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Skyler Brind’Amour Signs AHL Contract

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After telling the Edmonton Oilers that he wasn’t signing with them and instead joining the Charlotte Checkers on a professional tryout, Skyler Brind’Amour has committed to playing in North Carolina next season. The recent NCAA champion has signed a two-year AHL contract that begins in 2023-24.

Brind’Amour, 23, was initially selected in the sixth round by the Oilers, but after spending two years in the BCHL and then another four with Quinnipiac University, he won’t join the team that drafted him. He would have become an unrestricted free agent in August, but Edmonton likely gave him free rein to seek another option, resulting in his trip to Charlotte.

The gig has geographical perks, as his father—Rod Brind’Amour—coaches the Carolina Hurricanes just across the state. The Checkers, a long-time affiliate of the Hurricanes, switched their partnership to the Florida Panthers a few seasons ago.

Brind’Amour scored 14 goals and 32 points in 41 games this season and is known for his never-ending work ethic more than anything else. The checking center still has a long road ahead of him if he’s to crack an NHL roster.

Jared McCann To Miss At Least One Game

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The Seattle Kraken were able to take down the Colorado Avalanche in overtime to even their first-round series at two games apiece but will now have to go into game five without their top offensive player. Head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that Jared McCann will miss the next game and possibly longer after leaving early last night.

After a partial breakaway during the first period that was stopped by Philipp Grubauer, McCann was run hard into the boards by Cale Makar and suffered an injury. The Colorado defenseman was originally given a five-minute major, but after review, it was reduced to a two-minute minor.

Makar was booed the rest of the night after removing Seattle’s top forward, a player that experienced a breakout campaign this year. McCann scored 40 goals for the Kraken and reached the 70-point mark for the first time in his career. His scoring came in all forms, with 30 goals at even strength, seven on the powerplay, and three short-handed.

For Seattle, losing McCann will be a huge blow to their chances. While their lineup is built on depth and versatility, there’s no question he brings the most offensive juice.

The series continues tomorrow, back in Colorado.

Snapshots: Castonguay, Flames GM Search, Canucks Free Agent Needs

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In the latest edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gives an update on a vacant general manager search. He had previously speculated that the Philadelphia Flyers GM search included discussing the possibility of speaking with Emilie Castonguay, who is the assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

Now, it sounds like Castonguay will not be going anywhere. While her name did come up as the Flyers cast a wide net to begin their hunt for a new GM, Castonguay is happy where she is currently and is not looking to move on from the Canucks to replace Chuck Fletcher in Philadelphia. This past season was her first full season with the Canucks after being hired midway through the 2021-22 season.

  • Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 discusses the possibilities for the next Calgary Flames general manager and points out one very likely candidate. Steinberg says the team isn’t looking for a veteran retread for the job as they have Don Maloney in place as an experienced executive after naming him the team’s President of Hockey Operations. Steinberg discusses Flames assistant general manager Craig Conroy, the most likely candidate. The 51-year-old has been in the Flames front office since 2010, acting as a special assistant to the GM or the assistant GM.
  • Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet breaks down the Vancouver Canucks biggest needs this offseason, pointing to a big hole down the middle. While the team has Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller at center, there is really not an ideal third-line center on the team. He suggests the team will need to address this in free agency, possibly by signing Ivan Barbashev, Pius Suter or Max Domi, none of whom will come cheap. He also discusses the team’s need to move out a pricey winger like Brock Boeser or Conor Garland in order to create the cap space to fill that need down the middle.

NHL Notes: Zucker, Drury, Andersen

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Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live Sports is reporting that free agent winger Jason Zucker has made it clear that he wants to remain a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zucker was able to remain healthy this season for the first time since the 2018-19 season when he was a member of the Minnesota Wild. Zucker flourished in a top six role for the Penguins this year, which was a pleasant, albeit unexpected surprise. Zucker spent much of last summer as a possible trade or buyout candidate, but the Penguins never found a suitor for the California native and elected to hang onto him.

Zucker rewarded Pittsburgh with his best season as a Penguin. He tallied 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games while playing on a second line with Evgeni Malkin. Zucker was also one of the few Penguins who showed an emotional pulse as the team was free falling out of a playoff position in the dying weeks of the regular season. There were many nights in which Pittsburgh appeared to be sleepwalking through the game only to be awakened by a huge hit by the small forward.

Zucker will have suitors and could very well fetch a contract that exceeds his previous cap hit of $5.5MM. Zucker is just 31 years old, and while injuries are certainly a concern given his track record, the lack of game breaking forwards on the free agent market should allow Zucker to cash in on his bounce back season.

In other notes from around the NHL:

  • Chip Alexander of Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that Rod Brind’Amour said that Jack Drury is feeling better today. This comes on the heels of Drury leaving game four yesterday after taking a hard hit into the boards in the first period. The center is in the midst of a 14-game goalless drought and played just 1:20 in the Hurricanes 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Drury had just eight points in 38 games in the regular season, but with the Hurricanes battling through various injuries the 23-year-old played over 15 minutes in both games two and three of Carolina’s first round series.
  • Alexander also tweeted that Brind’Amour said goaltender Frederik Andersen is good to go for the Carolina Hurricanes. Andersen will likely be relegated to a backup role as Antti Raanta has backstopped the Hurricanes to a 3-1 series lead against the Islanders. Raanta has posted a solid .915 save percentage for Carolina after going 19-3-3 in the regular season. While it seems likely that Andersen won’t see action until the second round, he could get into a game should Raanta stumble in any of the next few games.

Calgary Flames Sign Walker Duehr To An Extension

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The Calgary Flames have announced that they’ve re-signed forward Walker Duehr to a two-year one-way contract extension. Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the deal comes with an annual cap hit of $825K, not a bad payday for a player who had played in just a single NHL game prior to the start of the 2022-23 season.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a solid first season in the NHL putting up seven goals and 11 points in 27 NHL games. Duehr also holds the unusual distinction of being the first South Dakota born player to score a goal in the NHL.

Prior to his breakthrough last season Duehr had spent two plus seasons playing in the AHL with Calgary’s AHL affiliates and four seasons in the NCAA with Minnesota State University. Despite his 11 points with the Flames last season in limited action, Duehr has never been one to put up much in the way of offense. He hasn’t eclipsed 27 points at any level dating back to 2011-12, however given his low cap hit and his track record, he likely won’t be relied upon for anything more than bottom six minutes.

It’s a gamble for Calgary, but given the work to be done this summer re-tooling a team that disappointed in the regular season, it was a safe, low risk move to make with a player they are quite familiar with.

Bruins Notes: Bergeron, Krejčí, Steen

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Conor Ryan of Boston.com tweeted out today that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told the media that Patrice Bergeron will skate with the Bruins tomorrow. Bergeron hasn’t dressed for Boston in these playoffs after suffering an injury in the team’s season finale against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite his absence, the team has jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over the Florida Panthers. Bergeron has taken more of an advisor role in the first four games of the series but would certainly welcome the opportunity to return to his main role of centering Boston’s first line.

In a separate interview with head coach Jim Montgomery, the first year Bruins head coach hinted that if Bergeron is cleared to play, he would dress in game 5. The Sports Hub writer Ty Anderson tweeted that the if Bergeron was ready to go, he would play and the Bruins wouldn’t prioritize rest, even with a two-game series lead.

Bergeron would bring a wealth of big game experience back into the Bruins lineup should he be cleared to play in game five. Not only that, but Boston would be getting back one of the best two-way centers in the game at a time when the team is dealing with multiple injuries to other key players.

In other Boston Bruins notes:

  • Conor Ryan also tweeted that Don Sweeney doesn’t think David Krejčí will be able to skate with the Bruins tomorrow. Sweeney added that the center was undergoing further testing, which doesn’t point to an imminent return for the 36-year-old. Krejčí is dealing with an upper body injury, although not much more is known about the ailment. He played in the first two games in this series, notching a single assist, but Krejčí struggled badly in game two of the series going -3 in 19:26 of ice time and winning just 42% of the faceoffs he took.
  • The Boston Bruins also announced that they’ve assigned Oskar Steen to Providence of the AHL. The 25-year-old Swede skated in just three games for the Bruins this season, notching a single goal. He hasn’t dressed in any of the Bruins four postseason games against the Florida Panthers. Steen looked like a possible candidate to secure a role in Boston’s bottom six this season, but with the depth in the Bruins forward rank, the numbers game appears to have pushed Steen back into the minors. Steen has been a solid but unspectacular option for Providence this season, putting up 14 goals and 31 points in 64 games.

Stars/Wild Notes: Wallstedt, Eriksson Ek, Pavelski

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With the Iowa Wild’s quick elimination from the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports the Minnesota Wild are expected to call up their complement of Black Aces today to be around the team while their playoff run continues. While most won’t be called up after Iowa’s exit meetings, Russo said that top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt has already been recalled and will serve as the third goalie behind the team’s tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Wallstedt, 20, didn’t have the playoff performance he wanted in Iowa, recording a .897 save percentage in two overtime losses as Iowa lost their best-of-three series against the Rockford IceHogs. It doesn’t diminish what was a promising stretch run to the season for him, wrapping up his first pro season in North America with a .908 save percentage and a shutout in 38 games for Iowa. Selected 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Wallstedt remains one of the best goalie prospects in the league and should gain valuable experience from being around the Minnesota team for the rest of their postseason.

  • After attempting to return from injury in Game 3 and skating just one shift, things aren’t looking up for the health of Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek. Head coach Dean Evason told reporters today Eriksson Ek hasn’t skated since his latest injury, as he’s still in the process of evaluation and “not close” to returning to the lineup. Eyes now turn to Sam Steel and Frédérick Gaudreau, who have both performed well so far in the series, to shoulder Eriksson Ek’s absence.
  • On the flip side, Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski continues to progress in his recovery after a hit in Game 1 that caused him to enter concussion protocol. Pavelski skated with the team today for the first time since the injury, and head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters Pavelski’s progressed in his recovery each day. It remains unclear whether Pavelski will return this series.

Jets Injury Notes: Ehlers, Reichel, Rittich

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The Winnipeg Jets need a strong effort at home tonight to avoid falling down 3-1 in their First Round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Per The Athletic’s Murat Ates, they’ll again need to do it without forward Nikolaj Ehlers, who has still not been cleared to return to play by the team’s medical staff.

Ehlers hasn’t played in almost two weeks with an upper-body injury after registering 38 points in 45 regular season games. Depth pieces such as Adam Lowry, Nino Niederreiter, and Vladislav Namestnikov have stepped up in his absence against Vegas, but they haven’t gotten the most out of Mark Scheifele, who has just one goal in the series. They’ll need more strong performances from their secondary scorers in order to extend their season long enough for Ehlers to return.

  • While the Jets are in the thick of their playoff battle, the postseason for their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, won’t start until next Friday. They’ll be playing without the services of forward Kristian Reichel, who the team confirmed today is out for the season after sustaining an upper-body injury on April 11. Reichel recorded 24 points in 61 games for the Moose this year and made two appearances for Winnipeg, registering an assist.
  • Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun confirms that David Rittich will be unavailable to back up tonight due to a lower-body injury, paving the way for Arvid Holm to sit on the bench. Holm was recalled earlier today on an emergency basis. Rittich has played just one game since March 14, with Connor Hellebuyck taking the majority of starts to keep the Jets in playoff position.

Winnipeg Jets Recall Arvid Holm On Emergency Basis

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The Winnipeg Jets recalled goaltender Arvid Holm from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose on an emergency basis, the team said today. With David Rittich absent from practice for undisclosed reasons this morning, per Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun, Holm could serve as the backup to Connor Hellebuyck for tonight’s Game 4.

Holm, 24, has been the third netminder on Winnipeg’s depth chart this season, but a lack of injuries to the Winnipeg crease kept him out of action during the regular season. Holm finished his AHL regular-season campaign with a 2.67 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and an 18-11-4 record in 35 games.

It was a solid development step this season for the 6-foot-5 netminder, who Winnipeg selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He was expected to serve as the starter when Manitoba began their AHL playoff run next Friday, but pending the result of the Jets’ series and Rittich’s availability, he could remain with the NHL club past that date.

Holm’s recall gives Winnipeg four goalies on their active roster, although the younger Oskari Salminen is there to serve as a Black Ace. If Hellebuyck or Holm also becomes unavailable, however, Salminen would then be the team’s backup netminder.

Already down 2-1 in the series, the Jets hope they won’t have to utilize Holm or Salminen to try and keep their season alive.

Justin Braun Announces Retirement

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Veteran defenseman Justin Braun has officially announced his retirement from the NHL after 13 seasons, the NHL Alumni Association said today.

A seventh-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2007, Braun would go on to play over 800 games, 607 of which came in a Sharks uniform. Braun would spend nine seasons with the Sharks, where he established himself as a reliable stay-at-home defenseman. He was then traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2019, where he spent the next three seasons before a short stint with the New York Rangers in the 2021-22 season. However, Braun would return to Philadelphia to finish his career.

Over his 13-year career, Braun scored 199 points and played in over 100 playoff games with San Jose. He was known for his strong defensive play, physicality, and leadership qualities, which made him a valuable asset during his time in San Jose.

Braun would routinely average over 20 minutes per game in San Jose but saw a decreased role during his time in Philadelphia. Things evaporated for Braun this season, unfortunately, as he registered just two assists in 51 games and played under 15 minutes per game. With his role decreasing quickly, the writing was on the wall for the 36-year-old Minnesota product.

His best season undoubtedly came at the age of 30 in 2017-18, recording career highs in assists (28), points (33), average time on ice (21:20), and hits (143).

Despite his late selection, Braun currently ranks third in games played among defensemen from the 2007 draft, sitting only behind Kevin Shattenkirk and Ryan McDonagh. He provided incredible value for the Sharks throughout his career and would likely go in the first round of most redrafts.

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