Boston Bruins Recall Craig Smith
Dec 21: Smith is back with the big club, though he never really left. Recalled from the minor leagues, he will be available for tomorrow’s game (as long as they don’t send him down again).
Dec 20: The Boston Bruins will try and save a little cap space over the holiday break, assigning Craig Smith to the AHL after the veteran forward cleared waivers yesterday. Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now reports that Smith remains with Boston for the time being, even though his contract has officially been loaned to the Providence Bruins.
Since the Bruins are no longer using any long-term injured reserve relief, they can accrue cap space every day they spend under the ceiling. By sending Smith’s contract down, $1.125MM of the $3.1MM cap hit will come off the books.
The 33-year-old will still be able to collect his full $4.3MM salary, but it certainly would be something to see him suit up for Providence. It’s been a decade since Smith played in the minor leagues, and even then he only spent four games in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2009 draft, he became a star at the University of Wisconsin and stepped directly into the NHL after signing with the Nashville Predators, scoring 14 goals and 36 points as a rookie in 2011-12. The only reason he was even in the minor leagues the following season was because of the lockout-shortened season, and ever since he has been one of the most reliable middle-six forwards in the league.
After recording double-digit goals and at least 29 points in each of the last nine seasons, Smith had just four points in 18 games this year. Over an 807-game career, he has scored 192 goals and 402 points. At the end of the season, Smith’s three-year, $9.3MM deal will come to an end, leaving him an unrestricted free agent.
Denis Gurianov Granted Leave Of Absence
The Dallas Stars have announced that Denis Gurianov has been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team due to family reasons. No further comment is expected to be made, and no timeline for his return has been suggested.
Gurianov, 25, last played for the Stars on Saturday and was listed as a scratch on Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Through 25 games this season, the big Russian forward has five points and is averaging just under 13 minutes a night.
Hopefully, whatever it is taking Gurianov away from the team is resolved and he can return to hockey soon.
Cal Clutterbuck Placed On Injured Reserve
The New York Islanders have made several transactions today, starting with Cal Clutterbuck being placed on injured reserve. His stint is retroactive to December 16, meaning he could come off in just a few days if healthy enough to return. Hudson Fasching, Simon Holmstrom, and Cory Schnieder have all been recalled from the AHL, the latter under emergency conditions.
Clutterbuck has been listed as day-to-day recently, suggesting he will be back rather soon. The veteran forward has five points in 26 games this season while playing just over 12 minutes a night.
Now 35, the bruising fourth-liner has played the same role for nearly a decade in New York and is still signed through next season at a $1.75MM cap hit.
With Kyle Palmieri and Semyon Varlamov also still dealing with minor injuries, the others will come up for the back-to-back that starts tomorrow against the New York Rangers. The Islanders will play those two games and then break for Christmas, before resuming play on the 27th, hopefully with several injured players back in the lineup.
Fasching, 27, has two goals in six appearances for the Islanders this season, while the 21-year-old Holmstrom has two points in 12 games.
Ottawa Senators Extend Artem Zub
The Ottawa Senators have handed a nice Christmas gift to defenseman Artem Zub, signing him to a four-year extension. The deal is worth a total of $18.4MM ($4.6MM AAV) and will keep him in the organization through the 2026-27 season. Zub will hold a 10-team no-trade clause, and make the following:
- 2023-24: $4.0MM
- 2024-25: $4.8MM
- 2025-26: $4.8MM
- 2026-27: $4.8MM
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion released a statement on the deal:
Artem’s transition to North American hockey has been remarkable. He has worked hard to establish himself as an excellent NHL player and a strong defender. He consistently helps make us a better defensive team while he’s on the ice. We’re pleased to reach agreement with him on an extension of this length.
Zub, 27, came to the Senators in 2020, and has been arguably the most important defender on the team since the moment he arrived. While Thomas Chabot controls play and logs the biggest minutes, it is Zub that seems to make everything work. With him in the lineup, the team is so much better defensively, and he has chipped in a little bit of offense at the same time.
Last season he set a high-water mark of 22 points in 81 games, and was one of only three regulars to post a positive +/-. This year has been marred by two different injury issues, limiting him to just 14 games so far. In those, he is averaging more than 22 minutes and has four points.
It won’t get the headlines that some other extensions do, but locking up Zub is a very important step for the Senators. Given they are in the process of a sale, adding contracts to the books can sometimes be a tricky thing to pull off. Keeping Zub away from unrestricted free agency should only help the team as they attempt to turn the corner on their rebuild.
Snapshots: Blackhawks, Ferraro, Cogliano, Biega
The Blackhawks are a team that many are keeping an eye on when it comes to the trade front with long-time veterans Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews among those that could potentially be on the move between now and the March 3rd trade deadline, assuming that they’re willing to waive their trade protection. However, GM Kyle Davidson told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that he has yet to have any specific trade talks on any of his players just yet. With the trade market largely being stalled out right now due to a lack of cap flexibility, there’s no immediate rush to start to get a sense of what the market might be for some of their veterans. That should change at some point in the new year, especially when Kane and Toews decide whether they’d like to move on or if they want to remain with Chicago.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro confirmed to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link) that he’ll return to the lineup tonight against Calgary after missing close to four weeks with a foot injury. The 24-year-old is second on the team in ice time per game at a little under 23 minutes a night while he has chipped in with five points and 47 blocked shots in 23 games. San Jose had an open roster spot to activate him off injured reserve so no corresponding roster move needed to be made.
- Avalanche winger Andrew Cogliano will miss at least the next two games after suffering an upper-body injury in last night’s game against the Islanders, relays Kyle Frederickson of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). The 35-year-old tumbled into the boards in the third period on Monday and did not return. He has four goals and three assists in 30 games so far this season while being an important part of a bottom-six group that has gone through plenty of turnover thus far. Now, he’ll be out until after the holiday break and will be re-evaluated at that time.
- Veteran defenseman Alex Biega announced his retirement on his Instagram page. The 34-year-old had a 12-year professional career, seeing NHL action in eight of those seasons. Biega suited up in 243 NHL contests between Vancouver, Detroit, and Toronto, picking up 42 points along with 624 hits. He also got into 397 career AHL games, collecting 129 points.
Brendan Guhle Retires
Not that long ago, Brendan Guhle was viewed as an important part of Buffalo’s rebuild and later Anaheim’s after he was traded there back in 2019. However, he wasn’t able to establish himself in the NHL and headed overseas this past summer. His time there, and in hockey, has come to an end though as Eisbaren Berlin announced that the 25-year-old has retired, citing personal reasons.
The 25-year-old was a second-round pick of the Sabres back in 2015 (51st overall) and got into 23 NHL games with them over parts of three seasons before being moved to the Ducks as part of the Brandon Montour trade. Guhle had a bit of a longer look with them, getting into 42 contests over parts of three years, including six last season.
However, instead of testing free agency last summer, Guhle decided to try his hand overseas, joining Berlin in the German league. Things didn’t go well there as an injury suffered in his first game with them in the Champions League kept him out of the lineup until the end of November. After seven contests with them, he has decided to hang up his skates.
Guhle’s playing days come to an end with 14 points in 65 career NHL contests. He was considerably more productive in the minors with 92 points in 199 appearances but while he could have conceivably hung around on two-way deals for a few more seasons, he’s calling it a career earlier than expected.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Pittsburgh Penguins
As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Who are the Penguins thankful for?
The Penguins wouldn’t be the Penguins without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the way, and this season is no different. The two Pittsburgh legends are first and second in team scoring with 40 and 32 points respectively through 31 games.
But you don’t get back to the pinnacle of hockey with only players selected at the very top of the draft. Any team in Pittsburgh’s place would have picked those two – it is lesser-known talents that are drafted and developed that can really push a roster over the top.
Enter Guentzel, the 77th pick of the 2013 draft and still – nearly ten years later – one of the most underrated players in the NHL. Often included as an extra forward (or left off entirely) when projecting a potential U.S. Olympic team, this two-time 40-goal scorer is one of the most consistent offensive pieces in the league. 
It’s not like that is new, either. From the moment he arrived in Pittsburgh he has been putting the puck into the net or helping his linemates do the same, and his 0.93 points/game rate since his debut is good for 28th in the entire league. He’s 21st over that same stretch in total goals, despite playing only 402 games (Phil Kessel, the league’s iron man, has played 488 for comparison).
Penguins fans thank the lottery balls for getting Crosby every day. But there’s another star on the roster that they’re even luckier to have.
What are the Penguins thankful for?
The health of Kris Letang.
There aren’t all that many medical terms scarier than stroke. When news broke last month that Letang had suffered his second in eight years, many fans (and not just those who root for the Penguins) weren’t thinking of his playing future, but his quality of life. Who cares if he gets back on the ice – will he be able to raise his kids?
Incredibly, Letang not only recovered quickly but was on the ice just a few days later, preparing to return to the lineup. He did just that on December 10 and was back to playing 28 minutes in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Penguins’ doctors have determined that hockey doesn’t increase the risk of future events and that his issue – born with a hole in his heart that didn’t close, as it does for most – wasn’t caused by playing the sport at a high level.
But we can still only marvel at the fact that he was back on the ice so soon, if only because of the mental strain that something like this would cause most people.
What would the Penguins be even more thankful for?
A consistent Kasperi Kapanen.
There is no one that should doubt Kapanen’s raw skill at this point. If you watch him for long enough, you’ll see a moment or two when he looks like he could stand among the true stars in the league. Brilliant speed, enough size and strength to protect the puck, and a hard, quick shot – Kapanen should be able to flourish in a top-six role next to Crosby or Malkin and become a key part of the Penguins attack.
Except it just doesn’t work, not often enough anyway.
The 26-year-old has been a frustratingly inconsistent player for his whole NHL career and has ended up in the press box several times this season. That is reasonable for a depth forward still trying to find his way in the league but the Penguins re-signed Kapanen to a two-year, $6.4MM contract in the summer that cemented him as a piece that they should be able to rely on.
If somehow they are able to coax a more consistent player out of Kapanen, their forward group would be much more difficult to contain. He does have eight points through eight games in December, but there’s no way to know when he’ll drop off the map completely again. That’s a scary proposition for a team that needs to be efficiently spending every salary cap dollar it has while Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are still good enough to contend for a Stanley Cup.
What should be on the Penguins’ holiday wishlist?
A third line center.
‘Didn’t they just re-sign Jeff Carter?’ you might be asking. Yes, but through 28 games he is showing more and more of his age (he’ll turn 38 on January 1), and it’s holding the team back. Carter has just two goals in his last 24 games and four on the year, leading to head coach Mike Sullivan dropping his ice time significantly.
After playing nearly 18 minutes a night for the Penguins last season, Carter is down to 14:30 in 2022-23 and is averaging fewer than 13 minutes over his last seven games.
By acquiring a legitimate difference-maker to slot into that third-line pivot role, Carter could slide over to the wing while still helping out on faceoffs. The Penguins have always been their best when they can roll out another line behind Crosby and Malkin to keep the pressure on an opponent, and right now that’s not really the case.
This is of course assuming that Jeff Petry can return to full health. If not, defense might end up being an even more important position to shore up given how much he and Letang have been asked to do so far. That said, cap space will be limited (especially when Petry returns) so the team will have to be creative with how they approach the trade deadline and may only be able to address one or the other.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Chris Tanev Activated From Injured Reserve
The Calgary Flames are getting a key part of their defensive structure back, activating Chris Tanev from injured reserve after he missed the minimum of seven days. To make room on the roster, Radim Zohorna has been loaned back to the AHL.
Tanev, 33 (today!), was injured blocking a shot against the Montreal Canadiens last week and missed games against the Vancoouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, and San Jose Sharks. The scary situation saw him fall to the ice motionless when it struck him in the head, before eventually being taken to the hospital. After all of the following tests came back negative, he was cleared return to the team.
The Flames went 1-1-1 in the games he missed and will certainly welcome back their defensive rock to the lineup for the rematch against San Jose this evening.
The veteran hasn’t been quite the player he was last season when he set a career-high with 28 points and received Norris Trophy votes, but Tanev is still a huge part of what head coach Darryl Sutter tries to do. There is no one on the Flames that kills more penalty time than Tanev, who is averaging more than three minutes a night shorthanded.
Calgary’s penalty kill is still ranked ninth in the league but has dropped down without him, as opponents converted on three of the 11 opportunities since he was placed on injured reserve.
The team remains just barely under the salary cap, meaning these short-term injuries can be quite difficult to deal with. Getting Tanev back so quickly was crucial, especially with Dennis Gilbert‘s own injury taking him out of the lineup.
Luke Kunin Undergoes ACL Surgery
The San Jose Sharks will be without Luke Kunin for the rest of the 2022-23 season after he underwent successful ACL repair surgery today. The injury happened a week ago against the Arizona Coyotes. In a statement, the Sharks included an estimated recovery timeline of six to eight months.
San Jose has recalled C.J. Suess from the AHL ahead of tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames.
Kunin, 25, had been good for the Sharks this year, scoring five goals and 13 points while continuing the physical style that he embraced last season.
Signed to a new two-year, $5.5MM contract in the summer, Kunin will at least have some financial security to fall back on now that he heads into a long recovery period. He’ll make $3MM next season and be due an equal qualifying offer in the summer of 2024 as an RFA.
Interestingly, Kunin might actually have been a potential deadline target for clubs looking to add some depth to their lineup. Given his relatively low cap hit of $2.75MM and the fact that the Sharks are going to have to eventually accept a rebuild, he would have been an attractive option. That story will have to wait for next year’s deadline now – if it is told at all.
Blake Wheeler Placed On Injured Reserve; Arvid Holm Recalled
11:30am: Breathe, Jets fans. Hellebuyck is just dealing with a non-COVID illness and though he is not playing tonight, is expected to travel with Winnipeg to Boston and Washington.
9:15am: The Winnipeg Jets have moved Blake Wheeler to injured reserve following his groin surgery and recalled Arvid Holm under emergency conditions. That would suggest that one of the team’s regular goaltenders is injured (or at least unavailable), though no details have emerged yet.
Wheeler is expected to miss at least a month, hitting pause on a season that was going rather well for the former Jets captain. The 36-year-old winger had 26 points in his first 29 games, including nine goals. It took Wheeler 47 games to hit the nine-goal mark last season.
Holm, 24, has been excellent for the Manitoba Moose this season, posting a .923 save percentage in 12 appearances. No matter his success, though, Jets fans will be holding their breath until they find out if Connor Hellebuyck is okay. The veteran goaltender has been outstanding this year, and leads the league in games played, shots against, saves, and shutouts.
His .928 save percentage not only has him in the running for the Vezina but also the Hart, if the season ended today.
Hellebuyck played on Saturday and stopped 22 of 23 shots, while David Rittich started on Sunday and lost after giving up three goals on 34 shots.