Islanders Assign Samuel Bolduc And Hudson Fasching To AHL
The New York Islanders have assigned defenseman Samuel Bolduc and forward Hudson Fasching to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL on conditioning assignments.
For Bolduc, the assignment comes after a stretch of seven straight games in which he has served as a healthy scratch for the Islanders. The native of Laval, Quebec hasn’t played since January 27th against the Florida Panthers and hasn’t been overly effective when he has been in the lineup, posting just a goal and two assists in 33 games. The move likely means that Bolduc will get plenty of playing time in Bridgeport over the next couple of weeks.
Fasching was given a conditioning assignment just two days after he was placed on the long-term injured reserve. The Islanders placed Fasching on the LTIR retroactive to January 25th which means he won’t return to the NHL lineup until February 29th at the earliest. Fasching skated with the team late last week for a few days before becoming ill.
The 28-year-old has three goals and five assists in 35 games this season and was hoping to establish himself as an everyday NHLer this year after posting career highs last season for games, goals, and assists. His offensive numbers have dipped a little bit this season, however many of his underlying numbers have fallen dramatically.
Olle Lycksell Reassigned To AHL, Tyson Foerster Nearing Return
The Philadelphia Flyers announced this morning that they’ve reassigned forward Olle Lycksell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The 24-year-old has been a healthy scratch for the Flyers in six of their seven games since the All-Star break as he has been primarily serving as a depth forward. He has dressed in five games this season at the NHL level and has a single assist while averaging a tick under 10 minutes of ice time per game.
At the AHL level, Lycksell has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games with Lehigh Valley and has been nearly a point-a-game player the last few seasons. His demotion could signal that Tyson Foerster is healthy and nearing a return to the lineup.
Foerster is practicing in a regular jersey today and reportedly could play tomorrow for Philadelphia against the New York Rangers. He was hurt blocking a shot in a game against the Seattle Kraken back on February 10th and has missed the last four games. The former first-round pick is having a decent offensive season with 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games but came into the season with lofty expectations after posting seven points in eight NHL games last year.
Based on the line rushes in Flyers practice, it seems likely that Foerster will play alongside Ryan Poehling and Noah Cates on the Flyers’ third line.
Snapshots: Tuch, Jets, Othmann
Teams are reportedly interested in Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch but the team isn’t eager to trade him, per Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts article. Friedman adds that Buffalo, “values him”. That comes as no surprise, as Tuch has established himself as a pillar of the Sabres offense. He scored a career-high 36 goals and 79 points in 74 games last season, ranked third in scoring on Buffalo’s most productive team since 2006-07. Tuch has been similarly productive this season, again ranked third on the team with 16 goals and 38 points in 49 games. That’s an impressive mark on a low-scoring Buffalo team. What’s more, Tuch carries a modest $4.75MM cap hit through the end of the 2025-26 season.
It’s a lucky contract for the Sabres, who have a top-scorer cost controlled for the foreseeable future. Continued struggles might encourage Buffalo to trade away their older veterans but, even with a focus on the future, it’s hard to think Tuch will be pried away without a serious return coming the other way. Tuch was a focal piece of the trade that sent Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, joining Buffalo alongside Peyton Krebs and two draft picks.
Other notes from around the league:
- Winnipeg Jets chairman Mark Chipman acknowledged that the franchise may not be sustainable, based on current attendance and sale numbers, in an interview with The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. Winnipeg is averaging the lowest attendance of any team in the league, save for the Arizona Coyotes who are operating in an arena that only seats 5,000 fans. Chipman shared that he has been directly calling season ticket holders, trying to identify ways that the Jets can improve for fans, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is still slated to visit Winnipeg on Tuesday to assess the team’s situation. Winnipeg had an NHL team from 1979 to 1996, but lost their team to the Phoenix Coyotes after the 1995-96 season. They received a second chance in 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg. The Jets will hope to not spoil that opportunity, especially with the list of cities interested in hosting an NHL team growing.
- The New York Rangers have sent forward Brennan Othmann back to the minor leagues. Othmann was recalled on Thursday and served as a healthy scratch in the team’s win over the New Jersey Devils. Othmann previously played the first three games of his NHL career in early January, going without a point but adding six shots, six hits, and one block. He currently ranks second on the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack in scoring, with 14 goals and 36 points in 44 games.
Morning Notes: Zucker, Dumba, Villalta, Hellberg
The Arizona Coyotes are open to trading veteran forward Jason Zucker and defenseman Matt Dumba, The Fourth Period reports. Both players are on expiring contracts and could be cheap options for added depth. Zucker has scored eight goals and 22 points in 46 games this season, while Dumba has managed just nine points in 52 games of his own.
This update doesn’t come as much of a surprise, although it does deviate from reports earlier in the season that shared the Coyotes were focused on adding older, veteran presences. But the Coyotes’ season has fallen to shambles since the calendar turned over, with the team currently riding an 11-game losing streak and sporting a 4-15-2 record in 2024. It’s been a heavy fall for a team that carried a winning record through early December. But with the losses has come a return to form for Arizona, who are once again focused on selling veteran talents to bolster their future capital. Arizona has two available salary retention spots open and may need to use them to make any trade of Zucker, who carries a $5.3MM cap hit, or Dumba, who has a $3.9MM cap hit, work for cap-strapped teams. Even then, the return for either player – one now 32 and the other struggling to produce – likely wouldn’t be too profitable for the Coyotes.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Coyotes have sent down goaltender Matthew Villalta, suggesting that Connor Ingram could be nearing a return from an undisclosed injury that’s held him out for the last week. Villalta played in his first two NHL games while filling in for Ingram, saving 24 of the 29 shots he faced in 72 minutes of ice time. He’s primarily operated as the starting goalie for the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, where he’s managed 22 wins and a .913 save percentage in 34 games.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned goaltender Magnus Hellberg to their AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins just three days after recalling him. It appears the Penguins made the move as a precaution in case one of their NHL netminders were unable to play. The 32-year-old did see NHL action earlier in the year, dressing in three games for the Penguins in which he went 1-0-0 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
Bruins Recall Ian Mitchell, Grzelcyk Is Day-To-Day
Joe Pohoryles of The Hockey News is reporting that the Boston Bruins have recalled defenseman Ian Mitchell from their AHL affiliate in Providence. Mitchell hasn’t dressed for an NHL game since December 23rd after making the team out of training camp as the seventh defenseman. He started the season with two assists in 13 NHL games and was then assigned to Providence and has posted three goals and 11 assists in 22 AHL games. Mitchell has played in 95 NHL games over four seasons and has four career NHL goals and 14 assists.
Mitchell’s recall could signal that fellow defenseman Matt Grzelcyk will miss some time. Grzelcyk was injured in Boston’s 6-5 overtime win last night against the Edmonton Oilers and the Bruins are calling his status day-to-day. Boston is already without their top left-shot defenseman Hampus Lindholm, and Grzelcyk’s injury leaves them down another defenseman.
Grzelcyk isn’t having one of his better offensive seasons as he has just two goals and five assists in 43 games. However, this is largely due to his role changing a bit this year as he has seen far less power play time and far more time killing penalties. The 30-year-old has spent more time on the penalty kill this season than the last three seasons combined and has just over five minutes on the power play this year. Special teams aside, Grzelcyk’s play at even strength hasn’t been as strong this year, and it will be something he’ll likely be looking to work on when he is healthy and in the lineup again.
Penguins Acquire Emil Bemstrom From Blue Jackets
A day after speaking to the media, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has swung a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins have acquired forward Emil Bemstrom from Columbus in exchange for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2026.
From the Penguins perspective, it didn’t look as though Nylander was a fit with head coach Mike Sullivan’s style of play as he spent most of his time with the Penguins organization in the AHL. In the past two seasons, Nylander dressed in 14 NHL games and had a goal and an assist while getting several looks in the Penguins top six, something he was never able to turn into offensive production. The eighth overall pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft has never lived up to his pre-draft expectations and now finds himself with his fourth NHL franchise in eight years.
The Blue Jackets likely view the draft pick as the central piece of the deal. Although a sixth-round pick in two drafts isn’t exactly a haul, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that the pick becomes a third-round pick if Bemstrom scores six goals the rest of this season with Pittsburgh.
In Bemstrom, the Penguins are acquiring a 24-year-old with some speed who was available on waivers just a few months ago. The former fourth-round pick his five goals and six assists in 32 games this season after posting a career-high 22 points in 55 games last year. He spent eight games in the AHL this season where he was dominant with 10 goals and four assists.
The move could be the first of many for the Penguins as Dubas mentioned yesterday that getting younger would be a priority and the Penguins could also make a bigger move if they elect to move on from pending free agent Jake Guentzel.
Penguins Activate Noel Acciari Off IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins have activated forward Noel Acciari off the injured reserve, and he is in their lineup tonight as they take on the Montreal Canadiens. The 32-year-old has missed the past six games after suffering a concussion back on February 6th in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Acciari was hit up high in the neutral zone by Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon in a scary incident that led to a match penalty and game misconduct for Dillon.
Like many Penguins forwards, Acciari has struggled to produce much in the way of offense this season. He has spent most of the season as the team’s fourth-line center and is back there tonight sandwiched between Jansen Harkins and Jeff Carter. Acciari has dressed in 39 games this season and has three goals and one assist. Last season the Johnston, Rhode Island native posted 14 goals and nine assists in 77 games.
While his offensive production has been the lowest of his career, Acciari has been good defensively and, on the penalty kill. He has had nearly 90% of his zone starts in the defensive zone and has been one of the few Penguins who has been consistently physical. Acciari has also been solid in the faceoff circle which has been a key contributor to Mike Sullivan using him for so many defensive zone faceoffs.
Kings Activate Blake Lizotte, Place Viktor Arvidsson On IR
Top Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson has reportedly been placed on injured reserve, per the NHL media site. The Kings have also activated forward Blake Lizotte off of long-term injured reserve. Lizotte has been out since January 15th, missing the team’s last 14 games. He has nine points in the 34 games he’s been healthy for this season.
Arvidsson is falling out of the lineup after just four games back from a back injury that delayed his season debut until February 15th. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury suffered in L.A.’s Thursday night win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. ESPN broadcaster Kevin Weekes shared that this new injury could hold Arvidsson out on a week-to-week basis, though that hasn’t been confirmed by new head coach Jim Hiller yet.
Arvidsson recorded two assists, two penalties, and a +1 in his four games back, though he’ll still be searching for his first goal of the season. At the rate that his injuries are coming in, this season could end up as the first time since the 2015-16 season that Arvidsson hasn’t scored at least 10 goals in a season. The Kings will certainly hope that isn’t the case, with Arvidsson ranked third in goals on the Kings between 2020 and 2023.
Lizotte is slated to fill Arvidsson’s role on the team’s third line, playing alongside Quinton Byfield and Pierre-Luc Dubois. He was placed on IR alongside Carl Grundstrom, who is currently ineligible to return until March 9th. Los Angeles will be forced to juggle their depth forwards until then, with Lizotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Jaret Anderson-Dolan likely rotating between roles in the team’s bottom six.
Trade Deadline Primer: New York Rangers
With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the New York Rangers.
The New York Rangers have once again found themselves in a rare position atop the standings, while still having the cap space to make a splash at the Trade Deadline. They clearly enjoyed this position last season, making seven different trades between the start of February and the March 3rd deadline. That included their acquisitions of Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Motte, and Patrick Kane. But their building didn’t lead to much, with New York losing in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their busy deadline last season has limited the assets they have to work with this year, though New York are still undeniable favorites to add to their roster once again.
Record
37-16-3, 1st in the Metropolitan Division.
Deadline Status
Buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$4.383MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th
2025: NYR 1st, DAL 4th, NYR 5th, MIN 5th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th
Trade Chips
Despite the Rangers undergoing a dramatic coaching change this summer, they’re on pace to score just two fewer goals and allow 10 more goals than they did last year. And they’re achieving that scoring in a very similar manner – through dominate performances from Artemi Panarin and his top-line co-leads being offset by productive second-liners and a strong defense. Their outlook for the playoffs is largely similar to what it was this time last season, and thus the
Rangers need to be prepared to leverage draft capital as their main bargaining piece once again. First-round draft picks have been the starting point in a lot of trade rumors, as well as both the Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan deals, and that’s certainly where teams will start talks with the Rangers, who still have their top selections in each of the upcoming three draft classes. New York will need to be ready to part with at least one of those selections at the Deadline.
If they’re steadfast on keeping first-round picks, the Rangers’ trade negotiations will have to start with their prospect pool. New York has plenty of promising defensive prospects, including hard-hitting, two-way defenders in Matthew Robertson and Brandon Scanlin. Neither player has scored much this season – boasting 19 and 14 points respectively – but they’ve each earned NHL attention thanks to their long reach and ability to shut down play in their own zone. They are each awaiting their NHL debut as well, which could entice other teams looking to bank on unrealized potential. The Rangers also boast a trio of highly-discussed forward prospects in Brett Berard, Ryder Korczak, and Adam Sýkora. Berard likely offers the most value of this group, largely thanks to his 16 goals and 31 points in 47 games as an AHL rookie this season, but the less-productive rookies Sykora and Korczak could serve as secondary options in negotiations. New York could also dangle 6’8″ forward Adam Edstrom who, unlike the aforementioned trio, has already made his NHL debut. Regardless of how they go about it, future capital will be the focus of any Rangers deal.
Team Needs
1) Prioritize Depth First – The Rangers threw off the chemistry of their top-six last season, bringing in two high-end wingers in Kane and Tarasenko that each demanded their own ice time. They should be hesitant to make that mistake again this year, with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafrenière serving well as supports to the team’s stars. It’s depth scoring that will really turn the tides for the Rangers, who don’t currently have a bottom-six forward with 20 or more points. Bringing in proven talents like Scott Laughton or Adam Henrique to fill the role left open by Filip Chytil would provide New York with a much-needed punch down their lineup, while also lifting up low-scoring bottom-six pieces like Kaapo Kakko or William Cuylle. Both Henrique and Laughton also offer leadership qualities that would go a long way towards blending the lineup ahead of playoffs, rather than eating away at the ice time of top producers. Both players fit within New York’s cap space, with Henrique making $5.825MM and on an expiring contract, while Laughton makes $3MM through the end of the 2025-26 season.
2) Don’t Be Afraid To Make A Splash – A focus on adding cohesive depth shouldn’t distract the
Rangers from shooting for the stars. Former-Ranger Pavel Buchnevich is reportedly available for the right return, which could be as much as two first-round picks. That’s a steep price to pay for a 28-year-old player set to become a free agent in 2025 but Buchnevich’s point-per-game scoring and familiarity with Madison Square Garden may make it worth it. There is a vacant spot on New York’s productive second-line, currently being manned by Jimmy Vesey, who has just 18 points in 54 games this season. Replacing his spot with Buchnevich would fill the Rangers’ top-six with dangerous scorers, without overcommitting to too many stars like the team did last season. It would also give the Rangers much more room to rotate different talents into their bottom-six, able to feature efficient forwards like Jonny Brodsinski or Cuylle or focus on heavy-hitting and grit through the likes of Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom. Depth has proven to be the X-factor to countless Stanley Cup winners, and earning this degree of flexibility on top of adding a high-end scorer would add tremendous value to the Rangers lineup. Buchnevich is set to make $5.8MM through the end of next season, meaning the Rangers would likely have to part with a lineup piece in order to remain cap-compliant. Acquiring Buchnevich could also eat away at the short list of assets New York is prepared to trade. But the potential rewards of bringing in such a potent winger could be too great to ignore for a Rangers team sat on the cusp of greatness.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Islanders Injury Notes: Bortuzzo, Fasching, Cizikas
New York Islanders defenseman Robert Bortuzzo has suffered a setback in his recovery from a high-ankle sprain that’s already forced him out of the team’s last 18 games. He is now out indefinitely, per general manager Lou Lamoriello. Bortuzzo was moved to long-term injured reserve earlier this week.
This news comes as a tough blow to not only Bortuzzo – who’s only played 15 games this season – but the Islanders defense, which acquired Bortuzzo in late November in an attempt to add depth in the face of injuries. It’s been a long season for the Islanders, who have seen six of the nine defenders currently on their roster, including Bortuzzo, miss games due to injury. They’re now back to a mostly healthy form, with Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock both returning from long-term absences.
Other New York Islanders notes:
- Lou Lamoriello also shared that the Islanders may send Hudson Fasching to the AHL on a brief conditioning stint before activating him off of injured reserve. Fasching has been out since January 25th with illness and, thanks to his place on long-term IR, won’t be eligible to return until February 29th at the earliest. The 28-year-old winger has eight points through 35 NHL games this season.
- Casey Cizikas will be evaluated when the Islanders return to New York for a hand injury suffered in the team’s Tuesday game against Pittsburgh. Cizikas sustained the injury while blocking a shot from Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, and immediately left the game. Yesterday the team recalled Kyle MacLean to serve as depth if Cizikas can’t play on Thursday. Cizikas has 12 points, split evenly, through 44 games this season and recently returned from a lower-body injury that held him out for 10 games.