Jets, Henri Nikkanen Mutually Terminate Contract
Dec. 13: Nikkanen cleared waivers and has had his contract terminated, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He has signed a two-year deal with SaiPa of the Finnish Liiga.
Dec. 12: The Jets announced that they’ve placed forward prospect Henri Nikkanen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.
Nikkanen, 23, will assumedly head back to his native Finland or elsewhere in Europe if he clears. It hasn’t been the smoothest of runs for the 6’5″ pivot, who’s actually spent quite a bit of time in North America. He’s suited up exclusively for Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, since signing his entry-level contract at the end of the 2021-22 season and coming over to Canada.
Despite some good offensive production in the Finnish junior system and some good flashes in the pro-level Liiga, Nikkanen’s point totals with the Moose never got off the ground. The left-shot center has totaled only 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 140 contests with the Moose. This season, he’s only played in 13 of 21 games and has been limited to a goal and three assists.
Nikkanen is in the final season of his entry-level contract and was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at season’s end. Assuming he clears, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow and the Jets will lose his NHL rights.
Winnipeg will free up a contract slot with the move, bringing their total deals to 41 out of the 50-contract limit.
Wild Claim Travis Dermott, Place Jacob Middleton On LTIR
The Wild have claimed defenseman Travis Dermott off waivers from the Oilers, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Defender Jacob Middleton, who sustained a hand injury in last night’s 7-1 loss to the Oilers, landed on long-term injured reserve minutes earlier in a corresponding move, per the team.
It’s no surprise to see Minnesota’s desire to add some defensive depth to the organization, particularly a lefty. They’re now without their top two left-shot options in Middleton and Jonas Brodin (upper body, week-to-week) for quite a bit, and Cameron Crotty, the current No. 7 on the roster, is a right-shot defender with just one NHL game under his belt.
In comes Dermott and his 339 NHL games of experience, although just 10 came in an Edmonton sweater. The soon-to-be 28-year-old didn’t generate much interest on the free-agent market last summer. Instead, he opted for a tryout with the Oilers, which he successfully converted into a one-year, two-way pact at the beginning of the regular season. After posting no points, a -3 rating and being out-attempted 132-111 in his even-strength minutes, he was scratched in nine straight games – including last night’s win over the Wild.
After suiting up for the Coyotes last season, Dermott shouldn’t have many work visa issues. General manager Bill Guerin told Russo he believes he’ll be available for tomorrow’s matinee against the Flyers. Unfortunately, he flew back to Edmonton with his former Oilers teammates last night and will need to make the trek back to Minnesota today.
Regarding Middleton, the veteran took an Evan Bouchard shot to the hand in the first period of last night’s loss and didn’t return. He’s labeled as week-to-week, but as his LTIR placement dictates, the earliest he’s eligible to return is Jan. 7 against the Blues. Whatever fracture he sustained will likely need surgery today, Russo reports.
It’s incredibly tough timing for Middleton, who turns 29 next month. He’s amid the best season of his career by far, leading the NHL with a +22 rating and averaging north of 20 minutes per game for the first time. He has five goals and 13 points in 29 games – assuming he’s available on Jan. 7, he’d still be on pace to record 31 points in about 70 games and break last year’s career-best 25.
Declan Chisholm now stands as the Wild’s top left-shot option until Brodin is ready to return (he’ll likely be the first one back). He’ll stand to see far more than his usual 16-17 minutes per game in the coming days – he’s already skated more than 20 minutes twice in Minnesota’s last five games.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Flames Recall Devin Cooley, Daniel Vladař Out Day-To-Day
Flames goaltender Daniel Vladař, who allowed eight goals on 26 shots in last night’s blowout loss to the Lightning, is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and is unlikely for tomorrow’s game against the Panthers, the team announced. The team recalled Devin Cooley from AHL Calgary under emergency conditions in a corresponding transaction. He’ll presumably back up Dustin Wolf tomorrow as the youngster makes only his second start in the Flames’ last seven games.
It’s unclear if Vladař was playing through an injury, but it would explain his recent poor play. The 27-year-old entered the month with a .900 SV% on the season but has allowed 15 goals on 86 shots in his last four outings, bringing his numbers down to a .885 SV% with a 3.08 GAA.
Vladař has started 16 of Calgary’s 30 games this season and, even with a minor injury, is comfortably on track to shatter his previous career-high of 27 appearances set in 2022-23. The Prague native has been one of the league’s worst “starters,” though. His -2.5 goals saved above expected rank 26th among 32 goaltenders with at least 14 games played, per MoneyPuck.
Starter is a highly loose term. He’s worked in tandem with Wolf, the latter of whom is regarded as one of the highest-ceiling young netminders in the league. He’s also had a rough stretch of play after a strong start to the season, allowing four or more goals in each of his last three starts, but he’ll get the chance to avenge himself with Vladař on the shelf. Wolf’s save percentage this season was as high as .921 as recently as Nov. 25.
As far as third-string options go, Cooley is one of the best. The 27-year-old has dominated AHL play this season with a 1.80 GAA, .942 SV%, three shutouts, and a 14-3-0 record in 18 appearances. He signed a two-year, partial two-way deal with Calgary over the summer after making his NHL debut down the stretch with the Sharks last season, posting a 2-3-1 record with a .870 SV% and 4.98 GAA in six starts. He faced an average of 32 shots per game, including a 49-save performance in a win over the Kraken on April 11.
The Flames’ active roster was full before recalling Cooley, and since Vladař wasn’t placed on injured reserve, another corresponding transaction must be made.
Rangers Place K’Andre Miller On Injured Reserve
Add K’Andre Miller to the list of injured Rangers defensemen. He sustained an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s win over the Sabres and will be placed on injured reserve today, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports reports.
The left-shot defender was not on the bench for the third period of Wednesday’s game. Head coach Peter Laviolette declined to confirm when Miller sustained the injury, although, as Mollie Walker of the New York Post points out, he took a big hit from Buffalo winger Jordan Greenway midway through the second that could have caused the damage.
The IR placement rules him out through Dec. 18, so he’ll miss three games at the fewest. After tomorrow’s game against the Kings, the Rangers have a three-game Central Division road trip. Miller won’t travel with the team, Mercogliano reports, so he’ll likely miss a fourth as well. That positions his earliest possible return date as Dec. 22 against the Hurricanes.
As it has for many Rangers skaters, it’s been a tough year for Miller. He’s on pace for career lows offensively with just two goals and six points through 28 games, and he’s also on track to post a minus rating for the first time in his five-year run in the NHL. In his nearly 600 minutes on the ice at even strength this season, the Blueshirts have out-attempted opponents 537-517 but have been outscored 32-25.
The Rangers’ win over Buffalo was just their second this month. Since beating the Canucks on Nov. 19, the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy winners are 3-8-0 in their last 11 games with a -14 goal differential.
AHL mainstay Connor Mackey is replacing Miller’s top-four minutes alongside Braden Schneider to start, per Mercogliano. Urho Vaakanainen remains unavailable with an upper-body issue after being acquired from the Ducks for ex-captain Jacob Trouba last week.
Justin Schultz Announces Retirement
Right-shot defenseman Justin Schultz has terminated his contract with Switzerland’s HC Lugano and “ended his career with immediate effect for strictly personal reasons,” the club said in a statement Friday.
“Mine is a strictly personal choice,” Schultz said through the team. “I discussed it with my family, and I made the decision to end my career here and return to Canada. I thank Hockey Club Lugano for the professionalism shown and for respecting my choice, and I wish the club and the team to find the path to success again.”
Schultz, now 34, had signed with Lugano in late October after not landing any NHL offers as an unrestricted free agent over the summer. Before retiring, he made eight appearances for the National League club, posting six assists and a -3 rating.
The British Columbia native was selected by the Ducks in the second round of the 2008 draft out of the British Columbia Hockey League’s Westside Warriors. He played one more season of junior ‘A’ before jumping to the University of Wisconsin, where he racked up 113 points in 121 games in three seasons, twice being named to the NCAA West First All-American Team. But coming out of school in the 2012 offseason, he didn’t come to an agreement with Anaheim on an entry-level contract and instead landed one with the Oilers after reaching free agency.
Schultz got some AHL action at the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign due to the lockout that cost the league nearly half the season. However, after posting 48 points in just 34 games, he was named to Edmonton’s opening night roster and never touched minor-league ice again. The offensively gifted yet defensively challenged Schultz spent parts of four seasons in Alberta, logging top-four minutes on a rebuilding Oilers defense. After posting 101 points in 248 games, logging a -78 rating and averaging north of 22 minutes per game, Edmonton shipped him east to the Penguins before the 2016 trade deadline.
Schultz flourished in Pittsburgh, winning two Stanley Cup rings in his first two seasons with the franchise. He was used sparingly in their 2016 run to the championship, averaging 14:14 per game down the stretch and even less than that in the playoffs. But in 2016-17, his first entire season in Pennsylvania, he erupted for a career-high 12 goals, 39 assists, 51 points, and a +27 rating in 78 regular-season appearances, gaining additional ice time with No. 1 option Kris Letang missing half the season with injuries. He finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting and kept the momentum rolling in the playoffs, quarterbacking the team’s top power-play unit and leading their blue line in scoring with 13 points in 21 contests as the Penguins became the first team since the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.
The 6’2″ righty continued to be a serviceable top-four option with the Pens over the next few years, but his point pace and defensive play both began to falter as time passed. A lower left-leg fracture cost him most of the 2018-19 campaign, and after more lower-body injuries limited him to 12 points in 46 games the following year, Pittsburgh let him hit unrestricted free agency.
Schultz landed a two-year, $8MM pact with the rival Capitals. His tenure in D.C. was solid but unremarkable, totaling 50 points in 120 games with a -3 rating. By the end of his two-year deal, he’d firmly established himself as a power-play specialist, averaging a career-low 16:55 per game in his second season.
Once again a free agent, Schultz opted to join the second-year Kraken on a two-year, $6MM deal. In year one, he recorded 34 points in 73 games – his highest total since his career-best 2016-17 campaign – and helped Seattle to its first playoff appearance in franchise history. Once again, he carried his upward momentum into the postseason, tying for third on the Kraken with 10 points in 14 games as they advanced to Game 7 of the Second Round.
Schultz saw his ice time further reduced to a new career-low 16:28 in Seattle last season, posting 26 points in 70 games – 10 of which came on the power play. His -23 rating ranked last on the team, although the Kraken still largely controlled the quality of possession while he was on the ice at even strength. Nonetheless, no team viewed him as an everyday option anymore, and he ended up making a brief go of things in Switzerland after not landing an NHL contract or tryout.
He ends his 12-year NHL career with 71 goals, 253 assists, 324 points, and a -57 rating in 745 games. Seventeen of his career goals – nearly 24% – were game-winners. We at PHR congratulate him on a lengthy career and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Frank Nazar, Move Martinez To IR
The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled forward Frank Nazar from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League and moved defenseman Alec Martinez to the injured reserve (as per Mark Lazerus of The Athletic). The 20-year-old Nazar is a first-round pick from 2022 (13th overall) and is one of the Blackhawks’ top forward prospects.
Nazar has been terrific in his first AHL season with Rockford, he currently leads all AHL rookies with 11 goals and also has 13 assists through the first 21 games. Overall, he is sitting sixth in AHL scoring. The Detroit, Michigan native was expected to spend half of his first professional season in the AHL, but his play thus far has exceeded expectations and expedited the process.
Nazar dressed in three NHL games last season for Chicago, posting his first NHL goal on April 14th. Chicago will be hoping that Nazar can bring some offense to the lineup and add stability to the center position. The door is certainly wide open for Nazar to grab an NHL spot going forward, particularly with Chicago’s offense struggling so badly. The Blackhawks have just 71 goals this season, which has them ranked 30th out of 32 teams.
The Blackhawks placed Martinez on the IR retroactive to December 7th. Martinez is dealing with a neck injury that he suffered back on the 7th when he took a puck to the neck. He was initially called day-to-day but exited yesterday’s practice and left the team’s road trip to head back to Chicago for further testing. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion has a goal and three assists in 15 games this season, his first with Chicago.
Central Notes: Zuccarello, Brodin, Bortuzzo, Ingram
Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports tweeted that Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Jonas Brodin skated with the team yesterday but there is currently no timetable for a return. Zuccarello has been out with a lower-body injury and hasn’t played since November 14th, a stretch of 12 games. Brodin, on the other hand, last played on November 25th as he tries to recover from an upper-body injury that has kept him on the sidelines for seven games.
The 37-year-old Zuccarello is having another solid season for Minnesota, tallying six goals and eight assists in 16 games, while Brodin was having one of his better offensive seasons with two goals and six assists in 19 games.
The Wild currently sit second in the Central Division with a 19-6-4 record.
In other Central Division Notes:
- The Utah Hockey Club announced that defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 35-year-old was hurt on Tuesday night in a game against Minnesota and will not join his teammates on their two-game road trip. The 14-year NHL veteran has averaged the lowest ice time of his career since his rookie season in Pittsburgh and has been sheltered in his 15 appearances this season. Bortuzzo has two assists this season and has a -2 plus/minus along with 15 turnovers.
- Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny told the media yesterday that goaltender Connor Ingram is not fit to play this week, although the netminder did practice yesterday morning (as per Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune). Ingram was placed on IR back on November 20th due to an upper-body injury and hasn’t dressed since November 18th. The 27-year-old hasn’t been able to find his game this season and has struggled, posting a goals saved above expected of -10.9 (as per Money Puck) as well as a .871 save percentage and a 3.61 goals-against average.
Atlantic Notes: Stolarz, Hildeby, Sabres
TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Toronto Maple Leafs are waiting for results on the severity of an injury that forced goaltender Anthony Stolarz from last night’s game. The 30-year-old Stolarz has had a torrid start to his first season in Toronto, going 9-5-2 with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Stolarz is currently ranked sixth in the NHL in goals saved above expected with 9.3 (as per Money Puck).
Stolarz’s injury has forced Toronto to recall netminder Dennis Hildeby from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Hildeby will presumably take on a backup role to Joseph Woll during Stolarz’s absence. Hildeby has seen action in two NHL games this season, going 1-1 with 4.03 goals against and a .869 save percentage.
In other Atlantic Division notes:
- Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff benched two of his top players on Wednesday night as the team dropped their eighth straight game (as per Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat). Ruff sat defenseman Owen Power and winger JJ Peterka for significant stretches of the game after they made crucial mistakes. Both players responded well, with Power scoring a goal in the third period of the game. The Sabres sit sixth in the Atlantic with a record of 11-14-4 but hold a goal differential of just -8. They have lost six one-goal games in their eight-game skid.
- Speaking of the Sabres, Darren Dreger reported on TSN’s Insider Trading yesterday that Buffalo’s general manager Kevyn Adams is looking to make moves to shake up his roster but might not find a desirable move. Adams is receiving calls on younger players like Jack Quinn but doesn’t appear likely to force a move like that. The Sabres would like to make a trade that helps them now, but if they continue to slide it does appear that they will miss the playoffs once again. Should that happen, it would likely mean that veterans on expiring deals, such as Jason Zucker would be moved.
Lightning’s Victor Hedman Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman has been announced as a surprise, last-minute scratch for the team’s Thursday game against Calgary. He’s been designated as out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider.
Hedman’s absence adds to a seemingly endless list of Tampa injuries. He joins fellow top-four defender Erik Cernak on the absentee list, on the same day that Tampa saw the return of forward Anthony Cirelli from a one-game absence. The trio of injuries come quickly after injuries Nikita Kucherov, Nick Paul, and Brayden Point.
But for all of the absences they’ve had to face, Hedman’s departure may be the most impactful. He’s confidently led the team in ice time, averaging over 23 minutes a game – roughly two minutes more than Brandon Hagel in second place. Hedman has scored a dazzling 25 points in 26 games, good for sixth in scoring among the league’s defensemen.
That scoring includes Hedman’s six points over his last five games. That production on the back end will be hard to replace, especially with Cernak out. Veteran depth defender Steven Santini is making his Bolts debut in Hedman’s absence, though it’ll likely be J.J. Moser who gets the biggest boost in minutes. Moser was acquired in Tampa’s summer trading of Mikhail Sergachev. Since then, Moser has since scored nine points in 26 games with Tampa Bay, while averaging 20 minutes of ice time. He’ll be backed on the left flank by veteran Ryan McDonagh and second-year pro Emil Martinsen Lilleberg.
Leafs Notes: McCabe, McMann, Kampf, Stolarz
The Toronto Maple Leafs have activated defenseman Jake McCabe off of injured reserve, per the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. McCabe was moved to IR on December 7th, and hasn’t played since suffering a wrist injury while blocking a shot from Nicklaus Perbix in Toronto’s November 30th win over Tampa Bay. McCabe returned to full practice just two days after his IR placement and is expected to return to the lineup on Thursday.
That’s great news for the Maple Leafs, who have leaned heavily on McCabe this season. He’s averaged 21:20 in ice time through 23 games this season, narrowly leading the team’s blue-line in average time on ice – just two seconds ahead of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and seven seconds more than Morgan Rielly. McCabe has recorded five assists, a +11, and 21 penalty minutes in his opportunities. More encouraging, McCabe also ranks third among Leafs defenders in goals-against per-60 (GA/60) with a 1.22 average – just narrowly behind bottom-pair defenders Simon Benoit (1.17) and Conor Timmins (0.98). Those results will return McCabe immediately back to his top-pair, defense-oriented role next to summer addition Chris Tanev.
Other notes out of Toronto:
- Forward Bobby McMann is also nearing a return to the lineup, head coach Craig Berube told David Alter of The Hockey News. McMann suffered a lower-body injury on November 27th and has since missed six games. He returned to practice on December 6th and could return to the lineup within a week, shares Alter’s colleague Evan Doerfler. McMann has continued his dazzling goal-scoring into this season, with six goals and an 11.5 shooting percentage in 21 games. He played his first full year in the NHL last season, netting 15 goals and 24 points in 56 games. McMann has proven a reliable middle-six winger on and off of the puck, and should slot back into the middle-six as soon as he returns.
- Berube also shared with Alter that center David Kampf is still a ways away from returning. Kampf was placed on IR with a lower-body injury on November 19th, and hasn’t played since November 16th. He recorded three assists in 18 games as Toronto’s third-line center prior to his injury. Kampf has 75 points in 260 games over the last four seasons with Toronto, largely comprised of 26-point and 27-point seasons across his first two years with the team. He’ll eye a return in 2025, and may need to fight to regain a spot in the team’s top-nine.
- Top Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz left the team’s Thursday game against Anaheim with a lower-body injury, shares Sportsnet. He seemed to suffer the injury on Anaheim’s first goal of the game, appearing in pain after stretching to try and make a save. Stolarz has been tremendous for the Leafs early on. He leads all goaltenders in save percentage, maintaining a .928 through 16 games this season – narrowly ahead of Filip Gustavsson and Connor Hellebuyck who each have a .927. Stolarz has added a 9-5-2 record to boot, performing well enough to earn the Leafs’ starting role while Joseph Woll sorted out injuries. Stolarz is an eight-year veteran of the NHL. He’s tallied a 99-52-36 record and .916 save percentage through 124 career games. Leafs fans and management alike will hold their breath for an update on his long-term health, after an injury that didn’t appear to be severe.