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Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Exploring Options At Defense For Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers will enter the 2024-25 NHL season with a glaring hole on the right side of their defense. The team will likely have to deploy one of Josh Brown, Ty Emberson, or Troy Stecher on the second pairing but it strikes as a major need if the Oilers plan on competing for a Stanley Cup again this season.

Radio commentator for the team, Bob Stauffer, indicated today that a right-handed shot defenseman with term will be on Edmonton’s radar this season but is fairly vague about when they will ultimately make that addition. Edmonton still has a few options left on the free-agent market such as Kevin Shattenkirk or Justin Schultz. Still, Stauffer’s report indicating that the Oilers are looking for term attached likely alienates any current free-agent candidates.

Not only will it push Edmonton away from any free-agent options but the report from Stauffer indicates the Oilers will peruse the trade market for a second pairing right-handed shot defenseman. Their options are limited at this stage of the NHL calendar but there are still a few options worth exploring.

Arguably the best option for Edmonton resides about 200 miles south in Calgary. Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames has two years and $9.1MM remaining on his contract and represents an ideal candidate for the Oilers to plug into their top four. He’s scored 138 points in 239 games for the Flames over the last three years while averaging 23:31 of ice time per night. Andersson can be trusted in all situations and is a responsible player in the defensive zone.

Despite the fit and the separate trajectories of both teams — the Oilers and Flames don’t like each other to put it bluntly. The two organizations have only connected on three trades in their histories with the most recent coming in 2019 being a swap of James Neal and Milan Lucic. General manager of the Flames, Craig Conroy, has shown a willingness to trade within the Pacific Division but aiding his organization’s biggest rival may be too bitter of a pill to swallow.

The Washington Capitals are another option although they would not be considered a rebuilding organization. The team brought in Matt Roy this summer on a six-year, $34.50MM contract which may make them more comfortable moving a defenseman such as Trevor van Riemsdyk. He wouldn’t be as much of a needle mover as Andersson but he would be a more reliable option than their internal candidates.

The younger van Riemsdyk brother recently played in his 10th NHL campaign last year and has excelled in blocking shots. He’s averaged 126 blocked shots a season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Capitals and the Oilers could use more of that after finishing 30th in the category last season. Adding van Riemsdyk to their defensive core would give Edmonton a grace period in adding a true top-four defenseman as they could then move van Riemsdyk to the bottom-pairing next to Darnell Nurse or Brett Kulak.

Edmonton will be hard-pressed to find other options on the trade market with most teams having already finalized their roster heading into the 2024-25 NHL season. The Oilers are unique as their offense could easily carry them to the trade deadline but the right side of their defense must be addressed before the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Morning Snapshots: Matthews, Team Canada, Capitals

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The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled star Auston Matthews ahead of Game Four’s third period last night. When asked about it postgame, head coach Sheldon Keefe said it was the team doctor’s that made the decision, pulling Matthews because of illness. Toronto went on to lose the game 3-1, a scorecard that also matches Boston’s lead on the series. Matthews has played through the illness for the last two games, taking maintenance days at Toronto’s practices in between to try and regain energy. No indication has been made about his availability for Game Five, though it could be dependent on how he’s feeling each day moving forward.

Matthews, like the rest of the Maple Leafs lineup, hasn’t had a particularly strong first round – managing one goal and three points in four games and adding one penalty. It’s a tremendous step down from a historic regular-season that saw Matthews become the first player to score 69 goals since Mario Lemieux, who pulled off the feat in just 70 games in 1996. Matthews wasn’t able to crack the illustrious 70-goal mark, but still managed unprecedented scoring in this day-and-age. Unfortunately, something about that scoring hasn’t translated to the playoffs, and Matthews now finds his Leafs on the brink of elimination. While his illness has clearly not improved much, it’s hard to imagine Matthews will sit out of a chance to save Toronto’s season.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Roger McQueen will miss the remaining U18 World Championship with an injury suffered in the first period of  Canada’s latest game against Team Czechia, shares FloHockey’s Chris Peters (Twitter link). McQueen managed one point across three games this tournament, including his early exit against Czechia. Canada has added fellow 2025 prospect Caleb Desnoyers to the roster in McQueen’s absences. Desnoyers is one of the draft’s top names out of the eastern Canada and posted 20 goals and 56 points in 60 games as a QMJHL rookie this season. He also scored three goals and five points in eight games during the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Desnoyers will now get to run with the big dogs in U18s, and is expected to draw in right away, with Canadian forward Carson Wetsch receiving a one-game suspension for a hit-from-behind. Wetsch, a 2024 Draft prospect, has scored two goals in two tournament games.
  • The Washington Capitals saw three defensemen progress from injury at Sunday morning’s practice. Most notably, defenders Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen both returned to full contact, with Sandin even taking reps on the team’s power-play, shares The Hockey News (Twitter link). At least one of them is expected to return to the lineup ahead of Game Four, with Trevor van Riemsdyk ruled out with an upper-body injury, per Ben Raby of Capitals Radio (Twitter link). Lucas Johansen also skated as a healthy scratch, opening up room should both Sandin and Jensen be ready. Rookie defender Vincent Iorio also returned to the team’s practice in a no-contact jersey after suffering an upper-body injury in Game One. These moves should give Washington a new-look on defense, after they’ve allowed the New York Rangers to average 3.67 goals through Round One’s first three games.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals Defensemen, Martin, Ciernik

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The Capitals lost another defenseman yesterday when Trevor van Riemsdyk sustained an upper-body injury.  Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News that the veteran won’t be available for a must-win Game Four with Washington now on the brink of elimination.  While Vincent Iorio skated today, he was in a non-contact jersey and won’t be available tomorrow either.  However, Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen both took part in practice and haven’t been ruled out yet for Sunday’s contest.  If one of them can’t play, Hardy Haman Aktell will make his NHL playoff debut.  Carbery indicated that, for now, the team isn’t planning to recall Chase Priskie, the only defenseman left on an NHL contract, from AHL Hershey.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Islanders will be making a lineup change today up front as they look to stay alive versus Carolina. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Matt Martin is unavailable due to a lower-body injury so winger Ruslan Iskhakov will make his NHL playoff debut.  Martin has been a long-time mainstay on New York’s fourth line but saw his production wane this season as he was limited to just eight points in 57 games.  Iskhakov, meanwhile, was a quality producer in the minors for the second straight year, notching 50 points in 69 games while recording an assist in his NHL debut earlier this month.  While the team will be missing some physicality with Martin out, Iskhakov might give them a better shot at scoring, an area of concern as they’re averaging just two goals per game through the first three games of the series.
  • Flyers prospect Alex Ciernik has inked a one-year deal with Nybro of Sweden’s Allsvenskan, per a team release. The 19-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Philadelphia last June, going 120th overall.  Ciernik had a decent showing this season in his first full professional campaign, notching 14 points in 26 games with Vasterviks along with three assists in six contests in a relegation series.  The Flyers hold Ciernik’s rights through June 1st, 2027 so they have plenty of time still before they need to sign him.

Injury Updates: Demko, van Riemsdyk, Girard

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To say there has been a lot of speculation about Thatcher Demko’s injury would be a considerable understatement.  After playing the series opener against Nashville, Demko was ruled as out day-to-day and then week-to-week soon after, fueling plenty of theories about the nature of the injury.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the best way to qualify this injury is that it’s a unique one.  The Canucks are hopeful that it’s not as bad as they initially feared and it might not be something that surgery can ultimately fix.  Accordingly, they don’t have an idea of the true timeframe for a return other than he’s not going to be back within the next week or two.

Other injury news from around the postseason:

  • It has been a rough playoff on the injury front for Washington’s back end. Already missing Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen to injury, Ethan Bear (Player Assistance Program), and injury recall Vincent Iorio, the team announced (Twitter link) that rearguard Trevor van Riemsdyk sustained an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return.  He was injured on a hit from Matt Rempe who received a minor penalty for interference on the play.  Now down 3-0 in the series, the Capitals will have to turn to Hardy Haman Aktell if none of Sandin, Jensen, Iorio, or van Riemsdyk can return for Sunday’s fourth game.
  • The Avalanche welcomed back defenseman Samuel Girard tonight against Winnipeg as NHL.com’s Tracey Myers relayed (Twitter link). The 25-year-old suffered a concussion late in the regular season against the Jets and hadn’t played since then.  Girard had a bit of a down year for Colorado as he was limited to 18 points in 59 games, the lowest output of his career while his ATOI dipped to 19:23, the lowest since his rookie season.  Still, as a top-four blueliner, his return was certainly a welcome one.

East Notes: York, van Riemsdyk, Fehérváry, Harris

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Flyers defenseman Cam York is in the lineup for tonight’s Stadium Series game against the Devils, head coach John Tortorella confirms (via PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor). The 23-year-old sustained an upper-body injury Thursday against the Maple Leafs and told The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz yesterday that he was “not sure yet” about his status for tonight.

The 2019 14th-overall pick is handling the most responsibility of his young career, averaging a career-high 21:47 per game while posting six goals, 12 assists and 18 points in 55 appearances. He’s on pace for a career-high 27 points and has not missed a game this season.

More advanced metrics are less kind to his performance this year, however. His pairing with Travis Sanheim is the Flyers’ most used, logging 645 minutes together but controlling a mediocre 48.9% of expected goals in the process, per MoneyPuck. York’s 47.6 Corsi-for percentage at even strength is also the worst among Philadelphia’s full-time defensemen, but some growing pains are to be expected for an under-25 defenseman shouldering over 20 minutes per game for the first time.

Other updates from the Eastern Conference:

  • Capitals veteran blue-liner Trevor van Riemsdyk draws in tonight against the Canadiens, The Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson reports. The Middletown, New Jersey, native had missed the last four games with an illness and has only played in four of Washington’s last 11 games due to a handful of healthy scratches. He’s fallen down the depth chart after the team picked up Ethan Bear in free agency, a concerning development given he has two years remaining on a deal carrying a $3MM cap hit. He has eight assists and a -11 rating while averaging 18:30 in 40 games.
  • As one returns for Washington, another defenseman departs as Martin Fehérváry sustained a lower-body injury early in tonight’s game against Montreal and will not return, the team says. The 24-year-old Slovak suffered a non-contact injury after falling awkwardly behind the Capitals net, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. He’s remained in a top-pairing role alongside John Carlson for most of the season, recording 12 points and a -6 rating in 46 games while logging 19:08 per game, down from an even 20 last season. The 2018 second-round pick also missed five games with a lower-body injury in November.
  • Also absent on the blue line for tonight’s Habs/Caps tilt is Montreal’s Jordan Harris, who remained in a non-contact jersey at practice this morning, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu reports. Harris, 23, remains listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury that’s now cost him three games. It’s been a trying season for the 2018 third-round pick, who played just 1:34 against the Blues last Sunday after being a healthy scratch in four of the previous five games. Injuries have also taken a fair chunk out of his games played total this year, including a 15-game absence due to a lower-body injury in November and December. He has one goal and six points in 31 games while averaging 17:02 with a -5 rating and is locked into a $1.4MM cap hit through 2025.

East Notes: Grzelcyk, van Riemsdyk, Harvey-Pinard

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Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has been fined $5K for spearing Capitals winger Max Pacioretty late in the first period of Saturday’s game, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Sunday. The fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and comes after Grzelcyk was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct on the play, sidelining him for the last two periods of the game.

The incident occurring in the first period is likely why DoPS opted for a fine rather than a one-game suspension, given that Grzelcyk missed just over two full periods as part of the penalties assessed at the time. This is the first time Grzlecyk has received supplemental discipline of any kind in his eight-year, 420-game NHL career.

It’s been a trying season for Grzelcyk, whose 0.18 points-per-game pace is the lowest of his NHL career (excluding his two-game showing in 2016-17). The 30-year-old is still logging top-pairing minutes at even strength alongside Charlie McAvoy, controlling 55.3% of expected goals when on the ice together, per MoneyPuck. A lack of any notable special teams time has kept his average ice time below 19 minutes per game for the third straight season.

Other updates from the Eastern Conference:

  • Capitals defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk will remain sidelined due to illness Sunday against the Canucks, head coach Spencer Carbery said (via Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network). The 32-year-old also missed yesterday’s win over Boston and has only appeared in four out of Washington’s last nine games due to illness and a handful of healthy scratches. Now in the first year of a hefty three-year, $9MM extension that makes him a UFA in 2026, van Riemsdyk has eight assists and a -11 rating in 40 games and has seen his possession metrics nosedive from last season’s strong two-way performance. His average ice time (18:30) is also down from last season’s 19:04, and although he should have a more regular role in the lineup if the Capitals move out Joel Edmundson by the deadline as rumored, this year hasn’t been a strong indication that van Riemsdyk will provide much value for his $3MM cap hit as he enters his mid-30s.
  • The Canadiens moved winger Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to injured reserve Sunday, according to the NHL’s media portal. The 25-year-old left Saturday’s game against the Stars with a lower-body injury and will now miss a minimum of seven days, ruling him out of Montreal’s next four games. The diminutive winger has seen his ice time dip to exclusively bottom-six minutes since the middle of January and has missed a combined 27 games this season with previous lower-body injuries. A seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft, Harvey-Pinard has one goal and seven points in his 24 showings this season.

Capitals Loan Hardy Häman Aktell To AHL; Activate Two Off IR

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The Capitals assigned rookie defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell to the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Friday, per a team release.

Häman Aktell, 25, didn’t make the Capitals’ opening night roster this season after signing a one-year, $870K entry-level contract in free agency. However, the former Predators prospect earned a recall just a handful of days into the year after notching a goal in two games with AHL Hershey and has remained on the roster since. The Swedish two-way puck mover had a strong preseason but earned only a limited look at the NHL level during his call-up, notching an assist and a -2 rating in six contests while averaging 10:38 per game.

Washington opted to sign Häman Aktell in free agency after he won two Swedish Hockey League championships in the last three seasons with Växjö Lakers HC, finishing second on the team in points with 36 in 51 games last year. As he does not require waivers, he was a logical choice to take off the 23-man roster, with both Anthony Mantha and Trevor van Riemsdyk being activated from IR ahead of tomorrow’s game versus the Blue Jackets, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

Mantha, 29, had missed the past three games after taking a puck to the ear on November 8 against the Panthers and is projected to play a fourth-line role with Nic Dowd and Beck Malenstyn. Signed to a $5.7MM cap hit on an expiring deal, Mantha’s had another rough go of things to start 2023-24, recording just four points in ten games and seeing his ice time dip below 13 minutes per game. The 6-foot-5, 234-pound winger has played just 128 games with the Capitals since they acquired him via trade from the Red Wings three seasons ago, recording 62 points.

Meanwhile, van Riemsdyk is also returning to the 23-man roster after missing the past four contests with a lower-body injury sustained on November 4 against the Blue Jackets. The 32-year-old signed a three-year, $9MM extension to remain in D.C. last March and has one assist and a -1 rating through ten games, averaging 17:35 per contest. The nine-year veteran will form the right side of the team’s third pairing tomorrow with 2018 first-round pick Alexander Alexeyev on his left flank.

Capitals Notes: Fehervary, Oshie, Pacioretty, Edmundson

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Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post is reporting that Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary didn’t practice this morning and will not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery also told reporters that Fehervary is a maybe for Saturday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Fehervary is currently on injured reserve and wouldn’t have been eligible to return tomorrow even if he was healthy enough to play but is eligible to play Saturday if he can. The 24-year-old has had a decent start to the year and has been very good on the Capitals’ penalty kill. While he has just two assists in 12 games, he has been much more effective at even strength this year despite starting most of his shifts in the defensive zone.

In other Capitals notes:

  • Bailey Johnson also reported that Capitals forward T.J. Oshie took a maintenance day today and did not practice with the team. Oshie has had a brutal start to the season with just one assist in 13 games thus far and it appears the Capitals are hoping that some rest can help kickstart some offense for the 36-year-old. Oshie has seen over three minutes of powerplay time per game this season which is about the same average time he saw last year, but even with the work on the first powerplay unit he has been unable to find the back of the net.
  • The NHL Network’s Tarik El-Bashir is reporting that Capitals forward Max Pacioretty skated on his own this morning before the team’s practice as he attempts to ramp back up to return to game action. The 34-year-old faces a long battle back after tearing his right Achilles for the second time this past January and there is no timetable for his potential return. Both the Capitals and Pacioretty appear to be very cautious in their approach to a return which makes sense given how difficult the past 15 months have been for the six-time 30-goal scorer.
  • Bailey Johnson tweeted that Capitals defenseman Joel Edmundson is getting closer to a return after he was a full participant in practice today. Edmundson is trying to work his way back from a hand injury and was dressed in a non-contact jersey during this morning’s practice. The 30-year-old has yet to make his debut in Washington after he was acquired in July for two draft picks. He injured his hand in preseason and required surgery which has ultimately delayed the start to his Capitals career. A return to action would be good news for Washington as they are currently without defensemen Fehervary and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

Washington Capitals Place Trevor Van Riemsdyk On IR

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The Washington Capitals have placed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on injured reserve, and loaned veteran center Michael Sgarbossa back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. With the Capitals embarking on a two-game road trip, team reporter Tarik El-Bashir wrote on X to “expect a call-up ahead of tomorrow’s game at NJD.”

Van Riemsdyk, 32, is out dealing with a lower-body injury. He last played on November 4th against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and has been a regular defensive defenseman for the team.

Alexander Alexeyev has taken up the third right-side slot on Washington’s defense with van Riemsdyk out, and is likely to continue in that role while van Riemsdyk recovers.

As for Sgarbossa, he’s been a top center for the Hershey Bears for the last few years. The two-time AHL All-Star has gotten off to a strong start with Hershey, scoring 12 points in 11 games. With Hershey set to play Saturday and Sunday, getting Sgarbossa back to the team will significantly improve their odds of winning.

Injury Notes: Capitals, Horvat, Forbort, Tuch

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The Washington Capitals have shared a slew of injury updates. Anthony Mantha, Joel Edmundson, and Trevor van Riemsdyk will all miss the team’s upcoming two-game road trip, while Nic Dowd’s availability is to be determined.

Mantha is facing an upper-body injury after taking a shot to the ear on Wednesday. Dowd and Edmundson (hand) are also listed with upper-body injuries, while van Riemsdyk has a lower-body injury.

Mantha and van Riemsdyk have both appeared in 10 games for the Capitals this season. Mantha has scored three goals and four points while averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time. He’s been the focus of a handful of conversations through the early season, facing a healthy scratching earlier in the year and continuing to appear in trade rumors. Mantha is in his third full season in Washington, where he’s totaled 62 points in 128 games. van Riemsdyk is also in his fourth year with the club, although he’s managed to carve out a bit more of a role with the club. The 32-year-old defenseman only has one point this season but recorded a career-high 23 points in 75 games last year. He’s continuing to serve in his modest role with the club this season, averaging 17 minutes of ice time.

Dowd has only played two games this year, while Edmundson has yet to make his Capitals debut, as both players are dealing with nagging ailments.

Other injury notes from around the league:

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