Colorado Avalanche Make Several Roster Moves
December 8: The Avalanche announced this afternoon that Ranta has been reassigned to the AHL. No other corresponding move was announced. The forward played 11:50 in last night’s loss to the Bruins, getting a shot off but not recording a point.
December 7: With Nathan MacKinnon added to the list of injuries for the Colorado Avalanche, the team has made several transactions today to reshape the roster. Sampo Ranta, Ben Meyers, Cal Burke, and Andreas Englund have all been recalled. Alex Galchenyuk, who cleared waivers yesterday, has been loaned to the AHL.
Ranta has played in 16 total games for the Avalanche over the last three seasons but is still looking for his first NHL point. The 22-year-old forward was a third-round pick in 2018 and has received just a handful of minutes in most of his appearances, something that could change now that the team is so banged up. MacKinnon joins nearly a dozen other regulars that are out of the lineup at the moment.
Meyers, meanwhile, is still in his first full season of professional hockey after signing with the Avalanche last spring. The 24-year-old undrafted forward was a star at the University of Minnesota, and made his NHL debut down the stretch, scoring one goal in five games. He’s been up with the big club for three appearances this year, recording another goal. A responsible two-way player in college, he could be asked to play the middle of the ice, depending on how the lineup card shakes out.
Burke, 25, would be making his NHL debut should he enter the lineup, after signing with the club in 2021. He too was an undrafted college free agent, and has 11 points in 21 games for the Colorado Eagles this season. The team appears to be going with older, more polished two-way players to fill out the bottom of the roster instead of turning to prospects with higher upside like Oskar Olausson.
Englund was always going to be recalled, given the team’s lack of defensive options at the moment. With Josh Manson, Kurtis MacDermid, and Bowen Byram all out, the team had just five defensemen on the roster going into today.
Unfortunately, the team lost Jayson Megna on waivers to the Anaheim Ducks yesterday, forcing them into an additional recall. The depth chart is being tested, as they now have just six forwards assigned to the AHL that are under NHL contracts.
Winnipeg Jets Activate Logan Stanley
Good news on the injury front for the Winnipeg Jets as they will be getting an important piece of their blueline back. The team announced they have activated defenseman Logan Stanley off of IR. Stanley had been on IR since November 2nd with a fractured foot, but has not played since October 24th.
Although Winnipeg is still dealing with injuries to a pair of key forwards in Nikolaj Ehlers and Mason Appleton, their defense has remained relatively healthy as of late. Even still, getting the massive Stanley back in the fold should make a difference. The Jets currently have the eighth fewest shots against them in the NHL, an indicator of strong defense, however the team also ranks 29th in the NHL in shots for. Stanley might not be an elite puck mover, but having a complete blueline could help the team stay out of their own end and stay in the offensive end more than they have.
Listed at 6’7 and 231 pounds, Stanley’s frame allows him to play a unique and exciting brand of physical, shutdown defense evidence by his 195 career hits in 100 career games. A 2016 first-round pick, the defenseman took some time to make it to the NHL, but has now established himself as a key piece when healthy. The 24-year-old played in a career-high 58 games last season, recording 13 points, but has played in just five this season, with zero points thus far. The Central Division-leading Jets play this evening on the road in St. Louis against the up-and-down Blues.
Los Angeles Kings Working On Trevor Moore Extension
The Los Angeles Kings haven’t had exactly the season they hoped for after last year’s playoff performance, but one continued bright spot has been the play of Trevor Moore. In his latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman writes that he thinks an extension is “getting closer” for the pending free agent.
Moore, 27, has always been one of the hardest-working players on the ice, using his speed to chase down and steal pucks from opponents or be first in on the forecheck. In a breakout season last year, he scored 17 goals and 48 points during the regular season and then was a real difference-maker in the playoffs, scoring five points in seven games to push Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to the brink.
This year, he’s been scoring at an even better clip and is on pace to hit the 20-goal mark for the first time. The Kings’ coaching staff obviously trusts him, as Moore is averaging nearly 18 minutes a night, including time on both the powerplay and penalty kill.
In September, Eric Stephens of The Athletic suggested that a multi-year deal of around $3MM per season might be in order, but after another good start, it could climb even higher than that. Complementary, two-way wingers are somewhat unique in that their compensation can vary wildly in free agency.
Blake Coleman turned two outstanding playoff performances into a six-year, $29.4MM contract, for instance, despite never coming close to Moore’s 48-point mark. Ilya Mikheyev landed a four-year, $19MM deal after setting a career-high with 32 points in 53 games. Evan Rodrigues, though, settled for a one-year, $2MM deal after his 43-point breakout last year that was considered by some as a product of playing with Sidney Crosby.
What Moore could get on the open market is a mystery, but if Friedman is right, it may not matter. The Kings have plenty of time to reach an agreement with him that will keep him away from other teams.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Cam York
The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled defensive prospect Cam York from the minor leagues, sending Yegor Zamula back down in his place. The team is headed out on the road for stops in Vegas, Arizona, Colorado, and New Jersey, meaning they needed an extra defenseman. It is somewhat surprising that York was the one getting the call, given how it didn’t seem like the team would be inserting the extra body into the lineup.
York, 21, was the 14th pick in 2019 and is still seen as a top prospect in the Philadelphia organization, even if his opportunity at the NHL level has been limited. He played 30 games with the team last year and was pushed hard by head coach John Tortorella in the preseason, but ended up failing to make it past the final cuts. After putting up 13 points in 20 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, perhaps he’ll get another chance to show he can help the Flyers.
In yesterday’s loss to the Washington Capitals, Nick Seeler and Justin Braun each played fewer than 16 minutes, with the former not seeing any time on special teams. It would be a difficult spot for York to make his season debut tomorrow, against the 19-8-1 Vegas Golden Knights.
Zamula, meanwhile, has played in just 11 games with the Flyers this season but continues to be given practice time with the club. His demotion today was planned to give him the opportunity to play big minutes in Lehigh Valley while Philadelphia was on the road, since he wasn’t expected to get in the lineup.
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.