The Vegas Golden Knights keep moving defenseman Ville Heinola between the NHL and AHL, and the latest stop is back on the big-league roster.
Vegas announced today that Heinola has been recalled from the Henderson Silver Knights once again. It’s the third time in just over a week that he’s been brought up, after first getting the call on Oct. 11, then being sent back to the AHL on Oct. 14, recalled the next day, and reassigned again on Oct. 17.
Even with all that traffic, Heinola still hasn’t made his Golden Knights debut. The former Winnipeg Jets top prospect signed a one-year, one-way league-minimum deal with Vegas over the summer after becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent.
A left-shot puck-moving defenseman, he looks set to remain one of the club’s primary blue-line call-up options this season. He’s also off to a strong start in Henderson, posting five points in five games, and he’ll likely be hoping this latest stint finally leads to his first NHL appearance with Vegas.
Elsewhere in the West, Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund will miss tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild because of an upper-body injury, according to Pat Steinberg of TSN. It’s Backlund’s first absence of the 2026-27 season.
On a young, rebuilding Flames team, the 37-year-old has been one of head coach Ryan Huska’s most trusted pieces. He has only two points in eight games, but he’s logging 17:43 per night, which is second among Calgary forwards.
He also leads Flames forwards in short-handed ice time, so players like Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich, and Martin Pospisil should see their penalty-killing roles grow tonight.
In Chicago, Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram is making progress in his recovery from an upper-body injury. Head coach Jeff Blashill told the media today, via Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio, that Byram is “trending in the right direction.”
Blashill added that the 25-year-old remains day-to-day. Byram, acquired by GM Kyle Davidson in a blockbuster summer trade, has been Chicago’s busiest blueliner early in 2026-27.
Through six games with the Blackhawks, he’s averaging 24:42 of ice time, including 3:15 on the power play and 0:41 on the penalty kill.
Nashville also got an encouraging update on an injured newcomer. Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said today, including to team reporter Brooks Bratten, that Mavrik Bourque is nearing a return from the upper-body injury that has kept him out for the last four games.
Bourque was one of the major pieces of Nashville’s hectic offseason, with the Predators sending two draft picks to land him and veteran defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin before later signing Bourque to a $5.5MM AAV extension. The 24-year-old has one point in his first four games in Tennessee, and he’ll have a chance to improve on that if he can work his way into a spot with one of Nashville’s veteran scorers.
In Other News...
Flames Rebuild Pressure Just Put One Trade Return In Focus
The Flames rebuild has shifted the spotlight onto the kind of roster player who can actually bring something meaningful back in a trade, and veteran Zach Whitecloud has emerged as one name to watch. Calgary is expected to keep moving pieces as it reshapes the roster, and the asking price is clear enough: a serious future asset rather than a throw-in return. The Toronto Maple Leafs have surfaced as a possible trade partner, which makes the conversation especially interesting because their prospect pool and draft capital could help determine whether a deal even makes sense.
From the Flames side, this is the sort of transaction that can help define how quickly the rebuild gains traction. Calgary is looking for the type of return that moves the needle, and the Leafs are being examined for the pieces that could fit into that framework. Among the options, one prospect stands out as the most natural fit if talks progress, which is exactly why this potential deal has become worth watching even before anything is finalized. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Huge Test Without Nick Suzuki
Nick Suzukis run of 546 straight NHL games is over, and the Canadiens are now trying to recalibrate quickly before facing the Chicago Blackhawks. Montreal practiced without its captain, while the club also recalled forward Owen Beck from Laval, a sign that the lineup shuffle could go deeper than one missing center. Injured defenseman Mike Matheson and forward Florian Xhekaj were both on the ice as well, giving the team at least a few additional moving parts to work through before puck drop.
Oliver Kapanen slid into Suzukis place on the top line, a notable adjustment for a team that has leaned heavily on its captain for consistency and structure. The bigger issue is what comes next, because Suzukis absence is not expected to be a brief one, and Montreal will have to find a way to stay organized without the player who has anchored so much of its attack and identity. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Praise Is Reigniting A Debate Flames Fans Will Love
The early praise around Edmonton has been loud for a reason. After nine games, the Oilers sit atop the NHL by points percentage, with Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl driving the offense while new coach Mike Babcock is getting credit for tightening things up in his own end. From the outside, it has the look of a team finding a more balanced identity quickly, and even the people around the club have been quick to point out how different the overall feel is compared with a year ago.
For Flames fans, of course, the fun part is less about Edmontons surge than the familiar debate it stirs up. The Oilers recent run has reopened the discussion around what changed under Babcock, how much credit belongs to the new staff versus the roster, and how the previous era under Kris Knoblauch should be remembered. It is the kind of conversation that tends to follow a hot start, especially in Alberta, where every positive Oilers talking point seems to come with a side of fuel for Calgarys rivalry instincts. [Read more 🡒]