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Penguins Activate Noel Acciari Off IR

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have activated forward Noel Acciari off the injured reserve, and he is in their lineup tonight as they take on the Montreal Canadiens. The 32-year-old has missed the past six games after suffering a concussion back on February 6th in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Acciari was hit up high in the neutral zone by Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon in a scary incident that led to a match penalty and game misconduct for Dillon.

Like many Penguins forwards, Acciari has struggled to produce much in the way of offense this season. He has spent most of the season as the team’s fourth-line center and is back there tonight sandwiched between Jansen Harkins and Jeff Carter. Acciari has dressed in 39 games this season and has three goals and one assist. Last season the Johnston, Rhode Island native posted 14 goals and nine assists in 77 games.

While his offensive production has been the lowest of his career, Acciari has been good defensively and, on the penalty kill. He has had nearly 90% of his zone starts in the defensive zone and has been one of the few Penguins who has been consistently physical. Acciari has also been solid in the faceoff circle which has been a key contributor to Mike Sullivan using him for so many defensive zone faceoffs.

Kings Activate Blake Lizotte, Place Viktor Arvidsson On IR

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Top Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson has reportedly been placed on injured reserve, per the NHL media site. The Kings have also activated forward Blake Lizotte off of long-term injured reserve. Lizotte has been out since January 15th, missing the team’s last 14 games. He has nine points in the 34 games he’s been healthy for this season.

Arvidsson is falling out of the lineup after just four games back from a back injury that delayed his season debut until February 15th. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury suffered in L.A.’s Thursday night win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. ESPN broadcaster Kevin Weekes shared that this new injury could hold Arvidsson out on a week-to-week basis, though that hasn’t been confirmed by new head coach Jim Hiller yet.

Arvidsson recorded two assists, two penalties, and a +1 in his four games back, though he’ll still be searching for his first goal of the season. At the rate that his injuries are coming in, this season could end up as the first time since the 2015-16 season that Arvidsson hasn’t scored at least 10 goals in a season. The Kings will certainly hope that isn’t the case, with Arvidsson ranked third in goals on the Kings between 2020 and 2023.

Lizotte is slated to fill Arvidsson’s role on the team’s third line, playing alongside Quinton Byfield and Pierre-Luc Dubois. He was placed on IR alongside Carl Grundstrom, who is currently ineligible to return until March 9th. Los Angeles will be forced to juggle their depth forwards until then, with Lizotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Jaret Anderson-Dolan likely rotating between roles in the team’s bottom six.

Trade Deadline Primer: New York Rangers

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With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New York Rangers.

The New York Rangers have once again found themselves in a rare position atop the standings, while still having the cap space to make a splash at the Trade Deadline. They clearly enjoyed this position last season, making seven different trades between the start of February and the March 3rd deadline. That included their acquisitions of Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Motte, and Patrick Kane. But their building didn’t lead to much, with New York losing in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their busy deadline last season has limited the assets they have to work with this year, though New York are still undeniable favorites to add to their roster once again.

Record

37-16-3, 1st in the Metropolitan Division.

Deadline Status

Buyers

Deadline Cap Space

$4.383MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th
2025: NYR 1st, DAL 4th, NYR 5th, MIN 5th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th

Trade Chips

Despite the Rangers undergoing a dramatic coaching change this summer, they’re on pace to score just two fewer goals and allow 10 more goals than they did last year. And they’re achieving that scoring in a very similar manner – through dominate performances from Artemi Panarin and his top-line co-leads being offset by productive second-liners and a strong defense. Their outlook for the playoffs is largely similar to what it was this time last season, and thus the Rangers need to be prepared to leverage draft capital as their main bargaining piece once again. First-round draft picks have been the starting point in a lot of trade rumors, as well as both the Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan deals, and that’s certainly where teams will start talks with the Rangers, who still have their top selections in each of the upcoming three draft classes. New York will need to be ready to part with at least one of those selections at the Deadline.

If they’re steadfast on keeping first-round picks, the Rangers’ trade negotiations will have to start with their prospect pool. New York has plenty of promising defensive prospects, including hard-hitting, two-way defenders in Matthew Robertson and Brandon Scanlin. Neither player has scored much this season – boasting 19 and 14 points respectively – but they’ve each earned NHL attention thanks to their long reach and ability to shut down play in their own zone. They are each awaiting their NHL debut as well, which could entice other teams looking to bank on unrealized potential. The Rangers also boast a trio of highly-discussed forward prospects in Brett Berard, Ryder Korczak, and Adam Sýkora. Berard likely offers the most value of this group, largely thanks to his 16 goals and 31 points in 47 games as an AHL rookie this season, but the less-productive rookies  Sykora and Korczak could serve as secondary options in negotiations. New York could also dangle 6’8″ forward Adam Edstrom who, unlike the aforementioned trio, has already made his NHL debut. Regardless of how they go about it, future capital will be the focus of any Rangers deal.

Team Needs

1) Prioritize Depth First – The Rangers threw off the chemistry of their top-six last season, bringing in two high-end wingers in Kane and Tarasenko that each demanded their own ice time. They should be hesitant to make that mistake again this year, with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière serving well as supports to the team’s stars. It’s depth scoring that will really turn the tides for the Rangers, who don’t currently have a bottom-six forward with 20 or more points. Bringing in proven talents like Scott Laughton or Adam Henrique to fill the role left open by Filip Chytil would provide New York with a much-needed punch down their lineup, while also lifting up low-scoring bottom-six pieces like Kaapo Kakko or William Cuylle. Both Henrique and Laughton also offer leadership qualities that would go a long way towards blending the lineup ahead of playoffs, rather than eating away at the ice time of top producers. Both players fit within New York’s cap space, with Henrique making $5.825MM and on an expiring contract, while Laughton makes $3MM through the end of the 2025-26 season.

2) Don’t Be Afraid To Make A Splash – A focus on adding cohesive depth shouldn’t distract the Rangers from shooting for the stars. Former-Ranger Pavel Buchnevich is reportedly available for the right return, which could be as much as two first-round picks. That’s a steep price to pay for a 28-year-old player set to become a free agent in 2025 but Buchnevich’s point-per-game scoring and familiarity with Madison Square Garden may make it worth it. There is a vacant spot on New York’s productive second-line, currently being manned by Jimmy Vesey, who has just 18 points in 54 games this season. Replacing his spot with Buchnevich would fill the Rangers’ top-six with dangerous scorers, without overcommitting to too many stars like the team did last season. It would also give the Rangers much more room to rotate different talents into their bottom-six, able to feature efficient forwards like Jonny Brodsinski or Cuylle or focus on heavy-hitting and grit through the likes of Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom. Depth has proven to be the X-factor to countless Stanley Cup winners, and earning this degree of flexibility on top of adding a high-end scorer would add tremendous value to the Rangers lineup. Buchnevich is set to make $5.8MM through the end of next season, meaning the Rangers would likely have to part with a lineup piece in order to remain cap-compliant. Acquiring Buchnevich could also eat away at the short list of assets New York is prepared to trade. But the potential rewards of bringing in such a potent winger could be too great to ignore for a Rangers team sat on the cusp of greatness.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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.

Golden Knights Place Mark Stone On IR, Recall Three

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3:30 PM: Mark Stone is dealing with a lacerated spleen, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. Seravalli adds that a timeline would be hard to gauge for this injury, though Stone will likely miss significant time.

1:00 PM: The Vegas Golden Knights have placed star winger Mark Stone on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. In a corresponding move, the team recalled forwards Brendan Brisson, Byron Froese, and Sheldon Rempal from the minor leagues. They have also assigned forward Grigori Denisenko to the AHL. These roster moves will help Vegas fill the absences left by injuries to Stone, Jack Eichel, William Carrier, and Pavel Dorofeyev – all on IR. Vegas is also facing injury to Brett Howden, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury., per reports from SinBin Vegas.

The injury bug is fully hitting Vegas, forcing the team to dig deep into their depth. Each of Brisson, Froese, and Rempal have played in a few NHL games this season, with Brisson leading the group in scoring with one goal and three points. Rempal has scored two goals as well, while Froese is searching for his first point of the season. The trio is a part of 19 different forwards that have played for the Golden Knights this season.

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon recently went onto Pierre McGuire’s podcast and shared that Jack Eichel and William Carrier are nearing a return. Vegas will hope those returns come as soon as possible, now with both of their top two scorers in Stone and Eichel facing injury questions. Eichel is the only Golden Knight still scoring above a point-per-game pace, with 19 goals and 44 points in 42 games. He’s recovering from a knee injury that’s earned him a place on long-term injured reserve and has held him out since mid-January.

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.

Latest On Penguins’ Deadline Plans, Jake Guentzel

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The Penguins are trending toward being a toss-up at the trade deadline at best after a 3-5-2 skid in their last 10 games. Despite boasting a +11 goal differential, the third-best in the Metropolitan Division, they have four teams to leapfrog to work their way into a Wild Card berth in the Eastern Conference without a significant number of games in hand.

General manager Kyle Dubas said Wednesday that this year’s deadline won’t be so much about buying or selling as it is about getting younger. How that approach influences their decision on trading pending UFA winger Jake Guentzel, who will be out for at least a week past the deadline with an upper-body injury, remains to be seen, Dubas said:

We have to take stock of where we are and be realistic about the fact that one of the issues we have is that we need to get younger. We have a lot of guys in their 30s signed – some of them are the best players in the history of the franchise… It’s tough with Jake [Guentzel] because he is an excellent player playing at an elite level… We need to find a way to have some of those veteran guys while continuing to get younger at the same time.

The iron is still hot surrounding Guentzel’s trade talk, and it doesn’t appear that his injury will impact Pittsburgh’s ability to field offers for him. Dubas confirmed that he has not asked any Penguin to waive his no-move or no-trade clause – Guentzel has a modified NTC that allows him to submit a 12-team no-trade list.

Youth being Dubas’ primary objective is no surprise. After taking over the reins of Pittsburgh’s front office last summer, he inherited an already-aging roster. The team’s most prominent offseason additions – reigning Norris winner Erik Karlsson and 2023 Stanley Cup champion Reilly Smith, pushed the average age further. More than half of their 18 skaters projected to dress in tonight’s game against the Canadiens are over 30.

Guentzel isn’t far behind at 29 – he’ll turn 30 right as the 2024-25 campaign begins. It’s understandable that while the Pens’ core (namely Sidney Crosby) would love to keep him around, there will be some internal hesitancy about signing him to a long-term extension with Karlsson, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Kris Letang, Ryan Graves, and Tristan Jarry already locked up for three years or more.

Herein lies the Penguins’ true problem. If Pittsburgh doesn’t plan to leverage high-end draft picks to acquire younger win-now talent, as Dubas claims, none of their veterans besides Guentzel can fetch the type of youngster they’re looking for. Rust’s, Rakell’s, and Smith’s contracts are all either too pricey or too long to carry much trade value. The same goes for other aging depth players like 2023 free agent signing Noel Acciari, who’s disappointed in the first year of a three-year, $6MM deal.

Very little of their roster can be turned over in free agency this summer, either. Guentzel, Jeff Carter and Jansen Harkins are the only pending UFA forwards on the active roster, and depth defender Chad Ruhwedel is the only pending UFA on the blue line. Backup netminder Alex Nedeljkovic is destined for free agency, too, but it’s feasible they’ll attempt to re-sign him given his bounce-back campaign (.915 SV%, 2.67 GAA, 9-4-4). Getting out of Carter’s $3.125MM cap hit should offer some flexibility, but not enough for the more aggressive level of a retool that Pittsburgh is looking for.

As an aside on the Guentzel front, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet pointed out Wednesday night that if Pittsburgh makes Guentzel available to discuss extensions with trade suitors in the coming weeks, that takes the Oilers out of the running for his services. Edmonton doesn’t have the long-term cap space to offer Guentzel a long-term deal upwards of the $8MM per season he’ll receive, leaving them to pursue cheaper targets to find an upgrade on the wing for their Leon Draisaitl-anchored second line.

With only one season after this remaining on his $5MM AAV deal, Smith is the second-most likely candidate to be moved out behind Guentzel. He’s underwhelmed with 10 goals and 23 points in 47 games this year despite primarily playing alongside Evgeni Malkin. However, the Penguins would likely need to retain some salary to ship him to any contender looking to bolster their third line, where he probably fits in on a championship-bound team. They’re already using one of their three retention spots on Jeff Petry, which helped facilitate last summer’s Karlsson mega-deal.

Rangers Recall Brennan Othmann

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The Rangers recalled winger Brennan Othmann, one of their top forward prospects, from AHL Hartford on Thursday, per a team announcement. With an open roster spot and sufficient salary cap space, no corresponding transaction is necessary.

It’s likely not a permanent promotion for the 21-year-old, who played in his first three NHL games earlier this season. He comes up for precautionary reasons, with Artemi Panarin and Jimmy Vesey listed as day-to-day with lower-body injuries. If neither can play against the Devils tonight, Othmann and minor-league veteran Alex Belzile will enter the lineup.

Othmann has had some defensive growing pains in his first pro season, but his offensive production suggests he’s on track to meet the expectations assigned to him when the Rangers picked him 16th overall in 2021. With 14 goals, 22 assists, and 36 points in 44 games, he’s second on Hartford in scoring behind Belzile, although his -14 rating is the worst on the team.

The Scarborough, Ontario, native averaged 9:05 in his trio of NHL showings in January and recorded six shots on goal. He’s still looking for his first NHL point.

The 6-foot, 175-lb winger signed his entry-level contract over two and a half years ago, but after spending the prior two campaigns on loan to the OHL, an entry-level slide activated twice and pushed the beginning of his deal to this season. As such, signing bonuses paid out during the slide reduced his cap hit slightly to $863.3K from its initial $925K, and he’ll be a restricted free agent without arbitration rights in 2026.

Lightning Recall Cole Koepke

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The Lightning are rewarding one of their better minor-league producers this season, as the team announced Thursday that Cole Koepke is heading up from AHL Syracuse. No corresponding moves are necessary, as the team has an open roster spot and ample space in their LTIR salary pool.

A sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft, Koepke produced near a point-per-game rate at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in his sophomore and junior years. However, he has had an inconsistent development track since turning pro in 2021. He was a surprise name on Tampa Bay’s opening night roster in 2022-23, but he scored just once in 17 games before heading back to the minors for the remainder of the year, where he underwhelmed again with only seven goals and 19 points in 52 games. It’s been a different story this year, as his 13 goals, 11 assists, and 24 points in 36 games have him on pace for AHL career-highs.

He spent three weeks on the Lightning roster earlier this season, recording two assists and averaging 6:48 over an eight-game span. The 25-year-old has been with Syracuse since Tampa Bay demoted him on Dec. 11.

Koepke joins former Syracuse mainstay Alex Barré-Boulet as the Lightning’s projected forward scratches against the Capitals tonight. While on the roster, he’ll battle for bottom-six ice time with the likes of Tyler Motte, Conor Sheary and Austin Watson.

The Minnesota native is on his second NHL contract, signing a one-year, two-way extension ($775K NHL/$100K AHL) weeks before his entry-level contract expired last offseason. He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights upon expiry this summer.

Snapshots: Perunovich, Fehervary, Dowd, Grant

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St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister has named defenseman Scott Perunovich as a game-time decision for the team’s Thursday evening game against the New York Islanders, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich has been out since January 28th, nursing a lower-body injury that earned him a retroactive injured reserve placement earlier in the week. This season has marked Perunovich’s official rookie year in the NHL, although he did play in 19 games during the 2021-22 season. But persistent injury, including pre-season shoulder surgery, limited Perunovich to just 22 AHL games last season. He has 12 points, all assists, in 31 games this season. The scoring brings his career totals up to 18 points in 50 combined games, with Perunovich still searching for his first NHL goal.

Perunovich has undergone three different surgeries since the 2021-22 season. The constant rehab has kept him from fully finding his footing at the top level, though he’s flashed signs of strong potential. Perunovich won the NCCA’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award in the 2019-20 season, the league’s top honor. He earned the award after scoring four goals and 40 points in 34 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, serving in an all-purpose role for the Bulldogs that saw him play top-pair minutes, special teams, and forward at a few points in the season. Perunovich made his professional debut in the subsequent season and has since totaled 42 points across 39 AHL games, adding to his totals in the NHL. His return likely bumps Calle Rosen out of the lineup. Rosen has played in St. Louis’ last six games, recording just one point, taking over the role of sixth-man from Tyler Tucker.

The Blues will need to send one of Tucker or Rosen back to the minor leagues in order to activate Perunovich off of injured reserve. They could also send down extra forwards Sammy Blais or Nikita Alexandrov, if they prefer hanging on to extra defensive depth. That could be the case, as St. Louis is also down Justin Faulk, who was moved onto long-term injured reserve on Tuesday.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary has been moved to injured reserve with a lower-body injury sustained in the team’s February 17th game. He was previously announced as week-to-week with the injury and will now be required to miss at least one week of action. Fehervary has appeared in 47 games this season, scoring two goals and 12 points while averaging roughly 19 minutes of action a night.
  • Fellow Washington Capital Nic Dowd is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t travel with the team on their two-game road trip to Florida. His next opportunity to play will be Washington’s Monday matchup against the Ottawa Senators, per team reporter Bailey Johnson. Aliaksei Protas is expected to step into a center role in Dowd’s absence, with call-up Pierrick Dubé filling Protas’ role on the wing. Dubé, 23, will be making his NHL debut in Dowd’s absence. He has 24 goals and 34 points in 50 AHL games this season.
  • Veteran NHL forward Derek Grant has signed a one-year extension with the ZSC Lions of the National League, Switzerland’s top league. Grant, 33, is in his first season in Switzerland after not landing an NHL deal this summer. He has 13 goals and 30 points through his first 45 games in Switzerland. Grant spent the last 10 seasons in the NHL, playing with seven different organizations. He totaled 427 career games in that span, netting 57 goals and 132 points. His career-year came in 2021-22, when he scored a career-high 15 goals and 29 points in 71 games with the Anaheim Ducks.
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