- While Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis skated today in a non-contact jersey, he is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). The 22-year-old is dealing with an upper-body injury and was moved to injured reserve retroactive to last week, meaning he can be activated as soon as he gets the green light to return. Jarvis is off to a solid start to his season with four goals and seven assists in 13 games before sustaining the injury.
Hurricanes Rumors
Blake And Martin Recalled After Paper Demotions
- The Hurricanes are continuing their near-daily movement as they’ve recalled winger Jackson Blake and goaltender Spencer Martin from AHL Chicago, per the AHL’s transactions log. Blake has been sent down five times already but hasn’t played with the Wolves and with five goals and two assists in 17 games with Carolina, he probably won’t anytime soon. Meanwhile, even though Carolina is using Pyotr Kochetkov and Martin as their tandem with Frederik Andersen injured, the Hurricanes haven’t moved Andersen to IR which allows them to continue to paper Martin down on off days while technically remaining compliant with roster minimums.
Snapshots: Wild, Perets, Edvinsson, Rasmussen
The Minnesota Wild have assigned forwards Liam Ohgren and Michael Milne, and defender Daemon Hunt, to the AHL as they anticipate the return of Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek. Michael Russo of The Athletic points out that, even with the two veterans returning, the team will likely call another forward up in the coming days.
Ohgren made his return to the lineup, and Milne his NHL debut, in Saturday’s loss to the Dallas Stars. Neither had much to show for their minutes, with Ohgren recording two shots in 12:10 and Milne recording three hits in 6:34. Another scoreless night pulled Ohgren through his eighth game this season with no points. Hunt hasn’t stepped into the lineup since being recalled on November 12th, though he did play one NHL game in October. All three have been far more productive with the AHL’s Iowa Wild – where Ohgren has four goals in four games; Hunt has two assists in six games; and Milne has eight points in 10 games. Ohgren and Milne will be the top options to be quickly recalled, though Minnesota could also turn towards veteran pros like Ben Jones, Travis Boyd, or Devin Shore.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent goaltender Yaniv Perets back to the minor leagues with Pyotr Kochetkov set to return from injury per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Kochetkov missed Carolina’s Saturday win over Ottawa with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour describing Kochetkov as “banged up” to postgame media including NHL.com’s Matt Komma was the closest indication of Kochetkov’s hold up. Whatever the issue was, the young netminder is set to reassume his familiar role as de facto starter with Frederik Andersen out long-term. Kochetkov has eight wins and a .897 save percentage through 10 games this season. Meanwhile, Perets has only served as backup in his NHL call-ups this season. He’s posted a .825 save percentage in three AHL games this year, and will return to a crowded Chicago Wolves goaltender room beside Spencer Martin and Ruslan Khazheyev.
- Forward Michael Rasmussen (upper-body) and defenseman Simon Edvinsson (lower-body) are both expected to return to the lineup on Monday per the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. Both players sat out of the team’s Saturday night loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Rasmussen has found a role in Detroit’s bottom-six, recording four points through 16 games this season. Edvinsson has proven far more impactful, usually serving as the go-to partner for star Wings defender Moritz Seider. Edvinsson has six points in 16 games this season, putting him on pace for 30 points in his rookie year.
Andersen Could Require Surgery, Jarvis Moved To IR
- Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen’s injury is not related to the blood clots that kept him out for a significant chunk of last season, notes Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). After initially being listed as out week-to-week, he’s now out for considerably longer than that. Lavalette adds that the team is weighing the possibility of Andersen having surgery although no decision has been made on that front yet.
- Still with the Hurricanes, the team announced that winger Seth Jarvis has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 10th. He has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury and the team hopes he can return to practice next week. Because of the retroactive placement, he’s eligible to be reactivated as soon as Sunday. The move creates a roster spot for recently-recalled goaltender Yaniv Perets with the team also quietly recalling Ty Smith late Thursday.
Hurricanes Recall Yaniv Perets
With Frederik Andersen now out long-term, Carolina’s net belongs to Pyotr Kochetkov for the foreseeable future with Spencer Martin as his backup. However, Kochetkov is day-to-day himself which meant the Hurricanes needed to call up another netminder. That move was made with the team announcing that Yaniv Perets has been recalled from AHL Chicago.
The 24-year-old signed with Carolina as an undrafted free agent in 2023 following a stellar college career at Quinnipiac, capped off by a 34-4-3 record with a 1.49 GAA, a .931 SV%, and 10 shutouts in 41 games that season.
Last year, with the Hurricanes not having their own AHL affiliate, Perets primarily played with ECHL Norfolk where he put up a 2.99 GAA with a .889 SV% in 34 games while also making one relief appearance with Carolina, making one save in nearly 13 minutes of work. This season, Perets has played in three games with the Wolves, putting up a 3.67 GAA with a .825 SV%.
The recall was made after 4:00 PM CT which means it won’t count against the salary cap until Saturday. Even with his addition to the roster, the Hurricanes still have an open spot and can easily create another by moving Andersen to injured reserve.
Hurricanes Notes: Andersen, Kochetkov, Jarvis
It appears Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will miss a significant chunk of the season for the second year in a row. After being previously listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, he’s been downgraded to a “way longer” return timeline, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer on Friday.
Andersen, 35, has not played since Oct. 26 against the Kraken. He didn’t leave any of his four starts this year, so it’s still unclear when exactly he sustained the injury. Evidently, it’s one that now appears serious enough to keep him out for months, not weeks.
The veteran had been exceptional in the early going with a .941 SV% and 1.48 GAA. The Danish netminder is in the back half of the two-year, $6.8MM deal he signed in 2023 to return to Carolina after spending a couple of hours as an unrestricted free agent.
Last season, Andersen played just 16 games while being held out for most of the season due to a blood clotting issue. The two-time Jennings Trophy winner has a pristine 72-28-4 record, .919 SV% and 2.19 GAA since coming to Carolina in 2021 but averaged just 34 appearances per season over his first three years. He’s now extremely unlikely to improve on that average.
That means the net will be Pyotr Kochetkov’s for the foreseeable future. The 25-year-old has been good enough for Carolina to win games, as evidenced by his 8-2-0 record through 10 starts. However, his .897 SV% and -0.9 GSAA are certainly causes for concern. Each would be career-lows for the Russian, who’s playing in his fourth NHL campaign and is in the second season of a four-year, $8MM contract.
There’s more from Carolina:
- Unfortunately, even Kochetkov may not be available for Saturday’s game against the Senators. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury that leaves him doubtful for tomorrow’s game, Brind’Amour told Alexander, which would force an additional recall from AHL Chicago. The Hurricanes already summoned veteran Spencer Martin from the minors last month in the wake of Andersen’s injury. He’s struggled in one start and one relief appearance this year, surrendering six goals on 31 shots for a .806 SV% and 5.19 GAA. Kochetkov’s absence won’t be anything longer than day-to-day, though, Brind’Amour said.
- Up front, Carolina is also dealing with an upper-body injury to winger Seth Jarvis that’s kept the top-six forward out of action for their last two games. Brind’Amour told the team’s Walt Ruff that the organization hopes he can return to practice next week, meaning he’s likely set to miss another three or four games at minimum. Jarvis, still just 22 years old, had 11 points through the season’s first 13 games after signing an eight-year, $59.36MM contract over the summer. Eric Robinson has filled in well in a fringe top-six role in the meantime with nine points in 15 games and will presumably continue to skate higher in the lineup until Jarvis returns.
Hurricanes Activate, Reassign Riley Stillman
Nov. 13: Stillman cleared waivers and is on his way to the AHL, according to Friedman.
Nov. 12: The Hurricanes have placed defenseman Riley Stillman on waivers with the intent to assign him to AHL Chicago, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The move indicates he’s been activated from season-opening injured reserve after missing the past couple of months with a lower-body injury.
Stillman, 26, hasn’t played in the NHL since April 2023 with the Sabres. He spent all of last season on assignment to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, where the heavy-hitting 6’2″ defender struggled with only six points in 47 games with a -4 rating.
The 2016 fourth-round pick of the Panthers was hoping to get his career back on track with the Canes, who inked him to a two-way deal ($775K/$150K) in the first few days of free agency. There was a small opening for him to potentially stick on the roster as a seventh defenseman, but without a full training camp to evaluate him, it was a foregone conclusion that he’d end up on waivers after he was medically cleared to play.
Over the course of five seasons, Stillman has 158 NHL games under his belt with the Panthers, Blackhawks, Canucks, and Sabres. He’s scored four goals and 22 assists for 26 points, compiling a -19 rating with 197 blocks and 318 hits while averaging 15:49 per game.
Smith Returned To Chicago
- The Hurricanes announced that they’ve re-assigned defenseman Ty Smith to AHL Chicago. Carolina recalled the 24-year-old on Sunday but didn’t play him. Smith has three assists in four games with the Wolves so far this season and has 123 career NHL appearances under his belt from his time with New Jersey and Pittsburgh.
Hurricanes Recall Tyson Jost And Ty Smith
As their West Coast road trip continues, the Hurricanes have added a pair of reinforcements. The team announced that they’ve recalled center Tyson Jost and defenseman Ty Smith from AHL Chicago.
Jost signed a one-year, $775K one-way deal with Carolina on the opening day of free agency after being non-tendered by Buffalo, giving him guaranteed NHL money and the Hurricanes an experienced center. However, he failed to make the opening roster and cleared waivers last month, getting sent to the Wolves soon after. The 26-year-old has played in eight games in the minors so far this season, picking up a goal and two assists. For his career, Jost has 140 points in 456 career NHL appearances between Colorado, Minnesota, and Buffalo.
As for Smith, it’s his second stint with the big club this season after spending ten days up with Carolina last month but didn’t see any game action. The 24-year-old has played in three games with the Wolves so far in 2024-25, picking up a pair of assists. The Hurricanes acquired Smith last season at the trade deadline as part of the Jake Guentzel trade but left him with Pittsburgh’s farm team, meaning this is his first year in their system. Smith has 123 career NHL games under his belt with 47 points, the bulk of those coming a few years ago while with New Jersey.
With Carolina sending down Spencer Martin today (at least on a paper transaction), Carolina’s active roster currently stands at 22 players.
East Notes: Jarry, Grebenkin, Sgarbossa, Martin
The Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending room has been thrown for a loop to start the season. A clear hierarchy set up in training camp was quickly dismantled when Tristan Jarry was sent to the minor leagues for a five-game conditioning stint. His absence gave Joel Blomqvist and Alex Nedeljkovic a chance to plant their feet in the Penguins’ starting crease – and while the former has performed well, Pittsburgh’s 6-8-2 record could give Jarry a golden chacne to work his way back into the lineup.
At least, that’s the path laid out by NHL.com’s Wes Crosby, who spoke with Jarry on his path back to the NHL. The netminder told Crosby, “Hopefully, that’s the way it goes. I want to come back here, and I want to play well. That’s my goal. That’s what I want to do. I want to help this team as much as possible. Whenever I’m in the net, I think giving them a chance to win and helping this team get in a good place.”
The 29-year-old Jarry posted a 4-1-0 record and .926 save percentage in five AHL games – far better than the .836 save percentage he’s managed through three NHL games this year. He stood up to 51 games last season, though his 19-25-5 record marked the first losing season of his five-year tenure as Pittsburgh’s go-to goalie. He’s managed a 137-86-34 record in his nine-year career, working above future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury and the less-successful Matt Murray in his climb to an everyday role. Jarry will now look to get back to his rightful spot, as Pittsburgh tries to buck a 3-5-2 record in their last 10.
Other notes from out East:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs could have a hidden gem in 21-year-old winger Nikita Grebenkin, who’s managed seven points and no penalties through his first nine AHL games. The bruising winger brings a welcome mix of grit and skill to the Toronto depths, which Steven Ellis of Leafs Nation says could lead to a hardy lineup role someday soon. Ellis points out that Grebenkin’s climb to the lineup is blocked by a long list of bottom-six wingers, including Nicholas Robertson and the soon-to-return Connor Dewar – but Grebenkin could be quick to take advantage of his next chance. The young forward is already a seasoned pro, totaling 41 points in 67 games for Magnitogorsk Metallurg last season as the team pursued their first KHL Championship since 2016. That winning mindset will make Grebenkin a name to watch, especially if Toronto chooses to part ways with some of their crowded bottom-six.
- The Washington Capitals have returned minor league centerman Michael Sgarbossa to the AHL’s Hershey Bears just two days after he was recalled to the NHL, per AHL transaction logs. He appeared in 11:25 in ice time and recorded one goal and one assist in Washington’s 8-1 dousing of the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. They were Sgarbossa’s first NHL points since late March of last season, and brought his NHL scoring up to par with the nine points he’s managed in seven AHL games this season. No Capitals player has been involved in more roster moves to start the early season, and it’s likely that another shot at NHL ice time isn’t too far out of reach for the 32-year-old Sgarbossa.
- The Carolina Hurricanes also returned a player to the minors, per transaction logs, sending goaltender Spencer Martin back down after he allowed the Colorado Avalanche to score five goals on 28 shots on Saturday. Martin was recalled to help fill-in for the injured Frederik Andersen, who head coach Rod Brind’Amour dubbed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury on October 31st. Pyotr Kochetkov has taken over starting duties in response, but his .896 save percentage through eight games – and Martin’s poor performance this weekend – could have the team looking for other outlets. Martin currently leads the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in save percentage (.920), well ahead of Ruslan Khazheyev (.898) and Yaniv Perets (.825) despite each playing only a few games