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Penguins Activate Rickard Rakell, Loan Harrison Brunicke To Team Canada

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As expected, the Pittsburgh Penguins have thinned out their defensive core in favor of their forward group. The Penguins announced that they’ve activated forward Rickard Rakell from the injured reserve and have loaned defenseman Harrison Brunicke to U20 Team Canada for the 2026 World Junior Championships.

Rakell returns after more than a month-long absence. The top-six winger broke his left hand in the Penguins’ October 25th matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets and was given a six-to eight-week recovery timeline after undergoing surgery. That recovery timeline was accurate, as Rakell will return having missed seven weeks.

Before exiting the lineup, Rakell played a large role in the Penguins’ 6-2-1 start to the 2025-26 campaign. Typically playing on a line next to Sidney Crosby, Rakell scored three goals and eight points in those nine contests, averaging 17:44 of ice time per night.

While remaining competitive in a tightly wound Eastern Conference, Pittsburgh has clearly suffered without its top winger. There have been several additional injuries, but the Penguins have managed an 8-6-6 record in the 20 games without Rakell, falling to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Fortunately for Rakell, his return game will be against an organization with which he has had plenty of success throughout his career. Largely due to his time with the Anaheim Ducks earlier in his career, Rakell has scored 16 goals and 33 points in 39 games against the Sharks since the 2012-13 campaign. Additionally, Rakell has scored 13 goals and 28 points in 35 games against the Edmonton Oilers, who Pittsburgh plays on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Brunicke will officially join Team Canada for the World Junior Championships after spending the last few weeks with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins over the last few weeks. Brunicke, 19, tallied four assists in five games for the AHL Penguins with a +2 rating.

As one of several projected players with NHL experience, it’s nearly a given that Brunicke will remain with Team Canada after they cut their roster down. Cracking the Penguins’ roster out of training camp this season, Brunicke has scored one goal in nine games, averaging 15:43 of ice time per game. He’s two years removed from playing with Team Canada’s U18 team, scoring one goal and four points in seven tournament contests.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images. 

Penguins Activate Jack St. Ivany

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Before yesterday’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they had activated defenseman Jack St. Ivany from the season-opening injured reserve. He had been recovering from a foot injury suffered in a preseason contest in early October.

Despite being on the SOIR, St. Ivany has been playing for the last few weeks, albeit for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. A few days before American Thanksgiving, the Penguins had loaned St. Ivany to the baby Penguins on a conditioning loan. He performed very well over that stretch, scoring one goal and five points in five games with a +3 rating.

Still, it’ll be interesting to see what the Penguins do in the next few days to thin out their defensive core. They dressed six for last night’s game, but have nine on the active roster. Last night, Harrison Brunicke, Matt Dumba, and St. Ivany were all scratched.

Being named to Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Junior Championships, Pittsburgh already knows that Brunicke will be off the roster for a few weeks, assuming he makes the final roster. However, the WJC doesn’t begin until the day after Christmas, and the Penguins have seven games between now and then.

Considering that all four of Filip Hallander, Blake Lizotte, Evgeni Malkin, and Rickard Rakell remain on the team’s injured reserve, it would make sense for the Penguins to switch a defenseman with an AHL forward to have an additional body up front. If they’re set with having St. Ivany on the roster for the time being, the team could try to pass one of Connor Clifton or Dumba, each of whom has been limited in playing time this season, through waivers.

Mammoth Recall Kevin Rooney, Assign Maveric Lamoureux To AHL

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This evening the Utah Mammoth shared that veteran Kevin Rooney has been recalled, while defenseman Maveric Lamoureux is headed to AHL Tucson. Today’s transaction is an exact reversal of one which was made on December 3, involving both players.

Rooney, 32, has been back-and-forth between Utah and Tucson several times already this season. When in the AHL, the center is a top player, as he has six goals in 11 games. He also managed to find the back of the net during his Mammoth debut in late November. With a career high of 14 points, set with the Rangers in 2020-21, he is not the most exciting call up. Yet any player capable of filling in seamlessly without disrupting developing pieces, and not being a waiver claim threat, is valuable. 

With star Logan Cooley set to miss eight weeks, and the team dropping seven of their last 10, eyes may be on GM Bill Armstrong to make a move. Just one point out of the Wild Card, the franchise’s first-ever playoff appearance could be in danger of slipping out of reach; and they certainly have stock in the cupboard to acquire another star. In the meantime, Rooney is an extra forward on the exciting young team, not expected to play, barring additional injuries. 

Lamoureux, a first rounder in 2022, does not jump off the page statistically, but standing at 6’6”, he offers strong shutdown play even at just 21, and is a coveted right-handed shot. With such imposing size, the Quebec native could pan out as a reliable second-pair blueliner, but has a high floor regardless. 

As is the case most times a top prospect is sent down in favor of an older depth piece, Lamoureux’s role with Utah is a point of emphasis. He played 12:46 last night, with nine fewer shifts than anyone else on the back end. The defenseman will be a welcome addition back to Tucson for the time being, as the team currently ranks toward the bottom in the AHL. Lamoureux has nine points in 19 games for the Roadrunners, and could be back sometime soon, as he seems to be the undisputed top defensive call up option for Utah, much like Rooney for the forward group. 

 

Oilers Recall Max Jones, Place Clattenburg, Roslovic On IR, Walman To LTIR

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Earlier today the Edmonton Oilers announced that Max Jones has been recalled from AHL Bakersfield, while fellow forwards Connor Clattenburg and Jack Roslovic have been placed on injured reserve. Finally, as was speculated yesterday, defenseman Jake Walman has landed on long-term injured reserve. The moves come in advance of tonight’s game versus Detroit. 

Jones, a familiar face to Anaheim fans, was a first round pick by the Ducks in 2016. Now 27, he was once a potential top-six power forward, but was never able to pan out. Now an AHLer, Jones has a career high of 19 points at the NHL level, in 284 games so far. Injuries were a huge factor in his stunted development, especially as the Michigan native suffered a torn pectoral in 2021, which was a crucial year to prove himself in Anaheim. 

After a stop in Boston, Jones made his way to Edmonton as an add-in from the Trent Frederic trade. He skated in 19 games as an Oiler last season, but has spent all of 2025-26 in the AHL so far. Jones has just seven points in 17 games with the Condors, but with 49 penalty minutes, he is trying to lean more into a grinder role at this point. 

Edmonton has brought in other former first rounders who have been solid role players, such as Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin, and Jones may have an opportunity with the team’s numerous injuries, although he is not expected to play tonight. 

Roslovic got off to a dynamite start to his Oilers tenure with 18 points in 23 games, prior to going down in late November. He is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, and may have his sights on a return by the New Year. 

Clattenburg, just 20, brought needed energy in his first five NHL games. He has missed the team’s last two contests after an apparent eye injury. With just two points in the AHL this season, the winger brings limited skill, but at 6’2” he could be an eventual fixture on the Oilers’ fourth line, proving to be a nice find in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. 

The headline of long-term injured reserve for Walman may cause concern, but the main motivation for such a designation is likely salary cap motivated. With his $3.4MM off the books for now, Edmonton can finally carry a full roster as they soon head off for a five-game road trip. The defenseman has dealt with multiple injuries after inking a seven-year extension at the start of the season. As he has already missed the last seven, Walman only has to miss three more games to meet the LTIR requirements. Similar to Roslovic, his ailment is also unknown, but a return before January would be a surprise. 

Currently holding the second Wild Card spot, Edmonton is thankful to have most of their marquee talent healthy, however, their depth will be put to the test, a common theme throughout much of the McDavid/Draisaitl era in which the team has had a top-heavy construction. Their road trip ahead could be a turning point if the team can return to their true potential, and push for another deep run in the spring. 

Flames Place Jake Bean On Injured Reserve

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The Flames moved defenseman Jake Bean to injured reserve earlier today, per Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. He’s missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, his last outing being Dec. 6 against the Mammoth. He’s technically eligible to return for their next game against the Kings on Saturday, but will presumably miss more time than that.

This season has been a slog for the 27-year-old Bean. A first-round pick back in 2016, he’s been a frequent healthy scratch and has only played in 16 of Calgary’s 32 games. When dressed, he’s managed two points with a -7 rating while averaging 15:57 of ice time per game. He’s averaging a career-low 0.19 hits per game.

Despite the gaudy rating, the 6’1″ lefty has managed some good possession impacts. His 55.3% Corsi share ranks fourth on the team (min. 10 games), and his pairings with Brayden Pachal and MacKenzie Weegar have controlled 64.1% and 58.3% of expected goals at 5-on-5, respectively. He’s been the victim of abysmal shooting luck and goaltending, logging a PDO of 90.4 at even strength, which is second-worst on the team.

Calgary recalled Hunter Brzustewicz from the AHL earlier in the week in Bean’s absence. The 21-year-old was spectacular in his season debut last night against the Red Wings. He had a +1 rating and six shot attempts in 15:47 of ice time, and the Flames allowed just three shot attempts at 5-on-5 while he was on the ice. If that keeps up, Bean’s already diminished playing time may be gone entirely when he returns from injury.

The Calgary native is a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a two-year, $3.5MM deal as a free agent in 2024.

Canucks Activate Thatcher Demko

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Dec. 11: The Canucks formally announced Demko’s activation. Nikita Tolopilo was returned to AHL Abbotsford in the corresponding move. The 25-year-old Belarusian ends his recent string of call-ups with a 2-1-0 record in four appearances, posting a promising .911 SV% and 2.74 GAA.

Dec. 9: The Canucks are likely to have starting goaltender Thatcher Demko back in the crease when they host the Sabres on Thursday, head coach Adam Foote told reporters following last night’s game (including Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 950).

Demko’s return will come several days past his initial target date. The oft-injured starter sustained a lower-body injury against the Jets on Nov. 11, leaving the game after the first period. It’s believed to be a groin issue, unrelated to the knee issues that cost him a significant chunk of the 2024 calendar year. He was listed as week-to-week but was expected to be back in the lineup by the end of November.

While that didn’t happen, a late return is better than no return at all. Demko looked like his old self before landing on IR. His .903 SV% and 2.80 GAA in 10 starts don’t jump off the page, but they should when put in the context of Vancouver allowing a league-high 3.75 expected goals against per 60 minutes at all situations, per MoneyPuck. Demko has saved 6.3 goals above expected, and his save percentage is 25 points better than what high-workload backup option Kevin Lankinen has put on offer.

With an 11-16-3 record and seemingly unsolvable defensive warts, playoffs are all but out of the question in Vancouver this season. Getting Demko back should at least stop the bleeding, as the team now deals with offensive woes, scoring only 1.50 goals per game since Thanksgiving.

Demko’s early resurgence was significant in proving Vancouver didn’t significantly err by giving him a relatively rich three-year extension this summer. Kicking in next year, the deal carries a cap hit of $8.5MM and boasts a full no-movement clause. If Demko were to keep that level of play up and were open to a move if the Canucks engage in a complete teardown, that cap hit wouldn’t be prohibitive in trade talks.

Sabres Place Colten Ellis On Injured Reserve

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The Sabres placed goaltender Colten Ellis on injured reserve today, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550. That opens the roster spot for forward Trevor Kuntar to join the team after signing a two-way deal yesterday.

Ellis, 25, was pulled from Tuesday’s overtime win over the Oilers by concussion spotters late in the first period. He took an inadvertent shoulder to the head from Edmonton right winger David Tomasek as he was cutting across the crease with the puck (video via Crossing Swords on X).

For at least the next two games, Buffalo’s three-goalie rotation is down to two. The Sabres nearly lost another netminder today when Alex Lyon briefly left practice in apparent pain, but he returned to the session and is expected to start tonight’s game against the Canucks as scheduled, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.

Ellis, a 2019 third-round pick by the Blues, didn’t have any NHL experience entering the season. He spent most of his pro career in the ECHL until last year, when he broke out as St. Louis’ third-stringer. He took over the starting role in AHL Springfield with a .922 SV% in 42 appearances.

The Blues were hoping to sneak him through waivers to start the season to keep him as insurance behind their tandem of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. However, the Sabres took their chance to claim him with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen facing injury concerns and the since-released Alexandar Georgiev coming off a disappointing preseason showing.

Instead of placing Ellis on waivers when Luukkonen returned and risk St. Louis reclaiming him, Buffalo has opted to carry three goaltenders for most of the season. With seven starts, Ellis has gotten the least playing time of the trio. He’s had a couple of standout appearances – a .935 SV% in his NHL debut against the Red Wings on Oct. 22 and a 32-save performance against the Oilers last month with just one goal allowed. On the whole, though, he’s been just as middling as what Luukkonen and Lyon have put on offer this season.

Ellis is the only Buffalo goalie with an above-average record, going 4-3-0, but his .895 SV% is second behind Lyon’s .899, and his 3.25 GAA is the worst. His -0.9 goals saved above expected put him in the middle between Lyon’s neutral mark and Luukkonen’s -2.4, per MoneyPuck.

It will be Luukkonen and Lyon’s crease for at least the next couple of games. Ellis will be eligible to come off IR on Dec. 18 against the Flyers.

They’ll use his spot to get the newly signed Kuntar into the mix. The Buffalo native is expected to sit in the press box tonight instead of making his NHL debut, though. The 2020 third-rounder by the Bruins began the season on a minor-league contract with AHL Rochester and had nine goals in 24 games, tied for the team lead, before landing an NHL deal.

Bruins Activate Charlie McAvoy

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Charlie McAvoy is making a quicker return to action than anyone expected. The Bruins announced he’s been activated from injured reserve, putting him in the lineup tonight against the Jets, less than a month after major facial surgery as a result of taking a puck to the face. Boston has been operating with an open roster spot for several days, so no corresponding move is required.

The B’s have been without their top defensemen for the last 11 games. That coincided with a 6-5-0 record, boosted by an active three-game winning streak, showing up in a big way to keep themselves in the Atlantic Division playoff race while he was out. Regaining his two-way versatility is a major boon to a Boston team that’s been one of the worst 5-on-5 possession teams in the league.

McAvoy is without a goal this year but racked up 14 assists in 19 games before needing surgery, and he’s the only Boston defenseman with a positive shot differential (157-156) at 5-on-5. For a forward group that struggles to generate offense from its depth ranks, having his playmaking ability on the back end is crucial as well. Those 14 points still have him tops among Bruins rearguards and fifth on the team in scoring.

His pairing with Nikita Zadorov has been Boston’s best, both in controlling play and on the defensive end. They lead the team with a 56.7 xGF% and 1.78 xGA/60 at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck (min. 100 minutes). That xGA/60 figure is third in the league. Jonathan Aspirot, a 26-year-old rookie, has gotten most of the reps alongside Zadorov in McAvoy’s absence. The 6’0″ lefty has done a good job on his offside with a +8 rating in 18 appearances, although a 47.6% shot share and 43.8% expected goal share at 5-on-5 point toward that figure being inflated due to Jeremy Swayman’s stellar goaltending.

With Henri Jokiharju and depth options Michael Callahan and Jordan Harris on injured reserve, McAvoy’s return is all the more important for Boston’s banged-up defense corps. Victor Söderström, who has one assist and a +3 rating in three games since being recalled from AHL Providence last week, is expected to be the odd man out while Aspirot stays in.

McAvoy’s conditioning will be something to keep an eye on. He still can’t eat solid food until the six-week mark after the surgery, and he told reporters late last week that he lost nearly 20 pounds in only a week and a half following surgery. They’ve found out a regimen to get some of that weight back, but expecting him to continue shouldering a near-24-minute workload may be a stretch. As a result, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising if the Bruins opted to dress seven defensemen at times in the coming days to limit his minutes.

Blue Jackets Activate Boone Jenner, Reassign Luca Del Bel Belluz

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The Blue Jackets announced they’ve activated captain Boone Jenner from injured reserve, paving the way for him to return to the lineup tonight against the Senators as expected. Center Luca Del Bel Belluz was returned to AHL Cleveland in the corresponding move.

Jenner, 32, hasn’t played in exactly a month. He’s missed 14 games with an upper-body injury he sustained Nov. 11 against the Kraken. That news was initially of particular concern after Jenner missed the first several months of last season following shoulder surgery, but this injury ended up being unrelated.

Without their captain, the Jackets have treaded water with a 5-4-5 record. Even with collecting so many overtime/shootout losses, that hasn’t been enough to help them keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. With sluggish contenders like the Panthers and Maple Leafs turning around their poor starts, Columbus’ 13-11-6 record has them third-last in the conference – although still well within reach of a playoff spot. While they have several teams to leapfrog, they’re only three points back of the Flyers for a wild-card spot and still have a respectable 20.9% chance of returning to the dance for the first time since 2020, per MoneyPuck.

Jenner will need to be a big part of that the rest of the way. The lifelong Jacket has been in something of a shooting slump since returning from his shoulder injury last year, finishing at a 9.8% clip. With 29 points in 42 games since then, though, his overall point production has remained a good bit above his career average. He’s got a 3-7–10 scoring line in 16 games this season, placing him sixth on the team at 0.63 points per game.

A natural center, Columbus has shifted Jenner to the wing as multiple young pivots come down the pike. He’s spent most of his time in the lineup flanking Adam Fantilli, usually with Kent Johnson on the opposite flank. They didn’t have great chemistry. Their 42.1% share of expected goals and 2.58 xGF/60 are the lowest among the Jackets’ five forward lines with at least 50 minutes together. Nonetheless, that trio is staying together in his return to the lineup, per Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com.

Del Bel Belluz’s second recall of the season draws to an end after nine days. He was summoned from Cleveland on an emergency basis on Dec. 2 after Mathieu Olivier landed on IR. With his presence on the roster no longer required to give Columbus 12 healthy forwards, they either had to return him to the AHL or shift his recall into a standard one.

In the last four games, the 22-year-old was a virtual non-factor. He had no points and an even rating while averaging 8:10 of ice time per game, going 8-for-19 on draws (42.1%) with five blocks. Limited ice time isn’t the best use of the 2022 second-round pick’s development. He’s done well when placed higher up in Columbus’ lineup before, posting eight points in 15 games last season when elevated into top-nine duties, but with his all-around ceiling not yet realized, it’s best to keep him in the minors until he’s fully ready to step into major minutes for the Jackets.

He’s likely not too far off from doing so. He’s operating at a point-per-game pace through 11 AHL contests after leading Cleveland with 27 goals in 61 games last year. They’ll continue to give him periodic check-ins at the NHL level to evaluate his game before he seriously competes for an opening-night job next fall.

Red Wings Place Mason Appleton On IR, Recall Erik Gustafsson

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The Red Wings announced that winger Mason Appleton has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 29, with a lower-body injury. Coming up from the AHL is veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson to take his place on the active roster.

Appleton is already eligible to come off IR after missing at least seven days. He was only ticketed for a seven-to-10-day absence initially, so he’s already behind schedule and shouldn’t miss too much more time as a result. He won’t play tonight against the Oilers, but could return for this weekend’s tilt against the Blackhawks.

Appleton’s two-year, $5.8MM deal is the largest contract Detroit handed out to an external unrestricted free agent last offseason. The longtime Jets forward was brought in as a bottom-six fixture but has been deployed more as a top-nine piece, skating most of the time with some mix of Nate Danielson, Alex DeBrincat, and Marco Kasper. His production, though, hasn’t changed one bit from his career average. His three goals and nine points in 26 games fall right in line with his 0.35 lifetime points per game.

His ice time has also dipped. He’s averaging 13:34 per game for the Wings after skating at least 14 per game in each of the last five seasons for Winnipeg and Seattle. That’s despite playing a larger role on Detroit’s penalty kill than he did for the Jets. His 5-on-5 numbers aren’t anything special this year, either – he’s been outscored 17-14 and is bottom-three among Detroit forwards in most possession metrics.

They’ll no doubt be looking for smoother two-way play from him on the other side of this injury. In the meantime, Gustafsson will get his second stint on the roster this season after Simon Edvinsson left yesterday’s 4-3 win over the Flames with a lower-body injury, making him questionable for the second half of their Alberta back-to-back tonight. Detroit already had righty Travis Hamonic available as an extra, but Edvinsson is a left shot – as is Gustafsson – and they likely don’t want to force anyone to their offside.

Gustafsson is a skilled puck-mover and a great power-play option – he racked up 60 points with the Blackhawks back in 2018-19 – but he’s a defensive liability at even strength and wasn’t a good fit in a Detroit lineup that desperately needed to improve its 5-on-5 play to make a run at the playoffs this season. In the back half of a two-year, $4MM deal, he landed on waivers to begin the season and has spent most of the year in Grand Rapids aside from a five-day recall in November. He logged a -1 rating and two shots in his lone appearance of the season back on Nov. 26 against the Predators.

The veteran of 516 NHL games has dominated the minor-league circuit as his name circulates in trade talks, awaiting his next extended NHL opportunity. He’s clicking at a point per game through 14 appearances and is tied for second on Grand Rapids with a +13 rating.

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