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Laurent Brossoit

Central Notes: Brossoit, Hintz, Lundkvist, Stankoven, Lamoureux, Bortuzzo

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Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Laurent Brossoit will need to wait at least six more weeks to make his team debut, after undergoing a second surgery on his knee per Scott Powers of The Athletic. Brossoit signed a two-year, $6.6MM contract with the Blackhawks this summer, but began the year on season-opening injured reserve after a late-summer surgery on his right meniscus. He didn’t return to skating until late October, and hasn’t had a clear timeline until today.

Brossoit moved to Chicago with sights on challenging Petr Mrazek for the starting role. He had built plenty of momentum over the last two seasons – stepping up as a playoff starter for the Stanley Cup-winning Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, and partnering with Connor Hellebuyck to win the Winnipeg Jets last year’s William M. Jennings Trophy for the highest save percentage. Brossoit set a .927 save percentage in 34 games across the pair of years, bringing his career totals up to a .911 save percentage in 140 games, and 10 seasons, in the NHL. But he’s still yet to play 25 or more games in a season despite performing consistently well.

Mrazek has performed surprisingly well in Chicago’s starting role this season, recording a .912 save percentage in 16 games. He’s played in 72 percent of the team’s games this season, putting him on pace for 60 starts. All other ice time has gone to Arvid Soderblom, who’s posted an impressive .926 in six starts. The pair will have at least a month and a half to further plant their feet in the Hawks’ lineup, giving Brossoit a steep hill to overcome when he’s back to full health.

Other notes out of the Midwest:

  • The Dallas Stars will see the return of both forward Roope Hintz (undisclosed) and defenseman Nils Lundkvist (lower-body) on Friday night per NHL.com’s Mike Heika. Hintz sat out of Dallas’ Wednesday loss to Chicago, while Lundkvist has missed the last three games. Lundkvist will replace Brendan Smith, while Hintz will tag out with Logan Stankoven, who’s injured with “a little thing from last game,” per Heika. Hintz has eight goals and 13 points in 20 games this season, two fewer points than Stankoven has managed in 21 games. While they swap out in the top six, Lundkvist will search for his first goal of the season – currently boasting just one assist in 15 games.
  • The Utah Hockey Club is also making some injury-related swaps, with Maveric Lamoureux out four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury, per a team announcement.  Meanwhile, Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune shares that Juuso Valimaki will step into Lamoureux’s absence, and that Robert Bortuzzo will reenter the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game early with injury. Lamoureux has one goal and three points in 15 games this season – the first of his NHL career. He’s also recorded a team-leading 42 penalty minutes. That’s a bleak stat line, but still more than Bortuzzo or Valimaki have managed – with both vets still without a point through nine and 16 games respectively. They’ll each get another chance to find the scoresheet on Friday.

Central Notes: Wild, Nazar, Brossoit, Lundkvist

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The Wild will be without a pair of forwards today against Calgary.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Kirill Kaprizov and center Marat Khusnutdinov are out with lower-body injuries.  Kaprizov is off to a terrific start to the season as he’s tied for the league lead in scoring with 13 goals and 21 assists in just 19 games, putting him on pace to pass his career highs of 47 and 61 respectively, set in the 2021-22 season.  As for Khusnutdinov, he’s off to a quiet start to his first full season in North America.  The 22-year-old has played in all 19 games but has just two assists along with 15 blocks and 18 hits while averaging 11:26 of playing time.  The injuries will permit Travis Boyd, recalled on an emergency basis last night, to make his Minnesota debut.  Michael Russo of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that Kaprizov will be evaluated when the team is back home on Sunday while Khusnutdinov is listed as day-to-day.

More from the Central:

  • Blackhawks prospect Frank Nazar is off to an impressive start to his first full professional season. Playing exclusively with AHL Rockford, the 20-year-old has eight goals and eight assists in 13 games.  However, don’t expect him to be recalled for a while yet, at least.  Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that right now, the team feels his development is best served by continuing to play on the top line with the IceHogs while taking a regular turn on both special teams units, something that wouldn’t be the case if he was up with the big club.  Accordingly, Nazar might have to wait until the second half of the season to get another look in Chicago after playing in three games to finish up last season.
  • Still with the Blackhawks, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that goaltender Laurent Brossoit is still having issues with his right knee after undergoing surgery late in the summer. The 31-year-old has resumed skating at times but has had to shut those attempts back fairly quickly, leaving continued uncertainty as to when he might be able to make his season debut.  In the meantime, current backup Arvid Soderblom is four appearances away from becoming waiver-eligible so by the time Brossoit comes back, they might be in a spot where they have to carry three goalies or risk having someone claimed off waivers.
  • Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist took part in the morning skate today as he continues to work his way back from a lower-body injury, relays DLLS Sports’ Sam Nestler (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has played in 15 games so far this season, notching just one assist while logging a little under 14 minutes a night.  Lundkvist won’t play tonight and as of yet, he is not on injured reserve.

Injury Updates: Canucks, Brossoit, Romanov

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The Canucks will be without winger Brock Boeser tonight against Edmonton as he’s still being evaluated for the upper-body injury he sustained on Thursday, shares Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor (Twitter link).  After a breakout performance last season that saw him score 40 goals and 33 assists in 81 games, the 27-year-old is off to a nice start offensively this year with six goals and five assists in his first dozen games.  It’s a contract year for Boeser so he’ll certainly be hoping to avoid any long-term absence.

Meanwhile, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin shared some updates on a few other players to Batchelor and other reporters.  The team is hopeful that forward Dakota Joshua will make his season debut at some point on their current home stand as he continues to work his way back from testicular cancer.  Goaltender Thatcher Demko still has no timeline to make his season debut as his knee injury continues to keep him out of the lineup.  Lastly, prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki (a speculative recall candidate following the Daniel Sprong trade), tweaked something and won’t be available for AHL Abbotsford tonight which takes him out of the potential recall equation for the time being.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson told reporters including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that there is now no timeline for when goaltender Laurent Brossoit will make his debut. Brossoit is dealing with a meniscus injury, one that he was supposed to be back from weeks ago.  Richardson likens the injury to Demko’s situation in Vancouver in that it’s going to be difficult to pinpoint a potential return time for him.  Brossoit signed a two-year, $6.6MM contract with Chicago in July after a strong season as the backup in Winnipeg.
  • While Islanders blueliner Alexander Romanov isn’t expected to play tonight, he will accompany the team on their upcoming Western Canada road trip, relays Ethan Sears of the New York Post (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has missed the last week with an upper-body injury but did skate today.  With the Isles already down Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly, they’ll certainly be looking forward to getting Romanov back sooner than later.  He’s logging over 21 minutes a night and has a pair of assists in eight games so far this season.

Blackhawks’ Alec Martinez, Laurent Brossoit To Remain Out Through October

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The Chicago Blackhawks must continue leaning on their youth, with defenseman Alec Martinez and goaltender Laurent Brossoit out for at least three more games, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Blackhawks have three games remaining on a five-game road trip that neither Martinez nor Brossoit will join, meaning the next chance for either to return will come when Chicago hosts Detroit on November 6th. Isaak Phillips and Arvid Soderblom are currently replacing the duo.

Brossoit began the year on IR following knee surgery in late August. Because of the injury, he missed the entirety of training camp and opening day. In September, he received a four-week prognosis that will now be pushed into five weeks or more with the latest update. Brossoit will make his Blackhawks debut whenever he does return, joining the team on a two-year, $6.6MM contract this summer after just missing out on the William M. Jennings Trophy alongside Connor Hellebuyck last season.

While Hellebuyck is undoubtedly an all-time great, Brossoit has flashed tons of upside of his own, posting a .927 SV% through 34 games across the last two seasons. He’s up to a .911 SV% across 140 career games, though he’s yet to appear in 25 games in a single season. Brossoit could leapfrog over Soderblom when he returns and may even find his way into a starting role, with Hawks starter Petr Mrazek boasting a measly .896 through eight games this season.

Martinez will also prove a notable addition when he returns. He filled a top-pair role through Chicago’s first four games and proved impactful despite recording just one assist. Martinez spent the last five years with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he routinely handled top-end minutes – when he could stay healthy. He scored 49 points across 221 games in Sin City but missed 91 regular season games with injury. He’ll try to buck the trend while handling plenty of responsibility when Chicago returns home.

West Notes: Spurgeon, Hartman, Brossoit, Hague

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Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon returned to practice Friday for the first time since being sidelined after two games with a lower-body injury related to his surgeries last season, relays John Shipley of the Pioneer Press.  It’s unlikely that he’ll suit up today but the team is hoping that the captain could return on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.  Spurgeon has been a key cog on Minnesota’s back end for the better part of the last 15 years and will give them a boost when he’s able to return.

Meanwhile, Michael Russo of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Wild have sent forward Ryan Hartman back to Minnesota, meaning he will miss the final two games of the road trip.  The 30-year-old suffered an upper-body injury a week and a half ago and while he has been listed as day-to-day in that stretch, his recovery is seemingly taking a bit longer than anticipated.  He has two goals in four games so far this season.

Elsewhere out West:

  • While the Blackhawks were hoping Laurent Brossoit wouldn’t miss much time to start the season, that’s not going to be the case. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times relays (Twitter link) that the netminder won’t begin skating until next week and will need a couple of weeks from there to be game-ready.  Brossoit suffered a knee injury in late August during offseason training, delaying what’s expected to be a legitimate opportunity at Chicago’s number one job after putting up a 2.00 GAA and a .927 SV% in 23 games with Winnipeg last season.
  • Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague left yesterday’s game with a lower-body injury but it doesn’t appear that it’s particularly serious. Speaking with reporters postgame including Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, head coach Bruce Cassidy wasn’t able to rule the blueliner in or out for their game tonight against San Jose.  Hague has one goal in eight games so far this season, that coming last night against Ottawa.

Laurent Brossoit, Artyom Levshunov, Wyatt Kaiser To Begin Season On IR

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The Blackhawks released to reporters yesterday that, as expected, goaltender Laurent Brossoit and defensemen Artyom Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser will all begin the regular season on injured reserve. Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports relayed the news.

There’s still no specific timeline for a return for Kaiser, the only one of the group placed on standard IR. The placement, which is due to illness, is retroactive to Sep. 19, Tirabassi relayed. That was the first day of Chicago’s training camp, which Kaiser has yet to be a full participant in. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier in the week that pre-camp testing flagged an undisclosed concern with Kaiser’s health that was invasive in nature, but that he’d since been cleared. He’s still ramping up to game speed, though, and won’t be ready for their season opener in Utah on Oct. 8.

Kaiser shouldn’t miss too much more time after that, though. That’s good news for the Hawks, who are hoping to work the 22-year-old into more regular minutes this season. A third-round pick in 2020, he split last year relatively evenly between Chicago and AHL Rockford. He looked like he’d taken a step forward in his NHL appearances, though, posting seven assists and an even rating in 32 games. Averaging 17:19 per game, they certainly could’ve gotten worse out of a young defender on a rebuilding squad.

Meanwhile, Brossoit and Levshunov are beginning the season on the non-roster list, which is no surprise. Both sustained knee and foot injuries, respectively, late in the offseason that the team said would keep them out of training camp and plunge their regular season opener availability into doubt. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson did say Thursday that Brossoit is on track to return sometime during their season-opening road trip, though, so he’ll likely be added to the roster by the end of next weekend.

The 31-year-old will serve as a far more formidable backup to Petr Mrázek this year after logging a sparkling .927 SV% over the past two years in limited usage with the Golden Knights and Jets. That’s a massive step up on the level of play provided by 25-year-old Arvid Söderblom last year, who posted a .879 SV% and 3.92 GAA in 32 appearances behind Mrázek en route to carrying one of the worst stat lines in the NHL.

He or Kaiser will be the first one to return to action. Levshunov’s season debut, whether it comes with Chicago or Rockford, will need to wait until mid-to-late October. Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said on Sep. 20 that the 2024 second-overall pick was still four weeks away from returning to game action after taking a puck to the foot in rookie camp. Levshunov, 19 later this month, had 35 points and a +27 rating in 38 games for Michigan State last year as a freshman before promptly signing his entry-level contract after being drafted by Chicago.

Snapshots: Knies, Brossoit, Barlow, Gustafsson

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While the Maple Leafs have been working on (and might be nearing) an extension with pending UFA defenseman Jake McCabe, meaningful talks haven’t started with another one of their 2025 free agents.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports in their latest Insider Trading segment that there hasn’t been any meaningful dialogue regarding a new deal for winger Matthew Knies, who will be a restricted free agent next summer.  The 21-year-old had a solid rookie season in 2023-24, collecting 15 goals and 20 assists in 80 games and appears to be one of their younger building blocks up front.  That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if at least one of the two sides has indicated that they’d rather wait to see how things go this season to get a better sense of his value before kickstarting talks later on.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • While the Blackhawks won’t have their newest goaltender available for the start of the season, it appears he won’t be out for too long. Head coach Luke Richardson told reporters including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link) that Laurent Brossoit is on track to return roughly midway through their season-opening four-game road trip to start the season, meaning he might only miss a couple of games.  The 31-year-old posted a 2.00 GAA with a .927 SV% in 23 games for Winnipeg last season, earning Brossoit a two-year, $6.6MM contract on the opening day of free agency this past summer.
  • After requesting a trade earlier in the week, Jets prospect Colby Barlow is indeed on the move. OHL Oshawa announced that they have acquired the 19-year-old forward from Owen Sound in exchange for two players and six draft picks.  Barlow was the 18th overall selection in 2023 following a 46-goal campaign with the Attack.  However, his offensive numbers dipped last season although he still managed 40 goals and 58 points in 50 games before getting into three AHL contests.  Barlow is too young to play there full-time this season but will be AHL-eligible next year, making this a pure one-year rental for the Generals.
  • Still with the Jets, Murat Ates of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that forward David Gustafsson is listed as day-to-day due to a lower-body injury sustained in Wednesday’s game against Calgary. The 24-year-old played in 39 games with Winnipeg last season, notching three goals and four assists.  He inked a two-year, $1.67MM one-way contract with the Jets back in July.

Blackhawks Notes: Levshunov, Brossoit, Reichel

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Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times tweeted that Chicago Blackhawks defensive prospect Artyom Levshunov is about four weeks away from returning to action. This year’s second overall pick hurt his right foot blocking a shot on September 11th but could start skating again in a week or so if all goes well between now and then.

The 18-year-old missed the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase last week and will miss the start of the season given the most recent timeline. He was already a long shot to make the Blackhawks NHL roster and will almost certainly start the season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, given the injury.

In other Blackhawks notes:

  • Blackhawks netminder Laurent Brossoit is reportedly on a similar timeline to Levshunov and isn’t expected to get back into the lineup for another four weeks (as per Ben Pop of the Chicago Sun-Times). Broissoit underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee in late August and was expected to recover in 5-7 weeks. The 31-year-old was rock solid as the Winnipeg Jets backup last season, posting a 15-5-2 record with a .927 save percentage. Given the timeline, Broissoit will likely miss the first week or two of the regular season.
  • Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson expects that forward Lukas Reichel will compete for a top-six spot this season (as per Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago). Davidson told reporters that the team doesn’t want the 22-year-old playing fourth-line minutes this season and would like to see him figure out a way to cement himself on the top two lines. Reichel has had an uneven start to his NHL career notching 15 points in 23 games during an abbreviated run in 2022-23 but watched his offensive numbers fall off a cliff during his first full NHL season last year. The Nurnberg, Germany native posted just five goals and 11 assists in 65 games last season but still demonstrated the solid skating and strong hockey sense that made him the 17th overall pick in 2020.

Laurent Brossoit To Miss Five To Seven Weeks From Knee Surgery

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Goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks, Laurent Brossoit, is confirmed to be out most of if not all of training camp as the team announced he is set to miss five to seven weeks while recovering from meniscus surgery yesterday. The team recently signed Brossoit to a two-year, $6.6MM contract on the opening day of free agency this summer.

The Blackhawks are set to take on the Utah Hockey Club for their first game of the regular season on October 8th which means Brossoit could miss up to four games if he takes seven weeks to recover. If Brossoit can rebound on the quicker end of the prognosis he would be able to participate in Chicago’s last two preseason games against the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues on October 4th and 5th, respectively.

Luckily even if Brossoit takes the maximum amount of time the Blackhawks will not be in too much of a hole at the goaltending position as they could recall last year’s backup, Arvid Soderblom, to stay with the team through the first week of the regular season. Soderblom would objectively serve as a downgrade to Brossoit but four games in early October should not make-or-break Chicago’s season.

Brossoit should ultimately serve as a co-starter in the Blackhawks’ net alongside Petr Mrazek. He has spent nearly all his career in a backup role and sought a share of the starts in his next home. Chicago served as an ideal choice for this as although Mrazek performed amicably for the team last season they needed a better option outside of Soderblom.

The Port Alberni, BC native has arguably been one of the better backup goaltenders over the last two years albeit surviving multiple stints on the injured reserve. Brossoit has amassed a 22-5-5 record over 34 games split between the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets since the start of the 2022-23 season with a .927 save percentage and 2.05 goals-against average. He will no longer have the defensive core in front of him that he’s had in seasons past which could negatively impact his numbers next year.

The Blackhawks have nothing to lose by giving Brossoit a two-year deal this summer as the team has little hope of contending over the next two seasons. Nevertheless, Brossoit will put them in a much better position to win this season comparing last year’s options.

Blackhawks To Sign Alec Martinez, Laurent Brossoit, Three Others

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Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports the Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Alec Martinez to a one-year, $4MM contract. Additionally — the team has also agreed to terms with goaltender Laurent Brossoit on a two-year, $6.6MM contract, forward Craig Smith on a one-year, $1MM contract, and forward Pat Maroon on a one-year, $1.3MM contract. And while they didn’t qualify him yesterday, winger Joey Anderson is sticking around in Chicago. He’s inking a two-year deal with an $800K cap hit, The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports.

The Blackhawks had quite a few dollars to throw around today and this grouping of players doesn’t even represent all of the organization’s signings today. Chicago has taken a major step forward in their rebuild with these moves, as they’ve grabbed arguably the best goaltender available on the market in addition to two veteran talents with Stanley Cup pedigree. Martinez and Maroon have combined for six Stanley Cup rings throughout their careers and will bring a wealth of experience and leadership to Chicago’s lineup.

Martinez recently wrapped up a four-and-a-half season run with the Vegas Golden Knights while he saw his spot on the depth chart slowly deteriorate. After scoring 32 points in 53 games during the 2020-21 season, Martinez fell to 17 points in 59 games this past year while seeing his ice time drop by nearly three minutes on average. Due to the moves Vegas made on their blue line, Martinez’s time with the organization unceremoniously ended.

In terms of production, Maroon and Smith bring similar power to the roster. Both individuals play with a physical edge while Smith can be counted on for more goals. Factoring in the retention of Anderson on a two-year deal, the Blackhawks bottom-six will be significantly harder to play against than just a season ago.

Finishing up with Brossoit, Chicago brings in some help behind Petr Mrazek. Seeking a larger opportunity outside of a backup role, Brossoit should be set to share the net with Mrazek instead of operating behind a more talented netminder. After winning a Stanley Cup Championship with the Vegas Golden Knights, Brossoit returned to the Winnipeg Jets on a one-year deal in which he would produce a 15-5-2 record in 22 games while posting a .927 SV% and 2.00 GAA.

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