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Penguins Place Evgeni Malkin On IR, Activate Philip Tomasino

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed star Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Malkin has already missed Pittsburgh’s last three games, and will now be forced out of at least four more games. He had previously played in Pittsburgh’s first 41 games of the season, and was red-hot in the winter months. Malkin had seven points in nine games leading up to his injury.

In a corresponding move, Pittsburgh has also activated Philip Tomasino off of injured reserve, returning him from a four-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Tomasino has been one of the brightest spots of Pittsburgh’s middling year. Acquired for a fourth-round pick in a late-November trade with Nashville, Tomasino has since posted four goals and seven points in 16 games with the Penguins – the highest scoring pace of his career. He’s looked properly alive in the Penguins lineup, filling a much-needed top-six role after four up-and-down seasons in Nashville. Tomasino was a first-round draft pick in 2019, and made the jump into a full-time NHL role two seasons later. He scored 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games as a rookie – a very encouraging start for the then-20-year-old forward. But Tomasino struggled to maintain that into his sophomore year, and would only reach 20 points one more time – in 41 games of the 2023-24 campaign – during his time in Nashville.

Malkin’s absence will leave a glaring hole in the Pittsburgh lineup. The future Hall-of-Famer has, once again, been one of Pittsburgh’s most utilized forwards at both even-strength and on the power-play. The need for another top-unit forward could pave a golden path for Tomasino upon his return, giving the young center yet another chance to show Pittsburgh what he can do with a proper role. Pittsburgh has turned towards Anthony Beauvillier to fill the top-six vacancy over the last three games, though he hasn’t managed any scoring in the boosted role.

In other Penguins news, forward Michael Bunting will also miss the team’s Sunday game after being involved in a car accident outside PPG Paints Arena per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told Rorabaugh that Bunting isn’t expected to miss extended time. Bunting has been another red-hot Penguin, with four points in his last five games.

Avalanche Activate Scott Wedgewood, Reassign Trent Miner

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The Colorado Avalanche have activated backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood off of injured reserve. Wedgewood was controversially injured in Colorado’s January 2nd matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, after Sabres forward Zach Benson fell awkwardly on his right leg and then scored seconds later. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar shared strong words over the incident, telling ESPN that letting the goal stand was “insanity” to him. Wedgewood was placed on injured reserve the next day, and has missed five games since.

The Avalanche’s goaltending room has shored up in Wedgewood’s absence. Newcomer Mackenzie Blackwood has been near-unbeatable, posting a 2-1-1 record and .951 save percentage in four games without the veteran backup. Blackwood was acquired to be Colorado’s go-to guy, a move they doubled-down on by signing him to a five-year, $26.2MM contract extension quickly after his fifth game with the club. Blackwood has totaled eight wins and a .939 save percentage in 11 games with the Avalanche. That strong performance will take the load of of Wedgewood, who appeared in six of the team’s 13 games through the month of December while they acquired and acclimated Blackwood. Wedgewood performed well in the pseudo-starting role, posting a 4-2-0 record and .932 save percentage – enough to pull Colorado into strong winning tendencies after a 13-12-0 record through October and November. Those strong performances will make Wedgewood a strong number-two, should Blackwood cool down.

To make room for Wedgewood’s activation, Colorado has assigned goaltender Trent Miner back to the minor leagues, per Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now. Miner received the first start of his NHL career on Wednesday. He allowed three goals on 20 shots to Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, ultimately enough to lose the game 3-1. Miner also stepped into 35 minutes of Colorado’s November 15th matchup against Washington and allowed one goal on 13 shots. He has otherwise been a minor-league starter, stepping into 16 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He’s set an 8-5-3 record and .903 save percentage in the top role, stout numbers but surprisingly the lowest save percentage of the Eagles’ four goalies this year. Miner worked his way up to heavy AHL minutes last season. He spent the bulk of the early season in the ECHL, but soon earned a shift to the AHL after posting a .917 in 11 games. Miner didn’t squander his AHL opportunity, tallying a 9-6-1 record and .930 in 18 games to end the year. With this move, he’ll get a chance to repeat that process again this year – looking for enough footing in the minors to challenge Wedgewood’s spot as NHL backup.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2025 Vezina Trophy?

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The season has hit its halfway point, drawing attention to the leaders of the 2025 NHL Award races. Of the bunch, the long list of candidates for this year’s Vezina Trophy as ’Goalie of the Year’ seem the least played out. There are plenty of goalies serving as the backbone to their team’s success this season – including repeat Vezina winners, seasoned veterans getting their first bid at the title, and youngsters finally flaunting their talent. It’s a race that will likely be determined by which goalie can best weather the season’s second half. But let’s take a moment to gauge the playing field, and answer the question of which goalie could win the quintessential award.

For the rich mix of names, two-time Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck seems like a clear front-runner. He’s leading the gauntlet, ranked on top of the NHL in games played (34), wins (26), save percentage (.928), and goals-against-average (2.02). Even better, Hellebuyck’s success has coupled perfectly with the Winnipeg Jets’ 3.55 goals-per-game average, third-best in the league, to push the Jets to a tie for the top spot in the entire league. Hellebuyck has, once again, looked unbeatable – continuing his dominance after winning the 2024 Vezina Trophy with 37 wins, a .921 Sv%, and 2.39 GAA in 60 games last year. Another title win this year would make Hellebuyck the first goaltender since Martin Brodeur (2003, 2004; 2007, 2008) and Dominik Hasek (1996 -1999) to win the award in back-to-back years.

But Hellebuyck is facing mounting competition from the names behind him – most notably from Jacob Markstrom, who’s brought solace to a New Jersey Devils crease in need of someone solid. Markstrom has 21 wins, a .911 Sv%, and a 2.19 GAA through 32 games this season. He’s been heavily utilized in his first year with the Devils, and the team is playing to their strengths with him at the helm. The Devils rank sixth in the league with a 26-15-4 record, while allowing the fourth-fewest goals-against per-game (2.53). Markstrom ranked second in Vezina Trophy voting in 2022, after tallying 37 wins and a .922 in 63 games with the Calgary Flames. This season could be his chance to return to those heights, especially if he can mount a strong second-half.

Darcy Kuemper is singing a similar story out West, clawing his way back to Vezina Trophy acclaim with 12 wins and a .919 in his first 20 games with the Los Angeles Kings since 2017-18. Kuemper landed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury earlier in the year, limiting his chance to build a strong case for the title. But he’s returned in full, playing in 10 of Los Angeles’ 15 games since returning from injury and posting a dazzling 8-0-2 record and .937 Sv%. Continued health, and dominant hockey, could quickly push Kuemper into the first top-three Vezina finish of his career.

Behind the veterans are a long list of young and improving netminders leading strong charges. Kuemper’s departure from the Washington Capitals has opened the door for Logan Thompson to step into the spotlight. He’s split starts with Charlie Lindgren, but nonetheless posted an impressive 18-2-3 record, .919 Sv%, and 2.32 GAA through 23 games this season. Thompson is still just 27, and only has one year of experience serving as his team’s full-time starter – when he posted 25 wins and a .908 Sv% in 46 games with Vegas last season. That inexperience could hurt his chances at taking home hardware, but his launch in Washington may make it easier to ignore. The same dialogue largely surrounds Seattle Kraken starter Joey Daccord who – like Kuemper – faced tough battles with injuries but is still thriving in his starting role. Daccord has a .914 and 2.45 GAA in 25 games this season, both in line with his strong first year as Seattle’s starter last season. He’s proving his place, and a strong second-half and award nomination could be enough to stamp it permanently.

The list of contenders drags on out West. Mackenzie Blackwood is turning a new leaf with the Colorado Avalanche – posting a stellar 10 wins and .939 Sv% in 11 games with the club. Rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf has finally won Calgary’s starting role, and managed 14 wins and a .916 in 22 games to push himself into both Vezina and Calder Trophy discussions. But of the Western Conference netminders making claims, few are louder than Filip Gustavsson. Many questioned Gustavsson’s longevity in Minnesota’s starting crease, with Jesper Wallstedt inching closer to a full-time NHL role. But Gustavsson is showing just how capable he is this season. Serving as one of the few routinely-healthy pieces of Minnesota’s lineup, Gustavsson has posted a 18-7-3 record and .918 Sv% – enough to lead Minnesota to a top-five rank in the NHL. How the Wild battle through their laundry list of injuries in the second-half will define how this season goes down in their history books – and Gustavsson’s strong play could be the sole piece that keeps a hot year from falling downhill.

There are plenty of strong contenders for this year’s Vezina Trophy, and it seems the best is yet to come for many of these netminders. All have elevated their teams with consistently strong play. Who do you think will keep it going through the Spring, and take home this year’s ’Goalie of the Year’ award?

Mobile users click here to vote.

Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad Unlikely To Play, Tobias Bjornfot In

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Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has shared that top defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who was a game-time decision for Saturday afternoon, isn’t expected to play, per Colby Guy of the Associated Press. Ekblad is battling through an undisclosed injury that forced him to miss the final 26 minutes of Florida’s January 3rd win over Pittsburgh. He returned to the lineup for 24 minutes of ice time in Florida’s Wednesday win over Utah, but will now swing the other way and once again miss time with this undisclosed injury.

Ekblad has continued to serve as the beating heart of the Panthers’ blue-line. He leads the defense in scoring, with 20 points through 41 games putting him on pace to pass the 40-point mark for the first time since 2021-22. He’s been riddled with injuries since then, sitting out of a combined 42 games between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Ekblad seemed to be back on the mend this year, so far only missing one of Florida’s games this season, but it seems his injury luck has run dry once again.

Guy shares that, with Ekblad expected to sit, Tobias Bjornfot will draw into the lineup. Bjornfot has only appeared in two games with Florida – split between last season and this season – since they claimed him off of waivers in March of 2024. Bjornfot has spent the bulk of this season in the minor leagues, where his 11 points in 27 games ranks third on the Charlotte Checkers defense. Bjornfot hasn’t scored a point at the NHL level since he managed one assist in 10 games of the 2022-23 campaign. He’s played in five NHL games, for three different clubs, since then. This spot start will be a chance to buck his trend of cold feet at the top level.

Islanders Injury Notes: Fasching, Varlamov, George, Holmstrom, Reilly

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New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello shared a slew of injury updates with Newsday’s Andrew Gross on Thursday. Most notably, winger Hudson Fasching is expected to miss the next two weeks after suffering an upper-body injury in the team’s Monday loss to the Boston Bruins. Fasching left that matchup in the third period and didn’t travel on the team’s two-game road trip to the Western Conference. The Islanders have deployed healthy scratch Matt Martin to fill in for Fasching’s absence. Of the two, Martin is the only one to record a point this season – boasting one assist in 20 games to Fasching’s zero points in 19 games. They sit close on the Islanders’ depth chart, respectively averaging eight and nine minutes of ice time this season.

Lamoriello also shared that many of the Islanders’ other injuries are progressing positively. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to rejoin the team at practice when they return from their road trip on January 12th. Varlamov hasn’t played since the team’s November 29th loss to the Washington Capitals. He allowed five goals on 26 shots in that matchup, bringing his season totals to a career-low .889 in 10 appearances.

Rookie defenseman Isaiah George is also expected to return to practice when the Islanders return home. It will be his first time skating since sustaining an upper-body injury on a hit from Max Domi in New York’s January 2nd match against Toronto. George was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to the 2nd, and is now eligible to return when he’s back to full health. He has been one of the Islanders’ few bright spots this season, recording five points and 17 minutes of ice time in 25 games. The 20-year-old defender was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and stands as just the third player selected outside of that year’s first-round to play through his rookie season. He’ll rival a role in the lineup when he’s back to full health, but may be bumped to the side by the return of Adam Pelech.

Forward Simon Holmstrom is also aiming to return to practice next week. He’s been another bright spot in the New York lineup, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 22 points in 37 games, but went down with a day-to-day injury on January 1st. He was placed on injured reserve on January 7th. Meanwhile, defenseman Mike Reilly has also progressed from his injury but hasn’t yet been cleared for practice. Reilly has been out since November 1st.

The Islanders sit with 23 men on their roster. They’ll need to send someone to the minors to activate Holmstrom or Reilly.

Utah Hockey Club Recalls Connor Ingram, Reassigns Jaxson Stauber

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The Utah Hockey Club has recalled goaltender Connor Ingram from his conditioning stint in the minor leagues. Ingram was assigned to the minors in late December, after recovering from an upper-body injury suffered on November 18th. He has sat out of Utah’s last 22 games, and made his return to the lineup in the Tucson Roadrunners’ Wednesday win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Ingram saved 29 of 30 shots in that game, good for a .967 save percentage in his first AHL game since the 2021-22 campaign.

Ingram will return to a very different goaltending room. He served as Arizona’s starter last season, posting a 23-21-3 record and .907 save percentage across 50 appearances. That was enough for Ingram to hold onto the starting role through the franchise’s move to Utah, but he came out of the gates ice-cold in his new setting. Ingram posted a measly .871 save percentage and 6-4-3 record in 13 games prior to his injury. That poor performance put all the momentum behind Karel Vejmelka as he stepped into the starting role in Ingram’s absence and looked to reclaim stake of Utah’s starter’s crease. Vejmelka has seemed to do just that, posting a .915 record and 8-7-3 record since Ingram’s injury. Vejmelka has slowed down in his last handful of games – evident by a 1-4-1 record and .907 Sv% in his last six – but he’s nonetheless made a strong claim to hold onto the starting role. Both goaltenders have plenty of experience serving as an NHL starter, and how Utah decides between them could define the team’s push for a Western Conference wild card.

To make room for Ingram’s return, Utah has also assigned goaltender Jaxson Stauber back to the minor leagues. Stauber played in four games while filling in for Ingram. He recorded a 2-1-1 record and .925 save percentage, bringing his career totals up to a 7-2-1 record and .916 save percentage in 10 NHL games. Stauber has been just as productive in the minors, going 5-2-0 and setting a .930 in seven games with Tucson this season.

Kraken Activate Joey Daccord, Recall Mitchell Stephens

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The Seattle Kraken have activated starting goaltender Joey Daccord off of injured reserve. Daccord has missed Seattle’s last five games with an upper-body injury sustained in the team’s December 22nd matchup against Colorado. Seattle has also recalled forward Mitchell Stephens from, and assigned goaltender Ales Stezka and defenseman Cale Fleury to, the minor leagues in corresponding moves.

Daccord has stood as one of the best goalies in the league when healthy. He’s rivaled the top of multiple star categories – ranking 14th in both save percentage (.912) and goals-against-average (2.51). Daccord also ranked 13th in wins (12) and 14th in games played (23) at the time of his injury. He’s in the midst of another strong year after setting a 19-18-11 record and .916 Sv% in 50 games last season – Daccord’s first as a full-time starter in the NHL. He ascended to the role after years if string performances in the minor leagues, collectively recording a 60-27-7 record and .918 through 98 games, and four seasons, in the AHL.

Meanwhile, Stephens will return to his role as Seattle’s depth forward with Yanni Gourde on injured reserve. Stephens has been back and forth between the NHL and AHL lineup this season, most recently being assigned to the minors in mid-December. He’s scored four points in six games since, bringing his season total up to eight points in 18 games. He’s added one assist in nine NHL games. Stephens is likely to hang in the press box for the short-term, but could fight for fourth-line minutes above Tye Kartye.

Wild Activate Jacob Middleton, Assign Three

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The Minnesota Wild snuck one more transaction in before today’s roster deadline, activating defenseman Jacob Middleton off of long-term injured reserve just a few minutes before their freeze per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Middleton will return to the lineup in tonight’s matchup against St. Louis. In a corresponding move, the Wild have also reversed their roster call-ups from yesterday – assigning forwards Travis Boyd and Brendan Gaunce, and defenseman Carson Lambos, to the minor leagues.

Middleton has been out of the lineup since December 12th, when he sustained a hand injury in a match against the Edmonton Oilers. He was placed on long-term injured reserve one day later. His injury forced him out of Minnesota’s last 11 games. It was a noticeable absence for the Wild, who are also bearing with injuries to team captain Jared Spurgeon and superstar Kirill Kaprizov. Middleton has continued to serve as a big body on the Wild’s second pair. He scored five goals and 13 points in Minnesota’s first 29 games, putting him on pace to blow his career-high of 25 points out of the water. He’s also posted a +22 and 15 penalty minutes – both career-bests for the physical defenders.

Middleton is making good use of the final year of his three-year contract with the Wild. He’s surpassed 20 minutes of average ice time for the first time in his seven-year NHL career this season, and served as a crucial lineup piece as top defenders Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin recovered from injuries of their own. Middleton should benefit from Spurgeon’s absence once again upon returning, likely to challenge Brodin for the role of top left-defender next to Brock Faber.

The AHL’s Iowa Wild will get back three routine lineup pieces with this move, and they could stick with Minnesota finally getting injured players back. Boyd and Gaunce lead Iowa in scoring with 20 and 17 points in 22 games respectively. Lambos hasn’t found the same production, with just five points in 27 games, but should get a chance to earn a routine lineup role once more with Middleton back.

Jets’ Colin Miller Out Week-To-Week With Fractured Larynx

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Winnipeg Jets defenseman Colin Miller has suffered a fractured larynx and will miss at least two weeks of action, per Murat Ates of The Athletic. Miller left Winnipeg’s Saturday matchup against Detroit at the end of the first period, after getting hit in the neck by an Albert Johansson dump-in. He played just nine shifts and 5:27 of ice time in the match. A two-week absence will force Miller out of at least seven games, assuming he returns before the team’s January 22nd match against Colorado.

Miller has served as a depth defenders for the Jets this season, rotating into 34 of the team’s 41 games and averaging 14 minutes of ice time but routinely serving as a healthy scratch. He’s recorded eight points and 22 penalty minutes on the year. Miller’s 0.24 points-per-game ranks low on the Jets’ scoring leaderboard, but actually marks a slight bump in production compared to the 0.2 points-per-game that Miller averaged in each of the last three seasons. That boost is likely thanks to Miller finally finding some stability after playing for four teams between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons.

The veteran defender signed a two-year, $3.7MM deal with the Dallas Stars in the summer of 2022, ending his three-year tenure with the Buffalo Sabres – the longest Miller has spent with one club in his 10-year career. He scored 21 points in 79 games with Dallas, and added one point in 10 postseason games, but the team chose to part with him after one year. Miller was traded to the New Jersey Devils on July 1st, 2023 – and then flipped to Winnipeg at the 2023-24 Trade Deadline. His production stalled through the series of moves and nagging injuries, but Miller seems to be finding his footing once again.

The Jets are likely to turn to Dylan Coghlan in Miller’s absence. Coghlan has served as Winnipeg’s extra defender, so far playing in just three NHL games and two AHL games this season.  He has one point – an AHL goal – between the five matchups. It’s Coghlan’s first year in the Jets’ organization after spending the last two seasons in Carolina, where he totaled three points in 18 NHL games.

Jets head coach Scott Arniel also told Ates that Dylan Samberg is very close to a return. Samberg suffered a broken foot on November 23rd. He was placed on injured reserve a day later, and hasn’t played since. He’s been productive when healthy, netting six points – split evenly – in 21 games this season. The Jets will need to clear a roster space to activate Samberg.

Five Key Stories: 12/30/24 – 1/5/25

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The turning of the calendar to 2025 created a long list of players who are now eligible for extensions, a couple of which already have already done so.  Those new deals aren’t in our key stories but some other recently-signed contracts are in our top stories from the last seven days.

Three For L’Heureux: Predators winger Zachary L’Heureux received a three-game suspension from the Department of Player Safety for his slew foot on Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon; the blueliner hasn’t played since then due to a leg injury.  It’s the first NHL suspension of his career with the 21-year-old in his first taste of NHL action.  However, L’Heureux has a long suspension history with two separate bans last season in the minors and nine more in the QMJHL.  He has nine points and 106 hits in 33 games so far this season and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Saturday.

Three For Kastelic: Bruins center Mark Kastelic wasn’t the most prominent piece going to Boston in last offseason’s Linus Ullmark trade but he has made a positive impact for them.  He was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year, $4.7MM contract extension.  The deal gives Boston two extra years of club control and buys out his final year of arbitration.  Kastelic has already equaled his career high in points with 11 and has set a new personal best in assists with seven in his first 40 games with the Bruins.  He also leads the team in hits with 154 and is winning nearly 55% of his faceoffs.

Toews Not Ruling Out A Comeback: While Jonathan Toews hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season as he continues to battle through Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, he never officially announced his retirement.  This past week, he indicated that he still has the desire to play in the NHL and is going to give it his best shot in terms of trying to make a comeback.  The 36-year-old has played in 1,067 career NHL games over parts of 16 seasons, all with Chicago, becoming a premier two-way pivot along the way.  If he decides to try to play this season, it stands to reason that it would be in a limited role given how long he has been off.  Alternatively, he could look to catch on somewhere for 2025-26, giving himself a longer window to train and potentially a larger pool of suitors for his services.

Three For Vatrano: Frank Vatrano won’t be leaving the Ducks for a while now.  The winger has signed a three-year, $18MM contract extension, one that further pushes the boundaries of deferred salary.  Vatrano will make $3MM in each of the three years of the contract, then receive $900K for ten years beginning in 2035.  In doing so, the cap charge of the deal drops to $4.67MM (based on the net present value) instead of the $6MM average.  It’s interesting that Anaheim, a team that isn’t remotely close to the Upper Limit of the salary cap, is taking this route but it clearly helped them get this contract done.  Vatrano is struggling a bit this season with nine goals and 20 points in 37 games but is only a year removed from 37 goals and 60 points which undoubtedly played a big role in securing this contract.

Canucks Listening On Top Forwards: Amidst speculation that top forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller have a rift and the fact both players are struggling, the Canucks appear to be open to listening to offers for both of them.  Pettersson is in the first season of his max-term deal that will see him make $11.6MM per year through the 2031-32 campaign but he hasn’t lived up to the contract early on.  After putting up 102 points in 2022-23, he dipped to 89 points last year and has 28 points in 34 games this year.  Miller, meanwhile, had a career year last season with 103 points but has just six goals in 28 contests this season and his only two goals since October have been empty-netters.  With them scuffling, Vancouver is narrowly holding onto the final Wild Card spot so it appears management is open to a bigger shakeup to get the team going.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

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