Blue Jackets Place Patrik Laine On IR, Recall Dmitri Voronkov
According to a team release, the Blue Jackets have recalled forward Dmitri Voronkov from AHL Cleveland. To make room for Voronkov on the active roster, the team placed forward Patrik Laine on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to last Friday, sidelining him for the team’s next two games at the least.
Voronkov, 23, had a breakout pro season for the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan in 2022-23, potting 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points in 54 games while playing a heavy, imposing style of game. He was expected to contend for a roster spot with the Blue Jackets out of training camp but ultimately did not make the cut and began the season on assignment to Cleveland, where he has just one assist through four games. A fourth-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2019, Voronkov could make his NHL debut Tuesday against the Ducks.
As for Laine, this news is expected after taking a hard, late hit from Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson with just seconds left in Friday’s 3-1 win. Andersson, who has an appeal scheduled for today with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, was suspended four games for the hit. Laine will miss at least three games because of the play, also sitting out of Saturday’s overtime victory over the Wild. It’s a tough break for the 25-year-old, who remains day-to-day after recording two points through four contests, continuing to experiment playing at center after sticking on the wing for most of his 466-game NHL career.
After being acquired from the Jets in exchange for center Pierre-Luc Dubois early in the shortened 2020-21 season, Laine has been an effective goal-scorer for a struggling Columbus team but failed to stay healthy. Just over the last two seasons, Laine notched close to a point-per-game but missed a combined 53 games, keeping him from hitting the 30-goal plateau for the first time since 2018-19. He’s been on pace for well over 30 markers in each of the past two years (38 in 2021-22, 33 in 2022-23), signaling that he can still be the star sniper the Jets thought they were getting with the second-overall pick in 2016.
Panthers Loan Justin Sourdif To AHL
The Panthers announced Monday that forward Justin Sourdif has been re-assigned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Florida brought up the 21-year-old for his first taste of NHL action nearly two weeks ago.
Sourdif was originally selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft and signed him to his entry-level contract in September of 2021. He spent the following season in junior hockey on loan to the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, meaning the beginning of the contract slid to 2022-23.
Therefore, last season was Sourdif’s first in the professional ranks. He played 48 games with Charlotte, posting seven goals, 17 assists and 24 points with a -4 rating. Given the solid but not eye-opening production, it was surprising to see Sourdif stick around with the Cats at the beginning of the season. He appeared in three out of the Panthers’ first five games, failing to register a point and averaging just 8:50 per game.
Sourdif does not require waivers to head to the minors, meaning he could see himself ferried up and down quite a bit throughout the season if he manages to stick in the Panthers’ regular call-up rotation. A natural center, he’s begun his NHL career on the wing in a third-line role with Nick Cousins and Anton Lundell. That line has failed to generate many scoring chances together, generating just 0.2 expected goals in over 20 minutes of action (per MoneyPuck).
The move could also preface a return to the lineup for center Sam Bennett, who remains on IR and has not played this season due to a lower-body injury. The Panthers were carrying a full 23-man roster and would need to clear a spot to activate him.
Hurricanes Notes: Svechnikov, Aho, Andersen
While he wasn’t ready for the beginning of the regular season as once expected, Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is still making positive strides in his recovery from a major knee injury sustained in March. Today, he shed the no-contact designation at Hurricanes practice for the first time, relays team editorial content producer and reporter Walt Ruff.
Svechnikov is still within the bounds of his initial six-to-nine-month recovery timeline, and while it’s disappointing he wasn’t ready to play on opening night, he hasn’t sustained any setbacks and is likely on track to make his season debut before the end of the month. Remarkably, scoring goals hasn’t been Carolina’s issue in Svechnikov’s absence. Instead, it’s been keeping them out – their 30 goals against in 2023-24 is the worst in the league by a significant margin. That’s far from what anyone expected after the Hurricanes, already revered as one of the better-structured teams in the league, added Dmitry Orlov to their blueline this summer and retained a goalie trio of Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta that’s done well for them in recent campaigns.
Other notes from Carolina today:
- The Hurricanes have had to play their last two outings without their two best point-producing forwards, as number-one center Sebastian Aho has joined Svechnikov on the injured list for the past three games. After notching a goal and two assists in his first three contests, Aho was a full participant in today’s practice, says Ruff, and the door is open for him to return to the lineup tomorrow against the Lightning. Teuvo Teräväinen has played fill-in duty on the team’s top line in Aho’s absence, centering Michael Bunting and Martin Necas. The 29-year-old has four goals in six games after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
- Ruff also relays that the injured Andersen is indeed close to a return, making an appearance at today’s practice that followed the return of Kochetkov on loan to AHL Syracuse. Andersen was injured in a recent game against the Sharks after taking a puck to the face. The 34-year-old Dane has struggled in three appearances so far this year, but he’s still been the best out of the Canes’ netminders, leading the team with a .855 SV% and 4.15 GAA.
Flames, Noah Hanifin Making Progress On Extension
Speaking during the Saturday Headlines segment during Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Canada coverage, Elliotte Friedman reports things are trending in a positive direction between the Flames and defenseman Noah Hanifin, and an extension for the pending UFA defenseman is a realistic outcome.
This is a continuation of a lengthy positive swing in relations between the Flames’ front office and their slate of pending UFAs. It began with captain Mikael Backlund, who inked a pre-season extension (and was awarded the captaincy) despite previously stating he’d wait out to see how the team began their season before deciding whether or not to extend. The fact these talks are even occurring is another significant sign for the better. Hanifin reportedly made it known to GM Craig Conroy this summer that he wasn’t open to signing an extension with the team, but he reversed course once players reported to training camps in September.
Hanifin has gotten off to a strong start on the scoresheet, leading all Flames defenders in assists (and points) with four. He’s logged 22:49 per game, a touch higher than last season’s 22:39, which was already a career-high. His pairing with the now-suspended Rasmus Andersson has had the most defensive struggles out of all the Flames’ main units, however, controlling just 40% of expected goals at even strength, per MoneyPuck.
That being said, five games is an awfully small sample size, and Hanifin has a recent history of very strong possession play. He’s become a core piece of both the Flames’ power play and penalty kill units over the past three seasons as well, logging over 30 points in three of his five full seasons as a Flame.
It could be a rather rich proposition to keep Hanifin in Alberta, however. Evolving Hockey projects an extension for the 26-year-old to boast an eight-year term with a $7.5MM cap hit, certainly expected value for a pending UFA top-pairing blueliner given the recent market. But whether or not the Flames can afford that plus a hypothetical extension for Elias Lindholm in the $8MM-$9MM range remains to be seen. Both player’s current cap hits are a fraction of their projected extension costs – Lindholm at $4.85MM and Hanifin at $4.95MM. It will be difficult to shoulder such a significant increase for a team already dealing with a significant cap crunch early into the 2023-24 season.
Without Andersson in the lineup, five of the Flames’ six defenders, including Hanifin are destined for free agency next summer. MacKenzie Weegar, locked up through 2031, is the only exception.
West Notes: Andersson, Buchnevich, Zucker, Carcone
It seems Rasmus Andersson‘s four-game suspension could have a negative domino effect on the Flames. Aside from missing one of their top defenders (if not their top defender) for the rest of the month, a semi-long-term suspension creates some salary cap issues for a strapped Calgary squad.
Since players suspended by the league still count against the salary cap, Andersson’s $4.55MM cap hit will remain on the books until his return next month. The team has exactly $0 in space left with defenseman Oliver Kylington on LTIR, and they have just six healthy defensemen on the roster, with Jordan Oesterle now set to slide into a bottom-pairing role for the next quartet of games. If another defender is sidelined due to injury, the team may have trouble making a corresponding roster move to dress a full roster. One potential solution would be sliding forward Kevin Rooney from IR to LTIR retroactive to the beginning of the season, but that assumes he will be out for at least the next five games. That’s certainly a distinct possibility, as he carries an unknown return timeline following offseason shoulder surgery. The only other option for the Flames would be to waive forward Dryden Hunt and replace him with a defense call-up from AHL Calgary, but their options would be limited to defenders with a league-minimum cap hit of $775K, the same as Hunt’s.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference tonight:
- St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich is missing his second straight game against the Penguins tonight with an upper-body injury sustained against the Kraken a week ago today. He did, however, rejoin the team at morning skate today, a week into his projected recovery timeframe. Head coach Craig Berube said Buchnevich is “making progress” but that he’ll want to log at least one practice taking full contact before returning to the lineup. He’s likely to travel with the team on their upcoming lengthy road swing. The 28-year-old is yet to record a point this season in two games.
- A pair of Coyotes forwards left today’s win over the Ducks with injuries, headlined by free-agent signing Jason Zucker. Per the team, a lower-body injury prevented him from finishing the contest. Zucker scored one of two Coyotes goals in the 2-1 win and was named the third star of the game. It’s unclear when exactly he sustained the injury, although he could have tweaked something while laying a hit on Ducks forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx (video link). Signed to a one-year contract with a $5MM AAV, the 31-year-old now has two goals in five games but is still looking for his first helper as a Yote.
- The other winger to exit today’s contest was Michael Carcone, who sustained an upper-body injury. He was the recipient of a heavy shoulder check from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas late in the second period. Last season’s AHL points leader had one goal on the board this season in four contests. If both he and Zucker cannot go for Tuesday’s contest against the Kings, at least one recall will be necessary from AHL Tucson, with Travis Boyd as the only extra forward on the roster.
Devils Notes: Hischier, Haula, Recalls
New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier did not practice today after leaving Friday’s overtime win over the Islanders with a reported shoulder injury, NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky notes. Head coach Lindy Ruff told Novozinsky that Hischier is “being evaluated right now” and will give another update on his status when the team reconvenes on Monday.
Hischier has had a slow start to 2023-24, at least on the scoresheet. He and Dawson Mercer are the only Devils forwards who have played in all four games this season and are yet to record a point. His 17:34 average ice time thus far is also the lowest since his rookie season, a further sign of the stranglehold Jack Hughes is taking as the team’s bonafide number-one center. He hasn’t taken a step back defensively, however, still showcasing the form that earned him a Selke Trophy nomination last season. He has a Corsi share of 57.1% at even strength, which ranks fourth among Devils forwards to play in all four contests.
Other Devils updates coming this weekend:
- Depth center Erik Haula is continuing his recovery from the upper-body injury that sidelined him against the Islanders on Friday. Devils team reporter Amanda Stein said today that Haula skated on his own prior to practice, and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be available for Monday’s game against the Canadiens, limiting him to just one game missed. Haula’s line with Ondrej Palat and Alexander Holtz has provided solid secondary scoring so far, and Haula has two goals and one helper through three appearances. The 32-year-old signed a three-year, $9.45MM extension with the Devils to avoid free agency this summer.
- While Hischier’s and Haula’s statuses are up in the air, don’t expect any recalls from AHL Utica until the last minute. Ruff told reporters today that their minor-league affiliate is dealing with some injuries of their own and that a recall would only be necessary on Monday if both Hischier and Haula are unavailable against Montreal. With 22-year-old Nolan Foote still on season-opening injured reserve, look for Shane Bowers or Tyce Thompson to get an NHL nod if they’re healthy.
Penguins Place Karel Plasek On Unconditional Waivers
Oct. 19: Plasek has cleared waivers, and his contract can now be terminated, per CapFriendly.
Oct. 18: After acquiring him via trade yesterday from the Canucks, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed minor-league forward Karel Plasek on unconditional waivers for the purposes of mutual contract termination.
Plasek, 23, was a sixth-round pick of the Canucks in 2019. He has no NHL experience, and injuries have limited him to just eight AHL contests since his draft day, all coming in 2021-22 with AHL Abbotsford. He was held scoreless and has instead primarily played pro hockey in his native Czechia since first breaking into the pro ranks in 2017-18. With Plasek previously destined for an ECHL assignment before hitting waivers today, it doesn’t seem likely he’ll try and sign a new deal in North America. A return to the Czech Extraliga is the most probable scenario in the coming days.
That return could potentially be with HC Olomouc, the club he spent 2022-23 with on loan from Vancouver. There, he recorded a career-high nine assists and 15 points in 31 contests and added five points in seven playoff games. Olomouc doesn’t have any players with NHL experience on their roster, but it is the club where former Bruins center David Krejci spent the 2021-22 campaign while he took a gap year before eventually returning to the Bruins last season.
Sharks Place Radim Simek On Waivers, Assign Nikita Ohkotyuk On Conditioning Stint
The San Jose Sharks placed defenseman Radim Simek on waivers today for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, per a team release. They also loaned defense prospect Nikita Okhotyuk to the Barracuda for a conditioning stint.
San Jose placed Simek on injured reserve to open the season with a lower-body injury, but he was cleared to return today. The waiver placement is surprising, to say the least – Simek is in the final season of a four-year, $9MM extension and has been one of the more valuable shutdown defenders analytically for a Sharks team that’s struggled to keep the puck out of the net in recent seasons. It seems the team is more intent on giving opportunities to younger shutdown prospects, namely 23-year-old waiver claim Ty Emberson, who’s expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Bruins.
Given his $2.25MM cap hit, it seems unlikely Simek will get claimed, but he would be a valuable contributor to a handful of teams looking for penalty-killing help. The 31-year-old Czech defender has experience playing both sides of the ice and should get a few offers in free agency next summer if he elects to stay in North America instead of continuing his career in Europe. He had a goal and two assists in 44 contests with the Sharks last season.
The 22-year-old Okhotyuk also landed on IR to start the season but is now ready to go. Acquired from the Devils as part of the Timo Meier trade last season, he has not yet played a game in the Sharks organization after a hernia prematurely ended his 2022-23 campaign. He’ll now get the chance to do so with the Barracuda and could see some NHL ice in San Jose soon enough. The 61st overall pick in 2019 made ten appearances with the Devils last season, recording his second NHL goal in the process.
Senators Place Zack MacEwen On Waivers
The Ottawa Senators are waiving forward Zack MacEwen today for the purpose of assignment to AHL Belleville, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
This is certainly not the start MacEwen, 27, envisioned for himself in Canada’s capital after signing a three-year, league-minimum salary deal this summer. Offering long-term deals to enforcers nearly always results in a waiver placement over the life of the deal, but rarely does it come just two games into that player’s tenure with the team.
An undrafted free agent, MacEwen got his NHL start with the Canucks, who signed him to an entry-level contract in 2017. He may be solely in the NHL as an enforcer, but he did flash decent offensive promise early on in the minors and got his first look with Vancouver the following season.
Since then, he’s scored 13 goals, 16 assists, 29 points, and added 245 penalty minutes in 188 NHL contests between Vancouver, the Flyers, Kings, and Senators. His last AHL appearance came when the Flyers waived him at the beginning of last season, and he potted three points in two contests with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms before the Flyers brought him up for the rest of the season.
MacEwen has one assist in two contests with Ottawa, as he was banged up for the team’s season opener and was a healthy scratch in last night’s decisive 6-1 win over the Capitals. While defenseman Artem Zub sustained an injury that’s not expected to keep him out long-term, he may still miss time, and assigning MacEwen to Belleville would free up the cap space to recall a defenseman in his stead.
Penguins Place Jansen Harkins On Waivers
The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Jansen Harkins on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
This could end an extremely short stint in Pittsburgh for the 26-year-old. He began training camp as a member of the Winnipeg Jets, who waived him at the beginning of the month, and Pittsburgh snapped him up off waivers. Just over two weeks later, he finds himself on the wire again.
Harkins had averaged just 9:28 per game through four contests with Pittsburgh despite playing a third-line role with Lars Eller and Drew O’Connor, but Eller is the only player out of that trio who had managed to get on the scoresheet – just one assist. In fact, Eller is the only member of the Penguins’ bottom six to register a point this season. The entire fourth line remains scoreless through four contests.
The North Vancouver native had just five points in 22 games with Winnipeg last season but quite impressive numbers in the minors. With the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, Harkins notched 50 points in 44 games, his second time breaking the point-per-game plane in the AHL.
Manitoba is where he could continue his season if the Jets attempt to reclaim him on waivers and are the only team to do so. In that case, Winnipeg could send him directly to the minors without risking his rights on waivers again. If any other team puts in a claim, he will need waivers to head to the minors.