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East Notes: Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs

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With no teams within a game of the .500 mark, the early-season parity of the Atlantic Division is beginning to separate. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, they’re on the wrong side of that division and sit four points behind the Lightning for fifth place and have an 8-10-2 record through 20 games.

That will almost surely dissuade general manager Steve Yzerman from making any rental acquisitions, but as Max Bultman of The Athletic opines, longer-term additions, such as their failed pursuit of Jacob Trouba over the summer, could make sense. With Detroit’s team defense struggling heavily, especially at 5-on-5, he named young Blue Jackets right-shot defender David Jiříček as an option, likely the most attainable given Detroit’s deep pool of prospects at seemingly every position to deal from and Columbus’ growing willingness to move on.

Ducks winger Trevor Zegras, Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram and Devils rookie blue liner Seamus Casey were other names Bultman identified as potential trade targets, but the feasibility of a deal seems progressively lower with each name. Zegras can likely still be had after a second straight underwhelming performance offensively (seven points in 19 games), but the Sabres, who have won seven out of their last 10 and are squarely in playoff position, dealing Byram to a divisional rival seems close to inconceivable at this stage.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Blue Jackets have held their own with a .500 record through 20 games, putting them on pace to smash the average 65.5-point over/under from their preseason odds. That’s due to a young offense that’s currently giving Columbus the most goal-scoring punch they’ve had in their 24-year history, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic points out. The Jackets rank eighth in the league with 3.45 goals per game, giving them a solid cushion to clear the previous franchise record of 3.15 set in 2021-22. The team is only shooting 0.2% above the 10.5% league average, giving them a decent shot at keeping up that level of scoring. They’re also on pace to have three point-per-game players (Kirill Marchenko, Sean Monahan, Zach Werenski) for the first time in club history.
  • Switching from offensive to defensive standouts, the Maple Leafs are allowing the fewest high-danger chances at 5-on-5 in the Eastern Conference, as identified by Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. That’s due in large part to the addition of Chris Tanev in free agency, who’s flourished on a shutdown pairing with Jake McCabe to put together some of the best defensive work in the league.

Evening Notes: Sullivan, Penguins, Blues

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Josh Yohe of The Athletic wrote about the Pittsburgh Penguins freefall and what it means for head coach Mike Sullivan. Yohe wouldn’t lean one way or the other when it comes to Sullivan’s future but did concede that the Penguins’ current predicament is ripe for a coaching change. However, he doesn’t believe that general manager Kyle Dubas or Penguins ownership expected the team to make the playoffs this season.

Sullivan has been at the helm of the Penguins since late 2015 and has guided the Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships. That being said, the Penguins haven’t been out of the first round of the playoffs since 2018 and have missed the postseason in each of the last two years. Combine that with their horrific 7-12-4 start to this season, and it has people wondering if a coaching change is in order. Yohe casts doubt on that possibility but does add that if things get much worse in Pittsburgh, it could happen.

In other evening notes:

  • TSN’s Darren Dreger spoke on TSN690 radio and mentioned that the Penguins have been heavily scouting the Montreal Canadiens. Dreger wonders if a trade could be brewing between the two sides, adding that nothing is in the works yet, but he does see a potential path to a deal between the two teams. Pittsburgh isn’t in fire sale mode yet, but with so many expiring contracts on the books and the playoffs falling out of reach with each passing game, the Penguins may begin to move players out with an eye toward the future.
  • The St. Louis Blues didn’t expect to make a coaching change until Jim Montgomery became available a few days ago (as per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press). Blues general manager Doug Armstrong spoke to the media today saying that the Blues viewed Montgomery’s free agency as an opportunity to grab a top coach in the NHL and improve the team’s prospects behind the bench. The move certainly came as a shock to many but can’t be that surprising given Montgomery’s coaching experience as well as his deep ties to the Blues organization.

West Notes: Kaprizov, Sturm, Kings

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Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov has reportedly not suffered a serious injury and will be evaluated over the next few days (as per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet). The news comes after the 27-year-old sat out last night’s game against the Calgary Flames due to a lower-body injury. Kaprizov had an MRI that revealed no major issues, which is good news for a Wild team that have caught many by surprise this season.

Kaprizov appeared to be injured in Thursday’s game against the Oilers when he collided with Edmonton forward Drake Caggiula. He left the game briefly but did return to action and finished out the third period. Kaprizov has been dominant this season, registering 13 goals and 21 assists in 19 games thus far with a +16 plus/minus. The Wild currently sit in second place in the Central Division with a 13-3-4 record.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now is reporting that forward Nico Sturm has rejoined the San Jose Sharks as a regular participant in practice. Sturm was placed on injured reserve back on November 18th with an upper-body injury and hasn’t played since November 14th against the New York Rangers. The 29-year-old played less than eight minutes a game in each of his last three appearances for the Sharks and has averaged a career-low 9:50 of ice time per game this season. Despite the nearly five-minute drop-in average ice time, as well as very difficult deployment, Sturm is having one of his finer offensive seasons with three goals and three assists in 18 games.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have reversed yesterday’s roster transaction as netminder Erik Portillo has been recalled from the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate the Ontario Reign while goaltender Pheonix Copley has been sent back down. The Kings made the opposite move yesterday, recalling Copley and demoting Portillo. Copley served as starter David Rittich’s backup yesterday against the Seattle Kraken while Portillo was rock solid for the Reign last night, stopping 33 of 34 shots to pick up the win after not playing for a week.

Rangers Recall Brett Berard, Ruhwedel And Mancini Assigned To AHL

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The New York Rangers have recalled forward Brett Berard from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League and have assigned defensemen Victor Mancini and Chad Ruhwedel to the AHL.

A former fifth-round pick in 2020, Berard will have an opportunity to make his NHL debut in just his second full season with the Wolf Pack after spending three seasons with Providence College of the NCAA. The 22-year-old had 25 goals and 23 assists in 71 AHL games last season and has produced better offensive numbers this season with seven goals and six assists in 16 AHL games thus far.

Going back to the AHL is Mancini, who himself is a former fifth-round pick (2022) and is in his second season of professional hockey, although he played just seven AHL games last season. The Hancock, Michigan native has dressed in ten NHL games for the Rangers this season and has produced decent offensive numbers with a goal and three assists while averaging 15:25 of ice time per game. Despite the offensive numbers, Mancini has been overwhelmed on the possession front, posting an abysmal 36.3 CF% at even strength.

Also headed to Hartford is veteran Ruhwedel. The former Stanley Cup champion has rarely seen AHL action since becoming an NHL regular in 2017-18. Ruhwedel played out a series of short-term one-way NHL contracts but had to settle for a two-way deal this past summer. This year the 34-year-old has played sparingly, with just one scoreless NHL appearance and seven AHL games.

The demotion of two defensemen to the AHL likely means that Zachary Jones will return to the Rangers lineup sooner rather than later.

Jets Recall Ville Heinola, Place Dylan Samberg On IR

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The Winnipeg Jets have placed Dylan Samberg on injured reserve with a broken foot. Samberg suffered the injury in the second period of Winnipeg’s Saturday matchup against Nashville, blocking a Steven Stamkos slapshot with his skate and immediately leaving the ice. Winnipeg has also recalled the oft-injured Ville Heinola from an AHL conditioning stint in a corresponding move, setting him up to make his season debut after starting the year on the season-open non-roster list. Heinola had surgery on his ankle in September.

Samberg has served a top role for Winnipeg all season long, recording six points through 21 games while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time. He’s once again serving next to Neal Pionk, the same role that Samberg recorded a career-high 31 points in last season. He’s dug his feet in as yet another evergreen defensive-defenseman in the Jets lineup. That role was stamped this summer when the Jets signed Samberg to a four-year, $19.6MM contract extension. He’s recorded 83 points across 316 games with Winnipeg, bringing his career totals to 147 points in 575 games.

Heinola will offer a quick substitute for Samberg, returning to the NHL after scoring one assist in two games on his AHL conditioning stint. Heinola spent all of the 2023-24 campaign in the minors, scoring 27 points in 41 games with the Manitoba Moose. He’s yet to vindicate a 20th-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft despite being in North American pros since 2019-20. He jumped into the NHL right away, recording five points in his first eight games with the Jets – but failed to maintain that scoring through injury and moves to the AHL and a return to Finland’s Liiga during the COVID-19 season of 2020-21.

Heinola played in five NHL games at the tail-end of that year, going without any scoring – even despite 11 points in 19 AHL games. He’s since bounced between Winnipeg and Manitoba, intercut by routine trips to injured reserve. Heinola has totaled 11 points in 35 career NHL games and a much-more productive 103 points in 154 AHL games.

Hurricanes Activate Seth Jarvis, Recall Yaniv Perets, Assign Ty Smith

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The Carolina Hurricanes have activated top forward Seth Jarvis from injured reserved. Jarvis missed the last seven games with an upper-body injury. He returned to practice in a no-contact jersey on November 19th. In a corresponding move, Carolina also recalled goaltender Yaniv Perets and assigned defender Ty Smith.

Jarvis will return ahead of a three-game homestand for the Hurricanes, giving a much-needed boost to a Carolina offense that got outscored by New Jersey and Columbus in their last two outings. Jarvis has 11 points through 13 games this season, returning to a pivotal role in the team’s top-six and special teams. He’s coming off a prolific 2023-24 campaign, scoring 33 goals and 67 points despite playing most of the season injured. The 22-year-old has established himself as a pillar of the Carolina lineup, and will now get a chance to get back to point-per-game scoring. His return will likely bump William Carrier or Tyson Jost out of the lineup, with Eric Robinson hanging onto his role with four points in his last four games.

Carolina also bolsters their net with this move, recalling Perets following a scary injury to de facto starter Pyotr Kochetkov. No update on Kochetkov’s prognosis has been given, but Perets’ recall suggests Carolina will deal with at least a few days without their top netminder. They’ll now have to decide between Spencer Martin and Perets for the starting role. Martin has a 1-2-1 record and .870 save percentage through five NHL games this year. Perets hasn’t made his first career NHL start yet, but has stepped into three AHL games – with a .825 save percentage through three games. With both goalies on NHL recalls, the Chicago Wolves are left with Dustin Tokarski and Ruslan Khazheyev in their net.

The Hurricanes will move forward with an improved offense, but tattered goaltending room. They’re 6-3-1 through their last 10 games, outscoring opponents 39-to-28.

Tim Gettinger Clears Waivers; Reassigned To AHL

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11/24: The Red Wings confirm that Gettinger has safely passed through waivers. The organization announced Gettinger has officially been activated from the season-opening injured reserve and has been reassigned to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

11/23: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier today that the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Tim Gettinger on waivers. If he clears by tomorrow afternoon, Detroit will reassign Gettinger to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Gettinger hasn’t suited up for the Red Wings yet this season despite requiring waivers to return to the AHL. He’s been on the organization’s season-opening injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment which has kept him off the ice until now.

After signing back-to-back one-year contracts, he’s in his second year with the Red Wings organization. He spent last season with the AHL Griffins scoring 12 goals and 25 points in 55 contests.

He was drafted with the 141st overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers. New York is where Gettinger played in his only NHL contests, skating in 16 games from 2018-2022.

He’s been a solid if unimpressive player in the AHL throughout his career scoring 74 goals and 158 points in 292 games between the Griffins and Hartford Wolf Pack. Due to the lack of experience at the NHL level, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Gettinger will go unclaimed over the next 24 hours.

Gettinger won’t have much responsibility once he fully recovers from his injury in Grand Rapids. The Griffins are one of the strongest teams in the AHL this year with an 11-4-1 through their first 16 games.

Blue Jackets Listening To Offers For David Jiříček

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In today’s rendition of ’Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering’, reporter Aaron Portzline of The Athletic confirms that the Columbus Blue Jackets have received trade inquiries for defenseman David Jiříček. The Blue Jackets haven’t received any firm trade offers but a deal may be on the horizon by the end of the season.

Although it’s always difficult trading away a recent top-10 draft selection, there are recent frameworks Columbus can operate from. Portzline highlights the trade last season of then-Philadelphia Flyers prospect, Cutter Gauthier, being traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in 2025. Portzline also shared the recent trade of Rutger McGroarty to the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason for Brayden Yager.

For one reason or another, Jiříček’s time with the Blue Jackets organization hasn’t worked out as both sides would have hoped. He spent his first professional season with Columbus’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, scoring six goals and 38 points in 55 contests.

Jiříček hoped to have a consistent role with the Blue Jackets in his second professional season after a strong rookie campaign in the AHL. Instead, Columbus frequently moved Jiříček back and forth from the AHL, which caused some inconsistency in the young defenseman’s game.

He scored one goal and 10 points in 43 games for Columbus last season and seven goals and 19 points in 29 games for AHL Cleveland. His lack of scoring at the NHL level was unfortunate but he still proved capable on the defensive side with a 92.4% on-ice save percentage in all situations.

Jiříček became a healthy scratch through the first few weeks of the 2024-25 season collecting only six games with the Blue Jackets despite cracking the team’s roster out of training camp. The team sent down Jiříček to AHL once again a few days ago and he made his season debut with the AHL Monsters on Saturday.

One difference comparing Jiříček to Gauthier and McGroarty is that he hasn’t publicly requested a trade from Columbus. All signs indicate he’s happy staying with the Blue Jackets organization albeit with a more consistent role.

They’ll likely recoup a former top-10 selection on his entry-level contract should they trade Jiříček this season. There shouldn’t be any difficulties gauging other team’s interest in a 20-year-old right-handed shot defenseman.

East Notes: Crosby, Kane, Rasmussen, Zub, MacEwen

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History was made in last night’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Utah Hockey Club. Sidney Crosby, the Penguins captain and franchise icon, became the 21st player in NHL history to record 600 goals in his career.

Given that Crosby is still signed for two more years beyond this season in Pittsburgh, it’s a guarantee he will finish much higher than 21st on the all-time goal list. Should he continue to average between 30-40 goals a season, avoid injury, and retire after his extension, Crosby could finish his career 12th all-time in goals and potentially catch another franchise legend Mario Lemieux at 690.

It’s another impressive milestone in arguably the best career of the salary cap era. Crosby is already top-10 in the all-time points list and should pass the likes of Joe Sakic, Lemieux, and Steve Yzerman before he finally decides to hang up his skates.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Detroit Red Wings may be light up front in tomorrow night’s contest against the New York Islanders. Ansar Khan of MLive reported this morning that forwards Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen weren’t on the ice for practice. Rasmussen’s absence is likely tied to the body check received from Boston Bruins’ forward Mark Kastelic in last night’s loss. There should be more context regarding Kane’s absence after the practice.
  • TSN Ottawa reported this morning that the Ottawa Senators are without defenseman Artem Zub and forward Zack MacEwen at practice. No additional context was provided regarding the availability of either player for Ottawa’s game tomorrow night against the Calgary Flames. Still, it likely explains the Senators’ call-up of forward Zack Ostapchuk a few hours ago.

Senators Recall Zack Ostapchuk

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Zack Ostapchuk. He was assigned to the minor leagues just under two weeks ago, fitting in three games and three points with the AHL’s Belleville Senators before returning to the top lineup. Ostapchuk serves as an alternate captain for Belleville, where he has eight points in nine games this season.

Ostapchuk has also appeared in six NHL games this season. He recorded one assist – his first NHL point in 13 games through this season and last. He spent the bulk of last season in the minors, scoring 17 goals and 28 points in 69 games. He’s in just the second year of his pro career, after a prolific career in the WHL. Ostapchuk played his rookie junior season in 2019-20 and played through his draft year in 2020-21 – combining for 59 points in 66 games, good enough to earn the 39th-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Ostapchuk took on the Giants’ captaincy in the proceeding 2021-22 and held onto it until a midseason trade in 2022-23. He scored 72 points in 81 games with the Vancouver ‘C’ on his chest, and looked even better on a dazzling Winnipeg Ice roster where he managed 38 points in 34 games.

The Senators aren’t likely to need Ostapchuk right out of the gates. Instead, the top prospect will likely serve as an extra forward behind red-hot scorer Adam Gaudette on the fourth line. Ostapchuk will again be searching for his first NHL goal if, or when, he slots back into the Senators lineup.

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