Flames Place A.J. Greer On Injured Reserve, Recall Three
3:14 p.m.: Calgary did indeed recall three forwards today: Pelletier is on his way back to the NHL, along with Kevin Rooney and Cole Schwindt, who will fill the team’s vacancies at center. The team also confirmed Greer’s IR placement in a team release.
2:34 p.m.: The Flames moved winger A.J. Greer to injured reserve on Sunday, per the NHL’s media site. Greer is one week into an eight-week recovery timeline for a foot fracture sustained on Jan. 25 against the Blue Jackets.
Today’s news doesn’t affect Greer’s return timeline. However, it does bring Calgary’s roster size back down to 20 out of the maximum 23 after claiming defenseman Brayden Pachal off waivers from the Golden Knights earlier in the day.
18 of those 20 players are skaters, but after moving Greer to IR, the Flames only have 10 forwards on the active roster. They now have roster space to recall as many as three forwards ahead of their Feb. 6 game against the Bruins, which marks their return from their bye week and the All-Star break.
One of those recalls will likely be 2021 13th overall pick Matthew Coronato, who has exploded for 32 points in 30 games with AHL Calgary during his first pro season. He’s scored only once in 15 NHL appearances this year in top-nine minutes, but he should get an extended look on the NHL roster for the rest of the season in the wake of the Elias Lindholm trade.
A center will likely be on his way up from the AHL as well, given Lindholm’s immediate replacement, Andrei Kuzmenko, will suit up on the wing. Offseason pickup Yegor Sharangovich, who’s tied for the team lead in goals with 20, will shift to center to close out the year in Lindholm’s absence.
Today’s news could also be a precursor to a Jakob Pelletier recall. The 22-year-old has two goals and an assist in four games with AHL Calgary after returning from a shoulder injury sustained late in training camp and, if the Flames feel he’s undergone enough conditioning at the minor-league level, could add to his NHL games-played total in the coming weeks.
Penguins Sign Jesse Puljujärvi To Two-Year Deal
The Penguins signed UFA winger Jesse Puljujärvi to a two-year contract on Sunday, per a team release. The 2016 fourth-overall pick will earn $800K per season through the end of 2024-25.
Per PuckPedia, Puljujärvi will earn the league minimum $775K salary this season before seeing a $50K pay bump in 2024-25. He will be an unrestricted free agent for the second time in his career when the deal expires.
Puljujärvi, 25, had four goals and nine points in 13 games on a PTO with Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after returning from a double hip surgery he had received during the offseason. He began training with the Penguins in early December, signing a PTO at the NHL level to do so.
The Finnish winger looked like a long-term fixture in the Oilers’ top six as recently as two years ago. A long and winding development path led him to a career-best 2021-22 campaign in which his 36 points and +22 rating in 65 games, oftentimes playing alongside Connor McDavid, earned him a spattering of Selke Trophy votes. Their line with Zach Hyman was arguably the best in the league that season at generating offense, producing 4.18 expected goals per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.
However, Puljujärvi regressed significantly in 2022-23. After posting five goals and 14 points (along with a -11 rating) in just 12:15 of average ice time compared to the prior season’s 16:14, the Oilers cut bait with their former top prospect and traded him to the Hurricanes for the signing rights to forward prospect Patrik Puistola. His possession impacts rebounded down the stretch with Carolina, but the point production did not – he went without a goal in 24 regular-season and playoff games and added only three assists. As such, the Hurricanes opted not to issue Puljujärvi a qualifying offer and let him become a UFA last July.
Last summer’s surgery suggests his skating and overall play were hampered by a lingering hip issue in 2022-23, and the Penguins are banking on his ability to keep driving possession in a limited role out of the gate. There is a fair amount of upward mobility for Puljujärvi in Pittsburgh if his play warrants it – underwhelming seasons from Rickard Rakell and Reilly Smith have created multiple openings in the team’s middle six. He may be best used in a bottom-six role to start, however, as poor defensive play from veterans like Noel Acciari and Matthew Nieto has been one of the team’s biggest weaknesses. Puljujärvi could provide an upgrade there and boost the team’s goal differential, even if he’s not providing a truckload of offense himself.
Avalanche Assign Ivan Prosvetov To AHL
Feb. 4: Prosvetov cleared waivers Sunday and can be assigned to AHL Colorado, per Friedman. The Avalanche executed the reassignment shortly after he cleared, a team announcement states.
Feb. 3: The league is largely shut down this weekend for the All-Star break but waiver activity continues. Today, the Avalanche placed goaltender Ivan Prosvetov on waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).
Colorado claimed the 24-year-old off waivers from Arizona in training camp with backup Pavel Francouz dealing with a groin injury. With Francouz since being ruled out for the season, Prosvetov has become the full-time backup for the Avs this season. However, his performance has been inconsistent as he has played to a 3.16 GAA and a .895 SV% in 11 appearances so far. The end result has been starter Alexandar Georgiev leading the league in appearances by a goaltender at the break, hardly an ideal situation for someone whose career high in games played heading into last season was 34.
Prosvetov’s placement suggests that a change on that front is coming. Barring a trade on the horizon, the change should be in the form of prospect Justus Annunen. The 23-year-old has spent most of the year with AHL Colorado, posting a 2.65 GAA and a .908 SV% in 23 games while also making one start for the Avs. Annunen only has five career appearances at the top level under his belt but he is in his final season of waiver exemption so he’ll now get his chance to prove he’s worthy of the full-time second-string role. Otherwise, GM Chris MacFarland will have no choice but to turn to the trade market.
With goalie depth hard to come by, it wouldn’t be shocking to see someone claim Prosvetov on Sunday. If that team is the Coyotes and they’re the only team to do so, Arizona would then be able to send him to AHL Tucson. If the Coyotes aren’t the only team to put in a claim, they’d then be forced to re-waive him or keep him on the NHL roster.
Flames Claim Brayden Pachal Off Waivers From Golden Knights
The Flames claimed defenseman Brayden Pachal off waivers from the Golden Knights on Sunday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Calgary confirmed the news in a media release shortly thereafter.
Pachal, 24, has logged a career-high 17 games played for Vegas this season. His first NHL goal came in an early-season win over the Sharks on Oct. 12.
A minor-league mainstay over the past few seasons in AHL Henderson, Pachal cracked the Golden Knights’ opening night roster in October with season-opening injuries keeping Alec Martinez and Zach Whitecloud out of the lineup. As injuries continued to affect the Vegas blue line, Pachal slipped down the depth chart behind 23-year-old Kaedan Korczak, who’s recently found a home in the team’s top four alongside Brayden McNabb in the absence of Shea Theodore.
After the Golden Knights claimed 2019 first-round pick Tobias Björnfot off waivers from the Kings in early January, there was even less of a role for Pachal on the NHL roster. As such, he was a healthy scratch in 11 straight games before the All-Star break, last skating in a Jan. 4 contest against the Panthers.
Calgary is likely parting ways with pending UFA blue liner Chris Tanev (and potentially Noah Hanifin) ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, leaving them with a lack of NHL-caliber defenders to take them through the stretch run. Claiming Pachal off waivers is likely made with that foresight in mind. He’ll compete with depth defensemen such as Dennis Gilbert and Jordan Oesterle for bottom-four ice time and should allow the Flames to keep younger prospects like Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov developing in the minors.
Pachal’s October goal is his only point this season, averaging 14:37 per game with a -2 rating and 18 shots on goal. Only two full-time Golden Knights – Martinez and Brett Howden – have a worse Corsi share at even strength than Pachal’s 44.2% mark despite a low quality of competition.
Despite the underwhelming possession metrics, the Flames believe he can develop into a defensive contributor down the stretch. GM Craig Conroy said Sunday that Pachal “will be an asset to our penalty kill” and called out his 6-foot-2, 202-pound frame as something to like (via Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson).
Pachal also has a history of occupying leadership roles, serving as Henderson’s captain from 2021 to 2023 and as captain of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in the 2018-19 season. He played in one postseason game last year, Vegas’ series-clinching Game 5 win against the Jets in the First Round, on his way toward getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.
This is not the Flames’ first run-in with Pachal, who turned pro out of juniors in 2019 after signing an entry-level contract with Vegas as an undrafted free agent. As Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike points out, Pachal attended Flames development and prospect camp in the summer of 2018.
He’s under contract through the 2024-25 season at a $775K cap hit after signing a two-year, $1.55MM extension with the Golden Knights in June 2023. His deal is a two-way pact carrying a minimum guaranteed salary of $200K this season, but it converts to a one-way deal next year. Calgary had three open roster spots before making this transaction and nearly $1.5MM in projected cap space, so no corresponding transaction is necessary to execute the claim.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Golden Knights Place Brayden Pachal On Waivers
While they’re off until Tuesday, the Golden Knights have made a roster move today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Vegas has placed defenseman Brayden Pachal on waivers.
The 24-year-old cleared waivers early in training camp back in October but never wound up being assigned to AHL Henderson. Instead, he has been a full-timer on the active roster although playing time has been difficult to come by. Pachal has played in 17 games for the Golden Knights so far, picking up a goal while averaging 14:37 per night. For his career, he has three points in 29 NHL contests.
While that’s not necessarily the statistical profile that would jump out at anyone, Pachal is in the first season of a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of the league minimum ($775K). Between that and the fact he’s a right-shot defender, there’s certainly a chance that a team looking for low-cost depth on the right side opts to take a flyer on Pachal.
At the moment, the Golden Knights are only carrying a minimum-sized active roster of 11 forwards and seven defensemen so if Pachal was to clear waivers, he couldn’t be sent to the Silver Knights without another move being made first. Blueliner Ben Hutton was listed as week-to-week when he was injured in late December while recent waiver claim Tobias Bjornfot went on IR three weeks ago with an undisclosed injury. If one of those two was to be activated, then Pachal could be removed from the roster. Shea Theodore is also injured and is on LTIR but his return might still be a couple of weeks away.
Julien Gauthier Clears Waivers
Saturday: Gauthier has cleared waivers, Friedman reports; he has been assigned to Bridgeport.
Friday: The Islanders have placed winger Julien Gauthier on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Bridgeport, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Friday.
Gauthier, 26, is without a point in his last six games. He was a healthy scratch in the Islanders’ last game before the All-Star break, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Panthers on Saturday.
The 2016 first-round pick signed a two-year, $1.575MM deal with the Islanders last July after reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career. After ending last season in a Senators jersey as a result of a February 2023 trade from the Rangers, Gauthier did not receive a qualifying offer after scoring three goals and adding two assists in 17 games with Ottawa.
A bottom-six power winger with good size at 6-foot-4 and over 220 pounds, Gauthier made the Islanders’ roster out of camp after failing to do so with the Rangers last season. He’s been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions this season, including three times since the beginning of January.
In 27 games on the season, he’s posted five goals and nine points while averaging 10:10 per game. His possession metrics have been the worst on the team in his limited role, posting a 36% Corsi share at even strength. Given he’s under contract until 2025 and is not on an expiring deal, and his $800K salary next season is higher than his $787.5K cap hit, the likelihood of a waiver claim appears low.
Jets Acquire Sean Monahan From Canadiens
10:39 a.m.: The Canadiens have confirmed the deal as reported.
9:44 a.m.: The Jets are nearing a deal to acquire center Sean Monahan from the Canadiens, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports Friday. Montreal will receive a first-round pick plus a conditional later-round pick in return, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press confirms the first-round pick is Winnipeg’s 2024 selection. Dreger adds the conditional pick is a third-round choice in 2027, which will be transferred to Montreal if the Jets win the Stanley Cup this season.
TSN’s Darren Dreger said earlier Friday that interest in Monahan had spiked after the Flames opened trade season by dealing first-line center Elias Lindholm to the Canucks on Wednesday for an expansive return. The Jets and an undisclosed team were still in talks with the Canadiens as of Friday morning, according to Dreger’s report.
Monahan, 29, is on a one-year contract carrying a $1.985MM cap hit with a $2MM AAV. The difference comes from a $15K performance bonus awarded if he reached 26 games played in 2023-24 that the Canadiens have already paid out, per CapFriendly.
The Jets will not have to concede a roster player in this deal for financial purposes. They have $3.8MM in accumulated cap space at the time of the deal and can absorb Monahan’s full contract without retention. The Athletic’s Arpon Basu confirmed the Canadiens are not retaining salary in the trade.
While Monahan may not have the two-way acumen and minute-munching reputation of Lindholm, he’s outpaced his former Flames teammate on the scoresheet this season. The 2013 sixth-overall pick has managed to avoid injury this season and, as such, is having his best offensive campaign since his career-best 34-goal, 82-point season in 2018-19.
At the time of the deal, Monahan is tied for second on the Habs in goals with captain Nick Suzuki (13), third in assists (22), and ranks third on the team with 35 points. His 399 faceoff wins are the most of any Canadien. After missing the last 57 games of last season with groin and foot injuries, he looks no worse for wear and is shouldering top-six minutes in the process, averaging 18:27 per game.
That production comes despite Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis using Monahan in a shutdown role. 61% of his zone starts at even strength have come in the defensive zone, 16% higher than his career average. As such, he’s struggled to replicate his strong possession numbers from last season’s limited stint in the Habs lineup, but he has posted a positive relative possession share in limited minutes on the penalty kill and contributed two shorthanded goals.
The Jets don’t need Monahan to shoulder such heavy defensive zone usage – captain Adam Lowry has that handled down the middle. He can, however, fill the second-line center role behind Mark Scheifele and create a domino effect in the Jets’ middle six. With Monahan in the fold, capable secondary scoring options Mason Appleton and Nino Niederreiter can now anchor a third line with Lowry, and 22-year-old Cole Perfetti can maintain a second-line role with a little less responsibility on the wing. Monahan isn’t a long-term acquisition – at least not yet – and making the deal doesn’t impact Perfetti’s long-term standing as a potential piece down the middle in Winnipeg.
Notably, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has now recouped two first-round picks for two seasons and 74 games of Monahan’s play. Montreal acquired a conditional 2025 first-round pick from the Flames to take on the final season of Monahan’s previous contract, which carried a $6.375MM cap hit. After posting six goals and 17 points in last season’s 25-game showing, Hughes signed Monahan to his current one-year deal in June.
While the Jets won’t need to make any salary cap-related moves to get this trade done, they may need to waive two players after the All-Star break if Scheifele and David Gustafsson are ready to return from their respective injuries. Both players are currently on injured reserve, but after acquiring Monahan, the Jets have a full 23-player roster with no room to activate them. The only waiver-exempt player on the Jets’ roster is Perfetti, who won’t be sent down.
Defense Notes: Tanev, Walker, Mukhamadullin
The Flames and Canucks had discussions about including Chris Tanev in Wednesday’s Elias Lindholm trade, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link). However, in the end, he was pulled out of those discussions with Calgary deciding it was better to move him in a separate swap. Tanev, a top shutdown defenseman, is expected to be one of the most sought-after blueliners heading into next month’s trade deadline with as many as ten teams believed to be interested. He’s on an expiring contract with a $4.5MM AAV and while the Flames got away without retaining in the Lindholm trade (or the Nikita Zadorov one earlier this season), it feels like there’s a good chance they’ll need to pay this contract down up to the maximum of 50% if they’re going to maximize their return.
Other blueline notes around the NHL:
- The Maple Leafs and Oilers are among the teams that have spoken to the Flyers about defenseman Sean Walker, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported in a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link). The 29-year-old right-shot rearguard is having a bounce-back season, recording 17 points in 50 games so far while averaging nearly 20 minutes a night while being on an expiring $2.65MM deal. With a limited supply of quality righties available, Pagnotta notes that Philadelphia has placed a first-round pick as the price tag for Walker’s services although they may have to lower that to get a trade done.
- With the Sharks now on their bye week, they’ve assigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to the minors, per an announcement (Twitter link) from their AHL affiliate. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut on Saturday and has played in three games so far, picking up an assist while averaging over 21 minutes a night. Mukhamadullin has 26 points in 39 games with the Barracuda and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get recalled for their next game on February 14th.
Kings Assign Three Players To AHL
With Los Angeles being off until February 10th, they’ve opted to make a trio of roster moves. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned forwards Alex Turcotte and Samuel Fagemo plus defenseman Brandt Clarke to AHL Ontario.
Turcotte was recalled last weekend and got into his first two games of the season with the Kings. The second was certainly a successful one as the 22-year-old notched his first career NHL goal while picking up an assist in Wednesday’s victory over Nashville. Turcotte has spent most of the year in the minors with the Reign, recording 23 points in 28 games so far.
Fagemo, meanwhile, has been shuffled back and forth recently, shifting between Los Angeles and Ontario three times over the past couple of weeks. Playing time during that stretch was fairly limited as he made just four appearances, equaling the number he had with Nashville at the beginning of the season before they put him on waivers in November. The 23-year-old has been quite productive with Ontario though, recording 20 goals and 13 assists in just 24 contests.
As for Clarke, he got off to a hot start with the Reign to start the season, collecting 32 points in 30 games, quite the mark for a rookie blueliner. That earned him a recall four weeks ago and since then, he has been in and out of the lineup with the Kings. Clarke has just one assist in six games so far while logging 16:15 per night, primarily on the third pairing with some time on the second power play unit.
With these moves, Los Angeles is now at the minimum-sized roster. With Viktor Arvidsson still a little while away from returning (meaning he’ll remain on LTIR), the Kings will likely use that space to recall three players for their next appearance. The determination on whether it’s these three or others will come next week.
Senators Recall Kevin Mandolese, Assign Mads Sogaard To AHL
Following their game last night versus Detroit, the Senators made a pair of roster moves. The team announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Mads Sogaard was assigned to AHL Belleville. Taking his place on the roster is netminder Kevin Mandolese who was recalled.
Sogaard had been up for the last three weeks while covering for goaltender Anton Forsberg who is dealing with a groin injury. With starter Joonas Korpisalo struggling, Sogaard had an opportunity to carve out some playing time but the 23-year-old didn’t fare well in those chances. He had four appearances but struggled to the tune of a 5.09 GAA and a .825 SV%.
Sogaard has been viewed as a goalie of the future for the Sens and has fared much better in his AHL appearances this season, putting up a 2.48 GAA with a .920 SV% in 16 games, numbers that put him in the top ten league-wide in both categories. With Ottawa off until February 10th, Sogaard will get an opportunity to play a few games before potentially being brought back.
As for Mandolese, he has been recalled several times on emergency loans dating back to last season, seven times in fact. However, the 23-year-old hasn’t seen much action at the top level, getting into just three games with Ottawa in 2022-23. Mandolese has spent most of this season with Belleville, playing to a 3.38 GAA and a .895 SV% in 16 contests. He’ll get to collect an NHL salary for the next week and a bit, a nice reward for someone on a two-way contract before being sent back down before Ottawa’s next game.