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Pittsburgh Penguins Activate Owen Pickering

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will have their top defensive prospect back in the lineup tonight. The organization announced they’ve activated defenseman Owen Pickering off the team’s injured reserve shortly before their matchup against the Florida Panthers.

Pickering hasn’t played since late December after succumbing to a concussion against the New Jersey Devils. He’s missed Pittsburgh’s last six games but will re-enter the lineup tonight in a third-pairing role next to Ryan Graves.

The next week or two may be Pickering’s last few NHL contests for some time. The recent injury to veteran blue liner Kris Letang likely saved Pickering’s spot in the lineup. Still, there’s an argument to be made he could use more seasoning in the American Hockey League.

He’s primarily played in the NHL over his first full professional season. Pickering played the entirety of the 2023-24 season with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos scoring seven goals and 46 points in 59 games. He started the year with Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins but was called up in mid-November due to a combination of injuries and poor play in the Penguins’ defensive core.

It hasn’t been the smoothest transition, either. Outside of a mild concussion, Pickering has suited up in 14 games this season for Pittsburgh scoring one goal and one assist averaging 15:47 of ice time per game. His 40.4% CorsiFor% and 88.5% on-ice save percentage in all situations also show a lack of maturity on the defensive side of the puck.

None of his production, or lack thereof, negates his value as a top prospect. He’s only a few days away from his 21st birthday and has plenty of time to become a fixture in the Penguins’ blue line. To preserve his development, it would be wise for Pittsburgh to reassign Pickering back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to build upon his one-goal effort in 12 games this season.

Maple Leafs Place Auston Matthews On IR

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Jan. 3: Rifai is back to the minors today, the team announced. Ekman-Larsson is fully recovered from his illness, so Rifai’s services as a healthy extra are no longer needed. There’s no corresponding move, so the Leafs free up a roster spot.

Dec. 31: The Toronto Maple Leafs needed available depth before their matchup against the New York Islanders this afternoon requiring a formal roster move. The team announced they’ve placed Auston Matthews on injured reserve (retroactive to Dec. 20th) and recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai from their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

Hindering any new concerns regarding Matthews’ injury, the Maple Leafs also announced defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Pontus Holmberg won’t play today because of the flu. Matthews is eligible to return from the injured reserve at any point but two additional players sidelined necessitated a formal roster move.

There’s no expectation Matthews has suffered a setback in his road back from an upper-body injury. He’s missed five straight games after missing nine earlier in the year but has recently returned to skating.

Still, there should be some concern about Matthews’ constant slate of injuries this season. He’s still been his normal self when healthy scoring 11 goals and 23 points in 24 games this year but his availability is important first and foremost. Thankfully for Toronto, they performed well without their captain this season as they’re one win away from tying the Florida Panthers for the lead in the Atlantic Division.

Although he didn’t suit up in his first go-around, the roster move is the second time Rifai has enjoyed an NHL call-up this month. He’ll likely know by warm-ups if he’ll be in the lineup tonight but Toronto still has six healthy defensemen without Ekman-Larsson.

The Harvard University alumnus has been a serviceable defenseman for the Marlies for the past three years and made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs last year. He’s registered eight goals and 39 points in 150 career games for AHL Toronto.

Sharks Place William Eklund On IR, Recall Collin Graf

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The San Jose Sharks are getting some much-needed forward depth before their game tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. The organization announced they recalled Collin Graf from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, and placed forward William Eklund on injured reserve to open up the roster spot.

There are no surprises with Eklund’s placement on the injured reserve. It’s been known for over a week that he would miss a few games with an upper-body injury making his transaction a formality. He’s eligible to return any day now considering the move was retroactive to December 23rd.

Still, he’s an important piece missing from the lineup. He’s still dealing with some growing pains at the NHL level but has been productive this season with seven goals and 20 assists in 36 games. He’s tied with Macklin Celebrini for second on the team in scoring despite being drafted only four years ago.

Graf doesn’t carry the same prospect pedigree as Eklund but has been an electric factory for the Barracuda this season. He’s scored six goals and 26 points in 29 games in his first full season with AHL San Jose good for second on the team in scoring.

The call-up should be a good opportunity for Graf to prove his long-term worth in the NHL. Should he continue his pace in the AHL, he’ll likely become a consistent player on the Sharks after their expected trade deadline activity.

Dallas Stars Activate Matt Dumba

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The Dallas Stars’ defensive core is back to fully healthy. The organization announced they’ve activated Mathew Dumba from the injured reserve after missing the last eight games with a lower-body injury.

Dumba has produced nearly identical numbers in Dallas as he did with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. The veteran blue-liner tallied two assists in 18 games for the Lightning after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes at the trade deadline. Still, he was effective physically and on the defensive side of the puck but is no longer the puck-moving threat he used to be with the Minnesota Wild.

That’s largely the production the Stars received from Dumba this year when healthy. He’s added one assist in 19 games averaging the lowest ice time of his career since his sophomore campaign in 2014-15. He’s managed a solid 51.0% CorsiFor% but that should regress toward his career average of 49.2% with increased playing time.

There’s typically a casualty of any player’s activation especially on a contending team such as the Stars. The casualty of Dumba’s activation will be Lian Bichsel who won’t be recalled to Dallas for now.

The former 18th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft skated in all eight games that Dumba missed and scored the first goal of his NHL career during his debut on December 12th.

Bichsel seemingly made a positive first impression with the Stars but will continue developing in the AHL with the Texas Stars. He’s been similarly effective with AHL Texas scoring three goals and nine points in 21 games.

Seattle Kraken Reassign Gustav Olofsson

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Defenseman Gustav Olofsson’s time on an NHL roster is over for now. The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve reassigned Olofsson to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The roster move likely serves as a paper transaction given the Kraken don’t play again for a few more days. They’ll go down to six healthy defensemen on the roster but will likely want some available insurance with upcoming matchups against the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils.

Despite spending nearly a week on the active roster, Olofsson hasn’t factored into any games for the Kraken this season. His only playing time has come in AHL Coachella Valley where he’s scored two goals and 11 points in 29 contests.

Seattle’s upper management may keep Olofsson in the AHL for some time. The Firebirds are pursuing their third-straight appearance in the Calder Cup Final but have struggled this season. They’ve managed a 14-11-1-4 record through 33 games this season and sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division.

There are a few more options in Coachella Valley they could choose from. Defensemen Maxime Lajoie and Cale Fleury have NHL experience and are available to recall although the former is on a one-way contract. Whatever the case may be, the Kraken are expected to call up one of the trio over the next few days.

Chicago Blackhawks Activate Craig Smith

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Veteran forward Craig Smith has the opportunity to play in today’s Winter Classic after all. The Chicago Blackhawks announced they’ve activated Smith from the injured reserve after missing the last eight games with a back injury.

Smith is expected to reprise his role on the Blackhawks’ fourth line next to Pat Maroon and Lukas Reichel. He scored six goals and 10 points in 26 games before going down with an injury in mid-December.

Unlike many of his fellow teammates in Chicago, this won’t be the first time Smith has skated in a Winter Classic. He participated in the 2023 Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins as a member of the former but failed to find the scoresheet after skating in only 5:32 of the game.

Beyond the 2023 matchup, Smith also went scoreless in the 2020 Winter Classic as a member of the Nashville Predators. Since today will be the third outdoor game of his career, Smith will tie for 46th on the NHL’s record of outdoor games played.

Although Smith’s scoring has moderately increased compared to last year with the Dallas Stars, his defensive play has seen some shortcomings. He’s typically hovered between 91% to 93% in on-ice save percentage in all situations but it has fallen to 88.7% this year with the Blackhawks.

Thankfully, he doesn’t have too much responsibility when healthy allowing some of the defensive shortcomings to be overlooked. Still, as one of multiple veteran players brought in last summer, Smith holds an important task in helping develop some of his younger peers.

Red Wings Sign Ondrej Becher To Entry-Level Deal

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According to a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have signed one of their third-round picks from last year’s draft. The organization announced that forward Ondřej Becher has signed a three-year, entry-level contract and will be assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Detroit selected Becher with the 80th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He skated for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars in his draft year, scoring 32 goals and 96 points in 58 games.

Becher also stole the show on the international stage, particularly in the 2023-24 World Junior Championships. He scored three goals and 10 points in seven games for Team Czechia, helping the country to its second straight top-three finish.

His scoring has dropped this year in his brief stint with the AHL Griffins but it’s nothing the Red Wings’ brass appears concerned with. He’s scored one goal and three points in 16 games for Grand Rapids this season managing a -4 rating.

The sudden lack of scoring is likely due to the competitiveness of the Griffins’ roster this season. The team is running away with the AHL’s Central Division and leaning on veteran players like Austin Watson and Joe Snively rather than the newer prospects in Detroit’s system.

Anaheim Ducks Place Brock McGinn On Injured Reserve

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The Anaheim Ducks announced they’ve placed forward Brock McGinn on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury before a matchup this afternoon against the Edmonton Oilers. The roster move marks the second time the Ducks have had to move McGinn to the injured reserve this season.

McGinn missed seven games during his previous injured reserve placement from mid-November to early December. He was similarly sidelined with a lower-body injury and will miss even more game action under his current designation.

It’s par for the course for McGinn throughout his career. He’s consistently been rostered in the NHL for the last eight seasons between the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Ducks but hasn’t managed a full 82-game season since 2018-19.

Still, when healthy, he’s provided quality depth scoring to a snake-bitten Anaheim offense. He’s scored four goals and eight points in 26 games for the Ducks this season averaging 11:43 of ice time per game. McGinn won’t break any scoring records for Anaheim this season but it’s better than nothing for an offense in the league’s basement with a 2.38 GF/G average.

He primarily played on the team’s fourth line alongside Isac Lundeström and Brett Leason, meaning the injury designation should give Ross Johnston and/or Jansen Harkins an extended look in the Ducks lineup. McGinn’s placement on the injured reserve will likely be retroactive to December 23rd meaning he’ll be eligible to return on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.

Central Injury Notes: Texier, Faksa, Martinez, Smith, Bortuzzo

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Lou Korac of The Hockey News reported earlier that forward Alexandre Texier would be a game-time decision for the St. Louis Blues this afternoon. Additionally, Korac shared that bottom-six forward Radek Faksa would miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury.

Texier has been battling an illness and missed St. Louis’ recent game against the Nashville Predators on Friday. He’s apparently all set to go as the Blues organization later confirmed that they’ve welcomed Texier back to the active roster for this afternoon’s game. He’ll join Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas on the team’s first line and look to build upon his two-goal, five-point effort this season.

Despite being absent for nearly 10 days, Faksa isn’t expected to miss much longer. His lower-body injury was suffered in the Blues’ overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on December 20th but the team never placed him on the injured reserve. Faksa has added two goals and seven points in 30 games to the St. Louis roster this year.

Other injury news from the Central Division:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to reintroduce a pair of veteran players into the lineup. According to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, defenseman Alec Martinez and forward Craig Smith have been downgraded to day-to-day and are expected back soon. Both players have missed nearly a month for the Blackhawks with separate injuries. Chicago only has one open roster spot in the NHL meaning they’ll need to make at least one roster move to pave the way for both player’s activation.
  • Utah Hockey Club’s blue line has been decimated by injuries this season but one veteran talent is expected back soon. Belle Fraser of The Salt Lake Tribune reports that defenseman Robert Bortuzzo has fully participated in back-to-back practices and is nearly healed from a lower-body injury. Utah never formally placed Bortuzzo on the team’s injured reserve but he hasn’t played since December 10th.

Capitals Activate Lars Eller, Reassign Hendrix Lapierre

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The Washington Capitals have reportedly made a roster move to create room for Lars Eller’s activation but not necessarily the one they were expected to make. The Capitals organization announced they have reassigned youngster Hendrix Lapierre to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, to make space for Eller on the active roster.

Lapierre came into the 2024-25 season off of a respectable effort in 2023-24. He scored eight goals and 22 points in 51 games for the Capitals and represented one of the better prospects in the system as the former 22nd overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. He showed a lack of maturity in the faceoff dot (which isn’t uncommon for younger centers) but displayed adept playmaking and defensive abilities.

It’s hard to classify this season as anything but a step backward for Lapierre. He’s tallied eight assists in 27 games but has no goals to show for and has seen his ice time cut dramatically in the last few weeks. He isn’t shooting the puck nearly as much as he was last year and is in clear need of a reset.

Lapierre’s demotion means that fellow youngster Ivan Miroshnichenko’s spot on the roster is safe for now. The 20-year-old Russian is the only other forward on Washington’s roster who wouldn’t have needed waivers for an AHL reassignment and was originally believed to be the eventual casualty of Eller and Alex Ovechkin’s return. He hasn’t taken any meaningful step forward in limited action this year with one goal and four points in 15 games averaging 9:24 of ice time per game.

Eller missed four games battling an illness. He’s expected to reprise his role down the middle of the team’s third line for their game against the Detroit Red Wings later this afternoon. Since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in an early-season trade, Eller has scored two goals and six points in 13 games in his second go-around in Washington.

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