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Five Key Stories: 1/20/25 – 1/26/25

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While the trade deadline is still several weeks away, that didn’t stop a trio of teams from combining on one of the biggest trades we’ve seen in the NHL in quite some time.  That’s among the news headlined in our key stories.

Back In The NHL: After he didn’t get a contract over the summer, it looked like Tony DeAngelo’s time in the NHL may have come to an end.  But after his request to be released from his KHL team was granted, he quickly resurfaced, signing a one-year deal worth the league minimum with the Islanders.  DeAngelo subsequently cleared the rarely-seen entry waivers to officially join the team.  The 29-year-old has been a productive blueliner over his career with 210 points in 372 games but hasn’t been able to stay in one spot for long as the Isles are now his fifth different NHL team in as many seasons.  He was quickly put to work, logging more than 25 minutes in his season debut on Saturday.

Three Games For Two: The end of last Saturday’s Canucks-Oilers game got a little chippy and a pair of players had the week off as a result of match penalties received in the final minute.  The Department of Player Safety handed three-game suspensions to Oilers center Connor McDavid and Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers for cross-checking.  It’s the second suspension of McDavid’s career as he received a two-game ban back in 2019 for a check to the head.  Meanwhile, it’s the third sit-down for Myers who had a three-game suspension in 2012 for a boarding incident and then received another three-gamer two years later for a hit to the head.

Three-Team Swap: The Hurricanes decided to strike early with their shopping, adding a pair of wingers in a three-team trade.  They acquired Taylor Hall, Mikko Rantanen, and prospect Nils Juntorp while Colorado picked up Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round selection.  Chicago, meanwhile, reacquired their 2025 third-round pick from Carolina while retaining half of Rantanen’s $9.25MM AAV to facilitate the swap.

For Carolina, they add one of the premier wingers in the league in Rantanen plus a serviceable piece in Hall who helps deepen their attack.  Both players are on expiring contracts whereas Necas and Drury are signed through next year (while Drury has two more years of club control).  That last part helps justify the trade for Colorado who opens up a bit of cap space, acquires a top-line piece for Rantanen, and gives them some more cost certainty heading into next summer.  Rantanen is expected to set an NHL record on his next contract as the richest winger in NHL history and he and the Avs weren’t able to come to terms of that agreement, resulting in them getting a guaranteed return over running the risk of losing him for nothing.  As for Chicago, the belief is that they got a slightly higher draft pick by retaining on Rantanen than they would have by retaining on Hall although their portion of the swap is still a bit underwhelming.

Markstrom Out For A While: After a disappointing 2023-24 season, the Devils find themselves in a top-three seed in the Metropolitan Division.  Goaltender Jacob Markstrom has played a big role in that but New Jersey will have to do without him for a while as he’s set to miss the next four to six weeks with a knee sprain.  The 34-year-old has a 2.20 GAA (fifth-lowest in the NHL) with a .912 SV% in 36 starts.  Veteran Jake Allen will take over as the starter in the interim while Nico Daws is expected to be recalled in the coming days to serve as the backup.  Markstrom will now miss the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off but the extended break will also reduce how many games he winds up missing.

Five For Borgen: Last month, the Rangers acquired defenseman Will Borgen along with a pair of draft picks in exchange for winger Kaapo Kakko.  Borgen was set to be an unrestricted free agent but he clearly made a strong impression on his new team as New York inked him to a five-year, $20.5MM extension.  The 28-year-old had two straight seasons of at least 20 points coming into this season but he has been limited to just five in 50 games between the two teams in 2024-25.  The Rangers are banking on his track record and his early performance with his new club and have made him a key cog of their back end for the foreseeable future.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Canucks Notes: Sherwood, Joshua, Friedman

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The Vancouver Canucks fit in a practice early this morning before traveling to St. Louis to begin a three-game road-trip. The skate brought plenty of updates. Most notably, third-line forward Kiefer Sherwood did not travel with the team, per Jeff Patterson of Rink Wide: Vancouver. He is expected to miss Monday’s game, at least, after also sitting out of the team’s Saturday win over Washington. There is hope that he could join the team partway through the trip. No specifics of Sherwood’s injury have been disclosed.

Sherwood is having a career year in his first season with the Canucks. He ranks fourth on the team with 13 goals – just behind Jake DeBrusk (17), Brock Boeser (16), and defender Quinn Hughes (14). Sherwood has totaled 21 points through 47 games, putting him just six games shy of his career-high in scoring with 34 games still on the schedule. It has been a long road to land Sherwood in an everyday NHL role. He originally debuted with the Anaheim Ducks in 2018-19, but only managed 12 points in 50 games as a rookie. He spent the next three seasons making only spot starts at the top flight, through trips with Anaheim and the Colorado Avalanche, before spending the full season with the Nashville Predators last season. That’s when he set a career-high 27 points – a number he’s poised to smash now with the fourth club of his seven-year career.

In other Canucks news, forward Dakota Joshua made his return to the practice sheet on Sunday. Joshua has missed Vancouver’s last 10 games with a leg injury. He was placed on injured reserve on January 6th. Joshua has had an up-and-down season. A summer cancer diagnosis forced him to sit out the first month of the season, but he was a routine presence in the Canucks lineup between November and early January. He’s managed just four points and 20 penalty minutes through 24 games – but was riding a seven-game scoring drought prior to injury. He seems to be nearing a lineup return, likely giving him a chance to break his cold spell on Vancouver’s upcoming trip.

Ahead of the road trip, Vancouver also assigned defenseman Mark Friedman to the AHL. Friedman has only played in five NHL games this season – two coming last week. He hasn’t managed any scoring through the appearances, with 10 penalty minutes and a -4 his only notable stat changes. He’s been slightly more productive in the minors, with one goal and six points in 20 appearances with the Abbotsford Canucks. Friedman has served as a top AHL call-up for nearly every year of his nine-year career. He’ll continue to fill that role with this move, with Vancouver opting to carry rookie defenseman Elias Pettersson for their road trip instead.

Canada’s Alex Pietrangelo Withdraws From 4 Nations Face-Off

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The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has chosen to withdraw from the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off to tend to what they describe as an “ailment” and prepare for the remaining season.

Pietrangelo has appeared in 46 of Vegas’ 49 games this season, having missed six days of action with an upper-body injury in November. He’s otherwise been as consistent as they come, averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time and serving roles on both of Vegas’ special teams. He ranks second among the team’s blue-line in scoring with 25 points in 46 games, confidently behind Shea Theodore’s 44 points. Pietrangelo also ranks second on the team in blocked shots with 87. Even at the age of 35, Pietrangelo has continued to serve in a premier role for the Golden Knights.

Pietrangelo was named to Team Canada’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster on December 3rd, alongside Golden Knights teammate Theodore and former St. Louis Blues teammate Colton Parayko. The trio made up half of a blue-line that also featured Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Morrissey, and Travis Sanheim. With Pietrangelo opting to withdraw, Canada will have to go back to the drawing board to find their final defender. Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, New Jersey’s Dougie Hamilton, and San Jose’s Jake Walman lead all available options in NHL scoring.

The reasons for Pietrangelo’s withdrawal seem unclear. He has shown no signs of injury through the recent stretch and has even recorded an assist in four of Vegas’ last five games. Pietrangelo is also signed through the end of the 2026-27 season, giving him a reasonable chance at making Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics with a strong showing at the 4-Nations tournament. But he’ll now back out to keep his sights on Vegas’ success.  The Golden Knights currently rank third in the Western Conference and fourth in the NHL with 64 points. They seem clearly in sight of a playoff berth, where they’ll get a chance to chase their second Stanley Cup in the last three years. Pietrangelo also won a Cup in St. Louis.

Blackhawks Recall Landon Slaggert

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The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled forward Landon Slaggert from the AHL. Slaggert isn’t expected to play in the team’s Sunday game against the Minnesota Wild, but will serve as an insurance forward for the team’s upcoming three game road trip.

This marks the first formal call-up of Slaggert’s career. He made his NHL debut last season, joining the Blackhawks after the end of the University of Notre Dame’s season and scoring four points in 16 games. But, like many burgeoning Hawks prospects to debut last season, Slaggert was assigned to the minors to start the year. He’s since worked his way into a top-six role with the Rockford IceHogs. Slaggert ranks third on the team in scoring with 25 points in 39 games. He also boasts a team-best +9.

Slaggert may face a tough time cracking into the lineup during this road trip. For Chicago’s many faults, their bottom-six has been warming up as of late. All six players – Colton Dach, Lukas Reichel, Nick Foligno, Pat Maroon, Ryan Donato, and Philipp Kurashev – have multiple points in the team’s last 10 games, led by Donato’s seven points and 18 shots. Kurashev would likely be the first of the bunch to cede minutes, though. He snapped a 12-game scoring drought with two points on January 20th, but has other wise fallen more-and-more out of favor in the Hawks lineup. Kurashev has been a routine healthy scratch and even appeared in trade rumors. Calling up Slaggert for a multi-game trip could be a good chance to see who would likely succeed Kurashev in the fourth-line role.

Devils’ Nico Hischier Day-To-Day, Jack Hughes Banged Up

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The New Jersey Devils could soon be without their two top forwards. Captain Nico Hischier left the team’s Saturday night matchup against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period, after receiving a slash from Canadiens center Nick Suzuki. No penalty was called on the play, and instead Suzuki skated up the ice and recorded the primary assist on Montreal’s second goal. Now, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe has shared that Hischier could be out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now.

Nichols also shared that Jack Hughes is, “less than 100 percent” due to a nagging finger injury. He suffered the injury partway through New Jersey’s Wednesday win over the Boston Bruins, exiting in the first period to get stitches in his finger but returning shortly after the start of the second. Hughes missed the team’s Friday practice to avoid risk of infection or further inflammation, but played in 20 minutes of New Jersey’s overtime win on Saturday. His status will be monitored closely as the Devils gear up for two weekday games against the Philadelphia Flyers.

There’s been no indication of whether or not the Devils top two centers will play on Monday. If they don’t, New Jersey will play their first game without the star duo in over two years. Despite routine injuries, one of the Devils’ star centers has found a way to stand at the top of the lineup – which would make matching absences incredibly tough to fill. Hughes and Hischier currently rank first and third on the Devils in scoring, with 57 and 43 points in 51 games respectively.

The only extra forward on New Jersey’s lineup is presently Kurtis MacDermid, who’s stepped into four games since the start of January. He doesn’t have any scoring through 19 games this season, which could force the Devils to look towards their minor leagues for meaningful fill-ins. Nolan Foote and Brian Halonen lead the AHL’s Utica Comets in scoring, with 25 points in 33 games and 24 points in 34 games respectively. Both players have served as injury fill-ins throughout the season, though neither has managed any NHL scoring in their spot starts. New Jersey could also turn towards Adam Beckman, who has 22 points in 29 AHL games and also managed two assists in 11 NHL games earlier this year. But none of those players bring natural center ability to the NHL lineup, likely meaning that any recall would need coupled with someone like Stefan Noesen, Ondrej Palat, or Dawson Mercer shifting into the middle-lane.

Sharks Recall Jack Thompson, Place Jan Rutta On IR

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Jack Thompson and placed Jan Rutta on injured reserve. Rutta missed the team’s Saturday loss to the Florida Panthers with a lower-body injury. Head coach Ryan Wardofsky told Max Miller of Yahoo Sports that Rutta had been dealing with the injury for the last few games.

Rutta has seen his ice time dip from upwards of 19 minutes down to 13 minutes in the wake of this injury. He’s been a utility defender all season long, averaging 17 minutes of ice time and recording eight points through 51 games this season. Rutta also ranks second on the team with 76 blocked shots.

The Sharks turned towards left-shot defender Henry Thrun to fill Rutta’s right-side role on Saturday. But after a big loss, the Sharks are opting to bringing a true right-shot up in Thompson. Thompson has split time between the NHL and AHL lineup all year long, with similar results. He has five points in 14 NHL games and nine points in 17 AHL games on the year. After totaling just three NHL games over the last two seasons, Thompson is finally receiving a chance to carve out his role at the top-flight. With Rutta set to miss at least one week and two games, Thompson could have a perfect opportunity to plant his feet even further.

Avalanche Activate Miles Wood Off IR, Reassign Jere Innala

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The Colorado Avalanche have activated forward Miles Wood off of injured reserve, setting him up to return from a back injury suffered on November 27th. The injury is a nagging one, earning Wood a second placement on IR earlier this season – from November 4th to 14th – and holding him out of games for a week in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He told Corey Masisak of The Denver Post that, based on conversations he’s had with other players, this back injury will likely be one he carries through the rest of his career.

In a corresponding move, Colorado has also reassigned Jere Innala to the minor leagues. Innala has appeared in most of the team’s games through January but averages just under seven minutes of ice time each game. He has no scoring and a -3 through 15 appearances this season.

Wood has spent the better parts of the last nine seasons as an impactful third-line winger across the league. He was originally the 100th-overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, hearing his name called in a fourth round that also featured Juuse Saros one pick earlier and Andrew Copp four picks later. Drafted out of high school, Wood went on to play two more seasons with Noble and Greenough before moving to Boston College in 2015. He had a dazzling freshman year, earning 35 points in 37 games and a spot on Team USA’s 2016 World Championship lineup behind the likes of Auston Matthews, Dylan Larkin, and Brady Skjei. That NHL company must have convinced Wood, who jumped to the AHL after his freshman year of college, then earned a full-time NHL call-up after 15 games and eight points with the Albany Devils.

Since then, Wood has been a stout bottom-six forward, routinely rivaling 25 points and making a mark in all three zones. His career year currently stands as the 2017-18 campaign, when he scored 19 goals and 32 points in 76 games – both career-highs. Wood made that mark with the New Jersey Devils for seven seasons – even serving as an alternate captain for two years. But he opted to instead join the Colorado Avalanche in the 2023 summer, signing a six-year, $15MM contract with the club just two years removed from a Stanley Cup win.

Wood has continued to make a consistent impact with the Avalanche, though his 2024-25 campaign started off ice cold. Through the mix of injuries, Wood has only scored two goals and three points in 16 games this season. He’ll now get a chance to buck that trend, returning to a Colorado lineup that looks very different from when he last played. Since late November, the Avalanche have traded away Justus Annunen, Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, and Mikko Rantanen. In their place, the Avs have brought in Scott Wedgewood, Juuso Parssinen, Martin Necas, and Wood’s personal friend Mackenzie Blackwood. Wood raved about that latter acquisition to Masisak, comparing it to when an NFL team acquires a strong quarterback. He told Masisak, “I’m not sure why New Jersey traded him. I’m not sure why San Jose traded him. But I’m sure as hell happy he’s here.”

Three Kraken Listed As Game-Time Decisions

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The Seattle Kraken could face major last-minute changes to their lineup ahead of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Forwards Chandler Stephenson and Jared McCann, and defenseman Ryker Evans, have all been listed as game-time decisions per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio network. Stephenson and McCann are out with upper-body injuries, while Evans’ injury is undisclosed.

Stephenson didn’t return for the third period of Seattle’s Thursday loss to the Washington Capitals. He skated at full speed through the end of the second and didn’t appear to suffer a clear injury. Even less is known about the absence of McCann and Evans, who both played through Thursday’s game but missed Friday morning’s practice. Neither player managed much in Seattle’s scoreless outing, though Evans did lead the team in “game score” per Cole Palmer.

The trio have stood as three of Seattle’s most utilized players all season long. McCann has scored 14 goals and a team-leading 36 points in 49 games, even despite ranking fourth in average ice-time among the team’s forwards. It’s actually Stephenson who stands as Seattle’s most-used centerman, averaging 19:35 in ice time each game. He has 25 assists and 33 points in 48 games to show for it. Stephenson is on pace for a career-high 43 assists, and 56 total points, through 82 games this season. Evans is averaging just north of 20 minutes of ice time each game of his own, finding a comfortable role on the team’s second-pair in his sophomore season. He has 16 assists and 21 points in 47 games, over double the nine points he scored in 36 games as a rookie last season.

Replacing the three players would be a whole-team effort, should they all sit. Seattle is currently only carrying one extra player on their roster – winger Tye Kartye, who hasn’t played since January 16th. He’ll be an easy fill-in in the face of injury, giving Kartye a chance to improve on his mere six points in 42 games this season – a number far below the 20 points he scored in 77 games last year.

But the Kraken will still need another forward and defender to ice a full lineup. Their best bets for the former will be Ben Meyers and top prospect Jani Nyman – the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ top two scorers. Meyers has 11 goals and 27 points in 32 games, while Nyman has 16 goals and 25 points in 39 games. Of the two, Meyers seems like the safer bet – having already played 73 games in the NHL. For help on defense, Seattle will likely turn towards one of Cale Fleury or Maxime Lajoie. Both have plenty of NHL experience, and their respective 16 and 20 points on the season are commendable. With roster space to spare, Seattle is likely to call at least one of these options up in advance of Saturday’s game, in the event that the majority of their game-time decisions are forced to sit.

Penguins’ Bryan Rust Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will once again be without top-line winger Bryan Rust, who head coach Mike Sullivan listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic. Rust left the team’s Thursday matchup against Anaheim in the second period, after taking a big hit from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. Rust has already missed seven games this season. He was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury two separate times in October.

Rust has continued to stand as one of Pittsburgh’s top forwards, and a fantastic compliment to superstar Sidney Crosby, this season. He has 19 goals and 38 points in 43 games, putting him on pace for 36 goals and 72 points. Both marks would be career-highs for Rust, who so far hasn’t managed more than 28 goals (set in 2023-24) and 58 points (set in 2021-22) in a single season.

That’s largely thanks to a perennial challenge with the injury bug. Through his 11 years in the NHL, Rust has only managed to appear in more than 65 games three times. He was still finding his way to top-end scoring for the first two occurrences – the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, when Rust only scored 38 points in 69 games and 35 points in 72 games respectively. He scored a bit more in his healthiest season: the 2022-23 campaign, when he scored 46 points in 81 games – but that year still stands out as a cold spell amid Rust’s string of 50-point seasons. This season could be Rust’s chance to finally couple top-end scoring with routine ice time, but those odds are waning as he approaches 10 absences on the year.

Blake Lizotte will likely draw back into the lineup in Rust’s absence when the Penguins visit the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Lizotte has rotated into the team’s fourth line throughout January, but he hasn’t recorded a point since the holiday break. His last point came via a goal in Pittsburgh’s December 23rd win over Philadelphia, giving Lizotte a 13-game scoreless streak headed into the weekend. The Penguins will have to spread time around with a top-line option unavailable, which could be the setup Lizotte needs to get this monkey off his back.

Sabres Recall Tyson Kozak, Reassign Devon Levi

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The Buffalo Sabres have swapped two frequent-movers between their NHL and AHL lineups, recalling winger Tyson Kozak to the majors and assigning goaltender Devon Levi back to the minors. This move comes in response to Sabres’ starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen returning to full health after missing the team’s Monday game with an undisclosed injury. Luukkonen will start in net when Buffalo faces Vancouver on Tuesday, head coach Lindy Ruff told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.

Levi started in Buffalo’s Monday loss to the Seattle Kraken. He allowed five goals on 33 shots, bringing his season statline to a 2-7-0 record, .872 save percentage, and 4.12 goals-against-average in nine appearances. He’s been much more effective with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, where he’s served as the team’s starter. Levi has posted a defiant 12-3-2 record and .913 save percentage in 17 games with Rochester, making him the team’s only goaltender with more than 10 wins and a save percentage north of .900. He briefly matched that success in the first seven games of his NHL career, back in 2022-23, when Levi managed a 5-2-0 record and .905 save percentage through matchups that included four playoff teams. This move will return Levi to his post looking over Rochester, and give him another chance to prove his consistency to the Sabres brass.

Meanwhile, Kozak will return to Buffalo’s roster after being assigned to the minors before Monday’s game. The Sabres activated forward Jiri Kulich from injured reserve in a corresponding move. Kulich returned from a four-game absence on Monday, and even earned a top-line role with fellow center Ryan McLeod inactive due to an upper-body injury. Buffalo winger Jordan Greenway is also out with injury, though the team hasn’t yet disclosed any specifics. Even with those absences, Kozak is likely to serve as the 13th forward in Tuesday’s matchup. He will however be a quick fill-in if the Sabres experience any further injuries or cold streaks, giving Kozak a chance to break his own cold spell after recording no scoring and just two shots through his last four NHL appearances. He has one goal in seven NHL games – the first of his career – this season.

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