Ducks Activate Derek Grant Off Injured Reserve, Place Max Comtois On IR
The Ducks will have a bit of extra help up front as they get set to take on Seattle tonight. Lisa Dillman of the Orange County Register reports (Twitter link) that center Derek Grant has been activated off injured reserve and will suit up against the Kraken. He’ll take the place of rookie winger Pavol Regenda.
The 32-year-old has been out for a little over three weeks due to an upper-body injury. Prior to sustaining it, Grant had played in 11 games, picking up a goal and an assist while logging heavy minutes shorthanded; his 2:39 of ice time per game in that situation is second among Anaheim forwards behind only Jakob Silfverberg.
A pending unrestricted free agent, Grant is the type of depth forward that tends to be moved closer to the trade deadline as someone that can kill penalties, play both down the middle and on the wing, and is affordable on the cap (he carries a $1.5MM AAV). With the Ducks appearing to be well on the path towards selling over the next few months, Grant figures to be on the move at some point but he’ll give Anaheim a boost in the bottom six in the meantime now that he’s healthy.
It’s not all good news on the injury front for the Ducks, however, as Dillman also notes that blueliner John Klingberg will miss his second straight game due to a lower-body injury. It has been a tough start to the season for the veteran who was looking to rebuild some value after not getting the type of contract he was seeking in free agency last summer. Instead, he has just one goal in 20 games and will be out of the lineup a little longer.
Meanwhile, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Max Comtois has been placed on injured reserve. He has been out for the last two weeks due to a lower-body injury which allows Anaheim to backdate the placement. Accordingly, he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s healthy. Comtois has four goals in 15 games so far this season.
Winnipeg Jets Activate Morgan Barron, Assign Ville Heinola To AHL
Just ahead of their game this evening against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Winnipeg Jets activated forward Morgan Barron off of IR. Barron had missed the last 10 games with a wrist injury. In order to create roster space for Barron, the Jets also announced they’ve assigned defenseman Ville Heinola to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
Getting Barron back into the lineup is a relief for Winnipeg, who had been playing down several forwards, including Barron, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Mason Appleton. Acquired in the Andrew Copp trade this past spring, Barron had been off to a solid start in 2021-22, registering four points in nine games, appearing to establish himself as a full-time NHLer for the first time in his career. With Winnipeg’s injury issues up front, Barron should have ample opportunity to continue to establish himself.
Heinola, unlike Barron, has had trouble getting his footing in the NHL, something that has become a pretty well reported story in its own right. The defenseman has only appeared in two games this season for the Jets, but does have seven assists in 10 games for the Moose to start. For his career, Heinola has played in just 27 NHL games spread over three seasons, recording 10 points, but will have to continue to sharpen his skillset in the AHL in order to take the next step.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings
As American Thanksgiving and the holiday season are upon us, PHR is taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Detroit Red Wings.
Who are the Red Wings thankful for?
The answer to this question isn’t all that original or innovative as Yzerman happened to be who the Red Wings were thankful for in 2020 and 2021. But, take a look at Detroit’s place in the standings, their offseason, and their recent draft history and it’s not too difficult to see why Detroit is thankful for Yzerman and his “Yzer-plan.”
Considering Yzerman was covered in our previous two iterations of this series, we’ll take a look at what the legendary player turned legendary executive has done in the time being. Looking back at last year’s trade deadline, the then-promising Red Wings looked to be turning a corner in their rebuild, but still weren’t in contention for a playoff spots. Yzerman dealt Vladislav Namestnikov and Troy Stecher for later-round draft picks and executed a blockbuster deal including one of the deadline’s prized assets: Nick Leddy.
In exchange for the UFA-t0-be and Luke Witkowski, Yzerman brought back a second-round pick, defenseman Jake Walman and forward Oskar Sundqvist. Walman and Sundqvist have dealt with their share of injuries since arriving in Detroit, but both have fit in nicely and have proven to be part of the solution. While they’re not superstars, the pair of players in addition to a second-round pick in a deep 2023 draft class represents incredible value for a pending UFA who was, at the time, struggling.
Fast forward to this summer, the Red Wings ready to finish the rebuild and playoff aspirations on the mind, Yzerman made himself one of the busiest executives of the offseason. Detroit first acquired the rights to goaltender Ville Husso, who has been fantastic thus far, and signed him to a three-year contract. The team followed the Husso acquisition with a free agent spending spree that included the likes of Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik, and David Perron up front and Ben Chiarot, Olli Maatta, Robert Hagg, and Mark Pysyk on defense.
The recent additions, combined with Detroit’s established stars like Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, along with a young wave of talent like Lucas Raymond and reigning Calder Trophy winner Moritz Seider, as well as a few breakouts helped propel the Red Wings to an 11-5-4 record thus far, putting them in playoff position. Detroit has plenty of people to thank for the turn-around, but sitting at the top is the boss in Yzerman.
What are the Red Wings thankful for?
Breakouts and Rebounds
Three seasons ago, winger Dominik Kubalik finished third in Calder voting, seemingly coming out of nowhere as a 24-year-old rookie, scoring 30 goals in just 68 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. That was the last Chicago team to make the playoffs and as the team regressed, so did Kubalik, who hadn’t yet come close to matching his rookie production since.
Things seemed to hit an all-time low for Kubalik in the NHL last season, putting up just 32 points in 78 games, a far cry form his 30 goals (and 46 points) in fewer games just two years prior. The rebuilding Blackhawks opted not to qualify Kubalik and he hit the free agent market this summer, picked up on a two-year deal. Now, Detroit appears to have one of the best value contracts in the entire sport.
The organization seems to have that rookie version of Kubalik, or maybe something better. Now 27, Kubalik has 21 points, nine goals and 12 assists, in just 20 games thus far. Coming into today, Kubalik ranks second on the team in points, behind only Larkin. Whether or not Kubalik can maintain this level of production is a good question, especially being that the team is only through 20 games, but what he has done has played a major part in the team being in a playoff spot at American Thanksgiving, a team that also ranked just 17th in the NHL in goals-for coming into today.
On top of Kubalik’s rebound, the Red Wings have seen an impressive breakout from homegrown defenseman Filip Hronek. Now 25, Hronek made his debut back in 2018-19 and has shown to be a capable puck-mover on the backend. Hronek hit a career-high 38 points in 78 games last season, around his average point-per-game total for his career. This season, however, the defenseman has turned things to another level, netting six goals to go with 12 assists for 18 points through his first 20 games.
As helpful as Hronek’s offensive boost has been for Detroit, he’s also taken the next step in his defensive game. The defenseman had compiled a career -95 plus/minus rating, which included a -29 last season. Now in 2021-22, Hronek has improved his rating, registering a +10 so far. Those numbers could be attributed to team performance in many instances, and though the jump in Red Wings performance from Hronek’s first four years to this one is significant, the stark difference in Hronek’s own numbers is telling nonetheless. On top of his plus/minus, Hronek’s possession metrics have jumped modestly as well, including Corsi and Fenwick ratings above 50 for the first time since his rookie year.
What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?
Health
As successful as Detroit has been this season, the team has had to do it without a number of players for fairly significant periods of time. Notably, Bertuzzi missed 13 games, Sundqvist seven, and exciting rookie Elmer Soderblom has missed seven and counting too. Winger Filip Zadina, who was injured November 5th is expected to be out long-term as well. Robby Fabbri, who has yet to play this year, as well as Matt Luff and Mark Pysyk are currently on IR
Sure, Bertuzzi and Sundqvist are back now, and Soderblom and Zadina combined for two points in 22 games, both from Soderblom, however the constant shuffling of lines and players in and out of the lineup does still serve to hamper team chemistry on the ice. On top of this, although the team didn’t expect to have Fabbri to start this season, Detroit could stand to have more offense and losing a player such as Fabbri, who had 30 points in 56 games in 2021-22, is felt.
Worth noting to this end is forward Jakub Vrana, who has played just two games this season. Vrana is not injured, but is instead participating in the Players’ Assistance Program. Of course, the organization’s first priority is to get Vrana the help he needs and to have the 26-year-old take as much time as he needs to get it and be comfortable returning, however Vrana’s missed production, in addition to the Red Wings’ bulk of injuries, serves to compound the injury and offense issues.
What’s on the Red Wings holiday wishlist?
A Larkin extension in place
Like Yzerman in the first question, this seems a bit easy, but it’s hard to imagine the front office, the players, and the fans want much else more than signing their superstar captain to a long-term extension.
The last time the Red Wings made the playoffs, Larkin was a rookie fresh off a 45 point debut. That was 2015-16 and since, Detroit and Larkin have failed to make the playoffs. In that time, the team has gone through a meaningful and much needed rebuild, with Larkin patient throughout. For his career, Larkin has diligently worked on his game to become an all-around contributor and roughly a point-per-game player now, currently on pace for his best season yet with 23 points in 20 games.
The Red Wings have plenty of talent on their team besides Larkin and have even more coming, however his presence as a Michigan native, team captain, and well-rounded player on the ice cannot be understated for Detroit. There’s no indication Larkin wants to leave and given his status in the locker room and Yzerman’s reputation as an executive, it wouldn’t be surprising if the two sides are intentionally not focused on negotiations at the moment with plenty at stake on the ice. Still, getting Larkin signed would presumably give both team and player peace of mind and allow the team to continue to build as they see fit, without worrying about Larkin’s future, and whether or not that’s in Detroit.
Afternoon Notes: Bellemare, Barkov, Gaudreau, Soderblom
As they navigate a cap crunch that has seen key pieces of their core stripped away one by one over time, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had to get more and more creative filling out their lineup. The organization has used a mix of young players in their system developed to their liking and affordable veterans with a winning pedigree to round things out. One of those players is 37-year-old Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who the team signed to a two-year deal back in 2021.
Recently, Bellemare has been away from the team on a personal leave of absence, the root of which is unknown. Earlier today, Tampa Bay Times reporter Eduardo Encina spoke with Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who confirmed that Bellemare will join the team on their upcoming road trip, which will travel through Buffalo, Boston, and Philadelphia. It’s unclear if Bellemare, who last played on Monday, is expected to play on this trip. Although the veteran hasn’t been out very long, it’s possible due to the leave that he may not have been able to continue skating regularly and could need an extra couple days to be ready.
- Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss the team’s next two games due to illness, says Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards. The nature of Barkov’s illness is unknown, but apparently is serious enough that not only can Barkov not play in tomorrow’s game in Edmonton and Tuesday’s in Calgary, but the forward is not traveling with the Panthers for the Alberta leg of the road trip. After Tuesday, Florida will head out to Vancouver for a Thursday evening matchup with the Canucks, a game which Barkov has not been ruled out for. Barkov missed yesterday’s game against the St. Louis Blues with this same illness.
- Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau did not practice today due to an unknown illness, says Jeff Svoboda of BlueJackets.com. Per Svoboda, Columbus head coach Brad Larsen said he’ll know more tomorrow about Gaudreau’s availability for tomorrow night’s game. Gaudreau has not missed any games thus far with the illness. While the team is struggling this year, the first-year Jacket has not, posting 20 points in 20 games to date.
- Detroit Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom is still not practicing, reports Michigan Live’s Ansar Khan. At last report on November 21st, Soderblom was still listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, though head coach Derek Lalonde then said Soderblom’s return could take “some time.” The rookie has two points, both goals, in 13 games this season, but has not played since November 8th due to the injury.
San Jose Sharks Recall Scott Harrington
The San Jose Sharks announced this afternoon that they’ve recalled defenseman Scott Harrington from the San Jose Barracuda, their AHL affiliate. No corresponding transaction was announced, however it does come a day after the team placed defenseman Mario Ferraro on IR. The recall gives the Sharks a full 23-man squad, but more importantly, seven defenseman on the roster for this evening’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Harrington, 29, signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Sharks back in September to serve as key defensive depth for San Jose as the team works through its (bigger picture) roster transition. The defenseman has bounced between both levels so far this season, getting into a pair of games for the Sharks, where he’s recorded one assist, as well as five games for the Barracuda, including an assist there too.
The veteran defenseman, a second-round pick of the Penguins back in 2011, made his NHL debut in 2014-15 as a member of those Penguins, but spent the bulk of his career in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, primarily serving as depth. Last season, Harrington had his first AHL work since 2016-17, where he played in 50 games for the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate. Given his shuffle in the San Jose organization thus far, it’s unclear what the plan for Harrington is right now, but with the absence of Ferraro on the backend, there could be some extra minutes to go around for the Sharks.
Injury Notes: Lindgren, Asplund, Stalock
New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Lindgren sustained the injury in a collision with an Edmonton Oilers player during yesterday’s loss.
The 24-year-old is a crucial defensive piece for the Rangers. While he’s averaged under 18 minutes per game this year, he remains on the team’s top defense pairing with Adam Fox. The Rangers’ defensive numbers are significantly worse without Lindgren in the lineup, and with the team just outside of a playoff spot post-Thanksgiving, they’ll need all hands on deck to avoid falling too far out of the race. Zachary Jones is the extra defenseman on the active roster.
- According to Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato, forward Rasmus Asplund has been cleared to return to play. The defensive forward has been out with an upper-body injury for the past four days. Asplund has two goals, four assists, and six points in 17 contests this season, and could draw in for Vinnie Hinostroza when the Sabres host the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow.
- Chicago Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock is working his way back from a concussion, as NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis reports the netminder was on the ice for morning skate. After an impressive .914 save percentage through seven games, Stalock has been in concussion protocol since sustaining an injury against the New York Islanders on November 1. It would likely mean the team sends Arvid Soderblom back to the minors, but he’s outperformed veteran Petr Mrazek (1-4-1, .885 save percentage). While a long shot, the Blackhawks could opt to waive Mrazek upon Stalock’s return.
Calgary Flames Assign Dennis Gilbert
Nov 27: After some additional time on the active roster, Gilbert is heading back to the AHL. The team announced Sunday morning that he’d been assigned back to the Wranglers.
Nov 15: Gilbert has been recalled again, with DeSimone heading back to the AHL in his place.
Nov 13: Earlier this afternoon, the Calgary Flames announced that defenseman Dennis Gilbert has been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers, their AHL affiliate. No corresponding move was announced. After sending Gilbert down, Calgary has seven defenseman on their roster, allowing them to maintain a bit of cap flexibility for a few days before their next road game on Thursday.
Gilbert had been recalled back on November 6th along with fellow defenseman Nick DeSimone in the wake of Michael Stone‘s injury and subsequent placement on IR. With three left-handed defenseman already on the Flames roster, including Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov, and Connor Mackey, as well as just $63K in cap space available prior to the assignment, the Flames were able to part with their 23rd player for the time being, playing just one home game tomorrow evening before their road trip.
Gilbert, 26, has been no stranger to the NHL/AHL shuffle throughout his five-year career, already splitting games between both the Flames and Wranglers in 2022-23. The defenseman has yet to tally a point through 10 games this season, eight of which have come in the AHL. However, his pair of NHL games this week did mark his first since he appeared in three games as a member of the Colorado Avalanche back in 2020-21.
Florida Panthers Emergency Recall Aleksi Heponiemi
According to the team Sunday morning, the Florida Panthers have recalled forward Aleksi Heponiemi from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on an emergency basis. The Panthers were able to use an emergency recall after they played a skater short last night with Aleksander Barkov out due to illness.
This is Heponiemi’s second appearance on the Panthers’ roster this season. He was called up earlier in the month, playing two games before Florida returned him to the Checkers. He registered an assist and a +1 rating while averaging 10:28 of ice time.
A second-round pick in 2017, Heponiemi’s clout skyrocketed after a 118-point season with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos in 2017-18. While his speed remains tantalizing, the scoring pace hasn’t quite translated to professional hockey, at least in North America. The Finn now serves as an alternate captain in Charlotte and has four goals, three assists, and seven points in 16 games there in 2022-23.
Unfortunately, even if Heponiemi can impress during his call-ups this year, he likely won’t be able to stay in the NHL. It’s another example of what can happen when a team flies too close to the sun in terms of the salary cap. Even with forward Anthony Duclair on long-term injured reserve, the team had just $82,675 remaining in their LTIR pool, according to CapFriendly, and could not add another contract to the active roster. By playing a skater short, the Panthers made themselves eligible for an emergency recall the following day without exceeding the cap’s Upper Limit.
New Jersey Devils Re-Assign Tyler Wotherspoon
November 27: The Devils have returned Wotherspoon to the minors, according to the team Sunday morning. Wotherspoon did not spend enough days on the active roster to warrant being placed on waivers to go back to Utica. Wotherspoon didn’t get into any games on his call-up.
November 23: After sending a pair of youngsters down to the AHL yesterday, the New Jersey Devils have recalled Tyler Wotherspoon to take their place on the roster. The minor league veteran shouldn’t be expected to get into the lineup, but a recall is a nice reward for depth players in the organization.
Wotherspoon, 29, signed a new two-year, two-way deal this summer to stay with the Devils organization after a solid year with Utica in 2021-22. He had 21 points in 53 games, and helped the club reach the AHL postseason. While he has a solid minor league salary built into the deal, a few days in the NHL will only help the bottom line for the former top prospect.
Selected 57th overall in 2011, Wotherspoon quickly made his way to the NHL with the Calgary Flames. Over parts of four seasons, starting in 2013, he played 30 regular season games and six postseason contests at the highest level. For the last six seasons, however, he’s been stuck in the minor leagues, playing for the Stockton Heat, San Antonio Rampage, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and now Utica.
He did get the unique opportunity to play for Team Canada at the 2022 Olympics, recording two points in five games after the NHL decided not to attend.
The Devils play the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening before heading on the road for a Friday tilt in Buffalo. Wotherspoon is likely just an extra body to take along as injury insurance.
Morning Notes: Schenn, Orlov, Bastian
The St. Louis Blues had what could be a season-altering win last night, beating the Florida Panthers in overtime after scoring three unanswered goals to tie the game into the third period. It wasn’t all good news for St. Louis, though, as they could be missing a strong veteran presence from their lineup. Forward Brayden Schenn left the game at the end of the second period with a lower-body injury, per the Bally Sports Midwest local broadcast. He did not return to the game.
Schenn had performed well in the Blues’ recent winning stretch, recording three goals and seven points in 10 games since their eight-game losing streak ended. His six goals in 21 games on the season are tied for second on the team alongside Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan O’Reilly. While he may not be the all-around player he used to be in his earlier seasons with the Blues, he remains an important scorer and a skilled shooter. His presence also allows the Blues to roll a strong three-line attack, slotting Schenn in behind O’Reilly and Robert Thomas at center. Postgame, head coach Craig Berube noted that Schenn’s injury would be further evaluated today.
- Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov could join the team on their current road trip, according to The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, which lasts another five games and 11 days. The veteran defenseman suffered a lower-body injury prior to a game on November 7 and has been day-to-day since. One of six Capitals on injured reserve, Orlov had five assists through 13 games and his +3 rating remains tied for the best on the team.
- According to a team tweet, the New Jersey Devils lost forward Nathan Bastian partway through last night’s game to an upper-body injury. Bastian left the game during the first period after taking a hit from Capitals forward T.J. Oshie. The 24-year-old is a good defensive presence in the bottom six and is an adept penalty killer. With no extra forwards on the active roster, the team will have to make a recall from AHL Utica if Bastian misses any time.