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Kraken’s Jaden Schwartz Out Six Weeks, Placed On IR

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Saturday: As expected, the Kraken announced that Schwartz has been placed on IR with Kakko being activated to the active roster in a corresponding move.  Kakko has been limited to just seven games this season due to multiple injuries and he has been quiet offensively with just one point – a goal – in 12:35 per game of playing time.

Friday: The Kraken announced that winger Jaden Schwartz will miss approximately six weeks with the lower-body injury that caused him to leave Wednesday’s game against the Stars. They haven’t yet made a corresponding recall, but they could do so before tomorrow’s game against the Oilers. That would require placing Schwartz on injured reserve to open up a roster spot.

Now in the final season of the five-year, $27.5MM contract he signed with the Kraken before their inaugural season, this is the latest in a string of long-term injuries Schwartz has sustained in his tenure with Seattle. He was limited to 37 appearances in his first season with the club, primarily due to hand surgery. He only missed one game last year, but in 2023-24, he missed 20 games with separate upper-body injuries.

It’s not anything new for Schwartz. The 33-year-old is now in his 15th NHL season but has only surpassed the 70-game mark six times. Last year’s 81 appearances were a career high. That coincided with his most productive season as a member of the Kraken, posting a team-leading 26 goals while placing third on the team with 49 points. It was his highest offensive output since reaching 57 points with the Blues in 2019-20.

The injury is especially disappointing considering the start Schwartz had, though. The pending unrestricted free agent sits in the team lead in scoring with 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 23 games. As has become the norm for the Kraken, he doesn’t have much of a lead – they have nine players this season with double-digit points. Nonetheless, that put Schwartz on pace to end the year with 53 points had he managed to play all 82 games, which would have stood as the best year of his Kraken career as a potential parting gift.

Schwartz had spent most of his time on the left wing with Chandler Stephenson and Eeli Tolvanen. That line had held opponents even at a 4-4 score at 5-on-5 but was only controlling 45% of shot attempts. It will be Jared McCann, fresh off a return from a lower-body injury, slotting into that spot for the foreseeable future.

The eventual corresponding move for Schwartz’s injury might not be a recall from the AHL. Kaapo Kakko, who’s missed the last six games with a lower-body injury, could be ready to come off IR after practicing without a no-contact designation today for the first time (via Sound of Hockey).

Kyle Palmieri Out For Six To Eight Months

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Earlier today, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported (Twitter link) that the Islanders were fearing the worst-case scenario when it came to winger Kyle Palmieri.  That is indeed the case as the team announced that the veteran will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee.  The recovery timeline for this procedure is six to eight months, meaning he is out for the remainder of the regular season and multiple playoff rounds (should they get that far) at a minimum.

The veteran was injured in the second period of yesterday’s game against the Flyers.  While trying to get back to the bench, he wound up intercepting the puck and made a quick pass that eventually led to an assist.  Unfortunately for Palmieri and the Isles, it will be his final point of the season, capping his 2025-26 totals at six goals and 12 assists in 25 games.  It will also put an end to his team ironman streak which had lasted 223 consecutive games.

The injury is certainly a big blow to a New York attack that sits in the middle of the pack heading into today’s action.  Palmieri had notched 54 goals over the last two seasons combined which had earned the 34-year-old a two-year, $9.5MM deal back in the spring.  At first glance, either rookie Max Shabanov or veteran Anthony Duclair seem likely to get the first chance to take Palmieri’s spot in their top six forward group.  They should also get center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body) back before the holiday break.

This is the second major long-term injury for the Isles within the last seven days.  Back on Sunday, it was revealed that defenseman Alexander Romanov would miss five to six months due to shoulder surgery, taking a key veteran off their back end.

The Islanders are carrying a roster that narrowly operates outside LTIR at the moment, checking in with a projection of $32K in cap space, per PuckPedia.  It’s likely that will be changing in the near future if they elect to call someone up from AHL Bridgeport to take Palmieri’s place.  Pierre Engvall, who is out for the season with an ankle injury, is already on LTIR.  With them knowing that his season is over already and Romanov at least eligible for regular LTIR (carrying $3.82MM in potential added flexibility instead of the full contract value), New York shouldn’t get to a point where they need to make a decision on putting Palmieri on season-ending LTIR which would make him ineligible to return late in the playoffs.

But operating in LTIR for the foreseeable future – if not the rest of the season – will have consequences down the road.  Matthew Schaefer and Shabanov have significant performance bonuses in their respective deals ($7MM combined) so any of those will likely now be charged against their 2026-27 books as a team that finishes up the year in LTIR has to take any bonuses earned as a carryover penalty.

Edmonton Oilers Activate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

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The Edmonton Oilers are getting some much-needed reinforcements. The Oilers announced they have activated forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins from their injured reserve. Having 22 players on the active roster beforehand, Edmonton didn’t need to make a corresponding roster move.

Despite missing the last three weeks with an undisclosed injury, Nugent-Hopkins remains the fourth-highest-scoring forward on the Oilers’ roster. It highlights the Oilers’ challenges in spreading the offense around this year. At the time of writing, 44% of Edmonton’s goals this year have come from three players: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Jack Roslovic.

Still, having Nugent-Hopkins back in the mix will alleviate some of those issues. Throughout his 9-game absence, Edmonton has managed a 4-4-1 record, averaging 3.3 GF/G.

The former first-overall pick’s performance this year has been somewhat of a mixed bag. He’s returned to a point-per-game average, scoring five goals and 16 points in 16 games, averaging 18:49 of ice time. However, his defensive metrics have completely cratered.

Although not perceived as one of the best defensive forwards in the game, Nugent-Hopkins has garnered votes for the Selke Trophy in the past, and he’s averaged a quality 90.3% at even strength throughout his time with the Oilers. However, this season, he’s averaged an 85.3% in that department, which would be the worst of his career by a significant margin.

Furthermore, he appears to have lost some of his mojo in the faceoff dot. He averaged a respectable 48.2% success rate over the past two years, but has seen it crumble to 41.3% this season. That’s likely why the Oilers’ coaching staff has primarily played Nugent-Hopkins on McDavid’s wing this season, rather than have him centering his own line.

Regardless, scoring depth and subpar defensive play from Nugent-Hopkins are hardly Edmonton’s biggest concerns this season. Despite getting off to slow starts over the past few years, the Oilers have struggled to overcome their goaltending woes.

Through American Thanksgiving, the Oilers are 10-10-5, putting them sixth in the Pacific Division and 11th in the Western Conference with the third-worst goal differential in the league. Nearly all of that can be placed on the backs of netminders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, who have produced a combined .860 SV% on the year.

Bruins Place Henri Jokiharju On IR, Recall Michael Callahan On Emergency Basis

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More clarity has been provided on defenseman Michael Callahan’s status from the Boston Bruins’ optional skate this morning. Boston announced that Callahan has been recalled on an emergency basis, and the team has placed defenseman Henri Jokiharju on the injured reserve, retroactive to November 28th.

There hasn’t been much insight into the nature of Jokiharju’s injury, though it’s obviously connected to the Bruins’ loss to the New York Rangers yesterday. It’s something that must have been discovered postgame, as the Finnish rearguard tallied one assist while skating in 20:51 of action.

Regardless, it’s another injury to Boston’s defensive core, who’s already without Charlie McAvoy and Jordan Harris. Despite the injuries, the Bruins haven’t relied on Jokiharju too much, as he’s registered six assists in 25 games on the year while averaging 17:23 of ice time.

Additionally, while Jokiharju’s value has typically stemmed from his play on the defensive side of the puck, he has been one of the worst performers in that regard for Boston this season. Of defensemen on the team with more than 20 games played, Jokiharju is second to last on the roster with an 88.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength. This comes after averaging a 90.8% across six years with the Buffalo Sabres.

Meanwhile, Callahan finds himself in a familiar position, albeit on an emergency basis. He’s spent a significant portion of his season serving as a depth defenseman for the Bruins, though he’s only appeared in three contests up to this point. In Providence, Callahan has registered two assists in 12 games with a +6 rating.

Bruins Activate Casey Mittelstadt, Recall Georgii Merkulov

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Nov. 29th: There are conflicting reports regarding Callahan’s reassignment. According to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Callahan is on the ice for the team’s optional skate this morning before their matchup against Detroit. Additionally, the AHL Transactions page hasn’t registered Callahan’s reassignment at the time of writing. However, if Callahan hasn’t been returned to Providence, the Bruins would have one extra player on their active roster. Players reassigned from the NHL to the AHL must play in one contest before being eligible for recall, and the AHL Bruins play against the Belleville Senators this evening.

Nov. 28th: The Bruins announced four roster moves this morning, including the news that center Casey Mittelstadt has been activated from injured reserve and will play in today’s matinee against the Rangers. With news from head coach Marco Sturm today that top-six forwards David Pastrňák and Pavel Zacha sustained minor injuries in Wednesday’s win over the Islanders and are out day-to-day (via Scott McLaughlin of WEEI), Boston also recalled forward Georgii Merkulov from AHL Providence. The Bruins opened two roster spots by placing winger Matěj Blümel on long-term injured reserve and reassigning defenseman Michael Callahan to Providence.

Mittelstadt’s appearance today is his first after a nine-game absence. He’s been listed as week-to-week since sustaining a lower-body injury on Nov. 6.

Getting one top-six forward back is a key bit for a team that just lost two of its three top scorers, particularly if Pastrňák and Zacha will miss any significant length of time. Mittelstadt is in his first full season with the B’s after being acquired for Charlie Coyle from the Avalanche at last year’s deadline. He hasn’t been offensively overpowering since his arrival. He’s posted an 8-7–15 scoring line with a -17 rating in 33 appearances, including nine points in 15 games this year. That’s below his career-average pace of 15 goals and 44 points per 82 games.

It’s a rushed return for Mittelstadt, who didn’t even take a full practice before re-entering the lineup today in the wake of Pastrňák and Zacha’s injuries. Before getting hurt, he had shifted to the wing on a line with Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson. That line had outscored opponents 8-4 at 5-on-5 and controlled 50.6% of shot attempts. He won’t have either of them to skate with today, though, as Arvidsson’s been on injured reserve since Nov. 17 and is out indefinitely. He’s skating on a unit with Marat Khusnutdinov and the hastily recalled Merkulov.

Merkulov, 25, has been one of Boston’s top minor-league producers for years but has never landed an extended NHL opportunity. An undrafted free agent signed out of Ohio State in 2022, he’s got just one assist in 10 NHL games to date despite getting a decently long leash, averaging 12:28 of ice time per game. The playmaking pivot has never registered under 50 points in an AHL season and is again on track to pass that plateau in 2025-26. Through 17 appearances for Providence, he’s rattled off six goals and eight assists for 14 points to sit third on the team in scoring. He now has a 76-117–193 scoring line in 218 career AHL games, putting him seventh in the league in scoring since his rookie year in 2022-23.

The Bruins had already said Blümel would miss significant time. The 25-year-old winger, who was also a relatively recent recall from Providence to compensate for the Bruins’ bevy of injuries to their forward group, left Wednesday’s game in the first period with a lower-body injury. An LTIR placement means Blümel is ineligible for the next 10 games and 24 days. The earliest he can return is Dec. 20 against the Canucks. Despite seeing first-line minutes with Pastrňák and Zacha, he’d gone without a point and had a -3 rating in four games since his call-up.

Callahan has served as an extra defenseman for the B’s for a good chunk of the season as Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy and Jordan Harris have each dealt with long-term absences. He’s a luxury they can’t afford to roster with Pastrňák and Zacha not expected to be out long enough to warrant an IR placement. Once the Bruins can return a forward to Providence, he’ll likely find himself back up in the NHL.

Calvin de Haan Signs Two-Year Extension With Rögle BK

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Veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan isn’t returning to the NHL anytime soon. It has been announced that de Haan has signed a new two-year extension with the SHL’s Rögle BK.

It’s relatively quick work on a new contract. The 34-year-old rearguard is in his first professional season overseas after signing with Rögle in mid-September of this year.

There’s no questioning why de Haan would want to stay, either. The former 12th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft is enjoying one of the best seasons of his professional career, scoring three goals and eight points through his first 17 games.

That level of offensive production doesn’t necessarily jump off the page, though it’s good for top-25 among blueliners in the SHL. Additionally, he’s playing on a successful Rögle that is currently positioned in second place in the league.

Odds are, unless he finds an unexpected new level to his game, that this is the last contract de Haan will sign in his career. Before moving overseas, de Haan enjoyed 13 years in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Rangers.

Relegated to a depth role toward the end of his tenure in the NHL, de Haan’s best playing days were undoubtedly with the Islanders. From the 2013-14 season to 2017-18, de Haan scored 12 goals and 81 points in 303 games while averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time. He was no stranger to sacrificing his body either, amassing 687 blocked shots and 566 hits during that stretch.

Senators Looking To Add But Won’t Go “Big Game Hunting”

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The Ottawa Senators have been on a gradual climb since being taken over by owner Michael Andlauer and general manager Steve Staios. That ascension helped justify their acquisition of center Dylan Cozens and winger Fabian Zetterlund at the 2025 Trade Deadline. Those additions helped push the Senators to their first playoff appearance since 2017 – but the team’s rise isn’t over yet. Ottawa ranks second in the Atlantic Division through the early season and is now hoping to land a forward and defenseman on the trade market, per TSN’s Darren Dreger and Jamie Duthie in their intermission segment during Friday’s loss to the St. Louis Blues and captured by Julian McKenzie of The Athletic.

Dreger added that he doesn’t expect the Senators to be “big game hunters” and that top prospect Carter Yakemchuk would be off the table in trade negotiations. Yakemchuk is playing through his first professional season and currently has 14 points and a minus-11 in 20 games with the AHL’s Belleville Senators. He’s a hard-hitting, offensive-defenseman who seems well equipped to bring his flashy offense to Ottawa sooner rather than later.

If Yakemchuk is off the table, Ottawa is likely to exclude any of their top prospects in negotiations. That could include University of Wisconsin defender Logan Hensler who the team acquired after trading back in this year’s draft, and winger Stephen Halliday who scored his first NHL point last week. That could leave Ottawa in a bit of a bind. Their acquisition of Zetterlund revolved around a package of future assets, and the Senators sit in the top-half of oldest rosters in the NHL.

That could make draft capital their shiniest asset headed into the trade season. The Senators are without their first and second round picks in the 2026 draft, but have all of their top picks in the drafts beyond that. They also have Buffalo’s second-round pick in 2026, which could be valuable if the Sabres stay near the bottom of the league. A couple of high-value draft picks should be enough to land Ottawa a few difference-makers on the open market, especially if they’re willing to package them with a prospect like Blake Montgomery or Gabriel Eliasson.

Who Ottawa could go after will be a tough question. Calgary Flames assets Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson are both #1’s at their position, and likely represent that big game hunting Dreger mentioned. Instead, Ottawa could find a match pursuing St. Louis Blues veterans Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. Or maybe they could benefit from the Nashville Predators continued struggles and acquire winger Jonathan Marchessault or Michael Bunting. Ottawa could even find a package deal from the San Jose Sharks, who are bound to be offering center Alexander Wennberg and defender Mario Ferraro on the open market.

The range of price could vary widely, and change significantly before the Trade Deadline in March. But there’s no doubt that Ottawa will be a welcome addition to a buyer’s market. There are plenty of former Stanley Cup champions and hopefuls available for trade, and landing one or two could go far in boosting Ottawa’s offense to Conference Final aspirations. The Senators are projected to have $13.68MM in cap space at the Trade Deadline and $22.57MM by next off-season, per PuckPedia. That should be more than enough room to squeeze one or two more players into the top of the Senators lineup. As proven last year, those mid-season additions could take Ottawa far.

Canadiens Sign Mike Matheson To Five-Year Extension

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6:30 p.m.: More details about Matheson’s new extension have been revealed. The deal carries a $5MM signing bonus through the first two seasons, a $3.8MM bonus in year-three, and a $3.5MM bonus in the final two years per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Pagnotta adds that the deal also carries a full no-movement clause in the first three years, a 14-team no-trade list in the fourth year, and a five-team no-trade list in the final year.

10:00 a.m.: The Canadiens have announced Matheson’s deal. It’s worth $30MM for a cap hit of $6MM, keeping him signed through the 2030-31 campaign.

9:48 a.m.: Another day, another high-value pending unrestricted free agent is taken off the board. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Montreal Canadiens are nearing a five-year extension with defenseman Mike Matheson. Marco D’Amico of RG Media confirmed that negotiations were headed in that direction, with an announcement expected as soon as today.

The extension finalizes the last important item on the Canadiens’ internal to-do list for the rest of the season. In the last five months alone, general manager Kent Hughes has inked Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson, and now Matheson to long-term extensions. This comes a year after the team did the same for Kaiden Guhle.

Montreal had plenty of space to make it happen as well. Before Matheson’s upcoming extension, the Canadiens had approximately $26MM in cap space for the 2026-27 campaign. Even though it’s expected that the 11-year veteran will earn a healthy raise on his current $4.875MM salary, Montreal will still have ample room to add.

There’s little argument to claim he wasn’t worth retaining either. Toward the beginning of his career with the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, Matheson had scored 49 goals and 138 points in 417 games with a -9 rating, averaging 20:15 of ice time in a top-four role. That production pales in comparison to his time in Quebec.

The 31-year-old blue liner has already surpassed his previous production in nearly half as many seasons. Though he earned more ice time in the offensive zone before the emergence of Hutson and the acquisition of Dobson, Matheson has scored 29 goals and 141 points in 232 games donning the bleu, blanc et rouge.

Still, there is some cause for concern. At even strength, Matheson hasn’t garnered above a 90% on-ice save percentage at even strength since his first year with the Canadiens, though some of that can be attributed to beginning 56.7% of his shifts in the defensive zone. Similarly, according to MoneyPuck, Matheson hasn’t produced a percentage above 50% on-ice goals share at any point during his time with Montreal.

As they’ve done this season by placing him alongside Dobson, Matheson will likely transition into a complementary piece rather than being expected to carry his defensive pairing. Comparatively, Dobson has only had one season in which he’s averaged less than 50% on-ice goals share.

Regardless, the Canadiens now have their top-four defensemen signed through the 2030-31 season, and that’s without considering the expected emergence of top prospect David Reinbacher. Now, with their last important internal negotiation out of the way, Hughes and the rest of Montreal’s front office can focus entirely on bringing a second-line center into the mix.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images. 

Kyle Palmieri Exits Due To Injury

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The New York Islanders announced mid-game that forward Kyle Palmieri will not return, due to a lower body injury. Early in the second period, the veteran hit Jamie Drysdale in the corner along the boards, and as Drysdale went down, he tripped Palmieri, who immediately favored his leg in pain after going down awkwardly. 

In a remarkable effort, despite it looking serious and potentially warranting a stoppage of play, Palmieri picked up his stick and limped to the bench, sneaking up behind Emil Andrae, and catching him completely off guard, stripping the puck and setting up an Emil Heineman goal, where Palmieri rightfully earned an assist. Making it a 3-1 game, the gutsy play sparked a comeback from the Islanders, who managed to tie the game and force overtime. 

At 34, Palmieri remains from a previous era for New York, but as an assistant captain, his presence in the lineup is undeniable. So far this season he has 17 points in 24 games, continuing to produce in a top line role, and currently averaging a career high in ice time, showing the trust Patrick Roy has in the local native. 

Noteworthy is Palmieri’s current consecutive games played streak, 223, good for 19th-best among active players, which is now in jeopardy. With New York having a strong start to the season, they’re already missing Alexander Romanov for several months, and J.G. Pageau is week-to-week. Therefore, updates on Palmieri will be closely watched in the next 24 hours. The Islanders are back in action on Sunday afternoon, hosting the Capitals. 

Afternoon Notes: Nylander Out, Domi Scratched, Schaefer

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This afternoon, Mark Masters of TSN shared that Maple Leafs star William Nylander will not play due to illness. Nylander was absent from practice yesterday in what was considered a maintenance day, but the Leafs will have to take on Washington without him, and hope for a return tomorrow versus Pittsburgh. 

Notably, even with the open spot, Max Domi will be a healthy scratch. It has not been a fun year so far for the 30-year-old, who has experienced a gradual decline in production from a strong first season with his hometown club. In 23 games this season Domi has just six points, is a -13, and is starting to face an uncertain future with the Leafs. Despite being signed until 2027-28 at a $3.75MM cap hit, it is his first healthy scratch as a Maple Leaf, with potentially more on the horizon. 

Winger Mattias Maccelli will re-enter the lineup today, after he was scratched on Wednesday. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • The Nashville Predators recalled forward prospect Reid Schaefer from AHL Milwaukee, and the 22-year-old is expected to make his NHL debut tonight in Chicago. Schaefer, a 2022 first round selection of his hometown Edmonton Oilers, before being traded to Nashville in the Mattias Ekholm deal, has been a top performer for Milwaukee with 14 points in 15 games. Despite the first round pedigree, and current output, Schaefer likely has a third line ceiling. Nashville hopes their prospect can pan out in a Lawson Crouse-type mold, but at the least, the 6’4” forward could become a fixture in the Predators’ new era in a bottom six role.

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