Washington Capitals’ Nic Dowd To Miss Time
In the midst of a defensively excellent season, there will be a significant setback for Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd. Head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters today that Dowd “will be out a while” as he undergoes evaluations on a lower-body injury.
Dowd sustained the injury last night, leaving after just two shifts against the New York Islanders. It’s his second lower-body injury this season, as one earlier caused him to miss a December 17 contest against Toronto. It’s unclear if the two are related.
The Alabama product has been a consistent fourth-line pivot since joining the Capitals in 2018. He has ten goals and 19 points in 44 games this season and continues to be a cornerstone presence defensively for Washington’s forwards.
He’s added more points this season, though, and is on a solid pace to break his career-high mark of 24, set last season. Lars Eller will have to do a lot of heavy lifting defensively in Dowd’s absence, and getting the legendary Nicklas Backstrom back in the fold recently eases the loss.
Minor Transactions: 01/17/23
This Tuesday night is a busy day of games, as we’ve grown accustomed to such a pattern on the NHL schedule. The night is highlighted by two crucial divisional matchups between high-powered teams, with a Florida/Toronto and Seattle/Edmonton matchup on tap for this evening. Some notable tidbits are trickling in from outside the NHL transaction wire today, though. As always, we’ll keep track of them right here.
- The AHL’s Calgary Wranglers assigned forwards Rory Kerins and Matt Marcinew to the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush today, per a team tweet. The 20-year-old Kerins is in the first year of his entry-level contract with the Flames, and the 2020 sixth-round pick keeps up a strong scoring pace in professional hockey. He has 27 points through his first 26 games in the ECHL with Rapid City, and he’s gotten his first two AHL points in six games up with the Wranglers. Kerins finished second in OHL scoring last season, notching 118 points in 67 games with the Soo Greyhounds. Marcinew, an ECHL veteran, returns to Rapid City after serving as an extra body for the Wranglers. He hasn’t appeared with Calgary this season but has 37 points through 33 ECHL games.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Letang, Luukkonen
The Edmonton Oilers are getting Evander Kane back tonight, and while that is a good thing for most of the lineup, it’s not for everyone. There are rumblings that Jesse Puljujarvi could be a healthy scratch tonight, and Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the team recently had discussions with other teams about the big Finn.
Puljujarvi, 24, continues to be a strong defensive presence for the Oilers but just can’t seem to score, with just four goals and ten points this season. The fourth-overall pick from 2016 has 50 total goals in his 304-game NHL career, and carries a $3MM cap hit this season on a one-year deal.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have taken Kris Letang off the non-roster list after he returned to the team, but have moved him to injured reserve. The move is retroactive to December 28, meaning he can come off IR whenever ready to return from his lower-body injury. Letang won’t play on Wednesday but is listed as day-to-day.
- The carousel continues in Buffalo, where Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been sent down and Peyton Krebs recalled, ahead of their game tonight. Luukkonen started last night for the Sabres so was never going to play tonight, meaning they can dress Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson instead, while taking Krebs along to Chicago.
Zachary Morin Signs With Youngstown Phantoms
There has been an interesting development in the junior hockey ranks, as the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL announced an agreement with Zachary Morin for the 2023-24 season.
Morin, 15, currently plays for the Little Caesars AAA program that had helped produce a number of high-level NHL talents, like Jason Robertson, Jakob Chychrun, and Zach Werenski. He was recently rated an “A” prospect for the QMJHL draft, and expected to go near the very top (if not first overall). Youngstown general managers Jason Deskins and Ryan Kosecki explain why:
[Zachary] is a world-class player. There is a reason some have projected him as the potential first overall draft pick in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He is big, skilled, smart, and can fly, yet he plays a heavy, power forward game that will translate to every level. This kid has an NHL frame and the tools to go along with it. We are fortunate to have Zachary in a Phantoms jersey. It’s a great day for our program.
When they say Morin has an NHL frame, they don’t mean he’s projected to grow into one. The young forward, who will turn 16 later this month, is already 6’2″ and towers over much of his competition. He has 41 goals and 94 points in 56 games for his midget team, and already uses his size effectively to power through opponents.
The Phantoms will surrender a second-round pick in the USHL draft to sign Morin, who will remain eligible for the NCAA by going this route. He is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2025, meaning there is still plenty of time to get a better read on his NHL future. Still, this is a rather surprising move for a player who would have received plenty of opportunity in the QMJHL.
Evander Kane Activated From Long-Term Injured Reserve
As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have activated Evander Kane, allowing him to return just over two months after his scary wrist injury. To make room, the team has moved Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan Murray to long-term injured reserve. Today, the team announced that Yamamoto’s injury would keep him out weeks, while Murray – who has already been out for a while – is still dealing with a long-term absence.
Kane’s return comes at a key time for the Oilers, who are finally playing some consistent hockey and find themselves within striking distance of a divisional playoff spot. The club has won three in a row, including a statement win over the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
One of the biggest critiques of the Oilers this season has been a lack of emotion when things go wrong or players on the other team take liberties with Connor McDavid. While Kane isn’t an enforcer by any means, he does seem to light a fire under his teammates, and never shies away from physical battles. He also has done nothing but score since joining Edmonton, racking up 27 goals and 52 points in 57 regular season games.
It will be interesting to see how much ice time Kane receives in his return, but expect him to approach 20 minutes a night before long. With him in the lineup, the Oilers forward group looks much more imposing, even if it did come at the cost of Yamamoto.
With him and Murray on LTIR, the team actually has enough space to make another recall when necessary. That won’t be the case once he’s eligible to return, at which point some hard decisions will need to be made.
Tampa Bay Lightning Interested In Luke Schenn
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Luke Schenn had a nice time together. Two years, two Stanley Cup championships. Then they parted ways, with one choosing security and proximity to family. Now it seems that they might want to rekindle an old fling. The Lightning have shown interest in re-acquiring Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Schenn, 33, won back-to-back championships with the Lightning before signing a two-year deal with the Vancouver canucks in 2021. That contract is about to expire, and the physical depth defender has drawn some interest from all over the league as the perfect deadline addition.
He’s relatively cheap, costing just $850K against the cap, right-handed, and has 15 years of experience in the NHL. He’s also in the midst of his best per-game offensive season, with 14 points in 43 games so far in Vancouver.
Schenn has over 200 hits already this season, easily leading the league. While that isn’t always indicative of success (the other team has to have the puck for you to deliver a hit), it may be exactly what the Lightning are after.
Friedman notes that they are also looking for “a forward with an edge.” They’ve targeted players like Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, and Nick Paul in the past to great success.
The Lightning won’t be the only team considering Schenn, but if they are set on him, they’ve shown a willingness to pay whatever it takes at the deadline. Tampa Bay is focused on championships, and has enough faith in their scouting and development system to move high draft picks. Schenn shouldn’t cost a first-rounder or anything, but he’ll be a nice chip for the Canucks as the deadline nears.
Buffalo Sabres Looking To Move Vinnie Hinostroza
Buried in Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts blog for Sportsnet is a small note about Vinnie Hinostroza. The Buffalo Sabres are trying to find him “a place to play,” writes Friedman, which was further clarified by Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. The Sabres are calling around to find a new home for Hinostroza, who has been scratched repeatedly this season.
Hinostroza, 28, seemed to find a home in Buffalo last season, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 62 games. He was a nice depth scorer for the club, but that was while they were still rebuilding and losing most nights. This season, with some added depth at forward, he finds himself regularly in the press box, having only appeared in 19 games so far.
He still has eight points during those games, but all of them have been assists. Hinostroza hasn’t scored yet, and has just 23 shots on goal.
Signed to a one-year, $1.7MM contract, it’s hard to see him fetching much on the open market. The Sabres are trying to do him a favor and it likely won’t be of much benefit to their future. At the deadline, perhaps a team adds him for a playoff run, but finding him a regular home right now would likely be limited to rebuilding clubs that want a sweetener of some sort.
With cap space so tight around the league, it’s not like teams will be lining up to grab a $1.7MM 13th forward, even if they do believe he has a bit more upside than that.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Jaxson Stauber
Another day, another recall for Jaxson Stauber of the Chicago Blackhawks. The minor league goaltender is back up after Petr Mrazek was run out of the building on Saturday. Mrazek allowed four goals on five shots before being pulled against the Seattle Kraken.
If you want a strong signal that the Blackhawks management is focused on the first overall pick, Mrazek’s continued presence is it. The veteran goaltender has an .875 save percentage on the year, a 4.26 goals-against average, and has won just three of his 16 appearances.
Stauber’s recall could suggest that there is an injury, or perhaps that Alex Stalock isn’t ready yet. Yesterday, the coaching staff told reporters including Mark Lazerus of The Athletic that Stalock would likely start against the Buffalo Sabres. Lazerus adds that Stalock is not on the ice for morning skate. (Update: Stalock is in concussion protocol and will not play)
The 23-year-old Stauber has played 12 professional games, all of them with the Rockford IceHogs. He has an .896 save percentage in those appearances. Undrafted, he was signed out of Providence College last year.
Boston Bruins Recall Joona Koppanen
Jan 17: After Koppanen joined Wagner in the minor leagues for a few days in between, the big forward is back up with the Bruins. He’ll head out on the road with them as they prepare to face the New York Islanders and New York Rangers in a back-to-back this week.
Jan 11: The Boston Bruins have swapped a pair of depth forwards, sending Chris Wagner back to the AHL and recalling Joona Koppanen in his place. This is Koppanen’s first recall of the season.
The 24-year-old winger has never appeared in an NHL game, playing exclusively with the Providence Bruins the last two seasons. A fifth-round pick from 2016, Koppanen is on a one-year, two-way contract that he signed last summer to stay in the organization.
Though he stands 6’5″ and towers over most of his opponents, Koppanen is not overly physical and instead uses his long reach as a tool defensively, especially on the penalty kill. Interestingly enough, Mark Divver of NHL.com tweeted yesterday that Koppanen had a bit of a “disagreement” with teammate Connor Carrick at practice. Divver followed up today with some words from the Providence coaching staff, saying that the big forward had been “unbelievable” and “absolutely outstanding” in the last few games.
While he technically received a Black Aces call-up last season, this is really Koppanen’s first chance at the NHL level. Wagner played just over 12 and a half minutes on Sunday in his only appearance of the season. If Koppanen takes that role tomorrow against the Seattle Kraken, it will be his NHL debut.
Armia, Evans, Slafkovsky Placed On Injured Reserve
The Montreal Canadiens have moved three forwards to injured reserve, giving the designation to Joel Armia, Jake Evans, and Juraj Slafkovsky. All three will be out indefinitely, while additional testing is performed. In their place, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Rem Pitlick have been recalled.
Sean Monahan has also been moved to long-term injured reserve as he continues to rehab, though the team does not he is “progressing well.”
Armia is dealing with an upper-body injury, potentially one suffered on a hit from Jacob Trouba on Sunday. The Finnish forward played over 18 minutes in the game, but now is obviously dealing with something that will keep him sidelined. Armia has just seven points so far on the season and has been a healthy scratch several times, as he struggles to reach the heights that he was playing at a few years ago.
Slafkovsky also played in that game, but saw just over nine minutes of ice time. The top prospect is dealing with a lower-body issue. It hasn’t been quite the season many expected of the big Slovak, as Slafkovsky has just four goals in 39 games. He has shown flashes of high-level scoring ability but is too often overmatched by the speed of the NHL. Several times this season he has been caught with his head down by a heavy check, something he will have to adapt to moving forward.
Evans, meanwhile, may be dealing with the worst injury of the bunch. It at least looked that way when he crumpled at center ice on Saturday, piled on after a faceoff scrum. The 26-year-old forward was playing the best hockey of his season but is now dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out of Sunday’s game.
If you are a proponent of the “tank,” then losing three regular forwards might be time for celebration. But the Canadiens are also trying to build a culture under head coach Martin St. Louis, and losing Slafkovsky in particular doesn’t help that move forward. The team’s depth will be seriously tested, though Harvey-Pinard and Pitlick are capable replacements.