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Snapshots: Wild, Perets, Edvinsson, Rasmussen

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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.

Eriksson Ek, Brodin Should Return On Monday

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The Minnesota Wild received some unfortunate injury news yesterday with the announcement Mats Zuccarello would miss the next three to four weeks with a lower-body injury. It’s not all bad news on the injury front in the Wild organization as Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin should return to practice on Monday.

Brodin has missed the last two games for the Wild with an upper-body injury with his most recent contest coming this past Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Brodin has been fairly injury-prone the last several years as he hasn’t played in more than 70 games since the 2021-22 NHL season.

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Wild Recall Liam Ohgren On Emergency Basis

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With winger Mats Zuccarello landing on injured reserve for the next few weeks and center Joel Eriksson Ek’s availability for tomorrow in question after exiting Thursday’s victory over Montreal, the Wild needed an extra forward.  They’ve now made that move, announcing the recall of Liam Ohgren from AHL Iowa on an emergency basis.

The 20-year-old broke camp with Minnesota and has played in seven games with them so far this season.  However, he was held off the scoresheet and his playing time dwindled quickly; he failed to reach eight minutes of playing time over his last three games.  As a result, they elected to send him down to the minors at the end of October in the hopes of getting him more minutes.

Ohgren got into four games with Iowa while on assignment, scoring four goals, three of which came in his last game back on Saturday against Rockford.  If he does get into Minnesota’s lineup, it’ll likely be a short-lived recall as they undoubtedly would prefer him playing in a top role in the minors over spot duty with the Wild so once Eriksson Ek is able to play, Ohgren will probably be sent back down soon after.

Wild Place Mats Zuccarello On Injured Reserve, Out 3-4 Weeks

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The Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello on injured reserve with a lower-body issue, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports Friday. He left Thursday’s win over the Canadiens in the first period and did not return after taking a Brock Faber shot to the groin. As a result, Russo added, he’s expected to miss three to four weeks. The injury required minor surgery, which Zuccarello underwent successfully after the game last night.

Minnesota will also issue an update on center Joel Eriksson Ek’s status later today, Russo said. He also left last night’s win in the first period with an undisclosed injury just one shift after Zuccarello departed the game.

Now in his age-37 season, Zuccarello has once again been an extremely valuable secondary scoring piece for the Wild. Age hasn’t slowed the diminutive Norwegian down one bit, and he ranks third on the team in scoring with 14 points (6 G, 8 A) in 16 games while averaging 17:26 of ice time. His line with Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi has been one of the NHL’s best en route to an 11-2-3 start to the season for Minnesota, which is currently on pace for its best record in franchise history by a considerable margin.

Zuccarello’s IR placement leaves the Wild with 12 forwards on the active roster, a number that will drop to 11 healthy ones if Eriksson Ek misses any time. Expect a recall ahead of Saturday’s game against the Stars, which everything indicates will be Michael Milne’s NHL debut after the 22-year-old left-winger was initially recalled from AHL Iowa earlier this month. Options for another recall include Liam Ohgren, who has four goals in four games since being reassigned at the end of October, or veteran Travis Boyd, who leads Iowa in scoring with 11 points in 11 games.

Zuccarello is in the first season of the two-year, $8.25MM extension he inked in September 2023.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Eriksson Ek, Zuccarello Leave Game With Lower-Body Injuries

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The Minnesota Wild are losing a pair of top-six forwards in their game tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. The organization announced that Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello would not return after the first period due to lower-body injuries.

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Central Notes: Brodin, Martinez, Jets

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Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin will miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and is being called day-to-day (as per Michael Russo of The Athletic).  The 31-year-old has become somewhat injury-prone in the last few seasons and appeared in just 62 games last year for the Wild. This season, Brodin has dressed in 15 contests and has registered one goal and five assists for six points.

Brodin’s injury doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue, but the frequency of his injuries is likely starting to concern him and the Wild. Especially given that the Karlstad, Sweden native has three years left on his current contract at a cap hit of $6MM annually.

In other Central Division Notes:

  • Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez will be a game-time decision this evening when the Blackhawks take on the Seattle Kraken (as per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times). Martinez was activated off injured reserve earlier today and while his move paves the way for him to return to action, the team will decide closer to puck drop. No word yet on who will come out of the lineup if Martinez does return. The 37-year-old is in his first year with the Blackhawks after signing a one-year $4MM deal as a free agent this past summer. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion has played just four games this year and is -1 with a single assist.
  • David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that the red-hot Winnipeg Jets could be looking to add to their already impressive lineup. Winnipeg is off to an incredible 15-1-0 start to the season and looks to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in the first month and a half of the season. Pagnotta notes that the Jets have a good chunk of cap space that could be utilized to add to the roster if they are so inclined. Pagnotta believes that Winnipeg would target a defenseman if they were to make a move in the season and mentions Penguins defender Marcus Pettersson as a possibility. Given that Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas just declared nearly the whole Penguins roster is available, it is highly likely that Pettersson is in play. If Winnipeg was to show interest in the 28-year-old they would likely be competing with much of the league for the services of the stable defender.

West Notes: Wild, Avalanche, Canucks, Stezka

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled forward Michael Milne to the NHL roster. The move comes after each of Jonas Brodin (lower-body), Marcus Johansson (illness), and Zach Bogosian (personal) missed the team’s Wednesday practice, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Head coach John Hynes told Russo that Johansson and Bogosian are expected to play on Thursday, while Brodin is questionable.

Minnesota is already carrying seven defenders, with Declan Chisholm likely to step in if Brodin misses on Thursday. The team did not have an extra forward, though – requiring the call-up of Milne to cover Johansson’s potential absence. Chisholm has appeared in 10 games this season, recording three assists but yet to score his first goal of the year.

Meanwhile, Milne will rejoin the NHL roster just two days after being sent down. He received the first recall of his pro career last week, and was expected to make his NHL debut – but instead spent three games in the Wild press box. He likely isn’t locked into the lineup on this call-up either, unless Johansson ends up unavailable. Milne ranks second on the AHL’s Iowa Wild in scoring, with eight points in 10 games this season and three points in his latest two games.

Other notes from out West:

  • The Colorado Avalanche also made some roster moves, recalling forwards T.J. Tynan and Nikita Prishchepov after brief stints in the minor leagues. Both Tynan and Prishchepov have been regular fixtures of the Avalanche lineup amid their injury woes this season, each playing in six games and recording four points – though Prishchepov’s one goal is the only between the two. Colorado is soon expecting the return of Valeri Nichushkin from suspension and Jonathan Drouin from injury, but their pair of recalls will serve as understudies in the event of any change in plan.
  • While Minnesota and Colorado hedge their bets against injuries, the Vancouver Canucks have sent down top prospects Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Arshdeep Bains, and Aatu Raty in a paper transaction, per Jeff Paterson of Rink Wide: Vancouver. The Canucks will net just over $15.5K in cap space accrual with this move, helping continue to bank cap space over the course of the season. All three players will likely return to the lineup ahead of Vancouver’s Thursday matchup against the New York Islanders.
  • Rounding out Western Conference roster moves is Seattle’s assignment of goaltender Ales Stezka, who served as backup in the team’s Tuesday win over Columbus. Stezka has served as the starter for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds this season, posting a 2-5-0 record and .894 save percentage in seven games. He’s played ahead of top Kraken goalie prospect Niklas Kokko, who’s managed an .880 save percentage in four games. Stezka’s assignment suggests that Philipp Grubauer will soon return, after suffering an undisclosed injury away from the rink that forced him out of Tuesday’s game.

Wild Recall Daemon Hunt

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After Jonas Brodin exited Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury, the Wild have added some help on the back end.  The team announced that they’ve recalled blueliner Daemon Hunt from AHL Iowa.

It’s the fourth recall already this season for the 22-year-old but he hasn’t seen much NHL action in his first three stints as he has only played once for Minnesota this season, logging just 8:01 of ice time nearly a month ago versus St. Louis.  Hunt has also suited up for six games in Iowa this season, picking up a pair of assists.

Hunt has a total of 13 career NHL appearances under his belt, all with the Wild who drafted him in the third round back in 2020 (65th overall).  He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract and will be owed a qualifying offer of nearly $814K this summer.

Minnesota was only carrying 21 players on its active roster before the recall so no corresponding roster move was needed.  There’s also no word yet on how much time, if any, Brodin will miss.

Wild Reassign Michael Milne

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Nov. 11: The Wild announced today that they’d reassigned Milne back to Iowa. Contrary to Hynes’ proclamation, he did not make his NHL debut and instead watched three games from the press box. With Minnesota off until Thursday, there was no need for an extra forward on the roster. He could be back up later in the week for another shot at NHL minutes.

Nov. 6: The Wild announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled left-winger Michael Milne from AHL Iowa. The 22-year-old will make his NHL debut in the coming days, head coach John Hynes said after yesterday’s 5-1 loss to the Kings (via Michael Russo of The Athletic).

Minnesota selected Milne in the third round of the 2022 draft after he’d been passed over in 2021 as one of the oldest first-year eligible players available, given his Sep. 21 birthday. The 5’11” British Columbia native was coming off a breakout fourth and final season of major junior hockey with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, tying for second in scoring on a star-studded team that included a pair of top-15 picks that year in Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie.

The Wild signed Milne to his entry-level contract a few months later, allowing him to turn pro and start his professional career in Iowa. That’s where he’s played exclusively since the start of the 2022-23 season. Injuries limited him to a combined 97 appearances over the last two years, and his production was fine but not attention-grabbing (15 G, 19 A, 34 P). This year, however, he’s off to a hot start with four goals and four assists in 10 games. His eight points are second on the club in scoring behind NHL veteran Travis Boyd, and he’s tied for second on the team with a +2 rating.

Minnesota had a pair of open roster spots and $2.6MM in cap space prior to the recall, per PuckPedia. That’s plenty of space to add Milne to the roster to give Hynes some lineup flexibility without general manager Bill Guerin having to make any corresponding moves.

It’s unclear who may come out of the lineup among the Wild’s 12 regular forwards, but it would make sense to ease Milne into his NHL debut against a fairly easy opponent tomorrow in the form of the 4-8-2 Sharks. How he performs in limited action could be quite consequential in his contract negotiations next summer – he’s set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

West Notes: Hellebuyck, Wild, Reichel

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Murat Ates of The Athletic broke down the reason Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was so frustrated by the lack of a goaltender interference call in a recent game against the Lightning. Hellebuyck has been a vocal advocate for goaltender interference calls, going as far as presenting to the NHL’s competition committee, and was incensed after the game against Tampa Bay for giving up a goal with a player sitting in his lap.

Hellebuyck has been looking for the NHL to create a clear standard for goalie interference but has been unsuccessful thus far in his advocacy. Goaltender interference remains a hotly debated topic around NHL circles as more and more instances of differing opinions seem to be occurring around the league.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • The Minnesota Wild have been a feel-good story this season, beginning the year with an 8-1-2 record which matches their best start in franchise history (as per John Buccigross). The Wild have scored a franchise record 41 goals in 11 games and have been bolstered by star Kirill Kaprizov who is currently tied for the NHL scoring lead with 21 points. On the backend, the Wild have also received elite goaltending from Filip Gustavsson who appears to have returned to the form he displayed two years ago and even has a goal of his own this season.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic writes that Chicago Blackhawks forward Lucas Reichel has worked to get his confidence back and the results are beginning to show. Last season the 22-year-old went from a second line center all the way back to the AHL and it appeared in training camp that his game was in the same place. However, since being paired with veterans Pat Maroon and Craig Smith, Reichel has turned a corner and has looked like the player that the Blackhawks were hoping he would be when they took him in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Reichel has a goal and five assists in nine games this season while averaging just over 12 minutes per game.

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