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Snapshots: Bear, Norris, Danforth, Australia

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On the topic of young defensemen expected to be dealt, it’s Jakob Chychrun’s name that comes up more times than not and given his talent, that’s not unfair. However, another young defenseman that could be dealt is that of  Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Ethan Bear. Perhaps not the talent Chychrun is, Bear is a solid player in his own right, but has had his share of issues in regards to getting in the lineup and overall playing time since the Hurricanes acquired him from the Edmonton Oilers for forward Warren Foegele in the summer of 2021.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on tonight’s 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada, a decision on Bear could be coming soon. Bear, who hasn’t played a game yet this season, wants to play, says Friedman, but the team has been unable to find a trade they like. According to Friedman, interested teams have asked Carolina to retain a certain percentage of Bear’s salary cap in order to create a trade package to the Hurricanes’ liking. Carolina, in turn, has told teams that they don’t plan to retain any cap given the fact that their reason for dealing Bear would not be at all cap related. Ultimately, as relayed by Friedman, the situation is expected to resolve itself shortly. It would seem at this point, if Carolina cannot get a better offer for the defenseman, their options would be to accept an offer they think is under-valued, put Bear on waivers, play him, or continue to scratch him, potentially doing harm to the relationship.

  • Earlier this afternoon, Ottawa Senators forward Joshua Norris left their game against the Arizona Coyotes after appearing to injure his arm off the faceoff. Norris immediately left the ice in pain and appeared to throw his stick in the hallway. After the game, no update was offered on the injury itself, and that is still the case this evening. However, Friedman did say on 32 Thoughts that the plan was for Norris to have an MRI once the swelling in his arm went down. No update thus far could be seen as a bit concerning, but an MRI should give more clear results and lead to a timeline once complete.
  • Also on the injury front, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth left tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and will not return, the team announced. What exactly the nature of the injury is remains unclear; Danforth had played regular shifts throughout the first period, but did not return for the second period. The forward had three points in five games coming into tonight.
  • An interesting note on international NHL showcases was brought up tonight on 32 Thoughts. It appears the league is exploring the possibility of playing games in Australia, perhaps as soon as sometime next season. The league plans to have a site survey shortly and would like to have a few games there if possible. Although the league has greatly expanded its outreach into international markets, heading to Australia is intriguing given its status as a non-traditional market.

Injury Notes: Chychrun, Brossoit, Cernak, Laviolette

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As last season’s Jakob Chychrun trade speculation was reaching its peak just as the trade deadline approached, the air was seemingly sucked out of the trade rumors when Chychrun went down in a game against the Boston Bruins on March 12th. After the injury, perhaps without the offer they were looking for to deal the defenseman, the Arizona Coyotes hung onto Chychrun. Many thought he would then be dealt at the NHL Draft this summer, but that and the rest of the offseason had come and gone and Chychrun was still a member of the Coyotes. Several games into this season, the hockey world is awaiting Chychrun’s return from injury, many believing trade talks will once again heat up when the defenseman returns and shows he is fully healthy.

When exactly Chychrun would be returning had remained a mystery, but with the defenseman joining the team on their Canadian road trip, his return seemed fairly imminent. That may not be true though, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Instead, says Morgan, Chychrun will not play on this road trip, which concludes with a game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Chychrun won’t return for “a bit” Morgan adds, and is considered week-to-week.

  • When the news broke that Robin Lehner would miss the entire 2022-23 season, the Vegas Golden Knights goaltending situation, and ultimately their season, was heavily doubted. Thus far, the 4-1-0 Golden Knights have received more than solid goaltending from rookie Logan Thompson and the recently acquired Adin Hill, and that is without veteran netminder Laurent Brossoit, who is still recovering from injury. A return timetable for Brossoit was unclear heading into the season, though not expected to be long-term. His return is still unclear though, says the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster. Brossoit has not been cleared for any contact, but is progressing well and will be re-evaluated on November 1st, Webster reports.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not play tonight when the Lightning take on the New York Islanders at home, the team says. Cernak has played in all five of Tampa’s games thus far.
  • Washington Capitals Head Coach Peter Laviolette will be behind the bench for tonight’s game, confirms Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. The Washington bench boss had been a game-time decision with a non-COVID illness. The Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings at home tonight.

New York Islanders Activate Sebastian Aho, Assign Robin Salo To AHL

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The New York Islanders announced this afternoon that they have activated defenseman Sebastian Aho off of IR. In a corresponding move, defenseman Robin Salo has been assigned to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL. Newsday’s Andrew Gross was the first to report the transaction.

Given that the Islanders had 23 men on their roster prior to activating Aho, someone would have to go, and with Salo being waiver-exempt, he was clearly a logical choice. Interestingly though, the team has been carrying fifteen forwards and six defensemen, leaving little margin for error should a last-minute injury present itself, especially with the team on the road.

Of note, coming out of training camp, it appeared that Salo had won the competition for the third-pair, left-defense spot over Aho and other competitors like Paul Ladue and Grant Hutton. In fact, on opening night, Salo played while Aho was a healthy scratch. But, when the team activated Cal Clutterbuck off of IR on October 15th, they placed Aho on IR in response. Despite being placed on IR, Aho continued to skate with the team that day. When Aho does lace them up for New York, it’ll mark his fourth NHL season since his debut in 2017-18. The puck-moving Aho has had trouble establishing himself as a full-time NHLer thus far in his career, but did manage to get into a career-high 36 games last season in the NHL, recording 12 points.

Some may be surprised to see Salo sent down after seeming to win a regular job with the Islanders out of camp, then having a strong start to the regular season, including a two-goal game against the Anaheim Ducks last weekend. But, to that end, Gross speculates that this is merely a paper transaction, considering Salo traveled with the team to Tampa.

Latest On Patrik Laine

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The Columbus Blue Jackets got some tough news last week when star winger Patrik Laine sustained an elbow sprain in the team’s season opener and had to be moved to injured reserve immediately. Fortunately, though, it seems his three-to-four-week recovery timeline is still right on schedule, if not a bit ahead. The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reported today that Laine skated on his own in full gear for the past two days at the team’s practice facility. Hedger also noted the Finnish star is confident he’ll be ready to play by the first week of November when the Blue Jackets travel to Finland to play a set of games against the Colorado Avalanche.

That’s obviously a huge deal for Laine personally, but also the league, as Laine is the most marketable hometown player who’ll skate in the back-to-back set of games in Tampere. Laine hails directly from Tampere, and while his Avalanche counterpart in Mikko Rantanen may have more publicity overall, there’s nothing like getting to see one of your town’s best-ever hockey products play an NHL game on home soil.

A quick return from Laine is also crucial for Columbus’ playoff hopes. While Johnny Gaudreau has held up his end of the bargain, recording four points in his first four games as a Blue Jacket, their lack of quality offensive depth has been exposed by Laine’s injury. Minor-league and European league journeyman Justin Danforth was the team’s first option to replace Laine on the top line, which is obviously a less-than-ideal situation.

Jakub Vrana Placed In NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program

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As announced today by the NHL, Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana has been placed in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Vrana will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time while he receives care as prescribed and overseen by the program.

Vrana will return to game action for Detroit when he is cleared for on-ice competition by the program’s administrators, according to the release.

26 years old, Vrana is entering his second full season with the Red Wings. The Prague-born forward had a goal and an assist in his first two games with Detroit this year after he missed 56 games last season with a shoulder injury.

PHR sends its best wishes to Vrana while he gets the help he needs.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Allen, Ingham

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The St. Louis Blues could be without an impact piece tonight when they visit the Seattle Kraken. Top-six winger Pavel Buchnevich left the ice early during their morning skate today and will be a game-time decision tonight with a lower-body injury, according to head coach Craig Berube.

The Blues were one of the last teams to open their season and, as a result, have only played one game so far. Buchnevich was one of their best players in a road outing against Columbus, though, notching a goal and an assist and leading the team with a +3 rating. The Russian winger is coming off a gargantuan season in which he broke the point-per-game plateau for the first time, scoring 76 points in 73 games. If Buchnevich can’t go, the team would either replace him in the lineup with Josh Leivo or dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, getting Calle Rosen in for his season debut.

  • Goalie Jake Allen will return to the Montreal Canadiens crease tomorrow night after welcoming the birth of his third daughter. Allen is expected to get his third start of the season against the Arizona Coyotes, who are coming off an impressive 4-2 win in Toronto. The 32-year-old Canadian has a sparkling .943 save percentage through two games this season, his third as a Canadien.
  • A top goalie prospect for the Los Angeles Kings is set to undergo surgery. Mayor’s Manor’s John Hoven reports that Jacob Ingham had back surgery yesterday and is expected to be out for five to six months. It’s a tough blow for Ingham, who’s played sparingly in both the AHL and ECHL over the past two seasons since turning pro. The Kings selected him in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Minnesota Wild Sign Michael Milne

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The Minnesota Wild have inked another prospect, signing Michael Milne to a three-year entry-level contract. The third-round draft pick had been with the Iowa Wild on an amateur tryout but now will be assigned there on his new NHL deal.

Milne is eligible for the AHL despite being drafted this summer as he was an overage pick who turned 20 in September. He was incredibly effective in the WHL last season, scoring 38 goals and 81 points in 68 games. Sometimes he even seemed like the most dangerous player on the ice, an impressive feat on a team that also boasted top picks Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie.

His off-the-rush scoring ability was nearly unmatched, and Milne will now have to find a way to translate that offense to the professional level. He’s already done enough to earn an entry-level deal, now he’ll need to focus on developing and improving his all-around game before being considered for the Wild roster.

With two first-round picks, two seconds, and what looks like a tidy third-round selection in Milne, the 2022 draft class is shaping up to be a nice one for the Wild. Add that to a 2021 class that also had two firsts (including Milne’s younger Winnipeg teammate Carson Lambos, in an interesting wrinkle), and a pair of previous first-rounders in Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi that look like hits, and the Minnesota pipeline is starting to look pretty impressive.

Matt Kiersted, Seth Barton Activated From Season-Opening Injured Reserve

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A pair of defensemen have been activated from season-opening injured reserve (SOIR) and are headed to their respective teams’ AHL affiliates. The Florida Panthers have assigned Matt Kiersted to the Charlotte Checkers, per CapFriendly, and the Detroit Red Wings have assigned Seth Barton to the Grand Rapids Griffins, per the team.

Season-opening injured reserve is generally used for players who did not make the team out of training camp, but can’t be involved in any NHL to AHL transactions due to their injured status.

Kiersted, 24, is a candidate to find himself back in the NHL sooner rather than later given the organization’s weak defensive depth. An undrafted free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2021, Kiersted’s appeared in 17 NHL games over the past two seasons, registering a goal and an assist and averaging 14:31 per night. He had 20 points in 63 games with the Checkers last season in his first professional campaign, and he’s destined to play a top-four role again there when not on the NHL roster.

Barton was a third-round selection by the Red Wings in 2018. He’s entering his second full professional campaign after spending three seasons at UMass-Lowell from 2018 to 2021 and recorded six points in 20 AHL games during his rookie campaign with the Griffins in 2021-22. It’ll be a struggle for playing time in Grand Rapids, which now boasts some of the team’s top defense prospects such as Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, and Eemil Viro. A return to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, where Barton played five games last season, could be in the cards.

Buffalo Sabres Activate Riley Sheahan

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The Buffalo Sabres have activated F Riley Sheahan off injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.

Sheahan suffered a muscular injury during training camp and was originally classified as day-to-day, but the injury was severe enough to warrant placing him on injured reserve to begin the season. It did open up a roster spot for both Jack Quinn and John-Jason Peterka to make the opening night roster, though.

Interestingly enough, the Sabres opted not to send either of them down to make room for Sheahan on the active roster. Quinn and Peterka do not require waivers, and Quinn is a healthy scratch for tonight’s game after a somewhat rough start to the year. Instead, the team opted to waive Anders Bjork, who had not played yet this season. He passed through today unclaimed.

Sheahan returns to the Sabres organization after spending the 2020-21 season there, where he recorded 13 points in 53 games. Signed to a two-way contract in August, it’s unclear how long Sheahan will be on the team’s NHL roster before he too gets exposed to the waiver wire.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Martin Kaut

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After failing to make the team out of camp, a highly-drafted Colorado Avalanche prospect is getting another chance with the big club. The team announced today they’ve recalled F Martin Kaut from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, hours after waiving Lukas Sedlak and sending down Ben Meyers.

The 16th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft has yet to make a significant NHL impact, recording just two goals and an assist across 20 games spread over the past three seasons. Kaut started his AHL season strong this year, though, recording three points through his first two games.

With Sedlak and Meyers out of the picture (for now), there appears to be a fit for Kaut in the team’s top-nine forward group at the moment, allowing the Avalanche to bump one of Andrew Cogliano or Logan O’Connor back to a more comfortable fourth-line role. With Gabriel Landeskog’s and Darren Helm’s injuries affecting their offensive depth, another goal-scorer in the picture gives their roster a more well-rounded look.

Kaut had 19 goals, 12 assists, and 31 points in 46 games with the Eagles in 2021-22.

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