Oilers’ Tristan Jarry Leaves With Injury
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry exited Thursday night’s game against the Boston Bruins with an apparent lower-body injury, after stretching across his crease to make a save. The Oilers leaned on backup Calvin Pickard to carry them to the eventual win, while emergency backup goaltender Jason San Antonio suited up to take Edmonton’s bench. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch had no update on Jarry’s injury after the game, other than to say that the team isn’t yet sure how serious it is, per Sportsnet’s Gene Principe.
San Antonio’s last full season of organized hockey was all the way back in 2013-14, when he played his third and final year for Bryant University’s ACHA Division-II team. He won two Rhode Island high school state championships during his four-year tenure at Mount St. Charles Academy.
Pickard made 12 saves on 12 shots in 24 minutes of action. His performance helped Edmonton hold onto a lead that they established while Jarry was in net. The spotlight performance will boost Pickard’s numbers after a measly start to the year. He had a 3-4-2 record and .851 save percentage headed into Thursday night’s game. That was the lowest save percentage of any goaltender with at least 10 starts this season. He could have a chance to really fortify his stat line, should Jarry be forced to miss multiple games.
Edmonton will certainly hope that isn’t the case, though. Jarry joined the team less than a week ago alongside winger Samuel Poulin in a trade that sent Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry won both of his first two games with the Oilers – though he did allow seven goals on 58 shots (.880 Sv%). The 30-year-old, former Stanley Cup champion posted nine wins and a .909 Sv% in 14 games with the Penguins prior to the trade. He will be in line for a major role in Edmonton whenever he’s back to full health.
Sharks Notes: Dellandrea, Gaudette, Skinner, Kurashev
The San Jose Sharks will see the return of depth forwards Ty Dellandrea and Adam Gaudette in Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Stars, per Max Miller of The Hockey News. Dellandrea sustained a hand injury after blocking a shot in Tuesday’s win over the Calgary Flames. He left the game briefly but returned before things wrapped up – though still carried a questionable tag through the rest of the week. Gaudette sat out on Tuesday after sustaining a lower-body injury last Saturday.
Both returnees are slated to fill out San Jose’s third-line alongside winger Ethan Cardwell. Gaudette snapped a four-game scoring drought with a goal before his injury on Saturday. He has seven goals and 11 points in 29 games this season. Nearly half of those points – five – came across an eight-game streak between late November and early December. Dellandrea is having a career year, with 10 points in 34 games. That’s well above the scoring pace from the 2022-23 season, when he set a career-high 28 points in 82 games.
Other notes out of San Jose:
- To make room for Gaudette and Dellandrea, the Sharks will once again send veteran winger Jeff Skinner to the press box. Skinner has been in-and-out of the lineup through much of the last two months. He’s appeared in five of San Jose’s eight games in December. The Sharks won four of those games but Skinner didn’t manage any scoring. He has just seven points in 22 games this season, a career-low scoring pace. Skinner will continue to serve as a plug-and-play winger for the Sharks.
- A timeline has also become clear for Sharks forward Philipp Kurashev, who sustained a long-term upper-body injury last week. He is expected to be back to full health before the NHL’s February break, and should be prepared to take the ice for Team Switzerland should he be named to the team, per Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News. Kurashev has found a surprising bit of offense with a move from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Sharks. He has six goals and 15 points in 31 games on the year, putting him on pace for 40 points across 82 games. That will be a tough mark to reach on the other side of a long injury, but could be enough of a scoring spark to catch the eye of Switzerland’s management. Kurashev has represented Switerland at the last four World Championships – dating back to his age-18 season, when he played in both the World Championships and World Junior Championships. He has 15 points in 32 total games at the World Championships.
Rangers’ Artemi Panarin Out, Adam Fox Returns To Practice
The New York Rangers will be without both of their stars up front in Thursday night’s game against the St. Louis Blues. On top of an injury to top defender Adam Fox, the Rangers will also be without top winger Artemi Panarin, who is out with an illness per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Fox, who has missed the last eight games with a shoulder injury, did make his return to practice in a non-contact jersey on Thursday per Baugh.
Missing their top two skaters will only pull the Rangers lower. New York has struggled with Fox on the shelf, posting a 3-3-2 record and 17-to-24 goal differential in his absence. Panarin has been the heart of the offense in those games, with eight points – all scored at even-strength – and over 21 minutes of average ice time. Without him, New York will be forced to lean on Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller, who both have two goals and six points in the last eight games. Zibanajed will have a little extra motivation to perform, after being scratched in New York’s Tuesday loss to the Vancouver Canucks for disciplinary reasons.
Despite a tough game ahead, the Rangers’ struggles shouldn’t carry on for too long. Panarin should return to a top-line role when New York returns home on Saturday. Fox could be shortly behind him. He’ll have six games left to return before December ends. The return of the former Norris Trophy winner should quickly bring the Rangers back to life. Fox was riding a six-game scoring streak prior to his injury – netting 10 points, all assists, in that span. New York had an 8-7-0 record and 44-to-42 goal differential throughout November, leaning heavily on both Panarin and Fox.
Mammoth Reassign Kevin Rooney
The Mammoth announced they’ve returned center Kevin Rooney to AHL Tucson. They’re left with an open roster spot.
Rooney’s run of limited playing time this season continued on his most recent recall. Signed at the beginning of the season after being released from a tryout with the Devils, he didn’t make the team out of camp but has since been recalled four times, clearing waivers twice in the process.
His most recent one came one week ago, only burning seven days off his newly reset 30-day temporary waiver exemption. He didn’t see any action, instead serving as a healthy scratch for Utah’s last four games.
Despite the month-plus he’s spent on Utah’s active roster, he’s only gotten into one game for them, scoring a goal in 10 minutes of action against the Stars on Nov. 28. Last night marked his 20th healthy scratch of the season as the 32-year-old continues to serve as a second healthy extra forward while Logan Cooley and Alexander Kerfoot are on injured reserve.
When the veteran of 331 NHL games has gotten the opportunity to play in the minors, he’s been solid. In 11 games for Tucson, he’s got six goals and an assist with a +2 rating.
Ducks Activate Petr Mrazek, Reassign Ville Husso
The Ducks announced they’ve activated goaltender Petr Mrázek from injured reserve. Fellow netminder Ville Husso was returned to AHL San Diego in the corresponding move.
Anaheim now has its season-opening goalie tandem intact after injuries affected both Mrázek and Lukáš Dostál over the past few weeks. Mrázek landed on IR not too long after Dostál did, sustaining a lower-body injury during the third period of a loss to the Blackhawks on Nov. 30.
After a nine-game absence, he’ll be available to back up Dostál for tomorrow’s game against the Stars. Before his injury, it was shaping up to be a forgettable season for the veteran netminder. In seven starts, he’d put up a 3-3-0 record with a .876 SV% and 3.69 GAA, on track for career lows in both.
Acquired from the Red Wings in the John Gibson deal, there was an argument to be made that the high-priced Mrázek should end up on waivers when he was due to return rather than return Husso to the minors. The 30-year-old is an experienced third-string option and, while his numbers weren’t all that much better than Mrázek’s, he represents an upgrade with a 5-3-1 record, .884 SV%, and 3.25 GAA in nine appearances. He’s posted a -0.3 GSAx compared to Mrázek’s -1.2, per MoneyPuck.
Nonetheless, it’s Husso going back down to completely negate the risk of losing goalie depth on waivers. Anaheim signed him to a two-year, $4.4MM contract extension in June despite fully intending on using him as their No. 3, presumably with the primary objective of deterring waiver claims. Their $1.05MM cap penalty this season for burying him in the minors is inconsequential for a team with now over $20MM in accumulated cap space.
Before being summoned in Dostál’s absence, Husso had a .908 SV%, 2.49 GAA, three shutouts, and a 6-4-3 record in 13 games for San Diego.
Canadiens, Devils, Mammoth Among Teams With Interest In Phillip Danault
The Canadiens, Devils, and Mammoth are among the teams that have interest in making a deal for Kings center Phillip Danault, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports.
Montreal has long been active in the market for a second-line center, a pursuit that only intensified after long-term hopeful Alex Newhook had ankle surgery, knocking him out until March. Danault wouldn’t back nearly as much offensive punch as some other candidates, but he’s a familiar option – playing 360 games for the Habs between 2016 and 2021 as one of the most suffocating matchup centers in the league. His comfort level in a top-six support role, averaging at least 16 minutes per game for nine consecutive seasons, makes him a natural fit even as his scoring has dried up.
Danault’s contract, which expires after next season and carries a $5.5MM cap hit, won’t be an obstacle for them or most other teams. The Kings will almost certainly be taking money back in the deal as they seek rostered talent in return for Danault, with LeBrun reporting they’re unwilling to flip him for draft picks or futures.
His putrid scoring line this season, notching just five assists in 30 games with no goals, is bound to scare at least a few center-needy teams off. He’s still averaging a respectable 1.40 shots on goal per game, though, and the Kings have finished at a woeful 7.0% clip with him on the ice at 5-on-5. Some positive regression is bound to occur, particularly with the 32-year-old notching at least 40 points in each of his first four seasons with Los Angeles.
While that offensive falloff and his minutes being cut due to Quinton Byfield‘s move back to center have him looking for a change of scenery, his advanced numbers still remain some of the best on the Kings. He’s managed a +3 rating despite the lack of offensive production while receiving primarily defensive zone starts at even strength. No L.A. forward has been on the ice for fewer shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 than Danault at 23.9.
That makes the Devils’ interest in him likely more than just a top-six stopgap while Jack Hughes continues his rehab from a hand injury. When Hughes returns in the coming weeks, Danault would slot in as New Jersey’s third-line pivot behind Hughes and fellow Selke Trophy candidate Nico Hischier while also serving as one of their top penalty killers. It wouldn’t amount to a significant change in role compared to what Danault’s seeing now in L.A., but with only a 10-team no-trade list as part of his deal, he doesn’t have much say in the matter.
Still, he would appear as more of a redundancy behind Hischier than another scoring winger, presumably a higher priority for the Devils as their offense has slipped into the bottom half of the league amid a rough post-Thanksgiving stretch. Weaponizing their already limited cap space on Danault wouldn’t offer a truly meaningful upgrade to their top nine when healthy, especially with their new-look third line of Arseny Gritsyuk, Cody Glass, and Connor Brown posting spectacular results earlier this year.
Like New Jersey, the Mammoth have a short-term need down the middle with Logan Cooley out of commission until February. They have a younger, cheaper, in-house option with a similar archetype to Danault in Barrett Hayton. While he’s also had some offensive struggles this season, he’s still contributed more points than Danault (a 4-3–7 scoring line in 31 games) and is coming off a 20-goal year. He’s struggled in the faceoff dot at 47.8%, though, indicating they may be planning on shifting him to the wing if they do pick up Danault once Cooley is back in the fold.
Image courtesy of David Gonzales-Imagn Images.
Lightning Activate Ryan McDonagh From Injured Reserve
4:12 p.m.: While not a necessity to activate McDonagh, the Bolts still took his return as motivation to reassign defenseman Steven Santini to Syracuse, per a team announcement. The 30-year-old was recalled Monday in the wake of Lilleberg’s injury and skated 12 minutes against the Panthers that evening, posting zeroes across the board. Santini has now appeared in eight games for the Bolts this season between call-ups, recording one assist and a respectable 50.4% share of shot attempts at even strength.
1:05 p.m.: Two-time Stanley Cup champion Ryan McDonagh has been activated from injured reserve and will be in the Lightning’s lineup on Thursday evening versus the Kings, Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider reports. Tampa had an open roster spot after reassigning Scott Sabourin to AHL Syracuse earlier in the week.
McDonagh, who has missed the past 18 games due to an undisclosed injury, had his no-contact designation removed during Monday’s practice as part of his ramp-up toward a return. Since he’s been a full participant for a few days, he shouldn’t have a meaningful minutes restriction as he slots back into the lineup.
The 36-year-old defenseman has been limited to 15 games this season. The activation ends the ever-durable rearguard’s most extended absence of his 16-year NHL career. After finishing 14th in Norris Trophy voting last season with a league-high +43 rating, he’s continued to play at a top-pairing level in 2025-26 while technically still serving behind Victor Hedman as the second-pairing lefty on Tampa’s depth chart. Averaging north of 20 minutes per game for the 15th straight year, he recorded six points and a +1 rating while serving as the Bolts’ top penalty killer.
He’s the second household name returning to Tampa’s lineup for tonight’s game. Starting netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy was activated from IR earlier in the week after a seven-game absence.
McDonagh’s insertion into the lineup is crucial at a time when the Bolts still have three regular defenders – Hedman, Erik Černák, and Emil Martinsen Lilleberg – on IR. The pileup of injuries had finally seemed to have caught up with the Lightning, who are 2-5-1 in December and have slipped to third in the Atlantic Division, although they’re still first by points percentage (.591).
Sabres Activate Michael Kesselring From Injured Reserve
The Sabres have activated defenseman Michael Kesselring from injured reserve as expected, per Heather Engel of NHL.com. They had an open roster spot after assigning Isak Rosen to AHL Rochester on Tuesday, so no corresponding transaction is required.
Kesselring’s second long-term absence of the season ends after 14 games due to a lower-body injury. The Sabres still might not get to see what a fully healthy defense corps can do tonight against the Flyers, though. Head coach Lindy Ruff said this morning that Conor Timmins will be a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury (via Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic).
The 25-year-old Kesselring has been limited to nine appearances through his first season in Buffalo. Acquired along with Josh Doan from the Mammoth for JJ Peterka last summer, he began the season on IR with an undisclosed issue. He made his season debut on Oct. 28 but exited the lineup again less than a month later.
When dressed, he hasn’t been much of a factor in his small sample. Initially expected to be a top-four piece and comprise the second pairing with either Bowen Byram or Owen Power on his left flank, he went without a point and had a -3 rating while averaging a conservative 15:37 of ice time per game. He was most often paired with Byram, a duo that controlled a team-worst 36.4% of expected goals at 5-on-5.
As such, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ruff go for a new look and pair Kesselring with Power instead for a stretch. He’s unlikely to break up the team’s top pair of lefties Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson, the latter of whom has finally emerged as a premier shutdown threat after a rocky first few seasons on the anticipatory seven-year extension he signed back in 2022.
A strong performance the rest of the way is also imperative for Kesselring’s financial situation. He’s a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights coming off a deal carrying a $1.4MM cap hit. Entering the season, he could have nearly quadrupled that figure after back-to-back 20-point campaigns with Utah and Arizona while posting some of the best 5-on-5 possession metrics on the team. His injury troubles have undoubtedly lowered his stock, but there’s still time to get it back.
Flames’ Jake Bean Undergoing Undisclosed Surgery, Out Indefinitely
The Flames are shutting down defenseman Jake Bean indefinitely due to his undisclosed injury, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 reports. He’s undergoing surgery, with no certainty that he’ll be back this season.
Bean hasn’t played since Dec. 6, missing Calgary’s last four games over what’s been a light schedule. He was placed on injured reserve shortly thereafter. His injury has been plaguing him for some time, Steinberg said, perhaps explaining his diminished impact in Calgary if it dates back to last season.
The Flames signed Bean to a two-year, $3.5MM contract in free agency in 2024. Since then, he’s managed only nine points in 80 games with a -7 rating while averaging 15:16 of ice time per night.
A first-round pick by the Hurricanes back in 2016, Bean has usually only carved himself a role if he’s clicking offensively. His career-best season came with the Blue Jackets in 2021-22, when he recorded 25 points in 67 games while averaging over 20 minutes per night. The following season, he was limited to 14 games before undergoing shoulder surgery that ended his campaign in November. He hasn’t had the same impact since and was non-tendered by Columbus following the 2023-24 season, leading to him signing with his hometown Flames.
Calgary will now be down a depth option on defense for the foreseeable future. His absence should mean more guaranteed playing time for in-season call-up Yan Kuznetsov on the left side. He’s played in 20 straight since being recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in early November and has skated at least 20 minutes in his last 13 games.
Canada Cuts Jake O’Brien, Jackson Smith, Marek Vanacker From WJC
Hockey Canada announced Thursday that they’ve cut center Jake O’Brien (Kraken), defenseman Jackson Smith (Blue Jackets), and winger Marek Vanacker (Blackhawks) from their preliminary roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship.
All three dressed in yesterday’s 2-1 pre-tournament exhibition win over Sweden, played in Kitchener, Ontario. That’s par for the course for the Canadian staff to get a look at their bubble players in friendly action before making their final roster submission, which is due before the preliminary round begins on Dec. 26.
Canada announced its preliminary roster back on Dec. 8, needing to cut two names before the tournament started. That number jumped to three when they added Vanacker to their training camp roster last weekend. Today’s cuts get them down to 14 forwards and eight defensemen, satisfying the IIHF’s 22-skater roster limit. They’ve also indicated they’ll only carry two goalies to the event, so one of Carter George (Kings), Jack Ivankovic (Predators), and Joshua Ravensbergen (Sharks) will likely be heading back to their club team in the next week as well.
O’Brien is the most surprising cut of the three. He won gold with the under-18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last season as a draft-eligible on his way toward becoming the eighth overall pick by Seattle.
This season, he’s been named captain of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs and leads the league with 35 assists in 27 games, adding 11 goals for 46 points. His 1.70 points per game also lead the league, and his +20 rating is in the top 10.
Smith is a similarly eyebrow-raising omission, but Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff relays that he had a tough showing against Sweden that hurt his stock. Still, he won gold with the under-18s last year at both the Hlinka Gretzky and the U-18 World Juniors, scoring four goals in seven games from the blue line. He’s averaged well north of 20 minutes per game for Penn State this season and has a 3-6–9 scoring line in 14 games for the Nittany Lions.
Vanacker’s late inclusion was more of an insurance policy if the Sharks opted not to loan Michael Misa to them as expected. However, that doubt was erased when San Jose officially cleared Misa to participate yesterday. He’ll head back to Brantford alongside his linemate, O’Brien. Vanacker’s goal-per-game pace so far has him in the OHL lead with 26, one year removed from a late first-round selection by Chicago.