San Jose Sharks Activate Henry Thrun, Place Logan Couture On IR
Missing the last six games due to a shoulder injury, San Jose Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun was officially activated off injury reserve by the team after he successfully took part in warm-ups before this afternoon’s game. In a corresponding move, the team has placed captain Logan Couture on injured reserve for the second time this season.
Not much of an offensive weapon on the blue line, Thrun has played adequately in his first full season with the Sharks. Only playing on a unit with veteran defenseman Jan Rutta, the two have combined for 2.19 Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes according to MoneyPuck, the second-best mark on the team.
Now activated off of injured reserve, Thrun joins eight more defensemen on the active roster for San Jose, a team that has had a difficult time maintaining any sort of health over the regular season. In a position to give multiple different players their first shot in the NHL, the team has awarded Thrun’s efforts with nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night.
On the opposite side of the transaction, Couture has been out of the lineup since January 31st after reaggravating the groin injury that prohibited him from playing in the first 45 games of the season. Being one of the few offensive talents on the Sharks’ roster, Couture was only able to manage one assist in six games upon his return.
Snapshots: Heiskanen, Duchene, Andersen, Siegenthaler
Already without defensemen Nils Lundkvist and Jani Hakanpaa due to injury, the Dallas Stars are also absent defenseman Miro Heiskanen today, as he will miss the action due to the birth of his child (X Link). Calling up defensemen Alex Petrovic and Derrick Pouliot this morning, Dallas’ depth on the blue line will be tested even further.
To add insult to injury, the team also announced that forward Matt Duchene would miss today’s game against the Boston Bruins due to a lower-body injury. In a hotly contested Central Division playoff race, the Stars have lost five regular players in a matter of days.
Playing well over their last 10 games with a 7-1-2 record, Dallas will look to keep that successful stretch going as they look to retain their throne at the top of the Central Division. With a three-point cushion, the Stars are currently on a four-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents before finally returning to Central Division action on February 27th.
Other snapshots:
- Working his way back from a blood clot scare that has kept him out of the lineup since early November, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen was able to see shots today in practice. According to Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes, Andersen is not quite ready to return, but it was undoubtedly positive that he was able to participate in practice. With the team now less desperate for goaltending help with a strong stretch from Pyotr Kochetkov, it will nevertheless be a positive to see Andersen make his return to the ice.
- The New Jersey Devils may be getting some reinforcements on their blue line soon, as team reporter Amanda Stein mentioned today that Jonas Siegenthaler has fully recovered from a broken foot that has kept him out of the lineup since January 2nd. Now only two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, a clean bill of health moving forward puts the Devils in an advantageous position to build some momentum towards the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators
With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Nashville Predators.
Transitioning out of the David Poile era at last year’s trade deadline, the Predators stole plenty of headlines, shipping out the likes of Mattias Ekholm, Tanner Jeannot, and Nino Niederreiter for a plethora of draft picks. Sporting an expectedly middle-of-the-pack roster, Nashville still holds some assets that could net some solid returns at this year’s deadline as well.
Record
28-25-2, 5th in the Central Division
Deadline Status
Conservative Sellers
Deadline Cap Space
$37.287 MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, TB 2nd, WPG 2nd, NSH 3rd, DAL 3rd, NSH 4th, CHI 4th, EDM 4th, NSH 5th, DAL 6th
2025: NSH 1st, TB 1st*, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 6th
* A part of the trade that sent Jeannot to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay sent a conditional 2025 first-round selection to Nashville. If the pick falls within the top 10 of that NHL Draft, the Lightning will retain the draft selection.
Trade Chips
For this year’s playoff run, it is going to be incredibly challenging for the Predators to make any headway into the top three of the Central Division, but remain only two points back of the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference. With nine games to go until the trade deadline, the head coach turned General Manager Barry Trotz may still be indecisive when it comes to the organization’s deadline plans. 
If the team ultimately ends up in a playoff position by March 8th, it is unlikely Trotz will deal from the cupboard, as the team has placed a high priority on prospects and draft selections over the last calendar year. More than likely, even if they are competing for a playoff spot, Trotz will choose to sell on the team’s upcoming unrestricted free agents in the hopes of recouping some assets.
In an evergrowing market for goaltenders, Juuse Saros could become the prize of the deadline, but the Predators have been adamant on not only keeping their goaltender but are much more interested in discussing a contract extension. As far as rental pieces that Nashville could dangle, Thomas Novak and Alexandre Carrier have both received interest from contending teams, while defenseman Tyson Barrie was permitted to seek a trade back in early December.
Team Needs
1) Continue To Pile Up Draft Picks – At the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, the Predators were able to make 11 draft selections, with six of those coming in the first three rounds. Once again, the team is poised to select six more players in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft which should certainly help them build up substantial prospect depth through the system. With adequate depth at all three positions at the AHL level, Nashville is once again in a position to deal out expiring contracts without having to take on a player in return.
2) Beef Up Special Teams – If the Predators are convinced they can make some noise in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, their main priority should be to make additions to both sides of the special team units. Currently, the team holds a 19.37% powerplay rate (21st in the NHL) and a 75.43% penalty-kill rate (27th in the NHL). Likely nibbling around the edges of the market if they do choose to buy, the team could look to poach Victor Olofsson from the Buffalo Sabres for powerplay help and Kevin Rooney from the Calgary Flames for a boost to the penalty kill.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Martin Fehervary Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury
In a report coming from Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The injury took place during the Capitals’ most recent game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
In the opening minutes of Saturday night’s contest between the two teams, Fehervary appeared to lose an edge as he was skating behind the Capitals’ net. After falling to the ice, Fehervary was unable to put much weight on his left leg and did not return to the game.
Spending much of the year next to John Carlson, the two have been one of the bright spots on Washington’s blue line this season. Seeing the most ice time of any defensive unit on the roster, the two have combined for a solid 2.39 Expected Goals per 60 minutes, and 2.31 Goals Against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.
For Fehervary specifically, he has continued to be a physical defenseman for Washington, leading all defensemen on the roster with 114 hits, which is 60 more than the next closest defenseman. Aside from the topical statistics, Fehervary has seen a slight dip in his On-Ice Save Percentage compared to career averages, but has carried a slight uptick in his CorsiFor%.
In the meantime, the team will more than likely opt to place Rasmus Sandin next to Carlson over the next couple of weeks. The two have played a number of minutes together already this season, but have not played as defensively sound as the combination of Fehervary and Carlson.
Snapshots: Binnington, All-Star Game, Woll
The Department of Player Safety announced today that they have fined St.Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington a total of $5,000 for high-sticking Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista in last night’s game between the two teams. The fine was the maximum financial punishment allowable in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
During the play in question, as Evangelista was making his way behind Binnington and the Blues’ net, Binnington raised the butt-end of his stick to meet Evangelista’s face. There was a high-sticking penalty called on the play, and Binnington did appear apologetic to Evangelista after, but the Department of Player Safety did not feel that the original punishment sufficed.
This will mark the first fine that Binnington has faced throughout his career. In a matchup against the Minnesota Wild last March, Binnington was handed a two-game suspension for attempting to incite the Wild bench, leading to an in-game ejection.
Other snapshots:
- During the Stadium Series game between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers, the Islanders announced that they would be hosting the 2026 NHL All-Star Game at UBS Arena. It will mark the first time since 1983 that the Islanders are set to host the mid-season festivities, with this also being the first time that All-Star weekend will be hosted by UBS. Furthermore, this report confirms that the NHL is planning for players to be involved in both the All-Star Game and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- Not playing since early December due to a high-ankle sprain, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is not close to returning according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. In the meantime, the tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones has produced a 16-10-4 record in his absence but has only managed a .891 save percentage.
Dallas Stars Recall Matěj Blümel, Place Evgenii Dadonov On LTIR
In an announcement coming from the Dallas Stars organization, the team has recalled forward Matěj Blümel from their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. In a corresponding move, the team has placed forward Evgenii Dadonov on Long-Term Injured Reserve, retroactively to February 10th.
With Dadonov now expected to miss both the next 10 games and 24 days for the Stars, it is only natural that the team decided to fill in his lost minutes with a depth option from the AHL. However, it does come as a slight surprise that the Stars did not opt to call up either Logan Stankoven or Mavrik Bourque, who are first and second in league scoring, respectively.
Nevertheless, Blümel is no pushover offensively, as he’s scored 20 goals through 46 games for Texas this season, good for second on the team in that category. Furthermore, unlike Stankoven and Bourque, Blümel does have prior NHL experience, scoring one goal in six games for the Stars last season.
At the end of the day, this decision may ultimately benefit both Stankoven and Bourque in the long run, as they will both be able to continue to play high-leverage minutes for a competitive team. Well on their way to a playoff run this spring, Texas is sporting a 24-17-3-2 record up to this point sitting second in the AHL’s Central Division.
Transaction Notes: Reichel, Jankowski, Clague, Rondbjerg
Still struggling through an unexpectedly poor season, forward Lukas Reichel has been sent down by the Chicago Blackhawks to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Reichel has yet to play in Rockford this season, but did have a highly productive outing last year, scoring 20 goals and 51 assists in 55 games.
After his recall at the end of last season, Reichel produced quite effectively for a Blackhawks team that had no hopes of contending. In 23 games, Reichel would score seven goals and 15 points at the professional level, inspiring hope that he could be a top-line player as early as this season.
Unfortunately, those hopes quickly vanished, as Reichel has only been able to put up three goals and 10 points through 50 games, producing a team-worst -28 rating. The Blackhawks will be hoping that Reichel can take the time he needs in the AHL to regain his confidence to become a long-term fixture in Chicago’s top-six.
Other transaction notes:
- The Nashville Predators have sent down forward Mark Jankowski to their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, according to a team announcement. Now in his second season with the Predators organization, Jankowski was originally recalled on February 12th, going scoreless in the three games he suited up for. In Milwaukee, Jankowski has been remarkable this year, scoring 15 goals and 47 points over 40 games.
- Moving over to the Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres announced they have sent down defenseman Kale Clague to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Having yet to play for the Sabres up to this point in the season, Clague has been quite productive for the Americans, scoring three goals and 23 points through 41 contests.
- With multiple injuries coming to their forward core this season, Jonas Rondbjerg has been an oft-used organizational depth piece for the Vegas Golden Knights to replace lost minutes. Once again, the team has sent him back down to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, per a team announcement. The native of Denmark has skated in 18 games for the Golden Knights this season, putting up one goal and three points in the process.
Detroit Red Wings Place Matt Luff On Waivers
2/19: TSN’s Chris Johnston is reporting that Luff has successfully cleared waivers, and is now finally able to start his season with the Griffins.
2/18: The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Matt Luff on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Red Wings this past offseason, Luff has yet to play in any games for the organization this season, suffering an injury back in training camp.
Considering the injury history for much of the regular season, it is more than likely that Luff will pass through waivers unscathed, and make his way to Grand Rapids in short order. Although he managed nearly 20 games for Detroit last season, it will be much more difficult for Luff to crack this version of the Red Wings roster.
In those 19 games last season, Luff was a depth player for Detroit, averaging just under 10 minutes of ice time per game, scoring two goals and four points overall. In the AHL, Luff did manage 28 games for the Griffins last year, tying for sixth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 25 points.
Having one of their better seasons over the last several years, Grand Rapids is in the midst of a hotly contested playoff race in the Central Division. Sitting 24th in the league in goals for, Luff’s offensive capabilities in the AHL should help the Griffins improve in one area of weakness for the club.
Boston Bruins Place Oskar Steen On Waivers
2/19: Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Steen has successfully cleared waivers and is now able to safely report to AHL Providence.
2/18: Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Boston Bruins have placed forward Oskar Steen on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. In the move, the Bruins will be able to parse their roster down to 22 players, one shy of the 23-man limit.
Unless claimed by another organization over the next 24 hours, Steen is likely headed for Providence, allowing the Bruins to call up a younger player such as John Beecher or Mason Lohrei to round out their roster. Recently overtaken by the Florida Panthers as the top team in the Eastern Conference, Boston may feel injecting youth into the lineup could give the team a boost over the home stretch.
For Steen in particular, it will be hard for him to find many positives coming out of this season for the Bruins. In 34 games played, Steen has averaged 9:04 a night, managing only one goal over the year. He has been physical and largely sound defensively, but he certainly was not earning a roster spot over a younger option.
It will not be the first time Steen has been sent down this year, as he was regularly shuffled in October and November. With his last call-up coming on November 17th, his passage through waivers became a requirement to get him back to Providence.
Because of his taxiing earlier in the season, Steen has only totaled five games for Providence, scoring two goals and five points overall. Thankfully, he will once again be finding himself in a playoff race in the AHL, as Providence holds a 29-15-3-2 record, good for second place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.
Penguins Activate Jansen Harkins, Send Down Jonathan Gruden, Vinnie Hinostroza
The Pittsburgh Penguins have activated forward Jansen Harkins off injured reserve, per a team announcement. Harkins has been out of the lineup for a little over a week, suffering a concussion in the team’s February 10th game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Shortly before the first game of the regular season, Harkins was brought to Pittsburgh from the Jets organization by way of a waiver claim. Similar to his usage in Winnipeg throughout his career, Harkins was thought to be an effective bottom-six player for the Penguins this season.
Harkins, who is now averaging the lowest average ice time of his career this season, has been a bit of a mixed bag in his role for Pittsburgh. In 34 games on the year, he has yet to score a goal up to this point, but his physical play has certainly picked up as he’s achieved a new career-high in hits with 59 already.
On a positive note, with strong defense largely expected in many team’s bottom six, Harkins has certainly delivered for the Penguins in that regard. Through nearly half a season, Harkins has produced a CorsiFor% of 48.4%, and an On-Ice Save Percentage of 93.9%, both of which are higher than his career averages.
In the same announcement, Pittsburgh also stated that the team had moved down both Jonathan Gruden and Vinnie Hinostroza to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. With both players serving as organizational depth at the forward position, both have been shuffled back and forth quite regularly this season.
Of the two, Hinostroza has been relied upon much more than Gruden at the NHL level this year, playing in 14 games already compared to Gruden’s five. In those 14 contests, Hinostroza has averaged just under 10 minutes of ice time per night, scoring one goal and three points while carrying a -3 rating.