Flyers Activate Jamie Drysdale
The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they’ve activated defenseman Jamie Drysdale from the injured reserve. The transaction was largely expected after the Flyers assigned fellow blue liner Adam Ginning to the AHL yesterday afternoon.
Drysdale, 23, has missed a little over a week with Philadelphia after suffering an undisclosed injury against his former team, the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers have not played well without him — losing all three games in his absence.
Fortunately, Drysdale will return tonight in what’s expected to be a competitive matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Drysdale is having a solid campaign so far, scoring three goals and 18 points in 41 games, averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game.
Although it’s not the offensive production that many expected of Drysdale after being selected with the sixth overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. He’s nearly reached his point totals from last season, when he scored seven goals and 20 points in 70 contests with a -32 rating.
Now, as Drysdale sits as the third-highest scoring defenseman on the roster, he’s on pace to reach a career-high in points, with his previous being set during his sophomore campaign in 2021-22. Additionally, he’s performing much better on the defensive side of the puck since Rick Tocchet took over behind the bench, averaging a 90.9% on-ice SV% at even strength after posting an 84.4% and 85.1% marks in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.
Canadiens Sign Alexandre Texier To Two-Year Extension
According to his agent, Dan Milstein, Alexandre Texier has signed a two-year, $5MM ($2.5MM AAV) extension with the Montreal Canadiens. Texier originally joined the Canadiens on a one-year, $1MM contract in November after his previous contract with the St. Louis Blues was terminated.
At the beginning of the year, it would have been fair to question whether Texier would even be playing in the NHL next season, let alone signing an extension. Being a frequent healthy scratch by the Blues, Texier had recorded only one assist in eight games, averaging 10:15 of ice time per game.
Considering he was largely used as a depth forward for St. Louis in the previous season, it wasn’t surprising to see that Texier wanted to explore other options. Texier was placed on unconditional waivers for contract termination by the Blues, and once he cleared, he was signed by the Canadiens.
He has looked like a completely different player. Moving into a middle-six role with the Canadiens, he’s already surpassed his point totals across two years in St. Louis. In 25 games after signing with Montreal, Texier has scored seven goals and 16 points with a +7 rating. He’s already become the seventh-highest scoring forward on the team.
His advanced metrics have never looked better, either. He’s managing the highest CorsiFor% at even strength of his career with a 53.3% mark, and has averaged a 91.3% on-ice SV% at even strength, showing off his value as a two-way force.
It’s unrealistic to think that Texier will sustain his current scoring pace, as he’s never scored more than 30 points in a regular season. Still, even if he gets to that point over the duration of the contract, it will prove to be a solid investment by Montreal. If the upper limit of the salary cap reaches its expected levels, Texier will only be earning approximately 2.2% of the Canadiens’ available cap dollars by the 2027-28 campaign.
It likely didn’t require much negotiation to finalize this deal. Texier bet on himself at a time of great strife for his on-ice play, and the Canadiens must feel emboldened by the quality of play he’s shown since joining the team.
Senators, Oilers Had Trade Talks Regarding Andrew Mangiapane
Speaking on last week’s episode of Hello Hockey, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers have had trade talks regarding forward Andrew Mangiapane. He did not disclose how in-depth these conversations were or whether there was any further progress toward a deal.
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Mangiapane will be traded this season. In late December, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that the Oilers were looking to move Mangiapane in an effort to thin out a relatively saturated forward group. A few days later, Friedman again shared that Mangiapane wants to move to a better situation for himself, and that the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets had been in touch with Edmonton to some degree or another.
It stands to reason that the Senators will want to climb back into contention before adding a depth piece similar to Mangiapane. Despite being six points back of a playoff spot, six teams are separating Ottawa from the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have a 3-6-1 record over their last 10 contests, the worst in the Atlantic Division over that stretch.
Furthermore, it’s not altogether clear how Mangiapane will benefit the Senators. He has been relatively disappointing over the past two years, scoring 19 goals and 39 points in his last 123 games between the Oilers and Washington Capitals. For context, in his final year with the Calgary Flames, Mangiapane scored 14 goals and 40 points in 75 games.
It really depends on what Ottawa would be looking for Mangiapane to contribute. The team is averaging 3.11 GF/G, good for 14th in the league. There’s always a place to add more goal-scoring, though the Senators have had much larger issues keeping the puck out of their net.
Mangiapane has shown flashes of being a defensively responsible forward, as evidenced by his 91.8% on-ice SV% with the Capitals last year. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played similarly this season, posting an 83.7% mark with the Oilers, the worst on the team for forwards who have played in 25 or more games.
If Ottawa is interested in Mangiapane for his defensive attributes, they will need to hope that their coaching staff can help revert him to how he played last year in Washington. However, if they’re looking to add more secondary or even tertiary scoring, there are likely better and more affordable options available than Mangiapane.
New York Islanders To Sign Pierrick Dube
According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the New York Islanders are closing in on a contract with forward Pierrick Dube. Rosner later shared that although he’s awaiting firm information on the contract details, he believes it’ll be a two-way deal and that Dube will report to AHL Bridgeport.
Dube’s connection to the Islanders organization is already clear. In 2017-18, Dube began his first year of junior hockey with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, when Islanders’ head coach Patrick Roy was a team consultant. Dube spent the next three years with the Remparts, playing under the tutelage of Roy after he was named the head coach and General Manager.
Going undrafted, Dube still made it to the professional ranks toward the end of the 2021-22 season after signing with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivières Lions. He spent a year and a half there before signing an AHL tryout agreement with the Laval Rocket. He performed well, scoring 16 goals and 32 points in 44 games with a +10 rating, leading to a two-way deal with the Washington Capitals the following summer.
He continued his impressive performance in the AHL the next season with the Hershey Bears. Dube finished the campaign with 28 goals and 48 points in 66 games with a +12 rating, good for third on the team in scoring. Additionally, Dube tallied seven goals and 10 points in 17 postseason contests, helping the Bears win the second half of their back-to-back Calder Cup championships.
Outside of helping the Bears win another Calder Cup ring, Dube made his debut in the NHL with the Capitals, going scoreless across three games. He spent the 2024-25 season exclusively with the Bears, finishing with 19 goals and 40 points in 58 games.
Without much NHL interest, Dube headed overseas to join the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk. He began the year scoring seven goals and 14 points in 21 games for Traktor, and was eventually traded to SKA St. Petersburg in a salary dump. He tallied two assists in seven games for St. Petersburg before eventually terminating his contract so he could join the Islanders.
Toronto Maple Leafs Linked To Dougie Hamilton
According to a new report from The Fourth Period, the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in acquiring Dougie Hamilton from the New Jersey Devils. There is some ambiguity in the reasoning behind the report, though it stands to reason that the Maple Leafs could benefit from a defenseman of Hamilton’s archetype.
To start, the report expands on a report from David Pagnotta last month, articulating that Toronto is scouring the trade market for a puck-moving defenseman. The principal expansion came from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun segment on Insider Trading yesterday, indicating that the Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes would be ideal fits for the 32-year-old blue liner.
Being an ideal fit doesn’t necessarily mean that Toronto is actively engaging in conversations with New Jersey regarding Hamilton, though signs are pointing in that direction. The Maple Leafs have also been connected to Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who plays a similar style to Hamilton. For what it’s worth, in terms of their similarity scores, which are devised by point shares, Hamilton is nearly identical in value to retired defenseman P.K. Subban.
Still, there are a few hangups with Hamilton being traded to the Maple Leafs. For starters, Hamilton has a 10-team trade list (effectively a 21-team no-trade list), and there’s no indication that Toronto is on there. Hamilton’s agent, J.P. Barry, stated last week that they were open to broadening that list for the right opportunity. If he has any desire to play for a playoff-caliber team, the Maple Leafs serve as a better option in that regard for the time being.
Furthermore, the major sticking point is that Hamilton is owed a $9MM salary through the 2027-28 campaign. That’s not something that Toronto will easily be able to absorb. They would likely need the Devils to retain in some fashion, and they may be unwilling to do so since the whole point of moving Hamilton is to clear salary off the roster. Still, there is an argument to be made that retaining some of Hamilton’s salary will be less than what they are paying him now, effectively getting what they want, just not to the degree they had hoped for.
Technically, the Maple Leafs could get there, but they would likely need to place defenseman Chris Tanev on the LTIR, which would open up approximately $3.8MM in room. Additionally, if a forward like Matias Maccelli ($3.425MM) went to New Jersey in the hypothetical swap, Toronto could get close to making it work.
Among the reasons why Toronto would consider acquiring Hamilton, enhancing the power play stands out as the most significant factor. They’ve been much better with a man advantage lately, though little of that production is coming from the blue line.
Through their first 35 games, the Maple Leafs had averaged a 13.3% success rate on the power play, eventually leading the team to fire Marc Savard a few days before Christmas. Since then, in their next 11 contests, they’ve been clicking at a 28% rate. Still, Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, both of whom are the quarterbacks on their respective units, have combined for eight points, all assists. Hamilton is only a few years removed from having 28 power-play points himself.
Regardless, despite his potential value to Toronto, the hurdles of Hamilton’s contract remain.
Atlantic Notes: Schenn, Senators, Roest
In last week’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman alluded to the idea that St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Toronto Maple Leafs under one condition: that the team also acquire his brother, Luke Schenn.
Specifically, Friedman said, “I heard…Brayden Schenn wasn’t going to waive to Toronto unless the Leafs also got Luke; when all that was going on about teams uniting the Schenn brothers, that’s what I think Toronto was trying to do.” Since he used the past tense and suggested that the team was trying to unite the brothers, it seems likely that this was something the Maple Leafs attempted last year rather than at the present moment.
However, it’s certainly something Toronto could revisit this season. Brayden has less trade protection than he did last year, seeing his full no-trade clause drop to a 15-team no-trade list this season, while Luke is a pending unrestricted free agent playing on a disappointing Winnipeg Jets team. The Maple Leafs have decent depth on the right side of their defensive core, but could use additional insurance should Brandon Carlo go down with injury again.
Additional notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Recently, there has been significant discussion surrounding the Ottawa Senators, particularly regarding the team’s strong statement refuting rumors that circulated online about goaltender Linus Ullmark and the reasons for his personal leave. In a recent interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, General Manager Steve Staios said he wouldn’t change his timing, saying, “So I felt strongly that we had to be there for him, (that) I had to make a statement. And whatever comes with that, I can live with. I’m not going to apologize for standing up for my players when they need it.”
- Jarmo Kekäläinen has made another significant addition to the Buffalo Sabres front office. Earlier today, the Sabres announced that they’ve hired Stacy Roest as a professional scout. It’s technically a step backward for Roest in his professional career, as he was the longtime Director of Player Development and Assistant General Manager for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2013-14 to 2024-25.
Assessing Potential Landing Spots For Artemi Panarin
On the heels of a 2-6-2 record over their last 10 games, speculation has begun building that the New York Rangers will eventually trade winger Artemi Panarin ahead of the trade deadline. In his recent episode of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman linked a few teams to the pending unrestricted free agent.
Though much of it was speculation, Friedman listed the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Washington Capitals as potential landing spots for the four-time All-Star. For each of the four teams and additional options, a significant effort would be required to acquire Panarin.
For starters, Panarin has the seventh-highest cap hit in the league with an $11.64MM mark. However, he’s only earning an $8MM salary this season, meaning he’s somewhat more palatable in terms of actual dollars. Still, few teams would be able to absorb that cap hit outright.
Additionally, Panarin has a full no-movement clause in his contract. That means that even if the Rangers find an acceptable offer, one that balances the cap hit of all parties involved, Panarin would still need to sign off on the deal. If he decides he’d like to remain in New York to finish the season and pursue other options next summer, the Rangers won’t have any options and could conceivably lose him for nothing.
Lastly, there are no recent comparables to Panarin’s situation, especially if the acquiring team doesn’t quickly pursue a contract extension. Last season, winger Mikko Rantanen was traded twice and eventually signed an extension with the Dallas Stars after failing to gain traction with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Still, for the sake of argument, let’s run with the idea that a team could theoretically clear all the hurdles needed to acquire Panarin. His value to a potential team couldn’t be clearer, as he’s scored 202 goals and 600 points in 476 games throughout the duration of his contract with the Rangers, already climbing to ninth all-time on the franchise leaderboards.
Friedman thoroughly explained his reasoning behind Colorado, sharing that the Avalanche offered Panarin a four-year, $52MM ($13MM AAV) contract back in 2019. Although the Avalanche were ready to give Panarin nearly 16% of their available dollars at the time, they had not yet signed Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to their high-priced extensions. Much has changed for Colorado since then.
In Florida, the only way the Panthers would be able to acquire Panarin without moving heaven and earth would be if the team were certain that Aleksander Barkov would not return for the playoffs this season. In an odd twist, that’s almost an argument as to why the Panthers shouldn’t pursue Panarin as a rental, given their chances of competing for a third consecutive Stanley Cup title without their captain.
Lastly, the connection to Minnesota and Washington is clear. Either destination would allow Panarin to play with another high-level countryman in Kirill Kaprizov or Alex Ovechkin. It’s important to remember that although the Rangers may not be inclined to move Panarin to a Metropolitan Division rival, they recently traded K’Andre Miller to the Hurricanes last summer.
Regardless, as much fun as it is to speculate on where Panarin could end up, there’s no guarantee he’ll even leave New York. However, given the complex nature of manufacturing a Panarin trade, the Rangers will have to make a decision sooner rather than later.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.
Philadelphia Flyers Reassign Adam Ginning
According to a team announcement, the Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned defenseman Adam Ginning to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The transaction reduces the Flyers’ active roster to 22 players.
Beginning tomorrow, Philadelphia will embark on a brief two-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins before returning home on Saturday. Given that it’s atypical for a team not to have at least one extra forward and defenseman on the roster for a road trip, the expectation is that another roster move is coming.
That roster move will likely come in the form of Jamie Drysdale‘s activation from the injured reserve, when he’s eligible to be tomorrow. Head coach Rick Tocchet left that possibility open this morning when he indicated that both Drysdale and Bobby Brink may be in the lineup tomorrow.
Ginning, 26, wraps up his second stint with the Flyers this season. He has gone scoreless across five games, averaging 15:20 of ice time per game. He’s been a boon on the defensive side of the puck, averaging a 94.3% on-ice SV% at even strength.
He’s returning to a Lehigh Valley club where he has already played in 17 games this year. Throughout those 17 appearances, he’s registered one goal and three points with a -2 rating. His +/- is tied for third-worst on the team.
Blue Jackets Recall Dysin Mayo On Emergency Basis
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Dysin Mayo on an emergency basis. It’s the fourth time that Mayo has been recalled this season.
Unfortunately, the emergency recall indicates that the Blue Jackets have fallen below the threshold of having six healthy defensemen on the active roster. Veterans Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith are already on the injured reserve, meaning an additional injury has happened.
Earlier today, team reporter Jeff Svoboda shared that blue liner Denton Mateychuk is visiting with a doctor to get a second opinion on the upper-body injury that he sustained in Sunday’s contest against the Utah Mammoth. Mayo’s recall indicates that Mateychuk has been ruled out for tonight’s contest.
Mayo, 29, is in his first year with the Blue Jackets, much of which has been spent with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Throughout that duration, he has scored two goals and seven points in 21 games with a -2 rating. It’s a similar production to what he showed last season with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights, where Mayo scored eight goals and 19 points in 58 contests.
Meanwhile, although it’s expected to be a short-term absence, missing Mateychuk for any duration will certainly hurt Columbus’s chance of winning. The former 12th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft is in his first full year with the team, scoring eight goals and 21 points in 44 games, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game.
Minnesota Wild Reassign Matt Kiersted
According to a team announcement, the Minnesota Wild have reassigned depth defenseman Matt Kiersted to the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The transaction indicates that veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian could return to the lineup on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.
Despite being on the active roster for more than a month, Kiersted has hardly been utilized by the Wild. Minnesota has dealt with multiple injuries on the blue line throughout that stretch. However, they’ve typically had at least six healthy defenseman available, leading to many nights in the press box for Kiersted.
Kiersted, 27, signed a two-year, $1.55MM contract with the Wild last summer. Throughout his recall, he appeared in four games, registering one assist and a -1 rating while averaging 13:42 of ice time per game.
Still, he was likely brought in to stabilize AHL Iowa’s defensive core. He was coming off his best professional season to date, scoring one goal and 29 points in 64 games with an excellent +34 rating. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to provide that when he’s been on the AHL roster.
In fact, he’s on pace for one of his worst seasons in the AHL. The Elk River, MN native has registered only three assists in 23 games with a -12 rating on the year. Despite missing the last month, his +/- remains one of the worst on the team among defensemen.