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Blues Recall Calle Rosén

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The Blues recalled defenseman Calle Rosén from AHL Springfield on Thursday, per a team release.

Rosén, who turned 30 earlier this month, joins the Blues with Justin Faulk and Scott Perunovich out of the lineup with lower-body injuries. The recall gives them seven healthy defensemen on the active roster in case their two injured defenders can’t re-join the team by Saturday’s game against the Sabres, their first after the All-Star break.

This is Rosén’s first recall since clearing waivers during training camp and heading to the minors in October. He’s scored twice and added 23 assists – which ranks first among Springfield defensemen – in 44 games, along with a +3 rating.

23-year-old right-shot defenseman Matthew Kessel drew into the lineup in 14 straight games before the break, averaging 17:17 per contest. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, however, and despite his even rating, his 43.1% Corsi share at even strength left something to be desired. If the Blues opt to replace Kessel with Rosén in the lineup, or if one of Faulk or Perunovich is ready to return, Kessel would not need waivers to return to Springfield.

After playing in a career-high 49 NHL games last season, it’s surprising it took until February for Rosén to see his first recall of 2023-24. He was quietly one of the best depth defenders in the league, posting eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points with a +19 rating despite logging only 15:36 per game. His 46.8% Corsi share at even strength was third among Blues defensemen behind Torey Krug and Tyler Tucker, and his expected +2.5 rating was second on the entire team behind depth winger Josh Leivo.

The Blues’ roster size is now at the 23-player maximum after Rosén’s recall. He is in the second season of a two-year, $1.525MM extension signed in 2022 that carries a $762.5K cap hit. A pending UFA, Rosén can return to Springfield without clearing waivers if he plays less than 10 games and stays on the roster for less than 30 days.

Joining the league as an undrafted free agent signed by the Maple Leafs in 2017, Rosén has since appeared in 87 games across five seasons for Toronto, Colorado and St. Louis. He’s played more of a role since coming to St. Louis in 2021, recording 10 goals and 25 points in 67 appearances.

Central Notes: Lucchini, Brodin, Johnson

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After sending him down at the beginning of the All-Star break, the Wild recalled forward Jake Lucchini from AHL Iowa on Monday, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo. The move gives them a 12th healthy forward for Wednesday’s game against the Blackhawks. Pat Maroon, Connor Dewar and Vinni Lettieri remain on injured reserve and are not expected to be available.

Lucchini, 28, has yet to record a point in eight games with the Wild, averaging 8:21 per contest and posting a -1 rating. It’s been a much better showing in the minors for the veteran depth forward, who ranks among Iowa’s best point-per-game producers with 11 goals and 23 points in 30 appearances.

He’s dangerously close to losing his temporary waiver exemption after passing through unclaimed during training camp. If he plays in two more contests, a likely scenario given the Wild’s injury situation, he’ll need waivers once again to head to Iowa.

Notably, the Wild did not recall top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt today. He’d been on the active roster leading into the All-Star break with Marc-André Fleury on the shelf with an upper-body injury, meaning the veteran is likely ready to dress against his former team later this week. Wallstedt allowed seven goals on 34 shots in his lone NHL appearance this season.

Elsewhere from the Central Division:

  • Sticking with Minnesota, top shutdown blue-liner Jonas Brodin was absent from today’s practice with an illness, according to Russo. The 30-year-old had three assists in his last four games heading into the All-Star break, and his status for Wednesday is unknown. The 12-year veteran missed 17 games earlier this season with an upper-body injury, putting immense pressure on rookie Brock Faber to shoulder all-situations responsibilities in his first NHL campaign. Faber’s done so well, leading Wild defenders in points (29) and average ice time (24:51). Brodin has one goal through his 32 showings this year and is second behind Faber in ice time, averaging 23:42 per game.
  • Blackhawks veteran Tyler Johnson is expected to return to the lineup against the Wild on Wednesday, head coach Luke Richardson said (via NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis). The 33-year-old missed all of Chicago’s 14 games in January with a foot fracture sustained on New Year’s Eve against the Stars. His pending IR activation brings Chicago’s injured forwards count to four, and he’s expected to resume a top-six role in his return in the continued absence of rookie Connor Bedard due to a broken jaw. The pending UFA has nine goals, 13 points, and a -15 rating in 35 contests.

Atlantic Notes: Woll, Kämpf, Poitras, Forbort, Chaffee, Jeannot

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Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll is ramping up his workload in practice as he recovers from a high ankle sprain, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday (via Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun). However, the 25-year-old’s return to game action remains up in the air as his absence stretches into its third month.

Keefe said the Leafs are targeting Woll’s return sometime in the middle of February, but his status has not yet been upgraded to day-to-day. Woll has also not been a full participant in practice since returning to the ice.

The team’s leader in SV% (.916) and goals saved above average (6.2) has been sidelined since a rather innocuous play in the third period of a Dec. 7 contest against the Senators. Luckily for Toronto, they’ve been able to get some solid goaltending performances in his absence – Ilya Samsonov has a 3-1-0 record and .939 SV% in four appearances since clearing waivers at the beginning of January, and third-string veteran Martin Jones has held the fort with a .911 SV% and two shutouts in 17 appearances, along with a 9-6-1 record.

Elsewhere from the Atlantic Division:

  • Sticking with Toronto, Keefe said center David Kämpf will miss at least a week with an undisclosed injury after undergoing an MRI yesterday (via TSN’s Mark Masters). He’s been ruled out for the next three games, opening the door for 24-year-old Pontus Holmberg to get an extended look on Toronto’s fourth line. Kämpf’s status will be upgraded to day-to-day next Monday and could return for the team’s Feb. 13 contest against the Blues. The Maple Leafs do not have cap space to recall a player to replace Kämpf, so they’d likely dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen if an additional injury occurs on offense in the next week.
  • Bruins rookie Matthew Poitras is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Flames, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters (including independent Bruins reporter Ty Anderson). He’s only played in three out of Boston’s last nine games and missed the final contest before the All-Star break with an undisclosed injury. The 19-year-old has two assists in six games since returning from representing Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Juniors, in which they failed to medal for the first time since 2019.
  • Montgomery also said defenseman Derek Forbort, who also missed Boston’s last game with an undisclosed injury, won’t be ready for tomorrow’s contest. He confirmed this injury isn’t related to the lower-body injury that’s limited him to 24 games this season and has been lingering since training camp. He played only four games in January after returning from a 20-game absence, logging a +3 rating in bottom-pairing minutes.
  • The Lightning recalled winger Mitchell Chaffee from AHL Syracuse on Monday, per team reporter Chris Krenn. Chaffee, 26, had played in Tampa Bay’s final two games before the All-Star break but was loaned back to Syracuse during their bye week. With Tanner Jeannot and Austin Watson still sidelined, Chaffee will draw into the lineup for his fourth appearance of the season on Wednesday against the Rangers. He’s scored once and added an assist in his three showings thus far, averaging 8:25 per game.
  • While Jeannot remains out Wednesday, it won’t be long until the middle-six grinder is ready to return. Head coach Jon Cooper informed reporters Monday that the team expects him to return at some point during their upcoming four-game road trip, which concludes with a Feb. 13 contest in Boston. Jeannot has struggled in his first full season in the Sunshine State, scoring six goals and 12 points in 41 games while averaging 12:35 per game. It’s the production or role expected of him after Lightning GM Julien BriseBois swung big for his services ahead of last season’s trade deadline, parting with five draft picks, including a 2025 first-round selection. He’s been out of the lineup for nearly a month, sustaining a lower-body injury against the Bruins on Jan. 6.

Capitals Recall Michael Sgarbossa

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The Capitals have recalled center Michael Sgarbossa from AHL Hershey, the team announced Monday.

Sgarbossa, 31, joins the Capitals’ roster to provide veteran injury insurance during a packed schedule this week. Washington has four games in six days to kick off their post-All-Star break schedule, starting at home against the Canadiens on Tuesday.

He’s yet to suit up for the Capitals this season, but he’s been recalled for one-day stints on the roster twice to serve as a healthy scratch. The Campbellville, Ontario, native cleared waivers after being cut from training camp on Oct. 6 and has played exclusively for Hershey.

Now in his sixth season in the Capitals organization, Sgarbossa continues to be one of the most consistently productive players at the AHL level. He’s going through a down season in the goal-scoring department, only lighting the lamp seven times in 44 games, but his 36 assists lead the league, and his 43 points are fourth league-wide.

Sgarbossa is in the first season of a two-year, two-way, $1.55MM extension he signed in May of 2023. The contract has a cap hit of $775K and pays him $525K at the minor-league level, making it one of the most lucrative two-way deals in the league.

An undrafted free agent signing by the Sharks in 2010, Sgarbossa has since played 65 NHL games while appearing in parts of seven seasons with the Avalanche, Ducks, Panthers, and Capitals. He last suited up for an NHL game in January of 2022, capping off a 10-game stint in Washington in which he scored twice and added two assists.

The Capitals had 23 contracts on the roster before this transaction, so a corresponding move is coming later on Monday. Evgeny Kuznetsov is absent from today’s practice due to personal reasons, per the team (via Sammi Silber of The Hockey News), so he’s likely headed for the non-roster list to free up a spot.

Coyotes Reassign Justin Kirkland, Steven Kampfer

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Feb. 5: Kampfer and Kirkland were returned to the minors late Sunday night, the team said. It’s unclear why both players were brought up for such a short stint on a non-game day.

Feb. 4: The Coyotes recalled forward Justin Kirkland and defenseman Steven Kampfer from AHL Tucson on Sunday, according to a team statement.

Arizona last recalled Kirkland, 27, before the All-Star break on an emergency basis, although he was scratched for their Jan. 27 loss to the Hurricanes. The eight-year AHL veteran logged two games with the Coyotes in early January, recording one shot on goal and winning eight out of 12 faceoffs in 14 total minutes of ice time.

After joining the Coyotes on a one-year deal last summer, Kirkland has notched two goals and 15 assists for 17 points through 21 games in Tucson. His 0.81 points-per-game average is the highest of his AHL career.

His latest stint on the NHL roster will likely be brief. He comes up to serve as an extra forward in case recent waiver pickup Adam Ružička, who is still working through the immigration process after being claimed from the Flames 10 days ago, is unable to join the team by their Feb. 8 game against the Golden Knights. However, PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports Ružička is likely to join the squad by Tuesday, so Kirkland may get sent down within the next 72 hours.

Kampfer’s recall could be more permanent. The 35-year-old is slated to be the seventh defenseman on the active roster as Mathew Dumba and Troy Stecher remain on injured reserve for the foreseeable future.

If he plays, it will be Kampfer’s first NHL game in almost three years. The Ann Arbor, Michigan, native last suited up in May 2021 with the Bruins and has spent the last three seasons with Russia’s Ak Bars Kazan and in the AHL with the Red Wings and Coyotes organizations. He’s played sparingly with Tucson this year, only suiting up 18 times in 43 games, but he’s recorded four assists and a +3 rating while assuming the captaincy. Kampfer has 15 goals, 39 points and a -1 rating across 231 NHL games with the Bruins, Panthers, Rangers, and Wild since entering the league in 2010.

Golden Knights Notes: Røndbjerg, Dorofeyev, Miromanov

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The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Jonas Røndbjerg from a brief stint with their AHL affiliate the Henderson Silver Knights. The 24-year-old has been up and down in recent weeks and was recalled back on January 19th on an emergency loan but then was sent back down to the AHL over the NHL All-Star break.

Røndbjerg is fortunate that Henderson is located close to Las Vegas as this is the tenth time Røndbjerg has been recalled this season. Røndbjerg started the season at a decent pace with a goal and two assists in his first five NHL games but since that time he has been held pointless in nine straight NHL games. At the AHL level the Rungsted, Denmark native has remained a consistent secondary scorer with four goals and 10 assists in 27 games.

In other Golden Knights notes:

  • Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports that Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev will skate tomorrow but is not well enough to return for Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. The 23-year-old didn’t dress for Vegas’ final game before the All-Star break as he has been dealing with an upper-body injury. In 29 games this season, the former third-round pick has seven goals and seven assists and has only registered two minor penalties.
  • The Golden Knights have also recalled Daniil Miromanov from a conditioning loan, although he will remain on the LTIR for the time being. The 26-year-old has been dealing with an undisclosed injury since the start of the regular season and hasn’t seen any NHL action since last year. He played his first game of the year on January 24th with Henderson and tallied a goal and five assists in five AHL games. Miromanov had two goals and four assists in 14 games with Vegas last year and looked like he could challenge for an NHL roster spot after getting long looks the past two seasons.

Metropolitan Notes: Kochetkov, Haula, Hatakka, Lindgren, Leschyshyn, Mackey

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As expected, the Hurricanes recalled netminder Pyotr Kochetkov from AHL Chicago on Sunday as the team returns to practice, per CapFriendly. Carolina loaned Kochetkov to Chicago last weekend to bank salary cap space over the All-Star break; he did not appear in any of Chicago’s three games over the past week.

The 24-year-old returned from a concussion before the break began and dressed as the backup to Antti Raanta for Jan. 27’s win over the Coyotes after a six-game absence. If he starts Tuesday against the Canucks, it will be his first appearance since Jan. 11.

In the first season of a four-year, $8MM deal, Kochetkov has locked down the starting role in Carolina in the absence of Frederik Andersen, who recently returned to on-ice activities after missing most of the season due to blood clotting issues. His 21 starts lead the team, over which span he’s produced an 11-7-3 record, .900 SV%, 2.58 GAA, and one shutout. They’re rather average numbers given the quality of the defense in front of him, but they’re far superior to Raanta’s performance this season (.870 SV%, 3.04 GAA in 23 GP). With one open roster spot, no corresponding transaction is needed to reinstate Kochetkov.

More from the Metropolitan Division to close out the weekend:

  • Devils center Erik Haula returned to the team today after a brief paternal leave, Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site reports. The 32-year-old missed the team’s final game before the All-Star break, a 6-3 loss to the Lightning, for the birth of his child. He has 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 41 games after signing a three-year, $9.45MM extension to remain in Newark in June, pacing over half a point per game for the third straight season.
  • The Devils also recalled defenseman Santeri Hatakka from AHL Utica, per a team announcement. Hatakka rejoins the NHL squad after spending the All-Star break in the minors, recording a goal and an assist in three games. The 23-year-old made his first three appearances as a Devil in the triad of contests leading into the break, recording an assist and a +5 rating while averaging 16:07 per game in the absence of Brendan Smith, who landed on injured reserve with a right knee sprain over two weeks ago. His role on the team is slightly muddied after the Devils claimed Nick DeSimone off waivers from the Flames shortly before the break; he’s expected to suit up in a third-pairing role alongside Colin Miller to make his Devils debut against the Avalanche on Tuesday. Thus, Hatakka will likely serve mostly as a healthy scratch for the time being.
  • Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is cleared to play in Monday’s contest against Colorado, head coach Peter Laviolette said (via The Athletic’s Peter Baugh). The 25-year-old sustained an upper-body injury early in a Jan. 26 game against the Golden Knights and missed the following night’s 7-2 win over the Senators. The pending RFA is nearing completion of a three-year, $9MM extension and has seven points in 47 games, the lowest offensive output of his NHL career. It’s been a down season for Lindgren on both sides of the puck, too – his 48.8% Corsi share at even strength is down over five percentage points from last season’s mark.
  • Staying with the Rangers, the team also recalled forward Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Connor Mackey from AHL Hartford on Sunday. The two have been frequent travelers between leagues as of late, seeing a combined three recalls since the New Year. They’re both projected as healthy scratches for Monday and will serve as short-term injury insurance. Neither player recorded a point in their lone NHL appearances this season.

Julien Gauthier Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Gauthier has cleared waivers, Friedman reports; he has been assigned to Bridgeport.

Friday: The Islanders have placed winger Julien Gauthier on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Bridgeport, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Friday.

Gauthier, 26, is without a point in his last six games. He was a healthy scratch in the Islanders’ last game before the All-Star break, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers on Saturday.

The 2016 first-round pick signed a two-year, $1.575MM deal with the Islanders last July after reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career. After ending last season in a Senators jersey as a result of a February 2023 trade from the Rangers, Gauthier did not receive a qualifying offer after scoring three goals and adding two assists in 17 games with Ottawa.

A bottom-six power winger with good size at 6-foot-4 and over 220 pounds, Gauthier made the Islanders’ roster out of camp after failing to do so with the Rangers last season. He’s been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions this season, including three times since the beginning of January.

In 27 games on the season, he’s posted five goals and nine points while averaging 10:10 per game. His possession metrics have been the worst on the team in his limited role, posting a 36% Corsi share at even strength. Given he’s under contract until 2025 and is not on an expiring deal, and his $800K salary next season is higher than his $787.5K cap hit, the likelihood of a waiver claim appears low.

Defense Notes: Tanev, Walker, Mukhamadullin

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The Flames and Canucks had discussions about including Chris Tanev in Wednesday’s Elias Lindholm trade, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link).  However, in the end, he was pulled out of those discussions with Calgary deciding it was better to move him in a separate swap.  Tanev, a top shutdown defenseman, is expected to be one of the most sought-after blueliners heading into next month’s trade deadline with as many as ten teams believed to be interested.  He’s on an expiring contract with a $4.5MM AAV and while the Flames got away without retaining in the Lindholm trade (or the Nikita Zadorov one earlier this season), it feels like there’s a good chance they’ll need to pay this contract down up to the maximum of 50% if they’re going to maximize their return.

Other blueline notes around the NHL:

  • The Maple Leafs and Oilers are among the teams that have spoken to the Flyers about defenseman Sean Walker, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported in a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link). The 29-year-old right-shot rearguard is having a bounce-back season, recording 17 points in 50 games so far while averaging nearly 20 minutes a night while being on an expiring $2.65MM deal.  With a limited supply of quality righties available, Pagnotta notes that Philadelphia has placed a first-round pick as the price tag for Walker’s services although they may have to lower that to get a trade done.
  • With the Sharks now on their bye week, they’ve assigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to the minors, per an announcement (Twitter link) from their AHL affiliate. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut on Saturday and has played in three games so far, picking up an assist while averaging over 21 minutes a night.  Mukhamadullin has 26 points in 39 games with the Barracuda and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get recalled for their next game on February 14th.

Kings Assign Three Players To AHL

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With Los Angeles being off until February 10th, they’ve opted to make a trio of roster moves.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned forwards Alex Turcotte and Samuel Fagemo plus defenseman Brandt Clarke to AHL Ontario.

Turcotte was recalled last weekend and got into his first two games of the season with the Kings.  The second was certainly a successful one as the 22-year-old notched his first career NHL goal while picking up an assist in Wednesday’s victory over Nashville.  Turcotte has spent most of the year in the minors with the Reign, recording 23 points in 28 games so far.

Fagemo, meanwhile, has been shuffled back and forth recently, shifting between Los Angeles and Ontario three times over the past couple of weeks.  Playing time during that stretch was fairly limited as he made just four appearances, equaling the number he had with Nashville at the beginning of the season before they put him on waivers in November.  The 23-year-old has been quite productive with Ontario though, recording 20 goals and 13 assists in just 24 contests.

As for Clarke, he got off to a hot start with the Reign to start the season, collecting 32 points in 30 games, quite the mark for a rookie blueliner.  That earned him a recall four weeks ago and since then, he has been in and out of the lineup with the Kings.  Clarke has just one assist in six games so far while logging 16:15 per night, primarily on the third pairing with some time on the second power play unit.

With these moves, Los Angeles is now at the minimum-sized roster.  With Viktor Arvidsson still a little while away from returning (meaning he’ll remain on LTIR), the Kings will likely use that space to recall three players for their next appearance.  The determination on whether it’s these three or others will come next week.

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