Edmonton Oilers Claim Valentin Zykov, Scott Darling Clears
The Edmonton Oilers have snatched some offensive potential from the Carolina Hurricanes, claiming recently waived forward Valentin Zykov according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Scott Darling meanwhile has cleared and has been immediately assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL.
Zykov, 23, will immediately bring some offensive upside to an Oilers team that has been desperately searching for some secondary scoring. Edmonton only has four forwards with more than 10 points on the season, and one of them is Alex Chiasson who is sporting an incredible 35.5% shooting percentage. The quartet of Milan Lucic, Tobias Rieder, Jujhar Khaira and Kyle Broziak have combined for exactly three goals this season, an unacceptable number even in limited minutes.
If there’s one thing that Zykov has proven he’s capable of at the minor league level it’s score, as he led the AHL with 33 goals last season. Unfortunately that production hasn’t yet carried over the NHL, but he’ll likely be given the best opportunity of his career in Edmonton. That opportunity does come with some cost for the Oilers though, as Zykov is already signed to a one-way contract through next season. His cap hit is obviously manageable at $675K, but he’ll take up a precious contract slot for the time being.
For Darling, there was little chance of claim given his expensive contract. His career hinges right now on whether he can get back on his feet at the minor league level, and show that he is able to at least serve as a backup in the NHL. The Hurricanes would likely retain some salary to get him off the books, unless they believe he can find the same level of production that earned him his current four-year deal in the first place.
Haydn Fleury Placed On Injured Reserve, Clark Bishop Recalled
Despite already potentially creating some roster room by placing Scott Darling and Valentin Zykov on waivers today, the Carolina Hurricanes have moved Haydn Fleury to injured reserve as he continues to deal with a concussion. Fleury suffered the injury on November 23rd, and will likely be placed retroactively to that date. In the meantime, the team has recalled forward Clark Bishop for the third time this season.
The move is interesting because the team would have had room to recall Bishop anyway tomorrow, meaning there are likely other recalls in the works after Darling and Zykov either clear or are claimed. One would expect the Hurricanes to bring up an extra defenseman for their game tomorrow, given the fact that they now only have six on the active roster. Among the candidates for that recall are Trevor Carrick who was with the team recently, or perhaps even Roland McKeown who hasn’t played with the Hurricanes yet this season but showed well in his short 10-game debut during 2017-18.
Regardless, for now this at least means a return to the NHL for Bishop, who will replace Zykov as the team’s 13th forward. The fifth-round pick is still looking for his first NHL point, after having gone scoreless in his first seven games this season. Not a huge offensive presence at even the junior level, Bishop won’t be expected to contribute much at that end of the rink.
Carolina Hurricanes Place Scott Darling, Valentin Zykov On Waivers
With Curtis McElhinney playing well, the Carolina Hurricanes have made a decision on which of their three goaltenders to send to the minor leagues. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that Scott Darling will be placed on waivers today. The goaltender is not at Hurricanes practice today, and will likely be sent to the minor leagues should he clear. The team has also placed Valentin Zykov on waivers, after his conditioning loan ended this week.
Darling, 29, is almost certain to clear given his hefty contract. The former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender signed a four-year, $16.6MM contract with the Hurricanes in 2017, but has basically done nothing to deserve NHL playing time since. In 50 games since inking his big deal, Darling has an .889 save percentage and 3.17 goals against average. His 15-25-8 record is incredibly poor given the team’s overall 48-44-14 mark over the same time frame. Given the fact that McElhinney has taken the net and run with it since being claimed from the Toronto Maple Leafs before the season began, there was little reason to keep Darling on the NHL roster any longer.
If he does clear and reports to the minor leagues, the Hurricanes will save $1.025MM in cap space (prorated) while Darling remains in the AHL, though the team is still on the hook for his entire salary. For a club like Carolina, the cap space doesn’t make much of a difference, meaning this was purely a hockey move to get the best 23-man roster. Darling could potentially find his footing in the minor leagues, or the Hurricanes could try to trade him in order for him to get a fresh start.
Zykov on the other hand is a very interesting waiver addition. The 23-year old forward has just three points in 13 games this season for Carolina, but was a 33-goal man in the AHL just a season ago and was originally selected 37th overall by the Los Angeles Kings. There’s reason to believe that he could still be of use to an NHL club, but his overall body of work with Carolina hasn’t been enough to earn him a full-time role just yet. If someone does take a chance on the young forward, they’d need to keep him and his $675K cap hit in the NHL.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Fletcher, Kovar
Held in the middle of the NHL season, the Spengler Cup in Switzerland is often an afterthought among international events. Yet, Team Canada has put together quite the formidable group to lead their entry into the late December tournament, in pursuit of a fourth consecutive title. Hockey Canada has announced that Sean Burke and Ron Francis will put the Spengler Cup team together as co-GM’s, while Kevin Dineen will lead the selections as the head coach. Not only does that trio have extensive NHL playing careers on their resumes, but each have had success in their off-ice roles as well. Dineen has spent 14 seasons behind an NHL bench, including three as the head coach of the Florida Panthers, and has international coaching experience as well. His assistants, Gordie Dwyer and Mike Kitchen, are no strangers to the job either. Burke, currently a scout for the Montreal Canadiens, is familiar with Team Canada, having served as GM for the 2018 Olympic team, part of the management group for past four IIHF World Championship entries, as well as the GM of the past two Spengler Cup teams. However, it is Francis that sticks out the most. The former Carolina Hurricanes GM is currently considered a candidate for the Philadelphia Flyers’ new vacancy and, should the position remain open through the end of the calendar year, Francis’ efforts to put together a winning Spengler Cup team could be seen as part of his case for the job.
- Another candidate for the Flyers’ GM vacancy – and perhaps the favorite – is former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fletcher was let go by the Wild this off-season and joined the New Jersey Devils as an executive, but is still held in high esteem by most in the game. Many pundits have suggested that he is the front runner for the job and now TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the wheels appear to be in motion. The Devils have given the Flyers permission to speak with Fletcher, McKenzie says, and reiterates the sentiment that he would be the preferred hire. Although Minnesota was unable to reach the ultimate goal, Fletcher had the team on a six-season postseason streak when he was dismissed and the Wild, currently with the third-best record in the Western Conference, have a core of veteran and young contributors that was by and large put together by Fletcher. The experienced executive would be a more than capable GM for Philadelphia.
- The Boston Bruins front office may soon be facing a decision, albeit to a much smaller extent. After he appeared to be weighing a return to Europe, Jan Kovar instead finds himself one step closer to his desired destination – another shot at the NHL. The Bruins announced this morning that Kovar, who has been playing with their AHL affiliate in Providence, was up practicing in Boston today. The question remains whether or not Kovar earns a contract with the Bruins, something that Lee Stempniak was unable to do despite ample practice time with the team. Boston is without Patrice Bergeron, but still has David Krejci and has been getting admirable efforts from rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and veteran Joakim Nordstrom in his unnatural position. Yet, the team scratched Sean Kuraly in their last game and is still struggling to get secondary scoring. It may be the exact scenario that Kovar needed to get a second chance after quickly flaming out with the New York Islanders earlier this season.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Carolina Hurricanes.
What are the Hurricanes most thankful for?
Various struggles from the entire Metropolitan Division.
Big things were expected out of the Carolina Hurricanes after some bold moves in the last calendar year, including new ownership, front office and coaching staff. Key players like Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin were all shipped out while fresh faces like Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton joined the lineup. Even with all of that and a nice five-game point streak to start the year, they finished their first 15 games with a 6-7-2 record caused by many of the same stumbling blocks they’d experienced in the past.
Goaltending wasn’t as good as it needed to be, the solid defensive group was underperforming and the team wasn’t scoring enough despite excellent shot metrics. They’ve since gone on something of a hot streak, winning six of their next nine and head into their last game of November with a 12-9-3 record. That’s not outstanding, but it’s certainly good enough to keep them in the hunt at this point of the season. Every other team in the Metropolitan Division has experienced their own struggles, including the Pittsburgh Penguins who at one point found themselves at the very bottom of the division. Carolina now sits just four points behind the Washington Capitals for top spot, something that would have seemed impossible during the previous dominant Metropolitan years.
Who are the Hurricanes most thankful for?
There’s no doubt that Sebastian Aho has been the team’s early MVP, recording 25 points in 24 games to pace the offense while moving to the center ice position without any trouble. Aho is an exceptional talent that looks like he can be a true superstar for the Hurricanes, but he was drafted and developed by the team. Who they’re truly thankful for, is McElhinney who dropped into their laps just before the season started when the Toronto Maple Leafs placed him on waivers.
Though he has looked shaky at times, McElhinney has been everything the Hurricanes could have hoped for when they picked up for free to help out while Scott Darling dealt with injury to start the year. The 35-year old goaltender now has a .930 save percentage through his nine appearances and leads the trio of Carolina goaltenders with a 7-2 record. Seeing how Darling and Petr Mrazek have combined for an .887 save percentage and 5-7-3 record, it’s easy to see where the team would be without McElhinney on the roster.
What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?
A resurgent Jordan Staal.
Despite Aho moving to the middle and performing admirably, the center position has still been a struggle for the Hurricanes this season. Victor Rask has only played four games because of a kitchen accident that injured his hand, and Lucas Wallmark can’t seem to find the back of the net to save his life—his 1.9% shooting percentage is one of the worst in the league among regular forwards. Even accepting those issues as flukes that could resolve themselves, the issue of Staal may have the biggest impact.
The 30-year old center has just 11 points in his first 24 games of the season and is on pace for his lowest total (38) in a full season since he was 19. A huge part of that is his lack of powerplay production, where he has just a single assist and no goals despite averaging more than two minutes with the man advantage. It’s not that Staal is a net negative for the Hurricanes, as his defensive ability is still excellent and he’s among the best in the league at faceoffs, but they absolutely need more offensive production from him given his price tag. Staal carries a $6MM cap hit this season, and will continue to do so through the 2022-23 season.
What should be on the Hurricanes’ Holiday Wish List?
Forward help, in one way or another.
Since they’re already carrying three goaltenders, one of whom makes more than $4MM per season and is under contract for another two years, there seems little chance of the Hurricanes making a big splash in net. Accepting that, the best place for them to upgrade would be up front, whether that’s on the wing or at center. The team has been generating more than enough scoring chances through the first quarter of the season, but with the exception of Micheal Ferland and his 11 goals, they haven’t been able to convert nearly enough.
It sounds funny after an offseason in which they sent Jeff Skinner packing—the red-hot Buffalo Sabres forward has 19 goals in 25 games—but Carolina could really use a pure finisher to help them on the powerplay and give their forward group a little more swagger. Svechnikov looks like he might eventually become that, but relying on an 18-year old to take a jump like that in the second half of the season is more than a little risky. They don’t need another Alex Ovechkin—though, they certainly wouldn’t turn one down—but someone to complement their stable of playmakers could go a long way in pushing them further along in the playoff race.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Morning Notes: Pronger, Matthews, Bean
We heard about another name that the Philadelphia Flyers have interest in this morning when Frank Seravalli of TSN put forward Steve Greeley‘s name, but we’re also learning about who won’t be a candidate for the vacant GM position. Paul Holmgren announced that the new GM would be coming from outside the organization and ruled out senior advisor and former Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi specifically.
Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds another name to the pile of those who won’t be interviewed, as he reports that Chris Pronger is not a candidate for the job. Pronger has been open with his desire to eventually become a GM in the league and has ties to the Philadelphia organization, but will not be given this opportunity. Pronger is currently working as an advisor in the Florida Panthers organization.
- It’s been quite a while since the Toronto Maple Leafs had star center Auston Matthews take part in a full practice, but that’s exactly what happened today when he joined the rest of the team. Shedding the non-contact sweater, Matthews looks poised to return soon from his recent shoulder injury and add another offensive weapon to the potent Maple Leafs attack. As Mark Masters of TSN points out though, the last time Matthews dealt with a shoulder injury he went through two full practices before returning to the lineup. That would put him on track for Saturday’s game in Minnesota, not tomorrow’s against the San Jose Sharks. We’ll have to wait and see how the Maple Leafs play it, but getting a player of his caliber back should only improve their chances in the tight Atlantic Division.
- While one player hopes for his return, another readies for his debut. Jake Bean is set to play in his first NHL game when the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight, a long-awaited occurrence for the young defenseman. Bean, 20, was picked 13th overall in 2016 but was sent back to junior for two more years and has now been playing with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for the start of this season. He’s shown his offensive upside there, recording 11 points in 21 games as a rookie, and is just the latest to join an incredibly deep group of defensemen in Carolina.
Minor Transactions: 11/25/18
After another busy Saturday night in the NHL that saw some outstanding performances—not to mention a career defining five-goal explosion by Patrik Laine—just four games are on the schedule for today. The action kicks off with an afternoon tilt between the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes, while the Edmonton Oilers travel to Los Angeles to take on the Kings to close out the night. As teams prepare for the upcoming week of action, we’ll be here to keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have sent Luke Johnson to the AHL for the time being, assigning the 24-year old forward to the Rockford IceHogs. Johnson has just a single point in 13 games with the Blackhawks this season, his first in the NHL.
- It wasn’t a long NHL visit for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Trevor Carrick, who was recalled for just one game this weekend and is now on his way back to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Carrick, like usual, has been lighting up the minor leagues with his quick first pass and ability to jump into the rush, scoring 17 points in 19 games. The 24-year old can’t seem to establish himself as a full-time NHL player, but is one of the most effective puck-moving defensemen in the AHL.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled defensemen Andrej Sustr and Andy Welinski from the San Diego Gulls and have assigned defenseman Joshua Mahura to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. For Sustr, he returns after being placed on waivers on Oct. 26 and assigned to the AHL. A veteran of 322 NHL games, the 27-year-old played seven games for the Gulls tallying one assist. The team also brought up Welinski after assigning him to San Diego Saturday, making it a likely paper transaction. As for Mahura, the 20-year-old fared well in his NHL debut. He had been faring well in San Diego, posting eight points in 12 games and had a point in three games for the Ducks.
- The turntable for Timothy Gettinger continues as the 6-foot-6, 220-pound power forward has been recalled by the New York Rangers after being assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday evening after being recalled by the Rangers on Friday. Gettinger, who made his NHL debut Saturday with a 7:00 minute performance, returns to the team. In 20 games for the Wolf Pack, Gettinger has seven goals and 11 points.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled forward Valentin Zykov and defenseman Jake Bean from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Zykov has been recalled after a playing in Charlotte on a conditioning loan posting two goals in six appearances with the AHL squad. Bean will likely replace Carrick who was assigned to Charlotte earlier Sunday (see above). The team’s 13th-overall pick in 2016 will hope to make his NHL debut Tuesday in Montreal. He has three goals and 10 points in 20 games with the Checkers.
Metropolitan Notes: Darling, Vrana, Burakovsky, Fleury, Flyers’ Goalies
The Carolina Hurricanes have been holding onto three goaltenders since the start of the season. With injury issues that may have been a good idea, but that could change soon as head coach Rod Brind’Amour said that with Petr Mrazek not 100 percent and it not being “fair” to use Curtis McElhinney in both games of the back-to-back set, the team will start Scott Darling. News & Observer’s Luke DeCock writes that this start has a last-chance feel for Darling.
While many people felt that Darling would have a bounce-back season after a disastrous first year as the Hurricanes’ starter, that hasn’t happened. While splitting time with two other goalies, Darling has appeared in just six games with a 2.99 GAA and a .903 save percentage. While McElhinney and Mrazek likely would be claimed off waivers by some goaltending needy NHL team, it’s unlikely that Darling would after he signed a four-year, $16.6MM contract last summer, which no team would likely want to take on considering his struggles.
- In a mailbag piece, the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan writes that while the Washington Capitals did extend Lars Eller during the middle of last season, don’t expect the same treatment for restricted free agents Jakub Vrana or Andre Burakovsky. While the team’s extension of Eller got them a cheaper price than they would have had to contend with had he hit the open market this summer, the team will likely want to wait and see how both players fare before handing out new contracts considering how tight they will be against the salary cap over the next few years. Vrana has been having a solid year up till now as he has six goals and 14 points in 23 games, which will likely have him headed for a career year. Burakovsky has just three goals and six points in 23 games as well.
- NHL.com’s Michael Smith writes that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Haydn Fleury has been diagnosed with a concussion, according to Brind’Amour. The 22-year-old was forced out of the team’s game during the third period Friday against Florida after taking a hit from Troy Brouwer. He will join the NHL concussion protocol and remain sidelined until he’s medically cleared. Fleury has served as an extra defenseman for most of the year after playing in 67 games last year. However, the seventh-overall pick in 2014, has not been able to seize a regular rotation spot and has played in just eight games this year. He’s also played four games for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
- Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reports that Phildelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall gave an update on the team’s goaltending injury situation as Brian Elliott is expected to be at least a week away, maybe more, while Michal Neuvirth is closer to returning and is expected to skate with the team on Monday. Alex Lyon tweaked something in warmups before allowing four first-period goals on Wednesday. He is expected back soon. “That’s the way it goes, and if you look around the league, we’re not the only team it’s happening to,” Hextall said.
Minor Transactions: 11/24/18
As the final weekend of November gets underway today, the league presents a slate of eleven games, highlighted by some rivalry match-ups and intriguing story lines. The Capitals and Rangers get the action started with a matinee game, while later on the Jets and Blues, Bruins and Canadiens, and Blue Jackets and Penguins square off. Meanwhile, last season’s Calder Cup-winning tandem of Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard will face one another when the Maple Leafs host the Flyers. With 22 teams going after a busy day yesterday as well, there will surely be some movement across the league today. Keep up with all the recalls and reassignments right here:
- Last night, the Edmonton Oilers returned rookie forward Cooper Marody to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Edmonton had called up Marody early last week and gave him four starts, but Marody still failed to record his first NHL point. Marody has been held off the score sheet through six NHL games thus far in his first pro season, but has ten points in just seven AHL contests. The University of Michigan product has the ability and the Oilers believe in him enough to continue giving him looks, but he’ll need to show some production on his next try at the top level.
- Trevor Carrick has earned his first call-up of the season, as the Carolina Hurricanes have placed Brett Pesce on the injured reserve and tabbed Carrick as the man to replace his roster spot. Pesce’s IR assignment, retroactive to November 10th, is the result of a lower-body injury. In his stead, Carrick and Haydn Fleury will be the likely candidates to replace him, either directly on the right side or on their natural left side with Trevor van Riemsdyk returning to his natural side. Carrick, 24, played in just one NHL game last year and has played in three total in his five-year pro career. However, the Charlotte Checkers veteran leads all defenseman on the team in scoring this season with 17 points in 19 games and is due for another look in Raleigh.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they have recalled winger Garrett Wilson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. It’s the second stint with the big club this month for the 27-year-old who got into four games with Pittsburgh in his first go-round. Wilson has been quite productive in the minors, picking up 11 points in a dozen games but will likely play a fourth line role while on recall.
- After seeing limited action upon being brought up, forward Michael Dal Colle is on his way back to the minors after the New York Islanders returned him to AHL Bridgeport and recalled winger Tanner Fritz. Dal Colle played in just two games with New York, logging less than nine minutes per night. He has been productive in his third full season with the Sound Tigers though, averaging a point per game in 14 contests. Meanwhile, Fritz has spent most of this season with Bridgeport, amassing ten points in 17 games.
- With Roberto Luongo injured, the Florida Panthers have brought back goaltender Michael Hutchinson from Springfield of the AHL. The 28-year-old struggled considerably in his first stint with the team, posting a 4.18 GAA with a .839 SV% in four games with Florida. He hasn’t fared much better with the Thunderbirds, notching a 3.48 GAA with a .903 SV% in four minor league appearances. He’ll serve as the backup to James Reimer while Luongo is on the shelf.
- After being called up Friday by the New York Rangers, the team announced they sent Tim Gettinger back to the Hartford Wolf Pack today. The good news for Gettinger is that he got a chance to make his NHL debut for the Rangers as he played 7:00 of ice time against the Washington Capitals, recording five hits and a blocked shot. The Rangers’ fifth-round pick in 2016, Gettinger has put up solid numbers so far in his first professional season with seven goals and 11 points in 20 games for the Wolf Pack.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Adin Hill from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL as backup goaltender Darcy Kuemper is day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury. The 22-year-old Hill has struggled in four appearances with the team this year, but has a 3.49 GAA and a .891 save percentage. Hill hasn’t fared much better in Tucson as he has a 3.22 GAA and a .871 save percentage in six games.
Carolina Hurricanes Activate Victor Rask
It’s been more than two months since Victor Rask was forced to get surgery on his hand after an incident suffered while slicing food in his kitchen, but the Carolina Hurricanes are finally going to get him back. After welcoming him back to practice recently, the team has activated Rask off of season-opening injured reserve making him eligible to play tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs if possible. Clark Bishop has been sent back to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers to make room on the roster.
Rask, 25, is an important piece for the Hurricanes even if he hasn’t turned into the offensive powerhouse that some believed he could be after his first few seasons. Selected 42nd overall in 2011, Rask came out flying as a rookie in 2014-15 and recorded his first 20-goal season in 2015-16. Unfortunately that was also his only 20-goal season so far, as his point totals have dipped the last two years and are in danger of doing so for a third given the quarter of season he’s already missed.
Still, with Elias Lindholm gone to Calgary the Hurricanes will welcome back Rask with open arms to give them some more depth up front. A natural center, he should be able to help a group that hasn’t been able to find much consistency in the middle. Sebastian Aho has moved back to the position with great success this season after playing wing his first two years in the NHL, but Jordan Staal and Lucas Wallmark, the other two most common options in the middle, have both struggled offensively. Rask’s two-way ability should allow Carolina to do some different things with their forward group, and give them a much more balanced attack.