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Blue Jackets Recall James Malatesta

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The Blue Jackets have called up forward prospect James Malatesta for the first time this season, according to a team announcement. It’s unclear if he’ll play in tomorrow’s game against the Devils, or if he’ll be an extra forward while Justin Danforth remains out with a lower-body injury. Columbus has an open spot on the active roster, so no corresponding transaction is needed.

Malatesta, 21, was the 133rd overall pick of the 2021 draft out of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. He entered the 2024-25 season ranked 11th among Blue Jackets prospects at McKeen’s Hockey, and 13th according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. The undersized (5’9″, 190 lbs) yet feisty forward can play both left wing and center, although he only played the former during his 11-game call-up to Columbus last season. Through 25 games on the farm with AHL Cleveland this year, the former QMJHL Playoffs MVP has six goals and 12 points with 25 PIMs and a -4 rating.

The Montreal native didn’t look entirely out of place in his call-up last season. He notched his first four NHL points – two goals, two assists – and averaged 10:13 per game while recording 41 hits. He shot a somewhat sustainable 16.7%, although Columbus was out-attempted 116-78 with him on the ice at even strength. Last year was his first in the pros, though, so it was a quicker jump to the game’s highest level than most expected for Malatesta.

Malatesta still has another year remaining after this one on his entry-level contract and won’t be able to test restricted free agency until 2026. He remains waiver-exempt and will stay as such through the 2026-27 season unless he achieves 160 career NHL appearances before then.

Islanders Place Grant Hutton On Waivers

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Before yesterday’s game, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said that winger Anthony Duclair had been medically cleared to return from his leg injury but is still working up to game speed. Defenseman Grant Hutton has landed on waivers in a corresponding move for his pending activation, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Hutton getting sent down isn’t much of a surprise. With Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov returning to full health on New York’s back end, he’s played sparingly in recent days, serving as a healthy scratch five times in their last six games. The minor-league mainstay averaged 14:09 worth of ice time across 12 appearances during his call-up, which began after Pelech sustained a jaw injury in early November. He recorded two assists, a +1 rating, 11 blocks, and 12 hits in his first NHL action since November 2023.

An undrafted free-agent signing out of Ohio’s Miami University in 2019, Hutton has been a usual suspect on AHL Bridgeport’s blue line since turning pro. He’s made 30 NHL appearances dating back to his first-ever recall in 2021, posting three points. The defensive-minded defender has posted pretty underwhelming possession numbers when given a chance, only controlling 42.8% of shot attempts at even strength despite an even split of offensive and defensive zone starts.

Before his recall in November, Hutton had two assists and a +3 rating in nine games for Bridgeport, where he’s likely set to return, barring unexpected interest from another NHL club on the waiver wire. In 236 games with Bridgeport over the past seven seasons, he has 80 points (22 G, 58 A) with 115 PIMs and a -5 rating.

Hutton, an Indiana native, is in the final season of a three-year, $2.33MM extension he inked in 2022. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and is unlikely to find a contract replicating the one-way structure he’s had since the beginning of 2023-24.

Predators Place Marc Del Gaizo On Waivers

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The Nashville Predators have placed defenseman Marc Del Gaizo on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Del Gaizo has cleared through waivers once already this year, joining the long list of players to be waived and assigned to the minors before the season started.

Del Gaizo was recalled a few times in October but received a call that’d stick on October 30th. He’s stepped into 20 of Nashville’s 23 games since then, recording three assists, a -1, 28 blocked shots, and 32 hits. The appearances officially cement this season as Del Gaizo’s rookie year, after he played in nine games last season. He recorded a surprisingly similar stat line in those appearances as well – ending the 2023-24 NHL season with three assists, a +2, and 20 hits. Del Gaizo’s impact has been much clearer in the minor leagues. He has been a proud member of the Milwaukee Admirals blue-line since the 2021-22 season, after starting his pro career with a brief, nine-game stint with the Chicago Wolves in 2020-21. In total, he has recorded 89 points, 114 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 209 games and five seasons in the minor leagues.

Del Gaizo’s waiving suggests that one of Nashville’s many injured defenders could return soon. The team is currently without superstar Roman Josi, lineup pillars Jeremy Lauzon and Alexandre Carrier, and depth defender Spencer Stastney. Lauzon and Josi are both listed as day-to-day and both participated in Nashville’s practice on Tuesday. Stastney and Carrier are on injured reserve and would need to be activated to rejoin the lineup.

Sharks Recall Yaroslav Askarov, Vitek Vanecek Week-To-Week

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3:00 PM: Goaltender Vanecek has been designated to miss, “a couple of weeks” per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now.

1:00 PM: The San Jose Sharks have once again called up top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov from the minor leagues. Askarov will fill in for Vitek Vanecek on the depth chart after Vanecek was injured by a puck shot into the bench in San Jose’s Monday loss to Winnipeg. No update has been provided on Vanecek’s long-term outlook, though Askarov’s call-up suggests he’ll miss at least a few games.

Askarov returns to the NHL just three weeks after being assigned to the minor leagues on November 26th. That roster move came soon after Askarov’s first start of the season, in which he gave the opposing St. Louis Blues a free goal just seconds into the game after misplaying a loose puck. His assignment to the minors came with a clear message from head coach Ryan Warsofsky, and it’s one Askarov heard clearly. He’s been lights out on his latest AHL stint, setting a 5-1-2 record, one shutout, and a .934 save percentage in eight appearances. The dazzling numbers have launched Askarov up the AHL leaderboards, with his .938 in 14 games this season ranked second in the league and his 2.00 goals-against-average ranked third. Only Calgary Flames prospect Devin Cooley has posted a better statistical profile this season.

Askarov’s chance of starting on this recall will largely depend on Vanecek’s prognosis. The 22-year-old Russian has certainly shown an ability to perform at the top level – posting a .927 Sv% in two games with the Sharks this season – but needed to iron out some inconsistencies first. He’s seemed to do just that, but now faces new competition in the form of recently-acquired Alexandar Georgiev. Acquired in a swap for Mackenzie Blackwood, Georgiev has started both of his first two games with the Sharks – though he’s allowed seven goals on 53 shots, good for a .868 Sv%. Still, he’s a tenured veteran trying to find his footing in a new scene. That could be enough for San Jose to relegate Askarov to the backup role, though an extended absence from Vanecek could give the top prospect enough space to prove he belongs.

Blue Jackets Notes: Fabbro, Johnson, Chinakhov, Greaves

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The Columbus Blue Jackets received a series of injury and roster updates on Wednesday, headlined by an update on defenseman Dante Fabbro’s injury. Fabbro left Columbus’ Tuesday loss to Tampa Bay in the second period, after receiving a scary knee-to-knee hit from Lightning rookie Conor Geekie. But Fabbro has avoided the worst possible outcome, nursing more of a charley horse than a bad knee injury per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Fabbro was not available for Columbus’ optional Wednesday practice.

Fabbro will be working to maintain his hot streak in Columbus if he does play. He has seven points, 16 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 18 games since the Blue Jackets claimed him off waivers in November. It’s been a 180-degree turnaround from his start to the season with Nashville, which saw Fabbro record no scoring, no penalties, and a -3 through six games. The 2016 17th-overall pick has been a fixture of the Predators’ lineup since turning pro at the end of the 2018-19 season, establishing a confident role on the team’s second pair. But he never seemed to favor either zone, with low-scoring totals complemented by negative plus-minuses and poor advanced stats. He ultimately totaled just 72 points in 315 games, and seven seasons, with the Predators. 24 points in 66 games of the 2021-22 campaign stand as his career-high in scoring. But Fabbro could surpass that mark this year, with his hot start in Columbus putting him on pace for 26 points – even despite no scoring in Nashville. That pace would require he play in all 50 games remaining on the Blue Jackets’ schedule, though – a mission that will start by returning from this lower-body injury.

Other notes out of Ohio:

  • Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson will join Fabbro as questionable for Wednesday night’s game per Portzline. Johnson took a stick to the eye in Sunday’s match against Carolina and is scheduled to see an eye doctor in Columbus on Wednesday. He has rotated out of Columbus third pairing, averaging 13:32 in ice time and recording just one assist in 18 games this season. With both Fabbro and Johnson both questionable, Portzline adds that Columbus is likely to recall a defenseman from the minors ahead of Thursday’s game. That could be the opportunity for top prospects Denton Mateychuk or Stanislav Svozil to earn their jump to the top flight. Mateychuk has 23 points in 25 AHL games this season, while Svozil has 13 in 22 games.
  • Forward Yegor Chinakhov was on the ice for Wednesday’s optional skate shares NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. It’s Chinakhov’s first time skating since suffering an upper-body injury on November 27th. He has since missed Columbus’ last 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on December 11th. Chinakhov is having a strong year outside of the injuries, with 14 points – split evenly – through 21 games this season. He ranks in the top five of scoring among Blue Jackets forwards, despite averaging the least amount of ice time of anyone above him. Chinakhov is also hitting more and blocking more shots, with his 2024-25 numbers (32 hits, 10 blocks) already narrowing in on his totals from 53 games of 2023-24 (43 hits, 28 blocks). He’ll quickly slot back into Columbus’ middle-six when he returns to full health – a path that started with a return to the ice today.
  • Finally, Columbus has loaned goaltender Jet Greaves back to the AHL. Greaves was recalled on December 11th and stepped into three games, but posted a measly 0-1-2 record and .895 save percentage. He’ll now return to the minors, where he’s already managed an 8-4-2 record and .902 save percentage in 15 appearances. Greaves’ assignment will leave Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov as the sole pair in Columbus’ goaltending room.

Devils Activate Curtis Lazar, Justin Dowling Clears Waivers

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12/18: Dowling has cleared waivers and been assigned to the minor leagues, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

12/17: The Devils announced that they’ve activated Curtis Lazar from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Blues. The team placed Justin Dowling on waivers in a corresponding move, although they already had the roster spot necessary to activate Lazar, so Dowling’s pending reassignment or claim will keep their active roster count at 22.

It’s a much quicker return to action than most expected for Lazar. The 29-year-old sustained a knee injury on Oct. 27 against the Ducks that required surgery. The team said he didn’t have a timeline for a return, hinting that it could be a couple of months or more until he laced up the skates again. Instead, he’s back just over six weeks later with a relatively quick run-up time, considering he only started skating in the past couple of days (at least in terms of public knowledge).

Lazar has been a good fourth-line piece for the Devils since they acquired him from the Canucks at the 2023 trade deadline. He’s scored eight goals and 27 points in 87 regular-season games since becoming a Devil, two of which have come in 12 games this season. He’s bounced between center and wing, winning 48.3% of his draws, and the Devils have controlled 47.5% of shot attempts with Lazar on the ice at even strength.

New Jersey, whose roster is at full health for the first time since Lazar exited the lineup, will have him center their fourth line tonight between Tomáš Tatar and Nathan Bastian, the latter of whom recently returned from jaw surgery. The first-round pick of the Senators back in 2013 recorded a career-high 25 points in a similar role for the Devils last season.

For the most part, Dowling has covered directly for Lazar during his absence. The 34-year-old started the season in AHL Utica after clearing waivers but was recalled in the days following Lazar’s injury. He’s played in every Devils game since, posting two goals and an assist in 21 appearances while averaging 8:30 per game. The 5’10” pivot won 47.4% of his faceoffs and recorded eight blocks and 16 hits.

Dowling is in his second season as a Devil since signing in Newark as a free agent in 2023. He had two goals and two assists in six games with Utica before his recall. He finished fifth on the AHL club in scoring last season with 40 points in 57 games.

Stars Recall Alexander Petrovic, Place Matt Dumba On IR

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The Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Alexander Petrovic to fill in for the injured Matt Dumba, who has been shifted to injured reserve. Dumba has missed Dallas’ last three games with an upper-body injury. His IR placement is retroactive to December 8th, making Dumba eligible to be activated as soon as he’s back to full health.

This is already the second IR placement of Dumba’s season. He missed nine days of action in October after suffering a lower-body injury in the team’s October 13th win over Seattle. Dumba was placed on IR six days later but avoided surgery and a long-term absence. He’s played in the majority of Dallas’ games since returning on October 22nd, though he was healthy scratched a few times for underwhelming play. Dumba has just one assist in 19 games this season, and it didn’t come until his 12th game of the season. He’s added 19 penalty minutes, 17 shots on net, and 31 hits on the season while averaging 15:33 in ice time. Dumba’s slow play dates back to last season, when he managed just 12 points in 76 games split between the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning. He signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Dallas this summer looking to spur the lack of production, but has since fallen into an even deeper rut.

Rookie Lian Bichsel has filled in for Dumba over the last few games, but Dallas is still facing uncertain availability for both Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist. Both players will be game-time decisions due to flu symptoms, an issue for many different Stars players shares Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. Petrovic will be ready to fill in for either defender. He’s been Dallas’ go-to call-up on defense, and played in two NHL games earlier this season. Petrovic didn’t manage any scoring, but did record one penalty, in the outings. He’s made much more of an impact in the minor leagues, where he’s tallied 13 points in 21 games while serving as one of Texas’ alternate captains. Petrovic is a veteran of 10 pro seasons, spending much of them as a depth defender split between the major and minor leagues. He’s totaled 50 points in 266 career NHL games, and 164 points in 448 AHL games.

Tampa Bay Lightning Re-Assign Declan Carlile

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are shortening their available defense options as the team announced they’ve re-assigned defenseman Declan Carlile to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. It’s unknown at this point if Tampa Bay will recall Carlile tomorrow as a seventh defenseman option or if they’ll continue with six until the roster freezes tomorrow evening.

Carlile was originally recalled on December 14th when defensive peer J.J. Moser was placed on the team’s injured reserve with a lower-body injury. He made his season debut that evening while captain Victor Hedman sat out with a lower-body injury but returned to seventh defensemen duties when Hedman came back on the 17th.

The Hartland, MI native is in his fourth season with the Lightning organization after signing with the team as a collegiate free agent in 2021-22. He suited up in three seasons for Merrimack College of the NCAA scoring 13 goals and 56 points in 83 contests.

Carlile’s scoring has depreciated in the AHL but he’s still proved an effective option for the Crunch. He’s only scored 17 goals and 57 points in 161 AHL contests but has achieved a whopping +41 career rating. He wasn’t as solid defensively during his time in the NCAA’s difficult Hockey East conference but his timing has improved during his transition to the professional scene.

Tampa Bay and Syracuse only have two games during the upcoming roster freeze so it’s up to the organization if they want Carlile to have game reps. He should end up on the NHL roster after the freeze regardless, considering Moser is on a week-to-week basis.

Maple Leafs Reassign Fraser Minten, Activate David Kampf

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4:00 PM: Toronto has used the open space created by Minten’s assignment to activate center David Kampf off of long-term injured reserve. Kampf has missed Toronto’s last 12 games with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to return to the lineup when the Leafs face Dallas on Wednesday, per NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy. Kampf will hope a return to full health brings a wave of production, as he currently sits with just three assists in 18 games this season.

8:30 AM: The Leafs have reassigned center prospect Fraser Minten to AHL Toronto, per the team’s media relations department. Minten was a healthy scratch in Sunday’s win over the Sabres after playing in 11 straight contests since a mid-November call-up. He’s still 145 games played or three seasons away from requiring waivers.

A consistent point producer during his time in major junior play, the 20-year-old Minten entered the 2024-25 campaign with the guarantee he’d be playing professional hockey regardless of whether he made Toronto’s roster out of camp. Unfortunately, a high ankle sprain he sustained in rookie camp sidelined him for nearly six weeks and erased any hope of cracking the Maple Leafs’ opening night roster for the second season in a row. The 2022 second-round pick played four games last season, going without a point, before being returned to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers by the end of October.

Minten’s season got off to a strong start in the AHL after being cleared to return from his ankle injury on Oct. 29. He recorded two goals and two assists in his first five minor-league games before a cascading injury situation among Toronto’s NHL forward group necessitated his recall. Fortunately, his second crack at NHL minutes went better than his first. Minten routinely centered the Leafs’ third line, posting a pair of goals and assists for four points through 11 games with an even rating. The physical 6’1″, 185-lb center recorded 13.22 hits per 60 minutes, fifth on the Leafs this season, and averaged 12:47 per game while winning 45.1% of his draws.

Decent as those numbers are, Minten’s two-way game needs some work. The Maple Leafs controlled only 41.6% of shot attempts with Minten on the ice at 5-on-5, the worst of any player with at least 10 appearances in blue and white this season. He’ll continue adapting his defensive awareness to the professional level in the AHL, where he’ll likely spend most of the remainder of the season before making himself a serious contender for an opening-night job in October 2025.

Jets Sign Kevin He To Entry-Level Contract

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The Jets have signed left-wing prospect Kevin He to his three-year, entry-level contract, per a team announcement. The forward, amid his third season of major junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs, is the first Chinese-born player in league history to sign an NHL contract.

He, 18, was a fourth-round pick by Winnipeg in last summer’s draft. He was named captain of the IceDogs before the 2024-25 campaign started. That move foreshadowed a significant breakout for the Beijing native, who’s second on his club with 23 goals and 43 points through 29 games. That’s also good enough to put him in the top 15 of OHL scoring league-wide.

He has Canadian citizenship and was regarded as a mid-round talent by most in last year’s cycle. Elite Prospects lauded his “elite motor,” which, combined with his 6’0″, 181-lb frame, likely gives him enough offensive projectability to become not just the first Chinese-born player under contract but also the first one to make his NHL debut.

His deal will be subject to an entry-level slide for 2024-25, as he’s not expected to see NHL ice. If he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season as well, his ELC could slide to as late as 2026-27. He’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry, regardless. Winnipeg did not disclose the contract’s financial terms.

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