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Archives for October 2017

Vancouver Loses Stecher For Four To Six Weeks

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The Vancouver Canucks, already without Loui Eriksson and Alexander Edler long-term, have announced that Troy Stecher will be our four to six weeks with a knee injury. Stecher was injured in Sunday’s matchup with the Detroit Red Wings, putting a hold on his sophomore campaign.

This is the opposite of what the Canucks wanted this year, as they continue to develop their young core for the future. Stecher, an undrafted free agent from the University of North Dakota was a revelation for the team last year, recording 24 points in 71 games. That came in nearly 20 minutes of ice time a night, and though that number has been reduced somewhat this year he is still a big part of their plan going forward. The 23-year old defenseman is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and is due for a new deal this summer. Locking him up long-term is likely the plan, as he’ll hit free agency after just three more seasons.

The Canucks started a rebuild last year when they sold at the deadline, and though they are off to an impressive 4-3-1 start under new head coach Travis Green, they likely won’t deviate from that plan. The team brought in several free agents this summer, and could use them and other players as trade bait as the season progresses. Erik Gudbranson—a 25-year old defenseman who happens to be the same handedness as Stecher—is an unrestricted free agent this summer and doesn’t necessarily fit into their long-term plans.

Niemi Claimed By Florida; Cracknell On Waivers

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The waiver period from yesterday has come to a close, and Antti Niemi has been claimed by the Florida Panthers. Niemi was placed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday after allowing seven goals in his most recent game. Eric Fehr, Jordan Schroeder and Colin McDonald all cleared. The New York Rangers have also placed Adam Cracknell on waivers today.

Roberto Luongo is currently on injured reserve for the Panthers with a hand injury, meaning Niemi will serve as the backup for James Reimer until he’s ready to return. It’s interesting that the team would make a claim for an established backup, and likely indicates that the injury will keep Luongo out for at least a little while. The team had Harri Sateri up with the NHL club on emergency loan, but should be sent back to the AHL later today.

For Fehr, Schroeder and McDonald, clearing waivers doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the AHL. The Maple Leafs had a scare with James van Riemsdyk last night when he went awkwardly into the boards, and though he didn’t miss a shift there is no rush to move Fehr out. The veteran forward’s spot could be used to bring back Calle Rosen or call up another young forward, but placing him on waivers could have also been an attempt to increase his trade value.

Schroeder was likely ticketed for the AHL until an ankle injury sidelined Lukas Sedlak in practice yesterday. Today, Schroeder is practicing with the team in the absence of Alexander Wennberg (maintenance), and could stay with the club to provide fourth-line depth. As expected, Zac Dalpe moved into that role today but is far from a guarantee to fill it long-term.

After starting the year on season-opening injured reserve, McDonald is likely headed for the AHL as the Flyers don’t have an obvious opening for him. The only two forwards who are waiver-exempt are Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny, neither of which are going anywhere soon unless the team changes their mind on keeping Patrick past the nine game threshold—he’s currently at eight.

Cracknell is on waivers for the second time already this year, after being claimed by the Rangers from Dallas earlier this month. In four games for New York, he’s been held pointless in seven and a half minutes of ice time per night. Never expected to be much more than fourth line depth, Cracknell could still serve that purpose if he clears tomorrow.

Minnesota Confirms Back Surgery For Zach Parise

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As noted yesterday by The Athletic’s Michael Russo and now confirmed by the team, Zach Parise has undergone microdiscectomy (back) surgery and will be out for eight to ten weeks.

The surgery was to relieve a herniated disc that was causing Parise pain in his leg, and will likely keep him out through Christmas. It’s a big blow for the Wild, who were relying on Parise’s play to help them stake their claim as a Stanley Cup contender. The 33-year old is one of the most consistent offensive producers on the club, though he did take a slight step backwards last year.

Instead, the Wild will have to rely on their next wave of talent in players like Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek. While the veteran core of the team remains, Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have dealt with their own injuries this season. The club, now 2-2-2, will take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight.

With Minnesota so close to the salary cap ceiling, they will likely place Parise on long-term injured reserve to free up some of his $7.54MM contract. While they’re already in LTIR with Coyle’s deal, both are expected back at some point. Both will provide some level of relief, but the team will likely still have to remain fairly fiscally responsible in the coming weeks. By adding any new contracts, they could put themselves in an impossible situation when the pair of forwards get back on the ice.

Minor Moves: Minnesota, Vancouver, Ottawa

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More recalls as the day goes on, and teams start filling in roster pieces due to injury or inconsistent play. Here are the latest moves around the NHL.

  • The Minnesota Wild have brought up a pair of forwards to help bolster their roster, as the team recalled Justin Kloos and Luke Kunin. As we wrote earlier, there is a chance that Zach Parise undergoes surgery this week and is out long-term, but the team did welcome Mikael Granlund back to practice. Still, with Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle out the team needed reinforcements. Kunin has already been up with the team, playing in three games this year, but Kloos would be making his NHL debut if he gets into a game. The 5’9″ forward signed as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota this spring, but is a homegrown product that played his college career with the Golden Gophers.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have brought back Patrick Wiercioch and Thatcher Demko, after sending the former back down just a few days ago. With the Canucks still having two other goaltenders on the roster, the Demko recall is intriguing. Either there is an injury that hasn’t been reported, another move coming, or the Canucks are just positioning themselves as close to the cap as possible before moving players to long-term injured reserve. That would allow them to get the entire benefit, and with Alex Edler, Loui Eriksson and possibly Troy Stecher (who has flown back to Vancouver for further testing after leaving last night’s game) out long-term, the team needs some extra cap space.
  • Max McCormick has been recalled by the Ottawa Senators, presumably to help fill in for Bobby Ryan who broke his finger again in Saturday night’s victory over the Maple Leafs. Ryan will be out a month, giving some of the younger players in the Senators system a chance to show what they can do. McCormick, 25, has just 27 games of NHL experience but provides both some scoring touch and a willingness to drop his gloves. The energy forward scored 21 goals last season in the AHL in just 66 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Beau Bennett, giving the team a 13th forward on the roster. The team sent Ivan Barbashev and Samuel Blais down yesterday, giving the youngsters more ice time to develop. Bennett is still relatively young at 25, but has plenty of NHL experience already under his belt. A first-round pick of the Penguins in 2010, Bennett put up 19 points for the New Jersey Devils last season but wasn’t issued a qualifying offer this summer. The Blues’ signed him to a one-year, $650K contract but sent him to the AHL to start the year. He’ll provide some depth for the bottom-six, and try to show that he belongs in the NHL full-time.

Patrick Eaves Hospitalized, Expected To Make Full Recovery

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The Anaheim Ducks announced tonight some scary news surrounding Patrick Eaves. Eaves is currently in a hospital in Newport Beach, diagnosed with what is suspected to be Guillain-Barre syndrome. According to the Ducks press release, Eaves is expected to make a full recovery. From Eaves himself:

I want to thank Dr. Robert Watkins Sr. and Dr. Danny Benmoshe for their early diagnosis of my condition, along with the proactive Ducks medical team. Thanks to them and the incredible nurses at Hoag Hospital, I’m on the road to recovery. I’ve received tremendous amount of support over the last few days, most importantly from my family, friends and teammates. I’m determined to fully overcome this and return to the ice as soon as possible.

GBS, as the syndrome is sometimes called, is a disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system and can cause weakness, numbness in the limbs, and eventually paralysis. The disorder was caught early enough that they were able to stabilize his condition and move him out of the Intensive Care Unit. There is no timetable for his return to the team.

The 33-year old Eaves signed a new three-year contract with the Ducks in June after fitting in perfectly with them down the stretch. The team had traded for him at the deadline, and he scored 11 goals in his final 20 games to total 32 on the year—easily his career-high. He played in just two games this season, but will attempt to get back on the ice before the end of the year. Everyone here at PHR wishes him well in his recovery.

Lukas Sedlak Out Six Weeks With Ankle Injury

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will be without Lukas Sedlak for approximately six weeks after the forward suffered an ankle injury in today’s practice. Sedlak has been placed on injured reserve, while Columbus has recalled Markus Hannikainen to replace him on the roster.

While Sedlak isn’t an integral part of the Columbus offense—he’s played an average of just 9:58 through the first eight games—losing him for six weeks will continue to test their depth. The team had already been playing Nick Foligno at center this season, demonstrating the lack of depth they have at the position (or, alternatively the glut of wingers they find themselves with).

Interestingly, Jordan Schroeder was just waived today after finishing his conditioning stint and does have center ice experience in the past. He hasn’t been assigned anywhere until he clears tomorrow, and could not potentially stay as an option for the fourth line. Otherwise, Zac Dalpe could slide over or someone else could end up in that spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall DeSmith, Place Rowney On IR

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Apparently the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t want to wait to see if Antti Niemi cleared waivers or not. The team has recalled goaltender Casey DeSmith, and placed Carter Rowney on injured reserve to make room. Niemi was placed on waivers today after allowing seven goals on 32 shots.

DeSmith, 26, has slowly worked his way to the NHL through every level. Starting undrafted out of the USHL, he attended the University of New Hampshire where he dominated, helping to turn the program around and recording three straight years with a save percentage of at least .920. After being arrested for domestic assault in 2014, DeSmith was suspended for his entire senior year at UNH, and would go unsigned by any NHL team.

He’d sign a minor league deal with the Penguins in 2015, and started to work his way up through the organization. Recording solid numbers in two seasons, he earned a two-year, two-way NHL contract this summer and has been outstanding with a .965 save percentage through three games. While it’s unlikely that he’ll make a ton of starts for Pittsburgh, the team is tied for the most back-to-back matchups this season, and will need a backup goaltender to step in from time to time. If DeSmith falters, Tristan Jarry is waiting in the wings to take his place.

Snapshots: Parise, Mironov, Schroeder

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The Minnesota Wild could have some bad news to announce very soon, as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Zach Parise is considering back surgery to repair a herniated disk. The disk is giving him leg pain, and could take him out for up to two months. Russo reports the update will likely come on Tuesday.

The Wild had Mikael Granlund back in the lineup, but losing Parise for another two months would certainly hurt. Though he’s not the high-flying 45-goal man of his youth, the 33-year old forward is still a very effective two way player and a key part of the Minnesota team. Last year he recorded 42 points in 69 games, marking only the second time he hadn’t cracked 20 goals and 50 points in a non-lockout season since his rookie year. The first was a year lost completely to injury, when he tore the meniscus in his knee and needed surgery in 2010. Hopefully he doesn’t fall to a similar fate in 2017-18.

  • Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey tweets that his client Andrei Mironov will be recalled by the Colorado Avalanche today, returning him after just a few days with the San Antonio Rampage. Mironov was sent on a conditioning stint to get him into game action, since he was just sitting in the press box for the Avalanche. The Rampage had three consecutive games this weekend (all against the Texas Stars, a quirk of AHL scheduling), in which Mironov scored two points. He’ll try to get back into the Colorado lineup on a more regular basis in his first year in North America.
  • Jordan Schroeder, placed on waivers earlier today by the Columbus Blue Jackets, has also technically been recalled from his conditioning stint. Schroeder played in three games for the Cleveland Monsters, and will likely return to the AHL squad if he clears tomorrow. With him on the roster temporarily the Blue Jackets have 23 men, but are expected to activate Gabriel Carlsson from injured reserve in the next few days.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Cliff Pu To Entry-Level Contract

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The Buffalo Sabres have inked prospect Cliff Pu to a three-year, entry-level contract. Pu is currently playing for the London Knights of the OHL, where he has six points in 11 games.

Selected in the third round of the 2016 draft, Pu is the latest player to sign out of the NHL factory that is London. The junior program churns out high draft picks every year, including three first rounders (Olli Juolevi, Matthew Tkachuk and Max Jones) in 2016. Pu played with all of them, racking up 86 points a year ago.

Pu was part of the Team Canada roster at the recent World Junior Summer Showcase, and has a good chance at representing his country again this winter at the U20 tournament. He is a big, strong center that can score goals on the rush and in tight, and plays a responsible two-way game. Even in 2015-16, when the London roster was loaded with talent like Mitch Marner, Christian Dvorak and Tkachuk, the Knights relied heavily on Pu as a matchup player against some tough competition. He’s continued to progress, and should have a legitimate shot at a full-time middle-six role in the NHL.

Buffalo, who are still struggling to find an identity in the NHL look like they struck gold with Pu in the third round. They picked him coming off just a 31-point season, relying on his skill, strength and role with the Knights to project him forward. As the team continues to build towards contention with Jack Eichel and company, there are several intriguing prospects in the system. It might not be this year, but there will be some debuts before long.

Draft Pick Landscape For 2018

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The 2018 draft is shaping up to be one of the most impressive in recent memory. Though Andrei Svechnikov, a potential first-overall pick will be out for some time broken hand, there are many other top names that will intrigue come draft day. While last year’s class was deeper than some believed, and already has more impact players than expected, 2018 looks even better. There are three or four franchise-altering players, and several others that could turn into superstars in the league.

Knowing that, teams have been awfully stingy when it comes to trading away 2018 picks. For the clearest example, just take a look at the Vegas Golden Knights, who stockpiled picks in their first few months. While they came away with three 2017 first-rounders, and will pick seven times in the first three rounds of 2019, they currently hold just two picks in the first 93, with their third likely not coming until late in the fourth round (it originally belonged to Pittsburgh, who are a good bet to make the playoffs once again).

Still, there has been some movement. Below we’ll list all the team’s 2018 picks and where they’ve come from. Remember, that all non-playoff teams are entered into a lottery for the first three picks of the draft, but subsequent rounds revert to the final standings. Playoff teams are ordered slightly differently, but the Stanley Cup winner and finalists will have the last two picks.

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