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Multiple Teams Showing Interest in Nils Hoglander

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It wasn’t long ago that Canucks winger Nils Hoglander looked like an important part of Vancouver’s long-term plans.  But things haven’t gone as well this year for him and it appears that teams are starting to kick the tires to see if he’s available.  ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that the Capitals, Penguins, and Blue Jackets are among the teams who have explored the possibility of acquiring Hoglander.

Hoglander made an early impact with Vancouver, picking up 13 goals and 14 assists in 56 games in the shortened 2020-21 season.  However, his output dipped in the next two seasons, capped off by him spending the bulk of the 2022-23 campaign in the minors with AHL Abbotsford.

However, Hoglander took a big step forward last season.  The 23-year-old set new career highs in goals (24) and points (36) despite playing almost exclusively in the bottom six, averaging just 12:06 per game.  Still, he was a regular throughout the season and the playoffs, restoring some value along the way.

That was enough for the Canucks to hand him a three-year, $9MM contract extension that will begin next season.  While it walks Hoglander right to UFA eligibility at 27 in the 2028 offseason, it looked as if he was going to be a capable bottom-six option for them for a while.

But things haven’t gone anywhere near as well this season.  He has been limited to just two goals and three assists in 21 appearances so far despite basically having the same role.  Along the way, his shooting percentage has dropped from 20%, a mark that’s hard to maintain, down to 8.7% which is a little below league average.

While Hoglander’s price tag will be $3MM next season, it’s a much more manageable $1.1MM this season as he wraps up his bridge deal.  That’s especially important for Washington, a team that is effectively capped out and well into LTIR.  Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has ample cap space after moving Lars Eller to the Caps earlier this month while Columbus is at the bottom of the league in spending this season.  All three teams make some sense for Hoglander’s services as a player to potentially help their bottom six group while being young enough to still be in the plans if those teams wind up having to pivot to a rebuild down the road.

Despite his slow start, there still should be a fairly strong market for his services beyond those three Eastern Conference teams should GM Patrik Allvin decide to make him available which could make his trade value higher than it might seem.  If the Canucks decide to try to shake things up, Hoglander is a potentially viable candidate to move.

Alex Ovechkin Out 4-6 Weeks With Left Fibula Fracture

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Nov. 21, 4:41 p.m.: Additional testing revealed a left fibula fracture for Ovechkin, per the team. He’ll miss the next four to six weeks, putting his return around Christmas at the earliest. He was already moved to injured reserve.

Nov. 19, 11:33 a.m.: It’s a lower leg injury for Ovechkin that will leave him out on a week-to-week basis, the Caps announced. He’ll undergo additional evaluation tomorrow.

Nov. 19, 8:59 a.m.: Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is being evaluated for a lower-body injury after leaving last night’s game against Utah following a knee-on-knee collision with Jack McBain, head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters postgame, including Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.

The Capitals will likely issue a further update on Ovechkin’s status at some point on Tuesday, Carbery said. He left the game early in the third period after his and McBain’s left legs inadvertently collided while Ovechkin was attempting to carry the puck out of the Washington zone (video via Sportsnet). The 39-year-old tried to remain on the bench, but after testing out his leg during a stoppage in play, he went to the room.

It puts a significant damper on a monster season for the future Hall-of-Famer. After scoring twice last night, Ovechkin had five goals in his previous two outings to accelerate him to the top of the NHL leaderboard with 15 in just 18 games. Not only is he on pace to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals this season, he’s currently tracking to become the oldest player ever to lead the NHL in goals while also breaking Gordie Howe’s record for most goals by a player in their age-39 season with 39.

Ovechkin missing any length of time puts all those marks in jeopardy. Injuries have been a rare occurrence for the 2004 first-overall pick, who’s played in 1,444 of a possible 1,503 regular-season games over his 20-year career. His last injury absence was a three-gamer in January 2024 due to a lower-body issue, and he’s never missed more than six consecutive games in his career.

In addition to his 868 overall goals, Ovechkin is also the active leader in even-strength goals (547) and game-winning goals (132). His 316 power-play goals and 6,690 shots on goal are already league records.

His potential injury also deprives the Caps of their best goal-scoring weapon amid an incredibly resurgent start to the season. After barely making the postseason in 2023-24 with a shocking -37 goal differential, Washington is 13-4-1, has the league’s best offense and eighth-ranked defense, and ranks second in the Metropolitan Division with a .750 points percentage.

If Ovechkin is set to miss any length time, all eyes will immediately turn to Dylan Strome, who leads the team with 22 assists and 28 points and a +18 rating. While his breakout has certainly helped The Great Eight along in his chase for the all-time record, Strome’s point totals have almost certainly benefitted in kind from having the Russian on his wing. How much of that pace he can keep up remains to be seen, while others like Connor McMichael (12 goals, 19 points) and Aliaksei Protas (seven goals, 18 points) will need to keep up their scorching pace to help the Caps stay in contention for the Metro title.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Logan Thompson, Charlie Lindgren Cleared To Dress After Practice Injuries

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  • Capitals fans got some concerning news when goaltenders Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson both left practice this morning, but both are good to dress tonight against the Avalanche, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Thompson, who’s pretty much rotated starts evenly with Lindgren, will get the start. Acquired by trade from the Golden Knights at the 2024 draft, Thompson has been the far better of the two netminders with an 8-0-1 record, .913 SV%, 2.63 GAA and 3.5 GSAA in nine appearances.

Capitals Recall Ivan Miroshnichenko, Move Alex Ovechkin To IR

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The Capitals have recalled 2022 first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko from AHL Hershey, per a team announcement. They had a full active roster, so captain Alex Ovechkin heads to injured reserve in a corresponding move after being ruled out yesterday on a week-to-week basis with a lower leg injury. Winger Sonny Milano, who’s out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, also shifted from IR to LTIR to give the Caps additional space in their LTIR pool.

It’s unlikely that Miroshnichenko will slide into the first-line left-wing spot vacated by his countryman’s injury, but the 20-year-old deserves the recall after a hot start on the farm. The 6’1″ winger is second on Hershey in scoring with seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 16 games, improving wildly on a per-game basis over last season’s nine goals and 25 points in 47 AHL games.

Miroshnichenko, the 20th overall pick two years ago, got his first NHL action last season. He made 21 appearances for the Caps amid several call-ups, scoring twice and adding four assists for six points with a -4 rating. He was limited to middle-six minutes, averaging 12:08 per game with minimal special teams time. However, he positively impacted their even-strength possession numbers and finished fourth on the team in hits per 60 minutes with 11.76.

He’ll likely make his season debut tomorrow against the Avalanche alongside fresh trade acquisition Lars Eller and Jakub Vrána on the Caps’ third line if line rushes at today’s practice were any indication. Hendrix Lapierre will likely remain a healthy scratch, while Miroshnichenko should also get some reps on Washington’s second power-play unit, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.

The IR placement rules Ovechkin out for at least the Capitals’ next two games, but his absence will be more prolonged than that. Milano, who hasn’t played since Nov. 6 with his UBI, is now ineligible to return before their Nov. 30 game against the Devils and will miss at least five more contests. He has no points and a -3 rating in three appearances this season amid the injury and a lengthy run of healthy scratches.

Metro Notes: Capitals, Couturier, Johnson, Letang

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Washington Capitals general manager Chris Patrick spoke openly about the team’s direction with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic after reacquiring veteran forward Lars Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Patrick told LeBrun that he got the sense that Eller would be traded somewhere else before the Trade Deadline, or even the New Year, prompting the Capitals to act sooner rather than later. Despite the early buy, Patrick said he still sees the move as a Deadline deal. He told LeBrun, “We said, ‘Maybe at the deadline, we should be looking at center depth. We were looking at (pending) UFAs and players who might be available, and Lars is obviously top of that list.”

Eller may be a defense-first depth forward in his old age, but reacquiring him is a strong statement of confidence from the Capitals after a 10-4-1 start to the season. They find themselves tied with the New York Rangers – who swept Washington in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – and Patrick emphasized that the on-ice product feels much improved. That’s in part a result of strong performances from Washington’s young talents – like Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Rasmus Sandin. Those players give Washington a foundation to build on, and Patrick closed by pointing towards the retooling of teams like Dallas and Florida – who each managed to build lineups with strength top-to-bottom without sacrificing their future. That will be the long-term path that Washington tries to mimic, though they’ll first try to match the playoff success of the top-end teams they now find themselves among.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier is questionable for the team’s Saturday matchup against the Buffalo Sabres shares Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. Couturier missed Philadelphia’s Thursday game against Ottawa with a lower-body injury. He’s managed eight points in 16 games so far this season, while also filling a routine role on the team’s power-play. Morgan Frost will likely slot in for Couturier in the event of another absence, after playing 13:44 in the team’s Thursday win. He contributed one hit and five faceoff wins to the game.
  • Despite the lineup facing injury concerns, Saturday’s game will be celebratory for 2006 first-overall pick Erik Johnson, who sits one game shy of 1,000. He spoke openly about the achievement with Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer, sharing how “mind-blowing” it is to near 1,000 games after nearly retiring a few years ago. Johnson spoke about the list of injuries he endured between 2019 and 2021, capped off by a concussion in January of 2021. Johnson cites that injury as giving him the mental reset he needed to reprioritize his health. He’s now set to become the 12th player from the 2006 NHL Draft – and the 133rd defender – to pass the 1,000-game mark.
  • Star Pittsburgh Penguins defender Kris Letang is sick and didn’t travel with the team to their Friday game in Columbus, shares Josh Getzoff of Sportsnet Pittsburgh. Letang has one point in Pittsburgh’s last five games and six points in 18 games on the full season. He remains a clear top-pair defender despite the lagging scoring, averaging 23 minutes of ice time and remaining a focal point of the power-play. He could be replaced by rookie Owen Pickering, who Pittsburgh recalled earlier today. Pickering is the Penguins’ top defense prospect and hasn’t yet made his NHL debut.

Lars Eller Likely To Dress Tomorrow Night

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Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson is back practicing today for the first time since he injured his shoulder back on October 17th in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. Johnson has missed ten consecutive games due to the injury he suffered when colliding with a Blue Jackets teammate.

The former fifth-overall pick played in just four games before the injury but was very productive, posting two goals and three assists while averaging 16:46 of ice time per game. Johnson looked as though he was ready to break out two seasons ago when he recorded a 40-point season as a 20-year-old. However, last season, his play fell off dramatically, as he tallied just six goals and ten assists in 42 games.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated forward Gavin Brindley off injured reserve and loaned him to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Brindley broke his finger in a preseason game on October 1st and ended up missing the first 15 games of the regular season. The 20-year-old  made his NHL debut at the end of last season in April after he was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. An undersized forward, Brindley had a very successful run in the NCAA with the Michigan Wolverines, recording 37 goals and 54 assists in 81 career games from 2022-24.
  • New acquired Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller will make his return to the Capitals lineup tomorrow night after he was acquired via trade from the Penguins this week (as per Tarik El Bashir of the NHL Network). Eller practiced today with the Capitals and centered the third line where he was flanked by Andrew Mangiapane and Jakub Vrana. Eller was one of the few bright spots for the Penguins this season and dealt with very difficult deployment in Pittsburgh, starting over two-thirds of his shifts in the defensive zone. Despite the unfavorable zone starts, the 35-year-old still managed to put up four goals and three assists in 17 games.
  • Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson left practice early yesterday after suffering a small tweak (as per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia). The issue is apparently not something that will keep Ersson out long-term, but it will keep him out of the lineup this evening as Aleksei Kolosov will be the backup to starter Ivan Fedotov. The Flyers already have three goaltenders on their roster and won’t need to make a roster in order to replace Ersson.

Matt Irwin Announces Retirement

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Unrestricted free agent defenseman Matt Irwin is stepping away from the game, the NHLPA announced. He confirms his retirement after 10 NHL seasons and 461 appearances.

“As I reflect on my career, I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have lived out my childhood dream of playing in the NHL,” Irwin said in a statement released by the players’ association. “My success would not have been possible without the support of my family, my in-laws and especially my wife, Chantel, and two kids, Beckem and Lennon. You all pushed me to be the best version of myself on and off the ice.”

“I’m fortunate to have been surrounded by the best group of teammates that I could have possibly asked for,” Irwin continued. “Each and every one of them made coming to the rink the best years of my life. I hope our paths cross somewhere down the road.”

Now 36, Irwin never played major junior hockey and instead jumped straight from the junior ’A’ BCHL to NCAA hockey with UMass. The left-shot defender spent two seasons there before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Sharks in 2010, kicking off his professional career.

Irwin spent two full seasons with San Jose’s AHL affiliate, then in Worcester, Massachusetts, before receiving his first NHL recall in 2012-13. He appeared in 38 of 48 games for the Sharks during the lockout-shortened season, recording 12 points and a -1 rating while averaging 19:06 per game and finishing 19th in Calder Trophy voting. Irwin also played in all 11 of San Jose’s playoff games as he got an audition in top-pairing minutes at even strength alongside Dan Boyle.

The Victoria, British Columbia native managed to stick around as a full-time NHLer for the following two seasons in the Bay Area but steadily saw his minutes reduced. After a 2014-15 campaign that saw him record a career-high eight goals, Irwin became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Bruins.

However, Irwin only made two NHL appearances in a Boston sweater, instead spending nearly all of the 2015-16 season on assignment to AHL Providence. Understandably, he was one-and-done with the Bruins, and landed a deal with the Predators in free agency the following offseason.

It was the right choice for Irwin, who ended up playing 195 games in parts of four seasons in Nashville – the most of the six NHL franchises he appeared for. Aside from four appearances for AHL Milwaukee in 2016-17, Irwin managed to avoid being sent to the minors for the next seven years, sticking around in bottom-pairing/press box roles for the Predators, Ducks, Sabres, and Capitals.

Irwin’s last NHL games came with Washington in 2022-23. He recorded five points, a -8 rating and 36 PIMs in 61 games along with 75 blocks and 117 hits. He signed a two-way contract with the Canucks for 2023-24 but didn’t make the team, instead spending all of 2023-24 on assignment to AHL Abbotsford, where he recorded 16 points (5 G, 11 A) and a +2 rating in 65 games while serving as an alternate captain.

Irwin closes the book on his NHL career with 25 goals, 68 assists, 93 points, and a -9 rating in 461 games. He also logged 211 PIMs, 725 shots and a respectable 50.6 CF% at even strength while averaging 15:26 per game. He also appeared in 47 playoff games for the Sharks and Preds in 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018, most notably playing in all 22 postseason contests as Nashville advanced to the only Stanley Cup Final in franchise history in 2017.

Irwin also logged 314 AHL appearances in parts of seven minor-league seasons, totaling 32 goals and 103 assists for 135 points. All of us at Pro Hockey Rumors extend our best wishes to Irwin in retirement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Lars Eller Not Playing Tonight, Milano Remains Out

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone will remain out of the lineup tonight when Vegas takes on the Anaheim Ducks tonight (Twitter link). Alexander Holtz will take Stone’s spot on the top line as Stone is dealing with a lower-body injury and will miss his third straight game. The Golden Knights play again on Friday against Utah and will presumably update Stone’s status before then. The 32-year-old has been exceptional this season when healthy, posting six goals and 15 assists in 13 games.

Stone has long had issues with his health, having played 80 or more games only once in his 13-year NHL career. His health has been a major concern over the past three seasons as Stone has missed 110 games dating back to the 2021-22 season.

In other evening notes:

  • Newly acquired Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller didn’t participate in the team’s optional morning skate today and did not dress for their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening (as per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News). Eller was acquired yesterday by the Capitals in exchange for two draft picks and likely won’t suit up for his new team until Friday night when they take on one of Eller’s former teams, the Colorado Avalanche.
  • Injured Capitals forward Sonny Milano is still not skating and remains sidelined with an upper-body injury (as per Sammi Silber). Milano remains on the injured reserve and has no definite timeline to return to the lineup (as per Silber). Milano has played just 21:38 this season in three games and has been a scratch even when healthy. His spot in the NHL lineup was precarious at best, and now with the Eller trade, it’s possible that the 28-year-old could be the odd man out.

Capitals Assign Sgarbossa To Hershey

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  • Following their acquisition of Lars Eller, the Capitals announced that they’ve re-assigned center Michael Sgarbossa to AHL Hershey. The 32-year-old has played in three games with Washington this season, picking up a goal and an assist.  Sgarbossa has a goal and eight helpers in seven games with the Bears so far this season.

Washington Capitals Acquire Lars Eller From Penguins

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Lars Eller is headed back to the Washington Capitals. The organization announced they have acquired Eller from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in 2027 and Chicago’s fifth-round pick in 2025.

Eller spent much of his career with the Capitals from 2016-17 until being traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2022-23 trade deadline. He’s not well known for his offensive exploits but did score one of the most important goals in Capitals history, the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.

His time in Washington was certainly the prime of his career. Eller scored 87 goals and 208 points for the Capitals in 488 games, with another nine goals and 31 points in 59 postseason contests. He was also an effective asset down the middle of the ice securing over 3,000 faceoff wins in the District of Columbia with a 50.1% success rate.

The Capitals jumped early on an obvious area of need. The team had recently been deploying Michael Sgarbossa as the center of the team’s third line making Eller a huge improvement. The Danish veteran had scored four goals and seven points in 17 games for the Penguins this season with a 56.0% faceoff success rate. Eller could also help the Capitals on the penalty kill although there’s little room for improvement with the team already fourth in the league with a 86.96% penalty kill.

While one team gains something, another team loses something. The Penguins currently own a 6-9-2 record on the year and are only one day removed from being blown out by the Dallas Stars. Moving Eller may be the first sign of things to come for Pittsburgh.

He wasn’t the only veteran on an expiring deal for the Penguins. Should the team continue barreling toward the bottom of the NHL standings; Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor, Anthony Beauvillier, and Matt Grzelcyk could become available via trade. Given how disappointing the team has been to start the 2024-25 campaign, they may not limit themselves to only moving out expiring deals.

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