Ducks Recall Jansen Harkins, Drew Helleson
The Ducks have recalled forward Jansen Harkins and defenseman Drew Helleson from AHL San Diego ahead of Wednesday’s home game against the Golden Knights, Patrick Present of The Hockey News reports.
The moves give Anaheim some necessary reinforcements, especially up front. The team placed Robby Fabbri and Cam Fowler on injured reserve yesterday with lower-body and upper-body injuries, respectively, while also announcing that Mason McTavish was day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and uncertain for tonight’s game. Without Fabbri and McTavish, the Ducks would have only had 11 forwards and six defensemen on hand.
Harkins and Helleson thus come up to fill the two roster spots vacated by Fabbri and Fowler’s IR placements. While Helleson is likely ticketed for the press box, Harkins will likely find himself making his second appearance of the season should McTavish miss the game.
Harkins, 27, signed a two-year, $1.58MM contract with Anaheim in free agency over the summer. Despite inking a one-way contract, though, he failed to make the team out of camp and cleared waivers at the end of the preseason.
He’s been recalled once, recording a shot, hit and block in 10:11 of ice time in an overtime loss against the Avalanche on Oct. 18. The versatile 6’2″ forward has continued to be a high-end point-producer in the AHL – his 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 11 games for San Diego are tied with Vinnie Hinostroza for the league lead.
Despite producing over a point per game in the AHL over the last three seasons, Harkins still hasn’t had much offensive success in the NHL. The 2015 second-round pick has made 200 career appearances with Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Winnipeg but has only 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points with a -12 rating while averaging just 9:22 per game. Last season, his only one in the Penguins organization, was especially difficult for him. He made 45 appearances but failed to score a goal on 37 shots, only totaling four assists.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Helleson will look to play in his first NHL game since the 2022-23 season while Fowler is on the shelf. The 2019 second-rounder has struggled heavily with San Diego this season, though, posting no points and a -5 rating in 12 outings. The 6’3″ right-shot defender scored once and averaged 13:39 per game across three NHL contests two years ago, his only top-level audition to date.
The Ducks’ active roster is now full, although that will likely change this afternoon. Goaltender James Reimer is on waivers and his roster spot will open up, either by virtue of him being claimed or being assigned to San Diego.
Predators Recall Adam Wilsby
The Predators have recalled defenseman Adam Wilsby from AHL Milwaukee, Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean reports Wednesday. The 24-year-old replaces the roster spot vacated by Dante Fabbro, who was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Wilsby, a fourth-round pick in 2020, is in his third season suiting up for the Preds’ farm club in Wisconsin. The smooth-skating left-shot defender has one goal and two assists for three points in 11 games this season while recording a +4 rating, tied for fourth on the team.
The Stockholm native has been under consideration for a recall for quite some time, but he’s narrowly lost out over the past couple of seasons to competitors like Marc Del Gaizo and Spencer Stastney. Del Gaizo had established himself ahead of Fabbro on the depth chart while Stastney remains on an extended personal leave, so it’s now Wilsby’s chance to compete for NHL minutes.
The last-place Predators have six healthy defensemen available, but they may look to make a lineup change after going 1-3-1 in their past five games. If so, Wilsby could make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Oilers. Either way, Nashville will have a much-needed extra defenseman on hand for their four-game road swing through Canada and the Pacific Northwest should an injury arise.
Since making his AHL debut for Milwaukee in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs, Wilsby has 10 goals, 32 assists, 42 points, and a +21 rating in 144 regular-season minor-league games. He’ll remain waiver-exempt through 2024-25 but will require them to head to the minors beginning next season. After a brief stint on the restricted free agent market last summer, he signed a two-way deal to return to Nashville. He’ll be up for RFA status again with arbitration eligibility at the end of the campaign.
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A classic Original Six matchup, this game features the rich histories and intense rivalries that make hockey special. - Monday, December 9, 2024: Anaheim Ducks vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Ducks will look to build on their season against a Canadiens squad seeking redemption. - Monday, December 16, 2024: Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers
Another chance to see the high-flying Oilers as they face the Panthers in what could be a high-scoring affair. - Monday, December 23, 2024: San Jose Sharks vs. Vancouver Canucks
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Lightning Recall Gage Goncalves
The Lightning announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled forward Gage Goncalves from AHL Syracuse. It’s the second recall of the month for the 23-year-old after he made his season debut in a pair of games last week.
His recall indicates that star center Brayden Point, who sustained a lower-body injury in a loss to the Jets on Nov. 3 and is still listed as day-to-day, may not be available when Tampa takes on Winnipeg again on Thursday night. Point was expected to slot back into the lineup tomorrow with the Bolts having a week-long break in their schedule, and he practiced in his usual top-line role as recently as Sunday, per Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida.
The Lightning have only been carrying an extra forward on the roster this season when necessary to bank as much cap space as possible ahead of the trade deadline. Point remains on the active roster and not on injured reserve, but they still have an open roster spot after Goncalves’ recall. If Point can’t play, Goncalves will make his third straight appearance for the Bolts tomorrow.
Goncalves, the latter of the team’s two second-round selections in the 2020 draft, has one shot on goal, two hits and averaged 10:12 of ice time over his pair of appearances last week. The British Columbia native has also made five appearances for Syracuse, tying for the team lead with six assists and leading the club with 1.20 points per game.
Goncalves is no longer waiver-exempt, so every game he plays and every day he spends on the active roster shaves precious time off his temporary exemption after clearing waivers at the beginning of the regular season. His previous recall lasted four days, so he can appear in eight more games or stay on the roster for 26 more days, whichever comes first, before he needs waivers again to return to Syracuse.
The 6’1″, 183-lb center will be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration eligibility. He signed a one-year, two-way extension in June to avoid hitting restricted free agency last summer as his entry-level contract was set to expire.
Snapshots: Avalanche, Olofsson, Bennett, Sprong
The Avalanche could be close to getting a pair of veteran wingers back in their lineup. Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette relays that Miles Wood and Jonathan Drouin both took part in practice today with a regular jersey, not a non-contact one. Wood has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury while Drouin sustained an upper-body injury in the season opener last month and hasn’t played since. Wood has struggled this season with just one goal in ten games while Drouin is coming off a career year that saw him record 56 points in 79 games. Head coach Jared Bednar was unsure about their availability for Wednesday but it appears they’re back soon; those two along with Valeri Nichushkin (returning on Friday) will give their forward group a sizable boost.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Golden Knights winger Victor Olofsson has turned a corner in his recovery, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, he won’t suit up on their two-game road trip that begins on Wednesday. Olofsson has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the last four weeks, pausing what was a strong start to his first season with Vegas as he had three goals in his first four games.
- The Panthers announced (Twitter link) that forward Sam Bennett missed tonight’s game against New Jersey due to an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old is having a very strong start to his walk year, collecting nine goals and six assists through the first 15 games of the season, a pace that would have him easily eclipse his career bests of 28 tallies and 24 helpers respectively. The two sides reportedly began extension talks last month.
- Recently acquired winger Daniel Sprong has not yet reported to the Kraken as he works through visa issues, notes Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). While he counts against their salary cap while waiting to be cleared, he is not currently taking up an active roster spot. Sprong has a goal and two assists in nine games this season, those coming with Vancouver before his trade last week.
Minor Transactions: 11/12/24
There have been a few smaller transactions with NHL connections around the hockey world, whether it’s paper transactions, a short-term recall, or prospect-related. We’ll run through those here.
- Following their acquisition of Lars Eller, the Capitals announced that they’ve re-assigned center Michael Sgarbossa to AHL Hershey. The 32-year-old has played in three games with Washington this season, picking up a goal and an assist. Sgarbossa has a goal and eight helpers in seven games with the Bears so far this season.
- The Hurricanes announced that they’ve re-assigned defenseman Ty Smith to AHL Chicago. Carolina recalled the 24-year-old on Sunday but didn’t play him. Smith has three assists in four games with the Wolves so far this season and has 123 career NHL appearances under his belt from his time with New Jersey and Pittsburgh.
- Following yesterday’s victory over Nashville, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned forwards Nikita Prishchepov and T.J. Tynan to AHL Colorado. They’ve done this several times now in a money-saving measure. Prishchepov, a seventh-round pick back in June, has been held off the scoresheet in five games with the Avs so far while Tynan has an assist in six appearances.
- Canadiens prospect Joe Vrbetic has signed a one-year deal with ECHL Indy, per a team announcement. Montreal drafted the 22-year-old in the seventh round in 2021 but he hasn’t played with any of their affiliates this season. Vrbetic had a 3.52 GAA with a .891 SV% in 33 games last season with ECHL Trois-Rivieres. The Canadiens hold his draft rights until June 1, 2025.
Wild Recall Daemon Hunt
After Jonas Brodin exited Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury, the Wild have added some help on the back end. The team announced that they’ve recalled blueliner Daemon Hunt from AHL Iowa.
It’s the fourth recall already this season for the 22-year-old but he hasn’t seen much NHL action in his first three stints as he has only played once for Minnesota this season, logging just 8:01 of ice time nearly a month ago versus St. Louis. Hunt has also suited up for six games in Iowa this season, picking up a pair of assists.
Hunt has a total of 13 career NHL appearances under his belt, all with the Wild who drafted him in the third round back in 2020 (65th overall). He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract and will be owed a qualifying offer of nearly $814K this summer.
Minnesota was only carrying 21 players on its active roster before the recall so no corresponding roster move was needed. There’s also no word yet on how much time, if any, Brodin will miss.
Washington Capitals Acquire Lars Eller From Penguins
Lars Eller is headed back to the Washington Capitals. The organization announced they have acquired Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in 2027 and Chicago’s fifth-round pick in 2025.
Eller spent much of his career with the Capitals from 2016-17 until being traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2022-23 trade deadline. He’s not well known for his offensive exploits but did score one of the most important goals in Capitals history, the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.
His time in Washington was certainly the prime of his career. Eller scored 87 goals and 208 points for the Capitals in 488 games, with another nine goals and 31 points in 59 postseason contests. He was also an effective asset down the middle of the ice securing over 3,000 faceoff wins in the District of Columbia with a 50.1% success rate.
The Capitals jumped early on an obvious area of need. The team had recently been deploying Michael Sgarbossa as the center of the team’s third line making Eller a huge improvement. The Danish veteran had scored four goals and seven points in 17 games for the Penguins this season with a 56.0% faceoff success rate. Eller could also help the Capitals on the penalty kill although there’s little room for improvement with the team already fourth in the league with a 86.96% penalty kill.
While one team gains something, another team loses something. The Penguins currently own a 6-9-2 record on the year and are only one day removed from being blown out by the Dallas Stars. Moving Eller may be the first sign of things to come for Pittsburgh.
He wasn’t the only veteran on an expiring deal for the Penguins. Should the team continue barreling toward the bottom of the NHL standings; Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor, Anthony Beauvillier, and Matt Grzelcyk could become available via trade. Given how disappointing the team has been to start the 2024-25 campaign, they may not limit themselves to only moving out expiring deals.
Anaheim Ducks Issue Injury Updates
The Anaheim Ducks could have a light group for their game tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights. The organization announced forward Robby Fabbri is out with a lower-body injury while Cam Fowler and Mason McTavish are considered day-to-day with differing ailments.
Fabbri was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings this past offseason and was expected to offer some scoring potential in the Ducks’ middle-six. He’s played in all 14 of Anaheim’s games to start the season but only has two goals to show for it. He’s maintained his physicality on the West Coast but is far off his 20-goal production with Detroit from a year ago. The Ducks didn’t mention how long Fabbri is expected to remain on the shelf.
Multiple outlets are reporting that Fabbri and Fowler have been placed on the injured reserve although the latter has already missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. Since the IR placement is likely retroactive to Fowler’s most recent game on November 5th, he’s eligible to play in tomorrow night’s contest against the Golden Knights.
Arguably the most important injury news, albeit the mildest, is regarding McTavish. After finishing fourth on Anaheim’s roster in scoring with 42 points in 64 contests last season, McTavish is again off to a solid start with two goals and eight points in 13 contests. Still, given that the Ducks officially listed McTavish’s status as day-to-day, the organization may view him as a game-time decision for tomorrow night’s contest. If he’s unable to go, Anaheim will have to make a call-up from the AHL with only 12 healthy forwards on the roster.
Diagnosing Nashville’s Underwhelming Start To The Season
To say the start of the 2024-25 campaign has been disappointing for the Nashville Predators is somewhat of an understatement. Nashville finished last year as the top wild-card team in the Western Conference with 99 points and handed out nearly $140MM in contracts this past offseason keeping around some old faces and bringing in some new ones.
The aggressive offseason led to skyrocketing expectations for the Predators organization, which have gone unrealized through the first month of the regular season. The team has a 5-9-2 record through 16 games, putting them dead last in the league.
This leads to the question, why exactly are the Predators not only underperforming but wholly noncompetitive?
Nashville’s special teams have been quite good to start the regular season. The team sits 11th in powerplay percentage thanks to a 22.22% conversion rate and has the league’s second-ranked penalty kill with a 90.91% success rate. Both percentages are better than Nashville’s playoff-clinching roster from a year ago with a 20-team jump in the latter category.
If the special teams are not the issue and have even improved year-on-year, reductive reasoning would indicate that the Predators’ 5-on-5 play is the culprit for the poor start. Unfortunately, although Nashville’s 5-on-5 play from last year has depressed, it doesn’t explain the discrepancy in success.
According to Hockey Reference, the Predators have managed a 51.3% CorsiFor% to start the year, which puts them around the league average. It’s a slight downturn from the team’s 51.8% output from last season, but it’s still better than six playoff-bound teams from a year ago. Outside of controlling the puck and looking primarily at offensive generation, Nashville is 15th in the league with a 31.2 xGF which is two expected goals better than the 10-2-3 Minnesota Wild.
Still, after looking further under the hood, two major areas of Nashville’s game need some work. There have been 222 high-danger chances (shots from approximately in the slot, or rebounds) generated in the Predators’ 16 matchups this year with the team earning 116 of those chances. However, they are only converting on those chances at a 7.2% rate putting them 29th in the league. On the flip side, Nashville’s opponents are converting 11.9% of the time, also 29th in the league.
The other discrepancy is the Predators’ -20 axDiff (actual goal differential minus expected goal differential) which is the worst in the league. This indicates that Nashville is generating an adequate number of good scoring chances but isn’t converting at the expected rate.
A diagnosis of the issue isn’t good enough for a team still looking to make the playoffs this season. The Predators will want a prescription to resolve the problems on the ice and there are a few different pathways they can go.
First, to put it bluntly, a playoff-caliber team can’t compete with a combination of Colton Sissons and Juuso Parssinen centering the team’s second line. The two have combined for seven points this season with a -13 rating and an E +/- of -4.6. When taking a look at high-danger conversion or prevention, there are a couple of names that could help out Nashville.
Kyle Palmieri, a veteran forward for the New York Islanders, immediately jumps off the page as an offense-generating candidate. Palmieri has accrued a 14.0 xGF this season which would be good for second on the Predators behind Roman Josi. According to Natural Stat Trick, Palmieri sits 20th in the league in high-danger scoring conversions. This would allow Nashville to move Stamkos to center the team’s second-line opening a spot on the right wing for Palmieri.
Given that Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair are currently on the injured reserve it’s unlikely the Islanders would agree to this trade now. Still, with a desperate need for cap space New York may be willing to entertain offers on any expiring contract. Unfortunately, Palmieri doesn’t project as a long-term answer for Nashville given that he’s 33 years old, but he would at least allow them to kick the can down the road for now.
If the Predators seek out a player who limits opposing teams from converting on high-danger chances look no further than the Detroit Red Wings. Andrew Copp has averaged an ‘on-ice high danger shot attempts against per 60 minutes’ of 1.34 during 5-on-5 play which would put him second on Nashville just above Ryan O’Reilly. He’s also formidable enough in the faceoff dot to give the Predators the confidence to leave Stamkos on the right wing.
The downside of acquiring Copp is the contractual complications. Copp is earning $5.625MM for the next three years and has a 10-team no-trade list in his contract. This isn’t to say that Nashville is one of the 10 teams on Copp’s no-trade last but it’s still a hurdle to clear. The Predators could gauge Detroit’s interest in retaining some of the remaining salary of Copp’s deal and even include Sissons in the return package who’s making $2.86MM this year and next.
The hypothetical trade wouldn’t project as a ‘season-punting’ move by the Red Wings either. They’ve already shown a willingness to trade legitimate NHL talent (i.e. Olli Maatta) to create room for some of their up-and-coming players. Detroit, a team that has struggled to produce offense this season, could strike two birds with one stone in this move by clearing a spot for Vladimir Tarasenko or Marco Kasper on the team’s second line while opening up additional cap space.
One defensive pairing sticking out like a sore thumb in Nashville is the combination of Jeremy Lauzon and Alexandre Carrier. The two have played the most minutes together compared to any other combination on Nashville’s blue line (188.2) and have combined for a team-worst 40.2% xGoals % according to MoneyPuck.
Marcus Pettersson of the Pittsburgh Penguins immediately comes to mind as a viable trade candidate to replace one of Lauzon or Carrier on the team’s second defensive pairing. Petterson currently leads the Penguins in blocked shots (27) and carries a contextually impressive E +/- of -0.8 while playing next to one of the league’s worst blue-liners on the defensive side of the puck. He’s in the last year of his contract and should find himself on the trade block further down the season if Pittsburgh continues at their current pace.
This list of solutions for Nashville isn’t exhaustive as there are plenty of directions they could ultimately take. The organization could wait things out and hope the gap between expected and actual goals narrows over the next few weeks. Still, given the nature of their aggressive approach to this past offseason, the Predators may want to make a move sooner rather than later before the bottom completely falls out on their 2024-25 aspirations.