Metropolitan Notes: Ponomarev, Miller, Pelech, Mackey
In a peculiar move, the Carolina Hurricanes reassigned forward prospect Vasily Ponomarev from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves on Saturday, per a team announcement.
The Wolves had been the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate since the 2020-21 season, but the independently-owned squad opted to sever their ties with the Hurricanes this summer and act as the AHL’s only non-NHL-affiliated team in 2023-24 (and for the foreseeable future). It was not an amicable split between the two teams, and Wolves GM Wendell Young inferred over the summer that the team would not accept any Hurricanes prospects on loan once the season started. That practice has broken with Ponomarev here, though, who becomes just the second NHL-affiliated player on the Wolves roster, joining New Jersey Devils-contracted netminder Keith Kinkaid. The remainder of the Wolves roster is filled out by players on AHL contracts.
Ponomarev is a rather intriguing prospect, too. A second-round pick of the ‘Canes in 2020, Ponomarev was quite solid with the Wolves last season in his first North American pro season, leading the team with 24 goals in 64 games and second with 46 points. Recently returning from a season-opening injury, Ponomarev had no points in two contests with Tucson.
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division tonight:
- The New Jersey Devils are hopeful that defenseman Colin Miller can join the team on their upcoming road trip, head coach Lindy Ruff said today. Miller sustained an undisclosed injury in practice that has kept him out of the last ten games, although he’s still yet to make his Devils debut after sitting as a healthy scratch for the team’s first three contests. The 31-year-old, currently on injured reserve, joined New Jersey via trade this summer from the Dallas Stars, with whom he registered 21 points and a +23 rating in 79 games last season.
- Staying in the Tri-State area, New York Islanders shutdown star Adam Pelech is missing a second consecutive game with a lower-body injury tonight against the Capitals, head coach Lane Lambert said this morning. The 29-year-old has just one assist through ten games this year and has yet again posted positive relative possession numbers, although his 20:22 average time on ice is the lowest in five years. Left-shot defender Samuel Bolduc, who’s struggled mightily this season with a -4 rating in nine games despite playing under ten minutes per game, remains in the lineup.
- The New York Rangers have brought defenseman Connor Mackey back up to the active roster, per a team announcement. Mackey, who is serving as the team’s extra defender while Adam Fox is sidelined with a lower-body injury, has been recalled and returned to AHL Hartford four times in the past week as the team keeps him on the roster as little as possible to extend his waiver-exempt clock. Mackey, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Rangers last summer, passed through waivers unclaimed at the beginning of the season but can only remain on the NHL roster for 30 days until he needs to clear them again to return to Hartford. He has not yet played in an NHL game for New York this season after skating in 30 last season for the Flames and Coyotes.
Predators Activate Cody Glass From IR
The Nashville Predators activated center Cody Glass from injured reserve on Saturday, a team statement relays.
Glass will be eligible to return to the lineup Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes. The 24-year-old was a full participant in practice earlier in the day and is listed as a game-time decision, per Nick Kieser of Nashville Hockey Now.
The 2017 sixth-overall pick missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury sustained in the first period of an October 19 game against the New York Rangers after failing to record a point in his first five outings. At the time, head coach Andrew Brunette said the team only expected Glass to miss seven to ten days.
Nashville acquired Glass in the summer of 2021 in a three-team trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and Vegas Golden Knights that revolved around defenseman Ryan Ellis. The youngster finally held on to a full-time NHL role last season, notching 14 goals and 35 points in 72 games, along with solid possession numbers, avoiding an AHL assignment for the first time in his pro career.
If Glass can get back to (or improve) on last season’s production, it will be a sizable boost to a depth offense that’s lacked much punch this season. He may never hit the offensive potential he hinted at when he registered over 1.8 points per game in his age-19 season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. However, he did show the ability to serve as a capable middle-six center last season and is likely slated for third-line minutes behind Ryan O’Reilly and Thomas Novak for the remainder of the season.
Panthers Loan Rasmus Asplund To AHL
The Florida Panthers loaned forward Rasmus Asplund to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, a post from the team on Twitter/X relays.
This ends a nine-day stint on the NHL roster for Asplund, whom the Panthers recalled from Charlotte on November 2. However, the 25-year-old did not enter the lineup, sitting as a healthy scratch for five games while traveling with the team.
Returning him to Charlotte could indicate that at least one injured reserve activation is imminent. Both center Sam Bennett and defenseman Brandon Montour are nearing returns from their respective injuries, and the Panthers were carrying 22 players on the active roster. That means one player needs to be moved elsewhere to make room for Bennett and Montour while staying under the 23-player limit.
The Swedish-born 2016 second-round pick signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Panthers in July after seeing his NHL ice time decrease dramatically last season. Just two seasons ago, Asplund was viewed as one of the better defensive wingers in the league, posting 27 points in 80 games with the Sabres in 2021-22 and earning a handful of third- and fourth-place Selke Trophy votes.
Asplund slipped down the Sabres’ depth chart last season, though, recording just two goals and eight points in 27 games before the Predators acquired him at the trade deadline for a 2025 seventh-round pick. He appeared in 19 games down the stretch for the Predators, failing to record a single point and posting a -6 rating while averaging just over ten minutes per game.
That fateful stint with the Predators significantly harmed his stock on the free agent market after being non-tendered, forcing him to settle for a two-way deal with a minimum guaranteed salary of $450K. He did not make the Panthers’ roster out of camp and cleared waivers back in October, meaning he can be recalled to the Panthers for up to 21 more days before he needs waivers to return to Charlotte again.
In seven games with the Checkers this season, Asplund has two goals, three assists and a -1 rating. He will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Atlantic Notes: McCabe, Klingberg, Bennett, Montour, McAvoy, Czarnik
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe will draw back into the lineup Friday against the Calgary Flames after missing six games with a groin injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe informed reporters today (via David Alter of Sports Illustrated). The shutdown defenseman is expected to factor in on the second pairing, playing on his off-side along 40-year-old veteran Mark Giordano.
McCabe sustained the injury on his first shift in an October 26 game against the Dallas Stars, skating only ten seconds before leaving the game. The 2023 trade deadline acquisition from the Chicago Blackhawks hasn’t registered a point yet this season and has a -4 rating in seven games, and his possession metrics have dipped significantly (albeit in a small sample) from last season’s strong play.
That dip can’t be entirely attributed to him, however. His partner for most of the season before exiting the lineup was John Klingberg, who Keefe said will not suit up against Calgary as he deals with an undisclosed injury. Klingberg has five assists through 13 games but has posted a -8 rating, including two -3 performances in his last three games.
Klingberg’s logged the worst defensive numbers of any Maple Leafs defender this season and will be looking for a reset once he gets back to full health. McCabe, meanwhile, has excelled this season in small increments away from Klingberg – his pairing with the now-injured Timothy Liljegren has been the Leafs’ best at controlling shot quality this season, posting an expected goals share of 58.1% in nearly 50 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Things are looking up in the Sunshine State for the Florida Panthers, as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with a .625 points percentage. They’re about to get some reinforcements, too, as head coach Paul Maurice said today that center Sam Bennett is possible (but unlikely) to return from a lower-body injury on Sunday against the Blackhawks. Even if he doesn’t return to the lineup this weekend, that likely means Bennett could factor in next Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. The feisty secondary scorer has missed all but one game this season due to separate lower-body injuries, last appearing October 30 against the Boston Bruins and playing just 7:54. The 27-year-old had 16 goals and 40 points in 63 games last season and will immediately help bolster their top six upon returning. 22-year-old Anton Lundell, who’s filled in as their second-line center in Bennett’s absence, has scored just once in 12 games.
- Florida is also likely to get defenseman Brandon Montour back soon, with Maurice saying the two-way defender could make his season debut as early as next week. Montour, who underwent shoulder surgery following the Panthers’ run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, was initially expected back around training camp but had his recovery timeline extended over the summer. The 29-year-old finished 12th in Norris Trophy voting last season, exploding for a career-high 73 points in 80 games and adding eight goals in 21 playoff games in Florida’s run to the Final. Florida’s defense has held up surprisingly well in his (and Aaron Ekblad‘s) absence, but his return to action is still something to look forward to.
- Another big-time defender returning to action imminently is Boston Bruins star Charlie McAvoy, who has completed his four-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and is eligible to return to the lineup Saturday against the Canadiens. McAvoy had easily been the Bruins’ best defenseman through nine games, scoring two goals and six assists with a +6 rating while averaging 23:52 per game. McAvoy’s return to the lineup, along with shutdown defender Derek Forbort‘s return from injury, meant the Bruins were able to return depth defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to AHL Providence earlier today.
- Detroit Red Wings forward Austin Czarnik will be unavailable for Saturday’s game against the Blue Jackets for undisclosed reasons, per head coach Derek Lalonde. Czarnik has made 11 appearances for the Red Wings this year but has recorded just one assist and a -3 rating in less than nine minutes per game of ice time. The 30-year-old is in the second season of a two-year, two-way deal carrying a $762.5K cap hit and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Predators Place Samuel Fagemo On Waivers
The Nashville Predators placed winger Samuel Fagemo on waivers Friday, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports.
If another team places a claim for Fagemo, it will end a very short stint for the Swedish winger in Music City. Nashville claimed Fagemo off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings just before the 2023-24 season started.
Fagemo, 23, has appeared in four out of 13 games for the Preds this season, serving as a healthy scratch for the other seven. He recorded a goal, four shots, and a season-high 12:30 of ice time in his Predators debut, which came October 21 against the San Jose Sharks, but he hasn’t gotten back on the scoresheet since.
Head coach Andrew Brunette has scratched Fagemo in three straight contests. His last appearance was November 2 against the Seattle Kraken, in which he registered two shots on goal in 8:44 of ice time.
The 50th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft carries significant goal-scoring upside. He’d notched north of 20 goals in his last two seasons in the minors, including 23 in just 56 games last season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.
He’s received minimal chances to show he can translate that ability to NHL ice thus far, though. Fagemo only appeared in 13 NHL games with the Kings before they waived him, meaning he’s made 17 NHL appearances over three seasons. He’s lit the lamp three times but averaged under ten minutes per game.
His limited usage in Nashville is curious, especially given the lack of offensive production coming from their bottom six. Yakov Trenin, who’s appeared in all 13 contests and is averaging north of 15 minutes per game, has yet to record a point. Veteran center Colton Sissons has been one of their few sources of offense coming from their third and fourth lines, registering five goals and adding one assist in 13 games.
If Fagemo clears waivers, the Predators can assign him to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals tomorrow. However, if the Kings opt to put in a claim and are the only team to do so, they may send him directly to their affiliate in Ontario.
Penguins To Retire Jaromír Jágr’s Number
Pittsburgh Penguins franchise icon Jaromír Jágr will have his no. 68 retired before the team’s February 18 home game against the Los Angeles Kings, per a team announcement.
It seems like a lifetime ago that Jágr’s time as a Penguin ended in a July 2001 trade to the Washington Capitals, but the Czech legend remains active in pro hockey over two decades later. After finally stepping away from the NHL at 45 years old in 2018, Jágr has logged another five seasons playing for his hometown club in Czechia, Rytíři Kladno, of which he’s also the majority owner. He is still on Kladno’s roster for 2023-24 but hasn’t yet played this season.
The 51-year-old right-winger needs minimal introduction – his 1,733 games are the fourth-most in NHL history, as are his 766 goals. His 1,155 assists are fifth all-time, while his 1,921 points are second – a mark likely to be untouched for quite some time.
Selected fifth overall by the Penguins in the 1990 NHL Draft, Jágr immediately came to North America and played 11 seasons with the team, amassing 439 goals and 1,079 points in just 806 games. Those seasons weren’t all spent as the undisputed second-best all-time player Mario Lemieux‘s wingman, either. Jágr led the NHL in scoring for four consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2001, most of which came during Lemieux’s first retirement from the game. Jágr also served as the team’s captain during this time.
Jágr’s production as a teenager was key in guiding the 1991 and 1992 Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, especially in the latter run. His nine even-strength goals led all players in the postseason, recording 24 points in 21 games on the whole.
After departing the Penguins, Jágr would play 13 more generally productive NHL seasons with the Capitals, Rangers, Panthers, Devils, Flyers, Bruins, Stars, and Flames. He did take a small break from NHL play between 2009 and 2011, opting to spend three years in Europe with Russia’s Avangard Omsk.
In Penguins franchise history, Jágr’s point total is fourth behind Lemieux, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, although his 1.34 points per game rate is second to only Lemieux. His 806 games played are fifth all-time in Penguins history, too, with Kris Letang joining the aforementioned three players on the list ahead of him.
Sabres Notes: Tuch, Savoie, Cozens, Samuelsson
Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch is listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, head coach Don Granato said today. Granato said Tuch has been dealing with some “soreness,” explaining a rash of missed practices lately, and will likely only play one of two games of their back-to-back today and tomorrow.
Tuch, 27, has rebounded nicely after a slow start to the season. Recently reunited with Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson on the team’s top line after some shuffling, Tuch has three goals and six points in his last five contests and has seen his ice time creep north of 20 minutes in the previous two games. He’s also dominating possession, recording a career-high relative Corsi share of 6.3% at even strength.
His potential absence has created some opportunity for 2022 ninth-overall pick Matthew Savoie, who Granato says will make his NHL debut Friday regardless of Tuch’s status. Savoie had a strong rookie camp but sustained a shoulder injury that kept him out for most of the preseason and the first few weeks of October. He returned to action later in the month when the Sabres assigned him to the AHL’s Rochester Americans on a conditioning stint, during which he racked up two goals and three assists in six games. The Sabres recalled him from his conditioning stint earlier this week, although he was a healthy scratch for Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Other Sabres items of interest:
- Granato confirmed that center Dylan Cozens is returning to the lineup Friday after missing two games with an upper-body injury. Cozens sustained the injury in a fight with Philadelphia Flyers winger Garnet Hathaway late in a 5-1 loss one week ago today. The 22-year-old has three goals and four assists through 11 contests this season after breaking out for 31 goals and 68 points in 2022-23. Cozens and Savoie entering the lineup tonight means one or two out of Tyson Jost, Victor Olofsson and Lukáš Rousek will sit, depending on Tuch’s availability.
- Lastly, Granato said defenseman Mattias Samuelsson could return to the lineup for Saturday’s road tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Samuelsson will miss a third straight game with a lower-body injury tonight, which was sustained in the first period of last Friday’s loss to the Flyers. Samuelsson’s play has been okay this season after signing a seven-year, $30MM extension, recording four points through 11 games and a Corsi share of 48% at even strength. His impending return means rookie Ryan Johnson will likely return to AHL Rochester tomorrow after a three-game trial with the big club.
Bruins Assign Parker Wotherspoon To AHL
The Boston Bruins returned defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to the AHL’s Providence Bruins on Friday, a team release states.
Wotherspoon, 26, heads back to the minors after serving as a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders, his former team. He’d skated the previous three games on the team’s bottom pair instead of Derek Forbort, who returned against the Islanders after missing those three contests with a lower-body injury. However, things don’t appear 100% yet for Forbort, as Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic reports that Forbort is not practicing with the team today.
The left-shot defender joined the Bruins this offseason on a one-year, two-way deal, earning him $775K in the NHL and $450K in the AHL. A 2015 fourth-round pick of the Islanders, Wotherspoon made his NHL debut last season after five full seasons of service with the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, logging an assist in 12 games. He did add one assist in three games during his recall to the Bruins’ NHL roster but is still looking for his first NHL goal.
In six games with Providence, Wotherspoon has one assist in six games and a -1 rating. He does not need waivers to return to Providence after already clearing waivers during the preseason, although he will if he plays seven more games for Boston and stays on the NHL roster for 21 more days.
Capitals Make Multiple Roster Moves
The Washington Capitals recalled winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and goaltender Hunter Shepard from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday, per a team release. In two corresponding transactions, center Nic Dowd was activated from IR, while Anthony Mantha was placed on IR.
Aubé-Kubel, 27, could make his season debut tonight when the Capitals face the New Jersey Devils. As a winger, he’s a more direct replacement for Mantha, who will be out for at least one week after taking a puck to the ear in Wednesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.
The gritty forward was a surprise omission from the Capitals’ opening-night roster, passing through waivers unclaimed early in October. Washington signed him to a one-year, $1.225MM extension last March after claiming him off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the 2022-23 season.
Aubé-Kubel provided solid depth production after the waiver claim in the nation’s capital, notching four goals and 12 points in 47 contests while averaging 11:39 per game. 2023-24 hasn’t been kind to the 2022 Stanley Cup champion, who has just three points in 11 games with AHL Hershey this season.
Shepard comes up without a clear injury designation to starter Darcy Kuemper or backup Charlie Lindgren, although Lindgren did not participate in an optional skate yesterday, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The 28-year-old made one appearance for the Capitals earlier this season, stopping 18 of 22 shots for his first NHL win against the Devils on October 25.
He’s also off to a solid start with Hershey, recording a .910 SV% and a 4-1-0 record through five games. Shepard’s .914 SV% and three shutouts in 20 postseason games last year earned him the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs MVP, helping the Bears to a league championship.
Dowd will return tonight from an upper-body injury that’s kept him out since the team’s second game of the season, causing a nine-game absence. The veteran center did not record a point in two games this year but is coming off a career-best 13 goals and 25 points in 2022-23. The 33-year-old from Alabama is in the second season of a three-year contract with a $1.3MM AAV. 21-year-old Hendrix Lapierre seems a likely choice to sit after going pointless in four games this season, averaging just 7:28 per night.
The Capitals confirmed Thursday that Mantha would miss at least the next two games with an upper-body injury, meaning his move to IR is no surprise. Mantha, 29, had registered three goals and one assist through ten games.
Devils Assign Cal Foote To AHL
The New Jersey Devils assigned defenseman Cal Foote to the AHL’s Utica Comets on Friday, a team announcement states.
Foote, 24, had been on the Devils’ roster since getting recalled from Utica on October 23 but hadn’t played in a game. The 2017 first-round pick was a healthy scratch for eight straight games after clearing waivers preseason.
This will likely get Foote some playing time over the weekend – after tonight’s game against the Capitals, the Devils are out of action until next Tuesday, when they take on the Winnipeg Jets. With Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes still sidelined, Foote was the only extra healthy skater on the active roster.
It could also mean that forward Tomáš Nosek, who’s missed ten games with a lower-body injury, could be ready to return by the Winnipeg game. Nosek, currently on injured reserve, returned to practice yesterday and would need a roster spot cleared to be activated from IR.
Regardless, this continues a tough go of things for Foote, who’s failed to find his footing in the NHL and settled for a two-way deal on the open market after being cut loose by the Nashville Predators. He was slated to be a restricted free agent last summer after Nashville acquired him from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Tanner Jeannot trade. However, the Predators opted not to issue Foote a qualifying offer after he recorded four points in 24 games post-trade and middling possession numbers.
Now in the same organization as his brother Nolan, Cal is making $800K in the NHL this year with a minimum guaranteed salary of $450K. He’s again slated to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer with a qualifying offer of $840K.