Calgary Flames Recall Hunter Brzustewicz
According to a team announcement, the Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Calgary had one open spot on their roster, so no corresponding roster move was necessary.
Brzustewicz, 21, was selected with the 75th overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 NHL Draft. He didn’t spend much time as a prospect for the Canucks. The following season, the Washington, MI native was traded to the Flames in the deal that sent Elias Lindholm to British Columbia.
His prospect value had increased significantly by that time. After scoring six goals and 57 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers during his draft season, Brzustewicz put up 13 goals and 92 points in 67 games the following season, leading the OHL in assists.
Since then, despite featuring in one game for the Flames last season, Brzustewicz has spent much of his time with the Wranglers. He didn’t crack the All-Rookie team last year, but he’s managed a respectable nine goals and 44 points in 93 games with a -8 rating.
It’ll be interesting to see how Calgary uses Brzustewicz throughout this recall. He’s a natural fit on the right side of the defensive core, though the Flames already have MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson as their top two options. Calgary may slot Brzustewicz into the team’s bottom-pairing, or pair him with Weegar, who is one of the best in the league at playing on his off-side.
Canada Announces Roster For 2026 World Juniors
Team Canada has become the latest to announce their preliminary roster for the 2025-26 World Junior Championships. Team USA and Team Sweden were the other two nations to announce their rosters earlier this month. Hockey Canada currently has 27 names on their list, meaning two players will eventually be on the outside looking in before the tournament kicks off on December 26th.
F Carter Bear (Red Wings, 2025, 1-13)
F Cole Beaudoin (Mammoth, 2024, 1-24)
F Braeden Cootes (Canucks, 2025, 1-15)
F Caleb Desnoyers (Mammoth, 2025, 1-4)
F Liam Greentree (Kings, 2024, 1-26)
F Michael Hage (Canadiens, 2024, 1-21)
F Tij Iginla (Mammoth, 2024, 1-6)
F Jett Luchanko (Flyers, 2024, 1-13)
F Brady Martin (Predators, 2025, 1-5)
F Porter Martone (Flyers, 2025, 1-6)
F Gavin McKenna (2026 draft eligible)
F Michael Misa (Sharks, 2025, 1-2)
F Jake O’Brien (Kraken, 2025, 1-8)
F Sam O’Reilly (Lightning, 2024, 1-32)
F Cole Reschny (Flames, 2025, 1-18)
D Kashawn Aitcheson (Islanders, 2025, 1-17)
D Harrison Brunicke (Penguins, 2024, 2-44)
D Carson Carels (2026 draft eligible)
D Ben Danford (Maple Leafs, 2024, 1-31)
D Ethan Mackenzie (undrafted in 2024, 2025)
D Zayne Parekh (Flames, 2024, 1-9)
D Cameron Reid (Predators, 2025, 1-21)
D Jackson Smith (Blue Jackets, 2025, 1-14)
D Keaton Verhoeff (2026 draft eligible)
G Carter George (Kings, 2024, 2-57)
G Jack Ivankovic (Predators, 2025, 2-58)
G Joshua Ravensbergen (Sharks, 2025, 1-30)
Outside of having 20 former first-round selections on their roster and a trio that are projected, Team Canada boasts 42 games of NHL experience. Comparatively, the reigning back-to-back champions from the United States don’t have any.
The firepower that Canada has on offense may be insurmountable for opposing teams. Every forward on the roster was drafted in the first round of their respective draft years, with McKenna being the presumptive first overall pick in next year’s draft. Hage, at the University of Michigan, is currently in a four-way tie for the NCAA’s league lead in points, while Martone is following closely behind at Michigan State University. Meanwhile, O’Brien and Beaudoin are pacing the CHL with 45 points and 41 points, respectively.
On defense, the roster is again composed of mostly first-round talents, with Brunicke and Mackenzie being the exceptions. Although Brunicke didn’t have the honor of being selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, he’s already competed in nine games with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season and has 15 games of AHL experience from the last two seasons. Verhoeff, who is the most prominent challenger to McKenna’s billing as next summer’s first overall pick, has scored four goals and 11 points in 16 games at the University of North Dakota this season.
Lastly, Canada will bring two of the hottest goaltenders in their respective leagues to this year’s World Junior Championship. Ravensbergen has compiled a 16-6-0 record with a .921 SV% and 2.50 GAA in 22 games for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, whereas Ivankovic has collected 16 wins in 20 games at the University of Michigan with a .927 SV% and 1.90 GAA.
Outside of a few eligible players that are remaining with their respective NHL organizations the rest of the way, the biggest surprise exclusion from Team Canada’s roster is undoubtedly defenseman Landon Dupont. Dupont, 16, is the odds-on favorite to be the first overall selection of the 2027 NHL Draft, scoring 20 goals and 79 points in 88 games over the last two years with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips with a +45 rating. He was likely left off this year’s roster due to some mild injury concerns he has had throughout the season.
Kings Exploring Change-Of-Scenery Options With Phillip Danault
On today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Los Angeles Kings are exploring a change-of-scenery trade with center Phillip Danault. Additionally, Friedman suggested that Danault would be open to the idea of playing for a different organization.
There’s no question that the Kings have gotten a different version of Danault this year. In the four years following the summer of 2021, when the middle-six center signed a six-year, $33MM contract with Los Angeles, Danault had scored 70 goals and 195 points in 319 games wearing the black and silver while averaging approximately 18 minutes a night.
Additionally, Danault has managed a solid 53.0% success rate in the faceoff dot while starting most of his shifts in the defensive zone, and has held his own on the defensive side of the puck. He has been one of the Kings’ best playoff performers, despite failing to reach beyond the first round throughout his tenure, scoring seven goals and 19 points in 24 contests.
This season, by contrast, Danault has offered little to no offensive value. Through 28 games, the 32-year-old middleman has registered only five assists while averaging 16:27 of ice time. He has remained valuable on the defensive side of the puck, but it appears frustration is growing on both sides of the relationship, particularly due to the lack of offense.
Given his lack of offense, even for a change-of-scenery swap, it may prove difficult to move Danault. He’s signed through next season at a $5.5MM cap hit, and has a 10-team no-trade clause, though he may be willing to completely waive that if he’s committed to a new opportunity.
It’s unlikely that the Kings would want to move him for futures, either. Unless they acquire capital for a separate trade, Los Angeles doesn’t have many internal candidates that could replace Danault down the middle of the team’s third line.
That means that for any trade involving Danault, the Kings would likely look for another center who has had a similarly disappointing year. Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres, Jason Dickinson of the Chicago Blackhawks, Kent Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Scott Laughton of the Toronto Maple Leafs all come to mind as potential options.
Canucks, Red Wings Have Reportedly Spoken About Quinn Hughes
Following up on his report from Saturday Headlines, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported on another team that has spoken to the Vancouver Canucks regarding a potential trade for star defenseman Quinn Hughes. In today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Friedman shares that the Detroit Red Wings have inquired about Hughes’ availability.
Like his update linking Hughes to the New Jersey Devils, it doesn’t appear anything is imminent with the Red Wings, either. About New Jersey, Friedman said, “I do not believe there is anything imminent. I don’t even know that they’re anywhere far along. But I do believe that a conversation was had about where things stand and where they might be going.” It appears similar conversations have been had with Detroit.
This isn’t the first report linking the Red Wings to Hughes, although it is the first confirming that the interest is legitimate. A week and a half ago, Jeff Marek of The Sheet reported that Detroit was a team to watch if the Canucks were open to moving Hughes, citing defenseman Simon Edvinsson as a potential headliner that could head back to Vancouver.
Additionally, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggested that Lucas Raymond would be of the most interest to the Canucks. For what it’s worth, although he didn’t mention a specific name, Friedman believes that if they were to move Hughes, Vancouver would only trade him unless a prominent center was coming back, which would make Edvinsson or Raymond a non-starter. There’s no indication the Red Wings would have any interest in moving either, even if they were able to acquire a defenseman of Hughes’ caliber.
Although the Red Wings don’t have the benefit of rostering Hughes’ brothers, the family’s connection to Detroit runs deep. Before debuting in the NHL, Hughes spent nearly four years in southeast Michigan, playing for the United States National Team Development Program before playing for the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Notably, during the 2018 NHL Draft, Detroit surprisingly selected Filip Zadina, who’s now playing for the NL’s HC Davos, while Hughes was still on the table. The Canucks selected Hughes one pick later with the seventh overall pick.
Much like it would be for any team, acquiring a consistent Norris Trophy candidate such as Hughes would be a franchise-altering move for the Red Wings. The team already has a top-pairing defenseman in Moritz Seider, though he doesn’t offer the same offensive profile as Hughes.
Regardless, whether it be with Detroit or New Jersey, it doesn’t appear that the Canucks are close to trading Hughes or even firmly entertaining the idea. However, with their position in the standings and the fact that Hughes is expected to become an unrestricted free agent after next season, teams from around the league are beginning to gain confidence that the Canucks could end up moving him now rather than lose him for nothing after next year.
Avalance Reassign Trent Miner, Scott Wedgewood Expected To Return
Wild Reassign Hunter Haight
Sabres Recall Zach Metsa, Reassign Noah Ostlund
The Buffalo Sabres have recalled defenseman Zach Metsa from the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Metsa was reassigned last Monday. He played in three games with Rochester last week and recorded two points, one penalty, and a plus-two.
Metsa played in the first four NHL games of his career earlier this season. He hasn’t found a scoresheet yet, other than one penalty, but has recorded a plus-three. Metsa has been a much more electric piece for Rochester. He has 13 points in 14 games with the Americans, good for second on the blue-line in scoring behind Zac Jones’ 20 points in 20 games.
Metsa, 27, is emerging as a potential NHL option after two strong AHL seasons to start his career. He joined Rochester as an undrafted free agent in 2022-23, after five years at Quinnipiac University, where he won one NCAA National Championship. Metsa had a quiet first year – with just 28 points in his first 72 AHL games. That preluded a true breakout last season. He recorded 49 points in 77 games, including playoffs, last season. That led Rochester’s defense in scoring and ranked third on the team overall. He has kept up the hot scoring through this season, helping to cement his spot on top of Buffalo’s call-up sheet over the more experienced Jones.
To make room for Metsa’s recall, Buffalo has also loaned center Noah Ostlund back to the AHL. The second-year pro has been Metsa’s counterpart on offense, bouncing between the NHL and AHL lineup for much of the year. He has seven points in six AHL games and six poinst in 20 NHL games. It’s the first scoring of his NHL career, after he failed to produce in the first eight games of his career last season. Ostlund will look to rediscover his offensive production with a return to the Americans, after only posting one assist in his last nine games with Buffalo.
Blues’ Jordan Kyrou Out Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
12/7: Blues head coach Jim Montgomery designated Kyrou as day-to-day, and said he was “doing OK”, in an update on Sunday. It seems St. Louis has dodged the worst-case scenario, after losing a main lineup fixture early into Saturday night’s win.
12/6: The St. Louis Blues lost star winger Jordan Kyrou during Saturday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators. He went down the tunnel three minutes into the game after receiving a hit against the boards from Ottawa Senators rookie Stephen Halliday. Kyrou was favoring his left leg on his way off the ice.
Kyrou has been on a heater as of late. He has three points, a plus-two, and eight shots on net over his last four games. Those numbers have propped Kyrou up to 16 points, a minus-nine, and 69 shots on goal in 27 games this season. He ranks second on the team in scoring behind Robert Thomas‘ 17 points in 24 games. Kyrou hasn’t filled his usual stapled top-line role under head coach Jim Montgomery, but he’s snapped back to routine scoring after a four-game drought in early November.
Kyrou has been an electric scorer for the Blues dating back to the 2021-22 season. That was his breakout year in the NHL, marked by 27 goals and 75 points in 74 games. He has followed that with three consecutive 30-goal seasons and two more 70-point years. He’s up to 348 points in 443 games through eight years in the NHL. That scoring will make him an invaluable asset in any potential moves, and a hard lineup piece to replace should this injury force him out of more games.
Penguins Activate Justin Brazeau, Noel Acciari From Injured Reserve
The Penguins announced they’ve activated forwards Noel Acciari and Justin Brazeau from injured reserve. They’ll be available for this evening’s game against the Stars. They had one open roster spot after Joona Koppanen cleared waivers and was reassigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton yesterday, and they opened the other by reassigning winger Bokondji Imama to WBS in a corresponding move. The team also announced that defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Jack St. Ivany have been recalled from their conditioning loans to the Baby Pens. However, St. Ivany will remain on the injured non-roster list for the time being. Brunicke still counted against the active roster while in the minors, so there’s no other move required there.
Brazeau is a key reinforcement, particularly as the Pens said that Evgeni Malkin will be held out of the lineup tonight due to an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. The 27-year-old was an understandably overlooked free agent pickup, signing a two-year deal worth $1.5MM annually after notching 11 goals and 22 points in 76 games last season with the Bruins and Wild.
An injury to top prospect Rutger McGroarty, though, meant Brazeau got a look on Malkin’s wing to start the year with fellow UFA reclamation project Anthony Mantha on the left flank. The line immediately had some of the best offensive chemistry in the league. Brazeau opened the season with a two-goal performance against the Rangers, and by the time October drew to a close, he was still clicking at a point per game with a 6-6–12 scoring line.
In that final game in October against Brazeau’s former team in Minnesota, he sustained an upper-body injury. He was initially ruled day-to-day, but during the first week of November, the Pens said they were shutting him down for the next four weeks. Today is four-and-a-half weeks from that announcement, so his reinstatement doesn’t come too far behind schedule.
Although he won’t have Malkin to center him to start, Brazeau looks to help rejuvenate a Penguins offense that’s cooled off considerably since clicking at 3.67 goals per game in October. They’re only scoring 2.79 per game since – 20th in the league – but are on the upswing, scoring at least four goals in four of their last five outings.
Acciari is the much more established of the two names, with 531 games of NHL experience compared to Brazeau’s 107. He’s played lower in the lineup, averaging 12:56 of ice time per game, but the pending unrestricted free agent has quietly been solid down the middle on Pittsburgh’s fourth line. He had three assists and a +3 rating through 13 games before an upper-body injury he sustained against the Maple Leafs took him out of the lineup on Nov. 3.
Pre-injury, Acciari was winning 60.4% of his faceoffs while centering a line with Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte. They weren’t generating much offensively but were limiting opponents to 2.30 expected goals per 60 minutes, the lowest figure among Pittsburgh’s four forward lines to see at least 50 minutes together at 5-on-5.
Imama was recalled along with McGroarty last Monday as the Pens did a bit of roster shuffling. Pittsburgh has only played twice since then, and the 29-year-old enforcer suited up on both occasions. He landed a fighting major against the Lightning’s Curtis Douglas in Thursday’s win and laid three hits while registering two shots on goal, averaging what would be a career-high 7:39 of ice time per game if he doesn’t land another recall this season.
If the 19-year-old Brunicke gets back into the lineup for the Pens anytime soon, it will be his first NHL appearance since Nov. 3. The 2024 second-round pick was a healthy scratch in seven consecutive contests before Pittsburgh sent him down for conditioning two weeks ago. He’s not eligible to be removed from the NHL roster without being returned to his junior team, the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, hence the conditioning-stint workaround to get him some action in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In five appearances, the 6’3″ righty managed three assists with a +2 rating.
St. Ivany’s last two weeks in the AHL marked his first action of the 2025-26 season. The steady depth D-man sustained a lower-body injury late in the preseason that kept him from making the Pens’ opening night roster. While his conditioning stint had to end today as it hit its two-week limit, they don’t have a roster spot for him so he has to remain on the non-roster list for now. They can make a corresponding move to activate him tomorrow or place him on waivers. In the latter scenario, they can give him a non-roster designation until his waiver period ends.
The 26-year-old looked ready to go in his AHL stint, though. He notched a 1-4–5 scoring line with a +3 rating in five outings and, at that rate, will make a legitimate push to unseat the far more expensive Connor Clifton as the righty on the Pens’ third pairing.
Islanders Release Andrej Sustr From AHL Tryout
Veteran defender Andrej Šustr has been released from his professional tryout agreement with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, the team announced. For now, his attempted return to North America is over.
Šustr landed with the Isles’ farm team on a PTO after inking one with the crosstown Rangers to participate in their NHL camp. He lasted over a week in camp but was released from that deal on Sep. 29, and he wasn’t offered an AHL deal to stay with them, either. A few days later, Bridgeport picked him up for added veteran depth.
The former penalty-killing fixture with the Lightning wasn’t able to carve out much of a role, though. He’d been an increasingly frequent scratch, playing only five times since the start of November and not since Nov. 15. In 11 appearances, the 6’7″ righty posted one assist, a -6 rating, and 21 penalty minutes.
Šustr has 361 NHL games to his name but none since 2021-22, a season he split between the Lightning and the Ducks – his second stint with each team. The Czech rearguard was a relatively successful pickup by Tampa as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2013. He became a regular on their right side and one of their most frequent shorthanded options, posting a 10-53–63 scoring line with a -3 rating in 318 games across six seasons across his first stint. He became a free agent in 2018 and inked a one-year deal with the Ducks, but he played just five games for Anaheim and spent most of the season in the minors.
He spent the following two seasons in China with Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League, going without a goal in 99 games, before returning to Tampa in 2021. He split the year between the Lightning and AHL Syracuse before being claimed off waivers by the Ducks in February, finishing the year there. He signed with the Wild for 2022-23 but never suited up for them after clearing waivers at the beginning of the year. Anaheim acquired him for a third time for minor-league depth at the deadline in the John Klingberg deal, but he again didn’t see a recall. Šustr became a UFA and had spent the last two seasons in three separate European leagues – Germany’s DEL with Kölner Haie, Czechia’s Extraliga with HC Dynamo Pardubice, and Finland’s Liiga with Tappara, before landing his tryout with the Rangers to attempt an NHL return.
Now 35, Šustr has almost definitely played his final NHL game. Considering his underwhelming showing with Bridgeport, his last pro game in North America might be in the rearview as well.