Penguins Place John Ludvig On LTIR, Recall Ryan Shea
11:30 AM: John Ludvig has been moved to LTIR. He has been announced as dealing with an upper-body injury.
10:30 AM: The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenseman John Ludvig on injured reserve and recalled Ryan Shea from the minor leagues. Shea has been up-and-down from the minor leagues since clearing waivers on December 18th. He’ll now fill in for Ludvig, whose injury is currently undisclosed, though he did miss the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Washington Capitals. This is Ludvig’s second move to injured reserve this season, previously being placed on the list with a concussion that cleared up in late-November.
Ludvig is playing out his rookie season in Pittsburgh this year, after the Penguins claimed him off of waivers from the Florida Panthers before the start of the season. He was originally a third round draft selection in the 2019 NHL Draft. He played his first professional season two years after his draft, scoring eight points in 13 games as a rookie for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Ludvig spent parts of the next two seasons with the Charlotte Checkers, though he only managed a combined 57 games and 17 points with the club. He now finds himself in Pittsburgh, who briefly assigned him to the AHL for a conditioning stint after returning from his concussion. Ludvig did little in his pair of games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, recording no points and two penalty minutes.
Pittsburgh is replacing one rookie with another in Shea, a 26-year-old defenseman originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Shea played one more season of juniors after his draft, before playing in a full four years at Northeastern University. He similarly made his AHL debut in 2020-21, recording six assists in 27 games, and joined the Penguins organization via a one-year, $775K two-way contract signed on July 1st. Shea is still searching for his first NHL point, with six penalty minutes and a -2 being the only changes to his stat line through is first 22 career games. Shea has also gone without a point in four AHL games this year.
Minor Transactions: 01/03/2024
The hockey world is fulling pulling into the second half of the 2023-24 season, with the 100th anniversary of the Spengler Cup being awarded to the tourney’s host team, HC Davos, and the semi-finals of the World Juniors Championship set to begin soon. This means plenty of exciting time for international hockey, as well as plenty of roster moves, as players return from their national team back to their league play. As always, we’ll cover notable transactions here.
- Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alexis Gendron has seen his QMJHL rights traded from the Gatineau Olympiques to the Drummondville Voltigeurs, with Gatineau receiving three draft picks in return. This must have been what Philadelphia wanted to see, as they’ve assigned Gendron back to the QMJHL for the rest of the season. The 20-year-old, former seventh-round draft pick was previously playing in his first professional season, recording five goals and seven points in 17 AHL games. Gendron has previously played four seasons in the QMJHL – including three with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada – totaling 141 points in 160 games in the league.
- Team Canada’s Spengler Cup team has returned a quartet of players to their AHL squad. This includes the Laval Rockets’ Nicolas Beaudin, the Belleville Senators’ Dillon Heatherington, the Manitoba Moose’s Thomas Milic, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ Ty Smith. Milic appeared in one game between the pipes for Team Canada, while Smith led the team’s defensemen with five points. Heatherington and Beaudin only combined for one assist through the tournament’s four games.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Snapshots: Flames, Three Stars, Lightning
The Fourth Period is reporting that the Calgary Flames picked up trade talks with several teams last week as they look to potentially move on from several pending unrestricted free agents. The Fourth Period cited sources saying that the New Jersey Devils were one of the teams they talked to and even linked the Devils to both Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev.
The Flames currently have a record of 15-16-5 through their first 36 games which puts them five points out of a playoff spot as they near the halfway point of the regular season. The team will have a big decision to make in the coming weeks as they also have center Elias Lindholm on an expiring contract, and he is reportedly looking for a deal in the range of $9MM annually.
The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta also believes that teams have expressed interest in Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, but it’s hard to believe Calgary would deal him given that he is in the first year of an eight-year contract and has a full no-trade clause.
Other notes from around the league:
- The NHL has announced its Three Stars of the Month, with Nathan MacKinnon taking First Star, Auston Matthews winning Second Star, and Connor Hellebuyck being named Third Star. MacKinnon won on the heels of an 11-goal, 29-point performance in 15 games in December, while Matthew’s put up 15 goals and six assists in just 12 games. Hellebuyck’s December performance saw him post an impressive 7-0-2 record, which was good enough for a Third Star.
- Tampa Bay Lightning writer Chris Krenn is reporting that the Lightning were forced to dress just five defensemen tonight due to injuries and salary cap constraints. The Lightning lost Erik Cernak and Haydn Fleury recently to injury and with no cap space to make a recall, the Lightning were forced to play the Winnipeg Jets one defender short of a full six. The Lightning will be eligible to make an emergency recall after tonight, but due to the language in the Roster Emergency Exception rule, they must wait until the second game to be eligible to recall a player under emergency conditions.
Evening Notes: Nieto, Gendron, Zaitsev
Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have transferred forward Matthew Nieto to the Long-Term Injured Reserve after activating forward Bryan Rust. Nieto has been out of action for the Penguins with a lower-body injury since November 30th and is free to return whenever he is physically able to as he has already exceeded the 10-game, 24-day requirement for LTIR.
Nieto signed a two-year deal with the Penguins on July 1st and has been terrific on the penalty kill but has struggled at even strength as the fourth line has been ineffective when he has been a part of it thus far. In 22 games this season the 31-year-old Long Beach, California native has a goal and three assists. The timing of Nieto’s injury was unfortunate as he was starting to gain traction in the games leading up to him getting hurt.
In other evening notes:
- Philadelphia Flyers writer Bill Meltzer is reporting that the Flyers have returned forward Alexis Gendron to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. The 20-year-old had played in 17 games for the Flyers AHL affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and had posted five goals and two assists. His QMJHL rights were traded by the Gatineau Olympiques to Drummondville on December 30th meaning he will be suiting up for the Voltigeurs for the first time.
- Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks are set to welcome defenseman Nikita Zaitsev back to the lineup tonight when they take on the Nashville Predators. The 32-year-old has been out with an illness and will draw back into the lineup in place of Isaak Phillips after a two-game absence. Zaitsev has dressed in 18 games this season and has averaged 15:42 of ice time per game while registering a goal and four assists.
East Notes: Samsonov, Meier, Cernak, Fleury
Having just cleared waivers yesterday, questions immediately sprouted concerning Ilya Samsonov, and how the Toronto Maple Leafs plan to deal with the struggling goaltender. Now rostered with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic shed a bit more light on the issue this afternoon.
Speaking with the General Manager of the Maple Leafs, Brad Treliving, it does not appear that Samsonov will play nor practice with the Marlies this week, as Treliving is quoted as saying, “It’s a physical and a mental reset where can he get away from preparing for the next game and all the pressures that come with it”.
Although a bold action to take near the middle of the season, Toronto is seemingly running out of ideas on how to maximize Samsonov’s play between the pipes. In what is shaping to be the worst statistical output of his career, Samsonov holds a 5-2-6 record in 15 games, carrying a dismal .862 SV% and a 3.94 GAA.
Other notes:
- Experiencing plenty of injury concerns from multiple significant players this season, the New Jersey Devils will be without forward Timo Meier for an undisclosed amount of time, as he is dealing with a mid-body injury according to team reporter, Amanda Stein. Stein indicates that it is not a re-aggravation of any of Meier’s previous injury concerns this season, something he has been seemingly battling for much of the regular season.
- Taking a hit to their defensive core, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be without Erik Cernak on a day-to-day basis, while Haydn Fleury will be on more of a week-to-week timeline (X Link). In all fairness to Fleury, Cernak is the more significant defenseman to miss time, as he has blossomed into one of the better shutdown defensemen in the NHL with Tampa Bay. Averaging over 19 minutes of ice time per game, Cernak holds a 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength this season.
Penguins Activate Bryan Rust; Reassign Vinnie Hinostroza, Ryan Shea
As alluded to in multiple reports this morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have officially activated forward Bryan Rust off of long-term injured reserve, and he will return to the lineup tonight as the team takes on the Washington Capitals. In a corresponding roster move, the team also announced that forward Vinnie Hinostroza and defenseman Ryan Shea had both been sent down to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Rust, who has been on the team’s long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury since December 6th, will serve as yet another significant reinforcement back into the Penguins lineup. Only a few weeks ago, Pittsburgh saw the return of fellow forward Rickard Rakell, after he missed he missed a month of action on LTIR.
Even after missing the team’s last 10 contests, Rust still impressively sits sixth on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 20 points in 22 games. With Rust back in the lineup, the Penguins will be able to carry a full top-six, a luxury they have largely been without for much of the 2023-24 season.
Although their position in the standings looked dire a few weeks ago, the Penguins have found themselves back in the playoff conversation, moving to one point back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference correlating with the return of a lot of their injured players. Over their last 10 games, Pittsburgh holds a 7-2-1 record, picking up a solid win over the Carolina Hurricanes, and two wins over the New York Islanders over that stretch.
For the reassignments, it will now mark the sixth time Hinostroza has been sent down this season, although a handful of those demotions were merely paper transactions for the Penguins to manage their salary cap outlook. Being brought in as a flexible and veteran forward option for the team this past summer, Hinostroza has one goal and three points with Pittsburgh so far this season.
Shea, on the other hand, has played in a majority of the Penguins’ games up to this point in the season, suiting up in 22 contests, averaging just under 12 and a half minutes per game. Viewed as a bit of a reclamation project for the organization, Shea’s defensive play has been solid during his limited usage with Pittsburgh. Failing to produce a point on the year, his 50.2% CorsiFor% and his 92.6% on-ice save percentage in all situations both serve as relatively above-average marks for a defenseman in his position.
It is more than likely that both Shea and Hinostroza will find themselves back up in the NHL at some point this season, they will now help a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team in a similar position to their NHL affiliate. Through 31 games, the baby Penguins hold a 16-12-3-0 record, sitting in fifth place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.
Pacific Injury Notes: Soucy, Hoglander, Gagner, Holloway, Burroughs
In a report from Thomas Drance of The Athletic, the Vancouver Canucks will have to wait a bit longer for the return of Carson Soucy. Making his way back from a fractured leg, Soucy had just recently returned to skating a little over a week ago. In the same report, Drance also points out that forward Nils Hoglander will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the Ottawa Senators.
With an injury to his knee, foot, and leg all within his first three months as a member of the Canucks organization, Soucy’s tenure with the team has already been plagued by injuries. Of the 36 games played by Vancouver so far this season, Soucy has only suited up in 13 of those, only being available for 36% of the team’s games up to this point. When Soucy eventually returns to the lineup, assuming he can stay clear of injuries for the remainder of the season, the Canucks will own one of the most well-rounded defensive cores across the league.
In the case of Hoglander, it is unclear by the reporting if he is dealing with a nagging injury, or if the Canucks are debating on carrying him as an extra forward tonight. Although he suited up in the team’s most recent game against the Philadelphia Flyers, recent reports indicated that Hoglander had been moved off the second line and recently practiced as an extra forward.
Other injury notes:
- With forward Dylan Holloway ready to return from his knee injury suffered in mid-November, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic expects both he and forward Sam Gagner to be in the lineup this weekend for the Edmonton Oilers. Although Edmonton has recovered fairly well since the organization’s horrid start to the regular season, the bottom half of their forward core has still been a significant issue across the board. Gagner has been a solid addition in that department in now his third stint with the Oilers, and the reintroduction of Holloway’s physical play will certainly make Edmonton harder to play against each night.
- Having missed the team’s most recent game on New Year’s Eve, San Jose Sharks defenseman, Kyle Burroughs confirms he will be back in the lineup tonight as the Sharks take on the Detroit Red Wings (X Link). Going through a difficult season similar to the rest of his teammates, Burroughs has tallied four assists in 35 games this year, carrying a -22 rating into tonight’s action.
Minnesota Places Vinni Lettieri On IR, Recalls Samuel Walker
In an announcement coming from the Minnesota Wild this afternoon, the organization has placed depth forward Vinni Lettieri on injury reserved due to a lower-body injury. In a corresponding move, the team has recalled Samuel Walker from their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.
As reported this morning, veteran Marcus Foligno will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the Calgary Flames, and with Lettieri also injured, Minnesota was put in a position where they may have only been able to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Instead, with Lettieri’s placement on the injured reserve and the subsequent callup of Walker, the team will now be able to put together four full offensive lines for their matchup tonight.
Even while maintaining their roster flexibility, it will mark another time this season that the Wild’s depth has been tested. In his own right, Lettieri himself was viewed as an extra forward for Minnesota at the beginning of the season, coming over from the Boston Bruins organization on a two-year, $1.55MM contract this past summer.
In what is now his second call-up with the organization since clearing waivers on November 24th, Lettieri has suited up in a total of 19 games for the Wild this season, scoring one goal and four points on the team’s fourth line. Although he has shown spurts of solid play, his 45.8% CorsiFor%, as well as his 6.3% team on-ice shooting percentage in all situations are both below his career averages.
It has been a difficult transition back into the NHL for Lettieri, as a fourth-line role is somewhat foreign territory for him compared to his usage at the AHL level. Throughout his time in the AHL, Lettieri has been nearly a point-per-game player, scoring 237 points in 277 career games. Due to that, and his regular usage of the powerplay, Lettieri will have to add a bit more hard-nosed physicality into his game for a smoother transition.
Walker, an Edina, Minnesota native came over to the organization in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Having already made his NHL debut last year, Walker has suited up in two games this season in mid-October. Similarly to Lettieri, Walker has also been a heavily relied upon offensive talent for Iowa, as he currently sits third on the team in scoring.
Seattle Kraken Place Jaycob Megna On Waivers
According to a team release, the Seattle Kraken have placed defenseman Jaycob Megna on waivers to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. This will mark the sixth time Megna has been placed on waivers since breaking into the league during the 2016-17 season.
Originally the second to last pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, it would take Megna five seasons to crack an NHL roster after finishing out his collegiate career with the University of Nebraska-Omaha, making his NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2016-17 season. Only skating in one contest that year, Megna would regularly skate with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
Without gaining much traction in the NHL throughout his three-year stretch with the Ducks, Megna would make a few more pit stops throughout the AHL, before landing with the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent before the 2021-22 season. Although producing modestly relative to the rest of the league, Megna would skate in 44 games for the Sharks, scoring two goals and eight points, both career highs at that time.
San Jose would go on to reward Megna’s depth play for the organization, signing Megna to a two-year, $1.525MM contract the following summer. Last year, in the first season of that contract, Megna would suit up in 48 games for the Sharks, scoring one goal and 12 points in total, before finally being shipped to the Kraken in early February.
Since the beginning of the season, Megna has been on the active roster for Seattle, albeit from a three-day conditioning loan that had him playing two games for Coachella Valley. Serving as the seventh or even eighth defenseman on the Kraken for the year up to this point, Megna has not played in any games for Seattle this season.
Similar to a majority of players throughout the league, Megna has historically been much more productive at the AHL level, scoring 18 goals and 98 points over 370 regular season games. He will now suit up for a Firebirds team that is looking to defend their Western Conference championship from a season ago, as they currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 16-10-2 record on the year.
Central Notes: Hartman, Foligno, Landeskog, Murray
Wild forward Ryan Hartman was fined over $4.4K, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for high-sticking Jets forward Cole Perfetti during Sunday’s 3-2 loss, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced today. This is the seventh fine of Hartman’s career, as The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes, and his second disciplinary punishment of the season after being assessed a two-game suspension for tripping Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat in November.
The incident in question was confirmed to be deliberate, inexplicably coming out of Hartman’s mouth during gameplay. Perfetti, who was wearing a microphone for Sunday’s game, told reporters today that Hartman told Perfetti that the high stick was retribution for the Brenden Dillon cross-check that injured Wild star Kirill Kaprizov the day before (via the Winnipeg Free Press’ Mike McIntyre). Perfetti, who turned 22 yesterday, was not involved in the Dillon/Kaprizov altercation.
For the Wild, the lack of a suspension for Hartman is great news. Already dealing with injuries to two-thirds of their first line in Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, middle-six bruiser Marcus Foligno is now a game-time decision for tonight’s clash against the Flames with a lingering undisclosed injury, per NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. The 32-year-old Foligno, who has four points in his last five games, skated in a third-line role alongside Frédérick Gaudreau and Pat Maroon in Sunday’s loss.
His absence would force the Wild to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, as veteran d-man Jonathon Merrill is the only healthy extra skater on Minnesota’s roster. The Wild are eligible to use an emergency recall in Foligno’s absence, but without ruling him out for tonight’s contest, they wouldn’t be able to do so until after the game.
Elsewhere in the Central Division today:
- Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog returned to Denver from Sweden to continue his recovery from a right-knee cartilage transplant earlier this season, leading to increased hope that he could return for a potential 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs berth and suit up for the first time since Colorado captured the championship in 2022. The Denver Post’s Corey Masisak revealed last weekend that Landeskog’s family has now moved back to Colorado, furthering confidence that the long-time first-line fixture will resume his career at some point. The 31-year-old has now undergone multiple knee surgeries over the past three years and has not eclipsed the 70-game mark in a season since the 2018-19 campaign, five years ago.
- After being sent down for salary cap management purposes yesterday, Stars netminder Matt Murray was recalled from AHL Texas today, per team radio analyst Bruce LeVine. The 25-year-old is once again in the NHL on an emergency basis while starter Jake Oettinger is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He has not made an appearance since Oettinger exited the lineup over two weeks ago, however, leading to seven straight starts for veteran backup Scott Wedgewood. The 31-year-old Ontarian has been up to the task, posting a 6-1-1 record and .906 SV% since Oettinger left a December 15 game against the Senators less than halfway through the first period. The Stars have not had back-to-back games since Oettinger was injured. Murray, who does not require waivers and has a .908 SV% through 13 games with AHL Texas this season, will continue to back up Wedgewood for the foreseeable future.