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Central Notes: Jets, Maroon, Bichsel, Carcone

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The Winnipeg Jets are entering the Trade Deadline with little bargaining pieces but plenty of cap space. That’s the set up for some low-cost lineup tinkering, with left-defense the most glaring issue on the roster. That hole could draw the Jets towards open market options like Boston’s Brandon Carlo or Seattle’s Jamie Oleksiak, per Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press. Both players carry a cap hit below $5MM. Oleksiak’s deal expires at the end of next season, while Carlo has two years left and a modified no-trade clause.

The added security and movement protection could make Carlo a tough fish to catch. Oleksiak will likely be much more expendable for the right price. The 32-year-old defensive-defenseman has been a focal point of the Kraken blue-line over the last four seasons. He’s averaging 19 minutes of ice time through 60 games this year, while posting 13 points, 14 penalty minutes, and a minus-eight. That stat line is largely in-line with what Oleksiak has managed in three prior years in Seattle – routinely floating between 15 and 20 points and negative plus-minuses, all while serving from a carved out role on the second pair. Oleksiak is six-foot-seven, 250-pounds and patrols the defensive end with a long reach and heavy physical presence. Winnipeg has tried to net the same impact from players like Logan Stanley – one of the only NHLers as tall as Oleksiak – but to little avail. Stanley has just nine points, 72 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 in 47 games on Winnipeg’s bottom-pair. Any upgrade they make will be solely focused on improving that third-pair’s standing as the Jets plan for a very late season.

Other notes from the Midwest:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have kicked the door to the Trade Deadline wide open by swapping defender Seth Jones for goaltender Spencer Knight and a first-round pick. All signs point towards the Hawks continuing to sell as the deadline draws closer – with pieces like Ryan Donato, Alec Martinez, and Petr Mrazek all on the block. But of their aged veterans, winger Pat Maroon doesn’t seem likely to join in on the relocation. He told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he’d prefer to stay with Chicago rather than experience yet another deadline trade. Maroon has been moved in February or March three different times in his career, including at last year’s deadline. He signed his first open market contract since 2020 this summer – choosing the Windy City as his landing spot. 54 games later, Maroon must clearly be enjoying the role of veteran leader and Stanley Cup expert in front of Chicago’s young core. He has 14 points, 71 penalty minutes, and a minus-11 on the year, while serving a minimal role in Chicago’s bottom-six. While opening up that spot would certainly open minutes for more top prospects, it’d be tough to see Chicago go against Maroon’s wishes for anything less than a golden offer.
  • Top rookie defenseman Lian Bichsel is progressing in his return from an upper-body injury. He is doubtful for the Dallas Stars’ game against St. Louis on Sunday, but could return when they face New Jersey on Tuesday, per Dallas News’ Lia Assimakopoulos. Bichsel was injured on a high hit from New York Islanders grinder Casey Cizikas on February 23rd. He’s missed two games since. Bichsel has played the first 18 games of his NHL career this season. He has five points, 14 penalty minutes, and a plus-six in that span – and has looked the part of a projectable first-round pick. News of his return on Tuesday will also suggest that Bichsel will continue to hold a role on the NHL roster, though it will be shaky ground as Dallas looks to buy improvements at the deadline. In an aforementioned fun fact, Bichsel is one of the few other six-foot-seven defenders.
  •  The Utah Hockey Club were without depth forward Michael Carcone on Saturday evening. He was listed as a game-time decision due to a lower-body injury, per Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune. Carcone has filled a minimal lineup role in Utah, with 13 points, 29 penalty minutes, and a minus-seven in 41 games this year. Utah turned towards Kevin Stenlund to fill-in during the losing effort. Stenlund recorded one assist in 11 minutes of ice time. It was his 14th point of the year through 61 appearances. Jack McBain also saw a boost in Carcone’s absence, stepping onto the second-unit power-play. He did not manage any scoring in the fill-in role.

Pacific Notes: Flames, Thrun, Gibson

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The Calgary Flames have defined the last two Trade Deadlines by selling a suite of impactful veterans, but they’re set up to take much more of a back seat this year. General manager Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that their focus continues to be adding young players to round out their existing core – not to bring in any major additions. Conroy went on to add that the Flames would be interested in adding a left-shot defender, but that any deal would need to make sense for the club.

Calgary won’t have a ton of trade chips to move at the deadline, with veterans Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, and MacKenzie Weegar all on the untouchables list. Conroy told Francis that their lack of assets has limited the calls the Flames are receiving – but that the market is also quieter than in years past. He went on to praise the efforts of players like Joel Hanley, Ilya Solovyov, and Jake Bean – who would stand in direct competition of any defenders acquired via trade.

The expressed interest could connect Calgary to a scant defender market at the deadline. Vancouver’s Carson Soucy, San Jose’s Mario Ferraro, and Pittsburgh’s Matt Grzelcyk headline a market full of middling left-defenders. The market price has already been set, after New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Jimmy Vesey in exchange for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.

Other notes from out West:

  • Speaking of left-defense, the San Jose Sharks will be without youngster Henry Thrun in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Thrun has one goal and 10 points in 51 games this season – one fewer than he scored in just as many games last year. The former Harvard Crimson captain is still very early in his career, but has improved his standing in San Jose’s lineup seemingly every night. He played a career-high 24 minutes in San Jose’s Monday loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and averaged 17 minutes per night on the year. San Jose will turn Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jack Thompson – who have been exchanging minutes of their own – to fill in for Thrun’s absence.
  • Netminder John Gibson will draw back in for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday per Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Gibson has missed Anaheim’s last three games after sustaining an upper-body injury on February 22nd. The Ducks recalled Oscar Dansk to serve as the backup behind Lukas Dostal in Gibson’s absence. Dansk has posted an .886 save percentage and 10-10-3 record in 27 AHL games this season. He’s been reassigned to the minor leagues per Mathieu Sheridan of The Hockey News. Meanwhile Gibson will return to platooning in the starter’s role, looking to build on his .916 save percentage and 9-9-2 record amid a resurging season.

Wild Recall David Jiricek, Reassign Two

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman David Jiricek and reassigned forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Liam Ohgren. The moves clear space for winger Gustav Nyquist, who Minnesota acquired from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick on Saturday morning.

Jiricek’s recall comes after news that both Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin are banged up. Bogosian sat out of Minnesota’s Friday game with a lower-body injury, per NHL.com’s Joe Smith. Brodin played just 15:47 of the outing, and his availability remains up in the air per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Jiricek will be the beneficiary of any open minutes, after he recorded his first point in seven AHL games on Friday. He’s struggled to find a consistent rut in the Wild organization, with two points in six NHL games and six points in 26 AHL games. The Wild acquired Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 30th, sending Daemon Hunt and three draft picks the other way. Jiricek is in his third season in North America, and his cold scoring has dragged through every year. He has 66 points in 114 career AHL games, and 13 points in 59 NHL games.

The Wild’s swap of forwards in this mix might not sway their scoring a ton. Ohgren and Khusnutdinov have combined for just four points across their last 10 games. Ohgren has often served as Minnesota’s extra forward, with just four points in 23 games this season. Khusnutdinov has served a hardier role as the fourth-line center, but has just seven points in 57 games. Nyquist has confidently outscored both youngster in his time with Nashville – netting 21 points in 57 games – but he’s managed just one assist in his last 10 NHL games.

Nyquist had a stint with the Wild during the 2022-23 season as well. He scored five points in three games on that stint, but an upper-body injury kept him from stepping into the lineup more before hitting unrestricted free agency. With these moves, Minnesota has carved out the lineup spot needed to give Nyquist a truer look this time around.

Rangers To Place Chris Kreider On IR, Recall Brett Berard

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The New York Rangers have recalled rookie winger Brett Berard from the minor leagues. They’re also expected to place winger Chris Kreider on injured reserve in a corresponding move per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. Kreider has missed New York’s last three games with an upper-body injury. He was a late scratch for each absence and doesn’t yet have a clear timeline to return. The Rangers can make Kreider’s IR placement retroactive to his last game on February 22nd. That will make him eligible to be activated as soon as he’s back to full health.

Berard spent six weeks on the NHL roster between November and January. He stepped into the first 19 games of his NHL career on that stint and recorded seven points, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-nine. The Rangers returned Berard to the minors in mid-January, and he’s shown the top-flight stint kicked his game into a new gear. He has 10 points, 25 penalty minutes, and a minus-five in 14 AHL games since returning to the minors.

Berard will join fellow rookie Brennan Othmann on the NHL roster. Othmann filled in Kreider’s vacancy over the last two games, with no scoring and just 18 minutes of combined ice time. Berard will give the Rangers a hotter hand to try and make up for Kreider’s lineup hole. They could also turn towards new addition Juuso Parssinen to fill a left-wing role, after acquiring him as part of a swap that sent Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche. Parssinen has 11 points in 37 games this season – split between time in Nashville and Colorado. The Rangers have two wing vacancies to fill.

Kreider has turned his season around in February, recording four points in six NHL games and one goal in two games at the 4-Nations Face-Off. He’s up to 17 goals and 21 points in 48 games this season. That’s enough to tie for second on the Rangers in goals scored, leaving a glaring hole in New York’s hot-and-cold offense. Their pair of rookies, and new acquisition, will have a golden opportunity to step up in Kreider’s absence. A hot performance could go a long way towards earning routine minutes with the Rangers now down Vesey.

Atlantic Notes: Knies, Evans, Pinto, Bernard-Docker

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While the Maple Leafs have two prominent pending unrestricted free agents in Mitch Marner and John Tavares, they also have a notable pending restricted free agent in winger Matthew Knies.  At times, it’s believed the two sides have talked about an extension but the 22-year-old told Daily Faceoff’s Jonny Lazarus that he expects a new deal will be worked out in the offseason.  Knies has already passed his rookie-season totals in goals (22) and points (38) and has cemented himself as a fixture in Toronto’s top six.  He’s the type of player they’d undoubtedly like to sign to a long-term contract but what happens with Marner and Tavares could ultimately dictate if they can afford to do that or if they’ll have to pursue a short-term bridge deal instead.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Maple Leafs are among the teams with strong interest in Canadiens center Jake Evans, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Evans is on pace for a career year offensively and has 11 goals and 26 assists through 59 games.  He’s also the most-used forward shorthanded in the league while being a little above average at the faceoff dot and it’s his defensive play that will have teams interested in adding him over the coming days.  With a $1.7MM cap charge, he’d be easier for Toronto to fit into their current cap structure compared to some of the more prominent but pricier middlemen potentially available.
  • Senators center Shane Pinto told reporters including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link) that he will return to the lineup tonight against San Jose. He had missed the last four weeks due to an upper-body injury.  The 24-year-old has had a bit of an up-and-down season but has still managed to put up 11 goals and 11 assists through 46 games, numbers that are a bit off last year’s pace when he had 27 points in 41 contests.
  • Still with the Senators, Garrioch reported earlier this week that the team has made defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker available and they are hoping to add a prospect in return. The 24-year-old has been limited to only 25 games this season between injuries and being scratched while he’s logging just over 13 minutes a night.  He’s waiver-eligible and it seems unlikely he’d pass through unclaimed so Ottawa’s intention appears to be to try to flip Bernard-Docker for some sort of tangible value beyond clearing up $805K in cap room.  Garrioch suggests that the Predators might be one of the teams interested in the blueliner’s services.

Senators’ Brady Tkachuk, Joshua Norris, Shane Pinto Nearing Return

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Friday’s practice brought plenty of positive injury updates to the Ottawa Senators, captured by the Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch. Captain Brady Tkachuk has confirmed he’ll return on Saturday after missing Ottawa’s last two games with a lower-body injury sustained at the 4-Nations Face-Off. Centers Joshua Norris and Shane Pinto were also full participants at Friday’s practice and seem close to a return of their own, though they haven’t been confirmed just yet. Both centermen are recovering from upper-body injuries. Pinto has been out for Ottawa’s last four games, while Norris has missed the last six.

The Senators are in desperate need for this wave of replacement. They’ve dropped their last five games, dating back to before the 4-Nations break, while getting outscored eight-to-23. That imbalance is largely thanks to the absence of Tkachuk and Norris, the team’s top two goal scorers. Tkachuk has 21 goals and 44 points through 56 games, while Norris has 19 goals and 31 points in 50 games. They’re closely followed by Shane Pinto, who has managed 11 goals and 22 points in 46 games and grown to a second-line role. Tkachuk leads the Senators in shots-per-game, while Pinto and Norris rank third and sixth among the team’s forwards. Their return should instantly spur a Senators team that’s managed just 26.8 shots-per-game over their losing streak.

The wave of returnees will force the Senators to shake up their lineup once again. Forwards Angus Crookshank and Jan Jenik are likely the first on the chopping block, after making their first and second NHL appearances of the season in Ottawa’s last game. Neither has managed any scoring.

Ottawa will also need to shelve a defender after icing seven in their last effort – but deciding who could be a challenge. Top-four defender Nick Jensen left Ottawa’s Friday practice early nursing a limp, per Garrioch. No update on Jensen’s pain was provided, but Garrioch adds the defender was already playing through an injury. Tyler Kleven was also absent from practice with what head coach Travis Green referred to as a “strain”. Green did not rule out Kleven for Saturday’s matchup. Both defenders have found a routine groove on Ottawa’s right-side. Jensen has 18 points in 53 games this season. He also ranks second on the team with a plus-11. Kleven hasn’t been as lucky, with just four points and a minus-five in 58 games.

Blue Jackets’ Cole Sillinger To Miss Time With Upper-Body Injury

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The Blue Jackets will be without center Cole Sillinger for this weekend’s Stadium Series and at least a few games after, general manager Don Waddell said on Columbus’ 97.1 The Fan today (via Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers).

Sillinger, 21, left in the first period of yesterday’s game against the Red Wings after taking a hit from Detroit star Moritz Seider. He didn’t leave the game immediately after the hit, skating a couple of additional shifts, but went for the room with five minutes left in the frame and didn’t return.

It turns out Sillinger’s injury is what spurred the recall of winger Mikael Pyyhtia from AHL Cleveland this morning. The Jackets haven’t been carrying an extra forward coming out of the 4 Nations break, so they would have had to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen in this weekend’s outdoor game without a recall. Instead, Sillinger will be sidelined while Pyyhtia makes his 47th appearance of the season for Columbus.

It’s a tough break for Sillinger, who’s establishing his floor as a middle-six forward. The 2021 12th overall pick has had a few minor injury and illness-related absences this season, but when in the lineup, he’s produced at a 44-point pace over a full season. Averaging a career-high 17:18 per game, he’s notched 9-20–29 through 54 appearances. His -15 rating is the worst on the team, though, and his possession metrics paint a similarly disappointing picture defensively. Columbus allows 3.36 goals per hour with Sillinger on the ice at 5v5, the most of any lineup regular outside of Jack Johnson and James van Riemsdyk. The Jackets also allow more scoring chances per hour (30.85) with Sillinger on the ice than with any other active skater.

Nonetheless, he’s had to produce in important minutes with key forwards Yegor Chinakhov, Boone Jenner, and Sean Monahan all missing significant chunks of the season. His absence will likely turn up the urgency dial for Waddell to acquire a forward on deadline day – something that’s a clear priority with Columbus in position to end its five-year postseason drought.

With Chinakhov and Monahan still out, Justin Danforth figures to step into top-six minutes in Sillinger’s absence. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has 5-7–12 through 38 games this season, averaging a shade under 15 minutes per contest.

Canucks’ Noah Juulsen Out Three Months Following Surgery

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Feb. 28: The Canucks confirmed Juulsen underwent a lower-body procedure and will miss 12 weeks as a result. That’s season-ending unless Vancouver, teetering on the edge of a wild-card spot, makes a deep playoff run.

Feb. 27: Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen won’t return this season following a hernia procedure, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports. Per the NHL’s media site, he was already on injured reserve and had been listed as out with an undisclosed injury since the team returned from the 4 Nations break.

Juulsen has not played since Feb. 2, ending Vancouver’s pre-break schedule with a run of three straight healthy scratches. The 27-year-old righty was a frequent scratch to begin the campaign but made 28 consecutive appearances from Nov. 16 to Jan. 14 while Derek Forbort and Filip Hronek were sidelined by long-term injuries.

That’s one of the more notable outcomes from an otherwise unremarkable campaign from the depth defenseman. He carries the dubious distinction of having the lowest rating (-12) among players who have yet to record a point this season. Only Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves (42) has played more games than Juulsen (35) without getting on the scoresheet. Juulsen does, however, lead Vancouver defensemen in hits with 101 and is tied for third on the team with 60 blocks.

A first-round pick by the Canadiens back in 2015, Juulsen has scratched and clawed to carve out an NHL career. Injuries derailed his development, including career-threatening concussion issues in the 2019-20 season. But after being claimed on waivers by the Panthers and later sent to the Canucks in an October 2021 trade, he revived his play with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford and stuck around on the NHL roster for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign.

Aside from his penchant for physicality, though, Juulsen hasn’t brought a ton to the table. He’s been a drag on the Canucks’ possession play, particularly this year. He’s controlled just 42.8% of shot attempts at even strength, ahead of last-place Carson Soucy by 0.1%.

Set for unrestricted free agency this summer, it seems unlikely he’ll be brought back unless it’s on another two-way contract. The 6’2″ defender hasn’t yet had the chance to test the open market in his NHL career.

Canadiens’ Kirby Dach Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out For Season

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Canadiens forward Kirby Dach will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee, the team announced today.

It’s the same knee that Dach needed surgery on in October 2023, when a hit from then-Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi caused an ACL and MCL tear and ended his season midway through his second appearance. He returned fully healthy for training camp in the fall, which Montreal said they expect to happen again this time.

Dach, 24, had been healthy all season before leaving last Saturday’s game against the Senators. He’d already sat out two contests with the injury before undergoing surgery. He hasn’t yet landed on injured reserve, but he will if Montreal needs additional roster flexibility ahead of next Friday’s trade deadline.

While uninterrupted until now, Dach’s 2024-25 campaign wasn’t one to write home about. The 2019 No. 3 overall pick ends his campaign with 10-12–22 in 57 games along with a career-worst -29 rating. His 0.39 points per game were a far cry from his 0.66 in the 2022-23 campaign, his first in Montreal after they acquired him from the Blackhawks for a pair of draft picks (the higher of which became Frank Nazar for Chicago).

The 6’4″ pivot did record a career-high 100 hits this year, but that’s more indicative of his newfound possession struggles than anything else. His 44.8 CF% at even strength was the worst of his career by far despite receiving the most advantageous offensive deployment of his young career. Dach’s 34.9 GF% at 5v5 is the worst among Canadiens skaters with at least 15 games played, per Natural Stat Trick, despite his 149 offensive zone starts leading the club.

A natural center, Dach has also consistently struggled in the faceoff dot since debuting with Chicago immediately in his post-draft season. His subpar 40.3 FOW% this year matched a career-high, leading Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis to deploy him on the wing more consistently. His most common linemates this year were Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook, the latter of whom has settled in as the Habs’ second-line center behind captain Nick Suzuki for the time being. That could change soon, though, as rookie Owen Beck has seen deployment in Dach’s place since being recalled earlier this week and has won 15 of his 28 draws this year. He recorded his first NHL point, an assist, in yesterday’s overtime win over the Sharks.

A second knee surgery in a year and a half rightfully calls Dach’s long-term standing in the organization into question. His first procedure stalled his initial breakout in Montreal, and his negative impacts this season post-surgery are clear. Whether he can get himself back on track to becoming a top-six-caliber player after going under the knife again remains to be seen.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Penguins Recall Emil Bemstrom, Place Michael Bunting On IR

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a flurry of roster moves in the wake of winger Michael Bunting’s appendectomy. Bunting has been moved to injured reserve and will miss at least a week of action. Pittsburgh has recalled winger Emil Bemstrom to fill the resulting roster vacancy. In a separate pair of moves, the Penguins activated enforcer Bokondji Imama off of injured reserve and assigned veteran forward Matthew Nieto to the minor leagues. Nieto cleared waivers earlier today.

Through the mix of injury, demotion, and surprise surgery, this flurry of moves should give Bemstrom a hardier crack at the NHL lineup. He leads the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with 21 goals and 46 points in 43 games this season – the only player on the team scoring above a point-per-game pace. Despite that, Pittsburgh waited until early February to award Bemstrom his first call-up of the season. He’s played in two NHL games since then but didn’t manage any scoring.

The Penguins acquired Bemstrom in a swap for Alexander Nylander and a conditional draft pick late last February. He spent the rest of the year on the NHL roster but scored just three goals and five points in 24 games. His pattern of red-hot minor-league scoring in the AHL and minimal scoring in the NHL keeps Bemstrom in the same rut he’s spent all six years of his North American career in. He’s scored 93 points in 76 career games in the minors but has just 34 goals and 74 points across 230 games in the NHL. On the back of an extended hot streak in the minors, Bemstrom will hope this call-up is the time he finally proves his NHL worthiness.

Bunting leaves big shoes to be filled in Pittsburgh’s lineup. He’s been one of Pittsburgh’s best power-play assets, with nine goals and 14 points on the man advantage in 58 games this season. Bemstrom should be the beneficiary of the power-play opening, though it could also go to Anthony Beauvillier or Philip Tomasino. Pittsburgh’s other roster moves likely won’t carry as much weight. Nieto ceded his bottom-six role to Danton Heinen and Blake Lizotte over February, on the back of just three points in 31 games this season. Meanwhile, Imama will return to his role as Pittsburgh’s extra man – having only played in six games, with no scoring and seven penalty minutes, on the year.

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