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Carolina Hurricanes Will Make Additions In Net

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4:43 p.m. — As expected, the Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled Forsberg and Nedeljkovic from Charlotte.

11:11 a.m. — Last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs was nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime event for the Carolina Hurricanes. The contest could not have gotten off to a worse start, with starter James Reimer being forced out of the game just six minutes in to the first period following a collision in net. Petr Mrazek entered the game in relief, but allowed a goal late in the period to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead. Things were looking up in the second frame following three Hurricanes goals, but then Mrazek was injured just over halfway through the period. This forced the team to turn to an emergency backup, 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres, an employee of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment who had not played in a competitive game for more than five years. Yet, Ayres got the job done, allowing only two goals in nearly half a game (with some help from the team allowing just ten shots) to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-3 win.

While this was of course a tremendous story, the reality now sets in that the Hurricanes are now down both of their NHL goaltenders without any timeline yet as to when they may return to action. The timing of this is poor, seeing as tomorrow is the final day to make a trade this season and there is no time to wait for an official word on Mrazek or Reimer. The team is also in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild card race and can’t afford to take a chance in goal and miss out on potential points.

For now, TSN’s Pierre LeBurn reports that the team plans to recall both Anton Forsberg and Alex Nedeljkovic from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers today. Fortunately, both netminders have seen plenty of ice time this season, spitting appearances 50/50, and have performed relatively well. If asked to take on some NHL starts, either one could fair well enough. Forsberg is a veteran of 45 NHL games, while Nedeljkovic has fared well in his two NHL appearances and was arguably the best goalie in the AHL last season.

However, if there is any suspicion that both Mrazek and Reimer could be out long term, it seems unlikely that Carolina would be comfortable fighting for a playoff spot and entering the postseason with only Forsberg and Nedeljkovic. For that reason, LeBrun adds that a number of teams have already reached out to the Hurricanes about moving a goalie and it seems likely that the team could make a move. In fact, the team was kicking the tires on adding another goalie even before these injuries, so many conversations have already been had. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the teams main focus is on Chicago Blackhawks’ keepers Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford, both impending free agents, while other rental options could include veterans Jimmy Howard, Craig Anderson, or Ryan Miller or available backups like Aaron Dell or Louis Domingue.

One way or another, the names in net are about to change for Carolina. Perhaps it will only be short-term while their current duo heal up or maybe it could be a major long-term addition for the rest of the season and a hopeful playoff run. With the team also needing a replacement on the blue line given the injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce and also rumored to be in on several big-name forwards, including the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, the next 27 hours should be very busy for the Hurricanes.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Joonas Korpisalo

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After an impressive performance in his first rehab start, the Columbus Blue Jackets have activated all-star goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from his conditioning loan, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, giving the team a slight break amidst their long injury list that seems to have been affecting their team.

The Blue Jackets weren’t necessarily sure how long Korpisalo, who has been out since Dec. 29 with a knee injury, would need on his conditioning loan to return to top form. However, Korpisalo made 32 of 34 saves to lead the AHL Cleveland Monsters to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Rochester Americans. That was enough to activate Korpisalo. The team also announced they have assigned goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks and forward Calvin Thurkauf to Cleveland. Korpisalo was not on injured reserve the entire time he was injured, but was placed on LTIR in order for the team to send him to Cleveland for his conditioning stint.

Korpisalo was a dominant player before going down with a 17-10-4 record, a 2.49 GAA and a .913 save percentage. He was named to the all-star team, but the knee injury he sustained prevented him from attending. With Korpisalo back, the Blue Jackets should have one of the top one-two tandems in the league as former backup Elvis Merzlikins has been dominant since Korpisalo went down. Merzlikins has gone 12-9-8 in Korpisalo’s place with a 2.37 GAA and a .922 save percentage. Together, they should comprise a top pairing.

The team has struggled through multiple injuries and have eight players on injured reserve at the moment, including forwards Cam Atkinson, Brandon Dubinsky, Alexander Wennberg, Josh Anderson, Alexandre Texier and defenseman Seth Jones, Dean Kukan and Ryan Murray.

 

Minor Transactions: 02/23/20

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Yesterday was one of those days that can only be explained by a glitch in the matrix. The Bruins, Lightning, and Penguins – the NHL’s top three teams – were all blown out, while the Capitals lost to the lowly Devils and, if that wasn’t bad enough, Alex Ovechkin’s 700th career goal was overshadowed by another story line, which was a 42-year-old zamboni driver named David Ayres manning the net for the Hurricanes as an emergency backup and getting the win over his employer, the Maple Leafs. Will some of these teams overreact to these shocking results, especially on the eve of the trade deadline? It’s quite possible. One thing is for certain, roster tweaks could be in store for all involved. Many teams around the NHL could be making minor moves ahead of Monday’s big day, so keep up with all of the action here:

  • The Ottawa Senators have reassigned forwards Drake Batherson and Josh Norris to AHL Belleville, the team announced. While Batherson has been part of this up-and-down shuffle all year, playing in 23 games with Ottawa and 37 games with Belleville, Norris made his NHL debut on this recall. The Unvisersity of Michigan standout leads the AHL Senators with 58 points in 51 games this season.
  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled a pair of players as they deal with potential long-term injury absences. The team announced the promotion of forward Gerald Mayhew and defenseman Louis Belpedio, both of whom have seen NHL action before but could be in for a larger role this time around. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that defenseman Carson Soucy is out for at least one month, while forward Luke Kunin could miss 10-14 days minimum.
  • After recalling Sheldon Dries and Logan O’Connor on consecutive days, the Colorado Avalanche were faced with a decision on which to keep at the top level and which to return. The team has apparently opted to keep the youth and motor of O’Connor over the greater experience and scoring ability of Dries, as he has been reassigned to the AHL Eagles. Dries is one of the top point-getters for the Eagles this season, but has skated in just three games for the Avs compared to 40 last year. O’Connor has eight NHL games this year and 13 total, but has just one point to show for it. The University of Denver product does bring a lot of energy and speed to the lineup though.
  • Taylor Fedun is back with the Dallas Stars, as the team has promoted the veteran from his conditioning assignment with AHL Texas. Fedun has played in 27 games for the Stars this season, contributing nine points, but was a healthy scratch for ten games before being sent to Texas for conditioning earlier this month. Fedun will be a dependable depth option for Dallas down the stretch and in the playoffs.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights added some depth to their forward lines as they announced they have recalled Patrick Brown from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. The 27-year-old was signed during the offseason away from the Calder Cup Charlotte Checkers, who defeated Chicago in the finals last season. He was brought in to provide a veteran presence for the team’s young prospects. He has six goals and 19 points in 54 games this season. Now, he gets his first opportunity in Vegas. Brown has 36 games of NHL experience, all with Carolina, where he has tallied just a goal and an assist.
  • The New York Islanders announced they have swapped forwards. The team has assigned veteran Andrew Ladd to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. The team also have recalled forward Kieffer Bellows to the team, although Bellows, who was assigned Friday to Bridgeport, never left. He watched the last Islanders’ game in the press box, suggesting that he was expecting to be recalled immediately.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from his conditioning stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The blueliner has missed 18 of the team’s last 19 games with a knee injury, but looks ready to return after a two-game stint in the AHL where he had one assist. The Flyers hope he can contribute immediately after a poor season so far where he’s seen his ATOI drop to a career low 18:21.
  • Kiefer Sherwood is back up with the Anaheim Ducks who announced that they have recalled him from AHL San Diego.  While he hasn’t seen any NHL time this season, he got into 50 games with Anaheim back in 2018-19, recording six goals and six assists.  In 37 games with the Gulls this season in the minors, he has 16 goals and seven helpers.

Minor Transactions: 02/22/20

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At this time of year, every game is important to both ongoing playoff battles and teams’ final decisions on their trade deadline stance. Friday was no different, as the Blues asserted themselves against the division rival Stars, the Avalanche narrowly edged the Ducks to keep up in the Central as well, the Islanders got a much-needed win, and the Oilers, Predators, and Hurricanes all failed to come away with two points in upset losses. However, the fiercest battle in the NHL right now is at the top of the league, where the Bruins and Lightning are simultaneously batting for the Atlantic Division title, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and the President’s Trophy. As good as Boston has played of late, they have still lost ground to a Tampa club that has been unstoppable since December. After a rare Bolts loss to Vegas on Friday, the Bruins needed to take advantage in a Pacific clash of their own in Calgary. The odds seemed bleak after allowing three goals to the Flames in the first six minutes of play, but Boston shut out Calgary for the rest of the game and came away with a meaningful 4-3 win to increase their lead over Tampa Bay to five points. Whether it is a top contender, a fringe playoff team, or a bottom-dweller, every minor move also has significance at this time. With the trade deadline arriving in just two days, look for today to be a busy day for roster tweaks:

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled a pair of players, including Las Vegas native Gage Quinney. The 24-year-old forward has finally earned an NHL appearance with 32 points in 42 games so far this season, among the top producers on the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The trade of Cody Eakin opens up a roster spot up front in Vegas for Quinney and his teammates in the minors, at least until Alex Tuch returns from injury or the Knights make a trade addition. Also returning to the top level is defenseman Zach Whitecloud, who has skated in seven games with Vegas so far this season.
  • Scott Wilson is on his way back down to the minors, as the Buffalo Sabres announced that they have reassigned the veteran forward. The move is somewhat surprising, as Wilson has contributed two points in four games since being recalled earlier this month and seemingly looked like he would either stick with Buffalo for a while longer or could potentially be a candidate to be traded as an affordable depth addition for a contender. Instead, the impending free agent will head back to the AHL’s Rochester Americans, where he has 19 points in 29 games this year.
  • After losing Cody Goloubef on waivers yesterday, the Ottawa Senators have promoted Christian Jaros to fill his place on the back end. Jaros, 23, played in 61 games with Ottawa last season but only six so far in 2019-20. As the Senators get set to trade away multiple pieces before the deadline on Monday, Jaros is one of a number of minor leaguers from AHL Belleville expected to see an increased role down the stretch.
  • The injury-riddled Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled defenseman Gabriel Carlsson from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Carlsson was just sent down yesterday, but the team will need him as they take on the Predators tonight without any regulars expected to return to the lineup. Carlsson, a big, stay-at-home defender, has been a good fit in Columbus as a spot starter, even if he has yet to produce a point in six games this season.
  • Darcy Kuemper is taking an important step towards returning to the lineup as the Arizona Coyotes have assigned him to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on a conditioning stint.  He has missed just over two months with a lower-body injury but was one of the top goalies in the league before being injured.  Assuming there are no setbacks, he should return to Arizona sometime next week and give them a huge boost in their push for a playoff spot.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have returned defenseman Mark Friedman to AHL Lehigh Valley, reports Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer.  He has been shuffled back and forth in recent days and managed to get into Thursday’s game with the big club where he logged more than 16 minutes of ice time.
  • With Erik Gustafsson being held out of the lineup with the trade deadline on the horizon (he won’t be joining the Blackhawks for their upcoming road game), Chicago will be recalling defenseman Lucas Carlsson from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, reports Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.  If he gets into the lineup, it will be his first NHL action.  Carlsson is in his second season with Rockford and has 26 points in 48 games this season.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled forward Logan O’Connor from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. With only 12 healthy forwards on the roster, O’Connor should provide some insurance in case of injury for the time being. The 23-year-old returns after a stint with the Avalanche in December where he played seven games with one goal. The forward has 12 goals and 25 points in 40 games with the Eagles.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have assigned forward Colby Cave and defenseman Evan Bouchard to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Cave has played in six games since being recalled on Feb. 10, but hasn’t picked up a point in that span. He has one goal in 11 games for Edmonton this season. His assignment likely indicates that Connor McDavid is ready to return to the Oilers’ lineup. As for Bouchard, the 10th-overall pick in 2018, he will have to wait to make his 2019-20 debut. He was recalled Wednesday and has been a healthy scratch twice. He is expected to play with Bakersfield on Saturday and could return to be Edmonton’s seventh defenseman on Sunday again.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Karl Alzner

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For the first time in 2019-20, veteran defenseman Karl Alzner may finally see NHL action. The veteran defenseman has been recalled by the Montreal Canadiens for just the second time this season. The team announced that it is an emergency loan and Alzner will join the team on the road in Ottawa. Alzner, 31, has exclusively played in the AHL this season to the tune of a buried cap hit of $3.55MM.

While every off-season features regrettable signings, few have worked out as poorly in recent years as Montreal’s addition of Alzner in 2017. Alzner had established himself as a solid defensive blue liner over nine years with the Washington Capitals and leveraged that reputation into a five-year, $23.125MM contract that carried a $4.625MM AAV. Alzner actually played in all 82 games for the Habs in year one, but his combination of 12 points and a -7 rating made it arguably the worst season of his career. The Canadiens decided that they were a better team without their big free agent addition and kept Alzner buried in the minors for all but nine games in 2018-19.

This year, Alzner has been utilized even less to this point, making no NHL appearances with the regular season more than 75% complete. Yet, with Marco Scandella traded, Victor Mete on injured reserve, and Xavier Ouellet also sidelined, the Canadiens are hurting on the blue line. They also have a considerable amount of cap space and can easily afford to take on the extra cap bump of brining Alzner back to the NHL level. Whether or not Alzner, who has 13 points for the AHL’s Laval Rocket this season, will actually get into the lineup and even then make a difference remains to be seen, but the odds are that he will at least make an appearance.

As for next year and beyond, Montreal has been content to bury Alzner for two years now, but the question is whether they will continue to do so for another two years. Maybe Alzner could earn his way back into the mix with an impressive showing down the stretch this season, but that seems very unlikely. More probable is that the Canadiens could look to trade Alzner – who does have a seven-team no-trade list – or could buy him out, which would cost just under $4MM in 2020-21, just under $2MM in 2021-22, and only $833K for two years after that. Either way, this call-up could very well be both the first time this season and the last time ever that Alzner dons a Montreal sweater.

Minor Transactions: 02/21/20

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You can bet that there will be more trade action in the next couple of days, but right now several teams are likely just focused on their results from a night ago. The Florida Panthers, a team scratching and clawing to keep pace in the Atlantic Division, lost in regulation to the worst team in the Western Conference, while the Arizona Coyotes couldn’t figure out how to score a single goal to keep their playoff hopes alive. While the NHL assesses and recalculates, we’ll be here to keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The New York Islanders have recalled Andrew Ladd and Otto Koivula, while sending Kieffer Bellows back to the AHL. Cal Clutterbuck has also been moved to long-term injured reserve, but it’s actually a good sign—he’ll also head to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to begin a conditioning stint.
  • With another injury last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Calvin Thurkauf under emergency conditions. Gabriel Carlsson has been sent back down. This time it is Oliver Bjorkstrand who suffered an injury when crashing into the boards, and Aaron Portzline of The Athletic spotted him leaving the arena on crutches.
  • With some forwards likely on their way out in the next few days, the Ottawa Senators have recalled Josh Norris from the minor leagues. A piece of the Erik Karlsson trade, Norris has excelled in his first season of professional hockey, recording 58 points in 51 games for the Belleville Senators in the AHL. He’ll likely get a chance to show what he can down down the stretch.

Florida Panthers Acquire Danick Martel

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The Florida Panthers have completed a minor league trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning, acquiring Danick Martel in exchange for Anthony Greco. Both players will report to their respective new AHL organizations.

Martel, 25, has put together a solid season for the Syracuse Crunch, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise at this point. The undrafted forward was a star in junior and has scored in every season of professional hockey so far. Originally part of the Philadelphia Flyers organization, Martel scored at least 20 goals in each of his three years with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a mark he looks poised to crack again this season.

That doesn’t mean he’ll help Florida’s NHL hopes however, as Martel has just 13 games of experience at the highest level and has yet to score a single goal. He’ll also become a group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.

Greco meanwhile isn’t a much different case. The 26-year old was also an undrafted free agent signing, this time out of Ohio State University. The undersized winger has had excellent seasons in the AHL including a 30-goal, 59-point campaign in 2018-10, but has appeared in just a single NHL contest. He is also scheduled to become a group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Minor Transactions: 02/20/20

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While teams try to prepare their rosters for the coming trade deadline, there will be plenty of movement up and down between the NHL and AHL. Eight important games are on the schedule for tonight, and as the last minute tweaks happen we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Dallas Stars have sent Joel Kiviranta back to the minor leagues, after playing in four games earlier this month. Kiviranta has 11 total appearances on the season and a single goal, but really hasn’t been used as a full-time option in Dallas yet. The 23-year old was signed out of Finland last spring and still has another year left on his deal.
  • Gabe Vilardi is expected to make his NHL debut tonight for the Los Angeles Kings, finally recalled after a long recovery period. The 20-year old Vilardi was drafted 11th overall in 2017 but played just four games during the 2018-19 season as he dealt with chronic back issues. His work has paid off however, scoring 25 points in 32 games this season with the Ontario Reign and making it to the NHL.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Jimmy Schuldt and Zach Whitecloud back to the minors after using them to complete a salary cap transaction yesterday. The team gained as much cap relief as possible when they moved Alex Tuch to long-term injured reserve.
  • A pair of players have been reassigned by the Vancouver Canucks as well, as the team announced that forward Tyler Graovac and defenseman Guillaume Brisebois have been returned to the AHL’s Utica Comets. Graovac has missed considerable time due to injury this season, but in his limited action has suited up for the Cancucks more than the Comets, whereas Brisebois has been a fixture on the Utica blue line with no NHL appearances yet this season.
  • It’s been a bit of a whirlwind in the Florida Panthers’ bottom-six of late, with Jayce Hawryluk and Denis Malgin departing and Danick Martel and Mason Marchment arriving. As a result, the team has brought back a familiar face fore the time being, announcing the recall of Dryden Hunt. Hunt has skated in 20 games with the Cats this season and another 35 with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.

Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens Complete Minor Trade

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Joseph Blandisi and Jake Lucchini to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Riley Barber and Phil Varone. All four players in the deal are currently playing in the AHL and will report to their new respective organizations in Laval and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Interestingly, Barber and Varone were both scratched over the weekend for the Rocket and while nothing will likely be confirmed, AHL reporter Mark Divver tweets that it was “related to some kind of off-ice unrest.” What exactly that means isn’t clear, but they both will now get a fresh start with another organization for the end of the season.

All four of these players are scheduled for free agency of one kind or another at the end of the season, with Blandisi and Lucchini both becoming restricted free agents, Barber headed for group VI unrestricted free agency and Varone scheduled to become a regular (group III) unrestricted free agent.

This deal will likely have very little impact at the NHL level, though Blandisi did play 21 games with Pittsburgh earlier this season and has shown himself to be competent at that level. Barber meanwhile spent nine games with Montreal this season, though still doesn’t have an NHL point in 12 career appearances.

Shayne Gostisbehere Sent To AHL On Conditioning Stint

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The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Shayne Gostisbehere to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a conditioning stint, giving him a chance to get some action while he continues to work his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery. Gostisbehere did play for the Flyers once earlier this month, but has missed the last five as he tries to get back to full strength.

Of course, Gostisbehere’s name has also continually surfaced in trade rumors, at least in part because of the struggles he has had this season. Whether those are due to injury or just a change in system under new head coach Alain Vigneault, the former Calder Trophy finalist hasn’t looked like himself all season.

With just 12 points in 41 games, Gostisbehere is an enigma that the Flyers will need to solve before any playoff run. Whether the end of the maze is a trade out of Philadelphia or a rejuvenated performance, the team can’t afford to have his $4.5MM sitting out or underperforming for long.

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