Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Pavel Zacha

Atlantic Notes: Samuelsson, McAvoy, Arvidsson, Zacha

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson exited Friday’s game against New Jersey after going into concussion protocol, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.  He was hit with around 12 minutes left in the third and left the ice bleeding; head coach Lindy Ruff didn’t have an update on him after the game.  Samuelsson has had a strong bounce-back showing this season, picking up 12 points in 22 games (just two shy of tying his career best from a year ago) while recording 52 blocked shots.  Notably, he is logging just under 22 minutes per game, second only to Rasmus Dahlin and was showing that he could consistently handle the top-four role that GM Kevyn Adams had envisioned when he signed the blueliner to a seven-year deal coming off his entry-level contract in 2022.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and winger Viktor Arvidsson skated today as they work their way back from respective face and lower-body injuries, relays Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald (Twitter links). McAvoy still has a ways to go before returning but Arvidsson appears to be getting closer to returning but won’t play tonight.  McAvoy hasn’t played in two weeks and still sits second on the team in assists while Arvidsson was quietly off to a solid start to his tenure in Boston with six goals and 52 shots in 20 games.
  • Still with the Bruins, Conroy adds (Twitter link) that center Pavel Zacha is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s contest against Detroit. He missed yesterday’s contest against the Rangers with an undisclosed injury.  Zacha sits third on the team in scoring with 17 points in 25 games and with David Pastrnak out again tonight, getting Zacha back would help boost an offensive group that has been thinned out as of late, even with Casey Mittelstadt’s return.

Bruins Activate Casey Mittelstadt, Recall Georgii Merkulov

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Nov. 29th: There are conflicting reports regarding Callahan’s reassignment. According to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Callahan is on the ice for the team’s optional skate this morning before their matchup against Detroit. Additionally, the AHL Transactions page hasn’t registered Callahan’s reassignment at the time of writing. However, if Callahan hasn’t been returned to Providence, the Bruins would have one extra player on their active roster. Players reassigned from the NHL to the AHL must play in one contest before being eligible for recall, and the AHL Bruins play against the Belleville Senators this evening.

Nov. 28th: The Bruins announced four roster moves this morning, including the news that center Casey Mittelstadt has been activated from injured reserve and will play in today’s matinee against the Rangers. With news from head coach Marco Sturm today that top-six forwards David Pastrňák and Pavel Zacha sustained minor injuries in Wednesday’s win over the Islanders and are out day-to-day (via Scott McLaughlin of WEEI), Boston also recalled forward Georgii Merkulov from AHL Providence. The Bruins opened two roster spots by placing winger Matěj Blümel on long-term injured reserve and reassigning defenseman Michael Callahan to Providence.

Mittelstadt’s appearance today is his first after a nine-game absence. He’s been listed as week-to-week since sustaining a lower-body injury on Nov. 6.

Getting one top-six forward back is a key bit for a team that just lost two of its three top scorers, particularly if Pastrňák and Zacha will miss any significant length of time. Mittelstadt is in his first full season with the B’s after being acquired for Charlie Coyle from the Avalanche at last year’s deadline. He hasn’t been offensively overpowering since his arrival. He’s posted an 8-7–15 scoring line with a -17 rating in 33 appearances, including nine points in 15 games this year. That’s below his career-average pace of 15 goals and 44 points per 82 games.

It’s a rushed return for Mittelstadt, who didn’t even take a full practice before re-entering the lineup today in the wake of Pastrňák and Zacha’s injuries. Before getting hurt, he had shifted to the wing on a line with Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson. That line had outscored opponents 8-4 at 5-on-5 and controlled 50.6% of shot attempts. He won’t have either of them to skate with today, though, as Arvidsson’s been on injured reserve since Nov. 17 and is out indefinitely. He’s skating on a unit with Marat Khusnutdinov and the hastily recalled Merkulov.

Merkulov, 25, has been one of Boston’s top minor-league producers for years but has never landed an extended NHL opportunity. An undrafted free agent signed out of Ohio State in 2022, he’s got just one assist in 10 NHL games to date despite getting a decently long leash, averaging 12:28 of ice time per game. The playmaking pivot has never registered under 50 points in an AHL season and is again on track to pass that plateau in 2025-26. Through 17 appearances for Providence, he’s rattled off six goals and eight assists for 14 points to sit third on the team in scoring. He now has a 76-117–193 scoring line in 218 career AHL games, putting him seventh in the league in scoring since his rookie year in 2022-23.

The Bruins had already said Blümel would miss significant time. The 25-year-old winger, who was also a relatively recent recall from Providence to compensate for the Bruins’ bevy of injuries to their forward group, left Wednesday’s game in the first period with a lower-body injury. An LTIR placement means Blümel is ineligible for the next 10 games and 24 days. The earliest he can return is Dec. 20 against the Canucks. Despite seeing first-line minutes with Pastrňák and Zacha, he’d gone without a point and had a -3 rating in four games since his call-up.

Callahan has served as an extra defenseman for the B’s for a good chunk of the season as Hampus Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy and Jordan Harris have each dealt with long-term absences. He’s a luxury they can’t afford to roster with Pastrňák and Zacha not expected to be out long enough to warrant an IR placement. Once the Bruins can return a forward to Providence, he’ll likely find himself back up in the NHL.

East Notes: Zacha, Ristolainen, Paupanekis

at CDT | by 6 Comments

A trade market for Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha continues to materialize throughout the summer months. According to a new report from James Murphy of RG Media, an NHL source claims that the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames are two teams that have inquired about the forward’s availability.

Murphy cited a quote from the source, saying, “The Canadiens definitely have interest in Zacha and have inquired about him, but they’re not the only team. Several teams — I’m told the Flames are one — continue to express interest in him.” While nothing is urgent, especially between the two Original Six rivals, Murphy states that various scenarios are now being discussed.

He did not specify which players the Canadiens might be willing to trade for Zacha. However, Murphy mentioned that Joshua Roy, Oliver Kapanen, and Jayden Struble have been mentioned as potential trade candidates in Montreal’s search for a second-line center. Still, it’s notable that outside of swapping draft picks, the Canadiens and Bruins haven’t connected on a player trade since 2001.

At any rate, Zacha would certainly fit the mold of a second-line center that Montreal and other teams are coveting this offseason. Over the past three years in Boston, Zacha has scored 56 goals and 163 points in 242 games with a +30 rating, averaging 17:44 of ice time per night. Meanwhile, he’s been a net positive on the defensive side of the puck, averaging a 52.9% success rate in the faceoff dot and 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen continues to recover from tricep surgery that has sidelined him since March 26th of last season. In a positive update to his recovery timeline, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Ristolainen has resumed skating, albeit in a non-contact jersey. Ristolainen was initially given a six-month recovery timeline, suggesting he might be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season. He aims to build on a successful season before surgery, having scored four goals and 19 points in 63 games with the Flyers.
  • One of the Canadiens’ recent draft picks won’t participate in the team’s upcoming rookie camp. In a team announcement, Montreal shared that forward Hayden Paupanekis, drafted 69th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, will miss rookie camp due to a diagnosis of mononucleosis. He’s coming off a relatively productive season split between the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs and Kelowna Rockets, scoring 22 goals and 43 points in 71 games with a -30 rating.

Bruins Still Exploring Trade Market For Pavel Zacha

at CDT | by 12 Comments

The Bruins are still mulling the possibility of trading forward Pavel Zacha, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. He lists the Canucks and Mammoth as teams that’ve been softly linked to his availability.

Boston GM Don Sweeney considered moving Zacha during their sell-off at last season’s trade deadline but ended up holding onto him, choosing to flip Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, and Brad Marchand for assets instead. If they do decide to go that route, the type of return they’re looking for will speak volumes about the team’s expectations for 2025-26. They’re already light on offensive firepower, with Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak remaining as their lone 30-goal scorers from last season and veteran Viktor Arvidsson, coming off a down season with the Oilers, amounting to their only offseason addition that could impact their top six forward group.

The teams mentioned, Vancouver and Utah, likely wouldn’t be looking to pick up Zacha and flip roster players back – particularly the former as they continue to search for additional middle-six center depth. If those discussions have gained any legitimacy in the Bruins’ front office, it’s fair to wonder if they’ve resigned themselves to another season of retooling and are prepared to again finish near the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

They’re not unlimited in what they can do with Zacha, although they have slightly more flexibility after his 10-team no-trade list decreased to an eight-team one on July 1. The 28-year-old, who’s flipped between center and wing throughout his NHL career, has two years left on his contract at a $4.75MM cap hit. However, he’s only owed $3.75MM in actual cash for both 2025-26 and 2026-27 after the Bruins paid out his final signing bonus, worth $1MM, at the beginning of the month.

Zacha’s offensive production took a step back in 2024-25, as did many of his teammates’ aside from the aforementioned Geekie and Pastrnak. After back-to-back seasons of 20 goals and 50 points, he was limited to 14 goals and 47 points while playing in all 82 games. There were some things to like – he averaged a career-high 19:04 per game, won 53.2% of his draws, and continued to have positive possession impacts. Still, he was likely looking for more production, considering he spent the vast majority of the campaign stapled at center between Boston’s two leading goal-scorers.

Nonetheless, the 2015 No. 6 overall pick has averaged 54 points per 82 games over his three years in Boston without an overwhelming amount of year-to-year variation. His trade value likely won’t get any higher than it is now, with two full years left under contract at a reasonable price tag for whoever picks him up.

Boston Bruins Notes: Geekie, Sweeney, Zacha, Beecher

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Despite finishing toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings for the first time since the 2006-07 season, the Boston Bruins had a few bright spots on the year. One of them, Morgan Geekie, is entering the 2025-26 season on a $2MM salary and had been an oft-mentioned trade candidate for the Bruins throughout the year.

That’s unlikely to happen. Earlier today, Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub passed along a blunt statement from General Manager Don Sweeney indicating Geekie would be on the roster next year.

To be fair, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Boston recoup a haul for Geekie should they trade him. 30-goal scorers don’t grow on trees in the NHL, and certainly not on $2MM salaries. However, as a counterpoint, the Bruins did finish as one of the worst offensive teams in the 2024-25 campaign, and trading Geekie away does nothing to improve that. He’ll look to equal, if not improve upon, this year’s results as a pending restricted free agent, and the Bruins can decide then if they’d like to re-sign Geekie to a longer-term deal.

Other notes from the Bruins organization:

  • Much like Geekie, don’t expect Sweeney to depart the organization anytime soon, either. Speaking with reporters today, team President Cam Neely gave a glowing endorsement of Sweeney, saying, “Don has been a great GM in this league. Has everything gone right? No, it hasn’t. That’s just sports, but there’s been more good than bad. Don and his group, in my opinion, have earned the right to get us back to where we all want to be.” Sweeney has been at the helm of the Bruins’ front office for the last decade.
  • Fortunately, Boston will enter the summer months with a clean bill of health. Sweeney shared that forward Pavel Zacha had a minor, unspecified surgery, and John Beecher may also need one (Tweet Link). Other than that, the Bruins don’t expect any major surgeries throughout the offseason.

Bruins Open To Moving Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha

at CDT | by 27 Comments

For the first time in recent memory, the Bruins have made the call to sell at the trade deadline in earnest. After trading pending UFA forward Trent Frederic to the Oilers earlier today and following previous reports that defenseman Brandon Carlo and forward Morgan Geekie are available for the right price, they’re now open to hearing offers for centers Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

Their availability adds some depth to a relatively thin center market ahead of Friday’s deadline, although neither are rental pickups. Coyle is signed through 2026-27 at a $5.25MM cap hit and carries a full no-movement clause for the duration of his deal, per PuckPedia, so the Bruins’ options for moving him will be extremely limited. Meanwhile, Zacha is under contract through 2027-28 with a $4.75MM cap hit and has a 10-team no-trade list until July 1.

Neither has had a season to write home about, especially Coyle. Fresh off his 33rd birthday, the hometown kid has churned out just 14-7–21 through 62 games after recording a career-high 25 goals and 60 points last season. It’s not for a lack of usage – he’s averaging 17:39 per game, the second-highest mark of his career behind last year. He’s shooting at a strong 15.6% but not generating nearly as many chances. His 1.45 shots on goal per game mark the second-lowest rate of his 13-year run in the NHL, ahead of only his rookie season with the Wild 12 years ago. He’s also tracking to post a career-worst -13 rating.

That doesn’t paint a rosy picture in terms of the likelihood of a trade. He only has a three-team no-trade list if he waives his no-movement clause, but whether or not he’d even waive his NMC to depart his home city is uncertain, even as Boston enters sell-off mode. His $5.25MM cap hit is also immovable given his performance this season without retention, and it’s unlikely Boston would be willing to do so for a contract that runs past this season as they look to reload for 2025-26.

The 27-year-old Zacha is thus a far more intriguing candidate. His offensive totals have dropped too, but not as much. He’s still third on the team in scoring with 12-25–37 in 62 games, all while averaging 19:23 per game and serving as the Bs’ de facto No. 1 center for the second year in a row. He’s averaged 0.69 points per game in a Bruins uniform since they acquired him from the Devils in 2022 and wouldn’t command any retention to move. Limited trade protection also increases his market, and at his cap hit, he’s a better value proposition – especially with two years left on his deal – than most other centers out there.

The 6’3″ Zacha is also a full-time pivot with good faceoff numbers, more than what can be said about names like Ryan Donato or Scott Laughton. After spending most of his career below 50%, he’s won 54.2% of his draws since the beginning of 2023-24.

Moving either would represent a more aggressive retooling than most would have expected out of the Bruins. Still, their names floating into rumors at least signal an openness to moving out some of their lower-ceiling offensive talents in hopes of landing a top-six impact piece (or multiple) this summer.

Team Czechia Wins 2024 IIHF World Championship

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Team Czechia has made history on home ice, taking home the Gold Medal at the IIHF World Championship for the first time in 14 years (Twitter link). It is Czechia’s fifth time winning Gold since 2000 – the second-most of any country, behind Canada’s seven wins. Czechia has now medaled in 10 of the 11 visits the World Championship has made to Prague, including winning Gold Medals on home ice in 1947, 1972, 1985, and now 2024.

Czechia entered this year’s tournament as a favorite among the European competition, though they faced a tall order against Team Canada and Team USA teams now filled with hopeful Olympians. That’s the story they started that played out through the preliminary round, with Czechia winning hard-fought games against Finland and Norway – though a surprise performance from Team Switzerland was enough to push Czechia to a shootout loss in their third game. The Czechs bounced back with wins against Denmark, Austria, and Great Britain – and then revealed an ace up their sleeve, adding each of Martin Necas, Pavel Zacha, and international standout David Pastrnak to their lineup ahead of their matchup with Team Canada to finish the preliminary round.

Perhaps jet lagged, the reloaded Czechia lineup fell to another shootout loss against Canada. But they showed their cohesion when the elimination games rolled around – winning a hard-fought, 1-0 quarterfinals game against Team USA, reinspiring their offense in a dazzling 7-3 semifinals win over Team Sweden, and then getting revenge on Switzerland with a strong 2-0 win in the Gold Medal Game.

It was, surprisingly, Martin Necas who made the biggest addition of the late-stage NHL additions – scoring seven points in five games comapred to Pastrnak and Zacha’s one point each through four games. But it was Czech hockey legend Roman Cervenka and former Columbus Blue Jacket Lukas Sedlak who led the way for the country’s offense, recording 11 and 10 points respectively through 10 games. Czechia was also helped along by a standout performance from Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, who posted a .939 save percentage – saving 200 of 213 shots – through eight starts.

This World Championship win gives Czechia fantastic momentum headed into the 2026 Winter Olympics. They should be poised for a few notable additions in that tournament, including Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek, while also holding their breath to see if Cervenka can play into his 40s. But even through changes, this Czech lineup has stamped their place on top of Europe’s hockey world.

Afternoon Notes: Drouin, Henrique, Bruins, Brandsegg-Nygard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Colorado Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin has shared that he’s hoping to re-sign with the team this summer, per Meghan Angley of TheDNVR.com (Twitter link). Drouin joined the Avalanche on a one-year, $825K contract last July and looked great in their system, posting a career-high 56 points. He appeared in 79 games – the second-most he’s played in any of his 10 NHL seasons, behind the 2018-19 campaign.

Drouin seemed to find his footing with the Avalanche and will now hope to solidify his future with the club. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring while admirably filling Gabriel Landeskog’s role on the second line. That should be enough to earn him a substantial raise from his sub-$1MM salary this season, though he’ll still have to settle for a cheaper deal, with Colorado boasting just $15MM to re-sign their 11 free agents, including Sean Walker and Alexandar Georgiev.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers are expected to once again be without forward Adam Henrique for Game 6, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Knoblauch also shared that the Oilers will have an extra forward in warmups, with one lineup forward questionable with an illness. Henrique has missed five of the six games this series and hasn’t been particularly effective when he is on the ice – with just two points in six postseason games so far. Connor Brown will remain in the lineup in Henrique’s absence, while one of Sam Carrick, Sam Gagner, or Adam Erne will likely skate as the precautionary extra forward.
  • A pair of Boston Bruins could be set to join Team Czechia at the World Championship, with Czechia news outlet iDNES.cz reporting that both David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha could join the team as soon as Monday. That decision will be made by general manager Petr Nedved and assistant general manager Martin Havlat, who shared that Pastrnak and Zacha are set to undergo medical evaluation on Sunday. These would be substantial additions to a Czechia roster that’s already leading Group A, with four wins in six games. They recently added Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas following their elimination and are now set to add two more difference-makers – a substantial boost ahead of their Tuesday matchup with Team Canada, their final of the group stage.
  • Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has signed a one-year deal with the reigning SHL champions: Skelleftea AIK. Brandsegg-Nygard spent the season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league, where he posted 18 points in 41 games. He’s also managed five points in five World Juniors games and 12 points in nine international friendlies with Norway’s U20 team – and is currently one of just six goal-scorers on Norway’s World Championship roster. It’s been a strong year for Brandsegg-Nygard, the fifth-ranked European by NHL Central Scouting. He should only add to his momentum on a flashy, high-skill Skelleftea team next year.

Afternoon Notes: Bruins, Cates, Senators

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins saw a quartet of players return to practice, including rookie forward Matthew Poitras, defensemen Brandon Carlo and Derek Forbort, and starting goaltender Linus Ullmark. All four players were held out of the team’s Monday afternoon win over the New Jersey Devils. Of the four returnees, Poitras and Ullmark are the two who have avoided an injured reserve placement. Poitras is working his way back from a shoulder injury that’s held him out of the Bruins’ last three games, while Ullmark is coming back from a lower-body injury suffered in Boston’s overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes one week ago. Carlo is facing an upper-body injury, while Forbort is facing an undisclosed injury that’s troubled him since training camp and earned him a placement on long-term IR in early December.

The Bruins are also missing forward Milan Lucic with injury – but they’ve progressed nicely regardless, going 2-0-1 in the three games they’ve played since losing Ullmark last Tuesday. Roster holes have been plugged by Jesper Boqvist, who is seeing his first NHL action since December, and Brandon Bussi, who is currently backing up Jeremy Swayman and could make his NHL debut if Swayman needs a breather before Ullmark is ready to return. Boqvist has managed two points in seven NHL games this year, while Bussi has operated as the starter for the AHL’s Providence Bruins and managed a .901 save percentage in 20 AHL games.

The Bruins also saw the return of Pavel Zacha on Monday. The 26-year-old missed the team’s Saturday win with illness.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Noah Cates is set to return to the Philadelphia Flyers lineup on Monday evening, as the Philadelphia Flyers take on the St. Louis Blues. Cates has been out since November 25th with a foot injury. He was off to a slow start to the season, managing just four points in 21 games – a step down from the 38 points he recorded in 82 games as a rookie last season.
  • The Ottawa Senators have promoted Justin Peters to the role of goaltending coach and assigned Zac Bierk to a scouting and development position. Peters is an 83-game veteran of the NHL, setting a career .901 save percentage. He also played in 301 career AHL games and managed a career .907 save percentage. He has been a goalie coach with the AHL’s Belleville Senators since the 2021-22 season.

Boston Bruins Place Charlie McAvoy, Pavel Zacha On Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Boston Bruins have announced several roster transactions: defenseman Charlie McAvoy and forward Pavel Zacha have been placed on injured reserve, while forward Patrick Brown has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon has also been recalled, with his recall under an emergency designation.

McAvoy remains out with an upper-body injury, and his status was last classified as day-to-day. He has not played since December 7th. Zacha has not played since leaving the team’s December 9th contest against the Arizona Coyotes, and he was last reported as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Both Zacha and McAvoy are crucially important players for the Bruins. McAvoy is the club’s best defenseman, averaging 24:09 time-on-ice per game, the most on the team. Zacha is usually the Bruins’ top center, and he averages the most ice time per night of any Bruins pivot, including time on both special teams units.

In Zacha’s place, the team has recalled Brown, a veteran of nearly 150 NHL games. The versatile 31-year-old undrafted forward can play both center and wing and 55.8% faceoff win percentage in the NHL. He’s split time this season between Providence and Boston, skating in six games at the AHL level and eight in the NHL.

Wotherspoon, 26, is a left-shot defenseman and an established veteran in the AHL. He’s skated in over 300 AHL games and has 15 total NHL games on his resume. He’s played in three games for the Bruins so far this season, scoring one assist.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top