Sharks To Activate Ty Dellandrea From Injured Reserve
The Sharks will have forward Ty Dellandrea back in the lineup tonight against the Canucks, head coach Ryan Warsofsky tells Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. They’ll need to open a roster spot to activate him from injured reserve, which they’ll likely do by transferring Nikolai Kovalenko to IR.
Dellandrea last played on Jan. 23, missing four games with an upper-body injury. He also missed four games with a UBI earlier in the year and has been healthy scratched on a few occasions, limiting him to 41 of San Jose’s 55 games. Aside from ranking third on the team with 99 hits, he hasn’t been much of a factor. He has just one goal and four assists with a -15 rating, averaging 11:45 per game and posting some of the worst possession metrics on the team with a 41.9 CF% at even strength.
He has been an infrequent penalty killer, averaging around a minute per game shorthanded. It’s still not quite what the Sharks expected out of Dellandrea when they parted ways with a fourth-round pick to acquire his signing rights from the Stars last summer, one year removed from a 28-point campaign in Dallas. The 2018 first-round pick regressed to nine points in 42 games last year, though, so there were warning signs that his offensive development had stagnated.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year, $2.6MM contract with San Jose, so he’ll have another year to prove he’s an NHLer, barring a trade in the next few months. If he can’t add more value via his point totals or in his possession game, he’s a non-tender candidate in the summer of 2026.
Dellandrea will center the fourth line between Carl Grundström and recent waiver pickup Walker Duehr in his return, sending Colin White to the press box (via Max Miller of The Hockey News).
Kovalenko, meanwhile, missed their Tuesday game against Montreal with an undisclosed injury and isn’t expected back before the 4 Nations Face-Off. He’s one of a long list of IR-bound Sharks that includes Klim Kostin, Jan Rutta, Nico Sturm, and captain Logan Couture, who’s yet to play this season due to osteitis pubis.
Flames Recall Dryden Hunt, Reassign Clark Bishop
The Flames announced Thursday they have recalled winger Dryden Hunt from AHL Calgary. In a corresponding transaction, Forward Clark Bishop is headed back to the minors, keeping the team’s active roster at a maximum of 23 players.
Hunt, 29, has been in the Calgary organization since they acquired him from the Maple Leafs before the 2023 trade deadline. He hit unrestricted free agency for a day the following summer before signing a two-year, two-way deal to return to the Flames, which he’s now a few months away from finishing up. He was initially an undrafted free agent signing by the Panthers in 2016 and has since carved out a journeyman’s career as an NHL/AHL tweener with decent bottom-six utility.
He was recalled once earlier this season after clearing waivers during training camp but didn’t see any game action. It’s unclear whether that will change, as the Flames still have 12 healthy forwards without him. Hunt last saw NHL action in April 2024, so he’s likely to serve as a scratch tonight against the Avalanche.
The 6’0″ winger is amid a strong season for the Wranglers, leading the AHL club in scoring with 12-28–40 in 41 games. He’s hovered shy of a point per game for the club since making his Wranglers debut in 2023, totaling 77 points in 81 games. He’s routinely been a productive minor-league producer in the past, too, with a 100-136–236 scoring line in 310 career AHL appearances.
Hunt has also played 230 NHL games across eight seasons with the Avalanche, Coyotes, Flames, Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Rangers, scoring 18-33–51 and having a -30 rating. Last year, he averaged 11:08 per game across 28 appearances for Calgary, scoring 3-5–8 and ranking third on the team with 14.05 hits per 60 minutes.
Bishop, 28, had a goal and a minus-two rating in six games since being recalled on Jan. 23. He’s been a healthy scratch in Calgary’s last two contests after logging his first NHL action since February 2022. He, Hunt, Rory Kerins, and Adam Klapka are a few of the names the Flames have rotated into bottom-six roles while they deal with season-ending ACL tears for Justin Kirkland and Anthony Mantha and a lengthy absence for Connor Zary due to a knee injury.
Golden Knights Place Tanner Pearson On Injured Reserve
The Golden Knights have placed left-winger Tanner Pearson on injured reserve, per Sin Ben Vegas. Pearson, who missed Tuesday’s loss to the Islanders with an undisclosed injury, has been ruled out for the team’s final two games before the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Knights now have an open roster spot – they previously had one before the transaction, but recalled Jonas Røndbjerg from AHL Henderson today to replace Pearson on the active roster, per the NHL’s media site. He’ll join the team for tonight’s game in New Jersey and have to suit up unless they plan on dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Pearson, 32, landed a PTO with Vegas and eventually signed a one-year, league-minimum deal a few days before the start of the regular season. The 12-year veteran started the season on a high note with seven points in 11 games, but he’s been colder since then, with 12 points in 42 appearances since the beginning of November. He’s been especially cold lately, posting an assist and a minus-eight rating in his last 14 showings. He’s lost ice time and been pushed down the depth chart after the team inked Brandon Saad following his mutual termination with the Blues last week.
The 2014 Stanley Cup champion has a 9-10–19 scoring line in 53 games for Vegas on the whole, his best offensive showing since he scored 14-20–34 in 68 GP with the Canucks in 2021-22. Pearson lost most of the 2022-23 season with Vancouver due to a lingering hand injury and struggled to the tune of 5-8–13 in 54 games with the Canadiens last year.
His injury did force Vegas to roll 11-7 against the Isles, and it’s still unclear when he sustained it. Pending RFA Alexander Holtz should get a look in the top nine with Pearson out, as he’s projected to skate alongside Pavel Dorofeyev and Tomáš Hertl tonight against his former club. He’s back with the club after the team quietly assigned him to Henderson over the course of the past couple of weeks, although he never suited up for the minor-league club.
Røndjberg has played fourth-line spot duty again for Vegas this year, entering the lineup nine times. He’s still looking for his first point of the year but has secured his fourth straight season of NHL playing time with the Knights, who drafted him 65th overall back in 2017. The Danish winger has 7-8–15 in 32 games with Henderson.
Predators Recall Joakim Kemell
Ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Blackhawks, the Predators announced they’d recalled right-winger Joakim Kemell from AHL Milwaukee. He’s the corresponding move to fill Vinnie Hinostroza‘s roster spot after they lost him to the Wild on waivers yesterday. If Luke Evangelista can’t play due to his lower-body injury, then Kemell should be in line to make his NHL debut – potentially in a top-six spot with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly.
Kemell, 20, was Nashville’s first-round pick in 2022 and is one of two players selected in the top 20 who have yet to make their NHL debut. He’s in his second full season with Milwaukee and third overall, co-leading active Admirals in scoring with 9-16–25 in 38 games. While his minus-nine rating is the worst on the team, he’s got a strong overall track record since arriving in North America and is coming off an AHL All-Star Classic appearance.
His six assists in his last five games helped convince the Preds to give him his first recall. They have 13 forwards on the active roster, but Evangelista and Mark Jankowski are doubtful for tomorrow’s contest and would leave Nashville in a bind if they can’t go.
The 5’11”, 183-lb Finn was named Liiga Rookie of the Year in his draft year, posting 15-8–23 in 39 games for JYP to lead the top-level league in rookie goal-scoring. He regressed a bit in 2022-23, logging 12-3–15 with a -16 rating in 43 games, but looked refreshed when Nashville recalled him from his loan at the end of the season and sent him to Milwaukee. He finished the year with 13 points in his first 14 AHL regular-season games and led the Calder Cup Playoffs in rookie goal-scoring with eight in another 14 games. He posted 16-25–41 in 67 games in his true rookie season with the Ads last year.
Kemell’s entry-level contract slid twice due to his lack of NHL appearances, so this is the first year his deal counts against their contract limit. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2027.
Devils Place Nico Hischier On IR, Recall Simon Nemec
The Devils announced today that captain Nico Hischier is headed for injured reserve after missing the last four contests with an upper-body injury. Top defense prospect Simon Nemec was called up from AHL Utica in the corresponding move and will enter the lineup tonight against the Golden Knights in place of Jonas Siegenthaler, who left Tuesday’s game against the Penguins with an apparent leg/ankle injury after falling awkwardly in the neutral zone.
Hischier sustained the injury on a cross-check/slash from Montreal captain Nick Suzuki, leading to his first absence of the season. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters last week that Hischier is out week-to-week, so while he’s eligible to come off IR at any time, he’s still not expected back for their final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off against the Canadiens on Saturday.
He remains the team’s goal leader despite missing time, with 24 in 51 games. He’s also added 19 assists for 43 points, ranking fourth on the team with a +11 rating and leading them with a 55.5 FO%. Dawson Mercer briefly shifted from wing to center for the first few games of his absence but was replaced down the middle by Erik Haula for Tuesday’s game after the veteran was cleared to return from an ankle sprain.
After making New Jersey’s opening-night roster, Nemec gets another chance in the NHL. He recorded an assist and a minus-two rating in nine games before a string of healthy scratches and an eventual reassignment to Utica in early November. The 2022 second-overall pick has 5-17–22 in 32 AHL games since his demotion, the best offensive showing of his three-minor league campaigns.
His recall comes after he expressed frustration about his extended AHL assignment to a media outlet in his native Slovakia last month. However, he said he hadn’t requested a trade out of Newark, and the Devils haven’t yet appeared willing to leverage him in a trade.
Someone will be playing on their offside tonight against Vegas, as Nemec gives them four righties and two lefties on the blue line. Johnathan Kovacevic is the only one of the former group to spend significant time on the left this season, per CapWages, so he’ll likely replace Siegenthaler in top-pairing duties alongside Dougie Hamilton while Nemec enters the lineup alongside either Brenden Dillon or Luke Hughes.
Avalanche Had Interest In J.T. Miller, Fielding Calls On Casey Mittelstadt
The Avalanche remain in the market for an upgrade at center, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reporting Thursday they were one of the teams who submitted trade proposals to the Canucks for J.T. Miller. Their offer “never got close enough to threaten the Rangers deal,” Friedman writes. Still, he confirms a report from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff earlier in the week they’re listening to inquiries on struggling pivot Casey Mittelstadt to help facilitate an addition.
Colorado opened up a decent chunk of short-term financial flexibility when they swapped out Mikko Rantanen for Martin Nečas in last month’s blockbuster. They also managed to add some center depth in that deal by landing Jack Drury from the Hurricanes, but he doesn’t have top-six utility on a contending team. That leaves Mittelstadt, amid an underwhelming 9-23–32 scoring line in 55 games with some of the team’s worst possession impacts, as their only legitimate option to anchor the second line behind Nathan MacKinnon. His sputtering defensive play and lower volume of shots this season indicate the 26-year-old is a better fit elsewhere in the lineup or simply a better fit in another team’s system.
The Avs are hoping 20-year-old Calum Ritchie will be the long-term answer. Ritchie played seven NHL games earlier this season after a strong training camp, scoring once but posting a minus-seven rating. The 2023 first-round pick was returned to OHL Oshawa, where he leads the team with 1.83 points per game and ranks second in the league behind 2025 first-overall contender Michael Misa. He’s a top-50 prospect in the league and easily the best in the Colorado system.
But Ritchie could still need AHL adjustment time when he turns pro for good next season, and even if he doesn’t, he may be better suited for a bottom-six role out of the gate. Colorado needs a stopgap, and while they were searching for a longer-term fit in Miller, they could also look for short-term upgrades on Mittelstadt. Unfortunately, the options available to them for an in-season boost on the trade market are increasingly slim.
The only seemingly available unquestionable upgrades over Mittelstadt are the Islanders’ Brock Nelson and the Predators’ Ryan O’Reilly. There are issues with both. Despite a rash of injuries, the Isles’ recent hot streak makes it feasible for them to hold onto their pending UFA. At the same time, O’Reilly’s first tenure in Colorado ended 10 years ago with a publicly unpleasant contract saga. Nashville is treating O’Reilly like he has a no-movement clause despite not holding one in his contract, and whether the 2019 playoff MVP would be open to a return to Colorado is uncertain.
Other options available down the middle include Ryan Donato, Yanni Gourde, and Scott Laughton, but all carry risk. The latter two would be two-way upgrades over Mittelstadt, but they produce points at a lesser rate than his, which would exacerbate the Avs’ depth-scoring problem. Donato is clicking at a career-best 0.63 points per game rate with the Blackhawks but is untested in extended top-six minutes, especially at center. There’s also the Sabres’ Dylan Cozens, but he carries question marks similar to Mittelstadt’s when they acquired the latter from Buffalo at last year’s deadline.
A Mittelstadt move would likely be a separate transaction instead of Colorado leveraging him as part of an upgrade package. According to Friedman, the Devils, Maple Leafs, and Senators have “poked around” about his availability, but talks haven’t progressed past an initial stage.
Snapshots: Zegras, Cozens, Timmins, Shine
Ducks forward Trevor Zegras has been in trade speculation dating back to last season, a year in which he struggled and battled injuries. That speculation isn’t going away as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (video link) Anaheim is still listening to offers for the 23-year-old. Unfortunately for them, Zegras has also battled injuries this season and has struggled when in the lineup. A year ago, he had six goals and nine assists in 31 games, numbers that were underwhelming for a two-time 60-plus-point player. However, that also happens to be his stat line so far this season which can’t help his value. Zegras is signed through next season at a $5.75MM price tag and will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights in the 2026 offseason. Given his struggles, Anaheim may have to sell low if they opt to move him before March 7th or hope for a better market in the summer.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Sabres center Dylan Cozens did not take part in practice today with what head coach Lindy Ruff called a lower-body aggravation, notes team reporter Jourdon LaBarber. His status for Saturday’s game against Nashville is up in the air as a result. It has been a quiet year for Cozens who has 10 goals and 16 assists in 53 games, numbers that are underwhelming for one of their top-paid forwards which has resulted in plenty of trade speculation.
- Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins won’t play on Thursday against Seattle due to an upper-body injury sustained on Tuesday versus Calgary, relays David Alter of The Hockey News. Timmins was able to return to the game last night but they’ve decided to shut him down at least for this next contest. The 26-year-old has a goal and six assists in 44 games this season while averaging 16:25 per night.
- The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned winger Dominik Shine to AHL Grand Rapids. Detroit signed the 31-year-old to a two-year, two-way deal last month, his first NHL contract which came on the heels of a strong first half with the Griffins that saw him record 32 points in 40 games. Shine got into four games with Detroit while being up with the big club, picking up an assist and four hits in a little under nine minutes a night of playing time.
Canucks Sign Marcus Pettersson To Six-Year Extension
The Canucks wasted little time getting pen to paper on a deal with one of their new acquisitions. The team announced that they’ve signed defenseman Marcus Pettersson to a six-year extension that will carry a cap charge of $5.5MM. GM Patrik Allvin released the following statement:
In just a couple of games, Marcus has already shown us the type of leadership, poise and character that we want in a top four defenceman,” said Allvin. “He has a calming influence on the ice, uses his long reach and hockey smarts to break up plays and has a good first pass to help us create more offensively. We are extremely happy to get this deal done and look forward to working with him in both the short term and long term.
Of course, Allvin’s familiarity with the 28-year-old is much more than just a couple of games. He was with Pittsburgh at the time that then-GM Jim Rutherford (who now is in Vancouver’s front office) acquired him so they are quite familiar with what Pettersson brings to the table. That familiarity undoubtedly played a role in the Canucks flipping the first-round pick they acquired in the J.T. Miller trade last week (along with Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais, and Melvin Fernstrom) to Pittsburgh for Pettersson and Drew O’Connor.
Pettersson has played in 49 games this season between Pittsburgh and Vancouver, potting three goals and 15 assists along with 86 blocks and 60 hits while logging more than 22 minutes a night of ice time. That has him at a 30-point pace which would match his career-high offensively from last season; that uptick in production certainly didn’t hurt his value as he was heading toward his first run at unrestricted free agency this summer which is now on hold for a long time.
For his career, Pettersson has played in 493 NHL games over parts of eight seasons between Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and now Vancouver. After struggling early in his tenure with the Penguins, he has since established himself as a legitimate top-four blueliner for the last three years. That track record was good enough for Vancouver to target him and waste little time locking him up through the 2030-31 season.
The deal represents a nice raise for Pettersson. He’s in the final year of a five-year contract signed back in 2020, one that carries a cap hit of just over $4MM. He’ll add nearly $1.5MM per season to that number now while also landing some extra security. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that Pettersson will have a full no-move clause in the first three seasons of the contract. In the final three years, his trade protection will come in the form of a 15-team no-trade clause.
With this signing, Vancouver now has a little under $76MM in commitments for next season, per PuckPedia. Included in that is nearly $27MM in spending on their top five blueliners with Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers, and Carson Soucy all signed through at least 2025-26 as well with the latter now in trade speculation. That should only intensify with Pettersson now guaranteed to be sticking around for the long haul.
Trade Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames
With the 4 Nations Face-Off break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Calgary Flames.
This season hasn’t quite gone as many anticipated in Calgary. But unlike some underachieving things, not going as expected is actually a good thing. The Flames went into the season as expected sellers but instead enter tonight’s action with a share of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. As a result, we’ve seen them make one buyers move already although they could look to play both a buying and selling role as the deadline approaches.
Record
26-20-7, T-4th in the Pacific
Deadline Status
Long-Term Buyer, Possible Short-Term Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$78.698MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: FLA 1st*, NJ 1st, COL 2nd, CGY 3rd, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
2026: CGY 1st, VGK 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 3rd, VAN 3rd, CGY 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
*-Depending on how the Draft Lottery falls, it’s possible that Florida’s first-round pick will go to Montreal in which case Calgary would keep their own. There is also a remote chance that the pick won’t be conveyed to the Canadiens until 2026. This is from the Sean Monahan trade in 2022.
Trade Chips
There’s a big difference between what teams want Calgary’s trade chips to be and what they’re actually going to be. It was recently reported that the Flames have been receiving calls on top veterans Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, and Rasmus Andersson but GM Craig Conroy has been rebuffing those efforts, telling inquiring teams that those players aren’t available. While Andersson’s contract is up after next season, early indications are that the team believes they can get him signed to an extension. So those players, as well as their other top ones, are off the table.
It’s not a great group of rental players for Calgary as many of the ones on shorter-term deals were moved out already over the past 13 months or so. But one that might draw some interest is goaltender Daniel Vladar. After undergoing hip surgery last season, he has played a bit better this season, shaving more than a half-goal off his GAA while adding six points to his save percentage. Early on, he was platooning with top prospect Dustin Wolf but the youngster has taken full hold of the top spot now. At $2.2MM and on an expiring deal, Vladar could be a lower-cost acquisition for a team looking for extra depth or a short-term option if one of their options goes down. While it might seem strange for a team with playoff hopes to move a goalie, they do have one in the minors who is more than making a case for an extended look.
That player is Devin Cooley. The 27-year-old is signed through next season at the league minimum and has been dominant with AHL Calgary this season, posting a 2.24 GAA and a .928 SV% and playing a big role in putting the Wranglers atop the Western Conference at the All-Star break. If Vladar is moved, Cooley will likely get the chance to make a case for the full-time backup spot next season. But it’s also possible that teams will come calling about Cooley with the intent of evaluating him for their own second-string slot next season. The Flames would undoubtedly need another AHL goalie as part of any return but if there are teams who feel he’s NHL-ready (or want to keep their goalie costs down), he might actually have more suitors than Vladar.
Among their healthy veterans on expiring deals, the most notable ones are blueliner Tyson Barrie and center Kevin Rooney. Barrie, on a $1.25MM deal, has been a frequent healthy scratch and his value, if there is any, would be for a late-round pick at most. Rooney hasn’t had a great year but he can kill penalties and play with some grit. He’s the type of late-deadline depth addition a couple of teams might consider and with a $1.3MM price tag, he’d be affordable but again, the return would be minimal. They also have the RFA rights to Nikita Okhotyuk, the 24-year-old playing in the KHL but has 67 career NHL games under his belt. If Calgary wants to add a low-cost addition, he’s someone they could potentially dangle instead of parting with a draft pick or prospect. But all things considered, if the Flames aren’t selling, they don’t have much in the way of physical trade options to work with.
But they do have cap space. More than any other team than Columbus, in fact. Conroy might be able to add some extra draft picks by taking on an expiring contract or being a third-party retainer to facilitate another team’s trade. If they don’t do anything goaltending-wise, their open cap space might be their best chip to play.
Team Needs
Left-Shot Top-Four Defenseman: Usually, it’s the right side of the back end that teams often need to upgrade at. But with Weegar in the fold long-term and the Flames believing they can re-sign Andersson, that side should be in good shape for a while. (One of their top prospects, Zayne Parekh, also shoots from the right.) But the left side isn’t anywhere near as secure. Jake Bean, Kevin Bahl (currently injured), and Joel Hanley are among those who have seen top-four time on the left side of the back end and that’s not a core group of a contender. If Conroy wants to make a short-term buyer move, adding a rental who can fill that void would go a long way. Failing that, it will be near the top of their to-do list over the summer.
Continue Growing Young Core: Conroy has talked before about wanting to add more players around the same age as some of their younger core group. That played a role in their recent pickups of Morgan Frost (25) and Joel Farabee (24) while also leveraging some of their financial flexibility. It’s fair to say that a longer-term roster goal will be to try to continue to add players around that age. Those generally don’t move too often in-season but expect Calgary to kick the tires on more moves like their recent one with Philadelphia.
Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.
Ryan Hartman To Appeal Ten-Game Suspension
Wild forward Ryan Hartman had until today to decide if he’d file an appeal of the ten-game suspension handed down by the league on Monday. He has elected to do so as the NHLPA announced (Twitter link) that they have filed an appeal on Hartman’s behalf today.
The incident occurred on Saturday versus Ottawa. Off a faceoff, Hartman drove Tim Stutzle face-first into the ice. He received a match penalty on the play and after being offered an in-person hearing, was given the ten-game ban, the fifth suspension of his career. As a result, he forfeits more than $487K in salary as he qualifies under the repeat offender (meaning he’s fined ten games’ play, not ten days’ pay).
Hartman will remain under suspension during the appeal process. While it often takes longer than the duration of the appeal for it to be heard (meaning the appeal is primarily an attempt to recover some of the lost wages), that might not be the case for Hartman. With the NHL heading for a break next week due to the 4 Nations Face-Off, it’s quite possible the appeal will be heard during that time when he’ll have only missed three of the ten games.
This appeal will be heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman whose role will be to determine whether the decision was supported by clear and convincing evidence. If Hartman’s suspension is upheld or is reduced but remains six games or longer, Hartman can further appeal to a neutral arbitrator who would then have the final say.