Red Wings Recall Nosek, Lashoff
With Justin Abdelkader sidelined for the next 2-4 weeks, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled big-bodied forward Tomas Nosek from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.
The Red Wings have also recalled defenseman Brian Lashoff, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan. Neither Nosek nor Lashoff are expected to play Saturday night in Pittsburgh. It appears Drew Miller will take Abdelkader’s spot in the lineup against the defending champs. Miller has played 17 games with the Red Wings this season, and has two goals to show for it.
To make room on the roster, the Red Wings placed Abdelkader on injured reserve (IR). They have also moved Andreas Athanasiou from IR to long-term injured reserve (LTIR), retroactive to November 11.
[Related: Red Wings’ depth chart]
The 6’3, 209 lbs Nosek is hovering near a point-per-game this season in the AHL after back-to-back seasons with 30-plus points. Nosek was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Red Wings back in 2014. He’s been held pointless in six NHL games so far in his career, all played last season.
Should Lashoff get into the lineup during this recall, it will be his first NHL game since 2014-15, when he played 11 games for the Red Wings. The 6’3, 220 lbs defenseman has 13 points in 117 NHL games in his career, all with Detroit.
Neither player will count for much against the salary cap. Lashoff is the higher-earner of the two, making $650K at the NHL level. Nosek is in the first year of a two-year extension signed in May and makes $613K at the NHL level.
Atlantic Notes: Barkov, Red Wings Call Up Candidates
A breakaway goal may just be what Aleksander Barkov needs to get going writes the Sun-Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. Barkov was sprung loose during the Panthers’ 2-1 overtime victory last night when a Red Wings line change led to Barkov being wide open at center ice. He took the long outlet pass, raced to the net, and scored a five hole winner on Petr Mrazek. Before the game, new bench boss Tom Rowe chatted with the youngster and had this to say:
“I told him not to focus on scoring, that they will start going in,” Rowe said Friday on an unscheduled day off in Ottawa given as part reward, part mental and physical break during a season-long six-game road trip.
“Keep playing the right way and have some fun.”
Fialkov writes that the goal snapped Barkov’s 21-game goal drought, the longest of his career. He adds that Barkov reacted with humor after being asked about it. His response? “I don’t even remember my last goal, so it was good to see one go in.”
In spite of a scoring drought, Barkov is second on the team in points with 15 (3-12).
In other Atlantic Division news:
- Though Drew Miller could take the vacated spot after the Red Wings announced that Justin Abdelkader will be out 2-4 weeks, general manager Ken Holland said that a move would be made from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Some candidates? Forward Matt Lorito has been dynamite for the Griffins, being a point-per-game player since the Wings picked him up as a free agent this summer offering a two-year, two-way deal. Lorito was recently named AHL Player of the Week and currently sits seventh in the league with 19 points (7-12) and is also waiver exempt. Another candidate? Mitch Callahan, who is second on the Griffins in points with 14, has been knocking on the door for years. He’s a feisty winger who would go into the corners while also trying to score the “greasy goals” coach Jeff Blashill harps on. One other candidate could be Eric Tangradi, a big bodied forward who had a call up last season. It’s more likely that Miller slots in, as Blashill has already hinted that the veteran will get the call.
Senators Notes: Injury Updates, Searching For Depth
The Ottawa Senators have placed winger Bobby Ryan on Injured Reserve, retroactive to November 29.
Ryan broke his finger two weeks ago, but only missed two games before returning. It appears he’s aggravated the injury in some way. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that it’s not clear whether Ryan will go with the Senators on their upcoming road trip, as he’s not eligible to return until next Thursday in San Jose.
It’s been a tough year for Ryan, who has just 8 points in 21 games. With a price tag of $7.25MM, the Senators will be expecting better production when Ryan returns from injury.
Meanwhile, Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg has double Ryan’s points in just three more games. Silfverberg was the main piece acquired by the Ducks in the 2013 trade that sent Ryan to Ottawa.
- Marc Methot is nearly ready to return to the Senators lineup. In an interview on TSN 1200, GM Pierre Dorion said Erik Karlsson‘s preferred defensive partner could return as soon as Saturday.
- The Senators have recalled Max McCormick from Binghamton and assigned Andreas Englund and Buddy Robinson.
- When winger Clarke MacArthur was concussed early in training camp, some analysts wondered if his career was over. MacArthur missed all but four games in 2015-16 with a concussion. However, Dorion said MacArthur has been making progress and “will play this year.”
- With Ryan and MacArthur out of the lineup, the Senators search for forward depth is picking up. Dorion said he’s “very” active in searching for scoring depth, though Garrioch doesn’t believe he’s close to making any deals.
Snapshots: Anderson, LeBrun’s Power Rankings, Blues
The Associated Press reports that Ottawa Senators’ net minder Craig Anderson will take another leave of absence to be with his wife during her battle with throat cancer. Anderson will not be available to play Thursday when the Sens take on the Flyers in Ottawa. In turn, the Senators recalled Andrew Hammond and also have Mike Condon ready to go. Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen writes that Sens’ bench boss Guy Boucher said that there is no timetable for Anderson’s return but that the earliest he could be back is Saturday. Warren added a quote from Condon who said: “I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s going through and I wish him the best.”
In other NHL news:
- The Chicago Blackhawks remain #1 on Pierre LeBrun’s Power Rankings as the first of December approaches. Though they went 3-3-1 on the annual Circus Trip, the Hawks were able to survive without captain Jonathan Toews, who has missed the past three games. Seated second are the Montreal Canadiens, followed by the New York Rangers, who are tops in scoring in the NHL. Fourth and fifth in LeBrun’s rankings are the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Ottawa Senators jumped six spots to number six, while the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nashville Predators round out LeBrun’s top ten respectively. In the power rankings basement? The Islanders hold the spot, due to only a pair of wins in November. LeBrun wonders if ownership will still be as patient if similar results follow in December.
- Despite an earlier report indicating that the St. Louis Blues could be cutting ties with AHL affiliate the Chicago Wolves, KSDK Sports Director Frank Cusumano was contacted directly by a Blues Executive who denied such reports. NHL.com’s Lou Korac wrote earlier that the Blues were readying to put a new AHL team in Kansas City, and the report, via his blog “In the Slot,” was posted on KSDK’s site. Though Korac said the Blues have not made the plans official, a source told him that it’s pretty much a “done deal.” That news conflicted with what a Blues executive told Cusumano, saying that, “No decisions are close to being made. We are talking to a lot of people.”
Adam Pardy Signed By Nashville, Placed On Waivers To Gain Eligibility
Adam Pardy is back in the NHL. The veteran of 338 games has been signed to an NHL deal with the Nashville Predators and, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet explains, has been placed on waivers to gain eligibility after spending the early part of the season on a minor-league deal. The team has also placed Anthony Bitetto on IR and sent Miikka Salomaki to the AHL on a conditioning stint.
After the Predators lost Matt Carle recently to retirement, they needed another NHL level defenseman who could fill in at times but also not lose development by sitting in the press box. Pardy, a former member of five different NHL teams is that player. Never mistaken for an offensive threat, Pardy hasn’t scored 10 points in a season since his rookie year (where he scored exactly 10) but can be a strong physical presence in his own end.
Pardy had been playing on an AHL deal for the Milwaukee Admirals this season recording (amazingly) five points in twelve games, including two goals. The 32-year old will now earn an NHL salary again while he tries to help the Predators shore up their back end.
Tampa Bay Recalls Vermin, Bournival From Syracuse
With Ryan Callahan still nursing an injury and a few other players banged up, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Joel Vermin and Michael Bournival from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.
Neither player has suited up for the Lightning this year, however both have had good starts in the AHL. Signed to a one-year, two-way deal this summer, Bournival has 11 points in 17 games for the Crunch. A 24-year old former third-round pick, he has 89 games of NHL experience with the Montreal Canadiens. Expected to be a strong scorer when he was drafted, the next two seasons in Shawinigan were solid but not spectacular, and he’s turned into a bottom-six only type in his short professional career.
For Vermin, this is familiar ground having been called up by the team last season for six games. A smaller Swiss forward, Vermin has shown his capability as an energy guy who uses his speed to force turnovers. The Lightning will need some of that energy, as they’re currently on a three game losing streak and have fallen to third in the Atlantic Division.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Fayne, Move Gryba To IR
After losing the rematch against the Toronto Maple Leafs on home ice last night, the Edmonton Oilers have decided to make a move. The team has recalled Mark Fayne from the AHL, while moving Eric Gryba to injured reserve.
Fayne was sent to the minors just yesterday after clearing waivers, but will rejoin the team for their upcoming matchup against the Winnipeg Jets. Playing in just one game this season it’s obvious that his favor has soured with head coach Todd McLellan and the entire Oilers organization.
Fayne once wore an alternate captain’s ‘A’ for the Oilers, suiting up in 143 games over the past two seasons. The 29-year old was demoted at one point last year and now seems destined to bounce back and forth as a contingency plan. His $3.65MM cap hit prevents anyone from putting in a claim on waivers, so it doesn’t matter much how many times he goes up and down.
On the other, but very similar, hand is Gryba. Another hulking defenseman, Gryba came over from the Ottawa Senators in 2015 and played 53 games for the team last season. Off to a pointless start in fourteen games, he last played for the Oilers on the 17th. The Oilers will likely continue to dress the six other healthy defensemen for the time being.
Friedman’s Latest: Florida, Alzner, Virtanen
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest wonderful 30 Thoughts column, the Sportsnet reporter goes in detail on Florida’s recent philosophical change that resulted in the firing of head coach Gerard Gallant last week. Comparing the Panthers to baseballs Pittsburgh Pirates of 2013 – a team that completely bought into an analytical approach and made the playoffs for the first time in twenty years. The Panthers are trying similarly to buy-in to a game-changing approach, even after the most successful season in franchise history.
Part of the turnaround will hopefully be Tom Rowe stepping from the front office to behind the bench, but Friedman has another note. The Panthers moved Dave Bolland out this summer to clear cap room for a major acquisition in-season. Whoever that ends up being, combined with the return of Jonathan Huberdeau could be a huge swing for the Panthers down the stretch. It cost Lawson Crouse to rid themselves of Bolland, meaning they better take advantage of the cap space it bought them.
- In looking at the upcoming free agent class, Friedman zones in on two names in particular. Kevin Shattenkirk, who has been widely talked about since the last draft as being a possible trade candidate, and Karl Alzner, the steady Washington defenseman who is said to be looking for somewhere between $5.5-6MM dollars this summer. Alzner has been a rock for the Capitals, but with shrinking cap space the team likely won’t be able to afford him past this season. If he does make it to the open market, Friedman points to Western Canada for hints on who will be after the former Team Canada captain (World Junior’s, 2008).
- The Buffalo Sabres are still a rebuilding team, but have suffered through a ton of injuries this season and may not be as bad as their record looks. Interestingly, Friedman reports that the team has been scouting a ton of the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate Utica. While he opines that the team is watching Jake Virtanen who has been up and down all year between the two clubs, perhaps something other than Evander Kane was brought up when Buffalo and Vancouver were talking earlier this year.
Scott Wedgewood Undergoes Surgery, Out Six Months
The New Jersey Devils announced today that goaltender Scott Wedgewood underwent successful shoulder surgery today and will be sidelined for approximately six months. The surgery was to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Wedgewood suffered the injury on Friday November 19th, when he relieved AHL backup Mackenzie Blackwood against the Binghamton Senators.
This is the same shoulder that Wedgewood injured last season and forced him to miss time. This summer, the netminder was one of the final cuts from the New Jersey training camp to the surprise of many. With outstanding AHL numbers in 2015-16 (when he was healthy), many believed that he was ready to step up to an NHL job. Instead, he cleared waivers and was assigned to Albany where he’d been playing well again. In 10 games this season he was 5-3-0 with a .912 save percentage and a 2.18 GAA.
The baby-Devils will now ask two rookie goaltenders to fill the pipes for them, as Blackwood and Ken Appleby are the current duo. While Blackwood has struggled in eight games, Appleby has performed extremely well since a callup from the ECHL. In three games, the 21-year old is undefeated with a .932 save percentage. While Blackwood was the Devils’ second-round pick in 2015, Appleby went undrafted after playing his junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
Travis Moen Retires From Professional Hockey
After fourteen years and 747 career games, veteran forward Travis Moen has announced that he will retire from professional hockey. The 34-year old from Stewart Valley, Saskatchewan hadn’t found a job this season after spending the last two seasons playing sporadically with the Dallas Stars. 
Moen is perhaps best known for his shutdown play alongside Sami Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer en route to the 2007 Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks. Their play helped the Ducks run roughshod over the rest of the league in those playoffs, losing only five games total. Moen actually was credited with the Cup-winning goal, though it was put into the net by Chris Phillips in one of the biggest NHL bloopers of all time.
The winger would then spend time with the San Jose Sharks before playing for the Montreal Canadiens for parts of six seasons. Though his offensive game never hit that 2006-07 high again, he remained an effective penalty killer and bottom-six checking forward for much of his time there.
Across the 747 games, Moen scored 59 goals and 136 points. He played in a whopping 83 playoff games, adding 19 points and 61 penalty minutes. Always playing with an edge, and willing to drop the mitts at a moment’s notice, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him move into a coaching role one day, as many checking forwards have before.