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Buffalo Sabres Activate Ilya Lyubushkin

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The Buffalo Sabres are activating defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin ahead of tonight’s game, putting him right into the lineup. Lyubushkin hasn’t played since November 28th while dealing with an undisclosed injury. In a corresponding move, the team announced that defenseman Jeremy Davies has been returned on loan to the Rochester Americans, their AHL affiliate.

A key veteran and quality shutdown defenseman, the Sabres have surely missed Lyubushkin’s steady presence in their lineup. Though Lyubushkin doesn’t play top minutes for the Sabres, averaging just 15:24 time-on-ice this season, his 76% of defensive zone starts show just how much Buffalo trusts him in their own end.

As for Davies, the former New Jersey Devils prospect got into just one game ont his recall, his only NHL contest of the season, which came this Saturday. He’ll return to Rochester where he’s been a steady piece of their blueline amid a season of injuries and recalls affecting the entire Sabres organization. With Rochester, Davies has five points in 19 games to start the season.

Anaheim Ducks Acquire Michael Del Zotto In Three-Team Trade

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In a bit of a confusing swap, the Anaheim Ducks have reacquired defenseman Michael Del Zotto from the Florida Panthers. In the trade, Florida received winger Givani Smith from the Detroit Red Wings, while Detroit received forward Danny O’Regan from the Ducks.

All three have NHL experience but are expected to report to their new teams’ AHL affiliates.

Del Zotto, who has over 700 NHL games under his belt, was expected to possibly make the Panthers out of camp this season with the team lacking in depth at the position. But he didn’t make the opening night roster, and he hasn’t seen a recall since, even with injuries striking the team.

After registering over a point per game in an AHL stint with the Belleville Senators last year, Del Zotto had just 10 points in 25 games with Charlotte before the trade. He’ll now head to San Diego, the last-place team in the league.

O’Regan is serviceable AHL depth who can come up to an NHL team in a pinch. He appeared in five games with Anaheim last season, registering one assist. With San Diego this year, the 28-year-old has three goals and 15 assists in 27 games.

Smith gives Florida a pair of solid physical presences with Ryan Lomberg in the fold as well. A 2016 second-round pick, Smith recorded over 100 penalty minutes in 46 games with Detroit in 2021-22. He’s spent most of this season with AHL Grand Rapids, where he has five points in 19 games.

Washington Capitals Activate Darcy Kuemper

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The Washington Capitals activated goalie Darcy Kuemper off injured reserve Monday afternoon, according to a team release. In corresponding transactions, they also returned netminders Zachary Fucale and Hunter Shepard to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Washington’s been without Kuemper since December 3, when he sustained an upper-body injury in a loss against the Calgary Flames. The 32-year-old has been inconsistent at times with the Capitals but still has strong numbers overall. Despite an 8-9-2 record, he’s still managed a respectable .916 save percentage, 2.56 goals against average, and two shutouts in 20 appearances.

Backup Charlie Lindgren started every game in Kuemper’s two-week absence and did not disappoint. Not including his relief appearance against Calgary, Lindgren helped get Washington solidly back into playoff contention with a .938 save percentage and a 6-1-0 record in his past seven games.

Some were excited to potentially see the 27-year-old Shepard get his first NHL start, but it wasn’t to be. He returns to Hershey, where he has yet to lose in regulation through eight games.

St. Louis Blues Recall Logan Brown, Assign William Bitten To AHL

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The St. Louis Blues this afternoon announced they’ve recalled forward Logan Brown from the Springfield Thunderbirds, their AHL affiliate. In a corresponding move, the team has assigned forward William Bitten to Springfield. Brown had been in the AHL on a conditioning loan, which the Blues assigned him to Thursday. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the first to report the move.

Brown, 24, is in his second year as a member of the Blues organization, splitting time with St. Louis and Springfield last season, recording 11 points in 39 games with the NHL team. A former top prospect with the Ottawa Senators, Brown had been trying to gain traction in the NHL after a modest breakout last season. But, the forward found himself on LTIR after playing just five games this season. Now, after the brief conditioning stint, Brown can look to stay healthy and get back into a groove in the Blues’ lineup.

Bitten was recalled back on December 3rd and made his long-awaited NHL debut that night. In four NHL games to date, the 24-year-old has just one assist, coming in his second game. By getting Bitten back themselves, Springfield will hope to get more of the scoring touch he had earlier this season, with eight goals over his first 20 games.

Afternoon Notes: Schedule, Stone, Sabres, Team Canada Captains, Hershey Bears

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More hockey? You’d be hard-pressed to find a fan who wouldn’t want it. Earlier this week, there had been some discussions about the NHL potentially expanding the season back to an 84 game schedule for the first time since the 1993-94 campaign. Last night on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman expanded on those rumors with an idea of what that schedule might look like, and how the league could get there.

In effect, the schedule would be expanded an additional two games to promote intra-division rivalries, such as the one between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers or the one between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, both of which have seen their head-to-head matchups drop off in recent years. As Friedman details, the schedule would consist of four games against each of the other teams within the division, three games each against each team in the opposing division, and two against each team in the opposite conference. To balance things out, each team’s slate of preseasons games could be cut down. It doesn’t appear that any change is imminent, however Friedman adds that there is a willingness to discuss the change between the league and the NHLPA, however there hasn’t been much dialogue on the subject recently.

  • Things didn’t look good for Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone last night when he went down in obvious pain during the third period of the team’s game against the New York Islanders. The winger struggled to get off the ice with the assistance of his teammates, but surprisingly was able to come back and join them in the final moments of the game. Unsurprisingly, after the game, Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy was asked about the status of his star forward, telling The Athletic’s Jesse Granger that the hope is Stone’s injury is “just a stinger,” but he wouldn’t know much more until today. Cassidy added that Stone was not 100% when he rejoined the team late in the game. So far, no additional information has come out about Stone’s status. Vegas next plays at home on Monday against the Sabres.
  • Yesterday, the Buffalo Sabres were able to get forward Kyle Okposo back from injury and Jeff Skinner back from suspension, but were without defensemen Owen Power, Jacob Bryson, and Ilya Lyubushkin. The team didn’t have much information on Power or Bryson, and the same holds true today, however according to The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington, Ilya Lyubushkin is set to return tomorrow against Vegas. Noticeably absent from the ice this morning were defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson, but as Harrington adds, both were absent simply for rest purposes.
  • With the World Junior Championship just eight days away, Hockey Canada announced its leadership group for this year’s World Juniors team. Captaining the group will be Seattle Kraken forward and fourth-overall pick in 2022, Shane Wright. Assisting him will be Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther, Dallas Stars draft pick and current Kamloops Blazers forward Logan Stankoven, Anaheim Ducks draft pick and Quebec Remparts forward Nathan Gaucher, as well as Chicago Blackhawks draft pick and Mississauga Steelheads defenseman Ethan Del Mastro. Canada will kick things off against Czechia on December 26th.
  • Many don’t necessarily think about when an NHL team chooses to recall a player from their affiliate, it could set off a chain reaction of needs within their system, and that’s just what happened with the Washington Capitals and their goaltenders. When Darcy Kuemper went down a couple of weeks ago, the team recalled Hunter Shepard, which Hershey was able to cope with by recalling Clay Stevenson from the ECHL. No problem. But, when Washington also recalled Zachary Fucale yesterday in the wake of Shepard’s upper-body injury, Hershey was forced to sign an emergency back-up to a PTO for their game last night. Today, the Bears were able to smooth things out in net prior to their game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this afternoon, bringing up netminder Tyler Wall from the South Carolina Stingrays, Hershey and Washington’s ECHL affiliate. In a corresponding move, defenseman Martin Has has been sent to South Carolina. While this is a relatively minor move, it does give context for the transactions NHL teams make that sometimes seem to be done just for the sake of doing them.

Calgary Flames Place Chris Tanev On IR, Recall Dennis Gilbert

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1:52 pm: Per Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike, Calgary has placed Tanev on IR, likely retroactive to December 12th, when he was injured. Essentially, the move will create a roster spot for Gilbert in advance of today’s game, while allowing Tanev to return by Tuesday for the second half of a back to back in San Jose. It’s not clear if Tanev will return on Tuesday or not, however the defenseman was skating earlier today.

The Flames have since confirmed Tanev’s placement on IR.

1:22 pm: Gilbert’s recall seemed to imply that another player would be missing for the Flames in San Jose, and the team has confirmed just that. Forward Radim Zohorna did not participate in the morning skate as he’s dealing with a non-COVID illness, per a team announcement. According to Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson, Gilbert is already with the team in San Jose.

12:37 pm: With the NHL’s roster freeze set to take effect tomorrow night at midnight, we can expect plenty of roster shuffling in the time being, and that’s already been evident this morning. Adding to the pool of transactions are the Calgary Flames, who announced they’ve recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, their affiliate. No corresponding move has been announced.

Gilbert’s recall would seem to put the Flames above the maximum roster limit, however it could be an indicator that fellow defenseman Chris Tanev is going to be placed on IR after blocking a shot up high on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. Tanev left that game early an hasn’t played since. Still, nothing on that end has been announced just yet.

Gilbert, 26, has seen more than his share of recalls and reassignments this season, last sent to the AHL back on November 27th. The shuffling has seemed to cost Gilbert some games, but he has been fairly effective in his role as a defense-first defenseman despite it. Through seven NHL games this season, Gilbert has one point, a goal, and through 15 AHL games, he has just one point as well, that one an assist.

The Flames will play this evening on the road in San Jose against the Sharks.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Jason Demers

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The Edmonton Oilers announced that they have signed defenseman Jason Demers to a one-year, two-way contract. After signing Demers, the Oilers have placed him on waivers for the purposes of loaning him to the Bakersfield Condors, their AHL affiliate. The contract is worth $750,000 at the NHL level, which is the league minimum. The move comes one day before the NHL’s temporary roster freeze takes effect.

For Demers, the contract should give him a much clearer path to an NHL job this season after not playing in the league since 2020-21. Unless he’s claimed on waivers, the signing, waiving, and loan to Bakersfield will more or less be a formality for the veteran, who has been playing with the Condors this season, tallying nine points and 32 penalty minutes in 24 games. Demers had actually been in training camp with Edmonton this preseason and impressed in that time, but salary cap constraints prevented the organization from giving him an NHL deal until now.

In the case of the Oilers, signing the 34-year-old should, if he clears, give them more reliable depth on the backend and a player they know they can trust if and when he gets into the lineup. Although their jobs certainly are in no danger, the Oilers have had some glaring issues defensively this week, headlined by Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard. For now, nothing will change on the ice for Edmonton or Bakersfield, but the team will be able to recall Demers at a moment’s notice when they feel the timing is right.

Metropolitan Notes: Sedlak, Islanders Injuries, Oshie

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Yesterday, Philadelphia Flyers forward Lukas Sedlak was curiously absent from practice, with it later reported that Sedlak had left the team and returned to his native Czechia. After a couple of hours, the Flyers confirmed that Sedlak had been placed on unconditional waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract. Though the decision was certainly surprising, Sedlak enjoying a solid season in his return to the NHL, one would expect he certainly has good reason to do so.

This morning, it seems Sedlak has already found his new team. HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga announced they’d signed the 29-year-old earlier today. For Sedlak, it will be his first experience playing in the Czech Extraliga. The forward had come to North America ahead of the 2011-12 season, playing two seasons in the QMJHL before turning pro, spending three seasons in the AHL, making his NHL debut in 2016-17 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sedlak would play three seasons with Columbus before signing in the KHL prior to the 2019-20 campaign. In three seasons with Chelyabinsk in the KHL, Sedlak would become a dynamic scorer, but opted to return to North American for 2022-23, signing with the Colorado Avalanche, ultimately claimed by the Flyers earlier this season. A solid NHLer and impactful KHLer, Sedlak should be able to become a star and a key factor for Pardubice while having the opportunity to play in his native Czechia.

  • After a tough loss at the hands of the Arizona Coyotes, the New York Islanders were able to follow it up with a big win over the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights yesterday evening, however the team did have a rough go of it this weekend, apparently losing three key pieces in the efforts. It was already reported that forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri had been injured Friday in Arizona, which forced the pair out of last night’s game in Vegas, and as Newsday’s Andrew Gross writes, there’s still no update on whether either player’s injury could be a longer-term issue. Compounding the injury concerns, mid-way through the third period in Vegas, goaltender Semyon Varlamov abruptly exited the game during a TV timeout and was replaced by Ilya Sorokin, who finished out the remainder of the victory. As Gross adds, no further update on the goaltender was made available either by head coach Lane Lambert.
  • After Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie exited last night’s game, many wondered if the veteran had re-aggravated the injury that has forced him to miss fairly significant time this season and last. Though a clearer picture on his injury isn’t available, The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reports that Oshie is now listed as day-to-day, perhaps a fortunate break for Washington. Oshie, who turns 36 in a few days, did not participate in the Capitals’ optional skate this morning, which might be expected even in a best-case scenario.

Austin Watson Fined For Interference

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The NHL and its Department of Player Safety announced earlier that Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson has been fined $4,054.05 for interference on Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin last night. The fine is the maximum allowable under the CBA. The money will go the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

The incident occurred at 12:55 of the first period. Larkin would stay in the game after the play, however as Michigan Live’s Ansar Khan reports, Larkin is the only player who played in yesterday’s game not on the ice for practice this morning.

It appears this play was the cause of Ottawa’s recall of forward Scott Sabourin earlier this morning, with the team concerned Watson could be suspended for the play. Now with Watson merely fined, Ottawa should have their choice of who to dress in Minnesota against the Wild this afternoon. Through 30 games this season, the gritty Watson has four points along with 36 penalty minutes and 73 hits.

Nashville Predators Re-Assign Kevin Gravel, Roland McKeown To AHL

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The early roster shuffling on this Sunday morning continues with the Nashville Predators, who announced they’ve re-assigned defensemen Kevin Gravel and Roland McKeown to the Milwaukee Admirals, their AHL affiliate. Both players had been recalled on an emergency basis on December 12th. No corresponding move was announced, but with Jeremy Lauzon’s return last night, Nashville did have flexibility to send a defenseman down.

Gravel, 30, certainly didn’t go unused during his stint with Nashville. The defenseman made his Predators debut, getting into four games this week, averaging 14:38 while dishing out seven hits and blocking six shots. These games represented Gravel’s first NHL action since he appeared in three with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2019-20. A fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2010, the St. Cloud State alum has spent the bulk of his NHL career to date with the Kings (70 games) and the Edmonton Oilers (36 games).

A fellow Kings draft pick, McKeown, 26, also made his Predators debut this week, getting into three games, averaging 14:33 over that time. A longtime AHL veteran, this was McKeown’s first appearance in the NHL since his only other stint: 10 games with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2017-18. In the time since, the defenseman has appeared with the Charlotte Checkers, Colorado Eagles, and the Admirals in the AHL, as well as 24 games with Skelleftea AIK in the SHL during the 2019-20 season. Through 22 games for Milwaukee this season, McKeown has eight points along with a very healthy +12 rating.

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