Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jonas Johansson

More Injury Updates: McAvoy, Clutterbuck, Devils, Coyotes

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It became apparent over the offseason that injuries were going to be a serious issue for the Boston Bruins this year, at least at the beginning of the season. While there have been positive developments on some, the same can’t be said for All-Star-caliber defenseman Charlie McAvoy. According to The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, there’s no updated timeline on McAvoy’s return, meaning he’s still expected to rejoin the team around Thanksgiving. He is doing some shooting practice, Porter notes, but he’s yet to take any slapshots in practice.

McAvoy had an arthroscopic procedure on his left shoulder back in late May/early June. He could miss around 20 games if the timeline holds true.

  • The New York Islanders announced today that forward Cal Clutterbuck has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to September 26. He’s eligible to be activated at any time, and he’s been classified as day-to-day by the team as he deals with soreness. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said today he doesn’t anticipate Clutterbuck being out for a significant period of time, and he’s been skating on his own.
  • Some unfortunate news for New Jersey Devils fans: captain Nico Hischier has been placed on injured reserve, along with forward Tyce Thompson, after the former left a preseason game against the Canadiens on September 26 with what was classified as “cramping” at the time. His status is now week-to-week with a hamstring injury. Additionally, the team has moved goalie Jonathan Bernier to long-term injured reserve as he continues to recover from a hip procedure last year that ended his season prematurely.
  • We have some clarity on why the Arizona Coyotes put in a waiver claim for Connor Ingram today after claiming another goalie just days prior. Jonas Johansson, who the team claimed off waivers from the Avalanche on September 30, has been moved to injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. As expected, defenseman Jakob Chychrun is also on injured reserve as he’s still recovering from an ankle injury suffered at the end of last season.

Evening Notes: Coyotes Goaltending, Angello, Bloom, Raty

at CDT | by 5 Comments

As this offseason was wrapping up with most team’s rosters relatively clear, the Arizona Coyotes and GM Bill Armstrong made it known that the team was still looking for goaltending with all options, internal and external, on the table. To that end, the team had signed journeyman Christopher Gibson to a PTO ahead of training camp, but released him a couple of days ago. A day later (yesterday), the team claimed another journeyman netminder in that of Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. Should Johansson stick with the Coyotes, it would be his fourth team in three seasons.

Earlier today, Armstrong talked with PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan about Johansson and where the team’s goaltending situation stands. Armstrong said Johansson is expected to be on the ice at the team’s practice facility tomorrow and they will get as many looks as possible at the goaltender during their final three preseason games. The GM added that they will continue to monitor the goalie market and waiver wire going forward. Johansson could have a chance as the Coyotes’ primary backup to Karel Vejmelka, a role that seemed destined for either Ivan Prosvetov, who was assigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners earlier this evening, or the recently-signed Jon Gillies.

  • St. Louis Blues forward Anthony Angello left tonight’s game with an apparent injury and will not return to the game, the team announced. The injury is a tough break for Angello, 26, who is in camp with the Blues after signing a one-year, two-way deal with them earlier this summer. Angello spent his entire career to-date in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, spending time in both the NHL and AHL. It’s unclear how severe the injury is and no timetable has been announced yet, but any significant absence would be bad news for the former Cornell University standout who could have a chance to latch on with St. Louis as a quality depth option.
  • Buffalo Sabres prospect Josh Bloom took another intriguing step in his development, having been named Captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, the team announced. While the honor doesn’t necessarily develop any on-ice skills for the 19-year-old, his ability to be a leader on his team does seem to bode well for his off-ice development and his future in the NHL. The winger had 30 goals and 31 assists in 67 games last year for Saginaw. Mitchell Smith and Dean Loukus will serve as full-time Alternate Captains for the Spirit, while a third alternate will be split between T-Bone Codd and Brayden Hislop.
  • Earlier today when New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert met the media, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz asked the new bench boss about top prospect Aatu Raty, who has impressed so far in Islanders camp. Specifically, Kurz wondered if Raty, who is a natural center, could be a fit on the wing, to which Lambert replied that the 19-year-old is a center only. This would seem to indicate that despite his strong impression, Raty is unlikely to make the Islanders opening night roster, given the team’s strong depth down the middle with Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas. Considering the prospect’s struggles in his first full season in the Finnish Liiga, which contributed to his draft stock slipping, it might make sense that Raty doesn’t spend his first full season in North America in the NHL. However, if he can produce similarly to how he did last season with Jukurit (40 points in 41 games), it is possible Raty could force his way into the NHL sooner rather than later.

Arizona Coyotes Claim Jonas Johansson

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Arizona Coyotes were waiting to see which goaltenders would end up on waivers at the end of training camp, and they’ve found one they like (for now). Jonas Johansson has been claimed off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The other players from yesterday have all cleared.

Johansson, 27, had signed back with the Avalanche after playing this waiver merry-go-round last year, but will have to pack his things again. After being claimed by the Florida Panthers on December 13, 2021, he ended up playing in just two games for his new organization. He was being paid to stay in the NHL and serve as a backup, but the Panthers would routinely bring up Spencer Knight to actually play the games.

That’s sort of been the theme of Johansson’s career to this point. Since first being brought up in the 2019-20 season, he has just 32 appearances in the NHL, and no more than nine for a single team in a single season. Now, even as he goes to Arizona, he likely can’t unpack.

There’s no guarantee that Johansson is on the Coyotes’ roster by the time the season rolls around. As training camps close and roster crunches occur, they could just as easily select another netminder off of waivers. If he ends up back on, the Avalanche would have a chance to bring Johansson back and send him directly to the minor leagues, as long as they were the only team to put in a claim.

For now, he is part of the Coyotes organization and will potentially slot in as the team’s second NHL netminder. While many assumed Ivan Prosvetov would assume that role, he is still waiver-exempt and can play big minutes at the AHL level to continue his development, if they wish.

Waivers: 09/29/22

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Waivers will officially open today, meaning teams around the league can start cutting eligible players with the purpose of sending them to minor league clubs. While the full list will come out at 2 pm ET, some have already started announcing their initial placements. You can see all of the day’s cuts here, but we’ll also keep track of just the waiver portion in this post.

Arizona Coyotes

F Michael Carcone
F Jean-Sebastien Dea

Colorado Avalanche

F Charles Hudon
F Spencer Smallman
D Andreas Englund
D Brad Hunt
D Joshua Jacobs
G Jonas Johansson

Los Angeles Kings

F Austin Wagner

New York Islanders

F Richard Panik
G Kenneth Appleby

New York Rangers

F C.J. Smith
F Turner Elson

This page will be updated throughout the day

Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Jonas Johansson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche have some question marks in net even after acquiring Alexandar Georgiev, meaning they need some depth at the position. That will come in the form of Jonas Johansson, who has re-signed for one year. He’ll be on a two-way contract that carries an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $350K.

After losing Johansson on waivers last December, the Avalanche had to watch as he basically became a practice goaltender for the Florida Panthers organization. The 26-year-old played just two games for Florida and one for their AHL affiliate during the five months he was with the team, meaning he will be a bit out of practice by the time he gets back in game action next season.

That is, of course, if they’re able to get him through waivers this time, which isn’t a given after his experience in 2021-22. He certainly won’t be staying with the Avalanche NHL roster though, unless there’s an injury, as Georgiev and Pavel Francouz are locked in as the everyday tandem.

Florida Panthers Claim Jonas Johansson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have grabbed a bit of extra goaltending depth, claiming Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It’s obviously an interesting decision for a team that already has Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight on the roster, but with the latter struggling in his last game, perhaps the team believes he needs some time in the minor leagues. Knight has never suited up in the AHL, stepping right from the NCAA to the NHL last season for the Panthers after developing into one of the top goaltending prospects in the world. The 20-year-old has played in 12 games this season and has a .904 save percentage.

With Bobrovsky taking the bulk of the work so far–and looking rejuvenated after a pair of underwhelming seasons–allowing Knight to play games at the AHL level might not be the worst thing for his development. There also could be a nagging injury for one of their goaltenders or just another plan that requires Johansson’s services for the time being.

The Panthers have plenty of cap space thanks to the long-term injured reserve placement of Markus Nuutivara and Noel Acciari, but they will need to make a roster move to open a spot for Johansson. The team is currently at 23 bodies, including 14 forwards and seven defensemen.

For Colorado, losing Johansson certainly isn’t ideal. The team does have Pavel Francouz coming back, but they’re now quite thin at the position. Justus Annunen was forced to make his NHL debut recently when Darcy Kuemper suffered an injury, but the young netminder doesn’t appear ready for the highest level. Should Kuemper or Francouz suffer a setback, the team will be scrambling for help once again.

Jonas Johansson Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Per TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Colorado Avalanche have placed netminder Jonas Johansson on waivers.

The move isn’t surprising in the least bit after the team recalled Pavel Francouz from his conditioning loan today. Francouz is gearing up to dress for an NHL game for the first time in over a year.

After a decent end to last season when Colorado acquired him from the Buffalo Sabres, Johansson’s struggled mightily this year. Behind an injured but still sound Avalanche team, he’s posted just a .880 save percentage in nine games played.

Considering his historical struggles at the NHL level, it’s unlikely Johansson gets claimed on waivers. However, he’s one of the better third-string goalies in the league and he does now have 30 NHL games under his belt.

Pavel Francouz Out 3-4 Weeks; Bednar To Miss Preseason Games

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The injuries continue for Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz, who will be out three to four weeks with a lower-body issue. Francouz missed all of last season and has played just 36 regular season games since signing with the Avalanche in 2018. The team also announced that head coach Jared Bednar has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the team’s remaining two preseason games. In his absence, assistant coaches Ray Bennett and Nolan Pratt will takeover.

While losing the head coach is a big blow, it’s Francouz’s absence that is the real headline for the Avalanche. The backup goaltender was expected to carry a steady load this season to help new start Darcy Kuemper stay healthy and fresh, but will now once again be out to start the year. When he’s been healthy enough to play, Francouz has been outstanding, posting a .923 save percentage in those 36 appearances. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been available to the team when they’ve needed him most and is now out of the picture.

One positive is the strong goaltending depth that the team has built, with Hunter Miska and Jonas Johansson in the system. Even beyond them, Justus Annunen sits in the minor leagues as the future at the position, though he has played only three games at the AHL level to this point. There will likely be an opportunity for Colorado to claim another goaltender off waivers in the coming days as well if they choose to, as teams try to slide their third-string options down to the minor leagues.

Snapshots: Extensions, Varlamov, Francouz

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As is human nature, the 2021-22 season has not even started and discussion of the 2022 off-season has already begun. Tracking the impending free agent class, whose numbers inevitably decrease each year, is part of every season. Some will sign extensions soon, others will wait and see how the season progresses, and others are bound for the open market (and possibly the rental trade market beforehand). Pierre LeBrun writes for The Athletic that some of the biggest names among potential 2022 UFA’s are unlikely to become available. In fact, he believes the prize of the market, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, has quietly been making steady progress on a new deal and could sign soon. LeBrun also reports that the Dallas Stars and John Klingberg are having “good and constant dialogue” on an extension while, unsurprisingly, future Hall of Famer Patrice Bergeron will have the deal of his choosing from the Boston Bruins if he feels healthy this season and decides to extend his career. Less certain are the futures of Tomas Hertl and Morgan Rielly, who could be the top targets on the free agent market if they don’t re-sign with their current teams. The San Jose Sharks are still hopeful they can re-sign Hertl, but that could very well depend on their success this season and whether a continued relationship makes sense, especially if Hertl could be a trade deadline gold mine. LeBrun feels Hertl’s days in San Jose are numbered. Barring an unforeseen disaster, Rielly will remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs all year, but the team will have to do some serious work early next summer in order to clear the cap space for an extension. LeBrun does not expect a resolution, one way or another, until after the season. Pittsburgh Penguins veterans Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are expiring contracts whose futures are still too early to call, among many others across the league including restricted free agents as well. There will plenty to watch, as usual, over the course of the coming season.

  • The New York Islanders are already facing some concerns in net. The team was taking a risky approach to their net depth as is by entering the season with cold veterans Cory Schneider and Ken Appleby as the backups to their NHL tandem of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. They may now be forced to call upon one of the two right away, as Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that Varlamov will not play in either of the Isles’ final two preseason games and is unlikely to be available for opening night, per head coach Barry Trotz. Schneider and Appleby played a combined nine games last season, all with AHL Bridgeport. Appleby has not played an NHL game since 2017-18 and Schneider has a .903 save percentage and 3.07 GAA over his last 79 NHL appearances. If the Islanders need to rely on either at the NHL level for an extended period of time this season, it could mean trouble. New York is hoping Varlamov can get back to action soon.
  • The Colorado Avalanche dealt with their own goaltending depth problems last season when backup Pavel Francouz was lost for the year. While Philipp Grubauer was a workhorse for Colorado, the absence of an established understudy led to young Hunter Miska receiving NHL experience and eventually the acquisition of Jonas Johansson, who performed well late in the year. Fortunately for the Avs both are back this season, as Francouz is already back in the injury spotlight. Francouz suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday night’s preseason game, reports Colorado Hockey Now’s Scott MacDonald. While head coach Jared Bednar denied that the issue was related to Francouz’s 2020-21 issues, it is hard to feel confident about the veteran goaltender playing on two surgically-repaired hips when he is already experiencing another injury. There is expected to be an update on Francouz’s condition later this week. Johansson would be the next man up if Francouz is unable to start the season, though new starter Darcy Kuemper is capable of being a workhorse himself if need be.

Colorado Avalanche Hire Peter Budaj

at CDT | by 2 Comments

A familiar face is heading back to Denver. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports that Peter Budaj has been hired by the Colorado Avalanche as the “Development Goaltending Coach”. Budaj returns to the NHL organization responsible for his own pro development to assist with the same for the Avs’ goaltending prospects. Dater states that Budaj will primarily be responsible for communicating with and advising Colorado’s goalies outside of the pro ranks. He will likely have a major presence at development and training camps and could have input into the drafting goaltending prospects as well.

Budaj, 38, only retired in 2019 after a career renaissance extended his playing days well beyond what had been anticipated. A second-round pick of the Avalanche in 2001, Budaj got his start in the NHL in 2005 and spent six years with Colorado. He then moved on to the Montreal Canadiens for several seasons, but by 2016 had spent the past two seasons almost exclusively in the AHL. Yet, injuries to the Los Angeles Kings keepers the following season gave Budaj another chance and he responded with an elite season, the best of his career by far. This led to a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning and then eventually a return to L.A. that extended his career several seasons after it seemed to be winding down in 2016.

Budaj jumped into coaching immediately after retirement, taking an assistant coach position with both the Bozeman Ice Dogs of the NA3HL and at Montana State University with their ACHA club. After a year off during the pandemic, Budaj is ready to take the next step, jumping into a key developmental role for his former team. Interestingly though, it is not clear who Budaj will be working with this season. The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have their own goaltending coach, so if young prospect keepers Justus Annunen and Trent Miner wind up in Loveland despite Jonas Johansson and Hunter Miska also slated for jobs with the Eagles, it leaves little for Budaj to work with. Perhaps if either are demoted to the ECHL or loaned elsewhere, that will become Budaj’s focus this year. The only other prospect goalie in the organization is Russian Shamil Shmakov, who is expected to play in the second tier VHL this year. Regardless of who ends up working with Budaj, they will benefit from the veteran’s experience and knowledge of the position.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top