Evening Notes: Fantilli, Capitals, Zadorov
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
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.
Adam Henrique Could Reunite With The New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have expressed interest in Anaheim Ducks centerman Adam Henrique, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast. The Devils were the team to draft Henrique, taking him in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft. He played out his rookie season in 2011-12, appearing in 74 games and scoring 51 points – the seventh-most a Devils rookie has ever scored. Henrique would go on to play eight seasons and 455 games with the Devils, serving in a pivotal role as the team’s second-line center and averaging around 18 minutes of ice time. He even served as an alternate captain for the team from 2015 to 2017.
The Devils dramatically parted ways with the centerman in November of 2017, trading him to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Sami Vatanen and a 2019 third-round pick used to select Daniil Misyul. Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round pick used on Blake McLaughlin were also sent to Anaheim. Henrique has been with the Ducks ever since, playing in seven seasons and 423 games with the club. That includes 48 games this season – with Henrique boasting 15 goals and 32 points, ranking him third in scoring on the Ducks and, if he joined them, the Devils. The 33-year-old has scored at least 40 points in every season where he’s played at least 50 games – a mark he’s on pace to continue this year.
The Devils would relish in the chance to find an apt replacement for absent centermen Jack Hughes and Michael McLeod. Their missed games have left team captain Nico Hischier with a lot of responsibility – though he’s managed it in stride, with 28 points in 36 games this season despite facing injuries of his own. Still, Henrique would relieve Erik Haula as the team’s second-line center, and provide yet another goal-scorer to a Devils team that already has seven players with 10 or more goals on the season.
Henrique is in the last year of his five-year, $29.125MM contract signed with the Ducks in 2018. He carries a manageable $5.825MM cap hit.
Devin Shore Clears Waivers
1/30: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Shore has cleared waivers, and can be safely reassigned to AHL Coachella Valley.
1/29: The Seattle Kraken have placed forward Devin Shore on waivers with the intention of assigning him to the AHL. Shore has appeared in 21 games with the Kraken this season, netting one goal and four points. He’s also played nine AHL games, scoring six points.
Shore is in his first season with the Kraken, signing a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the team this summer. The deal marked his move away from the Edmonton Oilers, who he spent three seasons and 134 games with from 2020 to 2023. This move becomes the fifth time that Shore has been placed on waivers, with the Oilers waiving him twice in each of the last two seasons. He’s passed through unclaimed every time, though he only played five games with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate during his time in the organization.
Shore was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft – the same round that produced Damon Severson, Chris Tierney, Jordan Martinook, and Jake McCabe. It was an impressive round in what was a very deep 2012 Draft and Shore has certainly contributed, managing 443 career NHL games and 139 points. He made his professional debut after the end of the University of Maine’s 2014-15 season, playing in 19 AHL games and scoring six points. His NHL rookie season came in 2016-17, with Shore playing in 82 games and scoring 13 goals and 33 points with Dallas – all career-highs.
Minnesota Wild Claim Declan Chisholm Off Waivers From Winnipeg
The Minnesota Wild have claimed defenseman Declan Chisholm off of waivers from the Winnipeg Jets. Chisholm has played in two games with the Jets this season, scoring one point. He’s also appeared in six games and scored five points with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
Chisholm will leave a Jets organization that he’s been with since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He made his professional debut in the 2020-21 season when he appeared in 28 games and scored 13 points with the Moose. He’s since only played in four career NHL games, though he has totaled 116 games and 91 points in the AHL – including 43 points in 59 games last season.
Chisholm provides the Wild with another option on defense besides Dakota Mermis and Daemon Hunt, who has served as the de facto fill-ins when Minnesota has faced injury. And they have been needed, with every Wild defender except for Brock Faber and Jacob Middleton missing some duration of time this season. That includes team captain Jared Spurgeon, who is out for the season with a hip injury. While the injuries have been a defining weakness of Minnesota’s season, they could provide Chisholm the chance to receive extended ice time in the NHL for the first time in his career. He will look to beat out Mermis, who has appeared in 33 games and scored seven points this season.
Afternoon Snapshots: Perunovich, Binnington, Skinner, Three Stars
St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich underwent an MRI on Monday for the lower-body injury he suffered in St. Louis’ Sunday night win over the Los Angeles Kings. Team reporter Lou Korac shares that Perunovich will be out on Tuesday but that the team is hoping the All-Star Break will be enough time for Perunovich to recover.
Perunovich has appeared in 31 games this season, netting 12 assists, six penalty minutes, and -4. The 25-year-old also played in 19 games and recorded six assists in the 2020-21 season, though he’s still searching for the first goal of his career. The oft-injured defender missed the majority of last season with a fractured shoulder that required surgery in October. His only action was 22 AHL games, where he scored two goals and 20 points.
The Blues have recalled Tyler Tucker from his conditioning stint in the AHL to replace Perunovich. Tucker appeared in six games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, recording no points, six penalty minutes, and a +2. He’s also managed two points and 22 penalty minutes in 15 NHL games this season
Other notes from around the league:
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the recent 32 Thoughts Podcast that Jordan Binnington would be a top starting goaltender option for Team Canada, sharing, “Someone was saying to me the other day, if Canada was playing Game 1 of the World Cup right now… Jordan Binnington would be in the conversation to be your starter.” Friedman also mentioned Stuart Skinner as a second option. Binnington and Skinner have both gone through ups and downs throughout their careers but boast winning pedigrees, with Skinner winning the WHL championship in 2018 and Binnington winning the OHL championship in 2011 and Stanley Cup in 2019. Both were also runners-up for the Calder Trophy in their rookie seasons. They have each played in 34 games this season, with Skinner managing 23 wins a .910 save percentage while Binnington has 17 wins and a .907 save percentage.
- The NHL has announced their ‘Three Stars of the Week’ for the last full week of January. Matthew Tkachuk wins Third Star with eight points, split evenly, in four games; Connor McDavid gets the Second Star by matching Tkachuk’s stat line in just three games; and Nikita Kucherov takes the First Star with four goals and nine points in just three games. The hot week brought Kucherov’s scoring totals up to a league-leading – and frankly dazzling – 85 points in 49 games.
East Notes: Kubalík, Hamonic, MacLean
Senators winger Dominik Kubalík could return to the lineup Monday against the Predators, interim head coach Jacques Martin said. The 28-year-old has missed four games with a hip injury, last suiting up on Jan. 20th against the Jets.
It’s been a rough year for the Czech winger, who arrived in Ottawa by way of a trade from the Red Wings in return for Alex DeBrincat last summer. He’s posted nine goals and 12 points in 41 games, down from 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games with Detroit last year. Before the injury, his role had been reduced dramatically, playing under 15 minutes in six straight contests. If he returns tonight, he’s projected to factor in on the third line alongside Shane Pinto and Vladimir Tarasenko.
With a $2.5MM cap hit and an expiring contract, Kubalík could very well be an option to move at the deadline and help recoup some value for the struggling Sens. His underlying metrics are poor this season, though, which could turn off some teams’ hopes for a rebound. His 45.2% Corsi share at even strength is the worst among Senators forwards with at least 10 games played.
Other notes from the Eastern Conference today:
- Sticking with Ottawa, defenseman Travis Hamonic skated in a non-contact jersey at Monday’s practice and will likely be ready to return from his upper-body injury after the All-Star break, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. He last played on Jan. 21 against the Flyers, skating just over five minutes before leaving the game. He’s played only once in the last six contests, including his first two healthy scratches of the season on Jan. 18 and Jan. 20. Garrioch’s report rules him out of tonight’s contest against Nashville as well as Wednesday’s game against the Red Wings, meaning he’ll miss five games with the injury when all is said and done. The 33-year-old has struggled this season after returning to Ottawa on a two-year, $2.2MM deal in free agency, posting five points in 40 games, boasting team-worst possession metrics, and playing under 15 minutes per game.
- The Islanders assigned left wing Kyle MacLean to AHL Bridgeport on Sunday night, per CapFriendly. New York summoned the 24-year-old earlier this month to fill in on the fourth line with Casey Cizikas injured, giving MacLean his first five NHL games in the process. An undrafted free agent signing by the team last May, MacLean went pointless in his five appearances but recorded decent possession metrics in limited usage (only 8:22 per game). He struggled to sub in for Cizikas in the faceoff circle, winning 12 out of 36 draws. The pending RFA returns to Bridgeport over the All-Star break, where he has six goals and 19 points in 36 games.
Trade Deadline Primer: Arizona Coyotes
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 Arizona Coyotes.
The Coyotes are in a small rut, going 4-5-1 in their past 10 games. That shouldn’t take too much away from what’s been a drastic improvement in play around a developing core that seems to have most of the pieces in place. GM Bill Armstrong has made it quite clear that the team’s rebuilding days are over, and he’s hinted at being willing to start moving the needle on the trade market. Of course, a quick turnaround in play after the All-Star break could make that decision easy. Arizona is still within shouting distance of making their second playoff appearance in the last 12 years, and as such, they’ll be a bit of a wild card come March 8.
Record
23-22-3, 6th in the Central
Deadline Status
Conservative Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$13.44MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: ARI 1st, ARI 2nd, FLA 2nd, WSH 2nd, ARI 3rd, COL 3rd, EDM 3rd, ARI 4th, SJS 4th, ARI 5th, ARI 6th, ARI 7th, BOS 7th
2025: ARI 1st, ARI 2nd, TOR 2nd, EDM 2nd, NYR 2nd, ARI 3rd, NYR/DAL 3rd (cond.), ARI 4th, ARI 5th, ARI 6th, ARI 7th
Trade Chips
A quick look at the list of draft picks above reveals an abundance of second-round selections over the next two years. With the Coyotes likely averting true seller status, this bag of picks will be the first thing Armstrong reaches for if he’s looking to make some small adds to help push this squad into the playoff picture.
Of course, if the Coyotes are going to make a larger swing (they’ve been connected to Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin), it’ll take more than that. It doesn’t seem likely that Armstrong would consider moving out a first-round selection before this Clayton Keller-led core has made a postseason appearance in a non-shortened season, which could open the door to some of their quickly developing prospect pool being shown the door.
Most Coyotes fans were impressed with 23-year-old Barrett Hayton‘s play this season before a hand injury sustained in November shut him down long-term. He’s yet to return from the injury, which was only supposed to sideline him until Christmas, but a setback sustained last month has lengthened his recovery. He had put up decent possession numbers and passed the eye test in a first-line role between Keller and Nick Schmaltz, but the production wasn’t there, posting only two goals and two assists in 16 games. Could that stretch be enough for Armstrong to consider moving the 2018 fifth-overall pick in a deal for a more pressing need? Jack McBain, only a year older than Hayton, has recently stepped into the first-line job and has three points in his last five games. He’s had positive possession impacts in the role, but not as strong as Hayton’s, who posted a 58.9% expected goals share when on the ice with Keller and Schmaltz compared to McBain’s 51.4% (per MoneyPuck).
Short-term UFA pickups Alexander Kerfoot and Jason Zucker have been important in middle-six roles for Arizona this year, especially Kerfoot – his 0.58 points per game are the most among the Coyotes’ centers. They likely won’t be on their way out unless Armstrong receives an offer he can’t refuse.
If Armstrong does look to move out one of Arizona’s recent veteran pickups, look for it to be defenseman Mathew Dumba. While defense is likely the area the Coyotes are looking to fortify with deadline additions, Dumba has struggled in the desert and could help them swing a deal for an upgrade. The 29-year-old has five points in 44 games with a 45% Corsi share at even strength that ranks near the bottom of the team. With a retention slot open, they could absorb half of his $3.9MM cap hit on a one-year deal and make him a palatable deadline add for a contending team looking to bring in a veteran for their third pairing.
Team Needs
1) Left-Shot Defenseman: The Coyotes may lack strength at center ice, but their winger group is deep enough to quell any scoring concerns for now. There’s a far more pressing need on the back end, which has largely struggled outside of the J.J. Moser–Sean Durzi pairing. Dumba’s flamed out in the desert, Travis Dermott and Juuso Välimäki are having down seasons, and penalty-kill specialist Josh Brown isn’t suited for an everyday NHL role. Inserting a top-four threat such as Hanifin gives head coach André Tourigny much more flexibility with his pairings and would allow for more puck-moving support outside of Durzi and Moser. 24-year-old call-up Michael Kesselring has done well in his 31 games this year and is inching toward cracking the team’s second pairing on a full-time basis, but he’ll need a better partner than what they have to offer him now if that will convert into a playoff berth.
2) Don’t Sell The Farm Early: While one splash is likely feasible for Armstrong, especially on the blue line given their current roster construction and lack of bona fide top-four prospects, multiple big swings are unwise for a team whose best years are still ahead of them. Their first-round picks are likely more valuable in their hands on draft day than used as fodder in a deadline deal, especially considering help at center ice will come soon with the growth of Logan Cooley and the incoming NHL debut of 2022 11th overall pick Conor Geekie. Things are looking up for the Coyotes (at least on the ice), but there’s still more growth to come.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Five Key Stories: 1/22/24 – 1/28/24
The All-Star break is almost upon us and once again, it was a busy week on and off the ice where several players took leaves while another entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Here’s a rundown of the key stories of the week.
Setback For Chytil: The Rangers were hoping that they’d be getting a key center back soon with Filip Chytil returning to practice. Instead, he suffered a setback in his recovery from a concussion in practice and soon after, the team announced that he’d miss the rest of the season and playoffs. His season comes to an end after just ten games while New York now has a notable hole to fill in its lineup. Notably, with Chytil confirmed to be out for the rest of the season, GM Chris Drury will be able to use Chytil’s money ($4.45MM) that’s on LTIR to go out and try to find a replacement on the trade market.
Gallagher Gets Five: Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher was handed a five-game suspension for his elbow to the head on Islanders blueliner Adam Pelech. With the Department of Player Safety electing to only do a basic phone hearing, it’s the maximum they could suspend him for. It’s the first suspension of Gallagher’s career; he’ll forfeit nearly $170K in salary and won’t be able to return until February 15th. Meanwhile, Pelech, who has dealt with concussion issues, is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Parise To Colorado: Veteran winger Zach Parise had been speculated as an in-season signing for a while now but many thought he’d wind up back with the Islanders. That isn’t the case as instead, he signed a one-year, $825K (prorated) contract with Colorado. The deal doesn’t contain any additional performance bonuses. Parise is a veteran of 18 NHL seasons, recording 429 goals, 21 of which came last season with the Isles. While it doesn’t seem likely he’ll be able to score at that per-game pace after missing more than half the season, it’s a low-risk addition for Colorado who will likely spot him into the role they initially signed Tomas Tatar for before they moved him to Seattle. The 39-year-old will make his Avalanche debut after the All-Star break.
Extensions: The Blackhawks continued their recent trend of signing veterans to above-market extensions, inking goaltender Petr Mrazek to a two-year, $8.5MM deal. The contract actually represents a small raise for the 31-year-old who is playing on a $3.8MM price tag and made it to Chicago as part of a cap-dumping move by Toronto. But Mrazek has had a nice season, posting a .910 SV% in 34 games on a rebuilding team; keeping him around will give more time for youngsters Arvid Soderblom and Drew Commesso to develop.
Meanwhile, the Flyers signed a pair of players as well. First, they made winger Owen Tippett a cornerstone piece of their future, signing him to an eight-year, $49.6MM extension. The 24-year-old had a breakout year last season, notching 27 goals and 49 points in the first season of his bridge deal. He has a chance to beat that this year, already collecting 18 goals and 30 points in 46 games. Soon after, they agreed to terms on a two-year, $3.8MM extension with center Ryan Poehling. The 25-year-old is in his first season with Philadelphia after signing with them as a non-tendered free agent in July. Poehling has done well in a bottom-six role, picking up 14 points in 45 games while taking nearly ten faceoffs per game.
More Expansion Coming? While we’re not far removed from the last round of expansion when Seattle joined the league as its 32nd team, the Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group has filed a request to initiate a formal expansion process by the NHL. Salt Lake City has been a speculative landing spot for a new or relocated franchise for more than a year as they’ve been working with the league behind the scenes to position themselves for an opportunity when one becomes available. At this point, there is no formal expansion process in place but with the rising franchise values and thus a rising expansion fee, there could be one in the cards at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Lightning, Perunovich, Tucker, Myers, Slaggert
Tampa Bay’s defensive depth has been tested this season with several players having extended stints out of the lineup. Accordingly, it appears GM Julien BriseBois would like to add some insurance on that end as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that the Lightning have spoken with several teams in both conferences and that they’d like to add a blueliner over the next six weeks before the trade deadline. Having said that, cap space is going to be at a premium once Mikhail Sergachev is activated off LTIR which should come soon after the All-Star break so making the finances work could be tricky. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay only has one pick in the first four rounds of the draft this year (a third-rounder) which limits what they might be able to move out on the trade front if they find a player they like and can afford.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Blues announced that defenseman Scott Perunovich suffered a lower-body injury during today’s overtime victory over Los Angeles. The 25-year-old has played in a career-best 31 games this season, notching a dozen assists including two today. There’s no word yet on how much time, if any, Perunovich will miss.
- Still with the Blues, they’ve recalled blueliner Tyler Tucker from his conditioning assignment, relays NHL.com’s Lou Korac (Twitter link). The 23-year-old played in six games with AHL Springfield while in the minors. Tucker, who is waiver-eligible, has been limited to just 15 games with St. Louis this season, collecting two points while averaging 12:31 per game.
- The Department of Player Safety announced that they’ve fined Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers $5K for an elbow on Columbus center Sean Kuraly on Saturday. The incident occurred in the third period and the initial major penalty on the play was given to Ian Cole before being changed to Myers after review. The fine amount is the maximum allowable under the CBA.
- Last summer, Blackhawks prospect Landon Slaggert declined an offer to turn pro, raising some concerns that he could opt for free agency this coming summer. However, the forward told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he intends to sign with Chicago once his season with Notre Dame comes to an end. The 21-year-old was a third-round pick in 2020 and is faring much better offensively this season with 25 points in 26 games after putting up just 13 in 35 appearances in 2022-23.