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Penguins Recall Vasiliy Ponomarev, Place Bryan Rust On Injured Reserve

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Forward prospect Vasiliy Ponomarev is expected to get his fourth opportunity with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. The Penguins announced they’ve recalled Ponomarev from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and have placed veteran forward Bryan Rust on injured reserve in a corresponding roster move.

Ponomarev was selected 53rd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. He spent two and a half years in the Hurricanes organization, scoring 35 goals and 85 points in 116 AHL contests split between the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and Tucson Roadrunners. Carolina eventually traded Ponomarev to the Penguins in the deal that sent Jake Guentzel to Raleigh last year.

Ponomarev’s performance in the AHL has improved since he moved to Pennsylvania, though the change has not been significant. While playing with the Hurricanes organization, he averaged 0.73 points per game starting in the latter part of the 2021-22 season. Since joining the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, his average has increased to 0.80 PPG.

Despite limited opportunities, Ponomarev has not made a significant impact at the NHL level. He made his NHL debut last season with Carolina, scoring only one goal and one assist in five games.

He’s certainly not expected to replicate Rust’s production this season. The 11-year veteran winger has scored 20 goals and 42 points in 46 games for the Penguins this season, ranking third on the team in scoring despite losing several games to injury.

Although injuries have limited his availability the last two years, Rust’s continued point production and renewed shot efficiency have made him the subject of trade rumors this year. He owns a no-movement clause in his contract, he loses all trade protection on July 1st, 2025.

Mathew Barzal Reportedly Out Six Weeks After Knee Procedure

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Feb. 8: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun provided an update to Barzal’s timeline this afternoon. LeBrun shared that Barzal had a small procedure on his injured kneecap on Thursday, and a normal recovery timeline would place Barzal’s return around six weeks from now. No matter if Barzal returns quicker or later than expected he should return to the Islanders’ active lineup sometime in March.

Feb. 4: Barzal has been moved to injured reserve, per a team announcement. It’s only a procedural move to open up his roster spot.

Feb. 3: The Islanders announced Monday that forward Mathew Barzal will be sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Scott Mayfield will also miss some time with an LBI, although he’s only listed as day-to-day.

Barzal, 27, left Saturday’s overtime win over the Lightning in the third period and did not return after taking a Darren Raddysh slapper to the knee. He skated off under his own power, but he remained out of the lineup in yesterday’s loss to the Panthers as he underwent further evaluation.

The Isles will now be without their highest-paid player for an extended period for the second time this season. He missed 21 games with an upper-body injury in November and December, missing roughly six weeks.

When in the lineup, Barzal has disappointed offensively in 2024-25. He’s shooting at a career-low 7.7% rate en route to a six-goal, 20-point performance through 30 appearances. His 0.67 points per game are third on the team but rank as the worst of his career over a full season, below 2018-19’s 0.76 mark.

Barzal is in the second season of the eight-year, $73.2MM extension he signed in October 2022 with a $9.15MM cap hit. He provided strong value in the first year of the deal, hitting a point per game for the second time in his career in 2023-24, but has continuously seen a dip in his shooting accuracy. He has a 22-team no-trade clause that kicked in last July and remains in effect for the life of the deal.

After spending the first six seasons of his career as a center, continued faceoff struggles and the acquisition of Bo Horvat from the Canucks in 2023 have bumped him to the wing. Injuries everywhere on the Islanders’ roster have meant a rotating cast of linemates for Barzal this season, spending significant time with Horvat, Anthony Duclair, Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Duclair and Lee, as well as Kyle Palmieri and Maxim Tsyplakov, will comprise the Islanders’ top-six winger group in Barzal’s absence. Most of them have had decent campaigns aside from Duclair, who’s been limited by an early-season leg and injury struggled to get off the ground with eight points in 23 games after signing a four-year, $14MM deal in the summer.

The Islanders’ seven-game win streak came to an end in Florida, but they’ve managed to get back within four points of a playoff spot despite injuries to Hudson Fasching up front and multiple on the blue line, namely their top two righties in Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock. General manager Lou Lamoriello has been aggressive in replacing his injured blue-liners, acquiring Adam Boqvist, Tony DeAngelo and Scott Perunovich to help keep them in the playoff race. It’s worked, but with a key top-six piece now missing from a bottom-10 offense, it’s yet another significant blow.

Lamoriello could place Barzal on long-term injured reserve to open up some cap flexibility around the trade deadline, but that would require him to remain out through at least March 4 against the Jets. The Isles are among the league’s most cap-strapped teams with $1.95MM in current space, per PuckPedia, and they already have Dobson, Mike Reilly and Semyon Varlamov on LTIR helping them stay compliant.

As for Mayfield, a day-to-day designation means he may remain out until the 4 Nations Face-Off but should return after the break. Combined with Dobson and Pulock, the Islanders are now without their entire regular corps of right-shot defensemen, even if it’s for a brief period. Righties Boqvist and DeAngelo, plus a lefty playing on his off-side in Perunovich, give them an incredibly dynamic puck-moving group in the interim, even if all carry significant weaknesses away from the puck.

Mayfield, 32, has seven points and a +14 rating in 50 games. His 17:33 average time on ice is his lowest since the 2017-18 campaign, though.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Colorado Avalanche Reassign Trent Miner

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The Colorado Avalanche made a small roster move in the early hours of Saturday morning. Colorado announced they’ve reassigned netminder Trent Miner to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, leading up to their two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Miner has been rostered on the Avalanche for much of January and February due to the injuries to backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood. The latter missed just over a week in early January with a lower-body injury and the last few days with an upper-body injury.

However, this hasn’t resulted in increased playing time for Miner. The 24-year-old goalie has only played in two games for the Avalanche this season and has been credited with just one loss. His .879 save percentage and 2.62 goals-against average aren’t horrible numbers for a backup but it doesn’t appear Colorado is willing to extend his leash just yet.

His production with AHL Colorado has understandably been more fruitful. Miner owns a 9-5-7 record in 19 AHL contests with a .905 SV% and 2.49 GAA. It’s a positive development given he spent much of last season with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies and has five more opportunities with the Eagles over the 4 Nations Face-Off break at the very least. There’s no indication the Avalanche will recall Miner after the international tournament so he’ll likely stay in Loveland for the foreseeable future.

San Jose Sharks Reassign Colin White, Activate Klim Kostin

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Feb. 8th: San Jose announced they have reassigned White to AHL San Jose meaning he successfully cleared waivers. He won’t require waivers again until he’s played in 10 games for the Sharks or spent 30 days on the NHL roster. Additionally, the team shared that forward Klim Kostin has been activated from the injured reserve. He’s missed the last 12 games with a lower-body injury.

Feb. 7th: The Sharks waived center Colin White on Friday and will presumably assign him to AHL San Jose if he clears, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. It’s unclear if there will be a corresponding transaction tomorrow.

San Jose signed White, 28, two weeks ago to the day. The former Senators first-rounder-turned-journeyman had spent the first part of the season on an AHL deal within the organization, posting 5-4–9 in 20 games with a minus-three rating.

White didn’t get much of a look in the Sharks’ lineup, although his signing was always meant to give them a short-term veteran injury replacement with names like Klim Kostin and Nico Sturm on the shelf. He’s been rostered for their last five games but only played in three, going without a point and averaging a career-low 7:18 per game. He went just 3-for-13 on faceoffs, managed a lone shot on goal, and got out-attempted 22-18 when on the ice at even strength.

It extends a regular-season pointless streak for White that now stretches back 46 games to March 16, 2023, when he was still a member of the Panthers organization. He failed to record a point in the final 14 games of the campaign before going pointless in all 31 appearances he made last season with the Canadiens and Penguins.

The 6’1″ pivot’s chances of ever reclaiming a full-time NHL role seem quite slim given his lack of even average numbers anywhere in his game, as well as some underwhelming AHL stat lines over the past couple of years. It’s a far cry from the 14-goal, 41-point form he flashed in Ottawa six years ago, but with his development derailed by shoulder injuries, he hasn’t been able to sniff that level of performance since then. White should go unclaimed and remain in the Sharks organization as a recall option for the remainder of the season, after which he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Jacob Gaucher, Reassign Anthony Richard

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Feb. 8th: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Richard has gone through waivers unclaimed. Philadelphia announced they’ve reassigned Richard to AHL Lehigh Valley and have recalled forward Jacob Gaucher in a corresponding roster move.

Feb. 7th: The Flyers have placed center Anthony Richard on waivers with intent to reassign him to AHL Lehigh Valley, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Friday. Whether he clears or not, he’ll be the second corresponding transaction as the Flyers look to activate Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier from the non-roster list before tomorrow’s game against the Penguins after reassigning forward Jacob Gaucher earlier today.

Richard, 28, has played eight straight games since being recalled on Jan. 22. It was the smooth-skating pivot’s second recall of the season after a weeks-long trial in the NHL back in November.

The ninth-year pro signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Flyers in the offseason and has been a quality depth scorer when called upon. He has two goals and four assists across the pair of recalls, averaging 12:22 per game with good possession numbers (49.4 CF%, +2.2 expected rating at even strength). It’s the 5’10” forward’s third straight season seeing NHL ice after brief action with the Canadiens and Bruins in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

A longtime farmhand in the Predators’ system after they selected him fourth overall in 2015, he’s suited up for five organizations in the past four years after a mid-season trade in 2022 sent him to the Lightning. He was a decent depth scorer there but has only broken out in earnest post-COVID, clicking above a point per game in the minors since 2022-23. When on assignment to Lehigh Valley this season, Richard has 8-11–19 in 18 games with a plus-six rating.

The Quebec native needed waivers today because he’s played more than 10 games since last clearing during training camp. His strong point production in both leagues this season and experience playing down the middle means there’s a solid chance an offense-needy team takes a flyer on the veteran on the wire, but if not, Philly will be thrilled to keep him around as a reliable recall option.

Devils’ Santeri Hatakka Clears Waivers

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Feb. 8th: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared that Hatakka has successfully cleared waivers. New Jersey is free to reassign him to AHL Utica at any time.

Feb. 7th: The Devils placed defenseman Santeri Hatakka on waivers Friday for the purposes of reassignment to AHL Utica, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The move indicates he’s been cleared to play after spending the first four months of the season on injured reserve due to shoulder surgery.

The 24-year-old Hatakka will aim to get back up to game speed in Utica and quickly challenge for a recall, assuming he clears. The Devils are down a defenseman with Jonas Siegenthaler dealing with an undisclosed injury, and top prospect Simon Nemec struggled in his first game back with the team last night in their loss to the Golden Knights after a months-long AHL stint. There’s an opening for Hatakka to return to NHL action once his conditioning is where it needs to be.

This is the first year Hatakka has needed waivers to head to the minors. As a result, the Finnish prospect was a frequent flyer between Newark and Utica last season. He signed a two-way deal with a $125K AHL salary as a restricted free agent last summer before aiming to grab a spot on the opening night roster. However, that pathway was muddied for him with the Devils’ signings of Brenden Dillon and Brett Pesce in free agency (as well as the trade acquisition of Johnathan Kovacevic) even before his late-preseason shoulder injury.

Hatakka, acquired from the Sharks in the Timo Meier trade in 2023, skated in 12 NHL games for Jersey last year and recorded two assists with a plus-five rating. He averaged 14:39 per game and had 12 blocks and 14 hits, putting up a perfectly serviceable 49.8 CF% at even strength in bottom pairing usage. The 2019 sixth-rounder is an intriguing third-pairing option for the long haul, especially after posting 5-15–20 in 48 games for Utica last season.

Utah Hockey Club Places Vladislav Kolyachonok On Waivers

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The Utah Hockey Club is now in a position to reduce the number of defensemen on their active roster. They have announced that defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok has been placed on waivers, to eventually reassign him to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.

Utah has carried eight defensemen on the active roster for much of the regular season due to long-term injuries to John Marino, Sean Durzi, and Robert Bortuzzo. Kolyachonok’s placement on waivers indicates the team is close to activating Durzi or Bortuzzo given that Marino has already been activated.

The injuries have allowed Kolyachonok to achieve a career-high in games played this season. The native of Minsk, Belarus, has scored two goals and seven points in 23 games this year, averaging 12:20 of ice time per night.

He has significantly improved his possession metrics, boasting a 52.9% Corsi For% at even strength, which is 7.3% higher than his previous career high. However, considering his relative youth, Kolyachonok would likely benefit from playing in the AHL.

Should he clear waivers, it will be his first time playing for the AHL Roadrunners this season. He scored eight goals and 11 points in 36 games in Tucson last season but has only been rostered in the NHL this year.

The improved quality of possession may give Kolyachonok a strong chance of being claimed. The Nashville Predators, currently ranked third-to-last in the league standings, could be a viable option for him. With Kevin Gravel filling in on the left side of their bottom pairing while Jeremy Lauzon recovers from injury, the Predators might consider Kolyachonok an upgrade over Gravel and a potential seventh defenseman.

Detroit Red Wings Activate J.T. Compher

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The Detroit Red Wings will only have one player remaining on the injured reserve heading into today’s action against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Red Wings announced they’ve activated forward J.T. Compher from the injured reserve, giving context to Dominik Shine’s reassignment on Wednesday.

Compher has missed the last five games for Detroit due to an upper-body injury. The incident that caused his injury led to a two-game suspension for Lightning defenseman Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, as Compher’s head was the primary point of contact. This issue may remain a storyline in today’s matchup if the Red Wings feel compelled to respond.

The former Stanley Cup champion is expected to center Detroit’s fourth line this afternoon, flanked by Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren. Compher’s ice time has been significantly reduced this season, dropping from an average of 19:23 during his first year with the Red Wings to just 16:41.

The reduction in ice time is justified. After coming close to scoring 20 goals in each of the past three seasons, Compher has only managed to score six goals this year. His performance falls well short of the expectations the Red Wings had for him as their fifth-highest-paid forward on the team.

His 41.0% CorsiFor% at even strength leaves a lot to be desired and his $5.1MM salary makes him one of the higher-paid bottom-six forwards in the league. Still, the veteran pivot provides respectable value as a defensive-minded forward given his 93.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Islanders Notes: Dobson, Nelson, Pettersson

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According to a report by Jim Biringer from RG.com, and further elaborated by Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, which was later shared by the NHL Network, the New York Islanders may be approaching the trade deadline in an unexpected way. Biringer noted that the Islanders are making defenseman Noah Dobson available for trade, while also offering Brock Nelson a three-year contract extension.

It’s a strange development for a team that has gone 8-2-0 in their last 10 and has vaulted back into the playoff conversation in the Eastern Conference. Dobson is arguably the most offensively talented defenseman on the team, won’t become an unrestricted free agent until after the 2026-27 season assuming he doesn’t sign a long-term extension, and is only one year removed from scoring 70 points.

Assuming accurate reporting, Dobson would receive a higher-value return as a young right-handed shooting defenseman. Still, there’s no arguing he’s fallen short of expectations this year. Dobson has scored six goals and 24 points in 46 games for the Islanders this season and a lower-body injury will keep him out of the action until after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

No matter the depressed offensive output or recent injury it would still make little sense for New York to move on from Dobson. They are the fourth-oldest team in the NHL this season and haven’t made it beyond Round One of the Stanley Cup playoffs since the 2020-21 season. Dobson’s ability to score and more than respectable defensive metrics strike as a player the Islanders should invest in long-term — not consider moving.

Keeping Nelson around wouldn’t make them any younger either. A three-year extension would take Nelson to his age-36 season in 2027-28. He’s been a consistent top-six center in New York for over a decade scoring 291 goals and 564 points in 894 career games with the Islanders.

Unless New York continues their winning ways after the 4 Nations Face-Off break, MoneyPuck only gives them a 33.5% of making the postseason. Nelson has been mentioned in trade rumors nearly the entire season and the Islanders could get a valuable return for one of the best rental centers on the market.

Rosner also alluded to another trade target for the Islanders this morning. He reported there’s “a lot of smoke” regarding Vancouver Canucks’ center Elias Pettersson despite the team trading away center J.T. Miller.

New York has been linked to Pettersson over the last couple of months but much of the overall trade interest has died down since Miller was sent to the New York Rangers. Rosner makes a good point that Pettersson only has one year remaining without trade protection but the Canucks could theoretically wait until the 2025 NHL Draft to move him. It would be reasonable for Vancouver to see how Pettersson responds for the rest of the regular season before ultimately taking a firmer stance on his future with the organization.

At any rate, plenty of trade rumors are leaking from a front office that typically doesn’t appreciate them. Lou Lamoriello has deployed ’smoke-and-mirror’ tactics leading up to deadline day in the past but he doesn’t appear to have a concrete direction for the organization’s future.

Rangers Recall Dylan Garand, Igor Shesterkin Out With Upper-Body Injury

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If there was ever going to be an injury to a starting netminder, it arguably happened at the best possible time for the New York Rangers. Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported that Igor Shesterkin is expected to miss the next week or two with an upper-body injury suffered in last night’s contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

According to a team announcement, New York has recalled netminder Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack, their AHL affiliate. Given that the Rangers had one open roster spot remaining, they didn’t need to make a corresponding transaction or place Shesterkin on injured reserve. 

Aside from a game this evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Rangers don’t play again until February 22nd due to the 4 Nations Face-Off. The two-week break should give Shesterkin ample time to recover potentially only missing tonight’s game.

The upper-body injury reportedly relates to a scramble in front of Shesterkin during the second period of last night’s game. He tested his right wrist for flexibility but remained in the crease throughout the game, ultimately suffering another loss this season.

Those losses have recently become commonplace for Shesterkin. The 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner is 1-4-0 in his last five starts with a .835 save percentage. Given that he hasn’t had more than two games in a row with a save percentage lower than .900, it’s his worst stretch of the season.

New York is likely hoping the 4 Nations Face-Off break will give Shesterkin the time he needs to fully recover and get his mind right for the remaining 27 games of the regular season. The Rangers’ success this season has typically started and ended with their goaltending.

Garand has received his second call-up of the 2024-25 season, although he has yet to debut in the NHL. The 22-year-old, a product of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers program, is having the best professional season of his brief career. Garand has managed a 12-7-4 record in 23 games with a .913 SV% and 2.68 goals-against average including three shutouts this season.

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