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East Notes: Tkachuk, Eller, Rempe, Dowd

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The Senators haven’t had captain Brady Tkachuk available for most of the season as he has missed the last 16 games with a thumb injury.  The team has fared relatively well in his absence, compiling an 8-4-4 record without him but it’s fair to say that they’re still missing their captain.  The good news for the Sens is that he might not be out much longer.  On his latest Wingmen podcast (audio link), Tkachuk indicated that he’s hoping to return around Thanksgiving.  When he underwent surgery in mid-October, the recovery timeline was six to seven weeks so returning next week would fall within that range.  Tkachuk had 55 points in 72 games last season and assuming there are no late setbacks, he’ll soon give a big boost to an Ottawa attack that enters the night around the middle of the pack offensively, sitting 13th in goals scored.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Still with the Senators, center Lars Eller won’t play on Thursday due to an undisclosed injury, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link).  The 36-year-old has been a regular in Ottawa’s bottom six this season, picking up two goals and four assists in 19 games while logging a little more than 13 minutes a game of playing time.  There’s no word yet on how long he might be out for.
  • Rangers winger Matt Rempe has resumed skating as he works his way back from an upper-body injury, mentions Mollie Walker of the New York Post (Twitter link). Head coach Mike Sullivan noted that while there’s no timetable for his return, he’s up to skating three days on, one day off which is a promising sign.  Rempe has a goal, nine penalty minutes, and 30 hits in nine outings so far this season while getting a bit more ice time under Sullivan, logging nearly 10 minutes a night.
  • Capitals center Nic Dowd missed tonight’s game against Edmonton due to an upper-body injury, relays NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 35-year-old is in the first season of a two-year, $6MM deal but has struggled offensively.  After notching double-digit goals in each of the last five years, Dowd has just one through his first 19 outings.  Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post adds (Twitter link) that the middleman won’t accompany the team to Montreal for their game on Thursday and will be evaluated further.

Canucks Injury Notes: Blueger, Garland, Hoglander, Forbort

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It has been a tough season for Canucks center Teddy Blueger.  He missed the start of the season with a lower-body injury, came back, and had the injury flare up again in his second game.  Now, things don’t appear to be going well in his recovery.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), head coach Adam Foote indicated that Blueger has suffered a setback and will be shut down for at least a few days.  The hope is that he will be able to resume skating after that.  In his first two seasons with Vancouver, the 31-year-old has put up 28 and 26 points while notching a career-high 104 hits in 2024-25 as well.  With their center depth being thinned out at the moment, they were hoping that Blueger would be able to come in and play soon but that won’t be the case.

Other news from Vancouver:

  • On the good news front, Conor Garland’s absence will wind up being just one game. After missing Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury, Foote noted that the 29-year-old will return on Thursday against Dallas.  Garland is off to a good start to his season with five goals and eight assists in 17 games, a point-per-game rate that, if maintained, would be the best of his career.  He’s also averaging nearly 20 minutes per night which is also a personal best, coming in ahead of the career-high 18:39 set last season.
  • Foote also shared an update on winger Nils Hoglander. Out since the preseason due to lower-body surgery, he was initially expected to miss eight to ten weeks.  It appears he’s still on that trajectory but the recovery time now appears to be on the back end of that scale.  After a career year in 2023-24 that saw him record 24 goals and 36 points, his production dropped last season to just eight goals and 25 points and with the time he’s missed this season, he might be hard-pressed to match that total in 2025-26.
  • Lastly, regarding defenseman Derek Forbort, Foote said that “I think, the last couple years. When you get into the midsection stuff, whatever it is, I think they want to start from scratch and fix it.” The veteran has only played in two games this season due to the injury and Foote’s comments suggest that a return isn’t imminent.

Jets Sign Adam Lowry To Five-Year Contract Extension

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Only a few short months ago, the 2026 UFA class looked like it could be one of the best in NHL history.  But since then, the list has been thinned out quite quickly.  Another player can now be crossed off that list as the team announced that they’ve signed center Adam Lowry to a five-year contract extension.  TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter link) that the deal will carry a $5MM AAV and be worth $25MM in total.

The two sides were reported to be making progress on an extension earlier this month so it’s not too surprising to see this get across the finish line.

The 32-year-old is in the final season of his five-year, $16.25MM deal signed back in 2021.  He has never been a high-end offensive contributor in his 12-year NHL career (his highest point total is 36) but over the past few years, he has become a reliable two-way player.   The captain has long been a sound defensive player who brought plenty of physicality to the table and that’s a combination that is especially appealing in a team’s bottom six.

Lowry missed the start of the season while recovering from hip surgery but has jumped right back into his usual role since returning.  In seven games, he has a goal and two assists along with 16 hits in 14:22 of playing time.  For his career (spent in its entirety with the Jets who drafted him in the third round back in 2011), Lowry has 122 goals and 154 hits in 782 games.

This deal represents a nice raise from his current $3.25MM AAV while getting a long-term agreement for the second straight contract.  While a $5MM AAV for someone whose production is more in the third-line range, those other elements he brings made it likely that he could have landed a deal at or higher than this price point on the open market.

Meanwhile, the Jets also get some much-needed stability down the middle.  Mark Scheifele is also signed through 2030-31, meaning that Winnipeg has two of their top three centers in place for the long haul.  GM Kevin Cheveldayoff still has some work to do to secure a long-term fit for their second center position (a role filled by Jonathan Toews this year) but that’s a strong foundation down the middle to build off of.

With the signing, the Jets now have around $78.7MM in commitments for the 2026-27 season, per PuckPedia.  That gives them around $25MM in cap room based on the projected $104MM Upper Limit.  Cole Perfetti, a pending restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights, will take up a good chunk of that but the rest of their pending free agents (all unrestricted) are for players more in depth roles.  That could give Cheveldayoff a chance to try to make a splash to add another core piece to his roster, either via trade or free agency this summer.

Murat Ates of The Athletic was the first to report that an extension had been agreed upon.

Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.

Kings Notes: Kempe, Doughty, Copley

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Kings forward Adrian Kempe recently took himself off next summer’s free agent market by signing an eight-year, $85MM contract extension.  Speaking with HockeySverige’s Martin Jansson, he acknowledged he likely left some money on the table considering how quickly the UFA class is drying up.  He also indicated that he lowered his salary request which appears to be what pushed this deal across the finish line.  Kempe is in his tenth NHL season, all spent with Los Angeles.  He’s off to a strong start with 19 points in his first 20 games, a point-per-game pace that would be the second-best of his career.  If that holds over the full season, the beginning of the deal could wind up being team-friendly, though there is some risk in the final few years given that he’ll be in his age-30 season when the contract begins.

More from Los Angeles:

  • While defenseman Drew Doughty’s injury timeline carries a week-to-week designation, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be out too long. GM Ken Holland told reporters including John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor (Twitter link) that the veteran, who has been placed on injured reserve, will miss two to three weeks.  The 35-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury and had been off to a solid start to his season with eight points in 19 games while logging a team-high 22:33 per night, the only Kings player averaging more than 20 minutes per night.
  • With Doughty on IR, there is a roster spot available but that won’t be the case for long. Holland acknowledged that the Kings will be recalling goaltender Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario for tomorrow’s game against San Jose.  He isn’t being brought up due to an injury though.  Instead, he’s being promoted to give Darcy Kuemper a full day of rest before he gets the nod on Friday.  Copley has had a tough start to his campaign with the Reign, posting a 3.84 GAA along with a .870 SV% in his first seven appearances.

Seattle Kraken Recall Oscar Fisker Molgaard

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled an intriguing forward prospect one game into their four-game road trip. Seattle announced they’ve recalled Oscar Fisker Molgaard from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Before the recall, the Kraken had 23 players on their active roster, meaning they’d need to remove at least one body somehow. Seattle will likely place netminder Matt Murray on the injured reserve if they haven’t done so already. The Kraken announced that Murray would miss the next six weeks with a lower-body injury.

Although there’s no guarantee of it, it would be Fisker Molgaard’s NHL debut should he find his way into the Kraken’s lineup throughout the callup. Seattle selected the 20-year-old Dane with the 52nd overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, and he’s currently enthralled in his first full season on North American soil.

Before joining AHL Coachella Valley, Fisker Molgaard had spent the last two years with the SHL’s HV71. He performed relatively well, given his age, scoring 14 goals and 40 points in 88 games. Internationally, he was one of the brighter spots on Team Denmark, scoring six goals and 23 points in 32 international contests, including seven points in the IIHF World Championships last summer.

Additionally, his transition to the Firebirds’ roster has gone smoothly. Despite being tied as the youngest player on the team, Fisker Molgaard is tied for third on the team in scoring to begin the 2025-26 campaign with three goals and 10 points in 14 games.

Fortunately, there may be some wiggle room for Fisker Molgaard to find his way into the lineup despite the Kraken having 13 healthy forwards. The trio of Jani Nyman, Berkly Catton, and Tye Kartye have all disappointed to varying degrees through the first month and a half of the 2025-26 season. This means that Fisker Molgaard could easily replace any of them in the lineup, especially if Seattle believes one could use a brief mental reset.

Golden Knights Place Jeremy Lauzon On IR, Reassign Tanner Laczynski

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Nov. 19th: It appears that Laczynski’s recall was largely precautionary. According to a team announcement, the Golden Knights have reassigned Laczynski to AHL Henderson.

Nov. 18th: The Vegas Golden Knights have placed defenseman Jeremy Lauzon on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, per Danny Webster of the Veags Review Journal. Head coach Bruce Cassidy told Webster that the team doesn’t know how long Lauzon will need to sit out. This move will force him out until at least November 22nd, a full week after he left Vegas’ November 15th game early.

It wasn’t entirely clear when Lauzon sustained his injury, though he did manage to briefly return to the ice after leaving the bench. Now, perhaps out of precaution, Vegas will move him to the sideline through their next two games, at least. Lauzon has had a tough time adjusting to a new role with Vegas. He has four points, a plus-three, and 28 penalty minutes in 17 games this season – while receiving third-pair minutes. Lauzon has stepped up as a bruiser for Vegas. He leads the team with three fights on the year, while no other Golden Knight has recorded more than one. He also leads the Golden Knights in hits (57).

Lauzon may be struggling to keep opponents at bay, but his hard-nosed presence is certainly what Vegas signed up for when they acquired him from the Nashville Predators this summer. He moved to Vegas alongside forward Colton Sissons, in the trade that sent Nicolas Hague and a 2027 third-round pick to Nashville. Lauzon was a historic physical presence for the Predators. He set the franchise record for most hits by a defenseman with 250 in the 2022-23 season, then followed it by breaking the record for all Predators with 383 hits in 2023-24.

Ben Hutton has drawn back into the lineup in Lauzon’s absence. Hutton has three assists, a minus-one, and 13 blocked shots in 11 games this season. He has stepped directly onto Lauzon’s third-pair role alongside Kaedan Korczak.

Meanwhile, Vegas will use Lauzon’s vacant roster spot as a chance to recall center Tanner Laczynski from the minor leagues, per SinBin Vegas. Laczynski ranks second on the Henderson Silver Knights in scoring, with 13 points in as many games. He is one of three Silver Knights scoring at a point-per-game pace. It’s no surprise to see him near the top of Henderson’s leaderboard. Laczynski led the club in scoring last season, with 37 points in 41 games. He was awarded eight games with the NHL club throughout the season as a result, but only managed one goal and six penalty minutes, bringing his career statline up to five points in 46 NHL games.

Laczynski will compete with winger Alexander Holtz for ice time on his recall. Both are operating as Vegas’ extra forwards, while rookie Braeden Bowman enjoys a top-line role next to Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel.

Islanders Place Alexander Romanov On IR, Recall Marshall Warren

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The New York Islanders announced that they’ve placed defenseman Alexander Romanov on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Additionally, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports that the Islanders have recalled Marshall Warren in a corresponding roster move.

Upper-body injuries are becoming a significant theme for Romanov. The 25-year-old blueliner missed 18 games due to upper-body ailments last season, and has already missed five this year for the same reason. It’s the second time that Romanov has been placed on the IR already in the current campaign.

It’s coming on the heels of a healthy long-term commitment made by the Islanders this past summer. In one of his first moves as New York’s General Manager, Mathieu Darche signed Romanov to an eight-year, $50MM contract, keeping him with the Islanders through the 2032-33 NHL season. If these upper-body injuries continue to plague Romanov, he won’t be available enough to warrant that contract.

Additionally, it’s led to some poor play on the ice when healthy. In the 15 games he’s appeared in this season, Romanov has tallied one assist while averaging 19:27 of ice time per night with a -7 rating. Furthermore, his 42.9% CorsiFor% at even strength and 89.2% on-ice save percentage at even strength are each the lowest marks of his career.

Regardless, Romanov’s injury designation affords another opportunity for Warren. The former sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild has already skated in two games for the Islanders this season, registering two assists.

It’ll be interesting to see if New York gives Warren a longer stay in the NHL should he continue his upward development. The main reason he’s earned the recall, as opposed to other options, is from his excellent play with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders this season. The 24-year-old defenseman has scored two goals and nine points in 10 AHL contests to start the 2025-26 season.

Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy Undergoes Facial Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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As expected, the Boston Bruins will be without their top defenseman for some time. Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune passed along a note from Bruins head coach Marco Sturm, confirming that blue liner Charlie McAvoy underwent facial surgery.

Cavanagh directly quoted Sturm, saying, “Charlie had a facial surgery. Successfully. So he’s doing good. He’s recovering right now at home, and we still don’t know how long he’s gonna be out for.” There’s no point in speculating on how long McAvoy will be out, though broken jaw surgeries typically have a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks. There’s no confirmation that McAvoy broke his jaw.

McAvoy suffered the injury in Boston’s recent game against the Montreal Canadiens on November 15th. Partway through the second period, Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson accidentally struck McAvoy in the face with a puck off a slapshot. McAvoy has already missed one game for the Bruins, though the team hasn’t placed him on the injured reserve yet.

It’s a difficult pill to swallow for a Bruins team that had gotten off to an unexpectedly good start to the 2025-26 campaign. At the time of writing, Boston has a 12-9-0 record through their first 21 games, sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Much of that has to do with McAvoy’s strong play. The former 14th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft had skated in 19 games for the Bruins before the injury, registering 14 assists while averaging more than one blocked shot and hit per game. He was averaging the most ice time of any Bruin by a margin of nearly two and a half minutes.

Boston has moved rookie Jonathan Aspirot to McAvoy’s spot on the top defensive unit next to Nikita Zadorov for the time being. Depending on how quickly the Bruins learn of McAvoy’s recovery timeline, it’s unlikely they’ll stick with that defensive pairing if they hope to remain competitive.

Additionally, McAvoy’s recovery could have implications for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. An eight-week recovery would put McAvoy’s return around mid-January, a few weeks before the start of the tournament. Again, there’s been no confirmation of that timeline, though it could complicate his involvement. The Long Beach, NY native was one of the first six players named to Team USA’s roster already.

Wild Place Ryan Hartman On IR, Recall Hunter Haight

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3:00 p.m.: According to a team announcement, the Wild have recalled forward Hunter Haight from the AHL’s Iowa Wild. As expected, the team has placed Hartman on the injured reserve due to his recent lower-body injury. Haight has gone scoreless through two games with Minnesota already this season, averaging 9:22 of ice time.

8:27 a.m.: Wild head coach John Hynes told reporters yesterday, including NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce, that center Ryan Hartman is week-to-week due to a lower-body injury. There’s no corresponding transaction yet, but with Hartman and Vladimir Tarasenko both taking up spots on the active roster while injured, the Wild don’t have any healthy extra forwards for tonight’s game against the Hurricanes. Hartman can easily be placed on injured reserve to facilitate a call-up from AHL Iowa if they so choose.

The loss of yet another center option stings for a team already without Marco Rossi and Nico Sturm. Rossi had been playing through a lower-body issue and was shut down late last week with no clear return timeline other than his week-to-week designation. Sturm hasn’t played at all this season due to back problems, but is expected to return to the lineup before the end of the month, Hynes said.

Now in his seventh season in Minnesota, Hartman opened the season as their third-line center between Marcus Foligno and Vinnie Hinostroza. He’s since had some rotating linemates but has largely kept that slot in the lineup aside from a brief first-line promotion to his old job between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello for the past two games with Rossi out. After taking a significant step back offensively last season, there’s been no rebound early on this year. His four goals and three assists for seven points through 20 games amount to his worst per-game totals since his first season with the Wild in 2019-20.

Depth scoring was already an issue for the Wild. Without Hartman (and Tarasenko for the time being), it’s now a five-alarm fire. Without them, their bottom six is comprised of Foligno, Hinostroza, Ben Jones, Liam Ohgren, Tyler Pitlick, and Yakov Trenin. They’ve combined for just three goals – one from Trenin and two from Hinostroza – all season. Their fourth line of Jones, Ohgren, and Pitlick hasn’t even registered a point through 24 combined appearances.

Even with Sturm’s return on the horizon and Tarasenko’s absence day to day, the Wild’s pursuit of a middle-six forward has to be reaching a fever pitch. While the Wild are generating a respectable 28.6 shots per game, good for 12th in the league, their actual goal output of 2.75 per game is sixth-worst. They’ve begun to clean up their poor defensive start as of late, though, helping them along to a 6-1-1 record in November to help them get back in the playoff picture following a three-win October.

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