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Injury Notes: Ekblad, Rielly, Harkins

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With Uvis Balinskis being reassigned to the Charlotte Checkers yesterday afternoon, the Florida Panthers had an open spot to fill in their defensive core. In doing so, it appears that defenseman Aaron Ekblad will make his return to the lineup tonight, as he was a full participant in practice this morning (X Link).

Ekblad, who has not played since the Panthers’ game on March 9th, has missed the last seven games for the organization. In the time that he has missed, Florida has not played particularly well, producing a 2-4-1 record in his absence, averaging 3.43 goals against per game over that stretch.

With now 10 games left in the regular season for the team, the Panthers will battle it out with the Boston Bruins over playoff positioning in the first two rounds of the playoffs. As the New York Rangers look to clinch both the Eastern Conference and the President’s Trophy, the Panthers will match up against the Tampa Bay Lightning or Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

Other injury notes:

  • Moving north to Toronto, it does not appear that defenseman Morgan Rielly will make his return to the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, as he is still dealing with an upper-body injury. Fortunately, this will only be the second game in a row that Rielly has missed with this injury, as he has otherwise maintained quality health over the 2023-24 NHL season.
  • In Pittsburgh, Dan Potash of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports that forward Jansen Harkins has returned to practice for the Pittsburgh Penguins. A bottom-six forward for the Penguins this year, Harkins has not played since just before the March 8th trade deadline due to an upper-body injury. Suiting up 43 games this year, Harkins has tallied four assists while averaging just over eight minutes of ice time per night.

Ottawa Senators Recall Tyler Kleven

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A few moments ago, the Ottawa Senators announced that the team has recalled defenseman Tyler Kleven from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators. Since the transaction is being registered as an emergency loan, it will not count against the four potential call-ups the Senators have available to them since the trade deadline.

Albeit positive news for Kleven to be back up at the NHL level, it was preluded by some unfortunate news, as top defenseman Thomas Chabot was injured last night in the team’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, necessitating the transaction. It is unclear how long Chabot will be out with this specific injury, but it has certainly been a theme this season for one of Ottawa’s best players.

Because of these injuries, Chabot has only played in a total of 44 out of a possible 71 games for the Senators this year, projected to be his lowest total since the 2020-21 NHL shortened season. When healthy, Chabot has still been heavily relied upon by Ottawa, scoring eight goals and 28 points while averaging 23:31 of ice time per game.

Kleven, on the other hand, is not as heavily utilized by the Senators, as he’s only suited up in five games at the NHL level this season. In those five contests, the former 44th overall pick has registered only one assist while averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time per game.

At the AHL level, Kleven has shown flashes of being a quality shutdown defenseman in professional hockey, scoring three goals and 17 points in 45 games for Belleville, while also registering a +13 rating. While still carrying six healthy defensemen on the NHL roster, it remains to be seen if Kleven will suit up in the team’s game tonight.

Poll: Who Was The Best Acquisition At The Deadline?

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Now a little over two weeks removed from the NHL trade deadline, many of the players that changed hands have had enough time to play in a handful of games with their new clubs. While transitioning to a new system can be difficult for any player, several players have produced quite well with their new organizations.

In arguably the biggest trade of deadline season, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to part ways with Jake Guentzel, who had spent the last seven and a half years in Pennsylvania. Now with Pittsburgh’s division rival in the Carolina Hurricanes, Guentzel has come as advertised. Playing on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, Guentzel has scored two goals and 11 points in seven games for the Hurricanes, with three of those assists coming on the powerplay. Furthermore, that top line has proven incredibly difficult to score against for opposing clubs, as Guentzel has already produced a rating of +11 in that short span.

Moving on to one of the more surprising deals from deadline season, the Buffalo Sabres decided to part ways with top center Casey Mittelstadt in exchange for Bowen Byram of the Colorado Avalanche. Struggling to find any consistency in Colorado, Byram has taken on a whole new life in Buffalo. Averaging nearly 24 minutes a night with his new team, Byram has already scored three goals and six points in only eight games. Playing on the top unit with Rasmus Dahlin, this combination could prove to be one of the best in the league over the next several years.

Lastly, in what is looking to be one of the sneakiest pickups of deadline week, the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Anthony Duclair and a seventh-round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a third-round pick and prospect Jack Thompson. On the top line with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, Duclair has put up four goals and eight points in six games, with two of those assists coming on the team’s second power-play unit. Even outside of his production, the Lightning are 5-0-1 since acquiring Duclair and have taken a commanding lead on the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Now it’s time for a vote, was the best deadline pickup one of these players, or is there another player that has been more valuable to their new team? Vote below!

Who Was The Best Acquisition At The Deadline?
Jake Guentzel (CAR) 53.23% (519 votes)
Bowen Byram (BUF) 19.38% (189 votes)
Other (Comment Below!) 14.26% (139 votes)
Anthony Duclair (TB) 13.13% (128 votes)
Total Votes: 975

New Jersey Devils Recall Isaac Poulter, Send Down Tyler Wotherspoon

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Circumstances have changed quickly for goaltender Isaac Poulter over the last week, as the New Jersey Devils have recalled him after being demoted to the ECHL only five days ago. In the same transaction, the team also announces they have returned Tyler Wotherspoon to the Utica Comets of the AHL after recalling him on an emergency loan less than a week ago.

Poulter originally joined the Devils organization by way of an AHL contract after his tenure with the Swift Current Broncos came to an end after the 2021-22 WHL season. Primarily playing for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL last year, Poulter produced a 10-8-2 record in 22 games, posting a .910 SV% and a 2.93 GAA.

Continuing to improve this season, Poulter has gotten off to a strong start with the Comets, putting up a 17-8-1 record in 28 games, while also managing a .911 SV% and a 2.55 GAA. Poulter played so well for Utica that New Jersey opted to sign him to a two-year, two-way NHL contract on February 15th of this year, taking him to the end of next season.

Unfortunately, even with Poulter’s strong record and four shutouts this season, poor play from Akira Schmid and Erik Kallgren has capped the Comets at 27 wins in 60 games, causing them to sit in last place in a strong North Division. Now, with his second callup of the season to the NHL level, Poulter will have the chance to practice with the Devils before their game today against the New York Islanders.

In Wotherspoon, it will be his second straight recall to New Jersey on an emergency basis in which he was unable to play in any games. Only suiting up for Utica this year, Wotherspoon has scored four goals and 19 points in 54 games.

Anton Wahlberg Joins Buffalo Sabres Organization

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Earlier this morning, the Buffalo Sabres officially brought over one of their top forward prospects to North America, announcing that Anton Wahlberg has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Wahlberg recently wrapped up his season with the Malmö Redhawks of the SHL after his team failed to qualify for the 2023-24 SHL playoffs.

Drafted 39th overall by the Sabres in the 2023 NHL Draft, Wahlberg has shown decent production for an 18-year-old at the SHL level, as well as in international events. Scoring five goals and 10 points for the Redhawks this season, Wahlberg also chipped in one goal and three points for Team Sweden in the most recent IIHF World Junior Championships, en route to a silver medal finish.

At still such a young age, it is tough to ascertain exactly where Wahlberg will end up in the Sabres lineup, but has shown the makings of an above-average third-line center. Having a key ability to hold on to the puck, Wahlberg has the capabilities to extend possession for his teams, as well as work the puck into the offensive zone.

Now moving to the AHL, Wahlberg will have the opportunity to help the Americans in their playoff hunt. Currently tied with the Toronto Marlies for third in the North Division, the Americans are right on the cusp of being a top-three team in their division, which would automatically bypass them into the Division Semifinals of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Injury Notes: Pietrangelo, Oshie, Protas, Fleury

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Still suffering from an illness, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will not be in the lineup again tonight for the Vegas Golden Knights, and will now miss his third game in a row (X Link). Furthermore, the report also indicates that Pietrangelo may not join the organization on their upcoming road trip, which would land his return date around April 2nd.

If the reporting is accurate, and Pietrangelo will be out of the lineup until April 2nd, it will become a massive hurdle for the Golden Knight’s playoff chances. On the four-game road trip, Vegas squares off against two teams currently holding playoff positions in the Western Conference, as well as the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild, both of whom are currently trailing the Golden Knights in the standings by a few points.

Luckily, Vegas bolstered their depth on the blue line at the trade deadline, bringing in Noah Hanifin, who is more than comfortable holding down top-pairing minutes. Nevertheless, this road trip could define the Golden Knight’s playoff aspirations, as they look to correct their 7-10-1 record since the NHL trade deadline.

Other injury notes:

  • In an update on two injured members of the Washington Capitals, Tom Gulitti of the NHL reports that the Capitals are hopeful that forwards T.J. Oshie (upper body) and Aliaksei Protas (lower body) will return to the lineup tomorrow against the Winnipeg Jets. As important members of the team’s top-six, and especially after the results of today’s matchups in the Eastern Conference, Washington will be well positioned moving forward to grab the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
  • Having not played since the team’s game on March 14th, it does not sound like defenseman Haydn Fleury will return to the Tampa Bay Lightning soon, as Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida is reporting that even though he is considered day-to-day, the Lightning are not rushing his return. Brought in as a depth defenseman two years ago, the former seventh overall selection has scored one goal and four points in 21 games for Tampa Bay this season, averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time per game.

Maple Leafs Notes: Barbolini, Bertuzzi, Lyubushkin

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In what has become a typical transaction over the last several years, the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Marlies, has brought in an undrafted collegiate free agent on a two-year deal. The team announced a short while ago they had agreed to terms with forward Matthew Barbolini, who will finish the remainder of the season on a PTO.

Barbolini recently wrapped up a four-year career with Miami University of Ohio, becoming a significant point producer along the way. Overall, Barbolini will finish his career with 125 games played, scoring 36 goals and 86 points.

Now joining the Marlies system, Barbolini will join a team that is currently in a heated battle for playoff positioning in the AHL’s North Division. Currently sitting in third place, Toronto is only five points ahead of the sixth-place Laval Rocket.

Other Maple Leafs notes:

  • The Maple Leafs are set to be without winger Tyler Bertuzzi on Saturday due to illness (Twitter link). Bertuzzi has been on a hot streak lately, with five points in his last five games. His hot streak comes thanks to great chemistry alongside Auston Matthews and Max Domi, who he’s played with over the last few games. Toronto is expected to ice Matthew Knies in Bertuzzi’s top-line role on Saturday – a prime opportunity for the Leafs’ prodigal rookie.
  • Joining Bertuzzi on the list of Maple Leafs’ players who will not be present for the game this evening is defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, who is still out with an illness according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Since coming over from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline, Lyubushkin has suited up in seven games for Toronto, tallying two assists while averaging 16:07 minutes of ice time. Battling this current illness, however, Lyubushkin has been unable to enter the Maple Leafs lineup for the past three contests.

Kraken Notes: Dunn, Schwartz, Oleksiak

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In unfortunate news for the Seattle Kraken blue line, Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times reports that defenseman Vince Dunn did not travel with the team for their game tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. This will mark Dunn’s seventh straight game that he has been unable to suit up, dealing with an upper-body injury suffered a little over two weeks ago.

Dunn originally sustained an injury on a play that warranted a suspension, receiving a hit from behind from Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil. It has been the first major injury to Dunn that he has suffered throughout his tenure with the Kraken organization.

Seattle has heavily missed him, as he has been the team’s best defenseman for the last three seasons. Without their top defensive cog in the lineup, the Kraken has produced a 1-4-1 record in Dunn’s absence, averaging 3.83 goals against per game.

Other Kraken notes:

  • Shefte also reported that Jaden Schwartz would be a game-time decision for tonight’s action. Schwartz has missed the last four games for Seattle as he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Similar to the rest of his tenure with the Kraken organization, this will mark the fourth time this year that Schwartz has missed game action due to injury.
  • Lastly, in yet another blow to Seattle’s blue line, the team does not sound optimistic about Jamie Oleksiak’s availability tonight (X Link). Earlier today, the team did recall defenseman Cale Fleury on an emergency basis, and he will likely play in his first NHL game of the season tonight.

Central Notes: Vilardi, Pionk, Krug

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During this week’s iteration of 32 Thoughts with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, the two have reported that the Winnipeg Jets are operating under the belief that forward Gabriel Vilardi will return before the end of the season. Vilardi has been out since the team’s March 2nd game against the Dallas Stars with an upper-body injury.

It has been a difficult season in Manitoba for Vilardi, who is in his first year with the organization since being acquired in the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. In a separate injury at the beginning of the year, Vilardi injured his MCL which led to his absence for a total of six weeks.

When healthy, Vilardi has been a valueable forward for the Jets, scoring 16 goals and 30 points in only 38 games on the year. Now that Winnipeg is squarely in the race for the Central Division crown, Vilardi will be an important piece to get back into the lineup during the home stretch.

Other Central notes:

  • Staying in Winnipeg, although his status was questionable for tonight’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils due to an illness, defenseman Neal Pionk was able to enter the lineup (X Link). Still operating as a solid two-way defenseman in his fifth year with the Jets organization, Pionk has scored five goals and 25 points for Winnipeg this season, averaging just under 21 minutes of ice time per night.
  • In tonight’s tilt against the Ottawa Senators, the St. Louis Blues will be without defenseman Torey Krug, who was suffering from a lower-body injury (Article Link). Nevertheless, it has still been one of the healthiest years to date for Krug, who has not broken the 64 games played mark since the 2017-18 NHL season. Once again putting up quality offensive production, Krug has scored three goals and 34 points over 69 games this season.

Snapshots: Oshie, Protas, Brodin, Gruden

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Before the puck drop in the team’s game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Washington Capitals announced two injuries to their lineup. In the announcement, the Capitals stated that forward T.J. Oshie is out with an upper-body injury, and Aliaksei Protas is out with a lower-body injury.

Although both players were given a day-to-day injury designation, it is much of the same for Oshie this season. Oshie has only played in 43 of a possible 68 games for the Capitals this season, only managing 11 goals and 19 points in the process. With one more year remaining on his eight-year, $46MM contract after this year, the injury concern is certainly piling up for the veteran forward.

Protas, on the other hand, has sustained much more health than Oshie this season, skating in 65 games for Washington. Earning a five-year, $16.875MM contract extension in January, Protas has turned into quite the playmaker for the Capitals, scoring five goals and 28 points altogether.

Other snapshots:

  • Moving out West, the Minnesota Wild announced that defenseman Jonas Brodin would miss the team’s game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury. It will mark the 19th game that Brodin has missed this season with injury, as an upper-body injury, as well as another lower-body injury, have kept him out of the lineup for multiple games at a time. Nevertheless, Brodin is still the second-highest-scoring defenseman for the Wild this season, putting up seven goals and 23 points in 51 games.
  • After filling in for the injured Jeff Carter last night, Jonathan Gruden has been returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after being recalled on an emergency loan. Gruden will return to a situation in WBS where he has been largely successful this year, scoring 13 goals and 24 points in 43 games at the AHL level.

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