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Montreal Canadiens Sign Florian Xhekaj

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April 10: According to CapFriendly, Xhekaj’s contract carries a $867K cap hit and a $920K AAV. He’ll earn a base salary of $775K in all three seasons. In 2024-25 and 2025-26, he’ll receive a $95K signing bonus and an $80K games played bonus, which drops to an $85K signing bonus and no performance bonus in 2026-27.

April 9: Although it was reported earlier today that defenseman Arber Xhekaj would be missing the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery, a positive development has still arisen for the family. Today, the Montreal Canadiens announced they have signed Arber’s brother, Florian Xhekaj, to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning next year.

Originally selected with the 101st overall pick by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft, Florian is set to join Montreal after spending the last two seasons with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. Experiencing somewhat of an offensive outburst in his second year of Major Junior hockey, Florian scored 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games for the Bulldogs, finishing third on the team in scoring.

Playing a similarly gritty style to his brother, Florian has developed a unique ability to cause a lot of traffic in front of the opposing team’s net. Reminiscent of Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings in the late 1990s and early 2000s, most of Florian’s scoring this season came from deflections in front of the crease.

The organization already announced that Florian will be joining their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for the remainder of the season, so he is set to pick up some valuable experience down the stretch. Although not eliminated from the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, it will be incredibly difficult for the Rocket to secure a spot this year.

Devils Notes: Hughes, Marino, Foote

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The New Jersey Devils will be without star forward Jack Hughes tonight, and potentially longer according to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. Officially, Hughes will be out tonight with an undisclosed injury, and head coach Travis Green alluded to the idea that Hughes could miss the remainder of New Jersey’s regular season.

It will be the second time in three seasons that Hughes will have his season significantly shortened by injury, as his last complete year came back in the 2020-21 NHL season, although he did compete in 78 games last year. If Hughes is indeed done for the remaining schedule, he will have finished with 27 goals and 74 points in 62 games, the second-highest points-per-game mark of his young career.

In a season to forget for the Devils organization, the team will only be able to finish with a maximum of 87 points, a 25-point drop off from just a season ago. With 16 games missed on the season, New Jersey has only been able to procure a 6-9-1 record without their top player this season, partially leading to their fall in the standings.

Other Devils notes:

  • After having missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, it appears that defenseman John Marino could be returning tonight for the Devils (X Link). Much like Hughes and several other members of New Jersey’s roster, Marino has missed a handful of games across the season due to injuries. When healthy, Marino has been able to suit up in 71 games for the Devils up to this point, scoring four goals and 29 points overall while averaging 20:51 of ice time per night.
  • Now that Hughes has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game, team reporter for the Devils, Amanda Stein, is reporting that forward Nolan Foote could be making his season debut with the club. Having recently been activated from Season Opening Injured Reserve on March 11th, Foote has only managed four games for the team’s AHL affiliate altogether this season, scoring three goals and four points in a small sample size.

Arizona Coyotes Recall Jan Jenik

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Before the team’s game tonight against the Seattle Kraken, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Jan Jenik from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, on an emergency loan. The news of Jenik’s call-up likely means that forward Barrett Hayton will not be able to make his return to the lineup in tonight’s contest.

This transaction will mark Jenik’s third call-up of the season, with the last coming in mid-November. During that callup, Jenik was able to play in his first and only game of the season for Arizona, registering zero points in just 8:21 of ice time.

In what has become a recurring theme throughout his tenure with the Coyotes organization, Jenik has been given a much larger opportunity and thus has produced much better in Tucson. In 54 games for the Roadrunners this season, Jenik has scored 16 goals and 36 points, good for third on the team in scoring.

Even though his season down in the minors has been respectable, it is a marketable drop-off from his recent production in Tucson. Over the last two years prior, Jenik has scored 24 goals and 70 points in 81 games, a 0.20 PPG increase compared to his current output.

Still, with the Coyotes still maintaining 12 healthy forwards on their active roster despite Hayton’s absence, it is unlikely that Jenik will be able to build upon his 2023-24 season at the NHL level. When Hayton is healthy enough to return to the lineup, Jenik will rejoin the Roadrunners for the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, as they have already clinched a postseason nod in the AHL’s Pacific Division.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Dylan Holloway

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Before their potential playoff preview matchup tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled some forward depth from AHL Bakersfield. A few moments ago, the Oilers recalled forward Dylan Holloway from the Bakersfield Condors, per a team announcement.

Unfortunately, the recall might be met with some bad news, as radio commentator for the Oilers, Bob Stauffer, is reporting that Connor McDavid is not on the ice for practice. This update does not necessarily mean that McDavid is out with any major concerns, but it is an uncharacteristic move by the team’s captain, nonetheless.

Recovering from a knee injury suffered earlier in the season, Holloway has been the recipient of a few call-ups with the Oilers since returning in January but has not been very productive at the NHL level since then. In 18 games with Edmonton since returning to the organization, Holloway has scored two goals and three points in total, averaging 10:47 of ice time per game.

With the Condors, Holloway has been much more productive, scoring 10 goals and 16 points in 18 games. Thanks to the offensive help provided by Holloway down the stretch, Bakersfield was able to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs for the fifth year in a row.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Juha Jaaska To Entry-Level Contract

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Tapping into the European free-agent market, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought in forward Juha Jaaska to a one-year, $775K contract. The contract will begin at the start of the 2024-25 NHL season, any Jaaska will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal.

For the last eight seasons, Jaaska has been a full-time member of HIFK, an organization in the Finnish Liiga. Over 310 games overseas, Jaaska scored 51 goals and 142 points in total while also chipping in 11 goals and 22 points in 55 playoff games.

Over his eight years with the organization, Jaaska and HIFK were able to play in five bronze medal games in the Finnish Liiga playoffs but were only able to win two of those series. Outside of those two medal finishes, HIFK was unable to reach any further in the playoffs over the last eight seasons.

Even though he was never on pace to capture any scoring awards overseas, Jaaska has been a very consistent player for HIFK throughout his tenure and has developed into an intense forechecker. When asked about the signing, General Manager of the Hurricanes, Don Waddell, said, “Juha is a veteran forward who brings energy and intensity to every shift. He’s performed consistently in Finland, and we’re excited to see what he can do in North America.”

Since Carolina is projected to lose some depth at the bottom of their lineup this offseason, Jaaska should have an opportunity to make the team out of training camp. Especially with a league minimum contract, the Hurricanes could take advantage of the additional cap flexibility to be more aggressive in signing Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis this summer.

Winnipeg Jets Reassign Colby Barlow To AHL

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After being eliminated by the Saginaw Spirit in the First Round of the 2024 OHL playoffs, the Owen Sound Attack will be losing one of their best players over the last three seasons. Earlier, the Winnipeg Jets announced they have reassigned forward Colby Barlow to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, ending his career in the OHL.

Barlow originally came to the Jets organization by way of the 2023 NHL Draft, as the team selected him with the 18th overall pick in the first round. Shortly before the beginning of the 2023-24 NHL season, Barlow signed a three-year, $3.6MM entry-level contract in Winnipeg, with the contract likely starting next season.

Over three years in Owen Sound, Barlow played in a total of 168 games, scoring 116 goals and 184 points while also chipping in nine goals and 12 points in 15 total postseason contests. As advertised, Barlow has a tremendous ability to put the puck on the net from nearly any angle of the offensive zone.

With only six games remaining in the regular season for the Moose, they will need to win between three and four of those contests to qualify for the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs. Since the team is still effectively in the playoff hunt, it will allow Barlow to play in meaningful games to end his season.

Injury Notes: Oshie, Neighbours, Harkins

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Even though he has returned to the team’s practice this morning, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News is reporting that Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie will not be in the lineup for the team tonight. Currently dealing with an upper-body injury, Oshie has not played since March 30th, Oshie will miss his fourth straight game for the Capitals.

In nearly every month of the 2023-24 NHL season, Oshie has missed a handful of games for Washington, and is on pace to play in less than 60 games for the fourth straight season. Since his eight-year, $46MM extension with the Capitals kicked in at the beginning of the 2017-18 season, Oshie has played in a total of 414 games for Washington, missing 21.7% of the team’s total games due to injury.

Even when healthy, Oshie’s production has certainly dipped this season, as he’s only managed 11 goals and 22 points in 47 games, on pace for the lowest total of his 16-year career. Nevertheless, as the Capitals are still within striking distance for a playoff spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, they will need Oshie’s assistance in getting the team across the finish line.

Other injury notes:

  • In last night’s game between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks, the Blues organization announced that forward Jake Neighbours sustained an upper-body injury after receiving a hit into the boards from Sharks’ forward Luke Kunin. After the hit was absorbed, Neighbours did not play in the remainder of the second period or the entirety of the third period for the Blues. With a game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, there have been no further updates regarding Neighbours’ availability for the contest tonight.
  • Working his way back from a hand injury sustained at the beginning of March, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports that Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward Jansen Harkins is ready to begin a conditioning stint with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Harkins, who is a veteran of 211 games at the AHL level, should start the conditioning stint relatively soon to resume his role on Pittsburgh’s fourth line.

Dallas Stars Send Down Mavrik Bourque

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After two days spent with the Dallas Stars, forward Mavrik Bourque will be headed back down to AHL Texas according to a team announcement. Since Bourque was originally recalled to replace the minutes of forward Tyler Seguin, it appears that Seguin will re-enter the lineup tonight for Dallas against the Colorado Avalanche.

Luckily, Bourque made his NHL debut on Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring zero points in almost 11 minutes of ice time. Playing on a line with Jamie Benn and Logan Stankoven, the trio generated a decent amount of offense but ultimately lost the contest to their Central Division foe.

Now returning to the Texas Stars of the AHL, Bourque will be able to help the team that he has spent much of the year with clinch a playoff spot. However, it will not come easy to the team as they line up against the Milwaukee Admirals, who are currently leading the AHL Central Division.

Outside of tonight’s contest, AHL Texas will still have four games remaining to clinch a position in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs and will rely heavily on Bourque’s offensive prowess. Over 66 games this season at the AHL level, Bourque has scored 26 goals and 72 points, sitting atop the league in scoring. After such an impressive season, Bourque has put himself in a position to win both the Les Cunningham Award and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy at seasons end.

Detroit Red Wings Injury Updates

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Earlier, Ansar Khan of MLive issued several injury updates to several players on the Detroit Red Wings. Still having six games remaining in the regular season, the Red Wings control their destiny for the playoffs and will have to do so without a good portion of their depth.

Specifically, Khan notes that forward Michael Rasmussen will not be in the lineup for the team’s game tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres, and will also not be present for the team’s following game against the Washington Capitals. Rasmussen originally went down with an upper-body injury on April 1st and did not play for the team on Friday in a loss to the New York Rangers.

It will be a big subtraction for several reasons, as Rasmussen’s size and athletic ability have allowed Detroit to move him up and down the lineup for much of the year. With this being his most successful season, Rasmussen has scored 13 goals and 33 points over 75 games this year, leading to a four-year, $12.8MM extension with the Red Wings back in February.

On the defensive side of the lineup, Khan also mentioned that defenseman Olli Maatta is questionable for tomorrow’s contest as he is also dealing with an upper-body injury. Playing primarily with offensive defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for much of the year, Maatta’s presence on the back end has been able to hide much of Gostisbehere’s defensive shortcomings.

In his second season in the Winged Wheel, Maatta has scored three goals and 17 points over 66 games, which is right on par with his production from last year. On the puck’s defensive side, Maatta has managed a 93.6 On-Ice Save Percentage in All Situations, a massive testament to his game, given that Detroit is 24th overall in goals against per game.

Lastly, in an update between the pipes, Khan reports that goaltender Ville Husso is close to beginning a rehab assignment with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Husso has been out for nearly two months for Detroit as he works his way back from a lower-body injury.

Before the emergence of Alex Lyon in the crease, Husso started the year as the Red Wings starting option in the net. Although he was a bit streaky to start the year, Husso has put together a 9-5-2 record over 18 starts, carrying a .892 save percentage and a 3.55 goals-against average.

Pacific Notes: Bellemare, Danault, Turcotte, Pospisil

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Close to reaching a milestone of playing in 700 regular season games at the NHL level, it appears that Seattle Kraken forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare does not want to stop there. In an article from Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, Bellemare indicated that even if he is unable to reach 700 this season with the Kraken, he would be content with reaching it next year.

In the article, Bellemare was quoted as saying, “So, I feel like it’s more the people that know me and maybe have an idea about my path and the work and everything. But at the end of the day, I’m not planning on retiring, so if it doesn’t happen this year, it will be at another point. And if it takes me 80 more games to pick up whatever’s left it will be what it is“.

Even if Bellemare does not hold the benchmark in high regard, it is quite a testament to his work ethic, as he originally came into the league during the 2014-15 season to the Philadelphia Flyers organization as a free agent. Throughout his 10 years in the league, Bellemare has suited up for the Flyers, Kraken, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning, earning a total of $10.525MM up to this point in his career.

Other Pacific notes:

  • In an update from Eric Stephens of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Kings will be receiving center Phillip Danault back into the lineup this evening. Usually one of the more consistently healthy players in the league, Danault went down with an upper-body injury on March 28th and has missed the last four games for the Kings. Included in the report was an update on injured Los Angeles forward Alex Turcotte, who was spotted back at practice in a non-contact jersey this morning. Compared to Danault, Turcotte has been out much longer for the Kings, as he has not appeared in a contest since March 19th due to an upper-body injury.
  • In the Calgary Flames most recent matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, forward Martin Pospisil delivered a check to Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey, with Pospisil’s elbow appearing to make contact with Morrissey’s chin. Pospisil was ejected based on the play; however, it does not appear that the league will be giving him supplemental discipline (X Link). Earlier this year, Pospisil hit Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn from behind and was suspended for three games by the Department of Player Safety.

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