Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Maple Leafs Recall Dakota Mermis, Assign Fraser Minten To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced a pair of moves recalling defenseman Dakota Mermis from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL while also sending forward Fraser Minten back to the Marlies. The move likely comes as a response to Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s lower-body injury that he suffered at some point in Saturday night’s game against Edmonton. Ekman-Larsson has been listed as day-to-day and the Maple Leafs are expected to provide an update on him tomorrow.

Mermis was plucked off waivers from Utah last month after he was waived by Toronto back in December and claimed by Utah. The 31-year-old has dressed in just one NHL game this season (with Utah) and hasn’t seen much AHL action either, suiting up for just a dozen AHL games and posting three assists with the Marlies.

For the 20-year-old Minten, his demotion likely means an opportunity to play bigger minutes which should aid in his development. The Maple Leafs’ second-round pick in 2022 (38th overall) has played 15 NHL games this season, tallying two goals and two assists while averaging just over 12 minutes a night of ice time. In the AHL, Minten has had an opportunity to play more of an offensive role and his numbers reflect that as he has five goals and five assists in 16 games with the Marlies.

Given Toronto’s roster moves today it seems likely that defenseman Philippe Myers could be inserted into the lineup for tomorrow night’s game against the Calgary Flames. Myers last played on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Wild.

Kraken Reassign Gustav Olofsson, Ryker Evans Skating

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken announced that they’ve reassigned defenseman Gustav Olofsson to the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL. The 30-year-old was recalled Saturday under emergency conditions but served as a healthy scratch last night and did not see any NHL action during his brief recall.

Olofsson has not dressed in any NHL games this season and has played just four NHL contents since joining the Kraken organization back in August 2021. The Boras, Sweden native is having one of his better seasons as a professional in the AHL, posting two goals and nine assists in 34 games while continuing to operate effectively in a shutdown role for the Firebirds.

Olofsson was recalled in response to fellow defenseman Ryker Evans falling victim to an upper-body injury that sidelined him day-to-day. Evans skated today in a non-contact jersey and his status remains the same (as per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network).

Given that he is skating in a no-contact jersey it seems likely that Evans will miss Seattle’s game tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings, which would mark three consecutive games out of the lineup for the 23-year-old. The sophomore is having a good offensive season, tallying five goals and 16 assists in 50 games. He’s also put up some good defensive numbers with 80 hits and 77 blocked shots, however, turnovers remain a cause for concern as he’s committed 48 of them this season.

Cale Fleury appears likely to assume Evans’s role in the lineup in the interim but probably won’t log the same kind of minutes, as evidenced by the 8:33 he played in last night’s loss to the Calgary Flames.

Connor Murphy Nearing A Return From Injury

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy will likely be in and out of the lineup for the next little while as he tries to work his way back from osteitis pubis (as per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times). Osteitis pubis is an inflammation in the joint between the left and right pubic bones and typically causes pain and swelling in the groin or lower abdomen.

Murphy hasn’t played since New Year’s Eve when he suited up for the 2025 NHL Winter Classic and has been dealing with the ailment dating back to last season when he missed 38 games.

Pope writes that Murphy feels he could return to game action in the near future, however, doctors don’t share his sentiments and believe that he will struggle to play without interruptions. Murphy has dealt with injuries throughout his career, playing more than 70 games just twice since 2017.

The 31-year-old was on pace for the best offensive season of his career before the injury, posting a goal and 12 assists in 38 games. His overall play has improved this season compared to the previous few years, even though his deployment has remained difficult.

Given where the Blackhawks are in the standings, they would likely have shopped the 12-year NHL veteran, but now with the uncertainty surrounding Murphy’s health, it is likely his trade value has dropped which could mean he remains with the Blackhawks until the end of the season.

Hudson Fasching Loaned To AHL On Conditioning Stint

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New York Islanders have loaned forward Hudson Fasching to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL on a conditioning stint (as per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News). The 29-year-old Fasching hasn’t seen NHL action since January 5th against the Boston Bruins and has dressed in just 19 games this year after suiting up in 45 NHL games last season.

When he has been in the lineup, Fasching has been used sparingly, averaging just 8:56 of ice time per game. This season has been a struggle for him, as he has yet to score, posting a -6 plus/minus and a CF% of 44.9% at even strength. Fasching has never been an offensive force in the NHL; however, in the previous two seasons with the Islanders, his numbers were considerably better, combining for 14 goals and 19 assists in 94 games.

In the AHL this season, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native has had better luck offensively, posting a goal and an assist in five games. With his conditioning loan, he will have an opportunity to add to his numbers and hopefully regain some confidence before getting back into NHL action.

Fasching is in the final year of a two-year contract and will be playing for his NHL career whenever he is called back up. He’s unlikely to receive much NHL interest in free agency this summer, however, a solid run down the stretch would certainly help him land a contract for next season.

Golden Knights Recall Cal Burke

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Cal Burke from the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL and he will play tonight when Vegas takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets (as per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). The 27-year-old had a brief stint with the Golden Knights in November, dressing in six games and notching a single goal while averaging 11:04 of ice time per game. The Golden Knights heavily sheltered Burke’s minutes at the time, giving him offensive zone starts in nearly 80% of his shifts.

Burke’s recall will push another recent recall Raphael Lavoie to the left side and allow him to play on the third line, while Burke is expected to play right wing on the fourth line alongside Tanner Pearson and Brett Howden.

The recall also pushes Jonas Rondbjerg to the bench after he played very well a few nights ago. Rondbjerg is pushing up against his waiver-exempt games limit which may have factored into the decision. While he played well, Rondbjerg hasn’t had any offensive impact this season with zero points in nine games, and Vegas may be looking elsewhere to see if another player can provide an immediate impact.

Burke is having a poor offensive season in the AHL compared to previous years, his seven goals and six assists in 34 games represent a significant drop from last season’s numbers when he had 39 points (16 goals and 23 assists) in 57 games.

Canadiens’ Kaiden Guhle Out Indefinitely With Quadricep Laceration

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

1:12 p.m.: Guhle sustained a lacerated quadricep muscle that was surgically repaired overnight, the team announced. He’s been released from the hospital but will be out indefinitely.

10:09 a.m.: In a corresponding move, defenseman Jayden Struble has been reinstated from his conditioning loan to AHL Laval. The 23-year-old lefty was held without a point and took two minor penalties with a plus-one rating in a pair of contests for the minor-league club.

8:10 a.m.: The Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Kaiden Guhle has suffered a lower-body injury and will need further evaluation. Guhle sustained the injury in the third period of last night’s 4-1 loss to Winnipeg when he fell into the corner awkwardly. He appeared to catch an edge on the play as he was trying to pinch in from the blue line, his right leg fell behind him and jammed into the boards, suffering the full weight of the impact. Guhle required assistance to get to the dressing room and did not appear to bear any weight on his right leg.

The 16th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is in his third NHL season and has become a huge piece of Montreal’s back end, averaging over 21 minutes a night of ice team and seeing the third most deployment at even strength on the team. Guhle has also been tasked with taking on some of the most difficult minutes in Montreal, starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone and taking on the toughest assignments.

Montreal does have some good young defensemen in the AHL right now, however, none will be able to make the jump up from Laval and handle the duties that Guhle has been taking on.

Montreal is in the thick of the Eastern Conference’s race for the Wild Card spots, and losing Guhle for an extended period would be a big blow to their playoff hopes. However, there is a break in February for the Four Nations Face-Off, which could allow Guhle some recovery time, should he need it.

Montreal could also look outside the organization for help as they have 12 draft picks in this year’s draft and will have almost $6.5MM in cap space to work with at the NHL Trade Deadline.

Stars’ Miro Heiskanen Suffers Lower-Body Injury

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Dallas Stars’ defenseman Miro Heiskanen left last night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights after suffering a lower-body injury in a nasty collision with Mark Stone (as per Sportsnet). Stone was tripped by Stars forward Roope Hintz on the play and lost his balance, slamming headfirst into Heiskanen’s knee. Heiskanen reached for his left knee almost immediately and was in agony as he was escorted off the ice by his teammates before heading up the tunnel to the Stars’ dressing room. He did not return. Stone was uninjured on the play but was given a two-minute minor penalty for tripping.

The minor penalty call irked Stars head coach Peter DeBoer who wondered why the refs didn’t call a five-minute major to review the incident. DeBoer then added that he’s coached Stone before and knows he isn’t a dirty player, but didn’t understand why the refs didn’t have a second look.

Heiskanen is expected to play big minutes for Finland at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off after being named to the team last June. He was among the first six players announced, and now with this injury, it throws his availability into question.

The 25-year-old remains one of the top defensemen in the NHL, finishing top 12 in Norris Trophy consideration in four of the past five seasons. While his offensive numbers have dipped this season to five goals and 20 assists in 50 games, he remains one of the NHL’s best two-way defensemen.

The Stars have yet to provide an update on Heiskanen’s status, however, it is safe to assume he will undergo evaluation at some point in the next day or two. Dallas doesn’t play again until Friday against Vancouver.

Avalanche Reassign Chris Wagner To The AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche have reassigned forward Chris Wagner to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Wagner was recalled last Thursday and did suit up on Saturday night against his former team, the Boston Bruins. The 33-year-old went scoreless in 6:51 of ice time.

Wagner was an NHL regular for over half a decade from 2015-2021, playing predominantly with the Bruins where he dressed in 186 games over five seasons. The Walpole, Massachusetts native never posted much in the way of offense but did have his best NHL season in 2017-18 when he registered 12 goals and seven assists in 76 games with the Bruins.

After the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season, Wagner would play just two NHL games over the next two years before signing with Colorado in the summer of 2023. Since then, Wagner has ping-ponged back and forth between the Eagles and Avalanche, dressing in 13 NHL games last season and 24 NHL games so far this year. Wagner hasn’t been overly effective in the NHL, posting a single goal along with a -7 plus/minus as well as a 48.2% CF%. His offensive impact is the lowest of any skater for the Avalanche this season at an abysmal 0.4 on-ice goals per 60 minutes at even strength (as per Money Puck).

While he is getting more nights in the NHL lineup, he isn’t seeing much action with the Avalanche, averaging just 6:55 of ice time per game. In the AHL, Wagner has been effective, tallying four goals and seven assists in 16 games.

Wagner has been put on the waiver wire three separate times this season and has cleared each time without an issue.

Hurricanes Might Not Be Done Trading

at CDT | by 15 Comments

Fresh off their massive blockbuster trade to acquire Mikko Rantanen from Colorado, the Carolina Hurricanes might not be done making trades (as per TSN’s Chris Johnston on Insider Trading). The Hurricanes also acquired winger Taylor Hall in the Rantanen deal which further bolstered their forward depth.

Despite the additions, the Hurricanes did open up a hole in their roster at the center position as they moved out Jack Drury to Colorado in the trade. While Drury was a bit of an afterthought in the trade with the Avalanche, he has been a solid bottom-six center for Carolina over the last few seasons and opens up a bit of a hole that the Hurricanes may need to fill.

One spot that Johnston doesn’t believe Carolina will look for an upgrade is in the net. That news is a little bit surprising given that the Hurricanes were on the hunt earlier in the season for an upgrade between the pipes. At this point, the Hurricanes have the tandem of Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen, and while neither man is a star goaltender, they are both capable NHL netminders.

Any salary that the Hurricanes take on during the season will require that the same salary goes out the door as Carolina has less than $500K of cap space for the NHL Trade Deadline (as per Puck Pedia).  While that could prove problematic when trying to make the trade, Carolina can get creative if they find a player they like that suits a need.

Canucks President Confirms Internal Rift

at CDT | by 14 Comments

Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told the media today that there doesn’t appear to be a way forward with the current roster and the ongoing issues between forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson (as per Gary Mason of The Globe and Mail).

Rutherford told Mason that everyone involved in the situation has tried to work on a solution, including Pettersson and Miller, but whenever the group reaches a resolution, the issues reappear, and the rift grows.

No specific details are mentioned about what is the issue between the two players; Rutherford does say that the issue has had an impact on their entire locker room. Rutherford believes that the issues have impacted the Canucks ability to remain consistent, evidenced by their inability to put a string of wins together. After winning the Pacific Division last season, Vancouver came into the season with sky-high expectations but has stumbled to a 22-17-10 record.

Individually, both Miller and Pettersson have been impacted on the ice as their offensive numbers have taken a severe hit this season. Pettersson has just 11 goals and 20 assists in 43 games, which is well off the career-high 102 points he put up two seasons ago or even the 89 points he managed last year. Miller, on the other hand, has totalled nine goals and 25 assists in 39 games, which falls well below last year’s career year of 37 goals and 66 assists.

The trade talk around both players has been going on for quite some time but it has intensified in recent weeks. The Canucks are unlikely to get equal value on a one-for-one trade of either player, which Rutherford concedes in the interview. He believes the Canucks will have to take whatever assets they can accumulate and turn them into something else. Those words would lead one to believe that Vancouver intends to try and get back into Stanley Cup contention whenever this situation is resolved.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top