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Blackhawks Sign Nick Foligno To Two-Year Extension

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The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they’ve signed veteran forward Nick Foligno to a two-year extension worth a total of $9MM. Foligno was acquired by Chicago from the Boston Bruins last June alongside Taylor Hall in a move that saw Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula go the other way. After the trade, The Buffalo, New York native was promptly signed to a one-year extension for $4MM.

Foligno was a first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators back in 2006 (28th overall) and is a veteran of 1,120 career NHL games in which he has posted 223 goals and 319 assists.

He has been a steady presence for the Blackhawks this season in what has been a tumultuous year for the team both on and off the ice. In 39 games with Chicago, the 36-year-old has eight goals and nine assists and has provided his usual physicality and steady defensive work.

Chicago has struggled to ice a healthy lineup in recent weeks as their forward ranks have been decimated by injuries. Foligno is currently on the injured reserve with a fractured left finger but that didn’t stop the Blackhawks from locking him up for the next two seasons.

The Blackhawks have a relatively blank slate when it comes to NHL contracts beyond the 2024-25 season. With Foligno’s extension, he becomes one of only three players signed to a one-way NHL contract for the 2025-26 season alongside Seth Jones and Connor Murphy. The new deal is a bit of an overpay but given Chicago’s lack of long-term commitments and the value Foligno’s experience will provide, they likely aren’t too worried about a short-term mid-tier contract.

Injury Notes: Gibson, Kochetkov, Forsberg

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Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson left the team’s Thursday night game with an upper-body injury, being replaced by backup Lukas Dostal. Gibson has missed time for a variety of reasons this season, being placed on the non-active list earlier in the year for the birth of his child, missing one game due to illness, and now nursing an injury that could limit him further. The absences have kept Gibson to just 26 appearances this season, with the former William Jennings Trophy-winner recording a 7-17-0 record and .900 save percentage on the season. He leads the league in losses.

While Dostal has shown promise, his stat line doesn’t fair much better than Gibson’s, with the 23-year-old goaltender setting a 7-9-1 record and .903 save percentage in 19 games this season. Dostal entered the season with just 23 NHL games under his belt, setting a combined .902 save percentage since making his debut in the 2021-22 season. The Ducks acquired Dostal in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He was the sixth goalie to be taken that year and currently carries the most games played of any goalie in the class.

Other injury notes:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes also lost their goaltender, with Pyotr Kochetkov leaving the team’s game after a collision with Anaheim’s Isac Lundestrom. Kochetkov was hit in the head but seemed to get his leg awkwardly stretched, making it hard to speculate what injury he could be facing. The 24-year-old has played in 23 games this season, goin 11-7-3 and setting a .900 save percentage.
  • Ottawa Senators’ goaltender Anton Forsberg also joined the long list of injuries to occur on Thursday, leaving the team’s game after apparently tweaking something in his groin. The 31-year-old has managed 16 games, a 7-8-0 record, and a .889 save percentage this season.

Montreal Canadiens Activate Rafaël Harvey-Pinard

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The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they’ve activated forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard from the injured reserve. Harvey-Pinard was on the IR with a lower-body injury that he suffered in November. The Canadiens then placed the 25-year-old on the IR on November 20th after he had started the year with four assists in his first 13 games.

The Saguenay, Quebec native returned to the Canadiens lineup tonight in a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks that ended San Jose’s losing streak at 11 games. Harvey-Pinard registered a single shot but was held pointless as he played 13:57.

It’s been a disappointing season for Harvey-Pinard after he had a strong showing last season with Montreal and their AHL affiliate the Laval Rocket. In 40 AHL games, Harvey-Pinard registered 16 goals and 15 assists. This prompted Montreal to promote him to the NHL where he had a solid stretch of 34 games in which he posted 14 goals and six assists.

Following his strong showing, Montreal locked him up to a two-year, one-way contract worth $1.1MM per season. The deal cemented Harvey-Pinard as part of a logjam of Canadiens forwards that has been necessary this season as the Canadiens have dealt with a pile of injuries to their forward core.

With the return, Emil Heineman was healthy scratched by the Canadiens for tonight’s game.

Avalanche Notes: Landeskog, Foudy, Georgiev

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Corey Masisak of The Denver Post is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog was on the ice today for the first time since having cartilage replacement surgery on his right knee. The 31-year-old is missing his second consecutive season as he deals with a significant injury. While a return to the ice is a good thing for Landeskog, he is still a long way away from a return according to Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar.

Landeskog has been out of action since he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup back in June of 2022. He attempted to return during the 2022-23 season but suffered several setbacks that prohibited him from getting back on the ice. He worked hard to try and avoid a major surgery but eventually had knee surgery in May of 2023.

In other Avalanche notes:

  • The Avalanche announced today that they’ve activated forward Jean-Luc Foudy off of the Injured Non-Roster list and assigned him to their AHL affiliate the Colorado Eagles. The 21-year-old has missed the entire first half of the season and will begin his return in the AHL. He did see nine games on NHL action last season with Colorado and was held pointless. With the Eagles last season, Foudy dressed in 46 games and had 11 goals and 25 assists. The former third-round pick was widely considered to be the best skating prospect in the 2020 NHL entry draft and could fit in well with Colorado once he is able to get back into game shape.
  • Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now tweeted today that the Avalanche have some concerns about goaltender Alexandar Georgiev’s workload this season and with good reason. Georgiev is currently on pace to play 68 games this season which would eclipse his career high of 62 games that he played last season. While Georgiev garnered Vezina Trophy consideration with his play last season, this year has been a little bit different. Georgiev has seen his save percentage drop, his goals against average inflate, and his underlying numbers dip significantly. While it could be a slump for the 27-year-old, it could also be a sign that Georgiev is fatigued and could use some rest.

Golden Knights Make Several Roster Moves

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The Vegas Golden Knights have made a flurry of roster moves today as they try and shake up their roster after being shutout for the fifth time this season last night. Jesse Granger of The Athletic is reporting that defenseman Lukas Cormier and forward Grigori Denisenko have been reassigned to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, while forward Jonas Rondbjerg and defenseman Kaedan Korczak have been recalled to Vegas.

21-year-old Cormier had an assist during his NHL debut on January 6, was +1 and averaged almost 15 minutes of ice time in two games. He is in his second year in the AHL and has a goal and 11 assists in 27 games. The former third-round pick was a good offensive option for the Silver Knights last year as he had ten goals and 25 assists in 62 games.

Denisenko was held pointless in three games during his most recent recall. His AHL numbers on the other hand have been solid this year, in 31 games the former 15th overall pick has 12 goals and 18 assists. In four years as a professional, Denisenko has played 29 NHL games and has seven assists and no goals.

Rondbjerg is looking to get back into the Golden Knights lineup for the first time in almost two months, the 24-year-old had a recall earlier in the season and had a goal and two assists in six games. The 2017 third-round pick has had a decent offensive season in Henderson with four goals and 10 assists in 24 games this season.

Korczak showed promise during a two-month recall earlier in the season and will get another look with Vegas. The 22-year-old is typically known as a physical defensive defenseman but has shown some offensive upside in a limited sample size as he has a goal and six assists in 15 NHL games this season.

Vegas currently sits in second place in the Pacific Division with a 23-13-5 record. Despite the good start to the season, the Golden Knights have struggled as of late with a 3-7 record in their last ten games. They have also struggled on the road with a 9-9-3 record.

Trevor Zegras, Pavel Mintyukov Out Long-Term

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Ducks center Trevor Zegras and rookie defenseman Pavel Mintyukov both sustained long-term injuries Tuesday night against the Predators, the team announced. Zegras will undergo surgery on a fractured ankle and miss six to eight weeks, while Mintyukov will be sidelined for six weeks with a separated shoulder.

Zegras has struggled with his health and consistency this season as he already missed 20 straight games earlier this season and has scored just four goals and three assists in 20 games since his return. It’s been a tough few months for the 22-year-old as he had contentious contract negotiations with the Ducks in the summer and missed training camp. After he returned from injury, he struggled to get to his game in recent weeks and even found his name bandied about in trade rumors over the past few days before getting hurt.

Mintyukov is the Ducks’ 10th overall pick from 2022 and has been a pleasant surprise this year on their backend with two goals and 17 assists in 40 games. On top of being a solid offensive contributor, the 20-year-old has provided the Ducks with a physical presence as well as some solid work in the defensive zone. The Ducks figure to utilize newly acquired Gustav Lindstrom in Mintyukov’s absence.

Ducks’ general manager Pat Verbeek has been active on the trade market over the past week, and it will be interesting to see if he re-ignites the Zegras trade talks when he is healthy once again.

Bruins Place Brandon Carlo On IR, Recall Brandon Bussi

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The Bruins placed defenseman Brandon Carlo on injured reserve retroactive to January 8, according to a team release. In a corresponding transaction, the team elevated netminder Brandon Bussi from AHL Providence on an emergency basis. Head coach Jim Montgomery said that 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will not play tonight against the Golden Knights, so Bussi will back up Ullmark’s tandem partner, Jeremy Swayman.

Ullmark isn’t the only player who sustained an injury in Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Coyotes. Rookie Matthew Poitras suffered a shoulder injury and will also miss tonight’s game. He, too, is listed as day-to-day.

Carlo left the team’s game on Monday against the Avalanche in the second period with an upper-body injury, although it wasn’t clear what caused the premature exit. As a result of the IR placement, the 27-year-old has been ruled out of the team’s next three games. He will be eligible to return next Thursday against the Avalanche.

In 39 games this season, the Bruins’ top shutdown defender has two goals, eight assists, ten points, and a team-high +15 rating while averaging over 20 minutes per game. AHL call-up Parker Wotherspoon, who has two assists and a +2 rating in 13 NHL appearances this season, is projected to remain in a second-pairing role alongside Hampus Lindholm in Carlo’s absence.

Luckily for the Bruins, it doesn’t appear anyone else’s absence is extremely long-term, either. It’s a tough loss to go without Ullmark for a stretch, who’s again been one of the better goalies in the league with a .915 SV% and 8.1 goals saved above average in 20 starts (21 appearances), but Swayman has put up slightly better numbers this season in the same amount of action.

In his place for now will be the 25-year-old Bussi. Named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team last season after he posted a .924 SV% in 32 appearances for Providence in his first season after completing his collegiate career at Western Michigan, he’s taken a significant step back this year with a .901 SV% and 10-6-3 record in 20 appearances. He’s been recalled on multiple occasions over the past two years due to short-term injuries to Swayman and Ullmark, and although he’s solidly third on Boston’s depth chart, he’s still yet to make his NHL debut.

Poitras, 19, was injured in his third game back after representing Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden. The 2022 second-round pick has five goals and 15 points while averaging 13:46 through his first 30 NHL contests.

Capitals Activate T.J. Oshie

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The Capitals activated veteran winger T.J. Oshie from injured reserve Thursday, The Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson reports. To stay under the 23-player roster limit, the team moved defenseman Rasmus Sandin to IR retroactive to January 3 with an upper-body injury.

Oshie will re-enter the Capitals lineup tonight against the Kraken on a throwback line with former All-Stars Evgeny Kuznetsov and Max Pacioretty. It will be the 37-year-old’s first game since December 16, subsequently missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. This was his second multi-game absence of the season – Oshie also missed six games with an upper-body injury in late November and early December.

It’s been a trying year for the six-time 20-goal scorer, who has one season remaining after this on a deal carrying a $5.75MM cap hit. He’s scored only twice in 21 games, adding two assists for four points. His ice time has dipped slightly to 16:34 per game; the fifth straight year that it’s decreased. It’s the lowest average of his 16-year, 979-game NHL career.

On a team receiving better production from less-used wingers, Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas, it’s surprising Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery hasn’t reduced Oshie’s ice time further. Oshie isn’t a complete defensive liability, but he’s far from a shutdown specialist – he’s posted a negative expected plus-minus rating in four of the last five seasons, including this one.

Meanwhile, Sandin lands on IR to give the Capitals some short-term roster flexibility. He’s already satisfied the minimum seven-day absence requirement and can be activated at any time. The 23-year-old likely won’t be out much longer, as he’s still listed as day-to-day.

Tonight’s tilt against the Kraken will be his first missed with this specific upper-body injury, though. Sandin, who the Capitals acquired in a trade with the Maple Leafs before last season’s deadline, had missed two prior games with an illness. Now in his first full season as a Capital, the 2018 first-round pick ranks second on the team in average time on ice (22:05) and has 11 assists in 36 games.

Canadiens Acquire Filip Cederqvist From Sabres

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3:44 p.m.: Cederqvist is planning to return to Sweden at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, The Athletic’s Lance Lysowski reports. While this won’t be a long-term investment from Montreal, Cederqvist is a serviceable minor-league stopgap who will help fill out the roster of a Laval squad that’s dealing with multiple long-term injuries.

2:54 p.m.: The Canadiens acquired forward prospect Filip Cederqvist from the Sabres in exchange for future considerations on Thursday.

Cederqvist, 23, was a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Just a few seasons ago, he was regarded as one of the Sabres’ higher-ceiling prospects after posting 14 goals and 32 points in 49 games with Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League as a 21-year-old in the 2021-22 campaign, good enough for second on the team.

However, his transition to North America has not gone well. Lost in the shuffle among the Sabres’ glut of forward prospects, Cederqvist underwhelmed with nine goals and 20 points in 55 games for AHL Rochester last season, his first in North America. This season has been almost a complete throwaway for Cederqvist, though, who has one goal and three assists through 19 games.

With the Sabres having no need for his services and his poor AHL production causing major concern, it’s no surprise he could be had for free on the trade market. Cederqvist will now likely report to AHL Laval and look to regain confidence in a new organization. The 6-foot-3 Swede can play both left wing and center.

If he doesn’t pan out, it’s a low-risk investment for the Canadiens. He’s in the final season of his two-year, entry-level contract, meaning he can be cut loose at the end of the season if Montreal doesn’t issue him a qualifying offer. He would then be a UFA and could return to Europe or sign on with a third NHL team.

“Several” Teams Have Shown Interest In Corey Perry

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Multiple NHL teams have shown interest in picking up UFA veteran Corey Perry as the 2023-24 season rounds the halfway mark, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports Thursday. Per Kaplan, one unnamed team “is doing major due diligence” to determine if past workplace behavior issues exist aside from the undisclosed incident that got his contract with the Blackhawks terminated earlier this season.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed late Wednesday that Perry is eligible to sign with a team and will not face a blockade from league commissioner Gary Bettman. Perry has met with Bettman since the contract termination at the player’s request, per Friedman, and was given Bettman’s “blessing” to return. He has not yet filed a grievance with the NHLPA against his termination, and the union has until January 28 to decide if it wants to proceed with one.

The Blackhawks signed Perry, 38, to a one-year, $4MM contract after acquiring his signing rights from the Lightning in a late June trade. The capable veteran notched four goals and nine points through 16 games in Chicago before the team removed him from the lineup and eventually the roster for an incident that the team said violated the terms of his contract and organizational standards. Perry issued a statement shortly after his termination, stating he would “discuss his struggles with alcohol” with behavioral health experts.

Perry’s 0.56 points per game pace in third-line minutes in Chicago is a strong indication that he can still bring it, especially considering the lack of depth around him. That pace would be third on the Blackhawks today behind Connor Bedard’s 0.85 clip and Philipp Kurashev’s 0.68.

If Perry does get another contract to extend his career past the 1,300-game mark, it will almost surely be for the league minimum $775K. No teams have been reliably linked to Perry yet, although former Maple Leaf Carlo Colaiacovo posited on TSN 1050 radio today that there may be mutual interest between Perry and Toronto. There, he would assumedly slot in a fourth-line right-wing role and, even in his late 30s, would provide a major upgrade over declining enforcer Ryan Reaves and AHL call-up Bobby McMann. The 2007 Stanley Cup champion with the Ducks also still lives in London, Ontario, where he played his junior hockey with the Knights. It’s understandable why he would have an interest in signing without having to make a mid-season move.

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