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Snapshots: Canadiens, Danforth, Kings

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The Canadiens were relatively quiet on trade deadline day with their only move coming late in the day when they moved Jake Allen to New Jersey.  However, ESPN’s Kristen Shilton notes that Montreal did have interest in wingers Tanner Pearson and Joel Armia but not to the point where GM Kent Hughes was compelled to make a move.  The Canadiens only had one available retention slot which was used on Allen which likely limited the market for Pearson, a pending unrestricted free agent.  Meanwhile, Armia has rebounded relatively well after clearing waivers at the beginning of the season and has 11 goals in 48 games so far.  However, he also has another season left at $3.4MM so teams likely would have been asking Montreal to retain salary or take back another contract to help facilitate a deal.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth is dealing with a concussion and will be out longer than day-to-day, team reporter Jeff Svoboda relays (Twitter link). The 30-year-old missed Saturday’s game against Nashville with what was called an illness at the time.  Danforth is in the middle of a career year, notching 10 goals and 11 assists through 63 games so far.  Danforth inked a one-year, $1.1MM contract extension back in October meaning he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until the 2025 offseason.
  • Kings GM Rob Blake recently told reporters including Andrew Knoll of the Los Angeles Daily News that there haven’t been any discussions about a contract extension with pending unrestricted free agents Viktor Arvidsson and Matt Roy. Arvidsson has been limited to just four games this season due to injuries so the hesitance there certainly makes sense.  However, Roy has been a key cog on the back end for Los Angeles for several years now so it stands to reason that they’d like to keep him around even with him almost certainly eyeing a sizable raise from his current $3.15MM AAV.  However, it appears those talks may have to wait until after the season.

Snapshots: Swayman, Bogosian, Irwin, Granlund

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After having to go through an arbitration hearing to get a contract done with goaltender Jeremy Swayman last summer, it appears the Bruins are trying to avoid that this time around.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column that they’ve started discussions on an extension with the netminder.  Swayman is playing on a $3.475MM award that basically split the submissions from last summer’s hearing and has a nearly identical save percentage this year (.919) as he did a year ago (.920) heading into tonight’s action.  With arbitration eligibility once again this summer, it’s quite possible that Swayman’s price tag pushes past the $5MM mark on a short-term deal and even higher if they could reach a long-term agreement.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • In his latest podcast (video link), Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports that the Wild are trying to sign defenseman Zach Bogosian to a contract extension. Minnesota acquired the 33-year-old from Tampa Bay early in the season and he has held his own on their third pairing, logging over 17 minutes a night while recording nine points and 80 hits in 43 games.  If they can’t get a deal done, however, Johnston reports that the Maple Leafs are among the teams that have checked in on Bogosian’s availability.  They’ve already added on the back end with the reacquisition of Ilya Lyubushkin but if they can’t add an impact blueliner, shoring up their depth – perhaps with another second-timer with the team – isn’t necessarily a bad fall-back plan.
  • One day after recalling him, the Canucks announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Matt Irwin was sent back to AHL Abbotsford. Aside from two short stints with Vancouver where he didn’t play, the 36-year-old has played exclusively in the minors where he has 10 points in 46 games so far.  Carson Soucy is believed to be nearing a return from his hand injury so this assignment could suggest that the blueliner is ready to suit up.
  • The Sharks are trying to be creative to make a Mikael Granlund trade work, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link). The 32-year-old has had a bounce-back year playing a much bigger role in San Jose as he has 36 points in 47 while averaging nearly 21 minutes a night.  However, Granlund has another year left on his deal at $5MM, a price tag that would be difficult for several buyers to afford.  San Jose only has one salary retention slot left so they might prefer to take a pricey contract back over using that final slot on Granlund through next season.

Snapshots: Johnson, Tanev, Dumba

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With a couple of rental defensemen off the trade block having been moved in recent days, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams told Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News that he had received more calls in the previous two days about defenseman Erik Johnson than he had cumulatively leading up to that point.  The 35-year-old has had a very limited role this year, logging just 13:48 per game, the lowest full-season average of his career while he has just three points – all goals – in 50 games.  However, Johnson has 55 career appearances under his belt including a Stanley Cup title with Colorado two years ago and teams could be looking at him as a depth addition for the stretch run.  With a $3.25MM price tag, Buffalo will almost certainly have to pay that down to help facilitate a trade if one comes together.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Earlier this week, it was reported that the Flames had a first-round pick on the table in an offer for Chris Tanev but declined since it involved taking money back beyond this season. That offer may have been from the Oilers, according to Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins, who says that Edmonton had a first-rounder on the table.  Speculatively, that offer may have required taking one of Brett Kulak ($2.75MM through 2025-26) or Cody Ceci ($3.25MM through 2024-25) back to make the money work.  Instead, Calgary sent him to Dallas for a second-round pick and prospect Artyom Grushnikov, a deal that kept some money on their books this year but only for this season.
  • One of the top rental blueliners left on the market heading into Friday’s deadline, on paper, is Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba. However, his one-year, $3.9MM deal hasn’t quite worked out as planned as he has been limited to just nine points in 56 games despite logging over 20 minutes a night.  Accordingly, PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan suggests that Dumba’s value might be a third-round pick as things stand with the potential to get a second-rounder if they hold back the maximum 50%.  The 29-year-old doesn’t have any trade protection in his contract.

Snapshots: Johnson, Eichel, Gadjovich, Konecny

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Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson missed the team’s Thursday morning practice with an illness, team reporter Lance Lysowski shares. Johnson was also limited to just three minutes of ice time in Buffalo’s Tuesday night loss to the Florida Panthers. His availability for the team’s Thursday night game is uncertain.

Johnson has appeared in 50 games with the Sabres, scoring three goals and setting a -5. This season marks the first time that Johnson has scored a regular season goal since the 2021-22 season, when he netted eight in Colorado, though Johnson did score once in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The former first-overall pick is sitting at 970 career NHL games, though his 1,000th will have to wait until next season, with the Sabres left with 23 games this season. Johnson’s absence will likely pull rookie Ryan Johnson back into the lineup. Ryan Johnson has appeared in 37 games this season, recording seven assists and a +1. He’s still searching for his first goal as a pro hockey player, also yet to score in the AHL, where he’s tallied four assists in nine games.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel has returned to full contact at practice, suggesting he’ll be ready to return soon. The team plays the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, and the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. Eichel’s availability for these outings hasn’t been clarified yet. His return will be big news for Vegas, who just lost Mark Stone to a lacerated spleen. Eichel is Vegas’ last skater scoring above a point-per-game, with 19 goals and 44 points in 42 games.
  • Florida Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich will miss the team’s Thursday night game with a “minor” injury, per team reporter Colby Guy. Head coach Paul Maurice shared with Guy that he thinks Gadjovich will rehab quickly. The 25-year-old winger has four points and 90 penalty minutes in 31 games this season. He’s expected to be replaced by William Lockwood, who has one assist in 24 games of his own this season.
  • Top Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny has not yet returned to the team’s practices. He’s missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, seemingly suffered at the team’s Friday practice, which Konecny left early. He’s been a force for Philadelphia when healthy, scoring 27 goals and 54 points in 57 games.

Snapshots: Tuch, Jets, Othmann

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Teams are reportedly interested in Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch but the team isn’t eager to trade him, per Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts article. Friedman adds that Buffalo, “values him”. That comes as no surprise, as Tuch has established himself as a pillar of the Sabres offense. He scored a career-high 36 goals and 79 points in 74 games last season, ranked third in scoring on Buffalo’s most productive team since 2006-07. Tuch has been similarly productive this season, again ranked third on the team with 16 goals and 38 points in 49 games. That’s an impressive mark on a low-scoring Buffalo team. What’s more, Tuch carries a modest $4.75MM cap hit through the end of the 2025-26 season.

It’s a lucky contract for the Sabres, who have a top-scorer cost controlled for the foreseeable future. Continued struggles might encourage Buffalo to trade away their older veterans but, even with a focus on the future, it’s hard to think Tuch will be pried away without a serious return coming the other way. Tuch was a focal piece of the trade that sent Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, joining Buffalo alongside Peyton Krebs and two draft picks.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Winnipeg Jets chairman Mark Chipman acknowledged that the franchise may not be sustainable, based on current attendance and sale numbers, in an interview with The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. Winnipeg is averaging the lowest attendance of any team in the league, save for the Arizona Coyotes who are operating in an arena that only seats 5,000 fans. Chipman shared that he has been directly calling season ticket holders, trying to identify ways that the Jets can improve for fans, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is still slated to visit Winnipeg on Tuesday to assess the team’s situation. Winnipeg had an NHL team from 1979 to 1996, but lost their team to the Phoenix Coyotes after the 1995-96 season. They received a second chance in 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg. The Jets will hope to not spoil that opportunity, especially with the list of cities interested in hosting an NHL team growing.
  • The New York Rangers have sent forward Brennan Othmann back to the minor leagues. Othmann was recalled on Thursday and served as a healthy scratch in the team’s win over the New Jersey Devils. Othmann previously played the first three games of his NHL career in early January, going without a point but adding six shots, six hits, and one block. He currently ranks second on the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack in scoring, with 14 goals and 36 points in 44 games.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Bogosian, Rosen

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The St. Louis Blues aren’t actively shopping winger Pavel Buchnevich but they are hearing out offers, shares team insider Jeremy Rutherford with The Athletic. Rutherford adds that any deal would likely start at a first-round draft pick and may even need two first-round picks to get done. That’s a steep price for an older veteran with just one year left on his contract but Buchnevich may earn it. He’s been one of St. Louis’ most productive players since joining them in 2021-22, totaling 186 points in 189 games with the club. That includes his 43 points in 53 games this season, a mark that ranks second on the Blues and puts Buchnevich on pace to break 65 points in his third season in a row.

Buchnevich became a pillar of the St. Louis offense quickly, scoring a career-high 76 points in 73 games during the 2021-22 season – a year that saw the Blues score their most goals in one season since 1981-82. He’s maintained that strength through the last two seasons, despite St. Louis’ scoring coming a bit slower, and even adapted to playing a top-line centerman role for parts of last season. His adaptability is evident, and that – as well as a chance to get a head start on contract negotiations – could be enough to convince playoff teams to pay a high premium at the Deadline.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The St. Louis Blues are expected to send down Calle Rosen to make room to activate Scott Perunovich off of injured reserve, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich is returning from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of the team’s last seven games. He will continue his search for his first goal of the season, and his NHL career, recording 12 assists through 31 games this season.
  • Minnesota Wild Defenseman Zach Bogosian is likely to miss at least a week of action after exiting the team’s Wednesday night game with an upper-body injury, per team reporter Michael Russo. Bogosian appears to have suffered the injury after blocking a shot from Nikolaj Ehlers, leaving the game after his shift. Bogosian has scored one goal and nine points in 44 games this season, serving a comfortable role in Minnesota’s top-four. His absence will likely lend way to Declan Chisholm or Jonathon Merrill gaining a larger role, though the Wild also have Alex Goligoski serving as a healthy scratch.

Snapshots: Perunovich, Fehervary, Dowd, Grant

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St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister has named defenseman Scott Perunovich as a game-time decision for the team’s Thursday evening game against the New York Islanders, per team reporter Matthew DeFranks. Perunovich has been out since January 28th, nursing a lower-body injury that earned him a retroactive injured reserve placement earlier in the week. This season has marked Perunovich’s official rookie year in the NHL, although he did play in 19 games during the 2021-22 season. But persistent injury, including pre-season shoulder surgery, limited Perunovich to just 22 AHL games last season. He has 12 points, all assists, in 31 games this season. The scoring brings his career totals up to 18 points in 50 combined games, with Perunovich still searching for his first NHL goal.

Perunovich has undergone three different surgeries since the 2021-22 season. The constant rehab has kept him from fully finding his footing at the top level, though he’s flashed signs of strong potential. Perunovich won the NCCA’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award in the 2019-20 season, the league’s top honor. He earned the award after scoring four goals and 40 points in 34 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, serving in an all-purpose role for the Bulldogs that saw him play top-pair minutes, special teams, and forward at a few points in the season. Perunovich made his professional debut in the subsequent season and has since totaled 42 points across 39 AHL games, adding to his totals in the NHL. His return likely bumps Calle Rosen out of the lineup. Rosen has played in St. Louis’ last six games, recording just one point, taking over the role of sixth-man from Tyler Tucker.

The Blues will need to send one of Tucker or Rosen back to the minor leagues in order to activate Perunovich off of injured reserve. They could also send down extra forwards Sammy Blais or Nikita Alexandrov, if they prefer hanging on to extra defensive depth. That could be the case, as St. Louis is also down Justin Faulk, who was moved onto long-term injured reserve on Tuesday.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary has been moved to injured reserve with a lower-body injury sustained in the team’s February 17th game. He was previously announced as week-to-week with the injury and will now be required to miss at least one week of action. Fehervary has appeared in 47 games this season, scoring two goals and 12 points while averaging roughly 19 minutes of action a night.
  • Fellow Washington Capital Nic Dowd is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and won’t travel with the team on their two-game road trip to Florida. His next opportunity to play will be Washington’s Monday matchup against the Ottawa Senators, per team reporter Bailey Johnson. Aliaksei Protas is expected to step into a center role in Dowd’s absence, with call-up Pierrick Dubé filling Protas’ role on the wing. Dubé, 23, will be making his NHL debut in Dowd’s absence. He has 24 goals and 34 points in 50 AHL games this season.
  • Veteran NHL forward Derek Grant has signed a one-year extension with the ZSC Lions of the National League, Switzerland’s top league. Grant, 33, is in his first season in Switzerland after not landing an NHL deal this summer. He has 13 goals and 30 points through his first 45 games in Switzerland. Grant spent the last 10 seasons in the NHL, playing with seven different organizations. He totaled 427 career games in that span, netting 57 goals and 132 points. His career-year came in 2021-22, when he scored a career-high 15 goals and 29 points in 71 games with the Anaheim Ducks.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Dowd, Harris, Broberg

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The Maple Leafs have shown interest in Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro and forward Luke Kunin, reports The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta.  It’s believed that Toronto doesn’t want to part with a first-round pick for a rental but Ferraro has two years left on his contract at a $3.25MM cap charge while Kunin is controllable for one more year if he’s tendered a $3MM qualifying offer.  Ferraro is logging nearly 23 minutes a night on San Jose’s back end and would certainly give Toronto a boost in their top four while Kunin has struggled offensively, scoring just eight times in 50 games so far.  With Toronto’s interest, it’s worth noting that cap space is quite tight at the moment and as things stand, they can’t afford the full contract of one of those players let alone both.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that center Nic Dowd suffered an upper-body injury in tonight’s game against New Jersey. The 33-year-old has become a reliable bottom-six middleman in recent years and has 16 points through 45 games while taking the second-most faceoffs on the team.  Signed for another year at a $1.3MM price tag, Dowd has been a speculative trade candidate in a center market that is quite thin now.
  • Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris has been cleared to return, notes RDS’ Luc Gelinas (Twitter link). The blueliner also confirmed that the upper-body injury he was dealing with was a concussion, the second of his career.  Harris has played in 31 games so far this season, picking up a goal and five assists while averaging a little over 17 minutes a night.
  • One of Edmonton’s possible trade chips is defenseman Philip Broberg. However, the blueliner hasn’t played in the last ten days and it appears as if he’ll be out for a little while longer as Ryan Holt, the broadcaster for their AHL affiliate, relays (Twitter link) that Broberg’s injury appears to be more of a week-to-week case.  The 22-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level deal and has 19 points in 29 games with the Condors but has been held off the scoresheet in ten games with the Oilers this season.

Snapshots: Heiskanen, Duchene, Andersen, Siegenthaler

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Already without defensemen Nils Lundkvist and Jani Hakanpaa due to injury, the Dallas Stars are also absent defenseman Miro Heiskanen today, as he will miss the action due to the birth of his child (X Link). Calling up defensemen Alex Petrovic and Derrick Pouliot this morning, Dallas’ depth on the blue line will be tested even further.

To add insult to injury, the team also announced that forward Matt Duchene would miss today’s game against the Boston Bruins due to a lower-body injury. In a hotly contested Central Division playoff race, the Stars have lost five regular players in a matter of days.

Playing well over their last 10 games with a 7-1-2 record, Dallas will look to keep that successful stretch going as they look to retain their throne at the top of the Central Division. With a three-point cushion, the Stars are currently on a four-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents before finally returning to Central Division action on February 27th.

Other snapshots:

  • Working his way back from a blood clot scare that has kept him out of the lineup since early November, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen was able to see shots today in practice. According to Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes, Andersen is not quite ready to return, but it was undoubtedly positive that he was able to participate in practice. With the team now less desperate for goaltending help with a strong stretch from Pyotr Kochetkov, it will nevertheless be a positive to see Andersen make his return to the ice.
  • The New Jersey Devils may be getting some reinforcements on their blue line soon, as team reporter Amanda Stein mentioned today that Jonas Siegenthaler has fully recovered from a broken foot that has kept him out of the lineup since January 2nd. Now only two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, a clean bill of health moving forward puts the Devils in an advantageous position to build some momentum towards the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Snapshots: Binnington, All-Star Game, Woll

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The Department of Player Safety announced today that they have fined St.Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington a total of $5,000 for high-sticking Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista in last night’s game between the two teams. The fine was the maximum financial punishment allowable in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

During the play in question, as Evangelista was making his way behind Binnington and the Blues’ net, Binnington raised the butt-end of his stick to meet Evangelista’s face. There was a high-sticking penalty called on the play, and Binnington did appear apologetic to Evangelista after, but the Department of Player Safety did not feel that the original punishment sufficed.

This will mark the first fine that Binnington has faced throughout his career. In a matchup against the Minnesota Wild last March, Binnington was handed a two-game suspension for attempting to incite the Wild bench, leading to an in-game ejection.

Other snapshots:

  • During the Stadium Series game between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers, the Islanders announced that they would be hosting the 2026 NHL All-Star Game at UBS Arena. It will mark the first time since 1983 that the Islanders are set to host the mid-season festivities, with this also being the first time that All-Star weekend will be hosted by UBS. Furthermore, this report confirms that the NHL is planning for players to be involved in both the All-Star Game and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
  •  Not playing since early December due to a high-ankle sprain, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is not close to returning according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. In the meantime, the tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones has produced a 16-10-4 record in his absence but has only managed a .891 save percentage.

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