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Archives for February 2025

Ducks’ Trevor Zegras Suspended Three Games

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The league’s Department of Player Safety announced today they’ve suspended Ducks center Trevor Zegras for three games for interference against Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen. Zegras will remain on Anaheim’s active roster while serving the suspension and can return to the lineup on March 4 against the Oilers.

It’s the first suspension of Zegras’ five-year, 245-game career and the second incident that required any sort of supplemental discipline. He was fined $1.5K back in November 2022 for slashing then-Sharks defenseman Matt Benning.

This infraction, however, was far more egregious. The incident occurred late in the second period of last night’s overtime loss, during which Zegras laid a late hit that he left his feet to deliver, forcing his shoulder into Rasmussen’s head. Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said Rasmussen has since been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and isn’t traveling with the team for their game against the Wild tomorrow. On-ice officials failed to assess a penalty to Zegras on the play.

The most pertinent part of the league’s video explanation is transcribed here:

Players who are not in possession of the puck are never eligible to be checked. However, the intereference rule provides a brief window where the player who initiates the check while his opponent is in possession of the puck may finish the hit. This is not such a play. Here, Zegras begins his hitting motion after Zegras releases the puck, and contact is made outside the window where a check may be legally finished. In addition to the lateness, what causes this hit to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the significant head contact on this play combined with the force. 

It’s hard to disagree with DoPS’ description of the play, although a three-game ban could be seen as steep for a first-time offender. It comes amid another injury-plagued and difficult offensive season for the 23-year-old, who has 7-9–16 through 34 games – a 17-goal, 39-point pace over 82 games. That’s a far cry from the back-to-back 60-point campaigns he put up leading into the 2023 offseason when he landed a three-year, $17.25MM deal after months on the RFA market. So far, it’s been a prudent move from general manager Pat Verbeek to hold out for a lower cap hit than expected for a player who finished second in Calder Trophy voting in 2022.

Zegras has looked better since returning from right knee surgery last month. Since coming off injured reserve, he has six points in 10 games, an even rating, and an average ice time of 17:15 per night. It’s not world-beating, but certainly a step in the right direction for the 6’0″ center, who again finds himself in trade rumors ahead of the March 7 deadline.

Without Zegras, Anaheim doesn’t have a healthy extra forward for tomorrow’s road game in Buffalo. They don’t have an open roster spot and would need to make a corresponding transaction to get one up from AHL San Diego.

Kraken Recall Niklas Kokko

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The Kraken have swapped backup netminders. They announced they’ve summoned rookie Niklas Kokko from AHL Coachella Valley, sending down Ales Stezka in a corresponding move after he made his NHL debut in yesterday’s loss to the Lightning. Seattle also returned defenseman Cale Fleury to Coachella.

It’s the first NHL recall for Kokko, who Seattle selected 58th overall in 2022. Now the organization’s top goaltending prospect, the 20-year-old is having a strong rookie season in the AHL – especially considering his age. The 6’4″ goalie has made 21 appearances for the Firebirds with a 2.44 GAA, .909 SV and a 15-4-1 record. He leads qualified rookie netminders in wins and GAA, although he’s one of two who’s yet to record a shutout.

He made the jump stateside last summer after spending the 2023-24 campaign on loan to Kärpät and Pelicans in Liiga in his native Finland. He finished the year with a .926 SV% in 13 games for the latter club and led them to the league’s final postseason round. Kokko didn’t crack The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s recent ranking of Seattle’s top 15 prospects, but it’s hard to ignore the numbers he’s put up over the last couple of seasons.

Stezka, 28, surrendered three goals on 22 shots against the Bolts for a .864 SV% in his debut. The 28-year-old Czechia native had been serving as Joey Daccord’s backup ever since the Kraken waived and reassigned ex-starter Philipp Grubauer to Coachella Valley but only got into a game after Daccord made six consecutive starts on either side of the 4 Nations break. A free agent signing out of the Extraliga’s HC Vítkovice in 2023, he’s posted a .902 SV% and a 2.99 GAA in 25 AHL games this year with a 9-12-8 record. That’s down considerably from last year, where he logged a .914 SV% and a pair of shutouts in 27 games.

Kokko is waiver-exempt, while Stezka isn’t. Seattle won’t want Kokko to sit without playing as Daccord’s backup for long periods. Still, it does make sense to have him come up occasionally for spot duty to delay the exception of Stezka’s temporary waiver exemption.

Maintaining waiver-exempt status is also the chief reason for Fleury’s demotion. He’s been sent between leagues endlessly this season whenever the Kraken need injury insurance on defense, but he hasn’t spent enough time on the roster to warrant clearing waivers again after initially passing through them during the preseason. The 26-year-old has squeaked into Seattle’s lineup seven times this year, recording an assist with a plus-two rating while averaging 12:20 per game with a 48.4 CF% at even strength. He’s tied for the team lead in the minors with a +10 rating and has 6-12–18 in 32 appearances.

Ryan Hartman’s Suspension Reduced Upon Appeal

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has reduced Wild forward Ryan Hartman’s suspension for roughing Senators center Tim Stützle from 10 to eight games, the league announced. He will now be eligible to return to the Minnesota lineup on March 4 against the Kraken instead of March 9 against the Penguins.

The break in the schedule for the 4 Nations Face-Off initially meant Hartman was due to miss more than a month of action after he drove Stützle’s head into the ice immediately following a faceoff, which got him tossed from the game – a 6-0 loss – for intent to injure. As a result, he earned an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety. The NHLPA filed an appeal on Hartman’s behalf two days after their decision, which Bettman heard over the break. Hartman can again appeal to an independent arbitrator since the reduced length is still at least six games. That process will take longer than the remainder of the suspension, so doing so would only result in him getting some money back in his pocket.

Bettman rarely reduces a suspension. He’s only done it twice in the past nine times they’ve come across his desk, most recently decreasing a suspension to then-Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza from six to four games in December 2021. Bettman notes the reduction to eight games came at the request of the NHLPA, saying neither Hartman nor the NHLPA contested the fact that a suspension was appropriate for his actions.

The full ruling, available here, is incredibly detailed. While Bettman calls Hartman’s recent track record of suspensions (four within the last 22 months) “an unenviable record and a pattern of malfeasance,” he did agree with the NHLPA’s assertion that an increase of seven games from Hartman’s most recent discipline “is excessive in this case and that the quantum of increase should be reduced.”

Hartman, 30, has struggled this season with 7-10–17 through 48 games. He missed a significant chunk of games in October with an upper-body injury. His 0.35 points-per-game pace is his lowest since his first campaign in Minnesota in 2019-20, although a career-worst 6.5% shooting rate has a lot to do with that and should rebound somewhat after he returns to the lineup.

Rangers Recall Zac Jones, Brennan Othmann

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The Rangers announced they’ve reinstated defenseman Zachary Jones after sending him to AHL Hartford on a conditioning stint last week. They’ve also recalled high-end wing prospect Brennan Othmann from Hartford and sent defenseman Matthew Robertson there in a corresponding transaction, keeping their active roster at the maximum of 23 players since Jones still counted against the tally.

Jones’ conditioning stint followed 21 healthy scratches in 24 games leading into the 4 Nations break. The 24-year-old entered the season hoping to land a more significant role on the New York blue line after Erik Gustafsson left for the Red Wings in free agency, but it hasn’t panned out. The career No. 7 has only logged 28 appearances despite remaining mostly healthy, notching eight points with a plus-two rating while averaging a career-high 16:31 per game. He’s failed to land regular minutes amid significant turnover on the Rangers’ blue line throughout the year, namely shipping out captain Jacob Trouba and Victor Mancini while bringing in William Borgen and Urho Vaakanainen.

The 2019 third-round pick managed a goal and a minus-one rating in a pair of games for Hartford on Friday and Saturday. It was his first AHL action since the 2022-23 campaign when he recorded 8-23–31 and a +16 rating in 54 games for the Wolf Pack.

While a decent puck-mover in a bottom-pairing role, the Rangers’ general distrust of the 5’11” lefty’s skillset (and some poor possession numbers to back that up) have limited his ability to gain chances higher up in the lineup. He’s posted a negative relative CF% at even strength in all five of his NHL seasons, including a 47.2% outright (-3.9% relative) this year. Simply put, the Rangers control play more often when Jones isn’t on the ice.

He must reverse that perception down the stretch to avoid hitting unrestricted free agency. He’s at risk of being non-tendered as he nears the expiry of the two-year, $1.625MM extension he signed in 2023.

Othmann, 22, lands his first recall of the season. The 2021 16th overall pick made his NHL debut last year, going without a point in three games during a January callup. He did manage six shots on nine attempts, though, and laid the body six times while averaging under 10 minutes per game. While he was reasonably effective in a fourth-line role in his initial NHL showing, his point totals didn’t quite pop as he’d hoped in his first AHL go-around in 2023-24.

The Ontario native has missed significant time due to injury this season, but his point pace has improved slightly when healthy. The 6’0″, 181-lb left-winger has 12-8–20 in 27 games, adding 35 PIMs and a minus-one rating. He totaled 21-28–49 in 67 appearances for Hartford last year with a -24 rating, pointing to slight improvements across the board. He should get a look in the lineup while Chris Kreider is sidelined day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Robertson, 23, was only recalled to serve as an extra while Jones was in Hartford and did not draw into the lineup for either of the Blueshirts’ games this weekend. He’s now been recalled six times over the last two years but has not made his NHL debut. The 6’4″ lefty was a second-rounder back in 2019 and is now in his fourth season in Hartford, where he has 1-17–18 in 47 appearances this year with a career-high plus-two rating.

Utah Hockey Club Reassigns Juuso Välimäki

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Feb. 24: Välimäki cleared waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The team’s Craig Morgan confirms he’ll report to AHL Tucson.

Feb. 23: The Utah Hockey Club’s return to health on the blue line has led to some difficult roster decisions, notably losing defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok on waivers to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Today, the team will attempt to send defenseman Juuso Välimäki through waivers, per a team announcement.

It’s not an unfamiliar situation for the former 16th overall selection of the 2017 NHL Draft. Välimäki was claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames at the beginning of the 2022-23 season by the Arizona Coyotes and has remained with the team through their move to Salt Lake City, UT.

At the time, the Coyotes appeared to have the steal of the season on the waiver wire after Välimäki broke out for four goals and 30 assists in 78 games in his first year with the organization. Arizona was uniquely positioned to allow Välimäki into a top-four role with the club — something the Flames couldn’t do at the time. Unfortunately, the Tampere, Finland native didn’t respond as well with increased responsibility last year.

He improved defensively as evidenced by his +12 rating over 68 appearances and career-high 92.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength. However, his offensive production was cut in half scoring two goals and 17 points despite increasing his average time on ice by approximately a minute.

This year has brought an even larger drop-off for Välimäki. Although Utah has dealt with multiple injuries on the blue line, Välimäki has seen his average ice time drop by two and a half minutes. Falling offensively and defensively, he’s scored two goals and three assists in 43 games with a -5 rating.

Välimäki’s disappointing output could be a blessing in disguise for Utah should they hope to retain him. Even though he’s making an affordable $2MM this year and next, his production has given that contract a slight negative value meaning other teams may let him pass through unclaimed.

Blackhawks Recall Colton Dach

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The Blackhawks announced Monday morning that they’ve recalled forward Colton Dach from AHL Rockford. He was previously up with Chicago for nearly all of January but was returned to the minors early this month. Dach fills one of two open roster spots for the Hawks, who are now carrying an extra forward for their upcoming three-game road swing.

The 22-year-old Dach played 13 games with Chicago during his previous recall, his first in the NHL. He’s in his second professional season after being drafted in the second round in 2021 out of the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. Things are boding well for the younger brother of Canadiens forward and ex-Blackhawk Kirby Dach, who’s broken out for 12-14–26 in 33 AHL games to rank third on Rockford in scoring.

Dach hasn’t looked out of place when given NHL reps, either. He scored a goal and added three assists over last month’s recall, recording 19 shots on goal while averaging 11:35 per game. He likely could have had another couple of points – his shooting percentage of 5.3% was quite low. The 6’4″ pivot got involved physically, leading Chicago this season with 16.32 hits per 60 minutes. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen tossed him into the deep end, starting nearly 60% of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone. That led to understandably poor possession numbers, controlling only 34.7% of shot attempts and 29.6% of expected goals while he was on the ice.

Nonetheless, there were reasons for optimism in Dach’s game. He’ll now get another chance on the roster, although whether he plays Tuesday against Utah is a different question. The Blackhawks are carrying a fully healthy forward group outside of IR-bound Jason Dickinson. While Philipp Kurashev has been a frequent healthy scratch this season and could come out for Dach, he’s played in four straight dating back to before the 4 Nations break and scored in last night’s loss to the Maple Leafs.

Even if he’s sent back to the minors again following Chicago’s road trip, Dach should get an extended look in the NHL following the trade deadline. The Blackhawks are expected to open a roster spot by shipping out recent first-line fixture Ryan Donato and could also ship out pending UFAs Pat Maroon and Craig Smith. Doing so will give the lanky speedster a chance to make Chicago’s opening night roster in 2025-26.

Canadiens Recall Owen Beck

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The Canadiens have recalled center prospect Owen Beck from AHL Laval, per a team announcement. They have an open roster spot and don’t need to make a corresponding transaction. The team said there is an injury-related motivation for his recall, though – Kirby Dach is being evaluated for a lower-body injury and won’t participate in today’s practice.

Montreal selected Beck from the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga Steelheads with the first pick of the second round in the 2022 draft. While he signed his entry-level contract in October of that year, it just came into effect for 2024-25 after he spent two post-draft campaigns on loan back to the OHL.

That means the 21-year-old Beck is in his first professional season, which has already included six NHL appearances with the Habs over the past two months. While he made his NHL debut in January 2023 amid a championship-winning campaign in juniors, this year marks his first multi-game run in the pros.

His adjustment to the next level has been smooth. After a pair of seasons above a point per game to close the book on his major junior career, the two-way pivot ranks second on Laval in scoring with 13-19–32 in 47 appearances. His +11 rating ranks third, helping fuel the success of a Laval club projected to finish second in the North Division behind the Sabres’ farm club in Rochester. Beck has yet to record his first NHL point and averaged just 9:45 per game across his sextet of appearances over the past few weeks. He went 11-for-21 on draws and averaged one shot on goal per game with 13 hits and positive possession impacts, so he’s making his presence known outside of the box score as most expected, given his intelligent play style.

If Dach can’t play tomorrow against the Hurricanes, Beck will likely enter the lineup in a fourth-line role while rumored trade chip Jake Evans sees his minutes elevated. The oft-injured Dach has managed to appear in all 57 games for the Habs this year. He’s struggled in extended top-six deployment, though, posting just 10-12–22 with a team-worst -29 rating. His possession numbers back up the allegations of poor defensive play – his 44.8 CF% at even strength is higher than only Patrik Laine and David Savard among active Montreal skaters this season.

Matthew Tkachuk Expected To Play Again This Season

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The Panthers may have star winger Matthew Tkachuk out for more than the next few games, but his absence won’t persist for the rest of the season. Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed as such on the Joe Rose Show on Monday, saying “he’s playing for us this year” even with the “possibility [his recovery] a bit longer term” (via George Richards of Florida Hockey Now).

Tkachuk missed the Panthers’ 2-1 loss to the Kraken on Saturday with the lower-body injury, which multiple reports indicate is a groin issue, he sustained while playing for the Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Maurice said he’s undergoing final evaluations to determine a recovery timeline today.

Florida is comfortably in a playoff spot, but their final standing in the Atlantic Division remains to be seen and could be significantly impacted by Tkachuk’s absence. They’ve been passed by the Maple Leafs once again for the top spot, now one point back with one more game played, and they’re facing pressure from the surging Lightning in third place. There’s now a 20% chance of the Cats slipping to third and another 6.1% of them falling to a wild-card spot, per MoneyPuck. The Panthers have gone 6-4-1 in 11 games without Tkachuk since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Flames in 2022.

Tkachuk isn’t on pace to reach the 40-goal, 109-point heights of his first season in Florida, but he remains at a 1.10 points-per-game pace and ranks second on the team with a 22-35–57 scoring line. He’s been limited to 52 of 58 games, missing five contests back in October with an illness, but remains the team’s leader in power-play goals with 11 and even-strength assists with 23.

In the meantime, rookie Mackie Samoskevich will be the biggest benefactor of Tkachuk’s minutes. He stepped into the latter’s usual second-line role alongside Sam Bennett in the Seattle game. While he didn’t record a point, he logged a season-high 17:23 of ice time and recorded two shots on goal and three hits. The 2021 first-round pick hasn’t played much over the past month due to injury and illness, but he’s been a solid depth piece in his first entire NHL campaign with 8-9–17 through 49 appearances.

An anticipated return before the postseason or early into the first round likely won’t impact the Panthers’ trade deadline strategy too much. Their top priority will continue to be adding a name to a blue line that’s punched above its weight this year after losing key names on last summer’s free-agent market, contributing to an increase of 0.47 goals against per game compared to 2023-24’s league-best defensive effort.

Red Wings Place Andrew Copp On IR, Sheldon Dries Recalled

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The Detroit Red Wings have placed center Andrew Copp on Injured Reserve and recalled center Sheldon Dries from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The moves come as Detroit tries to deal with multiple injuries that have surfaced throughout the weekend.

Copp suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Wild and will have to miss at least the next seven days. He will not dress for three games, including the Stadium Series game slated for this Saturday. Copp missed yesterday’s overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks and will be eligible to return to the lineup on March 4th against the Carolina Hurricanes. The injury may be shoulder-related as he skated away from a scrum in the Wild game favoring it, however, there is no official confirmation on this.

Copp has dressed in 56 games this season, registering 10 goals and 13 assists while averaging 14:42 of ice time per game, his offensive production is nowhere near in line with his $5.625MM cap hit, however, he does bring a defensive presence to the Red Wings forward group that they missed against the Wild, blowing a lead in that game after Copp’s exit before eventually losing in overtime.

Dries has been a decent offensive depth option in the AHL this season, posting 19 goals and eight assists in 48 games. The 30-year-old hasn’t seen NHL action since April 2023 with the Vancouver Canucks but does have 122 NHL career games on his resume. Dries is having a down year offensively with Grand Rapids after tallying 114 points in 109 games over the past two seasons with the Abbotsford Canucks but hasn’t been able to gain as much traction this year in a new organization.

The Macomb, Michigan native will likely serve as insurance at this point given that Detroit just reinserted Tyler Motte into the lineup and still has Christian Fischer as an option.

Trade Deadline Primer: Vancouver Canucks

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks have had a tumultuous season, to say the least, as the J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson issue derailed a team that had Stanley Cup aspirations coming into the season. Despite everything that has gone on, the Canucks still find themselves in a playoff spot at the moment and appear likely to do everything they can to get into the postseason. The Canucks have re-signed several pending unrestricted free agents in recent weeks, which signals that they do intend to make a go of it and are likely to be buying as they approach the deadline. The team has played better as of late (6-3-1 in their last ten), and if their new additions can settle in, they should be able to perform better than they have to this point in the season.

Record

26-20-11, 4th in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Cautious Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10.41MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention spots used, 46/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, OTT 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th,
2026: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th

Trade Chips

Whether Canucks fans like it or not, the talk on an Elias Pettersson trade is probably not going away anytime soon. Vancouver would be hard-pressed to move their star forward at this time, given his poor play this season and the remaining seven years on his contract at $11.6MM per. Pettersson’s play has fallen off a cliff this season with just 11 goals and 24 assists in 51 games. Some folks believed that Pettersson’s play might pick up when he escaped the Vancouver bubble and played for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but the 26-year-old was largely unimpressive tallying no points in three games. Now, it does appear he was dealing with an injury during the tournament, but his play did not help his trade value. TSN Hockey removed Pettersson from their trade bait board, but they did leave the door open to him being traded in the summer.

The Canucks have already moved on from their biggest trade chip in Miller but could have another big name to move out if they elect to trade forward Brock Boeser. Now, it’s not commonplace for teams to move on from top players when they are in the thick of the playoff race, but nothing about Vancouver has been common this season. It’s also worth noting that the Canucks can’t score (25th in the NHL) with Boeser in the lineup, and they would be unlikely to replace his offense in a 1 for 1 trade. The one move that Vancouver could make is not unlike what they did with Miller and flip Boeser to one team, then use those assets in another deal for an impact player with term remaining on their contract. Boeser’s time in Vancouver has been a rollercoaster, and with him being just four months away from free agency, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him moved. Another note on Boeser is that he has a ten-team modified no-trade clause, but there will be interest from other teams not on his list.

If Vancouver wanted to push into the trade market, they do have some future assets to move despite having a below-average prospects pool (21st in the NHL, as per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic). Vancouver has their first two picks in each of the next two NHL Entry Drafts, which could always be made available, or if they wanted to move out prospects, Jonathan Lekkerimäki would be an intriguing player for most teams who are looking towards the future. The 15th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft hasn’t found NHL success yet but is nearly a point-a-game player in the AHL (26 points in 30 games) this season and is just 20 years old. His skill level is extremely high and could be of interest to a team that is looking for prospects who are close to NHL-ready.

Team Needs

1) Top Six Center – The Canucks were a win away from the Western Conference Finals last year and their top two centers from that club are no longer in Vancouver (Elias Lindholm and Miller). Now, Vancouver is rolling out Filip Chytil and Pettersson as their top two centers, and no disrespect to either player but that isn’t good enough to compete with the likes of Edmonton or Vegas in the Western Conference. Vancouver needs a top-six center who can push everyone down the depth chart, including Pius Suter who is pivoting the third line at the moment and is better suited for fourth-line duties. The idea of a center is easier said than done as there aren’t many names available who would be capable of taking on top six minutes. Brock Nelson of the Islanders is an option, but he would be expensive and a rental at this point. Brayden Schenn is another option, but with three years left at $6.5MM and declining production, he probably isn’t the best candidate either. If the Canucks wanted to gamble, Dylan Cozens out of Buffalo is a name that would be of interest, Cozens has struggled this season with just 11 goals and 16 assists in 55 games, but he is just two years removed from a 68-point season and at 24 years of age, could be a bounce back candidate that the Canucks buy low on.

2) Scoring – Vancouver can’t score and desperately need help on the wings and down the middle. The Canucks have been trying out recently acquired Drew O’Connor on the top line, but with two goals in six games, he isn’t a long-term fit and is better suited for a third-line role. If Vancouver wanted to make a bigger splash, they could take a run at Rickard Rakell out of Pittsburgh, who is having a terrific season with 25 goals and 24 assists in 58 games. Rakell can play on both wings and even center in a pinch, but it would be costly as he does have term left on his deal (three years at $5MM per season), and the Penguins are in no rush to move him. If Vancouver wanted to jump into the rental market, Kyle Palmieri of the Islanders or Montreal’s Joel Armia might be cheaper options who can provide depth offense. None of the available options are particularly great for Vancouver, who are tasked with looking for scoring in a seller’s market. The Canucks do have significant cap space available to them and might be able to land a higher-priced pending unrestricted free agent (like Palmieri) who isn’t performing up to their cap hit. This happened last season with Jason Zucker, who was dealt from Arizona to Nashville for a sixth-round pick last deadline because Arizona couldn’t retain his $5.3MM cap hit, which drove down the price as Nashville was willing to take on the entire cap hit.

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