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Training Camp Cuts: 9/29/24

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With just five days to go until the NHL’s first regular-season games for 2024-25, the rate of training camp cuts is speeding up. More players are beginning to land on waivers, while waiver-exempt fringe players are heading to teams’ AHL affiliates en masse. As always, we’ll keep track of Sunday’s cuts in this article.

Last updated 1:52 p.m. Monday

Anaheim Ducks (per team release)

F Judd Caulfield (to AHL San Diego)
F Ruslan Gazizov (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
D Dillon Heatherington (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
D Tyson Hinds (to AHL San Diego)
F Travis Howe (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
F Josh Lopina (to AHL San Diego)
F Nico Myatovic (to AHL San Diego)
D Roland McKeown (released from PTO to AHL San Diego)
F Sasha Pastujov (to AHL San Diego)
F Coulson Pitre (to AHL San Diego)
D Konnor Smith (to AHL San Diego)
F Jaxsen Wiebe (to AHL San Diego)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Joey Abate (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Drew Bavaro (assigned to AHL Providence)
G Ryan Bischel (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Frederic Brunet (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Michael Callahan (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Riley Duran (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Trevor Kuntar (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Fabian Lysell (assigned to AHL Providence)
G Nolan Maier (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Ryan Mast (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Adam Mechura (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Georgii Merkulov (assigned to AHL Providence)
D Mason Millman (assigned to AHL Providence)
F Jaxon Nelson (assigned to AHL Providence)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Clark Bishop (assigned to AHL Calgary)
D Jonathan Aspirot (assigned to AHL Calgary)

Chicago Blackhawks (per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope)

F Colton Dach (to AHL Rockford)
D Ethan Del Mastro (to AHL Rockford)
F Cole Guttman (to AHL Rockford)
F Ryder Rolston (to AHL Rockford)
F Samuel Savoie (to AHL Rockford)
F Landon Slaggert (to AHL Rockford)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Chase Bradley (to AHL Colorado)
F Tye Felhaber (released from PTO to AHL Colorado)
D Jacob MacDonald (to AHL Colorado) pending waivers
F Oskar Olausson (to AHL Colorado)
F Nikita Prishchepov (to AHL Colorado)

Edmonton Oilers (per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector)

F Sam O’Reilly (assigned to OHL London)
F Matthew Savoie (assigned to AHL Bakersfield)
F Seth Griffith (released from PTO to AHL Bakersfield)

Los Angeles Kings (per team releases)

F Martin Chromiak (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Aatu Jamsen (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Kaleb Lawrence (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Francesco Pinelli (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Koehn Ziemmer (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Angus Booth (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Jakub Dvorak (assigned to AHL Ontario)
G Erik Portillo (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Bryce Brodzinski (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Jacob Doty (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Shawn Element (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Charles Hudon (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Patrick Moynihan (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Quinn Olson (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
F Jake Wise (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Parker Berge (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Dru Krebs (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Jack Millar (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Luke Rowe (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Anthony Angello (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Easton Armstrong (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Alexander Campbell (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
G Magnus Chrona (to AHL Milwaukee)
G Drew DeRidder (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Jordan Frasca (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Kevin Gravel (to AHL Milwaukee)
G Ethan Haider (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jeremy Hanzel (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kale Howarth (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Lucas Johansen (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Joakim Kemell (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jake Livingstone (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Jake Lucchini (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kyle Marino (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Jack Matier (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Navrin Mutter (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Chad Nychuk (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
F Cal O’Reilly (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)
D Luke Prokop (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Reid Schaefer (to AHL Milwaukee)
D Ryan Ufko (to AHL Milwaukee)
F Kevin Wall (released from PTO to AHL Milwaukee)

New York Islanders (per Newsday’s Andrew Gross)

F William Dufour (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Aidan Fulp (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Marc Gatcomb (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Isaiah George (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Alex Jefferies (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Eetu Liukas (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Matthew Maggio (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Travis Mitchell (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Calle Odelius (to AHL Bridgeport)
F Cam Thiesing (to AHL Bridgeport)
G Henrik Tikkanen (to AHL Bridgeport)
D Marshall Warren (to AHL Bridgeport)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement)

G Eetu Mäkiniemi (to AHL Lehigh Valley)

San Jose Sharks (per team release)

F Mitchell Russell (to AHL San Jose)
F Lucas Vanroboys (to AHL San Jose)
F Anthony Vincent (to AHL San Jose)
D Artem Guryev (to AHL San Jose)
D Braden Hache (to AHL San Jose)
D Valtteri Pulli (to AHL San Jose)
D Joey Keane (to AHL San Jose)

St. Louis Blues (per team release)

D Jérémie Biakabutuka (to AHL Springfield)
D Michael Buchinger (to AHL Springfield)
G Will Cranley (to AHL Springfield)
F Tanner Dickinson (to AHL Springfield)
F Antoine Dorion (to QMJHL Québec)
F Dalibor Dvorský (to AHL Springfield)
G Colten Ellis (to AHL Springfield)
D Marc-Andre Gaudet (to AHL Springfield)
D Samuel Johannesson (to AHL Springfield)
F Aleksanteri Kaskimäki (to AHL Springfield)
D Leo Lööf (to AHL Springfield)
D Anton Malmström (to AHL Springfield)
F Dylan Peterson (to AHL Springfield)
F Marcus Sylvegård (to AHL Springfield)

Tampa Bay Lightning (per Bally Sports Florida’s Gabby Shirley)

F Dylan Duke (to AHL Syracuse)
F Gabriel Dumont (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Jaydon Dureau (to AHL Syracuse)
F Lucas Edmonds (to AHL Syracuse)
G Ryan Fanti (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Tyson Feist (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Dyllan Gill (to AHL Syracuse)
G Brandon Halverson (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Niko Huuhtanen (to AHL Syracuse)
F Kale Kessy (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Jujhar Khaira (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Milo Roelens (to AHL Syracuse)
D Roman Schmidt (to AHL Syracuse)
F Lukas Svejkovsky (to AHL Syracuse)
F Gabriel Szturc (to AHL Syracuse)
F Joel Teasdale (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
F Daniel Walcott (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)
D Scott Walford (released from PTO to AHL Syracuse)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

F Tristen Nielsen (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
F Danila Klimovich (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
G Ty Young (assigned to AHL Abbotsford)
F Chase Wouters (released from PTO to AHL Abbotsford)
F Vilmer Alriksson (assigned to OHL Guelph)

Washington Capitals (per team announcement)

D Logan Day (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
F Pierrick Dube (to AHL Hershey)
F Zac Funk (to AHL Hershey)
G Mitchell Gibson (to AHL Hershey)
D Vincent Iorio (to AHL Hershey)
D Nicky Leivermann (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
D Jake Massie (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
D Jon McDonald (released from PTO to AHL Hershey)
F Luke Philp (to AHL Hershey) injured, pending waivers
F Ilya Protas (to OHL Windsor)
F Henrik Rybinski (to AHL Hershey)
F Spencer Smallman (to AHL Hershey) injured, pending waivers
G Clay Stevenson (to AHL Hershey)
F Alexander Suzdalev (to AHL Hershey)
F Bogdan Trineyev (to AHL Hershey)

Winnipeg Jets (per the team’s Mitchell Clinton)

F Colby Barlow (to OHL Owen Sound)
G Domenic DiVincentiis (to AHL Manitoba)
F Parker Ford (to AHL Manitoba)
F Daniel Torgersson (to AHL Manitoba)
F Brayden Yager (to WHL Moose Jaw)

Bruins Cut Top Prospect Fabian Lysell From Camp

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The Boston Bruins have announced that star prospect Fabian Lysell has been reassigned to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, as part of 18 training camp cuts made today. A full list of cuts can be viewed here. Lysell was perhaps the single most anticipated player at Boston’s camp this year, looking to finally vindicate his first-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. He is one of 11 first-rounders taken that year yet to make his debut, though peers like Fedor Svechkov and Sebastian Cossa could shift that tide in their own training camp battles.

Lysell has been the focal piece of Providence’s offense over the last few seasons, working his way into a top-line role after a turbulent start to his career in North American pros. The Swedish national moved to the AHL in 2022-23, following one season in Sweden’s SHL and one with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. He came out of the gates on fire, scoring nine points through his first six AHL games, and 19 points in 20 games across the year’s first half. That scoring made him an easy choice for Sweden’s 2022 World Juniors team, but he’d end up without any scoring (and 29 penalty minutes) in seven tournament games. Even worse, he brought the bug back with him – taking a hit to his production with only 18 points across Providence’s final 34 games.

But the flashy forward flung the monkey off his back last season, proudly taking on top-end minutes and scoring consistently. He ended up with 50 points in 56 games, a boost from the 37 points in 54 games he totaled as an AHL rookie. That return to scoring form seemed to give Lysell all of the momentum needed to finally earn an NHL debut this season, but it seems that’s not the early plan in Boston, as they instead opt to keep bruiser presences like Mark Kastelic, Justin Brazeau, and John Beecher. Boston sat perfectly average in terms of penalty minutes last season, with 780 total PIMs tied with the Rangers and Oilers for the league’s median. They, perhaps consequently, were quickly eliminated by the eventual-champion Florida Panthers in last year’s Second Round – and could be looking to spur that precedent with a preference of size over skill in this year’s roster building.

This certainly won’t be the last that Bruins fans hear about Lysell, one of only two first-round picks Boston has made since 2020. A move back to the minors should provide him an instant smash-role, and may even give him a chance to rival the league-leading scoring previously set by the likes of Logan Stankoven and Cole Perfetti. All three are undersized players who punch above their weightclass – and the latter two have each clawed their way up NHL depth charts. Lysell is preparing for that clawing this year, though could be a lucrative trade candidate if Boston continues to struggle to fit him in.

Flames Sign Andrew Basha To Entry-Level Contract

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The Calgary Flames have signed forward Andrew Basha to an entry-level contract. The deal was first reported by Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. Pike reports that the deal is a three-year contract, though Basha’s late birthday makes him eligible for two contract slide-years, should he stay in the WHL for the next two seasons. That doesn’t seem likely, as a full WHL season this year would make Basha eligible for the AHL at the start of next season.

Basha was the lesser-mentioned name on the Medicine Hat Tigers’ top-line last season, shadowed by top-10 2024 NHL Draft prospect Cayden Lindstrom and hopeful 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna. But he earned high acclaim of his own despite that, garnering attention with intelligent and reliable decision-making on every shift. Basha knows how to make an impact, playing above his 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame thanks to strong positioning and a tireless motor. Basha got a great chance to show off in the 2023-24 season’s second half, while Lindstrom missed extended time with a hand injury. He ultimately worked his way to a dazzling 30 goals and 85 points in 63 games this season, offering the gut punch behind Lindstrom and McKenna’s haymakers upon Lindstrom’s return.

That’ll be the role Basha returns to this year, looking to champion Medicine Hat’s second line behind new addition Ryder Ritchie, who the Tigers acquired in exchange for Tomas Mrsic and two draft picks. Ritchie managed 44 points in 47 WHL games last year, boasting much of the same IQ and drive that makes Basha’s game special. The Tigers will hope those similarities give them impact-makers throughout the lineup, while Calgary hopes for a big year from Basha as he plans to command his own line for a full season.

Arber Xhekaj Fined By Department Of Player Safety

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The NHL Department of Player Safety has fined Montreal Canadiens defender Arber Xhekaj $3,385.42 – the maximum allowed under the CBA – for an infraction with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare. The incident was retaliation for an awkward knee-to-knee collision that Pare delivered to Habs winger Patrik Laine, who had to be helped off the ice and is out indefinitely. Pare was not penalized for his hit on Laine, while Xhekaj received a minor roughing penalty, 10-minute instigating misconduct, and game misconduct for fighting. Both incidents occurred in the game’s first period.

This, surprisingly, marks the first run-in with the DoPS for the enforcer Xhekaj, though he received numerous suspensions during his days in the OHL for blindside hits and instigating fights. That’s the hard-nosed style he’s leaned into early into his pro career, recording a staggering 182 penalty minutes across his first 95 NHL games. That includes 101 penalty minutes in 51 games as a rookie, a penalty-per-game average similar to what players like Kevin Bieksa and Colton Orr managed in their first seasons. Xhekaj hasn’t offset those penalties with much scoring, netting just 23 points across his NHL career – though he did manage a more stout 11 points in 17 AHL appearances last year.

Xhekaj will look to translate that production – and after this fine, likely more poise – into a full year with the Canadiens this year. He’s currently in competition with players like Jayden Struble and Kaiden Guhle for a spot on Montreal’s third-pair, though could end up the de facto seventh man thanks to his typecast as a bruiser. The Canadiens could use all the physical presence that they can get this year, as they anticipate a lineup potentially featuring all of Lane Hutson, Alex Newhook, Joshua Roy, and Nick Suzuki.

Waiver Wire: 9/29/24

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The hockey world is one week closer to the start of the regular season, with October rolling around in just a few days. That’s sparked a flurry of decisive roster cuts as teams finalize their roster or – in the case of teams like Buffalo, New Jersey, and New York – prepare for trips overseas. As always, we’ll track the day’s waiver placements here.

Boston Bruins (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Marc McLaughlin (assigned to AHL Providence)

Calgary Flames (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Martin Frk (assigned to AHL Calgary)
F Justin Kirkland (assigned to AHL Calgary)

Chicago Blackhawks (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Zach Sanford (assigned to AHL Rockford)
F Brett Seney (assigned to AHL Rockford)

Edmonton Oilers (per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector)

D Cam Dineen (assigned to AHL Bakersfield)
D Connor Carrick (assigned to AHL Bakersfield)

Los Angeles Kings (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Glenn Gawdin (assigned to AHL Ontario)
F Tyler Madden (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Joe Hicketts (assigned to AHL Ontario)
D Reilly Walsh (assigned to AHL Ontario)

Minnesota Wild (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Adam Raska (assigned to AHL Iowa)
D Cameron Crotty (assigned to AHL Iowa)
D Joseph Cecconi (assigned to AHL Iowa)

Montreal Canadiens (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Lucas Condotta (assigned to AHL Laval)
F Brandon Gignac (assigned to AHL Laval)

Nashville Predators (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Kieffer Bellows (assigned to AHL Milwaukee)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (assigned to AHL Milwaukee)
G Matt Murray (assigned to AHL Milwaukee)

St. Louis Blues (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Mathias Laferriere (assigned to AHL Springfield)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (assigned to AHL Springfield)
F Hugh McGing (assigned to AHL Springfield)
D Hunter Skinner (assigned to AHL Springfield)

Tampa Bay Lightning (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

D Tobie Paquette-Bisson (assigned to AHL Syracuse)
D Derrick Pouliot (assigned to AHL Syracuse)

Waiver Wire: 9/28/24

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09/29: All players on Saturday’s waiver wire have cleared, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

09/28: With the regular season fast approaching, activity on the waiver wire is quickly picking up.  We’ll keep tabs on who has been waived today here.  This post will be updated as more placements come in.

Calgary Flames (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

D Jonathan Aspirot
F Clark Bishop

Colorado Avalanche (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

D Wyatt Aamodt
G Kevin Mandolese
D Keaton Middleton

Nashville Predators (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Anthony Angello
D Kevin Gravel
F Jake Lucchini

New York Islanders (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Tyce Thompson

Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)

D Maxime Lajoie

Utah Hockey Club (per team announcement)

F Egor Sokolov

Vegas Golden Knights (per team announcement and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)

F Callahan Burke
F Grigori Denisenko
D Mason Geertsen
D Robert Hagg
F Mason Morelli
D Dysin Mayo
F Gage Quinney

Washington Capitals

F Ethen Frank
D Hardy Haman Aktell
F Alex Limoges
D Chase Priskie
F Riley Sutter

As for yesterday’s group, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that all players cleared waivers.

Metropolitan Notes: Milano, Tsyplakov, Vesey

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Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery isn’t enthused with winger Sonny Milano’s performance thus far this preseason, calling his showing “just okay” (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti). Carbery added Milano has “the benefit of the doubt” as a veteran, but the 28-year-old’s standing in the lineup certainly seems to be on thinner ice.

Line rushes still indicate Milano has the inside track at a third-line left wing role alongside Hendrix Lapierre and Aliaksei Protas, though. Now entering his third season with the Caps, the former Blue Jackets first-rounder had a career-high 15 goals in 49 games last year but added only eight assists for 23 points. It also came on the back of an unsustainably high 30% shooting rate – he averaged just over one shot on goal per game, the lowest of his career.

Milano doesn’t offer a ton of upside outside of scoring chance generation, so if that continues to dip, he could find himself on the outside looking in sooner rather than later. He has two years left on his contract at a $1.9MM cap hit and is facing competition for top-nine duties from PTO invite Jakub Vrána and 2022 first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko, among others.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov is back at practice Sunday after sustaining a lower-body injury Friday, NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner relays. Recent line rushes indicate the 26-year-old free agent signing out of Russia’s Spartak Moscow is nearly a lock to make the opening night roster, potentially on a new-look fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean. Viewed as the top international free agent on the market, Tsyplakov had a career-best 31 goals and 47 points in 65 games for Spartak last season.
  • Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday’s practice, head coach Peter Laviolette relayed (via the New York Post’s Mollie Walker). He’s being evaluated but doesn’t appear set to miss any significant time, he added. Vesey, 31, is entering the back half of a two-year, $1.6MM deal and had 13 goals and 26 points in 80 games for the Blueshirts last year.

Canucks Sign Vilmer Alriksson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Canucks have agreed to terms with forward prospect Vilmer Alriksson on a three-year, entry-level contract, general manager Patrik Allvin announced Sunday.

Alriksson will be on his way back to the OHL’s Guelph Storm this season. The 19-year-old played there last year after Vancouver drafted him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, finishing seventh on the team in scoring with 33 points (17 G, 16 A) in 67 games.

That isn’t particularly promising offensive production for a player in their post-draft year. But if he cracks the NHL roster someday, it won’t be as a goal-scorer – although he does have a decent shot for the minor-league level. The gargantuan Swede checks in at 6’6″ and 214 lbs, projecting out as a fourth-line piece with good defensive instincts in the majors.

Assigning Alriksson to juniors slides his entry-level contract for this season, meaning it won’t kick in until the 2025-26 campaign. As such, he’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry in the summer of 2028. He’ll still earn an $85K signing bonus for this season as part of the deal’s $2.58MM total value, per PuckPedia.

Pacific Notes: Pickard, Honzek, Räty

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Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard left Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Kraken midway through the first period with an apparent upper-body injury, writes The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman. The 32-year-old did not return to the bench after the play, and he saw his head hit the post as he fell backward after colliding with Kraken forward Yanni Gourde and teammate Philip Kemp.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch said postgame that Pickard is undergoing further evaluation and should receive an update on his status Sunday afternoon. For now, though, Edmonton’s No. 2 goalie option behind Stuart Skinner is questionable for the start of the regular season next week.

Pickard found his way back into full-time NHL action last season for the first time since 2018-19 after Jack Campbell faltered early, leading the Oilers to waive him and promote Pickard from AHL Bakersfield. The nine-year veteran was above-average the rest of the way, posting a .909 SV% and 2.45 GAA in 20 starts and three relief appearances en route to a 12-7-1 record. He signed a two-year, $2MM extension on June 28 to avoid hitting unrestricted free agency and stay in Edmonton.

The Oilers are projected to open the season with $946K in cap space and an open roster spot, per PuckPedia. That gives them plenty of flexibility to roster a third goalie on their opening night roster if Pickard’s absence is short-term and he isn’t eligible for long-term injured reserve.

That third goalie could be 24-year-old Olivier Rodrigue. The 2018 second-round pick is coming off a strong season in Bakersfield, where he posted a .916 SV% in 37 games. 52-game NHL veteran Collin Delia is also an option, but the 30-year-old struggled mightily with a .872 SV% in 32 games for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last year while in the Jets organization.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • Flames 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek is getting a long leash in the preseason, playing in four exhibition contests thus far. After he posted a +1 rating in 16:20 of ice time Saturday against the Canucks, Calgary head coach Ryan Huska said Honzek is “going to make it really hard on us” to leave him off the opening night roster. The 19-year-old Slovak sniper will be turning pro this season regardless. After posting 31 points in 33 games with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants last year, his November birthday means he’s old enough for a full-time AHL assignment in 2024-25.
  • In Vancouver, center prospect Aatu Räty is making a similarly strong impression. Acquired from the Islanders in the Bo Horvat swap in 2023, the 21-year-old pivot has looked promising in the preseason in a potential third-line role between Conor Garland and Nils Höglander, opines The Province’s Patrick Johnston. The 2021 second-round pick did have 52 points in 72 games for AHL Abbotsford last season, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. One factor working in his favor, as Johnston points out – he’s a right-shot center on a team without any others.

East Notes: Laine, Lindholm, Brink, Othmann

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Canadiens fans are still waiting with bated breath for news about top offseason acquisition Patrik Laine. The winger left last night’s preseason loss to the Maple Leafs in the first period after he was on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee collision with Toronto AHL depth piece Cédric Paré, preventing him from skating off under his own power (via The Athletic’s Arpon Basu).

It certainly didn’t look good for Laine, whose left knee bent awkwardly during the hit and laid on the ice for several minutes before being helped off. Paré, who inked his first NHL deal with the Maple Leafs in July, isn’t yet facing supplemental discipline. He also wasn’t penalized on the play.

Laine was visibly angry while heading back to the Montreal room, an understandable reaction for a player who desperately needed a healthy season. The 26-year-old was limited to 18 games with the Blue Jackets last season with a collarbone fracture and a lengthy stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, recording six goals and three assists for nine points with a -10 rating. Montreal acquired the 2016 second-overall pick from Columbus last month, sending depth defenseman Jordan Harris the other way.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Bruins center Elias Lindholm is back practicing in a non-contact jersey today, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa reports. He’s been day-to-day with an undisclosed injury since Tuesday and hasn’t played in any preseason action thus far. It’s a good sign the 29-year-old will be ready for opening night. He’s still on track to begin the season as Boston’s No. 1 center, anchoring a line between David Pastrňák and Pavel Zacha. He inked a seven-year, $54.25MM deal with the Bruins this summer after posting 44 points in 75 games for the Flames and Canucks last season.
  • Bobby Brink is trending toward cracking the Flyers’ opening night roster for the second year in a row, writes The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. Brink, 23, was solid in a middle-six role last year, posting 11 goals and 23 points in 57 games. But he spent some time in the minors as well, and his path to ice time in Philly this year became a bit murkier after 2023 seventh overall pick Matvei Michkov came over from Russia and signed his entry-level contract. He’ll still need to “earn his ice time,” Kurz writes, but Brink has drawn praise from head coach John Tortorella with his strong camp performance and will challenge for a third-line role at right wing after signing a two-year, $3MM deal this summer.
  • Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann’s chances of cracking the roster appear slim after he skated with a group of players mostly ticketed for the AHL on Sunday, relays The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. Othmann, 21, went pointless in three NHL games last season – his first in the majors. The 2021 first-round pick was great in his first pro showing with AHL Hartford last season, though, posting 49 points in 67 games and earning a spot in the league’s All-Star Game. He’ll get a few more NHL looks in 2024-25 even if he’s not up with the Rangers to start.

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