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Wild Recall David Jiricek

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The Wild announced they’ve recalled defenseman David Jiříček from AHL Iowa, putting him on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Senators. A corresponding move won’t be necessary as Minnesota has an open spot on its active roster.

Jiříček’s recall comes as extra insurance as the Wild believe they may be down a yet-to-be-named defender after he got banged up in yesterday’s win over the Stars, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. They already lost lefty Jacob Middleton to injured reserve after he sustained an upper-body injury in the previous outing against the Kraken, leaving them potentially without two regulars on the blue line against Ottawa – in addition to the four forwards they have stashed on IR.

The 22-year-old Jiříček was the sixth overall pick in 2022 by the Blue Jackets and arrived in the Wild organization by way of a trade early last season, stemming partially from his unhappiness with limited playing time in Columbus. The change of scenery didn’t alter his circumstances, though. He’s only made 18 appearances for Minnesota since his pickup over 12 months ago, spending most of his time in the organization with AHL Iowa. He made the team out of camp this year but has been reassigned to Iowa on two occasions. Today’s move ends his longest AHL stint of the season, last heading down to the minors on Nov. 21.

The 6’3″ righty’s development is in legitimate danger as a result. Iowa has long been one of the most hapless teams in the AHL, making the playoffs only twice since the Wild established the team in 2013. The team has a 33-54-9 record since the beginning of last season with a -83 goal differential. The lack of a legitimate supporting cast on Iowa’s blue line means Jiříček, once viewed as one of the brightest two-way talents in his draft class, has just one goal and nine assists with a -7 rating in 37 games since his arrival last year.

But when on the NHL roster, he hasn’t made a legitimate push for a regular role, either. In sheltered minutes (12:26 per game), he’s logged two assists and a -1 rating in 18 games across this year and last. The Wild have allowed 2.98 goals per 60 minutes with Jiříček on the ice at 5-on-5 this year, the highest figure among Minnesota defensemen.

For now, his status as a tweener will continue. Minnesota already recalled Matt Kiersted from Iowa in the wake of Middleton’s injury, and he sat as a scratch against Dallas. Whether he, a lefty, or Jiříček, a righty, enters the lineup tomorrow likely depends on the questionable defender’s handedness.

Penguins To Place Matt Dumba On Waivers

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The Penguins announced this morning that they will place defenseman Mathew Dumba on waivers today at 1:00 pm Central. He’s been placed on the non-roster list until his waiver period ends tomorrow. The move makes room for rearguard Brett Kulak to join the active roster after being acquired from the Oilers in today’s Tristan Jarry/Stuart Skinner goalie swap.

Dumba, 31, hadn’t been much of a factor to this point in the season. Acquired from the Stars over the summer in a salary dump, he’s been in the press box more than he’s been on the ice.

When dressed, he’s recorded a 1-2–3 scoring line and a -5 rating in 11 appearances. He’s averaging 14:56 of ice time per game, his lowest figure since averaging 12:27 in his first taste of NHL hockey as a 19-year-old with the Wild back in 2013-14. His poor two-way play is reflected in his 46.2 CF% and 47.9 FF% at 5-on-5, both the second-worst among qualified Penguins defenders, ahead only of Caleb Jones.

With Kulak in the mix, Jack St. Ivany returning to health, and Ryan Graves flourishing in a bottom-pairing role after starting the season on waivers, Dumba might have played his last game as a Penguin. At a $3.75MM cap hit, he won’t be claimed off waivers, even though he’s on an expiring deal.

If the righty is deadset on returning to the NHL this season, he could refuse to report to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, allowing the Penguins to terminate his contract. He’d be walking away from whatever he’s still owed of his $3.5MM salary but could catch on somewhere else for the back half of the season on a cheaper, prorated one-year deal. If he does clear waivers and opts to report to the minors, the Penguins will still be on the hook for a $2.6MM cap hit.

While Dumba may have been one of the more offensively dynamic defensemen in the league at his peak, those days are long in the rearview. Drafted No. 7 overall by Minnesota in 2012, he broke out for 50 points and 136 hits in the 2017-18 season, prompting the Wild to sign him to a five-year, $30MM deal the following summer. He racked up 12 goals and 22 points through the first 32 games of 2018-19 before sustaining a season-ending upper-body injury.

He hasn’t been the same player since. Dumba was still a minute-muncher for the rest of his tenure in Minnesota, averaging over 22 minutes per game between 2019-20 and 2022-23, but he never sniffed 30 points again – let alone 50. Still, he turned his reputation into a pair of relatively high-value, short-term free-agent deals. He first signed a one-year, $3.9MM pact with the Coyotes in 2023 and was flipped to the Lightning at the following year’s trade deadline.

Tampa didn’t show interest in retaining him, but he still landed a two-year, $7.5MM pact from the Stars. Dumba underwhelmed from the start, though, posting 10 points and a -5 rating in 63 games while averaging 15:18 of ice time per game. He was then a healthy scratch for Dallas’ entire playoff run. His cap hit quickly became untenable for the big-spending Stars, paying a 2028 second-round pick to unload the last year of his contract on the Penguins.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Riley Stillman

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After acquiring netminder Tristan Jarry and defenseman Spencer Stastney earlier today while moving out Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak, it was likely the Edmonton Oilers were going to have to make an additional roster move for depth purposes. Having done that, the Oilers announced they’ve recalled defenseman Riley Stillman from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Even after today’s moves, Edmonton had a pair of open spots on their active roster, meaning no additional transactions were necessary. If Stastney is unable to get to Toronto by tomorrow afternoon, Stillman will draw into the lineup as the Oilers’ sixth defenseman. Still, with an upcoming five-game road trip on the schedule, it wouldn’t be surprising if Stillman stayed on the roster even when Stastney draws into the lineup.

Stillman, 27, is in his first year with the Oilers organization after signing a two-year, two-way contract this past offseason. He’s spent the entirety of his time up to this point with AHL Bakersfield, scoring two goals and seven points in 22 games, tied for second on the team in scoring among defensemen.

His last playing time in the NHL came with the Carolina Hurricanes, dressing in five games over the 2024-25 NHL season. Still, it wasn’t all that long ago that Stillman was a consistent bottom-pairing defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and Buffalo Sabres.

From 2021 to 2023, Stillman appeared in 102 games combined between the three clubs, scoring three goals and 20 points with a -21 rating, averaging 14:51 of ice time. His career line stands at four goals and 26 points in 163 NHL appearances.

Oilers Acquire Tristan Jarry, Spencer Stastney

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9:45 a.m.: All three teams have confirmed the trades. The Penguins confirmed that the draft pick acquired from the Oilers will be Edmonton’s 2029 second-round pick. No salary was retained in either deal.

9:02 a.m.: The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly close to making a pair of significant trades today. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers are working to acquire netminder Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators. Shortly thereafter, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirmed that Jarry is heading to Edmonton.

As trade details continue to trickle in, LeBrun reported that Stastney will cost Edmonton their 2027 third-round pick. Meanwhile, insider Frank Seravalli suggests that Stuart Skinner and another player are a part of the package going to Pittsburgh for Jarry. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes added that defenseman Brett Kulak and a draft pick are also going to Pittsburgh, while former first-round pick Samuel Poulin is headed to Alberta.

Edmonton’s interest in Jarry has been well-known for the last few weeks. A day before American Thanksgiving, Weekes reported that Jarry had been generating trade interest from around the league and that the Oilers were far and away the most interested — for good reason. Given the tight salary cap situation for the Oilers, it’s likely that trade conversations between Edmonton and Pittsburgh have been going on for the last several weeks.

After playing relatively well for the Oilers throughout their first run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, Edmonton returned to the Cup Final last season despite Skinner’s performance. He didn’t play in all the potential games throughout last year’s push, but he finished with a .889 SV% in 15 contests, including a more than disappointing .861 SV% in five games against the Florida Panthers.

The situation has worsened this season, and obviously reached a boiling point for the Oilers’ front office. Through Edmonton’s first 33 games, the duo of Skinner and Calvin Pickard has combined for a .879 SV%. There was no help available via recall either, as third-string netminder Connor Ingram owns a .868 mark with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

If Jarry continues his current resurgence, the Oilers should have some newfound stability in the crease. In 13 starts this season, Jarry has a 9-3-1 record with a .909 SV% and 2.66 GAA. According to MoneyPuck, for netminders that have played in 10 or more games, Jarry is ranked 22nd in the league for Goals Saved Above Expected this season. He’s by no means the best netminder in the league this season, though he’s performing much better than Skinner and Pickard, who are ranked 32nd and 52nd, respectively.

Still, Jarry has been volatile in his own right. Last season, in what was the worst performance of his professional career, Jarry finished with a .892 SV% and 3.12 GAA, ranking 33rd in GSAx. If he reverts to that form as he finishes out the remaining three years of his five-year, $28.66MM contract, the Oilers will be in a world of trouble.

At any rate, while they acquired a pair of pending unrestricted free agents in Skinner and Kulak, it’s nothing but a win for the Penguins to receive a second-round pick for Jarry’s services. One year ago, Pittsburgh placed Jarry on the waiver wire, meaning the Oilers could have had him for free had they been able to make the money work. The fact that the Penguins were able to get actual assets for Jarry a year later is a testament to their patience.

Meanwhile, the Oilers have swapped Kulak’s $2.75MM cap hit with Stastney’s $825K. Despite finishing with the highest point production of his career last season, Kulak has struggled through the first few months of the 2025-26 campaign.

Registering only two assists in 31 games, it became apparent that Kulak’s time with the Oilers may be coming to an end. Typically reliable on the defensive side of the puck, Kulak’s 87.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength was troubling considering that he had never finished with lower than an 89.0% mark throughout his 12-year career.

Stastney, 25, offers more on the offensive side of the puck and is actually performing better on the defensive side of the puck compared to Kulak this season. The pending restricted free agent blueliner has scored one goal and nine points in 30 games this season for the Predators, averaging a 90.0% on-ice save percentage.

Lastly, as a part of the Jarry trade, the Penguins have finally moved on from Poulin. The 24-year-old had appeared in a few games for the Penguins this season, but failed to do much with his opportunity despite being given middle-six minutes. Still, he’s been on a tear in the AHL, scoring nine goals and 20 points in 22 games. He’ll likely report directly to the Oilers, considering the number of injuries they’ve had to their depth forwards this season.

Photo courtesy of Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images.

Penguins Activate Rickard Rakell, Loan Harrison Brunicke To Team Canada

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As expected, the Pittsburgh Penguins have thinned out their defensive core in favor of their forward group. The Penguins announced that they’ve activated forward Rickard Rakell from the injured reserve and have loaned defenseman Harrison Brunicke to U20 Team Canada for the 2026 World Junior Championships.

Rakell returns after more than a month-long absence. The top-six winger broke his left hand in the Penguins’ October 25th matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets and was given a six-to eight-week recovery timeline after undergoing surgery. That recovery timeline was accurate, as Rakell will return having missed seven weeks.

Before exiting the lineup, Rakell played a large role in the Penguins’ 6-2-1 start to the 2025-26 campaign. Typically playing on a line next to Sidney Crosby, Rakell scored three goals and eight points in those nine contests, averaging 17:44 of ice time per night.

While remaining competitive in a tightly wound Eastern Conference, Pittsburgh has clearly suffered without its top winger. There have been several additional injuries, but the Penguins have managed an 8-6-6 record in the 20 games without Rakell, falling to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Fortunately for Rakell, his return game will be against an organization with which he has had plenty of success throughout his career. Largely due to his time with the Anaheim Ducks earlier in his career, Rakell has scored 16 goals and 33 points in 39 games against the Sharks since the 2012-13 campaign. Additionally, Rakell has scored 13 goals and 28 points in 35 games against the Edmonton Oilers, who Pittsburgh plays on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Brunicke will officially join Team Canada for the World Junior Championships after spending the last few weeks with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins over the last few weeks. Brunicke, 19, tallied four assists in five games for the AHL Penguins with a +2 rating.

As one of several projected players with NHL experience, it’s nearly a given that Brunicke will remain with Team Canada after they cut their roster down. Cracking the Penguins’ roster out of training camp this season, Brunicke has scored one goal in nine games, averaging 15:43 of ice time per game. He’s two years removed from playing with Team Canada’s U18 team, scoring one goal and four points in seven tournament contests.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images. 

Penguins Activate Jack St. Ivany

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Before yesterday’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they had activated defenseman Jack St. Ivany from the season-opening injured reserve. He had been recovering from a foot injury suffered in a preseason contest in early October.

Despite being on the SOIR, St. Ivany has been playing for the last few weeks, albeit for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. A few days before American Thanksgiving, the Penguins had loaned St. Ivany to the baby Penguins on a conditioning loan. He performed very well over that stretch, scoring one goal and five points in five games with a +3 rating.

Still, it’ll be interesting to see what the Penguins do in the next few days to thin out their defensive core. They dressed six for last night’s game, but have nine on the active roster. Last night, Harrison Brunicke, Matt Dumba, and St. Ivany were all scratched.

Being named to Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Junior Championships, Pittsburgh already knows that Brunicke will be off the roster for a few weeks, assuming he makes the final roster. However, the WJC doesn’t begin until the day after Christmas, and the Penguins have seven games between now and then.

Considering that all four of Filip Hallander, Blake Lizotte, Evgeni Malkin, and Rickard Rakell remain on the team’s injured reserve, it would make sense for the Penguins to switch a defenseman with an AHL forward to have an additional body up front. If they’re set with having St. Ivany on the roster for the time being, the team could try to pass one of Connor Clifton or Dumba, each of whom has been limited in playing time this season, through waivers.

Stars’ Roope Hintz Leaves Due To Injury

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Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz left late in tonight’s game after taking a hard shot off his leg, and head coach Glen Gulutzan told Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News that there is no update at this time.

With just 1:31 remaining in regulation, in a two-goal deficit, teammate Miro Heiskanen unloaded on a one-timer. Hintz, in front of the crease, attempted to jump out of the way, but it caught him in the ankle area. The 29-year-old went down immediately and had to be helped off the ice, not putting weight on the leg. Minnesota capitalized on the play, cashing in on the empty net and putting the game out of reach. 

With Tyler Seguin and Lian Bichsel both on long-term injured reserve – Seguin with a torn ACL, no less – Hintz’s injury is a significant concern. Thankfully, the team has gotten back Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene from their own injuries, but it has been a brutal stretch for Dallas health-wise. They nonetheless rank second in the league, with serious Stanley Cup aspirations. 

Hintz has 26 points in 27 games this season as a bona fide top-line center. Although the Stars boast a tremendously deep roster, his status will be watched urgently with the hope that another long-term injury has been avoided. Dallas will not be in action again until Saturday, when they host the Panthers, so an update on the skilled center may not come until the weekend. 

Injury Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Bruins, Eller

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A potentially large blow has hit the Maple Leafs, as defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson exited tonight’s game versus San Jose due to a lower-body injury, as shared by TSN Sports. The veteran had to be helped off the ice and did not return, as the Leafs fell in overtime to San Jose. Postgame, Head Coach Craig Berube told David Alter of the Hockey News that he will need further evaluation.

Ekman-Larsson was tangled up with Sharks forward Adam Gaudette, who appeared to land on the Leafs blueliner’s leg awkwardly. Now 34, the Swede has turned back the clock this season, serving as a vital top pairing defender for Toronto. He has especially stepped up with Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo absent, putting up 20 points in 29 games, and quietly dependable in every situation. 

In fear of the worst, updates on Ekman-Larsson will be watched urgently. The Leafs are back in action on Saturday as they host the Oilers, in need of points if they will claw their way back up a deep Eastern Conference. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • The Boston Bruins welcomed back Charlie McAvoy tonight, but lost a pair of skaters mid-game to lower-body injuries, as Jonathan Aspirot left (Twitter link), along with Victor Arvidsson. (Twitter link). Aspirot has been a steady defender, breaking through with Boston this season for his first NHL action at age 26. Originally undrafted, he has one goal in 18 games. Arvidsson also exited quietly, not coming out for the third period, but appeared shaken up in his last shift. Having just been activated from a lower-body injury on December 2, the feisty undersized winger has unfortunately dealt with many injuries since his 34-goal breakout in 2018-19.  
  • Senators forward Lars Eller did not return tonight in Columbus after an apparent lower-body injury, per the team, with no further updates. The 36-year-old appeared to be bothered after blocking a shot. Despite his age, Eller has mostly been durable for Ottawa, skating in 28 games, and notching six points as a steady fourth-line center.   

Mammoth Recall Kevin Rooney, Assign Maveric Lamoureux To AHL

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This evening the Utah Mammoth shared that veteran Kevin Rooney has been recalled, while defenseman Maveric Lamoureux is headed to AHL Tucson. Today’s transaction is an exact reversal of one which was made on December 3, involving both players.

Rooney, 32, has been back-and-forth between Utah and Tucson several times already this season. When in the AHL, the center is a top player, as he has six goals in 11 games. He also managed to find the back of the net during his Mammoth debut in late November. With a career high of 14 points, set with the Rangers in 2020-21, he is not the most exciting call up. Yet any player capable of filling in seamlessly without disrupting developing pieces, and not being a waiver claim threat, is valuable. 

With star Logan Cooley set to miss eight weeks, and the team dropping seven of their last 10, eyes may be on GM Bill Armstrong to make a move. Just one point out of the Wild Card, the franchise’s first-ever playoff appearance could be in danger of slipping out of reach; and they certainly have stock in the cupboard to acquire another star. In the meantime, Rooney is an extra forward on the exciting young team, not expected to play, barring additional injuries. 

Lamoureux, a first rounder in 2022, does not jump off the page statistically, but standing at 6’6”, he offers strong shutdown play even at just 21, and is a coveted right-handed shot. With such imposing size, the Quebec native could pan out as a reliable second-pair blueliner, but has a high floor regardless. 

As is the case most times a top prospect is sent down in favor of an older depth piece, Lamoureux’s role with Utah is a point of emphasis. He played 12:46 last night, with nine fewer shifts than anyone else on the back end. The defenseman will be a welcome addition back to Tucson for the time being, as the team currently ranks toward the bottom in the AHL. Lamoureux has nine points in 19 games for the Roadrunners, and could be back sometime soon, as he seems to be the undisputed top defensive call up option for Utah, much like Rooney for the forward group. 

 

Oilers Recall Max Jones, Place Clattenburg, Roslovic On IR, Walman To LTIR

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Earlier today the Edmonton Oilers announced that Max Jones has been recalled from AHL Bakersfield, while fellow forwards Connor Clattenburg and Jack Roslovic have been placed on injured reserve. Finally, as was speculated yesterday, defenseman Jake Walman has landed on long-term injured reserve. The moves come in advance of tonight’s game versus Detroit. 

Jones, a familiar face to Anaheim fans, was a first round pick by the Ducks in 2016. Now 27, he was once a potential top-six power forward, but was never able to pan out. Now an AHLer, Jones has a career high of 19 points at the NHL level, in 284 games so far. Injuries were a huge factor in his stunted development, especially as the Michigan native suffered a torn pectoral in 2021, which was a crucial year to prove himself in Anaheim. 

After a stop in Boston, Jones made his way to Edmonton as an add-in from the Trent Frederic trade. He skated in 19 games as an Oiler last season, but has spent all of 2025-26 in the AHL so far. Jones has just seven points in 17 games with the Condors, but with 49 penalty minutes, he is trying to lean more into a grinder role at this point. 

Edmonton has brought in other former first rounders who have been solid role players, such as Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin, and Jones may have an opportunity with the team’s numerous injuries, although he is not expected to play tonight. 

Roslovic got off to a dynamite start to his Oilers tenure with 18 points in 23 games, prior to going down in late November. He is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, and may have his sights on a return by the New Year. 

Clattenburg, just 20, brought needed energy in his first five NHL games. He has missed the team’s last two contests after an apparent eye injury. With just two points in the AHL this season, the winger brings limited skill, but at 6’2” he could be an eventual fixture on the Oilers’ fourth line, proving to be a nice find in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. 

The headline of long-term injured reserve for Walman may cause concern, but the main motivation for such a designation is likely salary cap motivated. With his $3.4MM off the books for now, Edmonton can finally carry a full roster as they soon head off for a five-game road trip. The defenseman has dealt with multiple injuries after inking a seven-year extension at the start of the season. As he has already missed the last seven, Walman only has to miss three more games to meet the LTIR requirements. Similar to Roslovic, his ailment is also unknown, but a return before January would be a surprise. 

Currently holding the second Wild Card spot, Edmonton is thankful to have most of their marquee talent healthy, however, their depth will be put to the test, a common theme throughout much of the McDavid/Draisaitl era in which the team has had a top-heavy construction. Their road trip ahead could be a turning point if the team can return to their true potential, and push for another deep run in the spring. 

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