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Metropolitan Notes: Haula, Malkin, Duclair, Edstrom, Stillman

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It has been one of the busiest weeks of the season for the Metropolitan Division. Five of the division’s eight teams have made trades in the last few weeks, and all eight clubs are dealing with multiple injuries. That’s sparked plenty of news and updates – starting with the New Jersey Devils, who plan to bring centerman Erik Haula on their upcoming two-game road trip despite already ruling him out for Sunday’s game against Buffalo, per team reporter Amanda Stein. Stein added that Haula will practice with the team on the road trip and be questionable for Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh. Haula suffered an ankle injury on January 5th and has been out of action ever since. He’s missed 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on January 17th. He resumed skating four days later and was upgraded to out day-to-day on January 29th.

Haula is now one step closer to returning. Having already been ruled out of Sunday’s game, he’ll have three more opportunities to get back into the lineup before the team goes on a two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off. Whether or not he’ll be able to return before that break will be notable, as Haula has been selected to represent Team Finland at the tournament. He has so far made no indication that he won’t be able to play – but the thought of his absence will weigh on a Finnish club that recently lost top defenseman Miro Heiskanen for the tourney. Haula is in the midst of a down year, with just 11 points in 42 games – his lowest scoring pace since the 2016-17 season. But he’ll still be an important addition to the Finns’ lineup should he return back to full health, likely to slot in as a middle-six winger with Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz, Aleksander Barkov, and Anton Lundell manning the middle lane.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for an even more notable return, after franchise legend Evgeni Malkin has returned to practice in a non-contact jersey on Saturday, per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Malkin has missed Pittsburgh’s last four games and is still expected to miss a few more with a lower-body injury. He will be hard-pressed to return before Pittsburgh’s 4-Nations break begins on February 8th. The Penguins have lost two of the games that Malkin has missed. They were outscored 9-2 in the pair of outings. With that in mind, Pittsburgh will hope their future Hall-of-Fame Russian can get back to full health ASAP – and get back to building on the 34 points he’s scored in 47 games this season. Malkin continues to play a pivotal role on the team’s second line, averaging north of 18 minutes of ice time this season.

While New Jersey and Pittsburgh gear up for returns, the Islanders will have yet another lineup vacancy to fill, with winger Anthony Duclair set to miss Saturday’s game due to illness, per Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports. Duclair missed over two months of action earlier in the year, sitting out from October 20th to December 21st with a lower-body injury. He scored three points in his first three games back, but has been ice cold ever since – with just two points in his last 14 games. Duclair has held onto top-nine ice time despite the scoring drought, giving the Islanders a hardy role to fill as he misses yet another game. Marc Gatcomb has returned to the lineup to fill the vacancy, earning another chance to find scoring after playing in his first seven NHL games, and scoring his first goal, earlier this season. Gatcomb will fill a fourth-line role, while Simon Holmstrom has been promoted into the top-nine.

Joining the list of Metropolitan absentees is New York Rangers forward Adam Edstrom, who suffered an apparent injury in the team’s Saturday loss to the Boston Bruins. No specifics of Edstrom’s injury or timeline have been revealed. It’s terrible timing for the towering forward, who’s scored two points and seen a boost in ice time over his last five games. His absence will force the Rangers to fill a hole on their fourth line, likely opening the door for Arthur Kaliyev, Jimmy Vesey, or top prospect Brennan Othmann to earn a spot start. Vesey notably voiced concerns over his ice time recently – and could now have a golden chance to prove he can make a lasting impact with minimal minutes.

Closing out the littany of Metro updates – the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned depth defenseman Riley Stillman back to the minor leagues. Stillman was recalled for his season debut on Friday. He played in just under eight minutes of ice time and recorded one shot and two hits. He’ll now return to the minor leagues, where he’s scored two goals and five points through 15 games.

Kraken Recall Gustav Olofsson, Ryker Evans Day-To-Day

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Gustav Olofsson under emergency conditions. The move comes in response to sophomore Ryker Evans’ suffering an upper-body injury that has him out day-to-day, per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network. Evans missed Seattle’s Thursday win over the San Jose Sharks, making the team eligible for this recall. Olofssson is likely to serve as a depth option for the duration of his call-up, with the Kraken carrying six healthy defenders even with Evans out.

Olofsson is playing through his 12th season of pro hockey this year. Every year has been largely the same, with Olofsson earning a spot at the top of his club’s call-up list with stout, shutdown defense in the minors. He’s played NHL games in seven of the last nine years, only being held back by a season-long injury in 2018-19 and a shortened season in 2021. He has totaled 11 assists and 18 penalty minutes in 66 career NHL games over that span but is still searching for his first NHL goal. He hasn’t been much more productive in the minor leagues. Olofsson has totaled 109 points in 349 games in the AHL, with 24 points in the 2016-17 season standing as his career-high. His career has spanned tenures with the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, and Seattle Kraken – as well as stints with four different minor league clubs.

Seattle will be able to play Olofsson in upwards of 10 games, or roster him for up to a month, on emergency basis. That should be plenty of time to allow Evans to work back to full health.

Islanders Issue Updates On Multiple Long-Term Injuries

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New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello met with the media on Saturday morning to provide updates on the team’s endless injury list, captured by NHL.com’s Rachel Luscher. Most notably, Lamoriello shared that backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov has stopped skating on his own or taking shots after a setback in his lower-body injury. Lamoriello dubbed Varlamov as now out indefinitely and referred to his recovery as “a total rehab situation”.

Varlamov has been out of the lineup for over two months but very little about his injury has come to the surface. His last appearance was an overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on November 29th where Varlamov – despite allowing five goals – didn’t seem to suffer a noticeable injury. But he was pulled from skating the following morning, moved to injured reserve on December 14th, then moved to long-term injured reserve five days later. He seemed to be on the rebound when the new year rolled around, returning to skating and individual drills on January 2nd. But after a month of light action, Varlamov still needs more time to recover. He’ll head back to the shelf, forcing the Islanders to continue searching for a backup.

Unfortunately, that search will be made significantly tougher by an injury to Varlamov’s fill-in, Marcus Hogberg, who Lamoriello shared will miss the next four weeks with an upper-body injury. Hogberg was originally injured on January 26th and moved to injured reserve the following day. He’ll now sit out through the two-week break 4-Nations Face-Off from February 9th to February 22nd. Hogberg was in the midst of a small resurgence before going down with injury. He made his return to North American pros with a two-way deal with the Islanders this summer, after spending the last three seasons starting for Linkopings HC of Sweden’s SHL. Hogberg started the year with middling numbers in the AHL – a 2-5-3 record and .898 save percentage in 11 games – but found his momentum in the wake of Varlamov’s injury.

Starter Ilya Sorokin has been New York’s bell-cow, but in seven games relieving him, Hogberg has managed a dazzling, team-leading .947 save percentage. It’s the highest save percentage of his North American career, ignoring sample size. But now, Hogberg will join Varlamov on the absentee list – and force the Islanders to find yet another replacement. After succeeding him as AHL starter, Jakub Skarek has also filled Hogberg’s role of NHL backup in light of his injury. Skarek hasn’t yet made his NHL debut, but he nonetheless seems cushy at the top flight – with Henrik Tikkanen and Hunter Miska both posting save percentages below .840 in their own elevated, minor-league roles.

Moving out of the net, Lamoriello also shared that the team is still unsure when defenseman Mike Reilly will return after undergoing a heart procedure in November. Reilly has been skating on his own since December 14th – just over a month after his surgery – but hasn’t progressed since then. Lamoriello added that Reilly’s situation will be dictated by his doctors. The 31-year-old defenseman is in his second season with the Islanders. He scored a career-high 24 points in 59 games last season, serving as an impactful third-pair option for a deprived Islanders defense. He seemed headed for a cushier role this year, but struggled to manage any scoring through the first 11 games of the season – then fell to injury. Reilly seems to have a winding recovery ahead of him, which could limit his chance to earn another deal when his $1.25MM cap hit expires this summer.

Ending on a positive note, top Islanders defensemen Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock are both expected to return to skating drills during the 4-Nations break, per Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports. Dobson has missed the Islanders’ last four games and earned a spot on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury; while Pulock has missed two games and been placed on standard IR with an upper-body injury. The pair of absences have driven the Islanders to acquire both Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist via trade and waivers respectively. This news will lock the new acquisitions into the lineup until the two-week break – but hopefully the blue-line can return to full-health soon after that.

Hudson Fasching Loaned To AHL On Conditioning Stint

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The New York Islanders have loaned forward Hudson Fasching to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL on a conditioning stint (as per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News). The 29-year-old Fasching hasn’t seen NHL action since January 5th against the Boston Bruins and has dressed in just 19 games this year after suiting up in 45 NHL games last season.

When he has been in the lineup, Fasching has been used sparingly, averaging just 8:56 of ice time per game. This season has been a struggle for him, as he has yet to score, posting a -6 plus/minus and a CF% of 44.9% at even strength. Fasching has never been an offensive force in the NHL; however, in the previous two seasons with the Islanders, his numbers were considerably better, combining for 14 goals and 19 assists in 94 games.

In the AHL this season, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native has had better luck offensively, posting a goal and an assist in five games. With his conditioning loan, he will have an opportunity to add to his numbers and hopefully regain some confidence before getting back into NHL action.

Fasching is in the final year of a two-year contract and will be playing for his NHL career whenever he is called back up. He’s unlikely to receive much NHL interest in free agency this summer, however, a solid run down the stretch would certainly help him land a contract for next season.

Flames’ Kevin Bahl Out Week-To-Week

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The Calgary Flames have designated defenseman Kevin Bahl as out week-to-week with an upper-body injury per TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji. Bahl suffered what appeared to be a head injury after receiving a big hit against the boards from Minnesota’s Jakub Lauko in Calgary’s Saturday night win. Bahl has missed the Flames’ two games since. He’ll now be a candidate for injured reserve, while the Flames will get assured for carrying eight defenseman on their roster leading into the weekend.

Bahl is in the midst of a career year. He has scored 14 points in 47 games, already surpassing his career-high 11 points in 82 games set last season. That boost in scoring has come in tandem with a strong defensive presence, helping Bahl gradually climb the lineup in his first season with the Flames. He has averaged just over 21 minutes of ice time each game, making him the team’s third-most utilized defenseman behind Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. Bahl also ranks third on the blue-line in blocks (79) and hits (67). It’s been beyond an encouraging season for the 24-year-old, who was traded to the Flames alongside a first round draft pick in exchange for Jacob Markstrom this summer. Bahl had previously spent the last three seasons trying, and failing, to earn secure ice time in the Devils defense. Now on a blue-line decimated by Calgary’s 2023-24 trading of Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin – Bahl seems to finally be finding his footing at the top flight.

Calgary has recalled Tyson Barrie from an AHL conditioning stint to fill in for Bahl. Barrie played his first game since early November on Tuesday. He recorded one assist, a -1, and one penalty in 17:20 of ice time. That’s certainly a welcome return for the 14-year-veteran who only had two points in nine games this season entering the contest. Barrie will now have a chance to prove he still belongs in the NHL, even at the age of 33, with big minutes opened up in Bahl’s absence.

Maple Leafs Activate Max Pacioretty, Place Matthew Knies On IR

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have activated veteran winger Max Pacioretty off of injured reserve. He has missed the team’s last three games with an upper-body injury. It wasn’t apparent when Pacioretty suffered the injury, which first popped up when he missed practice on January 20th. In a corresponding move, Toronto has also placed winger Matthew Knies on injured reserve with his own upper-body injury. Knies was injured one week ago, after taking a hard hit from Kirill Marchenko in the second period of Toronto’s January 22nd loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Knies’ IR designation can be made retroactive to that game, allowing Toronto to activate him as soon as he’s back to full health. Knies will still be on a ticking clock, though, with just two games left on Toronto’s schedule before they go on a two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off.

Losing Knies has been a hard blow the Maple Leafs lineup. The team has lost each of their last two games, getting held to one goal in both outings. Rookie Jacob Quillan received his NHL debut in Knies’ absence on Saturday, but the lineup vacancy will now turn back over to Pacioretty. The 17-year-pro has had a quiet season, marred by injuries, in his first year with the Maple Leafs. He has just five goals and 12 points through 32 games, a far lower scoring pace than he managed even just last year, when Pacioretty netted 23 points in 47 games for the Washington Capitals. Returning from injury will give Pacioretty a chance to snap the eight-game scoring drought he was riding prior to injury. He had six points, split evenly, in nine games prior to that drought – painting a clear picture of a hot-and-cold season.

Even with Pacioretty back, the Leafs will miss Knies for as long as he stays out. The 22-year-old winger is once again showing signs of improvement, with 18 goals and 31 points in 47 games this season. That’s a 54-point scoring pace across 82 games, far better than the 35 points Knies scored in 80 games last year. He’s earned a strong top-six role with that production, averaging nearly 18-and-a-half minutes each game. There’s been no indication of just how much longer Knies may miss, but he’ll be quickly slotted back into the top of Toronto’s lineup as soon as he’s back. Notably, head coach Craig Berube said that he plans to provide goaltender Anthony Stolarz with every chance he can to return before the team’s 4-Nations break. That mindset could also help Knies get back onto the ice before the team returns on February 22nd.

Senators’ Nick Cousins To Miss 6-8 Weeks

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Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins will be out through at least early March after suffering a knee injury in the team’s Saturday win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cousins suffered the injury on a knee-to-knee collision with Leafs rookie Jacob Quillan. Both players needed help off the ice after the hit, though Quillian ultimately avoided an injury. Senators head coach Travis Green shared that Cousins would miss significant time immediately after the game. Now the forward could be a candidate for long-term injured reserve, though Cousins is getting different opinions on the severity of his injury, per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch.

Cousins has been a reliable bottom-six forward for the Senators, appearing in 46 of the team’s 48 games and averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time prior to his injury. He has five goals and 13 points on the year, just shy of the 15 points he managed in 69 games with the Florida Panthers last season. Cousins continues to sit off of his team’s special teams units – which should make his role a bit less of a headache to replace.

Since Cousins’ injury, top forward Joshua Norris has made his return to the Senators lineup. That addition should fill their hole for the time being, with Adam Gaudette and Matthew Highmore securing routine roles on the fourth line. Ottawa also successfully passed winger Cole Reinhardt through waivers on Wednesday, which grants him a 30-day waiver exemption and gives Ottawa a movable extra forward. Reinhardt has two points, a goal and an assist through 12 games this season. They’re the first points of his career, in some of his first NHL games, though he made his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season. Reinhardt has since been a productive member of the AHL’s Belleville Senators. He leads that team in points-per-game this season, with 16 points in 13 games. Ottawa could also turn towards rookie Stephen Halliday – Belleville’s leading scorer with 27 points – should they need additional support over the next two months.

In other Senators news, defenseman Nick Jensen returned to the team’s practice in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday. Jensen has missed the team’s last two games with an undisclosed injury. His status for Ottawa’s Thursday matchup against the Washington Capitals is undetermined, but Jensen is expected to return soon, per Sportsnet’s Alex Adams. Jensen has 18 points in 48 games this season – the second-highest scoring pace of his 10-year career behind his 29 points in 77 games of the 2022-23 season.

Finally, star goaltender Linus Ullmark should return within the next few games, per Garrioch. Ullmark has missed the last 16 games with a back injury. He’s been an integral piece to the Senators’ lineup in his first year with the club, boasting a 12-7-2 record and .915 save percentage through 23 games this season. He’ll be a critical addition when he’s back to full health.

Hurricanes Might Not Be Done Trading

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Fresh off their massive blockbuster trade to acquire Mikko Rantanen from Colorado, the Carolina Hurricanes might not be done making trades (as per TSN’s Chris Johnston on Insider Trading). The Hurricanes also acquired winger Taylor Hall in the Rantanen deal which further bolstered their forward depth.

Despite the additions, the Hurricanes did open up a hole in their roster at the center position as they moved out Jack Drury to Colorado in the trade. While Drury was a bit of an afterthought in the trade with the Avalanche, he has been a solid bottom-six center for Carolina over the last few seasons and opens up a bit of a hole that the Hurricanes may need to fill.

One spot that Johnston doesn’t believe Carolina will look for an upgrade is in the net. That news is a little bit surprising given that the Hurricanes were on the hunt earlier in the season for an upgrade between the pipes. At this point, the Hurricanes have the tandem of Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen, and while neither man is a star goaltender, they are both capable NHL netminders.

Any salary that the Hurricanes take on during the season will require that the same salary goes out the door as Carolina has less than $500K of cap space for the NHL Trade Deadline (as per Puck Pedia).  While that could prove problematic when trying to make the trade, Carolina can get creative if they find a player they like that suits a need.

Andrei Vasilevskiy Out, Lightning Sign Kyle Konin To Emergency Contract

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The Tampa Bay Lightning Will be without star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Vasilevskiy missed Tampa’s morning practice due to an illness, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. Encina adds that backup Jonas Johansson will start the matchup, and that Kyle Konin has been signed to serve as an emergency backup.

In a rare occurrence for emergency backups, Konin has been in these shoes many times before. He filled an EBUG role for the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this season, supported Tampa Bay last April, and got a rookie lap with the St. Louis Blues in 2022. But despite multiple appearances, Konin hasn’t yet had to step into an NHL game. In fact, he hasn’t played since the 2018-19 season, when he set a .911 save percentage in 40 EHL games – a tier-three American juniors league. Konin now resides in Clearwater, Florida and works with a hockey-based scholarship program when he’s not being called to fill NHL benches.

But a warm story doesn’t reassure Tampa Bay’s chances on Tuesday. The Lightning are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Johansson has supported the squad to a manageable 6-4-1 record in his starts, on the back of a .892 save percentage and 3.27 goals-against average. Tampa Bay will also be without heavy hitting defenseman Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, who was suspended two games for a late and high hit on Detroit’s J.T. Compher in Tampa Bay’s loss on Saturday. Declan Carlile has been tapped to fill in for Lilleberg and will hopefully help limit a barrage against Johansson.

Afternoon Notes: Kulich, Stolarz, Savage, Durzi

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The Buffalo Sabres cleared up space in their bottom six by placing winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel on waivers. After the team’s practice, head coach Lindy Ruff shared that the decision was influenced by how well 20-year-old Jiri Kulich has performed as of late, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Ruff elaborated that the team will face a roster crunch with Jordan Greenway expected to return to practice soon. An undisclosed injury has forced Greenway out of 28 of Buffalo’s last 32 games.

Through the weeds of roster moves, this news shines a spotlight on Kulich. The young center recorded the first three-point game of his career last Tuesday, and was promptly awarded with the most ice time of his career on Thursday. Kulich didn’t manage any scoring, but made sure to find the scoresheet in Buffalo’s Saturday game – scoring one goal on a career-high seven shots. He’s playing much more confident and determined than he was earlier in the year, and the Sabres seem ready to reward him with a hardier role and a chance to prove his worth.

Across the Atlantic Division, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told media after practice that he won’t hold back goaltender Anthony Stolarz if he’s healthy before the league breaks for the 4-Nations Face-Off, captured in a video from TSN. Stolarz participated in his first full practice after missing the last 21 games with a knee injury. He’s been upgraded to day-to-day and nearing a return, but will have just five chances left to return before the Leafs go on a two-week break.

Stolarz effectively leads the league in save percentage among goalies with 10-or-more games played. He’s recorded a .927 through just 17 games this season, backed by a stout 9-5-2 record. Stolarz seemed to be the reliability in net that Toronto had been seeking, but his untimely injury has put the team in a challenging spot. The Leafs have been outscored 70-to-69 since Stolarz’s injury, though they’ve still managed a 12-9-0 record. His return will be hotly anticipated as, hopefully, the catalyzing piece of a second-half run in Toronto.

Traveling south of Toronto, Michigan State Spartans captain and Detroit Red Wings prospect Redmond Savage has suffered a season-ending injury, Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale told local reporter Conor Earegood of Detroit News Sports. Savage’s season will end with 11 points in 20 games – a dip in scoring pace from his 27 points in 38 games last season, but still a better pace than his two years at Miami University of Ohio. Detroit drafted Savage in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, but haven’t yet signed him to his entry-level contract. They will lose his rights next summer if he doesn’t sign.

Finally, out in the plains of the Western Conference, Utah Hockey Club defender Sean Durzi returned to the team’s practices on Tuesday. Durzi has missed Utah’s last 45 games with a shoulder injury. Head coach Andre Tourigny joked about the defender’s return to Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune, saying that Durzi looked a bit rusty but that the team is incredibly excited to have him back. Utah signed Durzi to a four-year, $24MM contract this summer, but he’s so far only played four games on the deal. He was still productive enough to illicit excitement in the brief showing – recording two assists, seven penalty minutes, and a +2. Durzi will likely return to a role on Utah’s second pair, once he eases his way back to full practice.

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