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Flyers Recall Carl Grundstrom

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced this evening that forward Carl Grundström has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley. After receiving the tough news that Tyson Foerster is out for two to three months earlier today, the Flyers naturally needed to add a forward to the mix, and opt for Grundström, who brings 293 games of NHL experience. 

The 28-year-old was acquired by the Flyers in October from San Jose in a deal where Ryan Ellis’ contract was moved out. Although Grundström is no longer a viable full time NHLer at this point, and therefore has a slightly inflated contract at $1.8MM (set to expire after this season) adding a solid depth option for a LTIR player was a favorable move for GM Daniel Briere. The Swede has been a top scorer for Lehigh Valley, and considering his contract rate, there is virtually no chance he will be claimed on waivers by another team, so his appeal as a stop-gap forward is obvious.

Once a standout prospect for the Maple Leafs, Grundström was a useful bottom sixer for the Kings for four years after coming over in the Jake Muzzin deal. He never reached 20 points in a season, but brought a simplified, gritty game to the lineup each night. After it was apparent he had lost his role as the Kings returned to contender status, Grundström was sent to the Sharks, but was unable to stick after nine points in 56 games, helping the team weather the storms of their hardcore rebuilding days. 

Now, with Foerster out, Grundström will have an opportunity to re-establish himself in the NHL, bringing a playing style very friendly to the orange and black. The Flyers host Buffalo tomorrow as they look to fend off a throng of teams set on contention below themselves, and hold onto their spot in the wild card mix. 

Blue Jackets Place Mathieu Olivier On IR, Recall Luca Del Bel Belluz

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that Mathieu Olivier has been placed on injured reserve, and forward Luca Del Bel Belluz has been recalled from AHL Cleveland on an emergency basis. Thankfully the team will have some time to settle, as they are not in action again until Thursday when they host Detroit. 

Olivier is thought to be week-to-week, absent since leaving mid-game against Washington on November 24th with an apparent upper-body injury. The 28-year-old epitomizes the modern-day grinder. Undrafted out of the QMJHL, he caught on with the Predators organization but never broke out. After the 2021-22 season, Olivier got a fresh start as Columbus gave up a fourth round pick for the winger, which at the time felt like a lot for a grinder with limited NHL upside. Instead, Olivier established himself as a Jacket in 2022-23, playing in 66 games and setting career highs across the board. He took a massive step last season with 18 goals and 32 points, earning a well deserved six-year extension worth $3MM per season. 

With three goals in 23 games so far, the scoring touch has fallen a bit, but once healthy, Olivier will return as a vital cog in the Jackets’ bottom six, a role he will likely hold for years to come. 

On the other hand, Del Bel Belluz, 22, is a top prospect for Columbus after being selected in the second round of the 2022 draft. The Ontario native’s path to the NHL has been a bit clouded with the additions of veterans such as Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood, along with their group of exciting young forwards, but he has certainly held his own in the AHL. Del Bel Belluz has 11 points in as many games with Cleveland this year, and had 53 in 61 games last season. The center got into seven games with the Jackets already this season, but in a limited fourth line deployment, it wasn’t the best scenario for the youngster. 

Now, with Olivier down for the time being, Del Bel Belluz has another crack to make his mark, with seven NHL points to his name at this point, and help the Blue Jackets close out 2025 on the right note. 

Senators Reassign Hayden Hodgson To AHL

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The Ottawa Senators announced this afternoon that forward Hayden Hodgson has been sent back to AHL Belleville. The bruising winger was called up to the big club on November 9th, since then appearing in eight contests, with no points, and 11 penalty minutes, playing in a limited capacity. 

Hodgson, 29, has three career NHL points in 17 games between Ottawa and the Flyers, not exactly a world-beater, but considering his path to this point, etching himself into a Senators lineup is seriously impressive. The Ontario native was undrafted out of the OHL, and spent the next several seasons grinding away in the ECHL, even making a short stop in Slovakia before coming back to North America. The decision to return paid off, as he eventually earned an opportunity with the Flyers in the 2021-22 season, scoring a goal in a short NHL run, in his debut, no less.  

After catching on with Ottawa on a two-way deal, last season Hodgson led the Belleville Senators with 156 penalty minutes, and in 10 games with them so far in 2025-26, he has three goals. In an age where players in his mold are largely phased out of the NHL, impressively Hodgson has managed to make a name for himself, and is signed through 2026-27 with the Senators organization. Although headed back to Belleville for now, the Sens could call upon their bruiser again in the near future as a reliable fourth line option with serious physicality. 

Bruins Activate Viktor Arvidsson

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3:45 p.m.: Arvidsson has been activated and will be in the lineup tonight, per Ryan. Boston had an open roster spot after sending Georgii Merkulov down over the weekend.

8:09 a.m.: Although they will be without star winger David Pastrňák for the third straight game, the Boston Bruins will get a boost to their top-six tonight. In a new report from Conor Ryan of Boston.com, the Bruins are likely to welcome winger Viktor Arvidsson back from the injured reserve ahead of their upcoming contest against the Detroit Red Wings.

Arvidsson, who’s in his first year with Boston, has missed the last few weeks with a lower-body injury. He sustained the injury during the Bruins’ November 15th contest against their rival, the Montreal Canadiens. He has been a full participant in practice the last few days.

This was the risk for Boston in acquiring Arvidsson in the first place. In the last two years with the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers, the former 112th overall pick has skated in only 85 games, scoring 21 goals and 42 points while averaging 15:21 of ice time.

His average production has been solid, but missing nearly half of the available contests is unreliable at best. He continued that scoring pace earlier this season with the Bruins, registering six goals and 10 points in 20 games, managing a 14:33 ATOI.

Much like anyone else, Arvidsson can hardly replace the void left by Pastrňák, though he’ll help soften the blow somewhat. Boston remains hopeful that Pastrňák is only day-to-day, though only time will tell when he’ll eventually return. Despite splitting their two games without their best player, the Bruins have been outscored 8-5 without Pastrňák.

Stars’ Lian Bichsel Out Six Weeks

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Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel needs surgery to address the lower-body injury he sustained Sunday against the Senators and will miss around six weeks of action, head coach Glen Gulutzan told reporters today (including Peter Baugh of The Athletic). Dallas hasn’t made a roster move, but with no healthy extra defensemen available anymore on their road trip, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an injured reserve placement for either Bichsel or Thomas Harley, who’s out week-to-week with a lower-body issue, to open up a roster spot.

Bichsel left the 6-1 drubbing of the Sens midway through the second period and didn’t return. He was on the receiving end of what seemed like an innocuous hit by Ottawa winger Fabian Zetterlund in the neutral zone, but he lost an edge, and his left leg buckled awkwardly against the boards. He didn’t put any weight on his leg and needed assistance getting off the ice.

That’s now three regular defenders the Stars are without. In addition to Bichsel and Harley, Nils Lundkvist remains on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a lower-body injury in the fourth game of the season. Harley’s absence meant an elevation in minutes for his fellow lefty in Bichsel, who’s played almost exclusively on a pairing with Alexander Petrovic this year, with middling results.

The 2022 first-round pick has three points and a +6 rating in 26 appearances, but his under-the-hood numbers aren’t as promising. Dallas has controlled just 40.5% of shot attempts when Bichsel is on the ice at 5-on-5, the third-worst figure on the team behind Adam Erne and Ilya Lyubushkin. A heavy bit of defensive zone workload doesn’t help his case, but considering Petrovic has posted better numbers in isolation in every meaningful category, it’s clear the 21-year-old still has plenty of development to do defensively before he’s ready to challenge for top-four minutes.

Still, their left-side depth looks quite weak until Harley’s able to get back into the fold. Lefty Miro Heiskanen has played his offside all year long on the top pairing with Esa Lindell. Behind Lindell, it’s now mid-season call-ups Kyle Capobianco and Vladislav Kolyachonok holding down the fort on the second and third pairings. Those two have done as well as can be expected and actually lead the team in even-strength shot-attempt share at 51.8% and 53.8%, respectively.

The Stars haven’t played great possession hockey this season – as to be expected, given injuries have also robbed key forwards Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene of significant time – and have ridden an unsustainably high 13.5% team shooting rate. That’s propped their record all the way up to 17-5-4, even riding a four-game win streak to sit comfortably in second place in the Central Division behind the league-leading Avalanche. Regression is bound to bring their points percentage down at some point, but the longer they can ride the wave with their defensive depth stretched as thin as it is, the healthier margin they’ll build for the back half of the schedule.

Mammoth Recall Daniil But, Reassign Dmitri Simashev

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The Mammoth are swapping a pair of their top prospects. The team announced they’ve recalled winger Daniil But from AHL Tucson while sending down defenseman Dmitriy Simashev in a corresponding move. Center Kevin Rooney was also placed on waivers and will be assigned to Tucson if he clears.

But and Simashev were both top-15 picks in the 2023 draft, the last premier prospects drafted under the Coyotes moniker before the franchise’s hockey operations were sold and reestablished in Utah. Simashev went sixth overall, while But went 12th. The two spent their entire careers in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s system in their native Russia, winning a Gagarin Cup championship together last year before signing their entry-level contracts and heading to the Mammoth for 2025-26.

While Simashev managed to wrestle a roster spot on the blue line, But was left on the outside as one of the Mammoth’s final roster cuts. He took the demotion in stride. After netting back-to-back 20-point seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Lokomotiv, he’s rattled off eight goals and 17 points in 19 games with Tucson to lead the club in scoring.

After a hot start to the season, Utah’s offense has cooled off. They’re now 19th in the league with 2.96 goals per game. Some of that can be attributed to a power play that’s languishing at a league-worst 13.2%, but their 10.3% finishing rate is also below average by a few ticks. Chance generation hasn’t been much of an issue – they’re 12th in shots per game and have the fifth-most scoring chances in the league at 5-on-5 – but the offensive output outside of their top five forwards leaves a little to be desired. Alexander Kerfoot’s persisting absence has been a contributing factor there, as well as underwhelming performances from middle-six centers Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain, who have five points each in 24 and 27 appearances, respectively.

But isn’t a guaranteed fix, but the 20-year-old’s smooth adjustment to North America shows he’s worth a shot. Most will see him listed at 6’5″ and 203 lbs and assume a high-ceiling power forward – he is not. Physical elements aren’t entirely absent from But’s game, but he’s a skill guy first and foremost. In their draft-year scouting report of But, Elite Prospects highlighted “his ability to chain difficult pass receptions into handling moves and handling moves into passes or shots” and praised his release as well. He’s another name in a star-studded Mammoth forward pool that’s now also gained Tij Iginla at sixth overall in 2024 and Caleb Desnoyers at fourth overall this year. Those two are viewed as slightly higher-ceiling talents, pushing But down to the No. 4-ranked prospect in Utah’s pool last offseason by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff and by NHL.com.

As for Simashev, the writing was on the wall regarding his demotion. He’s run into a recent string of healthy scratches following Sean Durzi’s return from injured reserve, sitting in the press box three times in Utah’s last eight games. His first NHL sample didn’t change his status as the Mammoth’s No. 3 prospect behind Iginla and Desnoyers and as their top young defenseman. Also of hulking stature at 6’4″ and nearly 200 lbs, he’s a shutdown man who’s never put up flashy point totals – he scored just once in 29 junior games in his draft year – but does have some good first-pass ability.

His initial audition, though, shows that some minor-league time wouldn’t be the worst thing. Rarely does a defender with his skillset make a smooth adjustment to the NHL at age 20. In 24 appearances, he notched one assist and a -9 rating while averaging 15:28 of ice time per game. He got some top-pairing deployment with countryman Mikhail Sergachev, but also saw significant time lower on the depth chart with Ian Cole. The lefty was outscored 15-7 at 5-on-5 and controlled 47.5% of shot attempts, 7.1% worse than how Utah fared without him on the ice. With Durzi back in the fold and veteran Nick DeSimone posting better possession impacts in a limited sample, it was hard to justify keeping Simashev in a regular role – at least for now.

Rooney’s waiver placement signals the end of his third stint on Utah’s roster this season without receiving much playing time. He finally made his Mammoth debut last week on Friday against the Stars, notching a goal in 9:44 of ice time. The 32-year-old has served as a No. 14/15 forward for much of the year after signing a two-way deal at the end of training camp. It’s his second time on waivers after he cleared them following his signing. Across a few brief loans to Tucson, the 6’2″ pivot has five goals and an assist in eight appearances.

Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin Returning To Lineup

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The Avalanche will have winger Valeri Nichushkin back in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Canucks, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. He was never placed on injured reserve, so no corresponding move is required.

While Nichushkin remains a core piece of Colorado’s top six forward group, the first-place Avs haven’t looked worse for wear without him. Since Nichushkin went down with a lower-body injury on Nov. 11, the Avs have gone 7-0-1 and still have a four-point gap on first place with an 18-1-6 record overall. Their first and only regulation loss came more than a month ago against the Bruins on Oct. 25.

Nichushkin was ruled week-to-week as a result of his injury, but it was clear in the past couple of days that his return was imminent. He’s no stranger to lengthy absences, notwithstanding his stints in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in the last few years. Ankle issues took out a good portion of his 2022-23 campaign, and he missed 21 games with a lower-body issue last year.

Still, the 10th overall pick back in 2013 has been an elite two-way presence since his big breakout with the Avs in 2021-22. In the five years since, he’s recorded a 96-102–198 scoring line in 226 games while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. Among players with at least 100 appearances during that time, Nichushkin’s 0.86 points per game rank 58th and his +54 rating ranks 27th. His production has dipped since last season’s return from another stint in the program, though. He’s put up a more conservative 5-7–12 scoring line in 17 games this year and has churned out 0.77 points per game since the beginning of 2024-25.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return from a multi-year absence has eaten into Nichushkin’s ice time this season, bringing it down to around the 18-minute mark. His reduced output should likely remain the expectation going forward, but that’s still spectacular value for his $6.125MM cap hit as he trods along through the fourth season of his eight-year deal. His line with Landeskog and Brock Nelson has been dominant at controlling play – as has virtually every line combo Colorado’s rolled out this year – controlling 60.7% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.

Blues Place Nathan Walker On IR, Out Eight Weeks

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The Blues announced that winger Nathan Walker has been placed on injured reserve after he sustained an upper-body injury in Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Ducks. He’ll miss at least eight weeks. They didn’t immediately announce a corresponding recall since they’re off until Thursday, so one likely won’t come until later in the week.

Walker’s appearance yesterday came following his second healthy scratch of the season for Saturday’s home game against the Mammoth. The injury wasn’t obvious, which makes such a lengthy return timeline a surprising announcement. In fact, it was a fairly normal outing for the diminutive high-energy forward, who posted a -1 rating in 12:21 of ice time and recorded a team-high five hits. That’s in line with the 12:38 of ice time and 3.80 hits he’s averaged per game this season.

Perhaps the Blues are being cautious with a well-liked veteran amid a season where getting reps for younger players is increasingly becoming a priority. With a 9-11-7 record, their .463 points percentage is fourth-worst in the Western Conference, and their -26 goal differential is 31st in the NHL. MoneyPuck gives them an 8.2% chance of making the playoffs, also the second-worst figure in the league.

It’s still tough news for the 31-year-old Walker, who signed a two-year, $1.775MM extension in September. After rattling off three goals in seven playoff games last year, the Australian-born depth forward was off to one of the best starts of his career with a 3-6–9 scoring line in 25 games. That’s good for 0.36 points per game, a mark he’s only eclipsed once before when making double-digit appearances in a season.

Not only do Walker’s 95 hits lead the Blues by a significant margin, but he’s factored in as a depth penalty-killer as well. His possession metrics universally rank down the middle among team ranks. With Walker on the ice at 5-on-5 this season, St. Louis has been outscored 17-14 and outshot 117-109, but has won the high-danger chance battle 58-46. That 55.8% share of high-danger chances ranks third among qualified Blues skaters behind Jordan Kyrou (66.7%) and Pius Suter (56.6%).

Walker had spent most of his time as St. Louis’ fourth line left wing at even strength alongside Oskar Sundqvist and Alexey Toropchenko. With the latter unavailable indefinitely after sustaining burns on his legs in an at-home accident, Jimmy Snuggerud out multiple weeks following wrist surgery, and Suter out day-to-day, the Blues are now without four regular forwards for the time being. They only have 11 healthy ones on the active roster, so unless Suter is ready to play Thursday against the Bruins, a recall from AHL Springfield is virtually guaranteed.

In the meantime, Walker’s long-term absence could mean extended playing time for 21-year-old Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who was scratched for yesterday’s game after being recalled earlier in the day but is now ticketed to make his NHL debut in Boston.

Kings Sign Samuel Helenius To Two-Year Extension

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The Kings announced that they’ve signed center Samuel Helenius to a two-year contract extension. The deal is worth $1.75MM for a cap hit of $875K, carrying him through the 2027-28 season. That will be paid out via a $850K base salary in the first year and a $900K base salary in the second, per PuckPedia. He was due to become a restricted free agent next summer. His agent, Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, was the first to report the signing.

Helenius, 23, was a second-round pick by the Kings in 2021. The son of former Stars enforcer Sami Helenius checks in at 6’6″ and 201 lbs and was drafted with the hopes of panning out as a long-term bottom-six piece as a checking center. So far, he’s close to delivering on that ceiling. After playing out the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with AHL Ontario, Helenius earned his first NHL recall in November last season and spent a good chunk of the season in the Kings’ lineup as their fourth-line center. In 50 appearances, he notched four goals and three assists for seven points with a +1 rating. His deployment was limited to even strength only, keeping his ice time down at 8:39 per game. He won 46.8% of his faceoffs and recorded 150 hits, second on the team.

His game was as conducive to low-event hockey as advertised. No L.A. skater was on the ice for fewer goals against per 60 minutes at even strength than Helenius at 1.4. Of course, his 1.5 on-ice goals for per 60 was also the second-lowest on the team among skaters with at least 25 games played. No Kings forward averaged fewer shot attempts per game than Helenius’ 1.28, either.

This season, Helenius cracked the opening night roster but has barely played. He’s been surpassed on the depth chart by winger Jeff Malott and now serves as the 14th forward. Considering the Kings’ forward group has avoided injury pile-ups this season, that’s meant only three showings for Helenius in 25 games. He recently went over a month between appearances and skated just 3:25 of ice time in his last outing against the Senators on Nov. 24. In those three games, Helenius has a -1 rating while going 3-for-13 on faceoffs with 10 hits.

With Helenius carrying the profile of a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect, the lack of playing time isn’t doing much harm for his development. He’s already close to his peak anyway as an everyday fourth-line piece with fringe third-line upside. While he may not be a regular in the Kings’ lineup this season, the organization obviously sees his role increasing enough over the next two seasons to warrant an extension. The new deal means he’ll be owed a one-way qualifying offer of $945,000 in the 2028 offseason if the Kings want to retain his signing rights.

Leafs’ Brandon Carlo Likely To Undergo Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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The Maple Leafs will be without defenseman Brandon Carlo for a good chunk of the season. After telling reporters yesterday that Carlo had a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury and was meeting a specialist, head coach Craig Berube said today that the righty will need surgery and will be out “an extended period of time” (via David Alter of The Hockey News).

Carlo has already missed seven games due to the injury he sustained against the Kings on Nov. 13. It’s still unclear what play caused it; he didn’t appear to miss a shift. It wouldn’t be shocking if Carlo had been playing through something and aggravated it. The 6’5″ shutdown rearguard has been noticeably less involved in the play than normal this season, averaging a career-low 0.67 hits per game. That’s a 56% decrease from his career average of 1.51.

Physicality and defensive smarts are where Carlo makes his money, and they’re why the Maple Leafs parted ways with a steep package – including Fraser Minten and this year’s first-round pick – to acquire him from the Bruins at last season’s trade deadline. Carlo’s contract situation was a significant factor as to why Toronto paid a premium. Not only was he not a rental – he remains under contract through 2026-27 – but Boston retained 15% of his cap hit to bring it down to $3.485MM for the Leafs. That’s a great price tag for someone Toronto imagined would be consistently deployed as a top-four defender as an anchor for Morgan Rielly.

Unfortunately, the Reilly-Carlo experiment has largely fallen flat. The duo was outscored 10-9 in last year’s postseason. This year, they’re allowing 3.11 expected goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, the most of any Toronto defensive pair. Carlo’s -4.2% relative Corsi share is the third-worst figure of his career. And while he’s not known or relied upon for offense, his two assists through 18 games are also a slightly lower pace than what he usually posts.

With another year left on his contract at an already-reduced cap hit, the struggling Maple Leafs might have looked to flip Carlo as they look to retool their depth on the fly, particularly in the name of improving their defensive structure. Only the Sharks have allowed more shots per game this season than Toronto’s 31.4. With fellow top-four righty Chris Tanev also on the shelf as he rehabs a suspected concussion, keeping him out indefinitely, their depth has been tested.

If the Leafs’ focus is still on getting significantly ahead of the .500 mark for the first time this season and putting themselves back in the playoff conversation, finding a higher-profile stopgap on the right side than recent waiver claim Troy Stecher needs to be a priority – especially if Carlo’s return timeline is now months, not weeks.

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