Oilers’ Adam Henrique Out Long-Term, Placed On IR
Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique is set to miss nearly two months of action after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators. The Oilers placed Henrique on IR and announced that he is expected to return after the NHL’s break for the Winter Olympics, which ends on February 24th.
When Henrique sustained his injury isn’t entirely clear. Henrique did block a shot from Predators’ winger Filip Forsberg with his wrist in his final shift of the game but didn’t appear to be in pain for the rest of his time on the ice. Whether that caused his injury or not, the veteran forward will now be forced to miss the next 14 games, at least.
Henrique has had a quiet year on the scoresheet. He only has 10 points and 12 penalty minutes in 43 games this season – a career-low scoring pace. The 35 year old has made up for that lack of scoring away from the puck. He leads Edmonton’s forwards with 57 shot blocks, ranks second among the club’s usual centers with a 54.8 faceoff percentage, and ranks fifth on the offense with 24 hits. He’s continued to fill a core, bottom-six role in Edmonton that will be hard to fill.
The Oilers will bring Trent Frederic back into the lineup in Henrique’s spot. Frederic has had a year much quieter than his rich extension would suggest, with only three points and a minus-10 in 41 games. He has posted 103 hits, though, good for second on the team behind Vasily Podkolzin. Edmonton also has Andrew Mangiapane, who has 11 points in 40 games, in the press box. They oculd also recall Quinn Hutson, who leads the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 27 games.
Edmonton could be afforded a chance to figure out Henrique’s replacement by Kasperi Kapanen‘s return from a three-month long injury absence. Kapanen scored two points in Edmonton’s 6-2 win over the Predators on Tuesday. That win ended a three-game losing skid and brought Edmonton up to a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games. Comfortably in a playoff position, Kapanen’s return could help buoy the offense while they address a new hole on the fourth line.
Blackhawks Legend Glenn Hall Passes Away At Age 94
Tragic news has come through the hockey world. Legendary goaltender Glenn Hall has passed away at the age of 94, per an NHL press release. Hall played four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, four seasons with the St. Louis Blues, and 10 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He won two Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.
Few hockey careers were as prolific as Hall’s. He earned the monichre ‘Mr. Goalie’ by the end of his career, in part thanks to how consistent of a presence he was in net. Hall rarely missed a game, setting an NHL record for 502 consecutive starts (552 including playoffs) between the start of his career in 1955 and his eighth season in 1962. That stretch spanned a move from the Red Wings to the Black Hawks and saw Hall play more than 30,000 minutes of hockey.
Even more impressive, Hall acheived the record without wearing a mask, which wasn’t popularized until Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Jacques Plante took up the protective gear in 1959. Hall wouldn’t wear a mask until November 1968, at the age of 37. He allowed a goal on one of the first few shifts of that game and earned an ejection on the very next shift. Ironically, Plante was the one to replace Hall. The duo of Hall-of-Fame goaltenders would go on to combine for 13 shutouts and collectively won the Vezina Trophy.
He earned attention for much more than his propensity for playing every game, and not wearing a mask. His career began with the Humboldt Indians and Windsor Spitfires of Ontario’s early junior leagues. He signed with the Red Wings in 1949, while in juniors, and spent his first pro year in 1951 assigned to the AHL’s Indianapolis Capitals. Hall played 68 games for the Capitals and got called-up to fill Detroit’s backup position for the 1952 postseason behind Terry Sawchuk. He didn’t appear in a single game but still had his name placed on the Cup by the Red Wings.
Hall, already decorated as a Cup-champion, finally usurped Sawchuk in 1955, when the latter was traded to the Boston Bruins. His rookie season kicked off Hall’s run of consecutive games. He recorded 30 wins and a .925 save in 70 games – enough to take home the 1955 Calder Trophy. Those numbers grew to 38 wins and a .928 save percentage, both league-bests, in his second season. He was named a first-team all-star – then, a way of being named the top goalie.
Despite that status, the Red Wings aimed to find a way to bring back Sawchuk, prompting one of the NHL’s great blockbusters. Detroit sent Hall and forward Ted Lindsay – a veteran of 14 seasons in Detroit – to the Black Hawks in exchange for Bill Preston, Forbes Kennedy, Johnny Wilson, and Hank Bassen.
Hall’s status as one of the league’s best goaltenders continued through his days in Chicago, though his stat line took an initial hit on a club near the bottom of the standings. Hall recorded the most losses in the league in 1957-58, with 39, but still finished the season fifth in Hart Trophy voting. He reduced that to 29 losses in 1958-59, though did lead the league with 208 goals allowed that year. Despite a rocky first two seasons, Hall climbed back to a save percentage north of .915 in his third year, sparking a run of all-star bids that would stretch through the next 11 seasons, save for one year.
Hall became the core piece of a true turnover in Chicago. He began with the club as a proven 26-year-old playing next to a rookie Bobby Hull and bruisers like Eric Nesterenko. 10 seasons later, he was backing the likes of Stan Mikita, Phil Esposito, and Dennis Hull (and, still, Nesterenko). That run came to a close in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, when Chicago protected 28-year-old Denis DeJordy over Hall. The veteran would go to the St. Louis Blues with the third-overall pick, after Sawchuk and Bernie Parent were selected with the first two picks.
The Blues would go on to make the Stanley Cup Finals in their first three seasons, largely thanks to Hall’s continued dominance. That run ended in one of the most iconic moments in NHL history, when legendary defenseman Bobby Orr scored his famous “flying goal” on Hall to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup in overtime. Hall played one more season but called his career to a close in 1971. He ended with 906 games played, 407 wins, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals-against-average.
Like many goalies of his era, Hall’s career is remembered with deep admiration. The city of Humboldt, where he began his career, erected a monument to Hall in 2005. He was named a Top 100 hockey player of all-time by The Hockey News in 1998, a status that the league cemented in their inagural top-100 list in 2017. Hall is a true great of the sport who’s name, shutdown ability in an old era, and lack of mask will ring on for many years to come. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Hall’s family, friends, and many fans.
Red Wings Activate, Reassign Shai Buium
According to a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have activated defensive prospect Shai Buium from the season-opening injured reserve and reassigned him to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Buium, 22, is the older brother of Vancouver Canucks’ blue liner Zeev Buium. He too played for the University of Denver Pioneers, scoring 14 goals and 75 points in 120 games with a +61 rating. Shai won two National Championships with the Pioneers, whereas Zeev only contributed to one.
The Red Wings, who drafted Buium with the 36th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, signed him to his entry-level contract at the end of the 2023-24 NCAA season. He only registered one game for the Griffins down the stretch.
Last season was his first in the professional circuit, and he performed relatively well. He finished second on the team in scoring among defensemen with two goals and 25 points in 67 games. Unfortunately, he couldn’t help the Griffins achieve a deep playoff run, going scoreless in three games with a -3 rating.
Although Buium hasn’t played yet this season, we know the situation he’ll be returning to in Grand Rapids. The Griffins have been on an unprecedented pace this season, producing a 28-1-1-1 record in 31 games. The next closest team in the overall standings is the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who are 11 points back of the Griffins with three additional games played.
Because of this, the Griffins can easily afford to slowplay Buium’s return to consistent minutes. The team is flush with good defensemen, sporting veterans Erik Gustafsson and Justin Holl on a nightly basis, assisted by Antti Tuomisto, Ian Mitchell, William Wallinder, and William Lagesson.
Colorado Avalanche Reassign Taylor Makar
As expected, the Colorado Avalanche have trimmed some of their depth after returning from a three-game road trip through the southeastern United States. Late yesterday evening, the Avalanche announced that they’ve reassigned forward Taylor Makar to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
Makar was originally recalled one day before Colorado departed for their road trip. At the time, the team was dealing with a pair of mild injuries to Gavin Brindley and Joel Kiviranta. The former returned against the Florida Panthers on Sunday, and Kiviranta didn’t make his way back to the lineup, as predicted.
Throughout the recall, Makar only appeared against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning, though he didn’t play much in either contest. Across the entire 2025-26 campaign, Makar, 24, has gone scoreless in five outings with a +1 rating. In Loveland, CO, with the Eagles, Makar has registered six goals and 10 points in 26 contests with a +11 rating.
Still, it’s somewhat surprising to see Makar move back to the AHL so quickly, considering that the Avalanche are returning to Denver more banged up than when they left. Although Kiviranta is expected back in a few days, captain Gabriel Landeskog is expected to miss multiple weeks with an undisclosed injury suffered against the Panthers. Unless Kiviranta returns to the lineup against the Ottawa Senators, Colorado will be down to 11 healthy forwards on the roster.
Regardless, if the Avalanche want to add a depth forward to the mix over the next couple of days, it by no means has to be Makar. Assuming they’ll prefer a waiver-exempt forward, Colorado could also recall Ivan Ivan, Matthew Stienburg, or Tristen Nielsen instead.
Mammoth To Host Winter Classic In 2027
5:00 p.m.: According to Brogan Houston of Deseret News Sports, the Mammoth will host the Colorado Avalanche in the 2027 Winter Classic, as predicted. As previously noted, it will be the Mammoth’s first outdoor game, whereas it’ll be Colorado’s fourth. Still, it’ll be the Avalanche’s first time playing in the Winter Classic, and their first as an ‘away’ team for an outdoor matchup.
10:05 a.m.: The NHL and Mammoth ownership are expected to announce an outdoor game awarded to the Utah franchise for next season, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reports. With the Stars already announced as the host of a Stadium Series game in February 2027, it will likely be a Winter Classic game being hosted by the NHL’s newest franchise, although the league has opted for two Stadium Series events per year in the past.
Utah is one of five teams to never host an outdoor game, but they’re the only franchise to never have appeared in one, even if you opt to include the legally distinct Coyotes franchise in that definition. The Panthers were the last team with that designation, but can no longer lay claim to it after hosting the Winter Classic in Miami last week.
The league has historically shown a propensity to award special events to new franchises as soon as logistically possible. The Kraken hosted their closest expansion brethren, the Golden Knights, in the Winter Classic in just their third year of existence in 2023-24.
Just like Seattle, year three in Utah will mark the first time the Mammoth head outdoors. After next season, only the Canadiens, Ducks, and Golden Knights will be left without a hometown appearance – unless you prefer to count the 2021 Lake Tahoe games as a host contest for Vegas (they were technically the visiting team against the Avalanche). The Lightning haven’t hosted one yet either but have the Stadium Series on their home turf next month.
Ducks Recall Tim Washe, Place Petr Mrazek On Injured Reserve
According to a team announcement, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled Tim Washe from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The Ducks also placed netminder Petr Mrázek on the injured reserve in a corresponding transaction.
Washe, 24, is in his second year with the Ducks after signing as a collegiate free agent last season. He was coming off a remarkable year, scoring 16 goals and 38 points in 42 games with the NCAA’s Western Michigan University Broncos with a +22 rating. Additionally, Washe captained the team to their first National Championship in program history.
Due to the Broncos advancing as far as possible in the national tournament, Washe only played in two games for Anaheim to conclude the 2024-25 season. This season has been spent entirely with AHL San Diego, where Washe has scored 13 goals and 25 points in 30 games, boasting a +7 rating. He’s currently tied for third with three other players in rookie scoring in the AHL.
Anaheim passed bottom-six forward Nikita Nesterenko through waivers earlier today, and Washe will likely slot into a similar role. However, it’s important to note that although Nesterenko has cleared waivers, the Ducks haven’t yet reassigned him to AHL San Diego, necessitating the additional roster move with Mrázek.
Meanwhile, Mrázek’s placement on the IR was largely expected. The 14-year veteran left Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers with an undisclosed injury, and the Ducks quickly recalled Ville Husso on an emergency basis the following day. Throughout the season, his first in Anaheim, Mrázek has compiled a 3-5-0 record in eight starts, with a .858 SV% and a 4.07 GAA in a backup role.
St. Louis Blues Activate Nathan Walker
The St. Louis Blues are returning a bottom-six forward much earlier than expected. Earlier this afternoon, the Blues announced that forward Nathan Walker will rejoin the lineup for St. Louis’ contest tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Walker sustained an upper-body injury against the Anaheim Ducks on December 1st. The team quickly placed him on injured reserve and shared that they expected Walker to miss eight weeks. Returning tonight, Walker will have only missed five weeks.
Much like he has been the last several years, Walker was a cog in the bottom-six of the Blues’ forward core before succumbing to the upper-body ailment. Outside of being a healthy scratch on a few occasions, he was a fairly consistent piece of St. Louis’ forward core, scoring three goals and nine points in 25 games while averaging 12:38 of ice time per game.
Despite the tepid offensive output at first glance, Walker was actually trending toward the highest production of his nine-year career. Had he continued his current pace across 82 games this year, Walker would have finished with approximately 10 goals and 30 points. That’s much more than last season, at least in the assist department, when he scored eight goals and 16 points in 73 games while managing a 12:01 ATOI.
Regardless, the Blues have never counted upon Walker for his offensive prowess. He’s been one of the most physical forwards on the team for the past three years, giving out 471 hits in his previous 143 contests, averaging out to 3.29 hits per game.
Jets Recall Danny Zhilkin, Place Haydn Fleury On IR
The Jets announced they’ve recalled forward Danny Zhilkin from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Defenseman Haydn Fleury was placed on injured reserve in the corresponding move. He’s been diagnosed with a broken nose and bruised back after needing to be stretchered off the ice in last night’s game, with the team’s Mitchell Clinton noting he was discharged from the hospital and back around the team today.
Zhilkin could figure to make his NHL debut against the Oilers, although that’s uncertain. The 22-year-old is in his third season of pro hockey, all with the Jets organization. He was a third-round pick out of the OHL’s Guelph Storm in 2022, but because of his December birthday, he only needed to spend one post-draft year in juniors before making the jump to the AHL.
The 6’1″ pivot has understandably struggled to make much of an impact offensively in Manitoba, one of the AHL’s worst clubs over the past few years. He’s slowly been working on finding more minutes and upping his production, already reaching a career-high 14 points in 30 appearances this season.
The Moscow-born Canadian was a raw-skill pickup. He’s not much of a physical factor, nor is he an above-average skater, but his hockey sense and puckhandling skills have long been touted as potentially being NHL-caliber. His limited AHL production dropped him out of being a top-10 or even top-15 prospect in Winnipeg’s system by most rankings, but it appears he’ll get a chance in the coming days to reward the Jets’ faith.
Fleury’s diagnosis, a potential concussion notwithstanding, is close to the best-case scenario after a hospital visit. The 29-year-old had returned from a concussion just last month, though, so they’ll be highly cautious in his return-to-play protocol. The seventh overall pick of the 2014 draft has gone without a point and has a -7 rating in 17 contests for Winnipeg this year.
Kings Recall Andre Lee, Taylor Ward
The Kings added forwards Andre Lee and Taylor Ward to the roster on recall from AHL Ontario, per a team announcement. Winger Corey Perry was placed on the non-roster list in a corresponding move as he deals with the illness of a family member, according to Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period.
Lee’s and Ward’s presence comes after Anže Kopitar and Joel Armia both left the Kings’ Monday game against the Wild with lower-body and upper-body injuries, respectively. They’re both day-to-day and won’t play tonight, per Bernstein, but the fact they haven’t been placed on injured reserve is a good sign for their availability on Friday against the Jets.
Lee, 25, comes up for the first time this season after getting a taste of NHL hockey last year. A seventh-round pick back in 2019, the 6’4″ winger is enjoying an offensive breakout in Ontario. After never recording more than 20 points in a season, he’s already hit 27 in just 32 games and leads the team with 15 goals.
The UMass-Lowell alum suited up 19 times for L.A. last season, recording a goal and three points with a -5 rating. He wasn’t used on special teams and was bound to fourth-line minutes at 5-on-5, averaging 9:10 per game. Despite that, he finished fourth on the team with 1.89 hits per game and averaged nearly a shot per night. However, despite receiving the most sheltered offensive zone usage of any Kings forward, his 51.2% share of shot attempts ranked near the bottom among L.A. skaters.
The Kings are hoping Lee’s possession game has improved as he steps back into the lineup tonight against the Sharks. He’ll also get a taste of shorthanded action as he’s expected to factor in on the team’s second penalty kill unit, per John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor.
Ward will also be entering the lineup for just his second NHL appearance. The 27-year-old debuted in the final game of the regular season last year, scoring the Kings’ lone goal in a 5-1 loss to the Flames. A 6’2″ winger, he’s also enjoying the best offensive season of his pro career with 12 goals and 21 points in 32 games for Ontario.
The son of one-time King Dixon Ward, he’s in his fourth professional season after signing with L.A. as a free agent out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2022. While in school, he averaged 0.88 points per game for the Mavericks.
Ducks’ Nikita Nesterenko Clears Waivers
Jan. 7: Nesterenko has cleared waivers, per Friedman.
Jan. 6: The Ducks placed winger Nikita Nesterenko on waivers Tuesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Nesterenko, 24, had broken camp with Anaheim but only recently returned to the lineup after a lengthy string of healthy scratches. Since stepping back into the lineup on Dec. 29 against the Sharks, he had an assist and nine hits in four games while averaging 13:19 of ice time. He was a -3 in yesterday’s 7-4 loss to the Capitals.
The 2019 sixth-round pick had parlayed solid minor-league production and some good call-ups last year into his first one-way contract last offseason, signing a two-year, $1.575MM extension. There were questions about whether he’d carve out an opening night job over waiver-exempt competitors like Sam Colangelo and Tim Washe, but in the end, a strong training camp and fears over losing him on waivers led to Nesterenko getting the roster spot.
He’s made 27 appearances for Anaheim this year, scoring a goal and eight assists while ranking sixth on the team with 50 hits. He was deployed as something of a defensive specialist despite not receiving regular penalty kill deployment, only starting 44.3% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone while controlling a team-worst 48.3% of shot attempts.
Anaheim will be absolved of his $787.5K cap hit for the time being if he clears waivers and is reassigned to AHL San Diego. With nearly $24MM in current cap space, though, that’s not much of a concern.