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Golden Knights Place William Karlsson on LTIR, Recall Three

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The Vegas Golden Knights are spending their final days before the 4-Nations Face-Off break by jumping through salary cap hoops. They’ve announced a litany of roster moves intended to maximize their cap space accrued from long-term injured reserve, all captured by PuckPedia. Vegas first recalled winger Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid, then reassigned center Raphael Lavoie. Those moves placed them $135K under the cap ceiling. Vegas then placed top center William Karlsson on long-term injured reserve and recalled forward Jonas Rondbjerg, which they wouldn’t have been able to afford without shelving Karlsson. By recalling two players and getting as close to the cap ceiling as they could before moving Karlsson, Vegas maximized the amount of LTIR cap relief they were provided. They now sit with $5.133MM in available cap space, but will be one contract’s worth of cap over the limit when Karlsson is back to full health.

The string of moves were a great exercise in how to leverage the NHL’s LTIR policies, but Vegas will still be worse for wear without Karlsson. The 32-year-old centerman hasn’t played since January 20th, when he sustained a lower-body injury against the St. Louis Blues. He was immediately ruled out week-to-week, and the team still didn’t have a clear timeline for his return 10 days later. An LTIR placement will now force him out of the lineup through at least February 24th, the second game after Vegas returns from break.

Karlsson has continued to serve as a top center for the Golden Knights, but his season has been filled with abnormal scoring struggles. He has just 18 points in 38 games on the year, and was amidst a seven-game scoring slump prior to his injury. Karlsson has one assist in 10 games since the start of 2025. He’s still provided strong performances for the Golden Knights away from the scoresheet. He currently sits with a fantastic 58.9 percent faceoff win-rate that ranks Karlsson fifth among all NHL centers. Karlsson has also recorded 89 shots on goal and a plus-seven, respectively ranking him third and fifth among the team’s forwards.

Those numbers represent an impact that’ll be hard for Vegas to replace. Their flurry of moves leaves the task of filling in up to Rondbjerg and Holtz. The latter has far-and-away been the more popular fixture of Vegas’ lineup. Holtz has scored 11 points in 49 games this season, while Rondbjerg hasn’t yet scored through 10 appearances. The duo should both earn ice-time on Vegas’ left wing while the team deals with absences to Karlsson, Lavoie, Cole Schwindt, and Tanner Pearson.

Afternoon Notes: Dickinson, Pitlick, Acklin, Philp

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The NHL is gearing up for a two-week break for the 4-Nations Face-Off, giving teams plenty to do before many of their players head off for vacation, international play, or minor-league stints. The spree of afternoon news begins in Chicago, where center Jason Dickinson has avoided the worst-case scenario after suffering a scary-looking injury in the team’s Wednesday loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Dickinson took an awkward crash into the boards that trapped his leg under him in the second period. He left the game immediately and was later seen leaving the arena in a walking boot. After testing, Dickinson has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and should only miss a couple of games, head coach Anders Sorensen told ESPN.

That’s relieving news after Dicksinon seemed poised to miss the long-term. He hasn’t racked up the points this season, with just seven goals and 16 points in 53 games – but Dickinson has returned to his role as one of Chicago’s top defensive centers. He leads all Blackhawks forwards with 137 minutes of ice time on the penalty-kill, and ranks fourth on the offense in xGA/60 (expected goals-against per-60) per Evolving Hockey. Dickinson’s stout defense has earned him top minutes, centering a top-six line between Teuvo Teravainen and Ilya Mikheyev – the two players above him in xGA/60. His role would have been tough for the Blackhawks to replace for an extended period, but with this news the team can rest assured that he’ll be available when they return from break.

Headed to the West Coast, the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda have signed veteran forward Rem Pitlick to a minor-league contract for the rest of the season. Pitlick hasn’t played this season, but spent last year split between the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Rockford IceHogs. He accumulated 57 points in 59 games between the two squads, and got called up for nine appearances with the Chicago Blackhawks – though his stat line read no points, two penalty minutes, and a minus-seven. Those appearances brought Pitlick up to 132 career NHL games over the course of his seven-year pro career. He has totaled 21 goals, 54 points, and 54 penalty minutes. A deal with the Barracuda will mark a chance for him to rediscover his red-hot minor league scoring, and try to show his worth to a San Jose Sharks club that currently ranks dead-last in the NHL.

Across the Conferences, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ President of Business Operations, Kevin Acklin, has stepped down from the squad per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Acklin had been in the role since 2022, and previously served as a Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the team. In his presedential role, Acklin oversaw the day-to-day business operations, strategic planning, corporate partnerships, and marketing and communication of the Penguins brand. He also supported the development of a live music venue in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District, and supported maintenance of the former site of Civic Arena – the Penguins’ home rink from 1967 to 2010.

After stops at each region of the States, we head North for our final update – where the Edmonton Oilers have assigned forward Noah Philp to the AHL for the duration of the 4-Nations break. Philp has been one of Edmonton’s top call-up options this season. He received his NHL debut on October 31st and has since played in 12 games with the Oilers lineup, including their most recent nine outings. Philp has just two assists so far, and is still searching for his first NHL goal. He’s been much more productive in the minors, where his 17 points in 28 games places him fourth in points-per-game (0.60) among players with 20-or-more appearances. Philp will now get a chance to build on those totals while the Oilers are away.

Trade Interest Growing For Sabres’ Dylan Cozens

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Buffalo Sabres’ centerman Dylan Cozens has been at the focal point of trade rumors all season long – but the recent moves of fellow top trade candidates Mikko Rantanen, J.T. Miller, Marcus Pettersson, and Mikael Granlund have made the spotlight even hotter. Cozens now sits as one of the most desired forwards on the trade market. In addition to the Calgary Flames, who were attached to Cozens in mid-January, the Sabres are also said to be receiving interest from the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs, per NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes.

Cozens seems next in the line of young, productive centermen who can’t quite figure it out in Buffalo. He has just 10 goals and 26 points through 53 games. That’s an 82-game pace of just 40 points, which would continue Cozens’ slide in production over the last three seasons. He posted a career-high 31 goals and 68 points in 81 games in the 2022-23 season but fell to just 18 goals and 47 points last year. That halt in scoring has persisted despite Cozens’ role growing over the last two years. His average ice time has climbed from 16:30 in his career year to 17:30 this season – and he’s improved in his ability to win faceoffs and limit opponent shots, evidenced by a 50.4 faceoff-percentage and 49.84 Corsi-for-percentage (CF%). Cozens has shown a lot of strength as a speedy and controlled play-driver, capable of working well with his teammates when they have momentum – though Buffalo hasn’t had the chance to support his style well for much of the year.

Perhaps more notable than his stats is Cozens’ age. He’s still only 23 years old and already has one 30-goal season under his belt. He ranks ninth among all active U24 forwards in career scoring with 192 points in 333 games, in company with players like Brady Tkachuk and Cole Caufield. Those numbers are slightly skewed by Cozens breaking into the league at age 19, though his 0.58 points-per-game scoring still sits among players like Mason McTavish, Joel Farabee, Cole Perfetti, and Anton Lundell. That’s welcome company, and certainly speaks to Cozens’ future potential as he continues to find consistent scoring.

His scoring upside makes it clear why so many teams are eager to buy Cozens away from the Sabres. But the price of a trade will be harder to gauge. The similarly productive Farabee was recently traded to the Flames alongside Morgan Frost in exchange for roster player Andrei Kuzmenko, prospect Jakob Pelletier, and a second and seventh-round draft pick. That framework could help the Sabres find much-needed support for their blue-line without jeopardizing their top-six. But Cozens is one of just 39 players since 2000 to record a 30-goal season before their 22nd birthday, which could warrant a much loftier return. The Sabres were able to swap productive center Casey Mittelstadt for top, young defenseman Bowen Byram at last year’s trade deadline – accomplishing a best-of-both-worlds swap of young, high-upside players. Current trade boards don’t have a clear parallel to Cozens on the open market – perhaps Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, if Buffalo is willing to add in a substantial premium – but the idea of swapping young forwards could still be optimal for the Sabres.

In the mix of familiar trade rumors, Buffalo’s spot in the standings haven’t changed. The Sabres rank dead-last in the Eastern Conference with a 22-26-5 record and 49 points. That’s even despite a winning uptick as of late – marked by a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 games. The acquisition of Byram has paid dividends for the Sabres early on, but it hasn’t been the boost the team needed to jump up the standings. The same can be said about their trade of Jack Eichel in 2021, which landed them difference-making forwards in Alex Tuch and, to a lesser extent, Peyton Krebs – but still hasn’t tilted the needle. Plenty of interest in Cozens should mean plenty of chance for Buffalo to find a return that’ll work best for them, but they’ll have to be diligent to find a deal that will actually support their roster climb – lest they trade another high-upside scorer well before his prime for a moot return.

Blue Jackets Reassign Dylan Gambrell

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Feb. 5: Gambrell is back with Cleveland today, per a team announcement. He didn’t play in last night’s loss to the Sabres.

Feb. 3: The Columbus Blue Jackets have utilized an emergency recall on forward Dylan Gambrell following news that star forward Kirill Marchenko suffered a broken jaw. Gambrell hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2022-23 season, when he recorded 10 points, 35 penalty minutes, and a minus-four in 60 games with the Ottawa Senators.

Gambrell was a routine NHL fixture from 2019 to 2023. Through two seasons with the San Jose Sharks and one additional year in Ottawa, he totaled 30 points in 162 games. He signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Marlies last season, and his 36 points in 66 AHL games were stout enough to convince the Blue Jackets to sign him to a two-way deal this summer. That’s proven to be a sound bet, with Gambrell now ranked seventh on the Cleveland Monsters in scoring with 20 points in 31 games. Two of the six players above him are already on the Blue Jackets roster – Denton Mateychuk and Luca Del Bel Belluz.

Gambrell likely won’t join his peers in the Blue Jackets lineup right away, instead set to serve as the team’s extra forward in their three remaining games before the upcoming 4-Nations break. If he does get into the lineup, it will be over one of Mikael Pyyhtia, Kevin Labanc, or Zach Aston-Reese – who have each posted no scoring in their last 10 games.

Gambrell will be eligible to stay with the Blue Jackets roster for 10 games or 30 days under the conditions of his emergency recall. After that, the team will have to use a formal recall to keep him on the lineup. Columbus could also opt to recall one of Trey Fix-Wolansky, Rocco Grimaldi, or Owen Sillinger. All three have outscored Gambrell in their minor league appearances.

Flyers’ Daniel Briere Breaks Down Trading Joel Farabee, Acquiring Andrei Kuzmenko

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The Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers recently pulled off a lofty trade that sent close friends Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost up North and struggling wingers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier back South. The deal is still leaving plenty of wake, which Flyers’ general manager Daniel Briere broke down the deal in a press conference on Saturday, captured by Charlie O’Connor of All Phly and the Phly Flyers Podcast.

Briere started by emphasizing how difficult parting with a pair of roster forwards was. He shared that a slow season was enough to push both players down the depth chart and that they were at risk of losing their spot in the top nine to younger players. Frost ranked fourth on the Flyers in scoring with 25 points in 49 games – putting him on pace to match the 41 points he scored last season. Farabee was far less productive, with just 19 points in 50 games – a far cry from the 50 points he scored last year. While neither player were offensive black holes, they weren’t showing signs of improvement on a Flyers offense looking towards the future, which could have led towards players like Bobby Brink or Tyson Foerster getting the preferred minutes.

But it wasn’t easy for Briere to part with Farabee’s lofty $5MM cap hit. Briere shared that many teams were interested, but that they all wanted the Flyers to retain some part of Farabee’s deal. That would be a hard pill to swallow given Farabee still has three more seasons on his deal, and the Flyers already have a retention spot occupied by Kevin Hayes. Calgary was the only team willing to take on Farabee’s full contract, which may have influenced the overall strength of Philadelphia’s return. Briere emphasized that the biggest asset gained by this swap was cap flexibility, so finding a trade partner with cap space was a top priority. The Flyers leave this deal with a projected $24.3MM in available cap space for this summer, though they’ll have four restricted free agents – Foerster, Pelletier, Cameron York, and Noah Cates.

And while the focus on cap space may have earned Philadelphia a lighter return, they’ve still landed a player to watch. Briere shared that the team was planning to negotiate with Kuzmenko when he entered unrestricted free agency this summer. Kuzmenko has a noted connection with star Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, having played with the Calder Trophy candidate with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg in the 2021-22 campaign. Having another compatriot in Philadelphia could be a nice spark for Michkov – but the Flyers will first have to hope Kuzmenko gets past his menial 15 points in 37 games this season. He scored 46 points last year, split between Vancouver and Calgary – a number that’d leave far more impact on the Flyers lineup.

Briere closed by noting that this move was made with the future – particularly this summer – in mind. He says that the Flyers’ rebuild is at the point of aggressively adding to the roster, and the team is hoping to take full advantage of their cap flexibility on the open market. In the meantime, they’ll get a chance to test Kuzmenko’s fit before having to extend him beyond this year – and get the boom-or-bust upside of Pelletier to boot.

Senators’ Nick Cousins To Miss 6-8 Weeks

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Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins will be out through at least early March after suffering a knee injury in the team’s Saturday win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cousins suffered the injury on a knee-to-knee collision with Leafs rookie Jacob Quillan. Both players needed help off the ice after the hit, though Quillian ultimately avoided an injury. Senators head coach Travis Green shared that Cousins would miss significant time immediately after the game. Now the forward could be a candidate for long-term injured reserve, though Cousins is getting different opinions on the severity of his injury, per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch.

Cousins has been a reliable bottom-six forward for the Senators, appearing in 46 of the team’s 48 games and averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time prior to his injury. He has five goals and 13 points on the year, just shy of the 15 points he managed in 69 games with the Florida Panthers last season. Cousins continues to sit off of his team’s special teams units – which should make his role a bit less of a headache to replace.

Since Cousins’ injury, top forward Joshua Norris has made his return to the Senators lineup. That addition should fill their hole for the time being, with Adam Gaudette and Matthew Highmore securing routine roles on the fourth line. Ottawa also successfully passed winger Cole Reinhardt through waivers on Wednesday, which grants him a 30-day waiver exemption and gives Ottawa a movable extra forward. Reinhardt has two points, a goal and an assist through 12 games this season. They’re the first points of his career, in some of his first NHL games, though he made his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season. Reinhardt has since been a productive member of the AHL’s Belleville Senators. He leads that team in points-per-game this season, with 16 points in 13 games. Ottawa could also turn towards rookie Stephen Halliday – Belleville’s leading scorer with 27 points – should they need additional support over the next two months.

In other Senators news, defenseman Nick Jensen returned to the team’s practice in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday. Jensen has missed the team’s last two games with an undisclosed injury. His status for Ottawa’s Thursday matchup against the Washington Capitals is undetermined, but Jensen is expected to return soon, per Sportsnet’s Alex Adams. Jensen has 18 points in 48 games this season – the second-highest scoring pace of his 10-year career behind his 29 points in 77 games of the 2022-23 season.

Finally, star goaltender Linus Ullmark should return within the next few games, per Garrioch. Ullmark has missed the last 16 games with a back injury. He’s been an integral piece to the Senators’ lineup in his first year with the club, boasting a 12-7-2 record and .915 save percentage through 23 games this season. He’ll be a critical addition when he’s back to full health.

Blackhawks Recall Landon Slaggert

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The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled forward Landon Slaggert from the AHL. Slaggert isn’t expected to play in the team’s Sunday game against the Minnesota Wild, but will serve as an insurance forward for the team’s upcoming three game road trip.

This marks the first formal call-up of Slaggert’s career. He made his NHL debut last season, joining the Blackhawks after the end of the University of Notre Dame’s season and scoring four points in 16 games. But, like many burgeoning Hawks prospects to debut last season, Slaggert was assigned to the minors to start the year. He’s since worked his way into a top-six role with the Rockford IceHogs. Slaggert ranks third on the team in scoring with 25 points in 39 games. He also boasts a team-best +9.

Slaggert may face a tough time cracking into the lineup during this road trip. For Chicago’s many faults, their bottom-six has been warming up as of late. All six players – Colton Dach, Lukas Reichel, Nick Foligno, Pat Maroon, Ryan Donato, and Philipp Kurashev – have multiple points in the team’s last 10 games, led by Donato’s seven points and 18 shots. Kurashev would likely be the first of the bunch to cede minutes, though. He snapped a 12-game scoring drought with two points on January 20th, but has other wise fallen more-and-more out of favor in the Hawks lineup. Kurashev has been a routine healthy scratch and even appeared in trade rumors. Calling up Slaggert for a multi-game trip could be a good chance to see who would likely succeed Kurashev in the fourth-line role.

Devils’ Nico Hischier Day-To-Day, Jack Hughes Banged Up

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The New Jersey Devils could soon be without their two top forwards. Captain Nico Hischier left the team’s Saturday night matchup against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period, after receiving a slash from Canadiens center Nick Suzuki. No penalty was called on the play, and instead Suzuki skated up the ice and recorded the primary assist on Montreal’s second goal. Now, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe has shared that Hischier could be out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now.

Nichols also shared that Jack Hughes is, “less than 100 percent” due to a nagging finger injury. He suffered the injury partway through New Jersey’s Wednesday win over the Boston Bruins, exiting in the first period to get stitches in his finger but returning shortly after the start of the second. Hughes missed the team’s Friday practice to avoid risk of infection or further inflammation, but played in 20 minutes of New Jersey’s overtime win on Saturday. His status will be monitored closely as the Devils gear up for two weekday games against the Philadelphia Flyers.

There’s been no indication of whether or not the Devils top two centers will play on Monday. If they don’t, New Jersey will play their first game without the star duo in over two years. Despite routine injuries, one of the Devils’ star centers has found a way to stand at the top of the lineup – which would make matching absences incredibly tough to fill. Hughes and Hischier currently rank first and third on the Devils in scoring, with 57 and 43 points in 51 games respectively.

The only extra forward on New Jersey’s lineup is presently Kurtis MacDermid, who’s stepped into four games since the start of January. He doesn’t have any scoring through 19 games this season, which could force the Devils to look towards their minor leagues for meaningful fill-ins. Nolan Foote and Brian Halonen lead the AHL’s Utica Comets in scoring, with 25 points in 33 games and 24 points in 34 games respectively. Both players have served as injury fill-ins throughout the season, though neither has managed any NHL scoring in their spot starts. New Jersey could also turn towards Adam Beckman, who has 22 points in 29 AHL games and also managed two assists in 11 NHL games earlier this year. But none of those players bring natural center ability to the NHL lineup, likely meaning that any recall would need coupled with someone like Stefan Noesen, Ondrej Palat, or Dawson Mercer shifting into the middle-lane.

Avalanche Activate Miles Wood Off IR, Reassign Jere Innala

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The Colorado Avalanche have activated forward Miles Wood off of injured reserve, setting him up to return from a back injury suffered on November 27th. The injury is a nagging one, earning Wood a second placement on IR earlier this season – from November 4th to 14th – and holding him out of games for a week in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He told Corey Masisak of The Denver Post that, based on conversations he’s had with other players, this back injury will likely be one he carries through the rest of his career.

In a corresponding move, Colorado has also reassigned Jere Innala to the minor leagues. Innala has appeared in most of the team’s games through January but averages just under seven minutes of ice time each game. He has no scoring and a -3 through 15 appearances this season.

Wood has spent the better parts of the last nine seasons as an impactful third-line winger across the league. He was originally the 100th-overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, hearing his name called in a fourth round that also featured Juuse Saros one pick earlier and Andrew Copp four picks later. Drafted out of high school, Wood went on to play two more seasons with Noble and Greenough before moving to Boston College in 2015. He had a dazzling freshman year, earning 35 points in 37 games and a spot on Team USA’s 2016 World Championship lineup behind the likes of Auston Matthews, Dylan Larkin, and Brady Skjei. That NHL company must have convinced Wood, who jumped to the AHL after his freshman year of college, then earned a full-time NHL call-up after 15 games and eight points with the Albany Devils.

Since then, Wood has been a stout bottom-six forward, routinely rivaling 25 points and making a mark in all three zones. His career year currently stands as the 2017-18 campaign, when he scored 19 goals and 32 points in 76 games – both career-highs. Wood made that mark with the New Jersey Devils for seven seasons – even serving as an alternate captain for two years. But he opted to instead join the Colorado Avalanche in the 2023 summer, signing a six-year, $15MM contract with the club just two years removed from a Stanley Cup win.

Wood has continued to make a consistent impact with the Avalanche, though his 2024-25 campaign started off ice cold. Through the mix of injuries, Wood has only scored two goals and three points in 16 games this season. He’ll now get a chance to buck that trend, returning to a Colorado lineup that looks very different from when he last played. Since late November, the Avalanche have traded away Justus Annunen, Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko, and Mikko Rantanen. In their place, the Avs have brought in Scott Wedgewood, Juuso Parssinen, Martin Necas, and Wood’s personal friend Mackenzie Blackwood. Wood raved about that latter acquisition to Masisak, comparing it to when an NFL team acquires a strong quarterback. He told Masisak, “I’m not sure why New Jersey traded him. I’m not sure why San Jose traded him. But I’m sure as hell happy he’s here.”

Lightning Acquire Ryder Korczak From Rangers

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired forward prospect Ryder Korczak from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward prospect Lucas Edmonds. Both players are in the midst of their third AHL season, after third-round selections in the 2021 and 2022 drafts respectively.

Neither player has managed much scoring in their early pro careers. Korczak has spent slightly longer in an NHL system. He was originally selected 75th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, after a season of being heralded as a second-to-third round pick. He was admired for his hard-working two-way play, high scoring, and leadership abilities through four years with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He worked his way up to a staggering 69 points in 48 games in 2022-23, his final WHL season, before joining the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack for five games at the end of the year. Korczak has since worked his way through a middle-six role in Hartford. He scored 20 points in 67 games last season and is currently riding 11 points in 35 games this year. It’s commendable depth scoring, but far from what New York was hoping for from their gritty third-rounder.

After not landing a draft selection in 2019, 2020, or 2021 – the early-birthday Edmonds finally earned the 86th-overall selection in 2022 after posting 113 points in 68 games with the Kingston Frontenacs. He moved to the AHL in the following season and posted a commendable 15 goals and 27 points in 49 games as a rookie. But Edmonds has struggled to match those numbers since, totaling just 21 points in 71 games through the last two seasons.

Korczak and Edmonds share a lot of parallels – and will now get a chance to use a change of scenery to try and return to the heights of their junior scoring.

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