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Tye Felhaber

Morning Notes: Demidov, Avalanche, Drouin, Benoit, Jets

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In one of the more violent preseason contests in recent memory, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens combined for 150 PIMs yesterday evening. Unfortunately, after multiple fights broke out between Hayden Hodgson, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and Jan Jenik, it was Montreal’s sensation, Ivan Demidov, who would leave the game with an injury after a malicious slash from Senator Nick Cousins.

Fortunately, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, there doesn’t appear to be any long-term injury concern for Demidov. The Canadiens may hold him out of the team’s next contest on Saturday, again against Ottawa, though he should be ready to start the season on time. The odds-on favorite to win the 2025-26 Calder Memorial Award has recorded three assists in three preseason contests with Montreal.

Understandably, the Canadiens’ admonishment of Cousins’ actions was clear. In an article from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, head coach Martin St. Louis was quoted as saying, “There’s no need for that. It’s an exhibition game; both teams are trying to get ready for a long season. I don’t think there’s any need for that in the game.”

Other notes from this morning:

  • After recalling five players for their preseason win against the Vegas Golden Knights last night, the Colorado Avalanche have sent nearly the entire group back to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. The Avalanche announced that Tye Felhaber, Jason Polin, Alex Gagne, and T.J. Tynan, who were all recalled yesterday, have been reassigned. Additionally, Jayson Megna and Tristen Nielsen will join them en route to the Eagles, while Ronnie Attard will remain on the roster for today’s contest.
  • One of the New York Islanders’ freshly signed forwards missed today’s practice. According to Andrew Gross of Newsday, Jonathan Drouin missed this morning’s practice due to illness. The veteran forward has gone scoreless in three preseason contests for the Islanders, averaging 19:02 of ice time per contest.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs got some positive news this morning regarding one of their injured defenseman. David Alter of The Hockey News reported that Simon Benoit has shed his non-contact jersey, indicating he’s nearly recovered from his upper-body injury. The heavy-hitting blue liner skated in 78 games for the Maple Leafs last season, scoring one goal and 10 points with 204 hits.
  • Moving to Manitoba, the Winnipeg Jets announced they’ve extended their ECHL affiliation with the Norfolk Admirals through the 2025-26 season. The new campaign will be the Admirals’ third as the ECHL affiliate of the Jets. The team has qualified for the Kelly Cup playoffs in each of the last two seasons, losing in the Division Finals both times.

Waivers: 9/27/25

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As training camp cuts continue to occur, there will be an uptick in waiver placements over the next week and a half.  Today is a particularly busy day on the wire with PuckPedia reporting that 20 players are now on waivers.  Meanwhile, all of yesterday’s players cleared, per PuckPedia.

Buffalo Sabres

D Jack Rathbone

Calgary Flames

D Jeremie Poirier

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Dysin Mayo
F Hunter McKown
G Zachary Sawchenko
F Owen Sillinger

Colorado Avalanche

F Alex Barre-Boulet
F Tye Felhaber
F Jason Polin
F T.J. Tynan

Edmonton Oilers

D Josh Brown
F James Hamblin
F Roby Jarventie

New York Islanders

F Adam Beckman

St. Louis Blues

F Nikita Alexandrov
F Hugh McGing

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Travis Boyd
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx
F Vinni Lettieri

Vegas Golden Knights

D Lukas Cormier

For the most part, this is a group of veteran players who have cleared waivers multiple times in the past and should expect to do so here as well.  That said, Lettieri has gotten into 72 NHL games over the last two seasons and could be appealing to a team looking for some extra depth down the middle.  Alexandrov didn’t see any action with St. Louis last season but averaged just over a point per game with AHL Springfield last season and has 51 career NHL appearances under his belt.  Boyd was a full-time NHL player as recently as 2022-23 and is one game shy of 300 for his career but has settled in as more of an AHL veteran since then.

At this time of year, it’s sometimes the younger players who might garner some attention and there are some on this list who could draw a look.  Cormier and Poirier are only 23 and have shown some offensive upside in the past at both the QMJHL and AHL levels.  Jarventie was once a prospect with some upside before an injury derailed his 2024-25 campaign but if there’s a team that thinks he has fully recovered, he could garner attention as well.

These players will be on waivers until 1 PM CT on Sunday.

Avalanche Recall Jere Innala, Jason Polin

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The Avalanche recalled forwards Jere Innala and Jason Polin from AHL Colorado on Monday, according to a team announcement. Their active roster is now full with the AHL’s transactions log reflecting that Tye Felhaber was returned to the minors yesterday after a week-long call-up.

Polin, 25, is the fresh face among the two. He made his NHL debut for the Avs last year, skating in seven games in January and recording a goal with a plus-one rating while averaging a paltry 7:25 of ice time per game.

The Michigan native is now in his third season with the organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2023. The 6’0″, 198-lb right-winger ranks seventh on the AHL club with seven goals through 21 games, adding a pair of assists for nine points.

Despite potting 30 goals in 39 games at WMU in his senior season and being named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, Polin hasn’t been much of a factor offensively yet in his professional career. He’s been limited to 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points in 70 AHL games, so it’s a tad puzzling to see his name in the NHL lineup, even as a fourth-line fill-in piece while Valeri Nichushkin nurses his lower-body injury.

Polin is expected to replace Felhaber in the lineup tomorrow when the Avs host the Rangers. Innala, who was papered down yesterday to help the Avs save a bit of cash, remains in the lineup in search of his first NHL point. The 5’9″ Finn has averaged 7:29 through his first 10 NHL games, recording three shots on goal and a minus-one rating.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Tye Felhaber

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The Colorado Avalanche are recalling a newly-signed depth forward for the second time this year. The organization announced they’ve recalled forward Tye Felhaber from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, before their upcoming game against the Florida Panthers tomorrow night.

It’ll be the second time Felhaber’s been on an NHL roster this season after clearing waivers on December 19th. Felhaber debuted in the NHL one day after signing with the Avalanche on December 16th but failed to find the scoresheet after skating in 4:34 of the game against the Vancouver Canucks.

Colorado isn’t likely to insert Felhaber into the lineup tomorrow night unless another option becomes unavailable. Still, they may keep him on the active roster as insurance for the rest of the week considering their upcoming Central Division road trip against the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets.

After transitioning to professional hockey during the 2019-20 season, Felhaber is now a veteran of seven seasons in the AHL and three in the ECHL. He’s suited up for four teams in the AHL including stops with the Texas Stars, Syracuse Crunch, Milwaukee Admirals, and now Eagles. Felhaber’s been a relatively mild depth scorer with 35 goals and 72 points in 193 contests.

Still, considering he cleared waivers not long ago, Felhaber provides optimal flexibility to a team struggling to stay below the cap. The Avalanche have just over $2.97MM in cap space thanks to several long-term injured reserve placements but will have to get creative once Miles Wood and his $2.5MM salary come back on the books.

Avalanche Reassign Tye Felhaber

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Dec. 19: The Avalanche announced that Felhaber has cleared waivers and was subsequently assigned to AHL Colorado.

Dec. 18: The Avalanche have placed forward Tye Felhaber on waivers to return him to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Wednesday.

Felhaber, 26, signed an AHL contract with the Eagles over the offseason, which the Avalanche tore up and replaced with a two-year NHL contract on Sunday. The left-shot forward had a team-leading eight goals and 13 points through 23 AHL games, putting him on pace for his best season offensively in the high-level minors since turning pro five years ago. He made his NHL debut on Monday in a loss to Canucks, taking just seven shifts for 4:34 worth of ice time. Aside from one hit, he recorded zeroes across his box score, and the Avalanche out-attempted opponents 6-4 with him on the ice.

Felhaber, originally an undrafted free agent signing by the Stars from the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s, has 67 points in 187 AHL contests in parts of seven seasons. He’s been far more productive when demoted to the ECHL, where he’s logged 26 goals and 83 points in 71 games. The former OHL All-Star remains a middle-six minor-league option at best as he enters his prime, though, and there’s likely little interest in his services on an NHL roster elsewhere.

While unlikely, teams have 24 hours to submit a claim and take Felhaber out of the Avs organization and onto their NHL roster. It’s a likelier scenario that Felhaber will clear waivers tomorrow and head back to the Eagles, allowing the Avs to carry a trim roster throughout the holiday freeze, which begins at midnight Eastern tomorrow and runs through Dec. 27.

Avalanche Sign Tye Felhaber To Two-Year Deal

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The Avalanche have added depth forward Tye Felhaber on a two-year contract that runs for this season and next, per a club announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed, although it’s presumably a two-way deal for the journeyman minor-leaguer.

It’s unclear if Felhaber will end up on waivers later today or if the signing doubles as the 26-year-old’s first NHL call-up. Today’s news doesn’t mark his first NHL contract signing, however. The former OHL All-Star inked an entry-level contract with the Stars as an undrafted free agent in 2019 after lighting up the major junior circuit in his overage season, racking up 109 points in 68 games with the Ottawa 67’s and leading the league’s playoffs in goals with 17 in 18 outings.

However, Felhaber couldn’t convert that production into anything meaningful at the professional level. He managed just eight goals and 18 points in 86 appearances for the Stars’ AHL affiliate in parts of three seasons before they traded him to the Lightning midway through the final season of his contract. Tampa Bay understandably opted not to issue him a qualifying offer when his deal expired, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Ontario native has since plied his trade on minor-league deals. Following his non-tender, he inked an ECHL contract with the Fort Wayne Komets, and the step down in competition proved prudent for his development. Felhaber exploded for 63 points in 51 games, helping him rebuild his offensive confidence and landing more fruitful minutes in subsequent AHL games with Milwaukee and Colorado. He’s been skating in a top-nine role for the Avalanche’s primary affiliate this season, leading the team with eight goals in 23 appearances.

The Avalanche have an open roster spot, so there wouldn’t be any corresponding moves required to keep Felhaber around for the time being. He could join the Avs on their road trip and make his NHL debut tomorrow in Vancouver.

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