Devils Place Luke Hughes On LTIR, Recall Colton White
Jan. 21st: Confirming the reports regarding the shoulder separation, the Devils announced that they’ve placed Hughes on the long-term injured reserve. Due to the upcoming Olympic break, he won’t be eligible to return until New Jersey’s matchup on February 25th against the Buffalo Sabres. Additionally, the Devils shared that they’ve recalled Colton White, who recently cleared waivers, in Hughes’ stead.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan went on to update that Hughes will not get surgery at this point, but the young star will need to rehab, facing LTIR through the Olympic break.
Jan. 20th: The New Jersey Devils may have lost one of their best young defensemen for quite some time. According to insider Frank Seravalli, the initial diagnosis on Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes is that he dislocated his shoulder last night against the Calgary Flames.
New Jersey is believed to be seeking a second opinion on Hughes’ injury, though the team is confident he will miss some time, which team reporter Amanda Stein confirmed after the game. The Devils won’t return to New Jersey until January 27th (they are currently on a Pacific Division road trip), so it could be some time before they publicly reveal the severity of Hughes’ injury.
Although it’s not beneficial to speculate about injuries, it’s difficult to tell from the video exactly what happened. Hughes was racing Flames forward Justin Kirkland for a loose puck, and Hughes immediately dropped his stick and clutched his right shoulder. There was no significant contact on the play.
In terms of a recovery timeline, it largely depends on the severity of the separation. A month ago, Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard suffered a dislocated shoulder against the St. Louis Blues, causing Bedard to miss 12 consecutive games. If Hughes is on pace for a similar recovery, he won’t return after the Olympic break in February.
Regardless, the Devils continue their trend of suffering long-term injuries to their high-level performers. Before going down with an injury, Hughes had scored five goals and 26 points in 48 games, averaging 23:20 of ice time per game. He was New Jersey’s leading scorer among defensemen by a healthy margin, and sat behind Dougie Hamilton in CorsiFor% at even strength.
Outside of what the injury means for Hughes specifically, it certainly won’t help the team in their efforts to climb back into the playoff conversation. Although much of the Eastern Conference has been streaky this season, the Devils have been one of the worst-performing teams since December 1st, largely nixing any idea of this simply being a “bad streak”.
In the team’s defense, few organizations would be able to sustain the number of injuries that New Jersey has suffered over the years. Regardless, their window to make the playoffs this season is quickly closing. For comparison, since December 1st, the New York Rangers, who have already punted on the 2025-26 season, have earned 20 points in the standings, whereas New Jersey has only claimed 19 with an additional game played.
Mammoth Recall Cameron Hebig
Ahead of their home tilt tonight the Utah Mammoth updated that Cameron Hebig has been recalled from AHL Tucson. No corresponding transaction was made, as the club sent Kevin Rooney back down two days ago.
On his 29th birthday, no less, it’s a call up which has been years in the making for Hebig who is midway through his eighth consecutive season in the AHL, including stints in the ECHL from 2019-2021. Although he’s a depth forward for now, if Hebig is able to get into a game, it would be a great story, becoming his first NHL action after 419 games in the AHL, including six years of duty with the Roadrunners. Hebig has made his mark in Tucson, standing as the franchise’s leader for games played as well as goals.
The undrafted center has had steady production throughout the years, managing to earn a two-way deal last March, and has continued to contribute. Through 35 games this season, the 5’10” WHL alum has 33 points, his best output as a pro. Hebig ranks second in team scoring, just behind Ben McCartney, the two proving to be a formidable duo, although the Roadrunners rank 19th in the league.
Hebig is not expected to appear tonight against the Flyers, but the transaction is a well-deserved call up for a respected longtime AHLer. Signed through next season, he will hope to debut for the Mammoth at some point, enjoying a nice pay bump while at the highest level.
Washington Capitals Activate Tom Wilson
According to Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck, the Washington Capitals have activated forward Tom Wilson from the injured reserve. Additionally, Silber shared that the team has reassigned forward Ivan Miroshnichenko to the AHL’s Hershey Bears in a corresponding roster move.
Wilson’s return has been a long time coming for the Capitals. He has resumed skating for the last several days, but Washington’s medical staff was unwilling to give a green light for his return until now.
The former Stanley Cup champion had been nursing a lower-body injury since the beginning of January. In a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Wilson fell awkwardly into the boards after being on the receiving end of a reverse hit from defenseman Connor Murphy, seemingly hurting his ankle in the process.
Washington will warmly welcome back their leading scorer this season. Named to Team Canada for the upcoming Winter Olympics, Wilson has scored 22 goals and 42 points in 41 games for the Capitals this season with a +20 rating.
Although there is an argument for defenseman Jakob Chychrun, Wilson has been the Capitals’ most complete player this season. Besides being tied with Alex Ovechkin for the team lead in scoring, Wilson is leading Washington in hits (110) and CorsiFor% at even strength (56.8%).
Meanwhile, Miroshnichenko, 21, will return to a familiar place. The former first-round pick was originally recalled five days ago. He appeared in two games for the Capitals over that stretch, going scoreless with a +1 rating, averaging 11:16 of ice time per game.
Outside of a few appearances in the NHL this year, Miroshnichenko has continued his streak of quality play in the AHL. He’s currently eighth on the Bears in scoring with six goals and 16 points in 20 games.
East Notes: Malkin, Tanev, Robinson, Lightning
Back in June, a report from Josh Yohe of The Athletic indicated that the Pittsburgh Penguins had little interest in extending franchise icon Evgeni Malkin beyond the 2025-26 campaign. Additionally, Pittsburgh’s play-by-play voice, Josh Getzoff, shared that General Manager Kyle Dubas would meet with Malkin during the Olympic Break to discuss his future.
In a new update from Yohe, that remains the plan from the Penguins’ perspective. Yohe indicated that Malkin wants to sign a one-year extension in Pittsburgh, is willing to take a paycut on his current salary, and doesn’t want to play anywhere, regardless of whether it’s with a playoff contender or not.
He’s turned back the clock this season, scoring 10 goals and 35 points in 33 games — already 15 points away from matching last year’s totals. Additionally, in an unexpected fashion, the Penguins are remarkably competitive this season, currently in a divisional playoff spot in the Metropolitan.
Still, injury troubles have plagued Malkin in the past two years, and Pittsburgh may be more interested in moving its available dollars elsewhere. Despite their competitiveness this season, the team has already shown a willingness to move out veterans, evidenced by their trade of netminder Tristan Jarry last month. Regardless, considering they will meet in a few weeks, more will be known about Malkin’s future relatively soon.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- A few weeks ago, David Alter of The Hockey News reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Chris Tanev have not decided upon surgery to repair his groin injury. According to Nick Barden of The Hockey News, that remains the status quo. Barden relayed a quote from head coach Craig Berube saying, “He’s still working through things. He hasn’t got surgery yet. We’re still working through things.” Berube went on to add that Tanev is the one who is hesitant about surgery, not the Maple Leafs.
- The Carolina Hurricanes are expecting to be without one of their bottom-six forwards for the foreseeable future. The Hurricanes shared that forward Eric Robinson will be “out for an extended period [of time]” with an upper-body injury. He was seen at the rink today in a sling. Carolina will likely place the nine-year veteran on the injured reserve.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t moving anytime soon. According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, the Lightning have signed a six-year lease extension with Benchmark International Arena, keeping them in the stadium through the 2042-43 NHL season. Additionally, Hillsborough County has agreed to include $250MM in the agreement for arena renovations, while the organization will contribute $75MM.
Blue Jackets To Activate Mason Marchment, Isac Lundestrom
The Columbus Blue Jackets will return a pair of forwards tomorrow. Relayed from reporter Dave Maetzold, head coach Rick Bowness indicated that forwards Mason Marchment and Isac Lundeström will be activated from the injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Dallas Stars.
Activating both forwards will require an additional roster move by the Blue Jackets. It’ll likely come in the form of placing another player on injured reserve, rather than reassigning one to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Columbus has a few players dealing with ailments that haven’t been placed on the team’s injured reserve, including Dante Fabbro, Elvis Merzļikins, and Denton Mateychuk.
Marchment, acquired from the Seattle Kraken in December, will look to continue his hot streak with Columbus. The 30-year-old winger scored five goals and seven points in his first seven games with the Blue Jackets before succumbing to an upper-body injury at the beginning of the month. Tomorrow’s game against the Stars will be the third time he’s faced off against his former club after going scoreless in the two previous matchups.
Lundeström, 26, is in his first year with Columbus after signing a two-year contract with the club last summer. The former first-round pick has primarily served as a bottom-six center for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring one goal and five points in 35 games. He has missed the last month with a lower-body injury.
Meanwhile, outside of Miles Wood, it’ll be the first time that Bowness has had a relatively healthy forward core to work with since becoming the team’s head coach on January 12th. The team has improved since he took over, managing a 3-1-0 record. Still, Columbus has plenty of work to do to get back into the playoff conversation, currently sitting seven points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Stars Claim, Reassign Vladislav Kolyachonok
1:45 p.m.: As expected, the Stars confirmed they have claimed Kolyachonok off waivers and have reassigned him to AHL Texas.
1:35 p.m.: Defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok will return to the place where he began the 2025-26 season. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Dallas Stars have claimed Kolyachonok off waivers from the Boston Bruins.
Since the Stars are the team to land Kolyachonok, they can reassign him to the AHL’s Texas Stars without needing to place him on waivers again. This was a likely scenario given that AHL Texas needs some veteran presence on its blue line.
This need was largely generated from injuries to Dallas’ defensive core. Due to multiple absences, the Stars have had to use Kyle Capobianco and Alexander Petrovic more than they were likely expecting, creating a significant gap on the AHL roster.
Although there’s an argument to be made that Kolyachonok should remain in the NHL for the time being, it’s easier for Dallas to reassign him rather than Capobianco or Petrovic, given that he’s ineligible for waivers with them specifically. Assuming he is reassigned to the AHL, Kolyachonok will look to improve upon the three assists in 10 games he’s already scored this season.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t had a truly impactful offensive season in the AHL in some time. During the 2022-23 campaign, with the Tucson Roadrunners, Kolyachonok scored three goals and 21 points in 71 games, and hasn’t gotten near those totals since.
Since then, he’s split his time between the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes, Utah Hockey Club, Pittsburgh Penguins, Stars, and Bruins, scoring four goals and 14 points in 53 games, averaging 12:51 of ice time per game. If the Stars recall him to the NHL again this season, he’ll have a 10-game window to play, or 30 days on the roster, before he’s eligible for waivers again.
Bruins Sign Alex Steeves To Two-Year Extension
The Boston Bruins are keeping around one of their bottom-six forwards for the next few years. According to a team announcement, the Bruins have signed Alex Steeves to a two-year, $3.25MM ($1.625MM AAV) extension.
Steeves, 26, has been a success story for Boston this season. Still, he had a longer path to the NHL than expected after failing to garner much consideration when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a strong collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame, Steeves signed with the Maple Leafs as an undrafted talent ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Despite having a relatively deep forward core the past few years, it became puzzling that Toronto didn’t give Steeves more of an opportunity. Considering that some of their issues stemmed from a lack of impact in the team’s bottom six, Steeves was always seen as a positive and inexpensive option.
There’s no question that he earned himself an opportunity. Throughout four years with the Maple Leafs organization, Steeves spent much of his time with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Over that duration, the Bedford, NH native scored 105 goals and 216 points in 247 games. Nonetheless, he only appeared in 14 games for the Maple Leafs, registering one goal and three points while averaging 9:04 of ice time per game.
Becoming an unrestricted free agent last summer after being non-tendered by Toronto, the Bruins moved quickly, signing Steeves to a one-year deal on the opening day of free agency. By no means was he projected to be a top-six option for Boston, but the team knew he had some upside they could tap into.
After another strong start in the AHL, the Bruins recalled Steeves on November 8th, and neither player nor team has looked back. He’s already matched his output across four years in Toronto, scoring eight goals and 14 points in 33 games for Boston. Additionally, his 91.0% on-ice SV% at even strength shows that Steeves can hold his own on the defensive side of the puck, as well.
Despite being the highest cap hit of his career, Steeves only projects to be the ninth-highest paid forward on the Bruins next season. Furthermore, it will only account for approximately 1.5% of the salary cap, which is more than justifiable after his solid campaign.
Jackson LaCombe Named To U.S. Olympic Team
USA Hockey announced a change to its roster for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Per their official release, Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones has been removed from the roster due to being “injured and unable to participate,” and in his place, Anaheim Ducks blueliner Jackson LaCombe has been named to the roster.
Jones suffered an injury early this month and was originally considered week-to-week. At the time, his status for the Olympics had only been downgraded to questionable — he had not been ruled out. The Panthers shifted Jones to LTIR on Monday, indicating that he would not be ready to go in time for the Olympics.
It’s a tough blow for Jones, who was undoubtedly looking forward to the chance to represent his country on such a big stage. The defenseman, who won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers last year, has represented the United States at several IIHF Men’s World Championships, including captaining the team in 2022.
While this news is undoubtedly a severe disappointment for Jones, it’s also a massive opportunity for LaCombe. The Minnesota native helped the United States win a gold medal at last year’s IIHF Men’s World Championship, serving as one of that team’s top defensemen.
The 2019 second-round pick has emerged as a true No. 1 defenseman in the NHL, averaging 24:26 time on ice per game this season, including a heavy workload on both sides of special teams. He scored 43 points in 75 games last season and has 31 points in 49 games this year. The Ducks rewarded his NHL breakout in October, signing him to an eight-year, $9MM AAV deal.
What’s notable about LaCombe’s addition, when it comes to Team USA as a whole, is his status as a left-shot defenseman. His addition to Team USA, alongside the loss of Jones, leaves the Americans with just two right-shot blueliners (Brock Faber and Charlie McAvoy). Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox is widely considered the top right-shot defenseman not on the American roster, but he’s currently on LTIR, which is likely to have impacted his chances of selection as an injury replacement.
Montreal Canadiens star Lane Hutson may also have been considered, as he has been one of the NHL’s most valuable defensemen since entering the league. While he does have some experience playing the right side at the NHL level, which may have helped his case, GM Bill Guerin may have been wary about adding another undersized defenseman to a roster that already includes superstar Quinn Hughes.
In any case, LaCombe is an extremely well-rounded defenseman capable of contributing in all situations, and was likely very close to making the roster outright in the first place. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun indicated as much, writing “LaCombe had been seriously considered by Team USA to begin with.” Now, due to an injury, he gets his chance.
Boston Bruins Reassign Billy Sweezey
Jan. 21st: The Bruins announced today that Sweezey’s emergency recall has concluded, and he’s been reassigned back to AHL Providence. During his recall, Sweezey served as a healthy scratch for Boston’s 6-2 loss to the Dallas Stars.
Jan. 18th: The Bruins announced Sunday they’ve recalled defenseman Billy Sweezey from AHL Providence under emergency conditions and designated Henri Jokiharju as a non-roster player due to a family matter. Their active roster count remains at 23.
Sweezey was sent down just yesterday to make room for fellow rearguard Hampus Lindholm as he came off injured reserve. That was only a one-day recall, coming after a Friday emergency summons due to concerns about Andrew Peeke‘s availability.
Sweezey did not play in yesterday’s 5-2 win over the Blackhawks, only because Lindholm was able to re-enter the lineup after a six-game absence. Now, with Peeke still listed as day-to-day with his lower-body injury and Jokiharju being essentially confirmed unavailable for Tuesday’s game against the Stars, Sweezey has a legitimate shot at making his Boston debut this week.
The B’s signed the 29-year-old righty to a two-year, two-way contract in free agency in 2024. The undrafted Yale grad had spent the majority of his professional career in the Blue Jackets organization prior to arriving in Boston, including several call-ups late in the 2022-23 campaign that resulted in him making his NHL debut.
In nine games for Columbus that season, he recorded an assist and a -3 rating while averaging 17:07 of ice time per game. The defensive-minded 6’1″, 202-lb depth man then spent all of 2023-24 on assignment to the AHL before reaching unrestricted free agency and landing with his hometown Bruins.
After spending the totality of last season in Providence after clearing waivers, Sweezey now has a shot at his first NHL game in nearly three years. He’s having a career year for the P-Bruins, tying his career high in AHL points (11) in just 34 games. His +22 rating not only leads Providence blue liners but is also tied for third in the league overall behind teammate Patrick Brown and the Red Wings’ William Lagesson, who share a +23.
He’ll be relieving Jokiharju, who’s been a fine addition to Boston’s blue line since being acquired from the Sabres at last year’s trade deadline. The shutdown-minded righty has nine assists and a +3 rating in 32 outings this season, averaging 17:53 per game with strong possession numbers – a 50.7 CF% and 52.0 xGF% – at even strength.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Jack Ahcan, Taylor Makar
The Colorado Avalanche announced today that defenseman Jack Ahcan and forward Taylor Makar have been recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
The Avalanche had just 20 players on their 23-man active roster, so these recalls were able to be made without any corresponding moves. With the recent trade of Ilya Solovyov to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado was left without a seventh defenseman on their roster. Today’s recall of Ahcan rectifies that. The 28-year-old undrafted blueliner is undersized at 5’8″, but has nonetheless emerged as a valuable go-to depth option for the Avalanche.
Ahcan spent two consecutive years as a full-time AHL player (2022-23 and 2023-24) but his solid production in 2024-25 (41 points in 69 games) earned him his first NHL recall in a few years. He got into two NHL games in 2024-25, and already has six NHL games played in 2025-26. He’s also scoring at a career-best rate in the AHL with 24 points in 29 games. With Devon Toews still sidelined (but getting closer, relays the Denver Gazette’s Evan Rawal) it appears the Avalanche will keep Ahcan on their NHL roster so that Bednar has an extra defenseman at his disposal.
Makar, 24, is the younger brother of Avalanche star Cale Makar and has emerged as a call-up option in 2025-26. This is Makar’s first full year as a professional after spending four years playing college hockey, and he has scored seven goals and 13 points in 32 AHL games. He’s skated in Bednar’s NHL lineup for five games this season, averaging just 5:29 time on ice per game. He’s still awaiting his first NHL point.
Recalling Makar gives the Avalanche extra cover at forward with as several of the team’s regular players recover from injury. Gabriel Landeskog, Joel Kiviranta, Valeri Nichushkin, and Logan O’Connor are all sidelined at this time, with recovery timelines that vary significantly.