Morning Notes: Gilbert, Ersson, Reedy
Ottawa Senators defenseman Dennis Gilbert was forced out of last night’s contest with an apparent injury, one he suffered after being on the receiving end of a big hit by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Gilbert ended up down on the ice after Ekman-Larsson’s hit, and left the game shortly afterward without returning.
After the game, Senators head coach Travis Green told the media, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that Gilbert is set to miss some time as a result of the injury he suffered. His exact return timeline and status are still being evaluated. It’s an undoubtedly unfortunate break for Gilbert, a 29-year-old journeyman depth blueliner. He had played in five consecutive NHL games including last night, representing five of his six total NHL games played this season. As a result of the injury, it’s possible the pending UFA has already played in his final NHL game of the 2025-26 season.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Late last month, we covered reports coming out of Philadelphia that indicated that Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson was entering a critical stretch of his season where his future in the organization would likely be finalized. While The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz wrote today that it “seems unlikely” Ersson will be back with the Flyers next season, it’s not for a lack of trying. Ersson has won his last three starts and has a .920 save percentage and 1.74 goals-against average in his last four games played. But despite that notable uptick in recent form, it’s worth noting Ersson’s season-long numbers are still weak, including an .864 save percentage across 28 games that remains the league’s worst among goalies with at least 20 starts.
- The New York Islanders’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, released veteran forward Scott Reedy from his PTO, per Kenny Kaminsky of Isles In The Sound. Reedy, 26, got a tryout from the Islanders back in February but went scoreless in six games played for Bridgeport. It’s been a tough few years for Reedy as he’s tried to work his way back into NHL consideration after a strong 2021-22 campaign that saw him score 18 goals in the AHL and earn 35 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, where he would score seven goals. Last season, Reedy scored nine points in 25 games for the Milwaukee Admirals.
Islanders Sign Scott Reedy To AHL Tryout
The AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders have signed center Scott Reedy to a professional tryout, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. He has yet to play this season.
Reedy’s return to hockey comes over 11 months after his last appearance of any kind and nearly four years after his last NHL game. A fourth-round pick by the Sharks in 2017, he developed nicely over four seasons at the University of Minnesota and capped off his collegiate career with an All-Star, point-per-game campaign in 2020-21.
He turned pro and split the following season evenly between San Jose’s NHL and AHL clubs. He did well enough in a bottom-six role, scoring seven goals and a pair of assists in 35 games while seeing 11:11 of ice time per night. The speedy 6’2″ pivot also recorded 18 goals and 27 points in just 38 AHL games, leading to optimism he could be a solid depth contributor at the NHL level.
Reedy never got another chance, though. He was limited to five goals and 15 points in 38 AHL games the following season before being traded to the Stars. He was highly productive when healthy over the next season and a half, but was decimated by injuries. From his acquisition in March 2023 to the end of his contract following 2023-24, he only managed 30 appearances for AHL Texas while recording 11 goals and 17 points.
The Minnesota native went unqualified by the Stars that summer and ended up going unsigned until December, when he landed an AHL tryout from the Predators’ minor-league affiliate in Milwaukee. He finished out the year with four goals and nine points in 25 games before becoming a free agent again.
He’ll take the same pathway to playing time this time around, albeit with only about two months left in the campaign. He joins a much-improved Bridgeport roster that’s hovering around .500 this season after finishing with a disastrous 15-50-7 record in 2024-25.
Minor Moves: Pánik, Reedy, Pulkkinen
Longtime NHL winger Richard Pánik is continuing his trek around Europe and Russia. After spending the first part of 2024-25 in his native Slovakia with HC Slovan Bratislava, the Kontinental Hockey League announced today that the 33-year-old has signed with Russian side Traktor Chelyabinsk for the remainder of the season.
Pánik last played in the NHL with the Islanders in 2021-22. Once a 20-goal scorer with the Blackhawks in 2016-17, he’s been relatively productive over the past three years while continuing his professional career overseas. He was decent with Bratislava in the early going, compiling six goals and 13 points in 18 games before leaving for tougher competition in the KHL. He spent last season in the Czech Extraliga, where he amassed 20 goals and 34 points in 51 games with HC Oceláři Třinec and HC Dynamo Pardubice.
A second-round pick of the Lightning in 2009, Pánik has undoubtedly had a journeyman’s career. In his NHL time, he suited up for seven clubs in 10 seasons, posting 195 points in 521 games with the Bolts, Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, Coyotes, Capitals, Red Wings, and Isles. He also suited up for three Ontario Hockey League squads in his major junior career and has signed on with five different European franchises since 2022.
Some other minor moves involving former NHLers:
- Ex-Sharks center prospect Scott Reedy has finally found a place to play for 2024-25, signing a tryout with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Now 25, the Minnesota native spent last season under contract with the Stars but was limited to 12 AHL contests due to injury, registering five goals and two assists. After being a Group VI unrestricted free agent over the summer, the 2017 fourth-rounder of San Jose will now look to catch on with his third NHL organization since turning pro out of the University of Minnesota in 2021. Reedy recorded seven goals and two assists in 35 NHL games with the Sharks in 2021-22 before being traded to Dallas for Jacob Peterson the following year.
- Once a depth NHLer in the mid-2010s, Finnish scoring winger Teemu Pulkkinen has terminated his contract with Germany’s Schwenninger Wild Wings to pursue options back in his home country, the team announced. The former Red Wings, Wild and Coyotes winger had four goals and 11 points in 22 Deutsche Eishockey Liga games this season. Since leaving North America back in 2018, Pulkkinen has suited up with seven teams across Russia, Belarus, China and Germany. He amassed 13 goals and 22 points in 83 NHL games between the 2013-14 and 2016-17 campaigns.
Dallas Stars Re-Sign Nicholas Caamano, Scott Reedy
The Dallas Stars have announced contract extensions for two depth forwards: right winger Nicholas Caamano and center Scott Reedy. Each contract is a one-year, two-way pact.
Caamano, set to turn 25 before the start of next season, is a big six-foot-three forward who has shown flashes of offensive potential in the AHL but generally lacked consistency since turning pro from the OHL. The former OHL champion has scored 75 points in 191 career AHL games, while also racking up 194 career penalty minutes.
Caamano’s combination of physicality and bursts of scoring ability helped the AHL’s Texas Stars reach the postseason in 2022-23 and also turned Caamano into a viable option to be called up to Dallas, although he has just three points in 36 career NHL games.
With 227 combined games played at both the NHL and AHL levels, Caamano is set to cross the 260-game threshold this season which would mean he would no longer qualify as a “development player,” per the AHL’s rules.
As a result, this year is of particular importance for Caamano as he’ll need to show he can provide consistent value to his team in order for an NHL club to deem him worth investing a non-development player slot in during future seasons.
Reedy, 24, is a center who was acquired by the Stars from the San Jose Sharks in a midseason trade. He scored 10 points in 18 games for Texas and has 58 points in 111 career AHL games. Reedy is a big center who hasn’t scored a ton at the AHL level but does have a season on record where he scored 18 goals in just 38 games, showcasing some untapped offensive upside.
He and Caamano will in all likelihood be placed in top-nine roles for Texas but should be under consideration for NHL call-ups during the season, assuming they manage to be reasonably productive.