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Edmonton Oilers Place Tyson Barrie On IR, Activate Zach Hyman From Protocol

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The Edmonton Oilers announced a flurry of roster moves Thursday night. Left wing Zach Hyman has come off COVID protocol, defenseman Tyson Barrie lands on injured reserve, defenseman William Lagesson comes to the active roster to replace him, and goalie Olivier Rodrigue comes up from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors to the team’s taxi squad.

Hyman hasn’t played much in the last month or so due to injuries and COVID protocol, so his return to the lineup is much-anticipated. Through 32 games, the first-year Oiler has 11 goals and 20 assists for 21 points on the year. He’s one of four Oilers with ten goals, joining Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Jesse Puljujarvi.

Barrie exits the lineup just as the team’s defense had returned to full health. While not the world-beating production he had last year, Barrie still has 17 points in 35 games, playing mostly in a shielded role more suited to his defensive weaknesses.

The Oilers will likely have Lagesson enter the lineup, but he’s been used sparingly this year. In just 10 games, the Swedish defenseman has two assists and is averaging a meager 11:31 per game.

Rodrigue, the team’s 62nd overall selection in 2018, has a .886 save percentage in 13 games with Bakersfield this year.

Injury Notes: Stars, Ducks, Golden Knights, Devils

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Dallas Stars digital manager Kyle Shohara reports from team practice that defenseman John Klingberg and center Radek Faksa took the ice today after missing time with an upper-body injury and non-COVID-related illness, respectively. Klingberg missed the team’s last game, a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils, while Faksa missed that game and the night prior against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both would be huge returns to the Stars lineup, especially Klingberg. With the Swedish defenseman reportedly requesting a trade out of Dallas, every game (and every good play) matters for Dallas to recoup as much value as possible if a trade occurs.

A busy night in the NHL yields more injury news:

  • The Anaheim Ducks get two key contributors back tonight versus Montreal, activating center Adam Henrique from injured reserve and defenseman Josh Manson from COVID-19 protocol. Both return to prominent roles in the lineup, with Henrique’s 16 points in 24 games likely to help boost a stagnating Ducks offense as of late. To make room on the active roster, the team reassigned defensemen Jacob Larsson and Greg Pateryn to the taxi squad and Brendan Guhle to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
  • Two gigantic contributors are returning to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup, as wingers Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith make their returns tonight, per the Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson. Pacioretty’s rarely been healthy this year, but when he has, he’s scored at a torrid pace, netting 12 goals and 21 points in 16 games. Smith, coming off COVID protocol, has a respectable 29 points in 41 games.
  • The New Jersey Devils got some good news with defenseman Ty Smith coming off injured reserve today, but he’s been replaced on the list by center Michael McLeod. Despite Smith’s strong rookie campaign last season, he’s having a serious sophomore slump with poor defensive numbers and just 10 points in 33 games to show for it. Hopefully, a reset can help jumpstart an improvement in play for the 21-year-old. The Devils will miss McLeod and his 11 points and 41 games in a depth role.

Kyle Palmieri Removed From Injured Reserve

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The New York Islanders tweeted Thursday night that the team removed forward right wing Kyle Palmieri from injured reserve, replacing him with center Austin Czarnik, who lands on the list with an upper-body injury retroactive to January 22nd.

Palmieri’s last game was over a month ago, leaving December 16th’s game against the Boston Bruins with a lower-body injury after 12 shifts and 9:12 of ice time. The team originally classified Palmieri as day-to-day with a lower-body injury but ended up spending nearly a month on injured reserve after landing there on December 30th.

Despite continuing to receive top-six minutes this season, Palmieri’s having the worst statistical season of his career since becoming a full-time NHL player. While still serviceable defensively, Palmieri’s totals plummeted to just one goal and six assists for seven points in 25 games.

Bad luck is definitely a factor in this non-ideal 2021-22 season for the Islanders and Palmieri, though. He’s shooting at a rate of just 1.8%, unsustainably low compared to his career average of 12.1%. Since joining the Islanders at last season’s trade deadline, he’s now shot at just 3.4% during the regular season.

In his return to the lineup, Palmieri will continue to get a chance in the team’s top-six, playing with Anthony Beauvillier and Brock Nelson on the second line, per Newsday’s Andrew Gross.

The severity and timeline of Czarnik’s injury are unknown. He could come off injured reserve as soon as February 1st. Czarnik has proved valuable to the Islanders in a depth role this year, producing well with five points in 11 games. His +5 rating leads Islanders forwards.

Justin Abdelkader Released From PTO, Will Join U.S. Olympic Team

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Jan 27: After just three games with the Griffins, Abdelkader is off to Beijing. He has been released from his PTO and will join the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing as an alternate. Abdelkader could be added to the roster if the team runs into injury or COVID-related issues. He did not record a point in his three AHL contests.

Jan 21: It’s been more than a decade since Justin Abdelkader last took the ice for the Grand Rapids Griffins. That stretch will end in the coming days after the veteran forward signed an AHL professional tryout with the Detroit Red Wings affiliate.

Abdelkader, 34, played last season for EV Zug in Switzerland and last suited up for an NHL game during the 2019-20 season. The veteran forward spent his entire career with the Red Wings organization, playing in 739 regular season games and racking up 252 points. A member of Team USA several times, Abdelkader served as captain for last summer’s World Championship squad that finished third, taking home a bronze medal in the process.

This might have seemed like an attempt to get onto the U.S. Olympic squad had it happened a few weeks ago, but the roster for that group was already announced. Instead, it appears more like a comeback attempt for a player who isn’t so far removed from NHL action.

Still, Abdelkader was a shell of his former self in 2019-20 with the Red Wings and failed to record a single goal in 49 outings. A stint with the Griffins won’t necessarily turn into anything more than that.

Alexandre Texier Out Four Weeks With Fractured Finger

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without young forward Alexandre Texier for the next month, as he suffered a fractured finger in last night’s game. He is expected to miss approximately four weeks, keeping him out through most of February.

Texier, 22, has turned things around since a disappointing 2020-21 campaign, and now sits with 11 goals and 20 points in 36 games. Both of those numbers are career highs, though he still hasn’t found a lot of consistency even with the increased production. Playing almost exclusively on the wing, the second-round pick is averaging fewer than 15 minutes a night and hasn’t scored a goal since the beginning of the month.

He’ll now face a long period out of the lineup and likely miss upwards of ten games. The Blue Jackets will have to find someone else to find those minutes and hope to help pull them out of their recent skid. Columbus now sits 18-21-1 on the season and 3-7 in their last ten, well behind the Washington Capitals for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.

Snapshots: China, Malkin, Letang, Viveiros

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China has revealed the roster that will take part in the upcoming Olympics, a group that includes 12 players born in North America. Some of those have NHL experience in the past, including Spencer Foo, Ryan Sproul, and starting goaltender Jeremy Smith. These players are allowed to participate even without Chinese heritage given how long they have been playing for Kunlun Red Star in the KHL, which served as a proxy for the national team, according to the Associated Press.

Brandon Yip, a 36-year-old forward that played nearly 200 games in the NHL, will serve as captain of the club, which gained entry to the tournament as host nation. Yip scored 32 goals and 62 points in his 190-game NHL career, which ended after the 2013-14 season. After a stint in the AHL and another in Germany, he joined Kunlun in 2017. China will be in tough at the event, as they find themselves in a group with the U.S., Canada, and Germany. They open the tournament on February 10.

  • When Jeff Carter’s two-year extension was announced yesterday, some immediately wondered what it meant for Evgeni Malkin’s future with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that representatives for the star forward and Penguins GM Ron Hextall have discussed a new contract, and Malkin is “eager” to remain in Pittsburgh. For teammate Kris Letang things aren’t so rosy, as the defenseman believes he will get a raise on the current $7.25MM cap hit he currently carries, according to Yohe.
  • Henderson Silver Knights coach Manny Viveiros has been medically cleared to return to his duties, effective immediately. Viveiros was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year and has been away from the team for much of the season. In a statement, the veteran coach notes that his “prognosis is very good” and thanks his family, coaches, players, medical team, and Golden Knights organization for all the support he received over the past few months.

Jake Virtanen Charged With Sexual Assault

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The Vancouver Police Department has charged former NHL forward Jake Virtanen with one count of sexual assault, stemming from an incident in 2017 while he was playing for the Vancouver Canucks. Virtanen, 25, is currently playing for Spartak in the KHL where he has 16 points in 36 games.

In May of last year, the Canucks placed Virtanen on leave following the original allegations. In July, they bought out the final year of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. The team will carry a $500K cap hit next season as a result of the buyout, after carrying $50K this season.

A civil lawsuit was filed in May 2021 and in a response, Virtanen denied the allegations. The Canucks have issued a statement today:

We have been made aware of the charges laid by the Crown against Jake Virtanen. When the allegations first came to our attention, we immediately placed Jake Virtanen on leave. He is no longer a member of the organization. 

We have been in contact with the Vancouver Police Department throughout their investigation and will continue to provide support as needed. Our organization is committed to fostering a safe and welcoming environment and will not tolerate sexual misconduct of any kind. We will not be commenting further on this matter.

Virtanen is not currently in custody.

Nick Paul Open To Extension With Ottawa Senators

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Over the last few weeks, Nick Paul has emerged as a top target in trade deadline speculation, because of his versatility and inexpensive expiring contract. The 26-year-old carries a cap hit of just $1.35MM this season and has shown an ability to play all over the lineup. Even if teams were interested, he may not actually be available. Paul’s agent Paul Capizzano of Quartexx Management told Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that his client would “love to stay in Ottawa if it can work.”

On TSN radio earlier this week, Paul himself gave a similar sentiment:

I love Ottawa. My agent works on the business side but we want to be here. My fiance is from here, she works at CHEO. We live here year round. We want to be here and be a part of the community. 

While a contract extension would seem like an easy thing to accomplish, given his pedestrian offensive numbers and obvious desire to stay, it may not actually be the best thing for the Senators. The team is not yet as far along with their rebuild as they believed last summer, and depending on the price they could generate at the trade deadline, could use the additional assets. There is also the potential to bring Paul back in the offseason after a deadline move, when he hits unrestricted free agency for the first time.

In 35 games this season the versatile forward has six goals and nine points, while filling in at center or the wing depending on the rest of the Senators lineup that day. He’s been given heavy defensive responsibility, usually alongside Connor Brown, and often been used as a veteran safety net for young forward Tim Stutzle. At just $1.35MM he’s a useful, inexpensive player, though if the number gets much higher than that he’ll have to bring a bit more offensive production as well in order to continue to provide excess value to the team on the ice. His leadership and other intangibles are also something to consider, especially in a market that doesn’t always get players publicly announcing their hope to be part of the community.

Sami Niku, Brett Connolly Clear Waivers

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Jan 27: Both players have cleared waivers according to James Mirtle of The Athletic, meaning they can be sent to the minor leagues.

Jan 26: The Montreal Canadiens have placed Sami Niku on waivers, as they continue to get players back from injury on the back end. This is actually the second time Niku has been on waivers this season, though the first was in training camp with the Winnipeg Jets when he agreed to a contract termination in order to pursue a different opportunity.

While it’s easy to wonder why anyone would target a defenseman from a team that sits 31st in goals against, Niku actually may draw some interest on the wire. The 25-year-old defenseman has shown he can dominate at the minor league level, including posting a 16-goal, 54-point season in 2017-18, and has generated 16 points in 67 career NHL games. Still, his size and defensive ability raise enough questions that it’s hard to envision him stepping into a regular role on a contender at this point, meaning he might end up in the minor leagues once again.

He isn’t alone, though, as Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Brett Connolly has also been placed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks. Connolly cleared waivers in October and was assigned to the minor leagues, where he has spent a good chunk of the season. Now, he’s spent enough time on the NHL roster that he needed waivers again in order to be sent down.

The thing hurting Connolly’s chances at NHL playing time right now is his contract, which carries a $3.5MM cap hit through 2022-23. While he likely could catch on somewhere if he had a more reasonable price tag, there’s little chance that someone would agree to take that contract off waivers. Should he clear, the Blackhawks will be able to once again bury $1.125MM of his cap hit in the minor leagues.

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