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Five Key Stories: 12/16/19 – 12/22/19

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The days leading up to the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze are always full of potential for big moves by teams looking to make a change before a stretch of mandatory inactivity. This year did not disappoint, as the biggest target on the rental market was dealt, highlighting a busy week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

Taylor Hall Traded To Arizona: The week started with a bang, as the Taylor Hall saga came to an end with a trade to Arizona. The Coyotes sent a 2020 first-round pick, a conditional 2021 third-round pick, and prospects Nate Schnarr, Nick Merkley and Kevin Bahl to the Devils. New Jersey retained half of Hall’s $6MM cap as well. Hall was the top name in the rental market this season, but many were left underwhelmed by the trade return. The asking price may have been affected by Hall’s reluctance to negotiate an extension in-season, which he has maintained since arriving in the desert. Nevertheless, the Coyotes’ acquisition could make them the favorite to win the Pacific Division this year as they pursue the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Ilya Kovalchuk Leaves Kings: Veteran Ilya Kovalchuk is on the move as well, but his destination is yet to be determined. He and the Los Angeles Kings came to a mutual agreement on a contract termination on Monday, with Kovalchuk clearing unconditional waivers on Tuesday. The former superstar never fit with the Kings after returning from the KHL and could be tempted to return to Russia after this failure. However, he is reportedly willing to sign a minimum deal to remain in the NHL as he too is pursuing his first Stanley Cup, without much time left in his lengthy career.

Eric Comrie, Stefan Noesen Claimed: Three players entered the waiver wire on Wednesday and two emerged on new teams. Both goaltender Eric Comrie and forward Stefan Noesen were claimed on waivers. For Comrie, he returns to the Winnipeg Jets, the team with which he began the season, after making stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, Noesen only signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins a few weeks ago, but is already on the move to the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most accomplished player waived on Wednesday, but also the most expensive, was not claimed and remains with the Calgary Flames.

The Injury Bug Bites: Injuries are not exactly an uncommon occurrence in the NHL, but this week in particular took a heavy toll across the league. Just how bad was it? Here is the list of players who were announced this week as being out long-term: Josh Anderson, Danny DeKeyser, Troy Terry, Derek Grant, Andrew Peeke, Ryan Murray, Darcy Kuemper, Jason Zucker, Josh Leivo, Brandon Saad, Cal Clutterbuck, Anthony Mantha, and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 

Chris Snow Diagnosed With ALS: Calgary Flames Assistant General Manager Chris Snow has been diagnosed with ALS, as disclosed by his wife in a public letter. As Snow begins this difficult battle, we here at PHR wish he and his family the best this holiday season.

 

Comrie, Noesen Claimed Off Waivers

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The Winnipeg Jets have brought back their former goaltending prospect Eric Comrie, claiming him off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings today. Stefan Noesen is also about to get on a flight, after being claimed by the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most expensive of the three, cleared waivers and can now be sent to the minor leagues by the Calgary Flames.

Comrie returns to the Jets following stints with Detroit and the Arizona Coyotes. The 24-year old goaltender was originally claimed by the Coyotes on October 1st and spent nearly two months on their roster without playing in a single NHL game. A conditioning loan did get him into four minor league games, but it took a trade to Detroit before he saw any action at the highest level.

Unfortunately, backstopping Detroit is a difficult task these days and Comrie ended up going 0-2 with an .864 save percentage in three appearances for the Red Wings. His return to Winnipeg comes as Jimmy Howard is expected to suit up for the Red Wings this weekend after dealing with injury for the last while.

Noesen meanwhile only signed an NHL contract a few weeks ago, after starting the year on a minor league deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. After inking his new contract he played in six games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and scored a goal, but will now travel to San Jose to try and give the Sharks a little more depth. Noesen has plenty of NHL experience and was actually a quietly effective option for the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18 when he had 13 goals and 27 points in 72 games.

Flames’ Chris Snow Diagnosed With ALS

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Some terrible news out of Calgary today, as Kelsie Snow announced in a letter to fans that her husband Chris Snow, assistant GM of the Flames, has been diagnosed with ALS. Kelsie explains in a long, heartfelt note that the family is still positive and hopes fans will continue to treat her husband the same way. A small part of the letter explains her readiness to fight the disease:

Someone has to be the first person to live with ALS rather than die from it, and one thing I’ve always known about Chris is that he finds a way. No matter the obstacle, no matter how unprecedented the situation may be – he always, always finds a way. 

Snow, 38, was promoted to AGM in September after working with the Flames for several years as head of their analytics department. The former baseball journalist was a pioneer in bringing analytics to the hockey world, first working for the Minnesota Wild between 2006 and 2010.

There’s nothing positive about a diagnosis like this, other than the strength and resolve that Kelsie shows in how she describes the situation. At PHR, we send our best wishes to Chris and the entire Snow family.

They have set up a place to donate towards ALS research through the University of Miami. To donate, please visit this link: http://uom.convio.net/goto/chrissnow

Three Players Placed On Waivers

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NHL waivers is busy today, with three players available to the rest of the league. Austin Czarnik of the Calgary Flames, Eric Comrie of the Detroit Red Wings and Stefan Noesen of the Pittsburgh Penguins are all on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

If claimed, it would be the fourth organization of the season for Comrie, who was already claimed off waivers once this year. Starting with the Winnipeg Jets, he was nabbed by the Arizona Coyotes before being traded to Detroit when Jimmy Howard went down to injury. Now that Howard is nearing a return, the Red Wings don’t have room for Comrie on the roster and will have to hope they can sneak him through waivers.

Noesen was only signed by the Penguins earlier this month, meaning it is unlikely he’ll be grabbed by another team at this point. The 26-year old forward was lighting it up in the AHL when he inked his deal with Pittsburgh, but is still no more than a depth forward at the NHL level. In six games this season he has just one point.

Czarnik however is a different story from the other two. The 27-year old signed a two-year, $2.5MM deal with Calgary in 2018 after a dominant season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and ended up playing 54 games for them in 2018-19. While he had just 18 points, there was enough success to believe he would be a regular in the bottom-six this season. That plan was derailed by an injury, meaning Czarnik has only played in eight games with the Flames and three in the AHL on a conditioning loan.

While the Flames have other options, a claim on Czarnik is a real possibility from elsewhere. For a team looking for a little more wing depth he is more than capable and at this point in the season isn’t breaking the bank even with his $1.25MM cap hit.

Minor Transactions: 12/18/19

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Taylor Hall’s debut with the Arizona Coyotes went according to plan as the star winger set up Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the game-winner, but it wasn’t so easy for several other Western Conference hopefuls last night. Not only were the Winnipeg Jets defeated easily by the Carolina Hurricanes, but Andrei Svechnikov scored his second lacrosse-style goal of the season to rub it in. As six teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Maxime Lajoie to the minor leagues as they get ready for their game tomorrow against the Nashville Predators. Who needs depth defensemen anyway when you have Thomas Chabot playing more than 37 minutes a night?
  • Kole Sherwood has been activated from injured reserve by the Columbus Blue Jackets and sent to the minor leagues. The 22-year old suffered an oblique tear earlier in the year but is approaching a return to action.
  • Robbie Russo has been returned to the AHL by the Coyotes, with Jordan Gross replacing him on the roster. Gross, 24, has 15 points in 26 games with the Tucson Roadrunners this season and has never been recalled previously.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent all three emergency call-ups, Adam Brooks, Timothy Liljegren and Martin Marincin to the minor leagues. Brooks and Liljegren are both waiting to make their NHL debuts, but will have to patiently bide their time in the AHL.
  • Noah Gregor has been sent to the AHL by the San Jose Sharks after spending the last month in the NHL. The 22-year old has played in 18 games, scoring his first career NHL goal at the end of November. Also headed to the Barracuda are Dylan Gambrell and Jacob Middleton. The move leaves the Sharks with just 20 active skaters, as they both looked to save some cap space and get their young players some extra minutes in the AHL.
  • The back-and-forth continues for Gerald Mayhew, who today was reassigned to the minors by Minnesota, the Iowa Wild announced. Mayhew’s 14 AHL goals lead the team and are tied for third in the league even though he has spent considerable time in the NHL as well.
  • Veteran enforcer Zac Rinaldo is on his way to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the team announced, after he was demoted today by the Calgary Flames. Rinaldo has actually carried his weight offensively in the minors so far this season, recording seven points in 14 games, not to mention three points in five games with Calgary as well.
  • The Boston Bruins have activated winger Zachary Senyshyn from the injured reserve and have sent him down to AHL Providence. Senyshyn continues to be an enigmatic player for the Bruins, playing well in the NHL but disappointing in the AHL. Right now there is no room for him in Boston, though.
  • With Mathieu Perreault and Andrew Copp both hitting the injured reserve, the Winnipeg Jets have called up reinforcements in the form of Mason Appleton and Jansen Harkins. While Appleton is the  frequent member of the Jets, playing in nine games with the team this year, Jansen may have the higher upside of the two. Harkins’ 24 assists lead the AHL while his 31 points are best on the team and third in the AHL. Harkins was even named the AHL Player of the Month for November. The 22-year-old is more than deserving of making his NHL debut.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have promoted two of their top young forwards, announcing that Isac Lundestrom and Max Jones have re-joined the team. The pair of first-round picks are not having huge years at either level, but still present tremendous NHL upside.

Sam Bennett, Austin Czarnik Nearing Returns

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  • It appears that the Flames will soon have some roster decisions to make. Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson notes that wingers Sam Bennett and Austin Czarnik have resumed practicing with the team and are nearing returns to the lineup.  Calgary only has one open roster spot at the moment and only Dillon Dube is waiver-exempt up front.  However, with seven points in 13 games with the big club, it’s unlikely that they’ll want to send up down to open up the second roster spot which means a waiver placement for someone could soon be on the horizon.

Snapshots: Hall, Ho-Sang, Raymond

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The Taylor Hall saga is over for now, but given that only one team could secure the scoring winger there is sure to be fallout all around the league. Clubs that were hoping to land him will now have to move in a different direction, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examines seven of the suitors that had made inquiries over the last few weeks.

One of the most interesting is the Calgary Flames, who LeBrun writes felt they were offering a package of similar value to the one New Jersey eventually accepted from the Arizona Coyotes. While there may not be another player of Hall’s caliber on the market come the trade deadline, the Flames are obviously a team to watch after their recent surge in the standings.

  • The Bridgeport Sound Tigers will welcome Josh Ho-Sang back to the team after the disgruntled forward sat out the first part of the season. Ho-Sang has a “clean slate” with the organization according to New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello but will obviously need to work hard to move back up the depth chart. The 23-year old forward hasn’t played yet this season and was hoping to be traded to a new organization after failing to land a full-time job in the NHL.
  • Lucas Raymond has been cleared to join the Swedish World Junior squad after dealing with an infection that threatened his tournament status. The top 2020 draft prospect is still just 17 years old but is already playing at the highest level in Sweden and can add a dynamic offensive piece to whoever picks him next June.

Minor Transactions: 12/13/19

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After a busy Thursday only two games are on the NHL schedule for this evening, but both bring about some intrigue. The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights battle over wild card seeding, while the Colorado Avalanche get an up close viewing of the top trade deadline prize when Taylor Hall and the New Jersey Devils come to town. As teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Arizona Coyotes recalled Brayden Burke last night for the first time in his short professional career. The 22-year old was an undrafted free agent signing in 2018 by the Coyotes and has put it all together this season, scoring 24 points in 24 games for the Tucson Roadrunners.
  • Joseph Blandisi has been returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, which bodes well for Evgeni Malkin’s status going into the weekend. Malkin missed last night’s contest with an illness, but the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to grind out a 1-0 win anyway.
  • The St. Louis Blues have sent Austin Poganski back to the AHL, after Oskar Sundqvist made his triumphant return last night. With Alex Steen and Zach Sanford also getting healthier, the Blues don’t have enough room to keep the waiver-exempt Poganski around.
  • Madison Bowey has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings after Jonathan Ericsson suffered an injury last night. Bowey cleared waivers recently and was sent to the minor leagues, where he had played in just one game.
  • After Eric Staal was deemed healthy enough to play last night, the Minnesota Wild have sent Gerald Mayhew back to the AHL. Mayhew is still one of the minor league’s most dangerous goal scorers, with 14 in 22 games this season for the Iowa Wild.
  • Matthew Phillips has been returned to the Stockton Heat of the AHL without getting into an NHL game. The 21-year old forward has taken a huge jump in his development this season and is a real option for the Calgary Flames moving forward.
  • Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, as they send Jalen Chatfield back down. Chatfield has yet to make his NHL debut and has just one point in 18 games for the Utica Comets.
  • Nico Hischier has been activated off injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, meaning Colton White is on his way back to the AHL. White hasn’t played in a game with the team this season, but did earn some NHL pay during his latest week in the league.
  • Ryan Poehling is back. The Montreal Canadiens have completed a transaction with the young forward for the third consecutive day, this time recalling him from the minor leagues.
  • With Trevor Moore approaching a return for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team has sent Nic Petan to the minors. Petan has already cleared waivers earlier this season, and though he was being used regularly under new head coach Sheldon Keefe, he’ll be the odd man out.

Minor Transactions: 12/12/19

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Another busy day in the NHL with 12 games on tap, including the first game without Peter DeBoer behind the bench for the San Jose Sharks. Two other teams with new head coaches will battle in Calgary when the Flames take on the Maple Leafs, while the Detroit Red Wings limp into a matchup with the Winnipeg Jets. As those teams and rest prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • It was apparently a paper transaction for Filip Zadina and Dylan McIlrath, who didn’t actually have to fly to San Diego to get into the AHL lineup last night. They have both been recalled by the Red Wings ahead of tonight’s action. The Red Wings are close to getting a few of their important forwards back, but for now Zadina will continue to get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level.
  • Ryan Poehling hopes his own assignment isn’t for long after being sent to the Laval Rocket today. The Montreal Canadiens’ prospect could be recalled before Saturday’s game, unless someone is ready to return to action.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Joseph Blandisi from the minor leagues under emergency conditions, never a good sign for a team that has dealt with countless injuries this season. Blandisi has plenty of NHL experience, including eleven games with the Penguins this season.
  • Joachim Blichfeld has been recalled by the Sharks, the first move under new head coach Bob Boughner. Blichfeld, 21, is the top scorer for San Jose Barracuda with 19 points in 20 games.
  • The St. Louis Blues have returned Nathan Walker to the minor leagues after activating Oskar Sundqvist from injured reserve. Walker, 25, scored two points in his five games with the Blues and is still the leading scorer of the San Antonio Rampage with 22 points in 20 games.
  • Austin Czarnik has been recalled from his conditioning stint by the Calgary Flames, but will remain on long-term injured reserve for the time being.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned defenseman Brendan Guhle to the San Diego Gulls, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic.  He has spent most of the season with Anaheim, collecting four points in 18 games while logging over 17 minutes a night but with Josh Manson recently returning, there wasn’t a spot for Guhle in the lineup anymore.

Snapshots: Kravtsov, Hartley, Sanford, Pelletier

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New York Rangers prospect Vitaly Kravtsov has been demoted to the VHL by the KHL’s Chelyabinsk Traktor, their minor league affiliate, the team announced (Twitter link, translation required). Kravtsov has struggled significantly this season as he started the season with the Rangers with many expecting him to win a roster spot out of training camp.

Instead, he was sent to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL where he had just one assist in five games and struggled to gain playing time. He opted to enact his European Assignment Clause and returned to Chelyabinsk Traktor team in the KHL with which he played 50 games last season as a 18-year-old. However, Kravtsov has struggled there as well, scoring just two goals in 11 games.

Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko reports that Traktor isn’t actively trying to trade Kravtsov’s rights, but they are willing to listen to offers for the 19-year-old.

  • Eronko also reports that former NHL head coach Bob Hartley is closing in on signing a two-year extension with Omsk Avangard in the KHL. Hartley has his team currently in second place in the Eastern division with 18 wins and 50 points in 37 games. Avangard hired Hartley, a head coach with the Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers and the Calgary Flames, back in May of 2018.
  • The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports that the injuries in St. Louis continue to mount as St. Louis Blues forward Zach Sanford didn’t skate Sunday and is doubtful to play on Tuesday. Alex Steen and Oskar Sundqvist are both expected to join the Blues for their trip to Buffalo, but neither is expected to play, which means the team will be forced to recall a player from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL before then.
  • Ryan Pike of FlamesNation reports that Calgary Flames prospect and 2019 first-round pick Jakob Pelletier is expected to miss the World Junior Championships after the 18-year-old suffered a lower-body injury Thursday in his QMJHL game. Pelletier, who is having a dominant season with the Moncton Wildcats, was invited to Canada’s World Junior selection camp, and while the injury isn’t considered to be serious, it will be enough to keep him out of next week’s camp, which means he cannot make the team.

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