Tampa Bay Lightning Assign Jesse Ylönen To AHL
Saturday: It turned out to be a one-and-done recall for Ylönen as a day after being recalled, the Lightning announced that he has been sent back to Syracuse.
Friday: Ahead of their return to regular season hockey on Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning are bringing a depth forward to the NHL level. The Lightning announced they’d recalled forward Jesse Ylönen from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and he could debut with the team against the Seattle Kraken.
Still, there’s a decent chance Ylönen won’t debut either. Tampa Bay is likely without forwards Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli due to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship contest yesterday so Ylönen may serve as a practice player for a day or two.
Ylönen signed a one-year, $775K contract with the Lightning last offseason after spending the first four years of his North American career in the Montreal Canadiens organization. The Scottsdale, AZ native scored 12 goals and 29 points in 112 games in Montreal including another 34 goals and 85 points in 120 games with their affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Due to the depth and health of their forward core, Tampa Bay hasn’t had much use for Ylönen at the NHL level this season. This has allowed him plenty of playing time with the Crunch, scoring eight goals and 25 points in 47 games. That offensive production is good for third in scoring on the team putting Ylönen 11 points shy of his career-high output in a lone AHL campaign.
Utah Hockey Club Assign Jaxson Stauber To AHL
Saturday: Stauber has been returned to the Roadrunners, per a team announcement. That means Ingram will be available to dress tonight versus Los Angeles.
Tuesday: According to the AHL transactions site, the Utah Hockey Club has recalled third-string netminder Jaxson Stauber from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The recall likely means that goaltender Connor Ingram hasn’t fully recovered from the upper-body injury suffered in the team’s last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
After taking a high shot from Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, Ingram left the game after 12:38 of ice time. Utah’s head coach, André Tourigny didn’t provide any recovery timeline for Ingram other than saying, “No, I don’t know what his status is at this point. He will be evaluated, but we’ll see.”
Stauber has largely played in the AHL in his first year outside the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Still, he was recalled to the NHL in late November due to another upper-body injury to Ingram. Many of the starts went to Karel Vejmelka over that stretch but Stauber still managed a 2-1-1 record in four starts with a .925 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average.
That likely beat expectations that the Utah coaching staff had for Stauber considering his relatively modest production in AHL Tucson. Matt Villalta has been the primary starter for the Roadrunners this season but Stauber has still gotten involved in 14 contests. The Wayzata, Minnesota, native has secured an 8-5-2 record in those 14 games with a .901 SV% and 3.07 GAA.
Atlantic Notes: Tuch, Tkachuk, Canadiens
Sabres winger Alex Tuch has been involved in plenty of trade speculation lately with teams believed to be calling Buffalo to see if they might consider moving him. However, if he has his way, he won’t be going anywhere. Tuch told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News that he remains “heavily committed to this organization” and still hopes to be with the team past the upcoming trade deadline. The 28-year-old has 19 goals and 24 assists in 54 games this season on Buffalo’s top line and is only two years removed from a 79-point campaign. He’s one of their better bargains at a $4.75MM price tag which means that if the Sabres do decide to move him, they’ll be in line to land a significant return for his services. But it doesn’t sound like that’s the direction that Tuch would like to see things go.
More from the Atlantic:
- Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk won’t play against Seattle due to a lower-body injury. Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link) that he will be assessed by Florida’s medical staff in the coming days to get a sense of how long he might be out for. ESPN’s John Buccigross adds (Twitter link) that the early sense is that Tkachuk could be out for a while. He suffered the injury playing at the 4 Nations Face-Off and wasn’t able to play much in the championship game on Thursday, logging less than seven minutes of ice time with his last shift coming late in the second period.
- The Canadiens have had discussions with the agents of pending UFAs David Savard and Joel Armia, reports Guillaume Lefrancois of La Presse. Savard has been in trade speculation going back to last season with teams often looking to add size and grit on their back end for a playoff run and while his ice time is down this season (he has a 17:46 ATOI), there will be teams interested in him as a third-pairing piece if a new deal can’t be reached. Armia, meanwhile, cleared waivers at the beginning of last season but bounced back to record 17 goals last year and is on pace to set a new career high in points this season while being one of the most-used forwards shorthanded league-wide.
- One pending UFA in Montreal who hasn’t had discussions with the Canadiens about a new deal is center Christian Dvorak, relays Richard Labbe of La Presse. Dvorak has struggled offensively the past two years and has just 17 points in 56 games so far this season, hardly a great return on a $4.45MM price tag. He’s winning over 57% of his faceoffs, however, which could draw some interest trade-wise as well. Notably, Montreal only has one salary retention slot remaining to use between Dvorak, Savard, Armia, or even Jake Evans if the two sides can’t reach an agreement on an extension before March 7th.
Penguins Activate Evgeni Malkin, Assign Emil Bemstrom To AHL
The Penguins will welcome back a key veteran to their lineup today against Washington. The team announced (Twitter link) that center Evgeni Malkin has been activated off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, winger Emil Bemstrom was sent down to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Malkin suffered a lower-body injury early in their game on January 25th and hasn’t played since. However, he was a full participant in practice in recent days which made this announcement an expected one.
The 38-year-old got off to a hot start to his season with 24 points in his first 27 games but has seen his production taper off since then with just 10 points in his last 20 outings. Nonetheless, the 19-year-veteran still is a key part of Pittsburgh’s attack, anchoring their second line while averaging over 18 minutes a night once again and ranks fifth on the team in scoring. With the Penguins entering play today six points out of the final Wild Card spot, they’ll need Malkin to get back to his early-season form if they have any hopes of a late push to get back into the playoff picture.
As for Bemstrom, he has only played in two games with Pittsburgh this season on his two recalls, something that probably wasn’t expected after he played a regular role down the stretch last season after being acquired from Columbus. He’s having a strong year in the minors, however, as he has 20 goals and 24 assists in 41 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Bemstrom will now return to a prominent role with them while hoping that his scoring prowess down there will earn him another look at some point.
Blackhawks Place Jason Dickinson On IR, Assign Louis Crevier To AHL
The Blackhawks have made some roster moves heading into tonight’s game against Columbus. The team announced that defenseman Louis Crevier was activated off injured reserve and was assigned to AHL Rockford. The team also placed center Jason Dickinson on IR.
Crevier has spent time with both the Blackhawks and IceHogs this season but the bulk of his time has been spent with Chicago. He has one assist in 11 games with Rockford while suiting up in 23 NHL contests where he has three goals and an assist along with 34 blocks and 47 hits in 17:48 of playing time. He last played on February 1st before suffering a concussion so the assignment to the minors will give him some time to get back to form before likely being recalled for the stretch run.
As for Dickinson, he has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on February 5th so his placement on IR should come as no surprise. Assuming it’s back-dated, he’ll have already missed enough time and thus can be activated as soon as he’s cleared. The 29-year-old hasn’t been able to duplicate his breakout performance from last season which saw him score 22 goals but he has 16 points in 53 games in just under 16 minutes a night of playing time.
With these roster moves, Chicago now has two open roster spots and only the minimum number of healthy forwards available. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a recall or two from them in the near future.
Jets Sign Vladislav Namestnikov To Two-Year Extension
The Jets have taken one of their pending unrestricted free agents off the market for this summer. They announced that they have signed forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year contract extension worth $3MM per season beginning in 2025-26.
The 32-year-old showed some promise offensively early in his career with a 48-point season in 2017-18. However, he hasn’t been able to reach those numbers since then, resulting in him becoming a bit of a hockey nomad, spending time with eight different teams between that season and the 2022-23 campaign. The Jets were the last team out of that group as they acquired him as a rental at the 2023 trade deadline and liked what they saw, giving him a two-year, $4MM contract on the opening day of free agency that summer.
The contract has worked out well for both sides. While Namestnikov still hasn’t gotten back to his top offensive numbers, he has become a reliable secondary scorer for Winnipeg. Last season in his first full year with the Jets, he picked up 11 goals and 26 assists in 78 games, good for the second-highest point total of his career. Notably, he also spent considerable time at center after spending most of the previous few seasons on the wing.
Namestnikov is on pace for a higher offensive output this year. Through 52 outings this season, he has 10 goals and 19 assists while logging just under 15 minutes a night of playing time. He has been a regular at center this year and has improved his faceoff percentage by 9.5% compared to a year ago although it still checks in as below-average at 45.8% on the campaign. Nonetheless, becoming a reliable middle-six player who can play down the middle certainly helped Namestnikov’s cause in contract talks, allowing him to get a 50% raise on this new agreement to keep him in the fold.
With the deal, Winnipeg now has roughly $55.6MM in commitments on the books to 14 players for next season, per PuckPedia, giving them a little under $40MM in space to work with. They do, however, still have a pair of notable pending UFAs to deal with, including winger Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Neal Pionk, both of whom are in line for pricey long-term contracts this summer. In the meantime, they’ve helped shore up their forward depth for the next two years by keeping Namestnikov around.
Namestnikov’s agent Dan Milstein first reported the deal while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first with the financial terms.
Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.
Seattle Kraken Activate Jordan Eberle From LTIR
Saturday: As expected, the Kraken announced that Eberle will indeed return to Seattle’s lineup today against Florida.
Monday: According to the AHL transactions page, the Seattle Kraken have officially recalled forward Jordan Eberle from his conditioning loan with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Seattle still needs to activate Eberle from the team’s long-term injured reserve but all signs indicate he’ll return for the Kraken’s first game after the 4 Nations Face-Off break this Saturday.
It’ll be Eberle’s first game in almost 100 days should he suit up against the Florida Panthers this weekend. Seattle’s second captain in franchise history underwent surgery to repair a pelvic injury suffered in the team’s November 14th matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The injury was certainly a buzzkill for Eberle after getting off to a quick start to the 2024-25 campaign. The Regina, Saskatchewan native scored six goals and 11 points through his first 17 games this season before succumbing to the pelvic injury. That 0.65 point-per-game average would have put Eberle around the 53-point total if he continued that pace over all the Kraken’s games this year.
That would have made for his second-best offensive output as a member of the Kraken. Eberle finished his first year with the club with 21 goals and 44 points in 79 games only to explode for 63 points a year later. The former sniper for the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders dropped back to 44 points last season setting him up for a potential rebound year in 2024-25.
Hindsight being 20/20, Eberle has lost that opportunity. He’ll max out at 42 games played this season if he plays in Seattle’s remaining 25 contests setting a new career-low. Still, Eberle will have one year and $4.75MM left on his contract after this season meaning he’ll have one more chance at a quality payday heading into his age 36 campaign.
Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers Chance Of Re-Signing Will Fuel Trade Rumors
With the 4-Nations Face-Off out of the way, fan attention is starting to turn towards the looming NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th. The Winnipeg Jets are among the teams still figuring out their deadline approach, with popular winger Nikolaj Ehlers at the top of their docket. Ehlers has provided a decade of serviceable hockey to the Jets franchise – but is set to land in unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career this summer. Winnipeg’s confidence in their ability to re-sign him could directly influence if they shop him at the deadline, shares Murat Ates of The Athletic.
Ehlers is coming off a seven-year, $42MM contract with a manageable $6MM cap hit. He’s seemed to improve in every year of the deal, working his way up to a proud 48 points in 47 games this season. That’s a pace of 74 points in 73 games on the year – which would confidently pass his current career-high of 64 points set in 2016-17. That scoring burst comes after Ehlers broke 60 points for the first time in five seasons last year. At 29-years-old, the winger seems firmly in the midst of his prime – making now a golden opportunity for Winnipeg to sell high. Ates points out that Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has made a point to capitalize on outgoing players in the past – moving each of Jacob Trouba, Andrew Copp, Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic, and Pierre-Luc Dubois at optimal times to receive a hefty return.
If Ehlers is looking to test his chance at a bigger lineup role before he’s in his golden years, moving as a rental with the freedom of choice this summer could be ideal for both sides. Ehlers has been the subject of trade rumors for many years – largely thanks to just how sequestered his offense seems on Winnipeg’s second-line. The Jets reportedly made Ehlers available for the right return at the 2024 NHL Draft, but weren’t able to find a suitor to take on the final year of his contract. Ehlers faced a routine injury bug from 2019 to 2023 – but found his footing and played all 82 games of the 2023-24 campaign, with great results. It was hard to imagine Winnipeg not asking for a first-round draft pick to start negotiations after that uptick – and Ehlers has only improved his standing this season.
That could make a trade pretty rich for the rest of the league. But Winnipeg do have motivation to clear up minutes in their offense. 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert is leading the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in scoring this season with a stout 19 assists and 22 points in 38 games. He earned the lead-scorer title last year as well, with 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games. Lambert is still just 21 years old, but he’s already seemed to grow out of the AHL mold. Adjusting to an NHL role will take time but – with an offense firing on all cylinders – the Jets could be poised to find a cushy role for the versatile forward, who can play all three positions. Fellow right-shot, top prospect Nikita Chibrikov has also been performing well in the minors – with 18 points in 30 games suggesting a trial run in the NHL could be in order. Chibrikov scored three points in four NHL games earlier this season.
Cheveldayoff likened the process of seeing Ehlers grow into his own as watching one’s child grow up. But he also told Ates that business is business – and that the Jets would be diligent to put themselves in the best position they can. Winnipeg currently leads the Western Conference by a stride, with 81 points putting them nine points ahead of the three-way tie for second between Edmonton, Vegas, and Dallas. Even better, Winnipeg is entering the deadline with a thriving trade chip who, with a hefty return, could push the Jets in one of many directions. A swap of roster players or a return of draft capital could each go a long way towards shaping Winnipeg’s short and long-term future, while opening roles up for emerging youngsters. The looming question will be if Winnipeg is willing to reach for those benefits at the expense of a tenured pro.
Injury Notes: Hughes, Pettersson, Anderson, Crosby
The Vancouver Canucks could be a few star players short in their first game back out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Head coach Rick Tocchett (shared via Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre) confirmed that forward Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes won’t be available against the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow due to injuries.
No report specified what type of injury Pettersson is dealing with but he’s only expected to miss a day or two. Meanwhile, Hughes’ oblique injury precluded him from participating in the international hockey tournament although he did attempt to return for the championship bout between Canada and the United States.
Vancouver entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break on the heels of a 6-1-1 record. Pettersson and Hughes could miss the second half of the back-to-back against the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday but the club could become increasingly uneasy should their absences extend further.
Other injury notes:
- According to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens, the Los Angeles Kings are expected to welcome back defenseman Michael Anderson against the Utah Hockey Club tomorrow night. The six-year pro missed the last four games before the 4 Nations Face-Off because of a finger injury. Los Angeles still needs to activate Anderson from the injured reserve but his return will give the Kings a healthy lineup to start the final stretch of the regular season.
- Despite playing in all four of Canada’s games for the 4 Nations Face-Off, captain Sidney Crosby may not be ready to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported earlier that Crosby will be a game-time decision for tomorrow afternoon’s action against the Washington Capitals. Yohe didn’t specify whether Crosby is dealing with a minor injury or needs another day of rest from the hotly-contested event. The future Hall of Famer finished his sixth championship-winning international event with one goal and four assists.
Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning
With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is just a few weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After a significant roster overhaul last offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning are chasing their fourth Stanley Cup Final appearance in six years. Whether they reclaim the Atlantic Division title or settle for the Eastern Conference’s top wild-card spot, they are poised for a tough first-round matchup against the Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams have eliminated Tampa Bay in consecutive postseasons, fueling the Lightning’s quest to reassert their dominance in the league’s most competitive division.
Record
31-20-4, 3rd in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$6.122MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 43/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: LA 2nd, TOR 2nd, EDM 4th, TB 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, MIN 7th, SJ 7th, TB 7th, UTA 7th
2026: TB 1st, TB 2nd, TB 3rd, TB 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, TB 7th
Trade Chips
What Tampa Bay lacks in draft capital quality, they make up for in quantity. The Lightning won’t have their 2025 first-round pick thanks to the Tanner Jeannot trade with the Nashville Predators a few years ago and the two second-round picks they have are expected to fall in the back half of the round. Still, having 17 draft selections over two years is enough to add a few sweeteners to proposed deals while retaining their ability to boost their organizational depth.
Tampa Bay’s prospect depth may be enough to stave off dealing roster players. Although he was recently reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, it’s highly unlikely the Lightning will include forward Conor Geekie in any trade negotiations during deadline season. However, there are a few more forward prospects they could move.
One year after being a point-per-game player with the NCAA’s Michigan State University Spartans, Isaac Howard is going for the Hobey Baker Award. The former 31st overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft has scored 22 goals and 43 points in 30 games for the Spartans this season good for second in points among college players. Given his exceptional play in East Lansing, Howard would be a commanding centerpiece if the Lightning go big-game hunting.
Other prospects include Ethan Gauthier, Dylan Duke, and Niko Huuhtanen for various reasons. There’s a dramatic drop-off in quality beyond Huuhtanen but the former two offer appeal in varying ways. Gauthier was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2021 QMJHL Draft and has developed into an above-average playmaker for the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Duke is a high-motor forward who’s become an annoying pest in front of the net although he’s undersized for his playstyle.
Given their team needs, the Lightning will likely keep all five of their top prospects. Still, each of Tampa Bay’s core forwards (aside from Nikita Kucherov) is signed beyond the 2027-28 season, making the Lightning well-positioned to mortgage their future on offense for more immediate needs. 
Team Needs
1) Bottom-Six Forwards: Although the Lightning should already be considered one of the few true Stanley Cup contenders, they still need a few bottom-six forwards. The combination of Michael Eyssimont, Cam Atkinson, Gage Goncalves, Luke Glendening, and Zemgus Girgensons has averaged approximately two goals and six points in 46 games with a -3 rating. The easiest pathway for Tampa Bay to improve this area of their roster is by contacting the Seattle Kraken. If the Kraken retained 50% of both players’ salaries, the Lightning could afford forwards Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde at the deadline. Gourde is familiar with the organization and should come off the LTIR near the end of March. Tanev is another defensive-minded forward who would add explosive speed to Tampa Bay’s bottom six.
2) A Backup Goaltender: The Lightning could also use a more capable backup netminder. Jonas Johansson has been less than average in his role, earning a .890 save percentage and a 3.33 goals-against average in 39 games for Tampa Bay. Thankfully, the Lightning have one of the world’s best goaltenders in Andrei Vasilevskiy who can play between 55 and 60 games of the regular season. Still, when recovering from back surgery at the beginning of last season, Tampa Bay went 9-6-5 without Vasilevskiy before going 36-23-3 upon his return. Either Alexandar Georgiev or Vitek Vanecek of the San Jose Sharks would be affordable backup options for the rest of the season as injury insurance for Vasilevskiy.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.