Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hart, Chatfield
According to Rob Rossi of The Athletic, a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins have seemingly dodged a bullet when it comes to injuries. The Penguins appeared to be in a difficult spot when Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta both left Tuesday night’s game early with injuries. It seemed unlikely they would have the cap space to make a recall and even find six healthy defensemen for their game with the New York Rangers tonight.
However, somewhat surprisingly, it sounds like both Petry and Rutta will be good to go tonight. Both players participated in morning skate and said afterwards that they expect to be in the lineup this evening. The team even said forward Ryan Poehling is likely to be activated from long-term injured reserve and play for the first time since February 11.
- Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Carter Hart was back with the Philadelphia Flyers at practice this morning. Hart missed the team’s last game with an illness, but appears to have recovered quickly and could be in goal when they face the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night. Hart has a 2.96 GAA and a .906 SV% in 48 games this season.
- Walt Ruff of NHL.com reports Jalen Chatfield is back as a full participant for the Carolina Hurricanes. The right defenseman was skating on the third pairing with Shayne Gostisbehere with a regular jersey on instead of the no-contact jersey he had been using. Chatfield has not played since March 7, but head coach Rob Brind’Amour says he hopes Chatfield will be ready to step back into the lineup either when the Hurricanes take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night or the Flyers on Saturday.
Coyotes To Sign Josh Doan
According to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports, the Arizona Coyotes are soon going to sign prospect Josh Doan to an entry-level contract. Doan is the son of Shane Doan who is the Coyotes all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points.
His son was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and has played the past two seasons at Arizona State University. Doan was an impact player in his time at college, scoring 16 goals and 38 points in 39 games this season. He had 12 goals and 37 points in 35 games as a freshman in 2021-22.
Doan is a good-sized prospect at 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds and showed plenty of scoring touch by averaging just over a point per game in his two season college career. He likely would not make the jump straight to the NHL, instead start his pro career with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL.
At 21 years of age, the Coyotes would have the ability to sign Doan to a three-year contract that begins next season. He could close out this season in the AHL on a tryout agreement instead of a formal NHL contract.
Predators Recall McCarron, Send Down Afanasyev
The Nashville Predators announced a forward swap between the NHL team and their AHL affiliate. Michael McCarron has been called up from the Milwaukee Admirals while Egor Afanasyev has been sent down to the AHL. Afanasyev was up on an emergency basis, and McCarron’s recall was also on an emergency basis, so these do not count towards the four recalls the Predators are allowed to make after the trade deadline.
McCarron, a big, physical winger at 6-foot-6 and 231 pounds has split hit time between the NHL and AHL this season. He has played 19 games for the Predators, scoring one goal and two points while also suiting up for 13 AHL contests and scoring two goals and six points. He was sent down just two days ago so the team would have room to call up defenseman Kevin Gravel, but now McCarron returns to the NHL roster.
Afanasyev was called up on March 11 to make his NHL debut. He has played three games since then recording four shots on goal while averaging just under ten minutes of ice time per game. The 22-year-old Russian winger is having a decent season in the AHL, putting up 13 goals and 26 points in 55 games.
McCarron, at 28 years old gives the Predators a bit more experience in their lineup over Afanasyev. The Predators were sellers at the trade deadline, but sit just four points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the final playoff spot and have played three less games than the Jets. They will continue their unlikely playoff push tonight when they host the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jordan Binnington To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was ejected from last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The Department of Player Safety announced this morning than Binnington will have a hearing with them about his conduct.
Binnington lost his cool after the Wild’s fifth goal as he felt Ryan Hartman was a bit aggressive in front of the net after the goal was scored. Hartman scored a goal from the faceoff dot on Binnington’s left and headed to the opposite side of the rink to celebrate with Mats Zuccarello who fed him a tremendous pass. On his way, Hartman clipped Binnington who was spinning in front of his crease after allowing the goal.
The Blues Stanley Cup winning goaltender from 2019 must have felt Hartman bumped him on purpose. Binnington surprisingly charged at Hartman and took a massive swing at him with his blocker, aiming for the Wild forward’s face. Contact was certainly made, and Hartman fell to the ice, but it appeared in the video he at least got a hand up to absorb most of the blow instead of taking a blocker straight to the nose.
Binnington was assessed a match penalty for using his blocker as a weapon to try and injure an opponent. His meeting with the Department of Player Safety could lead to a fine or a suspension.
Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hughes, Ersson, Svechnikov
With Jan Rutta and Jeff Petry both leaving Tuesday’s game against Montreal with undisclosed injuries, the Penguins were forced to finish that contest with four blueliners. As Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out, they might not be able to dress six for Thursday’s contest against the Rangers. Even with Dmitry Kulikov going on LTIR earlier today, that still only opens up enough cap space for one recall with Anaheim holding back half of Kulikov’s cap hit. That means that Pittsburgh could bring up Mark Friedman or Taylor Fedun from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Ty Smith is injured) but they would still have to play short a blueliner for a game before becoming eligible for a cap-exempt emergency recall. Of course, if one of Rutta or Petry can suit up against New York, they’ll be able to ice a full lineup.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Rangers prospect Riley Hughes has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a seventh-round pick by New York back in 2018 (216th overall) but hasn’t been particularly productive over four years at Northeastern. This season, Hughes had just two goals and four assists in 32 games, numbers that weren’t going to help him earn an entry-level deal this summer. He’s eligible for one more bonus year of eligibility and that season will now be played elsewhere.
- The Flyers have assigned Samuel Ersson back to AHL Lehigh Valley, interim GM Daniel Briere told reporters including Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 23-year-old was recalled yesterday with Carter Hart being out due to illness but it appears that Hart will be ready for their next game on Friday against Buffalo. Ersson has played in 13 games with Philadelphia this season, posting a 3.07 GAA and a .898 SV%.
- As expected, the Hurricanes have placed winger Andrei Svechnikov on LTIR, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old is out for the season is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery on Thursday. The placement adds Svechnikov’s $7.75MM AAV to Carolina’s LTIR pool, one that went into the day with less than $850K in space, or enough for one AHL recall. With Svechnikov on LTIR, affording recalls shouldn’t be an issue for them for the rest of the season.
Previewing The 2023 College Free Agent Market: Defensemen
With the Frozen Four tournament on the horizon, there should be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks. At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings (and this year is no exception) but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
Here is an overview of some of the defensemen that should be drawing NHL interest in the near future. Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks. The forward preview can be found here.
Jacob Bengtsson, Lake Superior State
The 23-year-old made the jump to North America back in 2018 and while it took a bit of time for him to find his footing, he became a key part of the back end for the Lakers the last two seasons. He has a pro-ready frame and is a strong defender. Bengtsson was believed to have some NHL interest last season and should have some this time around although it’s worth noting that he has another year of college eligibility remaining.
Akito Hirose, Minnesota State
The younger brother of Taro Hirose who has seen some NHL action after going the college route, the blueliner is a strong skater with a strong offensive game. The question with him will be if he can defend at a pro level as the offense should translate relatively well. Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic report (subscription link) that the Canucks are among the teams believed to be interested in the 23-year-old who has another year of eligibility remaining.
Colton Huard, New Hampshire
Unlike most of the blueliners on this list, Huard isn’t quite as far along in his development as he’s only played his sophomore year and spent a good chunk of it on the second pairing. However, the 22-year-old has shown a promising offensive skillset and, like many other defenders on this list, has the size that will be enticing to NHL teams. Huard is a strong candidate to stay with the Wildcats next season but expect some teams to try to change his mind.
Luke Krys, Brown
Krys isn’t going to be a blueliner that piles up the points but he is a stable defender in his own end which, coupled with a big frame that has room to fill out still, should attract some NHL interest. Basically, the 22-year-old is the opposite of his brother Chad, a former Chicago prospect. The overall raw upside isn’t the highest out of this group but teams looking for a defender that can step right in and play regular minutes in the AHL will have Krys on their lists.
Jake Livingstone, Minnesota State
If you’re looking for a defender that could make the jump to a third pairing spot in the NHL quickly, Livingstone is probably that player. He has a pro-ready frame and has surpassed the 30-point mark in each of the last two seasons. The 23-year-old has received NHL interest in the past and with this season being his best, that interest should only intensify. Livingstone is a strong candidate to land a deal that begins now, getting him to restricted free agency sooner.
Sam Malinski, Cornell
While the 24-year-old is a bit undersized at 5’11, he’s arguably the most well-rounded defender in this UFA class. He provided eight goals from the back end this season and ran the power play for the Big Red while defensively, he logged big minutes on the penalty kill. Although Malinski is technically a senior, he missed all of 2020-21 with the Ivy League schools not playing that year so there’s a case to be made that he still has some developing to do which should entice some NHL teams.
Zach Metsa, Quinnipiac
Undersized blueliners don’t always make the jump with success but Nick Blankenburg quickly becoming a regular in Columbus should strengthen Metsa’s market as there are some similarities between the two. Metsa moves the puck well and his offensive skills are among the best in this class. The fact he’s 5’9 will hurt his market but there will be some interest in the 24-year-old who has exhausted his eligibility including the bonus year.
Travis Mitchell, Cornell
Cornell’s captain played a much bigger role this season, playing in all situations. However, Mitchell is someone that profiles as more of a stay-at-home defender in the pros. At 6’3, he has pro size already and shouldn’t need much of a transition period to play in the minors at least. Mitchell’s raw ceiling isn’t particularly high but he would be a worthwhile addition for a team that’s looking to add some depth to its prospect pool. He has previously attended development camps with Boston and St. Louis.
Others To Watch For
Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State
Zak Galambos, Western Michigan
Ryan Siedem, Harvard
Senators Recall Ridly Greig
Late last month, the Senators sent Ridly Greig back to Belleville to get some more playing time. Now, they’ve decided the time is right to bring him back up to the big club as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the center from AHL Belleville.
The 20-year-old played in 11 games with Ottawa during his first stint with the big club, picking up a goal and three assists while averaging 13:29 per contest, decent numbers for his first NHL opportunity. However, Greig has been considerably more productive in the minors, collecting 13 goals and 14 helpers in 35 contests although he only picked up a point in two of the seven games he played since being sent down.
In Ottawa’s announcement, it wasn’t clear if this is an emergency recall or a regular one which would count against their post-deadline limit of four. They have 14 forwards on their active roster but wingers Parker Kelly and Mathieu Joseph are both battling injuries, bringing them down to the minimum of 12. If there is another injury, then Greig’s recall could be classified as an emergency one.
Snapshots: Salary Cap, Coyotes, Matthews
The relatively flat salary cap over the last few seasons has certainly been a limiter on player movement over that time. However, speaking with reporters today including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman indicated a potential openness to boost the Upper Limit by more than the prescribed $1MM next season. However, doing so would be tied to escrow:
We’re hearing around the bend from players and others that there may be interest in having that, but one thing to keep in mind if we’re going to raise the cap and the escrow hasn’t been paid off, is then we’re going to have to look at raising the escrow rates, which under the CBA extension in 2020 is locked into the last three years of the CBA term at 6 per cent. So, if you’re going to raise the cap prematurely, then you’re going to have to look at the escrow percentage as well. The two are inextricably tied together.
As Bettman noted, there now is a fixed cap on escrow which there wasn’t in the past and by his estimation, there is still around $100MM owed back to the owners to get back to the required 50/50 share of Hockey Related Revenue. Increasing the escrow hasn’t been popular in the past so if incoming NHLPA Director Marty Walsh finds that the players don’t want to go that route again (even for just a short time), it could be one more year with a small increase before the cap goes up more quickly beginning in 2024-25.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Coyotes are likely to be one of the few teams with significant cap space this summer but don’t expect them to automatically be too active in free agency. GM Bill Armstrong indicated on the latest Cam and Strick podcast (video link) that they’re also open to doing what they’ve done in recent years which is taking on unwanted contracts while stockpiling extra draft picks for doing so. Arizona has stockpiled 47 picks over the next four seasons but have shown a willingness in the past to take on selections that are several years out. If they opt to take on more unwanted contracts, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them concentrating on adding 2026 and 2027 draft picks in order to try to keep their pick cupboard spaced out.
- While it has been speculated for a while, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews confirmed to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (subscription link) that the upper-body injury he has been dealing with for most of the year is a hand issue. However, the 25-year-old indicated that the hand is feeling a lot better now as of late which is certainly good news for a Toronto team that has made several moves to augment their roster at the trade deadline in the hopes of a long playoff run. Even with the injury, Matthews still has 31 goals and 36 assists in 59 games so far.
Minor Transactions: 03/15/23
With the trade deadline long past us, playoff races are heating up across the NHL. The Buffalo Sabres are looking to end the league’s longest playoff drought, and their uphill climb to clinch a spot continues tonight as they take on the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs will get the chance to test themselves against the defending Stanley Cup champions. While hockey fans across the globe take in tonight’s games, teams in minor and foreign leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.
- Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola could be headed to Switzerland for next season, according to a report from Swiss outlet Watson. After playing four seasons in the Penguins organization, Riikola returned to Europe this summer, signing with the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn. He’s done well for himself in Sweden, scoring 19 points in 42 games as an alternate captain, and is now rumored to be heading to the SCL Tigers, a team in the top tier of Swiss hockey.
- The San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, have signed University of Connecticut captain Roman Kinal, a six-foot-two 24-year-old defenseman, to an ATO agreement. This deal will allow him to be with the Barracuda as they grapple for position in the AHL’s Pacific Division, giving him his first professional experience. As their recent trade for Harvard Blueliner Henry Thrun suggested, the Sharks organization is expected to look to mine talent from the NCAA ranks, so adding an experienced college player furthers that strategy.
- Former Washington Capitals prospect Colby Williams has signed a one-year extension with his current club, KHL side Admiral Vladivostok. The former Regina Pats captain played his first season away from North America this year, after he signed with Vladivostok over the summer. After six seasons patrolling the blueline in the AHL, Williams scored 18 points in 67 games in Russia, a performance that earned him a one-year contract extension.
- After nine seasons and 441 games with the DEL’s Augsburger Panthers, including the last three as their captain, Calgary native Brady Lamb will be playing elsewhere. The team has announced they and Lamb have parted ways. Lamb, who led the DEL in assists by a defenseman in 2017-18, has been a the face of the Panthers in recent years, helping them reach the playoffs twice in his tenure there. Augsburg endured a difficult 2022-23 season, and now they’ll look for a fresh face of their franchise moving forward.
- Former New York Islander Johan Sundstrom is headed to Finland to continue his career, per a report from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson. The 30-year-old got 11 games with the Islanders in 2013-14 and has since played in Sweden, Russia, and China. After scoring 13 goals and 31 points for Frolunda in his first year back from the KHL, his effectiveness and role have declined, and he did not get into games for the club this season despite remaining on their payroll. Now, according to this report, he’ll be headed to Liiga’s Vaasan Sport to continue his pro career.
- Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Markus Hannikainen will leave his current club, the SHL’s HC Linkoping, according to a team announcement. The 29-year-old, who has 91 career NHL games on his resume, was unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension with the club. Since leaving North America in the summer of 2020, Hannikainen played two years for Jokerit Helsinki in the KHL before spending last season playing for Mannheim in Germany. He scored eight goals and 19 points in the SHL this season and will now look to find the next stop in his career.
- Canadian Craig Schira, former captain of SHL side Rogle BK, will also not be returning to Linkoping for next season. He scored eight points in 76 games across two seasons for Linkoping and leaves after a difficult season that ended with Linkoping just outside the SHL’s relegation zone. He’s played in Europe since 2011-12 since leaving the Belleville Senators and has been an important defenseman for quite a few teams.
- Defenseman Eric Martinsson, who played in 13 games for the Minnesota Wild organization in 2018-19, is leaving the SHL’s HV71. The two-time SHL champion has spent two of the last three seasons at HV71, save for last year, which he spent playing in the KHL in Kazakhstan. He scored 37 points in 51 games for HV71 in 2020-21, but registered only 12 points this season, a decline that possibly prompted this parting of ways.
- The ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies have released defenseman Joey Colatarci, per the ECHL’s official transactions report. Colatarci, 28, has been a regular for the Grizzlies for the past two seasons but hasn’t registered a single point in 30 games this season. Now, the six-foot-two blueliner will look to find another club to continue his career in North America’s third-tier league.
- 23-year-old defenseman Jacob Semik, an alternate captain for Arizona State University, has signed with the Grizzlies. His arrival could be seen as taking the place of the released Colatarci, who plays a similar style to him. By adding Semik, the Grizzlies give a college player a chance to make his professional debut and the opportunity to begin the process of climbing North America’s pro hockey ladder.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Christian Dvorak Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
The Montreal Canadiens’ season-long battle with the injury bug continues, as the team has announced that center Christian Dvorak underwent season-ending knee surgery today. Per the announcement, a full recovery is expected before the start of next season.
While no announcement has officially been made, it’s likely that Dvorak will land on injured reserve following this news. When that placement officially comes, he’ll join a whopping eight Canadiens players on either regular or long-term injured reserve.
The Canadiens have been absolutely decimated by injuries this season, and their list of contributors who have missed significant time this season rivals that of any other NHL club. They have lost players such as budding superstar Cole Caufield and promising rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj to their own season-ending surgeries, and now Dvorak joins that list.
The result of the slew of injuries the team has faced this season has been that coach Martin St. Louis has been forced to make do with an even more talent-depleted roster than the one the Canadiens entered the season with.
While some players such as longtime minor leaguer Alex Belzile and seventh-round pick Rafael Harvey-Pinard have seized the opportunities these injuries have provided them, it’s clear that the trouble the Canadiens have faced in the health department has cost them valuable development time for some key players.
For Dvorak, 27, this injury ends what has been an up-and-down season.
The former Arizona Coyotes center has always been the kind of player who is at his best when he can feed off of more gifted linemates, and in Montreal he has not been given that luxury.
As a result, his offensive production has declined as he’s settled into more of a defensive role.
He’s leading all Canadiens regulars in short-handed ice time per game and splits the task of handling the team’s hardest matchups with captain Nick Suzuki.
Dvorak, who makes $4.45MM against the cap through 2024-25, will finish his second season in Montreal with 10 goals and 18 assists in 64 games, which is a 13-goal, 36-point pace.
That’s a decline from the 48-point pace he posted last season, which is disappointing, but he has the type of consistency across his 422-game NHL career to suggest that he’ll have a chance to rebound next season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images