The Flyers may be staring at a numbers problem once Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen are back in the mix. Both defensemen are currently on IR, and when they’re ready to return, Philadelphia will have to make room on the blue line.
There are two waiver-exempt defensemen on the roster in Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald, but The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz wrote that “it’s difficult to see the Flyers reassigning Bonk back to the AHL soon,” even after York and Ristolainen are activated.
That leaves another name in the mix: David Jiricek. Kurz floated the idea that the Flyers could place him on waivers in order to send him to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and he added that “the Flyers shouldn’t worry about waiving Jiricek,” as he “can’t imagine he’ll get claimed with the Flyers already being his third organization.”
Jiricek is 22 and was the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, but he hasn’t matched that billing. Columbus drafted him originally, then sent him to the Minnesota Wild for a package of draft picks in November 2024.
Minnesota later moved him to Philadelphia near last season’s trade deadline in a deal for winger Bobby Brink. This season, Jiricek is averaging 14:48 of ice time per game, including 2:07 on the power play, and he was a healthy scratch in the Flyers’ most recent game.
Around the league, the Red Wings and Canadiens are keeping a close eye on each other. On TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun said Detroit is “actively scouting” Montreal in case former captain Dylan Larkin changes his mind and agrees to include the Canadiens on his trade list. LeBrun also said the Red Wings are “fully aware” of the kinds of trade packages Montreal has “aggressively put in front of” other teams in its long hunt for a difference-making top-six addition.
Montreal has reportedly pursued Matthew Knies and Kirill Marchenko before, though those two were eventually traded for one another. Now, the Canadiens are said to be interested in Detroit’s No. 1 center. There’s no clear sign yet of what Montreal would put on the table, but one possible centerpiece would be University of Michigan center Michael Hage.
Dreger also reported that Winnipeg has reached an agreement with Connor Hellebuyck to push back the date he’ll report to the team and take a physical until after this weekend’s Heritage Classic outdoor game. Hellebuyck has been suspended without pay after failing to report to training camp, and he wants to end his holdout and rejoin the Jets while he waits for the team to fulfill his trade request. Winnipeg appears willing to bring him back, but it does not want the attention around his return to overshadow the Heritage Classic.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Trade Standoff Could Spark Another NHL Fight
Connor Hellebuycks move to the New Jersey Devils already had one significant subplot attached to it, thanks to the Carolina Hurricanes attempt to get involved. Carolina explored a way to help complete a deal by sending over a young forward, but the trade never came together, leaving the central question of what it would have taken to close the loop hanging over the story.
Now the aftermath could stretch beyond the trade market and into the league office. Hellebuyck was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets for 18 days after missing training camp, and he and the NHLPA are considering a grievance to recoup lost salary. A decision is expected by early December, which means the resolution to this saga may still be a few weeks away. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Drew A Line In The Hellebuyck Chase That Changed Everything
Connor Hellebuycks name once sat right in the middle of a serious trade chase, with Carolina digging into ways to build a package for the Winnipeg netminder. The Hurricanes were willing to get creative, even looking at forward pieces from other teams to make the numbers work, and they reportedly believed their offer was a fair one as the discussion carried on.
The hang-up was Winnipegs ask for immediate help up front, the kind of young forward value that would slot into the core and make the move worthwhile for the Jets. Carolina stayed interested through the end, but it was not willing to part with the kind of player Winnipeg wanted, and once that line was drawn the path to a deal narrowed until New Jersey stepped in and finished the job. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Bring A Different Challenge Into Penguins Matchup
The Canadiens early-season push is about to be tested in a way they did not plan for, with captain Nick Suzuki sidelined by an upper-body injury and several other forwards already unavailable. Montreal has opened at 5-3-2, but losing Suzuki for any length of time changes the look of a lineup that has leaned on his presence at both ends, and it puts more responsibility on players such as Jake Evans, Oliver Kapanen, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky to keep the offense moving.
One of the biggest looming stages for that challenge is a marquee outdoor date with the Winnipeg Jets at the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. For the Canadiens, it is the kind of spotlight game that can expose depth quickly, especially when the forward group is already missing key pieces and consistency becomes as important as talent. Montreal still has enough skill to compete, but the margin for error gets slimmer if the absences drag on. [Read more 🡒]