Snapshots: Duchene, Trouba, Waiver Activity
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba made his presence felt in his first game of the season. It wasn’t on the scoresheet, however. Just ask Matt Duchene.
Trouba caught Duchene with a high hit to the head, causing the speedy Avalanche center to leave the game. Adrian Dater reported that the NHL’s concussion spotters may have pulled Duchene from the game. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said post-game that he has no update on his star’s condition.
The two players have been linked before, with some speculation the Avalanche offered Duchene up in a trade for Trouba. With Trouba signing a two-year contract with the Jets before withdrawing his trade request and Duchene leading the Avalanche in scoring, it seems unlikely that anything will come to fruition soon.
- The Florida Panthers have claimed forward Seth Griffith on waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Chris Johnston. The Leafs had previously claimed Griffith on waivers from the Bruins just last month, but he was held off the scoresheet in just three games in blue and white. The Leafs needed to make a move with Matt Hunwick returning from IR and Josh Leivo coming back from a conditioning stint. As Johnston points out, the young forward will have a much better chance to make an impact in Florida, where the Panthers are dealing with a handful of injuries. Griffith won’t have to wait long to face his former team; the Panthers are in Toronto this Thursday.
- Defenseman Nicklas Grossmann is on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutually terminating his contract with the Calgary Flames. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests Grossmann may have an offer to play overseas. He’s been in and out of the Flames lineup after a successful PTO. Shortly after the signing, Christian Roatis of Flames Nation broke down why the Flames signed the aging defenseman to a one-year, league-minimum contract: to boost their LTIR savings on the injured Ladislav Smid.
- Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jakub Nakladal cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The Hurricanes have called up Matt Tennyson to take his place on the roster. Nakladal is -4 in three games this season; Tennyson has 7 points in 9 AHL games so far. Also clearing waivers was Florida’s Shane Harper who was assigned to Springfield of the AHL. Harper has two goals and an assist in 14 games with the Panthers this season.
Canes Recall Brock McGinn, Derek Ryan From Charlotte
With the sad news regarding Bryan Bickell‘s health and the assignment of Phillip Di Giuseppe to Charlotte earlier today, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forwards Brock McGinn and Derek Ryan from their AHL affiliate, according to a release on the team’s official site.
Ryan currently leads the Checkers in scoring with 13 points through nine games and in six career NHL contests, all of which came last season, the 29-year-old pivot has tallied two goals. He has spent a majority of his pro career playing in Europe, including three years in Austria and another in Sweden. Ryan originally signed with the Carolina organization in June of 2015.
McGinn was drafted by the Hurricanes in the second round of the 2012 entry draft out of Guelph of the OHL. He made his NHL debut last season, appearing in 21 games with the Canes and scoring three goals with one assist. At the time of his recall, McGinn was on a seven-game points streak with Charlotte and ranks third on the team in scoring with eight points.
The moves now leave Carolina with 13 healthy forwards – not including Bickell of course.
Bryan Bickell Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis
The Carolina Hurricanes, via their official team website, announced today that forward Bryan Bickell has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Ron Franics, the team’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, made the announcement.
“First and foremost, the most important thing is for Bryan to take care of himself and our thoughts are with him and his family. He will need to take some time to rest in the immediate future, and we will support him as he takes the necessary steps for his health. We ask that his privacy be respected during the process.”
Bickell was also quoted in the team’s release:
“Since the 2015 playoffs, I’ve been struggling to understand what was going on with my body. Again during the past few weeks, it felt like something wasn’t right. Obviously this is a bit of shock for my family and me, but I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love.”
Obviously it’s unclear when or even if Bickell will return to the ice, though as his comments above suggest, he has every intention of suiting up again. The rugged winger was acquired by Carolina in the summer along with forward Teuvo Teravainen from Chicago in exchange for draft picks and salary cap relief. Bickell had appeared in seven games for Carolina netting a single goal and averaging 9:42 of ice time.
Former Minnesota goalie Josh Harding was diagnosed with MS early in the 2013-13 season but would return to the NHL to play in 34 regular season contests with the Wild over the next two seasons. That should offer Bickell some hope of an eventual return.
The Pro Hockey Rumors staff would like to extend our thoughts and well wishes to Bryan and his family during this time.
Hurricanes Send Phil Di Giuseppe To Charlotte
The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned left wing Phillip Di Giuseppe to Charlotte of the AHL, as first reported by Elite Prospects via Twitter. The move was later confirmed on the Charlotte Checkers official team website.
Di Giuseppe has appeared in 11 of Carolina’s 13 contests this year but has failed to record a point and carries a -6 plus-minus rating. The 6-foot, 200-pound forward made his NHL debut in 2015-16 and impressed tallying seven goals and 17 points in just 41 games for the Hurricanes.
It’s not clear whether there will be a corresponding move to recall someone to take Di Giuseppe’s spot. The Hurricanes have just 12 forwards on their roster now with Di Giuseppe off to Charlotte.
Carolina drafted Di Giuseppe in the second round of the 2012 draft out of the University of Michigan. He spent three years in Ann Arbor, playing in 115 games for the Wolverines and scoring 78 points. After signing with Carolina, Di Giuseppe saw action in 104 AHL contests over parts of three seasons and tallying 19 goals with 30 helpers.
Di Giuseppe is in the final season of his two-way, entry level contract which calls for a $867.5K salary while on an NHL roster and just $70K for suiting up in the AHL. Clearly a long-term stint in Charlotte will cost Di Giuseppe a fair amount of cash.
Jakub Nakladal, Shane Harper On Waivers
First-year forward Shane Harper has been placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers tweets Bill Whitehead, who covers the team for the AP. The 27-year-old Harper made his NHL debut this season, seeing action in 14 games and recording three points for the Panthers.
Harper was signed by the Panthers in the summer of 2015 and spent the entire campaign with the AHL Portland Pirates. He scored 12 goals and 37 points in 59 games for the Panthers top minor league affiliate. It’s probable Harper will go unclaimed and be returned to the minors.
Elliotte Friedman adds that joining Harper on waivers this afternoon is defenseman Jakub Nakladal of the Carolina Hurricanes. Nakladal inked an unrestricted free agent deal last month with the Hurricanes and appeared in three contests for Carolina. Nakladal was held scoreless and finished with a -4 plus-minus rating while averaging 14:30 of ice time per game.
Given Nakladal remained unsigned until just days before Carolina’s 2016-17 season opener, it would seem likely he’ll clear waivers and be eligible to be sent to Charlotte of the AHL.
Justin Faulk Out “Week-To-Week”
The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that All-Star defenseman Justin Faulk is considered “week-to-week” with an upper body injury. Faulk was injured in the third period of the Hurricanes game against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday and will be out of the lineup for the rematch tonight. Although Faulk has not yet been placed on injured reserve, that does not mean that he will not be out of the lineup long-term. Coach Bill Peters said that more will be known about the undisclosed injury once preliminary MRI results come back.
Carolina’s second-round pick in 2010, Faulk has quickly developed into a star on the blue line in Raleigh. After becoming a regular player at just 19, the 24-year-old now sits in a leadership position as the centerpiece of a young defense core for the Hurricanes. Faulk has 161 points in 337 career games, all while logging top pair minutes. Thus far in 2016-17 he leads the ‘Canes in ice time and is fourth on the team in goals (3) and points (3).
Faulk’s rank among Carolina skaters is a good indication as to how well the team is playing. At 3-5-3, the Hurricanes sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Not only have they been unable to score, but even with a healthy Faulk the defense has struggled. Carolina is currently allowing 3.5 goals per game, and with Faulk out of the lineup, the pressure is on for youngsters Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Noah Hanifin to prevent that mark from further inflation. Replacing the minutes and production of Faulk is a daunting task, and it seems like more hard times are on the way for the rebuilding Hurricanes.
New York Islanders Place Travis Hamonic On IR, Recall Adam Pelech
As previously reported, the Islanders have lost the services of Travis Hamonic for 4-6 weeks after blocking a shot and being removed from the game Saturday night. Hamonic was officially placed on injured reserve today, retroactive to November 5th and the Isles have recalled Adam Pelech from Bridgeport to replace him.
The loss of Hamonic is a big blow to the Islanders, who are struggling out of the gate this season. With just one win in their last six games, they’ve slipped to 15th in the Eastern Conference, only ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes. Andrew Ladd, the big free agent signing hasn’t transitioned well to New York State, and the ice is a huge problem at the Barclay’s Center.
[Updated: New York Islanders Depth Chart]
For a team that was thought of as a potential Stanley Cup contender, it’s been far from an easy ride through the first dozen games. They’ll try to use Pelech to turn it around, though with only nine games of NHL experience they likely can’t lean too heavily on the 22-year old. With the Islanders now having just a single right-handed option (Johnny Boychuk) on the blueline, someone will have to play on his off-side.
Red Wings Claim Martin Frk Off Waivers From Carolina
The Detroit Red Wings have reclaimed right winger Martin Frk off of waivers from Carolina, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link). Bob Duff of the Windsor Star adds via Twitter that Frk has been assigned to Grand Rapids of the AHL.
Frk, originally drafted by the Wings in the second round (49th overall) in 2012, has spent the bulk of his professional career at the minor league level. Last season was his first full season at the AHL level after splitting the previous two campaigns between Grand Rapids and Toledo of the ECHL. In 2015-16, he played in 67 games for the AHL’s Griffins, scoring 27 goals while adding 17 assists.
The Wings waived Frk last month but the Hurricanes scooped him off the wire and were one of three teams in total to place a claim according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie (Twitter link). However, Carolina rarely used the 23 year old as he has played in just two games so far this season, being held pointless with a -3 rating while averaging just 8:20 of ice time per game.
Because no other team placed a claim on Frk, Detroit was be able to send him down. Had another team put in a claim, the Red Wings would have been forced to keep him on their NHL roster or re-waive him to attempt to send him to the AHL.
[Related: Red Wings Depth Chart]
Meanwhile for Carolina, with Frk now off the roster, the team has activated defenseman Ryan Murphy off of injured reserve. Murphy suffered a lower body injury in the preseason and has not yet suited up for the Hurricanes this season.
Snapshots: Sergachev, Frk, Bauer
The red-hot Montreal Canadiens have assigned rookie defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. The ninth overall pick of the 2016 draft started the season with the Canadiens, going pointless in 3 games. The Canadiens are 8-0-1 so far this season.
Sergachev is expected to play a big role for the Spitfires, where he scored 57 points in 67 games last season. He was one of the top-ranked defensemen for last summer’s draft, alongside Olli Juolevi and Jakob Chychrun.
As a result of him not reaching nine games played, his contract will slide to next year. There are now 20 slide-eligible rookies in the NHL.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have placed Martin Frk on waivers. Frk went pointless and -3 in 2 games played with the Hurricanes, his first two NHL games. Carolina claimed Frk on waivers earlier this month from the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings will get first waiver priority to claim their 2012 second rounder, then the remaining order is the reverse standings order from the end of the 2015-16 season. The waiver priority will change to this season’s standings on November 1st.
- Some high profile NHLers may be without endorsement deals as soon as today. Players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Alex Ovechkin all make between $300K and $500K per season for using Bauer equipment. However, Bauer’s parent company, Performance Sports Group (PSG), has filed for bankruptcy protection. TSN’s Rick Westhead quoted a source as saying a bankruptcy judge can “cancel those endorsement contracts and list the players as creditors.” PSG is expected to have more than $400MM in debt by the end of the year. There are also shareholders preparing to file a lawsuit for inflated sales figures and growth prospects. PSG bough Bauer from Nike in 2008, and also purchased equipment makers Cascade and Easton in recent years.
Metro Division Snapshots: Carolina, Jooris, Buchnevich, McIlrath, Poulin
The Carolina Hurricanes, a team projected by some as a potential dark-horse in the Eastern Conference playoff chase, have won just one of their first six games and currently reside in the Metro Division basement. They’ll finally get a taste of home cooking Friday after starting the campaign on a six-game road trip as the Hurricanes will host the New York Rangers. Despite a respectable offense that is averaging three goals a game and a defense limiting opponents to the fourth-fewest shot attempts, Carolina has been undone by poor goaltending and as Ben Pope writes for Today’s Slapshot, it might be time for the Hurricanes to panic.
Cam Ward and Eddie Lack have combined for an 85.3% save percentage, the worst in the NHL, and have allowed four goals a game. Beyond the common numbers, the Hurricanes goalie duo is also performing at a below average level preventing goals against on low-, medium-, and high-danger shots, as Pope notes.
After just six games it’s fair to wonder about sample-size but Pope goes on to write that Ward, while sometimes making the spectacular save, has been a subpar netminder for much of his career. Lack, on the other hand, is nearly league-average in stopping shots from the outside but struggles mightily against attempts from in close.
Citing statistics available on Corsica.hockey, Pope opines the team’s defense hasn’t done the goalies any favors. Even though they have been excellent overall in suppressing shots, the ones they do allow have been of the medium-to-high-danger variety. The data shows 81.2% of the shots Carolina gives up are either of the medium of high-danger variety with the league average coming in at 63.4%.
Ultimately, the Hurricanes need better play between the pipes if they want to remain a relevant playoff contender. If that improvement doesn’t come internally, Carolina may have to scour the trade market to find a solution.
More from around the Metro Division:
- With Pavel Buchnvich expected to return to the lineup Friday the New York Rangers were facing a difficult decision regarding whom to remove from their 23-man roster to open a spot for the rookie forward. But the injury to Josh Jooris Wednesday night allowed the Rangers to delay that decision a little longer, writes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. However, instead of taking advantage of that opportunity, the Blueshirts this morning have placed Dylan McIlrath on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, the club will likely send their 2010 first-round draft pick to Hartford of the AHL. McIlrath has suited up for just one game this season and has been a healthy scratch six times.
- Former New York Islander netminder Kevin Poulin has signed a deal with Barys of the KHL, tweets Igor Eronko of Sports Express. Poulin showed promise early in his career after debuting in the league with a 92.4% save percentage and a goals-against-average of 2.44 in 10 appearances as a 20-year-old back in 2010-11. It’s been downhill ever since with his save percentage declining in each subsequent campaign. Poulin last saw action in the league in 2014-15, starting once and allowing three goals on 26 shots. He appeared in 29 contests for Stockton in the AHL, winning 14 and stopping 90.9% of the attempts against.