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Kristian Vesalainen Signs In Finland

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After a run of 15 games in the SHL, 2017 first-round pick and former Winnipeg Jets forward Kristian Vesalainen is headed home. Per a team announcement, Vesalainen has signed a contract spanning the rest of this season with Liiga club HIFK.

This signing comes after his contract with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks was terminated, and allows Vesalainen to play in Helsinki, the city where he was born. Vesalainen has actually been a member of HIFK before, as he developed there as a junior player before heading to Frolunda in Sweden to continue his development.

Vesalainen, 23, signed in Malmo this past summer with the goal of playing a major role in the SHL, one that would allow him to flourish offensively in ways his limited role in the Jets organization wouldn’t.

That didn’t happen in Malmo, though, as Vesalainen scored just three points in 15 games and has not been used as the top-six offensive centerpiece he likely signed there to be.

He’ll now head to Liiga and join HIFK with the hope that he can find a better role in Helsinki. HIFK could certainly use the help, as they currently sit near the bottom of the Liiga standings, and their top scorers have just nine points in 20 games.

Vesalainen’s rights are still owned by the Jets until June 30th, 2026, so he’ll have a relatively long runway to build himself a strong scoring resume in Europe before attempting a potential return to the NHL.

Snapshots: Canucks Direction, Tanev, Clutterbuck

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The Vancouver Canucks have been the center of significant attention early in this NHL season. They were the last team to earn their first win of the campaign, and they now sit 27th in the league standings with just three wins in a year where the franchise added Ilya Mikheyev and Andrei Kuzmenko with the intention of making the playoffs. It could take longer for the Canucks to reach true contention than they may have believed it would this summer, and that fact has forced the team’s front office to ponder a possible change of course.

In conversation with Dan Riccio and Satiar Shah on Sportsnet 650, as relayed by Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff, Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford shed some more light on the organization’s current mindset. Rutherford mentioned that the team’s goal heading into next offseason would be to clear some major contracts off the team’s books in order to get the necessary cap space to make moves. That goal may be motivated by the Canucks’ desire to retain their captain Bo Horvat beyond this season. Horvat is a pending unrestricted free agent and could be seeking a contract in line with other top-six centers, meaning at or above a $7MM AAV.

For some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Calgary Flames defenseman Chris Tanev has now missed three straight games with an injury, something that has concerned those who remember Tanev’s repeated struggles to remain fully healthy as a member of the Canucks. Tanev has been remarkably healthy as a member of the Flames, though, and it appears that Tanev’s injury may not be a major setback. Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson reports that Tanev’s injury is not related to the shoulder he had surgically repaired this summer, which is good news for the Flames, who rely on Tanev as a key defensive contributor.
  • New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck left tonight’s game against the Flames in the first period after taking a hit from Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Of note is the fact that Clutterbuck missed the Islanders’ Friday practice for maintenance. Clutterbuck has a goal in eleven games for the Islanders so far this season and his absence could pave the way for Ross Johnston to get some games in on the team’s fourth line.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Jack Drury

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The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that prospect forward Jack Drury has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

While the Hurricanes have as a team excelled so far this year, veteran forward Derek Stepan has struggled to make an impact as their fourth-line center. Stepan has just one point in 12 games and has seen limited ice time in recent games.

This recall could be the Hurricanes’ way of pushing Stepan while also getting a different look on their fourth line, assuming the fourth line is where coach Rod Brind’Amour does end up slotting Drury.

Drury, 22, is the son of former NHLer Ted Drury and the nephew of New York Rangers GM Chris Drury. Like the Wolves as a whole, Drury has gotten off to a slow start in the AHL this year, although he was exceptional last season.

Last year, Drury scored 52 points in 68 regular-season games and then potted nine goals and 24 points in 18 playoff games as the Wolves captured the Calder Cup.

A second-round pick at the 2018 draft, this recall could be Drury’s chance to seize a spot in the Hurricanes’ lineup for good. He has been solid in his limited NHL experience thus far, with two goals in two games, and should help the Hurricanes continue to build on their hot start.

Minor Transactions: 11/07/22

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We have a trio of games on the schedule tonight, with the New York Islanders hosting the Calgary Flames, the Boston Bruins taking on the St. Louis Blues in a 2019 Stanley Cup Final rematch, and the Edmonton Oilers up against the Washington Capitals. Amid all the NHL action, some minor league and overseas teams have made changes to their rosters. We’ll round up those moves here.

  • 2010 first-round pick and former NHL forward Quinton Howden signed a contract with Jukurit of the Finnish Liiga today. Howden, 30, spent last season playing for Kolner Haie of the German DEL and had 18 points in 45 games there. He joins a Jukurit side looking to improve their fortunes as they currently sit eleventh in the Liiga standings.
  • Former Nashville Predators prospect Patrick Harper has changed clubs. Per a team announcement, Kristianstads IK have signed the 24-year-old winger from fellow HockeyAllsvenskan side Mora IK. Harper had six points in 12 games for Mora and joins a Kristianstads team that boasts another former NHL prospect: 2016 fourth-round pick Jack Kopacka.
  • Veteran minor league defenseman Brandon Fehd is headed back to North America after a season in Europe. The 31-year-old blueliner spent most of last season with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden and has now signed with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder.

New York Islanders Recall Robin Salo

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Nov 7: After playing yesterday for Bridgeport, Salo is back up with the Islanders today. He’ll be available for them tonight against the Calgary Flames.

Nov 6: The New York Islanders announced a roster move this morning, sending defenseman Robin Salo to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. This is not the first time this season that Salo has been sent to the AHL, although he is yet to play a game in Bridgeport this year.

Salo, now 24, was the Islanders’ top draft pick at the 2017 draft, getting selected 46th overall. At the time, Salo was seen as a safer selection, having already established himself as a regular contributor in his native Finland’s top professional league.

Since that point, the Islanders have been extremely patient with Salo’s development, and he spent a full half-decade playing as a regular Liiga defenseman before finally making the jump to North American pro hockey last season.

In 2021-22, Salo played 40 games in Bridgeport and 21 on Long Island, scoring 20 points at the AHL level and five in the NHL. This year Salo has played in just four of the Islanders’ games, and has lost out a regular spot next to partner Scott Mayfield in favor of veteran Sebastian Aho.

The Islanders did not announce a corresponding call-up after this move, hinting at the possibility that this send-down is merely a paper transaction to bank cap space for the trade deadline. The move leaves the Islanders with just six defensemen on their active roster, so unless the team plans to call up a different blueliner the paper transaction would seem like the most likely explanation for this move.

That being said, the possibility that the Islanders simply prefer to get the young Salo some time in Bridgeport to keep him from spending too long as a healthy scratch cannot be ruled out.

Snapshots: Avalanche Transactions, MacKenzie, Orlov

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The Colorado Avalanche made some roster tweaks early this morning, sending both Martin Kaut and Mikhail Maltsev to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. This isn’t the first roster shuffle of the year for either of these players, as both have split time this year between the Eagles and the Avalanche.

This transaction, though, is likely more of a cap-related paper transaction than a move made with the intention of getting Kaut and Maltsev into AHL games. Without any corresponding call-ups, this move has left the avalanche with just ten forwards on their active roster. While it’s entirely possible that Kaut and/or Maltsev are headed to the AHL for an extended period, that doesn’t look like the likely outcome of these roster moves at the moment.

Some other notes from across the hockey world:

  • Derek MacKenzie, a retired former NHLer with over 600 career games on his resume, seems to have found a new coaching job. After departing the Florida Panthers this summer, (he was there as an assistant coach from 2018-19 through 2020-21) MacKenzie looks set to join the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves as their next head coach, per Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. The Wolves make this move hoping that MacKenzie will be the person to turn their season around amid a 3-8-2 start that led to the firing of coach Craig Duncanson.
  • Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov left last night’s contest against the Arizona Coyotes with a lower-body injury. While the full extent of that injury is not yet known, we do have some more information on Orlov’s status. NBC Sports Washington’s Matt Weyrich reports that Orlov wasn’t on the ice for the start of Capitals practice this morning. Per coach Peter Laviolette, Orlov’s status is considered day-to-day.

Matthew Tkachuk To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will have a hearing today in response to an incident that took place in last night’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings.

During the dying moments of the game, Tkachuk high-sticked Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, lifting his blade to the point where it was inside Quick’s mask. Kings defenseman Matt Roy called it a “dirty play,” per The Athletic’s Eric Stephens, and implored the league to “look at” the play, communicating a desire to see Tkachuk face disciplinary action.

Now, it looks like disciplinary action will be coming. Tkachuk has so far fit the Panthers like a glove, scoring 17 points in his first 12 games in Sunrise. With a likely suspension on the way, Tkachuk will face his first major speed bump in his tenure as a Panther.

Toronto Maple Leafs Reportedly Sign Keith Petruzzelli

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12:15 PM: The Maple Leafs have now made their signing of Petruzzelli official.

9:30 AM: The Toronto Maple Leafs received some bad news last night when starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov was knocked out of the game with a knee injury. With Samsonov now possibly set to miss time, the Maple Leafs have made a move to shore up their personnel in the crease. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Toronto has signed goaltender Keith Petruzzelli to an NHL deal.

Since this contract would be Petruzzelli’s first NHL deal, it will be a two-year entry-level deal. The terms of the deal and the signing have not been officially announced by the Maple Leafs, but the official word should be coming soon.

Petruzzelli, 23, was a third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings at the 2017 draft who signed an AHL deal in Toronto after a solid four-year collegiate career at Quinnipiac University. He spent most of his time last year with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, notching a .927 save percentage in 23 games played.

So far this season, Petruzzelli has spent his time at the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies. There, he is 6-0 in his first six starts with a .922 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average.

This signing is made in large part due to the increasingly desperate situation the Maple Leafs find themselves in in their crease. With Matt Murray already on long-term injured reserve and Ilya Samsonov potentially out for some time, the Maple Leafs need another player in their net to support Erik Kallgren.

Petruzzelli, with this contract, could get a chance to play in some NHL games if Samsonov does indeed miss some time with a knee injury.

Ottawa Senators Re-Assign Jacob Bernard-Docker

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Just two days after he was called up, the Ottawa Senators have re-assigned defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.

Bernard-Docker, 22, was a Senators first-round pick at the 2018 draft. The blueliner had a three-year collegiate career at the University of North Dakota before turning pro in the spring of 2021. That year, Bernard-Docker made his NHL debut, playing in five games for the Senators down the stretch of their season.

Last year, Bernard-Docker spent most of his year in the AHL, playing 58 games for Belleville. He didn’t exactly impress, scoring just nine points in those games, but his defensive play was at times strong and he did earn eight games at the NHL level.

This year has been seen by many as a crucial year for Bernard-Docker’s development. He has just one point in eight games at the AHL level so far this year and will head back to Belleville with a clear mandate to improve his overall game so that he can earn another NHL call-up, and perhaps one that even includes some NHL minutes.

Snapshots: Heinola, Blackwood, Letang

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Ville Heinola, a member of the Winnipeg Jets organization, was once one of the fastest-rising prospects from the 2019 NHL draft. He had an impressive training camp and preseason in the fall of 2019, and earned a look on the team’s season-opening roster. Heinola scored five points in eight games before being sent down to the AHL and then eventually departing to play in his native Finland, and most were of the belief that Heinola was nearing a role as a regular defenseman in Winnipeg. Since that point, though, Heinola has skated in just 17 more NHL games, and currently finds himself on the outside looking in on the team’s blueline situation.

Apparently, this hasn’t sat well with Heinola or his camp. Heinola is “reportedly growing frustrated with being sent to the AHL” again this season, according to his agent, Alain Roy, via The Hockey News’ Jacob Stoller. “Ville doesn’t deserve a guaranteed spot in the lineup,” Roy said. “He deserves a shot to play a run of games to show he can do it. And that’s all we’re asking for.” Heinola is just 21 years old and a talented puck mover, but he hasn’t yet shown the defensive prowess or strength and speed combination that would force the Jets’ hand. With Josh Morrissey, Dylan Samberg, and Brenden Dillon each occupying spots on the left side of the Jets’ blueline, Winnipeg may not be able to afford Heinola the “run of games” he desires.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The New Jersey Devils are the NHL’s hottest team at the moment, but goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has not been one of the team’s bright spots. Blackwood has an .880 save percentage this year, and it appears he now has to face another issue beyond just his performance. Devils coach Lindy Ruff said, as relayed by Devils team reporter Amanda Stein, that Blackwood is “meeting with doctors” in Calgary today. Blackwood left his last game in discomfort, and this could be a signal that he might miss some time.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten off to a slow start so far this season, and among many reasons for the team’s lackluster performance has been the uneven start from star defenseman Kris Letang. Letang hasn’t been his best so far this season, and today we received some explanation as to why. Per Letang, he has been battling an illness and has been playing through it for the past stretch of games. The Penguins are eager to get their season back on track quickly given how competitive the Metropolitan Division looks, so getting Letang back to full health would be a major step toward getting there.

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