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Ty Emberson Week-To-Week After Lower-Body Laceration

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San Jose Sharks defenseman Ty Emberson has been designated as week-to-week after suffering a lower-body laceration, says team reporter Sheng Peng. Emberson suffered the injury in the team’s Thursday night game against the Anaheim Ducks, leaving after just six minutes of ice time. He’s missed 27 games this season, suffering from a string of injuries and going on injured reserve twice already. The Sharks claimed Emberson off waivers from the New York Rangers ahead of the season, moving the rookie defenseman to his third NHL franchise before he even made his NHL debut. He’s since appeared in 30 games, scoring one goal and 10 points.

The Sharks will also be without Alexander Barabanov, who has been designated as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He also suffered his injury in the team’s Thursday outing and didn’t travel with the team on their two-game road trip. Barabanov has managed three goals and 10 points in 37 games this season, a long step down from the 15 goals and 47 points he managed in 68 games last year.

Emberson and Barabanov join a long, long list of injured Sharks. The team is currently missing three forwards, three defenders, and platoon goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. Their absentee list also includes leading-scorer Tomas Hertl and team captain Logan Couture. The string of vacant lineup spots has given Givani Smith, Henry Thrun, and Magnus Chrona each a chance at extended NHL action. Smith was recently activated off injured reserve, after missing roughly two months with a lower-body injury. He and Thrun have each played in 27 games, with Thrun’s four points narrowly beating out Smith’s three points on the season. Meanwhile, Chrona is receiving the first NHL action of his career, setting a .724 save percentage in his first two games. It’s an impressive feat for the 23-year-old Chrona, who has already played in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL, despite being in his first season of professional hockey.

Canucks, Hurricanes Discussed Elias Pettersson Trade Before Extension Talks

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The Vancouver Canucks came close to trading star centerman Elias Pettersson, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. Friedman shared that Vancouver was engaged in trade talks with the Carolina Hurricanes that advanced a serious enough point that Vancouver was forced to make a decision – ultimately opting to take another pass at extending the top-scoring 25-year-old. News of the trade talks was enough to inspire Pettersson to allow his representative Pat Brisson to continue discussing a new deal in Vancouver. The two sides remain steadfast on finding an extension, as reported earlier this week.

While Pettersson rumors have swirled around in light of few extension talks, there has yet to be serious weight to any trade talks. That’s now changed, as the Canucks inched towards dealing their star to one of the NHL’s premier teams. There’s no doubting that any deal involving Pettersson would go down in history. The young forward has 29 goals and 75 points in just 61 games this season, scoring at an 82-game pace of 39 goals and 101 points. That would fall just narrowly short of the career-high Pettersson recorded last season, when he managed 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games.

Pettersson’s scoring this season leads all U26 players in the NHL, ahead of major names like Cale Makar, Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Tim Stutzle. Speculating a price for such one of the league’s top players is never an easy feat – and Pettersson’s case is made even more difficult by the lack of clear assets on either side. The most recent comparable deal is likely when the Calgary Flames traded Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a first-round pick.

But that trade swapped one 100-point scorer for another, something that Carolina neither has nor would be willing to part with. The Hurricanes’ greatest value sits in 26-year-old Sebastian Aho, 21-year-old Seth Jarvis, and 23-year-old Andrei Svechnikov. One of these names would likely need to move in a Pettersson deal – both to add value and create lineup space – though Carolina would still likely need to add value. That could come in the form of reliable centerman Martin Nečas, who has come into his own in recent seasons, or defense depth such as Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, or Dmitry Orlov. Carolina also has their first-round pick in each of the next three drafts, all of which could have come into play.

Vancouver is, for now, aiming towards extending Pettersson – likely poised to offer him a record-setting contract. If they do, they’ll lock up their forward of the future to lineup alongside defenseman of the future Quinn Hughes, who has three more seasons left in a six-year, $47.1MM contract signed in October of 2021.

Washington Capitals Share Multiple Injury Updates

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Washington Capitals team reporter Tarik El-Bashir with the Monumental Sports Network has shared a string of injury updates following the team’s Thursday morning skate. Per El-Bashir, Nick Jensen and Sonny Milano are expected to return to the lineup, recovering from a lower-body injury and illness respectively. The team also saw progress in Nic Dowd’s return from an upper-body injury and Martin Fehervary’s lower-body injury, though both players are set to remain out – as is veteran T.J. Oshie. Finally, Tom Wilson’s return is still undetermined, as he deals to personal matters. Washington’s next game is on Friday when they’ll host the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Capitals are being forced to stay flexible with their forward group while they grapple with the absences of four different players. This has given Michael Sgarbossa an extended look in the lineup, scoring four points in 11 games as a de facto injury fill-in. It’s the most Sgarbossa has played in the NHL since the 2016-17 season when he appeared in 29 games and scored seven points with the Florida Panthers. Sgarbossa has instead spent much of his career as a top AHL option, totaling 436 points in 574 career games. That includes six seasons and 262 games with the Hershey Bears.

Sonny Milano is also benefiting from an open lineup, likely set to take on a notable role quickly after his return. The 27-year-old winger has played in just 27 games this season, scoring 11 points. He missed nearly two months of action with an upper-body injury sustained in early December and has also lost games to being a healthy scratch at multiple points this season. Milano will battle with Aliaksei Protas and Beck Malenstyn for a role in the team’s top six, if they remain without Oshie on Friday.

Penguins Place Bryan Rust On IR, Recall Jonathan Gruden

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed winger Bryan Rust on injured reserve. The team designated Rust as week-to-week on Tuesday, as he’s recovering from an upper-body injury. Many of the details around the injury, including when exactly Rust may return, are still unclear.

This news comes with an extra sting, as Rust’s linemate Jake Guentzel is also out until mid-March with an upper-body injury of his own. This leaves Sidney Crosby as the last healthy member of the team’s top line, now flanked by Reilly Smith and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins have had Guentzel and Rust both healthy for just 37 games this season. They’ve outscored opponents 108-to-103 in those matchups, setting a 15-16-6 record. Guentzel is one of just two Penguins, along with Crosby, still scoring at a point-per-game pace, with 52 points in 50 games. Rust has fallen a bit behind his co-leads, scoring 36 points in 42 games of his own.

Pittsburgh recalled forward Jonathan Gruden in response to Rust’s IR placement. Gruden has already played in five NHL games this season, going without a point and setting a -2. The outings have brought his career totals up to eight NHL games – the other three coming last season – with Gruden still looking for his first appearance on the scoresheet. The 23-year-old centerman has also appeared in 41 AHL games this season, scoring 13 goals and 23 points. Gruden will join a Penguins lineup with spots open – likely set to battle with Jesse Puljujarvi, Valtteri Puustinen, and newcomer Matthew Phillips for key depth roles.

Five Key Stories: 2/19/24 – 2/25/24

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While the trade deadline is now less than two weeks away, activity around the NHL was quite limited over the past seven days.  Nevertheless, there was still some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.

Brodzinski Gets Rewarded: One of the nice feel-good stories of the season has been Rangers center Jonny Brodzinski.  The 30-year-old had ranged from being a full-time minor leaguer to a serviceable recall option in his first eight professional years and even started this season in the minors.  Since being recalled in late November, however, Brodzinski has been a regular in New York’s lineup and he was rewarded for his efforts with a two-year, $1.575MM one-way extension.  Only one of his contract years before this one saw him receive a one-way salary so this gives Brodzinski some much-desired job and financial security while the Rangers get a good cap hit for a bottom-six forward.

Vegas Injuries: The Golden Knights had some good and bad news on the injury front.  First, they got defenseman Shea Theodore back as he was activated off LTIR after missing nearly three months with an upper-body injury.  The 28-year-old has put up five assists since returning to bring him up to the point-per-game mark on the season.  However, it wasn’t all good news as winger Mark Stone has landed on IR due to what has been reported as a lacerated spleen and is set to be out for a while.  The captain leads Vegas in scoring with 53 points in 56 games so his loss is a significant one.  It will need to be determined if he’ll be able to return before the regular season ends.  If not, he can go on LTIR, freeing up $9.5MM in extra spending flexibility for the Golden Knights.

Four For Rasmussen: Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen has worked his way into becoming a capable secondary contributor and he was rewarded for his efforts as Detroit signed him to a four-year, $12.8MM contract extension.  The deal comes in a little less than double what his qualifying offer would have been ($1.752MM) while giving the Red Wings two extra years of club control.  The 24-year-old was the ninth overall pick back in 2017 and while he hasn’t emerged as a top contributor that his draft slot might suggest, he has become a capable two-way player who can play both center and the wing.  This price point for that type of versatile middle-six option is decent value for the Red Wings.  Detroit still has two prominent RFAs to re-sign this summer, winger Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider.

Fleury Doesn’t Want To Move: The future of Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been speculated about in recent weeks with Minnesota struggling until late in the standings; would he want another chance at a possible Stanley Cup run?  However, the 39-year-old has indicated that his preference is to stay with the Wild and try to help them make the postseason.  Fleury is on an expiring contract and could be of interest to a few contenders for a depth role but with a full no-move clause, he controls his short-term future.  If Fleury ultimately chooses to stay, that will take one goaltending option off the market before the March 8th trade deadline.

Houston Looking For NHL Team: Tilman Fertitta, owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, revealed that he is in talks with the NHL about adding a team in Houston.  The market already has NBA, NFL, MLB, and MLS franchises since at least 2005 but is big enough that another prominent sports team should still work.  The Toyota Center (where the Rockets play) recently underwent renovations that would make it suitable should the city get an NHL franchise.  Fertitta noted that he has had talks with the NHL since 2017 but that those discussions have picked up lately.  With the future of the Coyotes looking uncertain, Houston could join Salt Lake City as a possible spot for relocation if their latest arena plans fall apart.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lightning Place Alex Barre-Boulet On Waivers

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Feb. 23: Barre-Boulet cleared waivers on Friday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Lightning may now assign him to AHL Syracuse at their discretion.

Feb. 22: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Alex Barre-Boulet on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. This move corresponds with their recalling of Cole Koepke this morning. Barre-Boulet has appeared in 36 games with Tampa this season, scoring six goals and nine points. It’s the first time that the 26-year-old has played in 20 or more NHL games in one season, with much of his career being spent in the minor leagues up to this point.

Barre-Boulet has earned an NHL role after an explosive season in the AHL last year that saw him score 24 goals and 84 points in 69 games. That mark ranked second among all AHL skaters in scoring, just one point behind Arizona Coyote Michael Carcone, who managed 31 goals and 85 points in 65 games. Barre-Boulet’s career-high productivity last year maintained a trend of scoring he’s established in the minors, totaling 283 points across 271 career AHL games.

This includes 68 points, split evenly, in 74 games during the 2018-19 season, Barre-Boulet’s first season as a pro. No AHL rookie has topped his rookie year production, though Buffalo Sabres forward John-Jason Peterka managed to tie the scoring in four fewer games in 2021-22. But unlike Peterka, who has 19 goals and 37 points in 56 NHL games this season, Barre-Boulet has yet to find his scoring groove at the top level. He’s managed just 18 points in his first 68 career games, dating back to his debut in the 2020-21 season.

Barre-Boulet is no stranger to waivers, with this move marking the fifth time he’s been waived in his career. He’s also not a stranger to changing teams as a result, joining the Seattle Kraken as a waiver claim for a brief two games before the Kraken waived him as well and Tampa reclaimed him.

Snapshots: Tuch, Jets, Othmann

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Teams are reportedly interested in Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch but the team isn’t eager to trade him, per Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts article. Friedman adds that Buffalo, “values him”. That comes as no surprise, as Tuch has established himself as a pillar of the Sabres offense. He scored a career-high 36 goals and 79 points in 74 games last season, ranked third in scoring on Buffalo’s most productive team since 2006-07. Tuch has been similarly productive this season, again ranked third on the team with 16 goals and 38 points in 49 games. That’s an impressive mark on a low-scoring Buffalo team. What’s more, Tuch carries a modest $4.75MM cap hit through the end of the 2025-26 season.

It’s a lucky contract for the Sabres, who have a top-scorer cost controlled for the foreseeable future. Continued struggles might encourage Buffalo to trade away their older veterans but, even with a focus on the future, it’s hard to think Tuch will be pried away without a serious return coming the other way. Tuch was a focal piece of the trade that sent Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, joining Buffalo alongside Peyton Krebs and two draft picks.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Winnipeg Jets chairman Mark Chipman acknowledged that the franchise may not be sustainable, based on current attendance and sale numbers, in an interview with The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. Winnipeg is averaging the lowest attendance of any team in the league, save for the Arizona Coyotes who are operating in an arena that only seats 5,000 fans. Chipman shared that he has been directly calling season ticket holders, trying to identify ways that the Jets can improve for fans, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is still slated to visit Winnipeg on Tuesday to assess the team’s situation. Winnipeg had an NHL team from 1979 to 1996, but lost their team to the Phoenix Coyotes after the 1995-96 season. They received a second chance in 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg. The Jets will hope to not spoil that opportunity, especially with the list of cities interested in hosting an NHL team growing.
  • The New York Rangers have sent forward Brennan Othmann back to the minor leagues. Othmann was recalled on Thursday and served as a healthy scratch in the team’s win over the New Jersey Devils. Othmann previously played the first three games of his NHL career in early January, going without a point but adding six shots, six hits, and one block. He currently ranks second on the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack in scoring, with 14 goals and 36 points in 44 games.

Morning Notes: Zucker, Dumba, Villalta, Hellberg

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The Arizona Coyotes are open to trading veteran forward Jason Zucker and defenseman Matt Dumba, The Fourth Period reports. Both players are on expiring contracts and could be cheap options for added depth. Zucker has scored eight goals and 22 points in 46 games this season, while Dumba has managed just nine points in 52 games of his own.

This update doesn’t come as much of a surprise, although it does deviate from reports earlier in the season that shared the Coyotes were focused on adding older, veteran presences. But the Coyotes’ season has fallen to shambles since the calendar turned over, with the team currently riding an 11-game losing streak and sporting a 4-15-2 record in 2024. It’s been a heavy fall for a team that carried a winning record through early December. But with the losses has come a return to form for Arizona, who are once again focused on selling veteran talents to bolster their future capital. Arizona has two available salary retention spots open and may need to use them to make any trade of Zucker, who carries a $5.3MM cap hit, or Dumba, who has a $3.9MM cap hit, work for cap-strapped teams. Even then, the return for either player – one now 32 and the other struggling to produce – likely wouldn’t be too profitable for the Coyotes.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Coyotes have sent down goaltender Matthew Villalta, suggesting that Connor Ingram could be nearing a return from an undisclosed injury that’s held him out for the last week. Villalta played in his first two NHL games while filling in for Ingram, saving 24 of the 29 shots he faced in 72 minutes of ice time. He’s primarily operated as the starting goalie for the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, where he’s managed 22 wins and a .913 save percentage in 34 games.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned goaltender Magnus Hellberg to their AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins just three days after recalling him. It appears the Penguins made the move as a precaution in case one of their NHL netminders were unable to play. The 32-year-old did see NHL action earlier in the year, dressing in three games for the Penguins in which he went 1-0-0 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.

Islanders Injury Notes: Bortuzzo, Fasching, Cizikas

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New York Islanders defenseman Robert Bortuzzo has suffered a setback in his recovery from a high-ankle sprain that’s already forced him out of the team’s last 18 games. He is now out indefinitely, per general manager Lou Lamoriello. Bortuzzo was moved to long-term injured reserve earlier this week.

This news comes as a tough blow to not only Bortuzzo – who’s only played 15 games this season – but the Islanders defense, which acquired Bortuzzo in late November in an attempt to add depth in the face of injuries. It’s been a long season for the Islanders, who have seen six of the nine defenders currently on their roster, including Bortuzzo, miss games due to injury. They’re now back to a mostly healthy form, with Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock both returning from long-term absences.

Other New York Islanders notes:

  • Lou Lamoriello also shared that the Islanders may send Hudson Fasching to the AHL on a brief conditioning stint before activating him off of injured reserve. Fasching has been out since January 25th with illness and, thanks to his place on long-term IR, won’t be eligible to return until February 29th at the earliest. The 28-year-old winger has eight points through 35 NHL games this season.
  • Casey Cizikas will be evaluated when the Islanders return to New York for a hand injury suffered in the team’s Tuesday game against Pittsburgh. Cizikas sustained the injury while blocking a shot from Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, and immediately left the game. Yesterday the team recalled Kyle MacLean to serve as depth if Cizikas can’t play on Thursday. Cizikas has 12 points, split evenly, through 44 games this season and recently returned from a lower-body injury that held him out for 10 games.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Bogosian, Rosen

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The St. Louis Blues aren’t actively shopping winger Pavel Buchnevich but they are hearing out offers, shares team insider Jeremy Rutherford with The Athletic. Rutherford adds that any deal would likely start at a first-round draft pick and may even need two first-round picks to get done. That’s a steep price for an older veteran with just one year left on his contract but Buchnevich may earn it. He’s been one of St. Louis’ most productive players since joining them in 2021-22, totaling 186 points in 189 games with the club. That includes his 43 points in 53 games this season, a mark that ranks second on the Blues and puts Buchnevich on pace to break 65 points in his third season in a row.

Buchnevich became a pillar of the St. Louis offense quickly, scoring a career-high 76 points in 73 games during the 2021-22 season – a year that saw the Blues score their most goals in one season since 1981-82. He’s maintained that strength through the last two seasons, despite St. Louis’ scoring coming a bit slower, and even adapted to playing a top-line centerman role for parts of last season. His adaptability is evident, and that – as well as a chance to get a head start on contract negotiations – could be enough to convince playoff teams to pay a high premium at the Deadline.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The St. Louis Blues are expected to send down Calle Rosen to make room to activate Scott Perunovich off of injured reserve, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich is returning from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of the team’s last seven games. He will continue his search for his first goal of the season, and his NHL career, recording 12 assists through 31 games this season.
  • Minnesota Wild Defenseman Zach Bogosian is likely to miss at least a week of action after exiting the team’s Wednesday night game with an upper-body injury, per team reporter Michael Russo. Bogosian appears to have suffered the injury after blocking a shot from Nikolaj Ehlers, leaving the game after his shift. Bogosian has scored one goal and nine points in 44 games this season, serving a comfortable role in Minnesota’s top-four. His absence will likely lend way to Declan Chisholm or Jonathon Merrill gaining a larger role, though the Wild also have Alex Goligoski serving as a healthy scratch.

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