Red Wings Recall John Leonard, Assign Erik Gustafsson To AHL
The Detroit Red Wings shared tonight that forward John Leonard has been recalled from AHL Grand Rapids, and former NHL standout defenseman Erik Gustafsson is going back down in a corresponding transaction.
Leonard, 27, was inked to a one-year, two-way deal with Detroit over the summer. It was unlikely such was a signing to directly benefit the Red Wings, as the forward is more known as an AHL star at this point, however, his production with Grand Rapids has become too hard to ignore. The former UMass Minuteman native ranks third in league scoring, with 29 points in 20 games, and his 19 goals, just shy of one-per-game, ranks first in the AHL. The Griffins have an insane 22-1-1 record this season, boasting a team full of accomplished veterans, but they will certainly miss their leading scorer for as long as he stays with the big club.
Such a name as Leonard being called up may not excite Detroit fans as much as that of a top prospect, but Leonard’s goal scoring prowess in the AHL is seriously impressive, and well deserving of a chance at the highest level.
A sixth-round selection of San Jose in 2018, Leonard has mostly been an AHL “hired gun” of sorts, bouncing between various organizations in the last three seasons, including a standout 36 goals for the Charlotte Checkers last year, leading them to the Calder Cup finals. With 17 points in 70 career NHL games between San Jose, Nashville, and Arizona, Leonard’s NHL forecast is limited. However, he could earn an opportunity with Detroit, as Mason Appleton landed on IR late last week.
On the other hand, Gustafsson has bounced between Detroit and Grand Rapids throughout the season. The once highly productive offensive defenseman remains a skilled power-play specialist, but his defensive metrics have become too large at age 33. Gustafsson has appeared in just one game with Detroit, in late November, and otherwise is an extra depth option. With an expiring contract, the hope is that the veteran can find a change of scenery and end his NHL tenure on a higher note, but until then, he returns to be an elite AHL producer for the top ranked Griffins.
It is not often that a player sustains a near goal-per-game pace in the AHL, and Leonard could bring a spark to the Wings lineup, depending on his role. Considering his elite AHL production, perhaps the older brother of Capitals’ forward Ryan Leonard could finally earn his way into a legitimate NHL role after years of working to earn it.
Afternoon Notes: Misa, DiVincentiis, Team Canada
San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky elaborated on why top prospect Michael Misa missed the start of Team Canada’s World Junior Championship training camp. Misa is not too injured to miss any World Juniors time, but was still considered recovering day-to-day, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. That was enough for San Jose to keep Misa with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda for a couple more days, and a couple more practices.
Misa taking in a tad more pro coaching before headed to camp will be no bad news for Team Canada. They will be bringing in a potential tournament MVP in Misa, who scored an incredible 62 goals and 134 points in 65 OHL games last season. That earned Misa the second-overall selection in the 2025 draft, behind New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who will not head to World Juniors camp. Misa will form a formidable top-line with Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone and look to bring Canada their first World Junior Gold since 2018.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned depth goaltender Domenic DiVincentiis in the wake of Connor Hellebuyck‘s return. DiVincentiis served as backup for a few days after Thomas Milic – who earned three starts in Hellebuyck’s absence – was reassigned earlier in the month. DiVincentiis did not make his NHL debut. He has six wins and a .915 save percentage in 13 AHL games this season, and will battle with Milic for the Manitoba Moose’s starting role.
- Hockey Canada will announce their men’s Olympic roster on New Year’s Eve per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Team Canada has already locked six players into the lineup – Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart. They also hosted an orientation camp that invited 42 players to prep for Olympic selection. The camp roster only featured three goalies – Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault. All three goalies have struggled in the season since, which could make for some interesting decisions come the last day of the year. With Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar getting ready for their first Winter Olympics, Canada will be the early favorite for 2026 Gold.
Hurricanes Activate Jaccob Slavin, Reassign Joel Nystrom
A major piece will be back in the Carolina Hurricanes lineup when the puck drops in Sunday’s matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin was activated from injured reserve just before the game, after being designated as a game-time decision before warmups. He will return from a lower-body injury sustained in the second game of the season. He’s missed the last 29 games. To make room for Slavin’s return, Carolina has reassigned defenseman Joel Nystrom to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Nystrom signed a four-year extension on Friday.
Slavin only played in 36 minutes of ice time before going down with injury. He managed no scoring, a minus-one, and three shot blocks in those minutes. But two games was hardly enough for Slavin to settle into his usual role on top of Carolina’s defense. He has averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time each game through 11 years with the Hurricanes. He brings a shutdown presence to hard matchups, giving Carolina the flexibility to deploy offensive defensemen like Shayne Gostisbehere.
The Hurricanes had to turn to a committee approach to round out their top-four in Slavin’s absence. Jalen Chatfield and Alexander Nikishin both rotated into the top-four, while Nystrom did well to carve out a role on an open bottom-pair. The 23-year-old rookie recorded five assists, a plus-three, and 14 shot blocks in the first 24 games of his NHL career. He played well enough to earn a multi-year, seven-figure extension just before this reassignment. That’s a tidy bit of confidence for Nystrom, who had only played in seven AHL games before his name was called to fill-in. He spent the last five seasons with the SHL’s Farjestads BK, where he won a league championship in 2022. Carolina drafted Nystrom in the seventh-round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Slavin’s return will suddenly provide Carolina with a heap of defense depth, after going through a start to the season that saw most of the blue-line banged up. They will carry a confident three pairs, with Slavin watching over rookie Nikishin, into Sunday’s match against Philadelphia. That should only ramp up a Hurricanes squad that’s gone 6-2-0 in their last eight games, including back-to-back shootout wins in their last two.
Kraken Place Jared McCann On IR, Recall Jacob Melanson
The Seattle Kraken have once again placed their top forward on the shelf. Center Jared McCann has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury that is expected to hold him out for three weeks. With the available roster spot, Seattle has recalled forward Jacob Melanson from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
McCann has only appeared in 11 of Seattle’s 29 games this season. The Kraken have found a way to squeak by in McCann’s absence – with an 8-6-4 record in games he’s missed – but it’s clear how much the lineup misses him. Seattle only scored 44 goals in 18 games without McCann, the sixth-fewest in total and second-lowest on average in the NHL on the days that he’s missed.
The slowing offense is no surprise. McCann has led the Kraken in scoring in every season so far. He scored a then-career-high 50 points in 74 games with Seattle during their inaugural 2021-22 season. That was followed by a 40-goal, 70-point season in 2022-23 that still stands as McCann’s personal best. He’s continued to rival 20-to-30 goals and 60 points over the last two seasons. Even better, McCann had only missed 13 games in Seattle’s first four seasons, stamping him as the focal piece of the offense on a nightly basis.
That focus has been broken up by injury this year. Seattle has instead turned towards Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers, and Vince Dunn to command their scoring – though none of the three have reached 20 points through 29 games this season. That’s pushed the Kraken to try and find a spark out of rookies like Berkly Catton, Jani Nyman, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard.
Melanson would be another rookie in the lineup, though he’s more likely to find a spot on the other side of the scoresheet. He ranks fourth on the Firebirds with 26 penalty minutes through 23 games this season. That’s been balanced with seven goals and 14 points, already more than Melanson scored in 42 games of last season. He has also posted a plus-five, up from the minus-three he carried through 104 career AHL games entering the season. He’s found a spot as a checking-forward and should give Seattle another option for their fourth-line wings.
Jets Activate Connor Hellebuyck
The Winnipeg Jets will get an MVP-boost to Saturday’s match against the Washington Capitals. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was activated off of injured reserve just in time for Hellebuyck to take on the starting role. He underwent an arthtroscopic knee procedure on November 21st that was originally expected to hold him out for four-to-six weeks. He now returns just three weeks later.
This will be some great news for the Jets, who have posted a dismal 2-7-1 record since Hellebuyck’s exit. They’ve been among the NHL’s worst performers in that stretch, allowing the second-most goals against (38) and the third-worst goals-against per-game average (3.80) of any team. Their offense has struggled just as much, only scoring 24 goals, or 2.40 goals-per-game.
Winnipeg was rock solid before losing their superstar goaltender. They had a 12-7-0 record and 64-to-52 goal-differential prior to Hellebuyck’s absence. The three-time Vezina Trophy-winner himself had eight wins and a .913 save percentage in 14 games. That’s his lowest save percentage since the 2021-22 season, but still ranks as the sixth-highest in the league among goalies with 14-or-more starts.
Hellebuyck’s precedent often sits far above sixth-best. He led the NHL in wins (47), save percentage (.925), and goals-against-average (2.00) among goalies with at least 35 starts last season. It was enough to earn Hellebuyck MVP acknowledgement, making him the first goaltender to take home the Hart since Carey Price in 2015. Hellebuyck certainly sits in-line with that company – boasting a career-long .918 Sv% in 582 games, to Price’s career .917 Sv% in 712 games.
The Jets’ goalie room quickly dries up with their starter on the shelf. Eric Comrie took on the starting role over the last few weeks, but only managed to bring his stat line up to six wins and a .886 Sv% in 15 appearances. Thomas Milic also posted a .871 Sv% in three appearances. The 22-year-old is only one season removed from an extended run in the ECHL. With these shifts, Hellebuyck will return to an unrivaled role in Winnipeg’s starter’s crease, while Milic heads back to a competition for the AHL starting role.
Sabres Recall Noah Ostlund, Assign Trevor Kuntar To AHL
Trevor Kuntar’s first NHL stint was short-lived. After his minor league deal was converted to an NHL pact back on Wednesday, his time in Buffalo is up for now as the team announced that they’ve assigned him to AHL Rochester and recalled center Noah Ostlund.
Ostlund has spent the bulk of the season up with Buffalo but with the team needing a seventh defenseman earlier in the week, he was the odd player out with his waiver exemption allowing for a quick solution. The 21-year-old has played in 20 games with the Sabres this season, picking up three goals and three assists while averaging 12:45 of ice time per contest. Ostlund has also gotten into seven games with the Amerks, collecting three goals and seven assists; three of those points came in his game on Wednesday, a mandatory outing before he could become recall-eligible again.
Kuntar is in his first season in Buffalo’s organization after coming over as an unrestricted free agent following his being non-tendered by Boston in June. The 24-year-old leads Rochester in goals this season with nine while also chipping in with four assists in 24 appearances. He made his NHL debut on Thursday, playing 5:12. Now that he’s on an NHL deal, there should be an opportunity for him to come back at some point later in the season whenever injuries arise.
Capitals Activate Charlie Lindgren, Assign Garin Bjorklund To AHL
The Capitals have made a pair of roster moves between the pipes heading into tonight’s game against Winnipeg. The team announced that goaltender Charlie Lindgren has been activated off injured reserve. To make room on the active roster, Garin Bjorklund has been assigned back to AHL Hershey; the roster remains full at 23 players.
Lindgren was placed on injured reserve back on Sunday, retroactive to December 5th so he winds up missing just the minimum amount of action. The 31-year-old has played in 10 games so far this season, putting up a 2.90 GAA and a .893 SV%, numbers that are slightly worse compared to a year ago. His best season came back in 2023-24 when he had a 2.67 GAA, a .911 SV%, and a league-best six shutouts in 50 games but was relegated to backup status when Washington acquired Logan Thompson at the 2024 draft.
As for Bjorklund, he received his first NHL recall on Monday but ultimately didn’t see any game action. The 23-year-old is in his fourth professional season with the first three primarily being spent with ECHL South Carolina. That hasn’t been the case this year, however, as he has only played for Hershey so far, posting a 3.01 GAA along with a .895 SV% in nine games.
Blackhawks Recall Nick Lardis
It has been a very promising first rookie season for Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis. A strong showing with AHL Rockford has now been rewarded as the team announced that they’ve recalled the winger from the IceHogs. With the move, their roster is now at the maximum of 23 players.
It’s the first recall of his young career. The 20-year-old was a third-round pick by Chicago back in 2023 and has quickly surpassed that draft standing. Lardis had a dominant showing last season in his final year of major junior, collecting a league-high 71 goals and 46 assists in 65 regular season games with OHL Brantford before averaging more than two points per game in the playoffs.
While Lardis hasn’t been able to produce at quite the same rate with Rockford, he has still been quite productive. Entering play today, he sits sixth in AHL scoring and tops among rookies with 13 goals and 13 assists in 24 outings. In a league where only a handful of veterans typically surpass the point-per-game mark, having a first-year pro do so like Lardis is particularly impressive.
Considering how impactful he has been in the minors, it will be interesting to see how Chicago chooses to deploy Lardis. It wouldn’t make sense to pull him up to simply be an extra forward so it stands to reason that he should get his first taste of NHL action soon, perhaps as soon as tonight against Detroit.
Matt Dumba Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL
Saturday: The team announced that Dumba has passed through waivers unclaimed. As expected, he has been assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It will be his first action at that level since the 2014-15 when he played in 20 games for Iowa.
Friday: The Penguins announced this morning that they will place defenseman Mathew Dumba on waivers today at 1:00 pm Central. He’s been placed on the non-roster list until his waiver period ends tomorrow. The move makes room for rearguard Brett Kulak to join the active roster after being acquired from the Oilers in today’s Tristan Jarry/Stuart Skinner goalie swap.
Dumba, 31, hadn’t been much of a factor to this point in the season. Acquired from the Stars over the summer in a salary dump, he’s been in the press box more than he’s been on the ice.
When dressed, he’s recorded a 1-2–3 scoring line and a -5 rating in 11 appearances. He’s averaging 14:56 of ice time per game, his lowest figure since averaging 12:27 in his first taste of NHL hockey as a 19-year-old with the Wild back in 2013-14. His poor two-way play is reflected in his 46.2 CF% and 47.9 FF% at 5-on-5, both the second-worst among qualified Penguins defenders, ahead only of Caleb Jones.
With Kulak in the mix, Jack St. Ivany returning to health, and Ryan Graves flourishing in a bottom-pairing role after starting the season on waivers, Dumba might have played his last game as a Penguin. At a $3.75MM cap hit, he won’t be claimed off waivers, even though he’s on an expiring deal.
If the righty is dead set on returning to the NHL this season, he could refuse to report to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, allowing the Penguins to terminate his contract. He’d be walking away from whatever he’s still owed of his $3.5MM salary but could catch on somewhere else for the back half of the season on a cheaper, prorated one-year deal. If he does clear waivers and opts to report to the minors, the Penguins will still be on the hook for a $2.6MM cap hit.
While Dumba may have been one of the more offensively dynamic defensemen in the league at his peak, those days are long in the rearview. Drafted No. 7 overall by Minnesota in 2012, he broke out for 50 points and 136 hits in the 2017-18 season, prompting the Wild to sign him to a five-year, $30MM deal the following summer. He racked up 12 goals and 22 points through the first 32 games of 2018-19 before sustaining a season-ending upper-body injury.
He hasn’t been the same player since. Dumba was still a minute-muncher for the rest of his tenure in Minnesota, averaging over 22 minutes per game between 2019-20 and 2022-23, but he never sniffed 30 points again – let alone 50. Still, he turned his reputation into a pair of relatively high-value, short-term free-agent deals. He first signed a one-year, $3.9MM pact with the Coyotes in 2023 and was flipped to the Lightning at the following year’s trade deadline.
Tampa didn’t show interest in retaining him, but he still landed a two-year, $7.5MM pact from the Stars. Dumba underwhelmed from the start, though, posting 10 points and a -5 rating in 63 games while averaging 15:18 of ice time per game. He was then a healthy scratch for Dallas’ entire playoff run. His cap hit quickly became untenable for the big-spending Stars, paying a 2028 second-round pick to unload the last year of his contract on the Penguins.
Wild Recall Hunter Haight
With Minnesota only carrying the minimum of 12 healthy forwards following last night’s trade with Vancouver, it was only a matter of time before the Wild brought up an extra for depth purposes. That move has now been made as the team announced that Hunter Haight has been recalled from AHL Iowa.
The 21-year-old is in the second season of his entry-level contract and made the team out of training camp, though he only got into a pair of games before being sent down to Iowa. Haight was held off the scoresheet in those outings while averaging 9:22 per game of ice time. He has been recalled three other times before now but those haven’t yielded another NHL appearance yet.
In between, Haight has been in and out of the lineup with Iowa and the going back and forth likely hasn’t helped his cause. After putting up 20 goals and 34 points in 67 games last season in his first professional campaign, Haight has been limited to five goals and one assist in 16 outings with them so far.
If Haight gets into a game on this promotion, he’ll be sporting a new number with his 43 from the start of the season now being earmarked for Quinn Hughes.
With this move, Minnesota’s roster now stands at the maximum of 23 healthy players.