Philadelphia Flyers Loan Jackson Cates To AHL
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have sent forward Jackson Cates to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Cates was recalled from the AHL on October 14th, and will now head back to the minors after skating in three NHL games.
Cates, 25, is an undrafted player who has impressed the Flyers organization in his short tenure with the team. Last season he played mostly in the AHL, and he scored 10 points in 37 games. Those numbers don’t scream “priority call-up” on their own, but Cates’ all-around play earned him eleven NHL games last season.
This year, Cates had a strong training camp and played his way onto the roster shortly after the start of the season. He’ll head back to Lehigh Valley now and look to put together a productive stretch of games there, games that will hopefully earn him a spot back in Philadelphia. Cates is also the brother of teammate Noah Cates, who is himself hoping to latch on in Philadelphia as a full-time NHLer.
There was no corresponding move announced to fill Cates’ now-vacated roster spot, although the Flyers aren’t required to hold the full 23 allowed players on their roster. It’s definitely possible, though, that another roster move is just around the corner.
Chicago Blackhawks Place Petr Mrazek On Injured Reserve
10/23/22: The Blackhawks have announced that Mrazek has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to October 21st. Per the announcement, Mrazek’s injury is a groin strain. Mrazek is unfortunately no stranger to groin injuries, and he has missed time due to similar ailments in the past. Given the relative lack of goaltending depth in Chicago, the team is no doubt hoping that Mrazek’s current groin injury is a minor one.
10/22/22: Staying healthy has been a challenge for Petr Mrazek throughout his 11-year NHL career. The injury bug crept up again last night as head coach Luke Richardson told reporters including NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis that the veteran went to him after the second period and indicated he felt he had a small injury that warranted his removal from the game. Alex Stalock came on in relief and the Blackhawks picked up the overtime victory.
However, with Chicago set to play their next game on Sunday, they needed to get a second healthy goalie on the roster so the team has announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Arvid Soderblom from AHL Rockford. Mrazek hasn’t been placed on IR yet so the team needed to clear a roster spot for the youngster so defenseman Alec Regula was sent to the IceHogs. NHL.com’s Tracey Myers relays (Twitter link) that Mrazek has a groin injury; he missed 20 games with that issue last season.
Soderblom is in his second season in North America and made three NHL appearances last year while having a strong season in Rockford, posting a .919 SV% in 38 games. The 23-year-old has suited up twice in the minors this year. As for Regula, he suited up in one of Chicago’s first four games this season and had 26 points in 41 games with Rockford last season.
Snapshots: Bear, Norris, Danforth, Australia
On the topic of young defensemen expected to be dealt, it’s Jakob Chychrun‘s name that comes up more times than not and given his talent, that’s not unfair. However, another young defenseman that could be dealt is that of Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Ethan Bear. Perhaps not the talent Chychrun is, Bear is a solid player in his own right, but has had his share of issues in regards to getting in the lineup and overall playing time since the Hurricanes acquired him from the Edmonton Oilers for forward Warren Foegele in the summer of 2021.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on tonight’s 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada, a decision on Bear could be coming soon. Bear, who hasn’t played a game yet this season, wants to play, says Friedman, but the team has been unable to find a trade they like. According to Friedman, interested teams have asked Carolina to retain a certain percentage of Bear’s salary cap in order to create a trade package to the Hurricanes’ liking. Carolina, in turn, has told teams that they don’t plan to retain any cap given the fact that their reason for dealing Bear would not be at all cap related. Ultimately, as relayed by Friedman, the situation is expected to resolve itself shortly. It would seem at this point, if Carolina cannot get a better offer for the defenseman, their options would be to accept an offer they think is under-valued, put Bear on waivers, play him, or continue to scratch him, potentially doing harm to the relationship.
- Earlier this afternoon, Ottawa Senators forward Joshua Norris left their game against the Arizona Coyotes after appearing to injure his arm off the faceoff. Norris immediately left the ice in pain and appeared to throw his stick in the hallway. After the game, no update was offered on the injury itself, and that is still the case this evening. However, Friedman did say on 32 Thoughts that the plan was for Norris to have an MRI once the swelling in his arm went down. No update thus far could be seen as a bit concerning, but an MRI should give more clear results and lead to a timeline once complete.
- Also on the injury front, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Justin Danforth left tonight’s game with an upper-body injury and will not return, the team announced. What exactly the nature of the injury is remains unclear; Danforth had played regular shifts throughout the first period, but did not return for the second period. The forward had three points in five games coming into tonight.
- An interesting note on international NHL showcases was brought up tonight on 32 Thoughts. It appears the league is exploring the possibility of playing games in Australia, perhaps as soon as sometime next season. The league plans to have a site survey shortly and would like to have a few games there if possible. Although the league has greatly expanded its outreach into international markets, heading to Australia is intriguing given its status as a non-traditional market.
Latest On Jakob Chychrun’s Trade Market
As Jakob Chychrun nears a return from injury, trade speculation around the young defenseman has reignited. Rumors of Chychrun being dealt by the Arizona Coyotes reached a fever pitch last season just ahead of the trade deadline, but an injury suffered on March 12th against the Boston Bruins cost him the remainder of the season and the beginning of this one as well. An exact return date for the defenseman had not been set, but many had expected it would be at some point towards the end of Arizona’s six-game road trip to start their season. However, as discussed earlier today, he is still considered week-to-week.
This evening on the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek discussed the current market for Chychrun. Marek notes the asking price on Arizona’s end holds firm at two first-round draft picks, “plus,” meaning some combination of additional draft choices, prospects, or roster players. This ask has appeared palatable for a number of teams in theory, but talks appear to become difficult when the “plus” is brought up. This has become most apparent when it comes to the Ottawa Senators.
Marek reports that discussions on the likes of forwards Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto or defenseman Jake Sanderson are not on the table for the Senators. Considering Chychrun’s talent, age, and cost-controlled contract (three-years, $13.8MM including 2022-23), the player makes perfect sense for an Ottawa team that is just turning the corner in their rebuild, but could use a boost on their blueline.
Still, it’s unclear exactly what the package requested from Ottawa looks like. The Senators aren’t the only team looking at Chychrun, and realistically many teams are likely interested at the possibility of acquiring him given the above, but Marek does list the Los Angeles Kings as another possibility beyond Ottawa, a name we’ve hear before in the Chychrun rumors. With Arizona’s high asking price for the 24-year-old, and the win-now nature of the move, a team like Ottawa or Los Angeles who have a deep system of young talent and are ready to take the next step are two of the most conceivable trade partners in the Chychrun sweepstakes.
Injury Notes: Chychrun, Brossoit, Cernak, Laviolette
As last season’s Jakob Chychrun trade speculation was reaching its peak just as the trade deadline approached, the air was seemingly sucked out of the trade rumors when Chychrun went down in a game against the Boston Bruins on March 12th. After the injury, perhaps without the offer they were looking for to deal the defenseman, the Arizona Coyotes hung onto Chychrun. Many thought he would then be dealt at the NHL Draft this summer, but that and the rest of the offseason had come and gone and Chychrun was still a member of the Coyotes. Several games into this season, the hockey world is awaiting Chychrun’s return from injury, many believing trade talks will once again heat up when the defenseman returns and shows he is fully healthy.
When exactly Chychrun would be returning had remained a mystery, but with the defenseman joining the team on their Canadian road trip, his return seemed fairly imminent. That may not be true though, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan. Instead, says Morgan, Chychrun will not play on this road trip, which concludes with a game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Chychrun won’t return for “a bit” Morgan adds, and is considered week-to-week.
- When the news broke that Robin Lehner would miss the entire 2022-23 season, the Vegas Golden Knights goaltending situation, and ultimately their season, was heavily doubted. Thus far, the 4-1-0 Golden Knights have received more than solid goaltending from rookie Logan Thompson and the recently acquired Adin Hill, and that is without veteran netminder Laurent Brossoit, who is still recovering from injury. A return timetable for Brossoit was unclear heading into the season, though not expected to be long-term. His return is still unclear though, says the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster. Brossoit has not been cleared for any contact, but is progressing well and will be re-evaluated on November 1st, Webster reports.
- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not play tonight when the Lightning take on the New York Islanders at home, the team says. Cernak has played in all five of Tampa’s games thus far.
- Washington Capitals Head Coach Peter Laviolette will be behind the bench for tonight’s game, confirms Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. The Washington bench boss had been a game-time decision with a non-COVID illness. The Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings at home tonight.
New York Islanders Activate Sebastian Aho, Assign Robin Salo To AHL
The New York Islanders announced this afternoon that they have activated defenseman Sebastian Aho off of IR. In a corresponding move, defenseman Robin Salo has been assigned to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL. Newsday’s Andrew Gross was the first to report the transaction.
Given that the Islanders had 23 men on their roster prior to activating Aho, someone would have to go, and with Salo being waiver-exempt, he was clearly a logical choice. Interestingly though, the team has been carrying fifteen forwards and six defensemen, leaving little margin for error should a last-minute injury present itself, especially with the team on the road.
Of note, coming out of training camp, it appeared that Salo had won the competition for the third-pair, left-defense spot over Aho and other competitors like Paul Ladue and Grant Hutton. In fact, on opening night, Salo played while Aho was a healthy scratch. But, when the team activated Cal Clutterbuck off of IR on October 15th, they placed Aho on IR in response. Despite being placed on IR, Aho continued to skate with the team that day. When Aho does lace them up for New York, it’ll mark his fourth NHL season since his debut in 2017-18. The puck-moving Aho has had trouble establishing himself as a full-time NHLer thus far in his career, but did manage to get into a career-high 36 games last season in the NHL, recording 12 points.
Some may be surprised to see Salo sent down after seeming to win a regular job with the Islanders out of camp, then having a strong start to the regular season, including a two-goal game against the Anaheim Ducks last weekend. But, to that end, Gross speculates that this is merely a paper transaction, considering Salo traveled with the team to Tampa.
Michal Kempny Signs In Czechia
When Seattle ran defenseman Michal Kempny through unconditional waivers to terminate his contract, it seemed reasonable to think that the veteran had his next destination figured out already. That is indeed the case as Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga announced that they’ve signed Kempny to a two-year deal plus an option.
The 32-year-old split last season between Washington and their AHL affiliate in Hershey. He got into 15 games with the Capitals where he picked up a goal and an assist but logged less than 16 minutes a night, his lowest ATOI since his rookie year back in 2016-27. Kempny was a bit more productive in 24 minor league contests, recording seven assists.
A veteran of 247 career NHL regular season games, that was enough to help Kempny land a one-way deal from the Kraken this past summer, albeit at the league minimum. However, he suffered a concussion in his season preseason game and cleared waivers at the end of training camp which saw him then sent to Coachella Valley.
Instead of sticking around there in the hopes of getting recalled at some point, Kempny has instead decided to head home. The term of this contract makes it unlikely that he’ll return to the NHL down the road but if it is the end of the line for him at the top level, he still had a pretty successful career, playing in five NHL seasons which isn’t too bad for an undrafted player.
Kraken Recall Joey Daccord
With Philipp Grubauer being injured late in Friday’s victory over Colorado, it was only a matter of time before Seattle needed to call up a second goaltender. That move has now been made as the team announced (Twitter link) that Joey Daccord has been recalled from Coachella Valley of the AHL.
Grubauer struggled considerably last season, his first with the Kraken after surprisingly turning down an offer from Colorado to ink a six-year, $35.4MM deal with Seattle in 2021. Things haven’t gone any better in the early going this year as the 30-year-old has a 3.77 GAA along with a save percentage of just .860 through his first four appearances. Head coach Dave Hakstol didn’t speak with the media today so there is no information on how long Grubauer might be out for.
Daccord, meanwhile, cleared waivers at the end of training camp and made three starts in the minors for the Firebirds in the early going this season. He has seen NHL action in three of his first four professional seasons but has made just 14 appearances over that stretch, posting a 3.77 GAA and a save percentage of just .878. He will serve as the backup to Martin Jones who now takes over as the starter with Grubauer injured and Chris Driedger still months away from returning.
Worth noting is that Daccord was the only NHL-contracted goalie that Seattle had in the minors (Magnus Hellberg was scooped off waivers by Ottawa when Seattle tried to send him down) so if another netminder gets hurt before Grubauer is able to return, the Kraken will need to make a quick move to sign another goalie.
Andrej Sustr And Michal Kempny Clear Waivers
Saturday: Sustr has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. No one was placed on waivers today.
Friday: With Jon Merrill set to get back into the Minnesota Wild lineup, the team has placed Andrej Sustr on waivers. Michal Kempny, who was placed on unconditional waivers yesterday, has cleared and will have his contract terminated.
Sustr, 31, hasn’t even played a game yet for the Wild, but is no longer even needed for insurance purposes. Merrill is expected to take Alex Goligoski‘s spot in the lineup tomorrow, after the veteran defenseman played in his 1,000th game yesterday. Goligoski will become the player that rotates in when needed, and Sustr can report to the minor leagues.
That is, of course, if he clears waivers, which isn’t necessarily guaranteed. Just last season he was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks when the Tampa Bay Lightning tried to sneak him through, and he ended up playing in 23 games down the stretch. The 6’7″ behemoth has played in 361 regular season NHL games, and is a useful veteran to have on the roster as a seventh option.
For teams that might be dealing with injuries on the back end, Sustr and his one-year, two-way contract might not be a bad option. Still, he doesn’t offer much upside, so if he slips through the Wild will be able to keep him in the organization as an injury replacement. Sustr played in the minor leagues without complaint last season, registering 12 points in 25 games for the Syracuse Crunch. Because the team has designated him for assignment already, they’ll be able to activate Merrill even before his waivers resolve tomorrow afternoon.
Canucks Assign Nils Hoglander To The Minors
For the last two seasons, Nils Hoglander was a useful secondary scorer for the Canucks. However, some added depth has pushed him down the depth chart and, for the time being at least, he’s off the roster altogether as the team announced (Twitter link) that the winger has been sent to AHL Abbotsford. Defenseman Noah Juulsen has been recalled in a corresponding move.
Hoglander had an impressive rookie campaign in 2020-21, playing in all 56 games while collecting 13 goals and 14 assists; his 27 points put him tied for fourth among all first-year players which helped him finish eighth in Calder Trophy voting. Last season, his numbers dipped a bit to ten goals and eight helpers in 60 games while also missing 21 contests due to a groin injury. Notably, his ATOI also dropped by 2:22 per contest to 13:05 per night as the 23-year-old spent a lot of time in the bottom six.
That usage continued in the early going this season as Hoglander has played in four of five games, once again logging around 13 minutes a night of ice time. Speaking with reporters including Thomas Drance of The Athletic (Twitter link), Bruce Boudreau indicated that this is a paper transaction and that they expect Hoglander back up soon with his waiver exemption making him the logical choice to shuffle down. It’s worth noting that he is 23 games away from being waiver-eligible so this won’t be an option for them for much longer.
As for Juulsen, it’s the second time in the last seven days that he has been recalled with his first stint lasting just two days although he did suit up for Vancouver in that stretch. With Quinn Hughes playing through a minor injury and Tucker Poolman not available at the moment due to injury, Juulsen gives the Canucks a bit of insurance on the back end. The 2015 first-rounder has played in 57 career NHL contests over parts of five seasons so far.