Carolina Hurricanes Recall Riley Stillman, Ryan Suzuki
Jan. 31st: The Hurricanes briefly reversed yesterday’s transaction this afternoon. Carolina announced that they reassigned Suzuki to AHL Chicago and recalled Stillman to the NHL roster. Suzuki went scoreless in 6:12 in his debut last night and picked up one hit. However, after 4 PM CT, the team announced Suzuki’s recall again; by waiting until then to do so, he won’t count on their books until Saturday.
Jan. 30th: According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled 2019 first-round draft pick, Ryan Suzuki, ahead of tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. In a corresponding roster move, Carolina has reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
Suzuki, the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens’ captain Nick Suzuki, is the only player selected in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft who has yet to make his NHL debut. The Hurricanes will confirm their lineup closer to puck drop. Still, it is expected that Suzuki will take the place of Sebastian Aho, who is questionable for tonight’s matchup due to illness.
Injuries began afflicting Suzuki almost immediately upon joining the Hurricanes organization. He suffered a high stick in 2019 which left him with a permanent blind spot in one eye, and was slowed in his recovery due to his contracting COVID-19. He scored 12 goals and 12 assists in his first two years with AHL Chicago when he was limited to only 50 games overall.
Thankfully, the last three years have been much healthier for the London, Ontario native. He scored 27 goals and 62 points in 101 games between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 AHL seasons, spending last year with the Springfield Thunderbirds when the Hurricanes were without a direct affiliate.
The long road to his NHL debut has culminated in an All-Star-level performance this year. Suzuki has scored six goals and 30 points in 38 games for the Wolves, leading the playoff-likely team in scoring.
Aside from Suzuki’s feel-good story, Stillman will re-join the Wolves roster for the first time in a week. He skated in 7:40 of action against the New York Rangers on January 28th for his first NHL game since April 14, 2023, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres.
New York Islanders Reassign Isaiah George
The New York Islanders needed to cut one player from the active roster after claiming defenseman Adam Boqvist off waivers earlier today. According to Andrew Gross of Newsday Sports, the Islanders have elected to reassign defenseman Isaiah George to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.
George’s reassignment seems wise for the young defender’s growth. The Islanders picked George with the 98th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, and he is still in his first year with the organization.
Due to numerous injuries in the defensive lineup, George has already played 33 games for the Islanders in his first year of professional hockey. He’s scored one goal and recorded five points during these games, averaging 15 minutes and 39 seconds of ice time per night.
His defensive metrics have painted the best picture of his performance thus far with a 46.2% CorsiFor% at even strength and a 91.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength. Complimented by an average of one block per game — George should have some staying power on the Islanders’ blue line.
Still, it won’t hurt to have George back in Bridgeport. He’s only one year removed from scoring six goals and 30 points in 68 games for the OHL’s London Knights and only has four AHL games on his résumé. The AHL Islanders aren’t expected to make a push for the Calder Cup playoffs this season but George should help alleviate many of Bridgeport’s goals-against issues this year.
Lightning Reassign Matt Tomkins, Gage Goncalves
Jan. 31st: The Tampa Bay team has announced that they have reassigned goalie Tomkins and forward Gage Goncalves to AHL Syracuse. Since today is an off-day and there are no indications that Johansson is nearing a return, both players are expected to be back tomorrow night.
Jan. 30th: The Lightning may be without their regular netminders tonight against the Kings. Andrei Vasilevskiy remains a game-time decision due to illness after his absence against the Blackhawks on Tuesday forced them to sign Kyle Konin to an amateur tryout as an emergency backup, head coach Jon Cooper said (via the team’s Benjamin Pierce). Backup Jonas Johansson, who started the Chicago game, is now day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will not play tonight, according to Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network Sun. In a corresponding move, the team announced they’d recalled third-stringer Matt Tomkins from AHL Syracuse.
The Bolts don’t have another recall option from the AHL if both Vasilevskiy and Johansson are unavailable. Tomkins, their third-stringer, is their only other netminder under contract. He hasn’t even been Syracuse’s starter this season. He’s been overtaken in the role by 28-year-old Brandon Halverson, who remains without an NHL contract offer from the Bolts despite posting a stellar 2.02 GAA, .925 SV%, and four shutouts in 24 AHL appearances this season.
Nonetheless, Tomkins will dress tonight against Los Angeles. Whether he starts with Konin signing an ATO again to back up or whether Vasilevskiy can take the ice remains to be seen. The 30-year-old saw NHL ice for the first time last season, logging a 3-2-1 record with a 3.33 GAA and a .892 SV% in six appearances for Tampa. He has a 6-8-4 record and a .900 SV% in 17 games for Syracuse this season, his second in the Lightning organization after departing the Blackhawks’ system and spending two years in Sweden.
The 29-year-old Johansson has seen an increased workload lately as the Bolts look to give Vasilevskiy some mid-season rest. Five of his 12 starts this season have come this month. Overall, he’s continued to serve as a below-average backup option, which doesn’t matter much for Tampa, given the volume of starts Vasilevskiy logs. Still, a .892 SV% and 3.24 GAA aren’t particularly promising, considering they’re a few points above his lowly NHL career averages. He’s conceded 3.3 goals above expected in his ice time this year, per MoneyPuck, not the best insurance option in the event Vasilevskiy misses significant time.
Nashville Predators Make Three Roster Moves
According to Nashville Predators’ reporter Nick Kieser, the team will look different tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Kieser shared that the Predators have activated forward Luke Evangelista from the injured reserve, reassigned defenseman Kevin Gravel, and recalled goaltender Matt Murray from their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.
The talented middle-six forward Evangelista returns after missing nearly a month with a lower-body injury. He’s been on the team’s injured reserve since January 7th when he left the game against the Winnipeg Jets after only five shifts.
His offensive production is a bit depressed compared to last year and the injury will make it even more difficult to replicate last season’s totals. Evangelista has scored four goals and 14 points in 39 games for Nashville this season after scoring 16 goals and 39 points over 80 games last year.
Still, nothing indicates he’s lost his potential from last season and the Predators are hopeful for a fruitful rebound. The team is 5-3-0 since Evangelista exited the lineup and they’ll need his help building toward a more respectable record.
Gravel will look to continue a solid season with the Admirals. Although he’s never been known for his point production, the longtime AHL defenseman is only eight points away from matching his career-high set with the AHL’s Ontario Reign in the 2015-16 season.
Aside from his three-goal, 12-point performance with the Admirals, the Kingsford, MI native has played in three games for the Predators this year. It’s his first NHL action since the 2022-23 season where he’s already matched his point total in 20 fewer games.
Murray will replace Juuse Saros tonight, who seems to be dealing with an illness or ailment. This season, Murray has performed well with the Admirals, posting a record of 13 wins, 7 losses, and 6 overtime losses in 23 games, along with a .927 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average. Netminder Justus Annunen is expected to start tonight, although Murray could step in if there is an injury or the score becomes lopsided.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Aleksei Kolosov, Reassign Adam Ginning
Goaltender Aleksei Kolosov‘s time with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms was short-lived. The Philadelphia Flyers announced they recalled Kolosov from the Phantoms and sent defenseman Adam Ginning the other way. Additionally, the team shared that they placed defenseman Yegor Zamula on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to January 23rd.
The recall is head-scratching at face value. After producing a mediocre 4-8-1 record and a .870 save percentage in 15 games with the Flyers, the organization decided to try Kolosov at the AHL level a little over a week ago.
Kolosov’s results in Lehigh Valley weren’t much better. He posted a 2-4-1 record in seven games, with a .874 SV% and a 3.59 goals-against average. Still, while it’s not entirely the fault of the goaltenders, and it is merely wishful thinking that Kolosov would have produced a different outcome, the Flyers are 2-4-0 since sending him down and have given up 20 goals in that stretch.
The Minsk, Belarus native may receive one or two more starting opportunities with Philadelphia in the coming week. However, this is not the most promising route for him to secure more starts. The Flyers have faced significant goaltending issues this season, and Kolosov’s subpar performance has contributed to this problem.
Ginning is heading to a familiar environment fresh off making his season debut in Philadelphia. He skated in 12:48 of last night’s loss to the New York Islanders adding one hit and one blocked shot to the team’s total. He could be back with the Flyers soon given the team only has six healthy defensemen on the roster without him.
Philadelphia had to make a roster move after yesterday’s acquisition of Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier from the Calgary Flames. Moving to the last part of the transaction, Zamula finally lands on the injured reserve after missing the past four games. Once he’s healthy enough to return, Kolosov or forward Rodrigo Abols will likely be reassigned to AHL Lehigh Valley.
Blues Extend Corey Schueneman, Recall Matthew Kessel
The Blues signed defenseman Corey Schueneman to a two-way contract extension Friday that will pay him $775K in the NHL and $425K in the AHL next season, according to a team announcement. St. Louis also recalled defenseman Matthew Kessel from AHL Springfield, bringing their active roster count to 22.
Schueneman, 29, landed with the Blues on a two-way deal last summer after not being re-upped by the Avalanche. His extension marks a $25K minor-league pay raise for the 2025-26 campaign.
St. Louis waived Schueneman at the end of training camp and he cleared without incident. He’s been recalled from Springfield once, spending the latter half of November on the NHL roster while Philip Broberg and Pierre-Olivier Joseph were on the shelf with injuries. He skated in four out of seven games during his call-up, recording four shots on goal, seven blocks, and one hit while averaging 14:03 of ice time per game. The 6’0″ lefty controlled play well in his limited minutes, posting a 56.2 CF% at even strength.
The Michigan native plays a shutdown game first and foremost but has always produced a decent chunk of offense at the minor-league level, including 12 points in 35 games with Springfield this year. He has 102 points in 279 career AHL games – good for 0.37 per game – since his professional debut on a minor-league deal in the Flames system in 2019.
Schueneman now has 35 games of NHL experience, the other 31 of which came with the Canadiens in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He had two goals and five assists with a minus-four rating there.
By staying in the Blues organization for another year, Schueneman lands some stability after switching clubs in the 2023 and 2024 offseasons with his intermediary stop in Colorado that didn’t result in any NHL time. He’s a low-risk candidate for a waiver claim and should remain in the system as a decent injury replacement option. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
The 24-year-old Kessel gets the call from the minors for the first time since mid-December. He’ll likely serve as an extra defender during the Blues’ upcoming two-game road swing through Colorado and Utah. The Phoenix native began the season on the Blues’ roster but struggled with three assists and a minus-one rating in 26 games before being assigned to Springfield. The 6’3″ righty has been on fire since his demotion, posting 11 points, 19 PIMs, and a plus-three rating in 17 AHL appearances.
Golden Knights Sign Brandon Saad
The Golden Knights have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with winger Brandon Saad after he officially clears unconditional waivers and became a UFA at 1:00 pm CT, per a team announcement. It’s worth a prorated $1.5MM for the remainder of the season, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Saad fills the veteran scoring winger need that Vegas was looking to address before the trade deadline. That need has been exacerbated in recent weeks with long-term injuries to William Karlsson and Cole Schwindt, forcing players like Raphael Lavoie and Keegan Kolesar to step into top-nine roles. They fill the hole without giving anything up aside from cap space, which they were tight on before today’s move with Karlsson and Schwindt on standard IR.
Unless they make a corresponding transaction, Karlsson will likely be transferred to LTIR if he’s not expected back before the 4 Nations Face-Off. If he is, Schwindt and his $800K cap hit have been out of the lineup longer, making a retroactive placement easier. Just Schwindt’s relief will likely be enough to accommodate Saad’s cap hit on the roster, especially with SinBin Vegas reporting they’ve returned Callahan Burke to AHL Henderson today.
Saad gives the Golden Knights immediate top-nine help, and they’re hoping a rebound in shooting percentage accompanies his arrival. Amid trade rumors for a good portion of the season, his underwhelming start to the 2024-25 campaign with the Blues included a career-worst -14 rating and a 9.3% shooting rate that he’s only underperformed once. The seven-time 20-goal scorer only had seven tallies through 43 games as a result, production he’ll look to jumpstart in Vegas after posting 26 goals just one season ago.
The Knights were likely one of a few teams interested in acquiring Saad from St. Louis via trade but couldn’t work out a deal. He had one season left after this one on his previous contract with a $4.5MM cap hit. With that obstacle out of the way following his mutual termination, Saad gets a fresh start – albeit on a significant discount on his previous price point – and the Knights get their desired piece.
A strong finish to the season could allow Saad to recoup his lost market value on the open market this summer, potentially even sniffing his previous AAV on a short-term deal if he can prove he can still produce at a 20-goal pace.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Kevin Weekes of ESPN was first to report the Golden Knights were signing Saad.
Islanders Claim Adam Boqvist Off Waivers From Panthers
Jan. 31: The Islanders claimed Boqvist off waivers from the Panthers on Friday, per Friedman. He’s the third puck-moving blue-liner they’ve added in the past few weeks, joining UFA pickup Tony DeAngelo and trade acquisition Scott Perunovich. He’ll add some needed depth to the team’s blue line as they deal with the long-term absences of Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock, and Mike Reilly. They’ll need to open up a roster spot as Boqvist’s acquisition puts them over the 23-player limit.
Jan. 30: The Panthers placed defenseman Adam Boqvist on waivers Thursday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He will presumably be assigned to AHL Charlotte if he clears.
Boqvist, 24, has not played since Jan. 6 and was healthy scratched for an 11th straight game in Wednesday’s shutout win over the Kings. The 5’11” righty played in nine of Florida’s first 10 games of the season but has been a press box fixture since then, only suiting up 18 times among the Panthers’ 52-game slate thus far.
Once one of the league’s more highly-touted defense prospects, Boqvist was a low-risk pickup for the Panthers last summer on a one-year, league-minimum contract. He’d been bought out by the Blue Jackets with one season left on a three-year, $7.8MM deal, ending his tenure in Columbus prematurely after being brought in as the centerpiece of the return from the Blackhawks in the 2021 Seth Jones blockbuster.
Selected eighth overall by Chicago in the 2018 draft, Boqvist looked well on his way to becoming a top-four fixture soon after the trade to Columbus. He wasn’t logging a ton of even strength minutes but had worked his way up to a consistent power play role and, when healthy, notched 46 points in 98 games over his first two seasons in Ohio. His lack of physicality had always been a sticking point, though, and, paired with underwhelming possession quality numbers, he entered the 2023-24 campaign further down on the depth chart than in years past.
Healthy scratches and shoulder issues were the norm for Boqvist last season. He was limited to 35 appearances for the Jackets, scoring once and adding nine assists for 10 points. He averaged 18:17 per game when in the lineup, similar to the usage he’d had in years prior. However, he was an even less engaged checker with only 11 hits and fell behind as Columbus added veterans Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson to their ranks.
The Panthers were optimistic that Boqvist could regain a regular role in Florida, helping accommodate the departures of power-play fixtures, such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Montour, in free agency after winning the Stanley Cup. He also linked up with older brother Jesper Boqvist, who signed a matching league-minimum deal with the Cats. While Boqvist did get a long look on the power play, he was quickly overtaken on the top unit by Aaron Ekblad and averaged just 10:48 per game at even strength, the lowest among Florida defenders. His 3.4 GA/60 at even strength also ranked last among Panthers D-men, leading to his poor defensive impacts outweighing any offensive benefit.
Boqvist hits pause on his NHL career for now after recording six points (2 G, 4 A) in 18 appearances for the Panthers. If he suits up for Charlotte, it will mark his first AHL appearance since the 2019-20 campaign when he was still in the Blackhawks organization.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Canadiens Reassign Rafaël Harvey-Pinard
The Canadiens loaned winger Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to AHL Laval on Friday, according to a team announcement. They now have a pair of open roster spots, with PuckPedia reflecting that Emil Heineman was also transferred to injured reserve earlier in the week.
Harvey-Pinard, 26, made his season debut in Thursday’s shutout loss to the Wild. He posted zeroes across the board in 8:54 of ice time, recording one hit. Montreal was outshot 4-2 with him on the ice at even strength.
It was a quiet showing amid a quiet season for the 5’9″ winger. A broken leg sustained during offseason training kept him out of training camp and on the shelf until mid-November, when the Canadiens assigned him to the minors on a long-term injury conditioning loan. They opted not to reinstate him to the active roster when his loan was up and instead placed him on waivers to keep him in Laval long-term. That was a semi-risky move, considering he’s on an expiring contract at an affordable $1.1MM cap hit and had 14 goals and 20 points in only 34 games two seasons ago, but there were no takers on the wire.
Thirty-one other NHL teams made the right call. Harvey-Pinard has struggled since his late start to the season, scoring only four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 24 games with Laval. He’s on pace for easily the worst offensive showing of his five-year professional career, especially after he logged 31 points in 40 games in his last extended AHL stint in 2022-23.
The Habs recalled Harvey-Pinard last weekend as the Habs wanted an extra forward with Heineman on the shelf, but he sat twice as a healthy scratch before entering the lineup. His lack of NHL usage and disappointing minor-league play this season makes it unlikely that he’ll receive his $1MM qualifying offer from Montreal at the end of the season, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Heineman’s IR placement does not affect his return timeline. He hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury as a pedestrian in a traffic action on Jan. 13 while the team was in Utah and is expected to remain out of the lineup for around another week.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Adam Ginning
Defenseman Adam Ginning will make his season debut for the Philadelphia Flyers after the team announced his recall from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Ginning is expected to replace veteran defenseman Erik Johnson in the lineup as the Flyers face off against the New York Islanders this evening.
Shortly after Philadelphia’s announcement, Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports quickly contextualized Johnson’s absence for tonight’s game. O’Connor stated that the Flyers never intended for Johnson to play in any back-to-back games this year although he did suit up in the back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames to start the season.
Philadelphia selected Ginning in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft but he didn’t begin playing for the organization until the 2022-23 season. He’s primarily played for AHL Lehigh Valley collecting six goals and 39 points in 168 career games.
He’s already appeared in 10 games for the Flyers dating back to the 2022-23 season. He’s tallied one goal in those ten contests and has posted impressive possession numbers and physicality albeit in a small sample size.
That’s exactly what will be expected of him tonight and in the future should he have any staying power in Philadelphia’s lineup. There’s no question the Flyers are a physical team with 980 hits delivered already this year and Ginning should only help increase that total.