San Jose Sharks Recall Magnus Chrona
After it was reported that regular netminder Kaapo Kahkonen was questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the San Jose Sharks have officially recalled goaltender Magnus Chrona from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. In all likelihood, the team will rely on Mackenzie Blackwood to be their starter, but at the very least, Chrona will be making his professional debut at the NHL level.
Chrona will have to make a quick flight to San Jose, as the Barracuda took on the Calgary Wranglers tonight in Alberta, a game in which Chrona started. He has gotten off to a slow start with the Barracuda, posting a 0-3-1 record in four games, garnering a .871 SV% and a 4.82 GAA.
Originally a fifth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2018 NHL Draft, Chrona opted to continue his hockey career at the University of Denver, before finally signing as a college free agent with the Sharks towards the end of last season.
Sticking with the Pioneers for the entirety of his four-year NCAA career, Chrona played in a total of 114 games, achieving a 73-34-5 record with a .914 SV% and a 2.20 GAA. Notably, during the 2021-22 NCAA season, Chrona would help lead the University of Denver to the National Championship, beating Minnesota State University, and garnering an all-tournament team nod at the goaltender position.
West Snapshots: Spurgeon, Cronin, Zucker, Kahkonen
At the beginning of the season, captain of the Minnesota Wild, Jared Spurgeon, was designated as ‘week-to-week’ after suffering an upper-body injury in a preseason matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 5th. On October 25th, the team officially placed Spurgeon on the long-term injured reserve retroactive to the start of the regular season (October 12th), meaning Spurgeon would be out for 24 days and the team’s first 10 games.
Now that Spurgeon has satisfied his LTIR requirements, he is eligible to return to the team’s active roster for tomorrow night’s game against the New York Rangers. Unfortunately, Joe Smith of The Athletic is reporting that Spurgeon is still out, and recent callup, Daemon Hunt, will play in his stead.
Although it is a prudent move for any team not to rush back a key part of their team, getting Spurgeon back is becoming more and more imperative each game for Minnesota. Over the course of his career, Spurgeon has maintained a CF% (Corsi For %) above 50%, as well as an oiSV% (Team On-Ice Sv%) above 90%. For a team that is mightily struggling to keep the puck out of their own net, Spurgeon is an incredibly important piece for the Wild to get back into their lineup.
Other snapshots:
- In a controversial disallowed goal during the Anaheim Ducks’ recent game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the new head coach of the Ducks, Greg Cronin, became very animated on the bench expressing his displeasure with the call by the referee. After the play was reviewed, the call on the ice stood, causing Cronin to use extremely colorful language toward the referee, earning him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as well as an ejection. Today, the NHL announced they have fined Cronin a total of $25K for the incident.
- Out of the team’s lineup since their October 21st game against Anaheim, Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports that forward for the Arizona Coyotes, Jason Zucker should be expected back in the lineup on November 11th as the team takes on the Nashville Predators. Playing on a one-year contract this year, Zucker has put up two goals in his first five games as a Coyote.
- Earlier today, Sheng Peng of NBC Sports reported that goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen is questionable for the San Jose Sharks matchup tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In that case, the team would have to recall a goaltender from their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. If Kahkonen is unable to dress, it will make it a professional debut for either of the two goaltenders recalled from the Barracuda.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Raphael Lavoie
The Edmonton Oilers have announced they have recalled forward Raphael Lavoie from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Although not confirmed, it is likely due to the apparent injury to forward Connor Brown in last night’s game against the Dallas Stars, causing him to leave the rest of the game in the second period.
In what will only be the second callup of his young career, Lavoie has been one of the better-performing members of the Condors over the last several seasons. A second-round pick by the Oilers in the 2019 NHL Draft, Lavoie has amassed a total of 141 games for Bakersfield, scoring 47 goals and 41 assists.
Given that the team only has 12 forwards on their active roster, if Brown is unable to play tomorrow against the Nashville Predators, Lavoie will be guaranteed to make his NHL debut. In all honesty, it may not be the worst idea in the world for the Oilers to add a different player to their bottom six, as the current group at the bottom of the forward core has yet to deliver in any meaningful way to start the season.
With a large frame and a more-than-ready NHL shot, Lavoie could have some staying power with Edmonton for much of the season. However, his foot speed leaves a lot to be desired, and he has appeared to take a handful of games off with Bakersfield over the last several years.
Atlantic Snapshots: McAvoy, Zub, Fischer, Harvey-Pinard, Brannstrom
Last night, it was reported that Boston Bruins defenseman, Charlie McAvoy would appeal the suspension given to him by the league for an illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Originally, the league determined that McAvoy would be issued a four-game suspension, and there are a few updates on the appeal process.
Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reports that the NHL and McAvoy have yet to schedule the appeal even through the day today and that McAvoy would ultimately like to see the suspension dropped to only three games. Nevertheless, Wyshynski also notes that from the side of the NHL, they are a bit surprised at the appeal decision given the ‘cut and dry’ nature of the hit.
McAvoy did not play in last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to the suspension, as well as defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort due to injuries, severely limiting the depth of the Bruins blue line. Up to this point in the season, McAvoy has played in nine games for Boston, scoring two goals and six assists while averaging nearly 24 minutes of ice time per night.
Other snapshots:
- Ottawa Senators defenseman, Artem Zub, has missed the team’s last five games due to a concussion and is unfortunately set to miss more time. TSN1200 reports that Zub has experienced some form of a setback in his recovery, and will miss the next couple of games for the team. In his absence, Ottawa has a 1-4-0 record, falling to last place in the Atlantic Division, and second-to-last place in the entire Eastern Conference.
- One of many new additions to the offensive core of the Detroit Red Wings, the team has announced that Christian Fischer is considered day-to-day, and may not play in tomorrow night’s game against the Bruins. Fischer has primarily been employed in a fourth-line role for the team after being non-tendered by the Arizona Coyotes last summer and has provided one assist through 11 games to start the year.
- In another small bit of injury news, the Montreal Canadiens have announced that forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard is also considered day-to-day due to a lower-body injury. After an impressive debut last season putting up 20 points in 34 games, Harvey-Pinard only has four assists in 10 games this year, averaging around 13 and a half minutes of ice time per night.
- Back to Ottawa, the team has received some positive news, as they shared that defenseman, Erik Brannstrom, has returned to practice after missing the last two games. As one of the main pieces coming over from the Vegas Golden Knights that sent Mark Stone the other way, Brannstrom has yet to score this season in only seven games played.
New York Rangers Place Adam Fox On LTIR, Filip Chytil On IR
In unfortunate news for the New York Rangers, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today is reporting the team will place defenseman Adam Fox on long-term injured reserve. In a follow-up note, Mercogliano also relays the team is also expected to place forward Filip Chytil on injured reserve, meaning he will be out for at least the next week.
After colliding with Sebastian Aho in last night’s win against the Carolina Hurricanes, the expectation is that Fox will miss the next two to four weeks with a lower-body injury. It is a massive blow to a rolling Rangers team, who have won their last six games and sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
Fox continues to score at a rapid pace, scoring three goals and eight assists in the team’s first 10 games, averaging just over 21 minutes of ice time per night. With nine of those points coming on the powerplay, he is one of the primary reasons the team’s powerplay is humming at a solid 32.43% success rate to start the year.
The team does have other defensemen they can lean on for the time being, such as K’Andre Miller, who has provided the team with one goal and six assists through the first 10 games, but no other defenseman on the roster truly offers what Fox is able to bring to the team. One of the best offensive contributors in the league on the blue line, New York will have to go the next couple of weeks without one of their most important players.
Chytil, on the other hand, is also another important piece to have missing, but it will likely only be for the next three games. Sitting sixth on the team in scoring so far, Chytil has six assists on the year, without yet scoring a goal. In the meantime, due to their depth at the center position, Chytil’s spot in the lineup will likely be filled by Vincent Trocheck between Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere.
New York Rangers Recall Louis Domingue, Connor Mackey
In preparation for the team’s game tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild, the New York Rangers announce they have recalled goaltender Louis Domingue and defenseman Connor Mackey from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. In the same announcement, the team also noted that forward Barclay Goodrow would not be in the lineup, as he and his wife are preparing for the imminent birth of their son.
After spending a season in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Domingue joined the Rangers on a two-year, $1.55MM contract back in the summer of 2022. Last season, spending all year with their AHL affiliate in Hartford, Domingue did well with a 22-12-8 record, posting a .911 SV% and a 2.51 GAA. With sufficient goaltending depth at the NHL level, Domingue will likely only be on the team for tomorrow’s game, before continuing his season in the minor leagues.
Mackey, on the other hand, is in his first season with the Rangers organization, signing a one-year, $775K contract this summer after being traded from the Calgary Flames to the Arizona Coyotes at last season’s trade deadline. He’s been a solid addition to the Wolf Pack this season, scoring one goal and one assist in seven games while also holding a +8 rating.
The team shouldn’t miss Goodrow too much for a single game, as he has yet to score a point in 10 games so far this year, typically playing on the team’s fourth line next to Nick Bonino and Jimmy Vesey. The team is currently on a six-game winning streak and sits alone at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
Panthers’ Sam Bennett Out Week-To-Week
The Panthers have listed forward Sam Bennett as being out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, head coach Paul Maurice told Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ official site on Friday.
Bennett, 27, had missed the first seven games of the season with a lower-body injury and sustained a second one just 7:54 into his return to play on October 30 against the Boston Bruins. Bennett needed help exiting the playing surface and could not put weight on his left leg after an awkward fall with Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm behind the net in the second period of Florida’s overtime loss.
The Panthers have been dealing with injuries all season long, and it’s reflected in their up-and-down 5-3-1 record through nine games. The defending Eastern Conference champions have been bolstered by solid play in the crease from both Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz, although the latter has only made one appearance.
Missing Bennett certainly won’t help jumpstart their depth scoring, which has surprisingly been an issue through the first few weeks of the season. Only four forwards are operating at over 0.5 points per game – their entire top line of Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues, as well as Matthew Tkachuk on the second line. Players like Carter Verhaeghe (three goals, one assist in nine games) and Eetu Luostarinen (one assist in nine games) have struggled, and it’s not helping matters with both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour still sidelined on the blue line.
The Ontario-born Bennett is in the third season of a four-year, $17.7MM extension he signed with the Panthers in 2021. He was limited to 63 games last season with injuries but recorded 40 points – a career-high 52-point pace across 82 games. He excelled in the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, too, racking up 15 points in 20 games.
Flames Recall Nick DeSimone
The Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Nick DeSimone from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, per a team release issued Friday. To make room on the active roster, the team assigned Jordan Oesterle, who cleared waivers just minutes ago, to the Wranglers.
DeSimone, 28, is expected to make his 2023-24 Flames debut tomorrow against the Kraken as Nikita Zadorov remains away from the team on personal leave. The right-shot minor-league mainstay has four NHL games to his name, all coming in a Calgary sweater last season. He is, however, still looking for his first NHL point.
The Union College product is a veteran of 337 AHL games across eight seasons, mainly in the Sharks organization with the San Jose Barracuda. He joined the Flames in the summer of 2021 via free agency and is now in the second season of a two-year, two-way deal that earns him a minimum guaranteed salary of $350K. He has four assists through six contests with the Wranglers this season, and his +4 rating is tied for the team lead.
DeSimone will likely partner with Dennis Gilbert on the Flames’ third pairing, reuniting teammates who have both played heavy minutes for the Wranglers in recent seasons.
Oilers Loan Philip Broberg To Minors
The Edmonton Oilers have assigned defenseman Philip Broberg to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, per a team announcement issued Friday.
Broberg has played limited minutes this season, skating in eight games and averaging just 11:12 per game. He’s been held off the scoresheet entirely and has a -1 rating.
However, this isn’t necessarily a performance-based demotion. The Oilers are now without Connor Brown for tomorrow’s game against Nashville as he deals with an undisclosed injury, meaning they’ll need to recall a forward for Saturday’s contest. That won’t solve all their issues, however. The Oilers do not have cap space for two recalls after assigning Broberg to the minors, only one – meaning they’ll still likely roll with 11 forwards and six defenders against the Predators and play a skater short. Assigning Broberg to the minors allows them to carry a more traditional lineup than dressing only ten forwards and seven defensemen.
It’s another bump in the road for the Oilers, who have struggled mightily this season and sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 2-6-1 record and just five points. They’re receiving poor goaltending from Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner and receiving little to no depth scoring, with a handful of players in their bottom six still without a point on the season. They did receive a boost last night from Sam Gagner, however, who notched two goals in his first game in his third stint as an Oiler last night against Dallas. Gagner is projected to slide into the top six against Nashville on a line with Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Broberg, in the meantime, will get some reps in the minors with Bakersfield and play heavier minutes. This assignment will likely last until one or both of the Oilers’ injured forwards, Brown and Mattias Janmark, are ready to return to game action.
Flames Place Jordan Oesterle On Waivers
Nov. 3: Oesterle has cleared waivers and can be assigned to AHL Calgary, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports.
Nov. 2: Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that the Calgary Flames have placed defenseman Jordan Oesterle on waivers. Oesterle recently joined the Flames organization this summer after finishing up a two-year contract signed with the Detroit Red Wings back in 2021.
Primarily being used as the team’s seventh defenseman, Oesterle would play in a few more games with Calgary due to the four-game suspension given to defenseman Rasmus Andersson over the last week. In four games this season, Oesterle has averaged a touch over 14 minutes of ice time a night, garnering a -2 rating with zero points.
It is unlikely that Oesterle will be claimed within the next 24 hours, but with an affordable cap hit, there are teams such as the Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, and San Jose Sharks that could certainly use some short-term help on defense. At any rate, if he is claimed by tomorrow, it shouldn’t be an expectation that Oesterle’s current role with Calgary would change too much in a different organization.
Even with Oesterle’s cap hit being relatively affordable, and with the Flames now running with six defensemen on the active roster, with only $295K in salary cap space after LTIR usage, clearing $925K off of the books is imperative for Calgary for the time being. In the future, if the Flames wish to keep an extra defenseman on the team, there are players such as Colton Poolman and Nick DeSimone currently playing for their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, who would provide short-term depth with even lower cap hits than Oesterle.