Bruins' Henri Jokiharju: Posts helper against old team
Rotowire
Jokiharju notched an assist, two hits and three blocked shots in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Sabres.
This was Jokiharju's first game back in Buffalo since he was dealt to the Bruins at the trade deadline. The 25-year-old defenseman has just two assists over 14 contests since the trade, but he has been a regular in Boston's lineup as a top-four blueliner. Jokiharju has had a rough campaign with eight points, 55 shots on net, 49 hits, 51 blocked shots and a plus-8 rating over 56 appearances between the Bruins and the Sabres.
... See More... See Less
Bruins' Henri Jokiharju: Nabs assist Saturday
Rotowire
Jokiharju notched an assist, two hits and two blocked shots in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Lightning.
Jokiharju has stepped into a massive role upgrade following his trade to Boston from Buffalo. He is on the top pairing and sees time on the second power-play unit. There are extenuating factors on the Bruins' blue line -- Hampus Lindholm (kneecap) and Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) are both out, leaving the team down its two best defensemen. Still, Jokiharju has held his own in a larger role, though his offense remains too low to help most fantasy managers. He's at seven points, 46 shots on net, 38 hits, 37 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over 46 appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Bruins' Henri Jokiharju: One shot, one block in debut
Rotowire
Jokiharju had one shot on goal, one block and a plus-1 rating in 18:38 of playing time during in his Boston debut in a 4-0 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Jokiharju stepped onto the ice alongside Nikita Zadorov on the team's top pairing. Jokiharju appears primed for an increased role than he had with Buffalo. However, he still doesn't have much offensive upside. Jokiharju had three goals and three assists in 42 games for the Sabres before the trade.
... See More... See Less
Bruins' Henri Jokiharju: Traded Friday
Rotowire
Jokiharju was acquired by Boston from Buffalo on Friday in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Jokiharju has three goals, six points, 35 hits and 31 blocks in 42 appearances with Buffalo in 2024-25. Boston is missing Hampus Lindholm (kneecap) and Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) due to injury, and it's believed that Boston will soon trade Brandon Carlo to Toronto, so Jokiharju should get regular playing time for the rest of the season.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Scores again in win
Rotowire
Jokiharju scored a goal and went plus-3 in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.
Jokiharju's had the goal-scoring touch since the 4 Nations Face-Off. He's scored in consecutive games and gone plus-5 in that span. The Finnish blueliner appears to be strengthening his hold on a third-pairing spot, and if the Sabres deal from their strength on defense ahead of the trade deadline, he could carve out a larger role. Still, fantasy managers should be cautious -- he has just six points with 44 shots on net and a plus-8 rating over 41 appearances this season. There are definite flaws in his game that have led to him being scratched at times, and he doesn't have enough upside to justify a roster spot in most fantasy formats.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Adds late goal
Rotowire
Jokiharju scored a goal and went plus-2 in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Rangers.
Jokiharju ended a six-game point drought when he put away his second goal of the NHL campaign late in the third period of this blowout win. He also scored for Finland against the USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect a sudden uptick on offense from the 25-year-old blueliner. He's not even fully guaranteed a place in the lineup, though he offers a bit more reliability than Connor Clifton, Jacob Bryson or Dennis Gilbert. Jokiharju has had a challenging year on offense with just five points over 40 outings, but he's added a plus-5 rating, 33 hits and 31 blocked shots to help stabilize the bottom four on the blue line.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Flutterball fools USA's Hellebuyck
Rotowire
Jokiharju scored Finland's only goal in a 6-1 loss Thursday to Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal.
Jokiharju scored the game's first goal on Finland's second shot. It was an odd fluttering shot that seemed to confuse USA starter Connor Hellebuyck. He's not at the tourney to score -- he has just four points, including a goal, in 39 games this season. The Finns need a lot more than the offensive services of a defensive defender.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Gets on scoresheet with assist
Rotowire
Jokiharju notched an assist in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Flames.
Jokiharju ended a 26-game point drought with the helper. The 25-year-old was in the lineup as the Sabres played with seven defensemen for the second game in a row. Jokiharju or Dennis Gilbert would check out of the lineup if the team returns to the traditional six blueliners. Jokiharju is at four points, 41 shots on net, 30 blocked shots, 29 hits and a plus-3 rating through 33 appearances this year.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Can't shake slump
Rotowire
Jokiharju's point drought reached 26 games in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Canucks.
He's been scratched 15 times during that slump. The 25-year-old blueliner is no longer a full-time part of the Sabres' lineup, and he offers mostly defensive depth when he plays. Jokiharju is stuck on three points while adding 41 shots on net, 30 blocked shots, 29 hits and a plus-3 rating over 32 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Checks back in after scratches
Rotowire
Jokiharju logged 18:42 of ice time, earning two blocked shots, two shots on goal and two PIM in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Kings.
Jokiharju was a fixture in the lineup for the first month of the Sabres' season, but he sat out six straight games from Nov. 5-16. The 25-year-old was back in the lineup Wednesday since Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) is on injured reserve and Dennis Gilbert was rotated out of the lineup after failing to impress while playing five of the six contests Jokiharju was scratched for. The uncertainty in Jokiharju's playing time takes away most of the already-minimal fantasy value he had heading into the season. The defenseman has three points, 19 shots on net, 15 blocked shots, 12 hits and a plus-6 rating through 13 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Scores game-winner Saturday
Rotowire
Jokiharju scored a goal and went plus-2 in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Panthers.
Jokiharju's second-period goal was the game-winner as well as his first point through four contests. The 25-year-old defenseman plays more of a stay-at-home role, often on the top pairing to allow Rasmus Dahlin to roam the ice. Jokiharju has added six shots on net, five blocked shots and four hits this season. He's yet to score more than four goals or produce more than 20 points in a single season.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Re-signs Friday
Rotowire
Jokiharju signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Sabres on Friday.
Jokiharju was a restricted free agent after completing his three-year, $7.5 million deal. He had three goals, 20 points, a plus-14 rating, 92 hits and 106 blocks in 74 outings in 2023-24. He'll likely serve in a top-four capacity during the upcoming campaign.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Chips in with helper
Rotowire
Jokiharju notched an assist, two shots on goal, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 5-2 win over the Devils.
Jokiharju had gone six games without a point entering Friday. He's a defensive presence in a top-four role, but that's an assignment that doesn't tend to lead to much offense. On the year, Jokiharju has 16 points, 78 shots on net, 81 hits, 96 blocked shots and a plus-14 rating through 66 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Playing Saturday
Rotowire
Jokiharju (undisclosed) will play Saturday against Tampa Bay, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.
Initially ruled a game-time decision, Jokiharju will indeed suit up Saturday when Buffalo hosts the Lightning. The 24-year-old Jokiharju has two goals and nine points through 37 games this season. He'll likely skate on the Sabres' third pairing, with Erik Johnson (upper body) ruled out.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Day-to-day
Rotowire
Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reported Friday that Jokiharju is day-to-day with general soreness.
Jokiharju partook in practice Friday, but he was a seventh defenseman. Jokiharju has averaged 19:32 of ice time in two games this week and managed seven shots on goal Monday versus San Jose. He has two goals, seven assists, 40 shots on goal, 41 hits and 45 blocked shots in 37 games this season.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Out Friday
Rotowire
Jokiharju (illness) participated in Friday's practice, but he's still expected to miss the evening's game versus Winnipeg.
Jokiharju practicing is an indication that he's close to returning, so it wouldn't be surprising if he plays Sunday against Chicago. He has two goals and seven points in 15 outings this year. When Jokiharju is ready to play, Ryan Johnson might lose his spot in the lineup.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Unavailable Tuesday
Rotowire
Jokiharju (illness) won't play Tuesday against Boston, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Jokiharju will be replaced in the lineup by Ryan Johnson. The 24-year-old Jokiharju has seven points, 18 shots on goal, 22 blocked shots and 12 hits in 15 games this season.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Produces lone goal in loss
Rotowire
Jokiharju scored a goal on two shots and blocked three shots in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Flyers.
Jokiharju saw a season-high 21:03 of ice time Friday with Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) leaving the game early. The goal was Jokiharju's first of the season to go with five assists over 11 contests. If Samuelsson misses time, Jokiharju may be one of the players to pick up extra minutes in a top-four role. The 24-year-old Jokiharju also has 19 blocked shots, 13 shots on net and a plus-5 rating while filling a stay-at-home role on the Sabres' blue line.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Gathers assist
Rotowire
Jokiharju notched an assist and blocked three shots in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Devils.
Jokiharju has quietly stepped up on offense to begin 2023-24, logging four assists over eight games. Two of his helpers have come in the last two contests. The defenseman has added seven shots on net, four hits, 10 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating while playing in a bottom-four role. His career high in points is 19 in 60 outings from 2021-22, but he could challenge that mark if he stays consistent this year.
... See More... See Less
Sabres' Henri Jokiharju: Injured Friday
Rotowire
Jokiharju (lower body) will not return to Friday's game against Columbus.
Jokiharju logged one shot with a minus-1 rating through 2:43 of ice time before exiting Friday's contest. The 23-year-old played 60 games during the 2022-23 campaign, tallying three goals, 13 points and a minus-12 rating.
