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Morning Notes: O’Reilly, Gourde, Evans

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The Nashville Predators are reportedly listening to trade offers on veteran center Ryan O’Reilly (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). The Predators aren’t in a hurry to move the 34-year-old as he still has two years left on his current contract at $4.5MM per season and continues to provide strong two-way play, despite his offensive production dipping this season. O’Reilly is just a year removed from posting 69 points in 82 games and has put up points at a reasonable rate this year with 14 goals and 22 assists in 56 games.

The Predators aren’t actively trying to trade the Clinton, Ontario native, but it does sound as though they are open to doing so if they receive a trade offer that is to their liking. They currently sit 16 points out of a playoff spot but have many veterans inked to long term deals and are unlikely to initiate a rebuild anytime soon.

In other morning notes:

  • The Seattle Kraken have not closed the door on re-signing pending free agent center Yanni Gourde (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Gourde is out of the lineup at the moment recovering from successful sports hernia surgery and has not played since January 2nd. He is expected to return before the NHL Trade Deadline and could be moved if Seattle can’t sign him to an extension. The situation is not unlike that of Jordan Eberle last year, who lingered on trade boards up until he signed a two-year extension to remain in Seattle.
  • The Montreal Canadiens are reportedly open to keeping forward Jake Evans and won’t just move him for the sake of trading him (as per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). Montreal remains in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference, sitting just three points back of Detroit for the final Wild Card spot and has plenty of draft picks at their disposal. The Canadiens have reportedly communicated their willingness to hang onto the 28-year-old Evans, who is set to become a UFA on July 1st.  LeBrun believes that Winnipeg, New Jersey, Minnesota, Toronto and Edmonton are among the teams that have inquired about Evans.

Islanders Place Matt Martin On IR, Activate Noah Dobson From LTIR

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Feb. 26: Per the NHL media site (and shared by Rosner), the Islanders have officially activated Dobson from the long-term injured reserve making him available for tomorrow’s contest. Additionally, New York has transferred center Mathew Barzal from injured reserve to LTIR to create the necessary cap space for Dobson’s return.

Feb. 25: It’s a lower-body injury for Martin, Rosner reports. Dobson won’t return tonight against the Rangers but is probable for Thursday against the Bruins, he adds.

Feb. 25: The New York Islanders have reportedly placed forward Matt Martin on injured reserve (as per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News), opening the door for them to activate defenseman Noah Dobson off LTIR. The Islanders needed to open up room for Dobson and could have placed a player on waivers to do so, however, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello opted to use IR to open up a spot.

Martin began the year on a PTO before signing a one-year deal for the NHL minimum ($775K) when the Islanders began dealing with injury issues. The 35-year-old hasn’t played since January 16th, making it unclear when he suffered the injury. The 12-game absence likely signals what the rest of Martin’s season will look like as he probably won’t see much action regardless of injury status, unless the Islanders trade away several members of their NHL roster or go through another bout of the injury bug.

Martin has dressed in 24 games this year for the Islanders, posting a single assist, 68 hits and 15 blocked shots. He carved out a nice NHL career for himself and was once a pretty solid forechecker but at this stage of his career, he doesn’t offer much at the NHL level. Martin has played very little when he has dressed, averaging just 7:47 of ice time per game and has been decimated on the possession front, posting a CF% of 35.4%.

Dobson is expected to be activated after the Islanders’ morning skate today. The 25-year-old hasn’t played since January 20th and has had a lower-body injury. His absence created a big hole for the Islanders as he has been averaging a shade over 24 minutes of ice time per game and has continued to be a terrific play driver. His offensive numbers have fallen off this season, registering six goals and 18 assists in 46 games, and he continues to be a polarizing player for Islanders fans who don’t see him as a fit on the power play and question some of his decisions with the puck.

Trade Deadline Primer: Vegas Golden Knights

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights are sitting in a position that has become all too familiar as they approach the NHL Trade Deadline. They are once again atop the Pacific Division and will be one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference as they try to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas is always in the mix to make a big move and has never shied away from doing everything possible to make a splash. The Golden Knights have stumbled as of late (4-4-2 in their last 10) but will no doubt push to find reinforcements for another deep playoff run. It will not be easy for them to make changes as they don’t have a first-round pick in the next two drafts and have very little room under the NHL salary cap.

Record

34-18-6, 1st in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyers

Deadline Cap Space

$2.422MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 47/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: VGK 2nd, SJ 3rd, WASH 3rd, VGK 4th, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, WASH 6th,
2026: VGK 2nd, VGK 3rd, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th,

Trade Chips

This is going to be a struggle for Vegas, years of making massive trades have left them with a prospects pool that is quite thin and ranked 22nd in the NHL (according to Scott Wheeler’s rankings in The Athletic). That isn’t to say the Golden Knights don’t have some good prospects, they do have a few that could be used as trade pieces, but not many that are on the level that they could land a Mikko Rantanen-type player.

Trevor Connelly is their top prospect and was drafted 19th overall last year. The playmaking winger has a ton of skill and could be a central piece of a big trade if Vegas entertains that idea. Connelly possesses quick skating, a terrific shot, and a great set of hands. He is on the smaller side, but as he adds muscle and strength, it’s easy to imagine his all-around game rounding into form. Vegas may not be keen on trading their top prospect, but if they want to go all in, it might start with Connelly.

Outside of Connelly, Vegas does have a few other noteworthy prospects. Mathieu Cataford is the reigning QMJHL MVP and just played for the Canadian World Junior team. Cataford can play all three forward spots and has a good hockey IQ as he reads the game well and can play off of his teammates and their decisions in real time.

Goaltender Carl Lindbom looks like he will be an NHL netminder. The 21-year-old is having a solid first season in the AHL with Henderson, posting a 12-9-1 record with a .913 save percentage. Lindbom has thrived at every level thus far in his short career,  winning HockeyAllsvenskan goalie of the year and rookie of the year a couple of seasons ago and eventually posting good numbers in the Swedish Hockey League last season. This year, as a rookie, Lindbom has outplayed the more experienced Akira Schmid, which has been a pleasant surprise for Vegas.

Outside of a handful of prospects, Vegas doesn’t have much on their current roster they could move out. The players with value they will want to keep, and the players who have struggled would be difficult to move until the summer. Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon could get creative with his draft picks, but he doesn’t exactly have a full slate of them. As mentioned earlier, Vegas doesn’t have a first-round pick until 2027, but they do have eight second and third-round picks combined between now and 2028.

Despite the limited assets, Vegas will still have options to improve its team. They still have a decent prospect pipeline for a team that has traded away so much of its future and they have a handful of draft picks that they can put in play.

Team Needs

1) Depth Goaltender – Vegas doesn’t have any glaring holes in their lineup, but one cause for concern could be their goaltending. Both Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov had a tough stretch in January which led the Golden Knights to flip-flop back and forth on their starts. Both men have played better as of late, but outside of Hill and Samsonov, Vegas doesn’t have another option, which could be problematic if either man suffers an injury or goes into another slump. Schmid has posted brutal numbers in the AHL and doesn’t appear to be an option should an emergency arise in net. There are plenty of goaltenders who could be had, but many of them carry cap hits far too rich (and too long) for Vegas’ tastes. John Gibson and Tristan Jarry come to mind, but both players carry too much term and are too expensive. Anton Forsberg out of Ottawa might be an option, as could Alexandar Georgiev of the San Jose Sharks, with Forsberg likely being the better fit due to cap hit and play as of late. Vegas may take a look at the market and take their chances with what they have, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make a move.

2) A Top 9 Forward – It’s tough to envision Vegas making a splash here, but that’s likely what people said last year before McCrimmon swung a last-minute deal for Tomas Hertl. Vegas needs some help at forward, not a ton, but using Raphael Lavoie in the top nine as of late is less than ideal. If economics didn’t come into play, the Golden Knights would have interest in Brock Nelson or Brayden Schenn. But with price tags north of $6MM, it’s tough to imagine Vegas getting involved unless they move salary out. A more affordable option for Vegas could be a player like Anthony Beauvillier out of Pittsburgh or Ryan Donato of Chicago. Both players are on inexpensive cap hits and could slide into different places within Vegas’ current forward group. While the trade for a depth option is more likely, you almost have to expect the unexpected when it comes to Vegas.

Red Wings Place Andrew Copp On IR, Sheldon Dries Recalled

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The Detroit Red Wings have placed center Andrew Copp on Injured Reserve and recalled center Sheldon Dries from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The moves come as Detroit tries to deal with multiple injuries that have surfaced throughout the weekend.

Copp suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Wild and will have to miss at least the next seven days. He will not dress for three games, including the Stadium Series game slated for this Saturday. Copp missed yesterday’s overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks and will be eligible to return to the lineup on March 4th against the Carolina Hurricanes. The injury may be shoulder-related as he skated away from a scrum in the Wild game favoring it, however, there is no official confirmation on this.

Copp has dressed in 56 games this season, registering 10 goals and 13 assists while averaging 14:42 of ice time per game, his offensive production is nowhere near in line with his $5.625MM cap hit, however, he does bring a defensive presence to the Red Wings forward group that they missed against the Wild, blowing a lead in that game after Copp’s exit before eventually losing in overtime.

Dries has been a decent offensive depth option in the AHL this season, posting 19 goals and eight assists in 48 games. The 30-year-old hasn’t seen NHL action since April 2023 with the Vancouver Canucks but does have 122 NHL career games on his resume. Dries is having a down year offensively with Grand Rapids after tallying 114 points in 109 games over the past two seasons with the Abbotsford Canucks but hasn’t been able to gain as much traction this year in a new organization.

The Macomb, Michigan native will likely serve as insurance at this point given that Detroit just reinserted Tyler Motte into the lineup and still has Christian Fischer as an option.

Trade Deadline Primer: Vancouver Canucks

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks have had a tumultuous season, to say the least, as the J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson issue derailed a team that had Stanley Cup aspirations coming into the season. Despite everything that has gone on, the Canucks still find themselves in a playoff spot at the moment and appear likely to do everything they can to get into the postseason. The Canucks have re-signed several pending unrestricted free agents in recent weeks, which signals that they do intend to make a go of it and are likely to be buying as they approach the deadline. The team has played better as of late (6-3-1 in their last ten), and if their new additions can settle in, they should be able to perform better than they have to this point in the season.

Record

26-20-11, 4th in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Cautious Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10.41MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention spots used, 46/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, OTT 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th,
2026: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th

Trade Chips

Whether Canucks fans like it or not, the talk on an Elias Pettersson trade is probably not going away anytime soon. Vancouver would be hard-pressed to move their star forward at this time, given his poor play this season and the remaining seven years on his contract at $11.6MM per. Pettersson’s play has fallen off a cliff this season with just 11 goals and 24 assists in 51 games. Some folks believed that Pettersson’s play might pick up when he escaped the Vancouver bubble and played for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but the 26-year-old was largely unimpressive tallying no points in three games. Now, it does appear he was dealing with an injury during the tournament, but his play did not help his trade value. TSN Hockey removed Pettersson from their trade bait board, but they did leave the door open to him being traded in the summer.

The Canucks have already moved on from their biggest trade chip in Miller but could have another big name to move out if they elect to trade forward Brock Boeser. Now, it’s not commonplace for teams to move on from top players when they are in the thick of the playoff race, but nothing about Vancouver has been common this season. It’s also worth noting that the Canucks can’t score (25th in the NHL) with Boeser in the lineup, and they would be unlikely to replace his offense in a 1 for 1 trade. The one move that Vancouver could make is not unlike what they did with Miller and flip Boeser to one team, then use those assets in another deal for an impact player with term remaining on their contract. Boeser’s time in Vancouver has been a rollercoaster, and with him being just four months away from free agency, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him moved. Another note on Boeser is that he has a ten-team modified no-trade clause, but there will be interest from other teams not on his list.

If Vancouver wanted to push into the trade market, they do have some future assets to move despite having a below-average prospects pool (21st in the NHL, as per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic). Vancouver has their first two picks in each of the next two NHL Entry Drafts, which could always be made available, or if they wanted to move out prospects, Jonathan Lekkerimäki would be an intriguing player for most teams who are looking towards the future. The 15th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft hasn’t found NHL success yet but is nearly a point-a-game player in the AHL (26 points in 30 games) this season and is just 20 years old. His skill level is extremely high and could be of interest to a team that is looking for prospects who are close to NHL-ready.

Team Needs

1) Top Six Center – The Canucks were a win away from the Western Conference Finals last year and their top two centers from that club are no longer in Vancouver (Elias Lindholm and Miller). Now, Vancouver is rolling out Filip Chytil and Pettersson as their top two centers, and no disrespect to either player but that isn’t good enough to compete with the likes of Edmonton or Vegas in the Western Conference. Vancouver needs a top-six center who can push everyone down the depth chart, including Pius Suter who is pivoting the third line at the moment and is better suited for fourth-line duties. The idea of a center is easier said than done as there aren’t many names available who would be capable of taking on top six minutes. Brock Nelson of the Islanders is an option, but he would be expensive and a rental at this point. Brayden Schenn is another option, but with three years left at $6.5MM and declining production, he probably isn’t the best candidate either. If the Canucks wanted to gamble, Dylan Cozens out of Buffalo is a name that would be of interest, Cozens has struggled this season with just 11 goals and 16 assists in 55 games, but he is just two years removed from a 68-point season and at 24 years of age, could be a bounce back candidate that the Canucks buy low on.

2) Scoring – Vancouver can’t score and desperately need help on the wings and down the middle. The Canucks have been trying out recently acquired Drew O’Connor on the top line, but with two goals in six games, he isn’t a long-term fit and is better suited for a third-line role. If Vancouver wanted to make a bigger splash, they could take a run at Rickard Rakell out of Pittsburgh, who is having a terrific season with 25 goals and 24 assists in 58 games. Rakell can play on both wings and even center in a pinch, but it would be costly as he does have term left on his deal (three years at $5MM per season), and the Penguins are in no rush to move him. If Vancouver wanted to jump into the rental market, Kyle Palmieri of the Islanders or Montreal’s Joel Armia might be cheaper options who can provide depth offense. None of the available options are particularly great for Vancouver, who are tasked with looking for scoring in a seller’s market. The Canucks do have significant cap space available to them and might be able to land a higher-priced pending unrestricted free agent (like Palmieri) who isn’t performing up to their cap hit. This happened last season with Jason Zucker, who was dealt from Arizona to Nashville for a sixth-round pick last deadline because Arizona couldn’t retain his $5.3MM cap hit, which drove down the price as Nashville was willing to take on the entire cap hit.

Hurricanes Could Explore Trading Mikko Rantanen

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Elliotte Friedman speculated on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Carolina Hurricanes could look to explore a Mikko Rantanen trade if they can’t get the forward signed to a contract extension. The talk is very speculative, and Friedman is not the first to float the idea of another Rantanen trade as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has mentioned it before and even Friedman discussed it as a possibility back on February 7th.

Carolina is reportedly okay with paying Rantanen an annual salary in the $14MM range (as per Pagnotta) but the talk around the league is that his decision will come down to fit and whether or not he would be comfortable in the setting he signs a long term deal in.

Carolina just traded for Rantanen back on January 25th, and if they were to move him to another deal, they would have the ability to retain his salary, which could push his cap hit down to just $2.3MM. That would open up the door for many contenders to pursue him, which might start a bidding war for the 28-year-old. Most of the top teams in the NHL are pressed up against the salary cap, but for a true star at the price point, the suitors would be many.

Friedman points out that even teams who normally couldn’t pursue Rantanen, or wouldn’t pursue him may be inclined to, simply because the cap hit would be so minimal, and it might stop one of their potential playoff opponents from trading for him.

Either way, the development will be fascinating to watch. If Carolina can’t get Rantanen signed long-term, they might see the opportunity to extract more value than they traded away as a bigger priority than holding onto Rantanen as a rental this season. Any team looking to acquire Rantanen would likely view a trade for him as a pure rental, which will suit some teams just fine if they feel their competitive window is closing and they can get him at a discount.

Trade Deadline Primer: St. Louis Blues

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is just a few weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the St. Louis Blues.

The St. Louis Blues find themselves in a similar position to the last two seasons. They aren’t good enough to make the playoffs, but they are too good to bottom out and collect a top draft pick. It’s a position not unlike the one the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in. Both teams are recent Stanley Cup Champions that haven’t moved into a full rebuild yet. St. Louis is currently eight points out of a playoff spot and would need to leapfrog three teams to land the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Given their position in the West, it’s fair to assume that they will be looking toward the future at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline.

Record

25-26-5, 6th in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Sellers

Deadline Cap Space

$6.025MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 45/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: STL 1st, STL 5th, STL 6th
2026: STL 1st, STL 3rd, STL 4th, STL 5th, PIT 5th, NYI 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th

Trade Chips

St. Louis doesn’t have many pending unrestricted free agents of note but will try to move the handful they do have.

Veteran defenseman Ryan Suter could be traded to a team looking for a depth defenseman, but wouldn’t fetch much of a return at this point. The 40-year-old is a shell of the player he once was, but for a team looking for a veteran presence on the backend, they could do worse. Suter has remained healthy for almost all of his late 30s, and while he isn’t the minute eater he used to be, he could certainly fill the role of a seventh defenseman.

Forward Radek Faksa is another name the Blues could look to ship out. The 31-year-old would bring a strong defensive presence to any acquiring team but wouldn’t provide much in the way of offense. He does have a modified five-team no-trade clause, but it’s hard to see that being an issue at this point. Faksa is a free agent on July 1st and with a $3.25MM cap hit, he should be moveable if St. Louis is willing to retain. Trading Faksa won’t recoup all the draft pick capital St. Louis has moved away this year, but it should allow them to bring in a mid-round pick. Faksa has just three goals and seven assists in 44 games this season, but he has garnered Selke Trophy consideration in four of the last seven seasons.

Outside of Suter and Faksa, the Blues don’t have any remaining UFAs but do have some veterans with term left on their contracts who could be moved. Brayden Schenn’s name has popped up in trade rumors for weeks now, and given his resume it’s no surprise that there has been interest in the 33-year-old forward. There is no doubt that there has been a regression in Schenn’s game the past two seasons and with three more years at $6.5MM per season his market at the deadline will be limited. There is also the concern that Schenn’s defensive game has fallen off, which could scare off some teams who view him as more of a third-line option. St. Louis might wait until the summer to move Schenn if they don’t find an offer to their liking but given that it is a seller’s market right now, they could be able to convince a desperate team to overpay in the next two weeks.

St. Louis has some other veterans on expensive long-term deals who have underperformed the past few seasons, which could make significant moves difficult. Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou have both had their names mentioned as potential trade candidates and the Blues would probably be more than happy to move on from some of their veteran defensemen as well but will likely be handcuffed by varying trade protections. Nick Leddy, Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk and Cam Fowler all make north of $4MM per season and have at least one year left on their current contracts. Couple that with the no-trade clauses and the Blues are in tough to make substantial changes if that is the direction they want to go.

Team Needs

1) Offensive Forwards – St. Louis has top forwards who can score (Kyrou, Buchnevich, and Robert Thomas). However, their depth scoring has been a huge issue this season (25th in the NHL in goals). If the Blues elect to retool this summer, getting offensive depth forwards should be at the top of their shopping list. St. Louis has not received much offense from their bottom six forwards, and it has allowed teams to focus more attention on the top six and prohibit them from scoring at their usual rates. Buchnevich, Kyrou and Thomas are all having down years and insulating them with more depth might force teams to divide their attention more when defending the Blues’ best forwards. At the very least, more offensive options should provide some help to the top six by taking the pressure off of them to chase the game when the Blues find themselves behind on the scoreboard.

2) Young Defensemen– The Blues backend is one of the oldest in the NHL, with just two defensemen under the age of 31. Philip Broberg looks like he should be a top-four defenseman for St. Louis, but outside of him, their top prospects Adam Jiricek, Theo Lindstein and Lukas Fischer are still probably two or more years away from making an NHL impact. The direction the Blues decide to go in will ultimately determine the urgency with which they will try to find young defensemen, but it is very clear at this stage that the team needs to get younger. The Blues aren’t a bad defensive team (20th in the NHL), but having a more mobile unit will help the forwards get the puck in more advantageous positions and open them up to focus more on the offensive side of the game.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Trade Deadline Primer: San Jose Sharks

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off break now almost over, the trade deadline looms large and is less than three weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose remains deep in a rebuild and is currently dead last in the NHL in points. As you would expect, they have already begun their trade deadline sell-off by moving out the likes of Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci, and Mackenzie Blackwood. The Sharks are unlikely to make any big moves heading into the deadline since they’ve moved on from their more notable UFAs, though they do have a few depth pieces remaining on expiring contracts who could be of interest to buyers. One issue that could plague San Jose at the deadline is their inability to retain salary thanks to the trades of Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. However, Sharks’ general manager Mike Grier has shown an ability to get creative when he needs to and will likely do more of the same as he tries to maximize the assets he does have.

Record

15-35-7, 8th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$32.86MM on deadline day, 3/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: SJS 1st, DAL 1st, SJS 2nd, COL 3rd, SJS 4th, WPG 4th, COL 5th, NJ 7th
2026: SJS 1st, SJS 2nd, COL 2nd, SJ 4th, SJS 7th,

Trade Chips

As mentioned, San Jose has been busy this year moving out some of their more desirable assets. However, they do have some remaining veterans on expiring deals who could help teams.

Luke Kunin is a depth center who has had poor possession numbers for much of his professional career. He is physical and can score in a fourth-line role, hitting double digits in goals five times in his career. The 27-year-old is overpaid at $2.75MM. However, the acquiring team would only need to fit him under the cap for the remainder of this season. Physical players are always in demand for the playoffs, so Kunin will likely find a new home before the deadline, though it’s unlikely that an acquiring team will give up more than a late-round draft pick. San Jose also can’t retain on any trades, so the team trading for Kunin would need to pick up the full freight of his contract.

Another depth forward the Sharks could dangle is Nico Sturm. The 29-year-old is also in the final year of his deal and is counting $2MM against the salary cap. Sturm is similar to Kunin in a lot of ways but is less physical, although he has a big body and probably has more utility. Sturm’s possession numbers aren’t terrible, and he does offer more of a two-way presence than Kunin. Sturm could thrive in a sheltered fourth-line role on a solid team but won’t break the bank for any team looking to acquire him. Much like Kunin, any team that does trade for Sturm will need to pick up the full tab on the remainder of his contract, which will limit suitors and the cost to acquire.

Jan Rutta was a salary dump by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Erik Karlsson trade and has struggled in San Jose. The 34-year-old is on pace to commit more turnovers this season than the past six years combined. Rutta was never the fleetest of foot, but he can thrive in a sheltered third pairing role with a mobile defensive partner. Rutta is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with Tampa Bay and was good during those runs, but he did benefit greatly from playing with Victor Hedman. Rutta will have suitors because he is a right shot defenseman, but at $2.75MM for the rest of the season, it is hard to see teams giving up much more than a mid-round pick for him.

The final two trade chips that San Jose could dangle are goaltenders Vítek Vaněček and Alexandar Georgiev, both of whom are UFAs this summer. The difficulty with moving either man is that neither one is a starter at this point in their careers, and without retention, they would make for an expensive and possibly ineffective backup. Vaněček has posted a goals against north of 4.00 this season, and his goals saved above expected is -9.1, which is the seventh worst in the NHL. Georgiev has posted even worse numbers, tallying a goals saved above expected of -12.1, which is the second worst in the entire NHL (as per Money Puck).

Team Needs

1) Young Roster Players: The Sharks have the NHL’s best prospect pool, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, and while they have an embarrassment of riches in the pipeline, they are going to need to start getting contributions at the NHL level sooner than later. The Sharks could be in line for another down year next season, and with that being said, the team will likely start to convert notable prospects and draft picks into roster players as they look to surround the young players already in the NHL with better talent. The Sharks can ill afford to leave their young NHL stars in a similar position to the one the Edmonton Oilers did with their top draft picks during the 2010s. Mike Grier has already started this process with the move for goaltender Yaroslav Askarov and could do so again as he pinpoints which part of the roster he is going to need to address.

2) Young Defensemen: The Sharks have some solid defensive prospects such as Luca Cagnoni, as well as highly touted prospect Sam Dickinson. They also have youngster Jack Thompson at the pro level, who looks promising, and Shakir Mukhamadullin, who has played in 13 games this season. Both Thompson and Mukhamadullin look like NHL defensemen, but it remains to be seen what their ceiling will be. The Sharks’ prospect cupboard is forward-heavy, and at some point, they will need to be sure that they have NHL-caliber defensemen to play with their skilled forward group. Finding a right shot defensemen is especially hard in the NHL, and Grier might opt to make his swings at it now rather than later when the cost could be higher. San Jose likely won’t rush to make this move before the deadline, but they will be taking a hard look at what their best course of action is going forward. Given that they have a deep prospect pool and good draft capital, they could jump-start their rebuild with some young defensemen who can elevate their forwards and make life easier for the goaltender of the future, Askarov.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Legendary Penguins Broadcaster Mike Lange Has Passed Away

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Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Lange has passed away at the age of 76 (Twitter Link). Lange was beloved in Pittsburgh and around the hockey community for his magical calls and inventive catchphrases. He called all five of the Penguins Stanley Cup Championships and brought authenticity and humor to every broadcast he worked on. He was even featured in the 1995 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Sudden Death.

Lange was a native of Sacramento, California, which was not exactly a hotbed for hockey during his childhood. He went to school at Sacramento State University before getting his first job as a hockey broadcaster doing radio for the Phoenix Roadrunners of the Western Hockey League back in 1970. He made a stop in San Diego, doing play-by-play for the Gulls of the AHL before being hired by the Penguins as their radio play-by-play man in 1974. Lange was with the Penguins for all but one season (1976) up until 2021.

During his 46 years with the Penguins, Lange worked in both television and radio and made the most iconic calls in franchise history. He, along with Mario Lemieux, also inspired a generation of young kids in Pittsburgh to get into hockey, including Jesse Marshall of The Athletic, who tweeted about his admiration of Lange.

Lange became known for his one-liners, such as “He’s smiling like a butcher’s dog,” but his ability to anticipate what was going to happen in a game was truly unique. Marshall notes one such occurrence where Lange warned the audience to keep their eyes on Lemieux in a game and to “be careful” with him. Lemieux went on to score eight points in the game.

Lange was the recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Foster Hewitt Award in 2001 and was inducted into the broadcasters’ wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Lange called his final Pittsburgh game in 2021 before his retirement due to health issues.

We at Pro Hockey Rumors send our condolences to Lange’s family, friends, and peers.

Senators Recall Cole Reinhardt

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Feb. 18: Reinhardt is back up with the NHL club today, per a team announcement. He had a goal and two assists in four games for the B-Sens over the break with a plus-three rating and six shots on goal. He’ll likely suit up in Ottawa’s return to action against the Canadiens this weekend.

Feb. 9: The Ottawa Senators announced that they’ve loaned forward Cole Reinhardt to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. With the 4 Nations Face-Off set to get underway, the Senators don’t play again until February 22nd and have likely assigned Reinhardt to Belleville to get the 25-year-old some playing time.

Reinhardt has seen 16 games of NHL action this season; however, his usage has been very light, averaging just 7:58 of ice time per game. Reinhardt has used the limited minutes to make his presence known, throwing 30 hits, however, his name has rarely appeared on the scoresheet as he has just one goal and a single assist in the NHL. He hasn’t exactly been put in a spot to provide much offense, as he has started 61.9% of his shifts in the defensive zone.

In the AHL, the Calgary, Alberta native has had a bigger offensive impact but hasn’t been much more than a depth scorer for most of his professional career. However, this season, he has been a point-per-game player, tallying seven goals and ten assists in 16 games, which nearly matches the 23 points he had in 56 games last season.

Reinhardt could very well be recalled in less than two weeks when the NHL break ends, but in the meantime, he should see significant minutes with Belleville.

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

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