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Archives for January 2025

Lightning Place Gage Goncalves On Waivers

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The Lightning placed forward Gage Goncalves on waivers on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. If he clears, he’ll be assigned to AHL Syracuse.

Goncalves, 23, started the season in the minors but was recalled in early November after an injury to Brayden Point. After being bounced between leagues a couple of times, he was recalled again from Syracuse on Nov. 19 and hasn’t been back since.

In his first extended look at the NHL level, Goncalves had a goal and an assist in 26 games. The British Columbia native averaged 11:45 per game, posting a minus-one rating with eight blocks and 22 hits. He was a drag on their possession play, controlling 47.1% of shot attempts at even strength. In comparison, the Bolts controlled 51.4% of shot attempts without Goncalves on the ice during his time in the lineup.

The Lightning have plenty of roster and salary cap space with no players on the verge of returning, so it’s purely a performance-based demotion for Goncalves today. He had six assists in five games for Syracuse before being recalled in November, building on a strong 58-point showing in 69 games last season.

Goncalves, a second-round pick by the Bolts in 2020, does still carry a bit of upside and faces a reasonable risk of being claimed. He’s a pending restricted free agent and will be eligible for salary arbitration this summer.

Sharks Reassign Shakir Mukhamadullin

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The Sharks returned defense prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin to AHL San Jose on Monday, per a team announcement. The club now has an open roster spot, which could be used to activate Klim Kostin, Nikolai Kovalenko, or Vítek Vaněček from injured reserve in the coming days.

Mukhamadullin, 23, had been on the Sharks’ roster since Dec. 10. It was his first recall of the season after he sat out the first couple of weeks on season-opening injured reserve with a lower-body issue.

Selected 20th overall by the Devils in the 2020 draft and traded to San Jose in the Timo Meier deal in 2023, Mukhamadullin is the second-best defense prospect in the Sharks’ system behind 2024 first-rounder Sam Dickinson and checked in at 82nd in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s league-wide prospect ranking last summer. A well-rounded left-shot talent checking in at 6’4″, the Russian native had a goal and an even rating in 10 appearances over the last few weeks while averaging 15:24 of time on ice per game.

While it’s a small sample and limited minutes, Mukhamadullin has arguably been the Sharks’ most defensively competent blue-liner this season. His 1.2 goals against per 60 minutes at even strength is the lowest on the team, and his 48.6 CF% trails only Jake Walman among San Jose defenders with double-digit games played.

That’s a promising result for Mukhamadullin after it took him a while to get off the ground in the minors. He had six assists and a minus-three rating in 14 AHL games, diminished play in both ends after he recorded 34 points and a plus-three rating in 55 games last season.

Things are looking up for the youngster, who will now get some more runway in the AHL before his next opportunity in the Show. He’s set to be a restricted free agent this summer but won’t be eligible for arbitration.

Avalanche Recall Jere Innala, Jason Polin

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The Avalanche recalled forwards Jere Innala and Jason Polin from AHL Colorado on Monday, according to a team announcement. Their active roster is now full with the AHL’s transactions log reflecting that Tye Felhaber was returned to the minors yesterday after a week-long call-up.

Polin, 25, is the fresh face among the two. He made his NHL debut for the Avs last year, skating in seven games in January and recording a goal with a plus-one rating while averaging a paltry 7:25 of ice time per game.

The Michigan native is now in his third season with the organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2023. The 6’0″, 198-lb right-winger ranks seventh on the AHL club with seven goals through 21 games, adding a pair of assists for nine points.

Despite potting 30 goals in 39 games at WMU in his senior season and being named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, Polin hasn’t been much of a factor offensively yet in his professional career. He’s been limited to 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points in 70 AHL games, so it’s a tad puzzling to see his name in the NHL lineup, even as a fourth-line fill-in piece while Valeri Nichushkin nurses his lower-body injury.

Polin is expected to replace Felhaber in the lineup tomorrow when the Avs host the Rangers. Innala, who was papered down yesterday to help the Avs save a bit of cash, remains in the lineup in search of his first NHL point. The 5’9″ Finn has averaged 7:29 through his first 10 NHL games, recording three shots on goal and a minus-one rating.

Blue Jackets Extend Zach Aston-Reese

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The Blue Jackets have signed forward Zach Aston-Reese to a one-year extension, general manager Don Waddell announced Monday. He will earn the league minimum of $775K next season, presumably on a one-way contract.

Aston-Reese, 30, was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. He’s played in all but one of Columbus’ 43 games this season after being claimed off waivers from the Golden Knights on the eve of the regular season, posting four goals, seven assists, and 11 points with a minus-six rating.

The waiver placement by Vegas was a blessing in disguise for Aston-Reese, who’s re-established himself as an NHL regular with the Blue Jackets. Once a fourth-line fixture with the Penguins and was regarded as one of the more defensively adept wingers in the league, he’s had a tumultuous past few seasons – including spending nearly all last season in the minors while in the Red Wings organization.

That meant Aston-Reese had to settle for a two-way deal with the Knights in free agency last summer, the second year in a row he’d done so after catching on in Detroit late in training camp last year after a failed tryout with the Hurricanes. The structure hasn’t affected him this season since he’s spent all of it in the NHL, so while his extension doesn’t represent a raise, it does represent added financial security if he ends up back in the minors at some point in 2025-26.

Aston-Reese is averaging 13:09 of ice time per game this season, his highest usage since the 2020-21 campaign with Pittsburgh. He’s bounced between third-line and fourth-line roles, usually on either Justin Danforth or Cole Sillinger’s wing, while seeing around a minute per game on the penalty kill.

A league-minimum salary next year looks to be a bargain for Aston-Reese’s services if he keeps up his current level of play. He’s provided enough offense to remain effective in a bottom-six role while also serving as one of the Blue Jackets’ most physical forwards, ranking third on the team with 94 hits. Somewhat surprisingly, he also ranks eighth on the club with 56 shots on goal, and his 8.6 goals against per 60 minutes while on the penalty kill are the fewest among the Jackets’ regular PKers.

Half of the forwards on Columbus’ active roster are now under contract for next season or beyond. Key pending UFAs still include fellow bottom-six fixtures Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier, who could be in play on trade deadline day if the Jackets can’t reach extensions with them and if they’re no longer in the playoff picture.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Flyers, Comcast Spectacor Announce Plans For New Arena

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9:39 a.m.: Comcast Spectacor has officially announced the plan, a joint venture between them and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, to see a new arena for the Flyers and 76ers open in 2031 at the latest. They’re also investing “in the revitalization of Market East in Center City,” where the 76ers were previously set to construct a new home.

8:33 a.m.: The Flyers, along with ownership group Comcast Spectacor, are expected to announce plans to construct a new arena in South Philadelphia later today in conjunction with the NBA’s 76ers, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports.

After recently completing major renovations of theirs and the 76ers’ current home, the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers’ future in the South Philly district was somewhat murky after the latter announced plans to build a new home downtown. Our sister site, Hoops Rumors, relayed a report from Jake Blumgart and Sean Collins Walsh of the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday that the 76ers had reversed course and reached a deal with Comcast Spectacor, which owns the Wells Fargo Center, to remain in the complex.

The Flyers have called the South Philadelphia Sports Complex for the entirety of their 58-year existence, playing at The Spectrum from their inaugural season in 1967-68 until moving into the newly-constructed, nearby Wells Fargo Center (then the CoreStates Center) in 1996.

After nearly 30 years in their second home, the Flyers’ third home will remain at 3601 S. Broad St. A new arena would come in conjunction with a $2.5B renovation of the entire complex that Comcast Spectacor announced in conjunction with MLB’s Phillies in March 2024, following in the footsteps of many other NHL markets with non-downtown arena in creating more living and retail space immediately adjacent to arena property.

Bruins Recall Vinni Lettieri

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The Bruins recalled forward Vinni Lettieri from AHL Providence on Monday, according to the AHL’s transactions log.

Lettieri, 29, will take Marc McLaughlin’s place on the active roster. The Bruins placed McLaughlin on waivers yesterday, so he’ll either be back in Providence or with another NHL club by this afternoon.

Boston re-acquired Lettieri from the Wild last offseason, sending depth winger Jakub Lauko the other way while swapping fourth-round picks. Lettieri was previously in the Bruins organization in the 2022-23 season, when he led Providence with 1.02 points per game but only got into one NHL contest with Boston.

The Minnesota native could have the chance to play his second career game in a Bruins uniform when they play the Lightning tomorrow. His inclusion in the lineup is likely dependent on the health of Mark Kastelic, who recently inked a three-year, $1.57MM extension but missed Saturday’s overtime win over the Panthers with an undisclosed injury.

Lettieri played in a career-high 46 games for the Wild last season, recording five goals, four assists, nine points, and a minus-seven rating with 24 PIMs. He averaged just over a shot on goal per game and finished at a 10.6% clip while averaging 9:35 of ice time per game.

The 5’10”, 183-lb forward has served as an alternate captain with Providence in 2024-25 and is yet again their top offensive producer, leading the club in scoring with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points through 35 games. Lettieri, who’s in the second season of a two-way deal he signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 2023, cleared waivers without incident during the preseason.

Boston entered today with an open roster spot, so they can recall Lettieri before removing McLaughlin from the active roster later. They’ll still only be carrying 12 healthy forwards as long as Kastelic remains unavailable.

Islanders Reassign Jakub Skarek

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Jan. 13: Skarek was returned to Bridgeport on Monday, per the NHL’s media site (hat tip to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com). As such, Sorokin will likely be available tomorrow against the Senators after missing the Utah game with illness. Skarek backed up Hogberg in a 2-1 win for the Isles, so he’s still awaiting his NHL debut.

Jan. 11: With Ilya Sorokin dealing with an illness, the Islanders have had to turn to the minors to make a roster move before tonight’s game against Utah.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Jakub Skarek from AHL Bridgeport.

The 25-year-old has been brought up several times over the years but has yet to make his NHL debut.  Skarek has played in 17 games with Bridgeport so far this season and has played to a 3.29 GAA and a .891 SV% while only winning four of those outings.  Those numbers are nearly identical to his career numbers at the AHL level where he has a 3.31 GAA and a .891 SV% over parts of six seasons.  With Marcus Hogberg (who will start tonight in Sorokin’s absence) already up, Skarek has been serving as the starter for Bridgeport in recent weeks.

Sorokin saw his save percentage drop by 16 points last season from .924 to .908.  Unfortunately for him and the Isles, that number has gone down six more points so far this year to .902 along with a 2.83 GAA in his first 30 starts.  In the first season of an eight-year, $66MM contract, it’s fair to say that New York was counting on him to be much more impactful this season.

The Islanders are using one of their two 48-hour goaltender exemption recalls, allowing them to exceed the 23-player roster limit temporarily.  As a result, no corresponding roster move needs to be made for the time being to add Skarek to the active roster.  Skarek will need to be sent down by Monday to stay compliant with the rule but could stay up if New York elects to send someone else down to open up a spot that way.

Aaron Ekblad And Jonah Gadjovich Won’t Travel On Road Trip

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Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Jonah Gadjovich will miss at least the next two games as neither player is travelling with the team on their road trip this week (as per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now).

The Panthers have a back-to-back in Philadelphia and New Jersey and will have to make do without Ekblad who has been having a solid bounce-back season and is dealing with an undisclosed injury. He did not play yesterday in an overtime loss to the Boston Bruins, and although it hasn’t been confirmed when he was hurt, it seems likely that it occurred when he blocked a shot against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout win on January 3rd. Ekblad played regularly for the remainder of the game, but missed their next game on January 6th, and then was back in the lineup a few days later to take on Utah.

The injury doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern for Ekblad, but it does seem like a lingering issue that the Panthers would like to allow Ekblad to heal from. The 2014 first-overall pick has two goals and 18 assists in 41 games this season and has seen his ice time increase dramatically from last year as he is averaging 23:32 per game.

Gadjovich has played sparingly in 18 games this season, averaging just 7:50 of ice time per game. The Whitby, Ontario native has already missed the Panthers’ last nine games and will be reevaluated when the team returns home on Thursday. The 26-year-old has a single goal this season and is a -1 plus/minus with 56 hits.

Semyon Varlamov To Practice This Week

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Stefen Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to return to team practice at some point this week. The update comes from Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello and is a bit of good news after the Islanders had a goaltending scare on Saturday when starter Ilya Sorokin fell ill, and the team had to start third-stringer goaltender Marcus Hogberg in net and recall Jakub Skarek on an emergency basis.

The situation ended up favorably, as Hogberg started last night against Utah and picked up the win by stopping 21 of 22 shots. Hogberg has given the Islanders some incredible play in Varlamov’s absence, posting a .950 save percentage and a goals saved above expected of 5.0 (as per Money Puck). However, the Islanders can’t rely on a third-string netminder long-term, and Varlamov’s return will represent an upgrade.

With the shuffling of goaltenders, the Islanders AHL affiliate in Bridgeport added to their goaltending depth by signing Hunter Miska to an AHL deal (as per Rosner). The 29-year-old had been playing in the KHL this season with Dynamo Moscow, registering a .908 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average in 14 games. The North Branch, Minnesota native hasn’t played in North America since the 2021-22 seasons and has spent much of his professional career in the AHL while he was a member of the Colorado Eagles. Miska does have six games of NHL experience, five of which were with the Avalanche and one with the Arizona Coyotes.

No Timeline On Linus Ullmark, Senators Not Looking To Add A Goalie

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Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark was on the ice today but there remains no official timeline for his return (as per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia). Despite the murky return timeline, Senators general manager Steve Staios is optimistic that Ullmark should be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Staios called Ullmark’s return to the ice a good step forward for the 31-year-old netminder after he was hurt back on December 22nd in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Ullmark left in the first period of that game and has been week-to-week since then with upper-body tightness.

The former Vezina Trophy winner hasn’t matched his numbers from two seasons ago but has been solid in his first season in Ottawa, posting a 12-7-2 record with a .915 save percentage and a 2.38 goals-against average. While those numbers are good, Ullmark’s underlying numbers are terrific as he has registered a 9.2 goals saved above expected in 23 games (as per Money Puck) which is good enough for 13th in the NHL.

It’s fair to question whether Ottawa should look for an additional goaltender as a safety net given the uncertainty of Ullmark’s health, however, Garrioch also reported that Staios is comfortable with Ottawa’s goaltending depth and has no intentions of looking for reinforcements. Backup Anton Forsberg hasn’t been great in 14 games this season posting a pedestrian 4-8-1 record with a .883 save percentage. However, 22-year-old Leevi Merilainen has been good in five games this season with a 3-2 record and a .911 save percentage along with a 2.42 goals-against average. Ottawa also has 24-year-old Mads Søgaard in Belleville who remains an intriguing option; however, this season has been a disaster for the former second-round pick and it’s hard to call him an NHL option at this point in his career.

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