Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for January 2025

Capitals Ramping Up Efforts To Extend Logan Thompson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Capitals have “engaged more meaningfully” in extension talks with pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Logan Thompson’s camp recently, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports Friday.

Washington is aiming to have the soon-to-be 28-year-old signed, and off the market by the time the 4 Nations Face-Off rolls around in a few weeks, LeBrun wrote. Recent extensions for similarly-aged breakout netminders like the Avalanche’s Mackenzie Blackwood and the Kraken’s Joey Daccord mean the Caps are likely looking at a four-to-five-year commitment with an average annual value between $5MM and $5.5MM to retain his services – potentially even $6MM, Jamie McLennan of TSN told LeBrun.

That would be an astronomical range over Thompson’s current $767K cap hit, which he locked in when he signed a three-year, $2.3MM extension with the Golden Knights midway through his rookie 2021-22 campaign. The Caps needed a goalie last summer after they dealt Darcy Kuemper to the Kings in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Thompson desired more playing time in his contract year after posting a .908 SV% in a career-high 42 starts and four relief appearances in Vegas last year. Washington moved to acquire Thompson on the second day of the 2024 draft, sending a pair of third-round picks Vegas’ way to provide an economical tandem partner for last year’s breakout option, Charlie Lindgren.

While Lindgren and Thompson rotated starts through the beginning of the season, Thompson has emerged as the bona fide 1A option for the upstart Caps. His sparkling 22-2-3 record in 26 games is backed up by a .925 SV%, which ranks third in the league among netminders with double-digit starts. Those 22 wins are also third in the league and are the most among goalies with under 30 starts, ahead of former teammate Adin Hill, who has 18 wins through 29 starts for the Knights.

Advanced statistics are also quite kind to Thompson, positioning him as the clear-cut runner-up to the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck for the Vezina Trophy. His 26.8 goals saved above expected are just 0.4 short of Hellebuyck in nine fewer games, per MoneyPuck, good for a league-leading 1.00 GSAx/60.

Expecting Thompson to maintain this level of play over the life of an extension is unreasonable. However, unlike a contract comparable in Blackwood, he’s established a high floor for his play at the NHL level. His SV% never dipped below .908 during his time in Vegas, and his GSAx has never finished in the red.

Since Thompson established himself as a full-time NHL option, concerns have revolved around his ability to handle a more significant workload, which he’s now quieting with the Capitals. He started a run of seven straight contests before Lindgren recorded a shutout last night against the Kraken, posting a .955 SV% in that span and a 6-0-1 record. Two of those wins were shutouts in back-to-back games against the Ducks and Senators, and he allowed just eight goals total during the seven-game stretch.

LeBrun reported earlier in January that the Caps had started preliminary extension discussions with Thompson and Lindgren, another pending UFA. They took both conversations slowly to avoid upset team chemistry by extending one before the other. While Lindgren has still been above average with a .904 SV% and 2.53 GAA, he’s three years older than Thompson and has a more inconsistent NHL track record. Thompson’s recent dominant stretch with an increased workload has proven he’s the more valuable option to Washington in the long term.

“I think Thompson has put himself into the conversation of being a top-tier Canadian goaltender, as well,” McLennan said. “Right now, you’ve got to see it for what it’s worth. The Caps traded for him. He’s delivered for them. They obviously like him. And he’s in [the] wheelhouse of his prime and getting better. Goalies from 27-32 continue to get better with age.”

As things stand, Thompson is the unquestionable No. 1 option on the UFA market among goaltenders this summer. Names like Hill, Lindgren, Kevin Lankinen, and Ilya Samsonov would move to center stage after a potential extension is announced.

Latest On Pittsburgh Penguins

at CDT | by 22 Comments

Jan. 23rd: Adding more weight and credibility to LeBrun’s reporting yesterday, Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas put even more cold water on the recent speculation. In an interview with team broadcaster Josh Getzoff and later expanded upon by Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dubas was quoted saying, “To say that it’s a fire sale and we’re willing to retain money on very long-term deals — you know, I understand how that stuff starts to get out and take on a life of its own, but it’s not accurate. We’ve had lots of conversations. But are we telling teams that everything must go? No, we’re not.”

Jan. 22nd: Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic provided some context to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ plans leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. Reports earlier in the week stated that the Penguins were headed for a fire sale before the deadline, but LeBrun writes that the Penguins intend to acquire young NHL players, prospects and draft picks but aren’t likely to orchestrate a massive fire sale. As LeBrun points out, Pittsburgh simply doesn’t have many pending unrestricted free agents, and trading players with term in season is quite difficult.

LeBrun notes that pending UFA Marcus Pettersson will be talked about and likely traded based on previous reports from Josh Yohe of The Athletic. But beyond that, most of the Penguins’ best trade chips have term remaining. These trades can prove difficult if you are looking to add futures because teams don’t typically have enough cap space to add the player, and as LeBrun points out in the article, it may force Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas to wait until the offseason when he will have more suitors and there will be more flexibility.

Chris Johnston of TSN clarified the Penguins’ situation further on Insider Trading, saying that they aren’t looking to retain salary on any long-term deals, which would further complicate trading a player with a term. However, he did add that there were very few untouchables in Pittsburgh outside of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, which certainly means that the Penguins are open for business and willing to move almost anyone on their active roster.

While LeBrun and Johnston poured cold water on the reports of a fire sale, LeBrun acknowledges that Dubas and Penguins management will be doing their best to get a lot done before the deadline, but reality might make those plans fall by the wayside.

Pittsburgh is certainly stuck in an unusual place as they continue to roster Crosby, who has not lost a step despite playing in his age-37 season. The Penguins likely can’t bottom out in the standings but do appear committed to re-tooling on the fly in an effort to be competitive once again before Crosby retires. While the plan makes sense, it has not been successful for many teams. Although, one could point to the Washington Capitals as an example of a team that re-tooled on the fly around a veteran core.

Dubas is certainly giving it his best shot, having taken the Penguins prospect pool from 27th in the NHL to 20th in just one year based on Scott Wheeler’s rankings in The Athletic.

Winnipeg Jets Reassign Dominic Toninato

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After nearly a month on the NHL roster, Dominic Toninato is heading to the AHL. The Winnipeg Jets announced they’ve reassigned Toninato to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

It’ll likely be his last stint with the Jets. Toninato has been on the active roster for 24 days, so if he spends six more days in Winnipeg, he’ll need to clear waivers again this season. The Jets are back down to 12 healthy forwards after the roster move thanks to Mason Appleton’s recent activation from injured reserve and Adam Lowry’s placement on it.

Winnipeg hardly used him during his recent call-up, as he went scoreless in four games and averaged 8:03 of ice time per game. Still, it’s reasonable to think the Jets will want another forward on their roster in case of additional injuries.

Toninato has the most NHL experience of any prospective forward call-ups but not the only one. Winnipeg could recall any of Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Mason Shaw, or Axel Jonsson-Fjällby should they want a depth forward familiar with the top level.

The Jets’ most pressing need is down the middle of the ice after Lowry’s injury giving Anderson-Dolan the inside track for a potential call-up. He’s spent the entire season with AHL Manitoba scoring two goals and two assists in 24 games.

Boston Bruins Recall Michael DiPietro

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Michael DiPietro, American Hockey League All-Star for the Providence Bruins, will get his first look on the bench with the Boston Bruins this evening. The Bruins announced they’ve recalled DiPietro from their AHL affiliate to fill in for Jeremy Swayman as he deals with a minor injury.

Still, aside from an injury to Joonas Korpisalo or a lopsided affair against the Ottawa Senators, DiPietro will have to wait to debut with the Bruins. Should he be needed; however, it will be exactly three years to the day that DiPietro last suited up in an NHL contest.

Boston acquired DiPietro from the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022-23 season as a part of the package that sent Jack Studnicka to British Columbia. He spent much of that year for the Bruins’ ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, posting a 19-9-0 record in 29 games with a .918 save percentage.

DiPietro hasn’t looked back since becoming a full-time netminder with AHL Providence. He split the net with Brandon Bussi last season posting an 18-9-2 record in 30 games with a .918 SV% and 2.51 goals-against average, including four shutouts. For better or for worse, Providence tasked Bussi with playoff duties despite DiPietro’s marginally better output, and they were ousted in four games against the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The Windsor, Ontario native is still sharing the net with Bussi this season albeit starting a few more games. DiPietro has already been named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team with a 14-5-4 record in 22 games with a .930 SV%. Not only is DiPietro leading Providence in save percentage by a large margin, he sits second only to Devin Cooley in the entire AHL for netminders that have started in 20 or more contests.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Matt Murray, Reassign Dennis Hildeby

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Although they don’t play until Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs are making a small move between the pipes. Toronto announced they’ve recalled veteran netminder Matt Murray and reassigned goaltender Dennis Hildeby to their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

It’ll be Murray’s first opportunity back in the NHL over the last month. Due to injuries, the veteran puck-stopper hadn’t played a game for the Maple Leafs since April 2, 2023, and returned to the NHL toward the end of the 2024 calendar year.

His first start in 628 days came against the Buffalo Sabres when Murray stopped 24 of 27 shots and secured the win. His next start wasn’t as productive, stopping only 27 of 31 shots for a .871 save percentage in a loss against the Washington Capitals.

Still, his time with AHL Toronto has been more than fruitful this year, earning an 8-4-3 record in 15 games with a .934 SV%, 1.68 goals-against average, and three shutouts. The 30-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ontario is in a difficult situation where he hasn’t recently been healthy enough to be a consistent netminder in the NHL and is almost too good for the AHL.

Hildeby returns to a familiar environment after playing backup duty for Joseph Woll for the last month. He was hardly used by the Maple Leafs during that stretch, posting a 1-2-0 record in three starts against the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets, respectively, with a .868 SV%. His track record this year and beyond has been much better for the Marlies where Hildeby has managed a .916 SV% in eight games on the current campaign.

Ottawa Senators To Activate David Perron, Move Linus Ullmark To LTIR

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Jan. 23rd: The Senators needed to create additional cap space to activate Perron for tonight’s game. PuckPedia reports that Ottawa has moved goaltender Linus Ullmark and his $5MM to LTIR opening up the necessary room for Perron and another $1MM in space. Unfortunately, PuckPedia added that the organization would need to clear an additional $1.9MM from their books when they eventually activate Ullmark.

Jan. 22nd:  Longtime veteran winger David Perron is expected to return for the first time since before American Thanksgiving. Although no official announcement has come from the Ottawa Senators, Matt Porter of The Boston Globe reports Perron will suit up tomorrow night against the Boston Bruins.

The timing couldn’t be better for Perron or the Senators. The former has been limited to nine games this season due to unfortunate complications in the birth of his daughter and a nagging back injury for the last few weeks. Even if Perron stays healthy enough to play in Ottawa’s remaining 35 games, it’ll be the first time since the 2010-11 season he’s failed to play 45 or more regular season contests.

Still, his return can’t be seen as anything other than a positive. Thanks to a 14-8-3 run over their last 25 games, the Senators are hanging on to the top wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. Given that Ottawa is the eighth youngest team in the NHL and Perron is only one of three former Stanley Cup champions on the roster, his experience should prove a boon as they compete for a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Perron’s return should also help alleviate some issues in the team’s bottom six. Because the Senators are closer to the salary cap ceiling than they’ve been in seasons past, the bottom six of their forward core is largely composed of spare parts.

The veteran winger should provide more consistency to that group assuming he stays healthy the rest of the way. Ottawa has more pressing needs on the blue line during the trade deadline season which is where much of their focus is expected to go.

Blackhawks Recall Ethan Del Mastro, Reassign Wyatt Kaiser

at CDT | by 3 Comments

3:10 p.m: Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio reports the Blackhawks have also reassigned defenseman Wyatt Kaiser to AHL Rockford in a corresponding roster move. The transaction brings Chicago back to seven defensemen on the active roster and 22 players in total.

1:19 p.m: The Blackhawks announced Thursday they’ve recalled defenseman Ethan Del Mastro from AHL Rockford. They placed winger Craig Smith, who hasn’t played since Jan. 8 due to a back injury, on injured reserve to open up a roster spot.

Del Mastro, 22, has eight assists, 38 PIMs and a plus-four rating in 38 AHL showings this year. It’s not a ton of offense, although still third on the team behind Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov in assists and points among defenders, but that’s not the stay-at-home lefty’s calling card.

The 6’4″, 209-lb Del Mastro projects as a defensively responsible complementary piece on an NHL pairing long-term, and he’s had a strong development track since Chicago selected him in the fourth round in 2021. He unexpectedly popped for 37 points and a +14 rating in 67 games in his rookie AHL season last year, leading to a late-season recall and his NHL debut in a pair of games against the Predators and Hurricanes in April.

Del Mastro now has the chance to add a third NHL game to his tally, although it’s unclear if he will. The Hawks are now carrying eight defensemen on the active roster, and interim head coach Anders Sorensen only told reporters that the organization “wanted to reward Del Mastro for his recent play in Rockford,” per Scott Powers of The Athletic.

Smith, 35, has now missed 14 of the last 18 games with back problems. He sat out for most of the second half of December before returning to the lineup for a four-game stretch starting on New Year’s Eve.

In addition to a few healthy scratches, Smith has been limited to 30 of Chicago’s 47 games after signing a one-year, $1MM contract last summer as a free agent. The five-time 20-goal scorer has six tallies and five assists for 11 points with a minus-seven rating, averaging 11:41 per game.

The Blackhawks remain without veteran fourth-liner Pat Maroon due to back problems, but he’s carrying a day-to-day designation and hasn’t landed on IR after missing Monday’s game against the Hurricanes. Defenseman Connor Murphy also remains sidelined with the groin issues that have kept him out of the lineup since the calendar flipped to 2025.

Flames Recall Clark Bishop

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Flames recalled center Clark Bishop from AHL Calgary on Thursday, per a team announcement. They had an open roster spot after losing winger Walker Duehr on waivers to the Sharks yesterday, so no corresponding move is required.

Bishop, 28, has 47 NHL games under his belt with the Hurricanes and Senators but none since signing with the Flames in 2022. The Newfoundland native has bided his time as a middle-six depth piece on the farm – that is, until this season. He’s exploded offensively for 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points through 39 contests, third on the Wranglers in scoring. His 0.85 points per game puts his 0.38 career AHL average in the rearview, at least for the past few months.

For the majority of his career, Bishop has served as a physical, defensively responsible depth center who also has utility at left wing. He has just one goal on 44 shots in the NHL, adding seven assists for eight points with a minus-six rating. He’s yet to average north of 10 minutes per game in any of his four NHL seasons and has won 46.9% of his faceoffs.

If Bishop suits up tonight against the Sabres, it will be his first NHL appearance in nearly three years. He last skated in a big-league contest with the Senators on Feb. 15, 2022.

At the very least, Bishop won’t be a downgrade from Duehr by any stretch of the imagination. Duehr had just one assist in 16 games with team-worst possession metrics before landing on the wire.

Bishop, who cleared waivers during training camp, can remain on Calgary’s roster for up to 30 days or play 10 games before he requires them again to return to the AHL.

Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner, Reassign Ivan Ivan

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Avalanche recalled veteran forward Chris Wagner from AHL Colorado on Thursday, per a team announcement. Rookie Ivan Ivan was sent down in a corresponding transaction, keeping their active roster with one open spot.

Wagner, 33, appeared in 23 games for the Avs earlier this season but hasn’t been on the roster since being reassigned to the AHL on Dec. 20. He has four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 16 contests with the Eagles, most of which have come over the past few weeks.

The Avs ferried Wagner between leagues frequently through the first two and a half months of the campaign. He was exposed to the waiver wire three times as Colorado shuffled their forward depth amid multiple injuries, clearing without incident on each occasion.

Wagner, the epitome of a journeyman depth piece, has one goal and a minus-seven rating with the Avs this season while averaging a paltry 6:55 per game. His 48.2 CF% at even strength ranks near the bottom of the team but is an improvement over other spot-duty lineup inserts like Jere Innala and Givani Smith. He has the worst offensive impact of any Colorado skater with at least 10 appearances this season, though, only managing 0.4 on-ice goals per 60 minutes at even strength.

Nonetheless, the pending UFA with nearly 400 NHL games under his belt seemingly gets the call over Ivan for this weekend’s game against his hometown Bruins. Ivan, 22, started the season with a respectable eight points in 22 games but hasn’t gotten on the scoresheet since then. After his first career two-goal game against the Lightning on Nov. 25, Ivan has gone 18 games without a point and is correspondingly falling down the depth chart.

Ivan has a goal and an assist in a pair of AHL appearances this season, which he made earlier this month after missing time with an upper-body injury. He had 31 points in 67 AHL games last year, earning him his first NHL contract last March.

Stars Recall Lian Bichsel

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Stars recalled top defense prospect Lian Bichsel from AHL Texas on Thursday, per a team announcement. They also reversed yesterday’s paper transaction involving forward Matěj Blümel and added him back to the active roster, which is now full.

Bichsel, 20, made his NHL debut last month and played eight games while filling in for the injured Mathew Dumba. The 2022 18th overall pick recorded a pair of goals and a plus-two rating, averaging 13:43 per game and recording a team-high 14.22 hits per 60 minutes.

Physicality is the principal aspect of the 6’7″, 231-lb defender’s game, but it’s not the only one. The Swiss native is also a skilled breakout passer and has three goals with six assists for nine points in 28 appearances with AHL Texas this season.

Dallas is now carrying eight defensemen on their active roster with no injury designations. It’s unlikely they’d interrupt Bichsel’s development in the AHL to have him sit in the press box, especially with no pressing injury concerns, so he’ll likely enter the lineup Friday against the Golden Knights while veteran and fellow lefty Brendan Smith heads to the press box.

Blümel, 24, has been on the roster for the most part since Jan. 11. The Czech winger, initially selected by the Oilers in the fourth round in 2019, has one goal on 10 shots in seven games with a minus-one rating. He’s been sent to the minors on off days to help the Stars bank additional cap space ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.

Blümel is one of a few players that the Stars have called up to play fourth-line spot duty with injuries to Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin stretching their forward depth. He’s been one of their best AHL producers since arriving in the organization in 2022, averaging 0.85 points per game across 162 career minor-league appearances. This season, he leads the club with 18 goals through 32 games.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top