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Bruins Recall Vinni Lettieri

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The Bruins recalled forward Vinni Lettieri from AHL Providence on Monday, according to the AHL’s transactions log.

Lettieri, 29, will take Marc McLaughlin’s place on the active roster. The Bruins placed McLaughlin on waivers yesterday, so he’ll either be back in Providence or with another NHL club by this afternoon.

Boston re-acquired Lettieri from the Wild last offseason, sending depth winger Jakub Lauko the other way while swapping fourth-round picks. Lettieri was previously in the Bruins organization in the 2022-23 season, when he led Providence with 1.02 points per game but only got into one NHL contest with Boston.

The Minnesota native could have the chance to play his second career game in a Bruins uniform when they play the Lightning tomorrow. His inclusion in the lineup is likely dependent on the health of Mark Kastelic, who recently inked a three-year, $1.57MM extension but missed Saturday’s overtime win over the Panthers with an undisclosed injury.

Lettieri played in a career-high 46 games for the Wild last season, recording five goals, four assists, nine points, and a minus-seven rating with 24 PIMs. He averaged just over a shot on goal per game and finished at a 10.6% clip while averaging 9:35 of ice time per game.

The 5’10”, 183-lb forward has served as an alternate captain with Providence in 2024-25 and is yet again their top offensive producer, leading the club in scoring with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points through 35 games. Lettieri, who’s in the second season of a two-way deal he signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 2023, cleared waivers without incident during the preseason.

Boston entered today with an open roster spot, so they can recall Lettieri before removing McLaughlin from the active roster later. They’ll still only be carrying 12 healthy forwards as long as Kastelic remains unavailable.

Islanders Reassign Jakub Skarek

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Jan. 13: Skarek was returned to Bridgeport on Monday, per the NHL’s media site (hat tip to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com). As such, Sorokin will likely be available tomorrow against the Senators after missing the Utah game with illness. Skarek backed up Hogberg in a 2-1 win for the Isles, so he’s still awaiting his NHL debut.

Jan. 11: With Ilya Sorokin dealing with an illness, the Islanders have had to turn to the minors to make a roster move before tonight’s game against Utah.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Jakub Skarek from AHL Bridgeport.

The 25-year-old has been brought up several times over the years but has yet to make his NHL debut.  Skarek has played in 17 games with Bridgeport so far this season and has played to a 3.29 GAA and a .891 SV% while only winning four of those outings.  Those numbers are nearly identical to his career numbers at the AHL level where he has a 3.31 GAA and a .891 SV% over parts of six seasons.  With Marcus Hogberg (who will start tonight in Sorokin’s absence) already up, Skarek has been serving as the starter for Bridgeport in recent weeks.

Sorokin saw his save percentage drop by 16 points last season from .924 to .908.  Unfortunately for him and the Isles, that number has gone down six more points so far this year to .902 along with a 2.83 GAA in his first 30 starts.  In the first season of an eight-year, $66MM contract, it’s fair to say that New York was counting on him to be much more impactful this season.

The Islanders are using one of their two 48-hour goaltender exemption recalls, allowing them to exceed the 23-player roster limit temporarily.  As a result, no corresponding roster move needs to be made for the time being to add Skarek to the active roster.  Skarek will need to be sent down by Monday to stay compliant with the rule but could stay up if New York elects to send someone else down to open up a spot that way.

Aaron Ekblad And Jonah Gadjovich Won’t Travel On Road Trip

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Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Jonah Gadjovich will miss at least the next two games as neither player is travelling with the team on their road trip this week (as per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now).

The Panthers have a back-to-back in Philadelphia and New Jersey and will have to make do without Ekblad who has been having a solid bounce-back season and is dealing with an undisclosed injury. He did not play yesterday in an overtime loss to the Boston Bruins, and although it hasn’t been confirmed when he was hurt, it seems likely that it occurred when he blocked a shot against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout win on January 3rd. Ekblad played regularly for the remainder of the game, but missed their next game on January 6th, and then was back in the lineup a few days later to take on Utah.

The injury doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern for Ekblad, but it does seem like a lingering issue that the Panthers would like to allow Ekblad to heal from. The 2014 first-overall pick has two goals and 18 assists in 41 games this season and has seen his ice time increase dramatically from last year as he is averaging 23:32 per game.

Gadjovich has played sparingly in 18 games this season, averaging just 7:50 of ice time per game. The Whitby, Ontario native has already missed the Panthers’ last nine games and will be reevaluated when the team returns home on Thursday. The 26-year-old has a single goal this season and is a -1 plus/minus with 56 hits.

Semyon Varlamov To Practice This Week

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Stefen Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to return to team practice at some point this week. The update comes from Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello and is a bit of good news after the Islanders had a goaltending scare on Saturday when starter Ilya Sorokin fell ill, and the team had to start third-stringer goaltender Marcus Hogberg in net and recall Jakub Skarek on an emergency basis.

The situation ended up favorably, as Hogberg started last night against Utah and picked up the win by stopping 21 of 22 shots. Hogberg has given the Islanders some incredible play in Varlamov’s absence, posting a .950 save percentage and a goals saved above expected of 5.0 (as per Money Puck). However, the Islanders can’t rely on a third-string netminder long-term, and Varlamov’s return will represent an upgrade.

With the shuffling of goaltenders, the Islanders AHL affiliate in Bridgeport added to their goaltending depth by signing Hunter Miska to an AHL deal (as per Rosner). The 29-year-old had been playing in the KHL this season with Dynamo Moscow, registering a .908 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average in 14 games. The North Branch, Minnesota native hasn’t played in North America since the 2021-22 seasons and has spent much of his professional career in the AHL while he was a member of the Colorado Eagles. Miska does have six games of NHL experience, five of which were with the Avalanche and one with the Arizona Coyotes.

No Timeline On Linus Ullmark, Senators Not Looking To Add A Goalie

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Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark was on the ice today but there remains no official timeline for his return (as per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia). Despite the murky return timeline, Senators general manager Steve Staios is optimistic that Ullmark should be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Staios called Ullmark’s return to the ice a good step forward for the 31-year-old netminder after he was hurt back on December 22nd in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Ullmark left in the first period of that game and has been week-to-week since then with upper-body tightness.

The former Vezina Trophy winner hasn’t matched his numbers from two seasons ago but has been solid in his first season in Ottawa, posting a 12-7-2 record with a .915 save percentage and a 2.38 goals-against average. While those numbers are good, Ullmark’s underlying numbers are terrific as he has registered a 9.2 goals saved above expected in 23 games (as per Money Puck) which is good enough for 13th in the NHL.

It’s fair to question whether Ottawa should look for an additional goaltender as a safety net given the uncertainty of Ullmark’s health, however, Garrioch also reported that Staios is comfortable with Ottawa’s goaltending depth and has no intentions of looking for reinforcements. Backup Anton Forsberg hasn’t been great in 14 games this season posting a pedestrian 4-8-1 record with a .883 save percentage. However, 22-year-old Leevi Merilainen has been good in five games this season with a 3-2 record and a .911 save percentage along with a 2.42 goals-against average. Ottawa also has 24-year-old Mads Søgaard in Belleville who remains an intriguing option; however, this season has been a disaster for the former second-round pick and it’s hard to call him an NHL option at this point in his career.

Blue Jackets Recall Daniil Tarasov, Reassign Jet Greaves

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled goaltender Daniil Tarasov from his conditioning assignment with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Tarasov played in two AHL games on his assignment. He allowed six goals on a hefty 65 shots, and led the Monsters to a 1-1-0 record. Columbus made room for the recall by reassigning Jet Greaves. Greaves led the team to a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, saving 31 of the 32 shots he faced.

Tarasov’s assignment became a bit of a saga after the young backup initially refused to move. He elaborated to Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch, sharing that the backup role is unfamiliar to him – and that he preferred to continue establishing his footing at the NHL level. Tarasov played in five of Columbus’ first seven games of the season, but totals just 10 appearances on the year to date. He’s recorded a 3-6-1 record and a career-low .857 save percentage.

Tarasov joined the Blue Jackets from the KHL’s Ufa Salavat at the start of the delayed 2020-21 season. He’s split time between the NHL and AHL lineups ever since, but has averaged just 14 NHL games and 7 AHL games due to frequent moves and injuries. He started to find his footing last season, appearing in 24 NHL games – the most Tarasov has played in a single North American league – and recording a .908 save percentage. That performance helped Tarasov win out the NHL backup role entering this season, though he still hasn’t able to climb above a healthy Elvis Merzlikins – who’s receiving a lion’s share of the starts. A move to the minors was a chance for Tarasov to sharpen his skills, and his quick return seems to be a bode of confidence from Columbus to their backup.

Hurricanes Activate Shayne Gostisbehere Off IR

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The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to get defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere back from injury on Sunday, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. He was activated off of injured reserve, per Rotowire and the NHL media site. Gostisbehere has missed Carolina’s last seven games with an upper-body injury. He was placed on injured reserve on January 5th.

Gostisbehere has been one of Carolina’s top defenders through the early season. He’s posted notable stats across the board, leading the Hurricanes’ blue-line in goals (6) and points (27), and ranked in the top four of hits (30) through just 35 games. Should he appear in all of Carolina’s remaining 39 games, Gostisbehere would be on pace for 57 points on the season – just enough to surpass his career-high of 56 points set in 81 games with the Red Wings last season. He’s aged like a fine wine, carrying his two-way impact and solid production through stints with four different clubs over the last five seasons, including two separate tenures in Carolina. Gostisbehere has been strong through it all, starting the spree with a 51-point season with the Arizona Coyotes in 2021-22 and now set to outperform it four years later.

This move will bring the Hurricanes’ loaded defense back to full-strength. Gostisbehere will likely slide back into his role next to fellow summer-addition Sean Walker, and should also regain his spot on the team’s top power-play unit ahead of Brent Burns. Those additions will give the Hurricanes a difference-making defender in every role, hopefully enough to spur them out of a 5-4-1 record over their last 10 games.

Penguins Place Evgeni Malkin On IR, Activate Philip Tomasino

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed star Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Malkin has already missed Pittsburgh’s last three games, and will now be forced out of at least four more games. He had previously played in Pittsburgh’s first 41 games of the season, and was red-hot in the winter months. Malkin had seven points in nine games leading up to his injury.

In a corresponding move, Pittsburgh has also activated Philip Tomasino off of injured reserve, returning him from a four-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Tomasino has been one of the brightest spots of Pittsburgh’s middling year. Acquired for a fourth-round pick in a late-November trade with Nashville, Tomasino has since posted four goals and seven points in 16 games with the Penguins – the highest scoring pace of his career. He’s looked properly alive in the Penguins lineup, filling a much-needed top-six role after four up-and-down seasons in Nashville. Tomasino was a first-round draft pick in 2019, and made the jump into a full-time NHL role two seasons later. He scored 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games as a rookie – a very encouraging start for the then-20-year-old forward. But Tomasino struggled to maintain that into his sophomore year, and would only reach 20 points one more time – in 41 games of the 2023-24 campaign – during his time in Nashville.

Malkin’s absence will leave a glaring hole in the Pittsburgh lineup. The future Hall-of-Famer has, once again, been one of Pittsburgh’s most utilized forwards at both even-strength and on the power-play. The need for another top-unit forward could pave a golden path for Tomasino upon his return, giving the young center yet another chance to show Pittsburgh what he can do with a proper role. Pittsburgh has turned towards Anthony Beauvillier to fill the top-six vacancy over the last three games, though he hasn’t managed any scoring in the boosted role.

In other Penguins news, forward Michael Bunting will also miss the team’s Sunday game after being involved in a car accident outside PPG Paints Arena per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told Rorabaugh that Bunting isn’t expected to miss extended time. Bunting has been another red-hot Penguin, with four points in his last five games.

Hurricanes Waive, Reassign Ty Smith

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1/12: Smith has cleared waivers and been reassigned to the AHL, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff.

1/11: Hurricanes defenseman Ty Smith has been no stranger to being involved in transactions this season as he has been shuffled to and from the minors numerous times already.  However, he’s now spent 30 days on Carolina’s roster since clearing waivers at the beginning of the year.  That means that he must now clear waivers again before that can continue.  The Hurricanes have made that move today as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that Smith has been placed on waivers.

The 24-year-old is in his first full season with Carolina after being acquired at the trade deadline last season as part of the Jake Guentzel deal and is on a one-year, $775K two-way contract.  Smith has spent a big chunk of the year in the reserve role with the big club (or in transit to or from the minors) so playing time has been difficult to come by thus far.

Smith has played in 13 games with AHL Chicago this season and has been fairly productive, putting up three goals and seven assists in those outings.  He has also gotten into eight appearances with the Hurricanes, collecting a goal and an assist while averaging 13:40 per game.  For his career, Smith has 49 points in 131 NHL contests, most of which came with New Jersey after they drafted him 17th overall back in 2018.

Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to place a claim on Smith.  If he passes through waivers unclaimed, his waiver clock will reset on both fronts.  In other words, he won’t need to clear again once he reaches the 10-game mark on the season but rather if and when he gets into 10 games after his waiver period expires tomorrow.

Avalanche Activate Scott Wedgewood, Reassign Trent Miner

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The Colorado Avalanche have activated backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood off of injured reserve. Wedgewood was controversially injured in Colorado’s January 2nd matchup against the Buffalo Sabres, after Sabres forward Zach Benson fell awkwardly on his right leg and then scored seconds later. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar shared strong words over the incident, telling ESPN that letting the goal stand was “insanity” to him. Wedgewood was placed on injured reserve the next day, and has missed five games since.

The Avalanche’s goaltending room has shored up in Wedgewood’s absence. Newcomer Mackenzie Blackwood has been near-unbeatable, posting a 2-1-1 record and .951 save percentage in four games without the veteran backup. Blackwood was acquired to be Colorado’s go-to guy, a move they doubled-down on by signing him to a five-year, $26.2MM contract extension quickly after his fifth game with the club. Blackwood has totaled eight wins and a .939 save percentage in 11 games with the Avalanche. That strong performance will take the load of of Wedgewood, who appeared in six of the team’s 13 games through the month of December while they acquired and acclimated Blackwood. Wedgewood performed well in the pseudo-starting role, posting a 4-2-0 record and .932 save percentage – enough to pull Colorado into strong winning tendencies after a 13-12-0 record through October and November. Those strong performances will make Wedgewood a strong number-two, should Blackwood cool down.

To make room for Wedgewood’s activation, Colorado has assigned goaltender Trent Miner back to the minor leagues, per Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now. Miner received the first start of his NHL career on Wednesday. He allowed three goals on 20 shots to Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, ultimately enough to lose the game 3-1. Miner also stepped into 35 minutes of Colorado’s November 15th matchup against Washington and allowed one goal on 13 shots. He has otherwise been a minor-league starter, stepping into 16 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He’s set an 8-5-3 record and .903 save percentage in the top role, stout numbers but surprisingly the lowest save percentage of the Eagles’ four goalies this year. Miner worked his way up to heavy AHL minutes last season. He spent the bulk of the early season in the ECHL, but soon earned a shift to the AHL after posting a .917 in 11 games. Miner didn’t squander his AHL opportunity, tallying a 9-6-1 record and .930 in 18 games to end the year. With this move, he’ll get a chance to repeat that process again this year – looking for enough footing in the minors to challenge Wedgewood’s spot as NHL backup.

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