Dmitri Voronkov Considering Return To Russia
Columbus Blue Jackets rookie forward Dmitri Voronkov has been one of the team’s better stories so far this season, as the 23-year-old has jumped out to a strong start to his North American pro career. According to the Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, his time with Columbus, at least for this season, could be coming to an end. (subscription link)
Portzline wrote today that Russian media outlets have reported that “Voronkov is homesick and has considered returning to Russia,” adding that Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen has confirmed those reports.
Kekäläinen told Portzline that the Blue Jackets are “dealing with it internally,” adding “It’s normal for a young player to feel homesick at times. And so we’re dealing with it.”
If Voronkov does indeed decide he wants to return to Russia, his current contract status dictates that the Blue Jackets would have to send him there via a loan to his KHL team, Ak Bars Kazan.
According to Portzline, “the biggest hurdle” for Voronkov and his adjustment to life in North America has been that the forward “speaks almost no English.”The hope was that the presence of a few other Russians on the Blue Jackets’ roster, namely Ivan Provorov, Kirill Marchenko, and Yegor Chinakhov, would smooth out his adjustment. Portzline added, “The Blue Jackets took steps to help Voronkov acclimate when he first arrived, but those efforts will be redoubled in the coming days.” Former Blue Jacket Fedor Tyutin, who helped Marchenko acclimate to life in Columbus, could be enlisted to help.
In terms of how the loss of Voronkov would impact the Blue Jackets on the ice, it would be a significant blow. Voronkov is currently playing on the team’s second line next to two of the franchise’s most important players: Patrik Laine and Adam Fantilli.
A big power forward with a goal-scoring touch, Voronkov’s solid KHL numbers have translated to the NHL thus far. He’s currently scoring at a 16-goal, 49-point 82-game pace, and his physicality is well-appreciated as well.
With Columbus desperate to revive their playoff hopes early in this 2023-24 campaign, the status of Voronkov and his potential return to Russia will be a key storyline to monitor for Blue Jackets fans.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Korchinski, Lehkonen, Texier
Chicago Blackhawks rookie Kevin Korchinski won an IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal for Canada last season, but is unlikely to get another chance at glory at this year’s edition of the tournament. As relayed by NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson says his “inclination would be for [Korchinski] to stay” in Chicago, rather than go to the tournament which begins in exactly one month and is set to take place in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Korchinski has, according to Davidson, “been playing really well,” making his fair share of mistakes as well as excellent plays. The former WHL star is currently scoring at a nine-goal, 27-point 82-game pace, although there is hope that those numbers will see an uptick as Korchinski gets more game experience under his belt in the world’s top league. Currently averaging 19:32 time on ice per game, which ranks third on the entire Blackhawks team, Korchinski is believed by many to be a potential top-pairing defenseman for a future contender in Chicago.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar issued an update on the status of injured forward Artturi Lehkonen, according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Bednar said that the Avalanche are lucky that Lehkonen’s injury didn’t end up worse, and added that the player is now out of his neck brace and making progress toward a return. No timeline on Lehkonen’s return was provided, though.
- Columbus Blue Jackets forward Alexandre Texier, who missed the team’s last two games due to an illness, will return to the lineup for tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda. The 24-year-old has been solid for the Blue Jackets so far this season after a year spent in the Swiss National League, as he has four goals and seven points in 19 games.
New York Islanders Acquire Tyce Thompson
The New York Islanders have acquired forward Tyce Thompson from the New Jersey Devils. In exchange, the Islanders have sent forward Arnaud Durandeau to New Jersey.
The deal is a swap of 24-year-old wingers with minimal NHL experience who are each playing for their team’s AHL affiliates this season.
Thompson is the younger brother of Buffalo Sabres superstar Tage Thompson. Formerly an NCAA hockey star as the captain of Providence College, Thompson has struggled to translate the success of his collegiate career to the professional level.
After his final game for Providence, the Devils gave Thompson his first taste of professional hockey near the end of 2020-21, and even had him play in seven contests at the NHL level.
Seven NHL games made it clear that Thompson would need some development at the AHL level before he’d truly be NHL-ready. So the Devils had him spend most of his injury-shortened 2021-22 campaign with their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. Thompson scored 15 points in 16 games and at times for Utica looked like the dominant player he was at Providence, but the injury he suffered meant that he couldn’t display that form over the course of an entire AHL season.
Last year, Thompson struggled to have the same kind of impact he had the year prior. In a year where he would have ideally made a strong push toward becoming a true NHLer, Thompson only managed 26 points in 56 games in the AHL. He only received two NHL games as a result, and lost ground on the Devils’ depth chart to more prolific AHL scorers such as Graeme Clarke.
With this trade, Thompson receives a change of scenery. It’s something that appeared necessary for his chances of becoming an NHLer, due to the fact that he so far has only scored five points in 15 games for Utica. A pending restricted free agent, this season is a crucial one for Thompson’s development.
This trade allows Thompson to develop in a new AHL environment, and it also lands him in an organization his family has some deep ties to. Thompson’s father, Brent, served as the Islanders’ AHL head coach from 2014-15 through 2022-23. Thompson’s assistant for two years, Rick Kowalsky, is now Bridgeport’s head coach. Beyond just the family connection, Kowalsky also has experience with Tyce Thompson, as he served as a coach in the Devils organization when Thompson originally signed with the club out of Providence.
As for the Devils’ side of this trade, the deal first and foremost is a nice service to Thompson, who looked less and less likely to be part of the club’s future plans. By sending him to an organization he already has some ties with, some may believe that they’re sending him to the place where he stands the best possible chance of developing into an NHL player.
Beyond just doing a favor to Thompson, they’re also receiving a quality player in return. Durandeau has been a nice developmental success story for the Islanders, as he’s already become a better player than most organizations would typically expect sixth-rounders to become.
A former teammate of Timo Meier and Nico Hischier with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, Durandeau worked his way up from the ECHL to become a solid top-six forward for the Bridgeport Islanders. In 2021-22, Durandeau cemented himself as a quality AHLer by scoring 15 goals and 37 points in 64 games. Then last season Durandeau had a real breakout campaign, putting together 24 goals and 55 points in 68 games. That performance ranked Durandeau third in team scoring and even earned him his first-ever NHL call-up.
Over the summer, Bridgeport lost two of its top scorers in Chris Terry and Andy Andreoff. The Islanders have struggled mightily to score goals as a result, and Durandeau’s production has declined sharply. At the time of writing, he has just four points in 12 AHL games, which is far below what Bridgeport’s fans have come to expect of him. Perhaps playing in a new environment in Utica will help Durandeau return to his production levels from the past two years.
He’s not heading to an extremely favorable environment, though, as although he’s leaving the AHL’s second-lowest scoring club, he’s only upgrading to a team that ranks 23rd in the AHL in goals scored.
It’s possible the plan for Durandeau in Utica is to pair him with fellow former QMJHL star and Montreal native Xavier Parent. Parent, who earned his way to Utica via a spectacular rookie professional campaign in the ECHL last season, would give Durandeau a caliber of linemate similar to what he grew accustomed to playing with Terry and Andreoff last year.
The bottom line for these deals is relatively simple: both players are in need of changes of scenery and both AHL squads need an offensive spark. The Islanders receive a former NCAA star who current and former members of their organization are likely highly familiar with, while the Devils receive a former QMJHL star who could potentially have chemistry with key AHLers in Utica.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Injury Notes: Kraken, Sharks, Sebastian Aho
Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol shared that Brandon Tanev‘s status for the team’s upcoming four-game road trip is still up in the air. Tanev is working back from a lower-body that had him expected to miss four-to-six weeks in mid-October. It’s been five weeks and it seems his status is progressing enough to earn a questionable tag.
Hakstol also shared that goaltender Philipp Grubauer will join the team on the road trip. Grubauer was placed on injured reserve in early November and activated off of it on November 18th. He played in two games after being activated but then suffered an undisclosed injury that held him out of the team’s last two games. If Grubauer slots in for the road trip, fans can expect Chris Driedger to be reassigned to the AHL.
The early season injury has held Tanev out of all but eight games this season. He managed two goals in those games, also recording nine penalty minutes and a -3. He scored 35 points in 82 games with Seattle last season. Grubauer has played in 12 games this year, setting a .885 save percentage and 3.36 goals-against-average. Both metrics are a step down from his totals last season when he recorded a .895 save percentage and 2.85 GAA in 39 games.
More injury news from around the league:
- The San Jose Sharks have announced that forward Filip Zadina is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Zadina left the team’s Friday night game against the Montreal Canadiens and is out of their Saturday game. The Sharks also shared that Jan Rutta and Alexander Barabanov have returned to practice. Both players have been working back from upper-body injuries.
- The New York Islanders have shared that defenseman Sebastian Aho has suffered an upper-body injury and is out indefinitely. The defender left the team’s Friday night game early on. He has played in 19 games this season, scoring four points and recording six penalty minutes.
Nick Ritchie Signs In Finland
Earlier this month, Brett Ritchie decided to head overseas after failing to secure an NHL contract, signing with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL. Now, his brother has also decided to cross the pond as Karpat of the SM-liiga in Finland announced that they’ve inked Nick Ritchie to a one-year contract.
The 27-year-old was the tenth overall selection back in 2014 but while he showed flashes of some upside, he wasn’t able to lock down a regular spot in the top six. Over the past few seasons, he has bounced around in depth roles, playing for four teams in the last three years.
Last season, Ritchie spent time with both Arizona and Calgary, notably being traded for his brother at the trade deadline. Between the two teams, he collected 13 goals and 13 assists in 74 games along with 218 hits. Despite that, he failed to secure a guaranteed contract over the summer and eventually settled for a PTO with St. Louis. He didn’t fare particularly well with them, picking up an assist and 17 penalty minutes in three preseason contests, leading to his release.
Now that a contract elsewhere in North America has failed to materialize, Ritchie heads overseas. A strong showing over the final few months with Karpat could very well get him back on the NHL radar for next season on a minimum-salary contract. However, if Ritchie struggles, this could be the beginning of an extended stint overseas which is hardly the outcome many expected after being such a high draft pick a decade ago.
Nico Hischier Activated Off IR, On The Ice For Warmups
The home crowd at Saturday night’s New Jersey Devils game was greeted with the surprise return of captain Nico Hischier, who has taken the ice for warmups. No announcement of Hischier’s return was made, although The Athletic’s James Nichols pointed out that he was noted as off of injured reserve on the NHL’s official website earlier today. The website also showed that forward Tomas Nosek was placed on injured reserve.
With no official announcement, it’s unclear if Hischier’s participation in warmups is a test for if he’s ready, or an official indication that he’s in the lineup. If he does play, he’ll be returning against the Buffalo Sabres. Hischier was hurt the last time that New Jersey faced Buffalo, taking a check to the head from Connor Clifton that earned Clifton a two-game suspension.
Hischier has faced a slew of injuries this season, only managing to appear in seven games this season. He’s scored two goals in those matchups, also tallying four penalty minutes and a -2. He’ll look to overcome his injury bug and right his season with a return to the lineup. The 24-year-old captain scored 80 points in 81 games last year.
Nosek’s appearance on injured reserve doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, as he’s missed the team’s last two games. He’ll miss his third on Saturday, as he fights his way back from an upper-body injury. Nosek has no points, four hits, and three blocked shots in six games this season. Nosek is in his first season with the Devils, after spending the last two years with the Boston Bruins, who he totaled 141 games and 35 points with.
Injury Notes: Walman, Theodore, Martinez, Mahura
Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde shared an update on defenseman Jake Walman‘s injury, calling him day-to-day and questionable for the team’s Saturday night game. If Walman doesn’t play on Saturday, he’s likely to return when the team plays on Wednesday.
Walman has continued to perform well with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring eight points in 18 games this season – his second full year with the club. Walman has become the go-to partner for top defenseman Moritz Seider, with Walman spending 87 percent of his even-strength ice time next to the former Calder Trophy winner. They’ve accounted for an admirable 49.59 xGF% (expected goals-for percentage) and 49.8 CF% (Corsi-for percentage) when they’re on the ice togehter, speaking to their ability to control possession and scoring chances. Seider takes a small hit to both of those statistics when he plays with any other partner. Getting Walman back into the lineup helps a Red Wings lineup that hasn’t been too impacted by injuries get back to normal.
Other injury updates from around the league:
- The Vegas Golden Knights will be without both Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez on Friday night. Theodore is battling an upper-body injury, while Martinez has a lower-body injury. Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy added that he’s unsure how long Martinez will be out of action, dubbing him day-to-day.
- The Florida Panthers are planning on keeping defenseman Josh Mahura on injured reserve for at least another week. The team placed Mahura on IR on November 17th, after he left a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury. Mahura has appeared in 16 games this season, scoring five assists and recording a -2.
Coyotes Notes: Trade Rumors, Dumba, Dermott
Arizona Coyotes insider Craig Morgan recently shared that the team is actively looking to trade away prospects and draft picks for lineup upgrades. Morgan says this trade interest is inspired by the success of Sean Durzi, who the Coyotes acquired from Los Angeles this summer. Durzi has 12 points in his first 19 games in Arizona while averaging a monster 23-and-a-half minutes a night, three minutes more than any other Coyotes skater. The Yotes only traded away a 2024 Second Round pick for the 25-year-old defenseman and, after a modest 8-9-2 start to the season, are hoping that lineup upgrades like Durzi could kick them into gear sooner than expected.
Arizona certainly has the pieces to build around. Durzi has provided a strong boost of scoring to the blue-line, alongside J.J. Moser, who has 10 points in 19 games. The duo backs up a forward group that’s leveled out, after a top-heavy start to the year. Arizona currently has nine players with 10 or more points this season, led by Clayton Keller‘s 18 points in 19 games. Matias Maccelli has continued to rack up the assists and Logan Cooley is settling into the NHL well. With the right upgrades, there’s reason to be excited about what’s going on in Mullett Arena.
Other Coyotes notes:
- Matt Dumba will miss the team’s Saturday night game against the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury. When Dumba suffered the injury, or the exact specification of what it is, hasn’t been reveled yet. He will be replaced by 22-year-old Vladislav Kolyachonok. Kolyachonok has three points, six penalty minutes, and a +5 in 11 AHL games this season.
- Head coach Andre Tourigny shared that Travis Dermott is, “getting close” to a return from his upper-body injury. Tourigny said that Dermott will not be available for Friday, but could return soon. He has been out of action since November 8th, when he was announced out for an indefinite period of time.
Colorado Assigns Riley Tufte To AHL
While Avalanche winger Riley Tufte has been productive on his latest recall, it wasn’t enough to keep him up with the big club for long as Colorado has assigned him to the minors, per a team announcement (Twitter link).
The 25-year-old became a Group Six unrestricted free agent in the summer and quickly inked a one-year deal with Colorado on the opening day of free agency. Since then, he has frequently been shuffled back and forth between the Avs and Eagles; this demotion is already his sixth of the season.
Along the way, Tufte has played in five contests with the big club and picked up a point in each of his last two. Those are his only two points of the season while he’s averaging a little over 11 minutes a night at the top level. In the minors, however, Tufte has been quite productive, notching nine goals and eight assists in just a dozen games. That should have him in line to be recalled again before too long.
At this point, it’s unclear who will be taking Tufte’s spot in the lineup tonight against Calgary. Logan O’Connor has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury but remains on the active roster, suggesting his absence is a short-term one so it’s possible that he is cleared to play. Otherwise, Tomas Tatar would come back in after being a healthy scratch last night; the 32-year-old is still looking for his first goal of the season.
Flyers Activate Rasmus Ristolainen
Saturday: Ristolainen has officially been taken off LTIR, the team announced.
Wednesday: The Flyers could soon activate defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen off LTIR, Dylan H. Robillard of Olde City Sports Network reports. However, despite returning to practice in full-contact gear yesterday, the right-shot Finn will not enter the lineup tonight versus the Islanders.
Ristolainen, 29, had missed the entire 2023-24 season up to this point with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers didn’t list him as out until October 9 – just one day before the regular season started – making him a rather unexpected absence in the lineup to kick off the campaign.
Now in the second season of a five-year, $25.5MM extension signed with the Flyers in March of 2022, the much-maligned 2013 top-ten pick had one of his best seasons in recent memory in 2022-23. Some reduced usage proved positive for his defensive impacts, skating under 20 minutes per game for the first time since his rookie season. He also notched three goals and 20 points in 74 contests.
While they may not be numbers worthy of his cap hit, Ristolainen remains an NHL-caliber player and should provide competition among the Flyers’ veterans on the backend – namely Marc Staal, who is gearing up to return from a similarly lengthy injury-related absence.
However, Ristolainen’s early-season absence has allowed other players to flourish. Nick Seeler and Yegor Zamula have the best plus-minus ratings on the team with a +10 and +11 mark despite both playing under 17 minutes a game. Their success on the defensive side of the puck, along with Travis Sanheim‘s and Sean Walker‘s standout play to begin the season, leaves Flyers head coach John Tortorella with some tough decisions on how to utilize Ristolainen moving forward.
With an open spot on the 23-man roster and ample cap space, the Flyers do not need to make a corresponding move to take Ristolainen off LTIR.