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Penguins Activate Matt Nieto, Place Blake Lizotte On IR

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have swapped around forwards on their injured reserve, activating Matthew Nieto (knee) but shelving Blake Lizotte (concussion). Lizotte suffered his injury after a shot from linemate Drew O’Connor hit him in the face. He immediately left the game, ending his night after just 3:36 in ice time.

This is the second concussion of Lizotte’s season – with the first suffered during the pre-season and holding him out of Pittsburgh’s first 11 games. It also earned him three weeks on IR, from October 7th to October 31st. Lizotte has played in seven games since, netting two goals on eight shots. It’s the first time in Lizotte’s seven-year career that he’s played outside of the Los Angeles Kings, though the change of scenery hasn’t come with a prime lineup role. Lizotte is averaging just nine minutes in ice time, nearly three minutes lower than he ever averaged with the Kings. He scored 39 goals and 108 points in 327 games with L.A., with a single-season high of 11 goals and 34 points in 2022-23.

Lizotte will be quickly replaced by veteran forward Nieto, who’s making his first return to the NHL since suffering a knee injury on November 30th of last season. The injury ended his season after just 22 games and four points. He received surgery soon after but would have to go under the knife for a second time in April after suffering an additional injury while rehabbing. Nieto was held out through the start of this season, not skating until he began a conditioning assignment with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on November 9th. He scored a goal in his season debut – his first AHL game since 2014 – marking his only point in two conditioning games.

Nieto should be primed for a hardy role right out of the gate, with Pittsburgh now facing injuries to each of Cody Glass, Kevin Hayes, and Lizotte. Glass is also on IR with a concussion, while Hayes is week-to-week with an unspecified upper-body injury. Pittsburgh will be two roster spots over the limit when Glass and Lizotte return. Their only waiver-exempt forward is Vasili Ponomarev – which could prompt a tough choice between Lizotte, Nieto, Samuel Poulin, and Valtteri Puustinen.

Islanders Place Mike Reilly On IR, Recall Travis Mitchell

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The New York Islanders have shifted defender Mike Reilly to injured reserve and recalled defender Travis Mitchell, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Reilly hasn’t played since November 1st, when he hit his head on the ice after a hit from Buffalo Sabres forward Jordan Greenway. Reilly has since been labeled as out with an upper-body injury, though it seems his concerns are concussion-related.

Reilly went without any scoring in the 11 games he appeared in before injury, with one penalty, three hits, and four blocked shots standing as the only changes to his statline. He’s nonetheless been an impactful pickup for the Islanders, playing in 59 games with the team last season after an October waiver claim. Serving in a third-pair role, Reilly put up six goals and 24 points – the former a career-high, and the latter the highest he’s managed with a single club. He’s been a stout, two-way depth defender for the last decade, with a career that’s taken him through stops with six different clubs.

Reilly’s absence lined up closely with Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov’s exit from the lineup, depleting the entirety of New York’s left-side defense. The team has turned towards a list of defenders in response – calling up Samuel Bolduc, Grant Hutton, and Isaiah George to join Dennis Cholowski in rotating through the open spots. Cholowski is the only one to score of the bunch, with two goals in eight games, though it’s been George who’s jumped off the page in his first four NHL games.

With a continued lack of production from their depth, the Islanders will now add to the rotation by awarding Travis Mitchell the first NHL call-up of his career. Mitchell is a Cornell University who joined the Islanders organization as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He totaled 47 points in 95 games at Cornell but has since struggled to find his stride in the minors, with just seven points across 48 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders across the last three seasons. Still, Mitchell has proven a lanky and capable defender, making an impact through heavy hitting and active defending. He’ll try to bring a spark to an Islanders lineup that’s gone 3-4-2 across their last nine games.

Rangers Recall Chad Ruhwedel, Assign Victor Mancini

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The New York Rangers have made a swap on defense, recalling veteran Chad Ruhwedel from, and assigning rookie Victor Mancini to, the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Mancini has served as a healthy scratch for New York’s last four contests, and will now search for hardier ice time in the minor leagues.

Ruhwedel returns to the Rangers lineup after a brief stint in the minor leagues. He played in seven games for Hartford, recording two assists and four penalty minutes but otherwise failing to jump off the page. The stint was the longest Ruhwedel has had in the minor leagues since 2016-17, when he played in 28 games and scored 16 points for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He’s spent the time since serving as a stout seventh defender for the Pittsburgh Penguins and, thanks to a midseason trade last year, the Rangers. That’s been Ruhwedel’s role since he joined the NHL in 2012-13, when he signed with the Buffalo Sabres as an undrafted free agent. He’s gone on to total 365 appearances across 12 seasons, including this year thanks to one scoreless game in New York. Despite the long run in the league, Ruhwedel still sits one point shy of his 50th career NHL point.

While he searches for that, Mancini will look to continue his hot start to the season in the minor leagues. The 22-year-old recorded four points in the first nine NHL games of his career this season, and seemed capable of handling routine minutes on New York’s third pairing. But growing pains and lineup competition forced Mancini out of a spot, leaving him to build on the three assists he recorded in seven AHL games last year. New York originally drafted Mancini in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, following a strong freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He’d go on to total 23 points in 110 games with Nebraska-Omaha, turning pro at the end of the 2023-24 season. This assignment likely isn’t the end of Mancini’s NHL time this year, especially if he can breathe light into a Hartford team off to a menial start this season.

West Notes: Wild, Avalanche, Canucks, Stezka

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled forward Michael Milne to the NHL roster. The move comes after each of Jonas Brodin (lower-body), Marcus Johansson (illness), and Zach Bogosian (personal) missed the team’s Wednesday practice, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Head coach John Hynes told Russo that Johansson and Bogosian are expected to play on Thursday, while Brodin is questionable.

Minnesota is already carrying seven defenders, with Declan Chisholm likely to step in if Brodin misses on Thursday. The team did not have an extra forward, though – requiring the call-up of Milne to cover Johansson’s potential absence. Chisholm has appeared in 10 games this season, recording three assists but yet to score his first goal of the year.

Meanwhile, Milne will rejoin the NHL roster just two days after being sent down. He received the first recall of his pro career last week, and was expected to make his NHL debut – but instead spent three games in the Wild press box. He likely isn’t locked into the lineup on this call-up either, unless Johansson ends up unavailable. Milne ranks second on the AHL’s Iowa Wild in scoring, with eight points in 10 games this season and three points in his latest two games.

Other notes from out West:

  • The Colorado Avalanche also made some roster moves, recalling forwards T.J. Tynan and Nikita Prishchepov after brief stints in the minor leagues. Both Tynan and Prishchepov have been regular fixtures of the Avalanche lineup amid their injury woes this season, each playing in six games and recording four points – though Prishchepov’s one goal is the only between the two. Colorado is soon expecting the return of Valeri Nichushkin from suspension and Jonathan Drouin from injury, but their pair of recalls will serve as understudies in the event of any change in plan.
  • While Minnesota and Colorado hedge their bets against injuries, the Vancouver Canucks have sent down top prospects Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Arshdeep Bains, and Aatu Raty in a paper transaction, per Jeff Paterson of Rink Wide: Vancouver. The Canucks will net just over $15.5K in cap space accrual with this move, helping continue to bank cap space over the course of the season. All three players will likely return to the lineup ahead of Vancouver’s Thursday matchup against the New York Islanders.
  • Rounding out Western Conference roster moves is Seattle’s assignment of goaltender Ales Stezka, who served as backup in the team’s Tuesday win over Columbus. Stezka has served as the starter for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds this season, posting a 2-5-0 record and .894 save percentage in seven games. He’s played ahead of top Kraken goalie prospect Niklas Kokko, who’s managed an .880 save percentage in four games. Stezka’s assignment suggests that Philipp Grubauer will soon return, after suffering an undisclosed injury away from the rink that forced him out of Tuesday’s game.

NHL Names Ken Holland Hockey Operations Consultant

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The NHL’s hockey operations department announced Tuesday that they’ve hired longtime Red Wings and Oilers general manager and Hockey Hall of Fame executive Ken Holland as a consultant.

It’s the logical next step for the 69-year-old Holland. His time in teams’ front offices appeared to come to an end – at least as a general manager – when the Oilers opted not to renew his contract at the end of last season.

“We are delighted to welcome Ken to NHL Hockey Operations, where he will provide invaluable insight from his decades in the game as a player, scout and executive. He offers unmatched expertise in a wide range of areas,” NHL senior executive VP of hockey ops Colin Campbell said.

Holland had been the GM and president of the Oilers’ hockey ops since the 2019-20 campaign. Before his time in Edmonton, he served as the Red Wings’ general manager from 1997-98 to 2018-19, winning three Stanley Cups and 10 division titles.

Holland had a brief playing career as a goaltender in the Maple Leafs, Red Wings and Hartford Whalers organizations before stepping into a scouting role with Detroit upon his retirement in 1985. The Red Wings promoted him to their director of amateur scouting after two years and again to assistant GM in 1994.

The British Columbia native also served as Canada’s GM for the 2006 World Championship. However, the team led by star youngsters Patrice Bergeron and Sidney Crosby was the only Canadian team between 2003 and 2009 not to medal at the event.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Five Key Stories: 11/4/24 – 11/10/24

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The first full week of November is in the books as we’ve now passed the one-month mark of the 2024-25 NHL season.  While it was relatively quiet on the transaction front, there was still some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.

Back To Seattle: Winger Daniel Sprong has bounced around in recent years despite some pretty good offensive seasons including back-to-back 40-point-plus campaigns.  He had to settle for a one-year deal with Vancouver this summer and after a sluggish start, he was on the move again as Seattle acquired him in exchange for future considerations.  The 27-year-old had his best year with the Kraken in 2022-23 when he had 21 goals and 25 assists in just 66 games but was still non-tendered that summer.  Now with a cap hit of just $975K, he’s an affordable low-cost pickup to try to a group that sits in the middle of the pack offensively.

Expanded NCAA Eligibility: As expected, the NCAA’s Division I Council has voted to allow players with previous involvement with professional teams to play collegiately.  Notably, this includes CHL players who were previously ruled ineligible.  We’ve already seen some junior players announce which NCAA school they plan to go to and many more will make commitments in the weeks and months ahead.  There are still some questions to be answered regarding when CHL players will be allowed to go the NCAA route and if there will be any changes to the rights of CHL-drafted players who go to college.  Meanwhile, players already signed to an NHL contract will remain ineligible.  The change doesn’t officially come into effect until August so there is bound to be more information clarifying these and other matters between now and then.

Fabbro To Columbus: It was a tough start to the season for defenseman Dante Fabbro who was a healthy scratch several times.  The Predators decided that it was time to shake things up, electing to waive a player who was viewed as a possible key fixture on the back end just a few years ago.  Despite a $2.5MM cap charge, he didn’t last too long on waivers with Columbus picking him up off the wire.  The 26-year-old has more than 300 NHL games under his belt and will get a chance to boost his value heading into his first time through unrestricted free agency next summer.  The Blue Jackets are now carrying eight blueliners for the time being but David Jiricek is waiver-exempt and could be sent down to AHL Cleveland down the road.

Key Injury In St. Louis: Blues defenseman Philip Broberg was off to a very strong start with his new team, notching nine points (already a career-high) in 12 games while logging close to 20 minutes per night.  However, he’ll now miss the next four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.  It’s a big blow to a back end that’s also without Torey Krug for the season while Nick Leddy has missed close to four weeks now with a lower-body issue of his own.  However, there was some good news on the injury front as well.  Although winger Dylan Holloway was taken to the hospital after taking a puck to the neck that eventually saw the game paused to get him immediate medical attention, he was able to return for their next game.

Three For Jeannot: The Kings are currently without winger Tanner Jeannot after he received a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against Canucks winger Brock Boeser.  He initially received a match penalty on the play, automatically triggering a league review.  Jeannot will forfeit over $41K in salary as a result of the suspension; he’ll be eligible to return on November 16th against Detroit.  Meanwhile, Boeser did not return following the hit and hasn’t played since as he’s still being assessed for an upper-body injury.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Walman, Samsonov, 4 Nations Face-Off

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San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman did not join the team for warmups on Sunday night, indicating that he’ll miss a third-straight game due to team suspension and an upper-body injury, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Walman returned to top-pair line rushes at San Jose’s Sunday morning practice and was designated as a game-time decision, head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared with Max Miller of The Hockey News. Walman has nine points in 13 games – more than double the scoring of any other Sharks defender.

Despite that, the team opted for the restrained decision, and will instead return Jack Thompson to the lineup for his ninth game of the season. Thompson has four points on the year – second among Sharks defenders – and has generally looked much more the part of an everyday NHL defender. He’s served on San Jose’s second pair, while Henry Thrun is filling Walman’s top-pair spot next to Cody Ceci. Walman is traveling with the Sharks of a four-game road trip kicked off on Sunday night, and will look to instead return on Monday.

Other quick notes around the league:

  • Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov has returned to the team’s practices after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury. There’s been no word on his availability for Monday night’s matchup against Carolina, but his return to practice is nonetheless exciting progress for a Golden Knights team that’s directed all of Samsonov’s minutes to starter Adin Hill. Hill has a 6-2-1 record and .881 save percentage through nine games this season, while temporary backup Akira Schmid has slotted into six AHL games and posted a .885 save percentage. Samsonov’s 3-1-1 record and .906 save percentage in five games should be enough to earn him routine starts when he’s healthy enough to return – a point that seems to be drawing close.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the latest Saturday Headlines segment that rosters for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off will be made public on December 4th, with Sweden and Finland’s coming early in the North American day while Canada and USA will announce theirs that evening. The event stands as the first in what will become a trend of in-season international events during non-Olympic years. It will take place from February 12th to February 20th and features the four of the five most-represented countries in the NHL, excluding Russia. Each country announced their first six players this summer – with Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, Erik Karlsson, and Aleksander Barkov among the list of representatives.

East Notes: Jarry, Grebenkin, Sgarbossa, Martin

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The Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending room has been thrown for a loop to start the season. A clear hierarchy set up in training camp was quickly dismantled when Tristan Jarry was sent to the minor leagues for a five-game conditioning stint. His absence gave Joel Blomqvist and Alex Nedeljkovic a chance to plant their feet in the Penguins’ starting crease – and while the former has performed well, Pittsburgh’s 6-8-2 record could give Jarry a golden chacne to work his way back into the lineup.

At least, that’s the path laid out by NHL.com’s Wes Crosby, who spoke with Jarry on his path back to the NHL. The netminder told Crosby, “Hopefully, that’s the way it goes. I want to come back here, and I want to play well. That’s my goal. That’s what I want to do. I want to help this team as much as possible. Whenever I’m in the net, I think giving them a chance to win and helping this team get in a good place.”

The 29-year-old Jarry posted a 4-1-0 record and .926 save percentage in five AHL games –  far better than the .836 save percentage he’s managed through three NHL games this year. He stood up to 51 games last season, though his 19-25-5 record marked the first losing season of his five-year tenure as Pittsburgh’s go-to goalie. He’s managed a 137-86-34 record in his nine-year career, working above future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury and the less-successful Matt Murray in his climb to an everyday role. Jarry will now look to get back to his rightful spot, as Pittsburgh tries to buck a 3-5-2 record in their last 10.

Other notes from out East:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs could have a hidden gem in 21-year-old winger Nikita Grebenkin, who’s managed seven points and no penalties through his first nine AHL games. The bruising winger brings a welcome mix of grit and skill to the Toronto depths, which Steven Ellis of Leafs Nation says could lead to a hardy lineup role someday soon. Ellis points out that Grebenkin’s climb to the lineup is blocked by a long list of bottom-six wingers, including Nicholas Robertson and the soon-to-return Connor Dewar – but Grebenkin could be quick to take advantage of his next chance. The young forward is already a seasoned pro, totaling 41 points in 67 games for Magnitogorsk Metallurg last season as the team pursued their first KHL Championship since 2016. That winning mindset will make Grebenkin a name to watch, especially if Toronto chooses to part ways with some of their crowded bottom-six.
  • The Washington Capitals have returned minor league centerman Michael Sgarbossa to the AHL’s Hershey Bears just two days after he was recalled to the NHL, per AHL transaction logs. He appeared in 11:25 in ice time and recorded one goal and one assist in Washington’s 8-1 dousing of the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. They were Sgarbossa’s first NHL points since late March of last season, and brought his NHL scoring up to par with the nine points he’s managed in seven AHL games this season. No Capitals player has been involved in more roster moves to start the early season, and it’s likely that another shot at NHL ice time isn’t too far out of reach for the 32-year-old Sgarbossa.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes also returned a player to the minors, per transaction logs, sending goaltender Spencer Martin back down after he allowed the Colorado Avalanche to score five goals on 28 shots on Saturday. Martin was recalled to help fill-in for the injured Frederik Andersen, who head coach Rod Brind’Amour dubbed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury on October 31st. Pyotr Kochetkov has taken over starting duties in response, but his .896 save percentage through eight games – and Martin’s poor performance this weekend – could have the team looking for other outlets. Martin currently leads the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in save percentage (.920), well ahead of Ruslan Khazheyev (.898) and Yaniv Perets (.825) despite each playing only a few games

Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin To Return On Friday

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The Colorado Avalanche are prepared to welcome winger Valeri Nichushkin back to the game lineup in their Friday matchup against the Washington Capitals, head coach Jared Bednar shared with media including Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports. Nichushkin hasn’t played since being placed into Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on May 14th, which included with a six-month suspension from team activity and pay. The Stage 3 placement also required Nichushkin to submit an application to be considered for reinstatement at the end of his suspension. He returned to Denver in early October and rejoined the team’s practices in early November. He’s eligible to return to the lineup on November 13th, though Colorado will seemingly choose to push that return back a couple of days.

Nichushkin entered the Player Assistance Program square in the middle of Colorado’s second-round series against the Dallas Stars in last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was playing at an all-time high at the time, with nine goals and 10 points through eight postseason games. Colorado would ultimately relinquish the series to Dallas with a two-overtime loss in Game 6.

Nichushkin has been a welcome gift on the ice. He’s carved out a considerable top-six role since joining Colorado via waivers in 2019, proving capable of both routine scoring and great off-puck habits. Those traits have helped Nichushkin routinely rival the 25-goal and 50-point marks in each of the last three seasons, even despite totaling 77 missed games in that span. He’s been even better in the postseason, scoring 15 points in 20 games during Colorado’s run to a 2022 Stanley Cup win, and was one of only five Avalanche to score above a point-per-game pace in last year’s postseason.

That production has made it all the more difficult for Colorado to deal with Nichushkin’s routine absences. He’s hit every hole in the road, being forced out by multiple upper-body injuries across 2021, 2022, and 2023; and was sat by the team for the final five games of their 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs for personal reasons. Nichushkin has become a contentious player, but head coach Bednar spoke positively about his return to the lineup, saying: “[His process back has] been great. I think the guys are excited to get him back, and Friday is the day. We’re only two games away.” Nichushkin had 13 points in the final 15 games of the 2023-24 regular season, and will look to quickly pick up from where he left off.

Islanders’ Mike Reilly Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury

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New York Islanders’ defenseman Mike Reilly has been announced as out indefinitely with an upper-body injury per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Reilly has been out since hitting his head in the team’s November 1st win over the Buffalo Sabres. He was initially dubbed day-to-day in the wake of the injury, but will now be out for the foreseeable future with what’s been dubbed a concussion.

Reilly’s absence leaves a clear hole in the New York lineup. While his minutes have been relatively capped, he’s served as a go-to depth option since being acquired off waivers from the Florida Panthers last summer. He landed with the Islanders when they needed him most – square in the middle of injuries to Adam Pelech, Sebastian Aho, and Ryan Pulock. Those absences paved the way for Reilly to average just over 17 minutes of ice time through 59 games with New York. He made good work of the role, passing the 20-point mark (24) for just the second time in his 10-year career. But both his role and his scoring have dried up this year, with Reilly averaging 15:45 in ice time and yet to score through 11 games this season.

New York is also missing Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov – effectively depleting the entirety of their blue-line’s left-hand side. The team’s seventh-defenseman, Dennis Cholowski, joined call-up Samuel Bolduc in trying to mend the emptied depth chart – but neither proved very reliable. That led New York to recall rookie Isaiah George, who’s looked far more the part of the top-end defender that the Islanders are missing. George has averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time through his first two career games, blocking four shots and impressively handling the pace of NHL defense. He’s yet to score the first point of his career, but should continue as a strong member of the Islanders’ top-four while they wait for their defense to return to health. The Islanders have also been tied to rumors around left-defenders on the trade or waiver market, and may be quick to replace George if he falters in a continued role.

Romanov also remains out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, per Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports.

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