Stars Assign Nathan Bastian On Conditioning Stint
The Stars announced they’ve loaned right winger Nathan Bastian to AHL Texas for a conditioning stint. Bastian will remain on the active roster and can spend up to two weeks in the minors before Dallas must either keep him in the NHL or place him on waivers.
Bastian was in the lineup for Saturday’s shootout loss to the Blackhawks, but before that, he’d been a healthy scratch in nine consecutive contests. He’s only made seven appearances since Nov. 4 and has dressed in just over half of Dallas’ contests this season.
This wasn’t entirely unforeseen for the 28-year-old. He landed a one-year, one-way deal with the Stars over the offseason for the league minimum and was widely projected as a 13th forward option from the very start, only getting consistent playing time in the early stages of the year due to Jamie Benn‘s and Matt Duchene‘s injuries.
When dressed, the veteran of nearly 300 NHL games has contributed three goals and 48 hits but is still looking for his first assist. An injury-prone fourth-line fixture with the Devils for most of his career, Bastian has averaged a career-low 8:17 of ice time per game.
Bastian’s debut with the Texas Stars will mark his first minor-league action since suiting up with the now-defunct Binghamton Devils in 2019-20. A second-round pick by New Jersey in 2016, he ranks 32nd from that draft class in games played.
Islanders Loan Jesse Nurmi To OHL
The Islanders have loaned left winger Jesse Nurmi to the OHL’s London Knights, according to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com. Since he was previously on assignment to AHL Bridgeport, the move doesn’t impact their active roster.
Nurmi, 20, was looking to get his first real taste of pro hockey in North America this season, but will instead finish out the campaign back in juniors. A knee injury sustained during rookie camp kept him out of main training camp and delayed his season debut until November.
Instead of having the 2023 fourth-round pick begin his season in Bridgeport, the Islanders sent Nurmi down a level further to ECHL Worcester to get his feet wet. After being limited to a goal and an assist in 12 games, he was brought up to Bridgeport earlier this month but hasn’t played since.
Nurmi was one of the top producers in Finland’s junior circuit in his draft year, recording 21 goals and 50 points in 41 games for KooKoo’s under-20 club. Playing time was limited as he made the jump to the top-division Liiga the following year, influencing the Isles to sign Nurmi to his entry-level contract in the 2024 offseason and get him more deployment on this side of the Atlantic.
The 5’11” lefty won an OHL title and Memorial Cup championship with London last season as part of a stacked group that included a remarkable 15 NHL draft picks. He totaled a 9-22–31 scoring line in 58 games.
Obviously, the knee injury derailed his initial adjustment to the pro game. He’ll now be able to fully get back up to speed in a familiar environment while providing a significant boost to a London club eyeing its fourth consecutive OHL final appearance and third straight championship.
Since Nurmi is no longer slide-eligible, his contract will still fill up one of the Isles’ 50 slots for the remainder of the season.
Maple Leafs Recall Matt Benning, Jacob Quillan
The Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Matt Benning and center Jacob Quillan from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, according to a team announcement. Toronto’s active roster is full, so two corresponding moves will be necessary. The reinforcements come as defender Chris Tanev and left winger Dakota Joshua will be scratched for tonight’s game against the Devils due to lower-body and upper-body injuries, respectively, but the Leafs haven’t yet said whether they’ll miss enough time to be eligible for IR placements.
Tanev’s and Joshua’s absences aren’t the only injury troubles the Leafs are facing, either. Auston Matthews will be a game-time decision after sustaining a lower-body injury in Sunday’s loss to the Red Wings that briefly caused him to leave the bench. William Nylander‘s status for tonight is also unclear – he remains day-to-day after sitting out the Detroit loss with a lower-body injury.
Benning, 31, was a full-time NHLer for several years with the Oilers, Predators, and Sharks but hasn’t seen much playing time over the past two seasons. Hip surgery limited him to 14 games in 2023-24 and, after making seven appearances for San Jose to kick off last season, was traded to Toronto. The Leafs immediately waived him and reassigned him to the Marlies, where he’s played since.
The 6’1″ puck-mover put up disappointing numbers last year but has seemed to find his game again in 2025-26. Now in the final year of a four-year, $5MM deal he signed with the Sharks in free agency in 2022, he’s tied for eighth on the Marlies in scoring with two goals and eight assists for 10 points despite being limited to 16 appearances, posting a decent +4 rating to boot. He’s already eclipsed all of his offensive marks from last season in 39 games.
With Tanev coming out, adding a right-shot option like Benning to the roster was preferable. Whether he plays tonight against the Devils or whether Simon Benoit re-enters the lineup on his off side after serving as a scratch for the last three games remains to be seen.
Quillan’s recall is his second of the season. The 23-year-old pivot was rostered for a nine-day stretch last month, getting into a pair of games – the second and third of his NHL career. He’s still looking for his first big league point and would enter the lineup tonight if both Matthews and Nylander can’t go.
An undrafted free agent out of Quinnipiac, the 6’1″ Quillan has emerged as the Marlies’ top two-way forward in just his second professional season. He leads the team with 18 assists and 23 points in 26 games, as does his +7 rating. He’s done plenty to cement his ceiling as a long-term bottom-six option in Toronto and, although there isn’t much of a job for him this year, has likely been penciled in as a replacement for pending unrestricted free agent Scott Laughton.
Bruins Have Shown Interest In Matias Maccelli
The Bruins are known to be in the market for a winger as they look to gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race. According to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, re-upping a sentiment Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet had first put out earlier in the month, Maple Leafs lefty Matias Maccelli is another name they’ve checked in on.
Maccelli, 25, has displayed top-six playmaking talent in the past but has seen his production take a significant hit since the beginning of the 2024-25 season. The 2019 fourth-round pick of the Coyotes averaged 44 assists per 82 games through his first two full NHL campaigns, but is averaging just 18 over the last two years with Utah and Toronto.
Overall, Maccelli has 251 big league games on his track record, averaging a 14-33–47 scoring line over a full season. His 0.60 points per game since his fourth-place Calder Trophy finish in 2022-23 ranks 122nd in the league among forwards with at least 200 games. His possession impacts have historically been above average, including a career-high 55.2% Corsi share at 5-on-5 with Utah last year.
After falling out of favor with Mammoth head coach André Tourigny last season, he was flipped to the Leafs in June for a 2027 third-round pick. He was one of multiple reclamation project-type wingers Toronto added in the hopes of being able to replace Mitch Marner‘s lost production by committee. The 5’11” Finn got off to a slow start with one assist through his first six games and never managed to climb up the depth chart, though. He’s been limited to 27 appearances, largely due to a string of scratches that kept him out of the lineup for 10 of 11 contests between Nov. 22 and Dec. 20.
Maccelli has played in five straight since that run of time in the press box, though, and his production has finally begun to spike. He’s averaged 16:03 of ice time during that stretch with four points (one goal, three assists), stapled to John Tavares‘ wing on Toronto’s second line. He’s also seen increased power-play deployment under new man-advantage coach Steve Sullivan, featuring on the top unit in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Red Wings.
Boston’s other known target, Kiefer Sherwood, would be a rental. Maccelli is also on an expiring contract, but would remain under team control as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He costs $3.425MM against the cap but is due a $4.11MM qualifying offer as a result of his backloaded contract structure, which includes a $4.25MM base salary for 2025-26. Considering he’s on pace for 39 points this year, that might be a price the Bruins are willing to pay (in addition to the asset(s) required to trade for him), but there’s no guarantee.
Even with Maccelli’s recent spike, the Leafs have continued to slip in the standings – now tied for last in the East – and have been open to moving Maccelli in hopes of clearing up some cap space (and getting out from under his aforementioned QO). His point pace should allow them to recoup the third-round pick they gave up for him but likely not much more than that.
Snapshots: Toninato, Lundestrom, Barzal, Eichel
The Blackhawks announced that they’ve assigned center Dominic Toninato back to AHL Rockford. Recalled three weeks ago, the 31-year-old got into five games with Chicago while on recall, picking up an assist and ten hits in 9:12 per game of playing time. Toninato has been much more productive with the IceHogs, notching five goals and 12 assists in 24 games with them. With his assignment, the Blackhawks now have an open roster spot. Don’t expect that spot to go to Connor Bedard, however, as while he returned to the ice today per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, it was a light skate and there remains no firm timetable for his return.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Blue Jackets center Isac Lundestrom is expected to miss a week or two with a lower-body injury sustained in practice over the weekend, reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 26-year-old is in his first season with Columbus and has been rather quiet offensively, scoring just once while adding four assists in 35 games although he does take a regular turn on the penalty kill.
- Islanders center Mathew Barzal is a little lighter in the wallet today. The league announced that he has received a $5K fine for his slash on Columbus winger Mason Marchment in the second period of Sunday’s game. Barzal received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct on the play. The fine, which is the maximum allowable under the CBA, goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
- Golden Knights center Jack Eichel took part in today’s morning skate in a non-contact jersey, relays Fox 5 Vegas’ Vince Sapienza (Twitter link). While he has been ruled out for tonight’s game versus Minnesota, he could return Wednesday against Nashville. Eichel has missed the last two weeks due to both an illness and a lower-body injury. Despite missing that much time, he remains the team leader in scoring with 12 goals and 29 assists in 41 games.
Bruins Activate Jonathan Aspirot
The Bruins welcomed back one of their defensemen to the lineup tonight against Calgary as the team announced that Jonathan Aspirot has been added back to the active roster. More specifically, he was activated off injured reserve. Boston had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made.
The 26-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Bruins for the league minimum in Group Six unrestricted free agency, hoping that a new organization could give him a pathway to his first taste of NHL action. While it took a bit of time, he ultimately got that opportunity.
Aspirot cleared waivers back in October and got into five games with AHL Providence. He had a goal and two assists in those outings and three weeks after being sent down, he earned a promotion to Boston and has been with them since.
Aspirot played in 19 games with Boston before the injury, predominantly on their third pairing. In those outings, he had a goal along with 28 blocks and 32 hits while averaging a little over 16 minutes per night of ice time. He had missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury sustained against Winnipeg.
Even with his activation, the Bruins are still without a pair of blueliners. Henri Jokiharju is on IR with an undisclosed injury that has kept him out for a month while Jordan Harris is on long-term injured reserve and has missed more than two months with an ankle injury.
Senators Activate Shane Pinto
The Senators welcomed back a key center to the lineup tonight against Columbus. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relayed (Twitter link) that Shane Pinto was set to anchor the third line, meaning he has been activated off injured reserve. Ottawa had an open roster spot so no further moves needed to be made.
The 25-year-old has missed the last four weeks with a lower-body injury. With Lars Eller also on IR, they still don’t have their full complement of middlemen available to them but their top three are now intact.
Pinto got off to a terrific start to the season. He had seven goals in six games to start and by the time he reached his 18th game, he had nine goals and six assists, making for a nice return on his $3.75MM bridge deal. At that 18-game mark, he signed a four-year, $30MM contract extension, buying out his two remaining RFA-eligible seasons as well as his first two years of UFA eligibility.
However, things haven’t gone quite as well offensively for Pinto since then. In his nine games played since signing, he has just three goals and one assist before sustaining his injury. Still, he is certainly a welcome addition as they will need as much firepower as possible with starting goalie Linus Ullmark away from the team indefinitely on a leave of absence.
Meanwhile, Ottawa also welcomed back defenseman Tyler Kleven to the lineup after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury. He has five assists, 48 blocked shots, and 41 hits in 32 games this season. He remained on the active roster while injured so no corresponding move needed to be made for him either. Kleven took the place of Nick Jensen (healthy scratch) in the lineup.
Oilers Activate, Assign Connor Clattenburg
The Edmonton Oilers have activated defenseman Connor Clattenburg off of long-term injured reserve. He has missed the last 11 games after sustaining an eye injury in Edmonton’s December 4th win over the Seattle Kraken. Now, he’ll return to action in the minor-leagues where he has spent the bulk of the season.
Clattenburg is in his first pro season after making his AHL debut at the end of last season. He recorded two points and 59 penalty minutes in 15 games with the Bakersfield Condors to start the season. 41 of those penalty minutes came in just two games in which Clattenburg had three fights. That start tot he year was enough to earn Clattenburg the first NHL call-up of his career in late November.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound bruiser made a quick impact at the bottom of Edmonton’s lineup. He scored his first NHL goal in his second game and has racked up 13 penalty minutes in his first five games. His first NHL fight game in his third game against Seattle forward Frederick Gaudreau and only lasted a few punches.
Clattenburg took on his enforcer style over three years in the OHL. He racked up 115 penalty minutes in 56 games as an OHL rookie in 2022-23. That was, at the time, the most of any OHL rookie since Ty Bilcke recorded 221 PIMs in the 2011-12 season. Clattenburg finished his junior career with 74 points and 302 penalty minutes in 162 games. He will bring that grit back to Bakersfield lineup and could earn a return to the NHL with continued physical play.
Ducks’ Frank Vatrano, Radko Gudas Out On Monday
The Anaheim Ducks will be without players in Monday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. Forward Frank Vatrano will miss the game with an upper-body injury while defenseman and captain Radko Gudas will be forced out by an illness head coach Joel Quenneville told Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Quennville added that the team did not know quite how long Vatrano would need to miss.
Vatrano and Gudas both serve important, physical roles on the Ducks. Gudas leads the defense in hits (94) while Vatrano ranks second on the offense (67) behind Ross Johnston (111). Vatrno also ranks second to Johnston in penalty minutes on the Ducks. He has stepped into a pest role this season and was recently fined by the NHL Department of Player Safety for an unsportsmanlike conduct against Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. Vatrano has six points in 38 games to back his nasty style, while Gudas has eight points in 29 games.
Anaheim will now face injury challenges on the heels of a recent losing skid. The Ducks have lost five of their last eight games, including a 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. Jansen Harkins is set to take over fourth-line center duties in Vatrano’s absence. He has two goals, 11 shot blocks, and 51 hits in 16 games this season. Harkins is the only Duck with a higher hits-per-game average than Johnston or Vatrano, which should make his adjustment to Vatrano’s role a bit smoother. Ian Moore will step in for Gudas. Moore has five points and 47 shot blocks in 24 games this season. One more game will officially cement this season as his rookie year in the NHL.
Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov Placed On IR, Potentially Out For Season
The Carolina Hurricanes have placed goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on injured reserve. Kochetkov has been battling a hip injury since the start of the season. He missed all of October and the last week of November due to the issue. Now, after being forced out of the lineup for a third time, Kochetkov has elected to undergo surgery to address the injury, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Chip Alexander of The News and Observer.
Kochetkov has only played in nine games this season. He was successful in those appearances, posting a 6-3-0 record, .899 save percentage, and 2.33 goals-against-average. He also had one shutout on the year. Kochetkov’s stat line ranked second in Carolina’s goaltending room across the board, behind emerging starter Brandon Bussi.
Bussi will be who Carolina leans on in Kochetkov’s absence. The 27-year-old has posted 12 wins, a .910 Sv%, and a 2.10 GAA in the first 14 games of his NHL career this season. He has been a standout in the minor leagues since signing with the AHL’s Providence Bruins out of college in 2022. Bussi posted a first .922 Sv% in the first 37 games of his AHL career, spanning the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. That entrance into the league earned Bussi an AHL all-star recognition in 2023 – an accolade he followed with 23 wins and a .913 Sv% in 41 games with Providence in 2023-24.
In competition with Michael DiPietro, Bussi fell to a .907 Sv% in 33 AHL games last season. That slip prompted a move to the Hurricanes this summer, which has quickly paid off. Bussi has not appeared in the AHL yet this season and could have a clear path to a true starter’s role ahead of struggling veteran Frederik Andersen.
In a corresponding move to Andersen’s IR designation, the Hurricanes have also recalled defenseman Gavin Bayreuther. He will help the team back up a handful of game-time decisions on defense, Brind’Amour told NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Bayreuther spent last season with Lausanne HC in Switzerland’s National League. He scored 23 points in 52 games, a small scoring spark that seems to be bleeding into this season. His 13 points in 24 games rank second on the Chicago Wolves’ blue line behind Domenick Fensore. Bayreuther hasn’t played in the NHL this season, his last game being back in 2023, though he has been recalled as a backup once by Carolina.
With their shifting lineup, the Hurricanes will hope surgery helps Kochetkov return to form. He has posted a sub-.900 save percentage across his last 56 NHL games, dating back to the start of 2024-25. The performances have been a steep drop from the 38 wins and .910 Sv% Kochetkov recorded in 69 games through his first three NHL seasons. He is a fringe starter when healthy and should still fill a need in Carolina’s lineup on the other side of his recovery. Kochetkov carries a $2MM cap hit through the end of next season.