Archives for November 2022

Snapshots: Hornqvist, Columbus, Colorado

November 25, 2022 at 1:02 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

When Anthony Duclair is eventually ready to return from his Achilles injury, the Florida Panthers are going to need to make some moves. The team is using up nearly all of his $3MM in long-term injured reserve flexibility even with a roster of 20 players, meaning that much will need to come off the books to activate him.

While the easy answer might be to trade Patric Hornqvist, who is playing fourth-line minutes on an expiring $5.3MM cap hit, it might not happen. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet discussed the situation on the 32 Thoughts podcast, and noted that even if there wasn’t a “guarantee” handed over that Hornqvist wouldn’t be traded, to get him to Florida in the first place that kind of agreement was made. While there isn’t anything technically stopping general manager Bill Zito from going back on his word, Friedman doesn’t expect it.

Also on the podcast, Friedman and co-host Jeff Marek also brought up the Columbus Blue Jackets as the latest team connected to Jakob Chychrun. While the Blue Jackets aren’t going anywhere this year, they have plenty of young assets that could be of interest to the Arizona Coyotes and expect to be better next season when not dealing with a huge number of injuries. Chychrun looked quite good in his latest game for the Coyotes, recording an assist, eight shots on goal, and a +3 rating in a win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Now that the Colorado Avalanche don’t need to play today, they’ve returned Sampo Ranta and Anton Blidh back to the AHL. The depth forwards could be back up as early as tomorrow, when the team welcomes the Dallas Stars in.

Injury Notes: Bryson, Lafferty, Chinakhov

November 25, 2022 at 11:08 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres updated a few injuries today, with some good and bad news coming along. Kyle Okposo will be back in the lineup tonight, and Rasmus Asplund is only out day-to-day. Unfortunately, Jacob Bryson is on the shelf on a week-to-week basis after leaving Wednesday’s game with a lower-body injury.

Some Sabres fans may argue it’s no big loss, given how Bryson has played of late – his usage has been steadily declining – but losing defensive depth is never a positive. The 25-year-old was a solid piece for Buffalo last season and despite recent challenges, is still an important player to keep in the mix. The Sabres will take on the New Jersey Devils tonight, a tough task (especially after the chaos that surrounded New Jersey’s last game).

Sam Lafferty will be out for a few games, according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago. The Chicago Blackhawks forward is dealing with an upper-body injury, leaving the door open for Boris Katchouk to re-enter the lineup. Lafferty, 27, has three goals and seven points in 19 games this season after signing a two-year, $2.3MM contract extension in the spring.
After missing one game, Yegor Chinakhov is getting back into the Columbus Blue Jackets lineup where he can continue his solid start to the year. The 21-year-old has ten points in 18 games, good for third on the Blue Jackets behind only Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. To make room for him, Liam Foudy will come out. Chinakhov will skate with Cole Sillinger and recent recall Carson Meyer, who is in for Emil Bemstrom.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Philip Broberg

November 25, 2022 at 10:20 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Though he has played in 15 games this season, Markus Niemelainen does not have the trust of the Edmonton Oilers coaching staff. The 24-year-old defenseman has logged more than ten minutes of ice time in just four of those games, and less than nine in each of his last five. Today, after two straight losses, the Oilers have made a change.

Philip Broberg, top prospect and AHL standout, has been recalled. Niemelainen has taken his place with the Bakersfield Condors, with neither one eligible for waivers.

Broberg, 21, was the eighth overall pick in 2019 and played 23 games with the Oilers last season, registering three points at the highest level. The rest of his North American professional career has been with Bakersfield, where he has 27 points in 38 games.

A brilliant skater, the left-shot defenseman hasn’t quite been able to show that he’s ready for the next step. His movement with the puck is excellent, but his consistency and defensive game still need work. Perhaps that development can come at the NHL level, though if he inherits Niemelainen’s role, he won’t be seeing the ice much.

The chance here for Broberg is that several other veteran defensemen have also been struggling for the Oilers. If he can show he’s ready for full-time NHL minutes, the opportunity is there for him. We’ll see how they deploy the group tomorrow when the Oilers finish up an eastern road trip against the New York Rangers.

Ottawa Senators Recall Kevin Mandolese

November 25, 2022 at 10:12 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Recalling a goaltender is not usually a good sign. The Ottawa Senators have brought up Kevin Mandolese from the AHL, sparking questions over which NHL goalie is out. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that in this case, it’s Anton Forsberg out with a minor injury.

This isn’t the first injury in net the team has dealt with this year. Cam Talbot missed a month at the start of the year, forcing the team to claim Magnus Hellberg off waivers for a little while. They just barely missed the chance to grab Hellberg again, as he was nabbed off waivers by the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.

Now they’ll have to turn to Mandolese for however long Forsberg is out, with Talbot likely seeing every minute of action in the meantime. The 22-year-old Mandolese has never played in the NHL and has an .868 save percentage in six games with the Belleville Senators this season.

The Senators, on a three-game losing streak, are set to play the Anaheim Ducks this afternoon.

Central Notes: Wild, Rossi, Rodrigues

November 24, 2022 at 9:01 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Minnesota has slowly shaken things up a bit in recent days with them waiving and losing Tyson Jost while adding Ryan Reaves in a trade yesterday. However, when speaking with reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link), GM Bill Guerin acknowledged that he’s also on the lookout for scoring help although, at this time, the hope is that they can get more production from their current group.

Last season, the Wild ranked fifth in the NHL in goals with 310, or 3.78 per game. While a lot of the roster is back from last year, the goal output hasn’t been as they are currently 25th in that regard with 55 in 19 games, or 2.89 per contest. Thus far, they’ve been able to hang around the playoff race in the West due to a stingy defense that has also allowed just 55 goals so an offensive improvement from some of their veterans would certainly go a long way. At the moment, Minnesota has just under $3.7MM in cap space to spend now, per CapFriendly, a number that jumps to $12.4MM on deadline day. Accordingly, patience from Guerin makes a lot of sense here as by waiting, he’ll be able to afford a more impactful upgrade if he can’t get the improvement from within that he’s seeking.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Detroit Red Wings

November 24, 2022 at 7:16 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 5 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2022-23 season and beyond. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Detroit Red Wings

Current Cap Hit: $78,240,646 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jonatan Berggren (two years, $925K)
D Moritz Seider (two years, $863K)
F Elmer Soderblom (three years, $878K)
F Lucas Raymond (two years, $925K)
F Joe Veleno (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses
Raymond: $2.5MM
Seider: $850K
Soderblom: $82.5K
Veleno: $425K
Total: $3.875MM

Raymond made an immediate impact on the Red Wings last season, quickly establishing himself as an impact scorer, something that has carried over in the early going this year as well. GM Steve Yzerman has typically been hesitant to commit long-term contracts off of bridge deals but the winger is a candidate to be an exception. A bridge deal could push past the $5MM mark while a long-term agreement could come closer to the $8MM range if he progresses in the second half of his contract. His ’A’ bonuses are likely to be reached ($850K in total) while the others are less likely. Veleno has locked down a regular role in the lineup but in a limited role. Assuming that continues, he’s someone that will likely receive a short-term second contract that should fall around the $1.75MM to $2MM mark.

Soderblom broke camp with Detroit and immediately became the tallest player in the NHL. When healthy, his role has been limited so far which makes it difficult to project his second contract. Assuming he remains in the bottom six for the next couple of years, he should check in close to what Veleno’s next deal will be. Berggren has done well in his limited action so far while being up on injury recall but is a candidate to go back to the minors as others return. As such, a short-term deal for close to the minimum (with a higher two-way salary or even a one-way pay) is his likely outcome.

Seider made quite the impression last season, quickly becoming Detroit’s top defenseman while taking home the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He’s off to a bit of a slower start this year but is still doing quite well all things considered. His contract is another case where Yzerman may have to deviate from the usual standard of going with a bridge deal. A short-term pact could resemble Rasmus Dahlin’s three-year, $18MM pact (likely higher with the salary cap being higher in 2024 than it is now) while a longer-term deal could put him in the range of Miro Heiskanen’s $8.45MM AAV (again, to be adjusted to the cap percentage at that time). He’s a safe bet to hit his four ‘A’ bonuses as well.

Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level

F Tyler Bertuzzi ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Adam Erne ($2.1MM, UFA)
D Robert Hagg ($800K, UFA)
G Magnus Hellberg ($750K, UFA)
F Dylan Larkin ($6.1MM, UFA)
D Gustav Lindstrom ($850K, RFA)
F Matt Luff ($750K, RFA)
D Olli Maatta ($2.25MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($3MM, UFA)
D Jordan Oesterle ($1.35MM, UFA)
D/F Mark Pysyk ($850K, UFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Pius Suter ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Jake Walman ($1.05MM, UFA)

Decision time is fast approaching on what to do with Larkin. The captain seemed like a logical candidate for an early extension back in the offseason but clearly, the two sides are far enough apart that such a move couldn’t be reached. He’s a strong candidate for a max-term agreement (eight years with Detroit if he signs before free agency, seven years elsewhere) with an AAV that should push him past the $8MM mark. Bertuzzi is another player they have to decide on but staying healthy has been an issue already this season which complicates things. When he’s on, he plays at a 30-goal level which is worth upwards of $6MM on the open market on a long-term deal. But if he can’t stay in the lineup, his market won’t be as strong. While a short-term contract in unrestricted free agency isn’t ideal, it’s an option he might have to consider if things don’t go well this year; such a deal would likely come with a small raise from what he’s making now.

Suter’s per-game numbers aren’t far off what they were in his rookie season with Chicago. While those don’t jump out off the page, he looks primed to hit the market at 27 with a more proven level of production and an ability to play both center and the wing. There’s bound to be a strong market as a result which could push him into the $4MM range. Sundqvist hasn’t been able to crack the top six but has settled in the last few years as someone that can contribute from the third line. He also plays both center and the wing and can kill penalties but the limited production will limit his earnings upside. Even so, he has a good enough track record to add half a million or so on his next deal.

Erne hasn’t quite been able to live up to the offensive upside he showed a couple of years ago although he remains a physical presence in the bottom six. If a team or two thinks they can unlock the production, he could add a few hundred thousand to his AAV while if not, a similar contract to his current one is possible. Luff was injured shortly after being recalled and is a strong candidate for a one-year, two-way deal at the NHL minimum once again.

Maatta came to Detroit with the hopes of rebuilding his value after a few tough seasons. So far, so good on that front as he’s logging a little over 20 minutes a game while being on pace for 30 points which would narrowly beat his career high. Even so, his struggles before that should limit his market somewhat. If he stays at this level of play, a jump into the $3.5MM range could be possible for him. Oesterle hasn’t been able to lock down a regular spot in the lineup with Detroit and barring any changes in that situation over the rest of the season, he’s likely looking at a deal closer to the league minimum next summer.

Walman recently returned from injury and is looking to secure a full-time role in the lineup. If he can do that, a small raise should be on the table for him. Lindstrom is a depth player who can’t crack either special teams role which isn’t ideal. He’s owed nearly $1MM on his qualifying offer and it shouldn’t take much more than that to sign him for next season. Hagg and Pysyk both signed their deals last summer and there’s no reason to think their markets will drastically change for next July, especially with Pysyk having missed all of this season so far due to a torn Achilles tendon.

This has not been a good contract year for Nedeljkovic who has struggled mightily this season to the tune of a 4.33 GAA and a .873 SV%, numbers that are among the worst in the league. His track record is still rather limited (just 94 regular season games) which complicates things. If these struggles continue, he’s likely to land a one-year deal somewhere in the hopes of rebuilding his value. If he can turn things around a bit, a medium-term agreement around this price point isn’t impossible. Hellberg has bounced around this season without playing a whole lot. Those don’t help his cause for his next deal which, at this point, shouldn’t cost much more than his current one. If he can find a way to get into a few games at least and hold his own, that could push him closer to the $1MM mark.

Signed Through 2023-24

D Filip Hronek ($4.4MM, RFA)
F Dominik Kubalik ($2.5MM, UFA)
F David Perron ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Michael Rasmussen ($1.46MM, RFA)
F Jakub Vrana ($5.25MM, UFA)

Vrana’s case is going to be difficult to predict as he has played just twice this season before entering the Player Assistance Program. Last season, he was injured for most of the year. When available, he has been quite effective since joining Detroit, with 22 goals and 10 assists in 39 games. But coming off what’s likely to be two limited seasons, can he realistically command much more than he’s getting now? Perhaps on a short-term deal but there may be some hesitance to work out a long-term agreement. Perron won’t have that question as he’ll be 36 by the time his next contract starts so his will be a short-term deal no matter what. If he continues to hover around the 60-point range, he could garner a small raise.

Kubalik’s hot start might not be fully sustainable but as long as he can hold down a top-six role, he’ll outperform this contract. If he can play near this level for this season and next, he could command more than $6MM on the open market. But that’s a big if based on what transpired over his time with Chicago which makes it difficult to forecast what his next contract will be based on his previous volatility in production. Rasmussen is on his bridge deal now and is very slowly but surely starting to assert himself more. Even if he stays on the third line, he could have a shot at doubling this price tag in 2024 and if he can move up higher in the lineup with some regularity, something closer to the $4MM range is doable.

Hronek’s future with Detroit was in question over the summer although he’s still with them now and is still logging big minutes while being off to the best start offensively of his career. He’ll be owed a $5.28MM qualifying offer when this deal is up while being one year away from unrestricted free agency. If he produces close to the 35-point level he has been at in the past, a long-term deal around $6MM could come his way. If he can sustain his current level of production, however, add a couple million per season onto that.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Robby Fabbri ($4MM, UFA)
G Ville Husso ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Filip Zadina ($1.825MM, RFA)

When healthy, Fabbri has been a quality second liner since joining Detroit in 2019 which is what helped earn him this contract last season. Unfortunately, staying healthy has been a challenge, especially when it comes to his knees as he’s battling issues there for the third time in his career already. Ultimately, his next contract will come down to whether or not he can overcome yet another surgery and get back to his previous level. If so, a raise is definitely possible but if not, his price could drop a fair bit. Zadina’s bridge deal gives everyone more time to evaluate if he’s a core player of the future for this team or not. The early returns weren’t great before he suffered a lower-body injury but there’s lots of time for that to change. It’s worth noting that his qualifying offer in 2025 will be $2.19MM with arbitration rights.

Husso came to Detroit this summer in the hopes of establishing himself as a legitimate starting goalie. So far, so good on that front. While it’s still very early and he has just 70 regular season games under his belt, he’s young enough to command a long-term deal if he stays in that role. In that scenario, he should be able to pass the $6MM mark at a minimum.

Signed Through 2025-26 Or Longer

D Ben Chiarot ($4.75MM through 2025-26)
F Andrew Copp ($5.625MM through 2026-27)

Copp broke out offensively last season and in doing so, pushed his price tag considerably higher than many expected considering it was the only year that he put up at least 40 points. Of course, he brings other elements to the table (physicality, defensive play, and generally, a good showing on faceoffs) but the question will be if he can produce like a second liner. If so, they’ll do well with this deal. But if he goes back to being more of a 35-point player, this will quickly become an above-market contract.

Chiarot is a player whose market value always seems to exceed his analytical value. We saw it with his last contract with Montreal, the high price Florida paid to rent him at the trade deadline, and then the deal Yzerman gave him back in July. As long as he can hold down playing 20 minutes a night while playing his usual style, Detroit should be happy with this deal. But given how physical he is and his age (currently 31), can he hold up for four years? If not, the back end of this contract might hurt a little bit.

Buyouts

F Justin Abdelkader ($2.305MM in 2022-23, $1.055MM from 2023-24 through 2025-26)
F Frans Nielsen ($500K in 2022-23)

Retained Salary Transactions

F Richard Panik ($1.375MM in 2022-23)

Best Value: Kubalik
Worst Value: Copp

Looking Ahead

Detroit’s cap situation this season is a little better than the number listed at the beginning of the article when you consider that they’re carrying 29 players at the moment. As some return, others will go to the minors and more space will open up. They’re well-positioned to absorb their likely bonuses and if they can hang around the playoff mix, they’ll be in way better shape than most buyers when it comes to being able to afford upgrades at the trade deadline.

Their core is going to get a lot more expensive soon. Larkin needs to be re-signed or replaced at a rate that will be a couple million higher than what he’s at now. Seider and Raymond’s second contracts should add at least $10MM to their books in 2024 and considerably more than that if they get long-term agreements. However, they’ve at least hedged against that with few current long-term commitments (less than $23MM on the books for 2024-25 at the moment) which gives Yzerman considerable flexibility to keep and add to his core over the next couple of years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Columbus Blue Jackets

November 24, 2022 at 5:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

As American Thanksgiving and the holiday season are upon us, PHR is taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Who are the Blue Jackets thankful for?

Ville Siren.

Don’t know who Ville Siren is? That’s kind of the point. The Blue Jackets director of amateur scouting isn’t the one that has to face the cameras every day, but he’s arguably just as important to the organization as general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. There isn’t a ton to be thankful for in Columbus right now, as injuries have absolutely ravaged the NHL roster and it looks like they won’t be competing for the playoffs this year.

But with Siren in place, fans can be pretty confident that the team will turn things around eventually, thanks to their strong history in the draft.

When he joined the organization in the summer of 2013, the Blue Jackets had just made four selections in the top 50 picks. Those players ended up being Alexander Wennberg, Kerby Rychel, Marko Dano, and Dillon Heatherington. They did get Oliver Bjorkstrand that year, but otherwise whiffed on most of their picks. Moving forward, Siren has repeatedly plucked NHL talents out of the draft even in rather late positions.

Elvis Merzlikins, Vladislav Gavrikov, Markus Nutivaara, Andrew Peeke, Emil Bemstrom, Daniil Tarasov, and Alexandre Texier were all picked outside of the first round, while Zach Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Yegor Chinakhov, Cole Sillinger, and Kent Johnson all look like first-round hits. No scouting department is going to hit a home run with every selection but more often than not, Siren’s group seems to have a good sense of where the value lies.

What are the Blue Jackets thankful for?

A changing narrative around the market.

For years, there has been a narrative that players would never choose to play in Columbus. Stars wanted out, free agents wouldn’t sign, and the team would never have real game-changing talent. That is beginning to shift, thanks to the work that Kekalainen has done. Johnny Gaudreau shocked the hockey world by signing a massive contract with the Blue Jackets, Patrik Laine settled down and inked a multi-year extension, and Werenski committed to the program just as another defenseman was looking for a way out.

The Blue Jackets might not be competitive this season but the program that Kekalainen (and John Davidson) have built at least now allows them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some bigger markets when it comes to acquiring and retaining star-level talent.

What would the Blue Jackets be even more thankful for?

A little bit of health (next season).

Navigate to the Blue Jackets’ CapFriendly page and you will see an injured reserve list that could be a pretty impressive roster on its own. Laine, Werenski, Merzlikins, Jakub Voracek, Jake Bean, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, and Adam Boqvist are all out of the lineup, meaning the team doesn’t really have a chance to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division

It’s probably not going to turn around this year, but when the Blue Jackets come back in September 2023, they’ll have a roster loaded with young talent that could be ready to make some noise. If you’re hoping for consistency and health, it’s for the 2023-24 season that you want it – after they get a crack at the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.

What should be on the Blue Jackets’ holiday wish list?

Another first-round pick.

There’s a chance here for the Blue Jackets to pick multiple times in three straight first rounds. Adding that kind of talent to an organization in such a short period can create an avalanche (pun intended) of success, with impact players all over the roster. Remember that even outside of Johnson and Sillinger, who are already staples on the NHL roster, Columbus has David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk, and Corson Ceulemans in the system as first-round talents picked in the last two years.

They have the assets to do it, too. Gustav Nyquist and Gavrikov are both going to be coveted at the trade deadline, and Jack Roslovic might even be available. When teams are tossing around draft picks for marginal improvements for a playoff run, the Blue Jackets will be waiting to add another future asset to the pile.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Carson Meyer; Re-Assign Emil Bemstrom

November 24, 2022 at 4:31 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a roster swap, sending Emil Bemstrom to the minor leagues while recalling Carson Meyer. Bemstrom played just under 12 minutes in last night’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Meyer, meanwhile, has been on fire with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, scoring six goals and 18 points in 15 games so far. The Ohio State standout played in 13 games for the Blue Jackets last season and registered just three points but will certainly be bringing some confidence to the lineup after such a hot start.

Selected in the sixth round in 2017, Meyer was good for the Monsters last season too, but not quite to the same level. He had 16 goals and 27 points in 57 games, while racking up 63 penalty minutes. In his chances last year, he was willing to throw himself into anything that moved, racking up 27 hits in those 13 games despite averaging just over eight minutes a night.

Bemstrom is a very different player and one that might not be as well-suited for the bottom six. He has four points in seven games this season but doesn’t add any physicality and isn’t used on the penalty kill at all. If he’s not going to get regular minutes in a scoring role, perhaps heading to the minor leagues is a better option. He has also been banged up, missing some time due to an undisclosed injury.

Because he cleared waivers at the beginning of the season, Bemstrom is still exempt.

Jordie Benn Moved To Injured Reserve

November 24, 2022 at 2:43 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 6 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs are already without Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake Muzzin, leaving their defensive group a little shorthanded. Last night, Mac Hollowell was forced into extra action in his first-ever NHL game thanks to the early departure of Jordie Benn. Today, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Mark Masters of TSN that Benn is now on injured reserve and out week-to-week, though the full severity of the injury has yet to be determined.

While the team did just acquire Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes, Toronto isn’t going to force him into the lineup right away. Victor Mete, recalled recently, will be in the lineup next to Hollowell for tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Wayne Simmonds was also practicing with the main group, suggesting he’ll be the recall to take Benn’s place on the roster.

The Maple Leafs are now without their three highest-paid defenders, and one of the only depth options that had any real experience. Mete’s 241 NHL games now become the second-highest amount in the group behind Mark Giordano, with Justin Holl’s $2MM cap hit the most expensive. Remember that the team also has Carl Dahlstrom on injured reserve thanks to a preseason injury, meaning five of the organization’s defensemen are unavailable.

Benn, 35, has never been a world-beater but was playing well in his six-game sample with the Maple Leafs, averaging more than 18 minutes a night before exiting early. The team will play in Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Detroit before heading home for a one-game homestand in the middle of next week.

Minnesota Wild Activate Marc-Andre Fleury

November 24, 2022 at 1:23 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Minnesota Wild have their starting goaltender back. Marc-Andre Fleury has been activated from injured reserve, meaning Zane McIntyre is on his way back to the minor leagues.

Fleury, 37, ended up missing three games with an upper-body injury but the Wild actually did rather well in his absence. After giving up five goals and losing the first game without him, Filip Gustavsson came back with two strong performances, allowing just two goals on 50 shots to secure a pair of victories.

McIntyre didn’t appear in a game, and Fleury is now ready to jump right back in the net for the second half of the team’s current seven-game homestand.

The question some Wild fans will have is whether Gustavsson has earned enough to split the starts with Fleury for the rest of the season. The young goaltender has been good when called upon, posting a .914 save percentage through eight appearances. Fleury, meanwhile, has a .906, though that number is heavily influenced by some early-season struggles.

In his last five games before going down to injury, Fleury had posted a .943, allowing just eight goals on 141 shots.

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