Islanders Recall Kyle MacLean
The Islanders have recalled forward Kyle MacLean from AHL Bridgeport, per a team announcement Wednesday.
MacLean is expected to center New York’s fourth line while Casey Cizikas, who sustained a hand injury in Tuesday’s win over the Penguins, does not yet have a timeline for a return. Winger Hudson Fasching was moved to LTIR on Wednesday morning in anticipation of MacLean’s recall, opening up a necessary roster spot and space in their LTIR salary pool.
The 24-year-old skated in Cizikas’ normal spot for six games in January and February while the latter was sidelined with a lower-body injury. They were the first appearances of his NHL career, in which he scored once on three shots on goal while averaging 8:11 per game.
MacLean, the son of Islanders assistant coach John MacLean, struggled in the faceoff dot with a 31.8 win percentage. His possession numbers were mixed – he had a poor 47.8 CF% and -6.4 relative CF% at even strength but managed an even expected rating.
While MacLean occupied the same spot in the lineup as Cizikas, his usage was quite different. Cizikas has started just 16.4% of his shifts in the offensive zone at even strength this year, while MacLean’s oZS% was 63.3.
Five of MacLean’s six appearances came under new head coach Patrick Roy. The outgoing Lane Lambert was fired on Jan. 20, the day after MacLean’s NHL debut against the Blackhawks.
Since returning to Bridgeport in early February, MacLean had three assists and a -1 rating in five games. Now in his fourth season with the Isles’ primary affiliate, MacLean has six goals and 22 points in 43 games on the season, setting the highest points-per-game mark of his professional career.
MacLean is waivers-exempt after signing his entry-level contract with the Islanders last May, so he can be shuffled between leagues at will. He will have arbitration rights this summer if he reaches RFA status upon completion of his one-year, $800K deal.
Sharks Assign Jacob MacDonald To AHL
Feb. 21: MacDonald cleared waivers Wednesday, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks subsequently assigned him to the Barracuda, per a team announcement.
Feb. 20: The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Jacob MacDonald on waivers, per a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Not only will this mark MacDonald’s first waiver placement of the season, but also represents the first time the Sharks have attempted to move MacDonald down to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
A versatile player for the Sharks, MacDonald will more than likely offer the same versatility to the Barracuda in the coming days as they stay committed in their playoff hunt. Over 22 games for the Sharks this year, MacDonald has scored six goals and seven points overall while averaging a touch over 12 minutes of ice time per game.
Even though he’s played in about half as many games as his peers on the roster, MacDonald sits tied for eighth on the team in total goals and tied for third on the team in powerplay goals. Due to the playing time he has been offered in San Jose, MacDonald has scored 13 points over 47 games with the Sharks, two more points than he achieved with the Colorado Avalanche, even with 27 more games played.
At the AHL level, MacDonald has produced at a solid rate, scoring 68 goals and 121 assists over 271 career games. If he does clear waivers, it will mark his first action in the AHL since the 2021-22 season, when he scored 10 goals and 25 points in 33 games for the Colorado Eagles.
Hampus Lindholm Out Week To Week
Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm is out on a week-to-week basis after sustaining an undisclosed injury on Monday against the Stars, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic reports. The 30-year-old will not require surgery, but he will miss a significant chunk of Boston’s 26 remaining games.
Now in the second season of an eight-year, $52MM extension, Lindholm’s offensive production has taken a step back after a 53-point, +49 season landed him fourth in Norris Trophy voting last year. While he’s posted just a goal and 18 assists in 56 games in 2023-24, he’s still logging nearly 24 minutes per game and has continued to post high-end possession metrics with a 51.6 CF% at even strength, 5.1% higher than the Bruins’ overall CF% without him on the ice, and an expected +6.3 rating.
Lindholm has played nearly 550 minutes this season alongside Brandon Carlo, but that pairing will be broken up for the next few weeks. 23-year-old rookie Mason Lohrei will get an extended look in the top four in Lindholm’s absence and is expected to factor in alongside Carlo when the Bruins visit Edmonton tonight.
If the Bruins expect him to miss at least 10 games and 24 days, they can place him on LTIR to open up some cap space ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. It would only open up short-term flexibility, though; Boston must remain cap-compliant through the end of the regular season and would need space to activate Lindholm later into March or April. It does not appear that Lindholm will miss the rest of the regular season.
Lindholm has 11 goals, 66 assists and 77 points in 146 games since coming over from the Ducks at the 2022 trade deadline. The 2012 sixth-overall pick ranks fifth in games played among his draft class with 728, and his career +152 rating is the highest among his peers.
Chicago Blackhawks Place Zach Sanford On Waivers
Feb. 21: Sanford passed through waivers unclaimed, Friedman reports Wednesday.
Feb. 20: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Chicago Blackhawks have placed forward Zach Sanford on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. It will not be the first time that Sanford has found himself on the waiver wire this season; he originally came to Chicago by way of a waiver claim from the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 6th.
Serving as organizational depth in Arizona, Sanford was brought to the Blackhawks organization for the same purpose. During a stretch in January, Chicago experienced a plethora of injuries up and down their roster, creating a need for a viable injury replacement to eat minutes.
With the organization now returning to some semblance of a healthy roster, the Blackhawks no longer required Sanford at the bottom of their roster. Over 15 games in Chicago, Sanford averaged 11:45 a night, tallying three assists overall.
Although Sanford can no longer be relied upon as a regular bottom-six option for most teams, the number of organizations now experiencing injury concerns may lead Sanford to his third organization of the year. Already claimed on waivers once this season, a team like the Vegas Golden Knights or San Jose Sharks could use Sanford’s services to eat minutes while their other players return to health.
Penguins Place Colin White On Waivers
The Penguins placed forward Colin White on waivers Wednesday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
White, 27, has no points in 11 games since Pittsburgh recalled him from WBS on Jan. 13. The former Senators and Panthers forward played less than 10 minutes in each of his last two games and was likely to come out of the lineup with Noel Acciari expected to return from a concussion tomorrow against the Canadiens.
The 2015 first-round pick signed a PTO with the Penguins after being cut loose by Florida after their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. A decent training camp resulted in him earning a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $500K in the minors, but he did not crack the team’s opening night roster and was waived prior to the start of the season.
White remained with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for over three months, underwhelming on the scoresheet with five goals, 10 points and a -2 rating in 21 games. It was his first AHL action since a one-game conditioning stint in the 2019-20 campaign after holding down a fourth-line role with the Panthers for much of last season.
Given his performance, it’s unlikely White will get claimed off waivers, and it’s looking additionally unlikely that he’ll receive an extension from the Penguins before reaching UFA status this summer. He’s still getting paid $875K per season by the Senators, who bought out the last three seasons of his six-year, $28.5MM contract in 2022, for the next four years.
Kings Assign Jordan Spence To AHL
The Kings assigned defenseman Jordan Spence to the AHL’s Ontario Reign on Wednesday, per the league’s transactions log.
Spence, 22, has been a healthy scratch in six out of Los Angeles’ last 10 games. While he’s been effective in a limited role, he’s been surpassed on the depth chart by 2021 eighth-overall pick Brandt Clarke among right-shot defenders.
The 5-foot-10 Australian-born blue-liner has 16 assists in 44 games this year and has remained on the NHL roster since Nov. 11. Selected 95th overall in 2019, Spence is a Canadian and Japanese national and suited up for Canada at the 2019 U18 World Juniors and the 2021 U20 World Juniors.
He’s been one of the best offensive defenders in the AHL since turning pro in 2021, posting 87 points across 102 games with the Reign. His NHL possession numbers have been strong, too, with a career Corsi for percentage at even strength of 57.9 and an expected 8.0 rating across his 74 games dating back to 2021.
That said, Clarke is the higher-ceiling prospect and has generated more offense in his limited role than Spence. It’s a poor numbers game for the latter, who’s not able to push out established top-four defenders Drew Doughty and Matt Roy on the right side.
Given his strong minor-league offensive production, promising possession numbers, age, and right-shot status, Spence should have high value should the Kings leverage him in a trade before deadline day. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract, which carries an $820K cap hit, and will be an RFA without arbitration rights this summer.
Metropolitan Notes: Panarin, Vesey, Acciari, Fasching
Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin and Jimmy Vesey missed Wednesday’s practice and are out on a day-to-day basis with lower-body injuries, per the team’s public relations department. Both players were banged up in yesterday’s win over the Stars but did not miss significant chunks of the game.
Panarin has been on a tear this past week, notching a goal and six assists in his last three games. The 32-year-old is on pace to break the 40-goal barrier for the first time and is tied for fifth in points league-wide with 75 in 56 games.
Vesey is one of the Rangers’ most valuable depth talents, posting 12 goals and 18 points in 54 games despite extreme even-strength shutdown usage. Now 30 years old, Vesey is in his second go-around with the Rangers after spending the first three seasons of his NHL career there from 2016 to 2019.
Averaging 12:26 per game, Vesey has been elevated into the top six alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad after Blake Wheeler sustained a season-ending leg injury last week. Alex Belzile is on the roster as a 13th forward and will make his season debut against the Devils tomorrow if one of Panarin or Vesey can’t play, and the Rangers have roster and cap space for an additional recall if both miss time.
More updates from the Metro:
- Penguins forward Noel Acciari is on a fast-track recovery from his concussion, skating in a regular jersey at Wednesday’s practice after being cleared for non-contact practice yesterday (via Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports). He’s missed six games after sustaining the concussion on a hit from Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon, which earned him a three-game suspension. It’s been a trying first season in Pittsburgh for the 32-year-old, who’s mustered three goals and one assist in 39 games despite averaging nearly 13 minutes. Acciari joined former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas on the Toronto-to-Pittsburgh pipeline last summer, signing a three-year, $6MM contract with a modified no-trade clause that’s looking like a regrettable decision for the Penguins’ front office.
- The Islanders moved winger Hudson Fasching to LTIR on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The move is retroactive to Jan. 25; he’s missed seven games with a lower-body injury and is now dealing with an illness. He has been ruled out of the Islanders’ next three contests as a result and will be eligible to return on Feb. 29 against the Red Wings. Placing him on LTIR frees up the necessary roster and cap space for the Islanders to recall a forward from AHL Bridgeport after fourth-line anchor Casey Cizikas sustained a hand injury in last night’s win in Pittsburgh. Fasching, 28, has scored three times and added five assists in 35 games.
Capitals Recall Pierrick Dubé
The Capitals recalled forward Pierrick Dubé from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Wednesday, per a team announcement.
Dubé, 23, could make his NHL debut against the Lightning on Thursday after Nic Dowd sustained an upper-body injury in last night’s 6-2 win over the Devils. Born in Lyon, France, Dubé signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Washington when free agency opened last July. He went undrafted throughout his junior career with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, Chicoutimi Saguenéens and Shawinigan Cataractes.
The 5-foot-9 winger was a surprise breakout star with the AHL’s Laval Rocket last year, earning an early-season call-up from the ECHL and posting 32 points in 44 games in his first pro season. He’s carried that momentum into a strong campaign with Hershey, leading the AHL’s best team (39-9-2) and defending Calder Cup champions with 24 goals in 50 games.
Dubé becomes the third active French national on an NHL roster, joining Blue Jackets winger Alexandre Texier and Kraken center Pierre-Édouard Bellemare. He carries Canadian citizenship, having played in their junior circuit since 2014, but played for the local youth team in Lyon. He has represented France internationally at different levels of the U18 and U20 World Juniors.
However, there’s no guarantee that Dubé will draw into the lineup to replace Dowd. The Capitals were already carrying veteran Nicolas Aubé-Kubel as a 13th forward, and he remains an option to play Thursday. Neither player is a natural center, so Beck Malenstyn will likely shift to fill Dowd’s spot as the third-line pivot while head coach Spencer Carbery shuffles his bottom-six wingers.
Dubé’s ELC carries an $870K cap hit, which is of no concern to Washington with Nicklas Bäckström and his $9.2MM cap hit on LTIR for the rest of the season. He will be an RFA upon expiry in 2025.
Rangers Extend Jonny Brodzinski
The Rangers have signed center Jonny Brodzinski to a two-year extension, according to a team announcement Wednesday. The contract is a one-way deal with a cap hit of $787.5K, Peter Baugh of The Athletic and Mollie Walker of the New York Post report. In total, the contract will earn him $1.575MM.
Brodzinski, 30, was in the final season of a two-year, two-way $1.525MM extension signed in 2022. Without a new deal, he would have been a UFA for the third time in his career this summer.
The minor-league mainstay has been a quietly important piece on the Rangers’ third line. With four goals, 15 points and decent possession numbers in 37 games, he’s helped shoulder the season-ending injury to Filip Chytil that’s kept him out since November.
Centering a solid two-way depth unit between William Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko, Brodzinski’s games and points marks are the highest of his career. This year is the most NHL action he’s seen since logging six points in 35 games with the Kings in a limited role in the 2017-18 campaign.
A fifth-round pick of Los Angeles in 2013, Brodzinski has never inked a full one-way contract. He did earn a one-way salary of $650K in the 2018-19 season as part of the second half of a two-year deal with Los Angeles.
The now-former captain of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack has recorded over a point per game in all four seasons with the Rangers’ primary affiliate since joining the organization as a free agent in 2020. Dating back to his pro debut in 2015 after wrapping up his collegiate career with St. Cloud State University, Brodzinski has 126 goals, 141 assists and 267 points in 313 AHL games across nine seasons.
His pro career has been split entirely between the Kings and Rangers, aside from a one-year stint with the Sharks in 2019-20. He’s been a decent per-game producer in his limited NHL opportunities thus far, scoring 32 points in 138 career big-league games, but his 0.41 points per game this season is a career-high.
Brodzinski will earn the league-minimum salary of $775K in 2024-25 and $800K in 2025-26, per CapFriendly. He will be a UFA upon expiry.
Frederik Andersen Expected To Return Within 2 Weeks
Hurricanes netminder Frederik Andersen is expected to return to play within one to two weeks after missing most of the season with blood clotting issues, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports Wednesday.
Andersen, 34, last played in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers on Nov. 2. Four days later, GM Don Waddell announced the Dane would be out indefinitely after medical tests uncovered the clotting problems.
Team doctors then cleared him to resume “limited on-ice conditioning” at the end of January, ending a nearly three-month recovery period. Waddell also confirmed that Andersen’s clotting issues stemmed from a deep-vein thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism, which is life-threatening without emergency care.
The Hurricanes did not issue a timeline for Andersen’s return, but he’s steadily ramped up his conditioning over the past few weeks. He was far enough in his recovery to face shots from teammates in the starter’s crease during Monday’s practice as a fill-in for de facto starter Pyotr Kochetkov, who was taking a maintenance day.
The updated return timeline should allow Andersen to start at least one game before the March 8 trade deadline, which could further dissuade Waddell from acquiring another veteran netminder to supplant the struggling Antti Raanta (12-7-2, .872 SV%) in the backup role. Waiver claim Spencer Martin has helped alleviate Carolina’s goaltending concerns in limited action, posting a .920 SV%, 2.00 GAA, and 3-0-0 record in three starts.
Kochetkov, 24, has rebounded nicely after a slow start and is now up to a .905 SV% on the season with two shutouts. He’s started the most games out of any Hurricanes netminder this year with 26 and two relief appearances. However, his poor showings in limited playoff action (5 GP, 1 GS, 1-3-0, .858 SV%) likely give Waddell pause about entering the postseason with him as the only starting option.
Andersen’s .894 SV% through the campaign’s first month is far from impressive, but it’s easy to give the two-time Jennings Trophy winner the benefit of the doubt. He’s two years removed from a spectacular 2021-22 campaign with Carolina that saw him fall just short of a Vezina nomination, and he was excellent in nine playoff games last year to help backstop the Hurricanes to an Eastern Conference Final showing with a .927 SV% and 1.83 GAA. A healthy version of Andersen changes the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup aspirations dramatically, and they’d ideally like to get him into game action as soon as possible to assess his readiness before leveraging Raanta or Martin at the deadline for a minor depth upgrade in the crease.