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New York Rangers Recall Adam Edstrom

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With defenseman K’Andre Miller set to miss a second straight game due to personal reasons, the New York Rangers have opted to add more depth to their forward core, recalling Adam Edstrom from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Edstrom was originally a sixth-round selection of the Rangers, going 161st overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. Not coming to North America until late last season, Edstrom had been playing for Rögle BK of the SHL, scoring 23 goals and 47 points over 174 games during his professional career overseas.

This season in Hartford, Edstrom has played in 21 total games, scoring seven goals and nine points in the process. Making his way primarily from his goal-scoring ability, Edstrom’s true claim to fame is his size. Standing at 6’8″, Edstrom is only one inch shorter than former defenseman, Zdeno Chara, making him tied for the tallest player on an NHL roster next to defenseman Tyler Myers.

Edstrom does not use his frame in the same manner as Chara or Myers but remains an intimidating player to line up against, nonetheless. In their game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, there has been no confirmation if Edstrom will dress for the game, as the Rangers currently have 13 forwards on the roster aside from Edstrom.

San Jose Sharks Acquire Jack Studnicka

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Confirmation coming by way of the Vancouver Canucks, the San Jose Sharks will acquire forward Jack Studnicka in exchange for defenseman Nick Cicek, and a sixth-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Acquired by the Canucks in October of last season, Studnicka was originally a member of the Boston Bruins, playing in a total of 38 games wearing the spoked ’B’. Last season in Vancouver, Studnicka played in a total of 47 games, scoring four goals and eight points overall.

Unfortunately for Studnicka, even after a solid showing at preseason camp, he became a victim of the glut of forwards in the Vancouver organization. With 13 players already on the roster, and a few above still above him in the organizational depth chart, Studnicka’s future with the team was entirely blocked.

Now in San Jose, even with a healthy roster, Studnicka should still have access to adequate playing time. However, with three forwards already on the team’s injured reserve, the Sharks now have even more of a need to round out their forward depth as we approach the dog days of the regular season.

Averaging just under 11 and a half minutes of ice time per game throughout his career, Studnicka should continue to average similar ice time in the Bay Area. Given the current makeup of San Jose’s roster, Studnicka should effectively replace either Justin Bailey or Givani Smith in the team’s bottom six of their forward core.

Going the other way to the Canucks, Cicek suited up in 16 games for the Sharks last season, notching four assists before November 30th. Although born in Winnipeg, Cicek spent his junior career playing for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, a little under a six-hour drive to Vancouver over the border.

Only playing for the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, this season, Cicek has suited up in 18 games, scoring one goal and three points. Given the Canucks’ current depth in their defensive core, it is likely that Cicek will suit up for their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

Kings Place Vladislav Gavrikov On Injured Reserve, Recall David Rittich

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The Los Angeles Kings have officially placed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov on injured reserve, and have recalled goaltender David Rittich on an emergency basis. Given that players must be on the injured reserve for a minimum of seven days after placement, the timeline of Gavrikov’s return will not change much, given that it was reported he would be week-to-week.

As one of the more frustrating defenders to line up against in the NHL, the Kings will be hard-pressed to find an internal option to replace Gavrikov in their lineup adequately. Since the team is unwilling to carry more than three right-handed shot defensemen, they will likely fill in the hole with Jacob Moverare and Tobias Bjornfot.

Being the second-highest-paid defenseman on the team, Gavrikov ranks fourth amongst Los Angeles defensemen in average time on ice, scoring three goals and nine points in 25 games. On the defensive side of the puck, Gavrikov is fourth on the team in blocked shots and continues to post above-average possession numbers from the blue line.

In the case of Rittich, it was reported earlier this afternoon that regular backup goaltender Pheonix Copley was helped off the ice toward the end of today’s practice (X Link). Currently, there has been no update as to the status of Copley, although it is likely he will not suit up in the team’s game tomorrow night against the Seattle Kraken.

Although Rittich has operated as a backup goaltender for much of his career, this will be his first callup with the Kings since signing a one-year, $875K contract this past summer. In 16 games played for Los Angeles’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, Rittich holds a 7-6-3 record with a .901 SV% and a 2.63 GAA.

Hockey Canada Announces Final 2024 WJC Roster

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Dec. 13: After their selection camp process was completed, Canada made eight cuts to arrive at their final roster: Barkey, Firkus, Ludwinski, Vidicek, Buchinger, Donovan, Nelson and DiVincentiis did not make the team. One forward will likely be reinstated before the tournament begins to arrive at a 23-player roster, but for now, the Canadians are leaving a spot open in hopes of an NHL team loaning out a top prospect such as Buffalo’s Zach Benson or Boston’s Matthew Poitras.

Dec. 5: The best time of the year for prospect watchers is right around the corner. The 2024 edition of the IIHF World Junior Championship begins later this month, as normal, on December 26. This year’s event will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, which was initially slated to host the event in 2022 but needed to be rescheduled due to COVID restrictions.

Yesterday, Team Canada’s biggest rival, Team USA, released their 29-man preliminary roster, building excitement for the tournament at the end of the month. With a different-looking roster than last year, Team Canada will now look to win their third consecutive title in the World Junior Championship.

Last season, the team was led by top prospects Connor Bedard, Shane Wright, Adam Fantilli, and Brandt Clarke, and will now look to compete with more future high-end draft picks. Nevertheless, even without some of the greatest junior players of all time on the roster this season, Team Canada should still be considered a favorite to win. The full roster is as follows:

F Owen Allard (2024 draft-eligible)
F Denver Barkey (Flyers, 2023, 95th overall)
F Owen Beck (Canadiens, 2022, 33rd overall)
F Macklin Celebrini (2024 draft-eligible)
F Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs, 2023, 28th overall)
F Nate Danielson (Red Wings, 2023, 9th overall)
F Jordan Dumais (Blue Jackets, 2022, 96th overall)
F Jagger Firkus (Kraken, 2022, 35th overall)
F Conor Geekie (Coyotes, 2022, 11th overall)
F Paul Ludwinski (Blackhawks, 2022, 39th overall)
F Fraser Minten (Maple Leafs, 2022, 38th overall)
F Carson Rehkopf (Kraken, 2023, 50th overall)
F Matthew Savoie (Sabres, 2022, 9th overall)
F Markus Vidicek (2024 draft-eligible)
F Matthew Wood (Predators, 2023, 15th overall)
F Brayden Yager (Penguins, 2023, 14th overall)

D Oliver Bonk (Flyers, 2023, 22nd overall)
D Michael Buchinger (Blues, 2022, 88th overall)
D Jorian Donovan (Senators, 2022, 136th overall)
D Jake Furlong (Sharks, 2022, 140th overall)
D Maveric Lamoureux (Coyotes, 2022, 29th overall)
D Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets, 2022, 12th overall)
D Tanner Molendyk (Predators, 2023, 24th overall)
D Ty Nelson (Kraken, 2022, 68th overall)
D Noah Warren (Ducks, 2022, 42nd overall)

G Domenic DiVincentiis (Jets, 2022, 207th overall)
G Scott Ratzlaff (Sabres, 2023, 141st overall)
G Mathis Rousseau (2024 draft-eligible)
G Samuel St-Hilaire (2024 draft-eligible)

The team will be highlighted by top-10 selections in previous drafts such as Danielson and Savoie, while also the projected first overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft in Celebrini. The Seattle Kraken will have the most representatives on the team, with three.

Jakub Vrana Placed On Waivers

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Dec. 13: Vrana has cleared waivers, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN. He may now be freely assigned to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, which GM Doug Armstrong confirmed was the team’s plan earlier today (via Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic).

Dec. 12: Yesterday, there were conflicting reports surrounding Jakub Vrana and the St.Louis Blues, as there was some indication that the Blues were close to moving on from Vrana in a trade. However, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that Vrana has indeed been placed on waivers by St.Louis.

It will be the second time this calendar year that Vrana has found himself on waivers, being placed on the wire during his time with the Detroit Red Wings on January 3rd of last season. He would go unclaimed, largely due to his $5.25MM price tag at the time, and was subsequently traded to the Blues two months later.

Originally a first-round selection of the Washington Capitals back in the 2014 NHL Draft, it wouldn’t be until the 2017-18 season that Vrana would make the full-time jump to the NHL. He quickly became a relatively solid depth scorer for the Capitals, scoring 13 goals and 27 points in 73 games, also chipping in eight points on Washington’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in that year’s playoffs.

Vrana would continue to increase his productivity with the Capitals, posting back-to-back 20-goal seasons, leading to a two-year, $6.7MM extension with Washington. Unfortunately, he would not see out the rest of that contract with the Capitals, as he was traded to Detroit along with Richard Panik and two higher-end draft picks for Anthony Mantha.

After the trade, believing they had found themselves a diamond in the rough, Vrana scored eight goals and 11 points in 11 games with the Red Wings, leading to a three-year, $15.75MM extension. Nevertheless, as things played out in Hockeytown, largely due to injuries and a stint with the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, his time in Detroit quickly faltered, leaving him on the outside looking in with the organization.

Almost identically to when he arrived in Detroit, Vrana got off to a quick start in St.Louis, scoring 10 goals in 20 games down the stretch after last year’s trade. This season, Vrana is back to mild production, scoring two goals and six points in 19 games, leading to his placement on waivers this afternoon. Although he is only making $2.625MM due to the Red Wings retaining half of his salary, it is more than likely Vrana will pass through waivers unclaimed.

Snapshots: Kunin, Wolves, Capitals Arena

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Being out of the lineup for a little over a week with an upper-body injury, the San Jose Sharks announced the team has officially activated forward Luke Kunin from the injured reserve, although he will not play in the team’s game tonight.

After a disastrous start to the season, the Sharks have rebounded well over their last several games, producing a 5-2-1 record over their last eight games, now tied for last place in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately, due to the injury, Kunin has not been able to factor into San Jose’s good stretch of late, having not played since the team’s loss against the Boston Bruins on November 30th.

Nevertheless, he is still having a solid season compared to the rest of his teammates, scoring five goals and seven points in 23 games, already matching his goal total from a season ago. Clearly, concerning the rest of the league, that offensive output is mostly centered around bottom-six players but is good for seventh on the team in scoring in San Jose.

Other snapshots:

  • In some unfortunate news across the hockey world, the American Hockey League announced a 10-game suspension for the head coach of the Chicago Wolves, Bob Nardella, due to the use of homophobic language directed at on-ice officials during the team’s game on December 9th. In his first season as the head coach, the Wolves are the lone independent team of the AHL and are currently in last place in the Central Division with a 5-13-1-1 record so far this season.
  • After a vote last night from Virginia lawmakers, all reports are indicating that the vote proposal has passed and that the Washington Capitals will be leaving Capital One Arena for Northern Virginia (X Link). Capital One Arena initially opened the season of the Capitals’ first run to the Stanley Cup Final during the 1997-98 season and is currently the 14th oldest active stadium in the NHL.

Kyle Connor Reportedly Out Long-Term

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After a knee-on-knee collision between Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets and Ryan Strome of the Anaheim Ducks, it was reported that Connor would get an MRI on his knee to view the extent of the injury. Although there is still some evaluation left to take place, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press is reporting that an optimistic timeline for Connor will be around six to eight weeks.

During the play in question, Connor was coming into the slot early in the second period, attempting a backhand shot on Anaheim goaltender, John Gibson. After the shot was made, although both of his feet were planted, Strome’s right leg came into contact with Connor’s right leg, causing Connor to immediately drop to the ice in pain.

In a brief interaction with the media this morning, head coach of the Jets, Rick Bowness, relayed on the news that Connor would be returning to Winnipeg to be re-evaluated by team doctors at their facilities, and is guaranteed to be out of the lineup both today and tomorrow. At this point, the Jets have not given any official word about the severity of Connor’s injury, nor his eventual recovery timeline.

It is a tough blow for Winnipeg to lose their top goal-scorer for any length of the season, given that with 17 goals on the season already, Connor has accounted for 20% of all goals scored for the Jets this season. Over his last seven seasons, including this year, Connor has been one of if not the best offensive players for Winnipeg, scoring 224 goals and 447 points in 472 games.

Without any other player on the team reaching the double-digit goal total at this point in the season, the Jets will likely generate scoring by committee moving forward. However, although his goal-scoring is down this season, Mark Scheifele will be heavily relied upon in his absence to put the puck in the net.

If the timeline presented by McIntyre is accurate, Connor will miss between nine and 16 games, as the Jets will continue to battle for playoff positioning in the Central Division with the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. Fortunately for Winnipeg, only six of those games will be against opponents currently within the playoff picture, as they will have two games against the Chicago Blackhawks as well as another two games against the San Jose Sharks during that stretch.

Nevertheless, heading into the trade season, the injury to Connor may give the Jets more motivation to acquire more goal-scoring to inject into their lineup. Even with the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the NHL this season, the Jets are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of offense, currently sitting at 14th in the league in GF/G.

Injury Notes: Joseph, Benning, Martin, Jones, Merzlikins

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Placing defenseman Dmitri Samorukov on waivers yesterday, after he cleared today, the Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and have subsequently activated Pierre-Olivier Joseph off of the injured reserve. Being placed on the injured reserve with an undisclosed injury dating back to November 18th, Joseph has not played in a game since the team’s route against the San Jose Sharks on November 4th.

Given that he is returning from injury, Joseph will likely slot into the Penguins’ bottom-pairing alongside John Ludvig. Although he is a much better internal option on the blue line compared to Samorukov, Joseph will not be a factor in improving the team’s current offensive struggles on the powerplay.

Last season, in what has been his best to date, Joseph scored five goals and 21 points on the back end, also carrying an impressive oiSV% of 91.5%. With a 3-4-3 record in the last 10 games, the Penguins currently find themselves six points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and will need all hands on deck to get back into the playoff race.

Other injury notes:

  • The San Jose Sharks announced today they have placed defenseman Matt Benning on the injured reserve. Dealing with a lower-body injury, Benning has been out of the lineup since the team’s game against the New York Rangers on December 3rd. Already starting the season with limited depth as an organization, Benning joins a growing list of Sharks on the injured reserve, making him the sixth player overall currently.
  • Retroactive to December 2nd, the New York Islanders have placed depth forward Matt Martin on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. This will now be the third time this season that Martin has been placed on the IR, having missed stretches in both October and November. In only 14 games played this season, Martin has one goal and two points, only maintaining approximately eight and a half minutes of ice time per game.
  • Already confirmed to be out of the lineup in tonight’s matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks’ defenseman, Seth Jones, received X-rays during the team’s game against the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Although there has been no official update on the status of Jones, team doctors indicated that he was only feeling a ’little sore’ and should be able to make it back to the lineup after the team’s road trip (X Link).
  • Although he is still on the team’s injured reserve due to an illness, Brian Hedger for the Columbus Dispatch reports that goaltender for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Elvis Merzlikins returned to practice with the team today. Largely the most competent goalie on the Blue Jackets this season, Merzlikins holds a 6-8-4 record in 19 starts, carrying a .910 SV% and a 3.10 GAA.

Calgary Flames Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Calgary Flames made several roster moves today, announcing that the team has recalled defenseman Nick DeSimone from their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, while subsequently sending down forward Matthew Coronato. On the injury front, the team also relayed that defenseman Chris Tanev is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and will not play in the team’s game tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights.

After placing fellow defenseman Jordan Oesterle on waivers towards the beginning of the season, DeSimone quickly became a stable presence on the blue line, scoring four points in eight games, and averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time per game. As the team regained salary cap flexibility due to the trade of Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks, the Flames would recall Oesterle from the AHL, and send DeSimone back to the Wranglers on November 26th.

Much like DeSimone, Coronato has split time this season between the NHL and the AHL, only managing two points in 11 games when playing for Calgary. One of the team’s more notable up-and-coming prospects, Coronato is having quite the season with the Wranglers already, scoring eight goals and 18 points in only 14 games. Even though the team has re-entered the playoff conversation over the last couple of weeks, the Flames are still largely considered sellers heading into trade season, meaning Coronato may earn a full-time spot with the team if the forward core is thinned out.

In the context of the trade deadline picture, Tanev is thought to be one of the more sought-after defensemen on the market, primarily being linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Luckily, in terms of his trade value for the Flames, Tanev should only miss a game or two, meaning the return package in any deal shouldn’t be negatively impacted by the injury.

Finland Announces Preliminary 2024 WJC Roster

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The best time of the year for prospect watchers is right around the corner. The 2024 edition of the IIHF World Junior Championship begins later this month, as normal, on December 26. This year’s event will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, which was initially slated to host in 2022 but needed to be rescheduled due to COVID restrictions.

Exactly a week after Team Canada announced their preliminary roster, Team Finland made an official announcement on the players that will be joining them in Sweden. Unlike Canada and the United States, Finland released a 25-man roster instead of 29, meaning they will only have to cut one forward and one defenseman before the tournament begins.

As part of the “big six” in international hockey, Finland has had an up-and-down ride in the World Junior Championships over the last several years. The team won the gold medal in 2019 and has only medaled twice since that win. Hoping to get back into the top three after a disappointing performance last year, the Finnish roster is as follows:

F Rasmus Kumpulainen (Wild, 2023, 53rd overall)
F Konsta Helenius (2024 draft-eligible)
F Oiva Keskinen (Blue Jackets, 2023, 194th overall)
F Samu Bau (Coyotes, 2023, 162nd overall)
F Kasper Halttunen (Sharks, 2023, 36th overall)
F Jesse Kiiskinen (Predators, 2023, 68th overall)
F Aleksanteri Kaskimäki (Blues, 2022, 73rd overall)
F Max Koskipirtti (2024 draft-eligible)
F Jere Lassila (2024 draft-eligible)
F Lenni Hämeenaho (Devils, 2023, 58th overall)
F Emil Hemming (2024 draft-eligible))
F Jani Nyman (Kraken, 2022, 49th overall)
F Tommi Männistö (2024 draft-eligible)
F Janne Naukkarinen (2024 draft-eligible)

D Veeti Väisänen (2024 draft-eligible)
D Otto Salin (Kings, 2022, 148th overall)
D Arttu Kärki (Golden Knights, 2023, 96th overall)
D Kasper Kulonummi (Predators, 2022, 84th overall)
D Emil Pieniniemi (Penguins, 2023, 91st overall)
D Joona Väisänen (2024 draft-eligible)
D Kalle Kangas (Penguins, 2023, 223rd overall)
D Jesse Pulkkinen (2024 draft-eligible)

G Eemil Vinni (2024 draft-eligible)
G Niklas Kokko (Kraken, 2022, 58th overall)
G Noa Vali (2024 draft-eligible)

Of players already drafted to the NHL, the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Seattle Kraken all lead the way with two prospects a team. Amongst the players eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, Helenius leads the way, largely projecting to be a top-10 selection next summer. As a 17-year-old, Helenius is currently playing with Jukurit of the Finnish Liiga, scoring eight goals and 20 points in 28 games to start the season.

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