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Snapshots: Graves, St. Ivany, Krug, Oshie, Protas

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have shared that defenseman Ryan Graves will be stepping away for a paternity leave, opening the door for rookie Jack St. Ivany to make his NHL debut. St. Ivany has flirted with his inaugural game for much of March, getting moved between the NHL and AHL four different times in the last week. He was clearly motivated by the string of moves, recording a career-high three-point night in his latest AHL game – his first since receiving the first NHL call-up of his career. The performance broke a 10-game scoring drought and accounted for a fifth of St. Ivany’s 15 points on the season. He’ll now have a golden chance to build on the hot night, potentially poised for a big role with Graves’ average of 19 minutes a night now up for grabs.

Other notes from around the league:

  • St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug is expected to return to the lineup on Friday after sititng out with a chest injury on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. It was Krug’s first absence of the year, after appearing in the Blues’ first 69 games. He’s managed three goals and 34 points in those games. This is Krug’s first time playing in more than 65 games since the 2017-18 season.  His return is expected to bump Scott Perunovich back out of the lineup.
  • The Washington Capitals will continue to be without T.J. Oshie and Aliaksei Protas, head coach Spencer Carbery told The Hockey News. Both players sat out of the team’s Wednesday night loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Oshie is bearing with an upper-body injury, while Protas has a lingering lower-body injury suffered on March 9th. The team will eagerly anticipate their return, now left to lean on Michael Sgarbossa and Ivan Miroshnichenko as top-six fill-ins.

Penguins Recall Jack St. Ivany, Assign Jonathan Gruden

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have reversed their minor league moves once again, recalling defenseman Jack St. Ivany and assigning forward Jonathan Gruden (Twitter link), undoing the moves they made on March 18th and 19th. Gruden appeared in Pittsburgh’s March 19th loss to the New Jersey Devils, recording one shot and one hit in just under seven minutes of ice time.

St. Ivany played in just his second game in nine days on Monday – also marking his first game since receiving his first NHL recall. And he was clearly excited to prove himself, recording three assists and breaking a 10-game scoring drought. The hot night brought his scoring up to four goals and 15 points in 53 AHL games. He’ll now return to the NHL roster with the hope that his strong performance on Monday can earn him his NHL debut.

Meanwhile, Gruden will return to the AHL, where he’s already managed 13 goals and 24 points in 43 games this season. Gruden has received his first extended look at the NHL this season, playing in 12 games after earning his first three games in the league last season. He’s managed just one goal in those 15 games, though he’s added 35 hits and five blocks – doing what he can to earn the fourth-line role he’s been assigned.

Jesse Puljujarvi will slot back in to the lineup with Gruden now assigned to the minors. Puljujarvi is on a redemption tour, signing with Pittsburgh in February of this season. He’s since struggled through 11 NHL games, managing just one goal, two penalty minutes, and a -1. Puljujarvi is continuing to search for his scoring groove after undergoing bilateral hip surgery this summer. He managed four goals and nine points in 13 AHL games before signing with the Penguins, showing the potential for high-scoring could still be there. Puljujarvi, the fourth-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, managed a career-high 36 points in 65 games during the 2021-22 season, but has since struggled to find his footing in the NHL.

Florida Panthers Recall Uvis Balinskis

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The Florida Panthers have recalled defenseman Uvis Balinskis from the AHL, per the AHL Transaction Logs (Twitter link). Balinskis joins the Panthers following Dmitry Kulikov’s two-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of Tampa Bay’s Conor Sheary. That suspension could give Florida the ability to use an emergency recall on Balinskis, preserving their few remaining recalls this season.

Balinskis, 27, signed with the Florida Panthers as an undrafted free agent last April, making his move to North America after three seasons in the Czechia Extraliga and five years in Russia’s KHL. He went on to make the Panthers roster out of training camp this year, representing the only first-year player on the opening-day lineup. Balinskis would appear in his first 18 career NHL games to start the season, scoring his first goal and assist, before getting sent to the minor leagues, following the full-time return of Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. The move represented Balinskis’ first trip to the AHL, and he’s since played in 35 games – scoring three goals and 21 points, ranked second among Charlotte Checkers defensemen in scoring despite playing in 18 fewer games than leading scorer Lucas Carlsson.

It’s been a successful first year in North America for Balinskis and he’ll now be rewarded for his strong AHL play, rejoining the Panthers as soon as opportunity presents itself. He’ll likely immediately step into a gameday role, taking over for Kulikov’s absence on the team’s third pair. Florida also has Tobias Bjornfot serving as a healthy scratch, which could make Balinskis’ path to the lineup a bit more challenging.

Snapshots: Kovalenko, Chmelar, Joshua

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Earlier today, the Colorado Avalanche announced that the team had finally brought up-and-coming prospect, Nikolai Kovalenko, to North America. Not under the best pretenses, however, as the team announced Kovalenko would start with their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, to rehabilitate from a leg injury suffered during his time in the Kontinental Hockey League.

The obvious hope for the Avalanche is that Kovalenko is eventually able to play at the NHL level at some point this season. Playing for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL for the last two years, Kovalenko has scored 32 goals and 89 points in 98 games after being a sixth-round pick by Colorado in the 2018 NHL Draft.

The Eagles do have a game tonight as well as one tomorrow against the Milwaukee Admirals, but it is unlikely that Kovalenko will draw into the lineup for either of those two matchups. After that, AHL Colorado does not have another game until March 29th, which may set a timeline for Kovalenko’s debut within the Avalanche organization.

Other snapshots:

  • Although nothing is official, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal is reporting that the New York Rangers are expected to sign Jaroslav Chmelar after his season with Providence College came to an end on Saturday. Chmelar was originally a fifth-round pick of the Rangers back in the 2021 NHL Draft and has spent the last two years in the United States after coming over from his native Finland. Over 59 games in the Hockey East Division, Chmelar scored 12 goals and 28 points overall, after a leg injury requiring surgery cut his season short this year.
  • Recently being put on the team’s long-term injured reserve, Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua is progressing with his injury recovery, but the team is still being cautious with his load management (X Link). An important depth scorer for the Canucks this season, Joshua has scored 13 goals and 26 points over 53 games this year.

Dallas Stars Sign Luke Krys

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4:04 PM: The Stars have made the signing official via a team announcement. It will be a two-year entry-level agreement for Krys in Dallas, and the contract will begin in the 2024-25 NHL season.

3:47 PM: The Dallas Stars are reportedly set to sign Providence College defenseman Luke Krys to an entry-level contract, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter Link). The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro noted that this signing isn’t yet official, though he’s also heard it is likely. Krys just wrapped up his graduate year of college, and his first year with Providence, after previously playing for Brown University. He signs with Dallas as an undrafted free agent. His father, Mark, played 284 AHL games in the 1990s and his brother, Chad, was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016’s second round.

Krys’ collegiate campaign was impacted by the 2020-21 COVID-19 season that saw the defenseman moving to the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks for five games with Brown not icing a team. He returned in the following season, managing a combined 55 points in 127 NCAA games. He also added 129 penalty minutes and a combined -53. Those stats include his performances with Providence this season, which saw Krys score a career-high six goals and 17 points across 35 games.

Krys is a stout, right-shot defenseman who makes effective plays in the dirty areas of the ice – showing a knack for playing physical and boasting strong passing that makes him effective in tight spaces. He never strays too far out of position, though he’s certainly aggressive. Krys will need to continue improving on his ability to make the right choice his first choice and learn when and how to seamlessly join the offensive rush. But even still, he’s a gritty and impactful defender on his own side of the red line. That fact alone will make him a welcome addition to the Stars’ depth chart.

Predators’ Jeremy Lauzon Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury

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The Nashville Predators are facing yet another injury to their blue line, announcing that Jeremy Lauzon is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury (Twitter Link). He’s the third Preds defenseman to earn a week-to-week injury designation in the last week, joining Dante Fabbro and Spencer Stastney on the absentee list.

This is a tremendous blow to what was a very consistent Predators defense, with six defensemen playing in 49 or more games. Lauzon has served in one of the more meager roles among that corps, averaging just short of 18-and-a-half minutes of ice time through his 68 games this season. He’s managed six goals and 13 points in that span – a mark that represents Lauzon’s career-high in scoring, beating out his 12 points in 67 games last season. Lauzon has also managed a career-high 90 penalty minutes this year, far ahead of his previous high of 67 penalty minutes. He’s continuing to establish a day-to-day NHL presence with the Predators, after joining the team via trade at the 2022 Trade Deadline.

With Lauzon joining the list of injured Predators, the team will turn toward recent recall Marc Del Gaizo, who played in the first five NHL games of his career earlier in the season. He’s performed well, managing three assists, two penalty minutes, and a +2. But Del Gaizo’s promotion leaves Nashville without a seventh defenseman, likely prompting a recall soon. But, interestingly, the Predators haven’t relied on any other defenders this year – meaning whoever they recall will be making their season debut in the NHL. Kevin Gravel, the captain of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, will likely be the team’s top option – boasting 132 games of NHL experience and a prominent role in the AHL. Nashville signed Gravel to a two-year contract extension earlier this season.

Devils Assign Nico Daws And Tyler Wotherspoon To AHL

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The Devils were active at the trade deadline when it came to goaltenders, picking up Jake Allen from Montreal and Kaapo Kahkonen from San Jose.  However, they kept Nico Daws up in New Jersey as well.  They’ve now decided that’s not the best course of action as the team announced today that Daws along with defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon have been assigned to AHL Utica.

Daws started the year on season-opening injured reserve and was activated in early December.  Just weeks later, he was up with New Jersey and, aside from the holiday roster freeze, has been with the Devils since then.

Early on, the 23-year-old did well, posting a .912 SV% in his first dozen appearances, well above the team average of .894.  However, Daws has struggled in recent weeks with that mark dropping all the way down to .859, resulting in this move.  On the season, he has a 3.15 GAA and a .894 SV%.

Now, he’ll split time with Akira Schmid with the Comets, giving them a leg up in their battle for a playoff spot in the North Division.  Daws was eligible to return to Utica as he was papered down before the trade deadline with New Jersey using one of their four post-deadline recalls to bring him back up.  Barring an injury to Allen or Kahkonen, recalling Daws later on would burn another one of those allowable recalls.

As for Wotherspoon, he was recalled back on Thursday, his first NHL promotion of the season.  His recall was on an emergency basis so he didn’t count against the limit of four.  However, the 31-year-old didn’t see any game action.  Wotherspoon has 19 points in 54 games with the Comets so far this season.

Evening Notes: Hronek, Eriksson Ek, St. Ivany

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There’s always something to look forward to for the Vancouver Canucks, who now have full focus on extending defenseman Filip Hronek after extending star forward Elias Pettersson. This deal should cost the Canucks a pretty penny as well, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggesting in an appearance on CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali (video link) a cap hit within the range of $7.5MM.

Hronek has become a crucial piece of Vancouver’s lineup since joining the team at last season’s Trade Deadline. He’s not only boosted his own impact but made the players around him better as well – serving as the perfect partner for star defenseman Quinn Hughes. Both Hronek and Hughes have recorded a career-high in scoring this season, with 45 and 77 points respectively. The duo is playing upwards of 24 minutes each game – representing the only Canucks pairing averaging more than even 19 minutes of ice time. Hughes is signed through the 2026-27 season, carrying a $7.85MM cap hit. Vancouver will lock up their top defensive pairing for the future if – and hopefully when – they’re able to sign Hronek to a comparable deal.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Minnesota Wild centerman Joel Eriksson Ek won’t join the team for the final two games of their California road trip, getting held back by a lower-body injury per The Athletic’s Michael Russo (Twitter Link). Russo adds that Minnesota is holding Eriksson Ek out a bit longer, in an effort to be cautious with his injury. The 27-year-old centerman has missed Minnesota’s last two games. His next chance to return will be on March 23rd when the Wild host the St. Louis Blues. Eriksson Ek’s absence should continue to benefit Marco Rossi’s ice time, after the Austrian played a career-high 20:44 in the team’s last game.
  • Jack St. Ivany has been reassigned to the AHL, jumping back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL lineups on a few call-ups since Sunday. (Twitter Link). St. Ivany will hope to receive his NHL debut on his next recall, after serving as an NHL healthy scratch for the first time on Saturday. St. Ivany, 24, has four goals, 12 points, and 30 penalty minutes in 52 AHL games this season – though he hasn’t scored a point since a two-goal performance on February 14th.

Rangers Recall Brandon Scanlin, Ryan Lindgren Week-To-Week

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The New York Rangers have recalled defenseman Brandon Scanlin from the minor leagues, with Ryan Lindgren expected to miss a “few weeks” with a lower-body injury, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Scanlin signed a two-year, two-way, $1.6MM contract extension with the Rangers in February, after a strong start to the year with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.

Scanlin, 24, joined the Wolf Pack following the end of the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s 2021-22 season, recording one assist, one penalty, and a -1 in his first 15 AHL games. He more formally played his rookie pro season last year, tallying 15 points and 30 penalty minutes in 61 games. He’s managed to improve on both of those stats this year, netting 16 points and 39 penalty minutes in 57 games. Scanlin will now get a chance to make his NHL debut, after receiving the first call-up of his young career.

Lindgren joins team captain Jacob Trouba (lower-body) on the team’s absentee list, with both players week-to-week with injuries. That should give Scanlin plenty of time to slot into the lineup, though he’ll have to compete with veteran defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, who is currently serving as New York’s seventh defenseman. Ruhwedel has yet to make his debut with the Rangers since joining the team at the Trade Deadline, with New York sending a 2027 fourth-round pick back to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ruhwedel has managed one goal and four points in 47 games with Pittsburgh this season, a slight step down from the one goal and five points he managed in the same duration last year. His trade to New York ended an eight-year stint in Pittsburgh.

Afternoon Notes: Bischel, Marner, Lyubushkin, Regenda

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The Boston Bruins have returned to the well in South Bend, signing the University of Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel to a one-year, minor-league contract that begins next season. Bischel joins the Providence Bruins just one week after Notre Dame teammate Drew Bavaro signed a deal with the team. Bavaro – who signed an amateur try-out for the rest of this season, in addition to a one-year deal next season – has since played in the first two AHL games of his career, recording one penalty and two shots. Boston also acquired former Notre Dame captain Andrew Peeke at the Trade Deadline, sending Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Bruins are landing one of the top NCAA free agents in Bischel, who is a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year this season after winning the award last year. The 24-year-old netminder has served as Notre Dame’s full-time starter over the last two seasons, recording a combined 31 wins and .928 save percentage. He’s been dazzling for the Fighting Irish, earning the eighth-most wins and seventh-best save percentage in program history over his five years in Indiana.

Bischel now joins a Bruins goalie room filled with great talent, including reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, William M. Jennings Trophy batterymate Jeremy Swayman, and 2023 AHL All-Star Brandon Bussi. The Bruins reportedly tried to move Ullmark at the Deadline, though the esteemed netminder invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal. Boston could be poised to revisit those trade talks this summer, after bolstering their depth charts with this move.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is doubtful for the team’s Tuesday game against Philadelphia, per head coach Sheldon Keefe (Twitter Link), who shares that Lyubushkin is battling illness. Keefe also shared that star forward Mitch Marner continues to carry a day-to-day designation and won’t join the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. Marner has missed Toronto’s last three games with a high ankle sprain, while Lyubushkin may exit the lineup after battling through an undisclosed injury, and questionable designation, for the team’s Saturday game.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent Pavol Regenda back to the AHL after recalling him on an emergency loan on March 12th. Regenda played in four NHL games on the recall, recording no points, two penalty minutes, and a -1. He also managed four blocks, six shots on net, and 10 hits. The matchups bring Regenda to 19 career NHL games, though the one goal and three points he managed in 14 games last season stand as his only scoring. The 24-year-old winger also has 16 goals and 29 points in 39 AHL games this season.

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