Afternoon Notes: Chytil, Rust, Bogosian
New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette shared that forward Filip Chytil is, “moving in the right direction” with his upper-body injury, adding that he thinks Chytil will return this season. The 24-year-old centerman is currently on long-term injured reserve, sitting out of action since November 3rd with an upper-body injury.
Chytil appeared in 10 games with the Rangers before going down with injury, recording six assists and four penalty minutes. He was averaging nearly 16 minutes of ice time each game through the early season, the highest average of his seven-year NHL career. Chytil scored a career-high 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games last season, after recording either 22 or 23 points in each of his four prior NHL seasons. The step forward in scoring brought Chytil’s career totals to 144 points in 337 games.
Chytil is one of many injured Rangers forwards, with the team also without Barclay Goodrow and Chris Kreider, who are both day-to-day with injury, and Kaapo Kakko, who is alongside Chytil on injured reserve.
Other notes from around the league:
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has provided another update on winger Bryan Rust, saying that he is continuing to be evaluated for an upper-body injury and won’t be available on Friday. Rust has been in and out of the lineup this season, ultimately playing in 22 of the team’s 25 games this season. He ranks fourth on the Penguins in scoring with 10 goals and 20 points.
- The Minnesota Wild have shared that Zach Bogosian could return from his upper-body injury on either Thursday or Friday. Bogosian has missed two games with the injury, managing one point in the nine appearances he has made this season.
Snapshots: Laine, Gudbranson, Bussi, Salt Lake City
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without both Patrik Laine and Erik Gudbranson, as neither player traveled with the team for their Thursday night matchup against the New York Islanders due to illness. This is the second consecutive game that the duo will miss, after being held out of the team’s Tuesday home game against the Los Angeles Kings.
With his absence on Thursday, Laine will have only played in 16 of the Blue Jackets’ first 28 games. He’s missed action for a variety of reasons, going on injured reserve with a tricep strain in mid-November and serving as a healthy scratch shortly upon his return. The 25-year-old winger has scored five goals and seven points in the games he has appeared in, also adding six penalty minutes and a -9. It’s a step down in production from Laine’s 2022-23 season, where he managed 22 goals and 52 points in 55 games.
And while Laine’s scoring pace has decreased, the 31-year-old Gudbranson has managed nine points in 26 games this season, already a higher point total than he’s managed in eight of his 13 NHL seasons. Gudbranson is in his second season with Columbus, signing a four-year, $16MM contract with the team in July of 2022.
Other notes from around the league:
- With Jeremy Swayman under the weather, the Boston Bruins are expected to recall Brandon Bussi, the starting goalie for the Providence Bruins. Bussi has recorded a .917 save percentage and 6-4-2 record through 12 games with Providence this season.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently spoke about International Olympic Committee’s recent announcement that Salt Lake City is a “preferred bidder” for the 2034 Winter Games, sharing that this could make the city an even more likely host for an NHL team. The NHL has spoken openly about expansion over the course of the 2023-24 season, with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently sharing that expansion is a matter of when and not if.
Oilers Recall Ben Gleason, Loan Philip Broberg To AHL
The Edmonton Oilers have swapped defensemen, recalling Ben Gleason and sending Philip Broberg to the AHL. Broberg has been the talk of many trade rumors recently, with the Oilers granting the former eighth-overall pick permission to seek a trade on December 5th.
Broberg has seen inconsistent ice time throughout his 10 games with the Oilers this season, playing fewer than eight minutes in three of his last five games. These short-lived outings have brought his average ice time down to just 10:32, a decrease from the 12:36 he averaged last season. The 22-year-old defenseman has already appeared in four AHL games this season, netting two points. Broberg has played in 79 games throughout his NHL career, scoring 11 points. He is one of two players from the 2019 NHL Draft’s top 10 to not play in at least 100 NHL games yet, alongside Los Angeles’ Alex Turcotte.
This swap gives Gleason a chance to play in his first NHL games since the 2018-19 season when the defender appeared in four games with the Dallas Stars. Outside of that small NHL sample, Gleason has spent much of his career with the AHL’s Texas Stars, totaling 290 games with the team over the last five seasons. This year is Gleason’s first with a new club, signing a two-year, two-way, $1.6MM contract with the Oilers this summer. He’s started the contract with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, leading the team’s defensemen in scoring with nine points through 14 games. Gleason will look to score his first NHL goal if he’s able to slot into the lineup on this recall.
Injury Notes: Novak, Carrier, Goodrow, Kreider, Martin
The Nashville Predators have activated Thomas Novak off of injured reserve. The 26-year-old has been out of action since November 14th with an upper-body injury. Nashville’s head coach, Andrew Brunette, suggested that Novak could return soon, saying, “I think Novak, depending on when I go back and see how his [injury] has healed… if he feels better, I think he’ll go.”
Both Novak and Alexandre Carrier returned to the Predators’ practice on Thursday. Carrier is working back from an upper-body injury suffered on a hit from Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.
Novak has appeared in 14 games with the Predators this season, scoring six goals and 12 points and recording six penalty minutes. Carrier has appeared in 22 games of his own, recording eight points and 12 penalty minutes. The Predators drafted Novak and Carrier with consecutive picks in the 2015 NHL Draft, taking Novak in the third round and Carrier in the fourth round. Carrier has scored 50 points through 166 career NHL games, while Novak has totaled 62 points in 92 games of his own.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- The New York Rangers have announced that Barclay Goodrow is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, after a puck struck him in the face. Chris Kreider is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Neither player participated in the team’s practice on Thursday. Neither player has missed a game, with the team currently on a three-day break. New York’s next game is against the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
- New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert shared that Matt Martin is not entirely ready to return form his upper-body injury, despite being activated off of injured reserve. Martin has been out of action since November 15th, scoring two points in the 14 games he has appeared in this year.
Predators Place Liam Foudy On Waivers, Return Mark Jankowski To AHL
The Nashville Predators have placed Liam Foudy on waivers and returned Mark Jankowski to the AHL. Foudy has appeared in 12 games with Nashville this season, while Jankowski slotted into the team’s last two games.
Nashville’s head coach, Andrew Brunette, spoke highly of Foudy in light of the news, saying, “He brings speed and I’d like to see him go [to the AHL] and get a little more finish and get a little stronger. If he clears, I’m really excited to have him in the organization.”
Nashville claimed Foudy off of waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late October. The 23-year-old centerman has recorded three assists and a -2 in 13 games between Nashville and Columbus this year, after recording 14 points in 62 games as a rookie last season. Columbus drafted Foudy in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft and awarded him with his NHL debut in the 2019-20 season. He’s totaled 22 points in 102 career NHL games.
Jankowski has spent most of his season with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, ranking second on the team in scoring with 14 points in 17 games. He’s in his second year in Nashville, playing in 50 games and scoring 12 points with the Predators last year. It was only the fourth time that Jankowski has played in 50 or more games in one season, scoring 25 points in 72 games in 2017-18, 32 points in 79 games in 2018-19, and seven points in 56 games in 2019-20. The 29-year-old forward was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames and has totaled 50 goals and 93 points in 324 career NHL games.
Avalanche Reassign Oskar Olausson
The Avalanche reassigned forward Oskar Olausson to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on Thursday, per a team announcement.
Olausson, 21, was a first-round pick of the Avalanche in 2021. He’s struggled to adapt to the pro game since wrapping up his junior career in 2022, posting 28 points in 83 AHL games dating back to last season. After being sent to the minors prior to the start of this season, the Avalanche brought Olausson up earlier this week and played him in Tuesday’s contest against the Ducks, in which he recorded two shots on goal in 11:50 of ice time playing on a line with Ross Colton and Mikko Rantanen.
It’s been a bit of a disappointing transition for Olausson, who was ranked as high as 13th overall by some scouts heading into the 2021 draft. He was a consensus late-first/early-second-round pick, though, so while he hasn’t flashed his ceiling at the pro level yet, there’s still time for the 6-foot-2, 181-pound youngster to develop.
The Avalanche hope a bit of confidence injected by the recall can help jumpstart his game with the Eagles. Before the call-up, Olausson had just one assist in his last five AHL games.
The Swedish winger is in the first season of his entry-level contract after being slide-eligible for the last two seasons. Carrying a cap hit of $863,333, Olausson will be a restricted free agent in 2026.
Atlantic Notes: Chabot, Kastelic, Compher, Dahlin
The Senators have once again had a disappointing start to a season, sitting with a .500 record through 20 games and ranking seventh in the Atlantic Division points-percentage-wise. Things are about to get even tougher for them, as head coach D.J. Smith confirmed star defenseman Thomas Chabot will miss a second straight game tonight as he continues to undergo testing on a leg injury, with Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relaying the team expects him to once again be out long-term. Chabot had played two games after returning from a right-hand fracture before exiting the lineup once again.
Garrioch clarified that Ottawa should issue a more comprehensive update on Chabot’s status by tomorrow morning. The 26-year-old has been limited to nine games this year, still managing to average over 24 minutes per contest and logging four assists. He’s been a positive possession force and is a crucial minute-muncher for the Sens, now averaging over 24 minutes per game for the sixth consecutive season. He has five seasons remaining (including this one) on an eight-year, $64MM extension signed in 2019.
More from around the Atlantic Division:
- In slightly more positive injury news for the Senators, Garrioch also reports that forward Mark Kastelic is continuing his recovery from an ankle injury and skated today in a non-contact jersey. Kastelic is listed as week-to-week and has missed 11 games with a high ankle sprain sustained on November 2 against the Kings. The 24-year-old remains on long-term injured reserve and is eligible to return anytime. He has no points in nine games this season and has averaged just 6:55 per game.
- Red Wings forward J.T. Compher is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and won’t play tonight against the Sharks, head coach Derek Lalonde said. Compher has lived up to his billing so far in Hockeytown after signing a five-year, $25.5MM pact when free agency opened last July that was criticized by some at the time. Through 24 games, Compher is tied for fourth on the team in points with 19 and has held down the second-line center position well, averaging 18:52 per game behind Dylan Larkin. His possession numbers have seen a significant dip, however, posting a career-low Corsi share of 44.3% at even strength. He was expected to center a line between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane in the latter’s Red Wings debut tonight, but that role will instead go to 23-year-old Joe Veleno, who has six goals and three assists in 24 games.
- Rasmus Dahlin has been dealing with a lower-body injury over the past few days but hasn’t missed any game time for the Sabres. That may change tonight, as the superstar defender did not participate in morning skate and is questionable for tonight’s contest against the Bruins, according to Lance Lysowki of The Buffalo News. The 23-year-old has struggled in his last three outings (as has the rest of the team), posting one goal and a -6 rating. Dahlin, who has 21 points in 26 games and is second on the team in scoring, isn’t likely to miss an extended period of time.
Bruins Place Derek Forbort On LTIR
The Bruins announced today that defenseman Derek Forbort has been placed on long-term injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. In a corresponding transaction, defense prospect Mason Lohrei was recalled from AHL Providence on an emergency basis.
Forbort played the entirety of Boston’s last game, logging 18:09, one shot on goal and a +1 rating on Sunday against the Blue Jackets. The team did not disclose when Forbort sustained the injury this week, but given there’s no public mention of an incident occurring at practice, Forbort likely sustained the injury during off-ice activity. It’s serious enough to keep him out of action for at least ten games and 24 days, putting his earliest potential return on New Year’s Eve against the Red Wings.
While Forbort has been effective again in a shutdown role this season, the Bruins should be able to shoulder his absence. He’s missed four games already this season with various lower-body ailments, all coming in late October and early November. Boston has once again received spectacular possession play from its top four of Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk, and veteran free agent signing Kevin Shattenkirk has been solid in a third-pairing role as well. Forbort, 31, has logged four assists and a +9 rating in 20 contests.
His absence does give the Bruins another chance to see what Lohrei can do at the NHL level. Recalled in November in the wake of injuries to Forbort and Grzelcyk, Boston’s 2020 second-round pick notched a goal and three assists in his first ten NHL games while averaging 17:34 per game before being returned to the minors later in the month. He usually occupied a top-four role when in the lineup, but with the Bruins’ defense now at full health outside of Forbort, he’ll likely slide into a third-pairing role alongside Shattenkirk. He’s likely to draw into the lineup tonight against the Sabres ahead of Ian Mitchell, who has posted poor possession numbers in a limited role this season and will sit as a healthy scratch most nights.
Forbort is in the final season of a three-year, $9MM deal signed with the Bruins as a free agent in 2021. He carries a three-team no-trade list.
Panthers Sign Josh Davies To Entry-Level Contract
The Panthers have agreed to terms with 2022 sixth-round pick Josh Davies on a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Davies’ contract will slide to the 2024-25 season given he plays less than ten NHL games this season, a likely scenario. After signing the deal, the Panthers immediately returned Davies to the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, according to CapFriendly. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Davies, 19, can play left-wing and center and was selected from the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos two years ago. He was a consensus mid-to-late-round pick coming into the draft, as his offensive production was mediocre (36 points in 64 games), but his physicality was intriguing. Despite his 5-foot-9, 196-pound frame, Davies is a tenacious checker and is not afraid to fight, as evidenced by his 100+ penalty minutes in the last two WHL seasons.
This season, however, Davies’ offense has exploded in his last season in junior hockey. An offseason trade to Portland has breathed life into his game, and he currently sits fourth on the Winterhawks in scoring with 19 goals and 31 points in 22 games. Described as a “diverse shooter” by Elite Prospects, he’s growing into an intriguing all-around talent who may have an NHL future ahead of him.
Given the delay in his offensive breakout, though, Davies’ ceiling is likely as a bottom-six energy winger with some scoring upside. Still, he’s one of the brighter spots in a Panthers’ prospect pool that’s been decimated over the past few years as the team has moved into a championship-contending window, especially among forwards – outside of 2021 first-round pick Mackie Samoskevich, who has ten points in 16 games with AHL Charlotte in his first full professional season.
Maple Leafs Have Shown Interest In Rasmus Ristolainen
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is now healthy after missing the first 20 games of the season with a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs have shown interest in the 29-year-old in their efforts to add to their blueline, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
The 2013 eighth-overall pick has never been a beacon of defensive acumen throughout his 687 games with the Sabres and Flyers. However, his advanced defensive metrics saw major improvement last season, bringing his on-ice value closer to what you’d expect from a player carrying a $5.1MM cap hit.
After sitting in the bottom tenth percentile of overall even-strength defensive impact during the end of his time in Buffalo and his first season with the Flyers after a 2021 trade, Ristolainen’s defensive play rocketed up to the 87th percentile of all NHL defenders, per wins against replacement data from public analyst Patrick Bacon. His pairing with Nick Seeler last season put up remarkable defensive numbers, allowing less than two expected goals against per 60 minutes on an otherwise defensively weak Flyers team, per MoneyPuck.
In a small sample this season, the trend looks to continue. His partner since returning from injury has been veteran Marc Staal, and the two have controlled a staggering 70.3% of expected goals together – the third-best of any defense pairing this season with at least 30 minutes played together.
That being said, this increase in defensive impact has also come with a significant decrease in usage. In 2021-22, his first season in Philadelphia, Ristolainen logged nearly 19 minutes per game at even strength. Last season, when his possession quality numbers spiked, that number dropped to nearly 16 minutes per game. This year, he’s averaging just 14:30 per game at even strength through five games.
Needless to say, it’s apparent Ristolainen’s sudden increase in value is a little bit of smoke and mirrors. He’s putting up these numbers against much easier competition than the minutes he shouldered early on in his career. His analytics suggest he can be a high-end third-pair defenseman but not much more. Given he’s played a similarly reduced role this season and has just one assist since returning from injury, it doesn’t make a ton of sense for a cap-strapped team such as Toronto to take on his inflated cap hit, which runs through 2027.
Considering the Flyers aren’t in a position to offload assets for less than market value, a trade makes even less sense for the Maple Leafs, given the significant return they’d have to put on the table. As Friedman notes, the Flyers are playing decent hockey, sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference with a .560 points percentage and remaining in the playoff race as the holiday season rolls around. That’s much better than anyone expected, and as such, Friedman doesn’t believe the Flyers are actively shopping Ristolainen.
While having T.J. Brodie, Timothy Liljegren, and Ristolainen would be a strong complement of right-side defenders, the Maple Leafs simply don’t have the financial flexibility to make a Ristolainen deal worth it for the limited role he would play – or, at least, the limited role he should play to be effective. Limiting chances against during 5-on-5 play is an area of need for Toronto (they’re below the league average in that area), but there are better targets to pursue that can shoulder more minutes with more success.
Take Calgary Flames pending UFA Chris Tanev, for example, as a better bet to improve the team’s defensive play while shouldering over 20 minutes per game. They’ve demonstrated interest in him as well, and he’s higher on their wish list by all accounts. As Friedman also mentions, the Maple Leafs would make a Tanev deal with the confidence that they can extend him given his hometown roots and his connection with ex-Flames and current Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving.