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Kings Activate, Reassign Angus Booth

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The Kings announced Monday that they’ve activated defenseman Angus Booth from the season-opening injured reserve/non-roster list and subsequently assigned him to AHL Ontario. Since Booth is on a two-way contract and did not spend a day on the NHL roster last season, he carried no salary cap impact while on SOIR.

Booth, 21, was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and is entering the second season of his entry-level contract. While he signed his rookie deal nearly two years ago, it slid for the 2023-24 season, which he spent entirely in juniors. The 6’0″, 176-lb lefty was a defensive standout in the QMJHL, where he won a championship with the Shawinigan Cataractes in his draft year and had 23 points in 42 games. His offensive numbers never progressed past that point, but he did have a strong sendoff year between Shawinigan and Baie-Comeau in 2023-24, logging a 3-25–28 scoring line in 61 games with a career-best +29 rating.

That showing preceded a fairly linear transition to the pro game for Booth in 2024-25. He didn’t look out of place as a rookie with AHL Ontario last season and slotted in well as a bottom-four piece, rattling off two goals, 11 assists, 13 points, and a plus-six rating with 38 penalty minutes in 50 outings. A lower-body injury sustained early in training camp cost him any shot at making the NHL roster in his second professional season, but he’ll now get his season underway and hope to put himself in consideration for a recall if injuries pile up.

Booth still has this year and the next one ahead of him to prove he’s developed enough to earn a qualifying offer. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2027.

Ducks Activate, Assign Coulson Pitre

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The Anaheim Ducks have activated fowrard Coulson Pitre from the injured non-roster list and assigned him to the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers. Pitre was recovering from an upper-body injury throughout training camp. Now that he’s back to full health, he’ll head to the third-tier pros to get back into game action.

Pitre played through his AHL rookie season last year. It was marked by 16 points, 19 penalty minutes, and a minus-seven through 61 games played. He filled a depth role for the Gulls, but showed clear improvements as the year went on, particularly on defense. He was a reliable, two-way center through three seasons with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds prior to turning pro. He racked up 159 points in 166 games with the club. That includes 60 points in 59 games of the 2022-23 season – enough to earn Pitre a third-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Pitre’s chippy play has long been the hallmark of his game. Adding back that physicality after missing nearly a month to start the season could be a tough task, and is likely what prompted Anaheim to assign Pitre to the ECHL after originally sending him to the AHL. He’ll get plenty of opportunity on a Tulsa squad with a 1-3-0 record to start the year. Once he adjusts to a top role with the Oilers, he should be pipelined back into a chance to prove his might with the Gulls.

Red Wings Assign Michael Brandsegg-Nygard

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The Detroit Red Wings have reassigned top prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Brandsegg-Nygard played through the first nine games of his NHL career to start Detroit’s season. He recorded one assist, one penalty, and a minus-five through those appearances.

Brandsegg-Nygard’s first NHL sample was filled with up-and-down performances. Detroit was outscored one-to-six at even-strength when the Norwegian rookie was on the ice. At the same time, the Red Wings managed 5.06 expected-goals-for to only 2.78 expected-goals-against in Brandsegg-Nygard’s minutes. That difference not only gives Brandsegg-Nygard a Detroit-leading 64.5 expected goals-percentage (xGF%), it also gives him the eighth-worst goals-above-expected (-4.06) among NHL forwards.

Those numbers all suggest that Brandsegg-Nygard ran into a string of bad shooting luck to start his career. He’s long been a top prospect, and earned the 15th-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft after potting 28 points in 53 games in Sweden’s second-tier pro league, the HockeyAllsvenskan. His imposing two-way presence helped Mora IK earn a promotion to the SHL for the 2024-25 season. Brandsegg-Nygard chipped in 17 points in 53 games at Sweden’s top level, before ending last season with the first five games, and three points, of his AHL career.

He earned a spot in the NHL out of training camp this season, and showed through an impressive ability to make plays even when shots weren’t going his way – emphasized by a team-leading 28 hits. An assignment to the AHL should give Brandsegg-Nygard a chance to rediscover his puck luck, but it’s hard to imagine Detroit will want him out of the lineup for too long.

Capitals Place Rasmus Sandin On IR

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After recalling forward Ethen Frank earlier this morning, the Washington Capitals needed to make one corresponding roster move to maintain roster compliance. Defenseman Rasmus Sandin will move to the injured reserve with an upper-body injury, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.

Sandin’s move to the IR should be considered positive news for the Capitals. He has missed the last two games due to an upper-body injury and would be eligible to return on Halloween against the New York Islanders, assuming the IR placement is made retroactive to October 21st.

The expectation is that Sandin will be ready to play in that game, or the one immediately after that. Earlier today, Gulitti reported that Sandin returned to the ice for Washington’s practice, though he was skating in a non-contact jersey.

Further, it can only be considered positive news regarding Dylan Strome’s injury status. Strome left the Capitals’ most recent game with a lower-body injury, and there was some concern in the organization regarding his immediate availability.

Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post shared this morning that although Strome won’t play in Washington’s next game against the Dallas Stars, he’s only considered day-to-day. He would have missed the Capitals’ next three games had he been placed on injured reserve. Since the team decided not to place him on IR, it indicates that he is expected to return by the end of the week.

In his seven games before suffering the upper-body ailment, Sandin had continued as a reliable top-four blueliner for the Capitals. He’s tallied two assists in those games, averaging 19:24 of ice time while maintaining a 97.9% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Flyers Assign Jett Luchanko To OHL

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For a second-straight year, Jett Luchanko’s time with the Philadelphia Flyers is cut short after only four appearances. Earlier today, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reported that the Flyers would be assigning Luchanko to the OHL’s Guelph Storm today, and Philadelphia subsequently confirmed the news.

Luchanko’s reassignment can’t be described as anything other than disappointing for the Flyers. The team drafted Luchanko with the 13th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, and he surprisingly made the team’s roster out of training camp last year.

Still, with little expectations of him sticking around, the team assigned him to OHL Guelph after going scoreless in four games with a -3 rating. He was mostly productive in his return to Guelph, scoring 21 goals and 56 points in 46 games as the team’s captain. Unfortunately, the Storm finished with a 21-38-5-4 record, missing out on the playoffs.

After another year of growth, Luchanko again made the Flyers’ roster out of training camp, this time under a new head coach. This time around, his performance was arguably worse.

Again being reassigned after four games, Luchanko again went scoreless with a -3 rating. He averaged nearly five minutes less a night under Rick Tocchet, primarily centering the team’s fourth line when in the lineup. Despite being reassigned today, Luchanko hasn’t suited up for Philadelphia since October 20th.

There was some concern earlier in the year about returning him to Guelph, largely because the team wasn’t expected to be competitive this year. However, although it’s still relatively early in the 2025-26 campaign, the Storm are 6-5-2-0 through their first 13 games, holding onto the final playoff spot in the OHL’s Western Conference.

Luchanko made it apparent that he’s not ready for much responsibility at the NHL level. Although he is likely better suited for developmental time in the AHL, he has not yet reached the age where that is permissible. Still, given that the team signed Tocchet to a multi-year deal this offseason, there might be some concern about Luchanko’s overall future in the organization, given his subpar first impression.

Washington Capitals Recall Ethen Frank

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According to a team announcement, the Washington Capitals have recalled forward Ethen Frank from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Washington reassigned Frank only a few days ago when the team activated Pierre-Luc Dubois from the injured reserve.

Unfortunately, it appears that Frank’s recall is linked to another injury to a Capitals center. In Washington’s recent loss to the Ottawa Senators, first-line center Dylan Strome exited the game with a lower-body injury, and those within the organization are concerned about the severity of the injury.

Given that the Capitals already have a full 23-man roster, they’ll have to make a corresponding move to keep Frank on the roster. The assumption is that due to Strome’s injury, the team will place him on the injured reserve at the very least. This means that Strome is guaranteed to miss Washington’s next three games. He wouldn’t be eligible to return until November 5th against the St. Louis Blues.

The team may also expect a longer-term absence for Strome. Shortly after announcing Frank’s recall, the team shared they had signed Brett Leason and quickly waived him for potential reassignment. There have not been any reports directly linking the two transactions. However, the Capitals may have acquired Leason for AHL depth if they’re anticipating a longer-term stay in the NHL for Frank.

Through the first couple of weeks of the regular season, Frank only appeared in two games for the Capitals, registering one assist while averaging 12:34 of ice time per night. Since Washington will likely move each of their remaining centers up one spot in the lineup, Frank should center the team’s fourth line between Brandon Duhaime and Anthony Beauvillier.

If the team feels more comfortable with Nic Dowd and Justin Sourdif in their current spots, Washington could potentially squeeze more value out of Frank on the second line. He’s been relatively productive with AHL Hershey, scoring 82 goals and 127 points in 164 games over the past five years.

Devils Recall Seamus Casey

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The Devils didn’t waste much time filling the roster spot created by their assigning of Nico Daws back to AHL Utica earlier today.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Seamus Casey from the Comets.

The 21-year-old broke camp with New Jersey last season and had three separate stints with them over the course of the year.  In those games, he was certainly productive offensively for a blueliner, tallying four goals and four assists in 14 appearances despite fairly light playing time at just 12:39 per night.  In between, he was similarly productive in the minors with the Comets, picking up 18 points in 30 appearances with them.

This season, Casey started on season-opening injured reserve due to a lower-body injury.  He was activated earlier this week and sent to Utica.  He played in one game down there, collecting an assist.

It appears that Casey will be taking the place of Brett Pesce in New Jersey’s lineup after it was revealed following their game today against Colorado that the veteran won’t be going on their four-game road trip.  Dennis Cholowski is also on the roster but he may remain the seventh defender as it seems unlikely that they’d recall Casey to merely keep him around as a healthy scratch.

Evening Notes: Othmann, Girgensons, Daws

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The New York Rangers will award winger Brennan Othmann with his season debut in Sunday night’s matchup against the Calgary Flames, per Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic. Othmann recorded one assist and six penalty minutes in the first four games of the Hartford Wolf Pack’s season. He is among the Rangers’ top prospects, and many have criticized his lack of opportunity after posting 12 goals and 20 points in 27 AHL games last season.

Othmann has played through 25 career games in the NHL, effectively spending his rookie eligibility. He recorded two assists and a plus-seven in those appearances. He’s yet to find a break in the Rangers’ system, even after posting 69 points in 94 games across two AHL seasons. Sunday’s matchup will be his next chance to prove he can stick in the NHL. Continued struggles could advance a growing trade market around the former first-round pick, after it was revealed New York was shopping Othmann around earlier this month.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper praised the impact forward Zemgus Girgensons had in his season debut. Cooper told NHL.com’s Benjamin Pierce that Girgensons may have given the Lightning the intangible boost they were looking for. He didn’t manage any scoring in the appearance, though any support will be helpful after Tampa Bay began the season with a 1-4-2 record. Girgensons scored just six points last season, but still appeared in all 82 games, largely thanks to those intangible impacts. He should continue to slot into Tampa Bay’s daily lineup, after missing the first seven games of the season with an undisclosed injury sustained during the preseason.
  • The New Jersey Devils reassigned goaltender Nico Daws to the AHL after Sunday’s overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche. Daws did not dress for the matchup. He’s served as the team’s de facto backup while starter Jacob Markstrom recovered from injury. Daws made his season debut on Wednesday, and managed an impressive 30 saves on 31 shots to lead New Jersey to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Now, Daws will return to the top role for the Utica Comets. He’s so far only played in one game for Utica, where he saved 26 of 27 shots in a close-fought loss. He posted an .893 save percentage and an 11-20-3 record on a dismal Utica lineup last season. New Jersey’s assignment of Daws will push Jakub Malek into a backup role, and could push Jeremy Brodeur to an ECHL loan.

Hurricanes Recall Domenick Fensore, Assign Charles-Alexis Legault To AHL

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The Hurricanes have elected to swap their depth defensemen.  The team announced that they’ve recalled Domenick Fensore from AHL Chicago and assigned Charles-Alexis Legault to the Wolves.

Fensore made his NHL debut in the final two regular season games last season, averaging over 19 minutes a night with Carolina resting many of their regulars.  The 24-year-old has gotten off to a strong start in the minors this season, picking up three goals and four assists in just four games; his seven points are second-best among all AHL defenders while he leads all Wolves players in that regard.

As for Legault, he received his first NHL recall a little more than two weeks ago.  The 22-year-old signed as an undrafted free agent with Carolina back in 2024 and got into three games while on recall, logging just under 12 minutes per game while picking up for blocks and a pair of minor penalties.  He had 14 points in 63 games with the Wolves last season.

Carolina’s back end has had more than its fair share of injuries in the early going this season, leading to some of these prospects getting opportunities.  Jaccob Slavin has missed a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury, Shayne Gostisbehere has been out for a week with a lower-body issue, and K’Andre Miller has missed two straight games with a lower-body injury of his own.  That has Carolina carrying nine blueliners on the salary cap right now but with the team comfortably below the Upper Limit, the extra players on the roster shouldn’t be impacting their plans much at this time.

Canucks Recall Kirill Kudryavtsev, Assign Joseph LaBate

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The Vancouver Canucks have recalled defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev and assigned forward Joseph LaBate. The move once again shifts around roles near the bottom of the Canucks’ lineup, as they try to bear through seven different injuries.

Kudryavtsev’s recall will reward his impressive start to the Abbotsford Canucks season. He has points in four of the team’s five games so far, with five assists total. Kudryavtsev has looked strong and confident. He’s made plays on both ends of the ice, and excelled at creating plays off of the blue line. His performance has been a sure step forward from the 26 points and plus-18 he posted in 65 games as an AHL rookie last season.

It’s not yet clear if he’ll have a chance to crack into the NHL lineup. Vancouver also recently recalled Victor Mancini, who served as the extra defender in Saturday’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Kudryavtsev would seemingly need to leap over Mancini and Pierre-Olivier Joseph for a role on the team’s bottom-pair. Neither Joseph nor Mancini have scored in their NHL appearances so far – through three and four games respectively. Mancini also went  without a point in one AHL game. That lack of production could be the need that earns Kudryavtsev his NHL debut, should Vancouver need a spark plug at the bottom of their lineup. Kudryavtsev would most likely play on his off-side as the team’s third-pair right-defenseman, partnered with Marcus Pettersson or Elias N. Pettersson, sohuld he step into the lineup.

On the other side of this deal, LaBate will return to the minors after serving as a healthy scratch on Saturday. He made his NHL season debut in Tuesday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and didn’t manage any notable stat changes. LaBate has recorded three points, eight penalty minutes, and six shots in four AHL games this season. He’s continued to be a chippy veteran in the minor-leagues, coming off 21 points and 81 penalty minutes in 51 games with the Cleveland Monsters last season.

LaBate returned to the Canucks organization on a one-year, two-way, league-minimum contract this summer. The team originally drafted him in the fourth-round of the 2011 NHL Draft, and awarded him with the first 13 games of his NHL career in 2016-17. Across his career, LaBate has totaled one assists and 31 penalty minutes in 20 NHL games; and 157 points and 781 penalty minutes in 460 AHL games.

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