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Penguins Have Tough Decisions To Make In Second Half Of Season

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will have some difficult choices to make as they inch towards the NHL trade deadline on March 7th, 2025. Pittsburgh has several intriguing trade possibilities, including defensemen Marcus Pettersson, Matt Grzelcyk, and forward Drew O’Connor. The Penguins have played better as of late, turning things around from an early season run of poor hockey that had fans screaming for a coaching change. This run has further complicated the direction general manager Kyle Dubas can take this team in the second half of the season.

A 9-3-1 run heading into the holiday break had people wondering if Dubas should hang on to pending unrestricted free agents, however, the Penguins played a fairly uninspiring game last night against a division rival, dropping a 6-3 decision to the lowly New York Islanders. The loss kicks off an unofficial second half of the season for Pittsburgh, one in which the possibilities appear to be many. The month of January will be crucial for Pittsburgh to determine the direction in which the remainder of the season will go. If the Penguins play .500 hockey or below, it is likely that Dubas will opt to move on from Pettersson and company and keep his eyes on the future. However, if Pittsburgh is in the hunt, standing pat could be an option too.

Additions seem unlikely given that Dubas has been accumulating future assets for the past calendar year and has publicly expressed his desire to build for the future. Acquiring a young, controllable player could be a move that Dubas desires, similar to the recent trade for forward Philip Tomasino.

The other looming concern for Pittsburgh is franchise legend Sidney Crosby and the message it would send to him if Dubas were to move out veterans while the Penguins are in the thick of a playoff hunt. At 37 years old, Crosby only has a few high-level seasons left in him, and he has been on a tear as of late, rounding into mid-season form. Dubas has already said the Penguins won’t enter a full rebuild with Crosby on the roster, meaning they will continue to try and remain competitive with an eye toward the future.

The next two months in Pittsburgh should be interesting, Pettersson would fetch a solid return of futures. However, there aren’t many other players Dubas can move that will bring in anything of substance, which could be another factor in his decision before the deadline. O’Connor is an intriguing possibility for teams, but he hasn’t been able to recapture his offensive numbers from last season, which has impacted what the Penguins can get in a trade for him. The 26-year-old has just three goals and seven assists in 37 games this year.

Snapshots: Rangers, Forsberg, Vanecek, Eyssimont

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Despite what has been a rather tumultuous last few weeks, the Rangers would prefer not to make a coaching change, suggests Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription link).  New York entered tonight’s action having lost 13 of their last 17 games, sliding from being in a playoff spot to seventh in the Metropolitan Division heading into Saturday’s action (which didn’t go well for them either).  Even with the recent struggles, the Rangers have played to a .634 points percentage under Peter Laviolette who is approaching the midway point of his three-year contract.

More from around the NHL:

  • Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg could return to the lineup on Thursday in Dallas, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He has been out for the last two weeks with what was originally termed as a minor ailment sustained during a pregame warmup.  The 32-year-old has a 2.95 GAA with a .889 SV% in his first 11 starts of the season.  In the meantime, Ottawa is playing this weekend with their AHL tandem of Mads Sogaard and Leevi Merilainen with Linus Ullmark out for their road trip.
  • Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky provided an update on injured goaltender Vitek Vanecek. He told reporters including Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link) that the upper-body injury the netminder is dealing with is a fractured cheek.  He’s now listed as out week-to-week.  Vanecek has a 3.84 GAA and a .885 SV% in 14 outings this season and could be a possible trade candidate for a team looking for extra goaltending depth when he’s cleared to return as he’s in the final year of his contract.
  • Lightning winger Michael Eyssimont is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays team reporter Gabby Shirley (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has played in 31 games so far this season, picking up three goals and two assists in just under 11 minutes a night of ice time.  Tampa Bay has two open roster spots at the moment so if they need to call up someone from AHL Syracuse, they won’t have to move Eyssimont to IR to do so.

Central Notes: Stars, Avalanche, Wild, Bortuzzo

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The Stars are being investigated by the league for a possible CBA violation over the holiday break, report Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription link).  Head coach Peter DeBoer indicated on Friday that there was an optional skate held on Thursday.  However, teams aren’t permitted to hold any sort of on-ice sessions with players between December 24th and 26th with this skate being held on the 26th.  The league sent a memo to all 32 teams on Monday reminding them of the rule prohibiting travel or ice time.  Back in 2022, Toronto was fined $100K for violating the travel portion of the rule so if the league levies a penalty to Dallas following their investigation, it’s likely to be at or above that amount.

More from the Central:

  • Avalanche defenseman Oliver Kylington had been listed as out week-to-week but that has been changed to month-to-month, reports NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Bluesky link). He has missed the last four weeks with an upper-body injury but hasn’t been progressing in his recovery.  However, there should be some good news coming on the injury front as Boulding adds that winger Jonathan Drouin could return on Tuesday.  He has missed the last month with an upper-body injury and has been limited to just five games so far this season due to injuries.
  • Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek skated today and the team is hopeful he can return to the lineup in one of Minnesota’s next two games, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link). He has missed a little more than three weeks with a lower-body injury and while he was off to a rough start offensively with 13 points in 22 games, he’d be a welcome addition to a Wild group that has struggled in recent weeks.
  • Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo skated with the team today and has been cleared for contact, relays Brogan Houston of the Deseret News (Twitter link). The veteran has missed a little over two weeks so far due to a lower-body injury.  Bortuzzo has played in 15 games this season but has been limited to just two assists in a little over 11 minutes a night of ice time.

Avalanche Make Four Roster Moves

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It was a busy day for the Avalanche on top of their trade with Nashville earlier today.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have loaned defenseman John Ludvig to AHL Colorado on a conditioning assignment while also assigning forward Givani Smith to the Eagles.  Meanwhile, the Avs also recalled defenseman Keaton Middleton and winger Jere Innala from the Eagles, per the AHL’s transactions log.

Ludvig was claimed on waivers back in October but playing time has been hard to come by as he has been limited to just eight games so far.  He has a pair of assists and 16 hits while averaging just under 13 minutes a night.  Ludvig has only played three times since November 10th and hasn’t suited up once since December 5th so he’ll be well-served getting some game action in with the Eagles.  The conditioning assignment can last up to two weeks.

As for Smith, he was acquired earlier this month from San Jose after he cleared waivers.  Since then, he has gotten into seven games, bringing his season total to 13.  For the season, the 26-year-old doesn’t have a point while adding 18 penalty minutes and 20 hits in a little over six minutes a night of playing time.  He can only play in three more NHL games before needing to pass through waivers again.

Middleton and Innala, meanwhile, were reassigned to the minors before the holiday break, allowing the Avs to save some money (though not bank cap space since they’re in LTIR).  Middleton has nine blocks and 13 hits in nine games so far while Innala has been held off the scoresheet in his first three NHL appearances.

Hurricanes Recall Ty Smith; Shayne Gostisbehere Out With Upper-Body Injury

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The Hurricanes had recalled defenseman Ty Smith on five separate occasions earlier in the season but he never got into a game.  It turns out the sixth time will be the charm.  Earlier today, the team announced that they once again promoted Smith from AHL Chicago.  However, they also revealed (Twitter link) that blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere was scratched for tonight’s game against New Jersey due to an upper-body injury.

Smith was acquired by Carolina last season at the trade deadline as part of the Jake Guentzel trade but hadn’t suited up for the Hurricanes before tonight.  The 24-year-old has played in 13 games with the Wolves so far this season, collecting three goals and seven assists.  Smith has 123 career NHL appearances under his belt between New Jersey and Pittsburgh but last saw action at the top level in January 2023.

As for Gostisbehere, he has been quite productive in his return to Carolina after signing a three-year, $9.6MM contract he signed back in July.  Through 35 games, he has six goals and 21 assists while logging 19 minutes a night.  He leads all Hurricanes blueliners in scoring while sitting third in points overall among all Carolina players so his absence will certainly be notable.  The team didn’t reveal any potential timeline for his absence.

Avalanche Acquire Juuso Pärssinen From Predators

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The Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators are making yet another trade, with forward Juuso Pärssinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick headed to the Avalanche in exchange for forward Ondrej Pavel and a 2027 third-round pick.

The Predators have been shopping Pärssinen around throughout much of the month, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting teams were interested in the forward two weeks ago. In the end, Nashville finds a typical suitor in Colorado. The two sides have already made one trade this season, swapping veteran backup Scott Wedgewood for young up-and-comer Justus Annunen and a draft pick in late-November. That move was one of four trades that Nashville has made this year, and one of three Avalanche trades. Both goalies have been fantastic in their new settings, with Wedgewood posting a 4-2-0 record and .932 save percentage in six games, and Annunen posting a 2-1-0 record and .941 in four games.

The two sides will now hope for similar profits from this deal. In Parssinen, Colorado receives the clear upper-hand, reeling in a six-foot-three, 212-pound 23-year-old with the ability to play either center or wing. Parssinen, originally a seventh-round pick in 2019, turned pro with the Predators in the 2022-23 season. He started the year in the minors, but earned a quick call-up after scoring nine points in his first 10 AHL games. Unfortunately, Parssinen couldn’t stay too hot at the pro level, though he did still manage an encouraging 25 points in 45 games as an NHL rookie. He made the Predators’ roster out of training camp last season, but managed just 12 points in 43 games before being reassigned to the minor leagues. Parssinen managed an additional 25 points in 36 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, setting him up to return to the NHL this year – but he still can’t seem to find his footing at the top flight. As it stands, he has just five points in 15 games this season – while serving in a true fourth-line role.

Parssinen still seems to have plenty of untapped potential, and middle-six upside. While Colorado mines that vein, Nashville clears up additional space on the NHL roster by acquiring career minor-leaguer Ondrej Pavel. Pavel also turned pro in 2022-23, joining the AHL’s Colorado Eagles for two games, and no scoring, after the end of Minnesota State’s season. He more formally played his rookie AHL season last year, recording 10 points and 37 penalty minutes in 61 games. Pavel also received the first two NHL games of his career last year, though one minor penalty and a -1 stand as his only stat changes. He’s continued to post menial scoring this year, with just two points in 14 AHL games on the season, and should head for a clear role down Nashville’s depth chart. That could open up space for the team to award more ice time to Fedor Svechkov, Reid Schaefer, or Joakim Kemell – three top prospects who have each performed admirably in the AHL. Predators general manager Barry Trotz said previously that, should the roster continue sliding, he’d like to prioritize getting top prospects NHL action – a statement vindicated by this move, and the team’s 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games.

Blue Jackets Activate, Assign Jordan Dumais

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated top prospect Jordan Dumais off of season-opening injured reserve and loaned him to the AHL. Dumais missed the majority of Columbus’ training and development camps this summer, and earned an IR placement on October 7th, due to a nagging lower-abdominal injury connected to a fractured hip suffered in January. He underwent surgery in late-January but couldn’t return to full health in time for the end of the 2023-24 season. The Cleveland Monsters have three games remaining in 2024, giving Dumais a slim window to play in any regular season games this year. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic adds that Dumais was headed for another surgery this summer, before hitting a positive swing in his training.

Dumais’ hip and abdominal injury put a sore end to a truly fantastic juniors career. He scored at unprecedented rates in four years with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, headlined by 109 points in his draft year and 140 points the year after. The latter season broke Halifax’s single-season scoring record, while the former ranks fifth. He was headed for more records at the start of last season, scoring 47 points in 21 games prior to injury –  a full-season pace of 143 points in 64 games. And while he wasn’t able to reach those heights, his 119 goals and 325 points in 193 career games with the Mooseheads still both rank as franchise-records.

Despite the incredible scoring, many aren’t convinced about how Dumais will translate to the pro flight. He’s earned his points through quick dekes and smooth skating, giving him a unique ability to sneak around opponents with the puck on his stick. But he only stands at five-foot-nine and 175-pounds – a frame that assuredly doesn’t lend itself to slick deking against NHL hitters. Fears over his size and projectability landed Dumais in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft, going 96th-overall to Columbus. He vindicated their faith quickly at the juniors level, but has been delayed in doing the same in the pros. This roster move should be the first step towards discovering where Dumais’ true upside lies, so long as he continues to trend towards full health.

Washington Capitals To Activate Alex Ovechkin From Injured Reserve

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The wait is over for the Washington Capitals. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Capitals are expected to activate Alex Ovechkin from the team’s injured reserve tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ovechkin has missed the last 16 games for Washington after suffering a broken fibula against the Utah Hockey Club on November 18th. The injury was a major buzzkill to Ovechkin’s season as the veteran sniper got off to a torrid start with 15 goals and 25 points in 18 games.

His hot start put him only 27 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals. Ovechkin will still have 48 games to break Gretzky’s record this season despite missing over a month due to injury. Not only will Ovechkin chase the goal-scoring record for the remaining regular season games but will also help Washington pursue the team’s first Metropolitan Division title since the 2019-20 season.

He’s now moved to second behind Connor McMichael in goal-scoring for the Capitals this season. Still, Washington performed well in their captain’s absence with a 10-5-1 record. Outside of their record, the Capitals have surprisingly excelled in areas of the game that Ovechkin would otherwise excel in.

Washington managed a 16.4% powerplay percentage with nine goals in 55 opportunities with Ovechkin in the lineup at the beginning of the year but has turned things around with 13 goals in 47 attempts (27.7%) in his absence. Still, their 5on5 goal-scoring has taken quite a hit dropping to 3.68 GF/G after averaging 4.33 with Ovechkin.

The Capitals won’t have to make any corresponding roster move for Ovechkin’s activation since they’re reportedly keeping Lars Eller on the team’s injured reserve due to illness. Former first-round pick Hendrix Lapierre will slot down the middle of the team’s third line while Ovechkin will reprise his role on the team’s top line.

Ovechkin has publicly stated he’s putting the Capitals’ playoff aspirations above his chase for the goal-scoring record. If he can’t break it this season, he’ll have one more year under his current contract giving him plenty of time to eventually take the crown.

Nashville Predators Recall Vinnie Hinostroza

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Journeyman Vinnie Hinostroza is set to play for the sixth franchise of his 10-year NHL career. The Nashville Predators announce they’ve recalled Hinostroza from their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

Hinostroza is in his first year with the Predators organization after signing a two-year, $1.55MM contract on the third day of this past offseason. He’s spent the entirety of the 2024-25 in Milwaukee where he’s been the highest-scoring player up to this point.

He’s not only Milwaukee’s highest-scoring player but leads the entire American Hockey League with 11 goals and 33 points in 26 games. Hinostroza is only two points shy of his total production in 42 games last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Hinostroza’s recall seems like another move from general manager Barry Trotz to introduce more scoring into Nashville’s lineup. The Predators have infamously been one of the most disappointing teams this season after an explosive flurry of signings this past summer.

He won’t be the final answer for a lethargic Nashville offense but Hinostroza should at least help the organization increase their second-to-last-place 2.44 GF/G average. The Predators generate enough shots and offensive chances but aren’t connecting on their opportunities. There’s little expectation Hinostroza’s 21.2% AHL shooting percentage will translate to the NHL level but it’s a step in the right direction for the Predators.

Los Angeles Kings Recall Arthur Kaliyev, Place Trevor Moore On IR

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Arthur Kaliyev is expected to play in his first NHL contest in the last 269 days. The Los Angeles Kings announced they’ve activated Kaliyev from the injured reserve and recalled him from his conditioning loan while placing Trevor Moore on the injured reserve in a corresponding roster move.

Kaliyev hasn’t played for the Kings since last year’s regular season. He got off to a solid start last season with six goals and 13 points through his first 25 games but his production dissipated quickly. Los Angeles did everything they could to jumpstart Kaliyev’s scoring output but he finished the 2023-24 season with one goal and two points in his subsequent 26 games.

His comeback effort didn’t start on the right foot. Kaliyev suffered a broken collarbone on the second day of training camp this year, precluding him from starting the regular season on time. He was finally cleared to play on December 10th when the Kings originally sent him to the AHL on his conditioning loan. His time with AHL’s Ontario Reign produced mixed results after scoring one goal and two points in five contests.

Los Angeles will hope Kaliyev can re-establish his offensive production this season. He’s only two years removed from scoring 13 goals and 28 points for the Kings in 56 games and is still only 23 years old. His play down the stretch of the 2024-25 season will likely dictate Kaliyev’s future in the Kings organization.

Still, Kaliyev is likely the best internal option at the Kings’ disposal to replace Moore in the lineup. The veteran winger has missed Los Angeles’ last five games due to an upper-body injury and isn’t ready to return. Moore is tied for the sixth on the Kings in goal-scoring with six goals in 28 games after finishing last year as the team’s best goal-scorer with 31 goals in 82 contests.

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