Ducks Recall Nikita Nesterenko, Issue Injury Updates
The Ducks announced that they’ve recalled forward Nikita Nesterenko from AHL San Diego amid multiple changing injury designations ahead of tonight’s game against the Kraken. Forwards Max Jones (upper body) and Mason McTavish (lower body) are out, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports, as is standout rookie defenseman Pavel Mintyukov (lower body). Lee also relays that blue-liner Radko Gudas will return after missing 10 games with an upper-body injury. As a result of McTavish’s injury, the only new absence after their last outing, Nesterenko’s recall comes under emergency conditions. It does not count their two remaining standard recalls this season. Lee also reported on Nesterenko’s recall prior to the official announcement.
Nesterenko, 22, is in his first full professional season after signing with the Ducks out of Boston College to close out 2022-23. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 draft by the Wild, his signing rights were traded to Anaheim as part of the deal that sent defenseman John Klingberg to Minnesota at last year’s deadline. He ended last year with one goal in nine NHL games but didn’t crack the Ducks’ opening night roster this season, spending the entirety of 2023-24 thus far on assignment to San Diego. He’s settled in as their most competent two-way center, notching 15 goals and 33 points in 63 appearances. His +8 rating is the highest among forwards and second on the team behind veteran NHL defenseman Robert Hägg.
That strong showing on a bottom-five Gulls club may earn him some NHL viewings down the stretch. He wasn’t much of a factor in his first major league attempt, losing all three faceoffs he took and averaging 13:17 per game, but his otherwise poor 41.8 CF% at even strength was better than his teammates’ down the stretch, a testament to just how inept last season’s Ducks were at controlling possession. They’ve improved dramatically in that category under first-year head coach Greg Cronin, posting a 47.0 CF% at even strength compared to last year’s 42.6.
Anaheim is rather set down the middle with McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Isac Lundeström doing decent work anchoring the top three lines, although a third-line checking unit anchored by Lundeström moving to the wing with Nesterenko down the middle is an appealing thought for Ducks fans. The club also has 2022 first-round pick Nathan Gaucher in the center pipeline. Trevor Zegras, who’s mustered only nine points in 25 games this season and has battled injuries seemingly non-stop, seems locked into a spot on the wing for the remainder of his tenure in SoCal.
With Ben Meyers and Jakob Silfverberg destined for unrestricted free agency this summer, there may be a spot for Nesterenko on next season’s opening night roster if GM Pat Verbeek doesn’t plug too many holes on the open market. His NHL performance to close out the season will likely go a long way toward dictating that likelihood. He’s set for restricted free agency in a few months after completing his two-year entry-level contract and still has five more years under team control until he’s eligible for UFA status.
Blue Jackets Issue Multiple Injury Updates
Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Bean has an upper-body injury that will keep him out for their six remaining games this season, head coach Pascal Vincent said Friday (via Jeff Svoboda of the team’s official site). The 25-year-old exited last night’s 4-2 loss to the Islanders after taking a shot to the hand late in the game, which the team later confirmed resulted in a break. It’s unclear if he’ll require surgery to repair the break or if rehabilitation over the offseason is sufficient to address it.
Bean’s third season in Columbus was much better than his second, when a November 2022 shoulder injury resulted in surgery that ended his season. He’s been a fixture in the Blue Jackets lineup for the most part, only being scratched on a handful of occasions. The 2016 first-round pick wasn’t able to rise above a third-pairing role, however, recording four goals and 13 points in 72 contests while averaging 16:20 per game. His pairing with Erik Gudbranson was Vincent’s most used, logging nearly 600 minutes together across 62 games. They were also the worst of Columbus’ six most-iced pairings at maintaining possession quality, controlling 45.1% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck. Bean’s individual possession numbers weren’t any better away from Gudbranson at 5-on-5, posting an on-ice xG% of 44.9.
Bean was the WHL’s leading goal-scorer among defensemen in 2016 and won Best Defenseman honors in the AHL in 2020, but his NHL ceiling is crashing down as he passes through his mid-20s. While his junior and minor league production still suggests there’s significant upside in his game, it won’t come buried on the depth chart on one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
He’ll be an RFA this summer upon completion of his three-year, $7MM contract, the last time he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency. With younger, high-ceiling defenders like David Jiricek vying for bigger roles in Columbus and multiple exemplary young defense prospects on the way, Bean could find himself on the open market this summer if Columbus opts not to issue him a qualifying offer and risk being taken to arbitration.
Extra blue-liner Adam Boqvist is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury and won’t be cleared to play before tomorrow’s contest against the Flyers, so the Blue Jackets will need to recall a defenseman from AHL Cleveland. That will likely be Jake Christiansen, who’s got two assists in 12 NHL games this season and was returned to the minors Tuesday after a weeks-long stint in Columbus.
On a shorter-term horizon, Vincent also said neither center Sean Kuraly nor goaltender Elvis Merzļikins will be available against Philadelphia. Both are out with lower-body injuries. Kuraly has returned to practice and is nearing a return after a three-week absence, while Merzļikins hasn’t played since getting banged up in a win over the Penguins on March 30. Backup Daniil Tarasov also sustained an upper-body injury in last night’s loss to the Islanders, so they’ll need to bring fourth-string netminder Malcolm Subban up from Cleveland if he’s unable to dress tomorrow. 23-year-old Jet Greaves will likely get the start in any event, posting an exemplary .917 SV% in limited NHL action this year. Subban hasn’t played a major league game in over two years, last appearing with the Sabres in January 2022.
A rare bit of good news for Columbus is that top winger Johnny Gaudreau will return against Philly after sitting out last night’s loss with an illness, Vincent told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. It’s been a disappointing season for the $9.75MM man, only potting 11 goals, but he still leads the club in scoring with 56 points in 75 games.
Maple Leafs To Activate Mitch Marner From LTIR
Star Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner was a full participant in today’s practice and is likely to return tomorrow against the Canadiens, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun reports. As such, Toronto is expected to reinstate him from long-term injured reserve before Saturday’s 6 p.m. CT puck drop.
As head coach Sheldon Keefe tries to finalize line combinations before the postseason, Marner notably won’t return in his usual first-line role alongside Auston Matthews. In his absence, the generational goal-scorer has done quite well anchoring a line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, so Marner slides down to the Leafs’ second even-strength unit alongside Bobby McMann and captain John Tavares. Marner hasn’t played since sustaining a high ankle sprain against the Bruins on March 7, causing a 12-game absence.
Before the injury, Marner was on pace to crack the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. That’s out of the question now, as he’d need 24 points in his final seven games to accomplish the feat, but it shouldn’t take away from a fourth truly exemplary season from the 2015 fourth-overall pick. He’s averaged over 1.2 points per game in each campaign over that span and has recorded expected ratings upward of +14 every time, firmly planting himself in the conversation for one of the best two-way wingers in the world. His 30 goals and 99 points last season while averaging 2:17 per game on the penalty kill earned him a Selke Trophy nomination for the first time, although he’s earned votes for the honor in five straight seasons.
His return allows Keefe to ice Matthews, Marner, and leading assist-getter William Nylander on three separate lines, something he hopes creates matchup headaches for opposing coaches when the playoffs begin later this month. The Leafs have made the playoffs every season in Matthews’ career but have failed to advance past the second round.
Devils Assign Max Willman To Minors
The Devils have done some roster trimming before tomorrow’s game against the Senators, announcing the assignment of forward Maxwell Willman to AHL Utica. His reassignment signals that Nolan Foote, who hasn’t played since a four-game conditioning stint in Utica one month ago, could soon be cleared for game action. Foote participated in today’s practice, per Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site, but line rushes indicate he’s unlikely to make his season debut for New Jersey tomorrow. Willman’s now-vacant roster spot could also go to a defense callup, as interim head coach Travis Green told Stein that blue-liner John Marino is questionable against Ottawa due to an undisclosed injury.
Willman, 29, was inked to a one-year, two-way deal last offseason and has logged significant action in both New Jersey and Utica. He’s been recalled six times, making 18 NHL appearances, but his four points, 40.1 CF% at even strength, and minimal usage (8:20 per game) have done little to put him in consideration for a full-time spot on the Devils’ roster.
His NHL career began with six points in 41 games with the Flyers in 2021-22, although his possession metrics were similarly poor in that span: a -13 rating and 42.9 CF%. He played only nine games the following campaign, spending most of it in the minors. Since turning pro five years ago, he’s held down a middle-six role with 88 points in 173 AHL games and 25 points in 20 ECHL games.
With six games remaining on their schedule and playoffs no longer a remote possibility, this will be Willman’s last transaction of the season unless a sudden rash of injuries strikes the Devils’ forward group. He’s not going to be a long-term NHL option for anyone at this rate, but with 11 goals and 21 points in 31 games with Utica this season, he’s proven his value to the organization as a veteran presence in the minors. A pending UFA, Willman likely won’t earn anything much higher than his current $150K guaranteed salary on his next deal.
Golden Knights Recall Brendan Brisson
The Golden Knights have brought Brendan Brisson back to the NHL roster, per a team announcement. His recall comes under emergency conditions after head coach Bruce Cassidy announced Tomáš Hertl won’t be ready to make his Vegas debut against the Coyotes tomorrow and said they’ll likely be without Nicolas Roy due to an undisclosed injury. Summoning Brisson guarantees them 12 healthy forwards in Arizona.
Brisson, 22, joins the Vegas roster for the first time since he was assigned to Henderson on March 13. The 2020 first-round pick has played in 13 games this season after making his NHL debut in January, doing quite well with two goals and seven points in limited ice time. A natural center, Brisson has mostly played wing throughout his first major-league stint, and he’ll likely do so again on a line with Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar if his services are needed tomorrow.
The Los Angeles native’s possession game has also been better than his -4 rating suggests. He’s recorded a 48.9 CF% and 50.0 xGF% at even strength, not jaw-dropping by any stretch but still better than the majority of his teammates when in the lineup. His positive impact on shot attempts has been strong in particular, as Vegas’ CF% with him on the ice is 4% better than without him across his limited run of play. He’s most frequently suited up alongside William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault, skating over 43 minutes with them across six games, but has also logged significant time on lines with Karlsson and Michael Amadio as well as Howden and Paul Cotter.
Vegas has space to absorb Brisson’s $925K cap hit without making any corresponding moves, but only because Hertl remains on LTIR for the time being. When he’s ready to go, likely now for Monday’s game in Vancouver, they’ll need to assign two contracts to Henderson to activate him. As such, Brisson’s stay in the majors will be brief.
Brisson’s decent initial showing makes him a candidate to crack the Golden Knight’s opening night roster in 2024-25, especially considering he’s also done well on a poor Henderson team with 16 goals and 36 points in 50 games. His ELC remains valid for next season, after which he’ll be an RFA.
Coyotes Gauging Interest In Potential Buyers
According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo has contacted multiple parties, including groups inside and outside the state, to gauge their interest in buying the franchise. He’s seeking an asking price of $1B, $50MM more than the Senators sold for when Michael Andlauer purchased the club last summer.
Gambadoro notes that the Coyotes have recently met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to update him on their current bid to remain in Arizona, which revolves around winning an auction for a plot of land on the city’s north side. When approached for comment by Gambadoro, the Coyotes said, “Mr. Meruelo and the team are solely focused on the land auction and winning the bid. And to keep the Coyotes in Arizona.”
The lack of a suitable arena has plagued the Coyotes’ long-term future ever since the city of Glendale, which oversaw their previous full-time home, Gila River Arena, opted not to renew their operating agreement in the 2021 offseason due to large debts the club owed to the city. Meruelo struck a deal with Arizona State University to share the brand-new 4,600-seat Mullett Arena through at least the 2024-25 season, heading to the Phoenix suburb of Tempe after the club submitted a bid to build an arena and surrounding entertainment district in the city. However, a public referendum of Tempe voters in May 2023 failed to greenlight the project, sending Arizona back to square one.
Unfortunately, Arizona state law dictates that the land auction could occur as late as 240 days after the city’s board of appeals approved the sale, which occurred on March 14. That could punt the Coyotes’ certainty on landing the plot into next season, as late as November 9. That’s a tough pill to swallow for the league, facing mounting pressure from NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh to provide a suitable major league environment for Coyotes players. The auction won’t happen until mid-June at the absolute earliest, as state law also rules that “there must be an auction advertisement in print media for a minimum of 10 weeks before the auction.” That has yet to occur.
Interested parties outside the state surely include Ryan Smith, the majority owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz. His Smith Entertainment Group filed a formal request for the league to initiate an expansion process in January and has been public recently about his desire to bring an NHL franchise to Salt Lake City, whether by expansion or relocation. The city has an NHL-ready but not necessarily ideal venue in the Delta Center, which has a capacity of 20,000 for NBA games but would be significantly reduced in a hockey configuration. The franchise would have a new arena by the end of the decade, though, as the city has already approved the construction of a new downtown venue ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympics.
Bettman has stated the league will return to the Phoenix market in the near future if the Coyotes relocate. They’ll likely hold off on doing so until a suitable, more central-location venue becomes available, however.
Canucks Reassign Arshdeep Bains
The Canucks have sent winger Arshdeep Bains to AHL Abbotsford, GM Patrik Allvin announced Thursday. His spot in the lineup will go to one of Phillip Di Giuseppe, Elias Lindholm (undisclosed, day-to-day) or Pius Suter, all of whom were scratched for yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Coyotes.
Bains, 23, signed an entry-level deal with the club two years ago and earned his first NHL recall in February amid a breakout season in Abbotsford. He was returned to the minors on March 1 but was given another chance with a second recall last week. He’s played eight games across his two stints on the roster, struggling with a -5 rating, 6 PIMs and only four shots on goal while averaging 11:48 per game.
Evidently not ready for major league action, the Surrey, British Columbia native will likely remain in Abbotsford for the rest of the season. He’s excelled there this season, posting 14 goals, 35 assists, 49 points, and a +15 rating in 53 games. Regardless of his lack of NHL impact thus far, he’s proven to be a smart undrafted free-agent pickup by Allvin and is one of the organization’s better forwards under the age of 25. He led the WHL in scoring two seasons ago with Red Deer, putting himself on NHL teams’ radars after a tumultuous major junior tenure up to that point. Bains has one season remaining on his ELC, which carries a cap hit of $817K.
Senators Activate, Reassign Rourke Chartier
The Senators have activated forward Rourke Chartier from injured reserve and subsequently assigned him to AHL Belleville, per a team announcement. He’d missed 12 games with an upper-body injury.
Chartier, 28 yesterday, was summoned from Belleville under emergency conditions on March 8 but only played once, logging 11:23 against the Sharks before exiting the lineup. He was placed on IR later in the month to open a roster spot.
It was the second lengthy absence of the campaign for Chartier, who also missed 12 games with a concussion in December and January. That hasn’t stopped the Saskatoon native from making a career-high 37 appearances this season, scoring twice and adding an assist while averaging 10:46 per game. The minor-league mainstay is in his third season with the Senators organization and his second on an NHL contract in Ottawa after spending 2021-22 on a minor-league contract with Belleville.
A Sharks 2014 fifth-round pick, the former WHL All-Star played only 13 games with San Jose, all in the 2018-19 season. The following summer, after completing his entry-level contract, he was not awarded a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent, but concussion symptoms prevented him from being cleared to play, and he sat out the 2019-20 campaign as a result. He returned to play in 2020 on a minor-league contract with the Maple Leafs before linking up with the Sens in 2021.
While he may not have much of an NHL future after showing little promise in his fourth-line minutes, Chartier has resumed his strong level of play in the minors and should continue to earn contracts from major league clubs. The pending UFA has been strong in limited action with the B-Sens this year, posting seven goals and 10 points in 12 games. Last season, he scored 20 goals in only 40 games.
Chartier will likely spend the rest of the season in the minors and will be eligible for Calder Cup Playoffs action with Belleville if they sneak in. They’re last place in the North Division but are only two points back of Laval for the fifth and final playoff berth with two games in hand. However, if injuries take a forward out of the mix, he could find his way back up to Ottawa for a game or two.
West Notes: Anhorn, James, Mangiapane, Danault
The Jets have displayed interest in top college free agent defenseman Dylan Anhorn, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports. The Canadian blue-liner has displayed mutual interest in returning north of the border after spending five years in the American collegiate system with Union and St. Cloud State. Anhorn, 25, was one of many who had their 2020-21 season lost due to the COVID pandemic, permitting him to play a fifth year of NCAA puck this season. Serving as St. Cloud’s captain, the left-shot defender led the team with 27 assists and a +14 rating and totaled 33 points in 38 games. He’s been a veritable force in college ever since making the jump from the BCHL in 2019, tallying 36 points and a +2 rating in 66 games with Union before transferring to St. Cloud in 2022. He erupted for over a point per game there last season but had his campaign stunted by injuries, limited to 23 games. The 6’0″, 190-lb Calgary native was St. Cloud’s nominee for this year’s Hobey Baker Award and won an NCHC championship with the school in 2023.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Blackhawks forward prospect Dominic James will return to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for his senior season in 2024-25, per Scott Powers of The Athletic. The alternate captain of the Bulldogs had his season end all the way back in October after just two games, recording one assist before undergoing season-ending surgery to address an upper-body injury. Chicago had considered offering him an entry-level contract, per Powers, but a jump to the professional ranks would have been difficult after such a lengthy period away from the ice. James, 21, went undrafted twice before Chicago took a flyer on him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft after a banner freshman season with the Bulldogs. Finishing with six goals and 18 points in 39 games, James helped them capture the NCHC championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also named to the U.S. national junior team, representing his country at the 2022 World Juniors with an assist in five games.
- Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane could return tomorrow against the Jets after a three-game absence, head coach Ryan Huska told Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. The 27-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury against the Blackhawks on March 26, causing his third, fourth and fifth absences of the season. It’s been another season of solid middle-six production for the diminutive winger, tied for sixth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 38 points in 69 games. He’s averaging 16:06 per game, down from last season’s career-high of 16:49.
- Kings center Phillip Danault will again be a game-time decision with an upper-body injury tonight in a crucial game against the Kraken, interim head coach Jim Hiller told Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Their playoff chances could drop south of 90% with a loss, per MoneyPuck, opening a small window for the Blues and Wild to make miracle late-season runs into playoff position. Danault was also listed as a game-time decision for Monday’s 4-3 loss to Winnipeg but did not play. Their top shutdown center hasn’t played since March 28 against the Oilers and has now missed two contests.
Panthers Recall Uvis Balinskis
The Panthers have recalled left-shot defenseman Uvis Balinskis from AHL Charlotte, according to a team statement. The move comes under emergency conditions (per CapFriendly) after blue-liner Aaron Ekblad left yesterday’s loss to the Canadiens after the first period with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
Balinskis could slot in tomorrow against the Senators if Ekblad is out, although Tobias Björnfot and Josh Mahura are also available to play. It was a short-lived return to the lineup for Ekblad, who only played four games after a lower-body injury kept him out for most of March. It’s unclear how long Florida expects their 2014 first-overall pick to be unavailable, but it’s not an ideal finish to the season for Ekblad or his club, which is at risk of losing home-ice advantage in a potential first-round clash against the Maple Leafs after going 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.
This is Balinskis’ first NHL season after spending his professional career to date in Russia and Czechia. He’s made 22 appearances for the Panthers on his one-year, entry-level contract, notching a goal and two assists with an even rating while averaging 14:09 per game. The Latvian blue-liner was only recently assigned to Charlotte after Ekblad made his return last week and inked a two-year, $1.7MM extension with the Cats back in January.
Balinskis made the opening night roster with Ekblad and Brandon Montour beginning the campaign on the shelf after undergoing offseason shoulder surgeries but was assigned to Charlotte in December once the team was at full health on the back end. He’s been recalled three times since, including today.