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Anaheim’s Derek Grant, Troy Terry Out Long-Term

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Tuesday night’s game between the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers proved costly for the Quack Attack. Forward’s Troy Terry and Derek Grant left the game with injuries and did not return. When the Ducks recalled Isac Lundestrom and Max Jones from the AHL ahead of Wednesday’s match-up with the New Jersey Devils, it did not bode well for a quick comeback for either player. However, the extent of both injuries is beyond what anyone had expected. Anaheim announced that Terry suffered a broken leg and will miss about ten weeks, while Grant suffered an AC sprain in his shoulder and will miss four to six weeks.

The loss of both players hurts the Ducks, especially with Nick Ritchie already sidelined long-term. However, Grant’s absence will be felt the most, as the veteran defensive forward is enjoying a career year. The 29-year-old center’s nine goals and twelve points in 34 games had him on pace to shatter his previous career highs of 12 goals and 24 points. Grant is also tied for third in the NHL with short-handed goals and is an integral piece to the Anaheim penalty kill. The Ducks will have to make do without him until at least mid-January, if not through to February. Meanwhile Terry is expected to be sidelined until the end of February at the earliest and then will likely find himself rehabbing in the AHL. Terry has not produced as expected so far in his young pro career, but still provides the offensive spark that so often eludes the Ducks. This injury will be a further setback to his development.

The third member of the injury update was defenseman Jacob Larsson. Listed as a scratch for Wednesday’s game, Larsson is in fact considered day-to-day with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Larsson has been the least productive of the Ducks’ defenders this year and continues to struggle with the offensive and puck-moving aspects of the game at the NHL level. A good defensive blue liner, Larsson’s absence will nevertheless not hurt as much as the losses up front for an Anaheim team that allows fewer than three goals per game, but scores only two-and-a-half.

 

Minor Transactions: 12/18/19

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Taylor Hall’s debut with the Arizona Coyotes went according to plan as the star winger set up Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the game-winner, but it wasn’t so easy for several other Western Conference hopefuls last night. Not only were the Winnipeg Jets defeated easily by the Carolina Hurricanes, but Andrei Svechnikov scored his second lacrosse-style goal of the season to rub it in. As six teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Maxime Lajoie to the minor leagues as they get ready for their game tomorrow against the Nashville Predators. Who needs depth defensemen anyway when you have Thomas Chabot playing more than 37 minutes a night?
  • Kole Sherwood has been activated from injured reserve by the Columbus Blue Jackets and sent to the minor leagues. The 22-year old suffered an oblique tear earlier in the year but is approaching a return to action.
  • Robbie Russo has been returned to the AHL by the Coyotes, with Jordan Gross replacing him on the roster. Gross, 24, has 15 points in 26 games with the Tucson Roadrunners this season and has never been recalled previously.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent all three emergency call-ups, Adam Brooks, Timothy Liljegren and Martin Marincin to the minor leagues. Brooks and Liljegren are both waiting to make their NHL debuts, but will have to patiently bide their time in the AHL.
  • Noah Gregor has been sent to the AHL by the San Jose Sharks after spending the last month in the NHL. The 22-year old has played in 18 games, scoring his first career NHL goal at the end of November. Also headed to the Barracuda are Dylan Gambrell and Jacob Middleton. The move leaves the Sharks with just 20 active skaters, as they both looked to save some cap space and get their young players some extra minutes in the AHL.
  • The back-and-forth continues for Gerald Mayhew, who today was reassigned to the minors by Minnesota, the Iowa Wild announced. Mayhew’s 14 AHL goals lead the team and are tied for third in the league even though he has spent considerable time in the NHL as well.
  • Veteran enforcer Zac Rinaldo is on his way to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the team announced, after he was demoted today by the Calgary Flames. Rinaldo has actually carried his weight offensively in the minors so far this season, recording seven points in 14 games, not to mention three points in five games with Calgary as well.
  • The Boston Bruins have activated winger Zachary Senyshyn from the injured reserve and have sent him down to AHL Providence. Senyshyn continues to be an enigmatic player for the Bruins, playing well in the NHL but disappointing in the AHL. Right now there is no room for him in Boston, though.
  • With Mathieu Perreault and Andrew Copp both hitting the injured reserve, the Winnipeg Jets have called up reinforcements in the form of Mason Appleton and Jansen Harkins. While Appleton is the  frequent member of the Jets, playing in nine games with the team this year, Jansen may have the higher upside of the two. Harkins’ 24 assists lead the AHL while his 31 points are best on the team and third in the AHL. Harkins was even named the AHL Player of the Month for November. The 22-year-old is more than deserving of making his NHL debut.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have promoted two of their top young forwards, announcing that Isac Lundestrom and Max Jones have re-joined the team. The pair of first-round picks are not having huge years at either level, but still present tremendous NHL upside.

Minor Transactions: 12/14/19

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Even with just two games being played on Friday night, the hockey world was still in a mad scramble with the news that New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall had been a late scratch for their game against the Colorado Avalanche. As Hall watch continues today, 28 teams, including the Devils, take the ice. Each of those teams, plus the three with a day off, wouldn’t mind adding the former MVP, but will have to balance their pursuit with day-to-day roster maintenance as well. You can keep up with those smaller moves here, as you wait for the big deal to potentially drop:

  • The Ottawa Senators have announced that they have recalled defenseman Andreas Englund from AHL Belleville. Englund, 23, is one of a number of Senators defensemen who have dealt with injury issues this season, limiting him to just 11 AHL games thus far. Englund would be making his NHL debut this season if he draws into the Ottawa lineup tonight, but the 2014 second-rounder has skated in at least one NHL game in each of his first three seasons in North America. With that said, the big blue liner has played in just nine games total with Ottawa hopes to find a more regular role with the club this season.
  • After a stellar NHL debut, allowing five goals on 72 shots in starts against the Avalanche and Senators, Cayden Primeau has been returned to the AHL by the Montreal Canadiens. Following tonight’s game, the Canadiens will have a two-day break and then embark on a four-game road trip through Western Canada that does not feature any back-to-back games, before finally hitting the holiday break. It is not a schedule that is likely to yield much opportunity for Carey Price’s backup, so the Habs have made the best move for Primeau’s development by sending him back the Laval Rocket, where he can get some playing time. Charlie Lindgren has been recalled in his place, marking his first return to the NHL this season. Once thought to be the long-term backup solution in Montreal, Lindgren has made just one appearance for the team since March 2018 and has failed to impress in the AHL during that span.
  • The Minnesota Wild sent Gerald Mayhew to AHL Iowa yesterday, as Eric Staal made his return to the lineup, but have quickly recalled the young forward this morning. This could mean that the Wild have lingering injury concerns with Staal or another forward, although no such indication has been made. Mayhew has been a near point-per-game scorer in the AHL this year and has added two goals in six games with Minnesota. The 26-year-old seems ready for a full-time gig with the Wild and the team as of late has seemed willing to keep him around.
  • A swap has been made in Nashville, as CapFriendly reports that the Predators have sent Daniel Carr down to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and have called up Colin Blackwell. Carr, the reigning AHL MVP, has been unstoppable in the minors again this year. However, he has been held to just one point in eleven games with Nashville, even with frequent opportunities to play up in the lineup. Carr is in that “AAAA” nexus right now, and until the Predators decide where he fits, they will keep him in Milwaukee. Blackwell comes in as another dynamic AHL scorer, but one that has not had as much NHL opportunity and thus no chance to disappoint. Nashville seems willing to take a chance on that upside as they continue to play below expectations.
  • Joseph Blandisi continues to move between the NHL and AHL.  This time, he’s on his way back up to Pittsburgh as the team announced they’ve recalled him from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis, suggesting that Evgeni Malkin may not yet be ready to return.  If Blandisi suits up tonight, it will be his fourth game in as many days between the two levels.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Dylan McIlrath to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL to make room for forward Anthony Mantha, who the team has activated off of injured reserve. The 6-foot-5 McIlrath has played in 16 games for Detroit, having accrued no points and 23 penalty minutes for the team.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have assigned forward Sam Carrick to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Carrick scored one assist in two games with the Ducks, but provides a key veteran presence in San Diego where he has 10 goals and 16 points in 18 games.

Minor Transactions: 12/12/19

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Another busy day in the NHL with 12 games on tap, including the first game without Peter DeBoer behind the bench for the San Jose Sharks. Two other teams with new head coaches will battle in Calgary when the Flames take on the Maple Leafs, while the Detroit Red Wings limp into a matchup with the Winnipeg Jets. As those teams and rest prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • It was apparently a paper transaction for Filip Zadina and Dylan McIlrath, who didn’t actually have to fly to San Diego to get into the AHL lineup last night. They have both been recalled by the Red Wings ahead of tonight’s action. The Red Wings are close to getting a few of their important forwards back, but for now Zadina will continue to get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level.
  • Ryan Poehling hopes his own assignment isn’t for long after being sent to the Laval Rocket today. The Montreal Canadiens’ prospect could be recalled before Saturday’s game, unless someone is ready to return to action.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Joseph Blandisi from the minor leagues under emergency conditions, never a good sign for a team that has dealt with countless injuries this season. Blandisi has plenty of NHL experience, including eleven games with the Penguins this season.
  • Joachim Blichfeld has been recalled by the Sharks, the first move under new head coach Bob Boughner. Blichfeld, 21, is the top scorer for San Jose Barracuda with 19 points in 20 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues have returned Nathan Walker to the minor leagues after activating Oskar Sundqvist from injured reserve. Walker, 25, scored two points in his five games with the Blues and is still the leading scorer of the San Antonio Rampage with 22 points in 20 games.
  • Austin Czarnik has been recalled from his conditioning stint by the Calgary Flames, but will remain on long-term injured reserve for the time being.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned defenseman Brendan Guhle to the San Diego Gulls, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic.  He has spent most of the season with Anaheim, collecting four points in 18 games while logging over 17 minutes a night but with Josh Manson recently returning, there wasn’t a spot for Guhle in the lineup anymore.

Pacific Notes: Simek, Forbort, Fleury, Comtois, Kassian

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The San Jose Sharks find themselves down a defenseman as The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that defenseman Radim Simek will return to San Jose and is expected to miss two weeks to have a minor procedure on his meniscus, an injury that kept him out of the lineup for the start of the season.

Simek sat out the first month of the season with the knee injury he suffered during the season last year. However, his return to the Sharks’ lineup coincided with San Jose’s success as the team has gone 11-4-1 as the team struggled with their defensive depth up until then. The 27-year-old has averaged 16:54 of ATOI and has a goal, four assists and 28 hits over 16 games.

  • The season debut that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Derek Forbort was anticipating soon will go on hold as the blueliner was placed back on injured reserve Saturday after suffering a setback of his back injury, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Forbort, who has yet to make his season debut after going down with a back injury during the preseason. He was expected to return soon, however, as he was sent to the Ontario Reign of the AHL on a conditioning assignment. However, he played two games before suffering the setback. There is currently no timetable on his return.
  • After a six-game layoff, the Vegas Golden Knights will have to wait at least one more game before starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will return to the ice. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Malcolm Subban will get the start again despite Fleury’s return since his father passed away. The scribe writes that head coach Gerard Gallant wants to give Fleury some more practice time before throwing him into a game.
  • Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that with the injury of Anaheim Ducks forward Nick Ritchie for the next 6-10 weeks, the beneficiary of that injury is likely to be Max Comtois, who immediately was moved onto the team’s second line in hopes more playing time will spark his development. Comtois, a second-round pick in 2017, has had some success with the Ducks. He has two goals and five points so far in 13 games with the Ducks, but the injury will give the 20-year-old an even bigger opportunity to put up more offense.
  • While the Edmonton Oilers announced that they had activated forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of injured reserve and expect him to play Sunday, the team also expects to get back forward Zack Kassian as well. The 28-year-old Kassian has missed the past three games with a back injury, but is expected to join Nugent-Hopkins and likely will take his place on Edmonton’s top line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Kassian has been averaging a career-high 16:22 of ice time this season and has nine goals and 19 points this year.

Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie Out 6-10 Weeks With Sprained MCL

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The Anaheim Ducks lost one of their key players as general manager Bryan Murray revealed that forward Nick Ritchie will miss the next 6-10 weeks after spraining his left MCL, according to Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford. Murray said the injury is similar to the one suffered by defenseman Josh Manson, who is nearing a return.

Ritchie suffered the injury in the team’s loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday after taking a hit from the Capitals’ Radko Gudas early in the game. Ritchie only played in 4:04 of the game and was unable to return to the ice as it was an apparent knee injury.

The news could be considered good news as there were some fears that he might miss the remainder of the season. The injury will likely keep him out until late January at the minimum, meaning a return sometime after the all-star break is the most likely outcome. The 24-year-old has three goals and 10 points in 27 games this season as a top-six winger. The team recalled forward Sam Carrick Saturday as his replacement.

Pacific Notes: Coyotes, Ritchie, Nugent-Hopkins, Kovalchuk

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With hints that the Arizona Coyotes are interested in acquiring New Jersey Devils star Taylor Hall, The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required) confirms that the team is interested, but general manager John Chayka also has made it clear that he likes his roster as would prefer to keep his roster in tact. However, if the team continues to perform well, the GM might be willing to make a big splash.

“I view each season as sacred,” Chayka said. “Any time you get a chance to make a push, you have to look to do that. When players have earned that right and are serious about making a push — if they’re doing their job then I’ve got to do my job. If these guys keep playing hard and playing well, then yeah, I think it’s going to force us to make some additions to this team.”

Chayka might prefer to move picks and prospects in a deal for Hall rather than break up the team. However, Morgan does add that there are a few prospects that are off limits, including Barrett Hayton, Victor Soderstrom and Jan Jenik.

  • While there is nothing official on the severity of his injury, Anaheim Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins said that the injury that forward Nick Ritchie sustained Friday against the Washington Capitals “does not look very good,” according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens. Ritchie injured his knee after sustaining a late hit from the Capitals’ Radko Gudas and Ritchie had trouble putting weight on his leg as he left the ice, suggesting the injury could be long-term.
  • The Edmonton Oilers look to be getting back a familiar face as the team announced that forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will return to the ice Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres. Nugent-Hopkins has missed the past six games with a hand injury. Nugent-Hopkins has five goals and 16 points in 25 games.
  • Little has changed for the Los Angeles Kings Ilya Kovalchuk, who has not appeared in a game since Nov. 9, according to The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required). Regardless, Kovalchuk has continued to practice and travel with the team and has maintained a positive attitude despite sitting in the press box. “The situation with Kovy is a tough one for everybody,” Kings head coach Todd McLellan said. “I can tell you that he’s been outstanding. Kovy’s situation has nothing to do with him as a person or his work ethic or anything like that. He’s outstanding. He works as hard as anybody right now.

 

Minor Transactions: 12/7/19

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As is often the case, Saturday is a busy day on the NHL calendar with a total of 11 games on the docket which means there should be plenty of roster shuffling.  We’ll keep tabs on those moves here as well as others of note around the hockey world.

  • The Canadiens have returned Charles Hudon to AHL Laval, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. The winger has been shuttled back and forth routinely in recent weeks in order to slow down his waiver clock.  Hudon has played in nine games with Montreal so far this season, recording one assist.
  • Veteran Eric Tangradi has decided to return for a second stint with the Red Wings organization as their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids announced that they’ve signed the winger for the rest of the season. He had been playing with Barys Astana in the KHL prior to the move.  Tangradi has a total of 150 career NHL games under his belt including six with New Jersey last season.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks have recalled forward Sam Carrick from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, while sending goaltender Anthony Stolarz down. The team likely recalled Carrick due to a pending injury to forward Nick Ritchie, although little is known about him. The 27-year-old Carrick has 10 goals and 16 points in 18 games with the Gulls.

Minor Transactions: 12/02/19

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Five games are on tap for this evening in the NHL, including the Detroit Red Wings trying to avoid a ten-game losing streak when they welcome in the Buffalo Sabres. The Red Wings have been a mess all season and look like strong contenders to land the first-overall pick in 2020. As teams prepare for action, we’ll be keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • Jacob Markstrom has been granted a leave of absence from the Vancouver Canucks in order to attend the memorial service of his late father, meaning Michael Dipietro is on his way up to serve as an emergency goaltender. The Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night and will likely have Thatcher Demko in net.
  • Brendan Gaunce has been sent to the minor leagues by the Boston Bruins to make room for John Moore, who the team has finally activated from long-term injured reserve. Moore hasn’t played a single game for the Bruins this season but will be a welcome addition to one of the best teams in the NHL.
  • Ryan Miller will be starting for the Anaheim Ducks after John Gibson came down with an illness today, leading to the recall of Anthony Stolarz. The 25-year old Stolarz has a .910 save percentage in 14 games for the San Diego Gulls this season.

Pacific Notes: Vegas Defense, Kase, Hjalmarsson, Coyotes

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Plenty of praise has been lauded out by Vegas Golden Knights’ players after the team changed their defensive format from a man-to-man concept to a zone defense. The belief was that teams were taking advantage of holes in their man-to-man concept, so head coach Gerard Gallant switched the team’s defense two games ago with the idea that a zone defense would give players more energy as it cuts down player movement.

“The way we’ve tweaked our D-zone (coverage), you have a little more energy,” Deryk Engelland said. “It’s less chasing around and more positional, so maybe that plays a little bit of a factor in it, and I think that’s a big part of why we wanted to change it.”

According to Jesse Granger of The Athletic (subscription required), the Golden Knights were on target to give up the most goals in their short franchise history. The hope is that these changes should solve some of the team’s defensive issues.

  • There were some concerned faces Friday after Anaheim Ducks winger Ondrej Kase, who has a history of concussions, was hit hard by Winnipeg’s Anthony Bitetto, just two minutes into the game, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required). Kase got up slowly and immediately headed to the dressing room, most likely to undergo concussion protocol. Fortunately, Kase returned to the ice not long after and resumed action, which is good considering the amount of time he has missed (51 games so far since the start of the 2018-19 season). “A guy goes down and he comes off the ice and leaves the bench, you’re usually just waiting for word that he’s done something to his shoulder or his elbow or his knee or whatever it’s going to be,” head coach Dallas Eakins said. “For him, to go in and everything check out fine is great.”
  • Despite expecting to miss 10 to 12 weeks, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is ahead of schedule, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required). Hjalmarsson, who has been out since Oct. 12 after breaking his fibula when blocking a shot, is already walking on his own and should be expected to start skating soon. The team still has no timetable for his return. “Nik is progressing well,” president of hockey operations John Chayka said. “No new timetable at this stage.”
  • Sticking with the Coyotes, Morgan also reports that forwards Carl Soderberg (lower-body injury) and Lawson Crouse (upper-body injury) are both game-time decisions for Saturday’s game against the Sharks. The team did recall Michael Chaput in case neither player can play today.

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