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Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Chytil, Raanta, Ovechkin

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Pittsburgh’s recent recall of Louis Domingue may have raised some eyebrows as adding a third goaltender to the roster usually means there’s an injury.  However, that’s not the case for the Penguins, reports Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Instead, starting goaltender Tristan Jarry didn’t travel with the team to Ottawa and won’t be in uniform against the Sens as they’ve elected to not have him travel to give him some extra rest but he’s expected to suit up for the Penguins tomorrow night in Washington.  At that point, blueliners Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel will also be available to return after being re-added to COVID protocols yesterday for cross-border travel reasons, not another positive test.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers center Filip Chytil is expected to miss his second straight game tonight versus Columbus as he works his way back from an upper-body injury, notes Mollie Walker of the New York Post. However, it doesn’t appear as if he’ll be out much longer as he skated for a half-hour before practice on Friday which suggests he’s close to returning.  The 22-year-old has two goals and an assist in 12 games this season.
  • Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta has resumed skating as he works his way back from a concussion, relays Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer (Twitter link). The veteran suffered the injury a week ago today against Florida in just his second game of the season.
  • Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin’s goal last night against Columbus moved him into fourth all-time in NHL scoring with 742 tallies. Next up for him to catch is Jaromir Jagr who sits 24 ahead of Washington’s captain.  Ovechkin is off to a hot start to his season with 12 goals and 12 assists in just 14 games.

AHL Shuffle: 11/13/21

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As always, Saturday is a very busy day in the NHL with 26 teams set to play.  Accordingly, there should be plenty of roster movement throughout the day which we’ll keep track of here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Maxence Guenette along with winger Andrew Agozzino from AHL Belleville. The recalls leave Ottawa with no more healthy blueliners in the minors to recall.  The Sens currently have three rearguards in COVID protocol with Nikita Zaitsev being cleared today while Artem Zub and Erik Brannstrom both suffered injuries earlier this week.  Later in the day, the Sens returned Guenette to Belleville to make room on the roster for center Shane Pinto who was activated off IR.
  • The Panthers have sent defenseman Olli Juolevi to Charlotte of the AHL on a conditioning stint, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 23-year-old was acquired from Vancouver in training camp but has yet to make his debut due to an undisclosed injury.  The conditioning stint can last up to three games.

Metropolitan Division

  • Just days after posting his first career NHL shutout, Capitals goaltender Zach Fucale is heading back to AHL Hershey, per a team announcement.  The 26-year-old – who was the first goalie in franchise history to record a shutout in his debut – has a 1.73 GAA with a .933 SV% with the Bears this season.  Fucale’s demotion suggests that Vitek Vanecek is ready to return from the upper-body injury that caused him to miss the last two games.

Central Division

  • The Predators announced that they have recalled forward Cole Smith from AHL Milwaukee while sending winger Rocco Grimaldi down to the Admirals.  Smith made his NHL debut last season and has three goals and three assists in nine minor league contests this season.  As for Grimaldi, he cleared waivers on Friday after being held off the scoresheet in his five games with Nashville this season and will look to get back on track with Milwaukee.
  • The Stars are recalling goaltender Jake Oettinger from AHL Texas, reports Saad Yousuf of The Athletic (Twitter link).  Braden Holtby is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury that has been lingering since training camp so Oettinger will serve as the backup for Dallas for the time being.

Pacific Division

 

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Ottawa’s Erik Brannstrom Suffers Broken Hand

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It’s almost becoming comical at this point. On Thursday, the Ottawa Senators placed top-four defenseman Nikita Zaitsev in COVID Protocol, where he joined fellow defensemen Josh Brown, Victor Mete, and Nick Holden. Later that night, fellow top-four defender Artem Zub was knocked out of Ottawa’s match-up with the Los Angeles Kings with an upper-body injury. Now, just 24 hours later, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that young defenseman Erik Brannstrom suffered a broken hand in last night’s game as well and is out indefinitely.

It was just the second game of the season for Brannstrom, 22, who has still been trying to carve out a role for himself with the Senators. It could explain why Brannstrom not only played the whole game on Sunday, but skated in an abnormally high 18:56, perhaps trying to impress his coaches who were already short on blue line options. Whether this had any impact on the extent of the injury remains unknown. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch follows up on Dreger’s report by adding that the Senators are currently waiting for a determination on whether Brannstrom will need surgery or not. He believes that the blue liner will miss at least two months. It’s a critical setback for the 2017 first-round pick, who has not yet played up to expectations despite ample opportunity in Ottawa.

It will be hard for the Senators and their fans to focus on the long-term damage of the Brannstrom injury though when the short-term impact is so immense. The loss of Brannstrom on top of Zub plus the current COVID absences leaves the Senators with just seven healthy defenseman in the pro ranks, only four of whom are currently in the NHL. Fortunately, workhorse No. 1 defenseman Thomas Chabot is among the living, but the depth falls off immensely behind him. Veteran utility defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who has played in just six games this season, is the next best option, while the other two healthy NHLers are Dillon Heatherington, who made his season debut on Thursday, and Lassi Thomson, who made his NHL debut on Thursday. In Belleville, top prospect Jacob Bernard-Docker is almost a guaranteed recall before the Senators game on Saturday and an unheralded player such as Jonathan Aspirot or Maxence Guenette will likely receive the call as well. In turn, Belleville will have to load up on loans and tryouts in order to get by without their own defenders. The entire Senators organization needs their defense to get healthy as soon as possible.

Minor Transactions: 11/12/21

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Early November is not exactly a prime time for transactions – trades, signings, and loans alike – but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any at all. In fact, a few notable players are on the move, all from different levels and for different reasons.

  • Cody Goloubef and the Ottawa Senators can’t seem to stay away from one another. The veteran defenseman, an Ontario native, was first acquired by the Senators in a trade with the Boston Bruins in 2018-19. He re-signed with the club for the the 2019-20 season, though he was dealt away to Detroit late in the year. Goloubef then turned around and signed another one-year deal with Ottawa and served as a veteran leader for AHL Belleville last season. After 29 NHL games and 61 AHL games with the organization over the past three years, Goloubef did not re-sign with the team this summer and seemed that he could either be heading elsewhere or perhaps retiring. As it turns out, the answer was neither. Goloubef has signed a PTO with Belleville, the club announced, and that may just be the beginning. Given the ongoing depth issues that the Senators entire system is facing on the blue line, Goloubef could just be getting his legs under him in the AHL before signing with Ottawa. Either way, this tryout seems to be a precursor to yet another contract with the Senators. Goloubef, 31, has a decade of pro experience, including 160 NHL games, not to mention Olympic experience, so the club could do far worse with an in-season signing.
  • By all accounts, Daniel D’Amato is not officially a Vegas Golden Knights prospect, but the team is treating him like one. D’Amato was a training camp standout for the Knights this fall, but left both Vegas and Henderson camps without a contract, returning to the OHL’s Erie Otters. Yet, after a strong start to his junior season with seven points in 11 games, D’Amato was suddenly making his pro debut last knight for the AHL’s Silver Knights. With some reports calling this a call-up but no record of a contract, it remains unclear under what conditions D’Amato has joined the Knights organization. What is certain is that the club likes the two-way winger and he could be in play for an entry-level contract before too long.
  • Nico Gross was once considered an up-and-coming NHL prospect. The Swiss defenseman was a standout on the international stage and impressed by making the jump from the Swiss juniors to the OHL and producing right away. The New York Rangers used a fourth-round pick on the talented blue liner in 2018 and at the time it was regarded as a high-ceiling selection. However, by 2020 Gross had flatlined in his development and the Rangers opted not to extend him an entry-level contract. Despite some speculation that perhaps another team might sign him, Gross returned to Switzerland and signed a two-year deal with powerhouse NLA club EV Zug in 2020. This was considered a safe play with the 2020-21 AHL season in doubt and Gross needing consistent ice time at 21. Again though, the young defenseman has failed to improve. Rather than using two years in Europe to prepare for another run at the NHL, Gross has done little through 64 games and was even demoted for nine games last season. The team clearly still believes in his potential, as Gross has signed a two-year extension, the team announced. What the move really says though is that Gross does not believe he can land a deal in North America and it’s starting to seem like maybe he never will.

Sabres’ Lawrence Pilut Signs KHL Extension

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If there was any hope of a reunion between the Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Lawrence Pilut, it just took a major hit. The 25-year-old defenseman has signed a one-year contract extension in the KHL that will keep him with Traktor Chelyabinsk through the 2022-23 season. The Sabres will lose their rights to Pilut during that season, as he turns 27 in December 2022 and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023.

Pilut once looked like he could be a long-term fixture on the Buffalo blue line and there were undoubtedly some that hoped he might find his way back. Pilut was an undrafted prospect out of Sweden who the Sabres scooped up in 2018 after several impressive season in the SHL. In fact, he was the SHL’s Defenseman of the Year in his final season in Sweden, leading all defenders with 38 points in 52 games – and did all of this at the age of 23. He transitioned immediately into an NHL role in 2018-19, playing in 33 NHL games versus 30 AHL games. He only recorded six points as a rookie, but notched 26 in the minors where he continued to look like a promising offense defenseman. Instead of taking a step forward in the second – and final – year of his entry-level contract, Pilut instead skated in only 13 games with the Sabres and was held scoreless.

While neither side was likely happy with Pilut’s 2019-20 campaign, the Sabres still made the RFA rearguard a qualifying offer and attempted to re-sign him (or at least keep him from an NHL competitor). Pilut opted to return to Europe rather than stay in Buffalo, inking a two-year deal with Traktor, but it did not seem like the relationship between the two sides was irreparably damaged. After Pilut enjoyed a strong debut season in the KHL last year, recording 28 points and setting a franchise record for blocked shots, it seemed the Sabres would be clamoring to bring him back.

Instead, Pilut seems to have other plans. Staying in Chelyabinsk for an extra year will take him to unrestricted free agency and he will have his pick of a new NHL home, assuming he continues to play at the same high level in Russia. A two-time AHL All-Star with high-end scoring ability and good defensive skills, who will have seasoned in arguably the second-best league in the world for a few years, Pilut will be an intriguing free agent option, especially at just 27. While there is no guarantee he ends up back in the NHL, it does seem unlikely that he winds up back in Buffalo if that is the case.

Jack Eichel Undergoes Surgery

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After months and months of waiting, Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel has finally undergone surgery. The artificial disk replacement procedure was completed today by Dr. Chad Prusmack, according to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, and early reports are that it went well.

Eichel now faces a rehabilitation timeline that he has suggested could be as short as three months but is uncertain at this point because of the surgery in question. The procedure had never been done on an NHL player before Eichel, which was part of the concern of the Buffalo Sabres who had blocked it through the offseason. The Sabres eventually found a package they liked enough to trade Eichel to Vegas last week, acquiring Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs along with draft picks for their former captain.

Currently on injured reserve, it will be a battle for the Golden Knights to get Eichel back onto the active roster before the end of the season. Not only does the injury timeline come with plenty of uncertainty, but so too does their cap situation. With Eichel, Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Jake Bischoff currently on LTIR, the team is exceeding the $81.5MM cap ceiling by more than $11MM. Activating the entire group would be impossible without making other transactions to open a good amount of cap space, ones that could not simply be waiving or sending down the fringe players on their roster.

So the work now begins for Eichel, to get back to full strength and ready to play hockey, but also the Golden Knights, if they want to have him play games ahead of the playoffs. Of course, the playoffs aren’t a guarantee in Vegas this year, given their uneven start. The team is currently fifth in the Pacific Division with an 8-6 record through 14 games, though they have won their last two and are 4-1 in their last five.

When he does eventually return, whether it’s this season or next, Eichel is expected to take up residence between Stone and Pacioretty on the team’s first line. It will be at that point the onus will be on him to prove he can still be the dynamic offensive player he was in Buffalo, one that set career-highs of 36 goals and 82 points in recent years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Tucker Poolman Suspended Two Games

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The Vancouver Canucks will be without Tucker Poolman for the next two games after he was handed a suspension from the Department of Player Safety for his high-stick on Kiefer Sherwood. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that this is not a play where a player simply loses control of his stick, nor one where an off-balance player flails to try to steady himself. This is not a hockey play. This is an intentional and retaliatory stick swing, that strikes an opponent directly in the head. Such actions cannot be excused.

Given Poolman’s clean history, with no fines or suspensions so far in his career, and the fact that Sherwood did not suffer a serious injury on the play, the suspension was limited at two games. He did also receive a match penalty and game misconduct, though it occurred in the third period of a game that was already well out of hand.

That certainly won’t be the case going forward however, as this penalty will be considered in the future for any further supplementary discipline.

The Canucks recalled Madison Bowey earlier today, anticipating the suspension.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel Placed On Waivers

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With Kevin Hayes approaching a return to action, the Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel on waivers. The team does have a roster spot open, but given Hayes will be coming off long-term injured reserve, the Flyers are in a tight cap situation and aren’t able to just add him directly to the group.

Aube-Kubel meanwhile is a legitimate candidate to be claimed, given his relative youth and versatility. The 25-year-old forward has played in seven games so far this season, averaging just under ten minutes a night. A physical presence that is not short on energy, the 2014 second-round pick has 233 hits in 102 career games. That’s only come with 28 points, but given his strong minor league results, there’s at least an argument to be made that he could provide a little more offensive with increased minutes.

One thing that may help him clear however is his contract, which carries a $1.075MM cap hit this season and pays Aube-Kubel $1.225MM in actual salary. There are cheaper options out there for a fourth line, so any team dealing with their own cap restraints may not be able to afford the addition.

If he does clear tomorrow, he’ll be able to return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, an organization he’s very familiar with. Aube-Kubel has played 229 games for the team since turning pro, scoring 50 goals in the process.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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Nov 12: Comeau and Kero have both cleared waivers, according to Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas Morning News. They can now be assigned to the minor leagues. Grimaldi has also cleared for the Predators.

Nov 11: Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Blake Comeau and Tanner Kero of the Dallas Stars, and Rocco Grimaldi of the Nashville Predators have all been placed on waivers today.

Comeau is clearly the biggest surprise of the three, given his place with the Stars and history in the NHL. The veteran winger has been wearing an “A” as an alternate captain at times this year and has more than 900 games played at the NHL level. Many of those have come with the Stars, who he has been with since 2018, when he signed a three-year, $7.2MM deal with the club in free agency.

Now on a one-year, $1MM contract he signed in June, Comeau’s cap hit will be entirely buried in the minor leagues even though he is a 35+ player. The restrictions on those contracts were changed in the 2020 CBA Memorandum of Understanding, but even before that his one-year deal would have been able to come off the cap if they assign him to the minor leagues.

It’s been years since Comeau was forced to play in the AHL though and it seems as though he and Grimaldi could potentially get claimed, if a team needs an experienced forward. Grimaldi has been a regular for the past three years in Nashville and even scored ten goals in 40 games last season. Kero doesn’t have quite as much experience, but did suit up 39 times for the Stars.

Notably, this is a change for Dallas, who have seemed unable to drag themselves out of the bottom of the Western Conference standings. The team has lost another two games in a row, sit at 4-6-2 on the year, and have a -12 goal differential. The organization has some young players that could potentially inject some energy into the lineup, but Comeau’s placement on waivers still comes as something of a surprise.

Marcus Pettersson, Chad Ruhwedel Added To COVID Protocol

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Nov 12: Despite clearing the protocol yesterday, Pettersson and Ruhwedel are still ineligible to travel with the Penguins to Canada for tomorrow’s game against the Ottawa Senators. With that in mind, the team has actually placed both back on the protocol, for the time being, allowing them to recall Juuso Riikola and Louis Domingue for the short road trip. Pettersson actually also suffered an injury last night in his return and played just four minutes, but there was no update on his status today.

Tristan Jarry will not travel with the team to Canada either, meeting them in Washington for Sunday’s game against the Capitals instead. This explains Domingue’s recall, as he will serve as backup tomorrow night.

Nov 11: The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting some reinforcements back from the COVID protocol, as both Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel have been activated today. To make room, Taylor Fedun and Juuso Riikola were assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Pettersson especially is a big piece to get back, given his role on the team in the early part of the season. Through eight games, Pettersson was averaging more than 18 minutes a night and had recorded four points. He still leads the team in +/- with a +7 in the early part of the year, and had been recording very strong possession statistics.

Both players were called game-time decisions by assistant coach Todd Reirden, who is still filling in while Mike Sullivan is in the protocol. Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin remain in the protocol as well.

Pettersson and Ruhwedal were both symptomatic, according to a report from the Associated Press, so it remains to be seen whether they will step right into the lineup with one day of practice and a morning skate. The Penguins could certainly use the help, given they have lost two in a row and now sit at 4-3-4 on the year, last in the Metropolitan Division.

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