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Sabres Reassign Devon Levi

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12/16: Buffalo has loaned Levi back to Rochester. Levi allowed four goals on 40 shots in Buffalo’s Sunday loss to Toronto. He will return to the AHL, where he’s set a 7-1-1 record and .916 save percentage so far this season.

12/15: The Sabres’ top goaltending prospect is back in the NHL. Devon Levi has been recalled from AHL Rochester, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He will start later today against the Maple Leafs, head coach Lindy Ruff told Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Defenseman Ryan Johnson has been returned to the minors in a corresponding move to open a roster spot, the team confirmed.

Levi, 22, started the season on the NHL roster but played sparingly behind starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. That was simply due to strong play from the latter and weak play from the former. Levi was a strong backup option last season, posting a .899 SV% and 3.10 GAA behind a demanding workload. However, few-and-far-between starts likely contributed to a steep regression for the youngster in 2024-25. In six starts and one relief appearance, Levi managed just a .870 SV% and 3.95 GAA with a 2-5-0 record. His -7.5 goals saved above expected are the worst on Buffalo by far and seventh-worst in the league despite his low workload, per MoneyPuck.

That led the Sabres to reclaim veteran James Reimer off waivers in mid-November after they lost him to the Ducks at the beginning of the season. After re-installing him as Luukkonen’s backup, Buffalo returned the waiver-exempt Levi to Rochester on Nov. 18 to get him more playing time and, by extension, regain his confidence.

It was a prudent move by Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams. Levi has been stellar on the farm, posting a 7-1-1 record in nine games with Rochester with a 2.08 GAA, .916 SV% and two shutouts. That’s nothing new from the 2020 seventh-round pick of the Panthers, who Buffalo acquired as part of the trade that sent Sam Reinhart to Florida. Levi was similarly spectacular when on assignment to Rochester last season, finishing fourth in the league with a .927 SV% in 26 outings.

Nonetheless, Ruff wouldn’t confirm today if Levi’s promotion is a long-term bump or a short-term jolt to help the Sabres exit a debilitating nine-game losing streak. “I don’t really have that answer, but he’s going to play this game, and we’ll make a decision,” he told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

Both goalscoring and goaltending have been recent issues for the Sabres, whose last win was a 4-2 victory over the Sharks on Nov. 23. Luukkonen has a .890 mark in seven starts, while Reimer has a .860 in two over the losing streak. However, Buffalo won’t win many contests by scoring just 2.22 goals per game.

Outside of the current circumstances, it’s another chance for the Sabres’ top goaltending prospect to prove he can be a difference-maker at the NHL level after solidifying himself as an elite talent at every other step in his development. The Montreal native was arguably the best goaltender in college hockey during his two seasons with Northeastern in 2021-22 and 2022-23, logging a .942 SV% and 16 shutouts in 66 appearances and winning the Mike Richter Award for the NCAA’s top goaltender on both tries.

Meanwhile, Johnson returns to the minors after a middling showing during his 10-day recall. He appeared in Buffalo’s last three games with Rasmus Dahlin sidelined due to back spasms, posting no points and a -2 rating while averaging 17:40 per game. He recorded four blocks and one hit while hurting Buffalo’s puck possession at even strength, controlling only 45.2% of shot attempts. In contrast, the Sabres controlled 52.6% of shot attempts without Johnson on the ice.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Devils Reassign Nico Daws, Jake Allen To Travel With Team

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2:00 PM: Daws has been promptly reassigned to the minor leagues, with backup Jake Allen sharing that he’ll travel with the team on their upcoming two-game road trip, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. The first game of the trip is against St. Louis, where Allen spent the first seven years of his NHL career. Daws will join Poulter in returning to Utica, giving the Comets their goaltending duo back in full.

9:30 AM: The Devils have swapped temporary backup netminders, announcing the recall of Nico Daws from AHL Utica. They’ve sent Isaac Poulter back down to the minors in a corresponding move after he backed up Jacob Markström in New Jersey’s last three games while Jake Allen is dealing with an upper-body injury.

Daws would have been New Jersey’s preferred option for a recall initially, but the 23-year-old was battling an injury and played for the first time this month over the weekend. A 2020 third-round pick, the German-born Canadian national has a 2.96 GAA, .900 SV%, one shutout, and a 3-9-2 record on the farm with Utica this season.

Especially compared to Poulter’s blank slate, Daws already has a fair amount of experience at the NHL level. While he didn’t see NHL ice in 2022-23, he played at least 20 games for the Devils in both the 2021-22 and 2023-24 campaigns. In 46 career appearances, he has a 19-22-1 record, 3.13 GAA and .894 SV%. He’s saved 13.3 goals below average during that time.

Summoning Daws indicates that Allen will miss a fourth straight game tomorrow when New Jersey faces his former team, the Blues. He’s yet to land on injured reserve, suggesting he’s still a strong possibility of being available on Thursday against the Blue Jackets. The 12-year veteran has been a strong backup to Markström this season, recording a .900 SV% and 2.74 GAA in 10 starts while saving 2.6 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck.

Daws is still waiver-exempt, but in the unlikely event he plays 14 games this season, he’d be at 60 career appearances and would need waivers to return to Utica. Regardless of how much he plays, he’ll need to clear waivers to head to the minors next year.

Minor Moves: Pánik, Reedy, Pulkkinen

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Longtime NHL winger Richard Pánik is continuing his trek around Europe and Russia. After spending the first part of 2024-25 in his native Slovakia with HC Slovan Bratislava, the Kontinental Hockey League announced today that the 33-year-old has signed with Russian side Traktor Chelyabinsk for the remainder of the season.

Pánik last played in the NHL with the Islanders in 2021-22. Once a 20-goal scorer with the Blackhawks in 2016-17, he’s been relatively productive over the past three years while continuing his professional career overseas. He was decent with Bratislava in the early going, compiling six goals and 13 points in 18 games before leaving for tougher competition in the KHL. He spent last season in the Czech Extraliga, where he amassed 20 goals and 34 points in 51 games with HC Oceláři Třinec and HC Dynamo Pardubice.

A second-round pick of the Lightning in 2009, Pánik has undoubtedly had a journeyman’s career. In his NHL time, he suited up for seven clubs in 10 seasons, posting 195 points in 521 games with the Bolts, Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, Coyotes, Capitals, Red Wings, and Isles. He also suited up for three Ontario Hockey League squads in his major junior career and has signed on with five different European franchises since 2022.

Some other minor moves involving former NHLers:

  • Ex-Sharks center prospect Scott Reedy has finally found a place to play for 2024-25, signing a tryout with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Now 25, the Minnesota native spent last season under contract with the Stars but was limited to 12 AHL contests due to injury, registering five goals and two assists. After being a Group VI unrestricted free agent over the summer, the 2017 fourth-rounder of San Jose will now look to catch on with his third NHL organization since turning pro out of the University of Minnesota in 2021. Reedy recorded seven goals and two assists in 35 NHL games with the Sharks in 2021-22 before being traded to Dallas for Jacob Peterson the following year.
  • Once a depth NHLer in the mid-2010s, Finnish scoring winger Teemu Pulkkinen has terminated his contract with Germany’s Schwenninger Wild Wings to pursue options back in his home country, the team announced. The former Red Wings, Wild and Coyotes winger had four goals and 11 points in 22 Deutsche Eishockey Liga games this season. Since leaving North America back in 2018, Pulkkinen has suited up with seven teams across Russia, Belarus, China and Germany. He amassed 13 goals and 22 points in 83 NHL games between the 2013-14 and 2016-17 campaigns.

East Notes: Berggren, Stolarz, Carlile, Santini

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Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren earned the first fine of his NHL career, the league’s Department of Player Safety announced this morning. He was fined $2,148, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for a cross-check against Maple Leafs forward Connor Dewar in last night’s 4-2 win.

Berggren landed a two-minute minor on the play, which occurred immediately after a stoppage in the second period. While engaging with Dewar in front of the Red Wings net after the whistle blew, he landed a cross-check that hit Dewar in the head/neck area.

It’s a minor blip in a tough year for Berggren, who’s still struggling to recapture his rookie-season form. He’s back on the NHL roster full-time after spending most of last season in the minors, but he’s scored just four goals and six points with a -6 rating through 30 contests. He’s averaging 12:27 per game with fringe power-play usage, averaging around a minute per game with the man-advantage unit.

A 2018 second-round pick, Berggren signed a one-year, $825K deal in September after sitting as an RFA for most of the summer. He scored 15 goals and 28 points in 67 games with the Wings in his first NHL look in the 2022-23 campaign.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Maple Leafs moved Anthony Stolarz to injured reserve before tonight’s game against the Sabres, ending a cascade of roster moves over the past few days (per David Alter of The Hockey News). The Vezina Trophy candidate had already missed one game with a lower-body injury he sustained against the Ducks on Dec. 12. He’ll miss at least one more game following the Buffalo tilt but could be eligible to return for a rematch against the Sabres on Dec. 20. The 30-year-old has a sparkling .927 SV% and 2.15 GAA in 17 games this year with a 9-5-2 record. The Leafs’ active roster remains at a full 23 players.
  • The Lightning announced they’ve returned defensemen Declan Carlile and Steven Santini to AHL Syracuse. One or both could be back on the active roster ahead of their next game on Tuesday, depending on the health of captain Victor Hedman, who’s missed the Bolts’ last two games with a lower-body injury. Carlile, 24, scored his first NHL goal in last night’s win over the Kraken, his season debut after getting into his first NHL game last season. The 29-year-old Santini played 11:37 in Thursday’s win over the Flames, his first NHL game in nearly two years, but was a healthy scratch against Seattle.

Predicting The NHL’s Quarter-Century Teams

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With a relatively slow news day and the NHL’s announcement last night that each franchise will be selecting Quarter-Century Teams over the next couple of months, I decided to try predicting how each team will shake out.

The league says, “Each Club’s First and Second Quarter-Century Teams will be selected by a panel of media, retired players and executives specific to that Club. Players under consideration for selection are those who have appeared in a game for the respective franchises since Jan. 1, 2000.” I’m going to take that to mean that any legacy/performance of a player who played in the 1990s who carried over into the 2000s won’t be considered. That will disadvantage guys like Pavel Bure for Florida and likely keep Patrick Roy off the Avalanche’s First Team, for example – if that’s how each team’s panel interprets the guidelines.

Balancing longevity against peak performance is always a tough tightrope to walk. I tended to examine those difficult calls on a case-by-case basis. Whether team panels lean one way or the other could really affect how things shake out for the new kids on the block, especially Vegas.

And yes, I decided to consider the Thrashers’ history for the Jets teams, and I hope their panel will, too. Leaving Ilya Kovalchuk off this exercise seems ridiculous.

Anaheim Ducks (Jan. 5)

First Team: F Ryan Getzlaf, F Corey Perry, F Teemu Selänne, D Cam Fowler, D Scott Niedermayer, G Jean-Sébastien Giguère

Second Team: F Bobby Ryan, F Rickard Rakell, F Jakob Silfverberg, D Hampus Lindholm, D François Beauchemin, G John Gibson

Arizona Coyotes (Jan. 1)

First Team: F Shane Doan, F Clayton Keller, F Radim Vrbata, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D Keith Yandle, G Mike Smith

Second Team: F Ladislav Nagy, F Martin Hanzal, F Nick Schmaltz, D Zbyněk Michálek, D Jakob Chychrun, G Ilya Bryzgalov

Boston Bruins (Jan. 14)

First Team: F Brad Marchand, F Patrice Bergeron, F David Pastrňák, D Zdeno Chára, D Charlie McAvoy, G Tuukka Rask

Second Team: F David Krejčí, F Glen Murray, F Joe Thornton, D Torey Krug, D Brandon Carlo, G Tim Thomas

Buffalo Sabres (Jan. 15)

First Team: F Thomas Vanek, F Jason Pominville, F Derek Roy, D Rasmus Dahlin, D Rasmus Ristolainen, G Ryan Miller

Second Team: F Jack Eichel, F Drew Stafford, F Jochen Hecht, D Henrik Tallinder, D Tyler Myers, G Martin Biron

Calgary Flames (Jan. 11)

First Team: F Johnny Gaudreau, F Jarome Iginla, F Mikael Backlund, D Mark Giordano, D T.J. Brodie, G Miikka Kiprusoff

Second Team: F Sean Monahan, F Matthew Tkachuk, F Elias Lindholm, D Dion Phaneuf, D Robyn Regehr, G Jacob Markström

Carolina Hurricanes (Jan. 17)

First Team: F Eric Staal, F Sebastian Aho, F Rod Brind’Amour, D Jaccob Slavin, D Brett Pesce, G Cam Ward

Second Team: F Jeff Skinner, F Teuvo Teräväinen, F Jordan Staal, D Justin Faulk, D Brady Skjei, G Artūrs Irbe

Chicago Blackhawks (Dec. 31)

First Team: F Patrick Kane, F Jonathan Toews, F Patrick Sharp, D Duncan Keith, D Brent Seabrook, G Corey Crawford

Second Team: F Marián Hossa, F Alex DeBrincat, F Steve Sullivan, D Niklas Hjalmarsson, D Brian Campbell, G Jocelyn Thibault

Colorado Avalanche (Jan. 20)

First Team: F Nathan MacKinnon, F Milan Hejduk, F Joe Sakic, D Cale Makar, D Erik Johnson, G Semyon Varlamov

Second Team: F Mikko Rantanen, F Gabriel Landeskog, F Alex Tanguay, D Tyson Barrie, D John-Michael Liles, G Patrick Roy

Columbus Blue Jackets (Jan. 2)

First Team: F Rick Nash, F Cam Atkinson, F Nick Foligno, D Zach Werenski, D Seth Jones, G Sergei Bobrovsky

Second Team: F Boone Jenner, F David Výborný, F R.J. Umberger, D David Savard, D Fedor Tyutin, G Marc Denis

Dallas Stars (Jan. 16)

First Team: F Jamie Benn, F Tyler Seguin, F Mike Modano, D Sergei Zubov, D John Klingberg, G Marty Turco

Second Team: F Brenden Morrow, F Jason Robertson, F Roope Hintz, D Esa Lindell, D Miro Heiskanen, G Kari Lehtonen

Detroit Red Wings (Jan. 23)

First Team: F Pavel Datsyuk, F Henrik Zetterberg, F Dylan Larkin, D Nicklas Lidström, D Niklas Kronwall, G Jimmy Howard

Second Team: F Tomas Holmström, F Johan Franzén, F Brendan Shanahan, D Brian Rafalski, D Mathieu Schneider, G Chris Osgood

Edmonton Oilers (Jan. 30)

First Team: F Connor McDavid, F Leon Draisaitl, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, D Darnell Nurse, D Evan Bouchard, G Tommy Salo

Second Team: F Ryan Smyth, F Aleš Hemský, F Jordan Eberle, D Steve Staios, D Oscar Klefbom, G Cam Talbot

Florida Panthers (Jan. 3)

First Team: F Aleksander Barkov, F Jonathan Huberdeau, F Olli Jokinen, D Aaron Ekblad, D Jay Bouwmeester, G Roberto Luongo

Second Team: F Stephen Weiss, F Sam Reinhart, F Nathan Horton, D Gustav Forsling, D Dmitry Kulikov, G Tomáš Vokoun

Los Angeles Kings (Jan. 8)

First Team: F Anže Kopitar, F Dustin Brown, F Jeff Carter, D Drew Doughty, D Ľubomír Višňovský, G Jonathan Quick

Second Team: F Alex Frolov, F Adrian Kempe, F Tyler Toffoli, D Alec Martinez, D Jake Muzzin, G Félix Potvin

Minnesota Wild (Jan. 7)

First Team: F Mikko Koivu, F Marián Gáborík, F Kirill Kaprizov, D Jared Spurgeon, D Ryan Suter, G Niklas Bäckström

Second Team: F Zach Parise, F Pierre-Marc Bouchard, F Andrew Brunette, D Jonas Brodin, D Mathew Dumba, G Devan Dubnyk

Montreal Canadiens (Jan. 19)

First Team: F Tomáš Plekanec, F Max Pacioretty, F Saku Koivu, D Andrei Markov, D P.K. Subban, G Carey Price

Second Team: F Brendan Gallagher, F Nick Suzuki, F Alex Kovalev, D Jeff Petry, D Shea Weber, G José Théodore

Nashville Predators (Jan. 29)

First Team: F Filip Forsberg, F David Legwand, F Martin Erat, D Roman Josi, D Shea Weber, G Pekka Rinne

Second Team: F Craig Smith, F Ryan Johansen, F Viktor Arvidsson, D Ryan Ellis, D Mattias Ekholm, G Juuse Saros

New Jersey Devils (Jan. 22)

First Team: F Patrik Eliáš, F Travis Zajac, F Zach Parise, D Andy Greene, D Brian Rafalski, G Martin Brodeur

Second Team: F Scott Gomez, F Jesper Bratt, F Nico Hischier, D Colin White, D Damon Severson, G Cory Schneider

New York Islanders (Jan. 24)

First Team: F John Tavares, F Brock Nelson, F Anders Lee, D Ryan Pulock, D Nick Leddy, G Ilya Sorokin

Second Team: F Josh Bailey, F Mathew Barzal, F Kyle Okposo, D Noah Dobson, D Adam Pelech, G Rick DiPietro

New York Rangers (Jan. 26)

First Team: F Chris Kreider, F Mika Zibanejad, F Artemi Panarin, D Adam Fox, D Ryan McDonagh, G Henrik Lundqvist

Second Team: F Derek Stepan, F Jaromír Jágr, F Mats Zuccarello, D Dan Girardi, D Marc Staal, G Igor Shesterkin

Ottawa Senators (Jan. 25)

First Team: F Daniel Alfredsson, F Jason Spezza, F Dany Heatley, D Erik Karlsson, D Wade Redden, G Craig Anderson

Second Team: F Brady Tkachuk, F Marián Hossa, F Mark Stone, D Chris Phillips, D Thomas Chabot, G Patrick Lalime

Philadelphia Flyers (Jan. 13)

First Team: F Claude Giroux, F Simon Gagné, F Jakub Voráček, D Kimmo Timonen, D Ivan Provorov, G Steve Mason

Second Team: F Sean Couturier, F Travis Konecny, F Wayne Simmonds, D Travis Sanheim, D Shayne Gostisbehere, G Roman Čechmánek

Pittsburgh Penguins (Jan. 9)

First Team: F Sidney Crosby, F Evgeni Malkin, F Jake Guentzel, D Kris Letang, D Sergei Gonchar, G Marc-André Fleury

Second Team: F Chris Kunitz, F Bryan Rust, F Patric Hörnqvist, D Brian Dumoulin, D Marcus Pettersson, G Matt Murray

San Jose Sharks (Jan. 27)

First Team: F Patrick Marleau, F Joe Thornton, F Joe Pavelski, D Brent Burns, D Marc-Édouard Vlasic, G Evgeni Nabokov

Second Team: F Logan Couture, F Tomáš Hertl, F Jonathan Cheechoo, D Dan Boyle, D Scott Hannan, G Antti Niemi

Seattle Kraken (Jan. 6)

First Team: F Jared McCann, F Jordan Eberle, F Oliver Bjorkstrand, D Vince Dunn, D Adam Larsson, G Philipp Grubauer

Second Team: F Yanni Gourde, F Matty Beniers, F Jaden Schwartz, D Jamie Oleksiak, D William Borgen, G Joey Daccord

St. Louis Blues (Dec. 30)

First Team: F Vladimir Tarasenko, F Alexander Steen, F David Backes, D Alex Pietrangelo, D Colton Parayko, G Jordan Binnington

Second Team: F David Perron, F Keith Tkachuk, F Jaden Schwartz, D Kevin Shattenkirk, D Barret Jackman, G Jake Allen

Tampa Bay Lightning (Jan. 28)

First Team: F Steven Stamkos, F Nikita Kucherov, F Martin St. Louis, D Victor Hedman, D Dan Boyle, G Andrei Vasilevskiy

Second Team: F Vincent Lecavalier, F Brayden Point, F Alex Killorn, D Mikhail Sergachev, D Pavel Kubina, G Ben Bishop

Toronto Maple Leafs (Jan. 4)

First Team: F Auston Matthews, F Mitch Marner, F Mats Sundin, D Tomáš Kaberle, D Morgan Rielly, G Frederik Andersen

Second Team: F William Nylander, F John Tavares, F Phil Kessel, D Bryan McCabe, D Jake Gardiner, G Ed Belfour

Utah Hockey Club (Jan. 31)

First Team: F Dylan Guenther, F Logan Cooley, F Clayton Keller, D Mikhail Sergachev, D Michael Kesselring, G Karel Vejmelka

Second Team: F Nick Schmaltz, F Jack McBain, F Barrett Hayton, D Ian Cole, D Olli Määttä, G Connor Ingram

Vancouver Canucks (Jan. 21)

First Team: F Daniel Sedin, F Henrik Sedin, F Markus Näslund, D Alexander Edler, D Quinn Hughes, G Roberto Luongo

Second Team: F Elias Pettersson, F Alexandre Burrows, F J.T. Miller, D Sami Salo, D Mattias Öhlund, G Thatcher Demko

Vegas Golden Knights (Jan. 12)

First Team: F Jonathan Marchessault, F William Karlsson, F Reilly Smith, D Shea Theodore, D Brayden McNabb, G Marc-André Fleury

Second Team: F Mark Stone, F Max Pacioretty, F Jack Eichel, D Alex Pietrangelo, D Nate Schmidt, G Adin Hill

Washington Capitals (Jan. 18)

First Team: F Alex Ovechkin, F Nicklas Bäckström, F Evgeny Kuznetsov, D John Carlson, D Mike Green, G Braden Holtby

Second Team: F Alexander Semin, F T.J. Oshie, F Tom Wilson, D Dmitry Orlov, D Sergei Gonchar, G Olaf Kölzig

Winnipeg Jets (Jan. 10)

First Team: F Blake Wheeler, F Mark Scheifele, F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Dustin Byfuglien, D Josh Morrissey, G Connor Hellebuyck

Second Team: F Kyle Connor, F Nikolaj Ehlers, F Bryan Little, D Toby Enström, D Neal Pionk, G Ondřej Pavelec

Avalanche Sign Tye Felhaber To Two-Year Deal

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The Avalanche have added depth forward Tye Felhaber on a two-year contract that runs for this season and next, per a club announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed, although it’s presumably a two-way deal for the journeyman minor-leaguer.

It’s unclear if Felhaber will end up on waivers later today or if the signing doubles as the 26-year-old’s first NHL call-up. Today’s news doesn’t mark his first NHL contract signing, however. The former OHL All-Star inked an entry-level contract with the Stars as an undrafted free agent in 2019 after lighting up the major junior circuit in his overage season, racking up 109 points in 68 games with the Ottawa 67’s and leading the league’s playoffs in goals with 17 in 18 outings.

However, Felhaber couldn’t convert that production into anything meaningful at the professional level. He managed just eight goals and 18 points in 86 appearances for the Stars’ AHL affiliate in parts of three seasons before they traded him to the Lightning midway through the final season of his contract. Tampa Bay understandably opted not to issue him a qualifying offer when his deal expired, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Ontario native has since plied his trade on minor-league deals. Following his non-tender, he inked an ECHL contract with the Fort Wayne Komets, and the step down in competition proved prudent for his development. Felhaber exploded for 63 points in 51 games, helping him rebuild his offensive confidence and landing more fruitful minutes in subsequent AHL games with Milwaukee and Colorado. He’s been skating in a top-nine role for the Avalanche’s primary affiliate this season, leading the team with eight goals in 23 appearances.

The Avalanche have an open roster spot, so there wouldn’t be any corresponding moves required to keep Felhaber around for the time being. He could join the Avs on their road trip and make his NHL debut tomorrow in Vancouver.

Islanders Activate Mathew Barzal, Adam Pelech From Injured Reserve

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The Islanders will have two pillars back in action today against the Blackhawks. Forward Mathew Barzal and defenseman Adam Pelech have been activated from long-term injured reserve and standard injured reserve, respectively, reports Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. The Isles placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov on injured reserve in a corresponding transaction earlier this morning to open a necessary roster spot.

Barzal, 27, returns at the end of his initial four-to-six-week timeline after he sustained an upper-body injury against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 30. The injury cost him 21 of the Islanders’ 31 contests. They’ve also been without Pelech for almost that entire time. He sustained a fractured jaw midway through the Isles’ first game following Barzal’s injury against the Sabres on Nov. 1.

Neither player’s activation is surprising. Barzal returned to practice with the team on Thursday without a no-contact designation and was upgraded to day-to-day. Head coach Patrick Roy told Rosner yesterday that Barzal would be a game-time decision for today’s contest. Pelech returned to practice with the team in a non-contact sweater last week but was upgraded to full contact along with Barzal’s return to the sheet. Roy said yesterday that he expected the veteran shutdown man to return to action in today’s matinee.

The Islanders managed a 9-7-5 record without their highest-paid forward in the lineup. They’ve also been without Barzal’s early-season linemate, free-agent signing Anthony Duclair, after he sustained a leg injury earlier in October. He was also upgraded to day-to-day on Thursday, but Roy confirmed yesterday that he wasn’t quite ready to come off LTIR ahead of today’s game. That record has at least allowed them to tread water in the Eastern Conference playoff race, ending up with a .500 record with about 62% of their schedule still ahead of them. Their points percentage is good enough for 11th in the conference, and they’re currently just one point behind the Senators for a wild-card spot, although Ottawa has a game in hand on them.

After all of today’s moves, the Isles have a full active roster and just over $100K in cap space, per PuckPedia. They’ll need to clear multiple salaries to have space to activate Duclair in the coming days, which will likely involve Engvall returning to the minors after clearing waivers yesterday.

With Duclair still out and Bo Horvat likely to miss today’s game with a minor lower-body injury, Barzal will play center for the first time in quite a while in his return between captain Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Rosner reports. The 2015 first-round pick wasn’t tracking well offensively before his injury, limited to two goals and three assists in 10 games. The All-Star playmaker was coming off his best season since his Calder-winning rookie campaign in 2017-18, recording a career-best 23 goals with 57 assists for 80 points in 80 games. Besides his rookie campaign, it was his first time reaching the point-per-game mark. They’ll need his production level again to justify his $9.15MM cap hit and give them a chance at a third straight postseason berth.

Pelech returns in his familiar top-pairing role with Ryan Pulock. The 30-year-old lefty had four assists and a -3 rating through 11 contests before the fracture, averaging over 20 minutes per game. At least in the early going of the season, his possession numbers returned to the play that once had him considered one of the best defensive players in the world. The Isles controlled 54.6% of shot attempts with Pelech on the ice at even strength, which will stand as a career-high for the 10-year veteran if it continues. Isaiah George and Grant Hutton will be healthy scratches on the blue line, while Dennis Cholowski flanks Scott Mayfield on their bottom pairing.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Islanders Recall Pierre Engvall, Place Semyon Varlamov On IR

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Sunday: According to Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports, the Islanders have recalled Engvall back to the NHL, making the waiver process a bit of a formality. New York won’t have to place Engvall on waivers for another 30 days giving the organization some added flexibility. Gross also shares that the team has placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who’s missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury, on injured reserve retroactive to November 29th.

Saturday: Engvall cleared waivers, Friedman reports.  When he’s re-assigned to Bridgeport, they will free up a pro-rated $1.15MM in cap space.  As for Wahlstrom, he was claimed by Boston.

Friday: The Islanders have placed wingers Pierre Engvall and Oliver Wahlstrom on waivers for the purposes of assignment to AHL Bridgeport, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

After the Isles clear their roster spots tomorrow, they’ll have increased flexibility to activate their trio of injured skaters – Mathew Barzal, Anthony Duclair and Adam Pelech – from injured reserve. All three have practiced this week without a non-contact designation.

Engvall thus ends up on the wire for the second time this season. The 28-year-old tumbled down the Islanders’ depth chart during training camp and ended up on waivers before opening night rosters were due. After he managed 10 goals and 28 points in 74 games last season, it was no surprise to see him pass through unclaimed with a whopping six years and $18MM left on the seven-year deal he signed to remain on Long Island in 2023. As such, the likelihood of him being claimed this time remains slim.

In his 20-game call-up since being summoned in place of Duclair in October, Engvall has three goals and six points with a -3 rating. He’s been a healthy scratch three times in the last seven games, so it’s unsurprising to see him being one of the odd ones out to make way for their stars’ return. Waiving him also offers them the most significant possible financial benefit, which is an important consideration as they must navigate cap compliance while activating Barzal and Duclair from LTIR. They won’t be able to bury all of Engvall’s $3MM cap hit in the minors, but they will be able to shed a total of $2.15MM in cap hits combined between him and Wahlstrom.

In six games with Bridgeport in October, Engvall had just one goal. It was his first AHL action since the 2019-20 campaign as a member of the Maple Leafs organization.

Wahlstrom has been the less productive of the pair this season. While the Islanders avoided exposing the 2018 11th overall pick to waivers for as long as possible, there’s no better time than now. The 24-year-old Maine native has just two goals and four points in 27 games this season, averaging a career-low 10:04 per game.

A restricted free agent last summer, the Islanders came to terms on a one-year, $1MM deal for Wahlstrom before his scheduled arbitration hearing. Unfortunately, that choice precipitated Wahlstrom’s worst showing yet as an NHLer. While his offensive production never jumped off the page like they’d hoped, he was at least a semi-effective physical presence. He hasn’t been that at all this season, logging only seven hits in 27 games – his first time averaging under one per game. He also has an abysmal 38% shot attempt share at even strength and a 33.3% expected goals share, creating an argument for Wahlstrom as one of the least valuable skaters in the league.

Now in his sixth NHL season, Wahlstrom may be too far along in his development to be considered a legitimate bounce-back candidate with a change of scenery. Nonetheless, the former electric scoring threat in juniors may have at least one taker on the waiver wire as his $1MM cap hit is fully buriable in the minors if he doesn’t work out.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Zachary Fucale Eyeing NHL Comeback

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Former Canadiens and Capitals farmhand Zachary Fucale is looking to return stateside and is generating “significant interest” from NHL clubs on a contract for the 2025-26 season, Kevin Weekes of ESPN reports.

Fucale, now 29, hasn’t played in North America since the 2022-23 season. He headed to Russia to sign with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Traktor Chelyabinsk upon reaching unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, a move that’s proved prudent for boosting his stock.

Since arriving in Russia, the former Montreal second-rounder in 2013 has been one of the league’s best goaltenders. After posting a sparkling 2.16 GAA and .929 SV% with six shutouts in 46 games for Traktor last season, he’s having a strong encore performance in 2024-25. Through 25 games, his 14 wins are tied for second in the league, and he’s supported his record with a .924 SV% and five shutouts.

Fucale was often streaky in the North American pros, usually bouncing between AHL and ECHL affiliates during his time in the Montreal and Washington umbrellas. He only ever got one NHL call-up, a four-gamer in 2021-22. It went quite well for the Quebec native, who logged a 1-1-1 record with a .924 SV% and 1.75 GAA. He’s one of only a few netminders in NHL history to record a shutout in his first career start, blanking the Red Wings with 21 saves on Nov. 11, 2021.

But by the end of 2022-23, Fucale had lost his grip on an AHL starting job and was surpassed by Hunter Shepard for the No. 3 job in the Capitals organization as he guided Hershey to the first of back-to-back Calder Cup wins. Overall, Fucale’s minor-league numbers have been pedestrian – a .902 SV% in 149 AHL games over eight seasons and a .905 SV% in 116 ECHL contests.

Nonetheless, Fucale’s numbers in Russia have been strong enough to warrant him another chance at opening the season as someone’s No. 3 option stateside. He’ll likely need to start in the AHL and work his way back up if he wants to add to his NHL resume, and although his minor-league salary may be rich, it’ll still likely be a two-way pact if he lands one next summer.

Atlantic Notes: Reinhardt, Norris, Lafferty, Stolarz, McMann, Talbot

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The Senators announced Friday that they’ve recalled left-winger Cole Reinhardt from AHL Belleville.

The 24-year-old has been subject to multiple paper transactions this season, but this doesn’t appear to be one of them. Reinhardt has been in Belleville since Sunday and hasn’t been rostered for either of Ottawa’s last two games. He could enter the lineup tonight against the Hurricanes instead of center Zack Ostapchuk, who left Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the Ducks with an undisclosed injury.

Ottawa would need someone to shift to center – Reinhardt has never played the position meaningfully at the professional level. One of Nick Cousins, Noah Gregor or Ridly Greig will likely move to take Ostapchuk’s spot as fourth-line center while Reinhardt slots in on their wing.

In five NHL appearances this season, the 24-year-old Calgary native has a goal and an assist with a -2 rating and 14 hits while averaging 9:15 per game. He’s been dynamic when on assignment to the B-Sens, posting five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in only 12 games. He’s the only Belleville player producing more than a point per game.

In other Sens news, the league announced that center Joshua Norris had been fined $2,000 for being issued his second embellishment citation this season. The incident that spurred the fine occurred on Dec. 5 against the Red Wings, with the league positing that Norris overreacted to a holding offense from Detroit rookie Marco Kasper (video link).

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Sabres forward Sam Lafferty practiced in a regular jersey this morning and could be an option to return to the lineup this weekend, head coach Lindy Ruff told Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550. Lafferty has been on injured reserve for over a week with a lower-body issue and has missed Buffalo’s last six games, all of them losses amid a larger eight-game winless streak. Prior to getting hurt, the 29-year-old was averaging just 9:48 per game and had been limited to one goal in 22 appearances with a -2 rating. Buffalo signed him to a two-year, $4MM deal in free agency over the summer to contribute as a fourth-line piece and kill penalties, the latter of which he’s rarely done – he averages just 32 seconds per game shorthanded.
  • It’s all good news on the injury front for the Maple Leafs. Netminder Anthony Stolarz is only day-to-day with his lower-body injury after leaving last night’s win over the Ducks after the first period, head coach Craig Berube said today (via Jonas Siegel of The Athletic). The 30-year-old leads the league with a .927 SV% and has started 17 of Toronto’s 29 games, on pace to break last year’s career-high 24. He’ll likely miss their next two games against the Red Wings and Sabres, but the lack of an IR placement suggests he may be available next Wednesday against the Stars. Berube also said that winger Bobby McMann, who’s missed seven games with a lower-body issue, is “very close” to returning (per David Alter of The Hockey News).
  • Red Wings starter Cam Talbot re-aggravated the lower-body injury that kept him out for most of this month and will be unavailable tomorrow against Toronto, per the team’s Daniella Bruce. He made 32 saves on 34 shots in a loss to the Flyers last night, bringing his SV% on the year up to a strong .916 mark. The team will wait to recall a backup for No. 3 option Ville Husso until tomorrow, Bruce said.

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