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Jets Reassign David Gustafsson

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Oct. 10: Gustafsson cleared waivers and will head to the AHL, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Oct. 9: The Jets will place forward David Gustafsson on waivers today, head coach Scott Arniel said (via Murat Ates of The Athletic). He’ll be designated as a non-roster player in the interim to make room for Jonathan Toews, who was placed on injured reserve at the beginning of the week but is being activated before tonight’s home opener. It’s the first time in Gustafsson’s seven-year career in North America that he’s been exposed to the wire.

Winnipeg could have easily ferried waiver-exempt prospects Parker Ford or Brad Lambert to AHL Manitoba instead, so seeing them instead risk losing Gustafsson on waivers is a notable development. Neither Ford nor Lambert is projected to be in tonight’s lineup, but they’ve now both broken camp with the Jets in earnest alongside fellow youngster Nikita Chibrikov.

Gustafsson, 25, has been a sound two-way depth piece but never developed offensively as Winnipeg hoped for when selecting him in the second round of the 2018 draft. He’s never pushed his way above a 13th/14th forward role and has only averaged 25 appearances per year over his six NHL campaigns. He’s been a non-factor on the scoresheet as a result, never scoring more than three goals or seven points in a season. Over the last three years, only 13 forwards with at least 100 games played have produced a lower points per game than Gustafsson’s 0.157 clip.

Of course, no one will produce many points when their ice time is as limited as Gustafsson’s is. He averaged 8:59 per game last year, and that’s 11 seconds above his career average. He does carry value as a fourth-line fill-in down the middle due to his faceoff acumen, boasting a 51.2% success rate in 689 career trips to the dot. He also had impressive possession impacts last season, controlling 51.0% of shot attempts at even strength despite 74.4% of his zone starts coming in the defensive end.

If he clears waivers, he’ll head to Manitoba. He hasn’t seen AHL ice since recording three assists in six games on a conditioning stint in the 2023-24 season. His last full-time assignment to the Moose was in 2021-22, when he put together a respectable 15-15–30 scoring line in 47 games.

Avalanche Activate Ilya Solovyov

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The Avalanche have added defenseman Ilya Solovyov to their active roster, according to Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports. He started the year on the non-roster list, awaiting his work visa after Colorado claimed him off waivers from the Flames last week. The Avs cleared a roster spot earlier in the week by assigning fellow defender Jack Ahcan to the minors.

As a result, Solovyov has been cleared to practice with the team and will be available for Colorado’s third game of the season tomorrow. They’re 2-0-0 to start the year after handling the Kings on opening night and eking out a 2-1 win over the Mammoth yesterday. The Avs’ defense has held up decently well so far as constructed, so it’s likely Solovyov could be relegated to the press box for a while unless an injury occurs. The team has hovered around a league-average 29 shots against per game but has been propped up by a hot start between the pipes from Scott Wedgewood, who’s saved 56 of 58 shots faced for a .966 SV%, while starter Mackenzie Blackwood remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Even still, the 25-year-old Solovyov is ticketed for his most regular NHL role yet. The 2020 seventh-round pick had been a tweener for the last two years in Calgary, making 10 appearances in 2023-24 and five in 2024-25. He’s got four assists and a -6 rating in those 15 career contests and averaged 15:49 per game. The 6’3″ lefty was a physical force in those call-ups, recording 25 blocks and 26 hits, but overall struggled to control possession with a 47.0 CF% at even strength. The Avs will be hoping to boost that last number if he gets more consistent reps in the lineup.

Solovyov was waived to begin last season as well, but made it through. His claim came on the heels of a career year in the minors, posting a 6-22–28 scoring line and a +8 rating in 59 showings for AHL Calgary.

It might be worth watching if he gets a spot in the lineup over Sam Malinski in the coming days. Their third pairing of Malinski and Josh Manson, both righties, has only controlled 41.7% of expected goals so far, while their top two pairings have both logged an xGF% of at least 60, per MoneyPuck. Solovyov’s claim was no doubt influenced by the fact that he’s a left shot, an area of Colorado’s depth chart lacking NHL-caliber depth behind Devon Toews and Samuel Girard.

Predators Likely To Activate Luke Evangelista

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The Predators are expected to activate winger Luke Evangelista from the non-roster list before tomorrow’s game against the Mammoth, according to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean. Nashville has an open roster spot, so no corresponding transaction is needed.

Evangelista was left off Nashville’s initial roster submission and was unavailable for last night’s season opener due to delays in receiving his work visa. While that wouldn’t usually be a hiccup for a returning player, Evangelista spent most of the summer as a restricted free agent and didn’t have a contract in place for this season until last Friday, inking a two-year, $6MM pact. The Ontario-born winger needed new U.S. documents as a result, which ate into his season.

He will take to the ice for the first time in 2025-26 as Nashville’s second-line right winger alongside Steven Stamkos and Fedor Svechkov, according to today’s practice lines (via Daugherty). There are no other apparent lineup changes, meaning it’ll be 2022 first-rounder Joakim Kemell heading to the press box after he skated in that slot last night. Kemell, 21, broke camp with the Preds for the first time after getting his first taste of NHL action in a two-game call-up last year. He skated 12:22 yesterday and, while he was held off the scoresheet, managed four shot attempts and three hits, although Nashville was outattempted 13-6 when he was on the ice at even strength.

If Evangelista sticks in the top six, it’ll represent an increase in his role compared to last year. He spent a good chunk of 2024-25 on Nashville’s third line with Mark Jankowski and Thomas Novak until both were traded to the Hurricanes and Penguins, respectively, near the trade deadline. He recorded a 10-22–32 scoring line in 68 appearances, bringing the 23-year-old’s career total to 33 goals and 86 points in 172 contests since making his NHL debut in the back half of the 2022-23 season.

In the event Kemell doesn’t get back into the lineup promptly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Preds reassign him to AHL Milwaukee in the coming days to get playing time. The 5’11” winger had 19 goals and 40 poitns in 65 AHL games last season.

Sabres Recall Joshua Dunne

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The Sabres announced this morning that they’ve recalled center Joshua Dunne from AHL Rochester. They don’t have an open roster spot, so a corresponding transaction is coming. That could be an injured reserve placement for Zach Benson, who’s day-to-day after taking a puck to the face in practice that resulted in a hospital visit, or for Joshua Norris, who departed last night’s home opener late with an apparent lower-body injury and didn’t return.

Dunne, 27 in December, was an undrafted free agent signed by the Blue Jackets out of Clarkson in 2021. He made his NHL debut immediately after signing his entry-level contract but has only seen limited NHL minutes since. He made 14 total appearances for Columbus until reaching Group VI unrestricted free agency in 2024, upon which he signed a two-year, $1.55MM deal with Buffalo that pays him a one-way salary of $775K this season.

The Missouri native made a pair of appearances for Buffalo in 2024-25, his first since April 2023. The 6’4″ pivot managed one shot on goal on four attempts but had a -3 rating in just 14:11 of total ice time across the two contests, also going 2-for-7 on faceoffs. Even for a fourth-line fill-in, his NHL track record is concerning. He has no points and a -10 rating in 16 career appearances with Columbus and Buffalo, has won just 37% of his draws, and his teams have been out-attempted 139-98 with him on the ice at even strength for a CF% of 41.4.

In the minors, Dunne has plateaued as a middle-six piece. He served as an alternate captain for Rochester last year and managed a 10-19–29 scoring line with a +7 rating in 68 appearances. He enters his sixth professional season with 46 goals and 94 points in 202 career AHL contests.

If it’s Benson landing on IR, his placement can be backdated to the beginning of the month, as he was dealing with a separate ailment before his facial injury. He’ll be eligible to come off at any time. An IR placement for Norris would rule him out of the next three games and make him eligible for a return on Oct. 18 against the Panthers.

Blackhawks Reassign Ethan Del Mastro

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The Blackhawks have assigned defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to AHL Rockford, the team announced this morning. There’s no corresponding transaction yet, but freeing up a roster spot may indicate winger Landon Slaggert could soon be ready to come off injured reserve.

Del Mastro, 22, was drafted by the Blackhawks in the fourth round in 2021 and made his big league debut three years later. The shutdown lefty enjoyed much more offensive success in his first pro season than anyone imagined, recording a 7-30–37 scoring line in 67 games for Rockford in 2023-24 in addition to his two-game, late-season NHL call-up. After his first taste of play with the Blackhawks, which saw him record two hits and a shot attempt while averaging 18:35 per game, he was sent back to Rockford to begin the 2024-25 campaign.

While his offense dried up, Del Mastro’s steady defensive play earned him a longer look in NHL minutes last year. Chicago first recalled him in January, and he spent the vast majority of the balance of the season up with the big club. He finished the season with a 2-4–6 scoring line in 24 appearances with a -3 rating, 21 blocks, and 40 hits while averaging 18:19 per contest. He didn’t see any special teams usage, but his even-strength possession impacts were promising, controlling 47.4% of shot attempts and 44.7% of expected goals – not impressive on their own but strong considering Chicago’s woeful possession control and Del Mastro’s defense-oriented deployment.

That showing led the Blackhawks to include him on their opening night roster earlier this week. He played their first game of the season against the Panthers on Tuesday, but was the odd man out when No. 1 defender Alex Vlasic was ready to return to the lineup last night after missing a game with a lower-body injury. Still with room to develop, Chicago would rather have Del Mastro playing regular minutes in Rockford than have him sit in Chicago’s press box. Del Mastro still has another season left to go until he’ll require waivers to head to the minors.

As for Slaggert, he started the year on IR after sustaining a minor hip injury in the preseason. It looked like opening night was a possibility for him initially, but he hasn’t been able to go yet. He’s eligible for activation before tomorrow’s game against the Canadiens.

Zach Benson Day-To-Day After Hospitalization

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Sabres winger Zach Benson was a late scratch from last night’s season-opening loss to the Rangers, with the team awarding him a day-to-day designation after he took a puck to the face in practice on Wednesday. Benson wasn’t initially expected to miss any time, but it turns out that what the club thought was just a superficial cut was more serious and required Benson to be admitted to the hospital, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters postgame (including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News). He’s expected to be discharged today.

It’s a brutal start for Benson, who was expected to shoulder top-line duties for Buffalo out of the gate on the left wing with Joshua Norris and Tage Thompson. They’re now potentially down two of that trio after Norris left the game late in the third period after he fell awkwardly while taking a faceoff, with Ruff saying he was “disturbed” by the fact Norris wasn’t able to return following the play.

Benson, 20, is entering his third NHL season and is looking to convert some strong advanced numbers into more appearances on the scoresheet. The 2023 No. 13 overall pick hit the ground running with 11 goals, 19 assists, and 30 points in 71 games in his rookie season, but plateaued in his sophomore year with a 10-18–28 scoring line in 75 appearances. He’s averaged 14:40 per game for his career and finished at a 9.6% clip. While the point production hasn’t jumped off the page, he’s been one of the Sabres’ best at controlling possession, particularly last year. No one on the team had a higher Corsi share at even strength than Benson’s 55.6%, and his most frequent line combo with Thompson and Jiri Kulich controlled a strong 57.7% of expected goals, according to MoneyPuck.

The Sabres are hoping early October brings the worst of their injury luck as they aim to end a 14-year playoff drought. They were down the entirety of their projected second defense pairing last night as well, with both Michael Kesselring and Owen Power on the shelf. Kesselring remains week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, while Power was initially expected to be activated from injured reserve yesterday but was a late scratch due to illness.

Injury Notes: Lindholm, Trocheck, Brodin

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The Boston Bruins announced tonight that veteran defenseman Hampus Lindholm has suffered a lower-body injury and will not return to their game against the Chicago Blackhawks. While there is obviously no further information on Lindholm’s status beyond that update, it is nonetheless far from encouraging news for one of Boston’s most important players.

It’s especially unfortunate for Lindholm to be forced out of a game due to injury so early in the season given the injury issues he faced in 2024-25. Injuries limited Lindholm to just 17 games played last season, the fewest of any year thus far in his 763-game NHL career. Lindholm is the Bruins’ clear number-two defenseman behind star Charlie McAvoy, averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice time last season including significant time on each of the two special teams. The hope will be that Lindholm’s removal from this game is more of a precautionary measure, and that this lower-body injury turns out to be something relatively minor, as much of the Bruins’ hopes for this season rest on the availability of one of their top blueliners.

Other notes from across the NHL:

  • The New York Rangers announced tonight that center Vincent Trocheck would not return to their game against the Buffalo Sabres due to an upper-body injury. While there is no word on the extent of Trocheck’s injury beyond being held out of the rest of tonight’s game, any extended absence would be a signifcant blow to the Rangers. Trocheck is an important all-situations second-line center for the Rangers. Not only does he center star winger Artemi Panarin and play on the Rangers’ first power play unit, he also was the team’s most-used penalty killing forward last season.
  • Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin remains out while he recovers from offseason upper-body surgery, though his absence may be coming to an end. Wild coach John Hynes told the media today, including the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Sarah McLellan, that Brodin’s return is “imminent.” Brodin is a veteran top-four blueliner who has battled persistent injury issues over the last few years. Last season, he was limited to just 50 games, and he has not reached the 70-game threshold since 2021-22.

Re-Signing Adam Lowry Top Priority For Winnipeg Jets

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After signing star winger Kyle Connor to an eight-year contract extension, attention has shifted in Winnipeg to the status of team captain Adam Lowry. The 32-year-old veteran center is a pending unrestricted free agent and appears poised to receive a solid raise off of the $3.25MM AAV he has earned on his current contract.

On TSN’s Insider Trading segment, Darren Dreger reported that while contract talks between the Jets and Lowry’s agent (Craig Oster of Newport Sports Management) are currently at a “preliminary” stage, reaching an agreement on an extension “is now a top priority.”

With Connor now locked in, Lowry is without question the Jets’ most important remaining pending unrestricted free agent. Not only does he play a significant role as a leader and captain, Lowry’s on-ice role for the Jets is also significant. He’s consistently scored right around 35 points in each of the last three seasons, but his calling card isn’t his offense, it’s his all-around value.

Lowry was the Jets’ top penalty-killing forward last season in terms of usage, and also was an asset at the faceoff dot, winning nearly 52% of his draws. He’s been able to match up against his opponents’ top scorers and more than hold his own. When one considers the whole of what he offers the Jets, both on and off the ice, it’s easy to make the case that he’s in the upper echelon of third-line centers in the NHL.

Examining the construction of the Jets’ roster, the importance of re-signing Lowry only becomes more clear. The Jets’ other middle-six center candidates this season are Jonathan Toews, who is also a pending unrestricted free agent, and Vladislav Namestnikov, who is under contract for an additional year but is set to turn 33 in November. In other words, the Jets do not appear to have someone ready in the organizational pipeline to be able to fill the void losing Lowry would create in future seasons.

As for what Lowry could earn, the projected sharp increase of the salary cap combined with new record-setting contracts makes projecting his contract extension a more challenging exercise. Lowry is not the same caliber of player as the stars who have re-set the forward market, of course, but just as the price ranges for star players will rise, so will the price range for players expected to fill spots lower in the lineup.

AFP Analytics projects a two-year, $3.92MM AAV contract extension for Lowry, a value that, while a modest raise from his current AAV, may not be a reflection of Lowry’s current market value. He’s not in line to shatter the market, but established centers, especially ones who can make an all-around impact, are always in demand.

The Jets are expected to once again be one of the NHL’s top teams this season, and Lowry plays a key role in making their whole operation run smoothly. Based on Dreger’s report, it’s clear that the Jets understand Lowry’s importance, and have made re-signing him a top priority moving forward.

Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

Sabres Expected To Activate Owen Power From IR

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5:32 p.m.: While Power’s cleared to return from his injury, he’s now dealing with an illness that will keep him out of tonight’s opener, along with winger Zach Benson after he took a puck to the face in yesterday’s practice, the team announced. He’ll stay on IR for now as a result. Both are listed as day-to-day. Ryan Johnson and Tyson Kozak will enter the lineup in their place, according to Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.

10:21 a.m.: The Sabres are set to activate defenseman Owen Power from injured reserve before tonight’s home opener against the Rangers, head coach Lindy Ruff implied (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550). Buffalo opened a roster spot yesterday by reassigning goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to AHL Rochester after he cleared waivers, so no corresponding transaction will be required.

Despite being listed on IR for the Sabres’ opening roster submission, Power won’t miss any time. He’s been dealing with a minor strain since the tail end of training camp and was unavailable for Buffalo’s final two preseason games. The team first told reporters he was banged up on Sep. 30, presumably when they backdated his IR placement. As such, he’s already “missed” the seven days required for the designation.

Power, the first overall pick of the 2021 draft, is entering his fourth full NHL season. He saw more conservative deployment in 2024-25 than he’s gotten used to, averaging 21:19 per game after hovering around the 23-24 minute range for his first two years. Nonetheless, he managed career highs across the board offensively with seven goals, 33 assists, and 40 points in 79 contests. His defensive involvement was a different story. His -13 rating, 26 hits, 73 giveaways, 51.5 CF%, and 45.2 xGF% at even strength were all career worsts.

As such, he’ll be looking to get his all-around game back on track – a significant factor in Buffalo ending its 14-season playoff drought. While the club brought in righty Michael Kesselring from the Mammoth in the JJ Peterka deal this offseason with the primary objective of deploying him as Power’s partner, they won’t be able to do that tonight. Kesselring also landed on IR to open the year with an undisclosed injury and remains week-to-week. It’ll be Jacob Bryson, who would likely be scratched if everyone is healthy, opening the year with Power as a result, according to Buffalo’s practice line rushes earlier this week (via Heather Engel of NHL.com).

Power, still just 22 years old, is beginning the second year of the seven-year, $58.45MM extension he signed in October 2023. The 6’6″ lefty leads all 2021 draftees with 92 career assists, a touch ahead of forwards Matty Beniers, Wyatt Johnston, and Mason McTavish.

Oilers Place Jake Walman On Injured Reserve

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The Oilers announced that defenseman Jake Walman is headed to injured reserve after sitting out last night’s season opener with an undisclosed injury. They’ll use his vacant spot to officially register forward Jack Roslovic’s contract and add him to the active roster after announcing his signing last night.

Walman suffered a setback in his recovery from the injury on Monday, according to the team’s Tony Brar. That was hours after the club announced a seven-year, $49MM extension for the pending unrestricted free agent, in addition to locking up captain Connor McDavid for another two years after this one. He hasn’t played since logging over 21 minutes of ice time in Edmonton’s preseason opener against the Flames on Sep. 21, so his IR placement will be backdated to then, and he’ll be eligible for activation at any time.

A 2014 third-rounder, Walman is entering his first full season with the Oilers and his seventh NHL campaign overall. He’s coming off a breakout campaign that earned him that extension and saw him average almost 23 minutes per game across 65 appearances with the Sharks and Oilers, posting a 7-33–40 scoring line and +4 rating. If he’d not been banged up for nearly 20 games last year, he was on pace for a 50-point campaign in 82 games, ranking 22nd in the league in points per game.

It’s still not clear when Edmonton expects Walman to make his season debut. The lefty was widely expected to play mostly on his off side this season and round out Edmonton’s second pairing with Darnell Nurse. Alec Regula filled that spot last night in the Oilers’ shootout loss to the Flames, and it didn’t go very well. While the pairing controlled 63.8% of expected goals at 5-on-5,  he ended up being a -2 on the night.

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