Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Sanheim, Svechnikov, Wahlstrom
The Pittsburgh Penguins tweeted today that forwards Rickard Rakell, Noel Acciari, as well as defenseman Chad Ruhwedel will all be game-time decisions when the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Minnesota Wild this evening. The news was announced by Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan who has been trying to manage a litany of injuries up and down the Penguins lineup.
Pittsburgh has been mired in a cycle of inconsistent and sloppy play that has been a constant throughout the first third of the NHL season. They are currently sitting in seventh place in the Metropolitan division and are five points out of a wild card position.
The Penguins put forward Bryan Rust on IR just a few days ago, which left them with two big holes in their top 6, however, with the potential return of Rakell it seems likely that he will have an opportunity to fill one of those holes. Rakell has been practicing on a line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and given his history with the duo it seems likely he return to that spot either tonight or later this week.
Acciari had been centering the Penguins’ fourth line before his injury and seems likely to take up that spot if and when he does return, while Ruhwedel will likely get a look on the Penguins’ third defensive pairing, presumably with youngster John Ludvig who has emerged on the backend for Pittsburgh in recent weeks.
In other Metropolitan Division notes:
- Kevin Kurz of The Athletic is reporting that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim was back at practice today and should be good for tomorrow night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. Sanheim was dealing with an undisclosed illness and missed Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 27-year-old had been heating up before getting sick as he had posted two goals and three assists in his previous five games. Sanheim has been a huge part of the Flyers’ surprising start to the season as his 21 points in 29 games has him second in team scoring behind Travis Konecny.
- Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff is reporting that Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov was a full participant in today’s practice and even was seen taking power play reps with the team. Ruff goes on to add that the 23-year-old could be back in the lineup as soon as tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights. Svechnikov has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury and struggled the week prior to getting hurt. On the season, the former second-overall pick has just a single goal in 16 games, although he does have 10 assists as well. Carolina has underperformed so far this season but currently sits in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Getting Svechnikov healthy and productive once again could be a big boost for Carolina as they close in on the mid-way point of the season.
- Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News is reporting that New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom missed practice today with an illness. The 23-year-old was unlikely to play in tomorrow night’s game even if healthy as he has been a healthy scratch for the Islanders in seven straight games. Wahlstrom has just two goals and three assists in 17 games this season and has been averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time a game when he has been in the lineup.
Evening Notes: Vejmelka, Kessel, Rust
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that several teams are expressing interest in trading for Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka. Weekes doesn’t get into the specifics of which teams have shown interest but does add the Vejmelka enjoys being member of the Coyotes. Ultimately if he stays or goes will come down to whether a team is willing to meet Arizona’s asking price.
The 27-year-old netminder has a very cap-friendly contract at $2.725MM per year and has another on his deal after this season. At a glance, it doesn’t look like a bargain because Vejmelka’s traditional statistics have been brutal. Since joining the Coyotes, Vejmelka has played 114 games in which he has registered a record of 33-63-11. He also has a sub .900 save percentage and a 3.54 goals-against average.
There is no defending those numbers as they aren’t great, however, his overall statistics are badly damaged by a very poor rookie season back in 2021-22. Last year, Vejmelka was quite solid, evidenced by his 11.1 goals saved above expected (Money Puck).
In other evening notes:
- TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that unsigned unrestricted free Phil Kessel has not closed the door on returning to the NHL and is still waiting to be signed. In the meantime, the three-time Stanley Cup champion is exploring the possibility of playing in some games in the Swiss League. Nothing has been decided yet, but the 36-year-old clearly still has the drive to play and would love to hit the 1000-point mark for his NHL career. The NHL Iron Man is no guarantee to reach the Hall of Fame, but if he were to pass the 1000-point mark it would go a long way to him having a chance to make it.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they’ve placed forward Bryan Rust on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Rust has had a nice season thus far as he bounces back from a poor showing last year. In 22 games this year the 31-year-old has 10 goals and 10 assists. The Penguins badly need Rust to return to the lineup as the team has struggled to score goals and will finish this evening with a 13-13-3 record which has them sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division ahead of the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets.
Penguins Notes: Sullivan, Rust, Eller, Acciari
With the Penguins struggling through the first two months of the season, some have wondered if a coaching change could be on the horizon. Speaking with reporters today including Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, GM Kyle Dubas tried to downplay the idea that one could be coming, giving head coach Mike Sullivan a vote of confidence:
Being with him every day and not only seeing his attention to detail on the systems but his attention to detail with the players and coaching them individually and personally, I think we’re very fortunate to have Mike. Do I think that he’s the right person for this job now and far to the future? I absolutely do. It’s on me to help support the coaching staff as best I can to help us get going in the right direction.
Sullivan is in his ninth season behind the Penguins bench with the team posting a .621 points percentage in that stretch, certainly in the upper echelon. However, they enter play tonight sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 11-12-3, putting them six points out of a playoff spot already.
More from Pittsburgh:
- Rorabaugh also relayed some injury updates in a separate column. Winger Bryan Rust is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. He last played on Wednesday, leaving that game early. The 31-year-old has been a go-to piece for the Penguins through the first couple of months, notching 10 goals and 10 assists in 22 games, good for fourth on the team in scoring. With Rickard Rakell currently on LTIR (though eligible to return this weekend), Pittsburgh’s depth on the right wing is certainly going to be tested.
- Center Lars Eller didn’t take part in practice today due to an illness but Sullivan indicated that the veteran is expected to be available for Tuesday’s game against Arizona. The 34-year-old is in his first season with Pittsburgh after signing a two-year, $4.9MM contract early in free agency. Eller has three goals and five assists in 26 games so far while logging a little under 15 minutes a night.
- Meanwhile, fellow middleman Noel Acciari took to the ice before practice as he works his way back from a lower-body injury. The veteran has been out for a little more than a week with the issue and is currently on injured reserve but will be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s cleared to return. Acciari has three points and 44 hits in 22 games so far this season.
Metro Notes: Blue Jackets Hockey Operations, Laine, Gudbranson, Rust
It’s not a controversial statement to say that the Columbus Blue Jackets have not had the season they were hoping to have. Despite aggressive offseason moves adding key young talents and older veterans, the team is currently among the NHL’s worst, undone by underperformance from crucial stars as well as sudden turnover at leadership positions. With the team looking less and less likely to be a true playoff contender, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline sought out comment from Blue Jackets ownership regarding the direction of the franchise. (subscription link)
Team president of business operations Mike Priest, who Portzline calls a “close confidant” of owner John P. McConnell said the following regarding the state of the team: “nobody wants to be where we are with our record. That’s not what we expected.” He also added: “I can say we’re all very frustrated, we’re disappointed.” Many have speculated as to whether the Blue Jackets would consider moving on from general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen. Although Kekäläinen oversaw the most successful period in franchise history under John Tortorella, one wonders if he’ll get the chance to lead the Blue Jackets into the future given the rapid disintegration of his plans to return to the playoffs in 2023-24.
Some other notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- In a less big-picture update from Columbus, team reporter Jeff Svoboda confirmed that star forward Patrik Laine as well as defenseman Erik Gudbranson would both be returning to the team’s lineup after battling illness. Both Gudbranson and Laine had not played in a week. Although Laine has struggled this season he is their most talented goal-scorer, while Gudbranson offers a level of physicality and leadership from the team’s back-end that few other defensemen on their roster can match.
- The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh relays word from Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan who states that forward Bryan Rust is still being evaluated with an upper-body injury. Rust exited the third period of the Penguins’ December 6th loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and has not played since. He’s scored 20 points in 22 games, so any extended absence would be a significant loss for the reeling Penguins. As we covered earlier today, the team signed Jesse Puljujärvi to a tryout agreement provide some additional cover from injuries to its forward corps.
Penguins Recall Three Players, Place Noel Acciari On IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ bottom two lines will have a very different look tonight when they take on the Florida Panthers. The Penguins are desperate to turn things around after a very poor showing against the Tampa Bay Lightning two nights ago and are hoping a shakeup in their bottom six can fix some of their issues. Today the Penguins announced that they’ve recalled forwards Marc Johnstone, Jonathan Gruden, and Valtteri Puustinen from their AHL affiliate.
Johnstone is in his first year with the Penguins organization after signing a two-year, two-way contract on July 2nd. At 27 years old he has never dressed in an NHL game before, meaning he could see his first NHL action in a Penguins jersey. Thus far this season the native of Cranford, New Jersey has two goals and three assists at the AHL level in 21 games.
Gruden was acquired by the Penguins from the Ottawa Senators in the Matt Murray trade back in October 2020 after he was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL entry draft. He dressed in three NHL games in Pittsburgh last season tallying zero points while averaging just over five minutes of ice time per game. In the AHL this season, Gruden has registered five goals and five assists in 21 games.
Puustinen is probably the most intriguing of the three call-ups as he has the longest track record of offensive success at the AHL level. He has started slowly this year with just five goals and five assists in 18 games but does have one NHL game under his belt back in 2022. In his only NHL action Puustinen recorded an assist in just over ten minutes of action.
The recalls demonstrate just how desperate the Penguins are to find a fix to their bottom six woes. Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to find much success outside of their top two lines, and with injuries to Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, their lack of NHL quality depth is beginning to become apparent.
In a corresponding move, the Penguins also assigned forwards Alex Nylander and Joona Koppanen to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Many thought that Nylander turned a corner at the end of last season, but his play this year has been uninspired. He had no points in five games during this recall and looked overwhelmed on most of his shifts. Koppanen didn’t fare any better, going pointless in three games. He struggled on the Penguins’ fourth line with Pittsburgh unable to generate much of anything offensively with the 25-year-old on the ice.
Finally, the Penguins also announced that they’ve placed center Noel Acciari on the injured reserve. Acciari struggled to start the season but was starting to settle in on the fourth line when he was hurt. He also found a role on the Penguins penalty kill which has been one of the few bright spots for the Penguins this season. Acciari has been unable to dress in the Penguins past three games and won’t be eligible to get back in the lineup until next Tuesday. In 22 games this season, the 32-year-old has two goals and one assist while averaging over 12 minutes of ice time per game.
Afternoon Notes: Chytil, Rust, Bogosian
New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette shared that forward Filip Chytil is, “moving in the right direction” with his upper-body injury, adding that he thinks Chytil will return this season. The 24-year-old centerman is currently on long-term injured reserve, sitting out of action since November 3rd with an upper-body injury.
Chytil appeared in 10 games with the Rangers before going down with injury, recording six assists and four penalty minutes. He was averaging nearly 16 minutes of ice time each game through the early season, the highest average of his seven-year NHL career. Chytil scored a career-high 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games last season, after recording either 22 or 23 points in each of his four prior NHL seasons. The step forward in scoring brought Chytil’s career totals to 144 points in 337 games.
Chytil is one of many injured Rangers forwards, with the team also without Barclay Goodrow and Chris Kreider, who are both day-to-day with injury, and Kaapo Kakko, who is alongside Chytil on injured reserve.
Other notes from around the league:
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has provided another update on winger Bryan Rust, saying that he is continuing to be evaluated for an upper-body injury and won’t be available on Friday. Rust has been in and out of the lineup this season, ultimately playing in 22 of the team’s 25 games this season. He ranks fourth on the Penguins in scoring with 10 goals and 20 points.
- The Minnesota Wild have shared that Zach Bogosian could return from his upper-body injury on either Thursday or Friday. Bogosian has missed two games with the injury, managing one point in the nine appearances he has made this season.
Metropolitan Notes: Haula, Fox, Rust
New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein tweeted today that forward Erik Haula did not practice with the team today after suffering an injury on Saturday night. Haula was forced to leave the Devils 7-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres with an undisclosed ailment. The 32-year-old did not join the team on the bench for the third period leading to speculation about what might have happened to the native of Pori, Finland.
Haula has found a home in New Jersey after bouncing around to four different teams between 2019-2022. In 18 games this year Haula has six goals and six assists which is well above his average point production per game. His hot start can be credited to a shooting percentage of 17.1% which is well above his career average of 12%.
Star-Ledger reporter Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that Devils head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that Haula probably won’t be available for the team’s game tomorrow night which would be another blow to a Devils team who have already sustained injuries to much of their forward group, including Timo Meier and Tomas Nosek who were also absent from practice this morning as they continue to deal with ongoing ailments.
In other Metropolitan notes:
- Mollie Walker of the New York Post is reporting that New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox was an active participant in the team’s practice this morning and is eligible to return to the Rangers lineup on Wednesday night when they take on the Detroit Red Wings. The native of Jericho, New York was placed on the injured reserve after suffering an injury on November 3rd when he was hit by Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho. Fox had been on a torrid pace to start the season with three goals and eight assists in the first 10 games of the Rangers season. The 2021 Norris Trophy winner will add a jolt to a Rangers team that sits tied for first in the league with a 15-3-1 record to start the season.
- Matt Vensel of Post-Gazette Sports is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust was a full participant in Penguins practice this morning and he attempts to work his way back into the lineup after missing the team’s last three games with a lower-body injury. Rust practiced on the team’s top line along with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and took reps of the Penguins’ first power play unit signalling that a return could come sooner than later. Shelly Anderson of Pittsburgh Hockey Now is reporting that Rust told reporters that he could play tomorrow night when Pittsburgh visits the Nashville Predators, but nothing is official yet. The Penguins could certainly use Rust back as they’ve had Drew O’Connor filling in during his absence. O’Connor did have an assist in Saturday night’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he lacks the offensive upside that Rust brings to the Penguins top-6 forward group.
Metropolitan Notes: Raanta, Chytil, Rust
The Hurricanes have managed to avoid a true injury crisis in the crease. After he left Wednesday’s game against the Oilers due to what the team labeled as “precautionary reasons,” netminder Antti Raanta is starting today’s contest against the Lightning and won’t miss any time, team reporter Walt Ruff relays.
While Raanta ended up recording the win against the Oilers, he was pulled from the game after the first period, where he allowed one goal on eight shots. Raanta missing any time would have created a significant bind for the Hurricanes, who also released veteran Jaroslav Halák from a PTO this week. Outside of Pyotr Kochetkov, who is serving as Raanta’s backup while starter Frederik Andersen is undergoing treatment for a blood clotting issue, the Hurricanes have only one goalie under NHL contract. That’s Quinnipiac grad and one-time national champion Yaniv Perets, who is in his first season of professional hockey after signing an entry-level deal with Carolina last summer. The highest level of hockey he’s played is second-tier minor hockey, playing with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals this year.
Other notes in the Metropolitan Division on this holiday weekend:
- Rangers center Filip Chytil has taken a key step in his recovery from an assumed concussion, as head coach Peter Laviolette told the New York Post’s Larry Brooks today that the Czech center has returned skating on his own. Chytil, 24, has remained sidelined since November 2 with what’s being labeled an upper-body injury and remains on injured reserve. He had notched six assists in ten games before the injury, which has kept him out of the last seven games.
- Penguins winger Bryan Rust will miss a second straight game with a lower-body injury tonight against the Sabres, head coach Mike Sullivan told Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but it’s likely to be his last absence related to the ailment. Dan Kingerski of National Hockey Now relayed that Rust was a full participant in this morning’s skate and is nearing a return to action. Rust underwent evaluation for a lower-body injury earlier this week, but testing revealed the injury was not serious and resulted in a day-to-day designation. Drew O’Connor, who has just one goal and four points in 18 games this season, has occupied Rust’s spot on the top line. Rust has excelled in the early going, notching 16 points through 17 games.
Snapshots: Oilers, Corey Perry, Penguins Injuries
TSN’s Ryan Rishaug recently provided an inside look at the Edmonton Oilers’ trade market, reporting that the team is willing to move any prospects, roster players, or draft picks – the only untouchables are their first-round pick, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid. Rishaug adds that other teams are undoubtedly aware of Edmonton’s dire situation, giving them a disadvantage in trade negotiations.
It’s no surprise to hear that Edmonton is open to dealing anything if it means an improvement to what they have right now. The Oilers are currently on a three-game losing streak, most recently falling 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes. They are 2-3-0 under new head coach Kris Knoblauch, who took over on November 12th after Jay Woodcroft led the team to a 3-9-1 start.
This is despite the team boasting six different players with 14 or more points through their first 18 games, including three players scoring at a point-per-game pace or better. But they’re also icing four forwards with three or fewer points, including Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark, who have both failed to appear on the scoresheet. The scoring inconsistency is coupled with abysmal goaltending. All three goaltenders that Edmonton has iced this year carry a save percentage below .900, with current starter Stuart Skinner boasting a .865 through 13 games.
Goaltending and depth scoring will be new major pieces to address as Edmonton gears up for trades.
Other notes from around the league:
- Corey Perry is mysteriously missing from the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday practice, after serving as a surprise healthy scratch on Wednesday for, “organizational decisions”, as put by The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus. Fellow alternate captain, Nick Foligno, told Lazerus that the players aren’t sure what the situation is, and head coach Luke Richardson declined to comment further. Perry has nine points in his first 16 games with the Blackhawks organization, joining via trade this summer.
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan shared that all of the team’s injured players are progressing as expected, and that top winger Bryan Rust is still considered day-to-day. Pittsburgh has been battered and bruised this year, currently facing injuries to Rust, Rickard Rakell, Chad Ruhwedel, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and Will Butcher.
Penguins Notes: Rust, Nieto, Samorukov
Post-Gazette Sports reporter Matt Vensel tweeted some updates this morning from Pittsburgh Penguins practice. Vensel said that Penguins forward Bryan Rust was not in attendance as he awaits results from an MRI yesterday. Rust suffered a lower-body injury recently and it is unclear what the injury is or how long he could be sidelined for. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that Rust will not play tonight and is out day-to-day.
The Penguins have already lost fellow right-wing option Rickard Rakell and if Rust is ruled out long-term it will create a massive void in the Penguins top-6 as well as their penalty kill. Rust has been the Penguins’ most consistent winger this year with 16 points in 17 games on top of his inspired penalty killing.
If Rust is absent long-term the Penguins could find themselves in a big hole as they are in the middle of a tough stretch of games and take on the New York Rangers tonight.
In other Penguins notes:
- Vensel also reported that Penguins forward Matt Nieto was in attendance at practice today which is typically a good sign for a player’s availability on a game day. This was confirmed by Sullivan who said that Nieto is available to play but will be a game-time decision. Nieto took a maintenance day yesterday and did not skate with the team. The 31-year-old has struggled to start the season with just a goal and an assist in his first 17 games of the season. He has been a piece of the Penguins fourth line that has provided the team with almost no offence this season but has been a very effective penalty killer when called upon. It’s fair to wonder if Nieto is dealing with a nagging issue as he has been unable to come close to replicating his play from last season when he had 12 goals and 12 assists in 81 games.
- Vensel tweeted that freshly signed defenseman Dmitri Samorukov attended Penguins practice today and has been added to their active roster. The 24-year-old signed a one-year two-way contract yesterday that will pay him $775K at the NHL level for the 2023-24 season. Vensel followed up his original tweet by adding that Samorukov stayed after the Penguins practice for some extra work with the coaches which is generally an indication that he will not play tonight. Samorukov does have three games of NHL experience and has yet to score a point.