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Kings Recall Andre Lee, Taylor Ward

By | at January 7, 2026 1:40 pm

The Kings added forwards Andre Lee and Taylor Ward to the roster on recall from AHL Ontario, per a team announcement. Winger Corey Perry was placed on the non-roster list in a corresponding move as he deals with the illness of a family member, according to Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period.

Lee’s and Ward’s presence comes after Anže Kopitar and Joel Armia both left the Kings’ Monday game against the Wild with lower-body and upper-body injuries, respectively. They’re both day-to-day and won’t play tonight, per Bernstein, but the fact they haven’t been placed on injured reserve is a good sign for their availability on Friday against the Jets.

Lee, 25, comes up for the first time this season after getting a taste of NHL hockey last year. A seventh-round pick back in 2019, the 6’4″ winger is enjoying an offensive breakout in Ontario. After never recording more than 20 points in a season, he’s already hit 27 in just 32 games and leads the team with 15 goals.

The UMass-Lowell alum suited up 19 times for L.A. last season, recording a goal and three points with a -5 rating. He wasn’t used on special teams and was bound to fourth-line minutes at 5-on-5, averaging 9:10 per game. Despite that, he finished fourth on the team with 1.89 hits per game and averaged nearly a shot per night. However, despite receiving the most sheltered offensive zone usage of any Kings forward, his 51.2% share of shot attempts ranked near the bottom among L.A. skaters.

The Kings are hoping Lee’s possession game has improved as he steps back into the lineup tonight against the Sharks. He’ll also get a taste of shorthanded action as he’s expected to factor in on the team’s second penalty kill unit, per John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor.

Ward will also be entering the lineup for just his second NHL appearance. The 27-year-old debuted in the final game of the regular season last year, scoring the Kings’ lone goal in a 5-1 loss to the Flames. A 6’2″ winger, he’s also enjoying the best offensive season of his pro career with 12 goals and 21 points in 32 games for Ontario.

The son of one-time King Dixon Ward, he’s in his fourth professional season after signing with L.A. as a free agent out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2022. While in school, he averaged 0.88 points per game for the Mavericks.

0 comments Los Angeles Kings Transactions

Ducks’ Nikita Nesterenko Clears Waivers

By | at January 7, 2026 1:05 pm

Jan. 7: Nesterenko has cleared waivers, per Friedman.

Jan. 6: The Ducks placed winger Nikita Nesterenko on waivers Tuesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Nesterenko, 24, had broken camp with Anaheim but only recently returned to the lineup after a lengthy string of healthy scratches. Since stepping back into the lineup on Dec. 29 against the Sharks, he had an assist and nine hits in four games while averaging 13:19 of ice time. He was a -3 in yesterday’s 7-4 loss to the Capitals.

The 2019 sixth-round pick had parlayed solid minor-league production and some good call-ups last year into his first one-way contract last offseason, signing a two-year, $1.575MM extension. There were questions about whether he’d carve out an opening night job over waiver-exempt competitors like Sam Colangelo and Tim Washe, but in the end, a strong training camp and fears over losing him on waivers led to Nesterenko getting the roster spot.

He’s made 27 appearances for Anaheim this year, scoring a goal and eight assists while ranking sixth on the team with 50 hits. He was deployed as something of a defensive specialist despite not receiving regular penalty kill deployment, only starting 44.3% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone while controlling a team-worst 48.3% of shot attempts.

Anaheim will be absolved of his $787.5K cap hit for the time being if he clears waivers and is reassigned to AHL San Diego. With nearly $24MM in current cap space, though, that’s not much of a concern.

3 comments Anaheim Ducks Transactions Waivers

Capitals Recall Brett Leason

By | at January 7, 2026 12:02 pm

The Capitals have recalled winger Brett Leason to begin his second stint in Washington, according to a team announcement.

Leason’s return to the NHL coincides with an injury to Aliaksei Protas, who has missed the last two with a lower-body injury and has now landed on injured reserve as the corresponding move for his recall. He practiced this morning without a non-contact designation, though, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports. The IR placement rules Protas out of tonight’s game against the Stars, but he should be ready to go when he’s eligible to come off IR before Friday against the Blackhawks.

Now 26, Leason began his NHL career with the Caps as a second-round pick in 2019. He made his NHL debut two years later, scoring six points in 36 games, before the Ducks claimed him off waivers in the first few days of the 2022-23 season. Leason spent the following three seasons in Anaheim, emerging as an NHL regular. He put up a 22-26–48 scoring line in 184 games in SoCal, serving as an occasional penalty-killing option, before being non-tendered last offseason.

Somewhat surprisingly, Leason struggled to find an NHL contract. He was on Russia’s radar after sitting unsigned for a few weeks, but was insistent on continuing his career stateside. He eventually landed a professional tryout offer from the Wild but was released with a week left in training camp. He then settled for a minor-league tryout for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers before finally landing a two-way offer from Washington at the end of October.

He immediately cleared waivers and has since been suiting up for AHL Hershey, where the 6’5″ righty has six goals and 14 points in 20 games. With Protas banged up and Tom Wilson dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out of Monday’s game against the Ducks, Leason projects to make his season debut in fourth-line duties tonight.

2 comments Transactions Washington Capitals

Stars Sign Justin Hryckowian To Two-Year Extension

By | at January 7, 2026 10:49 am

The Stars announced that they have signed forward Justin Hryckowian to a two-year extension. He’ll earn an average annual value of $950K for a total value of $1.9MM.

Hryckowian, 24, was an undrafted free agent signing out of Northeastern in 2024 and is in the back half of his two-year, entry-level contract. He was technically left off Dallas’ opening night roster for cap considerations, but was called up the following day and has stuck on the big league roster ever since. He’s made 42 out of 43 appearances for the Stars, scoring six goals while adding seven assists for 13 points. He’s averaged 12:04 per game with a -4 rating and leads Dallas forwards with 66 hits.

The 5’11” lefty only suited up in five NHL games last year but otherwise impressed as a rookie with AHL Texas. He played in 67 games for the Baby Stars, finishing second on the team in scoring with 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists). That was tops among first-year AHLers and earned him the Red Garrett Memorial Award as the league’s rookie of the year.

In college, he topped a point per game in his final two seasons at Northeastern and was named the best defensive forward in the Hockey East conference in 2023 and 2024. He may have slipped under the radar earlier in his development by not making the jump to college until his age-20 season, but he’s now well on his way to carving out a role for himself as a bottom-six NHL regular.

While Hryckowian has mostly skated on the left wing in Dallas, he can shift to center fairly easily and has won 56% of his faceoffs this season. Getting a responsible third or fourth-line piece who still has a little bit of untapped upside signed for six figures for multiple seasons is an expectedly shrewd move from three-time NHL general manager of the year Jim Nill.

Hryckowian would have had arbitration rights if he opted for restricted free agency this summer. Now, he’ll be able to walk straight to the open market as a UFA in 2028.

2 comments Dallas Stars Transactions

Team Switzerland Announces 2026 Olympic Roster

By | at January 7, 2026 10:35 am

Team Switzerland has locked in its roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to the IIHF:

Forwards:

Defensemen:

Goaltenders:

Well over half the Swiss roster carries NHL experience. In goal, there might be a rare situation where the only NHL-contracted name ends up as the third-stringer. Berra, now 39, played parts of five big league seasons but returned home to Fribourg-Gottéron several years ago. He was their starter at the 2022 Olympics and has long been one of Switzerland’s top goalies domestically. Genoni, 38, has been a starter in Switzerland’s top flight since 2007, is a seven-time league champion, and has won three World Championship silver medals.

Switzerland could very well have one of the tournament’s more lethal top defense pairs in Josi and Moser. Both are lefties but have spent significant time on their off sides in Nashville and Tampa. Berni, Kukan, and Siegenthaler round out the depth with NHL experience.

The Swiss are in Group A with Canada, Czechia, and France, easily the most competitive pool. They don’t have the pure offensive firepower of the Canadians and Czechs. However, they have some of the NHL’s most cerebral two-way forwards in Hischier, Niederreiter, and Suter, while boasting Fiala and Meier for high-end goal-scoring ability on the wings.

3 comments Olympics Team Switzerland

Penguins Place Rutger McGroarty On IR, Assign Harrison Brunicke To Juniors

By | at January 7, 2026 8:57 am

The Penguins have placed forward Rutger McGroarty on injured reserve, per a team announcement. McGroarty sustained a concussion after colliding with teammate Connor Clifton during Tuesday’s practice. As such, there is no timeline for his return, the team noted. Additionally, the Pens announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Harrison Brunicke to the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers after he suited up for Team Canada at this year’s World Juniors.

McGroarty entered the season as Pittsburgh’s top prospect but has had a rocky few months. After churning out 39 points in 60 AHL games as a rookie last season and making his NHL debut, he was expected to break camp with the Pens – potentially even in a top-six role – but sustained an upper-body injury that knocked him out of training camp. He was activated in November and spent his first couple of weeks in the minors on what was essentially a conditioning stint before getting added back to Pittsburgh’s roster on Dec. 1.

He’s been a staple in the lineup since returning, at least until his healthy scratch on Sunday against the Blue Jackets, but those designs of a top-six role have gone unfulfilled. McGroarty has instead spent most of his time on an all-rookie third line with Ville Koivunen and Benjamin Kindel, but the production hasn’t popped.

In 16 games, the 21-year-old has been limited to two goals and one assist with a -5 rating. Including last year’s late-season call-up, he’s only produced six points in 24 career outings. That line with Koivunen and Kindel has had great possession impacts, recording a team-high 59.8 xGF% at 5-on-5, but that hasn’t yet translated into results.

Any chance of those advanced numbers spiking a turnaround in McGroarty’s scoring will have to be put on hold. Recent trade pickup Yegor Chinakhov has slotted into McGroarty’s spot and, considering he’s got a goal and an assist in three games since his acquisition from Columbus, appears set to remain in a top-nine role for the foreseeable future.

Brunicke returning to juniors isn’t a surprise, especially with the more experienced Jack St. Ivany locking down a job as Pittsburgh’s third-pairing righty behind Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang since recovering from an early-season injury. Many still view the 19-year-old as the organization’s top defense prospect, but his initial NHL showing wasn’t much to write home about.

The 6’3″, 201-lb righty was in and out of the lineup for weeks before being loaned to the Canadian national junior team last month, only making nine appearances with one assist and a -4 rating. He averaged 15:43 of ice time per game and posted a -6 rating in his final three outings.

Since Brunicke didn’t hit the 10-game mark before being returned to Kamloops, his entry-level contract will not go into effect this season. He will still receive the $87.5K signing bonus he’s owed, though, further reducing his cap hit from its original $875K down to $816.7K when he is no longer slide eligible next year.

0 comments Injury Pittsburgh Penguins Transactions WHL

Denmark, Germany Announce 2026 Olympic Rosters

By | at January 7, 2026 8:43 am

Wednesday morning, Denmark and Germany became the latest nations to have the IIHF announce their rosters for next month’s Olympics:

Denmark

Forwards:

Defensemen:

Goaltenders:

Many will be surprised by the number of Danish names with NHL experience. Nine out of their 15 forwards have a big-league game to their name, even if only a handful are still left playing in North America.

Bjorkstrand and Ehlers are this roster’s only star-caliber skaters on an international level, though. The lack of high-end depth at both forward and defense will be a challenge for them as they aim to surpass Germany or Latvia and avoid finishing last in Group C.

Goaltending is a strong suit, comparatively. Andersen and Søgaard have struggled stateside this season, but Andersen has been spectacular in his recent but limited international experience. He had a .938 SV% in three games in last season’s Olympic qualifying tournament to help get them here, just their second Olympic appearance all-time after making a shock quarterfinal run in their debut in 2022.

Mølgaard will be an intriguing name to watch. The 20-year-old is the youngest name on the team by four years and was a second-round pick by Seattle in 2023. In his first season in North America, he’s made his NHL debut and recorded 18 points in 29 AHL games.

Germany

Forwards:

Defensemen:

Goaltenders:

There will be understandable conversations about Germany’s depth as they compete with Latvia for second place in Group C, but there’s no question that their star power is the best it’s ever been. Draisaitl, Peterka, and Stützle as the top-six anchors up front would be an envious trio for most “second-tier” hockey nations, while Seider as a No. 1 option on the blue line is leagues better than what competitors like Denmark, Slovakia, or even Czechia have to offer.

In goal, Grubauer’s resurgence stateside couldn’t come at a better time for the German national team. He’s been the best backup in the league behind Joey Daccord, flourishing with reduced workload and expectations after largely flaming out as the Kraken’s starter. In 14 appearances, he’s put up a league-leading .926 SV% and ranks seventh in the league in goals saved above expected with 11, per MoneyPuck. While it’s his first Olympic appearance, he’s made 22 World Championship appearances over the years and has a .915 mark in those.

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Snapshots: Marchand, Kings, Fleury, Flyers

By | at January 6, 2026 10:00 pm

Speaking with reporters this morning including Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link), Panthers winger Brad Marchand stated that had he not re-signed with Florida before free agency started, the Maple Leafs were the other team he was considering signing with.  Johnston went on to add in a piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that Toronto is believed to have passed up on a chance to acquire someone in June to ensure they’d have the cap space to try to sign the 37-year-old.  While there was an expectation that Florida couldn’t afford to keep him, he ultimately re-signed on a six-year, $31.5MM pact.  Marchand, who exited tonight’s game in Toronto early, had a very strong first half of the season, picking up 23 goals and 23 assists in 40 games, putting him on pace for more than 90 points, a mark he has only reached once.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Kings center Anze Kopitar (lower body) and winger Joel Armia (upper body) are listed as day-to-day, per Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider (Twitter link). The injuries were sustained in Monday’s game against Minnesota.  Kopitar has 21 points in 37 games in his final season while Armia has 16 points in 41 outings in his first season with them after coming over from Montreal in free agency.  If one of them can’t play on Wednesday against San Jose, they do have an open roster spot available.
  • The Jets announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Haydn Fleury was transported to hospital by ambulance following a hit from Vegas winger Keegan Kolesar. He was fully alert and moving his extremities at the time.  The team is expected to provide a further update when more information becomes available.
  • Despite a strong night on the scoreboard, it was a tough night on the injury front for the Flyers. The team announced (Twitter links) that winger Bobby Brink (upper body) and defenseman Jamie Drysdale left with injuries and did not return.  Brink was injured on a hit from Jansen Harkins while Drysdale was injured by Ross Johnston, who was ejected for his hit on the play.  There were no updates on either player after the game.
2 comments Florida Panthers Injury Los Angeles Kings Philadelphia Flyers Snapshots Toronto Maple Leafs Winnipeg Jets

CHL Transaction Roundup: Cootes, Alcos, Battaglia, Radkov

By | at January 6, 2026 8:56 pm

The trade deadlines in the three CHL leagues are fast approaching and there has been a significant uptick in transactions in recent days.  Here’s a rundown of some recent moves around the various leagues involving NHL-drafted players.

  • Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes is on the move as WHL Prince Albert announced that they’ve acquired him from Seattle in a 12-piece swap. Cootes, the 15th overall pick last June, got into three games with Vancouver to start the season before being sent back to the Thunderbirds where he was quite productive with 23 points in 17 games.  Most recently, Cootes played for Canada at the World Juniors, collecting two goals in seven contests.
  • Another Canucks youngster was dealt as WHL Kelowna picked up defenseman Parker Alcos from Edmonton, per a team release. The blueliner was a sixth-round pick in 2024 and has 14 points in 31 games so far this season.  Vancouver has until June 1st to sign him or they’ll lose his rights, meaning this stretch run will be particularly important for Alcos.
  • Flames 2024 second-rounder Jacob Battaglia has been acquired by OHL Flint, per a team release. The Firebirds are sending eight draft picks to Kingston in return for the forward.  The 19-year-old has 14 goals and 13 assists in 36 games this season.  Battaglia will be eligible to play full-time in the AHL next season, making him a particularly expensive rental player.
  • QMJHL Saint John announced that they’ve acquired Canadiens prospect Arseni Radkov from Blainville-Boisbriand. The goaltender was a third-round pick last June, going 82nd overall and is in his first and only season at the junior level.  He has a 3.01 GAA and a .894 SV% in 23 games so far this season.  Radkov is committed to play at UMass next season.
0 comments Calgary Flames Montreal Canadiens OHL QMJHL Transactions Vancouver Canucks WHL

Canucks Reportedly Made Renewed Effort To Extend Kiefer Sherwood

By | at January 6, 2026 8:21 pm

Tuesday: Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reported today that the offer is believed to be a medium-term agreement (four or five years) with an AAV of over $4MM per season.  For context, PuckPedia reports that his estimated career earnings is $4.77MM so whenever he signs, be it with Vancouver or elsewhere, it will be quite the increase in pay for him.

Saturday: The Vancouver Canucks made a new contract extension offer to pending UFA forward Kiefer Sherwood, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night. Friedman added that he still believes there is a “sizable gap” in terms of what Sherwood is looking for on his next deal versus what the Canucks are willing to offer, making a trade still the most likely outcome.

It has been frequently reported over the last few months that the Canucks are looking to trade away their pending UFAs, part of an organizational pivot made in the aftermath of the Quinn Hughes trade. Out of all of the Canucks’ pending UFAs, Sherwood is generally viewed as the most valuable trade asset, making it notable that the club has made a new pitch to try to retain his services beyond this season.

Sportsnet’s Iain McIntyre wrote this morning that Sherwood has a “strong case to make $4- or $5-million or more annually on his next contract,” and it would be something of a surprise to see the Canucks invest so heavily in Sherwood, who turns 31 on March 31.

If the Canucks are serious about pivoting their competitive strategy to favor something akin to a rebuild, trading away Sherwood for what is likely to be a solid return of either draft picks or young prospects appears to be the only real path forward.

But Friedman’s report indicates that the club is at least making a real push to try to keep Sherwood, and for what it’s worth, Sherwood did communicate a desire to remain in Vancouver. He told McIntyre “I love it here,” and that he wants “to do nothing more than bring energy and happiness to this fan base in this market.”

It’s not difficult to see why the Canucks might want to retain Sherwood, of course. He’s a well-respected veteran whose work ethic has endeared him to coaches and fans alike in Vancouver. He racks up hits like few other wingers across the NHL and has a knack for goal scoring as well, potting 17 in just 41 games this season.

He’s a player that offers a lot to like, and as the Canucks integrate more and more younger players into their NHL lineup, it’s not unreasonable that they’d want a few veterans to serve as the steady backbone of their lineup.

Sherwood could serve in that role, undoubtedly. But seeing as Friedman reported that there is still a notable gap between what the Canucks are looking to pay Sherwood on his next deal, and what Sherwood is looking to earn, a trade still appears to be, by far, the most likely path the Canucks take here.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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