Canucks Assign Jett Woo To AHL
The Canucks assigned defenseman Jett Woo to AHL Abbotsford on Sunday, per a team announcement.
Woo, 23, has advanced up the Vancouver depth chart in recent weeks to become a tweener option after spending all of his pro career in the minors. The 2018 second-round pick has been recalled twice this month but has been healthy scratched in every game he’s been rostered for, so he’s yet to make his NHL debut.
He projects as a defensive-minded blue-liner with some decent puck-moving skills, posting 18 points in 44 games with Abbotsford this season. He’s in his fourth professional season after wrapping up his junior career with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen in 2020.
Woo is signed to a one-year, two-way extension that pays him $775K at the NHL level and $100K in the minors, and he will have arbitration rights if the Canucks extend him a qualifying offer this summer. The Winnipeg native is unlikely to see NHL ice this year unless injuries strike the Canucks’ blue line, as the emergence of Nikita Zadorov and Noah Juulsen as a strong shutdown third pairing has limited opportunities for other depth defenders, such as Mark Friedman, to enter the lineup.
Sending Woo to Abbotsford extends his temporary waiver exemption, as he must clear waivers to return to Abbotsford if he’s on the roster for more than 30 days this season. It also opens one spot on the 23-man roster, which could be used to activate Dakota Joshua or Carson Soucy off IR in the coming days.
East Notes: Johnson, Olofsson, Lajoie, Texier
Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson will dress against the Hurricanes on Sunday night, head coach Don Granato said (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald). The 35-year-old missed Friday’s 2-1 road win in Columbus with an illness.
It’s been an underwhelming first season in Buffalo for the 16-year veteran, who signed a one-year, $3.25MM contract when free agency opened on July 1. Signed to provide defensive stability at the bottom of the lineup, he’s averaged a career-low 14:06 per game, save for his injury-shortened 2020-21 campaign. Despite his minimal usage, his possession metrics are among the worst on the team, logging a 46.5 CF% at even strength. He has three goals, no assists, and a -3 rating through 48 games, partially limited by an upper-body injury that cost him Buffalo’s final four games before the All-Star break.
Recent AHL call-up Kale Clague will likely be scratched to make way for Johnson’s return to the lineup. He has one assist and an even rating while averaging 10:21 through a pair of NHL contests this season.
More updates from the Eastern Conference:
- Winger Victor Olofsson will also be available to the Sabres tonight after recovering from an illness that kept him home during their two-game road trip, per Heather Engel of NHL.com. However, he’s projected to serve as a healthy scratch for the 20th time this season. The 28-year-old has just four goals and 12 points in 35 games this year, both pacing out as career lows, and he’s only made five appearances since the beginning of 2024.
- Maple Leafs defenseman Maxime Lajoie is no longer listed on the NHL roster on the league’s media site, indicating he’s been returned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic relays Sunday. Toronto has ferried Lajoie, 26, in between leagues multiple times over the past few weeks, although this move will likely be longer-lasting. Lajoie last played in Wednesday’s win over the Coyotes, and the Maple Leafs need roster space to reinstate Joseph Woll from LTIR and defenseman Mark Giordano from the non-roster list, both of which should occur over the next week. He’s been a decent reserve option when called upon, recording one assist and a +1 rating in seven games while averaging 12:43.
- Blue Jackets winger Alexandre Texier won’t play Sunday against the Rangers due to illness, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets’ official site says. As such, 2016 eighth-overall pick Alexander Nylander will make his Blue Jackets debut after being acquired from the Penguins on Thursday. The France-born Texier has only missed two games this season, also due to illness, coming around U.S. Thanksgiving. He has eight goals in 18 points in 54 showings for Columbus after playing last season in the Swiss National League while on personal leave from the club.
Injury Notes: Mayfield, MacLean, Fleury, Jeannot, Power
Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News is reporting that New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is out with a lower-body injury. In a follow-up report, Ethan Sears of the New York Post reports that Mayfield will not travel with the team to their upcoming games against the Dallas Stars or Detroit Red Wings.
Slipping further and further back in the standings, New York’s schedule won’t get any easier as their next three games come against teams currently holding a playoff position. Without Mayfield, the Islanders will have to re-shuffle their defensive core, and may even break apart the solid duo of Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov. Signed to a seven-year, $24.5MM contract this past offseason, Mayfield has left a lot to be desired, with his CorsiFor% and On-Ice Save Percentage in all situations falling below his career averages.
To fill in the spot on the active roster left by Mayfield, the Islanders did recall forward Kyle MacLean but had to maneuver him in a specific way to stay compliant with the salary cap (X Link). As an infrequent member of the team’s bottom six this season, MacLean has suited up in a total of seven games for New York, managing one goal and 14 hits in total.
Other injury notes:
- Talking to the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Jon Cooper, this morning, Eduardo Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports that defenseman Haydn Fleury is considered day-to-day, while the team will also have to wait for the return of forward Tanner Jeannot. Although Fleury has generally been regarded as a depth option at defense for the Lightning, their injuries this season have led him to nearly 16 minutes of ice time per night over 17 games, a minute higher than his career average.
- Out since February 10th with an undisclosed injury, Heather Engel of the NHL is reporting that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power is close to a return, and may even be cleared to play tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. In the midst of a sophomore slump, Power is projected to finish short of his production last year without factoring in the missed games due to injury. Nevertheless, much of Power’s lack of production can be placed at the feet of his usual defensive partners Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton, both of whom have struggled immensely in their first season in Buffalo.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, for the third time this season, per a team announcement. In his most recent call-up to Philadelphia, Lycksell skated in four games for the Flyers, tallying two assists.
Although he has been more of a depth forward for Philadelphia this season, Lycksell has been a premier player for the Phantoms in the AHL. Over 38 games in Lehigh Valley this year, Lycksell has been one of the best players on the roster, scoring 18 goals and 32 points, including a two-goal, four-point performance last evening. Currently sitting second on the team in points, Lycksell is still leading the way with the most goals on the team and the highest point-per-game average.
It’s been more of the same for Lycksell at the AHL level, who had a highly productive rookie season in the AHL as recently as last year. In 53 games during his first year in North America, Lycksell put together a 14-goal, 45-point performance. Being a former-sixth-round selection of the Flyers back in the 2017 NHL Draft, they could have found a potential diamond in the rough if Lycksell can keep up this offensive production at the NHL level.
Even though Lehigh Valley is not competing for the Calder Cup this season, it may still be advantageous for the Flyers to keep Lycksell down in the minor leagues for more exposure. Competing for their own hardware this year, Lycksell may not have much opportunity at the NHL level with Philadelphia opting to put forward a more rugged bottom-six.
Poll: Which Team Will Trade For Jake Guentzel?
Over the last several weeks, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel has been gaining steam as one of the biggest fishes available at this year’s deadline. Even after suffering an injury that will keep him out until the deadline, plenty of competitive teams remain interested in his services for their playoff push.
In tonight’s edition of ‘Saturday Headlines’, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Vancouver Canucks as specific teams that have checked in with Pittsburgh regarding Guentzel. Of the five teams listed, factoring in available assets and deadline salary cap space, the Hurricanes, Panthers, and Golden Knights strike as the likeliest landing spots if Guentzel does indeed get moved.
In any trade for Guentzel, a first-round pick will undoubtedly need to go back to Pittsburgh, as well as a young prospect. Just yesterday, the General Manager of the Penguins, Kyle Dubas, told the media that Pittsburgh would place a priority on getting younger in any deal that they make. With the Golden Knights and Panthers having Brendan Brisson and Mackie Samoskevich at their disposal, respectively, they are in advantageous positions to give the Penguins what they are looking for.
All-in-all, there is no guarantee that Pittsburgh will move Guentzel at all, as he has created quite a bond with franchise icon Sidney Crosby over the last several years. Owning a projected $17.54MM available to them on July 1st this summer, the Penguins could opt to sign Guentzel to a long-term contract to take over as the face of the franchise once Crosby’s playing days are over.
Now it’s your turn to vote — will any one of these teams deal for Guentzel by March 8th, or will the Penguins decide to keep him around for the long haul?
If you can’t access the poll above, click here to vote.
Trade Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers
With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Philadelphia Flyers.
With an eye on rebuilding, the Flyers have had a surprisingly productive season. Currently sitting in third-place in the Metropolitan Division, Philadelphia has a solid five-point lead for their position, and are headed for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, General Manager Daniel Briere has been adamant that the Flyers are not looking to mortgage their future, and may even end up selling a few pieces off by the deadline.
Record
30-21-7, 3rd in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Standing Pat/Conservative Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$8.99MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: PHI 1st, FLA 1st*, PHI 2nd, CBJ 2nd**, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, LA 5th, PHI 6th, STL, 6th, PHI 7th
2025: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, ANA 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, CAR 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
*-If Florida’s first-round pick falls within the top 10 of the 2024 NHL Draft, Philadelphia will receive Florida’s first-round pick in 2025 as apart of the Claude Giroux trade.
**-Columbus will have until the end of the first-round of the 2024 NHL Draft to decide if they will send Philadelphia their 2024 second-round pick or their 2025 second-round pick as apart of the Ivan Provorov trade.
Trade Chips
As highlighted today, Philadelphia’s most likely trade chips will be coming out of their defensive core. Defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler are generating the most attention on the market, with the team reportedly listening to offers on veteran center Scott Laughton as well. 
Having already engaged with Seeler’s camp about a potential contract extension, it certainly appears that Walker will end up being the odd-man out for the Flyers. Acquired this past offseason in the deal that sent Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Walker has handled over 19 minutes a night on average over 57 games, scoring three goals and 20 points in the process. Given that they could retain 50% of Walker’s salary in any deal, Philadelphia could look to add even more draft capital for the next two seasons.
The market for Laughton will be a little bit more difficult to ascertain, as he is still signed for two years and $6MM beyond this season. Any team acquiring Laughton will certainly be looking to get more physical ahead of the playoffs with that being the part of his game. Producing a relatively average faceoff rate and defensive metrics, Laughton is good to score between 30-40 points a year, depending on how he would be utilized by the acquiring team.
Team Needs
1) Acquire More Lottery Tickets – Unlike many teams across the league, the Flyers have the opportunity to take their roster in a lot of different directions. Already having a cemented core of Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, and Travis Sanheim, the team has the opportunity to add supplementary players in a lot of different ways. Already making a major move along these lines with the acquisition of Jamie Drysdale earlier in the season; a deal such as this should be the strategy for Philadelphia move forward as their deadline approach. While desiring to hold on to their draft capital, the Flyers could look to grab Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers or Arthur Kaliyev from the Los Angeles Kings in return for Walker or Laughton by March 8th.
2) Map-Out Goaltending – Since Carter Hart was granted an indefinite leave of absence on January 23rd due to his inclusion in the 2018 Team Canada sexual assault investigation, the Flyers goaltending has taken a different trajectory alltogether. In the first 47 games of the year, Philadelphia managed a 2.83 GAA and a .901 SV% as a team, helping them stockpile points and make their rise in the standings. Since Hart’s leave, the team has struggled considerably, producing a 3.30 GAA and a .866 SV%. Felix Sandstrom has not inspired much hope this season in Lehigh Valley as he’s only managed an .882 SV% through 20 games, and Ivan Fedotov‘s age will likely cut him out as the future of the franchise in net. While many contending teams are looking to improve their situations in the crease, Philadelphia may have to wait until the summer to figure out their plan in goal. Nevertheless, with Hart’s status up in the air moving forward, their long-term vision in net should certainly be on their radar.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Zaitsev, Athanasiou, Vlasic, O’Brien, Stecher, Kuzmenko
Blackhawks defenseman Nikita Zaitsev‘s knee injury sustained in January was more severe than previously assumed, head coach Luke Richardson said Saturday (via Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times). Zaitsev sustained a bone fracture along with his knee injury and, while he’s returned to off-ice workouts, won’t return until mid-March.
The 32-year-old sustained the injury in a Jan. 16 game against the Sharks and has been out of the lineup for over a month, missing Chicago’s last 14 games. The Moscow native had two goals, five assists, seven points, and a remarkable +2 rating on a bottom-feeder Blackhawks team in 26 games, although he averaged only 15:56 per contest.
Zaitsev will be a UFA this summer after completing his albatross seven-year, $31.5MM contract extension signed by then-Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello in 2017. He has yet to sniff the career-high of 36 points he set during his rookie season with Toronto in 2016, and he’s only once posted a positive expected rating in his eight-year NHL career. If he remains in the league past this season, it’ll likely be on a league-minimum deal.
Other updates from the Western Conference:
- Sticking with Chicago, forward Andreas Athanasiou continues to progress in his recovery from a lower-body injury as he practiced in a full-contact jersey for the first time Saturday, according to Pope. The 29-year-old has not played in over three months, missing 46 games. The speedy winger disappointed through the first month of the campaign, recording four assists in 11 games and logging one healthy scratch, averaging 12:45 per game. Chicago signed him to a two-year, $8.5MM extension last summer after he racked up 20 goals and 40 points for the second time in his career last season.
- Sharks veteran blue-liner Marc-Édouard Vlasic is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and could miss up to a week, head coach David Quinn said Saturday (via Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group). Vlasic sustained the injury in practice yesterday and will sit after playing in 14 straight games, his longest stretch of the season. It’s been a difficult campaign for the 36-year-old Sharks lifer, who was a frequent healthy scratch through November and December as his all-around game continues to decline. Once regarded as one of the top shutdown defenders in the league, Vlasic’s 41.3% Corsi share at even strength is second-worst among full-time Sharks defenders this year, only ahead of rookie Nikita Okhotyuk. He carries a $7MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season.
- The Coyotes will activate enforcer Liam O’Brien off injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jets, head coach André Tourigny said (via Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports). The fourth-line winger missed the last five games with an upper-body injury and had been a healthy scratch twice in the prior three games. The 6-foot-1 29-year-old is in his third season in the desert, racking up eight points and 116 PIMs in 49 games this year. Defenseman Troy Stecher, who’s been out for over a month with a lower-body injury, will not be ready to go tomorrow but could return as soon as Tuesday against the Canadiens, Morgan added. Both players are on IR, but the Coyotes have two open roster spots, so no corresponding transactions are necessary to activate them over the next few days.
- Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko will miss tonight’s Battle of Alberta with an illness, coach Ryan Huska said (via Eric Francis of Sportsnet). The middle-six scoring winger has been up-and-down since Calgary acquired him from the Canucks in the Elias Lindholm trade, notching three goals and one assist in eight games with a -2 rating. He hasn’t seen an uptick in ice time since moving across provincial lines, averaging 14:06 per game with Calgary compared to 14:21 with Vancouver. He’s signed through next season at a $5.5MM cap hit.
Devils Recall Akira Schmid, Reassign Isaac Poulter
Feb. 24: New Jersey reversed the transaction today, recalling Schmid and returning Poulter to Utica. Schmid will be rostered for Sunday’s game against the Lightning. Poulter did not play during his recall, backing up Daws, who has started seven straight.
Feb. 21: The Devils swapped their backup netminders Wednesday, assigning Akira Schmid to AHL Utica and recalling Isaac Poulter, per a team release.
Today marks Poulter’s first NHL recall after New Jersey signed the 22-year-old to an entry-level contract last week. The undrafted free agent has been the Devils’ best AHL goalie this year, appearing in 24 of Utica’s 47 games while posting a .908 SV% and a 14-7-1 record with three shutouts.
Poulter is in his second professional season after signing a minor-league deal with Utica in 2022. He played four seasons of junior hockey with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos from 2018 to 2022, amassing a 35-87-12 record in 137 games behind a struggling squad with a relatively strong .898 SV%.
The struggling Vítek Vaněček remains on IR with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day, so Poulter will back up the 23-year-old Nico Daws when he dresses for his first NHL game tomorrow against the Rangers. New Jersey has enough cap space to absorb Poulter’s $812.5K cap hit with number-one defenseman Dougie Hamilton still on LTIR.
Schmid, 23, dressed for five games as Daws’ backup this month but has not played since being demoted to Utica in December. After a solid postseason performance in 2023, he made the team out of camp as Vaněček’s backup. However, a .893 SV% and 5-7-1 record through 13 starts and two relief appearances meant he fell to third on the Devils’ depth chart with Daws returning from a season-opening hip injury. His numbers have dipped further while on assignment to Utica, posting a .885 SV% and a 3-5-4 record in 12 games.
Avalanche Prospect Oskar Olausson To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Avalanche forward prospect Oskar Olausson will undergo shoulder surgery on Monday that will sideline him for the rest of the 2023-24 season, the team announced Saturday. He is expected to return to the organization for the 2024-25 campaign.
Olausson, 21, was the 28th overall selection in the 2021 draft. He has no points in his two NHL appearances, one of which came this season on Dec. 5.
He’s taken a significant step forward in his development this season, posting 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points in 39 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He put up those same totals in 63 games last year.
Despite signing his entry-level contract the summer after his draft, it’s only kicked in this season because he was eligible twice for an entry-level slide. As such, he carries a cap hit of $863.3K and is headed for RFA status in 2026. He will not be placed on IR or LTIR because he was designated to the minors when the injury occurred.
Olausson is arguably still the Avs’ best forward prospect, although 2023 first-round pick Calum Ritchie submits a veritable challenge to that claim. A sniper by trade, Olausson will likely spend most of next season in the minors as well before making noise for an NHL roster spot.
The Eagles may be losing one of their best scorers, but they could be gaining an impact piece as soon as Sunday. Colorado waived depth forward Fredrik Olofsson on Saturday, and he’ll be assigned to the Eagles if he clears tomorrow.
Metropolitan Notes: Seeler, Walker, Konecny, Mayfield
The Flyers have a pair of fairly valuable defenders on expiring deals in Nick Seeler and Sean Walker. Despite being in a playoff position and ahead of schedule in their rebuild, the Flyers will likely ship at least one of them out to capitalize on their trade value ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. It’s trending toward Walker being the odd man out, as they’ve yet to formally engage in extension discussions with Walker’s agents, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports Saturday.
Pagnotta notes that the Flyers have talked to Seeler’s representation about an extension. The two defenders have formed one of the unlikeliest value pairings in the league this year, logging over 500 minutes together with a sparkling 56.5 expected goals percentage, per MoneyPuck. The 30-year-old, who’s found his way back into a full-time NHL role after going without a contract for the entire 2020-21 campaign, carries a $775K cap hit and will earn a multi-million dollar raise on his next deal, whether it’s with Philly or somewhere else.
Walker being the likelier one to move makes sense with the state of the trade market, however. He’s considerably more expensive with a $2.65MM cap hit, but he’s also a coveted right-shot defender with significantly more offensive upside than the shutdown-only Seeler. As such, he’ll fetch more value in return. Pagnotta says the Bruins may have interest if it becomes clear he’ll hit the trade market, where he would serve as a third-pairing anchor behind Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo.
Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Flyers winger Travis Konecny is absent from Saturday’s game against the Rangers, and he’ll miss Sunday’s tilt against the Penguins as well, per Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period. Konecny is listed as day-to-day with a minor upper-body injury sustained during practice this week. The 26-year-old is not expected to miss significant time. In his eighth NHL season, Konecny leads Philadelphia in scoring with 27 goals and 54 points in 57 games.
- Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is not in the lineup against the Lightning today, per the team. Mayfield did not appear to miss a shift in the Isles’ last game, a 4-0 loss to the Blues on Thursday. In the first season of a seven-year, $24.5MM contract, Mayfield has missed 16 total games to leg and upper-body injuries. He’s also struggled to produce, going without a goal in 41 games while recording five assists and a -7 rating. Reserve defender Sebastian Aho re-entered the Isles’ lineup in a third-pairing role today after serving as a healthy scratch for six of their past seven games.