Wild Recall Daemon Hunt
The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman Daemon Hunt from AHL Iowa, per a team announcement. The transaction comes after head coach Dean Evason told reporters Monday, including The Athletic’s Michael Russo, that the team would recall a player from the minors in advance of their three-game Eastern swing that begins Thursday. It was likely to be a defender, with Jonathon Merrill banged up and taking a maintenance day today, although Evason believes the veteran will be able to play in tomorrow’s home game against Edmonton.
Hunt, 21, would make his NHL debut if he draws into the lineup in the coming days. Drafted as a physically inclined two-way defender, Hunt has yet to record a point in four games with Iowa this season and notched two goals and 11 points in 59 games with them last season, his first campaign in the pros. Selected in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Hunt served as the captain for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons before turning pro with the Wild.
It’s unlikely to be a lengthy stay on the active roster for Hunt, although roster flexibility is something the Wild desperately need right now, with no healthy extras available to them prior to the recall. Defenseman Alex Goligoski was moved to LTIR last week to create cap space. For now, Minnesota will carry 12 healthy forwards and seven defensemen, the former of which will increase to 13 once winger Matt Boldy is ready to return. Listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury sustained on October 15, Boldy will travel with the Wild on the road trip but will not play Tuesday against the Oilers.
Blue Jackets Place Patrik Laine On IR, Recall Dmitri Voronkov
According to a team release, the Blue Jackets have recalled forward Dmitri Voronkov from AHL Cleveland. To make room for Voronkov on the active roster, the team placed forward Patrik Laine on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to last Friday, sidelining him for the team’s next two games at the least.
Voronkov, 23, had a breakout pro season for the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan in 2022-23, potting 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points in 54 games while playing a heavy, imposing style of game. He was expected to contend for a roster spot with the Blue Jackets out of training camp but ultimately did not make the cut and began the season on assignment to Cleveland, where he has just one assist through four games. A fourth-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2019, Voronkov could make his NHL debut Tuesday against the Ducks.
As for Laine, this news is expected after taking a hard, late hit from Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson with just seconds left in Friday’s 3-1 win. Andersson, who has an appeal scheduled for today with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, was suspended four games for the hit. Laine will miss at least three games because of the play, also sitting out of Saturday’s overtime victory over the Wild. It’s a tough break for the 25-year-old, who remains day-to-day after recording two points through four contests, continuing to experiment playing at center after sticking on the wing for most of his 466-game NHL career.
After being acquired from the Jets in exchange for center Pierre-Luc Dubois early in the shortened 2020-21 season, Laine has been an effective goal-scorer for a struggling Columbus team but failed to stay healthy. Just over the last two seasons, Laine notched close to a point-per-game but missed a combined 53 games, keeping him from hitting the 30-goal plateau for the first time since 2018-19. He’s been on pace for well over 30 markers in each of the past two years (38 in 2021-22, 33 in 2022-23), signaling that he can still be the star sniper the Jets thought they were getting with the second-overall pick in 2016.
Panthers Loan Justin Sourdif To AHL
The Panthers announced Monday that forward Justin Sourdif has been re-assigned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Florida brought up the 21-year-old for his first taste of NHL action nearly two weeks ago.
Sourdif was originally selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft and signed him to his entry-level contract in September of 2021. He spent the following season in junior hockey on loan to the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, meaning the beginning of the contract slid to 2022-23.
Therefore, last season was Sourdif’s first in the professional ranks. He played 48 games with Charlotte, posting seven goals, 17 assists and 24 points with a -4 rating. Given the solid but not eye-opening production, it was surprising to see Sourdif stick around with the Cats at the beginning of the season. He appeared in three out of the Panthers’ first five games, failing to register a point and averaging just 8:50 per game.
Sourdif does not require waivers to head to the minors, meaning he could see himself ferried up and down quite a bit throughout the season if he manages to stick in the Panthers’ regular call-up rotation. A natural center, he’s begun his NHL career on the wing in a third-line role with Nick Cousins and Anton Lundell. That line has failed to generate many scoring chances together, generating just 0.2 expected goals in over 20 minutes of action (per MoneyPuck).
The move could also preface a return to the lineup for center Sam Bennett, who remains on IR and has not played this season due to a lower-body injury. The Panthers were carrying a full 23-man roster and would need to clear a spot to activate him.
Hurricanes Notes: Svechnikov, Aho, Andersen
While he wasn’t ready for the beginning of the regular season as once expected, Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is still making positive strides in his recovery from a major knee injury sustained in March. Today, he shed the no-contact designation at Hurricanes practice for the first time, relays team editorial content producer and reporter Walt Ruff.
Svechnikov is still within the bounds of his initial six-to-nine-month recovery timeline, and while it’s disappointing he wasn’t ready to play on opening night, he hasn’t sustained any setbacks and is likely on track to make his season debut before the end of the month. Remarkably, scoring goals hasn’t been Carolina’s issue in Svechnikov’s absence. Instead, it’s been keeping them out – their 30 goals against in 2023-24 is the worst in the league by a significant margin. That’s far from what anyone expected after the Hurricanes, already revered as one of the better-structured teams in the league, added Dmitry Orlov to their blueline this summer and retained a goalie trio of Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta that’s done well for them in recent campaigns.
Other notes from Carolina today:
- The Hurricanes have had to play their last two outings without their two best point-producing forwards, as number-one center Sebastian Aho has joined Svechnikov on the injured list for the past three games. After notching a goal and two assists in his first three contests, Aho was a full participant in today’s practice, says Ruff, and the door is open for him to return to the lineup tomorrow against the Lightning. Teuvo Teräväinen has played fill-in duty on the team’s top line in Aho’s absence, centering Michael Bunting and Martin Necas. The 29-year-old has four goals in six games after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
- Ruff also relays that the injured Andersen is indeed close to a return, making an appearance at today’s practice that followed the return of Kochetkov on loan to AHL Syracuse. Andersen was injured in a recent game against the Sharks after taking a puck to the face. The 34-year-old Dane has struggled in three appearances so far this year, but he’s still been the best out of the Canes’ netminders, leading the team with a .855 SV% and 4.15 GAA.
Minor Transactions: 10/23/23
It figures to be a quiet day in the NHL with just a single game on the docket this evening. However, across the hockey world things have been busy as usual. In Switzerland, the ZSC Lions have made news by extending several players to multi-year contract extensions including a couple of former NHLers. The Lions currently sit in second place in the Swiss National League with 11 wins in their first 15 games.
Although the NHL schedule has just one game this evening, the world of pro hockey is busy today and therefore so is the transaction wire. We’ll keep track of notable player movement here.
- The ZSC Lions announced a two-year extension with former NHL defenseman Yannick Weber. The 35-year-old veteran of 499 NHL games last played in the NHL during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, dressing in two games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Over the course of his 13-year NHL career, Weber posted 28 goals and 94 points while playing primarily as a sixth or seventh defenseman. Since returning home, Weber has dressed in 116 games with the Lions, posting nine goals and 22 assists.
- The ZSC Lions also extended defenseman Mikko Lehtonen on a two-year deal. The former Toronto Maple Leafs rearguard spent one season in the NHL split between the Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets where he posted six assists in 26 games during the shortened 2020-21 season. The Turka, Finland native is in his second season with the Lions and was solid last year with seven goals and 23 assists in 52 games. This year he has 11 points in the first 15 games as he has continued to produce strong offensive numbers from the back end.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Sam Gagner Signs AHL Contract
Former Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner has reportedly signed a contract with the team’s AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors and will join the team. The veteran of over 1,000 NHL games was on a tryout with the Oilers but was unable to dress for any preseason games during training camp after signing his PTO in late August.
The 34-year-old has suited up for seven different NHL teams over the course of his 16-year NHL career and will return to the AHL for the first time since 2019-20 when he coincidently also played for the Condors.
This is Gagner’s third run with the Oilers organization after they drafted him in the first round, sixth overall in the 2007 NHL entry draft. Although he never lived up to the promise he showed as an 18-year-old when he posted 13 goals and 36 assists in 79 games, he has a solid career with 519 points in 1,015 games.
Gagner is trying to get back to the NHL after undergoing double hip surgery in March of this year which led to him missing the end of last year as well as the preseason. He was a decent depth option with the Winnipeg Jets last year posting eight goals and six assists in 48 games while playing just 12 minutes a night. But, if he can perform anywhere close to his 2021-22 numbers in which he posted 31 points in 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings, he could give himself a real shot to earn a pro-rated NHL deal this season. Especially with the Oilers, who have struggled to find any kind of depth to start the season.
Gagner will take some time to work himself into game shape, but this isn’t unchartered waters for the London, Ontario native as he has been down the AHL road before on three separate occasions. As mentioned earlier, Gagner spent part of the 2019-20 season in the AHL, as well as 43 games with the Toronto Marlies in 2018-19 and a nine-game stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the 2015-16 season.
Jets’ Coach Rick Bowness Takes Leave Of Absence
The Winnipeg Jets received some awful news this morning that head coach Rick Bowness’ wife Judy had suffered a seizure and is in hospital. Winnipeg announced this morning that Bowness would be taking a leave of absence to attend to the health of his wife and asked for privacy for him and his family.
For now, it appears as though associate coach Scott Arniel will take over coaching duties until such time that Bowness is able to return. Arniel is familiar with being a head coach as he was the bench boss for the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010-12, compiling a record of 45-60-18 over the course of two seasons. Since leaving Columbus, Arniel has served primarily as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers (2013-2018) and the Washington Capitals (2018-2022).
Bowness is in his second season behind the Jets bench after spending three seasons with the Dallas Stars, where he took the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020 in what was a feel-good story during the 2020 playoffs that were played in the pandemic bubble.
PHR sends its best wishes to the Bowness family and the Jets community and wishes Judy a speedy recovery.
Devils Place Nosek On Injured Reserve, Recall Cal Foote
The New Jersey Devils have placed forward Tomas Nosek on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Nosek has been out of action since October 13th and has only appeared in two games on the year, with a stat line limited to one shot and one hit. The Devils have also recalled defenseman Callan Foote.
Nosek signed a one-year, $1.0MM contract with New Jersey this summer. The Devils become the fourth NHL team that the 31-year-old Nosek has played for throughout his nine-year NHL career. He’s tallied an even 400 career games through those nine years, recording 101 points and 146 penalty minutes. Nosek has never been much of a scorer, with his career-high sitting at a mere 18 points – a mark he’s hit twice, including in 66 games with the Boston Bruins last season. But despite the low scoring, Nosek has become a consistent feature of NHL lineups, not playing an AHL game since the 2016-17 season. In fact, his last assignment to the AHL came in April of 2017, only two months before he would be selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and join the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s been a fruitful career for the undrafted Nosek, who was signed to an entry-level contract after the 2013-14 season, after tallying 44 points in 52 games for Pardubice of the Czechia Extraliga.
Cal Foote receives a call-up in the wake of Nosek’s IR assignment, giving him a chance to make his debut with the Devils. Foote started the season with the Utica Comets of the AHL, where he’s recorded two points in three games. Foote joined New Jersey this summer, signing a one-year, $850K contract with what’s become his third NHL club. He previously appeared with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Nashville Predators, serving as a focal piece of the Tanner Jeannot trade. Foote has played in 141 career NHL games, recording 19 points.
Injury Notes: Forbort, McDavid, Kostin, Zub
Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort missed Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury and has been announced as day-to-day. Forbort has appeared in four games so far this season, recording two points and a +3. Fourth-year pro, Ian Mitchell, slotted into the NHL lineup in Forbort’s absence, recording one assist and two penalties in 10 minutes of ice time. Mitchell slotted in for an injured Kevin Shattenkirk on Saturday – earning his first two games of the season over the weekend.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- Connor McDavid has been announced as out for one-to-two weeks with an upper-body injury. This comes at terrible timing, with Edmonton playing in the 2023 Heritage Classic on October 29th. In the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman was pessimistic that McDavid would play in the matchup, given the uncertainty of outdoor playing conditions. Friedman added that McDavid not appearing in the overtime period of Saturday night’s game is a sign of how serious the injury is being taken. There are few players in the league who impact a lineup more than McDavid, and there’s no doubt the league hoped he would play in the upcoming outdoor game, so all eyes will turn toward how this injury progresses.
- Detroit Red Wings forward Klim Kostin also missed Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day. He’s played in four games this season, failing to record a point and tallying seven penalty minutes. Jonatan Berggren slotted into Kostin’s lineup spot, only recording one shot on the stat line in 13-and-a-half minutes of ice time. Kostin is on a newly signed, two-year contract that carries an annual average value of $2.0MM.
- Artem Zub is expected to be out for the Ottawa Senators’ next game. In response, Ottawa has recalled Jacob Bernard-Docker from the AHL. Zub has played in four games this season and recorded three points, a mark that ranks Zub in the top three of Senators’ defender scoring. Bernard-Docker has played a sole game for Ottawa this year; only his 33rd NHL game despite being around the league since 2020-21. Bernard-Docker is expected to slot into the NHL lineup again with Zub out, although the Senators are practicing with seven defenders.
Five Key Stories: 10/16/23 – 10/22/23
The beginning of the NHL season was full of big signings. This past week didn’t have any of that as instead, it was headlined by plenty of injuries.
Out For The Year: After having a breakout season that was still limited by injuries, hopes were high for Canadiens center Kirby Dach this year. However, his campaign came to an early end as he suffered a season-ending torn ACL and MCL last weekend against Chicago. He will undergo surgery once the swelling subsides. The 22-year-old had a career-best 38 points last season despite only playing in 58 games, a decent first impression after being acquired from the Blackhawks at the draft. He’ll have to wait a while to make his second impression now.
Extension Progress: Noah Hanifin’s willingness to sign an extension in Calgary (or perceived lack thereof) has been a key discussion point for several months now. At one point, it looked like he wasn’t interested, then he was, then he wasn’t again. Now, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that Hanifin is indeed willing to work on a new deal and that some progress has been made on that front. The 26-year-old has been a reliable part of the back end for the Flames for the past five seasons (plus the first couple of weeks of this year) and is set to earn a considerable raise on his current $4.95MM AAV.
Four For Andersson: Still with Calgary, the first notable suspension of the 2023-24 campaign is in the books as Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson received a four-game ban for his elbow on Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine. The hit occurred in the dying seconds of Friday’s game while Laine is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Andersson and the NHLPA have decided to appeal the ruling. Unlike in some other leagues, players can’t play while they’re appealing so Andersson sat out the first game on Sunday against Detroit. The appeal will be heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman and given how long it typically takes for a hearing with him, it’s possible the appeal might wind up primarily being to try to mitigate some of the forfeited salary of nearly $95K. If the suspension stands, the last game he’ll have to sit out is the Heritage Classic (an outdoor game against Edmonton) next weekend.
More Injuries: Another player who will likely miss the Heritage Classic is Oilers center Connor McDavid. He left Saturday’s game against Winnipeg late in the third period with an upper-body injury. The good news for Edmonton is that he won’t be out for long (just one to two weeks) but with the Oilers struggling out of the gate this season with just a single win in their first five games, McDavid’s absence won’t help matters. Meanwhile, Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi will miss the next four to six weeks with a sprained MCL. The 24-year-old was a key part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade this summer but was injured in just his third game of the season.
Seattle Injuries: It has been a tough start to the season for the Kraken as they have just one win in their first six games. Things are going to get harder for them with a pair of longer-term injuries on the wings. First, Brandon Tanev will miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old was coming off a career year with 35 points while chipping in with 190 hits and will be missed on their third line. Meanwhile, Andre Burakovsky will miss six to eight weeks with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old was productive in limited action last season with 39 points in 49 games and was being counted on to be a big part of Seattle’s attack this year. Those plans will be on hold for now. Tanev has been placed on IR while Burakovsky will be heading there soon enough as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.