Florida Panthers To Activate Nick Cousins Off Injured Reserve
According to Colby Guy of The Associated Press, the Florida Panthers are set to activate forward Nick Cousins off of injured reserve. Without a corresponding roster move, this will put Florida at the 23-man roster limit for their game on Thursday against the Washington Capitals.
It has been over a month since Cousins last suited up in a game, suffering a concussion after being hit from behind by Arizona Coyotes’ forward Jason Zucker. Outside of that injury, Cousins has sustained a healthy season, scoring two goals and five points in 37 games for the Panthers.
Not much of an offensive threat as compared to previous seasons, Cousins has still maintained his high possession and defensive metrics for Florida this year. Cousins is producing a Corsi For % in All Situations by a magnitude of 5% better than his career average, helping the Panthers rank second in the NHL in that particular metric.
To most viewers of the game outside of Florida’s immediate fanbase, Cousins has developed the mantra of a persistent agitator by many; but his style of play is helping the Panthers become a much more difficult team to play against. Although William Lockwood is still sitting out of the lineup with his injury, the activation of Cousins will give Florida a completely healthy lineup just in time for the final stretch run of the regular season.
Snapshots: Kochetkov, Monahan, Cousins, Hughes
Pyotr Kochetkov has been confirmed as the starter for the Carolina Hurricanes’ Tuesday night game against the Vancouver Canucks, per head coach Rod Brind’Amour. This will be Kochetkov’s first game since suffering a concussion on January 11th. He was red-hot before the injury, going 7-1-2 and setting a .924 save percentage in his last 11 games. That includes a four-game winning streak leading up to the injury that saw Kochetkov post a .936 save percentage on 110 shots against.
Carolina has felt the impact of Kochetkov’s absences, seeing their average goals-against jump from 2.45 in Kochetkov’s last 11 appearances to 2.71 in the seven games that he’s missed. That hasn’t been enough of a difference to stifle the red-hot Hurricanes, though the team’s goal-differential has gone from +17 to just +1 in the same periods. The Hurricanes have relied on five different goalies through the 2023-24 season, facing multiple injuries and absences in net. They will hope to find their starting goalie for the second half of the season soon, with both Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen progressing in their return from injury. Andersen has been out since November 2nd with a blood clotting disorder.
Other notes from around the league:
- Sean Monahan will be making his debut with the Winnipeg Jets in their Tuesday night matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins, says head coach Rick Bowness. There was some concern about Monahan’s availability after he was absent from the team’s Tuesday morning practice, though Bowness clarified that the team’s morning skates are typically optional. Monahan has 13 goals and 35 points through 49 games this season and was recently traded away from the Montreal Canadiens for a first-round pick and a conditional later-round pick.
- Nick Cousins is set to be activated off of injured reserve and make his return from a concussion on Tuesday. Cousins has been out since January 2nd, missing Florida’s last 12 games. The Panthers have performed well despite his absence, going 8-2-2 and averaging 3.92 goals per game. They will get back a bottom-six forward in Cousins on Tuesday.
- Star New Jersey Devils centerman Jack Hughes has continued to progress in his return from injury, moving into full contact at the team’s Tuesday morning practice. Hughes told reporters at the All-Star Game that he hopes to make his return soon, and he made his return to the team’s practices on Monday. The Devils will hope he can get back as soon as possible, as the 22-year-old has a dazzling 15 goals and 45 points through just 32 games this season – a mark that ranks fifth in the NHL in points per game.
Reinhart Not Distracted By Pending Free Agency
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart is the top-scoring forward that’s eligible to hit the open market this summer. With a career-best 37 goals already along with 62 points, he’s well on his way to commanding a significant raise on his current $6.5MM AAV while securing a long-term pact for the first time. Speaking with reporters including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, he acknowledged that talks continue but the fact a deal isn’t done isn’t serving as a distraction:
If Reinhart pushes past the 100-point mark plateau this season, there’s a case to be made that his next contract should be past the $10MM mark. However, that’d be tough to fit on the books for the Panthers who would likely want to see him slot in at or closer to Matthew Tkachuk’s $9.5MM price tag.
Panthers Loan Mackie Samoskevich To AHL
- The Panthers loaned rookie forward Mackie Samoskevich to AHL Charlotte, per the NHL’s media site. The 21-year-old played in all four games since Florida recalled him one week ago, his first NHL action in nearly three months. The Panthers went a perfect four-for-four with Samoskevich in the lineup, but he didn’t manage to record a point and posted a -1 rating while averaging 11:39 per game. Their 2021 first-round pick is still looking for his first NHL point after making the team out of camp last October. He’s done quite well in the minors, however, ranking second on Charlotte with 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 32 games.
Atlantic Notes: Samuelsson, Girgensons, Lockwood, Cousins, Jarnkrok
Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons is day-to-day, while the extent of defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s injury is still being assessed, per team reporter Mike Harrington. Both players are out with upper-body injuries. Girgensons spent a month on injured reserve earlier in the season, while Samuelsson has dealt with a menagerie of small injuries, leading the pair to appear in just 31 and 41 of Buffalo’s 48 games respectively.
Samuelsson has managed seven points and 26 penalty minutes in his outings while playing over 20 minutes a night on average. He’s Buffalo’s third-most frequent defenseman this season, behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. The season has continued Samuelsson’s substantial role with Buffalo, with the defenseman averaging 20 or more minutes every year since his rookie season in 2021-22. His only exception to this pattern came in the 12 games he received during the 2020-21 season when he averaged 18 minutes. The Sabres are big fans of the 23-year-old defender, signing him to a seven-year, $30MM contract extension at the beginning of the 2022-23 season. They’ll hope he can return to his frequent role in the lineup soon, alongside depth forward Girgensons, who has four goals and 12 penalty minutes this season.
Other notes from the Atlantic Division:
- William Lockwood entered concussion protocol after his fight with Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime and is set to miss time beyond the three-game suspension he received for his hit on Marc-Andre Fleury, which preceded the fight. That suspension is set to end on Saturday, though when Lockwood may be ready to return is not yet clear, with head coach Paul Maurice sharing that he will undergo testing on Saturday. Lockwood has just one point and 14 penalty minutes through 23 appearances with the Panthers this season. He’s also recorded seven points and eight penalty minutes through 14 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
- Florida is also getting back forward Nick Cousins, who joined the team for their upcoming two-game road trip and has returned to a full-contact jersey at practice. When he will officially return is not yet clear, but his progress at practice suggests fans won’t have to wait long. Cousins has five points and 20 penalty minutes through 37 games this season.
- Calle Jarnkrok left the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday practice early after blocking a shot in a drill. The extent of his injury is currently unknown, per head coach Sheldon Keefe. Jarnkrok has appeared in 46 games this season, scoring 10 goals and 19 points. He ranks fifth on the high-scoring Leafs lineup in scoring that’s led by Auston Matthews’ 39 goals in 45 games.
Afternoon Notes: Panthers, Myers, Johnson
Top Florida Panthers centerman Aleksander Barkov will be a game-time decision for the team’s Wednesday night game against the Arizona Coyotes, per head coach Paul Maurice. Barkov has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury. Maurice also shared that defenseman Gustav Forsling is expected to make his return from a personal absence that held him out of Monday night’s game.
The Panthers performed admirably despite Barkov and Forsling’s absence, beating the Nashville Predators 4-1, bringing an end to a four-game losing streak. Interestingly, the losing streak came immediately after a nine-game winning streak that dated back to the holiday season. Florida will look to get back to their festive feelings with the return of both their second-highest-scoring forward and defenseman on a point-per-game basis.
Centerman Nick Cousins also made his return to Florida’s practices on Monday, wearing a no-contact jersey. Cousins has been out since January 2nd with a concussion. He’s appeared in 37 games this year, netting five points, 20 penalty minutes, and a -10.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent defenseman Philippe Myers to the AHL. Myers has been with the top club since January 1st, appearing in five games and failing to score a point. He’s spent the majority of his season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, where he’s managed a team-leading +20, in addition to nine points and 43 penalty minutes, through 28 games.
- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Johnson will miss the team’s Wednesday night game with a nagging lower-body injury, per head coach Jared Bednar. He’s been designated as day-to-day. Johnson has played in 47 games this year, netting nine points, 34 penalty minutes, and a +6 – though he’s averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time, a step down from the 17 minutes he averaged last season.
Latest On Aleksander Barkov
- Florida Panthers team reporter Jameson Olive reports that captain Aleksander Barkov will not travel with the team to Nashville as he recovers from a lower-body injury. Head coach Paul Maurice has said that he is hopeful Barkov will be able to play on Wednesday against the Arizona Coyotes. While the Panthers have a strong team regardless, they’re certainly an improved group when Barkov is healthy. The former Selke and Lady Byng Trophy winner has played exceptional two-way hockey this season and has scored 46 points in 40 games.
Florida Panthers Recall Mackie Samoskevich
The Florida Panthers have once again recalled Mackie Samoskevich, according to Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards. Unlike some prior recalls, Samoskevich actually has a clear path to playing some NHL games in this recall, as the team’s incumbent fourth-line right winger William Lockwood is currently serving a three-game suspension.
The Panthers reassigned Rasmus Asplund back to the AHL yesterday, and have now brought up Samoskevich to take his place on the active roster. With Lockwood suspended, Samoskevich could play on the Panthers’ third or fourth line at the right wing positon.
Samoskevich, 21, is the 2021 24th overall pick who is currently playing his rookie season as a full-time pro player. Samoskevich spent the last two seasons at the University of Michigan, scoring 43 points in 39 games in his final run there.
So far this season Samoskevich has been a quality AHLer, scoring 11 goals and 26 points in 32 games. He’s still waiting on his first NHL point, and now with this recall he could very well earn it before likely heading back to AHL Charlotte.
Florida Panthers Send Down Rasmus Asplund
- Sticking in the Atlantic Division, the Florida Panthers have loaned forward Rasmus Asplund to their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, per a team announcement. Asplund did not suit up for the Panthers over his emergency loan roster placement, but will return to a Checkers team where he has had some success this season, scoring four goals and 19 points in 33 games.
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William Lockwood Receives Three-Game Suspension
8:08 PM: Per an announcement from the league, the Department of Player Safety has decided to suspend Lockwood for the next three games.
11:38 AM: Early in last night’s game against Minnesota, Panthers winger William Lockwood hit goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury while the netminder was out to play the puck behind the net. The play has drawn the attention of the Department of Player Safety who announced (Twitter link) that Lockwood will have a disciplinary hearing today for goalie interference.
The incident occurred just 2:15 into the game where he received a minor for goalie interference plus a roughing minor after the fact. On his next shift, Lockwood dropped the gloves with Brandon Duhaime and had to helped off the ice afterward; his night came to an end with just 26 seconds of playing time and nine penalty minutes. Fleury, meanwhile, stayed in until just past the midway mark before exiting with an upper-body injury.
Lockwood has played in a career-high 23 games with Florida this season and has been a fixture on the fourth line in those appearances as he’s averaging just over eight minutes a night of playing time while recording one assist. Should he receive any supplemental discipline, it would be the 25-year-old’s first time being fined or suspended by the league.