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Pacific Notes: Morin, Nesterenko, Turcotte

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With his 2023-24 season coming to an end with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL, the Calgary Flames announced that Etienne Morin has been reassigned to the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. Having yet to sign his entry-level contract with the Flames organization, Morin will play with the Wranglers for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout agreement.

Morin originally came to the Flames organization by way of the 48th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. In his draft year, Morin was a very efficient defenseman for the Wildcats, scoring 21 goals and 72 points in 67 games while also achieving a +/- rating of 29.

While his year-on-year offensive production certainly took a dip in the 2023-24 season, Morin became even more effective as a physical player on the blue line. With the Wranglers having already clinched a playoff spot in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, Morin is set to receive valuable experience as the organization prepares for the postseason.

Other Pacific notes:

  • After having spent five days with the Anaheim Ducks, Nikita Nesterenko is headed back down to the AHL as the organization announced they have reassigned back to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Nesterenko was able to make his season debut with the Ducks over this emergency recall, suiting up in three games while scoring one goal. Now returning to San Diego, the former sixth-round pick will look to build upon his 15-goal, 33-point campaign in the last few contests.
  • Out of the lineup for the Los Angeles Kings for nearly a month, it appears that forward Alex Turcotte is close to returning for the club. In an update today, the Kings organization announced that Turcotte has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on a conditioning loan. Before going down with an undisclosed injury in March, Turcotte was not a heavily utilized player by Los Angeles, scoring one goal and four points in 20 games while only averaging 9:17 of ice time per night.

Colorado Avalanche Reassign Chris Wagner

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Earlier this morning, the Colorado Avalanche announced the organization has reassigned forward Chris Wagner to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. While an otherwise unremarkable transaction, the reassignment of Wagner points to the return of Mikko Rantanen to the lineup.

While Rantanen has been out for the team’s last two games due to a concussion, Wagner has been with the team for the better part of two weeks, playing in four of the team’s last five games. In those four contests, Wanger has averaged 6:45 of ice time over 46 shifts, scoring one goal in total.

Before signing a one-year, $775K contract extension with the Avalanche a few days ago, Wagner had primarily been playing in AHL Colorado but has been an oft-called-upon depth forward at the NHL level. Over 13 games with the Avalanche this season, Wagner has scored one goal and two points overall, while also scoring four goals and eight points over 17 games with the Eagles.

With respect to Wagner, Colorado will be more than happy to get Rantanen back into the lineup with three games remaining in the regular season. The Avalanche’s schedule will not get any easier down the stretch after losing an important contest against the Dallas Stars this past weekend. In hopes of earning a fourth-straight Division title, Colorado lines up against the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Edmonton Oilers to close out their regular season.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Trey Fix-Wolansky

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Less than a week removed from being placed on the waiver wire, forward Carson Meyer of the Columbus Blue Jackets left the team’s game last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he was limited to only two shifts. Once again in a position to round out their depth at the bottom of the lineup, the Blue Jackets have recalled Trey Fix-Wolansky on an emergency basis.

Having already played in 10 games for Columbus this season, Fix-Wolansky will now get another opportunity to show his value at the NHL level. In those 10 games, Fix-Wolansky has only averaged 11:00 of ice time and has tallied only one assist.

As a late-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, and a bit undersized as well, that has not stopped Fix-Wolansky from becoming one of the premier scorers on the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Since making his debut for the Blue Jackets AHL affiliate in the 2019-20 season, Fix-Wolansky has played in 221 games, scoring 84 goals and 197 points overall.

Leading the Monsters in scoring for back-to-back seasons, there is a legitimate argument to be made that Columbus should give Fix-Wolansky an extended look at the game’s top level. As the new front office heads into its first offseason, the top brass in Columbus may look to thin out the forward core over the summer, giving Fix-Wolansky an opportunity for a full-time position with the Blue Jackets.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Florian Xhekaj

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April 10: According to CapFriendly, Xhekaj’s contract carries a $867K cap hit and a $920K AAV. He’ll earn a base salary of $775K in all three seasons. In 2024-25 and 2025-26, he’ll receive a $95K signing bonus and an $80K games played bonus, which drops to an $85K signing bonus and no performance bonus in 2026-27.

April 9: Although it was reported earlier today that defenseman Arber Xhekaj would be missing the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery, a positive development has still arisen for the family. Today, the Montreal Canadiens announced they have signed Arber’s brother, Florian Xhekaj, to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning next year.

Originally selected with the 101st overall pick by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft, Florian is set to join Montreal after spending the last two seasons with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. Experiencing somewhat of an offensive outburst in his second year of Major Junior hockey, Florian scored 34 goals and 65 points in 63 games for the Bulldogs, finishing third on the team in scoring.

Playing a similarly gritty style to his brother, Florian has developed a unique ability to cause a lot of traffic in front of the opposing team’s net. Reminiscent of Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings in the late 1990s and early 2000s, most of Florian’s scoring this season came from deflections in front of the crease.

The organization already announced that Florian will be joining their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for the remainder of the season, so he is set to pick up some valuable experience down the stretch. Although not eliminated from the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, it will be incredibly difficult for the Rocket to secure a spot this year.

Devils Notes: Hughes, Marino, Foote

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The New Jersey Devils will be without star forward Jack Hughes tonight, and potentially longer according to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. Officially, Hughes will be out tonight with an undisclosed injury, and head coach Travis Green alluded to the idea that Hughes could miss the remainder of New Jersey’s regular season.

It will be the second time in three seasons that Hughes will have his season significantly shortened by injury, as his last complete year came back in the 2020-21 NHL season, although he did compete in 78 games last year. If Hughes is indeed done for the remaining schedule, he will have finished with 27 goals and 74 points in 62 games, the second-highest points-per-game mark of his young career.

In a season to forget for the Devils organization, the team will only be able to finish with a maximum of 87 points, a 25-point drop off from just a season ago. With 16 games missed on the season, New Jersey has only been able to procure a 6-9-1 record without their top player this season, partially leading to their fall in the standings.

Other Devils notes:

  • After having missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, it appears that defenseman John Marino could be returning tonight for the Devils (X Link). Much like Hughes and several other members of New Jersey’s roster, Marino has missed a handful of games across the season due to injuries. When healthy, Marino has been able to suit up in 71 games for the Devils up to this point, scoring four goals and 29 points overall while averaging 20:51 of ice time per night.
  • Now that Hughes has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game, team reporter for the Devils, Amanda Stein, is reporting that forward Nolan Foote could be making his season debut with the club. Having recently been activated from Season Opening Injured Reserve on March 11th, Foote has only managed four games for the team’s AHL affiliate altogether this season, scoring three goals and four points in a small sample size.

Arizona Coyotes Recall Jan Jenik

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Before the team’s game tonight against the Seattle Kraken, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Jan Jenik from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, on an emergency loan. The news of Jenik’s call-up likely means that forward Barrett Hayton will not be able to make his return to the lineup in tonight’s contest.

This transaction will mark Jenik’s third call-up of the season, with the last coming in mid-November. During that callup, Jenik was able to play in his first and only game of the season for Arizona, registering zero points in just 8:21 of ice time.

In what has become a recurring theme throughout his tenure with the Coyotes organization, Jenik has been given a much larger opportunity and thus has produced much better in Tucson. In 54 games for the Roadrunners this season, Jenik has scored 16 goals and 36 points, good for third on the team in scoring.

Even though his season down in the minors has been respectable, it is a marketable drop-off from his recent production in Tucson. Over the last two years prior, Jenik has scored 24 goals and 70 points in 81 games, a 0.20 PPG increase compared to his current output.

Still, with the Coyotes still maintaining 12 healthy forwards on their active roster despite Hayton’s absence, it is unlikely that Jenik will be able to build upon his 2023-24 season at the NHL level. When Hayton is healthy enough to return to the lineup, Jenik will rejoin the Roadrunners for the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, as they have already clinched a postseason nod in the AHL’s Pacific Division.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Dylan Holloway

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Before their potential playoff preview matchup tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled some forward depth from AHL Bakersfield. A few moments ago, the Oilers recalled forward Dylan Holloway from the Bakersfield Condors, per a team announcement.

Unfortunately, the recall might be met with some bad news, as radio commentator for the Oilers, Bob Stauffer, is reporting that Connor McDavid is not on the ice for practice. This update does not necessarily mean that McDavid is out with any major concerns, but it is an uncharacteristic move by the team’s captain, nonetheless.

Recovering from a knee injury suffered earlier in the season, Holloway has been the recipient of a few call-ups with the Oilers since returning in January but has not been very productive at the NHL level since then. In 18 games with Edmonton since returning to the organization, Holloway has scored two goals and three points in total, averaging 10:47 of ice time per game.

With the Condors, Holloway has been much more productive, scoring 10 goals and 16 points in 18 games. Thanks to the offensive help provided by Holloway down the stretch, Bakersfield was able to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs for the fifth year in a row.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Juha Jaaska To Entry-Level Contract

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Tapping into the European free-agent market, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought in forward Juha Jaaska to a one-year, $775K contract. The contract will begin at the start of the 2024-25 NHL season, any Jaaska will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal.

For the last eight seasons, Jaaska has been a full-time member of HIFK, an organization in the Finnish Liiga. Over 310 games overseas, Jaaska scored 51 goals and 142 points in total while also chipping in 11 goals and 22 points in 55 playoff games.

Over his eight years with the organization, Jaaska and HIFK were able to play in five bronze medal games in the Finnish Liiga playoffs but were only able to win two of those series. Outside of those two medal finishes, HIFK was unable to reach any further in the playoffs over the last eight seasons.

Even though he was never on pace to capture any scoring awards overseas, Jaaska has been a very consistent player for HIFK throughout his tenure and has developed into an intense forechecker. When asked about the signing, General Manager of the Hurricanes, Don Waddell, said, “Juha is a veteran forward who brings energy and intensity to every shift. He’s performed consistently in Finland, and we’re excited to see what he can do in North America.”

Since Carolina is projected to lose some depth at the bottom of their lineup this offseason, Jaaska should have an opportunity to make the team out of training camp. Especially with a league minimum contract, the Hurricanes could take advantage of the additional cap flexibility to be more aggressive in signing Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis this summer.

Winnipeg Jets Reassign Colby Barlow To AHL

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After being eliminated by the Saginaw Spirit in the First Round of the 2024 OHL playoffs, the Owen Sound Attack will be losing one of their best players over the last three seasons. Earlier, the Winnipeg Jets announced they have reassigned forward Colby Barlow to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, ending his career in the OHL.

Barlow originally came to the Jets organization by way of the 2023 NHL Draft, as the team selected him with the 18th overall pick in the first round. Shortly before the beginning of the 2023-24 NHL season, Barlow signed a three-year, $3.6MM entry-level contract in Winnipeg, with the contract likely starting next season.

Over three years in Owen Sound, Barlow played in a total of 168 games, scoring 116 goals and 184 points while also chipping in nine goals and 12 points in 15 total postseason contests. As advertised, Barlow has a tremendous ability to put the puck on the net from nearly any angle of the offensive zone.

With only six games remaining in the regular season for the Moose, they will need to win between three and four of those contests to qualify for the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs. Since the team is still effectively in the playoff hunt, it will allow Barlow to play in meaningful games to end his season.

Injury Notes: Oshie, Neighbours, Harkins

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Even though he has returned to the team’s practice this morning, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News is reporting that Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie will not be in the lineup for the team tonight. Currently dealing with an upper-body injury, Oshie has not played since March 30th, Oshie will miss his fourth straight game for the Capitals.

In nearly every month of the 2023-24 NHL season, Oshie has missed a handful of games for Washington, and is on pace to play in less than 60 games for the fourth straight season. Since his eight-year, $46MM extension with the Capitals kicked in at the beginning of the 2017-18 season, Oshie has played in a total of 414 games for Washington, missing 21.7% of the team’s total games due to injury.

Even when healthy, Oshie’s production has certainly dipped this season, as he’s only managed 11 goals and 22 points in 47 games, on pace for the lowest total of his 16-year career. Nevertheless, as the Capitals are still within striking distance for a playoff spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, they will need Oshie’s assistance in getting the team across the finish line.

Other injury notes:

  • In last night’s game between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks, the Blues organization announced that forward Jake Neighbours sustained an upper-body injury after receiving a hit into the boards from Sharks’ forward Luke Kunin. After the hit was absorbed, Neighbours did not play in the remainder of the second period or the entirety of the third period for the Blues. With a game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, there have been no further updates regarding Neighbours’ availability for the contest tonight.
  • Working his way back from a hand injury sustained at the beginning of March, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports that Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward Jansen Harkins is ready to begin a conditioning stint with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Harkins, who is a veteran of 211 games at the AHL level, should start the conditioning stint relatively soon to resume his role on Pittsburgh’s fourth line.

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