Trade Notes: Garland, Haula, Duhaime, Greer
After yesterday’s report that the New York Islanders were in serious discussions to acquire Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks, no completed trade has emerged. In a subsequent update from Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the Islanders may be pulling away from their pursuit of Garland.
Rosner stated that the Canucks are active on multiple fronts regarding Garland, suggesting that a bidding war might be starting. Additionally, Rosner believes that Vancouver’s asking price for Garland may be too much for the Islanders to stomach.
New York still has time to reconsider Garland or seek a more affordable solution. There’s no question the team could use additional offense, especially on the powerplay. Garland has scored 82 goals and 221 points in 370 games since joining the Canucks in 2021, with 55 of those points coming on the power play.
Additional trade notes:
- For teams not interested in paying the price for Robert Thomas or Vincent Trocheck, the Nashville Predators have another center option available for trade. According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Erik Haula is drawing interest from around the league. Haula, a pending unrestricted free agent, has scored nine goals and 30 points in 61 games for Nashville this season, averaging 16:38 of ice time. Additionally, Haula was impressive for Team Finland at the Olympics, scoring three goals and six points in six games, helping his country to a bronze medal.
- In a separate report from Weekes, the former netminder shared that Brandon Duhaime of the Washington Capitals and A.J. Greer of the Florida Panthers are drawing interest as potential bottom-six options. Each forward is incredibly physical and can chip in offensively when needed. Greer has had the better year between the two, scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 61 games with 159 hits.
Central Notes: Toews, Jets Injuries, Predators
Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews can be marked off any trade deadline wish lists, as the future Hall of Famer says he will invoke his no movement clause if approached, as explained in a piece by Murat Ates of The Athletic.
The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners welcomed Toews back into the NHL after a two-year hiatus. Joining his hometown club, there were slight hopes the 37-year-old could be a viable second line center, but even if not, he’d be a key presence in a smaller role. Unfortunately things have not gone to plan for Winnipeg, as injuries and a brutal 11-game winless streak at the New Year have sunk the team’s playoff hopes.
Toews’ 19 points in 56 games indicate decline, but he still shows a respectable 48.5% corsi for at even strength, an improvement from his final days as a Blackhawk in 2022-23. As a three-time Stanley Cup winner, practically any contender would welcome Toews with open arms, but the 37-year-old is perfectly content with his childhood favorite team, where he’ll focus on finishing the campaign strong.
Elsewhere across the division:
- Also in Winnipeg, Head Coach Scott Arniel told reporters, including Mitchell Clinton, team Color Analyst, that Neal Pionk is week-to-week with what’s called a “new” injury. The defenseman was nearing a return from a lower-body ailment which sidelined him since January 13, but is now dealing with another issue. With just eight points in 40 games, it figures that Pionk has not been up to full speed all season. Nino Niederreiter is also week-to-week, injured while playing for Switzerland in the Olympics. At 33, the usually dependable scorer has taken a step back with just eight tallies on the year. Finally, Josh Morrissey will miss the team’s road trip, but should return afterward, as soon as March 3 against Chicago. The top defender was injured against Czechia in the Olympics and will have to miss his first game of the campaign as a result.
- Trade discussions on Nashville Predators forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Erik Haula are expected to ramp up until the March 6 trade deadline, as reported in an article from The Fourth Period. Insider David Pagnotta mentioned that the Predators were working on deals which had to wait due to the Olympic trade freeze, although it’s unclear exactly which players were in discussion. While Steven Stamkos has come to life of late, Marchessault, 35, has been unable to find his footing as a Predator, with just 17 points on the season. Still signed through 2028-29 at $5.5MM and with a full no movement clause, Nashville would likely take back an unfavorable contract and a limited return if they could avoid retention. Meanwhile, Haula was picked up to be a stop gap center in his second stint as a Predator. A pending unrestricted free agent, he can veto trades to six teams, but would surely welcome a move to a contender, and will have interest in such a weak center market.
Predators Acquire Erik Haula From Devils
The New Jersey Devils have traded winger Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defense prospect Jeremy Hanzel and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
In largely a surprise move, Nashville will take the stride to become just a bit older – and shore up their center depth in the process. They’ll do it with a familiar name, returning Haula to Tennessee four years after he spent the shortened 2020-21 season with the club. They were one of many clubs he stopped at for a year-or-less as part of a three-year journey across the NHL. That wandering came to an end when Haula was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Devils in exchange for Pavel Zacha in July 2022.
Haula was coming off a great year in the 2021-22 campaign, when he scored 44 points in 78 games. He continued to look sharp in his first year with the Devils, netting 41 points in 80 games while operating down the team’s lineup. His depth scoring was exactly what New Jersey needed behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, though Haula fell to just one point in five games of the Devils’ run to the second-round.
His slide in scoring continued through the last two seasons. He scored 16 goals and 35 points in 76 games last season, then dropped to 11 goals and 21 points in 69 games this year. He was hindered by day-to-day injuries in 2023-24, and an ankle sprain earlier this year.
Haula has fallen firmly into the rut of depth scorer late in his career. He was once a hot shooter for the Vegas Golden Knights, and managed a career-season in the club’s inaugural season. Haula scored 29 goals and 55 points that year, but again slid to just nine points in 20 postseason games. Throughout his career, he’s tallied up 153 goals and 337 points in 759 games. He’s also averaged an 11.5 shooting percentage. Nashville has had a knack for adding shooters to their lineup in recent years, and will find another for a cheap price in this move.
On the other side, the 22-year-old Hanzel will make yet another move before even playing in his first NHL game. The Predators previously acquired Hanzel alongside a 2025 third-round pick in the 2024 move that sent Yakov Trenin and Graham Sward to the Colorado Avalanche. Hanzel played in his first pro season in the Predators’ organization this year. Much of it was spent in the ECHL, where he totaled 22 points and a minus-24 through 61 games. Hanzel spent the four seasons prior playing with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, where he carved out a top-pair role and supported a 2023 championship run despite never scoring at-or-above point-per-game pace. He is a stocky, physical defender who is still adjusting in his ability to use size and strength against pro opponents. As those traits come along, Hanzel’s standing in the New Jersey pipeline could improve.
Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Chatfield, Quapp, Devils
While some head coaching searches may soon be wrapping up, don’t expect that to be the case for the Penguins. Speaking with The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he plans to do a second interview in-person with the final few candidates for the role in the final week of May when he returns from Sweden where he’s in charge of Canada’s entry at the Worlds. From there, the hope is to have the new hire in place by June 1st before Dubas leaves for the Draft Combine a few days later. The new coach will be taking over for Mike Sullivan, who was one of the longest-tenured bench bosses in the league before parting ways with him earlier this month.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield did not take part in practice today in advance of Tuesday’s Eastern Conference Final opener, relays Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted over the weekend that he was hopeful that the 29-year-old would be ready for the opener after missing the last game against Washington with an undisclosed injury but that may be in some question now. Today, the bench boss noted that Chatfield will likely need to be a full participant in tomorrow’s game-day skate to have a shot at suiting up.
- Still with the Hurricanes, goaltending prospect Nikita Quapp has signed a one-year deal with Eispiraten Crimmitschau in Germany’s second division, per a team release. Carolina drafted the 22-year-old back in the sixth round in 2021 but he has struggled. After spending most of 2023-24 in the second division, Quapp moved up to the DEL this year but only got into nine games with Dusseldorfer where he posted a 4.08 GAA and a .870 SV%. Carolina holds Quapp’s rights through June 1st and considering his struggles and this contract, it’s fair to say they will be letting those rights go in a couple of weeks.
- James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now highlights a trio of Devils players whose trade protection decreases at the beginning of July. Center Erik Haula goes from a full no-trade clause to a six-team no-trade clause while winger Ondrej Palat and defenseman Dougie Hamilton go from a full no-trade to a 10-team no-trade (while retaining no-move rights for waiver purposes). GM Tom Fitzgerald vowed to be active this summer following an early exit in the playoffs so having a few more potential trade options could certainly help in that regard.
New Jersey Devils Activate Erik Haula, Reassign Brian Halonen
The New Jersey Devils have taken their last player off injured reserve as they enter tonight’s action against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils announced they’ve activated forward Erik Haula from the injured reserve and reassigned forward Brian Halonen to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, in a corresponding roster move.
Tonight’s game against the Penguins will be Haula’s first in exactly a month. The veteran middle-six forward suffered a sprained ankle in New Jersey’s January 4th matchup against the San Jose Sharks leading to his placement on the team’s injured reserve.
The 33-year-old from Pori, Finland, is experiencing his lowest average offensive output in an 82-game season since his second year with the Minnesota Wild during the 2014-15 campaign. This season, he has scored five goals and recorded 11 points in 42 games with the Devils, placing him 14th on the team in scoring and 10th among forwards.
It’s an understandable decline, given his deteriorating responsibility with New Jersey. He’s only one year removed from scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 76 games for the Devils, averaging 16:53 of ice time per game. His usage was primarily based on team necessity, as New Jersey suffered an onslaught of injuries last year.
Haula has seen his average ice time drop by approximately two and a half minutes, which makes him more of a third-line scoring option at this point in his career. Still, given his ability to play all three forward positions and his experience on the special teams, he’s one of the multiple cost-effective options the Devils could put anywhere in the lineup.
Halonen, the former standout at Michigan Technological University, returns to AHL Utica after a two-game stint in New Jersey. He’ll return to his role as a productive top-six forward, having scored 54 goals and 86 points in 138 career games as a Comet, although the team has struggled dramatically in that time.
Metropolitan Notes: Haula, Malkin, Duclair, Edstrom, Stillman
It has been one of the busiest weeks of the season for the Metropolitan Division. Five of the division’s eight teams have made trades in the last few weeks, and all eight clubs are dealing with multiple injuries. That’s sparked plenty of news and updates – starting with the New Jersey Devils, who plan to bring centerman Erik Haula on their upcoming two-game road trip despite already ruling him out for Sunday’s game against Buffalo, per team reporter Amanda Stein. Stein added that Haula will practice with the team on the road trip and be questionable for Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh. Haula suffered an ankle injury on January 5th and has been out of action ever since. He’s missed 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on January 17th. He resumed skating four days later and was upgraded to out day-to-day on January 29th.
Haula is now one step closer to returning. Having already been ruled out of Sunday’s game, he’ll have three more opportunities to get back into the lineup before the team goes on a two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off. Whether or not he’ll be able to return before that break will be notable, as Haula has been selected to represent Team Finland at the tournament. He has so far made no indication that he won’t be able to play – but the thought of his absence will weigh on a Finnish club that recently lost top defenseman Miro Heiskanen for the tourney. Haula is in the midst of a down year, with just 11 points in 42 games – his lowest scoring pace since the 2016-17 season. But he’ll still be an important addition to the Finns’ lineup should he return back to full health, likely to slot in as a middle-six winger with Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz, Aleksander Barkov, and Anton Lundell manning the middle lane.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for an even more notable return, after franchise legend Evgeni Malkin has returned to practice in a non-contact jersey on Saturday, per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Malkin has missed Pittsburgh’s last four games and is still expected to miss a few more with a lower-body injury. He will be hard-pressed to return before Pittsburgh’s 4-Nations break begins on February 8th. The Penguins have lost two of the games that Malkin has missed. They were outscored 9-2 in the pair of outings. With that in mind, Pittsburgh will hope their future Hall-of-Fame Russian can get back to full health ASAP – and get back to building on the 34 points he’s scored in 47 games this season. Malkin continues to play a pivotal role on the team’s second line, averaging north of 18 minutes of ice time this season.
While New Jersey and Pittsburgh gear up for returns, the Islanders will have yet another lineup vacancy to fill, with winger Anthony Duclair set to miss Saturday’s game due to illness, per Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports. Duclair missed over two months of action earlier in the year, sitting out from October 20th to December 21st with a lower-body injury. He scored three points in his first three games back, but has been ice cold ever since – with just two points in his last 14 games. Duclair has held onto top-nine ice time despite the scoring drought, giving the Islanders a hardy role to fill as he misses yet another game. Marc Gatcomb has returned to the lineup to fill the vacancy, earning another chance to find scoring after playing in his first seven NHL games, and scoring his first goal, earlier this season. Gatcomb will fill a fourth-line role, while Simon Holmstrom has been promoted into the top-nine.
Joining the list of Metropolitan absentees is New York Rangers forward Adam Edstrom, who suffered an apparent injury in the team’s Saturday loss to the Boston Bruins. No specifics of Edstrom’s injury or timeline have been revealed. It’s terrible timing for the towering forward, who’s scored two points and seen a boost in ice time over his last five games. His absence will force the Rangers to fill a hole on their fourth line, likely opening the door for Arthur Kaliyev, Jimmy Vesey, or top prospect Brennan Othmann to earn a spot start. Vesey notably voiced concerns over his ice time recently – and could now have a golden chance to prove he can make a lasting impact with minimal minutes.
Closing out the littany of Metro updates – the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned depth defenseman Riley Stillman back to the minor leagues. Stillman was recalled for his season debut on Friday. He played in just under eight minutes of ice time and recorded one shot and two hits. He’ll now return to the minor leagues, where he’s scored two goals and five points through 15 games.
Devils Place Erik Haula On IR, Recall Colton White
1/18: Halonen has been returned to the NHL roster and will step into the lineup on Saturday, per James Nichols. Nichols also shared that the team is also anticipating the return of Noesen, who should return to his premier role in the middle-six.
1/17: The New Jersey Devils have moved centerman Erik Haula to injured reserve retroactive to January 4th, when Haula suffered an ankle sprain in a loss to the San Jose Sharks. He has missed five games since then. In a corresponding move, New Jersey has also recalled defenseman Colton White from the AHL’s Utica Comets. White’s recall gives New Jersey a seventh defenseman ahead of their pair of home games this weekend.
Haula is joined on the absentee list by fellow middle-six forward Stefan Noesen – who has missed the Devils’ last two games with illness. The duo’s absence has weighed heavily on a Devils team whose lack of depth is quickly becoming apparent. Noesen has far-and-away been the more productive of the pair, so far posting 28 points in 45 games this season. He’s only nine points shy of passing the career-high 37 points he scored last season – a mark he should smash, even despite missing time recently.
Haula only has 11 points on the year to match, a far step down from his point totals over the last three seasons. He has managed 44, 41, and 35 points in the last three seasons respectively – the first coming with Boston and the latter two in New Jersey. Haula’s ability to produce from down the depth chart has been a vital piece to keeping the Devils’ offense cohesive. New Jersey hasn’t found a replacement for that production with Haula lacking, and aren’t likely to find further help in his absence.
Finally, depth winger Brian Halonen has been reassigned to the Utica Comets in a paper transaction, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Halonen has posted a serviceable 13 goals and 21 points in 31 AHL games this season, but is still searching for his first NHL point after two scoreless games last season.
Snapshots: Predators, Haula, Hurricanes, McCabe
The Predators have recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from AHL Milwaukee, per the AHL’s transactions log. He’ll take the place of Jeremy Lauzon on the active roster who has been moved back to injured reserve. Gravel has an assist in three games with Nashville so far this season but is likely to be in the seventh defender role for the time being. He also has five points in 25 games with the Admirals. Lauzon, meanwhile, just returned from injured reserve midway through last month, getting into six games before being sidelined with a lower-body injury once again. He has one assist and 127 hits in 28 games thus far in just under 18 minutes a night of playing time.
Elsewhere from around the NHL:
- The Devils announced (Twitter link) that center Erik Haula is listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury and is set to undergo further testing. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including James Nichols of NJ Hockey Now that the veteran is going to miss some time. It has been a rough year for Haula thus far as he has just five goals and six assists in 42 games. Even extrapolated for a full season, his projected output would be well below the 44, 41, and 35 points Haula had in the last three years.
- Hurricanes winger William Carrier was a late scratch from their game against Pittsburgh. The team announced (Twitter link) that he’s dealing with a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old is in his first season in Carolina after signing a six-year deal with them over the summer and has nine points along with a team-high 136 hits in 39 games. In a corresponding move, winger Juha Jaaska was brought back up from AHL Chicago, per the AHL’s transactions log, after being sent down on Thursday. He made his NHL debut on Wednesday, playing 8:21 against Florida.
- The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Jake McCabe suffered an upper-body injury in tonight’s game against Philadelphia and won’t return. The injury occurred in a fight late in the opening period. McCabe has been an important part of Toronto’s back end, logging over 21 minutes a night while chipping in with 11 points, 68 blocks, and 75 hits in his first 35 games this season.
Metro Notes: Zibanejad, Haula, Tatar, Engvall
The New York Rangers have made the brazen decision to scratch team captain Jacob Trouba, in anticipation of a trade or waiver placement. But the team isn’t looking to shake things up too much further, with Mollie Walker of the New York Post sharing that centerman Mika Zibanejad has yet to waive his no-movement clause. Zibanejad’s name has been side-by-side with Trouba’s in fan discussions about the team’s issues. He’s in the third year of an eight-year, $60MM contract – carrying a cap hit of $8.5MM each season. The deal features a full no-movement clause in every season, something that’s become quickly contentious as Zibanejad has struggled to make a mark off the puck this season.
To his credit, Zibanejad still has five goals and 18 points in 24 games this season. Still, that’s an 82-game pace of just 62 points – Zibanejad’s lowest scoring pace since the 2017-18 season. Four of his goals have come at even-strength, but his assists are nearly perfectly-split between five-on-five and special teams. That’s undermined Zibanejad’s role in the top-six, not helped along by a -14 showing off his defensive woes. There seemingly has to be more for the 31-year-old centerman who scored 39 goals and 91 points just two seasons ago – and who has received Selke Trophy votes in four of the last five seasons. For now, the Rangers will look to rediscover those talents internally – while they sort through a similar situation with their top defender.
More notes from the Metro Division:
- The New Jersey Devils will see the return of both Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar on Friday, per NHL.com’s Amanda Stein. Tatar has missed the team’s last two games with a lower-body injury in the Devils’ last Friday matchup against Detroit. He logged just six shifts and three minutes of ice time before stepping away with a lower-body injury that game, but still found a way to record an assist – bringing him up to four points in his last five games. Tatar will return to the lineup with nine points in 26 games this season, operating out of New Jersey’s bottom-six. He’ll be joined in that assignment by centerman Haula, who missed practices this week with an undisclosed injury. Haula hasn’t missed any gametime, and returns to full health with five goals, 11 points, and 46 shots through 28 games this season.
- The New York Islanders will be scratching forward Pierre Engvall on Saturday. When asked about the decision, head coach Patrick Roy told Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, “I know Pierre is trying hard, and we are all trying hard. Right now, maybe, my expectations are higher than what he’s been showing. That’s all it is.” Engvall has been a contentious piece of the Islanders lineup. He posted a three-game scoring streak earlier in the month, but has no points and a -4 in six games since – while rotating through New York’s bottom-six. He’ll now head to the press box, creating room for Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching to earn more ice time.
Devils Notes: Hardman, Trade Market, Haula
The Devils announced Tuesday that they’ve reassigned winger Mike Hardman to AHL Utica.
New Jersey recalled Hardman yesterday ahead of their 5-1 win over the Rangers. The 25-year-old skated 8:24 in his Devils debut as their fourth-line left wing alongside fellow call-ups Justin Dowling and Nathan Legare, attempting one shot and recording two blocks and two hits while losing his lone faceoff attempt.
The Devils have shaken up their depth forwards frequently in recent days amid the indefinite absences of Nathan Bastian (jaw) and Curtis Lazar (knee), giving AHL mainstays like Adam Beckman and Shane Bowers some looks. Hardman may get another crack in the lineup, but with New Jersey off until Friday against Seattle, it makes little sense to keep a waiver-eligible player on a two-way deal on the active roster unless necessary.
Hardman is fifth on Utica in scoring this season with five goals and three assists for eight points through 10 games. He’s in his first season in the Devils organization after spending the previous three years and change with the Blackhawks and their AHL affiliate in Rockford.
There’s more out of the Garden State:
- While the Devils are content for now to give some of their minor-league depth a crack at NHL minutes, it’s not a long-term solution. Their top priority ahead of the trade deadline will be adding a fourth-line center and a top-nine piece if possible, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. “I’ve been in touch with teams. … I’m looking for utility players, I guess — guys who can skate,” Fitzgerald said. “I like size and versatility and guys who can play in the middle and on the wing.” Lazar checked most of those boxes, but there’s no certainty about whether he’ll be available again this season. It’s a return to a buyer mentality on the trade market for the Devils, who were largely sellers at last year’s deadline but have rebounded to a 17-9-2 record and a 96% chance at postseason action, per The Athletic.
- New Jersey may have suffered another hit to their depth forward corps with center Erik Haula being evaluated for an undisclosed injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe told the team’s Amanda Stein. He’s day-to-day but hasn’t been ruled out for Friday’s contest, Keefe added. The 33-year-old has five goals and 11 points in 28 games this year, although his 14:52 average time on ice is his lowest since the 2016-17 campaign.