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Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad To Miss Remaining Regular Season

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The Florida Panthers will be without star defenseman Aaron Ekblad until Game One of the postseason, head coach Paul Maurice shared at the team’s Wednesday practice (Twitter link). Ekblad exited the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Montreal Canadiens after just seven minutes of ice time, leaving with an injury that’s yet to be disclosed. Whatever it is, it will hold Ekblad out of the team’s final six games – limiting his season to just 51 games, after a shoulder injury delayed his season’s start to mid-November.

Ekblad posted his lowest scoring rate since the 2016-17 season, managing just four goals and 18 points, or a 0.35 point-per-game pace. The cold performance ends Ekblad’s three-year streak of scoring double-digit goals – a streak that kicked off when he tallied 11 goals in just 35 games during the 2020-21 season.

Florida has made up for the absence of their former first-overall pick largely thanks to Gustav Forsling, who has taken over Ekblad’s role as a double-digit scorer and top-line defenseman. Forsling has 10 goals and 35 points in 73 games this season, continuing his streak of strong scoring after netting 37 and 41 points over the last two seasons respectively. He also leads the NHL in +/-, with a +47 – no doubt thanks to playing alongside Florida’s loaded top line, but also a testament to Forsling’s strong impact across the season. With stepped-up performances from Josh Mahura, Niko Mikkola, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Florida has been bale to forge a blue-line capable of playing without Ekblad – though they’ll still eagerly anticipate his return after setting a 33-18 record when Ekblad is healthy.

Devils Expected To Sign Dylan Wendt

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The New Jersey Devils are expected to sign Western Michigan University’s Dylan Wendt, per Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald (Twitter link). This deal would mark New Jersey’s first venture into the NCAA since signing Luke Hughes in 2022 and Brian Halonen, Aarne Talvitie, and Tyce Thompson in 2021.

Wendt exploded onto the scene this season, ranking second on Western Michigan with 23 goals and 44 points in 38 games. It was a tremendous jump in scoring, after Wendt tallied just 25 points in 73 games as an underclassman. And it came thanks to a boost in role, with Wendt moving into Western Michigan’s top-six and top power-play unit this season. He didn’t squander the opportunity – using a strong understanding of positioning, quick hands, and the ability to make sneaky passes to emerge as a key playmaker for the Broncos. Wendt was a key set-up man for top scorers Luke Grainger and Alex Bump, and always seemed to be in the right place to bury any second-chance opportunities.

Wendt was a critical part of the 2020-21 Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he worked alongside San Jose Sharks prospect Daniil Gushchin and New York Islanders prospect Cameron Berg to lead Muskegon to the league’s semi-finals. Again, Wendt’s strong understanding of the three lanes of the ice and his strong playmaking from the wings led to high scoring, with Wendt totaling 17 goals and 45 points in 53 games, and adding four assists in four playoff games. He’ll now look to become the third player from that lineup to play pro hockey, alongside Guschin and John Farinacci.

Blue Jackets Recall Trey Fix-Wolansky On Emergency Loan

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled forward Trey Fix-Wolansky on an emergency loan (Twitter link). Head coach Pascal Vincent shared on Wednesday that the team would recall Fix-Wolansky if Justin Danforth was still feeling under the weather. Danforth missed the team’s Wednesday practice, but skated at an optional skate on Thursday, leaving him as a game-time decision per the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger (Twitter link).

Fix-Wolansky has been a force with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, with a team-leading 24 goals and 58 points in 54 games. He has an 18-point lead on the scoring title in Cleveland and is chasing the league title, now tied for sixth in points across the AHL. It’s been a continuation of his fantastic performance from last season, when he managed 29 goals and 71 points in 61 games. In fact, Fix-Wolansky has proven effective at nearly every level – putting up 197 points across 220 career AHL games after scoring 245 points in 206 games across three years in the WHL. But he is still searching for that scoring groove at the top level, with just four points in 24 career NHL games.

Fix-Wolansky will be playing in a career-high 10th game on Thursday, rejoining the Columbus roster after a March 23rd assignment. The Blue Jackets struggled last time Fix-Wolansky was in the lineup, posting a measly 1-5-2 record and getting outscored 14-to-30. He’ll now have to compete with rookies James Malatesta and Mikael Pyyhtia for a lineup spot. Both rookies are still looking for their first NHL point, through four and 10 games respectively.

Senators Recall Jiri Smejkal

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Jiri Smejkal from the Belleville Senators (Twitter link). Smejkal has been between rosters all season long, rejoining the AHL on March 13th and scoring three points in the five games since.

This move now marks Smejkal’s sixth call-up of the season, an impressive feat for the first-year North American pro. Smejkal signed a one-year, $950K entry-level deal with Ottawa this summer, moving to Canada after spending nine seasons across various European pro leagues. He’s quickly slotted into the role of de facto fill-in, despite just 22 points through his first 45 AHL games. His NHL performances haven’t been any more exciting, boasting just one assist in 12 games. He’s clearly still adjusting to North America, scoring significantly less than he did in the pair of 40-point seasons he posted in the SHL and Liiga over the last two years.

Even in the absence of scoring, Smejkal has brought a stout and professional frame – standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds. Ottawa will again lean on that frame to make an impact, as Angus Crookshank joins a long list of absent forwards with an undisclosed injury. Ottawa is also missing Joshua Norris, Zack MacEwen, Matthew Highmore, and Rourke Chartier. Their absences have tested Ottawa’s depth, but Smejkal isn’t their last line of defense – with top prospects Zack Ostapchuk and Roby Jarventie still in the AHL. Both players have received a half-dozen NHL games this season but Jarventie is the only one to make the scoresheet, managing one assist. Smejkal has averaged under nine minutes of ice time this season and is likely to manage a minimal role once again. But if he isn’t sharp, he could lose time to a top AHL prospect on a Senators team well out of the playoff picture.

College Notes: Graf, Schlaine, Bradley, Basse, Grainger

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Winger Collin Graf is widely expected to sign his first professional contract in the coming days.  Regarded as one of the top college free agents available, most of the league had made inquiries and he’s in the process of whittling down his list.  To that end, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers are no longer in the mix for the 21-year-old.  Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Michael Russo adds (Twitter link) that the Wild are believed to still have a chance at signing him.  Graf is coming off another strong season at Quinnipiac where he recorded 22 goals and 27 assists in 34 games.  Wherever he signs, it’s quite likely he burns the first season of his entry-level deal this year; he’d be eligible to play down the stretch in the regular season but not in the playoffs.

Other news from around the college ranks:

  • Devils prospect Artem Schlaine has entered the transfer portal, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick by New Jersey back in 2020 (130th overall) and has spent four seasons in college, two with the University of Connecticut and the last two with Northern Michigan University.  Schlaine had a bit of a down year offensively compared to a year ago but still had 23 points in 27 games this season, good for second on the Wildcats in scoring.  The transfer means New Jersey should retain his rights for one more summer.
  • Red Wings prospect Chase Bradley is looking to test free agency this summer, Divver reports in a separate tweet. The 22-year-old was a seventh-rounder back in 2020 and while he has only played three years of college, he’s four years removed from being drafted and thus can leave school to test the open market.  Bradley had 11 goals and 11 assists with the University of Connecticut this season in his junior year.
  • Blackhawks goalie prospect Dominic Basse has transferred to St. Lawrence, the school announced (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a sixth-rounder of Chicago in 2019, going 167th overall.  Basse played his first two years at Colorado College before spending the last two at St. Cloud State.  Last season, Basse posted a 2.75 GAA with a .896 SV% in 25 games and with Ben Kraws turning pro and signing with Dallas, he should have a shot at a heavy workload for his final collegiate campaign.
  • San Jose’s AHL affiliate announced the signing of Luke Grainger to a tryout agreement. The 24-year-old had a very successful senior year with Western Michigan, posting 14 points and 34 assists in 38 games, leading some to wonder if he’d get an NHL contract.  It doesn’t appear that will be coming just yet and while he’s on the Sharks’ affiliate, they don’t hold his NHL rights with this signing.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Lipkin, Jiricek

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The Coyotes have a lot of work to do contract-wise on their back end for next season as none of their regulars are under contract for 2024-25.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (video link) that the team does not have the green light to start working on contracts for next season at this time.  As has been well documented, their arena situation is once again in some question for a few more months at least, pending a possible land purchase which would be late in the spring.  It was also reported after the trade deadline that GM Bill Armstrong wasn’t able to retain salary, limiting the returns they received on Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba.  At this point, it’s far from a must to begin extension discussions at this point in the season but if those internal restrictions continue into the offseason, it could be something to keep an eye on.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Still with the Coyotes, prospect Sam Lipkin is expected to decide between turning pro or returning for his junior year within the next 24 hours, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan (Twitter link). The 21-year-old was the second-last pick in the 2021 draft, going 223rd overall but has outperformed his draft stock, scoring 78 points in 78 games over his first two seasons with Quinnipiac, yielding a contract offer from Arizona.  Quinnipiac’s leading scorer (Collin Graf) is expected to sign soon while their second-leading scorer (Jacob Quillan) signed with Toronto earlier this week; those signings could significantly impact Lipkin’s decision.
  • The Blue Jackets intend to keep defenseman David Jiricek up for the remainder of the regular season, relays team reporter Jeff Svoboda (Twitter link). Columbus recalled the 20-year-old yesterday, the latest of a busy series of transactions as it’s his fifth recall of the season.  Jiricek has played in 36 games with the Jackets this season, notching a goal and eight assists while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.  He has been more productive in the minors, however, collecting seven goals and ten helpers with the Monsters.  Notably, he’s four NHL appearances away from accruing a season toward UFA eligibility.  Accordingly, while Columbus might keep him up for the last couple of weeks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his game action limited as a result.

Wild Prospect Charlie Stramel Enters NCAA Transfer Portal

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Transfer season has arrived in the NCAA with several players applying for transfers daily.  Among the list of players who entered today is Wild prospect Charlie Stramel, per Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.

The 19-year-old was a first-round pick by Minnesota back in June, going 21st overall.  Stramel had a successful run in the U.S. National Team Development Program and then went to college for the 2022-23 campaign.  He had a quiet year offensively in 2022-23 but that is often the case for freshmen.  With a sound defensive game, the hope was that the offense would come along, making him a viable two-way threat and someone the Wild hope will be part of their long-term core.

However, things didn’t go quite according to plan this past season.  After putting up a dozen points in 33 games in 2022-23, they actually went down in his sophomore year as Stramel had just three goals and five assists in 34 contests and he wound up spending a good chunk of the year on the fourth line.  That’s not the type of progression Stramel or the Wild were hoping to see.

Now, Stramel will seek out a new place to play and a program where he will have a better opportunity to develop as a prospect.  Oddly enough, Max Olson and Michael Russo of The Athletic relay (subscription link) that Stramel has made it known that he doesn’t want to be contacted by schools.  Whether that means that he has a place to play in mind or if he wants to do his own research and then reach out to other programs remains to be seen.  Either way, wherever Stramel lands, expectations will be considerably higher for a player already halfway through his college career.

West Notes: Anhorn, James, Mangiapane, Danault

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The Jets have displayed interest in top college free agent defenseman Dylan Anhorn, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports. The Canadian blue-liner has displayed mutual interest in returning north of the border after spending five years in the American collegiate system with Union and St. Cloud State. Anhorn, 25, was one of many who had their 2020-21 season lost due to the COVID pandemic, permitting him to play a fifth year of NCAA puck this season. Serving as St. Cloud’s captain, the left-shot defender led the team with 27 assists and a +14 rating and totaled 33 points in 38 games. He’s been a veritable force in college ever since making the jump from the BCHL in 2019, tallying 36 points and a +2 rating in 66 games with Union before transferring to St. Cloud in 2022. He erupted for over a point per game there last season but had his campaign stunted by injuries, limited to 23 games. The 6’0″, 190-lb Calgary native was St. Cloud’s nominee for this year’s Hobey Baker Award and won an NCHC championship with the school in 2023.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • Blackhawks forward prospect Dominic James will return to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for his senior season in 2024-25, per Scott Powers of The Athletic. The alternate captain of the Bulldogs had his season end all the way back in October after just two games, recording one assist before undergoing season-ending surgery to address an upper-body injury. Chicago had considered offering him an entry-level contract, per Powers, but a jump to the professional ranks would have been difficult after such a lengthy period away from the ice. James, 21, went undrafted twice before Chicago took a flyer on him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft after a banner freshman season with the Bulldogs. Finishing with six goals and 18 points in 39 games, James helped them capture the NCHC championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also named to the U.S. national junior team, representing his country at the 2022 World Juniors with an assist in five games.
  • Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane could return tomorrow against the Jets after a three-game absence, head coach Ryan Huska told Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. The 27-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury against the Blackhawks on March 26, causing his third, fourth and fifth absences of the season. It’s been another season of solid middle-six production for the diminutive winger, tied for sixth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 38 points in 69 games. He’s averaging 16:06 per game, down from last season’s career-high of 16:49.
  • Kings center Phillip Danault will again be a game-time decision with an upper-body injury tonight in a crucial game against the Kraken, interim head coach Jim Hiller told Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Their playoff chances could drop south of 90% with a loss, per MoneyPuck, opening a small window for the Blues and Wild to make miracle late-season runs into playoff position. Danault was also listed as a game-time decision for Monday’s 4-3 loss to Winnipeg but did not play. Their top shutdown center hasn’t played since March 28 against the Oilers and has now missed two contests.

Panthers Recall Uvis Balinskis

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The Panthers have recalled left-shot defenseman Uvis Balinskis from AHL Charlotte, according to a team statement. The move comes under emergency conditions (per CapFriendly) after blue-liner Aaron Ekblad left yesterday’s loss to the Canadiens after the first period with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

Balinskis could slot in tomorrow against the Senators if Ekblad is out, although Tobias Björnfot and Josh Mahura are also available to play. It was a short-lived return to the lineup for Ekblad, who only played four games after a lower-body injury kept him out for most of March. It’s unclear how long Florida expects their 2014 first-overall pick to be unavailable, but it’s not an ideal finish to the season for Ekblad or his club, which is at risk of losing home-ice advantage in a potential first-round clash against the Maple Leafs after going 2-7-1 in their last 10 games.

This is Balinskis’ first NHL season after spending his professional career to date in Russia and Czechia. He’s made 22 appearances for the Panthers on his one-year, entry-level contract, notching a goal and two assists with an even rating while averaging 14:09 per game. The Latvian blue-liner was only recently assigned to Charlotte after Ekblad made his return last week and inked a two-year, $1.7MM extension with the Cats back in January.

Balinskis made the opening night roster with Ekblad and Brandon Montour beginning the campaign on the shelf after undergoing offseason shoulder surgeries but was assigned to Charlotte in December once the team was at full health on the back end. He’s been recalled three times since, including today.

Avalanche Sign Chris Wagner To One-Year Extension

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The Avalanche have signed veteran forward Chris Wagner to a one-year contract extension, the team announced. Financial terms were not disclosed but CapFriendly reports that it’s a two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $400K in the minors. Considering his current deal carries a $425K guarantee, it’s actually a small step back in terms of guaranteed pay. He’ll remain in the running for a fourth-line role next fall.

Wagner, 32, has played in parts of 10 NHL seasons but hasn’t been a full-timer since 2020-21 with the Bruins (two goals, three assists, five points in 41 games). Boston, who had him locked in for two more seasons at a $1.35MM cap hit at the time, placed him on waivers to begin the following season and assigned him to AHL Providence, where he spent the overwhelming majority of the remainder of his contract. He played just once for the Bruins in each of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns and was not re-signed when his contract expired last summer.

The Avs signed Wagner to a two-way deal once free agency opened, but he ruptured his Achilles tendon shortly after training camp began and began the season on IR. He was activated, waived, and promptly assigned to AHL Colorado in mid-January, and he’s since split the season between levels. Through 10 NHL games, he’s contributed a goal and an assist while logging a minuscule 7:39 per game. His poor possession metrics (48.6 CF% at even strength, -6.6 CF% rel, 40.7 xGF%) haven’t given head coach Jared Bednar much motivation to play him more. He’s seen more action in the minors, where he has four goals and four assists for eight points in 17 games with the Eagles.

Major turnover is coming to Colorado’s bottom six, with Andrew Cogliano, Brandon Duhaime, Joel Kiviranta, Zach Parise, and Yakov Trenin all on expiring deals. Extending Wagner now is a good indication the Avs expect him to take on some of those minutes next season, even in a limited 13th/14th forward role. He’ll also compete for minutes with youngsters looking to break into full-time roles next season, like Jean-Luc Foudy and Nikolai Kovalenko. In 370 career games with the Avs, Bruins, Ducks, and Islanders, the 2010 fifth-round pick has 38 goals and 27 assists for 65 points with a -24 rating and 202 PIMs.

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