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Canucks Notes: Garland, Kämpf, Chytil, Blueger

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The Canucks’ injury woes this season continued in what was a surprisingly resurgent 6-2 win over the Lightning earlier this evening. Vancouver lost winger Conor Garland to an undisclosed injury early in the second period, and he didn’t return. There wasn’t an apparent injury that immediately preceded his departure, but he was involved in a fight with Tampa defender Darren Raddysh earlier in the game – one the 5’10” winger managed to win (video via B/R Open Ice). It didn’t seem like he took enough contact in that scrum to get hurt, but there should be more clarity before Vancouver finishes their back-to-back against the Panthers tomorrow. The 29-year-old Garland has been thrust into top-line duties this season with Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson and has fit the bill, registering a 5-8–13 scoring line in 16 outings while averaging a career-high 20:51 of ice time per game. For a team with five other roster players hurt at the moment and an already below-average offense, his potential for missed time is an especially damaging blow.

More out of Vancouver:

  • Newly-signed center David Kämpf has joined the club on its road trip and could make his Canucks debut tomorrow, general manager Patrik Allvin told reporters today (including Ben Kuzma of Postmedia). Pending Garland’s status, he could be the replacement. It would be the 30-year-old’s first NHL game of the season after getting waived by the Maple Leafs during training camp and eventually having his contract mutually terminated, leading to his $1.1MM pact with Vancouver for the balance of the campaign. He had five goals and 13 points in 59 showings with Toronto last year, but had just one assist in four games with their AHL affiliate in October.
  • Filip Chytil has resumed skating nearly a month after sustaining yet another suspected concussion, Allvin said, although he labeled the center’s progress as “slow.” Chytil, who has centered a line between Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser to begin the year and had three goals through six games, was rocked by the Capitals’ Tom Wilson on Oct. 19 and has been out since. They’re still likely looking at multiple weeks – if not months, given his history – before a return, adding to the list of reasons why Kämpf was brought in for added depth down the middle.
  • Another banged-up center, Teddy Blueger, is also still listed as week-to-week, Allvin said. It’s been a longer-than-expected road to recovery for the Latvian, who got injured the same night as Chytil after scoring a goal. His recurring lower-body issue has limited him to just two appearances this year.

Assessing The Senators’ Center Situation

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The Senators addressed a significant internal matter this week by securing a four-year contract extension for center Shane Pinto worth $30MM. The deal guarantees Ottawa’s center depth until at least 2030, as Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens are already signed until then with cap hits similar to Pinto’s new deal ($8.35MM for Stützle and $7.1MM for Cozens). With the middle of the ice locked in Ottawa for the foreseeable future, it’s fair to wonder how the centers will line up moving forward.

Pinto’s $7.5MM cap hit certainly caught some attention across the league. Still, with the salary cap expected to rise significantly over the coming years, it’s clear that the NHL’s economic landscape will look very different soon. AFP Analytics had projected Pinto to earn nearly $6MM annually on a five-year extension; however, that estimate was made before Pinto started this season with seven goals in six games – although he has just two in 13 contests since. Ottawa’s current line combinations have Pinto centering the third line, although it’s given almost identical ice time to Cozens’ second line.

With Pinto’s increase in usage, it’s fair to wonder how Cozens would respond to being moved down the lineup. When he is playing well, Cozens is a terrific transition player who does a lot of damage off the rush and can tuck away garbage goals. However, when he is off his game, he doesn’t do enough away from the puck to justify a top-six job, and his defensive work is subpar. The same can’t be said for Pinto, who, granted, doesn’t have the same offensive track record as Cozens, but plays a better two-way game and can still get to the dirty areas of the ice to clean up rebounds.

The dynamic down the middle for Ottawa will be fascinating to watch in the coming year or two, particularly if Pinto can maintain his current offensive pace. Pinto’s career high in points is 37 from last year, while Cozens’ career high came in 2022-23 when he had 31 goals and 37 assists for 68 in 81 games. Since that season, Cozens has regressed offensively, tallying just 47 points in each of the last two seasons. However, since being acquired in the trade from the Sabres last March, Cozens has registered 12 goals and 18 assists in 39 games, which translates to a 63-point pace over an 82-game season. If Cozens can maintain his offensive production going forward, it would likely solidify him as the Senators’ second-line center, unless Pinto takes a massive step offensively.

Pinto’s overall game is probably the best suited for third-line duties out of all the Senators’ pivots. Pinto has been in the role for a few years now and has excelled with his terrific two-way play. He takes on tough matchups, kills penalties, and takes the bulk of the defensive zone starts. Examining this raises the question of whether Ottawa would be best served by maintaining the status quo in the future, as it best suits the players’ skill sets.

Then, there’s the morale factor. It’s tough to say what was promised behind closed doors, but a safe bet is that Pinto knows his role with Ottawa for the foreseeable future, and clearly, whatever that role is, it suits him just fine. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have signed for another four seasons. Hypothetically, even if signing in Ottawa wasn’t Pinto’s first choice, he did give up two UFA seasons to do so, which suggests he probably doesn’t dislike the current setup or his assigned role. There’s also the possibility that Ottawa had to overpay Pinto to keep him in a lesser role. Pinto is aware of the situation; he can see the depth at the center position and likely understands that not everyone gets to make flashy plays or be on the top power play and in the top six. Pinto knows his role and signed up for it, which makes it easier to keep him in the 3C position.

The same can’t be said for Cozens, who didn’t sign up for a demotion with the Senators, nor did he sign with the Senators at all. Cozens agreed to a seven-year deal in Buffalo before he was traded to Ottawa, meaning he didn’t choose the team or the role he’d play there and was thrown into both. Now, Cozens probably isn’t too upset about being moved from a perennial losing team to one that is finding its identity and developing as a group. But, from an outsider’s perspective, the chance of him being demoralized with a third-line role is much higher than with Pinto, who has already been in that role and signed up for another four years of it.

Lightning Reassign Jakob Pelletier

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Nov. 16: The Lightning announced they’d reassigned Pelletier back to Syracuse ahead of today’s game against the Canucks. He was replaced in the lineup by Brandon Hagel, whose absence due to an upper-body injury lasted just one game. Pelletier logged just 6:12 of ice time in his Lightning debut, managing three shot attempts, one block, and one hit.

Nov. 15: The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forward Jakob Pelletier from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

Today’s move marks Pelletier as the third forward recalled from Syracuse over the last two days. Yesterday, the Lightning recalled forwards Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin.

Out of the three newly-recalled Lightning forwards, it’s Pelletier who has had the most successful season so far. The 24-year-old leads the Crunch in scoring with 14 points in 13 games. He’s proven to be a quality AHL scorer, hovering at around a point-per-game scoring rate since he made his professional debut in 2021-22 with the Stockton Heat, who have since been relocated.

The 2019 first-round pick hasn’t been able to translate that AHL success to the NHL level so far, though. In 86 career NHL games, Pelletier has 29 points. It was Pelletier’s inability to earn consistent, productive NHL minutes that led to him being non-tendered by the Philadelphia Flyers this past summer.

As an undersized winger without dynamic skating ability, Pelletier has always faced an uphill battle to earn a regular role in the NHL. So far, he hasn’t yet been able to stick in the world’s top league on a full-time basis, though he did get into almost 50 games last season.

With today’s recall, Pelletier gets his latest chance to prove himself at the NHL level. At this moment, it remains to be seen whether he’ll draw into head coach Jon Cooper’s lineup for the team’s contest this evening.

Taking a moment to look at the financial ramifications of this recall, it’s worth noting that this is the only year of Pelletier’s three-year, $775K AAV deal with the Lightning that carries a two-way structure. In each of 2026-27 and 2027-28, Pelletier is set to make $775K regardless of whether he’s on Tampa’s roster or in Syracuse.

But for 2025-26, Pelletier stands to make $250K in the AHL, $775K in the NHL, and carries a $350K total guarantee. While it’s unclear at this point how long Pelletier will remain on the Lightning’s NHL roster, this recall does at least enhance the player’s chances of eventually exceeding his $350K guarantee by the end of the season.

Islanders Notes: Shabanov, Drouin, Schaefer

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The New York Islanders will see the return of NHL rookie Max Shabanov in Sunday’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, per Ethan Sears of The New York Post. Shabanov has missed the last three weeks with an upper-body injury. Sears adds that the injury was sustained in New York’s October 18th matchup against the Ottawa Senators, and that he tried to tough it out for one game before stepping out of the lineup.

Shabanov managed three points in his first six NHL games prior to the injury. He added a minus-three, five hits, and eight shots on goal to that scoring. He’s been a productive addition, who could only heat up with a return to the lineup. Shabanov scored 33 goals and 87 points in 76 KHL games last season.

Compatriot Maxim Tsyplakov will step out of the lineup to make room for Shabanov. Tsyplakov has one goal and a minus-seven through 12 games this season. It’s a far fall from the 35-point season he posted as an NHL rookie last season. He’ll get a chance to recenter from the press box, while Shabanov looks to maintain his strong scoring.

Other notes out of the Islanders/Colorado matchup:

  • Winger Jonathan Drouin spoke with reporters about his move from the Avalanche to the Islanders ahead of Sunday’s matchup. He shared that he was disappointed with not having the chance to re-sign in Colorado, and that he would have been open to spending the rest of his career with the Avalanche, per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports. Drouin found a true resurgance with the Avalanche, potting 56 points in 79 games of the 2023-24 season after not scoring more than 30 through the prior four seasons. He followed that with 37 points in 43 games last season, though his year was derailed by injuries. Drouin has stayed incredibly productive in New York, netting 14 points in 17 games, good for fourth on the team in scoring. He’ll look to prove his scoring prowess against the Avalanche this afternoon.
  • Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was asked about the similarities between superstar Cale Makar and emerging rookie Matthew Schaefer by Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. He agreed the duo are worth comparing, and praised Schaefer’s ability to get involved with play, closing with “He’s gonna be a real good one”. Schaefer leads the Islanders’ defense, and all rookies, in scoring with 15 points in 17 games. It’s an incredible feat given Schaefer is the youngest player in the NHL by five months and missed almost all of the 2024-25 season with injury. He’s developing into a true superstar, and will get his first chance to face his model comparison in the bout against Colorado.

Flames’ Samuel Honzek Out Week-To-Week

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The Calgary Flames have announced that rookie winger Samuel Honzek (upper-body) is out week-to-week after colliding with captain Mikael Backlund in Saturday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Honzek was hit in open ice while trying to cross into the offensive zone. He exited the game in the second period.

Honzek has been a lineup fixture in a year where the Flames are focused first on developing their top prospects. He has four points, 22 shots on goal, and 35 hits through 18 games this season. He is playing through his rookie season in the NHL, after spending the majority of last year with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Honzek posted 21 points in 52 games with the Wranglers, enough to warrant the first five games of his NHL career at the end of the season. He managed no scoring in those appearances.

Honzek will join fellow rookie Zayne Parekh, and fellow forward Martin Pospisil, on the Flames’ sideline. Calgary is likely to turn towards Yegor Sharangovich to fill the hole in the bottom-six initially. Sharangovich has only four points through 16 games this seaosn, but could be spurred back to production after serving as a healthy scratch. He scored 31 goals and 59 points, both career-highs, in the 2023-24 season, his first year in Calgary.

If Sharangovich continues to underwhelm, the Flames could opt to recall rookie Matvei Gridin from the minor-leagues. Gridin began the year on the NHL roster, but earned an assignment to the minors after posting one goal and a minus-three in four games. The first-year pro has looked much more comfortable in the minors, netting 13 points in his first 13 AHL games, good for third on the Wranglers in scoring. He has also posted a plus-seven, second-highest on the team.

Sabres’ Michael Kesselring Sustains Lower-Body Injury

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The Buffalo Sabres could lose a recent acquisition to another injury. Defenseman Michael Kesselring was seen in a walking boot after Saturday night’s win over the Detroit Red Wings. He tweaked his ankle on a hit midway through the second period and had to hop to the bench. He returned for one shift in the third period, but head coach Lindy Ruff told media that the injury “doesn’t look good”following the game, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Kesselring began the season on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury that Ruff said plagued him through much of training camp. He didn’t make his Sabres debut until October 28th, and has only played in nine game since. He has managed no scoring, 10 shots on goal, and nine blocks in those appearances, while operating from a third-pair role.

Another injury will dampen the excitement around Kesselring in Buffalo. He moved to the city alongside forward Josh Doan as part of the deal that sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth. It seemed the Sabres were landing a true impact defender, after Kesselring posted the second-most points on Utah’s blue-line in their inaugural season. He scored 29 points to go with 89 penalty minutes, 150 shots on goal, and 87 hits in 82 games. It was a nice step up from Kesselring’s rookie year in Arizona, where he recorded 21 points, 66 penalty minutes, and 106 hits in 65 games.

The extent of Kesselring’s new injury isn’t yet clear. His return to the ice, even for one shift, could be a positive sign. Buffalo has three games ahead of them this week, and will lean on Jacob Bryson if Kesselring is forced to sit. Bryson has one point, four penalty minutes, and four blocks in eight games this season.

Mammoth Recall Kevin Rooney

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11/16: The Mammoth have reversed this move, recalling Rooney ahead of Monday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. Rooney played in two games with Tucson this weekend, recording no scoring, one penalty, and three shots on goal. Durzi skated in Sunday morning’s practice wearing a no-contact jersey.

11/14: The Mammoth have reassigned center Kevin Rooney to AHL Tucson, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports. It’s unclear what, if anything, they plan to do with the open roster spot in the coming days. Defenseman Sean Durzi is somewhat close to coming off injured reserve, but won’t do so until next week at the earliest, head coach André Tourigny said.

Utah signed Rooney to a two-way deal at the beginning of the regular season. The seven-year vet went unsigned throughout the summer until landing a professional tryout with the Devils, who first brought him into the league as an undrafted free agent signing out of Providence College in 2016. Rooney managed a goal and an assist in three preseason games for New Jersey but was ultimately released from his PTO, passed over for a fourth-line job by fellow tryout invite Luke Glendening.

Rooney quickly landed on his feet with the Mammoth and was technically on their opening night roster, although he was waived the following day. Upon clearing, he was sent to Tucson, where he spent the first two weeks of the campaign. The 32-year-old came roaring out of the gate with three goals and an assist in four AHL games before being called up to the Mammoth on Oct. 23, swapping him out for fellow journeyman veteran Andrew Agozzino.

Rooney was around as the second healthy extra forward behind enforcer Liam O’Brien. Utah’s health up front over the past few weeks meant Rooney never actually got into a game during his 22-day call-up, serving as a healthy scratch in 10 straight games. Utah had eight days left until Rooney would have required waivers to head back to Tucson, so with him not playing a meaningful role, they’ll get out ahead of the deadline and give their minor-league affiliate a significant reinforcement.

Kraken Activate Frédérick Gaudreau, Place Kaapo Kakko On IR, Assign Ben Meyers

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The Seattle Kraken activated center Frédérick Gaudreau off of injured reserve before Saturday’s win over the San Jose Sharks. He came one day short of missing a full month of action, after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Seattle’s October 16th loss to the Ottawa Senators. In a corresponding move, the Kraken have placed winger Kaapo Kakko on injured reserve. He was designated as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury by head coach Lane Lambert, per Kraken broadcaster Alison Lukan.

Gaudreau was immediately folded back into the lineup. He played nearly 17 minutes of ice time on Saturday and recorded two shots and one block. Gaudreau recorded one assist and five blocks in five games prior to his injury. He has stepped up as a core piece of the Kraken bottom-six in his first season with the club. Gaudreau spent the last four seasons with the Minnesota Wild, where he posted 134 points in 307 games. That includes career years in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He posted his highest scoring seasons in those years, netting 44 and 38 points respectively.

It isn’t entirely clear when Kakko sustained his injury. He hasn’t played since leaving Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets in the first period. He appeared to sustain a non-contact injury – headed down the tunnel after an awkward stumble on a faceoff. Kakko missed the entirety of October with a broken hand that also required an IR placement. He returned for seven games, and managed no scoring, before falling out of the lineup once again.

Rookie Berkly Catton stepped back into the lineup in Kakko’s absence. The 19-year-old was an electric scorer through four years in the WHL, including back-to-back 100-point seasons over the last two years. Despite that, he has only recorded three assists through 13 NHL games this season. Catton should stick in the lineup as Seattle looks to continue developing their young stars, though Lambert has shown a preference for limiting the youngster’s ice time. He will continue operating behind Ryan Winterton, Jani Nyman, and Tye Kartye.

With Catton’s standing seemingly ensured, Seattle has also assigned Ben Meyers back to the minor-leagues. Meyers hasn’t appeared in the lineup since Thursday. He has three points, eight shots on goal, and 14 hits through nine games this season. He’s also recorded two goals and a minus-four in three games with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Meyers scored 51 points in 57 AHL games last season, and will look to get back to that productivity with this transaction.

Canadiens’ Kirby Dach Out Four-To-Six Weeks With Fractured Foot

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Kirby Dach will miss the next four-to-six weeks after fracturing his right foot. In his place, Montreal has recalled winger Joshua Roy from the AHL. This marks the third-straight season that Dach has sustained a long-term injury, after facing season-ending knee injuries in each of the last two years.

This injury is luckily not related to any of Dach’s prior absences – but the hits keep on coming for the oft-injured 24-year-old. He was working his way back into a core role in Montreal’s offense this season, with five goals and seven points through 15 games so far. That scoring pace is well above last season, when Dach scored 20 points in 57 games. He is now seven years into his NHL career, but hasn’t yet appeared in more than 70 games in a single season. That healthiest year came in 2021-22, when he scored 26 points with the Chicago Blackhawks. Dach’s career year came in the following season, when he potted 38 points in 58 games in his first year with the Canadiens, before late-season injuries cut his year short.

Montreal was showing restraint with Dach’s minutes, even as his scoring grew. He has only averaged 14 minutes of ice time this season, despite routinely filling a second-line, usually rotating between center and left-wing. That’s proven especially conservative deployment, considering Dach has also appeared on the second power-play unit. But the added care will prove for naught, and Dach will land on the sideline once again.

This could prove a lucrative opportunity for Roy, who hasn’t yet received an extended chance at NHL minutes. The Quebec-native has scored seven points in 10 games for the AHL’s Laval Rockets, good for fifth on the team in scoring. Despite that, he’s only appeared in one NHL game this season, with no notable stat changes. Roy has also received NHL minutes in the last two seasons. He was productive in his first year, netting nine points in his first 23 NHL appearances, but followed it with only two points in 12 games last year. He’s been much more productive in the minors, where he’s totaled 74 points in 98 games across four seasons. If Roy doesn’t stick in the NHL, the Canadiens could turn towards prospect Sean Farrell as their next man up.

Rangers Recall Scott Morrow, Reassign Gabriel Perreault

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The New York Rangers have swapped prospects on the NHL roster. Defenseman Scott Morrow has been recalled once again, while winger Gabriel Perreault will return to the minors in his spot. Perreault played in his first NHL games of the season over New York’s last three games. He recorded one assist, a plus-two, and four blocked shots.

Despite the meager scoreline, Perreault’s return to the NHL was largely encouraging. He played top-line minutes next to captain J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad in his first game, then worked well off of fellow rookie Noah Laba from New York’s third line for his next two games. The outings proved Perreault’s ability to meet multiple needs in the lineup. Now, he’ll return to a starring role for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Perreault currently leads the AHL club in scoring with 10 points in nine games. He’s the only Wolf Pack scoring above a point-per-game through the early season.

While Perreault continues to grow in the minor-leagues, Morrow will return to the NHL hoping to finally debut with the Rangers. The 23-year-old has been back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL all season long, but has so far only taken the ice for Hartford. He has two points in 11 games with the AHL club, far below the scoring pace that led him to 13 goals and 39 points in 52 games with the Chicago Wolves last season. New York acquired Morrow as part of the deal that sent top-four defender K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes this summer. Prior to the trade, Morrow recorded six points in 16 games with Carolina.

This move could mark the best of both worlds for the Rangers. Hartford is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak that could be snapped with the return of their top scorer. Meanwhile, Morrow stands a reasonable chance to step into New York’s roster after William Borgen sat out of the team’s Saturday matchup with an upper-body injury. Borgen is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

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