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Anaheim Ducks Activate Adam Henrique from IR

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The Anaheim Ducks announced today that they have activated centre Adam Henrique from the IR. Henrique has been sidelined with a sprained MCL since February 21. He has been effective this season for the lowly Ducks scoring 19 goals and 14 assists in 57 games.

The 33-year-old appeared on a lot of trade bait boards prior to the NHL’s trade deadline but was effectively removed from it when he went down to injury. He will likely remain a trade target for a lot of teams this summer as he enters the final year of his contract with Anaheim. Henrique is set to count $5.825MM against the cap and has a modified no trade clause. With the Ducks in the middle of a long rebuild Henrique would likely welcome a move to a contender.

It’s been a long road for Anaheim, they haven’t made the playoffs since they lost in the first round in 2018 and are currently in the running for the first overall pick, with the chance to draft Connor Bedard. Anaheim is tied for last place in the league with the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ducks do have some intriguing young pieces in place and some solid veterans that can be moved for additional draft capital and prospects. Henrique is likely to be at the top of the list of pieces the Ducks would like to move.

Chicago Wolves To Play As An Independent AHL Team

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Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News is reporting that the Chicago Wolves have e-mailed agents to let them know that the club is planning to end its affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes at the end of this season and operate as an independent organization without an NHL affiliate. They will become the first AHL independent organization since 1994-95.

In an e-mail that was obtained by The Hockey News Wolves GM Wendell Young reportedly let NHL teams know that Chicago would be open to receiving NHL players on loan. Young was also quoted in an article from The Athletic as saying this about the club’s relationship with the Hurricanes, “some organizations are development-only, but we think if we have development and win playoff games, guys learn how to win, which you’re trying to do all the time. That’s changed. It’s time to go independent and follow our own philosophy.”

Stoller tweeted today that he doesn’t see this as a surprise and that he thinks this is what Chicago has always wanted. It is hard to argue with Stoller’s thinking, given what Young had to say in the media. Stoller added that he doesn’t think any NHL team would sign an affiliation agreement with the Wolves.

The news today gives Chicago a lot of flexibility heading into next season, but it also makes Young’s job as general manager a whole lot more difficult. He will no longer have an NHL club providing players to the Wolves, which will require him to sign a lot more players to AHL contracts. The Wolves will also still be required to follow the AHL’s development roster rule which states that 13 of 18 skaters must have played 260 games or less of pro hockey.

Minnesota Wild Will Sign Mason Shaw This Summer

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Joe Smith of The Athletic is reporting that the Minnesota Wild intend to sign pending restricted free agent Mason Shaw to an extension this summer, despite his recent ACL tear. Shaw is expected to be out for eight to nine months after he was injured this past Saturday in a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

For Shaw, this is the fourth time he’s torn an ACL in his young career. He’s had surgery three times already and will now need to go through it a fourth time. Smith reported that the feeling in the Wild dressing room was somber, with Shaw’s injury hitting his teammates hard.

By all accounts, Shaw is very popular within the Wild dressing room and has worked hard to get into the teams bottom six. Wild GM Bill Guerin said of Shaw’s contract, ““That won’t be something he’s going to have to worry about. We’ll figure something out. You don’t want to let go of guys like that.”

Minnesota is going to be in a tight cap crunch once again this summer with the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts accounting for nearly $15MM in cap space next year. While Shaw may not return in the 2023 calendar year, he should return in early 2024 barring any setbacks. Shaw’s qualifying offer this summer will be just $787.5K, meaning that even with a modest raise Minnesota shouldn’t have any issue offering him a contract, despite their precarious cap situation.

Penguins Notes: Blomqvist, Krannila, Ortiz, DiLiberatore

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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have announced that they’ve signed goaltender Joel Blomqvist to an amateur tryout agreement. For Blomqvist, this is his second stint playing for the baby Penguins under an ATO as he played one game last season with the club.

The Pittsburgh Penguins selected the Finnish netminder in the second round of the 2020 NHL entry draft and he is one of their top prospects. The 21-year-old has yet to sign an NHL contract with the Penguins, but they do retain his rights for another two years.

Blomqvist was hoping to take the next step this season back in Finland with Karpat of the Liiga, but two concussions limited his playing time to just 21 games. Despite the setback he did post a .907 save percentage and 2.29 goals against average.

In other Penguins news:

  • Wilkes-Barre/Scranton also signed undrafted Finnish forward Jami Krannila to an ATO.  The St. Cloud State product had 21 goals and 19 assists this season in 41 NCAA games and has 107 points in his college career in 143 games. The undersized winger will be a long shot to make it to the NHL as he stands just 5’10” and is listed at 163 pounds, but with teams putting a premium on speed and skill he could get a look with the Penguins. Their prospect cupboard is bare, meaning Krannila should get plenty of ice time in the AHL.
  • With these two signings Wilkes-Barre/Scranton made a series of corresponding moves by sending defensemen Peter DiLiberatore and Chris Ortiz to Wheeling of the ECHL. DiLiberatore was acquired by the Penguins organization in the Teddy Blueger trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Quinnipiac University product dressed in eight games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and scored two goals. Ortiz on the other hand has dressed in 39 contests with the Wheeling Nailers and has four goals and 24 assists for 28 points. He has also played 15 AHL games, producing just three assists.

Columbus To Receive Los Angeles Kings 2023 First Rounder

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When the Los Angeles Kings clinched a playoff birth last night it guaranteed that the Columbus Blue Jackets would receive their first-round pick in the 2023 NHL entry draft.

Columbus originally acquired a conditional first round pick from the Kings at the trade deadline as part of a package for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.

The condition on the traded pick was that if Los Angeles did not qualify for the 2023 playoffs, Columbus would have instead received a 2023 second round pick and a 2024 second round pick. Columbus will likely have the extra pick land somewhere late in the first round, but should be pleased with their slotting in what is expected to be a deep draft.

This trade could ultimately turn out to be a win for both teams. Columbus is trying to rebuild around Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine and the first-round pick should help them fill out the depth around their two offensive stars. Los Angeles on the other hand have emerged from their rebuild as a potential juggernaut in the Western Conference. They still boast a few remaining stars from their two cup winning teams and have done a nice job building around them.

This season the Kings were receiving some of the worst goaltending in the league until the trade with Columbus for Joonas Korpisalo. Korpisalo has gone 5-2-1 in eight games with a 1.75 goals against average and a .936 save percentage in what has been a career year for the 28-year-old. This recent stretch of success couldn’t have come at a better time for the Finnish goaltender, he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and with very few options available on the open market, Korpisalo could be in line for a hefty payday.

Dmitry Voronkov Expected To Sign ELC After KHL Season

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Columbus Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger tweeted that Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Dmitry Voronkov is expected to sign an entry level contract with the team after the KHL’s Gagarin Cup final. Voronkov’s Ak Bars Kazan team is tied 1-1 with Avangard Omsk in the final after dropping game two by a score of 3-2. The series shifts back to Omsk for game three.

The forward was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL entry draft and can play both center and the wing. In 54 KHL regular season games this season the 22-year-old had 18 goals and 13 assists to go along with four goals and four assists in 13 playoff games.

Voronkov is viewed by many around the Blue Jackets as a two-way forward who can fill a bottom six center role and chip in some offense. Hedger tweeted that Voronkov is “a big, snarly, two-way C prospect who projects as a hard-hitting hell-raiser for a third or fourth NHL checking line.”

Columbus is in desperate need of bottom six support. They are currently deploying Joshua Dunne and Justin Richards as their third- and fourth-line centers and both players have struggled in limited action. While it is customary for teams to audition young players when they find themselves out of the playoff picture, both Dunne and Richards are in their mid-20’s and are hardly seen as prospects at this point in their career.

Chandler Stephenson Out Tonight With An Illness

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Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Sun is reporting that the Vegas Golden Knights will be without the services of Chandler Stephenson this evening when they take on the Minnesota Wild. Stephenson was a late scratch with what is being described as an illness. He remains questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Nashville Predators.

The 28-year-old Stephenson has 59 points in 76 games this season for the Golden Knights and should top 60 points for the second straight year. The Saskatoon native emerged last season as an offensive threat for Vegas and has carried his point production into this season as he currently sits second on Vegas in scoring. Stephenson came over to the Golden Knights in a trade with the Washington Capitals back in 2019 and quickly morphed his game from a defensive bottom six center into a play driving offensive player who is part of an effective power play unit.

Stephenson’s absence likely means that Teddy Blueger will be elevated from the fourth line to play alongside Phil Kessel on the third line. Blueger came over from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline and hasn’t shown much offense this season. He has five points in 14 games with Vegas since the trade and just 15 points in 59 games on the season.

Vegas has already clinched a playoff spot in what has been a bounce back season for the team after missing the postseason last year. The Golden Knights have a good chance to win the Pacific Division as they currently sit one point up on the Los Angeles Kings with a game in hand.

Evening Notes: Saginaw, Gold, Després

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Jeff Marek of Sportsnet is reporting that the Saginaw Spirit will host the 2024 Memorial Cup. The four-team tournament will take place outside of Canada for the first time in 26 years. The last time the tournament was hosted in the United States was 1998 when Spokane held the tournament that was eventually won by Portland.

Four other OHL teams were in the bidding for the event, the Kingston Frontenacs, the Niagara IceDogs, and the Soo Greyhounds were all unsuccessful in their attempts to secure the sought after event. With their winning bid now in hand, Saginaw is already planning to make some major renovations to the infrastructure of their building, including a new ceiling, a renovated media suite, as well as new VIP suites.

The 2023 Memorial Cup will take place May 25 to June 4 in Kamloops, B.C.

In other news from around the hockey world:

  • The Boston Bruins have announced that Evan Gold will be the new General Manager of the Providence Bruins. Gold is in his eighth season in the Bruins organization and is currently the Assistant General Manager to Don Sweeney. Gold will continue to work closely with Sweeney in the day-to-day operations of the Bruins NHL squad, while simultaneously running the day-to-day operations of the AHL club. Prior to joining Boston in 2015, Gold also spent eight seasons in the Washington Capitals organization as a Hockey Operations Assistant.
  • Former Pittsburgh Penguin Simon Després has been released by his Austrian club Villacher SV after just one season. Després was a first round pick of the Penguins back in 2009 and made the jump to the NHL rather quickly in 2011-12. Després battled injuries and inconsistency while he was a Penguin, but it was after he was traded to Anaheim that concussion issues began to emerge, and he was eventually bought out by the Ducks. Després struggled to find his offensive game in Austria scoring just 15 points in 43 games. At just 31 years of age, Després likely has lots of hockey left in him, but he will most likely have to continue playing abroad if he wants to keep his career going.

Rangers Sign Filip Chytil To Four Year Contract

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The New York Rangers have announced that they have signed Filip Chytil to a four-year contract. The 23-year-old has 22 goals and 20 assists in 66 games in his sixth season with the Rangers. The four-year deal will kick in next season with a reported average annual value of $4.4375MM.

Chytil has had a breakout this season as he has already set career highs in goals, assists and points, dwarfing his previous career highs. The 2017 first round pick was set to be a restricted free agent this summer and would have been arbitration eligible. With this signing, Rangers General Manager Chris Drury has nearly locked up his entire core for the foreseeable future. Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin are also locked into long term deals, meaning that the Rangers should be a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference for quite some time.

While Chytil is now seen as somewhat of a rising star in New York, this wasn’t always the case. In the five years before this season, he hadn’t been able to top 23 points, and last season his goal total had dropped to just eight. If Chytil can replicate this season’s production going forward his contract could become a huge bargain, however, should his production drop more in line with his first five NHL seasons his contract could be viewed as an overpayment. Given Chytil’s age, and recent production, it was likely an easy gamble for Drury and the Rangers to make, even if his production does tail off, the salary cap is likely to rise in the upcoming seasons.

Wild Injury Notes: Klingberg, Duhaime, Reaves

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Joe Smith of The Athletic is reporting that John Klingberg will re-join the Minnesota Wild after missing the past three games with an upper body injury. Klingberg came over from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline and has a goal and three assists in nine games since joining the Wild. Smith went onto say that it appears that Klingberg will serve in the top-4 and play alongside Jon Merrill. The Wild took five of a possible six points with Klingberg out of the lineup but will certainly welcome the offensive firepower that he adds to the backend.

Klingberg has had a nightmarish season thus far. He didn’t find that long term deal he was hoping for last summer in free agency and opted to bet on himself and sign in Anaheim for a single season. This move has largely been a failure as Klingberg struggled mightily with the Ducks notching just 24 points in 50 games. While he has struggled to this point in the season, he still has an opportunity to prove his worth with the Wild. Minnesota has had a tremendous season and with the acquisition of Klingberg, one has to assume that they see themselves as a contender to come out of a wide open Western Conference.

In other Wild injury news:

  • The Athletic’s Joe Smith is also reporting that winger Brandon Duhaime won’t play this evening due to an undisclosed illness. Duhaime is in his second season with the Wild and has nine points in 44 games, including eight goals. While Duhaime won’t fill the scoresheet, he does add an element of grit that the Minnesota will miss this evening when they do battle with their division rival. Duhaime is third on the team in hits with 126 hits on the season while averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. The Wild sit one point up on Colorado for the division lead in the Central.
  • Speaking of grit, Ryan Reaves also won’t be dressing tonight as he will be sidelined with what is being described as an upper body injury. Reaves left the Wild’s 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday night and did not return. Little is known about Reaves injury, but with he and Duhaime on the shelf, it will make for a much easier night for Avalanche defensemen. Reaves is second on the Wild in hits this season with 134 hits in 54 games and has been an emotional catalyst for Minnesota since coming over from the New York Rangers in a mid-season trade. With Reaves and Duhaime out for tonight, and Kirill Kaprizov also sidelined, the Wild will be forced to play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in a crucial game. Joe Smith tweeted that Alex Goligoski could take some shifts at forward to offset the injuries.

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