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Blues’ Dylan Holloway Leaves, Alexey Toropchenko Returns To Practice

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The St. Louis Blues kicked off practice with good news. Winger Alexey Toropchenko took the practice sheet with his teammates for the first time this month, after missing the last seven games with burns to his legs sustained away from the team. He is expected to return to the lineup in Monday’s game against the Nashville Predators, per NHL.com’s Lou Korac. Practice took a turn towards the negative partway through, though, when top winger Dylan Holloway sustained a lower-body injury. He was helped off the ice by teammate Logan Mailloux and a coach, captured by Korac.

Blues head coach Jim Montgomery said the team didn’t have a clear view of Holloway’s injury, or availability for Monday’s game, just yet. He will carry a questionable tag moving forward. Holloway has been a spark plug once again for the Blues. He is second on the team in scoring with 17 points in 33 games. That scoring has stalled as of late, though. Holloway hasn’t scored in three games, and only has four points – three scorede in one game – over his last seven games.

Holloway has a nightly spot in St. Louis’ top-six. Should he get knocked out of the lineup, the Blues would likely turn towards Pius Suter, who could nicely rotate with Brayden Schenn on faceoffs. Suter has 14 points in 31 games this season – but is riding his own scoring drought through the last four games.

Toropchenko’s return will balance out the bottom-end of the lineup. He had a quiet season prior to his injury, with only two points in 17 games. Toropchenko has long been a minimal scorer – but hasn’t even reached half of the scoring pace that led him to 18 points in 80 games last year. Should St. Louis want to ease him into a role, they could bring Nick Bjugstad down from the press box. He has four goals and five points in 25 games this season.

Team Latvia Announces Roster For 2026 World Juniors

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All 10 countries have officially announced preliminary rosters for the 2026 World Junior Championship. The final announcement came earlier this morning, when Team Latvia named 28 players to their initial roster. They will need to cut three before the tournament opens on December 24th. Latvia’s full roster is as follows:

F Olivers Mūrnieks (2026 draft eligible)
F Kārlis Flugins (2026 draft eligible)
F Kristers Ansons (2026 draft eligible)
F Dmitrijs Diļevka (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Bruno Osmanis (2026 draft eligible)
F Markuss Sieradzkis (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Maksims Pumpiņš (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Roberts Polis (2026 draft eligible)
F Toms Trockis (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Rūdolfs Bērzkalns (2026 draft eligible)
F Kristiāns Utnāns (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Antons Macijevskis (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Roberts Naudiņš (2027 draft eligible)
F Daniels Serkins (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
F Martins Klaucāns (2026 draft eligible)

D Alberts Šmits (2026 draft eligible)
D Mārtiņš Vītols (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Oskars Briedis (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Rolands Naglis (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Darels Uļjanskis (Ducks, 2024, 7-214)
D Krišjānis Sārts (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Krists Retenais (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Matīss Ošāns (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Reinis Auziņš (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
D Harijs Cjunskis (2026 re-entry draft eligible)

G Nils Roberts Mauriņš (2026 re-entry draft eligible)
G Mikus Vecvanags (Canadiens, 2024, 5-134)
G Ivans Kufterins (2026 re-entry draft eligible)

Latvia is building up a track record of aggressive and physical international hockey. That has helped them push to a quarterfinal loss in each of the last two seasons. Back-to-back fourth-place finishes is impressive for a country that was promoted to the top level of World Juniors just four years ago. They faced, and avoided, relegation in 2023 and now boast lineups capable of outplaying much more skilled opponents.

That trend should continue this season. The Latvians saw a lot of turnover from last year’s tourney, including leading scorer and Washington Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko. But they’ll still be able to lean on a strong group of returnees. The hard-nosed Osmanis and flashy Murnieks are set to lead the lineup once again, after each scoring four points – second-most on the team – last year. They’ll both be pushing for a 2026 draft selection, but the games will matter a little bit more for Murnieks, who is considered a first-round pick by many.

The defense will also return a long lsit of players, including shutdown defender and Ducks prospect Uljanskis. But the focus of the defense will undeniably sit with Šmits – a high-skill, offensive-defenseman who has established a top-line role in Finland’s Liiga despite being one of the league’s youngest defenders. After leading all Liiga rookie defenders with 12 points in 29 games, Šmits could be an X-factor addition to the Latvian side.

Latvia will look entirely different in net after icing a trio of 2005-born goalies last year. The starter’s crease could go to anyone this year. Vecvangs, one of two NHL prospects on the team, could have the early advantage. Starting minutes could help him kick a slow start to the year, marked by an .850 save percentage in six QMJHL games. Mauriņš could be a better option, after earning a promotion from the NAHL to the USHL, a move between America’s top two junior leagues. He has posted a .896 Sv% in 16 games with the Omaha Lancers since his promotion. Kufterins, the youngest of the three, has a .888 Sv% in 13 games. Deciding between three junior-level goalies could be a determining factor in Latvia’s chances to return to the Quarterfinals this year.

Bruins Without Viktor Arvidsson, Jonathan Aspirot On Sunday

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The Boston Bruins will be down a pair of players in today’s match against the Minnesota Wild. Winger Viktor Arvidsson (lower-body) and defenseman Jonathan Aspirot (upper-body) are both expected to sit out after sustaining injuries in Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Both were absent from Saturday’s practice.

Arvidsson missed seven games with a lower-body injury in late November. It isn’t yet clear if that injury is connected to the one that forced him out early on Thursday. Boston would sorely miss Arvidsson should he be forced into another extended absence. The 32-year-old winger has seven goals and 14 points in 25 games this season. He’s offered reliable depth scoring, usually operating on the second or third line.

Aspirot exited Thursday’s game in the first period. It was just the 19th game of his NHL career, which kicked off with a debut on October 28th. Aspirot hadn’t managed any scoring, unti lhe scored his first career goal on December 2nd. That stands as his only point, to go with 28 shot blocks and 32 hits. He has served a bottom-pair role, but has been rotated up to top-line minutes when Boston needs to hold a lead. His responsible defense will be sorely missing from the lineup.

The Bruins clarified that no recalls will be made in light of these injuries. That means Boston will bring in winger Michael Eyssimont and defender Victor Söderström to fill their gaps. Eyssimont has 12 points and a minus-eight in 30 appearances this season. He has continued to serve as a well-rounded, bottom-line forward. Söderström is hoping to push into a full-time, NHL role for the first time since the 2022-23 season – when he played 30 games with the Arizona Coyotes. He has one assist and a plus-three in three appearances with the Bruins. He brings smooth puck-movement, which could boost Boston’s offense in place of the defense-focuse Aspirot.

Injury Notes: Sharks, Flyers, Danault, Erne

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Two San Jose Sharks forwards left yesterday’s dramatic comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins with injuries: Philipp Kurashev and Will Smith. Smith left the game after a hit from Penguins defender Parker Wotherspoon, while Kurashev also left the game with his own apparent upper-body injury. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky did not have any update to give regarding the status of either player.

Since the Sharks have a day off Sunday, it’s likely the earliest the club announces an update related to the injury suffered by either player is Monday. If either player misses time, that would be a serious blow to the Sharks’ competitive hopes. Smith, the 2023 No. 4 overall pick, has scored 12 goals and 29 points in 33 games this season. His growing chemistry with franchise face Macklin Celebrini has made Sharks hockey must-watch television.

While Kurashev isn’t quite as important to the Sharks’ present and future as Smith, he nonetheless has been having himself a quality campaign. The versatile Swiss forward scored 18 goals and 54 points in 2023-24 playing alongside Blackhawks star Connor Bedard. Playing once again on a team with one of the game’s emerging superstar talents has clearly had its benefits for Kurashev. He’s scored 15 points in 31 games this season, a 40-point full-season scoring pace. That represents a significant improvement over last season, when Kurashev only managed 14 points in 51 games, a performance that got him non-tendered by the Blackhawks over the summer. With key injury updates likely set to come Monday, the Sharks will have to hope that their two forwards have only suffered something minor.

Other injury notes from across the NHL:

  • Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet told the media, including the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel, that injured Flyers blueliners Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York will travel with the team on its upcoming road trip, and are each nearing a return to the lineup. Tocchet said specifically that he expects York to play either today against the Carolina Hurricanes or Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, while he expects Ristolainen to return soon as well. York has been sidelined with an upper-body injury and last played Dec. 3, while Ristolainen has not yet played in 2025-26 as he’s been recovering from 2024-25’s season-ending surgery.
  • Some eyebrows were raised yesterday when it was revealed that Los Angeles Kings forward Phillip Danault would not play in the Kings’ Saturday contest against the Calgary Flames, due to the player’s name popping up in trade rumors over the last week. But while Danault remains a possibility to be traded, his absence yesterday was not for trade-related reasons; the veteran forward was ill, and unable to play as a result. It was reported on Dec. 8 that the Kings were exploring their options to provide Danault with a change-of-scenery type trade, but no deal has since materialized. The 32-year-old has scored at least 40 points in each of his four full seasons as a King, but has just five points in 30 games this year. He’s under contract at a $5.5MM AAV through next season.
  • Dallas Stars forward Adam Erne is continuing to progress in his recovery from his lower-body injury, and is now considered day-to-day, according to Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan. (via The Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos) Erne last played Nov. 11 and has missed 16 consecutive games. The 30-year-old winger signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Stars in October and scored three points in 14 games before his injury. Erne played in just 10 games last season, all coming in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He has nearly 400 career NHL games to his name, but hasn’t played a full season entirely at the NHL level since his 2021-22 campaign with the Detroit Red Wings.

Latest On Quinn Hughes Trade Aftermath

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As the dust begins to settle from Friday’s Quinn Hughes trade, an era-defining transaction for two NHL franchises, more and more information is being reported regarding the circumstances that led up to the deal.

Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin addressed the media yesterday regarding the trade, and revealed a few things about how it all came together. He said that he took a direct, aggressive approach in negotiations with the Canucks, stating “we had to go to them with something real, right away, to tell them that we’re serious,” and adding that the eventual package the Wild sent to the Canucks was the first offer Guerin made.

That bit of information sheds some light on the Wild’s overall strategy regarding their path to contention. Guerin’s willingness to part with key future pieces such as Zeev Buium to acquire Hughes, who has less than two years of team control remaining, indicates that the club sees itself as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender within that period.

Of course, the simple fact that they acquired Hughes sends that signal as well, but it’s also notable that the Wild did not hesitate to include players such as Buium in their initial trade offer to the Canucks.

From the Canucks’ perspective, it’s easy to see why the Wild were able to push through the other bidders for Hughes’ services and get a deal done.

It’s been reported (by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun) that other clubs, such as the Philadelphia Flyers, didn’t feel willing to surrender the caliber of assets the Wild were willing to part with, like a high-upside young player who is either NHL-ready or nearly NHL ready. The Wild were in a unique position where they were able to offer key players who brought a rare combination of youth, upside, NHL-readiness, and positional value.

Buium is a supremely intelligent defenseman who could very well quarterback the Canucks’ top power play unit in short order. Marco Rossi is a center who has a 60-point season on his record and hasn’t turned 25 yet. In a trade market where it’s extremely difficult to acquire centers, let alone young, productive ones, that’s a major piece. And then the willingness to add a player like Liam Ohgren into the deal, someone who has preexisting chemistry with key Canucks youngster Jonathan Lekkerimaki, is something that likely pushed the Wild even further in the Canucks’ eyes.

It’s extraordinarily difficult to “win” a trade where your franchise is parting with a player of Hughes’ caliber. The Wild’s initial offer was strong enough that it, at the very least, gave the Canucks a fighting chance given the key factor of Hughes’ limited team control.

LeBrun also revealed a few other teams that were involved in the race to acquire Hughes. He reported that the New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers “made legitimate offers” for Hughes, while the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes “showed interest.”

LeBrun also added that “despite rumors to the contrary,” the Washington Capitals “were never real players” to acquire Hughes and cited the organization’s unwillingness to part with a player such as Cole Hutson as a key reason for their reluctance. Hutson is the younger brother of 2024-25 Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson and has 20 points in 17 games this season at Boston University.

Looking at the deal from a different angle, Canucks head coach Adam Foote also spoke to the media yesterday and addressed an aspect of Hughes’ departure that could be key to the Canucks’ off-ice player dynamics. Per The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, Foote said that he hasn’t had an opportunity to speak with the club’s senior hockey operations leaders about naming a new captain, but added that defenseman Filip Hronek will be an alternate captain in the meantime.

The Canucks’ current alternate captains, besides Hronek, are Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and Tyler Myers. The fact that Myers is now 35 and has just one year remaining beyond this one on his contract lowers the odds that he’d be a long-term solution as a captain, but both Boeser and Pettersson are in their late-twenties and under contract through 2031-32, making them more logical candidates for such a role, though it is also possible that the next Canucks captain is not currently on their roster.

Photos courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Latest On Anthony Stolarz, Matias Maccelli

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been without netminder Anthony Stolarz due to an upper-body injury for more than a month, with the goalie last playing Nov. 11 against the Boston Bruins. Stolarz was initially believed to be out only on a day-to-day basis, but Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told the media later on that Stolarz’s injury was “worse” than the team originally thought.

Yesterday, Berube answered questions from the media regarding Stolarz’s status, and per The Hockey News’ David Alter, he said Stolarz remains sidelined without a timeline to even begin skating once again.

When asked whether Stolarz’s injury could be season-ending, Berube said he “wouldn’t go there” but added that Stolarz is “not going to be on the ice anytime soon.” The fact that Stolarz looks increasingly likely to miss significant time with this injury is a serious issue for a Maple Leafs team that has struggled, as a whole, in 2025-26.

The Maple Leafs lost star winger Mitch Marner to free agency over the summer, and haven’t been able to find their footing this year. The regular season has been a formality for the Maple Leafs for more than a half-decade, with the club safely reaching playoff position in the Atlantic Division on an annual basis.

Things have been very different this year. The Maple Leafs have had far more trouble collecting points this regular season compared to the past, as they currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division and four points adrift of the New Jersey Devils who occupy the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card spot.

A factor in the team’s struggles this season has been goaltending. They surrender 3.26 goals against per game, which puts them just outside the top-10 in the NHL in terms of most goals against per game. Last season, Toronto surrendered the eighth-fewest goals per game in the NHL. Last season, Toronto got strong goaltending from its tandem of Stolarz and Joseph Woll, with Stolarz posting a .926 save percentage in 34 games and Woll registering a .909 save percentage in 42 games.

While Woll has kept up his high level of performance, he’s only managed to play in eight games. Stolarz, who played in 13 games before his injury, was not playing up to the standard he set last season, with an .884 save percentage. The result of injuries in the crease in Toronto has been that the Maple Leafs have had to rely on a revolving cast of goaltenders to fill in for its two established veterans.

24-year-old 2022 fourth-round draft choice Dennis Hildeby has filled in admirably, posting a .923 save percentage across 11 games. Early-season waiver claim Cayden Primeau, who has since returned to the Carolina Hurricanes organization, fared worse, posting a .838 save percentage in three games.

With Stolarz now poised to miss significant time, it’s entirely possible the Maple Leafs’ playoff hopes end up in the hands of Hildeby.

The towering Swede has been solid at the AHL level, but outside of his brief run this season and a short cameo of six games last year, he’s largely untested at the NHL level.

With so much at stake in Toronto, it’s fair to wonder whether Stolarz’s absence might prompt the club to seek outside reinforcement in net via the trade market.

Speaking of the trade market, one Maple Leafs player whose name is reportedly surfacing on the rumor mill is Matias Maccelli. According to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Maccelli’s “name is making the rounds” as his struggles to find his footing in Toronto continue. Maccelli has not played since Nov. 28 and has been a healthy scratch for seven consecutive games.

Clearly, this is not what Toronto envisioned when they traded a third-round pick to the Utah Mammoth to acquire Maccelli in June. Once viewed as a promising up-and-coming playmaker during his days with the Arizona Coyotes, Maccelli’s offensive production did not survive the franchise’s move north to Salt Lake City. He scored 17 goals and 57 points in 2023-24 but only managed 18 points in 55 games last season as he lost his grip on a regular lineup spot.

There was some hope that Maccelli could find chemistry with one of Toronto’s star forwards and be able to have a breakout season, lessening the blow of losing Marner. While Maccelli certainly has the talent to have that kind of breakout campaign, the desired chemistry with Toronto’s existing scorers simply hasn’t materialized.

A pending RFA with a $3.425MM cap hit, Maccelli’s best path forward might be to be traded out of Toronto. According to Pagnotta, that may be a path forward that is already being explored.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Vancouver Canucks Activate Marco Rossi

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The Vancouver Canucks announced this morning that center Marco Rossi has been activated off of injured reserve. In a corresponding move, the club placed center Elias Pettersson on IR, retroactive to Dec. 5.

Rossi has not played since Nov. 11, when his former team, the Minnesota Wild, took on the San Jose Sharks. The Austrian center, who turned 24 in September, was a major piece of the return package the Canucks received as part of Friday’s stunning Quinn Hughes trade.

He had scored 13 points in 17 games before suffering a lower-body injury against the Sharks. Rossi participated in Canucks practice yesterday in Newark, and now appears poised to dress for the team’s matinee contest today against the New Jersey Devils.

It seems Rossi will begin his time as a Canuck playing a major role in head coach Adam Foote’s lineup. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance indicated yesterday that Rossi will begin his tenure as the Canucks’ first-line center, skating in between veteran wingers Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser. That’s not a role he is entirely unfamiliar with, as he was tested in a similar role at times during his tenure with the Wild.

For much of their existence as a franchise, the Wild have struggled to source top-six offensive centers, pivots capable of scoring at a high rate. While that specific type of player is notoriously difficult for NHL teams to acquire, Rossi has joined a team with one such player already on the roster.

Pettersson, who scored 102 points in 2022-23, has been the key center in Vancouver since winning the Calder trophy in 2018-19. Pettersson has been out since Dec. 5 with an upper-body injury, and has missed three games so far.

When everyone is healthy and playing at their best, the addition of Rossi gives the Canucks an enviable level of depth down the middle. With Pettersson as the first-line center, Rossi anchoring the second line, and Filip Chytil running the third line, the Canucks have a trio of first-round picks at center to form the backbone of its forward corps.

But unfortunately for the Canucks, injuries and inconsistency have clouded that picture considerably. Pettersson hasn’t looked like the Pettersson that scored 102 points and emerged as one of the game’s dominant young centers for more than a year now. Chytil, despite his evident talent, has struggled with persistent injury issues and is once again sidelined with an upper-body injury.

That leaves Rossi, at the moment, the only pivot of that trio healthy and set to play for the Canucks. As the club continues to push forward in its rebuilding process, the health and performance of its three key young centers (as well as the continued growth of 23-year-old Aatu Raty) will be a key story line to track in Vancouver.

Nashville Predators Reassign Zachary L’Heureux

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The Nashville Predators announced yesterday that the club has reassigned forward Zachary L’Heureux to its AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

L’Heureux was originally recalled from Milwaukee in early November, but suffered a lower-body injury before he could see any game action. The club announced a four-to-six week recovery timeline for L’Heureux on Nov. 8, which was just about five weeks ago, meaning L’Heureux’s actual recovery  timeline fell right within the Predators’ original projections.

A 2021 first-round pick, L’Heureux will now return to the AHL, the only level he’s actually played at so far in 2025-26. Despite skating in 62 NHL games last season, L’Heureux didn’t make the Predators’ NHL roster out of training camp in the fall. He’s been a strong top-six scorer since his rookie year in the AHL, and he kept up that pace in seven games to start 2025-26, scoring six points.

At this moment, it does not appear as though L’Heureux faces too steep a hill to climb in order to restore his status as a full-time NHL player. The Predators’ fourth line winger spots yesterday were filled by 2022 first-rounder Reid Schaefer and journeyman Tyson Jost. Schaefer has promise, but has just eight career NHL games to his name. Expecting him to hold an extremely firm grip on an NHL role at this stage would be premature simply given his limited experience in the world’s top league.

Jost is a waiver claim who has just five points in 22 games this season. He is the exact kind of player L’Heureux could force out of the lineup with some exceptional play at the AHL level, though the eventual returns of veteran Cole Smith and hard-working younger Ozzy Wiesblatt from injured reserve could complicate things further.

If L’Heureux can continue to produce at the AHL level and continue to mix his signature traits as an agitator and physical winger into his game, it stands to reason that he’ll line himself up to get back to the NHL roster at some point down the line this year.

Connor Bedard Not Expected To Travel With Blackhawks

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It’s been a tough weekend for the Chicago Blackhawks, as on Friday, franchise center Connor Bedard suffered an injury in the closing moments of the team’s loss, and then on Saturday the team, without Bedard, was shut out 4-0 by the Detroit Red Wings. The most recent reporting regarding Bedard’s injury indicates that things are unlikely to get easier for the Blackhawks in the immediate future.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on yesterday’s “Saturday Headlines” segment that the Blackhawks “are still collecting information” regarding Bedard’s injury and what a recovery timeline might look like. Friedman said he believes Bedard had an MRI on Saturday and that the Blackhawks are “still determining what the plan’s going to be” regarding his recovery.

The Blackhawks are set to travel on a three-game road trip this week, and per Friedman, Bedard is “not expected to travel” for at least the beginning of the road trip as the team continues to sort out his injury.

It goes without saying that any extended Bedard absence would deal a potentially fatal blow to the Blackhawks’ ability to stay afloat in the Western Conference playoff race. The Blackhawks, under new head coach Jeff Blashill, have surprised some this season, amassing a better-than-expected 13-13-6 record, which puts them three points behind the San Jose Sharks for the final Wild Card spot with a game in hand.

That better-than-expected start to 2025-26 has occurred in large part thanks to Bedard’s heroics. While he didn’t quite “pop” in his sophomore season the way some might have expected, Bedard has taken a major leap in 2025-26. He has 19 goals and 44 points in just 31 games, which is a 50-goal, 115-point full-season pace.

The Blackhawks have used Bedard heavily this season, and he’s just two seconds per game behind defenseman Alex Vlasic for the team lead in time-on-ice per game, something that in most cases belongs to a defenseman.

Put simply, in 2025-26, Bedard has been exactly the kind of franchise-altering talent he was billed to be by scouts and the media ahead of the 2023 draft. Losing Bedard for any period of time would put a significant amount of additional stress on the Blackhawks’ depth chart down the middle. 2022 first-rounder Frank Nazar has nearly matched his 2024-25 scoring total with 20 points in 30 games (he had 26 points in 53 games last year) but to expect him to fill Bedard’s shoes would be a mistake.

The Blackhawks rank No. 23 in the NHL averaging 2.84 goals per game, and that’s even with Bedard scoring at a top-five rate in the NHL. Without Bedard, the sources of offense dry up rapidly. Beyond Nazar, only veterans Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky have reached 20 points this season. The Blackhawks couldn’t find the back of the net without Bedard Saturday against Detroit, and they could continue to struggle to score with Bedard out.

Kraken Place Jared McCann On IR, Recall Jacob Melanson

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The Seattle Kraken have once again placed their top forward on the shelf. Center Jared McCann has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury that is expected to hold him out for three weeks. With the available roster spot, Seattle has recalled forward Jacob Melanson from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.

McCann has only appeared in 11 of Seattle’s 29 games this season. The Kraken have found a way to squeak by in McCann’s absence – with an 8-6-4 record in games he’s missed – but it’s clear how much the lineup misses him. Seattle only scored 44 goals in 18 games without McCann, the sixth-fewest in total and second-lowest on average in the NHL on the days that he’s missed.

The slowing offense is no surprise. McCann has led the Kraken in scoring in every season so far. He scored a then-career-high 50 points in 74 games with Seattle during their inaugural 2021-22 season. That was followed by a 40-goal, 70-point season in 2022-23 that still stands as McCann’s personal best. He’s continued to rival 20-to-30 goals and 60 points over the last two seasons. Even better, McCann had only missed 13 games in Seattle’s first four seasons, stamping him as the focal piece of the offense on a nightly basis.

That focus has been broken up by injury this year. Seattle has instead turned towards Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers, and Vince Dunn to command their scoring – though none of the three have reached 20 points through 29 games this season. That’s pushed the Kraken to try and find a spark out of rookies like Berkly Catton, Jani Nyman, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard.

Melanson would be another rookie in the lineup, though he’s more likely to find a spot on the other side of the scoresheet. He ranks fourth on the Firebirds with 26 penalty minutes through 23 games this season. That’s been balanced with seven goals and 14 points, already more than Melanson scored in 42 games of last season. He has also posted a plus-five, up from the minus-three he carried through 104 career AHL games entering the season. He’s found a spot as a checking-forward and should give Seattle another option for their fourth-line wings.

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