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Jacob MacDonald

Avalanche Recall Jacob MacDonald

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The Avalanche announced that defenseman Jacob MacDonald has been recalled from AHL Colorado. Their roster size is now 25, and his recall presumably comes under emergency conditions, with Samuel Girard, Erik Johnson and Josh Manson all not expected to play tonight against the Red Wings because of injury.

MacDonald will kick off his second NHL stint with the Avs, assuming he enters the lineup. An undrafted free agent signed by the Panthers in 2018, he was flipped to Colorado the following summer and spent nearly four years in the Avalanche organization. A dual-threat defenseman and left-winger, he was traded to the Sharks midway through the 2022-23 campaign but returned to the Centennial State on a two-year deal last summer.

The 32-year-old Portland, Oregon, native has been spectacular on the Eagles’ blue line this season. He’s posted 27 goals through 55 games – three short of the record set by John Slaney for goals by a defenseman in an AHL season. The recall certainly hurts his hopes of tying or breaking that record, but he should have a few games left to do it, assuming Girard’s and Johnson’s injuries remain short-lived. He’s added 23 assists for 50 points with a +19 rating, leading the Eagles in scoring.

MacDonald previously scored 1-10–11 in 74 NHL games for Colorado from 2020-21 to 2022-23, along with a +10 rating while averaging 11:37 per game. He shouldn’t expect more minutes than that tonight, as he’ll likely replace Johnson in a third-pairing role alongside little-used Keaton Middleton.

MacDonald will presumably be returned to the AHL once one of the Avs’ injured rearguards is ready to return to the lineup. The Cornell product is on a two-way deal that pays him a $525K salary in the minors. He’ll remain in the organization next year, after which he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

Waiver Wire: 9/30/24

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Another 12 players have hit the waiver wire today as part of training camp cuts across the league, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. All of the 25 players on waivers yesterday cleared without incident, he adds.

Colorado Avalanche

D Jacob MacDonald

Edmonton Oilers

D Connor Carrick
D Cam Dineen

Los Angeles Kings

F Jeff Malott

Minnesota Wild

F Travis Boyd
F Brendan Gaunce
F Devin Shore

San Jose Sharks

F Justin Bailey
D Jimmy Schuldt

St. Louis Blues

F Nikita Alexandrov

Utah Hockey Club

F Travis Barron
D Kevin Connauton

Avalanche Sign Joel Kiviranta, Calvin De Haan, Jacob MacDonald, Chase Bradley

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The Avalanche are re-signing Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal, per a team announcement. They’ve also agreed to terms with UFA defenseman Calvin de Haan on an undisclosed deal, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. Per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, de Haan’s deal is worth $800K. Additionally, they’ve brought defenseman/winger Jacob MacDonald back into the organization on a two-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$525K AHL each season, per PuckPedia.

They’ve also signed forward Chase Bradley to a two-year, entry-level deal with an $872.5K cap hit, per PuckPedia. Bradley, 22, was a 2020 seventh-round pick of the Red Wings but became a free agent earlier today after leaving his school with one year remaining of eligibility, something he was eligible to do since it has been four years since he was drafted.

Kiviranta joined Colorado last season, inking a one-year deal in mid-November after playing with the Eagles before that.  The 28-year-old played in 56 games, primarily on their fourth line where he picked up three goals, six assists, and 78 hits in a little under nine minutes per game.  He suited up in eight playoff contests, recording a goal and an assist in just under 12 minutes per contest.  He’ll have a shot to battle for a fourth-line spot again with the Avs next season.

As for de Haan, he’s joining his fourth team in as many years.  The 33-year-old had a depth role with Tampa Bay last season, playing in 59 games with the Lightning.  He picked up 10 points along with 82 blocks and 96 hits along the way while averaging 16:38 per game, up by more than three minutes a night compared to his average the year before with Carolina.  At the moment, de Haan projects to have more of a regular role with Colorado but that could change depending on what other depth options are brought in.

MacDonald, meanwhile, spent parts of five seasons between the Avalanche and Eagles before being moved to San Jose in January 2023.  The 31-year-old spent last season with the Sharks but battled multiple injuries which helped limit him to just 34 games where he had seven goals and two assists in just over 12 minutes a game.  He also cleared waivers back in February, resulting in six AHL appearances with the Barracuda before being recalled at the trade deadline for the rest of the season.  He could be in the mix for a depth spot on the back end as things stand.

As for Bradley, he spent the last three years at the University of Connecticut, setting new personal bests with 11 goals and 11 assists in 31 games.  A report from April suggested he didn’t want to sign with Detroit and instead wanted to test free agency; he didn’t waste much time finding a new home as Colorado adds to their prospect pool with his signing.

Multiple Sharks Players Shut Down For The Season

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In an article from Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, multiple members of the San Jose Sharks did not travel with the team for their current road trip to Western Canada, officially ending their season with the organization. Pashelka notes that Kevin Labanc, Mike Hoffman, Filip Zadina, Alexander Barabanov, Jacob MacDonald, Jan Rutta, and Mackenzie Blackwood will not suit up for the team’s final game against the Calgary Flames, and may have played their last games in San Jose.

Of the seven players listed, four will go to unrestricted free agency, one will go to restricted free agency, and two are signed into next year. Realistically, Labanc, Hoffman, and Barabanov will all head towards greener pastures, while the team may opt to keep MacDonald as a depth piece for the 2024-25 NHL season.

Even though Zadina will become a potential non-tender candidate this offseason, he may not find any interest outside of the Bay Area. Producing moderately well with 13 goals and 23 points in 72 games for the Sharks this season, Zadina’s defensive metrics from this year may be too ghastly for other teams to overlook, indicating that if he does play outside of San Jose, it will likely be in the AHL.

After acquiring Devin Cooley and Vitek Vanecek at this year’s trade deadline, Blackwood could be an interesting trade candidate this summer. In 41 starts for the Sharks this season, Blackwood has produced a 10-25-4 record, with 24 of those measuring as Quality Starts according to Hockey Reference. Certainly not playing himself into a starting role with his efforts this year, Blackwood could become a serviceable backup option for a contending team next year.

Nevertheless, it is not necessarily a negative that most of these players will be moving out of San Jose this offseason. With the Sharks hitting rock bottom over the past two years, it is now time to thin out a very saturated roster as much as possible to create space and playing time for San Jose’s up-and-coming prospects.

Injury Notes: Marner, Eriksson Ek, MacDonald

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Missing the team’s most recent game against the Montreal Canadiens, concerns began to arise regarding the status of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner. However, in comforting news surrounding the star forward, it was revealed that Marner was only dealing with a mild ankle sprain, and would take a few more days to fully recover (Article Link).

Down the stretch, with Marner playing in nearly all of Toronto’s games this season, the Maple Leafs may opt to keep him out of the lineup for several games due to load management. Taking into account the recent downturn from the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto now holds a comfortable playoff position in the Atlantic Division by a margin of eight points.

The Maple Leafs could theoretically catch up to the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division race, but they would only be playing for home-ice advantage in the first round, as it is unrealistic to imagine the team catching up with the Florida Panthers. Keeping this in mind, it will be more important that all the star players on Toronto’s roster are fully healthy for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, which will inevitably influence the organizational decision-making over the next several weeks.

Other injury notes:

  • Before the team’s game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, the Minnesota Wild announced that center Joel Eriksson Ek would miss the game due to a lower-body injury. It is a tough loss for Minnesota, as the team has willed their way back into the Western Conference playoff conversation. Eriksson Ek has been a focal point of that effort, scoring four goals and 15 points in his last 12 games for the Wild.
  • On a minor note, the San Jose Sharks announced that defenseman Jacob MacDonald would miss the team’s game tonight due to an illness. Recently recalled on March 9th after the Sharks’ trade deadline day moves, MacDonald has played in two games since that transaction. Over the season, on the whole, MacDonald has played in a total of 24 games, scoring six goals and seven points overall.

Sharks Recall Jacob MacDonald

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After moving Nikita Okhotyuk to Calgary in a late move before Friday’s trade deadline, the Sharks were down to just six defenders on their active roster.  They’ve determined who his replacement on the roster will be as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled blueliner Jacob MacDonald from AHL San Jose.

The 30-year-old has spent most of the year with the Sharks but playing time was limited thanks to three separate injuries that kept him on injured reserve for 29 games.  In between those, MacDonald got into 22 games, recording six goals and one assist along with 37 hits while averaging a little over 12 minutes a night.

Last month, the Sharks opted to place MacDonald, a pending unrestricted free agent, on waivers to give a longer look to some of their other options.  He cleared and was sent to the Barracuda a little more than two weeks ago.  He suited up six times for them, collecting four assists.

There’s a decent chance MacDonald might not wind up back there as Ty Emberson is on injured reserve while Matt Benning is likely done for the season so MacDonald could be in a depth role for the Sharks for the stretch run.  Since this is a post-deadline recall, he would be eligible to return to the Barracuda later on while this will count as one of their four allowable regular recalls unless there’s another blueliner whose availability for their game tonight against Ottawa is in question.

Sharks Assign Jacob MacDonald To AHL

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Feb. 21: MacDonald cleared waivers Wednesday, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks subsequently assigned him to the Barracuda, per a team announcement.

Feb. 20: The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Jacob MacDonald on waivers, per a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Not only will this mark MacDonald’s first waiver placement of the season, but also represents the first time the Sharks have attempted to move MacDonald down to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.

A versatile player for the Sharks, MacDonald will more than likely offer the same versatility to the Barracuda in the coming days as they stay committed in their playoff hunt. Over 22 games for the Sharks this year, MacDonald has scored six goals and seven points overall while averaging a touch over 12 minutes of ice time per game.

Even though he’s played in about half as many games as his peers on the roster, MacDonald sits tied for eighth on the team in total goals and tied for third on the team in powerplay goals. Due to the playing time he has been offered in San Jose, MacDonald has scored 13 points over 47 games with the Sharks, two more points than he achieved with the Colorado Avalanche, even with 27 more games played.

At the AHL level, MacDonald has produced at a solid rate, scoring 68 goals and 121 assists over 271 career games. If he does clear waivers, it will mark his first action in the AHL since the 2021-22 season, when he scored 10 goals and 25 points in 33 games for the Colorado Eagles.

Sharks Notes: Ferraro, MacDonald, Hertl

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The Sharks moved blue-liner Mario Ferraro to injured reserve on Monday, per CapFriendly. Ferraro, 25, has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury sustained against the Kings over a week ago.

While he’s eligible to return at any time, given he’s been sidelined for at least seven days, Ferraro is likely to sit out the Sharks’ two remaining games before the All-Star break, according to the last update on his status. The Sharks have an odd schedule surrounding the break – after getting two games in on Tuesday and Wednesday before the league schedule shuts down for a brief prior, they’re off for an extended period of time after the break. Ferraro will have a full two weeks to recover after the Sharks’ back-to-back slate this week, and all signs point to him returning for their Feb. 14 contest against the Jets.

Signed through 2026 with a $3.25MM cap hit, Ferraro is the Sharks’ de facto number-one defender after trading Erik Karlsson to the Penguins last summer. It’s a tough spot for the 6-foot, 209-lb Canadian to be in, although he’s on pace to break his previous career-high in points. He’s scored once and added 13 assists in 47 games this season, averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. He’s boasted better even-strength possession numbers than the average Shark this season, but the team’s abhorrent defensive depth means he’s been on the ice for 90 total goals against – the most of any player in the league.

Other updates from San Jose:

  • Ferraro was moved to IR to create a roster space for Jacob MacDonald, who the team activated from IR yesterday. The defenseman-turned-winger has been one of the team’s most effective goal-scorers when in the lineup this year, but a laundry list of appearances has limited him to 17 games. Despite that, his six goals are tied for sixth on the team. The 30-year-old’s latest absence was a lower-body injury that kept him out of the lineup since Christmas, resulting in a 15-game absence. It’s unclear whether he’ll draw into the lineup tonight for a Sharks team that’s gaining some relative momentum, winning three out of their last four games.
  • Adding to their win total over the next two days may be tough without the services of first-line center Tomáš Hertl, who head coach David Quinn said is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (via The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka). The 30-year-old did not practice yesterday and may have been injured in the same collision against the Sabres last Saturday that sidelined Buffalo winger Jack Quinn for the next eight weeks. Unsurprisingly, Hertl’s 15 goals and 34 points lead the Sharks, as does his nearly 21 minutes of ice time per game among forwards. A Hertl absence would mean a slightly elevated role for captain Logan Couture, who has an assist in slightly over 18 minutes per game in four contests since returning from a lower-body injury.

Sharks To Activate Jacob MacDonald From IR

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The Sharks will activate defenseman-turned-forward Jacob MacDonald off injured reserve before today’s game against the Canucks, head coach David Quinn told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News.

MacDonald, 30, has missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury and has not played since the Sharks’ back-to-back ten-goal concessions against the Canucks and Penguins earlier this month. Those are his only two appearances this season, posting a goal, an assist and a -5 rating.

The Oregon-born journeyman will slot in on the fourth line alongside a pair of similarly seasoned veterans, Ryan Carpenter and Givani Smith. MacDonald, in the second season of a two-year, $1.525MM contract, came to the Bay Area via trade from the Avalanche last season. He appeared in 25 contests for the Sharks after the trade in 2022-23, notching a goal, five assists, and a -11 rating.

An undrafted free agent signed by the Panthers back in 2018, MacDonald played three full pro seasons in the AHL and ECHL after graduating from Cornell University before finally earning an NHL deal. Since then, he’s played in 103 games, including a career-high 58 split between the Sharks and Avalanche last year.

Standing at 6 feet and over 200 pounds, MacDonald will likely remain on the roster for the time being as a solid supplementary veteran presence. He will need waivers to head to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda if the team chooses to demote him to the minors, where he hasn’t played since 2021-22.

Sharks Notes: Gushchin, Lindblom, Benning, MacDonald

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When the Sharks returned high-ceiling winger prospect Daniil Gushchin to the minors yesterday, most thought he would be back up quickly after getting some playing time over the weekend. However, head coach David Quinn told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now that Gushchin’s demotion is of a more permanent nature.

Gushchin, 21, was the 76th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Quinn called the second of two games on Gushchin’s recent call-up “a little bit of a hard game for him” and thought he got “overwhelmed defensively.” While he would likely provide a bit more offensive punch than many currently on the Sharks’ roster, the organization obviously believes in playing the long game with Gushchin and thinks dominating the AHL, where he has 13 points in 11 games with the San Jose Barracuda, is better for his development at this stage.

Elsewhere around the Sharks conversation today:

  • Also, speaking to Peng earlier today, Quinn said forward Oskar Lindblom’s recovery timeline from his lower-body injury is week-to-week. Lindblom landed on IR five days ago after a recent call-up, playing just one game before sustaining the injury – which prompted Gushchin’s initial recall. The former Flyers winger, who recovered from a diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma in 2020, did not get on the scoresheet in his lone appearance and has just two points in eight games with the Barracuda this season.
  • Quinn also confirmed that a pair of injured Sharks defenders, Matt Benning and Jacob MacDonald, are close to returning to the lineup and will likely travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. The veteran pair have played just a combined ten games this season and are likely to return within the next week, while the Sharks have two games against more northern Pacific Division neighbors. MacDonald has taken line rushes as a forward in his return to practice with the team and will likely suit up in a fourth-line role when he does play, while Benning, in the second season of a four-year deal, could be slated for a top-four role on a very fluid Sharks backend. No corresponding moves will need to be made to activate them while center Nico Sturm, who carries a non-roster designation while on personal leave, is away from the team.

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