The Kings were without Adrian Kempe on Halloween, and the timing couldn’t have been much worse for a team already trying to claw out of a rough start.
Kempe, who was listed as day-to-day earlier by Zach Dooley, Manager of Editorial Content for the team, missed his first game of the season because of an undisclosed ailment. He has eight points through 12 games, which ranks fourth on the club, and his absence left Los Angeles missing a top-line winger in a lineup that already hasn’t found much offense. The Kings entered the night at 4-7-2, including the loss to Buffalo, and they continue to sit near the bottom of the league offensively.
In Kempe’s place, prospect Martin Chromiak got the call and made his NHL debut. The 24-year-old winger had spent four full seasons producing with AHL Ontario before getting the nod, and he landed on the top line alongside star Artemi Panarin.
Chromiak took a step forward last season with 56 points in 71 games, leading the Reign, and he arrived with momentum after scoring six goals in his first nine games this fall. A fifth-round pick in 2020, he has been a useful find for the organization.
The Kings are hoping Kempe is back by Wednesday, when they host San Jose, as they try to generate some positive momentum while sitting 29th in the NHL.
Around the league, the Oilers rolled to a 4-0 win over the Islanders to pick up their 10th victory of the season, but the night turned quickly for Isaac Howard. He lasted just one shift and 0:30 before being caught knee-on-knee by Emil Heineman in the neutral zone after moving the puck up the wall. Heineman was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play, and Howard had to be helped off the ice.
After the game, head coach Mike Babcock told the media, including Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press, that Howard appears to have avoided a serious injury. He is not expected to play tomorrow against the Rangers, though there is optimism he could return by next week.
Howard, 22, has three points in 12 games and has spent time on the fourth line, which helps explain the slow offensive start, even if he has also seen action on the second power-play unit. Babcock will have to choose between Filip Hallander and Max Jones for Howard’s spot at Madison Square Garden.
Minnesota heads into its two-game East Coast trip without Marcus or Nick Foligno, John Hynes told Joe Smith of The Athletic. The Wild open the trip tomorrow afternoon against the Capitals, and neither brother has been able to play since early October. Marcus is on injured reserve with a mid-body injury, while Nick is dealing with an upper-body ailment.
Even so, Minnesota has held up well, going 7-2-2 without them and filling out its fourth line with Nico Sturm and Tyler Pitlick. The Foligno brothers have combined for more than 2,000 regular-season NHL games, and while both have provided offense at different points in their careers, they’re now valued mostly for leadership and penalty-killing ability out of the bottom six. Hynes said the team “might know more” after the trip, with a return sometime before mid-November still the hope.
Colorado will also be down a forward tonight against Calgary, as Logan O’Connor will not play, according to Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now. O’Connor has been away from the team for the funeral of his father Myles, who was a former NHLer.
Gavin Brindley was recalled this morning and will take O’Connor’s place, as had been expected. Colorado is thinking of O’Connor and his family tonight, and Brindley will likely skate on the fourth line.
The 5’8″ right-shot forward has appeared in four games for the Avalanche and has one assist, while he’s been producing at a much higher clip for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles with nine points in eight games. Like Howard, he’s another 22-year-old with skill trying to make the jump at the NHL level.
In Other News...
Wild Suddenly Have Two Early Problems That Could Linger
The Wild have been trying to patch together a lineup hit by injuries to several key players, and the early-season ripple effects are starting to show. Filip Gustavsson, Brock Faber, Nico Sturm and Jared Spurgeon have all been part of the injury conversation, leaving John Hynes to juggle updates as much as personnel. The encouraging sign is that Gustavsson and Faber have both gotten back on the ice, a small but meaningful step for a team that needs stability at both ends of the rink.
There is also a separate front office storyline hovering in the background, one that has little to do with the current injury list but plenty to do with the Wild's long-term picture. Bill Guerin said there has not been recent communication with Quinn Hughes' camp, and he framed the focus squarely on the team in front of him. For Minnesota, the immediate concern is getting healthy and sorting out the roster it has now, while the bigger questions keep waiting in the wings. [Read more 🡒]
Wild May Have The Best Dylan Larkin Offer And Still Miss Out
The talk around Dylan Larkin has put Minnesota in an interesting spot, because the Wild are believed to have put together the strongest offer among the teams he would actually consider. According to NHL Networks Elliotte Friedman, that package has drawn attention for its size and ambition, with the Wild clearly signaling they are willing to pay up if it means landing a top-line center.
But the Red Wings have not taken the deal, and the gap appears to be about more than just interest. Detroit is said to want more value for the present, not simply a stack of future assets, which leaves Minnesota waiting even after making what is viewed as the best approved offer. Other clubs, including Montreal, Buffalo and St. Louis, have also shown interest, but none are on Larkins approved list, keeping the Wild in the mix even as the finish line remains out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Mikko Rantanens Deal Says Everything About Dallas Next Big Negotiation
Mikko Rantanens new eight-year, $96 million extension in Dallas landed as one of those deals that says as much about the player as it does about the team. In an NHL market where the salary cap keeps climbing and top-end stars keep pushing the number higher, Rantanen chose stability over squeezing every last dollar, giving the Stars a major long-term piece while resetting the conversation around what elite forwards can command.
For Minnesota fans, the ripple effect is easy to spot in the background, because Dallas now has another star contract to navigate while Jason Robertson sits on a one-year deal that expires after this season. The timing matters, too, with negotiations always looking different when a player is headed toward the open market and when a team is trying to keep its core intact under a cap that is changing fast. [Read more 🡒]