Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger exited Friday's game against the Ottawa Senators after sustaining a lower-body injury early in the first period.
Oettinger appeared to injure himself after the puck got stuck under his right skate when making a save on a Claude Giroux shot.
The netminder had allowed two goals on as many shots before stopping the shot.
Oettinger, 24, had an 11-7-2 record and a .904 save percentage in 20 appearances coming into Friday's action.
Scott Wedgewood, who relieved Oettinger against the Senators, has a .905 SV% in seven games this season.
The Seattle Kraken acquired forward Tomas Tatar from the Colorado Avalanche for a 2024 fifth-round pick, the teams announced Friday.
Tatar, 33, scored one goal and nine points in 27 games with the Avalanche. He signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million with Colorado in September.
The Slovakian tallied 20 goals and 48 points last season with the New Jersey Devils, ranking fifth league-wide with a plus-41.
Tatar's played just 11:17 per game for the Avalanche, nearly four minutes less than last season's average with the Devils. He didn't score his first goal with Colorado until Monday against the Calgary Flames.
Tomas Tatar, acquired by SEA, is a veteran two-way winger. Didn't do a lot in his brief stint with the Avs. #SEAKrakenpic.twitter.com/vBcysEubwF
The Kraken placed winger Jaden Schwartz on long-term injured reserve earlier on Friday with an upper-body injury and are also without forward Andre Burakovsky.
Seattle has $4 million of cap space after the trade with Schwartz's $5.5-million cap hit on LTIR, per CapFriendly.
Jordan Kyrou was emotional after being booed by his home fans in the St. Louis Blues' 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
"It's definitely the toughest game I've probably played, to be honest," Kyrou told reporters postgame, per Bally Sports Midwest.
"It's just tough, right? Like, I love playing here, so it's just tough to hear the fans booing me there," he added, fighting back tears.
The crowd's reaction stemmed from Kyrou's lack of comment earlier in the day when asked about head coach Craig Berube's firing, saying, "he's not my coach anymore."
"It's not easy, obviously, but I see where they're coming from with how my comments sounded," Kyrou said. "That's definitely tough, you know, I love playing here; I love playing in front of the fans."
The 25-year-old clarified he meant no disrespect toward Berube with what he said earlier on Thursday.
"Obviously, I respect (Berube)," he said. "He's been my coach for the whole time I've been here, right? So I respect everything he's done here. He's done a great job; he won a Cup. All I really meant was, I'm just trying to focus on my future, focus on what I can do to help my team win."
Kyrou added: "Sorry if it sounded in a bad way at all. Just like I said, I'm just really trying to focus on the future here and focus on what I can do to help our team win."
Interim head coach Drew Bannister commended Kyrou for how he handled the boos during the game.
"I've known Jordan for some time," Bannister said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Matthew DeFranks. "I've coached him. He's an outstanding kid, and he cares a lot about his teammates. He cares a lot about this organization, and he cares a lot about this fan base."
He continued: "He's disappointed in himself right now for his play. He is trying to find his way through what he's doing right now. ... He's searching for answers. And Jordan's got to work his way through it. Myself, the rest of the team, they're here to support him."
Kyrou notched an assist in the victory, giving him 18 points in 29 games for the campaign. He scored a career-high 37 goals and eclipsed the 70-point mark for the second time in 2022-23.
The Blues will stay at home, hosting the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
The St. Louis Blues fired head coach Craig Berube after the team's 6-4 loss against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Berube had been the Blues' bench boss since November 2018. Taking over head coaching duties from Mike Yeo, Berube won the Stanley Cup with the team while still having the interim tag in his first season.
The Blues are sixth in the Central Division with a 13-14-1 record after missing the playoffs in 2022-23. St. Louis has lost four straight games and is 3-7-0 in its last 10.
Over parts of six seasons with St. Louis, Berube accumulated a 206-132-44 record. He ranks third in franchise history in games coached (382) and wins.
Berube had a season and a half remaining on a three-year contract extension signed in February 2022. After their Stanley Cup triumph in 2019, his Blues only won a single playoff series: a six-game first-round victory over the Minnesota Wild in 2022.
St. Louis named Drew Bannister as interim head coach. Bannister was head coach of the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The 49-year-old had been behind the bench of the Blues' AHL affiliate for six seasons over stints with the San Antonio Rampage, Utica Comets, and Thunderbirds.
Bannister coached the Thunderbirds to the Calder Cup Final in 2022. Springfield is 12-8-2 this season and ranks fourth in its division. He's yet to coach in the NHL.
Bannister's first game on an NHL bench will be Thursday in St. Louis, as the Blues host the Ottawa Senators.
Though we're less than halfway into the season, a handful of teams are already looking ahead to the NHL draft at Las Vegas' Sphere amid disappointing campaigns on the ice.
Our first mock draft of the 2024 cycle takes an initial look at the 16 lottery picks and where the top prospects of the class could go in June.
Selection order is based on points percentage through games on Dec. 10, and no lottery was applied.
Slackin' for Macklin.
That's the slogan for the projected top pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, but it could also describe the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks.
It's been a tough go for San Jose fans already, with the Sharks coming out of the gate 0-10-1 and giving up 10 goals in consecutive games. But the light at the end of the tunnel is a chance to draft in the top three for the first time in 26 years and a 25.5% chance at the franchise's first-ever top pick, should the team finish 32nd.
Celebrini isn't a Connor Bedard-level prospect. But he doesn't need to be that type of player to be a worthwhile first overall selection.
What Celebrini's doing right now at Boston University is remarkable, considering his age. We've seen draft-eligible freshmen like Adam Fantilli and Jack Eichel dominate over the past decade, but we haven't seen it from someone as young as Celebrini in decades.
Fantilli and Eichel both turned 18 in October of their draft seasons. Celebrini doesn't celebrate his 18th birthday until June.
He's the only 17-year-old in the NCAA this season. The last under-18 NCAA player to score at Celebrini's current rate was Craig Simpson back in 1985.
Sure, Celebrini isn't Bedard. But with 10 goals and 25 points in just 15 games at Boston University, he's making sure whoever gets the top pick won't be disappointed with who they're landing.
Nine of 10 NHL scouts polled by TSN's Bob McKenzie in September slotted Celebrini atop the 2024 class. The only other player receiving a first-place vote was Eiserman.
Sure, the gap has widened with Celebrini's exceptional start to the campaign. But that doesn't mean Eiserman should be overlooked.
The 6-foot winger is going to crush every goal record at the U.S. NTDP. He has 26 goals in 22 games after tallying 69 in 62 contests a season ago. He's eyeing Cole Caufield's single-season mark of 72 goals and looks to cruise past both Phil Kessel and Caufield to be the top goal-scorer in NTDP history.
The Blackhawks adding that level of shooter alongside Bedard should be a terrifying thought for NHL goaltenders.
One of the rapid risers early in the season, the Ducks snag an elite power forward in Lindstrom to add to their abundance of exciting, young talent.
The Chetwynd, British Columbia, native is a physical freak. He's listed at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, but doesn't lack speed and agility. Lindstrom can fly and is agile, too - a deadly combination when paired with his size.
Lindstrom's taken a huge step this year with Medicine Hat, posting 24 goals and 40 points in 29 games. He's also got a league-leading 64 penalty minutes - a reminder of the mean streak he can tap into at a moment's notice.
He may not have started the year as a projected top-five guy, but it's becoming increasingly likely we'll hear Lindstrom's name called on draft day exceptionally early.
First and foremost, Demidov isn't in the same situation as Matvei Michkov was a season ago.
Demidov's contract with SKA St. Petersburg expires after the 2024-25 campaign, one year after he'll be drafted. Michkov will still be on a KHL contract for another full season after Demidov can sign an entry-level contract.
He's not the best player in the class, but Demidov may very well be the flashiest. He's a human highlight reel, combining silky smooth hands with quality shooting and playmaking.
The Blue Jackets haven't shied away from drafting talent out of Russia, and they do so once again in this mock, landing another immense offensive talent to pair with Fantilli down the road.
Dickinson ticks every box a general manager could hope for in a potential minute-munching blue-liner that can anchor a team's top pairing for the foreseeable future.
The London Knight has an excellent frame, listed at 6-foot-3 and 194 pounds. His defensive acumen has been lauded as some of the best in the class. He's been part of leadership groups with Hockey Canada at the under-17 and U18 levels. His skating is a standout trait, and he's tapped into more of his offensive side this season in the OHL.
In a class rife with talent on the back end, Dickinson stands above the rest at this stage of the cycle. The Kraken are ecstatic to add a left-shot defenseman with his potential in this mock with their unexpectedly high pick.
The Sabres have a plethora of young, exciting talent on the roster and in the pipeline at forward. With yet another top-10 pick, Buffalo adds a high-upside right-shot defenseman to potentially pair with Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power in the future.
Levshunov is on track to make Belarusian hockey history on draft day. The 6-foot-2, right-shot rearguard is in contention to be the first player from his nation to be drafted in the top five.
Taking a unique path from Belarus to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to East Lansing, Michigan, Levshunov has been exceptional everywhere he's played. He landed on the USHL's All-Rookie Team a year ago and has been among the NCAA's best freshman defenders this season, recording 18 points and a plus-16 in 18 contests at Michigan State.
Boasting similarities to his older brother and Blue Jackets top prospect David Jiricek, Adam is a quality two-way defender. He's shown an ability to chip in offensively at the junior level while also being an effective rush defender.
His results in the Czech pro league have underwhelmed to this point, but expect Jiricek to help his stock at the world juniors later this month.
Securing one of the top right-shot defensemen in this mock is a boost to an aging group of blue-liners for the Wild.
Many were surprised when the Arizona Coyotes took Dmitriy Simashev sixth overall in June. Silayev is taller, similarly mobile, and has produced more than Simashev; he's going early in the 2024 draft.
Silayev is a unicorn. He's 6-foot-7, but his skating is a plus trait, and you don't even have to grade on a scale for his size. He's playing regular minutes on a nightly basis for a good Torpedo squad. And he's been able to get on the scoresheet, already boasting the most points by a draft-eligible defenseman in KHL history.
He's far from a perfect prospect - Silayev's decision-making particularly stands out as an area for improvement - but the tantalizing upside of his defensive ability, given his size, reach, and mobility is too much for the Flames to pass on at No. 8 in this mock.
Note: The Penguins traded their first-round pick to the Sharks in the Erik Karlsson trade. As it's top-10 protected, Pittsburgh retains the selection in this mock.
A highly intelligent forward, the Penguins snag Helenius after an early run on defensemen.
The Finn's resume is impressive: He became a Liiga regular as a 16-year-old and was a key member of Finland's under-18 squad as an underage forward in the spring. Helenius' 20 points in 28 games in Finland's top league ranks as the fifth-best scoring rate by a draft-eligible forward over the past 25 years.
Not out of the question as a top-five candidate, Catton slips to the end of the top 10 with the aforementioned run on blue-liners.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and a slight 163 pounds, the Saskatoon native has dazzled in the WHL the past two seasons. After captaining Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Catton's been as advertised with 19 goals and 41 points in 27 games.
Note: The Senators have the option to forfeit this pick as punishment for their role in the invalidated Evgenii Dadonov trade.
Norway isn't exactly known as a hotbed for top NHL prospects; the country has never produced a first-round pick, after all. Brandsegg-Nygard looks primed to change that fact as Norway returns to the world juniors for the first time since 2014.
A forechecking menace with scoring ability, it's not hard to see Brandsegg-Nygard excelling down the road alongside the elite talent the Senators have in the top six.
The Oilers lack high-end talent in the prospect pool and need options on the back end. Edmonton addresses both with the selection of Parekh in this mock.
An electric offensive defenseman, Parekh scored a record-setting 21 goals for a 16-year-old OHL blue-liner last season. He's followed it up with 40 points in 27 games, making for the highest scoring rate by a draft-eligible defenseman in the league since Ryan Ellis in 2008-09.
Connelly is one of the most skilled forwards in the draft. His blend of puck handling, skating, and ability in transition gives him clear top-six upside when he's on his game. A recent Providence Friars commit, a social media incident in March 2022 could impact where he ultimately goes on draft day.
Note: The Blackhawks acquired this pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Brandon Hagel trade. It is top-10 protected.
Buium, a native of San Diego, has blown away expectations as a freshman at the University of Denver. With 25 points and a plus-13 in 18 games, he's been the best defenseman on a top-five-ranked Pioneers team, vaulting himself into the conversation as a potential top-10 pick. The left-shot blue-liner will look to earn a spot on USA's world junior team over the next two weeks at selection camp.
The Hurricanes dip back into the Russian pipeline as they've done so often in recent years to snag Artamonov in this mock. Artamonov's 14 points in 30 games rank behind only Vladimir Tarasenko and Michkov among draft-eligible forwards in the KHL's history.
An excellent start on a poor Windsor squad has pushed Greentree up rankings in the early going. Without much help, the Oshawa native has produced 19 goals and 39 points in 26 gamesto rank second among draft-eligible OHLers in points per game.
Unrestricted free-agent forward Jesse Puljujarvi joined the Pittsburgh Penguins on a professional tryout, the team announced Sunday.
Puljujarvi tallied five goals and 16 points in 75 games last season with the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes. The 25-year-old underwent double hip surgery in the summer and was recently cleared to return to full contact training.
Taken fourth overall by the Oilers in 2016, Puljujarvi struggled to live up to the hype of his draft pedigree. He went back to Finland after three seasons with the Oilers and returned to Edmonton in 2020.
His second stint with the Oilers was more successful, recording a career-high 15 goals in 55 games during 2020-21. Puljujarvi tallied a career-best 36 points in 65 contests the following campaign.
Amid scoring struggles last season, Edmonton traded Puljujarvi and his $3-million cap hit to the Hurricanes. The Finn failed to register a goal in 17 regular-season and seven playoff games with Carolina, posting just three assists. The Hurricanes didn't tender a qualifying offer to Puljujarvi, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Puljujarvi can't play games with the Penguins until he signs a standard player contract. He remains eligible to ink a deal with any team, and Pittsburgh has no obligation to sign him.
The Penguins have only $17,351 of cap space with its current roster, according to CapFriendly.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is sidelined week-to-week with a high ankle sprain, the team announced Saturday.
Woll sustained the injury on a seemingly innocuous play in Toronto's 4-3 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. He stopped 29 of 31 shots prior to exiting the contest.
Woll had started five consecutive games before sustaining the injury. The 25-year-old has an 8-5-1 record with a .916 save percentage in 15 appearances this season.
Ilya Samsonov - the Maple Leafs' starter last year - has struggled in the early going, losing the starting job to Woll in recent weeks. The 26-year-old is 4-1-3 on the campaign with a career-low .878 SV% in 10 games. He's been unavailable to back up the past two games due to an illness.
Martin Jones relieved Woll on Thursday, stopping nine of 10 shots to secure the win. The veteran netminder has played sparingly with the AHL's Marlies, posting an .870 SV% in five contests. He had a 27-13-3 record and an .887 SV% last season with the Seattle Kraken.
"Tough blow for our team, tough blow for Joseph," head coach Sheldon Keefe said, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. "But a tremendous opportunity here now for the other two guys, Samsonov in particular."
Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren has been out since Nov. 2, also due to a high ankle sprain.
Toronto faces the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Tuesday's game between the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils will see all three Hughes brothers play in the same contest for the first time in the NHL.
"Of course, you dream you're going to play with your brothers in the NHL one day," Jack, the middle brother of the three, told NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "You're in the basement, hanging out, playing, but you never really think it's going to become a reality. For it to happen, it's definitely pretty wild. It's three kids in one game."
Jack and his older brother Quinn first faced off in the NHL on Oct. 19, 2019. The youngest of the trio, Luke, was 16 at the time.
"I definitely didn't expect something like this to happen when we were kids, but it's really cool," Luke said. "That's the dedication shown by our parents. ... How hard they worked and how hard the three of us worked too. It's going to be fun."
Tuesday's meeting will be the ninth time in league history that three brothers play in the same game, most recently done by Eric, Jordan, and Marc Staal on April 13. But Luke added that Tuesday will be the first time all three Hughes brothers play in an organized game at any level.
"We probably talked about it as kids playing mini sticks and stuff," Quinn said. "But as far as this year, they're going to want two points, I'm going to want two points, and everyone's worried about their individual game."
Jack pointed out the contest will be particularly special for Luke, who models his game after his oldest brother.
"I think Quinn's obviously the guy (Luke's) looked up to his whole life," Jack said. "I've played Quinn before, Quinn's played me, but those two have never played against each other, so I think they'll have a lot of fun. I think Luke will get a good kick out of it, for sure."
Parents Ellen and Jim will be in attendance at Vancouver's Rogers Arena, with more friends and family set to take in the Jan. 6 meeting between the Canucks and Devils in New Jersey.
The two older Hughes brothers have been exceptional this season, and the youngest is on a comparable trajectory. Quinn is tied for the league lead in scoring among defenders with 34 points in 25 contests, while Jack boasts a league-high point-per-game rate with 30 points in 17 games. Luke ranks second in rookie scoring and is tops among freshmen defenders.
Puck drop for the "Hughes Bowl" is at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens provided an honest critique of his team after its 6-2 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
"We're too easy to play against, and we need to get a little 'F you' in our game," Cozens said, according to Buffalo News' Mike Harrington. "I think we had more of that last year.
"We're way too soft this year. I feel like we don't kill plays. We kind of get bullied. … We need to finish more checks, be harder to play against, stronger on puck battles. We need to kill plays in the defensive zone."
The 22-year-old noted that he needs to be "way better to help turn things around." Cozens has four goals and 11 points in 22 games amid the first season of his seven-year, $49.7-million contract signed in February 2023.
The Sabres remain without star forward Tage Thompson due to an upper-body injury. Jack Quinn has yet to play this season because of an Achilles injury.
Saturday's loss dropped the Sabres to 10-12-2 on the campaign and 3-6-1 in their last 10 contests. Buffalo is last in the Atlantic Division by points percentage after narrowly missing the playoffs a season ago.
Barrie's anticipated to be a healthy scratch Saturday against the New York Rangers.
The 32-year-old has zero goals and nine points in 22 games this season with Nashville. Barrie's 18:51 average ice time is his lowest since 2013-14.
Barrie was acquired by the Predators before last year's trade deadline as a cap dump from the Edmonton Oilers in the Mattias Ekholm deal. He collected 13 goals and 55 points in 85 games last season. The blue-liner played three more contests than a standard campaign length because of the trade, tying the NHL record for most games in a season.
With the Oilers, Barrie led all defensemen in scoring during the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign with 48 points in 56 contests.
Barrie is in the final season of a three-year contract that carries a $4.5-million cap hit. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 campaign.