Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Five Players Facing Charges Connected To 2018 Sexual Assault Investigation

at CDT | by

5:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Foote have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Claiming innocence in the statement, Foote’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.

4:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Hart have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per TSN’s Chris Johnston. Claiming innocence in the statement, Hart’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.

4:45 p.m.: Attorneys representing Dube have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Dube will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.

3:14 p.m.: Attorneys representing McLeod have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. McLeod will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.

2:41 p.m.: Five players whose rights are owned by NHL teams are facing charges stemming from a London, Ontario police investigation into an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of the Canadian men’s national junior team, TSN’s Rick Westhead reports Tuesday. Per Westhead, Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Devils center Michael McLeod, Devils defenseman Cal Foote, and Flames winger Dillon Dubé have been directed to surrender to London police.

Senators forward prospect Alex Formenton, who has not been under contract with the team since 2022, is the fifth player facing charges and surrendered himself to London police Sunday, according to his attorneys.

Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail first reported last week that five players had been told to surrender to police to face charges connected to the 2018 incident. Neither the NHL nor the Flyers, Devils, Flames, or Senators have released statements on the matter.

As Ian Mendes and Chris Johnston of The Athletic outlined Tuesday, discipline for players involved in off-ice misconduct falls under the jurisdiction and discretion of league commissioner Gary Bettman. If league action is taken against any of the five players named, they have the right to file an appeal with an independent arbitrator.

It is unclear whether the Flyers, Devils and Flames have the jurisdiction to terminate the standard player’s contracts of Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé, given the definition of a material breach of the contract is not expressly defined.

All four players remain on indefinite leaves of absence from their respective teams. Formenton is on an indefinite leave of absence from HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss National League, where he’s contracted for the 2023-24 season.

The London Police Service is expected to hold a press conference next Monday to comment further on the charges. Attorneys for Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé did not respond to or declined requests for comment from Westhead.

Mackenzie MacEachern To Miss Remainder Of 2023-24 Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Currently playing for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the St.Louis Blues organization, Mackenzie MacEachern will have to wait until next season to make his way up the organizational depth chart. The team announced today that MacEachern suffered a shoulder injury in the Thunderbirds’ game on January 27th and that he will undergo season-ending surgery.

Besides a one-year pit stop with the Carolina Hurricanes organization a few years ago, MacEachern has been a part of the Blues organization for the majority of the time since 2016-17. Originally drafted by the team with the 67th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, MacEachern has struggled to carve out a path in the NHL.

Largely destined for a bottom-six role in his future with St.Louis, MacEachern has played in a total of 123 regular season games wearing the blue note, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in the process. This year specifically, MacEachern will finish with one assist over eight games with the Blues, and six goals and 19 points in 34 games with Springfield.

Playing for the last three AHL affiliates for St.Louis, MacEachern has faired much better in the minor leagues, scoring 49 goals and 111 points throughout 252 games split between Springfield, the Chicago Wolves, and the San Antonio Rampage. A quality postseason producer in the AHL as well, MacEachern has scored eight goals and 16 points in 28 games through two Calder Cup playoff runs.

Thankfully for MacEachern, he does have a bit of security on his current deal, given that he is on the first year of a two-year, $1.55MM contract signed with the Blues this past summer. Now taking the foreseeable future rehabbing from shoulder surgery, MacEachern will once again try his luck next season to carve out a full-time role in St.Louis.

Injury Notes: Kane, Perunovich, Kapanen

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Heading into the team’s game tomorrow night against the Ottawa Senators, there was some hope from the Detroit Red Wings that forward Patrick Kane could be healthy enough to return, after missing the team’s last six games with a lower-body injury. Nevertheless, Ansar Khan of MLive reports that Kane will not be in the lineup tomorrow night for Detroit, and the team will allow him to rest and recover over the upcoming All-Star break.

With Kane making a strong comeback after offseason hip resurfacing surgery, the saving grace to this injury is that all signs are pointing to it being unrelated to his hip. However, with Kane making such an unexpectedly impressive return from resurfacing surgery, having to deal with a separate issue could likely lead to some frustration for the veteran forward.

Even though he has become one of the better forwards in the lineup, the Red Wings have faired well in his absence, producing a 4-2-0 record and picking up important victories against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Once he does return after the All-Star break, Kane will look to improve on his 16-point total and reinforce Detroit’s current momentum.

Other injury notes:

  • Suffering a lower-body injury in the team’s most recent game against the Los Angeles Kings, Lou Korac of The Hockey News reports that St.Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich was seen wearing a boot on his left foot this morning, and would be out through the All-Star break. Thankfully, the injury does not sound as serious as expected, meaning that Perunovich should be able to return shortly thereafter. On the season, Perunovich has suited up in 31 games for the Blues, tallying 12 assists while averaging about 14 and a half minutes a night.
  • Sticking in St.Louis, although it has already been confirmed that forward Kasperi Kapanen will be out through the All-Star break, Lou Korac reports that he was back at practice this morning for the team. Residing on the team’s injured reserve for the last two weeks, Kapanen was on a much slower pace compared to last season before the injury, only scoring four goals and 13 points through 42 games.

Trade Deadline Primer: Boston Bruins

at CDT | by 15 Comments

With the All-Star break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month and a half away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Boston Bruins.

Not quite as dominant as last season, the Bruins are still looking like one of the best regular season teams in the NHL, currently knocking on the door of back-to-back President’s Trophy victories, an accomplishment that has not been done since the 2016-17 Washington Capitals. Unfortunately, even though Boston has been one of the best regular season teams over the last several years, they have failed to move past the semi-finals in the postseason since their 2018-19 Stanley Cup Final loss to the St.Louis Blues. Nevertheless, with some long-term cap flexibility created this past summer, the Bruins could look to acquire players with term; something they have been unable to do for the last several years.

Record

31-9-9, 1st in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$862.5K on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: BOS 1st*, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th
2025: BOS 1st*, BOS 3rd, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th

*On March 2, 2023, Boston traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings with a top-10 protection placed on it. If the pick falls within the top 10 of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Bruins would then send the Red Wings an unprotected 2025 first-round pick instead. On July 9, 2023, Detroit conditionally traded the draft pick to the Ottawa Senators, with the Red Wings having the option of trading Ottawa their own 2024 first-round pick, or the Bruins’ 2024 first-round pick, with the original top-10 protections still in place.

Trade Chips

Having only eight draft picks over the next two years, it is unlikely that the Bruins will use their draft capital to make any major additions to their roster come the trade deadline. With Boston more than likely not picking until the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, it would not be a surprise to see the Bruins acquire an obscure fourth- or fifth-round pick in any trade over the next few weeks, even as a buyer.

Furthermore, with a need for young and cheap talent, it would be unlikely to see the Bruins part with any of Matthew Poitras, Mason Lohrei, Georgii Merkulov, or John Beecher, given their long-term importance to the continuing success of the organization. The one asset that Boston does have, however, is long-term cap space beyond this season. If they were to pursue a player with term on their contract, the Bruins may be able to dangle pieces off of their active roster, without sacrificing too much of their future.

With many teams in desperate need of goaltending, Boston is in the envious position of having two All-Star goalies able to start for them every game, and the Bruins could certainly dangle one of them to improve other weak spots on their roster. Signed for this season and next at $5MM a year, Linus Ullmark has put together another quality season, securing a 15-6-2 record in 24 games, holding a .913 save percentage and 2.78 GAA. On the flip side, Jeremy Swayman will once again be arbitration-eligible next summer and has been one of the best goaltenders in the league with a 16-3-7 record in 27 games played on the year, also achieving a .924 SV% and 2.30 GAA.

Outside of their excess between the pipes, the Bruins may also be willing to listen to offers on Jake DeBrusk, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Once again being an effective goal-scorer for Boston, DeBrusk has scored 12 goals and 25 points in 47 games this season. It would not be a major surprise to work out a deal to improve their roster with DeBrusk as the centerpiece going the other way, especially if DeBrusk is willing to sign an extension with the acquiring team.

Team Needs

1) Center Help: Ever since the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, it was a foregone conclusion that the Bruins would need to improve their center depth if there was any hope of a serious playoff run. The team has played well with the combination of Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle centering the top-two lines, but with a team faceoff percentage of 49.3% (19th in the NHL), Boston will need to improve down the middle to win big draws in the playoffs at the very least. All three of Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan, and Adam Henrique would allow the Bruins to add more punch down the middle, as well as strengthen their ability in the dot.

2) Stay The Course: Losing in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs after breaking the record for wins in a regular season will be a blight on the Bruins’ history for years to come. However, it is important to remember that Boston was only two shots away from reaching the second round, losing in overtime in Game 5 as well as Game 7 to the Florida Panthers. Outside of the need for help down the middle, it is tough to point out any point of the game that the Bruins are truly lacking. Rather than deal out any of their remaining draft capital, or move on from young prospects ready to make an impact, Boston should trust in his team to get over the hump, as they have shown they can beat nearly any team they play against over the last several years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Sharks Notes: Ferraro, MacDonald, Hertl

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Sharks moved blue-liner Mario Ferraro to injured reserve on Monday, per CapFriendly. Ferraro, 25, has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury sustained against the Kings over a week ago.

While he’s eligible to return at any time, given he’s been sidelined for at least seven days, Ferraro is likely to sit out the Sharks’ two remaining games before the All-Star break, according to the last update on his status. The Sharks have an odd schedule surrounding the break – after getting two games in on Tuesday and Wednesday before the league schedule shuts down for a brief prior, they’re off for an extended period of time after the break. Ferraro will have a full two weeks to recover after the Sharks’ back-to-back slate this week, and all signs point to him returning for their Feb. 14 contest against the Jets.

Signed through 2026 with a $3.25MM cap hit, Ferraro is the Sharks’ de facto number-one defender after trading Erik Karlsson to the Penguins last summer. It’s a tough spot for the 6-foot, 209-lb Canadian to be in, although he’s on pace to break his previous career-high in points. He’s scored once and added 13 assists in 47 games this season, averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. He’s boasted better even-strength possession numbers than the average Shark this season, but the team’s abhorrent defensive depth means he’s been on the ice for 90 total goals against – the most of any player in the league.

Other updates from San Jose:

  • Ferraro was moved to IR to create a roster space for Jacob MacDonald, who the team activated from IR yesterday. The defenseman-turned-winger has been one of the team’s most effective goal-scorers when in the lineup this year, but a laundry list of appearances has limited him to 17 games. Despite that, his six goals are tied for sixth on the team. The 30-year-old’s latest absence was a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup since Christmas, resulting in a 15-game absence. It’s unclear whether he’ll draw into the lineup tonight for a Sharks team that’s gaining some relative momentum, winning three out of their last four games.
  • Adding to their win total over the next two days may be tough without the services of first-line center Tomáš Hertl, who head coach David Quinn said is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (via The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka). The 30-year-old did not practice yesterday and may have been injured in the same collision against the Sabres last Saturday that sidelined Buffalo winger Jack Quinn for the next eight weeks. Unsurprisingly, Hertl’s 15 goals and 34 points lead the Sharks, as does his nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game among forwards. A Hertl absence would mean a slightly elevated role for captain Logan Couture, who has an assist in slightly over 18 minutes per game in four contests since returning from a lower-body injury.

Evening Notes: Pettersson, Kane, Canucks

at CDT | by 22 Comments

Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that Ottawa Senators prospect Oskar Pettersson will join the team’s AHL affiliate in Belleville and make his debut with the team this weekend. Pettersson was selected 72nd overall in the 2022 NHL entry draft and will be joining a team in North America for the first time in his short career. Pettersson had been on loan from the Senators to Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League where he posted a single assist in 26 games.

Pettersson may have struggled offensively this season, but he has been a strong offensive contributor with Rögle BK J20 over the past three seasons registering 74 points in 74 games. The 19-year-old has shown that he can be a strong player along the boards and can play with the puck in traffic, both skills that should him thrive in the North American game.

Pettersson will likely debut on Friday against the Syracuse Crunch.

In other evening notes:

  • Detroit Red Wings reporter Daniella Bruce tweeted that winger Patrick Kane could suit up on Wednesday if he is 100%. Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde told reporters that the team would know more tomorrow after practice but that the 35-year-old is very close to a return. Kane has been very effective this season in just 19 games with seven goals and nine assists, however, the team is inexplicably just 8-9-2 with him in the lineup and 18-9-3 without him.
  • Elliotte Friedman appeared on Donnie and Dhali today and said that the Canucks remain in pursuit of a top-six forward with Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm at the top of their list of potential targets. The Canucks are said to be looking at forwards who can play multiple positions up front and may need to outbid other teams to facilitate a trade with Calgary. The Flames and Canucks may be bitter rivals, but they have made one trade already this season with the Canucks acquiring defenseman Nikita Zadorov in exchange for two draft picks.

Kings Open To Trading Arthur Kaliyev

at CDT | by 29 Comments

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that the Los Angeles Kings could be willing to move on from winger Arthur Kaliyev if they can make a swap and acquire a depth player with some edge to their game as a potential replacement for the 22-year-old. Kaliyev has struggled to carve out a role with the Kings and may have reached a point in Los Angeles where it might be best for the team and player to go their separate ways.

Kaliyev has been a healthy scratch several times this month and has struggled this season with just six goals and eight assists in 38 games. Kaliyev has had his name pop up in trade rumors over the last few weeks and is likely looking for more consistency in his ice time and deployment. The former second-round pick looked as though he was turning the corner last year with 13 goals and 15 assists in 56 games but wasn’t able to carry his momentum into this season despite having a strong training camp.

Much has been made about Kaliyev’s offensive style not suiting the system that Kings head coach Todd McLellan likes to deploy as McLellan likes his teams to play an energy game where attention to detail and defensive responsibility are top of mind. Kaliyev’s talents lie more in the offensive side of the game, while his defensive skills are not his strong suit.

The Kings could wait to see what happens over the next few weeks with the club’s play heading into the trade deadline but given the struggles with Kaliyev’s development, it appears they would like to address some of their needs elsewhere before it’s too late.

Central Notes: Jets, Blues, Blackhawks

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Scott Billeck of The Winnipeg Sun speculated today about what the Winnipeg Jets might do with their available extra roster spot. The Jets currently sit third in the Central Division with a 30-12-5 record and could be looking to make a big swing at the upcoming NHL trade deadline.

The Jets will need a roster spot to activate center Mark Scheifele off the injured reserve but have some other roster moves they could make including waiving Dominic Toninato or Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and sending them down to the Manitoba Moose. Billick wonders if the Jets might opt to do that and call up Ville Heinola so the team can have eight available NHL defensemen.

He also wondered if the Jets might offer up Heinola in a trade if they are looking to make a bigger move at this year’s trade deadline.

In other Central Division notes:

  • Elliotte Friedman mentioned on his 32 Thoughts podcast that St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has made several players available on the NHL trade market but hasn’t been able to generate much in the way of interest. There is one player that Friedman believes that the Blues could trade easily and that is forward Pavel Buchnevich. Friedman adds that moving the 28-year-old would be a pretty easy trade to make which indicates to Friedman that the Blues likely aren’t interested in moving on from him. Buchnevich is having a terrific year in St. Louis with 17 goals and 22 assists in 46 games while averaging almost 20 minutes a night in ice time.
  • Elliotte Friedman indicated on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Chicago Blackhawks had kicked the tires on Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko. A potential trade makes sense from both sides given that the Blackhawks are in desperate need of scoring and the Canucks need to move out some salary. Kuzmenko would be a bounce-back candidate for the Blackhawks if they were able to facilitate a move as he had 74 points in 81 games last season but has struggled this year with just eight goals and 13 assists in 43 games. Kuzmenko has a year left on his contract after this season at $5.5MM meaning that the Blackhawks would be acquiring a player they could move at next year’s deadline as a rental if he isn’t a fit with their core.

Evening Notes: Fantilli, Capitals, Zadorov

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Star Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli suffered a cut on the back of his leg in the team’s Sunday night loss to the Seattle Kraken. He was seen leaving the game on crutches and the team announced today that he will miss their Tuesday night game against the St. Louis Blues. Fantilli has been a bright spot in a dark Blue Jackets season, tied for second on the team in scoring with 27 points through 49 games. The 19-year-old is one of only four Blue Jackets to play in all 49 of the team’s games this season.

Columbus drafted Fantilli with the third-overall pick in last year’s draft and now becomes the last of the top-three picks to face an injury this season. Chicago Blackhawks sensation Connor Bedard is currently grappling with a jaw injury that’s limited him to 39 games, while Leo Carlsson faced a knee injury that’s held him to just 30 games this season. The trio of top picks is joined by Zach Benson – who has played in 38 games – as the only players to jump directly into the NHL. Despite playing in more games than anyone else in the class, Fantilli doesn’t lead the group in scoring – as Bedard has managed 15 goals and 33 points despite his injury.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Washington Capitals have signed a six-year extension with their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. The new deal carries the partnership through the 2029-30 season. Hershey has been Washington’s affiliate since 2005, when they were coached by NHL-coaching veteran Bruce Boudreau. Hershey won the Calder Cup Championship in their first year under the Capitals, and have since become a legacy team in the minor leagues, winning three other championships. This includes last season when they toppled the Coachella Valley Firebirds in a seven-game series. With six more years ahead of them, Hershey will look to continue to add to their trophy cabinet.
  • Player agent Dan Milstein has shared that his client Nikita Zadorov is not expecting to be traded by the Vancouver Canucks before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Speculation arose after Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed Vancouver’s desire to clear up cap space, listing Andrei Kuzmenko and Zadorov as options for moving out cap. Zadorov joined the Canucks on November 30th, with Vancouver sending a 2024 fifth-round pick and 2026 third-round pick to the Calgary Flames. The 28-year-old defender has since played in 24 games with the Canucks, scoring four points and recording 39 penalty minutes. He carries a $3.75MM cap hit through the end of the season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Jack Quinn Expected To Be Out Longer Term

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

January 29th: Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News has confirmed that Quinn had surgery today for a lower-body injury and will miss the next eight weeks.

January 28th: Sportsnet is reporting that Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Quinn is expected to be out longer term according to Sabres head coach Don Granato. The Sabres bench boss spoke with the media after a 5-2 Sabres win over the San Jose Sharks telling them that the injury he suffered during the game likely wouldn’t be a day-to-day situation.

Quinn left the game around the mid-way point of the third period after he was hit along the boards by Sharks forward Tomas Hertl. Quinn couldn’t put any weight on his left leg after getting to his feet and slowly making his way to the Sabres bench.

It’s an unfortunate result for the Ottawa, Ontario native as he had just worked his way back into the lineup a little over a month ago after he had suffered an Achilles injury last summer when training. The 22-year-old had added some scoring punch to a Sabres lineup that desperately needed it as Quinn had posted five goals and seven assists in 17 games. The former Ottawa 67’s star has been an effective complimentary piece for Buffalo with 20 goals and 31 assists in 94 career games.

The Sabres have yet to make any official announcement regarding Quinn’s status going forward and will likely require testing before having any concrete timeline on his return. The Sabres don’t play again until February 6th when they return from the all-star break to take on the Dallas Stars.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top