Florida Panthers Recall Aleksi Heponiemi
According to the team, the Florida Panthers have recalled forward Aleksi Heponiemi from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers ahead of tomorrow’s road game in Los Angeles.
The 23-year-old forward signed a one-year, two-way contract extension last July to remain with the team that drafted him. Heponiemi was the 40th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and proceeded to have a spectacular post-draft career in both the WHL and the Liiga before turning pro in North America. Although his offensive success hasn’t quite translated yet to the NHL (he has a goal and two assists in 15 career games), there’s still some development time left in the tank for Heponiemi.
The move comes with Patric Hornqvist and Colin White both sidelined with upper-body injuries, leaving the team with just 11 healthy forwards. Heponiemi had four points in his first six games with Charlotte.
Assuming no line changes occur in Hornqvist’s absence, Heponiemi could slot in on the wing and make a Finnish trio with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell.
Latest On Brock Boeser, Travis Dermott
As the Vancouver Canucks continue to rally back from an awful start, their team health is improving along with their play. While the jury remains out on how long they can consistently string together wins, the team is indeed getting healthier and will get even closer to full strength soon.
Head coach Bruce Boudreau said today that he doesn’t think forward Brock Boeser will play tomorrow, but he’s just day-to-day as he waits for a re-opened scar on his hand to close. He also said that it’s possible defenseman Travis Dermott, who’s yet to play this season with a concussion, will rejoin the team for their road trip next week to make his season debut.
Boeser had four points in six games to begin the season, but he hasn’t played since October 24 with the previously undisclosed injury. Nils Hoglander currently sits in the team’s top six in his absence, and the young Swede has been limited to just one assist in eight games.
Dermott’s concussion has kept him out on a week-to-week basis, and he could solidify what’s looking like a much-improved Canucks defense when healthy with his return. The acquisitions of Ethan Bear and a healthy Dermott go a long way toward improving the team’s depth, and the Canucks are hoping that it can help them erase the bad taste of their 0-5-2 start.
Beck Malenstyn Undergoes Hand Surgery
Washington Capitals forward Beck Malenstyn underwent surgery to stabilize a left-hand finger fracture, the team announced Friday afternoon. Malenstyn will be out of the lineup for six to eight weeks
Malenstyn sustained the injury three days ago in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team placed him on injured reserve the following day, clearing some room for a group of AHL recalls. At this juncture, Malenstyn is eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve if the team needs some additional salary cap wiggle room.
Projected to be a regular in AHL Hershey this season, Malenstyn got the call-up to the NHL in mid-October when forward Connor Brown suffered a potential season-ending ACL injury. A Capitals fifth-round draft selection in 2016, Malenstyn signed a two-year extension with the team this past offseason.
In five games up with Washington his season, Malenstyn registered a goal (his second in the NHL) and an assist. The 24-year-old has defied a good amount of adversity to even make it to the NHL as a semi-regular after missing the entire 2020-21 campaign due to injury.
Malenstyn is one of six Capitals forwards currently on IR or LTIR.
Seattle Kraken Re-Assign Christopher Gibson
Nov 3: With Jones rejoining the team, Gibson has been sent back to the AHL.
Nov 1: According to the team’s public relations department, the Seattle Kraken have recalled goaltender Christopher Gibson from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Gibson, who had been playing on an AHL contract with the Firebirds to start the season, signed with the Kraken late last week and subsequently cleared waivers.
Exactly why the team has opted to recall Gibson at this point is unclear, and it could mean more bad news on the injury front for a team already reeling from both Philipp Grubauer‘s and Chris Driedger‘s absences. It could also mean that the team is giving current starter Martin Jones the night off as he and his wife welcomed a child last week, with Joey Daccord already expected to start tonight in Calgary. In that case, Gibson is purely up for a day or two to serve as the backup before he can be immediately returned to Coachella Valley, given he cleared waivers less than 30 days ago.
Gibson, 29, has a less-than-stellar .706 save percentage in two appearances with Coachella Valley so far, also credited with one loss. The minor-league veteran has 16 NHL appearances under his belt, the majority of which came with the New York Islanders in the mid-to-late 2010s. He has an NHL career goals-against average of 3.33, a save percentage of .903 and a 4-5-3 record.
Snapshots: Zegras, Carter, Benning
The NHL Department of Player Safety today fined Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras $1,500 for slashing San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Benning during last night’s game. Zegras was assessed a minor penalty for slashing on the play.
It’s the second fine issued today after New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas escaped with a fine instead of a suspension stemming from his collision with Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock. Thankfully, Benning was not injured on this play. The Ducks will be ecstatic that no further discipline was awarded to Zegras, who’s second on the struggling team with eight points in 10 games.
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed today that forward Jeff Carter is unavailable for tonight’s primetime game against Buffalo and did not travel with the team on their one-game road trip. Carter suffered an undisclosed injury on Saturday in a game against Seattle and is listed as day-to-day. 24-year-old Drew O’Connor is slated to see his second straight game of action at the third-line center position.
- There’s no updated timeline on San Jose Sharks defenseman Markus Nutivaara, who’s still out indefinitely as head coach David Quinn said today he’s suffered another setback. Nutivaara has not played an NHL game since October 29, 2021, his lone appearance last season with Florida. He remains out with a lower-body injury after signing in San Jose this offseason.
Washington Capitals Recall Sonny Milano, Place Three On Injured Reserve
As announced in a team release today, the Washington Capitals have recalled forward Sonny Milano, forward Garrett Pilon, and defenseman Lucas Johansen from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. All three players will travel with the team to Detroit for the team’s game tomorrow against the Red Wings.
In a corresponding move, the team has also placed forward T.J. Oshie, defenseman John Carlson, and forward Beck Malenstyn on injured reserve. Forward Connor Brown was also moved to long-term injured reserve (LTIR) after undergoing potentially season-ending ACL surgery earlier this week.
Oshie is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury suffered last Saturday. He is technically eligible to return for Saturday’s home game against Arizona, but without a timeline, there’s no telling when he’ll be back. The fact that he was not moved to LTIR along with Brown is somewhat promising, suggesting that he may not be out for more than a few weeks.
Carlson also left the same game Saturday with a lower-body injury, although his status remains day-to-day. Assuming his injured reserve placement is retroactive, he could return Saturday against Arizona, but the IR placement is confirmation that he’ll miss his third straight game tomorrow against Detroit.
Malenstyn left last night’s overtime loss against Vegas with an upper-body injury. He was recalled to the team in mid-October in the absence of Brown.
After notching 34 points in 66 games last year as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, it was rather shocking that no team signed Milano before training camps started, and it was nearly as surprising when he cleared waivers when Washington signed him. In five games in the AHL, Milano’s notched two goals, an assist, and three points. He could potentially draw into the lineup in Malenstyn’s absence, although the team also had Connor McMichael as a healthy extra.
Pilon, 24, has five points in seven games to start the AHL season, his fifth with Hershey. Johansen, the 28th overall selection in 2016, missed the majority of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons due to injury and has a goal in six games with Hershey in 2022-23. The team had no extra healthy defensemen with Carlson out.
Vancouver Canucks Activate Quinn Hughes, Riley Stillman
The Vancouver Canucks today activated both Quinn Hughes and Riley Stillman from injured reserve, according to the team. It’s a huge boost for a team finally gaining momentum after a horrid start.
Hughes is expected to draw into the lineup tonight when the Canucks host the Devils, while Stillman is expected to be a healthy scratch to make way for Ethan Bear‘s Vancouver debut. Hughes had five points through his first five games this season, but he’d missed the team’s last four games with an undisclosed injury.
The oldest of the Hughes trio is expected to suit up on a pairing with Luke Schenn in his return to the lineup.
Stillman, on the other hand, is yet to register a point through five contests and is averaging just 12:36 per game after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jason Dickinson. Dickinson has six points through his first seven games in Chicago.
The Canucks are still without Brock Boeser, Travis Dermott, and Tucker Poolman due to injury. However, things are looking up for Boeser’s recovery, and he could return as soon as this week.
Evening Notes: Hedman, Letang, Formenton
The Tampa Bay Lightning are down a big man – literally and figuratively – as they take on Ottawa tonight. Defenseman Victor Hedman has an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, according to Lightning play-by-play commentator Dave Randorf. Hedman sustained the injury in a win Saturday against San Jose, leaving in the third period.
Hedman is vying for a seventh straight Norris Trophy nomination this season, and one of the best defensemen of his generation is off to a strong start again. His eight points in nine games are tied for third on the team with Brayden Point, and his 24:48 ice time average per game clears second place (Mikhail Sergachev) by an even two minutes. The Lightning have a tough schedule over the next few games, including games against Carolina and Edmonton, so a quick return from Hedman would be highly desirable.
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is out for tonight’s game against Boston with an illness, as he didn’t skate in warmups. Chad Ruhwedel will draw in on the bottom pairing, while Jeff Petry will slide up alongside Brian Dumoulin in Letang’s absence. The 35-year-old, who signed a six-year extension with the team last offseason, is off to a slow start with four points in nine games and a -5 rating.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on today’s edition of Insider Trading that there are no real updates between the Ottawa Senators and forward Alex Formenton, who remains the only unsigned RFA in the league. The two parties now have just one month before the December 1 signing deadline, where Formenton cannot play in the NHL season if he doesn’t have a contract. Dreger notes a potential trade as an option for Formenton, and also floats the option of playing in Europe if a deal can’t be reached.
Minor Transactions: 11/01/22
With a pair of nationally-televised ESPN games on the schedule tonight, it should be an entertaining slate of games along with many other regional broadcasts. There also continues to be a fair amount of activity at the minor-league level as AHL teams play their first few games, a lot of which are transactions that affect their NHL parents. We’ll keep track of those transactions here today:
- The AHL’s Texas Stars loaned defenseman Michael Karow to the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, according to AHL transactions. Karow, 23, joined the Stars organization last season after his fifth-year NCAA season concluded with Michigan Tech, notching five points in 13 games down the stretch. After not getting into an AHL game to start the season, though, he should find a good amount of playing time in Idaho for the next little while. He’ll remain a top recall option to Texas if injuries batter their NHL affiliate in Dallas, making them shorthanded on the blueline. Karow is a 2017 NHL Draft selection of the Arizona Coyotes.
- The Edmonton Oilers activated defenseman Vincent Desharnais from season-opening injured reserve and assigned him to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Desharnais, now on an NHL contract, enjoyed a breakout season in Bakersfield last year, where he notched a gargantuan +36 rating and had 27 points in 66 games. A 2016 seventh-round draft choice by the Oilers, he could see NHL games this season as an injury call-up.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Injury Notes: Hartman, Carlson, Murray
While the Minnesota Wild have somewhat turned things around after a tough start to the season, injuries are already starting to pile up. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that the injury forward Ryan Hartman is currently dealing with is considered “more long-term.”
Hartman sustained the injury in a fight with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi on Sunday, leading to the team recalling Steven Fogarty from the AHL under emergency circumstances. Smith also reported that the team “isn’t sure” about winger Marcus Foligno, who missed the team’s last game with an upper-body injury and is not on injured reserve (not yet, at least). The two join Jordan Greenway as the three regular Wild forwards already out of the lineup less than 10 games into the season.
- Washington Capitals All-Star defenseman John Carlson remains out of the lineup for a second straight game with a lower-body injury and is still day-to-day, according to head coach Peter Laviolette. The 32-year-old defender had six points through his first nine games, and Trevor van Riemsdyk will remain in a top-four role in Carlson’s absence. Carlson finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting last season after a 71-point campaign.
- Goalie Matt Murray is back on the ice today for the Toronto Maple Leafs after suffering an adductor injury roughly two and a half weeks ago. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said that Murray’s return to practice was “part of the plan” and that his recovery is on schedule. Murray was originally given a timeline of four weeks when the injury occurred, pointing to a mid-November return. Despite the Leafs’ poor record, projected backup netminder Ilya Samsonov has a .919 save percentage in five appearances during Murray’s absence and has been the least of the team’s worries.