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Central Notes: Athanasiou, Mrazek, Joseph, Heinola

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The AHL’s Rockford IceHogs have announced that forward Andreas Athanasiou has suffered a wrist injury and will miss the next four to six weeks. He’s just three games into a tenure with Rockford, after passing through waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks on November 13th. Athanasiou recorded two goals on four shots in his AHL debut but didn’t manage any scoring in two games this weekend. He’s playing in his first minor league games since the 2015-16 season, working to earn a recall after failing to score in his first five NHL games this season.

The slow start this season has continued Athanasiou’s unpredictable career. He’s only two seasons removed from a 20-goal, 40-point season with a much weaker Blackhawks lineup, but was limited to only 28 games last season by a lower-body injury that lasted nearly five months. He hasn’t rediscovered his scoring on the other side of that injury – and now gets stifled from a potential resurgence in the minor leagues for the time being. Athanasiou carries a $4.25MM cap hit and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • Sticking in Chicago, starting goaltender Petr Mrazek will sit out of the team’s Tuesday night game against Anaheim for personal reasons per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio 720. Arvid Soderblom will take over the starting crease, and Drew Commesso has been called up to serve as backup. Soderblom has posted a .934 save percentage in five games this season, well ahead of Mrazek’s .906 in 13 games. He’ll need to stay strong, with no indication of how long Mrazek may miss and Chicago currently on a two-game losing streak.
  • It will be Mathieu Joseph stepping out of the St. Louis Blues’ lineup to make room for Robert Thomas’ return from a fractured ankle per NHL.com’s Elise Butler. Joseph only has one point in his last seven games, and has fallen to a fourth-line role after a strong stint in late October. St. Louis acquired Joseph and a third-round pick for future considerations from the Ottawa Senators this summer. Joseph scored a career-high 35 points last year, but has so far struggled to find his scoring in St. Louis. He’ll look to take better advantage of his minutes when he’s called on again, while Oskar Sundqvist also steps out of the lineup in favor of Zachary Bolduc.
  • Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel said that defender Ville Heinola could rejoin against Minnesota on Monday, shares NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton. Heinola was assigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose for a conditioning stint after starting the year on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He hasn’t slotted into the Jets’ lineup since January of 2023, when he was assigned to the minors after scoring just one point in 10 NHL games. He went on to score 64 points in 89 AHL games over the last two seasons, though he continues to fight with routine injury. Heinola was the 20th-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Red Wings To Reassign Jack Campbell

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Nov. 18: Campbell cleared waivers Monday and is on his way to Grand Rapids, Friedman reports.

Nov. 17: The Detroit Red Wings have placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Campbell signed a one-year, league-minimum deal with Detroit on July 1st but entered the NHL Player Assistance Program on October 4th. That’s been his designation ever since, though this waiver placement suggests he’s been activated and will soon return to the ice.

Campbell has been on a downward spiral since his stout service as Toronto’s starter in 2021-22. He recorded 31 wins and a .914 save percentage in 49 games that year – both higher than any Leafs starter not named Frederik Andersen since 2010. Campbell followed what seemed to be his breakout season by signing a rich deal with the Edmonton Oilers. But he’d quickly lose his grip, ultimately ceding the starting role to rookie Stuart Skinner after only posting 21 wins and a .888 save percentage in 36 games. Skinner managed a hardier 29 wins and .914 save percentage in 50 games, leading Edmonton to placing Campbell’s hefty $5MM cap hit on waivers. He passed through and proceeded to look much better with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors – posting an 18-13-1 record and .918 save percentage in 33 games. But that wasn’t enough to vindicate his price tag, and the Oilers chose to buy out the last three years of Campbell’s contract this summer.

A new deal in Detroit marked a chance for Campbell to rediscover his footing – though a chance at the NHL roster has always been a long shot. The Red Wings made a point of building out their net this summer, adding Cam Talbot on a two-year, $5MM contract to help challenge Alex Lyon and Ville Husso for the starting role. Talbot has more than earned it so far, posting a .927 save percentage through 10 games, while Lyon’s .903 is strong enough to hang onto the backup role.

Unfortunately, that’s left Husso and his .811 in two NHL games as the odd-man-out. He’s been buried in the minor leagues, though he’s recorded a much more encouraging .952 save percentage in four games with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Husso is rotating with Carter Gylander as the backup to top Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa, who’s set a dazzling .937 save percentage in 11 games. Campbell will now step into that crowd, likely pushing Gylander back to the ECHL but not guaranteeing any minutes in front of Husso. It’ll be a battle of the middling goaltenders in Grand Rapids’ goaltending room, while the 21-year-old Cossa continues to pave a strong path forward.

Snapshots: Wild, Perets, Edvinsson, Rasmussen

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The Minnesota Wild have assigned forwards Liam Ohgren and Michael Milne, and defender Daemon Hunt, to the AHL as they anticipate the return of Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. Michael Russo of The Athletic points out that, even with the two veterans returning, the team will likely call another forward up in the coming days.

Ohgren made his return to the lineup, and Milne his NHL debut, in Saturday’s loss to the Dallas Stars. Neither had much to show for their minutes, with Ohgren recording two shots in 12:10 and Milne recording three hits in 6:34. Another scoreless night pulled Ohgren through his eighth game this season with no points. Hunt hasn’t stepped into the lineup since being recalled on November 12th, though he did play one NHL game in October. All three have been far more productive with the AHL’s Iowa Wild – where Ohgren has four goals in four games; Hunt has two assists in six games; and Milne has eight points in 10 games. Ohgren and Milne will be the top options to be quickly recalled, though Minnesota could also turn towards veteran pros like Ben Jones, Travis Boyd, or Devin Shore.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have sent goaltender Yaniv Perets back to the minor leagues with Pyotr Kochetkov set to return from injury per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Kochetkov missed Carolina’s Saturday win over Ottawa with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour describing Kochetkov as “banged up” to postgame media including NHL.com’s Matt Komma was the closest indication of Kochetkov’s hold up. Whatever the issue was, the young netminder is set to reassume his familiar role as de facto starter with Frederik Andersen out long-term. Kochetkov has eight wins and a .897 save percentage through 10 games this season. Meanwhile, Perets has only served as backup in his NHL call-ups this season. He’s posted a .825 save percentage in three AHL games this year, and will return to a crowded Chicago Wolves goaltender room beside Spencer Martin and Ruslan Khazheyev.
  • Forward Michael Rasmussen (upper-body) and defenseman Simon Edvinsson (lower-body) are both expected to return to the lineup on Monday per the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. Both players sat out of the team’s Saturday night loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Rasmussen has found a role in Detroit’s bottom-six, recording four points through 16 games this season. Edvinsson has proven far more impactful, usually serving as the go-to partner for star Wings defender Moritz Seider. Edvinsson has six points in 16 games this season, putting him on pace for 30 points in his rookie year.

Avalanche Place Alexandar Georgiev On IR, Recall Two

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The Colorado Avalanche have placed starting goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (upper-body) on injured reserve, retroactive to November 13th. Georgiev sat out of the team’s Friday loss to Washington. This move rules Georgiev out of the team’s Monday match against Philadelphia, though head coach Jared Bednar told Colleen Flynn of Colorado Hockey Now that the netminder will join the team on their upcoming four-game road trip. He’ll be eligible to return as soon as Thursday.

This move downgrades Georgiev to an extended absence after he received a day-to-day designation on Saturday. He’s started 10 games this season, setting a bleak 4-5-0 record, .863 save percentage, and 3.56 goals-against-average. It’s a continuation of the skid that he hit last season and the prolonged struggles are starting to cost Georgiev ice time. Backup Justus Annunen has played in nine games this year, posting an improved .881 save percentage and 5-3-0 record.

In a corresponding move, Colorado has also recalled forward T.J. Tynan and goaltender Kevin Mandolese. Mandolese will become the fifth goaltender to take to the Avalanche bench this season, earning the chance after posting a 4-2-0 record and .905 save percentage in six AHL games this season – one more win, but the same save percentage, as goalie partner Trent Miner in the same number of games. Mandolese has built a hardy career in the minors, posting 32 wins and a .897 save percentage across 72 games, and five seasons, in the AHL. He’s proven even stronger in 15 ECHL games, and even boasts a .916 save percentage through three career appearances in the NHL. With Georgiev’s return likely just around the corner, Mandolese should be confined to a backup role on this recall.

Meanwhile, Tynan will return to offering offensive depth behind Parker Kelly and Joel Kiviranta. Tynan was assigned to the AHL ahead of this weekend, and recorded three assists in the Colorado Eagles’ Saturday win over Ontario. That scoring brought him to seven points – all assists – in eight AHL games this season. He’s also recorded one assist in seven NHL games. Tynan is still searching for his first NHL goal – with just two assists through 28 career games  in the NHL. He’s likely headed for the press box on this recall, unless Bednar chooses to rotate out fourth-line pieces.

Morning Notes: Peeke, Pionk, Goncalves, Kastelic, Tufte

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The Boston Bruins will soon receive some relief on the blue-line, with defenseman Andrew Peeke returning to the team’s practices per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. Peeke hasn’t played since leaving Boston’s November 5th match against Toronto following a hit from Max Pacioretty that seemed to bounce Peeke’s shoulder awkwardly off the boards. He was ruled out week-to-week with an upper-body injury soon after, though participating in practice marks a big step in his path back to the lineup. Peeke isn’t expected to play in Boston’s Monday game against Columbus but could suit up when the team hosts Utah on Thursday.

Peeke was joined on the shelf by Hampus Lindholm, who’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The pair of absences quickly drained Boston’s top-four of its impactful, defensive stalwarts. Peeke rotated through the lineup when healthy, serving anywhere from 13 minutes in a sheltered role to 20 minutes on the top pair. He’s recorded two assists, 18 hits, and 21 blocked shots in 13 games. While not a thrilling stat line, Boston has felt every bit of Peeke’s absence – averaging the fifth-highest goals-against per-game (3.60 in five games) since he left the lineup. Upcoming matchups against Columbus, Utah, and Detroit should give Boston a chance to ease Peeke back into the lineup.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been fined $5K, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for “clipping” Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist on Saturday. Pionk went in for a hip-check but caught more of Boqvist’s knee than anything else. No penalty was issued for the hit. Boqvist nursed his left-knee for a while, but didn’t need helped off the ice. Pionk played 20 minutes in the 5-0 loss, going without any major stat changes – but still boasting 17 points in 18 games this season. He’ll continue to be a main fixture of the Jets lineup – and likely continue delivering heavy hip-checks – after avoiding suspension here.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have once again assigned forward Gage Goncalves to the minor leagues, after he stepped into a third-line role in the team’s Saturday night win over New Jersey. Goncalves played a career-high 15:32 worth of ice time in the outing, though he only put up two hits and one shot. Goncalves has yet to record his first NHL point, despite four appearances this year and two last year. He’ll return to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, where he’s already posted six assists in five games – the only Crunch still scoring above a point-per-game pace.
  • The Boston Bruins received a couple more updates at Sunday’s practice, with forwards Mark Kastelic designated as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and Riley Tufte expected to be sent to the minor leagues per Steve Conroy. Tufte played in 7:46 of Boston’s Saturday overtime-loss to St. Louis, with a -2 his only stat change. Tufte has yet to record a point in three games this year, though he’s managed three points in 21 career NHL games while serving as a go-to call-up since 2021. Kastelic has been much more productive – posting seven points in 19 games this season – while still serving a fourth-line role.

Metropolitan Notes: Chytil, Andersen, Jarvis, Erne, Letang

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Rangers center Filip Chytil will not accompany the team on its upcoming four-game road trip, relays Vince Z. Mercogliano of the Rockland/Westchester Journal News.  The 25-year-old suffered an upper-body injury on Thursday versus San Jose with the team declining to provide further specifics.  Chytil, who has missed considerable time with concussions in the past (including the final 72 games of last season), is off to a good start this year for New York, notching four goals and five assists in 15 appearances despite an ATOI of just 13:40, his lowest since his rookie season.  It’s possible that Chytil could be cleared to join the Rangers partway through the trip if the injury winds up being a minor one.

More from the Metro:

  • Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen’s injury is not related to the blood clots that kept him out for a significant chunk of last season, notes Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). After initially being listed as out week-to-week, he’s now out for considerably longer than that.  Lavalette adds that the team is weighing the possibility of Andersen having surgery although no decision has been made on that front yet.
  • Still with the Hurricanes, the team announced that winger Seth Jarvis has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 10th. He has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury and the team hopes he can return to practice next week.  Because of the retroactive placement, he’s eligible to be reactivated as soon as Sunday.  The move creates a roster spot for recently-recalled goaltender Yaniv Perets with the team also quietly recalling Ty Smith late Thursday.
  • The Rangers’ farm team in Hartford has released winger Adam Erne from his PTO, per the AHL’s transactions log. The veteran was previously listed as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.  Erne had just one assist in ten games with the Wolf Pack prior to getting hurt.  A veteran of 379 career NHL games over parts of eight seasons (including 24 last year in Edmonton), Erne will now try to catch on elsewhere, presumably when he has recovered from the injury.
  • Before tonight’s game between the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins, the latter announced Kris Letang would miss his second straight game due to illness. When healthy this year, Letang has gotten off to one of the worst scoring paces of his career since his early days in Pittsburgh with two goals and six points in 18 games.

Kings Activate Alex Turcotte, Assign Andre Lee To AHL

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The Kings have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game today against Detroit.  The team announced that they’ve activated forward Alex Turcotte off injured reserve.  To make room for him on the roster, winger Andre Lee was assigned to AHL Ontario.

Turcotte was placed on IR a week ago today after sustaining an upper-body injury early in the month.  The 23-year-old is in his first full NHL season and has held his own in a limited role.  Turcotte has played in 13 games so far this season, picking up a goal and four assists while averaging just under 12 minutes a night in their bottom six.  For his career, he’s up to 45 appearances at the top level, tallying two goals and seven helpers.

As for Lee, he was an early-season recall and had been up with Los Angeles since then, spanning more than five weeks in total.  Along the way, he played a regular role in the lineup, collecting two assists and 32 hits in 15 games in 9:26 of playing time per game.  Those games were the 24-year-old’s first taste of NHL action.  Lee had eight goals and five assists in 38 games with the Reign last season, resulting in a one-year, two-way contract worth the league minimum of $775K with the Kings and $100K in the minors.

Notably, Lee’s assignment means that Samuel Helenius will remain with Los Angeles for now, at least.  He was brought up when Turcotte landed on injured reserve and it would have made sense for him to be the one who lost his spot with Turcotte returning.  Helenius has an assist, nine hits, and a 60% faceoff success rate in his first three games, earning himself a longer look in the process.

Kraken Recall Ben Meyers

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With Jordan Eberle out for the weekend, the Kraken needed some extra forward depth up front.  That will be forward Ben Meyers, as the Kraken announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Coachella Valley.

Meyers is in his first season with Seattle after signing a one-year, one-way contract worth $775K on the opening day of free agency this past summer.  The 26-year-old had a strong preseason showing, leading the Kraken in scoring with two goals and three assists in four games but it wasn’t good enough for him to break camp with the big club.  After clearing waivers, Meyers has played exclusively with the Firebirds so far and is off to a good start to his season, collecting two goals and six assists in 11 games.

Meyers is a veteran of 67 career NHL appearances between Colorado and Anaheim and has seen action at the top level in each of the last three seasons.  All told, he has six goals and two assists to his name while logging just shy of ten minutes per game.

While the Kraken got Meyers as an unrestricted free agent, they can actually gain his RFA rights if he plays in 13 games or more with them as that would take him off the Group Six UFA list back to Group Two RFA status.  Seattle had two open roster spots before calling Meyers up so no corresponding moves needed to be made to add him to the active roster.

Prospect Notes: Halttunen, Port, Pridham

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Despite a solid start in the AHL, the Sharks have decided that prospect Kasper Halttunen is best served playing in junior.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve loaned the winger to OHL London.  The 19-year-old was the 36th overall selection back in June following a strong first junior season with the Knights, one that saw him record 61 points in 57 regular season games plus 26 more in 18 playoff contests.  Halttunen played in six games in the minors with the Barracuda, collecting two goals and two assists and will now go back to a top junior program.

Other prospect news around the NHL:

  • Ducks prospect Vojtech Port is on the move as WHL Lethbridge has acquired him from Moose Jaw, per a team release. The 19-year-old blueliner was drafted by Anaheim in the sixth round in 2023.  Port had 15 points in 42 games last season between Edmonton and Moose Jaw but is off to a quiet start this season with just three assists in 19 games so far.  The Ducks only hold his rights until June 1st, 2025, so Port will need to be an impactful piece for his new team if he wants to earn an entry-level contract in the coming months.
  • Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham is changing teams and leagues as OHL Kitchener announced that they’ve signed the forward for the remainder of the season. Chicago drafted the 18-year-old in the third round (92nd overall) back in June and he started the season with BCHL West Kelowna (collecting 10 points in 12 games) while waiting to go to Boston University next year.  However, now that CHL players can play in the NCAA starting next season, Pridham will play the rest of the year with Kitchener and then likely make the jump to college hockey as planned for 2025-26.

Wild Recall Liam Ohgren On Emergency Basis

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With winger Mats Zuccarello landing on injured reserve for the next few weeks and center Joel Eriksson Ek’s availability for tomorrow in question after exiting Thursday’s victory over Montreal, the Wild needed an extra forward.  They’ve now made that move, announcing the recall of Liam Ohgren from AHL Iowa on an emergency basis.

The 20-year-old broke camp with Minnesota and has played in seven games with them so far this season.  However, he was held off the scoresheet and his playing time dwindled quickly; he failed to reach eight minutes of playing time over his last three games.  As a result, they elected to send him down to the minors at the end of October in the hopes of getting him more minutes.

Ohgren got into four games with Iowa while on assignment, scoring four goals, three of which came in his last game back on Saturday against Rockford.  If he does get into Minnesota’s lineup, it’ll likely be a short-lived recall as they undoubtedly would prefer him playing in a top role in the minors over spot duty with the Wild so once Eriksson Ek is able to play, Ohgren will probably be sent back down soon after.

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