Blue Jackets Assign Nick Blankenburg To AHL
The Blue Jackets assigned defenseman Nick Blankenburg to AHL Cleveland on Wednesday, per a team announcement.
Columbus recalled Blankenburg, 25, for the second time this season on Saturday to replace Adam Boqvist on the active roster, who landed on injured reserve. Blankenburg did not play in each of the Blue Jackets’ last three games, however, and heads back to Cleveland without adding to his 49 career NHL appearances.
After an intriguing rookie season in 2022-23 in which Blankenburg posted 14 points in 36 games, most expected the University of Michigan product to challenge for an NHL job out of training camp this year. An influx of veterans on the Columbus blue line limited the spots available for younger players, however, and the waiver-exempt Blankenburg started the season in Cleveland as a result.
Injuries on defense meant Blankenburg got a chance early last month, playing six games after a Dec. 7 emergency recall. However, he failed to get on the scoresheet and posted middling possession metrics before an upper-body injury knocked him out of the lineup, keeping him out of action for nearly a month. The Blue Jackets activated him from IR and reassigned him to Cleveland on Jan. 21, but brought him up less than a week later when Boqvist was injured.
With the Blue Jackets beginning their bye week/All-Star break after Tuesday’s 1-0 win over the Blues, they no longer required an extra defenseman on the roster. If Boqvist is not ready to return when Columbus plays next on Feb. 10 against the Lightning, Blankenburg could see his third summons of the season if the Blue Jackets don’t want to give disgruntled 2022 sixth-overall pick David Jiricek another shot.
The 5-foot-9, 177-lb puck-mover has done well in his first career AHL stint, posting three goals and nine assists with a +7 rating in 19 games with Cleveland. He will be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer upon completion of his two-year, $1.65MM contract.
Canucks Sign Patrik Allvin To Multi-Year Extension
11:04 a.m.: It’s a three-year deal for Allvin, CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reports. Allvin will be under contract through 2027, the same term as Rutherford.
10:02 a.m.: The Canucks have signed general manager Patrik Allvin to a multi-year extension, per a team announcement Wednesday.
Allvin, 49, celebrated his two-year anniversary in the GM role for Vancouver last Friday. He’d previously worked under Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford with the Penguins, first in scouting roles from 2012 to 2020 before being promoted to an assistant GM role ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.
Pittsburgh named Allvin their interim GM after Rutherford resigned in Jan. 2021, although that lasted for only 12 days until they brought in Ron Hextall for an ill-fated run in the manager’s chair. When Rutherford found a new home as president of hockey operations in Vancouver later that year, he appointed Allvin GM shortly thereafter.
In a short time, Allvin’s work has kicked the Canucks’ decade-long span of middling performances to the curb, seemingly ushering in an era of contention with an Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes-led core. The Canucks are 8-0-2 in their last ten games and would win the President’s Trophy if the season ended today, boasting a 33-11-5 record through 49 games at the All-Star break.
His two largest signings, a seven-year, $56MM deal for J.T. Miller and a three-year, $19.95MM deal for Brock Boeser, have paid off in spades this season. The deals faced a fair bit of criticism when they were signed in the summer of 2022, but Miller is tied for fourth in the NHL with 67 points, and Boeser is tied for sixth with 30 goals.
Allvin’s biggest free-agent splash, a four-year, $19MM deal for Ilya Mikheyev in 2022, has been a decent bit of business as well. Now healthy, the 29-year-old is on pace for 18 goals and 42 points this year.
He’s also made 19 trades during his tenure as GM, notably sending captain Bo Horvat to the Islanders in Jan. 2023 for depth winger Anthony Beauvillier, center prospect Aatu Räty, and a 2023 first-round pick. That first-round selection was later packaged with a second-round pick and sent to the Red Wings for Filip Hronek, who sits fifth on the team in scoring with 36 points in 49 games and has formed arguably the league’s best defense pairing alongside Hughes this season. Beauvillier was later flipped to the Blackhawks for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024.
Allvin’s signature moment in Vancouver is still ahead of him, though. The 25-year-old Pettersson is still a pending RFA and needs a new deal to return to the Canucks next season. He’ll earn well north of his $8.82MM qualifying offer on a longer-term deal.
The team has not confirmed the length of Allvin’s extension, although they recently signed Rutherford to a three-year deal carrying him through the 2026-27 season.
Phil Kessel Still Hopes To Play This Season
Free agent winger Phil Kessel still intends to sign with a team before the March 8 trade deadline, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun wrote for The Athletic on Wednesday.
Kessel, 36, has not played since Game 4 of the Golden Knights’ first-round win over the Jets in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has continued to skate on his own to stay in game shape throughout the offseason and throughout the regular season.
There’s no substitute for organized hockey, though, and LeBrun says inquiring teams might consider a tryout to have him practice with the team before signing him to a contract. LeBrun reported last month that Kessel was considering signing with an undisclosed team in the Swiss National League, but that has not come to fruition.
To that end, LeBrun notes a “couple of NHL teams have kept tabs” on Kessel in recent weeks, and after some other unsigned veteran dominoes have fallen in Corey Perry and Zach Parise, interest in Kessel’s services might pick up. He must sign by the trade deadline to be eligible for postseason play.
Kessel scored 14 goals, 22 assists and 36 points in a bottom-six role with Vegas last season. He played in all 82 games, extending his NHL-record ironman streak to 1,064. Since he’s remained unsigned this year, the streak is still active.
That level of production on a contending team has left some puzzled as to why no one has taken a flyer on Kessel’s services for the league minimum salary. He checks all the boxes for an ideal cheap add for a contending team – nearly 1,300 games of NHL experience and three Stanley Cup rings, as well as a history of strong playoff performances.
Even still, LeBrun says “there’s no guarantee” a team will extend an offer to Kessel over the next five weeks. That’s despite some contenders with a clear need for scoring support in their bottom six, namely the Bruins, where he began his career after being drafted fifth overall in 2006. He’d be a higher-ceiling option than their depth winger trio of Jesper Boqvist, Jakub Lauko and Oskar Steen, who have combined for four goals.
Frederik Andersen Cleared To Resume Skating
Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen has been cleared by team doctors to resume “limited on-ice conditioning,” general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday. Andersen, 34, has not played since November with blood clotting issues, which Waddell confirmed today was a deep-vein thrombosis with subsequent pulmonary embolism.
The two-time Jennings Trophy winner has been on anti-coagulation medication since the November diagnosis, Waddell said. He has recently resumed off-ice activities “without complication” and will now move to on-ice work, although he remains sidelined indefinitely.
“I am thrilled that I’m a step closer to joining my teammates and competing on the ice,” Andersen said. “I feel grateful for the help and support I’ve received from my family and doctors, as well as the entire Hurricanes organization.”
It’s still unclear whether Andersen will return to game action this season. The team’s starter in their run to the 2023 Eastern Conference Final has not played since a Nov. 2 loss to the Rangers.
Like everyone else to suit up between the pipes for Carolina this year, Andersen had a slow start. Through six appearances, he posted a subpar .894 SV% and -0.5 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, although he had an SV% north of .920 in his last three starts before the deep-vein thrombosis presented.
Still, when healthy, he holds the de facto starting gig for the second-place team in the Metropolitan Division. In 92 games since joining the Hurricanes in free agency in 2021, he has a sparkling 60-26-4 record with a .914 SV% and 2.32 GAA. After starting last year’s postseason on the shelf with an undisclosed injury, Andersen came in and shut the door with a .927 SV% and 1.83 GAA in nine showings in the second and third rounds against the Devils and Panthers, although it wasn’t enough to help Carolina to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 17 years.
His absence has created a domino effect on the Hurricanes’ goalie depth, forcing them to recall first-year pro Yaniv Perets from ECHL Norfolk on multiple occasions to serve as a backup when injuries and poor play sidelined either veteran Antti Raanta or second-year full-timer Pyotr Kochetkov. Only recently were they able to add experienced depth after claiming Spencer Martin off waivers from the Blue Jackets earlier this month.
Raanta is having the worst season of his career, logging a .870 SV% and -9.9 GSAx that ranks fifth-worst in the league. Luckily for Carolina, the 24-year-old Kochetkov has rebounded from a slow start to post a respectable .900 SV% on the campaign. He now leads Hurricanes goalies with 21 starts this season, although he’s been sidelined since Jan. 11 with a concussion. He was activated from injured reserve last Friday and backed up Raanta in the team’s final game before the All-Star break, though, and will be in line for regular starts again when they return to action next week.
Five Players Facing Charges Connected To 2018 Sexual Assault Investigation
5:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Foote have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Claiming innocence in the statement, Foote’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.
4:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Hart have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per TSN’s Chris Johnston. Claiming innocence in the statement, Hart’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.
4:45 p.m.: Attorneys representing Dube have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Dube will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.
3:14 p.m.: Attorneys representing McLeod have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. McLeod will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.
2:41 p.m.: Five players whose rights are owned by NHL teams are facing charges stemming from a London, Ontario police investigation into an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of the Canadian men’s national junior team, TSN’s Rick Westhead reports Tuesday. Per Westhead, Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Devils center Michael McLeod, Devils defenseman Cal Foote, and Flames winger Dillon Dubé have been directed to surrender to London police.
Senators forward prospect Alex Formenton, who has not been under contract with the team since 2022, is the fifth player facing charges and surrendered himself to London police Sunday, according to his attorneys.
Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail first reported last week that five players had been told to surrender to police to face charges connected to the 2018 incident. Neither the NHL nor the Flyers, Devils, Flames, or Senators have released statements on the matter.
As Ian Mendes and Chris Johnston of The Athletic outlined Tuesday, discipline for players involved in off-ice misconduct falls under the jurisdiction and discretion of league commissioner Gary Bettman. If league action is taken against any of the five players named, they have the right to file an appeal with an independent arbitrator.
It is unclear whether the Flyers, Devils and Flames have the jurisdiction to terminate the standard player’s contracts of Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé, given the definition of a material breach of the contract is not expressly defined.
All four players remain on indefinite leaves of absence from their respective teams. Formenton is on an indefinite leave of absence from HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss National League, where he’s contracted for the 2023-24 season.
The London Police Service is expected to hold a press conference next Monday to comment further on the charges. Attorneys for Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé did not respond to or declined requests for comment from Westhead.
Sharks Notes: Ferraro, MacDonald, Hertl
The Sharks moved blue-liner Mario Ferraro to injured reserve on Monday, per CapFriendly. Ferraro, 25, has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury sustained against the Kings over a week ago.
While he’s eligible to return at any time, given he’s been sidelined for at least seven days, Ferraro is likely to sit out the Sharks’ two remaining games before the All-Star break, according to the last update on his status. The Sharks have an odd schedule surrounding the break – after getting two games in on Tuesday and Wednesday before the league schedule shuts down for a brief prior, they’re off for an extended period of time after the break. Ferraro will have a full two weeks to recover after the Sharks’ back-to-back slate this week, and all signs point to him returning for their Feb. 14 contest against the Jets.
Signed through 2026 with a $3.25MM cap hit, Ferraro is the Sharks’ de facto number-one defender after trading Erik Karlsson to the Penguins last summer. It’s a tough spot for the 6-foot, 209-lb Canadian to be in, although he’s on pace to break his previous career-high in points. He’s scored once and added 13 assists in 47 games this season, averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. He’s boasted better even-strength possession numbers than the average Shark this season, but the team’s abhorrent defensive depth means he’s been on the ice for 90 total goals against – the most of any player in the league.
Other updates from San Jose:
- Ferraro was moved to IR to create a roster space for Jacob MacDonald, who the team activated from IR yesterday. The defenseman-turned-winger has been one of the team’s most effective goal-scorers when in the lineup this year, but a laundry list of appearances has limited him to 17 games. Despite that, his six goals are tied for sixth on the team. The 30-year-old’s latest absence was a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup since Christmas, resulting in a 15-game absence. It’s unclear whether he’ll draw into the lineup tonight for a Sharks team that’s gaining some relative momentum, winning three out of their last four games.
- Adding to their win total over the next two days may be tough without the services of first-line center Tomáš Hertl, who head coach David Quinn said is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (via The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka). The 30-year-old did not practice yesterday and may have been injured in the same collision against the Sabres last Saturday that sidelined Buffalo winger Jack Quinn for the next eight weeks. Unsurprisingly, Hertl’s 15 goals and 34 points lead the Sharks, as does his nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game among forwards. A Hertl absence would mean a slightly elevated role for captain Logan Couture, who has an assist in slightly over 18 minutes per game in four contests since returning from a lower-body injury.
East Notes: Kubalík, Hamonic, MacLean
Senators winger Dominik Kubalík could return to the lineup Monday against the Predators, interim head coach Jacques Martin said. The 28-year-old has missed four games with a hip injury, last suiting up on Jan. 20th against the Jets.
It’s been a rough year for the Czech winger, who arrived in Ottawa by way of a trade from the Red Wings in return for Alex DeBrincat last summer. He’s posted nine goals and 12 points in 41 games, down from 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games with Detroit last year. Before the injury, his role had been reduced dramatically, playing under 15 minutes in six straight contests. If he returns tonight, he’s projected to factor in on the third line alongside Shane Pinto and Vladimir Tarasenko.
With a $2.5MM cap hit and an expiring contract, Kubalík could very well be an option to move at the deadline and help recoup some value for the struggling Sens. His underlying metrics are poor this season, though, which could turn off some teams’ hopes for a rebound. His 45.2% Corsi share at even strength is the worst among Senators forwards with at least 10 games played.
Other notes from the Eastern Conference today:
- Sticking with Ottawa, defenseman Travis Hamonic skated in a non-contact jersey at Monday’s practice and will likely be ready to return from his upper-body injury after the All-Star break, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. He last played on Jan. 21 against the Flyers, skating just over five minutes before leaving the game. He’s played only once in the last six contests, including his first two healthy scratches of the season on Jan. 18 and Jan. 20. Garrioch’s report rules him out of tonight’s contest against Nashville as well as Wednesday’s game against the Red Wings, meaning he’ll miss five games with the injury when all is said and done. The 33-year-old has struggled this season after returning to Ottawa on a two-year, $2.2MM deal in free agency, posting five points in 40 games, boasting team-worst possession metrics, and playing under 15 minutes per game.
- The Islanders assigned left wing Kyle MacLean to AHL Bridgeport on Sunday night, per CapFriendly. New York summoned the 24-year-old earlier this month to fill in on the fourth line with Casey Cizikas injured, giving MacLean his first five NHL games in the process. An undrafted free agent signing by the team last May, MacLean went pointless in his five appearances but recorded decent possession metrics in limited usage (only 8:22 per game). He struggled to sub in for Cizikas in the faceoff circle, winning 12 out of 36 draws. The pending RFA returns to Bridgeport over the All-Star break, where he has six goals and 19 points in 36 games.
Trade Deadline Primer: Arizona Coyotes
With the All-Star break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month and a half away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Arizona Coyotes.
The Coyotes are in a small rut, going 4-5-1 in their past 10 games. That shouldn’t take too much away from what’s been a drastic improvement in play around a developing core that seems to have most of the pieces in place. GM Bill Armstrong has made it quite clear that the team’s rebuilding days are over, and he’s hinted at being willing to start moving the needle on the trade market. Of course, a quick turnaround in play after the All-Star break could make that decision easy. Arizona is still within shouting distance of making their second playoff appearance in the last 12 years, and as such, they’ll be a bit of a wild card come March 8.
Record
23-22-3, 6th in the Central
Deadline Status
Conservative Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$13.44MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: ARI 1st, ARI 2nd, FLA 2nd, WSH 2nd, ARI 3rd, COL 3rd, EDM 3rd, ARI 4th, SJS 4th, ARI 5th, ARI 6th, ARI 7th, BOS 7th
2025: ARI 1st, ARI 2nd, TOR 2nd, EDM 2nd, NYR 2nd, ARI 3rd, NYR/DAL 3rd (cond.), ARI 4th, ARI 5th, ARI 6th, ARI 7th
Trade Chips
A quick look at the list of draft picks above reveals an abundance of second-round selections over the next two years. With the Coyotes likely averting true seller status, this bag of picks will be the first thing Armstrong reaches for if he’s looking to make some small adds to help push this squad into the playoff picture.
Of course, if the Coyotes are going to make a larger swing (they’ve been connected to Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin), it’ll take more than that. It doesn’t seem likely that Armstrong would consider moving out a first-round selection before this Clayton Keller-led core has made a postseason appearance in a non-shortened season, which could open the door to some of their quickly developing prospect pool being shown the door.
Most Coyotes fans were impressed with 23-year-old Barrett Hayton‘s play this season before a hand injury sustained in November shut him down long-term. He’s yet to return from the injury, which was only supposed to sideline him until Christmas, but a setback sustained last month has lengthened his recovery. He had put up decent possession numbers and passed the eye test in a first-line role between Keller and Nick Schmaltz, but the production wasn’t there, posting only two goals and two assists in 16 games. Could that stretch be enough for Armstrong to consider moving the 2018 fifth-overall pick in a deal for a more pressing need? Jack McBain, only a year older than Hayton, has recently stepped into the first-line job and has three points in his last five games. He’s had positive possession impacts in the role, but not as strong as Hayton’s, who posted a 58.9% expected goals share when on the ice with Keller and Schmaltz compared to McBain’s 51.4% (per MoneyPuck).
Short-term UFA pickups Alexander Kerfoot and Jason Zucker have been important in middle-six roles for Arizona this year, especially Kerfoot – his 0.58 points per game are the most among the Coyotes’ centers. They likely won’t be on their way out unless Armstrong receives an offer he can’t refuse.
If Armstrong does look to move out one of Arizona’s recent veteran pickups, look for it to be defenseman Mathew Dumba. While defense is likely the area the Coyotes are looking to fortify with deadline additions, Dumba has struggled in the desert and could help them swing a deal for an upgrade. The 29-year-old has five points in 44 games with a 45% Corsi share at even strength that ranks near the bottom of the team. With a retention slot open, they could absorb half of his $3.9MM cap hit on a one-year deal and make him a palatable deadline add for a contending team looking to bring in a veteran for their third pairing.
Team Needs
1) Left-Shot Defenseman: The Coyotes may lack strength at center ice, but their winger group is deep enough to quell any scoring concerns for now. There’s a far more pressing need on the back end, which has largely struggled outside of the J.J. Moser–Sean Durzi pairing. Dumba’s flamed out in the desert, Travis Dermott and Juuso Välimäki are having down seasons, and penalty-kill specialist Josh Brown isn’t suited for an everyday NHL role. Inserting a top-four threat such as Hanifin gives head coach André Tourigny much more flexibility with his pairings and would allow for more puck-moving support outside of Durzi and Moser. 24-year-old call-up Michael Kesselring has done well in his 31 games this year and is inching toward cracking the team’s second pairing on a full-time basis, but he’ll need a better partner than what they have to offer him now if that will convert into a playoff berth.
2) Don’t Sell The Farm Early: While one splash is likely feasible for Armstrong, especially on the blue line given their current roster construction and lack of bona fide top-four prospects, multiple big swings are unwise for a team whose best years are still ahead of them. Their first-round picks are likely more valuable in their hands on draft day than used as fodder in a deadline deal, especially considering help at center ice will come soon with the growth of Logan Cooley and the incoming NHL debut of 2022 11th overall pick Conor Geekie. Things are looking up for the Coyotes (at least on the ice), but there’s still more growth to come.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Filip Chytil To Miss Remainder Of 2023-24 Season
Rangers center Filip Chytil will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season after sustaining a setback in his recovery from a suspected concussion last week, the team announced Sunday.
Chytil sustained the upper-body injury in a Nov. 2 game against the Hurricanes in a collision with opposing winger Jesper Fast and has not played since. The 24-year-old had recently returned to practice with the Rangers after spending a portion of his rehab process skating in his native Czechia.
It’s a tough blow for a young pivot looking to build on his breakout 2022-23 campaign. The 2017 first-round pick posted career-highs across the board last year with 22 goals, 23 assists, 45 points, and a +15 rating.
Chytil’s $4.44MM cap hit will remain on long-term injured reserve for the rest of the season. They haven’t dipped much into their LTIR pool for relief, so they’ll likely have around that figure to spend on added salaries at the March 8 trade deadline. Through 10 games this season, Chytil had six assists with a spectacular 59.1% Corsi share at even strength while getting an extended look in the top six for the first time in his career.
Most of that cap space will likely go toward finding a replacement for Chytil down the middle. AHL call-up Jonny Brodzinski has performed admirably in a third-line role, producing 11 points in 30 games with positive possession metrics, but a team with Stanley Cup aspirations will want a more tested performer behind Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad at center. Brodzinski’s services would be ideal on the fourth line, which hasn’t seen a solid option in the middle this season. Nick Bonino was recently waived and assigned to AHL Hartford, while Barclay Goodrow has struggled heavily with only one goal in 47 games and negative defensive impacts.
The Rangers hope the extended time off can permit Chytil to focus fully on his rehab and aid him in returning to NHL play for the 2024-25 campaign. PHR sends its best wishes to Chytil as he continues in his recovery.
Metropolitan Notes: Kochetkov, Leschyshyn, Mackey
The Hurricanes loaned netminder Pyotr Kochetkov to AHL Chicago on Sunday, according to the league’s transactions log. However, it’s not a permanent assignment and is only a transaction to bank additional cap space ahead of the trade deadline, per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey. Kochetkov will not suit up for the Wolves and will instead rest over the All-Star break after recently being activated from injured reserve.
Kochetkov, 24, has stepped into the starter’s role in Carolina with veteran Frederik Andersen still sidelined due to blood clots. With Antti Raanta stumbling heavily between the pipes this year, Kochetkov has been a stabilizing force with a .900 SV% and an 11-7-3 record in 23 showings. His 21 starts are the most on the team, but he hasn’t played since entering concussion protocol during a game against the Ducks on Jan. 11. He’s now cleared protocol and is healthy enough to play, but the team opted to dress him as the backup to Raanta in Saturday’s win over the Coyotes.
He’s still waiver-exempt and will re-join the Hurricanes when the All-Star break ends. Their 2019 second-round pick is in the first season of a four-year, $8MM extension signed in Nov. 2022.
Also from the Metropolitan Division today:
- The Rangers assigned center Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Connor Mackey to AHL Hartford, per the team’s public relations department. Both have served as recent roster fill-ins with New York dealing with some depth injuries. Leschyshyn has one appearance this season, coming on Jan. 11 against the Blues, but he did not play on his most recent two-game recall this week. The 24-year-old has been surpassed on the depth chart by players like rookie William Cuylle and AHL veteran Jonny Brodzinski since being claimed off waivers last season from the Golden Knights. His production in limited action with Hartford this season has been underwhelming as well, recording seven points in 16 games after operating near a point-per-game pace in his last two minor-league stints. Meanwhile, Mackey did suit up in Saturday’s dominant win over the Senators with Jacob Trouba suspended and Ryan Lindgren unavailable with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old logged over 16 minutes in his Rangers debut, recording a +1 rating and a shot on goal. Neither player needs waivers to return to Hartford because they’ve spent less than 30 days on the active roster since they last cleared.