Coyotes Assign Jan Jenik To AHL
December 18: A day after recalling him, the Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned Jenik to the AHL once again. During his brief recall, the forward made his season debut for the Coyotes, playing just under four minutes, while recording four penalty minutes in the process.
December 17: The Coyotes have brought up some extra forward depth as they have recalled forward Jan Jenik from Tucson of the AHL, per a team announcement. They had two open roster spots available so no corresponding move needed to be made.
The 22-year-old has seen NHL action in each of his first two professional seasons, suiting up in 15 games with the team where he had four goals and an assist while averaging just under 11 minutes per night. He will get a chance to make that three in three with this recall.
This season, Jenik has gotten off to a quiet start with the Roadrunners, collecting just three goals and nine assists in 22 games. Last season, he came up just shy of the point per game mark with 17 goals and 30 helpers in 51 contests.
Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter link) that there are some game-time decisions for their contest tonight against Buffalo including Liam O’Brien so it appears that Jenik’s recall is a backup plan in case any of their 12 forwards are unable to suit up.
Liam O'Brien Out Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury
When looking back on previous NHL seasons, each seems to have one or two stories that, even if it wasn’t the most memorable part of that season, dominated the headlines. Last season, that story seemed to be the availability of Jakob Chychrun, which has carried into this season, and the year before was COVID absences and protocols, which carried into last season too. This season’s headlines, besides Chychrun, seem to be dominated by the Vancouver Canucks: their struggles, their work on extensions, and now, the availability of their players in trades.
Earlier this evening on Hockey Night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman continued that discussion. Friedman clarified the Canucks’ position, who apparently have just one untouchable player: Elias Pettersson. That one might feel obvious, but immediately begs another question: what about Quinn Hughes? As Friedman reports, while Hughes isn’t an untouchable, it would take “an absolutely mammoth offer” to pry the defenseman away from the Canucks. Despite having just the one untouchable, Friedman adds that the team isn’t interested in a rebuild or complete teardown, but instead is looking to change their mix and breath new life into the team. Finally from Friedman, it appears Vancouver isn’t willing to give Bo Horvat more than the $56MM J.T. Miller was extended for, however Horvat’s career-year has now put him over that number.
- Arizona Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered last night against the New York Islanders, the team announced. The forward played just 9:41 last night in the win over the Islanders, lower than his 12:01 average this season. Not shy from fighting, it is notable that O’Brien did have a fight in the third period against Islanders’ defenseman Scott Mayfield, who’s experienced in that regard too.
- Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg, who was scratched for today’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks, missed the game with an injury he suffered yesterday, head coach Jay Woodcroft confirmed postgame, via The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman. Given Broberg’s play in 11 games this season, a healthy scratch wouldn’t be confusing, but certainly wasn’t deserved either, so news of an injury does make sense. It also further explains the decision to recall fellow defenseman Markus Niemelainen yesterday. Woodcroft did not elaborate further on the details or severity of Broberg’s injury.
- Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was forced to leave tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils early with a lower-body injury, the team announced. Barkov appeared to be experiencing some discomfort after taking a faceoff earlier in the game. The center has played the last five games after missing two weeks with a bout of pneumonia. The extent of Barkov’s injury is unclear at this point.
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Zack MacEwen missed this evening’s game against the New York Rangers with an illness, reports The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor. Of course, no forced absence is a good thing, however one would expect an injury to carry a shorter timeframe, which would be preferable to getting MacEwen back into the lineup. MacEwen has just eight points in 28 games this season, but with Philadelphia showing value in grit this year, the forward’s 38 penalty minutes are much appreciated.
Dysin Mayo Clears Waivers
Dec 13: While Kuhlman was claimed by the Winnipeg Jets, Mayo has cleared, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. The defenseman is expected to be assigned to the AHL.
Dec 12: Two more players have hit waivers today, as Dysin Mayo of the Arizona Coyotes and Karson Kuhlman of the Seattle Kraken are available for claim, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.
Mayo, 26, was one of the best stories from last season. After grinding for five seasons in the minor leagues, the fifth-round pick finally made it to the NHL and played in 67 games for the Coyotes, racking up 12 points and averaging nearly 21 minutes a night. While the results weren’t great, he was given absolutely brutal deployment against the other team’s best nearly every night and managed to put together a respectable rookie season.
This year, with other options in place, Mayo has slipped down the depth chart and out of the lineup entirely. For a five-game stretch in November, he failed to reach even nine minutes of ice time. Now, he is likely headed to the minor leagues given a waiver claim would be surprising. Not necessarily because of his skill, but because of the three-year extension that the Coyotes gave him in February, hoping to lock up a breakout player. Mayo will carry a cap hit of $950K through the 2024-25 season.
Kuhlman, meanwhile, is being pushed off the roster by the incoming Eeli Tolvanen, who the Kraken claimed today. The 27-year-old forward has three points in 14 games so far this season and has played very sparingly of late. In his last appearance, Kuhlman was given just six shifts. On a one-way deal worth $825K, he too seems an unlikely candidate to be claimed off waivers.
Latest On Jakob Chychrun
Few players currently active in the NHL have had as stunning career revivals as Luke Schenn has had in recent years. Just a few seasons ago the 2008 fifth-overall pick would be known to most as a Toronto Maple Leafs draft disappointment who ultimately settled in as a bottom-of-the-lineup depth defenseman. Then Schenn signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, won two Stanley Cups, and went to Vancouver where he has become a steady rock on an otherwise volatile defense. Now, his agent is singing Schenn’s praises on social media as a potential trade deadline acquisition for a contending team.
According to Schenn, though, a trade isn’t his first choice for how to proceed on his expiring contract. Per The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, Schenn “wants to re-sign with the Canucks” and has said that his top priority “is to be part of a winning team” in Vancouver. (subscription link) Can the Canucks devote some of their limited financial flexibility to Schenn, who for all his virtues remains a 33-year-old physical defenseman? Schenn’s side of the equation seems settled, so the open question is whether Schenn’s interest in signing an extension is shared by his team.
Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:
- The Jakob Chychrun situation in Arizona remains unsettled, as the team has still not found a suitable trade deal for their star defenseman. Per PHNX’s Craig Morgan, they’re not going to budge on their asking price any time soon. According to Morgan, that price is two first-round picks and a second-rounder or a “good prospect,” and teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, and Florida Panthers, among others, are “still believed to be in the mix.”
- The Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran penned a closer look at the Maple Leafs’ situation with defenseman Jake Muzzin, examining not only whether he can return from the neck injury that sidelined him, but whether he should. Based on the comments of the health experts McGran interviewed, it seems Muzzin is facing the choice of whether to potentially risk his long-term personal health in order to get back on the ice.
Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong Discusses Decision To Loan Dylan Guenther To Team Canada
With World Junior camps opening, many expected a handful of NHLers such as Shane Wright, Brandt Clarke and Dylan Guenther to leave their NHL teams for a short time to compete for gold. All three of those players will join their native Canada, making an already formidable squad just that much better. Although Wright and Clarke struggled to find consistent playing time and production with their NHL teams, both ultimately sent to the AHL on conditioning loans, the same cannot be said for Guenther. The 19-year-old, who was selected by the Arizona Coyotes ninth-overall in 2021, has 11 points in 21 games already, playing just over 12 minutes per game.
While Guenther’s loan to Team Canada wasn’t exactly shocking news, it also wasn’t the lock that Clarke and Wright’s loans appeared to be. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan had a chance to discuss Guenther with Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong, who said he wanted to see how prospects performed “under fire.” Armstrong continued, “[y]ou like to see them in those pressure situations because you find out a lot about them and they really tend to grow for them.” The GM cited two of his former St. Louis Blues players, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, who were sent to the World Juniors, and the impact the experience had on their development.
- After it was reported yesterday that Aleksander Barkov was expected to return today from a bout with pneumonia, the Florida Panthers confirmed their captain would play tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Adding the superstar back into the lineup will no doubt give Florida, who went 2-3-2 in his absence, a big boost. Still, illness will continue to hold them back. The team announced that goaltender Spencer Knight and forward Anton Lundell are both missing tonight’s game with non-COVID illnesses.
- NHL.com’s Mark Divver wonders if the Boston Bruins termination of Victor Berglund‘s contract could pave the way to an NHL contract for forward Luke Toporowski. As Divver points out, this will leave the Bruins with 47 contracts, perhaps enough flexibility to add one back in that of Toporowski. NHL teams are allowed to carry a maximum of 50 contracts within the organization, but generally prefer to stay away from having 50, or even 49, in order to give them flexibility in certain situations. Divver adds there is interest from other teams in Toporowski, but Boston has exclusive rights with him until January 1st, and even thereafter can match any other offer Toporowski accepts. A product of both the WHL and USHL, Toporowski went undrafted but signed on with the Providence Bruins this offseason after scoring 35 goals in just 49 games between the Spokane Chiefs and Kamloops Blazers last season. The 21-year-old has 17 points in 21 AHL games so far this season.
Latest On Jakob Chychrun
It’s been seven games now since Jakob Chychrun returned for the Arizona Coyotes, and if interested teams wanted to see proof that he can still be an impact player, he’s done everything they need. The 24-year-old defenseman is averaging 22:25 in ice time on the year and has three goals and six points in those seven games. Granted, six of the seven contests have been losses, but that likely has to do more with his teammates than his individual performance.
Last night on TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger updated the situation:
I still think there is aprehension among clubs with the most interest to pay the price that Bill Armstrong and the Coyotes are looking for. But I also think there is a group of teams that are getting to the point they realize they may have to.
Armstrong has maintained a high price for Chychrun going back to last season, despite the defenseman’s public admission that he wants to be traded to a contender. That’s because he isn’t just a rental. Chychrun is signed through the 2024-25 season at a reasonable $4.6MM cap hit, though the actual salary owed will continue to increase. While that might sound like a lot, it puts him 65th among active defensemen in the league, tied with Jamie Oleksiak of the Seattle Kraken and just ahead of players like Shayne Gostisbehere, Tyson Barrie, and Nikita Zaitsev.
Several teams around the league are dealing with significant injuries to their defense corps, and others have just seen their players struggle. The Edmonton Oilers, for instance, have been looking for a top-end defenseman as Dreger suggests in the same piece, referencing Evan Bouchard‘s recent benching. Biding his time appears to have worked perfectly for Armstrong, who can now just wait until a team is desperate enough to meet his high asking price.
The Coyotes, meanwhile, are losing even with Chychrun in the lineup, and are doing just fine in their pursuit of the first-overall pick. There’s no rush on their end, even if he does have a no-trade clause that comes into effect next summer. At this point, it’s hard to see the young defenseman blocking a trade anywhere as long as it gets him closer to another playoff appearance.
Latest On Arizona Arena Plan
Last night, Tempe City Council unanimously approved a development plan for a $2.1 billion project that would include a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes. The next step will be a special election on May 16, 2023, when the public will have their say on the proposed project.
Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez released the following statement:
It starts with gratitude tonight — Thanking the city council and thanking the city staff for all of their incredible hard work. It’s about being able to touch every person in this city, in this community — that is our community — and starting with that by letting them know it is our community, to let them know just how incredible this is.
While this does not guarantee a new rink for the Coyotes, who are currently sharing a building with Arizona State University, it is another massive step toward one. A permanent facility in Tempe would be a significant win for a franchise that has struggled with attendance and sponsorship for years, partly due to an out-of-the-way rink in Glendale.
At the meeting, owner Alex Meruelo also directly addressed one rumor, telling those in attendance (which included Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports) that he would not be selling the team to Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets. Fertitta has expressed an interest in owning an NHL team in the past.
Notably, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly were at the City Council meeting, showing support for the Coyotes’ plan. The commissioner has been a staunch supporter of keeping the team in Arizona for years but was also very vocal that a new home – one not in Glendale – was required.
Arizona Coyotes Activate Zack Kassian
The Arizona Coyotes announced their lines for tonight’s contest against the Carolina Hurricanes, and as part of that announcement, they revealed that forward Zack Kassian had been activated off of injured reserve.
Additionally, the team announced that defenseman Juuso Valimaki will miss tonight’s game due to an upper-body injury, and his status is considered day-to-day.
Kassian, 31, has not played since early month as he’s been dealing with a lower-body injury. He was placed on injured reserve just a short while ago to clear a roster spot, but since his injury happened earlier the placement was retroactive, meaning he could be activated today so soon after his official IR placement.
The bruising winger is a veteran of over 600 NHL games. He’s gotten into eight games so far this season, potting a single goal and zero assists in those games. Last year, Kassian scored six goals and 19 points in 58 games.
Kassian originally arrived in Arizona as part of a cap-dumping move at last year’s draft, a move that got the Coyotes a few draft picks as well as a short move up in the first round so the team could select Maveric Lamoureux.
He’s playing on a $3.2MM cap hit and will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Conor Timmins
The Toronto Maple Leafs have found their defenseman, acquiring Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. The team will be sending minor league forward Curtis Douglas in return.
At one point, not too long ago, Timmins was one of the brightest young defensive prospects in the game. He was a big part of the trade that sent Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche last summer, and was supposed to be a key player for Arizona’s rebuild.
But injuries have ruined his career so far, with Timmins playing just 105 games since the start of the 2018-19 season. Just two of those have come this year with Arizona, before he was sent down on a conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners. As Morgan explains, the team wanted to send him down for a longer period in the AHL but he would have certainly been claimed on waivers.
Instead, he heads to Toronto where—you may have guessed—he is reunited with his other Soo Greyhounds alumni. Three of the Maple Leafs’ current roster defensemen were on the 2017-18 Greyhounds roster. Timmins, Mac Hollowell, and Rasmus Sandin were an incredible trio on that junior team, and will now be reunited in Toronto.
Whether Timmins can ever reach his previous potential remains to be seen, but it’s a worthwhile gamble for a Toronto team that is desperate for help on the back end. Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie are all injured long-term, meaning Mark Giordano was left as the most reliable option.
In Douglas, the Coyotes are getting a massive forward that showed some scoring touch last season. The 22-year-old stands 6’9″ and scored 13 goals and 34 points for the Toronto Marlies in 2021-22. That offensive ability has completely dried up this year though, with Douglas registering just a single point in 13 games so far.
Arizona Coyotes Expected To Move Zack Kassian To IR
The St. Louis Blues are streaking – again. They’ve nearly wiped out a franchise-record eight-game losing streak by rattling off six straight wins, the latter half of which have come without defenseman Colton Parayko in the lineup. Considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Parayko will be a game-time decision tonight when the Blues take on the Anaheim Ducks.
Berube even went so far as to say he was “confident” that Parayko would be back in the lineup, but still, it’s not assured. He’ll be an important piece for the Blues this season as he enters the first season of his eight-year, $52MM contract extension. His defensive play this year has been better than his -9 rating would suggest, with his sample size being weighed down by poor goaltending during the Blues’ losing streak. Tyler Tucker will draw out in place of Parayko after playing his first three NHL games, and Vladimir Tarasenko will miss a second straight game with an undisclosed illness.
- In activating Jakob Chychrun and Nick Schmaltz from injured reserve, the Arizona Coyotes have replaced them with forward Zack Kassian to stay under the 23-player roster limit, according to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Kassian has not played since November 1 and is still day-to-day with a lower-body injury, even though he’s missed nearly three weeks now. He’s eligible to return at any time given he’s well past the seven-day injured minimum required to be on IR, although the team will need to send someone down to accommodate.
- Forward Elmer Soderblom remains day-to-day for the Detroit Red Wings despite not playing for weeks, per head coach Derek Lalonde today. Lalonde said Soderblom’s return from a lower-body injury is “probably going to take some time,” and there’s still no clear indication when the rookie could return. Defenseman Gustav Lindstrom could play this week, though. The Swede is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury.