Penguins Recall Emil Bemstrom, Place Michael Bunting On IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a flurry of roster moves in the wake of winger Michael Bunting‘s appendectomy. Bunting has been moved to injured reserve and will miss at least a week of action. Pittsburgh has recalled winger Emil Bemstrom to fill the resulting roster vacancy. In a separate pair of moves, the Penguins activated enforcer Bokondji Imama off of injured reserve and assigned veteran forward Matthew Nieto to the minor leagues. Nieto cleared waivers earlier today.
Through the mix of injury, demotion, and surprise surgery, this flurry of moves should give Bemstrom a hardier crack at the NHL lineup. He leads the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with 21 goals and 46 points in 43 games this season – the only player on the team scoring above a point-per-game pace. Despite that, Pittsburgh waited until early February to award Bemstrom his first call-up of the season. He’s played in two NHL games since then but didn’t manage any scoring.
The Penguins acquired Bemstrom in a swap for Alexander Nylander and a conditional draft pick late last February. He spent the rest of the year on the NHL roster but scored just three goals and five points in 24 games. His pattern of red-hot minor-league scoring in the AHL and minimal scoring in the NHL keeps Bemstrom in the same rut he’s spent all six years of his North American career in. He’s scored 93 points in 76 career games in the minors but has just 34 goals and 74 points across 230 games in the NHL. On the back of an extended hot streak in the minors, Bemstrom will hope this call-up is the time he finally proves his NHL worthiness.
Bunting leaves big shoes to be filled in Pittsburgh’s lineup. He’s been one of Pittsburgh’s best power-play assets, with nine goals and 14 points on the man advantage in 58 games this season. Bemstrom should be the beneficiary of the power-play opening, though it could also go to Anthony Beauvillier or Philip Tomasino. Pittsburgh’s other roster moves likely won’t carry as much weight. Nieto ceded his bottom-six role to Danton Heinen and Blake Lizotte over February, on the back of just three points in 31 games this season. Meanwhile, Imama will return to his role as Pittsburgh’s extra man – having only played in six games, with no scoring and seven penalty minutes, on the year.
Wild Acquire Tyler Madden From Kings
The Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings have made a minor league swap, with forward Tyler Madden headed to Minnesota for defenseman Joseph Cecconi. Both players are career AHL fixtures.
The Vancouver Canucks originally drafted Madden in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He spent the next two seasons in a top role at Northeastern University, where he potted 65 points across 63 games. With his eyes on a pro turn, Madden was traded to Los Angeles in a 2020 deal that sent Tyler Toffoli to Vancouver. Madden turned pro in the shortened 2020-21 AHL season and scored just five points in his first 14 career games. He grew to 31 points in 48 games the next year – but has stayed close to the 30-point mark through 71 games in each of the last two seasons. He’s on track to repeat his performance this year – with 25 points in 47 games – but a timely move to the Minnesota organization could give him the spark needed to break 35 points for the first time in his career.
In return, Los Angeles acquired full-frame defender Cecconi to fill the hole left when the Nashville Predators claimed Andreas Englund on waivers. Cecconi was in his first season with the Iowa Wild after two years with the Rochester Americans and five years with the Texas Stars. His 14 points and 41 penalty minutes in 51 games this season continue his tendency for low-scoring and hard-hitting defense through yet another move. Should the Kings face any more blue-line injuries, that style could be enough to earn Cecconi his NHL debut on a lineup that isn’t afraid to ice seven defenders.
Flames Expected To Activate Connor Zary, Kevin Bahl
The Calgary Flames are expected to activate forward Connor Zary and defenseman Kevin Bahl off of injured reserve ahead of Sunday night’s game, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. Zary has sat out of Calgary’s last 15 games with a knee injury, while Bahl missed the last eight games. Both players have served impactful roles this season, making their returns a notable addition to a Flames lineup just three points back from a Western Conference Wild Card.
Of the pair, Bahl has been the more utilized Flame so far this year. The 24-year-old defender joined Calgary in the trade that sent Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey this summer, and quickly claimed a top-four role in his new setting. He’s posted a tame stat line, with 14 points, a plus-one, 29 penalty minutes, 67 hits, and 79 blocked shots through 47 games this season – while spending much of it lined up next to top Flames defender Rasmus Andersson. That premier partnership has helped Bahl’s average ice time jump north of 21 minutes, nearly four minutes more than he averaged in New Jersey last season. While he still has improvement to go, this season has been Bahl’s first making a top-of-the-lineup claim, after last season marked his first full season in the NHL. He should quickly return to that top-pair role when he’s able to return, likely bumping Ilya Solovyov out of the lineup.
Zary’s bid back into the lineup will be a bit tougher to anticipate. The Flames added Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost and parted ways with Andrei Kuzmenko via trade during Zary’s absence. That’s sparked a lineup shakeup that Zary will now have to find his footing within. Farabee and Frost have filled a third-line role alongside Yegor Sharangovich, which should leave a top-six role next to Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman open for Zary. But the young forward will need to earn his footing. He has 10 goals and 22 points in 40 games this season, a slight uptick to the 14 goals and 34 points he scored as a rookie last year. If Zary can continue to grow that scoring upside, and his knack for making big plays – his return could be the piece that solidifies Calgary’s top-nine as a group to envy. But tepid offense could be the piece that necessitates further changes.
The pair of returns will give Calgary their first chance to see their roster at full-strength after their trade with Philadelphia. Zary and Bahl are two young, impactful pieces of the Flames lineup – and stood as two of the biggest bright spots on the year before they fell to injury. How the lineup performs amid their return will be closely scrutinized, as Calgary hones in on a potentially lucrative Trade Deadline.
Penguins Activate Evgeni Malkin, Assign Emil Bemstrom To AHL
The Penguins will welcome back a key veteran to their lineup today against Washington. The team announced (Twitter link) that center Evgeni Malkin has been activated off injured reserve. To make room on the roster, winger Emil Bemstrom was sent down to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Malkin suffered a lower-body injury early in their game on January 25th and hasn’t played since. However, he was a full participant in practice in recent days which made this announcement an expected one.
The 38-year-old got off to a hot start to his season with 24 points in his first 27 games but has seen his production taper off since then with just 10 points in his last 20 outings. Nonetheless, the 19-year-veteran still is a key part of Pittsburgh’s attack, anchoring their second line while averaging over 18 minutes a night once again and ranks fifth on the team in scoring. With the Penguins entering play today six points out of the final Wild Card spot, they’ll need Malkin to get back to his early-season form if they have any hopes of a late push to get back into the playoff picture.
As for Bemstrom, he has only played in two games with Pittsburgh this season on his two recalls, something that probably wasn’t expected after he played a regular role down the stretch last season after being acquired from Columbus. He’s having a strong year in the minors, however, as he has 20 goals and 24 assists in 41 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Bemstrom will now return to a prominent role with them while hoping that his scoring prowess down there will earn him another look at some point.
Blackhawks Place Jason Dickinson On IR, Assign Louis Crevier To AHL
The Blackhawks have made some roster moves heading into tonight’s game against Columbus. The team announced that defenseman Louis Crevier was activated off injured reserve and was assigned to AHL Rockford. The team also placed center Jason Dickinson on IR.
Crevier has spent time with both the Blackhawks and IceHogs this season but the bulk of his time has been spent with Chicago. He has one assist in 11 games with Rockford while suiting up in 23 NHL contests where he has three goals and an assist along with 34 blocks and 47 hits in 17:48 of playing time. He last played on February 1st before suffering a concussion so the assignment to the minors will give him some time to get back to form before likely being recalled for the stretch run.
As for Dickinson, he has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on February 5th so his placement on IR should come as no surprise. Assuming it’s back-dated, he’ll have already missed enough time and thus can be activated as soon as he’s cleared. The 29-year-old hasn’t been able to duplicate his breakout performance from last season which saw him score 22 goals but he has 16 points in 53 games in just under 16 minutes a night of playing time.
With these roster moves, Chicago now has two open roster spots and only the minimum number of healthy forwards available. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a recall or two from them in the near future.
Igor Shesterkin Expected To Return, Rangers Assign Two To AHL
The New York Rangers will be returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break with good news. Starter Igor Shesterkin has shared he expects to be healthy before Saturday’s game against Buffalo per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. The Rangers made the move to back his claim by reassigning temporary backup goaltender Dylan Garand. New York has also assigned defenseman Zachary Jones to the minors on a conditioning loan. Matthew Robertson has been recalled in his place.
Shesterkin will return from an upper-body injury sustained in New York’s February 7th loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played through the entirety of that matchup but received a designation of out one-to-two weeks before the Rangers visited Columbus the next day – in what was their last game before the break. Shesterkin was in the midst of a cold spell leading up to his injury, posting a 1-4 record and .835 save percentage in his last five games. The performance spurred what was otherwise a great January for the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner. He recorded a 6-0-1 record and .948 save percentage in his first seven games of the month, helping the Rangers find solid footing in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. The Rangers are still three points outside of playoff standing, putting the pressure on Shesterkin to bounce back to form after an extended break.
Garand filled in as the backup in Shesterkin’s lone absence. The 22-year-old has been one of the AHL’s best young netminders this year – ranked second in save percentage (.914) and third in wins (13) among U23 goalies with at least 20 games. It’s been a big step up for Garand – who claimed the AHL starting role two seasons ago but hasn’t yet posted a year-long save percentage above .900.
Jones will join Garand in the move to the AHL looking to get back to match shape. He spent 18 games out of the lineup through December and January, with a pair of scoreless spot starts in February marking his first games since the holiday break. Jones has served as New York’s seventh defenseman for the entire season – a role that’s led him to eight points, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-two in 28 games. New York will turn towards Robertson to fill that during Jones’ temporary assignment. Robertson has 18 points and 47 penalty minutes in 47 AHL games this season and would make his NHL debut should he find a way into the Rangers lineup.
Snapshots: Moser, Chychrun, Wennberg, Kraken
The Lightning will welcome back an important part of their defense corps on Sunday. Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times relays that J.J. Moser will be back in the lineup against Seattle after missing two-and-a-half months with a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old was an important part of the return for Tampa Bay in the Mikhail Sergachev trade from the draft and had 10 points in 27 games before the injury while averaging nearly 20 minutes per night of playing time. Moser was technically activated off IR before the break but the team elected to scratch him for their last game instead to give him more time to recover.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- While Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun made it known last month that he’s open to signing a contract extension with Washington, he told reporters including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News (Twitter link) that there haven’t been any extension discussions since before the break. The 26-year-old has been a great addition for Washington, already notching 14 goals and 21 assists through 50 games while logging 21 minutes a night. He’s well on his way to earning a sizable raise on his current $4.6MM price tag but it doesn’t appear a new deal is coming in the near future.
- San Jose will get a key veteran center back for their upcoming seven-game road trip as Alexander Wennberg told reporters including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link) that he’ll be ready to return on Sunday. The 30-year-old has 23 points in 52 games for the Sharks this season and suffered an upper-body injury late last month.
- The Kraken have changed up their backup goalie. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Ales Stezka from AHL Coachella Valley and reassigned Victor Ostman to ECHL Kansas City, reversing the move made before the 4 Nations break. Stezka has been Seattle’s backup as of late after Philipp Grubauer was assigned to the Firebirds but has yet to make his NHL debut. He has a 2.99 GAA with a .902 SV% in 25 games this season. Ostman, meanwhile, is in his first full professional season after signing with Seattle as a college free agent last spring. He has played exclusively with the Mavericks, putting up a 2.44 GAA and a .905 SV% in 29 appearances.
Oilers Expected To Recall Matthew Savoie, Derek Ryan
The Edmonton Oilers are expected to recall forwards Matthew Savoie and Derek Ryan after the pair joined Edmonton for their Tuesday practice, per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. Nugent-Bowman added that Savoie is also expected to join Edmonton on their upcoming five-game road trip to the East coast.
Savoie has yet to make his Oilers debut, but he’s been red hot in the AHL as of late. The Oilers top prospect has 10 points in his last 10 games and 37 points in 43 games on the year. His scoring ranks second on the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and leads all U21 players in the AHL. The Oilers have to be excited about Savoie’s early showings, after acquiring him for Ryan McLeod last summer. It was a shocking trade, moving Savoie on from the Buffalo Sabres just over two years after they drafted him ninth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Savoie played in seven pro games with the Sabres organization. He didn’t score in his sole NHL appearance, but did manage five points in six AHL games.
Savoie returned to the WHL after his short stint with the Buffalo organization, but his hot AHL scoring has carried into his formal rookie season this year. He’ll be a high upside bet for an Oilers offense with all of the firepower to lift him up – though there have been concerns about how his five-foot-nine, 180-pound frame will translate to the top flight.
Edmonton could get a chance to test those concerns this weekend. If Savoie struggles, they’ll turn quickly towards veteran depth forward Derek Ryan. Ryan played in 33 games with the Oilers earlier this year, recording one goal, five points, and 12 penalty minutes. He’s also scored two points in three AHL games – the first minor-league appearances Ryan has made since the 2016-17 campaign. He’s been a perennial fourth-line forward ever since, spanning tenures with the Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, and now Edmonton. Now 38, Ryan won’t rival the upside and energy that Savoie could bring to the lineup – but he will bring hardy veteran depth behind a shifting Oilers’ bottom-six.
Minor Transactions: 2/14/2025
The first set of games in the coveted 4-Nations Face-Off have come and gone, speaking plenty of positives for North America while the European side both need to find another kick. But the pause in the NHL season hasn’t slowed down the news cycle in professional leagues around the world, with plenty of former NHL talent on the move or cementing their stay overseas. As always, we’ll track the minor moves from Valentine’s Day here…
- Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo has signed a standard player contract with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison. Kaskisuo played in two games for the Norfolk Admirals earlier this season. He lost both matchups and allowed seven goals on 55 shots. He was a bit more successful with the AHL’s Laval Rocket last season, posting a modest .909 save percentage and a 7-4-0 record in 13 games. Kaskisuo has journeyed around the hockey world over the last few seasons. He climbed through the minor leagues from 2015 to 2020, and made one start each with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators in 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively. He followed those spot starts up with a trip to Sweden, spending two years and 60 games with the SHL’s Leksands IF. Kaskisuo performed well with a move to pro starts, totaling a 26-31-0 record and .904 save percentage. He slowed down in his latter Finnish starts, prompting a return to North America that he’ll look to now spark in Bloomington.
- Top Switzerland club the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers have extended three former NHL talents to two-year contract extensions. The group is led by former Minnesota Wild lineup piece Victor Rask, who ranks third on the Lakers in scoring with 30 points in 47 games this season. It’s his best Swiss year yet, after he totaled 34 points in 59 Swiss games over the last two seasons. Rask previously recorded 223 points in 506 career NHL games. Rask is joined in re-upping by defenseman Nicklas Jensen and winger Tanner Fritz, who have followed similar paths to Switzerland. Jensen was a first-round selection in the 2011 NHL Draft, but managed just 31 NHL games and six points before he decided to the KHL. He added 220 games in Russia, and joined the Lakers in 2022. Fritz had a bit more success in North America. He mounted a nine-year career in the AHL that rewarded him with 221 points across 347 games. Those appearances were interspliced with 42 career NHL games – but Fritz couldn’t find the scoring push to hold up a top-flight role. He started the 2024-25 season in Canada’s North Peace Hockey League, but joined the Lakers partway through the year. That’s proven a good bet, with Fritz netting 12 points in 14 games so far. This extension will now give him a chance to carry those numbers over the course of a full season.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Kraken Assign Jordan Eberle To AHL On Conditioning Loan
The Seattle Kraken have assigned team captain Jordan Eberle to the minor leagues on a conditioning stint. Eberle has been out of the lineup for nearly the entire season after suffering a pelvis injury in Seattle’s November 14th win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Eberle suffered the injury in a collision with Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy. His timetable was quickly drawn out in the wake of the injury. Eberle was originally designated as out day-to-day but ultimately needed surgery less than one week later. He was placed on long-term injured reserve and announced as out month-to-month on November 30th.
There have been very few updates on Eberle’s progress in the months since. He resumed off-ice workouts and light skating on January 23rd, but was said to still be a ways out from returning. Now, nearly three weeks later, the veteran winger seems to finally be on the mend. This AHL conditioning loan is likely an effort to keep Eberle on the practice sheet during Seattle’s two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off break, though he could have a chance at playing in one of Coachella Valley’s four games before the Kraken return from break. Of note, since Eberle remains on LTIR, he will be limited to six days and/or three games in the minors – though Seattle can appeal to receive two additional games.
Eberle was off to a red-hot start to the year before he fell to injury. He scored six goals and 11 points in Seattle’s first 17 games, good enough for second on the team in both scoring stats at the time of his injury. The scoring was a promising uptick after Eberle managed just 17 goals and 44 points in 78 games last season – far off the mark of the 63 points he posted in 2022-23. Eberle has emerged as a pillar of the Seattle lineup despite the fluctuating scoring. He’s glued himself to a top-six role and stood as one of Seattle’s best defensive forwards through parts of his first four seasons with the club. Seattle named Eberle as the second captain in franchise history before the start of the 2024-25 season. While he hasn’t had much of a chance to don the ‘C’, the title still stands as a great indication of the role Eberle fills, and the priority he’ll be provided when he finally returns to full health.