The NHL’s Worst Value Contracts Of 2025-26: Costliest Per-Point Production Among Forwards
Earlier this week, PHR looked at the forwards who gave their teams the cheapest cost per point in the NHL last season. Today, we flip the list over. These are the ten forwards whose points came at the highest price in 2025-26, and unlike the bargains, whose seasons mostly yielded big paydays, almost everyone here is still on the books. For their teams, the question isn’t what these players will cost next; it’s how many years of their current contracts remain.
This list excludes players on their entry-level contracts and includes forwards who appeared in at least half (42) of games during the 2015-26 season.
The list:
- Brandon Tanev ($833K Per Point) — No forward’s points cost more last season. Tanev went goalless across 56 games in his first season in Utah, and his three assists against a $2.5MM cap hit worked out to roughly $833K apiece, the worst rate in the league by a comfortable margin. The Mammoth signed him to a three-year deal last July expecting energy and penalty killing, and the physicality showed up (135 hits), but the offense vanished entirely, and by late season he was a nightly healthy-scratch candidate. While Tanev, along with many of the other players on this list, hasn’t made a career off offensive production, his three-point campaign in 2025-26 is an alarming drop-off from his ten-goal, 22-point season just one year prior. Tanev has two years remaining at $2.5MM.
- Garnet Hathaway ($800K Per Point) — Hathaway’s game has never been about scoring, but three points in 66 games stretched even that job description. His $2.4MM hit priced those points at $800K each in his final full season in Philadelphia, though he did lead the Flyers with 252 hits, ninth-most in the league. Similar to Tanev, Hathaway’s production took a huge hit from the year prior, when he tallied ten goals and 21 points. For Flyers fans, Hathaway’s lackluster regular season was all but forgotten when he stepped up with a goal and an assist in a Round 1 Game 2 win against Pittsburgh. Hathaway moved on in June, with the Flyers trading him to Florida while retaining half his deal, so the Panthers get his final year at an effective $1.2MM.
- Maxim Tsyplakov ($563K Per Point) — Nobody on this list traveled more. Tsyplakov opened the year on Long Island, was dealt to New Jersey in January, and by June had been packaged to Calgary alongside Simon Nemec, three organizations in six months for a player who managed four points in 49 games between the Islanders and Devils, about $563K per point on his $2.25MM hit. The production ability is there; Tsyplakov was a 30-goal scorer for Spartak Moskva in the KHL before coming to North America. In his rookie season on Long Island, the Russian had a ten-goal, 35-point season. The Flames, who finished dead last in the NHL in goals for during 2025-26, are hoping that a fresh start will re-ignite some offensive production.
- Trent Frederic ($550K Per Point) — The scariest entry here isn’t the rate, it’s the runway. Frederic produced seven points in 74 games in his first full season in Edmonton on a $3.85MM hit, while never quite looking recovered from the high-ankle sprain he carried into the eight-year, $30.8MM extension the Oilers gave him last summer. The St. Louis native will look to find the game that made him a former 40-point scorer in Boston, and Edmonton would welcome the added depth scoring, which has been a weakness for them the past several seasons. That deal has seven years left, the longest remaining commitment on this list by a wide margin.
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi ($536K Per Point) — The strangest season on the list: Kotkaniemi is a Stanley Cup champion who didn’t play a single second of Carolina’s championship run. Scratched frequently through a nine-point, 42-game regular season ($536K per point at a $4.82MM hit), he then sat for all 19 playoff games as the Hurricanes won it all. Four years remain, and the buyout-versus-trade debate has hung over him all summer. Kotkaniemi’s name has been attached to Alexander Nikishin trade rumors, with some speculation Carolina wants to attach the forward to any deal in hopes of unloading his contract.
- Frank Vatrano ($508K Per Point) — Two years removed from a 37-goal season, Vatrano’s offense collapsed to nine points in 50 games, about $508K per point on his $4.57MM hit, though he has a better excuse than most: a fractured shoulder in late December cost him 22 games, and Anaheim’s emerging young forwards squeezed his role even when healthy. With Anaheim in a bit of a cap crunch and rumors circulating about Verbeek looking to move some contracts, Vatrano’s name has been in the mix along with Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider. Two years remain on the deal.
- Ryan Reaves ($450K Per Point) — The list’s elder enforcer and its lone expiring contract. Reaves gave San Jose three goals and nothing else across 50 games at 39 years old, playing under eight minutes a night for $450K per point on a $1.35MM hit. That deal is now up, and he’s an unsigned free agent who has said publicly he’d like to finish his career as a Shark. San Jose currently has $12MM in cap space with 13 forwards signed so it will be interesting to see if GM Mike Grier looks to bring Reaves back.
- Jonathan Huberdeau ($420K Per Point) — The biggest name and the biggest number. Huberdeau’s 25 points in 50 games came at $420K apiece on his $10.5MM cap hit, but the context matters: he played the entire season through a chronic hip problem, was shut down at the Olympic break, and underwent hip resurfacing surgery in March. Calgary still owes him five more years at $10.5MM with a no-movement clause, making his recovery the most consequential rehab of the Flames’ offseason. Before the 2025-26 season, Huberdeau’s production has been steady during his time in Calgary; however, the Flames have long hoped to find the former 115-point scorer they acquired in the Matthew Tkachuk trade during the 2022 offseason.
- Ondrej Palat ($400K Per Point) — Palat’s season is permanently linked to the No. 3 entry on this list: New Jersey shipped him to the Islanders in January in the trade that sent Tsyplakov the other way. Between the two stops, he managed 15 points in 80 games, about $400K per point at a $6MM hit. One year remains on the deal he signed off back-to-back Cups in Tampa, a contract that never even produced a 40-point season.
- Phillip Danault ($324K Per Point) — The cheapest bad value in hockey, if that’s a title. Danault went goalless through 30 games in Los Angeles before a reportedly messy December with LA sent him back to Montreal, where his game stabilized somewhat; he finished with 17 points in 75 combined games, around $324K per point on his $5.5MM hit. The Canadiens have him for one more season before the deal expires in 2027. Montreal is certainly hopeful Danault can find another gear in 2026 and provide depth production in that 40-point range that the 32-year-old center has for much of his career.
All contract information provided by Puckpedia.
Ducks’ Frank Vatrano Emerging As Trade Candidate
With the Anaheim Ducks off-season taking a sudden and unexpected turn, Frank Vatrano could be next impacted in the wake of recent news. According to The Fourth Period’s Summer Trade Watch List 3.0, he may be the “odd man out”. Already thought to be a possible trade candidate, the veteran perhaps must be moved sooner rather than later.
Marching along into free agency as a playoff team among the richest in cap space, Friday’s offer sheet given by Philadelphia on Leo Carlsson has forced their hand to make the young star the highest-paid player in the league if they’re to keep him in Orange County. Anaheim hurried to lock up Pavel Mintyukov today before another offer sheet dropped onto GM Pat Verbeek’s desk, agreeing on a five-year pact worth $7.2MM per season. Both players are crucial young pieces they can’t afford to lose, but Carlsson and Mintyukov’s salaries jumping from entry level to over $25 million combined is an unbelievable development.
Having lost several pieces on the back end in John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Olen Zellweger, and captain Radko Gudas, there’s still work to be done even assuming Carlsson’s shocking ticket is matched. Not to mention, the Ducks’ leading scorer Cutter Gauthier also remains a restricted free agent, thankfully for them, not eligible for an offer sheet himself. With all of this in mind, suddenly Vatrano’s $4.57MM cap hit would be much better utilized elsewhere. Rather than have the chance at a bounce-back season in Anaheim, the team may be forced to make a move on him now despite trade value as low as ever.
For what it’s worth, the undrafted forward isn’t the only veteran on the team with a questionable price tag, as Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn combine for $12.75MM against the cap next season. However, both are more trusted as supporting cast for the Ducks and have maintained top six usage, again speaking to Vatrano’s position as the “odd man out”.
Holding trade protection as able to reject trades to seven clubs, Vatrano still has two years remaining on his deal which was signed at his peak as a player. At the time, the Massachusetts native had broken out in 2023-24 as a Duck with 37 goals, being named a 2024 NHL All Star. Vatrano continued his solid scoring pace into the following season which earned the January 2025 extension good for another three years. Moving on from Greg Cronin, now an assistant in St. Louis, Anaheim’s youth movement exploded this past season but it was Vatrano whose performance fell off. Under new head coach Joel Quenneville, Vatrano turned in a brutal 2025-26, scoring just five goals in 50 games, shooting 6.3%, far below his career average which is over 10%.
In the regular season Vatrano averaged 11:49 a night, usage not seen since his early professional days as a Bruin. The typically solid secondary scorer was scratched in the playoffs, unable to get into a single one of Anaheim’s 12 postseason games. Bringing an excellent shot and high energy within his 5’11” frame, the winger has just one lost season dragging him down, and a fresh start could have him humming along again in no time. Any suitors banking on such a prompt return to a 20-goal level could be enticed in a buy-low opportunity.
Needing to shed every last penny, a trade where Verbeek adds draft capital as a sweetener is the most likely scenario. Thankfully the Ducks have three 2027 second rounders to work with, two courtesy of trades on stars of their past era, Cam Fowler and John Gibson. It would be an asset painful to have to part with, but if the past few days are any indication, teams haven’t been so kind as to do favors for Verbeek. Moving Vatrano’s contract quickly may prove costly.
Plenty of current low spending franchises would be content to take on as much as a second-round-pick along with the former 37-goal-scorer in a fresh start trade, such as Chicago or Seattle. If Vatrano has no interest in going there, Detroit and Columbus also stand out as teams who have needs up front while simultaneously lacking a second-round selection in the next draft. Even if they couldn’t pry such a high selection away, settling for less of a sweetener, Vatrano an intriguing enough player to take a shot on in a dry free agent class.
Regardless of what Anaheim may have to dangle to entice trade partners for their struggling forward, it’s fascinating to consider the domino effect caused by the Flyers’ offer sheet. Left scrambling of late, the Ducks were thought to be on enviable ground this summer after their breakout campaign. Now they’re forced into difficult and costly decisions ahead, and Vatrano’s name is one to watch in their efforts to open up more breathing room on the salary cap front.
Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Morning Notes: Davidge, Vatrano, Bennett
Yesterday, the Columbus Blue Jackets somberly announced that former scout, radio, and TV analyst Bill Davidge passed away at the age of 72. Davidge last worked for the Blue Jackets in the 2018-19 season.
Although born in Dunnville, Ontario, Davidge had significant connections to Ohio. In the mid-1970s, Davidge spent his collegiate days at The Ohio State University, scoring 45 goals and 101 points in 114 games, while serving as the team’s captain during the 1976-77 campaign. Additionally, after his playing days ended, Davidge spent many years as an assistant coach for Miami University of Ohio before becoming the team’s head coach from 1985 to 1989.
In their announcement of his passing, the Blue Jackets said, “Our organization has never known a greater advocate or ambassador for our team and sport than Bill. If the Blue Jackets were somewhere in the community, there was a good chance Bill was there. And he was making an impact. There were no strangers in his world, only friends.”
Additional morning notes:
- Despite having nearly $41MM in cap space heading into the summer, the Anaheim Ducks may come relatively close to the upper limit of the salary cap after inking new contracts with Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, among others. Should they need additional breathing room, Patrick Present of The Hockey News opined that the team could look to move Frank Vatrano, who is making just north of $4.5MM through the 2027-28 campaign. Vatrano, 32, is an obvious trade candidate after a year in which he only totalled nine points, but that could equally make him more difficult to move.
- According to a team announcement, the New York Islanders have parted ways with assistant coach Ray Bennett. Bennett, 64, has a lengthy history as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Islanders. As assistant coach, Bennett was tasked with leading New York’s power play, one that finished 30th in the league with a 16.53% success rate.
Anaheim Ducks Activate Frank Vatrano
The Anaheim Ducks have activated winger Frank Vatrano off of injured reserve. In a corresponding move, they have placed center Mikael Granlund, who is sidelined with an upper-body injury, on injured reserve.
Vatrano has been out since Dec. 27 with a shoulder injury, an ailment that kept him sidelined for 22 contests. It’s been a tough season for the 31-year-old sniper, and his activation today will give him the chance to re-enter the lineup and attempt to re-write the story of his 2025-26 campaign. Vatrano, who scored 37 goals and was an All-Star two years ago, has just three goals and six points in 38 games this season.
He’s scored at least 20 goals in every season since he joined the Ducks as a free agent in 2022, but it appears almost impossible for him to reach that number in what remains of the 2025-26 season. The emergence of several talented young scorers in Anaheim, such as star rookie Beckett Sennecke, has eaten into the prime offensive opportunities Vatrano once received.
This season, Vatrano ranks No. 11 among Ducks forwards in time on ice per game, averaging 12:20 with only sporadic usage on either side of special teams. In both 2023-24 and 2024-25, Vatrano was the team’s No. 2 forward in terms of time on ice per game, playing regularly on the top power play unit in both years and occupying a notable penalty kill role in his All-Star campaign.
Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who also coached Vatrano during both players’ tenure with the Florida Panthers, commented to The Hockey News’ Derek Lee on Vatrano’s season, saying “whether it was his shot or his production, it’s been off a little bit, and I think that he needs to get himself feeling good and getting that some confidence in his game.” With today’s activation, he’ll get his first chance to rebound and begin to build back his confidence level. For tonight’s game against the New York Islanders, Vatrano slotted in on the team’s third line, playing alongside Ryan Poehling and Ryan Strome.
Replacing Vatrano on IR is Granlund. The veteran forward has been sidelined for four consecutive games with his injury, suffered at the Olympic tournament while helping Finland to a bronze medal. The 34-year-old was a key offseason addition for GM Pat Verbeek, signing a three-year, $7MM AAV deal to head to Orange County.
While he’s dealt with some injuries, he’s largely kept to his career pace as a Duck, scoring 27 points in 38 games, which is a 58-point 82-game scoring pace. He’s replaced Vatrano as Anaheim’s No. 2 forward in terms of ice time, skating 18:55 time on ice per game, including 3:10 on the power play and 1:41 on the penalty kill.
Pacific Notes: Jarry, Hyman, Vatrano, Chiarot
It appears the Oilers won’t have to wait too much longer to get their new starting goalie back. Head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters following last night’s game (video link) that they’re hoping to have Tristan Jarry back around mid-January. That would mean he’ll miss another couple of weeks but ideally not much more than that. Diagnosed as out week-to-week just before the holiday break due to a lower-body injury, Jarry was injured in just his third game following last month’s swap. Connor Ingram has played well in three of his four games in Jarry’s absence and will now have a couple more weeks to make the case that he should take over as Edmonton’s backup moving forward over Calvin Pickard.
More from the Pacific:
- While Hockey Canada didn’t reveal any of its players on their standby list for next month’s Olympics when they announced their roster yesterday, Oilers winger Zach Hyman is on that list, according to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Hyman missed the start of the season while recovering from wrist surgery but has been productive in his limited action, collecting 12 goals and 10 assists in 22 games, 16 of which have come in his last 11 outings. That made him a candidate for the team given his chemistry with linemate Connor McDavid but he’ll now need someone to miss due to injury to have a chance to make it.
- Unsurprisingly, following Wednesday’s announcement that Frank Vatrano will miss six weeks due to a fractured shoulder, the Ducks have moved him to injured reserve, notes Derek Lee of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Anaheim had been carrying a full 23-player roster so they now have an opening to recall someone from AHL San Diego, a move that could be made relatively soon.
- Earlier this week, Canucks prospect Gabriel Chiarot was traded in the OHL with Kitchener announcing that they acquired him from Brampton in exchange for eight draft picks. The 19-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Vancouver back in June, going 175th overall. He has 15 goals and 10 assists in 33 games so far this season. Chiarot turns 20 in mid-September, meaning he is eligible to play full-time in the minors in 2026-27 so this could be a particularly expensive rental if the Canucks decide that moving to the next level is better than an overage season in junior.
Ducks’ Frank Vatrano To Miss Six Weeks
The Anaheim Ducks provided an injury update mid-game, as Frank Vatrano will miss approximately six weeks. The forward has suffered a shoulder fracture which occurred on Saturday against Los Angeles. Vatrano was listed as out two days ago, with uncertainty on how long he would be absent, so today’s news is perhaps worse than anticipated.
Based on the timeline, Vatrano will miss all of January and could be in line to return sometime before mid-February. A major story to start the season, Anaheim has slipped of late, but still hold onto the third spot in the Pacific Division. The 31-year-old has just six points in 38 games on the season, a major step backward from his output over the past three seasons as a Duck, including a 37-goal campaign in 2023-24.
With the emergence of young stars such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, the veteran’s role has dropped under Head Coach Joel Quenneville, mostly a third line deployment. The injury is a tough blow for Vatrano as he’s sought to find his game under the new regime, in what is year one of his three year contract extension, finally on an imposing team, no less. However, there should be ample time to get healthy and provide leadership for the group as they could end their seven-year playoff drought, even if it does not show on the score sheet for the Massachusetts native.
Vatrano did make a mark in the physical game. He has 67 hits this season, second-most on the Ducks’ offense behind Ross Johnston (111). He also ranks second on the offense with 24 blocked shots. Those will be hard impacts to replace – though Anaheim could have a perfect fit in extra forward Jansen Harkins. Harkins has 55 hits in just 17 games this season, making him the only Duck with a higher hits-per-game average than Johnston or Vatrano. He also has 12 blocked shots – already half of Vatrano’s total.
Harkins will take on the fourth-line center role with Vatrano on the mend. The extended injury could also provide a chance to test strong minor-leaguers like Tim Washe or Sasha Pastujov.
Pro Hockey Rumor’s Gabriel Foley contributed to this article.
Ducks’ Frank Vatrano, Radko Gudas Out On Monday
The Anaheim Ducks will be without players in Monday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. Forward Frank Vatrano will miss the game with an upper-body injury while defenseman and captain Radko Gudas will be forced out by an illness head coach Joel Quenneville told Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Quennville added that the team did not know quite how long Vatrano would need to miss.
Vatrano and Gudas both serve important, physical roles on the Ducks. Gudas leads the defense in hits (94) while Vatrano ranks second on the offense (67) behind Ross Johnston (111). Vatrno also ranks second to Johnston in penalty minutes on the Ducks. He has stepped into a pest role this season and was recently fined by the NHL Department of Player Safety for an unsportsmanlike conduct against Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. Vatrano has six points in 38 games to back his nasty style, while Gudas has eight points in 29 games.
Anaheim will now face injury challenges on the heels of a recent losing skid. The Ducks have lost five of their last eight games, including a 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. Jansen Harkins is set to take over fourth-line center duties in Vatrano’s absence. He has two goals, 11 shot blocks, and 51 hits in 16 games this season. Harkins is the only Duck with a higher hits-per-game average than Johnston or Vatrano, which should make his adjustment to Vatrano’s role a bit smoother. Ian Moore will step in for Gudas. Moore has five points and 47 shot blocks in 24 games this season. One more game will officially cement this season as his rookie year in the NHL.
Snapshots: Grzelcyk, Vatrano, Liljegren
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was fined $2,604.17 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Ottawa Senators’ center Tim Stutzle on Saturday. It is the maximum allowable fine under the CBA for this infraction. Grzelcyk cross-checked Stutzle in the face during a scrum in front of the net and was awarded a double-minor penalty. He will avoid suspension for the incident, allowing him to stick in a true utility role for the Blackhawks. Grzelcyk has averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in his last five games, far above the 16 minutes he’s averaged across the full season. He’s a veteran two-way defender with six points, all assists, and a plus-three in 35 games this season.
Other quick notes from around the league:
- Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano was also fined $5,000 by the NHL DPS for unsportsmanlike conduct against Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. Vatrano ragdolled Robertson after a shoving match in front of the net turned into a scrum on the boards. He has 34 penalty minutes in 35 games this season, to go with only five points and a minus-11. This news will keep Vatrano in a daily, depth role for the Ducks.
- The San Jose Sharks could be without defenseman Timothy Liljegren when they face the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Liljegren was designated as day-to-day and doubtful for Tuesday due to an upper-body injury, per Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News. Liljegren has averaged top-line minutes over in 28 games this season, though he only has four assists and a minus-10 on the year. Still, the 26 year old has stepped into an important, veteran role on a young Sharks lineup. He’ll be tough to replace, but rookie defender Sam Dickinson and depth defender Vincent Iorio could be the one to benefit from the need for a bigger presence.
Ducks Sign Frank Vatrano To Three-Year Extension
In an announcement from himself and his young daughter, Frank Vatrano is committing to Orange County for another three seasons. In a quick follow-up from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Vatrano’s three-year pact will pay him $18MM in total but carries an uncommon method of deferred salary.
LeBrun shares that Vatrano will earn a base salary of $3MM each year of the deal with $9MM deferred. From 2035, Vatrano will earn $900K annually from the Ducks until 2044. LeBrun asserts that Vatrano plans to live outside of California in retirement giving him the flexibility to earn his annual disbursement in a tax-free state. Additionally, the creativity of the deferred salary brings Vatrano’s cap hit down to $4.67MM (instead of $6MM) which provides cost-savings to Anaheim.
Being primarily used in Major League Baseball, this is the most creative use of deferred salary in recent memory in the National Hockey League and may be a sign of things to come. There are increasing concerns that teams within states without an income tax have a competitive advantage over other teams, particularly in comparison to the Canadian market in recent years. The use of deferred salary by Anaheim may be a way to show players, particularly unrestricted free agents, that there are creative ways to dodge financial impediments.
For Vatrano’s part, it’s a healthy raise on his modest $3.65MM salary for the last three years. After a disappointing year with the New York Rangers, the Ducks signed Vatrano to a three-year, $10.95MM contract as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022.
Subsequently, he’s enjoyed the two most productive seasons of his career. Vatrano scored 22 goals and 41 points in 81 games for Anaheim during the 2022-23 season finishing tied for third on the team in goal-scoring. Vatrano followed up that performance with the best season of his career scoring 37 goals and 60 points in 82 games last year shattering his previous record of 24 goals in 2018-19 with the Florida Panthers. 
Vatrano’s goal-scoring output has dissipated slightly this year with nine goals and 20 points in 37 games but he’s still proving to be a physical, offensive threat in the Ducks’ top-six. Unsurprisingly, the defensive side of Vatrano’s game is improving under head coach Greg Cronin‘s hard-nosed system, with the veteran sniper managing the best 5-on-5 on-ice save percentage since his time with the Panthers.
The extension reflects Vatrano’s earnest commitment to a rebuilding organization. It also removes an important trade candidate from consideration as the deadline approaches. Vatrano’s style of play would be an asset to almost any contending team’s middle-six, but they will now have to seek such an advantage elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Panthers, Joshua, Honzek, Harkins
Already missing three forwards due to illness or injuries, the Panthers won’t have forward Jonah Gadjovich available to them tonight against Vegas due to an undisclosed injury, relays team reporter Jameson Olive. The 26-year-old has taken a regular turn on the fourth line so far this season, picking up a goal in Florida’s first six games. As Florida doesn’t have enough cap space to afford a recall from the minors, they will dress just 17 skaters for this one, ten forwards and seven blueliners.
It’s not all bad news on that front, however. Head coach Paul Maurice indicated that winger Matthew Tkachuk is expected to return from his illness on Tuesday while captain Aleksander Barkov should be back not long after that. Meanwhile, Tomas Nosek is due to return early next month for their Global Series games. With that in mind, while the Panthers will be eligible for a cap-exempt recall after tonight’s contest, they’re unlikely to actually need to use it.
More from around the NHL:
- Canucks forward Dakota Joshua skated today for the first time as he continues to recover from surgery to address a cancerous lump from earlier this summer, mentions NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman (Twitter link). The 28-year-old had a breakout effort last season, notching career-highs in goals (18), assists (14), points (32), and hits (245) across 63 regular season contests, earning him a four-year, $13MM extension in late June. There remains no timetable for Joshua’s return but the fact he has returned to the ice is certainly a good sign.
- The Flames have placed forward Samuel Honzek on injured reserve, relays Tim Hiebert of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The 19-year-old is in his first professional season and played in four games before sustaining an upper-body injury that will keep him out on a week-to-week basis. Calgary now has an open slot on their active roster and it stands to reason that it won’t take too long for it to be filled, likely with the expected pending return of Kevin Rooney who was a full participant in practice on Friday.
- The Ducks have re-assigned forward Jansen Harkins to AHL San Diego, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 27-year-old is in his first season with Anaheim after signing with them in free agency but cleared waivers at the end of training camp. Harkins was brought up yesterday following the injury to Isac Lundestrom and Frank Vatrano’s absence from the team for paternity leave and he suited up in their loss to Colorado, recording one shot on goal in 10:11 of ice time. In a corresponding move, Vatrano is now back on the active roster.