New Jersey Devils Place Nathan Bastian On Injured Reserve
The New Jersey Devils have announced that forward Nathan Bastian has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to November 26th. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk from their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
This move is all about the recall of Okhotiuk, as both John Marino and Ryan Graves were banged up on a recent road trip. As indicated by the retroactive designation of this injured reserve placement, Bastian being out with an injury isn’t breaking news. His official placement on the injured list does clear the team a roster spot to recall Okhotiuk, though, which is important for them.
Bastian has scored eight points in 21 games so far, playing an important crash-and-bang energy role on the Devils’ fourth line.
In his place on the roster comes Okhotiuk, a young defenseman who plays a similarly physical role albeit from the blueline. Okhotiuk, 22, has played in five career NHL games, and has six points in 17 AHL games so far this season.
Canada’s Spengler Cup Roster Announced
The annual Spengler Cup tournament begins on Monday, kicking off a competition that will see some of Europe’s top professional clubs do battle with each other and a delegation of Canadian players in order to win the tournament’s historic trophy. Today, the roster for Team Canada was announced, containing the following players from the following clubs:
Goalies
Michael Hutchinson (Henderson, AHL)
Michael DiPietro (Maine, ECHL)
Defensemen
Thomas Gregoire (Lukko Rauma, Liiga)
Josh Brook (Calgary, AHL)
Jerome Leduc (HC Ajoie, Swiss NL)
Tobie Bisson (Ontario, AHL)
Cody Goloubef (SC Bern, Swiss NL)
Kevin Connauton (Lehigh Valley, AHL)
Wyatt Kalynuk (Abbotsford, AHL)
Forwards
Daniel Carr (HC Lugano, Swiss NL)
Philip-Michael Davos (HC Ajoie, Swiss NL)
Cody Eakin (HC Langnau, Swiss NL)
Jonathan Ang (EHC Kloten, Swiss NL)
Riley Nash (Charlotte, AHL)
Kris Bennett (HC Lugano, Swiss NL)
Alan Quine (Ontario, AHL)
Cory Emmerton (Lausanne HC, Swiss NL)
Daniel Winnik (Geneve-Servette HC, Swiss NL)
Brendan Perlini (Chicago, AHL)
David Desharnais (Friborg-Gotteron, Swiss NL)
Tyler Ennis (SC Bern, Swiss NL)
Colton Sceviour (SC Bern, Swiss NL)
Chris DiDomenico (SC Bern, Swiss NL)
Brett Connolly (HC Lugano, Swiss NL)
Assembled by general manager Shane Doan and a collection of other members of a management team, Team Canada boasts an impressive list of players with significant, recent NHL experience. While the defense is more AHL-heavy than the other two groups, it still boasts a 360-game veteran in Connauton. In net, the cup could be a quality opportunity for DiPietro to put some solid play on tape after a rocky few seasons and be a chance for Hutchinson to solidify his resume as a quality third or fourth goalie.
The forward corps is where Canada is at its most impressive, including relatively well-known names such as Connolly, Ennis, Desharnais, Winnik, Eakin, Nash, and Sceviour. It’s a collection of talent that may be of a higher quality than some of the clubs they are competing against, although their relative lack of chemistry could pose a challenge.
With this lineup in hand, the Spengler Cup can be viewed as a quality opportunity for some players. Whether it’s a former prospect who headed to Europe after receiving little North American interest or a former NHL regular whose skills have declined to a point that made an exit to Europe inevitable, the Spengler Cup will afford a chance to any participant to show their talent on a major stage.
Los Angeles Kings Activate Brendan Lemieux
The Los Angeles Kings have gotten a player back from injury, as forward Brendan Lemieux has been activated off of injured reserve.
Lemieux has missed the Kings’ last 23 games with a lower-body injury. Lemieux has played in 15 games this season and scored three points to go along with 28 minutes spent in the box.
Adding Lemieux back to their active roster gives the Kings a player from what now seems to be a dying breed across the NHL. While Lemieux has flashed some offensive touch in the past (he scored 43 points in 51 AHL games in 2017-18) his time playing in the NHL has established him as one of the league’s few pure agitators.
Lemieux’s calling card is getting under his opponent’s skin, disrupting their control over a game, and playing with the sort of energy and physicality that would make any opponent fear facing his line on a shift. As more and more NHL clubs decide they don’t need to devote a roster spot to a player with such a relatively limited package of tools, players like Lemieux are becoming rarer and rarer across the NHL.
But Kings coach Todd McLellan has deemed Lemieux an important piece in the team’s bottom six, and with this activation, Lemieux will have a chance to return to his spot there.
And even while players like Lemieux seem to be becoming more of a rare sight in this modern NHL, the Kings do happen to stand second in the Pacific Division, making it somewhat difficult to criticize McLellan’s decisions regarding his lineup.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: San Jose Sharks
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 San Jose Sharks.
Who are the Sharks thankful for?
Wait, a team at the bottom of the standings is most thankful for an aging defenseman that makes $11.5MM a season? Well, there isn’t a lot of competition in San Jose these days. The Sharks probably aren’t very happy with the trade that brought him in or the extension that he signed when he arrived. The team would probably be in a much better place without ever getting Karlsson in the first place.
But his play this year has given them a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. The 32-year-old defenseman has 42 points in 34 games (including an active eight-game point streak) and is playing more than 25 minutes a night for the Sharks. That has potentially opened up the possibility of a trade at some point, allowing them to get out from under the last few years of his contract.
It still will be a complicated move to pull off, but general manager Mike Grier has admitted he would listen to proposals and Karlsson is making sure people don’t forget that there was a time he was considered the best defenseman in the world. In a recent interview on Hockey Night in Canada, he promised that he still has “lots of years left” in his career.
What are the Sharks thankful for?
A rising salary cap ceiling.
Over the last couple of years, there hasn’t been anyone in a worse financial situation than the Sharks. The team was playing poorly, and yet they were locked into a number of long-term expensive contracts for aging players. It looked like they would just have to wait it out, struggling to put a competitive team on the ice for years.
But there is a chance that won’t be the case. Not only has Karlsson’s play created a chance (however small) of trading his deal, but the team has found other ways to shed salary as well. Evander Kane‘s contract was terminated, Martin Jones was bought out, and they moved most of Brent Burns‘ deal in an offseason trade.
They’re still not out of the woods. Tomas Hertl just re-signed, Timo Meier has a huge qualifying offer due, and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic still has three more seasons on his deal at $7MM. But there is at least a little breathing room, and a cap increase would only help matters.
What would the Sharks be even more thankful for?
A concrete front office direction.
The biggest problem is that for years now, the Sharks have avoided the idea of a rebuild entirely. They are stuck somewhere in the middle of buying and selling, all to the detriment of the on-ice product. Take two of the biggest moves the team has done in the past year, for instance.
In March, after deciding to hold onto him through the trade deadline, they signed Tomas Hertl to an eight-year, $65.1MM contract that keeps him in town until 2030 – essentially the rest of his career. But then a few months later they trade Burns, and retain 34% of his contract, in exchange for future assets.
Those two moves seem completely at odds with each other. One is made by a team that believes it can compete, and another is by a rebuilding club that wants to move on from older players and start collecting draft picks.
They now have another chance to point out a direction for their franchise with Meier. The 26-year-old is in the final season of a four-year bridge deal he signed in 2019 and is due a $10MM qualifying offer in the summer. Any long-term extension would be expensive because of that leverage, but he would still be a very attractive asset for contenders at the deadline looking to upgrade their top six. Does San Jose trade him, move on and start the rebuild? Or still believe they can compete with this core, and bring Meier back as they did with Hertl last year?
Whatever it is, Sharks fans are dying for some consistent direction. A plan.
What should be on the Sharks holiday wishlist?
A young defenseman.
If they are able to make some trades at the deadline, the Sharks should be targeting draft picks and young defensemen. They already have a number of interesting young forward prospects, led by William Eklund, Thomas Bordeleau, and Filip Bystedt. But it’s been a while since they had a real star defensive prospect to build around. Mario Ferraro is young enough that he can be part of the solution, but no other defenseman on the roster is under the age of 28.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Vancouver Canucks Recall Collin Delia
For the last few days, the Vancouver Canucks have been swapping Arturs Silovs and Collin Delia back and forth in order to keep both fresh. That continued today with Silovs heading back to the AHL and Delia recalled under emergency conditions.
With Thatcher Demko out since the start of December, the Canucks have been relying heavily on Spencer Martin to carry the load. Delia did get one game at the NHL level a few weeks ago but otherwise, the swaps continue to allow him to stay sharp by playing in the AHL.
Of course, Martin hasn’t been very good for the Canucks, posting an .885 save percentage behind a leaky defensive unit. In each of his last two starts – losses to the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets – he has allowed five goals on 27 shots. With the Canucks set to start a back-to-back tonight against the Seattle Kraken, before traveling to Edmonton to face Connor McDavid and the Oilers tomorrow night, Delia might get another chance to play.
After that, the team doesn’t have another back-to-back until January 14-15, meaning Martin will likely continue to start every game until Demko returns.
Rasmus Sandin Placed On Injured Reserve
After suffering a neck injury in the Toronto Maple Leafs last game, Rasmus Sandin has been moved to injured reserve. Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained yesterday that the team would be re-evaluating him after the Christmas break, meaning a stint on IR doesn’t necessarily mean he will be out long-term. Sandin must miss at least seven days but the Maple Leafs don’t play again until December 27 after today’s afternoon match with the Philadelphia Flyers.
In his place, the team has recalled Mac Hollowell from the minor leagues. The 24-year-old Hollowell played six games with the team earlier this season when they were dealing with a number of injuries on defense, and has been excellent in the minor leagues with 10 points in 13 games for the Toronto Marlies.
Unfortunately for Hollowell, the team also recently activated Jordie Benn, who will slide into Sandin’s spot in the lineup today. The club is still without Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Victor Mete, and Carl Dahlstrom, but has still shown a strong defensive ability. Toronto sits second in goals against on the year, having allowed just 79 in 33 games.
Part of that success has been the strong play of Sandin, who has regularly gone over 20 minutes of ice time in the absence of Rielly. The 22-year-old was selected 29th overall in 2018 and has played 121 regular season games so far in his career.
Several Games Rescheduled Due To Winter Weather
There is a massive winter storm projected to hit the east coast this weekend, and because of the timing, the NHL has decided to reschedule some games. Because the holiday break is happening, the league can’t afford to have players stranded in a road city, unable to get home for Christmas.
The following NHL games have been rescheduled:
- Tampa Bay at Buffalo, December 23 –> March 4
- Detroit at Ottawa, December 23 –> February 27
The AHL has also postponed some games:
- Cleveland at Grand Rapids December 23 –> January 4
- Syracuse at Rochester December 23 –> TBA
Players will get a little bit longer break during the holidays, though the rescheduled matches now compress the second half schedule even more. For a club like Ottawa, which is waiting on several key players to return from injury, the delay is likely a welcome one.
This list will be updated if any further games are rescheduled.
Tim Stutzle Could Return For Ottawa Senators
After missing the last few games with a shoulder injury, Tim Stutzle is expected to return to the Ottawa Senators lineup tonight according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. After practice, head coach D.J. Smith wouldn’t commit and explained that Stutzle will be a game-time decision after taking warm-up. Artem Zub and Joshua Norris were also both on the ice today in non-contact jerseys as they make their way back.
Stutzle, 20, was off to a great start to the season when he went down on December 12 after just four shifts against the Anaheim Ducks. Prior to that, he scored 27 points in 27 games, the start of a breakout campaign for the third-year man. It’s not that Stutzle had been bad as a rookie or sophomore, far from it. But this year he looked like a game-changing presence every night, carrying the play and establishing himself as one of the top young talents in the league.
Given the Senators’ spot in the standings, they could certainly use him. Ottawa is eighth in the Atlantic Division, 11 points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for that coveted third spot they were hoping to challenge for. Things haven’t gone exactly according to plan, though things are turning around of late.
The Senators are now 6-3-1 in their last ten and should get some more reinforcements next month when Norris is expected to return.
Should he return, Stutzle will jump right back into the middle of the top line between Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux to try and crack a two-game losing streak against the Washington Capitals.
Ryan McDonagh To Return For Predators; Jordan Gross Sent To AHL
Dec 21: McDonagh has now been officially activated from injured reserve and will play tonight.
Dec 20: After staying up with the Nashville Predators on an emergency loan for more than two weeks, Jordan Gross has been returned to the AHL. The team had recalled him when moving Ryan McDonagh to injured reserve, and he played seven games since then.
With McDonagh returning tomorrow night against the Chicago Blackhawks and Alexandre Carrier getting back in the lineup last night, Gross is no longer needed at the NHL level.
The 33-year-old McDonagh has been out since December 2 after taking a puck to the face and is practicing with a full cage as he gets ready to return. The two-time Stanley Cup champion was averaging more than 20 minutes for the Predators when he went down, and had recorded six assists in 23 games.
While he is no longer the two-way force that dominated for the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning in his prime, McDonagh is still a very capable defender that should only strengthen a Predators team coming off a statement win over the Edmonton Oilers last night.
Coincidentally, Gross actually scored his third NHL goal in that game, as three of the four tallies from Nashville were from their defense. The 27-year-old will likely be back up at some point, should the team face any further injuries from this point.
Minor Transactions: 12/21/22
The NHL’s holiday roster freeze is in place, meaning teams are restricted from trading, waiving, loaning, or otherwise moving their players for the next week. However, that roster freeze doesn’t extend to all foreign and minor leagues, meaning there are still some moves from outside the NHL that are worth tracking. We’ll mark those down here.
- Former San Jose Sharks goalie prospect Alexei Melnichuk signed a one-year, two-way (KHL/VHL) contract with KHL club Avangard Omsk, per a team announcement. Should he get into a game in Omsk, it would be Melnichuk’s third KHL team of the season, having already played for HC Sochi and Traktor Chelyabinsk. Melnichuk, 24, last played in the NHL in 2020-21, getting into three games for the Sharks, and spent time in 2021-22 with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda and ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
- Minor league defenseman Nick Albano has left the Belleville Senators to sign a one-year contract with Vasteras IK, a club in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish hockey. Albano, 26, is an undrafted product out of UMass Boston that has played the last two seasons as an AHL/ECHL journeyman with five different teams.
- William Rapuzzi, an accomplished veteran scorer of the European pro hockey circuit, has switched clubs. The 32-year-old Alaska native is departing HC Slovan Bratislava, where he has played just three games in the last four months, to sign with EHC Olten in the Swiss League, the second tier of pro hockey in Switzerland. The signing is a major coup for Olten, the current league leaders, as Rapuzzi scored a whopping 55 points in just 38 games the last time he played in the Swiss League.
- The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have made a major trade, acquiring Alexandre Doucet from the Val d’Or Foreurs. Doucet is the league’s second-highest scorer, his 53 points in 37 games behind only Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais and his 61 points in 28 games. The move helps Halifax, who are currently third in the QMJHL standings, compete this year, while the tenth-place Foreurs add some draft picks.
This page may be updated throughout the day.