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Detroit Red Wings Sign Zach Aston-Reese

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed forwarad Zach Aston-Reese on a one-year, two-way contract according to a team announcement.

According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the deal is a one-year $775k contract with a $350k guarantee. Seravalli also adds that he’ll be placed on waivers today so that the Red Wings can send him down to AHL Grand Rapids.

This signing comes after Aston-Reese was released from a PTO he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes.At a league-minimum cap hit, Aston-Reese is capable of providing a decent amount of value.

Although he doesn’t possess the size and physicality many coaches want to see out of fourth-line role players, Aston-Reese has established himself as a strong defensive contributor in the NHL.

Aston-Reese was a star scorer in the NCAA and has produced decently in the AHL, but in the NHL Aston-Reese’s offense has all but dried up. He scored 10 goals and 14 points in 77 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and for 2023-24 the Red Wings would be mistaken to expect anything more than quality defensive contributions from their newest signing.

The Red Wings already have quite a bit of depth along their wings. With the news that Aston-Reese will end up on waivers, it appears the plan for Detroit could be to have him start out in the AHL, and then serve as a first-choice call-up option for head coach Derek Lalonde.

East Notes: Devils Injuries, Blue Jackets Coaching, Slafkovský

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New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff issued injury updates to three players: expected third-line center Erik Haula, 2019 first-round pick Nolan Foote, and veteran netminder Keith Kinkaid. As relayed by Devils reporter Sam Kasan, Ruff revealed that Haula is “day-to-day while dealing with a “nagging” injury,” while Foote has an upper-body injury and Kinkaid is still dealing with his own injury.

The Devils have had an incredible preseason thus far, and are widely expected to be among the NHL’s best teams this upcoming season. While that has more to do with their superstars playing on their top-two lines, Haula is still a strong third pivot who scored 14 goals and 41 points last season. The Devils will be hoping that he can return in time for opening night so the club can hit the ground running this season, something they failed to do in 2022-23.

Some more notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to make an addition to head coach Pascal Vincent’s coaching staff. (subscription link) The team lost longtime assistant Kenny McCudden this offseason, and according to Portzline is looking to replace him with the likely candidate coming from inside their organization.
  • 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovský showed some promise in his rookie season, but ultimately finished without the box score numbers to show for it and ended his campaign recovering from an injury. His progress is a major storyline for the Canadiens this season, and it appears Slafkovský’s preseason performance has earned him a more significant role in the team’s lineup. The Athletic’s Arpon Basu reports that Slafkovský played an “excellent” preseason game on a line with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, and could end up on that scoring line full-time which would be a major step up from the role he received as a rookie. (subscription link)

Winnipeg Jets Place Ville Heinola On Injured Reserve

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced that defenseman Ville Heinola has been placed on injured reserve. According to head coach Rick Bowness, Heinola suffered a fractured ankle and is expected to be out on an eight-to-twelve-week timeline.

This is a brutal development for Heinola, who will head home to Finland to be around family as he recovers. Heinola, 22, was drafted 20th overall by the Jets at the 2019 draft. He’s been pushing for an NHL job for several years now, but hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role in Winnipeg. Winnipeg has had a deep blueline for much of his time with the organization, and as a result he’s logged quite a few games at the AHL level.

Last season, Heinola was exceptional for the Moose, scoring 37 points in just 48 games. He’s a well-regarded puck mover and offensive presence, but now his chance to finally break into the league on a full-time basis will have to wait at least a few months.

In his place, left-shot blueliners such as Dylan Samberg and Logan Stanley could be in line to receive a larger role at the NHL level, eating into some of the minutes Heinola would likely have received if healthy.

West Notes: Spurgeon, Schwindt, Toropchenko

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Earlier today, we covered news that Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon had suffered an injury due to a hard hit from last night’s preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, the Minnesota Wild have officially announced that Spurgeon has suffered an upper-body injury and will be out on a week-to-week basis. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported that although Spurgeon is officially considered out week-to-week, Spurgeon’s injury is “not thought to be a long-term injury” and “he’s not expected to miss 10 games/24 days,” meaning long-term injured reserve won’t come into play.

While it’s certainly a relief that the Wild don’t expect Spurgeon to remain out on an extended basis, it’s a major blow for Minnesota to lose Spurgeon for any duration. He’s the captain of the Wild and someone relied upon to endure the most difficult matchups and most difficult minutes for head coach Dean Evason. Spurgeon averaged 21:49 time on ice per game last season, so in his absence the Wild are likely to rely even more on players such as Jonas Brodin, Jake Middleton, and rookie Brock Faber.

Some other notes from the Western Conference:

  • Forecasting the Calgary Flames’ depth chart after the team underwent serious training camp roster cutdowns, The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie reports that there could be a new face handling fourth-line center duties for the Flames this fall. (subscription link) McKenzie writes that 22-year-old 2019 third-round pick Cole Schwindt “has that fourth-line centre spot by default,” as despite Schwindt not being “that impressive, or noticeable, at camp” he remains a preferred option for the role over Dryden Hunt and Walker Duehr, two natural wingers. It would be a major opportunity for Schwindt, who arrived in Calgary as part of the blockbuster Matthew Tkachuk–Jonathan Huberdeau trade. He’s scored decently well in the AHL, (72 points in his last 142 games) which could give the Flames confidence that he will be able to hold down an NHL role.
  • Lou Korac of NHL.com reports that St. Louis Blues winger Alexey Toropchenko is skating this morning at Blues training camp. Toropchenko left last night’s preseason contest against the Dallas Stars with a lower-body injury, prompting some worry that his availability for the start of the regular season might be impacted. While no official word has come in yet on Toropchenko’s status, the fact that he is back on the ice so quickly has to be seen as an encouraging sign.

Waivers: 10/06/23

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Today’s slate of waivers features some intriguing names, and as training camp rosters around the league continue to get whittled down to something that more closely resembles an opening-night roster, it’s possible more teams feel comfortable placing a waiver claim than has been the case so far this preseason. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, everyone on yesterday’s waivers cleared. Full waiver list courtesy of PuckPedia.

Carolina Hurricanes

D Caleb Jones

Dallas Stars

D Alexander Petrovic

Detroit Red Wings

G John Lethemon
F John Stevens
F Taro Hirose
F Tim Gettinger
D Brogan Rafferty
D Wyatt Newpower
D Jared McIsaac
F Austin Czarnik

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

D Marcus Bjork
D Jake Christiansen
F Joshua Dunne
F Brendan Gaunce
F Carson Meyer
D Billy Sweezey

Florida Panthers (via team release)

F Grigori Denisenko
F William Lockwood
F Alexander True
D Matt Kiersted

New York Islanders (via team release)

G Ken Appleby
D Dennis Cholowski
F Arnaud Durandeau
D Grant Hutton
F Otto Koivula
F Karson Kuhlman
D Paul LaDue
F Brian Pinho
D Robin Salo
G Jakub Skarek

New York Rangers

F Jonny Brodzinski
D Ben Harpur

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)

F Wade Allison

San Jose Sharks

F Oskar Lindblom
F Jacob Peterson
F Ryan Carpenter

Washington Capitals (via team release)

F Nicolas Aube-Kubel
F Alex Limoges
F Michael Sgarbossa
F Joe Snively
D Dylan McIlrath
G Hunter Shepard

The most notable player placed on the waiver wire by the Panthers is Denisenko. Denisenko, 23, was the 15th overall pick at the 2018 draft and is coming off of his most productive season in North America so far in his career.

The rambunctious winger scored 12 goals and 36 points in 56 games last season and could be of interest to clubs that may have been high on him at the 2018 draft and therefore might believe a change of scenery will unlock some of the upside he showed a few years ago as a draft-eligible prospect.

In terms of NHL experience, today’s slate of waived players does not disappoint. Aube-Kubel, from Washington, is a Stanley Cup champion who as recently as 2021-22 was viewed as a quality fourth-line player. He scored 11 goals and 22 points that season, and could be of interest to teams looking to add some experience to their bottom-six. His $1.225MM cap hit could be a barrier to him getting claimed, though.

Other experienced players include Jones, 26, who scored 16 points in 73 games playing 19:13 per night last season and Lindblom, 27, who is the 2020-21 Bill Masterton Trophy recipient and has a 17-goal, 33-point season on his resume. Like Aube-Kubel, Lindblom’s cap hit is likely a barrier to getting claimed. He’s making $2.5MM against the cap for 2023-24.

There are also a few younger players available, such as Salo, a 24-year-old Swedish defenseman who was a quality player coming out of the SHL but hasn’t been able to hold down a role on Long Island despite getting some real opportunities over the last two seasons.

Another younger player is Allison, 25, who is a 2016 second-round pick and plays a power forward’s game but has struggled with injuries so far as a professional.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/06/23

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Less than a week away from the opening night of the 2023-24 NHL season, teams continue to make roster cuts in an effort to finalize their official roster heading into the year. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)

D Robert Hägg (to San Diego, AHL)
D Noah Warren (to Victoriaville, QMJHL)
D Colton White (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via team release)

G Brandon Bussi (to Providence, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)

F Zach Aston-Reese (released from PTO)
F Kieffer Bellows (released from PTO)
F Cory Conacher (released from PTO)
F Brendan Perlini (released from PTO)
F Nick Shore (released from PTO)
D Nathan Beaulieu (released from PTO)
F Noel Gunler (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Blake Murray (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Justin Robidas (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Anttoni Honka (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Griffin Mendel (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Ronan Seeley (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Springfield, AHL)
D Aleksi Heimosalmi (to Pori, Liiga)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

G Jet Greaves (to Cleveland, AHL)
F James Malatesta (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Hunter McKown (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Pearson (released from PTO)
F Stefan Matteau (released from PTO, expected to join AHL Cleveland via tryout)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release)

F Alexandre Doucet (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Marco Kasper (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Albert Johansson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Antti Tuomisto (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Eemil Viro (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D William Wallinder (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Sebastian Cossa (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (released from PTO)
F Riley Sawchuk (released from PTO)
F Dominik Shine (released from PTO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Josiah Didier (released from PTO)
G Michael Hutchinson (released from PTO)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

G Spencer Knight (to Charlotte, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release)

D Brandt Clarke (to Ontario, AHL)
D Alex Laferriere (to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)

New York Islanders (via team release)

F William Dufour (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Aidan Fulp (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ruslan Iskhakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Eetu Liukas (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Matt Maggio (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Travis Mitchell (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Reece Newkirk (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Calle Odelius (to Bridgeport, AHL)

New York Rangers (via team release)

F Brennan Othmann (to Hartford, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster)

F Brendan Brisson (to Henderson, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release)

F Ethen Frank (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Vincent Iorio (to Hershey, AHL)
D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team release)

F Parker Ford (to Manitoba, AHL)

It’s relatively big news coming out of Florida today, as Knight’s reassignment to Charlotte means veteran Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Sunrise. Stolarz struggled last season to the tune of an .899 save percentage in 19 games, though he was playing in difficult circumstances as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Stolarz does have a track record of quality play from as recently as 2021-22, when he posted a strong .917 save percentage in 28 games, and it’s likely the Panthers believe Stolarz will perform closer to how he did in 2021-22 than 2022-23.

As for Knight, he’ll get to build himself back to the NHL by getting some lower-pressure game action under his belt in the AHL. Knight has been away from the ice for the better part of a year as he’s participated in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, so it’s understandable that the Panthers would want to ease him back into the rigors of being an NHL goalie rather than begin the season with him in the NHL and potentially risk losing Stolarz on waivers.

In New York, it’s no real surprise to see Othmann sent to Hartford. While there was an outside chance that the Rangers would take advantage of one of their top prospects’ affordable cap hit for their opening-night roster, Othmann has not yet made his professional debut and thrusting a rookie into a win-now environment with a demanding veteran head coach in Peter Laviolette may not have been the best place for Othmann to develop.

In Hartford, Othmann is likely to play a major all-situations role for head coach Kris Knoblauch and he’s likely to be near the front of the line for a call-up should the Rangers have forward injuries. Assuming he can hit the ground running for the Wolf Pack and put together a productive rookie AHL campaign, he’ll likely be a full-time NHL player a year from now.

A few notable prospects were sent down elsewhere, including on Long Island where a trio of talented wingers were sent to the AHL. Maggio is looking to have a strong first season as a professional hockey player while Iskhakov and Dufour each posted solid numbers in Bridgeport last season, but just missed the cut in terms of making the NHL roster.

In the American capital, Lapierre finished his debut AHL campaign well but his poor start did cause some concern. As a result, it seems as though Washington will look to see him put together a more consistently productive campaign at the pro level before testing him in the NHL. The Golden Knights likely sent down their own 2020 first-round pick, Brisson, for the same reasons after he scored a decent but not overwhelming 18 goals and 37 points in the AHL last season.

There’s a bit of a curious player development decision made in Carolina, where a slate of prospects have been sent to the ECHL. Certain names, such as Honka, who scored 34 points in the AHL last season, are clearly players capable of playing in the AHL and will have to instead play 2023-24 in the ECHL due to the Hurricanes’ lack of an AHL affiliate.

While the lower level of competition does set the stage for players such as Honka, Robidas, and Gunler to have highly productive seasons, one wonders if playing third-tier hockey rather than in the AHL, widely regarded as one of the world’s best leagues outside the NHL, is going to end up the best choice for those players’ development.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Rangers Notes: Kakko, Gustafsson, Quick

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2019 second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko hasn’t burst out of the gates to start his NHL career as many expected he would, but those who have paid close attention to both the New York Rangers and the young Finnish forward could clearly tell the steady progress Kakko has made since his difficult rookie season. In an overview of New York Rangers training camp and preseason performances, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple writes that Kakko is now “the unquestioned RW1” on Broadway. (subscription link)

It’s a major opportunity for Kakko, who looks poised to move from a “kid line” next to fellow youngsters Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafrenière. As things stand, Kakko looks slated to begin the season playing right wing on the Rangers’ first-line, next to franchise first-line center Mika Zibanejad and former 50-goal scorer Chris Kreider. With this opportunity, it’s easy to envision a second consecutive season where Kakko sets career-highs in production, as last season he managed a career-best 18 goals and 40 points.

Some other notes from Manhattan:

  • Another Ranger who has had an impressive preseason is summer signing Erik Gustafsson. According to Staple, Gustafsson has “seemingly won the sixth defense spot with ease.” 2019 68th overall pick Zac Jones has been Gustafsson’s primary competition for the role, but seeing as Gustafsson scored 42 points last season and has familiarity with new head coach Peter Laviolette, it’s no surprise that Gustafsson beat out Jones. Gustafsson’s assumed victory does cast some doubt over Jones’ long-term future in New York, though, as he is waiver-eligible for the first time. Cap constraints may cause the Rangers to keep veteran Ben Harpur on their opening-night roster over Jones, and since Jones remains a well-regarded prospect who scored 31 points in the AHL last season, he could be a popular name on the waiver wire.
  • In net, the Rangers could be staring down a difficult situation behind superstar starter Igor Shesterkin. Veteran netminder Jonathan Quick is one of the defining goalies of the past generation of hockey, but now at 37 years old time has started to catch up to him. Quick struggled to the tune of an .882 save percentage last season, and the athleticism that he relied on to make him one of the NHL’s best goalies in his prime has begun to seriously deteriorate. While there was some hope that highly regarded Rangers goalie guru Benoit Allaire would help Quick rebound, Quick posted a grisly .807 save percentage in the preseason. Staple writes that Quick “should have some options for a couple of starts in the first two months.” But if he fails to improve, the Rangers could quickly be in need of a new backup goalie early in 2023-24.

Arthur Kaliyev Suspended Four Games

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The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on social media today that Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev has been suspended for two preseason games and two regular-season games.

This suspension comes after news broke yesterday that Kaliyev would have a disciplinary hearing for his hit on Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo. While an in-person hearing is not confirmation of any suspension to come, it is typically an indication that a player’s action warrants consideration for serious disciplinary action.

That’s exactly what’s come for Kaliyev, who will now have to sit out the Kings’ first two regular-season games assuming he makes their opening-night roster. Kaliyev’s kneeing on De Leo resulted in just a minor penalty at the time for Kaliyev, but knocked De Leo out of the game.

The play in question began when Kaliyev found himself on the wrong end of a hard check from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. Kaliyev popped up from the hit, accelerated, and attempted to lay a major check in response to De Leo, who was carrying the puck out of the Ducks’ zone. De Leo attempted to avoid Kaliyev’s check, and in response to De Leo’s evasive action Kaliyev extended his knee forward in order to ensure contact with De Leo would be made. The result was hard knee-on-knee contact.

The Department of Player Safety specifically noted Kaliyev’s kneeing did not come as the result of a sudden, unavoidable movement by De Leo, but instead was something Kaliyev could have and should have refrained from attempting. The Department of Player Safety also noted that De Leo suffered an injury on the play and that Kaliyev has been fined once already in his NHL career.

A two-game suspension for the regular season won’t come at a major cost for the Kings, who have quite a few quality scoring forwards already on their roster. But seeing as Kaliyev did manage 13 goals and 28 points in just 56 games last season, respectable production, not having Kaliyev in the lineup will still likely make things a little more difficult for Los Angeles for those two contests.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Updates: Honzek, Klingberg, Järnkrok

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The longer 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek sticks with the Calgary Flames through their preseason, the more likely it becomes that he receives, at the very least, a nine-game trial in the NHL to begin the season. Especially after Calgary Flames winger Jakob Pelletier was lost to a long-term injury, there could be room for Honzek in new head coach Ryan Huska’s forward lineup. But now, the possibility of Honzek making Huska’s opening-night lineup could be in question. CapFriendly wrote on X that Honzek “left last night’s game with an undisclosed injury. He’s considered day-to-day.”

This injury could impact Honzek’s ability to earn an NHL job to start the season, and could hasten his return to the Vancouver Giants, Honzek’s WHL side. According to The Province’s Steve Ewen, Vancouver plans on utilizing Honzek as a center this season, so if Calgary does hope for a future in the NHL for Honzek down the middle, the best route, especially after this injury could be to give Honzek a full season in Vancouver.

Other injury updates:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs free agent signing John Klingberg hasn’t practiced for Toronto since suffering an injury last week. That absence could end today, though, as The Hockey News’ David Alter reports that Klingberg was skating in Toronto this morning. A return to full health for Klingberg before Toronto’s season-opening game against the Montreal Canadiens next week could be in the cards, which would be good news for the Maple Leafs. Toronto GM Brad Treliving invested $4.15MM of valuable cap space to acquire Klingberg in the hopes that he’d be a capable offensive threat for the team, and that’s only something he’ll be able to do if he’s healthy.
  • Another Swedish Maple Leaf is making his own return to the ice: forward Calle Järnkrok. A neck injury has held Järnkrok out of the team’s preseason thus far, but based on Toronto’s listing of him on the roster for their preseason matchup against the Detroit Red Wings today, it appears he’s back and ready to hit the ice for the team once again. Järnkrok is looking to follow up on a strong debut season in Toronto, having scored 20 goals and 39 points in his first season with the Maple Leafs.

Metro Notes: Foerster, Capitals Recalls, Garand

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Although 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster had an extremely encouraging 2022-23 season, scoring seven points in eight NHL games and 48 points in 66 AHL contests, he still has had to battle for an NHL job to start 2023-24. His chief opponent for a role on a scoring line in Philadelphia has been widely regarded as 22-year-old former college hockey star Bobby Brink, a high second-round pick of Philadelphia in 2019. Both players have had impressive training camps, but today PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor reports that Foerster may be one step ahead in their competition.

O’Connor writes on X that Foerster is skating on a line at today’s practice alongside Flyers number-one center Sean Couturier and established top-six contributor Joel Farabee, while Brink “looks like an extra.” This could indicate that Foerster is ticketed for top-line NHL duty to start the season while Brink gets sent back to AHL Lehigh Valley, though it’s obviously not a sure thing. Anything can happen still at this stage of the preseason, though this development does suggest that Flyers fans should expect to see Foerster wearing the orange and black on opening night next week.

Some other notes from what is widely expected to be a hotly contested Metropolitan Division:

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled three players who had been previously waived and sent to the AHL’s Hershey Bears: forward Riley Sutter and Ethen Frank as well as defenseman Chase Priskie. Each player has likely been returned to the Capitals’ roster in order to beef up its lineup for the preseason, and the trio are all unlikely to factor into Washington’s NHL plans for opening night.
  •  The New York Rangers have sent goaltender Dylan Garand back to the AHL after recalling him just two days ago. While backup goaltender Jonathan Quick has struggled this preseason, the 21-year-old former WHL star is not yet believed to be under legitimate consideration for the backup role behind superstar netminder Igor Shesterkin. He’ll begin the year in Hartford, where he’ll look to continue the progress he made late last season into 2023-24, potentially becoming the Wolf Pack’s true number-one goalie over veteran Louis Domingue.

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