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Philadelphia Flyers Loan Samu Tuomaala To Finland

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The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned Samu Tuomaala back to Finland, where he’ll re-join Karpat, his Liiga team. Tuomaala had been playing in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, suiting up for his first two AHL games. The team has also recalled Nick Seeler from the Phantoms.

Tuomaala, 18, was the 46th overall pick in this year’s draft and would have been one of just a handful of players from that class spending this season in North American pro hockey. Sending him back to continue his development overseas certainly isn’t unexpected, though there had been talk of potentially loaning him to the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL instead. Sudbury picked him 31st overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, but Tuomaala will instead go back to compete at the highest level in Finland.

He played just five games with Karpat’s pro team last season, spending the rest of the time with the organization’s U20 group where he scored 15 goals and 31 points in 30 games. Moving from that level to Liiga is not always an easy transition for teenaged forwards to make, but Tuomala is armed with a top-end shot that could help him contribute even in limited minutes. The next step will be rounding out his 200-foot game, playing better away from the puck instead of just impressing when it’s on his stick.

Victor Mete Added To COVID Protocol

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When Victor Mete wasn’t on the ice this morning with the Ottawa Senators, it raised concerns over whether he too would be ruled out. The Senators have made it official, placing Mete in the COVID protocol for the time being. With his roster spot, Ottawa has recalled Filip Gustavsson from the AHL. Anton Forsberg will not be able to dress for tonight’s game because of a non-COVID illness.

Mete joins Austin Watson, Nick Holden, Connor Brown, Dylan Gambrell, and assistant coach Jack Capuano in the protocol, leaving them very shorthanded for tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins. Young players like Egor Sokolov are getting an opportunity because of the absences, but this isn’t exactly how the team hoped to be operating a month into the season. The group is already without Shane Pinto, Clark Bishop, and Colin White due to injury, meaning tonight will see a forward group that includes just a handful of players from their expected roster.

The Senators have lost four games in a row and now sit just one point out of last place in the Atlantic Division. There have been flashes of hope throughout the lineup, but overall the team hasn’t been able to take the next step in their rebuild.

Mete’s status has not been confirmed at this time, but he’s currently out indefinitely. Young defender Erik Brannstrom is expected to be back in the lineup for the first time this season, after being sent back to the AHL to start the year.

MacKenzie Entwistle Out 4-6 Weeks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have placed MacKenzie Entwistle on long-term injured reserve and expect the young forward to miss between four and six weeks with an ankle injury. The team did not have an update on Brandon Hagel, but announced that Henrik Borgstrom is also out for tonight with a non-COVID illness.

Entwistle, 22, has played in 12 games this season for the Blackhawks, scoring two goals and three points in limited minutes. He’s averaged just 11 minutes a game as he tries to establish himself at the NHL level but will now have to deal with a long rehab before getting back on the ice.

Selected in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Arizona Coyotes, Entwistle was involved in the Marian Hossa trade in 2018 and signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks. That entry-level deal is set to expire after this season, but earlier this summer the team signed the young forward to a two-year extension. The one-way contract carries a cap hit of just $800K, but suggests that Chicago had plans of keeping Entwistle with the NHL club moving forward.

Still, that deal was signed by a different front office and with the different coaching staff, meaning there’s still plenty to prove Entwistle. Losing more than a month at this point is certainly not ideal for a prospect still looking to make his stamp, and will only open the door for other young players to receive additional ice time with the Blackhawks. He’ll have to work even harder upon his return to prove he belongs at the highest level.

Cousins, Forsberg Moved To Injured Reserve

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The Nashville Predators have placed two forwards on injured reserve, giving the designation to both Nick Cousins and Filip Forsberg. The team has recalled Michael McCarron and Mathieu Olivier in their place. Both Cousins and Forsberg are listed as week-to-week with upper-body injuries.

Forsberg was injured earlier this month, but the team hadn’t moved him to injured reserve until now. His placement there will likely be retroactive to his last game played, which was back on November 2. Given he only has to miss seven days minimum, it means he will be able to come off IR whenever he is fully recovered. The Predators could use him, but Forsberg also doesn’t want to miss a good chunk of the season given he’s scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the year. This platform year is likely the most important of his career–at least financially–as he’s still just 27 and could be looking at a huge contract on the open market.

Cousins meanwhile played in the team’s most recent game, but managed just over seven minutes of ice time. The 28-year-old forward has been a versatile player throughout his career, but has just one goal and three points through his first 12 games for Nashville this season. Two of those are even on the powerplay, meaning he’s been almost invisible at even-strength through the first month.

Predators fans likely won’t be too happy about the recalls, given the history of McCarron and Olivier. Neither one has shown any sort of offensive production, even struggling to score at the minor league level. In 75 NHL games, McCarron has just two goals and eight points, while Olivier has just three and six in 38 career contests. Cody Glass, one of the team’s top prospects and offseason acquisitions, remains in the minor leagues.

AHL Shuffle: 11/09/21

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It’s a busy Tuesday night with 12 games on the NHL schedule, including a match between the two newest franchises. The Seattle Kraken visit the Vegas Golden Knights for the second time this season, after losing 4-3 in the first game of the year. The two Pacific Division rivals are both struggling, with neither one in a playoff position a month into the season. As they and others prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

  • The New Jersey Devils have recalled Jesper Boqvist and Tyce Thompson from the minor leagues, after clearing some room on the roster yesterday. Boqvist and Thompson are both off to great starts in the minor leagues, scoring eight and seven points respectively through seven games. Should they get into the lineup, it would be the season debut for either young forward.

Central Division

  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Alex Newhook from the AHL, much to the delight of many fans. The 20-year-old forward has 11 points in 10 games with the Colorado Eagles this season and could get a longer look in the NHL lineup this time around.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Snapshots: Three Stars, Kuznetsov, Gravel

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and at the very top is a name familiar to individual awards. Leon Draisaitl has been named the first star of the week after racking up ten points in five games and jumping in front of teammate Connor McDavid in the league scoring race. Draisaitl not only is leading in overall points but is also tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league goal-scoring lead with ten in his first ten games. The 2020 Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner, Draisaitl now has 529 points through the first 488 games of his NHL career.

The other two spots belong to a pair of goaltenders who could potentially be teammates at next year’s Olympics. Jack Campbell and John Gibson receive the second and third honors respectively after near-perfect weeks. The Toronto Maple Leafs netminder went 3-0 with a .968 save percentage, stopping 92 of 95 shots against some tough competition, while Gibson allowed just a single goal on 63 shots, winning both his games last week. While not considered much of a candidate for the U.S. Olympic squad until recently, Campbell’s play so far has put him in that conversation. Across ten games, he leads all American netminders with a .936 save percentage.

  • In 2019, Evgeny Kuznetsov received a four-year suspension from the IIHF after testing positive for cocaine at the World Championships. That would normally have meant he would not be eligible to play for Russia at the upcoming Olympics, but a report from RIA Novosti indicates that there is renewed hope that the suspension will be reduced and Kuznetsov will be able to play. Alexei Zhamnov, head coach of the Russian team, told Sport-Express that either tomorrow or the day after they should know more about Kuznetsov’s situation.
  • Alexis Gravel, who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018, is leaving the ECHL to join the University of Quebec-Trois-Rivieres for the rest of this season. The 21-year-old netminder will be remembered fondly by Halifax Mooseheads fans, where he starred in the QMJHL and even took home a Memorial Cup Most Outstanding Goaltender award. Gravel did not sign an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks and is an unrestricted free agent. He posted an .863 save percentage in two appearances with the Allen Americans this season.

Sharks’ COVID Protocol Players Ruled Out For Canadian Road Trip

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The San Jose Sharks aren’t getting any reinforcements off the COVID protocol anytime soon. John MacLean, who is filling in as head coach while Bob Boughner recovers, confirmed to reporters including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic today that no one on the protocol will join them for the upcoming road trip through Western Canada. That includes Boughner himself, meaning it continues to be MacLean’s bench for the next few games. Anyone cleared in the meantime is expected to join the team on Friday when they arrive in Colorado for a weekend matchup against the Avalanche.

The team recalled several players from the minor leagues today as they prepare to face Calgary and Winnipeg this week. Those are both teams ahead of the Sharks in the Western Conference standings, with the Flames having only lost a single time in regulation this season. Without the help of Kevin Labanc, Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier, Jacob Middleton, Matthew Nieto, Radim Simek, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, it will be a tough test for the Pacific Division club. Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group tweets that everyone but Karlsson and Middleton did appear on the ice at today’s skate, though they are still not allowed to travel to Canada for the trip.

San Jose has been better than many expected early on, with a 6-4-1 record through 11 games despite major COVID-related absences. Quite a bit of that success could be attributed to the outstanding play of James Reimer, who has a .946 save percentage through six appearances. The team will go with Adin Hill tomorrow night, however, who hasn’t been nearly as good through his own six appearances, allowing 17 goals on 149 shots (.886 sv%).

With so many absences, some players have had to carry even more responsibility for the Sharks to stay competitive. Logan Couture played more than 23 minutes on Saturday night, while Mario Ferraro and Brent Burns both eclipsed the 30-minute mark (Ferraro had 31:12!). While that game included a full five-minute overtime before ending in a shootout, it’s been a busy stretch for a player like Burns, who hasn’t seen less than 26 minutes in a game since October 28 and is now averaging 27:08 on the season, the highest of his career.

Carey Price Returns To Montreal Canadiens

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Nov 8: Price is now back with the team, though there is still no timeline on his return to game action. The veteran goaltender was examined by trainers at the practice facility yesterday according to John Lu of TSN, who also notes that his first interaction with teammates is expected to be Tuesday.

Nov 2: The Montreal Canadiens are floundering at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, winning just two of their first ten games. They’ve been working without Carey Price, who last month announced that he was entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The minimum 30-day period for the program is up at the end of the week, and today Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme told reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet that they expect their star goaltender back soon.

There’s no exact date for Price’s return, but they could certainly use him. The team has been going with Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault in his absence, a tandem that has combined for a .899 save percentage through ten games. Montembeault in particular has struggled, allowing eight goals in his two appearances.

No team in the league could lose their highest-paid player without struggling, but in Montreal’s case, the absence of Price has only been magnified because of the departure of several other key players from last year’s Stanley Cup runner-up. Shea Weber, the team’s captain, is unlikely to ever play again. Phillip Danault, the team’s former top center, is now in Los Angeles. A Stanley Cup winner in Joel Edmundson has been on the shelf since the start of the year. Even the absence of depth players like Tomas Tatar and Jesperi Kotkaniemi has really hurt Montreal’s lineup, despite the attempt to replace them with names like Mike Hoffman and Christian Dvorak.

Hopefully, Price is ready to return to the team in the coming days and can help them dig out of this early-season hole. Even more, hopefully he has received the help he needed during the month away.

Miles Wood Out Indefinitely Following Surgery

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The New Jersey Devils have announced that Miles Wood underwent surgery on his right hip and is out indefinitely. The team explains the timeline so far:

During the Oct. 4 preseason game versus the Washington Capitals, Wood suffered an injury to his right hip.  After exhausting all conservative measures, and in consultation with team medical providers and external specialists, Miles has elected to receive surgery.

Wood has not played yet this season and likely will be out several months, though a specific timeline is not yet available. The 26-year-old put up another strong season in 2020-21, scoring 17 goals in 55 games, tying him for the club lead with Pavel Zacha. He has also developed into a key leader from the group, serving as an alternate captain for the Devils since last season.

It’s a tough blow for New Jersey, which has suffered several serious injuries now this season. The team finds itself with a respectable 5-3-2 record, but that’s only good enough for seventh place in the tough Metropolitan Division. The season is a long one, but losing Wood is certainly not an ideal situation given his place with the team.

Perhaps more notably, however, this injury will also have huge implications on Wood’s next contract. He is set to be a restricted free agent for the final time next summer and could have elected arbitration to give him a one-year deal, walking him directly to UFA status. Arbitration will be risky now, however, given that his counting stats from this year will be very low (if existent at all). Coming off a four-year, $11MM deal, Wood likely would have been looking at a nice raise on the $2.75MM cap hit he carries. Now, it’s unclear what kind of negotiation will take place as he recovers from major surgery.

Connor Brown, Dylan Gambrell Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Ottawa Senators canceled practice today for precautionary reasons, suggesting that there was more bad COVID news coming down the pipe. The team has now announced that Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell have both been placed in the COVID protocol and are unavailable. In their place, the team has recalled Scott Sabourin and Egor Sokolov from the AHL.

The two Senators forwards join teammates Austin Watson, Nick Holden, and coach Jack Capuano in the protocol, though the team has not confirmed any additional positive results. Ottawa is set to take on the Boston Bruins tomorrow, and though that game is still scheduled for the moment, it’s unclear who will actually be available for the Senators.

For Sokolov, it would be his NHL debut should he enter the lineup tomorrow. The 21-year-old forward was a second-round pick in 2020, picked after going undrafted in previous years. He quickly showed that his combination of size and scoring ability was good enough to make up for any skating concerns at the AHL level, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in his rookie season. This year he’s been even better for the Belleville Senators, getting off to a strong start with six points in nine games.

Meanwhile, losing Brown for any length of time is a big hit for the Senators, given how big a role he plays for the team. Averaging more than 20 minutes a night, the 27-year-old forward actually sees more short-handed ice time than even any of the team’s defensemen. He’s also a regular contributor on the powerplay and one of the group’s most reliable offensive players. In 11 games, he has seven points on the year.

The concern now is how widespread these breakthrough infections will be, and how many other players will be affected. After games tomorrow and Thursday, the Senators have a back-to-back over the weekend, games that hopefully they will have some good news for.

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