In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers are trying to ride out their goaltending woes, the Toronto Maple Leafs are holding their breath on Auston Matthews, and the Vancouver Canucks just lost their star netminder, Thatcher Demko.
Here’s the latest from three teams facing pressure for very different reasons.
Oilers GM Preaches Patience Amid Goaltending Noise
Speaking after the NHL’s November GM meetings, GM Stan Bowman finally weighed in on his roster and the unrest regarding his team’s goaltending. With fans restless over Stuart Skinner’s .883 save percentage and Calvin Pickard’s inconsistency, Bowman called the situation “average” — not great, but not catastrophic.
“Our goalies have been average — haven’t been elite, and they haven’t been bad. Sort of the way our team has been,” he said after the NHL’s GM meetings in Toronto.
Related: Old Comments Suggest Knoblauch Lost Oilers Room Before Season Began
Bowman insists the Oilers’ issues go beyond the crease, saying, “Usually we get on a run where you win six, seven, eight in a row … we haven’t been able to get going.”
For now, no trades are coming. The GM is betting this roster — minus Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who didn’t make the team’s seven-game road trip, suggesting a short-term absence that could stretch into weeks — can stabilize.
Maple Leafs Holding Breath on Matthews Injury
The Maple Leafs might be getting more bad news on the injury front. Already banged up and riding a three-game losing streak, Toronto watched Auston Matthews leave Tuesday’s loss to Boston after a heavy collision with Nikita Zadorov.
Head coach Craig Berube didn’t like the hit, saying, “That’s a penalty. He’s in a vulnerable position”. Matthews finished his shift but didn’t return, leaving the Leafs without their offensive heartbeat.
Berube offered no timeline afterward: “It is lower-body. We’ll see tomorrow. I can’t tell you how serious it is right now.”
If Matthews misses time, the Maple Leafs may have to push Max Domi for more minutes. Unfortunately, depth is already thin — Scott Laughton is sidelined, Chris Tanev is banged up, and Anthony Stolarz left the same game hurt.
Insider Darren Dreger noted GM Brad Treliving doesn’t have much to trade with. “They don’t have the assets to swing for the fences,” Dreger said. Unless Matthews’ injury is minor, the Leafs could be in real trouble.
Zadorov defended the hit, saying, “It was just a normal play. No intention to hurt him. That’s my job — play hard against top players.” Leafs fans aren’t buying it.
Canucks Lose Demko, Brace for Short-Term Pain
The Vancouver Canucks will be without Thatcher Demko for two to three weeks after he suffered what’s believed to be a groin injury. The incident occurred during a save, and while it’s not related to his past knee issues, the timing couldn’t be worse.
Frank Seravalli reports the injury is “minor,” but Demko could still miss up to nine games — including matchups with Carolina, Florida, Dallas, and Calgary. The Canucks have leaned heavily on him during their 4-5-1 start, and now backup Kevin Lankinen will be forced to carry the load.
Expect Jiri Patera to get a look, too, as Vancouver tries to tread water without its best player.
Lightning and Panthers Gearing Up For Round 2?
On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning recalled forwards Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin from AHL Syracuse. The Sabourin call-up is intriguing based on the timing and the fact that the Lightning will play the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Their last preseason matchup featured over 300 penalty minutes, 16 ejections, and a $100,000 team fine for Tampa Bay. Sabourin earned a four-game suspension for roughing after repeatedly punching Aaron Ekblad.
