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Atlantic Notes: Sandin-Pellikka, Hakanpää, Link

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Red Wings top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka will finish out the season with either Detroit or AHL Grand Rapids but doesn’t know exactly when he’ll join the team, he told Hans Abrahamsson and Jonatan Pinheiro Diamant of Aftonbladet.se. The 20-year-old has already signed his entry-level contract, is the Red Wings’ top-ranked prospect overall, and is widely expected to be on the team’s opening night roster in 2025-26. His Swedish Hockey League club, Skellefteå AIK, was eliminated by top-seeded Brynäs IF in the playoff semifinals today. He led U-20 SHLers in goals (12) and points (29) in his third season at the top level of Swedish hockey. While the Red Wings’ playoff hopes are slim to none, Grand Rapids has clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs, and he could be an impact addition there.

Other items of note out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Could injury-plagued defenseman Jani Hakanpää be an option for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs? The defender remains hopeful he can suit up again for Toronto and says his recovery from continued knee problems is “trending really good,” per Evan Doerfler of The Hockey News. Hakanpää, whose 2023-24 season ended prematurely due to arthroscopic knee surgery, only got into a pair of games for Toronto in November as he continues to deal with lingering issues. The 6’7″, 225-lb Finn will be a UFA this summer after signing a one-year, $1.47MM deal with the Leafs late in the summer after a drawn-out saga.
  • The Bruins have invited Colorado College winger Bret Link to this summer’s development camp, per Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Development camp invites are routinely an indication a team is considering signing an undrafted free agent to an entry-level contract but isn’t ready to do so yet. In NCAA players’ case, they can’t sign before ending their collegiate career. Link, 23, has 11-25–36 in 72 games with Colorado College over the last two seasons. The Alaska native stands at 6’3″ and 196 lbs and could opt to turn pro if his offense continues progressing upward in his junior season.

Metropolitan Notes: Thompson, Protas, Hamilton, Carrier, Gostisbehere

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Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson began on-ice recovery today as he nears a return from an upper-body injury, Emily Kaplan of ESPN said on today’s broadcast of Washington’s loss in Columbus (via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com). He skated today along with the NHL’s new all-time goals leader, Alex Ovechkin, who stayed home to rest with the Caps’ place atop the Eastern Conference clinched. The presumptive Vezina Trophy finalist has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury and remains questionable for the beginning of Washington’s first-round playoff series against whichever team ends up in the second wild-card spot. Backup Charlie Lindgren hasn’t been particularly inspiring in his absence, posting a .866 SV% since taking over for Thompson when the latter left an April 2 loss to the Hurricanes. Lindgren was not in the crease today for the Caps’ 7-0 defeat; third-stringer Hunter Shepard was. Winger Aliaksei Protas is also expected to skate Monday for the first time since sustaining a laceration from a skate on his left foot on April 4, Kaplan said. “There is some concern about how the location of the skate cut (under skate tongue) will impact the rest of Protas’ foot, but they’re hopeful he’ll be ready for the start of the playoffs,” Gulitti relayed. The 24-year-old remains an invaluable part of the Caps’ league-best offense, erupting for a career-best 30-36–66 scoring line in 76 showings.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton continues to inch closer to a return but won’t play tomorrow against the Islanders, head coach Sheldon Keefe told the team’s Amanda Stein. Initially expected to be out until the second round of the playoffs after sustaining a lower-body injury in early March, he’s been upgraded to day-to-day. He will almost certainly be an option to begin their first-round series against the Hurricanes. He’s a key return amid a blue line missing Jonas Siegenthaler and a forward group missing star center Jack Hughes. Hamilton’s 40 points in 63 games rank seventh on the Devils and second among rearguards behind Luke Hughes’ 42.
  • The Hurricanes had winger William Carrier in the lineup against the Rangers today for the first time since he underwent lower-body surgery in January. An important depth add to their bottom six ahead of the postseason, the 30-year-old had an assist, four hits, and a plus-one rating in 10:48 of ice time in his return. They were without top backend point-producer Shayne Gostisbehere, though, who Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal relays is dealing with a lower back injury. It’s his second straight absence. The 31-year-old has 44 points in 68 showings this year, his fourth straight season above 40 points. He ranks fifth on Carolina in scoring while averaging 18:29 per game. He remains day-to-day and should be back for Game 1 against New Jersey.

Alec Martinez Announces Retirement

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Today will be Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez’s final NHL game, he told Chicago Sports Network’s Darren Pang during warmups (via Tab Bamford of Bleacher Nation). He joins teammate Pat Maroon in retiring following the season, but neither will travel for the team’s season-ending road trip through Montreal and Ottawa.

Martinez’s NHL dream began in 2007 when the Kings selected him in the fourth round out of Miami University. He had been passed over in the 2005 and 2006 drafts but was selected following a strong sophomore showing with the RedHawks. His post-draft season saw him record a career-high in points and CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman honors, earning him an entry-level contract with Los Angeles the following summer. He spent most of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons with their AHL affiliate, then the Manchester Monarchs, but made his NHL debut with a four-game trial in the latter campaign.

After a strong start to 2010-11 in Manchester, the Kings recalled him in November, and he never looked back. He scored his first NHL goal in his first game of the season and stuck around as a bottom-pairing fixture, posting 5-11–16 in 60 games with a +11 rating as the Kings made the playoffs but lost to the Sharks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

In 2011-12, Martinez spent the first half of the year as a frequent healthy scratch but got regular reps after L.A. traded rearguard Jack Johnson to the Blue Jackets for Jeff Carter. Of course, that trade was one of the most consequential of the decade – Carter flourished in a top-six role as the eighth-seeded Kings dominated the 2012 postseason en route to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. Martinez played in all 20 playoff games, now a third-pairing regular with Johnson out of the picture, and posted three points with a plus-five rating while averaging 14:28 per game.

That’s not the Cup run Kings fans will remember Martinez for, though. Now established as a consistent championship contender, Martinez posted a career-high 22 points in the 2013-14 regular season before scoring two overtime series-clinching goals – one to send the Kings to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and the other to win it over the Rangers a couple of weeks later. Those were two of the five goals Martinez scored during that playoff run, the same number as star blue-liner Drew Doughty, as he forever established himself as a legend in Los Angeles sporting lore.

In his late 20s, Martinez began taking on consistent top-four minutes as the Kings’ championship window drew to a close. His most divisive season came on a 2016-17 Kings club that missed the playoffs, posting a career-high 39 points in 82 games while finishing with a career-worst -17 rating.

While Martinez’s point totals began to dwindle in the late 2010s, he remained a shot-blocking extraordinaire with a well-rounded defensive game. Amid his fifth consecutive season averaging over 20 minutes per game, his time in Los Angeles came to an end when they traded him to the Golden Knights ahead of the 2020 deadline.

The trade to Vegas breathed new life into Martinez’s two-way game. He made multiple deep playoff runs with the club, including his third Stanley Cup ring in 2023, while continuing to serve as a top-four presence, commonly alongside Alex Pietrangelo. He also had the best offensive campaign of his career in 2020-21 with 0.60 points per game – 0.12 above his previous career high – but the COVID-shortened season prevented him from setting a career-high in points outright. In Vegas’ first Stanley Cup championship in 2023, Martinez’s +13 rating ranked fifth on the team, and he naturally led the club with 57 blocks in the postseason.

Injuries also began to stunt Martinez’s availability, though. After making just 26 appearances in the 2021-22 season, multiple injuries cost him a significant chunk of the 2023-24 campaign. With his ice time and normally staunch possession impacts dwindling, Vegas opted not to re-sign him with his three-year, $15.75MM contract coming to a close.

The Blackhawks stepped up to offer the respected veteran a one-year, $4MM commitment on the open market, and the 37-year-old Martinez arrived in Chicago to help anchor one of the league’s most inexperienced blue lines. Groin and neck injuries limited him to 43 appearances, but he served as an alternate captain and contributed 12 points with a -15 rating while averaging 18:45 per game. Of course, his 5.95 blocks per 60 minutes finished second on the team behind Connor Murphy.

Martinez finishes his career with an 88-201–289 scoring line in 861 games. Among 2007 draftees, he ranks 17th in games played – of course, tremendous value for a fourth-round pick. His career +73 rating also ranks sixth in the class. Only five players – Pietrangelo, John Carlson, Mark Giordano, Ryan McDonagh, and Kris Russell – have blocked more shots than Martinez since he debuted.

All of us at PHR wish Martinez all the best as he ends the playing phase of his hockey career and congratulate him on his spectacular career.

Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.

Examining The Blue Jackets Goaltending Situation

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The Columbus Blue Jackets shocked many folks this season as they remained in contention for a playoff spot for much of the season despite receiving goaltending that was well below average. Had Columbus received even league-average goaltending, they would have been in a solid spot to make the playoffs.

The Blue Jackets used three goaltenders this season, with Elvis Merzlikins dressing in 52 games, while Daniil Tarasov appeared 20 times, and Jet Greaves found his way into six NHL games. Greaves was the only goaltender of the three to post a positive goals saved above expected figure with a +0.9; Tarasov was a -4.4, and Merzlikins had a -9.1 (as per Money Puck). Now, it’s not fair to place all of the blame on the Blue Jackets’ goaltending for them likely missing the playoffs, but make no mistake, Columbus should be looking at improving their goaltending this summer.

If Columbus intends to improve in net, they likely won’t find much help on the free agent market as most pending UFA goaltenders have been locked up to long-term deals. With the best available options signed, the free agent market has nothing but career backups and projects available to sign.

The best UFA option is New Jersey Devils backup Jake Allen, who has an incredible contract year, posting 19.5 GSAx (as per Money Puck) in 28 games with the Devils. The 34-year-old veteran of over 450 NHL games hasn’t been a full-time NHL starter since the 2018-19 season when he lost the starter role to Jordan Binnington, who led the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup. Allen is in the second year of a two-year $7.7MM contract, and given the lack of options in free agency, he could improve on his $3.85MM cap hit. The Blue Jackets could sign Allen in hopes of him being a solid 1B option to play alongside Merzlikins, but if they do, they could end up spending $10MM on a goaltending duo that is just okay.

Another UFA option could be Carolina’s Frederik Andersen, who once again posted fantastic numbers with the Hurricanes. The knock on the 35-year-old is that he hasn’t been able to remain healthy for long stretches, which could be problematic in Columbus if they envisioned him as a starter. Andersen has played more than 35 games just once since 2020 and, at this late stage of his career, is better suited to split time with another goalie.

The trade market is the likeliest place for the Blue Jackets to find help, and options are available depending on what avenue they hope to explore. If Columbus wanted to give Merzlikins a fresh start, they could swap him for any other high-priced goaltender looking for a new home. Tristan Jarry and Philipp Grubauer are two names that come to mind, as both men make north of $5MM annually and could use a blank slate with a new team.

Jarry is a two-time all-star who is young enough to rediscover his game. However, he would be an expensive gamble with three years left on his deal at $5.375MM per season. Jarry has obvious talent but, for whatever reason, has never been able to string solid seasons together, bouncing back and forth between a solid starter and a liability. Any team that opts to trade for the Surrey, British Columbia native will be betting that they are getting the solid starter and not a liability who was demoted twice this season and even passed through waivers.

Grubauer has a similar story to Jarry but is four years older and has had a much longer stretch of poor play. The 33-year-old has been a below-average NHL goaltender since signing with the Seattle Kraken in July 2021, and much like Jarry, he was demoted this season to the AHL. At this stage of his career, Grubauer doesn’t appear to be an NHL goalie and is unlikely to be someone Columbus would be willing to trade for.

Their respective teams may buy out one or both of Jarry and Grubauer and if they do, they could become good options for the Blue Jackets to consider as backups. However, Jarry would make more sense with their current cap hits than Grubauer. His game does come with warts, and there is no guarantee that he will improve Columbus’ abysmal goaltending next year.

If Columbus wanted to swing a trade for a bigger name, they could look to John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. Gibson had a bounce-back season this year, posting his first positive GSAx since 2018-19 (as per Money Puck). The 31-year-old has struggled for half a decade but hasn’t had the benefit of playing behind a strong defensive team. Gibson has long been rumored to be on the move but has remained with the Ducks through a problematic rebuild. But now, with Lukas Dostal’s development, Gibson has been relegated to a backup and would benefit from a fresh start. Columbus would be a good fit for the Pittsburgh native. However, Columbus must fit Gibson’s considerable cap hit ($6.4MM) into their salary structure. With Gibson having a strong season, Anaheim will look to capitalize on his trade value and finally resolve this situation. There are so few options on the market that Gibson should be in demand, and the Blue Jackets could look to add the veteran to try and stabilize their goaltending.

Finally, one name who could be available is Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. Binnington has developed a reputation as a big-game goalie, among other things. The 31-year-old had struggled the past few seasons before this one but has re-established himself since the 4 Nations Face-Off and has helped St. Louis into a playoff position. The Blues have Joel Hofer waiting to take over the starter’s role. However, he’s struggled this season, which could give St. Louis doubts about moving on from the veteran Binnington.

The goaltending market is fragile this summer, which is unfortunate timing for the Blue Jackets if they plan to upgrade their goaltending. However, as the Washington Capitals showed last summer, the minor moves for goaltenders can sometimes pay off significantly. Columbus will be hoping for the same good fortunes that the Capitals had when they traded for Logan Thompson last summer while shipping out the underperforming Darcy Kuemper.

Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Oilers Sign Samuel Jonsson

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The Oilers have agreed to terms on a contract with one of their goaltending prospects.  The team announced that they’ve signed Samuel Jonsson to a three-year, entry-level deal. He’ll earn a base salary of $775K, a signing bonus of $80K, and a minors salary of $82.5K each season for a cap hit of $855K, per PuckPedia. While the release didn’t specify when the agreement begins, it’s likely that it won’t start until next season.

The 21-year-old was picked in the fifth round back in 2022, going 158th overall.  At that point, the highest level he had played at was Sweden’s Under-20 league and was coming off a rather pedestrian season.  However, Jonsson stands 6’5 and many teams around the league have taken late-round dart throws on taller goaltenders.

This particular throw could still pan out for the Oilers.  While Jonsson has yet to play at the SHL level, he had an impressive season with BIK Karlskoga of the second-tier Allsvenskan.  He played in 24 games this year, posting a 1.88 GAA and a .922 SV% along with six shutouts, earning himself Goalie of the Year honors.

It will be interesting to see what Edmonton’s plans for Jonsson are next season.  They have Connor Ungar and Nathaniel Day under contract already, while Olivier Rodrigue will be a restricted free agent and seems likely to be retained.  With that in mind, will the Oilers look to bring Jonsson over to North America and potentially play him in the ECHL or might they decide to leave him in Sweden and hope that he lands with an SHL team to continue his development closer to home?  They’ll at least have a few months to determine the best course of action on that front.

Sharks Recall Thomas Bordeleau

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This hasn’t been the type of season that Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau had hoped for.  Instead of landing a full-time spot in San Jose, he has played exclusively with the AHL’s Barracuda thus far.  However, it appears as if he’ll gets at least one chance with the big club as the team announced (Twitter link) that Bordeleau has been recalled.

The 23-year-old played in 27 games with the Sharks last season, notching six goals and five assists in a little over 15 minutes a night, appearing to give himself a realistic shot at securing a regular role in the lineup.  He accepted his qualifying offer in late July but after spending the first two weeks of the season on injured reserve, Bordeleau was sent down and until today, hadn’t been recalled.

Bordeleau has had a decent season with the Barracuda.  Through 59 games, he has 14 goals and 24 assists, putting him three points shy of his personal best set back in 2021-22, his first full professional campaign.  However, his assist total is a new career-high.  He’ll once again be a restricted free agent this summer and should sign for close to his new qualifying offer of $917.8K.

Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News notes (Twitter link) that the Sharks have already used their four post-deadline regular recalls, meaning that this is an emergency recall.  It’s unclear which forward’s availability for Sunday’s game against Calgary is in question at this time but head coach David Warsofsky noted earlier this week that Alexander Wennberg has been playing through an injury for a while now.

Panthers Sign Jack Devine

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After an impressive college career, Jack Devine is turning pro.  The Panthers announced that they have signed the winger to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  GM Bill Zito released the following statement:

Jack is an agile skater with high-end offensive talent who has excelled throughout his collegiate hockey career over the past four seasons with the University of Denver.  We are thrilled for Jack to join the Florida Panthers organization.

The 21-year-old was a seventh-round pick in 2022, going 221st overall after playing his freshman season at the University of Denver that saw him record 19 points in 31 games.  It’s fair to say that he has significantly outperformed that selection already.

After upping his point total to 31 in his sophomore year, Devine found another gear offensively last season.  In 44 games for the Pioneers, he notched 27 goals and 29 assists, leading Denver and all of Division I in scoring while helping lead Denver to the NCAA title.  This season, he showed that the uptick wasn’t a one-off as he collected 13 goals and 44 helpers in 44 games, once again leading all of Division I in points.  Overall, his four-year college career ends with him averaging just over a point per game with 163 points in 162 games.

While Devine won’t be able to play for Florida down the stretch, he will be able to make his professional debut.  While not announced by the team, he has signed with Florida’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte, per the AHL’s transactions log.  The Checkers have already locked up a playoff spot so it might not take long for Devine to see game action with them.  A good showing with them could help Devine get on the NHL radar for next season with the Panthers likely needing some low-cost forwards to round out their roster, especially if they re-sign or replace pending UFAs Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad.

Canucks Recall Nikita Tolopilo And Ty Mueller

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The Canucks have brought up a pair of players for their game tonight against Minnesota, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled goaltender Nikita Tolopilo and forward Ty Mueller from AHL Abbotsford on an emergency basis.

It’s the third recall in the last two months for Tolopilo, who has still not made his NHL debut.  The 25-year-old has played in 34 games with Abbotsford this season, putting up a 2.68 GAA and a .901 SV%, numbers that are pretty close to his first year in North America last season (2.83 and .905, respectively).  He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.  Sportsnet 960’s Brendan Batchelor adds (Twitter link) that Thatcher Demko didn’t take part in the morning skate, suggesting that Tolopilo’s recall is to cover Demko’s spot on the roster.

As for Mueller, it’s his first career NHL recall.  The 22-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Canucks in 2023 and signed one year later.  This is Mueller’s first professional season and he has fared reasonably well, sitting fourth on Abbotsford in scoring with 12 goals and 26 assists in 62 games.  Batchelor adds (Twitter link) that Max Sasson is not taking part in the morning skate so it appears Mueller – who lined up on the second line at the skate – is up to take Sasson’s place.

With both moves qualifying as emergency recalls, they won’t count toward Vancouver’s post-deadline regular recall limit.

Oilers Recall Derek Ryan On An Emergency Basis

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With Edmonton’s long list of injuries continuing to grow, the Oilers have brought back a familiar forward.  The team announced that they’ve recalled center Derek Ryan from AHL Bakersfield on an emergency basis.  Additionally, blueliner Cam Dineen is back up as well; he was recalled on Thursday and papered back to the minors late Friday.

Ryan spent the first half of the season in Edmonton but struggled to produce in limited minutes, notching just one goal and four assists in his first 33 outings.  That resulted in the 38-year-old being placed on waivers in January with the Oilers opting to look at some other options for that roster spot.  Eventually, they turned to the trade market to try to fill it but their most notable deadline acquisition up front, Trent Frederic, has only played once and is injured once again.

Aside from a two-game stint with the big club last month, Ryan has played with the Condors, his first taste of AHL action since the 2015-16 season when he returned to North America after playing in Sweden.  Ryan has suited up in 13 games with Bakersfield so far, picking up three goals and five assists.  His absence will certainly hurt the Condors, who remain in a close battle for the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

Dineen wasn’t needed last night with Mattias Ekholm returning to the lineup.  However, with Ekholm being injured just a few shifts in and Jake Walman’s availability for Sunday still in question, Dineen will get to stay with the big club a little while longer.

Injury Notes: Golden Knights, Avalanche, Middleton

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The Vegas Golden Knights were one of many teams to get a wave of positive injury updates on Friday. Neither star forward Jack Eichel nor top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo are expected to play on Saturday, but both are nearing a return, head coach Bruce Cassidy told Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Both players have missed Vegas’ last two games – Eichel with a day-to-day upper-body injury and Pietrangelo with illness. That same illness has also held winger Victor Olofsson and defender Nicolas Hague out of Vegas’ last two games. Cassidy shared that he had no updates on the latter two absentees, as they’re away from the rink with their sickness.

Getting Eichel back from injury will be a major addition as Vegas prepares for the postseason. He leads the squad in scoring this year with 27 goals and 93 points in 76 games – nearly 30 more points than Mark Stone’s 67 points ranked second. This is Eichel’s first season playing more than 70 games since the 2018-19 season, when he recorded his previous career-high 82 points with the Buffalo Sabres. The year has been more a return to routine health than a true breakout, but either way, Eichel has smashed his career-mark and is set to rival 100 points for the first time in his career. He’ll likely fall just short, as Vegas has just two games left after Saturday’s matchup against Nashville.

Meanwhile, Pietrangelo leads a strong – but sick – supporting cast. He has 33 points in 70 games this season, third-most on the Vegas blue-line. Pietrangelo leads the Golden Knights lineup in average ice time per game with 22:24 – surprisingly the lowest ice time average he’s recorded since his rookie season in 2010-11. He’ll jump right back to a top-pair role when he returns, while Olofsson and Hague will find their way in Vegas’ middle lines. Olofsson has managed 14 goals and 27 points in 54 games this season – stout scoring for his first year with the club. Hague, meanwhile, once again ranks near the bottom of scoring among Golden Knights defenders, with just 11 points in 66 games so far.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • A pair of veteran members of the Avalanche took a step toward returning as Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette relays that winger Jonathan Drouin joined the team for practice yesterday in a non-contact jersey as he works his way back from a lower-body injury.  Meanwhile, defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) skated on his own.  Drouin has been banged up all season but has been productive when healthy, collecting 37 points in 43 games, good for sixth on the team in scoring despite missing 37 contests.  Manson, meanwhile, has been out for nearly a month now but has done well when playing, collecting 15 points in 48 games while averaging a little over 18 minutes per night of playing time.
  • Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton missed his third straight game last night due to an upper-body injury.  However, Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that the blueliner is a possibility to return for tonight’s contest in Vancouver.  Middleton has been a critical part of Minnesota’s back end this year, logging nearly 22 minutes per game of ice time while also chipping in with 20 points in 66 outings.  The Wild are still trying to lock down a playoff spot and getting Middleton back would be a big boost to help them try to do just that.

PHR’s Brian La Rose also contributed to this post.

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