Stars Activate Matt Duchene, Nils Lundkvist From LTIR
The Stars announced they’ve activated center Matt Duchene and defenseman Nils Lundkvist from long-term injured reserve. Both are expected to be in the lineup for this evening’s game against the Penguins.
Duchene’s absence has been longer than anyone expected. The 34-year-old has been limited to four appearances this season with an upper back injury that he first sustained against the Wild on Oct. 14. He was initially listed as day-to-day and missed one game before attempting a return. He hasn’t played since reaggravating the injury when he re-entered the lineup on Oct. 18 against the Blues, though.
The 17-year veteran has still carried a day-to-day designation throughout his absence. He wasn’t moved to LTIR until after he had already missed the 10 games and 24 days required for a placement, so he was eligible to come off at any time.
Coming off a 30-goal, 82-point showing for Dallas last season, Duchene could have been among the most high-profile unrestricted free agents on the market last summer. Instead, he opted to take a significant discount to return to the cap-strapped Stars, signing a four-year, $18MM deal to potentially retire in Dallas. The 5’11” pivot initially joined the Stars for the 2023-24 season after a high-profile buyout by the Predators. At the time, he had three years remaining on a contract paying him an average of $8MM per season. He signed back-to-back one-year, $3MM pacts with Dallas before finally landing some term this past summer.
Duchene has been a highly valuable cog in the Stars’ top six since his arrival, particularly in the wake of top-line fixture Joe Pavelski‘s retirement and continued long-term injury issues for Tyler Seguin. His 0.90 points per game since joining the team are third on the club behind only Mikko Rantanen (1.17) and Jason Robertson (1.02). His 82 points last year were only the second time in his career that the 2009 third overall pick has crossed the 80-point mark and were four short of his career high.
While battling through his back problems to begin the year, Duchene still managed a goal and an assist before his extended absence. He also went 12-for-23 on faceoffs (52.2%), and Dallas outchanced opponents 20-18 when he was on the ice at 5-on-5.
At first glance, with Duchene out for virtually the entire season, the Stars’ offense hasn’t missed a beat. However, their shot generation is in the basement – 26.0 per game for 26th in the league – despite their actual goal production being fourth at 3.45 per game. That’s fueled by an unsustainably high 13.3% shooting rate. Duchene’s return, particularly with Seguin’s ACL tear likely ending his season, should help them boost their underlying numbers to help cushion the blow as their finishing luck recedes.
Lundkvist is also an important return for a Dallas defense that’s also been without Lian Bichsel and Thomas Harley as of late. The 2018 first-rounder has still yet to elevate himself past a No. 7 job, but it looked like he was well on his way toward doing so before sustaining a lower-body injury in his fourth appearance of the season against the Canucks on Oct. 16. He hasn’t played since.
In those four games, though, the 25-year-old righty had rattled off a goal and two assists while averaging 16 minutes per game in second-pairing duties with Harley. While the skilled rearguard is highly unlikely to continue producing at a 0.75 points per game clip the rest of the way, that added layer of puck-moving support on Dallas’ back end behind Harley and Miro Heiskanen was an element they sorely missed last season.
With Harley out, not only is Lundkvist expected to step back into the lineup as Dallas’ second-pairing righty – he’ll anchor the unit with call-up Vladislav Kolyachonok on his left flank. That arrangement shouldn’t need to last for too long, though. Harley, who hasn’t played since Nov. 13 due to a lower-body injury, has returned to practice and shouldn’t be too far off from a return, per Robert Tiffin of D Magazine.
While LTIR activations usually must be accompanied by some cap-clearing moves, that isn’t the case here. The Stars already had two open roster spots, plus Seguin, Bichsel, and Adam Erne remain on LTIR to keep their pool of $5.36MM well above their current cap exceedance of $1.77MM.
Senators Reassign Hayden Hodgson
12/07/25: The Senators announced this morning that Hodgson is headed back to AHL Belleville. Hodgson did dress for the Senators’ game last night, but played in less than two minutes of ice time.
12/06/25: As expected, the Ottawa Senators have recalled a forward for tonight’s contest with the news that Shane Pinto would miss with a lower-body injury. To that end, the Senators announced they have recalled Hayden Hodgson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators.
It’s the second recall of the year for Hodgson. The 29-year-old winger was first recalled on November 8th and spent the rest of the month with the Senators before being reassigned only a few days ago.
He was largely ineffective through his first trip of the season with Ottawa. Despite reaching a career-high of eight games played already, Hodgson went scoreless with a -1 rating, averaging 6:55 of ice time per game.
Additionally, his underlying metrics didn’t paint a better picture. At even strength, Hodgson managed a 48.0% CorsiFor% and 88.9% on-ice save percentage. Still, it isn’t easy nor fair to make too many judgments on a player who garnered such a limited opportunity.
Regardless, Hodgson typically doesn’t make his presence known on the offensive side of the puck, even during his tenure in the AHL. A hyperphysical forward, Hodgson has managed 490 PIMs across 234 AHL contests.
At any rate, it’s somewhat surprising that the Senators didn’t recall a more direct replacement to fill the void made by Pinto’s absence. Arthur Kaliyev, who signed with Ottawa this past summer, has been on a torrid pace with Belleville and will be ineligible for waivers for some time after clearing in early October. In 22 games with the AHL Senators, Kaliyev has scored 15 goals and 24 points, bringing similar skills to the roster as Pinto.
Flyers Recall Ty Murchison
The Philadelphia Flyers have rewarded a top prospect with the first call-up of his NHL career. Defenseman Ty Murchison has been recalled to the NHL roster in the wake of an injury to top defender Cameron York. Murchison could make his NHL debut on Sunday, if York isn’t able to play.
Murchison is in his first year of pro hockey, after spending the last four years at Arizona State University. He made his AHL debut at the end of last season, and posted two points and a plus-two in his first four games. He’s stayed positive through his first full season this year with four points and 30 penalty minutes in 21 games. He also leads the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with a plus-nine.
Murchison is a hard-nosed, gritty defender. He has posted lofty penalty totals dating back to his days in AAA. He recorded 96 penalty minutes in 92 games, and two seasons, with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2019 to 2021. That physical presence earned Murchison a fifth-round selection to Philadelphia in 2021. He’s only grown in the years since and now stands at 6-foot-2, 207-pounds. While he may not rack up the scoring, Murchison offers a responsible, two-way game that could gel well at the bottom of Philadelphia’s lineup. He will compete with Emil Andrae for a depth role if he sticks on the roster. Andrae has six points in 16 NHL games – and five points in seven AHL games – this season.
Hurricanes Activate Jesperi Kotkaniemi From Injured Reserve
The Carolina Hurricanes have activated forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi from injured reserve. He missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury sustained while blocking a shot from Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek on November 14th. He was placed on injured reserve on November 25th.
Kotkaniemi is expected to return to the lineup in Saturday night’s match against the Nashville Predators. He has two goals, five points, 11 blocked shots, and 26 hits through 15 games this season. He’s alternated between the center and left-wing roles on Carolina’s fourth-line for much of the year. That rotation has limited him to only 115 faceoffs so far this season – of which he has only won 47 percent. That’s a far fall from the 51 percent he posted through his first four seasons in Carolina.
Carolina made room for Kotkaniemi’s return when they reassigned Justin Robidas on November 29th. Robidas stepped into two games on his last recall and posted one assist, one shot block, and three hits. Jordan Martinook stepped into the lineup in Robidas’ spot while Carolina waited for Kotkaniemi to return to full health. Martinook will now step back out of the lineup, having posted nine ponits in 26 games this season.
Rangers Recall Jaroslav Chmelar, Reassign Brennan Othmann
The New York Rangers have rewarded a rookie for a recent hot-streak in the AHL. Winger Jaroslav Chmelar has been recalled to the NHL after posting five points in his last five games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. That scoring brings him up to 11 points in 19 games on the year – fourth-most on Hartford. New York has reassigned wigner Brennan Othmann to make room for Chmelar’s addition.
New York is riding high entering December, witha 5-1-0 recor dacross their last six games. Othmann has served as the team’s extra forward for their last two games, but hasn’t pushed his way into the lineup since making his season debut in New York’s October 26th loss to the Calgary Flames. He posted no scoring and a minus-one in that match. Othmann has also recorded seven points and 29 penalty minutes in 15 games in the AHL. A return to the minors will give him a chance to play in his first game since November 29th.
Meanwhile, Chmelar will return to the NHL to compete with Sam Carrick and Jonny Brodzinski for a spot on the fourth-line. He played in the first two games of his NHL career earlier this season and posted no scoring and one fight. His lineup competition hasn’t been much more productive – with Carrick sat at six points, and Brodzinski at five points, on the year.
Chmelar is in his third pro season, after spending two years at Providence College. In that short span, he has posted 42 points and a minus-33 in 97 AHL games. He’s on the rise this year, and could cement his spot as New York’s go-to rookie, depth forward with a strong return to the lineup.
Stars Place Tyler Seguin And Lian Bichsel On LTIR
The Stars have been hit hard by the injury bug this season and recently lost two more players to longer-term injuries. Today, the team announced (Twitter link) that forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Lian Bichsel have been placed on LTIR.
Seguin’s placement, made retroactively to December 2nd, should come as no surprise as he was diagnosed with a long-term ACL injury. The exact nature of the injury is still being evaluated which will determine if there’s a small chance the 33-year-old could return at some point late in the playoffs or if his entire 2025-26 campaign has come to an early end.
That particular distinction, when made, will be notable. Dallas has placed Seguin on regular LTIR, meaning the potential cap flexibility of the placement is limited to last year’s average salary, or $3.82MM. However, if it’s determined that there is no chance that he can return in the playoffs, the Stars will be able to put him on season-ending LTIR. If they do that, they will be able to get potential cap flexibility of his full AAV of $9.85MM which could open up some opportunities for GM Jim Nill to add to his roster.
As for Bichsel, his placement is retroactive to November 30th. Earlier this week, it was revealed that he’ll miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a lower-body injury. The Stars had been easing him in during his first full NHL campaign, keeping his ice time around the 16-minute mark while he has enough of a lead in the hits department (85, 40 ahead of Nathan Bastian for second) that he will still likely be the team leader in that category when he returns to the lineup next month, assuming his recovery goes as planned.
With the moves, Dallas now has a pair of open roster spots. It seems likely that those could be filled by other players coming off LTIR. Defenseman Nils Lundkvist and center Matt Duchene are believed to be nearing returns and today’s LTIR placements give the Stars enough cap room to formally bring them back onto the active roster. Blueliner Thomas Harley also skated today, per D Magazine’s Robert Tiffin (Twitter link) but he was never moved off the active roster when he was injured.
Avalanche Reassign Tristen Nielsen
Saturday: It was a short-lived recall for Nielsen. Following their game this afternoon (in which he didn’t play), the Avs announced (Twitter link) that he has been sent back to the Eagles.
Friday: The Avalanche have added some extra depth up front in advance of their game against the Rangers on Saturday. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Tristen Nielsen from AHL Colorado.
The 25-year-old started the season on a minor league deal but a strong showing early on with the Eagles resulted in the Avs converting him to a two-year, two-way NHL pact that carries a $775K cap charge. This is now his third recall since signing that contract in late October.
Nielsen has played in four games with the Avalanche, picking up an assist, three shots on goal, and nine hits in 6:18 of playing time per night on their fourth line. He has been much more productive with the Eagles, tallying 10 goals and five assists in 18 outings in the minors.
Colorado already had a full 23-player roster following Wednesday’s recall of Trent Miner from the Eagles with Scott Wedgewood injured. Accordingly, another roster move needed to be made before officially adding Nielsen to the roster but that was not announced by the team. If Wedgewood is going to miss some time, he could land on injured reserve while Gavin Brindley – though returning soon – is eligible to retroactively be placed on IR.
Anton Lundmark Clears Unconditional Waivers
Saturday: Lundmark passed through waivers unclaimed, Friedman reports. HockeySverige’s Mans Karlsson reports that the forward is indeed expected to rejoin Timrå.
Friday: The Panthers placed winger Anton Lundmark on unconditional waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He’ll have his contract terminated tomorrow after he clears, and will become an unrestricted free agent.
It’s a rapid end to Lundmark’s time in the Florida organization. The 24-year-old Swede signed a one-year, entry-level pact with the Cats in April as an undrafted free agent out of the Swedish Hockey League’s Timrå IK.
At the time, it was a highly puzzling move. The 6’4″, 192-lb Lundmark had never been on the public radar. Last season was the first time he’d ever suited up in the top tier of European professional hockey. All of his previous experience had come in the second and third divisions of Swedish hockey, even spending a few games in the fifth and sixth tiers earlier on in his development.
Even then, he wasn’t much more than a fourth-line penalty-killing piece for Timrå. In 49 games, he only registered five goals and nine points with a +2 rating.
Those numbers weren’t conducive to Lundmark having much of an impact in the minors, let alone coming anywhere close to landing an NHL job. In nine games with AHL Charlotte, he’s been held without a point and has a -2 rating. He’s been a healthy scratch for nearly half their schedule and has sat out of four of Charlotte’s last six games.
Lundmark’s previous contract with Timrå ran through 2025-26 and contained an NHL out-clause. Since they still hold his rights, he’s presumably returning there for the balance of the campaign.
Joona Koppanen Clears Waivers
Saturday: Koppanen has passed through successfully for the second time, Friedman reports. The team announced that he was subsequently sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Friday: The Penguins placed forward Joona Koppanen on waivers Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll be assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if he clears.
It’s Koppanen’s second time on the wire this season. He cleared during training camp and began the campaign in the minors before Pittsburgh recalled him in early November as the corresponding move for Filip Hallander‘s blood clot diagnosis.
The 27-year-old played 10 games on his recall, just enough to require waivers again to return to the minors. Now in his ninth year in North America and third in the Penguins organization, he recorded one assist and a -1 rating with six shots on goal during his recent stint in the lineup. Those 10 appearances were consecutive after his recall; he was then scratched for their win over the Flyers last Monday and missed Thursday’s win over the Lightning with an illness.
Koppanen was a fifth-round pick by the Bruins back in 2016. He remained in the Boston organization until 2022-23, making his NHL debut for the B’s that year, before reaching Group VI unrestricted free agency and signing in Pittsburgh. He initially inked a two-year deal but re-upped with them on a two-way extension in June of this year.
The big 6’5″ center is a competent piece of organizational depth and a good middle-six producer in the minors, scoring 139 points in 365 career AHL appearances. He hasn’t been able to stick as a fourth-line piece in several NHL tries now, though. He averaged north of 12 minutes per game on this call-up and even received some penalty kill deployment – he also did in 11 games for the Pens last year. His possession impacts and lack of offense (one goal, three points in 30 career NHL games) haven’t offered enough justification to keep him in the lineup. Among 25 qualified Pittsburgh skaters this year, Koppanen’s 47.2 xGF% at 5-on-5 ranks 20th. After playing a physical brand with 40 hits in 11 games last season, he only recorded nine hits in 10 appearances this time around.
Teams who are in dire need of center depth could take a long look at placing a claim for Koppanen, but in all likelihood, he shouldn’t have much trouble clearing.
Lightning Likely To Activate Victor Hedman
In what could be the most positive injury update for the team in some time, it appears the Tampa Bay Lightning will welcome back their captain tonight. According to team reporter Benjamin Pierce, defenseman Victor Hedman said he feels “probable” for tonight.
It’s been a long time coming for Hedman. The 17-year veteran has been working his way back from an undisclosed injury for the last month. Having missed 12 games and 28 days, Hedman has satisfied both requirements to be activated from long-term injured reserve.
Notably, the Lightning have not only been able to withstand the absence of their top defenseman but have excelled. Tampa Bay has managed an 8-4-0 record without Hedman and has climbed to the top of the NHL’s Atlantic Division.
Although the team’s offense has been more than respectable throughout that duration, averaging 3.5 GF/G on a 12.4% shooting percentage, the wins have largely been generated by a pieced-together defensive core. Without Hedman, the Lightning have held opposing teams to a 2.5 GF/G average while limiting them to a 9.74% shooting percentage on 26 shots per game on average.
Especially if Tampa Bay’s defense can maintain its high level of play, Hedman’s return to the lineup would provide an even bigger boost than normal. The former Norris Trophy winner has registered 12 assists in 15 games for the Lightning so far this year, managing a 53.9% CorsiFor% and 91.9% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
The largest impact Hedman will likely have is on the team’s power play. Averaging an 18.0% success rate on the man advantage with Hedman in the lineup, Tampa Bay’s power play has only maintained a 13.8% conversion rate without him.
Regardless, the Lightning have taken advantage of a wide-open Eastern Conference, especially as rivals such as the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs work their way out of disappointing starts. Considering the number of injuries Tampa Bay has had to deal with already this year, they could gain even more momentum as they return more players to their active roster.