Simon Nemec To Play In World Junior Championship
The Canadian team got a pair of reinforcements this week when Brandt Clarke and Shane Wright were loaned away from their NHL organizations, and it appears as though the Slovakian team will get a similar boost. Miroslav Satan, who is now the president of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation, confirms that the New Jersey Devils will be loaning Simon Nemec to play at the tournament.
Nemec will be joined by Montreal Canadiens first-round pick Filip Mesar, who is currently playing with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. Satan did not mention Juraj Slafkovsky, likely meaning that the first-overall pick will remain with the Canadiens instead of playing the junior tournament.
The 18-year-old Nemec was the second-overall pick this summer, giving Slovakia a sweep of the top two spots. That was a historic moment for the country’s hockey program, just as the bronze medal at the 2022 Olympics proved to be.
At the World Juniors, Slovakia has never placed higher than third. They took home a bronze in 2009, thanks to an incredible tournament from Tomas Tatar, and in 1999, thanks to Marian Gaborik and Ladislav Nagy (in 1993, just after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the two nations competed together and finished in third place).
With Nemec, Mesar, and other impressive youngsters in place (including 17-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky, a top prospect for the 2023 draft), Slovakia will try to reach the gold medal game for the first time.
Calgary Flames Recall Matthew Phillips
After completely dominating the minor leagues through the first two months of the season, Matthew Phillips has finally earned a recall. The Calgary Flames announced the call-up today, bringing up the AHL’s leading scorer ahead of a three-game Eastern Conference road trip through Columbus, Toronto, and Montreal.
Phillips, 24, has 15 goals and 30 points in 20 games so far this season, after posting an outstanding season with the Stockton Heat in 2021-22. Despite the 68 points he recorded, he never did earn a game in the NHL last year, and still sits at just one appearance – in 2020-21 – for his career.
Whether he actually gets into a game remains to be seen, but it’s hard to argue against his production to this point. Through 219 AHL games, Phillips has 191 points. The biggest reason for his lack of opportunity at the NHL level is his size, as the 2016 sixth-round pick is listed at just 5’8″ 160 lbs.
Still, the Flames have had some trouble scoring this year, and have just 81 goals in 26 games. While that has resulted in a decent record thanks to some stingy defensive play (nothing new for a Darryl Sutter-coached squad), there have been times when the club needed an offensive boost and couldn’t find it. Perhaps Phillips, should he get into the lineup on a regular basis, can provide some of that necessary secondary scoring.
Kris Letang Returns To Practice
Dec 8: Two days later, not only is Letang skating in full equipment but he has returned to practice in a regular jersey. It does not appear as though he will be in the lineup right away, but it is rather incredible that he is able to participate so soon.
Penguins head physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas explained the process they are going through:
His stroke this time was much smaller than it was last time. His symptoms have resolved a lot quicker than they did the last time as well. We know what to expect – the data has also evolved in terms of how this hole (in his heart) is to be treated.
Certainly it is not the sport that created this problem for him… We don’t think that playing the sport itself is risky for him.
He’s always surprised us with how well he heals. We don’t think this is accelerated in any way, we’re taking all the right precautions to make sure he is safe to go out and play. And when that time comes, we’ll let him go back to playing his sport.
Letang is now listed as day-to-day.
Dec 6: One of the most incredible moments of last week’s press conference discussing Kris Letang‘s latest stroke was when Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall explained the veteran defenseman asked to skate immediately after being cleared from the hospital. He was on the ice the three days after for a “little twirl,” and has continued to ramp things up since.
This morning, he was on the ice in full equipment with assistant coach Ty Hennes ahead of the team’s morning skate, taking shots and working hard. While the team has been very clear that they will not rush Letang back, it does appear as though he is on the road to recovery.
In 2014, when he suffered his first stroke, it took Letang more than two months to return to the lineup. Hextall explained to reporters like Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week that this time was “much less severe.”
The team is doing well in his absence but now faces a tricky roster situation. Unless they move Letang to long-term injured reserve, which would guarantee he is held out for at least 10 games and 24 days, they don’t have the cap space to make recalls. The team is dealing with several illnesses and had emergency backup goaltender Mike Chiasson on the ice at morning skate.
Playing a game shorthanded would give them the opportunity to bring someone up at no cap hit, but this weekend will be a test either way. The team plays a back-to-back against the Buffalo Sabres starting on Friday night.
Latest On Bo Horvat
With every day that passes, it seems a new report emerges about the lack of progress in Bo Horvat extension talks. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that “it’s not trending well.” Horvat is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
Of course, some of the same things were said this summer about the Vancouver Canucks and J.T. Miller, before the two sides eventually agreed on a seven-year, $56MM extension that includes a full-no-movement clause through 2026-27. Most insiders at the time had expected the Canucks to trade Miller instead of extending him, something that obviously didn’t happen as the veteran forward instead cashed in with a deal that includes $8.5MM in signing bonuses the first year.
So, until he actually hits the open market or is traded, things could change with regard to Horvat. But it is Miller’s contract that might end up forcing the Canucks to move on. The team is not good enough to contend for the Stanley Cup right now, despite a pair of crazy victories in recent days, and also has several expensive, underperforming contracts on the books.
Miller is still scoring at a good clip but has been anything but consistent this year, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson‘s deal looks like one of the worst in the league as he plays through his age-31 season. The veteran defenseman will carry a $7.26MM cap hit for another four more years (and that’s not counting the portion the Arizona Coyotes are retaining).
Signing Horvat, then, would just add more money onto the pile without actually improving the Canucks roster. There’s no doubt that the 27-year-old center will be commanding more than his current $5.4MM cap hit in a new deal, especially after scoring 20 goals in his first 20 games this year. Goal-scoring centers are some of the highest-paid commodities in the league, as seen by Miller’s massive extension after a career-best 32 goals in 2021-22.
It should be noted that Horvat does not have trade protection in his current deal, meaning the Canucks could auction him off if necessary. Friedman notes that Canucks president Jim Rutherford will likely wait until February to try and squeeze the most value out of any deal, and suggests Luke Schenn as another chip he could cash in.
Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Assign Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
Ahead of their game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, the Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned Semyon Der-Arguchintsev back to the minor leagues. This is notable, as it could signal the return of T.J. Brodie, who has been absent for weeks while dealing with an oblique injury.
Victor Mete was the latest Maple Leafs defenseman to go down to injury, leaving the team with even fewer experienced bodies on the back end. If Brodie can return, it would be a huge boost to a group that is being led by 39-year-old Mark Giordano.
Der-Arguchintsev, 22, made his NHL debut this week, playing just a handful of minutes on the fourth line. The 2018 third-round pick has been excellent for the Toronto Marlies, scoring 18 points in 20 games and generally being one of their most reliable forwards. Undersized, he relies on excellent playmaking skills to contribute.
Now 7-0-3 in their last ten, the Maple Leafs will take on the Kings in the first of a three-game homestand starting tonight.
Shane Wright Loaned To Team Canada For World Juniors
Dec 8: As expected, the Kraken have officially loaned Wright to Team Canada.
Dec 7: Seattle Kraken top prospect Shane Wright is expected to report to Team Canada’s selection camp for the 2023 World Junior Championship tomorrow, per TSN’s Darren Dreger.
When Wright wasn’t named to Canada’s selection camp roster announced Monday, some eyebrows were raised. But Canada could not add him to their roster until the Kraken loaned him there, and after the team’s plan of getting Wright back into a game after his AHL conditioning stint, it appears that’s exactly what Seattle will do.
The 2022 fourth-overall pick scored his first NHL goal last night, making it two points in eight games with the Kraken. Appearing in five games with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, he sniped four goals in just five games, proving he belongs in professional hockey.
Yet the Kraken don’t have a choice in where they send him long-term this year: it’s either the NHL or juniors, given his age and the NHL-CHL transfer agreement. Given Wright’s limited role on the team, and with Seattle sitting pretty in a playoff spot, it seems Wright is destined to return to junior hockey when the tournament concludes.
Wright joins an offense loaded with talent, including defenseman Brandt Clarke, who was loaned to Team Canada by the Los Angeles Kings just hours ago.
Snapshots: Barkov, Puljujärvi, Poulin
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has missed much of the past few weeks with an illness, and now we have clarity on why his absence was so long. Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards relays a Finnish report that Barkov was dealing with a bout of pneumonia, causing him to be away from the team.
Thankfully, Barkov is now healthy. He’s returned to skating with the team and is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow against Detroit, says Richards. In the seven games Barkov missed, the Panthers went 2-3-2. The return of their captain can’t come soon enough, as the team currently sits outside a playoff spot after winning the President’s Trophy last year. Richards also notes the team is optimistic that Anton Lundell can return from an injury tomorrow after missing the last two games.
- After scoring just one goal in 26 games this season, offensive struggles are beginning to weigh on Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi. Puljujärvi told a Finnish news agency today (translated) that “of course, I’d like to be a productive top-line player, but right now, it looks like I can’t do that in NHL. Maybe some other league.” The Finn had a career year last season with 36 points in 65 games and even received some Selke votes, but his play on both sides of the puck has dipped this year. Hopefully, the Oilers can help Puljujärvi figure out a way to regain his confidence.
- Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin has deservedly won the 2022 Northern Star award, given to Canada’s top athlete of the year. Poulin led Canada’s top women’s hockey contingent to both Olympic gold and World Championships gold, scoring a combined 27 points in 14 games. She’s the first hockey player to win the award in seven years.
Carolina Hurricanes Assign Dylan Coghlan To AHL On Conditioning Stint
The Carolina Hurricanes announced in a team release today that the team has assigned defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on a conditioning stint.
Coghlan has been pushed down the Hurricanes’ defense depth chart this season, although the team hasn’t given him much of a chance. They’ve instead favored more defensively-inclined options like Jalen Chatfield, who’s played in all of Carolina’s 26 games in 2022-23.
Acquired alongside Max Pacioretty from the Vegas Golden Knights in July, Coghlan has played only six games with Carolina this season, averaging just 14:08 per game. In 88 previous NHL games, all with Vegas, the 6′ 3″, 207 lb Coghlan had six goals, 13 assists, and 19 points.
Interestingly enough, this won’t be a new AHL stop for Coghlan. His only AHL experience has come in Chicago, where he played full seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. At the time, the team was Vegas’ AHL affiliate before the team purchased the San Antonio Rampage, promptly relocating them to Henderson to become the Silver Knights. Chicago, who has one of the most successful track records of any AHL team (and is the defending Calder Cup champion), then entered an affiliation agreement with Carolina.
While he didn’t nab any awards during his time in the minors, Coghlan was an integral part of the Chicago blueline when he was there. His 2018-19 rookie season as an undrafted free agent saw him lead the team’s defense with 40 points in 66 games.
Vegas Golden Knights Recall Jonas Rondbjerg, Place Brett Howden On LTIR
5:00 pm: Forward Brett Howden was also moved to long-term injured reserve to make the roster space for Rondbjerg, per CapFriendly. Pietrangelo will be away from the team indefinitely as he deals with an illness in the family and has been given a non-roster designation. Howden has missed six games with a lower-body injury.
12:31 pm: The Vegas Golden Knights have completed just their second recall of the season, adding Jonas Rondbjerg to the NHL roster. Alex Pietrangelo, who hasn’t played since November 26 as he continues to deal with a personal matter, is no longer listed on the official roster.
Vegas is also without Jack Eichel for the time being, after suffering a lower-body injury a few days ago. His absence could open up some playing time for the 23-year-old Rondbjerg, who suited up 30 times for the Golden Knights last season. A third-round pick from 2017, the Danish forward has seven goals and 14 points in 22 games with the Henderson Silver Knights this season.
The Golden Knights have continued to win despite these important subtractions, including a statement victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday. The club is now at home for three in a row, including a rematch with the Bruins on Sunday. Third in the league with 39 points, Vegas has allowed just 71 goals through 27 games and are getting offensive contributions from all over. Six different players have at least 20 points on the year, with Reilly Smith and William Karlsson about to join that group.
Rondbjerg will try to jump on that moving train and contribute, though it isn’t clear how much actual playing time he’ll receive on this recall. Last year, he averaged almost exactly 10 minutes a night in his 30 appearances, scoring six points.
Los Angeles Kings Loan Brandt Clarke To Team Canada
Finally, Brandt Clarke is getting his chance to play for Team Canada at the World Juniors. After not being named to the roster for the 2022 World Juniors, the Los Angeles Kings have now loaned the 19-year-old to Canada for 2023.
Clarke has not played for the Kings in over a month and was recently recalled from an AHL conditioning stint that allowed him five games in the minors. He’s been a healthy scratch since.
Those scratches haven’t necessarily been because of his play. Clarke is sitting at NHL games on the season – one more would cause his entry-level contract to go into effect. If he doesn’t play another game for LA, his contract will slide to next season.
Head coach Todd McLellan spoke on the team’s decision-making progress with where to assign Clarke moving forward:
Sometimes players get rushed and we don’t want to do that with Clarkie. There’s the hockey part, and then there’s all of the strength and professional habits, practice habits, travel habits and teammate habits that are really important and you don’t always get that at the junior level when you play 38 minutes a night and you stay on the power play for two straight minutes. I’m not saying that’s happening with Clarkie, they’re a very well-run team [in Barrie], but that can happen in certain situations. Right now, we think that this is a real good spot for him and we’ll see where it goes.
The eighth overall pick in 2021, Clarke has a goal and three assists in 14 games split between NHL Los Angeles and AHL Ontario this season. Despite notching over a point-per-game on a subpar Barrie Colts team in the OHL last season, Canada did not name him to their 2022 World Juniors roster.
It didn’t harm them – they won gold anyways. But with several players aging out of the tournament, Canada’s defense seemed weaker than last year’s when their selection camp roster was announced Monday. Clarke’s addition undoubtedly brings this team to an entirely different level and solidifies their status as favorites to win back-to-back gold medals for the first time since they won five straight from 2005 to 2009.