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Florida Panthers Recall Zac Dalpe, Matt Kiersted

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The Florida Panthers recalled center Zac Dalpe and defenseman Matt Kiersted from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on Monday, according to the AHL’s transactions log.

Florida is taking advantage of some added and much-needed roster flexibility created by Patric Hornqvist heading for long-term injured reserve. With some players out for just a handful of games at a time and the team pressed up against the salary cap, the Panthers had dressed fewer than 18 skaters at times in recent weeks and were relying on $0 emergency recalls to have a full roster.

Dalpe heads up to restore Florida’s number of healthy forwards on the active roster to 12. Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell are both day-to-day with an illness and upper-body injury, respectively, which forced them to ice 11 forwards and six defensemen in their last game.

If neither Barkov nor Lundell can return tomorrow, the Panthers will take on Winnipeg with Dalpe in the lineup. A veteran of 154 NHL games and the Checkers’ captain, Dalpe suited up once for Florida last season and has 10 goals in 19 games to lead Charlotte in 2022-23.

Kiersted, an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota two years ago, has appeared in 27 NHL games for Florida over the past three seasons. He’s had a rough start in the minors, notching just one assist in 12 games with the Checkers, and has a -6 rating. He comes to the roster as insurance, expected to be a healthy scratch unless the Panthers suffer additional injuries to their defense corps.

Florida Panthers Recall Chris Tierney On Emergency Basis

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Chris Tierney may finally be getting his chance to return to the NHL, as the Florida Panthers announced they’ve recalled the forward from the Charlotte Checkers on an emergency basis. No corresponding move was made, but the recall comes a day after the team was forced to play a man short when Anton Lundell was ruled out with an upper-body injury. Florida’s next game comes Tuesday evening in Winnipeg against the Jets.

Last night wasn’t the first time the Panthers were forced to play a man down and is the result of a somewhat risky strategy of carrying a roster of just 18 skaters and two goaltenders most of the time. This strategy isn’t a new analytical experiment or something of the kind, but is instead forced due to the Panthers’ tight cap situation, using nearly all of their available LTIR space before adding in reinforcements.

Because Florida played a man short last game, they’re able to recall Tierney on an emergency basis without carrying his cap hit, per CapFriendly. Tierney will now give Florida an extra skater for Tuesday’s game in the case that Lundell cannot play, or at least someone to draw in should a similar situation present itself.

As for Tierney, the veteran forward signed a one-year, two-way contract with Florida this summer for the league minimum after the Ottawa Senators failed to re-sign him. Once an exciting young piece of the San Jose Sharks, Tierney was dealt in the Erik Karlsson trade and hit a career-high in points with 48 in his first year with Ottawa before seeing his production steadily slip year after year. This will be Tierney’s first time back on an NHL roster since last season, and he’s earned his recall, recording 16 points in 19 AHL games thus far.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Charles Hudon

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The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Charles Hudon, the team announced. No other corresponding move was made, though it does come on the heels of forward Artturi Lehkonen’s injury that forced him to leave last night’s game. While there was no other move announced, this would seem to bring their roster over the 23-man limit, meaning that another transaction could come shortly. After placing defenseman Josh Manson on IR yesterday, the team had recalled defenseman Andreas Englund on an emergency basis.

Following a run to the Stanley Cup last season, Colorado’s injury woes have been a well-documented story so far in this young campaign, which seems to be compounded each day. At the very least, Hudon is no stranger to the NHL and should slot in nicely as a veteran presence, even if he can’t replace one of the several top-six forwards the team has lost.

The 28-year-old Hudon is a former Montreal Canadiens draft pick and veteran of 125 NHL games, all with Montreal, though none since 2019-20. His best season came back in 2017-18, where the forward scored 10 goals to go with 20 assists in 72 games. The Quebec native was off to a strong start to this season with the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, with 16 points in 20 games. Given all of their injuries, especially up front, the Avalanche will need Hudon to bring some of that magic up with him to help keep the team in the hunt.

Jacob Bryson Returns To Buffalo Sabres Lineup

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A day after announcing that the defenseman could be back in the lineup as soon as today, the Buffalo Sabres confirmed that Jacob Bryson will return to the lineup tonight when the team hosts the San Jose Sharks. Bryson will take the place of Lawrence Pilut on the blueline this evening. Bryson has missed the previous four Sabres games with a lower-body injury, last playing on November 23rd.

It’s no secret that Bryson has struggled so far this season, tallying six points in 20 games with his ice time decreasing steadily throughout, down overall from last season, and a -13 rating telling a good deal of the story. Still, Buffalo has had to deal with a bevy of injuries this season, primarily on the blueline, so getting an NHL defenseman back healthy is good news no matter who it is.

Even with Bryson’s struggles this season, the 25-year-old has shown the ability to be a capable NHL defenseman in the past and a closer look at his numbers does show positive signs that his game hasn’t completely gone away. For one, although his possession metrics aren’t superb, a 45.3 Corsi and 44.2 Fenwick, it is worth noting that 56.2% of his starts have been in the defensive zone.

Additionally, Bryson’s 10 takeaways compared to his three giveaways mark the first time in his career he’s taken the puck away more than he’s given it. Both of those are also on track to be career bests, at least on a per-game basis. The defenseman has also blocked 31 shots already in just 20 games, another number on track to be a career best.

It’s no secret there’s work to be done for Bryson, but coming back after a short time away could help to act as a reset, even if just on a mental basis, for a player Buffalo might be able to use as a part of it’s future plans on what is fast becoming an elite blueline.

Snapshots: Voracek, Capitals Goalies, Vegas Injuries

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Just this Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced injury updates on a number of players, including forward Jakub Voracek, who has been battling lingering effects of a concussion suffered early this season. With that announcement, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen clarified that Voracek did not necessarily have a timetable and that the team was going to give him time to see if his symptoms subsided before a return to the ice was considered. Today, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline published a more in-depth look at Voracek’s situation, speaking personally with Kekalainen on the expectations around the veteran winger, and things may look worse than they had seemed at first.

The executive acknowledged to Portzline that Voracek may very well be looking at an earlier retirement than expected. Kekalainen added “I’m more worried about him having a normal life.” Lingering concussion issues are always a serious concern for any player and team in whatever sport it may be, however the original news that the team was giving him time away appeared to be more of a long-term injury concern. With today’s report though, it seems a return to the ice might not even be a guarantee. Voracek, 33, is a veteran of 15 NHL seasons including this one, five as a Blue Jacket and 11 as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

  • The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, announced this afternoon that they’ve signed goaltender Justin Kapelmaster to a PTO ahead of their game today. Normally, we’d put this news in a Minor Transactions piece, however NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti makes an interesting observation with impact on the Capitals. As Gulitti writes, the PTO could mean that one of Hershey’s goaltenders is headed to Edmonton to meet the Capitals after starting netminder Darcy Kuemper left last night’s game with an upper-body injury. Washington currently has Zachary Fucale and Hunter Shepard under contract and playing for the Bears, along with Charlie Lindgren already on the NHL roster.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced, via head coach Bruce Cassidy, that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will miss tomorrow night’s game in Boston against the Bruins, while forward Jack Eichel will be a game-time decision. Pietrangelo has missed the last three games for Vegas for undisclosed personal reasons, last playing November 26th. While the reason for the absence isn’t any clearer than that, Vegas does return home after Monday’s game, which may be a preferred time for the defenseman to rejoin the team, as opposed to meeting them on the opposite coast for the one game. As to Eichel, the nature of his absence is still unclear.

Vancouver Canucks Activate Jack Studnicka

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Earlier this evening, the Vancouver Canucks announced they have activated forward Jack Studnicka off of IR. No corresponding move was announced, and with Studnicka bringing the roster to a complete 23 players, no move was needed. Vancouver will host the Arizona Coyotes this evening.

Although the Canucks seem to have some other big pictures issues to deal with when it comes to turning their season around, such as Brock Boeser’s production and Thatcher Demko’s performance, and now injury, getting Studnicka back to health and rounding out the team’s depth is surely welcomed. The forward has just a goal and an assist so far this season in eight games, seven of which have come with Vancouver, but the once highly-touted prospect does have a knack for offense, turning in 35 points in 41 games at the AHL level last year. Getting some level of that production out of the winger at the NHL level would be much welcomed at this point in the season.

The 23-year-old was originally a second-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins back in 2017 and while he had played in parts of four seasons with Boston, he was never able to settle in as a regular contributor. Boston dealt him to Vancouver back in late October for goaltender Michael DiPietro and defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg.

Evening Notes: Zetterlund, Boqvist, Lehkonen, 2024 All Star Game

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The New Jersey Devils remarkable season is becoming more and more real each day. At first a nice story, then a “prove it,” then “what next,” the 19-4-1 Devils now sit among the NHL’s most elite teams this season with little evidence they’re slowing down. The team had another busy offseason, however the bulk of the talent on the roster isn’t much different than the same group that put up just 63 points last season. One of the several changes that has seemingly turned the tide in New Jersey is the development of some of their less-heralded prospects, including forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Jesper Boqvist.

As the Devils’ own Amanda Stein profiles, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff recently pulled both players aside and informed them that they should “get a place.” In other words, the two had been living in the team hotel in New Jersey without a permanent home, neither considered a firm part of the roster. However, a player being told to find a more permanent living situation implies that their spot on the roster is fairly safe. New Jersey had certainly hoped that both players could be a part of the long-term plan for them, however neither had really secured that status just yet. Now, 24 games into the season entering tonight, the Devils have found a winning recipe, and while it includes big names like Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, it’s also quite clearly been impacted as well by players like Boqvist and Zetterlund.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have had to weather more than their fair share of injuries this year and much to their credit, the reigning Cup champions have been able to keep themselves in playoff position despite the injuries. However, the team was dealt another tough blow during tonight’s contest against the Boston Bruins with winger Artturi Lehkonen leaving the game with an undisclosed injury, says Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater. Acquired at last season’s trade deadline, Lehkonen has fit in well during his time in Colorado and is currently enjoying a phenomenal breakout season, tallying seven goals to go with 11 assists in 21 games coming into tonight.
  • With the postponement of the 2024 World Cup of Hockey, the NHL will need to find a host for their All Star Game and of course, won’t have an issue finding interested parties. On this evening’s 32 Thoughts portion of Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that there is expected to be a good amount of interest in hosting from Canadian teams, with Toronto being one that is expected to make a bid. Friedman added that there are some who have wondered if the NHL would consider a rotation of 7-to-10 cities where players may want to travel to during the winter months (presumably the warm climates of the American south and the west coast), but as Friedman adds, that’s not of interest to the league. The last All Star Game to be held north of the border was Ottawa back in 2012, with Montreal in 2009 before it.

Injury Notes: Grant, Kyrou, Chytil

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The Anaheim Ducks were able to get a point out of today’s shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, but didn’t come out unharmed it seems. Veteran forward Derek Grant suffered a lower-body injury during the game and was ruled out for the remainder, said Anaheim. Grant, 32, is currently in his third stint as a member of the Ducks, but has seemed to really settle in, now in his third straight season without being moved.

The forward hit a career-high 29 points last season and has three points in 14 games to begin this season. While he might not be the impact scorer for Anaheim like Trevor Zegras is, his steady two-way game and veteran presence is one the Ducks surely don’t want to be without for too long. The Ducks were already without Grant for 10 games this season, missing most of the month of November.

  • Per a team announcement, St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou will be out of the lineup tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a non-COVID related illness. Of course, this isn’t good news per se, however the reasoning being illness over a serious injury is a silver lining, as St. Louis cannot afford to be without their star forward for very long. Taking his place in the lineup is forward William Bitten, who was recalled from the AHL earlier today. Also in the lineup is forward Brayden Schenn, who has been battling a lingering injury. Interestingly, while this will be game number one in the NHL for Bitten, it also marks game number 800 in the league for Schenn.
  • According to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, New York Rangers center Filip Chytil is not taking warmups this evening ahead of the team’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, as he’s dealing with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear how Chytil suffered the injury, but fortunately for the Rangers, it appears he’s considered just day-to-day. Chytil currently has 11 points in 19 games so far this season, one that’s quickly becoming a breakout affair for the 23-year-old.

St. Louis Blues Recall William Bitten

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The St. Louis Blues announced this afternoon that they’ve recalled forward William Bitten from the Springfield Thunderbirds, their AHL affiliate. No corresponding moves were announced, though Jake Neighbours’ assignment to the AHL yesterday did open a spot on the roster. Bitten’s recall brings the Blues to a complete 23-man roster.

The 24-year-old Bitten has had a solid season thus far, tied for the team lead with eight goals for Springfield through 20 games after spending time in training camp with St. Louis earlier this year. This is not Bitten’s first season in the Blues organization, getting into 45 games with the Thunderbirds last year as well after a midseason trade. Should he play while recalled, it would mark his NHL debut.

A third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2016, Bitten bounced around in his OHL career, spending time with the Plymouth Whalers, Flint Firebirds, and Hamilton Bulldogs. Just before he was set to make his professional debut, Montreal dealt him to the Minnesota Wild, where he spent parts of four seasons in the AHL before being dealt to St. Louis nearly a year ago.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Phillip Di Giuseppe

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Nov 30: With Mikheyev fully back in the fold, Vancouver returned Di Giuseppe to Abbotsford Wednesday night, per the team.

Nov 29: After opting to waive him over a month ago, the Vancouver Canucks are bringing forward Phillip Di Giuseppe back up to the NHL. General manager Patrik Allvin announced his recall from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks Tuesday night.

Di Giuseppe comes to the NHL to potentially relieve Ilya Mikheyev, who could miss tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals with an illness. Both Di Giuseppe and Mikheyev were on the ice for warmups ahead of the game.

Now 29, Di Giuseppe is in his second year with the Canucks organization. He’s yet to score a goal this season in Abbotsford but does have five assists through seven games after approaching a point-per-game pace last season.

He has 201 games of NHL experience split between Carolina, Nashville, and the New York Rangers, and his a capable fourth-line plug-in when required.

As he has not spent more than 30 days on an NHL roster since clearing, Di Giuseppe will not require waivers again when the team opts to return him to Abbotsford.

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