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Canadiens Reassign Marc Del Gaizo

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Nov. 7: The Canadiens announced they’ve loaned Del Gaizo back to Laval. As expected, he did not draw into the lineup against the Devils and was only on hand for injury insurance.

Nov. 5: The Canadiens announced the recall of defenseman Marc Del Gaizo from the AHL’s Laval Rocket. With two open roster spots, the Habs don’t need to make a corresponding transaction.

Montreal has both of those roster spots because it’s only carrying six defensemen while Kaiden Guhle is on injured reserve. Del Gaizo was last summoned on Oct. 21 to serve as injury insurance while the Habs went on a lengthy road trip. He was rostered for four games but did not play in any of them before being returned to the AHL last week.

With the Canadiens traveling to New Jersey to play the Devils tomorrow, and Laval being off until Friday, there’s no harm done in adding Del Gaizo for the mini-trip since he won’t miss any time in the minors. He’ll presumptively be returned to the Rocket on Friday as long as Montreal’s top six defenders escape the game without an injury.

The left-shot defenseman is in his first season in the Montreal organization. He signed a one-year, two-way deal with a $475,000 guarantee after becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent last summer. He was coming off a career-high 46 appearances with the Predators, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2019, but has yet to suit up for the Habs this year. In six games for Laval, the depth rearguard has one assist and a +2 rating.

The only harm done by recalling Del Gaizo is burning additional time off his waiver exemption. Montreal passed him through during training camp in September. After he cleared, he can remain on the Canadiens’ active roster for up to 30 nonconsecutive days or play in 10 games before he needs to clear waivers again to return to Laval. Today will mark his ninth day toward that count.

Ryan O’Reilly Emerging As Trade Candidate

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On an episode of Oilersnation Everyday earlier this week, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period mentioned Ryan O’Reilly’s name, saying that it is starting to make the rounds again. With Nazem Kadri making headlines in recent days, the demand for centers is already taking shape in November, and is expected to heat up as the season goes on. If Nashville does not go on a serious push soon, perhaps O’Reilly, a pending free agent, could be on the move again at some point. 

The 34-year-old center has appeal not only for his ongoing production and leadership, but also that he comes in at just a $4.5MM cap hit, one of Barry Trotz’s first signings as a general manager in 2023. Given O’Reilly’s declining production at the time, it appeared he would be a perfect stop-gap, set to mentor the Preds’ youth and age into a third-line center by contract’s end. Instead, he had a resurgence, posting 69 points, and even despite Nashville’s major struggles last season, O’Reilly still notched 53 points in 79 games, and is maintaining such levels so far this year.  

Now, with the contract coming to an end, O’Reilly remains a key presence for the Predators, but if things do not change, offers for the center could be too much for Barry Trotz to pass up. In a market where the Hurricanes and Canadiens have been speculated as wanting centers, along with outside possibilities such as the Red Wings or Devils (who showed interest in O’Reilly last year), Nashville could take advantage and get a haul for an aging player, while also giving him another chance at contention. It’s likely O’Reilly would fetch a first-round pick as long as he can maintain such offensive production. Even as he turns 35 and beyond, with his skillset, O’Reilly can be a serious bottom-six asset. 

Although it is mostly speculation at this point, Steven Stamkos’ name has floated around of late as well, and it may, at long last, be time for the Predators to waive the white flag and tear things down by any means necessary. If an O’Reilly deal is indeed made at some point this season, Trotz would likely look to bring back a short-term center. The young Fedor Svechkov has flashed potential, but does not appear ready for a true top six role, with just one point in 13 games. Erik Haula, another pending free agent, could also be a flip candidate for Trotz, but again, he is a placeholder, and without the two Nashville would be dangerously thin down the middle. 

Trotz’s hesitance to deal O’Reilly for now could be two-fold; wanting to see if his group can make one more push, along with not wanting to deplete his forward core and hurt morale. However, O’Reilly’s name is one worth following if the Predators cannot turn things around, and at some point, teams like the Hurricanes could make a push.

Injury Notes: Chatfield, Beecher, Hamilton

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Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield will not return to tonight’s game, per the team, after sustaining a brutal hit to the head from Wild forward Tyler Pitlick. Chatfield was helped off the ice and left the game immediately, while Pitlick received a match penalty from the game, which carries an automatic suspension pending review from the league. It stands as the first match penalty of the 2025-26 NHL season. 

Already missing Jaccob Slavin and Shayne Gostisbehere, the Canes can seldom afford to lose another defenseman. They have already called upon Joel Nystrom, who is getting his first NHL action this season after coming over from Sweden, being drafted by the club in the seventh round back in 2021. Meanwhile, Chatfield was signed to a rather unassuming two-way deal in 2021, but since then has become a highly reliable and steady presence for the Hurricanes on the backend, not playing in less than 72 games in the past three seasons. 

Pitlick, 34, has never been known as an overly aggressive player, but since making it back to the NHL this season with his hometown Minnesota Wild, the veteran has tried to bring physicality, and unfortunately, crossed the line in doing so. Pitlick has yet to record a point in nine games with the Wild, having last played in the NHL with the Rangers in 2023-24, splitting time between New York and the AHL in that season. Now, eyes will be on any further discipline on the journeyman forward. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • The Boston Bruins confirmed mid-game that forward John Beecher will not return due to an upper-body injury. Beecher, 24, went down hard and appeared to be favoring his shoulder. The 24-year-old former first-round pick is still working to find his offense, with 26 points in 78 games last season, and one goal in five games so far in 2025-26. Yet even when not appearing on the scoresheet, Beecher brings imposing size in the bottom six at 6’3”. 
  • Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton left during the second period against Montreal, and has not returned, as confirmed by Amanda Stein, Devils team reporter. Hamilton, 32, has unfortunately only one injury-free season in five as a Devil, his major breakout 74-points in 82 games campaign in 2022-23. New Jersey already placed fellow standout defender Brett Pesce on IR earlier today. The team has not disclosed further details on Hamilton at this time. 

 

Sabres Activate Tyson Kozak, Place Jiri Kulich On IR

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Ahead of tonight’s game vs the Blues, the Buffalo Sabres activated Tyson Kozak and placed Jiri Kulich on injured reserve, as shared by Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550. Kozak originally landed on IR in late October, due to a lower-body injury suffered against the Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, Kulich’s ailment is not hockey related, as he is dealing with an issue related to his ear, as shared by the team, and hopefully will not be out for long. 

Kozak has jumped right back into the Sabres lineup tonight, centering Jordan Greenway and Jack Quinn. The 22-year-old has two goals in seven games. Kozak was a great find from Buffalo, drafted in the seventh round in 2021, and projects as a solid bottom six center with a hard-nosed style and high motor. Having missed the last five games, Kozak has 28 NHL games under his belt across the last two seasons. 

On the other hand, Kulich, a more highly touted young forward, drafted 28th overall by Buffalo in 2022, has had an up-and-down season so far. The Czech native caught some blame from Head Coach Lindy Ruff during the team’s brutal start. Tested right out of the gate, it appeared Kulich’s future in Buffalo could be in limbo. However, since then, the club has worked its way out of the early hole, currently above the .500 mark, and Kulich has been a mainstay in the lineup until the ear issue, with five points in 12 games. Still just 21, Kulich will look to come back shortly and keep pushing to solidify himself as an NHLer, potentially surpassing last year’s output of 15 goals, and 24 points. 

Maple Leafs Suspend David Kämpf Without Pay

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The Maple Leafs have suspended center David Kämpf without pay for departing their AHL affiliate while on assignment, PuckPedia reports. As such, the $1.25MM cap charge Kämpf incurred while in the minors is temporarily struck from their books until the situation is resolved.

Recently, there was talk of a potential mutual contract termination between Kämpf and the Leafs. The 30-year-old has not suited up for Toronto this season after clearing waivers and heading to the minors late in training camp. He initially accepted the assignment, but the defensive specialist only registered one assist and a -1 rating in four games before leaving the team late last month. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported there’s been “pushback” against a contract termination.

That’s not particularly surprising. Doing so would mean Kämpf walking away from the remainder of his $1.075MM salary for this season, plus the $1.325MM signing bonus and $1.075MM base salary he’s owed for 2026-27 before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He’s only just past the halfway point of the four-year, $9.6MM extension he signed with Toronto in 2023.

Others have taken the contract termination approach in the past few years, most notably Brandon Saad, Conor Sheary, and Filip Zadina, in order to remove their albatross contract as an obstacle toward returning to an everyday NHL role. In the vast majority of cases, it’s worked out, at least in terms of the player being able to find an everyday role again. Recouping the money they surrender by doing so doesn’t always happen, though.

It’s not as if Kämpf is completely dead weight. He’s still a serviceable fourth-line piece who can contribute two-plus minutes a game shorthanded. He did fall out of a regular role on a deeper Toronto forward group last season, though. His 59 appearances in 2024-25 were his lowest since the COVID-shortened 2021 season, and he scored five goals and 13 assists with a -1 rating. He’s 51.4% on faceoffs for his career, and while he doesn’t have a history of strong possession impacts, he started over 70% of his shifts in the defensive zone at even strength in all of his four years as a Maple Leaf so far.

Summer Synopsis: Carolina Hurricanes

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With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes have been a Stanley Cup contender for a long time. While they’ve been knocking on the door for a while, they have remained on the periphery, never advancing to a Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes have never been afraid to be aggressive in their pursuit of winning, but have never put it all together despite excellent coaching, a terrific NHL roster and a standout prospect system. The Hurricanes were busy this summer, making some impact moves in pursuit of a Stanley Cup, but was it enough to push them just a little bit extra they need to reach their goal?

Draft

2-41 – G Semyon Frolov, MHK Spartak Moskva Jr. (MHL)
2-49 – C Charlie Cerrato, Penn State (NCAA)
2-62 – C Ivan Ryabkin, Muskegon (USHL)
3-67 – D Kurban Limatov, Dynamo Moscow Jr. (MHL)
3-87 – D Roman Bausov, Dynamo St. Petersburg Jr. (MHL)
6-183 – LW Viggo Nordlund, Skellefteå AIK J20 (Sweden Jr.)
7-221 – RW Filip Ekberg, Ottawa (OHL)

The Hurricanes didn’t pick in the first round this year but did have three selections in the second round, taking a goalie with the 41st overall pick. Frolov moves well laterally, has good size, and tracks the puck well. He is very composed in the crease and doesn’t deviate much from his structure, even when he is making a ten bell save. On the development side, there are some concerns about consistency, and he isn’t an excellent puck handler. He also gets beaten high sometimes, the result of moving into his butterfly too early. He projects to be an NHL goaltender, with a ceiling as a potential starter.

With their second pick in the second round of the draft, Carolina chose Cerrato, a two-way NCAA center with a high hockey IQ. Besides being a skilled passer with excellent playreading, Cerrato is also a good forechecker who can kill penalties and shut things down in the defensive zone. He isn’t much of a shooter and will likely need to add some muscle if he wants to compete at the NHL level.

With their final second-round pick, Carolina chose Ryabkin from the USHL. He has good size, plays with an edge, and has goal-scoring ability. He isn’t the smoothest skater and will need to improve his agility and mobility before progressing further. That said, he plays a pro-style game and can handle physical matchups. He could eventually become a second or third-line center, but he needs refinement in certain aspects of his game, which Carolina’s coaching staff has traditionally managed well.

In the third round, the Hurricanes selected a defenseman named Limatov. Standing 6’4” and weighing 190 lbs, Limatov will likely need to add some muscle, but he isn’t afraid to play physically and skates exceptionally well, especially for his size. He moves the puck confidently and isn’t hesitant to join transition plays. He also demonstrates decent defensive skills, but must boost his consistency in the defensive zone to make the jump to the NHL. Scouts are concerned that his defensive reads reveal a poor understanding of positioning, and he relies on stick checks too often.

Trade Acquisitions

D K’Andre Miller (from New York Rangers)
G Cayden Primeau (from Montreal)

People were quite divided over the Miller trade, with many arguing that the Hurricanes gave up too many assets for him and signed him to a vibrant contract extension. There is a valid point here, considering Miller’s decline in performance last season, which raises concerns about the hefty assets and dollars Carolina invested to secure his long-term commitment.

Miller is clearly very talented offensively and is arguably one of the best skaters in the NHL. He has size and reach, highly valued traits for any team. However, his defensive game isn’t strong; at times, it’s pretty poor, and it didn’t improve during his time with the Rangers, reflecting on both Miller and the team. In Carolina, Miller will have a real opportunity to play within a structure that complements his skills. There’s no guarantee it will work, but Carolina believed he was worth taking a chance on.

From the Rangers’ perspective, the trade made complete sense after they signed Vladislav Gavrikov as a free agent. They were able to unload a young, but flawed, defenseman who was due for a massive payday, while also recouping two high draft picks and a top defensive prospect in Scott Morrow.

The jury will be out for a while on who won this trade, but it’s one to watch, especially as Morrow develops in the Rangers system.

UFA Signings

G Frederik Andersen (one year, $2.75MM)^
D Gavin Bayreuther (one year, $775K)*
LW Nikolaj Ehlers (six years, $51MM)
F Juha Jaaska (two years, $1.55MM)*^
C Tyson Jost (one year, $775K)*
D Mike Reilly (one year, $1.1MM)
LW Eric Robinson (four years, $6.8MM)^
RW Givani Smith (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

Signing Ehlers was a significant victory for the Hurricanes after they missed out on Rantanen and Guentzel long-term in previous summers. Ehlers isn’t quite at the same level as those two players, but he’s a strong top-six option who has consistently put up around 60 points for much of his career.

The six-year term shouldn’t be too restrictive for Carolina, as Ehlers will only be 35 when the deal expires, meaning he could remain reasonably productive throughout its duration. The $8.5MM AAV isn’t high either, and it should look more attractive as the deal goes on and the salary cap rises. The deal also comes at a time when Carolina has plenty of room under the salary cap, which means this probably won’t be an overpay for a free agent, assuming Ehlers stays healthy, which remains a concern.

Aside from Ehlers, Carolina remained quiet during free agency, focusing on depth and minor signings. They did, however, re-sign veteran netminder Andersen, who will once again form a tandem with the much younger Pyotr Kochetkov. Andersen is still a capable goaltender when healthy, though durability is often a concern for the 36-year-old. He appeared in just 22 games last season, but was solid in the regular season, posting a +9.0 goals saved above expected (according to MoneyPuck), and was outstanding in the playoffs with a +8.6 goals saved above expected in 13 games. While he can’t be a full-time starter, he’s an excellent option for 30-40 games.

RFA Re-Signings

RW Jackson Blake (eight years, $40,936,016)
C Skyler Brind’Amour (one year, $775K)*
D Domenick Fensore (one year, $775K)*
RW Noel Gunler (one year, $813,750)*
G Amir Miftakhov (one year, $775K)*
G Cayden Primeau (one year, $775K)
D Ronan Seeley (one year, $813,750)*
C Logan Stankoven (eight years, $48MM)
C Ryan Suzuki (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

The Hurricanes secured some of their key young players this summer by signing Blake and Stankoven to eight-year contract extensions. Carolina saw enough from Blake in just one season to commit long-term, and while it’s always risky to pay a player based on one year of production, they believed his potential was too significant to overlook. Blake is a skilled playmaker and an effective forechecker, but he is also somewhat small and not particularly quick. How he will develop remains uncertain, but even if his ceiling is only slightly above last year’s output, Carolina should still gain value from the deal.

The Stankoven deal was another eight-year agreement, reflecting a pattern this summer for the Hurricanes as they bet heavily on their young talent and chose to extend them the maximum term before it drops to seven years in the near future. These deals also come ahead of potential massive salary-cap increases, meaning that if Miller, Blake, and Stankoven all develop as Carolina expects, they could position themselves to be competitive for a long time. However, with Blake and Stankoven on the smaller side, injuries are always a possibility, so the risk is significant.

Stankoven’s skill is evident in the eye test, and while he struggled to score last year, he is a good transition player and an excellent playmaker who won’t shy away from contact or a battle, even if he is undersized. He posted 14 goals and 24 assists in 78 games last year, split between Dallas and Carolina, which was good enough for 7th in the Calder Trophy voting. At 22 years old, Stankoven is just scratching the surface, and the Hurricanes have taken a big bet that he has a lot more to offer.

Departures

D Brent Burns (signed by Colorado, one year, $1MM)
G Spencer Martin (signed in KHL)
D Scott Morrow (traded to New York Rangers)
D Dmitry Orlov (signed by San Jose, two years $13MM)
G Yaniv Perets (signed in AHL)
F Jack Roslovic (signed by Edmonton, one year $1.5MM)
D Riley Stillman (signed by Edmonton, two-year $1.55MM)*
C Tyson Yost (claimed on waivers by Nashville)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Hurricanes experienced quite a bit of key depth movement this summer. Up front, the only notable loss was Roslovic, who became a free agent amid expectations of securing a lucrative multi-year deal. However, that contract never materialized, and Roslovic had to settle for another one-year prove-it deal. The Hurricanes might have shown interest in Roslovic’s $1.5MM asking price, but considering their depth at center, the 22-goal scorer from last season wasn’t a priority.

On the backend, Carolina saw the majority of their departures, with Burns, Morrow, Orlov, and Stillman no longer part of the team. Burns left as a UFA and signed a one-year deal slightly above the league minimum. He could have likely stayed with the Hurricanes and served as a third-pairing defenseman, but it’s fair to wonder if the Hurricanes were hoping to go a bit younger in that spot. Burns isn’t the Norris Trophy candidate he once was, but he is still an NHL player and can serve a purpose as he tries to chase his first career Stanley Cup.

Sticking with the defense, Orlov left after two years in Carolina. The 34-year-old had a rough playoff run last year but played reasonably well in the regular season, aside from some careless puck handling as he set a career high in turnovers. With Miller coming into the picture, it made sense for the Hurricanes to let Orlov go, as they opted to go younger and maybe tried to get bigger on the backend.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Hurricanes are in good shape regarding the salary cap, sitting about $8.8MM below the threshold (according to PuckPedia). That figure translates to $36.335MM at the NHL Trade Deadline, making Carolina a team to watch as the season progresses. The Hurricanes have made significant moves during the season over the past two years, neither of which turned out very well (Jake Guentzel in 2023, Mikko Rantanen in 2024), so they might avoid going big game hunting again. However, time will tell — they have the space and the cap room to make just about any move they want.

Key Questions

Can the goaltending steal playoff games for them?

Andersen and Kochetkov have been a solid pairing for the Hurricanes for several years, but they have never been able to steal a series late in the playoffs. It’s not the reason that Carolina has never advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, but if one of them were to stand on their head in the Conference Finals, it would go a long way to the Hurricanes finally getting over the hump. Goaltending certainly isn’t the problem in Carolina, but

Can they finally reach the Stanley Cup Finals?

It’s been a long time since Carolina was in the Stanley Cup Finals. It’ll be 20 years this spring, and they have come close to reaching the Finals in terms of the playoff bracket; however, they haven’t been competitive in any of the recent Eastern Conference Finals they’ve participated in, dating back to a 2009 sweep by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Overall, they are 1-16 in those four series and were never a threat in any of them. Teams like this have existed before—strong regular-season performers for over a decade—that ultimately fall short of winning a Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes hope they don’t become yet another cautionary tale.

Is Andrei Svechnikov going to rebound?

Svechnikov has faced a lot over the past few years, including an upper-body injury last season, which was a very inconsistent year. Coming into this season, the hopes were that the 25-year-old would bounce back, but so far, that hasn’t happened. In fact, Svechnikov is scoreless thus far and looks like a shell of his former self. Carolina is definitely concerned, but there’s plenty of season left, and maybe it’s just taking him some time to find his feet and get back up to game speed. Svechnikov is a key part of the Hurricanes’ quest to win another Stanley Cup, and if he becomes more of a liability than an asset, it could cause serious problems.

Photo by Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images

Sharks Recall Zack Ostapchuk

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4:41 p.m.: It’s an IR placement for Misa as the corresponding move, per Peng. He sustained the injury in the morning skate prior to yesterday’s game, so the placement can only be backdated to Nov. 5. That puts him out for San Jose’s next three games. He’ll be eligible for activation on Nov. 13.

3:13 p.m.: The Sharks have recalled center Zack Ostapchuk from AHL San Jose, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. With no open roster spot, they need to make a corresponding move. That will presumably be an IR placement for either William Eklund or Michael Misa, both of whom are ticketed to miss tomorrow’s game against the Jets with lower-body injuries.

Both Eklund and Misa missed yesterday’s 6-1 drubbing of the Kraken as well, which means San Jose was forced to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Ostapchuk gives them a 12th forward to slot in against Winnipeg if they want to go back to the traditional allocation. Acquired from the Senators in last year’s Fabian Zetterlund deal, the 22-year-old pivot isn’t off to a great start in the minors. Through nine AHL games, he has two goals and an assist with a -4 rating.

Ostapchuk, a second-round pick back in 2021, hasn’t had sustained offensive success anywhere since turning pro in 2023. He was well over a point per game in his final year in juniors, but aside from 11 points in 15 games for AHL Belleville last year before the trade, he has yet to pop. He spent most of last season up in the NHL with Ottawa and San Jose, but only recorded one goal and four points in 56 appearances while averaging 9:25 per game.

His long-term ceiling likely remains that of a fourth-line center. He showed he can at least handle the role last year and posted solid possession metrics in 13 games with the Sharks down the stretch – evidenced by a -1 rating despite not recording a point. He won 48.6% of his faceoffs, a good number for a pivot in his age-21 season with plenty of room to grow.

Ostapchuk will remain waiver-exempt this season but loses that status for 2026-27. He’ll get another chance here to stick around in a fourth-line role for the Sharks as he aims to push Misa or fellow AHL call-up Ethan Cardwell out of a job when San Jose gets back to carrying a healthy forward group.

Devils Place Brett Pesce On IR, Activate Cody Glass

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The Devils officially announced that defenseman Brett Pesce has been placed on injured reserve. His roster spot will go to center Cody Glass, who’s coming off IR and will be available tonight against the Canadiens.

Pesce’s IR placement is backdated to his last appearance on Oct. 26. Since that’s more than a week ago, he can technically be activated at any time, but he’ll be on IR for at least a couple of more weeks. The team said Pesce, who’s dealing with an upper-body issue, won’t be back until Thanksgiving at the earliest.

In his second season in New Jersey, the 30-year-old continues to play as their top shutdown option. Not including his last game, in which he played 6:07 before leaving with the injury, he was averaging 21:20 of ice time, which would stand as second on the team amid what’s been an incredibly balanced deployment from head coach Sheldon Keefe regarding his back end. Of the Devils’ six regulars on defense, none has averaged more than 22 minutes per game, and none has averaged less than 16.

Before the injury, Pesce had three assists and a +3 rating in nine showings. He was Luke Hughes’ right-hand man at even strength with spectacular results. Among the 104 defense pairings with at least 60 minutes together, Hughes and Pesce’s 60.2 xGF% ranks 10th, per MoneyPuck.

Seamus Casey and Dennis Cholowski have rotated into the lineup in Pesce’s absence. The former is no longer an option, at least for now, after he was sent back to AHL Utica yesterday in exchange for veteran Colton White.

As for Glass, the Devils are welcoming him back after a 16-day, seven-game absence. He played in six straight to start the year before sustaining an upper-body injury against the Maple Leafs on Oct. 21. So far, he’s given New Jersey decent reward for the two-year, $5MM contract they signed him to this summer. He had two goals and a +1 rating while seeing 12:34 of ice time per game. He was centering the third line between Connor Brown and Arseny Gritsyuk before exiting the lineup. Glass returns to that slot tonight, per Mike Morreale of NHL.com, but will have Ondřej Palát on his flank instead of Brown as the latter deals with an undisclosed injury for the third straight game.

Blues Expected To Scratch Jordan Kyrou

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A tough start in St. Louis is coming to a head today. The club is making top-six winger Jordan Kyrou a healthy scratch for tonight’s game against the Sabres, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

While likely a message-sending vehicle to the entire team rather than targeted at Kyrou, it’s still a perplexing decision for a club scoring 2.71 goals per game, 24th in the league. Few Blues have performed up to expectations through 14 games, Kyrou included, but he’s still tied for second on the team in scoring with four goals and eight points. He’s fourth among forwards in average ice time per game at 17:23.

It’s also hard to attribute St. Louis’ 4-8-2 record to much else other than their goaltending. Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have combined for one of the more disastrous starts from a goalie tandem in recent memory. Among the 43 goalies with at least five games played this season, Binnington’s .859 SV% ranks 40th, and Hofer’s .836 SV% ranks last. They’ve combined to allow 11 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck. With even average goaltending, the Blues are looking at a -10 goal differential instead of their current -21 and would be hovering around .500 instead of four games below it.

The group of skaters, as a whole, has largely held up its end of the bargain. There hasn’t been a dominant offensive force – Pius Suter’s nine points lead the team – but they’ve put together above-average two-way play, including a 54.4% share of high-danger chances at even strength. Individual ratings like Kyrou’s -8 mark and Brayden Schenn’s -13 are deceptively low because of the goaltending behind them. St. Louis’ de facto second line, featuring Kyrou, Schenn, and Dylan Holloway, has actually been quite adept at controlling play. Out of 54 forward line combinations with at least 60 minutes together, their 58.7 xGF% ranks 13th, per MoneyPuck. In terms of raw shot attempts, they’re still a respectable 27th at 54%.

Kyrou was frequently mentioned as a trade candidate last summer, including being linked to the Canadiens more than once. That talk largely quieted after Kyrou’s full no-trade clause kicked in on July 1. As of now, there’s been no indication that he’s been asked to waive it or that he’d be willing to do so if asked. He’s only in the third year of an eight-year, $65MM deal that carries a cap hit of $8.125MM.

While it’s been a tough stretch, Kyrou is as consistent a high-end second-line/fringe first-line piece as they come. He’s topped 30 goals for three years in a row and has finished with no less than 67 and no more than 75 points in the last four years. His early-season pace now puts him on track for 47 points over an 82-game schedule, which he won’t achieve with tonight’s scratch. While he’s finishing slightly below his career average at 12.5%, it’s a general lack of chance generation that brings his point totals down. He’s registering 21% fewer shots on goal and 12% fewer shot attempts per game than he did last year.

Several Teams Showing Interest In Vitali Pinchuk

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There are still several months to go until the end of the regular season, when the international free agent market begins to pick up. Nonetheless, European leagues start their seasons earlier than the NHL, meaning sample sizes are large enough by the time November rolls around for teams to begin to identify breakout targets.

One of those names to keep an eye out for is Belarusian center Vitali Pinchuk, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. “Several teams” have made contact with his representation as he mulls a jump to North America following the conclusion of his season with Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, where he’s spent the vast majority of his professional career.

Pinchuk, 23, isn’t a total stranger to North American hockey. He was initially draft eligible in 2020 and spent that season in the Ontario Hockey League in hopes of boosting his chances of being picked. The 6’3″, 203-lb pivot recorded 13 goals and 34 points in 54 games with a -12 rating, but wasn’t picked. When the OHL closed its doors for the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic, Pinchuk returned to Belarus, where he has remained ever since.

He made his KHL debut for Dinamo the following year. He was a fixture of Belarus’ teams at the World Juniors until the country was banned from international competition by the IIHF for its part in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – in fact, he was named the country’s top young player in 2021. His development has been a slow burn, but he had his first meaningful breakthrough in the 2023-24 season. After posting limited point totals in bottom-six jobs over the previous few years and struggling to stay in the lineup, he worked his way into a top-nine job with Dinamo with nine goals and 22 points in 43 games.

It was last season that Pinchuk began to take on star status in the KHL. Dinamo’s 39-21-8 record last season was its best in eight years, and Pinchuk finished second on the club with 25 goals and fifth with 43 points in 66 games. This season, the club is off to a torrid 13-5-3 start with Pinchuk clicking at a point per game, logging a 9-12–21 scoring line through 21 contests.

A point-per-game season in the more offensively conservative KHL is no small feat. Only three players hit the mark last season after seven achieved it in 2023-24. Keeping up that pace will be challenging for Pinchuk, but even still, he’s one of only 13 names with at least five games played at this point in the year to be at or above the mark.

Pinchuk turns 24 in January, so that will be his signing age if he inks an NHL contract next summer. That limits him to landing a one-year, entry-level contract that would make him a restricted free agent in 2027.

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