Snapshots: Hamilton, Smith, Chychrun, Miller
With the Devils believed to be searching for a new team for veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton after scratching him today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that the blueliner turned down a trade over the summer. Friedman stated that the Sharks attempted to acquire the 32-year-old over the offseason but Hamilton used his trade protection to scuttle that. San Jose has since added Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg, and Nick Leddy to their back end and given that they’ve been using LTIR all season, it stands to reason that they may not be interested in rekindling those discussions to see if Hamilton’s stance has changed. He has two years left on his contract after this one with a $9MM AAV, a price tag that will be difficult to move for value.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Sharks forward Will Smith will accompany the team on their upcoming four-game road trip, relays Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The sophomore has missed the last four weeks due to an upper-body injury and recently returned to practice, albeit in a non-contact jersey. The fact he’s set to travel with the team suggests that Smith should be able to return at some point on the trip. Through 33 games so far, Smith has been quite productive, collecting 12 goals and 17 assists while averaging just under 18 minutes per game of playing time.
- The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Jakob Chychrun was scratched from tonight’s game against Nashville due to illness. The 27-year-old is in the middle of a breakout season, collecting 15 goals and 17 assists in 45 games. That puts him on pace to surpass his previous personal best in points (47) set last season. Washington has been carrying eight defensemen on their roster for most of the year so Chychrun’s absence didn’t necessitate a recall from the minors to fill his spot.
- Jets defenseman Colin Miller left today’s game against New Jersey due to a lower-body injury, notes Gordon Anderson of The Winnipeg Sun. The injury occurred in the first period, limiting him to just 4:14 of playing time. It has been a tough year for the 33-year-old who has been a frequent healthy scratch and has played in just 14 games so far, notching just one assist. That’s not a great showing in the final year of his contract, one that carries a $1.5MM cap charge.
Michael Misa To Remain With Sharks For The Remainder Of The Season
Over the first month or so of the season, there is often talk about which junior-eligible rookies will go past the 10-game mark, officially burning the first year of their entry-level contract. Sometimes, teams will scratch a player from time to time to push back the decision but within a couple of months, the call has been made.
It was a different situation this season for Sharks forward Michael Misa. The number two pick in June broke camp with San Jose but had his playing time managed early on. However, after seven games, he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for around a month. From there, he was eligible for an AHL conditioning stint and then he was off to the World Juniors.
As a result, Misa still hasn’t officially started his entry-level contract and is eligible to be assigned back to junior. However, that won’t be the case as the youngster told reporters including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that GM Mike Grier informed him that he’d remain with the Sharks for the rest of the season.
Despite that, it wouldn’t be too surprising if his ice time continues to be managed; he was a healthy scratch yesterday against Dallas but is in the lineup tonight. For starters, having been away from the team for so long, there is some value in getting him a bit of extra practice time first. Second, San Jose has quietly played its way into a playoff spot so the focus won’t entirely be on player development the longer that they stay in the race. That could result in the odd night off for Misa as well.
Once Misa eventually gets into his tenth NHL game, he’ll officially activate the first season of his contract. Considering that the Sharks are at the maximum of 50, his getting there would put them over the limit. Accordingly, the longer they wait to get Misa to that point, the more time Grier has to make a move.
From there, the next threshold to watch for is 40 games on the active roster which is when he’d accrue a season of service time toward UFA eligibility. For now, he’s a long way away from getting to that point so if management decides that they want to keep Misa below that threshold, there could be some finessing of his playing time as well. But while his minutes could still be limited, Misa at least has the peace of mind that he’ll be up in the NHL for the rest of the season.
Utah Mammoth Recall Kevin Rooney, Place Alexander Kerfoot On IR
The Utah Mammoth announced today that they have placed forward Alexander Kerfoot on injured reserve. He’s out with an upper-body injury on a week-to-week basis.
In a corresponding move, the club recalled forward Kevin Rooney from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.
Kerfoot left Utah’s Friday game against the St. Louis Blues after suffering the injury. This isn’t Kerfoot’s first week-to-week absence of the season. He underwent core muscle surgery in October and it cost him the start of the season. He made his 2025-26 debut on Dec. 19.
Things weren’t quite right for Kerfoot even after his original activation off of IR. He only managed one goal for one point in nine games, and he only played 10:20 time on ice per game. Kerfoot averaged 15:15 time on ice per game in 2024-25.
A key penalty killer for the Mammoth, Kerfoot has typically been good for steady middle-six production over the course of his NHL career.
He scored 45 points in the final season of the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24, but that production didn’t carry over to Utah as he took on a more defensive role.
Now slated to miss at least a few weeks, the Mammoth will turn to Rooney to fill Kerfoot’s vacated fourth-line spot in head coach Andre Tourigny’s lineup.
The 32-year-old is a veteran of over 300 NHL games and skated in 70 games for the Calgary Flames last season. He’s scored 10 points in 20 games at the AHL level this season and has a goal in his lone NHL contest of 2025-26.
Rooney is playing out a one-year, league-minimum two-way contract, one that carries a $325K AHL salary. If Rooney gets an extended look on the NHL roster as a result of Kerfoot’s absence, that run of NHL games would hold significant financial benefits for the veteran forward.
For Kerfoot, while these injuries are undoubtedly frustrating from an on-ice perspective, the financial implications of the injury are also unfortunate. Kerfoot is a pending UFA, and this injury will now set back his efforts to put together the kind of production fans grew accustomed to seeing from him in Arizona and Toronto.
Now 31 years old, Kerfoot has a chance to be one of the better center-capable players on this summer’s open market. This injury is certainly a setback, but he should still have a chance to return to the ice and string together some quality games to end his platform season on as high a note as possible.
Photos courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images
San Jose Sharks Activate John Klingberg
The San Jose Sharks announced today that defenseman John Klingberg has been activated off of injured reserve.
Klingberg missed four consecutive games with a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old has been one of the Sharks’ most heavily-used defensemen this season, tied for first among blueliners in ice time with 21:37 per game. When healthy, he’s also quarterbacked the Sharks’ top power play unit, averaging 3:25 power play time on ice per game.
After two consecutive injury-riddled seasons, this year has been a bounce-back year for Klingberg from a production standpoint. He’s scored nine goals and 16 points in 31 games, which is a 24-goal, 42-point 82-game pace.
Klingberg had scored just 42 points in the three seasons following his 47-point 2021-22 campaign, which was his final year in Dallas.
Although returns in terms of Klingberg’s defensive value have been more mixed, that’s not entirely detached from what was expected of Klingberg even in the best years of his career.
Now back to full health, Klingberg will get the chance to continue to build on his momentum this season with an eye to the summer. His one-year, $4MM contract is set to expire this summer, making him a pending unrestricted free agent.
Central Notes: Eriksson Ek, Hartman, Miller
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek suffered a lower-body injury against the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 8, and missed his team’s game Saturday against the New York Islanders. Per The Athletic’s Joe Smith, Eriksson Ek’s injury is “considered minor,” and the team will likely have an update on his status on Monday. He’s currently out on a day-to-day timeline, and it appears unlikely that will change.
From the Wild’s perspective, they are likely counting themselves lucky that Eriksson Ek is only facing a minor absence. The 28-year-old is the Wild’s best center, a status made all the more important due to the team’s trade of Marco Rossi to the Vancouver Canucks. The trade of Rossi, who scored 60 points last season, has left the Wild somewhat thin down the middle, though the continued growth of Danila Yurov has helped. Eriksson Ek has scored 32 points in 45 games this season and leads all Wild forwards in short-handed time on ice per game.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Dodging a significant injury to Eriksson Ek isn’t the only good fortune the Wild have received in recent days. Veteran forward Ryan Hartman temporarily left yesterday’s game against the Islanders after blocking a shot on his left ankle, but he ultimately was able to return to the game, and Wild head coach John Hynes told the media, per Smith, that Hartman “seemed okay.” Hartman ranks No. 6 among Wild forwards in time on ice per game this season, and has 11 goals, 18 points this season. The 31-year-old is under contract at a $4MM AAV through 2026-27.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced that defenseman Colin Miller left the team’s comeback victory over the New Jersey Devils with a lower-body injury. While no further update on Miller’s status has been provided to this point, it appears the 33-year-old blueliner could be set to miss some time if his injury proves to be more than a minor setback. Miller has had a healthy 2025-26 to this point, but has been in and out of the lineup as a frequent healthy scratch. Through 14 games played in 2025-26, Miller has one assist and is averaging 14:26 time on ice per game. Miller’s two-year, $1.5MM AAV contract expires at the end of the season, making him a pending UFA.
New York Rangers Reassign Anton Blidh, Recall Brennan Othmann
4:15 p.m.: The Rangers have indeed recalled Othmann to their NHL roster, according to a team announcement.
The move returns the Rangers’ 2021 first-round pick back to their NHL roster for the first time in 2026. Othmann was a healthy scratch for his final two games on the NHL roster in December, but could draw back into head coach Mike Sullivan’s lineup at some point in the near future.
It’s an extremely important season for the 23-year-old’s future in the Rangers organization. He’s a pending restricted free agent and has thus far failed to make an impact at the NHL level.
Considered a top prospect coming out of the OHL thanks to the coveted combination of offensive skill and sandpaper in his game, Othmann has had an up-and-down time in the pro ranks. He’s been a strong contributor at the AHL level.
He was an All-Star in 2023-24, his rookie season as a pro, and 83 points in 117 games. But in his 31 games at the NHL level, he’s been unable to make quite the same impact. He’s managed just two assists as an NHLer, and is still waiting on his first NHL goal.
This recall gives Othmann another chance to prove himself at the NHL level, and prove he has what it takes to remain in New York’s long-term plans moving forward.
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston included Othmann in the No. 34 slot of his trade board last week, writing that while the Rangers are “not in a position at which they feel they have to move” Othmann, they’d nonetheless consider offers for him.
2:25 p.m.: The New York Rangers announced today that veteran forward Anton Blidh has been reassigned to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The move leaves the Rangers without a healthy extra forward on their roster, but Colin Stephenson of Newsday reported that Brennan Othmann could be recalled to the Rangers at some point in the near future.
Blidh was recalled at the start of the New Year as part of the Rangers’ response to several injuries up front, most notably one suffered by captain J.T. Miller. In his recall, which lasted a little over 10 days, Blidh was dressed twice and served as a healthy scratch for three contests, including yesterday’s deflating 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins.
In his two NHL games, Blidh averaged 7:45 time on ice. He didn’t land on the scoresheet, but tallied four hits in each contest. The 30-year-old veteran hasn’t been at the top of the list of priority call-up options since arriving in the Rangers organization in 2023, but he’s nonetheless found a way to stick around and earn a small number of call-ups.
While this most recent call-up represents two of his three total games played as a Ranger, he’s been a healthy scratch on other occasions. His physicality and work rate, as well as over 80 games of NHL experience, make him someone who the Rangers trust to fill in as a fourth liner when injuries call for it. Last April, New York signed Blidh to a two-year contract extension, one that runs through 2026-27. The deal carries a two-way structure, league-minimum NHL salary, and $385K guarantee across both years.
Reassigned today, Blidh will return to Hartford where he’s struggled to score at the same rate he put up last season. Blidh managed 19 goals, 36 points in 71 games last year, but has just seven points in 28 games this season. The Wolf Pack have struggled, as a whole, to put pucks in the net, ranking near the bottom of the AHL in goals scored in 2025-26.
Metro Notes: Konecny, Grundstrom, Wilson
Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny missed the team’s game Saturday as the result of an upper-body injury he suffered Jan. 8 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Earlier today, he was on the ice for practice, a development that was, temporarily, a good sign for his availability moving forward. But the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel reported shortly afterward that Konecny left practice with an injury, and added that he “seemed to have trouble walking to the room.”
While there’s no official update from the Flyers on Konecny’s status, this reporting from their practice does cast into doubt Konecny’s likelihood of being available for the team’s game tomorrow against the Lightning. Any significant injury to Konecny would deal a massive blow to the Flyers’ competitive hopes. The 28-year-old’s 38 points in 42 games ranks second on the team behind Trevor Zegras, and his efforts have helped the Flyers amass a 22-13-8 record a little over halfway through the season. The hope, obviously, will be that Konecny’s injury scare today ends up being only something minor.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- The Flyers told reporters today that winger Carl Grundstrom missed practice with an illness, and that his availability for tomorrow’s game is questionable. Grundstrom has had a hot start to his time in Philadelphia, scoring seven goals and eight points in 17 games. Acquired as part of the trade involving Ryan Ellis’ contract in early October, Grundstrom worked his way onto the Flyers’ NHL roster with strong AHL performances and looks to have a firm grip on an NHL lineup spot thanks to his goal-scoring streak. A pending UFA making $1.8MM this season, Grundstrom has likely aided his upcoming free agent fortunes considerably in his brief stint so far with the Flyers.
- Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson, who remains out with a lower-body injury, skated in the team’s practice today with a non-contact jersey, per Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post. Consequently, Wilson is not expected to be available for Washington’s game against the Predators tonight. Wilson hasn’t played since Jan. 5 due to his injury, missing three games. The 31-year-old has 42 points in 41 games this season.
Blackhawks Assign Drew Commesso, Kevin Korchinski, Stanislav Berezhnoy To AHL
The Chicago Blackhawks have sent goaltenders Drew Commesso and Stanislav Berezhnoy, along with defenseman Kevin Korchinski, back to AHL Rockford, per the team.
No corresponding transactions were made, the team jumping back into action tomorrow at home against Edmonton. However, today’s moves suggest that regular netminders Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom are likely to return, along with defender Louis Crevier, as suggested by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
It has been a busy week for goaltenders in the Blackhawks organization. Even outside of the injuries to their #1 and #2 options on the big club, the team dealt Laurent Brossoit to San Jose. Therefore, Chicago had to clear the shelves from Rockford, summoning Commesso and Berezhnoy to get them through their last two contests.
Commesso surrendered five goals on Friday in a loss to Washington, and it figured to be another potentially tough night on Saturday, as the usual AHLer had to step right back into action in a back-to-back against Nashville. Impressively, instead he put up a 36-save shutout, immediately inflating his save percentage to .917 on the season.
Naturally, his prompt reassignment after a career night is disappointing, but as Rockford’s #1 goalie, the plan was never for Commesso to stay longer than urgently needed. His efforts in Nashville will be remembered this summer in contract discussions, as the 23-year-old will be a restricted free agent. Drafted 46th overall in 2020, Commesso figures to be a possible NHL backup in the future.
Berezhnoy, an undrafted free agent in his first North American season, earned his first call-up just to serve as backup last night, but with Brossoit now moved out, he will have a larger role in Rockford going forward.
Finally, Korchinski got into his first two NHL games of the season, and much like Commesso, played better in Nashville than against Washington. The 21-year-old top prospect heads back down after averaging 13:59 of ice time, recording an assist. Jumping right into the Hawks roster out of the WHL in 2023-24, warranted as he was drafted seventh overall, Korchinski played in 76 games, notching 15 points, as a rookie. Since then, he has spent more time in the AHL, as Chicago takes their time with the smooth-skating puck-carrier, especially as they’ve worked through tough seasons in recent years. His production as a teenager out of the gate was impressive, but Korchinski did finish the campaign a -39, indicative that seasoning in Rockford was needed.
Now a .500 team in January, out of their darkest days, Korchinski has been unable to re-join the lineup fully just yet, as he has led IceHogs defensemen in scoring, but is still working to put it all together, especially in his own end. After what may have been throwing him into the fire too quickly to start his professional career, Chicago is now trying to be patient with the Saskatchewan native. He may not be the brightest defenseman prospect of the Hawks today, thanks to Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov, but Korchinski still should blossom into a true top four blueliner pending further development.
After each filled in admirably, Chicago will go into a four game home stand next week looking to build off their strong play of late and continue to show progress as a group. Even if they come short of the postseason, it seems to be a real step going into 2026-27.
Canucks Place Thatcher Demko On Injured Reserve
More discouraging news has hit the Vancouver Canucks, as they shared this afternoon that Thatcher Demko has been placed on injured reserve, his second such designation this season. The injury-plagued goaltender left last night’s game after the first period, and with fans fearing the worse, after the 5-0 loss Head Coach Adam Foote confirmed to reporters, including The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, that it was indeed a lower-body injury.
Based on the designation, Demko will miss at least the next 10 days, but after constant knee issues over the past few years, as well as a groin ailment earlier this season, it is another tough blow. A turnaround is effectively out of reach for the team, currently last in the league, losers of six in a row, and without a regulation win since December 19. Firmly out of contention, there is no real urgency to get Demko back in the crease, but having just turned 30, the past Vezina finalist and All-Star may be faced with dreaded questions on his long-term career outlook.
As they recalled Nikita Tolopilo under emergency conditions earlier today, Vancouver will move forward in the time being with him alongside Kevin Lankinen, a usually well-regarded backup, who unfortunately has struggled this season, with a 6-11-4 record, and an .883 save percentage, a career-worst mark for the 30-year-old.
Due to their star back stopper’s constant injury struggles, Lankinen played in 51 games last season, his first as a Canuck, a career high. Knowing they were in need of a dependable #2 option, Vancouver locked down the Finn on a five year extension worth $4.5MM per season. Lankinen figures to be a mainstay for the blue and green for years to come, and although the group’s overarching struggles are surely a factor, they will need more from Lankinen given the combination of his contract and Demko’s status.
Demko himself is in for a big raise starting in 2026-27, as he inked a three year extension last July, worth $8.5MM per season. Back then, GM Patrik Allvin figured the group would make noise on the way to a playoff return, on the back of a healthy Demko, but with a group rattled by injuries and Foote’s imprint unable to bring such results, the Canucks are left with more questions than ever.
The hope is that Demko will avoid another long-term absence, already having missed a month so far this campaign. While he could return as soon as January 23 against New Jersey, naturally there’s reason for more concern. Simply shutting down their star in a lost season could become a real option, leaving Lankinen to backstop the group into what could be a long spring.
Canucks Assign Elias N. Pettersson To AHL, Recall Victor Mancini, Nikita Tolopilo
The Vancouncer Canucks shared a number of transactions this afternoon: Defenseman Elias N. Pettersson has been assigned to AHL Abbotsford, while Victor Mancini has been recalled. Additionally, goaltender Nikita Tolopilo has been recalled from Abbotsford under emergency conditions.
Set to return to action tomorrow night in Montreal, the Canucks swap Pettersson for Mancini, the former who skated just 13:58 in a 5-0 loss to Toronto on Saturday, fewest out of Vancouver’s defensemen by a considerable margin. Pettersson has played in 38 of the team’s 44 games this season, in a bottom pairing role, but the 21-year-old is still finding his game at the highest level, and will return to the AHL for more seasoning, where he’s made just one appearance so far in 2025-26.
On the other hand, Mancini brings a right-handed shot to the table, and will earn another look after five games early in the season, where he did not record a point in limited ice time. Since then, Mancini has put up six points in 20 games in the AHL, not jumping out on the page, but the 6’3” rearguard is a pure stay-at-home contributor. If able to enter the lineup over Pierre-Olivier Joseph, eyes will be on the former fifth-round choice of the Rangers to showcase improved mobility and sound decision-making with the puck, if he can become a full-time NHLer in the future.
Another feature of today’s news, Tolopilo, a netminder, has been recalled under emergency conditions. The 25-year-old will likely serve as Kevin Lankinen’s backup tomorrow night, as Thatcher Demko left last night’s game with an apparent lower-body injury.
Tolopilo has played well in four NHL games this season, with a .911 save percentage and two wins, but naturally, the hope will be that Demko will not miss much time, while Tolopilo can return to the Abbotsford Canucks. Despite bringing home the Calder Cup last season, they’ve had a rough season so far, currently second-to-last in the AHL.
With a season starting to get off the rails, Vancouver figures to have several more moves on the horizon leading up to the spring.