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West Notes: Sergachev, Kuzmenko, Gourde, De Leo

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Utah will be missing its top defenseman tonight against St. Louis as the team announced (Twitter link) that Mikhail Sergachev will not play due to an upper-body injury.  He left the morning skate early and is listed as day-to-day.  The 26-year-old has impressed in his first season with the team after being acquired from Tampa Bay at the draft, playing big minutes in all situations while posting 30 points in 45 games.  Sergachev is averaging 25:45 per game, second to only Columbus blueliner Zach Werenski in that regard.  Taking his place in the lineup will be recent waiver claim Nick DeSimone.

More from out West:

  • Heading into the season, Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko felt like a probable trade candidate. It was expected that Calgary would be rebuilding and they hoped he’d bounce back after a tough 2023-24 performance.  Neither has happened, however, as the Flames are in a battle for the playoffs and Kuzmenko has struggled even more.  Accordingly, even though they’d likely welcome the open roster spot, Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald opines that the 28-year-old is unlikely to move.  At $5.5MM, Calgary would have to retain salary to move him and since he only has one goal and nine assists in 32 games, they may not get more than a late-round pick even with retention, meaning it might be the best usage of a retention slot and money.  Kuzmenko had 74 points in 2022-23 and 46 last season; even getting to half of that this year is now in question.
  • Kraken center Yanni Gourde has yet to progress to on-ice work as he continues to battle a lower-body injury, head coach Dan Bylsma told reporters including Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). However, that shouldn’t be construed as a lack of progression as Bylsma said Gourde’s recovery is still moving along.  Gourde has been battling this injury off and on this season and it appears they’ll give him ample time for it to try to heal once and for all.
  • Nashville’s farm team in Milwaukee has claimed winger Chase De Leo off waivers from Charlotte, the AHL announced. Waivers are extremely rare in the minors but if a player plays overseas and then signs as a free agent as De Leo did (with stints in the KHL and Switzerland), he has to go through waivers before playing.  De Leo has 349 points in 494 career AHL games, giving the Predators a quality veteran for the Admirals with this claim.

Capitals Activate Charlie Lindgren, Assign Hunter Shepard To Minors

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The Capitals will welcome back part of their goalie tandem tonight against Pittsburgh.  The team announced that they have activated Charlie Lindgren off injured reserve and assigned Hunter Shepard to AHL Hershey.

The move effectively reverses the one made last weekend.  At that time, Lindgren had just suffered an upper-body injury and the placement meant he’d miss at least a week.  Fortunately for Washington, he’ll wind up only missing the minimum amount of time though he’ll serve as the backup and not the starter tonight.

Lindgren has been in a platoon with Logan Thompson this season and had a decent first half.  Through his first 21 starts, he has a 2.65 GAA (down slightly from last year) along with a .900 SV%, numbers that are better than the NHL average.  The 31-year-old is in the final season of his contract, one that carries a bargain $1.1MM price tag.  He’s well-positioned to more than double that on the open market this summer barring a significant collapse in the second half.

As for Shepard, he didn’t see any action with Washington while on recall with Thompson shouldering the workload in Lindgren’s absence.  The 29-year-old made his first NHL appearances last season, getting into four games while winning the Most Outstanding Goaltender award in the AHL.  However, he didn’t play to that same level in the first half of this season as Shepard has a 2.68 GAA and a .898 SV% in 23 outings with the Bears so far.

Avalanche Recall Ivan Ivan

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Ivan Ivan was one of the early-season surprises for the Avalanche, going from an undrafted free agent signing to someone who played a regular role early on before recently being sent down.  However, his time in the minors is over for now as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Colorado.

The 22-year-old spent last season on a minor-league deal with the Eagles, notching 12 goals and 19 assists in 62 games, a more than respectable showing as a rookie.  That was enough for the Avs to ink Ivan to a two-year entry-level deal last March, giving them the chance to use him with the big club.

That opportunity came sooner than many expected as a strong preseason showing helped him break camp with the Avalanche.  Ivan has played in 37 games with them so far this season, recording five goals and three assists while averaging 10:24 per night but hasn’t had a point since late November.  He suffered an upper-body injury in late December and the Avalanche recently sent Ivan down to the Eagles to get a bit of playing time upon recovery.  He got into two games with the Eagles, picking up a goal and an assist.

With Ivan’s return, Colorado is now at the maximum of 23 players on its active roster.

Devils Place Erik Haula On IR, Recall Colton White

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1/18: Halonen has been returned to the NHL roster and will step into the lineup on Saturday, per James Nichols. Nichols also shared that the team is also anticipating the return of Noesen, who should return to his premier role in the middle-six.

1/17: The New Jersey Devils have moved centerman Erik Haula to injured reserve retroactive to January 4th, when Haula suffered an ankle sprain in a loss to the San Jose Sharks. He has missed five games since then. In a corresponding move, New Jersey has also recalled defenseman Colton White from the AHL’s Utica Comets. White’s recall gives New Jersey a seventh defenseman ahead of their pair of home games this weekend.

Haula is joined on the absentee list by fellow middle-six forward Stefan Noesen – who has missed the Devils’ last two games with illness. The duo’s absence has weighed heavily on a Devils team whose lack of depth is quickly becoming apparent. Noesen has far-and-away been the more productive of the pair, so far posting 28 points in 45 games this season. He’s only nine points shy of passing the career-high 37 points he scored last season – a mark he should smash, even despite missing time recently.

Haula only has 11 points on the year to match, a far step down from his point totals over the last three seasons. He has managed 44, 41, and 35 points in the last three seasons respectively – the first coming with Boston and the latter two in New Jersey. Haula’s ability to produce from down the depth chart has been a vital piece to keeping the Devils’ offense cohesive. New Jersey hasn’t found a replacement for that production with Haula lacking, and aren’t likely to find further help in his absence.

Finally, depth winger Brian Halonen has been reassigned to the Utica Comets in a paper transaction, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Halonen has posted a serviceable 13 goals and 21 points in 31 AHL games this season, but is still searching for his first NHL point after two scoreless games last season.

Devils’ Simon Nemec Frustrated To Be In The AHL

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New Jersey Devils top prospect, Simon Nemec, made some comments earlier this week when discussing his future with the Devils and his current status in the AHL (as per Tomáš Prokop of Dennik Sports). The defenseman stated that he was not happy with his current position in the AHL and voiced his displeasure, saying that he feels he has proven that he belongs in the NHL. He also added that it is too early to request a trade but at some point, the situation would need to be addressed.

The 2022 second-overall pick is in his third professional season, most of which he has spent with the Utica Comets of the AHL. However, last season the 20-year-old did dress in 60 NHL games with New Jersey and was effective, tallying three goals and 16 assists and garnering some Calder Trophy consideration for top rookie.

James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reached out to the Devils organization to see if they were aware of any frustrations with Nemec and said they weren’t aware of that but knew that he was disappointed to be playing outside the NHL.

Nemec did mention in his interview that he felt he was moving on from one of the toughest times he’s had in hockey, as he dealt with an upper-body injury earlier this season that he suffered at the 2026 Olympic qualifiers. Nemec was able to make the team out of training camp but had a very slow start in the NHL, posting just a single assist in nine games before he was demoted to Utica.

He’s been good in the AHL, posting 16 points in 23 games. However, the tricky part for Nemec is that the Devils’ defense is deep, and they are playing some great hockey this season, which adds to the challenge of getting back to the NHL.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Three Players

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Jan. 16: As expected, the team announced all three players have been recalled from Abbotsford again.

Jan. 15: The Vancouver Canucks have sent three players back to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, in a transaction likely categorized as a paper move. Defenseman Guillaume Brisebois and forwards Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Max Sasson are included in the transaction but will likely be recalled tomorrow.

Brisebois, Lekkerimaki, and Sasson are the only three waiver-exempt players on the active roster for the Canucks giving context to today’s move. Brisebois normally wouldn’t be exempt from waivers but has already cleared the waiver wire in late September and hasn’t played in 10 or more games with Vancouver nor has he spent more than 30 days on the active roster.

The 27-year-old defenseman has spent his entire eight-year professional career in the Canucks organization and played in his first NHL action since the 2022-23 season this year. Injuries limited him to only eight AHL contests last year but he’s already accrued 23 this season scoring one goal overall. He has been quite limited in his time on ice in Vancouver, averaging 15:48 of ice time throughout just three games this year.

Lekkerimaki likely has the highest name recognition of the three players reassigned as the first-round pick of the Canucks in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s scored 12 goals and 17 points in 21 games for AHL Abbotsford this season but hasn’t been able to translate the goal-scoring to the NHL level yet. Still, he’s scored two goals and one assist in 10 games for Vancouver while being limited to only 13:52 of ice time per game. Should the Canucks trade any top-six forwards off the active roster leading up to the trade deadline, Lekkerimaki may get an expanded look down the stretch.

Sasson is the only member of the trio to register more than 10 games for the Canucks this season. He’s been an effective bottom-six winger during his rookie campaign scoring two goals and six points in 19 games. He hasn’t produced the best possession numbers, which isn’t uncommon for a rookie, but he’s quickly become one of the better defensive forwards on the team with a 94.7% on-ice save percentage while at even strength.

Winnipeg Jets Loan Dylan Coghlan To AHL

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It is becoming clear after today’s transactions that the Winnipeg Jets’ defensive roster is undergoing some refreshing changes. The team acquired defenseman Isaak Phillips from the Chicago Blackhawks earlier today and subsequently announced that they have loaned defenseman Dylan Coghlan to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

The move indicates defensemen Colin Miller and Haydn Fleury are nearing a return to full health giving Winnipeg eight healthy defensemen on the active roster. Factoring in today’s acquisition of Phillips, the moves have likely pushed Coghlan into a full-time AHL role unless injuries pile up in the NHL.

Coghlan cleared waivers on December 19th and given that he didn’t suit up in 10 games nor spend 30 days on the NHL roster he was waiver-exempt from today’s transaction. Winnipeg will maintain this flexibility with Coghlan assuming he spends the foreseeable future with AHL Manitoba.

He’s no stranger to AHL hockey, either. Coghlan nearly spent the entire 2023-24 campaign (aside from one game) in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds and had the best professional season of his career. He scored 16 goals and 41 points in 61 games for the Thunderbirds tying for second in scoring on the team.

The Moose could certainly use his expertise. They’re on the outside looking in for a position in the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs sitting last in the Central Division with an 11-19-1-1 record through the first 32 games. Additionally, Manitoba’s offense is the worst in the league with a 2.28 GF/G making Coghlan’s offensive capabilities all the more important.

New York Islanders Return Marc Gatcomb To AHL

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Jan. 15th: Eric Rosner of The Hockey News reports that Gatcomb has been returned to AHL Bridgeport, meaning the illness afflicting many of the Islanders’ players has passed. Gatcomb skated in 7:27 of ice time in his NHL debut yesterday evening, racking up four hits and one blocked shot.

Jan. 14th: The New York Islanders have used an emergency recall on forward Marc Gatcomb in advance of Tuesday’s game against Ottawa. The Islanders have been eligible for the move since placing Simon Holmstrom on injured reserve on January 7th, but opted to carry 12 forwards on their recent three-game road trip. They won all three games.

Gatcomb will join the Islanders upon their return home, though it’s not clear if he’ll get a crack at the NHL lineup. Gatcomb has a stout nine goals and 17 points in 34 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders – ranking him as the fifth-highest scorer on the team. He’s also recorded 18 penalty minutes and, surprisingly, no fighting majors. He was much quicker to drop the mitts with the Abbotsford Canucks, who signed him as an undrafted college free agent in 2021. He spent the bulk of the last three seasons in Abbotsford, filling a bottom-six role and ultimately totaling 28 points and 76 penalty minutes in 122 games with the club.

Gatcomb is a product of New England Prep hockey. He spent his high school years with The Frederick Gunn School, otherwise known as The Gunnery, and moved to the University of Connecticut in 2018. Gatcomb found his role of diligent, middle-six forward with the UConn Huskies. He climbed the lineup over the course of his four years and combined for 46 points in 124 games. He’ll stand as a responsible, right-shot bruiser who could step into the lineup for Pierre Engvall or Matt Martin, should head coach Patrick Roy want a different type of physical presence.

Penguins Place Joona Koppanen On Waivers, Recall Filip Kral

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2:29 p.m.: Koppanen cleared waivers as expected, per PuckPedia.

7:41 a.m.: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed depth forward Joona Koppanen on waivers on Monday, per PuckPedia. To fill his roster spot, the Penguins have also recalled defenseman Filip Kral to the NHL roster per the AHL Transaction Log. This move represents Koppanen’s first waiver designation, and Kral’s first call-up, of the 2024-25 season.

Koppanen began the season with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and stayed buried in the minors for the bulk of the year. He recorded seven goals and 22 points in 55 AHL games, one point more than he managed in three more games last season. Those appearances were intercut by 10 games in a fourth-line role with the Pittsburgh lineup. Koppanen performed quietly in his NHL minutes – though he did manage to score his first NHL goal in his first NHL game of the season, on March 18th. That would go down as his only scoring for the six-foot-five, Finnish forward. Teams will have until noon today to place a claim on Koppanen, though it seems much more likely that he’ll clear waivers and return to the minor leagues.

This move could also award Kral with just the third NHL game of his career. The Czech defenseman has scored seven goals and 29 points in 59 AHL games this season, good for second on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blue-line. He’s in his first year in the Penguins organization, after departing the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in favor of Finland’s Liiga last season. It proved a fruitful move – and Kral posted 37 points in 46 Liiga games after starting the year with six points in 24 AHL games. He has seemed to carry that responsible, heads-up scoring back to North America. Pittsburgh will test that out with this call-up, giving Kral a chance to record his first NHL point after appearing in two games and recording one penalty with the Maple Leafs in 2022-23. Kral was originally a fifth-round pick to Toronto in 2018.

Penguins Activate Evgeni Malkin, Reassign Jesse Puljujarvi

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have activated star forward Evgeni Malkin off of injured reserve. Malkin missed the Penguins’ last four games with an upper-body injury. He was named a game-time decision for the team’s Tuesday bout against Seattle, and his activation seems to be a good indication that he’ll play. Malkin was placed on injured reserve on Sunday, retroactive to his last appearance in the lineup on January 5th. To make room for the move, the squad has also assigned winger Jesse Puljujärvi to the minor leagues. Puljujarvi successfully cleared waivers on December 30th, and will now carry waiver exemption status through the month of January.

The Penguins will relish in Malkin’s return to the lineup. They’ve gone 1-3-0 in the four games he’s missed, getting confidently outscored 17-to-10. Malkin was on a hot streak leading up to his injury, with seven points in his last nine games. Despite that, the future Hall-of-Famer has been tame on the year as a whole, so far sat with eight goals and 32 points in 41 games this season. That puts him on pace for 64 points in 82 games, which would mark a career-low in seasons where Malkin played more than 50 games. He even surpassed that mark last season, when he scored 27 goals and 67 points while continuing his iron-man streak through its second consecutive season. Malkin’s role has been unwavering despite the slight dip in scoring. He’s averaged 18:35 in ice time this year, the exact same average that he posted in each of the last two seasons. Malkin sits just 14 games shy of his 1,200th NHL game. When he hits it, Malkin will join partner-in-crime Sidney Crosby as the only two to reach that mark with Pittsburgh. If he stays healthy, he’ll hit the milestone in Philadelphia on February 8th.

Meanwhile, Puljujarvi will head back to the minors after playing in his first five games since early December in Malkin’s absence. The former top draft pick only managed one point – an assist – in the matchups, while averaging nearly 12 minutes of ice time each game. He now has just nine points in 25 games this season – surpassing the four points he managed in 22 games last year but still far from the mark Pittsburgh would hope for. This assignment will likely set Puljujarvi up to play in his first AHL games of the season. He appeared in 13 games and scored nine points with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last year. They were Puljujarvi’s first minor league appearances since the 2018-19 season, when he was assigned to the minors for four games and scored at point-per-game pace. While this move is fairly inconsequential, given Puljujarvi’s waiving in December, it could be the start of an extended minor-league assignment – bringing a tough end to Puljujarvi’s chase for a role with the Penguins.

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