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Rangers Recall Matthew Robertson, To Place Adam Fox On IR

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After losing a pair of defensemen during last night’s game against the New York Islanders, it comes as no surprise the New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Unfortunately, the recall comes with a major blow to their postseason chances as Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported the team is expected to place Adam Fox on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Fox left Tuesday night’s game in the third period due to the upper-body injury after tallying one assist in 17:48 of ice time. As Staple shared in his report, the Rangers are optimistic he can return for the final stretch of the regular season.

Still, Fox’s injury will severely impact New York’s playoff chances for the foreseeable future. Only one year removed from earning the ’Regular Season Champions’ banner at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers have posted a 29-25-4 record through 58 games this season. At the time of writing, that record is good for two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite their proximity to the last playoff spot in the standings, MoneyPuck gives New York a 43.4% chance of reaching the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs — lower than their odds for the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. Fox is one of the handful of players on the Rangers who hasn’t disappointed this season scoring five goals and 48 points in 58 games averaging 23:14 of ice time per night with a +5 rating.

Meanwhile, Robertson is positioned to debut in the NHL, albeit under unfortunate circumstances. The former 49th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft has been impressive for the Wolf Pack this year scoring one goal and 18 points in 47 contests with a +2 rating. The Rangers still carry six healthy defensemen on the roster outside of Fox but Robertson should likely debut given the length of Fox’s recovery timeline.

If general manager Chris Drury is hell-bent on getting New York to the playoffs for a fourth straight season the injury to Fox should affect their trade deadline strategy. The Rangers may ultimately hang on to oft-mentioned trade candidates such as Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller. Additionally, Drury could begin putting feelers out in the rental market for right-handed defensemen.

Predators Looking To The Future As Trade Deadline Approaches

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It certainly wouldn’t be an overstatement to say the Nashville Predators overplayed their hand last summer. General manager Barry Trotz used free agency to lock up $20.5MM per season in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei through at least 2028. The moves were transformative. In one fell swoop, Nashville landed Stamkos in his first trip to unrestricted free agency and locked up the top of their lineup. It gave the Predators a roster that, on paper, seemed guaranteed to challenge playoff contention. But the new band started the year with a dismal 5-10-3 record that they haven’t recovered from since.

Nashville now ranks second-to-last in the Central Division with the Trade Deadline just around the corner. That standing will inevitably affect their deadline approach. Trotz told Nick Kieser of Nashville’s 102.5 The Game that he’s met with the Predators’ top players and shared a clear sentiment – either you’re in for the long haul, or he’ll look for a move. That includes potentially asking players with no movement clauses to consider waiving – a group that includes Stamkos, Skjei, Roman Josi, and Filip Forsberg. When asked about his feelings about the failed project, Trotz added that Nashville is already onto the next stage of their long-term plan, and told Kieser, “I’m okay with it. We took our swing, okay? We still need guys to play against top players.”

The Predators haven’t earned much for their high spending this summer. The team is, once again, led in scoring by Forsberg – who has 21 goals and 53 points in 56 games despite Nashville ranking second-to-last in total goals. Marchessault has done enough to earn the second place spot with 45 points – but Stamkos has only recorded 33, and Skjei only 21. Those are far from the top-of-the-lineup stats that Nashville was hoping for, and they could make parting with any failed additions a tall order.

Any of Nashville’s deadline moves will be solely focused on leaning into their future. Their top prospects have been the silver lining this season. Zachary L’Heureux has earned a routine spot in the lineup with his sharp-edged physicality, and each of Joakim Kemell, Fedor Svechkov, and Reid Schaefer seem close to making the jump themselves. But finding space in a loaded veteran lineup has been challenging, especially with bottom-six options like Colton Sissons and Thomas Novak standing as the team’s last line of defense at points this season. Each of L’Heureux, Kemell, and Schaefer are currently listed as left-wingers, and thus compete with Gustav Nyquist, Cole Smith, and Marchesseault for space on the depth chart. Moving one of the three veterans, or even parting ways with a low-stakes centerman, could go a long way towards giving Nashville’s top youngsters some more room to breathe.

Nashville also has six picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft, which could be enough to land some of the deadline’s top young options with a blockbuster swap. 23-year-olds Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens have both been rumored to be on the Buffalo Sabres’ chopping block for the right price, and could bring the spark needed to lead Nashville into their next step. Nashville could also make a swing for high-skill, high-upside winger Trevor Zegras, who has slowly drifted away from the Anaheim Ducks in the last two seasons. All three players seem like long shots to head to Tennessee – and it’s not clear how they’d fit into a confused Predators lineup – but landing a big splash could help Nashville turn towards the future without jeopardizing Trotz’s hope for top-line competitors.

Nashville will need to be ready to pay big for any of those young options – especially with Buffalo and Anaheim well outside of their own playoff race. The Predators may instead need to paint Stamkos and Marchesseault as reclamation projects who could make big marks of a playoff hopeful. Both stars are enticing options, even in a down year. They each scored 40 goals last season, and now find themselves pushing to score 20 this year. That speaks to certain upside, should a different team rediscover their offense. Even then, cap concerns will quickly come into the conversation – which could push a cheaper option like Ryan O’Reilly into the forefront. O’Reilly carries a $4.5MM cap hit through the 2026-27 season, and could entice deadline buyers with his two-way play.

A smooth tongue, or the right mix of draft picks, could land Nashville a hefty return for their aging veterans – but it will take a major effort. It seems more likely that the team will clear out their depth chart through moving vets like Nyquist, Smith, Sissons, or Michael McCarron. Those dump offs would certainly open space for top prospects, but Nashville will have to make sure their pricey stars are open to supporting a lengthy retool or rebuild. If not, Trotz may need to find yet another blockbuster to try and push his team onto the right track.

Penguins Shopping Erik Karlsson

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The Penguins have star defenseman Erik Karlsson’s name on the trade market and would move him “in a heartbeat” if the opportunity arises, sources tell Josh Yohe of The Athletic.

A move would mark the third trade of the three-time Norris Trophy winner’s career and the second within two years. Pittsburgh acquired him from the Sharks following his renaissance 2022-23 campaign when he erupted for a career-high 76 assists and 101 points on a San Jose team that won just 22 games. They paid a significant price to do so in the three-deal deal with the Canadiens, parting ways with assets like a 2024 first-round pick and serviceable backup, Casey DeSmith, but also partially shedding some dead-weight contracts like Mikael Granlund’s and Jeff Petry’s.

That return meant the Sharks aren’t retaining much salary on the high-paid, aging defenseman. His initial cap hit of $11.5MM, attached to his contract that runs through the 2026-27 season, was reduced to $10MM for Pittsburgh. As Yohe reports, the Penguins must retain additional cash to move him. For a contract with two years left on it, there’s a limit to how far they’re willing to go. They only have one salary retention slot remaining until Petry’s and Reilly Smith’s deals come off the books on July 1. If he moves before the deadline, they won’t be able to retain additional salary on potential trade chip Rickard Rakell.

Any trade talk could also be thrown out the window if Karlsson isn’t willing to waive his no-movement clause upon being asked. He initially waived it to facilitate the move to Pittsburgh, but it travels with him, retaining his power to block a move or waiver placement. While “many assume he would be willing to move on if asked,” Karlsson “seems to genuinely like playing for the Penguins,” Yohe said.

In any event, he and Rakell will remain Pittsburgh’s highest-value trade bait heading into the March 7 deadline after they shipped Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to the Canucks a few weeks ago. Any rumors regarding players like Kris Letang’s or Bryan Rust’s availability are unfounded, as Yohe adds general manager Kyle Dubas remains unwilling to ask them to waive their NMCs before the end of the season.

Individual defensive acumen has always been Karlsson’s biggest weakness, and it’s come to a head in Pittsburgh amid his age-34 season. The dynamic Swede remains a minute-muncher, averaging over 23 minutes per game for the Pens, but his overall possession numbers have continued to deteriorate. He remains an above-average player in that regard because of the sheer amount of offense he generates, though, logging a 52.4 CF% and -2.0 expected rating at even strength that still checks in above a good chunk of his Penguins teammates.

That, plus his three points in three games for Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off, is beginning to draw out trade interest, Yohe writes. A move remains possible ahead of the deadline but is more likely to happen this summer, a league executive told him.

Karlsson has played in all 59 games for the Pens this season and hasn’t missed a game since the 2021-22 campaign, so injury concerns won’t be much of a limiting factor. But after his explosion in San Jose, he’s averaged just 56 points per 82 games as a Penguin. He still leads Pittsburgh defenders with 6-34–40 this year, and a good portion of that has come at even strength. Whether that’s enough point production to sway teams to take a flyer on him at a cap hit that’s still likely to be in the $7MM-$8MM range with retention remains to be seen.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Red Wings’ Andrew Copp Out For Season

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The Red Wings announced this morning that center Andrew Copp underwent surgery to repair his left pectoral tendon and will miss the remainder of the season. He’ll miss four to six months as a result, meaning he should be ready for training camp in the fall.

Copp landed on injured reserve yesterday and was replaced on the roster by veteran AHL call-up Sheldon Dries. The latter will serve as Detroit’s extra forward while Michael Rasmussen nurses an upper-body injury. At the same time, J.T. Compher will continue to see a bump in minutes centering Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, as he did in Sunday’s overtime win over the Ducks without Copp.

The loss of Copp is a significant but not season-ending blow for the Wings, who are currently in position to end their eight-season playoff drought. They aren’t carrying any other long-term injuries among their forward corps. While the 30-year-old has been a strong depth piece for Detroit, ranking sixth on the team in scoring with 10-13–23 through 56 games, he’s averaged under 15 minutes per game and won’t be overwhelmingly complicated to replace internally.

His unavailability likely shifts general manager Steve Yzerman’s trade deadline plans somewhat, though. Detroit probably won’t need to move Copp to long-term injured reserve ahead of March 7 – they can currently add up to $13.65MM in cap hits as things stand, per PuckPedia. But while acquiring a top-four defenseman was and likely still is Yzerman’s top priority, Copp’s absence does bump the acquisition of a rental center up his wish list. The only big-ticket option on the rental market is the Islanders’ Brock Nelson, but they won’t be moving him – especially to a conference rival – if they’re still in competition for one of the East wild-card spots in 10 days. Lesser rental options (and more suited for a middle-six role) include Chicago’s Ryan Donato, Montreal’s Jake Evans, Boston’s Trent Frederic, and Seattle’s Yanni Gourde. The most expensive among that group is Gourde, who costs a shade over $5.1MM, still leaving them with plenty of flexibility to add on defense.

Of course, Copp’s injury could also increase Yzerman’s urgency to add a younger center with term. It’s something he’s been weighing for most of the season, namely in connection to the Sabres’ Dylan Cozens. But Buffalo, looking to end their own playoff drought next season, likely won’t risk moving the high-ceiling pivot to a division rival.

Copp arrived in Detroit in the 2022 offseason, inking a five-year, $28.125MM contract in free agency. He’s in the third year of that deal, which carries a cap hit of $5.625MM. It’s largely been an overpay, as he’s produced much closer to his career-average 82-game pace of 13 goals and 35 points in Detroit than his platform year of 21 goals and 53 points between the Jets and Rangers. His ice time this season was its lowest in six years, although his possession metrics (46.7 CF%, -1.9 expected rating at even strength) responded well to the decrease in usage.

Wild Place Joel Eriksson Ek On Injured Reserve

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Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek has landed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury he sustained in yesterday’s practice, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. He’s been ruled out for a week as a result but will be out “a lot longer” than that, according to Russo. Left-winger Jakub Lauko will be activated off injured reserve in a corresponding move. The team later confirmed Eriksson Ek sustained a lower-body injury and has been given a week-to-week designation.

Injuries just won’t stop piling up for Minnesota. They’re now without their All-Star scorer, Kirill Kaprizov, and their top minute-munching center, Eriksson Ek, for the foreseeable future. The former was initially expected to return around the trade deadline after undergoing lower-body surgery late last month. However, general manager Bill Guerin said last weekend that he’s likely to blow past his four-to-six-week return target and won’t be back in the lineup until later in March at the earliest.

It remains to be seen how much longer Eriksson Ek will be sidelined beyond Minnesota’s next four games in seven days. Each game is crucial for the Wild, who still have a 97.7% chance of making the playoffs (per MoneyPuck), but that number undoubtedly takes a marginal hit without Eriksson Ek’s services. Luckily for them, only four out of their next 10 games are against teams currently in playoff position. Less fortunately, two of those four games are against the Avalanche – the team with the best chance of knocking Minnesota out of third place in the Central Division. The Wild still have a four-point cushion on the Avs with two fewer games played, though, so they would require a serious slide to lose their divisional berth.

Eriksson Ek has already had an injury-plagued campaign. He missed a pair of contests in October with a nasal fracture and has since missed 13 total games with lower-body injuries. Sources tell Russo it’s a lower-body issue keeping him sidelined again this time, although it’s unclear if it’s related to his previous absences. As a result, his offensive production has deteriorated. He’s managed 9-15–24 through 42 appearances, a 47-point pace over 82 games. That comes on the heels of back-to-back 60-point showings for the Swedish center, who notched a career-high 30 goals and 64 points in 77 games for the Wild in 2023-24.

For as long as Eriksson Ek is out, 23-year-old pivot Marco Rossi is Minnesota’s undisputed No. 1 center. For most of this season, he’s skated on the “top” line alongside Kaprizov (when healthy). However, he doesn’t see penalty kill usage like Eriksson Ek and has thus averaged 1:26 less ice time per game in all situations. The latter’s injury surely takes the developing Rossi out of any trade conversations – even if Guerin was planning to leverage the pending RFA in a blockbuster, they can’t afford to lose him now. He’s tied for the team lead in assists (29) and ranks third in goals (20) and points (49).

The center group behind Rossi is uninspiring. Ryan Hartman has spent most of this season on the wing but has played a lot of center for the Wild in the past. He likely would have been their top choice to shift into top-six minutes in lieu of Eriksson Ek, but he, too, has been ruled out for the next four games after having his initial 10-game suspension for roughing Ottawa’s Tim Stützle before the 4 Nations break reduced to eight upon appeal by commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday. As things stand, Frédérick Gaudreau, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Lauko, who’s taken less than 30 faceoffs over his three-year NHL career, will anchor Minnesota’s other three lines.

Regarding Lauko, the 24-year-old has been limited to 33 appearances this season with a recurring lower-body issue, believed to be a muscle strain. He last suited up on Feb. 4 against his former team, the Bruins, and missed the final three games before the break. He’s made just 12 appearances since Thanksgiving.

Anaheim Ducks Acquire Ville Husso From Detroit Red Wings

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The Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings have connected on a goaltending trade. Both teams have announced that the Ducks have acquired netminder Ville Husso from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. Anaheim confirmed that Husso will report to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

Although netminder John Gibson had recently succumbed to an upper-body injury, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that wasn’t Anaheim’s motivation for the trade. Gibson’s recovery timeline is still considered day-to-day with no reports indicating otherwise.

It appears Husso will remain in the same role as he had with Detroit this season. The former seventh-place finisher in Vezina Trophy voting (2021-22) has been deployed as a third-string option for the Red Wings this year albeit an expensive one.

That’s likely behind Detroit’s motivation for the trade. Although Husso is only owed around $1.3MM in actual salary for the remainder of the regular season, the move clears approximately $3.5MM from the Red Wings’ salary cap table giving them plenty of flexibility for next Friday’s trade deadline should they look to acquire additional talent.

Despite opening up a decent chunk of cap space, this couldn’t have been the future general manager Steve Yzerman sought for Husso when he acquired the netminder from the St. Louis Blues for a third-round pick in 2022. The year before donning the winged wheel for the first time, Husso posted a 25-7-6 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.56 goals-against average in 38 starts for St. Louis.

Largely due to a poorer defense in front of him after he transitioned to the Red Wings, Husso failed to replicate his stellar play from the 2021-22 campaign. Throughout two and a half seasons in Detroit, Husso will finish his Red Wings tenure with a 36-32-11 record in 82 starts with a .892 SV%, 3.26 GAA, and a horrid -25.6 goals saved above average according to Hockey Reference.

Yzerman lost faith in Husso before this season, sending the Finnish netminder through waivers in early October. In his first multi-game stay in the AHL, Husso has managed an 8-4-0 record in 13 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, along with a .912 SV% and 2.70 GAA.

He’ll join a tandem in San Diego who could use serious improvement. The combination of Oscar Dansk and Calle Clang has given the Gulls an average of .885 SV% and 3.46 GAA, and the latter is expected to be out with a longer-term injury. Should Husso continue the solid play he displayed with the Griffins this season, San Diego may have a fighting chance at playoff positioning down the stretch.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the trade.

Ducks’ Trevor Zegras Suspended Three Games

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The league’s Department of Player Safety announced today they’ve suspended Ducks center Trevor Zegras for three games for interference against Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen. Zegras will remain on Anaheim’s active roster while serving the suspension and can return to the lineup on March 4 against the Oilers.

It’s the first suspension of Zegras’ five-year, 245-game career and the second incident that required any sort of supplemental discipline. He was fined $1.5K back in November 2022 for slashing then-Sharks defenseman Matt Benning.

This infraction, however, was far more egregious. The incident occurred late in the second period of last night’s overtime loss, during which Zegras laid a late hit that he left his feet to deliver, forcing his shoulder into Rasmussen’s head. Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said Rasmussen has since been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and isn’t traveling with the team for their game against the Wild tomorrow. On-ice officials failed to assess a penalty to Zegras on the play.

The most pertinent part of the league’s video explanation is transcribed here:

Players who are not in possession of the puck are never eligible to be checked. However, the intereference rule provides a brief window where the player who initiates the check while his opponent is in possession of the puck may finish the hit. This is not such a play. Here, Zegras begins his hitting motion after Zegras releases the puck, and contact is made outside the window where a check may be legally finished. In addition to the lateness, what causes this hit to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the significant head contact on this play combined with the force. 

It’s hard to disagree with DoPS’ description of the play, although a three-game ban could be seen as steep for a first-time offender. It comes amid another injury-plagued and difficult offensive season for the 23-year-old, who has 7-9–16 through 34 games – a 17-goal, 39-point pace over 82 games. That’s a far cry from the back-to-back 60-point campaigns he put up leading into the 2023 offseason when he landed a three-year, $17.25MM deal after months on the RFA market. So far, it’s been a prudent move from general manager Pat Verbeek to hold out for a lower cap hit than expected for a player who finished second in Calder Trophy voting in 2022.

Zegras has looked better since returning from right knee surgery last month. Since coming off injured reserve, he has six points in 10 games, an even rating, and an average ice time of 17:15 per night. It’s not world-beating, but certainly a step in the right direction for the 6’0″ center, who again finds himself in trade rumors ahead of the March 7 deadline.

Without Zegras, Anaheim doesn’t have a healthy extra forward for tomorrow’s road game in Buffalo. They don’t have an open roster spot and would need to make a corresponding transaction to get one up from AHL San Diego.

Ryan Hartman’s Suspension Reduced Upon Appeal

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has reduced Wild forward Ryan Hartman’s suspension for roughing Senators center Tim Stützle from 10 to eight games, the league announced. He will now be eligible to return to the Minnesota lineup on March 4 against the Kraken instead of March 9 against the Penguins.

The break in the schedule for the 4 Nations Face-Off initially meant Hartman was due to miss more than a month of action after he drove Stützle’s head into the ice immediately following a faceoff, which got him tossed from the game – a 6-0 loss – for intent to injure. As a result, he earned an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety. The NHLPA filed an appeal on Hartman’s behalf two days after their decision, which Bettman heard over the break. Hartman can again appeal to an independent arbitrator since the reduced length is still at least six games. That process will take longer than the remainder of the suspension, so doing so would only result in him getting some money back in his pocket.

Bettman rarely reduces a suspension. He’s only done it twice in the past nine times they’ve come across his desk, most recently decreasing a suspension to then-Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza from six to four games in December 2021. Bettman notes the reduction to eight games came at the request of the NHLPA, saying neither Hartman nor the NHLPA contested the fact that a suspension was appropriate for his actions.

The full ruling, available here, is incredibly detailed. While Bettman calls Hartman’s recent track record of suspensions (four within the last 22 months) “an unenviable record and a pattern of malfeasance,” he did agree with the NHLPA’s assertion that an increase of seven games from Hartman’s most recent discipline “is excessive in this case and that the quantum of increase should be reduced.”

Hartman, 30, has struggled this season with 7-10–17 through 48 games. He missed a significant chunk of games in October with an upper-body injury. His 0.35 points-per-game pace is his lowest since his first campaign in Minnesota in 2019-20, although a career-worst 6.5% shooting rate has a lot to do with that and should rebound somewhat after he returns to the lineup.

Utah Hockey Club Reassigns Juuso Välimäki

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Feb. 24: Välimäki cleared waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The team’s Craig Morgan confirms he’ll report to AHL Tucson.

Feb. 23: The Utah Hockey Club’s return to health on the blue line has led to some difficult roster decisions, notably losing defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok on waivers to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Today, the team will attempt to send defenseman Juuso Välimäki through waivers, per a team announcement.

It’s not an unfamiliar situation for the former 16th overall selection of the 2017 NHL Draft. Välimäki was claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames at the beginning of the 2022-23 season by the Arizona Coyotes and has remained with the team through their move to Salt Lake City, UT.

At the time, the Coyotes appeared to have the steal of the season on the waiver wire after Välimäki broke out for four goals and 30 assists in 78 games in his first year with the organization. Arizona was uniquely positioned to allow Välimäki into a top-four role with the club — something the Flames couldn’t do at the time. Unfortunately, the Tampere, Finland native didn’t respond as well with increased responsibility last year.

He improved defensively as evidenced by his +12 rating over 68 appearances and career-high 92.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength. However, his offensive production was cut in half scoring two goals and 17 points despite increasing his average time on ice by approximately a minute.

This year has brought an even larger drop-off for Välimäki. Although Utah has dealt with multiple injuries on the blue line, Välimäki has seen his average ice time drop by two and a half minutes. Falling offensively and defensively, he’s scored two goals and three assists in 43 games with a -5 rating.

Välimäki’s disappointing output could be a blessing in disguise for Utah should they hope to retain him. Even though he’s making an affordable $2MM this year and next, his production has given that contract a slight negative value meaning other teams may let him pass through unclaimed.

Matthew Tkachuk Expected To Play Again This Season

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The Panthers may have star winger Matthew Tkachuk out for more than the next few games, but his absence won’t persist for the rest of the season. Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed as such on the Joe Rose Show on Monday, saying “he’s playing for us this year” even with the “possibility [his recovery] a bit longer term” (via George Richards of Florida Hockey Now).

Tkachuk missed the Panthers’ 2-1 loss to the Kraken on Saturday with the lower-body injury, which multiple reports indicate is a groin issue, he sustained while playing for the Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Maurice said he’s undergoing final evaluations to determine a recovery timeline today.

Florida is comfortably in a playoff spot, but their final standing in the Atlantic Division remains to be seen and could be significantly impacted by Tkachuk’s absence. They’ve been passed by the Maple Leafs once again for the top spot, now one point back with one more game played, and they’re facing pressure from the surging Lightning in third place. There’s now a 20% chance of the Cats slipping to third and another 6.1% of them falling to a wild-card spot, per MoneyPuck. The Panthers have gone 6-4-1 in 11 games without Tkachuk since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Flames in 2022.

Tkachuk isn’t on pace to reach the 40-goal, 109-point heights of his first season in Florida, but he remains at a 1.10 points-per-game pace and ranks second on the team with a 22-35–57 scoring line. He’s been limited to 52 of 58 games, missing five contests back in October with an illness, but remains the team’s leader in power-play goals with 11 and even-strength assists with 23.

In the meantime, rookie Mackie Samoskevich will be the biggest benefactor of Tkachuk’s minutes. He stepped into the latter’s usual second-line role alongside Sam Bennett in the Seattle game. While he didn’t record a point, he logged a season-high 17:23 of ice time and recorded two shots on goal and three hits. The 2021 first-round pick hasn’t played much over the past month due to injury and illness, but he’s been a solid depth piece in his first entire NHL campaign with 8-9–17 through 49 appearances.

An anticipated return before the postseason or early into the first round likely won’t impact the Panthers’ trade deadline strategy too much. Their top priority will continue to be adding a name to a blue line that’s punched above its weight this year after losing key names on last summer’s free-agent market, contributing to an increase of 0.47 goals against per game compared to 2023-24’s league-best defensive effort.

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