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Evening Notes: Nazar, Girard, Brindley, Cuylle

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The Chicago Blackhawks will hold their breath through Friday night. Top forward Frank Nazar exited their game against the Calgary Flames in the first period, after a subtle cross-check from Flames forward Joel Farabee. Emerging Blackhawks bruiser Colton Dach stepped up to fight Farabee after the collision.

Nazar’s importance to the Blackhawks can’t be understated. He has recorded 11 points and a plus-three through 14 games this season, placing him second on the team in scoring behind Connor Bedard. The duo are growing into a true one-two punch for Chicago, something the organization bet on when they signed Nazar long-term this summer. The Blackhawks would face a difficult decision should Nazar need to miss gametime.

They would likely need to promote Ryan Greene in the lineup, and move Oliver Moore from left-wing to center. That would place even more stake on the rookies on a Blackhawks team currently ranked fifth in the Central Division.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar issued updates on a pair of injuries, captured by Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now. Defenseman Samuel Girard won’t join the team on their two-game road-trip as he continues to recover from a week-to-week, upper-body injury. That could prompt the team to recall an extra forward, though rookie Gavin Brindley was a full participant at Friday’s practice. Brindley has missed two games with a concussion sustained last week. He would give the Avalanche 12 healthy forwards for their upcoming road-trip. Brindley has scored two points in 12 games this season. Should he remain out, Colorado would have to choose who to recall between minor-leaguers Tristen Nielsen, Jayson Megna, and Alex Barre-Boulet.
  • The New York Rangers will also have a young forward to keep an eye on. Centerman William Cuylle left Friday’s game versus the Detroit Red Wings after blocking a shot with his knee in the third period, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. He appeared noticeably hurt, and needed help from teammates to get off the ice and down the tunnel. Somehow, Cuylle managed to return to the bench before the end of the game, per Baugh, prompting a sigh of relief among the Rangers’ faithful. Still, with the weight of the shot, Cuylle could still need a few days off once the bruise sets in. New York’s Saturday practice will bring a clearer picture of Cuylle’s prognosis. He managed a power-play goal prior to exiting on Friday, marking his seventh point in 15 games this season.

Avalanche Recall Jack Ahcan, Reassign Tristen Nielsen

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Nov. 5: Nielsen was returned to AHL Colorado after making his NHL debut last night, the team announced. He skated just 5:25 of ice time, recording four hits.

Nov. 3: Amidst numerous injuries to regular lineup players, the Colorado Avalanche announced today that they have recalled forward Tristen Nielsen and defenseman Jack Ahcan from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. The moves come after several updates to injured Avalanche players were reported earlier today by Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano: forward Gavin Brindley has been managing a concussion, Logan O’Connor is “progressing” but will remain out, and Samuel Girard is a possibility to return to the ice this weekend.

In recalling Nielsen, the Avalanche have given themselves an additional forward option to work with while O’Connor and Brindley remain injured. The Avalanche have been running an extremely inexperienced fourth line: two of the three players (Zakhar Bardakov and Taylor Makar) have played in a combined nine total career NHL games, and combine for less than 30 games of experience playing professional hockey in North America.

By recalling Nielsen, 25, the Avalanche have given head coach Jared Bednar a more experienced option to potentially pencil into his fourth line. While Nielsen doesn’t have any NHL experience just yet, he does have nearly 250 games of AHL experience, and has won a Calder Cup championship.

Nielsen also positioned himself for an early-season recall with a tremendously successful preseason performance: he tied for the lead among Avalanche forwards in goal scoring with two in his three preseason contests, to go along with one assist.

There were those in Vancouver’s media sphere who believed Nielsen had done enough in the AHL to earn a call-up in Vancouver, but the opportunity to make his NHL debut never materialized for the tenacious winger. But through his strong preseason performance and solid start to his AHL season (he ranks third on AHL Colorado with nine points in 11 games) he has put himself in a position to finally get into an NHL game in Colorado.

On defense, Girard’s lingering injury means that the team, before this recall, only had six healthy defensemen on its roster. By recalling Ahcan, they’ve given themselves a spare blueliner to provide insurance in case any of their regular blueliners is unfit to play.

With the team set to host the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow and Girard reportedly not ready to return until this weekend, keeping a seventh defenseman is an important move to ensure the Avalanche don’t get into a tough spot in case an unexpected injury or other reason for unavailability on defense were to pop up.

Ahcan, 28, is a 5’8″ left-shot defenseman bringing 279 games of AHL experience and 13 games of NHL experience to the table. Ahcan has been a quality producer from the blueline at just about every level he’s played at on a full-time basis, and he has scored at a 40-point 72-game pace over the course of his AHL career.

The Avalanche’s current third-pairing left-shot blueliner is Ilya Solovyov, a big stay-at-home defenseman who the team plucked off of waivers on Oct. 3. This recall gives Bednar the option to swap Solovyov with Ahcan should he prefer to ice a third pairing with a little less size and a little more offensive ability than it would have with Solovyov in the lineup.

Photos courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports

Late Night Notes: Tanev, Makar, Wutzke

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev was taken out of Saturday night’s game on a stretcher, following a collision with Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov halfway through the third period. It wasn’t clear exactly where Tanev took the bump, though he was fitted with a head immobilizer.

It is a terrible outcome in what was meant to be Tanev’s first full game back from a previous injury. He was activated off of injured reserve earlier on Saturday, after missing 11 days and four games with a concussion sustained on October 21st.

Tanev remained a core part of Toronto’s blue-line prior to his October 21st injury. His plus-three through seven games is the second-highest among Toronto defenders. He also leads the blue-line with four takeaways on the year.

Toronto could be pushed to recall Dakota Mermis, who was assigned to the AHL to make room for Tanev’s return. Mermis has no scoring through one appearance in the NHL, and two in the AHL, this season. He could continue to fit outside the lineup, should Toronto continue leaning on Philippe Myers and Simon Benoit in a nightly role.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • The Colorado Avalanche have assigned forward Taylor Makar to the AHL. Makar made his NHL debut on Saturday. He posted one hit and no shots in just six minutes of action. The night was also Taylor’s first chance to play alongside brother Cale Makar at the NHL rank. Despite playing for the same junior and college programs, the two hadn’t formally played together, largely thanks to Cale being three years Taylor’s senior. With this move, the younger Makar will now return to the AHL ranks, where he’s already accrued four points and 14 penalty minutes in nine games. He’s playing through his rookie AHL season, after earning a five-game sample in the league following the end of his senior year last season.
  • Minnesota Wild goalie prospect Chase Wutzke has been traded in the WHL. He moved from the Red Deer Rebels to the Moose Jaw Warriors in a lofty trade – with one first-round, two second-round, one third-round, and two fourth-round draft picks headed back to Red Deer. Wutzke will bring starting upside to the Warriors. He’s posted a .889 save percentage in nine games so far this season, a that mark sits above both of Moose Jaw’s goaltenders. That should earn Wutzke the starter’s crease sooner rather than later, and give Moose Jaw one more piece to help push towards a long season.

Aamodt Sent Back To Eagles

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  • Wyatt Aamodt’s stint with the Avalanche was short-lived. Just two days after recalling the blueliner, the team announced (Twitter link) that they have sent him back to AHL Colorado.  The 27-year-old didn’t play on this recall, keeping his career NHL appearance total at two and his point total at one, a tally in last season’s final game.  Aamodt has a goal and five assists in nine games with the Eagles so far this season.  The move leaves Colorado with just six healthy blueliners at the moment but Samuel Girard has been skating in recent days and is thought to be nearing a return.

Avalanche Recall Taylor Makar

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A pair of brothers could soon be getting a chance to play together in the NHL for the first time.  The Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Taylor Makar from AHL Colorado.  They had two open spots on their active roster, meaning no corresponding move needed to be made to bring him up.

It’s the first recall of Makar’s career.  The 24-year-old, the younger brother of star defenseman Cale Makar, was selected by the Avs in the seventh round back in 2021, taking him 220th overall.  Makar went on to spend four years in college, three with UMass before transferring to the University of Maine for his senior year, one that saw him record 18 goals and 12 assists.  For context, he had a total of 22 points over his first three college campaigns.

That improvement was enough for Colorado to sign Makar to a one-year, entry-level deal for this season.  He’s off to a decent start with the Eagles, picking up one goal and three assists in nine games so far this season.

Makar’s recall is likely tied to the fact that winger Gavin Brindley left today’s game against Vegas after taking a hit from Ivan Barbashev and didn’t return.  With the Avs only carrying 12 forwards on their active roster before this move, it would appear that Makar would be in line to make his NHL debut if Brindley can’t suit up on Saturday against San Jose.

Evening Notes: Couturier, Boeser, Blue Jackets, Avalanche

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Two notable players have left their respective games after taking hard shots: Sean Couturier and Brock Boeser. First, the Flyers announced mid-game their captain Couturier will not return vs Nashville. The 32-year-old’s injury was not disclosed, but he appeared bothered after blocking a shot in the first period. Couturier has been off to a great start so far this season, with nine points in nine games, looking like his old self after two straight seasons not passing the 45-point mark. 

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks confirmed Boeser will not return after being struck in the midsection point-blank from his teammate Elias Pettersson (defenseman) on a slap shot just 33 seconds into the game vs St. Louis. It’s an extra tough blow considering that the team is already missing Conor Garland, Quinn Hughes, and several other forwards.

Elsewhere across the league:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets recalled defenseman Dysin Mayo from AHL Cleveland, per the team. With veteran Erik Gudbranson day-to-day, having already missed time this season, Columbus has called upon the 29-year-old with 82 games of NHL experience in advance of Saturday’s game vs St. Louis. Although Mayo is likely just insurance, if he is to appear, it will be his first NHL game since 2022-23, all 82 of his so far as an Arizona Coyote. The right-hander leads the Cleveland Monsters in points, with four helpers in five games. 
  • In what has been a big day for the Avalanche, after locking up Martin Necas, the team announced that they have recalled defenseman Wyatt Aamodt from AHL Colorado. While Samuel Girard remains sidelined, Jack Ahcan has drawn into the lineup for the last two games, but Aamodt will be added depth if needed, as the Avs head to Vegas, then San Jose, on a road trip this coming weekend. The 27-year-old has spent the last four seasons with the Colorado Eagles, earning a two-game stint with the Avalanche last year.

Avalanche Sign Martin Necas To Eight-Year Extension

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Another big-ticket name is off next summer’s free agent board. The Avalanche have signed Martin Nečas to a max-term extension, the team announced. The deal is worth $92MM in total and carries an $11.5MM cap hit, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. $60MM of that $92MM is signing bonus money, and the deal carries a no-movement clause from 2026-27 through 2032-33, Friedman adds. The eight-year contract carries Necas through the 2033-34 season.

After potential 2026 UFAs Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, and Kyle Connor all signed extensions over the past several weeks, Nečas and Artemi Panarin were left alone at the top of the class for next summer. Instead of waiting to see what Nečas might have been able to land on the open market for the first time in his career, he’s making a long-term commitment to Colorado.

As for the Avs, they didn’t have much of a choice but to keep grinding away until they got a deal done. Nečas became a top-line cornerstone and their de facto No. 2 forward behind Nathan MacKinnon when they initiated a series of blockbuster trades midway through last season. Colorado was unable to make tangible progress on an extension with star pending UFA Mikko Rantanen, so they traded him to the Hurricanes and received Nečas back as the centerpiece. Rantanen was similarly unable to come to terms on a deal with Carolina and was flipped to the Stars at the trade deadline, where he did end up signing an eight-year deal.

Leaving Nečas in lame duck status for much longer risked the same situation developing that torpedoed their relationship with Rantanen less than 12 months ago. It’s hard not to see the terms of the contract as a net positive for the Avs, who get Nečas locked in for $500,000 per season under what Rantanen ended up receiving from Dallas. They also keep their internal salary structure intact by keeping his cap hit well below MacKinnon’s $12.6MM mark, giving them more added flexibility when starting up extension talks with potential 2027 UFA Cale Makar next summer.

Aside from that drama, the Avs are evidently pleased with what Nečas has brought to the table in the last nine months. The 2017 No. 12 overall pick had flashes of top-line play in Carolina throughout his development, but never put a pair of back-to-back star-level seasons together. That looks to be changing now. Nečas crossed the point-per-game threshold for the first time in 2024-25, racking up 27 goals, 56 assists, and 83 points in 79 appearances between the Canes and Avs. He had 28 of those points in 30 games with Colorado. He’s off to a similarly hot start this season with seven goals and 13 points in 11 contests while averaging a career-high 21:15 per game.

In signing his deal, Nečas becomes the seventh Avalanche player signed through 2030 or longer. He joins MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews, and Mackenzie Blackwood as the team’s core pieces locked in for that long, while depth forwards Parker Kelly and Logan O’Connor are also signed to lower-cost, long-term deals.

Now, the Avs hope Nečas’ emergence since the beginning of 2024-25 is sustainable for the rest of his prime. Through his first five full seasons in Carolina, Nečas only averaged 23 goals and 58 points per 82 games. Now, he ranks 25th in the league in points per game since October 2024 among those with at least 25 appearances. Possession play, previously an intermittent concern in Raleigh, has also seen improvement since his arrival in Denver. He posted a dominant 60.6 CF% at even strength for the Avs down the stretch last year and has continued humming along with a 57.6% mark with a 62.2 xGF% this year.

Nečas was finishing up a two-year, $13MM contract he signed with the Canes as an RFA in July 2024. Now, he falls just outside the top 10 highest cap hits for the 2026-27 season. Six of the 10 players ahead of him have signed their contracts in the last calendar year.

The extension doesn’t cripple the Avs’ salary cap picture for 2026-27, but it’s still uncomfortably tight. They have $16.125MM in projected space, assuming a $104MM cap, but nine roster spots are unaccounted for, per PuckPedia. That’s an average of just $1.79MM per spot. The good news – none of their remaining pending free agents currently make more than that figure. Their eight highest-paid forwards, their four highest-paid defensemen, and their highest-paid goaltender are all signed through at least next season, meaning that $1.79MM average to fill out their depth could end up being a feasible number to work with.

Image courtesy of Winslow Townson-Imagn Images.

Avalanche Assign Trent Miner To AHL

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Oct. 29th: Colorado announced that they’ve reassigned Miner to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, indirectly confirming he made it through waivers unscathed.

Oct. 28th: The Avalanche placed goaltender Trent Miner on waivers today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll head to AHL Colorado if he clears.

While doing so will open a roster spot, that’s not of concern to the Avs, as they already have one. It instead ushers the formal return of starting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood, who will be backing up Scott Wedgewood tonight as he’s healthy enough to dress for the first time this season, per Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports. He’s missed 10 games with a lower-body issue and has continued to sit out after being recalled from his conditioning loan to the AHL over a week ago.

Only recently has Miner played a factor in Blackwood’s absence. He played two of the last three, one in early relief and one as a start, for Colorado to give the overtaxed Wedgewood some rest. The veteran backup performed as well as could be hoped for in spot-starting duty, logging a 5-1-2 record and a .904 SV% with a 2.42 GAA in nine appearances. He’s faltered recently, though, logging a 0-1-1 record and .825 SV% in his last three outings. That explained Colorado’s decision to give Miner his first start of the season and second of his career in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Devils. In his two appearances this month, the 24-year-old managed a 0-0-2 record with a .909 SV% and 2.12 GAA. He saved one goal above expected, per MoneyPuck.

The Avs’ third-stringer now returns to the AHL – assuming he clears waivers – where he had great success last season. The 2019 seventh-round pick made a career-high 38 appearances for the Eagles and came away with a 22-10-9 record, .918 SV%, 2.12 GAA, and three shutouts. His solid showing in brief NHL action this year likely quiets any concerns that may have existed about Miner being a capable No. 3 option.

While Miner’s recent numbers may generate some interest on the wire, he’s still under contract through 2026-27. While he’s on a league-minimum, two-way deal, that could be enough to dissuade any potential claimers.

Avalanche Sign Tristen Nielsen

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Tristen Nielsen to a two-year NHL contract. The deal is a promotion from the AHL contract Nielsen entered the season on. His new contract will run through the end of the 2026-27 season.

Nielsen has had a red-hot start to the AHL season. He has scored seven points in seven games, tying him for the Colorado Eagles’ scoring lead alongside Daniil Gushchin, who has seven points in five games. It’s a huge spike in production for Nielsen, who spent the last four years in a depth role on the Abbotsford Canucks. He reached a career-high 41 points in 64 AHL games during the 2022-23 season, but fell all the way to 28 points in 67 games last year.

A scoring decline pushed Nielsen towards a change of scenery this summer. He signed a minor-league deal with the Eagles in early August and joined the Avalanche for their training camp in September. He scored three points in three NHL preseason games throughout camp – an especially impressive milestone given Nielsen only played in two preseason games over the course of four years in the Canucks organization. He’s continued that hot scoring into the regular season, and earned a second-look from the NHL brass as a result.

Nielsen originally signed with Vancouver as an undrafted free agent, after appearing in parts of six seasons in the WHL. He split those years evenly between the Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giants, and racked up 175 points across 241 games in the league. That includes a team-leading, and career-best, 65 points in 61 games during the Giants’ 2022-23 season. The Canucks signed Nielsen as a local gem two years later, and while he was never able to strike in Vancouver, his new contract will open the door to a possible NHL debut with the Avalanche soon.

Avalanche Assign Ronnie Attard To AHL

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Colorado’s injury list has been pretty full in the early going this season with three players on injured reserve (one on LTIR) plus several others on season-opening injured reserve who are destined for the minors when they’re cleared to return.  The latter has been shrunk by one as the Avalanche have assigned defenseman Ronnie Attard to the minors, per the AHL’s transactions log.

The 26-year-old is in his first season with the Avs after signing with them as a Group Six unrestricted free agent this past summer, inking a one-year, two-way deal.  He cleared waivers early in training camp but was recalled for a game after that, sustaining a lower-body injury that ultimately kept him out for the better part of a month.

Last season, Attard split the season between the AHL affiliates of Philadelphia and Edmonton after the latter acquired him in an early-season swap of minor league defensemen.  Between the two squads, he put up seven goals and ten assists in 66 games.

Attard has 29 career NHL appearances under his belt, all with the Flyers, tallying six points altogether.  However, he didn’t see any time on an NHL roster last season, meaning there was no lingering cap charge associated with his SOIR placement.  He’ll now join the Eagles in the hopes of playing his way into a recall as the season goes on.

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