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An Unlikely Option For The Maple Leafs

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Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet wrote a column for the Toronto Star wondering if the Toronto Maple Leafs might place captain Auston Matthews on long-term injured reserve later this season if his injury concerns continue. The 27-year-old hasn’t played since December 20th and has dealt with a nagging upper-body injury since the start of the season. Currently, he has no return date set, which adds to the speculation surrounding his health.

If Toronto were to place Matthews on LTIR, it would open up $13.25MM in cap space, and Kypreos wonders if Toronto might use that room under the salary cap to chase another top center. Toronto would only be able to do so if Matthews missed the remainder of the regular season, but it would not be unprecedented as the Tampa Bay Lightning had a similar situation in 2021 with star forward Nikita Kucherov when he didn’t play a single game during a shortened regular season and returned for the playoffs.

A move like that for Toronto would give them a huge boost for the playoffs and perhaps take some pressure off Matthews when he returns. It could also allow Toronto an opportunity to address their top defensive pairing, as they haven’t been able to give Morgan Reilly a steady defensive partner this season. The Maple Leafs started the year with Chris Tanev on the top pairing, but he has since moved to the second pairing and formed a very formidable unit with Jake McCabe.

While a move like that would give Toronto a boost, it would be a tough sell for Matthews who is set to lead Team USA into the 4 Nations Face-Off next month. His participation in the tournament is contingent on his health, but it will be a huge concern for the Maple Leafs if he returns before the tournament and reaggravates the injury once again.

Things are never boring when it comes to the Maple Leafs and the uncertainty around Matthews, as well as a team that is desperate for some semblance of playoff success should make for an interesting few months in Toronto.

Snapshots: Landeskog, Francis, Hurricanes, Maccelli

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Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog skated before practice today, notes Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now.  The captain hasn’t played since the sixth game of the Stanley Cup Final back in 2022 due to continued knee trouble including a cartilage transplant in May 2023.  While this isn’t the first time Landeskog has taken to the ice before practice, it’s the first time he has done so since mid-November as he suffered a setback at that time.  There remains no timetable for him to return but Landeskog has noted a few times this year that he hopes to get back into the Colorado lineup at some point this season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The University of Minnesota-Duluth announced (Twitter link) that Ducks prospect Will Francis had a relapse of his leukemia which is why he has been limited to just three games so far this season. Francis was initially diagnosed with it in 2020 and had a relapse in August 2023, leading to a bone marrow transplant back in April.  Francis is hoping to return to the team next month.  PHR wishes Francis well in his continued battle.
  • The Hurricanes announced that defenseman Riley Stillman has been sent back to AHL Chicago. The 26-year-old has been sent back and forth this season but hasn’t seen any action with Carolina.  Stillman has four points in nine contests with the Wolves.  Meanwhile, Carolina has also recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski, defenseman Ty Smith, and winger Jackson Blake from Chicago, per the AHL transactions log.  The three were papered to the minors on Wednesday.
  • Utah announced (Twitter link) that winger Matias Maccelli was scratched from tonight’s game against Calgary due to an illness. After putting up 57 points last season, the 24-year-old has struggled mightily offensively this year, potting just three goals and seven assists through his first 37 outings.  There was some good news on the health front, however, as Clayton Keller returned after missing Tuesday’s game to an illness himself.

Daniel Vladar Hoping To Re-Sign With Flames

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With the trade deadline now just under two months away, teams will be starting to make decisions soon on some of their pending unrestricted free agents.  Among the soon-to-be-UFAs in Calgary is goaltender Daniel Vladar.  While he could be one of the more intriguing netminders to hit the open market in July, that’s not his preference.  Instead, he told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that he has made it clear to everyone in the organization that he wants to remain with the Flames.

The 27-year-old is in his fourth season with Calgary with the first three presenting plenty of ups and downs.  In 2021-22 (his first year with them), he put up a 2.75 GAA and a .906 SV% in 23 games, solid numbers for a second-string option.  Even with a dip the following year, the team saw fit to give him a two-year deal with a $2.2MM cap charge to keep Vladar around a little longer.

Unfortunately for Vladar and Calgary, last season saw him struggle even more, putting up a 3.62 GAA with a .882 SV% in 20 games before undergoing season-ending hip surgery.  Despite those struggles, GM Craig Conroy didn’t go out and add a veteran netminder in free agency last summer, opting to give Vladar another shot at the backup job behind top prospect Dustin Wolf.

That faith has been rewarded thus far as Vladar has improved his numbers to a 3.02 GAA and a .890 SV% in 18 appearances this season, all starts as the two have largely platooned thus far.  Those numbers are around the NHL average and considering he has had more of the tougher starts compared to Wolf, being around league average on a mid-pack team is certainly a step in the right direction.

With Wolf still just getting his feet wet at the NHL level (though he’s playing quite well), there’s a case to make for Calgary to add a more veteran backup to work with him.  On the other hand, sticking with a pairing that works between the pipes isn’t a bad way to go either.  With Vladar’s struggles from last year likely factoring into the price of his next contract, he shouldn’t be able to command much more than what he’s currently making.

There is another factor to consider here, however.  Devin Cooley – whose deal converts to a one-way pact next season – has gotten off to a simply stellar start to his season with AHL Calgary, putting up a 1.92 GAA and a .939 SV% in 22 games with the Wranglers.  He leads the AHL in save percentage while sitting second in goals against average.  He’s making a very strong case to get some NHL time of his own this season and if the Flames want to see what he can do and evaluate if he could be Wolf’s backup, keeping Vladar around will make that task more difficult.

Of course, goalies like Vladar don’t typically carry a lot of value during the in-season trade market.  Barring injuries, many playoff-bound teams have their tandem already in place or Vladar wouldn’t represent enough of an upgrade to justify giving up a return of significance.  But with still nine weeks before the deadline, things can change on this front.

Conroy has some decisions to make with his goaltending and the trade deadline might serve as a soft deadline for that choice depending on what their plans are with Cooley.  But Vladar has been very clear, his hope is that he’ll get a new deal done with the Flames and stay with them for the foreseeable future.

Injury Updates: Wild, Nichushkin, Lindholm, Jost

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The lower-body injury that Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon sustained on Tuesday isn’t as bad as initially feared.  However, it’s still expected to keep him out of the lineup for the next two to three weeks, reports Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.  The 35-year-old has logged at least 20 minutes a night on the back end in every year but his rookie season back in 2010-11.  Spurgeon has 13 points and 52 blocked shots in 32 games so far this season.

Meanwhile, Minnesota might be getting a different key blueliner back soon.  Whyno adds that defenseman Jake Middleton could return as soon as next week from the hand injury that has kept him out for the last three weeks, landing him on LTIR.  Middleton had 13 points in 29 games before the injury while his 76 blocks still lead the Wild.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, mentions Corey Masisak of The Denver Post. However, head coach Jared Bednar added that the 29-year-old could miss seven to ten days with the issue.  Nichushkin has been quite productive since returning from a stint in the Player Assistance Program, notching 11 goals and six assists in just 21 games, putting him in a tie for fourth in team goals despite missing 17 games.
  • Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm is making some strides as he works his way back from a lower-body injury but hasn’t been cleared to skate yet, notes Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. The veteran has missed the better part of the last two months with the injury, a big blow to a Boston back end that has had some uncharacteristic struggles so far.  Prior to the injury, Lindholm had seven points in 17 games while logging nearly 21 minutes a night, a per-game rate that stands second on the team.
  • The undisclosed injury that Hurricanes forward Tyson Jost sustained on Tuesday is expected to keep him out long-term, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). The 26-year-old cleared waivers earlier this season but played in 16 games with Carolina since being recalled in November.  Jost has a pair of goals in those outings while averaging 10:28 per game but he won’t be adding to that point total for a while yet now.

Jakob Chychrun Open To Signing Extension With Capitals

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The Washington Capitals have been one of the biggest surprises through the early year. They sit with a 25-10-2 record through 37 games, good for the third-highest point percentage (70.3 percent) in the NHL. That success has been driven by the litany of new faces Washington acquired this summer, with defenseman Jakob Chychrun sat top among them. He’s quickly earned a top-pair role in Washington, proving to be a fantastic compliment for perennial Capitals star John Carlson. Chychrun leads the Capitals blue-line in scoring, even despite missing five games with injury. That momentum, backed by improved play in the defensive end, has the Capitals considering their long-term options.

Chychrun is in the final season of a six-year, $27.6MM contract signed with the Arizona Coyotes in the summer of 2019. He’s certainly outplayed his $4.6MM yearly cap hit, and could finally demand top-pair money on a new deal. But Washington isn’t deterred by that lofty raise shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, who points out that re-signing Chychrun will be a clear priority for the Capitals. Silber also pointed towards Chychrun telling Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that he envisions himself re-signing a long-term deal.

The extent of Chychrun’s improvement this year can’t be understated. He’s looked vastly improved outside of Arizona, last season posting a career-high 41 points in 82 games with the Ottawa Senators in what was his first full year outside of the desert. But he coupled that scoring with a measly -30 plus-minus and 2.79 xGA/60 (expected-goals against per-60), stats that ranked last and second-to-last on the Senators’ blue line respectively. Chychrun has quickly turned that around in Washington, upping his scoring to 25 points in 32 games coupled by a +17 plus-minus and 2.64 xGA/60. The Capitals as a team are far more sound defensively, but Chychrun has nonetheless proved a strong contributor and reasonable two-way option in his new top-pair role. He’s on pace to score 63 points through the end of the season, yet another career-high in scoring, and only seems to be heating up more with four points in three games to close out December.

Chychrun built a reputation for being all-offense, little-defense across seven years in Arizona. That might make his future hard to lean on, but the 26-year-old has looked complete in Washington and brings the team stability in the top-four that they haven’t had since trading away Dmitry Orlov. How those traits should be valued is a far different question. Brandon Montour and Brady Skjei each earned seven-year deals and cap hits north of $7MM in their moves to new teams this summer, while Jaccob Slavin signed an eight-year deal with a $6.396MM cap hit in Carolina. The Capitals even joined in on the summer buys, signing Matt Roy to a six-year deal with a $5.75MM cap hit to ultimately fill a role now behind Chychrun on the depth chart.

Given his boost of offense and improving defense, Chychrun likely sits somewhere between that quartet of defenders – setting Washington up for a max-term deal with an annual cost of at least $6.5MM. Luckily, the Capitals will be in a prime spot to take on that pay raise. They only have nine pending unrestricted free agents next summer, though that does include goaltenders Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson. Washington will have roughly $24.3MM in projected cap space to bring everyone back, per PuckPedia, leaving them just shy of $18MM should Chychrun demand market price.

The Capitals will have to think forward with their spending. Lineup pillars Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, and Connor McMichael will all be due for their own extensions in the summer of 2026. But Chychrun’s impact through his first half in Washington has been too good to pass up. He’s proven a consistent scorer, capable of flowing next to Carlson or serving as the offensive bite next to defensive-minded partners like Trevor van Riemsdyk. He’s filled a notably missing piece, and the Capitals have returned to thriving now that they have it back. That will make Chychrun a player worth buying, especially with mutual interest already on the table.

Golden Knights Place Ivan Barbashev On IR, Recall Tanner Laczynski

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The Vegas Golden Knights have moved forward Ivan Barbashev to injured reserve, retroactive to December 16th, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Barbshev has missed Vegas’ last six games with an upper-body injury, after leaving the team’s December 15th matchup at the end of the first period. He didn’t appear to sustain a noticeable injury, leaving the question of where or how Barbashev suffered his now multi-week injury up in the air. A retroactive IR placement will allow Vegas to activate Barbashev as soon as he returns to full health.

In the mean time, the Golden Knights have also brought forward Tanner Laczynski back to the NHL roster. The move comes just four days after Vegas moved Laczynski back to the minor leagues, ending his previous recall at 11 days. Laczynski stepped into his first five games of the season before being sent down. He didn’t manage any scoring, but did record six penalty minutes and a -1, while serving on Vegas’ fourth line. They were Laczynski’s first five games as a member of the Golden Knights. He spent the first three seasons of his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. Serving primarily as a depth fill-in, Laczynski totaled 38 games with the Flyers – 32 of those coming last season, when he netted the first four points of his NHL career. He’s otherwise been a career minor-leaguer, combining for 94 points across 111 games, and five seasons, in the AHL.

Laczynski has performed well enough to hold down Vegas’ fourth line, but the Golden Knights are still sincerely missing Barbashev’s production. The bulky Russian has 30 points, split evenly, in 31 games this season – placing Barbashev in a three-way tie for second on the team in scoring, alongisde Mark Stone and Shea Theodore. Barbashev is on an 82-game pace of 79 points, which would smash his previous career-high in scoring: 60 points set with the St. Louis Blues in 2021-22. He’ll need to return soon to continue chasing that milestone, but should immediately step back into the top-six when he is healthy again.

Zachary L’Heureux Suspended Three Games

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1/2: The NHL has announced a three games suspension for L’Heureux. It’s the first suspension of his NHL career. L’Heureux built up a long rap sheet while playing junior hockey, ultimately sitting out of 36 games across four seasons in the QMJHL due to suspension. He will be eligible to return on January 11th, when the Predators host the Washington Capitals.

1/1: Predators winger Zachary L’Heureux injured Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon in the second period of Tuesday’s game on a slew-footing incident.  The play (Twitter link via 102.5 The Game’s Nick Kieser) saw the rookie receive a match penalty on the play, creating an automatic review.

Following that review, it was announced that L’Heureux will have a hearing on Thursday about the hit.  Michael Russo of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that it will be a phone hearing.  The maximum penalty for a phone hearing is five games.

L’Heureux was recalled to Nashville’s roster just two weeks into the season and he has been a regular in their bottom six since then, averaging 11:31 a night of playing time.  The 21-year-old has played in 33 games so far, picking up four goals and five assists along with 106 hits and 32 penalty minutes in those outings.

Assuming a suspension comes his way, it will be the first NHL ban of L’Heureux’s career.  However, it’s worth noting that he was suspended nine times in the QMJHL while also receiving a pair of suspensions last season in the minors.  None of those will be taken into consideration here, however, since they occurred at other levels.

With Cole Smith on injured reserve, the Predators are now down to just 12 healthy forwards on their active roster.  With a potential suspension looming for L’Heureux, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Nashville recall a forward or two from AHL Milwaukee before Friday’s game against Vancouver.

Predators Recall Spencer Stastney, Ozzy Wiesblatt

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The Predators recalled defenseman Spencer Stastney and right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt from AHL Milwaukee on Thursday, per the AHL’s transactions log (stick taps to Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game). Nashville had a pair of open roster spots, so no corresponding transaction is necessary.

Stastney, 25 on Saturday, returns to the NHL after suiting up in 20 regular-season and three playoff games for the Preds last season. He wasn’t at this season’s training camp due to personal reasons, though, an absence that stretched until late November.

Upon his return, the Preds sent Stastney to Milwaukee to get back up to game speed. There, the 2018 fifth-round pick has three assists and a +2 rating through 10 games, not quite matching the impact he had last season with 20 points and a +27 rating in only 44 AHL appearances.

In his NHL minutes last season, Stastney showed he could be a capable bottom-pairing presence. He posted a pair of goals and assists with a +9 rating, averaging just south of 16 minutes per game and blocking 29 shots.

Checking in at 6’0″ and 183 lbs, Stastney controlled 51.9% of shot attempts and 59.3% of expected goals when he was on the ice at even strength last year. They’ll be looking for him to do more of the same in a bottom-pairing role while Jeremy Lauzon and Adam Wilsby sit out with injuries.

If Wiesblatt draws into the lineup tomorrow against the Canucks – not a given since Nashville has 12 healthy forwards without him – it would mark his NHL debut. A first-round pick of the Sharks in 2020, the Preds acquired him in exchange for pending RFA Egor Afanasyev in June. Afanasyev opted not to sign with San Jose and head overseas, while Wiesblatt inked a two-year, two-way extension in November in addition to playing out the final season of his entry-level contract this year.

The 22-year-old hasn’t been an offensive factor like the Sharks initially hoped in the minors, and that hasn’t changed much this season. Wiesblatt has been just fine, posting 14 points and 45 PIMs in 27 games for Milwaukee. That 0.52 points per game pace is a career-high in the minors for Wiesblatt, who’s now in his third AHL season.

Neither Stastney nor Wiesblatt will need to clear waivers if they’re sent back down to Milwaukee.

Senators To Activate Artem Zub, Anton Forsberg

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1:39 p.m.: Søgaard has been sent down as expected, the team announced. They still need to make another move.

12:46 p.m.: Senators defenseman Artem Zub will return to the lineup Thursday against the Stars after missing well over a month with a foot fracture, head coach Travis Green told TSN 1200 Ottawa. He must be activated from long-term injured reserve to do so, which, along with goaltender Anton Forsberg coming off injured reserve, is a move that will require multiple corresponding transactions. Ottawa has neither the roster space nor the cap space for his activation.

The Sens must open at least two roster spots and just over $1MM in cap space to reinstate Zub and Forsberg. Placing starting netminder Linus Ullmark on long-term injured reserve and returning fourth-stringer Mads Søgaard to AHL Belleville would satisfy both of those requirements, although placing Ullmark on LTIR would rule him out for eight more games. He’s already been ruled out for their next three while dealing with back issues.

Zub, one of Ottawa’s top penalty killers and a top-four fixture, hasn’t played since Nov. 23. His absence ends after 16 games, during which time the Sens have gone 11-4-1 and rocketed back up the Eastern Conference standings and into a playoff spot, at least for the time being.

Since arriving in the Canadian capital as an undrafted free agent signing in 2020, Zub has averaged 20:17 per game and recorded 73 points with a +5 rating in 261 appearances. Injuries have become a recurring problem for the Russian over the past two seasons, though. A concussion kept him out for nine games earlier this season, while a separate concussion, illness, and lower-body issues limited him to 69 appearances in 2023-24.

Zub is expected to slot back into a reduced bottom-pairing role alongside Tyler Kleven as he gets back up to game speed. Jacob Bernard-Docker and Nikolas Matinpalo will serve as healthy extras, unless the latter is returned to AHL Belleville later today as part of Ottawa’s roster shuffling.

They’ll likely want to get Zub back to his usual top-pairing tricks alongside Jake Sanderson as soon as possible. Veteran Travis Hamonic has taken Zub’s place for much of the year to poor results. The Senators control 45.5% of expected with Sanderson and Hamonic deployed together compared to 53.1% with Sanderson and Zub, per MoneyPuck. The pairs generate comparable offense but have a drastic defensive difference, with the Zub pairing allowing 2.02 xGA/60 compared to the Hamonic one allowing 2.73. In terms of actual goals, the Sanderson-Hamonic pairing has been outscored 13-5 at 5-on-5.

Meanwhile, in the crease, Ottawa now has at least one of their regulars back. Forsberg hadn’t dressed for the last six games with a lower-body issue, forcing the Sens to roll out an AHL tandem of Søgaard and Leevi Merilainen with Ullmark also on the shelf.

Before his injury, Forsberg had struggled to the tune of a .889 SV% and -2.9 GSAA in 11 outings with a 4-6-0 record. Inconsistency has been the name of his game – he has a decent 2.95 GAA and a pair of shutouts, but he only has three games this season with a .900 SV% or better.

Sharks Place Carl Grundström On IR, Activate Marc-Édouard Vlasic

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The Sharks placed winger Carl Grundström on injured reserve Thursday retroactive to Dec. 28 with an undisclosed injury, Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News reports. His roster spot will likely go to defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic, who told reporters (including Max Miller of The Hockey News) that he’s ready to make his season debut after sitting on IR for the first 40 games with a back injury.

Grundström, 27, already missed Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to the Flyers with the injury he sustained early in last weekend’s loss to the Flames. He left the game in the first period and didn’t return after he was on the receiving end of a massive hit from Calgary defenseman Brayden Pachal.

It doesn’t appear his absence should stretch out much longer. He skated today in a non-contact jersey, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, so he’s at least been cleared to skate. The IR placement rules him out of the Sharks’ next two games, but the Swede could return next Tuesday against the Golden Knights if he’s ready.

The Sharks acquired Grundström’s signing rights from the cross-state rival Kings in late June before signing the restricted free agent to a two-year, $3.6MM the following week. He hasn’t been as much of a factor as San Jose hoped, averaging a career-low 9:00 per game and contributing just one goal and four assists through 30 appearances. He’d been a healthy scratch in four out of nine games before being injured.

In his more limited ice time, the 2016 second-rounder has still been the physical presence the Sharks acquired him to be. He leads the team with 18.87 hits per 60 minutes, translating into some good defensive metrics. Grundström boasts a relative shot attempt share of 3.2% at 5-on-5, his highest since his 15-game rookie trial with Los Angeles in the 2018-19 campaign.

The Sharks are also without budding star winger William Eklund for the time being due to an upper-body issue in addition to the lingering absence of captain Logan Couture due to osteitis pubis. That’s led to increased opportunities for guys like bang-and-crash winger Klim Kostin, who will skate in a first-line role alongside Mikael Granlund and Luke Kunin tonight against the Lightning.

For the 37-year-old Vlasic, it’s a long-awaited return after returning to the ice for practice over a month ago. The Sharks’ all-time leader in games played by a defenseman (1,296) has been plagued by injuries since the beginning of last season on top of his already sharp age-related decline, which contributed to him posting 12 points with a career-worst -27 rating in 57 games in 2023-24 while averaging only 16:17 per game.

Vlasic will skate in a third-pairing role alongside Jan Rutta while rookie Shakir Mukhamadullin serves as a healthy scratch, Peng reports. He still has another season to go on the massive eight-year, $56MM extension he signed in 2017.

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