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Blackhawks Recall Colton Dach

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The Blackhawks announced Monday morning that they’ve recalled forward Colton Dach from AHL Rockford. He was previously up with Chicago for nearly all of January but was returned to the minors early this month. Dach fills one of two open roster spots for the Hawks, who are now carrying an extra forward for their upcoming three-game road swing.

The 22-year-old Dach played 13 games with Chicago during his previous recall, his first in the NHL. He’s in his second professional season after being drafted in the second round in 2021 out of the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. Things are boding well for the younger brother of Canadiens forward and ex-Blackhawk Kirby Dach, who’s broken out for 12-14–26 in 33 AHL games to rank third on Rockford in scoring.

Dach hasn’t looked out of place when given NHL reps, either. He scored a goal and added three assists over last month’s recall, recording 19 shots on goal while averaging 11:35 per game. He likely could have had another couple of points – his shooting percentage of 5.3% was quite low. The 6’4″ pivot got involved physically, leading Chicago this season with 16.32 hits per 60 minutes. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen tossed him into the deep end, starting nearly 60% of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone. That led to understandably poor possession numbers, controlling only 34.7% of shot attempts and 29.6% of expected goals while he was on the ice.

Nonetheless, there were reasons for optimism in Dach’s game. He’ll now get another chance on the roster, although whether he plays Tuesday against Utah is a different question. The Blackhawks are carrying a fully healthy forward group outside of IR-bound Jason Dickinson. While Philipp Kurashev has been a frequent healthy scratch this season and could come out for Dach, he’s played in four straight dating back to before the 4 Nations break and scored in last night’s loss to the Maple Leafs.

Even if he’s sent back to the minors again following Chicago’s road trip, Dach should get an extended look in the NHL following the trade deadline. The Blackhawks are expected to open a roster spot by shipping out recent first-line fixture Ryan Donato and could also ship out pending UFAs Pat Maroon and Craig Smith. Doing so will give the lanky speedster a chance to make Chicago’s opening night roster in 2025-26.

Canadiens Recall Owen Beck

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The Canadiens have recalled center prospect Owen Beck from AHL Laval, per a team announcement. They have an open roster spot and don’t need to make a corresponding transaction. The team said there is an injury-related motivation for his recall, though – Kirby Dach is being evaluated for a lower-body injury and won’t participate in today’s practice.

Montreal selected Beck from the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga Steelheads with the first pick of the second round in the 2022 draft. While he signed his entry-level contract in October of that year, it just came into effect for 2024-25 after he spent two post-draft campaigns on loan back to the OHL.

That means the 21-year-old Beck is in his first professional season, which has already included six NHL appearances with the Habs over the past two months. While he made his NHL debut in January 2023 amid a championship-winning campaign in juniors, this year marks his first multi-game run in the pros.

His adjustment to the next level has been smooth. After a pair of seasons above a point per game to close the book on his major junior career, the two-way pivot ranks second on Laval in scoring with 13-19–32 in 47 appearances. His +11 rating ranks third, helping fuel the success of a Laval club projected to finish second in the North Division behind the Sabres’ farm club in Rochester. Beck has yet to record his first NHL point and averaged just 9:45 per game across his sextet of appearances over the past few weeks. He went 11-for-21 on draws and averaged one shot on goal per game with 13 hits and positive possession impacts, so he’s making his presence known outside of the box score as most expected, given his intelligent play style.

If Dach can’t play tomorrow against the Hurricanes, Beck will likely enter the lineup in a fourth-line role while rumored trade chip Jake Evans sees his minutes elevated. The oft-injured Dach has managed to appear in all 57 games for the Habs this year. He’s struggled in extended top-six deployment, though, posting just 10-12–22 with a team-worst -29 rating. His possession numbers back up the allegations of poor defensive play – his 44.8 CF% at even strength is higher than only Patrik Laine and David Savard among active Montreal skaters this season.

Matthew Tkachuk Expected To Play Again This Season

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The Panthers may have star winger Matthew Tkachuk out for more than the next few games, but his absence won’t persist for the rest of the season. Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed as such on the Joe Rose Show on Monday, saying “he’s playing for us this year” even with the “possibility [his recovery] a bit longer term” (via George Richards of Florida Hockey Now).

Tkachuk missed the Panthers’ 2-1 loss to the Kraken on Saturday with the lower-body injury, which multiple reports indicate is a groin issue, he sustained while playing for the Americans at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Maurice said he’s undergoing final evaluations to determine a recovery timeline today.

Florida is comfortably in a playoff spot, but their final standing in the Atlantic Division remains to be seen and could be significantly impacted by Tkachuk’s absence. They’ve been passed by the Maple Leafs once again for the top spot, now one point back with one more game played, and they’re facing pressure from the surging Lightning in third place. There’s now a 20% chance of the Cats slipping to third and another 6.1% of them falling to a wild-card spot, per MoneyPuck. The Panthers have gone 6-4-1 in 11 games without Tkachuk since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Flames in 2022.

Tkachuk isn’t on pace to reach the 40-goal, 109-point heights of his first season in Florida, but he remains at a 1.10 points-per-game pace and ranks second on the team with a 22-35–57 scoring line. He’s been limited to 52 of 58 games, missing five contests back in October with an illness, but remains the team’s leader in power-play goals with 11 and even-strength assists with 23.

In the meantime, rookie Mackie Samoskevich will be the biggest benefactor of Tkachuk’s minutes. He stepped into the latter’s usual second-line role alongside Sam Bennett in the Seattle game. While he didn’t record a point, he logged a season-high 17:23 of ice time and recorded two shots on goal and three hits. The 2021 first-round pick hasn’t played much over the past month due to injury and illness, but he’s been a solid depth piece in his first entire NHL campaign with 8-9–17 through 49 appearances.

An anticipated return before the postseason or early into the first round likely won’t impact the Panthers’ trade deadline strategy too much. Their top priority will continue to be adding a name to a blue line that’s punched above its weight this year after losing key names on last summer’s free-agent market, contributing to an increase of 0.47 goals against per game compared to 2023-24’s league-best defensive effort.

Red Wings Place Andrew Copp On IR, Sheldon Dries Recalled

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The Detroit Red Wings have placed center Andrew Copp on Injured Reserve and recalled center Sheldon Dries from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The moves come as Detroit tries to deal with multiple injuries that have surfaced throughout the weekend.

Copp suffered an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Wild and will have to miss at least the next seven days. He will not dress for three games, including the Stadium Series game slated for this Saturday. Copp missed yesterday’s overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks and will be eligible to return to the lineup on March 4th against the Carolina Hurricanes. The injury may be shoulder-related as he skated away from a scrum in the Wild game favoring it, however, there is no official confirmation on this.

Copp has dressed in 56 games this season, registering 10 goals and 13 assists while averaging 14:42 of ice time per game, his offensive production is nowhere near in line with his $5.625MM cap hit, however, he does bring a defensive presence to the Red Wings forward group that they missed against the Wild, blowing a lead in that game after Copp’s exit before eventually losing in overtime.

Dries has been a decent offensive depth option in the AHL this season, posting 19 goals and eight assists in 48 games. The 30-year-old hasn’t seen NHL action since April 2023 with the Vancouver Canucks but does have 122 NHL career games on his resume. Dries is having a down year offensively with Grand Rapids after tallying 114 points in 109 games over the past two seasons with the Abbotsford Canucks but hasn’t been able to gain as much traction this year in a new organization.

The Macomb, Michigan native will likely serve as insurance at this point given that Detroit just reinserted Tyler Motte into the lineup and still has Christian Fischer as an option.

Trade Deadline Primer: Vancouver Canucks

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks have had a tumultuous season, to say the least, as the J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson issue derailed a team that had Stanley Cup aspirations coming into the season. Despite everything that has gone on, the Canucks still find themselves in a playoff spot at the moment and appear likely to do everything they can to get into the postseason. The Canucks have re-signed several pending unrestricted free agents in recent weeks, which signals that they do intend to make a go of it and are likely to be buying as they approach the deadline. The team has played better as of late (6-3-1 in their last ten), and if their new additions can settle in, they should be able to perform better than they have to this point in the season.

Record

26-20-11, 4th in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Cautious Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10.41MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention spots used, 46/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, OTT 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th, VAN 7th,
2026: VAN 1st, VAN 2nd, VAN 4th, VAN 5th, VAN 6th

Trade Chips

Whether Canucks fans like it or not, the talk on an Elias Pettersson trade is probably not going away anytime soon. Vancouver would be hard-pressed to move their star forward at this time, given his poor play this season and the remaining seven years on his contract at $11.6MM per. Pettersson’s play has fallen off a cliff this season with just 11 goals and 24 assists in 51 games. Some folks believed that Pettersson’s play might pick up when he escaped the Vancouver bubble and played for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but the 26-year-old was largely unimpressive tallying no points in three games. Now, it does appear he was dealing with an injury during the tournament, but his play did not help his trade value. TSN Hockey removed Pettersson from their trade bait board, but they did leave the door open to him being traded in the summer.

The Canucks have already moved on from their biggest trade chip in Miller but could have another big name to move out if they elect to trade forward Brock Boeser. Now, it’s not commonplace for teams to move on from top players when they are in the thick of the playoff race, but nothing about Vancouver has been common this season. It’s also worth noting that the Canucks can’t score (25th in the NHL) with Boeser in the lineup, and they would be unlikely to replace his offense in a 1 for 1 trade. The one move that Vancouver could make is not unlike what they did with Miller and flip Boeser to one team, then use those assets in another deal for an impact player with term remaining on their contract. Boeser’s time in Vancouver has been a rollercoaster, and with him being just four months away from free agency, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him moved. Another note on Boeser is that he has a ten-team modified no-trade clause, but there will be interest from other teams not on his list.

If Vancouver wanted to push into the trade market, they do have some future assets to move despite having a below-average prospects pool (21st in the NHL, as per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic). Vancouver has their first two picks in each of the next two NHL Entry Drafts, which could always be made available, or if they wanted to move out prospects, Jonathan Lekkerimäki would be an intriguing player for most teams who are looking towards the future. The 15th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft hasn’t found NHL success yet but is nearly a point-a-game player in the AHL (26 points in 30 games) this season and is just 20 years old. His skill level is extremely high and could be of interest to a team that is looking for prospects who are close to NHL-ready.

Team Needs

1) Top Six Center – The Canucks were a win away from the Western Conference Finals last year and their top two centers from that club are no longer in Vancouver (Elias Lindholm and Miller). Now, Vancouver is rolling out Filip Chytil and Pettersson as their top two centers, and no disrespect to either player but that isn’t good enough to compete with the likes of Edmonton or Vegas in the Western Conference. Vancouver needs a top-six center who can push everyone down the depth chart, including Pius Suter who is pivoting the third line at the moment and is better suited for fourth-line duties. The idea of a center is easier said than done as there aren’t many names available who would be capable of taking on top six minutes. Brock Nelson of the Islanders is an option, but he would be expensive and a rental at this point. Brayden Schenn is another option, but with three years left at $6.5MM and declining production, he probably isn’t the best candidate either. If the Canucks wanted to gamble, Dylan Cozens out of Buffalo is a name that would be of interest, Cozens has struggled this season with just 11 goals and 16 assists in 55 games, but he is just two years removed from a 68-point season and at 24 years of age, could be a bounce back candidate that the Canucks buy low on.

2) Scoring – Vancouver can’t score and desperately need help on the wings and down the middle. The Canucks have been trying out recently acquired Drew O’Connor on the top line, but with two goals in six games, he isn’t a long-term fit and is better suited for a third-line role. If Vancouver wanted to make a bigger splash, they could take a run at Rickard Rakell out of Pittsburgh, who is having a terrific season with 25 goals and 24 assists in 58 games. Rakell can play on both wings and even center in a pinch, but it would be costly as he does have term left on his deal (three years at $5MM per season), and the Penguins are in no rush to move him. If Vancouver wanted to jump into the rental market, Kyle Palmieri of the Islanders or Montreal’s Joel Armia might be cheaper options who can provide depth offense. None of the available options are particularly great for Vancouver, who are tasked with looking for scoring in a seller’s market. The Canucks do have significant cap space available to them and might be able to land a higher-priced pending unrestricted free agent (like Palmieri) who isn’t performing up to their cap hit. This happened last season with Jason Zucker, who was dealt from Arizona to Nashville for a sixth-round pick last deadline because Arizona couldn’t retain his $5.3MM cap hit, which drove down the price as Nashville was willing to take on the entire cap hit.

Five Key Stories: 2/17/25 – 2/23/25

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The 4 Nations Face-Off is in the books with Canada defeating the United States in a 3-2 overtime thriller and the stretch run is underway.  We didn’t see any activity on the trade front but there was still plenty of notable news across the league which is highlighted in our key stories.

Battered Boston Blueline: This was not a good week on the injury front for Boston’s back end.  Top defenseman Charlie McAvoy sustained an upper-body injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off, one that was revealed when he was examined by Bruins team doctors.  He sustained an infection and ultimately underwent surgery to remove it and is now listed as out week-to-week.  Meanwhile, rearguard Hampus Lindholm (who is second on the team in ATOI behind McAvoy) likely will not return this season.  He has undergone surgery to repair a fractured patella tendon and hasn’t played since mid-November.  Boston is already on the outside looking in at a playoff spot and they’ll be hard-pressed to stay in the mix while missing their top two blueliners.

More Expansion Options: It feels like only a matter of time before the NHL expands past its current 32 teams.  Over the years, we generally see the same speculated cities in the mix, Kansas City, Houston, or returns to Atlanta and now Phoenix.  But another city has emerged as representatives from a prospective ownership group in New Orleans met with the league.  At this point, discussions were almost certainly on the preliminary side as at this point, a formal expansion process hasn’t been started yet.  New Orleans doesn’t have a long history with hockey with the only team in the city being the ECHL’s Brass from 1997-98 to 2001-02.

Five For Lankinen: Kevin Lankinen was a late signee this offseason, inking a one-year, $875K contract to serve as injury insurance for Thatcher Demko.  Instead, the 29-year-old has taken over the number one job and even became the starter for Finland at the 4 Nations.  He was rewarded for his efforts with a five-year, $22.5MM extension, one that increases his current cap charge by more than 500% while also securing him more trade protection.  With Demko back on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, Lankinen will be counted on to help keep them in the playoff picture and with there being some concerns about Demko’s long-term health given the knee issue he dealt with earlier in the season, Lankinen at a minimum will continue to serve as injury insurance for 2025-26, just as a much more expensive option.

Jones Open To A Trade: Seth Jones initially joined a Chicago team that was hoping to be a playoff contender.  Instead, the team quickly pivoted and is now in the midst of a full-scale rebuild.  After a few years of that, the defenseman indicated that he’d welcome a move if the team can find one although he has not formally requested a trade.  Of course, it’s not quite that simple.  While Jones remains a legitimate top-pairing defender, he also carries a $9.5MM AAV through the 2029-30 season and has a full no-move clause.  For the Blackhawks to find a suitable swap, they would probably need to retain a fair-sized chunk of that contract which will only increase the asking price from the acquiring team.  At first glance, this feels like something that’s more likely to be resolved in the offseason when more teams have cap flexibility but his name will undoubtedly come up in trade speculation before March 7th.

Rantanen On The Move Again? When the Hurricanes picked up Mikko Rantanen, it sent a message that they were going for it and felt they could sign the pending UFA winger to a long-term contract extension.  It appears an offer has been made that would give him the highest AAV for a winger in NHL history but Rantanen hasn’t given the club an answer just yet.  Meanwhile, he’s off to a quiet start offensively with his new team with just three points in seven games.  That has led to some speculation that Carolina could look to flip Rantanen if an agreement on a new deal can’t be reached by the trade deadline.  In theory, that would allow them to at least recoup some of the assets they gave up to get him but before it gets to that point, expect them to take another run at trying to get him to put pen to paper on an extension that will surpass the $100MM threshold.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up is the Senators.

Ottawa Senators

Current Cap Hit: $88,257,127 (over the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Ridly Greig (one year, $863K)
D Tyler Kleven (one year, $917K)
F Zack Ostapchuk (two years, $825K)

Potential Bonuses
Kleven: $600K
Ostapchuk: $82.5K
Total: $682.5K

Greig has already signed an extension so we’ll cover him later on.  Ostapchuk has had his first extended NHL look this season but has primarily been limited to duty on the fourth line with very limited output.  He should be able to reach some of his games played bonuses but he’s likely heading toward a low-cost second contract barring a big uptick in his output and role next season.

Kleven is holding down a regular spot on Ottawa’s third pairing but his deployment has been limited thus far.  As a result, he’s not on track to reach his ‘A’ bonuses while his next contract should be a low-cost bridge deal although passing the $1MM mark isn’t out of the question.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

D Jacob Bernard-Docker ($805K, RFA)
F Nick Cousins ($800K, UFA)
G Anton Forsberg ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Adam Gaudette ($775K, UFA)
F Claude Giroux ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Noah Gregor ($850K, RFA)
D Travis Hamonic ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Matthew Highmore ($775K, UFA)
D Nikolas Matinpalo ($775K, RFA)
F Cole Reinhardt ($775K, UFA)

Giroux was brought in to be not only a veteran mentor to what was (and still is) a relatively young core group but also to be a key contributor in their top six.  Mission accomplished on both fronts.  He was third in team scoring in his first season and fourth in scoring last year.  At 37, he’s starting to slow down offensively but he’s still a top-six player, at least for now.  One of the big questions for next season as he heads into his next contract is how much longer he can play at that level.  A two-year offer probably isn’t off the table but it’d likely reflect the expectation of a diminished role in the second year which could result in a small dip in pay.  But if Giroux is open to a one-year deal, something around this price point is doable while he’d also be eligible for performance incentives.

Gregor has been non-tendered for two straight years with his former teams wanting to avoid giving him salary arbitration eligibility where his more productive years (23 points in 2021-22, 10 goals the following year) will come into play.  That seems like the probable outcome here as well but without those rights, he could still check in a bit closer to $1MM.  Cousins had to wait until late August to get this contract and not much has changed in terms of his role and production.  He’s effective enough to stay above the minimum salary but he’s probably only a tier above PTO territory so another low-cost one-year deal is likely.

Gaudette only got into two NHL games last season but he has been one of Ottawa’s better success stories this year, sitting inside the top five on the team in goals.  Nonetheless, he historically has had a hard time hanging onto a full-time spot which should keep his cost lower than someone with a shot at 20 goals.  A one-year deal in the $1.25MM range, one that can largely be buried in the minors if things don’t go well, would represent a nice raise for him while lessening the risk on the signing team.  Highmore and Reinhardt have been back and forth to and from the minors this season and are likely to remain at the minimum salary moving forward.

Hamonic has had a bigger role this year but his playing time is still rather limited compared to even just a few years ago.  He’s struggling to keep up and will be entering his age-35-year next season.  A one-year, minimum-salary deal with some low-cost performance incentives could still be doable but he could also be a PTO candidate.

Bernard-Docker became a full-timer last season but has been scratched a bit more often this year while injuries haven’t helped either.  He’s also arbitration-eligible which could work against him if Ottawa needs to keep this salary slot a little lower.  With a hearing, he could plausibly double this price tag but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him non-tendered if they can’t agree on a lower number before then.  Matinpalo is also arbitration-eligible but doesn’t have enough NHL experience to really command any sort of big raise.  A jump closer to $1MM is doable but probably not much more than that.

Forsberg hasn’t been able to come close to the level of performance from 2021-22, the one that earned him this contract.  He has been a bit better this year but his save percentage is still below the league average.  He might not get back to the level of third-string money but it’s quite possible his next AAV is half of this or less barring a big turnaround down the stretch.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Nick Jensen ($4.05MM, UFA)
F David Perron ($4MM, UFA)
F Shane Pinto ($3.75MM, RFA)

Perron was brought in over the summer with the hope he could be a reliable veteran secondary scorer.  That hasn’t really happened as when he has been in the lineup (which hasn’t been often between an injury and a family-related absence), his production has been quite limited thus far.  He’ll be 38 when this contract ends so he’ll need to rebound considerably to have a shot at matching this price tag a year and a half from now.  Pinto was at one point believed to be hoping for an offer sheet as early contract talks didn’t go well.  But, instead, they settled on a second bridge contract on a back-loaded deal that cranks the qualifying offer up to $4.5MM with arbitration rights.  If he can establish himself as a legitimate top-six forward by then, he’ll be able to get a fair-sized raise on that and the long-term deal he’s been seeking.

Jensen has been a nice fit in Ottawa after being acquired from Washington back in July.  He has settled in nicely as a second-pairing blueliner in recent years although he doesn’t produce a lot which will keep the price tag down.  A jump into the $5MM range on a long-term deal should be achievable if he plays like this over the rest of this season and next.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Michael Amadio ($2.6MM, UFA)
F Drake Batherson ($4.875MM, UFA)
D Artem Zub ($4.6MM, UFA)

Batherson has produced at or close to a top-line rate in the past three seasons heading into this one and is putting up points at a similar clip this year.  That makes him a nice bargain and if this keeps up, he could find himself closer to the $8MM range in 2027.  Amadio came over from Vegas after putting up back-to-back 27-point seasons.  He hasn’t fit in quite as well despite an uptick in playing time but as a bottom-six forward, it’s not a steep overpayment.

Zub has had some challenges staying healthy but when he is in the lineup, he’s a legitimate top-four blueliner, one that flies under the radar a little bit.  With his limited production, he’s not on a bargain contract but it’s not a bad one by any stretch.  Like Jensen, his next deal likely starts with a five.

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PHR Mailbag: Devils, Restricted Free Agency, Jones, Tuch, Young Defensemen, Canadiens

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include some thoughts on how an increased salary cap could affect restricted free agency, Seth Jones’ situation in Chicago, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag while we still have one more to come.

JF Devs Fan: Would Anaheim accept Kovacevic for Zegras and let Z be the 3C for the Devils? Who else is a 3C the Devils can target at the trade deadline? Hopefully someone with speed, some defensive acumen, and enough offense.

Unless the Ducks just want to open up cap space and get out of Trevor Zegras’ contract, there’s no reason for them to accept the trade.  Johnathan Kovacevic is a pending unrestricted free agent and would be far from a guarantee to re-sign so that would be a pretty low return for a player who they’ve had a high asking price on in the past.  New Jersey, meanwhile, can’t afford to take on the $5.75MM price tag on their books for this season and Anaheim would have no interest in paying down the money.  If the Ducks were to move Zegras, I suspect they’d want a similarly-established top-six piece.

New Jersey has been linked to Montreal’s Jake Evans for a while and the fit is logical.  He is the league leader in playing time shorthanded among forwards so the defensive acumen is there.  He’s not the fastest but he’s not a bad skater.  And offensively, he’s on pace for around 35 points which is reasonable for a third liner.  He also has a $1.7MM price tag this season which is something they should be able to fit in without too much issue.  If Boston sells, Trent Frederic could be of some interest.  He’s only a year removed from an 18-goal season and third-line minutes and would add some sandpaper.

It wouldn’t shock me if they were among the teams interested in Seattle’s Yanni Gourde.  A lower-body injury will probably keep him out until the deadline but he’s due back soon after and he would certainly give the third line a boost.  The Kraken would need to retain half of his $5.167MM to make a deal palatable, however.  I’m sure they’d kick the tires on Brock Nelson but it’d surprise me if he was moved inside the division.  Another cheaper option would be Chicago’s Ryan Donato who is having a career year offensively and has spent some time at center.  The defensive acumen isn’t necessarily there but he’d be an intriguing pickup as well.  GM Tom Fitzgerald should have some options if they try to make a move down the middle.

Emoney123: Is restricted free agency going to be more active/change since the cap is increasing and should Briere consider offer-sheeting someone like Wyatt Johnston?

I should start this by saying I think restricted free agency is already more active than we realize.  We only find out if a player signs an offer sheet but I think there are some that are discussed every year that just don’t put pen to paper.  In that sense, I don’t think it will be necessarily much more active although the success St. Louis had with their additions of Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway might make players in that price range more palatable.  The Blues didn’t have to part with a first-round pick for either player which is notable.  I doubt we’ll see much more activity, however, or least activity that gets made public because of a signed offer sheet.

In theory, Philadelphia targeting a young center like Johnston makes perfect sense.  In practicality, however, it makes little sense.  In order to get him, they’d have to overpay to the point where it makes no sense for Dallas to match.  What’s that number going to be?

Let’s look at last year’s thresholds for an example.  (Keep in mind these numbers will go up this summer, too.)  Anything below $6.87MM is easily matched because they’re not going to give up Johnston without getting a first-round pick in return.  I think they match in the tier above that which caps at $9.16MM.  So now, to have a plausible shot at getting him, do the Flyers have to offer $10MM or more a season for Dallas to really have to think about it?  It’d probably have to be closer to the higher end of that tier, so now we might even be closer to $11MM.  And on top of that, the deal can’t be any longer than five years which is the maximum divisor.  They could offer seven years at that price point but with the divisor being five, the draft pick compensation would be pushed into the four first-round pick tier.  They’re not paying four first-round picks for Johnston.

So, to recap, the Flyers would have to offer a contract that would walk Johnston to UFA eligibility at 28, paying well above market value and coughing up two first-round picks, a second, and a third for the privilege to do so if Dallas didn’t match.  There’s a reason proven impactful players rarely sign offer sheets and this is it.  There just isn’t a price point that scares the receiving team away while still being affordable enough for the signing team.  I don’t know about you but a move like this doesn’t feel like a great move for a still-rebuilding team to make.

Unclemike1526: I’ve been watching the Seth Jones trade speculation with some interest. There is absolutely no doubt that Jones is overpaid. However, if the Hawks have to pay half his salary to move him that makes no sense to me either. Look he’s not horrible, a team cancer or negative value. IMO there is absolutely nothing to be gained by paying him to play somewhere else.

So, I guess my question is, what would be the minimum in your opinion that the Hawks could get away with to move him and make it worth their while? I’m thinking if they only had to pay $2 million a year to see him off and save $7 million a year would be worth it. Any more than that and with the Cap going up I’d keep him until they can get the years down enough to make that work would be the way I would go. What’s your opinion? Thanks.

You make an important point that I think sometimes gets lost in the speculation about trading Jones, especially now with the news that he is welcome to being moved (but hasn’t asked for a trade).  It is still pretty rare for teams to retain money for more than a couple of years and he has five years left after this one.  That’s a lot of money to pay a player not to play for you.  On the other hand, it’s a necessary decision to make if they’re going to move him as there isn’t going to be much of a market for him at $9.5MM, especially from the standpoint of trading him for value.

The first question I asked myself when I saw this question is what is today’s market value for Jones if he was a free agent?  With the cap set to rise (which partially offsets the age concern), he’s probably still in the $8.5MM range.  If that’s a rough estimate of what a team would sign him for, getting it down to that price tag is necessary to deal him basically for free or for a nominal return.

With that in mind, is paying the deal down to $7.5MM that much of a needle-mover?  I suppose it depends on what the end goal is here, simply clearing money or trying to get something resembling acceptable value for a pretty good player who Chicago paid a lot for not long ago.  (Or, with it being a different GM in charge and not Stan Bowman, will the sunk cost fallacy not come into play?)

If the end goal is simply clearing the contract, retaining $2MM should get it done.  But if they want to get any sort of impactful asset in return, that might have to go to $3MM per season.  That said, spending $15+ million on a player not to play for you to get a good asset in return isn’t a great idea either.  I think the better play is that they hold him for now but if it’s a case where he really wants out, then they might have to bite the bullet.

FeelTheThunder: There seems to be a lot of rumblings about Buffalo Sabres’ Alex Tuch and the Tampa Bay Lightning being linked. Granted, you always have to take things with a grain of salt per se but if there is smoke, there is fire. It’s widely reported that GM BriseBois is quite active searching for a middle six forward so the question becomes what does this potential deal look like?

Obviously, Tampa’s 2026 1st round pick would be a part of it. I assume a middle-round pick (3rd or 4th) would be added in the mix and maybe a player like Darren Raddysh as Buffalo is going to need depth on the defensive right side next season.

Now, if they ask for someone like Ethan Gauthier then we’ll be talking about a bigger trade here if Tampa is even open to moving him (I’m 50/50 on that possibility). I won’t bring up the potential Hobey Baker nominee Isaac Howard nor Conor Geekie as I feel both are off-limits. But in terms of other NHL-ready prospects Gage Goncalves could be someone to watch in the matter.

I wouldn’t necessarily say where there’s smoke, there’s fire.  There’s a lot of smoke at this time of year and most of it usually doesn’t amount to anything.  Most of the players a buying team will be connected to ultimately won’t be acquired.

If the goal is a middle-six forward (as I think it is) for Tampa Bay, that’s not Tuch.  He’s a first-liner and almost more importantly, he’s on a team-friendly contract at $4.75MM through next season.  Accordingly, there’s going to be some sticker shock on the price that’s going to be paid to get him if Buffalo actually moves him.  I agree that a first-round pick is a starting point but I don’t think the other two pieces are going to move the needle much.  I think they’d have a use for Raddysh but he’d be viewed as a secondary addition and those usually don’t go for top-liners.

You mentioned how Gauthier’s inclusion would make it a bigger deal.  I’m not so sure.  Frankly, I don’t know if the Sabres would jump at him plus the first-round pick; I think someone would beat that because if Tuch was actually made available, about half the league would make a serious offer.  Honestly, I doubt the Lightning have the trade chips to beat that many teams out so it’s hard to come up with a specific package.  I agree that Howard is someone they probably don’t intend to move but never say never.  If there’s a player with team control available that they think is a difference-maker, I don’t think any of their youngsters are truly off the table.  As for Goncalves, he cleared waivers barely a month ago so that should tell you that his trade value is minimal at best.

I know there’s a lot of speculation out there about Tuch but the bulk of the reporting all says the same thing – teams are calling about him but the Sabres are giving no indication that they have any interest in moving him.  Knowing that, if a team wants him, the price is going to be extremely high.  And in Tampa Bay’s case, adding a top-line scorer isn’t necessarily the most realistic priority for them.

letsgonats: Is there a playoff team that would NOT want Alex Tuch?

I kind of touched on this above but I’d imagine all 16 playoff teams would at least try to make a compelling offer with some knowing their chances of landing him would be quite slim.  I also think several non-playoff teams would at least kick the tires on his services in the hopes that they might be able to convince him to sign a contract extension, something that can be done as early as July 1st.  With Tuch growing up relatively close to Buffalo, I think the Sabres will also be planning on taking a run at signing him to a long-term extension as well.  If he was actually made available, he might be the most sought-after player in these next couple of weeks.

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Vancouver Canucks Recall Victor Mancini, Place Thatcher Demko On IR

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6:01 PM: The Canucks officially announced the roster moves.  Demko’s placement is retroactive to February 8th, meaning he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.

3:02 PM: According to the team’s play-by-play radio commentator Brendan Batchelor, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled defenseman Victor Mancini from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouver will open up a spot on the active roster for Mancini by placing netminder Thatcher Demko on the injured reserve.

Demko’s placement on the IR will likely be made retroactive to February 8th. He left the Canucks’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after only 10 minutes due to a lower-body injury. During the 4 Nations Face-Off break it was announced that Demko wouldn’t join the team on their current five-game road trip and his recovery timeline is considered week-to-week.

It’s becoming somewhat of a lost season for the eight-year netminder. Due to lingering injury issues from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Demko’s 2024-25 debut was delayed until December 10th. He hasn’t been inspiring when healthy either managing a 6-6-3 record in 17 starts with a .891 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average.

The newfound injury concerns are especially unfortunate when considering Demko’s season last year. The San Diego, CA native was instrumental in Vancouver’s return to the postseason posting a 35-14-2 record in 51 starts with a .918 SV% and 2.45 GAA. His 21.2 Goals Saved Above Average according to Hockey Reference accounts for 82.8% of his total GSAA throughout his career.

Demko’s future in British Columbia became even cloudier yesterday when the Canucks’ signed fellow netminder Kevin Lankinen to a five-year extension. Lankinen has been objectively better for Vancouver this season and his new contract will run four years longer than Demko’s current deal with the team.

Meanwhile, the freshly acquired Mancini could debut with the Canucks this evening. He’s tallied one assist in five games in AHL Abbotsford since being acquired from the New York Rangers as a part of the package for J.T. Miller.

Vancouver may still need an injury replacement for Quinn Hughes during tonight’s contest and Mancini would have to battle defenseman Elias Pettersson for that role. Pettersson has proven better defensively in limited action but Mancini has outscored him with one goal and four assists throughout 15 games with the Rangers.

Injury Notes: Kreider, Grzelcyk, Cooley

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Before today’s game against the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins, the former announced a minor injury just before puck drop. The Rangers shared winger Chris Kreider is out with an upper-body injury although his recovery timeline is only considered day-to-day.

It’s difficult to pinpoint any specific moment for Kreider’s current injury. The veteran forward has been dealing with a recurrent back spasms issue for much of the regular season, while he could also be one of the several players to succumb to a minor injury throughout the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Still, despite the specifics of the injury, Kreider did participate in the Rangers’ first game back from the tournament. Despite the team being completely outclassed by the Buffalo Sabres, Kreider scored one goal over 15 minutes in yesterday’s contest joining Mika Zibanejad as the only New York forward to not have a negative rating.

Other injury notes:

  • Hopping over to the other side of today’s Metropolitan Division tilt, the Penguins announced defenseman Matt Grzelcyk won’t return to the game due to an upper-body injury. The pending unrestricted free agent only skated in five minutes of today’s action before being hit from behind by Ranger forward Matt Rempe. Rempe was originally reprimanded with a five-minute major only to be downgraded to a two-minute minor call.
  • The Utah Hockey Club could be short-handed when they play their first home game in 19 days tonight. According to Brogan Houston of Deseret News Sports, Utah forward Logan Cooley is a game-time decision for this evening’s event. Cooley is confirmed to be dealing with a lower-body issue but it’s not severe enough to warrant a concrete absence from the lineup. The sophomore center is only one point away from tying his total production from last year scoring 15 goals and 43 points in 50 games.

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