Atlantic Notes: Klingberg, McMann, Benoit, Korpisalo, Samuelsson
Maple Leafs defenseman John Klingberg will meet with a doctor in New York this week to determine whether surgery is required to correct his nagging hip injury, GM Brad Treliving informed the media Monday afternoon (via David Alter of Sports Illustrated/The Hockey News).
Klingberg, 31, has missed five out of the last six games with the injury and is currently on long-term injured reserve retroactive to November 11. The soonest he can return to the lineup is December 12 against the Rangers. However, all indications point to a more prolonged absence regardless of the clarity gleaned from his appointment this week. While Klingberg has reportedly been battling various hip issues for multiple seasons, Treliving confirmed Klingberg sustained a specific injury on October 19 versus the Panthers, keeping him out of the lineup. Klingberg did not miss any games immediately after sustaining the injury.
A free-agent signing by the Maple Leafs last summer, Klingberg’s presence in the lineup quickly deteriorated after a strong showing in the team’s season opener against the Canadiens. After notching two points, a +1 rating, and over 24 minutes of ice time in his Toronto debut, his defensive game again lapsed significantly. It caused head coach Sheldon Keefe to reduce his ice time gradually gradually. He has five assists through 14 games this season, and his 0.35 points per game mark is by far the worst of his NHL career. He is averaging under 21 minutes per game for a second straight season after skating over that mark in eight consecutive seasons to begin his career.
Other snapshots from the Atlantic Division:
- Sticking with Toronto, depth forward Bobby McMann and defenseman Simon Benoit took line rushes with the Maple Leafs at practice today, Alter reports. This suggests both players will be recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies before tomorrow’s game against the Panthers. In recent days, McMann and Benoit have repeatedly been ferried between leagues to extend their waiver-exempt period. Both players were placed on waivers before the start of the season, allowing the Maple Leafs to assign each player to the AHL freely until each spends 30 days on the NHL roster or plays ten games. While McMann took reps as a healthy scratch in practice today, Benoit skated on the third pairing alongside Conor Timmins and could re-enter the lineup. The 25-year-old has played six games this season, recording a +2 rating, five shots on goal, and a strong Corsi share of 57.4% at even strength while averaging 13:13 per game.
- Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo will be an option in goal against the Panthers tonight, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays. After making 37 saves on 41 shots in the Senators’ first Global Series game against the Red Wings on November 16, Korpisalo sat out the second overseas contest against the Wild as well as last Friday’s game against the Islanders with a minor undisclosed ailment which the team described as general soreness. This was an expected development after the Senators returned top goalie prospect Mads Søgaard to the minors yesterday. The 29-year-old is improving after a rocky start to his Senators career, solidifying himself as the team’s number-one option with a 5-4-0 record, .906 SV%, and 1.3 goals saved above average through ten starts.
- Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson will be a game-time decision tonight against the Rangers as he deals with an upper-body injury, head coach Don Granato told reporters this morning (via Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News). The oft-injured blueliner left Saturday’s blowout loss to the Devils after taking a stick to the face and receiving multiple stitches to repair a cut on his lower lip, which is still causing him significant pain. Per Granato, he was held out of the remainder of the contest to clear concussion protocol. If Samuelsson does not play tonight, it will be his second injury-related absence of the season. A lower-body issue cost him three games at the beginning of the month. The 23-year-old is averaging a diminished 19:27 per game this season through 18 games, recording one goal, two assists, a -1 rating, and a middling Corsi share of 47.6% at even strength.
Predators Activate Luke Schenn
The Predators announced Sunday evening that they’ve activated defenseman Luke Schenn from injured reserve. Schenn will return to the lineup for tonight’s game against the Jets.
Today’s appearance will be Schenn’s first since sustaining a lower-body injury after the NHL season-opening game against the Lightning on October 10. Within a week of Schenn exiting the lineup, the Predators announced he was expected out of the lineup for four to six weeks. His return comes right on schedule within that recovery timeframe.
The 34-year-old has had somewhat of a career renaissance over the previous two seasons. The fifth-overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Maple Leafs, Schenn was almost out of the league entirely in the mid-to-late 2010s and earned multiple demotions to the AHL. After capturing two Stanley Cup rings with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021 while playing an extremely limited role, Schenn once again became an everyday NHLer after signing a two-year deal with the Canucks in 2021.
Over the last two seasons, Schenn remained in a somewhat limited role but was a regular appearance in the lineup, playing in 136 games with the Canucks and Maple Leafs after a 2023 deadline deal sent him back to Toronto. He’s notched 39 points, a +23 rating, and 145 penalty minutes in that time.
An especially strong finish to 2022-23, riding shotgun at times on Toronto’s top defense pairing with Morgan Rielly, earned Schenn a significant three-year, $8.25MM commitment with the Predators when free agency opened on July 1. It’s a bit of a risky gamble for a player who will be 36 at the end of the deal, but Predators GM Barry Trotz hopes Schenn will add a physical element to Nashville’s back end and provide some protection for star puck-moving defender Roman Josi.
The Predators had room on the 23-man roster to execute this move, meaning no corresponding transaction is necessary.
Ryan Hartman To Have Player Safety Hearing
Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Monday regarding a slew-foot against Detroit Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat during today’s loss, per a league announcement.
The incident occurred about halfway through the third period, with the Wild already trailing by multiple goals. As DeBrincat attempted to shield teammate Michael Rasmussen by the Wild bench as he carried the puck up the ice, Hartman approached DeBrincat from behind. Hartman’s foot made contact with the back of DeBrincat’s skates and continued to follow through as DeBrincat fell backward to the ice.
NHL Player Safety will likely determine whether Hartman intended to injure DeBrincat on the play, the principal factor in the length of a potential suspension. Because this is not an in-person hearing, a suspension would be five games or less.
Hartman has been among the few Wild players performing up to expectations this season. His seven goals rank second on the team behind Joel Eriksson Ek, and the natural winger continues to take a heavy amount of faceoffs and is averaging nearly 17 minutes per game. Hartman’s possession numbers are some of the best on the team, boasting a 52.5% Corsi share at even strength through 17 games. His lone absence this season came in the Wild’s Global Series game against the Ottawa Senators last weekend in Stockholm due to illness.
The 29-year-old is in the final season of a three-year contract carrying a bargain-bin cap hit of $1.7MM. He signed a three-year, $12MM extension with the Wild in October and will avoid unrestricted free agency next summer.
Golden Knights Sign Ben Hemmerling To Entry-Level Contract
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed forward prospect Ben Hemmerling to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. A natural right-winger, Hemmerling will remain on loan to the WHL’s Everett Silvertips for the remainder of the season, meaning the contract will likely slide to 2024-25. His deal would then break down as follows, per PuckPedia:
2023-24: $70K signing bonus
2024-25: $775K NHL salary, $82.5K minors salary,
2025-26: $775K NHL salary, $82.5K minors salary, $67.5K signing bonus
2026-27: $775K NHL salary, $82.5K minors salary
Hemmerling, 19, was selected by the Golden Knights in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. Some had viewed him as a potential selection as early as the third round, considering his good offensive production with Everett during the prior season. Elite Prospects was not optimistic about his NHL future in a 2022 scouting report, though, calling him a skilled but “inefficient” playmaker prone to costly turnovers. However, they did praise his physical game and his “proactive” defending style away from the puck.
Since then, Hemmerling’s stock hasn’t seen a meteoric rise, but it does appear he’s on his way to a pro career. Serving as a member of the Silvertips’ leadership team beginning in 2022-23, Hemmerling has notched over a point per game in junior play since his draft day and saw preseason action with the Golden Knights in September. After beginning this season with seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points in 24 games for the Silvertips, an entry-level contract comes to avoid Hemmerling re-entering the draft next summer.
He will be a restricted free agent when his entry-level deal expires in 2027. Expect him to spend at least one season with the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate in Henderson before looking at a potential NHL call-up.
Flames Assign Nick DeSimone To AHL
The Flames assigned defenseman Nick DeSimone to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers on Sunday, per a team announcement. As Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson points out, DeSimone finds himself on the outside looking in for a regular spot in the Flames lineup, and with the team not feeling a need to carry an extra defender during their upcoming homestand, the veteran blueliner will head back to the minors for the time being.
Returning DeSimone to the Wranglers also delays when he’ll need to clear waivers again to return to the AHL, which could be an impactful decision. The 29-year-old has been a healthy scratch in three straight contests but was impactful in over eight prior games, serving in a third-pairing role but seeing some offensive zone usage that translated to good possession numbers. An undrafted free agent signing by the Sharks after three seasons at Union College, DeSimone has played for three NHL organizations but has only appeared in the big leagues for the Flames.
After four full pro seasons spent mainly with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate and a brief stop with the AHL’s Rochester Americans while on loan from the Vegas Golden Knights in late 2021, DeSimone signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Flames that summer. He again spent the entire season in the minors with the AHL’s Stockton Heat.
Still, he opted to re-sign with the Flames after reaching unrestricted free agency, signing a two-year contract with a salary guarantee of $350K in both seasons. It’s proved to be a wise choice, as DeSimone tied his AHL career-high with 46 points in 65 games with the Wranglers last season and earned a handful of call-ups, which resulted in him making his NHL debut.
DeSimone passed through waivers unclaimed at the beginning of this season but was called up to the Flames less than a month in. He’s been on the roster since his initial recall on November 3, aside from a one-day paper transaction that saw him briefly head back to the Wranglers two days later.
The right-shot defender recorded his first NHL point in his season debut against the Kraken on November 4 and managed to record four assists across eight games, although he averaged just 12:50 per game when in the lineup. However, he was far from a defensive liability, posting a 56.5% Corsi share at even strength. That’s much improved from his 47.9% mark in four games last season.
As he has been on the Flames’ roster for less than 30 days and played less than 10 games since clearing waivers at the beginning of the campaign, he does not need to clear them again to return to the AHL at this time. He’ll suit up for the Wranglers again in the coming days, with whom he has four assists and a +4 rating in six games.
Coyotes Reassign Jan Jeník
The Arizona Coyotes announced Sunday that they’ve assigned forward Jan Jeník to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL.
In doing so, the team has freed up a spot on the active roster, potentially indicating one of their three players on injured reserve, likely forward Jack McBain or defenseman Travis Dermott, could be nearing a return. It could also be a transaction to give the 23-year-old Jeník some playing action in tonight’s contest with the Roadrunners against the Henderson Silver Knights, as the Coyotes are out of action until Tuesday.
Arizona summoned Jeník from the minors over a week ago after announcing that center Barrett Hayton would be sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Jeník was a healthy scratch in three of four games during his call-up, making his lone appearance (and season debut) last Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues. In that contest, he logged just 8:21 of ice time, one shot on goal and a -1 rating.
He’s been used in a similarly limited role during previous call-ups this season, also serving as a healthy scratch for a couple of games last month. A third-round pick of the Coyotes in 2018, Jeník is now in his fourth professional season after making his NHL debut during the 2020-21 campaign. He’s on his second NHL contract after his entry-level deal expired last summer, inking a one-year, two-way pact with a minimum guaranteed salary of $125K after reportedly seeking a trade upon reaching restricted free agency.
In 18 NHL games, Jeník has tallied four goals, one assist and a -4 rating while averaging 10:10 per game. While not a highly-touted prospect on draft day, he had a solid finish to his junior career that positioned him as a potential top-six fixture in Arizona if things panned out the right way. That seems unlikely now, as he’s yet to come close to carving out a full-time role for himself and is off to a mediocre start with Tucson, notching two goals and three assists in nine games. His professional point production has continued to decrease from its peak in 2021-22 when he notched 47 points in 51 games for the Roadrunners.
Next summer, Jeník will once again be a restricted free agent. Unlike last year, he will be eligible for salary arbitration. He’s due a qualifying offer of $813,750 per CapFriendly; however, if things continue in their current direction, Jeník seems like a strong non-tender candidate and could find himself on the open market when July 1 rolls around.
Flyers Activate Rasmus Ristolainen
Saturday: Ristolainen has officially been taken off LTIR, the team announced.
Wednesday: The Flyers could soon activate defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen off LTIR, Dylan H. Robillard of Olde City Sports Network reports. However, despite returning to practice in full-contact gear yesterday, the right-shot Finn will not enter the lineup tonight versus the Islanders.
Ristolainen, 29, had missed the entire 2023-24 season up to this point with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers didn’t list him as out until October 9 – just one day before the regular season started – making him a rather unexpected absence in the lineup to kick off the campaign.
Now in the second season of a five-year, $25.5MM extension signed with the Flyers in March of 2022, the much-maligned 2013 top-ten pick had one of his best seasons in recent memory in 2022-23. Some reduced usage proved positive for his defensive impacts, skating under 20 minutes per game for the first time since his rookie season. He also notched three goals and 20 points in 74 contests.
While they may not be numbers worthy of his cap hit, Ristolainen remains an NHL-caliber player and should provide competition among the Flyers’ veterans on the backend – namely Marc Staal, who is gearing up to return from a similarly lengthy injury-related absence.
However, Ristolainen’s early-season absence has allowed other players to flourish. Nick Seeler and Yegor Zamula have the best plus-minus ratings on the team with a +10 and +11 mark despite both playing under 17 minutes a game. Their success on the defensive side of the puck, along with Travis Sanheim‘s and Sean Walker‘s standout play to begin the season, leaves Flyers head coach John Tortorella with some tough decisions on how to utilize Ristolainen moving forward.
With an open spot on the 23-man roster and ample cap space, the Flyers do not need to make a corresponding move to take Ristolainen off LTIR.
Metropolitan Notes: Raanta, Chytil, Rust
The Hurricanes have managed to avoid a true injury crisis in the crease. After he left Wednesday’s game against the Oilers due to what the team labeled as “precautionary reasons,” netminder Antti Raanta is starting today’s contest against the Lightning and won’t miss any time, team reporter Walt Ruff relays.
While Raanta ended up recording the win against the Oilers, he was pulled from the game after the first period, where he allowed one goal on eight shots. Raanta missing any time would have created a significant bind for the Hurricanes, who also released veteran Jaroslav Halák from a PTO this week. Outside of Pyotr Kochetkov, who is serving as Raanta’s backup while starter Frederik Andersen is undergoing treatment for a blood clotting issue, the Hurricanes have only one goalie under NHL contract. That’s Quinnipiac grad and one-time national champion Yaniv Perets, who is in his first season of professional hockey after signing an entry-level deal with Carolina last summer. The highest level of hockey he’s played is second-tier minor hockey, playing with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals this year.
Other notes in the Metropolitan Division on this holiday weekend:
- Rangers center Filip Chytil has taken a key step in his recovery from an assumed concussion, as head coach Peter Laviolette told the New York Post’s Larry Brooks today that the Czech center has returned skating on his own. Chytil, 24, has remained sidelined since November 2 with what’s being labeled an upper-body injury and remains on injured reserve. He had notched six assists in ten games before the injury, which has kept him out of the last seven games.
- Penguins winger Bryan Rust will miss a second straight game with a lower-body injury tonight against the Sabres, head coach Mike Sullivan told Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but it’s likely to be his last absence related to the ailment. Dan Kingerski of National Hockey Now relayed that Rust was a full participant in this morning’s skate and is nearing a return to action. Rust underwent evaluation for a lower-body injury earlier this week, but testing revealed the injury was not serious and resulted in a day-to-day designation. Drew O’Connor, who has just one goal and four points in 18 games this season, has occupied Rust’s spot on the top line. Rust has excelled in the early going, notching 16 points through 17 games.
Senators Recall Matthew Highmore, Mads Søgaard
The Ottawa Senators recalled forward Matthew Highmore and goaltender Mads Søgaard from AHL Belleville on Friday morning, per a team release. Highmore was brought up on a traditional recall, while Søgaard’s recall is under emergency conditions.
That’s because Senators starter Joonas Korpisalo is not ready to return from an undisclosed injury and will miss today’s game against the Islanders. Søgaard, who was already ferried up and down last week due to the team’s trip to Stockholm for the NHL Global Series, will likely serve as the backup to Anton Forsberg in today’s contest.
Søgaard, the 22-year-old Dane, was selected 37th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and is still viewed as the Senators’ netminder of the future. He carries an absolutely massive frame at 6-foot-8 and nearly 200 pounds that’s translated into some strong numbers.
Now in his fourth pro season, Søgaard is off to his best start yet. In eight games with Belleville, he’s recorded a strong 2.35 GAA, .923 SV%, one shutout, and a 4-3-0 record.
Søgaard got an extended NHL look last season, starting 17 games in the wake of injuries to both Forsberg and former Senator Cam Talbot. Across 19 NHL starts and 21 total appearances over the last two seasons, he’s posted a 9-7-3 record, .889 SV%, and 3.30 GAA. There’s certainly room for technical improvement in his game – he won’t reach his ceiling in the NHL just based on his size.
Meanwhile, Highmore returns to the Senators’ roster on his second recall of the month. He skated in three games earlier this month, recording one assist and averaging only 7:59 per game.
Highmore could draw into the lineup in today’s game, but it’s not a guarantee. With him on the roster, Ottawa has 13 healthy forwards. Ridly Greig and Mark Kastelic remain out of the lineup and on injured reserve.
The 27-year-old is in his first season with the Senators organization after inking a one-year, two-way deal in free agency last summer. He’s notched seven points and a -9 rating through nine games with Belleville this season. A veteran of over 140 NHL games, he’s a rather experienced option to come up from the minors and slide into the Senators’ bottom six.
Kraken Reassign Andrew Poturalski
The Kraken returned forward Andrew Poturalski to AHL Coachella Valley yesterday afternoon, per a team announcement.
Poturalski, 29, was on his first recall of the season. The team brought him up early last week, but the veteran scorer who puts up electric numbers in the minors was a healthy scratch in all of the Kraken’s five games while he was on the roster.
Seattle has called upon multiple forwards to come up from the minors this season in the wake of longer-term injuries to André Burakovsky and Brandon Tanev, as well as a shorter-term absence that kept Jordan Eberle out of the lineup earlier this month. Veteran NHLer Devin Shore has seen some time up with the Kraken after heading to the minors in the preseason, as well as youngsters Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton.
The Kraken brought Poturalski into the organization in the summer of 2022 to serve as a key leadership figure for Coachella Valley in their affiliate’s inaugural season. While injuries limited him to 38 games, he scored 11 goals, 31 assists and 42 points, keeping him above the point-per-game mark for a second straight season.
In 2021-22, just before joining Coachella Valley, Poturalski won a Calder Cup championship with the Chicago Wolves, then the Carolina Hurricanes’ affiliate, and captured the JB Sollenberger Trophy for the regular-season scoring title (101 points in 71 contests).
Poturalski is off to a slightly more tepid start this season, recording two goals and five assists in ten contests. His last two outings for Coachella Valley were especially rough, notching a combined -4 rating, no points and four shots on goal in back-to-back losses.
That’s where he returns for the time being while the Kraken forward group is at full health, minus Burakovsky. Poturalski heading back to the minors leaves the Kraken with just 12 healthy forwards on their roster.