Thatcher Demko Returning To The Lineup Tomorrow
Vancouver Canucks play-by-play voice Brendan Batchelor is reporting that netminder Thatcher Demko will be returning to the Canucks lineup tomorrow night against the Calgary Flames. Demko has been out since March 9th when he left a game against the Winnipeg Jets with a knee injury. The 28-year-old has missed 14 games with the ailment during which Vancouver has gone 7-5-2.
Demko was in the midst of a career year when he was forced from the lineup due to injury. In 49 appearances this season, the native of San Diego, California has a .917 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.47. His 34-13-2 record is among the best in the league and his five shutouts have him tied for fourth in the NHL.
In Demko’s absence, career backup Casey DeSmith stepped up to fill the void but could not sustain a stretch of solid play as he posted just four wins in ten appearances since Demko went down. DeSmith started well as he gave up just 11 goals in his first five starts after Demko’s injury, but would go on to give up 17 goals in his four starts after that.
With Demko returning, the Canucks will be hoping he can pick up where he left off before the knee injury. The Canucks have two games left in the regular season to get Demko up to speed before the playoffs. Demko has only dressed in four NHL playoff games in his career and sports a sparkling 0.64 goals-against average and a .985 save percentage.
West Notes: McDavid, Stephenson, Ludwinski
The Edmonton Oilers are without the services of superstar center Connor McDavid this evening as they take on the Vegas Golden Knights. McDavid was called a game-time decision by head coach Kris Knoblauch earlier today but ultimately missed tonight’s game after suffering a lower-body injury Saturday against the Calgary Flames.
McDavid needs just one assist to reach 100 on the season and would become just the fourth player to ever tally 100 assists in a season alongside Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux. The 27-year-old has 31 goals to go along with his 99 helpers in 74 games this season as he and the Oilers sit second in the Pacific Division behind the Vancouver Canucks.
In other Western Conference notes:
- Vegas Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson didn’t dress tonight against the Oilers for personal reasons. The 29-year-old is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and has seen his numbers dip this season from a career high 65 points last year. In 73 games, Stephenson has 16 goals and 31 assists and a -11 plus/minus. Recent callup Brendan Brisson replaced Stephenson in the Golden Knights lineup.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have loaned forward Paul Ludwinski to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. The 19-year-old was assigned to Rockford last year as well but didn’t appear in any games. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Ludwinski was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL entry draft by Chicago and appeared in 60 games this season for the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He set career highs in most offensive categories as he tallied 23 goals and 46 assists and added six points in five playoff games.
Evening Notes: Tortorella, Fantilli, Jones, Vlasic
Despite their recent collapse, it doesn’t appear as though the Philadelphia Flyers are planning to make a coaching change to replace John Tortorella anytime soon. This news comes from TSN’s Darren Dreger who reports that Flyers sources have told him that “Torts is not leaving the bench.” The speculation around Tortorella’s job security makes sense given that the team is mired in a 1-6-3 streak in their last ten and are currently chasing a playoff spot after sitting comfortably in third place in the Metropolitan Division just a few short weeks ago.
The Flyers are winless in eight straight games and have looked lost the last month, particularly in their last three games where they have been outscored 19-7 by the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens. Last night’s 9-3 loss to Montreal was particularly difficult to watch as the Canadiens dominated the Flyers from start to finish which further added to speculation about Tortorella’s future.
In other evening notes:
- Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli won’t play again this season after suffering a lacerated calf against the Seattle Kraken back on January 28th. While that news isn’t overly surprising given that there are just a handful of games left on the NHL schedule, what is surprising to hear is that the 19-year-old rookie might play for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships if he is healthy a month from now. Fantilli played for Team Canada last year at the tournament and could return on May 10th if he is at 100 percent. Last year’s third-overall pick will finish his first NHL regular season with 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games.
- Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks defensemen Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic will suit up for Team U.S.A. at the IIHF World Championships. The 22-year-old Vlasic hasn’t represented the United States internationally for over five years, last suiting up for the Americans at the U18 World Championship in 2018-19. Jones last suited up internationally two years ago at the World Championships when he captained the Americans to a fourth-place finish.
Coyotes Recall Vladislav Kolyachonok, Re-Assign Maksymilian Szuber
The Arizona Coyotes are swapping a pair of defensemen this evening as they are recalling Vladislav Kolyachonok from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and re-assigning Maksymilian Szuber. Szuber was recalled from Tucson two nights ago and made his NHL debut last night against the Seattle Kraken, logging nearly 17 minutes and going -1. The 21-year-old didn’t look out of place as he registered a pair of hits, as well as a blocked shot, and a takeaway. The former sixth-round pick has had a surprisingly quick ascension to the NHL and could be in line for a longer look next season.
Kolyachonok has also seen just one game of NHL action this season, suffering an injury in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights back on November 25th. Despite the limited NHL minutes this season, the 22-year-old does have 35 career NHL games to his name, the bulk of which came in the 2021-22 season when he played 32 games as a 20-year-old. Kolyachonok has a goal and two assists over parts of three seasons and has struggled with turnovers in his young NHL career.
With Travis Dermott out of the lineup for the rest of the season, and Matt Dumba now a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Coyotes will likely be looking at some of the young defensemen in their farm system as they close out the season. Given the prospects and draft picks that the Coyotes have available, they could have a very different-looking defensive core to start next season, one that Kolyachonok and Szuber would no doubt like to be part of.
Arber Xhekaj Out For Season, Christian Dvorak Returning Tonight
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj is out for the rest of the season and will undergo shoulder surgery tomorrow. The 23-year-old hasn’t played in almost a week and will have his left shoulder operated on; the Canadiens believe he will be ready for training camp next season.
Xhekaj will finish his second NHL season with 44 games played and has tallied three goals and seven assists to go along with a +6 plus/minus. The native of Hamilton, Ontario saw his average ice time increase by about 40 seconds a game, and made some improvements to his defensive game, but still struggled with turnovers. The Canadiens did increase his powerplay ice time to roughly one minute per game, but he couldn’t capitalize on it and recorded no powerplay points this season.
In other Canadiens news, center Christian Dvorak will return to the lineup tonight for the first time since December 30th. The 28-year-old had surgery on January 5th to repair a torn pectoral muscle and will dress against the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s been a tough stretch for Dvorak as injuries and inconsistency have limited his impact this season as he has just three goals and four assists in 25 games. Dvorak was never an analytics darling but his underlying numbers have fallen off since joining the Canadiens three seasons ago.
Vegas Activates Hertl Off IR, Assign Two Others
The Vegas Golden Knights officially activated Tomas Hertl off the injured reserve last night which sparked a series of roster moves so that the team could insert the forward into their lineup while remaining cap compliant. The 30-year-old Hertl was acquired by Vegas from the San Jose Sharks back on March 8th in a move that surprised the hockey world. Hertl played 20:20 last night in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks and did notch an assist. The game was the 49th of Hertl’s season and the first of his career in a jersey other than a Sharks jersey. On the season, Hertl has now posted 15 goals and 20 assists and is -27.
The Golden Knights made two other moves last night, first moving forward William Carrier back to the LTIR as he hasn’t played since March 25th due to an upper-body injury. Carrier was placed on LTIR exactly one month ago but returned in March to play six games before being injured again. Carrier has struggled this season with just six goals and two assists in 39 games.
Vegas also assigned rookie forward Brendan Brisson to their AHL affiliate in Henderson. The move was a clear financial move to be cap compliant as Brisson has been solid in limited NHL action this season with two goals and six assists in 14 games. Brisson only dressed in one game during his most recent recall and has points in four straight NHL games.
Vegas currently sits in the final wild card spot in the Western Conference and is a point back of the Los Angeles Kings for third spot in the Pacific Division.
New Jersey Devils Recall Akira Schmid
The New Jersey Devils have recalled netminder Akira Schmid from the Utica Comets of the AHL. Schmid last dressed for New Jersey on March 5th and has lost four of his last five decisions.
A playoff hero a year ago for the Devils, Schmid looked like a possible extension candidate last summer but entered this year without a new deal and in the final year of his entry-level contract. Schmid struggled to start the season losing five of his first six starts and was never able to return to the form he displayed last season.
The Devils opted to demote Schmid at the end of 2023 hoping that he could regain his confidence and form, before recalling him in February. Schmid had two good relief appearances for the Devils, but they were unfortunately sandwiched between two underwhelming starts. Schmid was then assigned back to Utica where he has played 20 games this season, going 8-8-4 with a 3.12 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. In the NHL this season, Schmid is 5-9-1 in 19 appearances and has a 3.15 goals-against average with a .895 save percentage.
The recall is not all that surprising given the comments Devils head coach Travis Green had about the Devils goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen on Sunday, saying that the netminder isn’t doing great after his lower-body injury.
Evening Notes: Sergachev, Pitlick, Wood, Rantanen
Tampa Bay Lightning reporter Chris Krenn tweeted that Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev skated today in a non-contact jersey but added that head coach Jon Cooper cautioned people to not expect him to return for the first round of the playoffs. Cooper said that if the Lightning were to make it deep in the playoffs, he could return to the lineup, but he was happy to have him skating with the group.
The 25-year-old has played just once since December 19th and has been out of the lineup since fracturing his tibia and fibula back on February 7th in his first game back after suffering a foot injury that kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months.
In 34 games this season, Sergachev has recorded two goals and 17 assists but is a -16.
In other evening notes:
- Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times tweeted that the conditional 2026 seventh-round pick that the Chicago Blackhawks sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for depth forward Rem Pitlick carried the condition of Pitlick playing 30 NHL games and will not be sent to the Penguins. Pitlick has only dressed in nine games for Chicago, meaning the Blackhawks will keep their pick for the 2026 draft. The Penguins were likely okay with losing Pitlick for nothing as he was collecting a $1.1MM salary while playing for their AHL affiliate.
- Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche will be without forwards Miles Wood and Mikko Rantanen for tomorrow night’s game against Minnesota. Wood will miss his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury and is mired in a 23-game goalless drought. In his first season with Colorado the 28-year-old has nine goals and 15 assists in 72 games. Rantanen on the other hand may skate with the team in the morning but will not play. He is reportedly feeling better after being in concussion protocol and missing last night’s game as well. Rantanen has topped 100 points for the second consecutive season as he has 40 goals and 62 assists in 77 games this season.
Central Notes: Niederreiter, Goligoski, Stramel
TSN’s John Lu is reporting that Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter will join the team on their upcoming road trip to Nashville, Dallas, and Denver but there is no decision yet on whether or not the 31-year-old will skate with the team.
Niederreiter hasn’t played since April 1st against the Los Angeles Kings and reportedly suffered a laceration to the back of his left leg after Kings forward Adrian Kempe fell to the ice and had his blade come up on Niederreiter. The Jets were originally hoping to lose the forward for just a week, but it appears it could be longer depending on how things heal up. Niederreiter has 18 goals and 15 assists this season in 75 games but was ice-cold before the injury with no points in his last 13 games.
In other Central Division notes:
- Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic spoke with Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski about possible plans after this season as the 38-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. It has been a struggle this season for the former Stanley Cup champion as Goligoski was a healthy scratch for almost two straight months. Russo and Smith did ask Goligoski if he’s considering retirement, but the native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota said he hadn’t thought about it and would decide his future after the season. Goligoski was once a solid offensive contributor from the back end but has struggled the last two seasons and has just nine assists this year in 32 games.
- Michael Russo of The Athletic has confirmed that Minnesota Wild prospect Charlie Stramel will indeed be transferring from Wisconsin to Michigan State next season after entering the transfer portal last week. The Wild selected Stamel with the 21st pick in last June’s NHL entry draft, and he will now be leaving the University of Wisconsin after two seasons with the team. The 19-year-old sophomore struggled this season with Wisconsin scoring just three goals and adding five assists in 35 games.
Coyotes Notes: Szuber, Dermott, Scottsdale
The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Maksymilian Szuber on an emergency basis from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Szuber was the Coyotes sixth-round pick (163rd overall) in the 2022 NHL entry draft and has been solid in his first season of North American hockey.
In 67 AHL games, Szuber is +11 and has registered six goals and 18 assists as well as 48 PIMs. The native of Opole, Poland is unlikely to play in his recall and will likely serve as a depth option, but if he does, he will make his NHL debut. It’s safe to say that Szuber is ahead of schedule at this point in his career as very few sixth-round picks ever make it to the NHL and almost none of them get a recall just two years after being drafted.
In other Coyotes notes:
Szuber’s recall likely signifies that Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott could be questionable to play tomorrow night when Arizona takes on the Seattle Kraken. Dermott left yesterday’s game against San Jose with what is being called an upper-body injury and did not return, the team did not provide an update on the 27-year-old since then. Dermott has dressed in 50 games this season for Arizona, posting two goals and five assists along with a -14 plus/minus rating.
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega has publicly stated that the Coyotes new proposed arena would not be feasible on the land that the team is looking at and he went on to issue a warning of sorts to the franchise saying that the team should stay away from that area because he would not support the endeavor. The Coyotes have been looking at a 95-acre parcel of land that would fall within Phoenix city limits, but Ortega believes that the lack of infrastructure would be a problem and also asserts that Scottsdale has no available water assets to spare.