Canucks Recall Nikita Tolopilo, Elias Pettersson
Dec. 4: The demotion for both Pettersson and Tolopilo was brief and solely to get them into game action for Abbotsford last night. The Canucks have added both players back to the active roster today, with Patera being loaned back to the minors in a corresponding move.
Dec. 3: According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have assigned netminder Nikita Tolopilo and defenseman Elias N. Pettersson to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. The transaction indirectly confirms that the Canucks had previously activated Tolopilo from the non-roster designation.
It’s been nearly 10 days since Tolopilo was initially recalled by the Canucks. Dealing with an injury to Thatcher Demko and a brief leave of absence from Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver had to rely on Tolopilo and Jiří Patera for a short period.
He played relatively well in his first NHL action of the 2025-26 campaign, securing a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on 41 shots. Unfortunately, that success didn’t translate to his next start against the San Jose Sharks, where he managed a .875 SV% on 24 shots.
Following the loss to San Jose, Tolopilo took his own leave of absence for the birth of his child and hadn’t played since. He’ll return to Abbotsford, where he’s managed a 1-3-1 record in five games with a .901 SV% while Vancouver moves forward with a combination of Lankinen and Patera for the time being.
Meanwhile, Pettersson will suit up in his first AHL appearance of the season. Cracking the Canucks roster out of training camp, the 21-year-old blueliner has tallied two assists in 24 games with a -6 rating, averaging 13:29 of ice time per night. It’s essentially the same production he provided last season, when he scored one goal and three points in 28 games with a -4 rating while finishing with an ATOI of 12:49.
Simply put, the former 80th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft hasn’t earned a spot on the NHL blue line, even on a disappointing Vancouver team. He’ll look to build confidence and develop in the AHL for the foreseeable future. Unless the Canucks unexpectedly activate Derek Forbort from the LTIR or make a separate call-up, they’ll play their next few contests with six defenseman on the active roster.
Blue Jackets Reassign Luca Pinelli
The Blue Jackets announced they’ve ended center Luca Pinelli‘s emergency recall and reassigned him to AHL Cleveland. The team now has an open roster spot, which will likely go to captain Boone Jenner in the coming days. He’s on injured reserve with an upper-body issue and has been out since Nov. 11, but head coach Dean Evason said last weekend that Jenner is close to a return. That won’t come tonight against the Red Wings, per Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com, but could come before Saturday’s tilt against the Panthers.
Because of injuries to Jenner, Kirill Marchenko, and Mathieu Olivier, the 20-year-old Pinelli had suited up in Columbus’ last three games. With Marchenko returning to the lineup tonight after a four-game absence, though, Pinelli’s presence on the active roster was no longer required to ensure the Blue Jackets had 12 healthy forwards. Since he was recalled under emergency conditions, the Jackets either had to return him to Cleveland today or convert the recall to a standard one.
Pinelli, a 5’9″ sniper, is in his first professional season. Columbus drafted him in the fourth round in 2023. He’s the fourth player from that round to make his NHL debut, following the Sharks’ Luca Cagnoni, the Canucks’ Ty Mueller, and the Canadiens’ Florian Xhekaj. The Ontario native has had a rather seamless transition to the professional ranks. With five goals in 13 games for Cleveland, he’s tied for the team lead. He’s added five assists for 10 points to rank third on the club behind more experienced call-up options Mikael Pyyhtia and Luca Del Bel Belluz.
Through his first three NHL games, Pinelli got a longer leash than expected, averaging 13:48 of ice time per game. He got top-six deployment at even strength, skating on Sean Monahan‘s right wing. That’s a clear indication of where the organization views his ceiling, and given his small frame and lack of physical habits, he’ll likely need to produce enough to warrant a top-six job if he’s going to carve out an NHL career. He didn’t record a point in those minutes but was active with the puck, recording 10 shot attempts – six of which got on goal. Columbus outshot opponents 20-18 and outchanced them 25-17 with Pinelli on the ice at 5-on-5.
Pinelli’s usage for the remainder of the season at the NHL level will likely be sparse, if it even exists at all. A full season of adapting to the pro game in the AHL is a virtual necessity for a mid-to-late-round pick. Nonetheless, he’s done enough in the early going in 2025-26 to put himself on the long list for a roster spot next season.
Senators Recall Stephen Halliday
The Senators announced they’ve elevated center Stephen Halliday from AHL Belleville ahead of tonight’s game against the Rangers. He’s expected to be in the lineup centering the fourth line between Ridly Greig and Nick Cousins, Claire Hanna of TSN reports. Lars Eller wasn’t present after taking just three shifts in the third period of Tuesday’s win over the Canadiens and could be unavailable. Ottawa opened a roster spot earlier in the week by reassigning winger Hayden Hodgson to Belleville.
Even if Halliday is only in tonight’s lineup as an injury replacement for Belleville, the Hodgson demotion suggests he could be in for a lengthier stint on the active roster than his first time around. Ottawa brought the 23-year-old rookie up for a 10-day stretch in November in which he made the first four appearances of his NHL career. Halliday, a 2022 fourth-round pick who spent two years at Ohio State before turning pro in 2024, notched his first assist in the process and logged a -1 rating while averaging 6:27 of ice time per game. His under-the-hood numbers left much to be desired. He went 4-for-11 (36.4%) on faceoffs, and the Sens were outchanced 14-3 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 despite Halliday not receiving a single defensive zone start.
They’re hoping for more offensive juice from Halliday this time around to offset his still-developing defensive game. Considering his minor-league production, that’s a reasonable expectation. The 6’4″ pivot burst onto the scene last year with 19 goals and 51 points in 71 games for the B-Sens, leading the team in scoring, but also posted a team-worst -20 rating. This season has brought more of the same. He’s only lit the lamp once through 17 appearances, but is registering over an assist per game for 19 points with a -10 rating.
Halliday is in the final season of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights. He will remain waiver-exempt through the 2026-27 season unless he reaches 70 career appearances by then.
Lightning Recall Brandon Halverson
The Lightning announced they’ve recalled goaltender Brandon Halverson from AHL Syracuse. They had an open roster spot after reassigning Maxim Groshev yesterday. They’ve also shifted center Brayden Point to injured reserve, according to Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider, leaving them with an open spot even after Halverson’s addition.
Halverson’s presence indicates there’s a risk that Andrei Vasilevskiy won’t be available for tonight’s game against the Penguins. The team’s Gabby Shirley reports he’s not present at morning skate. He’s not yet carrying an injury designation. Vasilevskiy has started four out of the Bolts’ last five games and looked no worse for wear in his latest start against the Islanders on Tuesday, allowing two goals on 23 shots in a loss.
The 29-year-old Halverson is in his third season in the Tampa organization. He began at the bottom of the ladder as an ECHL signing by the Orlando Solar Bears late in the 2023 offseason before being loaned up to Syracuse and landing a deal with them a few months later. Halverson remained on a minor-league deal through last season, in which the 2014 second-round pick of the Rangers made a career-high 45 appearances with a 2.22 GAA, .915 SV%, five shutouts, and a 22-11-11 record. That delayed breakout earned him an NHL deal from the Bolts in February, essentially serving as a call-up in place of an injured Johansson. It was a two-year, two-way deal, keeping him under contract through this season.
That signing led to Halverson’s first career NHL start late last season, a 6-4 loss to Utah on March 22. It was his second-ever NHL appearance and first in over seven years. While in the Rangers organization, he entered a February 2018 game in relief of Henrik Lundqvist.
While Halverson’s brief NHL resume has seen him post an underwhelming .800 SV% and 5.11 GAA in 71 minutes of action, he’s got a career .901 mark in the AHL over seven seasons. That matches his work for Syracuse this year, along with a 2.58 GAA, two shutouts, and a 9-4-0 record in 13 games.
Point hasn’t played since Nov. 22, so his IR placement is solely for roster management purposes and doesn’t offer any meaningful update to his timeline. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury and doesn’t yet have a date for his return to the lineup.
Capitals To Activate Nic Dowd, Reassign Bogdan Trineyev
The Washington Capitals should be getting a boost to their bottom-six tonight against the San Jose Sharks. According to Sammi Silber of the DC Backcheck, the Capitals have activated Nic Dowd from the injured reserve and assigned Bogdan Trineyev to the AHL’s Hershey Bears in a corresponding roster move.
Dowd has been participating in a few skates over the last couple of days, but hasn’t played since mid-November. The 11-year veteran has been recovering from an upper-body injury since November 17th, missing eight games in the process.
Before his absence, Dowd was again his steady self down the middle for Washington. He typically centered a line between Justin Sourdif and Brandon Duhaime, and the trio combined for a 53.3% xGoals% according to MoneyPuck.
Regarding the boxcar stats, Dowd was relatively quiet, scoring one goal and five points in 19 games with a 51.0% success rate in the faceoff dot. He’s additionally averaged nearly two hits per game and has managed a 94.6% on-ice save percentage at even strength — far and away the best on the team for those who have played in more than 10 games.
Meanwhile, Trineyev’s recall lasts exactly one week, without an NHL debut. He’ll return to the Bears, where he’s gotten off to the best start of his career, scoring six goals and 12 points in 15 games. To put that production into context, the former 117th overall pick finished last season with 14 goals and 22 points in 62 games. Should he continue his pace, which admittedly is unrealistic, Trineyev would more than double last year’s performance if he plays in 62 or more games.
St. Louis Blues Recall Matt Luff
The St. Louis Blues have recalled a stopgap as the team navigates multiple injuries to their forward core. According to a team announcement, the Blues have recalled veteran depth forward Matt Luff from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.
It’s been several years since Luff last played in the NHL. Dating back to the 2022-23 season, Luff played 19 games for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring two goals and four points with a -4 rating, while averaging less than 10 minutes of ice time per game.
He actually spent one additional year within the Red Wings organization, although he played exclusively for their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. Before that season with Detroit, and a one-year stint with the Nashville Predators, Luff had spent three years as a depth forward for the Los Angeles Kings, registering 10 goals and 17 points in 64 games.
Without a pathway back to the NHL, Luff settled on a PTO with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season before ultimately signing a one-year AHL deal with Springfield. It turned out beneficial for both sides as Luff enjoyed the best season of his professional career, tallying 18 goals and 45 points in 50 games. That extra offense was enough to earn the Thunderbirds a spot in the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, though they were eliminated in the First Round by the Providence Bruins.
Regardless, there’s no guarantee Luff will suit up in another NHL contest during this recall. The Blues are reportedly leaning toward giving Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who was recalled yesterday, his NHL debut. Additionally, Pius Suter is expected to return to the lineup after missing St. Louis’ previous two games.
Lightning Place Niko Huuhtanen On Unconditional Waivers
Dec. 3rd: Although the Lightning have yet to make an announcement, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times confirms that Huuhtanen has cleared unconditional waivers, and his contract was terminated.
Dec. 2nd: The Lightning placed winger Niko Huuhtanen on unconditional waivers today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He will have his contract terminated tomorrow if he clears, and will become an unrestricted free agent.
Huuhtanen’s stock as a prospect has resembled a bell curve. Tampa Bay selected the 22-year-old in the seventh round with the final pick of the 2021 draft out of his native Finland, where he’d scored 20 goals and 34 points in 37 junior league games in the Tappara organization. He came to North America to finish his junior career in 2021-22 as an import draft selection by the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. There, he exploded for 37 goals and 77 points in 65 games, leading the league in goals by a rookie. He returned home the following season to begin his pro career, where he again adjusted seamlessly, putting up a 17-13–30 scoring line in 48 games for Jukurit to win the rookie scoring crown and earn Liiga Rookie of the Year honors.
By that time, Huuhtanen was on the map as a potential NHLer. Elite Prospects tabbed him as the No. 11 prospect in Tampa’s system entering the 2023-24 season, noting that his skating mechanics were still an issue despite his gaudy production in juniors and overseas. They were onto something. While Huuhtanen remained in Finland and had continued success with Jukurit that year, notching 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games, that was the last time he looked like he had a legitimate chance of reaching the top level.
Huuhtanen signed his entry-level contract with the Bolts in 2024 and arrived last season to play out the year with AHL Syracuse. As forewarned, the production didn’t translate as either side had hoped. The 6’3″ winger was limited to eight goals in 51 appearances, although he did add 12 assists for 20 points and a respectable +13 rating.
This season, though, he’s seen a further reduction in role. He started the season on the non-roster list due to an undisclosed injury. When he got healthy and was assigned to Syracuse at the beginning of November, he had a two-assist game in his debut but didn’t stick in the lineup. After just five games with three assists, the Bolts sent Huuhtanen down to ECHL Orlando. He suited up once for them on Nov. 22 and hasn’t appeared since.
Huuhtanen has still managed 23 points in 56 career regular-season AHL games. That might be enough for him to catch on with another NHL team on a two-way deal since he’s still relatively young, but in all likelihood, he’s angling for a return to Europe and will sign a new deal in the coming days.
Mammoth Recall Maveric Lamoureux, Reassign Kevin Rooney
According to a team announcement, the Utah Mammoth have recalled defenseman Maveric Lamoureux from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, and have reassigned forward Kevin Rooney in a corresponding roster move. The transaction indirectly confirms that Rooney cleared waivers and will remain ineligible for them until he spends another 30 days on the NHL roster or plays in 10 games.
It’s the first call-up of the year for the former 29th overall pick. Despite retaining his status as a rookie, Lamoureux skated in 15 games with Utah last season, scoring one goal and three points while averaging 16:07 of ice time.
Standing 6’6″, Lamoureux made his presence known in his brief time in the NHL last season. He racked up 18 hits and a whopping 42 PIMs, averaging out to 2.8 PIMs a game. Additionally, he showed a lot of promise on the defensive side of the puck, managing a 57.1% CorsiFor% at even strength and 92.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
He wasn’t drafted due to his offensive prowess, and that remains true today, although he’s shown signs of improvement. He finished last year with two goals and 13 points in 42 games at the AHL level, and has nearly matched that total this season, tallying nine assists through his first 19 contests.
Given that the Mammoth were willing to give him a roster spot, he’ll likely enter the lineup rather than become a seventh defenseman. It would make sense for Utah to replace Nick DeSimone with Lamoureux next to Ian Cole on the bottom pair.
Meanwhile, Rooney was a likely consequence of Lamoureux’s recall, given that most of his games this season have been played in the AHL. He’s scored one goal in one game with the Mammoth, and five goals and six points in eight games for the Roadrunners.
San Jose Sharks Assign Michael Misa On Conditioning Loan
The San Jose Sharks are close to returning this past summer’s second-overall pick to the active roster. The Sharks announced they’ve placed Michael Misa on the team’s long-term injured reserve, and have assigned him to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda on a conditioning stint.
It’s not a foregone conclusion that Misa will return to the Sharks’ lineup by the end of the conditioning loan, though it is a workaround to the current rules regarding CHL-drafted 18-year-olds playing in the AHL. If the Sharks were to activate Misa and reassign him, he would have to play for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit instead of the Barracuda.
After scoring 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games for the Spirit last season, there’s little development available for Misa in the OHL. Still, considering how sheltered he was during his first few games in the NHL, and the subsequent lower-body injury that’s kept him sidelined since early November, sticking the rest of the year out in the NHL may not be the best avenue for his development, either.
Regardless, aside from Macklin Celebrini, it’s par for the course in how San Jose has treated their top prospects at the NHL level. Last season, in the first month of the season, Will Smith had registered only two goals through his first nine games, averaging 13:32 of ice time per night. That’s eerily similar to Misa, who’s scored one goal and three points in seven games, managing an ATOI of 11:44.
Smith’s usage had dramatically changed by the end of the season, as the former fourth-overall pick scored five goals and eight points in nine games, averaging 20:44 of action. There’s no guarantee that they’ll do the same with Misa, though it’s confirmation that the Sharks have been slowplaying their upper-level prospects throughout the course of a season.
Despite the open debate on whether Misa is better suited in the OHL or sheltered NHL minutes, it’s objectively better that he’s healthy and back to playing in some capacity. Given that he placed him on LTIR beforehand, the Sharks will now have six days or three games, whichever is longer, to make a longer-term decision on Misa’s immediate future. Additionally, they can request an extension on the conditioning stint that would allow them nine days or five games.
Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Maxim Groshev
12/3/2025: Tampa announced today that they’ve reassigned Groshev back to AHL Syracuse, one day after they recalled him. Groshev was a healthy scratch for the team’s loss to the New York Islanders last night, meaning he heads back to Syracuse still waiting on the chance to make his NHL debut.
Due to the fact that Groshev is playing on a two-way entry level contract, his NHL salary ($775K) is significantly higher than his AHL salary ($80K). So while Groshev was only recalled to serve as a healthy scratch, he at least got to enjoy a brief pay bump to do so.
12/2/2025: The Tampa Bay Lightning have again recalled another depth defenseman as they deal with multiple injuries. Tampa Bay announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Maxim Groshev from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.
It’s the second time Groshev has been recalled over the last little while. Unfortunately, he didn’t make his NHL debut over that call-up, and that’s not expected to change this time around.
Groshev, 23, was drafted as a winger when he was selected with the 85th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. Having converted to the blue line, he has spent the last three years playing for the Crunch, scoring 17 goals and 51 points in 142 games with a +10 rating.
In between call-ups for Groshev, the Lightning had recalled Simon Lundmark to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. It doesn’t appear to be internal management to prolong waiver placement for Groshev, that is, who remains exempt from waivers on his current contract. Lundmark, on the other hand, is eligible for waivers but has some time before he’ll require it again.
Meanwhile, Groshev’s recall confirms that defenseman Erik Černák will not return to the Lightning lineup on their current road trip, which concludes tonight against the New York Islanders. Černák landed on Tampa Bay’s injured reserve shortly before American Thanksgiving, and there was some hope he would’ve returned by now. Still, the Lightning will return home for a two-game stretch on Thursday, so the team may wait until then to give official updates on their injured players.