St. Louis Blues Activate Logan Brown
The St. Louis Blues have activated forward Logan Brown off injured reserve, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford.
St. Louis acquired Brown before the 2021-22 season, making a one-for-one exchange with the Ottawa Senators for Zachary Sanford. Brown, the 11th overall selection in 2016, has 11 points in 44 games in St. Louis since the trade.
Brown missed more than a month with an upper-body injury, leaving a game on November 8. He has suited up just five times in 2022-23, averaging under 10 minutes per game, and is without a point.
He’ll compete with players like Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker to get back into the lineup, who’ve similarly not produced much offense in extremely limited ice time.
Anaheim Ducks Acquire Michael Del Zotto In Three-Team Trade
In a bit of a confusing swap, the Anaheim Ducks have reacquired defenseman Michael Del Zotto from the Florida Panthers. In the trade, Florida received winger Givani Smith from the Detroit Red Wings, while Detroit received forward Danny O’Regan from the Ducks.
All three have NHL experience but are expected to report to their new teams’ AHL affiliates.
Del Zotto, who has over 700 NHL games under his belt, was expected to possibly make the Panthers out of camp this season with the team lacking in depth at the position. But he didn’t make the opening night roster, and he hasn’t seen a recall since, even with injuries striking the team.
After registering over a point per game in an AHL stint with the Belleville Senators last year, Del Zotto had just 10 points in 25 games with Charlotte before the trade. He’ll now head to San Diego, the last-place team in the league.
O’Regan is serviceable AHL depth who can come up to an NHL team in a pinch. He appeared in five games with Anaheim last season, registering one assist. With San Diego this year, the 28-year-old has three goals and 15 assists in 27 games.
Smith gives Florida a pair of solid physical presences with Ryan Lomberg in the fold as well. A 2016 second-round pick, Smith recorded over 100 penalty minutes in 46 games with Detroit in 2021-22. He’s spent most of this season with AHL Grand Rapids, where he has five points in 19 games.
Washington Capitals Activate Darcy Kuemper
The Washington Capitals activated goalie Darcy Kuemper off injured reserve Monday afternoon, according to a team release. In corresponding transactions, they also returned netminders Zachary Fucale and Hunter Shepard to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
Washington’s been without Kuemper since December 3, when he sustained an upper-body injury in a loss against the Calgary Flames. The 32-year-old has been inconsistent at times with the Capitals but still has strong numbers overall. Despite an 8-9-2 record, he’s still managed a respectable .916 save percentage, 2.56 goals against average, and two shutouts in 20 appearances.
Backup Charlie Lindgren started every game in Kuemper’s two-week absence and did not disappoint. Not including his relief appearance against Calgary, Lindgren helped get Washington solidly back into playoff contention with a .938 save percentage and a 6-1-0 record in his past seven games.
Some were excited to potentially see the 27-year-old Shepard get his first NHL start, but it wasn’t to be. He returns to Hershey, where he has yet to lose in regulation through eight games.
Andrew Hammond Announces Retirement
The Hamburglar has hung up his cape. Andrew Hammond announced his retirement from professional hockey on Twitter today, explaining that he suffered an ankle injury during his time in Montreal and isn’t able to fully recover. Hammond played four games for the Canadiens last season before ending up on injured reserve and getting traded to the New Jersey Devils.
The ankle injury may explain the stark difference in performance between the two stops. He had a .920 save percentage for Montreal, and an .860 for the Devils following the trade. After two games in the KHL this year, he terminated his contract and returned to North America.
He’ll go out with a career .916 save percentage in the NHL, mostly fueled by the unforgettable 20-1-2 run with the Ottawa Senators in 2014-15. A young, undrafted netminder stepped into the spotlight when Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner were unavailable, carrying the Senators to a playoff spot with an incredible stretch run.
Entering a game on February 16 in relief of Lehner, he allowed two goals on his first five shots. It looked as though the team’s postseason hopes were dashed, but starting two nights later, he would go on a run of 15 straight games without losing in regulation.
The .943 save percentage he posted over the final 23 appearances would not only get the Senators to a playoff spot, finishing three points ahead of the Boston Bruins for fourth place in the Atlantic, but it would earn Hammond Vezina and Hart Trophy votes. He would play just 42 more games in his NHL career.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Justin Richards
After the Columbus Blue Jackets lost center Boone Jenner for the next several weeks, they’ve decided to convert one of their AHL players to an NHL contract. Justin Richards has signed a one-year, two-way deal for the rest of this season. That will allow him to be recalled if needed.
Richards, 24, had been playing on an AHL contract after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the New York Rangers last summer. The undrafted forward earned an entry-level contract with the Rangers after three seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and made his NHL debut in 2020-21, recording an assist in his only game.
This season with the Cleveland Monsters he has been a key player, recording 17 points in 23 games while playing with some of the team’s other young talent. His familiarity with players like Kirill Marchenko, Trey Fix-Wolansky, and Emil Bemstrom should only help him if the Blue Jackets continue to lose their more veteran options from the NHL roster.
Given that the team only had 43 of a possible 50 contract slots open, a deal for Richards doesn’t pose any risk. It does make him a restricted free agent at the end of the season but the team could simply leave him unqualified again, if they don’t want to offer him another NHL contract.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Novak, Sharks
The NHL released its Three Stars for last week, with Alex Ovechkin taking the top spot. The legendary Washington Capitals forward became just the third player in NHL history to score 800 goals, and the third to record 18 consecutive 20+ goal seasons. Gordie Howe, ahead of him on both of those lists, is the target now, as Ovechkin’s next goal will tie him with Mr. Hockey at 801.
Second and third place went to Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres and Mats Zuccarello of the Minnesota Wild, who both had eight points on the week. Thompson, 25, continues what has become one of the most impressive breakouts in recent memory, with 25 goals and 49 points this season. Through his first six seasons of professional hockey, Thompson scored 44 goals at all levels combined (including playoffs). Since the start of 2021-22, he now has 63. Zuccarello meanwhile just continues to impress in Minnesota. The undrafted, 5’8″, 35-year-old playmaker now has 36 points in 31 games and is well on his way to another outstanding campaign.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Tommy Novak from the AHL, and he’ll get quite the opportunity. Team reporter Emma Lingan tweets that Novak will center Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund while also getting a chance on the powerplay. The 25-year-old has 26 points in 25 games for the Milwaukee Admirals this season after getting his first chance in the NHL during 2021-22.
- The San Jose Sharks, off today after a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames last night, have sent Nick Cicek and C.J. Suess to the minor leagues. With Tomas Hertl likely facing a suspension, it wouldn’t be surprising to see additional moves tomorrow ahead of the rematch in this odd two-game, no-travel series with the Flames.
Five Players Clear Waivers
Dec 19: All five players have cleared waivers. Soshnikov and Zhuravlyov will have their contracts terminated.
Dec 18: Considering the amount of roster moves taking place today in advance of tomorrow’s roster freeze, it’s no surprise to see a crowded waiver wire this afternoon. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes, Craig Smith (BOS), Austin Czarnik (DET), Jason Demers (EDM), Nikita Soshnikov (NYI), and Danil Zhuravlyov (COL) have all been placed on waivers.
Soshnikov and Zhuravlyov have both been placed on waivers for the purposes of contract termination, meaning that if they clear, they will be released by their organizations. As reported earlier, Demers is on waivers after signing an NHL contract with the Edmonton Oilers today, though little will change if he’s not claimed as he’s been playing with their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, this season. Lukas Sedlak, who was placed on unconditional waivers yesterday, has cleared.
Zhuravlyov, 22, was a fifth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche back in 2018 but only came to North America this year, joining the Colorado Eagles. In that time, the defenseman has played in 14 games and while it hasn’t exactly been a resounding success, recording just an assist in that time, it was far from a poor performance for the developing blueliner. It’s unclear what the next step would be should he clear, but perhaps an opportunity closer to home could be available. Zhuravlyov spent the previous three seasons with AK Bars in the KHL.
Soshnikov, who had just returned to North America after a three year stint in the KHL, had made the New York Islanders roster out of training camp, however he had seen rather limited playing time before being placed on waivers and sent down in mid-November, getting into just three games on the Island. Like Sedlak and Zhuravlyov, perhaps an opportunity closer to home is on the table for Soshnikov, though nothing’s confirmed for the latter two.
Czarnik is no stranger to the waiver wire himself, claimed twice last season, once by the Seattle Kraken from the Islanders, then again by the Islanders from the Kraken. The forward signed with the Detroit Red Wings this season, placed on waivers just prior to the start of the regular season, and now finds himself on the wire for the fourth time in roughly 10 months. Known as a solid depth option wherever he goes, the 30-year-old Czarnik has three points in 11 NHL games this season to go with an impressive 14 points in 12 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate.
Perhaps the most intriguing name on this list is Smith. A veteran of 12 NHL seasons, the forward is in the final year of a three-year, $3.1MM AAV contract he signed with the Boston Bruins prior to the 2020-21 season. The 33-year-old has struggled to start this season with just four points in 17 games, playing just 9:51 per night, far less than his career 14:44 average. By placing him on waivers, it’s likely the Bruins, who are operating right along the edge of the salary cap ceiling will be hoping Smith is claimed, relieving them from his cap hit.
Given the Bruins impeccable start to this season and the possibility of their competitive window closing shortly, considering Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci‘s age and David Pastrnak‘s uncertain contract status, one would think the team will be looking to make a splash at or before the trade deadline. Having Smith claimed isn’t the be-all-end-all of making a big acquisition, but would get the ball rolling in Boston, or at the very least, allow them to hand off his cap hit without having to give up an asset to do so.
Chicago Blackhawks Make Several Roster Moves
The Chicago Blackhawks were forced to make several moves today, starting with the placement of Jarred Tinordi on injured reserve with a facial fracture. Tinordi was hit in the mouth with the puck last night and forced to leave the game, just a week after being hit in the chin with a skate. With the roster spot, the team has recalled Isaak Phillips from the minor leagues. The team has also activated Alex Stalock from injured reserve while sending Arvid Soderblom back to the AHL.
Tinordi, 30, has received the best opportunity of his career this season in Chicago, playing 25 games already. That has nearly matched his single-season high of 28, while his five points are already tied for a career-high. The massive, physical defenseman has averaged nearly 17 minutes a night and racked up 92 hits in those 25 games since being claimed off waivers at the start of the year. It is not clear how long he will be out.
Phillips, 21, is one of the young defensemen that the Blackhawks seem to not want to use much at the NHL level this season, giving him a chance to continue his development with the Rockford IceHogs. Selected in the fifth round in 2020, he has appeared four times for Chicago and is still looking for his first NHL point. In 25 games with Rockford, the 6’3″ defenseman has 17 points.
Stalock is returning from a concussion that he suffered on November 1 against the New York Islanders, and has played in just seven games so far. The veteran goaltender was good in those, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.93 goals-against average, but will have to be slowly worked back in after so much time off. Now 35, Stalock can perhaps give some consistency to the position for the Blackhawks, as the young Soderblom struggled after being forced into the crease, and Petr Mrazek has been nearly unplayable, posting an .872 in 11 appearances.
Mackenzie Blackwood Recalled From Conditioning Stint
12:30pm: The Devils have indeed loaned Schmid to the AHL, sending him back to Utica.
9:50am: The New Jersey Devils will have three goaltenders at practice today, as Mackenzie Blackwood has been recalled from his conditioning stint and will rejoin the group. Despite the return, he is still listed on injured reserve for the time being.
Blackwood, 26, recorded an .891 save percentage in two appearances for the Utica Comets, winning one and losing the other. The big netminder is working his way back from a knee injury that kept him out since the beginning of November and his return will put the Devils in a bit of a pickle. While Akira Schmid is only up on an emergency loan and can be assigned back to the minor leagues without issue, he also has been excellent for the team this year. Through eight appearances, Schmid has a .932 save percentage and has only allowed more than two goals once.
For a team that has its eyes set on contending for the Stanley Cup after a brilliant start to the year, swapping out Schmid for Blackwood is a scary thought, even if the team says it has confidence in the former. Blackwood hasn’t been good (or healthy) for quite some time, posting an .897 save percentage since the start of the 2020-21 season. Hopefully, he can get back on the track that made him one of Canada’s top up-and-coming goaltenders a few years ago, but that is anything but guaranteed at this point.
The Devils can’t afford to have him playing at a poor level, especially when they have Schmid waiting in the wings. A trade rumor target for a while now, it remains to be seen whether Blackwood has a future in New Jersey past this season. He’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of the year and is owed a $3.36MM qualifying offer.
Cam Atkinson To Undergo Neck Surgery; Will Miss Rest Of Season
The Philadelphia Flyers continue to be haunted by mysterious injury issues, as Cam Atkinson is the latest to be ruled out for the rest of the season. The veteran forward will undergo neck surgery on Wednesday and is not expected back this season, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com.
Just a few weeks ago, it appeared as though Atkinson was well on his way to a return, joining the group for practice and competing in battle drills. Now it’s a lost season for the 33-year-old, who won’t play a single game in 2022-23. Unfortunately, that means both players involved in the 2021 trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets are out indefinitely, as Jakub Voracek‘s career is in jeopardy because of head injuries.
The Flyers have been very vague on Atkinson’s specific issue, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that it is a “neck/upper arm” issue. Head coach John Tortorella told Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic today that Atkinson is confident this will not end his career.
After a decade in Columbus, Atkinson arrived in Philadelphia last year and continued his high offensive output, scoring 23 goals and 50 points in 73 games. That was good for second on the club in both categories, and set him up to be a key contributor under this new coaching staff. Tortorella has plenty of experience with Atkinson from their time in Columbus and has repeatedly spoken out about how much the team was missing him as a leader on and off the ice.
Signed through the 2024-25 season at a $5.875MM cap hit, he’ll hopefully be able to contribute in both areas next year.
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