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Casey Mittelstadt Out Week-To-Week

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Bruins center Casey Mittelstadt is nursing an apparent knee issue and has already missed one game, but head coach Marco Sturm said this morning he’s been downgraded to week-to-week (via Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald). They’re hoping he can get some light skates in later this week, but he’ll need something of a lengthy ramp-up period before he’s ready for game action again.

Mittelstadt, who turns 27 later this month, was acquired from the Avalanche last season and has had pedestrian output in a middle-six role since. He’s made 33 appearances since the surprise deadline deal, posting an 8-7–15 line with a -17 rating. In 2025-26, he’s already been a healthy scratch once and has seen his ice time drop to 14:32 per game. It’s his first time below 15 minutes since the 2019-20 campaign.

The eighth overall pick of the 2017 draft, Mittelstadt is now with his third club. The 6’1″ pivot spent parts of seven seasons with the Sabres before being included in a pair of notable change-of-scenery moves – first to the Avalanche for Bowen Byram at the 2024 deadline and again to the Bruins for Charlie Coyle last year. He flashed legitimate second-line ceiling with Buffalo, rattling off back-to-back 50-point seasons in his final two seasons there, but his offensive production since hasn’t warranted that type of deployment.

In fact, Boston has shifted Mittelstadt to the wing. That’s where the good news lies: he’s spent most of the year as a wingman for Viktor Arvidsson and Pavel Zacha, and that trio has churned out the best two-way play of the B’s’ frequently-used line combos. Of their three to log 50 minutes together, the Arvidsson-Zacha-Mittelstadt unit’s 50.0 xGF% is the best, per MoneyPuck. He’s got an even rating for the year as a result.

The Bruins now find themselves down two top-six pieces long-term in Mittelstadt and Elias Lindholm, who’s out week-to-week with a lower-body issue. The team has performed better than expected offensively this year, ranking 12th in the league with 3.29 goals per game, but that figure is down to regress thanks to those absences and a 12.2% shooting rate that’s bound to cool off.

Call-up Alex Steeves found himself in Mittelstadt’s slot on the second line when he made his Boston debut against his former team, the Maple Leafs, on Saturday. He didn’t record a point but could get a second look there in Boston’s rematch with Toronto tomorrow.

Predators Recall Joakim Kemell

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The Predators announced they’ve recalled right-winger Joakim Kemell from AHL Milwaukee. He’ll be on hand for this evening’s game against the Rangers. Nashville has an open spot on the active roster, so no corresponding move is needed.

The Preds haven’t had an extra forward on hand since fellow recent call-up Zachary L’Heureux sustained a lower-body injury in practice over the weekend. With the team’s confirmation that he’ll miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, Nashville needed another option on hand in case of further injury. Nashville can move L’Heureux to injured reserve at any time if they need to, but since they were operating with an open spot anyway, there’s no rush.

His absence opens the opportunity for Kemell’s second stint on the roster this season after he initially broke camp with the club. The 5’11” righty was the 17th overall pick in 2022. He had already broken into a regular role with Finland’s JYP organization as a teenager. He continued there in his post-draft season before Nashville brought him to North America late in the spring of 2023. Kemell’s results in the AHL have been something of a mixed bag, particularly on the defensive side, but he’s still one of the team’s highest-ceiling scoring prospects. Nonetheless, his stock has dropped – Elite Prospects ranked him 14th overall in the Nashville system during the offseason. They credit his strong all-around offensive mindset, but he hasn’t yet shown the explosiveness in the pros to compete for a top-six job, and his utility beyond being a tertiary offensive contributor and power-play specialist is questionable.

That makes this season a big one for Kemell, now 21, to prove he’s still on track to warrant a first-round pick. Cracking the opening night roster was a good first step, but he only played in two of Nashville’s first four games before they sent him to Milwaukee for more consistent playing time. He’s only scored once through six games, but has added five assists to average a point per game. He’s posted similar stat lines in his two full seasons on the farm, logging a 16-25–41 scoring line in 67 appearances in 2023-24 and a 19-21–40 line in 65 games last year. His NHL sample has yet to yield a point in four career appearances.

It remains to be seen how much playing time Kemell will get on this recall. He’s best suited for a top-nine job, but his options there are limited. Rookie Matthew Wood has all but locked down a spot, scoring three goals and seven points through 10 games. Unless the Preds shift Steven Stamkos back to center and demote the struggling Fedor Svechkov to fourth-line duties, it’s hard to see Kemell getting significant playing time.

Summer Synopsis: Boston Bruins

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With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins took a massive step back last season after being a powerhouse regular team in recent seasons. They moved on from several tenured veterans at the NHL Trade Deadline, and it showed as they fell down the Eastern Conference standings. This season, the team entered the regular season with their lowest expectations they’ve had in at least a decade. That being said, they do still have plenty of capable veterans on the team and should be able to compete on most nights, but likely don’t have the roster to make a significant push in the Eastern Conference.

Draft

1-7 – C James Hagens, Boston College (NCAA)
2-51 – C William Moore, U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
2-61 – D Liam Pettersson, Växjö Lakers J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-79 – F Cooper Simpson, Shakopee High (USHS-MN)
4-100 – D Vashek Blanár, Troja-Ljungby J18 (J18 Region)
5-133 – F Cole Chandler, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
6-165 – C Kirill Yemelyanov, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)

With the seventh overall pick, the Bruins chose Hagens from Boston College. The Hauppauge, New York native is a highly elusive center who uses his agility to vary speeds, change directions, create space, evade defenders, and generate scoring chances for himself and his teammates. Hagens will contribute offensively and should be able to use his dynamic skating to lead a line and operate on the power play.

Physically, Hagens is undersized, and concerns have been raised about his size and strength. Some people wonder if his lack of size could limit his potential, but given his skating ability and game sense, he should be able to compensate for any skill deficiencies.

Moore is another center who will come up through Boston College and is more of an in-your-face type of player than Hagens. Moore prefers a straight-line game and will crash the net, acting as both a shooter and a setup man. Unlike Hagens, concerns exist about Moore’s skating and his ability to play the north-south game due to his lack of acceleration. Moore has a long way to go to reach his potential and will likely spend at least a few seasons at Boston College, but he represents a gamble—a draft pick with a very high ceiling given his size and offensive skills. His path to the NHL depends on his improving his skating and speed.

Later in the second round, the Bruins selected Pettersson, a puck-moving defenseman out of Sweden. Pettersson transitions the puck well and can skate or pass it out of the defensive zone to create a switchover from defense to offense. There are concerns about his defensive work and his ability to handle the physicality of the NHL game. Pettersson is 6’2” but just 170 lbs, which means he will likely need to fill out quite a bit to handle the rigours of the NHL forecheck.

The Bruins rolled the dice with their third-round pick, picking a risky prospect with a high ceiling in Simpson. The Shakopee, Minnesota, native has all the tools of a raw goalscorer, using his puck-handling in traffic to create deception, along with a quick release that can give goaltenders fits. His production at the high school level has been off the charts (49 goals and 34 assists in 31 games), but there are question marks about whether it will translate to higher levels of hockey. Simpson will need to improve his play away from the puck if he hopes to ascend to the NHL, as well as his overall conditioning. However, he represents a pick that could develop into a top-nine winger, and as a third-round pick, it would be a win for the Bruins.

Trade Acquisitions

F Viktor Arvidsson (from Edmonton)
D Victor Soderstrom (from Chicago)

The Bruins grabbed Arvidsson at a low cost after his struggles last season in Edmonton. The 32-year-old has a strong history as a productive offensive player, but he struggled last year after his usage decreased. Arvidsson is only two seasons removed from scoring 26 goals and 33 assists in 77 games, which would be excellent production at his current price of $4MM for this season. However, if he repeats last year’s pace, it won’t be a good deal, but since he’s only signed for this year, it’s not the end of the world. At worst, Arvidsson can be a trade asset at the deadline for the Bruins, or if he really struggles, they can let him go at the end of the season after only having invested a fifth-round pick. But if Arvidsson regains his form, he could help them push for a playoff spot or recover some assets if the team isn’t in contention.

UFA Signings

D Jonathan Aspirot (one year, $775K)*
RW Matej Blumel (one year, $875K)
C Patrick Brown (one year, $775K)*^
D Michael Callahan (one year, $775K)*^
G Michael Dipietro (two years, $1.625MM)^
F Michael Eyssimont (two years, $2.9MM)
D Jordan Harris (one year, $825K)
LW Tanner Jeannot (five years, $17MM)
D Henri Jokiharju (three years, $9MM)^
F Sean Kuraly (two years, $3.7MM)
C Alex Steeves (one year, $850K)
LW Riley Tufte (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The Bruins spent heavily in free agency during the summer of 2024, signing forward Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov to costly long-term deals. Both of these contracts are now over a year old, and it’s fair to say they haven’t panned out as hoped. This offseason, Boston opted for a more cautious approach, adding a few bottom-six forwards and a couple of defensemen.

The Bruins’ significant addition was Jeannot, who has garnered a lot of mileage out of one decent season, signing a lucrative long-term deal worth $3.4MM per year. The 28-year-old had 24 goals and 41 points in 2021-22 but hasn’t topped seven goals or 18 points in any season since. Jeannot plays a fairly simple game, doesn’t do much with the puck, and hits a lot. His forechecking is solid, as is his work in front of the net, battling for position to create deflections, but beyond that, he doesn’t do much and probably won’t live up to his five-year deal.

Kuraly was a low-profile signing in Boston who plays a similar game to Jeannot but with much less physicality. Kuraly takes a low-event approach and doesn’t generate much offense or lead the play, but he is a reliable fourth-line defensive center who can contribute 20-30 points. Boston may actually be a good fit for Kuraly, as he is a solid penalty killer, has no problem throwing his body around, and should endear himself to Bruins fans with his play.

RFA Re-Signings

C John Beecher (one year, $900K)
C John Farinacci  (one year, $775K)*
C Morgan Geekie (six years, $33MM)
C Marat Khusnutdinov (two years, $1.85MM)
D Mason Lohrei (two years, $6.4MM)
C Georgii Merkulov (one year, $775K)*
D Victor Soderstrom (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

Locking up Geekie was a significant move for the Bruins this summer, especially since the 27-year-old was coming off a 33-goal season. Geekie had never scored more than 17 goals before last year, and he probably won’t shoot 22% regularly. However, given his track record as a middle-six forward, he should still provide value at $5.5MM annually. The risk for Boston is that if he reverts to an 11-13% shooter, which wouldn’t be an ideal value for his contract.

Lohrei plays a high-motor game, jumping into transition and moving the puck around the ice easily. He isn’t as talented as Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres, but, like Byram, Lohrei’s skills are very noticeable. However, his on-ice results don’t quite match the eye test. As mentioned earlier, Lohrei moves around the ice with ease, is very active in transition, and can pass well, but none of that has yet translated into positive results, which is puzzling. It could also mean that Lohrei is ready for a breakout, which would be great news for Bruins’ management.

Departures

G Brandon Bussi (signed in Florida, one year $775K)*
F Cole Koepke (signed in Winnipeg, one year $1MM)
F Jakub Lauko (signed in Czechia)
F Vinni Lettieri (signed in Toronto, one year $775K)
D Ian Mitchell (signed in Detroit, one year $775K)
F Tyler Pitlick (signed in Minnesota, two years, $1.55MM)*
D Parker Wotherspoon (signed in Pittsburgh, two years, $2MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Bruins’ significant roster losses occurred before the NHL Trade Deadline, as the team shipped out players like Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and a few others. It was a clear signal that they were punting on the season, leaving very few players to depart in the off-season.

Wotherspoon arguably represents the most significant loss off the roster for Boston and has been a great fit in Pittsburgh so far, playing quite a bit on the Penguins’ second pairing alongside Erik Karlsson. The 28-year-old has been excellent so far, surpassing expectations even as he’s been asked to take on more heavy lifting. Wotherspoon has never played more than 55 NHL games in a season, which should make his usage going forward worth watching in Pittsburgh. Wotherspoon could be a case of a player not getting opportunities in Boston and finding a fit elsewhere, but it’s hard to assess given this season’s small sample size.

Koepke might be another player who thrives elsewhere after signing a one-year deal in Winnipeg. He isn’t known for his analytics and won’t put up many points, but he plays a low-event game and is dependable defensively. He brought a physical presence that the Bruins will miss in their bottom six, but given the lack of scoring from their bottom two lines, they didn’t really need to keep another forward who struggles to produce points.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Bruins currently have just over $1.7MM in cap space this season. There is no denying they have some very bloated contracts on the books right now, most of which are untradable at the moment. The Bruins are heavily relying on some of these overpriced veterans to bounce back and meet their hefty contracts. If they don’t, things could get ugly for Boston as they lack the long-term cap space to cover potential gaps. Next summer, Boston has 18 players signed and just shy of $20MM available in cap space, which could give them a chance to make one or two key additions. However, considering their recent struggles in free agency, they might be cautious about overpaying again.

Key Questions

Can Jeremy Swayman get back to form?

Swayman’s play last year fell short of expectations for him and the Bruins after signing a significant contract extension. It was his first season in Boston without Linus Ullmark, who was traded to Ottawa in the summer of 2024. Swayman missed the start of the season due to a contract holdout and only signed his eight-year, $66MM deal in early October, missing just one game. However, he missed all of training camp, and it showed in his performance last season, as he posted the worst stats of his career. Now, as he approaches 27, he’s hoping to rebound, along with the Bruins, whose season could depend on Swayman’s play.

Do they have enough depth scoring?

Boston is very fortunate to have David Pastrňák on their roster, especially last year when he scored 106 points, accounting for roughly 47% of the Bruins’ offense. The Bruins lack depth offensively, and while Pastrňák can carry a large share of the scoring, he can’t do it all alone. Boston has capable forwards in their top six, but their bottom two lines aren’t exactly overflowing with offensive talent, which could become a problem if they don’t have enough scoring to compete.

Can they compete for a playoff spot?

If Boston played in a weaker division, this answer could potentially be yes, but competing in the Atlantic Division makes it a struggle just to qualify as a wild-card team. Boston isn’t a terrible team, but it’s hard to imagine them finishing ahead of Florida, Toronto, Montreal, Tampa Bay, or Ottawa. That would place them sixth at best, and it’s fair to wonder if the Bruins are even better than Detroit, with whom they also compete in their division. Given the intense competition this season, it’s unlikely Boston makes the playoffs, but that’s why they play the games.

Five Key Stories: 11/3/25 – 11/9/25

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After a flurry of long-term deals were handed out last week, this week was much quieter on the transaction front.  However, there was still some news of note from the past seven days, recapped in our key stories.

Barnes Promoted: Even hockey fans who aren’t entirely familiar with advanced statistics have likely heard of the terms Corsi rating and Fenwick rating.  Those were created by Tim Barnes, under the pseudonym Vic Ferrari.  Barnes joined Washington’s front office more than a decade ago and he now has a new role with the team as he has been promoted to Assistant GM.  He becomes the third AM under Craig Patrick, joining Ross Mahoney and Don Fishman.  The Capitals are no stranger to getting creative with some of their front office moves; late in the spring of 2024, they purchased the former cap-tracking site CapFriendly, adding the staff from their site into the fold as well.

Back To Russia: Vitali Kravtsov’s return to North America didn’t go as well as he had planned.  A so-so preseason saw the 2018 ninth overall pick land on waivers and after passing through unclaimed, the Canucks sent him to AHL Abbotsford.  Things didn’t go better there as he managed just four points in ten games and with several others getting an NHL look before him, he requested and was granted a termination of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.  He won’t be unsigned for long as it’s expected that he will sign a three-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, returning to the team he spent the last two seasons with, including putting together a 27-goal, 58-point performance in 2024-25.

Dubois Out Long Term: Pierre-Luc Dubois had a strong first season with Washington in 2024-25, posting a career-high 66 points while helping lead them to the Eastern Conference regular season title.  Year two didn’t start strong with no points in six games and it has gotten even worse.  He recently underwent surgery to address injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles; the estimated timeline for a return is three to four months.  His absence will be a big one for a Washington team that has been slow out of the gate, sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division heading into tonight’s action.  Dubois will be eligible for regular LTIR which would give them up to $3.82MM in additional spending flexibility.  However, since they have more than that in regular cap room per PuckPedia, it’s unlikely they’ll be dipping into LTIR.

Kampf Suspended By Maple Leafs: After deciding he wanted to step away from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to ponder his playing future, the Maple Leafs suspended David Kampf without pay, further fueling speculation about a change being on the horizon.  Believed to be a key issue here is the $1.325MM signing bonus paid back in July.  If Kampf requests a contract termination, Toronto could be seeking repayment of that while the NHLPA would argue that it should remain with him.  Kampf has been away from the Marlies for more than a week now so it feels like this should be coming to a conclusion in the near future.

Kyrou Scratched: One of the bigger stories of the week came from St. Louis.  With the Blues struggling to start the season, head coach Jim Montgomery sent a message to his group by scratching Jordan Kyrou.  The winger has had an okay start to his year with nine points in 15 games but after being in trade speculation over the summer, this could get him back in the rumor mill.  Speaking of that rumor mill, reports are beginning to surface that the Blues could be looking to retool or at least shake up their roster so they could be a team to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.  One of those retooling moves won’t involve veteran winger Milan Lucic, at least for now, as he was released from his PTO and signed a PTO with their AHL affiliate in Springfield where he’ll continue his NHL comeback efforts.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Malcolm Subban Signs In Czech League

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While it took a while, veteran UFA goaltender Malcolm Subban has found a place to play this season.  After no early-season opportunities came up in the AHL, he has decided to head overseas as HC Dynamo of the Czech Extraliga announced that they’ve signed him to a deal for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

The 31-year-old was a first-round pick by Boston back in 2012, going 24th overall but only got into parts of two games with them.  He has also spent time at the top level with Vegas, Chicago, Buffalo, and Columbus, most recently in 2023-24.  However, despite seeing NHL action in parts of eight different seasons, Subban has only played in 87 games overall, posting a 3.10 GAA and a .898 SV% while recording three shutouts.

Subban has been a regular at the AHL level for the bulk of his playing career.  He split time last season between Grand Rapids on a PTO and Belleville, where he posted a 3.13 GAA and a .883 SV%.

Over his eight AHL seasons, Subban has posted a 100-84-37 record with a 2.70 GAA, a .909 SV%, and eight shutouts.  However, he wasn’t in training camp with an NHL team and an opportunity didn’t come around like it did with Belleville last season so it’s no surprise he looked overseas.  He’ll be aiming to perform well with Dynamo in the hopes of securing another North American opportunity next season.

Ducks Activate Ryan Strome, Place Radko Gudas On Injured Reserve

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The Ducks have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight against Winnipeg.  Patrick Present of The Hockey News relays that Anaheim has activated center Ryan Strome off injured reserve.  To make room for him on the active roster, defenseman Radko Gudas has been placed on IR.

Strome has yet to play this season due to an upper-body injury sustained in practice during the preseason.  In 2024-25, the 32-year-old put up 41 points for the third season in a row after tallying 10 goals and 31 assists in 82 games while averaging over 16 minutes a night of playing time as a middle-six center.

It would be surprising to see Strome have a similar role this season.  Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish are their main two pivots while Mikael Granlund – when healthy – will be anchoring a line as well.  That should push Strome to the wing, a role he might be better suited for given his struggles at the faceoff dot; he won just 41.7% of his draws last season.  Still, his return will be a welcome one to an attack that’s already among the NHL’s best in the early going; they enter play tonight with the second-most goals in the NHL.

As for Gudas, he has been out for a little more than two weeks with a lower-body injury.  Assuming that the placement is back-dated, he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s cleared to play.  The 35-year-old has played in seven games this season, picking up two assists, 12 blocks, and 23 hits in 15:35 per night of playing time.

Sabres Looking To Move Alexandar Georgiev

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It has been a rough run over the last year and a bit for veteran goaltender Alexandar Georgiev.  After struggling mightily between Colorado and San Jose last season, his first trip through unrestricted free agency didn’t yield much interest.  Instead, he had to wait until just before the start of training camp to get a contract as he signed a one-year, $825K deal with the Sabres as an insurance policy with some uncertainty surrounding Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen heading into camp.

However, after a poor training camp, Buffalo elected to bring in a different insurance policy, claiming Colten Ellis off waivers from St. Louis.  As a result, Georgiev was placed on waivers and was sent to AHL Rochester after passing through unclaimed.  Meanwhile, Luukkonen has returned and the Sabres appear to be intent on carrying three goalies this season.

Meanwhile, Devon Levi is Buffalo’s preferred goaltender in Rochester.  While he hasn’t had the immediate NHL impact they were hoping when they signed him a few years ago, he’s still a decent prospect and needs to be getting the bulk of the playing time.  As a result, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week that Buffalo is now trying to find a new home for Georgiev.

The 29-year-old has respectable career numbers at the NHL level despite his recent struggles.  In 303 games over parts of eight seasons, he has a 151-108-26 record with 2.99 GAA, a .903 SV%, and 15 shutouts.  However, the last time he posted a save percentage over .900 was back in 2022-23 so it’s fair to suggest that anyone who might be looking to add him would be viewing him more as injury insurance than someone who could come up and play in the NHL right away.

With Levi getting the bulk of the workload, Georgiev has been limited to just two appearances in the minors through the first month of the season where he has allowed seven goals on 67 shots in a pair of losses.  That said, a chance to play more regularly might result in a better performance moving forward.

The fact that Georgiev’s contract is a one-way pact will also limit his value.  While more teams are now willing to pay NHL money to a third-string netminder, quite a few still try to avoid doing so while those who have an AHL netminder on a one-way deal likely won’t be looking to add another.  However, as goalie injuries pick up, Buffalo might have a chance to move him for a future considerations type of return over the coming weeks.  For someone who was a number one NHL goalie to start last season though, this is quite the fall from grace for Georgiev and his value.

Sharks Assign Zack Ostapchuk To AHL, Send Down Vincent Iorio On Conditioning Loan

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With the team off until Tuesday, the Sharks have made a pair of roster moves.  The team announced this afternoon (Twitter link) that forward Zack Ostapchuk has been assigned to AHL San Jose.  Meanwhile, blueliner Vincent Iorio has also been sent to the Barracuda on a conditioning stint.

Ostapchuk’s stint with the Sharks was short-lived as he had only been recalled on Thursday and didn’t see any action after his promotion.  Acquired from Ottawa at last year’s trade deadline as part of the Fabian Zetterlund deal, the 22-year-old played somewhat regularly down the stretch, getting into 13 games.  However, with the option of having limited playing time in the NHL or a bigger role in the minors, the Sharks have opted for the latter this season while he remains waiver-exempt.  In nine games with the Barracuda this season, Ostapchuk has two goals and an assist.

As for Iorio, he was claimed off waivers from Washington midway through last month when the Sharks were dealing with some injuries on the back end.  He played regularly for about a week and a half, getting into six games where he was held off the scoresheet while posting six blocks in 16:20 a night of playing time.  However, he has been a healthy scratch in seven straight games as some of their injured rearguards have started to return.  With this being a regular conditioning loan, it can last for up to two weeks.

While two players are coming off the roster, the Sharks are only gaining one roster spot with these moves.  Iorio will remain on San Jose’s roster while on assignment, meaning that they still have 22 players on their active roster.

Rangers Recall Gabriel Perreault

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The New York Rangers have announced that top prospect Gabriel Perreault has been called up from AHL Hartford, while Jaroslav Chmelar is headed back down in a corresponding transaction. The move will bring excitement to fans, especially given the team’s polarizing start to 2025-26. Perreault is back in the NHL after a scoreless five-game stint in 2024-25, fresh out of the NCAA. 

Although the Rangers have not bottomed out by any means, finding consistency under new Head Coach Mike Sullivan remains a work in progress. Most fascinating is their immense struggles at home (0-6-1) versus their success on the road (7-1-1). While blame has been cast out from the top of the Rangers lineup to the bottom, offense across the board has been a major issue. New York has scored just 35 goals, ranking last in the league. They have been shut out in five of their seven home games thus far. 16 games into the season, the offensive production is simply unacceptable, given the roster at hand. 

Now, New York has called upon their undisputed top prospect to help get things turned around. Perreault got some needed seasoning with AHL Hartford, where he leads the team with ten points in nine games so far. Drafted 23rd overall in 2023, Perreault, son of longtime NHLer Yanic Perreault, projects as a true top-six forward. With high-end playmaking ability, the Quebec-native could pan out as a legitimate first-line player, but first will need to become more responsible in other areas of the game. After jumping into the Rangers lineup right out of Boston College last season, where he was unable to find the scoresheet, fans will watch for such progress from the 5’11” left-handed shooter. 

GM Chris Drury was likely not counting on making the call for the prospect after just nine games with Hartford, but patience is quickly wearing thin for New York, especially after another shutout at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, a convincing 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Islanders. Now the club hopes Perreault will provide a needed spark. On the flip side, headed back to the AHL, Chmelar appeared in his first two NHL games, but did not record a point. While the 22-year-old was a nice find for New York in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Chmelar offers more size and physicality (6’4”) than offensive flair. 

With the Rangers looking to finally enter the win column at home tomorrow against Nashville, nothing has been confirmed yet, but eyes will be on Perreault to enter the lineup and potentially record his first NHL point. 

Injury Notes: Perfetti, Nazar, Lightning

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Murat Ates of The Athletic shared that Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti participated in morning skate alongside Jonathan Toews and Vladislav Namestnikov, fueling speculation that the 23-year-old could make his season debut soon. Sure enough, the Jets officially announced Perfetti will play tonight in Anaheim. 

Perfetti suffered a sprained ankle in the preseason after going down awkwardly, which while unfortunate, was feared to be even worse. The Jets are 9-5-0 in his absence, and now welcome back Perfetti, an 82-game player last year, who will aim to move past the setback and build off last year’s 50-point production. As mentioned by Ates, Perfetti took reps on the Jets’ top power play unit, and the youngster could be an immediate factor tonight as Winnipeg looks to end the Ducks’ six-game winning streak. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar was a last-minute scratch due to injury today, as reported by Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio. Nazar left Friday’s game after being cross-checked by Joel Farabee, but it appears he will not be sidelined long, given that he took warmups before being deemed unable to go against his hometown Detroit Red Wings. Nazar, 21, is among the club’s top point-getters with 11 in 15 games. Barring any setbacks, he is expected to set career highs across the board in 2025-26, after 56 professional games in the last two seasons. 
  • Benjamin Pierce, Tampa Bay’s beat writer, shared multiple updates on Lightning players currently banged up. Veteran Ryan McDonagh is still under evaluation after departing last night’s game. Pierce went on to say that Anthony Cirelli is day-to-day, and the team hopes he is all set for the next game. Cirelli’s ailment was first noted yesterday. Thankfully, the Bolts have some time to rest up, as they won’t be in action until Wednesday, hosting the Rangers.

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