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Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Injury Notes: Roslovic, Hartman, Foegele

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Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch shared several updates, as reported by Jason Gregor of Sports 1440; most notably, Jack Roslovic is set to miss multiple weeks. Kasperi Kapanen will be out at least one week, possibly longer, and Jake Walman is making progress, in time for a possible return next week. 

Just yesterday it was thought that Roslovic could be just questionable for Saturday’s game, so the week-to-week diagnosis is a surprise. The forward has been a tremendous fit in Edmonton, with 10 goals and 18 points in 23 games, and will be sorely missed as the team faces mounting pressure to get on track. 21-year-old Matthew Savoie will have an opportunity to step up offensively, as the Oilers will desperately fight for a strong December. Roslovic left last Tuesday against Dallas after blocking a shot. 

Meanwhile, Kapanen was back in practice yesterday after a five-week absence, but appeared to re-aggravate the injury, and was visibly frustrated leaving the ice. Walman has been out since November 20th, avoiding the IR, and will be eager to return to the lineup to prove his worth after inking a major long-term extension in October. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Ahead of their hosting of Colorado this afternoon, the Minnesota Wild announced that Ryan Hartman has been activated from injured reserve, and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel has been reassigned to AHL Iowa in a corresponding move. Hartman, thought to be week-to-week with a lower-body injury earlier in the month, is a welcome addition especially with Marcus Foligno set to miss time. Hartman, 31, has seven points in 20 games, a far cry from his 34-goal output four years ago, but the South Carolina native remains a solid third line center for the club. Meanwhile, Aubé-Kubel was called up just yesterday, but is headed back to Iowa without yet appearing for Minnesota this season. 
  • Zach Dooley, Manager of Editorial Content for the Los Angeles Kings, shared that forward Warren Foegele will not play this afternoon in Anaheim. Foegele, a fixture of the Kings’ bottom six, left practice yesterday with an apparent injury. The 29-year-old has four goals in 18 games this year, after setting a career high 24 in his first season with the black and silver in 2024-25. In his absence, fellow 29-year-old Jeff Malott enters the lineup, bringing major size and physicality in a fourth line role. 

Wild Recall Nicolas Aubé-Kubel

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The Wild announced they’ve recalled winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel from AHL Iowa. They’d been living with an open roster spot since placing Vinnie Hinostroza on injured reserve on Monday, so there’s no need for a corresponding move.

Aubé-Kubel, 29, is back in the big leagues after failing to make the opening night roster for the second time in the last three years. The right-shot agitator had been a relatively stable fourth-line piece for several seasons but saw significant time in the minors last season, limited to 22 appearances between the Sabres and Rangers. He’d appeared in 60 games for the Capitals the year prior. His only season with 70-plus games came with the Flyers and Avalanche in 2021-22, when he recorded a career-best 11-12–23 scoring line and suited up in 14 playoff games en route to Colorado’s Stanley Cup win.

A former second-round pick by Philadelphia, Aubé-Kubel made Minnesota his fourth organization in as many years when he signed a two-way deal during the first week of free agency. Initial projections labeled him as a bang-and-crash top-nine winger with enough offensive upside for third-line duties. While he’s satisfied the former part of that description, he’s rarely demonstrated enough offensive utility to push above a fourth-line job. In 304 career appearances, he owns a 32-48–80 scoring line while averaging 54 PIMs and 181 hits per 82 games. He’s had more offensive success in the minors but never really dominated offensively there, either, posting 58 goals and 125 points in 272 career AHL appearances.

This year is no exception. After clearing waivers during the preseason, Aubé-Kubel is off to a conservative start with two goals and eight points in 17 games for Iowa. However, that’s still second in points on a Wild affiliate club that’s destined for a third straight season in the AHL’s basement.

The Wild are hoping his more extensive NHL experience can bring a more dynamic element to a fourth line that hasn’t produced – literally. None of Liam Ohgren, Ben Jones, or Tyler Pitlick has a point in 36 combined appearances. Minnesota has been outshot 15-7 and outchanced 14-2 with that trio on the ice at 5-on-5. A natural right winger, Aubé-Kubel could presumably enter the lineup for Pitlick tomorrow against the Avalanche. Both could be in the mix if Marcus Foligno, who left yesterday’s overtime win over the Blackhawks in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return, isn’t able to go.

Wild Sign Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Matt Kiersted, Cal Petersen

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The Wild announced they’ve signed forward Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and goaltender Calvin Petersen to one-year deals and signed defenseman Matt Kiersted to a two-year deal. The club also confirmed yesterday’s reported signings of defenseman Ben Gleason and forward Tyler Pitlick to two-way deals.

Aubé-Kubel lands a two-way deal ($775K NHL/$500K AHL), as does Kiersted ($775K NHL/$450K AHL); Petersen’s is a one-way structure for the league minimum $775K. Michael Russo of The Athletic was the first to report Petersen’s signing.

Aubé-Kubel, a Stanley Cup champion with the 2022 Avalanche, continues a journeyman career that will now see him play with seven NHL organizations in the last five years. He split last season between the Sabres and Rangers after signing a $1.5MM contract in Buffalo in free agency that yielded disappointing results. The bottom-six grinder saw his lowest NHL workload since before the pandemic, recording two points and 40 hits in 22 games with a minus-five rating.

He could land a roster spot out of camp – he has 304 games of NHL experience, after all – but it’ll be a tight competition for an extra forward spot as names like Pitlick push for an NHL return while top prospect Danila Yurov is ticketed for a place. He could very well end up back on waivers and could play a big role with AHL Iowa if he clears.

Kiersted’s and Petersen’s signings are made more with Iowa in mind and less in terms of their ability to compete for an NHL roster spot. Kiersted, 27, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Panthers out of North Dakota in 2021 and has been with the organization ever since, finally reaching unrestricted free agency this summer.

He’s recorded seven points and a minus-five rating in 39 NHL games for Florida over the years, averaging 12:01 per game. He’s mostly been a depth piece logging minutes for AHL Charlotte, where he posted one goal and 28 assists with a league-leading +34 rating in 64 games. The Minnesota native will look to bring that strong two-way presence to his home state’s farm club, which has struggled to be competitive in recent years.

They’ve also inked Petersen, who’s expected to take over as Iowa’s starter with top prospect Jesper Wallstedt likely taking over for Marc-André Fleury as Filip Gustavsson’s backup this season. The 30-year-old is now freed from the three-year, $15MM deal he signed with the Kings that he never came close to living up to. While it gave him incredible guaranteed compensation for a goaltender who spent most of the deal in the minors, it also limited his maneuverability.

The Iowa native will almost certainly clear waivers in the fall and return home. He logged a 3.14 GAA, .885 SV%, and a 13-15-3 record in 31 appearances for AHL Lehigh Valley last season while with the Flyers organization.

Rangers Recall Nicolas Aubé-Kubel

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Per a team announcement, the Rangers have recalled winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel from AHL Hartford. He could make his Blueshirts debut tomorrow against the Kings, but it’s far likelier he’s an extra body for injury insurance on their California road trip.

Aubé-Kubel, 28, was acquired from the Sabres in the trade that sent defenseman Erik Brännström to Buffalo before the deadline. After being waived by the Sabres on Jan. 27 and subsequently reassigned to the minors, he’s posted a combined 5-4–9 scoring line in 15 games between the two organizations’ AHL affiliates this year, including one goal in three games with Hartford since the swap.

A second-overall pick by the Flyers back in 2014, Aubé-Kubel was an NHL regular on a championship-winning team with the Avalanche three years ago. His stock has tumbled since, though, leading to multiple waiver placements and a handful of AHL stints for the first time since the pandemic.

He was a strong piece on the Capitals’ fourth line last season, posting 6-10–16 in 60 games with a plus-four rating and 159 hits. That landed the grinder a $1.5MM commitment from the Sabres on a one-year deal last summer, but he wasn’t nearly as effective in Buffalo. Injuries limited him to a goal and an assist in 19 games for the Sabres before he landed on waivers.

The 6’0″, 207-lb winger still counts $350K against the cap when he’s in the minors because of his salary checking in above the maximum buriable threshold, so the Rangers only add $1.15MM to their books with the recall. New York now has an active roster of 25 players, including the injured Arthur Kaliyev, who’s done for the year. Aubé-Kubel is a pending unrestricted free agent.

Rangers Trade Erik Brännström To Sabres

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The Sabres and Rangers have exchanged depth skaters with NHL experience. Defenseman Erik Brännström is headed to Buffalo, while winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel goes to New York, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.

Although it’s officially a swap of AHL talent, both players have considerable experience in the NHL. Neither player had a future with their respective clubs, and both teams needed depth at their respective positions.

Aubé-Kubel joins the sixth organization of his career after clearing waivers in late January. The bottom-six winger signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract in Buffalo last offseason– a deal that hasn’t worked out for either side. Aubé-Kubel will finish his Sabres’ tenure with one goal and one assist in 19 games, averaging 9:32 of ice time per game, the lowest of his career since the 2018-19 season.

Meanwhile, Brännström is moved for the third time this season. The former 15th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft and the headlining player for the Vegas Golden Knights’ acquisition of Mark Stone in 2019, signed a one-year, $900K contract with the Colorado Avalanche after being non-tendered by the Ottawa Senators.

Before ever suiting up with the Avalanche, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks shortly before the start of the 2024-25 campaign. He was utilized in a flex role between the NHL and AHL for the first half of the season scoring three goals and five assists in 28 games for the Canucks, and two goals and 12 points in eight games for their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

Brännström was then included in the trade that sent J.T. Miller back to the New York Rangers in January. Without having ever suited up for the Rangers, he’ll finish his stay in the organization with one goal and four points in six games for their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Plenty of roster moves will happen over the next 24 hours, and these players could find themselves back in the NHL after it’s all said and done.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed to this article. 

Sabres To Reassign Nicolas Aubé-Kubel

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Jan. 28: Aubé-Kubel cleared waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The Sabres announced they’ve recalled forward Tyson Kozak from Rochester in a corresponding move.

Jan. 27: The Buffalo Sabres placed winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel on waivers Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll head to AHL Rochester tomorrow if he clears.

This roster move marks the fourth time in his seven-year NHL career that Aubé-Kubel has been placed on the waiver wire. He was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021, claimed by the Washington Capitals from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022, and went through unscathed at the beginning of last season. Granted, all those waiver claims came when Aubé-Kubel was making significantly less.

He signed the richest contract of his career this past summer with the Sabres. Buffalo gave Aubé-Kubel a one-year, $1.5MM contract in the hopes he would help reimagine the bottom six of their forward group. Unfortunately, Aubé-Kubel is amidst the least productive season of his career registering a measly one goal and one assist in 19 games with the Sabres.

Still, Aubé-Kubel lost a few games at the beginning of the season due to a lower-body injury which could help explain his decrease in productivity. He’s continued to be a very physical forward in Buffalo and is managing the third-highest CorsiFor% of his career at even strength with a 52.0% mark albeit in limited action.

Some less physical teams such as the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Capitals could use a player with Aubé-Kubel’s expertise. However, given his relatively high salary for a player destined for a lower-tier role, it would be unsurprising to see Aubé-Kubel go unclaimed over the next 24 hours.

East Notes: Hathaway, Aubé-Kubel, Nemec

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Flyers winger Garnet Hathaway has avoided a suspension for his elbow to the face of Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek in yesterday’s win. He didn’t go without punishment, though, and is now $5K lighter in the wallet after being fined the maximum allowable under the CBA by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

It marks the fourth season in a row that Hathaway has been fined by DoPS, and it’s the fifth fine overall of his 10-year NHL career. He was also suspended once for three games while with the Capitals in the 2019-20 season.

The incident in question occurred early in the second period of what ended up being a 7-5 win for the Flyers. While the Wild were cycling the puck on a power play, Hathaway elbowed Eriksson Ek in the face while battling for net-front positioning. Eriksson Ek had notably missed a pair of games earlier this month with a nasal fracture. Officials assessed Hathaway a minor penalty for roughing, not elbowing, on the play.

Hathaway, 33 next month, is in his second season as a Flyer and will be a UFA next summer after inking a two-year, $4.75MM deal in Philly as a free agent in 2023. He played in all 82 games last season, posting 17 points with a -7 rating while averaging 12:29 per game with a career-high 132 PIMs. He’s racked up 14 PIMs already this season in eight games, and he’s recorded three assists and 22 hits.

There’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Sabres winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel will make his return to the lineup tomorrow as expected, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, including WGR Sports Radio 550’s Paul Hamilton. Buffalo still needs to free up a roster spot before taking him off injured reserve. That corresponding move will likely be placing Zach Benson, who missed practice again today with his lower-body injury and has sat out the last two games, on IR. Ruff said he wasn’t sure where Aubé-Kubel would slot in for just his second game as a Sabre after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Devils in their season opener over three weeks ago.
  • 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec will watch his Devils from the press box for the third straight game tonight, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to the team’s Amanda Stein. Nemec hasn’t played since Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce returned to the lineup from their respective season-opening injuries and, at least for now, has been surpassed on the depth chart by 27-year-old Johnathan Kovacevic amid his hot start to the campaign. Acquired from the Canadiens in what was viewed as a minor trade at the time over the summer, Kovacevic has averaged over 21 minutes per night for the Devils thus far and has five assists with a team-high +4 rating through 11 games. Nemec, meanwhile, has struggled to be a factor with an assist and a -2 rating through nine appearances. His possession metrics have also tanked from last season when he posted a 50.2 CF% and a 53.7 xGF% with a team-high 105 blocks in just 60 appearances. This year, though, Nemec has a 42.0 CF% and 46.1 xGF%, struggling to control play at even strength despite receiving easier minutes.

Sabres To Activate Nicolas Aubé-Kubel From Injured Reserve

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The Sabres will activate right-winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel from injured reserve in the coming days, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters today, including Heather Engel of NHL.com. He’s medically cleared to play but may not be in the lineup tomorrow against the Red Wings with only one full practice under his belt, Ruff said. He’ll return to the lineup no later than Monday against the Panthers.

Aubé-Kubel, 28, sustained a lower-body injury in the season opener against the Devils in Prague back on Oct. 4. He was placed on IR a few days later, after which Ruff said he’d miss the next three to six weeks. Today marks exactly three weeks since he sustained the initial injury, so this marks the best-case scenario for his return to the lineup.

Buffalo landed Aubé-Kubel over the summer as a free agent, inking him to a one-year, $1.5MM deal. The high-energy fourth-line piece had spent most of the last two seasons with the Capitals after they claimed him off waivers from the Maple Leafs early in the 2022-23 campaign. Aubé-Kubel shined as a depth piece in D.C., posting 16 points in 60 games last year while averaging a career-high 12:12 per game. He finished fifth on the team in hits with 159, and his +4 rating was tied for second. He also recorded 32 takeaways compared to 19 giveaways, one of the better differentials on the team.

The Alberta native was also part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Claimed off waivers from the Flyers early in the season, Aubé-Kubel went on to post a career-high 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 74 regular-season games.

The Sabres can recreate two-thirds of what was an extremely effective fourth line for Washington last year after also acquiring left-winger Beck Malenstyn via trade. They had the duo centered by Sam Lafferty for under six minutes on opening night before Aubé-Kubel sustained the injury.

Buffalo has a full 23-man roster and will need to make a corresponding transaction to activate Aubé-Kubel. That could be returning 2022 first-round pick Jiri Kulich, who’s been scratched twice and has been limited to a goal in six appearances despite averaging over 15 minutes per game, to AHL Rochester. It could also be placing winger Zach Benson on IR – the sophomore is day-to-day with a lower-body injury that’s kept him out of two games this season. He wasn’t at practice today, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.

Sabres Notes: Aubé-Kubel, Peterka, Benson

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Sabres winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel will miss the next three to six weeks with a lower-body injury, head coach Lindy Ruff said in today’s injury report. He was already placed on injured reserve yesterday before opening night rosters were due, allowing the Sabres to retain Jiri Kulich on the active roster with other forwards battling short-term injuries.

Aubé-Kubel left Buffalo’s regular-season opener against the Devils in Prague on Friday in the third period and didn’t return. He took a minor penalty, recorded two shots on goal, and added three hits in 5:45 of ice time in his truncated Sabres debut.

It’s a tough break for the 28-year-old, who’s hoping to be a regular on the Sabres’ fourth line after inking a one-year, $1.5MM deal in the offseason. The bang-and-crash winger had been effective in preseason on a unit with Beck Malenstyn and Sam Lafferty – the former of whom was also Aubé-Kubel’s linemate with the Capitals last year. The 2014 second-round pick of the Flyers has limited offensive upside, only once hitting 10 goals and 20 points, but he’s a feared checker with a lengthy history of good possession metrics in tough defensive usage. He had 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 60 games for the Caps last year.

Other injury updates out of Buffalo:

  • One of those aforementioned forwards battling short-term injuries is John-Jason Peterka, who left the second Global Series game against New Jersey with a concussion after being laid out by Devils defender Brenden Dillon. He was given an official day-to-day designation today, per Ruff, and skated on his own. The German winger is a big loss for the Sabres if he misses any length of time – he started the year in a top-line role alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch after breaking out for 28 goals and 50 points last season. The 2020 second-round pick hasn’t been ruled out for their home opener against the Kings on Thursday, but it would be surprising to see him draw into the lineup less than a week after a concussion diagnosis.
  • Also dealing with a day-to-day injury is sophomore winger Zach Benson, who Ruff said today has yet to resume skating with his lower-body injury. That’s a concerning sign for his availability against the Kings and could force the Sabres to make an IR placement in the next 48 hours to open up space for a recall from AHL Rochester. They have 13 forwards on the active roster but only 11 healthy ones with Benson and Peterka out. The 19-year-old sustained the injury in the first Global Series game but played through it, logging 17:23 of ice time.

Evening Notes: Gibson, Aube-Kubel, Bourdeleau, Vlasic

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The Hockey News is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have placed goaltender John Gibson on the injured reserve. The move isn’t surprising given that Gibson underwent an appendectomy last week and was expected to miss the next 3-6 weeks. Gibson had been practicing with the Ducks during training camp but didn’t appear in any preseason action.

The 31-year-old was once a rising star in the NHL, but the shine on his game has faded in recent seasons which has coincided with the Ducks entering a long rebuild. Last season, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native had a record of 13-27-2 with a .888 save percentage and a 3.54 goals-against average in 46 games. He lost the net to backup Lukas Dostal in season, and likely wouldn’t have started opening night this season even if he was healthy.

In other evening notes:

  • The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they’ve placed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the injured reserve after he suffered a lower-body injury in the Sabres opening night loss in Prague this past Friday. The move signifies that Aube-Kubel will likely be out for at least another handful of days as he is required to be out a total of seven days from his last game played. The 28-year-old signed a one-year deal with Buffalo in the offseason and will likely play on the Sabres fourth line whenever he does return.
  • San Jose Sharks beat writer Curtis Pashelka tweeted that San Jose Sharks center Thomas Bordeleau remains out week to week with a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old got hurt during training camp and will likely miss the first few weeks of the season as he tries to recover. Bordeleau dressed in 27 games last year for the Sharks posting six goals and five assists and a -18 plus/minus. This upcoming season is a big one for Bordeleau as he should have an opportunity to establish himself as an everyday NHLer.
  • Sharks’ veteran defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic is also out week-to-week to start the season (as per Sharks beat writer Curtis Pashelka). Vlasic has been dealing with an upper-body injury and was placed on injured reserve today. The 37-year-old was one of the top defensive defensemen of the 2010s but has seen his play fall off a cliff in recent seasons and has arguably the worst contract in the entire NHL. Vlasic registered just six goals and six assists last season in 57 regular-season games and posted some of the worst underlying numbers in the entire NHL.

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