Sharks Place Mackenzie Blackwood On Injured Reserve
3:09 p.m.: Blackwood is expected to miss between seven and 15 days with the injury, Sharks coach David Quinn said Wednesday (via Max Miller of The Hockey News).
12:48 p.m.: Before tomorrow’s game against the Ducks, the Sharks placed goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Magnus Chrona was called up from AHL San Jose in a corresponding move to give starter Kaapo Kähkönen his backup for the next few games.
Blackwood will not be available for the Sharks’ weekend back-to-back against the Wild and Stars. He can be activated before Tuesday’s game against Dallas at the earliest, although it’s unclear how much time he’ll miss. He left yesterday’s loss to the Devils in the first period after catching a shot in the midsection from a New Jersey player (video link).
In his first season with the Sharks, Blackwood has posted a 9-18-3 record with one shutout over 32 starts and three relief appearances, recording a .899 SV%. It’s been a nice bounceback season for the 27-year-old, who signed a two-year, $4.7MM deal with the Sharks last summer after they acquired his signing rights from the Devils for a 2023 sixth-round pick.
The 2015 second-round pick has saved 2.6 goals above expected in all situations, per MoneyPuck, his first season in the black since he finished sixth in Calder voting with New Jersey in 2019-20. He’s done so while facing 34.5 shots per 60 minutes, the most of any starter in the league.
Despite starting eight fewer games, Kähkönen has put up slightly better numbers with a .901 SV% and 4.1 goals saved above expected in 28 appearances. Slated for UFA status this summer and carrying a reasonable $2.75MM cap hit, he could be on the move at the deadline as an attractive option for teams looking for more affordable goalie help. If Blackwood will miss extended time past his minimum seven-day IR stint, however, that could dissuade the Sharks from moving Kähkönen unless they can get an NHL-capable goalie to carry them down the stretch.
That’s because the 23-year-old Chrona has struggled in his limited NHL minutes this season, conceding eight goals on just 29 shots across one start and one relief appearance. While still a promising prospect, he’s not ready for the major-league level, and the Sharks would prefer to keep him in the AHL as much as possible.
Bruins Notes: DeBrusk, Lindholm, Geekie
The Bruins’ relationship with top-six winger Jake DeBrusk has been roller coaster-like, seeing their 2015 14th-overall pick submit and rescind a trade request over his seven-season tenure with the team. Now slated to be a UFA for the first time this summer, there hasn’t been any progress between the two parties on an extension, DeBrusk said Wednesday (via Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald).
The likelihood of DeBrusk extending likely has little bearing on Boston’s deadline plans – unless they feel they can package him for an upgrade. Sitting at second in the Atlantic Division and hungry to avenge last season’s massive upset at the hands of the Panthers in the first round, the Bruins can ill-afford to solely detract from their overachieving forward group.
Moving him at the deadline would also be selling low on the three-time 25-goal scorer. He’s been underwhelming this year with 13 goals, 14 assists and 27 points in 58 games, under a 40-point pace for only the second time in his career.
The 27-year-old does cost $4MM against the cap, though, and if he informs the Bruins he’s willing to discuss extensions with other teams, he could help Boston clear any financial hurdle in trade talks. DeBrusk has been a full-time Bruin ever since his NHL debut in 2017, recording 132 goals, 121 assists and 253 points in 443 games throughout his NHL career.
- Flipping from pending UFA forward to long-term defenseman, Hampus Lindholm has been ruled out of the Bruins’ two remaining games this week, head coach Jim Montgomery said (via Scott McLaughlin of WEEI 93.7 FM). Lindholm has missed four games with an undisclosed injury that sidelined him on a week-to-week basis after a Feb. 19 contest against the Stars, and he’s yet to practice with the team following the injury. He skated on his own before this morning’s practice and will be evaluated closer to the weekend, per Montgomery, so more clarity on his return to the lineup could come ahead of two crucial contests next week against the Maple Leafs, their likely first-round playoff opponent.
- Center Morgan Geekie was a full participant in practice today after taking a puck to his right cheek against the Kraken on Monday, albeit in a full face shield, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa reports. The former Seattle and Carolina pivot has been a revelation in the third-line center spot, hitting the 10-goal plateau for the first time and on pace for career highs with 27 points in 54 games. Averaging 15:26 per game, his $2MM cap hit through 2025 looks like a bargain-bin pickup for GM Don Sweeney. He’s set to reprise his third-line role with wingers Trent Frederic and Danton Heinen against the Golden Knights tomorrow.
West Notes: Henrique, Nichushkin, Dewar
Teams’ interest in the services of Ducks center Adam Henrique continues to intensify ahead of next week’s trade deadline, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports. “It’s a matter of when, not if, he’s traded,” Pagnotta said, also reporting it’s “all but certain” the Ducks will retain up to half of Henrique’s $5.825MM cap hit in a deal.
That would bring Henrique’s cap hit down to $2.91MM without needing to get a third team involved, which would still be out of reach for contenders pondering adds on offense like the Oilers, Avalanche and Kings. Los Angeles would be able to stomach Henrique’s cap hit if Adrian Kempe lands on LTIR for the rest of the regular season, however. He’s out with an upper-body injury sustained Monday against the Oilers, and the team hasn’t finished evaluating his recovery timeline.
All signs are pointing for the Ducks potentially adding a first-round pick in the next nine days after centers Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan fetched first-rounders a few weeks back. Henrique, who can also seamlessly shift to a left-wing role, has 16 goals and 38 points in 57 games this season. His 0.67 points per game are the third-most of his career, trailing the pace he set with Anaheim in 2021-22 (0.72) and the Devils in 2011-12 (0.69).
Other updates from the Western Conference:
- Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin is nearing a return after being cleared to resume practicing with the team by NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program administrators earlier this week. While he hasn’t been approved to play in game action, that will come soon. Head coach Jared Bednar said on 92.5 FM Altitude Sports Radio on Wednesday morning that the Avs are targeting one of their first home game after their current road trip for Nichushkin’s return (via Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now). That rules him out of a return tomorrow against the Blackhawks or Saturday against the Predators, but he will return sometime during the week preceding the March 8 trade deadline. Nichushkin had 42 points in 40 games before taking leave from the team last month, a career-best scoring pace.
- Wild depth forward Connor Dewar may join fellow Minnesota bottom-sixer Brandon Duhaime on the move in the coming days, as Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic posit. Duhaime, a pending UFA, is drawing trade interest from a few teams (namely the Canucks, per a report earlier this week) and is a decent candidate to be moved regardless of the Wild’s postseason intentions. Dewar may also fall victim to a roster crunch caused by the return of Mason Shaw from reconstructive ACL surgery and the arrival of Russian center prospect Marat Khusnutdinov, a younger, higher-ceiling replacement for Dewar in the fourth-line center role. The team controls Dewar’s signing rights as he’s an RFA this summer. He has 16 goals, 36 points and a -16 rating in 169 games with Minnesota since making his NHL debut in 2021.
Atlantic Notes: Tkachuk, Stenlund, Zub, Struble, Forbort
Panthers superstar winger Matthew Tkachuk will return to play when Florida faces the Sabres tomorrow, head coach Paul Maurice said (via Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ official site). He’ll be joined by depth center Kevin Stenlund, who, like Tkachuk, missed Saturday’s overtime win over the Capitals.
Tkachuk was absent due to an undisclosed injury sustained during the first period of Thursday’s game against the Hurricanes after a collision with Carolina winger Andrei Svechnikov. Stenlund, meanwhile, was out ill. It was both players’ first time missing a game this season.
The 26-year-old Tkachuk has rebounded from a sluggish start and is right back to where he’s expected to be production-wise. Anchoring a second line with Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe, Tkachuk is up to 20 goals and 65 points in 57 games, two points behind Sam Reinhart for the team lead. He’s on pace to break the 100-point plateau for the third straight season, three times more than All-Star father Keith Tkachuk ever did.
Stenlund has been a nice value pickup for Florida, settling nicely into the team’s fourth-line center spot with a rotating cast of wingers that currently includes enforcers Jonah Gadjovich and Ryan Lomberg. He’s picked up nine goals and 13 points in 57 games, averaging 12:42 per game with a -6 rating.
Other updates from the Atlantic Division:
- Senators defenseman Artem Zub will likely miss tonight’s game against the Capitals and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per TSN 1200 Ottawa. It’s been an injury-plagued campaign for the premier shutdown defenseman, whose pairing with youngster Jake Sanderson has arguably been one of the NHL’s best two-way threats despite Ottawa’s position in the standings, controlling 56.2% of expected goals in nearly 500 minutes together, per MoneyPuck. Zub did not play in Saturday’s win over Vegas. He missed two games with a lower-body injury earlier this month and has sat out of eight other games this year due to an illness and concussion.
- Canadiens defender Jayden Struble is questionable for tomorrow’s tilt against the Coyotes after what he called a “pinch” in his back during a game last week, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels says. He was a full participant in practice today and will likely re-enter the lineup Thursday against Florida at the latest. The 2019 second-round pick missed Saturday’s loss to the Devils but has otherwise put together a solid rookie season, notching three goals and seven points through 39 games while boasting some of Montreal’s best possession numbers, albeit in limited minutes (15:52 per game).
- Bruins depth defender Derek Forbort will be scratched against the Kraken tonight after missing a team meeting this morning, head coach Jim Montgomery said (video link). It’s the second time such a disciplinary scratch has happened this season, the first instance being for winger Jake DeBrusk being held out of an October game against the Kings. Forbort has struggled with injuries this year but has been in the lineup for 10 straight games, his second-longest stretch of the season. He has just four assists in 34 games while logging 17:44 per game, however, and his possession numbers and reputation as a solid penalty killer have both dipped. He’ll be a UFA this summer upon completing his three-year, $9MM deal.
Maple Leafs Notes: Murray, Giordano, Liljegren, Järnkrok
Make it a potential fourth goalie in the Maple Leafs’ rotation. While he’s not ready to re-join the team at practice, LTIR-bound Matt Murray has begun facing shots during on-ice workouts and is slowly making his way toward a potential return to action, head coach Sheldon Keefe said today (via David Alter of The Hockey News).
Murray, 29, underwent off-season hip surgery and has remained on LTIR since July. He was not available to Toronto for last year’s run to Game 5 of the Second Round against the Panthers due to a concussion, last playing in a loss to the Red Wings on April 2, 2023.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh is in his second season under contract with the Maple Leafs. They acquired him at 25% salary retention from the Senators in exchange for future considerations in a July 2022 trade. He could not return to form with the NHL’s other Ontario club, however, posting a pedestrian .903 SV% and 14-8-2 record in 26 starts last season. He struggled with injuries throughout the campaign and, even if healthy, would have been surpassed on the depth chart by both Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll by the end of the season.
Such is the place he finds himself in now. His $4.7MM cap hit has been instrumental in helping Toronto stay cap-compliant this season, and while they’ll still have a significant amount of guaranteed relief for the rest of the season in the form of Jake Muzzin and John Klingberg‘s contracts, Murray coming off LTIR and onto Toronto’s books would limit any hopes of adding money at the trade deadline. However, it doesn’t appear at this point that the Maple Leafs anticipate him back before the end of the regular season, although a return to serve as their third-string netminder during the postseason hasn’t been ruled out. He will be a UFA this summer, as will Samsonov and Martin Jones, leaving Woll as the only NHL-ready Toronto goalie under contract next season.
Other updates from the Leafs today:
- Defenseman Mark Giordano attended practice this morning and is ready to return to the team after taking a personal leave to mourn the death of his father, per Keefe. However, he’ll only draw into the lineup Tuesday against the Golden Knights if Timothy Liljegren, now listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury sustained in Saturday’s comeback win over the Avalanche, cannot play. Giordano, 40, has seven points and a +6 rating in 36 games this season but has been surpassed on the depth chart by intended AHL depth signings like Simon Benoit and William Lagesson, the former of which has solidified himself as a bonafide top-six defender even with all players healthy. Liljegren showed dependability in a top-four role during Morgan Rielly‘s recent five-game suspension, is averaging a career-high 19:27 per game, and has 16 points and a +6 rating in 40 appearances.
- Also on LTIR at the moment is winger Calle Järnkrok, who Keefe says is making progress in his recovery from a fractured knuckle and will likely return to being a full participant in practice next week. His return won’t come until close to the deadline, but they’re getting by without him for now thanks to improving play from depth scorers such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Bobby McMann. The 32-year-old had 10 goals and 19 points in 46 games before getting injured, and he’s now missed over a month, last playing on Jan. 24.
Blues Activate Justin Faulk, Reassign Matthew Kessel
The Blues activated defenseman Justin Faulk off LTIR on Monday, signaling he’ll be ready to play in tomorrow’s key Central Division tilt against the Jets, per a team announcement. Defenseman Matthew Kessel was loaned to AHL Springfield in a corresponding transaction to create a necessary roster spot.
Faulk, 31, has been out of the lineup since sustaining a lower-body injury in late January that cost him 12 games. The 13-year veteran will return to his usual spot alongside Torey Krug on the Blues’ secondary defense pairing as they try to gain separation from the streaking Minnesota Wild and get a step closer to overtaking the Predators for the final playoff spot in the West.
Now in the fourth season of a seven-year, $45.5MM extension signed after the Blues acquired him from the Hurricanes in 2019, Faulk has taken a step back with only two goals and 19 points in 40 games this year. He’s posted a -5 rating while averaging 22:14 per game, his lowest usage since his first season in St. Louis in 2019-20. The 2010 second-round pick has still yet to average less than 20 minutes per game in a season, sticking in a top-four role ever since making his debut with Carolina in 2011.
His pairing with Krug has been the Blues’ highest-event unit on the blue line, leading the team in both expected goals for and against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck. As such, their 46.1% expected goals share is by no means elite, but it still leads all St. Louis defense duos with over 100 minutes together this year. He is an upgrade on the now-demoted Kessel, who controlled 43.3% of expected goals when paired with Krug, by any stretch.
Kessel, 23, has cemented himself as St. Louis’ top defensive call-up option for now. He hasn’t stood out among an already poor Blues defense, but he’s gained the trust of their coaching staff enough to dress in 22 games this year, recording two assists and a -4 rating while averaging 17:25 per game. The 2020 fifth-round pick stands at 6-foot-2 and over 200 lbs and was an impressive two-way force with UMass Amherst from 2019 to 2022. He’s in the second and final season of his entry-level contract and will be an RFA this summer with arbitration rights.
Canucks Have Shown Interest In Brandon Duhaime
The Canucks are showing interest in Wild bottom-six grinder Brandon Duhaime, reports Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. As Seravalli notes, there’s no guarantee the Wild will shop any of their players with the postseason still a possibility. Still, he would add an element of experience and physicality to the Canucks that contenders often like to stock up on at deadline time.
The Wild are back above .500 and sit with a 28-24-6 record, good enough for 62 points. That places them four points behind the Predators for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with one game in hand. After a 7-2-1 run in their last 10, MoneyPuck pegs them with a 24.6% chance of leapfrogging both the Blues, who are tied with Minnesota but have played one fewer game, and Nashville, to squeak into the playoffs. Those odds are actually significantly higher than St. Louis, who now sits at 9.6% with a tougher schedule down the stretch and a .500 pace in their last 10 games.
It’s also extremely unlikely they opt to sell. GM Bill Guerin has expressed confidence in his squad as a playoff team throughout their tumultuous campaign, and their most prominent trade chip, goaltender Marc-André Fleury, carries a no-movement clause and recently indicated he’d like to stay in Minnesota as they push for the playoffs down the stretch. Duhaime, Jake Lucchini and Pat Maroon are the only three pending UFA forwards on the NHL roster, while declining veteran defenders Zach Bogosian and Alex Goligoski, as well as AHL mainstay Dakota Mermis, are pending UFAs on the blue line.
Duhaime, 26, has 189 games of NHL experience since making his debut with the Wild in 2021, scoring 19 goals and 33 points in that time. He notched a career-high 17 points and 122 PIMs in 80 games during his first season, but he’s not on pace to eclipse either mark in 2023-24. He’s averaged between 10 and 11 minutes per game in each of his three seasons, entrenching himself firmly in a fourth-line role in Minnesota.
His usually below-average possession numbers have been significantly worse this season, posting a Corsi share of 44% at even strength and an expected -6.6 rating, the latter of which is the worst on the team. As such, his most common linemates, Connor Dewar and Vinni Lettieri, have struggled to limit scoring chances against when on the ice together, controlling 42% of expected goals through 99 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.
Playing in all 58 Minnesota games this season, selling Duhaime while there’s interest may behoove the Wild regardless of their playoff aspirations. It may even benefit them – his possession impacts have been poor enough this season that a Duhaime deal could be a case of addition by subtraction. They’d also free up his $1.1MM cap hit (or part of it, if they choose to retain money) for the remainder of the year to use elsewhere.
Acquiring Duhaime, as well as the eventual return of the injured Dakota Joshua, would push recent call-up Arshdeep Bains and fringe winger Phillip Di Giuseppe out of a job in Vancouver’s bottom six. Bains, while he’s brought an energy element that head coach Rick Tocchet has praised over this three-game NHL stint, has no points and a -3 rating. Di Giuseppe has three goals and eight points through 40 games this year, averaging 12:15 per game.
Lightning Assign Cole Koepke To AHL
The Lightning have announced that winger Cole Koepke has been reassigned to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. His roster spot could go to Tanner Jeannot, who’s nearing a return to play after missing the last six games with an upper-body injury and is currently stashed on injured reserve.
Koepke, 25, made his NHL debut for the Bolts last season after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He made the team out of camp and played 17 games last season, scoring once and posting a -5 rating, but was sent to Syracuse after two months and did not return. He didn’t make the team out of camp this year after a disappointing sophomore season with the Crunch post-demotion, but he turned things around with 13 goals and 24 points in 36 AHL games this year and earned himself his second recall of the year late last week.
He has played nine games for Tampa this year, recording his first two NHL assists while logging 6:42 per game. The Minnesota native has logged nine shots on goal, generating decent offense for his limited ice time, although his 42.6 CF% at even strength leaves much to be desired in terms of limiting chances against. Signed to a one-year, two-way extension in June of last year, he does not have enough NHL experience to require waivers to be assigned to the minors. He will need to pass through waivers beginning next season, however.
Koepke has been a healthy scratch in two straight, so it’s clear he wouldn’t stick on the Tampa roster long-term even if Jeannot weren’t nearing a return. He will be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer if the Lightning choose to issue him a qualifying offer.
Sabres Recall Tyson Jost, Jeff Skinner Injured In Practice
The Sabres have brought forward Tyson Jost up from AHL Rochester after an extended minor-league stint, per a team announcement Monday. Jost’s recall comes after winger Jeff Skinner departed this morning’s practice with an undisclosed injury that required further imaging, head coach Don Granato said, putting the latter’s availability for their upcoming Florida road trip in doubt.
Buffalo initially acquired Jost, 25, off waivers from the Wild in Nov. 2022. He was good for seven goals and 22 points in 59 games after the change in scenery, the best offensive pace of his seven-year NHL career. While he was not issued a qualifying offer last June, the Sabres brought him back on a one-year, $2MM deal after briefly reaching UFA status on July 1.
Jost, the 10th overall pick in 2016 by the Avalanche, wasn’t able to recapture last year’s form, however. He put up only four points in 29 games to begin the campaign, including a -7 rating, and was waived and assigned to Rochester shortly before the New Year. His production in Rochester hasn’t been as good as hoped for, either, scoring only three times and adding 10 assists for 13 points in 23 games with a +2 rating.
If Skinner cannot play against the Panthers on Tuesday, there’s no guarantee Jost enters the lineup. Victor Olofsson is also rostered as an extra forward, and although he’s struggled with four goals and 12 points in 35 games this year, he has a higher offensive upside. He would be a better short-term replacement for Skinner in extended minutes.
The Sabres have cap space to recall Jost, but they do not have an open roster spot. If imaging determines Skinner will be out for at least seven days, they can move him to injured reserve; if not, defenseman Kale Clague will likely be returned to Rochester with Erik Johnson and Owen Power now healthy on Buffalo’s back end.
Capitals Place T.J. Oshie On IR, Out Week To Week
Capitals winger T.J. Oshie has been placed on injured reserve and is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. The move opens up the necessary roster spot to recall winger Ivan Miroshnichenko from AHL Hershey, which was announced by the team earlier Monday.
Oshie, 37, left Thursday’s game against the Lightning after a non-contact injury late in the third period. Initially suspected as a lower-body injury based on the way he fell, his injury designation has changed to upper-body, generating some concern the ailment could be related to the back issues that have hampered him over the past few years. While he’s only been ruled out of Washington’s next two contests, he’ll likely miss a significant chunk of time.
The Capitals have kept Oshie in a top-six role this season, but age is catching up to the veteran winger, and his production has dipped as a result. He was on a tear before the injury, with six points in his last six games, but that rush only brought him up to 10 goals and 18 points in 38 games on the season. He’s bounced around various line combinations this season, recording a middling CF% of 47.2 at even strength. However, he hasn’t graded out as a particularly strong possession player for a few years.
It’s still a tough break for the Capitals, who need all the help they can get to make up ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race. It’s even more concerning for Oshie’s long-term health, as he’s already missed two significant chunks of the season with upper- and lower-body injuries. The 2005 first-round pick of the Blues is four games short of 1,000 in his career and has one season remaining on his eight-year, $46MM extension signed with the Caps in 2017.
The Caps are eight points behind the Lightning with four games in hand for the last wild-card spot in the East, although they’ve only won four of their last 10 games. Their -31 goal differential is also third-worst in the conference, only ahead of the Canadiens and Blue Jackets.