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Minnesota Wild Loan Vladislav Firstov To KHL; Recall Mason Shaw

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Jordan Greenway’s return to the Minnesota Wild lineup lasted just six shifts. The bruising forward managed to land four hits during that time, but after leaving with an upper-body injury he was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. Head coach Dean Evason told reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic after the game that Greenway would be evaluated today and won’t play tomorrow afternoon in Boston.

With that news, it makes sense that Mason Shaw is back in the AHL transaction portal and on his way back to the NHL level. Shaw had only been sent down a few days ago when it was clear that Greenway would be returning. More importantly, perhaps, is that the portal also includes Vladislav Firstov, who has been reassigned by the team to Torpedo Nizhny Novogrod of the KHL.

Firstov, 21, was a second-round pick of the Wild in 2019 and signed his entry-level contract in March. The young Russian forward hadn’t played in his home country for years, coming over to spend his draft year in the USHL and then the last three seasons at the University of Connecticut. After just one game with the Iowa Wild this season, he’s apparently on his way back overseas to continue his development in the KHL.

Notably, he remains under contract with the Wild, so this isn’t a long-term plan. But the team will lose at least a bit of control over his deployment and development this season as he plays in Russia. In eight games down the stretch with Iowa last season he managed just two assists, meaning he’ll have to wait even longer for his first professional goal in North America.

Cam Talbot Still Weeks Away For Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators have played three games so far this season and Anton Forsberg has been in the net for every single minute of action. The 29-year-old netminder has been the only option in town since Cam Talbot suffered an injury in the preseason. When Forsberg missed the morning skate today, alarm bells went off in Ottawa, as fans wondered whether they would need to turn to Magnus Hellberg to carry the load. While Forsberg was just taking the morning off because of his heavy workload, there’s still no firm timeline for Talbot to return to game action.

In fact, Talbot still hasn’t been cleared to take shots, though he’s back on the ice according to head coach D.J. Smith. The veteran netminder was given a five to seven-week recovery timeline when he suffered the upper-body injury (believed to be a cracked rib) at the beginning of the month. It has been just two and a half to this point, meaning fans can at least take solace in the fact that he’s already on the ice.

While they have faith in Forsberg after his performance last season, Talbot was meant to carry a large chunk of the load this season after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild. Now, they’ll have to hope they don’t need to turn to Hellberg and his five games of NHL experience anytime soon.

The Senators don’t have a back-to-back situation on the schedule until the start of December, meaning there’s at least a chance that Forsberg can play every single game until Talbot gets back. Hopefully, with the progress he has made to this point, that date is sooner rather than later.

Latest On Patrik Laine

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The Columbus Blue Jackets got some tough news last week when star winger Patrik Laine sustained an elbow sprain in the team’s season opener and had to be moved to injured reserve immediately. Fortunately, though, it seems his three-to-four-week recovery timeline is still right on schedule, if not a bit ahead. The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reported today that Laine skated on his own in full gear for the past two days at the team’s practice facility. Hedger also noted the Finnish star is confident he’ll be ready to play by the first week of November when the Blue Jackets travel to Finland to play a set of games against the Colorado Avalanche.

That’s obviously a huge deal for Laine personally, but also the league, as Laine is the most marketable hometown player who’ll skate in the back-to-back set of games in Tampere. Laine hails directly from Tampere, and while his Avalanche counterpart in Mikko Rantanen may have more publicity overall, there’s nothing like getting to see one of your town’s best-ever hockey products play an NHL game on home soil.

A quick return from Laine is also crucial for Columbus’ playoff hopes. While Johnny Gaudreau has held up his end of the bargain, recording four points in his first four games as a Blue Jacket, their lack of quality offensive depth has been exposed by Laine’s injury. Minor-league and European league journeyman Justin Danforth was the team’s first option to replace Laine on the top line, which is obviously a less-than-ideal situation.

Buffalo Sabres’ Ilya Lyubushkin Out Day-To-Day

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Buffalo Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is out on a day-to-day basis after sustaining a foot injury in yesterday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, the team announced Wednesday.

Lyubushkin has impressed early on after signing a two-year, $2.75MM AAV contract with the Sabres in free agency last offseason. He’s notched one assist and has a +1 rating through three games, but he was perhaps most notable against Edmonton in his performance that was cut short due to injury. The 6′ 2″, 208-pound defenseman played an imposing and intimidating game that highlights his strengths, limiting chances against and laying big hits. A massive open-ice hit he laid on Oilers forward Dylan Holloway was his highlight of the night, and he only received a two-minute minor for roughing after the play.

His defensive performance has stood out in a good way, and his plays are a significant reason why the Sabres are off to a strong 2-1-0 start to the 2022-23 season. Hopefully, he won’t miss more than a handful of games and can continue building on his strong start sooner rather than later.

In the meantime for Buffalo, Casey Fitzgerald will likely step into a bottom-pairing role alongside Jacob Bryson. The team also has Lawrence Pilut stashed in the minors who does not require waivers, and he could be a call-up option if the team desires a more offensively-inclined replacement on the backend. It’s not a likely scenario, however, as Fitzgerald remains a slightly better stylistic fit for Lyubushkin’s game.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Allen, Ingham

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The St. Louis Blues could be without an impact piece tonight when they visit the Seattle Kraken. Top-six winger Pavel Buchnevich left the ice early during their morning skate today and will be a game-time decision tonight with a lower-body injury, according to head coach Craig Berube.

The Blues were one of the last teams to open their season and, as a result, have only played one game so far. Buchnevich was one of their best players in a road outing against Columbus, though, notching a goal and an assist and leading the team with a +3 rating. The Russian winger is coming off a gargantuan season in which he broke the point-per-game plateau for the first time, scoring 76 points in 73 games. If Buchnevich can’t go, the team would either replace him in the lineup with Josh Leivo or dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, getting Calle Rosen in for his season debut.

  • Goalie Jake Allen will return to the Montreal Canadiens crease tomorrow night after welcoming the birth of his third daughter. Allen is expected to get his third start of the season against the Arizona Coyotes, who are coming off an impressive 4-2 win in Toronto. The 32-year-old Canadian has a sparkling .943 save percentage through two games this season, his third as a Canadien.
  • A top goalie prospect for the Los Angeles Kings is set to undergo surgery. Mayor’s Manor’s John Hoven reports that Jacob Ingham had back surgery yesterday and is expected to be out for five to six months. It’s a tough blow for Ingham, who’s played sparingly in both the AHL and ECHL over the past two seasons since turning pro. The Kings selected him in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.

Minnesota Wild Reassign Mason Shaw To AHL

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The Minnesota Wild announced Wednesday via Twitter that the team has reassigned forward Mason Shaw to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

With forward Jordan Greenway now ready to go after missing the team’s first three games of the season with an injury, the team had no use for a second extra forward on the active roster. Greenway missed training camp and the beginning of the season as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery.

Shaw is the captain of the Iowa Wild, but he’s also poised to be at the top of Minnesota’s call-up list throughout the season. The 23-year-old does now require waivers, but as he passed through less than 30 days ago, he can be shuttled up and down at will for the time being. He played one game during his call-up, skating just 5:46 in Minnesota’s 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.

Top prospect Marco Rossi is set to reenter the lineup now after getting minuscule looks in his first two games of the season, and he could get a shot on a more offensively inclined line between Frederick Gaudreau and Matt Boldy. Connor Dewar will likely be the team’s 13th forward, for the time being, making room for Greenway to return to his checking line role with Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno.

Canadian Notes: Price, Dermott, Wideman

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Rumors have swirled over the future of Carey Price’s career ever since the severity of his knee injury became apparent. Those rumors intensified today when Sportnet’s Eric Engels said Price was scheduled to speak with the media on October 24. However, Engels notes that this is not a retirement announcement as many people first thought when his media availability was reported.

Price and his $10.5MM cap hit remain on long-term injured reserve, and he’s not expected to play at all this season as he continues his recovery from his knee injury. Price played just five games last season after missing nearly the entire year, and he certainly won’t top that number in 2022-23. The future Hall of Fame goaltender still wants to resume his playing career if he can, and he does have four years remaining on his deal to make an improbable recovery.

Arizona Coyotes Activate, Assign Ben McCartney

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Arizona Coyotes prospect Ben McCartney appears to be ready to return to action, after starting the year on season-opening injured reserve. The young forward has been activated and assigned to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners today.

It’s already been a rather impressive few years for McCartney, who went from seventh-round afterthought in the 2020 draft to debuting in the NHL last season. He played just two games and failed to register a point, but averaged 14 minutes of ice time and registered seven hits. The former Brandon Wheat Kings standout was great in the minor leagues as well, scoring 18 goals and 35 points as a rookie for Tucson.

While he missed a good portion of training camp with a lower-body injury, McCartney is a player to keep an eye on in Arizona this year. If he can continue to develop his offensive chops in the minor league, he could potentially see some more time in the NHL with the Coyotes. At the team’s rookie camp earlier this summer, general manager Bill Armstrong told Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports that McCartney (and Jack McBain) were “driving the culture” for the group.

That kind of praise from the lead executive can only be a good thing, and if McCartney shows well in another season for the Roadrunners you can bet he’ll quickly be in the mix for a regular role with the Coyotes.

Alex Iafallo Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Los Angeles Kings have lost a key player for the next little while, as Alex Iafallo has been placed on injured reserve. The speedy forward suffered a lower-body injury last night against the Detroit Red Wings after delivering a hit in the third period. He limped off the ice and now will be sidelined for at least the next several games. Jon Rosen of NHL Network tweets that Iafallo is out “week-to-week” and is headed back to Los Angeles for further evaluation.

In his roster spot, the team has recalled defenseman Jacob Moverare from the AHL. The 24-year-old played 19 games for the team last season but failed to make the NHL roster out of camp. He gives the team an additional defender as they deal with a less serious injury for Alex Edler, who got hit in the face with a puck in warmup last night.

It is unfortunate news for Iafallo, who was off to a brilliant start this season with five points while registering at least one in all four games. The 28-year-old is in the second season of a four-year, $16MM contract he signed in 2021 and is one of the many talented wingers that make the Kings lineup so deep. He plays a strong two-way game without taking any penalties (he has just 14 minutes since the start of 2020-21) and offers a solid amount of secondary scoring.

Without him, the teams will have to shuffle things around a bit and perhaps give a bit more opportunity to a young player. Arthur Kaliyev (who didn’t play yesterday) is the most likely fit, though there has been a lack of trust for the 21-year-old early this year. He is averaging just over nine minutes of ice time in the three games he has played, though that has still resulted in a goal and assist for the talented young forward. An opportunity like this could be just what he needs to build on a strong rookie season, where he scored 14 goals and 27 points in 80 games.

Frank Nazar To Undergo Surgery

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Just as Kirby Dach makes his first real impact for the Montreal Canadiens, scoring an overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the player the Chicago Blackhawks got for him is going under the knife. Frank Nazar, the prospect that Chicago selected with the 13th overall pick this year, a pick acquired on draft day in exchange for Dach, will have surgery to fix a lower-body injury and could potentially miss the entire college hockey season, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic.

Powers’ information comes from Michigan interim head coach Brandon Naruato, who explained that Nazar was already injured when he arrived at school and will be out until at least February. The Wolverines will not rush back their freshman recruit, with Naurato explaining that he won’t be back until he’s 100 percent healthy.

Nazar, 18, is a brilliant offensive talent that was picked with the Blackhawks’ second of three first-round picks. Kevin Korchinski (7th overall), Nazar (13th), and Sam Rinzel (25th) lead an impressive 11-player draft class that has the potential to drive the rebuild timeline in Chicago. Eight of the picks were in the first 90 selections, and players like Nazar have high hopes for their star potential.

Missing an entire development year at this point can be devastating to the development of a prospect. While Nazar will still be included in team activities and will benefit from the world-class facilities at Michigan, missing out on this much game action at his age can severely limit his ceiling. We’ll have to wait and see what happens for Nazar, but it’s not a great start for the Chicago draft class.

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