Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Korchinski, Walsh
After a slow start, things haven’t gotten any better for Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi this season. As his ice time continues to dwindle, currently being utilized in a fourth-line role, so does his trade value. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has just 10 points in 49 games this season after a 35-point campaign last year.
With Edmonton expected to go all-in at this year’s trade deadline, Puljujarvi will likely see his Oilers tenure end by March 3 to make room on the roster. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli outlined some potential destinations for the Finnish winger, also reporting that general manager Ken Holland sent a note to all 31 other NHL teams two weeks ago that Puljujarvi was available for trade.
That trade could come sooner rather than later, as the Oilers need to clear salary to activate Kailer Yamamoto from long-term injured reserve. They have at least another few days, as he’s not eligible to return until February 12. Seravalli lists the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning as potential fits for Puljujarvi in a hockey trade but also says to keep the possibility of a pure cap-dump move to a salary cap floor-hugging team in mind.
- In a mailbag piece released Wednesday, Scott Powers of The Athletic noted that 2022 first-round selection Kevin Korchinski could crack the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL lineup out of training camp to start the 2023-24 season. Powers said the Blackhawks organization was impressed with his training camp before this season opened, and that “all signs” point to Korchinski being NHL-ready. Still 18, the left-shot defenseman has 40 points in 30 games with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds this season.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that current United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the current front-runner to replace Donald Fehr as the NHLPA’s Executive Director. Dreger says an NHLPA board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, which could yield a vote on whether to instate Walsh as the league’s top player representative. The former mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, has a strong labor union background and is certainly an interesting selection.
Bobby Hull Dies At 84
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.
Chicago Blackhawks Send Three To Minors
The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned a trio of players to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs this morning, per the team. Forward Luke Philp, defenseman Filip Roos, and goalie Jaxson Stauber are all headed back to the American Hockey League.
The transactions leave Chicago with no healthy extra skaters on the active roster and just one goalie, so expect some or all of Philp, Roos, and Stauber to get recalled back to the NHL when Chicago returns from the All-Star break on February 7.
After getting recalled last Monday, the 27-year-old Philp made his NHL debut the following night against Vancouver after a long Canadian collegiate and AHL career up to that point. In his second career game two days later against Calgary, he recorded his first NHL point. Philp has been a solid offensive presence in Rockford this season, recording 30 points in 31 games. He could be a candidate to see a second recall later this season.
Roos, an undrafted 24-year-old rookie out of Sweden, has played 15 games with Chicago this year, recording a goal and two assists. He unexpectedly cracked Chicago’s opening night roster and lasted quite a while, as he stayed there until the Blackhawks assigned him to Rockford on December 13. After just over a month in the minors, where he had a respectable three goals and seven points in 17 games, Roos was recalled to Chicago along with Philp last Monday.
Stauber is the third undrafted free agent signing on this list, acquired by the Blackhawks in free agency after he posted a .921 save percentage in 37 games with Providence College last season. Despite some subpar AHL numbers (a .896 mark through 12 games in Rockford), Stauber’s played well in limited NHL action. He’s stopped 63 of 67 shots faced in two games with Chicago this year, both wins.
Rockford IceHogs Announce Injury Updates
- The Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, announced two major injury updates today. Firstly, the team announced that veteran forward Garrett Mitchell will be out for the season after undergoing left shoulder surgery. Secondly, the team revealed that Buddy Robinson would miss up to six weeks with a wrist fracture. Both Mitchell, the IceHogs’ captain, and Robinson are on expiring contracts, so one hopes that they can have positive recoveries and get back to full health in time to secure a quality contract for next season.
Chicago Blackhawks Make Several Roster Moves
The Chicago Blackhawks have placed Tyler Johnson on injured reserve, and sent Isaak Phillips to the AHL. In their place, Luke Philp and Filip Roos have been recalled.
Johnson played just five shifts last night before exiting with an ankle injury, and was seen in a walking boot after the game. It’s just the latest in a long list of setbacks this season, derailing what has looked like a strong bounce-back whenever Johnson is in the lineup.
Through 22 appearances, the 32-year-old forward has five goals and 14 points, already doubling his point total from last year. He just can’t seem to stay healthy, leading to multiple stints on injured reserve. One thing in his favor is his contract, which will ensure his financial stability for another year. Johnson is signed through 2023-24 at a $5MM cap hit.
Phillips, 21, has played in 11 games for the Blackhawks this season and recorded his fourth point of the year on Saturday. The young defenseman has seen inconsistent ice time and has looked overmatched at times, but generally showed that he will soon be ready for NHL action.
He’ll be replaced on the roster by Roos, who skated in 15 games earlier this year before a recent stint in the minor leagues. The 24-year-old undrafted defenseman has three NHL points to his name in this, his rookie season.
Should Philp enter the lineup, it will be his first taste of NHL action. Undrafted, the 27-year-old has battled through three years at the University of Alberta and parts of four minor league seasons before getting this opportunity. This year with the Rockford IceHogs he has been outstanding, scoring 30 points in 31 games so far.
Maple Leafs Have Shown Interest In Jake McCabe
With veteran defenseman Jake Muzzin out indefinitely and with it not appearing as if he will be back anytime soon, there has been an expectation that the Maple Leafs will look outside the organization to try to shore up their back end. It appears one of the options they’re interested in is Blackhawks blueliner Jake McCabe, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (video link).
The 29-year-old is in his second season with Chicago after spending his first eight NHL seasons with Buffalo. While McCabe isn’t known for his point production (the 22 he had last season stands as his career-high), he has been a quality defensive defender that can block shots and play with a physical edge which are some of the elements that Muzzin was bringing to the table for Toronto prior to his cervical spine injury.
McCabe has two seasons left on his contract after this one that carries a $4MM AAV. On the surface, it would be difficult to see McCabe fitting into Toronto’s salary structure but there are a couple of ways it could potentially work. The first would be convincing Chicago to retain part of the contract to help make the money work; teams can retain up to 50% in a trade. However, getting them to hold back that much would undoubtedly make the acquisition cost considerably higher, especially with the term left on the deal.
The other option is one that they’ll have to wait on for a while. Muzzin is expected to be re-evaluated at some point next month and if they get word that the veteran won’t be back at all this season, Toronto could then fit McCabe’s full AAV into their LTIR pool which includes Muzzin’s $5.625MM AAV. There would still be some questions about making the money work beyond 2022-23, however, barring some sort of indication that Muzzin’s injury is going to continue to linger.
Worth noting is that McCabe also has a seven-team no-trade clause. While Seravalli notes that the majority of those no-trade teams are Canadian franchises, the Maple Leafs appear to be the one exception which would suggest that he’s amenable to joining them.
Again, with Muzzin’s situation, this isn’t a move that the Maple Leafs will be able to make until they get some further clarity on their veteran. But that doesn’t stop them from exploring their options in the meantime and McCabe is certainly an interesting target to help replace a lot of what Muzzin brought to the table when he was healthy.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Jaxson Stauber
Another day, another recall for Jaxson Stauber of the Chicago Blackhawks. The minor league goaltender is back up after Petr Mrazek was run out of the building on Saturday. Mrazek allowed four goals on five shots before being pulled against the Seattle Kraken.
If you want a strong signal that the Blackhawks management is focused on the first overall pick, Mrazek’s continued presence is it. The veteran goaltender has an .875 save percentage on the year, a 4.26 goals-against average, and has won just three of his 16 appearances.
Stauber’s recall could suggest that there is an injury, or perhaps that Alex Stalock isn’t ready yet. Yesterday, the coaching staff told reporters including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic that Stalock would likely start against the Buffalo Sabres. Lazerus adds that Stalock is not on the ice for morning skate. (Update: Stalock is in concussion protocol and will not play)
The 23-year-old Stauber has played 12 professional games, all of them with the Rockford IceHogs. He has an .896 save percentage in those appearances. Undrafted, he was signed out of Providence College last year.
Toews Undecided On Staying With Chicago
Ever since the Blackhawks started their rebuild, there has been plenty of trade speculation surrounding their two long-term veterans including captain Jonathan Toews. He acknowledged to NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis that he hasn’t sat down with GM Kyle Davidson to discuss if he’ll be willing to waive his trade protection and leave the only franchise he has played for over a 15-year NHL career. He indicated that as of yet, he hasn’t decided what’s next for him:
While Toews isn’t the top center he once was, he’s having a decent season with 12 goals and 12 assists in 40 games while winning nearly 64% of his faceoffs. Assuming that the Blackhawks will cover the maximum 50% of his contract ($5.25MM of a $10.5MM AAV), they’ll undoubtedly have several interested teams should Toews decide to make himself available to be traded by March 3rd’s trade deadline.
Patrick Kane Returns To Blackhawks' Lineup
- As expected, Patrick Kane confirmed to reporters including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic that he will make his return to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup tonight after missing a few games with a lower-body injury. All eyes are on Kane as the trade deadline approaches, and while he continues to climb up the all-time points list. His 1,207 regular season points put him 48th, just two behind Bernie Nicholls and three behind Bobby Clarke.
Drew Commesso Likely To Turn Pro After College Season
- While he has another year of NCAA eligibility remaining, goalie Drew Commesso is likely to turn pro for next season, suggests Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 20-year-old was the 46th pick in 2020 by the Blackhawks and has had a bit of an up-and-down third season with Boston University. His GAA (2.58) and SV% (.910) are actually a little worse than last season although a pair of rough starts out of his 14 appearances skew that somewhat. Commesso has also dealt with a hamstring injury which has limited his playing time thus far.