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Ducks’ Frank Vatrano To Miss Six Weeks

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The Anaheim Ducks provided an injury update mid-game, as Frank Vatrano will miss approximately six weeks. The forward has suffered a shoulder fracture which occurred on Saturday against Los Angeles. Vatrano was listed as out two days ago, with uncertainty on how long he would be absent, so today’s news is perhaps worse than anticipated.

Based on the timeline, Vatrano will miss all of January and could be in line to return sometime before mid-February. A major story to start the season, Anaheim has slipped of late, but still hold onto the third spot in the Pacific Division. The 31-year-old has just six points in 38 games on the season, a major step backward from his output over the past three seasons as a Duck, including a 37-goal campaign in 2023-24.

With the emergence of young stars such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, the veteran’s role has dropped under Head Coach Joel Quenneville, mostly a third line deployment. The injury is a tough blow for Vatrano as he’s sought to find his game under the new regime, in what is year one of his three year contract extension, finally on an imposing team, no less. However, there should be ample time to get healthy and provide leadership for the group as they could end their seven-year playoff drought, even if it does not show on the score sheet for the Massachusetts native.

Vatrano did make a mark in the physical game. He has 67 hits this season, second-most on the Ducks’ offense behind Ross Johnston (111). He also ranks second on the offense with 24 blocked shots. Those will be hard impacts to replace – though Anaheim could have a perfect fit in extra forward Jansen Harkins. Harkins has 55 hits in just 17 games this season, making him the only Duck with a higher hits-per-game average than Johnston or Vatrano. He also has 12 blocked shots – already half of Vatrano’s total.

Harkins will take on the fourth-line center role with Vatrano on the mend. The extended injury could also provide a chance to test strong minor-leaguers like Tim Washe or Sasha Pastujov.

Pro Hockey Rumor’s Gabriel Foley contributed to this article.

Team USA Updates: Keller, Thompson, Jones In, Fox Out

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Although the Team USA Olympic Roster will not be officially announced until Friday morning, Emily Kaplan of ESPN shared that Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson, and Seth Jones were named to the team. Kaplan went on to update that Adam Fox will not make the cut for Milan. 

Each indicate a change relative from last season’s Four Nations tournament, as each of Keller, Thompson, and Jones are additions, while Fox is a subtraction. Final word is still in the air, but as noted by Kaplan, Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Charlie McAvoy, Quinn Hughes, and Jack Eichel are all locks for the team. 

Keller, 27, took a major step in Utah’s inaugural season, reaching the 90 point mark. This season has been a step back, with 33 points in 40 games, but the Missouri native has dealt with the unexpected loss of his father, and he is still tied for the team lead in scoring.

Thompson, a 6’6″ sniper, was a questionable subtraction from last year’s Four Nations team, but the 28-year-old has helped resurrect the Sabres this season, as he leads the team in scoring along the way in their current nine game winning streak.

Both Keller and Thompson donned the red, white, and blue last summer in the 2025 IIHF World Championship, with Thompson burying the overtime winner to earn gold.

The implications from today’s news are that Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield’s statuses are unknown. Both young stars absolutely deserve a look on paper, but in terms of roster construction, it appears that Guerin will opt for more veteran presence from players such as Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck, both of whom are true centers who played on the Four Nations team.

American icon Patrick Kane has an outside shot at this point also, news which would have seemed unbelievable not long ago. the 37-year-old surely wanted one more chance at a gold, but may have been passed up in favor of veteran centers more capable of playing shutdown roles.

Speaking to the blue line, Jones has earned his spot in the midst of a great season with the Panthers. Facing decline over the past few seasons as a Blackhawk, Jones was brought over to Florida in a bit of a gamble, given his contract, but the Texas native has 24 points in 39 games, helping the club stay in contention despite their key absent stars.

Outside of an injury which Fox has just returned from, nothing has necessarily forced the New York hometown hero out. The 27-year-old has 28 points in as many games this season, playing at his usual elite level.

The decision from GM Bill Guerin was surely difficult, as Fox’s own Rangers GM Chris Drury, along with his coaches Mike Sullivan and David Quinn are all involved with the team, but it is a testament to the United States’ tremendous depth on defense. It has been speculated management was concerned about his play at times in last year’s international tournament, especially in the Finals, but eyes will be on Jones to play at a high level in place of Fox. Passing on a Norris-winning #1 defender in the prime of his career is a decision that will be scrutinized in February.

With the roster set to be officially announced Friday morning (8 a.m. ET) on NBC’s TODAY show, Guerin’s final choices will come to light as the United States looks for their first gold medal since 1980.

Injury Notes: Rangers, Matthews, Barkov

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This afternoon’s action was especially tough for the Rangers, as the team shared that Noah Laba (upper body) and Conor Sheary (lower body) did not return, as they lost to Washington. It was not immediately specified, but Laba’s injury is likely related to the heavy hit he sustained from Tom Wilson, while Sheary’s ailment was not as glaringly noticeable. 

Laba, a rookie, has not yet missed a game this season, posting 12 points in 42 games mostly in a third line role. Sheary, meanwhile, has been scratched this season, with just one goal in 37 games, production far from his past as a dependable secondary scorer. Although their forward depth has taken a hit, thankfully the Blueshirts welcomed back top defenseman Adam Fox today, who made an immediate impact with a goal and an assist. 

Now set to travel to Miami and take on the Panthers under the eyes of the hockey world in the 2026 NHL Winter Classic, a roster move may be in order if neither are able to play. Brennan Othmann, a scratch today, could slot into the marquee game on January 2. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • This morning Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews returned to practice, as shared by Dave McCarthy of NHL.com. The superstar was listed as day-to-day yesterday with a lower-body injury, which happened from a blocked shot last Sunday. In his absence, the Leafs picked up a shutout win over New Jersey, but now Matthews could be in line to return by tomorrow, as the team hosts Winnipeg. Toronto dodged a bullet with Matthews’ status, and will seek a rapid turnaround in the New Year on the back of the 28-year-old sniper once healthy. 
  • Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has begun light skating, as reported in a Hockey News article by David Dwork. After suffering a devastating ACL and MCL injury in the first practice of training camp, Barkov still has a long way to go, but today’s update is encouraging news entering 2026. The injury riddled Panthers have stayed afloat, and with Matthew Tkachuk nearing a return, Florida will look to secure a playoff spot and set the table for Barkov to possibly join the group by March. If healthy come postseason, the two-time reining Selke winner would give Florida a real shot at the first Stanley Cup three-peat since the Islanders 40 years ago. 

Blackhawks Recall Dominic Toninato

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Earlier this afternoon the Blackhawks announced that Dominic Toninato has been recalled from AHL Rockford. Toninato is on the move again after being sent down just two days ago, where he did not yet make an appearance back with Rockford. The forward got into five games for Chicago throughout December, notching one assist on 9:12 a night. No corresponding transaction is required. 

Now 31, the former fifth-round choice of Toronto signed with Chicago on a two-year, two-way contract, able to produce at a high level in the AHL and be a trustworthy depth option to call upon when needed. Originally unsigned by the Maple Leafs, Toninato latched on with Colorado eight years ago upon conclusion of his collegiate career. After short stints there, and in Florida, he stuck around in the Winnipeg organization for the past five years, spending most of his time in the AHL. 

At 6’2”, Toninato brings a mostly defensive skillset to the highest level, with just 36 points in 194 career NHL games. Meanwhile, he is a true standout in the AHL, with 17 points in 25 games, good for third best on the IceHogs. Players in such a mold are not necessarily the most exciting call ups, but the ability to fill in, not needing development and not being a likely waiver threat, is valuable to any club. 

The Blackhawks are back in action tomorrow, playing host to Dallas. Forward Jason Dickinson left in last night’s shootout loss to the Islanders, and Toninato figures to be an insurance policy if he’s unable to go. The veteran will likely find himself back in the AHL shortly, but in the meantime he will enjoy a nice salary boost and try to help the struggling Connor Bedard-missing Hawks pick up a big divisional win tomorrow night. 

Penguins Reassign Ryan Graves

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Dec. 31: The Penguins announced they’ve reassigned Graves to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after he cleared waivers today.

Dec. 30: Graves was formally waived today, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Dec. 29: After acquiring Yegor Chinakhov earlier today, the Penguins needed to open up a spot on their active roster for him.  They’ve determined how to do that, as Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link) that the team has designated defenseman Ryan Graves as a non-roster player and will place him on waivers on Tuesday when the next waiver period opens.

This will be the second time this season that the 30-year-old will land on the waiver wire.  Graves also found himself on waivers during training camp as he was among Pittsburgh’s last group of training camp cuts.

Despite passing through unclaimed and starting the season with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Graves has actually spent more time in Pittsburgh than with them.  He got into 10 games at the minor league level to start the year and was productive, picking up a goal and six assists.  That earned him a recall in early November and has been up since then, a stint that’s about to come to an end.

Graves has played in 17 games with Pittsburgh this season, albeit in a limited role as he’s barely averaging 15 minutes per night of ice time.  In those outings, he has just one point – a goal – along with 31 blocked shots.  While offense has never been his calling card, it’s fair to say that Graves isn’t living up to his $4.5MM per season contract, one that runs through the 2028-29 campaign.

Given that price tag, it’s a certainty that Graves will once again pass through unclaimed and be sent back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’ll join Mathew Dumba on a high-priced AHL back end.  From there, he’ll look to work his way back to Pittsburgh, an outcome that could happen should the Penguins move any of their pending UFA blueliners, a group that includes Connor Clifton, Brett Kulak, and Ryan Shea.

Penguins, Flyers Swap Egor Zamula, Philip Tomasino

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The Penguins announced they’ve acquired defenseman Egor Zamula from the Flyers in exchange for winger Philip Tomasino. Both players had previously cleared waivers and will report to their respective new AHL affiliates.

Zamula’s name first surfaced on the trade market at the beginning of the season, initially linked to the Flames. While that deal never came close to fruition, the 25-year-old became an increasingly frequent healthy scratch as the season progressed. After sitting for six straight games in December and being leapfrogged on the depth chart by AHL call-up Ty Murchison, the Flyers placed him on waivers.

Lehigh Valley hadn’t had a ton of action since Zamula’s demotion due to the holiday break, but the 6’3″ lefty did manage two assists and a -3 rating in three games. Last weekend, it was reported that Zamula had changed his representation and was considering terminating his contract to sign with another team at a lower cap hit to boost his chances of returning to the NHL.

Now, Zamula gets the change of scenery he wanted without having to walk away from the remainder of his $1.4MM base salary he’s owed this season. He’d spent his entire pro career in the Philly organization after signing with the Flyers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Over the past six seasons, he’s scored eight goals and 41 points with a -12 rating in 168 appearances, averaging 15:53 per game.

He’s always carried some intrigue with him because of his size and offensive ceiling – he had a career-high 22 points in 61 games two seasons ago – but doesn’t play a physical brand. Nonetheless, he’s had some above-average possession impacts during his time in Philadelphia and, although he’d fallen out of favor with new head coach Rick Tocchet, his statistical profile suggests there’s still an opportunity for him to stick around as a third-pairing option with power-play deployability.

While Zamula will start in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he’ll likely be the first name called up if the Pens need a lefty. He should also quickly find his way onto the roster if the Pens ship out Brett Kulak or Ryan Shea, their two pending unrestricted free agents on the left side of their blue line, before the trade deadline.

Pittsburgh has been active in picking up change-of-scenery candidates over the past couple of seasons, including nabbing Yegor Chinakhov from the Blue Jackets just two days ago. Tomasino was a similar acquisition from the Predators last season as well, although that one didn’t end up paying dividends.

The 24th overall pick in 2019, Tomasino arrived in Pittsburgh early last season in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The high-skill winger looked like a natural fit in Pittsburgh’s top nine early on, even getting some reps alongside Evgeni Malkin. After posting just one assist in 11 games with Nashville to begin the year, he logged 11 goals and 23 points in 50 contests to close out the season with the Pens.

However, Pittsburgh’s preference to integrate its own drafted-and-developed talent, plus UFA pickups Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha developing some high-end chemistry with Malkin, pushed Tomasino down the depth chart from the drop this season. The 24-year-old only averaged 12:10 per game through nine contests, scoring one assist with a -2 rating, before he ended up on waivers in November. He was eventually reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’s clicked at over a point per game pace with a 5-10–15 line and +12 rating in 14 games.

For a Flyers team in need of some wing depth in the wake of Tyson Foerster’s season-ending arm injury, Tomasino is an intriguing pickup who could even slot into top-six minutes if they opt to return Denver Barkey to the minors after giving him his first taste of NHL hockey. If nothing else, he’s an immediate reinforcement to a Lehigh Valley offense that’s only producing 2.77 goals per game this season.

Both pending restricted free agents, Zamula carries a $1.7MM cap hit while Tomasino counts for $1.75MM. For now, Zamula will only cost $550K against the Pens’ books, and Tomasino will cost $600K for the Flyers while each remains in the minors.

Images courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images (Zamula) and Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images (Tomasino).

Chris Tanev, Dakota Joshua Out Indefinitely

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Dec. 31: Head coach Craig Berube told reporters today, including Friedman, that Tanev will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a groin injury.

Dec. 30: After previously being ruled out for tonight’s game, it’s clear Maple Leafs skaters Chris Tanev and Dakota Joshua will miss more time than that. Tanev will be out for “some time” with a lower-body issue unrelated to the previous injury that sidelined him for nearly two months, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports, while Joshua sustained a kidney injury in Sunday’s game against the Red Wings that resulted in internal bleeding, remaining in Detroit for observation.

Both will likely end up on injured reserve today to create the roster space for Matt Benning and Jacob Quillan, who were recalled from AHL Toronto this morning. Tanev was only just activated from IR last week, missing 27 of Toronto’s previous 28 contests with an upper-body injury. The right-shot defenseman’s brief return to the Toronto roster consisted of three games of work, posting a +3 rating with seven blocks while averaging 20:40 of ice time.

Tanev, arguably the Leafs’ most stabilizing defensive presence, has played in only 11 games this year due to an upper-body injury he initially sustained on Oct. 21 against the Devils. Despite that, his +8 rating is still third-best on the team, and his duo with Jake McCabe has allowed just 0.84 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, sitting among the league’s most staunch defense pairs.

Another multi-game absence will force the Leafs to continue to lean on overmatched right-shot depth like Philippe Myers, although it will give the chance for waiver claim Troy Stecher (1-5–6, +9 in 19 GP) to continue his strong run of play alongside McCabe. The burden on Myers and Stecher should be eased soon with Brandon Carlo nearing a return from foot surgery, but it’s far from an ideal situation as Toronto tries to climb out of a tie for last place in the Eastern Conference.

Joshua had appeared in all but two games for the Leafs this season, his first in Toronto after being acquired from the Canucks last offseason in exchange for a fourth-round pick. He’s improved on his underwhelming showing for Vancouver last year, but not by much, putting up a 6-4–10 scoring line in 36 games. He’s excelled in providing the element of physicality that’s expected from him, though, leading the team in hits with 127 and ranking second among Leafs forwards with 26 blocks.

For a player starting nearly three-quarters of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone, though, Joshua’s -2 rating is a fine one. He’s consistently logged third-line minutes at even strength and is far from being an insignificant loss for what will likely be the next several weeks as a result. Expanded ice time should be in store for trade bait Matias Maccelli and rookie Easton Cowan, who’s posted four goals and 11 points through his first 27 games.

Sabres’ Alex Lyon Out Indefinitely

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Dec. 31: Lyon has left the Sabres’ road trip to continue his evaluation and is out indefinitely, the team announced today. Ellis will be activated from injured reserve and will back up Luukkonen tonight against the Stars.

Dec. 30: Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon is undergoing evaluation for a lower-body injury he sustained late in last night’s win over the Blues, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters (including Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News). He didn’t leave the contest, and it’s unclear if he’s going to miss time, but if they don’t have an update by tomorrow morning, he won’t be going in the crease against the Stars on Wednesday.

If Lyon is to miss time, the Sabres won’t need to recall a body from AHL Rochester. Ruff said third-stringer Colten Ellis has cleared concussion protocol and will be available to come off injured reserve if needed in Dallas.

Lyon hasn’t been the sole architect of Buffalo’s nine-game win streak to get back into playoff contention, but he’s been in the crease for most of it. He’s started seven out of nine to boost his numbers on the year to a 10-6-3 record, .906 SV%, 2.82 GAA, and one shutout, recovering well after a strong start followed by a steep crash.

The 33-year-old was signed to be the backup to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over the offseason but has instead emerged as Buffalo’s leading option in a crowded crease, starting 19 of 38 games with the best numbers on the team. He’s stopped 6.5 goals above expected compared to 1.5 combined from Luukkonen and Ellis, per MoneyPuck.

It was clear after Jarmo Kekäläinen took over the GM’s chair several weeks ago that the Sabres would look to get down to two goalies once Ellis was cleared to return. With the Sabres signing Ellis’ praises after claiming him off waivers from the Blues and Luukkonen signed through the 2028-29 season, Lyon was the most logical trade candidate and has been a person of interest in the Oilers’ search for added depth.

However, his injury could allow Kekäläinen more time to determine Lyon’s future and reconsider his options. Trading away the team’s best overall netminder this season won’t go over well for a team that’s done some heavy lifting as of late to try to end their league-record playoff drought at 14 years. Flipping Ellis, who’s only churned out a .895 SV% through eight starts and has the worst advanced numbers of the three, would be the smarter win-now move, regardless of the 25-year-old’s ceiling.

Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.

Lightning Activate Erik Cernak From LTIR

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The Lightning have activated defenseman Erik Černák from long-term injured reserve, Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider reports.

Černák will dress on Wednesday against the Ducks for the first time since sustaining a hand injury against the Capitals on Nov. 22. Tampa Bay has ample space in its LTIR pool and opened a roster spot yesterday by placing Scott Sabourin on IR, so no corresponding transaction is necessary.

The importance of the shutdown righty’s return can’t be overstated for a decimated Bolts defense that’s still missing three other regulars in Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg. Hedman will be out for another month with his elbow injury, while McDonagh’s timeline remains fuzzy after re-aggravating the undisclosed injury that already knocked him out of an 18-game stretch earlier in the year.

Before exiting the lineup, Černák had recorded four assists in an even rating in 19 games. His 19:19 average time on ice is tracking for the second-highest of his career, and he leads Bolts defensemen in both blocks (2.26) and hits (2.11) per game.

Černák’s possession impacts this season have been something of a mixed bag. He’s posted the worst shot attempt share (44.2%) of any Bolts skater at even strength, but he’s also received the most difficult deployment, starting 59.8% of his shifts in the defensive zone.

The 28-year-old’s return to action is also crucial ahead of February’s Winter Olympics, where he and the Devils’ Simon Nemec will anchor Slovakia’s defense on the right side. Now in his eighth season, he’s entered the top five in franchise history among defensemen in games played (460) and rating (+93).

Team Canada Announces 2026 Olympic Roster

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Hockey Canada has formally announced its 25-man roster for the NHL’s return to Olympic action. They’re the first major power to announce its roster for the event in Milan, Italy, trimming it down and altering it from a preliminary list of 42 players they released back in August.

Forwards

Defensemen

Goaltenders

The tournament’s most star-studded roster includes the vast majority of the players who took home Canada’s first true best-on-best championship since their gold medal at the 2014 Olympics at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. That includes all eight defensemen – there are no changes on the Canadian blue line from one year ago.

The biggest changes are in the crease. Binnington, who was Canada’s starter at the 4 Nations, may not hold the same path to the No. 1 job as he did 12 months ago but has done enough internationally to maintain his spot on the roster. His .870 SV% and 3.44 GAA with -9.7 goals saved above expected (MoneyPuck) in 23 games have him positioned as one of the NHL’s worst starters in 2025-26, but after posting a .907 SV% at the 4 Nations and a .944 SV% at the 2025 World Championship, he’d made himself an effective lock on the roster.

Joining Binnington between the pipes are Kuemper and Thompson, both of whom finished in the top four in Vezina Trophy voting last year and have both kept up their momentum into 2025-26. Thompson’s 22.9 GSAx leads the league heading into the New Year, while Kuemper has logged a pristine .917 SV% and 2.19 GAA in 23 starts for Los Angeles. They replace Adin Hill (Golden Knights), who’s spent most of the season on injured reserve, and Sam Montembeault, who’s lost his grip on the Canadiens’ starting job to Jakub Dobes.

There’s also some significant turnover among Canada’s forward group. Out from the 4 Nations roster are Sam Bennett, Travis Konecny, and the injured Seth Jarvis. Inserted into the group – as Canada can carry another forward to the Olympics – are Celebrini, Horvat, Suzuki, and Wilson.

Once again, it will be Canada’s forward group that will form its identity. They boast the league’s three leading scorers in MacKinnon, McDavid, and the 19-year-old Celebrini – arguably the front-runner for the Hart Trophy at the halfway point of the season. But beyond that, general manager Doug Armstrong opted to leave a good portion of the country’s top scorers this season at home, at least initially. Three players who are currently top 20 in the league in points – Wyatt Johnston, Mark Scheifele, and Connor Bedard – did not make the team.

It will be Canada’s reluctance to completely lean into its young talent, including Bedard and Calder Trophy frontrunner Matthew Schaefer on defense, that dominates the discourse in the coming days. Of course, injuries over the next month could pave the way for both to join their country in Milan. For some, it will be reminiscent of the 2006 Olympics, the last time Canada failed to medal with NHLers on its roster, when it opted to leave young offensive firepower in Sidney Crosby, Jason Spezza, and Eric Staal and was shut out by Russia in the quarterfinals.

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