Red Wings Notes: Kane, Chiarot, Rafferty, Compher
Red Wings forward Patrick Kane was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports. It’s his first time joining the team at practice since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Maple Leafs on Jan. 14, nearly a week and a half ago.
Per St. James, the Red Wings hope Kane can return to action in one of their three games before the All-Star break but are still unsure of an exact return timeline. The 35-year-old has been out with a lower-body injury – a concerning designation given his recent hip surgery – but the two don’t appear to be related. Since signing his one-year, $2.75MM deal with Detroit, Kane has assumed a top-six role and posted seven goals and 16 points in 19 games, much closer to the level of production expected from the future Hall-of-Famer at this stage in his career. The Red Wings, who have a slim lead on the Devils for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, are 8-9-2 with a -9 goal differential in Kane’s 19 appearances this season.
Elsewhere from the Red Wings today:
- St. James also relays that defenseman Ben Chiarot is not practicing today as he remains out with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day and has missed the last two games, most recently suiting up against the Hurricanes on Jan. 19. Chiarot, who’s rebounding somewhat after a ghastly defensive performance in his first campaign in Detroit, had averaged 19:31 per game and has 12 points in 45 contests. Given he isn’t yet ready to return to practice, he’ll likely miss tomorrow’s game against the Flyers. A day-to-day designation suggests he may return before the All-Star break, though.
- The carousel continues for depth defenseman Brogan Rafferty, who the Red Wings returned to AHL Grand Rapids today, per a team release. The 28-year-old hasn’t played for Detroit this season despite being recalled three times in the past two weeks, only serving as insurance given their minor injuries on the blue line. This is Rafferty’s fourth transaction in the last four days, and with Chiarot likely out for tomorrow’s contest, the Red Wings will likely recall him again.
- Also absent from practice today was center J.T. Compher, who head coach Derek Lalonde says is questionable for tomorrow against Philadelphia as he battles the flu. Compher has three points in his last three games after going pointless in six, bringing his total to 27 in 42 appearances during his first season in Detroit. His per-game pace is roughly the same as last year’s breakout performance with the Avalanche when he used his 52 points and 20:32 average time on ice to cash in with a five-year, $25.5MM commitment from the Red Wings in free agency.
Canadiens Loan Joshua Roy To AHL
The Canadiens returned forward Joshua Roy to AHL Laval on Wednesday, according to a team announcement.
Roy, 20, didn’t look entirely out of place in his first NHL call-up. A fifth-round pick of the team in 2021, Roy scored his first NHL goal in a 3-2 win over the Devils last Wednesday and added another assist in the span of six games. He averaged nearly 12 minutes per game and posted a 45.2% Corsi share at even strength. While that number doesn’t jump off the page, the Canadiens played a poor stretch of possession hockey during Roy’s call-up, resulting in the rookie posting a strong relative Corsi share of 4.1%.
It’s been a quick ascension for Roy, who now looks like one of the organization’s top prospects after slipping to the back half of the draft less than three years ago. He won back-to-back gold medals with Canada at the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championship and was named to the QMJHL’s First All-Star Team in back-to-back years with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. In his first extended taste of pro hockey, Roy has excelled in Laval, tying for the team lead with 12 goals in 34 games while adding 18 assists for 30 points, earning Rookie of the Month honors in October.
After a promising first NHL stint, Roy will likely spend the rest of the season in the minors as he continues his development. He’ll be an outside candidate to crack Montreal’s opening night roster next season and should, barring an unforeseen bump in his development, be a full-time NHL player by the time his entry-level contract expires in 2026.
Calgary Flames Recall Cole Schwindt
The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Cole Schwindt from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL. Schwindt was one of the pieces that came over to the Calgary Flames as part of the Matthew Tkachuk trade with the Florida Panthers alongside Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and a 2025 lottery-protected first-round draft pick.
Schwindt has yet to suit up for the Flames but does have three games of NHL experience with the Panthers back in 2021-22. He was held scoreless during that stretch and was -4. At the AHL level, the 22-year-old has been a productive player with 42 goals and 52 assists in 189 career games.
Schwindt has plateaued offensively in recent years as he has seen his offensive numbers drop from his career-best season in 2021-22. The former third-round pick had 19 goals and 21 assists in 72 games that year with the Charlotte Checkers but hasn’t been able to duplicate that success or come close to the 17.9% shooting percentage he posted.
This season with the Wranglers, Schwindt has eight goals and 12 assists in 37 games which is a tick below his career-best numbers, but he has yet to take the next step offensively. While his offense hasn’t taken off, the defensive side of his game has steadily improved over the years and that is likely the reason he could get his first taste of NHL action in two years.
Calgary could be looking at some major moves over the next few weeks and if Schwindt can show he belongs at the NHL level he may be able to extend his stay with the Flames.
East Notes: Bryson, Rafferty, Robertson
The Sabres recalled defenseman Jacob Bryson from AHL Rochester on Monday morning, per the team’s public relations department. The 26-year-old joined Buffalo for practice this morning and will travel with them to California on their road trip, which takes them up to the All-Star break (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald).
Bryson has been papered up and down frequently over the last few days as the team grapples with an injury to veteran Erik Johnson on the back end. The 35-year-old missed Saturday’s loss to the Lightning after taking a hit from behind from Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev late last week and was not on the ice for practice today. As such, the Sabres needed to bring a defenseman up from Rochester to give them an injury fill-in option if an additional blue-liner is sidelined during their California trip.
It’s been a difficult season for the 26-year-old Bryson. He’s played sparingly for the Sabres, making three appearances (none since November 4) and passing through waivers unclaimed in December. The 2017 fourth-round pick is in the latter half of a two-year, $3.7MM deal ($1.85MM AAV) and is unlikely to receive a qualifying offer before his deal expires in the summer. He has three assists and a +5 rating in 10 games with Rochester this season, his first minor-league stint in three years.
Some other NHL/AHL shuffles in the Eastern Conference this morning:
- The Red Wings assigned defenseman Brogan Rafferty to AHL Grand Rapids this morning, according to a team announcement. Detroit recalled the 28-year-old yesterday to serve as injury insurance with Ben Chiarot out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, but he did not dress in their win over the Lightning. Rafferty has served as a healthy scratch in four games this month as the team has shouldered short-term absences to Chiarot and Jake Walman on their back end. The offensive-minded blue-liner has struggled to adapt in his first season with the Red Wings organization, posting two goals, 13 assists and 15 points in 35 games with Grand Rapids after lighting up the league with 51 points in 72 games with AHL Coachella Valley last season.
- The Rangers returned defense prospect Matthew Robertson to AHL Hartford today, the team’s PR department said. The 6-foot-4 22-year-old came up to serve as injury insurance for the first two games of the Rangers’ California road trip but did not play. As such, they’ve decided to return him to the minors before their game against the Sharks in San Jose tomorrow. Their 2019 second-round pick is in the final season of his entry-level contract and is still looking to make his NHL debut. He’s posted two goals, 11 assists and 13 points with a -3 rating in 32 games with Hartford this year.
Coyotes Recall Justin Kirkland On Emergency Basis
The Coyotes have made a move to add some more forward depth before their game on Monday against Pittsburgh, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Justin Kirkland from AHL Tucson on an emergency basis.
This is the fourth recall of the last month for the 27-year-old but his playing time over the first three was limited to just two appearances where he averaged just 7:14 per game. Kirkland has done well in limited action with the Roadrunners, however, collecting 16 points in 18 games; he’s nearly up to his AHL point total from last season already in 14 fewer appearances.
Arizona currently has just 12 forwards on its active roster and one of those – Nick Schmaltz – has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. Head coach Andre Tourigny told reporters today including Remy Mastey of The Hockey News that he doesn’t expect that Schmaltz will be available to play against the Penguins. The Coyotes have dressed seven blueliners since then but with Kirkland’s presence on the roster, they’ll now have the option to go with the typical twelve-forward alignment.
Atlantic Notes: Reaves, Rafferty, Lightning
Maple Leafs winger Ryan Reaves has been on injured reserve for more than a month now with a knee injury. However, he told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that he has been ready to return for a couple of weeks and he has simply been scratched for that time. The 37-year-old is in the first season of a three-year, $4.05MM contract signed back in July and things haven’t gone as planned with the veteran struggling when he was in the lineup to the point of being healthy scratched at times before the injury. Reaves noted that he’ll need to “stay patient to get in the lineup — or stay patient for whatever else is going to come” but clearly, his comments suggest that patience is starting to wear a little thin if he has indeed been ready to come back for the last two weeks.
More from the Atlantic:
- Before their game against Tampa Bay, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Brogan Rafferty from AHL Grand Rapids. It’s the second recall of the month for the 28-year-old although he didn’t see any NHL action in his first stint and barring injuries, it’s unlikely he’ll suit up much if at all this time around. Rafferty is in his first season with Detroit’s farm team after signing a two-year, two-way contract back in July. In 35 games so far with the Griffins, he has 15 points.
- The only injured Lightning player who could return before the All-Star break is defenseman Erik Cernak, relays Eduardo A. Encina of The Athletic (Twitter link). Cernak has missed a little more than a week with an upper-body injury but it appears he has a chance to come back in their final three games. Meanwhile, Encina adds that winger Tanner Jeannot remains listed as week-to-week while blueliners Mikhail Sergachev and Haydn Fleury – both currently on LTIR – could return after the break.
Wild Recall Jesper Wallstedt, Assign Daemon Hunt To AHL
With Marc-Andre Fleury sustaining an upper-body injury on Friday against Florida, it appears the Wild have opted to make sure they have an extra goalie around if needed. Michael Russo of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that netminder Jesper Wallstedt has been recalled from AHL Iowa. To make room for him on the roster, defenseman Daemon Hunt has been sent down.
Wallstedt made his NHL debut earlier this month against Dallas, one that was a bit of a struggle for him as the 21-year-old allowed seven goals on 34 shots. However, the 2021 first-round pick (20th overall) has had a strong sophomore year in the minors, posting a 2.61 GAA with a .916 SV% in 21 games. His save percentage is tied for fourth among AHL goaltenders who have made at least 20 appearances this season.
As for Hunt, the 21-year-old has split the season between Minnesota and Iowa. At the top level, he has played in a dozen games so far in his first taste of NHL action. Hunt has a single assist in those contests in limited minutes as he’s averaging just 11:30 per night. However, in the minors, he has been considerably more productive, collecting a goal and eight helpers in 16 appearances.
Minnesota didn’t have an open roster spot to work with and at this point, Fleury hasn’t been placed on injured reserve so someone had to be sent down to make room for Wallstedt. Thanks to his waiver exemption, Hunt is that player for now but it wouldn’t be surprising to see this transaction reversed if Fleury is cleared to dress for tomorrow’s game against Carolina or if he lands on IR, allowing Hunt to be recalled.
Flames Recall Matt Coronato
With Martin Pospisil‘s injury, the Flames were expected to bring someone up to take his place before tonight’s game against Edmonton. That move has now been made as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Matthew Coronato has been recalled from AHL Calgary.
The 21-year-old was the 13th overall pick by Calgary back in 2021 and he has been viewed as a key part of their future core since then. He turned pro after two strong years offensively at Harvard where he averaged more than a point per game and this is his first full campaign in the pros.
Coronato broke camp with the Flames in training camp but the offensive success wasn’t there as he managed just one goal and one assist in his first ten games of the season. Calgary then decided to sent him to the Wranglers for more playing time and he has been there since then, save for a brief one-game recall last month. The move made a lot of sense as it allowed Coronato to play a much bigger role, one that he has been accustomed to throughout his career at the lower levels. He found his offensive touch in the AHL, notching 12 goals and 17 assists in 27 games at that level, earning himself an All-Star nod for his efforts.
It will be interesting to see how high the Flames will deploy Coronato in their lineup. Will they try to limit his minutes like they did in his first stint where he came in just under 14 minutes a night or will they put him in a scoring role to see if he can contain his hot stretch offensively? If it’s the latter, he might have more success than he did at the beginning of the season.
Wild Place Connor Dewar On IR, Recall Jake Lucchini
The Wild picked up a big win last night in Florida but it came at a cost with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (upper body) and center Connor Dewar (lower body) leaving with injury. The latter’s injury will keep him out for at least the next week as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Dewar has been placed on injured reserve. Taking his place on the roster will be winger Jake Lucchini who has been recalled from AHL Iowa.
Dewar only has nine points for Minnesota this season but seven of those have been goals, marking a new career-high for the 24-year-old. He has spent the majority of the season on the fourth line while averaging just shy of 11 minutes a night so far. A good chunk of that has come on the penalty kill where he’s the third-most-used forward on the Wild in that situation. Joe Smith of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Dewar is expected to miss a couple of weeks and might not return until after the All-Star break and Minnesota’s bye week.
As for Lucchini, this is his third recall in the last month as he has played his way into being a top option for promotion when injuries strike. That’s thanks to a strong season in the minors where he has 11 goals and 11 assists in 28 games with Iowa. The 28-year-old has played in four games so far for Minnesota and is looking for his first point of the year. Lucchini has 15 career appearances at the top level under his belt where he has a single goal to his name.
While the Wild have been cap-strapped for most of the season, that changed with the season-ending injury to Jared Spurgeon. With the blueliner landing on LTIR, Minnesota has ample cap space to carry a full roster, even including injury recalls.
Oilers Recall Dylan Holloway, Assign James Hamblin To AHL
The Oilers have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against Calgary. The team announced that they’ve recalled forward Dylan Holloway from AHL Bakersfield; in a corresponding move, forward James Hamblin was assigned to the Condors.
Holloway got off to a slow start to his season with Edmonton, notching just one goal in his first 14 games of the campaign while logging only a little over 11 minutes a night. He then suffered a lower-body injury in mid-November, one that caused him to miss nearly two months. Upon being cleared to return, the 22-year-old was assigned to Bakersfield where the plan was to give him some reps at center. It wound up being a short-lived stint with the Condors but a successful one as Holloway had two goals and two assists in just four games in the minors. It will be interesting to see if he sees time down the middle and takes Hamblin’s spot directly or if they’ll shift him back to the wing.
As for Hamblin, the 24-year-old has spent the bulk of the season with Edmonton, suiting up in 31 games so far. However, Hamblin’s role has been quite limited as he is logging less than eight minutes a night and has been limited to just two goals and one assist offensively while winning just over half of his faceoffs. Hamblin has been more productive with Bakersfield, picking up three goals and two helpers in six games with the Condors. He’ll get a chance to play much bigger minutes as a result of this swap.