Flyers Recall Aleksei Kolosov
Feb. 2nd: Philadelphia will remain without Ersson at least through tomorrow’s contest. For the second time in three days, the Flyers have recalled Kolosov from AHL Lehigh Valley. He played in the Phantoms game last night, producing a .777 SV% on 27 shots.
Feb. 1st: The Flyers announced today that Kolosov has been reassigned to AHL Lehigh Valley. The transaction indicates that Ersson is likely going to be able to dress for the Flyers’ game on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals.
Jan. 31st: With Samuel Ersson exiting Thursday’s game due to a lower-body injury, the Flyers needed some goaltending insurance for their game today against Los Angeles. As expected, that insurance is Aleksei Kolosov as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley. To make room on the roster, center Lane Pederson was sent down to the Phantoms.
Kolosov was sent down back on Wednesday when Daniel Vladar returned from injury. He suited up last night against Springfield, making him recall-eligible once again. The 24-year-old is now in his fourth stint with Philadelphia but it hasn’t resulted in much playing time. He has just four appearances with the Flyers this season, two of which came in relief and has struggled in that small sample size, allowing eight goals on just 47 shots.
The fact that Ersson wasn’t placed on injured reserve suggests that the team doesn’t believe his injury is likely to keep him out for long. Accordingly, this NHL stint for Kolosov could ultimately be short-lived.
As for Pederson, he got his first recall of the season a little under two weeks ago and had played fairly regularly since then, getting into five of six games. It was his first action at the top level since 2023 with Columbus. The 28-year-old was held off the scoresheet in those outings while averaging just under nine minutes per night. Pederson has played in 37 games with Lehigh Valley this season, picking up 13 goals and 15 assists.
Five Key Stories: 1/26/26 – 2/1/26
As the calendar flips to February, the Olympic trade freeze is fast approaching with the trade deadline itself not long after. We saw a couple of swaps happen this week while a star player is being held out; those are among the week’s key stories.
Islanders Start To Add: The Islanders find themselves in third place in the Metropolitan Division at the start of the month and GM Mathieu Darche has rewarded his group with a pair of additions. First, they picked up defenseman Carson Soucy from the Rangers for a third-round pick, giving their back end some extra depth with Alexander Romanov out for the rest of the regular season. Then, they made another cross-state swap, acquiring winger Ondrej Palat plus third and sixth-round picks from the Devils for winger Maxim Tsyplakov. Palat gives the Isles some extra veteran depth with a good track record of playoff success but they’re also taking on his $6MM contract through next season which is why they also added some draft picks. With several other players out for the season, New York still has ample LTIR room to try to further add to their group.
Wallstedt In Play? Minnesota has already made one swap of considerable significance this season when they added Quinn Hughes from Vancouver. It appears GM Bill Guerin isn’t done on the trade front and is open to moving a key youngster to do so as multiple reports have suggested that goaltender Jesper Wallstedt could be dealt. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2021 and is in his first full NHL season where he has impressed, posting a 2.72 GAA with a .913 SV%. However, with Filip Gustavsson signed through 2031, Wallstedt may have more value to the Wild as a trade chip than as a promising backup goaltender.
Panarin Out For Roster Reasons: With the Rangers embarking on a retool, they won’t be re-signing veteran winger Artemi Panarin. Rather than risk him getting injured before they can trade him, the team decided to sit him early as a healthy scratch although no move has come to fruition just yet. Panarin is believed to be seeking a contract extension before he’ll sign off on a move, something that could take a lot of the usual buying contenders off the table. With a cap charge of $11.643MM (New York can retain up to half in a trade), it may be difficult for New York to move Panarin before Wednesday’s roster freeze as the acquiring team may not want to take on that money for three weeks before he actually debuts. Accordingly, it’s possible that this trade saga is still a few weeks away from being resolved.
Defense Extensions: A pair of blueliners at opposite ends of their careers received contract extensions this past week. First, the Avalanche signed Sam Malinski to a four-year, $19MM extension, a big raise on his current $1.4MM price tag. The 27-year-old is having a breakout year with 25 points in 53 games despite averaging less than 17 minutes per game. With the signing, Colorado has five blueliners signed for next season at just under $30MM combined. Meanwhile, Detroit locked up Ben Chiarot on a new three-year, $11.55MM deal, a small cut on his $4.75MM deal that’s about to expire. The 34-year-old is holding down a regular spot on Detroit’s second pairing while being a physical shot blocker. It’s likely that his playing time will tick down as the contract progresses but the deal now ensures they’ll have a fourth blueliner signed for next season with Simon Edvinsson still to sign as a key pending restricted free agent.
Done For The Season: It has been a rough last few seasons on the injury front for Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko. Unfortunately for him, a hip injury has ended his season prematurely as he’s set to undergo surgery. Demko has battled knee, groin, and hip issues in recent years, limiting him to just 126 games since 2022-23. On top of that, Vancouver acted quickly to sign him last summer and he’ll begin a new three-year deal next season at a cap hit of $8.5MM. Veteran Kevin Lankinen will be leaned on down the stretch while youngster Nikita Tolopilo will likely get his first extended NHL look for a Canucks squad that’s already dead last in the standings.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.
PHR Mailbag: Rangers, Kings, Blackhawks, Flyers, Bruins, Capitals, Cap Penalties
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include how much (or little) the Rangers might be selling, potential defense targets for the Bruins, and much more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag while we’ll have one more next weekend as well.
lgr34561: Hi Rangers fan here. A few things. First of all, if you were in the GMs shoes (which you would probably do a much better job than Chris Drury), what direction would you take from here as in what kind of moves would you make? Second of all, do you think that a retool is enough (like Drury says) to put this team back into contention or is he just sugarcoating a long rebuild? Thank you!
Schwa: To piggyback here:
Curious if you expect any of the NMCs under contract to waive? Would you expect Drury to inquire with JT, Mika, and/or Trocheck and consider a heavier rebuild?
I imagine Trocheck would return quite a sum, given what the Canadiens gave up for Danault.
Are Mika and JT high-value given the current center market, despite the length of their contracts?
I’ve been one of those people who look at the Rangers and go ‘they can’t be that bad’. That was me last season and heading into this year as well. I say that because I completely get why Drury might still think that way. With a high-end goalie, a solid group of forwards on paper, and a decent defense (when healthy), they shouldn’t be as bad as they have been. And it’s why I believe Drury’s intention legitimately is a short-term retool and not an actual rebuild.
I don’t think they’re planning to blow up the core. Instead, they’ll sell a bit at the deadline, get some future assets, then try to make a trade or free agent signing over the summer to get themselves back into the Wild Card picture at the very least. It can be done and done with some success as long as they realize that success isn’t going to be defined by a long playoff run but simply by getting back to the playoffs and ideally getting some shine back from a reputational standpoint.
To move quickly to the second question for a moment, I don’t expect the other veterans with trade protection to be in play. At most, maybe one if a team ponies up a better-than-expected return that Drury can’t refuse. I think it’s going to be more like move Artemi Panarin, see if there’s a lateral swap for Alexis Lafreniere, maybe look at a move on the back end, and call it a day. That’s based on my assumption that they’re still eyeing a playoff spot next season so they’re not going to want to give up a lot of talent.
Given how few sellers there are and the fact that a lot of the veteran Rangers could fill positions of need on other teams (particularly given the need for impact centers), I think New York could get big returns for several of their veterans. Knowing that, I might be more inclined to do more of a multi-year rebuild, assuming that the veterans would waive their trade protection. But, again, I think the plan is something pretty quick that technically doesn’t fill the definition of a rebuild.
Bigalval: I think the Kings need a full rebuild and changes on the administrative side also. Luc, Holland, and Hiller should all be fired. The game has passed Holland by; he had a brutal start when becoming the Kings’ general manager. Luc also has no clue and Hiller doesn’t know how to fix things. It was a horrible decision to let him coach this year. He should be fired soon, even with a rebuild. It’s probably gonna take four or five years to fix this mess. Thoughts?
Fundamentally, I agree that a shakeup is needed. I had Jim Hiller being the first coach fired a while back, something that’s clearly not happening since Columbus wound up being the first team to pull the trigger on that front. I’m not a big fan of speculating about people getting fired but that’s a card that still could get played at this point.
Given that Ken Holland is in his first season with the team, I don’t think he realistically would be in jeopardy of losing his job. General managers tend to get a relatively long shelf life and while Holland is closer to the end of his career than the beginning (or even the middle), he probably gets a couple more years in some role.
Then we come to Luc Robitaille, who has been in this role since 2007. He was a Hall of Fame player with his best days coming with the Kings, who have won two Stanley Cups with him in that role. That’s a hard person to let go, even if I agree that a change of direction and vision might ultimately be beneficial in the long run. Unless ownership decides they want to overhaul things, I’m not sure we’re at that point yet. And even if we were, it might very well be Holland who would take over.
Personally, I’d like to see what this group can do with a new coach and a vision of trying to add some skill and speed to the lineup. This is a playoff-caliber team, albeit more of a Wild Card team than a true contender. But an influx of some skill and a more aggressive offensive style might get them going. If that doesn’t happen, then using Anze Kopitar’s retirement as a springboard into a rebuild makes some sense. If this core has gone as far as it can, then a step back to take two steps forward might not be the worst idea. I’m not sure that will happen with the current administration in place, however.
rayk: Which pending UFA among Dickinson, Mikheyev, and Murphy has the most deadline trade value and which the least, assuming salary retention for all three?
Let’s start with Jason Dickinson ($2.125MM with maximum retention). As expected, his breakout showing in his first couple of seasons in Chicago that showed signs of being unsustainable proved to be unsustainable. Nonetheless, he’s a solid checking forward who can kill penalties and, perhaps most importantly, play center. Center depth is always in high demand at this time of year and Dickinson’s physicality lends itself well to playoff-type hockey. I expect he’ll get a lot of interest.
Ilya Mikheyev ($2.02MM with max retention) is having the best offensive season of the three and has also had some success killing penalties, particularly this season. I think his value now is higher than it was when Chicago was paid to take on his contract but his history suggests he won’t be as successful in the limited role he’d have with a contender. Where Dickinson is in the same type of role he’d have on a new team (just a little ice time), Mikheyev would be in line for a bigger drop so there are more question marks as to how impactful he’d be. He’s someone I could see teams viewing as an option further down their list but I don’t think he’ll be as sought after.
Connor Murphy ($2.2MM with full retention) isn’t having a good year. His best days are behind him but if you’re a playoff team looking for defensive depth, what are you typically looking for? Good size, experience, penalty killing abilities, good shot blocker, and being right-handed is a bonus. Technically, Murphy checks them all. I don’t see a contending team wanting him to be more than a number six but I expect several teams will want him for that role if the Blackhawks are eating half of the remaining contract.
In terms of who’d get the biggest return, I’d go with Dickinson, then Murphy, then Mikheyev. (I like Mikheyev but his profile is not the type that contenders typically seek out at this time of year.) One thing worth noting, while this scenario had Chicago retaining on all three, they only have two retention slots available since one is being used on Seth Jones.
Black Ace57: Is it finally time for the Flyers to follow the Rangers’ lead and give up on this season and sell at the deadline?
To add onto this, why not do what the Flyers did in the past with trades like the Carter and Richards ones and at least try to shake things up without strictly buying or selling? Examples I’m thinking of are Wright with the Kraken or Power with the Sabres as targets.
Going into today’s action, the Flyers are eight points out of a top-three seed in the Metropolitan Division and ten points out in the Wild Card chase. They have at least one game in hand on the teams holding those last playoff spots as well. That’s not an insurmountable gap. But it’s an improbable one. And realistically, if they got to the postseason, I don’t think they’d be a tough out. So yes, I’d say they should be in sell mode.
You note the old Jeff Carter and Mike Richards trades from a while back as a way to possibly reshape the roster without being a true seller. But those players were impact centers with strong track records of winning hockey. Who on Philadelphia’s roster has that type of history and reputation? Travis Konecny is a nice player, a legitimate top-line winger. Maybe he’s in that territory but swapping out your leading scorer for the sake of a change carries some big risks. Owen Tippett feels like a potential change-of-scenery candidate so maybe there’s an option there but he’s not at the level of Carter and Richards and they may not be selling at the peak of his value.
The problem with saying they should be sellers is that they don’t have a lot to realistically sell. Their pending UFAs are depth pieces that wouldn’t yield a return of consequence. Rasmus Ristolainen can’t stay healthy which hurts his market. I expect they’ll try to sign Trevor Zegras to a long-term pact. They’re not moving Christian Dvorak after extending him while Sean Couturier’s contract takes him off the table. On defense, Travis Sanheim isn’t moving, Cameron York probably isn’t in play, nor is Jamie Drysdale who they still have hopes for.
Maybe Bobby Brink is an option if the Flyers aren’t thrilled about what his next contract with arbitration rights might cost. I could see Nick Seeler attracting some interest; he might be their best trade chip. And while Samuel Ersson might be in play, how much value does he have in a down year? So yes, while selling makes sense in theory, Philadelphia might not have much to sell.
sovietcanuckistanian: By all accounts, the Bruins made a legit effort/offer for Rasmus Andersson. I get that didn’t get him (he wanted LV and I guess Calgary took a better deal since he hasn’t signed an extension yet), but he clearly filled a glaring need. Who do they pivot to in terms of finding someone to fill that hole – given that their internal options aren’t cutting it at the moment?
The next most prominent right-shot defender in play is Dougie Hamilton. I think it’s safe to say that option isn’t on the table. Assuming they’re looking for someone who has some of Andersson’s attributes and isn’t a rental player, the next best option to look at might be Blues blueliner Justin Faulk.
He’s someone who would give them some secondary offense behind Charlie McAvoy while he’s still enough of a minutes-eater to easily slot into a top-four role. While he’s not a defensive anchor, he’s still a capable penalty killer. And with one year left after this on his contract, he’s not a pure rental either which might be appealing to GM Don Sweeney. The $6.5MM cap charge will be a challenge to overcome though, given that it’s unlikely that St. Louis will retain on it whereas Calgary did on Andersson’s expiring deal. But fit-wise, he’d fit the bill.
Mario Ferraro would also help and he’s easier to fit in on the cap but there’s no guarantee that he’ll move with the Sharks hanging around the playoff mix and trying to re-sign him. Rasmus Ristolainen is also believed to be available but with his track record of injuries and Boston already having Nikita Zadorov, that might not be the best fit for them. But overall, Faulk feels like the right fit for them if they can make the cap elements work.
Kaapo Kahkonen Eyeing International Options For Next Season
Aside from serving as a backup in Montreal for one game this season, goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen has been exclusively in the minors with AHL Laval. It was similar in 2024-25 as despite multiple waiver claims, he only got into two NHL contests with the rest coming in the minors.
With it becoming clearer that he is viewed as more of a third-string option around the NHL instead of a possible backup, it appears that Kahkonen is exploring other options for next season. Expressen’s Johan Svensson and Mattias Persson report (subscription link) that Kahkonen intends to play overseas next season and is eyeing a spot in either Sweden’s SHL or Switzerland’s NL.
A fourth-round pick by Minnesota back in 2014, Kahkonen was, for a time, viewed as a possible goalie of the future for them. San Jose felt the same way, acquiring him in 2022 for Jacob Middleton in the hopes that a change of scenery could get him going and stabilize their goaltending situation at the same time.
That didn’t happen and it would be fair to say that Kahkonen has had a bit of a nomadic journey since then. In less than two years, the 29-year-old has spent time with San Jose, New Jersey, Winnipeg, Colorado, Florida (AHL only), and now Montreal after the Canadiens signed him to a one-year, one-way deal worth $1.15MM on the opening day of free agency.
For his career, Kahkonen has played in 140 games at the NHL level, posting a 3.34 GAA along with a .898 SV%, numbers that played a big role in his bouncing around as of late. He’s been considerably better than that in the minors this season, putting up a 2.67 GAA with a .905 SV% in 20 games in Laval.
Rather than test the market to see if another opportunity to be a well-paid number three option materializes next season, it looks as if Kahkonen will look to play closer to home instead. He’ll likely have to take a pay cut to do so, however, as seven-figure contracts for players are few and far between in other leagues. But if riding around in the minors isn’t something he wants to do moving forward, heading back overseas is the logical next step for Kahkonen.
Golden Knights Recall Tanner Laczynski
The Golden Knights have brought up some extra forward depth heading into their game tonight against Anaheim. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Tanner Laczynski from AHL Henderson. Vegas had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made.
It’s the third recall of the season for the 28-year-old and it comes just two days after being sent back to the Silver Knights. Since he played on Friday, he’s eligible to be recalled so quickly after being sent down.
Laczynski has played in eight games with Vegas this season but is still looking for his first goal of the campaign. However, he has a pair of assists and has won just over half of his faceoffs while averaging 10:33 per game. Over parts of five NHL campaigns now, he has three goals and four assists across 54 appearances.
While he hasn’t put up many points in the NHL, Laczynski has been quite productive this season with Henderson. Through 33 games, he has 13 goals and 23 assists, putting him one point shy of last season’s output.
With the Olympic break coming up in a few days, it’s likely that Laczynski’s recall will be a short-term one as Vegas won’t want to further use up his waiver exemption while games aren’t being played.
Metropolitan Notes: Hischier, Glass, Ritchie, Cizikas, Fehervary
Already without their top center, Jack Hughes, tonight against Ottawa due to a lower-body injury, the Devils could also find themselves missing their captain. The team listed Nico Hischier as a game-time decision due to illness. Hischier is New Jersey’s top scorer this season, notching 18 goals and 23 assists in 54 games. He’s also averaging a career high in playing time (20:53 per game) and is winning more than 55% of his faceoffs for the third straight season. The Devils are already on the outside looking in at a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference and missing their top two pivots against a team they’re battling to stay ahead of in the race for the postseason would certainly be a big blow.
More from the Metropolitan:
- There is some good news on the injury front for the Devils, at least. From that same listing, Cody Glass will return to the lineup tonight after missing Thursday’s contest due to an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old is in his first full season with New Jersey after being acquired before last year’s trade deadline and has given the Devils some decent depth scoring, chipping in with 13 goals in 42 games.
- Islanders winger Calum Ritchie has been shut down until after the Olympic break, relays Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News. The rookie is dealing with a lower-body injury sustained last weekend and tried to skate on his own on Friday but wasn’t doing well enough to realistically be considered as an option to return over the next few days. Ritchie has been eased into his first full season of NHL action and has seven goals and eight assists in 40 games this season while averaging a little over 12 minutes per night.
- Still with the Islanders, the team announced that veteran Casey Cizikas will return to the lineup tonight against Nashville after missing Thursday’s contest due to illness. The 34-year-old has 14 points and 108 hits in 53 games this season but his playing time has dropped to 11:34 per game, his lowest since the 2012-13 campaign. Cizikas will take Max Shabanov’s place in the lineup tonight.
- The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Martin Fehervary will miss today’s game against Carolina for personal reasons. The 26-year-old was the only Washington blueliner to play in every game, a run that will now come to an end. Through 55 games this season, Fehervary has 19 points and 115 blocks while averaging 19 minutes of playing time.
Capitals Announce Several Roster Moves
The Capitals will be without a key forward for the next little while. Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News that center Connor McMichael is out week-to-week due to an upper-body injury, keeping him out through next month’s Olympic break. The team subsequently announced that he has been placed on injured reserve and in a corresponding move, forward Bogdan Trineyev has been recalled from AHL Hershey. Additionally, goaltender Charlie Lindgren has also been placed on IR with netminder Garin Bjorklund also being recalled from Hershey.
The 25-year-old had played in all 55 games this season before today’s news. McMichael isn’t producing at the same level as he was last season when he had a career-best 26 goals and 57 points but he was on pace to set a new personal best in assists. Overall, he has eight goals and 23 assists while moving back to playing center regularly after spending most of last season on the wing.
This is certainly an important season for McMichael, who is in the final year of his bridge deal that carries a $2.1MM cap charge, a number that also serves as his qualifying offer. With arbitration rights for the first time, he’ll be looking to land a long-term contract so getting healthy and bouncing back for the stretch run will be crucial, especially with Washington on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Silber also relays that defenseman Matt Roy remains listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He was also moved to injured reserve today, creating the roster opening to keep goaltender Clay Stevenson up with the team as they used their last 48-hour emergency goaltender exemption to bring him up on Thursday. Roy last suited up last Saturday, meaning that if the Caps backdated his placement, he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as Tuesday when they’re set to take on the Islanders.
As for Trineyev, this is his third recall of the season. The 23-year-old got into two games with Washington during his first two stints and is still looking for his first career NHL point. However, he has done well with the Bears, notching nine goals and 12 assists in 32 games, putting him one point shy of last year’s total in 30 fewer games. That was enough to earn him a two-year extension from the Capitals earlier this month. Either he or Sonny Milano will take McMichael’s place in the lineup today versus Carolina.
When it comes to the goaltenders, Lindgren was able to get through Thursday’s game against Detroit but needed assistance to get off the ice following the shootout. While there’s no word on how long he’ll be out, the placement means he’ll be out until after the Olympic break. Through 18 games this season, Lindgren has struggled, putting up a 3.37 GAA along with a .884 SV%, both well below the league average.
With Logan Thompson’s availability for tonight also in question, Bjorklund will serve as insurance if Thompson is unable to suit up. The 23-year-old has split his season between Hershey and ECHL South Carolina. In 11 games with the former, he has a 3.43 GAA and a .879 SV%. However, his numbers in seven contests with the Stingrays are much better, checking in at 2.37 and .929, respectively.
Following these five roster moves, Washington’s roster now stands at the maximum of 23.
Blues Activate Pius Suter, Assign Matt Luff To AHL
It appears that the Blues will welcome back a veteran center to the lineup tonight against Columbus. The team announced that they have activated Pius Suter off injured reserve. In a corresponding move, winger Matt Luff has been assigned to AHL Springfield.
Suter is in his first season in St. Louis after signing a two-year, $8.25MM contract last summer on the heels on a breakout year in Vancouver. Last season, he had career highs in goals (25) and points (46) while holding down a top-six role for most of the year.
He hasn’t been called on to play as high in the lineup as often this season and his offensive numbers have suffered as a result. Through 37 games, Suter has seven goals and seven assists while averaging a little over 16 minutes per night. He had been sidelined for a little more than a month due to a right ankle injury.
As for Luff, his time on the roster was short-lived as he was recalled on an emergency basis just yesterday. He has been shuffled back and forth a few times this season and has gotten into five games with St. Louis where he has one goal and eight hits in a little over nine minutes per night of playing time. With the Thunderbirds, he has been quite productive, notching 13 goals and 20 assists in 33 games, meaning he’ll likely get another chance with the Blues before too long.
Rangers Claim Vincent Iorio Off Waivers From Sharks, Assign Brett Berard To AHL
After moving out Carson Soucy earlier this week, the Rangers have added some young defensive depth. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that New York has claimed defenceman Vincent Iorio off waivers from the Sharks. To make room on the roster, the Rangers announced (Twitter link) that forward Brett Berard has been sent down to AHL Hartford.
The 23-year-old started the season as a depth defenseman with Washington, the team he was originally drafted by in the second round back in 2021. After playing primarily at the AHL level over his first three seasons (with a total of nine NHL appearances during that time), the Capitals rostered him to start this year in a reserve role, worried about losing him on waivers. Sure enough, that’s what happened soon after as San Jose scooped him up in mid-October amidst some injuries to their back end.
Iorio was in and out of the lineup with the Sharks. He played regularly after being claimed but after a couple of weeks, he was in the press box. Eventually, he agreed to a conditioning stint in the minors with the Barracuda and was productive, tallying seven assists in just six games with them. Upon being recalled in late November, Iorio returned to somewhat of a regular role until recently as he has been scratched for the last two weeks. Overall, Iorio has played in 21 games this season with San Jose, notching three assists and 32 blocked shots while averaging 16:30 per night of playing time.
While the Sharks likely would have liked to have kept Iorio around, a roster crunch forced their hand. With the pending returns of Philipp Kurashev and Shakir Mukhamadullin today following their IR activations per a team announcement (plus Kiefer Sherwood not too far behind), San Jose needed a roster spot and Iorio was the one who lost his. Once Sherwood is activated, another spot will need to be cleared up as well.
Meanwhile, with the Rangers embarking on some form of retool in the coming weeks, they will be moving out more pieces before the trade deadline in March. This claim will allow them to get a look at a young defender in Iorio to assess if he can be part of their plans moving forward while also giving them insurance should any other blueliners be moved. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract, one that carries a cap hit of just over $814K, and will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
As for Berard, he was only recalled on Tuesday and got into one game while up with the big club, bringing his season total to 13. He’s still looking for his first point of the season, however. The 23-year-old has six goals and a dozen assists in 30 games with the Wolf Pack and will get a chance to return to a bigger role with them after averaging just 10:33 per night with the Rangers.
Senators Assign Xavier Bourgault To AHL
Xavier Bourgault’s latest stint with Ottawa was short-lived. After being brought up earlier this week, the Senators announced (Twitter link) that the center has been sent back to AHL Belleville. With the move, Ottawa now has one open roster spot.
Bourgault played in one game on this recall, bringing his season count to two although he’s still looking for his first point at the top level. The 23-year-old has been a strong performer in the minors this season though, notching 14 goals and 23 assists in 43 games with Belleville, already surpassing his previous career-high in points at that level. That hasn’t landed him an extended look with Ottawa just yet, however, or even more than sparing minutes as he’s played less than 12 minutes combined in his two NHL appearances.
Bourgault’s demotion is a good sign for center Stephen Halliday. Sidelined for the past few days with an upper-body injury, the 23-year-old was on the fourth line in the morning skate today and it appears that he will return to the lineup against New Jersey. Halliday has 10 points in 21 games with Ottawa this season, an impressive point total considering that he’s only averaging 8:23 per game of playing time.