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Wild Place Kirill Kaprizov On LTIR, Marcus Johansson On IR

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5:30 PM: Minnesota has additionally placed Kirill Kaprizov on retroactive long-term injured reserve. He will be eligible to return as soon as he’s back to full health. In addition, Minnesota has recalled forwards Liam Ohgren and Brendan Gaunce – bringing them to a full roster ahead of Saturday’s game against Nashville.

4:00 PM: The Minnesota Wild have placed forward Marcus Johansson on injured reserve with an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Johansson suffered the injury when Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid discretely elbowed him in the head in the two sides’ Wednesday night matchup. The infraction did not result in a penalty during the game, nor any response from NHL Player Safety afterward. Johansson was helped off the ice following the hit, ending his night late in the second period. Tensions flared in response to the incident, not helped along by the fact that referee Chris Lee told Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek – who didn’t see the initial hit – that Johansson struck himself in the face with his own stick, per Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.

Johansson will now head to IR for the first time this season. He’s been one of the few regulars in Minnesota’s injury-strewn year, and even then still missed one of the team’s 45 games this season with an upper-body injury in October. Consistency hasn’t meant high scoring for Johansson, who sits with just five goals and 16 points on the season. That puts him on pace for 30 points through 82 games this season, which would tie Johansson’s scoring total from last year. Johansson has continued to fill a serviceable middle-six role for the Wild, averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time.

This will be yet another injury for the Minnesota Wild to bear through. They’re already missing a chunk of the top of their lineup, including going without Kirill Kaprizov, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Brock Faber for at least the last four games. Their silver lining is the return of winger Jakub Lauko, who was activated off of long-term injured reserve earlier on Thursday after missing Minnesota’s last 15 games with a lower-body injury. Lauko’s injury, suffered on December 15th, came just over a week after he was activated off of IR from a previous injury, which had him on the shelf from November 26th to December 9th.

Lauko has only appeared in 24 games this season as a result of the back-to-back injuries. He has two goals, six points, and 16 penalty minutes in that span – continuing his lack of scoring from his 10-point season last year. He’s been a true fourth-line forward for the Wild, but might be called upon to help support the middle-six in Johansson’s absence.

After Johansson’s IR placement, Minnesota will move forward down two forwards. The Athletic’s Russo shares that he’s expecting the team to make a call-up in response, but their cap situation will make even that process stressful. Russo points out that Minnesota would exceed the salary cap by recalling two forwards, and may need to retroactively place Kaprizov on LTIR to open their finances. Minnesota could also turn towards an emergency call-up, but would first need to play a game without a full roster. The former option certainly seems more feasible, with Minnesota then likely to turn towards their cheaper options in the minor leagues. Travis Boyd, Ben Jones, Michael Milne, Brendan Gaunce, and Devin Shore all carry league-minimum ($775K) cap hits and have been previously called up at some point this season. They could make up the list of top options this week, while players like Liam Ohgren and Riley Heidt will be pricier, but more high-upside, bets.

Minnesota’s next game will come on Saturday, when they travel to Nashville to take on the struggling Predators. The Wild have set a 2-3-0 in their last five games while grappling with major injuries.

Penguins’ Tristan Jarry Clears Waivers

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Jan. 16: As expected, the Penguins announced Blomqvist has been recalled from WBS while Jarry has been assigned there after clearing waivers.

Jan. 15: The Penguins will place goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers later Wednesday, the team announced. It’s unclear if he’ll be assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if he clears or if he’ll remain on the roster, but Pittsburgh will give other teams a chance to take him off their hands for free before they decide how to move forward with the struggling netminder.

Jarry, who allowed three goals on 17 shots in last night’s loss to Seattle, is now down to an abysmal .886 SV% on the season with a 3.31 GAA and an 8-8-4 record in 21 starts and one relief appearance. He posted a .926 SV% in five AHL appearances earlier this year on a conditioning stint that didn’t require waivers, although that hasn’t changed his confidence or level of play at the NHL level.

Now 29, Jarry finished seventh in Vezina Trophy voting in the 2019-20 and 2021-22 campaigns. Those highs led the Pens to sign him to a five-year, $26.88MM deal minutes before he was set to reach unrestricted free agency in 2023.

Just a year and a half in, they’re already trying to find ways to get out of the deal. If they can’t trade him or convince another club to snag his $5.375MM cap hit off waivers, he could be headed for a buyout this summer.

Notwithstanding this year’s struggles, Jarry’s career numbers are still quite good. The 2013 second-round pick has suited up 278 times for the Pens since debuting in the 2016-17 season, posting a 144-92-29 record with 19 shutouts, a 2.74 GAA, and a .910 SV%. He’s stopped 14.2 goals above average throughout his nine-year career and tied for the league lead in shutouts with six as recently as the 2023-24 campaign.

Without the risk of his contract hamstringing an acquiring team, Jarry would likely be snapped up on the waiver wire and would have even generated significant interest on the trade market considering his past resume. But more than three seasons remaining at a steep cap hit will likely be too much to swallow for even the most financially flexible teams if he can’t rebound from this year’s regression.

Unfortunately, backup Alex Nedeljkovic hasn’t been any better, with a matching .886 SV% in his 19 showings this season. Their best option has been 23-year-old Joel Blomqvist, who’s been in the minors for the last two months but seems ticketed for a recall after Jarry’s waiver period ends Thursday.

Blomqvist, who the Pens selected 52nd overall in 2020 and earned a spot on the AHL’s All-Rookie Team last season, had a .904 SV% and saved 2.1 goals above expected in eight games early this season while Jarry was on his conditioning loan, per MoneyPuck. He also has a .912 mark and a 6-4-2 record in 12 showings with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Maple Leafs Place John Tavares On Injured Reserve, Out Week-To-Week

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The Maple Leafs announced they’ve placed center John Tavares on injured reserve with the lower-body injury he sustained in practice yesterday, ruling him out of the club’s next four games.  Youngster Fraser Minten was recalled from AHL Toronto in a corresponding transaction and will likely suit up in tonight’s game against the Devils.

Tavares left practice favoring his right leg after getting tangled up with defenseman Chris Tanev during a power play drill. The team later said he’ll be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

It’s a big blow for the Leafs down the middle in particular but also for the forward group as a whole, which was as healthy as it had been all season save for the lingering absence of Calle Järnkrok after he underwent sports hernia surgery in November. Tavares had been running cold before the injury, going without a point in his last three games, but he still ranks second on the club in both goals (20) and assists (22) as he looks replenished following a trying 2023-24 campaign. His usual line with Max Pacioretty and William Nylander has outscored opponents 9-7 at even strength in over 155 minutes together this season.

Whoever moves up to replace Tavares down the middle on the second line remains to be seen. It could be the 20-year-old Minten, who didn’t look entirely out of place during a call-up earlier this season with a pair of goals and assists for four points in 11 games. His possession numbers weren’t good, only controlling 39.9% of shot attempts at even strength, but those should be boosted if he’s playing with better competition. His minutes earlier this season primarily came between Steven Lorentz and Nicholas Robertson while Toronto was dealing with injuries to nearly half their forward group.

It could also be a chance to jumpstart the struggling Max Domi, who’s shooting at an abysmal 5.5% for just three goals through 37 games. He’s still managed 12 assists for 15 points, tying for eighth on the team in scoring, but it’s not the production the Leafs envisioned from the 29-year-old after they signed him to a four-year, $15MM extension last offseason.

In any event, the Leafs are now without the services of one of their top point-getters as they look to reverse a three-game losing streak against former head coach Sheldon Keefe tonight. After tonight, three of their next four games are against divisional opponents, and they’re all potential playoff previews against the Lightning, Canadiens, and Senators.

Minten, selected 38th overall in 2022, has 10 points and a minus-four rating in 16 AHL appearances this season. He missed significant time at the beginning of the campaign with a high ankle sprain sustained in rookie camp.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Jets Acquire Isaak Phillips From Blackhawks

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12:33 p.m.: Winnipeg made the trade official Wednesday afternoon, confirming it’s a one-for-one swap.

11:49 a.m.: The Jets are finalizing a trade to acquire defenseman Isaak Phillips from the Blackhawks in exchange for 21-year-old defense prospect Dmitri Kuzmin, Darren Dreger of TSN reports Wednesday.

Phillips, 23, is a 6’3″ lefty who Chicago drafted in the fifth round in 2020. He has 56 NHL games to his name already, but just three have come this season.

Aside from a few recalls in the first few weeks of the campaign, Phillips has spent 2024-25 entirely in the AHL with Rockford. Now in his fifth professional season, getting an early start thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the OHL’s operations in 2020-21, he has eight points in 28 games on the farm with 54 PIMs and a plus-eight rating.

Phillips has an eye-popping -37 rating in his brief NHL career, although it’s hard to judge a still-raw defender on one of the league’s worst teams during that timeframe. Even still, relative to his Chicago teammates during that time, his possession numbers have been poor.

Chicago has controlled 42.4% of shot attempts with Phillips on the ice since his debut in 2021-22, 3.7% worse than their share without him. That’s a significant margin for a player whose primary calling is their defensive skills, although he has also provided 12 points, 47 blocks and 89 hits.

He still has upside, though, and Winnipeg was likely on the hunt for a slightly more experienced recall option than what they had in the system. The younger Kuzmin heads the other way, with the Blackhawks gaining a riskier but higher-ceiling talent in the swap.

The Jets drafted the Belarusian native 82nd overall in 2021, and he promptly came over to North America to suit up in the major junior ranks. The 5’10” lefty posted 103 points and a +18 rating in 122 games with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds across two seasons before turning pro with the Winnipeg organization in 2023.

Only this season has Kuzmin established himself as a semi-regular in the AHL. He split 2023-24 between the Jets’ AHL affiliate in their backyard and their ECHL affiliate in Norfolk, and his numbers didn’t pop off the page in either league.

This season, Kuzmin has been limited to a goal and three assists for four points with a minus-nine rating through 21 appearances. It’s clear things weren’t quite working out for the puck-mover in Winnipeg’s system, so he’ll get a fresh start in the Windy City with a year and a half left on his entry-level contract.

The swap won’t affect either team’s roster count or salary cap,, as both are actively on AHL assignments. However, the Jets will need to work with Phillips, who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the season.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Predators Expecting Increase In Trade Talks, Interest In Ryan O’Reilly

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The Nashville Predators entered the 2024-25 season with, on paper, one of the best rosters in the NHL. They won the sweepstakes for Tampa Bay Lightning legend Steven Stamkos in his first trip to unrestricted free agency, and bolstered him with impact players in Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. But Nashville now sits with a dismal 13-22-7 record halfway through the season. They rank as a bottom-three team in the NHL, and have responded to the disappointing year by kicking off a fire sale of trades and roster moves. The Predators have already made five trades this season, shipping off Philip Tomasino, Scott Wedgewood, Alexandre Carrier, and Juuso Parssinen; while also losing Dante Fabbro to Columbus via a waiver claim.

Despite all of that change, it seems Nashville’s novice general manager Barry Trotz is preparing for even more action. He told Nick Kieser of Nashville’s 102.5 The Game that the team is expecting an uptick in trade conversations now that the league’s winter meetings are winding down. Trotz went on to mention former Selke Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly specifically, sharing that he’s expecting plenty of teams to be interested in the depth forward. Trotz didn’t rule out a trade but emphasized that the team will talk with O’Reilly before making any sort of move.

O’Reilly is no stranger to Trade Deadline swaps, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs via a Deadline move in 2023. He scored 20 points in 24 total games with the Leafs before signing with Nashville in the following summer. He’s seen an uptick in his production in two years with the Preds, netting 26 goals and 69 points in 82 games last year and on pace for 53 points this season. Both marks sit in line with O’Reilly’s scoring during his prime years with the St. Louis Blues. Now 33, the shutdown forward’s overall impact is starting to dwindle – though his 55-percent faceoff win rate and 37 still rank second among Predators forwards, behind only Colton Sissons (56.2 faceoff percent, 44 hits).

With the trade deadline the point of conversation, Trotz also emphasized to Kieser that the team’s big blow up has already occurred. He said that, “this trade deadline is going to look a little different.” That comment likely references the four trades Nashville made ahead of last year’s Deadline, used to acquire Anthony Beauvillier, Jeremy Hanzel, Jason Zucker, and Wade Allison. Hanzel is the only one of the four still in the Predators organization.

If the Predators acquire anyone, Trotz says they’ll be looking for players with term on their contract, in an effort to build around their emerging young players rather than replacing them in the lineup. Both Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov have been notable pieces of the Predators’ lineup at some point this season. L’Heureux has scored nine points in 34 games – officially marking his rookie season – while Svechkov has four points in 13 games and was returned to the AHL. Svechkov is joined by other top prospects Joakim Kemell and Reid Schaefer in the minor leagues. Kemell has scored 18 points in 30 AHL games, while Scahefer – who has been out of the lineup since early December with an upper-body injury – has 14 points in 19 games. Both players could also be candidates for NHL ice time sooner rather than later, especially if the Predators continue to move out veteran pieces.

The Predators will be in a bind at the Deadline, no matter if they choose to buy or sell. The team has five picks in the top two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, plenty of ammunition to bring in a potential difference-maker, though that’s a hard sell for a team so far away from playoff contention. Nashville seems more likely to trim some lineup weight by moving players like Thomas Novak and Michael McCarron. Both players have offered stout depth behind Nashville’s presumed stars, though neither has reached 10 points this season despite playing 33 and 34 games respectively. A more hopeful team could see the duo’s slumping scoring as a chance to buy low on two potentially impactful depth forwards ahead of their own playoff push.

Canadiens’ Emil Heineman Out Three To Four Weeks With Upper-Body Injury

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Canadiens forward Emil Heineman sustained an upper-body injury on Monday when he was struck by a car in Salt Lake City, the team said in a statement. As a result, he’ll be sidelined from game action for three to four weeks.

Montreal provided no other details on the 23-year-old’s condition, but thankfully, the news isn’t any worse than it is. That brief return timeline suggests he may not have needed surgery as a result of his injuries – if he did, it was likely minor.

A 2020 second-rounder by the Panthers, he was traded to the Flames in the 2021 Sam Bennett trade and again to Montreal in 2022 as part of the return for Tyler Toffoli. After a four-game trial with the Habs last season, he’s cracked the roster in earnest in 2024-25 and is tied for eighth on the team in scoring with 17 points (10 G, 7 A) through 41 games.

Heineman managed that production despite averaging 10:06 per game at even strength, which is the least of any Habs regular. He’s received some fringe power-play usage but has been most effective as the left wing on one of the league’s most effective fourth lines this season with Jake Evans and Joel Armia, who control 56.9% of expected goals when used together at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.

The 6’0″, 202-lb Heineman has also been Montreal’s most physical skater, leading the team with 101 hits. It’s been an abundantly successful rookie campaign for the pending restricted free agent by all accounts, putting himself in line for a decent raise this summer and a guaranteed roster spot moving forward, barring any unexpected regression.

Expect enforcer Michael Pezzetta to see his most regular usage this season in Heineman’s absence. The 26-year-old was a healthy scratch for all of November and December but has played in four games since the New Year, bringing his total on the campaign to seven. He’s still looking for his first point of the campaign and has a minus-two rating while averaging 6:25 per game.

All of us at PHR extend our best wishes to Heineman in his recovery.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Blue Jackets Extend Zach Aston-Reese

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The Blue Jackets have signed forward Zach Aston-Reese to a one-year extension, general manager Don Waddell announced Monday. He will earn the league minimum of $775K next season, presumably on a one-way contract.

Aston-Reese, 30, was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July. He’s played in all but one of Columbus’ 43 games this season after being claimed off waivers from the Golden Knights on the eve of the regular season, posting four goals, seven assists, and 11 points with a minus-six rating.

The waiver placement by Vegas was a blessing in disguise for Aston-Reese, who’s re-established himself as an NHL regular with the Blue Jackets. Once a fourth-line fixture with the Penguins and was regarded as one of the more defensively adept wingers in the league, he’s had a tumultuous past few seasons – including spending nearly all last season in the minors while in the Red Wings organization.

That meant Aston-Reese had to settle for a two-way deal with the Knights in free agency last summer, the second year in a row he’d done so after catching on in Detroit late in training camp last year after a failed tryout with the Hurricanes. The structure hasn’t affected him this season since he’s spent all of it in the NHL, so while his extension doesn’t represent a raise, it does represent added financial security if he ends up back in the minors at some point in 2025-26.

Aston-Reese is averaging 13:09 of ice time per game this season, his highest usage since the 2020-21 campaign with Pittsburgh. He’s bounced between third-line and fourth-line roles, usually on either Justin Danforth or Cole Sillinger’s wing, while seeing around a minute per game on the penalty kill.

A league-minimum salary next year looks to be a bargain for Aston-Reese’s services if he keeps up his current level of play. He’s provided enough offense to remain effective in a bottom-six role while also serving as one of the Blue Jackets’ most physical forwards, ranking third on the team with 94 hits. Somewhat surprisingly, he also ranks eighth on the club with 56 shots on goal, and his 8.6 goals against per 60 minutes while on the penalty kill are the fewest among the Jackets’ regular PKers.

Half of the forwards on Columbus’ active roster are now under contract for next season or beyond. Key pending UFAs still include fellow bottom-six fixtures Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier, who could be in play on trade deadline day if the Jackets can’t reach extensions with them and if they’re no longer in the playoff picture.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Penguins Place Evgeni Malkin On IR, Activate Philip Tomasino

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed star Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Malkin has already missed Pittsburgh’s last three games, and will now be forced out of at least four more games. He had previously played in Pittsburgh’s first 41 games of the season, and was red-hot in the winter months. Malkin had seven points in nine games leading up to his injury.

In a corresponding move, Pittsburgh has also activated Philip Tomasino off of injured reserve, returning him from a four-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Tomasino has been one of the brightest spots of Pittsburgh’s middling year. Acquired for a fourth-round pick in a late-November trade with Nashville, Tomasino has since posted four goals and seven points in 16 games with the Penguins – the highest scoring pace of his career. He’s looked properly alive in the Penguins lineup, filling a much-needed top-six role after four up-and-down seasons in Nashville. Tomasino was a first-round draft pick in 2019, and made the jump into a full-time NHL role two seasons later. He scored 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games as a rookie – a very encouraging start for the then-20-year-old forward. But Tomasino struggled to maintain that into his sophomore year, and would only reach 20 points one more time – in 41 games of the 2023-24 campaign – during his time in Nashville.

Malkin’s absence will leave a glaring hole in the Pittsburgh lineup. The future Hall-of-Famer has, once again, been one of Pittsburgh’s most utilized forwards at both even-strength and on the power-play. The need for another top-unit forward could pave a golden path for Tomasino upon his return, giving the young center yet another chance to show Pittsburgh what he can do with a proper role. Pittsburgh has turned towards Anthony Beauvillier to fill the top-six vacancy over the last three games, though he hasn’t managed any scoring in the boosted role.

In other Penguins news, forward Michael Bunting will also miss the team’s Sunday game after being involved in a car accident outside PPG Paints Arena per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told Rorabaugh that Bunting isn’t expected to miss extended time. Bunting has been another red-hot Penguin, with four points in his last five games.

Flames’ Connor Zary Out Indefinitely With Knee Injury

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4:47 p.m.: Zary does not require surgery but will be out indefinitely while he rehabilitates his knee injury, the Flames announced Friday afternoon.

2:43 p.m.: The Flames placed center Connor Zary on injured reserve Friday after he sustained a left knee injury Tuesday on a hit from Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson, per the league’s media portal. Initial imaging yesterday revealed no ACL or MCL damage, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports, but they’re still working out a concrete timeline for his return.

Taking Zary’s spot on the active roster will be 22-year-old Rory Kerins, who the team announced has been recalled from AHL Calgary. Kerins, a 2020 sixth-round pick, currently leads the AHL in goals with 21 in 34 games.

The IR placement means Zary will miss Calgary’s next three games at the very least. Now in his second NHL season, the 2020 24th overall pick had 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points through 40 games.

Zary finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting last year after finishing 10th on the Flames in scoring with 34 points in 63 contests and ranking fifth with a +12 rating. He had started the season in the minors, but after posting a goal and nine assists through only six AHL games, he earned a call-up and never looked back.

The Saskatchewan native has bounced around a few lines this season and has been shifted to the wing, struggling in the faceoff dot with a 36% win rate. He’s shooting at 12% and is averaging 16:18 per game, seventh among Flames forwards.

Zary has posted some of the best possession numbers on the Flames, controlling 53.6% of shot attempts at even strength – a relative share of 2.4%. He’s due for a new contract as a pending restricted free agent with a qualifying offer of $874,125. He will not be eligible for arbitration if he reaches free agency this summer.

In the meantime, Kerins will get his first NHL chance, although he’s not expected to make his NHL debut on Saturday against the Kings. In addition to leading their AHL club in scoring with 34 points in 34 games, his +13 rating leads Wranglers forwards.

The Flames have a full active roster with $34.79MM in current cap space after the moves. Kerins, also a pending RFA, is waiver-exempt this season.

Canucks Activate Elias Pettersson From Injured Reserve

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The Canucks activated center Elias Pettersson from injured reserve on Friday, according to general manager Patrik Allvin. He’ll return to the lineup tonight against the Hurricanes after missing six games with an undisclosed injury.

Pettersson’s stint on IR came amid a spike in trade rumors regarding the 26-year-old pivot, whose speculated rift with teammate J.T. Miller has caused Vancouver to at least start examining the trade market for both players. He was nearly dealt to the Hurricanes last season before opting to reengage with the Canucks on a contract extension, signing an eight-year, $92.8MM pact in March.

Now back to full health, Pettersson will look to build on what’s been a disappointing campaign in the first season of his contract with an $11.6MM cap hit. He’d been limited to 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 34 games before the injury, tracking for his worst points-per-game pace since his injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign.

Somewhat ironically, the 2017 fifth-overall pick played his best hockey this season when Miller was out of the lineup on a personal leave for much of November and December. In 10 games without Miller, he exploded for 13 assists and added a pair of goals for 15 points.

Upon Miller’s return, Pettersson went on a six-game pointless streak. He got back on the score sheet with a pair of goals against the Sharks on Dec. 23 before leaving that contest with the ailment that landed him on IR.

The Canucks have an open roster spot after assigning goaltender Arturs Silovs to AHL Abbotsford on Thursday, so no corresponding transaction is needed for him to re-enter the lineup. Pettersson has had a rotating cast of wingers this season, spending significant time with Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, Nils Höglander, and Kiefer Sherwood, and since the Canucks didn’t take a morning skate today, it’s hard to project where he’ll slot in the lineup.

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