Nick Shore Placed On Waivers
The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Nick Shore on waivers today, as Mitch Marner nears his return. The team will have to make several other moves tomorrow when the high-priced forward is eligible to return from long-term injured reserve. Shore has found himself on the outside looking in more often than not since Sheldon Keefe took over as head coach, and seemed an obvious choice to try and sneak through.
It will be interesting to see if Shore does make it through waivers though. While he has just three points in 21 games for the Maple Leafs this season, his versatility may be of some use around the league. The 27-year old is a legitimate option at center or wing and has experience penalty killing. Before this year—during which he has been used almost exclusively as a defensive option—Shore actually had strong possession numbers in his more than 200 games of NHL experience.
Still, even with a contract that carries just a $750K cap hit, there may not be teams that can really fit him in. More than half the league has used long-term injured reserve space at one point or another this season and sometimes can’t justify bringing in another NHL body. The fact that Shore earns that $750K whether he plays in the NHL or AHL is of no matter to the Maple Leafs, who routinely stash one-way deals in the minor leagues.
Marner’s return puts the Maple Leafs at close to full health—Trevor Moore remains sidelined—but will also force them into a tight cap crunch. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet explains, the team will likely send Nic Petan, Pierre Engvall and Martin Marincin back down tomorrow along with Shore to create enough room to activate Marner.
Keith Kinkaid, Joseph Blandisi Clear Waivers
Tuesday: Both players have cleared waivers and can be sent to the minor leagues.
Monday: The Montreal Canadiens have decided to place goaltender Keith Kinkaid on waivers today, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Kinkaid will be assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL should he clear, where the organization will give him a chance to rebuild some confidence facing minor league opposition. The Pittsburgh Penguins have also placed Joseph Blandisi on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
After signing a one-year, $1.75MM contract in the offseason, Kinkaid has been an utter disappointment so far for the Canadiens. In six appearances he has allowed a total of 24 goals and sits with a 1-1-3 record. His .875 save percentage is second-worst in the league among goaltenders who have made more than one appearance, only coming in ahead of Cory Schneider‘s .852. That performance simply isn’t good enough for a team hoping to make a playoff run this season, and after the Canadiens lost their eighth straight game on Sunday, something had to change.
There is at least an argument to be made in favor of Kinkaid, who had a career save percentage of .906 coming into the year. Carey Price has looked completely mortal in net for the Canadiens as well, left out to dry too often, leading to an .898 save percentage of his own. That’s easily the worst of his career, and perhaps not entirely a product of bad goaltending. Montreal needs to figure out some way to protect their net more regularly, or hope that Price and his next backup can find some next level of performance.
Blandisi meanwhile already cleared waivers before the season began and needs them again to continue bouncing up and down between the AHL and NHL. The 25-year old has played nine games for Pittsburgh and ten games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on the season, and will likely continue to split time should he clear.
Minor Transactions: 12/03/19
There are ten games on the schedule for this evening around the NHL, including a rematch of the Eastern Conference Final when the Carolina Hurricanes travel to take on the Boston Bruins. The Bruins haven’t lost a game in regulation in nearly a month, while the Hurricanes are still battling to hold onto a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. As they and the rest of the league prepares for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- Nicolas Roy has been returned to the minor leagues by the Vegas Golden Knights, after his latest emergency recall. Roy has actually played in seven games for the NHL club this season, recording three points and six penalty minutes.
- Curtis Lazar too has been sent to the minor leagues, this time by the Buffalo Sabres. The 24-year old has been great in the AHL, but still can’t find a level of consistency in the NHL that warrants a full-time roster spot.
- With the Toronto Maple Leafs back in action tonight, Martin Marincin is back up to serve as insurance. The team likely won’t insert the lanky defenseman into the lineup unless an injury occurs, but now that he has cleared waivers he can pop up and down on game days.
- Robin Lehner must have felt better this morning, as the Chicago Blackhawks returned Kevin Lankinen to the minor leagues. The young goaltender was recalled when Lehner was experiencing flu-like symptoms, but won’t get a chance to see any NHL action.
- Cory Conacher is up in Tampa Bay, as the Lightning prepare for their game against the Nashville Predators. The move is likely done so that they’ll have an option if Alex Killorn can’t go tonight, though Conacher has plenty of experience if he’s forced into the lineup.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Josh Mahura and Max Comtois, while sending Max Jones back to the AHL. Jones has just five points in 23 games this season for the Ducks, but may get a chance to get his game back on track in the minor leagues. The Ducks’ young forwards are all having a tough go in the NHL this season but have plenty of time to grow and develop.
- Filip Zadina and Taro Hirose have been sent to the minor leagues by the Detroit Red Wings, as the team doesn’t play again until Saturday. Zadina is a key part of the team’s future and actually has an assist in each of the last two NHL games he has played.
- The Edmonton Oilers have made several changes, recalling Joel Persson while assigning Caleb Jones and Stuart Skinner to the minor leagues. Matt Benning has also been moved to injured reserve. With Skinner heading back to the AHL, Mike Smith must be healthy enough to at least serve as a backup for the Oilers.
Greg Pateryn Sent To AHL On Conditioning Assignment
The Minnesota Wild could be getting a veteran defenseman back soon, as Greg Pateryn has been assigned to the Iowa Wild on a conditioning assignment. The 29-year old had bilateral core muscle repair at the beginning of October and hasn’t played at all this season.
Though he may not be able to save the Wild season—even a three-game winning streak still has them sitting sixth in the Central Division—Pateryn is an interesting name to keep an eye on. The right-handed defenseman has been known to be able to shut down top scorers when he’s healthy and playing his best, and comes with a low cap hit of just $2.25MM for this and next season.
Obviously there’s no guarantee that Pateryn is moved, but if new Wild GM Bill Guerin is looking to refresh the organization with young assets he could be an intriguing trade chip. Michael Russo of The Athletic noted earlier today that head coach Bruce Boudreau had told reporters that Pateryn sustained a setback recently, so there is no telling exactly when he’ll be ready to return to the NHL.
Montreal Canadiens Recall Cayden Primeau
The Montreal Canadiens have decided that Cayden Primeau will be the goaltender to replace Keith Kinkaid on the NHL roster. The 20-year old is coming up from the Laval Rocket along with Matthew Peca, giving him an incredible opportunity to establish himself as the primary backup for Carey Price. Kinkaid was placed on waivers earlier today with the intention of sending him to the minor leagues, at least for a few games.
Primeau has skyrocketed up the prospect charts over the last few years, since being a seventh-round pick in 2017. The very last goalie taken that year, he immediately found stardom at Northeastern University and could become just the third netminder from his class to play in an NHL game—Michael Dipietro and Dylan Ferguson have each played a single time.
At Northeastern, Primeau showed that he was more than just a famous hockey name. In his freshman season he was named the Hockey East goaltender of the year and New England rookie of the year after posting a .931 save percentage. If that wasn’t enough, his sophomore season was even better with a .933 save percentage and the Mike Richter trophy for the top goaltender in the entire NCAA. Primeau backstopped Team USA to a World Junior silver medal, and was even included on the roster for the World Championships.
Now, with Kinkaid and Price facing real struggles in the Montreal net, the team will see if Primeau has what it takes to play at this level. While it may not be a permanent solution—he is only 20 after all—there’s nothing wrong with giving him a taste of the NHL.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Backstrom, Wilson
The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and a familiar name is at the very top. Nathan MacKinnon finds himself awarded top honors once again after nine points in three games. The Colorado Avalanche center has been carrying the offensive weight without his usual running mates Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog as they deal with injury, but shows no sign of slowing down.
Second and third place go to a pair of goaltenders who have battled hard to stay in their respective roles. David Rittich stopped 95 of 101 shots last week to help the Calgary Flames potentially save their season, while Martin Jones is a huge reason why the San Jose Sharks are back in the playoff race at all. Both netminders have had their share of adversity over the years, but are playing inspired hockey at the moment.
- It was reported recently that Nicklas Backstrom is representing himself in negotiations with the Washington Capitals, and he confirmed as much today to reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. Pell reports that Backstrom actually wanted to get an extension done with the team before the season began, but feels he “can be honest” with the organization after so many years together. The 32-year old center is in the final season of a ten-year contract he signed with the Capitals in 2010 and carries a $6.7MM cap hit.
- Speaking of Colorado injuries, Colin Wilson will undergo surgery on a lower-body injury and is out for a while, according to Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic. Wilson has only played nine games this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. It’s not clear exactly how long he will be out.
Minor Transactions: 12/02/19
Five games are on tap for this evening in the NHL, including the Detroit Red Wings trying to avoid a ten-game losing streak when they welcome in the Buffalo Sabres. The Red Wings have been a mess all season and look like strong contenders to land the first-overall pick in 2020. As teams prepare for action, we’ll be keeping track of all the minor moves.
- Jacob Markstrom has been granted a leave of absence from the Vancouver Canucks in order to attend the memorial service of his late father, meaning Michael Dipietro is on his way up to serve as an emergency goaltender. The Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night and will likely have Thatcher Demko in net.
- Brendan Gaunce has been sent to the minor leagues by the Boston Bruins to make room for John Moore, who the team has finally activated from long-term injured reserve. Moore hasn’t played a single game for the Bruins this season but will be a welcome addition to one of the best teams in the NHL.
- Ryan Miller will be starting for the Anaheim Ducks after John Gibson came down with an illness today, leading to the recall of Anthony Stolarz. The 25-year old Stolarz has a .910 save percentage in 14 games for the San Diego Gulls this season.
Team Canada Announces 2020 World Junior Camp Roster
Like Finland earlier today, Canada has announced the preliminary roster for this year’s World Junior tournament. The group is headlined by two players vying to be the 2020 first-overall pick, Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield, but also has plenty of returning talent that will figure greatly in the Czech Republic later this month.
The full list is as follows:
Goaltenders:
Nico Daws (2020 eligible)
Joel Hofer (STL)
Hunter Jones (MIN)
Olivier Rodrigue (EDM)
Defense:
Calen Addison (PIT)
Kevin Bahl (ARI)
Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT)
Bowen Byram (COL)
Peter Diliberatore (VGK)
Jamie Drysdale (2020 eligible)
Thomas Harley (DAL)
Jared McIsaac (DET)
Braden Schneider (2020 eligible)
Ty Smith (NJD)
Forwards:
Quinton Byfield (2020 eligible)
Dylan Cozens (BUF)
Ty Dellandrea (DAL)
Aidan Dudas (LAK)
Nolan Foote (TBL)
Liam Foudy (CBJ)
Benoit-Olivier Groulx (ANA)
Dylan Holloway (2020 eligible)
Peyton Krebs (VGK)
Alexis Lafreniere (2020 eligible)
Raphael Lavoie (EDM)
Connor McMichael (WSH)
Dawson Mercer (2020 eligible)
Alex Newhook (COL)
Jakob Pelletier (CGY)
Cole Perfetti (2020 eligible)
Akil Thomas (LAK)
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Stefan Noesen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have decided that Stefan Noesen has done enough at the minor league level this season to earn an NHL deal. The team has signed the veteran forward to a one-year, two-way contract that carries an average annual value of $700K. Noesen will report immediately to Pittsburgh, who placed Joseph Blandisi on waivers earlier today.
Noesen, 26, has been tearing is up this season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, scoring 14 goals and 22 points in 22 games while taking 58 minutes in penalties. The former Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils forward has 159 NHL games under his belt but decided to sign an AHL deal with the Penguins in the fall after failing to find an opportunity elsewhere.
Originally selected 21st overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2011, Noesen was actually part of the package that landed the team Bobby Ryan. After struggling to find much success in short NHL stints in Anaheim, he was picked off waivers by the Devils and given his first full-time opportunity. That led to a 13-goal, 27-point campaign in 2017-18, but things haven’t gone as smoothly since.
The Penguins lost Patric Hornqvist again today when he took a tumble in practice, meaning they’ll need even more help up front moving forward. For a team that has had so many injuries this season, perhaps Noesen can carve out a regular role.
Chicago Blackhawks Recall Kevin Lankinen
The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled goaltender Kevin Lankinen from the minor leagues under emergency conditions, as Robin Lehner is dealing with the flu. Lankinen will serve as the backup for Corey Crawford tonight when the Blackhawks take on the St. Louis Blues. Ian McCoshen has also been returned to the AHL. The team was already without Dylan Strome and Duncan Keith, but now Lehner and Andrew Shaw, who is undergoing further evaluation on an injury, will be out for the important matchup against the Blues. That’s a tough situation for any team, but especially one that has struggled so much and is trying to drag themselves out of the basement of the Western Conference.
Lankinen, 24, was signed by the Blackhawks in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has just 33 professional appearances in North America. Eight of those have come with the Rockford IceHogs this season, where he has a .924 save percentage. The young Finnish goaltender is certainly not expected to take over a full-time role in Chicago this season, but perhaps the team will get a chance to see what he can do should Lehner’s illness last.
Shaw meanwhile would be another big loss for the team if he’s held out for any length of time. The 28-year old has been welcomed back into the Chicago organization after three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, and has ten points and 33 penalty minutes through 26 games. The feisty forward set a career-high with 47 points last season (in just 63 games), but isn’t playing quite the same offensive role for the Blackhawks. Still, his physicality and agitation will be missed should he be held out.