Blackhawks Place Taylor Raddysh On IR, Recall Boris Katchouk
The Blackhawks have made a pair of roster moves this morning as the team announced that they’ve placed winger Taylor Raddysh on injured reserve with a left groin strain. Taking his place on the roster will be winger Boris Katchouk who has been recalled from AHL Rockford.
Raddysh was a bright spot on Chicago’s offense last season, putting up 20 goals and 17 assists in 78 games in his first season of being a full-fledged regular after coming over from Tampa Bay in 2022. That was good for a tie for fourth in team scoring. However, production has been harder to come by this year as the 25-year-old has been limited to just five goals and five assists through 35 games so far despite logging over 16 minutes a night in playing time. Those numbers will stay put for the time being as with the placement, Raddysh will be out for at least the next week after being injured in the first period last night against Dallas.
As for Katchouk, he came to Chicago in the same swap as Raddysh but hasn’t had the same level of success. He had 16 points in 58 games last season and was with the Blackhawks for the first couple of months of the year, notching two goals and two helpers in 17 contests before clearing waivers earlier this month. Since then, he has played in six games with the IceHogs, picking up three tallies and two assists. He can play in ten games or be up for 30 days before needing to go through waivers once again.
Blues Recall Matt Kessel
With Justin Faulk suffering a lower-body injury last night that will keep him out of the lineup tonight against Pittsburgh, the Blues have brought up a replacement. The team announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Matt Kessel from AHL Springfield.
The 23-year-old was a fifth-round pick by St. Louis back in 2020, going 150th overall. He has spent the full season so far with the Thunderbirds, picking up two goals and four assists in 29 games. Kessel has a pair of NHL appearances under his belt, both coming last season where he was held off the scoresheet while averaging a little over 15 minutes in each contest. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
St. Louis had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made to get Kessel onto the roster. The timeline of Faulk’s injury is not yet known but he remains on the active roster for the time being. His absence will certainly hurt tonight as he’s their leading scorer among blueliners with 17 points in 35 games while his 22:25 ATOI is second to only Colton Parayko.
Blue Jackets Place Sean Kuraly On IR, Recall Jake Christiansen
The Blue Jackets have made a pair of roster moves leading into today’s contest against Buffalo. The team announced that they’ve placed center Sean Kuraly on injured reserve retroactive to December 23; they’ve recalled defenseman Jake Christiansen from AHL Cleveland to take his place on the roster. Meanwhile, the team also revealed that blueliner Zach Werenski will miss four to six weeks with the ankle injury that landed him on IR yesterday.
Kuraly suffered an abdominal injury last weekend against Toronto and was recently listed as day-to-day. This placement suggests that he’ll miss the game against the Sabres but he will be eligible to return at any point after that due to the back-dating. The 30-year-old has 11 points and a team-leading 74 hits in 35 games so far this season while logging 13:29 per night.
As for Christiansen, this is his first recall of the season after clearing waivers back in training camp. The 24-year-old had been quite productive with the Monsters during his entry-level deal and that has continued into his fourth professional campaign as he has 22 points in 28 games so far. Despite the offensive success in the minors, that has yet to materialize into production at the top level as Christiansen has just five points in 32 career NHL appearances.
Werenski, meanwhile, will be a big loss for the next month for Columbus. He’s tied for the team lead in points with Johnny Gaudreau, picking up a goal and 24 assists while leading the way in playing time, logging over 24 minutes a night. Andrew Peeke took his place in the lineup last night against Toronto although they could opt to give Christiansen a look in that spot today.
East Notes: Chytil, Capitals, Jost, Senators
Rangers center Filip Chytil has returned to his native Czechia as he continues his recovery from a suspected concussion sustained back in early November, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post. While the 24-year-old has made some progress skating on his own, this move will basically serve as somewhat of a reset in his recovery. While there, Chytil will keep skating while working with the trainer and skills coach that he works with in the offseason. There is no word for how long he’ll be at home but Brooks notes that Chytil is committed to returning this season. Chytil had a career year last season with 45 points and was off to a nice start this year before the injury, collecting six assists in ten contests.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren left tonight’s game early with an upper-body injury, the team announced (Twitter link). He appeared to be shaken up on the first shot he faced and was only able to stay in for a few minutes before eventually coming out of the game. The 30-year-old has done quite well this season, posting a 2.29 GAA with a .928 SV% in his first 14 games heading into this contest.
- Meanwhile, in a separate tweet, the Capitals also noted that defenseman Martin Fehervary left tonight’s contest with an upper-body injury of his own which also occurred in the first period. The 24-year-old hasn’t lit up the scoresheet with just five points heading into this game but he had been logging a little over 19 minutes a night on Washington’s second pairing.
- The Sabres announced that they’ve assigned center Tyson Jost to AHL Rochester. The move comes as little surprise after he cleared waivers earlier today on the heels of notching just four points in his first 29 games while carrying a $2MM contract. With Ryan Johnson’s quick recall following the move, Buffalo will need to make another roster move to activate Zemgus Girgensons off IR; he could be cleared to return on Saturday.
- On top of the Senators potentially getting Thomas Chabot back on their upcoming road trip which begins January 2nd, TSN’s Claire Hanna relays (Twitter link) that forwards Mathieu Joseph and Rourke Chartier should also be back during that stretch. Chabot is closer to returning than Joseph while Chartier’s timeline is a little less certain as he’s dealing with a concussion.
Red Wings Activate Alex Lyon, Assign Michael Hutchinson To AHL
While the three-goalie rotation still isn’t back yet with Ville Husso remaining on IR, the Red Wings did get their other injured netminder back. The team announced that they’ve activated Alex Lyon off IR; in a corresponding move, Michael Hutchinson was assigned to AHL Grand Rapids.
Lyon made a big impression down the stretch last season, briefly taking over as Florida’s starting netminder, including for a trio of playoff games. That allowed him to command a one-way deal in the summer, a nice raise for a player who had largely been a third-stringer before that. He signed a one-year deal with Detroit worth $900K and it seemed like he’d be destined to be with the Griffins and be called upon if and when injuries arose.
However, the Red Wings opted not to go that route, instead carrying three goalies on the roster for the whole season so far except for when one of them has been injured. As a result, playing time has been hard to come by for the 31-year-old who has made seven appearances so far. He has done quite well in those, posting a 2.14 GAA with a .932 SV%, and with James Reimer struggling at the moment, Lyon could now be in line for a bigger share of the workload.
As for Hutchinson, his season started on a PTO with the Griffins, a deal that was recently converted to a full-season agreement. But when Husso and Lyon both went down, Detroit upgraded it to an NHL deal, allowing him to serve as Reimer’s backup while making one start. He cleared waivers earlier today, paving the way for him to go back to Grand Rapids.
Islanders Recall Ken Appleby Under Emergency Conditions
6:00 PM: Appleby’s stint with Bridgeport was short-lived as Rosner notes that Appleby is back up and serving as the second-stringer once again tonight.
Dec. 29, 7:31 AM: Appleby was evidently returned to Bridgeport on Friday morning, as he is no longer listed on the Islanders’ roster on the NHL media site (via The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner). As such, Varlamov is likely healthy enough to dress for today’s game.
Dec. 28: The Islanders recalled netminder Ken Appleby from AHL Bridgeport under emergency conditions on Thursday. Semyon Varlamov, who made six saves on seven shots in relief of Ilya Sorokin in last night’s 7-0 loss to the Penguins, did not practice with the team today for maintenance purposes. His status for Friday’s game against the Capitals is uncertain.
The team also assigned defenseman Grant Hutton to Bridgeport, which will likely be reversed tomorrow. Hutton is the team’s seventh defenseman for the time being, as Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, and Ryan Pulock are all on injured reserve. The Islanders have been returning him to Bridgeport on off-days to reduce his time spent on the roster and draw out his waiver-exempt status as long as possible.
Appleby has three NHL games to his name, all coming with the Devils in January 2018. Now 28 years old, Appleby stopped 52 of 55 shots faced for a .945 SV% across one start and two relief appearances.
The undrafted free agent has spent time in both the AHL and ECHL since. After making his debut with the Devils, Appleby spent one season under contract with the Jets before spending the entire 2019-10 campaign in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades. He put his name back on the NHL radar there, posting a .913 SV% in 42 games before the league paused operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He parlayed that performance into a two-way contract with the Islanders signed near the end of the 2020-21 campaign, where he’s remained since. Now in his fourth season, Appleby has primarily been the team’s fifth-string goalie behind Sorokin, Varlamov, Cory Schneider, and Jakub Škarek, resulting in most of his playing time coming with the Islanders’ ECHL affiliate in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Appleby has been upgraded to full-time AHL status in 2023-24 with Schneider no longer in the organization, serving as Škarek’s backup and posting a .898 SV% in ten games. While the younger Škarek has received more starts in Bridgeport, he’s been the worse statistical netminder, posting a difficult-to-swallow 3-13-2 record and .877 SV%.
The 6-foot-4 Ontarian is in the final season of a two-year, two-way extension, earning him $130K in guaranteed salary this year. He will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Kraken Activate André Burakovsky
The Kraken activated winger André Burakovsky from the injured list today, per CapFriendly’s transactions log. He will be an option for tonight’s game against the Flyers after participating in the team’s morning skate. Burakovsky had been listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury since early this month, his second long-term absence of the season.
While a true top-six threat, the 28-year-old Burakovsky hasn’t had much of a chance to show off his skills since signing a five-year, $27.5MM pact with the Kraken as a free agent in 2022. He’s played in 56 out of 118 regular-season games (less than half) since the beginning of 2022 due to injuries and missed all 14 postseason contests last year. A groin muscle tear cost him the latter half of 2022-23, while an upper-body injury sidelined him for 20 consecutive games earlier this season.
That’s limited Burakovsky to seven games on the season for the struggling Kraken, notching three assists. With 39 points in 49 games last season, Burakovsky was the team’s second-highest scorer on a per-game basis. His 0.80 points per game were behind only Jared McCann‘s 0.89.
He’s coming back at the right time for Seattle, who’s rattled off three straight wins for the first time this season and are 5-0-2 in their past seven games. It’s been a crucial run for a team looking to right the ship and make their second consecutive postseason appearance. At one game below the .500 mark, they still have a ways to go, but they currently sit just three points back of the Predators for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
The Kraken only had 22 players on the active roster prior to activating Burakovsky, so no corresponding move is necessary.
Maple Leafs Activate Mark Giordano From LTIR
The Maple Leafs have activated Mark Giordano from long-term injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets, per the NHL’s media portal. He will return to the lineup in a third-pairing role alongside Timothy Liljegren, with William Lagesson sitting as a healthy scratch to make room. With an open spot on the active roster and ample cap space, thanks to the team’s multiple other contracts on LTIR, no corresponding transaction is needed to activate him.
Giordano, 40, will make his first appearance since sustaining a finger fracture against the Panthers on November 28. The injury caused him to miss 12 games, his most significant absence since he missed 32 regular-season and playoff games as a member of the Flames with an arm injury in 2015.
The former Flames and Kraken captain is now the oldest skater in the NHL and is in his third season with Toronto, who nabbed him from Seattle at the 2022 trade deadline along with forward Colin Blackwell for multiple draft picks. Now in the second half of a two-year, $1.6MM extension signed in May 2022, Giordano has one goal and five points in 20 games this season and is looking to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his 1,122-game career.
Giordano’s defensive impacts have been good this season when not stapled on a pairing with the struggling John Klingberg, who is now done for the season after requiring hip surgery. The Maple Leafs have received solid defensive play from Lagesson and Simon Benoit, who will form a shutdown pairing with Jake McCabe tonight, in the wake of injuries to their more established veterans on the blueline.
Kings Sign Angus Booth To Entry-Level Contract
Kings defenseman prospect Angus Booth signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the team on Friday, per a team release. The deal carries an average annual value of $852.5K.
Los Angeles selected Booth in the fourth round of the 2022 draft with the 116th overall pick. The 19-year-old Montréaler is in his fourth season of junior play with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes.
The 6-foot, 176-pound left-shot defender grades out as a third-pairing threat who’s adept in transition. Unfortunately, his point production has stagnated since his draft year. He churned out 22 assists and one goal in 42 games with the Cataractes in 2021-22 but followed that up with 19 total points in 62 games the following season with a -7 rating.
His play this season has returned to the level he displayed during his draft year, but he hasn’t gotten much further in either his offensive or defensive stats. That’s why it’s a tad surprising to see the Kings extend an entry-level contract to Booth with six months remaining before he would re-enter the draft if not signed.
Since Booth will play less than ten NHL games this season, the beginning of his deal will slide to the 2024-25 campaign. He will be a restricted free agent upon the expiration of his ELC in 2027.
Blue Jackets Place Zach Werenski On Injured Reserve, Activate Jack Roslovic
The Blue Jackets placed defenseman Zach Werenski on injured reserve Friday, the NHL’s media site reflects. Head coach Pascal Vincent informed reporters yesterday that he’d be sidelined on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury. A team release distributed later Friday reflects that Werenski sustained an ankle injury and that the team has also activated forward Jack Roslovic off injured reserve.
Werenski will miss a minimum of seven days, starting from Wednesday when he sustained the injury against the Devils, but he’ll likely be sidelined for much longer given the week-to-week designation. This continues a stretch of horrid injury luck for the Blue Jackets’ top defenseman, who missed two games early this season with a quadriceps contusion and nearly all of last season with a shoulder injury.
He may have just one goal through 34 games, but Werenski has racked up 24 assists for a 0.74 points per game rate that’s the highest of his career – and on the team this season. His two-way play is also at a peak, posting a team-high +1.5 expected rating while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game at even strength and additional time on both special teams units. Simply put, the 26-year-old has been the Blue Jackets’ best player this season by a decent margin.
His absence won’t affect the Blue Jackets’ outlook this season very much, as their 11-18-7 start to the campaign has them with just a 0.6% chance of making the playoffs, per Hockey Reference. However, it is another tough blow for one of the division’s top defensemen who, at 26 years old, is beginning his prime.
If the Blue Jackets can build a playoff contender out of this current group of developing prospects, Werenski will be the leader of the core. He has four seasons remaining after this at a $9.58MM cap hit.
Roslovic will return to the lineup tonight for the first time in over six weeks. He last played on November 12 against the Rangers before sustaining an ankle fracture, resulting in a 21-game absence.
Before getting injured, the 26-year-old had eight points through 14 games. He is expected to play wing on the team’s fourth line alongside Brendan Gaunce and Alexandre Texier in tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs, the teams’ third meeting of the season.