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Connor McDavid Out 2-3 Weeks With Ankle Injury

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Oilers superstar Connor McDavid will miss “at least a couple of weeks” with the lower-body injury he sustained Monday against the Blue Jackets, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. It’s not expected to be an overly long-term absence, though, implying they’ve avoided the worst-case scenario of a left foot or lower-leg fracture. The team later confirmed it was an ankle injury and said he’ll be out for two to three weeks.

The Oilers haven’t yet placed McDavid on injured reserve, although with him safely ruled out for the next five days, there’s nothing stopping them from doing so. They had two open roster spots at the time of his injury, which they filled yesterday with the recalls of forwards Drake Caggiula and Noah Philp from AHL Bakersfield. They’re now at a full roster with ample cap flexibility thanks to Evander Kane’s LTIR placement but they could move McDavid to IR to open up another roster spot if necessary.

Still, any McDavid absence isn’t welcome news for Edmonton. They’re on their seemingly yearly tradition of underwhelming starts before going on a late-November or December tear. After being trounced 6-1 by Columbus earlier this week, they’re back below .500 with a 4-5-1 record, and their -13 goal differential is third-worst in the league, ahead of only the Penguins and Sharks. McDavid was caught in the mire, too, off to a slow start by his standards with three goals and 10 points in 10 games. He was still his usual dominant self in possession play, though, with the Oilers controlling 62.8% of shot attempts with McDavid on the ice at even strength.

A two-week timeline from today, which is likely the best-case scenario as outlined by Friedman, puts his earliest potential return on Nov. 14 against the Predators. The Oilers have six games between now and then. In the meantime, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is projected to shift from wing to center on the first line with Zach Hyman, while Jeff Skinner will move up from a middle-six role to ride shotgun with that pair.

Utah Acquires Olli Määttä From Red Wings

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Utah has acquired defenseman Olli Määttä from the Red Wings in a late-night trade, the team announced. They’re sending a 2025 third-round pick, previously acquired from the Rangers, to Detroit to complete the deal.

It’s no surprise to see the first-year franchise swing a deal for a defenseman. They’ll be without a pair of top-four defenders, Sean Durzi and John Marino, for most of the season after they both underwent surgeries in the past couple of weeks. Durzi could miss the rest of the regular season after having a procedure to repair his right shoulder, while Marino will likely be out until the 4 Nations Face-Off in February while recovering from lower back surgery.

Initial reports suggested Utah would likely lean on internal solutions to fill the void. They recalled 2022 first-round pick Maveric Lamoureux from AHL Tucson and have gotten solid hockey out of 24-year-old Michael Kesselring, who’s now averaging over 20 minutes per night and has five points and a team-leading +5 rating through 10 games. But losses have kept piling up for the Utahns, who remain at .500 with a 4-4-2 record after yesterday’s third-period collapse to the Sharks, which resulted in a 5-4 overtime defeat. A report from Pierre LeBrun of TSN last week suggested Utah had at least checked in on the availability of Blue Jackets defender Ivan Provorov, but they’ll end up netting a much cheaper player in Määttä in terms of both contract and acquisition cost.

Määttä, 30, is in the second year of a two-year, $6MM extension he signed with the Wings in 2023. The Finnish stay-at-home defender has called Detroit home since signing there as a free agent in 2022. He’s inexplicably been pushed down the lineup in recent days, sitting as a healthy scratch in two of the Wings’ last four games despite controlling 57.8% of expected goals when he’s on the ice at even strength. That number jumps out in a big way on a Detroit team that’s again struggled to maintain possession at 5-on-5 this year, controlling 42.5% of shot attempts, 43.7% of scoring chances, and 41.9% of high-danger chances. He’d yet to get on the scoresheet this season and was averaging a career-low 15:52 per game, but his 44.4 CF% was second among Wings defenders only to Simon Edvinsson.

Detroit’s loss is Utah’s gain. Määttä should post better results on a Utah club that’s actually been one of the league’s better 5-on-5 teams this season despite their roller-coaster record. He’s a left-shot but has played on the right side frequently throughout his 12-year NHL career, a task he’ll likely be asked to replicate in Salt Lake City. Whether he immediately steps into a top-four role with Durzi and Marino out remains to be seen, but at the very least, he’s a demonstrable upgrade on either of their current third-pairing options, Robert Bortuzzo and Vladislav Kolyachonok. He had 18 points and a +14 rating in 72 appearances for Detroit last season.

For the Wings, it’s the second time in a few months that general manager Steve Yzerman has traded away one of the more effective defenders on a blue line that has struggled to prevent quality scoring chances. He dealt Jake Walman to the Sharks in a somewhat similar cap-dump move back in June, although that transaction required him to offload a second-round pick to get San Jose to take his entire contract. He’s at least receiving an asset back for Määttä here with no salary retention, but it’s still a puzzling move for a team looking to push for a playoff spot.

Detroit does at least free up a roster spot and a fair amount of cap space with the move. They now have a comfortable $3.58MM in current cap space, per PuckPedia. The flurry of paper transactions to conserve cap space and juggle a full roster should now calm down, and the Red Wings do have far more in-season maneuverability to perhaps address other roster weaknesses in a more cost-effective manner.

Blues Extend Alexey Toropchenko

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The Blues have signed forward Alexey Toropchenko to a one-year extension worth $1.7MM, per a team release. The Moscow native was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.

Toropchenko, 25, has quietly emerged as a full-time fixture in the Blues lineup over the past few seasons. He played in all 82 games last season and hasn’t seen an AHL assignment since heading to Springfield for a conditioning stint early in the 2022-23 campaign. He’ll now stick around in St. Louis for at least one more season, but his future is far less certain past that, as the extension walks him directly to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026.

The 2017 fourth-round pick has settled into a fourth-line role, staying there to start 2024-25 even as injuries have taken Mathieu Joseph and Robert Thomas out of the forward lineup. He’s played in seven of St. Louis’ nine games this year, missing a pair of contests earlier in the month due to a lower-body injury. He has one assist, 7 PIMs, and 18 hits while averaging 11:37 per game, down slightly from last season. He’s been deployed heavily in defensive situations at even strength, and as such, the Blues are only controlling 43.5% of shot attempts and 33.3% of expected goals with him on the ice.

2023-24 was a strong showing for Toropchenko, who inked a two-year, $2.5MM contract the prior offseason. He set career-highs in goals (14) and points (21), recording 114 shots on goal and 165 hits while averaging 12:31 per game. He’s likely reached the end of his development track, but he has done enough to prove he can be a useful fourth-line piece due to his size (6’6″, 222 lbs), physicality, and legitimate chance-generation ability.

The Blues now have $86.06MM already dedicated to 20 players for next season. Notable pending free agents still include Radek Faksa, Joel Hofer, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Perunovich, and Ryan Suter.

Aleksander Barkov To Return For Panthers

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The Panthers will have captain Aleksander Barkov back in the lineup tonight against the Sabres, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters in Buffalo (including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald).

The team has danced around confirming his return for days now. Barkov has missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury, believed to be a high ankle sprain that he sustained in the closing seconds of Florida’s second game of the season against the Senators back on Oct. 10. The 29-year-old was a full participant in practice over the weekend, signaling that he’d likely be ready to play tonight.

Despite the absence of their No. 1 center for 80% of their schedule, the defending Stanley Cup champions have managed to stay ahead of the pack. They rank first in a mediocre Atlantic Division to start the season, leading the way with a 6-3-1 record. Remarkably, six of the division’s eight teams have a .500 record – the Panthers and the Lightning (5-3-0) are the only exceptions.

The team’s Jameson Olive relays Barkov will return with Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues as his wingers. Reinhart has shown no signs of slowing down from last season’s breakout campaign, but Barkov’s return could help jumpstart Rodrigues, who’s stumbled out of the gate with just three points and a -10 rating in 10 contests.

Barkov is coming off his second Selke Trophy-winning regular season. The 2013 second-overall pick led Panthers forwards last season with a +33 rating and 61 takeaways and controlled 58.4% of shot attempts and 58.2% of expected goals while on the ice at even strength. He proceeded to add 22 points (8 G, 14 A) in 24 playoff games, averaging over 21 minutes per night, as the Panthers lifted the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Florida never needed to move Barkov to IR despite the extended absence. They still have an open roster spot, even with him on the active roster.

Maple Leafs Sign Jake McCabe To Five-Year Extension

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9:52 a.m.: The first-year salary of McCabe’s extension will be paid out mostly via signing bonus, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. The second, third and fourth years of the deal also include some signing bonus money, while the fifth and final season is paid entirely via base salary. McCabe’s total compensation each year breaks down as follows:

2025-26: $6MM
2026-27: $5.5MM (including deferred money)
2027-28: $5.5MM (including deferred money)
2028-29: $3.6MM
2029-30: $3.6MM

9:02 a.m.: The Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a five-year extension, the team announced today. It keeps the blue liner off next summer’s UFA market and makes him cost $4.51MM against the salary cap through the 2029-30 campaign. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports the total value of the deal is higher than the cap hit indicates due to deferred money in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 campaigns. McCabe’s agency, Bartlett Hockey, confirms the total value of the contract is $23.5MM, equating to an AAV of $4.7MM.

It’s hardly unexpected news. Friedman reported at the beginning of September that McCabe and the Leafs had begun extension talks, which McCabe confirmed at the beginning of training camp. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos added shortly before the regular season started that the two sides were close to a deal, although the final contract is shorter than the six-year, $30MM pact he predicted.

For the past couple of years, Toronto has benefitted from McCabe’s services at a bargain-bin price. He signed a four-year, $16MM contract ($4MM AAV) with the Blackhawks in free agency in 2021, but with the team squarely in a rebuild, they traded him and depth forward Sam Lafferty to the Leafs before the 2023 trade deadline. Chicago retained half of McCabe’s salary in the deal, meaning he’s cost only $2MM against Toronto’s cap.

Even his full $4MM cap hit would have likely been below market value for McCabe, who’s averaged north of 20 minutes per game in a Maple Leafs sweater. Last season was the 31-year-old’s best, as he posted a career-high 28 points (8 G, 20 A) in 73 games and a +20 rating.

His possession metrics back up those numbers, painting the picture of an extremely valuable two-way, top-four defender. McCabe’s usage trended toward the defensive zone at even strength, but even still, the Leafs controlled 50.6% of shot attempts with him on the ice last season and 51.6% of expected goals. He was also one of their most physically involved players, finishing third on the team in blocks (129) and second in hits (219).

McCabe is off to a similar start this season. He’s averaging 21:09 per game, which is on pace for a career-high while adding three assists and a +6 rating in nine appearances. He has 17 blocks and 19 hits, ranking second on the team in each category, and the Leafs are controlling 55.4% of shot attempts and 54.7% of expected goals at even strength with him on the ice.

He’ll never be a significant factor on the scoresheet, but he’s not an offensive liability. He can be deployed in power-play situations if necessary and is good in transition. Having him under contract through his age-36 season could be dicey, but for now, just north of $4.5MM is an extremely affordable cap hit for what his all-around game provides.

The Maple Leafs now have $66.23MM in cap space tied up in 15 players for next season. Assuming a projected cap increase to $92.5MM, that gives them roughly $26.27MM in space to fill eight roster spots, including new deals for UFA forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares and RFA Matthew Knies.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers Recall Matt Rempe

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Oct. 28: Rempe is back with the Rangers today, per the NHL’s media site. The move was first reported last night.

Oct. 25: The Rangers have assigned right-winger Matt Rempe to AHL Hartford, the team announced after last night’s 3-1 loss to the Panthers. No corresponding move was announced, giving them an open roster spot to activate Jimmy Vesey from long-term injured reserve when he’s eligible to be taken off next week.

Given how sparsely Rempe has played to start the season, the move shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. But after appearing in 17 games for the Blueshirts last season after a February call-up and playing in 11 of their 16 playoff contests, five healthy scratches through their first seven games of 2024-25 was a bit eye-raising.

Rempe was technically left off the opening night roster for salary cap purposes, allowing the Rangers to maximize Vesey’s LTIR capture. He was recalled as soon as possible and was rostered for their season opener against the Penguins, although he watched it from the press box. In his two appearances – Oct. 12 against Utah and Oct. 19 against the Maple Leafs – he averaged just 5:39 per game, including a paltry 3:40 against the newcomers from Salt Lake.

Unlike last season, head coach Peter Laviolette decided that low ice time, not by Rempe spending nearly as much time in the penalty box as he did on the ice. Rempe has a spotless sheet to start this season after racking up 71 PIMs in his 17 regular-season showings last year. He’s also got no points, no shots (just one attempt), and five hits. The Rangers were also out-attempted 14-4 with Rempe on the ice at even strength in his tiny sample size.

A sixth-round pick of the Rangers in 2020, few expected Rempe to make much of an NHL impact, especially before his 23rd birthday. While it’s valid that one goal and one assist in 19 career games may not be considered impactful, he’s grabbed the spotlight with his throwback playstyle and willingness to drop the gloves. At times, that penchant for physicality has made him a legitimately valuable piece as a net-front option in the offensive zone, something that he’ll need to focus more on in the minors if he wants to prove he can be an influential player in an NHL that continues to see a drop in the frequency of fights.

The 6’8″, 240-lb winger has made 96 appearances in Hartford since turning pro for the 2022-23 campaign. He’s had 14 goals and eight assists with 183 PIMs and a -9 rating.

Brad Marchand Denies Report On Extension

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9:48 PM: Marchand himself has rejected the earlier report from Friedman. In a short conversation with Matt Vautour of Mass Live Sports, Marchand said, “I’m not big about talking about contract stuff in the media. But that report from Elliotte is false. Elliotte is just wrong. That’s about it“.

8:46 PM: A few moments ago on Sportsnet’s ’Saturday Headlines’ segment, Elliotte Friedman reported the Boston Bruins are close to extending their captain Brad Marchand. Friedman indicated the extension would be a three-year term but didn’t offer any insights on the deal’s salary.

It’s a distinct change of mood in Boston after Marchand and head coach Jim Montgomery passionately exchanged pleasantries in last week’s overtime loss against the Utah Hockey Club. A turnover by Marchand led to a game-tying goal by Utah (the goal was later overturned upon review) and Mongtomery was visibly frustrated with Marchand’s response.

Both Marchand and Montgomery downplayed the interaction with the latter saying, “Between Marchy and I, there didn’t need to be a conversation. Him and I are both emotional people. I’m not ecstatic with myself about it, but I don’t think about it afterwards and neither does he. He’s a pro. He’s a great player that does so many good things for us, and he has high expectations as well. So, for us, that’s over and done with“.

The frustrations are understandable for a Bruins team struggling out of the gates. Boston holds a 3-4-1 record through eight games but appears headed toward a victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening.

It’s difficult to say Marchand hasn’t been a part of the problem either. The entire blame can’t be placed on his shoulders but his play on the defensive side of the puck continues to depreciate and he’s only managed five assists this season.

There’s understandable expected regression for a player heading into his age-37 season on his next contract. Still, the Bruins have continued to rely upon Marchand well into the back half of his career. Since his age-31 season in 2019-20, Marchand has scored 139 goals and 370 points for Boston in 348 games (excluding this year’s results) while averaging just over 19 minutes of ice time per night.

His playoff exploits are well-known, and it could be one of this extension’s major contributing factors. Marchand hasn’t carried Boston back to the Stanley Cup Final since turning 31 but has been one of the most consistent postseason talents in franchise history scoring 26 goals and 55 points in 49 games from 2020 to 2024.

Marchand’s extension in Boston should be the first in a line of several for the team this season. The Bruins organization still needs to craft new deals for forwards Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie, and John Beecher by the start of the 2025-26 season but signing their captain to an early extension puts momentum in the right direction.

Blues’ Marco Scandella Retires

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St. Louis Blues defenseman Marco Scandella has retired from his pro playing career, sharing as much with Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Scandella attended the Blues’ morning skate on Saturday, visiting old teammates and affirming to reporters that he’s taken to traveling with his newfound free time. He last played in the final game of St. Louis’ 2023-24 season, though his year as a whole would be limited by routine healthy scratches. Scandella totaled eight points in 65 games in what is now his final season.

St. Louis acquired Scandella from the Montreal Canadiens in 2020, sending a 2020 second and 2021 fourth-round pick the other way. Those picks turned into prospects Jack Finley and William Trudeau respectively, while Scandella pursued a five-year career in St. Louis. He appeared in 215 games over that span, stepping in as a stout two-way option down St. Louis’ depth chart. But Scandella was never much of a scorer with the Blues, peaking at 24 points in 49 games during the 2020-21 season.

The Blues were one of four teams to host Scandella during his 14-year NHL career, which began with the Minnesota Wild in the 2010-11 season.  He played in 20 games and recorded just two assists in his first season, impressing enough with his abilities off-puck to earn 63 games in a routine top-pair role in the following year. Unfortunately, his rise to a prominent lineup role would be coupled with the first long-term injuries of his career. He’d be limited by finger injuries, concussions, and groin injuries through his first three pro seasons. He kicked the injury bug in 2013 and became one of the most consistent parts of Minnesota’s lineup until a 2017 trade to the Buffalo Sabres. Scandella continued to serve as a low-scoring, high-responsibility defender in Buffalo, even serving as the team’s top-defender in the 2017-18 season. That was a campaign year for Scandella – marking the only time he appeared in all 82 games of a season. He’d record 22 points –  one shy of his career-high set in 2015 – while averaging over 23 minutes of ice time.

Scandella’s role would decline every year after his peak with the Sabres, save for a 70-game season with the Blues in 2021-22. He played through his age-33 season and totaled 170 points in 784 games and 42 points in 96 AHL games. His career was marked by diligent and responsible defense, which could be enough to earn Scandella a coaching career down the road.

Rangers Sign Alexis Lafrenière To Seven-Year Extension

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1:37 p.m.: Lafrenière’s deal has a front-loaded structure that includes an $8MM signing bonus when the deal goes into effect next season, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports. He’ll have a no-movement and a modified no-trade clause go into effect when he’s eligible for it beginning in 2027-28, he adds. PuckPedia has the full breakdown of the deal, adding it’s an eight-team no-trade list for the modified NTC:

2025-26: $2MM base salary, $8MM signing bonus
2026-27: $5.5MM base, $2MM SB
2027-28: $8.5MM base, $1MM SB
2028-29: $7.15MM base
2029-30: $6MM base
2030-31: $6MM base
2031-32: $6MM base

12:42 p.m.: The deal will come in at an actual AAV of $7.45MM, per PuckPedia. That’s a total value of $52.15MM.

11:54 a.m.: The Rangers are closing in on a seven-year extension with winger Alexis Lafrenière worth just under $7.6MM per season, sources tell Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said earlier Friday that talks between the Rangers and the pending RFA had “intensified.”

That means the deal’s total value will be in the $50-53MM range. It’s a contract that would have been inconceivable for the 2020 first-overall pick less than two years ago, a clear demonstration of how much he’s improved since the beginning of last season.

Trade rumors swirled around Lafrenière after his third season in New York. During that time, he’d failed to average over half a point per game at any stage – not an acceptable performance from a first-overall forward, even that early into their career. However, a coaching change brought Peter Laviolette behind the Rangers bench, who got Lafrenière more ice time by shifting him to right-wing after years of sticking on his natural left side.

In essence, he’s been stapled on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, a pair with which he’s developed undeniable chemistry. Lafrenière played all 82 games in 2022-23, recording a career-high 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points while averaging over 17 minutes per night. The trio formed the Rangers’ best two-way line last season that suited up together on a regular basis, controlling 55.6% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.

The playoffs saw Lafrenière up his per-game production even further. While the President’s Trophy winners were bounced in the Eastern Conference Final by the eventual champion Panthers, Lafrenière tied Trocheck and Chris Kreider for the team lead in goals with eight and added six assists for 14 points in 16 games. He’s carried that momentum into 2024-25, lighting the lamp four times and adding three assists for seven points in seven games, still skating with Panarin and Trocheck and averaging nearly 18 minutes per game.

Lafrenière has now converted that production into a long-term commitment from the Blueshirts, who lock him up at an extremely affordable price through the 2031-32 campaign if he keeps up his recent offensive output. His deal will go into effect next season, keeping him from reaching restricted free agency for the second time in his career. The forward inked a two-year bridge deal worth a total of $4.65MM in August 2023, far less than what he’ll be making in a single season on his new contract.

He’ll be 30 when the deal expires – he turned 23 earlier this month. That allows him to cash in again on a long-term deal while being UFA eligible, although likely not as much as he could’ve garnered if he inked a five- or six-year extension with the Rangers. For New York, signing Lafrenière now likely provides a more affordable outcome than waiting until the end of the season, especially if he keeps up his point-per-game pace from the early going.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Utah Inquiring On Ivan Provorov, Other Teams Interested

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In today’s rendition of Early Trading with TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the insider shares that the Utah Hockey Club general manager, Bill Armstrong, has been working the phones to fill the void left by Sean Durzi and John Marino’s injuries. Specifically, LeBrun reports Armstrong has checked in on Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Ivan Provorov although other teams remain interested.

It would be surprising to see Provorov moved at this point in the regular season unless Don Waddell receives an offer he can’t refuse. The Russian defenseman would be a dream trade candidate for any rebuilding team’s general manager. He’s a top-four defenseman set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer with no trade protection in his contract. Assuming he’ll head for greener pastures next offseason, nobody would fault the Blue Jackets for taking him down to the wire of the trade deadline season to reap the best possible return.

The NHL’s newest franchise might be the one to make that offer early in the year out of pure desperation. Durzi and Marino’s surgeries will keep them out for much of the regular season, putting glaring holes in Utah’s blue line. They currently sit fourth in the Central Division standings through seven games and have a legitimate pathway toward the Stanley Cup playoffs should the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators continue their struggles out of the gates.

Not only does Utah need to add a top-four blue liner but they also represent a strong trade partner for Columbus. Armstrong has spent the last couple of years stockpiling draft capital during his tenure with the Arizona Coyotes and has 26 draft selections in the next three NHL Drafts. Utah may hesitate to part with a first-round pick for Provorov but has several second-round selections to dangle.

Utah could also help the Blue Jackets in areas outside of the draft. Forward Michael Carcone is an obvious low-cost trade chip. He’s only managed three games with Utah to start the 2024-25 NHL season but is coming off a year in which he scored 21 goals in 74 contests. Columbus has been one of the highest-scoring teams to start the year and Carcone should add to this strength with increased usage.

They could also help Columbus get over the salary cap floor with the existing contract of defenseman Shea Weber. Utah has Weber’s $7.857MM salary on LTIR but the Blue Jackets have the financial flexibility to activate him for the rest of the 2024-25 season. Carrying all of Weber’s salary and retaining a decent chunk of Provorov’s would allow Columbus to move out other pending unrestricted free agents at the deadline without having to take back much salary in any future trade.

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