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Hurricanes’ Brett Pesce, Victor Rask Done For The Year

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The Carolina Hurricanes still have a shot at making the playoffs. Well, Sports Club Stats gives them a 0.2% chance of  making it anyway. However, those already-minuscule odds are now almost certainly gone. The team announced this afternoon that two key players, defenseman Brett Pesce and center Victor Rask, have been shut down for the season due to shoulder injuries.

Without Pesce and Rask, any semblance of hope that Carolina fans had of ending their league-worst postseason drought this year has evaporated. Pesce, 23, is part of the Hurricanes’ dominant top pair alongside Jaccob Slavin and one of the main reasons why the team allows the fewest shots against in the NHL. Rask, 25, has 31 points and an even rating (anything non-negative is an outlier among ’Canes players this season) and leaves a team that is already shallow down the middle with even fewer options.

In response to this announcement, the team has recalled young defenseman Roland McKeown from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. McKeown may be relied on to play a top-six role for the remainder of the year and, if he is successful, could further the narrative that the time has come for the Hurricanes to trade one of their top blue liners. It is likely the first of many call-up’s down the stretch to test out young players in game action ahead of the off-season. Expect the likes of Aleksi Saarela, Janne Kuokkanen, Julien Gauthier, Warren Foegele, and Alex Nedeljkovic to be among the names given a promotion in the coming weeks.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Hanifin, Trouba

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The NHL released their three stars for last week, and leading the way was Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues. After starting the season in the conversation for the Norris trophy, Pietrangelo’s point production dropped off a bit in the middle of the season and the Blues’ record suffered because of it (and other things). Now, with the team surging into the playoff picture once again, Pietrangelo has been front and center with 11 points in his last five games. Back in the top ten in points from defensemen, the Blues captain is now just two away from setting a new career high.

Rounding out the stars are Nathan MacKinnon and Curtis McElhinney, two players at opposite ends of their careers. MacKinnon is just hitting his stride and becoming the superstar everyone expected him to be, while McElhinney is showing there is still some fight left in a 34-year old goaltender. The Maple Leafs netminder was forced into the starting role when Frederik Andersen went down, and now leads the NHL in save percentage at .935.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that Noah Hanifin suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely, likely meaning his season is finished. Hanifin had another solid season in Carolina, posting 29 points in 71 games, but still wasn’t given the responsibility of a top pairing defenseman. The fifth-overall pick is a very interesting case to watch this summer, as he’s a restricted free agent and will be one of the first and most important negotiations of whoever takes the Hurricanes’ GM job. There has been talk over the last few years that perhaps Hanifin would be dangled as bait for a star forward, but the Hurricanes need to be careful they don’t trade away a budding #1 defenseman as he’s still just 21 years old.
  • Speaking of good young defensemen, the Winnipeg Jets will know more about Jacob Trouba’s condition over the next few days after he took a crushing hit from Jamie Benn on the weekend. Trouba left the game in the third period and saw specialists today while under the concussion protocol. Luckily, if you can call it that, the Jets may get Dmitry Kulikov back sooner than expected, as the defenseman has elected not to have back surgery just yet. Kulikov was originally ruled out eight weeks, but could be back in three or four according to the team. With the Jets looking like Stanley Cup contenders for the first time, they can use all the help they can get.

Minor Transactions: 3/18/18

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The Tampa Bay Lightning look to bounce back from a shutout loss to the injury-riddled Boston Bruins, the Vegas Golden Knights try to right the ship after a 4-5-1 run, the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers jockey for playoff positions, and the St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks, and Calgary Flames look to stay alive in the postseason picture as the NHL provides a slate of eight intriguing games today. Here is how teams are preparing:

  • The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned Justin Bailey to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. However, beat writer John Vogl indicates that it could be short-term. Bailey owes the AHL a one-game suspension, which he will serve tonight, but Vogl expects he could be back up with the Sabres on Monday. Buffalo is far outside the playoff picture and should be playing as many of their young players as possible down the stretch.
  • With Carter Rowney dealing with injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Josh Jooris on an emergency basis. Jooris was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes at the deadline in an exchange for Greg McKegg, but was not expected to play much of a role for Pittsburgh. Yet, he’s already played in two games for the Penguins and could take on a regular role on the fourth line moving forward.
  • CapFriendly tweets the Colorado Avalanche have activated forward Vladislav Kamenev off of injured reserve and is already playing with the team’s fourth line Sunday. Kamenev, who broke his arm in November one NHL after he was traded from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade, has only played 17 AHL games between Milwaukee and San Antonio, putting up three goals and 13 assists. He had been on a conditioning loan with San Antonio for the past week.
  • CapFriendly reported that the San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Tim Heed from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL after being sent down Tuesday. Heed has served as a spare defenseman for most of the season for the Sharks as he’s played in 29 games this year, having put up three goals and eight assists.

Devils’ Fitzgerald, Penguins’ Guerin Also Out Of Carolina GM Search

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New Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon probably did not expect this process to be so hard. After Los Angles Kings Assistant GM Mike Futa joined Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton in dropping out of the running to be the next Hurricanes GM early yesterday, two more names are off the list. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to a potential candidate, New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, and found that he too had pulled out of the search. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun hears Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin also declined to get involved in the process.

Fitzgerald, 49, had a long NHL career, lasting from 1988 to 2006, and then joined the Penguins front office in 2007. He has been the AGM of the Devils since 2015. The experienced hockey mind comes from a strong hockey bloodline and has two sons, Ryan and Casey, with NHL potential. There are many reasons why Fitzgerald would be a strong hire and he certainly seems to have a GM title in his future, but it won’t be with Carolina. Fitzgerald simply told Friedman “This is nothing against Tom Dundon. I am very happy in New Jersey and this is not the right time for me.” Guerin, 47, is in a similar boat. LeBrun states that he too felt the timing was wrong. Guerin himself was a successful NHLer for nearly 20 years and has been with the Penguins organization since 2009, having been promoted to AGM in 2014. Many see Guerin as the heir apparent to 69-year-old Pens GM Jim Rutherford.

These continued rejections have changed Dundon’s frame of mind for his hunt for Ron Francis’ replacement. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports this morning that the team is “shifting gears” and will wait until the off-season to continue their search. LeBrun speculated that this may change the “timing is wrong” feeling from some of these candidates. However, of the three remaining names on the short list reported by Friedman, only one – Buffalo’s Steve Greeley – is currently employed by an NHL team other than Carolina, while the other two candidates are ’Canes Assistant GM Mike Vellucci and former Canucks executive Laurence Gilman. More than anything, the pause could be Dundon re-thinking the whole situation. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth process so far for the NHL’s newest owner.

Another Candidate Withdraws From Carolina GM Search

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Los Angeles Kings’ AGM Mike Futa removed himself from contention for the Carolina Hurricanes GM job recently, and now another leading candidate is pulling out. According to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Nashville Predators AGM Paul Fenton has withdrawn as well.

Friedman now lists Tom Fitzgerald, Laurence Gilman, Steve Greeley and Mike Vellucci as the known candidates, though there could still be others.

The Hurricanes are searching for a new GM after moving Ron Francis into a different position, and owner Thomas Dundon has made it clear the incoming executive will answer directly to him. He and Francis apparently didn’t have similar styles, leading to the move and subsequent search. Obviously Dundon is looking for something very particular, but with two very qualified candidates now pulling out (for one reason or another) the search could become more difficult.

The NHL Entry Draft is just a few months away, and the Hurricanes have some huge negotiations to go through with players like Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Though there are experienced executives like Don Wadell still in the front office, every day that passes gives the new GM less time to prepare for the offseason. The Hurricanes meanwhile are 3-8-2 in their last 13 and have fallen out of the playoff race.

Snapshots: Futa, Seattle, Ference

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As he did last year when interviewed by the Buffalo Sabres for their GM job, Mike Futa has reportedly pulled out of the running for the Carolina Hurricanes vacancy. That’s according to Elliotte Friedman and John Shannon of Sportsnet, who explain that Futa is focused on the Los Angeles Kings’ playoff run instead of getting caught up in a possible promotion.

Last year, Futa said that he was excited for his new role with the Kings as he’d just recently been promoted to assistant General Manager, and now it looks like they’re in no danger of losing him. The Kings are in third place in the Pacific Division and are still among the league leaders in fewest goals against.

  • Tod Leiweke, brother of Tim Leiweke who is heading the group applying for an expansion franchise in Seattle, has left his role in the NFL and will join the group bringing hockey to the Pacific Northwest. As Shannon reports, Tod Leiweke has been involved with several NHL teams in the past including Tampa Bay and Vancouver. The brothers are joined by David Bonderman, a billionaire investor, and several other high-profile names determined to bring hockey back to Seattle. The expansion application has already been filed, and the city’s season ticket drive was a huge success.
  • Andrew Ference was a respected leader during his playing career, and will now join the NHL as Director of Social Impact, Growth & Fan Development. Ference played parts of 16 years in the NHL, suiting up for 907 regular season games and raising the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. He served as captain in Edmonton for two seasons, where he grew up and still resides.

Latest On Carolina GM Search

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We’ve heard several names linked to the vacant Carolina Hurricanes GM role, but Bob McKenzie of TSN reports on another. Steve Greeley, the assistant GM of the Buffalo Sabres and well-traveled front office member has been interviewed by the club. Greeley has experience in scouting, player personnel and coaching, spending time with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Boston University in the past.

The search for the next Hurricanes GM is an interesting one, as the new executive will have to report directly to owner Thomas Dundon. Ron Francis was moved out of the role recently and into one as President of Hockey Operations, despite his work creating a pipeline of young talent. Unfortunately, that talent hasn’t shown much improvement in the standings, as Carolina is set to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight time without a late season push.

Most of the names interviewed in Carolina seem to be those who have never been general manager of an NHL team, but are all expected to be given the opportunity at some point. The Hurricanes might just be that chance as they try to find a fresh outlook for a team that has stagnated in the middle of the standings. Whether the answer is Greeley isn’t clear, but they will certainly check in on every possibility before making a decision.

Minor Transactions: 03/12/18

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Another week, another set of playoff-deciding matchups around the NHL. With so few games remaining in the regular season, every single day is of huge significance. We’ll keep track of all the transactions taking place on the fringes of rosters.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have officially recalled Peter Budaj from the AHL after his conditioning stint. The goaltender played a pair of games for Syracuse as part of his recovery from a lower-body injury, but will now stick around in the NHL. That move gives the Lightning three goaltenders for the time being, giving them plenty of opportunity to rest Andrei Vasilevskiy down the stretch.
  • Ville Husso is up under emergency conditions for the St. Louis Blues, as Carter Hutton deals with injury. Husso is the heir apparent in St. Louis should Hutton leave in free agency, as the 23-year old has shown he’s more than capable in the AHL. Through 34 games for the San Antonio Rampage, Husso has a sparkling .928 save percentage and 2.31 goals against average.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced that Valentin Zykov has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte. Zykov was just recalled on Sunday and did not see any game action. The 2013 second-round pick has put up prolific numbers in each of the past two seasons with the Checkers, but has only two games with the ’Canes to show for it all the way back in March 2017.

Minor Transactions: 3/11/18

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With a busy 11-game schedule Saturday, the NHL has a lighter schedule today with just four games. With all the injuries, many teams will look to make moves to shore up their roster for the upcoming week.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Andrew Campbell to Tucson of the AHL. Strome, the Coyotes third-overall pick in the 2015 draft, has had trouble finding a role with the Coyotes so far as he has just one goal and no assists in 11 NHL games, but has been dominant with the Roadrunners. He has 22 goals and 27 assists in 44 games with Tucson. Campbell was recalled last Sunday as an emergency while defenseman Alex Goligoski was with his wife, waiting for the birth of their child. He did not appear in a game.  Center Dylan Strome was recalled on an emergency basis at the same time but later in the day, the team announced that that recall was cancelled.
  • The St. Louis Blues have announced they have assigned goaltender Ville Husso, forward Samuel Blais, and defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Husso had been recalled on Thursday as an emergency replacement for goaltender Carter Hutton, who injured his neck, but Husso did not see any playing time. Butler was recalled Saturday as an emergency defenseman, but wasn’t needed. Blais, who has been out with a concussion, skated Thursday and might be ready to play with San Antonio. The 21-year-old has three points in 11 games with St. Louis.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have assigned forwards Justin Bailey and Daniel O’Regan to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Both players, who have been shuttled back and forth recently between the two teams, are likely being sent down with a four-game break coming up for the Sabres. Buffalo doesn’t play again until Thursday against Toronto. Bailey, the team’s second-round pick in 2013, scored a goal in Saturday’s game against Vegas, but only picked up 8:39 minutes of ice time. O’Regan, acquired in the Evander Kane trade at the trade deadline, has not picked up a point yet in two games with San Jose. The 24-year-old only got 10:19 of ice time Saturday.
  • As reported yesterday, the Colorado Avalanche officially assigned forward Vladislav Kamenev to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL last night, according to CapFriendly. Kamenev, who came over to the Avalanche from Nashville in the Matt Duchene trade, broke his arm on his first game with Colorado. He is ready to get some playing time in San Antonio and could be recalled once he’s back in game shape.
  • As reported yesterday, the Calgary Flames officially announced they have activated goaltender Mike Smith and have assigned goaltender Jon Gillies to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Smith has been out of the lineup since Feb. 11 with a groin injury and has been listed as day-to-day for weeks. However, he is expected to start today. The return is critical for Calgary who is fighting for a playoff spot. Smith, an all-star this year, has a 2.53 GAA, but more importantly, a .921 save percentage in 47 games for the Flames. The 24-year-old Gillies struggled in limited playing time for Calgary as he played in seven games, putting up a 2.78 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled goaltender Spencer Martin from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL to serve as an emergency backup after Jonathan Bernier was hit in the head with a puck during Saturday’s game. He had already missed several weeks due to concussion symptoms. Martin has had to fill in due to multiple injuries to both Bernier and Andrew Hammond. Martin hasn’t appeared in a game for Colorado, but has a 3.05 GAA and a .895 in 31 appearances with the Rampage.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled winger Valentin Zykov, per a team release.  He has yet to play with the ’Canes this season but has been productive at the AHL level with 30 goals in 57 games which leads their affiliate in Charlotte.

Hurricanes Reach Out To Four More GM Candidates

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  • Yesterday, it was reported that the Hurricanes had asked for permission to interview Mike Futa for their now-vacant GM position. We can now add more names to the list that Carolina is interested in.  Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN reports (Twitter link) that the team has asked for permission to talk to Paul Fenton (Nashville) and Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay) as well as reaching out to former Vancouver assistant GM Laurence Gilman.  TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (via Twitter) that they have also requested permission to interview Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey).

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