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Capitals Place Ryan Leonard And Charlie Lindgren On IR, Recall Two

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The Washington Capitals this morning announced a series of transactions: they have placed forward Ryan Leonard and netminder Charlie Lindgren on IR, and recalled forward Bogdan Trineyev and goalie Clay Stevenson from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Both IR placements are retroactive to Friday, meaning the earliest they’ll be able to return is Dec. 12.

The biggest name in these transactions is that of Leonard, the No. 8 overall pick at the 2023 draft and one of the Capitals’ top young players. Leonard was on the wrong end of a hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba in the team’s game Dec. 5, and appears to have suffered an upper-body injury as a result. Head coach Spencer Carbery said today that Leonard will miss “an extended period of time” with his injury.

Since the game, members of the Capitals, including Carbery and star forward Tom Wilson, have expressed frustration at Trouba’s hit on Leonard. Carbery said today of the hit: “it looks old school to me, like hunting a player that’s in a vulnerable spot.”

Wilson was critical of Trouba, saying the Ducks veteran “knows exactly what he was doing” and adding that Leonard was “in a vulnerable spot” when he was hit. Wilson has himself been suspended multiple times in the past for illegal checks, including a 20-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head delivered in a 2018 preseason contest.

Losing Leonard to IR as a result of Trouba’s hit is an unfortunate development for the Capitals. The rookie has impressed to start 2025-26, scoring 18 points in 29 games. His blend of competitiveness and skill is one many teams covet, and a combination of traits the Capitals have benefited from greatly whenever he’s been on the ice.

The forward the Capitals recalled to fill Leonard’s spot on the roster, Trineyev, isn’t likely going to be able to match what Leonard is able to contribute on a nightly basis. The 23-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut. He scored 22 points in 62 AHL games last season, but has seen his production tick upward so far this year. Trineyev has 12 points in 16 games for Hershey so far in 2025-26. Standing 6’3″, 206 pounds, Trineyev may at least be able to replace some of the physical edge Leonard provides, even if he is less likely to match Leonard’s offense.

Lindgren last played Dec. 3 and has been dealing with an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old is in his fourth season in Washington, and has established himself as a quality full-time NHLer in the American capital. He played a career-high 50 games in 2023-24, posting a .911 save percentage. His performance that season earned him a third-place Vezina Trophy vote and a fifth-place Hart Trophy vote, coming from The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber who covers the Capitals.

Lindgren hasn’t been quite as good since that point, ceding the No. 1 role in Washington to Logan Thompson. Lindgren has a .893 save percentage in 10 games this season and posted an .896 in 39 games last year. Lindgren’s replacement on the NHL roster while he’s on IR is Stevenson. Stevenson is part of a tandem with Garin Bjorklund in Hershey, and has impressed thus far in his AHL career.

He has a .910 save percentage in 11 games this season, and while he was not as good in 2024-25, he had a .922 in 36 starts as an AHL rookie in 2023-24. Stevenson has played in one career NHL game to this point, an April 17 contest last season where he made 33 saves in a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Senators Reassign Hayden Hodgson

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12/07/25: The Senators announced this morning that Hodgson is headed back to AHL Belleville. Hodgson did dress for the Senators’ game last night, but played in less than two minutes of ice time.

12/06/25: As expected, the Ottawa Senators have recalled a forward for tonight’s contest with the news that Shane Pinto would miss with a lower-body injury. To that end, the Senators announced they have recalled Hayden Hodgson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators.

It’s the second recall of the year for Hodgson. The 29-year-old winger was first recalled on November 8th and spent the rest of the month with the Senators before being reassigned only a few days ago.

He was largely ineffective through his first trip of the season with Ottawa. Despite reaching a career-high of eight games played already, Hodgson went scoreless with a -1 rating, averaging 6:55 of ice time per game.

Additionally, his underlying metrics didn’t paint a better picture. At even strength, Hodgson managed a 48.0% CorsiFor% and 88.9% on-ice save percentage. Still, it isn’t easy nor fair to make too many judgments on a player who garnered such a limited opportunity.

Regardless, Hodgson typically doesn’t make his presence known on the offensive side of the puck, even during his tenure in the AHL. A hyperphysical forward, Hodgson has managed 490 PIMs across 234 AHL contests.

At any rate, it’s somewhat surprising that the Senators didn’t recall a more direct replacement to fill the void made by Pinto’s absence. Arthur Kaliyev, who signed with Ottawa this past summer, has been on a torrid pace with Belleville and will be ineligible for waivers for some time after clearing in early October. In 22 games with the AHL Senators, Kaliyev has scored 15 goals and 24 points, bringing similar skills to the roster as Pinto.

Canucks, Devils Reportedly Spoke Regarding Quinn Hughes

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During the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada yesterday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils have held talks related to the status of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. Friedman said that while he does “not believe there is anything imminent” regarding Hughes, “a conversation was had” between the two clubs “about where things stand and where they might be going.”

Per The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, Hughes commented on Friedman’s report last night, saying “It’s not like me, [Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford] and [Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald] hopped on a call, I wasn’t a part of that.” He added: “But obviously I’m aware that things like that could happen.”

As the Canucks have struggled to build a team capable of making a serious push towards Stanley Cup contention, the future of Hughes in Vancouver has come under increased scrutiny. The 26-year-old is under contract through 2026-27, and has shied away from verbally committing his future to the only NHL franchise he’s ever known to this point.

Two months ago, Hughes appeared on the 32 Thoughts podcast and appeared non-committal about his future in Vancouver. Jack Hughes expressed strong interest in playing with his older brother at some point in his career, and Quinn, when asked about Jack’s comments, said that he’d “of course” be interested in at some point playing with his two brothers in the NHL.

While that doesn’t mean Quinn is necessarily eyeing the upcoming expiration of his contract as his chance to play with Jack and Luke Hughes, the expiration of his contract does pose a potentially existential threat to the Canucks’ competitive hopes. For what it’s worth, it appears the Canucks have been planning for at least the possibility that Hughes will want to continue his NHL career elsewhere.

Drance reported on Nov. 25 that it’s “been evident for a while is that Vancouver has already undergone some level of contingency planning with regard to Hughes, dating back to this offseason.” He added that the team’s reported interest in Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram and Anaheim Ducks blueliner Pavel Mintyukov may have been part of the club’s long-term planning for the possibility of a Hughes departure, even if their first priority remains signing Hughes to an extension.

The Canucks’ diligence in planning for all potential outcomes related to Hughes may have influenced their decision to reportedly speak to the Devils more recently.

Because of the fact that New Jersey currently has both of Hughes’ brothers under contract, and appear to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, they’ve been pointed to as the clear front-runner to secure Quinn’s services should he appear on the trade market or in unrestricted free agency.

If Hughes makes it clear he is unwilling to sign an extension in Vancouver, one would have to imagine that the club would aggressively pursue trading Hughes for the best possible return. Hughes is in the middle of his prime and is among the league’s top defensemen.

Even with an expiring contract next season, the Canucks would likely receive a massive return of assets in exchange for Hughes, assets that could jump-start the club’s push back towards real Stanley Cup contention.

Speaking to the Devils to at least touch base on things, as Friedman has reported the Canucks have done, then becomes a natural part of preparing for all potential outcomes. If the Canucks eventually do consider trading Hughes, the Devils would instantly become a key team in the race to acquire him, so to speak with the Devils now allows the Canucks to at least begin to lay the groundwork for any future trade talks that could be held.

While as Friedman appeared to note, it still appears to be too early for the Canucks to get into serious conversations about what a Hughes trade would look like, it’s not too early for them to feel out the landscape of what teams might be interested in Hughes, and how interested those teams might be.

Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

West Notes: Danault, Pettersson, Rossi

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Yesterday evening, Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli reported that “trade chatter is picking up” around Los Angeles Kings pivot Phillip Danault. According to Seravalli, “multiple teams have inquired with LA on his availability,” and Danault could be one of the top centers available on the trade market, assuming the Kings have an appetite to deal him.

Danault, 32, has been one of the league’s more well-regarded defensive centers over the last half-decade or more. He finished seventh in Selke Trophy voting in 2018-19, beginning a streak of five consecutive years where he received votes as the league’s top defensive forward. While he has generally been a consistent offensive presence as a King, good for about 40 to 50 points of production, points have eluded him in 2025-26. Danault has just five points through 28 games this season, and has yet to register a goal.

At 32 years old, it’d be fair to be concerned that Danault’s offensive decline early in the season could be less a cold streak and more a signal of actual age-related decline. Complicating things further is the fact that Danault is under contract for another year at a $5.5MM cap hit, and owns a 10-team no-trade list per the terms of his contract. But if teams view Danault’s decline in production as more of a poor stretch than a sign of more permanent decline, then it’d be understandable that Danault would receive robust interest on the trade market.

Other notes from the Pacific Division:

  • Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote told the media last night, including The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, that center Elias Pettersson is dealing with an injury and is still being evaluated. Foote added that Pettersson will undergo further testing on Sunday, including an MRI. If the Canucks lose Pettersson for any period of time, their chances of winning games would be dealt a significant blow. For as much criticism as Pettersson has received over the last year, he’s upped his production to start 2025-26. He’s scored 22 points in 28 games this season, and while that’s not at the standard he set when he was a 102-point player in 2022-23, it is an improvement in scoring pace over last season.
  • On Thursday, we covered news coming out of Minnesota that Wild center Marco Rossi’s injury recovery was progressing at a slower rate than was initially expected. Today, The Athletic’s Joe Smith relayed word from Wild head coach John Hynes, who said that he still considers Rossi at this point to be out on a week-to-week basis. Rossi has been out since Nov. 11 and has 13 points in 17 games played in 2025-26.

David Pastrnak Questionable For Bruins’ Three-Game Road Trip

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The Boston Bruins could embark on a three-game road-trip through the Western Conference without their superstar goal-scorer. Winger David Pastrňák continued to skate on his own at Saturday’s practice and was designataed as questionable for the road-trip by head coach Marco Sturm, per Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy.

Pastrňák hasn’t played since November 26th due to an undisclosed injury. He has missed five games in that span, and could miss up to eight games if he isn’t able to travel with the Bruins. Boston lost two of their first three games without Pastrňák – but they rebounded with back-to-back wins in their last two games, where they outscored opponents 9-3.

Even though their luck has turned around, Boston still sorely misses Pastrňák in the lineup. He ranks second on the club in scoring with 11 goals and 29 points in 25 games. It’s yet another dominant season for the Czech star. He has stacked up 100-point seasons in each of the last three years – including a 61 goal, 113 point season in 2022-23. That was Boston’s highest scoring season since Adam Oates scored 142 points in 1992-93.

Pastrňák’s absence opened the door for Casey Mittelstadt to return to the lineup after more than 20 days out due to a lower-body injury. He has stepped up in the return with two points in his first two games back and another point in Saturday’s win over New Jersey. Mittelstadt is up to 11 points in 19 games this season. He has carved out an impactful role in Boston’s top-six, helping to sustain a Bruins offense that has the seventh-most goals in the NHL despite missing their 100-point scorer.

Jets To Host Canadiens In 2026 Heritage Classic

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The NHL announced that the Winnipeg Jets will host the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium for the 2026 Heritage Classic on October 25th. This will be the fifth time Montreal has played in an outdoor game. Their last was in 2017, when the Canadiens lost to the Ottawa Senators 3-0 in the NHL 100 Classic. Montreal has never hosted their own outdoor game.

The Heritage Classic has had an inconsistent schedule compared to the NHL’s other outdoor events. It has only been played seven times since its debut in 2003 – a debut that saw Montreal defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Montreal also appeared in the second Heritage Classic in 2011 – where they lost to Calgary 0-4.  Winnipeg also faced Calgary and Edmonton in a pair of Heritage Classics. The Jets flipped Montreal’s results, beating Calgary (2-1) but getting shutout by Edmonton (0-3). The most recent Heritage Classic – in October 2023 – was, coincidentally, saw the Oilers beat the Flames 5-2.

The 2026 Heritage Classic will mark the first outdoor game for many future NHL stars. Montreal will bring Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov, and Cole Caufield to their first outdoor matchup, while Winnipeg class of youngsters is led by Cole Perfetti. This could also be Jonathan Toews’ first outdoor game since 2019, if he re-signs with his hometown Jets next summer.

Princess Auto Stadium is home to the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who also a white-and-blue color scheme like the Jets. The Canadiens also share a red-and-blue color scheme with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, which could lead to an exciting jersey matchup, on top of what’s sure to be an impact matchup between two playoff hopefuls next season.

Flyers Recall Ty Murchison

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The Philadelphia Flyers have rewarded a top prospect with the first call-up of his NHL career. Defenseman Ty Murchison has been recalled to the NHL roster in the wake of an injury to top defender Cameron York. Murchison could make his NHL debut on Sunday, if York isn’t able to play.

Murchison is in his first year of pro hockey, after spending the last four years at Arizona State University. He made his AHL debut at the end of last season, and posted two points and a plus-two in his first four games. He’s stayed positive through his first full season this year with four points and 30 penalty minutes in 21 games. He also leads the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with a plus-nine.

Murchison is a hard-nosed, gritty defender. He has posted lofty penalty totals dating back to his days in AAA. He recorded 96 penalty minutes in 92 games, and two seasons, with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2019 to 2021. That physical presence earned Murchison a fifth-round selection to Philadelphia in 2021. He’s only grown in the years since and now stands at 6-foot-2, 207-pounds. While he may not rack up the scoring, Murchison offers a responsible, two-way game that could gel well at the bottom of Philadelphia’s lineup. He will compete with Emil Andrae for a depth role if he sticks on the roster. Andrae has six points in 16 NHL games – and five points in seven AHL games – this season.

Mammoth’s Logan Cooley Out With Lower-Body Injury

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The Utah Mammoth have announced that star center Logan Cooley will miss Saturday night’s game against the Calgary Flames due to a lower-body injury. He will be re-evaluated when Utah returns home on Monday. Cooley crashed hard into the net-posts late in Friday night’s win over the Vancouver Canucks. He was able to finish the game and it is not clear if that was the incident that led to this new injury.

Cooley’s timeline isn’t yet clear, but even one game without him will be too much. He leads the Mammoth with 14 goals, and also has 23 points, 13 shot blocks, and 34 hits in 29 games. He’s also served a key role on Utah’s top power-play unit. It’s a breakout year for the 21-year-old centerman, who seems capable of leading a next generation of Utah hockey alongside youngsters Dylan Guenther and J.J. Peterka.

Barrett Hayton will return to the lineup for the first time since December 1st in Cooley’s absence. It has been a down year for Hayton, who only has five points in 24 games so far. He has struggled to click with a reshaped Utah top-six and doesn’t offer the strength away from his skill to fit above Jack McBain or Kevin Stenlund in the bottom-six. That made Hayton a difficult asset to manage for the Mammoth. He’ll look to curb the slow streak in between rookie winger Daniil But and star Guenther on Saturday.

Hurricanes Activate Jesperi Kotkaniemi From Injured Reserve

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The Carolina Hurricanes have activated forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi from injured reserve. He missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury sustained while blocking a shot from Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek on November 14th. He was placed on injured reserve on November 25th.

Kotkaniemi is expected to return to the lineup in Saturday night’s match against the Nashville Predators. He has two goals, five points, 11 blocked shots, and 26 hits through 15 games this season. He’s alternated between the center and left-wing roles on Carolina’s fourth-line for much of the year. That rotation has limited him to only 115 faceoffs so far this season – of which he has only won 47 percent. That’s a far fall from the 51 percent he posted through his first four seasons in Carolina.

Carolina made room for Kotkaniemi’s return when they reassigned Justin Robidas on November 29th. Robidas stepped into two games on his last recall and posted one assist, one shot block, and three hits. Jordan Martinook stepped into the lineup in Robidas’ spot while Carolina waited for Kotkaniemi to return to full health. Martinook will now step back out of the lineup, having posted nine ponits in 26 games this season.

Rangers Recall Jaroslav Chmelar, Reassign Brennan Othmann

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The New York Rangers have rewarded a rookie for a recent hot-streak in the AHL. Winger Jaroslav Chmelar has been recalled to the NHL after posting five points in his last five games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. That scoring brings him up to 11 points in 19 games on the year – fourth-most on Hartford. New York has reassigned wigner Brennan Othmann to make room for Chmelar’s addition.

New York is riding high entering December, witha 5-1-0 recor dacross their last six games. Othmann has served as the team’s extra forward for their last two games, but hasn’t pushed his way into the lineup since making his season debut in New York’s October 26th loss to the Calgary Flames. He posted no scoring and a minus-one in that match. Othmann has also recorded seven points and 29 penalty minutes in 15 games in the AHL. A return to the minors will give him a chance to play in his first game since November 29th.

Meanwhile, Chmelar will return to the NHL to compete with Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski for a spot on the fourth-line. He played in the first two games of his NHL career earlier this season and posted no scoring and one fight. His lineup competition hasn’t been much more productive – with Carrick sat at six points, and Brodzinski at five points, on the year.

Chmelar is in his third pro season, after spending two years at Providence College. In that short span, he has posted 42 points and a minus-33 in 97 AHL games. He’s on the rise this year, and could cement his spot as New York’s go-to rookie, depth forward with a strong return to the lineup.

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