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Blue Jackets Notes: Fabbro, Johnson, Chinakhov, Greaves

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The Columbus Blue Jackets received a series of injury and roster updates on Wednesday, headlined by an update on defenseman Dante Fabbro’s injury. Fabbro left Columbus’ Tuesday loss to Tampa Bay in the second period, after receiving a scary knee-to-knee hit from Lightning rookie Conor Geekie. But Fabbro has avoided the worst possible outcome, nursing more of a charley horse than a bad knee injury per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Fabbro was not available for Columbus’ optional Wednesday practice.

Fabbro will be working to maintain his hot streak in Columbus if he does play. He has seven points, 16 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 18 games since the Blue Jackets claimed him off waivers in November. It’s been a 180-degree turnaround from his start to the season with Nashville, which saw Fabbro record no scoring, no penalties, and a -3 through six games. The 2016 17th-overall pick has been a fixture of the Predators’ lineup since turning pro at the end of the 2018-19 season, establishing a confident role on the team’s second pair. But he never seemed to favor either zone, with low-scoring totals complemented by negative plus-minuses and poor advanced stats. He ultimately totaled just 72 points in 315 games, and seven seasons, with the Predators. 24 points in 66 games of the 2021-22 campaign stand as his career-high in scoring. But Fabbro could surpass that mark this year, with his hot start in Columbus putting him on pace for 26 points – even despite no scoring in Nashville. That pace would require he play in all 50 games remaining on the Blue Jackets’ schedule, though – a mission that will start by returning from this lower-body injury.

Other notes out of Ohio:

  • Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson will join Fabbro as questionable for Wednesday night’s game per Portzline. Johnson took a stick to the eye in Sunday’s match against Carolina and is scheduled to see an eye doctor in Columbus on Wednesday. He has rotated out of Columbus third pairing, averaging 13:32 in ice time and recording just one assist in 18 games this season. With both Fabbro and Johnson both questionable, Portzline adds that Columbus is likely to recall a defenseman from the minors ahead of Thursday’s game. That could be the opportunity for top prospects Denton Mateychuk or Stanislav Svozil to earn their jump to the top flight. Mateychuk has 23 points in 25 AHL games this season, while Svozil has 13 in 22 games.
  • Forward Yegor Chinakhov was on the ice for Wednesday’s optional skate shares NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. It’s Chinakhov’s first time skating since suffering an upper-body injury on November 27th. He has since missed Columbus’ last 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on December 11th. Chinakhov is having a strong year outside of the injuries, with 14 points – split evenly – through 21 games this season. He ranks in the top five of scoring among Blue Jackets forwards, despite averaging the least amount of ice time of anyone above him. Chinakhov is also hitting more and blocking more shots, with his 2024-25 numbers (32 hits, 10 blocks) already narrowing in on his totals from 53 games of 2023-24 (43 hits, 28 blocks). He’ll quickly slot back into Columbus’ middle-six when he returns to full health – a path that started with a return to the ice today.
  • Finally, Columbus has loaned goaltender Jet Greaves back to the AHL. Greaves was recalled on December 11th and stepped into three games, but posted a measly 0-1-2 record and .895 save percentage. He’ll now return to the minors, where he’s already managed an 8-4-2 record and .902 save percentage in 15 appearances. Greaves’ assignment will leave Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov as the sole pair in Columbus’ goaltending room.

Stars Recall Alexander Petrovic, Place Matt Dumba On IR

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The Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Alexander Petrovic to fill in for the injured Matt Dumba, who has been shifted to injured reserve. Dumba has missed Dallas’ last three games with an upper-body injury. His IR placement is retroactive to December 8th, making Dumba eligible to be activated as soon as he’s back to full health.

This is already the second IR placement of Dumba’s season. He missed nine days of action in October after suffering a lower-body injury in the team’s October 13th win over Seattle. Dumba was placed on IR six days later but avoided surgery and a long-term absence. He’s played in the majority of Dallas’ games since returning on October 22nd, though he was healthy scratched a few times for underwhelming play. Dumba has just one assist in 19 games this season, and it didn’t come until his 12th game of the season. He’s added 19 penalty minutes, 17 shots on net, and 31 hits on the season while averaging 15:33 in ice time. Dumba’s slow play dates back to last season, when he managed just 12 points in 76 games split between the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning. He signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Dallas this summer looking to spur the lack of production, but has since fallen into an even deeper rut.

Rookie Lian Bichsel has filled in for Dumba over the last few games, but Dallas is still facing uncertain availability for both Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist. Both players will be game-time decisions due to flu symptoms, an issue for many different Stars players shares Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. Petrovic will be ready to fill in for either defender. He’s been Dallas’ go-to call-up on defense, and played in two NHL games earlier this season. Petrovic didn’t manage any scoring, but did record one penalty, in the outings. He’s made much more of an impact in the minor leagues, where he’s tallied 13 points in 21 games while serving as one of Texas’ alternate captains. Petrovic is a veteran of 10 pro seasons, spending much of them as a depth defender split between the major and minor leagues. He’s totaled 50 points in 266 career NHL games, and 164 points in 448 AHL games.

Pacific Notes: Arvidsson, Hyman, Warsofsky, Barbashev

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The Edmonton Oilers received a flurry of injury updates on Tuesday, captured Oilers TV host Tony Brar. Most notably, winger Viktor Arvidsson is expected to return to the lineup sometime this weekend, with Thursday’s matchup against Boston a real possibility. Arvidsson has missed Edmonton’s last 15 games with an undisclosed injury. He landed on injured reserve on November 21st, and could be activated at any point with Edmonton carrying plenty of lineup and cap flexibility.

Arvidsson signed a two-year, $8MM contract with the Oilers this summer, but only managed two goals and five points in 16 games before sustaining his injury. The near month-long absence continues Arvidsson’s nagging bout with injuries. He missed all but 18 games of last season with a lower-body injury, and hasn’t played 80 games in a season since 2016-17. Arvidsson has usually been able to curb routine absences with promising scoring – scoring 52 goals and 123 points in 161 games with the Los Angeles Kings over the last three seasons – but that production hasn’t carried up North just yet.

While Arvidsson hopes to return to the lineup, and the scoresheet, fellow winger Zach Hyman will also be facing injury. Brar reports that Hyman sustained a broken nose, but isn’t expected to miss any playing time. Hyman has 10 goals and 15 points in 26 games this year. He’s a fixture of Edmonton’s top line and power-play unit – a role he stamped with 54 goals and 77 points in 80 games last season.

Other notes from out West:

  • San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky has received a $25,000 fine for inappropriate conduct during Saturday’s game against Utah, per Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Warsofsky took exception with multiple missed calls throughout the game. Most egregious was a second-period hit to Macklin Celebrini from Utah’s Kevin Stenlund that appeared to be a clear boarding penalty, though refs left it uncalled. Celebrini didn’t suffer any injuries on the hit. Warsofsky will now turn towards the future with slightly lighter pockets, looking to pull San Jose into the win column after a 5-5-0 record in their last 10 games.
  • Vegas Golden Knights winger Ivan Barbashev missed Tuesday’s practice with an upper-body injury, head coach Bruce Cassidy shared with Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Cassidy designated Barbashev as day-to-day. The Russian winger has continued to be a force in the Golden Knight roster, with 30 points – split evenly – in 31 games. The near point-per-game scoring is far-and-away the highest of Barbashev’s nine-year career in the NHL. His current career-high in scoring came in 2021-22, when Barbashev posted 26 goals and 60 points with the St. Louis Blues.

Wild’s Devin Shore Clears Waivers

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Dec. 17: Shore cleared waivers, Friedman reports. He’ll remain on the Wild’s roster for now, adds Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Dec. 16: The Minnesota Wild have placed forward Devin Shore on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The move was alluded to by Michael Russo of The Athletic earlier today. It will create more room for Minnesota to find a productive depth forward as they look to fill-in for the injured Jakub Lauko.

Shore has played in 12 NHL games this season but hasn’t recorded any scoring or penalties. The only changes to his stat line has come in the form of a +1, seven blocked shots, and 17 hits. Shore is one of five Wild forwards to play in multiple games with no scoring, joining a group that includes top prospect Liam Ohgren and Iowa Wild scoring leader Travis Boyd.

The scoring drought in Minnesota is a crater for Shore, after declining productivity in each of the last three seasons. A fourth-line forward wherever he goes, Shore recorded 11 points in 49 games with the Edmonton Oilers in 2021-22, but followed it up with just nine points in 47 games the following year. He attempted to spur that downward trend with a move to Seattle last season, but he ended up with just four points in 21 games with the Kraken – and spent most of the year in the minor leagues. Still, his AHL scoring was promising – 25 points in 39 games – and Shore once again tried to spur things with a team-change. He signed a one-year, league-minimum contract with Minnesota this summer, and had to work his way up to the NHL roster after starting in the minors. He managed that quickly, with 10 points in 14 games with Iowa – but has since hit a complete stall. This waiver placement should set him up to rediscover his scoring, and better plan for ways to translate it to Minnesota’s fourth-line when he’s next called upon.

This is the seventh waiver placement of Shore’s career, and his second of the season. Despite playing for six different teams in his 10-year career, Shore hasn’t once been claimed off of waivers.

Wild Assign Reese Johnson, Recall Brendan Gaunce

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5:30 PM: The Minnesota Wild have recalled forward Brendan Gaunce, after placing Devin Shore on waivers, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Gaunce would become the 31st player to suit up for the Wild, should he step into the lineup. He gets the call after scoring eight goals and 14 points in 21 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

11:30 AM: The morning has started out with a heap of small-news roster transactions, headlined by the Minnesota Wild assigning center Reese Johnson to the Iowa Wild, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Johnson stepped into Minnesota’s last two games to cover injuries to Yakov Trenin and Jakub Lauko. Trenin is expected to work his way back into the lineup before the team hosts Florida on Wednesday. That would alleviate some of the lineup pressure, though Russo points out that Minnesota will still need to recall a forward. He adds that the team could also place forwards Devin Shore or Ben Jones on waivers to create room for an additional call-up.

Johnson’s assignment gives Minnesota a chance to assess the playing field. They’ve had terrible luck with their extra forwards so far this season – with none of Johnson (three games), Shore (12 games), or Jones (13 games) recording any scoring in their opportunities this season. The lack of production has also extended to Michael Milne, Travis Boyd, and even top prospect Liam Ohgren – making the question of who to call up a tough one to answer.

Minnesota will need someone to step up for Lauko, who will be forced to miss at least the next two games with his placement on injured reserve. The top of their call-up sheet seems covered by this list of scoreless forwards, but Minnesota may opt for a new face instead. If that’s the case, it’d likely be Brendan Gaunce, Hunter Haight, and Luke Toporowski vying for NHL ice time. Gaunce (14 points in 21 games) and Haight (12 points in 23 games) rank near the top of the Iowa Wild in scoring, while Toporowski (nine points in 11 games) ranks fourth on the team in point-per-game scoring. Haight and Toporowski are still awaiting their NHL debuts.

Minnesota is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, but have been outscored 14-4 in their losses. Scoring depth down the lineup would certainly support Minnesota’s game-to-game consistency – but which forward will bring that scoring continues to be an open question.

Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov A Game-Time Decision

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Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has been announced as a “hopeful” game-time decision for the team’s Monday game against the Edmonton Oilers, per NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. Barkov sat out of Florida’s Saturday loss to the Calgary Flames, and the team’s optional practice on Monday morning, with an illness.

Barkov has continued to be a pillar of the Panthers lineup this season. He’s recorded nine goals and 20 assists in 22 games, averaging out to a 1.32 points-per-game pace – the 13th-best in the NHL. He ranks 10th in the league in assists-per-game (0.91). Barkov has continued his defensive acumen into his 12th NHL season, recording a staggering 62-percent faceoff win rate and 1.72 xGA/60 – both among the best in the league as well.

It’s been an impressive year for the reigning Selke Trophy-winner, though he could now miss his 10th game of the season should he get ruled out tonight. When asked for more detail into the decision, head coach Paul Maurice told NHL.com, “Guys will play through anything, but sometimes it’s just not the smartest thing to do… If he says he can play, then I’m not going to monitor his minutes. We’ll get him out on the ice against one of their two big centermen as much as I possibly can.”

Winger Jonah Gadjovich stepped into a rearranged Panthers lineup in Barkov’s absence. He recorded one shot on net and two hits in 10:30 of ice time. Gadjovich has posted one goal, a -5, and 10 penalty minutes in 15 games this season while averaging the second-fewest minutes (7:29) on the team. Still, he’ll likely return to the lineup should Barkov sit again, with Florida not carrying any additional forwards.

Afternoon Notes: Red Wings, Ostapchuk, Flames

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The Detroit Red Wings received a handful of reassuring injury updates at Monday’s practice, all documented by Ansar Khan of Michigan Live. Most notably, backup goaltender Alex Lyon returned to practice in full and is expected to return for Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia. Lyon has been out of the lineup since suffering an undisclosed injury at practice on November 27th.  He’s missed eight games. Cam Talbot is also making his way back to full health but isn’t expected to return until Friday. Talbot has missed five of Detroit’s last six games.

The Red Wings could have their top two netminders back to full health by this weekend, finally relieving them of their crisis in net. Ville Husso stepped up as the team’s starter in the absence of Talbot and Lyon, but did little with the role – posting a 1-2-2 record and .894 save percentage. His poor performances paved the way for top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa to make his NHL debut – relieving Husso on December 9th after he allowed three goals on the first seven shots. Cossa allowed two more goals but banded together with Detroit’s scorers to win in a shootout. It was a promising performance for the 22-year-old Cossa, though it’s clear Detroit prefers him as the AHL starter. That role will be easier to ensure with Talbot and Lyon finally returning to full health.

Khan also shared that forward Marco Kasper is dealing with an illness and will be questionable for the team’s Wednesday game. Kasper has seven points and 12 penalty minutes in 25 games this season.

Other quick notes from Tuesday practice:

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent forward Zack Ostapchuk to the minor leagues. The move appears to be a paper transaction to help accrue daily cap hit during off-days. Ostapchuk will likely be recalled ahead of Ottawa’s Tuesday game against Seattle, giving him a chance to continue searching for his first NHL goal. He has recorded two assists and one fighting major in 16 games this season – his only scoring or penalties through 23 career games. Ostapchuk has also recorded eight points and 10 penalty minutes in nine AHL games this year.
  • Both Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr have been returned to the NHL roster, after being assigned to the AHL for Calgary’s off-day. Both players could step back into the lineup when Calgary hosts Boston on Tuesday, after winger Andrei Kuzmenko left the team’s Tuesday practice early, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. Kuzmenko is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and missed Saturday’s game. Pelletier and Duehr are both on a quest to earn full-time roles in the NHL, serving as two of Calgary’s top prospects and minor-league standouts for the last few seasons. Pelletier has scored two points in five NHL games this year, while Duehr has one point in 16 games.
  • Flames goaltender Daniel Vladar returned to the team’s practice on Monday, shares Steinberg. Vladar missed Calgary’s Saturday game due to a lower-body injury, and has since been designated as day-to-day. He’s platooned starts with Dustin Wolf, narrowly beating out the rookie in games played with 16 to Wolf’s 15. Vladar has posted a 6-6-4 record and .885 save percentage in his performances, while Wolf has managed a 9-5-1 record and .915. That imbalance could soon push Wolf into the starter’s role, and return Vladar to the Flames’ backup spot where he spent the last three seasons.

Stars Notes: Bichsel, Harley, Lundkvist, DeSmith

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The Dallas Stars have reversed their paper transaction that sent Lian Bichsel to the minor leagues. He’s expected to step back into the lineup on Monday, setting Bichsel up for his third NHL game. The first two have both gone well, with Bichsel recording a goal, penalty, and eight hits. His four hits per game, or 16.08 hits-per-60, ranks second among all NHL defensemen behind Vegas’ Robert Hagg, who’s recorded 11 hits in two games.

Bichsel’s NHL debut was long anticipated. He was an imperative piece of Rogle BK’s lineup last season, recording a mere four points in 29 games but serving a physical shutdown role in the top four through much of the season. Rogle went on an underdog run to the SHL championship but ultimately fell to Skelleftea AIK in five games. Bichsel made the move to the AHL quickly after and has since combined for 16 points, 60 penalty minutes, and a +6 in 37 games with the Texas Stars.

Where Bichsel slots in on Monday could be up for question. Thomas Harley, who operated ahead of Bichsel in the rookie’s first two games, is listed as a game-time decision due to illness, per Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest. Rea also shares that Nils Lundkvist, who sat out of Saturday’s game with the flu, is expected to return on Monday. With Bichsel potentially filling in for Harley, Brendan Smith will step out of the lineup for Lundkvist’s return.

In additional news from Dallas’ Monday practice, it appears goaltender Casey DeSmith has also returned to full health after missing Saturday’s game with illness. His availability is evidenced by Dallas’ lack of a goaltending call-up, pointed out by Owen Newkirk of the Dallas Stars podcast.

Penguins’ Marcus Pettersson Out Week-To-Week

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Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan shared that defenseman Marcus Pettersson will be out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Pettersson left the team’s Saturday loss to Ottawa late in the first period after a collision with Senators forward Drake Batherson sent him awkwardly into the boards. He only played in six minutes of ice time.

Pettersson has continued to serve as a core piece of the Penguins lineup this season. He’s recorded 11 assists and 13 points in 32 games this season while averaging 22 minutes of ice time – making him the third-most utilized player on the Penguins roster. Pettersson also leads Pittsburgh in blocked shots (56) and ranks third among defenders in hits (36). He’s a top-unit, shutdown defender – a role he stamped when he played in all 82 of Pittsburgh’s games last season. A full year helped Pettersson solidify his spot on the top pair – averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time – and led him to career-highs in assists (26) and points (30). With his momentum carrying into this season, Pettersson has become an unquestioned piece of the daily lineup – and one that will be tough to replace for an extended time.

Pittsburgh is currently carrying top prospect Owen Pickering and depth option Ryan Shea as their extra defenders. The former seems best set for a boost in ice time with Pettersson out. Pickering received the first 11 games of his NHL career earlier this season. He scored two points, split evenly, and added five shots on goal and 10 blocked shots – leading Pittsburgh in blocks-per-game. He’s so far defaulted to Pittsburgh’s third pair, but could be a reasonable upside bet with Pettersson standing as a potential IR candidate. If not Pickering, Pittsburgh could turn towards Shea, or call-up Sebastian Aho from the minor leagues.

Evening Notes: Parssinen, Kuzmenko, Dumba

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The Nashville Predators have continued to be one of the NHL’s busiest teams this season, making trades to revamp their goaltending and move out stalling veterans in favor of top prospects. It seems the latter trend could continue, with the team eyeing trades for forward Juuso Parssinen per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts. Friedman compared the rumors to Nashville’s separating from Philip Tomasino and Dante Fabbro, who have each found far more success in their new homes. Tomasino has three goals and four points in seven games with Pittsburgh, while Fabbro has seven points in 15 games with Columbus.

Parssinen has just five points through 15 games this season – four of which came in a four-game span in mid-November. He’s recorded no scoring and a -6 in seven games since that hot streak, losing grip on his third-line role along the way. This year marks Parssinen’s first with a full-time role on the Predators roster, after splitting the last two seasons between the NHL and AHL. He scored an admirable 25 points in 45 games as a rookie – coupled by nine points in 10 AHL games – in 2022-23. But Parssinen took a step back at both levels last season, scoring just 12 points in 44 NHL games and 25 points in 36 AHL games. Making the Predators roster out of training camp was an encouraging sign heading into this year, but after 15 games, the former seventh-round pick may no longer be a fit. His six-foot-three frame and serviceable play at center should draw plenty of attention from around the league, though his 42 points in 104 career games likely won’t earn Nashville a hefty return.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Calgary Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Walker Duehr is expected to fill his role in Saturday’s game against Florida. Kuzmenko has just one goal and 10 points in 28 games this season. He was healthy scratched for three games at the start of the month, and has since recorded one point and a -2 in three games. He’ll need a return to full health to come with more confident scoring if he wants to ward off emerging prospects Duehr and Jakob Pelletier.
  • Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer provided a bit of clarity into Matt Dumba’s injury, telling Brian Rea of Bally Sports Southwest that he is somewhere between day-to-day and week-to-week. Dumba has missed Dallas’ last two games after suffering an upper-body injury in Sunday’s matchup against Calgary. He’s been oft-injured in his first year with the Stars, limited in or outright missing 10 of Dallas’ 28 games this season. That’s made adjusting to the new setting tough, evidenced by Dumba’s one assist in 19 games – a team-low in scoring among players with more than a few games played. Dumba faced nagging injuries between 2018 and 2021, but rediscovered his health in the last two seasons. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found the scoring of his early career in the return. Once a 50-point scorer, Dumba posted just 26 points in 155 games between 2022-23 and 2023-24. He played for three teams – Minnesota, Arizona, and Tampa Bay – in that span.
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