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NHL Notebook: Kings and Blues strike a trade, Adam Fox on LTIR, and more
Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-no...t-louis-blues-strike-trade-adam-fox-ltir-more
Welcome back to NHL Notebook — the series here at CanucksArmy where we deliver you news and notes from around the National Hockey League — oftentimes through a Vancouver Canucks-tinted lens!
The story of the Vancouver Canucks season has been injuries. They have probably been the most injured team all season, which is one of the reasons they are where they are in the standings – third last, just one point out of dead last. Which, of course, has led trade rumours to take over the market’s focus as fans look toward the future.
However, in this NHL Notebook, we have a trade and injuries that don’t surround the Canucks this past week:
Blues/Kings swap forwards
The St. Louis Blues announced on social media that they acquired forward Akil Thomas from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Nikita Alexandrov.
Thomas, 25, was drafted in the second round (51st overall) of the 2018 NHL draft. He spent the following two seasons in the OHL before heading to the AHL for the 2020-21 season. Since making the jump to the professional ranks, Thomas has dealt with several injuries. Through his first four seasons, Thomas has been in and out of the lineup with injuries, playing 157 of a possible 288 games.
The Toronto, Ontario native’s best season came in 2023-24, where he scored 22 goals and 46 points in 64 games with the Ontario Reign. His efforts earned him a seven-game stint in the NHL, where he scored three goals and four points. Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Kings were hopeful Thomas could run away with a bottom-six role. However, that didn’t pan out as planned, as after his struggles, Thomas was a regular healthy scratch that season. He scored just one goal and three points in 25 games, finishing with a minus-four rating in sub-10 minutes of average ice time.
Through 19 AHL games with the Reign this season, Thomas has four goals and nine assists for 13 points. He will now join the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ AHL affiliate.
Alexandrov, also 25, was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2019 NHL draft. His draft-plus-one season with the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL was his best in junior, as he scored 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points. After playing the following two seasons in the AHL, Alexandrov split his seasons between the NHL/AHL. He played a depth role in his first season, scoring three goals and adding seven points in 28 games in 2022-23, but struggled to contribute offensively in 2023-24, recording just a pair of assists in 23 games.
The German-born centre has not been given another opportunity in the NHL since then. However, he finished 2024-25 with 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points in 48 games, and is off to a decent start in 2025-26, scoring three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 18 games with the Thunderbirds.
Just a change-of-scenery move for both players and teams, hoping to prove that they can make the jump to a more consistent NHL forward.
Injuries
The New York Rangers placed defenceman Adam Fox on long-term injured reserve on November 30.
Fox was injured after receiving a hit from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel along the end boards on November 29. Fox appears to be favouring his left arm. He would go down the tunnel and not return.
Here’s the play:
Fox, 27, was off to a hot start for the Rangers despite their offensive struggles this season. The offensive defenceman scored three goals and 23 assists for 26 points, with a plus-four rating in 23:50 in average ice time.
There is no timeline for Fox’s return.
The New York Islanders announced on November 29 that forward Kyle Palmieri underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL and will be out 6-8 months.
The outcome is unfortunate for Palmieri, but he went out with a bang:
Kyle Palmieri after getting hurt on the boards, stole the puck while heading to the bench, got the assist and then went to the dressing roompic.twitter.com/EBg7ugtYwc
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 28, 2025
Palimeri gets tangled up with a Philadelphia Flyers defenceman on a race for the puck in the corner, which is when the injury took place. In agonizing distress, the Islander forward toughed it out, got back to his feet, and glided to the bench.
However, on his way there, Emil Andrae was backpedalling with the puck in his own zone. Palmieri stick lifted him from behind to steal the puck, and sent a backhand saucer pass to Jonathan Drouin, who then drops it for Emil Heineman, who roofs it on Samuel Ersson.
Hockey players are built different.
At the prime age of 34, Palmieri was off to the best scoring pace of his career, with 18 points (six goals and 12 assists) through 25 games, good for a 0.72 point-per-game. The Islanders have not yet announced if this injury will completely end his season. However, the 6-8 month timeline would have Palmieri return at the end of May/beginning of June.
The Philadelphia Flyers announced that forward Tyson Foerster will be out 2-3 months with an upper-body injury.
Foerster was injured after taking a one-timer on a Flyers 5-on-3 power play. Here’s the play:
Tyson Foerster just got hurt taking a one timer and man it does not look good. Hope for the best#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/Tlr087Ydck
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) December 2, 2025
Foerester was off to an impressive start, scoring 10 goals and three assists for 13 points in 21 games. His 0.48 goals-per-game pace was tracking to shatter his previous career high of 25 goals he set last season.
Now to put our Canucks tinted glasses on: does this make the Flyers more desperate as they battle in a tough Metropolitan division and give the Canucks what they want on a potential Kiefer Sherwood trade?
Dallas Stars senior writer for DallasStars.com, Mike Heika, announced that forward Tyler Seguin would be out long-term with an ACL injury.
Seguin was injured going for a loose puck along the boards when Vladislav Gavrikov lost his balance and fell onto the right leg of the Stars forward last night. Here is the play:
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) December 3, 2025
Seguin had appeared in all 27 games for the Stars this season, scoring seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points. If Seguin is to miss the rest of the season and is placed on LTIR, that would open up his $9.85 million cap hit for the Stars to replace him. Could they look to target a Canuck forward to help replace Seguin’s production?
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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-no...t-louis-blues-strike-trade-adam-fox-ltir-more