Maxim Barbashev, Ryder Korczak Join Hartford Wolf Pack
As junior seasons end, top prospects will get a short opportunity to get their feet wet professionally before the offseason begins. Today, the Hartford Wolf Pack announced an amateur tryout agreement for Maxim Barbashev, that will keep him with the team through the Calder Cup Playoffs.
He’ll be joined by Ryder Korczak, who has been assigned back to the Wolf Pack from the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Barbashev, selected 161st overall by the New York Rangers in 2022, has played the last three seasons with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL. This season he posted 32 goals and 65 points in 67 games, but could not overcome the Halifax Mooseheads in the second round.
Not yet signed to an entry-level contract with the Rangers, this will be his first opportunity at the pro level. The 19-year-old forward is the younger brother of Vegas Golden Knights deadline acquisition Ivan Barbashev.
Korczak, meanwhile, is returning to a Hartford team that he played five games for earlier this season. After going scoreless in that short stint, the 2021 third-round pick returned to Moose Jaw and dominated, racking up 69 points in 48 regular season games.
He has already signed his ELC with the Rangers, and will likely spend all of next season in Hartford.
The 20-year-old center also has ties to the Vegas organization—his brother Kaedan Korczak was a second-round pick by the Golden Knights in 2019 and played ten games this season.
East Notes: Flyers, Schmidt, Phillips
The Philadelphia Flyers are searching for a president of hockey operations to join the organization and Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic laid out the criteria the team is looking for to fill the role. O’Connor mentions that the team will be looking for a president of hockey operations to lead their management team while Daniel Briere, a relative youngster in the front office, will be the team’s general manager. With that in mind, the criteria the organization are using to fill the vacant position are experience, strong communication skills and a smart hockey mind. That last one should go without saying, but the team always wants someone who can communicate better with season ticket holders and fans, as well as someone with experience to help Briere along as he learns his new role as well.
O’Connor continues to list a handful of potential candidates who include Ray Shero, Doug Wilson, Scott Mellanby and Dave Poulin. Shero surely has the experience required thanks to his resume as an assistant general manager, general manager and senior advisor roles dating back to 1993. He is also the son of Fred Shero who coached the Flyers to their two Stanley Cup wins. Wilson was the general manager of the San Jose Sharks for nearly two decades giving him plenty of experience in this type of role. Mellanby has been working in front offices since 2012 when he was a director of player personnel and later an assistant general manager for the Montreal Canadiens. He also played for the Flyers for the first five years of his playing career. Poulin’s experience involved both working as the Toronto Maple Leafs vice president of hockey operations for five seasons as well as extensive experience working games as an analyst, which checks off the communication and experience boxes.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned one of their prospects, per a team release. Roman Schmidt saw his OHL season end when the Kitchener Rangers were eliminated from the postseason by the London Knights, but his season is not over yet as Schmidt will join the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. The Lightning’s third round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft scored 28 points in 64 games and provided a big, physical, defensive presence for the Rangers using his 6-foot-5 inch and 216 pound body to win battles and protect his crease. The Crunch currently lead their Best-of-5 Division Semifinal series with the Rochester Americans 2-0.
- Detroit Red Wings prospect Ethan Phillips has found a new college hockey team for the upcoming season. According to Mark Divver of NHL.com, Phillips will leave Boston University and transfer to Western Michigan for the 2023-24 campaign. The Red Wings fourth-round pick in 2019, Phillips scored four goals and 11 points in 29 games last season.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Trio Of Players
Per a team release, the Edmonton Oilers have added some depth to their playoff roster. With their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Oilers are free to call up as many extras as they wish. They have chosen to recall defenseman Markus Niemelainen, defenseman Cam Dineen and forward Brad Malone to join the NHL club as depth options for the Oilers as they continue their playoff quest.
Niemelainen is a big, physical, defensive defenseman at 6-foot-6 who played 23 NHL games this season. He was a third-round pick of the Oilers in 2016 and has 43 career NHL games of experience. He played 30 AHL games with Bakersfield this season, scoring seven points while filling a shutdown defensive role for the team.
Dineen was a third-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2016 NHL Draft and was acquired by the Oilers with Nick Bjugstad at the trade deadline. More of an offensive defenseman, the 24 year old scored six goals and 47 points in 69 AHL games this season, but did not appear in any NHL contests in 2022-23. He did suit up for 34 games with the Coyotes in 2021-22, chipping in seven points but showing some defensive deficiencies as well.
Malone is a 33-year-old veteran forward who has 217 games of NHL experience. He played ten games with the Oilers this season and had 21 points in 41 AHL games with the Condors. Malone is a big winger at 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds and plays a phsyical style that could come in handy on a fourth line if a few injuries occur down the line for the Oilers.
Chances are this trio of players make up the infamous “black aces” group for the Oilers as they skate and practice with the team during the postseason but are unlikely to play any games. You never know what can happen with injuries and illness in a long playoff run so teams keep a handful of extra players around just in case, and Niemelainen, Dineed and Malone are that insurance policy for the Oilers.
Injury Notes: Bergeron, Carrier, Lomberg
Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron will make his 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 5, according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. The 37-year-old veteran center missed the first four games of the series with an undisclosed injury that was suffered in the Bruins final game of the regular season. The Bruins have held their own without an important piece of their lineup, as they have a 3-1 lead in the series and will look to eliminate the Florida Panthers and be the first team to advance to the second round.
Bergeron scored 27 goals and 58 points in 78 regular season games and is among the best defensive forwards to ever play the game. The Bruins are without center David Krejci, so having Bergeron return fills a huge hole down the middle of the lineup. After winning 65 regular season games, the Bruins are hoping to go on a long playoff run. A healthy Bergeron would go a long way in helping them in their quest for a Stanley Cup this spring.
- Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports William Carrier is fully healthy and once again a full participant at practice for the Vegas Golden Knights. Carrier has not played since March 3 due to a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old winger scored 16 goals and 25 points in 56 regular season games for the Golden Knights, giving them scoring from a depth position in their lineup. Carrier will be an option in Game 5 as Vegas looks to eliminate the Winnipeg Jets.
- Ryan Lomberg will not play Game 5 for the Florida Panthers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Lomberg has played an effective forechecking style using his speed and toughness to win puck battles, though he has been held pointless in the series thus far. The 28 year old had 12 goals and 20 points for the Panthers while playing every regular season game so it is unusual to see him out of the lineup. No official update was given, but Lomberg was hit hard in the face with a cross check in Game 4.
Boston Bruins Recall Kyle Keyser
The Boston Bruins have recalled goaltender Kyle Keyser from the AHL’s Providence Bruins, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Keyser will serve as the team’s third goalie for tonight’s Game 5 against the Florida Panthers.
The 24-year-old Keyser had a solid regular season with Providence in a backup role, posting a 13-6-2 record with a 2.79 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 24 games. He also played two games with the Bruins’ ECHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners.
While he doesn’t have any NHL experience yet, this is not Keyser’s first recall to the NHL roster. After Boston signed Keyser as an undrafted free agent in October 2017, Keyser later spent time on Boston’s taxi squad during the 2021-22 season.
With the Providence Bruins starting their AHL playoff run soon, the team has opted to swap Keyser and Brandon Bussi on the roster. The move gives the opportunity for Bussi, the starter for most of the season in Providence, to reclaim that role in the playoffs. Keyser will likely stay on Boston’s roster as the third goalie unless injuries strike, necessitating Bussi’s recall.
After signing a one-year extension last summer, Keyser will once again be a restricted free agent on July 1.
Rasmus Sandin To Play At World Championships
Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin has been selected to represent Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, as announced by the team today. Sandin, 23, had a career-high 35 points this season, including seven goals and 28 assists, in 71 games with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Capitals.
His arrival will be invaluable for the Swedish team at the tournament. They’ll be without a big contributor on offense due to an insurance issue stopping Vancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson from suiting up for them at the tournament.
After being acquired by the Capitals from the Maple Leafs via trade on February 28, Sandin recorded 15 points in 19 games, including three assists in his Capitals debut on March 4 against the San Jose Sharks. He became the first defenseman and seventh skater in Capitals franchise history to record three points in his first game with the team. Sandin also set a franchise record for the fewest games required by a defenseman to reach 10 points in the team’s history, achieving the feat in just seven games.
Sandin’s selection to represent Sweden is not a new experience for the young defenseman, as he previously represented Sweden at the 2019 and 2020 World Junior Championships. In 2020, he earned a bronze medal and was named the tournament’s top defenseman, recording 10 points in seven games, which was the most by any defenseman in the tournament.
His international success is not limited to his play at the Worlds. He also participated in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, where he helped Sweden earn the bronze medal. Sandin also captained Sweden to the gold medal at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Dallas Stars Loan Riley Tufte To AHL
The Dallas Stars returned forward Riley Tufte to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, the team said in a release today.
Dallas summoned Tufte from the minors following Joe Pavelski‘s injury in Game 1, giving him some time on the NHL roster during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t insert Tufte into the lineup over the course of four games, however. With Pavelski’s health improving, Dallas has opted to return Tufte to the minors.
The move comes at a natural time for the Stars organization as well. With the Texas Stars finishing high enough in the Central Division to earn a bye past the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the AHL Stars begin their playoff run on Friday against the Rockford IceHogs. Tufte will be an important middle-six presence for Texas in the playoffs, contributing 35 points in 63 games this season and finishing second among Texas forwards with a +23 rating.
Time is ticking away on the NHL future for the 25-year-old Minnesota native, especially given his first-round billing, but he does play a bruising, power-forward game that translates well enough to Dallas’ bottom six in call-up situations. If Dallas’ season lasts longer than their affiliate, expect Tufte to once again be recalled as part of a complement of Black Aces.
Jets Injury Updates: Scheifele, Dubois, Ehlers
Injuries to important players have piled up at an inopportune time for the Winnipeg Jets, and could lead to a quick playoff exit at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. Down 3-1 in the series, 40-goal scorer Mark Scheifele left Game 4 with a suspected shoulder injury and is not on the ice at practice today, says Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe. He’s not expected to play in Game 5 tomorrow night.
Scheifele, despite managing just one goal in the series, is a cornerstone piece of the team’s forward corps. With a mixed bag of news today on some other Jets forwards, his absence still means they’ll need miracle performances from depth players such as Vladislav Namestnikov and Adam Lowry to pull off an improbable comeback in the series.
- In even more concerning news, Wiebe also reports that Pierre-Luc Dubois was absent from practice today. The nature of his absence is unknown, as he recorded a goal in over 20 minutes of ice time in Game 4 and isn’t listed with any injuries. Still, if his absence from practice today is for any reason other than rest or maintenance, it could be a depth blow to the Jets, who utilized 23-year-old depth forward David Gustafsson in Dubois’ place on the first line in line rushes today.
- The team could see Nikolaj Ehlers back for Game 5, though. Wiebe reports Ehlers was a full participant in practice today, skating on a line with deadline additions Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter. Ehlers hasn’t played since game 81 of the regular season on April 11 with an upper-body injury.
Playoff Notes: Pavelski, Murray, Johnson
As the Dallas Stars try to close out their First Round series on the road, they could see an important veteran return to the lineup. Head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters today that Joe Pavelski will travel to Minnesota for Game 6 and will likely be a game-time decision.
Pavelski hasn’t played in Games 2 through 5, sidelined due to concussion protocols after a heavy hit from Wild defender Matt Dumba in Game 1. Dallas has maintained pace without Pavelski’s services, thanks to Tyler Seguin‘s point-per-game performance in his absence, but they’ll need all the help they can get to stave off a hungry and physical Wild team looking to extend their season at home. A model of consistency, Pavelski’s chemistry with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson has been Dallas’ highlighting factor the past few seasons.
More from around the league’s complement of playoff teams this morning:
- Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Matt Murray had seemingly returned to practice this morning for the first time in nearly a month, but skated with a separate pad of players, says The Hockey News’ David Alter. Murray, sidelined with a concussion since April 2, is unlikely to get any playing time once he is healthy but serves as a more veteran backup option to Ilya Samsonov. Joseph Woll has stayed on the Leafs’ bench in Murray’s absence, making his playoff debut in relief in Game 1’s loss against the Lightning. Murray’s availability for a potential series-clinching Game 5 on Thursday is uncertain.
- Veteran Colorado Avalanche defender Jack Johnson hasn’t played in his team’s First Round series against the Seattle Kraken due to a lower-body injury, but NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika reports he could draw in for the suspended Cale Makar in Game 5. Johnson, who recorded four points and a +10 rating in 25 games after being re-acquired at the trade deadline from Chicago, would slot into a bottom-pairing role. If he’s unable to play, 34-year-old Brad Hunt could make his first postseason appearance since playing in four games with the Wild during the 2020 bubble.
East Injury Notes: Bergeron, Krejčí, Bonino
Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron participated in an optional morning skate today and will be a game-time decision tonight, said NBC Sports Boston’s Ty Anderson.
Bergeron, 37, hasn’t suited up in the playoffs, missing four games with an illness and upper-body injury. It hasn’t slowed the Bruins down much, though, as they’re in position to advance to the Second Round tonight with a win in Game 5. The skill and calming presence of Bergeron certainly boosts their chances.
If Bergeron does return to the lineup tonight, he’ll do so with some different linemates. After spending most of the regular season positioned between Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk on the team’s first line, Bergeron took line rushes between Tyler Bertuzzi and David Pastrňák yesterday.
More from the Eastern Conference this morning:
- While the team may get Bergeron back tonight, they won’t have David Krejčí‘s services. He’s been ruled out for Game 5, head coach Jim Montgomery said. The veteran playmaker had a strong performance in Game 1 of the series, recording an assist, but had a rough Game 2 (no points, -3 rating) and missed Games 3 and 4 with an upper-body injury. It means additional usage for his countryman, Pavel Zacha, who has four assists in four games against Florida.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t in the playoffs, but they did make a roster move yesterday. After a scary injury that kept him out for the last few weeks of the season, Nick Bonino was taken off long-term injured reserve yesterday, CapFriendly reports. After re-joining the Penguins at the trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks, the veteran suffered a lacerated kidney in his third game with the team and missed the final 18 games of the season. The 35-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.