Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Connor Dewar, Place Chris Tanev On IR
According to a team announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs have activated forward Connor Dewar from the injured reserve and have placed defenseman Chris Tanev on it. Tanev’s placement is retroactive to February 25th, meaning Toronto needs to wait a few more days before activating him.
Dewar, the second-year Maple Leaf, has spent much of the year on the team’s injured reserve. He missed the first month of the season due to offseason surgery for a torn labrum and the last month due to an upper-body issue. The career bottom-six center has tallied three assists in 29 games for Toronto this year, averaging 10:07 of ice time per game.
Considering he had more points in fewer games for the Maple Leafs after they acquired him from the Minnesota Wild at last year’s deadline, they were likely hoping for more from Dewar when they gave him a $380K raise this past summer. Still, the injuries have understandably precluded Dewar from getting his season on track, and a healthy finish to the year should prove beneficial.
Meanwhile, Tanev has already missed last Friday’s game against the New York Rangers and today’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins due to an upper-body injury. Toronto feared the worst when Tanev was seen wearing a sling after exiting last Tuesday’s loss to the Boston Bruins. However, David Alter of The Hockey News shared that the Maple Leafs had avoided the worst with Tanev’s injury, and his recovery timeline was considered day-to-day.
Given the rules regarding activating a player from the injured reserve, Tanev must miss tomorrow’s game against the San Jose Sharks. Should he be healthy enough to return, the gritty top-four defenseman can return on Wednesday when Toronto matches up against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Central Notes: Jets, Maroon, Bichsel, Carcone
The Winnipeg Jets are entering the Trade Deadline with little bargaining pieces but plenty of cap space. That’s the set up for some low-cost lineup tinkering, with left-defense the most glaring issue on the roster. That hole could draw the Jets towards open market options like Boston’s Brandon Carlo or Seattle’s Jamie Oleksiak, per Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press. Both players carry a cap hit below $5MM. Oleksiak’s deal expires at the end of next season, while Carlo has two years left and a modified no-trade clause.
The added security and movement protection could make Carlo a tough fish to catch. Oleksiak will likely be much more expendable for the right price. The 32-year-old defensive-defenseman has been a focal point of the Kraken blue-line over the last four seasons. He’s averaging 19 minutes of ice time through 60 games this year, while posting 13 points, 14 penalty minutes, and a minus-eight. That stat line is largely in-line with what Oleksiak has managed in three prior years in Seattle – routinely floating between 15 and 20 points and negative plus-minuses, all while serving from a carved out role on the second pair. Oleksiak is six-foot-seven, 250-pounds and patrols the defensive end with a long reach and heavy physical presence. Winnipeg has tried to net the same impact from players like Logan Stanley – one of the only NHLers as tall as Oleksiak – but to little avail. Stanley has just nine points, 72 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 in 47 games on Winnipeg’s bottom-pair. Any upgrade they make will be solely focused on improving that third-pair’s standing as the Jets plan for a very late season.
Other notes from the Midwest:
- The Chicago Blackhawks have kicked the door to the Trade Deadline wide open by swapping defender Seth Jones for goaltender Spencer Knight and a first-round pick. All signs point towards the Hawks continuing to sell as the deadline draws closer – with pieces like Ryan Donato, Alec Martinez, and Petr Mrazek all on the block. But of their aged veterans, winger Pat Maroon doesn’t seem likely to join in on the relocation. He told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he’d prefer to stay with Chicago rather than experience yet another deadline trade. Maroon has been moved in February or March three different times in his career, including at last year’s deadline. He signed his first open market contract since 2020 this summer – choosing the Windy City as his landing spot. 54 games later, Maroon must clearly be enjoying the role of veteran leader and Stanley Cup expert in front of Chicago’s young core. He has 14 points, 71 penalty minutes, and a minus-11 on the year, while serving a minimal role in Chicago’s bottom-six. While opening up that spot would certainly open minutes for more top prospects, it’d be tough to see Chicago go against Maroon’s wishes for anything less than a golden offer.
- Top rookie defenseman Lian Bichsel is progressing in his return from an upper-body injury. He is doubtful for the Dallas Stars’ game against St. Louis on Sunday, but could return when they face New Jersey on Tuesday, per Dallas News’ Lia Assimakopoulos. Bichsel was injured on a high hit from New York Islanders grinder Casey Cizikas on February 23rd. He’s missed two games since. Bichsel has played the first 18 games of his NHL career this season. He has five points, 14 penalty minutes, and a plus-six in that span – and has looked the part of a projectable first-round pick. News of his return on Tuesday will also suggest that Bichsel will continue to hold a role on the NHL roster, though it will be shaky ground as Dallas looks to buy improvements at the deadline. In an aforementioned fun fact, Bichsel is one of the few other six-foot-seven defenders.
- The Utah Hockey Club were without depth forward Michael Carcone on Saturday evening. He was listed as a game-time decision due to a lower-body injury, per Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune. Carcone has filled a minimal lineup role in Utah, with 13 points, 29 penalty minutes, and a minus-seven in 41 games this year. Utah turned towards Kevin Stenlund to fill-in during the losing effort. Stenlund recorded one assist in 11 minutes of ice time. It was his 14th point of the year through 61 appearances. Jack McBain also saw a boost in Carcone’s absence, stepping onto the second-unit power-play. He did not manage any scoring in the fill-in role.
Rangers Holding Reilly Smith Out Today For Trade Deadline Reasons
The New York Rangers are reportedly holding forward Reilly Smith out of tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators for trade deadline reasons (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Smith is a pending UFA and given the Rangers current position in the standings it’s fair to assume he will be traded before Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline.
Smith was acquired by the Rangers last summer from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional fifth round pick in 2025. The Penguins picked up $1.25MM of Smith’s $5MM salary in the trade, meaning that the 33-year-old is counting $3.75MM against the salary cap this season.
The former Stanley Cup Champion was terrific for the Vegas Golden Knights during their 2023 run to the title and has posted strong underlying numbers throughout his career. However, he has seen those numbers fall to career lows this season and has tallied just 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 games.
With the trade market being a seller’s market at the moment, it’s easy to see why the Rangers have been so active. New York is unlikely to make the playoffs and can ill afford to let free agents walk if they have any hopes of re-tooling next season.
Any team looking to acquire Smith will likely do so with a top nine role in mind for the 14-year NHL veteran. Smith is still capable of driving offense off the rush but is probably best suited for a role on the third line of a strong forward group. He can still take second line minutes in a pinch but probably shouldn’t be counted on to drive play for a Stanley Cup contender.
Metropolitan Notes: Olivier, Joseph, Hathaway
The Columbus Blue Jackets are closing in on an extension with forward Mathieu Olivier (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The 28-year-old is in his sixth season with Columbus and has set career highs in many statistical categories, registering 12 goals and nine assists in 60 games. While he will never be an analytical darling, Olivier has made his presence known this season, posting 228 hits and 66 blocked shots.
Olivier is in the second season of a two-year $2.2MM contract and was set to become a UFA on July 1st. He picked an excellent time to have a career year and will surely earn a raise on the $1.1MM he is making this season.
In other Metropolitan Division notes:
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph left yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury (Twitter Link). The injury occurred when Bruins forward Mark Kastelic hit Joseph with a thunderous body check that sent the Penguins defender to the ice and ultimately out of the game. It was an unfortunate end to an eventful day for Joseph who had earlier laid a hit that sent Bruins forward Brad Marchand out of the game. It’s been a tough stretch this season for the 25-year-old who was dealt mid-season from St. Louis back to the Penguins for future considerations and has been exposed defensively for much of the time since his return.
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway was unavailable for last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets due to an upper body injury (Twitter link). Hathaway last played on Thursday against Pittsburgh, and likely suffered the injury after taking a late hit from Penguins forward Boko Imama. Imama was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play and Hathaway needed assistance to get off the ice. The 33-year-old Hathaway has eight goals and 10 assists in 60 games this season and has continued to provide a physical presence for the Flyers, handing out 218 hits.
Morning Notes: O’Reilly, Gourde, Evans
The Nashville Predators are reportedly listening to trade offers on veteran center Ryan O’Reilly (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). The Predators aren’t in a hurry to move the 34-year-old as he still has two years left on his current contract at $4.5MM per season and continues to provide strong two-way play, despite his offensive production dipping this season. O’Reilly is just a year removed from posting 69 points in 82 games and has put up points at a reasonable rate this year with 14 goals and 22 assists in 56 games.
The Predators aren’t actively trying to trade the Clinton, Ontario native, but it does sound as though they are open to doing so if they receive a trade offer that is to their liking. They currently sit 16 points out of a playoff spot but have many veterans inked to long term deals and are unlikely to initiate a rebuild anytime soon.
In other morning notes:
- The Seattle Kraken have not closed the door on re-signing pending free agent center Yanni Gourde (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Gourde is out of the lineup at the moment recovering from successful sports hernia surgery and has not played since January 2nd. He is expected to return before the NHL Trade Deadline and could be moved if Seattle can’t sign him to an extension. The situation is not unlike that of Jordan Eberle last year, who lingered on trade boards up until he signed a two-year extension to remain in Seattle.
- The Montreal Canadiens are reportedly open to keeping forward Jake Evans and won’t just move him for the sake of trading him (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Montreal remains in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference, sitting just three points back of Detroit for the final Wild Card spot and has plenty of draft picks at their disposal. The Canadiens have reportedly communicated their willingness to hang onto the 28-year-old Evans, who is set to become a UFA on July 1st. LeBrun believes that Winnipeg, New Jersey, Minnesota, Toronto and Edmonton are among the teams that have inquired about Evans.
Golden Knights Sign Trent Swick To Entry-Level Contract
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed 2024 sixth-round pick Trent Swick to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal is set to begin in the 2025-26 season. Swick is currently with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, where he’s scored 57 points in 55 games this season – second-most on the team.
Swick is a towering six-foot-six, 210-pound winger who skates smoothly, doesn’t take penalties, and gets back on defense. Those points are evidenced by his measly 38 penalty minutes and a strong plus-seven this year. His size limits what roles Swick can play in the offensive end, but he fills what’s asked of him well – holding space in the slot and using a long reach to disrupt opponents.
Swick had a breakout year last season. With the eyes of NHL scouts watching close, he jumped from 18 points in 33 games in 2022-23 to 62 points in 63 games last year. He found his niche as a passing catalyst for Kitchener’s smaller and more dynamic scorers. But Swick was distinctly helped along by an improved ability to hang onto the puck and work his way into space. He improved his play through traffic on and off of the puck, and continues to improve his scoring pace this year as a result.
With sixth-round acclaim and juniors scoring that, while strong, doesn’t jump off the page – it’s not likely that Swick will make an impact on the NHL roster in the short term. He’ll instead likely be forced to decided between the AHL and college hockey next season, with recent agreements between the CHL and NCAA opening the door for the soon-to-be 21-year-old to take either path. Should he turn pro, Swick’s body control in his lofty frame could earn Vegas’ attention very quickly. The New York Rangers have notably found their own successes leaning into their oversized forwards, with Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe each carving niche roles in the Rangers bottom-six.
Panthers Acquire Seth Jones From Blackhawks
The Florida Panthers have acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The full trade sends Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The first-round pick will become a 2027 pick if Florida decides to trade their 2026 pick in another deal, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Additionally, Chicago is retaining 26.3% of Jones’ hefty $9.5MM cap hit, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
The Blackhawks have made the deal official.
This marks the first blockbuster deal of true Trade Deadline season. Jones has been vocal about his desire for a move in the weeks leading up to the deadline, though he never requested a formal trade. Nonetheless, Chicago will find a great match in the contending Florida Panthers. It’s not the landing spot many expected, after Jones shared publicly that he’d welcome a return to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he previously spent six years.
Jones’ $9.5MM cap hit has stood as the barrier to any moves over the last few seasons. His presence, even at a reduced $7.0MM cap hit, will cash-strap the Panthers for the rest of the season. They now have only $629K in available deadline cap space, per PuckPedia.
Jones will be worth the investment, though. He’s been the clear-cut number-one defender in front of a rebuilding Chicago for the last four seasons. Jones
confidently led all Blackhawks defenders in scoring this season, with seven goals and 27 points in 42 games. It’s his highest scoring pace since the 2021-22 campaign – his first year in Chicago – when he scored 51 points in 78 games. His totals dwindled in the ensuing two seasons, with Jones netting 37 points in 2022-23 and 31 points last year. But while his scoring captures plenty of attention, Jones’ defensive play has stood as a glaring weakness. He has a minus-18 this season – slightly worse than the minus-15 he posted last year but far improved from a minus-37 and minus-38 in his first two years as a Blackhawk. While serving as the ice time leader on a perennial bottom-team will certainly drive those numbers down, Chicago has found their best success when Jones is flanked by a defensive specialist like Alex Vlasic.
If any team can afford Jones’ all-offense, no-defense style – it’s the Florida Panthers. They ceded top-pair defender Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken in this year’s free agent market. That left Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling standing alone on a defense that won last year’s Stanley Cup on the back of a tremendously deep blue-line. Jones could be the piece that spurs that weakness. Montour recorded a dazzling 73 points in 80 games with the 2022-23 Panthers, in a role that allowed him to drive the puck down the ice with little worry. Long-distance control and playmaking are Jones’ speciality, and what supported him to a career-high 57 points next to Zach Werenski on the 2017-18 Blue Jackets.
Chicago will find just as sweet of a match with their new additions. Knight was a premier youth hockey prospect and earned a first-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft after two strong years with the U.S. National Team’s Development Program. He broke into the NHL two years later and quickly flashed as someone who could eventually challenge Sergei Bobrovsky‘s starting role. Knight recorded a .909 save percentage and 23-9-3 record across his first 36 NHL games, and first two pro seasons.
But his play took a hard hit in the 2022-23 campaign, and Knight made the decision to enter the NHL Player’s Assistance Program in February of that year.
The decision ended his season early, and the Panthers opted to deploy Knight as their AHL starter in the ensuing 2023-24 campaign. He took to the role phenomenally, recording a 25-14-5 record and .905 Sv% in 45 games with the Charlotte Checkers. That was enough to earn Knight a jump back to the NHL backup role this year, where he’s continued to perform well – with a .907 Sv% and 12-8-1 record on the year.
Knight has had an up-and-down journey through the NHL – but he’s never played poorly for more than a short stretch. In fact, he hasn’t at any point in his hockey career recorded a save percentage below .900 across a full season. In his pro career, Knight has a .906 in 80 NHL games and a .905 in 58 AHL games.
Those numbers are beyond serviceable, and the former 13th-overall draft pick will now get a chance to show he can sustain them in a starter’s role. The Blackhawks’ crease is wide open with veteran Petr Mrazek struggling to stay above water this season. Mrazek has posted a .890 Sv% and 10-19-2 record – his worst numbers since he played 18 games with the Maple Leafs in the 2021-22 season. Mrazek’s slow play has landed him in the midst of trade rumors.
Those rumors won’t be helped along by the acquisition of a new top goaltender, though the Blackhawks could afford to ease Knight into what is sure to be a bombarded role. Mrazek recorded the most losses (31) and sixth-most shots against (1,724) last season. Since Mrazek joined the Blackhawks in 2022, only one goalie with more than 100 games played has faced more shots against-per-60 – Anaheim’s John Gibson, who has faced two more shots-per-60 than Mrazek.
That’s the setup of an incredibly difficult role – one that will be hard to turn over to the technically unproven Knight. The Blackhawks find themselves dead-last in the Central Division with March rolling around. With the season already lost, and surely more deadline moves awaiting them, the Hawks could dedicate the remainder of the year towards feeling out a new look to their roster of the future. If all goes well, former top pick Knight will lead the crop in net.
Meanwhile, Florida will have to find a new man to back up Bobrovsky’s heavy utilization. Longtime NHL backup Chris Driedger has served as the most-used netminder for the AHL’s Checkers, though he’s split time with career minor leaguer Ken Appleby. Appleby has posted the better stat line of the two – with an 11-7-1 record and .908 SV% to Driedger’s 10-6-4 record and .878 SV%. They’ve played 19 and 20 games respectively. But both veterans have been outdone by second-year pro Cooper Black, who has a dazzling .921 SV% and 7-2-1 record in 10 appearances this year. The strong AHL performances are a bit of a surprise, given Black started the year with a 4-3-0 record and .886 SV% in seven ECHL games. Nonetheless, he could be the sneaky pick to earn an NHL look should Florida want to find ways to lean into their young options, rather than turning towards their pair of perennial backups.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Pacific Notes: Flames, Thrun, Gibson
The Calgary Flames have defined the last two Trade Deadlines by selling a suite of impactful veterans, but they’re set up to take much more of a back seat this year. General manager Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that their focus continues to be adding young players to round out their existing core – not to bring in any major additions. Conroy went on to add that the Flames would be interested in adding a left-shot defender, but that any deal would need to make sense for the club.
Calgary won’t have a ton of trade chips to move at the deadline, with veterans Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, and MacKenzie Weegar all on the untouchables list. Conroy told Francis that their lack of assets has limited the calls the Flames are receiving – but that the market is also quieter than in years past. He went on to praise the efforts of players like Joel Hanley, Ilya Solovyov, and Jake Bean – who would stand in direct competition of any defenders acquired via trade.
The expressed interest could connect Calgary to a scant defender market at the deadline. Vancouver’s Carson Soucy, San Jose’s Mario Ferraro, and Pittsburgh’s Matt Grzelcyk headline a market full of middling left-defenders. The market price has already been set, after New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Jimmy Vesey in exchange for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.
Other notes from out West:
- Speaking of left-defense, the San Jose Sharks will be without youngster Henry Thrun in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Thrun has one goal and 10 points in 51 games this season – one fewer than he scored in just as many games last year. The former Harvard Crimson captain is still very early in his career, but has improved his standing in San Jose’s lineup seemingly every night. He played a career-high 24 minutes in San Jose’s Monday loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and averaged 17 minutes per night on the year. San Jose will turn Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jack Thompson – who have been exchanging minutes of their own – to fill in for Thrun’s absence.
- Netminder John Gibson will draw back in for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday per Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Gibson has missed Anaheim’s last three games after sustaining an upper-body injury on February 22nd. The Ducks recalled Oscar Dansk to serve as the backup behind Lukas Dostal in Gibson’s absence. Dansk has posted an .886 save percentage and 10-10-3 record in 27 AHL games this season. He’s been reassigned to the minor leagues per Mathieu Sheridan of The Hockey News. Meanwhile Gibson will return to platooning in the starter’s role, looking to build on his .916 save percentage and 9-9-2 record amid a resurging season.
Wild Recall David Jiricek, Reassign Two
The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman David Jiricek and reassigned forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Liam Ohgren. The moves clear space for winger Gustav Nyquist, who Minnesota acquired from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick on Saturday morning.
Jiricek’s recall comes after news that both Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin are banged up. Bogosian sat out of Minnesota’s Friday game with a lower-body injury, per NHL.com’s Joe Smith. Brodin played just 15:47 of the outing, and his availability remains up in the air per Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Jiricek will be the beneficiary of any open minutes, after he recorded his first point in seven AHL games on Friday. He’s struggled to find a consistent rut in the Wild organization, with two points in six NHL games and six points in 26 AHL games. The Wild acquired Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 30th, sending Daemon Hunt and three draft picks the other way. Jiricek is in his third season in North America, and his cold scoring has dragged through every year. He has 66 points in 114 career AHL games, and 13 points in 59 NHL games.
The Wild’s swap of forwards in this mix might not sway their scoring a ton. Ohgren and Khusnutdinov have combined for just four points across their last 10 games. Ohgren has often served as Minnesota’s extra forward, with just four points in 23 games this season. Khusnutdinov has served a hardier role as the fourth-line center, but has just seven points in 57 games. Nyquist has confidently outscored both youngster in his time with Nashville – netting 21 points in 57 games – but he’s managed just one assist in his last 10 NHL games.
Nyquist had a stint with the Wild during the 2022-23 season as well. He scored five points in three games on that stint, but an upper-body injury kept him from stepping into the lineup more before hitting unrestricted free agency. With these moves, Minnesota has carved out the lineup spot needed to give Nyquist a truer look this time around.
Rangers To Place Chris Kreider On IR, Recall Brett Berard
The New York Rangers have recalled rookie winger Brett Berard from the minor leagues. They’re also expected to place winger Chris Kreider on injured reserve in a corresponding move per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. Kreider has missed New York’s last three games with an upper-body injury. He was a late scratch for each absence and doesn’t yet have a clear timeline to return. The Rangers can make Kreider’s IR placement retroactive to his last game on February 22nd. That will make him eligible to be activated as soon as he’s back to full health.
Berard spent six weeks on the NHL roster between November and January. He stepped into the first 19 games of his NHL career on that stint and recorded seven points, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-nine. The Rangers returned Berard to the minors in mid-January, and he’s shown the top-flight stint kicked his game into a new gear. He has 10 points, 25 penalty minutes, and a minus-five in 14 AHL games since returning to the minors.
Berard will join fellow rookie Brennan Othmann on the NHL roster. Othmann filled in Kreider’s vacancy over the last two games, with no scoring and just 18 minutes of combined ice time. Berard will give the Rangers a hotter hand to try and make up for Kreider’s lineup hole. They could also turn towards new addition Juuso Parssinen to fill a left-wing role, after acquiring him as part of a swap that sent Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche. Parssinen has 11 points in 37 games this season – split between time in Nashville and Colorado. The Rangers have two wing vacancies to fill.
Kreider has turned his season around in February, recording four points in six NHL games and one goal in two games at the 4-Nations Face-Off. He’s up to 17 goals and 21 points in 48 games this season. That’s enough to tie for second on the Rangers in goals scored, leaving a glaring hole in New York’s hot-and-cold offense. Their pair of rookies, and new acquisition, will have a golden opportunity to step up in Kreider’s absence. A hot performance could go a long way towards earning routine minutes with the Rangers now down Vesey.