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Islanders Assign Samuel Bolduc And Hudson Fasching To AHL

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The New York Islanders have assigned defenseman Samuel Bolduc and forward Hudson Fasching to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL on conditioning assignments.

For Bolduc, the assignment comes after a stretch of seven straight games in which he has served as a healthy scratch for the Islanders. The native of Laval, Quebec hasn’t played since January 27th against the Florida Panthers and hasn’t been overly effective when he has been in the lineup, posting just a goal and two assists in 33 games. The move likely means that Bolduc will get plenty of playing time in Bridgeport over the next couple of weeks.

Fasching was given a conditioning assignment just two days after he was placed on the long-term injured reserve. The Islanders placed Fasching on the LTIR retroactive to January 25th which means he won’t return to the NHL lineup until February 29th at the earliest. Fasching skated with the team late last week for a few days before becoming ill.

The 28-year-old has three goals and five assists in 35 games this season and was hoping to establish himself as an everyday NHLer this year after posting career highs last season for games, goals, and assists. His offensive numbers have dipped a little bit this season, however many of his underlying numbers have fallen dramatically.

Olle Lycksell Reassigned To AHL, Tyson Foerster Nearing Return

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced this morning that they’ve reassigned forward Olle Lycksell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The 24-year-old has been a healthy scratch for the Flyers in six of their seven games since the All-Star break as he has been primarily serving as a depth forward. He has dressed in five games this season at the NHL level and has a single assist while averaging a tick under 10 minutes of ice time per game.

At the AHL level, Lycksell has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games with Lehigh Valley and has been nearly a point-a-game player the last few seasons. His demotion could signal that Tyson Foerster is healthy and nearing a return to the lineup.

Foerster is practicing in a regular jersey today and reportedly could play tomorrow for Philadelphia against the New York Rangers. He was hurt blocking a shot in a game against the Seattle Kraken back on February 10th and has missed the last four games. The former first-round pick is having a decent offensive season with 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games but came into the season with lofty expectations after posting seven points in eight NHL games last year.

Based on the line rushes in Flyers practice, it seems likely that Foerster will play alongside Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates on the Flyers’ third line.

Bruins Recall Ian Mitchell, Grzelcyk Is Day-To-Day

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Joe Pohoryles of The Hockey News is reporting that the Boston Bruins have recalled defenseman Ian Mitchell from their AHL affiliate in Providence. Mitchell hasn’t dressed for an NHL game since December 23rd after making the team out of training camp as the seventh defenseman. He started the season with two assists in 13 NHL games and was then assigned to Providence and has posted three goals and 11 assists in 22 AHL games. Mitchell has played in 95 NHL games over four seasons and has four career NHL goals and 14 assists.

Mitchell’s recall could signal that fellow defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will miss some time. Grzelcyk was injured in Boston’s 6-5 overtime win last night against the Edmonton Oilers and the Bruins are calling his status day-to-day. Boston is already without their top left-shot defenseman Hampus Lindholm, and Grzelcyk’s injury leaves them down another defenseman.

Grzelcyk isn’t having one of his better offensive seasons as he has just two goals and five assists in 43 games. However, this is largely due to his role changing a bit this year as he has seen far less power play time and far more time killing penalties. The 30-year-old has spent more time on the penalty kill this season than the last three seasons combined and has just over five minutes on the power play this year. Special teams aside, Grzelcyk’s play at even strength hasn’t been as strong this year, and it will be something he’ll likely be looking to work on when he is healthy and in the lineup again.

Penguins Acquire Emil Bemstrom From Blue Jackets

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A day after speaking to the media, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has swung a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins have acquired forward Emil Bemstrom from Columbus in exchange for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026.

From the Penguins perspective, it didn’t look as though Nylander was a fit with head coach Mike Sullivan’s style of play as he spent most of his time with the Penguins organization in the AHL. In the past two seasons, Nylander dressed in 14 NHL games and had a goal and an assist while getting several looks in the Penguins top six, something he was never able to turn into offensive production. The eighth overall pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft has never lived up to his pre-draft expectations and now finds himself with his fourth NHL franchise in eight years.

The Blue Jackets likely view the draft pick as the central piece of the deal. Although a sixth-round pick in two drafts isn’t exactly a haul, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the pick becomes a third-round pick if Bemstrom scores six goals the rest of this season with Pittsburgh.

In Bemstrom, the Penguins are acquiring a 24-year-old with some speed who was available on waivers just a few months ago. The former fourth-round pick his five goals and six assists in 32 games this season after posting a career-high 22 points in 55 games last year. He spent eight games in the AHL this season where he was dominant with 10 goals and four assists.

The move could be the first of many for the Penguins as Dubas mentioned yesterday that getting younger would be a priority and the Penguins could also make a bigger move if they elect to move on from pending free agent Jake Guentzel.

Penguins Activate Noel Acciari Off IR

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have activated forward Noel Acciari off the injured reserve, and he is in their lineup tonight as they take on the Montreal Canadiens. The 32-year-old has missed the past six games after suffering a concussion back on February 6th in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Acciari was hit up high in the neutral zone by Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon in a scary incident that led to a match penalty and game misconduct for Dillon.

Like many Penguins forwards, Acciari has struggled to produce much in the way of offense this season. He has spent most of the season as the team’s fourth-line center and is back there tonight sandwiched between Jansen Harkins and Jeff Carter. Acciari has dressed in 39 games this season and has three goals and one assist. Last season the Johnston, Rhode Island native posted 14 goals and nine assists in 77 games.

While his offensive production has been the lowest of his career, Acciari has been good defensively and, on the penalty kill. He has had nearly 90% of his zone starts in the defensive zone and has been one of the few Penguins who has been consistently physical. Acciari has also been solid in the faceoff circle which has been a key contributor to Mike Sullivan using him for so many defensive zone faceoffs.

Golden Knights Activate Shea Theodore

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The Vegas Golden Knights have activated defenseman Shea Theodore off the LTIR (CapFriendly) as he is set to return from a 34-game absence. The 28-year-old was on a tear to start the season but suffered an upper-body injury and has not played since November 22nd. Theodore didn’t play today but could dress tomorrow night when the Golden Knights take on the Nashville Predators. To make room for Theodore the Golden Knights have moved Jack Eichel to the LTIR (CapFriendly).

Theodore had four goals and 14 assists in 20 games to begin the season and looked poised to have a big year before the injury. Vegas has missed having Theodore in their top four as they have posted a 17-13-4 record in his absence.

His return will be a big addition for a team that currently holds a 31-17-6 record and sits in second place in the Pacific Division. Theodore has typically averaged between 21-23 minutes a game over the past few seasons and will likely move back into his role in the Golden Knights top four as well as on the team’s top power-play unit.

Theodore is in the sixth year of a 7-year, $36.4MM contract and has remained very productive throughout the deal but has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons. If he can remain healthy over the next year he will be in line for a massive payday in the summer of 2025.

Evening Notes: Tokarski, Jankowski, Barabanov

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The Buffalo Sabres have loaned netminder Dustin Tokarski to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League just a few days after recalling the 34-year-old. Tokarski was recalled and reassigned last week before being recalled again over the weekend due to an illness to Sabres backup Eric Comrie.

Tokarski backed up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s today in a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and was nearly summoned to play as Luukkonen struggled stopping just 11 of 15 shots in the loss. Tokarski hasn’t played in an NHL game since February 18th, 2023, and is 7-7-2 with a .887 save percentage in 17 AHL games this season.

In other evening notes:

  • A day after sending forward Mark Jankowski to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, the Nashville Predators have recalled the 29-year-old. Jankowski has a goal in five games this season in the NHL but is currently third in AHL scoring with 15 goals and 32 assists in 40 games. He was named the AHL’s Player of the Month for January and will now re-join the Predators as they continue their five-game road trip tomorrow night in Vegas when they take on the Golden Knights.
  • The San Jose Sharks healthy scratched forward Alexander Barabanov today in their 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old has seen his name in trade rumors over the last few months despite struggling through a poor offensive season with just three goals and six assists in 34 games. Barabanov has put together a couple of solid offensive seasons in San Jose but hasn’t had the same quality of teammates this year which has led to poor offensive results. Barabanov is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but it doesn’t appear he was held out of action for a pending trade. Based on reports, it seems as though Barabanov was scratched for his defensive play in a previous game.

Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

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With the All-Star break in the rear-view, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than 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 Jersey Devils.

The New Jersey Devils came into the season with expectations that their young team would contend for a Stanley Cup, however, four and half months into the regular season, the Devils have taken a step backwards and are in a battle for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Devils made one of the biggest moves of last year’s deadline, acquiring forward Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks about a week before the trade deadline. The Devils were aggressive in their pursuit of Meier and will likely need to be as aggressive this year if they want to acquire the pieces necessary to get into the playoffs and make some noise in the East. The Devils have some obvious holes in their lineup that have been exposed throughout the regular season, and while it is tough to make moves in-season in a flat cap world, the Devils have shown that they aren’t afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal to bolster their lineup.

Record

28-22-4, 4th in the Metropolitan

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

 $10,412,500 on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: NJ 1st, NJ 3rd, NJ 5th, COL 5th, NJ 6th, NASH 7th
2025: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 3rd, NJ 4th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th

Trade Chips

New Jersey will have some cap space to work with at the deadline thanks to injuries to key players. They could make a big move if they are so inclined and may choose to do so to address their major area of need. The Devils will likely look to move netminder Vitek Vanecek as part of any move to improve their goaltending and could also look to move backup Akira Schmid who has struggled this season after a strong showing last year. New Jersey Devils president of hockey operations and general manager, Tom Fitzgerald has already said he is not comfortable with the Devils goaltending and will likely improve it, which means someone will need to go the other way to open up room for a new acquisition. Vanacek holds almost no value as his -11.1 goals saved above expected is fourth worst in the NHL, and Schmid isn’t faring much better. The Devils may opt to hold onto Schmid and hope he can turn things around.

Forward Alexander Holtz is another roster player that the Devils could dangle at the deadline. The 22-year-old was the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft and has fared pretty well in his first full NHL season sitting third on the Devils in 5v5 points with 21 and goals with 11. As well as he’s played, he hasn’t been able to get much of a look in the Devils’ top six and may not be a fit for head coach Lindy Ruff’s style of play. Holtz could be a solid chip for the team to use to acquire help elsewhere.

Another former first-round pick that the Devils could include in a trade is forward Dawson Mercer. The 22-year-old put up solid offensive numbers in his first two NHL seasons, posting 44 goals and 54 assists in 164 games. However, this season his play has dropped a bit as a slow start has limited him to just 15 goals and 11 assists in 54 games. The native of Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador could be the main piece of a trade for a goaltender, as his offensive upside could entice teams who are looking for a young roster player who can contribute right away.

One of the Devils’ top prospects Seamus Casey could certainly be another trade chip if New Jersey wants to move futures for a piece that can help them now. The former second-round pick is an undersized defenseman who is a terrific puck handler and has put up fantastic offensive numbers at the University of Michigan in the NCAA. If the Devils opted to move Casey, they would be selling high as he was a central piece of a very talented American team that just won the IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Devils could also move on from their first-round pick in this year’s NHL entry draft, particularly if they are chasing one of the bigger names available on the trade market. The Devils don’t have the farm system they once did, however, that is largely due to a lot of their better prospects graduating to the NHL level. The Devils still possess a strong lineup, but they do have some holes to fill, and a first-round pick could go a long way to doing that.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Josh Filmon F Arseni Gritsyuk F Lenni Hämeenaho

Team Needs

1) A Starting Goaltender: The Devils opted not to make a move for a goaltender last summer but have regretted that decision as indicated by the comments of Devils management. The Devils were reportedly in on Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markström and could circle back to re-engage in those talks as the deadline nears. Most of the reports on the trade indicated that the Devils plan to look elsewhere for goaltending, but to this point they haven’t found a trade to their liking. The Devils have a desperate need to address this position, and have ample assets to do so. If they come up short it could mean the difference between making the playoffs and missing them entirely.

2) Bottom Six Help: The Devils do have some talented options in their bottom six but would likely prefer not to deploy Curtis Lazar as a third-line center, which has happened on more than one occasion. A top-9 forward would allow some of the Devils’ forwards to shift down the lineup into positions that are more suitable for the skillset and allow Ruff to have more trust in rolling three or four forward lines in a regular rotation. The Devils have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season but probably didn’t envision having the likes of Chris Tierney playing as frequently as he has. Some depth up front would be an additional boost for the Devils in their pursuit of the playoffs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Golden Knights Recall Grigori Denisenko

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The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Grigori Denisenko from the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL. The 23-year-old has appeared in 29 career NHL games split over four seasons, having also spent time with the Florida Panthers.

After suffering through a few injury-riddled seasons with the Panthers, the former 15th overall pick was claimed off waivers by Vegas on October 7th. He has been a solid AHL contributor thus far this season as he has posted 14 goals and 26 assists in 45 games, surpassing the 12 goals and 24 assists he registered last season in 56 games with the Charlotte Checkers.

Denisenko had an audition with the Golden Knights in early January as he spent a week in the NHL, dressing in three games and posting no points. He averaged 10:36 of ice time during that recall and had a decent showing at even strength as he took the bulk of his zone starts in the defensive zone and had decent underlying numbers.

The Golden Knights are currently without forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel, and William Carrier and could be in line for a move for a forward before the NHL trade deadline. Denisenko didn’t dress today against the San Jose Sharks and will likely serve as the team’s 13th forward for the time being. However, if he keeps up his AHL scoring numbers he could get a longer look in the NHL sooner than later.

Metropolitan Notes: Hamilton, Siegenthaler, Wheeler

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New Jersey Devils writer Sam Kasan tweeted an update today on Devils’ defenseman Dougie Hamilton. In speaking with the media New Jersey head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that Hamilton remains “quite a ways away” from returning to action. The 30-year-old rearguard hasn’t played since November 28th and had surgery on a torn left pectoral muscle in early December. There was no timetable given at the time of the procedure and it appears to be status quo for the time being.

Hamilton’s injury dealt a huge blow to a Devils team that had dreams of contending for the Stanley Cup this season. Hamilton has received Norris Trophy consideration in six of the last seven seasons and was playing well for New Jersey this year with five goals and 11 assists in 20 games.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Ruff also offered an update on Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler who has been sidelined since January 6th with a broken foot. No specific timetable was given at the time, but the 26-year-old did take part in practice today dressed in a regular jersey. The Zurich, Switzerland native lined up on the team’s fourth defensive pair alongside Nick DeSimone and will be a big boost for the Devils’ defense core when he is ready to return to the lineup.
  • New York Rangers forward Blake Wheeler left tonight’s game with a lower-body injury and will not return. Wheeler was hit by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble and fell back awkwardly and appeared to trap his right leg under his body as he hit the ice. Wheeler was in visible pain on the play which looked eerily similar to the injury of Tampa Bay defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. Wheeler reached for his knee in obvious discomfort and was ruled out for the evening. If Wheeler has suffered a similar injury to Sergachev it is possible he could be done for the rest of the regular season. Wheeler is having one of the worst offensive seasons of his career, but he has provided the Rangers will depth scoring and would need to be replaced if he is sidelined long-term.

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