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Anton Strålman To Retire

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Longtime NHL defender Anton Strålman has retired, as noted by Robin Olausson of Hockey Sverige. Neither he nor the NHL Alumni Association have made an official announcement, but he’s now joined Swedish women’s soccer club Skultorps IF as a coach, Olausson said.

Strålman’s NHL career all but ended over a year ago. After managing to land a contract off a PTO with the Bruins in training camp in 2022, he failed to stick around at the NHL level, playing just eight games for Boston and spending a good chunk of the 2022-23 campaign in AHL Providence. A free agent last summer, he returned home to put a bookend on his career by suiting up for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League, where he had 16 points (2 G, 14 A), 10 PIMs, and a -12 rating in 48 games. He added an assist and a +3 rating in their relegation series against IK Oskarshamn to help them stay at the top level of the Swedish pyramid.

The 38-year-old was once one of the more underrated two-way defenders in the NHL. Drafted 216th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2005, Strålman broke into the NHL three years later. After a pair of seasons covering depth bottom-pairing duties for Toronto, he was traded to the Flames and then flipped again to the Blue Jackets in the 2009 offseason.

The move to Columbus is what truly jumpstarted his career. Strålman’s first season in Ohio saw him average over 20 minutes per game and break out for 34 points in 73 contests. He’d regress to a goal and 18 points in 51 games the following year, though, marking the end of his brief stint with the Jackets. He was non-tendered and became a UFA in 2011 at the age of 24, and he needed to wait until after the 2011-12 campaign started to catch on with his next NHL team – the Rangers.

In New York, Strålman’s game never popped offensively, but he did do well to establish himself as a reliable defensive presence who could shoulder second-pairing minutes. He averaged 18:22 per game in the Big Apple with solid possession metrics, posting a 54.3 CF% in front of expert goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist to lead to a cumulative +32 rating in 182 appearances for the Rangers, adding seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points.

That showing boosted his market value significantly heading into free agency in 2014, landing a five-year, $22.5MM deal with the Lightning that stands as the most lucrative contract of his career. His play popped accordingly in Tampa Bay, immediately making an impact with a career-high 30 assists and 39 points in 82 games before the Bolts marched their way to the Stanley Cup Final. Strålman maintained a high level of play in Tampa, averaging around 30 points per 82 games and logging nearly 22 minutes per game, with a cumulative +80 rating across his five-year deal.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t a part of their three straight Stanley Cup Final runs from 2020 to 2022. He priced himself out of Tampa upon reaching free agency again in 2019, instead inking a three-year, $16.5MM contract with the intrastate rival Panthers. That marked the beginning of the end of his NHL career, and by Year 2 of the contract, he’d fallen out of a top-four role. He had nine points in 38 games for Florida in 2020-21, leading them to surrender a second-round pick to dump the final year of his deal at a $5.5MM cap hit on the Coyotes.

Strålman did have a brief resurgence on a thin Arizona blue line, rebounding for 23 points in 74 games in 2021-22 while averaging 21:20 per game. It was his best offensive total in five years, and his highest usage in four, but his once-sparking possession metrics continued to dip below average. He needed the aforementioned PTO with Boston to keep his NHL career alive the following year before heading home in 2023.

All told, Strålman finishes his NHL career with 63 goals, 230 assists, 293 points, a +46 rating, and a 51.3 CF% in 938 appearances while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. He made the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years with the Rangers and Lightning and totaled 26 points and a -4 rating in 113 playoff games. PHR wishes Strålman the best in the next phase of his career.

Erik Gudbranson Leaves Game With Injury

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Josh Yohe of The Athletic doesn’t believe that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi should be removed from the Penguins lineup again anytime soon. Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch for the Penguins back on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs after he had been good in the first two games of the season, posting one assist.

The 26-year-old returned to the lineup last night for Pittsburgh against the Montreal Canadiens and tallied an assist in just over 12 minutes of ice time. He has looked like a different player this season for Pittsburgh after having a full summer of training. Puljujarvi had been limited last season after having double hip surgery and was healthy scratched on numerous occasions. When he did play, he wasn’t impactful, posting three goals and an assist in 22 games.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Josh Yohe of The Athletic wonders if Penguins rookie Rutger McGroarty might get some time in the American Hockey League soon after he was healthy scratched last night against Montreal. The 20-year-old has barely been noticeable so far this season, going pointless in three games while averaging just 11:37 of ice time per game. He has been decent away from the puck registering three hits and a takeaway while posting solid possession numbers. Pittsburgh has given McGroarty ample opportunity in the offensive zone, starting him in the offensive zone 75% of the time, but the former 14th overall pick has yet to show much of a pulse offensively at the NHL level.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that defenseman Erik Gudbranson will not return to tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers after suffering an upper-body injury. Gudbranson collided with teammate Sean Monahan in the neutral zone and was in obvious pain as he got to his feet. He appeared to be favoring his wrist when he left the ice and didn’t come out with his Blue Jackets teammates for the start of the third period. Columbus doesn’t play until Thursday against Buffalo and the Blue Jackets will likely have an update on Gudbranson before that contest.

East Notes: Tavares, Nylander, Farabee, Aston-Reese

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The Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed centerman John Tavares back to practice this morning after he missed the team’s last game due to illness, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. However, the flu-bug isn’t out of Toronto just yet, with Tavares’ linemate William Nylander missing the practice because of illness. Tavares stepped into a role on the second-line and top power-play unit with Nylander out.

Toronto loses a star and gains a star with these updates. Nylander leads the team in scoring with two goals through three games – the only Leaf to score multiple goals so far – though Tavares also scored in the team’s season opener. The duo were the focus of plenty of debate this summer, with many wondering if Nylander could fill the second-line center role that Tavares has served in since 2018-19. The former certainly showed signs of that capacity in Tavares’ absence, winning four of his six faceoffs on Sunday, though new head coach Craig Berube hasn’t fully entrusted him with that role. With the two now tagging out, Tavares will get a chance to prove that he can still be a productive member of the top-six, for a Maple Leafs team in need of the boost.

Other notes from out East:

  • Top Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee shared that he’ll be good to go for the team’s Tuesday night game against Edmonton, per Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. Farabee missed the team’s Monday practice as the result of a “maintenance day”, as described by head coach John Tortorella. He’s recorded one goal and one assist through two games this season, one of just three Flyers with multiple points. Farabee will look to continue offering depth scoring on Tuesday.
  • Centerman Zach Aston-Reese has been cleared to return to the lineup after leaving the team’s Saturday game early, shares NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Aston-Reese suffered an upper-body injury on his first shift of the game, though he was able to skate at practice on both Monday and Tuesday. Now back to full health, he’ll return to a gritty role on the team’s fourth-line, searching for his first NHL point since the 2022-23 campaign.

Blue Jackets Activate, Reassign Max McCue

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The Blue Jackets announced they’ve activated forward prospect Max McCue from season-opening injured reserve and sent him down to AHL Cleveland. He barely participated in training camp due to an undisclosed injury, which has evidently now been resolved.

McCue, 21, was a fifth-round pick by the Sharks in the 2021 draft but became a free agent last summer after San Jose’s exclusive signing period lapsed. He played out his overage OHL season with the London Knights last year, recording 61 points in 62 games, before inking an entry-level deal with Columbus.

The physical 6’1″, 183-lb center may have some upside as a fourth-line piece down the line. But the lack of game-breaking offensive production as an overage player in juniors on a championship-caliber team is a red flag for his breakout potential as an impact player in the NHL. He’ll look to prove those premonitions wrong this year in Cleveland, where he’ll get his first taste of professional hockey.

If McCue reaches the NHL over the life of his ELC, he’ll carry an $858K cap hit. His deal runs through the 2026-27 season, and he’ll be an RFA upon expiry.

East Notes: Tavares, Woll, Lindgren, Aston-Reese, Red Wings

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Toronto Maple Leafs centerman John Tavares continued to sit out of the team’s practices on Monday as he recovers from illness, shares TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Craig Berube said that Tavares is close to a return, but wasn’t quite fit enough for practice today. Tavares already missed Toronto’s Saturday win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, replaced in the lineup by Bobby McMann and Steven Lorentz.

Tavares is taking on a much different look this season, no longer donning the team’s ‘C’ and taking yet another hit in ice time. He’s averaged roughly 17 minutes through two games on the year, continuing his slip from 18 minutes in each of the last four seasons, and 19 minutes in his first two years with the Leafs. The 2009 first-overall pick is now 34 and entering the sunset years of his career, but that hasn’t meant a lack of scoring, as Tavares continues challenging point-per-game production with 29 goals and 65 points in 80 games last year. He’s now totaled 420 points in 442 games with Toronto, including a career-high 88 points in 2018-19, his first year with the club.

In addition to updates on Tavares, Masters also shared that goaltender Joseph Woll returned to the ice before the team’s formal practice, with Berube saying he could practice tomorrow. Toronto placed Woll on injured reserve with a lower-body injury on October 9th. This marks his first return to skating, and notable progress as he looks to return to the role of starting goalie. In the meantime, Dennis Hildeby and Anthony Stolarz will continue to hold down Toronto’s crease.

Other notes from out East:

  • New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren returned to full contact at the team’s Monday practice, shares Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. Mercogliano points out that Lindgren isn’t eligible to return until Thursday because of his IR placement on October 7th. Head coach Peter Laviolette shared that Lindgren’s injury was suffered in a fight with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield, hence his full visor today. Lindgren recorded 17 points in 76 games with the Rangers last season, providing much-needed defensive accumen to the team’s top-four. He’ll get a chance to return to those top minutes when he’s eligible to return on Thursday.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets centerman Zach Aston-Reese was spotted at the team’s practice, though not a part of line rushes shares Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Aston-Reese exited the team’s Saturday game early following a high hit on his first shift of the game.  exiting the team’s Saturday game early, He’s gone without a point in two games with Columbus so far, though will certainly appreciate the chance to earn an NHL role after spending all of last season in the AHL, scoring 30 points in 61 games. Portzline points out that, should Aston-Reese sit, it will be Dylan Gambrell filling his role on the Columbus fourth-line.
  • Both forward Christian Fischer and defenseman Jeff Petry continue to sit out of Detroit’s practices with injury shares Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Both players are nursing upper-body, day-to-day ailments and are expected to miss Detroit’s Monday night game. St. James notes that their absence on Monday will allow Austin Watson to join the lineup. Albert Johansson will be the likely favorite for any vacant role on defense. Both Fischer and Petry figure to contribute depth roles when they’re able to return.

Zach Aston-Reese Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury

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Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek didn’t travel with the team to Winnipeg for tonight’s game against the Jets after he suffered an apparent injury in last night’s game against the Seattle Kraken (as per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman). Eriksson Ek was left bloodied after a second-period hit from Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson caught him on the nose. Larsson’s elbow appeared to catch the 27-year-old up high, forcing him to leave the game for the remainder of the second period.

Eriksson Ek attempted to return to the game in the third period and took one shift while wearing a bubble shield on his helmet. He left after one shift and didn’t return or get on the team’s flight after the game. Minnesota head coach John Hynes did not provide a post-game update.

In other morning notes:

  • Newly acquired Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Roy left the game last night during his Capitals debut (as per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News). The 29-year-old played his last shift about three minutes into the second period and didn’t appear to suffer any obvious injury. He ended the night playing just 8:39 and Washington announced he would not return near the end of the second period. Roy signed a six-year $34.5MM with the Capitals on July 1st and was expected to be a regular in the team’s top four. He missed just one game over the past two seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Kings.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets forward Zach Aston-Reese left last night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche with an upper-body injury (as per Blue Jackets reporter Jeff Svoboda). The 30-year-old appeared to suffer the injury when he was hit up high during his first shift of the night. Aston-Reese was acquired off waivers last week from the Vegas Golden Knights and started the season on the Blue Jackets’ fourth line. The eight-year NHL veteran was hoping to secure an NHL role once again this season after spending almost all of last season in the AHL. Aston-Reese played just three games last year in the NHL with Detroit and remains a strong defensive forward, but brings very little in the way of offense. If he can’t play on Tuesday when Columbus takes on Florida, Dylan Gambrell will likely take his spot.

East Notes: Kapanen, Grimaldi, Thompson

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After a strong training camp, Canadiens center prospect Oliver Kapanen was a surprise inclusion on the opening night roster. The 21-year-old pivot sat in the press box for their season opener against the Maple Leafs but made his NHL debut in last night’s loss to the Bruins, recording an assist and a shot on goal in 10:22 of ice time.

The 2021 second-round pick is demonstrating he has a decently high offensive ceiling. After all, he did show up in a big way for Liiga’s KalPa last year, posting 34 points (14 G, 20 A) in 51 games. That’s strong production for a youngster in a European pro league, and tacking on his six goals in eight games for the Finns at the 2024 World Championship, it’s clear he’s knocking on the door of full-time NHL minutes.

But there isn’t an extremely clear path to them yet, with Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, and Christian Dvorak down the middle. It’s foreseeable that Kapanen won’t spend the whole year on the NHL roster. While they would typically be required to first offer him back to his European team (now Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League) due to transfer regulations for some international non-first-round picks, that may not be the case. He could spend the rest of the season on assignment to AHL Laval if he spends at least 60 days on Montreal’s roster to open the campaign, as Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gambler pointed out. That’s a decently likely scenario with Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Patrik Laine facing long-term injuries. Kapanen would likely play out the rest of the year in the minors once one is ready to return.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, have landed minor-league scoring star Rocco Grimaldi on a 25-game tryout, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. He’ll suit up with the Monsters to start the year while he continues his quest to land a two-way NHL contract. The undersized 31-year-old last saw NHL minutes with the Predators in the 2021-22 campaign, but he’s been an adequate depth offensive presence when given the chance, with 30 goals and 37 assists in 203 career NHL appearances. The former second-round pick of the Panthers has posted over a point per game in three straight AHL campaigns, including 73 in 72 games last year with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
  • Capitals netminder Logan Thompson has returned to the team today after missing a few days while on personal leave, reports Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. The Caps don’t open their season until tomorrow, so it’s unclear if their offseason trade pickup from Vegas will get the opening-night start over resident No. 1 Charlie Lindgren. Thompson made a career-high 42 starts for the Golden Knights last year, posting a 25-14-5 record with a .908 SV%, 2.70 GAA, one shutout, and 6.5 GSAA.

Boone Jenner Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, May Not Return This Season

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Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell announced today that captain Boone Jenner is out indefinitely after undergoing shoulder surgery. “Our hope is he can return before the end of the season,” Waddell said, but there’s no guarantee he’ll suit up at all in 2024-25. Waddell later added Jenner would be out for at least five months, marking the beginning of March as his earliest opportunity to return, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Jenner sustained the injury in practice last week after losing an edge and crashing into the boards. After landing on IR before the season-opening rosters were due, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic indicated he could be out multiple months. Today’s news isn’t quite the worst-case scenario for Jenner, but it’s certainly not promising.

The shoulder surgery adds to a long list of injuries that’s prevented Jenner from playing more than 70 games in a season since the COVID-19 pandemic. While the 31-year-old has been an invaluable piece for Columbus, putting up the best offensive numbers of his career after assuming the captaincy in 2021, a broken jaw and recurring back problems have truncated his last three campaigns at 59, 68 and 58 games, respectively.

A Blue Jackets lifer, Jenner was a second-round pick of Columbus back in 2011. His career averages suggest the offensive output of a squarely middle-six center, posting 22 goals and 42 points per 82 games. But he’s averaged over 20 minutes per game in the last three years, and with increased usage has come increased production. The Ontario native has produced a 32-goal, 55-point clip per 82 games since the 2021-22 campaign. He’s done so on a bargain-bin four-year, $15MM extension he signed before his 2021 resurgence – some will remember his 30-goal, 49-point breakout campaign for the Jackets way back in 2015-16.

Jenner’s absence will deprive Columbus of their top forward for most of the season, diminishing the effectiveness of an already thin group. He was expected to shift to the wing from center this year, so Adam Fantilli and Sean Monahan won’t see much of an increase in responsibility from their already-anticipated top-six roles. But Jenner’s injury will lead to more ice time for late-summer UFA pickups Kevin Labanc and James van Riemsdyk, who now each project to play tonight’s season opener in second-line roles flanking Fantilli, per the team’s Jeff Svoboda.

In much more positive news, winger Dmitri Voronkov, who also started the season on IR, isn’t expected to miss nearly as much time as Jenner with his upper body injury, per Waddell. He doesn’t require surgery and could return by the end of next month, Svoboda relays.

Miscellaneous Transactions: 10/7/24

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Today marks the eve of the official start of the 2024-25 NHL regular season. All 32 teams are expected to finalize their 23-man rosters today and several transactions coming along with it. Some of these moves will be considered “paper transactions” so clubs can maximize their cap space for the regular season as most of these names will be involved in new transactions over the coming days. Here’s a look at some of today’s action:

  • Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports the New York Rangers have placed Jimmy Vesey on long-term injured reserve and Ryan Lindgren on injured reserve to start the season. In a major sway with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers have sent down Adam Edstrom, Matt Rempe, William Cuylle, Victor Mancini, and Brett Berard while recalling Jake Leschyshyn, Adam Sykora, Anton Blidh, and Ben Harpur.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned promising defensive prospect, Harrison Brunicke, to the WHL’s Kamploop Blazers. Brunicke was the 44th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft and became a popular candidate to make the Penguins’ roster out of training camp. He scored 10 goals and 21 points in 49 games for the Blazers last season and will now look to extrapolate on that during his third year with the team.
  • Despite suiting up in three games for the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs; defenseman Maxwell Crozier will not make the team out of camp. The organization announced they assigned Crozier to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, to start the 2024-25 NHL season. He tallied two assists in 13 regular season games for the Bolts last year.
  • The San Jose Sharks made their final four cuts from their training camp roster earlier today. The team announced they assigned defensemen Luca Cagnoni and Jack Thompson and forwards Ethan Cardwell and Collin Graf to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
  • The Ottawa Senators recently released their 23-man roster to start the year and with that came a few roster cuts. Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News reported the Senators reassigned Jan Jenik after passing through waivers and Zack Ostapchuk to their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
  • Unsurprisingly, the Buffalo Sabres sent Lukas Rousek and Kale Clague to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, after the two cleared waivers earlier today. Rousek has been a rock-solid player for the Americans over the last two years with 26 goals and 97 points in 121 games.
  • To make space for their final 23-man roster, the Carolina Hurricanes made a series of roster moves. Walt Ruff, an employee for the organization, reported the Hurricanes sent down Josiah Slavin, Ty Smith, and Ryan Suzuki who all cleared waivers earlier today to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Forward prospect Jackson Blake has also been assigned to AHL Chicago but the Hurricanes are expected to make more moves before their regular season opener on Friday.
  • When the Colorado Avalanche announced their opening night roster for the 2024-25 campaign, they also announced a few transactions. The team reassigned Adam Scheel, T.J. Tynan, Nikolai Kovalenko, Ondrej Pavel, and Ivan Ivan to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. Colorado only has 11 forwards currently listed on the roster so there is a reasonable assumption the team will bring one of the forwards back up to the NHL roster before their regular season opener.
  • Forward James Malatesta became the odd man out for the Columbus Blue Jackets as the team announced he was the final cut from the training camp roster. The quick forward will look to grow his game with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after scoring 12 goals and 22 points in 56 games for the team last year in addition to one goal and two points in nine postseason contests.
  • All five players placed on waivers by the Detroit Red Wings yesterday have cleared and been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. The team announced defensemen Justin Holl, William Lagesson, and Brogan Rafferty were reassigned with forwards Joe Snively and Sheldon Dries.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have made their final training camp cuts as they announced their official opening night roster. Samuel Fagemo, Jack Studnicka, and Pheonix Copley have all been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, after clearing waivers yesterday while forward prospect Koehn Ziemmer has been loaned to the WHL’s Prince George Cougars.
  • One surprising training camp cut came out of the St. Louis Blues preseason. The team announced Zachary Bolduc, Tyler Tucker, and Corey Schueneman had been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Blues front office brass may be looking for more offensive accomplishments from Bolduc before making him a full-time NHL player after only scoring eight goals and 25 points in 50 games in the AHL last year.

This page will be updated with additional transactions. 

Blue Jackets Claim Zach Aston-Reese Off Waivers From Golden Knights

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The Blue Jackets have picked up depth forward Zach Aston-Reese off waivers from the Golden Knights, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Aston-Reese, 30, had signed a one-year, two-way pact ($775K/$475K) to join Vegas in July. After failing to carve out a roster spot in Vegas, losing it chiefly to PTO signee Tanner Pearson, he’ll now play out that deal in the Blue Jackets organization.

It’s not surprising to see Aston-Reese land somewhere else, especially with a Columbus club in need of forward depth. During his five seasons as a full-time NHLer from 2018 to 2023 with the Penguins, Ducks, and Maple Leafs, he was a regular in a fourth-line role and had some of the best even-strength defensive impacts in the league, even earning Selke votes in 2020. But he had to settle for a two-way deal with the Red Wings last year and barely played in the NHL, clearing waivers and spending most of the season with AHL Grand Rapids. He logged just three appearances with Detroit and averaged just 5:09 per game, going without a point.

Aston-Reese’s point production in Grand Rapids was what you’d expect for a defensive forward with NHL upside, totaling 30 points in 61 games. With his career 52.2 xGF% in heavy defensive zone usage, he’ll provide value to Columbus’ bottom six early on even if he’s not finding the back of the net with any frequency.

He could potentially shift to left wing for the Jackets and comprise a fourth line with Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier. Columbus still needs to send one forward to AHL Cleveland in the next couple of hours, either James Malatesta or Mikael Pyyhtia, to get their active roster down to 23 players.

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