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Snapshots: Reichel, McDavid, Koumontzis

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The Chicago Blackhawks have been active in recent days “engaging with teams” in trade talks centered around forward Lukas Reichel, according to Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli. Per Seravalli, the Blackhawks are “working on a deal” that will allow Reichel to land with another team within the next week and give the player a fresh opportunity with another club. Seravalli added that the expected trade will most likely not return anything of significant value to the Blackhawks – likely a mid-to-late-round draft pick – but is instead more about giving the player the chance to reset his NHL career in a new organization.

Such an outcome would be a disappointing end to Reichel’s tenure in Chicago, as the player once looked to be one of the club’s more promising young talents. The 2020 first-round pick had 15 points in 23 NHL games to close out the 2022-23 NHL season, and the year before had 57 points in 56 games in the AHL, extremely impressive numbers for a rookie forward still adjusting to the North American game. But Reichel was not able to build on that momentum, and for the last two years he has struggled to produce at the NHL level. As for where Reichel might be headed, that remains unclear at this time, but Sportsnet’s Mark Spector wrote today that the Edmonton Oilers will “for sure” have interest in acquiring the player. Oilers GM Stan Bowman led the Blackhawks Hockey Operations department that drafted Reichel, and could still be a believer in his NHL potential.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • With Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov now signed, focus has shifted to other pending UFAs, including Connor McDavid, who is the consensus best hockey player on Earth. Chris Johnston said today on TSN’s Insider Trading that McDavid is not interested in signing an eight-year contract as Kaprizov did today, and is instead focused on signing a “two, three, or four-year contract.” With the salary cap set to rise dramatically over the next few years, it is surely financially sensible for McDavid to seek a contract that would allow him to ink a new contract at the age of 32 – when he’s still within, or very close to, his athletic peak. In addition, such a move might be sensible for his aim of winning a Stanley Cup, as a shorter-term contract would provide him with the flexibility to leave Edmonton should the franchise’s status as a true Stanley Cup contender begin to erode.
  • Former Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick Demetrios Koumontzis signed a one-year contract with the ECHL’s Greensboro Gargoyles today, officially ending the player’s stint with the Idaho Steelheads. Koumontzis began his professional career at the end of the 2022-23 season with Idaho, signing there after a solid five-year NCAA career with the Arizona State Sun Devils. Koumontzis scored 15 goals and 39 points across 92 games for the Steelheads, and will now join a Gargoyles team embarking on its inaugural season.

Pacific Notes: Eichel, Kempe, Canucks Injuries

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With today’s news that one of the league’s biggest superstars has elected to sign a record-shattering eight-year contract extension with the Minnesota Wild, leaguewide focus has shifted to other stars currently without a contract for next season, including Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel. Eichel’s camp, which is led by Pat Brisson of CAA, is currently “engaged in ongoing contract discussions and negotiations” according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Pagnotta did note, though, that talks between the two parties are “currently going slow” and “a deal is not yet in the offing.”

Eichel, 28, is in line for a lucrative contract extension of his own. He has already proven himself to be a star first-line center in the NHL, one capable of leading a team to a Stanley Cup championship. Set to turn 29 in October, he’s positioned to sign what will be the largest contract of his career, and earlier this month it was reported that both Eichel and the Golden Knights agree that Eichel’s next deal should carry the maximum possible term. Pierre LeBrun said today on TSN’s Insider Trading that he isn’t sure whether Vegas will have the appetite to go too far above the $12MM AAV they pledged to Mitch Marner this past summer, while Eichel and his camp are likely to expect a number closer to the $14MM AAV owed to Leon Draisaitl on his contract extension.

Other notes from the Pacific Division:

  • A player in a similar, albeit not identical, boat to Eichel is Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe, who is also without a contract for next season. It was reported earlier this month by Pagnotta that Kempe’s camp was seeking an eight-year, $10MM AAV contract extension, while the Kings were hoping to sign a deal more in the range of $9MM AAV. With that disagreement in mind, both Kempe’s representatives (led by CAA’s J.P. Barry) and the Kings elected to postpone contract talks – likely until each side could see the value of Kaprizov’s contract. Now with that matter settled, both sides are set to resume contract negotiations, according to The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein. While Kempe, 29, is not considered the same level of player as Kaprizov, he nonetheless has easily cleared the 70-point plateau in each of the last two seasons and has thrice scored at least 35 goals in a season. It would be fair to speculate that if the disagreement between Kempe’s camp and the Kings remains on whether he’s worth closer to $9MM and $10MM AAV on his next deal, the fact that Kaprizov will make $17MM will almost certainly aid Kempe’s side of the argument.
  • Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre reported that while both Conor Garland and Tyler Myers “have been managing minor” injuries during the Canucks’ preseason and training camp, both players “have asked” to play in Wednesday’s preseason game against the Calgary Flames. MacIntyre added that “neither” player is likely to be unfit to play in the team’s season opener. Both Garland and Myers are key veteran contributors to the Canucks: the feisty Garland is an important part of the team’s offensive identity in its middle-six, while Myers was the team’s number-four defenseman last season. With the Canucks entering an extremely important campaign, it’s encouraging news that neither player looks set to miss any regular-season time.

Canucks Reportedly Considering Keeping Braeden Cootes On NHL Roster

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2025 15th-overall pick Braeden Cootes is “in the driver’s seat” to make the Vancouver Canucks’ season-opening roster, reports The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. Per Drance, Cootes’ performance this preseason and training camp has been so impressive that internally, the “conversation around him is beginning to shift materially” amongst Canucks decision-makers.

According to Drance, the team’s “internal discussion” around Cootes has shifted from whether Cootes should get early-season NHL games (a prospect Drance called “increasingly likely”) to whether he can sustain this high level all year or is best served returning to the WHL.

For those not paying close attention to Canucks training camp, this is likely to be a surprising development, as most 18-year-olds who make it onto NHL rosters are players who were one of the draft’s top handful of picks.

But keeping Cootes on their opening-night roster would not be a move without precedent. The Philadelphia Flyers played 2024 13th overall pick Jett Luchanko in four NHL games to start their 2024-25 season, and 2023 13th pick Zach Benson ended up making the Buffalo Sabres roster on a full-time basis.

There are actually quite a few parallels between Luchanko’s situation and Cootes’.

Similar to Cootes, Luchanko entered his first professional training camp as a long-shot possibility to make it onto the NHL roster, but his complete play and pro-ready qualities left the Philadelphia Flyers coaching staff extremely impressed. Rocky Thompson, then a member of the Flyers’ coaching staff, said at the time that Luchanko’s performance “opened [the] eyes” of the organization.

Cootes has generated similar sentiments in Vancouver. Although the Canucks have not been as public with their praise for Cootes as the Flyers were with Luchanko, Drance reports that the Canucks have been pleasantly surprised by just how “complete” and “mature” Cootes is – “down to his positioning and work in the faceoff circle.”

Beyond receiving similar-sounding praise at the same stage of camp one year apart, Luchanko is also a player who had a similar overall profile to Cootes. They both stand around six feet tall and 180 pounds, both registered just above point-per-game scoring rates in their draft-year CHL campaigns, and both are widely credited with having clear pro-ready qualities that are at the center of each player’s game.

As a result, it appears that Cootes is following Luchanko’s path and is likely to see NHL action despite being just 18 years old and not one of the draft’s top picks. The Canucks recently learned that forward Nils Hoglander will miss significant time due to injury, a development that only makes it likelier that the Canucks have room on their season-opening roster to keep Cootes.

Despite all of this, it remains the likeliest possibility that in a few months’ time, Cootes is back playing with his junior team. Playing in the NHL at 18 is such a difficult task, it’s only the best of the best who typically manage to hold onto a lineup spot for a full season.

While Cootes is undoubtedly an impressive, promising young player, his résumé is not at the level of the recent players who have been full-time NHL players at 18. Benson was one of the WHL’s most complete players with a lethal offensive arsenal, and Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli were each top picks who had overwhelmingly proven themselves to be beyond their previous levels of competition. For as impressive as Cootes has been this preseason, most evaluators don’t place him at that level.

Even so, forcing his way into the roster conversation at 18 is a significant positive for both Cootes and Vancouver, and it reinforces projections of him developing into the kind of do-it-all middle-six center NHL teams routinely covet.

Photo courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Metro Notes: Brunicke, Murashov, Ginning

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One of the emerging storylines coming out of Pittsburgh Penguins training camp has been the exceptional preseason performance of young defenseman Harrison Brunicke. The 19-year-old defenseman has drawn rave reviews for his play both in training camp and in preseason games, and that praise has come both from the media as well as people within the Penguins organization. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported today that “there is an appetite around the organization” for the Penguins to keep Brunicke on their season-opening NHL roster. Yohe also commented that “some people in the organization” are telling Yohe that Brunicke is “already the Penguins’ best defenseman.”

That’s high praise considering the Penguins blueline currently features three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and veteran Kris Letang, who was among the NHL’s top blueliners for more than a decade. Brunicke is a 6’3, 202-pound defenseman who was a second-round pick in 2024 out of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Widely praised for his poise and mature, pro-ready game, Brunicke is not eligible to be loaned to the Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, and therefore the organization will need to decide whether the player is best served spending 2025-26 back in the WHL or in the NHL. It’s not an easy decision – and some clubs have in the past taken the more complicated route of using AHL conditioning stints to buy time until the player can be sent to the World Junior Championships – but based on Yohe’s reporting it appears the Penguins are likely to give the young defender a chance to start his NHL career.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • If Brunicke is the young Penguins player who has attracted the most buzz this preseason, netminder Sergei Murashov isn’t far behind him in second place. The 21-year-old 2022 fourth-round pick has been excellent in his preseason minutes and is coming off of a stellar debut season in the North American pro circuit. Yohe reports that the Penguins’ plan for Murashov is to give him “the bulk of the work in the AHL this season,” and noted that while the Penguins believe he could be a future number-one goalie, “they don’t want to impact his development” by bringing him to the NHL too fast. The Penguins have Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs set to form their tandem in net this season, so there is not an immediate need for Murashov at the NHL level. But based on everything he’s shown since arriving from Russia to the Penguins organization, he could become a legitimate factor in the team’s NHL plans as soon as next season.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have had a few positive storylines in preseason – namely the emerging chemistry between star sophomore Matvei Michkov and prized offseason addition Trevor Zegras – the competition for down-the-lineup defensive roles has not generated such positive buzz. Per The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet “hasn’t been overly encouraged” by the performances of the team’s depth blueliners – namely Helge Grans, Adam Ginning, and Noah Juulsen. Grans was placed on waivers yesterday and is not expected to factor into the team’s opening-night roster. While Ginning and Juulsen have left Tocchet wanting more this preseason, Kurz notes that the two could currently have a leg up in the battle for limited roster spots. According to Kurz, Emil Andrae “may simply be too small for the coaching staff’s liking” to dress in their opening-night lineup, while Egor Zamula “struggled mightily” in Monday’s preseason game and could be losing his grip on a lineup spot. As a result, a big opportunity could lie ahead for Ginning, who got into just one NHL game last season but played in a top-four role in the AHL.

West Notes: Dunn, Walman, Avalanche Recalls

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Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is currently being evaluated for an injury and is considered out at this time on a day-to-day recovery timeline, per Kraken head coach Lane Lambert. (via team reporter/analyst Alison Lukan) Dunn did not practice today after suffering an injury in the team’s preseason contest yesterday against the Calgary Flames. At this moment, whether Dunn will be ready for the team’s season-opening game on October 9th is unclear.

Dunn, 28, is one of Seattle’s most important players. The blueliner led the team in time-on-ice per game in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, before this past summer’s signing of defender Brandon Montour. He also ranks second in points scored for the franchise all-time. Should Dunn end up missing regular-season time during this injury, his spot in the team’s lineup is likely to be taken by depth defenseman Josh Mahura. Alongside Dunn, Lambert also issued updates on the status of injured Kraken forwards Jared McCann and Chandler Stephenson, saying each is “progressing in the right direction.”

Additional notes from the Western Conference:

  • Edmonton Sports Talk’s Tom Gazzola relayed word from Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch that injured defenseman Jake Walman is expected to be ready in time for the club’s season opener on October 8th, but added that he will not play in tomorrow’s preseason game against Seattle and is unlikely to play in Friday’s game as well. Walman was sidelined with a day-to-day injury last week, and appears to now be nearing a return to the ice, though he’s not quite there yet. The 29-year-old is entering a crucial contract season and could position himself to receive a lucrative next contract should he find a way to replicate his form from 2024-25, when he posted 40 points in 65 games.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled five players from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles: defensemen Ronnie Attard and Alex Gagne, and forwards Tye Felhaber, Jason Polin, and T.J. Tynan. Four of five players (everyone but Gagne) in that group cleared waivers on Sunday, and now appear to have been recalled for the purpose of skating in, at the very least, the team’s preseason contest tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tynan is the most notable veteran name of the crop as the two-time AHL MVP is expected to play a massive role for the Eagles.

Jason Robertson To Wait On Contract Talks Until After The Season

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The future of Jason Robertson with the Stars has been a talking point going back to the summer when there was some speculation about whether they could afford him for the upcoming season.  However, a trade didn’t materialize.

Meanwhile, despite that, there has been some speculation about his long-term future with Dallas.  One year away from restricted free agency, Robertson is in line for a significant raise from his current $7.75MM AAV and with their salary structure, some have wondered if the Stars will be able to afford to keep him long-term while continuing to add to their core.

However, despite all that speculation, Robertson told Stars staff writer Mike Heika that he’s not concerned about it at this time:

It doesn’t really bother me. I think what is important is this year for us as a team. The window is open, we’re trying to win it this year, and then we’ll look at it.

The 26-year-old had his second straight 80-point season last year, despite missing all of training camp while recovering from foot surgery which led to a slow start.  He was also a bit quieter than expected in the playoffs after returning from injury although he still managed six points in 11 games.

Robertson has had either 79 or 80 points in three of the last four seasons, seemingly providing a reasonable baseline for talks.  However, he managed 109 points the other year.  It stands to reason that Robertson wants to see if a full training camp and a strong start could propel him closer to his best year which would certainly boost his stock heading into negotiations.

GM Jim Nill noted earlier this month that discussions were at a standstill.  It appears he’s not worried about Robertson’s decision to hold off on any further discussions until after the season either:

With Jason, I don’t blame him. He’s not a UFA, he’s an RFA. He wants to see what the market is. Jason wants to bounce back from last year. He missed all of training camp and that was a tough start for him. He can now come in clear-minded and say I’m going to have my best year. That’s what I’m looking forward to. We’re going to get the best version of Jason Robertson and we’re going to benefit from that.

Earlier this offseason, AFP Analytics projected that a max-term eight-year extension for Robertson would cost the Stars just over $11.5MM per season.  The new rules on maximum term are in effect until the new CBA extension officially starts on September 16, 2026 so a deal of that length will be doable when talks resume down the road.  Regardless of when it happens, Robertson will be getting a much bigger payday when the 2026-27 season gets underway but we now know that it won’t be coming anytime soon.

Max Pacioretty Retires, Joins University Of Michigan’s Coaching Staff

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Tuesday: Pacioretty has indeed retired with the University of Michigan announcing that the long-time NHLer has been hired as a special assistant to head coach Brandon Naurato.  Pacioretty released the following statement:

After 17 seasons in the NHL, I’m excited to begin this next chapter with Michigan Hockey. I’m so thankful for the teammates, coaches and fans who have been a part of my journey. Hockey has given me so much, and now I have the opportunity to help develop the next generation of players. Michigan has a tradition of producing elite talent, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned to help these guys grow on and off the ice. Just as important, this next step allows me to be closer to my family and spend more time with my kids. I’m going to be coaching my four boys in youth hockey and that’s something I’ll really cherish as a dad.

Monday: One of the NHL’s better goal-scorers from the 2010s has reportedly hung up his skates. According to Nick Alberga of TheLeafsNation, instead of giving it one last shot in the NHL, veteran Max Pacioretty has chosen to hang up his skates and take a job at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

Given that much of the conjecture surrounding Pacioretty this offseason was his desire to play close to Southeast Michigan, that effectively left his options down to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Although reporting from earlier in the summer indicated the Red Wings as his preferred destination, the team seemingly filled the void on the opening day of free agency by signing James van Riemsdyk.

Still, the New Canaan, CT native will get his desired outcome, albeit in a different role. Alberga didn’t allude to the exact position Pacorietty is taking in Ann Arbor, though it’s a fair guess to assume it’s with their hockey program.

Despite failing to find another job in the NHL, there’s very little for Pacioretty to feel ashamed about in his 17-year career.

He was originally selected with the 22nd overall pick of the 2007 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He immediately shifted to the University of Michigan after being drafted, scoring 15 goals and 39 points in 37 games during his freshman season. The Canadiens felt that one season of growth was enough in the NCAA and signed Pacioretty to his entry-level contract after his impressive one-and-done campaign.

In the first three years of his professional career, Pacioretty split his time between Montreal and its then-AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. From the beginning of the 2008-09 season to the end of the 2010-11 campaign, Pacioretty scored 20 goals and 49 points in 123 games with the Canadiens, and 25 goals and 72 points with the Bulldogs in 82 contests.

Since the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign, Pacioretty hadn’t looked back. He exploded offensively, scoring 33 goals and 65 points in 79 games, nearly tripling his production from one year prior. Rewarding his success, the Canadiens signed Pacioretty to a six-year, $27MM extension the following offseason.

Over the next six years, despite some injury concerns, Pacioretty became a consistent scoring winger in Montreal and was named the team’s captain ahead of the 2015-16 season. Throughout that stretch, he crossed the 60-point threshold four times, scoring 173 goals and 334 points in 424 games. Additionally, although the Canadiens managed only one quality postseason run with Pacioretty on the roster, he scored 10 goals and 19 points in 38 postseason games with Montreal, averaging 19:29 of ice time per game.

Unfortunately, he would not play out the rest of his extension with the only organization he had ever known. The Canadiens traded Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 13th, 2022, for Nick Suzuki, Tomáš Tatar, and a 2019 second-round pick. He signed a four-year, $28MM contract with the Golden Knights one day later.

His first three years in Vegas were impressive, scoring 78 goals and 157 points in 185 games after the team’s Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural campaign. He continued his quality scoring in the postseason, registering 15 goals and 30 points in 36 postseason contests for the Golden Knights.

Again, due to growing injury concerns and the need for additional cap space, the Golden Knights traded Pacioretty for the second time in his career, this time to the Carolina Hurricanes, along with Dylan Coghlan, for future considerations. In one of those unfortunate cases from the 2021-22 season, Pacioretty only managed five games with the Hurricanes due to two torn Achilles tendons.

Working his way back the following offseason and through much of the 2022-23 campaign, Pacioretty signed a bonus-laden one-year contract with the Washington Capitals. After returning to game action in early January, Pacioretty finished the year with four goals and 23 points in 47 games, with an additional assist in four postseason contests.

In what would become the last contract of his career, Pacioretty signed another bonus-laden deal, this time with the Maple Leafs. He struggled with injuries throughout the year, managing only five goals and 13 points in 37 games. Still, he was one of Toronto’s better performers in the playoffs, scoring three goals and eight points in 11 games, including the game-winner that allowed the Maple Leafs to move to the second round.

Pacioretty finishes his career with 335 goals and 681 points in 939 games, averaging 17:16 of ice time per contest. All of us at PHR congratulate “Patches” on a successful career and wish him the best as he moves to his next role at the University of Michigan.

Photo courtesy of Jean-Yves Ahern-Imagn Images. 

Waivers: 9/30/25

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The final day of September has once again brought a flurry of waiver activity.  After 22 players were placed on waivers on Monday, all of whom cleared, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, another 22 players are on the wire today, per PuckPedia.  They are as follows:

Calgary Flames

F Clark Bishop
F Dryden Hunt
D Yan Kuznetsov
F Sam Morton

Carolina Hurricanes

D Gavin Bayreuther
F Noel Gunler
F Tyson Jost
F Josiah Slavin
F Ryan Suzuki

Edmonton Oilers

G Matt Tomkins

New York Islanders

G Marcus Hogberg
F Matthew Highmore 

New York Rangers

F Brendan Brisson
D Connor Mackey

Philadelphia Flyers

F Anthony Richard

San Jose Sharks

F Shane Bowers
F Jimmy Huntington
F Oskar Olausson
F Pavol Regenda
G Jakub Skarek

Winnipeg Jets

D Tyrel Bauer
D Isaak Phillips 

Some younger forwards stand out on today’s list.  Olausson, Brisson and Suzuki were late first-round selections back in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, but haven’t been able to grab a foothold on a full-time NHL roster spot just yet.  Meanwhile, Gunler is only 23 and since he has spent a lot of his time since being drafted playing overseas, he’s still relatively inexperienced in North America with just 100 AHL games under his belt.

Among the blueliners, Phillips has seen NHL action in four straight seasons, all with Chicago, including a 33-game stint in 2023-24.  Mackey was recalled and sent down many times on paper moves last season and has gotten into at least one NHL appearance in five straight years.  Bayreuther is the most experienced of them all with 122 NHL outings but none since 2023-24.

With the belief that a few teams might be eyeing the goalie market, there are a trio of options available.  Hogberg is the most experienced of the three with 57 NHL outings, including 15 last season.  Skarek (two games in 2024-25) and Tomkins (six in 2023-24) joined new teams in free agency this summer and don’t appear likely to be claimed.

These players will be on waivers until 1:00 PM CT on Wednesday.

Snapshots: Vlasic, Ostlund, Sabourin, McCormick

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Although he was cut in the leg in a collision on Sunday, it appears the Blackhawks got about the best-case scenario when it comes to defenseman Alex Vlasic.  Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that while the blueliner won’t play in Chicago’s remaining three preseason games, he’s on track to be ready for the start of the regular season next week.  The 24-year-old was a top-pairing player for the Blackhawks last season, notching a career-high 30 points while playing in every game and logging over 23 minutes per contest for the first time in his career.  They’ll be counting on him to play a similar role this season.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Sabres center Noah Ostlund is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The 21-year-old made his NHL debut last season, getting into eight games with Buffalo while notching 19 goals and 17 assists in 45 games with AHL Rochester.  Ostlund will likely be ticketed for a return to the Americans upon being cleared to return.  If that doesn’t happen before the start of the regular season, the Sabres will carry a small pro-rated cap charge relative to the number of days that Ostlund was on Buffalo’s roster last season.
  • The Lightning announced that they have recalled winger Scott Sabourin from AHL Syracuse. Cut earlier this month, he’ll now get a chance to skate in another preseason game or two and stake his case for a possible in-season recall.  Signed to a one-year, two-way deal this summer, the 33-year-old had 25 points and 111 penalty minutes while playing with San Jose’s AHL affiliate last season and has 47 career NHL appearances under his belt.  Any time spent on the roster for the rest of the preseason won’t affect his waiver exemption which is 10 games or 30 days during the regular season.
  • Veteran center Max McCormick’s season is over before it even began. AHL Coachella Valley, affiliate of the Kraken, announced that the 33-year-old will undergo hip surgery and that he is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season as a result.  McCormick was limited to just 19 games with the Firebirds last season where he had 13 points.  He’s in the final season of a two-year pact with Seattle and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Nils Höglander Out Eight To Ten Weeks With Sprained Ankle

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Sept. 30: Höglander will be missing quite a bit of time.  The team announced that he has undergone successful lower-body surgery and will miss eight to ten weeks as a result.  That would put him on track to return between late November and early December.

Sept. 26: Canucks winger Nils Höglander’s availability for the beginning of the regular season is in doubt after the team announced Friday he’s been given a week-to-week designation with a lower-body injury, according to Jeff Paterson of Rink Wide: Vancouver. His injury is a sprained ankle, according to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK.

Evidently, Höglander was banged up in Vancouver’s preseason win over the Flames on Wednesday. He scored the first goal of that 3-1 win, a power play marker. Shift and time on ice data for the game, which was played at the home of the Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, isn’t available. It’s unclear if he finished the contest or not.

Now entering his age-25 season, Höglander remains a bit of a unicorn. He’s undersized and flashy, but at 5’9″, he plays with a physical bend, recording 76 hits last year. The 2019 second-round pick has steadied his development and, over the past two seasons, has emerged as a consistent top-nine piece. He’s played in 152 out of 164 possible regular-season games during that frame and broke out in a big way in 2023-24, shooting at a 20% clip for a career high 24 goals while seeing a good chunk of time in the top six at even strength.

Like many other Canucks, last year wasn’t as fruitful for Höglander. His shooting percentage regressed to 9.6% and he finished the year with an 8-17–25 scoring line in 72 appearances. He was deployed as a Swiss army knife nonetheless, logging time seemingly everywhere in Vancouver’s top nine and not logging more than 90 total minutes with the same set of linemates.

His deployment in camp suggested he was ticketed for a middle-six role to start the campaign, perhaps on a third-line unit with Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland. He’s still got 13 days until Vancouver’s first regular-season game to recover. That’s unlikely but not impossible for a week-to-week timeline.

If he can’t go, the Canucks have some quality wing depth they can elevate. Drew O’Connor and Kiefer Sherwood combined for nearly 30 goals and 65 points last year. Either could seamlessly slot in next to Blueger and Garland, a combination that new head coach Adam Foote seems intent on keeping together. Former top-10 pick Vitali Kravtsov, whom the organization brought back over from Russia this offseason, could be the recipient of those minutes as well.

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