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Archives for February 2023

Kristian Vesalainen Signs Extension In Finland

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Last summer, after his entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets expired, Kristian Vesalainen went back to Europe. The young forward signed first with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL, and then a few months later went back home to Finland to play with HIFK. The Jets retained his exclusive NHL rights by issuing a qualifying offer.

That meant they could potentially bring him back, should Vesalainen want to return to North America at some point. Not so fast, as HIFK announced a one-year extension for the 2023-24 season.

Vesalainen, 23, was selected 24th overall by the Jets in 2017, and it didn’t take long for him to see some NHL action. He played five games in the 2018-19 season, before playing in the minor leagues and eventually the KHL. The following year he was in the AHL full-time, and then in 2020-21 he once again split time in three different leagues.

Last year, though, he was given a great opportunity with Winnipeg. He dressed in 53 games, and even though he was only getting a few minutes a night, it was regular time in the NHL. Unfortunately, that resulted in just three points, and his departure in the summer.

Now, it’s unclear where his future lies. According to CapFriendly, his rights will be owned by the Jets through his 27th birthday, and his NHL upside is completely unknown at this point. It would be hard for another team to trade for him without a good grasp on whether he’d come back, and whether he could make an impact.

It very well could just mean another first-round pick that never does anything in the NHL. Through 70 games, Vesalainen has just five points. He has averaged 8:33 during those and is still something of a mystery. With HIFK this season he has 17 points in 24 games, not exactly lighting the world on fire. For now, he’s just another name on the Winnipeg reserve list.

Rasmus Dahlin To Replace Tage Thompson At All-Star Game

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One of the most obvious snubs of All-Star season has gotten an invite, even if it was a little late. Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has been added to the festivities, replacing teammate Tage Thompson, who will miss the event due to injury.

In reality, Dahlin should have already been on the roster. The 22-year-old defenseman has a career-high 55 poinits through 49 games, putting him 21st among all NHL skater. On defense, he trails only Erik Karlsson in both goals and points, while also sitting 13th in plus-minus.

There is little doubt that he is among the best in the league this season, and will be rewarded with his second appearance at the All-Star event.

It is disappointing for Thompson, of course, as he is also having an outstanding season. With 34 goals in 50 games, he’s become one of the most dominant power forwards in the league. He’ll miss out, but there will likely be plenty more All-Star recognition for Thompson in the future.

Boston Bruins Place Vinni Lettieri On Injured Reserve

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The Boston Bruins placed forward Vinni Lettieri on injured reserve Wednesday, per a tweet from CapFriendly.

Lettieri lands on injured reserve just a day after Boston recalled him from the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Originally expected to join the team for their ongoing game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he sustained a lower-body injury in Providence’s last matchup and did not travel with the team, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters yesterday morning.

Boston can activate Lettieri as soon as Wednesday, February 8. With the timing of the All-Star break, the team doesn’t have another game during that timeframe. As Jake DeBrusk is an option to return by the time the Bruins play again on February 11, Boston will likely re-assign Lettieri to Providence when his stint on injured reserve is over.

It’s disappointing for Lettieri, who still stands out as a strong AHL presence. He leads Providence with 37 points in 41 games this season and got his first taste of international experience last year at the World Championships with Team USA.

Mark Stone Undergoes Back Surgery, Out Indefinitely

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Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone underwent back surgery on Tuesday and is out indefinitely, according to a release from the team. The team expects Stone to make a full recovery.

This is Stone’s second major back injury concern in as many seasons. He was limited to just 37 games last season with back issues, which Stone noted caused severe nerve pain. Stone underwent an offseason back surgery and came back ready to go for the 2022-23 campaign.

The Winnipeg-born winger is in the fourth season of an eight-year, $76MM contract extension he signed with Vegas in March 2019. Considering Stone’s impact on the team and franchise, Vegas’ acquisition price of Oscar Lindberg, Erik Brannstrom, and a 2020 second-round pick to get Stone from the Ottawa Senators seems tame in hindsight.

With just over two months left in the regular season, it’s a fair bet to say Stone won’t play again in the regular season. It opens the possibility for Vegas to place Stone’s $9.5MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve, which would total north of $23MM of cap relief when including the contracts of Shea Weber, Robin Lehner, and Nolan Patrick.

Vegas’ organizational depth is dwindling due to some monster trades in the past few seasons. Does general manager Kelly McCrimmon have something left in the tank to acquire a bona fide top-six piece in Stone’s absence?

With 38 points in 43 games, Stone remains Vegas’ second-leading scorer at the time of writing. His offensive production is hard enough to replace, but the added loss of his leadership creates a gargantuan hole in the Golden Knights lineup.

Since Stone exited the lineup on January 12, the team is just 1-5-2 and averages just two goals per game. They’ve lost their grip on the Pacific Division to the Seattle Kraken and risk falling even further down the standings if their scoring doesn’t heat up. If Vegas can’t manage to string some wins together in the week after the All-Star break, it could add pressure on McCrimmon to make a trade sooner rather than later.

Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Korchinski, Walsh

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After a slow start, things haven’t gotten any better for Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi this season. As his ice time continues to dwindle, currently being utilized in a fourth-line role, so does his trade value. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has just 10 points in 49 games this season after a 35-point campaign last year.

With Edmonton expected to go all-in at this year’s trade deadline, Puljujarvi will likely see his Oilers tenure end by March 3 to make room on the roster. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli outlined some potential destinations for the Finnish winger, also reporting that general manager Ken Holland sent a note to all 31 other NHL teams two weeks ago that Puljujarvi was available for trade.

That trade could come sooner rather than later, as the Oilers need to clear salary to activate Kailer Yamamoto from long-term injured reserve. They have at least another few days, as he’s not eligible to return until February 12. Seravalli lists the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning as potential fits for Puljujarvi in a hockey trade but also says to keep the possibility of a pure cap-dump move to a salary cap floor-hugging team in mind.

  • In a mailbag piece released Wednesday, Scott Powers of The Athletic noted that 2022 first-round selection Kevin Korchinski could crack the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL lineup out of training camp to start the 2023-24 season. Powers said the Blackhawks organization was impressed with his training camp before this season opened, and that “all signs” point to Korchinski being NHL-ready. Still 18, the left-shot defenseman has 40 points in 30 games with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds this season.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that current United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the current front-runner to replace Donald Fehr as the NHLPA’s Executive Director. Dreger says an NHLPA board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, which could yield a vote on whether to instate Walsh as the league’s top player representative. The former mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, has a strong labor union background and is certainly an interesting selection.

Minor Transactions: 02/01/23

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Today is the last day of NHL games before the 2023 All-Star break, signaling an upcoming four-day streak without regular-season action. While roster movement will slow down on the NHL front over this time, there are still a few notable tidbits to keep track of. As always, we’ll report a comprehensive list of today’s pertinent minor hockey transactions right here.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Latest On Kings’ Goaltending Situation

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When you look at the teams near the top of each division, most of them have at least one thing in common. Their goaltending is playing at a high level and usually locked in for years to come.

For the Los Angeles Kings, tied for the Pacific Division lead, neither part is really true, despite recent results. Pheonix Copley, who they have relied on recently, is 15-3-1 on the year but (incredibly) holds a save percentage of .897. Some will argue he makes the important saves, but the clock also might be close to striking midnight on that Cinderella story.

Their other goaltenders – Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen – have been even worse. Petersen is in the minor leagues after clearing waivers but is the only goalie in the entire organization that is signed past this season. So some might wonder if the Kings will be on the lookout for an upgrade in net at the deadline.

According to Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s recent Insider Trading, the goaltending search may end up stretching into the summer. The Kings are not interested in deadline rentals like Antti Raanta or Cam Talbot, and are instead looking for a long-term answer.

Where that answer comes from is unclear, especially when Petersen is already soaking up $5MM per season playing in the AHL. Nearly $4MM of that cap hit remains on the books through 2024-25 even if he stays in the minor leagues, making any big free agent goaltending addition a little bit more challenging.

Los Angeles Kings Loan Three Players To AHL

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All around the league we’re seeing players sent back to the AHL for the upcoming break, to save money for their NHL club and stay fresh with minor league action. For the Los Angeles Kings, that means Tobias Bjornfot, Samuel Fagemo, and Alex Turcotte are all on their way back to the Ontario Reign.

Despite still having one of the deepest prospect pools in the league, it’s not development that the Kings are focused on these days. The club is tied for first place in the Pacific Division and is looking to avenge its first-round loss from last year’s playoffs.

They have moved young players on and off the roster all year, with these three, in particular, totaling just 19 appearances. Fagemo leads the trio in scoring with three points in nine games, while Turcotte continues to look for his first NHL point.

It has been a struggle for the fifth-overall pick, whose career so far has been disrupted by injury and inconsistent play. He’s suited up just 23 times this season at any level, and has 12 points to show for it.

Jussi Olkinuora Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Feb 1: Olkinuora has cleared waivers according to CapFriendly, and will have his contract terminated.

Jan 31: As the trade deadline approaches, teams will be trying to open up additional contract slots just to give themselves some flexibility. After one player hit unconditional waivers yesterday, another finds himself there today. Jussi Olkinuora has been waived by the Detroit Red Wings for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.

Olkinuora, 32, was signed by the Red Wings last summer to a one-year, two-way contract to try his hand in North America once again. The Finnish goaltender had played several years in the minor leagues earlier in his career, after suiting up for the Sioux Falls Stampede and the University of Denver.

After just 15 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, a contract termination suggests he’s on his way back overseas. He went 6-8 with the minor league club, posting an .868 save percentage. That’s a far cry from the numbers he was registering in the KHL the last few years, and an understandable catalyst for this termination.

For a veteran player like Olkinuora, struggling in the AHL isn’t always the most rewarding hockey career. Given the depth in net for Detroit, with Alex Nedeljkovic heading to the AHL, he wasn’t even going to play very much moving forward.

The move will open an extra contract slot for the Red Wings, giving them four to work with under the limit of 50.

Senators Notes: Talbot, Greig, Kastelic

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The Ottawa Senators are expecting Cam Talbot to resume skating next Thursday after the break, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Talbot last played on January 25 and there is no clear timeline for his return to action, so getting on the ice is a good sign.

Ottawa has received nearly identical goaltending performances from Talbot and Anton Forsberg, but will need a little boost if they are going to try and ride their recent hot streak to a playoff spot in the second half. The team has won four in a row and is now just six points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wildcard spot.

  • One of the players that have been key in this recent run is prospect Ridly Greig, who is still undefeated at the NHL level. The 20-year-old has two points in four games so far and has brought new excitement to the group. He was sent down to the AHL last night, but Garrioch notes that Greig will only practice with the Belleville Senators, not play, and then the organization will reassess.
  • Mads Sogaard and Mark Kastelic have also been reassigned to Belleville, but it’s not clear if the latter will return immediately following the break. Kastelic hasn’t played since January 21 and will likely need some time to get back into game form.

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