Colorado Avalanche Facing Tricky Goaltending Situation
4:42pm: Well, that was fast. The Avalanche have recalled Bibeau from the AHL, though it is not clear if he could actually play for the team if they needed him. He last played for the Eagles on October 4th.
4:33pm: The Colorado Avalanche got an outstanding performance from Adam Werner in his first NHL appearance last night, stopping all 40 shots in a shutout of the Winnipeg Jets. Werner had been called up to serve as a backup goaltender for Colorado, but ended up in the net when Pavel Francouz suffered an injury just 31 seconds into the game. Philipp Grubauer, the team’s regular starter was already missing the game due to an injury of his own.
Though details on Francouz’ injury are few, Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now has heard that the team will recall another goaltender. Who that might be is a bit of a mystery however, as the only other goaltender under an NHL contract in the organization is Antoine Bibeau, who is dealing with his own injury and has played just a single game for the Colorado Eagles this season.
Grubauer is nearing a return, but if he and Francouz both aren’t ready to go tomorrow night it poses a problem for the Avalanche. Either they can dress one of their injured goaltenders with no intent of playing him, giving the net to Werner regardless of what happens, or find another way of getting an NHL goalie on the roster in time. That could either be through trade or a free agent signing, including potentially extending an NHL contract to Hunter Miska, the other Eagles’ goaltender. Miska is currently on an AHL deal, signed after the Arizona Coyotes did not issue him a qualifying offer this summer.
The team did send Logan O’Connor down to the AHL today, opening up another roster spot. They could also place Francouz on injured reserve, but Grubauer would need to be activated in order to dress, even if there was no intent to put him in the game.
Florida Panthers Hire Roberto Luongo
Retirement won’t last long for Roberto Luongo. The Florida Panthers have officially announced the hiring of Luongo as special advisor to the general manager, bringing him back into the organization. GM Dale Tallon explained how much the former goaltender means to the Panthers:
I’ve had the honor and privilege to work with Roberto during his time playing for the Panthers and am proud to welcome him to our franchise’s hockey operations staff. Roberto always approached every game with an unmatched work ethic and we are confident he will take to this new role with the same passion. A cornerstone player in our franchise’s history, we are thrilled that ‘Lu’ will have a hand in shaping our franchise’s future.
Luongo retired from the NHL this offseason after a long, long career. He played more games in net than any player in league history other than Martin Brodeur, and ranks third in wins only behind Brodeur and Patrick Roy. Regarded as one of the league’s best netminders for nearly that entire period, he nevertheless only got to play in 70 total playoff games, reaching the Stanley Cup Final just once when he was with the Vancouver Canucks.
In March, the Panthers are set to retire Luongo’s sweater number.
Snapshots: Crosby, Gretzky, Kovalchuk
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby are weighing a decision of whether or not the superstar should get surgery to fix a sport hernia, according to Rob Rossi of The Athletic. Crosby has dealing with it since training camp and aggravated it on Saturday night.
Surgery would take the Penguins’ captain out for at least a month, but that’s a tough proposition given the injuries that the team has already fought through to even keep their head above water. Without Crosby, Pittsburgh certainly wouldn’t have a 10-6-2 through the first part of the season.
- Wayne Gretzky was offered the head coaching position for Canada at the upcoming Spengler Cup, but has turned it down according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Team Canada, led by Sean Burke, will look at other options that include Craig MacTavish according to Darren Dreger of TSN.
- Ilya Kovalchuk was at Los Angeles Kings practice today but things remain “fluid” as several reporters have termed the situation. The Kings have looked at trading him in the past, as Jon Rosen points out, but there are several complications including his bonus money due on December 15th.
Minor Transactions: 11/13/19
Of all the talent suiting up in the NHL last night, perhaps the most unlikely star emerged in Colorado. Avalanche goaltender Adam Werner was forced into action when Pavel Francouz suffered an injury and made 40 saves en route to a shutout in his first career game. The Swedish netminder was selected in the fifth round three years ago and dominated the SHL last season.
Five more games are on the schedule tonight and as teams prepare, PHR will be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- Late last night the Montreal Canadiens decided to send Ryan Poehling back to the minor leagues, giving him a chance to get some more ice time. Poehling had been playing fewer than ten minutes a night for the Canadiens and will get a bigger opportunity with the Laval Rocket.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled prospect Michael Spacek from the minor leagues, giving the young forward the first NHL opportunity of his career. Selected in the fourth round in 2015, he was a standout for the Czech Republic at the World Juniors and has been a regular for the Manitoba Moose the last two seasons.
- Zack MacEwen and Tyler Graovac have both been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, who have also reassigned Jalen Chatfield. Chatfield did not actually suit up for the Canucks on his recall; the 23-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut. The team is back in action tomorrow against the Dallas Stars.
- Jonathan Ericsson is back up with the Detroit Red Wings, at least for the time being. The team announced that the long-time defenseman, recently buried in the AHL, has been recalled, while Justin Abdelkader and Patrik Nemeth have been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to November 10th.
St. Louis Blues Recall Klim Kostin
The St. Louis Blues recently brought in both Troy Brouwer and Jamie McGinn to compete for NHL contracts, but it is a young prospect that will get a chance for now. Klim Kostin has been recalled by the Blues for the first time (other than his stint with the “Black Aces” during last year’s playoffs).
Kostin, the 31st selection in 2017, came over to North America immediately following his draft and played in the AHL as a teenager. Though he certainly wasn’t dominant right from the start, he has continued to develop over nearly 150 minor league games and looks like he’s ready to take the next step.
Still just 20 years old, the 6’3″ forward brings a mix of physicality and skill that should fit perfectly into the Blues under head coach Craig Berube. With the team missing several forwards including Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen, there is opportunity for a young player to grab hold of an NHL job, and Kostin will get that chance.
Vladimir Sobotka Out Four To Six Weeks
The Buffalo Sabres Have made several announcements in regards to their injury situations today, including one on Vladimir Sobotka. The veteran forward will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury following the low hit from Nikita Kucherov that occurred in Sweden at the Global Series games. The team will however get Zach Bogosian and Marco Scandella back at practice today as they get closer to a return, and have recalled Curtis Lazar from the AHL.
While Sobotka’s absence was expected after he was helped off the ice, the return of Bogosian and Scandella is an important step if the Sabres want to move out some of their defensive depth for help up front. When both return the team has at least nine NHL-caliber defensemen, with other names like Lawrence Pilut and William Borgen waiting for their next chance in the minor leagues.
Lazar may get some time in Sobotka’s spot, but it’s obvious why the Sabres are looking to add another forward to the mix. The team has lost five straight after their hot start and have scored just eight goals during that stretch, obviously not enough to compete in the high-flying Atlantic Division.
Buffalo Sabres Looking For Forward Help
The Buffalo Sabres have been looking to move some of their defensive depth for some time, and now on the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading Pierre LeBrun reports that they are after a top-nine forward. LeBrun suggests the recent injury to Vladimir Sobotka could make the Sabres act even more quickly to acquire that forward.
The Sabres are enduring a familiar crash in the standings recently, losing their last five games after starting the season on fire. Almost the exact same thing happened a year ago when the team plummeted in the standings after winning ten in a row, something the organization obviously doesn’t want to experience again.
Buffalo has scored just 50 goals through 17 games, 30 of them from the same four forwards. That offense needs to be spread out a little more if they want to contend for the playoffs this season, but who exactly they could target is unclear.
The Los Angeles Kings have made Tyler Toffoli a healthy scratch and today removed Ilya Kovalchuk from the lineup, but both of them come with hefty cap hits that the Sabres may not be able to take on once Zach Bogosian comes off long-term injured reserve (unless of course the move salary out the other way). Speculation has already begun in New Jersey with regards to Taylor Hall, but if he’s ever made available Buffalo would be one of many suitors bidding on him.
Perhaps less decorated options like Nic Petan or Joshua Ho-Sang could be an option, given how both have clearly been available this season and don’t carry big salaries. The team may be looking for a more proven player first however, given they already have a young core in place with room to grow.
Ilya Kovalchuk Removed From Kings’ Lineup
The Los Angeles Kings have decided that Ilya Kovalchuk will not be playing for them, at least not for the next while. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that the team informed Kovalchuk he will not be in the lineup “for the foreseeable future,” though he is still allowed to practice with the team. Friedman does not expound or speculate on why the veteran forward has been removed.
Kovalchuk, 36, signed a three-year $18.75MM contract in the summer of 2018 after playing five seasons in the KHL. The enigmatic forward had “retired” from the NHL previously, but decided to return after his exclusive rights with the New Jersey Devils expired. Things haven’t gone swimmingly in Los Angeles however, as Kovalchuk was a healthy scratch at times last season and recorded just 34 points in 64 games.
This season under a new coaching staff led by Todd McLellan—the third head coach since Kovalchuk’s arrival—he had seen even less ice time than a year ago, averaging just over 15 minutes a night. Kovalchuk has provided nine points in 17 games (which actually put him third among all Kings’ forwards), but still isn’t that impact player he had been before his years in Russia.
Though details are thin, this will obviously lead to plenty of speculation about a potential trade. Currently, Kovalchuk has a full no-movement clause (which also means he can’t be sent to the minor leagues) and could basically choose his destination out of any suitors. Whether there will be much interest at this point is unclear, though teams have expressed some in the past.
At last season’s trade deadline, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote that Kovalchuk was “definitely available” and that he would waive his clause if the right fit presented itself. One important thing to note is that if Kovalchuk decided to retire again, the Kings would still carry his full $6.25MM cap hit because his contract was signed after his 35th birthday. After December 15th when his next bonus payment is due, more than $13.8MM of his contract will have already been paid out in signing bonuses and salary.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Henrik Samuelsson Signs In EIHL
Hockey is growing around the world, and perhaps no faster than in the United Kingdom where the EIHL is drawing more fans and better talent daily. Today, the Manchester Storm have added a player that plenty of NHL fans will be familiar with, if only because of the surname. Henrik Samuelsson, 2012 first-round pick and son of long-time NHL defenseman Ulf Samuelsson, has signed with the Storm and will soon make his EIHL debut.
Now 25, the 6’3″ forward was selected 27th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes back in 2012 after making quite an impression in a half season for the Edmonton Oil Kings. He would go on to find great success at the junior level before turning pro and continuing his dominance in the minor leagues. In 2014-15 he recorded 18 goals and 40 points as an AHL rookie and even earned himself three games in the NHL with the Coyotes.
Unfortunately that season was the very peak of his career so far and Samuelsson has bounced around the minors ever since. Suiting up for the Springfield Falcons, Tucson Roadrunners, Bakersfield Condors, Rockford IceHogs, Idaho Steelheads and most recently the Worcester Railers, he was never able to get his NHL future back on track.
The Storm are in last place in the 10-team league, and could use Samuelsson’s help in the offensive end.
Snapshots: Brannstrom, Komarov, Tarasenko
The Ottawa Senators aren’t competing for the playoffs this season, even if a recent hot streak brought them a little more respectability—the team had won four of their last six before getting pummeled by the Carolina Hurricanes last night. No, this season is entirely about development as they look to turn the page on the old guard and install a new identity under rookie head coach D.J. Smith.
Because development should be their primary concern, Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet examines how the team is using one of their top defensive prospects and suggests that Erik Brannstrom could benefit from a little more time in the AHL. The Senators are back in action tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils, in a battle for the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
- Leo Komarov has been activated from injured reserve by the New York Islanders, giving them another one of their veteran forward options for their game tomorrow. That game is against Komarov’s former team as the Islanders welcome in the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time this season. The 32-year old forward is a versatile player and registered 26 points for the Islanders last season, but will be playing just his eighth game this year after dealing with injury for the last several weeks.
- Speaking of forwards missing time to injury, St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko spoke for the first time today and explained to reporters including Lou Korac of NHL.com that he’s not sure if he’ll be able to play again this season. Tarasenko underwent shoulder surgery on October 29th and will be re-evaluated in five months, but hopes he can come back sooner than expected like he has from previous injuries.