New York Islanders Place Scott Mayfield On Injured Reserve
The New York Islanders have placed defenseman Scott Mayfield on injured reserve, retroactive to December 11th. Mayfield has been out with an upper-body injury since that date.
With Mayfield out, the Islanders are now missing three of their four most important defensemen. Just Noah Dobson remains in the lineup, as Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock are also out with their own injuries.
This has left head coach Lane Lambert short on options as to how to staff not only his even-strength defensive pairings, but also (and especially) his penalty kill. Pelech, Pulock, and Mayfield all play massive roles on the team’s short-handed unit, and with the trio injured the Islanders are relying on players who don’t typically see heavy ice time on the penalty kill.
The Islanders have made two external additions to bolster their defensive depth, adding veterans Mike Reilly and Robert Bortuzzo, and those moves have helped. The Islanders are on a four-game winning streak and making a serious push for position in the Metropolitan Division.
But one has to think that a defense patched together with depth blueliners alongside relatively unestablished names such as Sebastian Aho and Samuel Bolduc can only hold down the fort for so long, regardless of how good the team looks in the immediate term.
The Islanders have won a ton of close victories, and while it’s true that close victories count the same amount in the standings as blowouts, one wonders how the conversations surrounding the team would be different if a few of those results were flipped.
That being said, it must be pointed out that this Islanders team is one seemingly constructed to thrive in close games, using goaltending and a balanced forward corps to grind out victories. So while the injuries that have struck their defense appear to be significant, the Islanders could very well continue their winning ways by following that clear blueprint.
Seeing as Mayfield’s IR placement is retroactive, there appears to be hope that the player will be able to return to the ice without a lengthy absence. But even if he is out longer than expected, the Islanders have found ways to win despite losing important players to injury. There’s no reason to believe that the team can’t do the same for as long as Mayfield is on IR.
Libor Hájek Signs In Czechia
The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and defenseman Libor Hájek have mutually agreed to terminate the AHL deal that was signed in October. Hájek signed a contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice that will run until 2028, according to an announcement from the Czech club.
These two moves appear to bring to an end Hájek’s time playing high-level hockey in North America. The 25-year-old moved from Czechia’s HC Kometa Brno to the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades in 2015-16, and ended up selected 37th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in that year’s draft.
While he was still in junior, Hájek was moved to the New York Rangers as a key part of the blockbuster Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller trade.
Hájek’s professional debut came in the Rangers organization with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Although some scouts were optimistic about how Hájek’s offensive game would develop, the growth he showed in his later WHL seasons never translated to the professional level.
He scored just five points in 58 AHL games as a rookie, and he never scored double-digit points in any season in his professional career. Hájek still grew in terms of role and importance in New York thanks to his size, physicality, and defensive acumen. He ultimately played in over 100 games for the Rangers, mostly occupying a sixth or seventh-defenseman role. He was non-tendered by the Rangers this past offseason, and there was some belief that he might be able to fill in a similar role with another organization to the one he filled in New York.
That never came to be, though, and Hájek settled on an AHL deal with the Penguins. Now, after 11 games in Wilkes-Barre Scranton, Hájek has elected to forgo the chance at returning to the NHL on a short-term basis (and the instability that comes with that pursuit) in favor of significantly increased stability around the familiar surroundings of his home country.
He joins one of Czechia’s top teams in Pardubice, a club that reached the Champions Hockey League quarterfinals and has reached the Czech postseason in three consecutive years. He has a real chance of earning some hardware this year, as Pardubice currently sits first in the Czech standings with a 20-3-4 record.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Kings Recall Tobias Björnfot
The Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Tobias Björnfot from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. This news comes just a day after Kings top-four defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov was lost to a lower-body injury on a week-to-week basis.
The Kings gave a look at how their Gavrikov-less defense would look in yesterday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets, with Jacob Moverare and Andreas Englund occupying the two left-side slots behind first-pairing defenseman Mikey Anderson. With this recall, Björnfot slots in as the club’s seventh defenseman, another left-shot blueliner for head coach Todd McLellan to choose from as he constructs his lineups.
A 2019 first-round pick, Björnfot’s role within the Kings’ overall defensive depth chart has declined over the past two years. After seemingly establishing himself in the NHL in 2021-22 by playing in 70 games for the Kings, Björnfot spent most of 2022-23 in the AHL. He played just 10 NHL games last season, and this year has played in just one NHL game.
A defense-first blueliner, Björnfot is aa relatively safe option for the Kings in their seventh-defenseman role. The team has lost back-to-back games, though, so with Gavrikov out on an extended basis one wonders if the Kings might look more seriously at acquiring outside help to strengthen their blueline.
If Moverare, Englund, and Björnfot are unable to fill the significant void left by Gavrikov, who plays nearly 20 minutes per night and is a regular penalty killer, it’s possible the Kings could look for the right trade fit to bolster their defense.
Philadelphia Flyers Reassign Louie Belpedio, Recall Felix Sandström
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that goaltender Felix Sandström has been recalled under emergency conditions from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Starting goalie Carter Hart is out for tonight’s game with an illness, so his absence necessitates this Sandström recall. To make room for Sandström, the Flyers had to move someone down to Lehigh Valley, so they’ve elected to send down blueliner Louie Belpedio.
Belpedio had slotted in as the team’s eighth defenseman and has not played in a game since the team’s November 19th victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. With Belpedio not needed in the immediate term by head coach John Tortorella, he made for a relatively simple choice of player to send down to clear room for Sandström.
Belpedio, 27, joined the Flyers organization last year on a one-year, two-way contract. He played in 70 games for the Phantoms, scoring 27 points. That performance earned him a contract extension for this season, and so far he’s played in a career-high 12 NHL games. Although he’ll likely find his way back onto the NHL roster once Hart is ready to return, a more extensive stint in the AHL can’t be ruled out for the 309-game AHL veteran.
As for Sandström, he’s slotted in as the organization’s third goalie behind Samuel Ersson and Hart. The 26-year-old 2015 70th overall pick worked his way up the Flyers’ organizational depth chart over the last few years, going from AHL starter in 2021-22 to NHL backup in 2022-23.
With Ersson rising, Sandström has been supplanted as Hart’s main backup, and he has spent more time in the AHL than NHL this season. Through six AHL contests, Sandström has gone 2-1-2 with a .871 save percentage.
Injury Notes: Grubauer, Coyotes, Hedman
Seattle Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer has not played in the team’s last two games, and today head coach Dave Hakstol told the media, including team reporter Alison Lukan, that Grubauer’s status is considered week-to-week. The result of Hakstol’s announcement is that Grubauer’s availability for the Winter Classic in Seattle is now in question.
A former Vezina Trophy finalist, Grubauer has split starts this season with Joey Daccord. Grubauer’s form since signing a $5.9MM AAV contract with the Kraken has been poor, and this season has been no different. He has a .884 save percentage, a decline from the .895 mark he posted the year before. With Grubauer out, the Kraken will turn to a tandem of Daccord and Chris Driedger.
Some other injury notes from across the NHL:
- PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported three injury updates from Arizona today: forward Nick Schmaltz is injured and will be a game-time decision for Friday’s game, defenseman Sean Durzi is unlikely to play that game due to injury, and injured forward Jack McBain, who has not played in over a month, is expected to return to the ice. The best news of this trio is undoubtedly the return of McBain. The 23-year-old physical center scored 12 goals and 26 points in his rookie season last year, registering 304 hits along the way, which ranked second among all forwards. He had scored a healthy seven points in 13 games before getting injured in November.
- Bally Sports Florida’s Gabby Shirley reports that 2018 Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman will not play in tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers due to an upper-body injury. It’s unclear if Hedman will miss more time beyond tonight’s game. The legendary 32-year-old defenseman has been one of the league’s best defensemen this season, scoring 27 points in 29 games. Without Hedman in their lineup, the struggling Lightning will face a tall task attempting to beat the Oilers, as Edmonton is riding an eight-game winning streak.
Buffalo Sabres Place Jeff Skinner On Injured Reserve
The Buffalo Sabres have placed Jeff Skinner on injured reserve as a result of the upper-body injury he suffered last night, according to a team announcement.
25-year-old Brett Murray has been recalled from the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, to fill Skinner’s vacated slot on the Sabres’ roster. This news comes as the Sabres are already dealing with poor injury luck. The team has Jordan Greenway, Jack Quinn, and Zemgus Girgensons already on injured reserve. With Skinner included, the total cap hit of players on Sabres injured reserve amounts to a whopping $15.363MM.
The loss of Skinner means the Sabres will have to make do without one of their top offensive weapons. The 31-year-old former Calder Trophy winner scored 35 goals and 82 points last season, which was by a wide margin the most productive campaign of his career. He’s followed that up quite well with 12 goals and 22 points in 30 games to start this season. With Skinner out, Murray could very well slot into the vacated role on the Sabres’ second-line, alongisde J.J. Peterka and Casey Mittelstadt.
Murray is a big six-foot-five, 228-pound left winger who has had two consecutive strong seasons in Rochester. In 2021-22, Murray scored 15 goals and 32 points in 52 games, as well as six points in 10 playoff games. Last season, Murray scored 23 goals and 49 points in 71 games, while also chipping in 10 points in 14 postseason contests.
Although those numbers haven’t entirely translated to the NHL level in his 22 career games there, his offensive success at the AHL level does indicate that he may have some more upside in the NHL than he’s shown so far. Murray played for the Sabres on December 11th, and now he’ll likely get an extended chance with the team due to Skinner’s injury.
Boston Bruins Place Charlie McAvoy, Pavel Zacha On Injured Reserve
The Boston Bruins have announced several roster transactions: defenseman Charlie McAvoy and forward Pavel Zacha have been placed on injured reserve, while forward Patrick Brown has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon has also been recalled, with his recall under an emergency designation.
McAvoy remains out with an upper-body injury, and his status was last classified as day-to-day. He has not played since December 7th. Zacha has not played since leaving the team’s December 9th contest against the Arizona Coyotes, and he was last reported as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Both Zacha and McAvoy are crucially important players for the Bruins. McAvoy is the club’s best defenseman, averaging 24:09 time-on-ice per game, the most on the team. Zacha is usually the Bruins’ top center, and he averages the most ice time per night of any Bruins pivot, including time on both special teams units.
In Zacha’s place, the team has recalled Brown, a veteran of nearly 150 NHL games. The versatile 31-year-old undrafted forward can play both center and wing and 55.8% faceoff win percentage in the NHL. He’s split time this season between Providence and Boston, skating in six games at the AHL level and eight in the NHL.
Wotherspoon, 26, is a left-shot defenseman and an established veteran in the AHL. He’s skated in over 300 AHL games and has 15 total NHL games on his resume. He’s played in three games for the Bruins so far this season, scoring one assist.
Winnipeg Jets Place Dominic Toninato On Waivers
The Winnipeg Jets have placed forward Dominic Toninato on waivers, according to CapFriendly. Toninato was recalled in response to Kyle Connor‘s placement on injured reserve. He did not dress for the Jets’ 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings yesterday, and now appears to be slated for a return to the AHL.
This is not the first time Toninato has found himself on waivers, although he has not been claimed before in his career. He last cleared waivers on October 2nd, and since he has been on the Jets’ roster for 30 cumulative days since then, he’ll need to go through waivers again.
The 29-year-old pivot is a veteran of 169 career NHL games and occupies a role as a depth center capable of handling bottom-six minutes in the NHL and top-six minutes in the AHL.
So far this season, Toninato has played entirely at the AHL level. He has six points in nine games for the Manitoba Mose so far this year, though he has spent time in the NHL press box as a healthy scratch as well.
It’s possible a team in desperate need of an experienced center could put in a claim for Toninato, seeing as he did play in 77 NHL games as recently as 2021-22. But that outcome appears unlikely, especially considering Toninato’s career 42.9% mark on draws means he doesn’t have appeal as a faceoff specialist at the very least.
Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Elvis Merzļikins
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that netminder Elvis Merzļikins has been activated off of injured reserve. Merzļikins has missed the team’s last three games with an illness. The activation positions Merzļikins to be the starter for the Blue Jackets’ game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Merzļikins’ return comes at an important time for the Blue Jackets. Despite significant offseason additions, the Blue Jackets have struggled immensely this season. Their on-ice issues have caused the team’s hockey operations decision-makers to come under significant outside pressure. With the team still mired in last place in the Metropolitan division, the return of Merzļikins can potentially give the franchise a much-needed lift.
The 29-year-old Latvian netminder is entrenched as the team’s starter, in large part due to his contract. He’s set to cost $5.4MM against the cap each season through 2026-27. But while that cap hit might be the most significant factor securing his spot as the Blue Jackets’ unquestioned number-one goalie, his performance this year has also done him favors. In 19 games, Merzļikins currently has a .910 save percentage, which is a massive improvement from the .876 mark he posted last season.
In 2022-23, the argument could be made that Merzļikins was the worst-performing regular netminder in the entire NHL. This season, no such arguments can be made as Merzļikins now boasts an above-average save percentage. Although the playoffs seem to be out of reach for the Blue Jackets, barring a miracle, Merzļikins’ return can help Columbus remain competitive on a more regular basis.
Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Sean Day
12/14/23: The Lightning today returned Myers and Chaffee back to Syracuse. Chaffee dressed for and played in the team’s 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks two days ago, but Myers did not. Replacing Myers as Tampa’s spare defenseman is Sean Day, who has been recalled from the Crunch.
Day is a 25-year-old left-shot defenseman who worked his way up from the ECHL to become one of Syracuse’s more reliable blueliners. He was most recently listed as a second-pairing defenseman in Syracuse, and has two games of NHL experience. Both of those games came from Day’s best season, 2021-22, when he scored 40 points in 69 games for the Crunch.
12/12/23: The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Mitchell Chaffee from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
These are not recalls the Lightning have enough cap space to make without any corresponding moves, according to CapFriendly. So CapFriendly notes that the team has likely shifted injured forward Conor Sheary from regular injured reserve to the long-term injured list, a move that would effectively clear as much as $2MM in cap space for the team to work with.
Myers, 26, is a smooth-skating six-foot-six right-shot defenseman who has played most of this season in the AHL for the Crunch. He’s played in one NHL contest this season, a November 14th shutout loss to the St. Louis Blues, and has otherwise played in a minutes-eating role for the Crunch.
A veteran of over 150 NHL games, Myers will provide some cover on defense for the Lightning in case any of its blueliners are unavailable tonight for the team’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.
As for Chaffee, the 25-year-0ld has, unlike Myers, not yet made his Lightning debut. Signed out of the Minnesota Wild organization over the summer, Chaffee is currently tied with Gage Goncalves for the Crunch scoring lead with 19 points in 21 games.
Chaffee missed most of last season with a knee injury, an ailment that limited him to just 10 games played. It’s possible that injury is what caused the Wild to opt not to tender Chaffee a contract in the offseason, but so far that decision has been to the Lightning’s benefit.
Chaffee has been one of the Crunch’s most important players and could end up providing some scoring ability in a depth role should he be called upon to play NHL games for the Lightning.