Scott Wedgewood To Start Conditioning Stint In AHL
The Dallas Stars have their eyes set on more than just a playoff appearance. The club has the best goal differential in the Western Conference and hopes to go on a long postseason run, contending for the Stanley Cup. While their hopes rest on the shoulders of star goaltender Jake Oettinger, getting his backup healthy enough to contribute down the stretch is a priority.
Scott Wedgewood hasn’t played since February 18, leaving Oettinger to start nearly every game since, given the lack of NHL-level depth behind the two netminders. Now, Wedgewood appears to be on the brink of a return.
Team reporter Mike Heika reports that the veteran netminder will go on a conditioning stint to the AHL and start for the Texas Stars on Friday. He could be back up with the NHL club as early as next week, allowing Dallas to give Oettinger a couple of nights off before the playoffs begin.
The Stars finish the season with a home-and-home with the St. Louis Blues on consecutive nights, games that could have serious significance depending on how things go from here. They currently sit three points behind the Minnesota Wild for the Central Division lead, and are tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the other two division playoff spots.
Home ice advantage in the first round – or even avoiding a matchup with the defending champs entirely – may come down to how they perform in that back-to-back.
Calle Clang Assigned To San Diego Gulls
The Anaheim Ducks have one young netminder in Lukas Dostal, who looks ready to make an impact, and they’re hoping another isn’t far away. Calle Clang has been reassigned to the San Diego Gulls after his SHL season ended recently, giving him a chance to start his North American pro career over the next few weeks.
Clang, selected 77th overall in the 2020 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, was included in the Rickard Rakell trade last year, coming to Anaheim along with Dominik Simon, Zach Aston-Reese, and a second-round pick that turned into Tristan Luneau.
The 20-year-old netminder struggled through a rather disappointing season this year, posting a .900 save percentage in 25 games for Rogle, but has shown a ton of potential as a young player. He posted a .944 in two World Junior games last year and even saw a bit of SHL playoff action in 2022.
Even if he is still years away, the Ducks can afford to be patient with his development. The team is rebuilding, John Gibson is still signed for several more years, and Dostal is next in line to replace him. Clang can focus on AHL action for the stretch run before he and the Ducks determine his future. Under contract through 2024-25 in Sweden, he’ll likely return to Rogle for more development back home next season.
Calgary Flames Sign William Stromgren
The Calgary Flames have signed one of their better forward prospects, inking Swedish forward William Stromgren to his three-year entry-level contract on Wednesday. The contract will begin next season, making him a restricted free agent in 2026. He will report to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
Stromgren, selected 45th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, played in the SHL full-time for the first time this season. In 45 games with Brynäs IF, however, he recorded just eight points.
His production should be taken with a grain of salt, however. Brynäs finished near the bottom of the league and lost their relegation series, meaning they’ll be demoted to the second-tier Allsvenskan next season. With Stromgren already coming over to the city on an ATO, it appears that he’ll stay in North America next season rather than having Calgary loan him back to Sweden to help with Brynäs’ efforts to rejoin the SHL.
A big and fast winger, Stromgren also registered an assist in seven games at this past year’s World Junior Championship for Sweden. Set to turn 20 over the summer, Stromgren will look to find some more offensive opportunity in the minors.
Vegas Golden Knights Recall Brayden Pachal, Shea Theodore Injured
The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reported Wednesday that defenseman Shea Theodore is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and will not travel with the team on their brief road trip to San Jose. In response to Theodore’s injury, the Golden Knights announced the recall of defenseman Brayden Pachal from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
With the playoffs rapidly approaching, the Golden Knights will likely be cautious with Theodore’s status and not rush him back if unnecessary. While a playoff spot is practically guaranteed, they do have the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers breathing down their neck for first place in the Pacific Division, so their remaining schedule isn’t exactly meaningless.
Theodore holds a slight edge on Alex Pietrangelo for the highest points per game by a Vegas defenseman this year, recording 41 points in 54 games while playing over 21 minutes per game. Theodore remains a dynamic puck-moving defender and an analytical darling, as he has for much of his NHL career.
Pachal comes up to the NHL club as an extra body, with Ben Hutton expected to replace Theodore in the lineup. The 23-year-old recorded his first two NHL points this season, both assists, in a nine-game stint spanning December and January. This is his first recall in over two months.
Chicago Blackhawks Reassign Mike Hardman
After a two-week-long recall, the Chicago Blackhawks have returned forward Mike Hardman to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis.
Hardman, a 23-year-old in his third NHL season, played in eight games with the Blackhawks on this recall, his first of the season. He failed to record a point in eight games and is still looking to score his first goal since the 2020-21 campaign.
A free agent signing out of Boston College in 2021, this year has been a trying one for Hardman. After promising offensive production last year with Rockford, his offense has regressed significantly. In 2022-23, Hardman has managed just four goals and 16 points in 49 games, down from 32 points in 43 games last season.
There’s still some development time left for Hardman, though, and he has one season remaining on his current contract. Set to become a restricted free agent in 2024, he returns to Rockford for the end of the season, looking to gain confidence for a big contract year next campaign.
Chicago returning Hardman to the minors could also be an indication that Jujhar Khaira, currently day-to-day with an illness, is ready to return.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Jason Polin
The Colorado Avalanche have announced the signing of free-agent forward Jason Polin to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2023-24 season. The team noted that Polin will report to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on a professional tryout for the remainder of 2022-23.
CapFriendly reports Polin’s deal carries a cap hit of $870,000, broken down into $775,000 in NHL salary, a $95,000 signing bonus, and an $80,000 games played bonus.
Polin, a 23-year-old from Holt, Michigan, just completed his senior year at Western Michigan University and served as captain this season. He tallied 30 goals (leading the entire NCAA) and 17 assists for 47 points in 39 games, marking a serious offensive breakout for the 6-foot, 198-pound forward.
Western Michigan’s season ended last week when they lost 5-1 to Boston University in the quarterfinals of the NCAA men’s tournament. Polin’s efforts this season guided Western Michigan to a ninth-place ranking in the nation to end the season.
With Polin not seeing major offensive success until his age-23 college season, expectations should be tempered for his NHL future. Set to turn 24 this offseason, Polin will likely play a middle-six role on the Eagles next year and attempt to adjust to the pro ranks.
Robby Fabbri Shut Down For Remainder Of Season
Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde announced on Wednesday that forward Robby Fabbri is officially out for the rest of 2022-23 due to a lower-body injury.
In addition to the announcement about Fabbri, the Red Wings also announced that forward Taro Hirose has been reassigned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Hirose, 26, made his season debut in last night’s 7-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, playing 7:57. He’s continued to be one of Grand Rapids’ best players this season, leading the team in scoring with 15 goals, 39 assists, and 54 points in 64 games.
Fabbri has been dealing with a lower-body injury since March 8, and Lalonde said Fabbri will require a four-to-six-week recovery period from this point forward. However, he is expected to fully recover in time for the 2023-24 NHL season.
It’s an unfortunate break for Fabbri, who’s no stranger to significant injuries. He missed the entirety of the 2017-18 season and most of the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL and upper-body injury, respectively. Fabbri also missed the end of 2021-22 with another ACL injury, and an MCL injury cost him the first few months of the 2022-23 campaign.
Fabbri, 27, still managed to produce when healthy this season, scoring seven goals and nine assists in 28 games. He was acquired by the team in a trade with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
Adam Sykora Assigned To AHL
As European seasons end, AHL clubs are getting some talented reinforcements. Today, the Hartford Wolf Pack were assigned Adam Sykora by the New York Rangers after his playoff run in Slovakia ended a few days ago.
Sykora, 18, was the 63rd pick in 2022 and already appears to be well on his way to outperforming that draft position. With 21 points in 38 games for HK Nitra, he was the highest-scoring U20 player in the Extraliga (by quite a bit), and added four points in eight playoff games playing a significant role.
While his World Junior tournament didn’t result in much offensive production – Sykora scored just one goal in five games – it was a bit of a coming-out party for the talented young forward, who looked dangerous every time he touched the puck.
Even better, he continued to display the all-out energy that made him such an intriguing draft prospect. Sykora’s game has no lower gear, as he flies around the ice chasing the puck. That actually may have to be reined in a bit at the next level for the Rangers to get the most out of him, but his work ethic certainly won’t be questioned.
Signed to his three-year entry-level deal already, Sykora is in no danger of burning the first year. His contract will slide at least this season, and could again next year should he play outside the NHL.
Jordan Spence Reassigned To AHL
After two weeks with the big club, Jordan Spence returns to the AHL. The Los Angeles Kings have reassigned the young defenseman ahead of their four-game road trip that starts in Calgary this evening.
Spence, 22, played just two games on this recent call-up, bringing his total to five on the year. Through 29 career regular season games he has two goals and nine points, averaging just under 19 minutes a night.
While he doesn’t figure to make a huge impact this year for the Kings, Spence did show he could handle playoff hockey when he was added to three postseason lineups last year. As a significant part of the team’s future, he’ll get that chance again at some point down the road.
For now, he’ll head back to an Ontario Reign team headed for the Calder Cup playoffs. Ontario will play tomorrow night in a potential first-round preview against the Colorado Eagles, and could really use Spence’s help.
Through 50 games this year, he has duplicated his outstanding minor league production, posting four goals and 41 points. Through 96 career AHL contests, he’s put up 83 points.
St. Louis Blues Reassign Joel Hofer
The St. Louis Blues have returned goaltender Joel Hofer to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, according to a team release Monday.
Per the team, this was a planned transaction in order for Springfield to have Hofer in the fold as the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs begin. Springfield, which currently sits fourth in the Atlantic Division, has nine games remaining on their regular-season schedule.
Hofer earned an extended look in the big leagues after an impressive performance during an emergency recall earlier in the month, necessitated by a two-game suspension for starter Jordan Binnington. The 2018 fourth-round pick recorded a .915 save percentage in five appearances, going 3-0-1.
His status as a quickly-rising prospect was bolstered by last year’s playoff run in Springfield, where he helped guide them to the Calder Cup Final with a .934 save percentage in 10 playoff games. His hot play has continued this season, posting a .920 save percentage and four shutouts in 40 games with Springfield.
With backup Thomas Greiss slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, expect Hofer to take over the backup role full-time starting next year.