Archives for February 2024

St. Louis Blues Make Several Roster Moves

February 20, 2024 at 2:30 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

In a flurry of roster activity, the St. Louis Blues have recalled forward Zachary Bolduc from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, while also placing defenseman Justin Faulk on the team’s Long-Term Injured Reserve, with defenseman Scott Perunovich being placed on the injured reserve.

It will not change much in the short-term for the Blues’ roster, as they’ve been without Faulk for the last 10 games and Perunovich for the last seven. Factoring in the requirements to return from both the LTIR and IR, both players are eligible to be reinstated to the active roster whenever they are healthy enough to return.

The most exciting part of this transaction for St. Louis will be seeing the eventual debut of Bolduc. A first-round selection of the Blues back in the 2021 NHL Draft, Bolduc is in his first season within the Blues organization.

Although a member of Rimouski Oceanic during his draft year, Bolduc became a member of the Quebec Remparts as soon as the 2021-22 season under the tutelage of head coach Patrick Roy. Over 126 games in Quebec, Bolduc experienced a great deal of success, scoring 105 goals and 209 points over the regular season.

Outside of the regular season, Bolduc became a solid playoff performer as well, scoring 19 goals and 31 points over 30 postseason games for the Remparts, helping the team to a Memorial Cup championship in 2022-23. Now transitioning to professional hockey, Bolduc has not maintained the same degree of offensive production in his rookie season, managing only eight goals and 23 points over 48 games for Springfield this year.

Devils Activate Jonas Siegenthaler, Place Vitek Vanecek On Injured Reserve

February 20, 2024 at 12:33 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils have activated defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler off of injured reserve and placed goaltender Vitek Vanecek on IR, retroactive to February 10th. Vanecek is set to miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday, fighting to recover from a lower-body injury. His absences have satisfied the required time missed, making him eligible to be activated off IR whenever he may be healthy. Meanwhile, Siegenthaler is making his return from a foot injury that’s held him out since January 6th.

Getting Siegenthaler back gives New Jersey half of their top pairing back from injury, though star defenseman Dougie Hamilton is still out indefinitely with a torn pectoral muscle. Still, Siegenthaler represents a big addition to the lineup. The 26-year-old has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time this season, scoring one goal and eight points in 38 games before his injury. Siegenthaler is in his fourth season with the Devils, joining the team in a trade with the Washington Capitals that saw New Jersey send away a third-round draft pick. Washington flipped the pick to the New York Rangers, who used it to draft Ryder Korczak in the 2021 NHL Draft. Siegenthaler has established himself as a top-end shutdown defenseman since joining the Devils and currently sits ranked third among the team’s healthy defensemen in Corsi-For behind Luke Hughes and Colin Miller, per Natural Stat Trick.

In the wake of Vanecek’s injury, the Devils have turned towards rookie Nico Daws, who has posted an impressive six wins and .912 save percentage in 12 appearances. Daws is the only Devils goaltender to boast a save percentage above .900 this season, though Vanecek’s .893 is close. Daws will look to continue solidifying his grip on the Devils starting position, now with an expanded opportunity.

Red Wings Sign Michael Rasmussen To Four-Year Extension

February 20, 2024 at 11:05 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley 3 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Michael Rasmussen to a four-year, $12.8MM contract extension with an annual average value (AAV) of $3.2MM. CapFriendly reports that the deal breaks down as follows:

2024-25: $2.05MM salary, $500k signing bonus
2025-26: $2.95MM salary
2026-27: $3.65MM salary
2027-28: $3.65MM salary

Rasmussen has scored 11 goals and 23 points in 55 games this season, on pace to score a career-high 34 points through 82 games. He’s been with the Red Wings organization for his entire career, getting drafted by the team with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He’s the second player from that year’s Top 10 to earn a long-term extension this season, with 10th-overall selection Owen Tippett signing an eight-year extension with the Philadelphia Flyers in January.

Rasmussen has found a new groove this season, rotating onto the top line with Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane. It’s been an exciting bounce back from a knee injury that ended Rasmussen’s 2022-23 season in early March. He played in 56 games prior to the injury, netting 10 goals and 29 points. Rasmussen also scored 15 goals in the prior season, showing his ability to be a difference-maker when given the opportunity. All of that progress has led Rasmussen to now play the most ice time of his career, averaging 15:10 this season. His next step will be reinforcing his role on the team’s power-play, where he held a consistent spot in each of the last two seasons but has yet to appear on this year. Rasmussen managed four power-play goals in his rookie season of 2018-19 but has since failed to score on the man-advantage at all – managing just five power-play assists since the 2020-21 season. The Red Wings’ power-play is tied with the Vancouver Canucks for 10th-best in the league this season, with a 23.2 percent success rate.

Bruins Move Matthew Poitras To LTIR, Recall Mason Lohrei

February 20, 2024 at 11:01 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The Boston Bruins have moved rookie forward Matthew Poitras to long-term injured reserve and recalled rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei from the AHL, per team reporter Joe Haggerty. Poitras has been declared as out for the season after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. He was 33 games into his NHL career, scoring five goals and 15 points, after surprising fans by making the roster out of training camp. Lohrei also had a strong training camp, leading many to believe he’d join Poitras in making the NHL roster. That didn’t come to fruition, with Lohrei starting the season in the AHL, but he quickly earned a call-up and NHL debut. He’s since played in 27 NHL games, scoring six points, split evenly, while also scoring 13 points in 17 AHL games.

Lohrei has emerged as a top prospect in Boston’s system this year – his first full professional season. The 23-year-old defenseman made his pro debut last year, following the end of The Ohio State University’s season, playing in eight AHL games between the regular season and playoffs and recording one assist. He’s since only added one more AHL goal to his resume, though he has managed three NHL goals already, speaking to where he might fit better. Lohrei has always been a productive defender, scoring 61 points in 71 games over the course of two seasons at Ohio State. The Bruins drafted Lohrei 58th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He’s since become one of 15 players from that round to make their NHL Debut, including rookie standout Brock Faber and sophomore scorer John-Jason Peterka.

Poitras was also a second-round selection, joining the Bruins in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s played in the most NHL games of any player not taken in the Top 10 of that draft, and scored more than all but three players. His success speaks to Boston’s ability to find difference makers throughout the draft, a trait that’s kept them on top of the league for so long. While season-ending surgery is the worst news you can hear in a rookie season, the Bruins have certainly seen enough from Poitras to be eager for his return to the NHL lineup.

Dallas Stars Recall Logan Stankoven, Loan Alexander Petrovic

February 20, 2024 at 9:44 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley 6 Comments

The Dallas Stars have recalled top prospect Logan Stankoven to the NHL roster. The 20-year-old is expected to be a game-time decision for Dallas’ Tuesday night matchup, based on the availability of other Stats forwards. Stankoven is currently playing out his rookie season in the AHL where he leads the entire AHL in scoring with 24 goals and 57 points in 46 games. Dallas has also loaned defenseman Alexander Petrovic back to the AHL, after recalling him on Monday.

Stankoven’s scoring explosion in his first professional season has vindicated a lot of excitement fans have had for him. He leads all AHL rookies in scoring by an impressive 20 points. Stankoven has matched the scoring totals of last year’s rookie scoring leader, Tye Karte, who scored his 57 in 72 games, and has put up the highest point-per-game pace from an AHL rookie since Jack Quinn in the 2021-22 season.

Stankoven has been the confident lead of a very strong Texas Stars offense, which is also supporting the AHL’s second-leading scorer, Mavrik Bourque, who has 55 points in 46 games of his own. The Stars lead the league in scoring, with 165 goals in 46 games putting them at a comfy 3.59 goal-per-game average.

While they’ll lose their top centerman, Texas is getting back a focal piece of their defense in veteran pro Alex Petrovic. Petrovic has spent the last three seasons with the AHL’s Stars, appeared in 71 games in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. He’s on pace to match those games played again this year, after a brief call-up earned him his first NHL game since the 2018-19 season. Petrovic went without a point in the outing, though he did record a -1. The 31-year-old defenseman has 16 points in 44 AHL games this season.

Golden Knights Activate Shea Theodore

February 19, 2024 at 9:27 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 2 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights have activated defenseman Shea Theodore off the LTIR (CapFriendly) as he is set to return from a 34-game absence. The 28-year-old was on a tear to start the season but suffered an upper-body injury and has not played since November 22nd. Theodore didn’t play today but could dress tomorrow night when the Golden Knights take on the Nashville Predators. To make room for Theodore the Golden Knights have moved Jack Eichel to the LTIR (CapFriendly).

Theodore had four goals and 14 assists in 20 games to begin the season and looked poised to have a big year before the injury. Vegas has missed having Theodore in their top four as they have posted a 17-13-4 record in his absence.

His return will be a big addition for a team that currently holds a 31-17-6 record and sits in second place in the Pacific Division. Theodore has typically averaged between 21-23 minutes a game over the past few seasons and will likely move back into his role in the Golden Knights top four as well as on the team’s top power-play unit.

Theodore is in the sixth year of a 7-year, $36.4MM contract and has remained very productive throughout the deal but has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons. If he can remain healthy over the next year he will be in line for a massive payday in the summer of 2025.

Evening Notes: Tokarski, Jankowski, Barabanov

February 19, 2024 at 8:26 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres have loaned netminder Dustin Tokarski to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League just a few days after recalling the 34-year-old. Tokarski was recalled and reassigned last week before being recalled again over the weekend due to an illness to Sabres backup Eric Comrie.

Tokarski backed up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s today in a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and was nearly summoned to play as Luukkonen struggled stopping just 11 of 15 shots in the loss. Tokarski hasn’t played in an NHL game since February 18th, 2023, and is 7-7-2 with a .887 save percentage in 17 AHL games this season.

In other evening notes:

A day after sending forward Mark Jankowski to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, the Nashville Predators have recalled the 29-year-old. Jankowski has a goal in five games this season in the NHL but is currently third in AHL scoring with 15 goals and 32 assists in 40 games. He was named the AHL’s Player of the Month for January and will now re-join the Predators as they continue their five-game road trip tomorrow night in Vegas when they take on the Golden Knights.
The San Jose Sharks healthy scratched forward Alexander Barabanov today in their 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old has seen his name in trade rumors over the last few months despite struggling through a poor offensive season with just three goals and six assists in 34 games. Barabanov has put together a couple of solid offensive seasons in San Jose but hasn’t had the same quality of teammates this year which has led to poor offensive results. Barabanov is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but it doesn’t appear he was held out of action for a pending trade. Based on reports, it seems as though Barabanov was scratched for his defensive play in a previous game.

Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

February 19, 2024 at 7:36 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 13 Comments

With the All-Star break in the rear-view, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than 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 Jersey Devils.

The New Jersey Devils came into the season with expectations that their young team would contend for a Stanley Cup, however, four and half months into the regular season, the Devils have taken a step backwards and are in a battle for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Devils made one of the biggest moves of last year’s deadline, acquiring forward Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks about a week before the trade deadline. The Devils were aggressive in their pursuit of Meier and will likely need to be as aggressive this year if they want to acquire the pieces necessary to get into the playoffs and make some noise in the East. The Devils have some obvious holes in their lineup that have been exposed throughout the regular season, and while it is tough to make moves in-season in a flat cap world, the Devils have shown that they aren’t afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal to bolster their lineup.

Record

28-22-4, 4th in the Metropolitan

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10,412,500 on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: NJ 1st, NJ 3rd, NJ 5th, COL 5th, NJ 6th, NASH 7th
2025: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 3rd, NJ 4th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th

Trade Chips

New Jersey will have some cap space to work with at the deadline thanks to injuries to key players. They could make a big move if they are so inclined and may choose to do so to address their major area of need. The Devils will likely look to move netminder Vitek Vanecek as part of any move to improve their goaltending and could also look to move backup Akira Schmid who has struggled this season after a strong showing last year. New Jersey Devils president of hockey operations and general manager, Tom Fitzgerald has already said he is not comfortable with the Devils goaltending and will likely improve it, which means someone will need to go the other way to open up room for a new acquisition. Vanacek holds almost no value as his -11.1 goals saved above expected is fourth worst in the NHL, and Schmid isn’t faring much better. The Devils may opt to hold onto Schmid and hope he can turn things around.

Forward Alexander Holtz is another roster player that the Devils could dangle at the deadline. The 22-year-old was the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft and has fared pretty well in his first full NHL season sitting third on the Devils in 5v5 points with 21 and goals with 11. As well as he’s played, he hasn’t been able to get much of a look in the Devils’ top six and may not be a fit for head coach Lindy Ruff’s style of play. Holtz could be a solid chip for the team to use to acquire help elsewhere.

Another former first-round pick that the Devils could include in a trade is forward Dawson Mercer. The 22-year-old put up solid offensive numbers in his first two NHL seasons, posting 44 goals and 54 assists in 164 games. However, this season his play has dropped a bit as a slow start has limited him to just 15 goals and 11 assists in 54 games. The native of Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador could be the main piece of a trade for a goaltender, as his offensive upside could entice teams who are looking for a young roster player who can contribute right away.

One of the Devils’ top prospects Seamus Casey could certainly be another trade chip if New Jersey wants to move futures for a piece that can help them now. The former second-round pick is an undersized defenseman who is a terrific puck handler and has put up fantastic offensive numbers at the University of Michigan in the NCAA. If the Devils opted to move Casey, they would be selling high as he was a central piece of a very talented American team that just won the IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Devils could also move on from their first-round pick in this year’s NHL entry draft, particularly if they are chasing one of the bigger names available on the trade market. The Devils don’t have the farm system they once did, however, that is largely due to a lot of their better prospects graduating to the NHL level. The Devils still possess a strong lineup, but they do have some holes to fill, and a first-round pick could go a long way to doing that.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Josh Filmon F Arseni Gritsyuk F Lenni Hämeenaho

Team Needs

1) A Starting Goaltender: The Devils opted not to make a move for a goaltender last summer but have regretted that decision as indicated by the comments of Devils management. The Devils were reportedly in on Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markström and could circle back to re-engage in those talks as the deadline nears. Most of the reports on the trade indicated that the Devils plan to look elsewhere for goaltending, but to this point they haven’t found a trade to their liking. The Devils have a desperate need to address this position, and have ample assets to do so. If they come up short it could mean the difference between making the playoffs and missing them entirely.

2) Bottom Six Help: The Devils do have some talented options in their bottom six but would likely prefer not to deploy Curtis Lazar as a third-line center, which has happened on more than one occasion. A top-9 forward would allow some of the Devils’ forwards to shift down the lineup into positions that are more suitable for the skillset and allow Ruff to have more trust in rolling three or four forward lines in a regular rotation. The Devils have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season but probably didn’t envision having the likes of Chris Tierney playing as frequently as he has. Some depth up front would be an additional boost for the Devils in their pursuit of the playoffs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Golden Knights Recall Grigori Denisenko

February 19, 2024 at 5:04 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski Leave a Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Grigori Denisenko from the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL. The 23-year-old has appeared in 29 career NHL games split over four seasons, having also spent time with the Florida Panthers.

After suffering through a few injury-riddled seasons with the Panthers, the former 15th overall pick was claimed off waivers by Vegas on October 7th. He has been a solid AHL contributor thus far this season as he has posted 14 goals and 26 assists in 45 games, surpassing the 12 goals and 24 assists he registered last season in 56 games with the Charlotte Checkers.

Denisenko had an audition with the Golden Knights in early January as he spent a week in the NHL, dressing in three games and posting no points. He averaged 10:36 of ice time during that recall and had a decent showing at even strength as he took the bulk of his zone starts in the defensive zone and had decent underlying numbers.

The Golden Knights are currently without forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel, and William Carrier and could be in line for a move for a forward before the NHL trade deadline. Denisenko didn’t dress today against the San Jose Sharks and will likely serve as the team’s 13th forward for the time being. However, if he keeps up his AHL scoring numbers he could get a longer look in the NHL sooner than later.

Metro Notes: Hellberg, Lindgren, Marino

February 19, 2024 at 3:30 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 5 Comments

Before their game tomorrow night against the New York Islanders, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled goaltender Magnus Hellberg from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The move could simply be precautionary but indicates that either Alex Nedeljkovic or Tristan Jarry may not be able to suit up in tomorrow’s contest.

If one of the two regular netminders is unable to go tomorrow night, it is still unlikely that Hellberg will play in the game. Nevertheless, he did serve as valuable depth for the Penguins at the beginning of the season, producing a 1-0-0 record in three games with a .922 save percentage covering for the injured Nedeljkovic.

Not only has he been adequate at the NHL level, but Hellberg has also played well for a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team currently battling for playoff position in the Atlantic Division. In 17 games played at the AHL level, Hellberg holds an 8-7-2 record coupled with a .901 SV% and 3.03 goals against average.

Other Metro notes:

New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is being further evaluated for an upper-body injury according to Vince Mercogliano of USA Today-Sports. An upcoming restricted free agent at the end of the season, the beloved Minnesota native has skated in 53 games for New York already this season, scoring two goals and 10 points in the process. With more information on the matter expected tomorrow, Lindgren has only missed two games for the Rangers this season.
Although unavailable for the team’s practice today due to an illness, defenseman John Marino is still expected to travel with the New Jersey Devils for their upcoming game against the Washington Capitals (X Link). Already without top defenseman Dougie Hamilton, the Devils cannot afford to lose any more defensemen, as they currently only sit two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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