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Detroit Red Wings Recall William Lagesson

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Defenseman William Lagesson will join the Detroit Red Wings for their game tomorrow night as an insurance option. The organization announced they’ve recalled Lagesson from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Lagesson’s recall is likely in response to Jeff Petry’s status tomorrow night. Petry sustained an undisclosed injury in the team’s recent win against the Columbus Blue Jackets last night limiting him to 17:17 of ice time despite averaging nearly 20 minutes for much of the season.

Even if Petry’s injury keeps him out of the lineup tomorrow night, his minutes will likely go to Albert Johansson, who hasn’t factored into Todd McLellan’s scheme since taking over behind the bench on December 26th. Johansson has largely skated in a depth role for Detroit this season, tallying one assist in 17 contests.

That’s more than Lagesson can say. This roster move marks Largesson’s fourth recall to the Red Wings’ active roster this season but he’s only appeared in two games. He skated on a third-pairing role in those contests averaging 15:57 of ice time without finding the scoresheet.

His real value has come in AHL Grand Rapids where Lagesson continues to be a defensive boon. He’s only scored three goals and nine points in 23 games for the Griffins this year but leads the team with an impressive +13 rating.

If Detroit is sure that Petry can suit up against the Jets by tomorrow morning, there’s a real chance that Lagesson could head back to Grand Rapids as early as tomorrow. The Griffins line up against the Milwaukee Admirals tomorrow night but won’t have another game until January 10th meaning Lagesson may not participate in a game for a week.

Winnipeg’s Mason Appleton Out Week-To-Week With Injury

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Jan. 3rd: According to a team announcement, the Jets have placed Appleton on injured reserve (retroactive to Dec. 28th) as expected. Winnipeg takes on the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow night so there may be a corresponding roster move to fill the open roster spot.

Dec. 31st: The Winnipeg Jets will have a major hole on their third line for the foreseeable future. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reported yesterday evening that forward Mason Appleton would miss the next few weeks with a lower-body injury.

Appleton didn’t play in last night’s contest against the Nashville Predators. This likely means the lower-body injury was suffered at practice considering Appleton skated in nearly 16 minutes of the Jets’ game against the Ottawa Senators on December 28th.

It’ll be the first time in nearly two years that Appleton has missed an extended period. He played in all 82 games for Winnipeg last season scoring 14 goals and 36 points for the highest-scoring campaign of his career.

The Jets will have big shoes to fill on one of the most consistent third lines over the last several years. Appleton typically plays on the right wing next to Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter, so they may need to make a roster move to fill the void.

Winnipeg hasn’t dealt with too many injuries this season but has leaned on Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov for recalls when Nikolaj Ehlers lost time with an injury a few weeks ago. The Jets could again recall one of these better prospects from their system or move stagnating forward Rasmus Kupari to the third line to create an offensive jolt in his game.

Canucks Place Elias Pettersson On IR, Recall Arturs Silovs On Emergency Basis

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There will be a small change to the goaltending position for the Vancouver Canucks tonight. The organization announced they’ve recalled netminder Arturs Silovs on an emergency basis and placed Elias Pettersson on injured reserve retroactive to December 23rd.

Vancouver hasn’t issued any formal updates regarding Thatcher Demko’s status. He left yesterday’s game against the Seattle Kraken during the second period and didn’t join the team’s practice this morning per Jeff Paterson of Canucks Army. There are some obvious concerns with Demko given that he went nearly eight months without participating in an NHL contest due to a popliteal muscle injury.

Still, one player’s misfortune is another player’s opportunity. Silovs will look to rebound on a disappointing start to the 2024-25 NHL season. He filled in for Demko at the beginning of the year but struggled immensely with a 1-4-1 record in seven games with a .847 save percentage and a 4.11 goals-against average.

Silovs has understandably been much better with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. He’s managed a 2-3-0 record in five games with a .900 SV% and 2.44 GAA. It’s a far cry from the performance of a netminder that took the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers to seven games in the 2024 playoffs. Still, Silovs will look to show he can be a long-term answer to Vancouver’s backup role.

Pettersson’s move to the injured reserve is largely a formal transaction. He’s been out with an undisclosed injury since the team’s matchup against the San Jose Sharks before the holiday break but is expected back soon. The Canucks haven’t offered much context regarding Petterson’s injury but he will join the team for their upcoming five-game road trip starting next Monday. He’s already eligible to be activated during any of those contests.

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.

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