Flyers Forward Lukas Sedlak Leaves The Team, Placed On Unconditional Waivers
11:50 AM: The Flyers have confirmed (Twitter link) that Sedlak will be placed on unconditional waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract. He’ll officially hit the waiver wire in a little over an hour. They also confirmed that Bellows has been recalled.
9:49 AM: Among the absentees at today’s Flyers practice was center Lukas Sedlak. His absence isn’t injury-related, however, as head coach John Tortorella told reporters, including Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link), that the 29-year-old has left the team and has returned home to his native Czechia. Tortorella wouldn’t elaborate further, indicating that they’ll let Sedlak explain why he left. Sedlak did so, telling Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) that he’s likely going to play with Pardubice of the Extraliga, citing a desire to be closer to family.
Sedlak signed a one-year, $800K contract with Colorado in free agency back in July and made their opening roster. However, after three games with the Avs, he was placed on waivers in mid-October and was claimed by Philadelphia. Since then, he had been a regular in the lineup, picking up three goals and five assists while averaging a little shy of 13 minutes per night, well above his career average.
Sedlak is set to become an unrestricted free agent again next summer and his comments suggest that likely he’ll be staying overseas for good. In the meantime, the Flyers have designated Sedlak as a non-roster player to free up an extra roster spot, one that will be used on winger Kieffer Bellows who has been recalled, per the AHL’s transactions log. If they decide to terminate his contract – Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli tweets that he should be on termination waivers soon – they’ll also free up a contract slot which is notable since they are currently the only team that’s at the maximum of 50.
Maple Leafs Recall Mac Hollowell On Emergency Basis
The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from Toronto of the AHL on an emergency basis. They had an open roster spot to work with so no corresponding move needed to be made.
Hollowell got into six games with the big club on his last recall, his first taste of NHL action. The 24-year-old acquitted himself relatively well, picking up a pair of assists in those contests while averaging just shy of 13 minutes a night of playing time. While he hasn’t scored with the Marlies so far, he has collected 10 assists in a dozen contests with them, one of which came last night in Rockford.
Timothy Liljegren was injured in Thursday’s game but was a full participant in practice on the second pairing while head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated after practice to Sports Illustrated’s David Alter (Twitter link) that Liljegren isn’t the only blueliner that’s banged up which is what necessitated Hollowell’s recall. For the time being, Toronto now has eight blueliners on their active roster and all of them were present at the morning skate.
Flyers Place Cam Atkinson On IR
It has been a strange year thus far for Flyers winger Cam Atkinson. Originally diagnosed as being out day-to-day with an upper-body injury in training camp, the 33-year-old has still yet to play this season. He was said to be nearing a return and has been participating in practices but CapFriendly noted last night (Twitter link) that the veteran has now been moved to injured reserve.
The placement stems from them needing a roster spot for Olle Lycksell who was recalled on Thursday. Originally, it was supposed to be Anthony DeAngelo ceding his spot as the defenseman was away from the team for personal reasons, allowing Philadelphia to designate him as non-roster status. However, Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that DeAngelo is back at practice today which takes that option off the table.
It’s possible that Atkinson might have suffered some kind of setback, one that is going to take at least a little bit of time to heal so they’ve opted to simply place him on IR until he’s cleared to return. Because he hasn’t played this season, Philadelphia is eligible to back-date the placement; accordingly, he’s eligible to be activated at any time. For a few weeks now, it looked like the 700-game veteran was just about ready to come back but now, that wait appears likely to be even longer.
Snapshots: Norris, Season Expansion, Joyce
When news of Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris‘ shoulder injury first broke, it was speculated as a potentially season-ending ailment. The timeline was eventually narrowed down to a three-to-five-month period, and in early November, it became clear that Norris would not need to have surgery on his shoulder. Now, it seems there is even more good news regarding Norris’ injury situation. At Senators practice today, Norris took off his non-contact jersey and donned a regular practice jersey.
That’s an important development, as it indicates that Norris could be nearing a return to the ice sooner than anyone may have anticipated. While the Senators remain in last place in the Atlantic Division, they are currently on a three-game winning streak and have a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games. Being able to add Norris back to their group of centers would give them a trio of Norris, Tim Stutzle, and Shane Pinto, an enviable group of young pivots. Norris scored 35 goals and 55 points last season, and while his slow start to this season as well as his shoulder injury makes it somewhat likely that he’ll need time to get back up to full speed, his return to the ice would undoubtedly be a major help to the Senators’ push to get back into the playoff picture.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that the NHL “has discussed expanding its regular season from 82 to 84 games in an effort to create more regional rivalry matchups.” With the league still recovering from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been renewed focus on advancing the league’s revenue goals. Wyshynski does note that “the topic wasn’t mentioned at this week’s board of governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, but is expected to be discussed at the general managers’ meeting in March 2023,” meaning the change is still a bit of a way away from being officially agreed upon and implemented.
- NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston has reported that executive Eric Joyce is no longer a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Joyce joined the Maple Leafs in the fall of 2020 and had most recently served as the director of hockey strategy and pro scouting. It is unclear at this current moment if the Maple Leafs have chosen to leave those roles unfilled, delegated Joyce’s responsibilities to others, or otherwise re-assigned Joyce’s vacated titles and responsibilities.
Vancouver Canucks Recall Lane Pederson
Seeking help to continue their 7-3 run in their last ten games, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Lane Pederson, one of the AHL’s hottest goal scorers, from their minor-league affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.
Pederson, 25, was acquired by Vancouver as part of the October Ethan Bear trade. At the time, we wrote that in adding Pederson the Canucks were adding a “capable AHL scorer” who would be able to “help bolster the Abbotsford Canucks.”
That’s exactly what he’s done, as after going scoreless through his first four AHL games with the Chicago Wolves, Pederson has scored 17 goals in just 18 games in the Canucks organization.
His hot streak has led the AHL Canucks to seven wins in their last ten games, helping them rebound from a difficult start and re-inserting them into the AHL’s Pacific Division playoff race.
AHL success is not foreign to Pederson, as he has scored near a point-per-game rate in that league since 2019-20, when he scored 16 goals and 34 points in 37 games for the Tucson Roadrunners.
Both the Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks gave Pederson, who went undrafted out of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, extended looks in the NHL. Pederson got a 15-game trial in Arizona in 2020-21 and 29 games for San Jose last season. In total, though, Pederson has just five NHL points to his name.
With this recall, the Canucks will likely give Pederson a shot to see if his red-hot scoring can translate to the NHL level. It’s certainly possible that Pederson is one of those players who has the tools to excel against AHL defenses but not against tougher NHL competition, and that seems to be the conclusion Arizona, San Jose, and the Carolina Hurricanes reached by letting Pederson move on. But even so, with this recall, the Canucks have decided that they want to find out for themselves.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Markus Niemelainen
The Edmonton Oilers have made a roster move, recalling defenseman Markus Niemelainen from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Niemelainen was sent to Bakersfield in late November, and now finds himself back on the Oilers’ roster after a 10-game stint in the AHL.
Niemelainen, 24, was a third-round pick of the Oilers at the 2016 draft, and has developed steadily since that point. The rangy six-foot-six Finn played two seasons in the OHL before making the jump to professional hockey in Liiga. Niemelainen crossed the Atlantic once again in 2020-21 to play for Bakersfield, and he made his NHL debut last season.
In 20 games last year Niemelainen had one assist, skating just over 13 minutes per night with over a minute on the penalty kill. So far this year, Niemelainen’s usage in 15 NHL games played has been light. He averages under ten minutes of ice time per night, and his time on the penalty kill has declined as well.
At the AHL level, though, Niemelainen’s overall role reflects what the Oilers are likely hoping he can develop into on their NHL squad. Niemelainen plays top-four minutes in Bakersfield with a heavy dosage of penalty-killing time, and that reflects the Oilers’ faith that he can potentially develop into a shutdown specialist at the NHL level.
Now back with the main roster, Niemelainen will hope to earn more ice time from coach Jay Woodcroft and continue his development at the game’s highest level.
Vegas Golden Knights Re-Assign Kaedan Korczak To AHL
The Vegas Golden Knights have re-assigned defenseman Kaedan Korczak to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. The move comes after Korczak was recalled to Vegas four days ago with the team in the midst of some injury challenges at their back end.
Now Korczak will head back to Henderson having not skated in a game for Vegas during his short time on their roster. Korczak does have an NHL game on his resume, from last season when the Golden Knights’ blueline was in a similar position, so this move does not cost him a chance at making his NHL debut.
The reassignment leaves Vegas with seven defensemen on their active roster, giving them an opportunity to call up an extra forward. As the Golden Knights are a team utilizing long-term injured reserve, keeping less than the maximum of 23 players on their roster does not provide any benefits in terms of being able to bank cap space to use later on in the season.
Korczak, 21, was the 41st overall pick at the 2019 draft and will head back to Henderson, where he plays a top-four role with a healthy dose of special teams time. The big defense-first defenseman has six points in 24 games so far this year at the AHL level to go along with 18 penalty minutes.
Team USA Announces 2023 World Juniors Roster
With the World Juniors rapidly approaching, Team USA needed to make a final round of cuts to prepare its 25-man WJC roster. With Ryan Leonard, Jack Devine, Shai Buium, and Tyler Muszelik sent home, the 25-man roster has been settled. Team USA will begin their tournament taking on Latvia on December 26th. The players are as follows:
Goaltenders (3)
Trey Augustine – 2023 Draft Eligible
Kaidan Mbereko – 2023 Draft Eligible
Andrew Oke – 2023 Draft Eligible
Defensemen (8)
Sean Behrens – (COL)
Seamus Casey – (NJD)
Ryan Chesley – (WSH)
Luke Hughes – (NJD)
Lane Hutson – (MTL)
Luke Mittelstadt – 2023 Draft Eligible
Jack Peart – (MIN)
Ryan Ufko – (NSH)
Forwards (14)
Jackson Blake – (CAR)
Gavin Brindley – 2023 Draft Eligible
Tyler Boucher – (OTT)
Kenny Connors – (LAK)
Logan Cooley – (ARZ)
Dylan Duke – (TBL)
Cutter Gauthier – (PHI)
Noah Laba – (NYR)
Sam Lipkin – (ARZ)
Chaz Lucius – (WPG)
Rutger McGroarty – (WPG)
Red Savage – (DET)
Jimmy Snuggerud – (STL)
Charlie Stramel – 2023 Draft Eligible
This team is likely to be highlighted by a first line comprised entirely of highly-drafted NHL prospects. The trio of top 2022 picks Gauthier, Cooley, and Snuggerud could be a treat to watch, and the Americans’ depth at forward combined with their talented blueliners such as Hughes, Hutson, and Chesley should make this team a strong contender for a medal. While the situation in the crease is a bit less stable, the WJC will provide twice-undrafted goalie Mbereko a major stage to showcase why he should be picked next year.
Buffalo Sabres Recall Jeremy Davies
The Buffalo Sabres have announced the recall of defenseman Jeremy Davies from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
The move comes after Owen Power was a last-minute health-related scratch for the team’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Defenseman Jacob Bryson is also dealing with his own lower-body injury.
Davies, has been recalled by the Sabres before but has yet to make his debut for the club. He’s spent most of the year with their AHL affiliate in Rochester, where he has five points in 19 games. Davies has played in a top-four role in Rochester and is used in a supporting role on both special teams units.
Originally a New Jersey Devils late-round pick, Davies turned pro with the Nashville Predators after a three-year collegiate career at Northeastern University. Over the course of three seasons in the Predators organization, Davies got into 22 NHL games, scoring three assists.
Last year Davies spent the bulk of his time with the Predators’ AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, scoring 31 points in 54 games. That was a performance that earned him a $750k one-year, two-way deal with the Sabres this summer. Davies will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at the end of the season.
New York Islanders Activate Kyle Palmieri
Yesterday, as part of our coverage of Adam Pelech‘s placement on injured reserve, we covered how the New York Islanders were nearing a return date for Kyle Palmieri, who was out with an upper-body injury.
Today, that return date has been finalized, with Palmieri being activated from injured reserve this afternoon. Palmieri, 31, has played in 20 games so far this season, scoring six goals and nine points. He scored 15 goals and 33 points last year, playing on a $5MM cap hit that runs until the summer of 2025.
Palmieri is a veteran of over 700 career NHL games, and his return to full health is a positive development for the Islanders as they look to make their return to the playoffs. Not only does Palmieri chip in an important amount of secondary scoring, but his gritty, hard-working style is also very highly regarded on Long Island by both fans and coach Lane Lambert.
While he may be a few too many years removed from his 30-goal, 50-point days to be relied on for that kind of production anymore, he’s still an experienced forward with an exceptional resume and a wealth of experience.