Wild Expected To Recall Adam Beckman
The Wild are expected to announce the recall of winger Adam Beckman from AHL Iowa on Sunday, The Athletic’s Michael Russo said. He joins the team in place of winger Marcus Foligno, who left Minnesota’s 3-2 win over the Penguins on Friday early in the third period with an undisclosed injury and did not practice Sunday morning, per Russo.
This is Beckman’s second recall in the last six days. The Wild summoned him on Monday to fill out their forward depth, but with Vinni Lettieri returning from a lower-body injury before Wednesday’s game against the Blackhawks, Beckman didn’t slot into the lineup and was returned to Iowa before Friday’s game.
The 22-year-old is in his third pro season since being selected in the third round, 75th overall, by the Wild in the 2019 draft. With 10 goals and 10 assists (20 points) in 39 games for Iowa, he’s on pace to fall short of last season’s 24 goals and 36 points, both of which were career-highs, set in 53 games.
Now an alternate captain at the minor-league level, Beckman’s high-end scoring during his time in junior hockey with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs hasn’t fully translated to the pro level. Projecting as more of a top-nine threat than a top-six one if he works his way onto the Minnesota roster full-time, the Saskatchewan-born winger has one assist in 12 NHL appearances over the last three years.
Beckman could make his season debut Monday against the Golden Knights if Foligno is unable to play. The Wild do not have another forward on the roster to draw into the lineup and would need to dress seven defensemen if they opt to sit Beckman again.
With an open roster spot and ample cap space, given captain Jared Spurgeon‘s long-term injured reserve placement, Minnesota will not need to execute a corresponding transaction to recall Beckman. He is in the final season of his entry-level contract, which carries an $894.2K cap hit, and will be an RFA this summer.
Foligno, 32, will miss his fifth game of the season due to illness or injury if he is not cleared to play. The 13-year veteran has again been a solid two-way force for Minnesota in a third-line role, recording 20 points in 47 games while posting an expected +3.8 rating, good enough for fifth on the team.
Carolina Hurricanes Announce Multiple Injury Updates
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta will likely miss “at least a couple weeks” with a lower-body injury, per head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Raanta is in the midst of a tremulous season that’s seen him placed on waivers, play two AHL games, and record a .872 save percentage in 24 NHL games. But he’s remained a pivotal piece of the Hurricanes lineup, playing in just one fewer game than the team’s de facto starter Pyotr Kochetkov, largely thanks to the string of injuries facing the Hurricanes crease.
Raanta, 34, is facing the worst save percentage of his NHL career this season – with his last save percentage below .900 coming in his rookie season in 2013-14. His 11-year career has been marred by injuries, with Raanta only appearing in more than 30 games in one season just three times. The inconsistent health has limited him to being a career backup, despite posting 139 wins and a .915 save percentage in 277 career games. This includes his 2017-18 season when Raanta posted a .930 save percentage and 21 wins through 47 games with the Arizona Coyotes.
The Carolina Hurricanes have also shared that defenseman Brett Pesce is questionable for the team’s Saturday night game against the New Jersey Devils due to illness, per team reporter Walt Ruff. That could give way for Tony DeAngelo to make his way into the lineup. The 28-year-old DeAngelo has appeared in 22 games this season and scored nine points – a far step down from his usual productivity. The team will also be getting star winger Andrei Svechnikov back on Saturday, though, with the 23-year-old making his return after missing the last six games with an upper-body injury. Svechnikov has 30 points through 29 games this season, making him just one of two Hurricanes players scoring at a point-per-game pace.
Afternoon Notes: Perron, Harvey-Pinard, Athanasiou
The Edmonton Oilers could be interested in trading for Detroit Red Wings winger David Perron, per team reporter Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Matheson shares that Oiler general manager Ken Holland has long been a fan of Perron, though the Red Wings would need to retain half of Perron’s $4.75MM cap hit if any deal were to go through. The Oilers have proven their interest in veteran wingers already, signing free agent Corey Perry to a one-year, $1MM contract. Perry managed his first point as an Oiler on Friday, recording an assist on Evander Kane’s second-period goal.
Perron, 35, has been in the NHL since 2007 – jumping straight into the league after getting selected 26th overall in the 2007 NHL Draft. His 27 points in 62 games as a rookie is the lowest that Perron has scored in his career when he appeared in 50 or more games in a season. He’s proven incredibly productive, even into his glory years – tallying 58, 57, and 56 points respectively across the last three seasons. He has 10 goals and 23 points in 44 games this year, currently on his lowest scoring pace since the 2015-16 season when he managed just 16 points in 43 games.
Perry and Perron aren’t just 1000-game veterans of the NHL, they’re both Stanley Cup champions – with Perry winning with the 2007 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Perron winning with the 2019 St. Louis Blues. The pair has nearly 300 playoff games under their belt – with Perron making up 104 of those games – bringing a much-needed playoff poise to an Oilers team that has made the Conference Finals just once since 2006.
The Red Wings would have the upper hand in any trade negotiations for Perron, especially since they’ll need to retain salary. The Oilers own their first-round selection in each of the next three drafts, as well as their second-round pick this year. They may need to be ready to part with some of those picks if they want to bring in a 17-year veteran in Perron.
Other notes from around the league:
- Montreal Canadiens forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard exited the team’s Saturday afternoon game against the Dallas Stars with a lower-body injury suffered on a collision with teammate Joel Armia. Harvy-Pinard previously missed seven weeks of the season with a lower-body injury, limiting the 25-year-old to just 23 games on the season. He’s scored one goal and seven points in those outings, adding six penalty minutes.
- The Chicago Blackhawks saw Andreas Athanasiou return to practice on Saturday, marking his first skate since suffering a groin injury in early November. Athanasiou, 29, has played in just 11 games this season, recording four assists but still searching for his first goal of the year. His return will be a breath of fresh air for a Blackhawks offense that’s scored just 10 goals over their last eight games, going 1-6-1 in the matchups. Athanasiou scored 20 goals and 40 points last season, his highest productivity since scoring 30 goals and 54 points in the 2018-19 season.
Vegas Golden Knights Updates
As the Vegas Golden Knights took the ice for practice this morning in preparation for their upcoming game against the Minnesota Wild on Monday, they issued a plethora of updates regarding key players. The team announced that Mark Stone, Zach Whitecloud, and Jonas Rondbjerg would all miss practice due to illness, indicating that there may be a bug making its way around the team. In the same announcement, the team has also sent defenseman Kaedan Korczak to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
Outside of those missing practice, the team also announced that defenseman Shea Theodore was back at practice in a non-contact jersey, indicating that he may be close to returning. Out for much of the season, Theodore has scored four goals and 18 points in 20 games for the Golden Knights this year before an upper-body injury took him out of the lineup back on November 22nd.
Given that the team does not play until after the weekend, it would be reasonable to assume that Stone, Whitecloud, and Rondbjerg could all return without missing any games. However, it is important to note that Vegas has dealt with several injuries to key players throughout much of the season, and losing three players from illness would severely limit their depth moving forward.
In Korczak, this transaction will mark his third demotion of the season, with the other two coming in early January and early November, respectively. In December, Korczak suffered an undisclosed injury keeping him out of the lineup for nearly a month, limiting his play in Henderson to only five games on the year.
At the NHL level, Korczak has skated in 26 games for the Golden Knights this year, marking a career-high in terms of games played over the last three seasons. Averaging 16 and a half minutes of ice time a game, Korczak has scored one goal and nine points while also sporting a productive 50.4 CorsiFor% and a 94.2% On-Ice Save Percentage in All Situations.
Snapshots: Giordano, Timmins, Romanov, Ristolainen
In tonight’s Battle of Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be without a few notable defensemen as David Alter of The Hockey News reports that Mark Giordano will be out with a lower-body injury, and Conor Timmins is out with an illness. Alter did point out that Giordano is listed as day-to-day, but could be out longer as the injury was sustained in the team’s most recent game on Wednesday.
This news likely means that either William Lagesson or Maxime Lajoie will draw into the lineup this evening, with the latter having been recalled on an emergency loan yesterday. Of the two, Lagesson has certainly had more opportunity at the NHL level, playing in 21 games for the Maple Leafs this season compared to four for Lajoie.
Whatever the case may be, the depth of Toronto’s defensive core will be tested during their matchup tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Although his production has fallen significantly since his Norris Trophy-winning season of 2018-19, Giordano has been more than reliable for the Maple Leafs this season, scoring one goal and six points in 34 games, averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per game.
Other snapshots:
- The New York Islanders will be without defenseman Alexander Romanov this afternoon, as the team announced he is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Not much of an offensive threat from the blue line, Romanov has nevertheless been solid for the Islanders this season, skating alongside Noah Dobson at the top of the team’s defensive core. In 51 games for New York this year, Romanov has scored five goals and 13 points, producing a +15 rating while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time per game.
- Rasmus Ristolainen will be back in the lineup tonight for the Philadelphia Flyers after missing the team’s last game due to illness (X Link). Struggling to live up to his relatively large contract in Philadelphia, Ristolainen has only skated in 30 games for the Flyers this season, missing much of the beginning of the season with an undisclosed injury. Averaging the lowest time on ice of his career up to this point, Ristolainen has scored one goal and four points for Philadelphia this year.
Atlantic Notes: Mittelstadt, Kane, Sanderson
In an article this morning from Lyle Richardson of Spector’s Hockey, he mentions that the Buffalo Sabres are actively shopping forward Casey Mittelstadt in hopes of bringing a top-tier goaltender into the organization. Currently leading the Sabres in points with 42, Mittelstadt is set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end, likely hoping to get a long-term deal in Buffalo similar to Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson.
To put some cold water on the report, shortly after Richardson’s article was published in Spector’s Hockey, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News quickly downplayed the reports, citing that the Sabres are more than comfortable moving forward with a tandem of Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. In Lysowski’s defence, Luukkonen has been rather remarkable over his last 10 games, putting together a 6-4-0 record since December 30th all while averaging a .940 SV%.
Ultimately, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle regarding the future of Mittelstadt in Buffalo. Not meeting preseason expectations, General Manager Kevyn Adams is likely doing his due diligence in preparation for deadline season, as any General Manager would do in a similar situation to the Sabres.
Other Atlantic notes:
- After missing the team’s last seven contests, Patrick Kane will return to the lineup tonight for the Detroit Red Wings as the team announced they have activated the veteran forward off of injured reserve. Although producing a solid 4-2-1 record in his absence, the Red Wings have only averaged three goals per game over that stretch, nearly a half-goal drop from their average over the entire regular season. With this recent injury being the only health concern for Kane since his return to the NHL, he has scored seven goals and 16 points in 19 games for Detroit since recovering from offseason hip resurfacing surgery.
- Having confirmed that Jake Sanderson will be out of the lineup for the team’s game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bruce Garrioch of TSN is reporting that the Ottawa Senators are hoping Sanderson can return to skating next week. Without having a clear timeline for his return when originally injured, this update from Garrioch at the very least provides some idea as to when Sanderson could return to the lineup for the Senators. After a strong rookie campaign last year, Sanderson has continued to improve this season, scoring seven goals and 24 points through 47 games this year.
Pacific Notes: Arvidsson, McTavish, Jones
Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson skated in a full-contact jersey Friday for the first time since sustaining back and lower-body injuries during the preseason, Zach Dooley of the team’s official site reports. The 30-year-old’s return to the lineup is not imminent, but it’s a major step forward toward Arvidsson making his season debut before the March 8 trade deadline.
The 5-foot-9 sniper has not played since Los Angeles’ loss to the Oilers in Game 6 of last year’s first-round series. His absence has left a significant hole in the cap-strapped Kings’ top-nine, and as such, their 18th-ranked offense has performed under expectations.
Arvidsson has been skating with a non-contact designation for a few weeks, so his conditioning is likely close to game action after the extended absence. Interim head coach Jim Hiller has not commented on when Arvidsson could make his season debut.
The Swede is in his third season in Hollywood, notching 46 goals and 108 points in 143 games since a 2021 trade brought him West from Nashville. He’s in the final season of a seven-year, $29.75MM deal signed with the Predators in 2017 and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Other updates from SoCal:
- Ducks sophomore Mason McTavish is out Friday against the Oilers with an upper-body injury, head coach Greg Cronin said. It’s unclear whether this is a recurrence of the upper-body injury that sidelined McTavish for seven games in December. The 2021 third-overall pick looks well on his way to holding down a long-term center spot in Anaheim’s top six, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 31 points in 43 games. His 54.2 faceoff win percentage is the highest on the team, and while his possession metrics this season are mediocre, they don’t suggest he’s been a defensive liability.
- Replacing McTavish in the lineup will be winger Max Jones, who was activated off injured reserve Friday, according to the NHL’s media portal. The 25-year-old has not played since sustaining an upper-body injury on Jan. 5 against the Jets that caused him to miss Anaheim’s last 12 games. A pending RFA upon completion of his three-year, $3.885MM deal, the 2016 first-round pick has four goals and eight points in 34 games.
Injury Notes: Tinordi, Kapanen, Smith
Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi has a lower-body injury and will be a game-time decision against the Rangers on Friday, head coach Luke Richardson said Friday (via Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago). 22-year-old rookie Louis Crevier will make his first appearance since Chicago recalled him from AHL Rockford on Wednesday if Tinordi can’t play, Richardson said.
Tinordi, 31, last played with 6:53 remaining in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Wild. He did not take the ice for his defensive partner Isaak Phillips‘ final two shifts.
The physical depth blue-liner has played in 30 of Chicago’s 51 games this season, recording six assists and a -19 rating while averaging 15:44 per game. A first-round pick of the Canadiens in 2010, Tinordi has worked his way into a stable NHL job with the rebuilding Blackhawks after they claimed him off waivers from the Rangers at the beginning of the 2022-23 season.
His value to Chicago comes in the form of pro experience and leadership, however – not so much from his on-ice performance. Tinordi’s 38.7% Corsi share at even strength is the worst among qualified Blackhawks skaters, although that figure is no doubt exacerbated by his sparingly low usage in the offensive zone.
Crevier hasn’t been much of an upgrade in his first 15 NHL showings. The 2020 seventh-round pick has similar offensive and possession numbers to Tinordi in nearly the same usage.
The 6-foot-6, 229-pound Tinordi will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He signed a one-year, $1.25MM extension to remain with Chicago last April after playing a career-high 44 games that season.
Other minor injury updates from around the league to close out the week:
- Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen is ready to return from a lower-body injury ahead of Saturday’s game against the Sabres, interim head coach Drew Bannister said (via Lou Korac of NHL.com). Kapanen, 27, missed seven games with a lower-body injury sustained on Jan. 15 against the Flyers. St. Louis has an open roster spot and won’t need to make a corresponding transaction to take Kapanen off injured reserve. Despite scoring only four times in 42 games this season, he’s projected to return in a top-six role alongside Jake Neighbours and Brayden Schenn. Now in the second year of a two-year, $6.4MM contract ($3.2MM cap hit), the 2014 first-round pick has 12 goals and 27 points in 65 games with the Blues after they claimed him off waivers from the Penguins in February 2023.
- Devils defenseman Brendan Smith will remain out on Saturday against the Hurricanes with a knee sprain, head coach Lindy Ruff said (via Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site). The 35-year-old has been upgraded to day-to-day after landing on injured reserve over three weeks ago, however, and could be an option as soon as Monday against the Kraken. A depth free-agent add in the summer of 2022, Smith has logged time on both defense and left wing this season while occupying a veteran enforcer role. Signed to a contract with a $1.1MM cap hit that expires this summer, he’s posted a goal and four assists in 34 games while averaging 14:25 per contest. AHL call-up Santeri Hatakka has been serviceable in Smith’s absence, posting an assist and a +6 rating while shouldering bottom-pairing minutes in five games.
Flames Place Daniel Vladař On IR, Recall Dustin Wolf
Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg is reporting that the Calgary Flames have placed goaltender Daniel Vladař on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury and recalled netminder Dustin Wolf from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
According to Julian McKenzie of The Athletic, Vladař’s injury occurred in warm-ups last night and not in any game action. The 26-year-old hasn’t played since a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on January 20th. The native of Prague, Czech Republic has struggled this season with a 7-7-2 record with a 3.27 goals against average and a .888 save percentage. While those metrics sometimes don’t paint the whole picture of a goaltender’s performance, Vladař’s underlying numbers have been poor as well. In 16 games this season, Vladař has posted a goals saved above expected of -6.7 (Money Puck).
Wolf hasn’t fared any better at the NHL level, going 1-2-1 in five games with a 3.46 goals against average and an .893 save percentage. His underlying numbers have been even worse as Wolf has given up 5.2 more goals than expected despite playing just five games. At the AHL level, Wolf’s numbers have been a different story, as the 22-year-old has appeared in 28 games and has a sparkling .927 save percentage to go along with a 2.27 goals-against average and an 18-7-2 record.
The Flames used an EBUG today at practice as they are out East to take on the New York Islanders tomorrow and Wolf has yet to arrive. There has been speculation that the club could move out a goaltender and it will be interesting to see if Vladař’s injury cools those rumors.
Injury Updates: Miromanov, Senators, Killorn, Bedard, Raanta
The Golden Knights welcomed back one of their blueliners for their game tonight versus Arizona as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated Daniil Miromanov from injured reserve. The 26-year-old had yet to play with Vegas this season as he worked his way back from ACL and meniscus surgery in the summer. He got into five games with AHL Henderson last month on a conditioning stint and fared quite well, notching a goal and five assists before being recalled a couple of weeks ago. However, Vegas opted to play it safe with Miromanov, allowing him more time to skate with the team before officially having him suit up for his season debut with the big club.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- The Senators are expected to welcome back goaltender Anton Forsberg and defenseman Travis Hamonic for their next game on Saturday, relays Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan (Twitter link). Forsberg is currently on LTIR and Ottawa will need to make some roster moves to get cap-compliant before activating him. The 31-year-old has a save percentage of .889 in 16 games so far this season. Meanwhile, Hamonic has missed the last couple of weeks due to an upper-body injury but has remained on Ottawa’s active roster so no roster move is necessary for him to return. The 33-year-old has five points and 69 blocked shots in 40 appearances.
- Ducks winger Alex Killorn skated before practice today as he works his way back from knee surgery, relays Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link). The 34-year-old had the procedure two weeks ago and it carried a four-to-six-week recovery period. While he didn’t stick around for Anaheim’s full practice, the fact Killorn is back on the ice is a promising sign that his return date could come closer to the earlier part of that range. He has 19 points in 34 games so far this season, his first with the Ducks.
- While Connor Bedard has been holding out hope that he could return earlier than expected, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson poured cold water on that idea today. He told reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that the rookie center’s return is unlikely to come before the original six-week mark. Despite missing more than a month now, Bedard still leads all rookies in points with 33 in just 39 games.
- After coming into tonight’s game in relief of Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta suffered a lower-body injury, per a team announcement (Twitter link). Raanta made nine saves in his lone period of work. It has been a rough year for the 34-year-old who had a save percentage of just .870 coming into tonight’s action and cleared waivers back in December.