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Dallas Stars Place Adam Erne On Injured Reserve

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The Dallas Stars will be without one of their depth forwards for at least the next little while. The Stars announced they’ve placed Adam Erne on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, retroactive to November 11th.

Although he’s far from a high-profile talent, Erne was one of the most surprising signings from the summer. The 2024-25 campaign was the first time in nine years that Erne hadn’t registered an NHL contest.

He signed a professional tryout agreement with the New York Rangers in the early portion of the preseason heading into the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, Erne wasn’t able to capitalize on the tryout and instead had to settle for a PTO with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. After registering one assist in 10 games for the Wolf Pack, Erne was released from his PTO in mid-November and didn’t play another minute of professional hockey.

Still, leave it to a cap-strapped team with a significant need for depth to give Erne his next opportunity. The former 33rd overall selection of the 2013 NHL Draft required another PTO again this September, though he managed to turn it into a one-year, two-way contract this time around.

He’s played fairly well early on for Dallas. Erne has skated in 14 games so far, scoring two goals and three points while averaging 9:37 of ice time and recording 44 hits. The expectation is that Erne will return around American Thanksgiving.

Devils Recall Nathan Legare, Place Zack MacEwen On IR

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According to a team announcement, the New Jersey Devils have recalled forward Nathan Legare from the AHL’s Utica Comets. Additionally, the team placed Zack MacEwen on injured reserve in a corresponding roster move.

It’s the first recall of the year for the former 74th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Legare has spent his first 11 games of the 2025-26 season with the Comets, registering one goal and 21 PIMs with a -7 rating.

If Legare plays in the Devils’ next game against the Washington Capitals, it’ll be his first NHL contest in nearly a year. He earned a three-game stint with New Jersey in December of last year, going scoreless. The remainder of his season was spent in Utica, where he scored 17 goals and 25 points in 69 games with 102 PIMs.

Meanwhile, MacEwen lands on the IR for the second time this season, this time with a lower-body ailment. His recent trip on the IR kept him out of the lineup from October 11th to November 10th. Due to repeated injuries, the physical 29-year-old depth forward has only managed three contests with the Devils this season, going scoreless. MacEwen spent the last two years with the Ottawa Senators, where he scored four goals and six points in 51 games while also recording 104 hits.

Jets Activate Dylan Samberg, Gustav Nyquist From Injured Reserve

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The Jets announced they’ve activated defenseman Dylan Samberg and winger Gustav Nyquist from injured reserve. Both will return to the lineup tonight against the Kraken. Winnipeg placed defenseman Haydn Fleury and winger Cole Koepke on IR in their places to stay at the 23-player roster limit.

Tonight marks Samberg’s season debut. The 26-year-old sustained a broken wrist in training camp and required surgery. He’s fresh off landing a three-year, $17.25MM commitment from the Jets in restricted free agency as he returns for his fifth NHL season. The 2017 second-round pick emerged as a core piece of their top four last year, seeing his ice time jump to over 21 minutes per game while serving as the left-hand man for Neal Pionk. In those expanded minutes, Samberg recorded 20 points and a +34 rating in 60 appearances as he and Pionk dominated play to the tune of a 56.7 xGF%, per MoneyPuck.

To say Winnipeg has sorely missed Samberg’s services would be an understatement. They’ve elevated fellow large lefty Logan Stanley into his spot with Pionk while he’s been sidelined, and it hasn’t gone well. The 2016 first-rounder’s seven points and +7 rating in 16 games are quite strong at first glance, but the underlying numbers aren’t there. They’re outscoring opponents 8-3 due to spectacular goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck while they’re on the ice, but are controlling just 42.1% of expected goals and 43.2% of shot attempts. Stanley is bound for a downward slide soon, based on those numbers, so they’re happy to get Samberg back in that spot before it has a chance to happen.

Nyquist is returning from a much briefer absence. He’s sat out the last five games with an undisclosed injury early on Oct. 30 against the Blackhawks. He’ll be returning in a sheltered fourth-line role with Tanner Pearson and Parker Ford after getting consistent middle-six deployment to start the season, the team’s Mitchell Clinton relayed. That’s because Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti both came off IR in Nyquist’s absence, pushing him down the depth chart.

Winnipeg signed the 36-year-old to a one-year, $3.25MM deal in free agency to add depth in the wake of losing Nikolaj Ehlers to the Hurricanes on the open market. The 14-year vet was coming off a major step back in production following his career-high 75 points with the Predators in 2023-24. He mustered just 11 goals and 28 points in 79 games split between Nashville and Minnesota before staying in the Central Division in free agency with the Jets. He’s had his minutes slashed to 12:19 per game with Winnipeg and is still looking for his first goal of the season but has managed five assists and a +1 rating in 11 appearances.

Fleury is in concussion protocol after departing Tuesday’s game against the Canucks earlier, head coach Scott Arniel said. The IR placement rules him out for the next three games. He’ll be eligible to return on Nov. 21 against the Hurricanes if he clears protocol by then. He’d played a regular role to start the year with Samberg out, but was likely going to come out of the lineup anyway. The 29-year-old had yet to record a point through 15 appearances and logged a -5 rating in under 15 minutes of ice time per game.

Koepke has already been out since sustaining an undisclosed injury against the Sharks on Nov. 7, so the placement only rules him out for tonight’s contest. He’s technically eligible for activation on Saturday against the Flames, a distinct possibility since he’s only considered day-to-day. After signing with the Jets over the offseason, the 27-year-old has two assists and a -4 rating in 14 games.

Ducks Reassign Sam Colangelo

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The Ducks announced they’ve reassigned winger Sam Colangelo to AHL San Diego. They’re now left with an open roster spot after activating Ryan Strome from injured reserve earlier in the week. Strome didn’t re-enter the lineup immediately after his activation but will do so tonight, per the team’s Aly Lozoff, prompting Colangelo’s demotion so as not to be carrying three extra forwards. Mikael Granlund is also making his return to the lineup tonight – on a line with fellow veterans Strome and Frank Vatrano – after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, although he never landed on IR.

Colangelo, 23, is waiver-exempt until he plays 28 more NHL games, but he was clearly the odd man out anyway. He’d served as a healthy scratch in six straight and hasn’t played since Halloween. The 2020 second-round pick broke camp with the Ducks for the first time this year after working his way into a semi-regular role down the stretch in 2024-25, notching 10 goals and 12 points in 32 games. The 6’2″ winger has been immensely productive since turning pro out of Western Michigan in 2024, putting up 22 goals and 40 points in 40 AHL contests last year as well.

That led to some rightful optimism that he could be an important depth contributor for Anaheim sooner rather than later, but the Ducks’ additions of Granlund and Chris Kreider over the summer pushed him down the depth chart somewhat. He’s also been overshadowed by 2024 No. 3 overall pick Beckett Sennecke snatching a spot in the top nine and rattling off 11 points through his first 16 NHL games, while Nikita Nesterenko, who also entered the season on the bubble like Colangelo, has churned out seven points in 14 games in a bottom-six role. Colangelo’s ice time has been correspondingly limited, averaging 10:12 through seven contests. When dressed, he’s only managed one goal and a -3 rating.

That’s not to say Colangelo won’t be a productive NHL piece someday, but the cards haven’t yet aligned for him to make the jump. He’ll now head back to familiar stomping grounds in San Diego, where, if the demotion sticks, he should expect to be atop their scoring leaderboard at season’s end.

Avalanche Activate Samuel Girard, Recall Taylor Makar

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The Avalanche announced today that they’ve activated defenseman Samuel Girard from injured reserve and recalled winger Taylor Makar from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. They had three open roster spots after reassigning Jack Ahcan to the Eagles yesterday, so no corresponding moves are required.

So ends what had been a lengthy IR stint for the 27-year-old Girard. He only logged two appearances before sustaining an upper-body injury and being designated as week-to-week. When he returns to the lineup tonight against the Sabres, he’ll be doing so in an unfamiliar third-pairing role with Sam Malinski, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. He’s been a top-four fixture for the better part of seven years for the Avs, but coming off a pair of underwhelming seasons in the points department, he’ll get a bit of a demotion here. There’s an understandable hesitancy to break up the Brent Burns–Josh Manson pairing that emerged in Girard’s absence, which is controlling 58.8% of expected goals and 55.3% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.

Girard is in the penultimate season of the seven-year, $35MM contract extension he signed with the Avs in 2019. At the time, it was viewed as a likely steal in the latter years of the deal, but it’s turned out closer to fair value as he’s seen his numbers dip in the past few seasons. After peaking with a 32-point effort in just 48 games in 2020-21, Girard’s offense has steadied out at around the 30-point range per season over an 82-game pace, and injuries will have limited him to fewer than 70 games in three of the last five seasons, including 2025-26. His possession metrics have taken a hit in some recent years – particularly 2024-25, when he posted a relative Corsi share of -0.9% and controlled an underwhelming 50.1% of expected goals on an Avs team that controlled nearly 54% overall.

They’re hoping some sheltered minutes can help boost his possession impacts and bring him back in line with Colorado’s dominant start to the season in virtually every area. He’ll have something of a breakout partner in Malinski, who’s rattled off eight points and a +10 rating in 17 contests despite being something of an afterthought on the Avs’ blue line.

Makar will make his second career NHL appearance tonight in a fourth-line role with Parker Kelly and Zakhar Bardakov. That duo has had Gavin Brindley as a wingman frequently this season, but the recently-extended youngster is getting a promotion to the top six on Brock Nelson’s line as Valeri Nichushkin exits the lineup with a lower-body injury that has him out week-to-week.

Cale’s younger brother was a seventh-round pick in 2021 and is in his first professional season after four years in college, three coming with UMass and the fourth with Maine. The 6’4″ checker was buried on a deep UMass club but broke out upon transferring to Maine for his senior season, notching 18 goals, 30 points, and a +24 rating in 38 games. He hasn’t found that same offensive success in the minors, scoring once with four points in 13 games, but is a low-maintenance fourth-line fit in limited minutes.

Makar’s NHL debut came in an overtime loss to the Sharks on the first of the month. He logged eight shifts for 6:07 of ice time, managing a shot attempt and a hit.

Islanders Recall Travis Mitchell

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The Islanders announced they’ve recalled defenseman Travis Mitchell from AHL Bridgeport. Defenseman Scott Mayfield was moved to the non-roster list to open up a spot for him, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports. He’s unavailable against the Golden Knights tonight while on paternity leave.

Mitchell, 25, wasn’t at the Islanders’ morning skate in Vegas, Rosner reports, and is still on his way to join the club. He won’t be a factor tonight unless he has to be because of a last-minute injury. It will be Adam Boqvist drawing into third-pairing duties with Alexander Romanov in Mayfield’s place, per Rosner.

If Mitchell gets any playing time while Mayfield is out, it would be his NHL debut. He was recalled for a week last November but was scratched for every game. The 6’4″ lefty was an undrafted free agent signing out of Cornell in 2023. While his entry-level contract expired after last season, the Isles extended him a qualifying offer and then re-upped him on a two-way deal to keep him in the organization for 2025-26. He’ll be eligible to test unrestricted free agency at the end of the season via Group VI status.

Mitchell has been a heavy hitter for Bridgeport, but not a ton else. In 12 appearances this season, the Michigan native has three assists with a -1 rating and 27 penalty minutes. He racked up 101 PIMs last year but was also limited to 13 points with a -22 rating in 65 games.

As for Mayfield, he’s done well to re-establish himself this season in year three of his seven-year, $24.5MM contract. He’s played in all 16 games this season after being benched at times over the last two years and is averaging 18:48 of ice time per game, his highest since the 2022-23 season. The shutdown rearguard has three assists and a +1 rating but only has 11 hits, by far the lowest per game of his career.

Avalanche Sign Scott Wedgewood To One-Year Extension

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2:03 p.m.: Wedgewood’s contract extension carries $1.9MM in base salary and a $600,000 signing bonus, PuckPedia reports.

12:22 p.m.: The Avalanche announced they’ve signed goaltender Scott Wedgewood to a one-year extension. The deal is worth $2.5MM, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He was ticketed for unrestricted free agency next July, but now delays that by another 12 months.

A career backup, Wedgewood has been forced into the starter’s role for Colorado to begin the year with Mackenzie Blackwood missing most of October with a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old has made it hard to justify giving the lion’s share of starts to Blackwood upon his return, though. He’s put together a league-best 10-1-2 record through 14 starts, accompanying that with a .913 SV% and 2.26 GAA. Even behind Colorado’s top-five defense, that’s good for six goals saved above expected to rank 14th in the league, per MoneyPuck.

It’s all the more impressive that his performance has come amid the most taxing workload of his eight-year NHL career by a significant margin. He’s started 14 of 17 games for the Avs, including five of seven since Blackwood was reinstated. He obviously won’t hit the 68 starts he’s on pace for, but he’ll still undoubtedly pass his previous career high of 32 starts and 37 appearances at this rate.

They aren’t expecting the veteran to be a long-term solution, particularly with Blackwood coming off a career year and him being signed through 2029-30 at a cap hit of $5.25MM. It’s still a worthy reward for one of the league’s more unheralded breakouts through the first several weeks. While Colorado’s elite two-way play so far has done most of the heavy lifting, Wedgewood has still given them significantly above-average netminding that’s likely helped them back a few extra points as they’ve rocketed off to an 11-1-5 start, the best in the league.

Colorado acquired Wedgewood from the Predators early last season in exchange for the promising but struggling Justus Annunen, as the Avs swapped out both of their opening-night goalies in separate deals before Christmas. He only got 18 starts behind Blackwood after the move but was exceptional with a 13-4-1 record, .917 SV%, and 1.99 GAA. The late bloomer is now on pace to post above-average save percentages in four of the last five seasons.

A third-round pick by the Devils back in 2010, Wedgewood debuted for them in the 2015-16 season but didn’t see NHL action again until a 20-game run with the Coyotes in 2017-18. He spent two more full seasons in the minors after that before working his way back into the bigs with New Jersey in 2020-21. He hasn’t seen the minors since, aside from a conditioning stint while he was Jake Oettinger’s backup in Dallas in 2022-23. His career numbers now read as a 72-55-26 record with eight shutouts, a 2.82 GAA, and a .907 SV% in 168 appearances.

It’s a $1MM raise over Wedgewood’s current $1.5MM cap hit, as he’s now in the back half of the two-year deal he signed with Nashville in free agency in 2024. He and Blackwood were already one of the more cost-effective goalie duos in the league this season at a combined price tag of $6.75MM, and $7.75MM for next season isn’t too bad, either. Colorado now has $91.25MM in commitments for 2026-27, affording them $12.75MM in projected cap space assuming a $104MM upper limit with seven roster spots to fill, per MoneyPuck.

Image courtesy of Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

Rangers Sign Spencer Martin To Two-Year Deal

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Nov. 13: The Rangers announced that Martin has cleared waivers and has been reassigned to Hartford.

Nov. 12: The Rangers have signed goaltender Spencer Martin and immediately placed him on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Hartford, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. It’s a two-year contract, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

Martin, 30, is a longtime AHL depth piece who’d seen NHL action as a backup/No. 3 option in four straight seasons leading into 2025-26. While the 6’3″ netminder has a strong minor-league track record, his NHL results have been highly underwhelming. He made his NHL debut with the Avalanche back in 2016-17 and didn’t get another look until getting called up to the Canucks in 2022, posting a .950 SV% in six appearances and positioning himself as Thatcher Demko’s backup to start 2022-23. He couldn’t sustain his hot streak from the previous year, though, posting a nearly unplayable .871 SV% and .296 quality start percentage in 29 appearances until landing on waivers midway through the season.

The following two seasons saw Martin serve as a stopgap for the Blue Jackets and Hurricanes while they dealt with injuries in the crease. Neither of those stints was much different than his time in Vancouver. He made 16 starts and 19 appearances for Columbus and Carolina in 2023-24, logging a 7-9-2 record with a .889 SV% and 3.30 GAA. Martin played just nine games for the Canes last year with an even further degraded SV% of .846 and a GAA of 3.89, although he did record his first career shutout in the process.

That decline led Martin to pursue an overseas opportunity for the first time. He signed a two-year contract with CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League back in July. He was clearly positioned as their starter but was quickly usurped by Islanders prospect Dmitri Gamzin, who has a .933 SV% and 7-5-2 record through 13 games compared to Martin’s .905 SV% and 5-6-2 record in 14 games. With CSKA handing the reins to Gamzin and also having Blue Jackets 2025 first-rounder Pyotr Andreyanov as a recall option from the Russian minors, they terminated Martin’s contract on Monday.

Martin shouldn’t have much of any trouble clearing waivers on his way back to the NHL. The Rangers were looking for a veteran name to supplement their current AHL tandem of prospects Talyn Boyko and Dylan Garand, neither of whom has been particularly convincing to start the year. Martin’s .909 SV% in 30 appearances with AHL Chicago last season is better than what both of them have put on offer so far.

Flames Reassign Justin Kirkland, Recall Rory Kerins

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Nov. 13: Kirkland has cleared waivers and has been sent to the AHL, the team announced. The corresponding transaction isn’t an activation for Pospisil, though. They announced earlier in the day that they’ve recalled Kerins from the minors, and he’s expected to make his season debut tonight against the Sharks in place of Yegor Sharangovich, who’s headed for the press box, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960.

Most had penciled Kerins into an opening-night job for the Flames because they’d have to waive him to send him to the minors. After he had four assists in his first five NHL games last season and was nearly a point-per-game in the AHL, the thought was that he wouldn’t make it through. They were able to sneak him through the wire, though, and he’s continued to roll at an elite scoring pace in the minors. Now 23 years old, the 2020 sixth-round pick has five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 13 games to lead the Wranglers in scoring.

Nov. 12: The Flames have placed forward Justin Kirkland on waivers, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 reports. He’ll be assigned to AHL Calgary if he clears tomorrow.

It’s possible Calgary is clearing a roster spot to activate winger Martin Pospisil from injured reserve. Pospisil has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury he sustained during the preseason. He’s been skating on his own for a few weeks and could be an option for tomorrow’s game against the Sharks if he’s activated.

Kirkland being the odd man out is a disappointing resolution, but not an unexpected one. The 29-year-old was essentially a career minor-leaguer until last season, when he earned an early-season recall from the Flames and carved out a fourth-line role for himself. Through 21 games, he posted two goals and six assists for eight points while averaging 9:42 per game. He had some underwhelming possession impacts despite a +6 rating, but gained cult status with Calgary fans through his shootout performances, converting three times on his four attempts. His moment in the sun came to an end in late November, when he sustained a knee injury against the Blue Jackets that required season-ending ACL surgery.

The Winnipeg native could have been an unrestricted free agent last summer, but the Flames liked enough of what they saw to re-up him on a one-year contract worth $900,000 in late June. Kirkland held on to an opening-night job for the first time in his career, but he only lasted two games before being healthy scratched for the first time. He was in and out of the lineup until late October, when he made a season-high four consecutive appearances. He hasn’t played since that stretch, sitting out for five in a row since Nov. 1.

In his nine showings this season, Kirkland has been limited to one assist and a -1 rating. His ice time remained limited at 9:34 per game. The 6’3″ center showed improvement in the faceoff dot, though, winning 54.5% of his draws compared to 42.9% last season. He also posted improved possession metrics, controlling 56.5% of shot attempts when he was on the ice at even strength.

His six-figure salary and expiring contract make him a legitimate target for a claim. The Flames have comparable veteran names in the system, like Clark Bishop and Dryden Hunt, who can be called up if needed, though, while prospects Matvei Gridin and Rory Kerins are off to strong starts in the minors and banging on the door for a recall. Clearly, they’re comfortable with the risk of losing Kirkland because of their existing depth.

Auston Matthews Out Roughly One Week, Anthony Stolarz Day-To-Day

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Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews avoided a serious lower-body injury when he left Tuesday’s loss to the Bruins following a heavy hit from Nikita Zadorov. He’s been given a day-to-day designation but has been ruled out for tonight’s contest against the Kings with another absence or two expected after that, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Starting goalie Anthony Stolarz also left that contest with an upper-body issue and has also landed a day-to-day designation and won’t play against the Kings, per TSN’s Mark Masters, but hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday against the Blackhawks. With backup Joseph Woll still working his way back to playing shape in the minors on a conditioning stint, Toronto announced they’ve recalled netminder Artur Akhtyamov from AHL Toronto to backup third-stringer Dennis Hildeby tonight. Center Scott Laughton was placed on injured reserve in the corresponding move.

The injury is another speed bump in what’s been another slow start from Matthews. The three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner has seen his chance generation numbers drop significantly since his generational 69-goal season in 2023-24. In 17 appearances this season, he’s managed nine goals and 14 points. That’s a better pace than last year’s extreme fall-off that only saw him tally 33 markers in 67 appearances, but it’s still well below his career-average pace of 0.63 goals per game.

Luckily for the Leafs, their other stars have more than picked up the slack and helped them stay somewhat afloat at .500 despite faltering defense and goaltending. Matthew Knies and John Tavares are both flirting with 100-point paces early on, while William Nylander sits sixth in league scoring with 24 points despite missing three games with a lower-body issue.

But while Matthews was still one of the league’s most dominant two-way centers during last year’s scoring slump, the same can’t be said in the early going in 2025-26. He’s winning a career-best 59% of his faceoffs, but his possession metrics have faltered. The Leafs are only controlling 47.5% of shot attempts and 48% of expected goals with Matthews on the ice at even strength, the first time in his 10-year career that either number has been below 50%.

Nonetheless, Tavares’ resurgence, Nylander’s dominance, and Knies’ continued breakout should help the Leafs weather the storm for a few days. They’re expected to load up the top line with those three, at least for tonight, per Masters.

As for Stolarz, a reset – injury-related or not – is needed. The career elite backup/tandem option has been overtaxed with Woll unavailable, and his numbers have plummeted as a result. Among goalies with at least 10 appearances this season, Stolarz’s .884 SV% ranks 22nd out of 25 names, and his -5.3 goals saved above expected rank 23rd, per MoneyPuck.

Tonight will thus mark Hildeby’s fourth appearance in the last six days. He entered in relief of Stolarz against Boston twice, first on Nov. 8 and then on Tuesday, while starting in a 5-4 loss to the Hurricanes on Nov. 9. Despite his 0-2-0 record, he’s been the best goalie Toronto’s had to offer this season in his limited sample. He’s logged a .909 SV% and 3.74 GAA on 88 shots faced, good for 2.1 goals saved above expected behind the Leafs’ porous defense. He’s leaps and bounds ahead of what he showed in last year’s limited NHL stint, when he had a .872 mark in six showings with a 3-3-0 record.

If Akhtyamov is forced into action, it would be his NHL debut. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Toronto back in 2020 and is now in his second season in North America. After a decent rookie showing for the Marlies last year, he’s taken a step back with a .894 SV% and 2.82 GAA in six games to start this year, but still has a 4-2-0 record.

Meanwhile, Laughton is on his second injury-related absence of the season. He missed the first 13 games of the year with a lower-body injury and sustained an upper-body issue in just his second game back against the Bruins. Since his IR placement is retroactive to Nov. 8, he’s been ruled out for tonight’s game plus Saturday’s game against Chicago, but will be eligible to come off IR next Tuesday against the Blues.

Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

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