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Hudson Fasching Loaned To AHL On Conditioning Stint

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The New York Islanders have loaned forward Hudson Fasching to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL on a conditioning stint (as per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News). The 29-year-old Fasching hasn’t seen NHL action since January 5th against the Boston Bruins and has dressed in just 19 games this year after suiting up in 45 NHL games last season.

When he has been in the lineup, Fasching has been used sparingly, averaging just 8:56 of ice time per game. This season has been a struggle for him, as he has yet to score, posting a -6 plus/minus and a CF% of 44.9% at even strength. Fasching has never been an offensive force in the NHL; however, in the previous two seasons with the Islanders, his numbers were considerably better, combining for 14 goals and 19 assists in 94 games.

In the AHL this season, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native has had better luck offensively, posting a goal and an assist in five games. With his conditioning loan, he will have an opportunity to add to his numbers and hopefully regain some confidence before getting back into NHL action.

Fasching is in the final year of a two-year contract and will be playing for his NHL career whenever he is called back up. He’s unlikely to receive much NHL interest in free agency this summer, however, a solid run down the stretch would certainly help him land a contract for next season.

Golden Knights Recall Cal Burke

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The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Cal Burke from the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL and he will play tonight when Vegas takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets (as per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). The 27-year-old had a brief stint with the Golden Knights in November, dressing in six games and notching a single goal while averaging 11:04 of ice time per game. The Golden Knights heavily sheltered Burke’s minutes at the time, giving him offensive zone starts in nearly 80% of his shifts.

Burke’s recall will push another recent recall Raphael Lavoie to the left side and allow him to play on the third line, while Burke is expected to play right wing on the fourth line alongside Tanner Pearson and Brett Howden.

The recall also pushes Jonas Rondbjerg to the bench after he played very well a few nights ago. Rondbjerg is pushing up against his waiver-exempt games limit which may have factored into the decision. While he played well, Rondbjerg hasn’t had any offensive impact this season with zero points in nine games, and Vegas may be looking elsewhere to see if another player can provide an immediate impact.

Burke is having a poor offensive season in the AHL compared to previous years, his seven goals and six assists in 34 games represent a significant drop from last season’s numbers when he had 39 points (16 goals and 23 assists) in 57 games.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Adam Ginning

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Defenseman Adam Ginning will make his season debut for the Philadelphia Flyers after the team announced his recall from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Ginning is expected to replace veteran defenseman Erik Johnson in the lineup as the Flyers face off against the New York Islanders this evening.

Shortly after Philadelphia’s announcement, Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports quickly contextualized Johnson’s absence for tonight’s game. O’Connor stated that the Flyers never intended for Johnson to play in any back-to-back games this year although he did suit up in the back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames to start the season.

Philadelphia selected Ginning in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft but he didn’t begin playing for the organization until the 2022-23 season. He’s primarily played for AHL Lehigh Valley collecting six goals and 39 points in 168 career games.

He’s already appeared in 10 games for the Flyers dating back to the 2022-23 season. He’s tallied one goal in those ten contests and has posted impressive possession numbers and physicality albeit in a small sample size.

That’s exactly what will be expected of him tonight and in the future should he have any staying power in Philadelphia’s lineup. There’s no question the Flyers are a physical team with 980 hits delivered already this year and Ginning should only help increase that total.

Shawn Simpson Passes Away At Age 56

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Shawn Simpson, a long-time member of the Ottawa Senators radio broadcast booth with TSN, has tragically passed away at 56, as the team announced.

Simpson entered professional hockey in the 1986 NHL Draft when the Washington Capitals selected him with the 60th overall pick. Unfortunately, besides two playoff games as a backup netminder, Simpson never played in the NHL with the Capitals and retired relatively quickly after the 1990-91 season.

He remained with the Capitals organization as a color commentator for several years while pursuing his education at Georgetown University. It was not until the 1993-94 season that Simpson transitioned into Washington’s front office to become a professional scout.

The Capitals promoted Simpson to director of hockey operations ahead of the 1997-98 season. Alongside general manager George McPhee, Simpson helped steer Washington to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history that spring.

Simpson continued as the Capitals’ director of hockey operations until the 2003-04 season when he decided to move closer to his hometown. He spent four years as a professional scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs before ending his tenure in the front office.

After spending many years away from his hometown of Gloucester, Ontario, Simpson joined TSN in 2012 as the co-host of “The Drive” radio show and as an on-air personality for Ottawa’s post-game broadcasts. In 2013, he transitioned to a new show called “Mornings” and continued to collaborate closely with the Senators organization.

In 2023, Bell Media, the controlling owner of TSN, ended its contract with Simpson. However, he remained a significant figure in Ottawa and with the Senators until the dreadful news broke this morning.

We at Pro Hockey Rumors send our condolences to Simpson’s family, friends, and peers.

Bruins Activate Charlie McAvoy, Reassign Max Jones

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The Bruins activated top defenseman Charlie McAvoy from injured reserve Thursday, per a team announcement. The club reassigned winger Max Jones to AHL Providence to open up a roster spot.

McAvoy has missed Boston’s last seven games with an upper-body injury. He landed on IR following a Jan. 11 game against the Panthers, during which head coach Joe Sacco said he aggravated a “nagging ailment” and would be shut down for at least a week to see how it responds. His absence lasted closer to three weeks, but he’ll return to the lineup tonight against the Jets in a top-pairing role flanked by sophomore lefty Mason Lohrei.

The lingering injury explains what’s been a down season for McAvoy. The 27-year-old has 20 points through 45 games, the lowest point-per-game pace of his eight-year NHL career. His possession metrics were dipping, too, with his +2.2 expected rating at even strength also tracking to be the worst of his career.

The 2016 first-rounder returns as Boston hangs on for dear life in a tight Eastern Conference wild-card race. Their 5-4-1 record in their last 10 has been enough to keep pace, but they’ll fall out of the picture with a loss tonight against Winnipeg and if the Lightning and Blue Jackets manage to get at least one point out of their games.

Boston went 4-2-1 in their last seven without McAvoy with a plus-one goal differential. They were outshot 241-176 during that span, however, and only controlled 45.5% of shot attempts at even strength.

Jones, 26, heads down after playing three out of four games since his Jan. 21 recall. The big-bodied winger has yet to record a point in seven games with the Bruins this season after signing a two-year, $2MM deal over the summer and passed through waivers unclaimed in early November. Selected a few spots after McAvoy by the Ducks in the 2016 draft, he has eight goals and 11 points with a plus-four rating in 26 games while on assignment to Providence this year.

Oilers Activate John Klingberg From Injured Reserve

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Oilers defenseman John Klingberg will make his debut for the team after signing a one-year deal nearly two weeks ago, head coach Kris Knoblauch told the team’s Bob Stauffer. He’ll need to come off injured reserve before Thursday’s game against the Red Wings, something Edmonton will have no problem doing with a pair of open roster spots.

Tonight will mark Klingberg’s first NHL game since Nov. 11, 2023. The 32-year-old, who had signed a one-year deal worth $4.15MM with the Maple Leafs for that season, ended up needing hip resurfacing surgery that ended his campaign and prevented him from signing anywhere on the open market over the summer. He only started skating last month as he geared up for an NHL return, eventually landing a $1.35MM commitment from the Oilers.

Klingberg told Mark Spector of Sportsnet that the 2023 procedure was the third he’s had on his hips in his career. He had double hip surgery twice between when he was drafted by the Stars in the fifth round in 2010 and when he made his NHL debut in 2014, neither of which fully addressed whatever issues he’d been having. He told Spector that he’s entering an NHL campaign pain-free for the first time in his 11-year career – a good sign for the Oilers that he might be able to recapture his form as a top power-play quarterback.

The 32-year-old will handle second-pairing duties alongside Darnell Nurse in his debut, giving Edmonton two offensively-inclined options at the top of their right defense depth chart with Evan Bouchard. Stay-at-home piece Ty Emberson, who’s logged a good portion of ice time alongside Nurse this season, moves down to more comfortable third-pairing duties with Brett Kulak, per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. Klingberg and Nurse will stay together on the team’s second power-play unit with Viktor Arvidsson, Adam Henrique and Corey Perry.

Klingberg posted five assists and a minus-seven rating in 14 appearances with Toronto last year before the surgery ended his campaign. He’s averaged 0.65 points per game over his career, though, 14th among defensemen with at least 200 games played since he entered the league.

Blues Place Brandon Saad On Unconditional Waivers

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Jan. 30: Saad is on unconditional waivers today and will have his contract terminated assuming he clears Friday, Friedman confirms.

Jan. 29, 1:56 p.m.: The Blues and Saad are now heading toward a mutual contract termination, Friedman adds. The move will make him an unrestricted free agent, so he’ll be able to sign with any team down the stretch with new contract terms. However, he’ll be walking away from north of $5MM of cash he was still owed on his deal with St. Louis.

Jan. 29, 1:05 p.m.: Saad and Sylvegård cleared waivers Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Saad heads to the AHL for the first time in over a decade, while Sylvegård has had his contract terminated and is free to return to Europe.

Jan. 28: Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced Tuesday that they’re placing veteran winger Brandon Saad on waivers, per Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. St. Louis also placed winger Marcus Sylvegård on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Saad is in the fourth season of a five-year, $22.5MM contract he signed with the Blues as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. The deal carries a $4.5MM cap hit, but he’s only owed $4.375MM in salary this season and $3.625MM in 2025-26.

Saad, who has struggled to the tune of seven goals, nine assists, and 16 points in 43 games this season, was a speculative trade candidate before the deadline but carries a full no-trade clause until July 1. Placing him on waivers will allow interested clubs to acquire him even if he would have otherwise blocked a trade. Notably, the Blues can’t retain any salary on Saad if he’s claimed off waivers rather than traded.

Armstrong told reporters, including Lou Korac of NHL.com, that Saad will report to and play for AHL Springfield if he goes unclaimed tomorrow. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that Saad had told the Blues he was willing to waive his NTC, but no trade materialized. They won’t be making a corresponding recall after Saad is removed from the roster, Armstrong added (via Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

While things haven’t panned out for the 32-year-old Saad in St. Louis this season, he was a decent secondary scorer as recently as last season, when he turned in 26 goals and stayed healthy for all 82 games. It was Saad’s second-best goal-scoring season of his 14-year NHL career. However, his overall offense has continuously dropped off from his days of routinely producing around 50 points per season for the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets early on.

In Saad’s defense, a good portion of his struggles can be attributed to a significant dropoff in shooting percentage. He’s clicking at just 9.3%, the second-lowest rate of his career and down nearly 50% from last year’s 18.1% success rate. He’s due for regression, especially considering his 36 individual high-danger chances at 5-on-5 are tied for third on the Blues, per Natural Stat Trick.

A second-round pick by Chicago in 2011, Saad reached the NHL one year later and won championships with the Hawks in both 2013 and 2015. A salary cap crunch forced Chicago to trade him to the Blue Jackets for a package centered around Artem Anisimov following the second of those Cups, but the Blackhawks re-acquired him from Columbus two years later – unfortunately giving up superstar winger Artemi Panarin in the process.

But on the wrong side of 30 and with another year left on his deal, Saad finding a new home on waivers seems unlikely – especially if the Blues were previously willing to retain salary to facilitate a trade. Most teams interested in adding a veteran piece instead of subtracting likely won’t have the cap space for Saad at his full impact.

The Blues signed Sylvegård, 25, as an undrafted free agent from Sweden’s Växjö Lakers last offseason. He’s done well on assignment to Springfield, ranking fifth on the team with 21 points (10 G, 11 A) in 35 games, but has yet to receive an NHL recall. Evidently, both parties are satisfied with breaking ties early and allowing him to return to Europe. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent upon termination.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Kraken Reassign Philipp Grubauer

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Jan. 30: Grubauer cleared waivers and will be assigned to the AHL, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The Kraken recalled Ales Stezka from Coachella Valley earlier today to serve as their new backup.

Jan. 29: The Kraken announced Wednesday that they’ve placed goaltender Philipp Grubauer on waivers. He will be reassigned to AHL Coachella Valley if he clears.

Grubauer is the second high-profile veteran in as many days to hit the waiver wire, joining the Blues’ Brandon Saad (who cleared them today). He’s also the second big-money netminder to land on waivers recently after the Penguins’ Tristan Jarry cleared them earlier this month.

Grubauer’s contract is strikingly similar to his counterpart in Pittsburgh’s, except he’s further along. Seattle signed the German to a six-year, $35.4MM commitment in free agency before their inaugural season, tabbing him to serve as their first starter coming off a Vezina Trophy nomination with the Avalanche. He’s now in the fourth year of that deal, which carries a $5.9MM cap hit, and has yet to even sniff an average campaign.

Not once in Grubauer’s nine NHL seasons before arriving in Seattle had he posted a save percentage under .900. But since arriving in the Pacific Northwest, he hasn’t touched .900 in a single season and has averaged a .890 mark with a 3.10 GAA in a Kraken jersey. He hasn’t started north of 40 games since his first season in Seattle and has a cumulative 54-76-12 record with four shutouts.

While Grubauer isn’t playing behind the elite Capitals and Avalanche teams he had support from earlier in his career, he’s actively been a drag on the Kraken’s record over the life of the deal. He’s allowed 57.7 goals above expected since 2021, per MoneyPuck. 17.5 of those conceded goals have come this season, on track to put him last in the league in the stat after doing so already in 2021-22.

His recent run of play makes it easy to see why now is the moment Seattle’s patience has run out. He’s 0-5-1 in his last six appearances and has allowed 22 goals on 127 shots during that timeframe, working out to a .827 SV%. When compared to now-undisputed starter Joey Daccord’s numbers this season (17-12-2, .916 SV%, 2.45 GAA), there’s no questioning whether Grubauer’s struggles are individual or systemic.

There won’t be any takers on waivers as a result, and the likelihood of a trade is minimal – especially with his 10-team no-trade clause. All signs point to a buyout this summer, which would cost the Kraken $1.68MM against the cap for the next four seasons, per PuckPedia. For the rest of the season, Seattle can shave $1.15MM off Grubauer’s cap hit, so he’ll cost $4.75MM against the cap after being reassigned tomorrow.

Where Seattle goes for a new backup for Daccord in the interim remains to be seen. Next up on the depth chart is 28-year-old Ales Stezka, who’s been recalled a handful of times under emergency conditions since signing with the Kraken as an undrafted free agent in 2023 but has yet to make his NHL debut. The Czech goalie has a .902 SV% and 3.00 GAA with an 8-12-4 record in 24 appearances for Coachella Valley this season – not particularly inspiring numbers.

Instead, expect them to trade for a depth netminder from a team with more depth at the position to finish out the season. Third-stringers like the Islanders’ Marcus Högberg and Utah’s Jaxson Stauber have done well in limited action this season, although the former is still needed in New York with Semyon Varlamov on the shelf.

Long-term, Seattle’s set between the pipes with Daccord as the starter. The 28-year-old signed a five-year, $25MM extension in October to keep him off this summer’s free agent market.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Kraken Recall Cale Fleury, Ales Stezka

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The Kraken announced Thursday that they’ve recalled defenseman Cale Fleury and netminder Ales Stezka from AHL Coachella Valley. Seattle didn’t have extra skaters on the active roster, so with three open spots, no corresponding moves are required.

They’ll also return to having two open roster spots later today after goaltender Philipp Grubauer assumedly clears waivers. Stezka’s recall is the corresponding move for that one, meaning the 28-year-old is set for his longest stint on an NHL roster yet as he gets the first crack at serving as starter Joey Daccord’s new backup. He has yet to play in an NHL game but was recalled three times earlier this season under emergency conditions.

Until the Kraken makes an external addition or, in the unlikely event they decide to give Grubauer another shot in the NHL, Stezka is their new No. 2. They signed the Czech netminder as a free agent in 2023 out of the Extraliga’s HC Vítkovice, where he’d worked his way back onto NHL teams’ radars in 2022-23 with a sparkling 2.14 GAA and .924 SV% in 39 games that got him named the league’s best goaltender. The Plzen native was a fourth-round draft pick of the Wild in 2015 but never signed with the club.

Stezka had a good showing in Coachella Valley last year, posting a .914 SV% and 2.48 GAA with an 18-6-2 record in 27 games while backing up Seattle third-stringer Chris Driedger. He re-upped with the Kraken on a two-way deal in June to avoid hitting restricted free agency. He was promoted to No. 3 on the depth chart after Driedger left as a UFA to return to his old stomping grounds in the Panthers organization.

While Stezka has handled more of the workload in Coachella Valley this season than his backup, 2022 second-round pick Niklas Kokko, the latter has better numbers. Stezka’s .902 SV% and 3.00 GAA are acceptable but unimpressive, especially compared to last year’s numbers, and the Firebirds have struggled to an 8-12-4 record with him in net over 24 games. In 18 appearances, Kokko has a 2.46 GAA and .910 SV% with a 13-3-1 record.

Nonetheless, the Kraken will give the older, more professionally experienced option first dibs on a roster spot. Before moving to North America, Stezka posted a 2.45 GAA, .913 SV%, six shutouts, and a 49-42-0 record in 92 Czech Extraliga games.

Meanwhile, Fleury comes up to serve as an extra defenseman – a role the 26-year-old knows well. He was a healthy scratch for all but 12 NHL games in the 2022-23 campaign despite sticking on the roster for the entire season, and he’s since cleared waivers multiple times and been shuttled between Seattle and Coachella Valley frequently. Today marks his first recall since being sent to the Firebirds on Jan. 7. He skated in a pair of games for the Kraken early in the year but has otherwise spent all his time in 2024-25 in the minors, where he has 16 points (6 G, 10 A) and a team-high +14 rating in 28 games.

Jets Recall Parker Ford

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9:38 a.m.: The Jets made Ford’s recall and Barron’s IR placement official with a team announcement.

9:05 a.m.: Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports Thursday that the Jets are set to recall forward Parker Ford from AHL Manitoba. He takes up the Jets’ lone roster spot, which they opened by placing forward Morgan Barron on injured reserve yesterday, per PuckPedia.

Winnipeg signed Ford as an undrafted free agent out of Providence College near the end of the 2022-23 season. He was coming off a strong senior season for the Friars and has produced well in a top-nine role with the Moose in the AHL, posting 31 goals and 62 points in 116 games.

The 24-year-old Ford will make his NHL debut tonight if he plays against the Bruins, but today doesn’t mark his first recall. The Jets summoned him on an emergency recall for their final game of the 2023-24 regular season, also amid an injury to Barron, but he served as a scratch. He was returned to Manitoba the following day. This season, the undersized but feisty center/right-winger is the only double-digit goal scorer on an offensively anemic Moose squad, posting 11 goals and six assists for 17 points in 30 games with 30 PIMs and a minus-three rating.

Ford isn’t a lock to play against his hometown Bruins. The Jets still have 13 healthy forwards on the active roster without him, including fellow AHL call-up Brad Lambert, who’s likely due for a game after sitting out Tuesday’s 4-1 trouncing of the Canadiens. Ford, a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights, does not require waivers this season.

There’s no word on what’s keeping Barron out of the lineup. The 26-year-old fourth-liner logged 12:10 of ice time against the Habs and didn’t appear to miss any action. The IR placement rules him out of the Jets’ next three games, though, and he won’t be eligible to return until Feb. 7 against the Islanders. He’s been limited to five goals and eight points in 52 games this season, although his usual unit with Rasmus Kupari and Alex Iafallo has been sterling defensively, allowing 1.91 expected goals against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.

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