Buffalo forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who had been sidelined since sustaining a lower-body injury in the season opener on Oct. 4, returned Monday night in a 5-2 loss to the visiting Florida Panthers.
Aube-Kubel, 28, has been practicing since Oct. 22, and in Sunday’s session he skated at left wing with center Dylan Cozens and right wing Jack Quinn. He logged over seven minutes of action against Florida.
“We took a look at it,” Ruff said Sunday of placing Aube-Kubel on that line. “I don’t know if we’re convinced we’re going to use it, but that was what we wanted to see today. (He brings) speed, one of the strongest guys we have on the puck. Was really playing well (before) his injury. It could be a look. That Panthers team is hard, they’re heavy, physical. It could create a little bit more forecheck pressure for us.”
Aube-Kubel was expected to be out three to six weeks since sustaining the injury in a 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils in the first game of the 2024 NHL Global Series Czechia. He was trying to hit Devils defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic, but they got their skates intertwined, forcing Aube-Kubel’s leg to turn awkwardly.
The Sabres signed the free agent to a one-year contract in July. He had two penalty minutes in the season opener. Last season, he recorded six goals and 10 assists with a plus-4 rating and 159 hits in 60 games with the Washington Capitals.
Philadelphia drafted Aube-Kubel in the second round in 2014. He has 31 goals, 47 assists, a plus-15 rating, 185 penalty minutes and 635 hits in 283 games with the Flyers (2018-21), Colorado Avalanche (2021-22), Toronto Maple Leafs (2022), Capitals (2022-23) and Sabres. He won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.
The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.
After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.
Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:
There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.
Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.
Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.
Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?
There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Points: 43 Regulation wins: 12 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 17 Points pace: 54.3 Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 8
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.
Hintz extended his stick toward Henrique, whose wrist shot sent the puck under Hintz’s visor during his club’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers. He was on the ice, with his face in a towel, as the team’s medical staff assessed him and helped him skate toward the dressing room.
After the loss, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Hintz was at a local hospital, receiving tests. The coach added that the initial report was fairly optimistic for Hintz, 28, who has 25 goals and 52 points.
“Everyone’s optimistic that it’s not ‘serious, serious,'” DeBoer said. “But we won’t know until we get testing.”
The short-handed Stars rallied from a 5-1 deficit before eventually losing. Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his debut for Dallas, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Matt Dumba also scored for the Stars.