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The Buffalo Sabres have a lengthy list of injured players and got one back in their lineup on Friday with Jason Zucker returning after missing three weeks due to a virus, but early in the second period of their 9-3 victory over Chicago, it appeared that that list would get larger. Defenseman Bowen Byram, who had scored his fourth goal of the season in the first period, fell awkwardly into the boards after checking Hawks forward Frank Nazar.

Byram had trouble getting back to his skates, and was favoring his right shoulder when he skated off the ice and down the tunnel to the Sabres locker room, but surprisingly returned after five minutes of game time and played a regular shift the rest of the game, finishing with 18:01 on the night. 

 "It didn't look good initially. I was pretty worried that was a guy we weren't see come back," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. 

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Ruff said that he was cautiously optimistic that Byram was fine, saying that it was a positive sign that he returned and finished the game, but also said that they would see what tomorrow would bring. The club cancelled a scheduled practice on Saturday and will complete their four-game homestand on Sunday afternoon against Carolina, 

Buffalo may get another injured forward back against the Hurricanes, as Ruff said on Friday that winger Zach Benson could return Sunday. The injured forward has been out since October 30 with a lower-body injury, but took part in the morning skate. Ruff considered the possibility of Benson returning against the Hawks, but opted to keep him out another game. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

A battle for first place in the Pacific Division commences on Saturday, with the Ducks taking on the Vegas Golden Knights. The Ducks were victorious in the previous matchup in Las Vegas, beating the Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime.

That loss for Vegas was in the midst of an eventual four-game losing streak, but they have won three of their last four games since then and have collected seven points out of a possible eight in that stretch. The Ducks are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and are looking to get back into the win column.

“(Vegas is) a good hockey team,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said. “The third period there, they really had us in our end there. They do a lot of good things. They're very quick, they're very skilled and they're talented. They see plays, make plays 
and they’ve got structure. They’re well-rounded in all areas, very meaningful game for us as well.”

“(Their) transition game is excellent,” Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “A lot of speed, attack-oriented. 
I thought we played well that night. It was a good hockey game, could have went either way. And now what they're going through is they're not sneaking up on teams anymore, right? 
People are aware of (Leo) Carlsson and some of their younger players. So, that's their challenge they have in front of them, and we'll be one of those teams now that we've seen them once, right? So hopefully we're up to the task.”

“They defend well,” Frank Vatrano said. “They're a team that thrives off transition. So, for us, don't be stubborn at lines getting in behind them, and try to create offense from below the goal line.”

“Playing hard the first 10 minutes of the game will be huge for us,” Carlsson said. “Shoot everything from the start, too.”

Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov draws back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch for three consecutive games. Rookie Ian Moore will replace him in the press box.

Report: Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov "Would Like to be Moved if He's Not Going to Play"

“You’ve got seven (defensemen) over a course of the year, everybody's gonna get stretches where you're playing and not playing. 
You’ve got to make some tough decisions sometimes, and that's where it is. I thought he was making some progress in the start of the year to where you're at today. He was killing penalties, coming off a good game in that area. I just think that offensively, there's something there 
I think he can add to our game and his game. I think he's been okay.”

Ducks forward Ryan Poehling (upper-body) participated in morning skate for the first time since his injury on Nov. 13. Quenneville said that Poehling could return by next weekend at the earliest. Mikael Granlund remains out with a lower-body injury, he has not yet skated again since re-aggravating his injury against the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 13.

Since the last Ducks-Golden Knights matchup, the Golden Knights have lost both forward William Karlsson and defenseman Jérémy Lauzon to injury. Karlsson left that game early with an undisclosed injury and is currently week-to-week. Lauzon is also suffering from an undisclosed injury and was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

Ducks Projected Lines

Cutter Gauthier - Leo Carlsson - Beckett Sennecke
Chris Kreider - Mason McTavish - Troy Terry
Frank Vatrano - Ryan Strome - Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston - Jansen Harkins - Nikita Nesterenko

Jackson LaCombe - Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - Radko Gudas

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Golden Knights Projected Lines

Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Braeden Bowman
Pavel Dorofeyev - Tomáš Hertl - Mitch Marner
Brandon Saad - Brett Howden - Reilly Smith
Cole Reinhardt - Colton Sissons - Keegan Kolesar

Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin - Zach Whitecloud
Ben Hutton - Kaedan Korczak

Akira Schmid (confirmed)

The Buffalo Sabres continued to display their Jekyll and Hyde-like levels of performance in the third game of their four-game homestand against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. The Sabres gave up four third-period goals in a 6-2 loss to Calgary on Wednesday, who were playing in the second of back--to-back games with a backup goalie between the pipes, but against Chicago backup Arvid Soderblom, the Sabres dropped a nine-spot on the tired Hawks squad in a 9-3 victory at Key Bank Center.  

Alex Tuch led the Sabres with four points, Joah Doan had a pair of goals, and Jason Zucker, in his first game since November 1, had a goal and two assists.  Buffalo equaled the NHL’s season-high for goals in a single game, tying the Colorado Avalanche’s output in a 9-1 romp over the Edmonton Oilers. 

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"I thought it was a great response (to Wednesday's loss). We weren't happy with our game," Sabres leading scorer Tage Thompson said. "It's just keeping things simple. I thought we were hounding pucks on the forecheck, I thought our D zone was great, which which led to a lot of offense for us off the rush, and I think a great middle lane drive on entries, which opened up a lot of space once we entered the blue line there. So we were able to establish the O zone."

Even with an injury-depleted lineup, talent is not the issue with the Sabres, it has been establishing a level of consistency that enables them to earn points with regularity. Thus far, the Sabres have had one five-game losing skid and a pair of three-gamers, while going 4-1-0 in one stretch and 3-1-0 in another. This inconsistency has Buffalo in last spot in the Eastern Conference with an 8-9-4 record.

Buffalo finishes up their four-game homestand on Sunday afternoon against the East-leading Carolina Hurricanes.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

The St. Louis Blues put Alexandre Texier on unconditional waivers with purpose to terminate his contract.

The #StLBlues put Alexandre Texier on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) November 22, 2025

The 26-year-old was placed on waivers Thursday and went unclaimed, thus assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League on Friday, but to no one's surprise, the forward would not report to the AHL and would look to terminate his contract and sign with a team of his own choosing.

The Blues went through a similar situation with Brandon Saad last season, and he signed a contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Texier, who had one assist in eight games with the Blues this season and played 39 games, including 31 last season (six goals, five assists), will thus earn a fresh start elsewhere.

“For ‘Tex,’ he's an outstanding young man and just didn't find any kind of path this year to consistently stay in the lineup,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said on Thursday.

Texier will forfeit the remainder of his two-year, $4.2 million contract he signed ($2.1 million average annual value) after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2025 fourth-round pick on June 28, 2024.

* In a separate move announced earlier on Saturday, the Blues recalled defenseman Logan Mailloux from Springfield after assigning Hunter Skinner on Friday.

Mailloux scored two goals in five games with the Thunderbirds.

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Canadian defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk, 28, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with the Shanghai Dragons, the KHL club announced on Saturday.

Shanghai will be Kalynuk’s third KHL team already this season. He spent the 2024-25 season playing for the Lahti Pelicans in Finland following four seasons of pro hockey in North America.

“A mobile defenseman who can play on the power play, moves the puck well, and supports the attack,” is how Dragons GM Igor Varitsky described Kalynuk. “He showed solid performance both in the AHL and in Finland, where he collected 36 points, including 10 goals. Wyatt is already familiar with the KHL after stints in Kazan and Ufa, and he’ll fit into a system he knows well. He’ll bring speed and offensive potential to our blue line.”

Kalynuk was a seventh-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017 and then spent the next three seasons playing for the University of Wisconsin Badgers, serving as team captain his last season.

Vitali Kravtsov Signs Multi-Year KHL DealKravtsov returns to his KHL roots for a multi-year deal, aiming to recapture his prolific scoring touch with a powerhouse Traktor squad.

Over the next two seasons, Kalynuk played 26 NHL games for the Chicago Blackhawks, recording nine points and six penalty minutes. He’s also spent time in the minor-league systems of the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues, and went to the training camp of the Arizona Coyotes in 2023.

Kalynuk started this season playing for Ak Bars Kazan, but was traded after just two games to Salavat Yulayev Ufa for another ex-NHLer, Alexander Chmelevski.

“We wish Wyatt Kalynuk the best of luck,” Kazan GM Marat Valiullin said about Kalynuk at the time of the trade. “He’s a good player that we were interested in, but the market dictates its own terms.”

Brendan Leipsic Finds New KHL TeamLeipsic returns to SKA St. Petersburg, rejoining former NHLers and Hall-of-Fame coach Larionov for the KHL playoff push.

In 20 KHL games this season combined, Kalynuk as one goal, four assists, two penalty minutes and is a minus-9.

Through 27 games this season, Shanghai sits seventh in the KHL’s 11-team Western Conference. That marks a significant improvement for the franchise that has missed the playoffs eight straight seasons, when it was known as Kunlun Red Star.

In addition to the rebranding, the team has made significant personnel changes this season, including the hiring of head coach Gerard Gallant and the acquisition of ng Slovak Olympic bronze-medal-winning goaltender Patrik Rybar and ex-NHLers Ryan Spooner. Nick Merkley, Kevin Labanc, Borna Rendulić and Alexander Burmistrov.

Gerard Gallant Takes Over KHL’s Shanghai Dragons Gerard Gallant is the new head coach of the Shanghai Dragons, the KHL club announced on Wednesday.

Nov 16, 2025; Stockholm, SWEDEN; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (1) is presented with a watch after defeating the Nashville Predators in a Global Series ice hockey game at Avicii Arena. Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

After nearly a week off following their trip to Stockholm, Sweden, for the 2025 NHL Global Series, the Nashville Predators return to action Saturday night as they host the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena.

The Preds earned a split with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the two-game Global Series. Nashville scored a comeback 2-1 overtime victory Nov. 14 but suffered a disappointing 4-0 shutout loss to the Penguins two days later.

Filip Forsberg scored the game-tying goal in his home country in the Nov. 14 contest, then skated in his 800th career NHL game in the Nov. 16 loss.

With their 6-10-4 record, speculation and rumors that a coaching change might be made during the Preds’ six-day rest period were quashed by general manager Barry Trotz, who said in an interview on 102.5 The Game he has no intention of replacing head coach Andrew Brunette.

The Preds must put their problems and the outside noise behind them as they get back to work. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday night’s game with the Avalanche.

Game Day

Who: Colorado Avalanche (14-1-5) at Nashville Predators (6-10-4)

Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

When: 7 Pm CST

TV: FanDuel Sports Network South

Radio: 102.5 The Game

Betting line (via BetMGM):

Avalanche

-1.5 (+110)

O 6 (-115)

-220

Predators

+1.5 (-135)

U 6 (-105)

+180

Roman Returns

The Preds got some good news following Saturday morning skate. Head coach Andrew Brunette announced that captain Roman Josi would be back in the lineup for the Avs game.

Josi has been on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury. He practiced with the team earlier in the week and was paired with defenseman Nicolas Hague. The two will be paired together for the game.

Cole Smith (upper body) is currently on injured reserve.

Hockey Fights Cancer Night

Saturday’s game is the first of two Hockey Fights Cancer nights the Predators will host this season. Last year, the Nashville Predators Foundation raised $229,365.25 for the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund.

This game will feature six patient ambassadors from Monroe Carell who will take part in various in-game activities. Preds goalie Juuse Saros will be wearing a specially-designed goalie mask to mark the occasion, which fans can bid on in an auction during the game.

Preds Leaders

Forsberg leads the team with eight goals and 15 points, followed by Ryan O’Reilly with six goals and 13 points. Rookie Matthew Wood also has six goals, and he, along with Michael Bunting (4g-6a), Erik Haula (3g-7a) and Luke Evangelista (2g-8a) all have 10 points each.

Goalie Juuse Saros is 6-7-3 for the season with a 2.97 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage. He has recorded the fifth-most saves in the NHL this season (389); of those, 101 have been classified as high-danger, tied for the fifth-most of any goalie in the League.

Justus Annunen is 0-3-1 with a 3.98 GAA and .849 SP.

Nashville’s power play is 10-for-62 (16.1%), ranking them 25th in the NHL. The penalty kill is 14th at 81.4% (11-of-59).

Scouting The Avalanche

Colorado is atop the NHL standings coming into Saturday with a 14-1-5 mark. The Avs began this season 5-0-3 in their first eight games, tied for the second-longest point streak to begin a season in franchise history.

The 2000-01 team started 9-0-2 in their first 11 contests and the 2019-20 squad also recorded points in its first eight outings (7-0-1).

Nathan MacKinnon leads the team with 36 points (16-20-36). Cale Makar is second with 28 points (8-20-28), followed by Martin Necas (13-15-28).

Former Preds goaltender Scott Wedgewood is 12-1-2 with a 2.23 GAA and .913 SP. Wedgewood led the NHL with seven wins (7-1-2) in the month of October, which matched the second most October victories in franchise history behind only Craig Anderson’s 10 in 2009.

Mackenzie Blackwood is 2-0-1, 3.28 and .870.

On the power play, the Avs rank 23rd in the NHL at 16.7% (13-for-78). The PK is 9-of-64 (85.9), good for fourth overall.