Morning Notes: Zucker, Dumba, Villalta, Hellberg
The Arizona Coyotes are open to trading veteran forward Jason Zucker and defenseman Matt Dumba, The Fourth Period reports. Both players are on expiring contracts and could be cheap options for added depth. Zucker has scored eight goals and 22 points in 46 games this season, while Dumba has managed just nine points in 52 games of his own.
This update doesn’t come as much of a surprise, although it does deviate from reports earlier in the season that shared the Coyotes were focused on adding older, veteran presences. But the Coyotes’ season has fallen to shambles since the calendar turned over, with the team currently riding an 11-game losing streak and sporting a 4-15-2 record in 2024. It’s been a heavy fall for a team that carried a winning record through early December. But with the losses has come a return to form for Arizona, who are once again focused on selling veteran talents to bolster their future capital. Arizona has two available salary retention spots open and may need to use them to make any trade of Zucker, who carries a $5.3MM cap hit, or Dumba, who has a $3.9MM cap hit, work for cap-strapped teams. Even then, the return for either player – one now 32 and the other struggling to produce – likely wouldn’t be too profitable for the Coyotes.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Coyotes have sent down goaltender Matthew Villalta, suggesting that Connor Ingram could be nearing a return from an undisclosed injury that’s held him out for the last week. Villalta played in his first two NHL games while filling in for Ingram, saving 24 of the 29 shots he faced in 72 minutes of ice time. He’s primarily operated as the starting goalie for the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, where he’s managed 22 wins and a .913 save percentage in 34 games.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned goaltender Magnus Hellberg to their AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins just three days after recalling him. It appears the Penguins made the move as a precaution in case one of their NHL netminders were unable to play. The 32-year-old did see NHL action earlier in the year, dressing in three games for the Penguins in which he went 1-0-0 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
Kings Activate Blake Lizotte, Place Viktor Arvidsson On IR
Top Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson has reportedly been placed on injured reserve, per the NHL media site. The Kings have also activated forward Blake Lizotte off of long-term injured reserve. Lizotte has been out since January 15th, missing the team’s last 14 games. He has nine points in the 34 games he’s been healthy for this season.
Arvidsson is falling out of the lineup after just four games back from a back injury that delayed his season debut until February 15th. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury suffered in L.A.’s Thursday night win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. ESPN broadcaster Kevin Weekes shared that this new injury could hold Arvidsson out on a week-to-week basis, though that hasn’t been confirmed by new head coach Jim Hiller yet.
Arvidsson recorded two assists, two penalties, and a +1 in his four games back, though he’ll still be searching for his first goal of the season. At the rate that his injuries are coming in, this season could end up as the first time since the 2015-16 season that Arvidsson hasn’t scored at least 10 goals in a season. The Kings will certainly hope that isn’t the case, with Arvidsson ranked third in goals on the Kings between 2020 and 2023.
Lizotte is slated to fill Arvidsson’s role on the team’s third line, playing alongside Quinton Byfield and Pierre-Luc Dubois. He was placed on IR alongside Carl Grundstrom, who is currently ineligible to return until March 9th. Los Angeles will be forced to juggle their depth forwards until then, with Lizotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Jaret Anderson-Dolan likely rotating between roles in the team’s bottom six.
Trade Deadline Primer: New York Rangers
With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New York Rangers.
The New York Rangers have once again found themselves in a rare position atop the standings, while still having the cap space to make a splash at the Trade Deadline. They clearly enjoyed this position last season, making seven different trades between the start of February and the March 3rd deadline. That included their acquisitions of Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Motte, and Patrick Kane. But their building didn’t lead to much, with New York losing in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their busy deadline last season has limited the assets they have to work with this year, though New York are still undeniable favorites to add to their roster once again.
Record
37-16-3, 1st in the Metropolitan Division.
Deadline Status
Buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$4.383MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th
2025: NYR 1st, DAL 4th, NYR 5th, MIN 5th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th
Trade Chips
Despite the Rangers undergoing a dramatic coaching change this summer, they’re on pace to score just two fewer goals and allow 10 more goals than they did last year. And they’re achieving that scoring in a very similar manner – through dominate performances from Artemi Panarin and his top-line co-leads being offset by productive second-liners and a strong defense. Their outlook for the playoffs is largely similar to what it was this time last season, and thus the
Rangers need to be prepared to leverage draft capital as their main bargaining piece once again. First-round draft picks have been the starting point in a lot of trade rumors, as well as both the Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan deals, and that’s certainly where teams will start talks with the Rangers, who still have their top selections in each of the upcoming three draft classes. New York will need to be ready to part with at least one of those selections at the Deadline.
If they’re steadfast on keeping first-round picks, the Rangers’ trade negotiations will have to start with their prospect pool. New York has plenty of promising defensive prospects, including hard-hitting, two-way defenders in Matthew Robertson and Brandon Scanlin. Neither player has scored much this season – boasting 19 and 14 points respectively – but they’ve each earned NHL attention thanks to their long reach and ability to shut down play in their own zone. They are each awaiting their NHL debut as well, which could entice other teams looking to bank on unrealized potential. The Rangers also boast a trio of highly-discussed forward prospects in Brett Berard, Ryder Korczak, and Adam Sýkora. Berard likely offers the most value of this group, largely thanks to his 16 goals and 31 points in 47 games as an AHL rookie this season, but the less-productive rookies Sykora and Korczak could serve as secondary options in negotiations. New York could also dangle 6’8″ forward Adam Edstrom who, unlike the aforementioned trio, has already made his NHL debut. Regardless of how they go about it, future capital will be the focus of any Rangers deal.
Team Needs
1) Prioritize Depth First – The Rangers threw off the chemistry of their top-six last season, bringing in two high-end wingers in Kane and Tarasenko that each demanded their own ice time. They should be hesitant to make that mistake again this year, with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière serving well as supports to the team’s stars. It’s depth scoring that will really turn the tides for the Rangers, who don’t currently have a bottom-six forward with 20 or more points. Bringing in proven talents like Scott Laughton or Adam Henrique to fill the role left open by Filip Chytil would provide New York with a much-needed punch down their lineup, while also lifting up low-scoring bottom-six pieces like Kaapo Kakko or William Cuylle. Both Henrique and Laughton also offer leadership qualities that would go a long way towards blending the lineup ahead of playoffs, rather than eating away at the ice time of top producers. Both players fit within New York’s cap space, with Henrique making $5.825MM and on an expiring contract, while Laughton makes $3MM through the end of the 2025-26 season.
2) Don’t Be Afraid To Make A Splash – A focus on adding cohesive depth shouldn’t distract the
Rangers from shooting for the stars. Former-Ranger Pavel Buchnevich is reportedly available for the right return, which could be as much as two first-round picks. That’s a steep price to pay for a 28-year-old player set to become a free agent in 2025 but Buchnevich’s point-per-game scoring and familiarity with Madison Square Garden may make it worth it. There is a vacant spot on New York’s productive second-line, currently being manned by Jimmy Vesey, who has just 18 points in 54 games this season. Replacing his spot with Buchnevich would fill the Rangers’ top-six with dangerous scorers, without overcommitting to too many stars like the team did last season. It would also give the Rangers much more room to rotate different talents into their bottom-six, able to feature efficient forwards like Jonny Brodsinski or Cuylle or focus on heavy-hitting and grit through the likes of Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom. Depth has proven to be the X-factor to countless Stanley Cup winners, and earning this degree of flexibility on top of adding a high-end scorer would add tremendous value to the Rangers lineup. Buchnevich is set to make $5.8MM through the end of next season, meaning the Rangers would likely have to part with a lineup piece in order to remain cap-compliant. Acquiring Buchnevich could also eat away at the short list of assets New York is prepared to trade. But the potential rewards of bringing in such a potent winger could be too great to ignore for a Rangers team sat on the cusp of greatness.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Islanders Injury Notes: Bortuzzo, Fasching, Cizikas
New York Islanders defenseman Robert Bortuzzo has suffered a setback in his recovery from a high-ankle sprain that’s already forced him out of the team’s last 18 games. He is now out indefinitely, per general manager Lou Lamoriello. Bortuzzo was moved to long-term injured reserve earlier this week.
This news comes as a tough blow to not only Bortuzzo – who’s only played 15 games this season – but the Islanders defense, which acquired Bortuzzo in late November in an attempt to add depth in the face of injuries. It’s been a long season for the Islanders, who have seen six of the nine defenders currently on their roster, including Bortuzzo, miss games due to injury. They’re now back to a mostly healthy form, with Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock both returning from long-term absences.
Other New York Islanders notes:
- Lou Lamoriello also shared that the Islanders may send Hudson Fasching to the AHL on a brief conditioning stint before activating him off of injured reserve. Fasching has been out since January 25th with illness and, thanks to his place on long-term IR, won’t be eligible to return until February 29th at the earliest. The 28-year-old winger has eight points through 35 NHL games this season.
- Casey Cizikas will be evaluated when the Islanders return to New York for a hand injury suffered in the team’s Tuesday game against Pittsburgh. Cizikas sustained the injury while blocking a shot from Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, and immediately left the game. Yesterday the team recalled Kyle MacLean to serve as depth if Cizikas can’t play on Thursday. Cizikas has 12 points, split evenly, through 44 games this season and recently returned from a lower-body injury that held him out for 10 games.
Golden Knights Place Mark Stone On IR, Recall Three
3:30 PM: Mark Stone is dealing with a lacerated spleen, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. Seravalli adds that a timeline would be hard to gauge for this injury, though Stone will likely miss significant time.
1:00 PM: The Vegas Golden Knights have placed star winger Mark Stone on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. In a corresponding move, the team recalled forwards Brendan Brisson, Byron Froese, and Sheldon Rempal from the minor leagues. They have also assigned forward Grigori Denisenko to the AHL. These roster moves will help Vegas fill the absences left by injuries to Stone, Jack Eichel, William Carrier, and Pavel Dorofeyev – all on IR. Vegas is also facing injury to Brett Howden, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury., per reports from SinBin Vegas.
The injury bug is fully hitting Vegas, forcing the team to dig deep into their depth. Each of Brisson, Froese, and Rempal have played in a few NHL games this season, with Brisson leading the group in scoring with one goal and three points. Rempal has scored two goals as well, while Froese is searching for his first point of the season. The trio is a part of 19 different forwards that have played for the Golden Knights this season.
Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon recently went onto Pierre McGuire’s podcast and shared that Jack Eichel and William Carrier are nearing a return. Vegas will hope those returns come as soon as possible, now with both of their top two scorers in Stone and Eichel facing injury questions. Eichel is the only Golden Knight still scoring above a point-per-game pace, with 19 goals and 44 points in 42 games. He’s recovering from a knee injury that’s earned him a place on long-term injured reserve and has held him out since mid-January.
Snapshots: Buchnevich, Bogosian, Rosen
The St. Louis Blues aren’t actively shopping winger Pavel Buchnevich but they are hearing out offers, shares team insider Jeremy Rutherford with The Athletic. Rutherford adds that any deal would likely start at a first-round draft pick and may even need two first-round picks to get done. That’s a steep price for an older veteran with just one year left on his contract but Buchnevich may earn it. He’s been one of St. Louis’ most productive players since joining them in 2021-22, totaling 186 points in 189 games with the club. That includes his 43 points in 53 games this season, a mark that ranks second on the Blues and puts Buchnevich on pace to break 65 points in his third season in a row.
Buchnevich became a pillar of the St. Louis offense quickly, scoring a career-high 76 points in 73 games during the 2021-22 season – a year that saw the Blues score their most goals in one season since 1981-82. He’s maintained that strength through the last two seasons, despite St. Louis’ scoring coming a bit slower, and even adapted to playing a top-line centerman role for parts of last season. His adaptability is evident, and that – as well as a chance to get a head start on contract negotiations – could be enough to convince playoff teams to pay a high premium at the Deadline.
Other notes from around the league:
- The St. Louis Blues are expected to send down Calle Rosen to make room to activate Scott Perunovich off of injured reserve, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich is returning from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of the team’s last seven games. He will continue his search for his first goal of the season, and his NHL career, recording 12 assists through 31 games this season.
- Minnesota Wild Defenseman Zach Bogosian is likely to miss at least a week of action after exiting the team’s Wednesday night game with an upper-body injury, per team reporter Michael Russo. Bogosian appears to have suffered the injury after blocking a shot from Nikolaj Ehlers, leaving the game after his shift. Bogosian has scored one goal and nine points in 44 games this season, serving a comfortable role in Minnesota’s top-four. His absence will likely lend way to Declan Chisholm or Jonathon Merrill gaining a larger role, though the Wild also have Alex Goligoski serving as a healthy scratch.
Snapshots: Perunovich, Fehervary, Dowd, Grant
St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister has named defenseman Scott Perunovich as a game-time decision for the team’s Thursday evening game against the New York Islanders, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich has been out since January 28th, nursing a lower-body injury that earned him a retroactive injured reserve placement earlier in the week. This season has marked Perunovich’s official rookie year in the NHL, although he did play in 19 games during the 2021-22 season. But persistent injury, including pre-season shoulder surgery, limited Perunovich to just 22 AHL games last season. He has 12 points, all assists, in 31 games this season. The scoring brings his career totals up to 18 points in 50 combined games, with Perunovich still searching for his first NHL goal.
Perunovich has undergone three different surgeries since the 2021-22 season. The constant rehab has kept him from fully finding his footing at the top level, though he’s flashed signs of strong potential. Perunovich won the NCCA’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award in the 2019-20 season, the league’s top honor. He earned the award after scoring four goals and 40 points in 34 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, serving in an all-purpose role for the Bulldogs that saw him play top-pair minutes, special teams, and forward at a few points in the season. Perunovich made his professional debut in the subsequent season and has since totaled 42 points across 39 AHL games, adding to his totals in the NHL. His return likely bumps Calle Rosen out of the lineup. Rosen has played in St. Louis’ last six games, recording just one point, taking over the role of sixth-man from Tyler Tucker.
The Blues will need to send one of Tucker or Rosen back to the minor leagues in order to activate Perunovich off of injured reserve. They could also send down extra forwards Sammy Blais or Nikita Alexandrov, if they prefer hanging on to extra defensive depth. That could be the case, as St. Louis is also down Justin Faulk, who was moved onto long-term injured reserve on Tuesday.
Other notes from around the league:
- Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary has been moved to injured reserve with a lower-body injury sustained in the team’s February 17th game. He was previously announced as week-to-week with the injury and will now be required to miss at least one week of action. Fehervary has appeared in 47 games this season, scoring two goals and 12 points while averaging roughly 19 minutes of action a night.
- Fellow Washington Capital Nic Dowd is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t travel with the team on their two-game road trip to Florida. His next opportunity to play will be Washington’s Monday matchup against the Ottawa Senators, per team reporter Bailey Johnson. Aliaksei Protas is expected to step into a center role in Dowd’s absence, with call-up Pierrick Dubé filling Protas’ role on the wing. Dubé, 23, will be making his NHL debut in Dowd’s absence. He has 24 goals and 34 points in 50 AHL games this season.
- Veteran NHL forward Derek Grant has signed a one-year extension with the ZSC Lions of the National League, Switzerland’s top league. Grant, 33, is in his first season in Switzerland after not landing an NHL deal this summer. He has 13 goals and 30 points through his first 45 games in Switzerland. Grant spent the last 10 seasons in the NHL, playing with seven different organizations. He totaled 427 career games in that span, netting 57 goals and 132 points. His career-year came in 2021-22, when he scored a career-high 15 goals and 29 points in 71 games with the Anaheim Ducks.
Golden Knights’ Mark Stone To Be Out “A While” With Injury
Star Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone will be “out for a while” per general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who shared the update with Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy on the latest episode of The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test. McCrimmon added some good news, saying that Jack Eichel and William Carrier are nearing a return.
Stone suffered an apparent upper-body injury in the team’s Tuesday night game against the Nashville Predators, after receiving a big hit from Yakov Trenin. Trenin earned an interference penalty on the play. Stone’s injury is a tremendous loss for the Golden Knights. The 31-year-old winger currently leads the team in scoring, with 16 goals and 53 points through 56 games. It’s yet another successful season for Stone, who has totaled 256 points in 274 games since joining the Golden Knights in 2018-19. Unfortunately, productivity isn’t the only consistent for Stone – as he is yet again facing long-term injury in the second half of the season. Stone has had an upper-body injury hold him out from February to April in each of the last two seasons, earning a spot on injured reserve each time. Vegas will hope lightning doesn’t strike for a third time this season, with Stone so far remaining off of IR.
If Vegas does lose Stone, they’ll quickly turn their towards Jack Eichel, who has been out of action since January 11th with a knee injury. Eichel was moved to long-term injured reserve on Monday, though he has already missed the required amount of time and will be eligible to return as soon as he’s healthy. He has been Vegas’ most-productive scorer, operating as the only Golden Knight scoring above a point-per-game pace with 19 goals and 44 points through 42 games. Eichel has also been consistently limited by injury, with 67 games last season marking the most he’s played in one year since the 2019-20 campaign. He’ll have a chance to beat that mark by one game, with 26 games remaining on Vegas’ schedule, though he’d have to return on Thursday to maintain that pace.
Evening Notes: Hanifin, Nugent-Hopkins, Jones, Crevier
The Tampa Bay Lightning could be viewing Noah Hanifin as their replacement for Mikhail Sergachev, per TSN’s Chris Johnston on Insider Trading. Sergachev has had terrible injury luck this season, recently fracturing both bones in his lower left leg just 10 minutes into his return from a separate lower-body injury that held him out for two months. The 25-year-old defenseman has played just 34 games this season, scoring 19 points. He’s now out indefinitely and is currently on the team’s long-term injured reserve.
Hanifin would be a darling replacement for Sergachev and a major addition to a Tampa Bay blue line that’s been battered and bruised all season long. Hanifin has scored 30 points in 56 games this season, operating as Calgary’s clear-cut top defenseman and averaging over 23 minutes of ice time. His role in Tampa would likely be a bit easier and focus more on taking responsibility off of Victor Hedman’s shoulders. Hedman currently averages nearly 25 minutes of ice time each game, almost six minutes more than any other healthy Lightning defenseman.
Hanifin is on an expiring contract with a $4.95MM cap hit. He’s currently expected to test the open market, though any team that acquires him will get a head start in negotiating a new contract. Tampa Bay is expected to have $7.55MM in cap space available at the Trade Deadline but just $11.5MM available this off-season, with Steven Stamkos headlining their list of pending free agents. That likely limits their ability to give Hanifin the contract he’ll be asking for. All of these factors will undoubtedly come up in trade negotiations, as Tampa Bay looks to acquire one of the top names on the open market.
Other notes from around the league:
- Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is out with illness and is questionable to play in the team’s Wednesday night matchup against the Boston Bruins, per Sportsnet columnist Mark Spector. Nugent-Hopkins has had another productive season with the Oilers, scoring 49 points in 52 games this season. That puts him on pace for 77 points through 82 games, which would be both the second-most Nugent-Hopkins has ever scored and a notable step down from the 104 points he scored in 82 games last season. His absence would likely lead to Connor Brown stepping back into the lineup, as Edmonton doesn’t have any extra forwards currently on the NHL roster.
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones is okay after taking a puck to the groin at the team’s Wednesday practice, while defenseman Louis Crevier is out with soreness after taking a puck to the face in the team’s last game, per team reporter Scott Powers. Crevier will be replaced by Isaak Phillips, who has six assists, 22 penalty minutes, and -22 through 29 games this season.
Vancouver Canucks Announce Multiple Roster Moves
The Vancouver Canucks have placed centerman Dakota Joshua on injured reserve retroactive to February 13th and Carson Soucy on long-term injured reserve. Joshua is currently week-to-week with a hand injury, while Soucy has already missed the required 10 games, making him eligible to be activated off of LTIR whenever he’s healthy.
In a corresponding move, Vancouver has also recalled defenseman Jett Woo from the AHL. Woo recently received the first midseason call-up of his career, though he’s still waiting to play in his first NHL game. Woo has scored 18 points in 44 AHL games this season, a mark that, surprisingly, ranks second among Abbotsford Canucks defensemen.
Vancouver has promoted rookie forward Arshdeep Bains to the NHL to help fill in for Joshua’s absence. Bains, who has nine goals and 39 points in 42 AHL games this season, made his NHL debut in the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, recording no points, one penalty, and a -2 in roughly 13 and a half minutes of ice time. Bains also added two shots on net, three hits, and one takeaway. He will likely get an extended look in the lineup, though Vancouver also has Sam Lafferty operating as a healthy scratch.
Woo will join Mark Friedman as the extra defenseman on the Canucks roster, backing up Noah Juulsen, who has filled in while Soucy is out. Friedman has appeared in 20 games with Vancouver this season, scoring one point and tallying 21 penalty minutes. Juulsen has six points and 16 penalty minutes of his own, scored through 41 games. Woo would offer a change of pace from each veteran depth defenseman, though the Canucks could be wanting more from the 23-year-old before they rely on him as anything more than added depth.