Headlines

  • Maple Leafs Won’t Renew Brendan Shanahan’s Contract
  • Blackhawks Hire Jeff Blashill, Michael Peca
  • Sabres Gauging Bowen Byram’s Trade Market
  • Blue Jackets Shopping First-Round Picks
  • Islanders Obtain Permission To Interview Brendan Shanahan
  • Devils Expected To Hire Brad Shaw
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Sharks Recall Jack Thompson, Place Jan Rutta On IR

January 26, 2025 at 12:30 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Jack Thompson and placed Jan Rutta on injured reserve. Rutta missed the team’s Saturday loss to the Florida Panthers with a lower-body injury. Head coach Ryan Wardofsky told Max Miller of Yahoo Sports that Rutta had been dealing with the injury for the last few games.

Rutta has seen his ice time dip from upwards of 19 minutes down to 13 minutes in the wake of this injury. He’s been a utility defender all season long, averaging 17 minutes of ice time and recording eight points through 51 games this season. Rutta also ranks second on the team with 76 blocked shots.

The Sharks turned towards left-shot defender Henry Thrun to fill Rutta’s right-side role on Saturday. But after a big loss, the Sharks are opting to bringing a true right-shot up in Thompson. Thompson has split time between the NHL and AHL lineup all year long, with similar results. He has five points in 14 NHL games and nine points in 17 AHL games on the year. After totaling just three NHL games over the last two seasons, Thompson is finally receiving a chance to carve out his role at the top-flight. With Rutta set to miss at least one week and two games, Thompson could have a perfect opportunity to plant his feet even further.

AHL| Injury| NHL| San Jose Sharks| Transactions Jack Thompson| Jan Rutta

0 comments

Avalanche Activate Miles Wood Off IR, Reassign Jere Innala

January 26, 2025 at 10:46 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche have activated forward Miles Wood off of injured reserve, setting him up to return from a back injury suffered on November 27th. The injury is a nagging one, earning Wood a second placement on IR earlier this season – from November 4th to 14th – and holding him out of games for a week in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He told Corey Masisak of The Denver Post that, based on conversations he’s had with other players, this back injury will likely be one he carries through the rest of his career.

In a corresponding move, Colorado has also reassigned Jere Innala to the minor leagues. Innala has appeared in most of the team’s games through January but averages just under seven minutes of ice time each game. He has no scoring and a -3 through 15 appearances this season.

Wood has spent the better parts of the last nine seasons as an impactful third-line winger across the league. He was originally the 100th-overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, hearing his name called in a fourth round that also featured Juuse Saros one pick earlier and Andrew Copp four picks later. Drafted out of high school, Wood went on to play two more seasons with Noble and Greenough before moving to Boston College in 2015. He had a dazzling freshman year, earning 35 points in 37 games and a spot on Team USA’s 2016 World Championship lineup behind the likes of Auston Matthews, Dylan Larkin, and Brady Skjei. That NHL company must have convinced Wood, who jumped to the AHL after his freshman year of college, then earned a full-time NHL call-up after 15 games and eight points with the Albany Devils.

Since then, Wood has been a stout bottom-six forward, routinely rivaling 25 points and making a mark in all three zones. His career year currently stands as the 2017-18 campaign, when he scored 19 goals and 32 points in 76 games – both career-highs. Wood made that mark with the New Jersey Devils for seven seasons – even serving as an alternate captain for two years. But he opted to instead join the Colorado Avalanche in the 2023 summer, signing a six-year, $15MM contract with the club just two years removed from a Stanley Cup win.

Wood has continued to make a consistent impact with the Avalanche, though his 2024-25 campaign started off ice cold. Through the mix of injuries, Wood has only scored two goals and three points in 16 games this season. He’ll now get a chance to buck that trend, returning to a Colorado lineup that looks very different from when he last played. Since late November, the Avalanche have traded away Justus Annunen, Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, and Mikko Rantanen. In their place, the Avs have brought in Scott Wedgewood, Juuso Parssinen, Martin Necas, and Wood’s personal friend Mackenzie Blackwood. Wood raved about that latter acquisition to Masisak, comparing it to when an NFL team acquires a strong quarterback. He told Masisak, “I’m not sure why New Jersey traded him. I’m not sure why San Jose traded him. But I’m sure as hell happy he’s here.”

AHL| Colorado Avalanche| Injury| NHL| Players| Transactions Miles Wood

0 comments

Free Agents To Watch For On AHL Deals

January 26, 2025 at 9:03 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

The NHL’s 50-contract limit per organization, combined with the AHL’s veteran rule, means there are always a few spots on affiliates’ rosters for players not contracted with their NHL parent club. AHL-only contracts are a good way to add experienced talent to aid in prospect development without using up a precious NHL contract slot. They’re also frequently used to evaluate undrafted free agents before deciding whether to commit to them on an entry-level deal.

In the past few years, some notable quick ascensions from AHL deals to NHL playing time have occurred, most recently the Avalanche’s Ivan Ivan and the Capitals’ Ethen Frank. The Sharks recently tore up forward Colin White’s deal with their AHL affiliate and replaced it with an NHL two-way commitment. We’ll likely see more of those moves before the trade deadline as teams look to add recall options and reward depth players for strong performances. 

Here are some free agents to watch who could be in line for an NHL contract soon, whether it’s midseason or during free agency:

Calen Addison, D, Henderson Silver Knights (VGK)

Addison already has over 150 NHL games under his belt, but the 24-year-old’s limited utility outside of being a power-play quarterback led to him needing to settle for minor-league playing time. Selected by the Penguins in the second round of the 2018 draft, he was traded to the Wild in the 2020 Jason Zucker deal. Addison managed 38 points in 92 games with Minnesota before being traded again to the lowly Sharks early in the 2023-24 campaign. In San Jose, he finished the season with a -35 rating and only 12 points in 60 showings. That led to a non-tender, and Addison couldn’t land an NHL contract in training camp on a tryout with the Senators, either.

Despite that track record of teams quickly cutting bait with the 5’11” righty, he’s never had a tangibly negative impact on his team’s even-strength possession numbers in limited minutes. His team-worst -20 rating in 35 AHL games with the Golden Knights’ affiliate is a bit of an eyesore, but the team has struggled overall defensively. His 22 points are tied for 13th in the league among defenders and could put him back in consideration for a two-way deal, whether in Sin City or elsewhere over the summer.

Braeden Bowman, F, Henderson Silver Knights (VGK)

Sticking in Nevada, the 21-year-old Bowman has impressed in his first professional season. After going undrafted through three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm, Bowman ranks fifth on the Silver Knights with 19 points through 38 games and is tied for second on the team with nine goals. He leads the league in scoring among rookies not affiliated with NHL clubs. The 6’2″ winger also captained Guelph last season, leading them with 37 goals in 68 games.

Brandon Halverson, G, Syracuse Crunch (TBL)

Halverson was a second-round pick of the Rangers in 2014 and even got a cup of coffee with them in a relief appearance in the 2017-18 season. However, the Michigan native’s development flamed out, and he became an ECHL full-timer shortly thereafter. Now 28 and two seasons removed from suiting up in the German second-tier pro league, Halverson has dominated the league with a sparkling .925 SV%, 2.02 GAA, and four shutouts in 24 appearances for Syracuse. With backup Matt Tomkins as Tampa Bay’s only current recall option and eight open contract slots, it’s hard to see why the Bolts haven’t snapped him up yet with a two-way deal to keep him from leaving the organization.

Cameron Hebig, F, Tucson Roadrunners (UTA)

The 28-year-old Hebig is in his seventh professional season, the past five of which have been spent in the Coyotes/Utah organization with Tucson. He jumped to the pros in 2018 after receiving an entry-level contract from the Oilers, but they didn’t qualify him upon expiry in 2020, and he’s spent the last half-decade on AHL deals with the Roadrunners. That patience could pay off, as the versatile 5’10” forward is amid a career year with 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points through 34 games. That’s good for second on the team, as is his +13 rating.

Boris Katchouk, F, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

Katchouk played at least 50 NHL games every year between 2021-22 and 2023-24, but that wasn’t enough to secure an NHL offer on the open market this summer following a non-tender from the Senators. He appeared in training camp with the Ducks on a tryout, and while his performance wasn’t sufficient to land him a two-way contract, it did get him an extended look with Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate. His decision was wise, as the 6’2″ physical winger has rediscovered his offensive mojo. After ending last year with four points in 21 games for Ottawa following a waiver claim from the Blackhawks, he has 27 points in 33 AHL games with WBS. That ranks third on the team, and his +10 rating is tied for first. It could be enough for teams to consider him an option as a bottom-six complementary scorer.

Matt Luff, F, Springfield Thunderbirds (STL)

Luff, 27, had seen NHL ice in five straight seasons until 2023-24. He was under a one-way league minimum deal with the Red Wings but was injured for most of the campaign and only saw AHL action when healthy. He landed a training camp tryout with the Panthers but was promptly released. The 6’3″ right-winger had four points in six games for AHL Charlotte on a PTO before they, too, released him, and Springfield moved quickly to give him a guaranteed deal for the rest of the year. He’s exploded for his second point-per-game AHL season in the last four years, potting 11 goals and 15 assists through 26 appearances.

Zach Metsa, D, Rochester Americans (BUF)

Perhaps no one has a more intriguing case for a contract on this list than Metsa, who’s broken out for 28 points and a +7 rating in 40 appearances with Rochester in his second professional campaign. The 26-year-old captained Quinnipiac to a national championship in 2023 and received NHL interest then, but the righty’s 5’9″ frame was a pressing concern. The likelihood of him becoming a full-time NHLer is slim, but he ranks third in the league in points from the blue line and is at least deserving of a call-up opportunity, whether it’s in Buffalo or elsewhere.

Jack Millar, D, Ontario Reign (LAK)

Millar, 24, is a hulking 6’5″ righty in his first pro campaign after a four-year run at Colorado College. The stay-at-home defender has seven assists through 34 games but leads the Reign with a +19 rating and has largely stayed out of the box with only 15 PIMs. That’s a good mix of talent for an under-25 skater and will likely earn him at least a brief NHL look somewhere down the line.

Dominik Shine, F, Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)

Shine is a Michigan lifer, now in his ninth season with the Griffins after four years with Northern Michigan University. The 31-year-old forward has never inked an NHL contract, though. That could be in line to change soon, as after nearly a decade of middling fourth-line/middle-six production, he’s broken out for 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points through 40 games. He’s just one point short of his career high, set last season, and leads the team in scoring ahead of NHL-experienced veterans like Sheldon Dries, Joe Snively and Austin Watson.

Jake Wise, F, Colorado Eagles (COL)

A third-rounder by the Blackhawks in 2018, he didn’t land an NHL contract after a sometimes tumultuous collegiate tenure with Boston University and Ohio State and became a free agent. After an inconsistent rookie AHL campaign split between two clubs last year, he’s looking more comfortable this season in the Avalanche organization. He’s skated in 32 games for an Eagles squad that’s seen a lot of in-season turnover up front thanks to a rash of injuries on their parent club, tied for second the team with 12 goals through 32 games. He’ll be 25 next month and posted 39 points in 40 games for OSU in his final collegiate season.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

AHL| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

2 comments

Central Injury Notes: Murphy, Jones, Martinez, Smith, Landeskog

January 25, 2025 at 8:29 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks blue line could be thin before tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Thankfully for the Blackhawks, this situation is not expected to last long.

Defenseman Connor Murphy, currently on the injured reserve list due to a groin injury, is nearing a return to the active roster after fully participating in today’s practice. However, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he will not be ready for tomorrow’s game. Additionally, he mentioned that defensemen Seth Jones and Alec Martinez may also miss the game due to illness.

If Chicago has only five healthy defensemen available, they will probably make a brief call-up. With two open roster spots, they don’t need to make any corresponding roster moves. However, this would result in having an abundance of left-handed defensemen for at least one game.

Other injury notes from the Central Division:

  • In Chicago, Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reported that forward Craig Smith has returned to practice wearing a non-contact jersey. Smith has been recovering from a persistent back injury for the past two months, during which he missed 12 days in mid-December and another 17 days in January. So far this season, he has scored six goals and recorded 11 points in 30 games with the team.
  • Outside of more immediate news, the potential return of captain Gabriel Landeskog has been a major storyline for the Colorado Avalanche over the last two years. Speaking to that, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette reported today that Landeskog has been on the ice more than ever since the 2022-23 season, and fell short of designating him as week-to-week. Landeskog’s hypothetical return could make the loss of Mikko Rantanen more palatable for Colorado’s top-six.

Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Injury Alec Martinez| Connor Murphy| Craig Smith| Gabriel Landeskog| Seth Jones

0 comments

Blue Jackets’ Sean Monahan Expected Out Six To Eight More Weeks

January 25, 2025 at 6:59 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets will remain thin down the middle for the foreseeable future. Columbus announced that center Sean Monahan is expected to miss an additional six to eight weeks due to the wrist injury he suffered on January 7th.

The injury update will likely change the Blue Jackets’ plans for the trade deadline. They had been looking forward to captain Boone Jenner’s return, which would have significantly boosted the team. However, now they will be without a top-six center until mid-March.

Despite missing the last three weeks, Monahan is still the third-highest-scoring player on the team. He’s tallied 14 goals and 41 points in 41 games for Columbus since signing a five-year, $27.5MM contract as an unrestricted free agent last summer.

Given the organization’s renewed playoff aspirations, the Blue Jackets should enter the market for a rental center in the next few weeks. Adam Fantilli has filled the void nicely, scoring five goals and nine points in eight games since Monahan’s injury, but they could use another center regardless. Furthermore, it would be a nice reward for a team that has shattered all preseason expectations. 

Thankfully for Columbus, there should be plenty of talent available. In no particular order, Trent Frederic, Ryan Donato, Jake Evans, Yanni Gourde, and Alexander Kerfoot all come to mind as potential options. The Blue Jackets have both an abundance of draft picks and cap space which conceivably puts them in the market for any available player if they’re willing to meet the price.

Columbus Blue Jackets| Injury| Newsstand Sean Monahan

3 comments

San Jose Sharks Sign Colin White

January 25, 2025 at 6:30 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Jan. 25: According to a team announcement, the Sharks have officially signed White to a one-year, two-way contract.

Jan. 24: The Sharks are signing unrestricted free agent center Colin White to a contract for the remainder of the season, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports Friday. He’s been in the organization since August when he signed a one-year deal with AHL San Jose.

It’s unclear if the deal will be registered before tomorrow’s game against the Panthers, but Pashelka said White was on the ice at practice with his new NHL teammates today. His signing is part of a larger group of roster moves the Sharks made Friday, which also included reassigning rookie forward Collin Graf to the AHL, recalling veteran enforcer Scott Sabourin, and moving forward Ty Dellandrea to injured reserve. The Sharks will have a full active roster when all the moves are executed.

White, 27, has battled injuries with the Barracuda this season but has managed five goals and 10 points with a minus-three rating in 20 games when healthy. The 2015 first-rounder had to settle for a minor-league contract last summer after going pointless in 28 games, split between the Penguins and Canadiens.

The Boston native once looked to be a promising top-nine piece with the Senators. He posted 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in 74 games in his first entire NHL season back in 2018-19, but he never topped those numbers. Injuries began to pile up over the next few seasons before a dislocated shoulder cost him over half of the 2021-22 campaign. He was limited to 10 points in 24 games when healthy that year, leading the Sens to buy him out halfway through the six-year, $28.5MM deal they gave him as an RFA following his breakout year.

White landed with the Panthers after the buyout, posting 15 points in 68 games in a fourth-line role and playing in all 21 playoff games as they lost to the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. It wasn’t enough to convince Florida to retain him, though, and they did not tender him a qualifying offer at the end of the season. He needed to wait until September until the Penguins extended him a tryout offer, which yielded a two-way deal and his first extended AHL action in six years.

The 6’1″ pivot will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and he’ll need to clear waivers if the Sharks attempt to send him back to the AHL.

Returning to the minors to make room for the veteran recalls is Graf. San Jose signed the 22-year-old as an undrafted free agent out of Quinnipiac last summer after he was named the ECAC’s Player of the Year and a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award thanks to his 22 goals and 49 points in 34 games.

Graf got off on the right foot in the pros, posting 26 points through 29 AHL games to start 2024-25 before earning an NHL recall on New Year’s Eve. He’s remained on the Sharks’ roster since then but was a healthy scratch in last night’s loss to the Predators after posting two assists with a minus-four rating in 10 appearances.

Graf averaged 14:17 per game during his recall, recording seven blocks and 10 hits. The 6’1″ winger looked overmatched at times, posting a team-worst 38.6 CF% at even strength among skaters with at least 10 games played.

Sabourin, 32, is in his second season with the Sharks organization. The 6’4″ heavyweight winger has 46 NHL games to his name, three of which came with San Jose last season during a January call-up.

Since signing a two-year, two-way deal with the Sharks as a free agent in 2023, Sabourin has 23 goals and 17 assists for 40 points with 240 PIMs in 94 AHL appearances. He hasn’t logged significant NHL ice time since appearing in a career-high 35 games as a 27-year-old rookie with the Senators in 2019-20.

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Dellandrea left last night’s loss to the Preds with an upper-body injury and didn’t return. It’s unclear if this injury is related to the UBI that held him out for four games in October and November, but regardless, he’s now been ruled out of the team’s next three games. The 2018 first-rounder hasn’t been a good fit in the Bay Area after they acquired his signing rights from the Stars over the offseason, limited to one goal and four assists with a -15 rating in 41 appearances.

San Jose Sharks| Transactions Colin White| Collin Graf| Scott Sabourin| Ty Dellandrea

1 comment

New York Rangers Extend Will Borgen To Five-Year Contract

January 25, 2025 at 5:13 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 10 Comments

5:50 p.m: Per a team announcement, the Rangers have made the five-year contract official.

5:13 p.m: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers are closing in on a five-year, $20.5MM extension with defenseman William Borgen. He’s been a stable top-four defenseman for the Rangers since being acquired from the Seattle Kraken in mid-December.

It’s a significant increase over Borgen’s current $2.7 million salary. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career on July 1, but he will sign on for another five years with the Rangers.

It’s also a major vote of confidence from the Rangers organization. Borgen is only 17 games into his tenure with New York after being the main piece acquired in the Kaapo Kakko trade with the Seattle Kraken.

After primarily serving in a bottom-pairing role with the Kraken through the beginning of the season, Borgen has been thrust into a top-four role with the Rangers. He’s scored one goal and two assists in 17 games averaging 18:35 of ice time per game. He’s continued being a physical defenseman in New York, racking up 30 hits and 29 blocked shots.

His peripherals are also solid, averaging a 48.2% CorsiFor% at even strength and an 89.8% on-ice save percentage in the same situation — higher than he ever produced in Seattle. Should he continue producing at the same level in New York, his $4.1MM salary could become a steal through the expected prime years of his career.

It’ll also give the Rangers more clarity regarding their blue line. Borgen gives them three right-handed defensemen signed through next season. Braden Schneider will become a restricted free agent next year but they’ll still have two years of team control.

Unfortunately, the same doesn’t hold for the left side of the defense. Every remaining blue liner on the active roster becomes a restricted free agent or unrestricted free agent at season’s end giving the Rangers plenty of remaining work.

New York Rangers| Newsstand| Transactions William Borgen

10 comments

Fallout From The Mikko Rantanen Trade

January 25, 2025 at 4:54 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 18 Comments

After one of the biggest in-season acquisitions since the New Jersey Devils acquired Ilya Kovalchuk for a massive haul in the 2009-10 season, more information has begun trickling out regarding Mikko Rantanen and the Carolina Hurricanes.

In an article in The Athletic (Subscription Required), Pierre LeBrun explains that only a few teams knew Rantanen was available. LeBrun indicates that Colorado’s first intention was to extend Mikko, but general manager Chris MacFarland had already called a few teams, saying they may call back about the Finnish sniper. 

Extension talks between Rantanen and the Avalanche had increased over the last few weeks. However, the ’Nathan MacKinnon-internal cap’ gave MacFarland the sense that Mikko wouldn’t sign an extension in the next five months. LeBrun believes Rantanen would have taken less money than Leon Draisaitl received from the Edmonton Oilers ($14MM) but wasn’t willing to make such a drastic cut that he made less than MacKinnon’s $12.6MM salary.

Unsurprisingly, Cory Lavalette from the North State Journal reports the Hurricanes have already had preliminary extension discussions with Rantanen’s agent. Given their history together on Team Finland, Rantanen is already familiar with Sebastian Aho, but he’ll want to get comfortable in Carolina before talks can progress.

As far as what that hypothetical extension may look like — Harman Dayal took a stab at that in a recent article on The Athletic (Subscription Required). Dayal argues that Rantanen’s fairest comparable is Boston Bruins’ forward David Pastrňák who was given 13.5% of the salary cap for the first year of his current contract.

Assuming the salary cap increases to the reported $97 million for next season, that would place Rantanen around the $13.1 million range. It’s already been made clear that Rantanen and his agent have other ideas, as he and the Avalanche likely could have worked out an agreeable salary should that have been the starting point.

Lastly, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offered some insight regarding the main piece heading back to Colorado — Martin Nečas. Friedman asserts that the Avalanche were not the only team Nečas had been offered to. He believes Nečas was a part of recent trade discussions with the Vancouver Canucks for Elias Pettersson, but not for J.T. Miller.

The acquisition of Rantanen and Taylor Hall likely wraps up all of the headling-making trades for the Hurricanes. Still, despite the cap surgery required for the move, the Hurricanes could circle back on Miller if the Canucks are open to other players on Carolina’s roster.

Carolina Hurricanes| Colorado Avalanche Elias Pettersson| J.T. Miller| Martin Necas| Mikko Rantanen

18 comments

Atlantic Notes: Ekblad, Ullmark, Jensen, Knies

January 25, 2025 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The Panthers will welcome back a key blueliner to their lineup tonight in San Jose.  Team reporter Jameson Olive mentions that Aaron Ekblad has been cleared to return from the upper-body injury that has kept him out for seven straight games and eight of the last nine.  While the 28-year-old isn’t quite the two-way defender he was earlier in his career, he still leads all Florida rearguards in assists with 18 in 41 games while logging 23:32 per night, a team-high which certainly won’t hurt his case heading into unrestricted free agency this summer.  With his return, Tobias Bjornfot is expected to be a healthy scratch.  Ekblad remained on the active roster while injured so no roster moves need to be made on Florida’s end to accommodate his return.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • While goaltender Linus Ullmark was a full participant in today’s game day skate, he won’t suit up tonight or tomorrow, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The 31-year-old has been out for a little more than a month with a back injury and recently landed on LTIR to allow Ottawa to remain cap-compliant in the short term.  Ullmark has a 2.38 GAA and a .915 SV% in 23 games so far this season and his eventual return will certainly be welcomed with the Senators squarely in the battle for playoff positioning.
  • Still with the Senators, defenseman Nick Jensen won’t play in either game this weekend, relays TSN 1200 (Twitter link). He suffered an undisclosed injury on Thursday versus Boston, leaving the game late and not returning.  Jensen has been a nice addition to Ottawa after coming over in an early July trade from Washington, putting up 18 points in 48 games while logging a career-high 20:49 per game of ice time.  There’s no word on how much longer he might miss beyond these next two games.
  • Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies briefly skated before practice on Friday with head coach Craig Berube telling reporters including Nick Barden of The Hockey News that Knies is listed as day-to-day. He sustained an upper-body injury on Wednesday against Columbus.  The 22-year-old has already set a new career best for goals this season with 18 in 47 games, positioning him well when it comes to contract discussions this summer when he’ll be a restricted free agent.

Florida Panthers| Ottawa Senators| Toronto Maple Leafs Aaron Ekblad| Linus Ullmark| Matthew Knies| Nick Jensen

1 comment

Sabres Activate Ryan McLeod Off IR, Assign Tyson Kozak To AHL

January 25, 2025 at 2:29 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

As expected, the Sabres announced today that they have activated center Ryan McLeod off injured reserve.  To make room for him on the active roster, center Tyson Kozak has been assigned back to AHL Rochester.

McLeod’s activation should come as little surprise as he was a full participant in practice on Friday with the team indicating at that time that he was expected to play against his former team today and line up on the second line.  He winds up missing just three games with a nagging upper-body injury.

The 25-year-old was acquired from Edmonton in the summer along with prospect Tyler Tullio in exchange for prospect Matthew Savoie.  He has fit in well with the Sabres and enters play today tied for sixth in team scoring with blueliner Owen Power.  McLeod has 10 goals and 15 assists in 45 games this season while winning over 52% of his draws, the best rate of Buffalo’s full-time middlemen.  He carries a $2.1MM cap charge this season and will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights this summer.

As for Kozak, the 22-year-old has gotten into nine games with the Sabres this season during his three recalls, his first taste of NHL action.  He has just one point – a goal – in those outings while blocking 14 shots in 10:36 of playing time.

Kozak is in his third professional season and generally hasn’t been particularly productive with the Amerks.  He had 10 points in his rookie year and 12 last season.  However, he has already matched that mark this season with six goals and six assists in 24 games in Rochester which should help his case as he’s set to become a restricted free agent with his entry-level deal expiring at the end of June.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| Transactions Ryan McLeod| Tyson Kozak

0 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Maple Leafs Won’t Renew Brendan Shanahan’s Contract

    Blackhawks Hire Jeff Blashill, Michael Peca

    Sabres Gauging Bowen Byram’s Trade Market

    Blue Jackets Shopping First-Round Picks

    Islanders Obtain Permission To Interview Brendan Shanahan

    Devils Expected To Hire Brad Shaw

    Daly: NHL, NHLPA Have Made “Good Progress” On CBA Talks

    Bruins, Don Sweeney Agree To Two-Year Extension

    Capitals Unlikely To Hold Offseason Extension Talks With John Carlson

    Sharks Sign Egor Afanasyev

    Recent

    International Notes: Radulov, Simashev, Forsell, Kämpf

    Metro Notes: Islanders, Capitals, Peca

    Canucks Agree To Terms With Anri Ravinskis On Entry-Level Contract

    Maple Leafs Won’t Renew Brendan Shanahan’s Contract

    Lightning Sign Wojciech Stachowiak To Entry-Level Deal

    Blackhawks, Kevin Dean Part Ways

    Bruins Have Interviewed Jay Leach, Mitch Love, Luke Richardson For Head Coach Job

    Blackhawks Hire Jeff Blashill, Michael Peca

    Sabres Gauging Bowen Byram’s Trade Market

    Blue Jackets Shopping First-Round Picks

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Brock Boeser Rumors
    • Scott Laughton Rumors
    • Brock Nelson Rumors
    • Rickard Rakell Rumors
    • Mikko Rantanen Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2024-25 Salary Cap Deep Dive Series
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Primers
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Arbitration-Eligible Free Agents 2025
    • Draft Order 2025
    • Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

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

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version