Central Notes: Avalanche, Leddy, Commesso
With Colorado not really going out and replacing Nazem Kadri who left in free agency last summer, there has been an expectation that the Avalanche would add an impact center at the trade deadline. While there are several rentals that are expected to be available, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post posits that there could be a different direction they could go. If they’re comfortable with Evan Rodrigues and J.T. Compher as their middle-six middlemen, they could look to upgrade on the wing instead. Durando suggests Panthers winger Anthony Duclair as a plausible target; Florida will have cap issues once he and Patric Hornqvist are able to return so there could be an opportunity to buy low. At a $3MM AAV both this season and next, Duclair could be an intriguing option for Colorado, especially since his speed would fit in well with their style of play.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- The Blues could have defenseman Nick Leddy back in the lineup tonight against Tampa Bay, notes Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 31-year-old has missed the last four games due to an upper-body injury. Leddy has 11 assists in 39 games so far this season and with Torey Krug out for a while, he’ll likely be called upon to play a bigger role offensively for St. Louis which is something he has been able to do with success in the past.
- While he has another year of NCAA eligibility remaining, goalie Drew Commesso is likely to turn pro for next season, suggests Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 20-year-old was the 46th pick in 2020 by the Blackhawks and has had a bit of an up-and-down third season with Boston University. His GAA (2.58) and SV% (.910) are actually a little worse than last season although a pair of rough starts out of his 14 appearances skew that somewhat. Commesso has also dealt with a hamstring injury which has limited his playing time thus far.
Uncertainty Surrounding Tanner Pearson’s Ability To Play Next Season
Yesterday, the Canucks announced that Tanner Pearson’s season has come to an end as the winger needed to undergo additional hand surgery. It’s at least the second known procedure he has had while Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that it’s possible that he has had one or two other procedures on his hand with there being concerns of an infection and perhaps more surgeries to come.
At the moment, the expected recovery time from Pearson’s latest surgery is six months if all goes well. However, Dhaliwal cautions that it’s possible that Pearson misses time next season or isn’t able to play at all should further surgeries be needed. At this point, it appears to be too early to tell either way.
Speaking with reporters postgame yesterday including Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes voiced some frustration with how things were handled with Pearson, stating that “it wasn’t handled properly”. Today, the NHLPA acknowledged to Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province that it’s looking into the matter but declined to comment any further than that. MacIntyre adds that the Canucks themselves will conduct an investigation into their handling of the injury. Team president Jim Rutherford stated the following:
We take the situation very seriously. We certainly have to look at everything here when something like this happens, and we’re going to continue to do that. We want to talk about what happened, the decisions that were made and why. We want everyone involved to have a say and be able to talk to each other and ask questions. That’s very important.
Pearson originally suffered the injury back in November and underwent surgery the next day with an expected recovery timeline of four to six weeks. He had been skating periodically to keep up his conditioning with the expectation that he’d be back at that time or soon after. Now, a little more than two months later, he’s facing a six-month recovery at a minimum in what appears to be the best-case scenario.
It’s hardly an ideal situation for anyone involved as Pearson wraps up his season with just a goal and four assists in 14 games, not a great return on his $3.25MM cap hit. Some have suggested that Vancouver might want to consider buying out the 30-year-old but teams can’t buy out an injured player and with Pearson’s expected timeline, that puts him past the June buyout period. Meanwhile, with now at least a bit of uncertainty of his availability for next season and the NHLPA taking a closer look at things, there are still plenty of questions to be answered on this front in the days and weeks to come.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Darren Helm Out Indefinitely
It has been a tough season for Avalanche forward Darren Helm. He missed the first 35 games of the season due to a hip injury but recently returned to the lineup. However, that return wound up being short-lived as he suffered a lower-body injury last night against Chicago. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the injury is related to the one that kept him out of the start of the season and that he’s going to miss some time. How long he’ll be out is not yet known.
Helm was brought in by Colorado last season in free agency and he fared well in a depth role, notching 15 points in 68 games during the regular season while playing in all 20 postseason contests as the Avs won the Stanley Cup. That was good enough for the team to bring him back on a one-year $1.25MM contract in the summer but Helm’s hip troubles have limited him to just five appearances so far.
Injuries have caused the Avalanche to dress 24 different forwards this season as they look to find some options for the fourth line. The return of Helm was supposed to help in that regard but instead, that search for consistent depth forwards will continue as it appears that it will be at least a little while before the veteran is able to return.
Colorado also is without wingers Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, and Denis Malgin plus defensemen Bowen Byram and Josh Manson. None of them appear to be close to returning so the Avs will be trying to get back into the playoff picture with the roster that they currently have.
Pacific Notes: Klingberg, Gregor, Skinner
The Ducks are believed to be seeking a first-round pick for defenseman John Klingberg, reports Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link). The 30-year-old didn’t get the long-term contract he was hoping for in the summer so he instead opted for a one-year, $7MM pillow deal with Anaheim to try to rebuild his value. However, it has been a tough season thus far for the veteran as he has just 13 points in 35 games so far with his new squad, by far the lowest point-per-game average of his career. Klingberg’s deal moved from a full no-trade clause to a ten-team clause at the start of this month although with a high price tag on the cap and a high acquisition cost, that trade protection isn’t likely to be the hold-up in any potential move unless Klingberg is able to become more of the offensive threat that he was over eight years in Dallas.
More from the Pacific:
- Sharks winger Noah Gregor will be a healthy scratch for the eighth straight game tonight and he voiced some frustration to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, feeling that there should be more communication coming from the coaching staff as to what they’re expecting from him. It has been a tough year for the 24-year-old; after putting up 23 points in 63 games last season, he has just two goals in 19 contests in 2022-23 while seeing his ice time drop by nearly three minutes per night. The team has added several depth players up front dating back to the summer and that has created much more of a competition for playing time. Gregor is eligible for a conditioning stint but noted that he hasn’t discussed that option with the team right now, stating that his focus is simply on getting back into the NHL lineup.
- Stuart Skinner’s personal leave is likely to be extended a little longer than expected as Sportsnet’s Mark Spector relays (Twitter link) that his wife has not yet given birth. Accordingly, it’s looking less likely that he’ll be able to rejoin the Oilers for tomorrow’s game in Vegas. Jack Campbell could start both ends of the back-to-back or AHL recall Calvin Pickard could see his first NHL action of the season.
Minor Transactions: 01/13/23
It’s a light Friday on the NHL calendar, with just three games for NHL fans to enjoy. Among those games is a highlight, though, with the Winnipeg Jets, a Central Division contender, taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are hoping to gain ground in an extremely competitive Eastern Conference playoff race. As fans across the world take in these games, teams in minor and overseas leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- Former AHL blueliner and 2014 San Jose Sharks second-round pick Julius Bergman is moving down a division. The 27-year-old defenseman, who is perhaps best known as part of the 2019 Matt Duchene trade, has signed with Sodertalje SK of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan, the league below the top-tier SHL. Bergman has played 28 games at the SHL level this season with Brynas, but he hasn’t managed to register a point. He’ll now head down a level in order to help Sodertalje make a push toward promotion.
- Lukas Klok, a former member of the Arizona Coyotes organization, has signed a contract for the rest of the season in the Swiss League. He’s headed to HC Lugano, just a short period after leaving the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners in order to sign in the SHL. Klok played four games in Tucson, 11 for Rogle in the SHL, and now heads to Switzerland to play for his third team since departing the KHL.
- 2022 New York Islanders third-round pick Quinn Finley has been traded in the USHL. Finley, 18, has been sent from his current club, the Madison Capitals, to the Chicago Steel, home of several top prospects including Jayden Perron and Macklin Celebrini. This trade allows Finley to join the USHL’s best team as he prepares to play for the University of Wisconsin in the fall.
- 2020 Florida Panthers seventh-rounder Elliot Ekmark is headed to HockeyAllsvenskan on a one-month loan. His current club, SHL side Linkopings HC, have loaned him for a month to IF Bjorkloven, one of the best teams in the Swedish second division. Per CapFriendly, the Panthers have until June 1st, 2024 to decide whether to extend Ekmark an entry-level deal in order to retain his exclusive rights. Ekmark has played seven games at Sweden’s highest level this season and has registered three points.
- Just two days after he parted ways with Brynas, former NHLer Kevin Roy has found a new home. Liiga’s HIFK Helsinki has signed a contract for the rest of the season with Roy, 29. Roy spent last season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, scoring 33 points in 62 games. This year, his six-game run with Brynas is the only place he’s played, and he scored one goal in that six-game run.
- Matej Machovsky, a former member of the Detroit Red Wings organization, has left his current club, KalPa of the Finnish Liiga. Per a team announcement, KalPa is alleging that Machovsky breached his contract with the team, and it’s possible that Machovsky’s ability to transfer to another club could be impacted. The 29-year-old netminder left his native Czechia to sign in Finland last summer, and now seemingly faces significant uncertainty as to the future of his professional career.
- Veteran DEL forward Phil Hungerecker has signed an extension to remain with his current club, Schwenninger Wild Wings. The 28-year-old former DEL rookie of the year signed with the Wild Wings last summer and has helped them thus far stand comfortably outside the league’s relegation zone, scoring 10 points in 37 games in the process.
- Severi Lahtinen, an established contributor in Liiga, has had the next two years of his contract confirmed by his current club, JYP Jyvaskyla. The 24-year-old has scored 19 points in 33 games this season and has helped JYP make a modest jump in performance so far this season.
- One of the many young players hoping to help get Djurgardens IF back to the SHL this season, David Blomgren, has signed a contract extension to remain in Stockholm. The 19-year-old forward has developed in Djurgardens’ junior teams for many years, impressing at each level he’s played at. This season is his debut on Djurgarden’s first team, and he’s played 30 games so far at the HockeyAllsvenskan level, scoring six points and helping Djurgarden stay within striking distance of promotion.
- The ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals have acquired the playing rights to goaltender Logan Flodell from the Allen Americans. Flodell, 25, arrives in Norfolk coming off of a nightmarish stretch with the Americans. In eleven games he’s posted a 1-9 record, a 3.86 goals-against-average, and a grisly .889 save percentage. Flodell will presumably compete with yesterday’s waiver claim, Joe Murdaca, for opportunities in the crease for the Admirals. These transactions illustrate the ripple effect that can happen across a three-tiered NHL organization when a goaltender faces an absence. Predators prospect Tomas Vomacka was called up to AHL Milwaukee yesterday after Yaroslav Askarov left to make his NHL debut. Left with just one goalie given the absence of Vomacka, the Admirals have now claimed one goalie and acquired another via a trade. These moves illustrate how the circumstances of just one netminder at the top of an organization can cause major changes to the careers of multiple players lower down the totem pole.
- A top player in the German third division has been rewarded by heading up a level. Krefeld Pinguine, a team in Germany’s second-tier DEL2, has signed Victor Knaub to a contract. The 26-year-old has been playing with EV Fussen in the third tier of German hockey scoring 19 points in 17 games. Now he gets a chance to impress with a club that was in the DEL just a year ago.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Snapshots: Stone, Harkins, Zohorna, Sergachev
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without Mark Stone for the next little while, announcing that he is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. That will scare a lot of fans worried about his back, but head coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn’t comment. As much as anything, Vegas’s return to contention has a lot to do with the play of Stone, who managed just 37 (rarely healthy) games last season.
Through 43 appearances this year, the 30-year-old forward has 17 goals and 38 points, and once again has taken his place as one of the best two-way players in the game. A lengthy absence will be a huge blow to the Golden Knights, especially given how close the standings are in the Pacific Division. Remember, Vegas led the division at this point last year too, only to fall out of the race and miss the playoffs completely by the end of the season.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Jansen Harkins under emergency conditions as several forwards deal with a non-COVID illness. To make room, Ville Heinola has been sent back to the minor leagues. Harkins, 25, has scored five goals in 22 games this season with the Jets, but was getting just a handful of shifts the last couple of times he dressed in the NHL. Heinola, meanwhile, has appeared just eight times, recording his first point of the season earlier this month.
- Radim Zohorna continues his daily shuffle, this time headed back down to the AHL. The big forward has already been involved in five transactions this month, going down between games so that the Flames can save some cap space.
- Mikhail Sergachev‘s wallet is a little bit lighter after he was handed a $5,000 fine for punching Conor Garland in last night’s Tampa Bay Lightning-Vancouver Canucks game. The play went unpenalized by the on-ice officials, causing confusion among anyone watching the game. The Lightning are lucky Sergachev isn’t getting sat down for a game, though perhaps that has to do with the fact that Garland attempted a similar shot a few seconds earlier. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet reports that Sergachev apologized to Garland after the game and that the Vancouver forward was “used to it” because he has “played like a rat” since he was 16.
Nashville Predators Reassign Yaroslav Askarov
Jan 13: Askarov has been sent back down after making 31 saves in his NHL debut last night.
Jan 11: With Kevin Lankinen unavailable to dress for the Predators tonight in Toronto, they’ve brought up a top prospect to take his place as they announced that netminder Yaroslav Askarov has been recalled from AHL Milwaukee. In a corresponding move, defenseman Roland McKeown was sent back to the Admirals.
The 20-year-old was Nashville’s first-round pick in 2020 (11th overall), the highest a goalie had been taken in a decade. He was dominant in limited action in the KHL over the last couple of seasons and decided to make the jump across the pond for 2022-23. Askarov is off to a good start to his first season in North America, posting a 2.66 GAA along with a .905 SV% and two shutouts in 22 appearances with Milwaukee.
As for McKeown, this is his second trip to the minors this month, an assignment that was needed as Lankinen remains on the active roster for the time being and no word yet on how long he might be out; the team noted (Twitter link) that the move was for precautionary reasons. The blueliner has played in five games for Nashville this season – his first NHL action since 2017-18 – and has eight points in 25 games at the AHL level.
Columbus Blue Jackets Assign Greaves, Fix-Wolansky To AHL
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a couple of roster moves, sending Jet Greaves and Trey Fix-Wolansky to the AHL. That suggests Elvis Merzlikins is ready to return, and either Boone Jenner or Eric Robinson – who both took part in practice today – will also be in the lineup tomorrow night.
Fix-Wolansky, 23, has played just four games with the Blue Jackets this season, spending most of the year with the Cleveland Monsters. The undersized forward has been outstanding there, to the tune of 34 points in 26 games, but can’t seem to bring that production to the NHL. A seventh-round pick in 2018, even playing games at the highest level is beating the odds, but the Blue Jackets will keep hoping that he can contribute on a more regular basis in the future.
Greaves, meanwhile, still hasn’t appeared in the NHL and is really only an emergency backup at this point. The 21-year-old has recorded an .885 save percentage in 15 appearances for the Monsters this year and has a long way to go before he is seeing meaningful playing time in the NHL.
Getting Jenner back would be the most impactful for the Blue Jackets, who have been without their captain since December 17. The 29-year-old has 11 goals and 22 points this season through 30 games, though like so many other Columbus players, has been outscored heavily at even-strength. Jenner is averaging more than 20 minutes a night for the struggling club, which has dropped to last in the NHL standings.
Tristan Jarry, Ryan Poehling Placed On Injured Reserve; Mark Friedman Recalled
Jan 13: In a curious move, Friedman has been recalled again with no corresponding transaction. The team had explained that they wanted to get him in some minor league action to stay fresh, but he did not arrive in time to suit up for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this week, so is back without appearing for the AHL club.
Jan 11: The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a couple of curious moves today, clearing several roster spots at the same time. Mark Friedman has been assigned to the minor leagues, while Ryan Poehling and Tristan Jarry have been placed on injured reserve. Each of their stints are retroactive to their most recent appearance – December 30 for Poehling and January 2 for Jarry.
The move drops Pittsburgh to 20 players on the roster, with three empty spots. That could signal the potential return of Kris Letang, Jeff Petry, or Josh Archibald, the latter two who skated yesterday during the optional.
Friedman has only played three times for the Penguins this year, last suiting up more than a week ago against the Boston Bruins. The veteran minor league defenseman is nothing but depth at this point and will likely bounce back and forth between the AHL and NHL the rest of the year.
Because they have been placed retroactively, both Poehling and Jarry can be activated whenever healthy. Both have been listed as day-to-day by head coach Mike Sullivan, though there is no clear date for either’s return.
The Penguins, fresh off a win over the Vancouver Canucks last night, are facing the dreaded back-to-back-with-travel that teams struggle with this weekend. They host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, before traveling to face the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night. Some injury reinforcements by then would be very welcome, as they try to climb back into the Metropolitan Division race.
Joseph Cramarossa Clears Unconditional Waivers
Jan 13: Cramarossa has cleared waivers and his contract has been terminated.
Jan 12: The Minnesota Wild have placed Joseph Cramarossa on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. He is in the second season of a two-year, two-way contract signed in 2021 and will be an unrestricted free agent if not claimed. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Cramarossa has a deal with Mannheim of the DEL.
Cramarossa, 30, has played four games for Minnesota this season, scoring a goal while averaging fewer than eight minutes. Most of his year has been spent in the minors with the Iowa Wild, where he has nine points in 18 games.
Usually, contract terminations like this are a sign that the player received a better offer overseas, though Cramarossa doesn’t have any previous experience playing in Europe. A third-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, he has spent his entire career grinding in the minor leagues, only seeing significant NHL action in 2016-17.
If he is done in North America, his NHL career ends with 68 total games and 13 points.
This move opens up an additional contract slot for the Wild, though they already had five available to them. It is much more likely just allowing a player to pursue a different opportunity.