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Islanders Activate Marcus Högberg From Injured Reserve

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The Islanders will be a bit deeper between the pipes as they continue to make an improbable push for a playoff spot. The team has activated netminder Marcus Högberg from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Ducks, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. The team reassigned goalie Jakub Skarek to AHL Bridgeport in a corresponding move.

Högberg, 30, will likely get his first start since Jan. 25 after Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves on 40 shots in last night’s win over the Sharks. He missed 14 games with an upper-body injury, pressing pause on a strong run of play since the veteran was recalled from Bridgeport in December to replace the still-injured Semyon Varlamov as Sorokin’s backup. The Swede only made five starts and two relief appearances over two months while Sorokin got the vast majority of the workload, but was excellent when called upon with a .947 SV% and 1.45 GAA.

New York signed Högberg to a two-year, $1.55MM deal last May to serve as veteran insurance behind Sorokin and Varlamov. The deal marked the former Senators depth netminder’s return to the NHL ranks after spending three years starting for Linköping HC in the Swedish Hockey League, including SHL Goalie of the Year and MVP honors in 2023-24. His time in Bridgeport out of the gate didn’t go well, posting a 3.26 GAA and .898 SV% in 11 games with a 2-5-3 record, but he’s redeemed his stock with his strong showing in limited NHL action.

He’s an undeniable upgrade down the stretch over the 25-year-old Skarek, who finally made his NHL debut in Högberg’s absence in his sixth season in the Isles organization. The 2018 third-round pick allowed five goals on 39 shots in a start and relief appearance, equating to a .872 SV% and 3.94 GAA. The Czechia native has failed to post a SV% north of .900 in any league since the 2018-19 campaign, when he logged a .906 in 22 games for Liiga’s Pelicans. A No. 4 option at best at this stage of his career, he’ll return to a minor-league role down the stretch as he hurtles toward Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer.

Health permitting, Högberg will likely serve as Sorokin’s backup for the remainder of the season. Varlamov is doubtful to return in 2024-25 due to the lower-body injury that’s kept him out since early December, general manager Lou Lamoriello told NHL.com yesterday.

Islanders Activate Mike Reilly And Matt Martin

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The Islanders made a pair of roster moves leading into tonight’s game against San Jose.  Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News relays that defenseman Mike Reilly was activated off LTIR while winger Matt Martin was activated off injured reserve.

Reilly has been out since the beginning of November when he suffered a concussion.  However, that hasn’t been what has kept him out this long.  While undergoing testing as a result of the concussion, it was discovered that the 31-year-old had an undiagnosed heart defect.  Fortunately, Reilly told reporters including Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link) that the issue has been corrected and there are no long-term concerns.  He has been skating with the team lately but despite the activation, he’s not expected to play against the Sharks.

Reilly has played in 11 games this season and had been playing a regular role before suffering the concussion.  He didn’t record a point in those outings while averaging 15:45 per game.  For his career, he has 122 points in 411 appearances over parts of 10 NHL seasons.

As for Martin, he last played in mid-January and had been dealing with a lower-body injury.  The 35-year-old eventually earned a contract off an extended PTO but his role has been quite limited this year when he has played.  Through 24 games, he has just one assist along with 68 hits in less than eight minutes a night of ice time.

Devils Acquire Dennis Cholowski From Islanders

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The Devils announced they’ve acquired defenseman Dennis Cholowski from the Islanders in exchange for forward Adam Beckman. Both players were on AHL assignments, but the team’s Amanda Stein reports Cholowski will be recalled to New Jersey’s active roster. Beckman will report to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

Cholowski won’t have to move very far to join the fifth organization of his career. The former 20th overall selection of the 2016 NHL Draft has spent the last three years with the Islanders’ organization, scoring three goals and 10 points in 35 games at the NHL level.

He’s understandably been better offensively during his time with AHL Bridgeport. Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, Cholowski has scored nine goals and 70 points in 141 AHL contests with Bridgeport but has continued to lack on the defensive side of the puck. In those 141 regular-season contests, Cholowski managed a ghastly -35 rating.

He’ll serve as depth on the left side of New Jersey’s blue line and will likely shift to the seventh defensive option once Jonas Siegenthaler returns from injury. Meanwhile, Bridgeport is adding one of the AHL’s most consistent scorers in Beckman.

The former third-round pick of the Minnesota Wild has scored 13 goals and 33 points in 43 games this year for the AHL’s Utica Comets, on pace for the best season of his career. He’ll be a major benefit to a Bridgeport team that ranks third-worst in total goals.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed to this article. 

Islanders Have Offered Extension To Kyle Palmieri

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10:39 a.m.: The Islanders have informed Palmieri he won’t be traded today, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. They’ll continue working on a deal, and although it may not be done before the deadline, they’re close enough to rule out a move. It’s likely to be a two-year or three-year deal worth less than his current $5MM AAV annually, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

9:37 a.m.: While the Islanders moved their top pending UFA late on Thursday when they dealt Brock Nelson to Colorado, it doesn’t mean the same fate is coming for their other veteran in the same situation.  David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that they’ve offered a two-year contract extension to winger Kyle Palmieri.  If an agreement can’t be reached, then the veteran is expected to be moved before today’s 2 PM CT deadline.

The 34-year-old is in the final season of a contract that carries a $5MM cap charge.  If he winds up being dealt, it’s quite likely that New York will need to retain the maximum of 50% to help facilitate a move, similar to what they did with Nelson.

After a couple of underwhelming seasons to start his tenure with the Isles, Palmieri has rebounded nicely over the last couple of years.  Last season, he bounced back with a 30-goal effort, matching his career high from back in 2015-16 while coming three points shy of matching his benchmark in points, also from the 2015-16 campaign.

While Palmieri isn’t producing at quite the same level this year, he still has 20 goals and 21 assists in 61 games, giving him a shot at another 50-point season.  He’s the type of player who would fit in well on the second line of a lot of contending teams so even if he’s swapped, he still should have a chance at logging close to the 18:13 of ice time he’s getting with New York.

With the pending increase to the salary cap and his production over the last couple of years, Palmieri should be in line for a raise on his current price tag.  But a two-year offer might not be long enough to his liking as it’s quite possible that he could get a longer offer if he goes to the open market in July.  We’ll soon see if New York’s offer is good enough to get something done or if he’ll be on the move over the next few hours.  If they pivot toward moving him, Palmieri does have a 16-team no-trade clause that could come into play.

Avalanche Acquire Brock Nelson From Islanders

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The Colorado Avalanche have acquired forward Brock Nelson and AHL winger William Dufour from the New York Islanders. In return, the Islanders have received top prospect Calum Ritchie, a conditional 2026 or 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 third-round pick, and depth defenseman Oliver Kylington. New York has retained half of Nelson’s $6MM cap hit, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The deal was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

In a corresponding move, the Islanders have sent Kylington to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for future considerations. Nelson’s retained $3MM cap hit will take Colorado up to the cap ceiling. Moving Kylington opens $1.05MM in cap space for the Avalanche. The Islanders opt to flip the defender rather than add to their heap of recent blue-line additions, including Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist.

The Avalanche have landed a big fish on the eve of the Trade Deadline. Nelson has been with the Islanders for all 12 years of his career and continues to stand as a pillar of the lineup through this season. He was tied for the Islanders scoring lead this season, with 20 goals and 43 points in 61 games. Nelson also made Team USA’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster, though he didn’t post any scoring in four games. The Islanders were said to be working on finding an extension for Nelson up until the final moments. Instead, they opt to send him across the league in a deal that will likely price Colorado out of any further deadline moves. The Avalanche will carry just $1.337MM in cap space after this move, per PuckPedia.

New York originally drafted Nelson 30th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. He played through his first pro season two years later and instantly stood apart from the rest. Nelson led the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in scoring with 52 points in 66 games as an AHL rookie. He followed that standout performance by carving out an NHL role in the 2013-14 season, stamped by 14 goals and 26 points in 72 games. With his feet under him, Nelson broke out with 42 points in his sophomore year – and quickly became one of the league’s most consistent and reliable second-line forwards. He played in 81 or 82 games in all five season between 2014 and 2019 – rivaling 20 goals and 40 points in every season.

It was Nelson who succeeded star John Tavares’ role as the Islanders’ top-line center after the latter left ahead of the 2018-19 season. Nelson’s scoring has only grown since he took over the top-line role. He scored 53 and 54 points in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The shortened 2020-21 season slowed him down a bit – with 33 points in 56 games, or an 82-game pace of 48 points. But Nelson has made up for the slump by finding an extra gear over the last four seasons. He scored a career-high 37 goals and 59 points in 72 games of the 2021-22 season. That was followed with 36 goals and a career-high 75 points in 2022-23. And he stayed at his new standard with 34 goals and 69 points last year.

Nelson has hit his stride as he enters his mid-30s. He’s on pace for 26 goals and 58 points this season, and should only find a greater boost in what’s sure to be a top-six role with the Avalanche. Colorado ranks eighth in the league with a 3.24 goals-per-game average. Their second line is flanked by Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin on the wings, who should support Nelson’s slowing style well. Nelson will likely step ahead of Casey Mittelstadt in the lineup, bumping Mittelstadt to the third-line after scoring 11 goals and 34 points in 62 games this season. That’s exactly the depth Colorado will need to push for another long run in what’s shaping up to be a tough postseason.

Joining Nelson in the move to Colorado is AHL winger William Dufour. Dufour has 18 points in 45 games with Bridgeport this season – continuing his gradual decline in scoring since his rookie AHL season. Dufour broke into the minors in the 2022-23 season and scored a hot 21 goals and 48 points in 69 games. That scoring earned him his NHL debut, though he didn’t manage any scoring. Dufour fell to 15 goals and 25 points last year, and is now on pace for just 22 points this year.

Meanwhile, the Islanders will land a heap in return. Calum Ritchie was confidently Colorado’s top prospect and made the NHL roster out of training camp at the start of this season. He scored one goal in seven games to start the season, but was returned to the OHL before Colorado burned a full year of his contract. He’s been fantastic ever since, with 14 goals and 67 points in 41 games as the Oshawa Generals captain. Colorado drafted Ritchie with the 27th-overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, after he posted 59 points in 59 OHL games in his draft year. He followed it with a confident 80 points last year, and is on narrow pace to beat that total this year.

Ritchie could enter the Islanders system with a very clear path towards NHL minutes as soon as he’s ready. Nelson’s departure opens nearly 19 minutes of nightly ice time. The Islanders can distribute that between Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle MacLean through the end of the regular season, but they’ll need a much hardier depth option to stay competitive next year. Ritchie could be exactly that, after getting a taste of the NHL next to stars like Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar earlier this year. Ritchie has sturdy size at six-foot-three and 190-pounds – and he had a few flashes of upside in his brief NHL minutes. A clear opportunity could be exactly the set up he needs to work towards a strong pro breakout.

If not, the Islanders will be able to lean on a first-round selection in either the 2026 or 2027 drafts. Both classes are expected to be strong through the first round, headlined by seemingly generational talents Gavin McKenna and Landon DuPont respectively, each backed by their own string of other strong prospects. It could prove lucrative holding Colorado’s future draft capital, as they age up significantly with this Nelson deal. It’s clear the Avalanche are pushing for competition this year Nelson will fill the strong top-six role Colorado is looking for, while New York makes a clear and confident bet towards their future.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Trade Deadline Notes: Marchand, Leafs, Nelson, Devils

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The Trade Deadline is mere hours away, and despite a quiet build up, multiple major headlines have started to boil to the surface – all captured by TSN’s latest Insider Trading. The deadline could be headlined by the Boston Bruins parting ways with team captain Brad Marchand, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic during the Insider Trading segment.

A Marchand trade would be era-defining for the Bruins. He has been in Boston for the entirety of his 16-year, 1,090-game NHL career. Cracking franchise record books is a tough feat on an Original Six club but Marchand nonetheless ranks fourth in Boston history in career goals (422), games played (1,090), and penalty minutes (1,113). He also ranks fifth on Boston’s all-time points leaderboard.

Nearly two decades after his first introduction to the team, Marchand now stands as Boston’s last connection to days past. Where Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, and David Krejci have retired – Marchand has continued on. He took on the Bruins captaincy last season and has continued strong production into his age-36 season. Marchand ranks second on the Bruins with 21 goals and 47 points in 61 games this season – only behind David Pastrnak’s dazzling 32 goals and 77 points. Getting Boston to part ways with their captain, their rink rat, and their second-ranked scorer would take a monumental effort, but the right mix of future structure could convince the middling Bruins. Marchand has emphasized his preference to stay in Boston.

More from TSN’s Insider Trading:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue to seek out centermen and defensemen on the trade market per TSN’s Darren Dreger. They’re exploring multiple options, including Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen and St. Louis’ Brayden Schenn. Both players are entering the golden years of their careers. Schenn is in his age-33 season. He’s captained the Blues since Ryan O’Reilly left in 2023. Like fellow captain Marchand, Schenn has held to his typical style in recent years. He has 12 goals and 38 points in 63 games this season, while offering stout two-way play and a 50.3 percent faceoff win-rate. Ristolainen, 30, has seen his scoring dwindle as he’s entered his 30s. He has just 19 points in 59 games this season, but does boast a plus-five – the first positive plus-minus of his 12-year NHL career. He’s rounded out his defense and offers a hardy physical presence. On a Leafs team looking for the additions to match big moves by the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, either veteran could bring impactful depth.
  • The New York Islanders will likely wait until the last minute before they make a decision on extending or trading veteran forward Brock Nelson, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Buzz around Nelson’s deadline availability has ebbed and flowed over the last few months, mixed between reports of total availability and looming extension. The 33-year-old Nelson has 20 goals and 43 points in 61 games this season. He’s one of three players, alongside Anders Lee and Bo Horvat, tied for New York’s lead in scoring. Nelson is set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer and carries a 16-team no-trade clause, which will limit the places the career-Islander is able to go. The New Jersey Devils are among interested teams as they look to bank on accrued cap space after Jack Hughes’ season-ending injury.

Islanders Engaged In Trade Negotiations For Kyle Palmieri, Brock Nelson

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A few weeks ago, on 32 Thoughts with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the analyst shared that the Los Angeles Kings would prioritize a right-handed scorer at the trade deadline. We opined that New York Islanders’ winger Kyle Palmieri would be the best fit for Los Angeles, given that he’s one year removed from a 30-goal campaign.

It appears the Kings are thinking similarly, as Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News mentioned earlier that Los Angeles had checked in on Palmieri’s availability. Still, there’s some speculation the Islanders will keep Palmieri through the deadline, given they’re only five points back of the final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.

Fortunately for the Kings and other interested teams, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Islanders’ reality has settled in, and the team is now engaged in trade negotiations for Palmieri and center Brock Nelson. Palmieri has 19 goals and 40 points through 60 games this year and should command plenty of interest at the deadline, especially if New York is willing to retain some money from his $5MM cap hit.

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Trade Deadline Notes: Nelson, Boeser, Panthers

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The Trade Deadline has appeared over the horizon and teams like the Colorado Avalanche are already doing what they can to get out ahead of the pack. They acquired forward Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers this weekend, and could still be attached to some of the market’s top names. That includes New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson per The Fourth Period, who adds Nelson could be the cheap acquisition Colorado needs to bolster their top-six.

Nelson, 33, is in the sunset years of his career but he’s still managing to produce. He has 19 goals and 41 points in 60 games this season, just one point behind Anders Lee and Bo Horvat for the team-lead in scoring. Nelson also earned a nod from USA Hockey by making this year’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster, where he played in four games but didn’t manage any scoring.

Nelson scored 36 goals and a career-high 75 points in 2022-23, and followed it with 34 goals and 69 points last season. He may be beginning to slow down but his offense could be spurred once again with a move away from the Isalnders – the only NHL team Nelson has ever played for. Because of that exclusivity, New York will certainly need a convincing offer to part ways with one of their top scorers. Nelson also has a 16-team no-trade clause on his contract, which is set to expire this summer. That could help him dictate where he ends up – though the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche would certainly be a fine landing spot as the vet chases his first Cup win.

Other notes swirling around the Trade Deadline:

  • Recent reports have pointed towards an impasse forming between the Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser after the winger declined a five-year, $40MM contract extension. Now it seems the wedge could be driven in further, with TSN’s Darren Dreger sharing that the extension offer has been rescinded and that the team is exploring all options. Boeser is struggling to follow-up after scoring a career-high 40 goals last season – but he’s still performing at a higher level than in his early career. He has 18 goals and 36 points in 53 games this season, putting him on pace for 28 goals and 56 points on the year. That’s helped along by Boeser’s 17.3 shoting percentage this season – a step down from his 19.6 percent last year but still far above his career average of 14 percent. A high shooting percentage could be inflating Boeser’s numbers, or he could have finally found the goal-scoring groove he was looking for. With offers no longer on the table, it seems that answer will be found by a deadline buyer in need of shooting talent. Boeser has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to exempt 10 teams. His deal expires this summer.
  • The Florida Panthers helped break the market open with their swap of top goalie prospect Spencer Knight for top defenseman Seth Jones. That move pushed Florida right up against the wall of the salary cap – but they’ve opened up more breathing room by placing star Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. Florida is now projected to have $8.71MM in cap space on deadline day, per PuckPedia, and they’re expected to use it. Chris Johnston of The Athletic shared that Panthers general manager Bill Zito has proven ambitious in years past, and could see a chance to bolster his lineup a bit further. The Panthers have made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the last two seasons, and took away hardware last year. They’ll have their sights fully trained on repeating the feat this year – and a boost to their depth offense or a new backup goaltender would go far towards solidifying their chances.

Islanders Place Matt Martin On IR, Activate Noah Dobson From LTIR

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Feb. 26: Per the NHL media site (and shared by Rosner), the Islanders have officially activated Dobson from the long-term injured reserve making him available for tomorrow’s contest. Additionally, New York has transferred center Mathew Barzal from injured reserve to LTIR to create the necessary cap space for Dobson’s return.

Feb. 25: It’s a lower-body injury for Martin, Rosner reports. Dobson won’t return tonight against the Rangers but is probable for Thursday against the Bruins, he adds.

Feb. 25: The New York Islanders have reportedly placed forward Matt Martin on injured reserve (as per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News), opening the door for them to activate defenseman Noah Dobson off LTIR. The Islanders needed to open up room for Dobson and could have placed a player on waivers to do so, however, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello opted to use IR to open up a spot.

Martin began the year on a PTO before signing a one-year deal for the NHL minimum ($775K) when the Islanders began dealing with injury issues. The 35-year-old hasn’t played since January 16th, making it unclear when he suffered the injury. The 12-game absence likely signals what the rest of Martin’s season will look like as he probably won’t see much action regardless of injury status, unless the Islanders trade away several members of their NHL roster or go through another bout of the injury bug.

Martin has dressed in 24 games this year for the Islanders, posting a single assist, 68 hits and 15 blocked shots. He carved out a nice NHL career for himself and was once a pretty solid forechecker but at this stage of his career, he doesn’t offer much at the NHL level. Martin has played very little when he has dressed, averaging just 7:47 of ice time per game and has been decimated on the possession front, posting a CF% of 35.4%.

Dobson is expected to be activated after the Islanders’ morning skate today. The 25-year-old hasn’t played since January 20th and has had a lower-body injury. His absence created a big hole for the Islanders as he has been averaging a shade over 24 minutes of ice time per game and has continued to be a terrific play driver. His offensive numbers have fallen off this season, registering six goals and 18 assists in 46 games, and he continues to be a polarizing player for Islanders fans who don’t see him as a fit on the power play and question some of his decisions with the puck.

Islanders’ Dennis Cholowski Clears Waivers

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Feb. 21: Cholowski passed through unclaimed, PuckPedia reports. He’ll presumably be removed from the Islanders’ roster in the coming days.

Feb. 20: The Islanders have placed defenseman Dennis Cholowski on waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll head down to AHL Bridgeport if he clears.

New York is set to come out of the break with an open roster spot, but there’s a high likelihood of Scott Mayfield and Ryan Pulock coming off standard IR and LTIR, respectively, before Sunday’s game against the Stars. Assigning Cholowski to the minors tomorrow or losing him to another team will open the second spot they need to activate both.

Cholowski, who turned 27 earlier this week, has seen his most extended NHL usage in a half-decade this season. Injuries on the Long Island blue-line have meant Cholowski, who began the year as the Isles’ seventh defenseman, has played in 33 of 55 games. Minutes have been hard to come by – his 12:48 ATOI is the lowest among New York defensemen with multiple appearances – but he’s been effective in them with a 3-7–10 scoring line and a plus-one rating. He’s far from physically involved, recording 30 blocks and only five hits, but the 2016 first-rounder has been a decent depth puck-mover in his return to semi-regular NHL minutes.

Unfortunately for him, how the Islanders responded to injuries to Pulock and Noah Dobson muddied his role down the stretch. They picked up a trio of puck-movers – Adam Boqvist, Tony DeAngelo, and Scott Perunovich – who all have more experience or a higher ceiling than Cholowski. It’s not a huge surprise the 6’2″ lefty is the odd man out upon Pulock’s return instead of any of their new pickups.

Cholowski has seen AHL action in all six of his professional seasons leading up to the 2024-25 campaign. If he clears, he’ll land a seventh, but there’s a decent chance a team looking for a cheap depth option makes a claim. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent on a league minimum contract, so there’s zero financial risk if he doesn’t pan out.

A claim would mean Cholowski moves to his fifth NHL organization. Since being drafted 20th overall by the Red Wings and spending three seasons in Detroit, he’s made stops with the Capitals and Kraken in addition to his time in Long Island. Cholowski initially landed with the Isles in free agency in 2022 after being non-tendered by Seattle.

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