Buffalo Sabres Activate Ilya Lyubushkin
The Buffalo Sabres are activating defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin ahead of tonight’s game, putting him right into the lineup. Lyubushkin hasn’t played since November 28th while dealing with an undisclosed injury. In a corresponding move, the team announced that defenseman Jeremy Davies has been returned on loan to the Rochester Americans, their AHL affiliate.
A key veteran and quality shutdown defenseman, the Sabres have surely missed Lyubushkin’s steady presence in their lineup. Though Lyubushkin doesn’t play top minutes for the Sabres, averaging just 15:24 time-on-ice this season, his 76% of defensive zone starts show just how much Buffalo trusts him in their own end.
As for Davies, the former New Jersey Devils prospect got into just one game ont his recall, his only NHL contest of the season, which came this Saturday. He’ll return to Rochester where he’s been a steady piece of their blueline amid a season of injuries and recalls affecting the entire Sabres organization. With Rochester, Davies has five points in 19 games to start the season.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Philadelphia Flyers
With American Thanksgiving now behind us and the holiday season coming up, 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 Philadelphia Flyers.
Who are the Flyers thankful for?
Carter Hart, Kevin Hayes, and Travis Konecny
There’s plenty to take issue with as the Flyers stand right now, seventh in the Metropolitan Division, 27th in the entire league and after a strong first month of the season too. Not many expected Philadelphia to compete for the Stanley Cup, but a myriad of injuries and poor play that persists wasn’t exactly what the team had in mind when they began this season or when they hired veteran bench boss John Tortorella to shake things up. All of that said, one thing the organization has to be thankful for, likely for different reasons as to each, is the play of their top players.
Carter Hart‘s emergence is not necessarily a surprise to many, even if it is a bit later than he or the Flyers were hoping, however he finally seems to be the bona fide number one netminder the team had expected. His base numbers don’t necessarily strike the eye as elite, a .913 save-percentage and 2.82 goals-against average coming into Monday, but contextually, considering the play of the team in front of him, they seem better than at first glance. Also consider Hart’s numbers from the previous two seasons, a combined .895 save-percentage and 3.34 goals-against in 72 games over the two seasons, it stands to reason the Flyers can feel confident in the young goaltender as a building block going forward.
The Flyers’ signing of Kevin Hayes to a seven-year, $50MM contract during the 2019 offseason raised a few eyebrows at the time, and continued to draw criticism as the veteran never seemed to fully meet expectation. With three more seasons after this one with a cap hit just over $7.14MM, it seemed as though the Flyers would be saddled with Hayes, an otherwise fine player, and his large cap hit. However, this season has been a turnaround for Hayes, who is on his way to a career year, with 29 points in 31 games to date. There’s been controversy recently, Hayes listed as a healthy scratch against the New York Rangers, his former team, this weekend, but in the bigger picture, it seems at this point the Flyers might at least go from having the cap hit be a liability to something more along the lines of an asset, or perhaps even be able to deal Hayes and his hit altogether.
Finally, the 25-year-old Konecny is having a career-year of his own with 26 points in 26 games thus far. Always a reliable source of offense, the goals haven’t been there for Philadelphia this season like they have been in the past, but that’s been a non-issue for Konecny, who’s been able to drive offense nonetheless. Signed through 2024-25 at a relative bargain of $5.5MM AAV and just entering his prime, the Flyers may choose to utilize the forward as part of their long-term plans. But, given his control at a cost-effective price, the organization may just have a fantastic trade-chip on their hands either at the trade deadline or this offseason, should they choose to go that route.
What are the Flyers thankful for?
The Farm
As tough as things look right now for the Flyers, their group of young players and prospects appears to have them set up for a bright future. On the roster, Morgan Frost, Owen Tippett, and Noah Cates all appear headed in the right direction, while the recently-recalled Cam York is off to a strong start in the NHL with a pair of points in five games. After getting into 30 games with the Flyers last season, recording 10 points, York was sent back to the AHL to start this season, but his 13 points in 20 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms were enough to show he’d earned a recall.
In addition to York, players like Tyson Foerster, Olle Lycksell, Elliot Desnoyers, and Ronnie Attard have been developing nicely and contributing as key members of that team. Of course, there’s still plenty more for that group to work on to be ready for the NHL game, but it does appear to be a wave of talent that, when ready, will be able to lift the Flyers rather quickly. Currently injured, but expected to joint hat wave of talent is forward Bobby Brink who, after dominating in three years at the University of Denver, turned pro and joined the Flyers at the tail end of last year, adding four assists in 10 games in the NHL.
Perhaps the most exciting name in the farm right now is forward Cutter Gauthier, who the team drafted fifth overall in 2022. The forward, who brings size and elite offensive ability, already has 16 points, including 10 goals, through 13 games as a freshman with Boston College. Also of note, given their place in the standings this year, the Flyers will find themselves with another high pick in an incredibly strong NHL draft, giving them another name to add to this mix, as well as a strong lottery ticket in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.
What would the Flyers be even more thankful for?
The long-term health of Sean Couturier
The last we heard of Couturier, the center had undergone back surgery and was expected to miss three to four months from that point. That was on October 29th, which puts a February return as a likely possibility if all goes well. The issue there is, when it comes to injuries and recovery, all has not gone well for Couturier in recent years, costing him 53 games last season, and likely at least 50 at minimum this year.
Whether Couturier can return to regular, healthy action and contribute as he had in the past is still a question to be answered, but with the perennial Selke candidate signed for $7.75MM through 2029-30, much of the Flyers’ long-term future hangs on what they will get out of Couturier. If he can return to the player he was beforehand, it will give the organization another big building block to try and turn things around quickly, one they can combine with players like Hart and Konecny, as well as the young players discussed above. If Couturier can’t become that player again, they may be bound by another rather large contract for a very long time. Still, if Couturier isn’t able to come back at all, at the very least, they can keep his contract in LTIR going forward.
Much of this sentiment can ring true for defenseman Ryan Ellis, who the Flyers have signed at $6.25MM through 2026-27, though it would seem Couturier’s future is a lot more crucial. For instance, compare Couturier to Ellis, who is a solid top-four defenseman when healthy and has only played four games with the team, while Couturier represents arguably the face of the franchise after Claude Giroux‘s trade, while playing on a much larger contract. That said, the long-term health and success of both players is incredibly important.
What should be on the Flyers holiday wishlist?
A rebuild, or at the least, a clear direction
Much has been made about the direction the Flyers are going in, whether that’s trying to compete now, taking a small step back to make some changes and wait for health, the possibility of going into a full rebuild, or something in between these. Many have wondered if the Flyers and their fans would even have the willingness to go through a full rebuild, something the organization has rarely, if ever, pursued in their long and storied past.
With the team making several, what felt almost contradictory, moves in recent months, the direction of the team grew more unclear, while the team remains towards the bottom of the standings. In previous years, the team has acquired and signed a number of star players to big contracts , such as Hayes, Ellis, James van Riemsdyk, and Rasmus Ristolainen. Then, last season, out of a playoff race, they dealt a franchise icon and pending UFA in Giroux, among others.
This offseason, the team appeared ready to make the moves to be competitive again, acquiring and extending Tony DeAngelo, but when the opportunity to sign hometown superstar Johnny Gaudreau presented itself in free agency, the team didn’t necessarily jump at the opportunity. On top of their somewhat confusing offseason dealings, the team also hired Tortorella, hoping he could change the team’s identity, getting more out of a cohesive group they believed they hadn’t had, perhaps sneaking into the playoffs, which doesn’t appear to be happening.
Whether a rebuild is the right move for the Flyers is something to be left up to the experts who actually run NHL teams. However, a clear “this is what we’re doing” direction, whether that’s a rebuild, a “retool” that goes a bit quicker using some of the pieces they have now, or simply doing all they can to turn the ship around now and be competitive as soon as possible, would seem to be a fair request from the fans and other stakeholders around the organization.
Tomas Hertl Suspended Two Games
5:09 pm: Hertl has been handed a two-game suspension for high-sticking by the Department of Player Safety this afternoon. In explaining their rationale for the decision, DoPS gave the following statement in their explanatory video:
It is important to note that this is not a reckless or careless use of the stick. Rather, this is a directed, retaliatory stick swing that strikes an opponent at a dangerous height.
10:51 am: The Department of Player Safety has some more work to do, as San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl will have a hearing today. The potential supplementary discipline stems from a high-sticking incident in last night’s game against the Calgary Flames, when Hertl retaliated against Elias Lindholm. He was penalized on the play, and took responsibility after the game:
I got cross-checked three times to the shoulder. I tried to slash him on the stick, but the stick slid a little high. It’s a terrible penalty…it’s a mistake by me, I can’t do that. You never try to hit a guy high, but it happened.
The Flames already got some revenge, as Lindholm would score on the ensuing powerplay and again 20 seconds after that, before Dillon Dube put the game out of reach a few minutes later. Hertl would eventually score a powerplay goal of his own partway through the third, but the penalty had put the game out of reach for the Sharks.
He now faces a potential suspension, and there have been several already this season that suggest one will be coming. Jeff Skinner, Matthew Tkachuk, Pierre Engvall, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Michael Rasmussen have all received punishment for high-sticking incidents, though they have varied in force and situation. Skinner’s three-game ban was the longest of the bunch, handed out earlier this month.
For those wondering if some other discipline would be coming down from the league, namely for a hit from Sam Lafferty on Filip Chytil, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports there will not.
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.