Pacific Injury Notes: Soucy, Hoglander, Gagner, Holloway, Burroughs
In a report from Thomas Drance of The Athletic, the Vancouver Canucks will have to wait a bit longer for the return of Carson Soucy. Making his way back from a fractured leg, Soucy had just recently returned to skating a little over a week ago. In the same report, Drance also points out that forward Nils Hoglander will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the Ottawa Senators.
With an injury to his knee, foot, and leg all within his first three months as a member of the Canucks organization, Soucy’s tenure with the team has already been plagued by injuries. Of the 36 games played by Vancouver so far this season, Soucy has only suited up in 13 of those, only being available for 36% of the team’s games up to this point. When Soucy eventually returns to the lineup, assuming he can stay clear of injuries for the remainder of the season, the Canucks will own one of the most well-rounded defensive cores across the league.
In the case of Hoglander, it is unclear by the reporting if he is dealing with a nagging injury, or if the Canucks are debating on carrying him as an extra forward tonight. Although he suited up in the team’s most recent game against the Philadelphia Flyers, recent reports indicated that Hoglander had been moved off the second line and recently practiced as an extra forward.
Other injury notes:
- With forward Dylan Holloway ready to return from his knee injury suffered in mid-November, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic expects both he and forward Sam Gagner to be in the lineup this weekend for the Edmonton Oilers. Although Edmonton has recovered fairly well since the organization’s horrid start to the regular season, the bottom half of their forward core has still been a significant issue across the board. Gagner has been a solid addition in that department in now his third stint with the Oilers, and the reintroduction of Holloway’s physical play will certainly make Edmonton harder to play against each night.
- Having missed the team’s most recent game on New Year’s Eve, San Jose Sharks defenseman, Kyle Burroughs confirms he will be back in the lineup tonight as the Sharks take on the Detroit Red Wings (X Link). Going through a difficult season similar to the rest of his teammates, Burroughs has tallied four assists in 35 games this year, carrying a -22 rating into tonight’s action.
Minnesota Places Vinni Lettieri On IR, Recalls Samuel Walker
In an announcement coming from the Minnesota Wild this afternoon, the organization has placed depth forward Vinni Lettieri on injury reserved due to a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled Samuel Walker from their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.
As reported this morning, veteran Marcus Foligno will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the Calgary Flames, and with Lettieri also injured, Minnesota was put in a position where they may have only been able to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Instead, with Lettieri’s placement on the injured reserve and the subsequent callup of Walker, the team will now be able to put together four full offensive lines for their matchup tonight.
Even while maintaining their roster flexibility, it will mark another time this season that the Wild’s depth has been tested. In his own right, Lettieri himself was viewed as an extra forward for Minnesota at the beginning of the season, coming over from the Boston Bruins organization on a two-year, $1.55MM contract this past summer.
In what is now his second call-up with the organization since clearing waivers on November 24th, Lettieri has suited up in a total of 19 games for the Wild this season, scoring one goal and four points on the team’s fourth line. Although he has shown spurts of solid play, his 45.8% CorsiFor%, as well as his 6.3% team on-ice shooting percentage in all situations are both below his career averages.
It has been a difficult transition back into the NHL for Lettieri, as a fourth-line role is somewhat foreign territory for him compared to his usage at the AHL level. Throughout his time in the AHL, Lettieri has been nearly a point-per-game player, scoring 237 points in 277 career games. Due to that, and his regular usage of the powerplay, Lettieri will have to add a bit more hard-nosed physicality into his game for a smoother transition.
Walker, an Edina, Minnesota native came over to the organization in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Having already made his NHL debut last year, Walker has suited up in two games this season in mid-October. Similarly to Lettieri, Walker has also been a heavily relied upon offensive talent for Iowa, as he currently sits third on the team in scoring.
Seattle Kraken Place Jaycob Megna On Waivers
According to a team release, the Seattle Kraken have placed defenseman Jaycob Megna on waivers to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. This will mark the sixth time Megna has been placed on waivers since breaking into the league during the 2016-17 season.
Originally the second to last pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, it would take Megna five seasons to crack an NHL roster after finishing out his collegiate career with the University of Nebraska-Omaha, making his NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2016-17 season. Only skating in one contest that year, Megna would regularly skate with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
Without gaining much traction in the NHL throughout his three-year stretch with the Ducks, Megna would make a few more pit stops throughout the AHL, before landing with the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent before the 2021-22 season. Although producing modestly relative to the rest of the league, Megna would skate in 44 games for the Sharks, scoring two goals and eight points, both career highs at that time.
San Jose would go on to reward Megna’s depth play for the organization, signing Megna to a two-year, $1.525MM contract the following summer. Last year, in the first season of that contract, Megna would suit up in 48 games for the Sharks, scoring one goal and 12 points in total, before finally being shipped to the Kraken in early February.
Since the beginning of the season, Megna has been on the active roster for Seattle, albeit from a three-day conditioning loan that had him playing two games for Coachella Valley. Serving as the seventh or even eighth defenseman on the Kraken for the year up to this point, Megna has not played in any games for Seattle this season.
Similar to a majority of players throughout the league, Megna has historically been much more productive at the AHL level, scoring 18 goals and 98 points over 370 regular season games. He will now suit up for a Firebirds team that is looking to defend their Western Conference championship from a season ago, as they currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 16-10-2 record on the year.
Poll: Favorite Hockey Moment Of 2023?
Now that 2023 is coming to an end in a few hours (depending on which coast you are on), it is time to reflect on some of the big moments of the last 365 days, which there have been plenty of in the NHL.
On April 9th, in their game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Boston Bruins won their 63rd game of the season, breaking the most wins of the regular seasons previously set by the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, and 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings. The Bruins would go on to win 65 games last season, cruising to the President’s Trophy, annually awarded to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. Ultimately, Boston’s winning ways would not continue into the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs, as they were ousted by the eventual Eastern Conference Champion, Florida Panthers, in seven games in the opening round.
Following along with the theme of team accomplishments, the Vegas Golden Knights became the quickest expansion team to win their first Stanley Cup, ousting the Panthers in five games in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. Originally founded in 2017, it took the Golden Knights only six seasons to win their first Stanley Cup, beating the previous record of the 1974 Flyers team, which took only seven years from their introduction to the league during the 1967 NHL Expansion.
On an individual level, on the Edmonton Oilers’s last game of the regular season on April 13th, Connor McDavid recorded his 153rd point of the season, by way of an assist against the San Jose Sharks. Because of this, McDavid would pass Bruins’ legend Phil Esposito for the 15th-best scoring season in NHL history, the highest of any player not named Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, or Wayne Gretzky. Winning the Art Ross, Hart Memorial, Ted Lindsay, and Maurice Richard Trophy all in one season, McDavid would go on to have the best individual season in the salary cap era.
Aside from these moments, the NHL has been filled with memorable events in the 2023 calendar year. Now it’s time to pick, is one of these moments one of your favorites, or is there another that stands out?
Favorite Hockey Moment Of 2023?
-
Vegas Winning 2023 Stanley Cup 30% (124)
-
Connor McDavid All-Time Season 26% (109)
-
Bruins Breaking Win Record 25% (107)
-
Other (Comment Below!) 19% (80)
Total votes: 420
St. Louis Blues Reassign Mackenzie MacEachern
In the organization’s day off leading into the New Year, the St. Louis Blues have sent down a veteran forward to keep pace with their salary cap management. In an announcement from the team this afternoon, the Blues have sent down Mackenzie MacEachern to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The demotion will not be foreign territory for MacEachern, as he has regularly been used as an extra forward throughout his time in the NHL, both in his first stint with St.Louis as well as a one-year stop with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. Drafted 67th overall back in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Blues, MacEachern is a veteran of 123 NHL games dating back to the 2018-19 season, scoring 11 goals and 20 points overall.
With about twice the amount of games played in the AHL as compared to his time in the NHL, MacEachern has been much more productive, scoring 47 goals and 104 points in 240 games. Although he only played in the Calder Cup playoffs twice throughout his career in the AHL, MacEachern has been relatively more productive when viewing his scoring ratio, putting up eight goals and 16 points in 28 playoff games.
In only eight games with the Blues this season, MacEachern has tallied one assist overall, averaging just under eight minutes of ice time per night, not receiving any minutes on either unit of the team’s powerplay or penalty kill. When the Blues return to action on January 4th against the Vancouver Canucks, it is more than likely that MacEachern will be recalled to the NHL lineup, as St. Louis currently only has 12 forwards on the active roster.
West Notes: Firkus, Chrona, Korenar
Currently sitting in second place of Group A in the 2024 World Junior Championships, Hockey Canada announced today that forward Jagger Firkus had been placed on the Team Canada 25-man roster. As one of the most explosive offensive talents in the Major Junior level in all of Canada, it was a surprise to not see Firkus on the initial Team Canada roster entering the tournament.
Originally drafted by the Seattle Kraken in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Firkus will now make his international debut under the Canadian flag. Currently playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League, Firkus has 27 goals and 59 points in 32 games, sitting fourth in the league in scoring.
Overall in his junior career up to this point, Firkus has played in a total of 199 regular season games, all with Moose Jaw, and has scored at an excellent rate with 110 goals and 243 points in total. In the postseason, the Warriors have reached the playoffs in Firkus’ last two seasons, as he has accrued 16 goals and 33 points in 20 games.
Other notes:
- Beat writer for the San Jose Sharks, Curtis Pashelka, reports that the team opted to send down goaltender Magnus Chrona to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, opening up a spot on the 23-man roster. Chrona was able to make the first start of his NHL career only two nights ago against the Edmonton Oilers, having already made his NHL debut on November 4th. Unfortunately, in that start, the Denver University alumni let in four goals on 12 shots in the first period, and would not resume playing the rest of the game.
- With his contractual rights still owned by the Arizona Coyotes, the team should not be expecting goaltender Josef Korenar back with the organization any time soon. Now in his second season with HC Sparta over in Czechia, the organization announced today that Korenar had signed a three-year extension with the team. This season with HC Sparta, Korenar holds a 10-2-0 record in 12 games, carrying a .914 SV% and a 2.07 GAA.
East Notes: Comrie, Kampf, Joseph
Having to place both Tyson Jost and Jacob Bryson on waivers to make space on their roster over the last several weeks, the Buffalo Sabres still find themselves in a difficult situation. They still maintain a full 23-man roster, and will once again need to make room, as veteran center Zemgus Girgensons is nearing activation off of the injured reserve.
One of the clearer choices in who will ultimately sent down is goaltender Eric Comrie, who has not played in a game since earlier this month on December 5th. Seeing only a total of seven games up to this point, Comrie carries a 1-5-0 record on the year, with a .863 SV% and a 4.01 GAA. With young netminders Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen carrying the bulk of the load between the pipes, it makes little sense for the Sabres to continue with three netminders.
In an article from Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat, Comrie acknowledges his placement on waivers as a legitimate possibility and is ready to play wherever Buffalo believes he is best suited. Comrie will be no stranger to the waiver wire, as he has previously been waived five times, and has been claimed four of those times.
Other notes:
- Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reports that David Kampf will be a healthy scratch tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After spending two years being a formidable bottom-six forward for Toronto, the organization rewarded Kampf, signing the forward to a four-year, $9.6MM contract extension over the summer, hoping to gain some long-term stability in the bottom of their forward core. Unfortunately, Kampf has not lived up to expectations this season, only amassing seven points in 33 games, and seeing his ice time drop by more than two minutes on average.
- Relaying on a note from a team spokesperson, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports that Pittsburgh Penguins’ defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph will be out of the lineup tonight with an illness. Since returning to the team from an undisclosed injury on December 12th, Joseph has played in three games for Pittsburgh, averaging just under 13 minutes a night, adding zero points.
Poll: Who Will Be The Biggest Name Moved At Trade Deadline?
In a little over three months, the NHL calendar will set its sights on one of the most exciting days of the year, with this season’s trade deadline falling on March 8th. With the annual roster freeze lifting this morning, the unofficial start to the trade season is finally underway across the league.
In one of the bigger deadlines in recent memory, the 2022-23 season saw star players such as Timo Meier, Ryan O’Reilly, Patrick Kane, and Mattias Ekholm all change hands, as two arms races sprouted in both of the league’s conferences. This year, once again, there are a handful of high-profile players seeing their names pop up in the rumor mill.
Chris Johnston, writing in The Athletic, has produced a Trade Deadline Big Board for this season, an assortment of players he annually produces around this time each year. Currently, the four best players available appear to be Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin of the Calgary Flames, John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, and Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The future of both Lindholm and Hanifin has been clouded since the beginning of the summer, with multiple reports indicating they would like to stay with the Flames organization, and other reports saying the complete opposite. As of now, with the Flames currently holding a 14-16-5 record and sitting four points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, Lindholm and Hanifin’s days in Calgary are likely numbered.
Even outside of this season, Gibson has been the subject of trade rumors dating back several years now, with reports suggesting that Gibson had tried to force his way out of Anaheim this past summer. Even though those reports were soon downplayed, the market for Gibson has likely never been higher, as several competitive teams are in dire need of goaltending help. Unfortunately, with a $6.4MM salary until the end of the 2026-27 season, few teams will have the cap space to acquire Gibson outright.
Lastly, Guentzel is one of the newer names on the board, as recent reporting indicates that the Penguins and Guentzel are not close to a contract extension, leading many to believe Pittsburgh might be interested in moving the winger if the right offer came along. Headed for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, and with Pittsburgh currently sitting three points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, Guentzel and the Penguins may be headed for a divorce before the end of the season.
Now it’s time for a vote, will one of these four players be one of the biggest names traded at this year’s deadline, or will a surprise player take the headlines? Vote below!
Who Will Be The Biggest Name Moved At Trade Deadline?
-
Elias Lindholm (Calgary Flames) 42% (471)
-
John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks) 17% (191)
-
Noah Hanifin (Calgary Flames) 16% (181)
-
Jake Guentzel (Pittsburgh Penguins) 14% (155)
-
Other (Comment Below) 10% (117)
Total votes: 1,115
Trade Market Heating Up For Jake Allen
Speaking last night on NHL Network, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the trade market is heating up considerably around Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Jake Allen. With plenty of competitive teams dealing with poor play and injuries between the pipes, Allen has been an oft-rumored trade candidate throughout much of the year.
In the report, Pagnotta indicates that before the roster freeze went into effect on December 19th, the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils had all made contact with Canadiens’ brass to gauge the price tag on Allen. With another year left on his contract after this season, Allen’s salary is set at $3.85MM, meaning any acquiring team will likely need to move around funds to acquire him.
At any rate, all signs indicate that Allen’s career in Montreal is coming to an end, as the organization appears comfortable moving forward with Sam Montembeault as the start, and Cayden Primeau serving as the primary backup. In 12 games this season, Allen has produced a very modest 4-6-2 record, carrying a .907 SV% and a 3.43 GAA.
Even though Allen had seen his name pop up in rumors dating back to last summer, the Canadiens handed a three-year, $9.45MM contract extension to Montembeault, effectively ending any chance that Allen would stay in Montreal beyond this season. Even aside from both Montembeault and Primeau already on the NHL roster, the team is still prepared to introduce 2023 draft pick, Jacob Fowler, within the next several years.
It is more than reasonable for all three teams mentioned to be interested as Carolina, Edmonton, and New Jersey are tied for last place in the NHL in SV% as a team, sitting a .879. Currently, Carolina is the only one of the three currently in a playoff position, sitting in the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, while both Edmonton and New Jersey are on the outside looking in.
Regardless of interest, it will be more difficult to ascertain the price point for Allen, given his current contract and his status as a backup goaltender. With teams having less financial ability during the season, the last time a similar goaltender was traded was on September 19th, with the Canadiens shipping Casey DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks for Tanner Pearson and a third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.
If Allen does ultimately end up with one of the three teams listed by Pagnotta, all three of them will likely need to move salary the other way, as currently, none would be able to assume the contract of Allen outright.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Ottawa Senators
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Ottawa Senators.
Who are the Senators thankful for?
Much like his brother, Tkachuk has quickly become the emotional, physical, and on-ice leader for the Senators. Leading the team in goals, shots, hits, and even penalty minutes, his willingness to put his body on the line shows that everything goes through Tkachuk in Ottawa.
Unfortunately for him, and what has become a boiling problem with the fan base, Tkachuk is now in his sixth season with the organization and has yet to make a playoff appearance. Yet, even through the emotional turmoil that several unsuccessful seasons can put on the organization, Tkachuk has a lot of hope the Senators can turn things around soon.
In early November, in an article from Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa Sun, Tkachuk was quoted as saying, “I understand that they’re passionate fan base and I understand that they love it, but when you face adversity you don’t turn your back on the guys out there. We’re playing hard, I know it’s frustrating right now. It’s not like we’re giving up out there, we’re fighting right to the very end“.
Even if the situation in Ottawa continues to become more dire, and the team is unable to produce a consistently successful team in the short term, Tkachuk’s loyalty is long-lasting. His desire to protect his teammates both on and off the ice is a tremendous boon for a struggling franchise.
What are the Senators thankful for?
Their top-six.
Even though the Senators are in last place in the Atlantic Division, there have certainly been some bright spots that the team can be thankful for. The top of their forward core, primarily led by Tkachuk, Joshua Norris, Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Claude Giroux are still producing at a solid rate.
As the team exits the holiday season, they currently sit at 10th in scoring across the entirety of the NHL, averaging 3.41 goals a game. Producing at a higher clip (albeit with fewer games played) than the likes of the New York Rangers and Vegas Golden Knights shows that Ottawa does have the talent up front to be competitive in the league.
Unfortunately for them, the players behind them have not been holding up their end of the bargain, as the defense and goaltending have both plagued the Senators for much of the season. Even with the team scoring at such a high rate, and GA/G average of 3.55 places them in the bottom five of the NHL, showing where most of the struggles are coming from.
What would the Senators be even more thankful for?
Stability.
In time, stability will come for the Senators and the organization will begin to normalize and stabilize with their current conditions. However, in under the year, the franchise has seen the team being sold, their longtime General Manager showed the door, and what appeared to be a player-friendly coach ousted as well.
The expectation heading into the season is that Ottawa was one of the few teams poised to come out of a lengthy rebuild, with a lot of the finishing touches put in place with the addition of Jakob Chychrun last year, with Tarasenko and Joonas Korpisalo brought in this past summer. Now with a new ownership and management group taking over, the team looks to have halted their rebuilding process entirely.
There is every possibility that the new management group, primarily led by former player, Steve Staios, did not agree with the direction that former General Manager Pierre Dorion was taking the franchise. Now, with what is shaping up to be another dissapointing season in Canada’s capital, it is now time for Staois to redirect the team in the right direction.
What should be on the Senators’ holiday wish list?
A revamped bottom-six and defensive help.
As previously mentioned, the top half of the Senators offense has been quite productive this season, sporting some of the better forwards across the league. Nevertheless, the bottom half of their entire forward unit has been entirely unproductive this season, as well as the bottom of their defensive core.
The team has ultimately been without all-star defenseman Thomas Chabot for much of the year due to injury, but could still benefit from adding a defenseman such as Mario Ferraro from the San Jose Sharks. In the case of the forward core, the Senators still do have prospects they could look to for a jolt of youth into the lineup, but could take a page from the book of their former Ontario rival.
In his first season as President of Hockey Operataions for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kyle Dubas took an incredibly aggressive approach to fillint out the team’s bottom-six this past summer, signing several veterans to minimum salary two-way contracts. Although it hasn’t entirely worked out for Pittsburgh at this point, with an enhanced scouting department, this could be the kind of aggressive approach the Senators could deploy to fill out the bottom of their roster more appropriately.