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Canucks Activate Elias Pettersson From Injured Reserve

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The Canucks activated center Elias Pettersson from injured reserve on Friday, according to general manager Patrik Allvin. He’ll return to the lineup tonight against the Hurricanes after missing six games with an undisclosed injury.

Pettersson’s stint on IR came amid a spike in trade rumors regarding the 26-year-old pivot, whose speculated rift with teammate J.T. Miller has caused Vancouver to at least start examining the trade market for both players. He was nearly dealt to the Hurricanes last season before opting to reengage with the Canucks on a contract extension, signing an eight-year, $92.8MM pact in March.

Now back to full health, Pettersson will look to build on what’s been a disappointing campaign in the first season of his contract with an $11.6MM cap hit. He’d been limited to 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 34 games before the injury, tracking for his worst points-per-game pace since his injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign.

Somewhat ironically, the 2017 fifth-overall pick played his best hockey this season when Miller was out of the lineup on a personal leave for much of November and December. In 10 games without Miller, he exploded for 13 assists and added a pair of goals for 15 points.

Upon Miller’s return, Pettersson went on a six-game pointless streak. He got back on the score sheet with a pair of goals against the Sharks on Dec. 23 before leaving that contest with the ailment that landed him on IR.

The Canucks have an open roster spot after assigning goaltender Arturs Silovs to AHL Abbotsford on Thursday, so no corresponding transaction is needed for him to re-enter the lineup. Pettersson has had a rotating cast of wingers this season, spending significant time with Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, Nils Höglander, and Kiefer Sherwood, and since the Canucks didn’t take a morning skate today, it’s hard to project where he’ll slot in the lineup.

Jets Activate Dylan Samberg From Injured Reserve

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Jan. 10: Samberg is indeed off IR and will play tonight against Los Angeles, the team said.

Jan. 9: Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg “should be in tomorrow” against the Kings after missing over six weeks with a foot fracture, head coach Scott Arniel told Murat Ates of The Athletic on Thursday. Star blue-liner Josh Morrissey is also expected to play after leaving Tuesday’s win over the Predators with a lower-body injury, said Arniel.

Samberg, 24, will need to come off injured reserve in order to play. Winnipeg has been rolling with an open spot on the active roster for a few days now, so that won’t be a complicated task.

A 2017 second-round pick, Samberg is in his third season as a full-timer on the Jets blue line. He’s seen an increased role compared to last season after Brenden Dillon signed with the Devils in free agency and Nate Schmidt’s contract was bought out, averaging 20:17 of ice time per game as opposed to 15:38 in 2023-24.

The 6’4″, 216-lb lefty has surpassed the departed Dillon and Dylan DeMelo as Winnipeg’s top penalty killer, averaging 2:32 per game while shorthanded. Samberg isn’t a complete non-factor offensively, either, posting three goals and three assists for six points in 21 appearances before his injury and 37 points through his first 177 NHL games with the Jets.

Samberg was stapled to Neal Pionk on Winnipeg’s second pairing before getting hurt, a role he’ll likely return to moving forward. The duo controlled 53.5% of expected goals and outscored opponents 8-4 when on the ice at 5-on-5 earlier this season, per MoneyPuck.

The Jets’ defense has been stretched thin in recent days, so the timing of Samberg’s return couldn’t be better. Haydn Fleury has been out with a lower-body injury for nearly two weeks, while Colin Miller will miss some time after sustaining a fractured larynx against the Red Wings last Saturday.

If Samberg picks up where he left off, he should be in line for a sharp raise this summer. He’s in the final season of a two-year, $2.8MM contract with a $1.4MM cap hit and will become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at season’s end.

Capitals Recall Ethen Frank For NHL Debut

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The Capitals recalled forward Ethen Frank from AHL Hershey on Friday, per a team release. He’ll make his NHL debut tonight at home against the Canadiens. Washington sent Ivan Miroshnichenko down to Hershey to make room on the active roster, general manager Chris Patrick said.

Frank, 26, is in his fourth season in the Capitals organization after Hershey inked him to a minor-league deal out of Western Michigan University late in the 2021-22 campaign. The 5’11” sniper landed an NHL contract from Washington for the 2023-24 season after exploding for 30 goals in 57 games during his rookie AHL showing with Hershey.

The Nebraska native has continued to establish himself as one of the AHL’s best goal-scorers, now totaling 80 in 161 games with Hershey over the past four years. He’s been a core piece of their back-to-back Calder Cup championships, including 10 goals in 18 postseason games in 2024, and has been named to the league’s All-Star Classic in each of his first two full seasons. In his graduate season with Western Michigan, he also led the entire NCAA in goals with 26 in 38 games.

Frank, who signed a two-year, $1.55MM extension in June to avoid restricted free agency last summer, will debut on the third line with Lars Eller and Taylor Raddysh, head coach Spencer Carbery said. It’s a fitting promotion for Frank, whose 20 goals in 35 games in Hershey this year rank second in the AHL.

Down goes Miroshnichenko, who had been up in the NHL since mid-November. The 20-year-old has been a healthy scratch with increasing frequency, though, only playing twice since New Year’s.

Washington’s first-rounder in 2022, Miroshnichenko has four points in 18 games in 2024-25 and 10 points in 39 games including last season’s totals. The 6’1″ Russian winger averaged just 9:21 per game during this season’s call-up.

Miroshnichenko was off to a hot start in Hershey before being added to the Caps’ roster, posting 14 points in 16 games. He’ll look to continue that momentum now as he waits for his next NHL opportunity.

With the moves, Washington’s active roster remains at the 23-player maximum.

Oilers’ Evander Kane Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out Additional 4-8 Weeks

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Oilers winger Evander Kane underwent a knee procedure on Thursday in Edmonton that will keep him out of the lineup for at least another four to eight weeks, the team said in a statement. While it’s unrelated to the abdominal procedure he underwent in September that’s kept him sidelined for all of the regular season thus far, he’ll need to pause his rehabilitation schedule from that surgery to focus on his knee, the club said.

Kane, 33, should now be considered doubtful to play at all in the regular season. The veteran power forward played through a sports hernia for a good portion of 2023-24, which ended up requiring major surgery at the beginning of training camp to repair it, as well as two torn hip adductor muscles and two torn lower abdominal muscles.

The initial prognosis was a four-month return timeline, which would have put him back in the lineup sometime around the 4 Nations Face-Off. Instead, he’ll now surely be out past the trade deadline and potentially into the postseason.

Kane’s injuries took a toll on his production in 2023-24. While his 77 games played were his most since arriving in Edmonton for the 2021-22 season, his 24 goals and 44 points worked out to 0.57 points per game – his worst since the 2015-16 campaign.

In turn, Kane saw his ice time drop from nearly 19 minutes per game in 2022-23 to 16:47 per game last year, his lowest usage since his rookie season in Atlanta in 2009-10. He added eight points and a league-high 37 PIMs in 20 postseason contests as his Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.

Crucially for Edmonton, Kane missing the rest of the regular season would allow them to keep his $5.125MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve through the trade deadline. The Oilers have done a good job staying out of LTIR throughout the year, so they should be able to take full advantage of that flexibility on deadline day and will likely be able to make a couple of adds without too much financial worry.

Utah’s Dylan Guenther Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury

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Utah Hockey Club star winger Dylan Guenther will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, per a team announcement. Forward Josh Doan was recalled from AHL Tucson in a corresponding transaction, the team said.

Guenther, 21, did not miss a shift in Utah’s last appearance, a 4-1 loss to the Panthers on Wednesday. Whatever the injury, it now looks to keep him on the shelf for multiple weeks as Utah looks to make up ground in the Western Conference wild-card race.

Through their first 40 games in Salt Lake City, Guenther is Utah’s leading goal-scorer with 16. He’s added 18 assists for 34 points, on pace for a career-high 70 over a full season and placing third on the team in overall scoring.

So far, he’s had the year Utah hoped for after inking him to an eight-year, $57.14MM extension at the beginning of training camp. It was viewed as a gamble by most at the time with Guenther only having 50 points in 78 career NHL games under his belt with the Coyotes, who made him the ninth overall selection of the 2021 draft, but locking him in early to avoid paying more for his services later on appears to be a prudent move by general manager Bill Armstrong so far.

Guenther’s absence will be felt most on the power play, where he leads the team in goals with seven. He also leads Utah in total shot attempts (237) and has averaged 16:16 per game, fourth among forwards behind captain Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and fellow young star Logan Cooley.

Utah has been an above-average team by most metrics – controlling 53% of shot attempts and 52.5% of scoring chances at 5-on-5 while also boasting strong special teams percentages. Puzzlingly, actually getting the puck in the net has been their most pressing issue. Their 2.85 goals per game ranks 23rd in the league, and losing Guenther for an extended spell certainly won’t do anything to help that.

Up comes Doan, who will presumably replace Guenther in his second-line spot alongside Cooley and Jack McBain. The 22-year-old Arizona native made Utah’s opening night roster, posting a goal and an assist in nine games before being returned to Tucson.

He’ll get a more extended look now, during which Utah hopes he’ll produce at a rate closer to the nine points in 11 games he put up down the stretch last year with the Coyotes. The 2021 second-rounder has looked good in Tucson, where he ranks fourth in scoring with 21 points (8 G, 13 A) in 25 games.

Utah had an open spot on the active roster, so they don’t need to place Guenther on injured reserve to recall Doan. It’s now full, though, and he’ll likely be the first one to land on IR if they need another roster spot.

Blue Jackets Reassign Daniil Tarasov, Owen Sillinger; Recall Jet Greaves

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The Blue Jackets assigned goaltender Daniil Tarasov and forward Owen Sillinger to AHL Cleveland on Friday, the former heading down on a conditioning stint, per a team release. Columbus recalled netminder Jet Greaves from Cleveland in a corresponding transaction to serve as Elvis Merzļikins’ backup for the foreseeable future.

Tarasov, 25, has made only three starts in the past two months despite not carrying an injury designation. The lack of playing time has stemmed from the Russian’s poor play, as he’s logged just a .857 SV% and 4.23 GAA in 10 appearances this season with a 3-6-1 record.

It’s a disappointing regression from the 2017 third-round pick. Tarasov recorded a promising .908 SV%, 3.18 GAA and 3.9 GSAA in 23 starts and one relief appearance last season behind Merzļikins, ushering in renewed optimism that he could be a long-term backup or tandem option in Columbus.

He’s been essentially unplayable in 2024-25, though, only recording an SV% above .900 in two of his 10 appearances. He’s dropped six straight games dating back to October, allowing at least three goals on each occasion.

Assigning Tarasov to Cleveland on a conditioning loan allows the Jackets to avoid placing him on waivers for now, but it comes with some stipulations. He can only remain in the AHL for 14 days, during which time he counts against the active roster and salary cap, before he must be kept in the NHL or waived.

It’s important to note that Tarasov must have agreed to the conditioning loan – it can’t be a one-sided decision. The 6’5″ netminder has logged time with Cleveland in each of his four previous seasons in North America, both on permanent assignments and injury-related conditioning stints. He has a .893 SV% and a 3.27 GAA in 32 appearances in the minors, good for a 16-11-4 record.

Keeping Tarasov in the minors for a couple of weeks will allow the 23-year-old Greaves to get a more extended audition at the game’s highest level. The Ontario native has played 14 NHL games over the past few seasons while filling in when injuries affected Merzļikins or Tarasov, posting a 4-8-2 record with a 3.45 GAA and .907 SV%. He’s started four of Columbus’ 42 games this year, allowing 14 goals on 127 shots.

Greaves has impressed in the minors ever since Columbus picked him up as an undrafted free agent from the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts in 2021. He’s rocking a career-best .914 SV% and 2.78 GAA in 20 games for Cleveland this year.

Since assigning Tarasov on a conditioning loan doesn’t free up a roster spot for Greaves’ recall, Sillinger heads back to the minors after making his NHL debut on Thursday against the Kraken. The 27-year-old took a minor penalty, skated 13:09, recorded a hit and a block each, and won two of his five faceoffs.

Sillinger had a tough showing possession-wise in his debut, with the Jackets getting out-attempted 17-6 while he was on the ice at 5-on-5. He was a last-minute replacement for his younger brother, Cole Sillinger, who was unavailable with an illness. The former’s reassignment suggests the latter should be good to go tomorrow against the Blues.

Senators Sign Ridly Greig To Four-Year Extension

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The Ottawa Senators announced that they’ve signed forward Ridly Greig to a four-year contract extension worth a reported $13MM. The deal will carry Greig through the 2028-29 season and will see him carry an AAV of $3.25MM.

The 22-year-old is in his third NHL season with Ottawa and has six goals and six assists in 36 games this year. Over 128 career NHL games, the former first-round pick has totaled 21 goals and 26 assists. Although his offensive numbers don’t jump out at you, his overall game is rounding into form. Greig does have some playmaking ability; his skating is fantastic, and he is starting to show an edge and an ability to get under the skin of his opponents.

Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios said in a release from the team that “Ridly has established himself as a key member of our team going forward. He brings a good mix of versatility and tenacity to our forward group.”

Greig has made the jump to the NHL rather quickly after spending just 46 games in the American Hockey League, where he posted 16 goals and 16 assists. His ascension and versatility have given the Senators a lot of options within their forward ranks, as they can utilize Greig at both center and wing. Greig has been paired up recently with Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto to form a formidable line.

Greig was a member of Team Canada during the 2022 World Junior Championships when Canada took gold. He posted three goals and three assists in five games during the tournament. He also represented Canada last year at the 2024 World Championships after the NHL regular season was over, posting a goal and two assists in two games.

At the end of his new deal, Greig will still be a restricted free agent with one year to go until UFA eligibility. He’ll be eligible for arbitration – which he wasn’t going to be this summer if he held out – and will be due a qualifying offer of $3.25MM.

PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed to this article.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Michael Andlauer Sells OHL Team To Hyman Family

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Ottawa Senators majority owner Michael Andlauer has sold the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League to current Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family (as per CHCH News). Andlauer bought the Bulldogs back in 2015 when they were the Belleville Bulls, he moved the club to Hamilton where they went on to win the OHL Championship in 2018 and 2022. The Bulldogs were then moved to Brantford in 2023 due to the Hamilton arena (First Ontario Centre) undergoing extensive renovations and several disagreements between the city and the Bulldogs.

No official announcement has been made as of yet, but one is expected on Monday after the OHL Board approves the sale (as per TSN’s Darren Dreger). A press conference is expected to happen sometime in the middle of next week.

Once it is official, it raises a lot of questions about whether the team will stay in the city of Brantford, the Bulldogs home for the past two seasons. Brantford has information listed on the city’s website that outlines plans to build a $140MM sports and entertainment center that would presumably house the Bulldogs. The website mentions that construction could start this year, with 2027 as the target date to open up a new facility. However, with a new ownership group coming in, those plans could change. Hyman’s father, Stuart Hyman, is a developer in the Toronto area and is expected to be part of the ownership group along with his son.

Senators Recall Matthew Highmore And Zack MacEwen

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled forwards Matthew Highmore and Zack MacEwen from the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (Twitter link). The recalls come on the heels of the Senators getting booed off the ice last night at home after suffering a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.

Highmore has yet to see NHL action this season but did dress in seven NHL games last season for the Senators, posting two assists. The Halifax, Nova Scotia native has played 146 career NHL games in parts of six seasons with four NHL franchises. The undrafted 28-year-old has put up some productive AHL seasons with his best coming in 2022-23 while he was part of the St. Louis Blues organization. Highmore posted 19 goals and 42 assists with their AHL affiliate the Springfield Thunderbirds but could not carry any of that momentum into the NHL as he went scoreless in two games with the Blues that season.

The 28-year-old MacEwen cleared waivers over a month ago and has split this season between Belleville and Ottawa. While he hasn’t produced much offense for the Senators with two goals and an assist in 19 games.  However, those numbers already match last year’s totals, which took MacEwen 30 games to reach. MacEwen’s underlying numbers have also been much better this season, but he has benefitted from more favorable deployment (63.4% offensive zone starts) and a PDO that is 3.6 points higher than last year’s number.

Snapshots: Islanders, Marchment, Kaprizov, Roest

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There has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks about whether the Islanders might consider moving veterans Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri by the March 7th trade deadline.  However, speaking with reporters today including Newsday’s Andrew Gross, GM Lou Lamoriello indicated that the concept is “not even a thought in my mind right now”.  Both players are pending unrestricted free agents and New York went into today’s action in last in the Metropolitan Division, only two points up on Buffalo who sat last in the Eastern Conference coming into tonight.  That said, the second Wild Card spot is still within striking distance so don’t expect Lamoriello to even consider selling for a while yet.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • In a recent appearance on The Ticket (audio link), Stars head coach Peter DeBoer indicated that winger Mason Marchment is still at least a couple of weeks away from returning to the lineup. He’s working his way back from a head injury that DeBoer specified were fractures in his nose and facial area.  The 29-year-old was off to a solid start before getting injured, tallying 12 goals and 15 assists along with 44 hits in his first 33 games.
  • While the Wild were once again without top winger Kirill Kaprizov tonight, a return could be on the horizon. Michael Russo of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that Kaprizov has skated for the last two days and that there’s a chance he will travel with the team for their upcoming two-game road trip if there’s a possibility he can play in one of the games.  The 27-year-old was off to a flying start before sustaining a lower-body injury that has kept him out since the holiday break.  Kaprizov has 23 goals and 27 assists in 34 games so far, good for ninth in league scoring despite being out for more than two weeks now.
  • While Predators prospect Austin Roest is eligible to play in the minors this season, WHL Everett announced that Nashville has informed them that they will return him to junior once he recovers from his injury sustained back in training camp. The 20-year-old was a sixth-round pick in 2023 and has already signed his entry-level deal.  Roest has surpassed the 70-point mark in the last two seasons with the Silvertips and will get a final few months with them before turning pro next season.

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