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Trade Deadline Primer: Pittsburgh Penguins

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The trade deadline looms and is now less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Being one of the game’s most recent dynasties, and housing one of the greatest players in NHL history, expectations are always high for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not reaching the Conference Finals since their Stanley Cup victory in 2017, the Penguins are looking to squeeze out the last few seasons of their generational talents such as captain Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Dealing with the ramifications of contending for so long, the Penguins no longer have the pipeline of young players they can bring into the lineup. Surviving mostly on the supplementation of college signings, the Penguins have only drafted in the first round three times in the last decade.

With a tight cap situation, and a lack of young assets to dangle, GM Ron Hextall will have quite a lot of work to do in the coming days in Pittsburgh. Serving at the helm since 2021, many of Hextall’s trades have come with mixed reviews. Acquiring players such as Jeff Carter, Jeff Petry, and Rickard Rakell, many of these trades were well received at the onset. However, through injuries or simply underperformance, these players have not been the game-changers that the Penguins may have expected them to be. As things currently sit, the Penguins sit in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division, barely hanging on to the last wild card spot in the East. As their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, and several holes to fill in the lineup, the Penguins will have some hard decisions to make over the next few days.

Record

29-21-9, 5th in Metropolitan

Deadline Status

Conservative Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$1.9MM in full-season cap space today,  $2.1MM at the deadline, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, NJ 3rd, PIT 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th, FLA 7th, TOR 7th

2024: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, PIT 3rd, PIT 4th, PIT 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th

Trade Chips

Taking a page out of their rival, the Washington Capitals, the Penguins should look to deal expiring contracts and any player that is not performing to their cap hit. Although trading underperforming veterans such as Carter and Brock McGinn could prove to be difficult even at their relatively modest cap hits, these are the players that the Penguins must look to move from their roster. Former Penguin Kasperi Kapanen was in a similar situation to these two. In the first year of a 2-year, $6.4MM contract, Kapanen wasn’t able to put it together in Pittsburgh once again this season. After being put on waivers, the St.Louis Blues claimed the forward, absorbing the rest of the contract. Although they didn’t receive anything in return, removing a player that isn’t producing in line with his contract is exactly what this team needs at the moment.

Because their cap hits are relatively modest compared to other underperforming stars, Jeff Carter and Brock McGinn shouldn’t need a world-changing offer to move. A former top-line center for the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, Carter was acquired from the Kings during the trade deadline of 2021. Already having Crosby and Malkin in the mix, Carter was acquired at the time to provide depth in the Penguins’ bottom six. However, only scoring 21 points this season paired with a dismal -11 +/-, Carter just isn’t living up to the 2-year, $6.25MM contract he signed prior to this year. Being a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings, there could be a team willing to acquire Carter as well as his salary to mentor some of their young centers of the future.

Additionally, since it doesn’t appear that they are going to run to the Cup Final, the Penguins should be looking to move any player not named Tristan Jarry set to hit unrestricted free agency. After several down years, Jason Zucker has had a revitalization of sorts. Scoring 16 goals and 18 assists in 55 games, he has shown this season that he can still be a top-six forward in the NHL. Interestingly enough, after not throwing over 100 hits in any season prior to this one, Zucker has already racked up more than 150. Being able to score goals and throw the body are invaluable to many teams for the playoffs, and the Penguins should net a decent return for the forward if they sell.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Teddy Blueger, F Danton Heinen, F Josh Archibald, D Brian Dumoulin

Team Needs

1)  Top-2 Defenseman: Already a franchise legend, Kris Letang has still been tasked with leading the Penguins from the back end. After acquiring defenseman Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens over the summer, the Penguins were hoping to take some of the stress off of Letang’s shoulders. Unfortunately, even after the addition of Petry, and the signing of Jan Rutta, the Penguins’ defense has continued to look lackluster. The goaltending tandem of Casey DeSmith and Jarry has allowed the Penguins to maintain a respectable 3.20 GA/G over the course of this year, however; the team is also 29th in shots allowed, giving up a total of 2007.

Although Erik Karlsson is a name that many fans would like to see donning the Penguins black-and-gold, his age and contract should be a major hindrance to the Penguins’ brass. Scoring 77 points already this year, Karlsson is still -2 +/-, showing that he is not the complete defenseman that the Penguins need at the moment. A much better alternative resides in Arizona. On a similarly situated team as Karlsson, Jakob Chychrun could be a perfect fit for the Penguins. Only 24, and signed to a relatively low $4.6MM over the next three seasons, Chychrun could benefit tremendously from being paired with Petry or Letang, and also benefit from being on the same power play as Crosby and Malkin.

2) Youth Movement: According to EliteProspects, the Penguins are the second oldest team this season with an average age of 29.9. As their franchise icons grow older, the Penguins must look to fill this team with the next generation. There is a lot of value to be had in draft capital, however; the Penguins should be putting an emphasis on acquiring young players instead of draft picks this trade deadline. Fortunately for the Penguins, Crosby still has the Midas touch. Any player the coaching staff puts around him instantaneously becomes better. Instead of stockpiling picks for players just exiting the college or junior levels, the Penguins should instead look to acquire players that are just on the verge of cracking the NHL. The league is designed in a way that it is hard to make the moves necessary to win three Stanley Cups in a decade and still be sustainable, but if the Penguins are able to re-tool and acquire young players this deadline, they might still have an open window with Crosby on their roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hutchinson, Kaut

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The NHL has announced the Three Stars of the Week ending on February 26th. For the third time this season, Oilers captain Connor McDavid receives the first star honors, while goalies Linus Ullmark and John Gibson finished second and third, respectively. McDavid continues on pace toward one of the most incredible individual seasons in recent memory. McDavid put up six goals and five assists leading the Oilers to two wins in three games over the week. Predominantly known for his incredible playmaking and powerplay work, McDavid was also able to register two shorthanded points on the week, showing why he is one of only a few players who can play at an elite level in any situation.

Following behind, Ullmark similarly continued on an elite individual season, winning two games while collecting a 1.00 GAA with a .966 SV%. Aside from the phenomenal goaltending stats, Ullmark also scored the first-ever goalie goal in Bruins franchise history. As he put the game against the Canucks out of reach, Ullmark became the most recent goalie to score in the NHL since Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators scored during the 2019-20 NHL season.

Rounding out the list, Gibson finally sparked a moment of joy for Ducks’ fans this season. Not having much to get excited about, Gibson was able to rattle off a couple of 51-save performances, as well as leading the league in saves for the week with 143. Although this season has not gone well for the Ducks, earning a third star of the week is a tremendous victory for Gibson in his own right, as he becomes the second Ducks player to receive the honor this year.

  • After being recalled on an emergency loan and sent back down a few days later, the Vegas Golden Knights have once again recalled goaltender Michael Hutchinson from the minor leagues. Serving in the backup role on the Winnipeg Jets for many seasons at the beginning of his career, Hutchinson has become somewhat of a journeyman goaltender in the NHL. Having only played 10 games since the start of the 2020-21 season, it will be hard to say if this will be an extended call-up or another short stay in the NHL for the netminder. As starting goaltender Logan Thompson heals, and as cap space becomes increasingly more important toward the trade deadline, the Knights may have to play some musical chairs behind the crease for the time being.
  • Since being acquired by the Sharks in January, Martin Kaut has spent much of his month in the minor leagues, until being called up on February 20th. Scoring one goal in three games, the Sharks have decided to return Kaut to the minors. The Sharks are expected to move some more players off the roster in the coming days, so it is very likely that Kaut will see time in the NHL more this season. Noted upon his arrival in San Jose, Kaut is good friends with Sharks’ forward Tomas Hertl, as the two are known to do offseason training together.

Boston Bruins Acquire Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov

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A few moments after announcing that Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway would be held out of the lineup for tonight’s game for trade protection purposes, the Washington Capitals have sent both players to the league-leading Boston Bruins.

Heading back to the Capitals is forward Craig Smith, Boston’s first-round pick in 2023, Boston’s third-round pick in 2024, and Boston’s second-round pick in 2025. Washington will retain 50% of Orlov’s remaining salary, while the Minnesota Wild will retain 25% of Orlov’s contract, sending the rights to Andrei Svetlakov to Washington (who actually flipped those rights to Boston in the other part of the deal), and acquiring Boston’s fifth-round pick in 2023.

The NHL’s best team just became much better. With the acquisition of Orlov and Hathaway, the Bruins have cemented themselves as a top Stanley Cup contender and an odds-on-favorite for Lord Stanley. In his 11 seasons in Washington, Orlov became one of the more underappreciated defensemen in the league. Being able to do a little bit of everything, averaging over 100 shots, 100 hits, and over 20 minutes a game, Orlov is a complete player that Boston will now be able to supplant into their already talented defensive core.

Joining him on the New England juggernaut is Hathaway, who is a near-perfect example of what Bruins fans have come to love from their players over the years. A hard-nosed forward, Hathaway can provide depth goal scoring, sufficient work on the penalty kill, and amassing almost 200+ hits every year of his career. If they weren’t already hard enough to play against, Orlov and Hathaway turn Bruins into an even more frustrating opponent for the rest of the league.

Although they only find themselves two points out of a playoff spot, the Capitals’ recent stretch of play has sent them into a bit of a spiral. Losing their last five games in a row, the Capitals seemed to have made a pivot toward selling during this deadline. Still carrying the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and John Carlson, it is not likely that this will lead to a full-tear down in D.C. However, with so many players headed for unrestricted free agency after this season, and falling further out of the playoff picture, it is only natural that the Capitals recoup some assets from this group.

Having already traded away this year’s third-round selection and next year’s second-round selection in separate trades, the Capitals looked to restock their draft capital in this deal with Boston. After falling out of favor in Boston and clearing waivers earlier this season, Smith can slot into the Capitals’ bottom six for the remainder of the season.

Much like the trade sending Ryan O’Reilly to the Maple Leafs, the Wild were able to involve themselves in this trade as well. With ample deadline cap space, the Wild have now used 2/3 of their retention slots in the last six days to help facilitate deals around the league.

Boston will also receive the rights to Svetlakov, though his inclusion will be overshadowed by the two NHLers. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Svetlakov has spent the last several seasons playing for CSKA Moscow of the KHL.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report that Hathaway and Orlov were headed to Boston, while Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic first reported Smith and picks would be the return to Washington.

St. Louis Blues Activate Brandon Saad

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Reinforcements have arrived for the struggling St.Louis Blues as the team announced forwards Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich will return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. After trading away long-time forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly, the Blues are struggling to play motivated hockey.

At the very least, Saad and Buchnevich should inject some hard work and leadership into this team. Head coach Craig Berube said just as much when speaking to reporters today:

Having Buchy and Saad back, we’re a much better team for sure. The veterans have to lead by example—from a work standpoint, compete standpoint, playing the right way.

The Blues are mired in a three-game losing streak that has dropped them to sixth place in the Central Division, five points behind the Nashville Predators and only six ahead of the Arizona Coyotes. While it’s been clear for weeks that this wouldn’t be the Blues’ year, seeing them plummet down the standings is not something anyone expected.

Getting Buchnevich back makes them a much more dangerous team, as the 27-year-old winger’s 43 points still lead the club on a per-game basis. In the second season of a four-year, $23.2MM contract signed in 2021, Buchnevich is one of the pieces that will cause general manager Doug Armstrong to be more aggressive than some other sellers this summer, adding more talent to the group instead of going through a rebuilding process.

Saad is also still an effective player, even if his offensive totals have never quite reached the potential many saw in him as a youngster in Chicago. The veteran forward has 15 goals and 22 points this season through 46 games.

Washington Capitals To Scratch Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway

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The Washington Capitals have joined a growing list of teams scratching players on the basis of trade protection. Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov will sit out of tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks for that exact reason. The team followed up shortly after indicating that Garnet Hathaway will also be left out of the lineup.

As the long-time Metropolitan heavyweight looks to climb back into the playoffs, the Capitals’ brass seems to be doing their due diligence this upcoming trade deadline. As things currently sit, the Capitals are two points out of the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, unlike the other teams ahead of them in the standings, the Capitals are trending in the wrong direction. Losers of their last five games, the Capitals’ path to the playoffs is becoming increasingly narrow as each day passes. With four games remaining until the trade deadline, this next stretch of games will determine if they buy, sell, or do a little bit of both this deadline.

In the final year of a 6-year, $30.6MM contract signed prior to the 2017-18 NHL season, Orlov has become a familiar name on the Capitals’ back end. Scoring a career-high 35 points during the 2021-22 season, Orlov has become a valuable asset. Carrying a cap hit of $5.1MM this season, some cap-conscious teams may have to do some maneuvering to get Orlov on the roster. With 13 players on the Capitals’ roster headed towards unrestricted free agency this summer, they are likely taking their time to see who has a long-term fit on their roster.

Joining Orlov as a scratch, Hathaway also finds himself likely headed out of the nation’s Capital in a few days. One of many forwards with an expiring contract on the team, Hathaway is an extremely flexible trade candidate. Only carrying a cap hit of $1.5MM, many teams could find a spot for him in their bottom six. Much like Orlov, Hathaway achieved a career-high in points last season, scoring 26 points in 76 games for the Capitals. Having already signed forwards Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano to extensions past next season, the Capitals are looking to recoup whatever assets they can on players not penciled into their future.

Trade Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild

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The trade deadline looms and is now less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Minnesota Wild.

After yet another first-round exit during the 2021-22 NHL playoffs, the Minnesota Wild are poised to return this season. Unfortunately, their Stanley Cup hopes have ended quite early, having failed to reach the second round since the 2014-15 season and failing to reach the Conference Finals since 2002-03. Although a deep run in the playoffs has eluded the Wild for many years, they finally have produced a young, homegrown NHL superstar to build around. The Russian-born Kirill Kaprizov cracked the 100-point plateau during his age-24 season last year and is projected to fall near it once again.

Under GM Bill Guerin, Minnesota didn’t make a significant acquisition at the deadline until last season. Adding legendary goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the division-rival Chicago Blackhawks and shoring up the back-end with the trade for Jacob Middleton from the San Jose Sharks. However, the elephant in the room is the dead cap left behind in the wake of buying out forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter. This season, those players have accounted for $12.7MM in dead cap space for the Wild, and it will increase to $14.7MM for the 2023-24, and 2024-25 NHL seasons. With this in mind, it is safe to assume the Wild will be looking at short-term additions to the lineup this trade deadline season as they are once again looking to make a run in the playoffs.

Record

31-21-5, 4th in Central

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10.04MM in full-season cap space today, $11.95MM at the deadline, 1/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th

2024: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th

Trade Chips

After an incredible 50-point season in 2017-18, it was no surprise the Wild opted to extend defenseman Mathew Dumba with a five-year, $30MM contract. Unfortunately for both he and the team Dumba hasn’t quite regained form from that year. Failing to score more than 30 points in a season since, Dumba and the Wild appear headed toward a split. Nearly every season since that contract was signed, Dumba has found his name in the trade rumors.

After being healthy-scratched twice this season, the Wild could look to recoup some assets instead of losing to Dumba in free agency. It is hard to imagine Dumba being at the top of any team’s trade list this season, but for those teams that are in on Erik Karlsson, he might come as a consolation prize as a right-handed shooting defenseman.

If the Wild are going to look past rental options, and try to squeeze a player into their long-term approach, one of the more interesting prospects in their system is Carson Lambos. A second-round draft pick of the Wild during the 2021 NHL Draft, Lambos has scored 43 points in 46 games for the Winnipeg Ice in the Western Hockey League this season. Although many teams would highly regard a player like Lambos, he could become an attractive trade chip for the Wild.

Currently, the Wild have four defensemen on their roster signed beyond next season. Calen Addison has had an impressive 27 points in his first full NHL campaign, so it is safe to assume the Wild will look to resign him this summer. As Lambos’ time in the WHL comes to a close, the Wild may be unable to give him the minutes a player of his caliber might otherwise receive.

An off-the-radar trade piece the Wild have at their disposal is goalie Filip Gustavsson. After acquiring Gustavsson from the Ottawa Senators, Gustavsson has impressed with a 15-8 record and a .928 SV% splitting time between the pipes with Fleury. As young goalie Jesper Wallstedt continues to improve with Minnesota’s AHL affiliate Iowa Wild, Minnesota must decide how he fits into their future. Because of Fleury’s age when he signed his most recent contract with the Wild, he will be incredibly challenging to move given his 35+ NMC included in his contract. As the cap crunch continues next year for Minnesota, they simply may not be able to afford what Gustavsson will want on his next contract.

Other Potential Trade Chips: Dakota Mermis (D), Brandon Duhaime (F), Danila Yurov (F)

Team Needs

1)  Top-Six Winger: After placing fifth in GF/G with 3.72 during the 2021-22 NHL season, the Wild have dropped to 25th in the same category this year. Because of the dead cap space from recent buyouts, the Wild have a Kevin Fiala-sized hole in the lineup this season. As the defense has continued to be a strength, and the goaltending has rebounded from a lousy start to the year, it has become imperative that the Wild add a goal-scoring forward at the deadline to continue their hopes of a long playoff run.

Two of the most obvious choices are off the board in Vladimir Tarasenko and Bo Horvat, so the crop to choose from has become smaller for the Wild. If Minnesota looks at rentals, there are still a couple of goal-scorers on the market. Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk comes to mind as an obvious fit for Minnesota. He would add to their crop of large and imposing forwards who excel at putting the puck in the net. Due to their recent trade activity at last year’s deadline, it would not be a shock to see the Wild engaged with the Blackhawks on their upcoming UFA Patrick Kane. Although Kane must approve of his new destination, his goal-scoring capabilities are ideal for the Wild. Aside from rentals, if they can make room in their near-to-long-term plans, Brock Boeser is an interesting player to consider as well. A native Minnesotan, Boeser has shown incredible flurries of goal-scoring in his career, and currently finds himself on a rebuilding team in the Vancouver Canucks.

2) Long-Term Cap Flexibility: Acknowledged as a bold move at the time, the buyouts of Parise and Suter still loom large over the brass of the Minnesota Wild. Accounting for just over 15% of the Wild’s overall cap space, this dead cap has prohibited the Wild from adding more talent around young superstar Kaprizov. This problem will persist until after the 2024-25 season when the dead money drops considerably. The Wild will have to get extremely creative over the next several seasons to retain some of their up-and-coming players. Having already locked up core pieces such as captain Jared Spurgeon, Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, as well as Kaprizov, the Wild and GM Guerin are up to the task of adding more talent around this group.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Cole Perfetti Placed On Injured Reserve; Axel Jonsson-Fjällby Recalled

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The Winnipeg Jets have placed forward Cole Perfetti on injured reserve per a team announcement Tuesday afternoon. Forward Axel Jonsson Fjällby has been recalled from the Jets’ AHL affiliate Manitoba Moose on an emergency basis. In 51 games played so far this season, Perfetti has scored eight goals and 22 assists for a total of 30 points. After spending much of the 2021-22 NHL season split between the Jets and the Moose, Perfetti has shown off his playmaking prowess this year showing just why he was such a high selection at the 2020 NHL Draft.

As the Jets find themselves in a very tight Central Division playoff race, losing Perfetti will be a sizeable hole in the lineup. Entering tomorrow night’s game against the New York Islanders, the Jets are averaging 3.14 GF/G and a PP% of 21.8%, good for 16th and 14th in the league, respectively. Spending most of his time on the Jets’ first line, and helping out with the second power-play unit, the Jets will need to find offensive help in different ways in the near future. With 25 games remaining in the regular season, the Jets find themselves one point back of the division-leading Dallas Stars, and four points up on the third-place Colorado Avalanche, a team with two games in hand on the Jets. After missing out on the playoffs for the 2021-22 season, losing Perfetti will be a hurdle that the Jets will need to clear in order to return to the playoffs.

Replacing Perfetti in the lineup, Jonsson-Fjällby will return to the Jets after a one-week return to the minors. Claimed from the Washington Capitals in early October, Jonsson-Fjällby has been able to provide some depth scoring for the Jets this year. In 45 games played during the 2022-23 season, Jonsson-Fjällby has scored four goals and seven assists. Although he does not garner the same recognition as Perfetti for many Jets fans, Jonsson-Fjällby should be able to provide serviceable minutes for the Jets in Perfetti’s absence.

Nic Dowd To Return For Capitals; Aliaksei Protas Sent Down

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After a 10-day stretch since being recalled on February 11th, Washinton Capitals’ forward Aliaksei Protas has been reassigned to AHL affiliate Hershey Bears per a team announcement from Capitals’ General Manager Brian MacLellan. Protas’ assignment to the AHL affiliate paves the way for Nic Dowd’s return to the lineup. In 43 games this season, Protas has scored 10 points playing predominantly in the Capitals’ bottom six.

As Dowd returns, Protas will now see his third demotion of the season. Combining this season and last, Protas has played in a total of 76 games in the NHL, scoring six goals, and racking up 13 assists for 19 total points. Failing to carve out a permanent role for the Capitals, Protas will continue his development for the Hersey Bears, where he has scored at a much better rate over his career. In 50 games played for the Hershey Bears, Protas has scored 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 total points. For a bottom-six player in the NHL, there would be value in that kind of production.

Luckily for the Capitals, Dowd’s return gives them a valuable addition to their forward core. After scoring a career-high 24 points during the 2021-22 season, Dowd was awarded a 3-year contract from the Capitals last November. In 44 games played this season, averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time a night, Dowd has scored a total of 19 points. If he continues at this pace and plays in the remainder of the Capitals game this season, he will once again be in the range of setting a new career high in points.

As Dowd is reinserted into the lineup, the Capitals will look to end a current four-game losing streak. Recently sliding out of a playoff position due to this mild losing streak, the Capitals continue to have their sights on returning to the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. As the Capitals await the return of longtime captain Alex Ovechkin from the unfortunate passing of his father, Dowd’s return will be a welcomed sight in a team in need of a rebound.

Injury Updates: Stalock, Holloway, Stone, Dowd

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Alex Stalock is practicing with the Blackhawks again, and the team hopes he’ll join their upcoming four-game road trip. As reported by Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago, Stalock is returning from ocular dysfunction that has kept him out of the lineup since January 14th.

Although Stalock’s steady presence in the crease would be a boon for most teams in the Blackhawks position this season, it likely spells a return to the minors for Blackhawks’ goalie Jaxson Stauber. In his five starts since Stalock’s injury, Stauber has accrued four wins, including a 32-save win against the Maple Leafs on Sunday night. Stalock will now take over in net for the struggling Blackhawks with a 6-6 record with a .918 SV% this season.

Some other injury updates:

  • The Edmonton Oilers will be missing young forward Dylan Holloway for “about a month” according to Jason Gregor of The Nation Network. After a very productive college hockey career, Holloway has failed to replicate his production in college to the professional level. Playing primarily in Edmonton’s bottom six, Holloway has scored nine points in 51 games this season. Due to the activation of Kailer Yamamoto off the injured reserve on February 17th, Holloway was sent down to Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Although he’s now rostered in the minors, losing Holloway could be a significant hurdle in Edmonton’s upcoming trade deadline plans.
  • Calgary Flames defenseman Michael Stone was seen today entering Scotiabank Saddledome in a boot with crutches. Noted by reporter Eric Francis of Sportsnet, Dennis Gilbert appears to be the likely replacement for Stone’s lost minutes.
  • Nic Dowd is on the verge of returning to the Capitals lineup, according to Tarik El-Bashir for The Athletic. Dowd, who has been out of the lineup since the Capitals’ January 16th game against the New York Islanders, will be a welcomed return to the Capitals’ bottom six. Scoring 19 points in 44 games this year, Dowd’s performance this season has made him a valuable depth center for Washington.

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