryout.

He ends his 12-year NHL career with 71 goals, 253 assists, 324 points, and a -57 rating in 745 games. Seventeen of his career goals – nearly 24% – were game-winners. We at PHR congratulate him on a lengthy career and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Predators Announce Roster Moves With Roman Josi Out

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators have recalled Milwaukee Admirals captain Kevin Gravel. He is expected to step into the lineup on Thursday to fill in for Predators captain Roman Josi. Josi left Nashville’s Tuesday loss to Calgary roughly halfway through the first period. He returned a few moments later, and took three more shifts, but left again before the first period ended. Josi has since been announced as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury by the team.

Nashville made room for Gravel’s recall by placing defender Alexandre Carrier on injured reserve. Carrier was designated as week-to-week with an upper-body injury earlier this week. He hasn’t played since December 7th, meaning he’ll be eligible to return as soon as Saturday – though his designation suggests a longer absence.

Josi’s absence adds to a mounting injury list for the Predators. Their blue line is down multiple key pieces, with Jeremy Lauzon and Spencer Stastney joining Josi and Carrier on the absentee list. That’s left summer signee Brady Skjei as the sole pillar of the defense, with Luke Schenn, Marc Del Gaizo, and Adam Wilsby as his top supports.

They’ve already struggled with Carrier and Lauzon out – posting a league-worst 0-2-0 record and four-to-seven goal differential since the former left the lineup. Now, the test gets harder – with the most utilized Predator now at risk of missing a few games with his day-to-day designation. Josi has a team-leading 23 points in 29 games this season while averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time – over three minutes more than any other Predators skater. Josi is one year removed from a 23-goal, 85-point season where he played in all 82 games, and only four years removed from a 96-point year in 2021-22. He’s proven one of the best Swiss players to grace the NHL, and his absence leaves a glaring hole in every aspect of Nashville’s lineup.

Gravel won’t fill in Josi’s hole one-for-one, but he will offer the stout veteran presence of a 12-year pro. Much of Gravel’s career has been spent in the AHL, where he won a Calder Cup with the Manchester Monarchs in 2015 and the Bakersfield Condors in 2021. He joined the Predators organization in 2022 – suiting up for his sixth AHL club in Milwaukee the sixth AHL team, and his fourth NHL club in Nashville. Gravel appeared in 23 games of Nashville’s 2022-23 season, contributing one assist, two penalties, and a -10 from a limited role. He’s since spent all his time in with the Admirals, totaling 28 points and a +4 through 132 games and three seasons. He was named Milwaukee’s captain last season, and carried the title into this year. Now, Gravel will be called upon to support the top club amidst injuries to an overabundance of talent.

Trevor Zegras Sustained Torn Right Meniscus, Out Six Weeks Following Surgery

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Ducks forward Trevor Zegras underwent surgery today to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’s estimated to return to the lineup in six weeks.

Zegras has already missed three games with the injury, which he sustained on Dec. 4 against the Golden Knights. The 23-year-old fell awkwardly following a faceoff in the defensive zone, collapsing on his leg while skating backward away from the dot. He did not return to the game and landed on injured reserve shortly thereafter.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported Tuesday that Zegras was seeking a second opinion on how to move forward from the then-undisclosed lower-body issue but evidently quickly decided on surgery. As such, he’ll likely miss a tad more than if he opted to try and rehabilitate the tear without a surgical procedure, but carries far less risk for re-injury. The team anticipates his knee will return to full strength when he’s back in the lineup shortly before the season pauses for the 4 Nations Face-Off, Eric Stephens of The Athletic relays.

Zegras will now miss significant time for the second season in a row with a lower-body issue, even if it’s not as long of an absence as initially feared. The 2019 ninth-overall pick missed 20 games in the early going last year with an undisclosed LBI before undergoing ankle surgery in January that cost him another 31 contests.

Those injuries largely offered an explanation for Zegras’ poor production last season, even when he was in the lineup. His 15 points in 31 games worked out to a 40-point pace over a full season, a stark downturn from the career-best 23 goals and 65 points he’d put up the year before. It’s been more of the same in 2024-25, managing just 10 points in 24 games before landing on the shelf. He’s averaging 16:57 per game as he’s bounced around the top nine, the lowest since his rookie season, and he’s also logged a career-worst 45.5 CF% at even strength.

Zegras is the second Ducks forward to undergo meniscus surgery in the first few months of the campaign, joining fellow top-nine piece Robby Fabbri on IR. While neither had been particularly productive in the early going – Fabbri had only two goals in 14 games before getting hurt – it’s still not an easy thing to swallow for a Ducks team scoring 2.37 goals per game, second-worst in the league.

A six-week return timeline puts Zegras back in the lineup on Jan. 23 against the Penguins, meaning he’s slated to likely miss another 20 games while recovering. The New York native is in the second season of a three-year, $17.25MM deal.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Oilers Place Travis Dermott On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Oilers have placed defenseman Travis Dermott on waivers and will assign him to AHL Bakersfield if he clears, per a club announcement Thursday.

A second-round pick of the Maple Leafs back in 2015, Dermott became an unrestricted free agent last summer after additional stops with the Canucks and Coyotes in the past few seasons. After posting seven points and a -14 rating in 50 appearances in Arizona last season, though, there wasn’t notable interest on the open market, and he had to wait until late in the summer to ink a tryout agreement with Edmonton. He was at least able to parlay a strong training camp into a contract, inking a two-way deal ($775K/$500K) on the opening day of the regular season.

While he played in the Oilers’ first three games of the season, he’s failed to establish himself as a regular in the lineup. He has no points and a -3 rating in 10 appearances this season and has been a scratch in eight straight outings dating back to Nov. 19. After the Oilers claimed the younger Alec Regula off waivers from the Bruins yesterday, it was apparent that Dermott’s job as the No. 7 option on Edmonton’s back end might be in jeopardy.

As a player on a two-way deal without a deal past this season, there might be some interest in Dermott’s 339 games of NHL experience on the waiver wire. If not, though, he’ll head to Bakersfield for his first non-conditioning AHL assignment in six years.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top