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Snapshots: Norris, Season Expansion, Joyce

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When news of Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris’ shoulder injury first broke, it was speculated as a potentially season-ending ailment. The timeline was eventually narrowed down to a three-to-five-month period, and in early November, it became clear that Norris would not need to have surgery on his shoulder. Now, it seems there is even more good news regarding Norris’ injury situation. At Senators practice today, Norris took off his non-contact jersey and donned a regular practice jersey.

That’s an important development, as it indicates that Norris could be nearing a return to the ice sooner than anyone may have anticipated. While the Senators remain in last place in the Atlantic Division, they are currently on a three-game winning streak and have a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games. Being able to add Norris back to their group of centers would give them a trio of Norris, Tim Stutzle, and Shane Pinto, an enviable group of young pivots. Norris scored 35 goals and 55 points last season, and while his slow start to this season as well as his shoulder injury makes it somewhat likely that he’ll need time to get back up to full speed, his return to the ice would undoubtedly be a major help to the Senators’ push to get back into the playoff picture.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that the NHL “has discussed expanding its regular season from 82 to 84 games in an effort to create more regional rivalry matchups.” With the league still recovering from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been renewed focus on advancing the league’s revenue goals. Wyshynski does note that “the topic wasn’t mentioned at this week’s board of governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, but is expected to be discussed at the general managers’ meeting in March 2023,” meaning the change is still a bit of a way away from being officially agreed upon and implemented.
  • NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston has reported that executive Eric Joyce is no longer a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Joyce joined the Maple Leafs in the fall of 2020 and had most recently served as the director of hockey strategy and pro scouting. It is unclear at this current moment if the Maple Leafs have chosen to leave those roles unfilled, delegated Joyce’s responsibilities to others, or otherwise re-assigned Joyce’s vacated titles and responsibilities.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Lane Pederson

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Seeking help to continue their 7-3 run in their last ten games, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Lane Pederson, one of the AHL’s hottest goal scorers, from their minor-league affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

Pederson, 25, was acquired by Vancouver as part of the October Ethan Bear trade. At the time, we wrote that in adding Pederson the Canucks were adding a “capable AHL scorer” who would be able to “help bolster the Abbotsford Canucks.”

That’s exactly what he’s done, as after going scoreless through his first four AHL games with the Chicago Wolves, Pederson has scored 17 goals in just 18 games in the Canucks organization.

His hot streak has led the AHL Canucks to seven wins in their last ten games, helping them rebound from a difficult start and re-inserting them into the AHL’s Pacific Division playoff race.

AHL success is not foreign to Pederson, as he has scored near a point-per-game rate in that league since 2019-20, when he scored 16 goals and 34 points in 37 games for the Tucson Roadrunners.

Both the Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks gave Pederson, who went undrafted out of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, extended looks in the NHL. Pederson got a 15-game trial in Arizona in 2020-21 and 29 games for San Jose last season. In total, though, Pederson has just five NHL points to his name.

With this recall, the Canucks will likely give Pederson a shot to see if his red-hot scoring can translate to the NHL level. It’s certainly possible that Pederson is one of those players who has the tools to excel against AHL defenses but not against tougher NHL competition, and that seems to be the conclusion Arizona, San Jose, and the Carolina Hurricanes reached by letting Pederson move on. But even so, with this recall, the Canucks have decided that they want to find out for themselves.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Markus Niemelainen

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The Edmonton Oilers have made a roster move, recalling defenseman Markus Niemelainen from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

Niemelainen was sent to Bakersfield in late November, and now finds himself back on the Oilers’ roster after a 10-game stint in the AHL.

Niemelainen, 24, was a third-round pick of the Oilers at the 2016 draft, and has developed steadily since that point. The rangy six-foot-six Finn played two seasons in the OHL before making the jump to professional hockey in Liiga. Niemelainen crossed the Atlantic once again in 2020-21 to play for Bakersfield, and he made his NHL debut last season.

In 20 games last year Niemelainen had one assist, skating just over 13 minutes per night with over a minute on the penalty kill. So far this year, Niemelainen’s usage in 15 NHL games played has been light. He averages under ten minutes of ice time per night, and his time on the penalty kill has declined as well.

At the AHL level, though, Niemelainen’s overall role reflects what the Oilers are likely hoping he can develop into on their NHL squad. Niemelainen plays top-four minutes in Bakersfield with a heavy dosage of penalty-killing time, and that reflects the Oilers’ faith that he can potentially develop into a shutdown specialist at the NHL level.

Now back with the main roster, Niemelainen will hope to earn more ice time from coach Jay Woodcroft and continue his development at the game’s highest level.

Vegas Golden Knights Re-Assign Kaedan Korczak To AHL

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The Vegas Golden Knights have re-assigned defenseman Kaedan Korczak to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. The move comes after Korczak was recalled to Vegas four days ago with the team in the midst of some injury challenges at their back end.

Now Korczak will head back to Henderson having not skated in a game for Vegas during his short time on their roster. Korczak does have an NHL game on his resume, from last season when the Golden Knights’ blueline was in a similar position, so this move does not cost him a chance at making his NHL debut.

The reassignment leaves Vegas with seven defensemen on their active roster, giving them an opportunity to call up an extra forward. As the Golden Knights are a team utilizing long-term injured reserve, keeping less than the maximum of 23 players on their roster does not provide any benefits in terms of being able to bank cap space to use later on in the season.

Korczak, 21, was the 41st overall pick at the 2019 draft and will head back to Henderson, where he plays a top-four role with a healthy dose of special teams time. The big defense-first defenseman has six points in 24 games so far this year at the AHL level to go along with 18 penalty minutes.

Team USA Announces 2023 World Juniors Roster

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With the World Juniors rapidly approaching, Team USA needed to make a final round of cuts to prepare its 25-man WJC roster. With Ryan Leonard, Jack Devine, Shai Buium, and Tyler Muszelik sent home, the 25-man roster has been settled. Team USA will begin their tournament taking on Latvia on December 26th. The players are as follows:

Goaltenders (3)

Trey Augustine – 2023 Draft Eligible

Kaidan Mbereko – 2023 Draft Eligible

Andrew Oke – 2023 Draft Eligible

Defensemen (8)

Sean Behrens –  (COL)

Seamus Casey – (NJD)

Ryan Chesley – (WSH)

Luke Hughes – (NJD)

Lane Hutson – (MTL)

Luke Mittelstadt – 2023 Draft Eligible

Jack Peart – (MIN)

Ryan Ufko – (NSH)

Forwards (14)

Jackson Blake – (CAR)

Gavin Brindley – 2023 Draft Eligible

Tyler Boucher – (OTT)

Kenny Connors – (LAK)

Logan Cooley – (ARZ)

Dylan Duke – (TBL)

Cutter Gauthier – (PHI)

Noah Laba – (NYR)

Sam Lipkin – (ARZ)

Chaz Lucius – (WPG)

Rutger McGroarty – (WPG)

Red Savage – (DET)

Jimmy Snuggerud – (STL)

Charlie Stramel – 2023 Draft Eligible

This team is likely to be highlighted by a first line comprised entirely of highly-drafted NHL prospects. The trio of top 2022 picks  Gauthier, Cooley, and Snuggerud could be a treat to watch, and the Americans’ depth at forward combined with their talented blueliners such as Hughes, Hutson, and Chesley should make this team a strong contender for a medal. While the situation in the crease is a bit less stable, the WJC will provide twice-undrafted goalie Mbereko a major stage to showcase why he should be picked next year.

Buffalo Sabres Recall Jeremy Davies

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The Buffalo Sabres have announced the recall of defenseman Jeremy Davies from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

The move comes after Owen Power was a last-minute health-related scratch for the team’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Defenseman Jacob Bryson is also dealing with his own lower-body injury.

Davies, has been recalled by the Sabres before but has yet to make his debut for the club. He’s spent most of the year with their AHL affiliate in Rochester, where he has five points in 19 games. Davies has played in a top-four role in Rochester and is used in a supporting role on both special teams units.

Originally a New Jersey Devils late-round pick, Davies turned pro with the Nashville Predators after a three-year collegiate career at Northeastern University. Over the course of three seasons in the Predators organization, Davies got into 22 NHL games, scoring three assists.

Last year Davies spent the bulk of his time with the Predators’ AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, scoring 31 points in 54 games. That was a performance that earned him a $750k one-year, two-way deal with the Sabres this summer. Davies will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at the end of the season.

New York Islanders Activate Kyle Palmieri

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Yesterday, as part of our coverage of Adam Pelech’s placement on injured reserve, we covered how the New York Islanders were nearing a return date for Kyle Palmieri, who was out with an upper-body injury.

Today, that return date has been finalized, with Palmieri being activated from injured reserve this afternoon. Palmieri, 31, has played in 20 games so far this season, scoring six goals and nine points. He scored 15 goals and 33 points last year, playing on a $5MM cap hit that runs until the summer of 2025.

Palmieri is a veteran of over 700 career NHL games, and his return to full health is a positive development for the Islanders as they look to make their return to the playoffs. Not only does Palmieri chip in an important amount of secondary scoring, but his gritty, hard-working style is also very highly regarded on Long Island by both fans and coach Lane Lambert.

While he may be a few too many years removed from his 30-goal, 50-point days to be relied on for that kind of production anymore, he’s still an experienced forward with an exceptional resume and a wealth of experience.

Detroit Red Wings Re-Assign Steven Kampfer

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The Detroit Red Wings recalled veteran blueliner Steven Kampfer from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, three days ago. Today, after a stay on the roster that did not include an NHL game played, the Red Wings have re-assigned Kampfer back to the AHL.

This move did not come with any other announcements, although seeing as the Red Wings have a whopping seven players on injured reserve, the natural first place to look to is there. Since this re-assignment leaves the Red Wings with just six healthy defensemen on their active roster, it could be an indication that veteran Olli Maatta is nearing a return to full health.

In sending down Kampfer the Red Wings have sent down an offseason acquisition that has fit in well with their AHL affiliate. Through 19 games so far this season Kampfer has 10 points. The 34-year-old defenseman signed in Detroit after a strong 2021-22 in the KHL. In 46 games for KHL side Ak-Bars Kazan, Kampfer had 30 points.

Kampfer is a veteran of over 230 NHL games and could be in line to play in his first NHL game since 2020-21 if he is called up once again. In the meantime, though, he’ll head back to Grand Rapids and resume his role as one of the team’s top all-around defensemen.

Snapshots: O’Reilly, Edmundson, Schmidt

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While the Toronto Maple Leafs have been among the NHL’s most successful regular-season teams for the past half-decade, playoff success has eluded them. One player who had similarly spent an extended period without any playoff success is Ryan O’Reilly, who spent nearly his first decade in the NHL without making it to the second round. In 2019, though, O’Reilly bucked that career trend, leading the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup victory and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy along the way.

The Maple Leafs want to do the same this spring, and it seems that they view O’Reilly as someone who can help them get there. Per Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic’s first 2022-23 trade board, Toronto has “talked about O’Reilly internally,” debating the prospect of acquiring him from the Blues. (subscription link) While O’Reilly’s scoring numbers have slowed down, Toronto could add him to a center corps that already boasts Auston Matthews and John Tavares, forming what would be likely the best trio of centers in the NHL. He remains a player with a sterling reputation as a playoff performer, and as a pending unrestricted free agent acquiring him would pose no long-term financial complications.

For some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The Montreal Canadiens have been better than expected this season, as they were the NHL’s worst team last year but have hovered around the .500 mark so far in 2022-23. Despite that, the team is still anticipated to engage other teams as a seller in next year’s trade market, and one of the players reportedly garnering interest from other teams is defenseman Joel Edmundson. On TSN’s Insider Trading segment, LeBrun reported that the Edmonton Oilers had interest in adding Edmundson, a 2019 Stanley Cup champion who has taken an important leadership role on a young Canadiens team.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced tonight that defenseman Nate Schmidt has suffered an upper-body injury, and will not return to their game against the Nashville Predators. Schmidt appeared to suffer the injury after a high hit from Predators forward Tanner Jeannot. The loss of Schmidt costs the Jets one of their top-four defensemen, as he has skated in over 20 minutes per night, including time on the second units of both special teams phases.

Dallas Stars Acquire Oskari Laaksonen

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We have a trade to announce. The Dallas Stars have acquired defensive prospect Oskari Laaksonen from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for another blueliner, Joseph Cecconi. Both teams have officially announced the deal.

Laaksonen, 23, was a third-round pick of the Sabres at the 2017 draft, getting selected 89th overall. He spent three full seasons as a regular defenseman for Ilves Tampere in the Finnish Liiga, before splitting 2020-21 between the Lahti Pelicans and the Rochester Americans.

In Rochester Laaksonen started off very well, scoring 17 points in his first 28 games. In his first full season, which was last year, he had a healthy 34 points in 71 games, good for second-most among Rochester defensemen. He scored those points, though, in somewhat of a sheltered role, and this season Laaksonen has just two points in ten games played.

Close to the end of last season, it seemed the cracks were starting to show in Laaksonen’s standing in Rochester. In a story covering the blueliner’s situation from last spring, the Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe noted that the Americans were sending a “not-so-subtle” message to Laaksonen that he needed to make his game more balanced in order to remain in their plans.

Despite his solid production, Laaksonen sat out the first eight games of the Americans’ Calder Cup playoff run, and after a particularly painful 6-5 triple-overtime loss to the Laval Rocket, Americans coach Seth Appert had the following to say about Laaksonen’s game:

His defensive game has to continue to improve, his commitment to defending and playing with the physical style. He’s never going to be a physical defenseman, but in North America, you have to physically engage to defend.

Those comments indicate that Laaksonen was heading into this year on thin ice in Rochester, and after 23 games (he played in just ten of them) it seems that the team decided Laaksonen needed a change of scenery.

He’ll head to the AHL’s Texas Stars in return for Cecconi, a 25-year-old native of Youngstown, New York, which is just over 30 miles away from Buffalo.

Cecconi was a fifth-round choice of the Stars at the 2015 draft. He had a four-year collegiate career at the University of Michigan before he made the leap to the pro game. For the past four years, Cecconi has been a regular contributor in Texas, mostly in a bottom-pairing capacity.

In his comments on Laaksonen, Appert noted a need to “physically engage” in order to survive on a North American blueline. In acquiring Cecconi, Sabres management has provided their AHL bench boss with a defenseman who is far better suited to play the sort of violent, physical game that the AHL can be known for. Cecconi stands six-foot-three, 215 pounds, and registered 52 penalty minutes last year.

In addition to his physical strengths, Cecconi plays on the second unit of Texas’ AHL-best penalty kill, which is running at an 88.2% rate. By trading for him, not only has Rochester gotten the more physical defenseman they seem to have desired, but they also have attempted to address their weak penalty kill, which is currently killing penalties at just a 70.6% rate.

While this is a deal that is unlikely to be of major consequence to both the Stars and the Sabres, it should make a meaningful difference for both clubs’ AHL affiliates as well as the involved players.

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