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Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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We’re now just over six weeks away from the trade deadline. As the season shifts past its halfway point and is quickly hurtling toward the All-Star Break, trade rumors are picking up on a wider scale after a news cycle that was focused on a select few names for most of the season.

With that in mind, it’s time to gear up for the impending transaction action with the next edition of our PHR Mailbag. Our last edition ran in three parts over the holiday break. Part one discussed the merits of buying for the upstart Red Wings and Flyers, part two discussed Alex Ovechkin’s chase of the all-time goals record and the potential of a Lindholm-for-Lindholm swap between Boston and Calgary, and part three discussed trade deadline plans for a handful of other squads.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Avalanche To Activate Artturi Lehkonen

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The Avalanche will activate winger Artturi Lehkonen off long-term injured reserve before tonight’s game against the Capitals, head coach Jared Bednar said on Altitude Sports 92.5 FM (KKSE-FM) on Wednesday. Both he and defenseman Bowen Byram, who the team activated from injured reserve Tuesday, will return from multi-week absences tonight, per Bednar.

Lehkonen has not played since sustaining a neck injury against the Kraken on Nov. 9. His return ends a 35-game absence over the course of two and a half months.

The 28-year-old’s return to play comes soon after Colorado’s other major source of secondary scoring, Valeri Nichushkin, entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The Avalanche have a 3-2-0 record and a +4 goal differential in their last five games without either Lehkonen or Nichushkin, importantly keeping pace for second place in the Central Division ahead of the Stars, who are only one point back of Colorado and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.

Lehkonen shouldered major minutes for the Avalanche through the first 12 games of the year, averaging 18:29 per game, including his injury-shortened outing against Seattle. The Finnish winger posted three goals and five assists for eight points, a slight dip in pace from last season’s career-high 21 goals and 51 points in 64 games.

His return will help shoulder the indefinite loss of Nichushkin and will provide a needed boost to a middle-six that’s struggled to produce much offense. While Colorado’s 179 goals lead the league, a disproportionate amount of that has come from Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Notably, Ross Colton and Logan O’Connor each have six points in their last five games and are hovering around a 41-point pace.

Now, the Avalanche hope Lehkonen can stay healthy until the postseason, where he’s done some of his best work. He posted 14 points in 20 games en route to 2022’s Stanley Cup win and had three goals and six points in last season’s seven-game loss to the Kraken in the First Round.

Slovakia Announces Roster For 2024 World Juniors

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Hockey Slovakia has announced its contingent for the upcoming 2024 World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, via Matej Deraj of Dennik Sport.

It’s a testament to the state of Slovak hockey to see a bevy of first-round picks and NHL-drafted names on the roster, even without the country’s two top youngsters in Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky and Devils defenseman Simon Nemec, both of whom will stay with their pro squads and were not loaned out for the event. Nonetheless, they’re still a potential upset candidate for a medal and have a strong, well-rounded offense. The full roster is here:

F Peter Císar (undrafted)
F Alex Čiernik (PHI)
F František Dej (undrafted)
F Dalibor Dvorský (STL)
F Samuel Honzek (CGY)
F Roman Kukumberg (undrafted)
F Patrik Masnica (undrafted)
F Filip Mešár (MTL)
F Martin Mišiak (CHI)
F Juraj Pekarčík (STL)
F Servác Petrovský (MIN)
F Peter Repčík (undrafted)
F Markus Suchý (undrafted)
F Adam Sýkora (NYR)
F Alex Šotek (undrafted)
F Adam Žlnka (ARI)

D Richard Baran (undrafted)
D Jakub Chromiak (undrafted)
D Viliam Kmec (undrafted)
D Marián Moško (undrafted)
D Dávid Nátny (undrafted)
D Milan Pišoja (undrafted)
D Luka Radivojevič (undrafted)
D Maxim Štrbák (BUF)
D Boris Žabka (undrafted)

G Rastislav Eliaš (undrafted)
G Adam Gajan (CHI)
G Samuel Urban (undrafted)

The roster is undoubtedly highlighted by Dvorský, the only top-ten selection on this list. After a disappointing start to the season on loan to the Swedish Hockey League’s IK Oskarshamn, in which he recorded no points in ten games, he signed on with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves and has dominated since coming to North American ice. The 18-year-old has 18 goals and 34 points in 20 games on the season, including 11 goals and 22 points in his last ten games at the time of writing. He’s quickly looking like a threat to jump to the NHL full-time in 2024-25.

Honzek is also a player to watch. The 19-year-old sustained an injury at last year’s tournament, which limited him to two appearances, and a separate injury has limited him to just five games with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants this season. If he can remain healthy, the hulking winger will be among the team’s leading scorers at the tournament and will play a key role in helping them to some upset wins en route to a potential medal.

Mešár rounds out the first-round picks on this roster, selected 26th overall by the Canadiens in 2022. Like Dvorský, he’s putting up great production in the OHL, notching 32 points in 20 games. After recording six points in five games for Slovakia at last year’s tournament while serving as an alternate captain, he’ll assume the role of the team’s main leadership figure in Gothenburg.

Things thin out on defense. Kmec is expected to log big minutes for the Slovaks on the back end in his third trip to the World Juniors, although Štrbák will challenge for the de facto number-one role as the only NHL-drafted prospect. Radivojevič, who is 16 years old and not draft-eligible until 2025, is an intriguing inclusion after making his professional debut for the SHL’s Örebro HK this season.

Gajan, a second-round pick of the Blackhawks last season, will hold down the starter’s crease. He excelled in the 2023 World Juniors, recording a sparkling .936 SV% in four appearances en route to a very close quarterfinal loss against the Canadians.

Minor Transactions: 12/12/23

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It’s been a busy period around the world of professional hockey, both in the NHL and in Europe. In the NHL, teams continue to jockey for position in the standings while also assessing the state of their roster as we inch closer to true trade season.

Over in Europe, the ups and downs of the regular season have prompted significant movement. That movement applies to both players and also leadership figures, such as in the SHL where Rögle BK yesterday dismissed head coach Cam Abbott and sporting director Chris Abbott. The duo had been in charge of Rögle since the middle of 2017-18, and took the club on multiple playoff runs including one to the SHL final in 2020-21.

Moving back to player movement, we’ll keep track of notable player transactions here:

  • 2014 Dallas Stars first-round pick Julius Honka was loaned from his Swiss National League club Genève-Servette HC to HC Ambrì-Piotta, in order to play for the club during the Spengler Cup tournament. He joins Swiss blueliner Benoit Jecker, who was loaned from HC Fribourg-Gottéron for the same purpose. Honka originally signed with SC Bern over the summer after a strong campaign in the SHL with Luleå, but eventually was loaned from Bern to Genève-Servette. Jecker, 29, has played in 30 games this year for Fribourg-Gottéron and scored six points.
  • Another 2014 first-round draft pick joins a Swiss National League team, as two-time AHL All-Star forward John Quenneville has signed with HC Lugano on a one-year contract. The 27-year-old split last season between the SHL’s Leksands IF and AHL’s Belleville Senators, scoring 15 points in 25 games for the latter club. He does have some Swiss NL experience to boast, having spent 2021-22 with the ZSC Lions in a campaign where he potted 20 goals and 37 points in just 46 games.
  • Former five-year college hockey defenseman Seamus Donohue has signed with the ICEHL’s Vienna Capitals, leaving the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads in the process. Donohue replaces defenseman Stefan Warg on the Capitals’ roster, as the team amicably terminated its contractual relationship with the 33-year-old veteran and alternate captain. Warg had struggled in 11 games with the Capitals, and is now replaced by Donohue. The 27-year-old Minnesota native already has experience playing European pro hockey, as he spent 2022-23 with SaiPa in Liiga. It’s somewhat unconventional for a player to jump straight from college hockey into Liiga, but Donohue remained a regular member of SaiPa’s defensive group for the full season. His departure from Idaho is a major loss for the Steelheads, as he’s currently tied for the team lead in defensive scoring with 18 points in 22 games. That being said, the Steelheads are strongly positioned to absorb the loss as they are currently the top team in the ECHL with a 17-4-1 record.
  • 22-year-old Eetu Randelin has had his trial contract with Liiga’s Tappara Tampere converted into a full one-year contract with the club. The rookie netminder has taken Tampere by storm, registering a .938 save percentage in eight games played. Originally slated to be the starter for IPK in second-tier Mestis, Randelin has now earned a full-time role with Tappara. He’ll likely get to back up starter Christian Heljanko moving forward.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Penguins Place Dmitri Samorukov On Waivers

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12/12: Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that Samorukov has successfully cleared waivers, and will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

12/11: The Penguins are placing defenseman Dmitri Samorukov on waivers today for the purpose of assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, GM Kyle Dubas informed reporters (via Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). In doing so, the Penguins will open a necessary spot on the roster to activate Pierre-Olivier Joseph from injured reserve.

Samorukov, 24, has not appeared in a game for Pittsburgh this season after signing a one-year, two-way deal in November. He began the season on an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and earned an NHL deal after injuries decimated the Penguins’ corps of depth defenders.

A third-round pick of the Oilers in 2017, Samorukov was viewed as a rising shutdown prospect but ran out of time to develop, becoming eligible for waivers in 2022 before he could secure a role on Edmonton’s roster. After passing through unclaimed, the Oilers dealt him to the Blues in a one-for-one swap for winger Klim Kostin, with each Russian youngster securing a fresh start in a new market.

While Kostin earned a full-time spot with the Oilers last season, Samorukov couldn’t hold onto an NHL job with his new team. After making just one NHL appearance in five years with the Oilers organization, Samorukov played only twice for the Blues last year, instead spending nearly all of 2022-23 on assignment with AHL Springfield. There, he recorded 20 points and a +1 rating in 69 games, but it wasn’t enough to secure him a qualifying offer from St. Louis when his one-year, one-way deal expired last summer.

That made him an unrestricted free agent, and without any NHL offers heading into late July, Samorukov opted for the minor-league deal in the Penguins organization. He played a regular role in the lineup before being instated on the NHL roster in November, recording five points and a -1 rating in 15 games.

Assuming he clears waivers, Samorukov will return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tomorrow. He is headed for restricted free agency this summer, and the Penguins will need to extend him a qualifying offer worth $813,750 to retain his exclusive signing rights.

East Notes: Bennett, Guhle, Bruins Injuries, Pysyk

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The Florida Panthers got some good news this morning. Center Sam Bennett has returned to practice for the first time this regular season, per Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards. Bennett sustained a lower-body injury during the preseason that’s kept him out through six games thus far.

If he can get back into playing shape within the next 48 hours, he could make his season debut Saturday against the Kraken. That would likely coincide with a return to the lineup for captain Aleksander Barkov, says Richards, who missed the Panthers’ Tuesday contest against the Sharks with an illness. Bennett, 27, is in the third season of a four-year, $17.7MM extension signed with the Panthers in 2021. Last season was arguably the best of his career, logging a career-high 17:24 while producing 16 goals, 24 assists and 40 points in 63 games. The 2014 fourth-overall pick also finished fourth on the Panthers in playoff scoring, notching five goals and ten assists for 15 points in 20 games.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference this Thursday morning:

  • Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle was a full participant in practice this morning and is nearing a return from an upper-body injury, notes The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. He will not enter the lineup tonight against the Blue Jackets, however, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie says. Guhle, who had an assist and a +4 rating through three games, has not played since October 17 against Minnesota. The Habs have gone 2-1-0 in his absence despite injuries also sidelining blueliner David Savard, forcing the emergency recall of Gustav Lindström from AHL Laval. The 16th overall pick in 2020 is in the second year of his three-year, entry-level contract, which counts $863K against the cap.
  • Despite still being on assignment to AHL Providence, Boston Bruins forward Jesper Boqvist is practicing with the NHL squad today, Bruins independent reporter Joe Haggerty relays. That comes with the news that forwards Jakub Lauko and Milan Lucic are both listed as day-to-day with injuries and will miss between one and two weeks, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters today. That means recalling Boqvist (or signing PTO invite Danton Heinen) will be necessary to fill out the Bruins’ roster for tonight’s game against Anaheim, as the team has just 11 healthy forwards even after recalling Patrick Brown from Providence this morning.
  • Another unsigned player still with a team on a PTO is defenseman Mark Pysyk, who has returned to practice after sustaining a lower-body injury in preseason, relays Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Shelly Anderson. The 31-year-old spent last season under contract with Detroit but missed the entire campaign with an Achilles injury. He last suited up in an NHL game nearly 18 months ago, logging 12:51 in an April 29, 2022, game for the Sabres against the Blackhawks.

NHL Rescinds Automatic Instigator Suspension For Brady Tkachuk

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The Ottawa Senators have avoided punishment for a late-game instigator penalty assessed to forward Brady Tkachuk, as the league has announced that Tkachuk won’t face a suspension for a late-game fight with Buffalo’s Alex Tuch. Head coach D.J. Smith also won’t be fined. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia shared that suspensions are automatically applied to instigator penalties in an effort to curb late-game brawls, which the Senators avoided despite Tkachuk’s penalty. Tkachuk appealed the suspension, which was lifted.

This is refreshing news for Senators fans worried that their top forward may have gotten himself into disciplinary trouble. Tkachuk currently leads the Senators in goal scoring, with four through his first six games of the season. He’s added two assists to this total, getting him up to a point-per-game scoring pace. This keeps him up with the pace he established last season, netting 35 goals and 83 points while appearing in all 82 games of the season. Tkachuk also totaled 126 penalty minutes last year, a tally that ranked third in the entire league – three minutes ahead of his brother Matthew, who ranked fourth.

Ottawa is staggering a bit after a hot start to the year, losing each of their last two games. This brings them to an even 3-3-0 record, with a +4 advantage in goal differential. It’s a fine enough start for a team that faced a lot of questions entering the year. Newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko has been the team’s biggest surprise through the early going, currently leading the team in scoring with three goals and eight points, through six games. Recent lineup addition Joshua Norris is quickly catching up to Tarasenko’s scoring title, though, with three goals and four points through the four games he’s appeared in since returning from shoulder injury. It’s been a strong offensive start for Ottawa, who will look to maintain that now that Tkachuk has avoided a suspension.

Snapshots: Kane, Zub, Werenski

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In the most recent 32 Thoughts podcast episode, Elliotte Friedman added credence to the idea that star free agent Patrick Kane could sign with the Dallas Stars. Friedman says that a very reliable source shared the likelihood of Kane landing in Dallas, adding that the stylistic fit could be good for the aging veteran.

The Stars rapidly rise up the power rankings of teams likely to land Kane, leapfrogging the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Buffalo Sabres. Dallas has flexed a very deep forward group this season, providing nearly identical ice time to each of their top three lines. The only weak spot is likely 34-year-old winger Evgenii Dadonov, who’s spent the year alongside Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn. This could be the role that Kane takes over if he joins the Stars; bringing a little more mobility and finesse to the line.

Only three forwards in Dallas’ top nine have scored a goal at this point in the year: Joe Pavelski, Benn, and Roope Hintz. Kane’s all-out-offensive style may be enough to kickstart the Stars’ scorers.

Other notes from around the league:

Minnesota Opens Extension Talks With Foligno, Zuccarello, Hartman

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The Athletic’s Michael Russo shared that, while the team hasn’t acknowledged it yet, it seems they’ve begun talking extensions with their ’big three’ – Marcus Foligno, Mats Zuccarello, and Ryan Hartman. All three veterans are pending free agents, a part of the 10 Wild players facing free agency next summer.

Russo walked through what to expect with each player’s contract talks in turn. Foligno is expected to boast the easiest conversations, as the contract he’s currently on (three years, $9.3MM) could be really close to the details of his next deal. Foligno has become a fan favorite, offering an important amount of grit and physicality to the team’s top six. He recorded 42 points and 112 penalty minutes in the 2021-22 season – career highs in both categories and his first time breaking 30 points – but fell back to Earth this year, only netting 21 points in 75 games. Still, with scoring not the reward of Folingo’s game, there’s some reason to expect he can maintain his impact through the end of his career.

Mats Zuccarello is facing a similarly positive outlook on his next deal. There’s no denying the chemistry formed between Zuccarello and Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov, both on and off of the ice. That bond alone is enough to warrant a contract extension, although Russo notes it will likely have to come at a reduced cost. Zuccarello currently carries a $6MM cap hit on a deal he signed in 2019. Now 36, a new deal will likely have to carry short-term and short costs. But how much longer Zuccarello, who scored 67 points last year, can play will be an interesting storyline to follow.

While Foligno and Zuccarello seem like sure bets to re-sign, Russo doesn’t express that same optimism with Hartman. The forward has emerged as the team’s top-line center and a dangerous goal-scorer, netting 34 goals in 2021-22. But, like Foligno, Hartman’s scoring didn’t survive through last season. He recorded just 37 points in 59 games. While not a terrible tally by any means, it could be just low enough that Hartman begins to feel pressure as young prospects earn roster spots. The Wild are overflowing with young talent and Hartman is set for a pay raise from his current $1.7MM cap hit. If the Wild can support both of those things at once is yet to be seen, although Russo does note that Hartman would carry great trade deadline value. He was traded for a first-round pick at the 2018 trade deadline, before he was ever the goal-scorer he is today. While he’s now much older, Minnesota has shown the extent of Hartman’s untapped potential – something a team on the playoff bubble could really enjoy. Of course, this trade feels most likely if young centermen like Marco Rossi are able to step up.

Niagara IceDogs Hire Bruce Boudreau

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The Niagara IceDogs announced this morning that they have hired former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau as a Senior Advisor. The former Jack Adams award winner last coached the Vancouver Canucks and was unceremoniously fired by the club this past January after parts of two seasons at the helm.

Boudreau coached the Canucks to a 50-40 record during his time in Vancouver and was let go after weeks of speculation about his job security. Boudreau was stoic despite all the noise around him and he received a lot of support from the Canucks faithful in what was ultimately his last game as a head coach in Vancouver.

The 66-year-old ranks 21st all-time in NHL games behind the bench as well as in coaching victories. He has coached 1087 games in the NHL, compiling a record of 617-342-128. During his time in the NHL, he coached the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and the aforementioned Canucks. He won his Jack Adams award in 2008 in a season that saw him guide the Capitals to a Southeast division title with a 43-31-8 record.

Now, at least for the time being, it appears as though Boudreau is ready for a new challenge. He joins his son Ben in Niagara, who joined Niagara’s coaching staff in July as an associate coach.

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