Patrik Laine Will Travel With Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had just about everything go wrong this season, including two injured reserve stints by star forward Patrik Laine. The latest one, which has kept him out of the lineup since November 12, might be coming to an end soon. Laine is expected to travel with the Blue Jackets when they head to Winnipeg to take on his former team on Friday, though it is not determined yet whether he’ll play in that game, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda.
The 24-year-old sniper just hasn’t been able to get anything going this season, after getting injured in the opener and then again after his eighth appearance. He does have two goals and four points, but there has been no rhythm to his season so far.
Big things were expected of Laine, after a point-per-game campaign in 2021-22 and the addition of Johnny Gaudreau in free agency. The two seemed like a strong match stylistically, with the smaller Gaudreau able to create shots for his teammates with ease. While the newcomer does lead the team in points with 22, it hasn’t generated many wins.
The Blue Jackets sit dead last in the Metropolitan Division, five points behind a team that just went through a ten-game losing streak. Laine is just one of the many injured Columbus players, a list that includes Jakub Voracek, Elvis Merzlikins, Jake Bean, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, Adam Boqvist, and – perhaps most importantly – Zach Werenski.
Getting Laine back would be a huge boost, though it’s hard to imagine the Blue Jackets getting back into the race at this point.
Los Angeles Kings Place Cal Petersen On Waivers
After allowing four goals on 16 shots last night in what ended up a 9-8 loss to the Seattle Kraken, Cal Petersen has been placed on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Los Angeles Kings netminder has been brutal this year, posting an .868 save percentage through his first ten appearances. He is in the first season of a three-year, $15MM contract extension signed in the fall of 2021.
The Petersen story is an interesting one. Selected 129th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2013, he would go back to the USHL for a year after his draft, before heading to Notre Dame. Starring for the Irish for three years, he decided to leave school early and pursue a professional career. Petersen would ultimately decide not to sign with the Sabres and became a free agent, able to choose his destination.
Los Angeles is where he landed, which at the time seemed a bit of an odd choice. The team already had Jonathan Quick installed as the full-time starter and Jack Campbell was starting to come into his own as the backup. It appeared as though Petersen would be blocked from the NHL net for a while.
Because of injuries and poor play, however, it wouldn’t be long before Petersen was making his debut. In his second pro season, he played 11 games for the Kings and posted a .924, showing that they could have found their future starter. A trade of Campbell the next season, and more struggles from Quick meant Petersen was getting a chance, and he ran with it, posting a .916 save percentage in 54 games over his first three years.
Heading into last season, he was expected to split the work with Quick and the team awarded him with a shiny new three-year extension, despite his previous deal still having a year left. The Kings probably should have waited, as Petersen’s play deteriorated, with him posting an .895 save percentage over 37 appearances. When Los Angeles reached the playoffs, there was no doubt who would be starting for them, and it wasn’t Petersen.
Now, with an even worse performance through the early part of the year and higher expectations for the Kings, the team can’t wait around any more. They’ve now offered him up to anyone who wants to take on the whole contract and could send him to the minor leagues to get back on track if he clears.
It seems unlikely that any team in the league would bite, especially due to the back-loaded nature of the deal. Petersen is owed a $4MM signing bonus next season and then has a $6MM salary in year three, meaning any claiming team would be taking on a lot of financial risk for a goaltender who has struggled.
Jakub Pour Clears Unconditional Waivers
Nov 30: CapFriendly reports that Pour has cleared waivers and will now have his contract terminated.
Nov 29: The Chicago Blackhawks have placed Jakub Pour on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. The young forward had been playing with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.
Signed in the summer of 2021 to a two-year entry-level contract, Pour was an undrafted free agent from the Czech Republic who had caught the eye of someone in the Blackhawks organization. After struggling in his first season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, it was down to the ECHL for him this year. More struggles have followed, with just five points in 15 games, so a mutual contract termination seems like the best thing for both parties.
This will clear the way for Pour to return to Europe, while also clearing a contract slot for the Blackhawks. He likely would not have received a qualifying offer at the end of the year, meaning this just allows him to look for another job a few months early.
Pour will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow, should he go unclaimed.
Kris Letang Out Indefinitely Following Stroke
The Pittsburgh Penguins have released some frightening news, announcing that Kris Letang will be out indefinitely after suffering a stroke on Monday. It is the second time this has happened to the star defenseman, following a similar incident in 2014. Letang has released a statement:
I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn’t right. While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. It is important for me that my teammates, family and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon.
When the first stroke occurred, a small hole in the wall of Letang’s heart was found. He missed two months and returned to the ice, playing more than 500 games between then and this latest incident. He is not experiencing any lasting effects but will continue to be monitored.
General manager Ron Hextall also released a statement:
Kris reported symptoms to the training staff on Monday and was immediately taken to the hospital for testing. The test results were shocking to hear, but we are grateful that Kris is doing well. We are thankful to the medical staff and the physicians at UMPC. He is a warrior on the ice, but first and foremost, he is a son, father, husband and friend. His health is our number one priority.
Letang, 35, was averaging nearly 24 minutes a night through 21 games this season, racking up 12 points. He signed a new six-year, $36.6MM contract in the offseason. Hopefully, just as he did in the past, he will be able to return to the ice at some point this season. There is no timetable for that at the moment, however, as the team and player focus on his health. Hextall explained to the media that this stroke was not as severe as the one he suffered in 2014 and that Letang was even able meet with and speak directly to his teammates last night about what had happened.
John Marino Dealing With Upper-Body Injury
After losing their winning streak in a defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, the New Jersey Devils have jumped right back on the horse, taking home three more victories in recent days. The club is 19-4 on the year, and a huge part of that is due to allowing so few goals.
The Devils defense corps has been outstanding, with something of an unlikely lynchpin in newcomer John Marino. The 25-year-old has just eight points in 23 games but manages to tilt the ice in his team’s favor despite extremely tough deployment. New Jersey has outscored their opponents 21-8 at even-strength with Marino on the ice, even though he starts more shifts in the defensive zone than the offensive.
That’s why it’s such a big deal when the team announces Marino isn’t practicing today and is out with an upper-body injury. While he is considered day-to-day, it is a critical loss for the Devils.
Kevin Bahl is expected to slot into the lineup in his place should Marino be unable to go tomorrow against the Nashville Predators. Luckily, if you can call it that, the Devils do have an easier stretch coming up, with games against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks.
Los Angeles Kings Make Several Roster Moves
Nov 30: After last night’s wild, 9-8 game, Fagemo has been loaned back to the AHL.
Nov 29: The Los Angeles Kings are always one of the busiest front offices in the league. They shuffle players up and down on a daily basis to save some extra cap, and reward young players with a few days of NHL salary. Today, the shuffle has a new name involved, as Jordan Spence has been recalled from the minor leagues. He’s coming along with Samuel Fagemo, while Lias Andersson has been loaned back to the AHL.
Spence, 21, has been in the minor leagues all season so far, once again dominating the AHL whenever he hits the ice. After scoring 42 points in 46 games last season, he’s off to an even better start with 16 in his first 17. That performance earned Spence 24 appearances with the big club last year, despite being barely out of junior hockey. The fourth-round pick scored twice and added eight points in those games, earning him a short look in the playoffs as well, when the Kings were shorthanded.
His recall today is interesting, if only because the team plays tonight and could insert him directly into the lineup. It’s not clear who would come out, but Alex Edler and Sean Walker both played limited minutes on Sunday as the team lost to the Ottawa Senators in overtime.
Andersson played 8:37 in that game – including just four shifts in the third period – his first appearance of the season at the NHL level. The 24-year-old continues to be a disappointment relative to his draft position (seventh overall in 2017) and can’t seem to lock down a regular spot.
Jordan Szwarz Re-Signs In DEL
Adler Mannheim of the German DEL announced six contract extensions today, among them former NHL forward Jordan Szwarz. The 31-year-old has signed through 2025, potentially ending any chance of a North American return.
Originally selected 97th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2009, Szwarz made his NHL debut in 2013 and played 50 games at the highest level over the years. A born leader, he was captain of three different AHL teams – the Portland Pirates, Providence Bruins, and Belleville Senators – before leaving for the KHL in 2020.
An all-around talent, he racked up 296 points in 478 AHL games before leaving. This year with Mannheim he has 13 points in 19 games and is playing a key role in the successful club.
Latest On Arizona Arena Plan
Last night, Tempe City Council unanimously approved a development plan for a $2.1 billion project that would include a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes. The next step will be a special election on May 16, 2023, when the public will have their say on the proposed project.
Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez released the following statement:
It starts with gratitude tonight — Thanking the city council and thanking the city staff for all of their incredible hard work. It’s about being able to touch every person in this city, in this community — that is our community — and starting with that by letting them know it is our community, to let them know just how incredible this is.
While this does not guarantee a new rink for the Coyotes, who are currently sharing a building with Arizona State University, it is another massive step toward one. A permanent facility in Tempe would be a significant win for a franchise that has struggled with attendance and sponsorship for years, partly due to an out-of-the-way rink in Glendale.
At the meeting, owner Alex Meruelo also directly addressed one rumor, telling those in attendance (which included Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports) that he would not be selling the team to Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets. Fertitta has expressed an interest in owning an NHL team in the past.
Notably, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly were at the City Council meeting, showing support for the Coyotes’ plan. The commissioner has been a staunch supporter of keeping the team in Arizona for years but was also very vocal that a new home – one not in Glendale – was required.
Evening Notes: Stars, Letang, Samsonov
The Dallas Stars are off to a strong start under new head coach Pete DeBoer, and they’re looking to get stronger. Per TSN’s Darren Dreger on tonight’s edition of Insider Trading, the Stars are still looking to add a top-six forward, preferably to play with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment.
They’ve had a rotating cast playing on the wing with those two, and although Seguin and Marchment have played well, they’d obviously like some added depth and to get a player that boasts chemistry with them. Jamie Benn is having a resurgence in limited minutes, scoring 26 points in 23 games, and they’d prefer to keep his ice time down below 15-16 minutes. If nothing comes to fruition, the strong performances of youngsters Ty Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnston should still safeguard their depth scoring.
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been in and out of the lineup recently, and he’s missing another contest tonight. Letang is absent from their game against the Carolina Hurricanes with an undisclosed illness, the team announced before puck drop. It’s his second missed game of the season after missing a game earlier this month, also with an illness. He revealed weeks ago that he had been battling an illness for a stretch of games; whether or not this is a related illness is unclear.
- Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov says he’s pain-free after his knee injury and is “ready to play,” according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Sheldon Keefe pumped the brakes on his status, however, saying the team would check on him tomorrow to determine his return to play. The young netminder, who had a strong start to the season, has missed nearly a month.
Minor Transactions: 11/29/22
The NHL is busy again tonight with nine games on the schedule, including Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk‘s return to his former stomping grounds in Calgary. Like yesterday, though, it’s been a busy day at other levels of the sport as former NHLers or NHL-affiliated players find new homes. We’ll keep track of today’s transactions here.
- After being released from a PTO by the Rochester Americans yesterday, defenseman Brandon Davidson has quickly found a new home. The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters announced today that they’ve signed Davidson for the remainder of 2022-23 on an AHL contract, filling out a defense that’s been decimated by call-ups to their injury-plagued NHL affiliate in Columbus. He’ll be a veteran presence alongside younger Columbus prospects like David Jiricek.
- Once a prominent defensive prospect in the Toronto Maple Leafs system, Andrew Nielsen has found his way back into the AHL after spending most of the past year in the ECHL. After 18 points in 15 games with the Utah Grizzlies, the club has loaned him to AHL San Diego for the time being, which would be Nielsen’s fifth AHL club if he suits up.
This page will be updated throughout the day