Wild Move Kirill Kaprizov To LTIR, Jonas Brodin Expected To Return
The Minnesota Wild have moved star forward Kirill Kaprizov to long-term injured reserve retroactive to his most recent game on January 26th. This move will open up additional cap space and roster flexibility, which Michael Russo of The Athletic suggests could indicate the return of top defenseman Jonas Brodin. Russo shares that Brodin will likely join the team in Boston this weekend and prepare to make his return to the ice on Tuesday. Brodin has missed Minnesota’s last 12 games with a lower-body injury suffered after blocking a shot in the team’s January 7th win over the St. Louis Blues. Brodin was placed on injured reserve 11 days later, then shifted to LTIR on January 28th. Tuesday’s game against the Boston Bruins would mark the soonest that he’d be able to return.
This news comes as sweet and sour for a Minnesota roster that’s faced terrible injury luck all season long. Brodin has played in just 31 of the team’s 53 games this season, but he’s continued to perform as a top-pair option when he’s healthy. He has recorded four goals and 16 points, six penalty minutes, and a +10 on the season. He’s also blocked 67 shots, second-most on the Wild behind Jacob Middleton. Brodin has managed top-end stats while averaging north of 23 minutes of ice time each game. That number – like many of his stats – ranks second on the defense behind Brock Faber‘s near-25 minutes of ice time on average. Brodin will be launched back to Minnesota’s top line as soon as he can handle it, especially after a 6-0 trampling courtesy of the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
But the sour of the move comes via an extended absence for the Wild’s superstar. Kaprizov has undergone surgery for his lower-body injury that went well, per NHL.com’s Joe Smith. But he’ll now be forced out of the lineup through the rest of February, at least. He has been formally designated as week-to-week, which could stretch his prognosis out even further. Kaprizov was the beating heart of the Wild lineup prior to injury. He led the team in goals (23), assists (29), and points (52) through just 37 appearances. That’s an 82-game scoring pace of 115 points, which would have shattered Minnesota’s previous single-season scoring record – 108 points, set by Kaprizov in 2021-22. He also earned third spot on that list with 96 points in 75 games last year. Minnesota sits firmly in a playoff spot as February rolls around, giving them the chance to focus on getting Kaprizov back to full-health before the postseason begins.
Canucks Assign Aatu Raty, Waive and Assign Phillip Di Giuseppe To AHL
2/2: Di Giuseppe has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the minor leagues, per Ben Kuzma of Postmedia.
2/1: Following their two trades from Friday night, the Canucks continue to tinker with their roster. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have placed winger Phillip Di Giuseppe on waivers. Additionally, they have assigned center Aatu Raty to AHL Abbotsford.
Di Giuseppe is on the wire for the second time this season after passing through unclaimed back at the beginning of October. The 31-year-old spent the first two-and-a-half months in the minors with Abbotsford but was limited to only four games due to injury. He was recalled in mid-December and aside from a brief papering down over the holiday break, he has been exclusively with Vancouver since then.
Di Giuseppe has played in 20 games with Vancouver so far this season, picking up a goal and five assists along with 54 hits while averaging 11:34 per game. He has 101 appearances with the Canucks over the past three seasons, picking up 28 points while averaging nearly two hits per contest as he has had several opportunities in their bottom six. Di Giuseppe is in the final season of a two-year, two-way deal that sees him receive the league minimum of $775K in the NHL and $500K in the minors. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
As for Raty, he has had five separate stints with the big club this season, the most recent of which started on Tuesday. The 22-year-old has two goals and two assists in 21 games with Vancouver, playing almost exclusively on their fourth line. That hasn’t been the case in the minors, however, as Raty is averaging a point per game on the farm with eight goals and 15 helpers with Abbotsford. He’ll return to a much more prominent role with them for now but will almost certainly be among the top recall options whenever injuries arise once again.
Sharks Recall Vitek Vanecek, Reassign Yaroslav Askarov
The San Jose Sharks have recalled goaltender Vitek Vanecek from a conditioning stint in the AHL. Vanecek fractured his right cheek into “a couple of pieces” and required surgery on December 17th, when an errant puck hit him while he was sitting on the bench, shares Felicia Keller of San Jose Hockey Now. He worked his way back to full health throughout January and was assigned to the minors on January 29th and played his first game since injury two days later. He allowed two goals on 24 shots and won the game – his only appearance of the minor league assignment. In a corresponding move, San Jose has also reassigned Yaroslav Askarov to the AHL.
Vanecek had another spot start in the minors in 2021-22, but hasn’t played multiple AHL games since the 2019-20 season. He was a heavily-used goaltender for the Hershey Bears from 2016 to 2020 – routinely sharing the net with many emerging netminders, including Pheonix Copley and Ilya Samsonov. Vanecek often posted better stat lines than his company, recording a save percentage north of .905 in the 2016-17, 2018-19, and 2019-20 seasons. The lattermost year still stands as his career-best – headlined by a 19-10-1 record and .917 save percentage. That performance earned Vanecek a call-up to the Washington Capitals in the following season, and he’d make the call-up last by again posting save percentages north of .905 in each of his first three NHL seasons.
Vanecek eventually worked his way into the New Jersey Devils’ starting role for 2022-23, and posted a dazzling 33-11-4 record and .911 save percentage in 52 games. It was heavy utilization in the midst of his prime, but he’s struggled to maintain full health or strong performances in the years since. He recorded a measly .890 Sv% in 32 games with New Jersey last year, and has an even lesser .885 in 14 games with San Jose this season.
Where Vanecek will slot in upon returning from injury isn’t as clear. He has played in one more game than his lineup competition – Askarov and Alexandar Georgiev – and his measly save percentage doesn’t look terrible next to Askarov’s .895 and Georgiev’s .879. That could be enough to push Vanecek back into the starting role, though it might not last for long. Askarov has been a force all season long, alternating between dazzling performances only allowing one or two goals; and horrific outings where he’s lit up to the extent of four, five, or even six goals allowed. His year-long save percentage is confused by that inconsistency, but it’s hard to say that the young Russian isn’t still San Jose’s best option in net. He’s recorded a fantastic .938 Sv% in 14 AHL games this season. That’s far-and-away the highest save percentage in San Jose Barracuda history, 12 percent higher than Troy Grosenick‘s .926 through 49 games in 2016-17. This assignment suggests that Askarov will be tasked with maintaining that record through the foreseeable future, though he could quickly jump back to the pros should San Jose’s other netminders continue to falter.
Canucks Recall Victor Mancini
The Vancouver Canucks have moved to get the full benefits of their recent trade by recalling defenseman Victor Mancini from the minor leagues. The Canucks acquired Mancini alongside centerman Filip Chytil and a protected 2025 first-round draft pick from the New York Rangers on Friday in exchange for J.T. Miller, Erik Brannstrom, and prospect Jackson Dorrington. Miller was a late scratch in Vancouver’s Friday game and made his second debut with the Rangers on Saturday – netting two goals on six shots. Sunday’s game against Detroit will mark Chytil and Mancini’s first chance to debut with their new club.
A move to Vancouver will mark some of the first Canadian games of Mancini’s career. He grew up playing youth hockey across Michigan, before briefly joining the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede and U.S. National Team Development Program in 2018-19. He moved to Sweden for his age-17 and age-18 seasons – 2019-20 and 2020-21 – joining Frolunda HC’s youth program and becoming the first non-Swede to captain the U20 team in his latter season. Mancini scored 24 points across 57 games with Frolunda’s U20 club, which wasn’t enough to convince teams to draft the stocky defender in his first years of draft eligibility – 2020 and 2021. That prompted a return to the United States, where Mancini was finally able to earn a fifth-round selection in 2022 after a strong freshman season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He played one more year with the Mavericks before turning pro with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Mancini worked his way into an NHL debut earlier this season. Over the last two years, he’s totaled five points in 15 NHL games and 13 points in 30 AHL games.
Mancini is the son of prolific USA Hockey manager Robert Mancini. The eldest Mancini began his hockey career as an assistant coach with Lake Superior State University and Ferris State University from 1985 to 1992, then elevated to Michigan Tech’s head coaching role for the next four seasons. He stepped down from collegiate coaching in 1996 and began serving as an assistant coach, director of player personnel, and eventually a head coach for Team USA at U17, U18, and U20 tournaments – as well as joining the team at the World Championship in 1997 and 1998. He then took on scouting with the Edmonton Oilers for four years, became the general manager and head coach of the Saginaw Spirit for three years, returned to Edmonton as a development coach, then moved to South Africa to coach the country’s men’s national team for four years. He supported South Africa’s climb to Division 2B, then operated as Romania’s U20 GM in 2018. Robert has since retired from his management career, but now gets to watch his only son suit up for what used to be his division rival.
Victor Mancini will likely slot into Vancouver’s third pairing, competing with Derek Forbort for minutes. That would slot him immediately behind fellow new acquisition Marcus Pettersson, who will also make his Canucks debut on Sunday. The duo are both welcome depth behind superstar defender and Hart Trophy candidate Quinn Hughes, who has dealt with nagging injuries throughout the season.
Stars Activate Mason Marchment From Injured Reserve
Stars winger Mason Marchment has been activated from injured reserve Sunday, per a team announcement. The team opened roster space by reassigning forward Kyle McDonald and defenseman Christian Kyrou to AHL Texas, leaving them with an open spot.
Marchment, 29, will draw into the lineup this evening for the first time in over a month. The power forward needed surgery after taking a puck to the face against the Wild on Dec. 27, keeping him out of Dallas’ last 17 games.
The Ontario native was having an extraordinarily productive campaign before his injury. He had 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points through the season’s first 33 games, still placing him fifth on the team in points per game with 0.82. He’s on track for his best offensive season as a Star and his finest showing since his breakout 2021-22 campaign with the Panthers, when he notched a +29 rating and 47 points in 54 games and finished 18th in Selke Trophy voting.
Marchment is now in the third season of the four-year, $18MM deal he inked with Dallas in free agency in 2022. He has 111 points in 182 games as a Star, ranking ninth on the team in scoring since his arrival and ranking third in hits (240).
A career-high 15.0% shooting rate explains some of Marchment’s re-emergence as a bonafide top-six piece, but he’s also recorded figures in the 14% range twice in his six-year NHL career. His possession impacts this season have also been standouts, ranking second on the team behind Mavrik Bourque with a 55.5 CF% at even strength.
He’s another weapon in a Stars offense that’s figured things out in recent weeks, ranking fifth in the league with 3.29 goals per game in Marchment’s absence. His return to the lineup should coincide with Mikael Granlund‘s Dallas debut after they acquired him from the Sharks yesterday, supercharging their already strong offensive depth.
McDonald and Kyrou were recalled yesterday as the Stars entered long-term injured reserve for the first time this season. Neither was ever expected to play, with their cap hits solely being added to the active roster to optimize their LTIR capture when they moved Tyler Seguin there and added Nils Lundkvist after news broke that the latter would miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury.
Senators Recall Cole Reinhardt
The Senators announced Sunday they’ve recalled winger Cole Reinhardt from AHL Belleville. They opened a roster spot by waiving and reassigning him just last week, so no corresponding transaction is required.
Reinhardt returns to the active roster after Josh Norris left Saturday’s 6-0 drubbing of the Wild in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Travis Green didn’t have an update on Norris’ status postgame, nor made it clear when the center sustained it (via Sportsnet).
The 25-year-old’s inclusion on the roster gives the Sens 12 forwards for Monday’s game against the Predators in case Norris cannot play. Ottawa did not have any extra healthy forwards for last night’s win, with Noah Gregor on injured reserve and Nick Cousins out long-term following knee surgery.
Reinhardt last skated for the Sens in their 5-0 win over the Penguins on Jan. 11. He sustained an upper-body injury in that game that forced him out of the next nine contests before he landed on waivers last Tuesday.
The Calgary native cleared without incident and returned to play with the B-Sens on Wednesday, scoring the overtime winner in a 6-5 win over Hartford in his first game back. He was otherwise held pointless in three appearances over the past few days, but he still checks in as Belleville’s points-per-game leader with 1.06.
A sixth-round pick in 2020, the 6’1″ left-winger has worked his way up to tweener status on Ottawa’s depth chart. He’s appeared in 12 NHL games this season after not suiting up in any since his NHL debut in April 2022, posting a goal and an assist with a minus-five rating.
Reinhardt has averaged just 8:08 per game but ranks second on the team with 17.8 hits per 60 minutes. Outside of his physicality and the depth scoring upside he’s flashed at the AHL level, his possession impacts have been poor with a 42.6 CF% and -1.6 expected rating at even strength. The former ranks last among Ottawa skaters to play multiple games this season.
Reinhardt can remain on Ottawa’s roster for another 30 days or play 10 games before he needs to clear waivers again to return to Belleville. He’s slated to reach Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer due to playing fewer than 80 NHL games while having at least three professional seasons under his belt.
Metropolitan Notes: Haula, Malkin, Duclair, Edstrom, Stillman
It has been one of the busiest weeks of the season for the Metropolitan Division. Five of the division’s eight teams have made trades in the last few weeks, and all eight clubs are dealing with multiple injuries. That’s sparked plenty of news and updates – starting with the New Jersey Devils, who plan to bring centerman Erik Haula on their upcoming two-game road trip despite already ruling him out for Sunday’s game against Buffalo, per team reporter Amanda Stein. Stein added that Haula will practice with the team on the road trip and be questionable for Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh. Haula suffered an ankle injury on January 5th and has been out of action ever since. He’s missed 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on January 17th. He resumed skating four days later and was upgraded to out day-to-day on January 29th.
Haula is now one step closer to returning. Having already been ruled out of Sunday’s game, he’ll have three more opportunities to get back into the lineup before the team goes on a two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off. Whether or not he’ll be able to return before that break will be notable, as Haula has been selected to represent Team Finland at the tournament. He has so far made no indication that he won’t be able to play – but the thought of his absence will weigh on a Finnish club that recently lost top defenseman Miro Heiskanen for the tourney. Haula is in the midst of a down year, with just 11 points in 42 games – his lowest scoring pace since the 2016-17 season. But he’ll still be an important addition to the Finns’ lineup should he return back to full health, likely to slot in as a middle-six winger with Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz, Aleksander Barkov, and Anton Lundell manning the middle lane.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for an even more notable return, after franchise legend Evgeni Malkin has returned to practice in a non-contact jersey on Saturday, per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Malkin has missed Pittsburgh’s last four games and is still expected to miss a few more with a lower-body injury. He will be hard-pressed to return before Pittsburgh’s 4-Nations break begins on February 8th. The Penguins have lost two of the games that Malkin has missed. They were outscored 9-2 in the pair of outings. With that in mind, Pittsburgh will hope their future Hall-of-Fame Russian can get back to full health ASAP – and get back to building on the 34 points he’s scored in 47 games this season. Malkin continues to play a pivotal role on the team’s second line, averaging north of 18 minutes of ice time this season.
While New Jersey and Pittsburgh gear up for returns, the Islanders will have yet another lineup vacancy to fill, with winger Anthony Duclair set to miss Saturday’s game due to illness, per Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports. Duclair missed over two months of action earlier in the year, sitting out from October 20th to December 21st with a lower-body injury. He scored three points in his first three games back, but has been ice cold ever since – with just two points in his last 14 games. Duclair has held onto top-nine ice time despite the scoring drought, giving the Islanders a hardy role to fill as he misses yet another game. Marc Gatcomb has returned to the lineup to fill the vacancy, earning another chance to find scoring after playing in his first seven NHL games, and scoring his first goal, earlier this season. Gatcomb will fill a fourth-line role, while Simon Holmstrom has been promoted into the top-nine.
Joining the list of Metropolitan absentees is New York Rangers forward Adam Edstrom, who suffered an apparent injury in the team’s Saturday loss to the Boston Bruins. No specifics of Edstrom’s injury or timeline have been revealed. It’s terrible timing for the towering forward, who’s scored two points and seen a boost in ice time over his last five games. His absence will force the Rangers to fill a hole on their fourth line, likely opening the door for Arthur Kaliyev, Jimmy Vesey, or top prospect Brennan Othmann to earn a spot start. Vesey notably voiced concerns over his ice time recently – and could now have a golden chance to prove he can make a lasting impact with minimal minutes.
Closing out the littany of Metro updates – the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned depth defenseman Riley Stillman back to the minor leagues. Stillman was recalled for his season debut on Friday. He played in just under eight minutes of ice time and recorded one shot and two hits. He’ll now return to the minor leagues, where he’s scored two goals and five points through 15 games.
Kraken Recall Gustav Olofsson, Ryker Evans Day-To-Day
The Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Gustav Olofsson under emergency conditions. The move comes in response to sophomore Ryker Evans‘ suffering an upper-body injury that has him out day-to-day, per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network. Evans missed Seattle’s Thursday win over the San Jose Sharks, making the team eligible for this recall. Olofssson is likely to serve as a depth option for the duration of his call-up, with the Kraken carrying six healthy defenders even with Evans out.
Olofsson is playing through his 12th season of pro hockey this year. Every year has been largely the same, with Olofsson earning a spot at the top of his club’s call-up list with stout, shutdown defense in the minors. He’s played NHL games in seven of the last nine years, only being held back by a season-long injury in 2018-19 and a shortened season in 2021. He has totaled 11 assists and 18 penalty minutes in 66 career NHL games over that span but is still searching for his first NHL goal. He hasn’t been much more productive in the minor leagues. Olofsson has totaled 109 points in 349 games in the AHL, with 24 points in the 2016-17 season standing as his career-high. His career has spanned tenures with the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, and Seattle Kraken – as well as stints with four different minor league clubs.
Seattle will be able to play Olofsson in upwards of 10 games, or roster him for up to a month, on emergency basis. That should be plenty of time to allow Evans to work back to full health.
Maple Leafs Activate John Tavares And Matthew Knies, Assign Nikita Grebenkin To AHL
The Maple Leafs will welcome back a pair of key forwards for their game tonight against Edmonton. Head coach Craig Berube told reporters including David Alter of The Hockey News that center John Tavares and winger Matthew Knies will suit up against the Oilers. After sending Jacob Quillan down yesterday, Toronto needed to make one more roster move to add both players to the active roster. Per the NHL’s media site, that move was returning winger Nikita Grebenkin to AHL Toronto.
Tavares missed the last couple of weeks due to a lower-body injury after getting injured in practice when his skate collided with teammate Chris Tanev’s. Despite the short-term setback, it has been a solid season for the 34-year-old pending unrestricted free agent. Tavares has 20 goals and 22 assists through 44 games this season while winning nearly 57% of his faceoffs and will return to anchoring Toronto’s second line.
As for Knies, he only missed a week and a half due to an upper-body injury that he clarified was a shoulder issue. The sophomore has already passed his goal total from a year ago (15) as he has 18 goals and 13 assists through 47 games. Knies has spent a lot of time on the top line which has him well-positioned heading into restricted free agency this summer and is expected to line up on that unit again tonight.
Grebenkin, meanwhile, was recalled last weekend when Connor Dewar landed on IR. However, while he got into seven games with the big club earlier in the season, he didn’t see any game action this time around. The rookie has eight goals and eight assists in 29 games with the Marlies in his first season of action in North America.
Flyers Recall Emil Andrae And Jacob Gaucher
With their newest players unavailable due to visa issues, the Flyers have brought in some extra reinforcements. The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Emil Andrae and center Jacob Gaucher from AHL Lehigh Valley. To make room on the roster, Egor Zamula was placed on injured reserve while newcomer Andrei Kuzmenko has a non-roster designation.
Andrae has split the season between the Flyers and Phantoms. With Philadelphia, the 22-year-old has suited up in 20 games, picking up five points along with 28 blocks and 22 hits while averaging 19:18 of playing time. He has been a bit more productive with Lehigh Valley with nine points in 15 outings with them. With Erik Johnson absent from practice today, it’s possible that Andrae could be counted on for Sunday’s game in Colorado.
As for Gaucher, it’s his first recall after his minor league deal was converted to an entry-level pact in December. The 23-year-old has done well this season with the Phantoms, notching 14 goals and 13 assists in 44 games, well surpassing his rookie-year numbers in fewer games. Gaucher’s 27 points put him in a tie for second on Lehigh Valley in scoring, two behind leader Samu Tuomaala.
As for making roster room, Kuzmenko and winger Jakob Pelletier were acquired from Calgary on Thursday. However, both players are dealing with visa-related concerns and are not yet available to the team. Their debuts may have to wait until Tuesday in Utah. Zamula, meanwhile, has missed the last week with an upper-body injury. His retroactive IR placement came on Friday, meaning he’s eligible to be activated at any time.