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.
Vancouver Canucks Loan Nils Hoglander, Arturs Silovs To AHL
Before the roster freeze went into effect last night, the Vancouver Canucks completed a transaction that might raise some eyebrows. Nils Hoglander was loaned to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.
Hoglander, 22 (today!), looked like he was going to be a star during his rookie year, when he scored 13 goals and 27 points in 56 games. Whether it was the odd division setup, the team around him, or just some extra confidence, that level of play has been hard to come by ever since.
Last season, Hoglander had just 18 points in 60 games, and this year he has nine through his first 25. He’s been a healthy scratch several times and is averaging just 12 minutes a game.
The roster freeze does not prevent the Canucks from bringing Hoglander back up, but the move suggests he won’t be in the lineup for Vancouver when they play a back-to-back starting Thursday.
If he does play for Abbotsford, it would be the first minor league action of Hoglander’s career. The young forward stepped right from the SHL to the NHL and never looked back. Perhaps some development time to reset his game is all that’s needed to get him back on track.
The team also completed a goaltending swap, returning Artus Silovs to the AHL while recalling Collin Delia under emergency conditions.
Nikita Soshnikov Signs In KHL
We have probably seen the last of Nikita Soshnikov. After his contract was terminated by the New York Islanders, the minor league forward officially signed with HC Traktor in the KHL. The new deal will continue through the 2023-24 season, meaning he would be 31 by the time a return to North America was possible.
Like so many other undrafted Russian forwards, Soshnikov showed NHL-level talent but found it difficult to carve out a regular role in the league. After putting up a 32-point season for Moscow Oblast Atlant in 2014-15, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and quickly rose the depth chart.
That year, he scored 18 goals for the Toronto Marlies but also had five points in 11 games with the rebuilding Maple Leafs. The next season, as the club turned to an extremely young lineup, he played in 56 NHL games but was only able to record nine points.
It still seemed like he would stick, but that season ended up being more than half of his career appearances. A few more games for Toronto, an unsuccessful stint in St. Louis, and Soshnikov was back to the KHL, where he once again showed he could score at a high level.
This season he tried the NHL again, convinced by Lou Lamoriello for a second time, and ended up in just three games with the Islanders. For his career, Soshnikov scored 16 points in 90 games.
Latest On Matvei Michkov
Dec 20: SKA has officially announced the loan, sending Michkov to Sochi for the rest of the year.
Dec 19: As the 2023 World Junior Championship gets closer, hockey fans are focused on the next wave of talent. Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli will show why they are expected to go at the very top of next year’s draft, while competing against the best players in their age group from all over the world.
Well, not all over the world. Russia has been banned from the upcoming tournament because of its invasion of Ukraine, meaning Matvei Michkov – another top prospect – won’t get to compete.
Instead, Michkov is set to join the worst team in the KHL for the rest of the season as reports out of Russia have him loaned to HC Sochi. Though it may seem like a demotion, given his place with powerhouse club SKA St. Petersburg, it should allow the young forward to actually receive some regular playing time. So far this year he has played just a handful of shifts in the KHL, spending most of his time in the VHL, where he has 10 goals in 12 games.
Michkov, 18, is a very interesting prospect when it comes to the draft. Compared to Alex Ovechkin at times as he grew up, there is an expectation that he will become the next face of Russian hockey. If there weren’t other complicating factors, he would be pushing Bedard for the first overall selection.
The biggest of those factors is his contract, which will keep him in Russia through the 2025-26 season. This loan to Sochi does not extend or shorten his deal with SKA; it only gives him an opportunity to play through the end of the year.
Any team that selects him will have to wait, and though he is expected to come to North America when his contract is up, there is no guarantee of that just yet.
This opportunity, though, will be able to give NHL front offices a bit of a closer look (at least through video) before committing to a several-year wait. If he can show off for Sochi, even in a losing effort – the club is dead last in the KHL – the hype surrounding his future will only increase.
Evening Notes: White, Subban, Chinakhov
The Anaheim Ducks announced earlier this evening that defenseman Colton White has been sent to the San Diego Gulls, their AHL affiliate, for a conditioning loan. Unlike most conditioning loans in the minors where the player is either too young to be sent to the AHL otherwise (think Shane Wright and Brandt Clarke recently) or where the player is coming off injury, the 25-year-old White is AHL eligible and has been playing, suiting up as recently as Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.
For White, the defenseman has been playing somewhat sparingly this season, getting into just 16 of 32 games, not spending any time on IR. By going to the AHL, the defenseman should have an opportunity to play regularly and see top-end minutes during each game of the loan. Through those 16 games, White has just one point, an assist. White had spent his entire career in the New Jersey Devils organization before signing a two-year, two-way contract with Anaheim this summer.
- The Montreal Canadiens will be paying homage to one of their greats later this season, honoring the recently-retired P.K. Subban in a pregame ceremony on January 12th before the team takes on another of Subban’s former teams, the Nashville Predators. The former Norris Trophy winner spent his first seven seasons with the Canadiens before an infamous 2016 trade sent him to Nashville in a one-for-one swap with Shea Weber. Three years later, Nashville dealt Subban to the New Jersey Devils where he finished out his career. Subban ultimately retired this summer after hitting the free agent market.
- It would seem as though the injury issues simply couldn’t get any worse for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but on top of this morning’s news that captain Boone Jenner would require surgery, forward Yegor Chinakhov was forced to leave this evening’s game against the Dallas Stars with a lower-body injury. The forward will not return, the team announced. The injury happened early on in the game, Chinakhov colliding with a Stars player and leaving the ice gingerly. At this point, the compounding injuries do little to change things for the reeling Blue Jackets, however the silver lining to them was the ability to get young players like Chinakhov, a 2020 first-round pick, some quality minutes and opportunities. For now, Columbus will have to hold its breath that this injury won’t keep the young forward out for too long.