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Oilers Assign Dylan Holloway To AHL

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The Edmonton Oilers have assigned forward Dylan Holloway to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, presumably for the NHL all-star break. Holloway missed nearly two months with a lower-body injury before returning for a brief AHL stint that preceded an eventual recall to the Oilers last week.

Holloway had two goals and two assists in his brief trip to the AHL earlier in the month as he worked his way back into game shape. At the NHL level, Holloway has dressed in 17 games for the Oilers and has been used sparingly in a bottom-six role. He has two goals and a single assist while averaging 11:20 of ice time per game.

Despite the minimal usage and the injury, Holloway returned last week to the Oilers and impressed as he centered the fourth line with Sam Gagner and Connor Brown on either side. Holloway assisted on Gagner’s game-winning goal last Friday against the Calgary Flames and then added a goal on Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Now with the Oilers out of action until February 6th it appears likely that the team would like Holloway to keep playing through the break to maintain the momentum he has built up since returning from injury. The former 14th overall pick might have to cancel his vacation plans over the next week, but he should receive an opportunity to play some big minutes in Bakersfield and will likely receive a call-up sometime during the first week in February.

Rangers To Place Nick Bonino On Waivers

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Jan. 26: Bonino has cleared waivers and can be assigned to Hartford, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Jan. 25: Peter Botte of the New York Post is reporting that the New York Rangers will be placing veteran forward Nick Bonino on waivers at 2 pm today (Eastern Standard Time). The 35-year-old did not practice with the Rangers today and it is unclear what will happen should he clear waivers tomorrow afternoon.

Bonino has not played in the AHL since the 2011-12 season and could be assigned to the Rangers AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack, should he pass through waivers. Whether or not Bonino would want to report to the AHL is also unclear. Bonino is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is signed to a one-year contract at $800K. At this point in his career, he may not want to ride buses in the AHL to collect the remainder of his contract.

Bonino is a veteran of 868 NHL regular season games plus an additional 105 NHL playoff games. He has put a lot of hard miles on his body over the years and may opt to hang up his skates if he can’t catch on with another NHL team. Bonino also has to factor in injury concerns as he has dealt with some pretty horrific injuries in his career, including last year when he suffered a lacerated kidney while he was a member of the Penguins.

Bonino has struggled mightily this year with just a goal and four assists in 45 games. He was never the quickest skater on the ice, but he has lost considerable footspeed over the last few seasons. Any team that does acquire the veteran center will likely see him as a 13th forward and a veteran presence in the locker room.

Calgary Flames Recall Walker Duehr

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The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Walker Duehr from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL a week after the team had assigned him there. Duehr was placed on waivers on January 17th and was assigned to the AHL the next day, after he had cleared.

The 26-year-old had an assist in two games during his quick assignment to the AHL and is being called back up after the Flames placed both Adam Ruzicka and Nick DeSimone on waivers yesterday.

This season was supposed to be Duehr’s first year as a full-time NHLer after he was signed to a two-year, one-way contract extension in the offseason with an AAV of $825K. Duehr started the season in Calgary, dressing in the Flames first 12 games, but his struggles with consistency kept him out of the lineup for most of December and January as the Sioux Falls, South Dakota native played just five times in two months. Throughout 19 NHL games this season, Duehr has just a single goal and three helpers and has averaged less than eight minutes of ice time per game.

Duehr’s call-up is likely an insurance policy in case Ruzicka or DeSimone are claimed, or if the Flames were to lose a player to illness or injury during the day. Calgary is in action tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets as they try to climb back into the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

Senators Notes: Trade Targets, Martin, Tarasenko

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Ottawa Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios spoke with the media this morning to discuss a multitude of issues and concerns surrounding the franchise. In the mid-season update, Staios told the media that he has had a lot of discussions with other teams about potential trades and is looking to add players with leadership experience as well as complete 200-foot players.

The news isn’t that surprising given that the Senators don’t possess many players who have been part of a winning culture in the NHL. Outside of a couple of players, most of the Senators currently lineup have never played an NHL playoff game.

Staios’ desire to add complete players is also not surprising given that Ottawa has struggled to play a structured game over the past few seasons. While the offensive skill on the Senators is obvious, they don’t have a lot of defensively skilled forwards or defensemen and it’s been a glaring hole throughout their lineup for a few years now.

Staios mentioned that he would like to be active before the deadline but given most teams cap situation it is unlikely that the Senators will make many moves before the summer.

In other Ottawa notes:

  • Staios added that the Senators’ plan behind the bench is to have interim head coach Jacques Martin finish out the season. Martin hasn’t had a great start to his second run in Ottawa but did receive praise from Staios who said that Martin has laid a foundation for this group. Martin who has long been a good defensive coach, was seemingly brought into Ottawa to help the team find a defensive identity going forward. While the team didn’t see immediate improvement, they have shown signs of it lately with points in five of their last six games.
  • Staios also addressed the status of pending unrestricted free agent forward Vladimir Tarasenko. Staios said that he has not talked to the 32-year-old about a move, but he has been impressed with the former Stanley Cup winner. Tarasenko was signed last summer to a one-year $5MM contract and has been as advertised with 12 goals and 19 assists in 41 games. While he is no longer a perennial 30-goal scorer, he is still providing offense at five-on-five and is on pace for 24 goals.

Miro Heiskanen Set To Return Tonight

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Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is set to return to the lineup tonight after missing the last three weeks with a lower-body injury. Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas News reported that Stars head coach Pete DeBoer confirmed to the media this morning that Heiskanen would be returning as he took reps in his normal spot on the powerplay and in the line rushes.

Heiskanen was sidelined earlier in January after he was hurt in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. He collided with his own goalie and had to leave the game. Heiskanen ended up missing 10 games while he was out of the lineup and despite missing him and star goaltender Jake Oettinger for a stretch, the Stars went 6-3-1 in those 10 games.

Dallas replaced Heiskanen’s minutes by committee rather than having one player try and fill his role. It worked well as Esa Lindell, Ryan Suter, Jani Hakanpää, and Nils Lundkvist all averaged 17 minutes of ice time per game while the team was playing at even strength. Thomas Harley also took a lot of extra time as well, his average ice time at even strength increased by over two minutes per game.

With Heiskanen back in the lineup the Stars will be looking to close the gap in the Central Division as they currently occupy the third spot sitting three points back of the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche. Heiskanen should give Dallas a boost, even if he hasn’t matched his offensive pace from last season. The 24-year-old was having a terrific season prior to his injury with four goals and 23 assists in 37 games.

Sharks Reassign Scott Sabourin To AHL

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The San Jose Sharks have reassigned veteran forward Scott Sabourin to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. Sabourin was called up two weeks ago by the Sharks and did get into three games during his recall. Sabourin had no points, nine penalty minutes and averaged just over nine minutes of ice time per game. Although he did play during his recall, he has been a healthy scratch the last few games and hasn’t dressed since January 16th. Overall, he dressed in three of the seven games the Sharks played since his recall on January 8th.

Sabourin played just 6:36 in his final game against the Chicago Blackhawks but did have a spirited fight with Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi after Tinordi had stepped up and hit Sharks teammate Justin Bailey. Tinordi and Sabourin each received five minutes for fighting in what was a battle between two NHL heavyweights.

The 31-year-old Sabourin has been largely a career AHLer as he only has 46 games of NHL experience, the bulk of which came in 2019-20 when Sabourin played for his hometown Ottawa Senators. That year Sabourin had two goals and four assists in 35 games, all of which are career highs.

Sabourin returns to the Barracuda, where he has been able to provide some offense to mix in with his physicality. In 29 AHL games this season, Sabourin has nine goals and four assists along with 92 penalty minutes.

Calgary Flames Recall Cole Schwindt

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The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Cole Schwindt from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL. Schwindt was one of the pieces that came over to the Calgary Flames as part of the Matthew Tkachuk trade with the Florida Panthers alongside Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and a 2025 lottery-protected first-round draft pick.

Schwindt has yet to suit up for the Flames but does have three games of NHL experience with the Panthers back in 2021-22. He was held scoreless during that stretch and was -4. At the AHL level, the 22-year-old has been a productive player with 42 goals and 52 assists in 189 career games.

Schwindt has plateaued offensively in recent years as he has seen his offensive numbers drop from his career-best season in 2021-22. The former third-round pick had 19 goals and 21 assists in 72 games that year with the Charlotte Checkers but hasn’t been able to duplicate that success or come close to the 17.9% shooting percentage he posted.

This season with the Wranglers, Schwindt has eight goals and 12 assists in 37 games which is a tick below his career-best numbers, but he has yet to take the next step offensively. While his offense hasn’t taken off, the defensive side of his game has steadily improved over the years and that is likely the reason he could get his first taste of NHL action in two years.

Calgary could be looking at some major moves over the next few weeks and if Schwindt can show he belongs at the NHL level he may be able to extend his stay with the Flames.

Tanner Pearson Returning To The Canadiens Lineup

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Montreal Canadiens forward Tanner Pearson is set to return to the lineup tonight when the Canadiens take on the Ottawa Senators. Pearson has been sidelined since December 9th with an upper-body injury but has been practicing with the team for a few days now.

The 31-year-old was acquired by the Canadiens last September along with a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for goaltender Casey DeSmith. He started the season slow with just four goals and four assists in his first 27 games before the injury sidelined him.

It’s been a tough few years for the 31-year-old as he was once a perennial 15-20 goal scorer but hasn’t topped 15 goals since the 2019-20 season when he had 21 goals with the Vancouver Canucks.

Pearson is in the final season of a three-year contract he signed with the Canucks back in April 2021 and could become a trade chip for the Canadiens if he can show that he is healthy and productive. He spent the first six years of his career with the Los Angeles Kings, winning a Stanley Cup in 2014. However, since 2018 he has been dealt on three separate occasions and could be looking at another move, or possibly two over the next six months.

Pearson is counting $3.25MM against the cap this year and could be one of the less expensive forwards on the market. His trade market could heat up if he can get any traction over the next four to six weeks.

Nick Foligno Activated, Connor Murphy Placed On IR

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The Chicago Blackhawks have activated forward Nick Foligno off the injured reserve, and it is expected that he will dress tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. The 36-year-old is just a week removed from signing a two-year $9MM extension with the Blackhawks and has been out of action since January 5th when he stood up for Connor Bedard and fought Brandon Smith after he had hit Bedard and fractured his jaw.

Foligno is in his first season in Chicago after coming over in a trade last summer from the Boston Bruins. He has had an uneven offensive season with five multi-point games sandwiched between four stretches of four or more games without a point. Foligno is likely to find himself in Chicago’s top 6 as the team continues to deal with quite a few injury issues to their forward group. Foligno likely won’t duplicate some of his better offensive years from his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he remains a respected leader and a dependable forward for Chicago.

With the move to activate Foligno, the Blackhawks also placed defenseman Connor Murphy on the injured reserve retroactive to January 16th. Murphy is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past four games. The 30-year-old will be eligible to return to the lineup when he is healthy enough to do so and is expected to be back at some point during Chicago’s current four-game road trip. Murphy has dressed in 43 games this season and has two goals and six assists while sporting a -19.

Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell, Assign Bobby Brink To AHL

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The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and in a corresponding move loaned forward Bobby Brink to the Phantoms as well.

Lycksell is having a good season with Lehigh Valley as he has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games. He was held scoreless in his lone NHL game earlier in the season and does have nine career NHL games to his credit. Last season, the Oskarshamn, Sweden native dressed in eight games for the Flyers and had an assist. The 24-year-old is on the smaller side at just 5’11” but he has good offensive instincts and can make plays with the puck.

Brink has been a healthy scratch in the last three games and was loaned to the AHL to likely get back into some games. The 22-year-old is having a decent offensive season with seven goals and 11 assists in 38 games but has seen his ice time dramatically reduced over the last five games in which he has dressed. Brink had eight points in his first ten games of the season but has been held scoreless in the last seven games as his struggles have coincided with his reduction in ice time. Brink will likely have an opportunity to regain some of the confidence he showed earlier in the season and find his scoring touch once again.

The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season and currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They dropped two games on the weekend to the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators as they had their win streak snapped at five games.

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