Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mitchell Chaffee

Snapshots: Merzlikins, Nurse, Atkinson, Puljujarvi

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets will have to stick with alternative options in net as starter Elvis Merzlikins is not expected to be healthy for the team’s season finale on Thursday per NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Merzlikins has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. He’s not far off from a return and has already returned to practice, should Columbus find a way to extend their season. To make the playoffs, the Blue Jackets will need to win their final game, and hope the Montreal Canadiens lose their finale against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Columbus has utilized red-hot goaltender Jet Greaves in the wake of Merzlikins’ injury. The 24-year-old fill-in has been stellar over his recent stretch, winning each of his last four games and recording two shutouts. In total, Greaves has posted a .975 save percentage over his last stretch. The performance has been a continuation of Greaves’ dominant season in the minor leagues, where he’s recorded a .920 save percentage in 40 appearances – sixth-highest in the NHL.

The Blue Jackets will face a tough decision should they break into the postseason. Merzlikins has a quaint .892 save percentage and 26-21-5 record on the season. That’s been enough to perform above backup Daniil Tarasov’s .881 save percentage, but it’s hardly been enough to boost the squad’s playoff odds. With Greaves having one of the hottest gloves in the hockey world over his last four games, Columbus could opt for the youngster as they pursue their first playoff bid since 2020.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended for one game for cross-checking Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, per an announcement from the Department of Player Safety. No details on if Byfield is injured have been released, though he was a scratch in Los Angeles’ final game of the season. Nurse will miss Edmonton’s season finale – an ultimately inconsequential game with the squad already locked into a First Round matchup with the Kings. As things stand, both Nurse and Byfield are expected to return for Game 1 of the postseason. Nurse will look to find a spark after netting 33 points in 76 games this season, while Byfield will continue his lead of the Kings’ lineup, after scoring 23 goals and 54 points in 80 games. Byfield ranks fourth on the Kings in scoring.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled veteran depth forward Cam Atkinson. The move comes after fourth-line forward Mitchell Chaffee was banged up in the team’s Tuesday win over the Florida Panthers. Atkinson has been assigned to the minors on multiple occasions but hasn’t played in any AHL contests. His only hockey this season has come from 38 games in the Tampa Bay lineup, where he’s recorded nine points, eleven penalty minutes, and a minus-four. Atkinson may need to fill Chaffee’s depth role in Tampa Bay’s Thursday finale against the New York Rangers. Chaffee has 12 goals and 18 points in 66 games this season.
  • Speaking of Chaffee, Florida Panthers winger Jesse Puljujarvi is set to have a DoPS hearing for an illegal check to the Lightning forward’s head on Tuesday. Puljujarvi hasn’t yet received any discipline from DoPS in his eight-year NHL career. He’s playing with his fourth NHL club in the last three years in Florida, and has one goal and 15 penalty minutes in five games. Puljujarvi earned his call-up to the Panthers lineup after recording 12 points in 20 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He’ll be one of many options the team has as they enter the postseason, though any lineup role would be minimal.

Lightning Notes: Paul, Kucherov, Chaffee

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Lightning center Nick Paul will be available for tonight’s home game against the Sharks after missing the last six games with an undisclosed injury, head coach Jon Cooper told Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun.

Paul was listed as week-to-week late last month but never landed on injured reserve. The 29-year-old is expected to shift to the wing on a line with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli in his return to the lineup while the Bolts dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, barring any last-minute recalls.

It was a banner start to the season for Paul, now in his third full campaign with Tampa after they acquired him from the Senators before the 2022 trade deadline. He had five goals and eight assists for 13 points through 17 games, so far shattering his previous career-best points per game rate of 0.56 set last season.

Paul has, however, been less involved physically, with 0.29 blocks per game and 1.12 hits per game compared to 0.51 and 1.27 last season. He’s now in the third year of the seven-year, $22.05MM extension he signed in 2022.

More out of Tampa:

  • Paul draws into the top six in part due to an undisclosed injury to star winger Nikita Kucherov, who Cooper said won’t play versus San Jose but could return against the Canucks this weekend. It’s the second game in a row that the 31-year-old will miss with the injury, which he sustained last Friday against the Predators. The five-time All-Star has 34 points in 22 contests this season, ranking fourth in the league with 1.55 points per game. The injury marks his first multi-game absence since missing three games with COVID-19 in the 2021-22 campaign.
  • Cooper said the Bolts would also be without Mitchell Chaffee’s services up front. The 26-year-old winger will miss his fourth straight game with an undisclosed injury but remains day-to-day. He’d been a quality depth piece in the early going, already recording career-highs in goals (five) and points (nine) in 20 games while averaging 13:04 per game. The Michigan native is also tied for sixth on the team with 25 hits.

Atlantic Notes: Lalonde, Matheson, Lundell, Chaffee, Gregor

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Analyst Darren Dreger shared worrying news for the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Derek Lalonde, in yesterday’s edition of TSN’s ’Insider Trading’. Dreger highlighted Detroit’s three-game homestand, which begins tonight, as the last chance for Lalonde to continue in his role behind the Red Wings bench.

Lalonde is in the final year of his contract originally signed before the 2022-23 NHL season. He’s compiled an 85-79-21 record as head coach of the Red Wings and has missed the playoffs in his two full seasons behind the bench. General manager Steve Yzerman has typically stayed patient with his head coaches since his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, it’s seemingly growing thin with Detroit’s lack of competitiveness.

The firing of Lalonde would mark a significant shift in how the Red Wings have approached coaching in the recent past. Detroit has not fired a coach in-season since the late Mike Illitch purchased the organization in 1982.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Mike Matheson will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury. It’s concerning that Matheson has missed two games in a row but the Canadiens won’t play again until Saturday which should give Matheson plenty of time to recover if it’s a minor injury. He’s been an effective puck mover again this season with 12 assists in 20 games.
  • Chances are Anton Lundell’s availability for tonight won’t be decided until warm-ups. According to Colby Guy of the Associated Press, Lundell’s status is still in the air depending on his ability to see through a bubble shield after suffering a facial injury in the Florida Panthers’ last game against the Washington Capitals. The Panthers are expected to change their lines should Lundell not feel ready to go.
  • According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, forward Mitchell Chaffee won’t be in tonight’s lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Chaffee only skated in 9:55 of Tampa Bay’s dominant win against the Colorado Avalanche Monday night after skating on the team’s second line next to Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. In his three recent games on the second line, Chaffee recorded one goal and three points.
  • Depth forward Noah Gregor will be a game-time decision for the Ottawa Senators tonight (X Link). Gregor has missed five straight games for the Senators after scoring two goals and three points in his first 16 contests.

Lightning Sign Mitchell Chaffee To Two-Year Extension

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Lightning have re-signed winger Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year contract, per a team announcement Thursday. The deal, his first one-way pact, carries a cap hit of $800K and a total value of $1.6MM.

Chaffee, 26, landed with the Lightning last summer on a one-year, two-way contract with a $350K guarantee after reaching Group 6 unrestricted free agency. An undrafted free agent signing by the Wild in 2020, Chaffee made his NHL debut in Minnesota in 2021-22 but played just two games with the club, instead spending most of his time on assignment to AHL Iowa.

The Michigan native had set himself up as a top-six minor-league contributor early on, totaling 23 goals and 39 points in 49 games by his second professional season. But a torn ACL in his right knee ended his 2022-23 campaign after seven points in 10 games, after which the Wild opted not to bring him back and let him walk to free agency.

Healthy once again, Chaffee began the season on assignment to AHL Syracuse after clearing waivers and was solid on a middling offensive club, recording 12 goals and 26 points in 36 contests. He was recalled twice on brief stints in December and January but remained on the NHL roster for the rest of the regular season and playoffs after a Feb. 5 recall. In 30 games with the Bolts, primarily stepping in for the injured Tanner Jeannot, the 6’1″ winger had four goals in seven points while averaging 11:17 per contest. He struggled to get the puck on net, averaging less than one shot on goal per game but was a skilled finisher and shot nearly 15%.

Possession numbers weren’t particularly kind to Chaffee, who posted a below-average 47.4 CF% and 41.1 xGF% at even strength, per Hockey Reference. He did manage to stay out of the box, though, taking just two minor penalties

He’ll be in consideration for an opening-night roster spot next season, but ideally, he serves as their 12th or 13th forward option. He didn’t display enough offensive talent to elevate into a top-nine role long-term, and his poor relative possession numbers, despite seeing even offensive and defensive usage at even strength, don’t paint the best picture of him as a third-line checking threat.

After re-upping Chaffee, the Lightning have $11.79MM in projected cap space next season with a roster size of 17, per CapFriendly. A good chunk of that will go toward attempting to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos and avoiding losing him after 16 years and nearly 1,100 games with the club. Chaffee was set to become a Group 6 UFA yet again this summer if not extended.

Atlantic Notes: Woll, Kämpf, Poitras, Forbort, Chaffee, Jeannot

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll is ramping up his workload in practice as he recovers from a high ankle sprain, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday (via Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun). However, the 25-year-old’s return to game action remains up in the air as his absence stretches into its third month.

Keefe said the Leafs are targeting Woll’s return sometime in the middle of February, but his status has not yet been upgraded to day-to-day. Woll has also not been a full participant in practice since returning to the ice.

The team’s leader in SV% (.916) and goals saved above average (6.2) has been sidelined since a rather innocuous play in the third period of a Dec. 7 contest against the Senators. Luckily for Toronto, they’ve been able to get some solid goaltending performances in his absence – Ilya Samsonov has a 3-1-0 record and .939 SV% in four appearances since clearing waivers at the beginning of January, and third-string veteran Martin Jones has held the fort with a .911 SV% and two shutouts in 17 appearances, along with a 9-6-1 record.

Elsewhere from the Atlantic Division:

  • Sticking with Toronto, Keefe said center David Kämpf will miss at least a week with an undisclosed injury after undergoing an MRI yesterday (via TSN’s Mark Masters). He’s been ruled out for the next three games, opening the door for 24-year-old Pontus Holmberg to get an extended look on Toronto’s fourth line. Kämpf’s status will be upgraded to day-to-day next Monday and could return for the team’s Feb. 13 contest against the Blues. The Maple Leafs do not have cap space to recall a player to replace Kämpf, so they’d likely dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen if an additional injury occurs on offense in the next week.
  • Bruins rookie Matthew Poitras is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Flames, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters (including independent Bruins reporter Ty Anderson). He’s only played in three out of Boston’s last nine games and missed the final contest before the All-Star break with an undisclosed injury. The 19-year-old has two assists in six games since returning from representing Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Juniors, in which they failed to medal for the first time since 2019.
  • Montgomery also said defenseman Derek Forbort, who also missed Boston’s last game with an undisclosed injury, won’t be ready for tomorrow’s contest. He confirmed this injury isn’t related to the lower-body injury that’s limited him to 24 games this season and has been lingering since training camp. He played only four games in January after returning from a 20-game absence, logging a +3 rating in bottom-pairing minutes.
  • The Lightning recalled winger Mitchell Chaffee from AHL Syracuse on Monday, per team reporter Chris Krenn. Chaffee, 26, had played in Tampa Bay’s final two games before the All-Star break but was loaned back to Syracuse during their bye week. With Tanner Jeannot and Austin Watson still sidelined, Chaffee will draw into the lineup for his fourth appearance of the season on Wednesday against the Rangers. He’s scored once and added an assist in his three showings thus far, averaging 8:25 per game.
  • While Jeannot remains out Wednesday, it won’t be long until the middle-six grinder is ready to return. Head coach Jon Cooper informed reporters Monday that the team expects him to return at some point during their upcoming four-game road trip, which concludes with a Feb. 13 contest in Boston. Jeannot has struggled in his first full season in the Sunshine State, scoring six goals and 12 points in 41 games while averaging 12:35 per game. It’s the production or role expected of him after Lightning GM Julien BriseBois swung big for his services ahead of last season’s trade deadline, parting with five draft picks, including a 2025 first-round selection. He’s been out of the lineup for nearly a month, sustaining a lower-body injury against the Bruins on Jan. 6.

Transaction Notes: Flames, Golden Knights, Wild, Blackhawks, Lightning

at CDT | by 1 Comment

While most teams prepare for an informal roster freeze over the upcoming NHL All-Star break, many are also stripping their roster down to the bare minimum to save as much cap space for the encroaching trade deadline in early March. Today, the Calgary Flames activated forward Martin Pospisil from the injured reserve, while optioning Matthew Coronato, Adam Klapka, and Cole Schwindt to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers.

According to Ryan Pike of Flames Nation, this set of transactions by the Flames will save the organization approximately $497K in cap space, just by sending them down over the All-Star break. As one of the expected sellers leading into this year’s trade deadline, the nearly half a million in cap space could allow Calgary to weaponize their cap space, as many deadline sellers have done.

For development’s sake, with the NHL returning to regular season action on February 5th, the trio of players sent down by the Flames today will have the opportunity to play in three games for the Wranglers. Coronato projects to factor in the most, still leading Calgary’s AHL team in points, having already scored 12 goals and 29 points in 27 games for the Wranglers this season.

Other transaction notes:

  • Similarly to the Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights have optioned Brendan Brisson, Sheldon Rempal, and Jonas Rondbjerg to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, per a team announcement. Having been recalled on January 18th via an emergency loan, Rempal has largely been the most successful of the bunch over the last several games for the Golden Knights, scoring a goal against both the New York Islanders and New York Rangers over the last four contests.
  • In an announcement earlier this afternoon, the Minnesota Wild sent down forward Jake Lucchini and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. Not only one of the best prospects in the Wild organization but one of the best prospects across the league, Wallstedt was able to make his NHL debut in his previous call-up coming in early January, stopping 27 of 34 shots in the team’s loss against the Dallas Stars on January 10th.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have sent down forward Cole Guttman and defenseman Louis Crevier to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, per a media release this afternoon. Guttman has been the much better player in Rockford this season, playing with the team through much of October and November. Over that stretch, Guttman scored three goals and nine points in 12 games for the IceHogs, tying him for 12th on the team in scoring for the season.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning made similar roster moves today, sending down Maxwell Crozier, Mitchell Chaffee, and Waltteri Merela to their longtime AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Although neither of the three have made a large impact in their limited NHL experience, Chaffee has been the most successful over the last stretch, earning a goal and an assist in the team’s recent victory against the Arizona Coyotes on January 25th.

Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Mitchell Chaffee

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forward Mitchell Chaffee from the Syracuse Crunch. This is Chaffee’s second call-up of the season, with the 25-year-old making his debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 12th. It was only the third game of Chaffee’s NHL career, with his other two appearances coming with the Minnesota Wild during the 2021-22 season. He’s yet to see a change in his stat line, though, going without a point or penalty, and having a -1 this season cancel out his +1 from two years ago.

Chaffee has also appeared in 33 AHL games this season, netting 11 goals and 25 points. It continues what’s been a productive AHL career for Chaffee, as he scored 23 goals and 39 points in 49 games last year and carries a career total of 88 points in 120 games. Chaffee kicked off his professional career in the 2020-21 season, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Wild after the end of University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s season. He spent three seasons in the Wild organization before signing a one-year contract with Tampa this summer.

Chafee played two seasons with the USHL’s Bloomington Thunder before his collegiate career – the predecessor to the ECHL’s newest club, the Bloomington Bison, revealed on Wednesday. The Bison brings Bloomington its highest level of hockey, though the city has previously hosted the CHL’s Bloomington PrairieThunder, the SPHL’s Bloomington Thunder, and the USHL’s Thunder and Central Illinois Flying Aces.

Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Sean Day

at CDT | by 3 Comments

12/14/23: The Lightning today returned Myers and Chaffee back to Syracuse. Chaffee dressed for and played in the team’s 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks two days ago, but Myers did not. Replacing Myers as Tampa’s spare defenseman is Sean Day, who has been recalled from the Crunch.

Day is a 25-year-old left-shot defenseman who worked his way up from the ECHL to become one of Syracuse’s more reliable blueliners. He was most recently listed as a second-pairing defenseman in Syracuse, and has two games of NHL experience. Both of those games came from Day’s best season, 2021-22, when he scored 40 points in 69 games for the Crunch.

12/12/23: The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Mitchell Chaffee from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.

These are not recalls the Lightning have enough cap space to make without any corresponding moves, according to CapFriendly. So CapFriendly notes that the team has likely shifted injured forward Conor Sheary from regular injured reserve to the long-term injured list, a move that would effectively clear as much as $2MM in cap space for the team to work with.

Myers, 26, is a smooth-skating six-foot-six right-shot defenseman who has played most of this season in the AHL for the Crunch. He’s played in one NHL contest this season, a November 14th shutout loss to the St. Louis Blues, and has otherwise played in a minutes-eating role for the Crunch.

A veteran of over 150 NHL games, Myers will provide some cover on defense for the Lightning in case any of its blueliners are unavailable tonight for the team’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

As for Chaffee, the 25-year-0ld has, unlike Myers, not yet made his Lightning debut. Signed out of the Minnesota Wild organization over the summer, Chaffee is currently tied with Gage Goncalves for the Crunch scoring lead with 19 points in 21 games.

Chaffee missed most of last season with a knee injury, an ailment that limited him to just 10 games played. It’s possible that injury is what caused the Wild to opt not to tender Chaffee a contract in the offseason, but so far that decision has been to the Lightning’s benefit.

Chaffee has been one of the Crunch’s most important players and could end up providing some scoring ability in a depth role should he be called upon to play NHL games for the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Conor Sheary, Four Others

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning are signing forwards Conor Sheary and Luke Glendening to bolster their bottom six, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. The team announced a three-year, $2MM per season contract for Sheary. Glendening’s contract is two years at $800K per season, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina. They’ve also added netminder Jonas Johansson on a one-year, league-minimum deal.

They’ve also signed 2016 first-round pick Logan Brown to a one-year, two-way $775k contract, as well as forward Mitchell Chaffee to the same deal.

Heading into today’s free agency, and with the cap space situation at hand for the team, these are exactly the type of moves that Tampa was expected to make. Sheary and Glendening ultimately improve the bottom six lines, while Johansson gives the team a quality third-string backup option.

With Sheary, the Lightning should get tremendous value out of this signing. Over the last two seasons playing for the Washington Capitals, Sheary has scored 34 goals and 46 assists in just under 160 games. He became an exceptional middle-six option for the Capitals and should do the exact same in Tampa Bay.

In Glendening, the Lightning had a player that will undoubtedly help with the team’s possession numbers. Over the course of his 10-year career, Glendening has averaged a 55.7% faceoff percentage, while averaging a whopping 58.9% with the Dallas Stars alone. Already garnering a defensive unit that is one of the league’s best at moving the puck, the team will benefit greatly from having Glendening take important faceoffs.

Next, Johansson gives the team insurance if one of their regular goaltenders goes down with an injury. Spending last season primarily playing for the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, Johansson sported a .920 SV% and a 2.33 GAA, helping lead his team to the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs. The Lightning are still expected to sign a more stable backup behind Andrei Vasilevskiy for the 2023-24 NHL season.

Finally, Brown adds an intriguing former top prospect for the Lightning’s development team to get their hands on. Injuries have laid waste to Brown’s development path so far but he’s been a difference-maker at the AHL level and perhaps Tampa Bay thinks they can unlock some of his upside at the NHL level.

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

scroll to top