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Justin Danforth

Sabres Sign Justin Danforth, Tyson Kozak

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Forward Justin Danforth is heading to the Sabres on a two-year deal worth $1.8MM per season, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports. They also re-upped RFA forward Tyson Kozak on a three-year deal worth $775,000 per season, carrying a two-way structure in 2025-26 and a one-way structure in 2026-27 and 2027-28.

Danforth’s addition to the Sabres’ lineup addresses a need that the team has been trying to fulfil for several years. Last summer, the team added Beck Malenstyn and Ryan McLeod to their bottom six, and this summer, they have brought in Josh Doan and Danforth.

He’s coming off a fairly successful run with the Columbus Blue Jackets, playing in a similar role. Throughout the last two years, Danforth has scored 19 goals and 47 points in 132 games with a -16 rating, averaging 14:19 of ice time per night. His scoring output should slightly dip with the Sabres, assuming the team plays him in a fourth-line role.

The most important part of Danforth’s game is his physicality. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with 126 hits, which would have ranked fifth on the Sabres and fourth among forwards. In an odd move at the time, Buffalo traded away one of their most physical players, Dylan Cozens, to the Ottawa Senators at last year’s trade deadline.

Meanwhile, Kozak returns to the only organization he’s ever known. The former 193rd overall selection debuted with the Sabres last year, scoring three goals and five points in 21 games. His track record is better known with their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, where Kozak has scored 18 goals and 36 points in 127 games with a -3 rating.

Like Danforth, Kozak is expected to be a physical presence for the Sabres to plug into their bottom-six. Given that the first year of the deal begins as a two-way contract, it seems the Sabres would like Kozak to have another year of seasoning with Rochester before making the full-time jump to the NHL level.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Snapshots: Granlund, Holmberg, Perfetti, Penguins, Danforth

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While the Stars have been trying to find a way to keep pending UFA center Mikael Granlund in the fold, he will be testing the open market today, mentions Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link).  The 33-year-old had his second straight year of at least 60 points last season, notching 22 goals and 44 assists across 83 games between San Jose and Dallas while adding 10 points in 18 playoff contests.  Granlund is now the best center option in a market that has dwindled sharply in recent weeks, setting him up for a multi-year deal at a price tag above the $5MM he made in each of the last four years.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Despite non-tendering him yesterday, the Maple Leafs have interest in retaining center Pontus Holmberg, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link). He would have been owed a qualifying offer of around $866K but that would have carried arbitration rights, something Toronto didn’t want to risk.  Holmberg had 19 points in 68 games last season and will have interest on the open market while the Maple Leafs will be looking to keep their depth contracts low to increase their flexibility to upgrade other areas of the roster.
  • Now eligible to sign a contract extension, Jets forward Cole Perfetti will have new representation doing so. Murat Ates of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the 23-year-old is now being repped by CAA after previously being with KO Sports.  Perfetti is coming off a career year after putting up 18 goals and 32 assists last season.  He has one year remaining on his bridge deal which carries a cap charge of $3.25MM AAV.  Perfetti will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer.
  • While the Penguins are known to be willing to move out some of their veterans, that doesn’t mean they won’t be quiet in free agency as well. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period notes (Twitter link) that Pittsburgh is expected to pursue some depth veterans in free agency today to fill out their roster.  GM Kyle Dubas is a known proponent of having plenty of depth options to also help fortify their farm team so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them add some veterans even while being open to moving others.
  • The Blue Jackets are still in talks with pending UFA forward Justin Danforth in the hopes of getting something done before the open market opens up, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 32-year-old has been a versatile depth player for Columbus for the last four seasons and is coming off a campaign that saw him record 21 points in 61 games while taking 661 faceoffs, winning just under half of them.

Blue Jackets Notes: Provorov, Danforth, Keskinen

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The Blue Jackets met with the representative for pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov at the combine this week, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link).  Projected as one of the top blueliners to hit the open market next month, he’s in a position to realistically command a max-term contract which would be seven years with another team or eight if Columbus signs him by the end of June.

However, Portzline notes that thus far, GM Don Waddell has been prioritizing a shorter-term agreement with the 28-year-old.  Presumably, that offer would come with a higher AAV compared to a max-term offer but with over $40MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, they can safely afford to overpay if it got them a more desired term on the deal.  Provorov had 33 points in 81 games this season while logging over 23 minutes a night and at this point, it’s unclear if he’d be amenable to a shorter-term pact.

More from Portzline’s piece on the Blue Jackets:

  • Pending UFA forward Justin Danforth has switched agents. Previously represented by Puck Agency’s Jay Grossman, his new agent is Newport’s Pat Morris.  Danforth played in 61 games this season, notching nine goals and 12 assists while also playing center on a full-time basis for the first time in his career.  Coming off a one-year, $1.1MM deal, Danforth should be able to beat that on the open market next month if he doesn’t wind up re-signing with Columbus which Portzline notes is the veteran’s preferred outcome.
  • The contract that prospect Oiva Keskinen received from the Blue Jackets last month contains a European Assignment Clause for next season.  The 21-year-old is expected to get a chance to crack the NHL roster but he can trigger the return to Tappara in Finland if he doesn’t break camp with Columbus.  A seventh-round pick in 2023, Keskinen had 15 goals and 20 assists in 59 regular season Liiga games but was limited to just a single assist in nine playoff outings.

Blue Jackets Activate Justin Danforth From Injured Reserve

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The Blue Jackets activated forward Justin Danforth off injured reserve Monday, general manager Don Waddell announced. He’ll play for the first time in 18 games when Columbus takes on the Islanders tonight.

Danforth, 31, sustained a lower-body injury at some point during a 5-3 loss to the Flyers on Dec. 10. He also missed the first three games of the campaign while recovering from offseason wrist surgery, limiting him to 25 of Columbus’ 46 games this season.

Now firmly established as a regular in the Blue Jackets lineup when healthy, the diminutive Danforth has three goals and five assists for eight points with a minus-seven rating. The natural winger has frequently factored in down the middle for Columbus this season, winning 48.2% of his 280 faceoffs, and sees the most average time on ice per game while shorthanded of any Jackets forward.

A late bloomer, Danforth didn’t make his NHL debut with Columbus until 2021-22, his age-28 campaign. In 147 career appearances with the Jackets, he has 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points. He’s slated for unrestricted free agency this summer after completing a one-year, $1.1MM extension he signed in October 2023.

Danforth has overcome his small frame by playing an aggressive, high-speed game. His 63 speed bursts over 20 mph rank in the 70th percentile among skaters this season, according to NHL EDGE, and he finished fifth on the Jackets in hits last season with 109.

While not a significant impact piece at even strength, his return nonetheless aids a Columbus offense that’s still dealing with injuries to top-six forwards Yegor Chinakhov and Sean Monahan, as well as captain Boone Jenner. The club has still managed a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games and sits in the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference based on both standings points (51) and points percentage (.554).

The Blue Jackets opened up a roster spot last week when they demoted goaltender Jet Greaves, so no corresponding transaction for Danforth’s activation is necessary. PuckPedia projects that he’ll likely re-enter the lineup in a fourth-line role alongside Sean Kuraly and Mikael Pyyhtia while Kevin Labanc heads to the press box. 

Blue Jackets Recall Denton Mateychuk For NHL Debut

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The Blue Jackets are recalling top defense prospect Denton Mateychuk from AHL Cleveland, reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game, which could be as soon as tomorrow against the Canadiens. The team later announced that forward James Malatesta was returned to Cleveland in a corresponding transaction, while Justin Danforth also landed on injured reserve. Additionally, goaltender Jet Greaves was added on an emergency recall and will be available tomorrow against Montreal.

As Portzline notes, it’s unclear if Mateychuk’s recall is in response to an injury to star blue-liner Zach Werenski. He sustained an apparent knee injury early in the third period of yesterday’s overtime loss to the Flyers after getting tangled up with Philadelphia winger Owen Tippett but only missed a couple of shifts before returning. Head coach Dean Evason confirmed postgame that Werenski wasn’t 100%, though, calling his status for tomorrow “hopeful” (via Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch).

Mateychuk, 20, is now undoubtedly the highest-caliber defense prospect in the Blue Jackets organization after they traded David Jiříček to the Wild last month. McKeen’s Hockey ranked him as the second-best prospect in the system behind center Cayden Lindstrom at the beginning of the season, while Scott Wheeler of The Athletic listed him as the No. 35 prospect in the league over the summer. Columbus selected him 12th overall in 2022 after taking Jiříček sixth, and he responded with eight goals, 57 assists and 65 points in 63 games while captaining the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League in his post-draft year.

The Winnipeg native improved further in 2023-24, posting 75 points and a +35 rating in 52 games with Moose Jaw while winning the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL’s top defenseman. He added 11 goals and 30 points in 20 playoff games as the Warriors captured their first-ever WHL championship, and he was crowned playoff MVP after leading the postseason in assists with 19. He headed to AHL Cleveland for his first taste of professional hockey after his Memorial Cup run with Moose Jaw was over, posting three assists in four postseason contests.

That showing had Mateychuk in contention to land a spot on the Blue Jackets’ opening night roster, but a logjam of names ahead of him meant he was one of the final cuts from their training camp. He took the demotion in stride and then some, racking up nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points through his first 27 regular-season games with Cleveland. That’s good enough for the league lead in scoring among defensemen – obviously a major accomplishment for a rookie.

A left-shot defenseman, Mateychuk checks in at 5’11” and 192 lbs. He’s in the first season of his entry-level contract, which was signed in 2022 but slid twice due to a lack of NHL service team. He’ll be eligible to test restricted free agency in 2027.

Malatesta, 21, was recalled last Wednesday amid a lower-body injury to Danforth, who hasn’t played since Dec. 10. The 2021 fifth-round pick played in the Jackets’ last two games, posting a -1 rating and averaging 10:34 per game while failing to register a shot on goal. The Montreal native is producing 0.48 points per game through 25 appearances with Cleveland this season, up from last year’s 0.39 mark.

Since Danforth has missed more than seven days with his lower-body injury, he’ll be eligible to come off IR at any time. The Sacred Heart product has three goals and five assists for eight points in 25 games this season and is averaging a career-high 15:20 per night.

Greaves’ recall coming under emergency conditions suggests either Elvis Merzļikins or Daniil Tarasov will be unavailable to dress for tomorrow’s game. Tarasov has been healthy by all accounts but hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 5, when he surrendered six goals on 36 shots to the Oilers. The 25-year-old is in danger of losing the No. 2 spot on Columbus’ goaltending depth chart to Greaves after logging a poor .857 SV% and 4.26 GAA through nine starts. The 23-year-old Greaves, meanwhile, has a .896 mark through three games.

Blue Jackets Activate Justin Danforth, Reassign Dylan Gambrell

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are gaining some reinforcements for the second game of their four-game homestand. Columbus announced the organization activated forward Justin Danforth from the injured reserve while reassigning Dylan Gambrell to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, after clearing waivers today.

Danforth’s formal activation was expected with Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reporting earlier today that Danforth would be in the lineup tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Hedger also added that veteran defenseman Jack Johnson will return to the lineup rather than prospect David Jiříček in Erik Gudbranson’s absence.

Danforth failed to participate in any preseason games for Columbus last month while dealing with a wrist injury and will make his season debut this evening. He’s set to begin his fourth season with the organization after signing out of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2021.

He had his best professional season last year despite the Blue Jackets being a non-contending team. He scored 10 goals and 26 points in 71 games while averaging 14:16 minutes of ice time per night which was good for 12th on the team in scoring.

He’s expected to slot into the right wing next to James van Riemsdyk and Adam Fantilli on the team’s third line for tonight’s game against the Sabres. His two linemates have not played their best hockey to start the year combining for a 2.4 xGF and a 3.8 xGA according to HockeyReference.

Snapshots: Fowler, Danforth, Nosek, Lankinen

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Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Ducks and veteran defenseman Cam Fowler were working on finding a new team for him to play for.  With Anaheim firmly in a rebuild and Fowler only having two years left on his contract, a change of scenery would make sense for both sides.  GM Pat Verbeek told reporters including Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription link) that he doesn’t sense that this will be a distraction, highlighting that Fowler is fully committed to the team.  The 32-year-old has spent his entire 14-year career with Anaheim and sits third in franchise history in games played (974) and fifth in points (453).  With most teams at this point wanting to see what they have first before pondering potential moves, it’s likely that a move involving Fowler will take some time to materialize.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While Blue Jackets winger Justin Danforth has been cleared to resume some on-ice work as he works his way back from a hand injury, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that Danforth might not be cleared for contact for another two or three weeks. Accordingly, that would likely put the start of the regular season out of reach for the 31-year-old in jeopardy.  Danforth had a career-high 26 points in 71 games last season while spending time at all three forward positions.
  • Panthers center Tomas Nosek left today’s preseason game early after colliding with the boards following a trip, notes team reporter Jameson Olive (Twitter link). While he briefly tried to return later in the period, he ultimately didn’t return to the contest.  Nosek is in his first season in Florida after signing a one-year deal with them in free agency.  The 32-year-old battled injury trouble last season, missing 43 games due to four separate issues, managing just six points in 36 appearances when he did suit up.
  • The one-year, $875K deal that the Canucks reached with goaltender Kevin Lankinen on Saturday carries an eight-team no-trade clause, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). It’s the first time in his career that the 29-year-old will have any form of trade protection in his contract.

Metro Notes: Mercer, Karlsson, Danforth

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The New Jersey Devils are prepping to begin training camp tomorrow without forward Dawson Mercer but the team hopes it won’t be for long. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported earlier that the team continues to discuss a new contract with Mercer but there is still no deal.

Mercer has been one of the most consistent forwards for the Devils over his entry-level deal as evidenced by the fact he has not missed a game since debuting in the 2021-22 NHL season. His first two years saw him score 44 goals and 98 points in 164 contests for New Jersey but his scoring depressed last year with 20 goals and 33 points in 82 games. The dip in scoring last year and his discouraging defensive play during his first three years may be why contract talks have dragged into training camp.

He’s still a solid tactician in the offensive zone and his change-of-direction capabilities make him an obvious choice to put on the right wing next to Timo Meier and Jack Hughes. New Jersey currently has just under $5MM in cap space which should allow them to sign Mercer on a two-year bridge deal if both sides are amicable.

Other Metro notes:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins were without top defenseman Erik Karlsson on the first day of training camp due to an upper-body injury (X Link). Head coach Mike Sullivan indicates the absence of Karlsson was only precautionary according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Karlsson is looking to rebound from a 56-point campaign during the 2023-24 NHL season and his offensive output should improve with David Quinn taking over the team’s powerplay coaching duties.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets received some positive news on the injury front as team reporter Jeff Svoboda relays that forward Justin Danforth has been medically cleared from an offseason wrist injury and can begin ramping up for the regular season. Danforth was a bright spot for the Blue Jackets last season on the team’s bottom-six putting up 10 goals and 26 points in 71 games while only averaging 14:16 of ice time per night.

Blue Jackets Looking To Add Forwards In Free Agency

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The Blue Jackets’ forward group has been thinned out in recent weeks.  The team moved Patrik Laine to Montreal while Johnny Gaudreau tragically passed away late last month.  Meanwhile, GM Don Waddell told reporters today including Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch (Twitter link) that forward Justin Danforth won’t be available for the start of training camp due to a hand/wrist injury.

Danforth sustained the injury late last season and underwent offseason surgery.  However, it appears that the recovery isn’t going as well as possible and he’s set to be re-evaluated on Monday.  The 31-year-old posted a career-best 10 goals and 16 assists in 71 games last season while spending time on the wing and down the middle, making him a capable role player.  But now, his availability for the start of the season is in question.

By his count, Waddell states that the team is down to just 10 healthy regular forwards heading into training camp.  While players like Trey Fix-Wolansky, Gavin Brindley, James Malatesta, or free agent signing Dylan Gambrell could play their way into the mix, it stands to reason that they’ll be looking to make some additions up front.

While some might expect those moves to come on the trade front given that they’re nearly $3MM below the $65MM cap floor per PuckPedia, it doesn’t appear that will be the case.  Instead, Waddell indicated that their intention is to sign one or two forwards before training camp, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link).  These would be players on full contracts, not tryouts.

However, the list of remaining unrestricted free agents isn’t exactly the deepest, especially among those who aren’t tied to a team via a PTO.  Among the remaining options that haven’t secured a tryout are wingers James van Riemsdyk, Mike Hoffman, Kyle Okposo, Blake Wheeler, and Phil Kessel, who hasn’t given up hope on playing after not suiting up last season.

While signing a couple of those players would help, it wouldn’t get them to the cap floor, barring an overpayment on those contracts.  However, Hedger relays (Twitter link) that he has been in talks with the league and the NHLPA about that and isn’t concerned at this time about being penalized if they stay under that number this season.  While that’s something for them to worry about later on, in the meantime, it looks like Columbus will be making a signing or two in the coming days.

East Notes: Couturier, Rasmussen, Danforth, Kuraly

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A difficult season for Flyers captain Sean Couturier continues. The 31-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury in Monday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders, and head coach John Tortorella is “not sure when he’ll be back,” he told reporters today (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia). He carries a day-to-day designation, though, and hasn’t specifically been ruled out of Friday’s contest against the Sabres. He’s without a point and has a -4 rating in six games since returning from back-to-back healthy scratches in mid-March, not the response he or Tortorella was looking for. Couturier’s recent struggles have been a significant reason why the Flyers’ playoff chances have dropped by about 25% in the past few weeks, as they now find themselves in a nearly neck-and-neck race with the Capitals and Red Wings for two playoff spots. He’s logged over 15 minutes in a game just twice since the beginning of March and has played mostly fourth-line minutes since his healthy scratches. The 2011 eighth-overall pick has at least managed to remain mostly healthy after missing most of the last two seasons due to back injuries, but his offensive impact has been greatly diminished with 11 goals and 36 points in 70 games, his worst point-per-game pace in nine years.

Elsewhere out East:

  • Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen won’t play against the Rangers on Friday due to an undisclosed injury and has been awarded a day-to-day designation, head coach Derek Lalonde said today. The 2017 ninth-overall pick has a career-high 33 points and was one of four Red Wings to play all 75 games this season. He’s unlikely to reach the offensive ceiling expected of a top-10 pick, but the 24-year-old sits among one of Lalonde’s most trusted shutdown forwards and has averaged 15:11 per game, also a career-high, while shifting from center to wing for most of the campaign. 60.3% of his even-strength zone starts have come in the defensive end, leading all qualified Red Wings forwards and trailing only Moritz Seider among skaters. Robby Fabbri is expected to slide into a top-nine role with Rasmussen out, while Daniel Sprong returns to the lineup as the fourth-line right wing.
  • Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth is dealing with an illness and is questionable for tomorrow’s clash against the Islanders, head coach Pascal Vincent told Jeff Svoboda of the team’s official site. If he’s ruled out, they’ll need to make an emergency recall from AHL Cleveland, as they aren’t carrying any healthy extras on the roster. Saddled with short-term injuries, Columbus has cycled through a multitude of youngsters as of late that they’d certainly rather have playing important developmental minutes in the minors down the stretch. One player nearing a return is Sean Kuraly, who Vincent said practiced today and is close to returning but won’t be ready tomorrow. He carried a week-to-week designation after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Canadiens on March 12. Danforth has played only once since returning from a concussion that sidelined him for nearly a month, posting zeros across the board in 9:31 of ice time in a 4-1 win over the Avalanche on Monday.

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