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Rangers Recall Matthew Robertson, To Place Adam Fox On IR

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After losing a pair of defensemen during last night’s game against the New York Islanders, it comes as no surprise the New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Matthew Robertson from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Unfortunately, the recall comes with a major blow to their postseason chances as Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported the team is expected to place Adam Fox on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Fox left Tuesday night’s game in the third period due to the upper-body injury after tallying one assist in 17:48 of ice time. As Staple shared in his report, the Rangers are optimistic he can return for the final stretch of the regular season.

Still, Fox’s injury will severely impact New York’s playoff chances for the foreseeable future. Only one year removed from earning the ’Regular Season Champions’ banner at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers have posted a 29-25-4 record through 58 games this season. At the time of writing, that record is good for two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite their proximity to the last playoff spot in the standings, MoneyPuck gives New York a 43.4% chance of reaching the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs — lower than their odds for the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. Fox is one of the handful of players on the Rangers who hasn’t disappointed this season scoring five goals and 48 points in 58 games averaging 23:14 of ice time per night with a +5 rating.

Meanwhile, Robertson is positioned to debut in the NHL, albeit under unfortunate circumstances. The former 49th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft has been impressive for the Wolf Pack this year scoring one goal and 18 points in 47 contests with a +2 rating. The Rangers still carry six healthy defensemen on the roster outside of Fox but Robertson should likely debut given the length of Fox’s recovery timeline.

If general manager Chris Drury is hell-bent on getting New York to the playoffs for a fourth straight season the injury to Fox should affect their trade deadline strategy. The Rangers may ultimately hang on to oft-mentioned trade candidates such as Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller. Additionally, Drury could begin putting feelers out in the rental market for right-handed defensemen.

Injury Notes: Josi, Tanev, Milano

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It doesn’t appear the Nashville Predators will have their captain tomorrow night against the Winnipeg Jets. Beat reporter Brooks Bratten reported earlier that defenseman Roman Josi is still being evaluated for an upper-body injury suffered in Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

Approximately halfway through the second period of the game, Josi was checked from behind by Panther Sam Bennett causing his head to hit the plexiglass. The Norris Trophy-winning defenseman played through the injury for the remaining minutes of the second period but was ruled out for the third. Bennett was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for boarding on the play.

When asked about Josi’s ongoing injury evaluation, head coach Andrew Brunette said (as reported by Predators’ reporter Nick Kieser), “Yeah, I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. I don’t really know. With those things it’s day-to-day, could be week-to-week, could be season-ending, we don’t really know yet.” Although speaking vaguely, Brunette mentioning a longer-term injury when speaking to reporters should raise concerns regarding Josi’s availability for the foreseeable future.

Other injury notes:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly avoided a worst-case scenario with their top shutdown defenseman. The Hockey News’ David Alter shared that Chris Tanev’s recovery timeline is only considered day-to-day although he’s been ruled out for Friday’s contest against the New York Rangers. Tanev was seen wearing a sling after missing the final two periods of Toronto’s game yesterday evening against the Boston Bruins.
  • After missing the last four months of action due to an upper-body injury, a return to game action is on the horizon for Washington Capitals’ forward Sonny Milano. According to Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post, Milano was upgraded to a full-contact jersey for today’s practice. Unfortunately for Milano, given the likelihood of the league-leading Capitals’ adding one or two forwards before next Friday’s trade deadline, Milano is a strong candidate for waivers upon his activation from the long-term injured reserve.

Florida Panthers Reassign Justin Sourdif

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Feb. 26: It’ll only be a one-and-done for Sourdif. The Panthers announced they’ve reassigned Sourdif to AHL Charlotte meaning Luostarinen should be expected back in the lineup tomorrow evening. Still, it was a productive stay for Sourdif at the NHL level, scoring his first NHL goal last night against the Nashville Predators.

Feb. 24: The Florida Panthers have added some bottom-six forward depth before their game tomorrow night against the Nashville Predators. Florida announced they’ve recalled Justin Sourdif from their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, who last played in the NHL on October 21, 2023.

Although forward Matthew Tkachuk is dealing with a longer-term injury from the 4 Nations Face-Off, Sourdif won’t replace him on the active roster. He’ll be replacing center Eetu Luostarinen, who’s eagerly awaiting the birth of a new child.

There’s no typical or agreed-upon timeline for a player on paternity leave, so the length of the recall is entirely up for question. At the very least, Sourdif will feature in one game for the absent Luostarinen and could reasonably play in one or two more.

Still, given the Panthers’ depth up front, and the team’s remarkable ability to stay healthy this season (outside of the recent injury to Tkachuk), Sourdif shouldn’t expect a stay on the roster longer than a week. He’s become increasingly valuable to the Checkers’ offensive schematics and they’ll want that to continue.

Since officially joining the Panthers organization for the 2022-23 season, Sourdif spent the year in AHL Charlotte scoring seven goals and 24 points in 48 games. It wasn’t impressive production by any stretch of the imagination but Sourdif still finished 10th on the team in scoring and first amongst rookie skaters.

He improved last season scoring 12 goals and 38 points in 58 games. Sourdif also skated in the first three NHL contests of his career although failing to find the scoresheet. The Richmond, British Columbia hasn’t matched his point totals from years past but his point-per-game average has increased scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 29 games this season.

Oilers Claim Travis Dermott Off Waivers, Assign To AHL

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Feb. 27: Dermott is heading to a familiar location. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Oilers have re-claimed off waivers after losing him to Minnesota in December. He’s already suited up in 10 games for Edmonton this season. Indirectly confirming they were the only team to place a claim on his services, the Oilers announced they’ve reassigned Dermott to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

Feb. 26: The Wild announced that defenseman Travis Dermott has been placed on waivers. The move will open up a roster spot for an additional AHL recall tomorrow after swapping out Jakub Lauko for Joel Eriksson Ek on injured reserve this morning.

Dermott has only been waived once during his pro career, which is how the Wild acquired him from the Oilers in December. Minnesota needed an experienced presence on the blue line then, with Jonas Brodin and Jacob Middleton on the shelf. However, Dermott’s role has evaporated since the Wild have gotten healthier on the blue line. He’s made nine appearances since the claim over two months ago, going without a point or hit while averaging a paltry 11:23 per game.

Minnesota has carried eight defensemen for much of the last few months. However, with the suspended Ryan Hartman taking up the usual roster spot they devote for an extra forward, they need another body on offense for their two-game road trip that starts Thursday in Utah. It’s unclear who exactly the corresponding recall from AHL Iowa will be, but a forward will be Dermott’s replacement on the active roster tomorrow.

If Edmonton submits a claim for Dermott before tomorrow’s deadline and is the only team to do so, they could send him directly to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield without having to expose him to the wire again. However, if he clears, it will mark Dermott’s first non-conditioning AHL assignment in seven years.

Appearing in each of the last eight NHL seasons, Dermott has a career 16-46–62 scoring line in 348 games with the Oilers, Wild, Coyotes, Canucks, and Maple Leafs. Injuries have limited Dermott’s playing time over the last few years, but the 28-year-old lefty can also play his off-side comfortably, making him a valuable depth asset. Selected 34th overall by Toronto in the 2015 draft, he has decent career possession numbers with a 50.9 CF% and cumulative +23.4 expected rating at even strength, so he remains a decent replacement-level player in bottom-pairing usage despite his lack of offense.

Predators Acquire Jesse Ylönen From Lightning

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The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are making an AHL swap shortly before the trade deadline. The Predators announced they’ve acquired forward Jesse Ylönen from the Lightning for forward Anthony Angello.

Sticking to the deadline approach he shared yesterday, general manager Barry Trotz has acquired a forward with NHL experience who can fill in should the Predators move out multiple forward pieces. There are non-subtle expectations Nashville will be one of the aggressive sellers during this year’s deadline season, and Ylönen provides a quality depth option for that approach.

Despite playing the entire year with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, Ylönen is a veteran of 111 games at the NHL level — all with the Montreal Canadiens. After debuting with the Canadiens on May 12, 2021, Ylönen scored 11 goals and 29 points in Montreal before signing on with the Lightning this past summer as an unrestricted free agent. He was recalled on February 22nd by the Lightning but only served as a practice player for Tampa Bay’s returning members of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The lack of NHL minutes hasn’t hindered his production this season as Ylönen’s recorded eight goals and 25 points in 47 games for the Crunch. That production puts the Scottsdale, AZ native third on the team in scoring and would make him tied for seventh on the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

Meanwhile, Angello heads east to join the fourth organization of his professional career. The former fifth-round pick of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins is a veteran of 320 games at the AHL level split between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Springfield Thunders, and Admirals. He’s managed 68 goals and 133 points over that stretch and 307 PIMs. Angello isn’t a stranger to the NHL either, scoring three goals and five points in 31 games for Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2022.

Avalanche Activate Valeri Nichushkin From Injured Reserve

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Feb. 26: Colorado has confirmed yesterday’s news, announcing they’ve activated Nichushkin from the injured reserve. Bednar confirmed after today’s morning skate that Nichushkin would be in the lineup tonight.

Feb. 25: The Avalanche are tracking to activate Valeri Nichushkin from injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Devils. Head coach Jared Bednar told Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports that the winger will be an “option” for the contest after missing nearly two months with a lower-body injury. They have an open roster spot and won’t need to make a corresponding transaction.

Nichushkin is coming off his second lengthy absence of the season, although only this one was injury-related. He missed the first 17 games of the campaign while serving the tail end of his automatic six-month suspension for entering Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program during the 2024 postseason.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old Russian remained a top-line threat in his short stint in the lineup between suspension and injury. He made 21 appearances, lighting the lamp 11 times while adding six assists for 17 points while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. He wasn’t as physically involved as usual, averaging under a hit per game, but that’s to be expected for a player getting off to a late start.

An injury against the Jets on New Year’s Eve sidelined that momentum. He was initially ruled day-to-day but sustained multiple setbacks in his recovery, delaying his return to the lineup until after the 4 Nations break. His return couldn’t come at a better time for the Avs, who are now trapped in a wild-card spot after a 9-9-2 run in their last 20. They still have an 87.9% of making the postseason but have just a 27.5% chance of claiming a divisional berth in the Central, per MoneyPuck. They have a 44.8% chance of remaining in their current standing as the first wild card at season’s end.

Nichushkin adds another dynamic offensive weapon for Nathan MacKinnon’s wing. Martin Nečas has been good since being acquired from the Hurricanes in the Mikko Rantanen blockbuster, but with nine points in 10 games, he hasn’t been as explosive as the latter was for the Avs. They’ve gotten admirable performances from depth pieces like Jonathan Drouin (23 points in 26 games), but injuries have been a major concern for him too. In fact, save for captain Gabriel Landeskog, tomorrow’s contest will be Colorado’s first with a fully healthy forward group this season.

Nichushkin has scored at a 36-goal, 75-point pace per 82 games since signing his eight-year, $49MM extension in Colorado following their Stanley Cup win in 2022. He’s only played in 128 of 223 possible regular-season games during that time, though – just 57.4% of the Avs’ schedule. Ankle surgery was the culprit in 2022-23, while multiple stints in the PAP were to blame for his lack of availability last season.

Seattle Kraken Reassign Mitchell Stephens

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Due to a three-day break until their next regular season contest the Seattle Kraken have made a cap-related roster move. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forward Mitchell Stephens to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

This transaction would only be counted as a non-paper move if Seattle expected Yanni Gourde back by the weekend which isn’t the case. Despite AHL Coachella Valley having two games between now and the Kraken’s next game, there’s no expectation Stephens will suit up for them.

Since Stephens cleared waivers earlier this month, Seattle won’t have to send him through the wire for the modest cap-savings. The move was made during the 4 Nations Face-Off break so the Kraken still have a seven-game window with Stephens before he needs to clear waivers again for reassignment.

He’s been a fine if unimpressive bottom-six center for Seattle this year. Stephen is only 10 contests away from reaching his career-high of 38 games played which came in the 2019-20 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s scored one goal, and two assists, and has managed a 53.6% faceoff percentage averaging 9:14 of ice time this season, albeit with a -8 rating.

Those numbers don’t jump off the page as a legitimate bottom-six option for most teams in the NHL but the cap-strapped Kraken are positioned to rely on cheaper insurance options this season. Stephens could finish the final stretch of the regular season with Seattle should the team sell off multiple forward assets leading up to the trade deadline.

Winnipeg Jets Recall Jaret Anderson-Dolan

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The red-hot Winnipeg Jets have recalled some forward insurance for their back-to-back road trip beginning tonight. The Jets announced they’ve recalled Jaret Anderson-Dolan from their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

Morgan Barron’s stay on Winnipeg’s injured reserve negated the need for a corresponding roster move. Although Barron is expected to return soon from the upper-body injury that’s sidelined him for a month, the Jets have indirectly confirmed he won’t play during the road trip.

Anderson-Dolan isn’t expected to participate in either game over the next two days although it would mark his first time playing for Winnipeg. The six-year NHL veteran is in his first year with the Jets organization since signing a two-year, $1.55MM contract with the team last offseason.

It unfortunately took Anderson-Dolan over a month to play in his first game of the 2024-25 campaign. After breaking his foot in one of the last few preseason games in September, Winnipeg wouldn’t activate and reassign Anderson-Dolan to the AHL until November 8th.

Since then, he’s posted poor results with AHL Manitoba. The Calgary, Alberta native has scored five goals and 13 points in 38 games for the Moose this season with a ghastly -26 rating. That +/- is the worst of his playing career at any professional level and is tied for the third-worst in the AHL this season.

Lightning Reassign Matt Tomkins

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The Lightning announced today they’ve reassigned goaltender Matt Tomkins to AHL Syracuse. They’re back to having two open spots on the active roster.

Tomkins’ demotion is a positive sign for the availability of their usual No. 2 option, Jonas Johansson. The 29-year-old remains on the roster but hasn’t played since Jan. 28, missing eight games with a lower-body injury. Tomkins and Brandon Halverson have rotated in as Andrei Vasilevskiy’s backup in his absence, although neither has seen game action since Johansson got hurt.

The 30-year-old Tomkins is in his second season in the Tampa organization after inking a two-year, two-way deal early in the 2023 offseason. He’s served as their third-stringer throughout. He hasn’t seen any NHL action this year and only made six appearances in 2023-24 – the first of his NHL career. He posted a 3-2-1 record with a below-average .892 SV% and 3.33 GAA but stopped 0.4 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.

Things have mainly gone well for Tomkins in Syracuse this season, fueled by a recent hot streak. He’s not played quite as much as Halverson but has nearly matched him in SV% (.911) with a 2.54 GAA and a 9-9-4 record in 22 appearances with three shutouts. It’s an overall improvement on last season’s numbers on the farm when he logged a .904 SV% and 2.53 GAA in 29 games for Syracuse with a 15-12-2 record.

While he’ll make way for Johansson’s return, the latter hasn’t outplayed Tomkins significantly. Since arriving in Tampa for the 2023-24 campaign, Johansson has managed just a .890 SV% and 3.33 GAA in 36 starts and three relief appearances, combining for 12.2 goals allowed above expected across a year and a half. Before his injury this year, he’d logged a .892 SV% and 3.24 GAA in 13 showings behind Vasilevskiy.

The backup netminder position hasn’t been a concern in Tampa for nearly a decade, given Vasilevskiy’s increasingly rare ability to remain a top-tier netminder while making 60-plus starts. Johansson’s underwhelming play likely isn’t a massive influence on the Bolts’ deadline plans. However, it’s reasonable to assume they could look to at least add another depth option to complement him, Halverson, and Tomkins heading into the postseason should Vasilevskiy sustain an injury.

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