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Ottawa Senators Recall Mads Sogaard

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Now that he has recovered from his own injury, Mads Sogaard is up with the Ottawa Senators to help fill in for Cam Talbot’s absence. The team sent Kevin Mandolese back down yesterday.

Sogaard made his return to the Belleville Senators net on Saturday, allowing six goals on 44 shots and taking the loss. Overall, it’s been a rocky season for the 22-year-old goaltender, with a .901 save percentage in 19 appearances.

Last season, when the Senators were rolling through goaltenders with Matt Murray often injured, Sogaard played in two NHL games. He allowed six goals on 54 shots for an .889 save percentage, and earned his first NHL win.

The 37th-overall pick from 2019 still has a lot of developing to do, but has oodles of talent in his 6’7″ frame. If the Senators can find a way to get him to his ceiling, there’s a chance they have a legitimate difference-maker. There’s work to be done, though, and his recall likely doesn’t change the fact that Anton Forsberg will be carrying the lion’s share of the work for the next little while.

Bobby Hull Dies At 84

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The NHL Alumni Association has confirmed that Hall of Fame player Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84.

The legendary Chicago Blackhawks star played 1,036 games in the league and was arguably the most popular player in the NHL during his prime. A natural goal scorer, he won the Art Ross Trophy three times as the league’s top offensive player, and took home the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1965.

In 1972, a second career, this time in the WHA, followed. Hull would be named MVP in that league twice, scoring 303 goals in 411 games for the Winnipeg Jets. When the Jets joined the NHL he would make a short return at the age of 41, and finished his career playing with the Hartford Whalers alongside legends like Gordie Howe and Dave Keon.

As a player, there were few better in the history of the game. Hull is one of just 20 players to score 600 goals in the NHL, and is second all-time in the WHA. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

That legacy as a player, though, is not all he will be remembered for. In 1986 he was convicted of assaulting a police officer during a domestic dispute with his wife. His second wife accused him of abuse years later. Last year, the Blackhawks removed Hull as a team ambassador.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Marcus Bjork

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The Columbus Blue Jackets still have one game before the break, and they’re making a slight change to the roster. Marcus Bjork has been recalled, while Jake Christiansen is on his way back to the minor leagues.

Bjork, 25, has played in 26 games for the Blue Jackets this season as a rookie, after signing a one-year entry-level contract in the summer. The undrafted defenseman was a solid contributor for years in the SHL before deciding to try his luck in North America, and has so far acclimated quite well.

With 11 points in those games, Bjork actually leads all Blue Jackets defensemen in scoring this season. A lot of that has to do with the major injuries suffered by key players, but it’s impressive nonetheless for a first-year player seeing part-time duty.

Christiansen, 23, only played in one game during the recent call-up, and has 18 total for the season. He has scored just two points and rarely gets much ice time. On the year, he’s averaging fewer than 14 minutes, meaning he might be better off playing in the minor leagues, if his development is still a priority.

Zack MacEwen Undergoes Surgery

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The Philadelphia Flyers won’t have Zack MacEwen in the lineup for a while, announcing that he underwent surgery today to repair a broken jaw, according to Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. His recovery timeline has been set at five weeks.

MacEwen likely suffered the injury during his fight against Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno on Thursday, one of the three-straight fights that the two teams were involved in. He didn’t see a shift after that, and now will be out through the trade deadline.

Claimed off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks in 2021, MacEwen has established himself as one of the identity players that the organization is relying on to try and turn things around. He has played 121 games since the start of last season, racking up 164 penalty minutes in the process. While he doesn’t offer much offensive production – just nine points so far this season – head coach John Tortorella has significantly increased his ice time from a year ago.

MacEwen now averages more than 12 minutes a night and has even seen some powerplay time as the net front option on the second unit. On a contender, that likely doesn’t happen given his lack of scoring. But Tortorella is trying to install a culture that rewards hard work, something MacEwen has never lacked.

Undrafted he fought his way up the Canucks depth chart and debuted in 2018-19 in just his second professional season. Now with 176 games under his belt and a regular spot in the Flyers lineup when healthy, he heads into RFA negotiations this summer with a chance at a multi-year extension. The 26-year-old is one year away from unrestricted free agency, and currently carries a $925K cap hit.

Snapshots: Islanders, Tanev, Guzda

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The New York Islanders have now lost six in a row, scoring just 11 goals in the process. A group that was once expected to be serious buyers at the trade deadline have nearly fallen out of the playoff race entirely, making it a much different situation as February approaches.

When discussing the team’s deadline plans (as best as he can figure, with Lou Lamoriello at the helm), Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet noted on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast that there was real interest in Jakob Chychrun at one point. Apparently, the Islanders balked at the asking price, something that Friedman understands, given their current position.

  • With Chris Tanev already ruled out through the All-Star break, the Calgary Flames have moved him to injured reserve. Brett Ritchie has been activated to fill his spot, and is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the team takes on the Seattle Kraken. Ritchie last played on New Year’s Eve, leaving the game after just six shifts.
  • The Florida Panthers will go with Alex Lyon in net again tonight, and are set to have Mack Guzda as the backup after recalling him this morning. To make room, Grigori Denisenko was returned to the minor leagues. Lyon has allowed 17 goals in four games so far, including seven on 49 shots Tuesday night.

Gustav Nyquist Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury

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It’s starting to get closer to the time of year when teams will be holding out potential trade assets to protect them from injury. Unfortunately, the Columbus Blue Jackets hadn’t reached that point yet with Gustav Nyquist, who suffered an injury on Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers. Today, the Blue Jackets have announced that Nyquist is out indefinitely with an upper-body ailment.

It was less than two weeks ago that reports emerged about the Blue Jackets talking to teams about Nyquist, who is on an expiring contract and comes with plenty of experience. The 33-year-old has ten goals and 22 points on the season and was playing nearly 18 minutes a night for the banged-up Columbus squad.

Just five shifts into his night against the Oilers, though, he collided with Jesse Puljujarvi and left the game. At the time, head coach Brad Larsen told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that Nyquist would be re-evaluated on Thursday. Announcing an indefinite absence is an ominous conclusion to that evaluation, though it doesn’t necessarily mean anything long-term.

What it does mean, is there will now be plenty of confusion around his deadline value. Nyquist already was showing signs of slowing down, but was still an important two-way player for the Blue Jackets and an ideal trade deadline candidate for many teams.

Just last season he scored 53 points, and given his ability to play both wings, could fit onto a third line almost anywhere. While his $5.5MM cap hit does cause a problem, the Blue Jackets have shown a willingness to retain at the deadline in the past, and could have squeezed a nice asset out of a Nyquist trade.

Now, there’s no telling if he’ll even be moved.

Matthew Peca Clears Waivers

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Jan 27: Peca has cleared waivers and can continue to play with the Thunderbirds.

Jan 26: Two players are coming off injured reserve for the St. Louis Blues. Robert Bortuzzo is joining the active roster, while Matthew Peca, who has been on season-opening injured reserve, has been placed on waivers according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.

Peca, 29, has spent the last two weeks on a conditioning loan to the AHL, where he recorded five points in six games for the Springfield Thunderbirds. His placement on waivers today allows him to continue playing for the minor league club, but requires activation from IR.

Of course, another team could also claim the depth forward. Through parts of several seasons, Peca has totaled 83 NHL games and scored 21 points. Last season for St. Louis he suited up just five times but was outstanding for the Thunderbirds, scoring 23 goals and 60 points in 68 games.

Bortuzzo, meanwhile, last played on January 7 and has appeared in 30 games for the Blues this season. The veteran defender has just one point in those games and averages 12 minutes a night in a very specific role.

Activating him now will give the Blues a bit more toughness and depth on the back end, but shouldn’t have much of an impact on their overall play. With him on the roster, the Blues are now carrying eight defensemen. Calle Rosen was the scratch in the team’s most recent game.

Lane Pederson Placed On Waivers

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The Vancouver Canucks have placed Lane Pederson on waivers today for the purpose of assigning him to the minor leagues.

It’s a curious move, given the Canucks brought Pederson in along with Ethan Bear earlier this season and have a player in Phil Di Giuseppe that could be sent to the minors without issue. Pederson has apparently played himself back off the roster, despite only getting a few opportunities.

Through ten games since arriving in Vancouver, Pederson has three points and 15 penalty minutes, last appearing in a game on January 21.

Pederson did clear waivers at the beginning of the season with the Hurricanes, and played 18 games with the Abbotsford Canucks before a recall in December. The reason that call-up was so exciting was the 17 goals he had in the AHL, scoring at nearly a goal-per-game pace.

While he’s not expected to ever do that at the NHL level, it is a bit surprising to see him back on waivers now. Even more so because he was skating next to Andrei Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson this morning, according to team broadcaster Brendan Batchelor.

St. Louis Blues Recall Nikita Alexandrov; Reassign Tyler Tucker

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After activating Robert Bortuzzo yesterday, the St. Louis Blues ended up with eight healthy defensemen on the roster. That was never going to last long, and today they’ve solved the problem by sending Tyler Tucker to the AHL. Nikita Alexandrov has been recalled in his place.

Tucker, 22, has played in 12 games for the Blues this season, showing he’s much more than the average seventh-round pick. The young defenseman has just one point but rarely looks overmatched, and should likely play a role on the team in the future.

For now, though, he’ll rejoin the Springfield Thunderbirds where he has 13 points in 25 games.

Alexandrov, 22, continues his yo-yo season, coming back up after just a few days. The young forward has four points in 16 games so far and should also get a bigger look down the stretch, especially if the Blues end up selling at the deadline. The 2019 second-round pick has 12 goals and 20 points in 23 games with the Thunderbirds.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Seattle Kraken Recall Max McCormick; Place Justin Schultz On IR

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The Seattle Kraken have moved Justin Schultz to injured reserve, as he deals with a week-to-week designation. In his place, Max McCormick has been recalled from the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

McCormick’s recall will cast doubt on the status of Matty Beniers, who was injured last night after Tyler Myers of the Vancouver Canucks threw him to the ice. Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times reports that Beniers wasn’t available for the third period.

That’s not to say the recall is undeserved. McCormick has been outstanding for Coachella, serving as captain and scoring 42 points in 38 games so far. The 30-year-old journeyman minor leaguer has transformed his game over the years, going from a physical instigator to a legitimate top-line AHL talent.

We’ll see if some of his former self appears in the NHL though. In 93 career NHL games, McCormick has 97 penalty minutes, including nine fighting majors. In ten appearances last season for the Kraken he failed to score a point.

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