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Nick Foligno Activated, Connor Murphy Placed On IR

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The Chicago Blackhawks have activated forward Nick Foligno off the injured reserve, and it is expected that he will dress tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. The 36-year-old is just a week removed from signing a two-year $9MM extension with the Blackhawks and has been out of action since January 5th when he stood up for Connor Bedard and fought Brandon Smith after he had hit Bedard and fractured his jaw.

Foligno is in his first season in Chicago after coming over in a trade last summer from the Boston Bruins. He has had an uneven offensive season with five multi-point games sandwiched between four stretches of four or more games without a point. Foligno is likely to find himself in Chicago’s top 6 as the team continues to deal with quite a few injury issues to their forward group. Foligno likely won’t duplicate some of his better offensive years from his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he remains a respected leader and a dependable forward for Chicago.

With the move to activate Foligno, the Blackhawks also placed defenseman Connor Murphy on the injured reserve retroactive to January 16th. Murphy is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past four games. The 30-year-old will be eligible to return to the lineup when he is healthy enough to do so and is expected to be back at some point during Chicago’s current four-game road trip. Murphy has dressed in 43 games this season and has two goals and six assists while sporting a -19.

Flyers Recall Olle Lycksell, Assign Bobby Brink To AHL

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The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Olle Lycksell from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and in a corresponding move loaned forward Bobby Brink to the Phantoms as well.

Lycksell is having a good season with Lehigh Valley as he has registered 16 goals and 12 assists in 33 games. He was held scoreless in his lone NHL game earlier in the season and does have nine career NHL games to his credit. Last season, the Oskarshamn, Sweden native dressed in eight games for the Flyers and had an assist. The 24-year-old is on the smaller side at just 5’11” but he has good offensive instincts and can make plays with the puck.

Brink has been a healthy scratch in the last three games and was loaned to the AHL to likely get back into some games. The 22-year-old is having a decent offensive season with seven goals and 11 assists in 38 games but has seen his ice time dramatically reduced over the last five games in which he has dressed. Brink had eight points in his first ten games of the season but has been held scoreless in the last seven games as his struggles have coincided with his reduction in ice time. Brink will likely have an opportunity to regain some of the confidence he showed earlier in the season and find his scoring touch once again.

The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season and currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They dropped two games on the weekend to the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators as they had their win streak snapped at five games.

Evening Notes: Bedard, Skinner, Islanders

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Jay Zawaski of CHGO Sports is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks star rookie Connor Bedard is still expected to miss at least six weeks as he recovers from a fractured jaw that he suffered on January 5th. Bedard started skating last week in a full-face shield but is unable to exert himself as he tries to allow his jawbone to heal from the surgery he had.

The six-week timeline was given to the media by Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson, who was referring to the original timeline for Bedard’s return. Richardson added that Bedard will need to go through imaging and a medical clearance before he can ramp up his skating and return to action.

The 18-year-old leads all NHL rookies with 15 goals and 18 assists in 39 games. He was named to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game a few weeks ago but is unlikely to attend given that the game will be held on February 3rd.

In other evening notes:

  • Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner has shared that he is close to returning, and nearly played in the team’s Saturday loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Skinner has been out of the lineup since January 9th with an upper-body injury, missing five games. He’s remained one of Buffalo’s leading scorers despite the absences, though, sitting third on the team with 33 points through 38 games. Skinner also leads the team with 17 goals.
  • The New York Islanders refuted an earlier report from RDS’ Stephane Leroux that the team was hiring Benoit Desrosiers as an assistant coach under new bench boss Patrick Roy. The statement added that Islanders General Manager and President Lou Lamoriello does plan to meet with Desrosiers in the future, but he has not been hired at this time. Desrosiers spent five seasons as Roy’s assistant with the Remparts and won the Memorial Cup in 2023. He was hired as the head coach of the Gatineau Olympiques for this season but has had a rough start as the team currently sits seventh in the Western Conference of the QMJHL with a record of 15-26-4.

Conor Timmins Fined For Cross-Checking

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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced today that the league fined Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins for his cross-check on Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev in yesterday’s game. The 25-year-old was ordered to pay $2,864.58 for his penalty which is the maximum amount allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The incident happened early in the game when Timmins cross-checked Tanev below the numbers, causing the Kraken forward to crash into the end boards behind the Toronto net. Tanev jumped up to his feet to try and fight Timmins, but Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit stepped in for Timmins and received a two-minute minor for roughing along with Tanev. Timmins received a two-minute minor for his infraction which left Seattle with a power play that they did not score on.

Timmins has had a difficult time staying in the Maple Leafs lineup this season as he has dressed in just two of Toronto’s last 15 games. While he has been a healthy scratch recently, he also missed almost all of October and November with a lower-body injury. When he has dressed, he’s been a good offensive defenseman having posted a goal and five assists in just 15 games.

The money from Timmins’ fine will go to the Player Emergency Assistance Fund.

Snapshots: Xhekaj, Vilardi, Lucius

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Philadelphia Flyers may have been one of the many teams to inquire about Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Xhekaj has generated a lot of interest around the league since making his NHL debut last season, largely because of the 148 penalty minutes he’s totaled in only 68 career games. He’s added 34 penalty minutes in 17 AHL games, embodying the old-school enforcer style that’s dwindled in recent years. Xhekaj already has five fights on the season – three in the NHL, including one against Ryan Reaves, and two in the AHL.

Xhekaj has added modest scoring on top of his hefty grit, netting 11 points in the minors this year and three points with Montreal. He’s carved out an impressive role in the NHL, despite going undrafted in his juniors years. Xhekaj signed his first NHL contract out of Montreal’s 2021 training camp, inking a three-year, $2.5MM entry-level contract. He spent the first year of this contract in the OHL, with the deal officially beginning last year. It’s unclear what Montreal might want in return for a defenseman currently in the minor leagues, but there’s no doubting why there’s interest in the 6’4″, 204lbs 22-year-old.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Gabriel Vilardi will be a game-time decision for the Winnipeg Jets’ Monday night matchup against the Boston Bruins, per head coach Rick Bowness. Vilardi has been in and out of the lineup in his first season with the Jets, appearing in just 26 of the team’s 44 games. But he’s made his presence felt when he can, managing 11 goals and 20 points. Vilardi appeared at Winnipeg’s Monday practice but was seen speaking with Bowness after practice. If he can’t go, the team will likely turn toward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, who has five points through 24 games this season.
  • Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius is slated to have season-ending surgery on his ankle. It’s yet another significant injury for the 20-year-old centerman, who has only managed 59 league games over the last three seasons. Lucius was on a hot streak in the minor leagues this year, managing 13 points in his 17 apperances. The Jets will hope for the best from the former 18th-overall selection as he sets his sights on next season.

Coyotes Troy Stecher Out Four-To-Six Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

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The Arizona Coyotes have announced that defenseman Troy Stecher is out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. Stecher has appeared in 42 of Arizona’s 44 games this season. He’s recorded five points, 20 penalty minutes, and a +7.

Stecher is in his second stint with the Arizona Coyotes, starting last season with the team but getting traded to the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. He re-signed in Arizona on July 1st, inking a one-year, $1.1MM contract. The Coyotes are one of five NHL teams that Stecher has played for, with his career headlined by four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Stecher has accumulated 482 career NHL games and 108 career points – an impressive mark for the undrafted defender who didn’t sign his first pro contract until his age-22 season – joining the AHL’s Utica Comets for four games in the 2016-17 season.

The Coyotes’ depth will be tested with Stecher set to miss significant time. The team is already facing injuries to Barrett Hayton, Travis Boyd, and Vladislav Kolyachonok – limiting their ability to ice an ideal lineup. The Yotes will have to turn to Juuso Valimaki, who has operated as the team’s seventh defenseman recently and has six points in 30 appearances this season. This injury likely also means an expanded role for Josh Brown and Michael Kesselring – a duo that’s operated as the team’s bottom pairing in recent outings.

Mitchell Stephens Clears Waivers, Canadiens Send Justin Barron Down

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1/23: Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that Stephens went unclaimed on waivers, and will now report to Laval.

1/22: The Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Mitchell Stephens on waivers and loaned defenseman Justin Barron to the AHL’s Laval Rockets. Stephens started the season in Laval, clearing waivers ahead of the season’s start. He scored 12 points in 16 AHL games before joining Montreal on December 1st. Meanwhile, Barron is slated for his first stint with Laval, after playing in 41 of Montreal’s 46 games this season. The 22-year-old defenseman has managed 12 points in that stretch, a step down from the 15 points he recorded in 39 games with Montreal last season. Barron also recorded 16 points in 25 AHL games last year.

While Stephens has already cleared waivers once this season, his depth has proven valuable throughout his eight-year professional career. Stephens was originally drafted 33rd overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, just a few picks before the Carolina Hurricanes drafted Sebastian Aho. He made his professional debut in the following year, playing five AHL games at the end of the 2015-16 season. He returned to juniors in the following season, but played his first full pro season in 2017-18, scoring 41 points in 70 games with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. That year’s scoring remains Stephens’ career-high, although he matched it in 68 games during Laval’s 2022-23 season. The 26-year-old forward has only played in 95 career NHL games, recording 16 points and 22 penalty minutes. He’s also recorded 219 career AHL games and 137 points.

Carson Soucy Out Five-To-Six Weeks With Hand Injury

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Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has confirmed that defenseman Carson Soucy will miss five-to-six weeks with a hand injury. Soucy sustained the injury while blocking a shot in the team’s Saturday win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This is yet another long-term absence for Soucy, who already missed 23 games with a lower-body injury suffered in mid-November. He’s managed 21 games when healthy this season, netting six points, four penalty minutes, and a +6. The 29-year-old defender has served in a prominent role when he does play, averaging over 17 minutes of ice time on a Canucks blue-line that’s rotated all three pairings this year. The Canucks signed Soucy to a three-year, $9.8MM contract on July 1st – controlling him at a $3.25MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season.

Soucy has carved out a strong NHL career since being selected in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Draft. He played four seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth after his draft year, making his pro debut with the AHL’s Iowa Wild at the end of the 2016-17 season. Soucy would go on to play in two more AHL seasons before getting his first prolonged stint in the NHL in 2019-20. He recorded 14 points, 18 penalty minutes, and a +16 in 55 games that season as a part of a strong Minnesota Wild blueline. He would go on to serve as the selection from the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, playing in two seasons with the Seattle Kraken before making his way to Vancouver.

Adam Erne Clears Waivers

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1/23: Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports that Erne has safely cleared waivers meaning he will now be assigned to AHL Bakersfield for the foreseeable future.

1/22: The Oilers placed winger Adam Erne on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Bakersfield on Monday, per a team announcement.

This is the second time that Edmonton has placed Erne on waivers this season. He cleared in early-November and was sent down to the minor leagues for just two weeks, before rejoining the Edmonton lineup until now. He played in four AHL games while down, scoring one goal and setting a -5. He’s been relatively unproductive in the NHL as well, netting two points, nine penalty minutes, and a +2 through 23 games. Erne has been largely an afterthought in the Oilers’ lineup, averaging just 7:46 in ice time, the lowest of any player with 10 or more games with the club.

It’s Erne’s first season in Edmonton, with the 28-year-old winger joining the team’s training camp on a professional try-out contract. He ultimately earned a deal in Edmonton, signing a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the team two days after their season kicked off. The Oilers become the third team of Erne’s NHL career, adding to his three seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and four years with the Detroit Red Wings.

Erne’s placement on waivers lines up with Edmonton’s signing of veteran forward Corey Perry. Perry started the season with the Chicago Blackhawks, playing in 16 games and scoring nine points for the club. He is well along in an NHL career that kicked off in the 2005-06 season. Perry has since totaled 1,273 career games and 1,392 career points. Edmonton will hope he can add a much-needed spark on the wing.

Canucks Recall Mark Friedman, Linus Karlsson

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Jan. 22: GM Patrik Allvin announced the team has reversed this transaction today, recalling Friedman from his conditioning loan and Karlsson from his regular loan. Karlsson has been papered up and down once already in the span of the last week, coming up to serve as a healthy scratch for Saturday’s win over the Maple Leafs. He’s been a frequent scratch for the Canucks this month but was returned to Abbotsford yesterday so he could play in their game against San Diego. Friedman was spectacular in his minor-league stint, posting four points and a +5 rating in four games with the Baby Canucks.

Jan. 16: The Vancouver Canucks have assigned defenseman Mark Friedman and Linus Karlsson to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, with Friedman’s demotion coming by way of a conditioning loan. Without a corresponding roster move, the Canucks will now be down to 12 forwards and seven defensemen on the team’s active roster.

Friedman was originally brought over to Vancouver by way of a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 17th to serve as extra depth for the team’s defensive core. Now, he will spend a max of 14 days in the AHL, unless the team desires to bring him up earlier.

In his 18-game stint with the Canucks, Friedman had very little usage rages, scoring one assist while averaging just under 12 and a half minutes of ice time per night. Since November 30th, although he has been on the active roster, Friedman has served as a healthy scratch as Vancouver’s blue line has regained much of its health.

It will mark Friedman’s first time back in the AHL since his time with the Penguins earlier this season when he was able to suit up in two games for their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Throughout his career, Friedman is a veteran of 214 games in the AHL, scoring 11 goals and 67 points since his debut in the 2016-17 season.

For Karlsson, it will now mark his third reassignment to the AHL this year, suiting up for Vancouver in early January and early December, after making his NHL debut on November 16th. Only managed four games in total for the Canucks this season, Karlsson is still scoreless at the NHL level.

In contrast, Karlsson has been one of the best players in Abbotsford this season, scoring seven goals and 23 points in 25 games, sitting third on the team in scoring. Now, with both Friedman and Karlsson back in the AHL, they will help an Abbotsford team on the cusp of earning a playoff spot in the Pacific Division, as they hold a 19-11-2-1 record entering play tonight.

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