West Notes: Thomas, Catton, Necas, Blankenburg
There are no expectations that Robert Thomas will return to the St. Louis Blues before the upcoming Olympic break. The Blues announced that Thomas had minor leg surgery yesterday and would return after the Olympics.
Thomas has missed much of January, having last played on January 10th. So far in the 2025-26 season, the 26-year-old center has scored 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games, managing a -3 rating, while averaging 18:58 of ice time per game.
Although Thomas’s injury recovery won’t impact the Blues’ postseason outlook, it could have ramifications leading up to the trade deadline. While it was always unlikely, there was some speculation that St. Louis was entertaining trade offers on Thomas. Prospective buyers will likely shy away from the high price the Blues have set, given that Thomas would be only a few days removed from fully recovering by the deadline.
Additional notes from the Western Conference:
- The Seattle Kraken will be without one of their up-and-coming prospects through the upcoming Olympic break. Earlier today, the Kraken announced that Berkly Catton will miss Seattle’s next three games due to an upper-body injury. Catton, who missed several weeks in December due to a separate injury, has scored five goals and 11 points in 40 games throughout his rookie campaign.
- Despite the lopside afair, the Colorado Avalanche were without their second-highest scorer against the Detroit Red Wings this afternoon. Before the game, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post shared that Martin Nečas is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Regardless, the Avalanche pulled away with the victory, and there’s no expectation that Nečas will be held out through the Olympic break before he suits up for Team Czechia.
- Tied with the New York Islanders at the time of writing, the Nashville Predators are without one of their most underrated defenseman tonight. The Predators announced that Nick Blankenburg would miss tonight’s contest due to illness. Already setting career-highs across the board, Blankenburg sits eighth on the team in scoring with six goals and 21 points in 43 games.
Predators Recall Nick Blankenburg, Adam Wilsby
10:16 a.m.: Center Michael McCarron has landed on injured reserve to open up a necessary roster spot for Blankenburg’s and Wilsby’s recalls, per Kieser. He’s sat out the last two games with an upper-body injury and will be out again tonight against the Flyers, but he’s eligible to return Friday against the Lightning.
9:49 a.m.: The Predators have recalled defenseman Nick Blankenburg from AHL Milwaukee ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Flyers, reports Nick Kieser of 102.5 & 106.3 The Game Nashville. Adam Wilsby was also summoned from the minors, per Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean.
Either could make their Preds debut after Jeremy Lauzon left Monday’s loss to the Devils with an injury and did not return. Nashville only has one open roster spot, so a corresponding transaction must be pending.
Blankenburg, 26, is in his first season in the Predators organization. The former University of Michigan captain spent parts of three seasons with the Blue Jackets en route to becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent last summer, inking a two-year, partial two-way deal with Nashville.
The diminutive 5’9″ right-shot defender passed through waivers on his way to AHL Milwaukee at the tail end of the preseason. Blankenburg, a skilled puck-mover, responded to the demotion with eight points (3 G, 5 A) in 13 games, leading Milwaukee defensemen in scoring.
Blankenburg saw AHL ice for the first time last season, suiting up 24 times for the Blue Jackets affiliate in Cleveland. He played a career-high 36 games for Columbus in 2022-23 amid upper-body and ankle injuries, recording four goals and 10 assists for 14 points with a -16 rating. He’s flashed legitimate offensive upside at the NHL level and has handled fringe top-four minutes. Given his smaller frame, he also plays a far more physical game than one might imagine.
That makes him an above-average recall option for a Nashville squad with limited offensive contributions from their defensemen outside of perennial Norris contender Roman Josi. Brady Skjei and Alexandre Carrier are within the team’s top 10 in scoring with eight and five points, respectively, but their bottom trio of Lauzon, Marc Del Gaizo and Luke Schenn have combined for one goal, four assists and a -13 rating.
Wilsby, 24, has already been recalled twice this month and been rostered for three games but has not made his NHL debut. The Swedish lefty has a goal and five points with a +5 rating in 13 games for Milwaukee in what’s now his third season in North America. He remains waiver-exempt, but Blankenburg does not, so the latter can only remain on Nashville’s roster for up to 10 games or 30 days before he needs to pass through them again to return to the minors.
Waiver Wire: 10/3/24
All 12 players placed on waivers yesterday passed through unclaimed, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports. PuckPedia relays that 17 new names hit the wire today for teams to claim over the next 24 hours:
Calgary Flames
F Walker Duehr
F Dryden Hunt
D Jarred Tinordi
Florida Panthers
F Rasmus Asplund
D Tobias Björnfot
F Zac Dalpe
D Jaycob Megna
Nashville Predators
Seattle Kraken
Toronto Maple Leafs
Utah Hockey Club
F Andrew Agozzino
D Patrik Koch
F Ben McCartney
Winnipeg Jets
F Axel Jonsson-Fjällby
D Simon Lundmark
F Mason Shaw
F Dominic Toninato
Minor Free Agent Signings: Central Division
With over 180 deals signed during the first day of free agency yesterday, some smaller names may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Here’s a list of names that have inked two-way deals with Central Division clubs since the market opened yesterday, per CapFriendly. Some of these may have been included in our main coverage yesterday, while others went under the radar. All contracts carry the league-minimum $775K cap hit unless stated otherwise). Those listed here are likely to begin 2024-25 with each team’s AHL affiliate.
Chicago Blackhawks
none
Colorado Avalanche
F Joel Kiviranta (one year)
Dallas Stars
D Kyle Capobianco (two years)
F Cameron Hughes (one year)
F Kole Lind (one year)
Minnesota Wild
F Travis Boyd (one year)
D Joseph Cecconi (one year)
D Cameron Crotty (one year)
F Brendan Gaunce (two years)
G Troy Grosenick (one year)
F Ben Jones (two years)
F Devin Shore (one year)
F Reese Johnson (one year)
Nashville Predators
D Nick Blankenburg (two years)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (two years)
F Jake Lucchini (two years)
G Matt Murray (one year)
St. Louis Blues
none
Utah Hockey Club
D Kevin Connauton (two years)
F Miko Matikka (three years, $870K entry-level cap hit)
Winnipeg Jets
none
Blue Jackets Recall Two, Assign Trey Fix-Wolansky To AHL
On the heels of providing several injury updates earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets have made several roster moves. The team announced that they’ve brought up defenseman Nick Blankenburg and goaltender Malcolm Subban on an emergency basis while winger Trey Fix-Wolansky was re-assigned to AHL Cleveland.
Blankenburg is in his third season with Columbus after signing as an undrafted free agent and has seen NHL action in all three years including six appearances this season where he has been held off the scoresheet. The 25-year-old has battled back issues in the minors which has limited him to just 21 games with the Monsters despite spending most of the season at that level. He has fared well offensively in the AHL, picking up 13 points. The pending restricted free agent won’t be waiver-exempt next year and is expected to push for a full-time spot next season.
As for Subban, he was acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline to give them some extra organizational depth between the pipes down the stretch. The 30-year-old has a 3.12 GAA and .901 SV% in 35 AHL contests so far this season. Subban, a pending unrestricted free agent, also has 86 career NHL appearances under his belt but with Elvis Merzlikins and Vadim Tarasov unavailable, Jet Greaves will likely serve as the starter in the short term.
Fix-Wolansky, meanwhile, was recalled on an emergency basis yesterday but with Johnny Gaudreau expected to return Saturday, emergency conditions no longer exist so he had to be sent down. The 24-year-old is averaging more than a point per game in the minors for the second straight year, collecting 24 goals and 34 assists in 53 games so far. Fix-Wolansky has an assist in ten games with the Blue Jackets as well. He’s signed on a two-way deal through the 2024-25 season.
Snapshots: Sabres, Avalanche, Blue Jackets Injuries, Rielly
While the Sabres sit a dozen points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, it doesn’t seem as if they’re ready to give up on this season just yet. In his Saturday Headlines segment on Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported (video link) that Buffalo is looking to add win-now pieces. One thing they have that many buyers won’t is cap space as CapFriendly pegs them at having over $22MM in cap room today, a number that balloons to over $36MM on trade deadline day. Accordingly, they have the ability to add some pieces to try to overcome this sizable deficit with 31 games left in their season.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Avalanche lead the NHL in goals scored with 196, an average of 3.7 per game. Despite that, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post suggests that adding more scoring might be a good way for them to go at the trade deadline. With the status of Valeri Nichushkin moving forward in doubt while he’s in the Player Assistance Program and the fact that the bulk of their scoring is coming from two lines, adding someone to help deepen their attack could certainly be beneficial when the checking tightens up in the playoffs. However, cap space is quite limited and if they do opt to go that route, it could prevent them from shoring up their backup goalie spot as well.
- The upper-body injury that Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov sustained last night will cause him to miss at least Tuesday’s game versus Ottawa, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link). If Columbus wants to call up a replacement forward, they’ll need to open up a roster spot first which could be done by shifting Adam Fantilli to injured reserve. Meanwhile, Portzline adds that defenseman Nick Blankenburg is dealing with a concussion, the second one he has sustained this season. The 25-year-old has been shuffled back and forth between Columbus and AHL Cleveland this year but it appears he’ll be staying in the minors for a little while until he’s cleared to return.
- In a follow-up announcement to their offer of an in-person hearing to Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly for his cross-check on Ridly Greig on Saturday, the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that Rielly accepted the offer and that the hearing will be held on Tuesday afternoon in New York. Considering Toronto plays on Tuesday night, a decision on the length of his suspension will need to be made fairly quickly after the hearing.
Blue Jackets Assign Nick Blankenburg To AHL
The Blue Jackets assigned defenseman Nick Blankenburg to AHL Cleveland on Wednesday, per a team announcement.
Columbus recalled Blankenburg, 25, for the second time this season on Saturday to replace Adam Boqvist on the active roster, who landed on injured reserve. Blankenburg did not play in each of the Blue Jackets’ last three games, however, and heads back to Cleveland without adding to his 49 career NHL appearances.
After an intriguing rookie season in 2022-23 in which Blankenburg posted 14 points in 36 games, most expected the University of Michigan product to challenge for an NHL job out of training camp this year. An influx of veterans on the Columbus blue line limited the spots available for younger players, however, and the waiver-exempt Blankenburg started the season in Cleveland as a result.
Injuries on defense meant Blankenburg got a chance early last month, playing six games after a Dec. 7 emergency recall. However, he failed to get on the scoresheet and posted middling possession metrics before an upper-body injury knocked him out of the lineup, keeping him out of action for nearly a month. The Blue Jackets activated him from IR and reassigned him to Cleveland on Jan. 21, but brought him up less than a week later when Boqvist was injured.
With the Blue Jackets beginning their bye week/All-Star break after Tuesday’s 1-0 win over the Blues, they no longer required an extra defenseman on the roster. If Boqvist is not ready to return when Columbus plays next on Feb. 10 against the Lightning, Blankenburg could see his third summons of the season if the Blue Jackets don’t want to give disgruntled 2022 sixth-overall pick David Jiricek another shot.
The 5-foot-9, 177-lb puck-mover has done well in his first career AHL stint, posting three goals and nine assists with a +7 rating in 19 games with Cleveland. He will be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer upon completion of his two-year, $1.65MM contract.
Blue Jackets Place Adam Boqvist On IR, Recall Nick Blankenburg
The Blue Jackets have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against Vancouver. The team announced that they have placed defenseman Adam Boqvist on injured reserve with an upper-body injury; taking his place on the roster is Nick Blankenburg who has been recalled from AHL Cleveland.
Boqvist was injured in Thursday’s victory over Calgary when he took a puck to the face on the bench. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner lost teeth and something worse as a result. Boqvist is in the middle of a rough season as injuries and scratches have limited him to just 20 games where he has seven assists. Last season, the 23-year-old looked to turn the corner offensively with 24 points in 46 contests but he just hasn’t been able to get back to that type of performance this year. There’s no word on how long Boqvist will be out with the team simply saying that he’s out through the All-Star break.
Blankenburg, meanwhile, was a full-timer on the roster for Columbus last season though he missed time due to injury. This year, however, he has primarily played in the minors, suiting up in 19 games for the Monsters where he has three goals and nine assists. The 25-year-old has played in six games with the Blue Jackets, averaging nearly 18 minutes a night. This is his final season of waiver exemption.
Columbus recently sent David Jiricek back to Cleveland so it might be a bit surprising that he didn’t get the promotion to return. However, with Jiricek’s ice time being limited lately, it might be more beneficial to have an extended stretch with the Monsters where he’ll get big minutes consistently over being sent back and forth as injuries come and go.
Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Nick Blankenburg, Recall David Jiříček
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that defenseman Nick Blankenburg has been activated off of injured reserve and assigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, and defenseman David Jiříček has been recalled from the Monsters.
The 25-year-old Blankenburg has been out since December 19th due to injury. The former captain of the Michigan Wolverines was actually playing in the NHL when he was last healthy, skating in his sixth consecutive game with the club. Before that point Blankenburg was in Cleveland, which is where he’ll now return to. Blankenburg has played in 18 games for the Monsters, the first 18 games of his AHL career, and has gotten off to a nice start there with 11 points.
Jiříček now returns to the Blue Jackets’ roster after a two-game stay in Cleveland. The 20-year-old 2022 sixth-overall pick receives this recall fresh off of a three-point game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a contest win which he played a role in all three of the Monsters’ goals. The six-foot-four blueliner has played in 36 NHL games already this season and registered nine points. He proved himself as an AHLer in his rookie campaign in North America, scoring 38 points in 55 games.
Blue Jackets Activate Damon Severson, Place Nick Blankenburg On IR
The Blue Jackets will welcome a key defenseman back for their game tonight against Toronto but they’re also losing a blueliner. The team announced that Damon Severson has been activated off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, Nick Blankenburg has been placed on IR retroactive to December 19th.
Severson was a key addition for Columbus over the summer who acquired him in a sign-and-trade deal from New Jersey on an eight-year, $50MM contract. Despite the Blue Jackets’ struggles, Severson got off to a decent start with his new team, recording three goals and five assists in his first 19 games with the team while averaging just under 21 minutes per night before suffering a strained oblique roughly five weeks ago which caused him to miss the last 15 games. He’ll slot right back into their top four versus the Maple Leafs and should see time on both the power play and penalty kill as well.
As for Blankenburg, the 25-year-old has spent most of the season in the minors with AHL Cleveland in his final season of waiver exemption and has three goals and eight assists in 19 games with the Monsters. He was recalled earlier this month and saw action in six games where he was held off the scoresheet while averaging just under 18 minutes per contest. Blankenburg is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and with the placement being back-dated, he could be activated as soon as Wednesday’s game against New Jersey.