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St. Louis Blues Recall Matt Luff

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The St. Louis Blues have recalled a stopgap as the team navigates multiple injuries to their forward core. According to a team announcement, the Blues have recalled veteran depth forward Matt Luff from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.

It’s been several years since Luff last played in the NHL. Dating back to the 2022-23 season, Luff played 19 games for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring two goals and four points with a -4 rating, while averaging less than 10 minutes of ice time per game.

He actually spent one additional year within the Red Wings organization, although he played exclusively for their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. Before that season with Detroit, and a one-year stint with the Nashville Predators, Luff had spent three years as a depth forward for the Los Angeles Kings, registering 10 goals and 17 points in 64 games.

Without a pathway back to the NHL, Luff settled on a PTO with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season before ultimately signing a one-year AHL deal with Springfield. It turned out beneficial for both sides as Luff enjoyed the best season of his professional career, tallying 18 goals and 45 points in 50 games. That extra offense was enough to earn the Thunderbirds a spot in the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, though they were eliminated in the First Round by the Providence Bruins.

Regardless, there’s no guarantee Luff will suit up in another NHL contest during this recall. The Blues are reportedly leaning toward giving Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who was recalled yesterday, his NHL debut. Additionally, Pius Suter is expected to return to the lineup after missing St. Louis’ previous two games.

Flyers’ Tyson Foerster Out Two To Three Months

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Dec. 3rd: As expected, the Flyers announce that they’ve placed Foerster on the injured reserve. The transaction opens up a spot on Philadelphia’s 23-man roster.

Dec. 2nd: Flyers winger Tyson Foerster is expected to miss two to three months with the upper-body injury he sustained in last night’s loss to the Penguins, the team announced.

The news sidelines Foerster, who leads the Flyers with 10 goals in 21 games, through the Olympic break. It was a non-contact injury as Foerster appeared to hyperextend his right shoulder or otherwise injure the upper arm area while unloading a one-timer midway through the second period (video via Flyers Clips on X).

It’s been a rough ride for the 23-year-old over the past few months. His status for opening night was doubtful through much of training camp after he sustained an elbow injury while playing for Canada at the World Championship back in May. The procedure itself wasn’t expected to keep him out through the start of the season, but he developed a related infection that delayed his recovery. He ended up not missing any time but sustained a lower-body injury at the beginning of November that landed him on injured reserve and kept him out for four games.

This absence will be in the 30-game range, though. If he returns right at the two-month mark, he could technically get a few reps in before the Olympic break – the Flyers’ last game before the schedule pause is on Feb. 5. But in the likely event he’s out until Philly resumes play on Feb. 25 (or even later if he misses a full three months), he’ll be out for at least 31 contests.

Under new head coach Rick Tocchet, the Flyers have flexed a high-end defensive system and a breakout season between the pipes from free-agent pickup Daniel Vladař to a 14-8-3 record, good for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference at the time of writing. Their offensive output, however, ranks 26th in goals per game (2.76) and 29th in shots per game (24.8). Missing their best finisher in Foerster, who’s shooting at a 24.4% clip and also ranks fifth on the team in shots per game, threatens to sink those numbers even further.

Since arriving in the NHL in 2023, Foerster has quietly emerged as one of the league’s better young two-way wingers. The 2020 first-round pick is a career 15.9% shooter – right in range with names like Auston Matthews, Zach Hyman, and Elias Pettersson over the same span. He’s also averaged over 17 minutes per game, factors in on the Flyers’ second penalty kill unit, and consistently boasts above-average possession impacts. He’s been on a different level defensively this year, only on the ice for 0.88 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.

Fresh off signing a two-year, $7.5MM extension that looked to be one of the best value bets in the league this season, he’s now ticketed for an extended absence. As for who will be the beneficiary of his top-nine minutes, rookie Nikita Grebenkin is a solid bet to get the first crack. He’s already seen some elevation from his usual fourth-line duties, skating a handful of games alongside Noah Cates and Travis Konecny. The offensive production hasn’t quite arrived for the 22-year-old Russian, who’s notched one goal and three points through 16 games, but boasts solid possession numbers in his limited minutes and is worth a look higher up in the lineup.

With Foerster unavailable, the Flyers no longer have a healthy extra forward on their roster. With five games left on a six-game homestand, there likely isn’t much motivation to make a recall unless another injury occurs.

Lightning Place Niko Huuhtanen On Unconditional Waivers

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Dec. 3rd: Although the Lightning have yet to make an announcement, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times confirms that Huuhtanen has cleared unconditional waivers, and his contract was terminated.

Dec. 2nd: The Lightning placed winger Niko Huuhtanen on unconditional waivers today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He will have his contract terminated tomorrow if he clears, and will become an unrestricted free agent.

Huuhtanen’s stock as a prospect has resembled a bell curve. Tampa Bay selected the 22-year-old in the seventh round with the final pick of the 2021 draft out of his native Finland, where he’d scored 20 goals and 34 points in 37 junior league games in the Tappara organization. He came to North America to finish his junior career in 2021-22 as an import draft selection by the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. There, he exploded for 37 goals and 77 points in 65 games, leading the league in goals by a rookie. He returned home the following season to begin his pro career, where he again adjusted seamlessly, putting up a 17-13–30 scoring line in 48 games for Jukurit to win the rookie scoring crown and earn Liiga Rookie of the Year honors.

By that time, Huuhtanen was on the map as a potential NHLer. Elite Prospects tabbed him as the No. 11 prospect in Tampa’s system entering the 2023-24 season, noting that his skating mechanics were still an issue despite his gaudy production in juniors and overseas. They were onto something. While Huuhtanen remained in Finland and had continued success with Jukurit that year, notching 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games, that was the last time he looked like he had a legitimate chance of reaching the top level.

Huuhtanen signed his entry-level contract with the Bolts in 2024 and arrived last season to play out the year with AHL Syracuse. As forewarned, the production didn’t translate as either side had hoped. The 6’3″ winger was limited to eight goals in 51 appearances, although he did add 12 assists for 20 points and a respectable +13 rating.

This season, though, he’s seen a further reduction in role. He started the season on the non-roster list due to an undisclosed injury. When he got healthy and was assigned to Syracuse at the beginning of November, he had a two-assist game in his debut but didn’t stick in the lineup. After just five games with three assists, the Bolts sent Huuhtanen down to ECHL Orlando. He suited up once for them on Nov. 22 and hasn’t appeared since.

Huuhtanen has still managed 23 points in 56 career regular-season AHL games. That might be enough for him to catch on with another NHL team on a two-way deal since he’s still relatively young, but in all likelihood, he’s angling for a return to Europe and will sign a new deal in the coming days.

Central Injury Notes: Brindley, O’Connor, Hellebuyck, McCarron

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Speaking on Denver’s Altitude Sports Radio (via Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette), head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, Jared Bednar, provided a few injury updates to forwards Gavin Brindley and Logan O’Connor. In a positive development, Bednar indicated that Brindley is ahead of schedule and is expected to return by the end of the team’s current road trip.

Brindley, 21, has been a valuable depth scorer for the Avalanche this season, registering four goals and seven points in 18 games, averaging 9:17 of ice time per night. That production in so few minutes garnered a two-year, $1.75MM extension from Colorado earlier in the season. Despite offering quality production in the team’s bottom-six, it’s difficult to say if the scorching Avalanche even noticed Brindley’s absence, as they’ve managed a 5-0-1 record in the six games without him so far while outscoring opponents 22-6.

Meanwhile, Bednar was more neutral when speaking on O’Connor. The seven-year veteran hasn’t played since Colorado’s Game Seven loss to the Dallas Stars last postseason due to a hip injury, and the team is still waiting for a clearer picture of his return.

Other injury updates from the Central Division:

  • According to Mitchell Clinton of the Winnipeg Jets, the team is expected to have netminder Connor Hellebuyck resume skating relatively soon. Although he won’t be returning early, it’s a positive update that Hellebuyck is staying on his original recovery timeline at the very least and has not suffered a setback. In the report, head coach Scott Arniel jokingly said, “I’m going to make sure he has four yellow (non-contact) jerseys on.” Winnipeg is 2-5-0 without Hellebuyck, allowing 25 goals against on 204 shots (.877 SV%).
  • It doesn’t appear that Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron will miss any more time with a lower-body injury. Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reports that McCarron fully participated in practice today after missing the team’s most recent contest against the Calgary Flames. The bottom-six center has scored one goal and five points in 25 games for the Predators this season, with a 53.8% success rate in the faceoff dot.

Mammoth Recall Maveric Lamoureux, Reassign Kevin Rooney

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According to a team announcement, the Utah Mammoth have recalled defenseman Maveric Lamoureux from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, and have reassigned forward Kevin Rooney in a corresponding roster move. The transaction indirectly confirms that Rooney cleared waivers and will remain ineligible for them until he spends another 30 days on the NHL roster or plays in 10 games.

It’s the first call-up of the year for the former 29th overall pick. Despite retaining his status as a rookie, Lamoureux skated in 15 games with Utah last season, scoring one goal and three points while averaging 16:07 of ice time.

Standing 6’6″, Lamoureux made his presence known in his brief time in the NHL last season. He racked up 18 hits and a whopping 42 PIMs, averaging out to 2.8 PIMs a game. Additionally, he showed a lot of promise on the defensive side of the puck, managing a 57.1% CorsiFor% at even strength and 92.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

He wasn’t drafted due to his offensive prowess, and that remains true today, although he’s shown signs of improvement. He finished last year with two goals and 13 points in 42 games at the AHL level, and has nearly matched that total this season, tallying nine assists through his first 19 contests.

Given that the Mammoth were willing to give him a roster spot, he’ll likely enter the lineup rather than become a seventh defenseman. It would make sense for Utah to replace Nick DeSimone with Lamoureux next to Ian Cole on the bottom pair.

Meanwhile, Rooney was a likely consequence of Lamoureux’s recall, given that most of his games this season have been played in the AHL. He’s scored one goal in one game with the Mammoth, and five goals and six points in eight games for the Roadrunners.

San Jose Sharks Assign Michael Misa On Conditioning Loan

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The San Jose Sharks are close to returning this past summer’s second-overall pick to the active roster. The Sharks announced they’ve placed Michael Misa on the team’s long-term injured reserve, and have assigned him to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda on a conditioning stint.

It’s not a foregone conclusion that Misa will return to the Sharks’ lineup by the end of the conditioning loan, though it is a workaround to the current rules regarding CHL-drafted 18-year-olds playing in the AHL. If the Sharks were to activate Misa and reassign him, he would have to play for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit instead of the Barracuda.

After scoring 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games for the Spirit last season, there’s little development available for Misa in the OHL. Still, considering how sheltered he was during his first few games in the NHL, and the subsequent lower-body injury that’s kept him sidelined since early November, sticking the rest of the year out in the NHL may not be the best avenue for his development, either.

Regardless, aside from Macklin Celebrini, it’s par for the course in how San Jose has treated their top prospects at the NHL level. Last season, in the first month of the season, Will Smith had registered only two goals through his first nine games, averaging 13:32 of ice time per night. That’s eerily similar to Misa, who’s scored one goal and three points in seven games, managing an ATOI of 11:44.

Smith’s usage had dramatically changed by the end of the season, as the former fourth-overall pick scored five goals and eight points in nine games, averaging 20:44 of action. There’s no guarantee that they’ll do the same with Misa, though it’s confirmation that the Sharks have been slowplaying their upper-level prospects throughout the course of a season.

Despite the open debate on whether Misa is better suited in the OHL or sheltered NHL minutes, it’s objectively better that he’s healthy and back to playing in some capacity. Given that he placed him on LTIR beforehand, the Sharks will now have six days or three games, whichever is longer, to make a longer-term decision on Misa’s immediate future. Additionally, they can request an extension on the conditioning stint that would allow them nine days or five games.

Boston Bruins Reassign Riley Tufte

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The Boston Bruins announced today that forward Riley Tufte has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.

Tufte, 27, was originally recalled on Nov. 17. He made an instant impact, scoring a late power play marker to break what would have been a shutout victory for the Carolina Hurricanes. That moment proved to be the high point of this recall for Tufte, as he was a healthy scratch for Boston’s game against Anaheim on Nov. 19. Tufte was in-and-out of the lineup for the next two weeks or so, skating in three additional games and serving as a scratch for four total contests.

The 2016 first-round pick earned this most recent recall on the back of a stellar start to his season with AHL Providence. Tufte scored eight goals and 18 points in just 13 games this season, and his record of solid production dates back to last year as well; Tufte scored 21 goals and 42 points in 58 games for the AHL Bruins in 2024-25.

While Tufte hasn’t been able to translate his scoring success at lower levels of the game to the NHL, the fact that he has been able to develop from low-scoring AHL bottom-sixer to a true top-six AHL scoring threat has at least helped him massively improve his odds of receiving NHL call-ups.

Standing 6’6″, 234 pounds, it’s fair to wonder whether Tufte has more value to give as an NHLer than he’s shown so far. Teams are always searching for players who blend overwhelming size with some scoring touch. But as mentioned, Tufte’s AHL scoring ability has yet to translate to NHL ice, and this most recent recall was no different.

Tufte is playing out a one-year, two-way contract that carries a league-minimum $775K NHL salary and a hefty $450K AHL salary, with a $500K total guarantee. Tufte’s progress as an AHL scorer has him on the cusp of earning a role as a full-time NHL bottom-sixer or spare forward, and his hefty AHL guarantee reflects that.

If he can continue his point-per-game AHL scoring pace and earn some more NHL call-ups, he could position himself to earn a one-way contract once again in his upcoming unrestricted free agency. Tufte played 2024-25 on a one-way $775K deal, and could be aiming to restore at least that level of compensation this summer.

Tyler Seguin Suffers ACL Injury, Out Long Term

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Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan told the media today, including radio analyst Bruce LeVine, that veteran forward Tyler Seguin has suffered an ACL injury and will “probably” be out for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

The news comes after Seguin had to be helped off the ice last night during the team’s overtime loss to the New York Rangers. This unfortunate development comes almost exactly one year after it was announced that Seguin would miss most of the rest of the 2024-25 season due to hip surgery. Seguin ended up returning in time for the Stars’ regular-season finale, and managed to play in 18 playoff games.

So far this season, Seguin had kept up his standard of solid offensive production. While he wasn’t scoring at the point-per-game clip Stars fans grew accustomed to in the late 2010s, his 17 points in 27 games still set an 82-game pace of 52. He currently ranks fifth among Stars forwards in 2025-26 scoring.

Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reported that the Stars “are still awaiting more input from doctors to determine the exact timeline” of Seguin’s recovery, as well as whether he’ll be available to play in the playoffs, which the Stars will almost assuredly qualify for. Assimakopoulos added that “it doesn’t seem like” the Stars “are too optimistic” that Seguin will be available to play again this season.

Seguin had been playing on Dallas’ second line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, and he was succeeding in that capacity. But now for a second straight year, a significant injury will cost him the chance to play in even 30 regular-season games.

Owen Newkirk of DLLS Sports relayed word from Gulutzan that veteran forward Matt Duchene, who is dealing with his own injury, is currently “day-to-day” and is inching towards a return to the lineup. It appears likely that whenever Duchene is ready to return, he’ll slot into Seguin’s vacated spot as the team’s second-line right winger behind Mikko Rantanen.

Since Seguin is under contract for another season after this one at a $9.85MM AAV, this injury won’t cost him the chance to put together a healthy, productive platform season. But it will most likely cost Seguin the chance to compete for a second career Stanley Cup championship. The Stars will still chase their franchise’s second title without Seguin, and now that the extent of his injury is all but confirmed, expect focus on potential fits for Dallas on the trade market to increase.

The Stars have been the NHL’s second-best team so far in 2025-26, with their 39 points trailing only the Colorado Avalanche (who have one regulation loss all year) in the standings. The Stars have all the makings of a true Stanley Cup contender this season, and it would be a surprise if GM Jim Nill went the entire season without acquiring additional scoring help.

The Stars traded for both Rantanen and veteran Mikael Granlund to bolster its attack last season, and while a trade on the scale of the Rantanen deal will be almost impossible to complete, expect Dallas to be in the mix for the top rental scoring options. That may have been the case even before this development regarding Seguin, but Seguin’s ACL injury will only further heighten the team’s need to add scoring reinforcements for what it hopes will be a long playoff run.

Assuming Seguin is indeed out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, the team does at least gain a significant amount of financial flexibility. Seguin could be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), which would give the Stars quite a bit of room to make additions without running afoul of the league’s payroll limits.

Photos Courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Colorado Avalanche Recall Trent Miner

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The Colorado Avalanche announced today that goalie Trent Miner has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. This roster move comes in the aftermath of an injury suffered by netminder Scott Wedgewood. Wedgewood left the team’s Dec. 2 contest with an upper-body injury and did not return.

Head coach Jared Bednar said last night that he wasn’t sure whether the organization would need to recall a third goalie for its upcoming road trip, but today’s recall indicates that the organization is at least preparing for the possibility that Wedgewood could miss time. The Avalanche play tomorrow on Long Island and continue on the road until their Dec. 11 game against the Florida Panthers.

Miner, 24, returns to the Avalanche’s NHL roster for the second time this season. Miner was in the NHL in October, playing in two games and recording a .909 save percentage. Since being sent down to AHL Colorado, Miner has gone 4-1 with a .908 save percentage. He’s proven himself to be a capable AHL goalie over the last few years, posting an impressive career save percentage of .919 in more than 70 games played.

Miner is under contract through next season on a two-way basis with a $775K NHL AAV, and looks poised to serve as the Avalanche’s organizational No. 3 goalie through the end of this season at least. Looking forward to next year, the one-year, $2.5MM AAV contract extension Wedgewood signed on Nov. 13 does appear at this point to block Miner’s path to becoming part of Colorado’s NHL tandem.

But if he can keep putting together quality AHL performances, and find a way to show his talent in his limited NHL opportunities, he could get looks this summer as a potential candidate to become an NHL backup outside of Colorado.

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