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Penguins To Place Ryan Graves On Waivers

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After acquiring Yegor Chinakhov earlier today, the Penguins needed to open up a spot on their active roster for him.  They’ve determined how to do that as Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link) that the team has designated defenseman Ryan Graves as a non-roster player and will place him on waivers on Tuesday when the next waiver period opens.

This will be the second time of the season that the 30-year-old will land on the waiver wire.  Graves also found himself on waivers during training camp as he was among Pittsburgh’s last group of training camp cuts.

Despite passing through unclaimed and starting the season with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Graves has actually spent more time in Pittsburgh than with them.  He got into 10 games at the minor league level to start the year and was productive, picking up a goal and six assists.  That earned him a recall in early November and has been up since then, a stint that’s about to come to an end.

Graves has played in 17 games with Pittsburgh this season, albeit in a limited role as he’s barely averaging 15 minutes per night of ice time.  In those outings, he has just one point – a goal – along with 31 blocked shots.  While offense has never been his calling card, it’s fair to say that Graves isn’t living up to his $4.5MM per season contract, one that runs through the 2028-29 campaign.

Given that price tag, it’s a certainty that Graves will once again pass through unclaimed and be sent back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton where he’ll join Mathew Dumba on a high-priced AHL back end.  From there, he’ll look to work his way back to Pittsburgh, an outcome that could happen should the Penguins move any of their pending UFA blueliners, a group that includes Connor Clifton, Brett Kulak, and Ryan Shea.

Senators Activate Shane Pinto

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The Senators welcomed back a key center to the lineup tonight against Columbus.  Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relayed (Twitter link) that Shane Pinto was set to anchor the third line, meaning he has been activated off injured reserve.  Ottawa had an open roster spot so no further moves needed to be made.

The 25-year-old has missed the last four weeks with a lower-body injury.  With Lars Eller also on IR, they still don’t have their full complement of middlemen available to them but their top three are now intact.

Pinto got off to a terrific start to the season.  He had seven goals in six games to start and by the time he reached his 18th game, he had nine goals and six assists, making for a nice return on his $3.75MM bridge deal.  At that 18-game mark, he signed a four-year, $30MM contract extension, buying out his two remaining RFA-eligible seasons as well as his first two years of UFA eligibility.

However, things haven’t gone quite as well offensively for Pinto since then.  In his nine games played since signing, he has just three goals and one assist before sustaining his injury.  Still, he is certainly a welcome addition as they will need as much firepower as possible with starting goalie Linus Ullmark away from the team indefinitely on a leave of absence.

Meanwhile, Ottawa also welcomed back defenseman Tyler Kleven to the lineup after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury.  He has five assists, 48 blocked shots, and 41 hits in 32 games this season.  He remained on the active roster while injured so no corresponding move needed to be made for him either.  Kleven took the place of Nick Jensen (healthy scratch) in the lineup.

Oilers Activate, Assign Connor Clattenburg

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The Edmonton Oilers have activated defenseman Connor Clattenburg off of long-term injured reserve. He has missed the last 11 games after sustaining an eye injury in Edmonton’s December 4th win over the Seattle Kraken. Now, he’ll return to action in the minor-leagues where he has spent the bulk of the season.

Clattenburg is in his first pro season after making his AHL debut at the end of last season. He recorded two points and 59 penalty minutes in 15 games with the Bakersfield Condors to start the season. 41 of those penalty minutes came in just two games in which Clattenburg had three fights. That start tot he year was enough to earn Clattenburg the first NHL call-up of his career in late November.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound bruiser made a quick impact at the bottom of Edmonton’s lineup. He scored his first NHL goal in his second game and has racked up 13 penalty minutes in his first five games. His first NHL fight game in his third game against Seattle forward Frederick Gaudreau and only lasted a few punches.

Clattenburg took on his enforcer style over three years in the OHL. He racked up 115 penalty minutes in 56 games as an OHL rookie in 2022-23. That was, at the time, the most of any OHL rookie since Ty Bilcke recorded 221 PIMs in the 2011-12 season. Clattenburg finished his junior career with 74 points and 302 penalty minutes in 162 games. He will bring that grit back to Bakersfield lineup and could earn a return to the NHL with continued physical play.

Ducks’ Frank Vatrano, Radko Gudas Out On Monday

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The Anaheim Ducks will be without players in Monday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. Forward Frank Vatrano will miss the game with an upper-body injury while defenseman and captain Radko Gudas will be forced out by an illness head coach Joel Quenneville told Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Quennville added that the team did not know quite how long Vatrano would need to miss.

Vatrano and Gudas both serve important, physical roles on the Ducks. Gudas leads the defense in hits (94) while Vatrano ranks second on the offense (67) behind Ross Johnston (111). Vatrno also ranks second to Johnston in penalty minutes on the Ducks. He has stepped into a pest role this season and was recently fined by the NHL Department of Player Safety for an unsportsmanlike conduct against Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson. Vatrano has six points in 38 games to back his nasty style, while Gudas has eight points in 29 games.

Anaheim will now face injury challenges on the heels of a recent losing skid. The Ducks have lost five of their last eight games, including a 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. Jansen Harkins is set to take over fourth-line center duties in Vatrano’s absence. He has two goals, 11 shot blocks, and 51 hits in 16 games this season. Harkins is the only Duck with a higher hits-per-game average than Johnston or Vatrano, which should make his adjustment to Vatrano’s role a bit smoother. Ian Moore will step in for Gudas. Moore has five points and 47 shot blocks in 24 games this season. One more game will officially cement this season as his rookie year in the NHL.

Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov Placed On IR, Could Miss Second Half

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The Carolina Hurricanes have placed goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on injured reserve. Kochetkov has been battling a hip injury since the start of the season. He missed all of October and the last week of November due to the issue. Now, after being forced out of the lineup for a third time, Kochetkov has elected to undergo surgery to address the injury head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Chip Alexander of The News and Observer.

Kochetkov has only played in nine games this season. He was successful in those appearances, posting a 6-3-0 record, .899 save percentage, and 2.33 goals-against-average. He also had one shutout on the year. Kochetkov’s stat-line ranked second in Carolina’s goaltending room across the board, behind emerging starter Brandon Bussi.

Bussi will be who Carolina leans on in Kochetkov’s absence. The 27 year old has posted 12 wins, a .910 Sv%, and a 2.10 GAA in the first 14 games of his NHL career this season. He has been a standout in the minor-leagues since signing with the AHL’s Providence Bruins out of college in 2022. Bussi posted a first .922 Sv% in the first 37 games of his AHL career, spanning the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. That entrance into the league earned Bussi an AHL all-star recognition in 2023 – an accolade he followed with 23 wins and a .913 Sv% in 41 games with Providence in 2023-24.

In competition with Michael DiPietro, Bussi fell to a .907 Sv% in 33 AHL games last season. That slip prompted a move to the Hurricanes this summer, which has quickly paid off. Bussi has not appeared in the AHL yet this season and could have a clear path to a true starter’s role ahead of struggling veteran Frederik Andersen.

In a corresponding move to Andersen’s IR designation, the Hurricanes have also recalled defenseman Gavin Bayreuther. He will help the team back up a handful of game-time decisions on defense, Brind’Amour told NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Bayreuther spent last season with Lausanne HC in Switzerland’s National League. He scored 23 points in 52 games, a small scoring spark that seems to be bleeding into this season. His 13 points in 24 games ranks second on the Chicago Wolves’ blue-line behind Domenick Fensore. Bayreuther hasn’t yet played in the NHL this season – leaving his last NHL game back in 2023 – though he has been recalled as a backup option once by Carolina.

Through their shifting lineup, the Hurricanes will have to hope that surgery will help Kochetkov return to form. He has posted a sub-.900 save percentage across his last 56 NHL games, dating back to the start of 2024-25. The performances have been a steep drop from the 38 wins and .910 Sv% Kochetkov recorded in 69 games through his first three NHL seasons. He is a fringe starter when healthy and should still fill a need in Carolina’s lineup on the other side of his recovery. Kochetkov carries a $2MM cap hit through the end of next season.

Penguins Acquire Yegor Chinakhov From Blue Jackets

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Forward Yegor Chinakhov will finally have his trade request honored. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Columbus Blue Jackets are trading Chinakhov for draft capital. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman later shared that Chinakhov is headed to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In exchange, Pittsburgh is sending Columbus winger Danton Heinen, the St. Louis Blues’ 2026 second-round pick, and the Washington Capitals’ 2027 third-round pick. The Blue Jackets confirmed the deal.

Chinakhov’s story in Columbus is well known up to this point. The 21st overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft has been with the Blue Jackets for much of the last five years, though the relationship began souring last season after Columbus hired Dean Evason as the team’s head coach.

Before Evason’s hire, during the 2023-24 season, Chinakhov had the strongest campaign of his career. The young Russian finished ninth on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games, averaging 15:10 of ice time per game. Had he played the whole season at the same pace, Chinakhov would have finished with around 25 goals and 45 points.

Still, despite the strong offensive performance, there were legitimate concerns with other areas of Chinakhov’s game, particularly on defense. He finished that season with an 89.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength despite starting a majority of his shifts in the offensive zone. Unfortunately, nothing has improved since.

Since Evason took over behind the bench, Chinakhov’s ice time has been limited. He has yet to replicate his output from the 2023-24 campaign, scoring 10 goals and 21 points in 59 games since, averaging 13:03 of ice time. His possession metrics have improved mildly, though his metrics on the defensive side of the puck have continued to fall.

Chinakhov became so disheartened with his role with the organization that he eventually requested a trade from Columbus last summer. There were reportedly teams interested in his services, though General Manager Don Waddell was only willing to include him in a player-for-player swap, thus limiting his market. By the time that preseason action had begun, there were some indications that Evason and Chinakhov had improved their relationship.

Regardless of the perceived improvements to their relationship, that hasn’t turned into more ice time for Chinakhov. In fact, he’s averaged the lowest ATOI of his young career this season. Now, instead of being isolated to a fourth-line role with the Blue Jackets, he has the opportunity to crack a middle-six role with a different Metropolitan Division team.

Given their recent play, it’s highly unlikely that the Penguins are going to break up either of their top two lines. However, Chinakhov would be an immediate improvement on Ville Koivunen, who has scored one goal and four points in 25 games on the team’s third line. Additionally, Chinakhov could find his way onto Pittsburgh’s second power-play unit.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images. 

Oilers, David Tomasek To Terminate Contract

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Dec. 29th: Insider Frank Seravalli confirmed that Tomasek has cleared waivers after being designated yesterday. Both sides are now free to officially terminate his contract.

Dec. 26th: Oilers forward David Tomasek is expected to sign with the Swedish Hockey League’s Färjestad BK after the holiday roster freeze lifts on Sunday, Jonas Griberg and Johan Ekberg of Värmlands Folkblad report.

Tomasek has already left Edmonton and returned to Sweden, according to the report. The Oilers can place Tomasek on unconditional waivers on Sunday, allowing him to formalize the termination and register a new contract with Färjestad on Monday.

The 29-year-old right winger is ticketed to return to the squad where he had immense success over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons before attempting to kickstart an NHL career by signing a one-year, $1.2MM deal with Edmonton in April. He led the league in at least one major statistical category on both occasions and was named the SHL’s Most Valuable Player last season with a 24-33–57 scoring line and +5 rating in 47 games.

Tomasek was technically left off the Oilers’ opening-night roster due to salary cap constraints, taking advantage of his waiver-exempt status to send him to AHL Bakersfield. However, he was recalled the next day and made his NHL debut on the fourth line with Adam Henrique and Isaac Howard. He recorded an assist, but the lack of ice time wasn’t conducive to his ability to make an impact on the scoresheet.

The one-time World Championship gold medalist has good size at 6’2″ and 210 lbs, but doesn’t play a particularly physical game, profiling more as a one-way offensive threat and power play specialist. That made him an unnatural fit in a bottom-six checking role, serving the dual purpose of not allowing him to demonstrate enough skill to push his way into a top-nine job and see meaningful even-strength time with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Tomasek will end his stint in Edmonton with three goals, two assists, and a -6 rating in 22 appearances, averaging 10:46 of ice time per game. He had been a healthy scratch in six straight contests, last appearing against the Maple Leafs on Dec. 13.

The cap impacts are significant for the Oilers, who will be immediately relieved of his $1.2MM cap hit upon termination. Since they’re dipping into their LTIR pool to stay cap-compliant, they’re not accruing cap space. Removing Tomasek won’t change that, but it will increase their current cap space from $612.5K to $1.81MM, giving them more flexibility to reinstate one of their four LTIR-bound players in Connor Clattenburg, Kasperi Kapanen, Noah Philp, and Jake Walman.

Image courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Maple Leafs Reassign Marshall Rifai, Henry Thrun

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Dec. 29th: According to Frank Seravalli, Rifai has made it through waivers unscathed. Although an official update has yet to come from the Maple Leafs, it’s expected that Rifai will be reassigned to AHL Toronto at some point today.

Dec. 28th: The Maple Leafs placed defenseman Marshall Rifai on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Toronto on Sunday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Earlier in the day, the club also announced it’d reassigned defenseman Henry Thrun to the AHL.

Rifai has been on long-term injured reserve since the beginning of the campaign after requiring wrist surgery as a result of a preseason injury. He began skating earlier this month and was initially assigned to the AHL on a long-term injury conditioning stint on Dec. 18, a move that does not require waivers. Now that the roster freeze has lifted, though, the Leafs had to either activate him today or initiate waiver proceedings.

While his conditioning stint began over a week ago, his only appearance came just yesterday against the Utica Comets. The 27-year-old lefty took a minor penalty and had a +1 rating with one shot on goal.

The 6’2″, 211-lb Rifai is now in his fourth season with the Leafs organization. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard in 2022, he quickly impressed in the minors as a high-end physical shutdown piece and made his NHL debut in 2023-24.

Despite signing a two-year, one-way, $1.55MM extension last year, those two NHL games back in February 2024 stand as the only ones on his career ledger. He’s slotted anywhere between No. 8 and 10 on Toronto’s organizational defensive depth chart for a few years now and has been recalled on multiple occasions to serve as a healthy extra when needed, but it hasn’t resulted in much playing time.

With an excess of left shots on the Leafs’ roster, the path to NHL playing time won’t get much wider for Rifai anytime soon, either. Instead, the Quebec native will look to get his feet under him this season in a familiar AHL environment.

As for Thrun, his demotion is long overdue. Toronto had been operating over the roster limit since activating Chris Tanev from injured reserve on Tuesday. With the freeze lifted today, they can get back to 23 players by returning Thrun to the Marlies.

Acquired from the Sharks last summer for Ryan Reaves, Thrun passed through waivers at the beginning of the year and remained with the AHL club until Dec. 10, when the Leafs summoned him in place of the injured Dakota Mermis. He played in four straight to begin his recall before being scratched for Toronto’s last four. In his stint in the lineup, he posted a -1 rating while averaging 14:52 per game.

Penguins Activate Blake Lizotte, Reassign Danton Heinen

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Dec. 29th: Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review reports that Heinen has cleared waivers and has been reassigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Dec. 28th: The Penguins announced they’ve activated center Blake Lizotte from injured reserve and placed winger Danton Heinen on waivers in the corresponding move. Since Heinen’s waiver placement comes in conjunction with an IR activation, he can be designated non-roster until tomorrow while he’s on the wire to open a roster spot.

Lizotte has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury for the past few weeks. He last played on Dec. 7 against the Stars, then was placed on IR two days later.

The 28-year-old was a pleasant surprise for the Pens last year after inking a two-year, $3.7MM deal in free agency. In 59 appearances, he tied his career high in goals (11) and won 51.2% of his draws while averaging 12:43 of ice time per game.

That offensive production hasn’t quite carried over into this year, but the high-energy pivot has still scored five points in 27 games while serving as part of one of the league’s better checking lines. His unit with Noel Acciari and Connor Dewar may not generate much offensively, but they’ve limited opponents to just 2.10 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.

Lizotte and Dewar also comprise Pittsburgh’s top penalty kill unit. He’s been a big part of a respectable shorthanded complement that clicks at 81.1%, 14th in the league.

Meanwhile, Heinen lands on the waiver wire for the second time this season. The veteran of 579 NHL games was a surprising cut from Penguins training camp and, as expected, cleared without incident, given his $2.25MM cap hit.

The versatile 30-year-old won’t be happy with today’s news, though. He’s been outright dominant in the AHL, rattling off 17 points in 12 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He’s gotten a few recalls throughout the year, and although he’s been a healthy scratch in three straight, he’s gotten into 13 NHL contests for Pittsburgh with a goal and an assist.

Heinen’s high cap hit remains a likely deterrent for a claim, but given his minor-league production, it stands to reason he can still be a fourth-line piece at worst on more than a few teams. With a base salary of $775K this season – most of his money was paid out via a preseason signing bonus – he wouldn’t be walking away from much if he refused to report to WBS and triggered a contract termination. That would allow him to catch on with another team down the stretch on a new deal with a lower cap impact.

Mammoth’s Juuso Valimaki Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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Dec. 29th: According to a team announcement, Välimäki has successfully cleared waivers and has been reassigned to AHL Tucson.

Dec. 28th: The Mammoth announced Sunday they’ve placed defenseman Juuso Välimäki on waivers for the purposes of assignment to AHL Tucson.

Välimäki, 27, has been IR-bound for the entire season and then some. The former Flames first-rounder played 43 games for Utah last year before being waived and reassigned to Tucson in January. Weeks later, he sustained a season-ending ACL tear and was given an eight-to-nine-month recovery timeline. Given the surgery was in early March, he ended up missing that target by a couple of weeks.

As expected, he won’t stick around with the Mammoth after being medically cleared. He struggled to hold onto a bottom-pairing job in Salt Lake last year, averaging 16:33 per contest while being limited to a 2-3–5 scoring line and a -5 rating.

The 6’2″, 201-lb lefty will be an unrestricted free agent next summer after inking a two-year, $4.4MM extension with Utah in 2024. That deal came after Välimäki had put up back-to-back solid bodies of work in top-four minutes for the Coyotes, notching 51 points and a +2 rating in 146 appearances from 2022-24 while averaging 18:36 per game.

When Välimäki got pushed down the depth chart thanks to the additions of Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino, and Ian Cole before Utah’s inaugural season, his performance no longer justified his cap hit. While he’s been costing $2MM against the Mammoth’s picture while on IR, his cap impact will drop to $850K if he clears waivers and is reassigned to Tucson.

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