Tom Wilson To Make Season Debut On Sunday
The good news for Washington keeps on coming. After revealing earlier today that center Nicklas Backstrom will make his season debut on Sunday against Columbus, they’ve now announced (Twitter link) that winger Tom Wilson will also suit up for the first time in 2022-23 against the Blue Jackets.
The 28-year-old underwent surgery back in May to repair a torn ACL. Originally diagnosed with a recovery period of six to eight months, this return date falls pretty much in the middle of that range.
While Wilson has gotten himself into trouble from a league disciplinary standpoint over the years, he has also become one of the premier power forwards in the NHL. He has reached the 20-goal mark in three of the last four seasons with the one he didn’t being the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign where he scored at a 23-goal pace.
As is the case with Backstrom, Wilson will certainly need some time to get back into prime playing shape but he’ll be a big addition to what has already been a fairly deep attack so far this season. He has spent a lot of time in recent years on Washington’s top line and while it will likely take a little while for him to get there, that could very well be the spot he winds up in eventually.
With Aliaksei Protas being sent down to make room for Backstrom, the Capitals will likely have to turn to the waiver wire to create a spot for Wilson to be activated into. Wingers Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Joe Snively appear to be the likeliest casualties with them having limited roles when they’ve been in the lineup. While the Capitals could designate one of them as waivers/non-roster tomorrow, it’s possible that they could make that waiver placement today, freeing up the roster spot and cap space on Sunday before formally activating both Wilson and Backstrom.
Nicklas Backstrom Will Make Season Debut On Sunday
A few months ago, there were questions as to whether Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom would be able to play ever again, let alone this season. However, his recovery from hip resurfacing surgery has gone well and the veteran is ready to suit up as the team announced (Twitter link) that he will make his season debut tomorrow against Columbus.
Backstrom will become only the second NHL player to play after undergoing this procedure. Long-time blueliner Ed Jovanovski was the other as he suited up in 37 games with Florida back in the 2013-14 season before the team bought him out.
The 35-year-old’s return will undoubtedly be a big boost to Washington’s lineup. Even while playing through the injury last season, he had 31 points in 47 games while before that, he had been in the top three in scoring for the Capitals for nine straight years. While there will certainly be an adjustment period as he plays his way back into game conditioning, Backstrom should be able to deepen what has already been a pretty strong attack this season as the Caps enter play today with the fourth-most goals in the NHL.
Backstrom, who carries a $9.5MM AAV, is currently on LTIR which means that the Capitals will need to get cap-compliant in order to activate him. They’ve already made the first move as Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that defenseman John Carlson has been transferred to LTIR. Carlson, who will miss a few months after taking a shot to the face last month, carries an $8MM AAV which will cover most of what they’ll need to clear to activate Backstrom.
The Capitals needed to free up a roster spot as well in order to welcome Backstrom back onto the roster. It will be sophomore center Aliaksei Protas that cedes his spot as the team announced that he has been sent down. Protas was a healthy scratch last night against Nashville and was the lone waiver-exempt player on the roster so he was the logical choice. The 22-year-old has largely been a regular this season having played in 41 games (while recording 10 points) but subbing in Backstrom for him will certainly improve Washington’s chances of holding down a playoff spot in the tight Metropolitan Division.
Metropolitan Notes: Hallander, Barzal, Noesen
Penguins prospect Filip Hallander was stretchered off the ice late in yesterday’s AHL game between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Charlotte, relays Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The injury occurred off a faceoff with his legs getting tied up with a Charlotte player, causing him to fall to the ice, landing on the side of his head. Play was quickly whistled down as the 22-year-old was motionless on the ice and the game was called at that point. The team released a brief statement this morning (Twitter link) indicating that he has been released from the hospital and is resting at home. They will not be providing any further information about the injury at this time.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Islanders center Mathew Barzal was a late scratch in Friday’s loss to Calgary due to what was termed a tweak, notes Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link). It’s likely that the issue was sustained the night before in Edmonton. Barzal took part in the pregame warmup so it’s likely his absence will be a short-term one. The 25-year-old has had a bit of a bounce-back season offensively and is on pace for numbers comparable to his rookie season when he had 22 goals and 85 points.
- Hurricanes winger Stefan Noesen isn’t expected to play today against Columbus, reports team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). After playing sparingly with Carolina last season, the 29-year-old is on pace for a career year with eight goals and a dozen assists through his first 37 games played which is pretty strong production for someone averaging just over 12 minutes a game in ice time. While there’s no word on how long Noesen will be out, it doesn’t appear that this will be a long-term absence.
Loan Roundup: 01/06/22
After Team Canada put gold medals around their neck last night to conclude the 2023 World Junior Championship, a variety of prospects under NHL contract were loaned back to their minor or junior teams today. We’ll keep a running list of those transactions right here.
All transactions are provided by CapFriendly.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets returned defenseman Stanislav Svozil to the WHL’s Regina Pats. Drafted 69th overall in 2021, Svozil had an incredible tournament with eight points in seven games for Czechia, winning a silver medal — the country’s first medal since 2005. Quickly looking like a draft steal, Svozil has 37 points in just 28 games, and he’ll return to playing with presumptive 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard.
- Also from Columbus, 2022 sixth-overall selection David Jiricek is returning to the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate. Jiricek also helped dominate from the Czech blueline, recording seven points and a staggering +10 rating in seven games. He played his first two NHL games before the tournament and has an impressive 20 points in just 19 games with the Monsters.
- The Dallas Stars returned dynamic Canadian forward Logan Stankoven to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Stankoven, who has a decent shot at making the team out of training camp in 2023-24, had three goals and 11 points in seven games with the Canadians. He was a second-round pick of the Stars in 2021, another budding draft steal.
- Gritty forward Reid Schaefer, selected with the last pick of the first round in 2022 by the Edmonton Oilers, is returning to the WHL-leading Seattle Thunderbirds. Schaefer played at the bottom of the Canadian lineup and managed one assist in seven contests. He’s fourth on Seattle in goals with 15 in just 22 games.
- Nashville Predators right-shot defense prospect Jack Matier was loaned back to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. The 124th overall selection in 2021 is amidst a breakout season in Ottawa, recording 26 points and a +24 rating through 26 games. He had one assist at the World Juniors.
- The Vegas Golden Knights returned Czech forward Jakub Brabenec to the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix. Drafted 102nd overall in 2021, Brabenec was just dealt to the Phoenix today from the Charlottetown Islanders. His scoring had taken somewhat of a dip before the trade with 25 points in 28 games, but a strong World Juniors performance should instill some confidence.
- Vegas also sent forward Zach Dean to the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. Taken 30th overall in 2021, Dean has 35 points in 27 games with Gatineau and recorded a goal and two assists for Canada at the tournament.
Latest On Shane Wright
After the Seattle Kraken assigned 2022 fourth-overall pick Shane Wright back to the OHL this morning, it quickly became apparent that he would not remain a member of his current team, the Kingston Frontenacs. They are fifth in the Eastern Conference, but at just two games over .500, OHL championship and Memorial Cup aspirations aren’t in their future this season.
Obviously, both for Wright personally and his development, it makes sense for him to be in a more competitive situation as he finishes out his junior career. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler today named the Ottawa 67’s, Barrie Colts, Peterborough Petes, and London Knights as “expected players” in a Wright trade, which would need to occur within the next four days. The OHL’s trade deadline is on Tuesday, January 10.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek added on, saying he didn’t think a Wright trade was necessarily imminent but that Kingston general manager Kory Cooper would meet with Wright, his family, his agent, and Kraken representatives to discuss trade options. Wright has a no-trade clause in his agreement with Kingston.
Ottawa may make the most sense for Wright, given their situation. The 67’s are first in the OHL, maintaining a spectacular 26-6-1-1 record through 34 games. Their strong suit is defense, surrendering only a league-best 87 goals. Scoring is a needed area of improvement, though. The 2023 draft-eligible Luca Pinelli is tied with the overage Cameron Tolnai for the team lead in scoring, although they both have just 39 points in 34 games. They’re solid totals but not staggering for the junior level.
Wright, who scored four goals in five games with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds and had seven points in seven games at the World Juniors, should clear the point-per-game mark by a mile. He still managed 94 points in 63 games with Kingston in 2021-22 despite not playing at all the season prior.
He also fits into Ottawa’s game plan as a defensively responsible center and could take some of the load from players like Pinelli to open up their offensive games.
Snapshots: Zuccarello, Hedman, Lambert
The Minnesota Wild will be without a member of their top line this weekend. Dane Mizutani of The Pioneer Press reports that right wing Mats Zuccarello is out with an upper-body injury and won’t play in their games against the Buffalo Sabres and St. Louis Blues this weekend.
Zuccarello, now 35, is second on the Wild in scoring and is again producing at over a point-per-game pace after doing so for the first time in his career last season. His 16 goals, 24 assists, and 40 points are all second on the team behind linemate Kirill Kaprizov, who is heading to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in South Florida, as announced last night.
However, Mizutani also reports that the Wild will get gritty winger Brandon Duhaime back in the lineup, who hasn’t played since American Thanksgiving. It doesn’t appear to be a long-term absence for Zuccarello, who Mizutani says hopes to re-join the team for next week’s road trip to New York.
- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is out tonight against the Winnipeg Jets, although it’s for a positive reason. Lightning beat writer Chris Krenn notes that Hedman has returned to Tampa and is expecting the birth of his family’s second child over the next few days. Mikhail Sergachev, who actually leads all Lightning blueliners in points, steps up to the top pairing in Hedman’s absence.
- After playing the first half of the season in the AHL, Winnipeg Jets 2022 first-round pick Brad Lambert could head to junior hockey for the first time in North America. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek expects Lambert to end up with the top-ranked Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL “at some point” this weekend. Lambert has struggled somewhat in his post-draft season after seeing his stock fall heavily out of the top five, as he posted just one point in five games at the 2023 World Junior Championship and managed three points in 14 games with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Los Angeles Kings Assign Brandt Clarke To OHL; Place Trevor Moore On IR
4:01 pm: The Kings have made the move official, announcing Clarke’s loan to the OHL Friday afternoon. In a corresponding transaction, the team also placed forward Trevor Moore on injured reserve after he’d missed the past four games with an upper-body injury. He is still listed as day-to-day and could return at any time.
3:35 pm: Per reports this afternoon from John Hoven at Mayor’s Manor and Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the Los Angeles Kings are expected to loan top defense prospect Brandt Clarke back to the OHL’s Barrie Colts.
Clarke is coming off a gold-medal-winning performance at the 2023 World Junior Championships with Team Canada. The eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft led Canadian defensemen with two goals and eight points in seven games.
His professional action this season had been somewhat limited, although a strong training camp permitted him to crack the Kings’ opening night roster. He’d played just 14 games this season aside from the World Juniors, including nine in Los Angeles and five in the AHL with the Ontario Reign on a conditioning stint.
Los Angeles keeping Clarke to under 10 games played in the NHL this season allows them to slide the beginning of his entry-level contract until 2023-24. This is the second and final season Los Angeles can slide Clarke’s contract, which they signed in August of 2021.
Clarke is an absolutely huge get for Barrie, as their former captain notched 59 points in 55 games in 2021-22. With Clarke’s return, an already strong team will get even stronger, and they may not even be done yet. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler named the Colts as a potential destination for Shane Wright, who was also returned to the OHL today and will inevitably be traded by the Kingston Frontenacs before Tuesday’s OHL trade deadline to a more competitive team.
2023 will be an important step for Clarke’s development, as the Kings hope their top defense prospect develops into a natural successor on the right side behind Drew Doughty as he ages out of the league.
Minor Transactions: 01/06/23
With the World Junior Championships now over, the hockey world can fully return its focus on the NHL season. We’re in the full swing of things on the NHL calendar, and as teams continue to fight for playoff position, numerous teams in overseas and minor leagues are making tweaks to their roster. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- Montreal Canadiens second-round pick Riley Kidney was traded in a blockbuster QMJHL deal today. Kidney, who scored 100 points last season, was dealt to the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick, Hurricanes draft pick Robert Orr, and forward Donovan Arsenault. This is the second time Orr has been traded this season, as he was acquired by the Olympiques in August.
- Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jakub Brabenec, fresh off of a strong World Juniors performance, has been traded to another QMJHL team. He was sent to the Sherbrooke Phoenix in exchange for a package including draft picks and Swiss forward Joel Marchon. Brabenec was a fourth-rounder of the Golden Knights in 2021 and has 25 points in 28 games this season.
- Former Florida Panther Jonathan Racine has a new club to play for. The 29-year-old 2011 third-round pick has signed a deal with Herning Blue Fox, a team in Metal Ligaen, the top division of professional hockey in Denmark. Racine last played in North America in 2019-20, splitting time in the AHL and ECHL. Before signing in Denmark, Racine had played this season for Manglerud in the Fjordkraft-ligaen, the top division of professional hockey in Norway.
- 2009 Colorado Avalanche draft pick Brandon Maxwell has signed a short-term deal to play for the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL. Maxwell, 31, has played in Europe since 2013-14, save for a one-game stint in the ECHL. He’s gone from Czechia to Austria to Germany and now finds himself in Sweden for the next stop in his career.
- Minor league veteran Matt Salhany has left the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen to sign a contract overseas. Per an official announcement, Metal Ligaen’s Aalborg Pirates have signed Salhany to a contract for the rest of the season. Salhany was a prolific scorer in his last stint in the Danish league, scoring 28 points in 35 games for Soenderjyske. His return to North America with Jacksonville hasn’t gone as planned, as he has just four points in 11 games, so he’ll head back to Denmark looking to resume his role as a top scorer.
- Former HockeyEast regular Liam Blackburn is changing clubs. The 26-year-old Canadian has bounced around a bit this season. He moved from the German third division to the SPHL, played for three different SPHL clubs, and then left for Scotland, signing with the EIHL’s Fife Flyers. He’s now left for a different part of the United Kingdom, transferring to the Manchester Storm, a rival EIHL club. Blackburn, who was a solid scorer in college and an elite scorer in Germany’s third tier, had one point in nine games for the Flyers.
- Former OHL and ECHL star Dante Salituro has changed clubs, as he is now playing for HC Presov. Salituro had previously been playing for HC Spisska Nova Ves, a rival club in the Slovakian Tipos Extraliga, the country’s top professional league. Salituro has 43 points in 65 career games in Slovakia, and last played in North America in 2019-20.
- Miloslav Jachym, a veteran defenseman on the Eastern and Central European professional hockey circuits, has left his current club, HC Dukla Jihlava of the Czech second division. The team connected Jachym’s departure to the signing of a younger defenseman, David Vala, to a multi-year deal.
Arizona Coyotes Recall Dylan Guenther
1/6/23: After an extremely successful World Juniors tournament that saw Guenther score the “golden goal” for Team Canada, Guenther has been recalled back to his NHL team, the Arizona Coyotes.
12/8/22: The Canadian World Junior squad continues to get more and more impressive. After already getting Brandt Clarke and Shane Wright, the group will now be joined by Dylan Guenther, loaned from the Arizona Coyotes today.
Guenther, 19, is a rather unexpected addition to the Canadian squad, given how his season has gone so far. The ninth overall pick from 2021 has been a regular in Arizona’s lineup this season, recording 11 points in 21 games. He played more than 15 minutes for the team just last night, and is already long past the threshold to burn the first year of his entry-level deal.
It’s rare for an NHL regular to be loaned, though the Coyotes will be focused much more on Guenther’s long-term development than the standings for this season. The team is still early in their rebuild and is trying to land a top draft position, meaning losses are potentially more valuable than wins.
The most interesting part is that despite being named to the original team (and registering two points in the now-mythical first game), Guenther did not attend the rescheduled 2022 tournament in the summer as he focused on the season ahead. After suffering a knee injury in the WHL finals, it would have been a stretch for him to participate, especially with NHL camp right around the corner.
Now, after two months of experience at the highest level, he’ll get the chance to represent his country on the world stage.
San Jose Sharks Claim Mikey Eyssimont Off Waivers
1/6/23: According to Curtis Pashelka of Bay Area News Group, the San Jose Sharks have claimed Eyssimont off of waivers. In order to create room for the claim on their roster, the Sharks have placed Radim Simek on injured reserve.
1/5/23: As expected after he was absent from practice today with the Winnipeg Jets, Mikey Eyssimont is on waivers according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.
This would clear room for Blake Wheeler, who was a surprise participant in practice today, to be activated from injured reserve along with Nikolaj Ehlers and Nate Schmidt. Cole Perfetti, the other injured player who was a full-go today, was never actually moved to IR.
Eyssimont, 26, has played in 19 games this season for the Jets, recording the first five NHL points of his career. A fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2016, he didn’t receive an opportunity at the highest level until arriving in Winnipeg last season.
After breaking out with the Manitoba Moose to the tune of 18 goals and 42 points in 58 games, he received his NHL debut in April. This year he has been a regular since the team lost several key forwards, averaging ten minutes a night and scoring his first goal.
Given his lack of NHL experience, Eyssimont will likely go unclaimed, though perhaps there is a team that believes he can give them better fourth-line minutes than what they are currently using.
Either way, it seems like his time in the Jets lineup is coming to an end for now, as three top-six forwards return at the same time. He’s probably ticketed for the Moose, just as Jansen Harkins and Kristian Reichel have been in recent days.