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Metro Notes: Wilson, Zegras, Protas

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The Washington Capitals are dealing with a high-level injury concern from their contest against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. The Capitals announced that forward Tom Wilson is questionable to return after suffering a lower-body injury.

Wilson suffered the injury in the first period of tonight’s contest. Although the specifics of the injury are unknown at this time, Wilson appeared to awkwardly bend his right ankle after being on the receiving end of a reverse hit from Blackhawks’ defenseman Connor Murphy.

It would be a significant blow on a few fronts if Wilson is dealing with a longer-term ailment. He currently leads Washington in scoring with 22 goals and 42 points in 40 games, and was recently named to Team Canada for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics set to take place in February.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • In his recent mailbag, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic speculated what a potential extension might look like between the Philadelphia Flyers and Trevor Zegras. Without knowing details of hypothetical conversations, Kurz believes that a five-year, $45MM ($9MM AAV) sounds right for Zegras. A five-year extension for Zegras would buy out three years of his UFA-eligibility window, while a $9MM salary would make him the highest-paid forward on the team. Kurz also asserted that an extension between the Flyers and Zegras was inevitable.
  • Wilson isn’t the only injured member of the Capitals’ forward core. Before tonight’s puck drops, Washington shared that Aliaksei Protas would miss the game due to a lower-body injury. Protas, 25, is the Capitals’ fifth-highest scorer with 16 goals and 31 points in 41 games with a +21 rating. He was relatively banged up in Washington’s recent loss to the Ottawa Senators, so he may only need a day to rest.

Carolina Hurricanes Reassign Gavin Bayreuther

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Shortly before puck drop between the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche, the former shedded a defenseman from their active roster. The Hurricanes announced that they’ve assigned Gavin Bayreuther to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

Carolina originally recalled Bayreuther on December 29th as a corresponding move to placing netminder Pyotr Kochetkov on the injured reserve. It was the second time Bayreuther had been brought to the NHL roster this season.

Still, he has yet to be featured in any games for the Hurricanes. To this day, his last playing experience in the sports’ highest league was in the 2022-23 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, when he scored two goals and 14 points in 51 games.

After spending the entire 2023-24 season with the AHL’s Texas Stars, Bayreuther looked for a different opportunity overseas, signing with the NL’s Lausanne HC. It was a productive year for the 31-year-old blue liner, scoring five goals and 23 points in 52 games with a +5 rating, before returning to North America last summer. He has registered four goals and 13 points in 24 games with the Wolves.

Meanwhile, Bayreuther’s reassignment means that defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has returned to the Hurricanes’ lineup. He’s missed Carolina’s last three games due to injury. Throughout the year, he’s been a stud for the Hurricanes, scoring four goals and 29 points in 28 games. He joins Zach Werenski and Cale Makar as the only defensemen who have averaged over a point per game this season.

West Injury Notes: Avalanche, Klingberg, Mukhamadullin

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Much like he did a few days ago ahead of their road trip through the southeast, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar provided a few more injury updates this afternoon. Provided by Corey Misiak of The Denver Post, Bednar said that the team is expecting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood and forward Joel Kiviranta to return after the trip.

Additionally, on the positive side of the update, Bedar indicated that although he won’t play tonight, forward Gavin Brindley may return as early as tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. Both Kiviranta and Brindley are dealing with lower-body injuries, though neither is expected to miss too much time.

The news is also good regarding Blackwood. The Avalanche did not initially provide a timeline for his recovery, so a few days missed should not significantly impact their chances on the three-game road trip. Bednar mentioned to Misiak that Blackwood’s injury was discovered at the team’s practice on Thursday.

Other injury notes from the Western Conference:

  • The San Jose Sharks were missing blueliner John Klingberg in their blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning today. Before the game, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now shared that Klingberg is dealing with a lower-body issue. The Sharks could have used Klingberg’s offensive capabilities today, as he’s scored nine goals and 16 points in his first 31 games with the club.
  • Outside of Klingberg, the Sharks are dealing with another injured defenseman from today’s game. Shortly before the start of the third period, San Jose shared that Shakir Mukhamadullin has exited the game due to injury, without specifying if it was a lower or upper-body issue. The 23-year-old defenseman skated in 5:33 of today’s contest, earning a -3 rating with one blocked shot.

Egor Zamula Suspended In AHL

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It appears that some controversy has already started with one of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ recent acquisitions. According to the AHL transactions log, the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have suspended defenseman Egor Zamula.

There’s minimal reporting on Zamula’s status, and the AHL Penguins have yet to announce the decision. Still, regardless of the reasoning behind the suspension, it certainly throws a wrench in the Penguins’ plans after trading for Zamula only three days ago.

Zamula may be continuing to posture that he should be on an NHL roster and is refusing to report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Shortly before the trade to Pittsburgh, Zamula changed his representation to Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey and was considering mutually terminating his contract to explore other opportunities.

Still, refusing to report to the AHL doesn’t necessarily mean that Zamula is unhappy about his newfound home with the Penguins. There may be a potential handshake agreement between Zamula and Pittsburgh for a future recall, but the team is currently unable to implement it. If that’s the case, the AHL Penguins would have to suspend him for failing to report, regardless of any potential agreement.

Although that situation is plausible, it’s unclear how Zamula fits into the Penguins’ roster as currently constructed. The team has seven defensemen on the active roster, with Caleb Jones on the injured reserve. Given how they’ve been playing lately, it wouldn’t make much sense for Pittsburgh to make a change to their defensive core unless they trade a defenseman off the team.

For the sake of his continued development, Zamula and his representation will have to find a longer-term solution sooner rather than later. Despite being healthy this season, he’s only appeared in 13 games for the Flyers and three games for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Fortunately, even if Zamula is unhappy with a continued stay in the AHL, the Penguins don’t stand to lose much even if he ultimately leaves the organization. Initially, they traded Philip Tomasino for Zamula in the deal with Philadelphia. He has primarily been playing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, with limited chances to return to NHL games with the Penguins.

Goalie Notes: Ullmark, Senators, Reimer

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In today’s press conference, Ottawa Senators General Manager Steve Staios admitted that there’s no timeline for netminder Linus Ullmark to return from his leave of absence. Ullmark took a personal leave on December 28th and has not played for the Senators since December 27th.

Although some have speculated that Ullmark’s indefinite leave from Ottawa impacted his candidacy for Team Sweden’s roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, a report from Hans Abrahamsson and Viktoria Björklöf explained that wasn’t the case.

That update isn’t entirely surprising given Ullmark’s performance this season. After finishing with a .909 SV% last season, he’s only managed a .881 mark this season. Additionally, according to MoneyPuck, of the 49 netminders that have played 15 or more games this season, Ullmark is in 46th place with a -4.9 Goals Saved Above Expected.

Additional goaltending notes:

  • Despite being without Ullmark for the foreseeable future, Staios mentioned in the same press conference that he doesn’t expect to bring in any outside help. It’s a nice sentiment that Staios has confidence in Ottawa’s current goaltending depth, but it’s a bit unfounded. The Senators’ current starter, Leevi Merilainen, has only managed an .872 SV% through 12 games this season, while the duo of Hunter Shepard and Mads Søgaard has combined for a .888 mark for the AHL’s Belleville Senators.
  • One veteran netminder who is conceivably available to the Senators is James Reimer. In today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman shared that Reimer, who is currently an unrestricted free agent, is still looking for a place to play this year and would like to join a contender if possible. Reimer finished with a .896 SV% last season, split between the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres, and it’s clear that the Senators still plan on contending this season, which could entice Reimer if they’re interested.

East Notes: Dubois, Kesselring, Horvat, Nylander

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Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois has started skating as he continues to work his way back from abdominal surgery two months ago, reports Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post (Twitter link).  The original recovery timeline for the procedure was three to four months so he’s past the halfway point now.  However, head coach Spencer Carbery quickly mentioned that the 27-year-old won’t return until after the Olympic break next month.  Dubois got off to a slow start before the injury and was held without a point in his first six games but he was a key contributor last season, tallying a career-high 66 points.  He’ll certainly be a welcome addition for Washington for the stretch run.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring missed today’s game against Columbus due to a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald (Twitter link). It has been a rough start to the year for the 25-year-old, who is in his first season with Buffalo after coming over from Utah in an offseason trade.  Kesselring has missed more games than he has played due to injury and is still looking for his first point after being held off the scoresheet in his first 16 outings after putting up 29 points just last season.
  • Islanders center Bo Horvat skated on his own today, just two days after suffering a lower-body injury, notes Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Head coach Patrick Roy noted that the veteran seems to be doing well but couldn’t provide a timeline for his return.  At a minimum, Horvat will miss the next week, making him IR-eligible should New York need to open up a short-term roster spot.  Horvat, who was named to Canada’s Olympic team this week, has 21 goals and 12 assists in 36 games this season.
  • Maple Leafs winger William Nylander will miss his fourth straight game tonight due to a lower-body injury, mentions David Alter of The Hockey News. However, head coach Craig Berube indicated that Nylander is progressing well and the hope is that he could be back on the ice on Monday for practice.  Despite missing seven games due to various injuries this season, Nylander still leads Toronto in scoring with 14 goals and 27 assists in 33 games.

West Notes: Jets, Backlund, Bedard

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A year after the Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy with a 116-point regular season, they enter play today in the exact opposite situation, sitting dead last in the NHL standings.  While the team hasn’t ruled out a second-half playoff push, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press argues that one of Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s priorities should be to open up a spot on the roster for prospect Elias Salomonsson.  The 21-year-old is in his second season in North America and got his first taste of NHL action in late November with a four-game recall.  However, an extended look down the stretch if the team is out of contention would give the Jets a chance to assess his overall readiness for 2026-27.  That said, Winnipeg has eight blueliners on its active roster at the moment so some moves would need to be made first.  Luke Schenn, Colin Miller, and Logan Stanley are all on expiring deals; two of those would probably need to move before Salomonsson could get another recall.

More from out West:

  • Flames center Mikael Backlund was a surprise omission from Sweden’s Olympic team which was revealed on Friday. However, he confirmed to Aftonbladet’s Per Bjurman that he is on their shortlist of potential injury replacements although he was passed over when William Karlsson was ruled out for the event.  Backlund is having a nice bounce-back season offensively, notching 10 goals and 25 assists in 40 games, putting him on pace to reach the 50-point mark for just the second time in the last nine seasons.  However, that resurgence wasn’t enough to secure him a spot on Sweden’s group.
  • Blackhawks center Connor Bedard has taken the next step in recovery from a shoulder injury as Mark Lazerus of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that he has resumed doing shooting drills. The 20-year-old was injured taking a faceoff around three weeks ago and remains out indefinitely.  Before the injury, Bedard had gotten off to a very strong start to his season with 15 goals and 29 assists in just 31 games, setting himself up nicely with his contract expiring at the end of June.

Blackhawks Assign Dominic Toninato To AHL

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Saturday: Toninato’s promotion was short-lived as the team announced that he has been sent back to Rockford.  The Blackhawks now have one open spot on their active roster.

Wednesday: Earlier this afternoon, the Blackhawks announced that Dominic Toninato has been recalled from AHL Rockford. Toninato is on the move again after being sent down just two days ago, where he did not yet make an appearance back with Rockford. The forward got into five games for Chicago throughout December, notching one assist on 9:12 a night. No corresponding transaction is required. 

Now 31, the former fifth-round choice of Toronto signed with Chicago on a two-year, two-way contract, able to produce at a high level in the AHL and be a trustworthy depth option to call upon when needed. Originally unsigned by the Maple Leafs, Toninato latched on with Colorado eight years ago upon conclusion of his collegiate career. After short stints there, and in Florida, he stuck around in the Winnipeg organization for the past five years, spending most of his time in the AHL. 

At 6’2”, Toninato brings a mostly defensive skillset to the highest level, with just 36 points in 194 career NHL games. Meanwhile, he is a true standout in the AHL, with 17 points in 25 games, good for third best on the IceHogs. Players in such a mold are not necessarily the most exciting call ups, but the ability to fill in, not needing development and not being a likely waiver threat, is valuable to any club. 

The Blackhawks are back in action tomorrow, playing host to Dallas. Forward Jason Dickinson left in last night’s shootout loss to the Islanders, and Toninato figures to be an insurance policy if he’s unable to go. The veteran will likely find himself back in the AHL shortly, but in the meantime he will enjoy a nice salary boost and try to help the struggling Connor Bedard-missing Hawks pick up a big divisional win tomorrow night. 

Senators Believed To Have Checked In On Rasmus Andersson

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While the Senators enter play today in last place in the Atlantic Division and second-last in the Eastern Conference, they’re only three points out of a Wild Card spot and aren’t thinking about selling just yet.  To that end, league sources suggested to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that Ottawa has circled back and inquired about Flames blueliner Rasmus Andersson.

The 29-year-old is in the final season of his contract and while Calgary hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing him to an extension themselves, the expectation is that he will likely be dealt before the trade deadline in March.

Andersson is a top-pairing right-shot defender, the type of commodity that is always in short supply and very high demand.  In 40 games this season, he has eight goals and 18 assists, putting him on pace for his second career 50-point campaign.  Meanwhile, Andersson is also averaging a career-high 24:10 per game of playing time.

With a $4.55MM cap charge, it’s fair to say that Andersson has been quite the bargain for Calgary and it’s a price tag that a lot of teams should be able to afford, including the Sens.  However, given his role, production, and overall value, the Flames are well-positioned to command a significant return; a first-round pick and a top prospect could be a realistic ask at this point.  If Calgary gave a team permission to discuss an extension beforehand, that price could go even higher.

That potential price could be a challenge for Ottawa to meet.  As things stand, they’re set to forfeit their 2026 first-round pick as punishment for not declaring Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade protection that eventually resulted in a vetoed trade back in 2022.  While they can move future first-round picks as well, going multiple years without a top pick isn’t ideal for a team that currently finds itself out of a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, it appears their top prospects aren’t believed to be available.  Garrioch reports that the Sens have zero interest in moving defensemen Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler, their two most recent first-round selections.  Yakemchuk is currently injured with AHL Belleville while Hensler just suited up at the World Juniors.

With those top assets unavailable, it’s hard to see Ottawa realistically getting involved in trade talks for Andersson.  But they can be added to the list of teams keeping tabs on him, a group that includes (but is not limited to) Dallas, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vegas.

Metropolitan Notes: Malkin, Hurricanes, Flyers Prospects

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Penguins center Evgeni Malkin skated yesterday for the first time as he works his way back from an undisclosed injury sustained nearly four weeks ago, relays Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  However, head coach Dan Muse noted that the veteran is still listed as out week-to-week.  Before getting injured, the 39-year-old was off to an impressive start to his season, picking up eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games.  Despite missing 13 games, he still sits fourth in team scoring.  Malkin is in the final year of his contract, one that carries a $6.1MM cap charge.  He has spent his entire 20-year career in Pittsburgh but if he’s amenable to being moved, he could be an intriguing trade candidate if the Penguins fall out of the playoff race over the next couple of months.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • With over $14MM in current cap space, per PuckPedia, the Hurricanes are well-positioned to try to add to their roster. Justin Pelletier of the Raleigh News & Observer suggests that Carolina’s top priority should be to go after another goaltender.  With Pyotr Kochetkov out for the year and Frederik Andersen struggling, preseason waiver claim Brandon Bussi has taken over the starting role.  While he has done rather well so far, sticking with him as their top option would be risky for a team with legitimate contention aspirations.  Having said that, there aren’t a lot of viable netminders available at the moment so if GM Eric Tulsky does want to go in that direction, he may have to be patient for a little while to see what options materialize.
  • A pair of Flyers prospects are on the move in the WHL with the trade deadline in that league looming. The Seattle Thunderbirds announced that they’ve acquired center Matthew Gard from Red Deer while the Everett Silvertips revealed that they’ve added defenseman Luke Vlooswyk, also from Red Deer.   Both players were picked in the 2025 draft, Gard in the second round and Vlooswyk in the fifth.  Gard is having a quiet year offensively, notching just six goals and five assists in 23 games while Vlooswyk is still looking for his first goal of the campaign and collected six assists in 32 outings prior to the swap.  Philadelphia has until June 1st, 2027, to sign both players.

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