Cavan Fitzgerald Clears Waivers
Jan 5: Fitzgerald has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.
Jan 4: The Carolina Hurricanes have placed Cavan Fitzgerald on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. That would indicate that he is ready to return from the injury that has kept him out all year, and put him on season-opening injured reserve. It was undisclosed, but he missed all of training camp as well, meaning he’ll probably need some time to shake the rust off before becoming a call-up option for the Hurricanes.
Not that he is first in line anyway, given Fitzgerald still hasn’t appeared at the NHL level. Signed by the San Jose Sharks as an undrafted free agent out of the QMJHL, he played two seasons for the San Jose Barracuda before the organization decided not to issue him a qualifying offer. Some AHL contracts followed, before the Hurricanes converted his deal into a two-year, two-way NHL contract in 2021.
Now 26, he’ll serve as organizational depth should he clear (which is all but guaranteed) and help the Chicago Wolves try to turn around their disappointing season. The club sits at 11-15-4 on the year and has allowed the second-most goals in the league.
Snapshots: Hughes, Pacioretty, Rhinehart
The New Jersey Devils are finally reaping the rewards of their high-end prospect pool, looking to be in a solid playoff position for the first time in years.
They could soon get another important young piece into the lineup, too. 2021 first-round pick Luke Hughes will “very likely” be in the Devils lineup at the end of the 2022-23 season after his college campaign at the University of Michigan ends, said Michigan coach Brandon Naurato speaking with NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky. Naurato calls Hughes a “Cale Makar-like” talent, and if Hughes is anything reminiscent of Makar’s late-season debut with Colorado in 2019, the Devils have a much better chance at breaking through an air-tight Eastern Conference.
- The Carolina Hurricanes made waves today by activating All-Star forward Max Pacioretty off season-opening injured reserve. However, it’s unclear whether Pacioretty will make his Carolina debut tomorrow night. Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff notes that the team will not have a morning skate tomorrow, and we likely won’t know whether Pacioretty is playing until head coach Rod Brind’Amour‘s pregame media availability in the afternoon.
- An intriguing unsigned prospect could be getting his first look in the AHL. 21-year-old defenseman Rhett Rhinehart was recalled to the Calgary Wranglers today, according to the ECHL’s transactions log. Rhinehart is valuable in that he’s a tall, right-shot defenseman with some offensive awareness. He served as an alternate captain for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades last season, where he had 27 points in 53 games.
Carolina Hurricanes Activate Max Pacioretty
The Carolina Hurricanes, currently sitting in second place in the entire NHL, are about to get a pretty impressive reinforcement. Max Pacioretty has been activated from the season-opening injured reserve, with Ondrej Kase moving to long-term injured reserve to make room. Pacioretty is coming back from offseason surgery to repair a torn Achilles, and will be making his Hurricanes debut whenever head coach Rod Brind’Amour inserts him into the lineup.
It is a rather incredible return, given Pacioretty’s surgery didn’t take place until August 10. That means he was out for less than five months after originally being given a six-month timeline. The 34-year-old winger was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights along with Dylan Coughlan in a salary dump last offseason, with the Hurricanes sending back nothing but future considerations.
Carolina assumed all of Pacioretty’s $7MM cap hit for this season, the last in his four-year $28MM deal signed with Vegas in 2018. One of the most consistent goal scorers of his generation, he could potentially be a difference-maker for the Hurricanes for the rest of the year. Pacioretty has topped 30 goals six times in his career, and combined for 43 in 87 games over the last two shortened seasons.
Even if he can’t get back to 100 percent of his former self, he’s joining a group in Carolina that is already poised to contend for a Stanley Cup. Pacioretty was skating with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Derek Stepan today at practice.
For Kase, it does not appear as though there was a setback, but his placement on LTIR opens the room to fit Pacioretty under the cap. The veteran forward has been skating with the team in a non-contact jersey of late, though there is no clear timeline for his return from another concussion.
Pyotr Kochetkov Named Rookie Of The Month
- The NHL also revealed the Rookie of the Month for December with Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov getting the nod. The 23-year-old posted a 1.63 GAA along with a .939 SV% and two shutouts in eight appearances last month, just weeks after inking a four-year, $8MM contract extension that kicks in next season.
Could Raanta Be The Odd Man Out For Carolina's Goalies?
- While Carolina’s original intention might have been to send Pyotr Kochetkov back to the minors when Frederik Andersen returns from his injury, his play has made that much more difficult. Accordingly, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News opines that Antti Raanta might be the odd one out between the pipes. He has a 2.53 GAA with a .900 SV% in 14 starts this season, a decent return on a $2.25MM AAV. While the Hurricanes likely wouldn’t be able to command a sizable return for Raanta’s services, he could be a useful pickup for a team looking for a short-term option between the pipes.
Max Pacioretty Could Return Ahead Of Schedule
- The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have Max Pacioretty in the lineup tomorrow, but head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today that it is possible he returns within the next ten games. The veteran forward tore his Achilles in August and was given a six-month recovery timeline – one that he appears well ahead of. Pacioretty scored 19 goals and 37 points in 39 games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
Jack Drury Sent To AHL Chicago
- Jack Drury’s recall to Carolina was a short-lived one. Just one day after being brought back up following a paper demotion during the holiday break, the Hurricanes announced that they’ve returned the center to AHL Chicago. The 22-year-old has played in 21 NHL games this season, notching two assists, but is averaging just shy of ten minutes a game which isn’t necessarily ideal for development. Drury has gotten into eight games with the Wolves where he has three points. With Max Pacioretty getting closer to returning, Drury’s stay in the minors might last a little longer this time.
Carolina Hurricanes Recall Jack Drury
Of note, both Raty and Fasching are playing in tonight’s game, and though Drury is not playing tonight, he is listed on the Hurricanes’ roster. Vegas faces off against the Los Angeles Kings later tonight at 7:30 pm PT/10:30 pm ET, so more may be known on their players at that time.
Carolina Hurricanes:
Max Pacioretty No Longer In No-Contact Jersey
Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty has taken another step towards returning to the lineup as Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer reports (Twitter link) that the veteran is no longer in a no-contact jersey. Pacioretty has been out for the entire year so far after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon and while he’s still likely to be out a little while longer for conditioning purposes, he’ll be a key addition to Carolina’s lineup for the second half of the season. He had 19 goals and 18 assists in 39 games with Vegas last year but was moved in the offseason as a cap-saving move. Carolina shouldn’t have any issues activating Pacioretty from LTIR when he’s given the green light to return.
Sebastian Aho Won't Play Saturday Or Sunday
- Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho, who has been out of the lineup since December 6th with a lower-body injury will not play tonight against the Dallas Stars or tomorrow afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins, says Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff, who spoke with head coach Rod Brind’Amour prior to tonight’s game. On a positive note, Brind’Amour added that Aho was on the ice earlier today, indicating a return could be sooner rather than later. Interestingly, Carolina has done just fine without Aho in the lineup, going 3-0-0 in the process, including back-to-back shutouts of the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings. Obviously, the team would still prefer to get one of the NHL’s very best centers back into their lineup as soon as possible, especially considering schedule doesn’t get any easier after tomorrow, facing the New Jersey Devils and the Penguins again this week.