Use this link to view the transcript for this week’s PHR Live Chat session with Josh Erickson.
Predators Place Marc Del Gaizo On Waivers
The Nashville Predators have placed defenseman Marc Del Gaizo on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Del Gaizo has cleared through waivers once already this year, joining the long list of players to be waived and assigned to the minors before the season started.
Del Gaizo was recalled a few times in October but received a call that’d stick on October 30th. He’s stepped into 20 of Nashville’s 23 games since then, recording three assists, a -1, 28 blocked shots, and 32 hits. The appearances officially cement this season as Del Gaizo’s rookie year, after he played in nine games last season. He recorded a surprisingly similar stat line in those appearances as well – ending the 2023-24 NHL season with three assists, a +2, and 20 hits. Del Gaizo’s impact has been much clearer in the minor leagues. He has been a proud member of the Milwaukee Admirals blue-line since the 2021-22 season, after starting his pro career with a brief, nine-game stint with the Chicago Wolves in 2020-21. In total, he has recorded 89 points, 114 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 209 games and five seasons in the minor leagues.
Del Gaizo’s waiving suggests that one of Nashville’s many injured defenders could return soon. The team is currently without superstar Roman Josi, lineup pillars Jeremy Lauzon and Alexandre Carrier, and depth defender Spencer Stastney. Lauzon and Josi are both listed as day-to-day and both participated in Nashville’s practice on Tuesday. Stastney and Carrier are on injured reserve and would need to be activated to rejoin the lineup.
Sharks Recall Yaroslav Askarov, Vitek Vanecek Week-To-Week
3:00 PM: Goaltender Vanecek has been designated to miss, “a couple of weeks” per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.
1:00 PM: The San Jose Sharks have once again called up top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov from the minor leagues. Askarov will fill in for Vitek Vanecek on the depth chart after Vanecek was injured by a puck shot into the bench in San Jose’s Monday loss to Winnipeg. No update has been provided on Vanecek’s long-term outlook, though Askarov’s call-up suggests he’ll miss at least a few games.
Askarov returns to the NHL just three weeks after being assigned to the minor leagues on November 26th. That roster move came soon after Askarov’s first start of the season, in which he gave the opposing St. Louis Blues a free goal just seconds into the game after misplaying a loose puck. His assignment to the minors came with a clear message from head coach Ryan Warsofsky, and it’s one Askarov heard clearly. He’s been lights out on his latest AHL stint, setting a 5-1-2 record, one shutout, and a .934 save percentage in eight appearances. The dazzling numbers have launched Askarov up the AHL leaderboards, with his .938 in 14 games this season ranked second in the league and his 2.00 goals-against-average ranked third. Only Calgary Flames prospect Devin Cooley has posted a better statistical profile this season.
Askarov’s chance of starting on this recall will largely depend on Vanecek’s prognosis. The 22-year-old Russian has certainly shown an ability to perform at the top level – posting a .927 Sv% in two games with the Sharks this season – but needed to iron out some inconsistencies first. He’s seemed to do just that, but now faces new competition in the form of recently-acquired Alexandar Georgiev. Acquired in a swap for Mackenzie Blackwood, Georgiev has started both of his first two games with the Sharks – though he’s allowed seven goals on 53 shots, good for a .868 Sv%. Still, he’s a tenured veteran trying to find his footing in a new scene. That could be enough for San Jose to relegate Askarov to the backup role, though an extended absence from Vanecek could give the top prospect enough space to prove he belongs.
Blue Jackets Notes: Fabbro, Johnson, Chinakhov, Greaves
The Columbus Blue Jackets received a series of injury and roster updates on Wednesday, headlined by an update on defenseman Dante Fabbro’s injury. Fabbro left Columbus’ Tuesday loss to Tampa Bay in the second period, after receiving a scary knee-to-knee hit from Lightning rookie Conor Geekie. But Fabbro has avoided the worst possible outcome, nursing more of a charley horse than a bad knee injury per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Fabbro was not available for Columbus’ optional Wednesday practice.
Fabbro will be working to maintain his hot streak in Columbus if he does play. He has seven points, 16 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 18 games since the Blue Jackets claimed him off waivers in November. It’s been a 180-degree turnaround from his start to the season with Nashville, which saw Fabbro record no scoring, no penalties, and a -3 through six games. The 2016 17th-overall pick has been a fixture of the Predators’ lineup since turning pro at the end of the 2018-19 season, establishing a confident role on the team’s second pair. But he never seemed to favor either zone, with low-scoring totals complemented by negative plus-minuses and poor advanced stats. He ultimately totaled just 72 points in 315 games, and seven seasons, with the Predators. 24 points in 66 games of the 2021-22 campaign stand as his career-high in scoring. But Fabbro could surpass that mark this year, with his hot start in Columbus putting him on pace for 26 points – even despite no scoring in Nashville. That pace would require he play in all 50 games remaining on the Blue Jackets’ schedule, though – a mission that will start by returning from this lower-body injury.
Other notes out of Ohio:
- Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson will join Fabbro as questionable for Wednesday night’s game per Portzline. Johnson took a stick to the eye in Sunday’s match against Carolina and is scheduled to see an eye doctor in Columbus on Wednesday. He has rotated out of Columbus third pairing, averaging 13:32 in ice time and recording just one assist in 18 games this season. With both Fabbro and Johnson both questionable, Portzline adds that Columbus is likely to recall a defenseman from the minors ahead of Thursday’s game. That could be the opportunity for top prospects Denton Mateychuk or Stanislav Svozil to earn their jump to the top flight. Mateychuk has 23 points in 25 AHL games this season, while Svozil has 13 in 22 games.
- Forward Yegor Chinakhov was on the ice for Wednesday’s optional skate shares NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. It’s Chinakhov’s first time skating since suffering an upper-body injury on November 27th. He has since missed Columbus’ last 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on December 11th. Chinakhov is having a strong year outside of the injuries, with 14 points – split evenly – through 21 games this season. He ranks in the top five of scoring among Blue Jackets forwards, despite averaging the least amount of ice time of anyone above him. Chinakhov is also hitting more and blocking more shots, with his 2024-25 numbers (32 hits, 10 blocks) already narrowing in on his totals from 53 games of 2023-24 (43 hits, 28 blocks). He’ll quickly slot back into Columbus’ middle-six when he returns to full health – a path that started with a return to the ice today.
- Finally, Columbus has loaned goaltender Jet Greaves back to the AHL. Greaves was recalled on December 11th and stepped into three games, but posted a measly 0-1-2 record and .895 save percentage. He’ll now return to the minors, where he’s already managed an 8-4-2 record and .902 save percentage in 15 appearances. Greaves’ assignment will leave Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov as the sole pair in Columbus’ goaltending room.
Devils Activate Curtis Lazar, Justin Dowling Clears Waivers
12/18: Dowling has cleared waivers and been assigned to the minor leagues, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
12/17: The Devils announced that they’ve activated Curtis Lazar from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Blues. The team placed Justin Dowling on waivers in a corresponding move, although they already had the roster spot necessary to activate Lazar, so Dowling’s pending reassignment or claim will keep their active roster count at 22.
It’s a much quicker return to action than most expected for Lazar. The 29-year-old sustained a knee injury on Oct. 27 against the Ducks that required surgery. The team said he didn’t have a timeline for a return, hinting that it could be a couple of months or more until he laced up the skates again. Instead, he’s back just over six weeks later with a relatively quick run-up time, considering he only started skating in the past couple of days (at least in terms of public knowledge).
Lazar has been a good fourth-line piece for the Devils since they acquired him from the Canucks at the 2023 trade deadline. He’s scored eight goals and 27 points in 87 regular-season games since becoming a Devil, two of which have come in 12 games this season. He’s bounced between center and wing, winning 48.3% of his draws, and the Devils have controlled 47.5% of shot attempts with Lazar on the ice at even strength.
New Jersey, whose roster is at full health for the first time since Lazar exited the lineup, will have him center their fourth line tonight between Tomáš Tatar and Nathan Bastian, the latter of whom recently returned from jaw surgery. The first-round pick of the Senators back in 2013 recorded a career-high 25 points in a similar role for the Devils last season.
For the most part, Dowling has covered directly for Lazar during his absence. The 34-year-old started the season in AHL Utica after clearing waivers but was recalled in the days following Lazar’s injury. He’s played in every Devils game since, posting two goals and an assist in 21 appearances while averaging 8:30 per game. The 5’10” pivot won 47.4% of his faceoffs and recorded eight blocks and 16 hits.
Dowling is in his second season as a Devil since signing in Newark as a free agent in 2023. He had two goals and two assists in six games with Utica before his recall. He finished fifth on the AHL club in scoring last season with 40 points in 57 games.
Stars Recall Alexander Petrovic, Place Matt Dumba On IR
The Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Alexander Petrovic to fill in for the injured Matt Dumba, who has been shifted to injured reserve. Dumba has missed Dallas’ last three games with an upper-body injury. His IR placement is retroactive to December 8th, making Dumba eligible to be activated as soon as he’s back to full health.
This is already the second IR placement of Dumba’s season. He missed nine days of action in October after suffering a lower-body injury in the team’s October 13th win over Seattle. Dumba was placed on IR six days later but avoided surgery and a long-term absence. He’s played in the majority of Dallas’ games since returning on October 22nd, though he was healthy scratched a few times for underwhelming play. Dumba has just one assist in 19 games this season, and it didn’t come until his 12th game of the season. He’s added 19 penalty minutes, 17 shots on net, and 31 hits on the season while averaging 15:33 in ice time. Dumba’s slow play dates back to last season, when he managed just 12 points in 76 games split between the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning. He signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Dallas this summer looking to spur the lack of production, but has since fallen into an even deeper rut.
Rookie Lian Bichsel has filled in for Dumba over the last few games, but Dallas is still facing uncertain availability for both Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist. Both players will be game-time decisions due to flu symptoms, an issue for many different Stars players shares Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. Petrovic will be ready to fill in for either defender. He’s been Dallas’ go-to call-up on defense, and played in two NHL games earlier this season. Petrovic didn’t manage any scoring, but did record one penalty, in the outings. He’s made much more of an impact in the minor leagues, where he’s tallied 13 points in 21 games while serving as one of Texas’ alternate captains. Petrovic is a veteran of 10 pro seasons, spending much of them as a depth defender split between the major and minor leagues. He’s totaled 50 points in 266 career NHL games, and 164 points in 448 AHL games.
Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Assign Declan Carlile
The Tampa Bay Lightning are shortening their available defense options as the team announced they’ve re-assigned defenseman Declan Carlile to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. It’s unknown at this point if Tampa Bay will recall Carlile tomorrow as a seventh defenseman option or if they’ll continue with six until the roster freezes tomorrow evening.
Carlile was originally recalled on December 14th when defensive peer J.J. Moser was placed on the team’s injured reserve with a lower-body injury. He made his season debut that evening while captain Victor Hedman sat out with a lower-body injury but returned to seventh defensemen duties when Hedman came back on the 17th.
The Hartland, MI native is in his fourth season with the Lightning organization after signing with the team as a collegiate free agent in 2021-22. He suited up in three seasons for Merrimack College of the NCAA scoring 13 goals and 56 points in 83 contests.
Carlile’s scoring has depreciated in the AHL but he’s still proved an effective option for the Crunch. He’s only scored 17 goals and 57 points in 161 AHL contests but has achieved a whopping +41 career rating. He wasn’t as solid defensively during his time in the NCAA’s difficult Hockey East conference but his timing has improved during his transition to the professional scene.
Tampa Bay and Syracuse only have two games during the upcoming roster freeze so it’s up to the organization if they want Carlile to have game reps. He should end up on the NHL roster after the freeze regardless, considering Moser is on a week-to-week basis.
LeBrun Notes: Provorov, Hurricanes, Canucks
In his latest rendition of ’NHL Rumblings’ (Subscription Article), Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic touched on several topics including the future of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman, Ivan Provorov. Provorov is in the final year of a six-year, $40.5MM contract and is believed to be a top trade chip heading into deadline season.
There is some growing belief in Columbus that the Blue Jackets and Provorov may opt to turn toward extension talks rather than a trade. This does not indicate that the Blue Jackets wouldn’t receive adequate value for Provorov in any hypothetical trade but simply that he is content with the city and the organization.
Provorov’s agent, Mark Gandler of International Sports Advisors Co., was quoted in the article saying, “Ivan is happy to be in Columbus, happy to play there. He thinks that the team is going to go places. It’s clear that the team is better than it was last year. Personally, I have all the confidence in the world in (general manager) Don Waddell’s ability. He’s an experienced manager who knows what he’s doing. I think the team is going to improve every year.”
The Yaroslavl, Russia native will have family in the area should he continue his relationship with the Blue Jackets organization. Provorov’s younger brother, Vladimir Provorov, recently committed to The Ohio State University and will begin play there during the 2027-28 NCAA season.
Other notes from LeBrun:
- LeBrun reiterated the Carolina Hurricanes’ interest in Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson. The most recent connection between the Hurricanes and Gibson came in a separate article from LeBrun nearly a month ago. Carolina isn’t enthusiastic about Anaheim’s asking price for Gibson which has the organization turning toward short-term options. LeBrun cites Utah Hockey Clubs’ Karel Vejmelka, Ottawa Senators’ Anton Forsberg, and Calgary Flames’ Dan Vladar as viable trade candidates moving toward deadline season.
- LeBrun also shared that the Vancouver Canucks were already looking for a top-four defenseman before losing defenseman Filip Hronek for the next several weeks. Hronek’s injury has increased Vancouver’s motivation to acquire a defenseman and LeBrun asserts there should be a solution long before the deadline. The Canucks are looking for more consistency from their roster as they’ve only managed a 4-2-2 record since the calendar turned to December.
Evening Notes: Gustavsson, Dahlin, Duclair
Joe Smith of The Athletic tweeted that Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson did not practice today with the team. Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News also reported that Gustavsson will miss his second consecutive game tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers. Marc-Andre Fleury will get the start with Jesper Wallstedt backing him up. Although Gustavsson will miss tomorrow night’s game, Joe Smith tweeted that Wild head coach John Hynes believes it will be a short-term injury.
Gustavsson has returned to form in 2024-25, bouncing back from a difficult stretch last season. Thus far this year, Gustavsson has posted a 14-5-3 record, along with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in 22 appearances.
In other evening notes:
- Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reported today that Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is optimistic that the team will get defenseman Rasmus Dahlin back into the lineup very soon. Dahlin could practice as early as Thursday and depending on how that goes, he could suit up Friday when the Sabres take on Toronto. The 24-year-old has been dealing with a back issue that initially flared up in training camp and has missed seven straight games.
- New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair didn’t play tonight against Carolina but has been medically cleared to return and will do so whenever he is comfortable to return (as per Ethan Sears of the New York Post). Duclair has missed 28 straight games with a lower-body injury and has played just five times this season, tallying two goals and an assist in those games. The 29-year-old signed a four-year deal in the summer as a free agent and will likely occupy a top-six role for the Islanders when he does return.
Canucks Make Several Roster Moves
Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced a series of roster moves today. Vancouver is sending defenseman Mark Friedman and goaltender Artūrs Šilovs to the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League and recalling forwards Linus Karlsson and Phillip Di Giuseppe.
Vancouver appears to be setting their roster in place before the upcoming NHL roster freeze. The Canucks could have waited until later in the week to shuffle things around, but their situation was a bit complicated by the fact that they play on the road tomorrow and Thursday.
Friedman returns to Abbotsford, where he has spent the bulk of his season, appearing in eight AHL games. The 28-year-old has shuttled back and forth throughout most of his professional career and will likely return to Vancouver later in the season when there is a need. The Toronto, Ontario native has dressed in 91 career NHL games over seven seasons.
Silovs has already set a career-high this season in NHL games played with seven, but has struggled immensely at the NHL level, posting a 1-4-1 record with a 4.11 goals against average and a .847 save percentage. The 23-year-old should have an opportunity to play a lot in the AHL as he tries to get his confidence back.
Karlsson and Di Giuseppe have earned call-ups that likely would have happened earlier this year, but those plans were thwarted by injuries. Karlsson played in the playoffs last season for the Canucks, dressing in two games. He earned that opportunity after tearing it up in the AHL last season with 23 goals and 37 assists in 60 games. He has had a solid albeit brief start to the AHL season, tallying five goals and an assist in seven games.
Di Giuseppe returns to the NHL after spending much of last season in Vancouver. The 31-year-old had five goals and five assists in 51 NHL games last season and also appeared in 11 NHL playoff games, lighting the lamp once and adding a helper. An early-season injury has limited the Maple, Ontario native to just four AHL games this year, but it appears he will get a shot at some NHL minutes.