Evgeni Malkin Could Move Back To Wing In The Future
The Ottawa Senators have loaned forward Zack Ostapchuk to the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League. Ostapchuk was recalled earlier this week and has been shuttled back and forth a few times over the last seven days in paper moves that were most likely made to accrue cap space. It’s unknown if this move is for a similar purpose, but it is certainly a possibility.
The 21-year-old dressed in three games this week for Ottawa, going scoreless while averaging just under nine minutes of ice time per game. In six games this season, the former second-round pick has a single assist and carries a plus/minus of +1. The Senators are back in action on Tuesday night against their provincial rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In other Eastern Conference notes:
- Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that we haven’t seen the last of Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin on the wing. The Penguins experimented with Malkin on Sidney Crosby’s wing, and while the results were outstanding (as expected), it made the team extremely top-heavy. Crosby and Malkin were flanked by Rickard Rakell and the threesome dominated in possession and ignited Crosby and Malkin offensively. However, on Friday against the Capitals, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan moved Malkin back to center in an effort to get the team’s second line going. Vensel believes Sullivan could move Malkin back to the wing again in the future, particularly if the Penguins were to go out and get a second-line center next summer.
- Matt Vensel writes about Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi and his deployment this season. Puljujarvi has been a healthy scratch three times this year for Pittsburgh and has played just over 11 minutes per game. Vensel writes that a lot of people have a bone to pick with how the 24-year-old has been used thus far this season. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was reportedly okay with using Puljujarvi earlier in the year when he was producing offense, and it was a palatable trade-off for some of his defensive shortcomings. However, in the last two weeks, Puljujarvi’s offense just hasn’t been there with one point in his past seven games. Sullivan is quoted as saying the details of Puljujarvi’s defensive game haven’t been there and have been slipping.
Marcus Pettersson Is The NHL’s Most Bodychecked Player
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson has been the most bodychecked player in the NHL dating back to the beginning of the 2018-19 season (as per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The 28-year-old was acquired by the Penguins in December of 2018 and since that time he has become a staple in their top four, averaging over 19 minutes of ice time per game. Pettersson’s stable play has been a necessity for the Penguins as he’s been paired regularly with offensive-minded defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson.
Pettersson has been hit over 150 times more than any other player in the NHL dating back to 2018 but has remained relatively healthy during his time in Pittsburgh, playing in all 82 games last year. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan believes that Pettersson’s courage and bravery are the reason for him topping the list, but Pettersson believes that the Pittsburgh statistics guy is generous with his hits counting.
Pettersson is a pending unrestricted free agent and should cash in next summer with a productive 2024-25 season. However, he hasn’t had a great start to the year and has been surprisingly careless with the puck, committing 22 turnovers in just 16 games. That number is shockingly high, given that he committed just 32 turnovers in 82 games last year.
Pettersson’s future in Pittsburgh is unclear at this point. In September it was reported that the Penguins would begin contract talks with Pettersson, but, with the team’s uneven start to the season, it’s fair to wonder if Pittsburgh will move him at the trade deadline. Pittsburgh is not far off from entering a rebuild, and if their competitive window is closed, the team may find more value in picks and prospects over an aging defenseman who takes more hits than any other player in the league.
As mentioned earlier, Pettersson has been consistently healthy during his NHL career, however, as he enters his 30s it is fair to wonder if the physical toll of being bodychecked that much will start to affect the amount he can play and the impact he can have.
Penguins Recall Tristan Jarry, Assign Matt Nieto To AHL On Conditioning Loan
Two weeks ago, the Penguins opted to send goaltender Tristan Jarry to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning loan. That loan has a two-week limit which has now expired. Accordingly, the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from the minors. Jarry remained on Pittsburgh’s active roster while in the AHL so no corresponding move was needed. Meanwhile, the team has also sent winger Matt Nieto to the AHL on a conditioning loan.
Jarry got off to a particularly rocky start to his season, posting a 5.47 GAA and a .836 SV% in his first three starts. While that’s a small sample size, it was certainly cause for some concern. Accordingly, when Alex Nedeljkovic returned, Pittsburgh elected not to send youngster Joel Blomqvist back to the minors, instead keeping three goalies.
After doing that briefly, the Penguins sent Jarry back from their road trip to work with their goalie coach away from the rest of the team. After a couple of days of that, the sides decided that a stint in the minors made sense. Jarry certainly made the most of it, getting into five minor league contests, putting up a 2.16 GAA and a .926 SV% in those outings.
It will be interesting to see how Pittsburgh opts to deploy Jarry. They might be inclined to give him another NHL start relatively quickly to see if he can continue his improved performance but a three-goalie rotation is often difficult to work with. Blomqvist has impressed in his first taste of NHL action and doesn’t deserve to lose much time or be sent down while Nedeljkovic is in the first season of a two-year deal signed a few months ago to keep him in the fold. For now, at least, it looks like they’ll carry three netminders and try to make it work.
As for Nieto, it has been more than 11 months since he last saw game action. The 32-year-old is coming back from a knee injury and is on LTIR. This means that his conditioning loan carries a shorter timeline than Jarry as the standard one is capped at three games and six days although two games can be added to that with league permission if it’s necessary. Nieto had four points in 22 games with Pittsburgh last season and is in the final year of his deal which carries a $900K AAV.
Penguins Activate Bryan Rust, Place Cody Glass On IR
The Pittsburgh Penguins will have one forward in the lineup tonight exchanged for another. The organization announced it has activated Bryan Rust off the injured reserve while placing Cody Glass on it.
Rust has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the last little while, and it’s related to the injury that kept him out of the lineup at the beginning of the season. The veteran didn’t make his 2024-25 debut until October 12th and managed three goals and four points in eight contests before re-aggravating the lower-body concern on October 26th.
The Penguins expect Rust to serve in a top-six role this evening and could even rediscover his role on the team’s first line. He’s typically been Sidney Crosby‘s linemate, but the team may opt for Rust to play on the second line in light of Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell playing on the captain’s wings.
It’s not all good news on the injury front in Pittsburgh. Glass, who’s nursing an upper-body injury, lands on the injured reserve for the first time this season.
After leaving the contest without a return, Glass was seemingly injured in last night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. In his first year with the franchise, he’s played in 14 contests for the Penguins but has only collected four assists while posting a -7 rating.
He’s primarily played in a bottom-six role averaging 11:48 of ice time per game so there shouldn’t be too much roster maneuvering for Pittsburgh. Still, with the team sitting toward the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings, it’s more insult to injury for Pittsburgh.
Sullivan: Some Players "Didn't Live Up To The Expectations"
After fellow first-year Capital Matt Roy returned to action from a lengthy injury absence on Wednesday, Jakob Chychrun is close to following in his footsteps. Chychrun shed his no-contact designation in practice this morning, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, who adds that he’s questionable to come off injured reserve for tonight’s game against the Penguins.
- Almost nothing has gone right this season for the Penguins, who now sit seventh in the Metro with a 5-8-2 record entering tonight’s rivalry matchup with Washington. It’s the second half of a back-to-back for them – they outshot the Hurricanes last night 36-18 but still lost 5-1. “I thought we had a lot of guys who played really hard and didn’t get rewarded for their efforts,” head coach Mike Sullivan said postgame (via Josh Yohe of The Athletic). “But I think there were a few guys that didn’t live up to the expectations. It’s hard. We need everybody to bring it every night to have a chance to win.” Yohe wrote that he’s “never heard him question the effort of individual players in the manner in which he did after this game.“
Kevin Hayes Considered Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
- The play-by-play voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Josh Getzoff, reports Kevin Hayes is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. This confirms Hayes won’t be in the lineup tonight as the Penguins take on the Carolina Hurricanes and should make him questionable for tomorrow’s contest against the Washington Capitals. Hayes’ absence won’t dramatically affect the Penguins’ lineup as he’s only averaging 9:27 of ice time in his first year with Pittsburgh.
[SOURCE LINK]
Metropolitan Notes: Roy, Chychrun, Rakell, Poehling
The Capitals’ news cycle has been dominated by the health of a pair of top-four defensemen in recent days, and that hasn’t changed Tuesday. There’s good news to report regarding one of them – Matt Roy shed his no-contact designation in practice today as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. He’s been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Predators and could come off injured reserve before then, head coach Spencer Carbery added (via Silber).
Roy, 29, has suited up just once for the Caps since signing his six-year, $34.5MM contract with them over the summer. The longtime Kings defender sustained the injury in their season opener against the Devils and has missed the following 10 games. It was an inauspicious start for the usually trusty stay-at-home piece, who posted a -2 rating in less than 10 minutes of ice time against New Jersey.
Upon his return, he’ll look to improve a Washington defense that’s already fared pretty well without him. As a team, the Capitals are controlling 50.4% of shot attempts and 53.5% of scoring chances at even strength, led by some spectacular two-way play from John Carlson. Roy’s return will benefit Washington by pushing overtaxed veteran Dylan McIlrath down the depth chart – he’s been out-attempted 93-133 at even strength through 10 games and skated in second-pairing duties alongside Rasmus Sandin in the Caps’ last game, a role Roy will take over when he’s back in the lineup.
Unfortunately, there isn’t as much positive news regarding Jakob Chychrun‘s health. Carbery said he’s not yet returned to skating with the rest of the team but is at least continuing to take reps before practice with team staff. Chychrun landed on IR over the weekend and has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury he sustained on Oct. 29 against the Rangers. He’s now missed seven days and is eligible to come off IR at any time, although it doesn’t appear that will happen in the next few days. Chychrun had two goals and two assists in eight games before exiting the lineup, tying for the team lead with seven takeaways.
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division:
- After a tough 2023-24 campaign, Rickard Rakell is one of the few Penguins performing at or over expectations this season. The 31-year-old leads the team in goals with six through 13 games and is third on the team with nine points. Rakell spoke to Josh Yohe of The Athletic yesterday, detailing how he overcame a great deal of self-doubt about his age and potential permanent decline to rediscover his game.
- The Flyers will be without the services of center Ryan Poehling on their upcoming three-game road trip, head coach John Tortorella told Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. He’s remaining in Philadelphia to nurse a minor injury and attend to a “family situation.” The 25-year-old had five assists and a +2 rating through 12 appearances this season, averaging 13:31 per game. He’s also posted great possession metrics for his heavy defensive-zone usage and is winning 50% of his draws for the first time in his six-year career. Noah Cates, who’s played in seven straight after being scratched four times in five games to start the season, will center the fourth line in his place.
Penguins Notes: Jarry, Rust, Nieto
Josh Yohe of The Athletic expects Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry to return to the NHL lineup sometime next week. Jarry has been with the Penguins American Hockey League affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and has posted stellar numbers with a 3-0 record and a .937 save percentage as well as a 1.95 goals-against average.
Yohe thinks Jarry may bump rookie Joel Blomqvist back to the AHL which makes sense, given the play of fellow netminder Alex Nedeljkovic. The Penguins need to see Jarry in NHL action again before they can decide what to do in the crease for the rest of the season, and they could certainly use some good news after a rough start to the season. The Penguins can keep Jarry in the AHL for two weeks during his conditioning stint, which makes November 11th the date he will likely return to the NHL.
In other Pittsburgh Penguins notes:
- Penguins forward Bryan Rust reportedly reaggravated a preseason injury when he exited a game against the Vancouver Canucks last week (as per Josh Yohe of The Athletic). Rust suffered a lower-body injury in the preseason, and when the injury resurfaced last week, there was fear that it could be serious, but that is not the case. The Penguins want to get Rust back to full health and plan to ease him back into things so he can function optimally when he is in the lineup.
- Penguins forward Matthew Nieto was reportedly a full participant in practice today (as per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The 31-year-old has been out of action since last season as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery. He remains on long-term injured reserve and will need to be activated once he is cleared for game action. It’s fair to wonder if Nieto will be a regular when he is ready to return, as the Penguins have a pile of depth options for their bottom six and may not have room for the 11-year NHL veteran.
East Notes: Senators, Michkov, Rust
The Senators are .500 through their first 10 games, but that’s been enough to stay on the verge of a playoff position in an Atlantic Division that’s been mainly underwhelming to begin the season. Injuries have played a significant factor, with new starter Linus Ullmark missing a few games and other essential pieces, namely center Shane Pinto and right-shot defenseman Artem Zub, currently sidelined with significant but not ultra-long-term ailments.
Those latter two absences have led the Senators to consider adding more depth to those positions in particular, general manager Steve Staios told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen yesterday. That’s likely an action item for later in the season, though. Staios still wants to give some runway to their internal options to prove they can step up in relief. “I believe that leads to stability as well as confidence in the group,” he said.
So far, those internal options have done the job and likely lessened Staios’ urgency to make a move. Depth pivot Adam Gaudette has five goals in nine games as an injury fill-in after spending most of last season in the AHL, while 24-year-old Jacob Bernard-Docker has posted solid possession numbers (57.7 CF%, 50.0 xGF%) while relieving Zub on the back end.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- It’s been a bit of a rough stretch for current Calder Trophy frontrunner Matvei Michkov over the past couple of games. After going point-per-game through his first nine appearances and taking home NHL Rookie of the Month honors for October, he’s gone without a point in his past four and recorded a season-low 13:56 on Thursday against the Blues before posting a -3 rating in a shutout loss to the Bruins earlier today. That’s led to intermittent benchings from John Tortorella, something neither coach nor player views as a real cause for concern, writes Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. “I just wanted him to sit (on the bench), relax, think about what I said to him,” Tortorella said. “I think it was two or three rotations, we put him back out there. He may miss games, who knows? I don’t know what’s going to happen. But that’s part of the development of a 19-year-old kid.“
- Penguins winger Bryan Rust skated today for the first time since landing on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, relays Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The 32-year-old has now missed a pair of games with the injury, which he sustained on Oct. 26 against the Canucks. He’ll be eligible to come off IR anytime but is still listed as week-to-week. He had three goals and an assist in eight appearances before exiting the lineup.
Penguins Activate Blake Lizotte From Injured Reserve
4:09 PM: According to a team announcement, the Penguins organization has confirmed the activation of Lizotte from the injured reserve.
1:28 PM: Penguins center Blake Lizotte will be a game-time decision tonight against the Ducks, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Wes Crosby of NHL.com. If he plays, he’ll need to come off injured reserve. The Penguins have an open roster spot, so they won’t need to make a corresponding transaction.
Lizotte, 26, signed a two-year, $3.7MM contract in Pittsburgh over the offseason after spending the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Kings. Most had him penciled in as the team’s fourth-line center to start the campaign, but a concussion sustained during a preseason game against the Senators on Sep. 29 has kept him out of the lineup ever since. He was placed on IR to begin the season but has slowly worked his way back over the past few weeks.
With Bryan Rust out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, that’s created an opportunity for some players to move up in the lineup. If he plays, Lizotte will benefit from that. He’s projected to skate as Pittsburgh’s third-line center between Kevin Hayes and Anthony Beauvillier, relays Josh Getzoff of SportsNet Pittsburgh. It’s a marginal increase from his usual role with the Kings over the past few seasons, especially last year when he had to contend with Anže Kopitar, Phillip Danault, and Pierre-Luc Dubois ahead of him on L.A.’s center depth chart.
An undrafted free agent signing by the Kings out of St. Cloud State in 2019, Lizotte has 37 goals, 69 assists, and 106 points in 320 career regular-season games with a +34 rating. He’s one year removed from a career-high 11 goals and 34 points in 81 games in 2022-23 when he averaged nearly 13 minutes per night. He’s just above 50% on draws throughout his career and has historically solid possession numbers, controlling 54% of shot attempts and 52.9% of expected goals when deployed at even strength.
Possession quality hasn’t been an issue for the Penguins’ bottom six this season. Far from it, actually – their “usual” non-Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin of Hayes, Noel Acciari and Cody Glass have controlled 70.2% of expected goals when deployed together, per MoneyPuck. Still, Lizotte has good foot speed and is far more involved physically than his 5’9″, 170-lb frame indicates.
If Lizotte doesn’t play tonight and remains on IR, it’s fair to assume he’ll be activated ahead of their next game at home against the Canadiens on Saturday.