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Flames Recall Cole Schwindt

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Feb. 14: Calgary summoned Schwindt back to the NHL roster on Wednesday, according to the team. Schwindt played in the Wranglers’ 4-2 over Manitoba yesterday, scoring once on two shots on goal.

Feb. 13: The Flames reassigned forward Cole Schwindt to AHL Calgary on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Schwindt, 22, has spent most of the last three weeks on the NHL roster, interrupted by a temporary AHL assignment over the All-Star break. This one is likely more permanent after being scratched in all four games since Calgary returned to play last week.

Acquired from the Panthers as part of 2022’s Jonathan Huberdeau/Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster, the Canadian’s three showings in late January were his first since the trade. A Florida third-round pick in 2019, Schwindt has no points, a -5 rating and four shots on goal while averaging 10:19 in six games since his NHL debut.

Given his limited NHL action, he’s logged significant time with AHL Calgary over the past two years. He hasn’t eclipsed his rookie highs set with Charlotte in 2021-22, though, and his 22 goals and 52 points through 110 games since the trade aren’t quite what the Flames hoped for when they acquired him.

For now, the Flames have only 11 healthy forwards – winger Jakob Pelletier left Monday’s game against the Rangers and did not return.

Schwindt is in the final season of his entry-level contract and remains waiver-exempt. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer and is due a qualifying offer of $874,125.

Rasmus Ristolainen To Undergo Upper-Body Procedure, Out Multiple Weeks

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Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will be out a minimum of two to three weeks before undergoing a procedure to address a minor upper-body injury, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports Wednesday. The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco was the first to report that Ristolainen’s injury would keep him out for a significant amount of time.

Ristolainen, 29, was drumming up interest from multiple teams ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, including the Maple Leafs. Today’s news puts his availability for a deal in doubt, though, and he’s now likely to remain a Flyer until the offseason. After undergoing the procedure later this month, it’s unclear how long Ristolainen will be out, Kurz says. The Flyers also added Wednesday that Ristolainen has no timetable for a return and is still being checked.

Despite a lack of point production (one goal, three assists in 31 games), the 2013 eighth-overall pick is perhaps having the strongest defensive showing of his 11-year NHL career. His expected +4.9 rating is a career-high, and he’s managed to control a majority of expected goals when paired with youngster Yegor Zamula at even strength, per MoneyPuck.

Nonetheless, his $5.1MM cap hit makes him a difficult asset to move, given he’s best suited for a two-way, third-pairing role at this stage in his career. His bump in defensive adeptness since arriving in Philadelphia via a 2021 trade from the Sabres has also come with a significant decrease in minutes, now averaging just 16:41 per game this year compared to his 22:50 career average. Add in that he’s signed through 2027, and it becomes a tough task for a team to swallow his contract, no matter how much improvement he’s shown in his game.

Ristolainen had to wait until late November to make his season debut after an undisclosed injury cost him the first 20 games of the season. He’s played in three of Philadelphia’s last six games due to a healthy scratch, illness, and the current upper-body injury, which held him out of Monday’s game against the Coyotes.

With the Flyers’ defense otherwise at full health, head coach John Tortorella has opted to dress seven defensemen, giving oft-scratched veteran Marc Staal a chance to play while winger Tyson Foerster is sidelined with a short-term lower-body injury. That ailment is expected to keep Foerster out “a few extra days,” GM Daniel Brière said today, meaning he’ll miss Thursday’s game against the Maple Leafs but not much longer.

Red Wings Loan Jared McIsaac To NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta

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The Red Wings have loaned defense prospect Jared McIsaac to HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss National League, a release from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, reads. McIsaac, 23, was a second-round pick of Detroit in 2018 and is a pending RFA with arbitration rights.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, McIsaac was one of Detroit’s most highly-touted prospects. The 6-foot-1 left-shot defenseman put up over a point-per-game with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads in 2018-19 and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2020 World Juniors, notching a goal and three assists in seven games.

With the NHL and AHL on pause at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, the Red Wings loaned McIsaac out to HPK in the Finnish Liiga for his first taste of pro hockey in the fall of 2020. He sustained a shoulder injury on his first shift overseas, however, costing him over six months of development time.

That injury put a significant dent in his development, as the high-end transition threat in junior hockey has failed to translate his game to the pros in Grand Rapids. His games played total has steadily decreased from his career-high 70 appearances in 2021-22, and he has been a frequent healthy scratch for the Griffins this season, only playing in 15 games and just two since Christmas.

After nine goals, 52 points, and a -29 rating in 156 outings with Grand Rapids, the Red Wings are giving him a shot at some more minutes overseas down the stretch to see if he can thrive in a professional environment. McIsaac signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $787.5K in the NHL and $70K in the minors last July, although if he doesn’t make an impact during his time in Switzerland, it’s unlikely he’ll receive a qualifying offer.

Ambrì-Piotta hasn’t advanced past the National League playoff qualifiers in five years and looks primed to miss the postseason again, as they currently occupy the second qualifier role as the 10th seed in the league with a 15-19-7-3 record. McIsaac is the only NHL-affiliated player on their active roster, although longtime Coyotes depth forward Laurent Dauphin is among their leading scorers with 28 points in 36 games.

Devils Notes: Markström, Merzļikins, Smith, Hatakka

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Reporting in recent days from both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has illustrated just how close the Devils were to acquiring goaltender Jacob Markström from the Flames in a pre-deadline blockbuster. Speaking on Monday’s episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, Friedman said the teams were close in principle on a trade but could not reconcile with each other on the financial aspect of the deal. The Devils remained firm on Calgary retaining some of Markström’s $6MM cap hit – something first-year GM Craig Conroy isn’t willing to do over the remaining three seasons of Markström’s deal.

Seravalli added Tuesday that discussions were serious enough to “get to [Markström]’s level to approve it,” a necessary step since he boasts a no-movement clause in his contract. With the two parties at an impasse that Seravalli thinks “probably” can’t be revisited, New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald will likely look elsewhere to upgrade his goaltending with 23 days until the trade deadline.

As the Devils look for a cheaper option, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes said Tuesday that they’ve had interest in Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzļikins. It’s not a gigantic discount, though, as Merzļikins’ $5.4MM cap hit is only $600K less than Markström’s and runs through 2027. The 29-year-old Latvian has had an underrated bounce-back season, posting a .904 SV% and 1.3 goals saved above expected in 29 games, per MoneyPuck. While he and Markström both have inconsistent track records over a five-year sample, the latter’s peaks have been much higher – Markström’s 18.4 goals saved above expected this season have him on track for a third top-five Vezina Trophy voting finish in the last five years.

Still, either would be a massive upgrade on what Vítek Vaněček has done for them this season. His -11.1 goals saved above expected are second-worst in the league and the worst among starters for prospective playoff teams. Only Ottawa’s Joonas Korpisalo has performed worse overall relative to shot quality, saving -11.9 goals above expected. The Devils, who are 5-4-1 in their past ten games, are now at full health for the first time in weeks and sit two points back of the Red Wings for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, a gap that can easily be closed with improved play between the pipes.

In much lower-stakes news, the Devils assigned defenseman Santeri Hatakka to AHL Utica on Tuesday to make room for veteran Brendan Smith, who was activated off injured reserve and returned to the lineup in yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Predators. Hatakka, 23, had shown promising results with two assists and a +7 rating in seven showings but was a casualty of roster management as he did not require waivers to head to the minors. A pending RFA upon completion of his entry-level contract, the 2019 sixth-round pick of the Sharks will remain near the top of New Jersey’s list for blue-line call-ups for the rest of the season.

Smith, 35, made his return after missing 10 games with a knee sprain. The pending UFA had three shots on goal in 17:27 of ice time against Nashville, his 35th game of the season. The 6-foot-2 enforcer has averaged 14:30 per game this year while flipping between defense and wing, recording a goal and five points with a +2 rating.

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Bellemare, Mintyukov, McTavish

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The Vegas Golden Knights made some roster moves today as they’ve assigned goaltender Jiri Patera and forward Sheldon Rempal to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL.

Patera dressed last night as starting netminder Adin Hill’s backup as netminder Logan Thompson was out of action due to an illness. The 24-year-old Patera has appeared in five games this season for Vegas, registering a 1-3 record with a 3.75 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.

Rempal has also appeared in five games at the NHL level this season and has posted the first two goals of his NHL career. The Calgary, Alberta native has appeared sparingly over parts of five NHL seasons and once again finds himself in the AHL where he has posted solid offensive numbers with 21 goals and 12 assists in 43 games.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Roots Sports reporter Scott Malone tweeted that the Seattle Kraken have activated forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare off the injured reserve. The 38-year-old has been out of action since suffering a lower-body injury back on December 18th and has appeared in 29 games this season for the Kraken, posting four goals and a single assist while averaging 9:34 of ice time per game. Bellemare is in his tenth NHL season as he was a late arrival to the NHL having spent his first 11 professional seasons playing in his native country of France.
  • Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have welcomed back defenseman Pavel Mintyukov as the rookie 20-year-old was activated off the injured reserve today. According to Lee, Mintyukov skated on the Ducks’ third pairing tonight alongside Ilya Lyubushkin. Mintyukov has had a solid first season in the NHL, posting two goals and 17 assists in 41 games this season while averaging over 18 minutes a night in ice time.
  • The Ducks also welcomed back forward Mason McTavish after a one-game absence. The 21-year-old was dealing with an upper-body injury that kept him sidelined briefly but was healthy enough to be reinserted into the lineup tonight as the Ducks fell to the Montreal Canadiens 5-0. McTavish is mired in a six-game goalless drought but still has 13 goals on the season to go along with 18 assists in 44 games.

Phil Kessel To Work Out For Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks announced today that unrestricted free agent forward Phil Kessel would be working out this week in Abbotsford, presumably with the Canucks AHL squad. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin told the media that the three-time Stanley Cup champion would be taking reps in the Vancouver area in what could become a reunion of sorts between Kessel, head coach Rick Tocchet and much of the Canucks management group. Kessel, Jim Rutherford, Tocchet, and Allvin won two Stanley Cups together with the Pittsburgh Penguins and could be the favorites to do the same in Vancouver.

Kessel has surprisingly remained unsigned despite being the NHL’s reigning Iron Man. He sits just eight points shy of 1000 for his career and was still productive last season posting 14 goals and 22 assists in 82 games on his way to a third career Stanley Cup.

Kessel has remained adamant that he wanted to continue playing and it looks as though he could do so if things go right in Vancouver. The 36-year-old isn’t the offensive threat he once was, but he remains an excellent passer and should have enough in the tank to be a good depth scoring option and a power play specialist.

His best years came in Pittsburgh while Tocchet was an assistant coach for the Penguins. He and Kessel appear to share a special relationship, and it seems that Tocchet has always been able to help Kessel find another gear in his game. If Kessel can show he has enough left in the tank and sign a contract, it could add another redemption arc to the Phil Kessel story.

Senators Notes: Mandolese, Zub, Sanderson

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The Ottawa Senators have assigned goaltender Kevin Mandolese to the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Mandolese’s demotion comes as no surprise given that the Senators activated netminder Anton Forsberg off the IR earlier today. The 23-year-old didn’t see any NHL action during his most recent recall and hasn’t played in the NHL since last season when he dressed in three games for Ottawa going 1-2 with a .916 save percentage.

Mandolese’s AHL numbers have remained comparable to the ones he posted last season as the native of Montreal, Quebec is sporting a 6-7-2 record with an .895 save percentage and a 3.38 goals-against average with Belleville. The former sixth-round pick has good size at 6’4” tall but he hasn’t been able to put it all together or fill out his frame as he plays smaller than most netminders of his stature.

In other Senators notes:

  • The Ottawa Senators were forced to play tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets without the services of defenseman Artem Zub. The 28-year-old has been dealing with a lower-body injury and was unable to dress this evening. Zub had been playing in the top four and was rolling offensively as of late with seven assists in his last 11 games. Zub could return to the lineup on Thursday night when the Senators take on the Anaheim Ducks but there is no word yet on his status going forward.
  • The Ottawa Senators were also without the services of defenseman Jake Sanderson. Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun tweeted that the Senators would be forced to dress just five defensemen tonight with Zub and Sanderson out of the lineup. The 21-year-old is also dealing with a lower-body injury and told reporters earlier today that he would like to get back into the lineup at some point during the team’s upcoming Florida road trip. Given that timeline, it is fair to guess that the former fifth-overall pick will miss the next two or three games as Ottawa doesn’t visit the state of Florida until early next week. Sanderson has been good this season as he has taken another step forward for Ottawa registering seven goals and 17 assists in 47 games.

Morgan Rielly Receives 5-Game Suspension

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Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly has been assessed a five-game suspension as a result of his actions at the end of Saturday’s loss to the Senators, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports Tuesday night. Rielly had an in-person hearing today with the NHL Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Senators forward Ridly Greig after he scored an empty-net goal with seconds remaining in the game.

In their video statement addressing the incident, DoPS ruled that Rielly “used his stick as a weapon to exact retribution on an opponent.” Rielly, who checked Greig after he scored his empty-net goal via a slapshot, has not been suspended in his 11-year career.

Rielly’s hearing Tuesday was virtual due to inclement weather at league offices in New York but was treated as an in-person hearing regardless. Notably, DoPS did not take advantage of their ability to suspend Rielly for more than five games by offering him an in-person hearing.

By issuing a five-game suspension, DoPS also made their decision ineligible for an appeal process to reach an independent arbitrator. Rielly may still appeal the suspension to league commissioner Gary Bettman, but his decision will be final. Bettman has upheld all three suspensions that have been sent to him for appeal this season – both four-game bans for Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson (link) and the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy (link), plus a six-game suspension for Red Wings forward David Perron (link).

Rielly’s absence already puts them in a tough spot over the next week and a half without much depth behind him on defense. An illness bug exacerbates things in the short term, too, as both Mitch Marner and John Tavares are listed as out for tonight’s game against the Blues with an illness. Toronto has shuffled their roster in response, returning defenseman Maxime Lajoie to AHL Toronto from his emergency loan while recalling forward Alex Steeves, who will make his season debut, under emergency conditions.

23-year-old Timothy Liljegren slides up to Toronto’s top pairing in Rielly’s absence, while the left-shot Jake McCabe will take his spot on their top power-play unit. Rielly, 29, leads Toronto defenders in goals (7), assists (36), points (43), and average time on ice (24:21) this season.

Penguins Place Noel Acciari On IR

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The Penguins placed depth forward Noel Acciari on injured reserve Tuesday, per a team announcement. The 32-year-old was diagnosed with a concussion after a hit from Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon on Feb. 6, which warranted a three-game suspension.

Acciari has missed two games already, and it’s unclear when he’ll be ready to return to the lineup. Concussion recovery timelines can range wildly, and although he’ll be eligible to come off IR at any time, it could still be a weeks-long absence.

The Rhode Island native has struggled in his first season in Pittsburgh, scoring three goals and adding one assist in 39 games. His 0.10 points per game are his worst since his first stint as an NHLer with the Bruins in 2015-16 when he notched one assist in 19 games (0.05 per game).

His usage under head coach Mike Sullivan is the main culprit behind his dropoff in production. He’s started just 12.9% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone, nearly 22% below his career average.

Acciari’s 41% Corsi share at even strength also paints him as a defensive liability, but that number is inflated due to his extreme shutdown usage. In terms of controlling expected goals, he’s been a fine shutdown presence when paired with Jeff Carter and Jansen Harkins. That line has controlled 55% of expected goals through 105 minutes together, per MoneyPuck, but two-thirds of the unit is now on IR. Harkins, who is also out with a concussion, landed on the list Monday.

Regardless, the three-year, $6MM deal with trade protection he signed when free agency opened in July seems quite steep less than a year in. The three-time 10-goal scorer is an evident favorite of GM Kyle Dubas, who also acquired him as a member of the Maple Leafs before last season’s trade deadline alongside Ryan O’Reilly.

With Acciari out, the Penguins are now down to the bare-minimum 20 players on the active roster and only 11 forwards. Without moving one of Acciari or Harkins to LTIR, however, they do not have the cap space for an additional recall from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. As such, they may be forced to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against the Panthers on Wednesday.

Lightning Activate Tanner Jeannot From LTIR

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Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has confirmed that winger Tanner Jeannot will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Bruins via Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida. The NHL’s media portal reflects that Jeannot has been activated from long-term injured reserve.

The 26-year-old has not played since sustaining a lower-body injury on Jan. 6 in Boston. His absence concludes after five weeks and 12 games.

Jeannot will make his return in a fourth-line role alongside Mitchell Chaffee and Luke Glendening. Alex Barré-Boulet comes out of the lineup and will be a healthy scratch for the fourth time in six games.

The Saskatchewan native’s first full season in Tampa Bay after a trade from the Predators last year has been underwhelming given the five draft picks the Lightning surrendered for him, posting six goals and 12 points in 41 games with a -11 rating while averaging 12:36, nearly two minutes below his career average. He was pointless in eight straight games before his injury.

It’s seeming increasingly unlikely that Jeannot will recapture his 24-goal rookie form, especially if his ice time remains limited. On the bright side, his possession impacts this season have been strong. His line with Anthony Cirelli and Michael Eyssimont has a striking 80.4% expected goals share in over 50 minutes together, and his 50.8% Corsi share at even strength is slightly above the team’s overall Corsi share without him on the ice.

Jeannot is in the first season of a two-year, $5.33MM contract signed following an arbitration filing last summer. He will be a UFA upon expiry in 2025 and has a 16-team no-trade list that kicks in next season.

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