Drew Doughty Out Month-To-Month After Ankle Surgery
9/27: The Kings announced today that Doughty underwent surgery to repair his ankle fracture and will be out month-to-month. No further damage was found in the medical imaging.
9/26: Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty sustained a left ankle injury during Wednesday’s 3-2 preseason win over the Golden Knights, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports.
An “initial quick x-ray” showed a fracture in the ankle, Seravalli said, with additional imaging set to occur Thursday. Doughty left the contest early in the first period and did not return after falling awkwardly while colliding with Golden Knights winger Tanner Pearson, causing his left foot to jam into the boards.
There’s no timeline for Doughty’s return yet. If there’s no additional structural damage to his ankle on top of the fracture, his recovery window will likely be set in the six-to-10-week range, according to the Mount Sinai Health System.
That recovery period would delay Doughty’s 2024-25 regular season debut until early November, if not later. If so, he’d miss around the first 15 games of Los Angeles’ season, if not more.
It’s a tough break for the 34-year-old, who’s enjoyed a late-career resurgence over the past couple of seasons. The 2008 second-overall pick has rediscovered his two-way game after a significant decline in play around the pandemic, rebounding for back-to-back seasons above the 50-point plateau with good possession impacts. He played in all 82 games last year and scored 15 goals, the second-most of his 16-year NHL career, and finished 11th in Norris Trophy voting.
Doughty last missed significant time in the 2021-22 season. Knee and wrist injuries limited him to 37 games and kept him out of postseason play. They cut short one of his best campaigns – with 31 points, he was on pace for a career-high of 65 had he stayed healthy.
For the Kings, it’s a huge blow to a right defense that already lost second-pairing fixture Matt Roy to the Capitals in free agency last offseason. They do have a pair of promising right-shot youngsters, though, in Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence.
Spence, now 23, made his NHL debut in Doughty’s stead during his injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign. He averaged 19:45 per game down the stretch of the regular season, posting eight points in 24 contests.
Since then, he’s developed into a high-end third-pairing defender. He emerged as a full-time NHLer last season, finishing third among Kings defensemen in scoring with 24 points (2 G, 22 A) in 71 games with a +5 rating while averaging 14:26 per game. He was expected to take over Roy’s spot alongside Vladislav Gavrikov on the team’s second pair, but he might need to play spot duty on the top pair alongside Mikey Anderson with Doughty now set to miss time.
They have a higher-upside yet less experienced option in Clarke. The 21-year-old was selected eighth overall in the 2021 draft and his still working his way toward becoming a full-timer NHLer, a feat he was expected to accomplish this season. He’ll definitely do so now, as he and Spence now project to be the Kings’ top two right-shot defenders to begin the season. He was one of the AHL’s best defensemen last season, posting 46 points in 50 games with the Ontario Reign. He also had six points in 16 games of NHL duty for the Kings but was used sparingly, averaging only 13:39 per game.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Waiver Wire: 9/27/2024
A growing list of players is hitting the waiver wire today as teams continue to trim their rosters heading into the 2024-25 NHL regular season. The Vancouver Canucks became the first team to test waivers by putting defensemen Guillaume Brisebois and Jett Woo through and both have cleared this afternoon. PuckPedia announced the list of players on the wire for the next 24 hours and the waiver priority will still be the reverse order of last year’s standings until November 1st.
Columbus Blue Jackets (confirmed in team announcement)
G Zachary Sawchenko (reassignment to AHL Cleveland)
New York Rangers
F Alex Belzile (reassignment to AHL Hartford)
D Ben Harpur (reassignment to AHL Hartford)
F Jake Leschyshyn (reassignment to AHL Hartford)
Ottawa Senators (confirmed in team announcement)
D Jeremy Davies (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
D Maxence Guenette (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Hayden Hodgson (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
D Nikolas Matinpalo (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Garrett Pilon (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Jamieson Rees (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
F Cole Reinhardt (reassignment to AHL Belleville)
Philadelphia Flyers (confirmed in team announcement)
D Ronald Attard (reassignment to AHL Lehigh Valley)
D Louis Belpedio (reassignment to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Rhett Gardner (reassignment to AHL Lehigh Valley)
Seattle Kraken (confirmed in team announcement)
D Nikolas Brouillard (reassignment to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Luke Henman (reassignment to AHL Coachella Valley)
Guillaume Brisebois, Jett Woo Clear Waivers
9/27: The Canucks announced that both Brisebois and Woo cleared waivers and they will be assigned to AHL Abbotsford.
9/26: The Canucks placed defensemen Guillaume Brisebois and Jett Woo on waivers Thursday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. They’re the first training camp cuts from across the league this season who are not waiver-exempt.
Teams now have 24 hours to place claims for either player. If none are placed, both players can be assigned to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks on Friday. Waiver priority is still decided by the reverse order of last season’s standings until Nov. 1.
Brisebois, 27, is entering his eighth professional season. All of them have come with the Canucks organization. A third-round pick in 2015, Brisebois was limited to just eight games last season with an upper-body injury that delayed his season debut until March. He posted zeros across the board in eight games with Abbotsford after clearing waivers.
The Quebec native has made 27 NHL appearances, a career-high 17 of which came in the 2022-23 campaign. He’s scored once and added two assists, posting a -7 rating and 38 blocks while averaging 14:15 per game.
A serviceable stay-at-home defender at the AHL level with good skating ability, Brisebois will almost certainly clear waivers and look to re-establish himself as a regular in Abbotsford. He’s made 249 career AHL appearances for Vancouver’s affiliates in Abbotsford and Utica, posting 60 points and a +31 rating. He’s in the second season of a two-year, $1.55MM extension he signed in 2023 that carries a one-way salary structure this year, so he’ll be well-compensated with a $775K salary even if he spends the entire year in the minors.
Woo, 24, lands on pre-season waivers for the second year in a row. The 2018 second-round pick was recalled on a few occasions last season for injury insurance but didn’t manage to get into a game. He’s still yet to make his NHL debut, playing all four of his professional seasons thus far entirely for Abbotsford or Utica. He’s logged 19 goals, 46 assists, 65 points, and a +18 rating in 200 games on the farm. He is coming off a career-high 31 points in 2023-24, so he may be a name to watch for a mid-season recall if injuries strike in Vancouver.
Flyers Sign Spencer Gill To Entry-Level Contract
The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have signed defenseman Spencer Gill to a three-year entry-level contract. Gill played in the Flyers’ development, rookie, and main training camp this summer after being selected by the team with the 59th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Gill only managed one preseason contest for the Flyers before being returned to his junior team, the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic a few days ago. He accrued the third-highest ice time for all Philadelphia defensemen in their game against the Washington Capitals and blocked two shots.
He’s a solid two-way defenseman combining physicality and puck mobility from the blue line. He finished last season with 12 goals and 46 points for the Océanic in 65 contests with another five assists in five playoff contests. The Flyers will be looking for Gill to expand his offensive output from the 2023-24 QMJHL season and become more mature after earning 62 PIMs.
There is a strong possibility Gill will join Canada’s U20 team for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships after playing for the country’s U18 team last year. He tallied two assists in seven tournament games, finishing with a -1 rating. Gill skated in nearly 19 minutes of the gold medal game despite staying off the score sheet as Canada defeated the United States to end the tournament.
Capitals Sign Eriks Mateiko To Entry-Level Contract
A strong training camp by forward Eriks Mateiko has earned him an entry-level contract as announced by the Washington Capitals. The deal will carry an $889K cap over the three-year term, a signing bonus of $97.5K each year, a games played bonus of $102.5K in the first year, and a $77.5K bonus in years two and three (X Link).
Mateiko was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft going to the Capitals with the 90th overall selection. He’s spent the last two years with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs and he will suit up for them again in the 2024-25 season.
He’s a big forward standing at 6’5″ and carries all the usual tools of a power forward. He’s known for causing a lot of traffic in front of the net for the Sea Dogs and is coming off a season in which he scored 23 goals and 43 points in 49 games.
The Jelgava, Latvia native also suited up for his home country in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships scoring one goal over five tournament contests. He should still be a few years away from being a regular forward at the NHL level but Washington was impressed enough this preseason to make him a part of their future.
Atlantic Notes: Mermis, Toronto Injuries, Lundell
Depth defenseman Dakota Mermis‘ first few weeks with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization is not going as planned. The team announced Mermis had jaw surgery yesterday and would miss the next couple of weeks effectively ending his training camp and preseason.
Mermis was hoping to make Toronto’s opening night roster albeit as a depth defenseman after signing with the organization this summer on a one-year, $775K contract. The surgery will squash any hopes of Mermis making the Maple Leafs and he will instead likely start the season with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.
He will now join defenseman Philippe Myers as the two ‘next-men-up’ in AHL Toronto should there be injuries at the NHL level. The Alton, IL native is coming off a season with the Minnesota Wild in which he scored three goals and eight points in 47 contests.
Other Atlantic notes:
- The injuries don’t stop at Mermis for the Maple Leafs as the organization announced John Tavares, Calle Jarnkrok, and Alex Steeves are all considered day-to-day with lower-body injuries. None of the trio practiced with the team earlier this morning but there has been no indication whether they will suit up in tomorrow night’s preseason action against the Montreal Canadiens. Toronto will prioritize each player starting the regular season on time so they will continue to be careful with all three.
- According to Colby Guy of The Associated Press, Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell was back at practice today after missing yesterday’s due to a lower-body injury. Lundell was originally listed as day-to-day but there was no harm no foul as head coach Paul Maurice shared he wasn’t planning on Lundell playing against the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow regardless.
Logan Stanley Out Four Weeks After Knee Surgery
The Winnipeg Jets’ worst fears regarding their defensive core are coming to fruition. There was some speculation yesterday that Logan Stanley may be out longer than day-to-day which is now confirmed to be accurate. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports Stanley will be out for the next four weeks due to knee surgery.
Stanley becomes the second Winnipeg defenseman to get surgery within the last week joining Ville Heinola who underwent surgery to remove an infection from his ankle. McIntyre gave a follow-up report indicating Stanley tweaked his meniscus during an off-ice warm-up routine.
The former-18th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft was hoping for a larger role with the Jets this year after being sparingly used over the last few seasons. He was often used as the team’s seventh defenseman since 2022 despite scoring one goal and 14 points in 58 games during the 2021-22 NHL season. Stanley has scored two goals and five points in 44 games from 2022 to 2024 while averaging 13:45 of ice time per night.
Standing at 6’7″ Stanley should be an effective shutdown defenseman carrying an uncommon reach with his stick. He’s managed a solid on-ice save percentage in all situations throughout his career at 91.7% but most of that can be attributed to his linemates and the goaltending behind him. He’s mustered a +17 rating over 139 regular season contests but Hockey Reference shows an E +/- of -5.7 indicating Stanley is not living up to his shutdown role when he is on the ice.
The injury news almost assures defensemen Dylan Coghlan and Haydn Fleury will make the Jets opening night roster out of training camp unless the team seeks help from outside the organization. Stanley should still be destined for a more regular role in Winnipeg this season upon his return as their defensive depth continues to be tested.
Bryan Little Announces Retirement
Longtime center for the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets, Bryan Little, will retire on October 20th after signing a one-day contract with the Jets organization as the team announced. Little spent the first four years of his career with the Thrashers before spending the last nine in Winnipeg after the team relocated for the 2011-12 season.
Little was selected with the 12th overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft by the Thrashers after a tremendous season with the OHL’s Barrie Colts. In his draft season and the year following, Little scored a whopping 83 goals and 216 points in 121 games and quickly became a top prospect for Atlanta. He finally debuted for the team in the 2007-08 season scoring six goals and 16 points in 48 games in his rookie campaign.
He quickly became the top center for the struggling Thrashers organization at a young age. He struggled to produce points similarly to his time in the OHL but Little still scored 62 goals and 133 points in 234 games to close out his tenure in Atlanta. The team failed to make the playoffs in each of Little’s four seasons despite making it the year before his debut and moved on from talented teammates Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa during his tenure.
Little became a stable presence for the new rendition of the Jets after the team struggled early on. The team failed to produce a winning record in its first three years back in Winnipeg, but Little stayed consistent with 54 goals and 142 points in 204 games while averaging a 49.0% success rate in the faceoff dot. The organization committed to Little down the middle with a five-year, $23.5MM contract in 2013.
The Jets became much more competitive starting in the 2014-15 season making the playoffs four out of Little’s last six seasons with the organization including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2018. He maintained his scoring pace down the stretch with 93 goals and 225 points in 350 games with another four goals and 12 points in 27 postseason contests. During this window, the organization signed Little to his second long-term deal by inking a six-year, $31.75MM contract.
Unfortunately Little would not see the end of this contract with the Jets organization. He sustained a concussion in a preseason game before the 2019-20 season but started the season on time. On November 5th against the New Jersey Devils, Little took a shot to his ear and missed the remainder of the season. He received surgery in February to repair a perforated eardrum but he had already played his last NHL contest.
Winnipeg finally traded Little’s contract to the Arizona Coyotes in 2022 after keeping him on LTIR for some time. The Coyotes continued to hold Little on LTIR as it became apparent he wouldn’t be able to suit up in the NHL again. Little’s contract finally ran its course this offseason technically making him a free agent for the first time.
Little will now retire with the only organization he has ever known. His 13-year career will end with 217 goals and 521 points in 843 contests between the Thrashers and Jets’ organizations. In a statement, Little said, “It’s a great honour that I can retire as a member of the Winnipeg Jets and end my playing career with the organization where I was drafted and played my entire NHL career. I had the privilege to play in Winnipeg and in front of the amazing fans for nine seasons, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to thank the Jets, their fans and the city of Winnipeg. It will truly be a full circle moment for my family and I to celebrate my retirement in the building where I have so many special memories“.
Richard Pánik Signs In Slovakia
For the first time since his teenage years, former NHL winger Richard Pánik will play in his native Slovakia. Slovak Extraliga club HC Slovan Bratislava announced Friday that they’ve signed the 33-year-old to a contract through the league’s international break in November.
Pánik hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2021-22 campaign, when he had just one assist in four appearances for the Islanders. The four-time 10-goal scorer spent most of that season in the minors, his first AHL action in six years, before the Isles loaned him to Switzerland’s Lausanne HC for the final year of his contract in 2022-23.
A free agent last offseason, Pánik didn’t have mutual interest in an NHL return and opted to stay in Europe, signing a one-year deal with HC Oceláři Třinec in the neighboring Czech Extraliga. He seemed to rediscover his game there, posting 14 goals and 24 points in 36 games. He was traded to HC Dynamo Pardubice mid-season, finishing the campaign with six goals and 10 points in 15 games.
It took until after European regular seasons began for Pánik to find his next home, but he’ll return now to his home country’s capital. His 521 games of NHL experience will be the only ones on Bratislava’s roster this year.
Pánik was a second-round pick of the Lightning back in 2009. With an NHL return unlikely, he played in parts of 10 seasons for Tampa Bay, Chicago, Arizona, Washington, Toronto, and Detroit in addition to his short final stint with the Islanders. A strong-bodied winger, he managed 88 goals and 107 assists for 195 points with a +8 rating, often playing a top-nine role.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/27/24
As we finish out the first week of the preseason schedule, teams are beginning to get more aggressive with their training camp cuts. We’ll see more on Friday after seven teams trimmed their rosters on Thursday. With most junior-eligible players returned to their CHL clubs, we should see more AHL assignments and waiver placements in the coming days. As always, we’ll update this article with all of today’s cuts.
Last updated 4:49 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)
F Carey Terrance (assigned to OHL Erie)
Calgary Flames (per team announcement)
F Alex Gallant (to AHL Calgary)
F Trevor Janicke (to AHL Calgary)
F Rory Kerins (to AHL Calgary)
G Connor Murphy (to AHL Calgary)
F Ilya Nikolayev (to AHL Calgary)
D Zayne Parekh (assigned to OHL Saginaw)
G Matt Radomsky (to AHL Calgary)
F David Silye (to AHL Calgary)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team announcement)
F Jake Gaudet (to AHL Cleveland)
F Stefan Matteau (to AHL Cleveland)
F Justin Pearson (to AHL Cleveland)
D Stanislav Svozil (loaned to AHL Cleveland)
Florida Panthers (per team announcement)
G Kenneth Appleby (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
G Evan Cormier (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
New York Rangers (per team announcement)
G Talyn Boyko (to AHL Hartford)
Ottawa Senators (per team announcement)
F Wyatt Bongiovanni (to AHL Belleville)
F Tyler Boucher (to AHL Belleville)
F Xavier Bourgault (to AHL Belleville)
F Jake Chiasson (to AHL Belleville)
F Angus Crookshank (to AHL Belleville)
F Phillippe Daoust (to AHL Belleville)
D Jorian Donovan (to AHL Belleville)
F Stephen Halliday (to AHL Belleville)
D Tomas Hamara (to AHL Belleville)
F Oskar Pettersson (to AHL Belleville)
G Michael Simpson (to AHL Belleville)
D Djibril Toure (to AHL Belleville)
F Keean Washkurak (released from PTO to AHL Belleville)
Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement)
F Jon-Randall Avon (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Elliot Desnoyers (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Brendan Furry (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Jacob Gaucher (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Massimo Rizzo (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team announcement)
D Nikolai Knyzhov (released from PTO)
San Jose Sharks (per a team announcement)
D Artem Guryev (to AHL San Jose)
D Braden Haché (to AHL San Jose)
D Valtteri Pulli (to AHL San Jose)
D Joey Keane (to AHL San Jose)
F Mitchell Russell (to AHL San Jose)
F Lucas Vanroboys (to AHL San Jose)
F Anthony Vincent (to AHL San Jose)
Seattle Kraken (per a team announcement)
F Jagger Firkus (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F David Goyette (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Jack LaFontaine (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Ian McKinnon (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Logan Morrison (to AHL Coachella Valley)
D Ty Nelson (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Victor Ostman (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Tucker Robertson (to AHL Coachella Valley)
Utah Hockey Club (per a team announcement)
D Tomas Lavoie (assigned to QMJHL Cape Breton)
F Gabe Smith (assigned to QMJHL Moncton)
D Veeti Vaisanen (assigned to WHL Medicine Hat)