Los Angeles Kings Sign Jimmy Lombardi To Entry-Level Contract
The Los Angeles Kings have signed prospect forward Jimmy Lombardi to a three-year entry-level contract, according to an announcement from Lombardi’s agent Dan Milstein as well as a team announcement. This news will coincide with Lombardi decomitting from the Big Ten’s University of Michigan – where he was slated to play next season – per Matthew Auchincloss of Michigan Daily Sports.
Lombardi, who turns 19 in February, was a fourth-round pick (No. 125 overall) by the Kings at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The No. 29 overall pick at the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Lombardi scored 13 goals and 45 points for the Flint Firebirds in his draft year, ending the draft season with mixed rankings from public-facing scouting outlets. He was ranked as high as No. 59, by McKeen’s Hockey, and as low as No. 120, by Future Considerations. NHL Central Scouting ranked Lombardi No. 84 among North American skaters.
The Kings ultimately landed Lombardi a little bit later than his rankings from public sources. The early returns from their fourth-round choice have been uniformly positive. Lombardi entered the season ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Kings’ system according to the team at Elite Prospects, and his performance in the OHL so far this season has likely increased his stock notably.
Flint is currently one of the top offensive teams in the OHL, led by New York Rangers prospect Nathan Aspinall, who leads the entire OHL in scoring. Lombardi’s 21 goals and 41 points tie for eighth in league scoring, alongside four other players, two of whom were first-round draft picks.
It’s entirely plausible that Lombardi’s jump in production was enough to motivate the Kings to sign Lombardi to his entry-level deal. What’s somewhat curious about this signing is the impact it has on his development path. Lombardi announced a commitment to play college hockey at the University of Michigan in June that he will now forgo.
That does not come as a huge surprise, of course, as the fact that he is now signed to his entry-level deal eliminates the possibility of Lombardi heading to the NCAA. While the door now appears to be open for players who have signed pro contracts in lower leagues such as the ECHL to play college hockey — Bemidji State, for example, now rosters 2021 Calgary Flames pick Jack Beck, who has 40 games of pro experience across the ECHL and AHL — there does not appear to be the same possibility for a player who signs an NHL deal.
While it’s often wise to not read too much into the simple signing of a prospect to an entry-level deal, Lombardi’s signing, due to his prior commitment to the Wolverines, does suggest something about how the organization — or Lombardi himself — views his pro readiness. Starting next season, NHL teams are expected to be able to loan one 19-year-old player to the AHL, under the terms of a new agreement between the league and the CHL.
Lombardi would have traditionally been ineligible to play in the AHL until 2027-28, due to the fact that he will turn 20 in February 2027. Under the new rule, the Kings could elect to make Lombardi their one allotted 19-year-old AHL reassignment, and today’s ELC signing paves the way for Lombardi to be able to do so.
Of course, it’s also possible that Lombardi plays in the OHL until the traditional point of becoming AHL-eligible, rendering this whole aspect of the conversation moot. But given the evolving dynamics of player development across the hockey world, these are aspects of ELC signings that are worth considering.
Pro Hockey Rumors’ Gabriel Foley also contributed to this article.
Ducks’ Leo Carlsson Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
The Anaheim Ducks will be without a top forward in Monday’s match against the Seattle Kraken. Star center Leo Carlsson has been announced as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, head coach Joel Quenneville told Derek Lee of The Hockey News. He is expected to return in Anaheim’s first game back from the NHL’s Christmas break – a December 27th matchup against the Los Angeles Kings.
It isn’t clear when or how Carlsson sustained his injury. He has been leaned on heavily over Anaheim’s recent stretch, appearing in at least 20 minutes of ice time in four of his 11 games this month, including three games north of 22 minutes. That’s a heavy load for a 20-year-old pro and it appears it’s beginning to get to Carlsson. He has gone without any scoring in his last three games, after starting the month with four goals and seven points in eight games. It’s tied for the longest scoring drought of Carlsson’s season alongside a dry spell in November.
The Ducks will use a soft matchup against the Kraken, and an upcoming four days off, as a chance to give Carlsson a bit of a break. His absence is expected to be precautionary, more than anything, per Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune. The Ducks will promote Mikael Granlund to the top-line in Carlsson’s absence. Granlund, who has five points in his last three games, is expected to assume top-center duties while Troy Terry moves to the top right-wing slot.
Carlsson leads the Ducks in scoring with a staggering 41 points in 36 games this season, third-most of any player under the age of 21 in the NHL, behind Macklin Celebrini (54) and Connor Bedard (44). Even without their emerging franchise focal piece, Anaheim should be in good shape for Monday night. They got back on the right side of the scoresheet on Saturday, toppling the Columbus Blue Jackets to bring their record to 6-4-1 in December. Anaheim has been slightly outscored in that span – by a combined score of 36-to-40 – but have averaged 3.5 goals-per-game over their last four games.
With an improved performance on defense, and continued hot play in more minutes from Granlund, Anaheim should be in for a strong game against a Seattle club that’s gone 1-4-0 in their last five games and ranks dead-last in goals scored this season.
Rangers’ J.T. Miller Out Week-To-Week
12/22/25: The Rangers dropped their first game since Miller’s injury by a 2-1 score to the Nashville Predators yesterday, but after the game The Athletic’s Vince Z. Mercogliano provided some additional reporting on Miller’s status. He wrote that Miller is out “with a suspected right-shoulder injury” and cited a league source who “stressed [Miller would] be back before the Olympic break in February and available to play for Team USA if selected.”
That’s something that was indicated yesterday in the original coverage of Miller’s injury, but today it’s only been further underscored that Miller’s availability for the upcoming Olympic tournament does not appear to be in much doubt.
What appears to be in a little bit more doubt is Miller’s odds of selection for the tournament, rather than his chances of being healthy. The Athletic’s Peter Baugh covered the topic last week, listing Miller at the time as “likely” to be selected, adding that the fact that Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan is also the Rangers head coach “certainly doesn’t hurt his chances.”
12/21/25: The injuries continue to pile up for the New York Rangers. Captain J.T. Miller is expected to miss a few weeks with an upper-body injury sustained on Saturday, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. The injury occured on a reverse hit from Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler that seemed to catch Miller near his right shoulder. Despite the multi-week timeline, the Rangers aren’t concerned that this injury will effect Miller’s availability for the Winter Olympics. That’s great news, as he’s sure to be a prime option to assume a center role in Team USA’s bottom-six.
Miller has helped buoy the offense in the wake of injury to defenseman Adam Fox and illness to star winger Artemi Panarin. The captain has four points in his last five games and 22 points in 35 games this season. He ranks fourth on the Rangers in scoring behind Panarin, Fox, and Mika Zibanejad. Panarin returned to the lineup on Saturday, though Fox is still on the mend. That will continue the rotating door of star injuries in New York, who will have to now lean on Panarin and Zibanejad to boost a Rangers offense that has only scored two goals in their last three games.
Miller’s Olympic availability will be a central story as he recovers from this new injury. He played in all four games at the 2025 Four-Nations Face-Off but didn’t manage any scoring. That was just the first time that Miller has joined USA’s Men’s team for an international tournament – though he did play one game with Team North America at the 2017 World Cup, with no scoring. The 32-year-old center has been an electric scorer in the NHL, though, with 354 points in 314 games since 2022. That includes a 99-point season and a career-high 103-point season, both recorded during his six years with the Vancouver Canucks. He is now back where he started his career, and will look to rise back to that point-per-game scoring on the other side of an end-of-year injury.
Wild Recall Ben Jones
The Minnesota Wild have recalled forward Ben Jones from the AHL’s Iowa Wild. He played one game with Iowa this weekend, after clearing waivers and getting sent down on Friday. That assignment ended Jones’ two-month stint on the NHL lineup, a move that Minnesota will now reverse.
Jones was awarded Iowa Wild’s captaincy but earned an NHL call-up after scoring two points in the first two games of the season. He has appeared in 20 NHL games since and posted no scoring, five shot blocks, and 47 hits. He’s thrown the fourth-most hits on the Wild on a per-game basis. That physical presence has been his biggest impact while operating from Minnesota’s fourth line. Jones didn’t manage any scoring in 28 NHL games prior to this season.
Jones will offer with behind Vinnie Hinostroza on Minnesota’s bottom line. Hinostroza has five points and 20 hits in 23 games this season. The balance between a checking forward in Jones and a utility wing in Hinostroza will fill out Minnesota’s depth with five games left on the schedule before 2025 ends. The Wild, now under the lead of superstar defender Quinn Hughes, have won their last six games by a combined score of 28-to-9. Minnesota is now 14-2-1 in their last 17 games.
Oilers Activate Jack Roslovic, Reassign Quinn Hutson
The Edmonton Oilers will have a bit more oomph in the lineup in Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Edmonton has activated winger Jack Roslovic off of long-term injured reserve after he missed just under a month of action due to an undisclosed injury. In corresponding moves, the Oilers have also moved Connor Clattenburg from injured reserve to LTIR, and reassigned rookie winger Quinn Hutson to the AHL.
Roslovic was a big piece of the Oilers’ lineup before going down with injury. He was filling a goal-scorer’s role next to Leon Draisaitl on Edmonton’s best line by goal-differential. Roslovic has three goals in his last five games and 10 goals and 18 points in 23 games on the full season. He has also recorded an 18.9 shooting percentage, far above his career average of 12.8. That likely spells some scoring struggles as he returns from injury – but the well-rounded Roslovic should still be able to provide a strong utility-knife role.
His return will bump the rookie Hutson out of the NHL for the time being. Hutson scored his first NHL goal in Friday’s win over the Boston Bruins. It is the only point he has managed in five career NHL games – but he’s proven to be a reliable source of offense in the minors. The first-year pro leads the Bakersfield Condors with 16 goals and 28 points in 24 games this season. He also has a plus-four, third-highest on the team behind Isaac Howard and James Hamblin. Hutson’s hot scoring and continued adjustments to pro hockey should make him a top call-up option for Edmonton through the rest of the season.
Roslovic’s addition to the lineup comes at a great time for the Oilers. They have posted a 4-1 record in their last five games and a 6-2-1 record through nine games in December. They’ve managede a 38-to-24 goal differential in that span, largely on the back of surging play from superstars Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Roslovic will help Edmonton elevate those stars even further as they head into important games against Western Conference opponents. Edmonton has six games remaining in December.
Snapshots: Grzelcyk, Vatrano, Liljegren
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was fined $2,604.17 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Ottawa Senators’ center Tim Stutzle on Saturday. It is the maximum allowable fine under the CBA for this infraction. Grzelcyk cross-checked Stutzle in the face during a scrum in front of the net and was awarded a double-minor penalty. He will avoid suspension for the incident, allowing him to stick in a true utility role for the Blackhawks. Grzelcyk has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in his last five games, far above the 16 minutes he’s averaged across the full season. He’s a veteran two-way defender with six points, all assists, and a plus-three in 35 games this season.
Other quick notes from around the league:
- Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano was also fined $5,000 by the NHL DPS for unsportsmanlike conduct against Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. Vatrano ragdolled Robertson after a shoving match in front of the net turned into a scrum on the boards. He has 34 penalty minutes in 35 games this season, to go with only five points and a minus-11. This news will keep Vatrano in a daily, depth role for the Ducks.
- The San Jose Sharks could be without defenseman Timothy Liljegren when they face the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Liljegren was designated as day-to-day and doubtful for Tuesday due to an upper-body injury, per Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News. Liljegren has averaged top-line minutes over in 28 games this season, though he only has four assists and a minus-10 on the year. Still, the 26 year old has stepped into an important, veteran role on a young Sharks lineup. He’ll be tough to replace, but rookie defender Sam Dickinson and depth defender Vincent Iorio could be the one to benefit from the need for a bigger presence.
Minor Transactions: 12/20/2025
The midpoint of the season has sparked a flurry of action across the hockey world. Some players are finally being moved from a slow start to the season, while others are finding their first contracts of the year. The notable moves have been rounded up and captured below:
- Former New York Islanders center Leo Komarov has signed a one-year contract with HC Davos of Switzerland’s National League. The 38-year-old Estonian spent the last two seasons with HIFK of Finland’s Liiga. He scored 23 points in 55 games with the club, but wasn’t able to secure a contract for this season. That will change with a move to Switzerland, marking the eighth professional hockey league that Komarov has played in – on top of tenures in Finland’s Mestis and Liiga, Russia’s KHL, the AHL and NHL, and Sweden’s SHL. He will offer Davos veteran depth.
- Also signing an overseas contract is former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dustin Tokarski, who has left his professional try-out contract with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to sign a deal with Lowen Frankfurt of Germany’s DEL. Tokarski made two appearances with Grand Rapids on his try-out, posting one win and a .929 save percentage. He posted a .897 Sv% in 21 AHL games, and a .902 Sv% in six NHL games, in the Carolina Hurricanes’ organization last season. He’ll join Frankfurt for the second-half of the year and could have an open path to the starting role, with all three of Frankfurt’s goaltenders posting sub-.900 Sv% through the first half of the season.
- Hard-hitting Utah Mammoth prospect Tomas Lavoie has been traded in the QMJHL. He will head to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in exchange for five draft picks, including a first-rounder, headed back to the Cape Breton Eagles. Lavoie was a core piece of the Eagles this season, offering stalwart defense and reliable puck-moving. The former third-round pick has 21 points in 24 games this season and could bring a reliable, shutdown role to a Saguenéens lineup currently leaning on high-octane defenders like Alex Huang.
- Seattle Kraken prospect Alexis Bernier will also head to the Saguenéens in exchange for Leo-Gabriel Gosselin and five draft picks. Bernier is a volume shooter who racked up 14 goals and 46 points in 59 games with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar last season, but hasn’t yet played this year. He could be due for a major breakout after rivaling point-per-game scoring last season, which should only bolster a Saguenéens lineup that has already propped up shoot-first wingers Maxim Massé and Émile Guité. The Saguenéens will go all-in on this season before likely losing Masse, Guite, and many others to pro deals.
Injury Notes: Evans, Kleven, Samoskevich
The Montreal Canadiens lost an impact center in Saturday’s win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jake Evans left the game partway through after his knee was awkwardly hit by Pittsburgh’s Justin Brazeau. He promptly left the game and didn’t return.
Evans will move forward with a questionable tag, while Canadiens fans hold their breath hoping the knee-to-knee collission doesn’t result in a long-term absence. The 29 year old has served an important depth role for Montreal through the first half of the year. He has racked up 10 points, split evenly, and a minus-13 through 33 appearances while averaging third-line minutes. Evans scored a career-high 13 goals and 36 points last season – but generally hasn’t been one to rack up the scoring. He’s instead found impact with a strong, physical play and consistent lineup presence. He has only missed one game since 2023 – a streak that could change with this latest injury.
More injury updates from around the league:
- Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven left the team’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks with a lower-body injury. The injury occured on an awkward fall against the boards, after getting his foot swept out from under him. He has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Boston Bruins, head coach Travis Green told TSN’s Claire Hanna. Kleven has four assists and a minus-12 in 31 games this season. He has offered stout depth for the Senators, and will be replaced by Jordan Spence in the short-term.
- Ahead of Saturday’s loss to the St. Louis Blues, the Florida Panthers announced that forward Mackie Samoskevich is day-to-day with a lower-body injury sustained on Friday, per NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. Samoskevich has 17 points and a minus-four in 34 games this season, operating from a third-line role. He’s been on a hot streak as of late, with three points in his last five games. That run will halt for the time being, while Florida turns towards Jack Studnicka to fill Samoskevich’s hole in the lineup.
Canadiens Win Big In Re-Acquisition Of Phillip Danault
The hockey world was graced with a mini Trade Deadline in the late hours of Friday, the eve of a one-week trade freeze that went into effect on Saturday. There were only two moves, both swapping draft picks for roster players, but for the Montreal Canadiens this mini Deadline could be one to remember. They won a sweepstakes for Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault – a strong, veteran center who they were able to land at a fairly negligible price.
The Canadiens only gave up a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for Danault. It was one of two second-rounders Montreal held in next year’s draft. The other originally belonged to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who sit dead last in the Metropolitan Division through the first two months of the season. Their pick could end up close to the first round – unless their Friday trade turns things around – while Montreal’s own pick could land near the other end of the second-round.
Another pick moved will mean just a bit more space for Montreal’s current prospects to find their ways. The Canadiens sit in playoff position despite carrying the youngest roster in the league this season. They’ve received major impacts from young players like Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, and Oliver Kapanen. Rookies Jacob Fowler, Adam Engstrom, Owen Beck, and Florian Xhekaj; with even more top prospects, like Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky, soon behind them. The Canadiens won’t have the space to continue adding multiple top draft picks to the shelves every season.
Instead, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes leveraged the surplus value to acquire what should be a great lineup piece. Danault has struggled to score this season. He scored five points, all assists, in 30 games on a Kings offense that has scored the second-fewest goals in the league so far. But the 32-year-old centerman has managed back-to-back seasons with 22 goals over the last two years. He boasts a career-high of 54 points, set in the 2022-23 season, his second year with the Kings. On top of commendable scoring, Danault posted a positive plus-minus in four of his five years in Los Angeles – fortifying a reputation as one of the league’s better, and more reliable, defensive-centers.
Before his veteran days in L.A., Danault carved out his first NHL roles in the Canadiens’ roster. He was originally a first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks but joined Montreal in a move that worked out tremendously well for the Canadiens. They acquired Danault and the draft pick used to select Alexander Romanov in exchange for sending Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise to the Blackhakws. Danault was an immediate impact for Montreal, scoring 40 points and playing in all 82 games during his rookie season in 2016-17. He averaged third-line minutes in his first year and grew into a stout second-line role over the next four seasons.
Danault ended his first tenure with the Canadiens with a top-10 finish in Selke Trophy voting in three consecutive seasons. He had one more top-10 finish, and two more seasons receiving votes, in five years with the Kings.
Reliable defensive-centers often have a more level aging curve than their high-scoring counterparts. Danault has struggled to find his offense in L.A. but should look much more at home in a Canadiens’ offense that plays with much more pace. Montreal already wields a Selke Trophy-hopeful in top-line center Nick Suzuki. Now, they’ll fortify their two-way game even more with Danault, which should provide a stable backing for Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky to focus on their scoring, and rookie Kapanen to continue easing into a role.
More than the stability, and surefire penalty killing role, that he’ll offer the lineup – Danault could be invaluable as Montreal looks to promote more star prospects to the NHL. University of Michigan star Hage has improved in every season and seems close to breaking into the pro flight, but there’s no doubt that he’ll face a tough physical challenge once he gets there.
With Danault’s addition, Montreal can be confident in their depth down the middle for the foreseeable future. Suzuki will continue in his top role, while a mix of Kapanen and Danault hold down the middle lines, until Hage, Beck, and Aatos Koivu are ready to carry on the next era of Canadiens hockey. Montreal was able to secure that short-and-long-term security at the cost of their third-most valuable pick next year. It’s a shrewd acquisition that could prove to be an X-factor as Montreal chases their second-straight postseason berth.
Photo courtesy of Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports.
Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar Expected To Miss Four Weeks With Injury
Injury news turned from bad to worse during the Chicago Blackhwaks’ Saturday loss to the Ottawa Senators. Already without star Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks also lost top forward Frank Nazar after he took a slapshot from Ottawa’s Claude Giroux hit him in the face. Nazar went straight to the locker room and was announced as out soon after. The puck appeared to hit him square in the cheek.
Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill said postgame that Nazar is expected to miss four weeks with his resulting injury per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This is another blow in a difficult season for the Blackhawks’ second-string star. Nazar missed two games earlier in the year with a separate injury. He has also been hit with a scoring drought – going six consecutive games without a point and 21 games without a goal. Both of those streaks snapped on Thursday night, when Nazar scored Chicago’s only goal in a 1-4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Despite the struggles, the 22 year old has still emerged as a key part of Chicago’s offense this season. He has 21 points in 32 games, good for fourth on the Blackhawks in scoring. That’s strong standing after the team made the shocking decision to sign Nazar to a seven-year, $46.2MM contract extension in August, with only 56 games of NHL experience under his belt. That new deal kicks into effect next summer, while Nazar looks to prove his worth on the last year of his entry-level contract this season.
Now without two of their top four scorers, the Blackhawks offense could be in some trouble. Veteran center Jason Dickinson should elevate to a top-line role in Nazar’s absence, while rookie Ryan Greene assumes a top-six role for one of the first times in his career. Neither player has lit the lamp all too often this season – with Dickinson boasting six points in 21 games and Greene holding 10 points in 34 games. Amid the shuffle, Chicago could also recall depth forward Landon Slaggert, who has served as a go-to fill-in for much of the year. Slaggert could assume the role of bottom-line center – or Chicago could move Oliver Moore, Ryan Donato, or Sam Lafferty off of the wing to fill their gap. Through the decisions, one thing is clear: Chicago is in for a tight squeeze with five games remaining in December. Nazar will miss the start of 2026, while Bedard injury won’t be re-evaluated until early-January.