Snapshots: Sergachev, Cizikas, Karlsson, Svoboda
Earlier today, the Lightning activated Mikhail Sergachev off LTIR, adding a key defenseman back into their lineup. However, the return was short-lived as the team announced (Twitter link) that the blueliner suffered a lower-body injury, ending his return game prematurely. The 25-year-old was injured in the second period in a collision with Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere. Sergachev, who was coming back from a left leg injury, looked to suffer another injury to that same leg on the play and was stretchered off the ice.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Islanders center Casey Cizikas has been upgraded to a game-time decision for Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay, notes NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner. The 32-year-old has missed the past 10 games because of a lower-body injury, landing him on LTIR in the process. New York will have to make some roster moves to get cap-compliant before they can bring Cizikas onto the active roster. Cizikas has 11 points in 39 games so far this season.
- Linus Karlsson’s frequent roster shuffling continues as today, the Canucks announced (Twitter link) that the center has been returned to AHL Abbotsford. It’s the fourth re-assignment to the minors in a little over three weeks, even with the All-Star break. Karlsson has played in four games with Vancouver so far while often being recalled to serve as the emergency option should a forward become unavailable close to game time. Meanwhile, in the minors, the 24-year-old has 27 points in 30 games.
- Sharks prospect Brandon Svoboda is on the move as USHL Fargo announced that they acquired the center from Youngstown. San Jose picked the 19-year-old in the third round last June but his production has been limited this year with just 11 points in 25 games so far. Svoboda is committed to Boston University for next season and will be looking to finish up his USHL career on a high note as he’s joining the league-leading Force.
Pat Maroon Undergoes Back Surgery
Earlier this week, the Wild placed winger Pat Maroon on injured reserve. We now know how long he’ll be out of the lineup as the team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran underwent successful back surgery on Tuesday and is set to miss the next four to six weeks.
The 35-year-old is in his first season with Minnesota after the Wild acquired him back in July for a seventh-round pick. The change of scenery has certainly helped Maroon’s offensive game as he had 16 points in 49 games before the injury after putting up just 14 in 80 contests last season. Of course, Maroon is also known for his physicality – he led the NHL in penalty minutes in 2022-23 – and while his hit total is down considerably, he’s averaging more than a hit and penalty minute per game.
A three-time Stanley Cup winner, Maroon has 150 career NHL playoff appearances under his belt. That, coupled with a low-cost contract (Minnesota is only responsible for $800K of his $1MM contract), makes him an interesting depth addition for teams should Minnesota not get back into the playoff picture. To that end, Michael Russo of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that Maroon should start skating again in a few weeks so while he might not be completely cleared to return by the March 8th deadline, he should be far enough along in his recovery that interested teams shouldn’t be scared off by the injury.
East Notes: Jeannot, Grzelcyk, Svechnikov
To make room for the activation of Mikhail Sergachev from LTIR earlier today, the Lightning quietly placed winger Tanner Jeannot on LTIR, reports Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has missed more than a month already with his lower-body injury so this placement is simply procedural but it allows them to avoid any salary cap-related transactions for a little longer. However, Jeannot is expected to be activated at some point on their current road trip so the roster will need to be trimmed down soon enough. Jeannot has a dozen points in 41 games in his first full season with Tampa Bay after being acquired from Nashville before last year’s trade deadline.
More from the Eastern Conference
- Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston examines the Bruins’ trade options, or, more specifically, the lack thereof. With them missing several draft picks and a thinned-out prospect pool as a result of their consistent win-now approach, GM Don Sweeney may exercise some caution before moving any of what he has left out. Meanwhile, with cap space at a premium, they might be in a spot where they would have to move out a contract to make a move; Goss pegs blueliner Matt Grzelcyk as a potential candidate to be moved. The pending UFA has a $3.6875MM cap charge which would give Sweeney some flexibility to take a player back if he opts to add to his roster in the next month.
- Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov has missed the last five games due to an upper-body injury but it seems as if he’s close to a return. Team reporter Walt Ruff relays (Twitter link) head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s comments today which noted that Svechnikov is simply waiting until he feels 100% before returning to the lineup. The bench boss feels that Svechnikov’s return should be just around the corner, meaning he could be a possibility to play against Colorado on Thursday. The 23-year-old has been limited to just 29 games so far this season due to injuries but certainly has been productive, notching 11 goals and 19 assists.
Matthew Poitras Out For The Season
Matthew Poitras was one of the bright spots for the Bruins this season, earning a roster spot in training camp and largely playing a regular role since then. However, his rookie year has come to an early end as the team announced that Poitras has undergone a successful right shoulder open stabilization. That procedure carries a five-month recovery time, ending his season. GM Don Sweeney released the following statement on the procedure:
Our medical staff made the recommendation for Matt to proceed with the surgery rather than continue playing with an unstable shoulder and risking further damage. Everyone involved supported the decision as to do what was best for him at this time. Matt is just starting his Bruins career and is a key part of our future.
The 2022 second-round pick had a strong preseason showing to help him break camp with the big club in October and he didn’t look back. Poitras had five goals and ten assists in 33 games while averaging over 13 minutes a night, a strong first taste of NHL action. Boston opted to loan him to play for Canada at the World Juniors back in December and he has some success offensively in that event, recording two goals and two helpers in five contests. Upon returning, his playing time had been more sporadic with this shoulder injury clearly being the reason for that.
Boston is currently using LTIR and will likely be placing Poitras on there in the near future, giving the team a little extra salary cap flexibility. However, with Poitras on his entry-level contract, the potential cap savings will be limited as his AAV is just $870K with most of that likely being earmarked for whoever the Bruins elect to recall to take his spot on the roster. Speculatively, Patrick Brown, who has been back and forth several times this season, could be brought up to serve in the reserve forward role while it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sweeney look for some extra depth down the middle before next month’s trade deadline.
While Poitras officially burned the first year of his contract early in the season, the surgery will prevent him from hitting the 40-game benchmark which would have allowed him to accrue a year of service time toward UFA eligibility. Instead, he won’t be eligible to hit the open market until he turns 27 in 2031.
Brenden Dillon Receives Three-Game Suspension
After conducting a phone hearing with Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon earlier today, the Department of Player Safety has issued its ruling, handing the blueliner a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head. The incident occurred early in the second period of last night’s game against Pittsburgh’s Noel Acciari, a match penalty was assessed on the play. Acciari left the game and did not return; there is no word yet on the severity of his injury.
In the Department’s video ruling, they indicated that Dillon’s hit satisfied both ends of the criteria in Rule 48 for an illegal check to the head. The principal point of contact was the head while the hit itself was avoidable, leading to the suspension.
It’s the second suspension of Dillon’s career as he received a one-game ban back in 2017 for slashing.
As a result of the suspension, Dillon will be out of Winnipeg’s lineup until February 17th when they take on Vancouver. He will forfeit just under $61K in salary which instead will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Avalanche Assign Ivan Prosvetov To AHL
Feb. 4: Prosvetov cleared waivers Sunday and can be assigned to AHL Colorado, per Friedman. The Avalanche executed the reassignment shortly after he cleared, a team announcement states.
Feb. 3: The league is largely shut down this weekend for the All-Star break but waiver activity continues. Today, the Avalanche placed goaltender Ivan Prosvetov on waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).
Colorado claimed the 24-year-old off waivers from Arizona in training camp with backup Pavel Francouz dealing with a groin injury. With Francouz since being ruled out for the season, Prosvetov has become the full-time backup for the Avs this season. However, his performance has been inconsistent as he has played to a 3.16 GAA and a .895 SV% in 11 appearances so far. The end result has been starter Alexandar Georgiev leading the league in appearances by a goaltender at the break, hardly an ideal situation for someone whose career high in games played heading into last season was 34.
Prosvetov’s placement suggests that a change on that front is coming. Barring a trade on the horizon, the change should be in the form of prospect Justus Annunen. The 23-year-old has spent most of the year with AHL Colorado, posting a 2.65 GAA and a .908 SV% in 23 games while also making one start for the Avs. Annunen only has five career appearances at the top level under his belt but he is in his final season of waiver exemption so he’ll now get his chance to prove he’s worthy of the full-time second-string role. Otherwise, GM Chris MacFarland will have no choice but to turn to the trade market.
With goalie depth hard to come by, it wouldn’t be shocking to see someone claim Prosvetov on Sunday. If that team is the Coyotes and they’re the only team to do so, Arizona would then be able to send him to AHL Tucson. If the Coyotes aren’t the only team to put in a claim, they’d then be forced to re-waive him or keep him on the NHL roster.
PHR Mailbag: Sabres, Kane, Henrique, Flyers, Ruff
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Buffalo’s disappointing first half of the season, Patrick Kane’s future with Detroit, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s column.
YzerPlan19: What happened to the Buffalo Sabres?! Did the lofty expectations for this season crush them?
I was certainly among those who had Buffalo at least being in the playoff mix this season. I had them being in a close battle for a Wild Card spot and they currently sit 10 points out which isn’t exactly a close battle. They’ve certainly underachieved.
I’m not sure it’s the lofty expectations (being a possible playoff team isn’t exactly a huge bar to clear) that have hurt them. Instead, I think it’s the byproduct of an overly young roster with veterans who haven’t been able to step up to cover for the youngsters’ inconsistency.
When you look at the young talent they have, the tendency is to look at the year they just had and expect that they’ll be able to improve on it. Thus, several core players each take a step or two forward and there are a bunch of internal gains that move them up in the standings. It’s great in theory but in hindsight, expecting all of those players to take a leap forward was probably asking too much.
Not to single out the goaltending but hopes were quite high for Devon Levi based on how he finished last season. But we’re talking about a stretch of barely two weeks. Expecting him to stay at that level just might have been too much, too soon for him. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been inconsistent which is to be expected for a young goalie while Eric Comrie couldn’t pick up the slack which is why he cleared waivers earlier this season. Improved goaltending was a big reason for the higher expectations but the hopes were too high, too fast.
Similar statements could be made for several forwards as well, particularly Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, and even Alex Tuch to a lesser extent. The hope was they’d maintain or beat their production from last season but they’ve all taken a step back. Kyle Okposo and Victor Olofsson aren’t picking up the slack either, unfortunately. If a couple of the youngsters are producing like they were last year, they probably have a few more wins and are at least in a realistic battle for a Wild Card spot in the stretch run.
I still think there’s a pretty good core here for Buffalo to work with. The goaltending should get better as Levi and Luukkonen get more seasoned. Bounce-back performances from some forwards can definitely happen as well. I think they’ll be in good shape in the long run but it appears their playoff drought is going to last a little longer.
Millville Meteor: Adam Henrique is having a good season. I expect the Ducks to trade him. What kind of return can we expect for him?
Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek must be thrilled at the way things have played out. Calgary moved Elias Lindholm earlier than expected, pushing Henrique up a rung on the talent list. Lindholm’s removal from the market then boosted Sean Monahan’s market, resulting in Montreal pulling the trigger on a trade early. Now Henrique is the top rental option available. That can only help his market.
Having said that, I’m skeptical that the Ducks will be able to get a first-round pick like the Flames and Canadiens did in their moves. Henrique’s numbers are quite comparable to the other two but Lindholm has the stronger reputation while Monahan’s contract is much more affordable. With Henrique making $5.825MM, that’s a price tag that few teams can afford, let alone few contending teams. They’re going to need retention and quite likely a second team to retain another chunk which could dilute the return Anaheim gets. I’ll say he fetches the Ducks a second-round pick and maybe a lesser asset (a late-round pick, a fringe prospect, or salary ballast) while the acquiring team will flip a fourth-rounder to whoever retains the second chunk.
rule78.1: Regarding Patrick Kane, the Red Wings, and the trade deadline. Keep him or trade him? If a trade is made, what expected return would the Red Wings receive?
First things first, he needs to show he’s healthy. He didn’t make it back before the All-Star break as they hoped he might be able to so he needs to clear any lingering doubts about his health. And with what he’s coming back from with his hip surgery, any injury is going to give teams some hesitance.
As of today, Detroit sits tied for the top Wild Card spot with Toronto. All things considered, that’s a bit better than I expected. It’s particularly impressive considering the spotty goaltending they had early in the year, resulting in third-stringer Alex Lyon taking over the number one job and running with it. Unless their place in the standings craters over the next month, I’d be inclined to hold onto Kane. Yes, there’s a risk of missing the playoffs and potentially losing him for nothing but it’s not like they gave up anything to get him. And with the Red Wings not being in any sort of meaningful playoff race since 2016, there’s some inherent value in just keeping their group together and giving their younger players a taste of a tight stretch run.
But if they were to move him, the return isn’t going to be quite as high as it was a year ago when he yielded a second and a fourth-round pick to Chicago (plus a third to Arizona for retaining another 25%). He’s having a good year but we’re talking about a 19-game sample size, lingering issues about his hip in his first post-surgery campaign, and a lower-body issue that has cost him three weeks already. Accordingly, I could see a second-rounder on its own being the ceiling for what Kane would bring back in return if Detroit decided to trade him.
Black Ace57: Who do you think on the Flyers is likely to get traded now? Atkinson? Walker? I’ve heard with Seeler that they want to see if they can agree on an extension. Do you think there’s a chance Frost still gets traded after the rumors earlier?
Sean Walker certainly seems like a good bet to be dealt. He’s having a nice bounce-back year after his playing time getting limited with Los Angeles and at $2.65MM, his contract is affordable, particularly if Philadelphia pays it down. The fact he’s a right-shot defender certainly helps as he might be the most coveted option once Chris Tanev is moved. For someone who was acquired at least in part as salary ballast, the Flyers are well-positioned to get some value for him. If a team wants extra depth, maybe there’s a late-round pick somewhere for Marc Staal as well. And if Nick Seeler signs an extension – it seems like they’re trying to hammer one out – then he’s off the list of options to trade.
I doubt there’s a strong market for Cam Atkinson. He has been decent this season coming back from neck surgery that cost him an entire season but it’s that injury and the fact he has a $5.875MM AAV through next season that will scare teams off now. In the summer, if Philadelphia is willing to pay down the contract and take a light return, then there should be a small market at least. One forward to keep an eye on is Scott Laughton. With the center market being so light, if GM Daniel Briere decides to make him available, he could command a quality return with two years left after this one at a below-market $3MM price tag.
Morgan Frost feels like he could be an offseason trade more than an in-season one at this point. A trade involving him might be a player-player swap of players that are of a similar age or team control. It might be more appealing to rebuilding teams but they generally aren’t looking to do those moves until the summer.
SpeakOfTheDevils: Assuming Ruff is fired after the season, who will be the next coach of the Devils???
First, I’m not certain that Lindy Ruff is going anywhere. Extending a coach to a multi-year deal and then firing him soon after doesn’t happen a lot (periodically, but not often). How much of New Jersey’s struggles are coaching-related compared to their injuries (Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier have all missed double-digit games)? And is it the fault of the head coach when the goaltending falls off the proverbial cliff? I’m not absolving Ruff of any responsibility here but certainly all the blame can’t be laid at his feet either.
But I’ll play along with the premise. If Ruff is gone, I don’t think GM Tom Fitzgerald will be looking for a first-time head coach; this is a team built to win now. If we look at who’s out there with some NHL head coaching experience, Craig Berube comes to mind as someone who might try to get this Devils team to play a bit more structured. I also could see them turning to Jay Woodcroft who had lots of early success with Edmonton and could bring a newer approach after having a long-term veteran in Ruff. Those are who I’d lean towards predicting if Ruff is let go but again, I’m not sure that scenario is going to happen just yet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Reinhart, Vatrano, Pettersson, Salminen
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart is the top-scoring forward that’s eligible to hit the open market this summer. With a career-best 37 goals already along with 62 points, he’s well on his way to commanding a significant raise on his current $6.5MM AAV while securing a long-term pact for the first time. Speaking with reporters including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, he acknowledged that talks continue but the fact a deal isn’t done isn’t serving as a distraction:
We both know where each other stands. We both know we want to get something done. And we’re both comfortable with how it’s going, so it’s not distracting me by any means at all. I think when you’re trying to build something we’re trying to in Florida, some things take time. We’re both comfortable, we’re both trying to ultimately win a Stanley Cup this year. And that’s where our focus mainly is.
If Reinhart pushes past the 100-point mark plateau this season, there’s a case to be made that his next contract should be past the $10MM mark. However, that’d be tough to fit on the books for the Panthers who would likely want to see him slot in at or closer to Matthew Tkachuk’s $9.5MM price tag.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Ducks winger Frank Vatrano is having his best season, notching 36 points in 50 games already to secure an All-Star spot. With one year left on his contract at $3.65MM and Anaheim in a firm rebuild, some have wondered if the 29-year-old could be a trade candidate. Speaking to reporters on All-Star Media Day including Forever Blueshirts’ Jim Cerny, Vatrano acknowledged the situation is out of his hands but that he’d prefer to remain with the Ducks. That said, teams looking for some scoring help on the wing and don’t want to pay a high price tag for a rental will likely be calling about Vatrano over the next few weeks.
- If the Penguins opt to sell at the trade deadline, Jake Guentzel would obviously receive the most interest. Beyond him, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that defenseman Marcus Pettersson might be their next-best trade chip. The 27-year-old has had one of his more productive years with 19 points in 46 games while averaging a career-high 22:37 per night, third among Pittsburgh’s rearguards. With one year left on his deal after this one with a cap hit of just over $4.025MM, he could certainly be an intriguing acquisition for a playoff-bound team looking for more than a one-year rental.
- Devils prospect Samu Salminen received a one-game suspension from Hockey East for a hit on Friday night, notes Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a third-round pick by New Jersey back in 2021 but has seen his production this season with Connecticut slow down, notching just five goals and five assists in 26 games (after putting up 17 points in 27 games in his freshman year).
Golden Knights Place Brayden Pachal On Waivers
While they’re off until Tuesday, the Golden Knights have made a roster move today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Vegas has placed defenseman Brayden Pachal on waivers.
The 24-year-old cleared waivers early in training camp back in October but never wound up being assigned to AHL Henderson. Instead, he has been a full-timer on the active roster although playing time has been difficult to come by. Pachal has played in 17 games for the Golden Knights so far, picking up a goal while averaging 14:37 per night. For his career, he has three points in 29 NHL contests.
While that’s not necessarily the statistical profile that would jump out at anyone, Pachal is in the first season of a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of the league minimum ($775K). Between that and the fact he’s a right-shot defender, there’s certainly a chance that a team looking for low-cost depth on the right side opts to take a flyer on Pachal.
At the moment, the Golden Knights are only carrying a minimum-sized active roster of 11 forwards and seven defensemen so if Pachal was to clear waivers, he couldn’t be sent to the Silver Knights without another move being made first. Blueliner Ben Hutton was listed as week-to-week when he was injured in late December while recent waiver claim Tobias Bjornfot went on IR three weeks ago with an undisclosed injury. If one of those two was to be activated, then Pachal could be removed from the roster. Shea Theodore is also injured and is on LTIR but his return might still be a couple of weeks away.
Anton Forsberg Nearing Return
The Senators could get some help between the pipes when they play their first game after their bye week next Saturday. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Anton Forsberg is on track in his recovery from a groin injury and might be ready to be activated off LTIR for that game against Toronto.
The 31-year-old is in the second season of a three-year, $8.25MM contract that he signed back in 2022 while in the middle of his best year at the NHL level. However, since then, Forsberg hasn’t played anywhere near as well and has struggled to the tune of a 3.35 GAA and a .889 SV% in 16 appearances so far this season. That said, those numbers are better than what Mads Sogaard was able to do in his stint as Forsberg’s replacement so his return will still be an upgrade.
However, Forsberg returning to the lineup will once again bring Ottawa’s cap crunch to the forefront. Per CapFriendly, the Sens are currently using $1.55MM of LTIR; that amount will need to come off their books before they can bring the netminder back onto the active roster. That means that two players will need to be cleared off.
One of them is fairly straightforward as Kevin Mandolese, currently the second option on the depth chart after being recalled following Wednesday’s game, can go back to AHL Belleville. That will clear $775K of that amount, leaving another $775K to come.
That one will be a little trickier to open up. Ottawa has just two waiver-exempt players, defenseman Jake Sanderson and center Ridly Greig. Both play key roles for the Senators so it’s safe to say that they won’t be going down.
Winger Zack MacEwen and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker both cleared waivers earlier this season but neither would be a lock to clear again. MacEwen’s on a three-year deal but at the minimum salary, a team looking for extra grit could easily put in a claim. Meanwhile, Bernard-Docker has been a regular on the third pairing most nights and as a young right-shot blueliner now with some NHL time under his belt, there’s likely a rebuilding team or two that would claim him now. Either of them coming off the books would barely squeak them under the cap line, leaving no wiggle room for recalls if needed.
If GM Steve Staios doesn’t want to risk one of those two and doesn’t have a trade on the horizon, one other option might be to waive Dominik Kubalik. The winger is believed to have been available for a couple of months now with no takers. With a $2.5MM cap charge, he might pass through unclaimed and while that full amount wouldn’t come off their books, they’d open up $1.15MM in room, creating enough space to activate Forsberg. It might not be the most desirable option but that could be a short-term fix.
With Ottawa being one of the few teams to play leading up to the All-Star break, Staios still has the better part of a week to determine how to make the money work. But after being able to delay dealing with this cap crunch which was lingering back in training for more than half the season, it appears the time has come to deal with it.