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Dallas Stars Sign Christian Kyrou

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The Dallas Stars have announced that they have signed prospect defenseman Christian Kyrou to a three-year entry-level contract. Per the team announcement, the contract will begin next season.

Kyrou, the brother of St. Louis Blues star Jordan Kyrou, currently plays in the OHL for the Sarnia Sting, having been traded there earlier this year from the Erie Otters. Kyrou was the 50th overall pick in last year’s draft after a draft season where he scored 60 points in 68 games.

This season, Kyrou has scored 67 points in 56 games across both teams. He’s the fifth-ranked prospect in the Stars’ system according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, (subscription link) and has drawn praise for his high skill level and offensive ability.

Kyrou was born September 15th 2003, meaning he missed the cutoff for eligibility for the 2021 draft by just a day. That may have worked quite a bit in his favor, though, as he missed the entire 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which wiped out the OHL’s season. Additionally, the NHL-CHL transfer agreement stipulates that CHL prospects aged 20 or older by December 31st are eligible for assignment to the American Hockey League that season.

Since Kyrou will turn 20 in the middle of September next season, the Stars could have the option to send him to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, rather than have him play another season in the OHL.

He could also, of course, make the Stars out of training camp, but that seems relatively unlikely seeing as the Stars already have 2019 first-round pick Thomas Harley eager to claim a spot on the left side of their defense, as well as Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, and Ryan Suter already on the roster as established left-shot options.

The Stars had a two-year window to sign Kyrou to an entry-level deal before he would be eligible to re-enter the draft,  but such a possibility was quickly taken out of the picture by Kyrou’s stellar performance in the OHL. He’s a promising young defenseman and his official entry into the Stars organization should be cause for excitement among Dallas fans.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Pyotr Kochetkov On Emergency Basis

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The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has been recalled on an emergency basis. The move comes as Antti Raanta left last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury.

The Hurricanes play games tomorrow night, Saturday, and Sunday, so one would think that if Raanta isn’t ready to play in those games, Kochetkov could get to make his 19th NHL start of the season thanks to this recall.

The 23-year-old Kochetkov last played in the NHL in the middle of January, when he stopped 29 of 32 shots in a shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks. In the final stretch of 2022, Kochetkov managed to put together some stellar performances, including back-to-back shutouts against the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders in December. His stellar play in December 2022 earned him NHL Rookie of the Month honors.

More recently, Kochetkov has made headlines in the AHL by scoring a rare goalie goal only to be ejected from the game moments later.

Overall, Kochetkov has had a strong season. He’s posted a 10-4-5 record in the NHL with a .913 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against-average, and a 13-5-2 record, 2.39 goals-against-average and .916 save percentage in the AHL.

Kochetkov’s stellar performance this year comes with added benefit to the Hurricanes, as they already have him locked into a contract extension that runs through the 2026-27 season. That deal comes at a $2MM AAV, meaning if Kochetkov can become at the very least a tandem goalie in Carolina (if not the quality starter he has looked like for short bursts in his brief NHL career) that contract could represent a major bargain for the Hurricanes.

But putting aside that long-term thinking, it’s likely that with this recall, Kochetkov will have another NHL start to prepare for. With the Hurricanes battling the New Jersey Devils for supremacy in the Metropolitan Division, Carolina has to be thankful that they have a goalie like Kochetkov as their organization’s number-three netminder.

Cam Talbot To Miss Several Weeks

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5:00 PM: TSN’s Darren Dreger has added some more detail to Talbot’s injury situation, reporting that the veteran netminder has suffered an oblique strain.

1:51 PM: Cam Talbot will leave the Ottawa Senators’ road trip early and return for treatment after being a late scratch on Monday. Head coach D.J. Smith told reporters, and explained (link via TSN radio) that the veteran goaltender will be out for three weeks with what he called a “mid-body injury.”

That means it’s up to the kids in Ottawa, as Kevin Mandolese and Mads Sogaard are the active tandem for the Senators. The pair, both 22, are up under emergency conditions while Talbot and Anton Forsberg are out of the lineup.

Mandolese has just two appearances in his NHL career, though both have gone well. The young netminder won his debut by stopping 46 of 48 shots against the New York Islanders a few weeks ago, and then allowed just three goals against the Boston Bruins in his follow-up appearance.

Sogaard has played seven times this season, taking his career total to nine NHL appearances. He has won four times for the Senators this year, but was blown out by the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday after being the last-second replacement for Talbot. That 5-0 loss to Chicago was a brutal blow to the team’s playoff chances, though they aren’t eliminated just yet.

Ottawa heads to Seattle next for a game tomorrow, before going through the Western Canada trip starting on Saturday night in Vancouver. There aren’t many easy nights coming for the upstart club, as once they return home they run off a series of games against Colorado, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Boston, Tampa Bay, and New Jersey that could decide their postseason fate.

Three weeks would mean Talbot isn’t available for any of those opponents.

Nashville Predators Acquire Anthony Angello

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The Nashville Predators announced Wednesday afternoon that the team has acquired forward Anthony Angello from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations.

NHL deals after the trade deadline are obviously a rarity, but players destined for the minors under NHL contracts can still be moved prior to Friday, March 10. That’s the date of the AHL trade deadline.

It means that “future considerations” are likely assets under AHL contracts with the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s affiliate, heading to St. Louis’ affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Angello, 27, will report to Milwaukee. A 2014 fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Angello is amidst a down season with 11 points in 45 games with Springfield.

He does have 31 games of NHL experience, coming as recently as last season with Pittsburgh. Angello is ineligible to play with Nashville down the stretch run, and he would not be eligible to suit up in the unlikely event they clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Snapshots: Carlson, Gibson, Hartman

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The Washington Capitals’ status as a conservative seller at the deadline may have surprised fans just a few months ago. A relatively secure Wild Card position in late 2022 has since fallen by the wayside, mainly due to injuries to key players.

Their longest-term absence has been that of defenseman John Carlson, who hasn’t played since December 23 after taking a slapshot to the head in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Head coach Peter Laviolette had some positive news to share today regarding the All-Star defenseman, who joined Capitals practice today wearing a non-contact jersey. While Washington won’t be making a playoff run this year, barring a miracle, a return to health is positive news for Carlson after such a scary injury. The 33-year-old is under contract until 2026 and had 21 points in 30 games this year before exiting the lineup.

  • The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun today speculated on the future of goalie John Gibson with the Anaheim Ducks, whose name has begun to creep into trade speculation over the past months. LeBrun noted that some teams still view the netminder as a difference-maker, especially with the 29-year-old posting a string of elite performances lately. After this season, Gibson still has four years remaining on a contract carrying a $6.4MM cap hit. A move to a contender, especially as Gibson has partial trade protection, likely hinges on the Ducks retaining some salary.
  • According to a Twitter announcement, Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was fined $4,594.59 today by the NHL Department of Player Safety for slashing Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson. The figure is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Hartman received a minor penalty on the play, which occurred in the middle of the first period of last night’s 1-0 shootout loss to the Flames.

Tony DeAngelo Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has given a two-game suspension to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Corey Perry. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that DeAngelo does not engage with Perry in any way prior to spearing him, choosing to deliver this strike when Perry is not looking at him.

What causes this play to rise to the level of a suspension is the premeditated nature of the foul against an unsuspecting opponent well after the whistle, the area of the body where the spear was delivered, and the force of the blow. 

The DoPS notes that DeAngelo has no relevant history in this case, with a previous suspension coming automatically for abuse of an official in 2017. He did receive a five-minute major and game misconduct for the spreading incident last night.

DeAngelo admitted that he was “trying to give [Perry] a little shot” but did not try to hit him in the groin. He’ll miss games against the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins in what has been a tumultuous season for the Flyers.

AHL Shuffle: 03/08/23

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The following players were involved in transactions between NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates.

  • Defenseman Lawrence Pilut was sent by the Buffalo Sabres to the Rochester Americans as an emergency loan. Pilut has split his season between Rochester and Buffalo, appearing in 17 games for the Sabres with a goal and an assist and suiting up for 30 games with Rochester with 19 points in 30 games.
  • Arizona Coyotes forward Bokondji Imama was an emergency send down to the Tucson Roadrunners. Imama, a veteran minor leaguer, has played one game for Arizona this season. He has played in five games over the past two seasons after four seasons playing exclusively in the AHL. He has 12 points in 39 games for Tucson this season.
  • The Washington Capitals have loaned Dylan McIlrath to the Hershey Bears of the AHL as an emergency loan. The former top-10 pick in 2010 has played in 72 NHL games with four teams, including six games for Washington this season, his first NHL action since 2019-20. He has one assist in six games for the Capitals this season.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Flyers’ Tony DeAngelo To Have Hearing For Spearing Corey Perry

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Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo will have a hearing today for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Corey Perry during Tuesday’s game between the two teams, according to the NHL Player Safety Twitter account.

DeAngelo was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct following the incident, in which DeAngelo skated toward Perry after the puck was frozen by Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and drove his stick into Perry, according to TSN.

“I was trying to give him a little shot. I wasn’t looking for it to go there,” DeAngelo told reporters. “He tried to slash my stick out of my hands the second beforehand. He talks all game. So, asked him to fight. Doesn’t want to fight. He’ll tell you that he’s asked me to fight for years. I don’t say no. So there’s not much of an argument there.”

DeAngelo is no stranger to controversy, as he has is on his third team in three seasons. He has provided strong play for the lowly Flyers, with 10 goals and 24 assists in 59 games. He is in the first season of a two-year contract with an AAV of $5MM.

Spearing is a penalty that can result in disciplinary action, and DeAngelo’s status for upcoming games will be known following the hearing.

Injury Notes: Merzlikins, Chatfield, Coyotes

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The Columbus Blue Jackets lost their starting goaltender after the first period of this evening’s contest with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Per a team release, Elvis Merzlikins would not play the remainder of the game due to an illness. Michael Hutchinson was forced into action with Merzlikins ruled out for the night. Merzlikins did return to the team’s bench early in the second period, which should rule out anything serious. After trading goaltender Joonas Korpisalo at the trade deadline, the Blue Jackets can’t afford to have another netminder unavailable to them.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced defenseman Jalen Chatfield would not return to the team’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He suffered an upper-body injury after playing just over seven minutes of action. Chatfield has played 61 games for the Hurricanes this season, scoring five goals and 12 points. The team added some depth on the blue line at the deadline when they acquired Shayne Gostisbehere, and that extra depth could be tested if Chatfield misses any time.
  • Per a team release, Arizona Coyotes winger Liam O’Brien is out of the lineup due to illness. The 28-year-old forward has scored one goal and seven points in 38 games for the Coyotes this season. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports added newcomer Brett Ritchie will have to wait before making his Coyotes debut as he is still dealing with visa issues after being acquired on Mar 3 from the Calgary Flames.

Snaphots: QMJHL Commissioner, Puljujarvi, Silovs

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The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced its new commissioner earlier today. Mario Cecchini was picked as the new head of the Junior circuit. Cecchini most recently has been serving as the Team President of the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League. He is not expected to take over his new role as QMJHL Commissioner until May 8. Martin Lavallee will serve as interim commissioner until that date.

This news comes just two days after previous commissioner Gilles Courteau abruptly announced he was stepping away from the role. Courteau sat in the commissioner’s chair for 37 years and was planning on retiring in 2024. He announced earlier this week he would be retiring immediately. This announcement was shrouded in questions surrounding an investigation into hazing in the Junior league.

  • Per Walt Ruff of NHL.com, Jesse Puljujarvi is finally cleared and eligible to make his debut with the Carolina Hurricanes, a week after they acquired him from the Edmonton Oilers. The Finnish winger was stuck in Canada, awaiting a work visa that would allow him to suit up for the Hurricanes. Puljujarvi joined the team shortly before they took on the Montreal Canadiens, but was not in the lineup.
  • Arturs Silovs was sent back down to the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks, per a team release. Silovs was called up yesterday on an emergency loan as Canucks backup goaltender Collin Delia was sick and unavailable to play. Silovs got the start last night, stopping 29 shots and helping the Canucks beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout. The 21 year old now returns to the Abbotsford Canucks but has proven himself capable at the NHL in four starts this season.

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