Metropolitan Notes: Blue Jackets, Pelech, Goodrow
With Daniil Tarasov’s conditioning stint set to end in a week and Elvis Merzlikins’ illness not expected to keep him out for long, the Blue Jackets will soon be facing a three-goalie situation. However, rather than try to trade or waive one of the three (which also includes waiver pickup Spencer Martin), Columbus intends to keep them all according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). There are only two other teams who are now regularly keeping up three netminders (Detroit and Montreal are the others) but at this point, it appears as if GM Jarmo Kekalainen doesn’t think he can get Martin through unclaimed.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech skated on his own for the first time on Friday as he works his way back from an upper-body injury that has him on LTIR, head coach Lane Lambert told reporters including Ethan Sears of the New York Post (Twitter link). The 29-year-old was off to a quiet start before the injury but was still logging nearly 20 minutes a night and his eventual return will be a welcome one with Ryan Pulock and Sebastian Aho also on IR at the moment. Pelech still has to miss at least 10 games and 24 days before he can be activated so his return is still a couple of weeks away (December 19th is the earliest possible date) but the fact he’s skating is an encouraging sign that he might not miss much more than the minimum.
- Rangers winger Barclay Goodrow is questionable for tonight’s game against Washington, relays Mollie Walker of the New York Post. The veteran took a puck to the face in Tuesday’s loss to Ottawa and has not practiced since. Goodrow has a goal and two assists in 23 games so far this season; if he can’t play tonight, veteran Riley Nash will likely take his place in the lineup.
Blackhawks Recall Isaak Phillips, Place Kevin Korchinski On Non-Roster List
The Blackhawks have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against St. Louis. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled blueliner Isaak Phillips from AHL Rockford. To make room for him on the roster, Chicago has moved defenseman Kevin Korchinski to the non-roster list.
Phillips has been up a couple of times with the Blackhawks already this season, getting into nine games where he had three assists while logging just under 16 minutes per contest. He has put up similar numbers with the IceHogs, collecting a goal and two helpers in ten appearances with them. Chicago had just sent the 22-year-old down last Saturday but it turned out to be a short-lived stint.
As for Korchinski, the 19-year-old has done a nice job locking down a regular spot in Chicago’s lineup so far. He has played in all 25 games, picking up two goals and five assists along with 30 blocked shots while averaging 19:31 per night. That puts him fifth among all NHL rookies; his teammate Connor Bedard is sixth in NHL rookie ATOI.
After Saturday’s morning skate, head coach Luke Richardson clarified to reporters including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Korchinski’s designation is for a family reason, not a loan for the upcoming World Juniors of which he’s eligible to play in. Accordingly, Phillips’ recall is likely to only be a short-term on.
Boone Jenner To Miss Six Weeks With Fractured Jaw
The injured list in Columbus has grown considerably this week already and today, another player has been added to it as the team announced (Twitter link) that center Boone Jenner has been placed on IR. He’s set to miss the next six weeks due to a fractured jaw suffered on Friday against St. Louis after being hit by a shot from teammate Ivan Provorov in the second period.
While the Blue Jackets have underachieved this season, Jenner is one of the few individual exceptions. He leads the team in goals with 13 while leading all forwards in points with 18 in 28 games. The captain had also gotten off to a nice start at the faceoff dot as his 55.6% success rate is the best of his career. Jenner also leads all Columbus forwards in ice time per game, logging 19:33 per night while playing in all situations.
Jenner joins defenseman Adam Boqvist (shoulder), goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (illness), and forward Cole Sillinger (upper body) as those who have been placed on injured reserve this week alone. Veteran blueliner Damon Severson and center Jack Roslovic are also on there as well. All told, they have nearly $23MM on IR now.
All of a sudden, Columbus’ center depth has taken another big hit. That should open up an even bigger role for Adam Fantilli who has done well since moving back to his natural spot down the middle. Head coach Pascal Vincent will need to decide if he wants to put Patrik Laine back at center (once he returns from an illness) to cover for Jenner to allow their younger centers to ease in on the wing. Alternatively, Kent Johnson and Dmitri Voronkov are both natural centers while Justin Danforth (who has briefly played there this season) could also shift over.
The Blue Jackets are back in action on Sunday against Florida. With Jenner’s placement, they have an open roster spot and it wouldn’t be surprising to see that spot filled in time for that game, either by a recall or someone activation from IR.
Blues Recall Hugh McGing
On Friday, the Blues opened up a roster spot when they traded defenseman Robert Bortuzzo to the Islanders. Today, they’ve filled that vacancy as they recalled forward Hugh McGing, per the AHL’s transactions log.
The 25-year-old is in his fourth season in St. Louis’ system after being a fifth-round pick back in 2018 (138th overall). McGing made his NHL debut last year, getting into a single game with the big club but spent most of the year with AHL Springfield where he had 17 goals and 22 assists in 71 games.
He’s off to a better start offensively this season, notching four goals and 11 helpers in 21 appearances, a 51-point pace over a 72-game campaign, putting him fourth on the Thunderbirds in scoring and helping him earn this recall. McGing is playing on a one-year, two-way deal this season worth the league minimum at the NHL level and will almost certainly be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency next summer.
With McGing’s recall, St. Louis is now once again carrying a full 23-player roster.
Central Notes: Barrie, Lehkonen, Fleury
Over the weekend, news got out that Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie and his camp had been given permission to seek a trade. Speaking recently with 102.5 The Game (video link), GM Barry Trotz expressed his frustration over the news being leaked and how Barrie himself handled being made a healthy scratch for the first time in his career last weekend. The 32-year-old has typically been one of the better offensive producers from the blueline in his career with ten straight seasons of at least 38 points. However, he has been held without a goal and has just ten assists in his first 23 games this season. Barrie is in the final year of his contract which carries a $4.5MM AAV and with his offensive struggles so far, it might not be a deal that’s easy to move. Meanwhile, in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link), Pierre LeBrun noted that the Preds aren’t particularly inclined to use their last salary retention slot to help facilitate a swap which will only complicate those attempts further.
More from the Central:
- Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen skated ahead of Colorado’s practice today, relays Corey Masisak of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been out for the last month due to a neck injury but was able to shed his neck brace late last month. There remains no timetable for his return but returning to the ice is at least a step in the right direction. Lehkonen had three goals and five assists in a dozen games before the injury.
- Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury remains undecided about his playing future beyond this season, notes John Shipley of the Pioneer Press. The 39-year-old is in his 20th NHL season and second with Minnesota but this one hasn’t gone as well as his first with the team. Fleury has played in ten games so far heading into tonight’s action, posting a 3.21 GAA with a .884 SV%. If those hold, it would be the lowest save percentage of his career and his highest GAA since the 2005-06 campaign. Fleury is in the final year of his contract, one that carries a $3.5MM cap charge.
Golden Knights Activate Isaiah Saville From SOIR, Assign Him To AHL
Golden Knights prospect goaltender Isaiah Saville was placed on season-opening IR back in September with an undisclosed injury. Now, it appears as if he has been cleared to return as Vegas has activated him and assigned him to their affiliate in Henderson, per the AHL’s transactions log.
The 23-year-old was a fifth-round pick by Vegas back in 2019 (135th overall). Last season was his first full professional campaign after leaving the University of Nebraska-Omaha following his junior year; Saville signed in March 2022, immediately burning the first season of his three-year, entry-level deal. He is now in the final season of that agreement.
Saville spent most of last season at the ECHL level with Savannah, posting an impressive .920 SV% in 33 games with the Ghost Pirates. That helped him get into ten games with the Silver Knights as well where he had a 3.21 GAA with a .902 SV%. He spent some time with Vegas during the playoffs as a Black Ace as well.
With Jiri Patera currently up with the Golden Knights covering for the injured Adin Hill and prospect Jesper Vikman injured, there’s a spot on the Silver Knights’ roster for Saville to fill for the time being, giving him a good opportunity to make a case to secure a qualifying offer in June.
Predators Assign Liam Foudy And Spencer Stastney To AHL
After clearing waivers earlier today, the Predators wasted little time sending forward Liam Foudy to the minors. The team announced that both Foudy and defenseman Spencer Stastney were assigned to AHL Milwaukee. No subsequent recalls were announced.
Foudy was claimed off waivers from Columbus early in the season but was in and out of the lineup with Nashville. Between the two teams, he has played in 13 games so far, picking up three assists and seven shots on net in just under ten minutes a night of ice time.
The 23-year-old spent all of last season in the NHL with the Blue Jackets, getting into a career-high 62 contests. Now, he’ll head back to the minors where he should have a chance to play a much bigger role for the Admirals. Foudy’s last AHL stint was in the 2021-22 campaign when he had 19 points in 29 games with Cleveland.
As for Stastney, the 23-year-old has been up for a pair of stints with the Preds this season, spanning nine games in total where he has his first career goal while logging just over 16 minutes a night. He also has four points in ten games so far with the Admirals.
Nashville’s skater roster now stands at just a dozen healthy forwards and seven blueliners so they have a couple of open spots at their disposal. Considering they’re back in action on Saturday against Toronto, it wouldn’t be surprising to see at least one of those spots filled by then.
Jets Receiving Interest In Logan Stanley
Playing time has been hard to come by for Jets defenseman Logan Stanley this season. Accordingly, teams have started to call around to ask about his availability, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.
The 6’6 rearguard was the 18th selection in the 2016 draft but has failed to live up to his draft billing. Stanley has just 119 career NHL appearances under his belt, only four of which have come in 2023-24 as he has been a frequent healthy scratch. More of a stay-at-home player, the 25-year-old has 20 career points along with 157 blocks and 228 hits.
Stanley was frustrated with his situation last season, one that saw him limited to just 19 appearances between injuries and scratches. The end result was a reported trade request although clearly, that didn’t come to fruition. This summer, Stanley accepted a one-year, $1MM contract in August, the amount of his qualifying offer. He’ll once again be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights in July, owed that same amount as a qualifier.
With Declan Chisholm finally seeing some NHL action in recent weeks, Winnipeg is currently carrying eight blueliners on its active roster with Ville Heinola – ready for an NHL look himself – on injured reserve. They also have Kyle Capobianco – a regular on the roster last year – at AHL Manitoba. Accordingly, it might make sense for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to explore selling off some surplus depth although Garrioch does point out that Stanley is not being shopped.
Of course, it’s fair to say that Stanley’s value is far from being at its peak. Seventh or eighth defensemen generally don’t yield much of a return on the trade market so it’s fair to say they’d be selling low. That’s not something Cheveldayoff typically does as he’s well-known for his patience to find the right move.
Stanley’s level of performance hasn’t changed much over the years so it’s fair to question how much upside he has left with Winnipeg. However, given where he was picked, it’s likely that there are organizations who believe a change of scenery could do him some good and that they can unlock his potential, so to speak. If there are enough of those, the Jets could get a good enough offer to be persuaded to move on at some point in the coming weeks. Otherwise, his extended stint in the press box seems likely to continue.
Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Pacioretty, Oshie
With the Devils missing Dougie Hamilton for the foreseeable future, many expect them to make a move to shore up their back end, even with Simon Nemec coming up from AHL Utica for the time being. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes suggests (Twitter link) that their desired piece is someone who plays a different style than Hamilton. Instead of another offensively-skilled blueliner, Weekes feels that New Jersey wants a stabilizer on the back end, one who could play a physical game and block shots, surmising that Calgary’s Chris Tanev could be the type of player they’re looking for. Even with Hamilton on the shelf, they do have some offensive upside from the back end with Luke Hughes and John Marino in the fold so it certainly makes sense for New Jersey to be looking for a different type of complementary player.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Capitals winger Max Pacioretty skated daily last week as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, relays NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). However, the veteran is still at least two weeks away from returning according to head coach Spencer Carbery. Pacioretty signed a one-year contract with Washington this summer, one that carries a base cap hit of $2MM while he can add up to $2MM more in games played incentives. He was limited to just five games last season but had 37 points in 39 appearances in 2021-22 with Vegas. When he returns, Washington will be hoping he can get back to that level of production.
- Still with the Capitals, Gulitti relays in a separate tweet that winger T.J. Oshie took part in practice today in a non-contact jersey as he works his way back from an upper-body injury. The next step is a full skate in a contact sweater which could come tomorrow, paving the way for a return as soon as Saturday. Oshie has missed the last couple of weeks with that injury after a particularly rough start to his campaign as he has just one goal and one assist in his first 17 games.
Sabres, Kraken Exploring Goalie Market
With teams now at the quarter mark of the season, they now have a greater sense of what they have and what they need. Two of those teams – the Sabres and Kraken – appear to have determined that goaltending help is high on the priority list as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that both squads are looking at what’s available between the pipes.
For Seattle, Philipp Grubauer has struggled mightily out of the gate, putting up his worst numbers in now his third season with the team. Joey Daccord won the backup battle in training camp but hasn’t fared much better, posting a save percentage of just .898. Meanwhile, they still have Chris Driedger at AHL Coachella Valley but he hasn’t seen regular NHL action for a couple of years now.
Garrioch notes that Montreal is among the teams the Kraken have spoken to. The Canadiens are one of the few teams still carrying three netminders on its active roster – the recently extended Samuel Montembeault, veteran Jake Allen, and youngster Cayden Primeau who is no longer waiver-exempt.
With a little over $2MM in cap room at the moment per CapFriendly, Seattle does have a bit of flexibility to work with. If they can clear out Driedger’s contract as part of any swap, they’d free up an additional $2.35MM to work with as that’s the cap charge they incur with Driedger being with the Firebirds.
As for Buffalo, Garrioch reports that they’re believed to have been sniffing around a veteran netminder. Devon Levi, when healthy, hasn’t played at the same level as he did down the stretch last season, resulting in a recent demotion to AHL Rochester. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has taken over the number one role for the time being (current illness notwithstanding) but has just 59 NHL appearances under his belt. Veteran Eric Comrie is also with the team but has a 4.01 GAA and a .861 SV% in his seven starts so there’s definitely room to upgrade.
Garrioch suggests that Allen is one of the goalies Buffalo is believed to have looked at. The 33-year-old has another year on this one on his contract with a $3.85MM AAV. His numbers are a bit better than Comrie’s with a 3.74 GAA and a .898 SV% in his ten starts. Buffalo has ample cap space to take on Allen’s full deal although they could also offset some of the cost of any possible trade by including Comrie’s $1.8MM expiring deal as part of any swap.
It has been out there for a while that the Oilers are looking for goalie help with the early struggles of Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner. Now, it appears they’re not the only ones looking for an upgrade at that position.