Detroit Red Wings Recall Tyler Bertuzzi
Tyler Bertuzzi is getting his first crack at the NHL this year, as the Detroit Red Wings have recalled the young forward from the AHL. Bertuzzi played seven games last season for the club, but is still looking for his first NHL point.
The nephew of former Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi, Tyler is an impressive prospect. Since being selected 58th-overall by Detroit in 2013, he’s shown an impressive ability in the minor leagues to play both pest and scoring threat. Coming off a Calder Cup victory with the Grand Rapids Griffins last season—in which he scored 19 points in 19 playoff games, while taking 50 PIM—he’s off to another good start after an early injury with nine points in his first 12.
Detroit came roaring back on Tuesday night against the Jets after getting pummeled by the Canadiens in a home-and-home, and now sit at 11-12-5 on the year. There is some worry in Red Wings land that the team isn’t as good as they showed early on, but Bertuzzi will certainly give them something to cheer for. He’s expected in the lineup on Saturday night in the place of an injured David Booth.
Tyson Jost Could Join Canada’s World Junior Team
Hockey Canada released a list of 32 players invited to the World Junior selection camp this month, as they prepare for the tournament in Buffalo. As we wrote when the list was released, it is possible for several other NHL players could be allowed to join the tournament as well should their clubs release them. Alexander Nylander, for instance, still doesn’t have an answer from the Buffalo Sabres on whether he’d be allowed to leave the Rochester Americans to play for Sweden.
Tyson Jost of the Colorado Avalanche is that player for Canada, and as Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports it’s likely that he’ll be allowed to leave the team to play in the tournament. Jost’s development has been handled very carefully this season, with him spending time in the AHL to receive more minutes and work on his two-way game.
How can he play in the AHL and still be eligible for the World Juniors you ask?
Jost played in the BCHL before being drafted and heading to the University of North Dakota, meaning he’s not held to the same restrictions as CHL players. Remember, those drafted out of the CHL cannot play in the AHL until they turn 20. Jost is just 19 still, and would be a huge help to the Canadian team.
The 10th-overall pick in 2016, Jost has top-line upside as an all-around center and was part of the 2017 Canadian team that took home the silver medal. Even though the team already has plenty of talent to pick from, getting another returnee—especially one that has captained Canada on the international stage in the past—would increase their chances even more.
Carter Hutton Injured, Blues Employ Emergency Backup
As is the case a few times each season, the St. Louis Blues were forced to bring in an inexperienced amateur as their backup goalie for their game tonight against the Dallas Stars. The team announced that regular understudy Carter Hutton had been injured earlier today in the morning skate, suffering a lower-body condition that was serious enough that he could not dress behind Jake Allen tonight. Although they were quick to recall Ville Husso from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage on an emergency basis, sending rookie winger Sammy Blais down in the process, the 7:00 PM flight out of south Texas was not going to be in time for puck drop of tonight’s game.
So, the Blues have turned to local goalie Tyler Stewart. Stewart signed an amateur tryout agreement with the team and took part in warm-ups tonight. The plan was for Stewart to to serve as the backup until Husso arrived from San Antonio, but even that brief experience has to be the thrill of a lifetime for the St. Louis native. Stewart was the starting goalie for St. Louis University’s ACHA Division II squad for three seasons, but never came close to having pro prospects. A chance to wear the colors of his hometown team is quite the event.
Should Hutton miss substantial time, Husso may not be the best option to backup Allen long-term. The 22-year-old has yet to see any NHL action, but did spend time in the ECHL last year, plus his AHL numbers this season have been less than spectacular. Husso was the quickest recall for the Blues, but Jordan Binnington, currently on loan to the Providence Bruins out on the east coast, is likely to be called upon as the backup instead. Binnington boasts an impeccable 1.83 GAA and .930 save percentage this season in Providence and made his NHL debut last season.
Bo Horvat Potentially Out Long-Term; Canucks Recall Chaput, Demko
As if our “Thankful For” series was a jinx, Bo Horvat was injured in Tuesday’s Vancouver Canucks game and will be out long-term. The team announced the injury is a broken foot, and that he will be out at least “multiple weeks.” Horvat is seeing a specialist to get a more accurate timeline. In light of that, the team has recalled Michael Chaput from the AHL along with Thatcher Demko.
The reason for Demko’s call-up is less obvious. As Patrick Johnson of The Province explains, it most likely is a move to get the Canucks as close to the salary cap as possible before placing Derek Dorsett on long-term injured reserve. That way they can receive the largest benefit from his injury status, and use his entire $2.65MM cap space if need be.
Horvat has been excellent for the Canucks this season, and with Brandon Sutter also currently on injured reserve the team’s depth at center will be tested. The pair were leading the team in ice time among forwards, meaning others like Sam Gagner and Henrik Sedin will need to step up in their absence. Vancouver, who have had an admirable start to the season, will have to find a new way to shut down their opponent’s top players.
Minor Transactions: 12/07/17
While teams get ready for a busy Thursday night of action, slight adjustments will be made to rosters across the league. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Justin Schultz on injured reserve and recalled Frank Corrado from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Schultz is dealing with a lower-body injury, and is expected to miss “weeks”. Corrado has played three games for Pittsburgh this season, and could end up facing his old team as the Penguins take on the Maple Leafs this weekend.
- The Washington Capitals have sent Travis Boyd to the minor leagues, after the 24-year old forward made his NHL debut on Monday. Boyd has shown elite offensive ability at the AHL level, but was held scoreless in his two NHL contests. The undersized forward will likely get another chance at some point, but for now will return to Hershey where he has 20 points in 23 games. For the Capitals, Boyd’s assignment likely means that Andre Burakovsky is ready to return to the lineup.
- With Ben Bishop dealing with a sore back and not on the Dallas Stars current road trip, the team has recalled goaltender Mike McKenna from the AHL according to Mark Stepneski of NHL.com. McKenna isn’t expected to get much in the way of starts unless Bishop remains out through next weekend. The Stars don’t have a back-to-back situation until Friday and Saturday of next week.
- Ville Husso has been called up to the St. Louis Blues on emergency conditions, after Carter Hutton suffered a lower-body injury. Husso will be used as a backup tonight behind Jake Allen, but since he might not make it on time local goaltender Tyler Stewart will take warm-ups with the team. To make room for Husso on the roster, Samuel Blais has been sent back to the minor leagues.
Options In Net For The Edmonton Oilers
Things went from bad to worse for the Edmonton Oilers’ 2017-18 season when dependable starting goaltender Cam Talbot went down with and upper body injury and landed on IR and could remain out through December. His replacement, Laurent Brossoit, is struggling and that’s putting it gently. In 8 appearances, Brossoit has one win, an .872 save percentage, and a 3.80 GAA. Neither of the backup options, Nick Ellis or Eddie Pasquale, has any NHL experience, nor has either been given a chance to gain any just yet, nor has either played remarkably well in the AHL as well. It’s a dire situation for a team that is desperate for wins, or else the face a familiar possibility of finishing as one of the league’s worst teams this season.
So what are the options? TSN’s Frank Servalli believes that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is scouring the trade market for help in net. Servalli lists Buffalo’s Chad Johnson, Winnipeg’s Michael Hutchinson, Philadelphia’s Michal Neuvirth, Toronto’s Calvin Pickard, and Detroit’s Petr Mrazek as the top targets for Edmonton.
Johnson, of course, is known to be on the trade block courtesy of the Sabres’ own struggles and seems to be the best fit of these options as a reliable veteran on a one-year deal. Servalli even states that Johnson, along with Neuvirth, were among the Chiarelli’s free agency targets to be Talbot’s backup. However, as Servalli points out, there could be other suitors for Johnson, which could drive the price up.
More affordable assets to acquire could be Hutchinson or Pickard, due to their teams’ depth in goal. The Maple Leafs acquired Pickard from the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year, but with Frederik Andersen playing well, a veteran backup in Curtis McElhinney, and other promising young goalies in Garret Sparks and Kasimir Kaskisuo in line, Pickard is expendable. So too could be McElhinney or Sparks as well, if Chiarelli favors those Toronto alternatives. In Winnipeg, the thriving Jets are doing just fine with Connor Hellebuyck, rookie Eric Comrie, and expensive free agent acquistion Steve Mason as their net rotation. A solid goaltender with ties to Chiarelli from the Boston Bruins, fourth-string Hutchinson seems like a likely target.
Mrazek and Neuvirth less so. Mrazek is still young, is making $4MM, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. It is likely that he would be costly to acquire and costly to re-sign, when the Oilers really just need a stopgap. Neuvirth, who has a year remaining at $2.5MM, could replace Brossoit as the long-term backup to Talbot if Chiarelli so chooses, but also seems like an unlikely acquisition. AHL goaltenders from both the Red Wings and Flyers – Jared Coreau and Alex Lyon – might actually make more sense.
Other options: Eddie Lack or David Rittich from the rival Calgary Flames, Colorado’s Andrew Hammond, Anaheim’s Reto Berra, L.A.’s Jack Campbell or Jeff Zatkoff, and several more. The options are there, so the pressure is on Chiarelli to find a fair deal and to do it soon. Edmonton may simply lose upcoming games regardless of who is in net, but if the team continues forward with only Brossoit, the blame will fall on the front office for not doing something to at least increase their chances.
Marek Mazanec On Waivers; Will Sign With New York Rangers
Wednesday: As expected, Mazanec has cleared waivers and signed with the Rangers. He was immediately assigned to the AHL, along with Alexandar Georgiev who’d been up while Henrik Lundqvist dealt with the flu. Mazanec is likely on a minimum salary two-way contract, meaning he would have $650K cap hit in the NHL.
Tuesday: Marek Mazanec is about to return to North American professional hockey, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that he will sign with the New York Rangers. Mazanec has been placed on waivers today, meaning he’s destined for the AHL once he clears. Mazanec had been under contract with the Nashville Predators this summer, but had his contract terminated to pursue an opportunity in the KHL.
After the Predators added both Matt O’Connor and Anders Lindback, it was expected that the organization would move away from Mazanec. Still though, they issued him a qualifying offer and he filed for salary arbitration, eventually settling on a two-way contract. That deal was terminated when Mazanec found a job with Slovan Bratislava in the KHL, but they’ve now moved on as well. Mazanec struggled for Slovan, posting an .899 save percentage through 23 games this season. The team has KHL veteran Jakub Stepanek to fill the crease for them, who has played better so far this year.
Joel Hanley of the Arizona Coyotes and Matt Moulson of the Buffalo Sabres, on waivers yesterday, have both cleared and can be assigned to their respective AHL teams. The Sabres had been trying to find a taker for Moulson and his $5MM cap hit, but instead will have to bury him in the minor leagues. The team will gain a prorated $1.025MM in salary cap relief from assigning him to the AHL.
Minor Transactions: 12/06/17
As always, we’ll keep an eye on all the minor moves around the league today. One thing to keep an eye out for is teams releasing young players for the World Juniors, though it’s not clear if it will happen for anyone this year. Clayton Keller, Jesper Bratt and others have already been skipped over.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled T.J. Brennan and Alex Lyon from the AHL, as they place Brandon Manning and Michal Neuvirth on injured reserve. The team will be relying on Brian Elliott for the time being, though Lyon is an interesting goaltending prospect for the future. The 24-year old has struggled this year at the AHL level, but has all the skills to succeed at the professional level.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled a goaltender of their own, bringing up Harri Sateri to replace Roberto Luongo. Luongo was forced from the game against the New York Islanders on Monday night, and could be out for some time. James Reimer will take over the starting duties for the time being.
- Rocco Grimaldi has been sent back down by the Colorado Avalanche after just a day with the club. Grimaldi played just nine minutes in last night’s game, but will return to the AHL to continue his development. The 24-year old has 10 points in 14 games for the San Antonio Rampage this season.
- Joel Eriksson Ek is back up with the Minnesota Wild, after showing that he can dominate the AHL. The 20-year old forward had seven points in seven games for the Iowa Wild, and looked dangerous on nearly every rush. Expected to play a big role on Minnesota this season, he got off to a slow start with just three points in his first 20 games and was forced to spend some development time in the minor leagues.
Lightning Notes: Dotchin, Coburn, McBain
The Tampa Bay Lightning have the best record in hockey, but are dealing with their fair share of bumps and bruises right now. The only major injury on the roster belongs to defenseman Jake Dotchin, who has been sidelined with an undisclosed and reportedly “freak” injury for the past two weeks. However, the Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith writes that Dotchin was back at practice today and could soon return to action. The Bolts have the luxury of easing Dotchin back into the lineup – he was still donning a red “no-contact” jersey today – due to both the team’s success and sufficient depth of talent on the blue line. Nevertheless, the strong defensive presence that Dotchin brings paired nicely with All-Star Victor Hedman as the team’s top duo and coach John Cooper is surely eager to get his defensive groupings back together.
- Another barrier to that task could be lingering health issues with Braydon Coburn. The veteran stay-at-home defender is also banged-up and unable to play due to an undisclosed injury. Coburn missed the Lightning’s last game and tonight’s contest and there is no word on when he will return.
- Although the Bolts still have a solid six without Dotchin and Coburn, the team still went ahead and recalled Jamie McBain from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, the team announced. McBain was on hand for tonight’s game, but did not suit up for Tampa against the New York Islanders. McBain, 29, has had a strong 2017-18 campaign in the AHL thus far and will continue to be a reliable backup option for the Lightning should their blue line injuries persist.
Matt Moulson Loaned To Ontario Reign
Just moments after our last piece that referenced how the Buffalo Sabres and Matt Moulson were working to find an option for him, the team announced that the veteran forward has been loaned to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. The Reign are the affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, but Moulson will remain on the books for the Sabres. As Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News points out, Moulson’s wife and Jonathan Quick‘s wife are sisters, giving him family ties to the area and organization.
This move would seem to at least halt any trade speculation for the time being, as the Sabres likely exhausted all options before sending Moulson to Ontario. That speculation may pick up in the future should he play well at the AHL level, since the 34-year old forward still costs the Sabres a hefty salary while playing in the minor leagues. Though his signing bonus for this year will have already been paid, he still carries a $3MM salary for the year (with a $5MM cap hit).
Moulson is also a candidate to be bought out at the end of the year, though because of the back-loaded nature of his deal it won’t save the Sabres a ton of cap space. He would still carry a $3.67MM cap hit for 2018-19, and a $667K hit for 2019-20. They’d also save only about $750K in actual money, though he would at least be free to search for another opportunity and remove a contract from the roster for the Sabres.