Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Hellebuyck, Ellis, Perbix

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

On today’s episode of Insider Trading, Darren Dreger of TSN discussed Connor Hellebuyck, saying that the Jets goaltender is nearing a return, as soon as next week. Dreger says the star wanted to return even sooner, but Winnipeg is making sure he is eased back in properly. Next Monday’s home game vs. Ottawa could be the focus. 

Hellebuyck underwent a minor arthroscophic knee procedure in November, which came with an estimated 4-6 week timetable, but thankfully the back-to-back Vezina winning netminder has recovered quickly and is set to come back by year’s end. He was 8-6-0 with a .913 save percentage and 2.51 GAA prior to going down. 

The defending President’s Trophy winners have faltered a bit so far this season, losing six out of their last 10 and currently three spots out of a wild card spot, but the team has had to lean heavily on Eric Comrie, a respectable backup who has never played in more than 20 games a season. Hellebuyck’s return will be instrumental for the group going into 2026 as they look to get back on track.

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Midway through tonight’s game the Buffalo Sabres announced that goaltender Colten Ellis will not return due to an upper-body injury, leaving Alex Lyon to take duty. He was shaken up after Oilers forward David Tomasek drove to the net, catching the goalie’s head with his shoulder, which earned a penalty, and ending Ellis’ night with a minute remaining in the first period. The 25-year-old has flashed potential as a backup this season, after being claimed off waivers from St. Louis in October. 
  • Nashville beat reporter Brooks Bratten shared that defenseman Nick Perbix would return to the lineup tonight against Colorado. The Minnesota native had missed the last three games with an upper-body ailment, and has been a dependable blueliner since signing from Tampa Bay last summer. Nashville opted for seven defensemen tonight, as forward Tyson Jost was healthy scratched against his former team. 

Lightning’s Victor Hedman Leaves Due To Injury

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced during the second intermission that star defenseman Victor Hedman will not return versus Montreal due to injury. The Swede left after 06:14 of ice time, which was all in the first period. Further details have not been provided at this time on possible severity. 

The hits keep coming for Tampa Bay, already having a defense corps ravaged by injury, to go with Andrei Vasilevskiy landing on IR yesterday. Hedman himself just came back after missing a large chunk of November with an undisclosed ailment, and naturally, it is unclear if today’s injury is related. Regardless, losing their captain when Ryan McDonagh and Erik Černák remain sidelined is a serious blow. Despite facing such adversity, the longtime contenders have mostly continued their winning ways, currently second in the Atlantic Division. J.J. Moser has stepped up and risen to the occasion in his second season as a Bolt, emerging as a highly reliable top four defender, a savvy pickup helping the team extend its contention window. 

Hedman himself, now 34, has been remarkably durable throughout his career. The towering defender is already well above 1,100 career games, not to mention another 170 playoff appearances, leading the team in heavy minutes throughout runs over the past decade. Despite all of it, when healthy, the 2009 draftee remains elite, having 12 points in 17 games this season.

As is symbolic of their season so far, Tampa Bay handled business over the Canadiens tonight even being short on the back-end. However, Hedman’s status will be a huge question, along with how long the team can sustain success with so many key players shaken up for the time being. Tonight’s win ended a four game skid, but things won’t get any easier without Vasilevskiy or Hedman.

Evening Notes: Pastrnak, Predators, Askarov

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins are getting a huge boost tonight, as Conor Ryan of Boston.com shared that star forward David Pastrňák is returning versus St. Louis. It was speculated yesterday that he, as well as Charlie McAvoy, would come back at some point on the club’s road trip, and sure enough, Pastrňák slots back in on a line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov this evening. 

The 29-year-old sniper posted 29 points in 25 games before going down with an undisclosed injury in late November. Without their go-to scorer, Boston went 3-2, and despite losing their two stars, the team remains firmly in the mix, currently third in the Atlantic. McAvoy proved unable to return today, but eyes will be on the defender later in the week, as the Bruins travel to Winnipeg for a Thursday matchup. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Hockey posted comments from Predators GM Barry Trotz’s radio segment on 102.5 The Game, that he is “listening to everything”. Trotz went on to say that if a team approaches him for Steven Stamkos, he’s “going to listen”. Kieser also shared that Trotz is open to taking on unfavorable contracts in deals. The Predators, still 32nd in the league, appear set to finally embark on a full scale teardown. As they’ve retained salary on Mattias Ekholm and Colton Sissons (both set to end after this season) they have just one remaining retention slot, complicating things a bit. Although the team has a deep prospect pool, they lack NHL ready talent, so bringing back veteran placeholders would be beneficial as they navigate a rough season. Trade talks for the likes of Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Ryan O’Reilly have yet to reach serious stages, but once suitors officially emerge, Trotz will have to get creative to find his highly respected veterans new homes on teams with limited cap flexibility. 
  • An unlikely figure has dressed for the Sharks tonight, as the team announced that Justin Kowalkoski has been added to the roster on an ATO to back up Alex Nedeljkovic, as Yaroslav Askarov has fallen ill. Kowalkoski, 39, played collegiately for Colgate University until 2007-08 as a backup netminder, now finding himself at the highest level in what will be a memorable night. The goaltender also made emergency backup appearances with the Red Wings and the ECHL’s Reading Royals in past years, but has not appeared in a contest. 

Buffalo Sabres Recall Isak Rosen, Place Jason Zucker On IR

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres announced today that forward Isak Rosén has been recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In a corresponding move, Buffalo placed veteran forward Jason Zucker on injured reserve.

With Zucker now out indefinitely due to an undisclosed injury, this recall presents Rosén with an extremely valuable opportunity to establish himself, finally, as a full-time NHL player.

Of the 30 skaters drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Rosén is tied for 25th in terms of career NHL games played. Despite the fact that Rosén has not developed quite as quickly as some of his peers from the 2021 draft class, most evaluators have remained optimistic about Rosén’s NHL future.

In January, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reiterated his projection of Rosén as a potential 20-goal top-nine forward. Over the summer, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff called Rosén “the best pure winger” in the Sabres’ system and ranked him No. 5 in the Sabres’ prospect pool.

With that said, some evaluators have been more pessimistic about Rosén’s NHL future. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote in August that Rosén’s relatively slight “frame plus average compete level leaves questions on whether he can translate his skill to the NHL.”

With Zucker out indefinitely, Rosén is likely to get the chance to validate his believers and prove his doubters wrong at the NHL level. He has already begun to do so, to a limited extent, this season. Rosén spent most of November in Buffalo, skating in a total of 10 games for the Sabres. He started off well, scoring his first NHL goal in his first game of his recall. He finished his NHL stint in late November with seven points in just 10 games, a level of production that slots him in as the ninth-most productive Sabres forward so far in 2025-26.

While it’s unclear at this moment whether Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff will slot Rosén in directly to the lineup spot formerly occupied by Zucker, he’d likely be a superior offensive option to other Sabres depth forwards. Outside of his strong NHL scoring from his first recall, Rosén has also impressed at the AHL level, scoring 19 points in 13 games.

Beyond just the key on-ice implications of this recall for Rosén’s odds of becoming a full-time NHLer, this season also carries significant financial ramifications for the player. Rosen is set to turn 23 in March and is coming up on the expiry of his entry-level contract. Rosén’s entry-level deal didn’t carry any signing bonuses for 2025-26, meaning if Rosén fails to secure a lasting spot in the NHL, he’ll play most of the campaign on just his $80K AHL salary. For a player who has made at least $172.5K in each of the past two seasons of his ELC, that would represent a significant pay cut.

As a result, while Zucker’s injury was certainly unfortunate news for the Sabres as a whole, and most definitely not something Rosén is celebrating, Zucker’s absence does create a hole in the Sabres’ NHL lineup that Rosén could massively benefit from. This is potentially the opportunity for Rosén to get a long runway to prove himself at the NHL level that he’s been waiting for, and now all that’s left for him to do is to continue to produce and continue to make the most of the ice time he receives.

Photos Courtesy of Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs’ Bobby McMann Suspended One Game

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann has been suspended one game for high-sticking.

The infraction in question occurred during last night’s Maple Leafs game, when the club took on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Early in the third period, Toronto was defending a 1-0 lead, and Toronto’s Simon Benoit took down Tampa Bay’s Jack Finley with a hard, legal check. Tampa Bay forward Gage Goncalves appeared to respond to the hit by delivering his own check to Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis, who was collecting a puck in Toronto’s corner. Things escalated from that point, with a scrum breaking out near the center of the ice and Goncalves fighting Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua.

Goncalves was assessed a match penalty for his hit on Mermis, with the key point of controversy on the play being the apparent knee-on-knee contact of Goncalves’ hit. During the center-ice scrum that broke out as a result of Goncalves’ hit, McMann responded to a shove from Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand by hitting Bjorkstrand on the top of the helmet, with some force, with his stick. McMann was assessed his own match penalty on the play.

In their video explaining their decision, the Department of Player Safety said that McMann struck Bjorkstrand’s head “with sufficient force to merit supplemental discipline.” The Department of Player Safety drew a clear distinction between the aggressive manner in which McMann lowered his stick and the conventional way a player would be expected to lower a raised stick. They also considered the intentionality of the act, stating that McMann was “in full control” of his stick and his body at all times of the incident in question. They added that McMann “simply must display more control” to ensure his stick does not strike an opposing player’s head in such a manner.

McMann has no prior history of supplemental discipline at the NHL level, which is a factor the Department takes into account. This suspension will cost McMann the chance to play in Toronto’s game on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. McMann has eight goals and 14 points across 29 games this season. He ranks seventh among Maple Leafs forwards in time on ice per game, averaging 14:19 per game with most of that being at even strength.

Colorado Avalanche Activate Gavin Brindley

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche announced today that forward Gavin Brindley has been activated off of injured reserve.

On Dec. 3, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the media that Brindley was ahead of schedule in his injury recovery process, and was likely to return before the conclusion of the club’s road trip. Tonight is the last game of the team’s road trip before they head home to play the Florida Panthers on Thursday, so Brindley’s activation today lines up directly with Bednar’s expectation.

Brindley last played in Colorado’s Nov. 20 contest against the New York Rangers. He sustained a lower-body injury and was designated week-to-week. Brindley’s injury ended up costing him nine games in total.

A 2023 high second-round pick, Brindley has made the most of his start to the 2025-26 season. He struggled to adjust to professional hockey last year (his first campaign as a pro since leaving the University of Michigan), scoring just six goals and 17 points in 52 AHL games. The Columbus Blue Jackets ended up trading Brindley over the summer as part of a package of assets that landed them Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle.

Still exempt from waivers, most likely expected Brindley to require some more time in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer. Brindley’s lackluster production in his rookie AHL campaign was seen as a sign that he might need some more time to grow his game before making an impact in the world’s top league.

Brindley beat those expectations by making the Avalanche’s NHL team out of training camp, and he has made the most of limited ice time this season. Despite averaging just 9:17 time on ice per game, including very little special teams usage, Brindley has managed a healthy eight points in 18 games. That’s a 32-point 82-game scoring pace, a decent output for a rookie, and especially a rookie in such a limited role.

Brindley has always been credited with an exemplary compete level and work ethic, and he’s effectively leveraged those traits into concrete production so far in Colorado. While his injury may have slowed his momentum, his re-addition to the Avalanche’s healthy roster strengthens what is already one of, if not the best lineups in the NHL.

Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Scott Sabourin

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forward Scott Sabourin from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.  The move comes in advance of the club’s game tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.

This is far from Sabourin’s first recall to the Lightning’s NHL roster. Earlier in the season, Sabourin was recalled on multiple occasions so that he would be able to serve the four-game suspension he was assessed for his actions in the preseason. Sabourin was suspended for a hit on Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Most had assumed Sabourin’s recalls were going to be limited to suspension-serving, as the veteran had played in just four NHL games over the last three seasons.

But on Nov. 12, the Lightning recalled Sabourin and he ended up playing that night’s game against the New York Rangers. He played in nearly 12 minutes of ice time, which was the most he’d received in an NHL regular-season game since the 2019-20 campaign. Sabourin instantly rewarded the Lightning’s faith in him, scoring his first goal of the season (and first since 2019-20) early in that night’s game.

Sabourin added an assist in the Lightning’s following game on Nov. 15 against the Panthers before he was sent back to Syracuse on Nov. 19. A bruising physical forward, Sabourin hasn’t been much of a scorer at the AHL (or NHL) level for most of his career. But what’s continued to get him both hefty AHL contracts (his one-year, two-way deal carries a $350K guarantee) and NHL recalls has been the imposing physical presence he’s been able to provide.

The Lightning were shut out by the Maple Leafs last night in Toronto, and have had to travel to Montreal and will need to play tonight’s game as the second half of a back-to-back. By adding Sabourin, the Lightning have added fresher legs to their roster and a forward capable of going toe-to-toe with some of Montreal’s heavyweights, such as Arber Xhekaj and Josh Anderson.

While it’s unclear at the moment whether Sabourin will dress for the game, his recall does at least provide head coach Jon Cooper with another player to choose from when selecting a lineup.

Jets Reassign Elias Salomonsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Jets announced that defenseman Elias Salomonsson has been reassigned to AHL Manitoba. His first stint in the big leagues ends at the two-week mark.

It’s the expected and best resolution for Salmonsson’s development. The 21-year-old is widely viewed as Winnipeg’s top defense prospect after being drafted 55th overall in 2022. He started the year in Manitoba and was summoned near the end of November when Neal Pionk exited the lineup with a lower-body injury. Pionk’s been back for several days now, though, meaning Salomonsson has been scratched in three of the Jets’ last five games.

Saying Salomonsson looked overmatched in his first taste of the NHL would be a fair statement. He got top-four deployment with Dylan Samberg in his first two appearances and it didn’t go well, posting a -5 rating and controlling just 11.8% of expected goals together. When he re-entered the lineup for a pair of games earlier this month, his ice time was reduced and his two-way play improved against easier competition.

He still ends his first call-up without a point and with a -4 rating in four appearances, averaging 14:44 of ice time per game. When Salmonsson was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Jets were outshot 38-16 and outchanced 32-18.

That’s not exactly what Winnipeg wanted to see out of the smooth-skating 21-year-old, but it’s a small sample size – and still far earlier than anyone expected him to make a full-time jump to the NHL. He now heads back to the farm, where he has six assists and an even rating in 17 games this season.

Canucks Expected To Activate Thatcher Demko Thursday

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Canucks are likely to have starting goaltender Thatcher Demko back in the crease when they host the Sabres on Thursday, head coach Adam Foote told reporters following last night’s game (including Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 950).

Demko’s return will come several days past his initial target date. The oft-injured starter sustained a lower-body injury against the Jets on Nov. 11, leaving the game after the first period. It’s believed to be a groin issue, unrelated to the knee issues that cost him a significant chunk of the 2024 calendar year. He was listed as week-to-week but was expected to be back in the lineup by the end of November.

While that didn’t happen, a late return is better than no return at all. Demko looked like his old self before landing on IR. His .903 SV% and 2.80 GAA in 10 starts don’t jump off the page, but they should when put in the context of Vancouver allowing a league-high 3.75 expected goals against per 60 minutes at all situations, per MoneyPuck. Demko has saved 6.3 goals above expected, and his save percentage is 25 points better than what high-workload backup option Kevin Lankinen has put on offer.

With an 11-16-3 record and seemingly unsolvable defensive warts, playoffs are all but out of the question in Vancouver this season. Getting Demko back should at least stop the bleeding, as the team now deals with offensive woes, scoring only 1.50 goals per game since Thanksgiving.

Demko’s early resurgence was significant in proving Vancouver didn’t significantly err by giving him a relatively rich three-year extension this summer. Kicking in next year, the deal carries a cap hit of $8.5MM and boasts a full no-movement clause. If Demko were to keep that level of play up and were open to a move if the Canucks engage in a complete teardown, that cap hit wouldn’t be prohibitive in trade talks.

Thomas Harley Returning To Stars Lineup

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Dec. 9: Harley will be back in the lineup tonight against the Jets, per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press. He never landed on injured reserve when he was out, so there’s no transaction involved.

Nov. 15: The Dallas Stars will be without one of their top defenseman for the next few weeks. Dallas announced that Thomas Harley is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Although Harley’s most recent game came in the Stars’ lopsided win against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, there’s reason to believe that he’s been playing through the injury for some time. Given their salary cap space, it’s expected that Kyle Capobianco will fill in for Harley for the time being.

It’s safe to say that Harley will be a huge missing piece for Dallas moving forward. The former first-round pick has arguably been the Stars’ top defenseman for the last three years, scoring 32 goals and 107 points in his previous 175 games. Additionally, Harley was the highest-scoring defenseman for the Stars last postseason, adding four goals and 14 points in 18 games.

Fortunately, Dallas has built a solid lead in the standings that they can likely absorb Harley’s loss. At the time of writing, the Stars are four points up on the Utah Mammoth for second place in the Central Division standings and are five points up on the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Moving forward, it’s likely that young blueliner Lian Bichsel will get a larger look in the Stars’ top-two defensive pairings. Also drafted 18th overall like Harley, Bichsel is in his second year in the NHL. At this point, he’s scored four goals and 11 points in 56 games with 213 hits, averaging 14:46 of ice time per night.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top