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Ryan Strome

Pacific Notes: Sherwood, Strome

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On an episode of Sens 1-on-1 last Thursday, Nick Kypreos discussed Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood, noting that the late-bloomer is looking for $5 million or more per season, on a six year deal. Canucks reporter Rick Dhaliwal also speculated on Sherwood today on the Donnie & Dhali show, saying that Boston and Minnesota are two teams which are in on the pending free agent as a trade target. 

With a free agent market which has largely evaporated even before January, Sherwood would be wise to play the long game for a major pay raise. Fully aware of this, and with a team sputtering of late, Vancouver may take advantage of Sherwood’s emergence as well, and get a substantial trade package for a player likely to hit the open market either way. 

Sherwood, 30, was undrafted out of Miami (OH) but soon earned his way into a fourth line role with the Ducks in 2018-19. He then had to wait five years to become a full time NHLer again, doing so with Nashville, helping the team surpass expectations. Hitting the market, the winger inked a two year deal worth $1.5MM per season with the Canucks in 2024. He set career highs in games, goals, and assists last season, even breaking the single-season all-time hits record. With 12 goals in 26 games so far, Sherwood has maintained such levels, and the feisty winger may be set on hitting the market and cashing in after a long uphill battle to this point. 

With Evander Kane and Derek Forbort’s contracts set to come off the books, in theory Vancouver could make an extension work, but considering their state as a franchise, they may opt to receive a substantial trade package for the 30-year-old. Both Minnesota and Boston own their first-round picks this season, and it’s not hard to imagine Sherwood fetching one, if he can maintain such performance. 

Elsewhere in the division:

  • Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune shared that veteran Ryan Strome would be a healthy scratch tonight against St. Louis, as young defenseman Ian Moore re-entered the lineup, leaving Anaheim in a 11-forward, 7-defensemen configuration. Strome was injured before the season, but has offered on-track production with three points in nine games since, and solid underlying numbers as a two-way center. The veteran has been remarkably consistent with 41 points exactly in his last three seasons, but such is a bit underwhelming for a $5MM cap hit set to expire in 2027. Strome’s role has simply diminished on a dynamic young team, but it is safe to assume he’s set in Anaheim for now and will return to the lineup soon. 

Ducks Activate Ryan Strome, Place Radko Gudas On Injured Reserve

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The Ducks have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight against Winnipeg.  Patrick Present of The Hockey News relays that Anaheim has activated center Ryan Strome off injured reserve.  To make room for him on the active roster, defenseman Radko Gudas has been placed on IR.

Strome has yet to play this season due to an upper-body injury sustained in practice during the preseason.  In 2024-25, the 32-year-old put up 41 points for the third season in a row after tallying 10 goals and 31 assists in 82 games while averaging over 16 minutes a night of playing time as a middle-six center.

It would be surprising to see Strome have a similar role this season.  Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish are their main two pivots while Mikael Granlund – when healthy – will be anchoring a line as well.  That should push Strome to the wing, a role he might be better suited for given his struggles at the faceoff dot; he won just 41.7% of his draws last season.  Still, his return will be a welcome one to an attack that’s already among the NHL’s best in the early going; they enter play tonight with the second-most goals in the NHL.

As for Gudas, he has been out for a little more than two weeks with a lower-body injury.  Assuming that the placement is back-dated, he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s cleared to play.  The 35-year-old has played in seven games this season, picking up two assists, 12 blocks, and 23 hits in 15:35 per night of playing time.

Pacific Injury Updates: Ducks, Flames, Oilers, Canucks

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The early-season brilliance of the Anaheim Ducks has been one of the defining storylines of this young 2025-26 season so far, and it appears today that they will soon get some reinforcements in the form of veterans returning from injury. Per The Hockey News’ Derek Lee, Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said today that veterans Ryan Strome, Mikael Granlund, and Radko Gudas are each getting very close to returning to the ice from their respective injuries.

Gudas hasn’t played since Oct. 23 due to a lower-body injury, while Granlund has been out since Oct. 25 with his own lower-body injury. Strome hasn’t played yet this season due to an upper-body injury, but Quenneville said he’s “very close to consideration” to play in tomorrow’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. All the Ducks have done despite the absence of those key veterans is win. Powered by a young core including breakout sensation Leo Carlsson, the Ducks have put together a five-game winning streak. Getting back Strome, who scored 41 points last season, alongside Granlund, who has eight points in eight games, should only further bolster what has been the league’s most lethal attack in 2025-26. The return of Gudas is unlikely to help in terms of scoring, but will provide the team with even more physicality on defense as well as useful veteran insulation for the club’s stable of still-developing young blueliners.

Other injury updates from the Pacific Division:

  • Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike relayed two injury updates from Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska today: defenseman Kevin Bahl, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, may return against the Minnesota Wild tomorrow, while forward Martin Pospisil’s absence due to an upper-body injury is “still going to be a while.” Bahl, who this season signed a $5.5MM AAV extension to remain in Calgary, missed the team’s game Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Pospisil has been out for far longer; he has yet to make his season debut in 2025-26.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have a few injury updates of their own, courtesy of Oilers TV host Tony Brar. Mattias Janmark is reportedly “very close” to returning from his injury, one that has kept him from making his season debut in 2025-26. In addition, Zach Hyman is nearing a return to the ice, it’s likely to be within the next week and could come as early as Monday. Like Janmark, Hyman also has not yet played in the 2025-26 season. Both players play regular roles in Edmonton. Hyman is a key goal scorer and offensive contributor (he scored 54 goals in 2023-24 and had 27 last season) while Janmark is a steady, reliable bottom-six winger who plays a regular role on the team’s penalty kill. The Oilers’ penalty kill currently ranks No. 15 in the NHL, so the return of Janmark could help the unit achieve a notable boost in efficiency.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are likely to benefit from the return from injury of two forwards, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Teddy Blueger, Patrick Johnston of The Province reported today. Lekkerimaki, 21, hasn’t played since Oct. 19, and has one goal in four games this season. Blueger has also not played since Oct. 19, and also has one goal to his name. The return of Blueger in particular should help the Canucks. The 31-year-old veteran center ranked second among forwards on the team in short-handed ice time per game last season, and the forward who ranked No. 1, Pius Suter, now plays for the St. Louis Blues. Seeing as the Canucks penalty kill currently ranks second to last in the NHL, getting a key contributor back from injury is surely a positive development for their hopes of improving in that area.

Ducks Place Ryan Strome On IR, Beckett Sennecke To Debut

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The Ducks already announced they won’t have veteran forward Ryan Strome on hand for their season-opening road trip due to an upper-body injury. Today, they formalized an injured reserve placement for Strome, according to the NHL’s media site. It’s not clear yet if there’s a corresponding transaction. They recalled Tim Washe from AHL San Diego last night in Strome’s place, but the roster spot for Washe was opened up by goaltender Ville Husso heading to the minors after clearing waivers.

In any event, Anaheim is now working with an open roster spot. They can backdate his IR placement to yesterday, meaning he’s now on Day 2 of his required seven-day absence. The earliest he’ll be eligible to return is Oct. 15, which would also rule him out of Anaheim’s home opener against the Penguins next Tuesday unless his IR placement is backdated further than anticipated. The Ducks haven’t divulged any specifics, but their only ruling him out for their road trip is a promising sign that he shouldn’t miss too much, if any time, after he’s eligible for activation.

Strome has rarely missed time since signing a five-year, $25MM deal with Anaheim in free agency in 2022. He’s played all 82 games twice and only missed three games in the 2023-24 season due to an illness and an upper-body injury.

Strome’s absence opens the door for 2024 No. 3 overall pick Beckett Sennecke to make his NHL debut after breaking camp with the team. Strome had spent most of camp centering Anaheim’s veteran third line between Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn. Free-agent splash Mikael Granlund will move down to fill that 3C role while Sennecke slots into second-line duties on the right side on a youth-fueled line with Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune relayed yesterday.

The 32-year-old Strome has been as consistent as possible as a Duck, hitting 41 points on the nose in each of his three seasons in Orange County. He’s had decent defensive impacts, particularly last season, when he posted a relative +3.7% Corsi share at even strength. He chews up minutes, averaging more than 16 per game, and quietly leaves a significant hole in Anaheim’s lineup early on that Sennecke, who’s coming off an 86-point season for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, will look to fill.

Injury Notes: Girgensons, Vlasic, Strome

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Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper was asked by Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times if Zemgus Girgensons could be considered week-to-week, and Cooper confirmed Encina’s suspicions, saying it is “probably a semi-safe assessment of where he’s at right now”. 

The 31-year-old Latvian forward was injured in Saturday’s preseason tilt vs Florida, a game which caught the league’s attention with over 300 penalty minutes combined between the rivals. The Lightning actually faced fines and a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for the festivities that occurred throughout the game. 

Girgensons will miss his first regular season game as a Bolt, having appeared in all 82 games last season, netting 6 points in a largely shutdown role. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Chicago Head Coach Jeff Blashill says Alex Vlasic is all set to play tomorrow, as confirmed by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. Vlasic was absent in the 2025-26 NHL season opener due to a lower-body injury, as the Blackhawks fell to Florida. Having broken out last season with 30 points, the Blackhawks will be glad to welcome the young Illinois native back to the lineup.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced today that dependable center Ryan Strome will miss the team’s upcoming road trip due to an upper-body injury, which was previously under wraps. The 32-year-old veteran has only missed three regular season games in his first three seasons with the Ducks, twice being an all-82-game player. Strome has flashed remarkable consistency, netting 41 points exactly in each campaign. Based on the Ducks’ statement, he is set to miss games in Seattle and San Jose, but perhaps could return for the home opener against Pittsburgh next Tuesday.

Ducks Could Make Ryan Strome Available At Deadline

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The Ducks are one of the apparent sellers heading into deadline season, but they don’t have many obvious desirable assets outside of pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Brian Dumoulin and goaltender John Gibson, whose rebound season could finally land Anaheim the trade return they’ve desired for years. However, in Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic’s latest trad board, he tossed center Ryan Strome into the mix for a deadline move. Strome is signed through the 2026-27 season at a $5MM cap hit.

While Anaheim has a thin center market going for them if they are indeed shopping Strome, there isn’t much else. As Johnston profiles, he’s a “decent middle-six option on a competitive team” but lacks much of any defensive acumen and often struggles in the faceoff dot. In terms of pure secondary offensive production, though, Strome is a more established and safer option than a breakout player like Ryan Donato, although he’ll provide most of his point production via assists and costs more than twice the money and has two years left on his deal.

There’s also the question of how aggressively the Ducks will push to offload him. Opting to sign veteran winger Frank Vatrano to a three-year extension last month muddies Strome’s role in the future as the Ducks continue to graduate prospects to the NHL past the halfway point of their rebuild. Strome’s money is likely better used elsewhere to land more impactful talents in free agency to support their young core, but with the Ducks operating closer to the cap floor than the cap this year with significant cap increases coming, that’s not much of a concern.

Moving Strome for a sizable return will almost certainly require general manager Pat Verbeek to retain some salary. Whether he views that as a prudent use of one of his two open retention slots through next season remains to be seen. Anaheim’s already used up one of their three on defenseman Cam Fowler, who will count against their books at a $2.5MM cap hit through 2025-26 after they traded him to the Blues in December.

The 31-year-old Strome is now in the third season of the five-year, $25MM pact he signed with Anaheim in free agency in 2022. The ex-Rangers pivot has clicked at a decent 0.52 points per game rate since arriving in Orange County, boosted by increased production in 2024-25. He’s recorded 7-23–30 through 54 games, and while those seven goals are on pace for his lowest total in nine years, his playmaking production means his overall production is coming at its best per-game basis since joining the Ducks. He’s also amid an uncharacteristically strong defensive campaign, recording a minus-four rating and 47.6 CF% at even strength that both check in as his best, by far, in Anaheim.

West Notes: Vilardi, Pietrangelo, Ceci, Strome

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The Jets will welcome a key forward back to their lineup on Saturday against Ottawa as Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun relays that Gabriel Vilardi has been cleared to return.  The 24-year-old has missed the last 15 games due to an enlarged spleen that was diagnosed while treating another injury.  A key part of the return in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade over the summer, Vilardi has been quite impactful when healthy this season, tallying 16 goals and 14 assists in just 38 games.  With Winnipeg losing their last five games, his return will certainly be a welcome one as they look to get back on track and hold onto the third spot in the Central with Nashville closing in quickly.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Golden Knights revealed (Twitter link) that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has joined up with the team on their road trip. The 34-year-old has missed the last six games due to illness, a big blow to their back end.  Pietrangelo has 32 points and 155 blocks in 62 appearances so far this season while logging a little over 24 minutes per night to lead Vegas in that department.  His eventual return – which could be as soon as Saturday – would be a significant addition as the Golden Knights continue to battle for seeding in the Pacific Division.
  • Oilers defenseman Cody Ceci is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against Anaheim due to illness, relays Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 30-year-old has played an important role for Edmonton this season, logging just under 20 minutes a night while chipping in with 21 points in 71 games.  If he can’t play, Troy Stecher will likely return to the lineup.
  • The league announced that Ducks forward Ryan Strome was fined the maximum of $5K for a cross-check on Seattle’s Tye Kartye during yesterday’s game. The incident occurred early in the third period with both players receiving penalties on the play, Strome for the cross-check and Kartye for roughing.

Ducks Place Troy Terry On IR, Activate Isac Lundestrom

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Before their game tonight against Toronto, the Ducks announced (Twitter link) multiple injury news.  Winger Troy Terry was placed on injured reserve, paving the way for center Isac Lundestrom to be activated from IR.  Meanwhile, middleman Ryan Strome is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Terry missed Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury so it’s likely that the placement will be back-dated to that point, meaning that he could be activated as soon as this weekend, if healthy.  The 26-year-old is off to a slower start by his standards, notching nine goals and 13 assists in 35 games; last season, he played in twice as many games while collecting 61 points.  Still, Terry sits third on Anaheim in scoring and will be a noticeable absence for however long he’s out.

Lundestrom, meanwhile, will be making his season debut after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.  The 24-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2018 (23rd overall) and looked like he was on his way toward becoming a capable regular after putting up 29 points in 80 games back in 2021-22.  However, he struggled offensively last season, collecting just four goals and ten helpers in 61 games.  Lundestrom was supposed to miss at least six months from his injury sustained in early August so he is coming back a month ahead of schedule.  Considering it’s a contract year and he’ll be owed a $1.8MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights, Lundestrom will be hoping for a big second half of the season.

As for Strome, he is also among Anaheim’s scoring leaders, ranking fourth on the team in total points.  The 30-year-old leads the Ducks in assists with 17 and is on pace for his fifth straight season of at least 40 points or more.  Benoit-Olivier Groulx will take his place in the lineup, making his first appearance in more than two weeks.

Snapshots: Kuzmenko, Strome, Connor, Pearson, Capitals Arena

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It has been a rough start to Andrei Kuzmenko’s sophomore season.  The 27-year-old had 39 goals last season but has been limited to just four in his first 25 games of the year.  He has been a healthy scratch at times and has lined up recently on the fourth line as well, fueling trade speculation.  Speaking with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Canucks president Jim Rutherford indicated that they’re keeping an open mind with Kuzmenko and not locking themselves into just one answer when asked about their willingness to let the winger play his way out of his struggles.  Kuzmenko is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $5.5MM AAV; Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend (video link) that teams had started calling Vancouver to gauge Kuzmenko’s availability.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • There will be no supplemental discipline coming to Ducks center Ryan Strome from his hit on Jets winger Kyle Connor, reports Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). Strome received a major penalty on the play, one that was upheld after review.  Meanwhile, Connor was slated to undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury.  Connor is off to a great start to his season with 17 goals and 11 assists in 26 games, leading Winnipeg in scoring while being tied for fourth in the NHL in goals.
  • Following their loss to Nashville last night, the Canadiens announced that winger Tanner Pearson will miss the next four to six weeks with an upper-body injury that was sustained on Saturday against Buffalo. The 31-year-old is in his first season with Montreal after missing almost of all 2022-23 with a hand injury that required several surgeries.  Pearson has four goals and four assists in 27 games so far this year.
  • A group of Virginia state lawmakers voted Monday for a deal that would bring the Capitals and NBA Wizards to a new arena in Northern Virginia, report Teo Armus, Laura Vozzella, Sam Fortier, and Gregory S. Schneider of the Washington Post. If the plan received approval from the General Assembly and other local officials, the two teams would play in an arena in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood.  Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Caps and Wizards, would lease the new facility under this plan.  Capital One Arena, where the team plays now, is one of the older buildings in the NHL having been built back in 1997.

Injury Notes: Jarry, Cozens, Timmins

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Josh Yohe of The Athletic is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry left their game last night against the Anaheim Ducks after being bumped in the back of the head by Adam Henrique and then having his mask dislodged. This was just the beginning for Jarry as he was then struck in his unprotected face by a Ryan Strome shot. NHL officials quickly signalled to the Penguins bench and Jarry was rushed off the ice and did not return.

Up to that point, Jarry had been solid for the Penguins making 21 consecutive stops to preserve a 1-0 Penguins lead late into the second period. With Jarry sidelined, the Penguins’ turned to their third-string netminder Magnus Hellberg who made 11 straight saves to maintain the rare two-goalie shutout.

No updates have been given yet on Jarry, but Yohe did report that he was present in the Penguins’ dressing room after the game, which is certainly an encouraging sign. Jarry has struggled to start the year after signing a massive five-year contract extension this summer that was heavily criticized for being too long and too expensive. The Penguins are already without backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic until later this month and can ill afford to lose Jarry for any length of time.

In other injury notes:

  • Times Herald Reporter Bill Hoppe is reporting that Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens is back at practice today sporting a full-face shield as he makes his return to the ice after missing two games with an upper-body injury. No specifics have been given about Cozens injury but given that he is sporting face protection and a large bandage on his nose, it would appear to be an injury to that region. Cozens was engaged in a fight with Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway back on November 3rd, a game the Sabres lost 5-1, and acknowledged that this incident was the cause of the ailment. Cozens has three goals and four assists in 11 games thus far this season.
  • David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins is unlikely to get back into the lineup for at least a couple of weeks. Alter spoke with Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe after Timmins practiced with the team this morning, Keefe told the reporter that Timmins will travel with the team to Sweden next week but is unlikely to play. However, the plan is to have him ramp up in practice and he could re-join the lineup after they return from the extended road trip. Timmins has been on LTIR since the beginning of the season after suffering a lower-body injury and has yet to play a game.

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