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Vancouver Canucks Acquire Jack Studnicka

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It’s been a busy day in Vancouver. Not only have the Vancouver Canucks placed a player on long-term injured reserve and another on regular injured reserve, they have also completed a trade.

As first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Vancouver Canucks have acquired center Jack Studnicka from the Boston Bruins. In exchange, the Canucks are sending goaltender Michael DiPietro and defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg. The trade has now been made official.

Studnicka, 23, leaves the Bruins having occupied a place on their roster bubble so far this season. He has appeared in just one game this year, and split time last season between the Bruins and the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Studnicka was formerly one of the Bruins’ top prospects, having been an exceptional junior scorer, quality AHL scorer, and 2017 second-round pick.

Studnicka has proven himself at the AHL level, and last season he had 35 points in 41 games there. It’s success at the NHL level that’s eluded him, and he has struggled to make an impact at the game’s highest level in the chances he’s been offered.

He’ll head to a Vancouver team currently looking for any sort of sign of life to cling onto. The team is seeking its first win of the season, and perhaps the Canucks believe that they can figure out what’s kept Studnicka’s AHL scoring success from translating to the NHL level.

The Canucks’ top-nine is currently filled with players who are more accomplished than Studnicka, but it’s possible the Canucks could use him in Nils Hoglander’s top-nine slot if Hoglander is moved this season.

For Boston, moving Studnicka clears a spot on the team’s 23-man roster, a spot that could go to Mike Reilly, who was sent down earlier today.

In trading Studnicka, the Bruins are ending a developmental project that once held significant promise. In return, the team is receiving two players who represent developmental projects of their own.

The first player they are receiving in return is Myrenberg, a 2021 fifth-round pick. Myrenberg is a right-shot defenseman currently playing for Mora in the Allsvenskan, the second division of Swedish pro hockey. The second player they are receiving is the goaltender DiPietro, a goalie prospect who was once held in high regard across the league.

The Bruins will have until the summer of 2025 to determine if they want to sign Myrenberg to an entry-level deal, meaning he will have a long developmental runway to work with. As for DiPietro, the developmental pathway will be a bit more condensed. The Bruins currently have Keith Kinkaid and Kyle Keyser manning the crease for AHL Providence, and both are performing well. This makes DiPietro’s fit in the Bruins organization not immediately clear.

While the implications of this trade for both organizations will be, in all likelihood, minor, each player involved still has room to grow into something more than they are currently. So while this deal might seem relatively insignificant at the moment, it will definitely be an interesting one to track moving forward.

East Notes: Norris, Blackwood, Palat

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The Ottawa Senators got bad news yesterday when head coach D.J. Smith told the media that he was not confident that Josh Norris, a crucial top-six center in his lineup, would return to the ice this season. This unfortunate development has led many to wonder whether the Senators, led by GM Pierre Dorion, would pursue immediate upgrades to fill the hole left in their lineup by Norris’ absence. Veteran forward Derick Brassard is currently occupying Norris’ old slot in the lineup, and seeing as the Senators have hopes of contending in the Atlantic division, so they may want to upgrade on Brassard, who had 19 points in 46 games last season.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger on today’s Insider Trading program, that’s not the direction the Senators will be headed. Dreger reports that Ottawa feels “that they are OK” despite Norris’ injury, and they believe that they have the depth in their lineup to overcome the challenges they’ll face in his absence. The Senators certainly have enviable scoring depth, and with Shane Pinto off to a scorching hot start, the need to find an immediate upgrade at center looks to be less urgent.

Some other notes regarding Eastern Conference teams:

  • New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is out with a day-to-day injury and could return as soon as tomorrow, reports Amanda Stein of the Devils’ team website. While this injury appears to be a minor one, it’s worth noting considering the larger situation Blackwood finds himself in. A pending arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, Blackwood is looking to rebound after an injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign that saw him post an .892 save percentage in 25 games. Staying healthy could be the key to him having that rebound season, so hopefully he’ll find his way back into the lineup quickly.
  • In another injury update concerning the Devils, forward Ondrej Palat is “continuing to be evaluated” for a lower-body injury, per Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. According to Ruff, an update on that injury should come in the “next few days.” Palat was the team’s major free agent signing this past summer and has three goals in six games so far this season.

Vancouver Canucks Place Travis Dermott On LTIR, Riley Stillman On IR

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The Vancouver Canucks are still chasing their first win of their season, and now it looks like that chase has been made more difficult. The team has announced that defenseman Travis Dermott has been placed on long-term injured reserve, while defenseman Riley Stillman, who the team recently acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, has been placed on injured reserve.

This news comes as an especially painful blow in the case of Dermott, as just a few days ago Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said that Dermott was progressing well. Dermott suffered a concussion in September, and while no specific details on the injury were mentioned, this placement does suggest that Dermott’s recovery process has worsened since Boudreau issued that update.

Dermott, 25, was acquired by the Canucks last season via a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canucks’ defensive lineup has been ravaged by injuries so far this season, meaning a healthy Dermott could have served as a crucial addition to their beleaguered blueline. Now, they’ll likely have to wait even longer as Dermott works his way back from his injury.

As for Stillman, he had been dealing with an undisclosed injury that was classified as day-to-day. With no word on the nature of the injury or the expected length of his absence, the immediate future of the Canucks’ blueline is made all the more cloudy.

Stillman is far from an elite defenseman, but he has played in five games this season and has over 100 NHL games under his belt, something that cannot be said about Jack Rathbone or Guillaume Brisebois.

These injuries are far from an ideal development for a Canucks team desperate to register its first win of their season, and they likely mean that Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tyler Myers will be asked to weather significant minutes in Vancouver’s next stretch of games.

While much has been said about how poorly the Canucks have been played recently, perhaps the single biggest issue they face is the wave of injuries they’ve been hit by. With two more defensemen now seemingly out of the picture for at least a little while, those injury issues have only grown.

Boston Bruins Activate Brad Marchand

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4:35 PM: The Bruins have now made Marchand’s return official. Per the team release, Marchand has been activated off of injured reserve.

In a corresponding move, the Bruins have assigned defenseman Mike Reilly to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, clearing the open roster spot needed to facilitate Marchand’s return. Reilly has previously cleared waivers and will head to Providence having played in all seven of the Bruins’ games this season. Reilly has one assist in those seven games and is playing on a $3MM cap hit that expires in the summer of 2024.

10:19 AM: It was all a ruse, apparently. After telling reporters just yesterday that Brad Marchand wasn’t ready to return, head coach Jim Montgomery has informed reporters including Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal that the veteran winger will indeed play tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Marchand won’t travel with the team for tomorrow’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, as they ease him into the lineup.

Marchand, 34, was originally scheduled to be out until Thanksgiving, meaning his return tonight is a month ahead of the original plan. It did seem as though they were ready for this when he skated yesterday on the top line, powerplay unit, and even led the stretch.

While he may not be playing in both halves of a back-to-back for the next little while, getting Marchand back in the mix is a huge boost for the Bruins, who are already playing well. The team is 6-1 through the early part of the season and has an early grip on the top of the Atlantic Division. Adding a player who has had six straight seasons of production well over a point per game should only help the team continue to dominate.

The team will have to make a corresponding roster move to activate Marchand, and it isn’t entirely clear what that will be. Nick Foligno and Mike Reilly did clear waivers earlier this month, but otherwise, there aren’t any players who are exempt.

Jakob Chychrun Suffers Setback, Still Week-To-Week

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After Jakob Chychrun made it very clear that he wants a trade away from the Arizona Coyotes and into a contending organization, many believed he would quickly be dealt. That still hasn’t happened, and part of it is because of the injury he’s currently recovering from.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet recently wrote that “teams want to see him go out and be immediately impactful” before they make an offer. Unfortunately, that sounds like it might still be down the road.

Jenna Ortiz of AZ Central reports that Chychrun has suffered a setback in his recovery and is still listed as “week-to-week” by general manager Bill Armstrong. What that means for his trade value isn’t clear but it would be difficult for any team to know what they are getting if they went after him today.

The Coyotes, of course, are trying to maximize the value of their asset but also don’t really have to rush a move. Chychrun is signed through the 2024-25 season at a reasonable $4.6MM cap hit, meaning there is plenty of time to wait for the right offer. Sure, his value to an acquiring team would be highest the quicker they receive him, but there will still be interested parties down the road, even if it takes him another month to get back on the ice.

It would be much more detrimental for Arizona if he were to rush back and suffer a more long-term injury – plus it’s clear that Chychrun doesn’t really want to play for the team anymore. Taking it slower to make sure everything is healed seems like the best solution, even if it does take some fun out of the hot stove discussion.

Snapshots: Gronborg, Heiskanen, Talbot

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One of the names that used to come up every summer in connection to vacant NHL coaching jobs is Rikard Gronborg, former long-time coach of the Swedish national team programs. Gronborg has plenty of experience on this side of the ocean, after playing college hockey at St. Cloud State, coaching in the AWHL, and serving as an assistant in the WHL. For the last few years, his candidacy hasn’t been brought up for a while because of his commitment as head coach of the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, one of the most successful and popular teams in Europe.

Today, news has broken that Gronborg won’t be back with the Lions and instead is likely taking a multi-year contract with Tappara Tampere in Finland. However, the report out of Switzerland also states that if the NHL were to come calling, Gronborg’s new contract with Tappara has an out clause to let him pursue a North American opportunity. With seven World Championship medals, six World Juniors medals, and an Olympic silver, Gronborg has one of the most impressive international coaching resumes of all time. Whether that ever translates into an opportunity in the NHL remains to be seen.

  • Miro Heiskanen is still listed as day-to-day for the Dallas Stars and isn’t expected to play tonight, he could be back on Saturday according to head coach Pete DeBoer, who spoke with reporters including Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. Without Heiskanen in the lineup against the Boston Bruins, Nils Lundkvist played a career-high 22:04. Lundkvist had never gone above 16:39 with the New York Rangers but has now matched or exceeded that in six of seven games with Dallas.
  • Cam Talbot might be back ahead of schedule, according to Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith. As Claire Hanna of TSN reports, Talbot was on the ice facing shots today and is “certainly ahead of the timeline” that had been set for him. There’s still no clear date set for his return but they could still use him, with Anton Forsberg dealing with a minor injury of his own. On that front, Forsberg was back at practice as well and is expected to be the starter when the team takes on the Minnesota Wild tonight.

Philadelphia Flyers Claim Kieffer Bellows

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The Philadelphia Flyers have claimed Kieffer Bellows off waivers from the New York Islanders, giving the team a new young forward to add to the lineup. Bellows has played in just a single game so far this season.

After making sure they added quite a bit of toughness in the offseason, the Flyers continue to target physical players with the acquisition of Bellows. The difference here is that the 2016 first-round pick also has quite a bit of scoring upside. The 24-year-old was once an incredible sniper at the junior level and has shown the ability to score at the AHL level as well.

Even in the NHL, he has 11 goals and 25 points in 68 games, despite averaging just over 11 minutes a night. He has added 154 hits during that time and had a fight against Max Pacioretty after the Vegas Golden Knights forward took a run at Andy Greene. That sort of protect-your-teammates style is certainly going to fit in well with John Tortorella’s group, though Bellows will have to bring some consistency to his game if he wants to remain a regular in Philadelphia.

Given that the Flyers issued grim updates on both Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson this morning, it comes as no surprise that they would be interested in an addition. Whether Bellows can live up to expectations remains to be seen, but there are certainly worse bets to make. The young forward is on a one-year, $1.2MM contract and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year.

Seattle Kraken Sign Christopher Gibson; Place On Waivers

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10/28/22: As reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Gibson has cleared waivers. He will now be able to remain with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL.

10/27/22: With so many injuries to their goaltenders, the Seattle Kraken have converted one of their minor league contracts into an NHL deal. Christopher Gibson, who had been playing with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K. Gibson is now on waivers so that he can stay in the AHL.

Seattle is without Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, leaving them with only Joey Daccord and Martin Jones for goaltenders signed to NHL contracts. Losing Magnus Hellberg on waivers before the year started hurt their depth at the position, and now Gibson would be the only option if they suffer another injury.

That’s not a great place to be in, but at least the veteran netminder has a lot of experience at the professional level. Gibson, 29, was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2011 and has spent the last decade bouncing around the minor leagues. In 16 NHL appearances, the last two coming with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020-21, he has a .901 save percentage.

His numbers in the minors have always been solid, but it is still scary to think that the Kraken could quickly run out of goaltenders. Callum Booth, the Firebirds’ other current goalie, spent most of last season in the ECHL.

New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Ben Harpur; Place On Waivers

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10/28/22: As reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Harpur has cleared waivers. He will now be able to remain with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL.

10/27/22: The New York Rangers are adding a little defensive depth, agreeing to terms with Ben Harpur after his solid showing in the minor leagues. Harpur had been playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack on a PTO but will convert that into a one-year NHL contract. PuckPedia reports that it is a two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level and $300K in the AHL. The team has placed him on waivers, a necessary step for him to stay in the AHL.

Harpur, 27, has 156 games of NHL experience, plus a handful of matches in the postseason over his career so far. The 6’6″ defenseman suited up 19 times last season for the Nashville Predators, registering one assist and 27 penalty minutes. He won’t offer much offense – in fact, he has just a single NHL goal to his name – but is a big body who can defend well enough to hold his own on a third pair.

The Rangers don’t necessarily need that right now, but there wasn’t much experience in the system to call up if they deal with injuries. Harpur will represent a body that can bounce between the NHL and AHL without any concern for his development.

A deal like this could have potentially happened in Columbus, where he spent training camp on a PTO, but Harpur suffered an injury and missed a good chunk of the action. He’s found a spot now, though, and will just add some extra depth to the Rangers organization for the long season ahead.

Buffalo Sabres Considering Depth Addition

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The Buffalo Sabres lost Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju within a few days of each other, suddenly robbing their defensive group of much of its depth. The good news, as general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters including Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, is that while Samuelsson will miss several weeks, he will not need surgery. Jokiharju meanwhile is week-to-week with a fracture from taking a puck to the face.

With that in mind, Adams explained that the team is considering adding an NHL-level defenseman of some kind, but downplayed the significance of any such move. It won’t be a big change (if one comes at all) but the Sabres are in an interesting situation when it comes to additions like this.

With so much cap space available – the team is still ~$20MM under the ceiling – they could afford to add a bad contract from another team looking for space, with a sweetener to go with it. While it might look odd to add a big ticket for just a few weeks of depth play until Samuelsson and Jokiharju come back, weaponizing the cap space the team has right now can be an effective way to make sure their window is open even longer down the road.

Remember, that cap space isn’t going to be there forever in Buffalo. The team has big extensions kicking in for Tage Thompson and Samuelsson next season and has Dylan Cozens to sign next summer. The following year, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Jacob Bryson, and Peyton Krebs are all up for new deals, meaning that extra breathing room is going to disappear quickly.

It’s an enviable position to be in, not needing to make a big move but having the capacity to help out another team. While they obviously want their young studs back in the lineup, Adams has all the leverage here in any negotiations as he calls around the league.

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