Archives for March 2022

Miro Heiskanen Out Indefinitely With Mononucleosis

March 10, 2022 at 11:02 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 12 Comments

The Dallas Stars will be without young defenseman Miro Heiskanen indefinitely after he was diagnosed with mononucleosis. Heiskanen has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to his last game played on March 2, meaning he will be able to be activated whenever he is ready to return.

Just 22, Heiskanen has taken over as arguably the most important player on the Stars roster, averaging nearly 25 minutes a night while playing in all situations. Without him, the Stars played last night with almost just four defenders, giving Joel Hanley and Thomas Harley fewer than ten minutes each. The top four of Ryan Suter (28:51), Jani Hakanpaa (25:32), John Klingberg (23:36), and Esa Lindell (22:56) all played huge minutes in a losing effort against the Nashville Predators in one of the most important games of the year.

It’s Klingberg’s status that is so interesting now that Heiskanen is out. The pending free agent defenseman had been expected to be traded before the deadline, but over the last three games his ice time has exploded with the team desperately needing his offensive ability. If Dallas remains in the playoff run, it’s hard to justify trading Klingberg away until they have a more definite timeline on Heiskanen’s return.

Dallas now sits fifth in the Central Division, one point behind the Predators but still holds the second wild card spot in the west. The Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Anaheim Ducks are hot on their heels, and without Heiskanen in the lineup, it will be all the more difficult to stay in that spot.

AHL Shuffle: 03/10/22

March 10, 2022 at 10:12 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

After a quiet Wednesday, the NHL is practically overflowing with games tonight as 26 of the league’s 32 teams are in action. That includes Jack Eichel’s return to Buffalo to take on the Sabres for the first time since their messy divorce last year. Eichel reflected on his time with Buffalo and the way the two sides parted yesterday, suggesting that the team was “toying” with him by the end of it. You can bet his return to the ice will bring some mixed emotions from Sabres fans and a surge of adrenaline for the Golden Knights center. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Valtteri Puustinen from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Puustinen was the team’s 2019 7th round pick (203rd overall) and finally made the jump to North America this season. After posting 41 points in 51 games for HPK Hameenlinna in Finland, the 22 year old winger is set to potentially make his NHL debut after a successful rookie season in the AHL, where he has 34 points in 53 games so far.

Central Division

Reese Johnson has been activated from long-term injured reserve by the Chicago Blackhawks and assigned to the minor leagues. The 23-year-old forward has been out for months with a broken collarbone, and has four points in 18 NHL games this season. While he’ll likely get his legs under him in the AHL, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson back with the Blackhawks at some point.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Jack Campbell Out With Rib Injury; Erik Kallgren Recalled

March 10, 2022 at 9:24 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 17 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Erik Kallgren from the AHL under emergency conditions, as Jack Campbell will be out for a minimum of two weeks with a rib injury. This is Kallgren’s first recall to the regular roster this season.

With Campbell out, the focus will turn to Petr Mrazek, the inconsistent netminder that Toronto signed to a three-year contract in the offseason. Mrazek dealt with injuries of his own early in the season and has made just 15 appearances so far, posting an .890 save percentage in those games. He does have a 10-5 record as the Maple Leafs have been able to outscore their goaltending woes fairly regularly, but with the pressure now squarely on Mrazek’s shoulders, things are going to have to improve.

In the case of Kallgren, the team has an interesting name to pivot to in this situation. A seventh-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, the 25-year-old netminder spent the last two seasons playing in Europe, where he rediscovered his game and earned another NHL contract. With the Toronto Marlies this season, Kallgren has a 15-8-1 record and a .904 save percentage in 26 appearances. Whether he’s ready to help the Maple Leafs or not, he’ll serve as the backup for the time being.

Joseph Woll, the other young netminder that the Maple Leafs have used this season, played two days ago for the Marlies and stopped 27 of 29 shots. His .903 AHL save percentage on the season isn’t much different than Kallgren, however, and it’s unclear who would really be able to step up if Mrazek were to suffer an injury or struggle.

Philadelphia Flyers Extend Rasmus Ristolainen

March 10, 2022 at 8:39 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 15 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers may be sellers, but that doesn’t mean they are going to send all of their deadline assets packing. Instead of shipping out pending free agent Rasmus Ristolainen, the team has signed him to a five-year extension that carries an average annual value of $5.1MM. PuckPedia has the full breakdown:

2022-23: $4.0MM
2023-24: $5.5MM
2024-25: $6.5MM
2025-26: $5.5MM
2026-27: $4.0MM

From the moment they acquired him last offseason, sending Robert Hagg, a 2021 first-round pick (14th overall) and a 2023 second-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres, the Flyers have maintained that they brought in Ristolainen to keep him. An extension was always the preference, though after a nightmare season for the team, one in which Ristolainen once again put up terrible analytical metrics (and continued his notorious streak of negative performances), it wasn’t clear if the Flyers would move in a different direction and recoup some of the expended assets at the deadline.

Instead, they’ll be locking in the 27-year-old defenseman to a long-term deal that takes him well into his thirties. Ristolainen has 13 points in 49 games this season while averaging more than 21 minutes a night, almost all of those even-strength minutes coming beside Travis Sanheim. He hasn’t proven to be the offensive catalyst he was in Buffalo without the extensive powerplay time, but still does bring a high level of physicality and contributes to the penalty kill. General manager Chuck Fletcher explained:

Rasmus is an important part of our team and we are very happy to have him on our blue line for the next five years. He is committed to being a Flyer, and brings a consistent physical presence to our team.

It’s that size-skating combo that makes Ristolainen such an attractive defenseman in theory. The 6’4″ behemoth can move around the ice with ease, jump in on plays or catch attackers by surprise with a big open-ice hit. But his decision-making, rush, and in-zone defense have still left something to be desired after the move to Philadelphia, something that the team is obviously comfortable moving forward with.

When Flyers CEO Dave Scott explained that he was giving Fletcher a “blank check” to fix the Flyers, big free agent splashes were expected. The team is getting an early start on that market by locking up Ristolainen, though his new deal will actually come in a hair lower than the $5.4MM cap hit he currently carries. Claude Giroux, Derick Brassard, Justin Braun, Keith Yandle, Kevin Connauton, Nick Seeler, and others remain unsigned, meaning the team still has some trade deadline bullets to fire if they want to add some assets in the weeks to come.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report a deal was close.

College Hockey Round-Up: 03/09/22

March 9, 2022 at 8:43 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

Tournament time has arrived! Saturday marked the end of the regular season slate for Hockey East and the NCHC, while the other conferences are already underway on their individual postseasons. All six conference tournaments have different formats and will move at their own pace, but it all leads up to the NCAA Tournament selection show on March 20, Regionals on March 24-27, and the Frozen Four in Boston from April 7-9.

Recent Results

Typically, the early match-ups in conference tournaments don’t yield major impacts to the NCAA rankings or potential National Tournament field. No. 15 Ohio State wishes that had been the case again this year. The Buckeyes were ousted from the Big Ten tournament via upset by Penn State and now face a long and possibly fruitless wait for the selection show in two weeks. Ranked No. 12 before the first round knockout, Ohio State is now soundly in bubble territory and can do nothing to change their position.

While No. 2 Minnesota had a bye, other Big Ten contenders in No. 4 Michigan and No. 8 Notre Dame advanced alongside Penn State, although Wisconsin gave the Fighting Irish a run for their money. Michigan and Notre Dame are set to square off in the semifinals this weekend.

Elsewhere in conference tournament play, No. 1 Minnesota State and No. 13 Michigan Tech moved on in the CCHA Tournament (though not as easily as expected); meanwhile, No. 6 Quinnipiac, No. 17 Clarkson, and No. 18 Cornell received byes in the first round of the ECAC Tournament, as did Atlantic favorite American International in that tournament.

Hockey East ended the regular season in style with a series of results that vaulted No. 11 Northeastern into the top seed in the conference and to the top national rank in the conference as well. Much of the disarray was due to a stunning sweep by unranked Boston College over No. 12 UMass, who surrendered a regular season Hockey East title that looked to be a lock. No. 14 UMass Lowell also briefly looked to have a shot at a share of the top spot this past weekend as well, after sweeping New Hampshire, but Northeastern managed to sweep Merrimack as well to seal sole possession of the top spot. All three teams have a bye in the first round of the Hockey East Tournament, underway on Wednesday, but each knows that an early loss will all but cost them their NCAA bid. No. 16 Boston University suffered a surprise loss to Maine that bumped them down the national rankings and to the five seed in the conference, while No. 20 Providence somehow finishes seventh and is active in the first round. Both BU and PC know they likely need to win the conference tournament to get in.

There is much more security in the NCHC, home to five top-ten teams. Even after No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth was swept No. 9 St. Cloud State and No. 5 North Dakota managed only an overtime win and a regulation loss against No. 19 Omaha, they both remain locks for the NCAA Tournament. The NCHC Tournament will hit the ground running this weekend with a Huskies-Bulldogs rematch, as well as Omaha and No. 7 Western Michigan, while North Dakota and No. 3 Denver should have easier match-ups with Colorado College and Miami, respectively.

Bracketology

Before the conference tournaments mess with the national landscape further as they did with Ohio State, what doe a potential NCAA Tournament Field look like right now? Minnesota State, Denver, Michigan, and Minnesota look to safely have top regional seeds locked up, following recent slides by North Dakota and Quinnipiac. With that being said, the Fighting Hawks and Bobcats are also locks, as are WMU, Notre Dame, St. Cloud State, Minnesota-Duluth, and Michigan Tech. The bubble is currently very Hockey East heavy and at least two but upwards of four of the remaining slots could come from that conference. Ohio State is stuck with their current resume, while Clarkson and Cornell will also garner some consideration with a deep ECAC run. Of course, a surprise conference tournament winner on top of the automatic qualifier from the Atlantic would also shake up the field.

If the selection show occurred right now, here is how it could all shake out:

Albany, NY
Minnesota State
St. Cloud
Notre Dame
AIC

Allentown, PA
Minnesota
Quinnipiac
Minnesota Duluth
UMass Lowell

Loveland, CO
Denver
North Dakota
Michigan Tech
Ohio State

Worcester, MA
Michigan
WMU
Northeastern
UMass

Is The Hobey Baker Race Already Over?

The top ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, honoring the most outstanding player in NCAA men’s hockey, will be announced next Thursday, March 17. However, after a wide open race earlier this season it fair to wonder whether the title has already been clinched. Denver forward Bobby Brink (PHI) is the best scorer in college hockey right now – and it isn’t particularly close. Brink leads the NCAA in points by seven, assists by six, and points per game by 0.12. There isn’t much hope for anyone to catch him statistically, so how can they catch him for the Hobey Baker?

While there is a case to be made that teammate Carter Savoie (EDM) hurts Brinks chances, it may not be a strong enough argument. Savoie ranks tenth in points and sixth in points per game, as well as tied for sixth in goals, but Brink has far surpassed Savoie’s totals and has been the mastermind play-maker behind many of Savoie’s goals for the Pioneers.

The elite teammate case does hurt a few other contenders though. Minnesota State’s Nathan Smith (WPG) is second in points, total and per-game, and that is despite the Olympic break. He likely has the best chance of anyone to overtake Brink. However, when teammate Julian Napravnik (who was not even a Hobey Baker nominee) is right behind him in third-place in total points as well as third in plus/minus, it doesn’t help Smith’s case. And while the Mavericks are the No. 1 team in the country, their CCHA strength of schedule hurts Smith’s case as well.

Likewise, Western Michigan standout Ethen Frank is the NCAA’s leading goal scorer and among the top 25 in points, but when teammate Drew Worrad (also not nominated) is second in assists and tenth in points, it’s hard to call Frank individually the most outstanding player. While reigning second overall pick Matty Beniers (SEA) has been phenomenal for Michigan – the only player in the NCAA in the top 15 in goals, points, points per game, and plus/minus – the rest of the talent on the star-studded Wolverines lineup will make it hard for him to separate himself.

UMass forward Bobby Trivigno, coming off a National Championship, and Michigan Tech’s Brian Halonen, the leader of the season’s most surprising team, both have had excellent individual efforts this season. Trivigno is eighth in points and sixth in points per game, while Halonen is the only name to grace the top five in both goals and points. However, neither of their teams is trending toward a top-ten finish without a conference tournament win, which works against their chances.

In net, there have been some truly outstanding performances this season across the NCAA. However, it could just make for a tight Mike Richter Award race, as there has been little chatter about a goaltender battling for the Hobey Baker this season. Senior keeper Dryden McKay has yet again been the fuel to Minnesota State’s success, leading college hockey in games played and wins (by a whopping six) while currently in third in goals against average and among the top ten in save percentage. However, McKay has been excellent for year and never received much Hobey hype, certainly due in part to the Mavericks’ poor strength of schedule. Quinnipiac’s Yaniv Perets is statistically the best keeper in the NCAA with a league-leading .955 save percentage and 0.82 GAA , both of which are truly stunning marks. Yet, Perets shares the net with veteran Dylan St. Cyr, who has also found great success, making it seems as though the Bobcat’s system and a down year for the ECAC may have a lot to do with it. Northeastern’s Devon Levi has been excellent, especially during the Huskies’ late run, and is second is save percentage and fourth in GAA. Is it enough?

Brink seems to have a very strong case to take home top honors this season, but there is a lot of hockey left to play.

Deadline Notes: Giroux, McBain, Boeser

March 9, 2022 at 6:02 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 7 Comments

A new team may have entered the Claude Giroux sweepstakes. As the Philadelphia Flyers’ franchise player mulls his future as a pending unrestricted free agent, it is expected that multiple teams will be in conversation with Flyers’ GM Chuck Fletcher to attempt to land Giroux. Much of the conversation has so far centered around the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche as potential fits, but as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his 32 Thoughts blog, there could be another team entering the mix. According to Friedman, “several sources” have said to “not count out” the interest of the St. Louis Blues when it comes to acquiring Giroux.

The Blues currently sit second in the Central, behind the Avalanche, and the benefit of adding Giroux would be massive for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the Blues’ forward corps, which is already incredibly well-stocked, would add the most accomplished offensive player set to be available at the deadline. Giroux could take Ivan Barbashev’s spot next to Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron, or he could even unseat Brandon Saad next to Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich. Regardless of where he plays, adding Giroux to an extremely deep and talented forward corps would give Blues coach Craig Berube an embarrassment of riches to work with when constructing his forward lineup. But beyond Giroux’s impact on the ice for the Blues, acquiring him holds an additional benefit: by making him a Blue, GM Doug Armstrong would be keeping Giroux out of the hands of his team’s closest divisional rival. In a league where the margins of victory in the playoffs are so thin, keeping the juggernaut Avalanche away from a player like Giroux could be an important angle to consider when the Blues are considering making a trade for the Flyers’ captain.

As has been previously covered, the Minnesota Wild are considering shopping the signing rights they hold over prospect Jack McBain, who is currently starring for Boston College in the NCAA. In another bit of information from his 32 Thoughts blog, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Wild’s asking price for McBain is a second-round pick. In 2019, the New York Rangers traded two second-rounders to the Carolina Hurricanes for the rights to defenseman Adam Fox, so a price of a second-rounder is not one without some precedent, although an inquiring team could make the argument that McBain isn’t the same quality of prospect that Fox was at the time. Beyond reporting a potential asking price, Friedman also floats the Winnipeg Jets as a potential candidate to acquire McBain, specifically noting that Andrew McBain, Jack’s father, played six seasons for the Jets from 1983-84 to 1988-89.
Now under new leadership thanks to the hiring of former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford, the Vancouver Canucks have had a significant amount of attention paid to them in advance of the trade deadline. Much of it has centered around J.T. Miller, who has only one more year left on his contract after this season, but in an appearance on TSN’s TradeCentre program, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston points in a different direction. Johnston states that instead of Miller it is Brock Boeser, a 2018 Calder Trophy finalist, who is “most likely to be dealt.” He states that the rationale for trading Boeser would be the Canucks wanting to “maximize an asset” in advance of Boeser’s restricted free agency this offseason. Whereas he may have once been considered an untouchable franchise centerpiece, it seems as though the trade winds are blowing hard in Boeser’s direction and his time as a Canuck could be winding down.

Trade Deadline Primer: Los Angeles Kings

March 9, 2022 at 5:05 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 3 Comments

As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Los Angeles Kings.

After three straight seasons languishing at the bottom of the NHL’s Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Kings’ long-term plan under GM Rob Blake seems to be finally starting to bear fruit. The Kings are currently sitting second in the Pacific, ahead of the rival Vegas Golden Knights, and have been a surprisingly competitive team this season, with many of their players either having resurgent seasons or reaching new heights in terms of production. This has led to a shift in approach towards the trade deadline for the Kings. Whereas most observers probably would not have expected the team to be too active beyond some light selling, the team’s performance this year has vaulted them into definite buyer status. They’re probably not going to go big-game hunting and be mortgaging their future for an expensive rental, but fans should expect the team to at the very least be engaged in the conversation surrounding potential reinforcements for their squad.

Record

32-19-7, 2nd in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Buyer (but not an all-in buyer)

Deadline Cap Space

$6.3MM today, $6.3MM in full-season space, 47/50 contracts used, 1/3 retention slots used

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: LAK 1st, LAK 2nd, PIT 3rd, LAK 4th, LAK 5th, LAK 6th, LAK 7th

2023: LAK 1st, LAK 2nd, LAK 3rd, PIT 3rd, LAK 4th, LAK 5th, LAK 6th, LAK 7th

Trade Chips

Despite having scored three goals in the past two games, Andreas Athanasiou is a potential candidate to be traded at this deadline. After a moderately successful season last year where he posted 10 goals and 23 points in 47 games, Athanasiou has filtered in and out of the lineup and been unable to show any consistency. His raw numbers of 12 points (including eight goals) in 21 games aren’t bad, but it’s clear coach Todd McLellan doesn’t trust him to be a lineup staple, and his current slot as the left winger on the Phillip Danault line is a spot he’s set to lose once Viktor Arvidsson returns from injury. The whole situation, combined with Athanasiou’s expiring $2.7MM cap hit, makes him the perfect candidate to be traded at this deadline, and he would specifically fit as a means of balancing salary if the Kings pursue an expensive veteran addition. Athanasiou on the ice offers blazing speed and potential 30 goal upside (he scored 30 in 2018-19) but his inability to put together his rare tools into a consistent complete package means his days in Los Angeles are likely numbered.

Should the Kings pursue a major player at the deadline, one of the likelier pieces for the selling club to receive from Los Angeles is 2017 11th overall pick Gabriel Vilardi. Vilardi, 22, is a big center who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, both as a professional and when he played in the OHL. Vilardi has been productive this year with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. He has 15 goals and 37 points in 37 games, and he flashed that skill at the NHL level last season when he had 10 goals and 23 points in 54 games. Vilardi profiles as a potential top-6 center and should be able to help the Kings acquire a valuable veteran player should the team choose to go down that route.

If the Kings want to go a cheaper route when acquiring reinforcements for their squad, they could potentially trade a less important young player such as Carl Grundstrom. Grundstrom, 24, came to Los Angeles as part of the Kings’ trade of Jake Muzzin and has been a regular member of their bottom-six for the past two seasons. Offensively he doesn’t jump off the page, with 11 points in 34 games this year and 11 points in 47 last year, but he was once a highly-regarded two-way prospect and perhaps another team could view him as a piece with more upside to be unlocked. He’s the kind of player who may fit as in player-plus-pick deal for a less in-demand veteran due to him being a capable NHL player under the age of 25 with some pedigree as a former well-regarded prospect.

Others to watch for: F Lias Andersson, D Olli Maatta, F Alex Turcotte

Team Needs:

1) Scoring/Power Play Help

Beyond Anze Kopitar’s 51 points in 58 games, the Kings are missing a slam-dunk scorer and instead rely on a more offense-by-committee approach. That has worked for them pretty well so far this year, especially as the Arvidsson-Danault-Trevor Moore line has emerged as an absolute force, but there is still room for improvement. The Kings’ power play ranks 5th-worst in the NHL, at 16.4%, the lowest mark for any team currently sitting in playoff position. For the team to be truly considered a playoff contender they need to improve their scoring, and to do that they can add a proven scorer or even a powerplay specialist, like the Arizona Coyotes’ Phil Kessel, for example. But regardless of what direction Blake chooses to go at the deadline, it’s clear that improving the power play should be a priority.

2) Defensive reinforcements

Just as the Kings’ power play has struggled, their penalty kill has been similarly bad. The team currently kills off 75.8% of opposing power plays, 8th-worst in the NHL. The Kings’ defense has a star in Drew Doughty and veterans such as Maatta and Alexander Edler, but beyond that trio, their defense is missing pieces with much NHL experience or an accomplished defensive resume. Playoff hockey is extraordinarily difficult and physically intense, and the Kings’ defense might not be equipped to hold up to that pressure. Adding a veteran defenseman or two to take the load off of young players like Sean Durzi and Tobias Bjornfot could be a very helpful move as the Kings look to cement their status as a playoff team down the stretch.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Scott Perunovich To Undergo Surgery

March 9, 2022 at 3:05 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

Another disappointing outcome has been reached in the young career of St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich. The team has announced that Perunovich will undergo surgery on his left wrist in New York and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks.

Now 23, it’s been nearly two years since Perunovich won the Hobey Baker and signed with the Blues out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. In that time, he’s played just 36 professional games, only 19 of those at the NHL level. He missed the entire 2020-21 season with a shoulder injury that eventually needed surgery, and now will see his entry-level contract expire with just a handful of regular season appearances.

Of course, eight weeks does leave the possibility of a playoff return, though the evaluation would obviously have to be quite positive. It seems more likely that the young defenseman will miss the rest of the season and head into a restricted free agency negotiation coming off a second major injury.

For the Blues, knowing that Perunovich might not be back at all at least will give them some certainty when it comes to the trade deadline. The team was recently linked to Jacob Middleton, and has been included in speculation about even more impactful defensemen in the past.

Snapshots: Martin, Zadina, Robinson

March 9, 2022 at 2:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

USA Hockey has named Ryan Martin the general manager of the 2022 U.S. Men’s National Team, set to take part in the IIHF World Championship May 13-29 in Finland. Martin, who serves as the assistant GM of the New York Rangers, is taking over the U.S. role from Chris Drury, his current boss. John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of USA Hockey, released the following statement:

We’re excited to have Ryan as general manager. He’s well-versed with our player pool, passionate and knows what it takes to win on the international stage.

Martin will be assisted by Mike Grier, who currently works with the Rangers as a hockey operations advisor, and Chris MacFarland, an assistant GM with the Colorado Avalanche. This group will be trying to win the first gold at the event in more than 60 years, and only the third all-time. In 2021, 2018, 2015, and 2013, the U.S. team took home bronze.

When Filip Zadina stepped on the ice for the Detroit Red Wings last night, he crossed an important threshold in his career. As CapFriendly points out, his 141st game means that Zadina is no longer waiver-exempt and would need to clear them in order to be assigned to the minor leagues. With his effectiveness at the NHL level still very much in question–the 22-year-old has seven goals and 18 points in 55 games this season–and Jakub Vrana returning, some have questioned whether Zadina is long for Detroit. His entry-level contract will expire at the end of this season and he will become a restricted free agent for the first time.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have Eric Robinson back on the roster, after activating him from injured reserve. Robinson, 26, suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee thanks to a Radko Gudas hit in late January and hasn’t played since. The speedy winger has six goals and 17 points in 42 games this season and is already signed through 2023-24, thanks to a two-year contract extension signed last summer.

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