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Devils’ Nico Hischier Day-To-Day, Jack Hughes Banged Up

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The New Jersey Devils could soon be without their two top forwards. Captain Nico Hischier left the team’s Saturday night matchup against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period, after receiving a slash from Canadiens center Nick Suzuki. No penalty was called on the play, and instead Suzuki skated up the ice and recorded the primary assist on Montreal’s second goal. Now, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe has shared that Hischier could be out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now.

Nichols also shared that Jack Hughes is, “less than 100 percent” due to a nagging finger injury. He suffered the injury partway through New Jersey’s Wednesday win over the Boston Bruins, exiting in the first period to get stitches in his finger but returning shortly after the start of the second. Hughes missed the team’s Friday practice to avoid risk of infection or further inflammation, but played in 20 minutes of New Jersey’s overtime win on Saturday. His status will be monitored closely as the Devils gear up for two weekday games against the Philadelphia Flyers.

There’s been no indication of whether or not the Devils top two centers will play on Monday. If they don’t, New Jersey will play their first game without the star duo in over two years. Despite routine injuries, one of the Devils’ star centers has found a way to stand at the top of the lineup – which would make matching absences incredibly tough to fill. Hughes and Hischier currently rank first and third on the Devils in scoring, with 57 and 43 points in 51 games respectively.

The only extra forward on New Jersey’s lineup is presently Kurtis MacDermid, who’s stepped into four games since the start of January. He doesn’t have any scoring through 19 games this season, which could force the Devils to look towards their minor leagues for meaningful fill-ins. Nolan Foote and Brian Halonen lead the AHL’s Utica Comets in scoring, with 25 points in 33 games and 24 points in 34 games respectively. Both players have served as injury fill-ins throughout the season, though neither has managed any NHL scoring in their spot starts. New Jersey could also turn towards Adam Beckman, who has 22 points in 29 AHL games and also managed two assists in 11 NHL games earlier this year. But none of those players bring natural center ability to the NHL lineup, likely meaning that any recall would need coupled with someone like Stefan Noesen, Ondrej Palat, or Dawson Mercer shifting into the middle-lane.

Avalanche Activate Miles Wood Off IR, Reassign Jere Innala

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The Colorado Avalanche have activated forward Miles Wood off of injured reserve, setting him up to return from a back injury suffered on November 27th. The injury is a nagging one, earning Wood a second placement on IR earlier this season – from November 4th to 14th – and holding him out of games for a week in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He told Corey Masisak of The Denver Post that, based on conversations he’s had with other players, this back injury will likely be one he carries through the rest of his career.

In a corresponding move, Colorado has also reassigned Jere Innala to the minor leagues. Innala has appeared in most of the team’s games through January but averages just under seven minutes of ice time each game. He has no scoring and a -3 through 15 appearances this season.

Wood has spent the better parts of the last nine seasons as an impactful third-line winger across the league. He was originally the 100th-overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, hearing his name called in a fourth round that also featured Juuse Saros one pick earlier and Andrew Copp four picks later. Drafted out of high school, Wood went on to play two more seasons with Noble and Greenough before moving to Boston College in 2015. He had a dazzling freshman year, earning 35 points in 37 games and a spot on Team USA’s 2016 World Championship lineup behind the likes of Auston Matthews, Dylan Larkin, and Brady Skjei. That NHL company must have convinced Wood, who jumped to the AHL after his freshman year of college, then earned a full-time NHL call-up after 15 games and eight points with the Albany Devils.

Since then, Wood has been a stout bottom-six forward, routinely rivaling 25 points and making a mark in all three zones. His career year currently stands as the 2017-18 campaign, when he scored 19 goals and 32 points in 76 games – both career-highs. Wood made that mark with the New Jersey Devils for seven seasons – even serving as an alternate captain for two years. But he opted to instead join the Colorado Avalanche in the 2023 summer, signing a six-year, $15MM contract with the club just two years removed from a Stanley Cup win.

Wood has continued to make a consistent impact with the Avalanche, though his 2024-25 campaign started off ice cold. Through the mix of injuries, Wood has only scored two goals and three points in 16 games this season. He’ll now get a chance to buck that trend, returning to a Colorado lineup that looks very different from when he last played. Since late November, the Avalanche have traded away Justus Annunen, Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, and Mikko Rantanen. In their place, the Avs have brought in Scott Wedgewood, Juuso Parssinen, Martin Necas, and Wood’s personal friend Mackenzie Blackwood. Wood raved about that latter acquisition to Masisak, comparing it to when an NFL team acquires a strong quarterback. He told Masisak, “I’m not sure why New Jersey traded him. I’m not sure why San Jose traded him. But I’m sure as hell happy he’s here.”

Lightning Acquire Ryder Korczak From Rangers

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired forward prospect Ryder Korczak from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward prospect Lucas Edmonds. Both players are in the midst of their third AHL season, after third-round selections in the 2021 and 2022 drafts respectively.

Neither player has managed much scoring in their early pro careers. Korczak has spent slightly longer in an NHL system. He was originally selected 75th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, after a season of being heralded as a second-to-third round pick. He was admired for his hard-working two-way play, high scoring, and leadership abilities through four years with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He worked his way up to a staggering 69 points in 48 games in 2022-23, his final WHL season, before joining the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack for five games at the end of the year. Korczak has since worked his way through a middle-six role in Hartford. He scored 20 points in 67 games last season and is currently riding 11 points in 35 games this year. It’s commendable depth scoring, but far from what New York was hoping for from their gritty third-rounder.

After not landing a draft selection in 2019, 2020, or 2021 – the early-birthday Edmonds finally earned the 86th-overall selection in 2022 after posting 113 points in 68 games with the Kingston Frontenacs. He moved to the AHL in the following season and posted a commendable 15 goals and 27 points in 49 games as a rookie. But Edmonds has struggled to match those numbers since, totaling just 21 points in 71 games through the last two seasons.

Korczak and Edmonds share a lot of parallels – and will now get a chance to use a change of scenery to try and return to the heights of their junior scoring.

Three Kraken Listed As Game-Time Decisions

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The Seattle Kraken could face major last-minute changes to their lineup ahead of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Forwards Chandler Stephenson and Jared McCann, and defenseman Ryker Evans, have all been listed as game-time decisions per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio network. Stephenson and McCann are out with upper-body injuries, while Evans’ injury is undisclosed.

Stephenson didn’t return for the third period of Seattle’s Thursday loss to the Washington Capitals. He skated at full speed through the end of the second and didn’t appear to suffer a clear injury. Even less is known about the absence of McCann and Evans, who both played through Thursday’s game but missed Friday morning’s practice. Neither player managed much in Seattle’s scoreless outing, though Evans did lead the team in “game score” per Cole Palmer.

The trio have stood as three of Seattle’s most utilized players all season long. McCann has scored 14 goals and a team-leading 36 points in 49 games, even despite ranking fourth in average ice-time among the team’s forwards. It’s actually Stephenson who stands as Seattle’s most-used centerman, averaging 19:35 in ice time each game. He has 25 assists and 33 points in 48 games to show for it. Stephenson is on pace for a career-high 43 assists, and 56 total points, through 82 games this season. Evans is averaging just north of 20 minutes of ice time each game of his own, finding a comfortable role on the team’s second-pair in his sophomore season. He has 16 assists and 21 points in 47 games, over double the nine points he scored in 36 games as a rookie last season.

Replacing the three players would be a whole-team effort, should they all sit. Seattle is currently only carrying one extra player on their roster – winger Tye Kartye, who hasn’t played since January 16th. He’ll be an easy fill-in in the face of injury, giving Kartye a chance to improve on his mere six points in 42 games this season – a number far below the 20 points he scored in 77 games last year.

But the Kraken will still need another forward and defender to ice a full lineup. Their best bets for the former will be Ben Meyers and top prospect Jani Nyman – the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ top two scorers. Meyers has 11 goals and 27 points in 32 games, while Nyman has 16 goals and 25 points in 39 games. Of the two, Meyers seems like the safer bet – having already played 73 games in the NHL. For help on defense, Seattle will likely turn towards one of Cale Fleury or Maxime Lajoie. Both have plenty of NHL experience, and their respective 16 and 20 points on the season are commendable. With roster space to spare, Seattle is likely to call at least one of these options up in advance of Saturday’s game, in the event that the majority of their game-time decisions are forced to sit.

Oilers’ Connor McDavid, Canucks’ Tyler Myers Given Three-Game Suspension

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Jan. 20th: The NHL Department of Player Safety has issued their punishments to McDavid and Myers. Both players have been issued three-game suspensions for cross-checking.

Jan.19th: Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Saturday. Garland grappled with McDavid in the final seconds of Vancouver’s 3-2 win, and McDavid responded by hitting Garland in the face. In the ensuing scrum, Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers also cross-checked Oilers defender Evan Bouchard in the face. Myers will also have a hearing with Player Safety. Both McDavid and Myers received match penalties for their infractions. The date and time of either hearing are yet to be determined – as is whether the hearings will be virtual or in-person, which will change the length of suspension both players will be eligible for.

This news brings a peak to McDavid’s recent violent streak. He gained notoriety after, seemingly, inadvertently elbowing Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson in the teams’ January 15th matchup. Johansson was placed on injured reserve with a concussion the next day. McDavid also earned scour with a high-stick against Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek in Saturday’s game, catching the defender up high after breaking into the zone. McDavid’s match penalty for cross-checking Garland was his first in-game penalty for any of these infractions – and, coupled with a game ejection, earned him a career-high 15 penalty minutes in one game.

It will be hard to determine how long either McDavid or Myers could miss with their looming hearing. Both players committed similar infractions, at the tail-end of an already-won game. But nine other players also received penalties for the late-game scrum, which could lead the league to react lighter to two big pieces of a larger scrum. Alternatively, this will be an opportunity for NHL Player Safety to send a message on stick infractions and headshots across the league, by coming down hard on the face of the NHL.

Morning Notes: Halonen, White, Smith

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The New Jersey Devils have reassigned forward Brian Halonen and defenseman Colton White to the AHL’s Utica Comets. Both players served as extras for the team’s last few games. White didn’t step into the lineup at all during his three-day recall, while Halonen appeared in one game during his four days on the NHL roster.

Both players have served at the top of Utica’s lineup for the majority of the season. Halonen is leading the team in goals (13) and tied for the lead in points (21) through 31 games. White has also been productive, with 11 points in 26 games ranking him third on the blue-line in scoring behind Seamus Casey and Simon Nemec. Despite that, neither player has cracked into a routine NHL role. Halonen has earned the first three NHL games of his career between this season and last, though he’s still searching for his first point. White has 84 career NHL games and 10 points, but hasn’t played in the top league since 2022-23. With this move, the duo will return to fighting for a full-time move to the top flight with strong play in the minors.

Across the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes have once again assigned defenseman Ty Smith to the AHL, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Smith has bounced between rosters all season long. He’s ultimately appeared scored two points in eight NHL games, and 10 points in 13 AHL games on the season. Smith has continued to be productive in the minor leagues, after being 43 points in 63 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. He’s still a swing away from a routine NHL role, especially behind a loaded Hurricanes defense.

Canucks’ J.T. Miller Trade Falls Through, Elias Pettersson Wants To Stay

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The Vancouver Canucks are at an impasse with star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Both players are amidst deep cold spells, inspired by an off-ice rift and resulting in plenty of trade rumors. The team took one step forward in figuring out their plan with the duo on Saturday when Miller was nearly held out of Vancouver’s lineup to support a trade to the New York Rangers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal fell through and Miller ended up playing in Vancouver’s 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. He contributed two primary points in the effort, his first scoring since he managed four points on January 6th.

Miller’s dwindling impact has become a focal point of Vancouver’s 4-6-0 skid. Head coach Rick Tocchet shared harsh words after benching the forward, insinuating that he had quit on his teammates amid another tough loss. Miller has seen his numbers crater since the calendar turned over. He has seven points in nine games – most among any Canucks forwards – but he only scored in three of those outings. Miller has also posted a 40% goals-for percentage (GF%), the third-lowest of Vancouver’s top-six forwards behind Pettersson (25%) and Jake DeBrusk (33.3%).

While theatrics surround him, Miller is still an incredibly impactful forward. He has 31 points in 35 games this season, putting him on an 82-game pace of 73 points. That would be the lowest scoring Miller has managed in a full season since the 2019-20 campaign when he notched 72 points in his first year with the Canucks. He’s since been red-hot – recording 99 points in 2021-22, 82 points in 2022-23, and a career-high 103 points in 2023-24. No other Canuck has come close to Miller’s 433 points in 399 games since he joined the team, with Quinn Hughes’ 380 points in 401 games and Pettersson’s 375 points in as many games the next closest.

That would be an invaluable impact for the Rangers to acquire. They’re in the midst of their own chaotic season, with similar rifts and trade rumors surrounding longtime Rangers Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. A swap for Miller would likely have to involve one of those two, though Vancouver would need substantially more behind them to warrant moving their team’s top-scoring forward. The Rangers have enticing prospects in the gritty Brennan Othmann and ever-improving Gabe Perreault, but their depth falls quickly thin behind them. Perhaps it was the challenge of figuring out complimentary pieces that ultimately pulled the rug from under the trade talks.

Nonetheless, this news is a sign of progress being made in moving Miller out of Vancouver. He’ll be one of the biggest names to watch as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches on March 7th. Meanwhile, Pettersson is leaning towards sticking with the program that bet on him so many years ago. Vancouver drafted Pettersson fifth-overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. He joined the team two seasons later, and won the Calder Trophy for ’Rookie of the Year’ with 28 goals and 66 points in 71 games. He matched the scoring in three fewer games in his following year, after improved on it slightly in year-four after year-three was limited by injuries.

That all set up Pettersson for a smash season in the 2022-23 campaign, when he scored a career-high 39 goals and 102 points. It was the fifth-most a Canucks player has scored since the turn of the century – behind the Sedin twins, Markus Naslund, and Miller. While Miller has taken to dazzling scoring, Pettersson has donned the role of face of the franchise next to Hughes. Vancouver seems poised to hold onto that duo, while trimming off negative impacts, with this latest update.

In one additional note, Friedman also shared that Vancouver sent a clear message to teams to not tamper with their players – and that any teams wishing to talk to Miller or Pettersson would need approval first. It is believed that a few teams have been granted permission to talk with Miller, but none are currently speaking with Pettersson. Both forwards are signed for the forseeable future – Petterson signed through 2031-32 with a $11.6MM cap hit, and Miller signed through 2029-30 with a surprisingly-cheap $8MM price tag.

Islanders’ Maxim Tsyplakov Suspended Three Games

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The NHL Department of Player Safety has issued New York Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Philadelphia Flyers winger Ryan Poehling on Tuesday night. The hit came in the latter half of the first period, with Tsyplakov flying into Poehling while he was crashing the net. Poehling left the game with a head injury, which NHL Player Safety points to as part of the reason why first-time offender Tsyplakov received a multi-game suspension. He did not receive a penalty during the game.

Additionally, Flyers center Scott Laughton has been fined $5K, the most allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Tsyplakov in retaliation later in the game. Laughton cross-checked Tsyplakov in the back after he made a pass in the offensive end.

The aftermath of the chippy game, which ended in a Flyers win, will see the Islanders move forward without their third-line left wing. Tsyplakov has had a successful rookie season with New York. He has 19 points through 44 games, ranked sixth among all first-year players. The 26-year-old winger signed with the Islanders as an undrafted free agent this summer after spending the last seven seasons with Moscow Spartak of Russia’s KHL. Tsyplakov climbed every wrung of Spartak’s lineup, ultimately working his way up to a top-line role and 47 points in 65 games last season. He’s rotated through the Islanders’ middle-six in his first NHL season, ultimately averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time each game – seventh-most among New York’s forwards.

The Islanders will likely turn towards Hudson Fasching in Tsyplakov’s absence. Fasching has served as New York’s extra forward this season and hasn’t played a game since January 5th. He’s totaled 19 appearances but is still searching for his first point of the season.

Wild Place Kirill Kaprizov On LTIR, Marcus Johansson On IR

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5:30 PM: Minnesota has additionally placed Kirill Kaprizov on retroactive long-term injured reserve. He will be eligible to return as soon as he’s back to full health. In addition, Minnesota has recalled forwards Liam Ohgren and Brendan Gaunce – bringing them to a full roster ahead of Saturday’s game against Nashville.

4:00 PM: The Minnesota Wild have placed forward Marcus Johansson on injured reserve with an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Johansson suffered the injury when Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid discretely elbowed him in the head in the two sides’ Wednesday night matchup. The infraction did not result in a penalty during the game, nor any response from NHL Player Safety afterward. Johansson was helped off the ice following the hit, ending his night late in the second period. Tensions flared in response to the incident, not helped along by the fact that referee Chris Lee told Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek – who didn’t see the initial hit – that Johansson struck himself in the face with his own stick, per Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.

Johansson will now head to IR for the first time this season. He’s been one of the few regulars in Minnesota’s injury-strewn year, and even then still missed one of the team’s 45 games this season with an upper-body injury in October. Consistency hasn’t meant high scoring for Johansson, who sits with just five goals and 16 points on the season. That puts him on pace for 30 points through 82 games this season, which would tie Johansson’s scoring total from last year. Johansson has continued to fill a serviceable middle-six role for the Wild, averaging just under 16 minutes of ice time.

This will be yet another injury for the Minnesota Wild to bear through. They’re already missing a chunk of the top of their lineup, including going without Kirill Kaprizov, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Brock Faber for at least the last four games. Their silver lining is the return of winger Jakub Lauko, who was activated off of long-term injured reserve earlier on Thursday after missing Minnesota’s last 15 games with a lower-body injury. Lauko’s injury, suffered on December 15th, came just over a week after he was activated off of IR from a previous injury, which had him on the shelf from November 26th to December 9th.

Lauko has only appeared in 24 games this season as a result of the back-to-back injuries. He has two goals, six points, and 16 penalty minutes in that span – continuing his lack of scoring from his 10-point season last year. He’s been a true fourth-line forward for the Wild, but might be called upon to help support the middle-six in Johansson’s absence.

After Johansson’s IR placement, Minnesota will move forward down two forwards. The Athletic’s Russo shares that he’s expecting the team to make a call-up in response, but their cap situation will make even that process stressful. Russo points out that Minnesota would exceed the salary cap by recalling two forwards, and may need to retroactively place Kaprizov on LTIR to open their finances. Minnesota could also turn towards an emergency call-up, but would first need to play a game without a full roster. The former option certainly seems more feasible, with Minnesota then likely to turn towards their cheaper options in the minor leagues. Travis Boyd, Ben Jones, Michael Milne, Brendan Gaunce, and Devin Shore all carry league-minimum ($775K) cap hits and have been previously called up at some point this season. They could make up the list of top options this week, while players like Liam Ohgren and Riley Heidt will be pricier, but more high-upside, bets.

Minnesota’s next game will come on Saturday, when they travel to Nashville to take on the struggling Predators. The Wild have set a 2-3-0 in their last five games while grappling with major injuries.

Predators Expecting Increase In Trade Talks, Interest In Ryan O’Reilly

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The Nashville Predators entered the 2024-25 season with, on paper, one of the best rosters in the NHL. They won the sweepstakes for Tampa Bay Lightning legend Steven Stamkos in his first trip to unrestricted free agency, and bolstered him with impact players in Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. But Nashville now sits with a dismal 13-22-7 record halfway through the season. They rank as a bottom-three team in the NHL, and have responded to the disappointing year by kicking off a fire sale of trades and roster moves. The Predators have already made five trades this season, shipping off Philip Tomasino, Scott Wedgewood, Alexandre Carrier, and Juuso Parssinen; while also losing Dante Fabbro to Columbus via a waiver claim.

Despite all of that change, it seems Nashville’s novice general manager Barry Trotz is preparing for even more action. He told Nick Kieser of Nashville’s 102.5 The Game that the team is expecting an uptick in trade conversations now that the league’s winter meetings are winding down. Trotz went on to mention former Selke Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly specifically, sharing that he’s expecting plenty of teams to be interested in the depth forward. Trotz didn’t rule out a trade but emphasized that the team will talk with O’Reilly before making any sort of move.

O’Reilly is no stranger to Trade Deadline swaps, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs via a Deadline move in 2023. He scored 20 points in 24 total games with the Leafs before signing with Nashville in the following summer. He’s seen an uptick in his production in two years with the Preds, netting 26 goals and 69 points in 82 games last year and on pace for 53 points this season. Both marks sit in line with O’Reilly’s scoring during his prime years with the St. Louis Blues. Now 33, the shutdown forward’s overall impact is starting to dwindle – though his 55-percent faceoff win rate and 37 still rank second among Predators forwards, behind only Colton Sissons (56.2 faceoff percent, 44 hits).

With the trade deadline the point of conversation, Trotz also emphasized to Kieser that the team’s big blow up has already occurred. He said that, “this trade deadline is going to look a little different.” That comment likely references the four trades Nashville made ahead of last year’s Deadline, used to acquire Anthony Beauvillier, Jeremy Hanzel, Jason Zucker, and Wade Allison. Hanzel is the only one of the four still in the Predators organization.

If the Predators acquire anyone, Trotz says they’ll be looking for players with term on their contract, in an effort to build around their emerging young players rather than replacing them in the lineup. Both Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov have been notable pieces of the Predators’ lineup at some point this season. L’Heureux has scored nine points in 34 games – officially marking his rookie season – while Svechkov has four points in 13 games and was returned to the AHL. Svechkov is joined by other top prospects Joakim Kemell and Reid Schaefer in the minor leagues. Kemell has scored 18 points in 30 AHL games, while Scahefer – who has been out of the lineup since early December with an upper-body injury – has 14 points in 19 games. Both players could also be candidates for NHL ice time sooner rather than later, especially if the Predators continue to move out veteran pieces.

The Predators will be in a bind at the Deadline, no matter if they choose to buy or sell. The team has five picks in the top two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, plenty of ammunition to bring in a potential difference-maker, though that’s a hard sell for a team so far away from playoff contention. Nashville seems more likely to trim some lineup weight by moving players like Thomas Novak and Michael McCarron. Both players have offered stout depth behind Nashville’s presumed stars, though neither has reached 10 points this season despite playing 33 and 34 games respectively. A more hopeful team could see the duo’s slumping scoring as a chance to buy low on two potentially impactful depth forwards ahead of their own playoff push.

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