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Metro Notes: Capitals, Couturier, Johnson, Letang

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Washington Capitals general manager Chris Patrick spoke openly about the team’s direction with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic after reacquiring veteran forward Lars Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Patrick told LeBrun that he got the sense that Eller would be traded somewhere else before the Trade Deadline, or even the New Year, prompting the Capitals to act sooner rather than later. Despite the early buy, Patrick said he still sees the move as a Deadline deal. He told LeBrun, “We said, ‘Maybe at the deadline, we should be looking at center depth. We were looking at (pending) UFAs and players who might be available, and Lars is obviously top of that list.”

Eller may be a defense-first depth forward in his old age, but reacquiring him is a strong statement of confidence from the Capitals after a 10-4-1 start to the season. They find themselves tied with the New York Rangers – who swept Washington in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – and Patrick emphasized that the on-ice product feels much improved. That’s in part a result of strong performances from Washington’s young talents – like Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Rasmus Sandin. Those players give Washington a foundation to build on, and Patrick closed by pointing towards the retooling of teams like Dallas and Florida – who each managed to build lineups with strength top-to-bottom without sacrificing their future. That will be the long-term path that Washington tries to mimic, though they’ll first try to match the playoff success of the top-end teams they now find themselves among.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier is questionable for the team’s Saturday matchup against the Buffalo Sabres shares Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. Couturier missed Philadelphia’s Thursday game against Ottawa with a lower-body injury. He’s managed eight points in 16 games so far this season, while also filling a routine role on the team’s power-play. Morgan Frost will likely slot in for Couturier in the event of another absence, after playing 13:44 in the team’s Thursday win. He contributed one hit and five faceoff wins to the game.
  • Despite the lineup facing injury concerns, Saturday’s game will be celebratory for 2006 first-overall pick Erik Johnson, who sits one game shy of 1,000. He spoke openly about the achievement with Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer, sharing how “mind-blowing” it is to near 1,000 games after nearly retiring a few years ago. Johnson spoke about the list of injuries he endured between 2019 and 2021, capped off by a concussion in January of 2021. Johnson cites that injury as giving him the mental reset he needed to reprioritize his health. He’s now set to become the 12th player from the 2006 NHL Draft – and the 133rd defender – to pass the 1,000-game mark.
  • Star Pittsburgh Penguins defender Kris Letang is sick and didn’t travel with the team to their Friday game in Columbus, shares Josh Getzoff of Sportsnet Pittsburgh. Letang has one point in Pittsburgh’s last five games and six points in 18 games on the full season. He remains a clear top-pair defender despite the lagging scoring, averaging 23 minutes of ice time and remaining a focal point of the power-play. He could be replaced by rookie Owen Pickering, who Pittsburgh recalled earlier today. Pickering is the Penguins’ top defense prospect and hasn’t yet made his NHL debut.

Penguins Activate Matt Nieto, Place Blake Lizotte On IR

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have swapped around forwards on their injured reserve, activating Matthew Nieto (knee) but shelving Blake Lizotte (concussion). Lizotte suffered his injury after a shot from linemate Drew O’Connor hit him in the face. He immediately left the game, ending his night after just 3:36 in ice time.

This is the second concussion of Lizotte’s season – with the first suffered during the pre-season and holding him out of Pittsburgh’s first 11 games. It also earned him three weeks on IR, from October 7th to October 31st. Lizotte has played in seven games since, netting two goals on eight shots. It’s the first time in Lizotte’s seven-year career that he’s played outside of the Los Angeles Kings, though the change of scenery hasn’t come with a prime lineup role. Lizotte is averaging just nine minutes in ice time, nearly three minutes lower than he ever averaged with the Kings. He scored 39 goals and 108 points in 327 games with L.A., with a single-season high of 11 goals and 34 points in 2022-23.

Lizotte will be quickly replaced by veteran forward Nieto, who’s making his first return to the NHL since suffering a knee injury on November 30th of last season. The injury ended his season after just 22 games and four points. He received surgery soon after but would have to go under the knife for a second time in April after suffering an additional injury while rehabbing. Nieto was held out through the start of this season, not skating until he began a conditioning assignment with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on November 9th. He scored a goal in his season debut – his first AHL game since 2014 – marking his only point in two conditioning games.

Nieto should be primed for a hardy role right out of the gate, with Pittsburgh now facing injuries to each of Cody Glass, Kevin Hayes, and Lizotte. Glass is also on IR with a concussion, while Hayes is week-to-week with an unspecified upper-body injury. Pittsburgh will be two roster spots over the limit when Glass and Lizotte return. Their only waiver-exempt forward is Vasili Ponomarev – which could prompt a tough choice between Lizotte, Nieto, Samuel Poulin, and Valtteri Puustinen.

Penguins Recall Owen Pickering

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The Penguins announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Owen Pickering from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 2022 first-round pick could make his NHL debut Friday against the Blue Jackets. Pittsburgh doesn’t have an open roster spot after recalling Matthew Nieto and Vasiliy Ponomarev yesterday, so a corresponding transaction is coming.

Pickering, 20, has been the best defense prospect in the organization since they selected him 21st overall two years ago. He checked in at fourth overall in the Pens’ pool in McKeen’s Hockey’s 2024-25 preseason ranking behind forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty and goaltender Joel Blomqvist.

The Manitoba native is in his first full season of professional hockey after four major junior seasons with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. He was a First-Team All-Star in the Central Division each of the past two seasons while serving as the Broncos’ captain, capping off his WHL career with 46 points and a career-best +18 rating in 59 games last season.

Pickering receives his first NHL recall in arguably his most important season yet developmentally, as Josh Bell wrote for McKeen’s. “While Pickering’s potential as a future top-four defenceman remains, his development hinges on ironing out his inconsistencies and making smarter decisions with the puck,” he said. “This season will be crucial in determining if he can take that next step.”

Evidently, the Penguins’ front office has liked what they’ve seen from Pickering to begin the regular season. It’s not quite his first taste of AHL hockey – he played eight games for WBS at the end of the 2022-23 season after his campaign with Swift Current ended. Through 12 games, he has just one point, a goal, but is third on the team with a +5 rating.

The left-shot defender already has towering size at 6’5″ and 185 lbs, although he’ll likely look to grow the latter number as he gets more NHL action. It’s unclear who he may unseat from Pittsburgh’s current crop of lefties to enter the lineup, although Ryan Graves, who has no points through 18 games and is averaging squarely third-pairing minutes at 15:22 per game, may be an option to head to the press box.

Pickering is in the first season of his entry-level contract, which carries an $887K cap hit. He’ll be a restricted free agent for the first time in 2027 at age 23.

Penguins Recall Matt Nieto, Vasiliy Ponomarev; Reassign Joel Blomqvist

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The Penguins announced Thursday that they’ve reinstated Matthew Nieto from his LTIR conditioning loan and recalled forward Vasiliy Ponomarev from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Pittsburgh reassigned goaltender Joel Blomqvist to WBS to open a necessary roster space.

Nieto, 32, has not seen NHL ice since Nov. 30, 2023, against the Lightning. The veteran sustained a left knee injury that game that, after a few setbacks, required laparoscopic surgery in early January.

Even after the initial surgery, setbacks persisted. The procedure wasn’t expected to be season-ending, but Nieto’s late February return window came and went without much news.

In May, the Penguins announced that Nieto underwent reconstructive MCL surgery on the knee, one that carried a far lengthier recovery window but would ideally stop the persistent setbacks. So far, that’s been the case. He’ll look to make his season debut on Friday against the Blue Jackets, six and a half months after his last surgery and nearly one year after his last NHL game.

The second-round pick of the Sharks in 2011 landed with the Pens in free agency in 2023, signing a two-year, $1.8MM contract. The 5’11” left-winger recorded one goal and three assists in 22 games last season, averaging 11:37 per contest, before being shut down.

Nieto scored once in two games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on his conditioning loan over the past few days. It was his first AHL action in over a decade, last touching minor-league ice while with the Sharks organization in 2013-14.

Recalling both Nieto and Ponomarev indicates that center Blake Lizotte may be unavailable for tomorrow’s game after taking a puck to the face Wednesday against the Red Wings. Lizotte, 26, already missed the first 11 games of the regular season with a concussion he sustained in a similar incident during the preseason. He had two goals in seven games since coming off LTIR at the end of October.

The Penguins acquired Ponomarev, 22, as one of the centerpieces of last season’s trade that sent star winger Jake Guentzel to the Hurricanes. Drafted 53rd overall by Carolina in 2020, the Russian center scored a goal and an assist in two games in his first taste of NHL action last season for the Canes.

Ponomarev sustained an upper-body injury in preseason for Pittsburgh and started the year on IR but was cleared to play a little over two weeks ago. He has one assist in five games for WBS since being assigned there on Halloween.

Combined with last season’s one goal in four games for the Baby Pens after the trade, it’s a little bit of a concerning start in the Pittsburgh organization for Ponomarev. Two points in nine contests is a far cry from the 35 goals and 85 points he’d put up in 114 games for AHL Chicago while in the Hurricanes organization.

Despite those two rather significant storylines, Blomqvist’s demotion may be the most notable of the three roster moves. The 22-year-old had been the Penguins’ best goaltender through the first five weeks of the season, filling in admirably with Alex Nedeljkovic starting the season on IR and de facto starter Tristan Jarry struggling enough to earn a two-week conditioning stint in the minors.

Like Ponomarev, the 6’2″ Finn was a member of the second round in the 2020 draft. He leads Penguins goalies in wins (3), SV% (.904), quality starts (4), and GSAA (1.0). It was a strong showing on the heels of a dominant 2023-24 season for WBS, earning All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-Star honors after posting a .921 SV%, 2.16 GAA and 25-12-6 record for the AHL club.

Yet leaving Blomqvist as part of a three-goalie rotation isn’t what’s best for his development, nor is it what’s best for hopefully getting Jarry back on track after his horrid start to the season. Jarry, who had a .836 SV% in three games before his conditioning loan, is expected to make his first NHL start in nearly a month tomorrow against Columbus. He has four seasons remaining on his contract at a $5.375MM cap hit.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Penguins Notes: Karlsson, Crosby, Lizotte

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Former Team Sweden head coach and general manager Johan Garpenlöv had some harsh criticism for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and his inclusion on Sweden’s entry to the 4 Nations Face-Off (as per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff). Garpenlöv said that Karlsson’s defensive issues could present a massive problem for the team in a short tournament and doesn’t believe that Karlsson should be a member of the team.

Garpenlöv’s sharp words are certainly inflammatory, and there is no doubt that Karlsson’s defense leaves a lot to be desired. Pittsburgh fans have endured the full Karlsson experience this year as the three-time Norris Trophy winner has looked disinterested and lost on many nights, however, in other games, he has managed to take over and drive the Penguins’ offense to victory.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Jesse Marshall of The Athletic wrote a very thoughtful and detailed article about the goal-scoring prowess of Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby. Marshall concedes in the article that Crosby won’t go down in history as one of the greatest goal-scorers but belongs in a category all by himself due to the creativity with which he scored most of his soon-to-be 600 career goals. Marshall highlights Crosby’s all-time great backhand shot, his ability to deflect pucks as well as his five-hole shooting, and while none of those skills are Crosby’s alone, he has put a unique twist on each of those skill sets.
  • Penguins forward Blake Lizotte left tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings after taking a puck to the face (Twitter link). The injury marks the second time this season that Lizotte has taken a puck to the face off the stick of a teammate as he was concussed by a Kris Letang shot during the preseason, an injury that forced him to miss the start of the regular season. Tonight’s injury came when Lizotte was hit in the face with a Drew O’Connor shot that appeared to hit the visor. Lizotte has been good for Pittsburgh this season, posting two goals in six games and putting up strong possession numbers in a bottom-six role.

Washington Capitals Acquire Lars Eller From Penguins

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Lars Eller is headed back to the Washington Capitals. The organization announced they have acquired Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in 2027 and Chicago’s fifth-round pick in 2025.

Eller spent much of his career with the Capitals from 2016-17 until being traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2022-23 trade deadline. He’s not well known for his offensive exploits but did score one of the most important goals in Capitals history, the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

His time in Washington was certainly the prime of his career. Eller scored 87 goals and 208 points for the Capitals in 488 games, with another nine goals and 31 points in 59 postseason contests. He was also an effective asset down the middle of the ice securing over 3,000 faceoff wins in the District of Columbia with a 50.1% success rate.

The Capitals jumped early on an obvious area of need. The team had recently been deploying Michael Sgarbossa as the center of the team’s third line making Eller a huge improvement. The Danish veteran had scored four goals and seven points in 17 games for the Penguins this season with a 56.0% faceoff success rate. Eller could also help the Capitals on the penalty kill although there’s little room for improvement with the team already fourth in the league with a 86.96% penalty kill.

While one team gains something, another team loses something. The Penguins currently own a 6-9-2 record on the year and are only one day removed from being blown out by the Dallas Stars. Moving Eller may be the first sign of things to come for Pittsburgh.

He wasn’t the only veteran on an expiring deal for the Penguins. Should the team continue barreling toward the bottom of the NHL standings; Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor, Anthony Beauvillier, and Matt Grzelcyk could become available via trade. Given how disappointing the team has been to start the 2024-25 campaign, they may not limit themselves to only moving out expiring deals.

Growing Concern For Karlsson's Defensive Play In Pittsburgh

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In a hard-hitting piece for The Athletic, Josh Yohe highlights internal frustrations within the Pittsburgh Penguins regarding Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson. Yohe unabashedly describes Karlsson’s poor defensive play, and the Swede’s public praise of his own game is drawing discontentment from the Penguins’ coaching staff.

[SOURCE LINK]

Penguins Recall Samuel Poulin

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The Penguins announced that they have recalled right-winger Samuel Poulin from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Center Kevin Hayes was transferred to injured reserve to open an active roster spot.

Poulin, now 23, was Pittsburgh’s first-round selection in the 2019 draft. They selected him 21st overall, a tad higher than the consensus at the time, ahead of names like Connor McMichael and Shane Pinto. He’d been taken second overall in the QMJHL Entry Draft by the Sherbrooke Phoenix just two years prior, and he’d started his major junior career on the right foot with 45 goals, 76 assists, and 121 points through 122 appearances over two seasons before being plucked by the Penguins.

After another two years of high-end offensive performances in the Q, Poulin turned pro and began the 2021-22 season on assignment to WBS. Injuries and a lengthy leave of absence to focus on his mental health have limited his games played and overall performance significantly since then, though. 2022-23 was a low point – while he did make his NHL debut that season amid a three-game call-up, he was limited to just four goals in 15 AHL contests. Last year, though, he seemed to gain some traction back with 31 points (16 G, 15 A) in 41 appearances with the Baby Pens, the best point-per-game showing of his AHL career by a wide margin.

In 2024-25, Poulin was waiver-eligible for the first time, leading to a fair amount of speculation that he’d make the team out of camp purely out of fear of losing him on the wire. That didn’t happen, though, and Poulin cleared waivers without incident in early October and began the season back in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He’s got three goals and six assists for nine points in his first 11 games, tying him for second in scoring.

Poulin now looks to see NHL ice for the third year in a row after three-game showings in each of the last two seasons. In those combined six appearances, he has one assist, a -4 rating, four shots on goal and eight hits while going 13-for-29 on draws and averaging 8:53 per game. He’s no longer among the league’s top 100 prospects, but McKeen’s Hockey still ranks him as the seventh-best up-and-comer in the Pens’ system. He can remain on Pittsburgh’s roster for up to 30 days or play 10 games before he requires waivers again to head back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

As for Hayes, he was downgraded to week-to-week yesterday with an upper-body injury. The IR placement only rules him out for tonight’s game against the Stars, but he’ll miss more time than that.

East Notes: Jarry, Grebenkin, Sgarbossa, Martin

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The Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending room has been thrown for a loop to start the season. A clear hierarchy set up in training camp was quickly dismantled when Tristan Jarry was sent to the minor leagues for a five-game conditioning stint. His absence gave Joel Blomqvist and Alex Nedeljkovic a chance to plant their feet in the Penguins’ starting crease – and while the former has performed well, Pittsburgh’s 6-8-2 record could give Jarry a golden chacne to work his way back into the lineup.

At least, that’s the path laid out by NHL.com’s Wes Crosby, who spoke with Jarry on his path back to the NHL. The netminder told Crosby, “Hopefully, that’s the way it goes. I want to come back here, and I want to play well. That’s my goal. That’s what I want to do. I want to help this team as much as possible. Whenever I’m in the net, I think giving them a chance to win and helping this team get in a good place.”

The 29-year-old Jarry posted a 4-1-0 record and .926 save percentage in five AHL games –  far better than the .836 save percentage he’s managed through three NHL games this year. He stood up to 51 games last season, though his 19-25-5 record marked the first losing season of his five-year tenure as Pittsburgh’s go-to goalie. He’s managed a 137-86-34 record in his nine-year career, working above future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury and the less-successful Matt Murray in his climb to an everyday role. Jarry will now look to get back to his rightful spot, as Pittsburgh tries to buck a 3-5-2 record in their last 10.

Other notes from out East:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs could have a hidden gem in 21-year-old winger Nikita Grebenkin, who’s managed seven points and no penalties through his first nine AHL games. The bruising winger brings a welcome mix of grit and skill to the Toronto depths, which Steven Ellis of Leafs Nation says could lead to a hardy lineup role someday soon. Ellis points out that Grebenkin’s climb to the lineup is blocked by a long list of bottom-six wingers, including Nicholas Robertson and the soon-to-return Connor Dewar – but Grebenkin could be quick to take advantage of his next chance. The young forward is already a seasoned pro, totaling 41 points in 67 games for Magnitogorsk Metallurg last season as the team pursued their first KHL Championship since 2016. That winning mindset will make Grebenkin a name to watch, especially if Toronto chooses to part ways with some of their crowded bottom-six.
  • The Washington Capitals have returned minor league centerman Michael Sgarbossa to the AHL’s Hershey Bears just two days after he was recalled to the NHL, per AHL transaction logs. He appeared in 11:25 in ice time and recorded one goal and one assist in Washington’s 8-1 dousing of the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. They were Sgarbossa’s first NHL points since late March of last season, and brought his NHL scoring up to par with the nine points he’s managed in seven AHL games this season. No Capitals player has been involved in more roster moves to start the early season, and it’s likely that another shot at NHL ice time isn’t too far out of reach for the 32-year-old Sgarbossa.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes also returned a player to the minors, per transaction logs, sending goaltender Spencer Martin back down after he allowed the Colorado Avalanche to score five goals on 28 shots on Saturday. Martin was recalled to help fill-in for the injured Frederik Andersen, who head coach Rod Brind’Amour dubbed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury on October 31st. Pyotr Kochetkov has taken over starting duties in response, but his .896 save percentage through eight games – and Martin’s poor performance this weekend – could have the team looking for other outlets. Martin currently leads the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in save percentage (.920), well ahead of Ruslan Khazheyev (.898) and Yaniv Perets (.825) despite each playing only a few games

Penguins’ Kevin Hayes Out Week-To-Week, Cody Glass Diagnosed With Concussion

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The Penguins have downgraded forward Kevin Hayes to week-to-week with his upper-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters (including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Sullivan also confirmed that Cody Glass had been diagnosed with a concussion after landing on injured reserve on Friday.

Hayes has already missed two games with his upper-body injury, which he sustained last Tuesday against the Islanders, although it’s unclear which play. If the Pens need to open a roster spot, he can be placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 5, while a week-to-week designation starting today means he’ll likely miss at least Pittsburgh’s next four games.

The Penguins acquired the 32-year-old Hayes from the Blues in June, also landing a 2025 second-round pick to take on the final two years of the declining veteran’s contract, of which the Flyers are already retaining half. He’s made 14 appearances for the Penguins this season, notching three goals and an assist while averaging a career-low 9:27 per game.

Meanwhile, a concussion indicates a longer-term absence for Glass than the minimum seven days required for an IR placement. Like Hayes, it’s unclear exactly what play Glass sustained the concussion during his last appearance, a 5-1 loss to the Hurricanes on Thursday. He played a season-low 4:47 and did not take a shift after the first period.

Like Hayes, Glass had made 14 appearances for Pittsburgh before the injury, recording four assists and a -7 rating while averaging 11:48 per game. It’s the 25-year-old’s first season with the Pens, who acquired him in an August trade with the Predators.

Selected sixth overall by the Golden Knights in the 2017 draft, Glass has been deployed peculiarly in a more shutdown role with Pittsburgh, making a career-high 69% of his zone starts in the defensive end at even strength. He’s responded quite well, controlling 58.7% of shot attempts and 58.3% of expected goals, even if he hasn’t broken out yet offensively.

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