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Jaxson Stauber

Utah Signs Jaxson Stauber To Two-Year, Two-Way Extension

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Pending Group VI unrestricted free agent goaltender Jaxson Stauber has inked a two-year, two-way extension to keep him in Utah through the 2026-27 campaign, the team announced (X link). If Stauber is in the NHL, the contract will carry the league minimum cap hit of $775K, Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Since Stauber is a likely candidate to land on waivers to begin next season, his signing doesn’t impact Utah’s salary cap projection for 2025-26 at present. 2024-25 was Stauber’s last year of waiver-exempt status. He becomes the 35th player under contract with the Club for next year.

Stauber, fresh off his 26th birthday, spent the season as Utah’s No. 3 in the net after getting non-tendered by the Blackhawks last summer. He inked a two-way deal with an $80K AHL salary and $100K guarantee in the first week of free agency last summer and, while he didn’t make the opening night roster, spent a solid chunk of the season up with the NHL team as Karel Vejmelka’s backup with Connor Ingram missing significant time due to injury and an active stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Across his four starts and two relief appearances with Utah this year, the 6’3″ netminder posted a 2-1-1 record, .892 SV%, and a 3.26 GAA. It was his second season of NHL experience after starting six games for Chicago in 2022-23. He recorded his first NHL shutout in his season debut against the Golden Knights on Nov. 30 with a 29-save performance.

The Minnesota still primarily played with AHL Tucson this season. He backstopped the Roadrunners to a 12-7-2 record in 21 appearances with a .897 SV% and 3.14 GAA. He started two of Tucson’s three games in their first-round loss to Abbotsford, humming with a .935 SV% and 2.61 GAA.

Stauber will be eligible to test standard unrestricted free agency upon expiry.

Utah Recalls Matt Villalta

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The Utah Hockey Club has called up Matt Villalta to serve as their No. 2 goalie for the time being, per a team announcement. Fellow netminder Jaxson Stauber was sent to AHL Tucson in a corresponding move.

Utah has juggled depth netminders to serve behind Karel Vejmelka with usual tandem partner Connor Ingram unavailable for much of the season. After missing nearly two months from November to January with an upper-body injury and subsequent personal leave, he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program earlier this month. Rather than start Stauber or Vejmelka tonight after the two combined to allow eight goals on just 21 shots in last night’s blowout loss to the Lightning, Utah could opt to give Villalta his first NHL appearance of the season as they face the Panthers tonight on the second half of a back-to-back.

Villalta has not been recalled by Utah since clearing waivers late in training camp. He’s spent the majority of the season as the starter for AHL Tucson, where he has a 3.01 GAA, .906 SV%, and a 17-21-3 record with four shutouts. No AHL goalie has made more appearances this season than Villalta’s 41.

The 25-year-old Villalta has spent the last two seasons in the Utah/Arizona organization, signing with the Coyotes as a Group VI unrestricted free agent in the 2023 offseason. After an excellent showing in Tucson last season, posting a 2.11 GAA, .911 SV%, and a 31-17-3 record in 51 outings, he inked a two-year, two-way extension with Utah last June to continue serving as organizational depth. The 2017 third-round pick of the Kings made his NHL debut last year in Arizona, allowing five goals on 29 shots (.828 SV%, 4.17 GAA) in one start and one relief appearance.

Stauber has entered the crease six times for Utah this year, comprised of four starts and two relief appearances. He last started in December and made his two relief appearances this month, both in blowout losses. He has a .892 SV% on the season, including allowing four goals on 10 shots last night in relief of Vejmelka.

Utah’s Connor Ingram Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program

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Utah goaltender Connor Ingram entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program today and will be out indefinitely, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. In a corresponding move, the club recalled netminder Jaxson Stauber from AHL Tucson earlier Sunday.

Ingram, now 27, missed most of the 2020-21 season after entering the program while a member of the Predators organization. He later told NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin that he sought help after dealing with undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder throughout his career. After moving to the Coyotes in the 2022 offseason, he emerged as their starter for the 2023-24 campaign and won the Masterton Trophy for the “player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey” after a 23-win, six-shutout campaign.

Now the No. 2 option to Karel Vejmelka in Utah, Ingram missed over a month with the team initially termed an upper-body injury earlier in the season. Upon his return, he informed reporters his mother had passed away and, understandably, took extended time off (via Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune).

In 22 starts for the Club this season, Ingram has a 9-8-4 record, .882 SV%, and a 3.27 GAA. The 25-year-old Stauber has done quite well when called upon to elevate from his minor-league starting role, posting a .925 SV% and 2.23 GAA in four appearances earlier this season.

All of us at Pro Hockey Rumors wish Ingram the best as he takes time away from the lineup. He’ll be eligible to return to play upon the determination of program administrators.

Utah Hockey Club Assign Jaxson Stauber To AHL

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Saturday: Stauber has been returned to the Roadrunners, per a team announcement.  That means Ingram will be available to dress tonight versus Los Angeles.

Tuesday: According to the AHL transactions site, the Utah Hockey Club has recalled third-string netminder Jaxson Stauber from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The recall likely means that goaltender Connor Ingram hasn’t fully recovered from the upper-body injury suffered in the team’s last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

After taking a high shot from Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, Ingram left the game after 12:38 of ice time. Utah’s head coach, André Tourigny didn’t provide any recovery timeline for Ingram other than saying, “No, I don’t know what his status is at this point. He will be evaluated, but we’ll see.”

Stauber has largely played in the AHL in his first year outside the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Still, he was recalled to the NHL in late November due to another upper-body injury to Ingram. Many of the starts went to Karel Vejmelka over that stretch but Stauber still managed a 2-1-1 record in four starts with a .925 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average.

That likely beat expectations that the Utah coaching staff had for Stauber considering his relatively modest production in AHL Tucson. Matt Villalta has been the primary starter for the Roadrunners this season but Stauber has still gotten involved in 14 contests. The Wayzata, Minnesota, native has secured an 8-5-2 record in those 14 games with a .901 SV% and 3.07 GAA.

Utah Hockey Club Recalls Connor Ingram, Reassigns Jaxson Stauber

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The Utah Hockey Club has recalled goaltender Connor Ingram from his conditioning stint in the minor leagues. Ingram was assigned to the minors in late December, after recovering from an upper-body injury suffered on November 18th. He has sat out of Utah’s last 22 games, and made his return to the lineup in the Tucson Roadrunners’ Wednesday win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Ingram saved 29 of 30 shots in that game, good for a .967 save percentage in his first AHL game since the 2021-22 campaign.

Ingram will return to a very different goaltending room. He served as Arizona’s starter last season, posting a 23-21-3 record and .907 save percentage across 50 appearances. That was enough for Ingram to hold onto the starting role through the franchise’s move to Utah, but he came out of the gates ice-cold in his new setting. Ingram posted a measly .871 save percentage and 6-4-3 record in 13 games prior to his injury. That poor performance put all the momentum behind Karel Vejmelka as he stepped into the starting role in Ingram’s absence and looked to reclaim stake of Utah’s starter’s crease. Vejmelka has seemed to do just that, posting a .915 record and 8-7-3 record since Ingram’s injury. Vejmelka has slowed down in his last handful of games – evident by a 1-4-1 record and .907 Sv% in his last six – but he’s nonetheless made a strong claim to hold onto the starting role. Both goaltenders have plenty of experience serving as an NHL starter, and how Utah decides between them could define the team’s push for a Western Conference wild card.

To make room for Ingram’s return, Utah has also assigned goaltender Jaxson Stauber back to the minor leagues. Stauber played in four games while filling in for Ingram. He recorded a 2-1-1 record and .925 save percentage, bringing his career totals up to a 7-2-1 record and .916 save percentage in 10 NHL games. Stauber has been just as productive in the minors, going 5-2-0 and setting a .930 in seven games with Tucson this season.

Utah Recalls Jaxson Stauber, Places Connor Ingram On IR

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Nov. 21: Ingram was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday night, per the NHL’s media site. It was a necessary move to open the roster space for Stauber. The move rules Ingram out for Utah’s next three games, but he’ll be eligible to return next Tuesday against the Canadiens.

Nov. 20: Utah netminder Connor Ingram is dealing with an upper-body injury and didn’t travel with the team on their four-game road trip set to kick off tomorrow in Boston, the team announced. He’s listed as day-to-day while undergoing further evaluation, so the team has recalled Jaxson Stauber from AHL Tucson under emergency conditions to serve as Karel Vejmelka’s backup between the pipes for the trip.

The 27-year-old Ingram has started 13 of Utah’s first 18 games, but he’s only played in one of the last three and was pulled against the Capitals on Monday after allowing four goals on 13 shots. After tying for the league lead in shutouts last season with six, he’s been one of the worst starters in the NHL this year with a .871 SV%, 3.61 GAA, and -9.9 GSAA despite his 6-4-3 record.

He’s at serious risk of at least falling back into a tandem split with Vejmelka upon his return, although if he’s been battling this injury for a while, it could explain the poor play. Utah has only won one of Vejmelka’s five starts this year, but the Czech netminder is on pace for the best campaign of his four-year NHL career with a .915 SV% and 2.58 GAA, saving 2.6 goals above average.

The first-year club has put up exemplary possession numbers at 5-on-5 despite injuries to core defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino, but a 30th-ranked power play and Ingram’s struggles have bound them to a 7-8-3 record. There’s still plenty of time for the former Coyotes to make the playoffs in their first season in Salt Lake, but they’re four points back of the Canucks for the second wild-card spot in the West and still have to leapfrog the Avalanche, Kraken and Ducks. The Athletic currently projects their record to improve back over .500 but not by much, ranking fifth in the Central with a 25% chance at postseason action.

Meanwhile, Stauber comes up after an attention-grabbing start to his first season in the Utah organization. Signed to a two-way deal in free agency after being non-tendered by the Blackhawks, the 25-year-old has a sparkling .930 SV%, 2.29 GAA and a 5-2-0 record in seven games with Tucson. The Minnesota native has six games of NHL experience, posting a 5-1-0 record with Chicago back in 2022-23 with a strong .911 SV%, 2.81 GAA and 1.3 GSAA.

Utah Signs Jaxson Stauber To Two-Way Deal

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The Utah Hockey Club has signed goaltender Jaxson Stauber to a two-way contract, per a team announcement. He’ll participate in Utah’s first-ever training camp after being non-tendered by the Blackhawks last week.

Stauber’s NHL résumé consists of six games with Chicago in the 2022-23 season. He spent all of last year on assignment to AHL Rockford, where he had a .902 SV%, 2.85 GAA, two shutouts and an 18-8-3 record in 31 games.

An undrafted free agent signing by the Hawks out of Providence College in 2022, the 25-year-old Stauber has been largely solid since turning pro but didn’t have much of a future in Chicago with the younger, higher-ceiling trio of Drew Commesso, Adam Gajan and Arvid Söderblom also in the mix. He fared well in his limited NHL stint with the Hawks, posting a 5-1-0 record with a .911 SV% and 2.81 GAA.

Utah already has their NHL goaltending tandem set with Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka. That means Stauber is likely destined for waivers during training camp en route to beginning the season with AHL Tucson, where he’ll split duties with Matt Villalta, who’s signed through 2025-26.

They also have 21-year-old UDFA signing Anson Thornton under contract, but injuries limited him to just 13 combined AHL and ECHL games last season, and he didn’t perform well at either level. He needs more seasoning, and Utah will find a home for him in the low-level minors. Stauber thus serves as a one-year bridge with Villalta until Thornton or one of their high-end goalie prospects, Michael Hrabal and Rasmus Korhonen, sign their ELCs.

West Notes: Sharks, Stauber, Hintz

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Considering where the Sharks are in their rebuild, it might not make sense on the surface for them to be buyers this summer.  However, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now suggests in a piece for NBC Sports Bay Area that it would be advisable for San Jose to be buyers in certain circumstances, such as adding insurance down the middle with some uncertainty surrounding Logan Couture which could also take a bit of pressure off expected top pick Macklin Celebrini.

Additionally, there’s a case to be made that the Sharks should add multiple defenders to a group that struggled considerably this season.  That would allow someone like Mario Ferraro to play in a more optimal spot on the depth chart which could help from a possible future trade standpoint while ideally creating a more competitive environment.  With more than $38MM in cap room this summer per CapFriendly, GM Mike Grier can look to be active in free agency, take on some unwanted contracts while adding more future pieces or, more likely, a combination of both options will be utilized in the coming weeks.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that the Blackhawks may opt to move on from goalie Jaxson Stauber this fall. The 25-year-old held his own in six NHL appearances in 2022-23 but spent all of this year with AHL Rockford, posting a 2.85 GAA with a .902 SV% in 31 games.  A pending restricted free agent, it’s possible that Chicago would look to bring in more of an experienced netminder to work alongside Drew Commesso while also giving them some insurance if Arvid Soderblom struggles again next season.
  • The decision on Roope Hintz’s availability for tonight’s second game against Edmonton will come down to the wire. Stars head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters including Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News that the center is listed as a game-time decision.  The 27-year-old has been out since suffering an upper-body injury in the fourth game last round.  He took part in the morning skate today but was also skating with the projected scratches so it appears he’ll be a true game-time call.

Blackhawks Notes: Toews, Draft Picks, UFAs, Goalies

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Aside from drafting their next franchise center at the end of the month, the biggest storyline in the Chicago Blackhawks’ offseason is what the future holds for his predecessor, captain Jonathan Toews. A return to the Blackhawks has seemed very unlikely for some time, given how the end of the season went. Still, speculation around a return, given the impending entrance of Connor Bedard, has been a topic of discussion.

According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Toews is expected to be announced in the coming weeks to announce a decision regarding retirement or a potential move to another team in free agency. Toews, 35, took a leave of absence prior to the 2020-2021 season due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, which, along with some effects of long COVID, caused him to miss a stretch of games near the end of 2022-23 as well.

Should Toews choose to hang up his skates, it would mark the end of a notable career that includes three Stanley Cup championships and numerous accolades but a debatable reputation as a captain stemming from the sexual assault scandal that occurred during the team’s 2010 championship run. After completing his eight-year, $84MM contract extension signed in 2014, Toews will surely generate some interest from teams looking to fill out their middle six if he does decide to try and extend his career.

More from Powers on the Blackhawks this morning:

  • In regards to their second first-round pick in the upcoming draft, 19th overall, the Blackhawks have a handful of players they’re hoping will still be available to them – and they’re likely to select a second forward to supplement Bedard. Among the prospects at the scouting combine, forwards Colby Barlow, Oliver Moore, Calum Ritchie, Matthew Wood, and Brayden Yager are potential options for the Blackhawks. Additionally, the team has shown interest in 6-foot-5 Russian forward Daniil But, and general manager Kyle Davidson expressed a lack of hesitancy to Powers around selecting Russian players in this year’s draft. Looking ahead to the team’s four second-round picks, goaltender Adam Gajan, forwards Otto Stenberg and Bradly Nadeau, as well as defensemen Oliver Bonk and Andrew Strathmann are potential considerations for the Blackhawks.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have made their decision regarding pending unrestricted free agents, says Powers, signaling that after re-signing Andreas Athanasiou, the team is unlikely to bring back any of their other UFAs. Players such as Jujhar Khaira and Alex Stalock, among a few others, will explore options elsewhere as the Blackhawks prioritize their roster composition to provide opportunities for younger players and build out some higher-end support for Bedard via free agency.
  • Davidson also indicated to Powers that Arvid Soderblöm and Petr Mrazek are expected to form the team’s NHL goaltending tandem for the upcoming season. Speaking about the young goalies, Davidson emphasized Soderblöm’s potential and the development aspect of their decision-making process so as to not rush their other prospects. Soderblöm, who has already spent time as a North American pro (and played pro in Europe), holds an experience advantage over other prospects like Jaxson Stauber and Drew Commesso.

Snapshots: Bear, Stalock, Sanford

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The Vancouver Canucks will be without Ethan Bear for the next little while, after he suffered an injury last night. Bear was moved to injured reserve today, with Noah Juulsen recalled in his place.

Vancouver is quickly running out of options for a team that is expected to move at least one defenseman at the deadline. Bear joins eight other players on IR (regular or long-term) for the Canucks, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Travis Dermott, and Tucker Poolman.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have activated Alex Stalock from injured reserve, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. That is encouraging news after he was ruled out with ocular dysfunction from multiple head injuries for a while. His return means Jaxson Stauber is being sent back to the AHL, despite a pretty impressive performance from the rookie netminder. Stauber went 5-1 in six games with a .911 save percentage.
  • With Nino Niederreiter gone, the Nashville Predators have recalled Zach Sanford from the minor leagues. The big forward has nine goals and 19 points in 32 games with the Milwaukee Admirals but just two points in eight NHL contests so far this season.

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