Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Montreal Canadiens Reassign Sam Montembeault To AHL On Conditioning Loan

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens announced today that netminder Sam Montembeault has been reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, on a conditioning loan.

According to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, Montembeault “agreed to be sent down to finish the week” in Laval, and Lavoie added that “it’s smarter” for Montembeault to get the chance to play for the Rocket later this week in Cleveland and then meet the team on the road in Pittsburgh on Sunday

Montembeault last appeared in a game for the Canadiens on Dec. 9, but has not started a game since Dec. 2. Montembeault has endured the worst season of his tenure in Montreal since arriving as a waiver claim early in the 2021-22 campaign.

Through 15 games this season, Montembeault has an .857 save percentage. That’s a steep decline from the quality .902 mark he posted a year ago, and his form in recent games has been a far cry from the level of performance that earned him a spot on Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

So much of the challenge of being a high-end goaltender in the NHL is managing the mental side of the position, as the ebbs and flows of a player’s confidence can prompt wild swings in performance. The position is widely viewed as an inherently volatile one, from a performance perspective, and the wild change in Montembeault’s year-over-year performance is a clear illustration of that consensus belief in action.

Montembeault started off the season poorly, failing to register a .900 save percentage in five of his first six games of the season. Things have only spiraled downwards from that point, and as Sportsnet’s Eric Engels wrote, Montembeault “wasn’t rebuilding confidence in games with the Canadiens,” so now he’ll get the chance to rebuild his confidence at the AHL level.

Despite his struggles in 2025-26, the Canadiens appear committed to Montembeault, something that is unsurprising given the organization’s level of financial investment in the player. He remains under contract for an additional season at a $3.15MM cap hit, and while that isn’t an exorbitant or unfair sum by any means (one could actually make the argument that Montembeault was severely underpaid in the first year of that deal), it’s not exactly the kind of cap hit a team can bury in the AHL or easily move on from.

So the best route for the Canadiens and Montembeault appears to be exactly the route they’re taking, which is exhausting every option to try to rebuild Montembeault’s decimated confidence level.

With Montembeault now in Laval, the Canadiens are left with two goalies on their NHL roster. Top prospect Jacob Fowler was highly impressive in his first start against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but lost his footing a little bit during his second start, when the Canadiens collapsed and were on the wrong end of a comeback victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Fowler will get the nod against the Flyers tonight, but waiting in the wings is Jakub Dobes, a 24-year-old who emerged as the club’s backup last season. Dobes has been inconsistent this season, at times performing as poorly as Montembeault, and at times showcasing the form that earned him an NHL role in 2025-26. Dobes’ most recent start was a step in the right direction, with the Czech netminder making 27 saves on 28 shots in the team’s win over the Edmonton Oilers, earning first star of the game honors in the process.

Photos courtesy of Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens’ Mike Matheson Out Day-To-Day

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Montreal Canadiens will be without a key defenseman for their game against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, as the club announced that blueliner Mike Matheson is out with a day-to-day injury.

While Matheson may not have quite the same high profile as former New York Islanders star Noah Dobson or reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, he’s in the conversation as the Canadiens’ most important defenseman on a consistent nightly basis. Matheson currently leads the Canadiens in average ice time per game, playing nearly a full two minutes more than Hutson. (24:54 to 23:06)

Matheson averages so many minutes despite barely factoring into the Canadiens’ power play plans.

While Matheson was once the team’s top-unit power play quarterback (a role he played successfully, scoring 62 points in 2023-24), the additions of Dobson and Hutson have cost him that role. As a result, Matheson has shifted into a more defensive role, and now he leads the club in short-handed ice time per game, averaging 4:10 on the penalty kill each night.

Matheson spends more time per game killing penalties than any other defenseman in the Eastern Conference, and every other blueliner in the NHL besides Dallas Stars defensive anchor Esa Lindell.

The former Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman’s ability to endure a massive workload isn’t a new development. Matheson ranked No. 7 in the NHL in time on ice per game among defensemen in 2024-25, and No. 3 in the NHL in 2023-24. He currently sits No. 10 in the NHL in that same metric this season.

In other words, since arriving in Montreal, Matheson has become an invaluable do-it-all defenseman for the Canadiens, someone head coach Martin St. Louis relies upon heavily in just about every kind of on-ice situation.

Of course, Matheson has drawn some criticism at times for being mistake-prone, and he does have some forgettable moments. But the Canadiens rewarded him with a $6MM AAV contract extension that will carry him through his age-37 season for a reason, and that’s precisely why his injury and absence tonight is so significant for the Canadiens.

Thankfully for Montreal, it appears Matheson’s injury is relatively minor, and will only keep him sidelined for a few days at most. But while he is injured, it will be interesting to see how the Canadiens fill Matheson’s minutes.

They are already the NHL’s youngest team by a decent margin, and their already inexperienced blueline only becomes even more inexperienced without Matheson. And now, as a result of this injury, that blueline has approximately 25 minutes of ice time and, on average, four minutes of short-handed ice time to fill.

Photos courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Is There Any Hope For The Sabres?

at CDT | by 16 Comments

The Sabres have reached a point where they could be considered contenders alongside the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns of the NFL, and the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets for the title of the saddest team in sports. Few NHL teams have caused more misery for their fans, as the Sabres once again find themselves at the bottom of the standings. It’s safe to say new general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen is walking into one of the most unenviable situations in hockey.

Buffalo has been trying to turn the corner on a rebuild that feels like it’s been ongoing forever, but it’s actually been two separate rebuilds. The team showed promise a few years ago, narrowly missing the playoffs in what has become an annual tradition—no postseason hockey in Buffalo. The last time the Sabres made the playoffs, TikTok didn’t exist, and the NHL salary cap was $59.4MM. But it’s not just the lack of playoff appearances that is heartbreaking for Sabres fans; it’s the endless cycle of futility and star players either forcing their way out or choosing to leave at their first opportunity.

It wasn’t always like this; in fact, the Sabres were a genuine threat to win the Stanley Cup after the NHL lockout in 2005. Led by Daniel Brière and Chris Drury, both of whom became NHL general managers, the Sabres were a formidable force in the Eastern Conference and captured the President’s Trophy in 2007. They eventually lost to the Senators in five games in the Eastern Conference Final. That loss effectively marked the beginning of these years of futility in Buffalo.

The summer of 2007 saw Drury sign with the Rangers as a free agent, and Brière joined the Flyers. Neither player reached the same level of success they had in Buffalo, but without those two, the Sabres have never been the same.

Many people cite the summer of 2007 as the point when everything went wrong for Buffalo, while others point to the Pegula family taking control of the team in February 2011. The losses have accumulated over the past decade and more, and not just those on the ice. Most folks probably forget, but the 2007 Sabres were a buzzsaw—a team with top-end scorers and scoring depth for miles behind Drury, Briere, and Thomas Vanek; not to mention solid defense and Miller in the net. There was a lot of hype around the team, and the energy swept the city as the Sabres went on a deep run that ultimately ended in heartbreak.

All of that has led us to today’s version of the Sabres, who have been seen as a laughingstock in the NHL for the past 13 long seasons. From poor hires to bad drafts, to regrettable signings, and lopsided trades. Combine this with the complete mishandling of a star player’s injury in Jack Eichel, and Sabres fans have endured it all, with no signs of relief in sight.

Even this year, the Sabres are tied for last in the Eastern Conference. All of this makes you wonder how long Buffalo’s current stars will want to stay and endure tough times.

Owen Power, Tage Thompson, and Rasmus Dahlin are all committed long-term to the Sabres, but Eichel was too, and we know how that turned out—with him winning a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights. Eichel wasn’t the only young Sabres player to effectively push his way out of Buffalo.

Ryan O’Reilly didn’t force his departure, but he was traded to St. Louis in 2018, where he went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2019. Sam Reinhart wouldn’t commit to Buffalo in 2021 and was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he has won two Stanley Cups and become one of the best two-way centers in the NHL.

Just this past summer, forward JJ Peterka also wouldn’t commit long-term to the Sabres and was traded to Utah. Whether or not he wins a Cup remains to be seen, but it’s definitely a painful pattern in Buffalo.

The Reinhart situation is especially rough because the former second-overall pick wanted to stay long-term in Buffalo after his entry-level deal expired. However, it was the Sabres who chose shorter-term contracts of two and one year, and then faced a terrible 2020-21 season, after which Reinhart was the one unwilling to play through a rebuild.

It’s hard to say for sure if the Sabres are the saddest team in sports, but they’re giving the Jets, Browns, and Hornets a run for their money. Poor drafting and development, wasted money on overpaid free agents (Ville Leino), endless rebuilds, a lack of meaningful hockey, and constant management and coaching changes have created an environment of ongoing disappointment.

Is there any flicker of hope? Possibly. The Sabres have some young, talented players in Thompson, Power, and Dahlin. But they’ve been here too many times before, and Sabres fans are aware of this, yet credit to them—they keep showing up at the rink despite the increasingly bleak environment around the team. Will their core stay together? Will the team build out the depth? Or will Buffalo continue its streak of irrelevance?

Blackhawks Reassign Laurent Brossoit

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Dec. 16: Brossoit cleared waivers and will be reassigned to Rockford, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Dec. 15: Blackhawks goaltender Laurent Brossoit won’t be sticking on the roster after his conditioning loan to AHL Rockford ended today. He’ll be placed on waivers at 1:00 p.m. Central and will head back to Rockford if he clears tomorrow, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters (including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times).

Brossoit was never expected to report to Chicago after returning to practice last month and eventually being sent to Rockford for his first playing action in more than a year. He’s been permitted to seek a trade to find a new NHL home, but with no takers so far, he’ll end up on the wire to extend his stay in Rockford.

In all likelihood, the 32-year-old will never play a game for the Blackhawks after signing a two-year, $6.6MM contract in free agency in 2024. There’s no longer a place for him on the roster with Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom now entrenched as Chicago’s two NHL options. Late-summer surgery on his meniscus spiraled into more knee surgeries that eventually cost him the entire 2024-25 campaign, and a hip procedure this past summer kept him on the injured list to begin this year.

When Brossoit appeared for Rockford on Dec. 5, it was his first playing action since a relief appearance for the Jets in the 2024 playoffs. The veteran netminder was coming off back-to-back seasons with an exceptional .927 SV% in a backup role before reaching the open market and signing with Chicago.

While his knee and hip issues ended up taking out a solid chunk of his prime, his stint with Rockford showed he’s still a pro-level netminder and could easily find a home elsewhere if Chicago is willing to retain some of his $3.3MM cap hit. He logged a .900 SV% in three starts for the IceHogs – even scoring a goalie goal – and recorded a 2-1-0 record with a 3.39 GAA.

Teams can now have Brossoit for free over the next 24 hours, but they’ll need to take on his full cap hit if they don’t want to pay an acquisition cost. While he counts $3.3MM against the cap, his salary is only $2.3MM this season after Chicago paid out a $1MM signing bonus at the beginning of the season. That could be attractive to cash-conscious teams with cap space to burn.

Bruins Claim Vladislav Kolyachonok Off Waivers

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Bruins have claimed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Stars, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Kolyachonok, 24, was exposed by Dallas yesterday amid a roster crunch that saw them carrying eight defensemen, five of them lefties – including Kolyachonok. He had cleared waivers successfully to begin the season after being acquired from the Penguins last summer in the Mathew Dumba trade. However, he’d played more than 10 games since being recalled in November in the wake of multiple injuries to Dallas’ defense corps, so they needed to place him on waivers a second time if they wanted to send him back to the AHL’s Texas Stars.

Boston will be Kolyachonok’s fifth NHL stop and sixth organization overall. He was drafted by the Panthers in the second round in 2019 but never played for them, instead debuting for the Coyotes in 2021-22. He made the move to Utah and got some games there before they lost him on waivers to the Penguins last season.

While already racking up an impressive journeyman resume, his frequent appearance on the transaction wire indicates many teams remain intrigued by the 6’2″ lefty’s two-way upside. He’s generally put up fine possession numbers in limited NHL minutes, topping things off with a 5-12–17 scoring line and a -4 rating in 85 career appearances. In 11 games for Dallas since his call-up last month, he had one goal, two assists, a +4 rating, and controlled a team-high 51.2% of shot attempts at even strength.

He now joins a Boston defense group that has a regular in Henri Jokiharju on injured reserve and multiple other depth names – Michael Callahan, Jordan Harris, and Jonathan Aspirot, there with him. Aspirot was moved there today to open the roster spot for Kolyachonok’s claim, already missing one game with an upper-body injury. He’s been ruled out for tonight’s game as a result, but could come off IR for Thursday’s game against the Oilers if he’s ready to return.

If Kolyachonok wants to finally land an everyday job in an NHL lineup, though, he’ll need to get comfortable playing on his off side. Boston’s three left-shot options are locked in as Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, and Nikita Zadorov each feature on their own pairings. With a righty in Jokiharju and a lefty who routinely plays the right side in Aspirot sidelined, though, there’s an opening for him to leapfrog Victor Söderström for playing time and get into the Bruins’ lineup.

Kolyachonok is in the back half of a two-year, league-minimum deal, so Boston’s only on the hook for a $775K cap hit and salary. He’ll be a restricted free agent next offseason with arbitration rights.

Image courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Blues Claim Jonatan Berggren Off Waivers

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Blues have claimed winger Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Red Wings, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The team moved center Nick Bjugstad to injured reserve to open up a roster spot for him, per Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

When Detroit waived Berggren yesterday, the motivations weren’t clear. They might have been attempting to open a roster spot for Mason Appleton to come off injured reserve, or the Wings simply may have been looking to give the fourth-year Swede a fresh start elsewhere. If they were hoping to sneak him through to the AHL, though, they’ll be disappointed with today’s outcome.

Once a standout who led Sweden’s top junior league in scoring in his draft year, Berggren cracked the Wings’ lineup for the first time in 2022-23. He’s been a fairly efficient depth scorer ever since, averaging a 15-16–31 scoring line per 82 games despite averaging under 13 minutes of ice time, but had seen his role slashed in Detroit this year. He’s been a healthy scratch more times (18) than he’s played (15) and has only suited up once since Thanksgiving.

There’s long been optimism about what Berggren’s production could look like if given an expanded role. He hasn’t seen minor-league action in two years but was one of the AHL’s top scoring presences from 2021-24, recording 49 goals and 127 points in 130 games for Detroit’s affiliate in Grand Rapids.

The 25-year-old may now get that chance on a decimated Blues team that’s missing three of its top four wingers in Dylan Holloway, Jordan Kyrou, and Jimmy Snuggerud. Their injury crunch has recently forced veteran Robby Fabbri into a top-six role after signing a two-way deal just days ago, plus emergency AHL call-ups Hugh McGing and Matt Luff sliding into the bottom six.

Now, their low place in the standings pays some dividends in the form of the third-highest waiver priority in the league. In addition to adding some short-term depth, Berggren could continually slot into a top-nine role for St. Louis down the stretch if they sell off rumored trade chips Brayden Schenn, Mathieu Joseph, and Oskar Sundqvist.

In claiming Berggren, the Blues are on the hook for his $1.825MM cap hit for the remainder of the season. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights.

Bjugstad has already missed three games with an upper-body injury, which he sustained seven days ago on Dec. 9 against the Bruins. As such, he’s eligible to come off IR at any time. The 33-year-old pivot has four goals and an assist in 25 games this season.

Image courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Kings Place Darcy Kuemper On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The Kings announced they’ve placed starting goalie Darcy Kuemper on injured reserve. Pheonix Copley was recalled from the AHL’s Ontario Reign to take his place on the active roster.

Kuemper left last night’s 4-1 loss to the Stars late in the first period after taking head contact from Dallas winger Mikko Rantanen, who was attempting to cut across the top of the crease between Kuemper and L.A. defender Brian Dumoulin. Dallas scored on the play, but the goal was waved off as the puck deflected in from behind the net off an already-injured Kuemper, who was lying facedown in the crease holding his head.

The 35-year-old Kuemper stopped all five shots he faced before leaving the contest, bumping his SV% up to .917 on the year. That’s a few points south of the .921 mark that earned him his first career Vezina Trophy nomination last year, but the 2022 Stanley Cup champion continues to perform at a top-10 level as he resurrects his career in Hollywood. Behind his 10-6-6 record in 23 starts, his 16.0 goals saved above expected are fifth in the NHL, according to MoneyPuck. That’s the highest mark among Pacific Division netminders.

His backup, free-agent pickup Anton Forsberg, has been less inspiring. Through his first 10 appearances as a King, he’s put together a 4-3-3 record with a .893 SV% and 2.82 GAA. That’s still good for 1.1 goals above expected, receiving a slightly more demanding workload than Kuemper has, but a significant dropoff – particularly if Kuemper is set to miss more than the two games he’s been ruled out of, thanks to the IR placement. He’ll be eligible for reinstatement on Dec. 22 against the Blue Jackets.

Copley, 33, hasn’t seen NHL ice yet this season. The Alaska native is in his fourth season in the Kings organization, outside of a 13-day stay on the Lightning roster in October after being lost on waivers before being traded back to L.A. for future considerations. He successfully passed through waivers a second time after being reacquired but has struggled in the AHL, logging a .885 SV% and 3.13 GAA in 13 appearances for Ontario.

Nonetheless, few third-string options have more NHL experience than Copley. The Michigan Tech alum made his NHL debut with the Blues back in 2015-16 and has since gone on to record a 44-16-8 record, .898 SV%, 2.84 GAA, and three shutouts in 77 games.

Wild Expected To Activate Marcus Foligno From IR

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Marcus Foligno will be back in the Wild lineup tonight versus the Capitals, head coach John Hynes told reporters (including Jessi Pierce of NHL.com). They don’t have a roster spot available to remove him from injured reserve, so one of their many banged-up skaters will have to take his place on IR. That will likely be defenseman Jonas Brodin, who’s out tonight and has already missed two games with an undisclosed injury. Placing him on IR would only rule him out for tonight’s game; he’d be eligible to return Thursday against the Blue Jackets.

Foligno sustained a lower-body injury against the Blackhawks back on Nov. 26. He was listed as week-to-week and makes his return tonight with just one full practice under his belt, although that’s understandable given how many bodies Minnesota is missing from its forward group.

The 34-year-old leaves behind Vinnie Hinostroza and Mats Zuccarello on IR. On top of those two, Marcus Johansson sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday’s trouncing of the Bruins and is listed as day-to-day, Hynes said.

Foligno’s lower-body issue, plus an upper-body one that cost him one game earlier in the year, has limited him to 23 appearances this season. Long viewed as one of the better defensive wingers in the league, he always maintained enough point production to warrant consistent top-nine minutes.

That hasn’t been the case this year. He’s yet to score a goal and has just two assists.

He has 21 shots on goal and is bound to shed his poor shooting luck at some point, but his 0.91 shots on goal per game are still the lowest of his 15-year career. His average ice time of 13:07 per game is his lowest since the 2018-19 campaign, and he’s no longer featuring on Minnesota’s top penalty kill unit, losing that job to Matt Boldy.

Still, an experienced top-nine option is a boon to a Wild group that’s still rolling out names like Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Ben Jones, and Tyler Pitlick in its bottom six, regardless of his offensive struggles this season. Those three have combined for only two points in 41 games.

Also missing from the Wild lineup tonight will be veteran rearguard Zach Bogosian, Hynes said. Like Johansson, he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury he sustained against Boston.

Lightning Expected To Activate Andrei Vasilevskiy From IR

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Lightning announced today that they’ve reassigned goaltender Brandon Halverson and winger Scott Sabourin to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Halverson’s demotion means they’ll use one of the open roster spots to activate Andrei Vasilevskiy from injured reserve before Thursday’s game against the Kings.

What was initially expected to be a one-game absence for Vasilevskiy turned into seven games. He hasn’t dressed since losing to the Islanders on Dec. 2. Since then, backup Jonas Johansson has played every minute for the Bolts, aside from a six-second span against the Islanders over the weekend, where Halverson had to enter play due to an equipment issue.

Injuries to Vasilevskiy have forced Johansson to start 14 of Tampa’s 33 games, on pace to clear his previous career high of 24 starts by a wide margin. The 30-year-old Swede has given the Bolts some of the best hockey of his unremarkable career, recording a .897 SV% and 2.76 GAA while saving 4.1 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck.

Still, Tampa will be thrilled to get its star back between the pipes, especially as it’s lost six of eight games in November. The five-time Vezina Trophy finalist has made a solid case for his sixth nomination early on this year, recording a .916 SV%, 2.31 GAA, and an 11-6-2 record in 19 starts. Among goalies with at least 18 appearances, Vasilevskiy’s 0.736 GSAx/60 ranks fifth behind Logan Thompson (1.047), Ilya Sorokin (1.003), Jeremy Swayman (0.790), and Spencer Knight (0.766).

Meanwhile, Halverson’s duties as the Bolts’ No. 3 see his recall end without him facing a shot. The 29-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and has a .901 SV%, 2.58 GAA, two shutouts, and a 9-4-0 record in 13 starts for Syracuse.

Sabourin, 33, has been yo-yoed between Tampa and Syracuse multiple times this season. However, he’d played in four straight for the Lightning after being recalled last week. The career enforcer has been a surprisingly effective fourth-line piece when called upon this year, recording a goal and two assists in seven games with 13 hits. Averaging 9:17 of ice time per game, he’s also posted strong 5-on-5 possession metrics with a 55.9 CF% and a team-high 71.3 xGF%.

As a result, his demotion could be to help stretch out his waiver-exempt status. Syracuse plays tomorrow night against Bridgeport, so the Lightning would be eligible to recall him again before their next game Thursday.

Maple Leafs To Activate Joseph Woll From Injured Reserve

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Maple Leafs starter Joseph Woll will return to action tonight against the Blackhawks, head coach Craig Berube told reporters (including Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic). Toronto will need to open a roster spot to activate him from injured reserve. In all likelihood, that will mean returning goaltender Artur Akhtyamov to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies after they summoned him earlier this month in the wake of Woll’s injury.

Woll has missed the Leafs’ last four games after sustaining a lower-body injury in their win over the Hurricanes on Dec. 4, leaving the game after the second period. It was the 27-year-old’s second multi-game absence of the season. He missed the first 18 games of Toronto’s schedule while on personal leave.

While the 2016 third-round pick’s availability has limited him to eight starts, he’s played some of the best hockey of his career while doing so. He doesn’t have the best goal support – the Leafs offense has only averaged 2.75 goals per game with him in net – but he’s held up his end of the bargain with a .923 SV% and 2.44 GAA to come up with a 4-3-1 record.

When healthy, Woll’s $3.67MM cap hit through 2027-28 ranks among the best value contracts for a goalie in the NHL. He’s posted above-average save percentages in each of his five NHL seasons and has saved 29.5 goals above expected in 75 appearances since emerging as a full-time option in 2023-24, per MoneyPuck.

However, the former top prospect has started more than 30 games in a season only once. He could still feasibly do it this season if he stays healthy, only needing to start 22 times in 51 games, but that’s a big if.

His availability is critical as Toronto remains without Woll’s tandem partner, Anthony Stolarz, indefinitely. After Stolarz stumbled out of the gate with a .884 SV% and -5.3 GSAx in 13 games, he sustained an upper-body injury on Nov. 11 and hasn’t played since. Today, Berube confirmed he’s not dealing with a concussion but that he’s still far from a return and will see another specialist (via Johnston).

Yet the emergence of third-stringer Dennis Hildeby has removed a lot of drama from Toronto’s crease over the last several weeks. Stepping in for Stolarz and Woll, the gargantuan 24-year-old is making a serious push for a full-time NHL job with a .920 SV%, 2.72 GAA, one shutout, and a team-leading 7.2 GSAx in seven starts and four relief appearances. Since Woll’s injury, Hildeby has recorded a .934 mark, seventh in the league among goalies with multiple starts since Dec. 4.

Hildeby’s hot hand should allow the Leafs to keep Woll fresher in a reduced workload, getting the best out of both goalies until Stolarz is ready to return – if he can return this season. The 2022 fourth-round pick signed a three-year, $2.53MM contract as a restricted free agent this past offseason that pays him the league minimum salary through the 2027-28 campaign, a deal that’s now quietly one of the biggest wins from Toronto’s summer.

As for Akhtyamov, the 24-year-old made his NHL debut on Saturday when he entered a 6-3 loss to the Oilers in relief of Hildeby in the third period. In the final 10:32 of regulation, he faced five shots and did not allow a goal. He still looks like he’s a few years away from challenging for an NHL role, posting a .896 SV% and 3.04 GAA in 12 appearances for the Marlies this year.

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top