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Penguins, Jesse Puljujärvi Mutually Terminate Contract

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Feb. 9: Puljujärvi went unclaimed and will have his deal terminated, Friedman reports.

Feb. 8: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Jesse Puljujärvi on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. Puljujärvi would become an unrestricted free agent should he go unclaimed over the next 24 hours.

It is an anticipated conclusion to a relationship that has seemingly deteriorated over the past two months. The Penguins placed Puljujärvi on regular waivers on December 30 and officially reassigned him on January 14th, a few weeks later.

The former fourth-overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft has been reassigned for a second time recently. Over the past month, he has primarily played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. His performance has been respectable, recording one goal and three points in four AHL games. However, the Penguins have decided to move forward without him in their organization.

Unfortunately, Puljujärvi’s potential as a prospect has drastically diminished. Since returning to the NHL for the 2020-21 season, he has scored 40 goals and 90 points in 243 games for the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Pittsburgh Penguins.

His production will ultimately limit his traction as an unrestricted free agent. Some teams may offer the Älvkarleby, Sweden native a bottom-six role down the stretch but Puljujärvi may be limited to more of a taxi role if he chooses to stay in North America.

Penguins Claim Vladislav Kolyachonok From Utah

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The Penguins have claimed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from Utah, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Pittsburgh had a pair of open spots on their active roster after some pre-break paper moves this morning, so they won’t need to make a corresponding transaction until their schedule resumes later this month.

Kolyachonok, 23, now joins his fourth NHL franchise. He was initially selected 52nd overall in the 2019 draft by the Panthers, who traded him to the Coyotes in the Anton Strålman offseason deal in 2021. The Belarusian defender jumped with his former Arizona teammates to Utah last summer but now finds himself headed east to Pittsburgh.

The interest in Kolyachonok stems from his two-way upside. He has decent size at 6’2″ and 195 lbs and has put up decent totals in the minors, recording 13-35–48 with a +12 rating in 150 career AHL games. None of those contests have come in 2024-25, as a revolving door of injuries on the Utah blue line meant he’s spent the entire season on the NHL roster. He was passable in a depth role, logging 2-3–5 with 19 blocks and 14 hits in 23 appearances. His underlying numbers were strong, posting a 52.9 CF% at even strength and a +1.7 expected rating, grading out better defensively than his actual minus-seven rating would otherwise indicate.

Pittsburgh hopes to tap into his remaining upside. At present, he’s an upgrade over their current seventh defenseman, Ryan Shea, who’s logged just three points in 53 games since making his NHL debut last season with middling possession impacts. He’ll likely knock Shea off the NHL roster if Pittsburgh needs to open space, but whether the lefty works his way into the lineup over Ryan Graves, Matt Grzelcyk, or Pierre-Olivier Joseph remains to be seen.

Utah could reclaim Kolyachonok and send him directly to the minors if the Penguins place him on waivers again this season, although they’d need to be the only team to submit a claim to do so.

Bruins Assign Matt Poitras And Michael Callahan To AHL

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The Boston Bruins announced that they’ve assigned forward Matt Poitras and defenseman Michael Callahan to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The moves mirror what many other NHL teams have done leading into the 4 Nations Face-Off by assigning younger players to the AHL to give them an opportunity for more playing time. There is a possibility the moves could be paper transactions as well, but the next two weeks will flush that out.

Poitras has dressed in 26 games this season with the Bruins, posting a single goal and 10 assists with a -3 plus/minus rating. In the AHL, the 20-year-old has been nearly a point-per-game scorer, tallying eight goals and 12 assists in 23 games. The Ajax, Ontario native spent last season in Boston as well, suiting up in 33 games and registering five goals and 10 assists.

The 25-year-old Callahan saw the first NHL action of his career earlier in the season, dressing in eight games, while going scoreless with nine blocked shots, four hits and a -2 plus/minus rating. In the AHL, Callahan is having an All-Star campaign in his third season with Providence, posting a goal and five assists in 35 games. The Franklin, Massachusetts native has never posted much in the way of offense throughout his professional career but has provided elite defensive work for Providence this season, as evidenced by his All-Star nomination.

Boston returns to NHL action on February 22nd against Anaheim and is likely to make roster moves before their return from the break.

Penguins Recall Tristan Jarry, Assign Three To AHL

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The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’ve recalled veteran goaltender Tristan Jarry from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and assigned three players to the AHL. With the flurry of moves, forwards Emil Bemstrom and Vasiliy Ponomarev will report to the AHL Penguins, along with goaltender Joel Blomqvist.

The move to recall Jarry will surely raise eyebrows amongst Penguins fans, given how the last 18 months have played out for the 29-year-old goaltender. But, with the near two-week break in NHL action, the Penguins likely wanted to open up an opportunity for Blomqvist to get in some game action. The 23-year-old Blomqvist played sparsely during his most recent NHL recall, dressing in just three games since he was brought back up in mid-January.

Bemstrom returns to the AHL, where he has led Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in scoring this season with 19 goals and 22 assists in 37 games. The 25-year-old saw two games in his NHL recall, going scoreless while averaging 12:14 of ice time per game and posting very strong possession numbers in his small NHL sample. The Penguins acquired Bemstrom last February and gave him a 24-game audition at the end of last season. Bemstrom posted three goals and two assists to finish off last year in Pittsburgh and was then signed to a one-year deal. He has spent all of this season in the AHL, except for the aforementioned two-game recall.

Ponomarev was acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade last March and has had a solid first campaign in the Penguins organization, playing predominantly with the Baby Penguins, where he is fourth in team scoring with 11 goals and 16 assists in 31 games. He did receive a four-game NHL run earlier in the season and went scoreless while playing mostly in a fourth-line role.

The Penguins don’t play again until February 22nd, and they will likely make roster moves before they return to action.

Drew Doughty Named To Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off

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Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has officially been named to Team Canada for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off (Twitter Link). The veteran defenseman will serve as the injury replacement for Vegas Golden Knights defender Alex Pietrangelo, who opted to withdraw from the tournament.

The 35-year-old has had a decorated international career, winning two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014, and is also a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Kings having won titles in 2012 and 2014.

Doughty himself just returned from injury a few weeks ago after he suffered a broken left ankle in an exhibition game back in September. He missed 47 games due to the injury and was expected to miss most of the regular season. However, he returned to practice in mid-January ahead of schedule before returning to game action in late January. The injury likely kept Doughty’s name off the initial roster for Team Canada, but with Pietrangelo not playing Doughty will have an opportunity to add to his career accomplishments.

Since returning to the lineup, Doughty has suited up in six games for the Kings, posting a single assist, nine blocked shots and seven hits. While those numbers aren’t in line with his typical production, Doughty has slowly ramped up his play after struggling in his first two games back. Doughty was -4 in the two games after his return but has settled in the last three games, posting the nine blocked shots and a +3 plus/minus.

The Kings have leaned heavily on Doughty thus far as he has averaged 26:57 of ice time per game, including 31:09 in last night’s shootout loss to Anaheim.

Snapshots: Greenway, Crosby, Eriksson Ek, Demko

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Discussions about a possible contract extension have not started between the Sabres and pending UFA winger Jordan Greenway, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  The trade deadline is now less than a month away but it doesn’t appear discussions about a possible new deal will begin until much closer to that time though there is believed to be mutual interest in getting an agreement in place.  Greenway is expected to return from his mid-body injury after the break, an injury that will have kept him out for more than two months.  The 27-year-old has three goals and four assists in 20 games this season and will likely be heading for a small raise on his current $3MM price tag on his next contract.

More from around the NHL:

  • Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman that center Sidney Crosby skated again today as he works his way back from an upper-body injury. He added that the captain felt significantly better today which suggests he shouldn’t be out much longer.  Now, the focus turns to the 4 Nations Face-Off where Crosby is set to be Canada’s captain.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relays (Twitter link) that it will ultimately be Crosby’s decision on whether he participates or withdraws due to the injury.  Final rosters have to be submitted on Monday so a decision will need to be made quickly on that front.
  • The Wild announced (Twitter link) that center Joel Eriksson Ek was scratched from tonight’s game due to a lower-body injury. It has been a tough year on the injury front for the veteran who has already missed 14 games due to a pair of lower-body issues and a broken nose.  In between those, he has scuffled a bit offensively, notching just nine goals and 14 assists in 41 games after putting up his second straight year of more than 60 points last season.  He’s slated to play for Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off; The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes (Twitter link) that it’s uncertain if the injury will keep Eriksson Ek from playing in the event.
  • The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Thatcher Demko left tonight’s game versus Toronto early due to injury and did not return. Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston adds that Demko was seen wincing after making some saves during the warm up.  The 29-year-old has been limited to just 19 games this season after missing the first two months while working his way back from an injured popliteus muscle in his left knee.

Hurricanes Assign Juha Jaaska And Scott Morrow To AHL

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After playing their final game before the break earlier today (a 7-3 win over Utah), the Hurricanes made a pair of roster moves.  The team announced that winger Juha Jaaska and defenseman Scott Morrow have been assigned to AHL Chicago.

Jaaska has been recalled and demoted several times already with Carolina making close to daily roster moves to maximize their cap space.  (That trend should stop now for a couple of weeks until play resumes after the break.)  The 26-year-old is in his first season in North America after signing as an undrafted free agent last spring and has split time between the Hurricanes and Wolves.  With the former, he has four assists in 17 games while averaging a little under nine minutes a night of playing time.  He has been much more productive in the minors though, tallying seven goals and nine assists in 26 outings on the farm.

Morrow is in his first full professional season after wrapping up his college career last year.  The 22-year-old played in his second NHL contest of the season this afternoon, logging 12:11 of ice time while he’s still looking for his first point.  With the Wolves, Morrow has been an impressive contributor, notching 10 goals and 19 assists in 41 appearances.  After notching at least 30 points in his three college years, Morrow has done well keeping up that level of production in his first taste of the minors.

Predators Place Mark Jankowski On IR, Recall Ozzy Wiesblatt

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The Predators have made a pair of roster moves heading into their final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.  Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game relays (Twitter link) that Nashville has placed center Mark Jankowski on injured reserve.  With the open roster spot, they’ve recalled winger Ozzy Wiesblatt from AHL Milwaukee.

It’s a bit surprising that the Preds wound up waiting this long to put Jankowski on IR.  The 30-year-old has been out for the last three weeks with an upper-body injury that carries a week-to-week designation.  Jankowski has played in 37 games this season, notching three goals and five assists while logging a little under 13 minutes a night.  Having been out this long, he’ll be eligible to be activated at any point when he’s cleared to return.

As for Wiesblatt, this is his second recall of the season.  He got into two games on his first one back in January where he had four hits in a little over ten minutes a night of action.  This one will be shorter-lived, however, as he’ll almost certainly be sent back following the game to keep playing with the Admirals.  On the farm, the 22-year-old has 11 goals and 12 assists in 41 games, already making it the most productive of his three professional seasons.

Kings Recall Pheonix Copley On Emergency Basis, Place Mikey Anderson On IR

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With Darcy Kuemper away from the team for personal reasons, the Kings needed to add a goalie to their roster for their game tonight versus Anaheim.  The team announced that veteran netminder Pheonix Copley has been recalled from AHL Ontario.  To make room on the roster, defenseman Mikey Anderson has been placed on injured reserve.

It’s the fourth recall of the season for Copley whose previous stints with the big club have been short-lived.  That trend will almost certainly continue as he’s a strong candidate to be sent back to the Reign following the game.  The North Pole native has only made one appearance with Los Angeles this season, that coming in relief back in mid-October but extended his streak of seasons with an NHL game to four.  Copley has also played 20 times for Ontario, putting up a 2.45 GAA along with a .906 SV%.

Anderson, meanwhile, has missed a little more than a week with a finger injury sustained late last month.  He has logged heavy minutes for Los Angeles this season, ranking second on the team in ATOI at 22:50 (excluding Drew Doughty who is five games into his return).  Through 49 games, Anderson has five goals and nine assists along with 83 blocks and 68 hits.   He’ll be eligible to be activated at any time as he has already missed more than the required seven days.

Canucks Recall Linus Karlsson, Assign Victor Mancini To AHL

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The Canucks have tweaked their roster for their final game before the break.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Linus Karlsson from AHL Abbotsford and have assigned defenceman Victor Mancini to Abbotsford.

Karlsson has been recalled now four times this season.  In his first three stints, the 25-year-old played in a total of nine games with Vancouver, picking up a goal in just under 10 minutes a night of playing time.  While offense has been hard to come by at the NHL level – he has just six points (all goals) in 82 career NHL appearances – that hasn’t been the case in the minors.  With Abbotsford, Karlsson has a dozen goals and six assists in 17 outings after recording 60 points in as many games last season with them.  Despite the promotion, he did not suit up against Toronto.

As for Mancini, he was one of the pieces of the recent J.T. Miller trade and was brought up earlier this week although he didn’t see any game action with Vancouver.  The 22-year-old played in 15 games with the Rangers earlier this season, recording five points while logging a little more than 15 minutes a night, solid numbers for his first taste of NHL action.  Mancini also has 23 AHL appearances on the campaign, all with New York’s affiliate in Hartford where he has 10 points.  Mancini should get a chance to make his debut with Abbotsford on Tuesday against San Diego. He’ll likely be joined by Karlsson for that one with the forward likely to be sent back down following tonight’s game.

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