Garnet Hathaway Out With Upper-Body Injury
The Columbus Blue Jackets are closing in on an extension with forward Mathieu Olivier (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The 28-year-old is in his sixth season with Columbus and has set career highs in many statistical categories, registering 12 goals and nine assists in 60 games. While he will never be an analytical darling, Olivier has made his presence known this season, posting 228 hits and 66 blocked shots.
Olivier is in the second season of a two-year $2.2MM contract and was set to become a UFA on July 1st. He picked an excellent time to have a career year and will surely earn a raise on the $1.1MM he is making this season.
In other Metropolitan Division notes:
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph left yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury (Twitter Link). The injury occurred when Bruins forward Mark Kastelic hit Joseph with a thunderous body check that sent the Penguins defender to the ice and ultimately out of the game. It was an unfortunate end to an eventful day for Joseph who had earlier laid a hit that sent Bruins forward Brad Marchand out of the game. It’s been a tough stretch this season for the 25-year-old who was dealt mid-season from St. Louis back to the Penguins for future considerations and has been exposed defensively for much of the time since his return.
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway was unavailable for last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets due to an upper body injury (Twitter link). Hathaway last played on Thursday against Pittsburgh, and likely suffered the injury after taking a late hit from Penguins forward Boko Imama. Imama was assessed a minor penalty for interference on the play and Hathaway needed assistance to get off the ice. The 33-year-old Hathaway has eight goals and 10 assists in 60 games this season and has continued to provide a physical presence for the Flyers, handing out 218 hits.
Michkov Named February's Rookie Of The Month
- The NHL announced that Flyers winger Matvei Michkov has been named Rookie of the Month for February. He’s the first rookie this season to get the nod twice after also winning in October. Michkov had ten points in seven games last month while he’s the rookie leader in goals (19) league-wide while being tied for the lead in points with 44.
Latest On Scott Laughton
Expect the Flyers to give center Scott Laughton a say in where he ends up if he leaves Philadelphia at the trade deadline, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports Thursday. That is, of course, despite his contract’s lack of formal trade protection.
It’s an approach teams are beginning to take with unprotected veterans, much like the Predators‘ Ryan O’Reilly. In Laughton’s case, it’s fueled by general manager Daniel Brière‘s and president of hockey operations Keith Jones‘ desire to ensure “that Philadelphia becomes a desirable destination again,” Kurz writes.
Laughton isn’t the longest-tenured Flyer – captain Sean Couturier has him beat in that regard – but he is a Philly lifer. Selected 20th overall in 2012, he’s suited up in 12 NHL seasons for the orange and black and ranks 14th in franchise history with 657 games played. Trade speculation has swirled around the two-way center since the Flyers started their rebuild by trading former captain Claude Giroux at the 2022 trade deadline. Laughton signed a five-year, $15MM extension in the 2021 offseason, though, so there’s never been much urgency to move on from him with no risk of losing him for nothing until 2026.
The age-old question is whether a veteran player carries more value to a rebuilding club in their on-ice play and leadership or in the form of assets to build for the future. Now past the crux of their rebuild and with young names like Matvei Michkov in the system, the answer for Laughton is the latter. That’s led to consistently sky-high asking prices on the trade market for his services by Flyers’ leadership, something Kurz reports hasn’t changed. Darren Dreger of TSN said earlier this month that Philly still won’t part with him for anything less than a first-round pick. They’ve employed the same strategy regarding defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen‘s availability, which has led to an unexpected lack of calls less than two weeks ahead of deadline day.
Laughton has been far more consistent throughout the last half-decade, though, and carries a much more stomachable $3MM cap hit through next season compared to Ristolainen’s $5.1MM. The 30-year-old pivot has averaged around 40 points per season every year since the 2019-20 campaign, averages 15-16 per game, and can play top-unit penalty kill minutes. He’s comfortable at center and left wing, and while he isn’t a dynamo on draws, he’s serviceable with a career 49.7% win rate. Everything considered, they should have a much easier time fetching that additional first-rounder for either the 2025 or 2026 class (or equivalent asset, as Dreger said) for Laughton than with Ristolainen.
It comes down to who’s willing to pay that price. Kurz expects Laughton isn’t too willing to make a considerable jump westward after his father-in-law’s passing last month. That likely removes center-hungry teams in the Central and Pacific like the Jets, Canucks, and Wild from the list if the Flyers don’t receive a completely above-value offer. However, Kurz said clubs like his hometown Maple Leafs would be acceptable destinations if the return value threshold is met.
Flyers Not Receiving Expected Interest In Rasmus Ristolainen
The Flyers have received fewer calls than expected on defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, sources tell Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. There’s a “decent chance” the 30-year-old stays in Philadelphia down the stretch with two years left on his contract.
Ristolainen’s resurgence as a dependable piece outside of a top-pairing role made his name pop into trade speculation as far back as November. The Flyers haven’t been in the playoff conversation for an extended period like they were in 2023-24, allowing general manager Daniel Brière to more firmly cement his team’s status as a retooler/seller on deadline day and gain more traction on moving non-rental assets. While that may still hold for players like center Scott Laughton, they haven’t had a ton of urgency surrounding Ristolainen discussions. A high asking price (speculated as a first-rounder) likely deterred some interest from teams before they even called to initiate talks.
Right-shot defensemen are always in need, but even for a cost-controlled asset who will be 32 years old upon expiry, Ristolainen’s $5.1MM cap hit remains steep, considering past years’ performance. It’s probably right on track for his value in 2024-25, though. The much-maligned Finn is having arguably his best all-around season since he entered the league. While not clicking at his 40-point heights early in his career with the Sabres, he’s produced a respectable 1-17–18 line through 56 games. Backing up his offensive totals are the best defensive metrics of his career while averaging north of 20 minutes per game for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign.
Ristolainen has anchored the team’s second pairing at even strength behind Travis Sanheim and Cameron York up top, also routinely flexing into their top penalty-kill unit. The results have been good – a plus-five rating tied for third on the team, plus a strong +2.6 expected rating, considering he’s started over 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone for just the second time in his 12-year career. He may not be much of a power play option anymore, although he has averaged 48 seconds per game with the man advantage for Philly and hasn’t been on the ice for a shorthanded goal against this season. He has desirable size at 6’4″ and 208 lbs and ranks third on the Flyers in blocks and hits with 86 each.
That should make him a desirable pickup for a contender, in theory. However, this is likely a case where a player being under contract for a few more years hurts their trade value rather than helping it. The 2013 No. 8 overall pick has had wildly inconsistent year-to-year performances in the past, so while teams may have had interest in capitalizing on his strong rebound and letting him walk in the summer, they won’t be able to do so with him locked in through the 2026-27 campaign. There’s also the fading but still-present stain on his reputation from his Buffalo days when he was vastly overtaxed as their No. 1 until Rasmus Dahlin‘s arrival and failed to have much effectiveness outside of power-play contributions and physical play.
If Ristolainen doesn’t get moved by the deadline, there’s still a non-zero chance he finishes his contract with the Flyers, depending on how quickly they turn the page in their rebuild. A return to playoff contention next year likely means continued strong play from the defender, which wouldn’t give Brière much reason to shop him again a year from now. If they find themselves in a similar position in the standings, though, Ristolainen should generate more interest with only one year left on his deal, assuming his play doesn’t nosedive.
Flyers To Activate Ryan Poehling, Yegor Zamula From Injured Reserve
The Flyers will activate center Ryan Poehling and defenseman Yegor Zamula from injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Oilers, the team announced. With two open roster spots, they won’t need to make any corresponding transactions. They’ll also be accompanied by defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and winger Owen Tippett, who missed time before the 4 Nations Face-Off break with injuries but never landed on IR.
Poehling, 26, hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury, a suspected concussion, on a hit from Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov on Jan. 16. The hit earned Tsyplakov a three-game suspension but held Poehling out of the lineup for much longer. He’ll be available after missing 11 games for the Flyers, who went 4-6-1 in his absence. It’s unclear where he’ll slot into the lineup, but he’s held down a bottom-six role for most of the campaign.
The Minnesota native is in the first season of the two-year, $3.8MM extension he signed with Philadelphia in January 2024. He signed with the Flyers after being non-tendered by the rival Penguins in the summer of 2023, and he’s since emerged as a good fourth-line option with fringe third-line upside. The 6’2″ pivot has 4-11–15 through 43 appearances this season after recording a career-best 11-17–28 lines in 77 games last year. He’s complemented that with an even rating and a strong 51.2 FOW% while averaging 13:18 per game, down from last year’s 15-minute average.
His return will likely push veteran enforcer Nicolas Deslauriers to a press-box role, but head coach John Tortorella is likely mulling over more surprising options to scratch as per usual. Poehling has not been a healthy scratch this season – his absences have come either due to injury or personal leave.
The left-shot Zamula returns after missing eight games before the break with an upper-body issue. Now in his fifth NHL season, the 24-year-old is averaging a career-high 16:52 per game through 39 appearances. The undrafted free agent out of the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen has 3-8–11 with a -10 rating this year, matching his even-strength stat line in 66 games last year but failing to factor in on special teams. His 59 blocks rank sixth on the team, and his possession numbers – a 49.1 CF% and +2.2 expected rating at even strength – both rank 14th out of 29 skaters to suit up for the Flyers.
Trade Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers
With the 4 Nations Face-Off break here, the trade deadline looms large and is less than 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 Philadelphia Flyers.
The standings won’t be a focus in the Flyers’ deadline plans. They entered the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off on the heels of a 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games while being outscored 31-16. The Flyers’ positives have been elsewhere, namely with rookie Matvei Michkov. He’s earned Calder Trophy attention with 16 goals and 36 points in 55 games and seems to be heeding the wisdom of tenured head coach John Tortorella. He leads a suite of prospects performing well, joined by Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, and Emil Andrae in the NHL and Samu Tuomaala, Jacob Gaucher, and Alexis Gendron in the minors. Their success, and a heaping seven picks in the first two rounds of this year’s draft, will train Philadelphia’s sights firmly on the future for the rest of the year.
Record
24-26-7, 8th in the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$8.43MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: PHI 1st, COL 1st, EDM 1st, PHI 2nd, ANA 2nd, CGY 2nd, CBJ 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, CAR 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
2026: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
Trade Chips
Philadelphia telegraphed their deadline approach in late January when they sent Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to the Calgary Flames for Andrei Kuzmenko, prospect Jakob Pelletier, and two draft picks. In the wake of the deal, general manager Daniel Brière emphasized the team’s long-term thinking, even painting Kuzmenko’s acquisition as a test run for free agency. They’ll continue trimming veterans for future assets into March, playing with a hand of frequent trade candidates.
Center Scott Laughton is once again standing tallest on Philadelphia’s trade block. He continues to serve a diligent center role in Philadelphia’s middle-six, stepping up as the hard-nosed drive behind the Flyers’ top scorers. Teams have long commended Laughton’s ability to lead a locker room, but his trade price has been rumored to be as high as a first-round pick in years past. Laughton has scored a commendable 11 goals and 26 points this year and carries a modest $3MM cap hit through this season and next.
However, his third-line role would make a high price hard to nab. Laughton’s veteran presence would almost certainly garner plenty of attention from playoff hopefuls on the open market. Still, the Flyers may need to come down on their price to make something happen. His move could open the necessary lineup space to reward Gaucher’s hot AHL season or create room for OHL prospect Jett Luchanko next season after he made the Flyers out of training camp this year.
Defender Rasmus Ristolainen has also been featured on the Flyers’ block for a long time. The 30-year-old Finn has rounded his game out in Philadelphia, becoming more of a physical defensive presence than in his early years. Ristolainen has just 15 points in 54 games this season, but he’s also recorded the first positive rating of his career with a plus-three. He’s diligently served the Flyers’ slot and could be a cheap acquisition for playoff teams needing any support on right defense, like the Stars. Ristolainen carries a lofty $5.1MM cap hit through the end of next season, which may force Philadelphia to concede quite a bit of ground if they want to make a move happen – something they’re unwilling to do given he’s not yet a pending UFA. Helge Grans would likely stand as the biggest benefactor of Ristolainen’s move. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut earlier this year, netting one point in six games, and has 18 points in 44 AHL games.
Outside of the veteran pair, the Flyers don’t seem to have many alluring assets. Depth forward Noah Cates offers a physical, two-way presence and may be entering his prime too early for the Flyers’ timeline. He could be a cheap acquisition for teams looking to shore up their bottom six. The same can be said for bruising veteran Garnet Hathaway, who ranks second among NHL forwards with 205 hits in 57 games. Both forwards check in with cap hits under $2.65MM but likely wouldn’t command lofty returns.
Philadelphia also has an excess in goal. Russian tandem Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov have struggled to find their footing in the NHL. They both boast save percentages in the .870s while splitting time as the backup behind Samuel Ersson. Shipping off either goalie could land Philadelphia a simple return. Fedotov, who is five years Kolosov’s senior, seems the more likely to move of the two.
Team Needs
1) Defense Prospects – The Flyers have built hardy prospect groups on offense, but the lackluster acquisition of Jamie Drysdale has left them a bit vacant on defense. Cameron York has caught enough momentum to lead Philadelphia’s blue line into the future, but he needs strong support. One of their aforementioned packages could be enough to net Christian Kyrou away from Dallas or Elias Salomonsson away from the Winnipeg Jets. Both players are right-shot, former second-rounders currently performing up to par in the AHL with 13 points in 28 games and 15 points in 26 games, respectively. Any incoming right-defender will join Grans as the future bets on a shallow right side and could stand as modest ways to round out a prospect pool.
2) Depth Goaltending – Goaltending has been the sore spot throughout the Flyers organization this year. Ersson has done enough to claim the starting role, posting a 16-10-3 record and a .896 save percentage, but nearly every role behind him is unclear. The AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms have utilized five different goaltenders this year, and only one – Parker Gahagen (.907) – has posted a save percentage above .900 in substantial minutes. Finding a netminder that can stand above the rest would be a welcome silver lining as Philadelphia builds out next year. The Toronto Maple Leafs could be swayed to part with 22-year-old Dennis Hildeby for the right price, with 26-year-old Joseph Woll boasting a .909 in 30 NHL games.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Rasmus Ristolainen A Game-Time Decision
Earlier this morning, NHL deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman reported that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen would be a game-time decision for tonight’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed Ristolainen’s expected absence was due to injury concerns, not trade-related reasons.
In addition to today’s rivalry matchup, Ristolainen’s availability may affect Team Finland in the upcoming Four Nations Face-Off. Friedman suggests that the Flyers would like Ristolainen to participate if he is healthy; however, his current condition may prevent him from playing, becoming a more pressing issue.
Finland has already lost defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Jani Hakanpää to various injuries, and the potential loss of Ristolainen would further diminish their chances. Ristolainen has scored two goals and recorded 15 points in 54 games this season while averaging 20:31 of ice time for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is currently the highest-scoring active defenseman on Finland’s roster.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Jacob Gaucher, Reassign Anthony Richard
Feb. 8th: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Richard has gone through waivers unclaimed. Philadelphia announced they’ve reassigned Richard to AHL Lehigh Valley and have recalled forward Jacob Gaucher in a corresponding roster move.
Feb. 7th: The Flyers have placed center Anthony Richard on waivers with intent to reassign him to AHL Lehigh Valley, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Friday. Whether he clears or not, he’ll be the second corresponding transaction as the Flyers look to activate Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier from the non-roster list before tomorrow’s game against the Penguins after reassigning forward Jacob Gaucher earlier today.
Richard, 28, has played eight straight games since being recalled on Jan. 22. It was the smooth-skating pivot’s second recall of the season after a weeks-long trial in the NHL back in November.
The ninth-year pro signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Flyers in the offseason and has been a quality depth scorer when called upon. He has two goals and four assists across the pair of recalls, averaging 12:22 per game with good possession numbers (49.4 CF%, +2.2 expected rating at even strength). It’s the 5’10” forward’s third straight season seeing NHL ice after brief action with the Canadiens and Bruins in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
A longtime farmhand in the Predators’ system after they selected him fourth overall in 2015, he’s suited up for five organizations in the past four years after a mid-season trade in 2022 sent him to the Lightning. He was a decent depth scorer there but has only broken out in earnest post-COVID, clicking above a point per game in the minors since 2022-23. When on assignment to Lehigh Valley this season, Richard has 8-11–19 in 18 games with a plus-six rating.
The Quebec native needed waivers today because he’s played more than 10 games since last clearing during training camp. His strong point production in both leagues this season and experience playing down the middle means there’s a solid chance an offense-needy team takes a flyer on the veteran on the wire, but if not, Philly will be thrilled to keep him around as a reliable recall option.
Flyers Reassign Jacob Gaucher
The Flyers have reassigned forward Jacob Gaucher to AHL Lehigh Valley, per a team announcement. Doing so opens one of the two roster spots they’ll need to activate Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier from the non-roster list ahead of their Philly debuts tomorrow against the Penguins, which was delayed due to visa issues after their acquisition from the Flames last week.
Gaucher, 23, was signed to a two-year entry-level contract in December after spending parts of three seasons on minor-league deals with Lehigh Valley. He’d spent time in the ECHL as recently as last season but landed a fringe depth role with the Phantoms, posting 8-8–16 with a -7 rating in 59 AHL contests in 2023-24. It was a significant step forward for the 6’3″ pivot, who was still finding his footing in the pros after finishing off his junior career with a 68-point campaign for the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar in 2021-22.
This year, Gaucher had a strong camp with Philly on a tryout and returned to the Phantoms rejuvenated. He’s operating at over double last season’s point-per-game pace, and his plus-one rating is tied for ninth on the team. He totaled 14-13–27 in 44 games before receiving his first NHL call-up last Saturday.
Gaucher served as the Flyers’ fourth-line center for their last three contests, going without a point but managing three shots on goal and winning nine out of 13 faceoffs. He averaged 7:30 per game, all at even strength, and posted strong possession numbers in limited minutes with a 53.3 CF% and a +0.1 expected rating.
His reassignment also comes as Ryan Poehling, the Flyers’ usual fourth-line pivot, returned to practice today in a non-contact jersey, per Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Poehling, who’s on injured reserve, has been out with Jan. 16 with an upper-body injury and has missed 10 games. He’ll presumably miss tomorrow’s game against Pittsburgh but should be good to go when the team resumes its schedule after the 4 Nations Face-Off later this month. His return indicates that recent call-ups Rodrigo Abols and Anthony Richard will likely join Gaucher on the road back to Lehigh Valley over the break.
Tippett Out Through 4 Nations, Flyers Hoping Newcomers Can Play Saturday
Flyers winger Owen Tippett has been ruled out of Philadelphia’s final two games before the 4 Nations Face-Off, notes Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 25-year-old suffered an upper-body injury last Wednesday against New Jersey and hasn’t played since. After setting new career highs last season offensively with 28 goals and 25 assists, Tippett has been a bit quieter this season with 14 goals and 20 helpers through 52 games although his 30 points still put him third on the team in scoring.
- Also from Spiegel’s column, the Flyers are hoping that newcomers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier will be available for Saturday’s contest versus Pittsburgh. The two were acquired from Calgary last Friday but are still in the process of securing a work visa. Neither player is presently on their 23-man roster so once they get clearance to suit up, Philadelphia will need to open up two roster spots before they can be activated. Moving Tippett to IR retroactively is one way they can free up one of the spots.