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Devils Recall Seamus Casey

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The Devils didn’t waste much time filling the roster spot created by their assigning of Nico Daws back to AHL Utica earlier today.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Seamus Casey from the Comets.

The 21-year-old broke camp with New Jersey last season and had three separate stints with them over the course of the year.  In those games, he was certainly productive offensively for a blueliner, tallying four goals and four assists in 14 appearances despite fairly light playing time at just 12:39 per night.  In between, he was similarly productive in the minors with the Comets, picking up 18 points in 30 appearances with them.

This season, Casey started on season-opening injured reserve due to a lower-body injury.  He was activated earlier this week and sent to Utica.  He played in one game down there, collecting an assist.

It appears that Casey will be taking the place of Brett Pesce in New Jersey’s lineup after it was revealed following their game today against Colorado that the veteran won’t be going on their four-game road trip.  Dennis Cholowski is also on the roster but he may remain the seventh defender as it seems unlikely that they’d recall Casey to merely keep him around as a healthy scratch.

Flames Looking To Add Scoring Help

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It has been a tough start to the season for the Flames.  They enter play today in 32nd place in the standings with just three points through their first nine games.  While Dustin Wolf’s play has been up-and-down in goal in his sophomore year, there is an even bigger reason for their struggles.  That would be their offense, or lack thereof.

Calgary sits last in the league in goals scored this season with 15, or just 1.67 per game.  Only three forwards have scored more than once so far while their power play is just five for 38, a success rate of 13.2%.  Not surprisingly, all of those are well below league average in the early going.  Unfortunately for them, they were near the bottom of the league in goals in 2024-25 as well, meaning that this isn’t just a slow start.

While it’s rare for trades of any sort of impact to take place this early in the season, it appears the Flames are trying.  In a recent TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun reported that GM Craig Conroy is already working the phones to explore what options might be available to add some extra firepower to his team.

Cap space won’t be an issue if Conroy can find the right fit.  Per PuckPedia, the Flames project to finish the season nearly $11MM under the Upper Limit based on their current roster.  They could easily add a player or two up front and comfortably remain in cap compliance.

That said, just because they can do that doesn’t necessarily mean they should.  With their early struggles and already being viewed as a team that’s iffy at best to make the playoffs, the more prudent approach might be to sell and kickstart at least a short-term rebuild.  Veterans like defenseman Rasmus Andersson (a pending UFA) and center Nazem Kadri could command significant returns, adding to their prospect pool and draft cupboard while bottoming out to try to secure a top spot in a strong 2026 draft class would be defensible.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently reported (video link) that Calgary wouldn’t entertain the thought of moving Kadri until he passes the 1,000-game threshold, something he should do next month.

However, Conroy has been hesitant to undertake a full-scale rebuild, even after moving out some veterans a couple of years ago.  Instead, he has hoped that his core group, coupled with strong goaltending from Wolf, could hang around the playoff mix.  They did just that last season, finishing with 96 points but still narrowly missed out on securing the final Wild Card spot in the West.

Believed to be a likely seller heading into last season, the Flames wound up being buyers, picking up Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost from Philadelphia in the hopes of upgrading their offense, something that didn’t exactly happen.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Conroy targeting a similar type of move but if their struggles continue a little longer, they ultimately could wind up changing course and become sellers instead of buyers and put aside shoring up their offensive depth until the offseason.

Evening Notes: Othmann, Girgensons, Daws

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The New York Rangers will award winger Brennan Othmann with his season debut in Sunday night’s matchup against the Calgary Flames, per Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic. Othmann recorded one assist and six penalty minutes in the first four games of the Hartford Wolf Pack’s season. He is among the Rangers’ top prospects, and many have criticized his lack of opportunity after posting 12 goals and 20 points in 27 AHL games last season.

Othmann has played through 25 career games in the NHL, effectively spending his rookie eligibility. He recorded two assists and a plus-seven in those appearances. He’s yet to find a break in the Rangers’ system, even after posting 69 points in 94 games across two AHL seasons. Sunday’s matchup will be his next chance to prove he can stick in the NHL. Continued struggles could advance a growing trade market around the former first-round pick, after it was revealed New York was shopping Othmann around earlier this month.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper praised the impact forward Zemgus Girgensons had in his season debut. Cooper told NHL.com’s Benjamin Pierce that Girgensons may have given the Lightning the intangible boost they were looking for. He didn’t manage any scoring in the appearance, though any support will be helpful after Tampa Bay began the season with a 1-4-2 record. Girgensons scored just six points last season, but still appeared in all 82 games, largely thanks to those intangible impacts. He should continue to slot into Tampa Bay’s daily lineup, after missing the first seven games of the season with an undisclosed injury sustained during the preseason.
  • The New Jersey Devils reassigned goaltender Nico Daws to the AHL after Sunday’s overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche. Daws did not dress for the matchup. He’s served as the team’s de facto backup while starter Jacob Markstrom recovered from injury. Daws made his season debut on Wednesday, and managed an impressive 30 saves on 31 shots to lead New Jersey to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Now, Daws will return to the top role for the Utica Comets. He’s so far only played in one game for Utica, where he saved 26 of 27 shots in a close-fought loss. He posted an .893 save percentage and an 11-20-3 record on a dismal Utica lineup last season. New Jersey’s assignment of Daws will push Jakub Malek into a backup role, and could push Jeremy Brodeur to an ECHL loan.

Hurricanes Recall Domenick Fensore, Assign Charles-Alexis Legault To AHL

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The Hurricanes have elected to swap their depth defensemen.  The team announced that they’ve recalled Domenick Fensore from AHL Chicago and assigned Charles-Alexis Legault to the Wolves.

Fensore made his NHL debut in the final two regular season games last season, averaging over 19 minutes a night with Carolina resting many of their regulars.  The 24-year-old has gotten off to a strong start in the minors this season, picking up three goals and four assists in just four games; his seven points are second-best among all AHL defenders while he leads all Wolves players in that regard.

As for Legault, he received his first NHL recall a little more than two weeks ago.  The 22-year-old signed as an undrafted free agent with Carolina back in 2024 and got into three games while on recall, logging just under 12 minutes per game while picking up for blocks and a pair of minor penalties.  He had 14 points in 63 games with the Wolves last season.

Carolina’s back end has had more than its fair share of injuries in the early going this season, leading to some of these prospects getting opportunities.  Jaccob Slavin has missed a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury, Shayne Gostisbehere has been out for a week with a lower-body issue, and K’Andre Miller has missed two straight games with a lower-body injury of his own.  That has Carolina carrying nine blueliners on the salary cap right now but with the team comfortably below the Upper Limit, the extra players on the roster shouldn’t be impacting their plans much at this time.

Red Wings’ Patrick Kane To Miss Fourth-Straight Game

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Future Hall-Of-Famer Patrick Kane won’t travel with the Detroit Red Wings for the start of their upcoming five-game road-trip, but could join the team partway through, head coach Todd McLellan told broadcast reporter Daniella Bruce. Detroit will visit the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, then head for a series of games on the west coast, with McLellan insinuating Kane could be ready for the latter stretch.

Kane was injured in last week’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, after taking a hard fall into the boards. He has missed three games since – a run that will grow to four absences on Tuesday. Kane has continued to bring electric offense to the Red Wings lineup. He has five points in five games, making him one of only two Red Wings scoring at-or-above point-per-game pace. The other is scoring leader Dylan Larkin, who has 13 points in nine games.

With Kane’s productive offense usually comes meager defense, a routine that hasn’t changed this season. Alongside center Marco Kasper and winger Alex DeBrincat, Kane’s line has outshot their opponents 51-to-37 at even-strength, but been outscored two-to-three. That imbalance, and Kasper’s mere one point in nine games, could be a sign of even more offensive upside to come once Kane is back to full health.

Until their star winger can return, Detroit will continue to deploy the hard-nosed Mason Appleton in a top-six role. Appleton stepped into the elevated role in Saturday’s win over the St. Louis Blues. He didn’t manage any scoring in the six-goal effort, but brought a helpful amount of grit to the top of Detroit’s offense. With how well the scorers performed, Detroit should feel no pressure to shake things up ahead of a rematch on Tuesday.

Canucks Recall Kirill Kudryavtsev, Assign Joseph LaBate

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The Vancouver Canucks have recalled defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev and assigned forward Joseph LaBate. The move once again shifts around roles near the bottom of the Canucks’ lineup, as they try to bear through seven different injuries.

Kudryavtsev’s recall will reward his impressive start to the Abbotsford Canucks season. He has points in four of the team’s five games so far, with five assists total. Kudryavtsev has looked strong and confident. He’s made plays on both ends of the ice, and excelled at creating plays off of the blue line. His performance has been a sure step forward from the 26 points and plus-18 he posted in 65 games as an AHL rookie last season.

It’s not yet clear if he’ll have a chance to crack into the NHL lineup. Vancouver also recently recalled Victor Mancini, who served as the extra defender in Saturday’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Kudryavtsev would seemingly need to leap over Mancini and Pierre-Olivier Joseph for a role on the team’s bottom-pair. Neither Joseph nor Mancini have scored in their NHL appearances so far – through three and four games respectively. Mancini also went  without a point in one AHL game. That lack of production could be the need that earns Kudryavtsev his NHL debut, should Vancouver need a spark plug at the bottom of their lineup. Kudryavtsev would most likely play on his off-side as the team’s third-pair right-defenseman, partnered with Marcus Pettersson or Elias N. Pettersson, sohuld he step into the lineup.

On the other side of this deal, LaBate will return to the minors after serving as a healthy scratch on Saturday. He made his NHL season debut in Tuesday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and didn’t manage any notable stat changes. LaBate has recorded three points, eight penalty minutes, and six shots in four AHL games this season. He’s continued to be a chippy veteran in the minor-leagues, coming off 21 points and 81 penalty minutes in 51 games with the Cleveland Monsters last season.

LaBate returned to the Canucks organization on a one-year, two-way, league-minimum contract this summer. The team originally drafted him in the fourth-round of the 2011 NHL Draft, and awarded him with the first 13 games of his NHL career in 2016-17. Across his career, LaBate has totaled one assists and 31 penalty minutes in 20 NHL games; and 157 points and 781 penalty minutes in 460 AHL games.

Afternoon Notes: Pesce, Hintz, Finnie

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Amanda Stein, team reporter of the New Jersey Devils, shared mid-game that Brett Pesce did not return for the second period of the team’s matinee tilt vs Colorado. The defenseman notched 6 minutes in the first but missed his final shifts of the period and did not return. 

Especially given the Devils’ hot start, currently atop the league, and their consistent stream of injuries, it is certainly the hope that Pesce’s injury is not serious, and many will keep a watchful eye on further updates today. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News wrote earlier today that Stars forward Roope Hintz will miss tonight’s game in Nashville. Given the club’s activation of Oskar Bäck earlier today, it appears the 6’4” center could appear tonight for his season debut. Meanwhile, Hintz was shaken up last night from a big hit into the boards from Taylor Hall, one which gave Hall a charging minor. Further details of Hintz’s injury have not been disclosed, but Dallas will cross their fingers that their star, currently at a point a game pace, is not out long-term. 
  • Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now shared earlier today a story on Red Wings rookie Emmitt Finnie, a former seventh-round-pick who has burst onto the scene. Finnie first earned a spot on the Wings’ roster which was impressive enough, but now he is featured on the team’s top line, with 8 points in 9 games. As mentioned by Allen, few seventh-rounders even make the NHL (20 since 2019) but zero have made an immediate impact like Finnie, who is right among the league’s best rookies so far in 2025-26. His contributions have helped Detroit to a great start as they aim to finally take a step back into the playoffs. Whatever may happen, Finnie’s all-around-game is showing to be an absolute steal from the Wings at 201st overall in the 2023 draft, a franchise no stranger to such throughout their history. 

 

Capitals’ Mitch Love Relieved Of Duties

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Earlier today, Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love had been suspended by the NHL for the remainder of the 2025-26 season following their investigation into allegations of domestic abuse against him, according to Frank Seravalli of Bleacher Report and Victory+. This afternoon, the Capitals updated that Love has been immediately relieved of his duties.

The Capitals announced shortly before training camp that they had placed Love on “team-imposed leave” after the league informed them that an investigation had been initiated based on complaints they received directly over the offseason. Later in training camp, they promoted AHL assistant coach Patrick Wellar from the minor-league bench to replace Love’s duties with Washington’s defensemen.

Love was a finalist for multiple head coaching vacancies across the league during the offseason. The 41-year-old was a finalist for the Penguins’ vacancy and was viewed as the frontrunner until they made a seemingly last-minute pivot to Dan Muse. He was similarly deep in the running to become the next coach of the Kraken and Bruins. It’s unclear if the league’s investigation began early enough in the summer to have any bearing on their decisions.

Shortly after Seravalli’s note, the Capitals announced that Love has been relieved of his duties effective immediately. The organization emphasized that they are “committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct and accountability”.

Steven Stamkos Fueling Speculation Amidst Slow Start

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In an episode of the DMase, Vingan, & Daunic Podcast covering the Nashville Predators earlier this week, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet raised an intriguing situation. The insider voiced concerns with Steven Stamkos, wondering if at some point, he and the club could explore their options if things do not improve. 

While it is easy to pile on with criticism of GM Barry Trotz for his frivolous spending for Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, adding two Stanley-Cup-winning 40-goal-scorers is hard to pass up. Although both were on the wrong side of 30 at time of signing, the Predators had reeled off a season exceeding expectations. Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist were amazing fits, so Trotz figured to add to the mix, going for one more push. Worse case, even if Stamkos and Marchessault did not maintain their scoring levels, they would be tremendous leaders. 

Unfortunately, for Stamkos especially, things have gone even worse than reasonably expected. His 2024-25 production, 27 goals, 53 points, was at a rate not seen since being a teenager rookie in 2008-09. Stamkos’ -36, a career worst by far, was highly indicative of his declining ability at 5-on-5. At times, the first overall pick in 2008 looked uncomfortable, which is reasonable considering his perhaps unexpected new digs, but things never really improved. 

And although it is still just October, Stamkos has not looked any better in 2025-26, with just one goal and two points in 9 games. He is no longer a center, playing along the likes of Fedor Svechkov and Luke Evangelista. Both are respectable young players, but it is such a far cry from Stamkos’ heyday in Tampa Bay. Stamkos is purely a power play specialist, and unfortunately, that has not even gone much to plan. The Predators have him teeing off in his regular spot, but are among the league’s worst on the man advantage. 

Fans may criticize the former superstar, but at 35, he is what he is, and Stamkos’ production seems to be more a result of the team around him. With an elite playmaker, it is likely he could still be a 30+ goal scorer, but there is just no such to offer on the Preds’ roster. Nashville has had a respectable start so far, but much is on the back of goaltender Juuse Saros. They have a key test tonight vs Dallas, and getting Stamkos going is becoming an urgent matter. 

While it remains pure speculation in terms of Stamkos at this point, his production is a major story for the Predators. If the team begins to fall in the standings again, it may become a serious conversation. With three more years at a $8MM cap hit, it would not be easy, but Stamkos is one of few players which have a level of respect where he could have ultimate say in his future; whether in Nashville, or beginning to seek an alternate destination, no matter how difficult such a move could be to execute. 

Dallas Stars Recall Kyle Capobianco, Activate Oskar Bäck

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The Dallas Stars announced today that defenseman Kyle Capobianco has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. In addition, the club also announced that forward Oskar Bäck has been activated off of injured reserve, putting him in position to potentially make his 2025-26 debut tonight in Nashville.

The Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos noted that the Stars have likely shifted injured blueliner Nils Lundkvist to LTIR to allow for the necessary financial flexibility to make the Capobianco recall possible.

With center Roope Hintz injured during last night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Bäck’s return from injury comes at a useful time for the Stars. With Matt Duchene dealing with his own injury, the Stars are missing two key forwards, and the trickle-down effect of those injuries could mean Bäck receives more minutes than he might otherwise get if that pair of players was fully healthy.

The 6’4″, 207-pound 25-year-old center was a 2018 third-round pick of the Stars who developed in his native Sweden until 2021-22, when he crossed the Atlantic to join AHL Texas. After three full campaigns in Cedar Park, Bäck broke into the NHL as a full-timer last season, scoring four goals and 16 points in 73 games while playing 11:42 time-on-ice per game. Last season, Bäck was also the club’s No. 3 penalty-killing forward in terms of short-handed ice time per game.

The recall of Capobianco, is, unlike the move to activate Bäck, less about filling an immediate lineup need and more about providing head coach Glen Gulutzan with additional options. With Lundkvist’s injury, the Stars had just six defensemen on their active roster, so adding Capobianco gives Gulutzan an experienced No. 7 to work with.

The 28-year-old left-shot blueliner has 74 games of NHL experience, but just one game over the last two campaigns. He was one of the top blueliners in the AHL in his debut season with AHL Texas, though, scoring 50 points in 64 regular-season games and 13 points in 14 playoff games.

Since Texas doesn’t play until Nov. 2 in Winnipeg, the Stars have the flexibility to keep Capobianco on their NHL roster for most of the week without impacting his availability for his regular role with the AHL Stars.

The recall won’t have an immediate financial benefit for Capobianco, though, as the one-way nature of his contract means he receives the same salary as the NHL as in the AHL. The changes to escrow withholding for this season that were reported earlier this month by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, make it so that at the very least, this recall won’t cost Capobianco any money, whereas a similar move may have done so in past seasons.

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