Goaltender Mitchell Gibson Signs With Washington Capitals
TSN’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that Harvard goaltender Mitchell Gibson has decided to forgo a year at Harvard to sign a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals. Gibson’s deal is technically an entry level deal because of his age, meaning that he will likely sign an amateur tryout agreement with Washington’s AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears for the remainder of this season.
The 23-year-old netminder has flourished in the NCAA since being Washington’s fourth round pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft. This past season he posted an 18-7-2 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.25 goals against average. Gibson’s stellar numbers led to him being named a semi-finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender.
The Capitals currently have one of the worst prospect pools in the NHL, but they have moved up the farm system rankings in recent years. While Gibson is hardly an A level prospect at his age, he does help Washington re-stock the cupboard after years of emptying it to compete for Stanley Cups during the Alex Ovechkin era.
Washington will likely give Gibson plenty of time to develop in Hershey. Goaltenders tend to be late bloomers and Washington has very little urgency to rush him with Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren still under contract for at least the next two seasons.
Injury Notes: Dach, Petry, Senators
The Montreal Canadiens announced center Kirby Dach will not play in tonight’s game. The Canadiens are taking on the Philadelphia Flyers, in a game that will see prospect Sean Farrell make his NHL debut and goaltender Cayden Primeau will make his first start of the season. However, the team that has dealt with a large number of injuries all season will have yet another impact player out of the lineup. Dach has been ruled out with an upper-body injury.
The 22-year-old center is having a breakout campaign, though he did miss about a month of action with a lower-body injury recently. In his first season with the Canadiens, Dach has scored 14 goals and 38 points in 58 games. He left last night’s game early after being hit from behind while trying to push the puck over the goal line in overtime. He was called off the ice by the concussion spotter at that time and did not return to the game.
- Jeff Petry is ready to return to his team’s lineup, according to Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop. The veteran defenseman missed the team’s past five games with an upper-body injury. The 35 year old has scored five goals and 26 points in 52 games this season, his first in Pittsburgh. His return will help bolster a depleted blue line that is without Marcus Pettersson and Dmitry Kulikov. The Penguins need the support, as they are in the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference and need to hold off the Florida Panthers if they want to play in the postseason.
- Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun reports some positive and negative injury news for the Ottawa Senators. Cam Talbot is ready to return to the lineup for the first time since March 4 when he injured his oblique. However, the team’s top defenseman Thomas Chabot‘s status is questionable. He left the team’s most recent game after jamming his wrist and though he returned to the bench he was not able to return to the ice. The team won’t give an official update until tomorrow.
Penguins Reassign Taylor Fedun
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Taylor Fedun has been sent down to the AHL. The 34-year-old defenseman was called up earlier this month with the Penguins dealing with several injuries on the blue line. It was his first stint in the NHL since the 2019-20 season when he was a member of the Dallas Stars organization.
Fedun suited up for four games with the Penguins between March 20-25. He did not register any points, but kept his plus-minus even while averaging just over 11 minutes per game and fired five shots on goal. This was during some pivotal games for the Penguins who are hanging on to the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.
Fedun is a respected veteran and leader for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins where he serves as the team’s captain. He has played 53 games in the AHL this season, recording two goals and ten points while playing a dependable, physical, defensive role.
Predators Recall McCarron, Gravel
The Nashville Predators announced they have called up Michael McCarron and Kevin Gravel from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Emma Lingan of NHL.com added that both will be in the lineup tonight when the Predators take on the Boston Bruins tonight. The Predators will be looking for two points against the league’s best team as they look to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. They currently sit five points back of the Winnipeg Jets for the final wildcard spot.
McCarron is a big, physical forward who has already played 22 games with the Predators this season. He has scored one goal and two points in that time, while also scoring two goals and six points in 16 AHL games this season. He will slot in on the team’s fourth line and use his 6-foot-6 frame to add some energy to the lineup for the Predators.
Gravel adds a physical presence himself at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. The 31-year-old defenseman has one point in 18 NHL games this season as well as two goals and 13 points in 48 AHL game for the Admirals. Gravel has bounced around many teams over the years, but has 127 games of NHL experience under his belt and will provide a physical, defensive presence for the Predators.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Samuel Ersson
Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer announces that the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled goaltender Samuel Ersson from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In unfortunate news for the Flyers, the callup was required because Carter Hart will miss some time with a lower-body injury.
In his first year of action in the NHL, Ersson has been a mixed bag. On the positive side, Ersson is 6-1 after eight starts, including one 28-save shutout against the high-scoring Buffalo Sabres. On the other hand, Ersson holds a save percentage of .898 and a scoring chance save percentage of .862. Separating out the team statistics versus the goaltending statistics, the Flyers may simply be playing better at times their young goaltender has started.
In the AHL so far this season, Ersson has fared much better than last year. On a Lehigh Valley team looking to sneak into the playoffs, Ersson has a record of 21-14-1, with a save percentage of .904 and a goals-against average of 2.70. Only playing in five games last year, coupled with his usage in the NHL this year, Ersson has clearly been given more trust within the Flyers organization.
Snapshots: Clarke, O’Reilly, Rousek
Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports that Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Brandt Clarke will take home Player and Defenseman of the Month honors for the month of March in the Ontario Hockey League. In just nine games, playing for the Barrie Colts, Clarke put up an extremely impressive 11 goals and 11 assists, all while carrying a +/- of 16.
Drafted eighth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Clarke has spent the majority of his last four seasons playing in Barrie, while also spending one season for HC Nove Zamky of the Slovak Extraliga on loan. The young defenseman has now suited up in 143 OHL games, scoring 40 goals and 118 assists. Clarke has primarily been commended for his ability as a defenseman to create the rush and join in with it.
This season, Clarke was able to suit up in nine games for the Kings earlier in the season, scoring two assists during his time. Averaging over two points a game in the OHL this season, Clarke should be expected to earn a full-time job with the Kings next season.
More from around the league this afternoon:
- After speaking with the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe, this morning, Mark Masters of TSN passes on that center Ryan O’Reilly is unlikely to return to Toronto this week. This is still within the timeline that the Maple Leafs initially gave, as they stated O’Reilly would be out for four weeks with his injury. Getting off to a dismal start to the year with the St.Louis Blues, O’Reilly picked up his play a bit, scoring three goals and two assists after eight games in Toronto.
- After scoring one goal and one assist in his first-ever game in the NHL, Buffalo Sabres’ forward Lukas Rousek will be returned to the team’s AHL affiliate Rochester Americans. Drafted 160th overall in 2019, the Sabres forward has scored 49 points in 62 games for Rochester and seemed to translate that talent to the NHL in the team’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens. As Rochester is in the midst of a playoff hunt coming down the wire, expect Rousek to be a big part of that.
Jordan Spence Reassigned To AHL
After two weeks with the big club, Jordan Spence returns to the AHL. The Los Angeles Kings have reassigned the young defenseman ahead of their four-game road trip that starts in Calgary this evening.
Spence, 22, played just two games on this recent call-up, bringing his total to five on the year. Through 29 career regular season games he has two goals and nine points, averaging just under 19 minutes a night.
While he doesn’t figure to make a huge impact this year for the Kings, Spence did show he could handle playoff hockey when he was added to three postseason lineups last year. As a significant part of the team’s future, he’ll get that chance again at some point down the road.
For now, he’ll head back to an Ontario Reign team headed for the Calder Cup playoffs. Ontario will play tomorrow night in a potential first-round preview against the Colorado Eagles, and could really use Spence’s help.
Through 50 games this year, he has duplicated his outstanding minor league production, posting four goals and 41 points. Through 96 career AHL contests, he’s put up 83 points.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Antti Saarela
The Chicago Blackhawks have inked another prospect, signing Antti Saarela to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal does not start until 2023-24, and carries a cap hit of $896,250.
Saarela, 21, would have become an unrestricted free agent in June had he not signed, after being selected 123rd overall back in 2019.
The young forward has been playing professional hockey in Finland for years now, first appearing at the Liiga level during the 2017-18 season. His offensive game hasn’t broken out yet, but few players in Europe can keep up with his speed.
Chicago will try to hone that elite skating ability into a valuable NHL asset, and for Saarela, there isn’t really a better landing spot than the Blackhawks in terms of NHL opportunity. The team will be turning over its entire roster in the next few years, and offering plenty of chances to youngsters looking to prove themselves.
An entry-level contract represents a no-risk investment from the Blackhawks, especially given how many open slots they have for next season. Saarela becomes just the 11th player under contract with Chicago through 2024-25.
In 41 regular season games, the speedy forward scored seven goals and 18 points. He added a pair of goals in a six-game series against HIFK that ended yesterday in an overtime loss.
West Notes: Blues, Sharks, Predators
When the New York Rangers clinched the playoffs last night, thanks to losses by the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers, there must have been some smiles on a Western Conference club, too. The St. Louis Blues will now receive a 2024 third-round pick as part of the Vladimir Tarasenko trade, instead of the conditional fourth that was initially announced.
The Blues now have ten picks in the first three rounds over the next two years, thanks to their trades of Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly. That gives them a chance to retool quickly, with considerable draft capital to flip this summer if they are trying to contend in 2023-24.
- The San Jose Sharks will have youngster Henry Thrun make his NHL debut this season, but not until Thursday. In the meantime, they have recalled Jeffrey Viel from the minor leagues to help fill in for the injuries up front. As Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group reports, Andreas Johnsson and Evgeny Svechnikov may not play again this season. Alexander Barabanov will miss tonight’s game and is listed as day-to-day.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron and Kevin Gravel from the minor leagues, as they prepare for action against the Boston Bruins. While not officially eliminated, the Predators now find themselves five points out of a playoff spot with ten games to play after losses to Toronto and Seattle.
Jordan Gross Clears Waivers; Reassigned To AHL
March 28: Gross has cleared waivers and was reassigned to the minor leagues.
March 27: The Nashville Predators have waived defenseman Jordan Gross, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Monday afternoon.
The move could signal that Roman Josi, who’s been out of the lineup since March 18, is close to returning. He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Players returning from injuries is one of the few reasons why a player would land on waivers post-trade deadline, given the absence of the normal 23-player roster limit. But with their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, near the top of their division, Nashville is carrying a trim roster in an effort to bolster their minor league club.
Gross, a 27-year-old product of Minnesota, has three goals in 15 games with the Predators this season. In Milwaukee, he leads the team’s defensemen in scoring despite seeing many days on the NHL roster, recording eight goals and 23 assists in 45 games.
Gross is expected to clear waivers, as he would be ineligible to play for any team in the playoffs or during the brief remainder of the regular season.