East Notes: Tkachuk, Coleman, Jensen, Newhook
Earlier today, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now passed along a note from Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice indicating that Matthew Tkachuk could begin skating by the end of the month.
The news does not significantly alter Tkachuk’s recovery timeline, which is still expected to be around mid-December. Still, it’s confirmation that he’s on the right track to returning on time from his groin injury, which is nothing but music to the ears of the Panthers and the USA’s Olympic roster.
Florida’s last time on the ice came with a Stanley Cup above his shoulders for the second time in as many years. Florida has struggled out of the gates without their top two highest-paid forwards and would significantly benefit from adding Tkachuk’s goal-scoring and physicality back into the mix.
Other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (per James Nichols of NJ Hockey Now), the New Jersey Devils are contemplating an attempt to bring back a familiar face. Pagnotta indicated that the Devils are interested in acquiring forward Blake Coleman from the Calgary Flames, who scored 57 goals and 94 points in 237 games for New Jersey from 2016 to 2020. Unfortunately, Coleman has a $4.9MM salary for this year and next with a 10-team no-trade clause, which is something the Devils couldn’t afford unless they moved out their own salary.
- Outside of ending the Boston Bruins’ seven-game winning streak, the Ottawa Senators are dealing with some injury concerns on their blue line. The Senators announced that defenseman Nick Jensen had left the game due to an upper-body injury, and didn’t have any updates regarding his status after the game. Jensen finished the game with one hit and two giveaways with a -1 rating in 12:02 of action.
- The Montreal Canadiens are dealing with some injury concerns from their lopsided loss to the Dallas Stars tonight. Montreal shared that Alex Newhook had left the game with an undisclosed injury and is still being evaluated. His only mark on the scoresheet was his brief time on ice of 5:54.
Golden Knights’ William Karlsson Out Week-To-Week
According to a team announcement, the Vegas Golden Knights are expected to be without forward William Karlsson for the next few weeks due to a lower-body injury. Karlsson missed his first game of the year on Monday against the Florida Panthers due to the injury.
It’s an unfortunate circumstance for Karlsson and the Golden Knights, as he was quietly placed on the team’s injured reserve yesterday morning. Although he’s not a direct replacement, Vegas has recalled Braeden Bowman from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights after scoring seven goals and 12 points through his first 12 games to start the season.
Once again, the Golden Knights’ regular-season success is being heavily impacted by injury concerns. Alongside Karlsson, the team was already without captain Mark Stone and starting netminder Adin Hill for the foreseeable future. They’re currently 7-4-4 and two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference standings.
Unfortunately, this is all too familiar for Karlsson. One of the four remaining “Misfits”, Karlsson lost 29 games to a lower-body injury last year, finishing with nine goals and 29 points. He had gotten off to a relatively solid start to the current season, scoring four goals and seven points in 14 games while averaging 15:09 of ice time per game.
It’s a tricky situation for the cap-strapped Golden Knights. According to the new LTIR rules, Vegas is only able to shed Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8MM salary this season since he won’t feature during the year or the postseason. Unfortunately, even with Stone on LTIR and Karlsson now on the IR, the Golden Knights only have a little over $450K in cap space, leaving them with very few options to fill in their injury holes.
Oilers To Activate Zach Hyman This Weekend
There is light at the end of the tunnel for Zach Hyman. According to Edmonton Oilers reporter Tony Brar, the Oilers will activate Hyman this weekend, and he’ll make his season debut against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
It’s been a long time coming for Hyman. The former 54-goal scorer has been recovering from wrist surgery since Game 5 of the 2025 Western Conference Final and hasn’t appeared in an NHL contest since May 27th.
Despite having a relatively disappointing 2024-25 campaign, it’s safe to say that the Oilers have missed him dearly. Edmonton is tied for 22nd in even-strength goals through their first 18 games of the 2025-26 season, which is wholly unacceptable for a team with the ability to have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the ice at the same time. Of the 81 goals that Hyman has scored over the last two years, 60 of them have been while the Oilers are at even strength.
Still, although Hyman will undoubtedly help Edmonton’s offensive struggles, he shouldn’t be considered a cure-all. The Oilers are 29th in goals against at even strength (42), something that Hyman won’t be able to help with too much. Even though Edmonton’s special teams have been solid to start the year, their even-strength play is why they’ve begun on an 8-6-4 record and are barely holding onto postseason positioning as we approach American Thanksgiving.
He’s a gritty winger and has proven to be a more than capable first-line winger, but Hyman doesn’t have the defensive prowess to really turn things around for the Oilers. There’s no questioning that the team is not one first-line winger away from winning the Stanley Cup, and will need to find a way to procure suitable goaltending before the end of the season if they want to have a realistic opportunity.
Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner Generating Trade Interest
It’s never too early for teams to start planning to bring in additional pieces to their lineup. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period believes another name has entered the trade market, saying that Columbus Blue Jackets’ captain Boone Jenner would be an ideal fit for most contending teams.
Still, it’s unlikely that any trade chatter regarding Jenner is coming from the Blue Jackets. Pagnotta is correct that Columbus is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but it’s important to add context. They technically have a winning record (8-7-1) and are only two points removed from the last wild-card spot.
Given that Columbus is one good week away from being included in the contention conversation, they likely haven’t had substantive internal discussions about moving anyone this season. Regardless, there’s no questioning that Jenner would provide a handsome return if they made him available.
For starters, there are virtually no hurdles to clear in a potential Jenner trade. He’s making an affordable $3.75MM salary this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer, and only has an eight-team no-trade clause as far as protection goes. Even if Jenner somehow has eight contending teams on his no-trade clause, the Blue Jackets would realistically have another eight to 10 teams to choose from.
Although he might not be the top-six forward that Columbus has often utilized him as, Jenner would be a well-above-average third-line forward for most competitive teams. He can play all three forward positions, though his 54.1% career success rate in the faceoff dot over 8,000+ career draws suggests he’s best at center.
Additionally, Jenner underrated physical presence on the ice, often registering more than 100 hits a year, and over 200 hits on four different occasions. He’s defensively sound as well, averaging a 90.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength throughout his career.
This leaves his offensive game as the main point of contention, and why he’s likely better used as a third-line pivot rather than a top-six piece. It’s challenging to gauge exactly where Jenner’s offensive game stands now, considering the injury history he’s faced over the last several years. Still, he’s tallied 32 goals and 64 points in his previous 100 games, which is a 52-point 82-game average.
That offensive production may appear like a capable top-six forward on most teams. Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets have faced difficulty in keeping Jenner in that role, given that he hasn’t played in 70 or more games since the 2019-20 season. Regardless, given his other attributes, Jenner would be a valuable piece for any postseason team.
Dallas Stars Place Adam Erne On Injured Reserve
The Dallas Stars will be without one of their depth forwards for at least the next little while. The Stars announced they’ve placed Adam Erne on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, retroactive to November 11th.
Although he’s far from a high-profile talent, Erne was one of the most surprising signings from the summer. The 2024-25 campaign was the first time in nine years that Erne hadn’t registered an NHL contest.
He signed a professional tryout agreement with the New York Rangers in the early portion of the preseason heading into the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, Erne wasn’t able to capitalize on the tryout and instead had to settle for a PTO with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. After registering one assist in 10 games for the Wolf Pack, Erne was released from his PTO in mid-November and didn’t play another minute of professional hockey.
Still, leave it to a cap-strapped team with a significant need for depth to give Erne his next opportunity. The former 33rd overall selection of the 2013 NHL Draft required another PTO again this September, though he managed to turn it into a one-year, two-way contract this time around.
He’s played fairly well early on for Dallas. Erne has skated in 14 games so far, scoring two goals and three points while averaging 9:37 of ice time and recording 44 hits. The expectation is that Erne will return around American Thanksgiving.
Devils Recall Nathan Legare, Place Zack MacEwen On IR
According to a team announcement, the New Jersey Devils have recalled forward Nathan Legare from the AHL’s Utica Comets. Additionally, the team placed Zack MacEwen on injured reserve in a corresponding roster move.
It’s the first recall of the year for the former 74th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Legare has spent his first 11 games of the 2025-26 season with the Comets, registering one goal and 21 PIMs with a -7 rating.
If Legare plays in the Devils’ next game against the Washington Capitals, it’ll be his first NHL contest in nearly a year. He earned a three-game stint with New Jersey in December of last year, going scoreless. The remainder of his season was spent in Utica, where he scored 17 goals and 25 points in 69 games with 102 PIMs.
Meanwhile, MacEwen lands on the IR for the second time this season, this time with a lower-body ailment. His recent trip on the IR kept him out of the lineup from October 11th to November 10th. Due to repeated injuries, the physical 29-year-old depth forward has only managed three contests with the Devils this season, going scoreless. MacEwen spent the last two years with the Ottawa Senators, where he scored four goals and six points in 51 games while also recording 104 hits.
Jets Activate Dylan Samberg, Gustav Nyquist From Injured Reserve
The Jets announced they’ve activated defenseman Dylan Samberg and winger Gustav Nyquist from injured reserve. Both will return to the lineup tonight against the Kraken. Winnipeg placed defenseman Haydn Fleury and winger Cole Koepke on IR in their places to stay at the 23-player roster limit.
Tonight marks Samberg’s season debut. The 26-year-old sustained a broken wrist in training camp and required surgery. He’s fresh off landing a three-year, $17.25MM commitment from the Jets in restricted free agency as he returns for his fifth NHL season. The 2017 second-round pick emerged as a core piece of their top four last year, seeing his ice time jump to over 21 minutes per game while serving as the left-hand man for Neal Pionk. In those expanded minutes, Samberg recorded 20 points and a +34 rating in 60 appearances as he and Pionk dominated play to the tune of a 56.7 xGF%, per MoneyPuck.
To say Winnipeg has sorely missed Samberg’s services would be an understatement. They’ve elevated fellow large lefty Logan Stanley into his spot with Pionk while he’s been sidelined, and it hasn’t gone well. The 2016 first-rounder’s seven points and +7 rating in 16 games are quite strong at first glance, but the underlying numbers aren’t there. They’re outscoring opponents 8-3 due to spectacular goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck while they’re on the ice, but are controlling just 42.1% of expected goals and 43.2% of shot attempts. Stanley is bound for a downward slide soon, based on those numbers, so they’re happy to get Samberg back in that spot before it has a chance to happen.
Nyquist is returning from a much briefer absence. He’s sat out the last five games with an undisclosed injury early on Oct. 30 against the Blackhawks. He’ll be returning in a sheltered fourth-line role with Tanner Pearson and Parker Ford after getting consistent middle-six deployment to start the season, the team’s Mitchell Clinton relayed. That’s because Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti both came off IR in Nyquist’s absence, pushing him down the depth chart.
Winnipeg signed the 36-year-old to a one-year, $3.25MM deal in free agency to add depth in the wake of losing Nikolaj Ehlers to the Hurricanes on the open market. The 14-year vet was coming off a major step back in production following his career-high 75 points with the Predators in 2023-24. He mustered just 11 goals and 28 points in 79 games split between Nashville and Minnesota before staying in the Central Division in free agency with the Jets. He’s had his minutes slashed to 12:19 per game with Winnipeg and is still looking for his first goal of the season but has managed five assists and a +1 rating in 11 appearances.
Fleury is in concussion protocol after departing Tuesday’s game against the Canucks earlier, head coach Scott Arniel said. The IR placement rules him out for the next three games. He’ll be eligible to return on Nov. 21 against the Hurricanes if he clears protocol by then. He’d played a regular role to start the year with Samberg out, but was likely going to come out of the lineup anyway. The 29-year-old had yet to record a point through 15 appearances and logged a -5 rating in under 15 minutes of ice time per game.
Koepke has already been out since sustaining an undisclosed injury against the Sharks on Nov. 7, so the placement only rules him out for tonight’s contest. He’s technically eligible for activation on Saturday against the Flames, a distinct possibility since he’s only considered day-to-day. After signing with the Jets over the offseason, the 27-year-old has two assists and a -4 rating in 14 games.
Ducks Reassign Sam Colangelo
The Ducks announced they’ve reassigned winger Sam Colangelo to AHL San Diego. They’re now left with an open roster spot after activating Ryan Strome from injured reserve earlier in the week. Strome didn’t re-enter the lineup immediately after his activation but will do so tonight, per the team’s Aly Lozoff, prompting Colangelo’s demotion so as not to be carrying three extra forwards. Mikael Granlund is also making his return to the lineup tonight – on a line with fellow veterans Strome and Frank Vatrano – after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, although he never landed on IR.
Colangelo, 23, is waiver-exempt until he plays 28 more NHL games, but he was clearly the odd man out anyway. He’d served as a healthy scratch in six straight and hasn’t played since Halloween. The 2020 second-round pick broke camp with the Ducks for the first time this year after working his way into a semi-regular role down the stretch in 2024-25, notching 10 goals and 12 points in 32 games. The 6’2″ winger has been immensely productive since turning pro out of Western Michigan in 2024, putting up 22 goals and 40 points in 40 AHL contests last year as well.
That led to some rightful optimism that he could be an important depth contributor for Anaheim sooner rather than later, but the Ducks’ additions of Granlund and Chris Kreider over the summer pushed him down the depth chart somewhat. He’s also been overshadowed by 2024 No. 3 overall pick Beckett Sennecke snatching a spot in the top nine and rattling off 11 points through his first 16 NHL games, while Nikita Nesterenko, who also entered the season on the bubble like Colangelo, has churned out seven points in 14 games in a bottom-six role. Colangelo’s ice time has been correspondingly limited, averaging 10:12 through seven contests. When dressed, he’s only managed one goal and a -3 rating.
That’s not to say Colangelo won’t be a productive NHL piece someday, but the cards haven’t yet aligned for him to make the jump. He’ll now head back to familiar stomping grounds in San Diego, where, if the demotion sticks, he should expect to be atop their scoring leaderboard at season’s end.
Avalanche Activate Samuel Girard, Recall Taylor Makar
The Avalanche announced today that they’ve activated defenseman Samuel Girard from injured reserve and recalled winger Taylor Makar from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. They had three open roster spots after reassigning Jack Ahcan to the Eagles yesterday, so no corresponding moves are required.
So ends what had been a lengthy IR stint for the 27-year-old Girard. He only logged two appearances before sustaining an upper-body injury and being designated as week-to-week. When he returns to the lineup tonight against the Sabres, he’ll be doing so in an unfamiliar third-pairing role with Sam Malinski, per Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. He’s been a top-four fixture for the better part of seven years for the Avs, but coming off a pair of underwhelming seasons in the points department, he’ll get a bit of a demotion here. There’s an understandable hesitancy to break up the Brent Burns–Josh Manson pairing that emerged in Girard’s absence, which is controlling 58.8% of expected goals and 55.3% of shot attempts at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.
Girard is in the penultimate season of the seven-year, $35MM contract extension he signed with the Avs in 2019. At the time, it was viewed as a likely steal in the latter years of the deal, but it’s turned out closer to fair value as he’s seen his numbers dip in the past few seasons. After peaking with a 32-point effort in just 48 games in 2020-21, Girard’s offense has steadied out at around the 30-point range per season over an 82-game pace, and injuries will have limited him to fewer than 70 games in three of the last five seasons, including 2025-26. His possession metrics have taken a hit in some recent years – particularly 2024-25, when he posted a relative Corsi share of -0.9% and controlled an underwhelming 50.1% of expected goals on an Avs team that controlled nearly 54% overall.
They’re hoping some sheltered minutes can help boost his possession impacts and bring him back in line with Colorado’s dominant start to the season in virtually every area. He’ll have something of a breakout partner in Malinski, who’s rattled off eight points and a +10 rating in 17 contests despite being something of an afterthought on the Avs’ blue line.
Makar will make his second career NHL appearance tonight in a fourth-line role with Parker Kelly and Zakhar Bardakov. That duo has had Gavin Brindley as a wingman frequently this season, but the recently-extended youngster is getting a promotion to the top six on Brock Nelson‘s line as Valeri Nichushkin exits the lineup with a lower-body injury that has him out week-to-week.
Cale’s younger brother was a seventh-round pick in 2021 and is in his first professional season after four years in college, three coming with UMass and the fourth with Maine. The 6’4″ checker was buried on a deep UMass club but broke out upon transferring to Maine for his senior season, notching 18 goals, 30 points, and a +24 rating in 38 games. He hasn’t found that same offensive success in the minors, scoring once with four points in 13 games, but is a low-maintenance fourth-line fit in limited minutes.
Makar’s NHL debut came in an overtime loss to the Sharks on the first of the month. He logged eight shifts for 6:07 of ice time, managing a shot attempt and a hit.
Islanders Recall Travis Mitchell
The Islanders announced they’ve recalled defenseman Travis Mitchell from AHL Bridgeport. Defenseman Scott Mayfield was moved to the non-roster list to open up a spot for him, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports. He’s unavailable against the Golden Knights tonight while on paternity leave.
Mitchell, 25, wasn’t at the Islanders’ morning skate in Vegas, Rosner reports, and is still on his way to join the club. He won’t be a factor tonight unless he has to be because of a last-minute injury. It will be Adam Boqvist drawing into third-pairing duties with Alexander Romanov in Mayfield’s place, per Rosner.
If Mitchell gets any playing time while Mayfield is out, it would be his NHL debut. He was recalled for a week last November but was scratched for every game. The 6’4″ lefty was an undrafted free agent signing out of Cornell in 2023. While his entry-level contract expired after last season, the Isles extended him a qualifying offer and then re-upped him on a two-way deal to keep him in the organization for 2025-26. He’ll be eligible to test unrestricted free agency at the end of the season via Group VI status.
Mitchell has been a heavy hitter for Bridgeport, but not a ton else. In 12 appearances this season, the Michigan native has three assists with a -1 rating and 27 penalty minutes. He racked up 101 PIMs last year but was also limited to 13 points with a -22 rating in 65 games.
As for Mayfield, he’s done well to re-establish himself this season in year three of his seven-year, $24.5MM contract. He’s played in all 16 games this season after being benched at times over the last two years and is averaging 18:48 of ice time per game, his highest since the 2022-23 season. The shutdown rearguard has three assists and a +1 rating but only has 11 hits, by far the lowest per game of his career.